Chapter Summaries

Chapter 55 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng attend a summer music festival using front-row tickets provided by Gu Zhe.
• Before arriving, Qin Heng obsessively worries about whether Chi Ning’s outfit has pockets because he has saved eight coins for him.
• The venue’s black chairs and intense heat make Chi Ning uncomfortable. A stylish young man beside them attempts to strike up a conversation with Chi Ning.
• Qin Heng immediately intervenes by pulling Chi Ning into his arms, switching seats with him, and introducing himself instead. He also asks the young man where to buy ice water, creating an awkward but humorous interaction.
• Qin Heng removes his hoodie, revealing an elaborate silk shirt underneath. He admits he chose the layers because he was worried Chi Ning would dislike the outer jacket, while also noting that the inner shirt looks like a couple’s outfit with Chi Ning’s clothes.
• At the snack area, Chi Ning craves ice cream. Qin Heng refuses because Chi Ning has already eaten three servings, but Chi Ning cleverly buys fried yogurt while arguing that it does not count as ice cream.
• They return to their seats just as Gu Zhe begins performing. Although the audience is enthusiastic, neither Chi Ning nor Qin Heng particularly understands or appreciates the performance because of the loud music.
• After singing, Gu Zhe announces that the organizers will randomly select couples to receive matching custom pendants. Single audience members may give the second pendant to someone they like.
• The camera selects Chi Ning and the young man sitting beside him, placing them inside a heart on the giant screen. Chi Ning looks unhappy, while the young man appears embarrassed and intrigued.
• Gu Zhe is delighted because the selection gives him an opportunity to tease Qin Heng, whom he has long wanted to provoke.

Character Developments

• Qin Heng: Becomes increasingly protective and possessive of Chi Ning. He immediately blocks the stranger’s attempt to approach Chi Ning, takes responsibility for his comfort, buys him water, and monitors his eating. His awkward but sincere attempt to coordinate their clothing also reveals romantic intentions.
• Chi Ning: Remains cool and easily irritated by the heat, but behaves playfully and mischievously with Qin Heng. He exploits a loophole to buy fried yogurt and is visibly displeased when publicly paired with the stranger.
• Gu Zhe: Appears more carefree and mischievous. His therapist’s influence seems to have made him happier and more open about his unconventional romantic life. He eagerly enjoys the accidental opportunity to make trouble for Qin Heng.
• The young man: Initially considers approaching Chi Ning because of his beauty and apparent status, but becomes intimidated by Qin Heng’s strength and later seems flustered by being publicly paired with Chi Ning.

Significant Themes

• Possessiveness and protection: Qin Heng’s immediate intervention shows how strongly he wants to safeguard and claim his place beside Chi Ning.
• Romantic tension and implied intimacy: Their coordinated clothing, physical closeness, shared food, and familiar bickering suggest a relationship that is emotionally intimate even when neither openly states it.
• Humor through contrast: Chi Ning’s refined, cold appearance contrasts with his craving for sweets, while Qin Heng’s intimidating presence is paired with socially awkward behavior and careful attentiveness.
• Public image versus private feelings: The giant-screen pairing exposes the relationship dynamics between Chi Ning and Qin Heng to a crowd, turning their private tension into a public spectacle.
• Fate and coincidence: The random audience selection creates an unexpected romantic misunderstanding and sets up further conflict or teasing.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng repeatedly takes care of Chi Ning while teasing and restraining his indulgence.
• Chi Ning responds with playful defiance, including secretly taking money from Qin Heng’s pocket to buy fried yogurt.
• Qin Heng’s confrontation with the young man is indirect but unmistakably territorial.
• Gu Zhe’s public announcement and amused reaction deliberately—or at least conveniently—turn Chi Ning’s accidental pairing into a source of entertainment for himself and potential jealousy for Qin Heng.

Chapter 56 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the music festival, Gu Zhe invites Chi Ning to speak into the microphone. Chi Ning offers Qin Heng a sincere blessing: he hopes Qin Heng will continue to shine, remaining steadfast, fearless, and cheerful.
• Gu Zhe realizes Chi Ning and Qin Heng are a couple, but before he can correct the camera framing, Qin Heng drops coins into Chi Ning’s bowl to request a public kiss. He adds more money when Chi Ning teases him about the price.
• Chi Ning agrees and kisses Qin Heng in front of the audience. The crowd reacts enthusiastically after recognizing Chi Ning as the famous genius student with twelve patents.
• After leaving the festival, the couple receives matching musical-note pendants. Qin Heng gives Chi Ning the pendant with the solid heart, saying Chi Ning “took his heart away.”
• In the car, Qin Heng openly tells Chi Ning that he likes his usual mannerisms, including his slightly authoritative, “teacher-like” way of speaking and occasional displays of dependence or petulance.
• Since Chi Ning cannot go home before eleven, Qin Heng takes him to an arcade. Chi Ning becomes fascinated by a Red Blood Cell Pillow requiring ten thousand tickets.
• Qin Heng methodically plays the most efficient games to win enough tickets while Chi Ning falls asleep beside him. When children ask how Qin Heng became so skilled, Qin Heng tells them to study hard; Chi Ning humorously supports the explanation.
• The couple briefly discusses whether Chi Ning likes children and the impossibility of having children together. Chi Ning accepts that people cannot have everything, while Qin Heng says being together is already enough.
• Qin Heng successfully wins the required tickets, allowing Chi Ning to exchange them for the Red Blood Cell Pillow.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: Becomes more openly responsive to Qin Heng’s affection. Although embarrassed by the public kiss and Qin Heng’s flirtatious remarks, he agrees to the kiss and later shows playful teasing and physical closeness. His interest in the Red Blood Cell Pillow reveals a softer, more childlike side.
• Qin Heng: Grows increasingly direct and confident in expressing his feelings. He openly flirts with Chi Ning, admits he likes Chi Ning’s personality exactly as it is, and demonstrates his devotion by spending hours winning an enormous number of tickets for the pillow.
• Qin Heng also shows emotional maturity when discussing their future, accepting that their relationship may not include children and valuing their life together instead.

Significant Themes

• Public acknowledgment of love: The festival kiss turns Chi Ning and Qin Heng’s relationship into a visible, celebrated romance.
• Affection and vulnerability: Qin Heng’s teasing confidence contrasts with his genuine embarrassment and emotional sincerity, while Chi Ning gradually allows himself to accept affection.
• Choosing companionship over conventional expectations: Their discussion about children emphasizes that happiness does not require fulfilling every traditional life goal.
• Care expressed through actions: Qin Heng’s determination to win the pillow illustrates how he shows love through practical effort and attention to Chi Ning’s interests.
• Playfulness and emotional healing: The festival, matching pendants, arcade games, and pillow give the couple a carefree experience that contrasts with their more serious pasts.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng: Their relationship becomes more openly romantic. They exchange flirtatious remarks, hold hands, kiss publicly, and tease each other. Qin Heng appreciates Chi Ning’s habitual authority, while Chi Ning begins recognizing how deeply Qin Heng has always cared for him.
• Chi Ning and the children: Chi Ning humorously reinforces Qin Heng’s misleading claim that academic study explains his gaming ability, creating a playful and affectionate moment.
• Gu Zhe and the couple: Gu Zhe initially mishandles the camera framing but recognizes their relationship and reacts with mild guilt after hearing Chi Ning’s sincere blessing.

Chapter 57 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the music festival, Chi Ning becomes absorbed in a red blood cell model given to him, spending more time hugging it and working in the lab than interacting with Qin Heng. Qin Heng grows jealous and realizes he has unintentionally created a romantic “rival.”
• Chi Ning spends the rest of summer developing experiments, reproducing results, creating patents, and helping maintain Qin Heng’s aquarium. Because he rarely leaves the laboratory or home, paparazzi cannot obtain an interview.
• Reporters gather outside the Chi family’s gated residence, but official media are granted access while sensationalist paparazzi are blocked. An official reporter criticizes the paparazzi for their dishonest reporting and points out the significant public benefits created by Chongning Pharmaceutical, including donations, medical technology, and lower costs from Chi Ning’s patents.
• An official media interview is unexpectedly scheduled at the Chi home. Chi Ning nearly misses it because he is still eating breakfast and brushing his teeth, forcing him and Chi Yang to prepare hastily.
• Chi Yang initially shields his younger brother and answers difficult questions, worried that Chi Ning will struggle. However, Chi Ning gives technically precise and confident explanations of his twelve patents and scientific work.
• The interview shifts to Chi Ning’s personal choices:
  • He denies choosing Gangnan University merely to follow Qin Heng, explaining that Qin had not yet been close to him when he made the decision.
  • Instead, he praises Qin Heng and claims Qin earned the chance to attend Gangnan through his own ability.
  • Chi Ning says he chose Gangnan because it is close to home, has a large library and good cafeteria, requires little military training, and gives credit for patents while judging graduate students by results rather than time spent in the lab.
  • He explains that he withdrew from national competition training because competitions were exhausting, required travel and closed training, and could eventually force him onto the national team.
• The article becomes enormously popular, requiring two additional print runs. Even the newspaper office’s cleaning aunt knows about Chi Ning’s statements.
• The article is published early because editors fear that releasing it after university began would make Chi Ning’s military-training life even more chaotic. As a result, incoming Gangnan University students become fascinated by him, especially by his claim that he chose the university to “enjoy life.”

Character Development

• Chi Ning: Remains brilliant, straightforward, and unusually unconcerned with conventional ideas of prestige. His casual explanations reveal that he values comfort, freedom, and work-life balance over elite status, despite being capable of exceptional academic achievement. His blunt honesty and lack of self-consciousness make him unexpectedly entertaining and popular.
• Qin Heng: Shows a new sense of insecurity and jealousy after Chi Ning becomes more enthusiastic about the red blood cell model than about him. His reaction adds a humorous glimpse of his emotional dependence on Chi Ning.
• Chi Yang: Acts as a protective older brother, attempting to shield Chi Ning from difficult questions and prevent him from speaking too bluntly. He is also impressed—and slightly overwhelmed—by Chi Ning’s technical competence.
• The official reporter: Begins as a professional interviewer asking challenging questions but becomes increasingly amused and delighted by Chi Ning’s sincere, unconventional answers.
• Paparazzi: Are portrayed as opportunistic and resentful, contrasting with official media’s emphasis on responsible journalism and public interest.

Significant Themes

• Genius versus conventional success: Chi Ning rejects the assumption that the most talented person must pursue the most prestigious university or competition. His definition of success is personal comfort and meaningful work rather than status.
• Authenticity and blunt honesty: Chi Ning’s unfiltered answers, especially about university and competitions, create the article’s appeal. His sincerity contrasts with the manipulative behavior of sensationalist reporters.
• Work-life balance: Despite his extraordinary productivity, Chi Ning considers himself lazy because he avoids exhausting competitions and prefers flexible routines.
• Public image and media influence: The interview transforms Chi Ning into a campus celebrity before he even begins university, demonstrating how media coverage can shape public expectations.
• Romantic jealousy and affection: Qin Heng’s jealousy over the red blood cell highlights his attachment to Chi Ning and adds a playful romantic subplot.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng silently competes with the red blood cell for Chi Ning’s attention, creating comic tension.
• The paparazzi argue outside the residence and are rebuked by the official reporter for their lack of integrity.
• Chi Yang hurriedly prepares Chi Ning for the interview and tries to guide his answers through subtle gestures.
• The reporter questions Chi Ning about Qin Heng, Gangnan University, the Shen family heir, and his academic choices, prompting Chi Ning to openly praise Qin Heng while casually dismissing the importance of elite competition.
• After publication, incoming students debate whether Chi Ning truly avoids studying or is simply a hidden hard worker, establishing his reputation as Gangnan University’s extraordinary “God Chi.”

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A senior student introduces newcomers to Chi Ning’s reputation by showing footage of his elegant, highly skilled snooker performance. Chi Ning is portrayed as both exceptionally talented and strikingly handsome.
• Students discuss Chi Ning’s “flaw”: he is extremely aloof, socially awkward, and difficult to approach. He rarely initiates conversation or acknowledges people unless they need his help.
• Chi Ning’s coldness paradoxically increases his popularity. When he solves someone’s difficult academic problem or gives them rare personal attention, they feel specially chosen. His occasional sarcasm and anger are viewed as strangely exciting.
• As the Pharmaceutical Analysis class representative, Chi Ning becomes increasingly involved in correcting classmates and supervising research. He realizes he has spoken more in one month than he normally would in an entire year and finds undergraduate researchers difficult to manage.
• A distinguished older scientist summons Chi Ning to his office. Chi Ning recognizes him as a major national figure surrounded by heavily armed security.
• The scientist reveals that Chi Ning’s patents and research demonstrate unusual expertise in cranial nerves, neural activation, and experimental techniques. He invites Chi Ning to participate in a classified military-medical research initiative combining medicine and computer technology.
• Instead of immediately being impressed, Chi Ning focuses on practical concerns: work hours, location, visiting family, dating, the cafeteria, and whether overtime is required.
• The scientist explains that Chi Ning could initially work around his university schedule, would eventually follow a roughly five-hour workday in Yangcheng, and could return home, though his passport would be restricted.
• Chi Ning refuses to accept a normal work schedule because of his past-life trauma from dying of overwork. He insists that he cannot work overtime and wants to preserve his health and freedom.
• The scientist reassures him that the project allows flexible work and that he can produce results from home. He also confirms that Chi Ning will retain ownership of any unrelated patents he develops, making Chi Ning more receptive to the offer.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: His reputation as an academic prodigy is reinforced, but the chapter also highlights his detached personality, sharp tongue, and unexpected vulnerability. He is highly competent yet determined not to sacrifice his personal life or health for achievement. His past-life death from overwork strongly shapes his decisions.
• The older scientist: Initially appears authoritative and powerful, but he adapts his recruitment strategy after realizing that Chi Ning values comfort, autonomy, and reasonable working hours more than prestige.
• Chi Ning’s classmates: They move from being intimidated by him to actively seeking his criticism and guidance, interpreting even his harsh remarks as signs of special attention.
• The senior alumnus: He acts as an enthusiastic storyteller, proudly presenting Chi Ning’s accomplishments and explaining why others are fascinated by him.

Significant Themes

• The appeal of aloof genius: Chi Ning’s emotional distance makes his rare moments of attention feel especially meaningful, creating admiration and even obsession among classmates.
• Talent versus social ability: Although Chi Ning is brilliant and technically advanced, he struggles with ordinary interpersonal interaction and academic supervision.
• Work-life balance and fear of exploitation: The chapter critiques the glorification of overwork. Chi Ning’s refusal to work overtime is treated as a legitimate condition rather than a lack of ambition.
• Individual ownership versus national service: The government project offers Chi Ning access to advanced technology and meaningful work, but he carefully protects his intellectual property and personal independence.
• The hidden scale of Chi Ning’s abilities: His patents and knowledge attract high-level national attention, suggesting that his work may have consequences far beyond university research.

Character Interactions

• Students exchange stories about Chi Ning and explain his appeal to newcomers.
• Chi Ning harshly corrects a careless junior researcher, who is intimidated but also fascinated by Chi Ning’s appearance and rare attention.
• The older scientist respectfully praises Chi Ning’s abilities and attempts to recruit him.
• Chi Ning responds bluntly and practically, repeatedly questioning the scientist about working conditions rather than being dazzled by the project’s importance.
• Their negotiation establishes a relationship in which the scientist offers flexibility and autonomy, while Chi Ning agrees to consider participation only if his health, time, and patent rights are protected.

Chapter 58 Summary

• Chi Ning accepts a research position: Chi Ning carefully reviews and signs a confidentiality agreement with an elderly professor, securing a position in a state-owned laboratory. He confirms that his family’s research work and occasional experiments will not violate the contract. Both he and the professor optimistically imagine the arrangement: Chi Ning sees an ideal job with good benefits, little overtime, and meaningful research, while the professor sees a talented but sheltered student who can be trained into a valuable researcher.
• Ye Xinran returns: The professor mentions that Chi Ning’s former high-school classmate, Ye Xinran, has accompanied him to Yangcheng to visit his teacher. Outside the laboratory, Ye encounters Qin Heng, who immediately asks whether he has come to see Chi Ning. Their exchange is polite but tense, with Qin’s wording subtly asserting his closeness and place in Chi Ning’s life.
• Qin Heng and Ye Xinran’s confrontation becomes understanding: While Qin feeds sparrows outside the lab, Ye observes how deeply Qin has integrated himself into Chi Ning’s daily life. Ye recognizes that Qin’s intimidating exterior conceals patience, gentleness, restraint, and careful attentiveness. He also realizes that Chi Ning and Qin complement one another: Chi Ning is aloof with strangers but affectionate with people he trusts, while Qin’s protective and perceptive nature balances him.
• Chi Ning reunites with Ye: Chi Ning returns and naturally joins the conversation. He laughs about their teacher using the Chi family’s hair-growth serum and suggests that he and Qin visit the teacher as well. Qin openly and affectionately smooths Chi Ning’s hair in front of Ye, then invites Ye to eat with them. Ye accepts, deciding that he does not want to keep avoiding the situation and would rather preserve their friendship.
• Chi Ning’s future plans: Over lunch, Chi Ning explains that he intends to focus more on laboratory research because he already knows much of the university coursework and can apply for exemptions. He plans to work only a few hours a day, balancing research with his family’s laboratory. Qin responds supportively, simply offering to pick him up after work, demonstrating his lack of jealousy and his practical care. Ye concludes once again that they are exceptionally well suited.
• Reputation at university: The chapter shifts forward to describe how widely known Chi Ning and Qin’s relationship is at university. Chi Ning is admired as a brilliant, generous researcher who declines scholarships so that students with greater financial need can receive them. Qin is similarly regarded as financially gifted, having helped friends earn substantial money through stock trading. Their friends joke that associating with Chi Ning or Qin can save people years of difficulty—provided they can tolerate Chi Ning’s bluntness and Qin’s extreme frugality.
• Ending joke: In their third year, while Chi Ning works as a teaching assistant, another student jokingly asks whether Qin is such an “iron rooster” that he even splits the cost of household garbage bags fifty-fifty.

Character Development and Themes

• Chi Ning: Becomes more independent and purposeful, choosing advanced research over a conventional academic path while remaining candid, practical, and unintentionally endearing.
• Qin Heng: His protective love is shown through small, restrained gestures rather than possessiveness. He confidently accepts Chi Ning’s career plans and handles Ye Xinran with maturity.
• Ye Xinran: Moves from lingering romantic attachment and melancholy toward acceptance. He recognizes Qin and Chi Ning’s compatibility and chooses friendship over avoidance.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes quiet, everyday expressions of love; emotional maturity; acceptance and letting go; the balance between different personalities; and the importance of pursuing meaningful work without sacrificing personal relationships.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Ning learns that Qin Heng once made freshmen pay for bottled water in one-yuan coins, collecting an entire garbage bag full. Although others interpret this as stinginess, Chi Ning knows Qin Heng is usually generous and suspects the coins have something to do with their relationship—specifically, how many kisses Qin Heng expects in return.
• Worried that Qin Heng may be hinting at wanting their relationship to progress physically, Chi Ning retreats to the Life Sciences Institute to work overtime and think.
• The institute staff mistakenly assume Chi Ning and Qin Heng have quarreled. The old professor worries that any instability in their relationship could threaten the project’s generous funding, much of which comes from Qin Heng’s donations.
• Chi Ning realizes that Qin Heng has probably been giving subtle romantic hints for years, but Chi Ning has failed to understand or respond to them. Their relationship has remained limited to hand-holding and kissing for three years.
• Chi Ning decides to stay at the institute for ten days, using work as a way to reconsider his feelings and determine whether their relationship has reached a standstill.
• Once immersed in research, Chi Ning becomes exceptionally productive and turns into a relentless workaholic, overwhelming the rest of the laboratory with the amount of work he creates.
• Meanwhile, Qin Heng discusses the situation with his adoptive father, Xu Jiahao, and Zhang Qiuwen. He worries that Chi Ning does not consider him one of his priorities and has no intention of taking the next step, such as engagement.
• Xu Jiahao and Zhang Qiuwen point out that Chi Ning may simply not understand Qin Heng’s indirect hints. Zhang advises Qin Heng to be more direct instead of waiting for Chi Ning to interpret subtle signals. Qin Heng accepts this advice.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: He begins to recognize that his own emotional bluntness and lack of romantic initiative may be responsible for the relationship’s stagnation. Rather than confronting the issue directly, he initially escapes into work, but his reflections show growing awareness of Qin Heng’s patience and desires.
• Qin Heng: He is revealed to have been restrained and cautious for years, subtly testing Chi Ning’s willingness to progress while respecting his boundaries. His insecurity becomes apparent when he wonders whether Chi Ning truly values him.
• Xu Jiahao: Though comically invested in the couple’s future, he acts as a concerned father figure and is disappointed that Chi Ning still calls him “Uncle Xu” after three years.
• Zhang Qiuwen: He serves as the most practical voice, encouraging Qin Heng to stop relying on ambiguous hints and openly pursue the relationship.
• The old professor and institute staff: They are deeply invested in Chi Ning and Qin Heng remaining together because Qin Heng’s donations support their research. Their concern creates humorous but genuine pressure surrounding the couple’s relationship.

Significant Themes

• Communication and misunderstanding: Qin Heng communicates through subtle gestures, while Chi Ning is too literal and distracted to recognize them. Their emotional impasse results from poor communication rather than a lack of affection.
• Love versus personal goals: Chi Ning prioritizes research so strongly that Qin Heng fears he may never become equally important to him.
• Restraint and patience: Qin Heng has waited three years while carefully controlling his desires, illustrating both his devotion and the limitations of indirect communication.
• Work as avoidance: Chi Ning uses scientific work to avoid confronting complicated emotions, but his sudden productivity also exposes how intensely he can commit once focused.
• Humor and social support: The institute members and Qin Heng’s family treat the couple’s relationship as a shared concern, blending genuine care with comedic interference.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning corrects the teacher’s assumption that Qin Heng is stingy, defending his generosity and explaining that he simply keeps financial accounts clear with acquaintances.
• The old professor questions Chi Ning about whether he and Qin Heng have fought and later probes whether Chi Ning or Qin Heng is reluctant to deepen the relationship. Chi Ning’s realization that the reluctance is his own becomes a turning point.
• Chi Ning’s intense work pace frustrates his coworkers, who secretly hope Qin Heng will persuade him to return home.
• Qin Heng confides in Xu Jiahao, who teases him about the lack of engagement and suggests that Chi Ning may not understand his hints.
• Zhang Qiuwen bluntly advises Qin Heng to speak openly and pursue Chi Ning without waiting for a guaranteed answer, prompting Qin Heng to reconsider his approach.

Chapter 59 Summary

Plot and events

Qin Heng returns home and cleans the coins he recently acquired, wondering why Chi Ning has not called him. Meanwhile, Chi Ning has become so intensely productive at the research institute that he overwhelms the entire laboratory, completing experiments at an unreasonable pace and exhausting his colleagues. He reports promising results from a simulated skin patch that can detect faint brainwave activity and mentions having submitted more than eighty patents for consideration for a major medical research award.
Hoping to force Chi Ning to leave for the New Year holiday, the old professor arranges a deceptive lockdown announcement and secretly encourages him to escape through an unguarded section of wall. Chi Ning realizes the main gate is closed, studies the security cameras, moves a heavy stone bench, and climbs over the wall. Just as he reaches the top, Qin Heng arrives in his van. Because the outside drop is dangerously high, Qin opens his arms to catch Chi Ning. When a security guard appears, Chi Ning jumps, and Qin catches him safely. The researcher covers for them by claiming they are conducting a fire drill. Chi Ning then leaves with Qin in the van.

Character development

Chi Ning shifts from appearing distracted and emotionally avoidant to being extraordinarily driven in his work, though his extreme diligence becomes almost destructive to his coworkers. At the same time, his decision to escape the institute shows that he has begun prioritizing Qin Heng and does not want to spend New Year’s apart from him. His physical strength, resourcefulness, and rebellious streak are also humorously revealed.
Qin Heng’s concern and insecurity become clear: after ten days without a call, he worries that Chi Ning no longer likes him and comes personally to retrieve him. Chi Ning recognizes how long Qin had restrained his feelings in the past, though he responds with teasing rather than a direct confession.

Character interactions

The exhausted researcher and old professor conspire to send Chi Ning home, jokingly treating him as a “plague god” whose productivity is unbearable. Their manipulation succeeds when they exploit Chi Ning’s rebellious nature. At the wall, the researcher reluctantly assists Chi Ning’s escape and provides a cover story. Qin and Chi Ning’s reunion is affectionate and tense: Qin nervously prepares to catch him, while Chi Ning finally admits that he wanted to go home to spend the holiday with Qin. In the van, Qin gently complains about being ignored, and Chi Ning explains that work kept him too busy to call.

Significant themes

The chapter combines workplace comedy with romantic development. It emphasizes Chi Ning’s exceptional but excessive talent, the costs of relentless ambition, and the affection his colleagues have for him despite their exhaustion. More importantly, it shows the growing emotional importance of Qin and Chi Ning’s relationship: Chi Ning’s actions demonstrate attachment even when he struggles to speak openly, while Qin’s worry reveals vulnerability and long-standing devotion.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chi Ning escapes his lab/work obligations to spend New Year’s with Qin Heng, explaining that he even climbed over a wall to avoid leaving him waiting.
• Qin Heng reveals that he has already arranged a private beach vacation: flights, hotel, and luggage are prepared. They decide to leave immediately.
• Before departing, they share the leftover cafeteria food in the car, emphasizing their mutual dislike of waste and their growing domestic intimacy.
• During the flight, Chi Ning falls asleep on Qin Heng’s shoulder. After landing, they visit the beach, where Chi Ning finds a beautiful purple-and-yellow sea urchin shell containing a hermit crab.
• Chi Ning initially wants the shell but chooses to return it to the crab, showing his consideration for living creatures. Qin Heng finds an alternative conch shell and helps the crab relocate.
• Qin Heng gives Chi Ning the sea urchin shell and subtly encourages him to search for another, pale green shell. While Chi Ning digs through it, he discovers a ring hidden inside.
• Qin Heng explains that the ring represents his intention to propose. He kneels and formally asks whether, after three years together, he may take their relationship to the next stage.
• The chapter ends with Qin Heng expressing that meeting Chi Ning at eighteen was unexpected but the luckiest event of his life. Chi Ning has not yet given a verbal answer.

Character developments

• Chi Ning: Shows how deeply he values Qin Heng by escaping work to spend the holiday with him. He remains quirky and intensely attached to his red-blood-cell pillow, but his actions also reveal thoughtfulness, especially when he returns the shell to the hermit crab. He becomes visibly overwhelmed and shy when Qin Heng proposes.
• Qin Heng: Demonstrates careful preparation, patience, and emotional attentiveness. He plans the trip according to Chi Ning’s preferences for privacy and quiet, remembers his fondness for pale colors and beautiful shells, and chooses a proposal that suits him rather than staging a public spectacle. His earlier insecurity about Chi Ning’s attachment to the red-blood-cell pillow is resolved through self-reassurance that Chi Ning still loves him.
• Their relationship has matured from youthful affection into a stable, intimate partnership. Qin Heng is now ready to formalize their commitment, while Chi Ning is emotionally affected but still processing the sudden seriousness of the moment.

Significant themes

• Love expressed through attentiveness: Qin Heng’s affection appears in practical details—booking the trip, bringing in the pillow, sharing food, remembering Chi Ning’s preferences, and designing a private proposal.
• Domestic intimacy and compatibility: Eating leftover food together, traveling side by side, and teasing one another show the comfort and familiarity of their long-term relationship.
• Growth and commitment: The proposal marks a transition from simply being together to consciously planning a shared future.
• Respect for individual preferences: Qin Heng avoids a crowded public proposal because he understands Chi Ning’s dislike of attention and crowds.
• Fate and unexpected happiness: Qin Heng reflects that meeting Chi Ning was outside his plans but became the luckiest turning point in his life.
• Care for vulnerable beings: Chi Ning’s decision to return the shell to the hermit crab reinforces his empathy and reluctance to prioritize personal desire over another creature’s needs.

Character interactions

• Chi Ning reassures Qin Heng that he made the difficult journey specifically to spend New Year’s with him, softening Qin Heng’s insecurity.
• They share a humorous, intimate meal in the car, with Qin Heng imagining Chi Ning swallowing an entire pork cutlet while rushing away from work.
• On the beach, Qin Heng playfully “relocates” the hermit crab by replacing its shell, creating a comic contrast with Chi Ning’s careful concern.
• Qin Heng indulges Chi Ning’s fascination with shells and quietly holds the ones Chi Ning collects.
• Their playful shell search becomes the setting for Qin Heng’s sincere proposal, shifting the mood from lighthearted companionship to deep emotional seriousness.

Chapter 60 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• On the beach, Qin Heng openly confesses that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Chi Ning and asks whether Chi Ning is willing.
• Chi Ning, embarrassed by Qin Heng’s directness, awkwardly agrees and presents his hand. Qin Heng places a gold ring with a colored diamond on Chi Ning’s finger.
• Chi Ning regrets not having prepared a ring for Qin Heng, but Qin Heng reveals that he bought one for himself. Chi Ning is then asked to put it on him.
• Before placing the ring, Chi Ning gives a rare, sincere confession. He acknowledges Qin Heng’s manipulative social skills and flaws, but says that these imperfections make him feel genuine and real. He also admits his own shortcomings and expresses his desire to spend his life with an unguarded, imperfect Qin Heng.
• Qin Heng becomes overwhelmed and eagerly pushes his finger into the ring before kissing Chi Ning. Their kiss continues until Chi Ning, still squatting on the beach, becomes breathless and suffers numb legs.
• Qin Heng helps him up and catches him when his legs give out. Chi Ning’s hunger reminds them that he has barely eaten, so they return to the hotel, where Qin Heng has ordered a cake.
• On the walk back, Chi Ning voluntarily interlocks his fingers with Qin Heng’s, showing a new willingness to initiate physical affection. They tease each other affectionately.
• At the hotel, they discover that the cake is a red, mirror-glazed ball rather than the “red blood cell pillow” design Qin Heng apparently intended. They eat beside the window overlooking the sea and lighthouse.
• Qin Heng jokes that the ten candles represent the number of years Chi Ning wants to spend with him. Chi Ning’s concern that ten years is insufficient reveals how seriously he views their future.
• Qin Heng substitutes a musical lotus candle, despite Chi Ning’s attempt to avoid lighting it. The chapter ends as the lotus candle opens dramatically after being lit.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: Becomes more emotionally open and directly communicates his love. Though still awkward and easily embarrassed, he accepts Qin Heng’s proposal without hesitation and gives a thoughtful explanation of why he loves him. His willingness to initiate hand-holding marks a subtle but meaningful increase in confidence and affection.
• Qin Heng: Shows that his apparent composure hides considerable nervousness about Chi Ning’s response. He demonstrates careful preparation by having bought a ring and ordered a cake, while his teasing and eagerness reveal his deep excitement at becoming Chi Ning’s fiancé.
• Their relationship progresses from mutual affection into an explicitly committed, lifelong partnership.

Significant Themes

• Authenticity and imperfection: Chi Ning values Qin Heng not because he is flawless, but because he is real, including his guardedness and morally ambiguous social skills.
• Emotional vulnerability: Both men lower their defenses—Qin Heng through his direct proposal and Chi Ning through an unusually heartfelt confession.
• Commitment and permanence: The rings, discussion of spending their lives together, and Chi Ning’s reaction to “only ten years” emphasize the seriousness of their bond.
• Affection expressed through action: Rings, physical closeness, hand-holding, food, and the carefully arranged seaside setting communicate love as much as words do.
• Humor within intimacy: Their awkwardness, teasing, the mismatched cake, and the troublesome lotus candle keep the romantic scene light and characteristic of their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng proposes plainly; Chi Ning responds with embarrassed but genuine acceptance.
• Chi Ning puts Qin Heng’s ring on him after explaining why he loves him.
• Qin Heng kisses Chi Ning passionately, then supports him when his legs go numb.
• They exchange playful remarks about Chi Ning being emotionally “awakened” and Qin Heng being willing to “pluck” his feathers.
• Their interlocked hands and shared cake provide a quiet, domestic conclusion to the proposal scene.

Chapter Summary: “The End”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During New Year’s Eve, Qin Heng and Chi Ning celebrate privately with cake and a novelty lotus-shaped candle that plays “Happy New Year,” spins its petals, and projects light through a sea urchin shell. The ridiculous decoration initially ruins the romantic atmosphere but ultimately becomes part of their intimate celebration.
• Chi Ning uses cake cream to initiate a kiss with Qin Heng, revealing his growing confidence and willingness to express affection. Qin Heng is delighted and jokingly offers him more coins in exchange for additional kisses.
• Qin Heng invents a playful “rent” system, charging Chi Ning coins for living in their expensive apartment and using the arrangement as an excuse to obtain kisses. Chi Ning haggles the price down from eighty-one to eighty coins, though Qin Heng clearly intended to give him the advantage.
• Their teasing gradually turns toward physical intimacy. Qin Heng removes his tie and vest while Chi Ning nervously admits that he may previously have failed to understand Qin Heng’s romantic hints.
• Chi Ning awkwardly suggests that Qin Heng should receive a medical examination because suppressing his desires might harm his prostate. Qin Heng responds by declaring that “Dr. Chi” can examine him immediately, leading to their first fully consummated intimate encounter.
• Afterward, Chi Ning is exhausted and embarrassed, while Qin Heng remains amused and affectionate. Qin Heng carries him to the bathroom so they can wash up before sleeping.
• Meanwhile, Gangnan University’s online forum becomes obsessed with a GIF of Chi Ning climbing over the institute wall to leave work on time. Qin Heng is shown below him in a suit, anxiously preparing to catch him, highlighting his protectiveness and devotion.

Character Development

• Chi Ning becomes more emotionally and physically open. He initiates a kiss, accepts Qin Heng’s affection, negotiates playfully with him, and ultimately allows their relationship to progress further despite his embarrassment and nervousness.
• Qin Heng reveals a playful, opportunistic side, turning coins, rent, cake, and economic statistics into excuses for affection. Beneath his teasing, he is patient, deeply attentive, and eager to care for Chi Ning.
• Chi Ning’s blunt, overly practical medical comments continue to clash humorously with Qin Heng’s romantic intentions, but they also show Chi Ning’s sincere concern and growing comfort in expressing himself.
• The final university GIF emphasizes Qin Heng’s protective nature: even while dressed formally, he is focused entirely on preventing Chi Ning from getting hurt.

Significant Themes

• Romance emerging from absurdity: The defective-looking candle, crooked sea urchin shell, and financial “rent” calculations become romantic through the couple’s mutual affection.
• Communication and understanding: Chi Ning realizes that he has repeatedly missed Qin Heng’s hints, while Qin Heng responds with patience rather than resentment.
• Playful negotiation in intimacy: Coins, haggling, and mock business transactions serve as a humorous language through which the two express desire and affection.
• Vulnerability and trust: Chi Ning’s embarrassment, nervousness, and eventual surrender of control mark a significant deepening of their relationship.
• Public versus private affection: Their intimate celebration contrasts with the public university forum, where outsiders turn Chi Ning’s everyday escape from work—and Qin Heng’s protective behavior—into entertainment.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng share cake, joke about the novelty candle, and exchange coins as part of their teasing romantic game.
• Chi Ning deliberately smears cream on his lips and pulls Qin Heng into a kiss, reversing their usual dynamic.
• Qin Heng uses mock economic reasoning to charge Chi Ning “rent,” while Chi Ning haggles and suspects Qin Heng is trying to create excuses for more kisses.
• Their conversation about Qin Heng’s “health” turns into a flirtatious transition toward physical intimacy.
• Afterward, Qin Heng reassures and compliments Chi Ning, helps him turn off the light, carries him to the bathroom, and continues caring for him despite Chi Ning’s exhaustion and embarrassment.
• The chapter closes by juxtaposing their private intimacy with the university community’s fascination with a scene of Qin Heng anxiously waiting beneath Chi Ning as he climbs a wall.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The chapter opens with public reactions to Qin Heng catching Chi Ning, Chi Ning climbing out of the Life Sciences Institute during a supposed fire drill, and rumors about their relationship. News also breaks that Chi Ning has won the prestigious Alva Bridge Award, making him the youngest recipient in its history.
• After their passionate night, Chi Ning wakes exhausted, sore, and hungry. Qin Heng brings him seafood congee, repairs the noisy lotus lamp with new batteries, and takes care of him attentively.
• Qin Heng admits he accidentally tore Chi Ning’s red string and braids him a replacement using black cord. He threads Chi Ning’s two Golden Needle Hoops onto it.
• Chi Ning explains that, in his hometown, couples traditionally divide a pair of Golden Needle Hoops after becoming engaged, symbolizing staying together forever. He gives one hoop to Qin Heng.
• Qin Heng insists on wearing his hoop around his neck so everyone will know that he likes Chi Ning. He also begins discussing what to bring when formally visiting Chi Ning’s family to discuss marriage.
• When they return home, Chi Baichuan sees Chi Ning’s ankle ornament around Qin Heng’s neck and is deeply shocked, recalling Chi Ning’s childhood and how quickly his son has grown up.

Character developments

• Chi Ning becomes more openly affectionate and accepting of his relationship with Qin Heng. Giving him one of the Golden Needle Hoops is effectively a declaration of lifelong commitment, even though Chi Ning remains embarrassed by Qin Heng’s dramatic displays of affection.
• Qin Heng is shown as caring, domestic, possessive, and openly devoted. He repairs Chi Ning’s lamp, prepares suitable food, braids his cord, cares for his soreness, and eagerly embraces the symbolic meaning of the gift. His willingness to wear the hoop publicly demonstrates that he no longer wants to hide his feelings.
• Chi Baichuan shifts from seeing Qin Heng as a romantic threat or unwelcome suitor to confronting the reality that Chi Ning may soon marry. His shock is mixed with parental nostalgia and sadness at how quickly his child has grown up.

Significant themes

• Public versus private love: The couple’s private intimacy becomes increasingly visible through online discussions, photographs, and Qin Heng’s insistence on displaying the necklace.
• Commitment and marriage: The Golden Needle Hoops symbolize lifelong partnership, while Qin Heng’s talk of meeting the family and bringing gifts signals that their relationship is progressing toward marriage.
• Care after intimacy: Qin Heng’s practical acts—making breakfast, repairing the lamp, and helping Chi Ning dress and walk—emphasize tenderness and mutual domesticity alongside their passionate relationship.
• Growing up and parental acceptance: Chi Baichuan’s memories of Chi Ning’s childhood highlight the emotional transition from protecting a child to accepting his adult choices.

Character interactions

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng tease one another constantly, especially about Qin Heng’s suggestive “teaching” method and his desire to wear the hoop conspicuously.
• Their affection is expressed through physical closeness, playful banter, and symbolic gifts. Qin Heng’s statement that he wants the whole world to know he loves Chi Ning leaves Chi Ning embarrassed but deeply moved.
• The chapter ends by shifting perspective to Chi Baichuan, whose reaction underscores the significance of Qin Heng and Chi Ning publicly presenting themselves as a committed couple.

Chapter 92 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Heng and Chi Ning announce their engagement, shocking both families because their relationship had remained unchanged for years before suddenly progressing.
• Xu Jiahao visits the Chi household with gifts for Grandpa Chen and immediately begins trying to win over the family. He proposes that Qin Heng and Chi Ning register their marriage in Las Vegas, provoking Chi Baichuan.
• Chi Baichuan attempts to challenge Xu Jiahao’s business background, but Xu reveals that he has already transferred his gambling operations in Australia Province, converted them into real estate, and acquired Gangnan Universal Entertainment Center.
• To demonstrate his sincerity and provide security for Chi Ning, Xu proposes exchanging 40% of his family’s shares for shares from the Chi and Chen families. The arrangement effectively becomes a business alliance protecting Chi Ning’s interests within the marriage.
• Chen Mingxian agrees to provide 20% of his VLLV shares. Chi Yang initially objects to the implication that Chi Ning is being “sold,” but Xu changes the arrangement and offers shares from Madam Xu and his entertainment business instead.
• Xu also gifts Chi Ning an additional 20% of shares as a “meeting gift” and in exchange for Chi Ning calling him “Dad” or “godfather.” Qin Heng explains the arrangement, while Chi Baichuan becomes increasingly exasperated by Xu’s attempts to claim a place in the family.
• During dinner, the adults avoid drinking at the table because of Grandpa Chen’s stomach problems. Chi Baichuan and Xu Jiahao move to the tea room to drink and compete in finger-guessing games.
• Qin Heng later intervenes, and within minutes the two fathers sign the share-exchange agreement. Chi Ning receives 20% of the shares through a gift agreement, giving him substantial financial independence.
• Chi Ning worries that Qin Heng may want an extravagant wedding. To compromise, he suggests holding the wedding after graduation at the top-floor hotel of Gangnan Global Commercial Center. Qin Heng reassures him that they will invite only close friends and that Chi Ning will not be forced into an uncomfortable public event.
• In the latter part of the chapter, Chi Ning’s senior-year research project at the Life Sciences Institute achieves a major breakthrough. A subject uses artificial skin with neural reflex ports to control a drone.
• The result is unprecedented internationally and has potential applications in medicine, commerce, gaming, electronics, automobiles, military technology, and space-related industries. The technology is sent for further testing at the Military Biotech Joint Development Center.
• The elderly professor becomes emotional because he feared he would die before seeing the project succeed. Chi Ning is also moved, recognizing the project as one of the most rewarding choices of his second life.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning becomes more willing to compromise for Qin Heng. Though he dislikes crowds and elaborate ceremonies, he voluntarily proposes a wedding plan that accommodates Qin Heng’s desire for a celebration.
• Qin Heng demonstrates both protectiveness and consideration. He secures Chi Ning’s financial future through the share agreement and assures him that the wedding will remain intimate and within his comfort zone.
• Xu Jiahao openly embraces Chi Ning as a son and uses his business resources to prove his sincerity. His playful maneuvering shows that he wants both a formal alliance with the Chi family and a genuine emotional relationship with Chi Ning.
• Chi Baichuan is initially defensive and suspicious of Xu Jiahao’s motives, but he gradually recognizes Xu’s sincerity and business strength. His rivalry with Xu becomes comic rather than genuinely hostile.
• Chi Yang struggles emotionally with Chi Ning’s engagement, feeling as though his younger brother is being taken away, but he also recognizes that the arrangement offers Chi Ning strong protection.
• The elderly professor and research team gain renewed hope after the breakthrough, while Chi Ning earns greater respect for his technical insight and persistence.

Significant Themes

• Marriage as both love and protection: The share exchange turns the engagement into a formal alliance, offering Chi Ning tangible security rather than relying only on promises.
• Family acceptance and emotional belonging: Xu Jiahao’s efforts to become Chi Ning’s “father” show that family relationships can be deliberately built through care, loyalty, and commitment.
• Compromise in love: Chi Ning’s willingness to consider a wedding and Qin Heng’s willingness to limit its scale demonstrate mutual accommodation.
• Second chances and personal fulfillment: Chi Ning sees his involvement in the neural-interface project as a meaningful success unavailable to him in his previous life.
• Scientific progress and social transformation: The neural-interface breakthrough is portrayed as technology capable of reshaping medicine, industry, warfare, and everyday life.

Important Character Interactions

• Chi Baichuan and Xu Jiahao: Their tea-room confrontation is filled with business-related probing, sarcasm, and competitive drinking, but ultimately ends in cooperation.
• Xu Jiahao and Chi Ning: Xu tries to formalize their bond by asking Chi Ning to call him “Dad,” offering shares as both a gift and an incentive.
• Chi Yang and Xu Jiahao: Chi Yang objects to treating Chi Ning like a business asset, prompting Xu to revise the share arrangement and emphasize emotional sincerity.
• Qin Heng and Chi Ning: Qin Heng reassures Chi Ning about the wedding and protects his autonomy, while Chi Ning responds by making a thoughtful compromise.
• Chi Ning and the research team: His colleagues praise his unwavering confidence in the neural-interface project, highlighting his expertise and growing influence.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Ning reassures the research team that their work on advanced interface technology is fundamentally correct, explaining that their doubts come from emotional exhaustion rather than rational failure. He immediately shifts back into work mode and suggests using their data to simulate a method for cracking the brain interface.
• The researchers complain about their lack of rest, reminding everyone that their first-class merit citation entitles them to seven days of leave. Chi Ning is delighted—not because of the vacation itself, but because his wedding is approaching and he can invite them.
• Chi Ning distributes wedding invitations in an unconventional way, asking colleagues to take one and write their own names because he cannot remember everyone’s names after three years. The institute’s researchers enthusiastically accept, treating the wedding as a victory for their beloved “little prince.”
• Chi Ning offers two kinds of wedding treats:
  • Sour bayberry candies that everyone finds painfully sour, despite Chi Ning insisting they become sweet afterward.
  • Qin Heng’s homemade wedding treats, including gold-ingot chocolates and vacuum-packed tea-flavored eggs. The eggs are unexpectedly delicious, causing the researchers to realize why Chi Ning prefers going home for dinner.
• The old professor confiscates Xiaoma’s egg under the pretense of giving it to his wife, demonstrating their familiar but hierarchical teacher-student relationship.
• Xu Jiahao proudly boasts to a business associate that both Qin Heng and Chi Ning call him “Dad.” He presents Chi Ning as his godson and praises his intelligence, sincerity, and value to the country. Qin Heng arrives and openly calls him “Dad,” allowing Xu Jiahao to triumphantly prove his claim.
• Xu Jiahao refuses to give the business associate a wedding invitation, explaining that the Chi family wants the wedding to remain private and that excessive socializing could damage the Chi family’s opinion of him. He does, however, give him wedding candy.
• Outside the institute, Qin Heng waits daily for Chi Ning after work. He gives wedding candy to the guards, and Chi Ning adds some of his own sour candies to Qin Heng’s gift.
• The chapter ends with Qin Heng picking Chi Ning up and asking whether he has submitted the paperwork for them to travel abroad and officially register their marriage.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning remains highly intelligent, efficient, and emotionally straightforward. Even while comforting exhausted colleagues, he cannot stop thinking about research. His innocence and unconventional habits appear in his awkward invitation distribution and his inability to understand why everyone dislikes the sour candy.
• Qin Heng is shown as attentive and domestic. He prepares wedding treats, cooks flavorful eggs, organizes the wedding, waits faithfully for Chi Ning after work, and handles practical matters such as marriage registration.
• Xu Jiahao has fully embraced his role as Chi Ning and Qin Heng’s father figure. He is boastful and eager for recognition, but his pride comes from genuine affection and admiration for Chi Ning.
• The old professor and Xiaoma display a warm, comedic mentor-student dynamic. The professor takes advantage of his authority to claim Xiaoma’s egg, while Xiaoma remains unable to protest effectively.
• The research team views Chi Ning affectionately as their treasured colleague and celebrates his marriage as though it were a collective success.

Significant Themes

• Scientific perseverance and self-doubt: The researchers’ uncertainty contrasts with Chi Ning’s confidence that their work will eventually reshape military and biological technology.
• Work-life imbalance: Chi Ning and the institute’s researchers are extraordinarily dedicated, but the chapter humorously highlights how their demanding work leaves them desperate for rest.
• Chosen family and belonging: The wedding brings together Chi Ning’s colleagues, Qin Heng’s family, and Xu Jiahao’s growing paternal attachment, showing how Chi Ning has gained a supportive community.
• Domestic affection: Qin Heng’s homemade food, daily pickups, and wedding preparations reveal love through practical acts of care.
• Comedy through cultural and personal misunderstandings: Chi Ning’s literal sincerity, strange scientific solutions, sour candies, vacuum-packed eggs, and Xu Jiahao’s proud “Dad” announcement create much of the chapter’s humor.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning comforts the old professor and researchers but immediately redirects them toward another experiment.
• He invites his colleagues to the wedding, while they enthusiastically claim invitations and wedding treats.
• The old professor takes Xiaoma’s egg, reinforcing their playful but unequal relationship.
• Xu Jiahao brags about Chi Ning to Old Xu, while Qin Heng’s arrival confirms that Xu Jiahao really is treated as “Dad.”
• Qin Heng and Chi Ning exchange wedding candies with the institute guard, reflecting their shared thoughtfulness and different styles.
• The chapter closes with Qin Heng and Chi Ning discussing their wedding menu and official marriage registration, emphasizing their transition from romantic partners to legally married spouses.

Chapter 94 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Ning’s request to travel abroad remains unsubmitted because the relevant administration is occupied in the capital. As a top-tier confidential talent, any trip would require official approval and an escort for both security and confidentiality.
• Chi Ning and Qin Heng continue their playful “coin” system for affectionate or intimate actions. Chi Ning charges Qin Heng for initiating kisses and negotiates the price upward, while Qin Heng jokingly bargains for a more intimate arrangement. Their exchange highlights their comfortable, teasing relationship.
• At Tea River Lounge, Chi Ning finds his father, Chi Baichuan, arguing with Xu Jiahao over whether to order shredded tripe salad. Their childish dispute expands into a debate over whether Chi Ning should call Xu Jiahao “Dad” or “Daddy.”
• Chi Ning resolves the issue by deciding to call Xu Jiahao “Abba,” a Yangcheng dialect term that distinguishes him from Chi Baichuan without suggesting favoritism.
• The families discuss wedding preparations, particularly the emcee. Qin Heng suggests their former homeroom teacher, Teacher Wang, who supported both of them in high school and later realized Qin Heng’s academic improvement had been motivated by his desire to attend the same university as Chi Ning.
• Qin Heng and Chi Ning select the wedding menu and drinks. Qin Heng’s newly marketed bayberry wine resembles Chi Ning’s personal signature drink, but Qin Heng advises saving it for the wedding because of its strong aftereffects.
• The chapter shifts to public and media reactions. The couple’s share exchange, business success, and history together fuel speculation about whether their relationship is genuine romance or a strategic business marriage.
• Paparazzi struggle to find scandalous material because neither man grants interviews and the couple’s families are powerful enough to discourage reckless reporting. Instead, they publish sensational but harmless headlines about Qin Heng buying a diamond ring, the companies’ romantic partnership, and the wedding’s filming rights.
• The Morning Star project advances at extraordinary speed and receives major recognition. Researchers accept awards with barely prepared speeches, repeatedly saying how happy they are, much to Chi Ning’s amusement.
• A new online blogging platform created by Xu Jiahao and Chi Baichuan obtains the wedding broadcast rights. Although initially intended mainly to document the wedding, the event attracts enormous user interest and causes the platform to flourish unexpectedly.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning remains witty, calculating, and affectionate. He openly bargains with Qin Heng while still indulging his schemes, showing how secure and playful their relationship has become.
• Qin Heng is portrayed as both teasing and considerate. He flirts boldly but also monitors Chi Ning’s health, insisting that intimate activities remain moderate. He takes an active role in wedding planning and quietly accommodates Chi Ning’s preferences, including seafood dishes.
• Chi Baichuan and Xu Jiahao develop a humorous, almost childlike rivalry. Their argument over food and titles reveals that both are deeply invested in being recognized as Chi Ning’s father figure.
• Teacher Wang is established as an important shared figure from the couple’s youth, linking their current marriage to Qin Heng’s long-standing feelings and efforts during high school.
• The paparazzi and public become increasingly fascinated by Qin Heng and Chi Ning, but their influence is limited by the couple’s privacy and the power of their families.

Significant Themes

• Love versus business: The exchange of company shares prompts outsiders to question whether the couple’s relationship is romantic, strategic, or both. The chapter strongly suggests their business partnership is inseparable from genuine devotion.
• Family acceptance and expansion: Xu Jiahao’s desire to be acknowledged as Chi Ning’s father reflects the merging of families, while Chi Ning’s use of “Abba” creates a balanced and affectionate solution.
• Private intimacy versus public scrutiny: The couple’s private jokes and wedding preparations contrast with the media’s attempts to turn their relationship into a public spectacle.
• Unexpected success: The Morning Star project and the wedding-streaming platform both exceed expectations, showing how sincere effort or personal intentions can produce far-reaching results.
• Playful domesticity: Arguments over food, nicknames, wedding menus, and drinks present the powerful characters as ordinary people enjoying family life.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng: They flirt, negotiate affection through their coin system, tease each other about money and business, and cooperate on wedding arrangements.
• Chi Baichuan and Xu Jiahao: Their quarrel over shredded tripe becomes a comic contest over paternal status and naming rights, ultimately settled by Chi Ning’s “Abba” solution.
• Chi Ning and the two fathers: Chi Ning mediates between them with humor and practicality, preventing their rivalry from becoming serious.
• Qin Heng and Teacher Wang: Qin Heng contacts their former teacher to invite him to officiate or emcee the wedding, reinforcing their shared history.
• The couple and the media: Their lack of interviews and guarded public image frustrate reporters, who resort to speculative headlines rather than genuine scandal.

Chapter Summary: “Wedding”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Jiahao and Qin Heng watch their user base grow rapidly, joking that it resembles “raising a son for retirement.” Qin excitedly wants to announce their relationship, and Chi Ning permits him to post a photo of their interlocked hands and engagement rings. Qin captions it only with a heart.
• After celebrating excessively the previous night, Chi Ning wakes sore and struggles to move. Qin carries him downstairs, teasing him about needing a wheelchair and implying that his stamina is still excellent. Chi Ning embarrassedly concedes.
• The couple spends a relaxed vacation at home. They eat nearly all the shrimp in their aquarium, leaving only a few to reproduce, and gradually add scallops, razor clams, and octopuses to the aquarium. Their domestic life is affectionate, indulgent, and comically chaotic.
• Qin repeatedly spoils Chi Ning—cleaning him, carrying him, and bringing him to the study—while Chi Ning attempts to enforce moderation and rest. Qin’s “quick shower” lasts an hour, reinforcing the playful contrast between Chi Ning’s exhaustion and Qin’s seemingly endless energy.
• Qin realizes they have forgotten to choose a best man. Zhang Qiuwen jokingly complains that he has been waiting to be asked, while Chi Ning considers inviting Li Qiuhe. Before Chi Ning can contact Li, his older brother Chi Yang volunteers and takes the position.
• On the wedding morning, Chen Mingxian wakes Chi Ning before dawn. Chi Ning repeatedly falls asleep, prompting Qin to gently wash and care for him. Chen reflects on her own wedding and recognizes the genuine love between the couple, approving of Chi Ning’s decision despite Qin’s less privileged background.
• Chi Ning is dressed in a white suit chosen by his mother. Qin also wears white, with a purple German iris pinned to his chest. They meet before the ceremony doors, surrounded by family, friends, teachers, classmates, and photographers.
• The ceremony begins as the doors open onto a red carpet scattered with German irises. Wang Quan officiates, explaining that the flowers symbolize sacred, solemn love, though he quickly becomes aware that the prepared speech praising Chi Ning is excessively sentimental.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning remains dryly sarcastic and easily embarrassed, but he openly accepts Qin Heng’s affection and allows their relationship to be publicly acknowledged. His spoiled, vulnerable side becomes more visible as Qin cares for him.
• Qin Heng is openly proud and affectionate, eager to display their engagement and devoted to caring for Chi Ning. His behavior is exuberant and occasionally over-the-top, but it demonstrates how deeply invested he is in their relationship.
• Chen Mingxian moves from playful maternal teasing to sincere emotional approval. Her memories of her own wedding help her recognize that Qin genuinely loves and supports Chi Ning.
• Zhang Qiuwen is presented as a loyal, joking friend who expects to be included in Qin’s wedding plans.
• Chi Yang shows his protective and involved role as Chi Ning’s older brother by claiming the best-man position.
• Wang Quan provides comic relief as he attempts to deliver an overly sentimental wedding speech.

Significant Themes

• Domestic intimacy and mutual care: The chapter emphasizes love through everyday actions—washing, carrying, feeding, resting, and accommodating one another.
• Public acknowledgment of love: Qin’s social-media post and the wedding itself mark the couple’s transition from private happiness to openly recognized commitment.
• Family acceptance: Chen Mingxian’s approval confirms that Qin’s character and devotion matter more than his background.
• Humor within romance: Physical exhaustion, excessive eating, forgotten wedding details, and sentimental speeches keep the wedding from becoming purely solemn.
• Sacred commitment versus ordinary life: The formal symbolism of the German irises contrasts with the couple’s teasing, messy, and very physical domestic relationship.

Important Character Interactions

• Chi Ning gives Qin permission to post their engagement rings, allowing Qin to celebrate their relationship publicly.
• Qin carries and cares for Chi Ning after their intense celebration, while Chi Ning teases him about his stamina.
• Qin bathes and cleans Chi Ning, highlighting their comfortable physical intimacy and his tendency to spoil his partner.
• Zhang Qiuwen jokingly confronts Qin about being chosen as best man, while Chi Yang unexpectedly takes the role instead.
• Chen Mingxian helps prepare Chi Ning and observes Qin’s attentive care, leading her to emotionally approve of their marriage.
• Chi Ning and Qin meet at the ceremony entrance in matching white suits, visibly nervous as their wedding begins.

Chapter 96 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Quan reads the wedding cards prepared by Qin Heng and Chi Ning. Qin Heng’s message is lengthy and self-congratulatory, while Chi Ning’s is brief but sincere and emotionally powerful, moving many guests to tears.
• The newlyweds walk forward hand in hand, each deeply affected by the other’s appearance and affection. Chi Ning becomes so captivated by Qin Heng that he briefly forgets to move.
• They exchange rings: a simple pair of jade rings chosen by Chi Ning, followed by an enormous diamond ring chosen by Qin Heng for Chi Ning. Despite their differences, the rings look surprisingly well-matched.
• The couple serves tea to their parents. Chi Ning calls Xu Jiahao “Dad,” making him extremely proud. Xu Jiahao gives Chi Ning two unusually heavy red envelopes because he wants to compensate for Chi Ning’s lack of a mother’s gift.
• Qin Heng receives bank cards from Chi Ning’s parents, with the password set to Chi Ning’s birthday. He then puts the red envelopes into Chi Ning’s pocket, amusing and shocking the guests because of Qin Heng’s usual reluctance to part with money.
• Qin Heng gives a short wedding speech, wishing everyone happiness and telling them to eat and drink well. The final remark is partly intended for Chi Ning, who has not eaten breakfast.
• Once the banquet begins, Chi Ning immediately focuses on food, eating fried shrimp. Qin Heng reminds him to eat something substantial because they must later toast the guests.
• Qin Heng secretly gives Chi Ning a roasted chicken leg. Xu Jiahao initially notices that his customary chicken portion is missing but accepts the situation when he realizes Chi Ning ate it. He then gives Chi Ning a chicken wing as well.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning is shown as sincere, emotionally vulnerable, and adorably food-focused. He is deeply moved by Qin Heng’s appearance and the ceremony, though his attention quickly returns to eating once the banquet begins.
• Qin Heng demonstrates romantic devotion through his elaborate wedding preparations, his affectionate gestures, and his attentiveness to Chi Ning’s needs. He understands Chi Ning well enough to realize that food is what he most wants at that moment.
• Xu Jiahao embraces Chi Ning wholeheartedly as his son. His pride, protectiveness, and willingness to give generous gifts show that he fully accepts Chi Ning’s marriage and wants him to feel equally cherished.
• Chi Yang remains comically hostile toward Qin Heng as the man who “stole” his younger brother, although his resentment is affectionate rather than genuinely harmful.
• Chi Ning’s parents publicly welcome Qin Heng into the family by giving him bank cards and addressing him warmly as their son-in-law.

Significant Themes

• Mutual devotion and partnership: The couple repeatedly moves forward hand in hand, symbolizing their commitment to face life together.
• Family acceptance: The tea ceremony shows both families formally recognizing and welcoming the marriage.
• Love expressed through actions: Qin Heng’s care appears not only in grand gestures like the rings and ceremony but also in small acts, such as ensuring Chi Ning eats properly.
• Domestic warmth and humor: Emotional wedding traditions are balanced by jokes about money, food, family rivalry, and Chi Ning’s appetite.
• Acceptance of identity: Xu Jiahao internally rejects the idea that Chi Ning’s sexual orientation is a flaw, emphasizing unconditional parental pride and respect.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng and Chi Ning exchange affectionate looks, hold hands, and quietly care for each other throughout the ceremony.
• Chi Ning serves tea to both families, while Xu Jiahao proudly receives him as his son and gives him extra wedding gifts.
• Chi Ning’s parents give Qin Heng bank cards, signaling their trust and acceptance.
• Qin Heng quietly feeds and advises Chi Ning during the banquet, while Xu Jiahao also fusses over him by giving him more food.
• The guests provide humorous commentary, especially about Qin Heng’s extravagant ring, his willingness to give Chi Ning money, and the couple’s obvious devotion.

Chapter Summary: “Let Me Get in the Car”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the wedding banquet, Chi Ning drinks bayberry wine and becomes noticeably intoxicated. He follows Qin Heng around while toasting guests, copying Qin Heng’s words and actions.
• Drunk and unusually affectionate, Chi Ning leans against Qin Heng, complains about being hot, and asks for “iced bayberries.” Qin Heng patiently retrieves five soaked bayberries for him, demonstrating how well he indulges Chi Ning.
• The wedding footage ends before the couple’s evening concludes, prompting online speculation that they were sent to the bridal chamber.
• The chapter then emphasizes Qin Heng’s reputation as an exceptionally devoted husband. His love is shown not through extravagant spending alone, but through everyday care: buying groceries, cooking, and improving his work efficiency so he can pick Chi Ning up from work.
• A month after the wedding, Chi Ning’s marriage-registration application is approved. He and Qin Heng immediately travel to Las Vegas, obtain their marriage certificate, and rush back to China under heavy protection.
• Their rapid, uneventful trip surprises the special forces soldiers assigned to protect them, who had expected danger and complications. Qin Heng remains visibly delighted by the marriage certificate, smiling throughout the journey and even in his sleep.
• Back home, the marriage is kept private, with only the two families sharing a meal. Chi Ning plays Chinese chess with Xu Jiahao, who repeatedly pays him to undo moves. Chi Ning eventually checkmates him, while Xu Jiahao considers buying the neighboring villa so he can annoy Chi Baichuan regularly.
• The chapter ends when Chi Ning receives a phone call.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: His normally reserved and socially awkward personality becomes especially cute and vulnerable when drunk. He acts clingy and affectionate toward Qin Heng, while remaining oblivious to how strongly he affects him. Despite his global importance and the dangers surrounding him, he is practical and fearful of foreign threats, preferring to return home immediately.
• Qin Heng: His devotion to Chi Ning is reinforced through attentive, domestic actions. He calmly manages Chi Ning’s drunken behavior, fulfills his requests, and displays genuine, childlike happiness after their marriage is officially registered.
• Xu Jiahao: He remains playful, competitive, and shamelessly bad at chess. His desire to move next to Chi Baichuan reveals his loneliness and growing attachment to the Chi family.
• Chi Baichuan: He is exasperated by Xu Jiahao’s antics but clearly enjoys the family’s lively interactions. Their arguments suggest a comfortable, almost familial bond.
• The special forces soldiers: They initially underestimate the couple’s ability to avoid trouble but come to respect and appreciate them, especially because Chi Ning’s medical advances have benefited them.

Significant Themes

• Love expressed through ordinary care: Qin Heng’s devotion is portrayed through cooking, shopping, transportation, and emotional attentiveness rather than money or grand gestures.
• Public image versus private affection: The wedding footage and online comments turn the couple’s intimate behavior into entertainment, while their genuine relationship is shown through quieter moments.
• Safety and national importance: Chi Ning’s scientific achievements and the families’ technological and medical power make him a major international target, contrasting his personal simplicity with his enormous political significance.
• Family and belonging: The two families function as one close-knit household, with teasing, shared meals, and even Xu Jiahao’s plans to become Chi Baichuan’s neighbor.
• Domestic happiness after major achievements: Even after marriage and international travel, the characters return to mundane pleasures—tea, chess, family banter, and familiar routines.

Character Interactions

• Chi Ning and Qin Heng’s banquet interaction highlights their strong emotional intimacy: Chi Ning instinctively follows Qin Heng, while Qin Heng gently accommodates him.
• Online viewers observe and tease Qin Heng for being completely charmed by Chi Ning’s drunken cuteness.
• The soldiers interact respectfully with the couple and gradually realize that the trip is far less dangerous and chaotic than expected.
• Xu Jiahao and Chi Baichuan trade insults and compete over their “sons,” while Chi Ning mediates through chess.
• Xu Jiahao’s attempts to reverse chess moves become a humorous source of income for Chi Ning and further strengthen the playful family dynamic.

Chapter 98 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Ning is invited by Gangnan University to return as an outstanding alumnus and give a speech, but he immediately refuses because he dislikes public speaking.
• The university then offers him a visiting professor position requiring only one lecture per month. Chi Ning asks whether it pays; when the counselor cannot confirm that it does, Chi Ning rejects the offer as well.
• Qin Heng reveals that his own university has made a similar request. He has agreed to return for a lecture, while Chi Ning remains unwilling because lectures would require too much talking and effort.
• At the research institute, Chi Ning’s low-energy, “slacker” state reassures his coworkers that his relationship with Qin Heng is stable and that he will not suddenly bury himself in work.
• A new colleague, Li Qiuhe, joins the institute. He was Chi Ning’s high-school classmate and is an exceptionally dedicated, question-heavy graduate student.
• Li Qiuhe overwhelms the senior researchers with constant technical questions, most of which are directed to Chi Ning. To escape the barrage, Chi Ning gives him a list of ten books to study and flees work early.
• Little Ma escapes with Chi Ning, joking that he now understands why Chi Ning used to climb over walls to avoid people’s questions.
• Qin Heng arrives to pick Chi Ning up. Little Ma initially considers accepting a ride but realizes he might become an awkward third wheel while the couple spends private time together, so he declines.
• Li Qiuhe arrives moments later with yet another question. Qin Heng immediately drives away, leaving Li Qiuhe to redirect his questions toward the unfortunate Little Ma.
• The chapter ends with Little Ma silently regretting not getting into the car and wishing he could have watched Chi Ning and Qin Heng be affectionate instead of being trapped by Li Qiuhe’s questions.

Character Developments

• Chi Ning: Remains unapologetically lazy and practical, refusing prestigious academic opportunities unless they offer meaningful compensation. He demonstrates both his aversion to public speaking and his instinctive ability to escape excessive work and questioning.
• Qin Heng: Continues to support and accommodate Chi Ning, agreeing to give a university lecture himself and arriving to pick him up after work. His quick escape from Li Qiuhe shows his understanding of Chi Ning’s desire for peace.
• Li Qiuhe: Is introduced as an extremely hardworking, intellectually curious graduate student and Chi Ning’s former classmate. His relentless questioning establishes him as a new source of comic pressure in the laboratory.
• Little Ma: Becomes sympathetic to Chi Ning after experiencing Li Qiuhe’s exhausting questioning firsthand. His humorous perspective highlights how enviable and affectionate Chi Ning and Qin Heng’s relationship appears to outsiders.
• Chi Baichuan and the institute staff: Their reactions reinforce the contrast between Chi Ning’s relaxed work habits and the intense expectations usually associated with academic or corporate success.

Significant Themes

• Work-life balance and resistance to conventional success: Chi Ning rejects prestigious positions because he values comfort, free time, and fair compensation more than status.
• The burdens of exceptional ability: Because Chi Ning is highly knowledgeable, others naturally turn to him for answers, creating a form of unwanted responsibility.
• Love as refuge and mutual understanding: Qin Heng provides Chi Ning with a dependable escape from work, while both understand and accommodate each other’s habits.
• Comedy through contrast: The chapter contrasts Chi Ning’s relaxed “salted-fish” attitude with Li Qiuhe’s tireless work ethic, producing much of the humor.
• Found-family workplace dynamics: The coworkers tease, observe, and support one another, turning the laboratory into a lively social environment.

Character Interactions

• The university counselor and dean unsuccessfully attempt to recruit Chi Ning through increasingly attractive academic offers.
• Chi Ning and Qin Heng discover that both have been contacted by their former universities, emphasizing their similar reputations.
• Li Qiuhe’s intense questioning repeatedly draws Chi Ning into unwanted teaching duties.
• Chi Ning and Little Ma bond through their shared desire to escape Li Qiuhe.
• Qin Heng’s arrival highlights his intimate relationship with Chi Ning, while Little Ma’s and Li Qiuhe’s reactions provide the chapter’s final comedic exchange.