Chapter Summaries

Chapter 21 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with Tang Mingxi staring at Ye Heng’s handsome face and feeling uneasy. To make himself more comfortable, he pulls an expensive Louis Vuitton bag over Ye Heng’s head, declaring that the darkness is “much better.”
• The story then recounts the aftermath of the lightning strike that destroyed Mingxi No. 1’s electrical box. Tang Yun returns from abroad and angrily holds the nearby security and property-management staff responsible.
• Tang Yun quickly shifts from intimidating employer to affectionate older brother, checking on Tang Mingxi and apologizing for not being present during the incident.
• Taking advantage of Tang Yun’s guilt, Tang Mingxi pretends that the thunderstorm frightened him badly. Tang Yun compensates him by giving him a Gulfstream private jet and ordering him a massive luxury yacht worth hundreds of millions.
• Ye Heng arrives while Tang Mingxi is acting spoiled and tearful with Tang Yun. He witnesses a softer, more dependent side of Tang Mingxi that is rarely shown to outsiders.
• Tang Nuo complains to Ye Heng about Tang Mingxi’s privileged treatment and describes how Tang Mingxi bullied him during childhood. He subtly warns Ye Heng not to take Tang Mingxi’s behavior seriously.
• Ye Heng responds that Tang Nuo has a better temper than Tang Mingxi, unintentionally affecting Tang Nuo emotionally.
• After Tang Yun leaves, Tang Mingxi receives messages from acquaintances expressing concern about the storm. He blocks and then re-adds Wang Min after remembering that he has not yet shown off his new plane and yacht.
• Wang Min jokes that she could become Tang Mingxi’s sister-in-law again, prompting him to block her a second time.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Continues to behave like a spoiled, sharp-tongued rich heir, but his dependence on Tang Yun becomes clear. He is shameless about exploiting his brother’s concern for expensive gifts and remains oblivious to how others interpret his behavior. His strange treatment of Ye Heng—covering his face with a luxury bag—shows both his discomfort with Ye Heng’s attractiveness and his childish, possessive manner.
• Tang Yun: Demonstrates intense protectiveness toward Tang Mingxi. His swift change from furious patriarch to gentle older brother highlights how deeply he indulges and cares for Mingxi.
• Ye Heng: Quietly observes Tang Mingxi’s vulnerable and spoiled side. His expression darkens when Tang Nuo criticizes Mingxi, suggesting growing emotional investment or protectiveness. His brief compliment toward Tang Nuo affects Tang Nuo more deeply than intended.
• Tang Nuo: Reveals longstanding resentment toward Tang Mingxi and frustration at being held responsible for the family’s affairs. Despite presenting his comments as concern for Ye Heng, he appears to be subtly influencing Ye Heng against Mingxi.
• Wang Min: Becomes increasingly comfortable joking with Tang Mingxi, although his volatile reactions—and his willingness to re-add her—suggest that their antagonistic friendship is developing.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and indulgence: Tang Yun responds to a minor accident with extravagant gifts, emphasizing the absurd privilege surrounding the Tang family.
• Family favoritism and resentment: Tang Yun’s devotion to Mingxi contrasts sharply with Tang Nuo’s feelings of neglect and accumulated bitterness.
• Public image versus private behavior: Tang Mingxi maintains an image of pride and dignity but readily pretends to cry when luxury rewards are involved.
• Misunderstanding and shifting perceptions: Tang Mingxi misinterprets Tang Nuo’s role in Ye Heng’s life after being influenced by sensational romance fiction, while others misunderstand Mingxi’s motives and personality.
• Emotional vulnerability beneath arrogance: Mingxi’s spoiled behavior masks dependence and insecurity, particularly in front of Tang Yun and around Ye Heng.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Mingxi awkwardly handles Ye Heng’s attractiveness by covering his head with a designer bag. Ye Heng silently observes Mingxi’s spoiled intimacy with his brother, suggesting that his feelings toward Mingxi are becoming more complicated.
• Tang Mingxi and Tang Yun: Their relationship is affectionate and indulgent. Mingxi manipulates Tang Yun’s concern, while Tang Yun willingly satisfies his demands.
• Ye Heng and Tang Nuo: Tang Nuo attempts to portray Mingxi as cruel and unreasonable, but Ye Heng remains restrained. His comment that Tang Nuo has a better temper than Mingxi unintentionally creates emotional tension.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min: Their exchanges are hostile but playful, with blocking and re-adding serving as comic expressions of their developing familiarity.

Chapter 22 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi becomes hungry after dealing with visitors who came to admire his new plane and yacht. Although Mingxi No. 1 has a private chef and nutritionist, he has dismissed most of the household staff because he dislikes people constantly coming and going.
• His nutritionist strictly controls his diet, banning soda, burgers, crayfish, and other junk food. Defiantly, Tang orders crayfish from a restaurant and arranges for the delivery driver to leave it quietly outside so he will not be caught.
• Tang considers inviting Ye Heng to share the meal, reasoning that Ye Heng has treated him to food before. Their relationship has cooled from open hostility to mutual indifference, largely because Tang has stopped provoking him.
• Ye Heng agrees to eat, but sarcastically assumes Tang only invited him so he could peel the crayfish. Tang accepts Ye Heng’s help and enjoys the meal.
• Feeling insulted, Tang removes Wang Min from his blacklist and sends her a long rant about Ye Heng. Wang Min instead teases him, implying that Ye Heng’s peeling the crayfish is evidence of romantic affection. Embarrassed and indignant, Tang blocks her again.
• After the meal, Ye Heng washes the dishes because the dishwasher is broken and the servants have not been called in. Tang feels guilty about letting Ye Heng peel the crayfish and clean up, so he attempts to wash the remaining dishes himself.
• While Ye Heng takes a business call, Tang accidentally drops and shatters several bowls and plates. He immediately returns to the sofa and pretends nothing happened.
• Ye Heng notices the mess and asks Tang whether he washed the dishes, ending the chapter on a comic cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Despite his arrogant and spoiled exterior, Tang shows small signs of consideration and guilt. He recognizes that accepting Ye Heng’s help creates an obligation and tries—unsuccessfully—to repay him by doing the dishes. His continued denial and embarrassment also reveal how uncomfortable he is with the possibility that others might interpret his interactions with Ye Heng romantically.
• Ye Heng: Ye Heng remains outwardly cold and sarcastic, but he willingly peels Tang’s crayfish and cleans the dishes. He also appears attentive to Tang’s behavior, immediately recognizing that the invitation likely had an ulterior motive.
• Wang Min: Wang Min acts as a teasing observer of Tang and Ye Heng’s relationship. She interprets their domestic interaction as flirtatious or romantic, frustrating Tang and highlighting how their relationship appears to outsiders.

Significant Themes

• Unintended intimacy: Ordinary domestic actions—sharing food, peeling crayfish, and washing dishes—create an unexpectedly intimate atmosphere between Tang and Ye Heng.
• Pride versus gratitude: Tang’s arrogance makes it difficult for him to admit he wants Ye Heng’s company or that he feels indebted to him, yet his actions show growing consideration.
• Miscommunication and romantic interpretation: Tang insists that he is merely inviting Ye Heng to dinner, while Wang Min and Ye Heng interpret his behavior differently.
• Comedy through denial: Tang repeatedly tries to preserve his dignity, especially after being teased or making a mess, but his attempts to hide his embarrassment only make the situations funnier.

Character Interactions

• Tang and Ye Heng share a meal marked by sarcasm, reluctant cooperation, and growing domestic familiarity.
• Tang and Wang Min exchange messages in which Wang Min mocks Tang for supposedly “showing affection” toward Ye Heng; Tang responds by repeatedly blacklisting her.
• Ye Heng handles both his business responsibilities and Tang’s household disaster with contrasting calmness, while Tang tries to maintain an appearance of innocence after breaking the dishes.

Chapter 23 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi accidentally shatters the dishes while attempting to wash them, then defensively claims that he has “washed” them and that they will never need washing again.
• Ye Heng responds coldly, causing Tang Mingxi to become offended and retreat upstairs to vent to Wang Min.
• Wang Min enthusiastically flatters Tang Mingxi and condemns Ye Heng, reinforcing Tang Mingxi’s spoiled, prideful attitude.
• Ye Heng overhears Tang Mingxi’s complaints and enters his room with medicine, sarcastically repeating Wang Min’s exaggerated praise about Tang Mingxi “graciously” washing dishes.
• Tang Mingxi is humiliated but continues acting angry. Ye Heng reveals that Tang Mingxi has a significant wound on his foot, which he had failed to notice.
• Ye Heng attempts to help treat the injury, but Tang Mingxi nervously pulls away and applies the medicine himself. Their interaction remains tense and awkward, with Tang Mingxi eventually ordering Ye Heng to leave.
• For about a week, Tang Mingxi avoids Ye Heng and refuses to eat the food he prepares, maintaining his “unforgiving” stance.
• After reconsidering Ye Heng’s future revenge and remembering that only a year remains before the original plot’s cruel events, Tang Mingxi resumes intensive swimming training to prepare for platform diving.
• Two weeks later, Ye Heng offers Tang Mingxi sweet-and-sour dried fish and invites him to try a new chef at Riverside Abode. Tang Mingxi stubbornly refuses both, despite clearly wanting the food.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi remains spoiled, dramatic, and easily embarrassed, but his defensiveness masks vulnerability and fear of Ye Heng. He is especially anxious because he remembers the original owner’s brutal fate and Ye Heng’s future revenge.
• His injuries and poor practical skills emphasize his sheltered upbringing, while his decision to resume swimming shows growing awareness and determination to protect himself.
• Ye Heng remains calm, restrained, and difficult to read. Although he teases Tang Mingxi, he also notices his injury, brings him medicine, and quietly prepares food and invitations to coax him out of his anger.
• Wang Min functions as Tang Mingxi’s emotional support and reinforces his self-important, princess-like self-image through exaggerated praise.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus vulnerability: Tang Mingxi uses arrogance and indignation to conceal embarrassment, fear, and a desire for care.
• Miscommunication and emotional awkwardness: Both men struggle to express concern directly, leading to sarcasm, avoidance, and stubborn behavior.
• Growing self-preservation: Tang Mingxi is increasingly conscious of the original plot and begins taking practical steps to avoid his predicted fate.
• Contrasting care and hostility: Ye Heng’s quiet acts of concern coexist with his cold teasing, suggesting a complicated and evolving relationship.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s relationship is defined by sarcastic exchanges, mutual discomfort, and unspoken attention. Ye Heng’s treatment of Tang Mingxi’s foot briefly creates physical and emotional intimacy, but Tang Mingxi panics and pushes him away.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min share a highly exaggerated, comedic dynamic: Wang Min validates every complaint, while Tang Mingxi happily accepts her flattery.
• Ye Heng’s later offerings of food and dinner serve as understated attempts to reconcile, though Tang Mingxi stubbornly refuses to acknowledge them.

Chapter Summary

Tang Mingxi finally takes Ye Heng to Riverside Abode for dinner, though he spends most of the journey procrastinating at home. He is delighted by the restaurant’s new dishes and photographs the meal to post on Moments. A small part of Ye Heng’s wrist appears in one picture, allowing Tang Mingxi’s friends to realize he is dining with his husband.
Wang Min teases Tang Mingxi for secretly displaying his affection and jokingly calls Ye Heng a “dog of a man.” Other wealthy friends repeat the same comments, embarrassing and angering Tang Mingxi. He blocks them all, but their teasing also makes him reflect uneasily on his relationship with Ye Heng. Tang Mingxi fears that Ye Heng still remembers the original owner’s cruelty and may eventually take revenge. His anxiety becomes so intense that he loses his appetite and cannot even finish dessert.
At Tang Group’s Monday executive meeting, senior staff argue fiercely over whether the Azure Luo Bay development should be entrusted to Ye Heng. Director Yang and Mingheng’s deputy director nearly come to blows, and Director Yang clearly resents Ye Heng. Tang Yun ultimately awards the project to Ye Heng, demonstrating his confidence in Ye Heng’s abilities while also placing him at the center of Tang Group’s internal power struggles.
After the meeting, Tang Yun privately warns Ye Heng that he must take good care of Tang Mingxi. Although Tang Yun dislikes Ye Heng and considers him an unsuitable match for his brother, he accepts that their marriage is unavoidable because of the grandfather’s final wish. He gives Ye Heng one year to prove himself and prevent others from viewing Tang Mingxi’s husband as incompetent. Tang Yun also instructs him to sever any outside romantic ties, cultivate his relationship with Tang Mingxi, add Tang Mingxi’s friends on WeChat, and learn how to make him happy.
Ye Heng agrees outwardly, though his clenched fist suggests suppressed frustration or resistance. He Wenfang then sends Ye Heng Tang Mingxi’s WeChat information and details about his social circle. While reviewing it in the elevator, Ye Heng unexpectedly encounters someone, ending the chapter on a suspenseful cliffhanger.

Character Development and Interactions

• Tang Mingxi remains vain, easily embarrassed, and fond of showing off food and his lifestyle, but he also reveals deep insecurity about Ye Heng’s possible revenge.
• Ye Heng remains outwardly calm and unreadable. He accepts the Azure Luo Bay project and Tang Yun’s instructions without protest, though his restrained reactions suggest hidden emotions and resentment.
• Tang Yun acts protectively toward Tang Mingxi while treating Ye Heng with suspicion and hostility. His warning establishes strict expectations for Ye Heng’s role in the marriage.
• Wang Min and Tang Mingxi’s friends provide comic relief through their teasing, while unintentionally exposing Tang Mingxi’s growing concern about how his relationship appears to others.
• The interaction between Tang Yun and Ye Heng highlights the unequal power dynamics surrounding the arranged marriage: Ye Heng is given authority and responsibility, but also pressured to prove his worth and prioritize Tang Mingxi.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Tang Mingxi’s food post looks like romantic affection to his friends, while he privately fears Ye Heng may hate him.
• Marriage as obligation and strategy: Their relationship is shaped by the grandfather’s final wish, family expectations, and business interests rather than open affection.
• Power and suspicion: The Azure Luo Bay project intensifies internal Tang Group conflicts and places Ye Heng in a politically vulnerable position.
• Hidden emotions: Ye Heng’s calm exterior, clenched fist, and unreadable expression suggest that his true feelings remain concealed.
• Fear of consequences and redemption: Tang Mingxi’s awareness of the original owner’s cruelty makes him constantly anxious about whether he can avoid the fate awaiting him in the original story.

Chapter 25 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• General Manager Yang Muhua, a former subordinate of Tang Youwei and an opponent of Ye Heng’s authority over the Azure Luo Bay project, publicly insults Ye Heng in an elevator. He mocks Ye Heng as a live-in son-in-law who advanced by sleeping with Tang Mingxi, implying that Ye Heng does not truly deserve the development project.
• Tang Mingxi’s birthday is approaching, and preparations occupy nearly all his time. Stylists arrange custom clothing, shoes, jewelry, and even multiple outfits throughout the day. Gifts flood Mingxi No. 1, but Tang Mingxi is too exhausted to examine them and has them stored away.
• Ye Heng stays up even later than Tang Mingxi because of problems connected to the Azure Luo Bay development. Tang Mingxi vaguely recalls that the project is important in the original novel but cannot remember the relevant plot point.
• After finishing his final fitting, Tang Mingxi notices Ye Heng conducting a quiet conversation in the study. He tries to eavesdrop but is caught when Ye Heng opens the door and Tang Mingxi accidentally—or rather, openly admits—crashes into him.
• Embarrassed, Tang Mingxi recounts the incident to Wang Min. She teases him, then comforts him with exaggerated praise and suggests hiring an online “insult group” to curse Ye Heng. Tang Mingxi briefly considers it but abandons the idea because he feels guilty about eavesdropping and does not actually dislike Ye Heng very much.
• Tang Mingxi also realizes he does not even have Ye Heng’s WeChat account, which he considers socially humiliating given their marriage. He decides to sleep instead.
• Later that night, Tang Mingxi wakes during a heavy rain with a high fever, likely caused by swimming too long earlier and eating ice cream afterward. He attempts to treat himself, but his fever leaves him dizzy and clumsy.
• While getting water and fever medicine, he drops and breaks a glass. As he tries to pick up the shards, Ye Heng stops him by catching his wrist. Ye Heng notices Tang Mingxi’s flushed, feverish appearance and questions why he is taking medicine with cold water.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: Faces open hostility from Yang Muhua, showing the political resistance surrounding his control of the Azure Luo Bay project. Despite his cold demeanor, he remains observant and attentive to Tang Mingxi, quickly recognizing that Tang Mingxi is ill and preventing him from cutting himself on the broken glass.
• Tang Mingxi: Remains vain, appearance-conscious, and easily embarrassed, but also displays unusual honesty when caught eavesdropping. His reaction to Ye Heng becomes increasingly playful and emotionally complicated: he complains about Ye Heng yet admits he does not truly dislike him. His fever also reveals his childish carelessness and vulnerability.
• Yang Muhua: Is established as an active opponent of Ye Heng and a representative of the faction still loyal to Tang Youwei. His insults show both resentment toward Ye Heng and prejudice against their marriage.
• Wang Min: Acts as Tang Mingxi’s confidante and comic support. She mocks him affectionately, then enthusiastically defends and flatters him when he becomes upset.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and corporate opposition: Ye Heng’s authority over Azure Luo Bay is being challenged by executives connected to the old Huanyu faction.
• Public image and social status: Tang Mingxi is intensely concerned with appearances, from his birthday preparations to whether others know he and Ye Heng are not even connected on WeChat.
• Embarrassment and intimacy: Tang Mingxi’s awkward eavesdropping and his interactions with Ye Heng create humorous but increasingly intimate moments between them.
• Hidden care beneath emotional distance: Ye Heng’s intervention when Tang Mingxi is sick suggests concern that contrasts with his usually detached attitude.
• Vulnerability behind privilege: Although surrounded by luxury, staff, and gifts, Tang Mingxi is left to manage his illness alone until Ye Heng notices him.

Character Interactions

• Yang Muhua and Ye Heng: Yang publicly humiliates Ye Heng and challenges his legitimacy, intensifying the workplace conflict surrounding Azure Luo Bay.
• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Their relationship is marked by teasing, awkward physical proximity, and mutual observation. Tang Mingxi tries to spy on Ye Heng but is caught, while Ye Heng later takes control of the situation when Tang Mingxi becomes ill.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min: Their chat provides comic relief. Wang Min teases Tang Mingxi about “crashing into his husband’s arms,” then offers exaggerated support and revenge ideas.
• Tang Mingxi and himself: His internal narration reveals that although he claims to be annoyed with Ye Heng, he is already paying close attention to him and is unwilling to admit any deeper interest.

Chapter 26 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi develops a fever and becomes irritable, emotional, and unusually confrontational.
• He blames Ye Heng for not giving him water, even though Ye Heng never actually prevents him from drinking. Refusing to approach Ye Heng for a glass, Tang Mingxi tries to swallow the cold medicine dry and chokes.
• Overwhelmed by his illness and accumulated frustrations, Tang Mingxi tearfully accuses Ye Heng of mistreating him, including yelling at him and pushing him into the sea—though the latter only happened in a dream.
• Ye Heng boils water and carries the struggling Tang Mingxi upstairs to bed. He later cools the medicine for him after Tang Mingxi complains that it is too hot and that his brother would have blown on it.
• Tang Mingxi drinks the medicine but remains offended, hiding beneath the blanket. The medicine takes effect, and he sleeps well.
• The next morning, a family doctor diagnoses Tang Mingxi with an ordinary cold aggravated by his poor health. He is already mostly recovered and only needs a few more doses of medicine.
• Ye Heng reveals concern about Tang Mingxi’s unhappiness, asking the doctor whether his mood could affect his recovery. The doctor confirms that a good mood would help.
• Tang Mingxi becomes anxious and guilty about how he behaved while feverish, worrying that he may have offended Ye Heng badly enough to put himself in danger.
• Ye Heng briefly notices a figure moving past the third-floor bedroom window, unaware that it is Tang Mingxi nervously running back to bed.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: His fever lowers his inhibitions, causing him to act childish, dramatic, and emotionally vulnerable. His grievances—both real and imagined—spill out, revealing his fear, loneliness, and sensitivity. Once recovered, he feels embarrassed and guilty about mistreating Ye Heng and becomes fearful of the possible consequences.
• Ye Heng: Though outwardly cold and impatient, he repeatedly cares for Tang Mingxi: preparing his medicine, carrying him to bed, cooling his drink, and staying awake through the night. His concern becomes more explicit when he asks whether Tang Mingxi’s unhappiness may worsen his illness.
• Family doctor: Provides practical confirmation that Tang Mingxi’s illness is minor but worsened by his poor constitution and emotional state.

Significant Themes

• Vulnerability beneath conflict: Tang Mingxi’s anger is largely a manifestation of illness and pent-up emotional distress.
• Care expressed indirectly: Ye Heng rarely offers verbal comfort, instead showing concern through practical actions.
• Miscommunication: Tang Mingxi interprets Ye Heng’s silence and sternness as cruelty, while Ye Heng struggles to understand or respond to Tang Mingxi’s emotional needs.
• Guilt and fear: After his fever breaks, Tang Mingxi worries that his outburst has damaged his relationship with Ye Heng or endangered himself.
• Growing emotional attachment: Ye Heng’s attentiveness and concern suggest that Tang Mingxi’s well-being is becoming personally important to him.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi repeatedly argues with and insults Ye Heng while sick, even punching him lightly in frustration.
• Ye Heng responds with restrained patience, physically taking control of the situation by carrying Tang Mingxi to bed and ensuring he takes his medicine.
• Their interaction over the hot medicine highlights their contrasting personalities: Tang Mingxi openly demands affection and special treatment, while Ye Heng provides it silently despite insisting that he is not Tang Mingxi’s brother.
• The next morning, Ye Heng’s concern about Tang Mingxi’s mood reveals that their hostile exchanges conceal increasing mutual dependence and emotional significance.

Chapter 27 Summary

Plot points and events

Tang Mingxi feels guilty after reading Wang Min’s harsh messages about Ye Heng, especially because Ye Heng cared for him throughout the night while he had a cold. When Ye Heng brings him congee, Tang Mingxi admits to Wang Min that Ye Heng is “not that unbearable.” Wang Min reassures him about his health and sends him a guide to exaggerated compliments, suggesting it as a way to apologize.
Following her advice, Tang Mingxi adds Ye Heng on WeChat under the username “National Sulking Contest Overall Champion” and invites him to a group called “Straight-Faced Compliment Group 6.” The group bombards Ye Heng with ridiculous compliments, which Tang Mingxi explains are “rainbow farts”—flattering words meant to cheer him up. Tang Mingxi then apologizes for losing his temper and asks Ye Heng not to come upstairs because he is embarrassed, even locking his bedroom door.
Ye Heng responds by imitating the group’s compliments and sending them back to Tang Mingxi, awkwardly adapting them to praise his beauty and cuteness. He also asks whether Tang Mingxi is still angry. Mortified, Tang Mingxi insists he is not angry. Later, Ye Heng comments on Tang Mingxi’s social-media post, criticizing his photo-editing skills while implying that Tang Mingxi looks better in person.
The chapter ends with Tang Mingxi fully recovered the next morning. During breakfast, Ye Heng reveals that he is going to City First Hospital, where Ye Yue is hospitalized.

Character development

Tang Mingxi shows unusual guilt and self-awareness. Though naturally proud and reluctant to apologize, he makes a sincere effort to repair his relationship with Ye Heng. His embarrassment emphasizes how unfamiliar he is with openly expressing remorse or affection.
Ye Heng remains emotionally restrained and literal, but his actions reveal growing attentiveness and amusement. He understands Tang Mingxi’s attempt at reconciliation and deliberately plays along by copying the compliments, showing a gentler, more teasing side beneath his normally cold exterior.

Character interactions

Wang Min acts as Tang Mingxi’s supportive confidante and gives him the idea to use exaggerated praise. Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng communicate primarily through WeChat, with their exchange turning into an awkward but affectionate apology ritual. Ye Heng’s deadpan imitation of Tang Mingxi’s “rainbow farts” embarrasses Tang Mingxi, while his comment on the photo post combines criticism with understated praise.

Significant themes

The chapter explores reconciliation, emotional vulnerability, and the difficulty of expressing affection. Humor comes from the contrast between Tang Mingxi’s dramatic embarrassment and Ye Heng’s rigid, literal interpretation of internet slang. Their interactions also suggest a gradual shift from hostility toward mutual care and romantic intimacy.

Chapter 28 Summary

• Plot and events: Ye Heng tells Tang Mingxi that he plans to visit his blind younger sister, Ye Yue, reminding him of their supposed agreement to visit her every six months. Although Tang Mingxi initially wants to refuse because he had planned to go swimming, he agrees after remembering that Ye Heng cared for him the previous day. Nervous about meeting Ye Heng’s family for the first time, Tang Mingxi spends considerable time choosing a suitably dignified outfit before realizing that Ye Yue is blind and cannot appreciate his appearance. On the way to the hospital, he buys two heavy fruit baskets, which Ye Heng takes from him. At the hospital, Ye Heng unexpectedly compliments Tang Mingxi’s appearance. They then visit Ye Yue in her VIP room, where Tang Mingxi introduces himself and is warmly addressed as “sister-in-law.” The chapter ends with Tang Mingxi trying to act considerate and domestic by preparing to peel an apple for her.
• Character development: Tang Mingxi remains vain, dramatic, and internally sarcastic, but he also shows growing consideration toward Ye Heng. He feels obligated to accompany him, worries about making a good impression, buys gifts for Ye Yue, and tries to appear caring and domestic. His interactions reveal that he is becoming more emotionally invested in Ye Heng’s life. Ye Heng continues to appear reserved and expressionless, but he notices Tang Mingxi’s changes, quietly helps him with the fruit baskets, and gives him an awkwardly exaggerated compliment. He also appears protective of Ye Yue and has concealed the Tang Family’s mistreatment from her.
• Themes: The chapter explores the contrast between appearances and genuine care, particularly through Tang Mingxi’s obsession with clothing and beauty versus his increasingly sincere efforts to support Ye Heng and Ye Yue. It also develops themes of family loyalty, hidden suffering, and the emotional complications of a “fake” marriage that increasingly resembles a real relationship.
• Character interactions: Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s banter highlights their growing familiarity and mutual awareness. Ye Heng’s dry compliment embarrasses Tang Mingxi while revealing that he pays close attention to him. Ye Yue immediately welcomes Tang Mingxi as her sister-in-law and believes he helped fund her treatment, creating a misunderstanding about the Tang Family’s kindness. Tang Mingxi feels guilty knowing the truth but maintains the appearance of a loving, supportive spouse.

Chapter 29 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi attempts to peel an apple but removes so much flesh that only a tiny core remains. Embarrassed, he insists the apple’s peel was unusually thick.
• Ye Heng silently peels a new apple properly, cuts it into pieces, and gives it to Tang Mingxi. Tang Mingxi feels insulted by Ye Heng’s criticism and refuses to eat it.
• Ye Heng secretly eats the remains of Tang Mingxi’s poorly peeled apple, finding it sweet. Ye Yue notices his behavior and teases him for obviously caring about Tang Mingxi, though Ye Heng denies having feelings.
• Still angry, Tang Mingxi complains to Wang Min through WeChat. Wang Min comforts him and invites him to Rose Manor to ride horses, successfully distracting him from the argument.
• Tang Mingxi leaves the hospital without saying goodbye to Ye Heng. Before leaving, he overhears that Ye Yue’s illness is serious and may require a bone marrow transplant, but he is too excited about horseback riding to dwell on it.
• At Rose Manor, Wang Min enthusiastically praises Tang Mingxi’s refined appearance, including his new watch, clothing style, and perfume. Her affection and attention quickly improve his mood.
• Meanwhile, Ye Heng inspects the Azure Luo Bay project and later attends a business gathering at Rose Manor. The gathering becomes increasingly indulgent, with celebrities hired to entertain the businessmen.
• Ye Heng remains detached from the flirtation and rejects the young man assigned to accompany him. When the young man worries that he has displeased Ye Heng, Ye Heng thinks of Tang Mingxi and imagines how Tang Mingxi would react.
• Ye Heng realizes he can vividly recall Tang Mingxi’s expressions and recognizes that Tang Mingxi has gradually changed over the past six months, although neither of them fully noticed the transformation.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Displays his usual pride, vanity, and emotional sensitivity, becoming genuinely upset when Ye Heng criticizes his efforts. However, he is easily comforted by Wang Min’s admiration and enjoys trying new experiences such as horseback riding. His continued behavioral changes suggest he is becoming less hostile and more emotionally attached to Ye Heng.
• Ye Heng: Shows understated concern for Tang Mingxi by preparing food for him and even eating the discarded apple core. He denies liking Tang Mingxi, but his thoughts increasingly center on him, and he instinctively compares others to Tang Mingxi. Ye Heng is beginning to recognize how deeply Tang Mingxi has affected his life.
• Ye Yue: Perceptive despite her blindness, she detects Ye Heng’s affection for Tang Mingxi and openly teases him about it. Her serious illness is also emphasized, with a possible bone marrow transplant becoming an important concern.
• Wang Min: Acts as Tang Mingxi’s supportive friend and emotional refuge. Her praise and invitation help him recover from his anger toward Ye Heng.

Significant Themes

• Affection expressed indirectly: Ye Heng’s care appears through practical actions—peeling and cutting fruit, eating Tang Mingxi’s discarded apple—rather than verbal affection.
• Denial versus emotional awareness: Ye Heng insists he does not like Tang Mingxi, even as his thoughts, memories, and comparisons reveal growing attachment.
• Gradual transformation: Tang Mingxi’s personality has changed subtly over the past six months, and Ye Heng is only now beginning to recognize it.
• Emotional refuge and friendship: Wang Min provides the warmth and validation Tang Mingxi seeks, contrasting with Ye Heng’s blunt and emotionally restrained behavior.
• Illness and vulnerability: Ye Yue’s difficult condition introduces a more serious undercurrent beneath the chapter’s domestic comedy and romantic tension.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Their apple dispute highlights their childish bickering, pride, and concealed concern for one another.
• Ye Heng and Ye Yue: Ye Yue teases Ye Heng about his feelings, while Ye Heng defensively denies them.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min: Wang Min comforts and praises Tang Mingxi, quickly restoring his mood and reinforcing their close friendship.
• Ye Heng and the young attendant: Ye Heng’s indifference to the attendant emphasizes that his lack of interest in others contrasts with his increasing preoccupation with Tang Mingxi.

Chapter 30 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Heng tests a young actor sent by a company to entertain him by asking him to peel an apple. Although the actor performs the task perfectly, Ye Heng is unimpressed.
• During a group outing involving golf and horseback riding, the actor asks whether Ye Heng dislikes him because of Tang Mingxi. Ye Heng coldly dismisses him with, “You think you’re worthy?” The actor is humiliated but dares not retaliate because of Ye Heng’s powerful Tang family connections.
• The group arrives at Rose Manor’s private riding grounds, owned by financial tycoon Zhou Wang. There, they encounter Zhou Wang’s granddaughter, Wang Min, who is unusually attentive to a beautiful young man.
• The Azure Luo Bay executives recognize Wang Min and are shocked to see her serving and doting on someone else. The young man is revealed to be Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Mingxi has been riding and is physically exhausted, but he maintains his polished public image. He notices Ye Heng accompanied by the young actor and immediately assumes the worst.
• Wang Min recognizes Ye Heng as Tang Mingxi’s “husband” and tries to stop Tang Mingxi from confronting him. Tang Mingxi responds with sarcastic, bitter remarks about his “dead” husband, making it clear that he feels humiliated by Ye Heng’s apparent infidelity.
• In the changing room, Tang Mingxi pretends not to notice Ye Heng and struggles with his shoelaces. Ye Heng silently kneels and unties them for him, ending the chapter on a tense, intimate gesture.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: Remains cold, dominant, and difficult to impress. He rejects the actor without hesitation, but his decision to kneel and help Tang Mingxi suggests a more attentive or possessive side beneath his indifferent exterior.
• Tang Mingxi: Displays his usual vanity and dramatic humor, but his sarcasm masks genuine embarrassment and hurt. He clearly cares about how Ye Heng’s behavior reflects on him, despite their nominally “plastic” marriage.
• The young actor: Begins confident in his appearance and position but is quickly humbled by Ye Heng’s rejection. He realizes how powerless he is compared with the wealthy elite.
• Wang Min: Shows familiarity and affection toward Tang Mingxi, treating him with open deference and friendship. She also quickly understands his jealousy and attempts to prevent a confrontation.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min’s relationship: Their banter reveals a close, comfortable friendship. Wang Min knows Tang Mingxi well enough to recognize when he is genuinely upset.

Significant Themes

• Class and power inequality: The chapter emphasizes the enormous gap between wealthy families and entertainers who are treated as disposable companions.
• Appearance and social status: Beauty grants Tang Mingxi attention and influence, but elite family background and power ultimately determine a person’s position.
• Jealousy and wounded pride: Tang Mingxi’s anger stems less from love openly expressed than from the humiliation of being publicly disregarded by his supposed husband.
• Public image versus private emotion: Tang Mingxi performs confidence and elegance in public while internally feeling embarrassed and upset.
• Hidden affection and ambiguous intimacy: Ye Heng’s final gesture contrasts with his cold words, hinting at concern or possessiveness that he does not openly acknowledge.

Important Character Interaction

The central interaction is between Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng. Tang Mingxi avoids him after seeing the young actor, while Ye Heng quietly approaches and unties his shoelaces. The act is simple but charged, suggesting unresolved tension, jealousy, and a possible shift in their relationship.

Chapter 31 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Azure Luo Bay, Ye Heng kneels to retie Tang Mingxi’s shoelaces. The intimate gesture shocks the surrounding guests, who realize that the young man on the sofa is the Tang Family’s second young master.
• A boy who had been accompanying Ye Heng expects Tang Mingxi to confront or humiliate him, but Tang Mingxi ignores him completely. The boy feels deeply embarrassed by this dismissal.
• Ye Heng refuses to remain at the venue and leaves with Tang Mingxi after Tang says he is tired and wants to go home.
• The incident makes Tang Mingxi worry about Ye Heng’s future romantic entanglements and reminds him that Ye Heng will eventually return to the Ye Family. With only a little over five months until Ye Heng’s return—and perhaps a year until he regains control—Tang Mingxi becomes anxious about his own survival and future.
• Tang Mingxi spends a sleepless night before his birthday. The next morning, an elaborate styling process begins for his lavish birthday banquet aboard the Black Swan Yacht at Shallow Water Bay.
• His birthday celebration is an exclusive high-society event, protected by extensive security because Tang Mingxi had been kidnapped as a child. Guests are screened thoroughly before being admitted.
• Tang is dressed and prepared for most of the day, trying on more than a dozen suits while being restricted to a tiny amount of food to preserve his figure. By evening, he is exhausted and nearly dizzy from hunger.
• Ye Heng, unlike Tang, is not subjected to the preparation process. He waits at home after clearing his schedule, becoming increasingly impatient. When Tang finally appears in a perfectly tailored suit, Ye Heng is briefly stunned by his beauty but quickly hides his reaction.
• During the drive, Tang repeatedly admires his own reflection and secretly checks Ye Heng’s reaction. Ye Heng notices, becomes restless, and wonders what Tang’s glances mean.
• Tang complains privately to Wang Min that Ye Heng failed to compliment him. Wang Min enthusiastically praises Tang’s appearance and jokes that Ye Heng must be abnormal for remaining unmoved.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Although he continues to act spoiled and self-absorbed, his thoughts reveal growing anxiety about his precarious future. His improving relationship with Ye Heng has made him hopeful and complacent, but the sight of Ye Heng with another attractive companion reminds him that his position may be temporary. He also remains highly conscious of his appearance and craves Ye Heng’s acknowledgment.
• Ye Heng: His behavior toward Tang becomes increasingly attentive and intimate, as shown by kneeling to tie Tang’s shoes and leaving the venue with him. He is still outwardly indifferent, but Tang’s appearance clearly affects him. Ye Heng’s impatience while waiting and his physical and emotional reaction to Tang’s arrival suggest that his feelings are changing, even though he refuses to acknowledge them.
• The unnamed young man: He is humbled by Tang’s complete disregard. His expectation that Tang would be jealous or confrontational is replaced by the realization that Tang considers him insignificant.
• Wang Min: She continues to serve as Tang’s enthusiastic confidante, reinforcing his vanity and validating his desire to be admired.

Significant Themes

• Changing romantic dynamics: Ye Heng’s small acts of care and involuntary attraction contrast with his claim of indifference, suggesting the relationship is shifting.
• Insecurity beneath extravagance: Despite the wealth and splendor surrounding him, Tang is haunted by the knowledge that Ye Heng may eventually abandon him and that his current comfort is fragile.
• Status and humiliation: The shoelace incident exposes the social hierarchy. Ye Heng’s submission to Tang shocks the elite crowd, while the unnamed boy is humiliated through Tang’s deliberate—or in this case unintentional—indifference.
• Appearance and performance: Tang’s birthday preparations emphasize his role as a beautiful “expensive vase,” valued for his appearance and social image. His elaborate styling also reflects his desire to be recognized, especially by Ye Heng.
• Food, wealth, and excess: The lavish yacht and exclusive guest list contrast humorously with Tang’s hunger and exhaustion, highlighting the absurdity and pressures of elite social life.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Ye Heng ties Tang’s shoes and follows his wishes, while Tang casually orders him to leave and later seeks his praise. Their interaction displays growing intimacy mixed with denial, uncertainty, and emotional imbalance.
• Tang Mingxi and the unnamed boy: Tang’s total lack of attention wounds the boy more deeply than open confrontation would have, emphasizing the gulf between their social positions.
• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min: Tang vents about Ye Heng’s failure to compliment him, and Wang Min responds with exaggerated admiration, strengthening Tang’s confidence while humorously highlighting his vanity.

Chapter 32 Summary

Key plot points and events

At a high-society gathering aboard the Black Swan Yacht, Tang Mingxi enjoys the praise he receives for his appearance but becomes flustered when he catches Ye Heng secretly looking at him. Their brief eye contact causes both of their hearts to race, leaving Tang Mingxi embarrassed and confused by his growing attraction.
The yacht’s lavish banquet overwhelms Tang Mingxi, who is constantly monitored by four highly competent assistants. After becoming tipsy and frustrated by their constant supervision, he claims he is going to find Ye Heng and secretly slips onto the deck alone. There, he overhears two men discussing a plan to drug him, throw him into the sea, and drown him. Before he can escape, the attackers catch him and render him unconscious.
Tang Mingxi awakens in the freezing seawater after being thrown overboard. Exhausted and unable to swim, he begins to drown and fears he will die. Just before losing consciousness, he thinks of Ye Heng and possibly calls his name. Ye Heng then dives into the water and rescues him. In a desperate attempt to breathe, Tang Mingxi kisses Ye Heng underwater and draws oxygen from him. Once they reach the surface, Tang Mingxi clings tightly to Ye Heng while crying secretly. The rescue team arrives quickly, and Ye Heng helps him into a lifeboat.

Character developments

Tang Mingxi’s feelings toward Ye Heng become increasingly complicated. Although he insists that his racing heart is merely an illusion caused by Ye Heng’s appearance, his emotional dependence on Ye Heng becomes clear when Ye Heng is the only person he thinks of while drowning. Tang Mingxi also shows resourcefulness beneath his spoiled persona: he notices the danger, attempts to escape, and maintains the appearance of being unable to swim even during the rescue.
Ye Heng’s attitude toward Tang Mingxi gains emotional significance. He notices Tang Mingxi’s disappearance, immediately senses that something is wrong, and personally enters the sea to save him. His concern and physical protectiveness contrast sharply with Tang Mingxi’s belief that Ye Heng will eventually kill him in the future.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the contrast between fictional expectations and present reality: Tang Mingxi expects Ye Heng to become his enemy, yet Ye Heng saves him instead. It also develops themes of unexpected emotional attachment, vulnerability, and survival. Tang Mingxi’s near-death experience reveals how deeply Ye Heng has become his anchor in this unfamiliar world. The dramatic rescue further blurs the boundary between fear, dependence, and romantic attraction.

Character interactions

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng share a charged moment of mutual eye contact before the attack, hinting at growing attraction. Their underwater rescue becomes intensely intimate when Tang Mingxi kisses Ye Heng to obtain oxygen, then clings to him for safety. Ye Heng responds by holding Tang Mingxi securely and helping him into the lifeboat, while Tang Mingxi secretly cries from relief and emotional distress. The chapter ends with their relationship becoming more physically and emotionally intimate following the attempted murder.

Chapter 33 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng survive falling into the sea and are rescued by the yacht’s security personnel.
• Tang Mingxi deliberately maintains the appearance of a fragile, traumatized young master, although much of his panic is genuine. He hides the fact that he can swim so he can continue appearing helpless in future situations.
• After boarding, Tang Mingxi worries more about whether his makeup has smudged than about his near-death experience. Ye Heng reassures him that it has not and covers him with a blanket.
• Tang Mingxi privately panics over having kissed Ye Heng underwater while trying to obtain oxygen. He decides to pretend it never happened unless Ye Heng brings it up.
• Once ashore, Tang Mingxi claims that his leg hurts. Rather than accepting Ye Heng’s offered support, he indirectly pressures Ye Heng into carrying him on his back.
• Tang Yun anxiously waits for Tang Mingxi’s return and is visibly relieved when he sees him alive. Tang Mingxi feels guilty for frightening his older brother.
• Doctors examine Tang Mingxi aboard the yacht. He changes into dry clothes and showers, finally regaining his composure and admiring his makeup-free appearance in the mirror.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Despite being genuinely frightened, he quickly resumes his spoiled, aristocratic persona. His vanity, dramatic behavior, and talent for manipulating appearances remain intact. He also becomes increasingly embarrassed by his accidental kiss with Ye Heng and tries to conceal his feelings through denial and avoidance.
• Ye Heng: He shows unexpected concern for Tang Mingxi, bringing him a blanket, checking on him, and carrying him when he realizes Tang Mingxi wants to be carried. His irritation and possessiveness become apparent when he notices others pitying or staring at Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Yun: His deep affection and protectiveness toward his younger brother are emphasized through his frantic worry and emotional relief after Tang Mingxi returns safely.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Tang Mingxi performs the role of a delicate, helpless heir even when he is more capable than he appears.
• Vulnerability and pride: Although frightened and physically injured, Tang Mingxi refuses to ask directly for help and instead expects Ye Heng to understand his unspoken wishes.
• Growing intimacy: The near-death experience, underwater kiss, physical rescue, and Ye Heng’s care create greater emotional and physical tension between the two men.
• Family devotion: Tang Yun’s panic highlights the lasting trauma of Tang Mingxi’s childhood kidnapping and the strength of their sibling bond.
• Comedy amid danger: Tang Mingxi’s fixation on his eyeliner and his exaggerated aristocratic behavior contrast humorously with the seriousness of nearly drowning.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Their exchange combines mutual irritation, reluctant dependence, and emerging intimacy. Ye Heng provides practical care while Tang Mingxi acts demanding and embarrassed. Their underwater kiss remains unspoken but becomes a source of intense private awkwardness for Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Mingxi and Tang Yun: Tang Mingxi returns feeling guilty after frightening his brother, while Tang Yun’s tearful relief reveals how deeply he cares for him.
• Tang Mingxi and the security staff: The staff initially hesitate to approach him because of his intimidating status, then assist him after his rescue and escort him back aboard.

Chapter 34 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi recovers from being thrown into the sea and changes into clean clothes, though he retains a small cut on his lower lip caused by Ye Heng’s teeth during the rescue.
• A medical examination finds only a minor injury to his right leg, but Tang Yun remains extremely worried and protective.
• Tang Mingxi tells Tang Yun that two intruders infiltrated the heavily guarded birthday banquet and appeared to be targeting Ye Heng rather than him.
• Tang Nuo arrives and is immediately questioned by Tang Yun because he was responsible for the yacht’s security. Tang Yun suspects he may have allowed the murderer aboard.
• Tang Nuo tearfully denies betraying the family, emphasizing that Tang Mingxi is his biological brother and that implicating himself at such an important event would make no sense.
• Ye Heng defends Tang Nuo and promises to investigate the incident within two days.
• Tang Mingxi stays behind while Tang Yun handles the banquet guests. Feeling awkward with Tang Nuo and Ye Heng in the same room, he arranges for Ye Heng to escort Tang Nuo out, both to protect Tang Nuo and to avoid being alone with Ye Heng.
• After Ye Heng leaves, Tang Mingxi contacts Wang Min through their chat, wanting someone familiar with whom he can discuss the evening.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains humorous, self-aware, and dramatically imaginative despite the danger. He is embarrassed by his first kiss with Ye Heng and misinterprets Ye Heng’s defense of Tang Nuo as possible romantic interest. He also shows cleverness by noticing the security breach and arranging the escort.
• Ye Heng: Demonstrates calm competence by rescuing Tang Mingxi, defending Tang Nuo, and taking responsibility for investigating the attack. However, his distracted behavior suggests that his thoughts are focused elsewhere—possibly on Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Yun: Acts as a fiercely protective older brother. Although angry about the security failure, he does not genuinely believe Tang Nuo is guilty and reacts impatiently to Tang Nuo’s tears.
• Tang Nuo: Appears gentle, vulnerable, and anxious under pressure. He is relieved and quietly touched when Ye Heng defends him, especially because he believes Ye Heng remembers a past kindness involving a cup of water.
• Wang Min: Provides Tang Mingxi with emotional comfort and a familiar outlet, even though she only appears through their messages.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and suspicion: The attack exposes weaknesses within the Tang family’s security and raises questions about betrayal from inside the family.
• Miscommunication and mistaken perceptions: Tang Mingxi repeatedly misreads Ye Heng’s actions, assuming his defense of Tang Nuo reflects romantic attraction.
• Protectiveness and responsibility: Tang Yun, Ye Heng, and Tang Mingxi each attempt to protect others in different ways.
• Awkward intimacy: Tang Mingxi’s first kiss and his discomfort around Ye Heng highlight the tension in their relationship.
• The lasting impact of kindness: Tang Nuo believes Ye Heng has remembered a small favor for years, suggesting that seemingly minor acts can have enduring emotional significance.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi confides in Tang Yun about the attempted murder, strengthening their sibling bond.
• Tang Yun confronts Tang Nuo, while Tang Nuo responds with emotional denial.
• Ye Heng intervenes on Tang Nuo’s behalf, creating tension and jealousy-like speculation in Tang Mingxi’s mind.
• Tang Mingxi deliberately sends Ye Heng away with Tang Nuo, believing he is facilitating their relationship while actually revealing his own discomfort and uncertainty.
• Tang Nuo expresses concern for Ye Heng’s health after the rescue, but Ye Heng remains distracted, leaving Tang Nuo unsure of his feelings.

Chapter 35 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi cautiously asks Wang Min for advice about a “friend” who accidentally force-kissed a man while rescuing him. Wang Min immediately realizes the “friend” is Tang Mingxi, though she humorously plays along.
• Tang Mingxi worries that Ye Heng may misunderstand the kiss, especially because tongues may have been involved. Wang Min reassures him that Ye Heng should consider it an honor, but her questions make Tang Mingxi even more embarrassed and confused.
• Unable to stop thinking about the underwater kiss, Tang Mingxi vents his frustration by attacking a pillow while pretending it is Ye Heng. He complains about Ye Heng’s behavior, including pushing him into the sea, failing to compliment him, and refusing to carry him despite his injured leg.
• Ye Heng unexpectedly enters the room and overhears Tang Mingxi’s entire tirade. Tang Mingxi is mortified but pretends nothing happened.
• At midnight, fireworks begin over the sea. Ye Heng tells Tang Mingxi that he looked especially good that day and wishes him a happy birthday. Tang Mingxi acts indifferent but is secretly pleased.
• Within a week, the kidnappers from the yacht are arrested. Their investigation leads to Tang Yu, who confesses to arranging an attack on Ye Heng because of their conflict over the Azure Luo Bay project.
• Tang Yu claims he only intended to have Ye Heng beaten and thrown into the sea, not killed. The kidnappers mistakenly targeted Tang Mingxi instead, causing the incident to escalate.
• More than a month later, Wang Min learns the truth and meets Tang Mingxi at a new cake shop, where she criticizes Tang Yu’s explanation and clearly doubts his claims.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi becomes increasingly preoccupied with Ye Heng and the meaning of their kiss. His irritation, jealousy, embarrassment, and eagerness for Ye Heng’s praise reveal that his feelings are becoming stronger, even though he refuses to acknowledge them openly.
• Ye Heng remains calm and difficult to read, but his compliment and birthday wish show a subtle attentiveness toward Tang Mingxi. His unexpected appearance also highlights how observant and quietly intimidating he can be.
• Wang Min acts as Tang Mingxi’s confidante and comic support. She quickly identifies his hidden romantic concerns and enthusiastically encourages his interpretation of the kiss.
• Tang Yu is exposed as the mastermind behind the yacht incident. His actions demonstrate his willingness to use violence against Ye Heng in pursuit of business interests, even though the plan went wrong.

Significant Themes

• Romantic confusion and denial: Tang Mingxi insists the kiss was accidental and related to resuscitation, yet he obsessively analyzes every detail and becomes emotionally affected by Ye Heng’s possible interpretation.
• Pride versus vulnerability: Tang Mingxi hides embarrassment and affection behind arrogance, complaints, and demands for praise.
• Misunderstanding and mistaken identity: Tang Mingxi was not the intended victim, but the kidnappers’ mistake nearly caused serious consequences.
• Hidden affection: Ye Heng’s understated compliment and birthday wish contrast with Tang Mingxi’s dramatic emotional reactions, suggesting a growing but largely unspoken intimacy.
• Consequences of rivalry: Tang Yu’s conflict with Ye Heng over the Azure Luo Bay project leads to the kidnapping plot and exposes the dangers of his ambition.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min share a playful, teasing conversation in which Wang Min acts as both confidante and amused observer of Tang Mingxi’s romantic predicament.
• Tang Mingxi’s imaginary confrontation with Ye Heng through the pillow reflects the unresolved tension between them.
• Ye Heng overhears Tang Mingxi’s complaints, then disarms him with a sincere compliment and birthday greeting.
• Wang Min later challenges Tang Yu’s version of events, reinforcing her protective attitude toward Tang Mingxi and her skepticism toward the people who harmed him.

Chapter 36 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Wang Min and Tang Mingxi discuss her former boyfriend, who is now in jail after deceiving her. They agree that he deserves his punishment.
• Wang Min asks about the relationship between Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi’s “friend,” but Tang Mingxi denies that anything is happening and avoids the subject.
• Still troubled by his near-drowning experience and his complicated feelings toward Ye Heng, Tang Mingxi intensifies his swimming training. He learns diving and water self-rescue, eventually becoming physically stronger and overcoming his fear of heights.
• By August, Tang Mingxi realizes that Ye Heng’s return to Cloud Capital—and the possible end of their time together—is approaching. He feels increasingly pressed for time.
• On Qixi Festival, Wang Min leaves early for a date arranged by her father. Tang Mingxi, who has no romantic plans, spends the afternoon training and later wanders through streets crowded with couples.
• A student gives Tang Mingxi a condom while promoting safe relationships. He absentmindedly puts it in his pocket.
• Irritated by the romantic posts flooding his WeChat Moments, Tang Mingxi sarcastically insults various wealthy playboys and self-proclaimed devoted lovers online.
• Feeling better afterward, he sends Ye Heng a 1,000-yuan red packet with a casual message saying he is in a good mood and has increased Ye Heng’s allowance.
• At work, Ye Heng learns from Assistant Zhou that it is Qixi Festival. Curious about how people celebrate, he asks her for advice and learns that couples commonly have dinner, watch movies, or exchange red packets. He realizes that Tang Mingxi’s message was likely connected to the holiday.

Character developments

• Tang Mingxi: Becomes more disciplined and physically capable through intense swimming and diving practice. His fear of drowning and heights decreases, but his emotional avoidance of Ye Heng continues. His sarcastic online behavior reveals both his frustration with romance and his defensiveness about being single. Despite claiming indifference, he thinks about Ye Heng and sends him money on Qixi.
• Ye Heng: His attention remains fixed on Tang Mingxi’s message. Although initially unfamiliar with Qixi customs, he becomes curious about romantic traditions and appears to recognize the possible significance of Tang Mingxi’s red packet.
• Wang Min: Continues recovering from her harmful past relationship and begins participating in a new blind-date arrangement, suggesting she is moving forward.
• Assistant Zhou: Provides Ye Heng with practical information about Qixi Festival, unintentionally helping him interpret Tang Mingxi’s gesture.

Significant themes

• Emotional avoidance and hidden affection: Tang Mingxi insists that nothing is happening with Ye Heng, yet his actions—training for survival, thinking about Ye Heng’s departure, and sending him a Qixi red packet—suggest deep concern and attachment.
• Romance versus cynicism: The couples and romantic messages surrounding Qixi irritate Tang Mingxi, whose mocking comments expose his distrust of seemingly sincere declarations of love.
• Preparation and survival: Tang Mingxi’s rigorous training reflects his determination not to remain vulnerable, especially after his near-drowning experience.
• Time running out: The approaching end of the year and Ye Heng’s impending return to Cloud Capital create a sense of urgency and impending separation.
• Public gestures and private meaning: A simple red packet becomes emotionally significant because of the holiday and Tang Mingxi’s relationship with Ye Heng.

Character interactions

• Wang Min and Tang Mingxi discuss her imprisoned ex-boyfriend, her blind date, and the possibility of Ye Heng’s relationship with Tang Mingxi’s friend.
• Tang Mingxi interacts humorously with strangers during Qixi, including the student handing out condoms.
• He engages in sarcastic exchanges with friends and acquaintances through WeChat Moments.
• Tang Mingxi sends Ye Heng a red packet, while Ye Heng privately reflects on its meaning.
• Ye Heng questions Assistant Zhou about Qixi customs, indirectly revealing his interest in understanding Tang Mingxi’s gesture.

Ye Heng invited Tang Mingxi to watch a movie for the Qixi Festival, and Tang Mingxi consulted Wang Min before reluctantly agreeing. After spending an hour choosing an outfit, Tang Mingxi learned Ye Heng had picked Godzilla vs. Kong, leaving their first movie outing about to begin.

• Ye Heng cooked dinner and invited Tang Mingxi to watch a movie, prompting Tang Mingxi to remember it was the Qixi Festival.
• Tang Mingxi relayed Ye Heng's invitation to Wang Min, who encouraged him to treat it as a date.
• Tang Mingxi debated what to wear, briefly gave up in embarrassment, then chose a light green outfit and height-boosting insoles.
• Tang Mingxi finally agreed to go and asked Ye Heng what movie he had chosen.
• Ye Heng said they would watch Godzilla vs. Kong, disappointing Tang Mingxi's hopes for a romantic arthouse film.

Chapter 38 Summary

Plot and events

Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi misunderstand each other’s plans for movie night. Tang Mingxi assumes Ye Heng intends to take him out to a theater, so he changes clothes and eagerly comes downstairs. Ye Heng, however, meant watching Godzilla vs. Kong in the house’s home theater. Embarrassed and furious, Tang Mingxi retreats upstairs and attacks Ye Heng with his expensive crossbody bag when Ye Heng tries to stop him. He then locks himself in the bedroom, mortified by what he sees as an embarrassing “date” misunderstanding.
Ye Heng follows him and attempts to explain that the theaters were fully booked and that Tang Mingxi dislikes crowds, so watching at home seemed more suitable. He coaxes Tang Mingxi out with popcorn, lemon soda, and ice. After recalling advice about treating a newlywed wife, Ye Heng awkwardly compliments Tang Mingxi’s appearance and height. Tang Mingxi remains prickly but is visibly flustered, especially because he is secretly wearing height-increasing insoles.
To avoid further misunderstanding, they replace the monster movie with a romance film. The movie’s melodramatic plot—an arrogant woman mistreating a live-in son-in-law, only for him to discover that her younger sister was his true savior—strikes Tang Mingxi as strangely familiar. The chapter ends as the film reaches a scene in which the male lead slaps the female lead.

Character development

• Tang Mingxi becomes increasingly self-conscious about his feelings and behavior. His anger is largely a cover for embarrassment after believing Ye Heng had invited him on a date. Although he acts domineering and insults Ye Heng, he is also anxious about being rejected or punished after hitting him.
• Ye Heng begins recognizing Tang Mingxi’s emotional cues, noticing his reddened eyes and understanding that he wanted to go out. He also makes an unusual effort to explain himself, comfort Tang Mingxi, and accommodate his preferences. His awkward attempts at compliments suggest he is beginning to care about Tang Mingxi’s feelings, even if he does not yet understand why.

Themes

• Miscommunication and emotional vulnerability
• Embarrassment as a disguise for romantic expectation
• The gradual development of intimacy within a marriage
• The contrast between outward hostility and underlying concern
• Self-awareness and the fear of appearing too eager or emotionally invested

Character interactions

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s quarrel highlights their contrasting personalities: Tang Mingxi reacts dramatically and defensively, while Ye Heng remains calm but increasingly attentive. Ye Heng’s attempts to placate him—with explanations, drinks, and compliments—soften Tang Mingxi’s anger, though they also make him more flustered. Their decision to watch a romance film together creates an ironic parallel to their own relationship, especially as the movie’s plot begins to resemble elements of their situation.

Chapter 39 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During movie night, Tang Mingxi discovers that the film is based on the absurd novel The Strongest War God Son-in-Law. The movie reveals that the male lead, Chen Heng, repeatedly misunderstood his wife, Tang Xiaoqian, who genuinely loved him. After being forced to abort her pregnancy, Tang Xiaoqian jumped from a cliff, leaving Chen Heng devastated. The film ends by teasing a sequel.
• Tang Mingxi mocks the male lead for being foolish, then worries that Ye Heng—also a live-in son-in-law—may sympathize with the character. Ye Heng remains absorbed in the movie.
• When Tang Mingxi says he is thirsty, Ye Heng silently hands him lemon soda with a straw, showing practical attentiveness despite their ongoing “cold war.”
• Later, Tang Mingxi becomes hungry and attempts to cook noodles himself. His cooking fails disastrously, and he throws the pot and ruined food into the smart trash can before ordering delivery.
• Unable to find appealing late-night food, Tang Mingxi persuades Ye Heng to take him out. They drive to the bustling Cang River night market, where Tang Mingxi orders noodles, barbecue, and drinks.
• A young waiter offers Tang Mingxi unusually attentive service, including complimentary lemon tea. Ye Heng reacts coldly and jealously, driving the waiter away with a sharp remark.
• Tang Mingxi deliberately encourages the waiter's attention and hints that Ye Heng should remove the barbecue skewers for him. When Ye Heng refuses, Tang Mingxi considers asking the waiter instead, but Ye Heng’s intimidating glare stops the situation.
• Remembering that he is destined to die as Ye Heng’s hated “scumbag” first wife, Tang Mingxi’s playful mood collapses. He becomes subdued and reaches for the barbecue himself—just as Ye Heng is about to intervene.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains spoiled, dramatic, and mischievous, but his humor masks insecurity about his doomed future. His thoughts reveal increasing awareness of his role as a disposable villain and growing sensitivity to Ye Heng’s reactions.
• Ye Heng: Though outwardly cold and involved in their strained relationship, he repeatedly takes care of Tang Mingxi—serving him drinks, driving him out for food, and observing his needs. His jealousy toward the waiter becomes unmistakable.
• The waiter: Becomes briefly captivated by Tang Mingxi’s beauty and offers him extra consideration, unintentionally provoking Ye Heng.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and mistaken identity: The movie’s tragic plot mirrors the possibility of misunderstanding in Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s own relationship.
• Jealousy and concealed affection: Ye Heng’s harshness toward the waiter suggests possessiveness and emotional investment that he does not openly acknowledge.
• Fate versus agency: Tang Mingxi’s awareness of his predetermined death continues to affect his behavior, making moments of happiness fragile.
• Comedy amid emotional tension: Failed cooking, exaggerated inner commentary, and the rivalry over food and service provide humor while highlighting the characters’ unresolved feelings.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi teases Ye Heng about the film and tests his reactions.
• Ye Heng cares for Tang Mingxi in understated ways but becomes visibly hostile when another man treats him kindly.
• Tang Mingxi intentionally provokes Ye Heng by accepting the waiter’s attention, using the interaction to challenge Ye Heng’s indifference.
• The chapter ends with Ye Heng apparently preparing to help Tang Mingxi with the barbecue, suggesting his concern may overcome his pride.

Chapter 40 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Heng quietly prepares Tang Mingxi’s favorite vegetables by removing excess oil and placing them in front of him, showing care despite saying nothing.
• With Ye Heng’s eighteenth birthday approaching, Tang Mingxi spends more time at the swimming pool and begins seriously planning his eventual escape.
• Although their relationship has improved, Tang Mingxi remains wary of Ye Heng. Remembering the novel’s vengeful male lead, he fears Ye Heng may only be concealing his true intentions and will eventually retaliate.
• Tang Mingxi has saved his allowance and arranged for part of it to be managed by a venture capital firm. He plans to move the profits offshore and flee abroad after leaving, since Ye Heng’s future influence will make remaining in the country dangerous.
• After swimming, Tang Mingxi visits Ye Yue at City First Hospital to take her shopping. He learns that she suffers from chronic leukemia, has the rare Rh-negative blood type, and is waiting for an extremely unlikely bone marrow match.
• Moved by Ye Yue’s illness and frugal nature, Tang Mingxi takes her to Splendid Court Shopping Plaza and decides to buy her whatever she wants.
• When Ye Yue reveals that she survives on only five hundred yuan a month and has saved merely one thousand yuan for shopping, Tang Mingxi feels guilty. He attempts to transfer Ye Heng 200,000 yuan as extra spending money—but accidentally uses Ye Heng’s own bank card.
• The transfer notification appears on a large screen during Ye Heng’s board meeting, embarrassing him in front of Mingheng’s executives.
• Ye Heng responds with a sarcastic question and later sends Tang Mingxi an image proving the money came from Ye Heng’s account. Tang Mingxi retaliates by jokingly offering to buy Ye Heng children’s clothes for his adulthood birthday.
• After Ye Heng mocks him about giving birth, Tang Mingxi angrily decides to spend extravagantly from Ye Heng’s account, ordering nearly every bag in a Hermès store.
• Ye Heng becomes distracted during his meeting as repeated bank notifications reveal that several million yuan are rapidly being spent.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: Although still planning to escape, Tang Mingxi has become increasingly protective and emotionally attached to Ye Yue. His paternal instincts emerge strongly, and he responds to her hardship with generosity. His playful hostility toward Ye Heng also shows that their relationship has become more relaxed and familiar.
• Ye Heng: His actions—carefully preparing Tang Mingxi’s food and tolerating his teasing—suggest growing concern and affection. However, he retains his sharp wit and composure, responding to Tang Mingxi’s spending with dry sarcasm. His distraction during the meeting hints that Tang Mingxi’s behavior affects him more than he admits.
• Ye Yue: Ye Yue is gentle, obedient, and considerate, even minimizing her own needs to avoid burdening Ye Heng. Her illness and financial frugality deepen Tang Mingxi’s sympathy for her.

Significant Themes

• Affection expressed indirectly: Ye Heng shows care through practical actions rather than words, while Tang Mingxi expresses concern through dramatic generosity and teasing.
• Fear and mistrust: Tang Mingxi’s escape plans reveal that he still views his relationship with Ye Heng through the lens of the original novel and expects eventual revenge.
• Family and responsibility: Ye Yue’s illness prompts Tang Mingxi to act protectively, while Ye Heng’s financial support of her contrasts with Tang Mingxi’s assumptions about his character.
• Humor and emotional intimacy: The mistaken transfer and extravagant shopping spree turn financial conflict into flirtatious, comedic banter, showing the pair’s increasingly comfortable dynamic.
• Illness and vulnerability: Ye Yue’s rare blood type and uncertain future add a serious emotional undercurrent to the chapter.