Chapter Summaries

Chapter 101 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Azure Luo Bay, Ye Heng refuses to accept that Tang Mingxi is dead and continues searching despite the dangerous storm and the height of the cliff.
• Tang Nuo confronts him harshly, arguing that Tang Mingxi could not have survived the fall. In a moment of grief and anger, Ye Heng asks why Tang Nuo was not the one who died.
• Tang Nuo admits that he would gladly die if it could bring Tang Mingxi back, but reminds Ye Heng that he still has responsibilities—especially toward Ye Yue, whose illness may finally be treatable.
• Tang Nuo reveals that suitable bone marrow has been found for Ye Yue and that her surgery can proceed as soon as she is physically ready. This finally breaks through Ye Heng’s despair, and he agrees to go to the hospital.
• Unbeknownst to them, Tang Mingxi has survived. He emerges from the sea roughly twenty kilometers from Azure Luo Bay after enduring the typhoon, using driftwood and surviving temporarily inside a sea cave.
• Exhausted but alive, Tang Mingxi reaches shore, cleans himself up, retrieves forged identification documents and money he had prepared in advance, and disguises himself with new clothes and unattractive glasses.
• After hiding in a small inn for three days without being discovered, Tang Mingxi decides to leave China. He plans to travel to New York and resume work in venture capital.
• On the plane, he discovers through a newspaper that he has been officially declared dead. The article announces his memorial service and includes a photograph of Ye Heng looking devastated and emotionally destroyed.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: His grief turns into rage and near-total emotional collapse. Tang Mingxi’s apparent death leaves him hollow, but Tang Nuo’s reminder about Ye Yue gives him a reason to keep living and act responsibly.
• Tang Nuo: Though overwhelmed by guilt and fear of Ye Heng’s hatred, he forces himself to confront Ye Heng and redirect him toward Ye Yue’s survival. His revelation about the bone marrow transplant becomes the first practical hope amid the tragedy.
• Tang Mingxi: He demonstrates extraordinary survival instincts and resilience. After believing he has escaped Ye Heng’s choice and the Tang family’s influence, he decisively creates a new identity and chooses independence abroad. However, seeing Ye Heng’s grief in the newspaper reveals that he is still emotionally affected by him.

Significant Themes

• Survival and rebirth: Tang Mingxi’s escape from the sea symbolizes a literal and emotional rebirth as he prepares to live under a new identity.
• Grief and responsibility: Ye Heng is forced to choose between surrendering to grief and continuing to live for Ye Yue.
• Guilt and sacrifice: Tang Nuo struggles with guilt over surviving while Tang Mingxi is presumed dead, while also offering his own life as a hypothetical exchange.
• Freedom versus attachment: Tang Mingxi seeks freedom from the Tang family and Ye Heng, yet the obituary and photograph show that emotional ties remain.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: Everyone believes Tang Mingxi has died, while he is secretly alive and beginning a new life.

Character Interactions

• Ye Heng and Tang Nuo have a bitter confrontation in the storm, with Ye Heng blaming Tang Nuo emotionally for Tang Mingxi’s death.
• Tang Nuo counters Ye Heng’s despair by invoking Ye Yue’s future, successfully persuading him to leave the cliff and go to the hospital.
• Tang Mingxi does not interact directly with the others after his escape, but his discovery of Ye Heng’s devastated appearance creates an indirect emotional connection between them.

Chapter 102 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• For fifteen days after Tang Mingxi’s fall from the cliff at Azure Luo Bay, more than a dozen yachts conduct nonstop search-and-rescue operations in the sea.
• The rescue workers are exhausted, but Ye Heng refuses to stop searching. He orders them to continue looking for Tang Mingxi, insisting that he wants to see him “dead or alive.”
• He Wenfang warns Ye Heng that the rescue team has reached its limit and suggests that Tang Mingxi is probably dead, but Ye Heng remains unwilling to accept this.
• Wang Min confronts Ye Heng, accusing him of refusing to let Tang Mingxi die with dignity and of using the search to ease his own guilt.
• During the argument, Wang Min reveals that Tang Mingxi had donated bone marrow earlier that year—likely the marrow that saved Ye Yue and that Ye Heng believed Tang Nuo had provided.
• Ye Heng is devastated by this revelation. He realizes he has misunderstood Tang Mingxi yet again and that Tang Mingxi had secretly helped his family despite their painful relationship.
• Wang Min condemns Ye Heng for choosing Tang Nuo in the past and asks whether his pride was worth losing Tang Mingxi. She tells him that Tang Mingxi must have been deeply disappointed to choose death rather than remain with him.
• Ye Heng collapses emotionally, overwhelmed by guilt, grief, and regret. He repeatedly wishes he had died alongside Tang Mingxi.
• On the twentieth day after Tang Mingxi’s disappearance, the rescue team finally withdraws from Azure Luo Bay.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: His obsessive search reveals his inability to accept Tang Mingxi’s death and the depth of his love and remorse. Learning about the bone-marrow donation destroys his remaining certainty that Tang Mingxi hated him. He becomes emotionally shattered, consumed by guilt and self-reproach.
• Tang Mingxi: Although absent from the chapter, he is revealed to have donated bone marrow to save Ye Yue, demonstrating that he cared for Ye Heng and his family despite their conflicts. His apparent suicide is framed as the result of profound disappointment and emotional suffering.
• Wang Min: She acts as Tang Mingxi’s defender and gives voice to the anger and grief surrounding his treatment. Though initially furious, she recognizes Ye Heng’s devastated state and leaves after delivering a final condemnation.
• He Wenfang: He remains loyal to Ye Heng but is increasingly concerned about the physical and emotional limits of the rescue operation.

Significant Themes

• Regret and belated realization: Ye Heng understands Tang Mingxi’s sacrifices only after losing him, emphasizing the tragedy of recognizing love too late.
• Guilt and self-punishment: Ye Heng’s relentless search and emotional collapse show how he punishes himself for his past choices.
• Miscommunication and pride: Ye Heng’s decision to choose Tang Nuo and his failure to understand Tang Mingxi’s feelings are presented as consequences of pride and misunderstanding.
• Love expressed through sacrifice: Tang Mingxi’s bone-marrow donation reveals that his love persisted despite resentment and pain.
• Inability to accept loss: Ye Heng’s refusal to end the search reflects both devotion and denial, while the eventual withdrawal confirms the apparent finality of Tang Mingxi’s disappearance.

Character Interactions

• Ye Heng and He Wenfang: He Wenfang urges Ye Heng to stop the search, but Ye Heng insists on continuing until Tang Mingxi is found.
• Ye Heng and Wang Min: Wang Min harshly confronts Ye Heng, blaming him for Tang Mingxi’s despair. Her revelation about the bone-marrow donation changes Ye Heng’s understanding of the past and leaves him emotionally broken.
• Wang Min and Tang Mingxi: Though Tang Mingxi is absent, Wang Min’s grief and defense of him show the closeness of their friendship and her determination to preserve his dignity.

Chapter 103 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two months after Tang Mingxi’s disappearance from the cliff, everyone except Ye Heng accepts that he is dead. Ye Heng continues searching the waters every day and refuses to hold a funeral, insisting that without a body, Tang Mingxi cannot be considered dead.
• Tang Yun withdraws into isolation, while Ye Heng returns to Mingxi Residence and preserves it exactly as Tang Mingxi left it. He continues preparing three meals a day, pretending Tang Mingxi is still there, though he no longer knocks on his bedroom door.
• Ye Yue successfully undergoes a bone marrow transplant. After leaving the sterile ward, she asks to eat hotpot with Tang Mingxi and requests his contact information, unaware that he has disappeared. Ye Heng is unable to tell her the truth and simply agrees to add him.
• Entering Tang Mingxi’s room, Ye Heng finds the red gemstone brooch he once gave him and is overwhelmed by regret over all the affection and praise he failed to express.
• Ye Heng discovers Tang Mingxi’s old phone and reads his private WeChat posts. The entries reveal that Tang Mingxi frequently thought about Ye Heng, recording jealousy, annoyance, affection, memories of their relationship, and hopes for their future.
• The final private post shows Tang Mingxi wearing the proposal ring he had supposedly discarded after their argument. This proves that, despite their conflicts, Tang Mingxi had once imagined spending his life with Ye Heng.
• Realizing that his own actions destroyed their relationship and future, Ye Heng breaks down completely, sobbing that he misses Tang Mingxi and cannot bear being abandoned.
• The chapter ends with a time transition—“Three Years Later”—followed by the beginning of a new scene involving Tang Mingxi.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: His denial evolves into a fragile fantasy of domestic normalcy. Discovering Tang Mingxi’s private feelings forces him to confront the depth of Tang’s love and his own responsibility for losing him. His grief becomes openly emotional, replacing his earlier controlled, stubborn refusal to accept the disappearance.
• Tang Mingxi: Though absent, he is revealed through his private posts to have been deeply invested in Ye Heng. His complaints and teasing conceal genuine attachment, jealousy, romantic hopes, and a desire for a lifelong relationship.
• Ye Yue: Recovering physically after the transplant, she becomes more hopeful and energetic, but remains innocent of Tang Mingxi’s fate. Her simple wish to reunite with him intensifies Ye Heng’s pain.
• Tang Yun: He gives up hope and isolates himself, contrasting with Ye Heng’s refusal to accept Tang Mingxi’s presumed death.

Significant Themes

• Denial and grief: Ye Heng uses routines and the untouched residence to maintain the illusion that Tang Mingxi is still alive.
• Regret and missed communication: The chapter emphasizes the emotional cost of Ye Heng’s pride and failure to express love while he had the chance.
• Hidden love: Tang Mingxi’s private social-media posts reveal feelings he never openly communicated, showing that his resentment existed alongside deep affection.
• Memory and absence: Tang’s belongings, scent, phone, and posts preserve his presence while making his absence more painful.
• Hope and uncertainty: The lack of a body allows Ye Heng to cling to hope, and the final transition to Tang Mingxi three years later hints that the truth may be more complicated than his presumed death.

Important Character Interactions

• Ye Yue’s innocent request to eat with Tang Mingxi forces Ye Heng to confront the impossibility of fulfilling her wish.
• Ye Heng’s interaction with Tang Mingxi’s belongings and private messages becomes an indirect emotional reunion, revealing the feelings they never properly expressed to each other.
• The contrast between Tang Mingxi’s private complaints about Ye Heng and his continued wearing of the proposal ring shows the complexity of their relationship: they fought bitterly, yet he still loved Ye Heng and imagined a future together.

Chapter 104 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two months after Tang Mingxi’s apparent suicide, the Tang Family announces that he has gone abroad to recover from an illness, suppressing rumors about his disappearance.
• Three years pass. Tang Mingxi returns to China under the false identity Ye Xi and joins Jushun Venture Capital’s Cloud Capital branch, working in the Risk Management Department.
• He previously spent three years working successfully at a Wall Street venture capital firm in New York. Although he originally intended to remain abroad for five years, he returns early because of his dislike of American food and his desire to resume a quieter life in China.
• On his first day, Tang Mingxi receives an orientation, settles into his workstation, and reconnects with William, a former colleague from PCB. William jokingly complains about Tang Mingxi disappearing and abandoning him overseas.
• Tang Mingxi attends a department welcome dinner, where he meets his coworkers and manager, Zeng Yang.
• Zeng Yang repeatedly puts Tang Mingxi in uncomfortable situations by demanding that he share “foreign” knowledge, pressuring him to drink despite his stated alcohol allergy, and displaying an overbearing, condescending attitude toward female employees.
• During dinner, Zeng Yang mentions Jingyu, the company where Ye Heng works. Hearing the name causes Tang Mingxi’s emotions to stir for the first time since returning to China.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi/Ye Xi: He has spent three years hiding under a false identity and building an impressive résumé abroad. He is more composed, cynical, and independent, but mentions of Ye Heng and Jingyu reveal that his past still affects him deeply. His humor remains sharp, especially in his silent criticism of his new manager.
• William: Revealed as Tang Mingxi’s former Chinese-American colleague and friend from PCB. He is dramatic, affectionate, and distressed by Tang Mingxi’s sudden disappearance.
• Zeng Yang: Established as a boastful, insensitive manager who uses workplace hierarchy to show off, embarrass subordinates, and pressure employees socially.
• Xiaoqin: A new coworker who was rejected by Jingyu during the recruitment process. She appears nervous and intimidated by Zeng Yang’s questioning.
• Ye Heng: Does not appear directly, but his presence is reintroduced through the mention of Jingyu, hinting that Tang Mingxi’s return may eventually bring them back into contact.

Significant Themes

• Reinvention and concealment: Tang Mingxi’s new identity and career represent his attempt to escape his former life and protect himself from the consequences of his disappearance.
• The lingering pull of the past: Despite three years abroad, a single mention of Jingyu immediately unsettles Tang Mingxi, showing that his emotional ties have not disappeared.
• Workplace culture and hierarchy: The chapter contrasts Tang Mingxi’s Wall Street experience with the intense, competitive, and socially demanding atmosphere of domestic venture capital.
• Masculine authority and condescension: Zeng Yang’s treatment of Xiaoqin highlights how workplace leaders can use humor, status, and “joking” to belittle younger employees.
• Humor as emotional defense: Tang Mingxi responds to uncomfortable circumstances with sarcasm, detachment, and internal mockery rather than openly expressing vulnerability.

Character Interactions

• The HR representative welcomes Tang Mingxi and gives him a detailed introduction to the company, while showing immediate affection for the handsome new employee.
• William bombards Tang Mingxi with messages, teasing him for disappearing and complaining about being isolated at PCB. Tang Mingxi responds with dry, minimal replies.
• Zeng Yang questions Tang Mingxi about his Wall Street experience and tries to make him perform for the group. Tang Mingxi refuses, creating tension between them.
• Zeng Yang pressures Tang Mingxi to drink, ignoring his claim that he is allergic to alcohol.
• Zeng Yang then humiliates Xiaoqin by bringing up her rejection from Jingyu, while his colleagues flatter and support him.
• The mention of Jingyu and Ye Heng becomes the chapter’s emotional turning point, reconnecting Tang Mingxi’s new life with the relationship and history he has tried to leave behind.

Chapter 105 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• During a company team-building dinner, Manager Zeng Yang turns the event into a personal bragging session, boasting about his connections, wealthy friends, and his belief that successful men should have multiple women.
• He insults the female intern Xiaoqin, claiming that young women apply to Jingyu because they want to pursue its handsome chairman, Ye Heng, despite Ye Heng already being married to Tang Mingxi.
• Tang Mingxi is furious and prepares to throw water at Zeng Yang, but female colleague Li Xiaowei beats him to it. She splashes Zeng Yang and mocks his arrogance, revealing that her family is wealthy and influential.
• Li Xiaowei also openly praises Ye Heng as handsome, rich, and devoted to his wife. Tang Mingxi is startled by this description, privately thinking that Ye Heng is not actually “completely devoted” to him.
• After the dinner, Zeng Yang attempts to comfort and flirt with Tang Mingxi. He offers to drive him home, but Tang Mingxi rejects him coldly. Zeng Yang becomes defensive and pretends he was only being considerate.
• Tang Mingxi complains to William over WeChat about Zeng Yang’s behavior. When William jokes that every man except himself is trash, Tang Mingxi instinctively replies that Ye Heng is not. He immediately recalls the message, embarrassed and unsettled by how often Ye Heng comes to mind.
• The chapter then shifts to Jingyu Tower, where He Wenfang discusses Ye Heng’s upcoming schedule. Ye Heng agrees to clear August 7 to travel to Ningcheng and confirms that he will visit Mingxi Residence.
• Ye Heng also cancels an upcoming meeting with Jushun, instructing He Wenfang to reschedule only when the company demonstrates greater sincerity. He later travels to meet President Su of Chengming Real Estate.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Shows strong disgust toward Zeng Yang’s sexism and arrogance, while also revealing growing emotional preoccupation with Ye Heng. His instinctive defense of Ye Heng suggests that his feelings may be deepening, even though he remains confused and resistant to them.
• Zeng Yang: Is exposed as boastful, misogynistic, shameless, and insecure. His attempted flirtation with Tang Mingxi reveals a sense of entitlement and an inflated belief in his own attractiveness.
• Li Xiaowei: Establishes herself as confident, wealthy, outspoken, and unwilling to tolerate Zeng Yang’s behavior. Her defense of Ye Heng indirectly supports Tang Mingxi.
• Ye Heng: Appears controlled and authoritative in his professional role. His decision to travel to Ningcheng and visit Mingxi Residence hints at the importance he places on Tang Mingxi and their relationship.
• He Wenfang: Carefully manages Ye Heng’s schedule and appears relieved when Ye Heng confirms the Ningcheng trip, suggesting he is invested in the couple’s relationship or its progress.
• William: Serves as Tang Mingxi’s confidant, listening to his complaints and teasing him about workplace men.

Significant Themes

• Sexism and workplace misconduct: Zeng Yang’s comments expose patriarchal attitudes toward women and the harassment women may face from entitled male superiors.
• Status and privilege: The confrontation highlights how family background and social power affect workplace behavior, as Zeng Yang backs down from Li Xiaowei because of her influential family.
• Public image versus reality: Ye Heng is widely viewed as a devoted husband, while Tang Mingxi privately doubts or rejects that image, creating tension between reputation and personal truth.
• Emerging romantic awareness: Tang Mingxi’s instinctive defense of Ye Heng and his embarrassment afterward reveal feelings he has not yet fully acknowledged.
• Power and control: Ye Heng’s handling of Jingyu’s business arrangements emphasizes his authority and unwillingness to compromise with companies that lack sincerity.

Character Interactions

• Zeng Yang humiliates Xiaoqin and provokes Li Xiaowei, who retaliates by splashing him with water and verbally dismantling his arrogance.
• Zeng Yang attempts to ingratiate himself with Tang Mingxi, but Tang Mingxi rejects both his sympathy and his offer of a ride.
• Tang Mingxi confides in William, who teases him about his reaction to Zeng Yang and inadvertently prompts Tang Mingxi to admit that Ye Heng is different from other men.
• Ye Heng and He Wenfang discuss his schedule, including his planned return to Ningcheng and visit to Mingxi Residence, reinforcing the ongoing importance of Tang Mingxi in Ye Heng’s plans.

Chapter 106 Summary

Plot and key events

President Su of Chengming Real Estate invites Ye Heng to dinner, hoping to secure a partnership with Jingyu and strengthen his son’s future position in the company. He brings along his adopted niece, Su Luoxi, apparently intending to offer her as a potential romantic connection for Ye Heng. Ye Heng remains completely indifferent, especially after He Wenfang emphasizes that Ye Heng personally cooks for his wife, making it clear that he is devoted and married.
The conversation turns to the Ningcheng cuisine served at the residence. A newly hired chef, Xiao Liu, is brought in and casually reveals that he used to be a swimming coach. When Su Luoxi mentions the famous Ningcheng beauty Tang Mingxi, Xiao Liu says he once taught a student with that exact name. He describes Tang Mingxi’s distinctive red mole near his collarbone, his excellent swimming and diving skills, and shows Ye Heng Tang Mingxi’s old social-media posts. Ye Heng realizes the student is unquestionably his missing wife. Shocked and visibly shaken, he abruptly leaves the dinner before it ends.

Character developments

• Ye Heng remains emotionally loyal to Tang Mingxi and rejects all attempts to tempt or distract him. The discovery that Tang Mingxi once trained with Xiao Liu gives him the first concrete evidence about his wife’s past and whereabouts, triggering an intense emotional reaction.
• Su Luoxi is revealed to have been adopted and raised by the Su family partly for her beauty, with the expectation that she would eventually be used in a strategic marriage. She becomes immediately attracted to Ye Heng, but her hopes are crushed by his indifference and wedding ring.
• President Su is shown as calculating and willing to use his niece to advance his business interests. His confidence collapses when Ye Heng reacts violently to the mention of Tang Mingxi.
• He Wenfang acts as Ye Heng’s loyal aide, firmly defending Ye Heng’s marriage and exposing the Su family’s intentions.
• Chef Xiao Liu unintentionally becomes the source of a major breakthrough, providing proof that Tang Mingxi had lived and trained in the area.

Character interactions

President Su repeatedly tries to steer the dinner toward Su Luoxi and the possibility of her becoming close to Ye Heng. Su Luoxi attempts to attract Ye Heng’s attention, but he barely acknowledges her. He Wenfang openly blocks the matchmaking effort by mentioning Ye Heng’s devotion to his wife. Later, Su Luoxi subtly competes with Tang Mingxi by asking Xiao Liu whether he knows of the famous Second Young Master Tang. Xiao Liu’s answer instead confirms Tang Mingxi’s identity and deeply unsettles Ye Heng.

Significant themes

The chapter explores loyalty and marital devotion, contrasting Ye Heng’s unwavering attachment to Tang Mingxi with the transactional relationships promoted by the wealthy Su family. It also highlights the commodification of women in elite families, as Su Luoxi realizes she has been raised to function as a marriage asset. Finally, the chapter introduces a theme of unexpected clues and hope: an ordinary chef’s casual memory provides Ye Heng with the first tangible connection to his long-absent wife.

Chapter 107 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi finishes lunch at the office and casually demonstrates his unexpectedly strong fashion sense by helping Li Xiaowei choose between two expensive designer bags. He even recommends a matching dress and lipstick.
• Li Xiaowei’s opinion of Tang Mingxi improves when she realizes he understands styling better than expected.
• Tang, Li Xiaowei, and the intern Xiaoqin bond over the variety show Idol Detective, especially their shared admiration for celebrity Fu Ying and dislike of Bai Die.
• The three exchange WeChat accounts and create a group called “Fu Ying Gege’s Little Fairies.” Tang is unwillingly included and protests the name, but the women ignore him while enthusiastically discussing Fu Ying.
• Li Xiaowei announces that Fu Ying’s concert tickets are going on sale and invites everyone. Tang initially considers refusing, but changes his mind after receiving flirtatious messages from Zeng Yang.
• Zeng Yang tries to persuade Tang to meet him at a bar and repeatedly pushes for information about Tang’s weekend plans. Tang rejects him, then blocks and deletes him when Zeng continues pestering him.
• Li Xiaowei picks Tang up in her pink Lamborghini. They laugh about Zeng Yang and complain about his unpleasant behavior, further strengthening their friendship.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Reveals a refined knowledge of fashion and beauty products, challenging assumptions about him. He also shows firm boundaries and decisiveness by immediately blocking Zeng Yang rather than tolerating his harassment. Although he is repeatedly treated like “one of the girls,” he has largely accepted that women bond with him easily.
• Li Xiaowei: Becomes much more comfortable with Tang after discovering their shared interests. She shifts from viewing him as merely attractive to admiring his personality, sharp tongue, and independence.
• Xiaoqin: Drops her timid, delicate workplace persona when discussing Fu Ying, revealing herself as an enthusiastic and intense fangirl. She quickly becomes close with Li Xiaowei and Tang.
• Zeng Yang: Appears increasingly pushy and self-important. His persistent messages and flirtation lead Tang to cut him off completely.
• Workplace dynamics: Li Xiaowei continues to be socially isolated by coworkers because of her conflict with Zeng Yang, though she remains unconcerned and finds companionship elsewhere.

Significant Themes

• Friendship through shared fandom: Common enthusiasm for a celebrity allows the three characters to form an immediate, lively friendship.
• Subverting gender expectations: Tang’s knowledge of fashion, cosmetics, and fangirl culture contrasts with conventional ideas about masculinity. His interactions with the women blur traditional social roles.
• Boundaries and self-respect: Tang’s refusal to indulge Zeng Yang’s advances emphasizes his willingness to protect his personal boundaries.
• Workplace power and social exclusion: Li Xiaowei’s treatment shows how employees navigate office hierarchies, especially when a supervisor has more practical authority than a powerful executive’s daughter.
• Appearance and social connection: Tang’s beauty remains a major reason people are drawn to him, but his personality—especially his wit and confidence—deepens those relationships.

Character Interactions

• Tang and Li Xiaowei move from casual coworkers to friendly companions through fashion advice and shared entertainment interests.
• Xiaoqin joins their conversation with unexpected enthusiasm, transforming the lunch break into a fan-girl bonding session.
• Tang’s refusal of Zeng Yang contrasts with Li Xiaowei’s more cautious decision to remain polite to him because of workplace expectations.
• In the car, Li Xiaowei and Tang exchange sarcastic remarks about Zeng Yang, demonstrating their growing comfort and mutual admiration.

Chapter 108 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi, Xiaoqin, and Li Xiaowei arrive at a concert in a Lamborghini. Because of Li Xiaowei’s status, they receive VIP front-row treatment and bypass the usual ticket inspection.
• Xiaoqin tries to make Tang Mingxi hold a provocative light sign declaring him a fan of Fu Ying’s wife, but Tang refuses every embarrassing option.
• Meanwhile, Ye Heng investigates the possibility that Tang Mingxi survived his apparent suicide three years earlier.
• His assistant, He Wenfang, traces records from a Ningcheng swimming pool and discovers that Tang used the facility for roughly a year and a half. Tang had also opened a bank account and paid for spa services under his own identity, carefully avoiding detection.
• A former swimming-pool employee provides a game account, “Can Deliver Better Than Meituan,” which he claims belonged to Tang. The account has been active for four years, first in Ningcheng, then New York, and most recently Cloud Capital.
• The account reached the high “Star Glory” rank the previous day, proving that its owner is likely still alive and active.
• Ye Heng orders the phone number and location to be tracked. The latest location points to Jushun Venture Capital near Financial Tower, leading his men to search for Tang.
• Ye Heng is informed that Tang has been found—but the news is immediately undercut when he learns Tang went to a male celebrity’s concert with colleagues.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains proud, resistant to public embarrassment, and unwilling to participate in overt fan behavior. His careful survival plan is revealed: he learned to swim, maintained financial and personal records under controlled circumstances, and built a new life while remaining hidden.
• Ye Heng: Shifts from grief and suspicion to fragile hope. Although he initially expects anger at being deceived, his first reaction is overwhelming relief that Tang may be alive. His fear of losing Tang again makes him emotionally cautious, but the evidence gradually reignites his determination to find him.
• He Wenfang: Acts as Ye Heng’s efficient investigator but becomes visibly nervous while delivering the increasingly shocking information. He sympathizes with Ye Heng’s suffering and fears the emotional consequences of revealing Tang’s survival and behavior.
• Xiaoqin: Provides comic relief through her aggressive matchmaking and teasing, especially her crude speculation about Tang’s refusal to hold fan signs.

Significant Themes

• Hope after grief: Ye Heng has spent three years mourning Tang, and the possibility of his survival gives him hope he is almost afraid to accept.
• Deception and survival: Tang’s apparent suicide was a carefully planned escape, showing his intelligence and determination to live independently.
• Emotional irony: Ye Heng’s tragic, intense longing contrasts comically with Tang’s ordinary activities—playing games, working, and attending a concert.
• Possessiveness and jealousy: The chapter ends by transforming Ye Heng’s long-awaited reunion into an amusingly painful situation: Tang is alive, but his first discovered outing is to watch another man perform.
• Tone contrast: The chapter moves between Ye Heng’s grief and suspenseful investigation and the lighthearted humor surrounding Tang’s refusal to act like a fan.

Character Interactions

• Xiaoqin pressures Tang to display fan devotion to Fu Ying, while Tang firmly rejects her suggestions.
• He Wenfang reports each discovery to Ye Heng, carefully managing the increasingly emotional and dangerous situation.
• Ye Heng responds with restrained intensity, asking focused questions while internally struggling with hope and fear.
• The final report—that Tang has been found at a male celebrity’s concert—creates an ironic contrast between Ye Heng’s years of suffering and Tang’s seemingly carefree return to life.

Chapter 109 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Wenfang, believing Ye Heng is about to pursue Tang Mingxi and confine him, begins drafting his resignation letter.
• Tang Mingxi attends Fu Ying’s concert with Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin. While Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin become enthusiastic fans, Tang Mingxi remains relatively composed, though he enjoys the performance and hums along.
• Tang Mingxi accidentally picks up a brightly lit support stick labeled “For Fu Ying’s wife fans only.” His persistent right-eyelid twitching hints at the trouble approaching.
• Ye Heng is secretly present in a second-floor private box and recognizes Tang Mingxi alive after three years of believing he had disappeared or died.
• Overwhelmed by relief, regret, and anger, Ye Heng watches Tang Mingxi from afar. He considers forcibly taking him back but restrains himself, realizing that acting violently could make Tang Mingxi flee again.
• Ye Heng becomes furious when he notices Tang Mingxi holding the “wife fans” light stick. His jealousy shifts toward Fu Ying, whose revealing stage outfit he condemns.
• Ye Heng orders Jingyu’s entertainment division to ensure male performers wear at least two pieces of clothing onstage, threatening the director’s position if the rule is violated.
• After the concert, Fu Ying throws his jacket into the audience, and it lands near Tang Mingxi. Ye Heng’s jealousy intensifies.
• Tang Mingxi kicks the jacket away, considering it discarded trash, while Xiaoqin reverently retrieves it because it belongs to Fu Ying.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains elegant, detached, and somewhat oblivious to the emotional storm around him. His practical disdain for Fu Ying’s jacket highlights his lack of interest in celebrity worship and his characteristically spoiled, sharp attitude.
• Ye Heng: Reveals profound emotional turmoil. Seeing Tang Mingxi alive reawakens his love, grief, regret, and possessiveness. He recognizes that Tang Mingxi’s escape reflected a lack of trust in him, but instead of directly confronting those issues, he immediately becomes jealous and controlling.
• He Wenfang: Becomes increasingly frightened by Ye Heng’s emotional instability and jealousy. His comic decision to resign reflects his belief that working for Ye Heng has become unbearable.
• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin: Fully embrace their roles as excited fans. Xiaoqin’s idol worship contrasts sharply with Tang Mingxi’s indifference.

Significant Themes

• Love, mistrust, and emotional misunderstanding: Ye Heng realizes that Tang Mingxi did not trust his promises and may have considered death preferable to remaining with him.
• Possessiveness versus genuine reconciliation: Ye Heng wants Tang Mingxi back but still instinctively responds through control and confinement rather than communication.
• Jealousy and absurdity: His intense reaction to a light stick and a performer’s jacket comically exposes how deeply possessive he remains.
• Freedom and escape: Tang Mingxi’s survival and continued independent life contrast with Ye Heng’s desire to reclaim and restrict him.
• Emotional distance: Ye Heng is desperate to reconnect, while Tang Mingxi remains unaware that Ye Heng is even present.

Character Interactions

• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin enthusiastically enjoy the concert, while Tang Mingxi tolerates their excitement and retrieves their fallen light sticks.
• Ye Heng silently observes Tang Mingxi and struggles with the urge to seize him, but He Wenfang witnesses his increasingly terrifying jealousy.
• Ye Heng’s orders target Fu Ying indirectly, though Fu Ying is unaware of the jealousy he has provoked.
• Tang Mingxi dismisses Fu Ying’s discarded jacket, while Xiaoqin treats it as a treasured object, emphasizing their radically different reactions to the idol.

Chapter 110 Summary

• Concert and Fu Ying’s discarded jacket: During Fu Ying’s concert, Tang Mingxi feels unusually cold, especially whenever Fu Ying removes another piece of clothing. Xiaoqin is astonished when Tang, unlike ordinary fans, dislikes and discards the idol’s jacket rather than treasuring it. This highlights Tang’s spoiled, self-centered nature and his expectation of being catered to.
• Backstage meeting: After the concert, Li Xiaowei, Xiaoqin, and Tang go backstage for autographs. Fu Ying initially agrees to meet them only because Li Xiaowei is the daughter of a powerful investment executive. When he enters the lounge, he is immediately struck by Tang’s beautiful appearance, especially since Tang has intentionally left his thick glasses at home. Fu Ying wonders whether Tang is an ordinary person or someone connected to the entertainment industry.
• Fu Ying’s interest in Tang: Fu Ying greets Li Xiaowei warmly because of her financial influence, but his attention remains focused on Tang. He takes the bouquet from Tang and offers to sign photographs. Although Tang refuses, Li Xiaowei insists, and Fu Ying gives all three visitors autographs. He spends extra time on Tang’s signed photo and secretly writes his WeChat ID on the back, hoping Tang will contact him.
• Tang’s indifference: Tang has little interest in Fu Ying and considers him less attractive than his former husband. He carelessly loses the signed photograph on the way home, unaware that it will cause trouble when another fan finds it and adds Fu Ying’s WeChat account until the idol must cancel it and create a new one. Tang’s dismissiveness reinforces his vanity and his lack of interest in anyone outside his primary romantic fixation.
• Ye Heng’s intervention: Fu Ying is unexpectedly summoned to meet “Boss Ye,” assuming he may be facing a dangerous or inappropriate situation. Instead, He Wenfang reprimands him on Ye Heng’s behalf for performing vulgar dance moves and throwing clothing onto the stage. He also warns Fu Ying not to litter during performances and implies that another offense could damage his career.
• The bouquet’s real significance: He Wenfang’s true concern is not merely Fu Ying’s behavior. He believes the bouquet Tang held was meant for Tang and therefore must not remain with another man. He takes it to Ye Heng, who is visibly captivated by the flowers despite trying to conceal his feelings. This reveals Ye Heng’s intense possessiveness and emotional dependence on even small signs connected to Tang.
• Ye Heng follows Tang: He Wenfang informs Ye Heng that Tang is traveling home with Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin. Ye Heng immediately orders the driver to follow them. Meanwhile, Tang asks to stop at the Financial Center, setting up the next development.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Tang Mingxi: Remains arrogant, materialistic, and indifferent to Fu Ying’s celebrity status. His deliberately unglassed appearance attracts Fu Ying’s attention, while his careless treatment of the signed photo demonstrates how little he values ordinary fan memorabilia.
• Fu Ying: Shows professional exhaustion and financial vulnerability, but becomes strongly attracted to Tang at first sight. His attempt to give Tang his WeChat ID contrasts with Tang’s complete lack of interest.
• Ye Heng: Displays increasing jealousy and possessiveness. He uses his authority to discipline Fu Ying, but his real motivation is protecting anything he associates with Tang—including the bouquet.
• He Wenfang: Acts as Ye Heng’s efficient intermediary. He understands Ye Heng’s unspoken wishes and manipulates the situation to secure the bouquet for him.
• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin: Remain enthusiastic fans, serving as the reason Tang meets Fu Ying and providing a contrast to Tang’s blasé attitude toward celebrity culture.

Major Themes

• Possessiveness and jealousy: Ye Heng’s reaction to the bouquet shows how intensely he guards Tang’s attention and symbolic connections.
• Class and power: Fu Ying’s meeting is arranged because of Li Xiaowei’s family influence, while Ye Heng can reprimand and threaten him through corporate authority.
• Appearance versus indifference: Tang’s exceptional beauty draws Fu Ying in, even though Tang himself remains unimpressed.
• Spoiled privilege: Tang’s refusal to value ordinary possessions or accommodate others emphasizes his pampered personality.
• Comic romantic obsession: The chapter uses exaggerated misunderstandings and Ye Heng’s concealed fixation to create humor while advancing the central relationship.

Chapter 111 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xiaowei is too sleepy to drive safely after leaving the concert. Tang Mingxi makes her pull over, arranges for her family’s driver to pick her up, and tells her to have Xiaoqin stay with her rather than travel alone at night.
• Although Li Xiaowei invites Tang Mingxi to stay over, he insists on leaving by himself and plans to use a ride-hailing service.
• Tang Mingxi waits near the Financial Center, where he realizes he is hungry and has little chance of getting a car soon. He buys inexpensive oden from a convenience store—something he would never have eaten when he was living as the pampered Tang family heir.
• Ye Heng secretly watches him from a Maybach, observing Tang Mingxi’s modest meal and changed lifestyle with deep emotional pain.
• Unable to find a functioning shared bicycle, Tang Mingxi unexpectedly finds an empty taxi. The driver claims someone has already paid the fare and speeds away before Tang Mingxi can question him.
• Tang Mingxi returns home, unaware that the taxi was likely arranged by Ye Heng. After bathing, he notices Ye Heng’s Maybach parked outside but assumes it belongs to someone else.
• A storm breaks over the city. Ye Heng remains in the car all night, watching the light in Tang Mingxi’s eleventh-floor apartment. He knows Tang Mingxi leaves the light on when sleeping alone but cannot bring himself to approach him because of their painful past.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi demonstrates concern and responsibility toward Li Xiaowei despite his aloof exterior. His softer tone and insistence that she not drive while exhausted reveal genuine care.
• He is also shown to have adapted significantly to life after leaving the Tang family. He now budgets carefully, eats cheap convenience-store food, and relies on public transportation rather than luxury and privilege.
• Ye Heng remains deeply attached to Tang Mingxi. Watching him endure an ordinary, difficult life awakens both tenderness and guilt. Ye Heng’s love is still intense, but fear of repeating the past prevents him from acting.
• Ye Heng’s memories reveal that his affection began when they were young, though neither understood how to love properly at the time.

Significant Themes

• Love expressed through indirect care: Ye Heng helps Tang Mingxi anonymously by paying for his taxi, while Tang Mingxi protects Li Xiaowei without openly expressing affection.
• Regret and emotional restraint: Ye Heng wants to approach Tang Mingxi but is paralyzed by the memory of Tang Mingxi’s earlier rejection and desperate attempt to escape him.
• Transformation and loss of privilege: Tang Mingxi’s willingness to eat convenience-store food highlights how far he has fallen from his former wealthy lifestyle, while also emphasizing his growing independence.
• Distance and unresolved history: The physical separation between Ye Heng in the car and Tang Mingxi in his apartment mirrors their emotional separation.
• Quiet suffering: Both characters conceal their feelings—Tang Mingxi remains unaware of Ye Heng’s presence, while Ye Heng watches silently through the night.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Li Xiaowei share a teasing but caring friendship. She worries about his safety, while he prioritizes hers.
• Li Xiaowei’s playful comments about Tang Mingxi’s attractiveness contrast with his embarrassment and irritation.
• Ye Heng does not directly interact with Tang Mingxi, but his unseen actions—arranging the taxi and remaining outside his home—show that he continues to care for him intensely.
• The chapter ends with Ye Heng watching over Tang Mingxi from a distance, unable to cross the emotional boundary between them.

Chapter 112 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi has a strange dream in which Ye Heng mockingly claims to have countless wives and says he forgot Tang Mingxi as soon as he left. Tang wakes up angry and insists that he is not being self-important.
• The next morning, he notices that the Maybach outside his residential complex has departed. Hearing people speculate that its wealthy owner came to pick up a lover, Tang internally denies any connection to it.
• At work, Tang arrives precisely at nine, prompting his supervisor, Zeng Yang, to criticize him for lacking initiative and not arriving early like other employees.
• Zeng Yang continues targeting Tang throughout the morning, nitpicking his work and questioning his professional credentials. Tang, uninterested in the lecture, listens with earphones and bluntly asks Zeng Yang to repeat himself.
• Tang finally exposes Zeng Yang’s inappropriate behavior: repeatedly sending late-night selfies, using an overly intimate tone, and sending good-morning and good-night messages. The public confrontation humiliates Zeng Yang, who angrily leaves while denying the accusation.
• Tang’s coworkers react with surprise, admiration, amusement, and curiosity about his background. Tang ignores the office gossip and focuses on his personal goal of becoming a “King” in the stock market.
• Meanwhile, at Jingyu Tower, Ye Heng is distracted after a meeting. When He Wenfang finishes presenting the quarterly report, Ye Heng unexpectedly asks about Tang Mingxi, suggesting that Tang remains on his mind.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Shows his usual self-assurance, sharp tongue, and impatience with hypocrisy. Rather than tolerate workplace harassment or manipulation, he confronts Zeng Yang openly and effortlessly turns the situation against him. His dream and reactions to the Maybach also reveal that Ye Heng still affects him emotionally, despite his attempts to dismiss the male lead.
• Ye Heng: Appears distracted and preoccupied, indicating continued concern or curiosity about Tang. His sudden inquiry about Tang at the end of the chapter hints that he may be taking steps to learn about Tang’s current life.
• Zeng Yang: Is revealed to be an arrogant and predatory supervisor who abuses his position to pursue younger employees. His attempt to assert authority collapses when Tang publicly exposes his behavior.
• Li Xiaowei: Supports Tang and casually defends him against Zeng Yang, reinforcing her role as a loyal coworker and ally.

Significant Themes

• Workplace power and harassment: Zeng Yang attempts to use his supervisory position to control and intimidate Tang, but Tang refuses to accept the power imbalance.
• Self-respect and boundaries: Tang clearly distinguishes legitimate work communication from inappropriate personal advances and insists on maintaining boundaries.
• Public image versus reality: Zeng Yang presents himself as a demanding mentor, but Tang reveals the embarrassing reality behind his behavior.
• Lingering attachment: Tang’s dream, his sensitivity to the Maybach, and Ye Heng’s final question all suggest that the separation between Tang and Ye Heng has not erased their emotional connection.
• Humor and satire: The chapter mocks wealthy-romance clichés, office politics, and Zeng Yang’s inflated sense of importance through Tang’s dry internal commentary.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Zeng Yang: Their confrontation dominates the workplace portion of the chapter. Zeng Yang tries to reprimand and belittle Tang, but Tang responds with calm, cutting honesty and exposes his harassment before the entire office.
• Tang Mingxi and Li Xiaowei: Li Xiaowei reassures Tang and offers her support, creating a friendly alliance between them.
• Ye Heng and He Wenfang: After He Wenfang reports on company performance, Ye Heng ignores the expected business discussion and asks about Tang Mingxi, emphasizing his preoccupation with Tang.

Chapter 113 Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Ye Heng becomes interested in Honor of Kings after learning that Tang Mingxi plays it. During work hours, he has He Wenfang download and explain the game.
• Ye Heng performs terribly, losing eighteen consecutive matches. Since he cannot yet reach Tang Mingxi’s rank, He Wenfang suggests buying Liu Cheng’s account.
• Ye Heng spends an enormous 200,000 yuan on Liu Cheng’s high-ranked account. He refuses to change its embarrassing username, “Pi Teng Lao Po, Shi bai lei,” because Tang Mingxi might recognize the account and accept him.
• That evening, Ye Heng invites Tang Mingxi to play. Tang Mingxi mistakes the account for an ordinary but skilled player and joins with Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin.
• While playing through voice chat, Ye Heng hears Tang Mingxi’s voice for the first time in years. He becomes emotionally overwhelmed and pays more attention to the conversation than the game.
• The women discuss Zeng Yang’s harassment and workplace behavior. When asked about his romantic preferences, Tang Mingxi admits that he probably likes men.
• When asked whether he has dated before, Tang Mingxi replies, “I guess so.” Ye Heng is so distracted by this revelation that he stops playing, causing the team to lose and Tang Mingxi to drop from Star Glory to Eternal Diamond.
• Ye Heng becomes consumed by questions about Tang Mingxi’s possible past relationships, remembering the suggestive WeChat posts Tang Mingxi had made visible only to him.

Character Developments

• Ye Heng: His normally controlled and businesslike demeanor gives way to awkward, almost youthful behavior as he tries to get closer to Tang Mingxi through gaming. His determination leads him to spend extravagantly, but hearing Tang Mingxi’s voice and learning about his romantic history exposes Ye Heng’s deep emotional vulnerability and jealousy.
• Tang Mingxi: He remains blunt and oblivious to the identity of his gaming partner. He openly acknowledges that he likes men and may have dated before, showing greater honesty about his sexuality and past than Ye Heng expected.
• He Wenfang: He acts as Ye Heng’s reluctant gaming instructor and adviser, recognizing the absurdity of his boss’s attempts to connect with Tang Mingxi and helping him acquire Liu Cheng’s account.
• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin: They provide comic commentary while also revealing details about Tang Mingxi’s work situation and personal life.

Significant Themes

• Longing and emotional distance: Ye Heng uses a game as a way to reconnect with Tang Mingxi after years apart, but even ordinary contact carries intense emotional weight.
• Jealousy and uncertainty: Tang Mingxi’s vague comments about having dated someone trigger Ye Heng’s anxiety and imagination.
• Identity and romantic preference: Tang Mingxi’s admission that he likes men confirms an important aspect of his identity, while also forcing him to confront his past.
• Comedy amid emotional tension: Ye Heng’s disastrous gaming skills, extravagant account purchase, and attachment to the humiliating username contrast with the serious pain beneath his actions.
• Communication and misunderstanding: Ye Heng is physically present in Tang Mingxi’s life through the game but remains hidden behind another account, allowing misunderstandings to persist.

Character Interactions

• Ye Heng and He Wenfang share a humorous boss–employee dynamic, with He Wenfang trying to manage Ye Heng’s irrational fixation.
• Ye Heng interacts indirectly with Tang Mingxi through the game, carefully observing him while concealing his identity.
• Tang Mingxi, Li Xiaowei, and Xiaoqin discuss workplace harassment, sexuality, and dating over voice chat, unintentionally giving Ye Heng intimate information about Tang Mingxi.
• Ye Heng’s silent reaction to Tang Mingxi’s answers reveals how much more emotionally invested he is than Tang Mingxi realizes.

Chapter 114 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Heng suspects that Tang Mingxi may be the person he is supposed to marry, since Tang has no other known marriage prospects.
• Ye Heng tries to invite Tang Mingxi to join his gaming team, but Tang immediately kicks him out and reports him for “malicious AFK, passive gameplay, and intentional feeding.”
• Tang explains that the report was arbitrary; his real reason is that Ye Heng is simply too bad at the game. He angrily threatens to kill Ye Heng whenever they meet in-game.
• Tang remains furious the next morning after falling from Star Glory to Eternal Diamond because of Ye Heng’s poor gameplay. His intimidating mood even makes supervisor Zeng Yang avoid provoking him.
• His coworkers, Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin, comfort him. Tang later recognizes that he has overreacted and buys them milk tea, eventually treating the whole team and improving his relationships with his colleagues.
• While reading his favorite, absurdly long cultivation-romance novel, The Strongest War God Son-in-Law, Tang discovers that the quiet, nerdy coworker beside him is actually the novel’s author.
• The author reveals that Tang is apparently his only remaining paying reader and says Tang resembles the novel’s heroine, Tang Xiaoqian. Tang is horrified and disillusioned, especially after realizing he may have watched the failed film adaptation with Ye Heng years earlier.
• Tang abandons both the novel and the game because Ye Heng continues sending him messages apologizing for his performance. He blocks Ye Heng after sending one final insult about his terrible gaming ability.
• Ye Heng realizes Tang is genuinely upset about the rank loss. He decides that online apologies are insufficient and that he should explain himself face-to-face.
• Before reaching this conclusion, Ye Heng loses six more matches, dropping from Star Glory all the way to Platinum.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Displays his spoiled, dramatic, and easily angered side, but also shows self-awareness and generosity by apologizing indirectly through gifts of milk tea. He becomes friendlier with coworkers while remaining deeply hostile toward Ye Heng. His obsession with the novel and game is exposed as both embarrassing and emotionally important to him.
• Ye Heng: Remains patient despite Tang’s insults and blocking him. He understands that Tang’s rejection cannot be overcome by forceful contact and decides to approach him cautiously. His continued attempts to play well are unsuccessful, emphasizing his determination but poor gaming ability.
• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin: Grow fond of Tang despite his difficult temperament, treating him almost like a spoiled daughter. Their support helps him recover from his anger.
• The nerdy coworker/author: Revealed to be the creator of Tang’s long-running guilty pleasure. His awkward attempt at friendship leaves Tang shocked and embarrassed.

Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and indirect connection: Ye Heng and Tang interact through a game, but their online exchanges only worsen their misunderstanding. Ye Heng concludes that direct conversation is necessary.
• Humor from emotional contrast: Tang’s elegant, dramatic reactions are juxtaposed with trivial problems such as game rankings, creating much of the chapter’s comedy.
• Slow rebuilding of relationships: Tang gradually becomes more accepted at work, while Ye Heng seeks a cautious way to reconnect with him after their painful past.
• Private attachments and embarrassment: Tang’s devotion to a ridiculous novel shows how people can remain attached to guilty pleasures even while criticizing them.
• Fear of rejection: Ye Heng remembers that Tang once faked his death rather than stay with him, so he deliberately avoids approaching too aggressively.

Character Interactions

• Tang and Ye Heng: Their hostile gaming exchanges reveal unresolved feelings and mutual attention. Tang insults and blocks Ye Heng, while Ye Heng remains focused on winning back some form of contact.
• Tang and his coworkers: Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin comfort him, and Tang repays their kindness with milk tea. His generosity helps him become more approachable to the wider team.
• Tang and the novel’s author: The author’s revelation that Tang is his final reader turns Tang’s favorite escape into an awkward workplace encounter.
• Tang and Zeng Yang: Tang’s intimidating mood causes Zeng Yang, who had planned to trouble him, to retreat, subtly establishing Tang’s growing presence in the workplace.

Chapter 115 Summary

Plot and major events

Ye Heng leaves the Jingyu building after letting out a troubled sigh. That evening, Tang Mingxi goes with Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin to a newly opened dessert shop. While they eat and take photos, Xiaoqin mentions a local stalker who has attacked or attempted to assault women in Xitang District, where Tang lives. Although Tang initially jokes that, as a man, he has nothing to fear, the conversation leaves all three uneasy.
Afterward, Tang separates from the women so Xiaoqin will not have to travel home alone late at night. His ride back is delayed by traffic, and he arrives at his old residential complex around eleven o’clock. While walking through the poorly lit grounds, he notices that a tall, heavily built man is following him. Tang becomes increasingly frightened, prepares to call emergency services, and eventually turns to confront the stranger.
The man is carrying a fruit knife and attacks. Tang manages to evade the first strike, using the swimming skills he has developed over the past year and a half, and runs toward the security booth. However, the booth is unattended, and he is eventually grabbed by the attacker. Just as Tang believes he is about to die, a Maybach arrives and its headlights illuminate the scene. Ye Heng appears, pulls Tang into a protective embrace, and fights the criminal. Unable to defeat Ye Heng, the attacker drops the knife and flees.
Tang is initially too shocked to recognize Ye Heng, believing his appearance may be a hallucination brought on by terror. Once he regains awareness and sees Ye Heng clearly, he begins backing away emotionally and physically. The chapter ends just as Ye Heng starts to speak to him.

Character developments

• Tang Mingxi is shown as more independent and capable than before. He has learned to manage everyday life on his own and uses his swimming ability to escape the attacker. Nevertheless, the assault leaves him deeply traumatized and vulnerable, especially when Ye Heng suddenly reappears.
• Ye Heng makes a dramatic and seemingly timely return. His trembling body, furious expression, and instinctive protection of Tang reveal intense fear, regret, and unresolved concern. His physical transformation over the past three years also emphasizes how much he has changed.
• Li Xiaowei and Xiaoqin provide a lighthearted contrast at the beginning, but their discussion of the stalker foreshadows the danger Tang later encounters. Xiaoqin’s cheerful appetite and Li Xiaowei’s teasing strengthen their friendly dynamic.

Themes

• Danger and vulnerability: Casual conversation about local crime becomes an immediate reality for Tang, showing how quickly ordinary life can turn threatening.
• Loneliness and self-reliance: Tang’s reflections during the ride home reveal the loneliness of living without anyone to clean up after him or protect him.
• Protection and emotional attachment: Ye Heng’s arrival and intense reaction suggest that his feelings for Tang remain powerful despite their separation.
• Trauma and disbelief: Tang’s inability to process Ye Heng’s appearance reflects both the shock of nearly dying and the emotional weight of seeing someone he never expected to meet again.
• Reunion and unresolved history: The chapter sets up a tense reunion between Tang and Ye Heng, ending before Tang can respond to him.

Important character interactions

• Li Xiaowei teases Xiaoqin about overeating, while Xiaoqin cheerfully embraces the idea of being a “happy little pig.”
• The women warn Tang about the stalker, prompting him to think more carefully about his safety.
• Ye Heng rescues Tang from the attacker, physically shielding him and fighting in his place. Their reunion is emotionally charged, but Tang reacts with fear, shock, and retreat rather than immediate relief.

Chapter 116 Summary

Key plot points and events

Tang Mingxi unexpectedly encounters the real Ye Heng, who has apparently known his whereabouts for some time. Panicked that Ye Heng has discovered his fake death and will seek revenge, Tang Mingxi immediately tries to flee. Ye Heng is devastated by Tang Mingxi’s instinctive attempt to leave, which echoes Tang Mingxi’s disappearance and apparent suicide three years earlier. His emotional distress aggravates a serious abdominal injury, causing him to collapse and bleed heavily.
Unable to abandon him, Tang Mingxi returns, supports him to the roadside, and takes him to the nearest hospital. During the ride, Ye Heng tightly holds onto Tang Mingxi to prevent him from escaping. The driver mistakenly assumes they are a married couple arguing and gives them unsolicited relationship advice. Ye Heng confirms the assumption, while Tang Mingxi—embarrassed but technically still married to him—does not deny it. At the hospital, Ye Heng undergoes emergency treatment and requires stitches. Before entering surgery, he asks whether Tang Mingxi will still be there afterward. Tang Mingxi gives a vague response, then flees the hospital entrance as soon as the operating-room doors close.

Character developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains fearful, evasive, and desperate to avoid confronting Ye Heng, but his concern and guilt overpower his survival instinct when Ye Heng is injured. His actions reveal that he still cares deeply for Ye Heng, despite trying to distance himself.
• Ye Heng: His carefully planned reunion collapses when Tang Mingxi runs from him. The incident exposes the fear and trauma he has carried since Tang Mingxi’s disappearance. Though hurt and emotionally vulnerable, he firmly prevents Tang Mingxi from abandoning him and openly acknowledges their marital relationship.

Significant themes

• Fear versus lingering affection: Tang Mingxi’s terror of Ye Heng conflicts with his inability to ignore Ye Heng’s suffering.
• Trauma and abandonment: Ye Heng’s reaction shows that Tang Mingxi’s former “death” continues to affect him deeply.
• Unresolved marriage and emotional ties: The mistaken assumption that they are still a couple highlights that, despite their separation and Tang Mingxi’s attempts to escape, their relationship remains legally and emotionally unfinished.
• Avoidance versus confrontation: Tang Mingxi repeatedly tries to run from the consequences of his past, while Ye Heng forces their reunion into the open.

Character interactions

Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng’s reunion is tense and emotionally charged. Ye Heng accuses him of being caught and holds him tightly, while Tang Mingxi responds with panic, guilt, and reluctant care. Their silence in the car conveys their unresolved history more strongly than direct conversation. Ye Heng’s confirmation that Tang Mingxi is his “wife” embarrasses Tang Mingxi and subtly reasserts their bond. Before surgery, Ye Heng’s vulnerable request for Tang Mingxi to stay contrasts with Tang Mingxi’s continued instinct to flee.

Chapter 117 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the hospital, Tang Mingxi urgently needs somewhere to hide from Ye Heng and avoid returning home. Since he has no identification, he cannot stay at a hotel, so he calls Li Xiaowei and spends the night at her house.
• Li Xiaowei is startled by his bloodstained appearance and jokingly compares him to a “black widow” who has murdered her husband.
• Tang Mingxi cannot sleep because he keeps seeing Ye Heng injured on the operating table. While watching a melodramatic Korean drama with Li Xiaowei, he becomes increasingly preoccupied with whether Ye Heng will survive.
• Tang Mingxi disguises his own situation as a story about a “friend” whose ex-husband once tried to use him as a blood supply. Li Xiaowei humorously interprets the situation through the logic of over-the-top CEO romance novels.
• Despite insisting that Ye Heng wanted revenge, Tang Mingxi begins questioning that conclusion. He recalls Ye Heng’s sorrowful expression and realizes that Ye Heng may not have saved him out of hatred.
• After a disturbing dream in which Ye Heng demands Tang Mingxi’s liver, Tang Mingxi wakes and learns that Ye Heng’s condition is unstable. Unable to remain unconcerned, he takes leave from work and goes to the hospital with a fruit basket.
• Tang Mingxi visits Ye Heng in the inpatient ward. He awkwardly claims to have amnesia and jokes that he vaguely remembers being Ye Heng’s father. Ye Heng responds with hurt and disbelief, asking whether that is truly the first thing Tang Mingxi wants to say after three years apart.
• Tang Mingxi abandons the pretense of politeness and sarcastically confronts Ye Heng, accusing him of already knowing that he was alive.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Initially runs from the situation and tries to convince himself that Ye Heng is dangerous and motivated by revenge. However, his anxiety, guilt, inability to sleep, nightmares, and decision to return to the hospital reveal that he still deeply cares about Ye Heng. He begins acknowledging that Ye Heng’s feelings may be more complicated than hatred.
• Ye Heng: Although largely confined to the hospital bed in this chapter, his earlier actions—saving Tang Mingxi and looking at him with sorrow—cause Tang Mingxi to reconsider his motives. His response to Tang Mingxi’s joke reveals lingering hurt and emotional investment.
• Li Xiaowei: Provides comic relief while also serving as Tang Mingxi’s confidante. Her teasing exposes how absurd Tang Mingxi’s explanation sounds, even though she does not realize he is describing his own past.

Significant Themes

• Fear versus concern: Tang Mingxi wants to escape Ye Heng, yet his worry ultimately draws him back to the hospital.
• Misunderstood love and resentment: Tang Mingxi struggles to determine whether Ye Heng’s actions come from hatred, revenge, or unresolved affection.
• Emotional avoidance: Tang Mingxi uses sarcasm, fabricated amnesia, and jokes about being Ye Heng’s father to avoid directly discussing their painful history.
• Reality versus melodrama: Li Xiaowei’s Korean drama and CEO-romance comparisons humorously mirror Tang Mingxi’s implausibly dramatic circumstances, while also highlighting how difficult it is for him to interpret genuine emotions.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Li Xiaowei: Their conversation is playful and sarcastic, but Li Xiaowei becomes the person Tang Mingxi trusts enough to indirectly confess his worries to.
• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng: Their hospital reunion is tense and emotionally charged. Tang Mingxi masks vulnerability with mockery, while Ye Heng’s wounded reaction suggests that their separation remains painful for him.

Chapter 118 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Mingxi spends the night questioning how Ye Heng found him, concluding that Ye Heng must have known his address all along. He feels angry and manipulated after three years of trying to escape him.
• Ye Heng denies knowing Tang Mingxi’s whereabouts the entire time and reveals that he searched for him for three years.
• Tang Mingxi responds with sarcasm and suspicion, believing Ye Heng may be pretending to care or scheming for his blood. Ye Heng insists that Tang Mingxi himself was the person he had been looking for.
• When Ye Heng reacts painfully to his wound, Tang Mingxi instinctively supports him and worries about his recovery. Ye Heng exaggerates the severity of the injury, claiming it will take half a month to heal and leave a permanent scar.
• Ye Heng uses the injury to jokingly—or manipulatively—claim that Tang Mingxi must take responsibility because the scar might prevent him from finding a wife. Their banter gradually turns toward whether Ye Heng still has “official status” in Tang Mingxi’s life, leaving Tang Mingxi embarrassed.
• Two police officers arrive to question them about the recent stalking incidents. They reveal that six related cases have occurred, including an attempted rape, and that the perpetrator remains at large.
• Tang Mingxi cooperates fully with the investigation. The police warn him to avoid going out at night because the stalker may retaliate, especially since Ye Heng had to rescue him before.
• Although Tang Mingxi initially resists being treated as helpless, he realizes that he may genuinely have been in danger and feels renewed guilt toward Ye Heng.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains defensive, sarcastic, and suspicious of Ye Heng’s motives, but his instinctive concern for Ye Heng’s injury reveals that he still cares deeply. His cooperation with the police shows practicality and responsibility beneath his spoiled exterior. He also begins acknowledging the seriousness of the danger he faced.
• Ye Heng: Becomes unusually direct about his feelings, admitting that he searched for Tang Mingxi for three years. He uses deadpan humor and exaggerated vulnerability to draw Tang Mingxi closer and provoke him into acknowledging their relationship. Despite his calm behavior, his persistence suggests that he still wants Tang Mingxi back.
• Their relationship: The hostility and avoidance between them begin shifting into familiar flirtation and emotional tension. Their old bickering dynamic returns, but it is now mixed with Ye Heng’s open pursuit and Tang Mingxi’s reluctant concern.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and unresolved attachment: Tang Mingxi assumes Ye Heng’s actions are manipulative, while Ye Heng suggests his pursuit was motivated by genuine concern and love.
• Escape versus inevitability: Tang Mingxi feels that no matter how far he runs, fate—or the story’s plot—keeps bringing him back to Ye Heng.
• Emotional vulnerability concealed by humor: Both characters use sarcasm and teasing to avoid directly confronting their feelings.
• Protection and guilt: Ye Heng protects Tang Mingxi from physical danger, while Tang Mingxi feels guilty over Ye Heng being injured and recognizes his dependence on him.
• Reputation versus reality: Tang Mingxi resists being viewed as weak or delicate, even though the police point out that he was genuinely vulnerable in the attack.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi angrily challenges Ye Heng’s claim that he searched for him, while Ye Heng calmly insists that Tang Mingxi was the person he wanted.
• Tang Mingxi supports Ye Heng when he pretends his wound is worse than it is, and Ye Heng exploits Tang Mingxi’s concern to demand that he “take responsibility.”
• Their exchange turns into playful arguing about Ye Heng’s “corny” pickup lines, with Ye Heng shamelessly asking Tang Mingxi to teach him how to speak romantically.
• Ye Heng then uses their banter to confirm whether Tang Mingxi still recognizes him as having a legitimate place in his life.
• The police treat Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng as victims of a broader stalking case, prompting Tang Mingxi to confront the reality that Ye Heng may have saved his life.

Chapter 119 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the investigation, Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng are left alone in Ye Heng’s hospital room. Tang Mingxi asks about Ye Heng’s injury and, despite acting indifferent, researches post-stitch care on his phone.
• Ye Heng thanks Tang Mingxi for donating bone marrow to Ye Yue. Tang Mingxi insists that he helped out of general humanitarian responsibility, not because of Ye Heng.
• Ye Heng jokingly asks Tang Mingxi to show him some “responsibility” as well. Before leaving, Tang Mingxi writes down wound-care instructions, particularly warning Ye Heng not to get the wound wet.
• Ye Heng asks whether Tang Mingxi will visit again and requests his WeChat and phone number. Feeling unable to refuse—especially with Ye Heng’s bodyguards nearby—Tang Mingxi gives him both, intending to delete and block him later.
• Ye Heng arranges a private car to take Tang Mingxi home, claiming taxis are unsafe. Tang Mingxi initially resists but accepts the ride after seeing the long wait for a car.
• While traveling, Tang Mingxi looks through Ye Heng’s WeChat. He discovers that Ye Heng has changed his profile picture to an old, unflattering selfie of Tang Mingxi from three years earlier.
• Tang Mingxi demands that Ye Heng change it, but Ye Heng says he likes the picture and explains that it is the only photo of Tang Mingxi saved on his phone. He then says he wants to show off his “beautiful wife,” leaving Tang Mingxi speechless and flustered.
• That evening, while watching television with Li Xiaowei, Tang Mingxi receives another message from Ye Heng and wonders why the CEO seems to have so much time to keep messaging him.

Character Development

• Tang Mingxi: Although he continues to present himself as cold, sarcastic, and unwilling to reconcile with Ye Heng, his actions reveal concern. He researches Ye Heng’s recovery, writes detailed medical reminders, and accepts Ye Heng’s transportation. At the same time, he remains defensive and irritated by Ye Heng’s attention, using humor and insults to hide his emotional discomfort.
• Ye Heng: His attachment to Tang Mingxi becomes increasingly obvious and intense. He watches Tang Mingxi closely, treasures an old photo of him, wants to maintain constant contact, and openly calls him his “beautiful wife.” His persistence suggests that his feelings have deepened into possessiveness or obsession.
• Their relationship: The chapter shows them moving from forced reunion toward renewed, albeit antagonistic, communication. Tang Mingxi repeatedly claims he wants distance, but he keeps accommodating Ye Heng in small ways.

Significant Themes

• Hidden concern beneath hostility: Tang Mingxi’s sarcasm contrasts with his practical care for Ye Heng.
• Possessiveness and unresolved attachment: Ye Heng’s fixation on Tang Mingxi, including his saved photo and constant messages, reveals that he has never truly let him go.
• Resistance versus surrender: Tang Mingxi recognizes that Ye Heng has found him again and feels exhausted from resisting. Though he tells himself he will eventually block Ye Heng, he begins accepting his presence.
• Humor as emotional defense: Both characters use teasing, sarcasm, and exaggerated complaints to avoid directly addressing their feelings and painful history.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi questions Ye Heng about his wound while pretending not to care.
• Ye Heng thanks him for helping Ye Yue and attempts to turn the conversation into a request for personal attention.
• Tang Mingxi gives Ye Heng medical instructions, while Ye Heng uses the issue of showering to prolong their exchange.
• Ye Heng asks for Tang Mingxi’s contact information and later messages him about transportation.
• Their argument over Ye Heng’s profile picture becomes flirtatious when Ye Heng calls Tang Mingxi his “beautiful wife,” provoking Tang Mingxi’s embarrassment and frustration.

Chapter 120 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Heng sends Tang Mingxi a suggestive photo of his abdominal wound, seemingly using the injury as an excuse to show off his physique. Their teasing exchange becomes flirtatious when Ye Heng says Tang Mingxi could ask him to take off his pants.
• Tang Mingxi renames Ye Heng’s contact “Pornographic Male Streamer,” but Li Xiaowei unexpectedly sees the chat and photo, leading her to misunderstand Tang Mingxi’s relationship with his “friend.”
• After staying at Li Xiaowei’s home for two days, Tang Mingxi searches for a new apartment because he fears retaliation from the stalker and does not want to inconvenience Li Xiaowei. However, the rental market is crowded, and he finds nothing suitable.
• Forced to return to his old apartment for clothes, Tang Mingxi becomes extremely alert while entering the neighborhood. A Bentley follows him, causing him to assume the stalker has returned.
• Tang Mingxi grabs a mop handle for protection, only to discover that the person from the car is Ye Heng. Ye Heng claims he was merely “passing by,” despite having traveled far out of his way.
• Ye Heng asks to go upstairs, openly admitting that he wants to see Tang Mingxi. Tang Mingxi doubts his motives and accuses him of possibly seeking revenge for the deception three years earlier.
• When Ye Heng grabs Tang Mingxi’s arm, Tang Mingxi instinctively shakes him off because of his lingering fear and trauma. Worried that he may have reopened Ye Heng’s wound, Tang Mingxi apologizes and checks on him.
• Ye Heng pretends that his injury hurts badly, apparently manipulating Tang Mingxi’s concern. He follows Tang Mingxi into his cramped but warmly decorated apartment.
• Tang Mingxi examines Ye Heng’s wound and realizes it is nearly healed, making it obvious that Ye Heng exaggerated his pain to gain sympathy and prolong their interaction.

Character Developments

• Tang Mingxi: Remains guarded and suspicious of Ye Heng, yet continues to show instinctive concern for his injuries. His heightened vigilance reflects the psychological impact of being stalked, while his embarrassment and flustered reactions reveal that Ye Heng still affects him emotionally.
• Ye Heng: Becomes increasingly shameless and flirtatious, using humor, suggestive messages, and even a possible injury ruse to stay close to Tang Mingxi. At the same time, his thoughts reveal deep attachment: after nearly losing Tang Mingxi, he is willing to wait patiently and asks for nothing beyond keeping him alive and nearby.
• Li Xiaowei: Provides Tang Mingxi with temporary shelter and unintentionally witnesses the suggestive exchange, contributing comic embarrassment and misunderstanding.

Significant Themes

• Lingering trauma and fear: Tang Mingxi’s reaction to the Bentley and his instinctive struggle when Ye Heng grabs him show how deeply the stalking incident has affected him.
• Unresolved love and emotional dependence: Ye Heng’s persistence and Tang Mingxi’s involuntary concern suggest that their past relationship remains emotionally powerful despite mistrust and resentment.
• Flirtation and manipulation: Ye Heng disguises his desire for closeness as concern over his injury, while Tang Mingxi tries to maintain emotional distance but repeatedly gets drawn in.
• Contrast between appearances and reality: Ye Heng claims to be “passing by” and pretends to be in pain, while Tang Mingxi’s small, carefully decorated apartment reveals a softer and more domestic side beneath his defensive exterior.

Character Interactions

• Tang Mingxi and Ye Heng exchange teasing, suggestive messages, establishing a playful but sexually charged dynamic.
• Li Xiaowei catches sight of the messages and jokingly interprets them as evidence of Tang Mingxi’s wild private life.
• Tang Mingxi confronts Ye Heng about his motives, while Ye Heng responds with unusual sincerity, saying he simply wants to see him.
• Tang Mingxi’s reflexive rejection is followed by immediate concern, allowing Ye Heng to exploit his guilt and secure an invitation inside.