Chapter Summaries

Chapter 61 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Shen Yuan and Tang Mingxi are interrupted by Shen Jiajia, Shen Yuan’s six-year-old sister, who is furious that her bag is less attractive than Si Qinghua’s and worries that Tang Qize will prefer Si Qinghua.
• Shen Yuan bluntly tells Jiajia that her appearance—not her bag—may be the problem, then reminds her that she and Tang Qize are relatives and cannot marry. His comment sends her into a prolonged, ear-splitting tantrum.
• Tang Mingxi manages to stop Jiajia’s crying simply by telling her to stop, stunning Shen Yuan. Jiajia immediately becomes fascinated by Mingxi’s beauty and insults Shen Yuan for being unattractive.
• When Ye Heng returns, he jokingly asks whether Tang Mingxi gave birth to Jiajia. Jiajia defends Mingxi, warning Ye Heng that speaking rudely will prevent him from getting a wife.
• Ye Heng publicly refers to Tang Mingxi as his “wife,” embarrassing Mingxi and impressing Shen Yuan, who views Ye Heng as exceptionally tolerant and admirable.
• Jiajia tells Tang Mingxi about her kindergarten “boyfriend,” Tang Qize, who has begun spending time with Si Qinghua instead. Jealous and upset, she calls Si Qinghua a rival who stole Tang Qize’s affection.
• Tang Mingxi enthusiastically joins Jiajia’s childish revenge plan. He gives her a makeover with lipstick and a new hairstyle so she will look older and make Tang Qize regret rejecting her.
• Tang Mingxi and Jiajia confront Tang Qize. The boy coldly tells Jiajia to stop pestering him because he no longer wants to play with her, leaving Tang Mingxi shocked by the severity of the “breakup.”

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi reveals a playful, mischievous, and unexpectedly nurturing side while entertaining Jiajia. He eagerly embraces the role of a “villainous supporting character” in her childish romance.
• Ye Heng continues to show patience and affection toward Mingxi. His public use of the word “wife” suggests increasing comfort with their relationship and causes Mingxi rare embarrassment.
• Shen Jiajia is portrayed as spoiled, clever, dramatic, and highly appearance-conscious, but she quickly bonds with Mingxi and proves capable of switching allegiances when someone more beautiful appears.
• Shen Yuan acts as Jiajia’s long-suffering older brother. He is sarcastic and blunt, but also impressed by Ye Heng’s ability to handle Mingxi.
• Si Qinghua is established as Jiajia’s rival for Tang Qize’s attention, while Tang Qize begins displaying the decisive, emotionally detached behavior associated with a romantic “male lead.”

Significant Themes

• Beauty and superficial judgment: Jiajia bases her loyalties and romantic expectations heavily on appearance, while the adults humorously reinforce that perspective.
• Childhood romance as parody: The children’s “love triangle,” marriage, jealousy, and breakup mirror melodramatic adult romance tropes in an exaggerated, comedic form.
• Affection and domestic intimacy: Ye Heng’s small acts of caring—such as preparing food for Mingxi—and his teasing public declaration highlight the warmth and stability developing between them.
• Family and found companionship: Despite their bickering, Shen Yuan and Jiajia have a familiar sibling bond, while Mingxi unexpectedly forms an easy connection with Jiajia.

Character Interactions

• Shen Yuan teases Jiajia and endures her tantrum, while Jiajia openly insults him.
• Tang Mingxi quickly wins Jiajia’s admiration and becomes her ally against Si Qinghua and Tang Qize.
• Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi exchange playful marital teasing, with Ye Heng gaining the upper hand by calling Mingxi his wife publicly.
• Tang Mingxi and Jiajia gossip about the children’s romantic conflict and plan revenge together.
• Tang Mingxi styles Jiajia for her confrontation with Tang Qize, only for Tang Qize to reject her bluntly.

Chapter 62 Summary

Key plot points and events

Tang Mingxi discovers that young Tang Qize believes he is married to Shen Jiajia and has fallen in love with Si Qinghua. Mingxi explains that a person can only marry one person, prompting Tang Qize to announce that he will divorce Shen Jiajia and marry Mingxi instead. When Mingxi rejects him, Tang Qize tries to use his money to persuade Ye Heng to divorce him, but Ye Heng firmly refuses and declares that Mingxi is his husband. Tang Qize bursts into tears, though Mingxi calms him with an orange. Before leaving, Tang Qize vows to marry Mingxi when he grows up; Ye Heng deliberately provokes him by saying Mingxi will marry Ye Heng in six months, making the child cry again.
After returning Shen Jiajia home, Mingxi and Ye Heng leave the banquet. During the snowy drive, they tease each other about Ye Heng’s possessiveness and supposed wedding plans. Ye Heng draws a romantic picture of himself and Mingxi kissing on the fogged-up car window, leaving Mingxi shocked and flustered.

Character developments

• Tang Mingxi remains playful and sharp-tongued, but shows unexpected kindness by comforting Tang Qize after making him cry. Although he mocks Ye Heng’s childishness and denies being affected by their closeness, his racing heart and embarrassment reveal growing emotional awareness.
• Ye Heng openly asserts his claim over Mingxi and displays a more childish, teasing, and flirtatious side. His insistence that he will not divorce Mingxi contrasts with Mingxi’s resentment over Ye Heng’s past betrayal, suggesting unresolved tension beneath their banter.
• Tang Qize is portrayed as impulsive and fickle, quickly transferring his childish “love” from one person to another. His dramatic declarations create comic conflict.
• Shen Jiajia realizes Tang Qize’s unfaithful, easily distracted nature and sides with Mingxi against him.

Significant themes

• Possessiveness and romantic claims: Ye Heng repeatedly emphasizes that Mingxi belongs with him, while Tang Qize imitates adult ideas of marriage and competition.
• Childishness versus genuine emotion: The adults’ teasing and emotional manipulation mirror Tang Qize’s childish behavior, especially as Ye Heng admits he is being childish.
• Denial and hidden attraction: Mingxi insists that his physical unease is caused by the cold, but his embarrassment and racing heart suggest he is increasingly affected by Ye Heng.
• Humor as emotional tension: Comedy softens the complicated romantic conflict while allowing the characters’ jealousy, affection, and unresolved resentment to surface.

Character interactions

The chapter centers on the comic rivalry between Tang Qize and Ye Heng over Mingxi, with Mingxi caught between them. Mingxi and Ye Heng’s verbal sparring continues after the banquet, shifting from public teasing to intimate flirtation in the car. Ye Heng’s final drawing of the two of them kissing leaves Mingxi flustered and accusing him of being insane.

Chapter 63 Summary

Plot and events

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng ride together in the car, where playful teasing about a drawing of “two little people” creates an increasingly intimate atmosphere. Ye Heng implies that Tang Mingxi may already belong to him, making Tang Mingxi flustered and afraid the situation might turn romantic. To escape the tension, Tang Mingxi abruptly orders Ye Heng to stop the car and gets out into the snow. Ye Heng follows, leading to another round of flirtatious banter about wanting to “see the world” together.
They discover a small roadside night market. Tang Mingxi, excited by the unfamiliar street food, asks Ye Heng to buy him the largest roasted sweet potato and a large serving of oden. Although Ye Heng ignores his request for the biggest sweet potato, he indulges him by buying food and helping remove the skewers. Tang Mingxi eats a little, claiming he is dieting, and the conversation once again becomes suggestive when Ye Heng teases him about where his supposedly hidden fat is—and whether Tang Mingxi is inviting him to touch it. Tang Mingxi retaliates by stuffing food into Ye Heng’s mouth.
While secretly observing Ye Heng eat, Tang Mingxi becomes captivated by his appearance and impulsively tries to photograph him. The flash and artificial shutter sound expose him immediately, ending the chapter on a moment of extreme embarrassment.

Character development

Tang Mingxi remains outwardly arrogant and defensive, but his reactions reveal that he is increasingly affected by Ye Heng’s flirtation and physical presence. He repeatedly tries to deny his attraction, blaming his flushed face and racing heartbeat on poor ventilation or the weather. His desire to secretly photograph Ye Heng also shows growing fondness and admiration.
Ye Heng becomes more openly teasing and confident, deliberately provoking Tang Mingxi while maintaining a calm exterior. His willingness to stop, follow Tang Mingxi into the snow, buy him food, and engage in playful exchanges reflects increasing intimacy and attentiveness.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes romantic tension, denial, and mutual attraction. Tang Mingxi’s comic attempts to rationalize his feelings contrast with the obvious intimacy developing between them. Food and casual public activities soften their relationship, showing them behaving like an ordinary couple despite Tang Mingxi’s embarrassment. The recurring “closet romantic” idea is reinforced by Ye Heng’s understated but deliberate romantic gestures.

Character interactions

Their relationship is driven by flirtatious verbal sparring. Ye Heng repeatedly turns Tang Mingxi’s defensive remarks into suggestive jokes, while Tang Mingxi responds with mock outrage, denial, and childish retaliation. Despite the teasing, their shared meal reveals comfort and mutual care. Tang Mingxi’s secret photograph attempt reverses their usual dynamic: instead of merely being teased, he is caught openly showing interest in Ye Heng.

Chapter 64 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi is caught secretly taking photos of Ye Heng. He initially reacts defensively, but Ye Heng teases him about wanting to look at the pictures at home.
• Ye Heng then asks to take a photo with Tang Mingxi, revealing a softer, more openly affectionate side. Tang Mingxi takes control of the camera, fussing over their appearance and making them take several pictures together.
• Tang Mingxi posts four photos of them on Moments, receiving an unusually large number of likes and enthusiastic comments. Ye Heng first only likes the post, but after Tang Mingxi complains, he leaves a kissing emoji.
• Tang Mingxi discovers that Ye Heng has changed his profile picture to an older selfie of him, despite previously criticizing the outfit. This suggests Ye Heng has been secretly fond of the photo—and of Tang Mingxi—for some time.
• Tang Mingxi privately posts two blurry candid photos of Ye Heng eating oden and standing with his back turned, making them visible only to himself.
• After New Year’s Day, Ye Heng becomes extremely busy with work and spends several nights at the company.
• The private swimming pool Tang Mingxi frequents closes temporarily for renovations. Tang Mingxi looks forward to attempting the newly raised eighteen-meter diving platform, but remains stuck at home while waiting.
• With fewer activities available, Tang Mingxi grows bored, stops attending social gatherings, and spends his time watching television shopping programs.
• One night at around three in the morning, Tang Mingxi finds Ye Heng downstairs looking exhausted and unwell. Ye Heng cannot find anything to eat because the house contains no leftovers or ingredients, and he eventually sits on the sofa drinking warm water.
• Tang Mingxi notices Ye Heng’s pallor, sweating, and the way he holds his stomach. Concerned, he goes downstairs and asks whether Ye Heng feels ill, offering to call the family doctor.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Becomes increasingly comfortable displaying affection toward Ye Heng, even though he continues to disguise it with sarcasm and self-righteousness. His eagerness to take perfect couple photos, delight in public reactions, and private preservation of candid pictures reveal growing emotional attachment. He also shows genuine concern and guilt when he realizes Ye Heng is ill and neglected at home.
• Ye Heng: Shows more direct affection and teasing intimacy, asking to take a photo with Tang Mingxi and commenting on his Moments post with a kissing emoji. His choice of Tang Mingxi’s selfie as his profile picture further demonstrates that his feelings are deeper than he openly admits. Despite appearing composed and capable, his overwork leaves him physically depleted.

Significant Themes

• Romantic intimacy beneath teasing: Both characters use sarcasm and banter to conceal affection, but their photos, social-media interactions, and small gestures reveal increasing closeness.
• Public versus private affection: Tang Mingxi openly posts pictures of them together but privately saves the more intimate candid shots, while Ye Heng publicly maintains an aloof image yet quietly uses Tang Mingxi’s selfie as his profile picture.
• Care and vulnerability: Ye Heng’s illness exposes his physical vulnerability, while Tang Mingxi’s immediate concern marks a shift from playful attraction toward sincere emotional responsibility.
• Domestic incompatibility and dependence: Tang Mingxi is accustomed to being fully cared for and cannot manage basic household matters, whereas Ye Heng’s demanding work life leaves him without even a proper meal. Their shared home highlights both their differences and their growing dependence on each other.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng flirt through teasing about secretly viewing each other’s photos.
• They take couple photos together, with Tang Mingxi directing the process and Ye Heng indulging him.
• Tang Mingxi pressures Ye Heng into commenting on his Moments post, leading to Ye Heng’s deliberately suggestive kissing-emoji comment.
• Tang Mingxi observes Ye Heng privately and secretly photographs him, suggesting affection that he is not yet ready to acknowledge openly.
• At the end of the chapter, Tang Mingxi approaches Ye Heng with genuine concern and offers medical help, creating a more serious and emotionally vulnerable interaction between them.

Chapter 65 Summary

• Ye Heng suffers from a severe stomachache but insists on enduring it rather than seeking help, frustrating and worrying Tang Mingxi. Tang Mingxi’s concern reveals that he is becoming increasingly emotionally invested in Ye Heng’s well-being, even though he does not fully understand the source of his anxiety and irritation.
• Tang Mingxi searches for home remedies, heats fresh milk, and personally feeds it to Ye Heng. When Ye Heng drinks from the same spot on the cup where Tang Mingxi has just sipped, Tang Mingxi realizes it resembles an indirect kiss and becomes flustered, though he tries to dismiss it as coincidence.
• After the milk fails to help much, Tang Mingxi finds stomach medicine and gives it to Ye Heng. Although he initially intends to return to his own room, his conscience prevents him from leaving Ye Heng alone. He helps Ye Heng upstairs, brings him hot water, and stays beside his bed in case the pain worsens.
• Ye Heng teases Tang Mingxi about being overly eager to accompany him to the bathroom, recalling their embarrassing hospital incident. Tang Mingxi is annoyed by the dirty joke and attempts to leave, but Ye Heng grabs his hand and reminds him that Tang Mingxi promised to wait until he falls asleep.
• Ye Heng then invites Tang Mingxi into the bed to keep warm. After hesitating, Tang Mingxi accepts and lies beside him. Though he claims he will return to his own room once Ye Heng falls asleep, he is too tired to remain awake.
• The next day, Tang Mingxi wakes at noon and discovers that he has unconsciously wrapped himself around Ye Heng while sleeping, with his arm over Ye Heng’s chest, leg around his waist, and head resting against him. He panics and tries to move away, but Ye Heng begins waking, leaving them in an extremely intimate and embarrassing position.

Character Development and Interactions

• Tang Mingxi: Shows growing affection and concern for Ye Heng through his attempts to treat the stomachache and remain nearby. His usual self-consciousness and dramatic inner commentary contrast with his sincere desire to care for Ye Heng. His unconscious cuddling also suggests increasing comfort and attachment.
• Ye Heng: Despite being in pain, he remains composed and playful, teasing Tang Mingxi and using the situation to draw him closer. His decision to hold Tang Mingxi’s hand and invite him into bed indicates a desire for intimacy and companionship.
• Their relationship: The chapter emphasizes their developing physical and emotional closeness. Their banter masks mutual concern, while the indirect kiss, shared bed, and morning embrace create romantic tension and expose feelings neither openly acknowledges.

Significant Themes

• Care beneath conflict: Tang Mingxi’s irritation stems from worry, showing that his concern for Ye Heng is becoming more genuine.
• Growing intimacy: Domestic acts of care and accidental physical closeness gradually weaken the emotional distance between them.
• Teasing as affection: Ye Heng’s provocative jokes and Tang Mingxi’s flustered reactions become a way for them to express attraction indirectly.
• Loss of control and vulnerability: Tang Mingxi tries to maintain emotional distance and dignity but repeatedly finds himself drawn toward Ye Heng, especially while tired or emotionally concerned.

Chapter 66 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi wakes up in Ye Heng’s arms and struggles to escape without waking him. He eventually realizes Ye Heng has been awake the entire time and deliberately tightened his embrace whenever Tang moved.
• Ye Heng claims he tried to wake Tang during the night, but Tang had dismissed him and told him to leave. He also says Tang sleepwalked and clung to him like a koala, leaving Tang unable to refute the accusation.
• Tang continues arguing that Ye Heng could have pushed him away, but Ye Heng jokingly insists that Tang was too difficult to move. Tang loses the argument and becomes increasingly irritated.
• Since Tang refuses to get out of bed, Ye Heng carries him—blanket and all—to the bathroom and helps him brush his teeth and wash his face, repeating their earlier routine.
• While brushing Tang’s teeth, Ye Heng briefly recalls their underwater “almost-kiss” and reflects on how his feelings for Tang have become more complicated since then.
• Tang plans to spend the day playing golf with Wang Min because his private swimming pool is still under renovation.
• He Wenfang arrives at Mingxi Residence with assistants and business documents for Ye Heng. Tang notices that the assistants stare at him strangely but does not initially understand why.
• Ye Heng says he will not go to the office because he woke up late. He explains that he told the company he had stayed in bed with his “wife” a little longer, shocking and embarrassing Tang.
• Tang protests that Ye Heng’s statement makes it sound as though they had been sexually intimate, even though nothing happened. Ye Heng teases him further by promising there will be a “next time.”
• Furious and humiliated, Tang vents to Wang Min over WeChat for twenty minutes.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: Remains easily flustered, argumentative, and prideful, but his reactions reveal that he is increasingly aware of the intimacy between himself and Ye Heng. He is especially sensitive to how others interpret their relationship and becomes embarrassed when Ye Heng openly presents him as his wife.
• Ye Heng: Shows a playful, shamelessly teasing side. He deliberately provokes Tang while also caring for him in a gentle, domestic manner. His memories of their underwater encounter suggest that his feelings have deepened beyond simple attraction.
• Their relationship: Their physical closeness and domestic routines are becoming more natural, even though Tang continues to deny or resist the romantic implications. Ye Heng is increasingly comfortable publicly implying that they are a married couple.

Significant Themes

• Growing intimacy: Sharing a bed, waking up entwined, and helping one another with ordinary routines emphasize their increasing closeness.
• Teasing and emotional vulnerability: Their arguments function as flirtation, with Ye Heng using humor to expose Tang’s embarrassment and hidden concerns.
• Public versus private relationship: Tang is comfortable with their private interactions but panics when Ye Heng presents their intimacy to outsiders as a marital relationship.
• Unacknowledged romantic feelings: Ye Heng’s recollection of the underwater incident highlights the emotional significance of moments that Tang treats as accidental or meaningless.

Character Interactions

• Tang and Ye Heng engage in a playful morning dispute over who initiated their nighttime embrace.
• Ye Heng takes care of Tang in a half-teasing, half-tender manner by carrying him to the bathroom and washing him up.
• Ye Heng deliberately embarrasses Tang by telling company employees that he stayed in bed with his wife.
• Tang later turns to Wang Min to complain about Ye Heng’s shameless behavior, reinforcing Wang Min’s role as Tang’s confidant.

Chapter 67 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi vents to Wang Min about “Little Ye,” calling Ye Heng shameless and feeling better after Wang’s enthusiastic comfort.
• Wang Min suggests they play golf at a private course, joking about looking at handsome high school boys afterward. Tang Mingxi considers joining her, though he is more interested in a nearby private kitchen.
• Ye Heng overhears their conversation and reacts sarcastically and possessively when he hears Tang Mingxi mention high school boys. Tang Mingxi hides his phone and accuses him of being rude for reading someone else’s messages.
• Tang Mingxi goes golfing with Wang Min at Huating Center, where they discuss gossip about wealthy socialites, celebrities, infidelity, and unhappy arranged marriages.
• Wang Min praises Ye Heng as unusually attractive, successful, devoted, and generous compared with other wealthy husbands. Tang Mingxi dismisses her admiration but internally recognizes that Ye Heng is exceptional.
• Wang Min mentions that Amy’s husband recently died of stomach cancer after ignoring his health problems. This reminds Tang Mingxi of Ye Heng’s own stomach issues and poor work habits.
• Distracted by concern for Ye Heng, Tang Mingxi realizes he misses him. Wang Min teases him about it, and Tang Mingxi finally admits—at least to himself—that returning to Ye Heng matters more than continuing the outing.
• On his way home, Tang Mingxi orders fresh vegetables, intending to cook for Ye Heng as repayment for the care and expensive gifts Ye Heng has given him, including a forty-million-dollar pink diamond.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: Begins the chapter angry and self-indulgently venting, but gradually reveals growing concern and affection for Ye Heng. He becomes more aware of Ye Heng’s health, feels guilty about accepting Ye Heng’s devotion without reciprocating, and decides to care for him by preparing a meal.
• Ye Heng: Appears jealous and emotionally restrained. His sarcastic comments about high school boys suggest possessiveness, while his pale appearance and continued overwork reveal his declining health and disregard for his own well-being.
• Wang Min: Acts as Tang Mingxi’s supportive confidante and “sister.” She provides comic relief through gossip and teasing, but also perceptively recognizes Tang Mingxi’s feelings for Ye Heng.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and possessiveness: Ye Heng’s reaction to Tang Mingxi’s joking interest in younger men exposes his jealousy, despite his calm and sarcastic exterior.
• Emotional realization: Tang Mingxi’s concern about Ye Heng’s health and his eventual decision to return home show his feelings deepening beyond irritation and dependence.
• Reciprocity in relationships: Tang Mingxi begins considering how to repay Ye Heng’s care, money, and devotion rather than merely accepting them.
• Wealth and arranged relationships: Wang Min’s gossip highlights how elite marriages often function as business alliances and can involve infidelity, emotional distance, and limited personal choice.
• Health versus ambition: Amy’s husband’s death and Ye Heng’s stomach problems emphasize the dangers of neglecting one’s health for work and status.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Wang Min share a playful, intimate friendship in which she comforts him, exchanges gossip, and teases him about his feelings.
• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng clash through sarcastic remarks, with Ye Heng reacting to the possibility of Tang Mingxi looking at other men.
• Wang Min acts as an observer of Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s relationship, openly pointing out that Tang Mingxi misses his husband and encouraging him to acknowledge it.

Chapter 68 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi returns to Mingxi Manor instead of going on his date, secretly intending to cook for Ye Heng.
• He chooses simple ingredients but disastrously burns the food, producing barely recognizable tomato scrambled eggs and charred dried tofu with pork.
• Ye Heng comes downstairs, mocks the ruined dishes, and calls them dangerous to eat. Tang Mingxi, already embarrassed and upset, feels that Ye Heng is ungrateful for his effort.
• When Tang Mingxi tries to eat the food himself, Ye Heng stops him. Their argument escalates as Tang Mingxi angrily insists that Ye Heng has no right to interfere.
• Ye Heng realizes he has hurt Tang Mingxi’s feelings and apologizes, admitting that his earlier hostility came from jealousy over Tang Mingxi meeting a male high school student.
• Tang Mingxi secretly spits out the food because it tastes terrible. He throws everything away, and Ye Heng cooks dinner instead.
• Afterward, Tang Mingxi pours Ye Heng milk to help his stomach, revealing that he had researched the idea online and consulted Doctor Yang.
• Ye Heng is deeply touched by Tang Mingxi’s concern and explains that no one has cooked for him since his father died. The chapter ends with the two sitting together in awkward but emotionally warmer silence.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: Despite his spoiled and dramatic exterior, he demonstrates genuine care for Ye Heng by returning home, attempting to cook, and preparing milk for him. His failure in the kitchen makes him feel humiliated and unappreciated, exposing his emotional sensitivity and fear of rejection.
• Ye Heng: His initial sarcasm and irritation stem from jealousy, but he quickly recognizes that he has been unfair. He apologizes sincerely, stops Tang Mingxi from eating the ruined food, and reveals a vulnerable part of his past. His attitude toward Tang Mingxi becomes noticeably softer and more affectionate.
• Their relationship: The couple moves from misunderstanding and bickering toward greater emotional honesty. Ye Heng begins openly acknowledging Tang Mingxi’s care, while Tang Mingxi’s actions reveal affection even when he refuses to admit it directly.

Significant Themes

• Care expressed through ordinary acts: Cooking and pouring milk become meaningful demonstrations of affection, even when the cooking fails.
• Jealousy and emotional vulnerability: Ye Heng’s anger is revealed to come from jealousy rather than dislike, while Tang Mingxi’s anger masks hurt and insecurity.
• Communication and reconciliation: Their conflict is resolved when Ye Heng admits his feelings and apologizes instead of continuing to mock Tang Mingxi.
• Family deprivation and healing: Ye Heng’s revelation that no one has cooked for him since his father’s death suggests a history of loneliness and explains why Tang Mingxi’s flawed effort affects him so deeply.
• Humor amid emotional tension: Tang Mingxi’s exaggerated inner monologue and disastrous cooking balance the more serious development in their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng argue over the burnt food, with Tang Mingxi defending his effort and Ye Heng expressing concern through harsh humor.
• Ye Heng physically stops Tang Mingxi from eating the dangerous dish, then embraces him and apologizes.
• Tang Mingxi remains stubbornly angry but gradually accepts Ye Heng’s explanation.
• Their final exchange over the milk allows Ye Heng to recognize Tang Mingxi’s genuine concern, creating a quiet but significant moment of intimacy.

Chapter 69 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi tells Ye Heng that he did not meet the high school student and does not like high school boys, subtly leaving Ye Heng wondering who Tang Mingxi does like.
• Tang Mingxi returns to his own room and happily enjoys his large, comfortable bed, while privately worrying that he may have to leave it when he runs away the following year.
• At four in the morning, Tang Mingxi discovers that Ye Heng is leaving for the hospital because Ye Yue is undergoing emergency resuscitation.
• Although exhausted, Tang Mingxi insists on accompanying Ye Heng, believing that Ye Yue’s condition is a matter of life and death.
• After a long operation, Ye Yue is sent directly to the intensive care unit. The doctor warns that her condition is critical and that the family should prepare for the worst.
• Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi wait outside the ICU, watching Ye Yue through the glass. Tang Mingxi recalls that Ye Yue survived in the original novel, though he cannot remember exactly how.
• Ye Heng takes Tang Mingxi to get breakfast. Tang Mingxi notices Ye Heng’s distress and feeds him xiaolongbao, helping calm both his hunger and emotional state.
• While eating, Tang Mingxi worries that Ye Heng has no plans to return to Cloud Capital before New Year, which threatens Tang Mingxi’s escape plans.
• He recalls the original storyline: after the original Tang Mingxi embezzled Mingheng’s funds and framed Ye Heng, Ye Heng was forced back to Cloud Capital with Ye Yue. There, he reclaimed his inheritance rights after gaining enough power.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi shows genuine concern for Ye Heng and Ye Yue by immediately accompanying Ye Heng to the hospital despite being awakened in the middle of the night.
• His usual self-centered and playful behavior contrasts with moments of compassion, particularly when he comforts Ye Heng and feeds him breakfast.
• Tang Mingxi remains focused on escaping his doomed fate, but his concern for Ye Heng complicates his plans and suggests growing emotional attachment.
• Ye Heng reveals vulnerability through his silence, anxiety, and physical tension while waiting for news about Ye Yue. He is deeply affected by his sister’s repeated medical crises.
• Although emotionally overwhelmed, Ye Heng continues caring for Tang Mingxi by wrapping him in an extra coat and making sure he eats.
• Ye Yue is established as critically ill and dependent on Ye Heng’s protection, while her survival remains connected to the future plot and the “protagonist halo” Tang Mingxi believes she possesses.

Significant Themes

• Care beneath emotional restraint: Ye Heng expresses affection through practical actions rather than words, while Tang Mingxi offers comfort through food and companionship.
• Fate versus personal choice: Tang Mingxi relies on events from the original novel to predict the future, yet changing circumstances—especially Ye Heng’s delayed return to Cloud Capital—threaten to disrupt the established storyline.
• Fear of loss and death: Ye Yue’s critical condition forces both men to confront mortality, while Tang Mingxi’s memories of his own tragic ending intensify his fear.
• Growing attachment: Tang Mingxi’s willingness to sacrifice sleep and comfort for Ye Heng suggests that his relationship with him is becoming more sincere and emotionally significant.
• Dependence on the original narrative: Tang Mingxi’s plans depend on familiar plot events occurring, but he is increasingly uncertain whether the story will continue as expected.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi reassures Ye Heng during the drive to the hospital, promising that Ye Yue will recover.
• Ye Heng protects Tang Mingxi from the cold by wrapping him in another coat.
• At breakfast, Tang Mingxi notices Ye Heng’s emotional distress and offers him food, eventually feeding him by hand.
• Their quiet, intimate interaction provides Ye Heng with comfort while also highlighting Tang Mingxi’s developing affection and concern for him.

Chapter 70 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi worries that Ye Heng will eventually return to Cloud Capital, reclaim his position, and destroy the Tang Family, as happened in the original storyline. He tries to persuade Ye Heng to seek a bone marrow donor there, but Ye Heng reveals that he has no intention of returning for the New Year.
• Ye Heng explains that he has been estranged from his mother since childhood. His family history is tragic: his mother and his father’s pregnant mistress were once kidnapped, and his father chose to save his wife because she was carrying a child. The mistress’s fate remains unknown. His father later died consumed by guilt, while neither parent truly welcomed Ye Yue’s birth.
• Ye Heng admits that he had been lonely throughout his childhood and was the only person who wanted his younger sister, Ye Yue, to be born.
• Moved by Ye Heng’s confession, Tang Mingxi embraces him and promises not to let him be lonely. He also jokingly promises to forgive Ye Heng even for a terrible mistake if Ye Heng buys him ten islands.
• Tang Mingxi reassures Ye Heng that his suffering will eventually lead to a brilliant future, invoking the typical “male lead” trajectory of web novels. Ye Heng teases him by asking whether Tang Mingxi has the “female lead’s script,” leaving Tang Mingxi irritated and embarrassed.
• While Ye Yue remains in the ICU, Ye Heng becomes overwhelmed with work at Mingheng before the New Year. Tang Mingxi takes over the daily hospital visits and becomes well known among the staff for his striking appearance and dedication.
• Tang Mingxi listens carefully to the doctors’ reports despite not understanding all the medical details. Ye Yue’s condition gradually stabilizes, and she may soon be transferred out of the ICU.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: Opens up about his painful family history, revealing the loneliness and emotional neglect that shaped him. His vulnerability allows him to form a deeper emotional connection with Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Mingxi: Shows unexpected compassion and emotional sensitivity. Although he still views events through the lens of the original novel and expects to leave Ye Heng eventually, he sincerely comforts him and begins taking responsibility for Ye Yue’s care.
• Ye Yue: Remains unconscious or seriously ill in the ICU, but her condition improves steadily. Her importance as Ye Heng’s only meaningful family bond becomes clearer.
• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s relationship: Their relationship grows more intimate through physical affection, emotional confession, teasing, and mutual dependence.

Significant Themes

• Loneliness and family trauma: Ye Heng’s childhood was defined by parental resentment, abandonment, and guilt, explaining his guarded personality.
• Found family and emotional support: Tang Mingxi becomes a source of comfort for Ye Heng, even though he believes his presence in Ye Heng’s life is temporary.
• Fate versus personal choice: Tang Mingxi assumes Ye Heng is destined to follow a triumphant “male lead” storyline, while Ye Heng’s real future is increasingly shaped by his relationship with Tang Mingxi.
• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: Tang Mingxi believes he will eventually disappear from Ye Heng’s life, while Ye Heng’s emotional attachment suggests that separation may be far more painful than Tang realizes.
• Humor amid tragedy: Tang Mingxi’s extravagant demands, money-conscious guilt, and sarcastic inner commentary lighten the otherwise tragic revelations.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi attempts to steer Ye Heng toward Cloud Capital, but Ye Heng rejects the idea and instead confides in him about his family.
• Tang Mingxi comforts Ye Heng through an embrace and promises to stay by his side.
• Ye Heng asks whether Tang Mingxi would forgive him for doing something terrible, hinting at possible future conflict or hidden wrongdoing.
• Tang Mingxi jokes about needing ten islands as compensation, and Ye Heng responds with affectionate amusement.
• Tang Mingxi assumes Ye Heng is destined for a heroic rise, prompting Ye Heng to tease him about whether he is the “female lead.”
• Tang Mingxi takes over Ye Heng’s hospital responsibilities, demonstrating growing care for both Ye Heng and Ye Yue.

Chapter 71 Summary

Key plot points and events

Ye Yue continues recovering and, on January 20, regains consciousness and is moved from intensive care to a regular ward. Tang Mingxi rushes to the hospital after receiving the news, but because he gets up too quickly, skips breakfast, and travels in a car while unwell, he develops severe dizziness and nausea. While listening to the doctors report on Ye Yue’s condition, he becomes faint from low blood sugar and a stuffy environment, eventually collapsing.
Tang Mingxi wakes in a VIP hospital room with an IV. Ye Heng brings him chicken soup and looks after him. After eating, Tang Mingxi recovers enough to joke and demand extravagant compensation for the trouble he has endured. Later, a doctor reveals that Tang Mingxi and Ye Yue both have rare Rh-negative blood. Ye Yue used a considerable amount of the hospital’s supply during surgery, leaving Ningcheng with very little available blood of that type.
The doctor also reveals that a blood sample submitted in March matched Ye Yue at eight points for bone marrow compatibility, but the donor has never appeared. Tang Mingxi immediately becomes suspicious and asks to see the old matching report.

Character developments

Tang Mingxi’s physical and emotional exhaustion becomes clear. He has been losing weight from worrying about Ye Yue and planning his eventual escape, and his collapse shows that he has neglected his own health. Despite his weakness, he retains his spoiled, playful personality, using exaggerated demands to tease Ye Heng. However, the discovery of the matching blood sample makes him more alert and suspicious, suggesting he may begin investigating the donor’s identity.
Ye Heng remains attentive and protective. He reassures Tang Mingxi about Ye Yue, brings him food, comforts him during the IV removal, and quietly worries about his condition. His amusement at Tang Mingxi’s childish fear gradually gives way to concern and emotional heaviness.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes self-neglect caused by anxiety and caregiving, as Tang Mingxi focuses so intensely on Ye Yue that he forgets to eat and care for himself. It also develops themes of hidden connections and mystery: the rare shared blood type and unexplained compatible sample may reveal important information about Ye Yue’s illness, family, or an unknown donor. The contrast between Tang Mingxi’s joking behavior and the serious medical situation creates both humor and emotional tension.

Character interactions

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng share a warm, teasing exchange in the hospital. Tang Mingxi jokes that Ye Heng should buy him an island—or ten—to compensate for the trouble, while Ye Heng humorously offers an aircraft carrier in exchange for him drinking soup. Tang Mingxi then clings to Ye Heng when the nurse removes his IV, revealing his dependence and vulnerability. He also urges Ye Heng to take Ye Yue to Cloud Capital for further treatment, secretly hoping this will make his own escape easier, but Ye Heng refuses and tells him not to worry. Finally, Tang Mingxi questions Doctor Liu about Ye Yue’s marrow matching and the unidentified compatible donor, setting up a new mystery.

Chapter 72 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi secretly obtains and compares his blood-test report with the report Ye Heng used in March for Ye Yue’s bone marrow matching.
• The results are identical, confirming that Ye Heng deliberately used Tang Mingxi’s blood to test for a match—and that Tang Mingxi is a successful eight-point match for Ye Yue.
• Tang Mingxi realizes that Ye Heng may have approached him from the beginning with the intention of using his bone marrow to save Ye Yue. He connects this discovery to the original novel, in which Ye Yue’s health improved after the original Tang Mingxi was imprisoned.
• Horrified, Tang Mingxi concludes that his fate may be even worse than he previously imagined: he could become Ye Yue’s “walking organ donor” and blood supplier.
• He decides to run away from Ye Heng and orders his driver to take him to Belai Impression instead of home. Rather than staying in his own empty apartment, he goes to Tang Yun’s residence, Bolai No. 1.
• Tang Mingxi hides under the covers and sleeps until Tang Yun returns. Tang Yun immediately recognizes that he is upset and comforts him.
• Tang Yun cooks for him, while Ye Heng repeatedly calls. Still furious, Tang Mingxi blocks Ye Heng’s phone number and WeChat account.
• Tang Mingxi spends the night at Tang Yun’s home. The next morning, he discovers that Tang Yun has stocked the closet and bathroom with his belongings and prepared a warm breakfast for him.
• Although touched by his brother’s care, Tang Mingxi remains angry and refuses to return home. He spends the morning idly waiting for the swimming pool to reopen, and by noon still has little appetite.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Moves from vague suspicion to certainty that Ye Heng has been manipulating him for Ye Yue’s sake. His fear and betrayal turn into anger and a firm decision to distance himself from Ye Heng. Despite his usual spoiled temperament, he consciously chooses not to involve Tang Yun, showing concern for his brother’s safety.
• Ye Heng: Does not appear directly, but his past actions are reinterpreted as deliberate and potentially ruthless. His attempts to call Tang Mingxi suggest he notices Tang Mingxi’s disappearance and wants to reach him.
• Tang Yun: Demonstrates strong affection and attentiveness toward Tang Mingxi. He comforts him without forcing him to explain, cooks for him, prepares the house for his stay, and quietly takes care of his needs.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: Tang Mingxi believes Ye Heng’s relationship with him may have been based on a calculated plan to obtain a bone marrow donor for Ye Yue.
• Fear of exploitation: The blood-match discovery makes Tang Mingxi feel reduced to a medical resource rather than valued as a person.
• Family comfort and unconditional love: Tang Yun’s quiet care contrasts sharply with Tang Mingxi’s distrust of Ye Heng, giving him a safe emotional refuge.
• Flight and self-preservation: Tang Mingxi’s decision to leave home and block Ye Heng marks his first concrete attempt to protect himself.
• Misunderstanding and incomplete knowledge: Tang Mingxi interprets the evidence through the framework of the original novel, but Ye Heng’s true motives remain unconfirmed.

Important Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Doctor Liu: Tang Mingxi asks the doctor to keep the blood-test information secret from Ye Heng, emphasizing his need for confidentiality.
• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Their relationship reaches a breaking point. Tang Mingxi blocks all contact after concluding that Ye Heng has been targeting him for his bone marrow.
• Tang Mingxi and Tang Yun: Tang Yun comforts and indulges Tang Mingxi like he did in childhood. Tang Mingxi responds by clinging to him, asking him to cook, and relying on his brother’s protection.
• Tang Yun and Ye Heng: Though their phone conversation is mostly inaudible, Tang Yun apparently informs Ye Heng that Tang Mingxi is staying with him and assures him that Tang Mingxi is safe.

Chapter 73 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi spends the day at home, eating very little and struggling with restless, conflicted emotions.
• He notices Ye Heng waiting beneath his building in a Bugatti. Angry and unwilling to face him, Tang Mingxi closes the window and curtains.
• Rain begins, but Ye Heng remains outside for hours. Tang Mingxi repeatedly checks on him despite insisting that he does not care.
• Tang Yun returns early to cook for Tang Mingxi, who pretends to have enjoyed the housekeeper’s overly spicy lunch.
• By midnight, Ye Heng is still standing beneath the plane tree in the cold rain. Tang Mingxi removes him from his blacklist, intending to scold him, but Ye Heng sends only a period and then calls.
• Ye Heng asks whether Tang Mingxi is asleep and when he will come home. Tang Mingxi remains silent, hangs up, and immediately blocks him again.
• The next morning, Ye Heng has left, but he returns later in a Lamborghini. He stops Tang Mingxi and insists that they talk.
• Ye Heng asks what he has done wrong and complains that Tang Mingxi frequently throws tantrums without explaining himself. This finally causes Tang Mingxi’s emotional defenses to collapse.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Although he acts cold and resentful, he is clearly worried about Ye Heng and remains emotionally affected by his presence. His repeated glances outside, insomnia, and decision to unblock Ye Heng reveal that he cares more than he admits. His anger appears rooted in hurt and disappointment rather than indifference.
• Ye Heng: Demonstrates persistence and concern by waiting outside through the rain and returning the next day to seek an explanation. However, he is frustrated by Tang Mingxi’s silence and inability to understand the reason for his anger.
• Tang Yun: Acts as a caring older brother, returning early to cook because he worries Tang Mingxi is not eating properly.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus vulnerability: Both Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng struggle to communicate directly. Tang Mingxi hides concern behind hostility, while Ye Heng tries to force an explanation.
• Miscommunication in relationships: Tang Mingxi expects Ye Heng to understand what he did wrong without being told, while Ye Heng admits he cannot continually guess his feelings.
• Emotional denial: Tang Mingxi repeatedly insists that Ye Heng’s actions do not matter, even as he watches for him, worries about the cold, and loses sleep.
• Persistence and reconciliation: Ye Heng’s determination to remain near Tang Mingxi suggests that he wants to repair their relationship despite being rejected.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng communicate indirectly through Ye Heng’s presence outside, Tang Mingxi’s repeated observation, a brief message, and a failed phone call.
• Tang Yun provides practical care and domestic warmth, contrasting with the tense, emotionally charged dynamic between Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng.
• The chapter ends with Ye Heng confronting Tang Mingxi about his unexplained anger, setting up an emotional confrontation as Tang Mingxi’s carefully maintained indifference breaks down.

Chapter 74 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a heated argument, Tang Mingxi tells Ye Heng that he wants a divorce. Although he speaks calmly at first, his emotions rise as he explains that neither of them entered the marriage willingly and that Ye Heng only agreed because of a debt to Tang Mingxi’s grandfather.
• Tang Mingxi has been planning the divorce for two nights. He believes it will help him escape the dangerous future awaiting him and force Ye Heng to leave the Tang family and return to Cloud Capital, keeping them safely apart.
• Relieved after announcing his decision, Tang Mingxi prepares to go upstairs and wait for Ye Heng to consider the matter. However, Ye Heng suddenly picks him up, carries him to a Lamborghini, and drives him to Mingxi No. 1.
• At the house, Ye Heng throws Tang Mingxi onto the bed and restrains him in a tight embrace. He firmly declares that he will not divorce him and tells Tang Mingxi to stop dreaming.
• Tang Mingxi struggles violently, insults Ye Heng, bites his shoulder, and eventually pushes him off the bed. He initially suspects Ye Heng may be pretending to be injured, but then realizes that Ye Heng is genuinely ill.
• Ye Heng is pale, feverish, and physically exhausted after working late, being caught in the rain, and going without food all day. When Tang Mingxi’s push causes him to fall to the floor clutching his stomach, Tang Mingxi reluctantly returns to help him.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Becomes determined to end the marriage as a means of protecting himself and escaping the novel’s dangerous plot. Though frightened and angry at Ye Heng’s forceful behavior, he cannot ignore Ye Heng’s poor condition and ultimately chooses to help him.
• Ye Heng: Reveals intense resistance to losing Tang Mingxi. His normally controlled demeanor breaks down, replaced by possessiveness, desperation, and physical exhaustion. His refusal to divorce suggests that his feelings for Tang Mingxi are far stronger than he has openly admitted.

Significant Themes

• Fear versus attachment: Tang Mingxi views divorce as a practical escape, while Ye Heng’s reaction shows that emotional attachment has overridden reason.
• Loss of control: Both men struggle for control—Tang Mingxi through his escape plan and Ye Heng through physically preventing the divorce.
• Miscommunication in marriage: Tang Mingxi assumes Ye Heng is dissatisfied with the marriage, while Ye Heng’s extreme reaction suggests the opposite.
• Vulnerability beneath conflict: Their argument is aggressive and chaotic, but Ye Heng’s illness exposes his physical and emotional vulnerability, prompting Tang Mingxi’s concern.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi confronts Ye Heng about the marriage and announces his intention to divorce.
• Ye Heng responds by forcibly taking Tang Mingxi home and holding him, refusing to accept the divorce.
• Tang Mingxi fights back through struggling, insulting, biting, and pushing Ye Heng away.
• When Ye Heng collapses from exhaustion and illness, Tang Mingxi’s anger gives way to reluctant compassion as he attempts to get him back onto the bed.

Chapter 75 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi struggles to carry the feverish Ye Heng back to bed after finding him ill. Despite his anger over Ye Heng’s earlier behavior, he takes care of him, covering him with a quilt and searching for fever medicine.
• While delirious, Ye Heng catches Tang Mingxi’s wrist and presses his hand against his heartbeat, telling him to stop fooling around. Tang Mingxi assures him that he is not leaving, though he jokingly says he is only staying so someone can collect Ye Heng’s corpse.
• Tang Mingxi gives Ye Heng medicine and remains concerned about his condition, even though he continues planning to run away from home. He notices the red mark on his wrist caused by Ye Heng dragging him back earlier.
• Tang Mingxi ultimately falls asleep in Ye Heng’s bed. When he wakes, it is dark, and he discovers that Ye Heng—who has begun recovering—has prepared dinner for him.
• Although Tang Mingxi intends to leave after eating, Ye Heng’s food makes it difficult for him to maintain his resolve. He contacts Wang Min and asks her to pick him up.
• Wang Min arrives at Mingxi Residence, but Ye Heng intercepts her at the gate and falsely claims that Tang Mingxi is already asleep. Intimidated by Ye Heng’s cold demeanor, Wang Min retreats and says she will return the next day.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: His anger and determination to divorce or leave Ye Heng are repeatedly undermined by his concern for Ye Heng’s health. He acts resentful and sarcastic, but his behavior reveals genuine attachment and guilt over Ye Heng becoming ill because of him. His childish attempts to vent his frustration contrast with his instinctive care.
• Ye Heng: Even while sick, Ye Heng remains perceptive and teasing, responding to Tang Mingxi’s threats with dry humor. His decision to cook dinner after recovering slightly suggests continued consideration for Tang Mingxi and a desire to preserve their domestic connection. His intervention with Wang Min also reveals possessiveness and control.
• Wang Min: She enthusiastically supports Tang Mingxi’s plan to leave, showing loyalty and affection toward him. However, Ye Heng’s presence quickly overwhelms her confidence.

Significant Themes

• Emotional conflict beneath hostility: Tang Mingxi insists that he is angry and wants to leave, yet repeatedly stays to care for Ye Heng.
• Domestic intimacy: Nursing, sharing a bed, preparing food, and eating together expose a closeness that contradicts their stated intention to separate.
• Pride versus genuine affection: Tang Mingxi’s pride makes him resist Ye Heng, but hunger, worry, and concern continually reveal his softer feelings.
• Possessiveness and control: Ye Heng’s interception of Wang Min prevents Tang Mingxi from leaving and hints at his unwillingness to let Tang Mingxi go.
• Humor as emotional defense: Tang Mingxi uses exaggerated threats, sarcasm, and self-mockery to conceal his worry and embarrassment.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi cares for Ye Heng while insulting him, creating a mixture of tenderness and comedic hostility.
• Ye Heng’s unconscious or half-conscious physical contact—holding Tang Mingxi’s wrist and placing his hand over his heart—temporarily quiets Tang Mingxi’s anger.
• Their shared meal is largely silent, but Ye Heng’s cooking emotionally disarms Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Mingxi seeks Wang Min’s help, but Ye Heng directly blocks her from taking him away, ending the chapter with Tang Mingxi’s escape attempt thwarted.

Chapter 76 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi’s attempt to arrange an escape from home fails when Wang Min refuses to help, intimidated by Ye Heng’s presence and suggesting that Tang discuss matters with him instead.
• When Tang Mingxi tries to contact Tang Yun, Ye Heng confiscates his phone and insists that it is time for bed.
• Ye Heng follows Tang Mingxi into his bedroom and declares that he will watch him sleep, effectively preventing him from running away.
• During a rainy night, Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng have a tense but intimate conversation. Tang Mingxi asks about Ye Heng’s cold, and Ye Heng teasingly praises him for taking care of him.
• Tang Mingxi notices Ye Heng’s exposed bite mark and feels guilty, though he remains afraid because he believes Ye Heng will eventually kill him. He tells Ye Heng to return to his own room, but Ye Heng stays nearby.
• Despite his anxiety, Tang Mingxi quickly falls asleep.
• The next morning, Tang Mingxi wakes late and discovers that Ye Heng has prepared his favorite breakfast and is still at home waiting for him.
• Ye Heng forces Tang Mingxi to accompany him to Mingheng, arguing that he cannot leave Tang Mingxi alone because he might run away.
• At the company, Ye Heng holds Tang Mingxi’s hand and brings him directly to the executive office. The employees are shocked to see the unfamiliar, beautiful man accompanying their usually intimidating CEO.
• An intern secretary addresses Tang Mingxi as “Madam.” Ye Heng rewards her with a full-time position and an increased salary, prompting the other employees to enthusiastically greet Tang Mingxi as well.
• News of the CEO’s wife visiting the company immediately spreads through Mingheng’s internal gossip group.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi remains determined to escape, but his plans repeatedly collapse. His outwardly dramatic resistance contrasts with his growing emotional vulnerability, especially when he worries about Ye Heng’s health and notices the bite mark he left.
• Ye Heng becomes increasingly controlling and possessive, closely monitoring Tang Mingxi and preventing him from leaving. At the same time, his actions reveal care: he prepares breakfast, stays beside Tang Mingxi, brings him to work, and openly presents him as his wife.
• Tang Mingxi’s relationship with Ye Heng shifts toward greater intimacy despite Tang Mingxi’s fear and distrust. Tang Mingxi is embarrassed by Ye Heng’s public affection but is also affected by his attentiveness.

Significant Themes

• Possessiveness and protection: Ye Heng’s efforts to keep Tang Mingxi from fleeing blur the line between control and concern.
• Fear versus affection: Tang Mingxi fears Ye Heng because of his knowledge of the future, yet he cannot entirely suppress his concern and guilt toward him.
• Public acknowledgment of their relationship: By bringing Tang Mingxi to Mingheng and allowing employees to call him “Madam,” Ye Heng makes their marriage visible and official within his company.
• Humor amid emotional tension: Tang Mingxi’s exaggerated inner commentary and embarrassment lighten an otherwise tense situation.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi seeks help from Wang Min but is rejected because Wang Min is intimidated by Ye Heng.
• Ye Heng repeatedly restrains and teases Tang Mingxi, while Tang Mingxi responds with resistance, embarrassment, and occasional concern.
• The intern secretary benefits from Ye Heng’s favorable mood and immediately becomes grateful to Tang Mingxi.
• Mingheng’s employees react with surprise and excitement, quickly turning Tang Mingxi’s unexpected appearance into company-wide gossip.

Chapter 77 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mingheng employees gossip extensively about Ye Heng’s supposedly “fierce” wife after Tang Mingxi’s arrival at the company is secretly photographed and circulated on the intranet.
• Employees are stunned by Tang Mingxi’s beauty and begin joking about Ye Heng being lucky, while Yao Na’s candid photo fuels the office’s fascination with the couple.
• In Ye Heng’s office, Tang Mingxi remains angry about their argument and reiterates that he wants a divorce. Ye Heng calmly refuses, citing the late Grandpa’s approval of their marriage and insisting that Tang Mingxi cannot leave unless Grandpa permits it.
• Ye Heng assumes Tang Mingxi’s divorce demand is merely another childish tantrum and tries to placate him with hot milk, snacks, and careful attention.
• Tang Mingxi initially refuses everything, but gradually gives in once Ye Heng feeds him nuts, jelly, and chocolate. He soon forgets much of his anger and begins ordering Ye Heng around.
• Ye Heng jokingly claims he has no money because his “wife” suspended his allowance, provoking Tang Mingxi’s silent irritation.
• After eating the snacks, Tang Mingxi feels awkward about continuing the divorce argument. His real goal is not simply ending the marriage: he wants Ye Heng to leave the Tang Family and go to Cloud Capital, creating an opportunity for Tang Mingxi to escape.
• The chapter ends with Ye Heng revealing that a valuable pigeon-blood ruby has been cut and delivered to Mingxi Residence for Tang Mingxi to try on, continuing his strategy of indulging and appeasing him.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Publicly maintains an aloof, elegant persona, but privately behaves spoiled and emotionally expressive with Ye Heng. Though he claims to want a divorce, his thoughts reveal that escape is his true objective. His anger weakens when Ye Heng cares for him, showing how easily he is affected by Ye Heng’s indulgence.
• Ye Heng: Remains calm, patient, and completely unwilling to divorce Tang Mingxi. He interprets Tang Mingxi’s threats as temperamental behavior and responds with practical affection, feeding him, ordering food, and promising expensive gifts. His teasing also reveals a more playful side.
• Yao Na and the employees: Become enthusiastic observers and shippers of the couple after witnessing their affectionate dynamic. Their reactions emphasize how different Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi’s private relationship is from their cold public images.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private intimacy: Tang Mingxi appears untouchably cold to outsiders but is needy and demanding with Ye Heng. Their private tenderness contrasts sharply with the office’s perception of them.
• Spoiling as emotional manipulation and affection: Ye Heng uses food, luxury, and attentive care to soothe Tang Mingxi, whether deliberately or instinctively.
• Marriage and control: Tang Mingxi’s wish for freedom clashes with Ye Heng’s refusal to release him, while Grandpa’s approval symbolizes the authority binding them together.
• Hidden motives: Tang Mingxi’s divorce demand conceals his larger plan to make Ye Heng leave and then escape himself.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng argue over divorce, with Tang Mingxi protesting and Ye Heng answering steadily that he will not agree.
• Ye Heng orders snacks and personally feeds Tang Mingxi, turning the confrontation into an intimate, domestic scene.
• Tang Mingxi becomes increasingly demanding as Ye Heng opens and serves each snack, while Ye Heng indulges him without complaint.
• Yao Na witnesses Ye Heng’s affectionate behavior and becomes convinced that the supposedly cold couple is exceptionally sweet together.

Chapter 78 Summary

Plot and Events

• Tang Mingxi continues trying to convince himself to divorce Ye Heng, despite being tempted by Ye Heng’s extravagant gifts, including a winery and a promise to buy him anything he wants—even the stars.
• Ye Heng openly pleads with him not to leave, claiming Tang Mingxi is the first and last person he has loved. Tang Mingxi refuses to believe him and mocks Ye Heng for not even buying him inexpensive snacks. In response, Ye Heng orders a thousand yuan’s worth of snacks, which Tang Mingxi eats throughout the day.
• Ye Heng leaves to meet a Hong Kong client and locks Tang Mingxi inside the CEO’s office. With nothing else to do, Tang Mingxi examines Mingheng’s financial records.
• Remembering the original storyline, Tang Mingxi recalls that the original version of himself would soon frame Ye Heng for embezzling company funds. This accusation would lead to Ye Heng’s expulsion, arrest, corruption, and eventual departure for Cloud Capital.
• While reviewing the documents, Tang Mingxi discovers something alarming: the Oriental Water Park project, which Ye Heng should not have obtained until much later in the original timeline, is already present in Mingheng’s records. The person officially responsible for the project is Tang Nuo.
• As New Year arrives under heavy snow, Tang Mingxi remains troubled by the approaching plot point and his failure to decide whether to divorce Ye Heng. He rationalizes that divorce would be less damaging than framing Ye Heng for an economic crime.
• Ye Heng, unaware of Tang Mingxi’s plans, secretly carries newly arrived wedding rings. He chose simple silver bands engraved with their initials, hoping to make their relationship more genuine and uncomplicated.
• Tang Mingxi, meanwhile, worries that Ye Heng’s kindness is merely manipulation and mentally reminds himself of Ye Heng’s supposed flaws. At Tang Family Manor, he steps out into the snow while Ye Heng holds an umbrella for him, mirroring the scene from his transmigration—but with Ye Heng now replacing the former bodyguard. The chapter ends as Tang Mingxi senses warmth behind him.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: His determination to divorce Ye Heng is weakening. Though he continues to insist that Ye Heng is dangerous and untrustworthy, he is increasingly affected by Ye Heng’s sincerity and care. His financial knowledge also allows him to notice irregularities that may indicate the plot is changing.
• Ye Heng: He becomes more emotionally direct and devoted, promising to fulfill Tang Mingxi’s wishes and secretly preparing a modest wedding-ring proposal. His behavior contrasts sharply with Tang Mingxi’s memories of the original storyline, suggesting he genuinely wants a stable marriage.
• Tang Nuo: Her name appears as the person in charge of the unexpectedly early Oriental Water Park project, hinting that she may be involved in the altered timeline or a larger hidden development.

Themes

• Love versus self-preservation: Tang Mingxi struggles between his desire to survive by escaping the marriage and his growing emotional attachment to Ye Heng.
• The danger of predetermined fate: Events are beginning to diverge from the original novel, leaving Tang Mingxi uncertain whether avoiding one tragedy will create another.
• Trust and sincerity: Ye Heng’s actions appear genuine, but Tang Mingxi’s fear and knowledge of the “original plot” prevent him from accepting them.
• Redemption and second chances: The possibility of preventing Ye Heng’s corruption and suffering becomes increasingly important to Tang Mingxi.

Character Interactions

• Ye Heng repeatedly tries to persuade Tang Mingxi to remain married, while Tang Mingxi responds with sarcasm and disbelief.
• Their playful exchange over snacks shows growing domestic familiarity despite Tang Mingxi’s resistance.
• Ye Heng quietly cares for Tang Mingxi by checking on his poor appetite, preparing rings, and holding an umbrella for him.
• Tang Mingxi’s encounter with Ye Heng at the manor evokes their first meeting and emphasizes how dramatically their relationship has changed.

Chapter 79 Summary

Key plot points and events

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng arrive together at the Tang family’s New Year banquet. Their outwardly intimate behavior contrasts with the growing tension between them. Tang Nuo deliberately brings up rumors that Tang Mingxi had stayed with Tang Yun after quarreling with Ye Heng, unknowingly giving Mingxi the opportunity to announce his decision. In front of the entire family, Tang Mingxi declares that he wants a divorce.
Ye Heng reacts with shock and anger, initially dismissing the announcement as a joke. Tang Yun intervenes and suggests that they discuss the matter privately, but Ye Heng’s attempt to insist that “it’s not what you think” causes Mingxi to lose control. Mingxi openly accuses Ye Heng of having him tested for bone-marrow compatibility without his knowledge and of possibly plotting to use him for his own purposes. He demands to know why Ye Heng lied for nearly a year.
Ye Heng admits that he did secretly take Mingxi’s blood and have a compatibility report made in March, but claims he never intended to force Mingxi to donate. The chapter ends as Mingxi insists that the real betrayal was not the possible donation itself, but Ye Heng’s prolonged deception.

Character developments

• Tang Mingxi: His carefully maintained composure finally breaks. Although he initially treats the divorce announcement almost like a rehearsed performance, his emotional outburst reveals that he genuinely cares about Ye Heng and feels deeply wounded by the secrecy and perceived betrayal. He acknowledges that he cannot tolerate Ye Heng plotting against him or treating him coldly, showing how attached he has become.
• Ye Heng: He is visibly shaken by Mingxi’s divorce demand and becomes defensive and hostile before attempting to explain himself. His admission confirms that he did hide the blood test, but his insistence that he never intended to force Mingxi leaves the central issue unresolved. His reaction suggests that losing Mingxi frightens him more than he is willing to admit.
• Tang Nuo: By teasing Mingxi about the supposed quarrel, he unintentionally provides the opening for Mingxi to announce the divorce.
• Tang Yun: He acts as a mediator, trying to prevent the conflict from escalating publicly.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Mingxi emphasizes that the true injury is Ye Heng’s lie and the eleven months of silence, not the bone-marrow donation itself.
• Secrets and communication: The conflict grows because Ye Heng concealed an important decision instead of speaking honestly.
• Emotional dependence: Mingxi’s anger and tears reveal that he has become deeply invested in Ye Heng and can no longer pretend to be indifferent.
• Public image versus private pain: The confrontation occurs at a formal family banquet, forcing both men to struggle between maintaining dignity and expressing genuine emotions.
• Power and autonomy: Mingxi fears that Ye Heng has treated his body and future as tools in a larger scheme, making the divorce a demand for control over his own life.

Character interactions

Tang Nuo provokes the conversation; Mingxi turns the opportunity into a public divorce announcement. Ye Heng confronts Mingxi, while Tang Yun attempts to mediate. The central interaction is between Mingxi and Ye Heng: Mingxi accuses him of deception and manipulation, while Ye Heng tries to deny malicious intent and asks for the chance to explain. Their exchange exposes the emotional attachment beneath their antagonism, but ends without reconciliation.

Chapter 80 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Tang family banquet, Tang Mingxi finally confronts Ye Heng. He accuses Ye Heng of always viewing him as selfish, useless, and incapable of doing anything for another person.
• Overcome with anger and grief, Tang Mingxi announces publicly that he wants a divorce. He tells Ye Heng that a lawyer will contact him and that they should never meet again.
• Ye Heng is shocked and emotionally destabilized by the declaration. Fearing that Tang Mingxi will truly leave him, he forcibly drags him upstairs and locks them inside the bedroom.
• Tang Mingxi struggles and repeatedly demands to be released, while Tang Yun pounds on the locked door and demands to know what Ye Heng is doing.
• Ye Heng pins Tang Mingxi to the bed and kisses him without consent. Tang Mingxi is humiliated, frightened, and overwhelmed, eventually managing to break free and slap Ye Heng across the face.
• The slap briefly restores Ye Heng’s reason. Despite the conflict, he continues to cling to Tang Mingxi, holding him tightly and kissing him more gently.
• Ye Heng begs Tang Mingxi not to divorce him, saying he will agree to anything else. He shows Tang Mingxi the wedding rings, emphasizing how far their relationship has come.
• Tang Mingxi rejects the plea by throwing his ring out of the window.
• Tang Yun finally breaks down the bedroom door and rushes to Tang Mingxi, finding him crying with swollen eyes and split lips. Tang Nuo is also shocked by the scene.
• The chapter closes by reflecting that, although the financial framing of Ye Heng from the previous life did not occur in this timeline, Ye Heng and Tang Mingxi’s relationship is still following a similarly tragic path.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi reaches an emotional breaking point. His accumulated hurt and sense of being misunderstood lead him to openly sever the marriage, showing that he can no longer endure pretending everything is fine.
• His decision to throw away the ring demonstrates that his declaration of divorce is serious rather than an impulsive threat, even though he remains emotionally devastated.
• Ye Heng loses control when faced with the possibility of separation. His desperation exposes the depth of his attachment, but his coercive actions also reveal possessiveness, emotional instability, and an inability to respect Tang Mingxi’s wishes.
• Ye Heng’s later pleading and gentler affection suggest vulnerability beneath his usual restraint, but they do not undo the harm caused by his earlier violence.
• Tang Yun acts protectively toward Tang Mingxi, immediately recognizing that something is wrong and intervening.
• Tang Nuo observes the divergence between this life and the previous one, while recognizing that the couple’s relationship is still moving toward a comparable crisis.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and emotional isolation: Tang Mingxi believes Ye Heng has never truly understood or valued him, while Ye Heng fails to communicate his feelings until the relationship is already collapsing.
• Possession versus love: Ye Heng’s fear of losing Tang Mingxi manifests as force and control rather than healthy communication, blurring the line between devotion and possession.
• Breaking points and irreversible choices: The divorce declaration, the slap, and the discarded ring mark major ruptures in the marriage.
• Fate and the butterfly effect: Although events differ from the previous life, the relationship still appears to be repeating a tragic pattern, suggesting that changing one event does not necessarily alter the deeper conflicts between the characters.
• Public humiliation and private violence: The banquet setting makes Tang Mingxi’s emotional collapse public, while the bedroom confrontation turns the marital conflict into a deeply personal and disturbing struggle.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi publicly condemns Ye Heng and ends their marriage.
• Ye Heng responds by physically preventing Tang Mingxi from leaving, escalating the confrontation.
• Tang Mingxi resists, insults Ye Heng, and eventually slaps him after he kisses him without consent.
• Ye Heng shifts from aggressive possession to desperate pleading and affectionate restraint, but Tang Mingxi remains emotionally withdrawn.
• Tang Yun and Tang Nuo enter after hearing the commotion, with Tang Yun moving immediately to protect Tang Mingxi.