Chapter Summaries

Page 181 Summary

The show begins its main challenge: each celebrity must draw a profession and live as that worker for a week. The production team presents a box containing more than twenty jobs, including both familiar and unusual professions. The drawing order follows the order in which the guests entered.
Liu Junxiang draws first. Although he hopes to avoid an artistic or overly refined occupation, he draws “marriage agency employee.” The audience finds his unhappy reaction amusing, while the director argues that his long, seemingly loving marriage makes him perfectly suited to the role.
However, Chu Xiyue’s system reveals a hidden truth: Liu’s public image as a devoted husband is false. During long filming periods away from home, he has repeatedly had affairs with actresses, treating them as temporary partners. His wife remains unaware, and Liu compensates for his guilt by treating her especially well whenever he returns home. Chu is disgusted by his hypocrisy and privately labels him a scumbag.
Chu’s reaction is noticed by the others and by the livestream audience. Qiao Qianqian deliberately draws attention to Chu’s grim expression by asking whether she envies Liu’s marriage. The question creates immediate tension, since Chu’s face clearly does not match the expected admiring response. The director, aware of Chu’s reputation for exposing scandals, becomes alarmed that a controversy may erupt so early in filming.
Liu, oblivious to the underlying issue and unaware of Chu’s scandal-related reputation, assumes she is unwell or skipping breakfast. He begins sharing a story about his wife once fainting from low blood sugar. Afterward, Qiao continues pressing Chu, asking why she thinks Liu is unsuitable for the marriage-related profession. Chu avoids directly exposing Liu and cautiously says that he may not be well suited to the job.
Qiao refuses to let the matter go, pointing out that the director has praised Liu’s happy marriage and family, implying that he should be ideal for matchmaking. The director becomes increasingly panicked, regretting his decision to invite Qiao for the sake of audience traffic.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates her ability to uncover hidden truths through the system. Her moral disgust toward Liu conflicts with the need to protect the show from scandal, forcing her to restrain herself.
• Liu Junxiang: Maintains a cheerful, innocent public demeanor but is revealed to be unfaithful and hypocritical in private. His obliviousness makes the situation more awkward.
• Qiao Qianqian: Appears innocent and curious but deliberately provokes Chu, suggesting she may be trying to expose a secret or create drama.
• The director: Becomes nervous and desperate to prevent a scandal, especially because he knows Chu’s history of generating gossip.
• Livestream audience: Enjoys Liu’s unfortunate draw and quickly notices the tension in Chu’s expression, anticipating another revelation.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private reality: Liu’s celebrated marriage is exposed as a carefully maintained illusion.
• Hypocrisy and guilt: Liu’s extra affection toward his wife comes not from genuine faithfulness but from guilt over his betrayals.
• Entertainment-industry scandal: The show’s lighthearted format is threatened by the guests’ hidden histories and Chu’s ability to reveal them.
• Restraint and moral judgment: Chu must choose between exposing the truth and maintaining social and professional decorum.
• Manufactured reality: Both celebrity personas and “happy family” images are presented as performances that may conceal troubling truths.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Junxiang’s Cheating”

Plot and major events

During a reality-show recording, Qiao Qianqian hints that Liu Junxiang’s supposedly happy marriage may not be as genuine as he claims. Chu Xiyue then openly accuses him of having acted as a temporary husband with several actresses while filming different dramas—specifically, the second female lead in his first production, the fourth female lead in his second, and the female lead in his third. The accusation shocks the cast and livestream audience, since Liu Junxiang is known for frequently praising his wife and presenting himself as honest and family-oriented.

Conflict and revelation

Liu Junxiang reacts with outrage, denying that he has ever betrayed his wife or had inappropriate relationships with actresses. He demands that Chu Xiyue apologize and accuses her of slander. The director attempts to calm the situation and move on, while viewers debate whether Chu Xiyue and Qiao Qianqian are deliberately targeting him.

Chu Xiyue’s tactic

Knowing that Liu Junxiang has carefully hidden his affairs and that she lacks direct evidence, Chu Xiyue introduces a new claim. She says that a supporting actress from his recent guest appearance was diagnosed with syphilis after sleeping with someone on the production crew. Although she pretends to be discussing someone else, she describes symptoms and complications in vivid detail, including fever, inflammation, ulcers, and “cauliflowers.”

Liu Junxiang’s exposure through his reaction

The information deeply unsettles Liu Junxiang because he recently had a low fever and genital swelling after working on that production. He realizes that he may have contracted an infection from the actress, whom he slept with without protection. His fear and guilt cause him to sweat, tremble, and lose his composure. When Chu Xiyue casually mentions “cauliflowers,” he instinctively shouts that he does not have them, unintentionally making himself look guilty.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates intelligence, boldness, and psychological manipulation. She uses Liu Junxiang’s guilty conscience against him, while maintaining an innocent expression and publicly pretending to apologize.
• Liu Junxiang shifts from righteous indignation to panic. His confident image as a loyal husband begins to collapse under pressure.
• Qiao Qianqian functions as Chu Xiyue’s indirect ally by initiating the subject of Liu’s marriage, though viewers suspect the two women may have coordinated the confrontation.
• The director tries to suppress the controversy and continue the program, but Chu Xiyue ignores him.
• The livestream audience changes from defending Liu Junxiang to questioning his innocence after observing his increasingly suspicious reaction.
• The system reveals that Chu Xiyue fabricated the syphilis story; she confirms that her goal was to provoke Liu into exposing his own guilt.

Themes

The chapter explores hypocrisy, infidelity, and the contrast between public image and private behavior. It also emphasizes psychological manipulation and the idea that guilt can reveal hidden wrongdoing even when no physical evidence exists. The entertainment industry is portrayed as a place where staged romances and concealed affairs are common, while public reputations can be destroyed by a single uncontrolled reaction.

Chapter 183 Summary

• Liu Junxiang is publicly cornered: Chu Xiyue continues sarcastically “defending” Liu Junxiang’s purity while repeatedly describing syphilis, infidelity, and the need for medical treatment. Her comments clearly target his rumored affair with a supporting actress, leaving him visibly panicked, uncomfortable, and distracted. The staff distance themselves from him, sensing his guilt.
• Qiao Qianqian joins the attack: Qiao Qianqian reveals that she knows Liu Junxiang cheated during his secret on-set marriage. Although she lacks proof, she openly condemns unfaithful people and wishes them an early encounter with syphilis. She and Chu Xiyue exchange approving looks, effectively forming an alliance in exposing Liu’s hypocrisy.
• The show resumes with the job lottery: The director redirects attention to the program. Song Baichen hesitates to use the lottery box Liu touched, so the staff replace it. He draws the job of farm milker and claims he has never milked a cow.
• Song Baichen’s fake persona is exposed: The system reveals that Song actually grew up helping his family run a large dairy farm, but later hid his background to maintain an image as a wealthy high-society heir. He even had the farm sold after entering show business. Chu Xiyue is disappointed that this is merely image management rather than a serious scandal, while the system jokes that the entertainment industry is not a prison.
• Qiao Qianqian draws an easy job: She becomes a sales consultant at an M Brand counter, a role suited to her extensive product knowledge. She boasts that she has drawn an “SSR” and taunts those hoping to see her suffer, reinforcing why she has both devoted fans and numerous haters.
• Other assignments: Jiang Jie draws delivery courier, and Xu Zhiying draws kindergarten teacher. Chu Xiyue is the final participant left to draw, and the system remarks that the jobs seem unusually easy.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue grows increasingly confident in using the system’s gossip to manipulate and expose people, though she chooses not to reveal Song Baichen’s relatively harmless deception.
• Liu Junxiang loses his usual composure as Chu’s insinuations strike close to the truth, suggesting that his carefully maintained image is beginning to collapse.
• Qiao Qianqian reveals herself as blunt, outspoken, and eager to punish Liu’s hypocrisy. Her mutual understanding with Chu develops into a humorous partnership.
• Song Baichen is shown to have constructed a false elite background, though his secret is less damaging than Liu’s alleged infidelity.
• The chapter emphasizes hypocrisy, public image, celebrity persona-building, gossip, and the social consequences of infidelity. It also uses satire to contrast the celebrities’ polished reputations with their private behavior.

Chapter Summary — Page 184

Key Plot Points and Events

• The reality show contestants draw occupations for the coming week. Chu Xiyue draws Neighborhood Office Intern, a job the system claims will be easy and allow her to gossip while working.
• While the audience assumes the position involves little more than drinking tea and reading newspapers, one viewer points out that neighborhood-office work can be surprisingly difficult.
• Before the contestants separate, Liu Junxiang asks to leave the show because of an “urgent family matter.” The official explanation hides the real reason: his suspected affair and “fake couple” relationship have been exposed.
• The hashtags #LiuJunxiangCheating and #LiuJunxiangSetCouple briefly trend online. Although Liu is not famous enough for the scandal to remain prominent, the people concerned see the news, prompting several celebrities and influencers to schedule medical examinations.
• At the Neighborhood Office, Chu Xiyue immediately encounters a marital dispute. Bai Mei publicly demands that her husband, Cao Jingzhuang, explain his relationship with another woman.
• Chu cannot enter because a crowd has gathered outside, but she quickly pieces together the couple’s history: Bai Mei is wealthy and assertive, while Cao Jingzhuang is a less financially powerful designer from a rural background. They married for love after meeting at university, but after more than ten years of marriage, their relationship deteriorated.
• Bai Mei repeatedly accuses Cao of infidelity, and their arguments have escalated into physical violence, property damage, and disturbances that have required police intervention. The police bring them to the Neighborhood Office for mediation.
• Viewers immediately take sides, with many believing Bai Mei’s suspicions because they assume Cao must have given her a reason to doubt him.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: She is delighted by the prospect of workplace gossip and realizes that the Neighborhood Office job suits her perfectly. Her curiosity and enthusiasm draw her directly toward the marital dispute.
• Liu Junxiang: His departure reveals that his public image has been damaged by an alleged affair and a staged romantic relationship. Though the scandal fades quickly from the trending rankings, it has serious consequences for those involved.
• Bai Mei: Presented as emotionally volatile and confrontational, she suspects her husband of cheating and has repeatedly fought with him, even becoming physically aggressive.
• Cao Jingzhuang: He appears weary and defensive, denying that he has another woman. His background and marriage dynamic suggest that he has less social and financial power than Bai Mei.
• The livestream audience: Viewers eagerly embrace the scandal, relying on personal experiences and stereotypes to judge the couple before learning the full truth.

Significant Themes

• Public image versus private reality: Liu Junxiang’s carefully managed celebrity persona collapses once the alleged affair becomes public.
• Gossip as entertainment: Both Chu and the livestream audience treat real interpersonal conflict as compelling drama.
• Gender and relationship assumptions: Viewers largely believe Bai Mei’s accusations, reflecting the common belief that a woman’s intuition is reliable and that men naturally lie about infidelity.
• Marriage and power imbalance: Bai Mei and Cao’s relationship is shaped by differences in wealth, background, personality, and authority.
• The hidden difficulty of ordinary work: The seemingly easy Neighborhood Office position immediately places Chu in the middle of a complicated and emotionally charged dispute.

Character Interactions

• The Director assigns Chu her occupation, while the system encourages her to view it as an ideal opportunity for gossip.
• Liu Junxiang negotiates his departure with the Director, who quietly accepts his explanation.
• Bai Mei confronts Cao Jingzhuang at the Neighborhood Office, accusing him of keeping another woman outside their marriage. Cao denies the affair and tries to calm her.
• Police and neighbors have previously attempted to mediate the couple’s conflicts, but their efforts have failed, leading them to seek help from the Neighborhood Office.
• Chu observes the confrontation from outside while the viewers follow along and speculate about who is telling the truth.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Chu Xiyue joins a crowd gathered outside Bai Mei and Cao Jingzhuang’s home, where the couple has been arguing loudly. To learn more, she offers the neighborhood aunties sunflower seeds and claims that she is a new host for the television program Family Matters, which helps the women trust her and share information.
The neighbors explain that Bai Mei has accused Cao Jingzhuang of cheating, but they strongly doubt the accusation. Cao is known as a devoted husband who does the housework, gives Bai Mei his wages, and rarely goes out except for work. They believe Bai Mei’s suspicions began after the death of their young son, Little Bao.
Little Bao died in a road accident after Bai Mei failed to supervise him. Since then, Bai Mei has become emotionally unstable, irritable, and suspicious, frequently fighting with Cao and even physically attacking him. The police reportedly found no evidence that Cao had an affair. The livestream audience, which initially condemned Cao as a cheater, changes its opinion and begins viewing him as a victim while still expressing pity for Bai Mei.
As lunchtime approaches, the argument inside appears to end with Bai Mei crying and Cao sighing. Chu Xiyue moves closer to the residence just as a woman arrives with a little boy and asks whether her brother and sister-in-law are still inside, introducing a potentially important new connection.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates resourcefulness and social intelligence. Rather than judging the couple based on the public accusation, she gathers information indirectly and remains neutral while assessing the situation.
• Bai Mei is revealed to have changed drastically after her child’s death. Her grief has manifested as anger, paranoia, and violence toward her husband.
• Cao Jingzhuang is presented by the neighbors as patient, domestic, financially transparent, and devoted, complicating the initial image of him as an unfaithful husband.
• The neighbors and livestream viewers quickly shift their opinions once they learn about Little Bao’s death, showing how easily public judgment can be influenced by new information.
• Little Bao, though deceased, is central to the couple’s conflict and emotional deterioration.

Significant themes

• The danger of judging from appearances: The crowd and viewers initially assume Cao is guilty based on Bai Mei’s public accusations, but the neighbors’ testimony reveals a more complicated situation.
• Grief and psychological trauma: Bai Mei’s unresolved guilt and sorrow over her son’s death have transformed her behavior and damaged her marriage.
• Public opinion and sensationalism: The livestream audience rapidly condemns and then defends Cao, emphasizing how quickly online viewers form opinions without knowing the full story.
• Gender expectations and marital double standards: The passage critiques assumptions about male infidelity, female suspicion, and the expectation that women must be “virtuous” wives.
• The complexity of victimhood: Both Bai Mei and Cao appear to be suffering—Bai Mei from grief and guilt, and Cao from accusations and domestic conflict—making it difficult to assign blame simply.

Important character interactions

• Chu Xiyue wins over the neighborhood women by presenting herself as a television host and sharing sunflower seeds.
• She questions them carefully, uncovering the truth about Cao’s reputation and Little Bao’s death.
• The aunties collectively defend Cao while also acknowledging Bai Mei’s suffering.
• The livestream audience mirrors this shift, moving from condemning Cao to sympathizing with him.
• The chapter ends with an unfamiliar woman and boy arriving and asking about Bai Mei and Cao, hinting at a new development.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue encounters Cao Xiao Qing, a seemingly gentle woman accompanied by her young son, Dabao, outside the Neighborhood Office.
• She also sees Xiao Qing’s adoptive brother, Cao Jingzhuang, leaving the office with his wife, Bai Mei, who appears devastated after losing a child. Cao Jingzhuang looks respectable, mild, and supportive, giving everyone the impression that he is an honest husband.
• The system reveals that Cao Jingzhuang has been unfaithful—and that his affair partner is Cao Xiao Qing, whom everyone believes to be his sister.
• The system explains that Xiao Qing was abandoned and adopted by the Cao family, but was treated as a commodity rather than a daughter. The Cao parents planned to sell her into marriage for a bride price.
• Although Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang are not biologically related, he never regarded her as a true sister. During their youth, he sexually assaulted her, resulting in a pregnancy. Rather than punish their son, the Cao parents blamed Xiao Qing, forced her to have an abortion, and later sold her to an older, disabled man.
• After that marriage ended with the man’s death, Xiao Qing returned to the Cao family. When her parents tried to sell her again—this time to an older, violent widower—she resisted by seducing Cao Jingzhuang while he was visiting during the New Year. She again became pregnant with his child.
• The chapter ends as the system begins revealing the deeper history behind Xiao Qing’s relationship with Cao Jingzhuang.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue is shown to be highly curious and perceptive. Although initially interested in ordinary gossip, she is horrified by the revelation and immediately questions the morality and circumstances of the affair.
• Cao Jingzhuang is exposed as manipulative and abusive beneath his respectable, scholarly appearance. His gentle behavior toward Bai Mei contrasts sharply with his exploitation of Xiao Qing.
• Cao Xiao Qing is presented as a victim of abandonment, family abuse, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation. Her later actions are morally troubling but are shaped by desperation and her determination to avoid being sold again.
• Bai Mei appears to be Cao Jingzhuang’s unsuspecting wife, emotionally broken and unaware—or not yet openly confronting—the full truth about her husband.

Significant themes

• Deception and appearances: Cao Jingzhuang’s respectable image conceals serious abuse and betrayal.
• Patriarchal exploitation: Xiao Qing is treated as property by the Cao family, valued for the money she can bring through marriage.
• Abuse and victim-blaming: The family protects Cao Jingzhuang while punishing Xiao Qing for the consequences of his actions.
• Moral ambiguity and survival: Xiao Qing’s choices are troubling, but the chapter frames them within a history of coercion, abuse, and desperation.
• The difference between legal and emotional family ties: Although Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang are not blood relatives, their upbringing as siblings makes the affair socially and morally shocking.

Character interactions

• Chu Xiyue observes and briefly passes by Xiao Qing, Dabao, Cao Jingzhuang, and Bai Mei.
• The older neighborhood women praise Xiao Qing and note Dabao’s resemblance to Cao Jingzhuang, unknowingly hinting at the child’s true parentage.
• Cao Jingzhuang acts tenderly toward the distressed Bai Mei, reinforcing the false image of a considerate husband.
• Through the system’s revelations, Chu Xiyue learns about the abusive power dynamics between Cao Jingzhuang, Xiao Qing, and their adoptive parents.

Chapter 187 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue reflects on Cao Xiao Qing’s complicated history. Although Cao Xiao Qing was once a victim, she later became a perpetrator by interfering in Cao Jingzhuang’s marriage instead of leaving the Cao family and living independently.
• The system reveals that Cao Xiao Qing’s son is actually Cao Jingzhuang’s biological son, not the posthumous child of her late husband. This child’s existence allowed Cao Xiao Qing to gain the Cao family’s acceptance and avoid being forced into another marriage.
• Cao Jingzhuang had lied about giving his wages to his wife, Bai Mei. In reality, he gave his income to the Cao family, who remained dissatisfied and began plotting to seize Bai Mei’s family wealth.
• Bai Mei’s son, Bai Little Bao, was deliberately killed. Cao Xiao Qing’s son, acting on instructions from Cao Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang, lured Little Bao into the street by throwing his ball into traffic, causing his death to appear accidental.
• Cao Jingzhuang had never regarded Bai Little Bao as his true son because the boy carried the Bai surname. He had originally expected Bai Mei’s second child to carry the Cao surname, but Bai Mei’s health prevented another pregnancy.
• Cao Jingzhuang also secretly administered psychiatric drugs to Bai Mei, intending to make her appear mentally unstable after her son’s death. He planned to have her death seem like a natural consequence of her worsening condition, allowing him to inherit the Bai family’s assets.
• Outraged, Chu Xiyue openly curses the perpetrators and then approaches Bai Mei. She offers to reveal the identity of Cao Jingzhuang’s affair partner.
• When Cao Jingzhuang threatens to sue her for spreading rumors, Chu Xiyue publicly declares that his affair partner is his “younger sister,” Cao Xiao Qing.
• The crowd and livestream viewers are shocked and initially disbelieve her. Cao Jingzhuang angrily denies the accusation, but his panic suggests that Chu Xiyue’s claim may be true.
• Chu Xiyue then exposes the crucial secret: Cao Xiao Qing is not Cao Jingzhuang’s biological sister. She was an abandoned baby adopted by the Cao family, meaning the two are unrelated by blood.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates her growing courage and commitment to exposing hidden wrongdoing. Rather than remaining a passive observer, she directly confronts Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing in public.
• Cao Xiao Qing: Is revealed to have progressed from an abused and powerless victim into an active conspirator. She participates in harming Bai Mei and her child and maintains an incestuous relationship with Cao Jingzhuang.
• Cao Jingzhuang: Is exposed as manipulative, greedy, and murderous. He exploits Bai Mei financially, engineers her son’s death, drugs her, and plots to inherit her family’s wealth.
• Bai Mei: Initially appears emotionally numb and vulnerable after the loss of her child and suspicion of her husband’s infidelity. Chu Xiyue’s revelation gives her renewed alertness, and she begins to suspect that Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing may be connected.
• Cao Xiao Qing’s son: Though still a child, he is used as an instrument in the adults’ scheme. His involvement highlights how Cao Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang have corrupted and manipulated him.

Significant Themes

• Victimhood versus culpability: The chapter emphasizes that suffering does not excuse later wrongdoing. Cao Xiao Qing’s tragic past explains her behavior but does not absolve her crimes.
• Greed and exploitation: Cao Jingzhuang’s family treats marriage, children, and even death as tools for obtaining wealth.
• Hidden corruption beneath respectable appearances: The Cao family presents itself as ordinary and respectable, while concealing murder, adultery, manipulation, and financial schemes.
• Truth and exposure: Chu Xiyue acts as a force uncovering concealed crimes, while Cao Jingzhuang’s panic shows how quickly a carefully constructed façade can collapse.
• The abuse of innocence: Children are manipulated into participating in adult schemes, and Bai Little Bao is treated as disposable because of his surname and inheritance status.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue internally judges Cao Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang, then confirms the truth with the system.
• Cao Jingzhuang attempts to silence and intimidate Chu Xiyue after she approaches Bai Mei.
• Chu Xiyue directly tells Bai Mei about the alleged affair, reigniting Bai Mei’s attention and suspicion.
• Bai Mei reacts strongly to Chu Xiyue’s revelation and begins reassessing the relationship between her husband and Cao Xiao Qing.
• Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing are publicly linked by Chu Xiyue’s accusation, setting up a major confrontation as their supposed sibling relationship is revealed to be unrelated by blood.

Chapter Summary: “Two Murderers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue exposes Cao Xiao Qing’s hidden past: she was adopted by the Cao family, sexually abused by Cao Jingzhuang as a teenager, became pregnant, was forced to abort the child, and was later married off to an older man.
• Chu then reveals that Cao Xiao Qing’s son, Dabao, is actually Cao Jingzhuang’s biological child—not the child of Cao Xiao Qing’s late ex-husband. She challenges them to prove otherwise with a DNA test.
• Cao Jingzhuang violently attacks Chu Xiyue, but her bodyguards restrain him. His extreme reaction makes the accusations appear credible to the witnesses and livestream audience.
• Bai Mei, Cao Jingzhuang’s wife, initially becomes the center of the scandal but ultimately believes Chu’s claims. She recalls several suspicious incidents:
  • Cao Jingzhuang returning from a hotel with hickeys.
  • A hotel payment record and a money transfer to Cao Xiao Qing.
  • Cao Xiao Qing leaving Bai Mei’s bedroom in a revealing nightgown while Cao Jingzhuang was inside, despite the room having a frosted-glass bathroom.
• Cao Jingzhuang repeatedly denies the affair and tries to persuade Bai Mei to leave with him so he can explain privately, but Bai Mei angrily rejects him.
• Chu Xiyue announces that she has called the police. This surprises everyone because the affair itself is a moral and family scandal rather than an obvious crime, but Cao Jingzhuang immediately senses danger and tries to prevent the police from becoming involved.
• The chapter ends with Bai Mei condemning Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing’s relationship as disgusting, emphasizing that Cao Xiao Qing had been treated as his sister for thirty years despite not being related by blood.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates confidence, investigative ability, and control of the situation. She publicly exposes the truth, protects Bai Mei, and takes the decisive step of involving the police.
• Cao Jingzhuang loses his composed public image. His violent outburst, frantic denials, and desperation to remove Bai Mei from the scene suggest guilt and fear that the accusations involve more than adultery.
• Cao Xiao Qing becomes visibly frightened and defensive. Her silence, retreat, and attempt to shield Dabao make her appear complicit.
• Bai Mei shifts from suspicion and emotional pain to open confrontation. She connects past incidents that she previously dismissed and finally accepts that her husband betrayed her with Cao Xiao Qing.
• Dabao is placed at the center of the scandal through the revelation of his alleged paternity, though he has little direct agency in the events.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and deception: Cao Jingzhuang’s alleged affair with someone raised as his sister represents a profound betrayal of Bai Mei and the family.
• Hidden identity and biological truth: Dabao’s resemblance to Cao Jingzhuang and the proposed DNA test suggest that concealed family relationships will be crucial.
• Public exposure and accountability: The livestream audience watches the family scandal unfold, making it impossible for Cao Jingzhuang to quietly suppress the truth.
• Power and victimization: Cao Xiao Qing’s traumatic past complicates the situation, showing how she was abused, controlled, and forced into circumstances that shaped her later actions.
• The limits of appearances: Cao Jingzhuang’s refined demeanor collapses under pressure, revealing a more aggressive and frightened personality.
• Foreshadowing of criminal wrongdoing: Chu’s decision to call the police and Cao Jingzhuang’s alarmed response imply that the chapter’s events involve more serious crimes than infidelity alone.

Character Interactions

• Chu directly confronts Cao Xiao Qing and Cao Jingzhuang with accusations and evidence.
• Cao Jingzhuang attacks Chu, prompting her bodyguards to restrain him.
• Bai Mei openly challenges Cao Jingzhuang, recounting the suspicious behavior that led her to believe he was cheating.
• Chu provides emotional support to Bai Mei by calming her when she becomes overwhelmed.
• Cao Jingzhuang attempts to manipulate Bai Mei into leaving with him, but she refuses and publicly condemns him.
• The livestream viewers interpret the physical resemblance and circumstantial evidence as confirmation that Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing were having an affair.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Bai Mei learns the full extent of Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiaoqing’s illicit relationship. Cao Jingzhuang had impregnated Xiaoqing when she was a teenager, exploited her bride price, continued an affair with her after her marriage, and fathered her son, Cao Dabao. Bai Mei condemns his claim that he treated Xiaoqing like a “little sister.”
Chu Xiyue reveals that she has called the police because there are “two murderers” present. Cao Jingzhuang becomes visibly panicked and repeatedly tries to persuade Bai Mei to leave, eventually admitting his affair with Xiaoqing in an effort to distract from the greater secret. The public reacts with shock and disgust, while Xiaoqing is humiliated and Dabao cries for his mother.
When the police arrive, Chu Xiyue directly accuses Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiaoqing of murdering Bai Mei’s son, Bai Xiaobao. The chapter ends with Bai Mei stunned and Cao Jingzhuang terrified that Chu Xiyue knows the truth.

Character developments

• Bai Mei moves from gratitude and outrage over the affair to suspicion that Cao Jingzhuang is hiding something more serious. Her lingering pain over Bai Xiaobao’s death resurfaces when she sees Dabao crying.
• Chu Xiyue remains calm, perceptive, and decisive. She exposes the affair but clearly considers the murder the more important revelation.
• Cao Jingzhuang shifts from denial and manipulation to desperate confession and panic, revealing that he is far more concerned about escaping than protecting his reputation.
• Cao Xiaoqing is publicly shamed and overwhelmed, while her reaction to Jingzhuang’s confession suggests she does not understand—or cannot accept—the danger of what Chu Xiyue is about to reveal.
• Cao Dabao innocently comforts his mother, heightening the emotional tension.

Significant themes

The chapter explores betrayal, sexual exploitation, hypocrisy, and the corruption of familial labels such as “brother” and “sister.” It also emphasizes the contrast between public appearances and hidden crimes, as well as the pursuit of justice for a death previously dismissed as an accident. Public gossip and livestream spectatorship further turn private wrongdoing into public judgment.

Character interactions

Bai Mei thanks Chu Xiyue for exposing Cao Jingzhuang, while Chu Xiyue refuses her offer of testimony and redirects attention to the murder accusation. Cao Jingzhuang repeatedly begs Bai Mei to leave with him, but Bai Mei confronts him about his secrets. The crowd condemns the couple as their affair becomes public, and Chu Xiyue ultimately stops Cao Jingzhuang from escaping by confronting him before the police.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Chu Xiyue accuses Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiaoqing of murdering Bai Xiaobao to gain control of Bai Mei’s inheritance. Cao Jingzhuang denies involvement, insisting Xiaobao’s death was an accident, while the bystanders initially defend him. Chu then suggests that the pair may have intended to cause Bai Mei’s death as well, disguising it as suicide after the loss of her son. Their panicked reactions convince the police and onlookers that they are hiding something.
Chu reconstructs the murder: while Cao Jingzhuang was absent, Cao Xiaoqing visited Bai Mei and distracted her with housework and conversation. She allowed her son, Cao Dabao, to take Xiaobao outside. At a location hidden from surveillance, Dabao threw Xiaobao’s favorite toy into traffic, causing Xiaobao to run into the road and be killed. Chu identifies Cao Jingzhuang as the mastermind and Cao Xiaoqing as his accomplice, revealing that their WeChat messages contain the plan. Cao Xiaoqing’s attempt to hide her phone further exposes her guilt.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue remains calm and observant, revealing increasingly specific details that dismantle the suspects’ alibis and expose the murder plot.
• Cao Jingzhuang shifts from confident denial to visible panic when Chu connects Xiaobao’s death to the inheritance and a possible future murder of Bai Mei.
• Cao Xiaoqing becomes visibly frightened and defensive, especially when her son is implicated. Her trembling and attempt to conceal her phone make her guilt apparent.
• Bai Mei moves from grief and confusion to horrified realization when she hears how her son died, then confronts Cao Dabao emotionally.
• Cao Dabao, portrayed as a frightened child, is revealed to have been used as an accomplice in the adults’ scheme.

Significant themes

The chapter explores greed, betrayal, and the danger of marrying into a family motivated by wealth. It also highlights the manipulation of appearances: Xiaobao’s death was staged as an accident, while Bai Mei’s potential death could have been disguised as suicide. The scene emphasizes how guilt can be revealed through involuntary reactions and how truth can emerge through careful observation and evidence.

Character interactions

Chu directly challenges Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiaoqing, while the police observe their reactions and prepare to investigate their phones. Bai Mei confronts Cao Dabao in anguish, prompting Cao Xiaoqing to protect her son and deny the accusation. The livestream audience reacts to the unfolding revelation, shifting from gossip about the adults’ affair to speculation about a carefully planned murder and inheritance scheme.

Chapter Summary: “Foster Parents and Biological Parents”

Key Plot Points and Events

• When police request their phones to check chat records, Cao Jingzhuang confidently hands over his device and tells Cao Xiao Qing to do the same, claiming they never discussed harming Bai Little Bao.
• Their sudden relaxation makes it appear that the phones contain no evidence. However, the police unexpectedly arrest both of them and reveal recovered chat records.
• The messages show Cao Xiao Qing asking whether Bai Little Bao is dead and Cao Jingzhuang confirming his death. He also admits that they concealed the murder as an accident and planned to obtain the Bai family’s property after the death of the “older one.”
• Cao Xiao Qing is shocked and blurts out that she had deleted the messages, unintentionally confirming their guilt.
• Bai Mei sees the records and attacks Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing in grief and rage, blaming them for killing her son. She collapses during the assault.
• Chu Xiyue catches Bai Mei and asks the police to arrange a full medical examination, suspecting that Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing may have been secretly forcing Bai Mei to take large doses of psychiatric medication.
• An ambulance takes Bai Mei away, while the police take Cao Jingzhuang, Cao Xiao Qing, and Cao Dabao into custody.
• Afterward, Chu Xiyue completes her onboarding at the neighborhood office. The staff and livestream viewers question how she knew about the affair, the family relationships, and the murder conspiracy despite never having visited Yu City before.

Character Developments

• Cao Jingzhuang: His initial confidence and apparent cooperation collapse when the police reveal the recovered messages. His greed and willingness to kill his own son for the Bai family’s inheritance are exposed.
• Cao Xiao Qing: She begins by acting composed and certain that her deleted messages cannot be found. Her shocked admission that she deleted them confirms the conspiracy and reveals her involvement with Cao Jingzhuang.
• Bai Mei: Her suspicion and confusion turn into devastating grief and fury when she learns that her son was murdered. Her violent reaction shows the depth of her maternal love, but the possibility that she was drugged suggests her judgment and emotional state may have been deliberately manipulated.
• Chu Xiyue: She continues to demonstrate remarkable insight and investigative ability. She not only exposes the affair and murder plot but also suspects that Bai Mei was drugged, potentially uncovering another layer of the scheme.
• Bai Little Bao/Bai Jiale: His death is revealed to have been an intentional murder rather than an accident, making him the central victim of the family’s betrayal.
• Cao Dabao: He is taken away with the adults, though his precise role in the events remains unclear.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal within the family: The chapter emphasizes the horror of a father conspiring against his own son with his mistress.
• Greed and inheritance: Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing’s motive is financial gain, particularly control of the Bai family’s property.
• Truth versus concealment: The conspirators attempt to erase digital evidence and disguise murder as an accident, but the truth is ultimately uncovered.
• Maternal grief and revenge: Bai Mei’s reaction illustrates the overwhelming force of a mother’s love and rage after losing her child.
• Manipulation and abuse: The suspicion that Bai Mei was drugged suggests that the conspirators may have tried to control her mentally and prepare the way for her own death or the theft of her inheritance.
• Justice through unexpected means: Chu Xiyue’s observations succeed where ordinary assumptions and the earlier investigation failed.

Important Character Interactions

• Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing coordinate their behavior to appear innocent, but their matching reactions and secret history reveal their alliance.
• The police initially accept their phones, then use recovered chat records to confront and arrest them.
• Bai Mei attacks the pair after discovering the truth, directly expressing her grief and hatred.
• Chu Xiyue protects Bai Mei from further harm, requests medical testing, and openly accuses the arrested pair of possibly drugging her.
• After the arrests, the neighborhood staff and livestream audience turn their attention to Chu Xiyue, eager to learn how she uncovered the family’s hidden relationships and crimes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue explains how she deduced that Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing were lovers rather than siblings. Their lack of physical resemblance and intimate behavior raised suspicion, while a tiny lipstick stain on Cao Jingzhuang’s collar matched Cao Xiao Qing’s lipstick.
• She admits that her suggestion regarding Little Bao was initially a bluff based on crime-investigation films, though it accidentally revealed the truth about his murder. She also questioned Bai Mei’s alleged mental breakdown and urged her to seek medical examination, correctly uncovering the cause.
• Recordings of the livestream spread online. Because the case involved infidelity, murder, and the “phoenix man” stereotype, it quickly became a major trending topic.
• Netizens expose the histories, workplaces, and addresses of Cao Jingzhuang, Cao Xiao Qing, and their parents. Cao Jingzhuang is condemned for exploiting his wife’s family, while Cao Xiao Qing is criticized for becoming a perpetrator despite her tragic background.
• Cao Jingzhuang’s parents are revealed to have known about both the affair and Little Bao’s murder. They are harassed by the public and hospitalized from fear, receiving no sympathy.
• Bai Mei wakes in the hospital overwhelmed by grief and guilt over her son’s death. A lawyer sent by Chu Xiyue arrives and offers legal assistance.
• The lawyer gives Bai Mei hope that Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing can receive the death penalty, citing the strength of the evidence and public pressure. Bai Mei regains her determination and resolves to make them pay.
• The following day, Bai Mei visits Chu Xiyue at the neighborhood office with flowers and a banner of appreciation. She thanks Chu publicly for exposing the truth and helping obtain justice.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue: Demonstrates sharp observation, courage, and an instinct for uncovering hidden wrongdoing. Despite receiving praise as almost fortune-teller-like, she remains confused and awkward when honored publicly. Her decision to provide Bai Mei with a lawyer shows her compassion and willingness to take practical action.
• Bai Mei: Initially collapses under grief and self-blame, believing she failed to protect Little Bao. With legal support and the prospect of justice, she regains emotional strength and becomes determined to confront the criminals.
• Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing: Their affair and involvement in Little Bao’s murder become publicly exposed. They are transformed from seemingly respectable individuals into condemned criminals.
• Cao Jingzhuang’s parents: Their complicity is revealed, showing that they knowingly tolerated both the affair and murder rather than being innocent family members.
• The lawyer: Appears as a professional ally who gives Bai Mei legal guidance and confidence in pursuing a severe punishment.

Significant Themes

• Justice and accountability: The chapter emphasizes that wrongdoing must be exposed and punished, both legally and morally.
• Public scrutiny and online judgment: The livestream and netizens’ investigations rapidly expose hidden crimes, but the harassment of the families also raises questions about the dangers of mob justice.
• Grief and recovery: Bai Mei’s mourning is portrayed through intense memories and self-blame, while legal action provides her with a reason to continue living.
• Betrayal and exploitation: Cao Jingzhuang’s manipulation of Bai Mei and the family’s resources, along with the murder of Little Bao, highlights the destructive effects of selfishness and deception.
• Compassion as practical action: Chu Xiyue does not merely sympathize with Bai Mei; she arranges professional legal help, turning empathy into meaningful assistance.

Character Interactions

• Chu Xiyue explains her suspicions to the livestream audience and indirectly assists the police in exposing the criminals.
• Bai Mei interacts with the lawyer Chu Xiyue sends, moving from despair to determination after hearing that justice is realistically possible.
• Bai Mei later meets Chu Xiyue at the neighborhood office, presenting her with flowers and a banner to express gratitude.
• The livestream audience reacts enthusiastically to Chu Xiyue’s awkward acceptance of the honor, adding a lighter and humorous moment after the chapter’s darker events.

Chapter Summary

Chu Xiyue continues her internship at a busy street office, where viewers of her livestream joke about her receiving a banner praising her as “Gifted and Beautiful, Keen-Eyed as a Pearl, a Detective Reborn.” Her popularity means many viewers are less interested in her official work than in the gossip surrounding local disputes.
A new case arrives when two couples argue over an eighteen-year-old girl. The poorer couple, Mr. Zhou and Ms. Li, are the girl’s biological parents. Their daughter disappeared eighteen years earlier, and after years of searching, they recently discovered that she had been adopted by Mr. Xiong and Ms. Lin. The adoptive parents legally adopted and raised the girl, referred to as Xiaoya or Zhuzhu, and now refuse to let her meet her birth parents.
The birth mother pleads emotionally, emphasizing that she carried and gave birth to the child and only wants to see her, not take her away. The adoptive parents argue that they devoted eighteen years to raising her and fear losing the daughter they love. Neither side is clearly villainous: the biological parents suffered from losing their child, while the adoptive parents provided her with a home and upbringing. Because the adoption was legal and not connected to trafficking, the authorities cannot simply force the adoptive parents to surrender her or arrange a meeting.
The dispute has already been brought to the street office several times, leaving the staff frustrated. Seeing the emotional potential of the conflict, the production team offers the couples payment to appear on camera. Chu enters the mediation room as staff members attempt to reason with both sides. They suggest that the adoptive parents tell the girl the truth and allow her to decide whether she wants to meet her biological parents, while the biological parents wait and give the family time to consider. The chapter ends with the two sides still tense but facing a possible compromise.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Xiyue remains observant and quick to recognize the gossip value of the case. Her curiosity draws her into the mediation process, reinforcing her reputation as perceptive and investigative.
• Mr. and Ms. Zhou are portrayed as desperate and emotionally wounded after years of searching for their missing daughter. Ms. Li openly begs for contact, while Mr. Zhou stays largely silent.
• Mr. Xiong and Ms. Lin are defensive and protective of the daughter they raised. Their refusal is harsh, but the mediation reveals that their attachment comes from years of parental effort rather than simple selfishness.
• Street office staff act as neutral mediators, appealing both to the birth parents’ pain and to the adoptive parents’ sacrifices.
• The livestream audience immediately debates which couple deserves sympathy, reflecting the moral complexity of the dispute.
• The central interaction is the confrontation between biological and adoptive parents, with the staff proposing that the daughter herself should ultimately decide whether contact occurs.

Significant Themes

• Nature versus nurture: The chapter asks whether biological parentage or eighteen years of care gives someone the stronger claim to a child.
• Parental love and possession: Both couples genuinely love the girl, yet their love is expressed through competing demands over access to her.
• The child’s autonomy: The proposed solution shifts attention away from the adults and toward allowing the daughter to choose whether she wants to meet her birth parents.
• Moral ambiguity: No side is entirely right or wrong, emphasizing how family disputes resist simple judgments.
• Media and voyeurism: The production team turns a painful private conflict into televised entertainment, while viewers consume the family’s suffering as gossip.
• Legal versus emotional bonds: The law recognizes the adoptive parents’ rights, but emotional questions about birth, abandonment, sacrifice, and identity remain unresolved.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mediation session between the Xiong couple, who adopted the missing child, and the Zhou couple, her biological parents, reaches another impasse.
• The neighborhood staff suggest waiting so the adoptive parents can explain the situation to their daughter, Xiong Zhuzhu, before arranging a meeting. The biological mother, Li Xiaoping, vehemently rejects this, fearing the adoptive family will hide or move the girl.
• Lin Kezhi, the adoptive mother, refuses to let the biological parents meet Zhuzhu immediately. She agrees only to a meeting after Zhuzhu is informed and gives her consent.
• The two families have already gone through several failed mediation attempts. Proposals have included returning Zhuzhu to her birth family, abandoning the search, or allowing her to recognize her biological parents while remaining with the Xiong family.
• Chu Xiyue enters the mediation room and takes charge. The staff hope she can resolve the conflict, while viewers speculate that the adoptive parents may be concealing something.
• The biological parents insist that they have searched for their daughter for over ten years and deserve to see her immediately.
• Through the system, Chu Xiyue learns the truth: the Zhou couple had favored sons, given away three daughters, and neglected Zhuzhu because they valued their son more. When Zhuzhu was four and became seriously ill with pneumonia, they abandoned her in another city and falsely claimed that traffickers had kidnapped her.
• Their current insistence on reclaiming her therefore appears motivated less by parental love than by self-interest.

Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue remains calm and observant, studying the documents rather than being swayed by the emotional arguments. Her tapping and request for details show that she suspects the biological parents’ story is incomplete.
• Lin Kezhi and Xiong Gang present themselves as protective parents who have raised Zhuzhu as their own. They insist that she deserves time to understand the truth and make her own decision, revealing concern for her emotional well-being.
• Li Xiaoping acts aggressively and emotionally, repeatedly demanding immediate access to Zhuzhu. Her tears and claims of maternal devotion contrast sharply with the revealed history of abandonment.
• Zhou Dacheng remains mostly silent, contributing little to the confrontation.
• Zhuzhu does not appear in the chapter, but the conflict centers on her identity, autonomy, and the emotional consequences of learning she was adopted.

Significant Themes

• Biological ties versus genuine parenthood: The chapter questions whether giving birth automatically grants someone the right to claim the role of parent.
• Child welfare and autonomy: The adoptive parents argue that Zhuzhu must be prepared and allowed to choose whether to meet her biological family.
• Hypocrisy and concealed motives: The biological parents portray themselves as loving parents, while the system reveals their past neglect and abandonment.
• Gender discrimination: The Zhou family’s preference for their son explains their mistreatment of their daughters and exposes the lasting harm caused by son preference.
• Emotional manipulation in mediation: Li Xiaoping uses tears and accusations to pressure others, while the adoptive parents rely on reason and caution.

Character Interactions

• Li Xiaoping repeatedly confronts Lin Kezhi and Xiong Gang, accusing them of deliberately preventing contact.
• Lin Kezhi counters that she has never refused a meeting, only insisted that Zhuzhu be informed and consulted first.
• Xiong Gang supports his wife, emphasizing that Zhuzhu has always been treated as their daughter and should be allowed to decide for herself.
• Chu Xiyue positions herself between the two sides, observing their behavior and investigating the inconsistencies in the biological parents’ claims.
• The tense family dispute is also scrutinized by an online audience, whose initial sympathy for the birth parents shifts after the truth about Zhuzhu’s abandonment is revealed.

• The child’s history: Zhuzhu was abandoned by her birth parents, Zhou Dacheng and Li Xiaoping, then abducted by traffickers before police rescued her. With no family found, she was sent to a welfare home and adopted by Xiong Gang and his wife, who raised her lovingly.
• Why the Zhou family returned: They had learned where Zhuzhu was adopted but waited until their son needed a bride price they could not afford. Their real plan was to take Zhuzhu back and marry her off to the brother of their son’s prospective bride in exchange for waiving the 300,000-yuan payment.
• Chu Xiyue takes charge: Disgusted by the Zhou family’s scheme, Chu silences the argument and questions Li Xiaoping. Though Li claims they searched for Zhuzhu for over ten years and only want to see her, he cannot remember when she went missing. Chu points out that devoted parents usually remember such a day clearly, raising suspicions about their story.
• Character dynamics: Chu recognizes Zhou Dacheng as the calculating force behind the abandonment and exchange-marriage plan, despite his quiet demeanor; Li appears more openly aggressive but follows Zhou’s decisions. The livestream audience admires Chu’s commanding presence, while also debating whether the parents’ lapse proves anything.
• Ending: Chu turns to Xiong Gang and asks when he first encountered Zhuzhu, setting up the next step in testing the Zhou couple’s claims.
  Themes: Parental neglect and son preference; the contrast between biological ties and genuine care; exploitation of women through forced or transactional marriage; and the use of inconsistencies to expose deception.

Chapter 196 Summary

Plot points and events

Xiong Gang and Lin Kezhi accurately recall adopting Zhuzhu eighteen years earlier, including the date and her red padded jacket. By contrast, Li Xiaoping initially cannot remember when her biological daughter disappeared, raising doubts about whether she and Zhou Dacheng genuinely searched for the child. Zhou eventually supplies a specific date, but his answer does little to dispel suspicion.
Chu Xiyue questions the couple about their plans after finding their daughter. When Li Xiaoping claims they only want to see her, Chu challenges their sincerity by suggesting they give the girl half their assets as compensation. Li reacts instinctively with shock and resentment, asking why “some little girl” would need money. Zhou and Li then hurriedly try to explain away her words and promise to leave everything to the child.
Before the adoptive parents can reject the biological family outright, Chu exposes another major inconsistency: Li and Zhou claim they have never seen their daughter in eighteen years and have apparently never taken a DNA test. The chapter ends with everyone realizing that the couple somehow identified Xiong Gang’s adopted daughter as their child without genetic proof.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue becomes increasingly perceptive and confrontational, deliberately testing the biological parents’ motives and exposing contradictions in their story.
• Lin Kezhi shifts from tentative sympathy toward complete distrust and determination to protect Zhuzhu from Li and Zhou.
• Li Xiaoping reveals her materialistic and possibly opportunistic nature through her spontaneous reaction to the idea of giving up family assets. Her attempt to recover afterward appears forced.
• Zhou Dacheng remains outwardly calm and modest, but his explanations seem designed to repair the damage caused by Li’s behavior.
• Xiong Gang and Lin Kezhi demonstrate strong emotional attachment to Zhuzhu through their detailed memories of adopting her, contrasting sharply with the biological parents’ vagueness.

Significant themes

• True parenthood versus biological connection: The adoptive parents’ care and precise memories are contrasted with the biological parents’ suspicious lack of emotion and knowledge.
• Greed and hidden motives: Li’s resistance to giving up money suggests the couple may be interested in reclaiming a child who has already been raised by others rather than genuinely repairing a relationship.
• The reliability of instinct and behavior: Li’s unguarded reaction reveals more than her later apologies, emphasizing that spontaneous behavior can expose true feelings.
• Protecting children from harmful relationships: Lin Kezhi’s changing attitude reflects her willingness to prioritize Zhuzhu’s wellbeing over biological family claims.

Character interactions

Chu interrogates Li and Zhou while the adoptive parents observe. She pressures the couple with the asset proposal, prompting Li’s revealing outburst and Zhou’s damage control. Lin Kezhi silently evaluates them and decides they are unfit to be Zhuzhu’s parents. Chu’s final question about the missing DNA test redirects suspicion toward how the couple identified Zhuzhu in the first place, leaving the central mystery unresolved.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Xiyue reads online comments questioning how Mr. Xiong’s daughter’s biological parents could identify her nearly twenty years after her disappearance without DNA evidence.
• She confronts Li Xiaoping and Zhou Dacheng, accusing them of abandoning their sick daughter in Yu City rather than losing her to traffickers.
• Chu reveals their alleged plan: after their son grew up and they could not afford his bride price, they intended to reclaim their abandoned daughter and use her in a marriage exchange with another family, marrying her to that family’s intellectually disabled son so their own son could marry the other family’s daughter.
• The livestream audience reacts with shock and anger, though some viewers briefly hesitate because Zhou Dacheng performs the role of an innocent, misunderstood man.
• Chu challenges the couple to swear on their beloved son’s life that they never abandoned their daughter, favored their son, or planned the marriage exchange. Their refusal exposes their guilt.
• Xiong Gang and Lin Kezhi become enraged and attack the couple with a water bottle, broom, and mop, driving them out while defending their daughter.

2. Character Developments

• Chu Xiyue demonstrates her sharp insight and fearlessness, publicly exposing the couple’s hidden motives and using psychological pressure to force them into revealing themselves.
• Li Xiaoping appears nervous and guilty, immediately betraying that Chu’s accusations are close to the truth.
• Zhou Dacheng tries to maintain an image of an honest, wronged father, but his theatrical defensiveness only makes him seem more manipulative.
• Xiong Gang shifts from suspicion and outrage to open, physical defense of his daughter once he understands the biological parents’ intentions.
• Lin Kezhi similarly abandons restraint, joining Xiong Gang in confronting the shameless couple and affirming her protective role as the child’s adoptive parent.
• The online audience becomes increasingly skeptical of seemingly “honest” men and more supportive of Chu’s revelations.

3. Significant Themes

• Parental abandonment and exploitation: The chapter reveals that the biological parents may have abandoned their daughter deliberately, only seeking her years later for their own financial benefit.
• Son preference and gender discrimination: Their willingness to sacrifice their daughter for their son exposes the cruelty of patriarchal family values.
• Marriage as a transaction: The planned marriage exchange treats the daughter as property rather than a person.
• Appearance versus truth: Zhou Dacheng’s performance of innocence contrasts sharply with his alleged motives, warning against judging character by outward demeanor.
• Justice and protection: Chu, the livestream audience, and the adoptive parents collectively challenge the biological parents’ attempt to reclaim and exploit the daughter.
• Public exposure through social media: The livestream allows hidden wrongdoing to be scrutinized and condemned by the public.

4. Character Interactions

• Chu directly interrogates Li Xiaoping and Zhou Dacheng, dismantling their story through pointed accusations and a deliberately cruel oath.
• Li’s panic and Zhou’s defensive acting create a contrast between visible guilt and fabricated innocence.
• The audience debates whether to believe Zhou, but many ultimately trust Chu because her previous revelations have proven accurate.
• Xiong Gang and Lin Kezhi unite in anger, physically confronting the couple and making clear that the daughter is now protected by the family that raised her, not the parents who abandoned her.

Key plot points and events

• Xiong Gang and Lin Kezhi beat Zhou Dacheng and Li Xiaoping with brooms and mops after Chu Xiyue’s bodyguards block the exit. Chu lets the beating continue for several minutes, then stops it and calls an ambulance.
• She explains that she has consulted a lawyer: the couple’s injuries appear minor, and prompt medical care and compensation should protect Xiong and Lin from serious legal consequences.
• At the hospital, Chu’s bodyguards deliver a warning: if Zhou and Li bother the Xiong family again, Chu will sue them for abandonment and seek eighteen years of unpaid child support—about 100,000 yuan. Frightened, the couple promise to stay away.
• Chu informs the Xiong family that the threat has worked, ends her workday, and heads to a popular restaurant to try spicy blood-curd stew.

Character developments

• Chu continues to see herself as an exceptionally skilled mediator, despite using intimidation and force rather than conventional mediation. She remains confident, calculating, and amused by her own methods.
• Xiong and Lin act out their anger but accept Chu’s legal advice and later thank her for protecting them.
• Zhou and Li, previously brazen, are cowed by the beating and the threat of financial consequences.

Significant themes

• Justice versus legality: The crowd enjoys the couple’s punishment, while Chu tries to keep the consequences within legal limits by arranging medical care and compensation.
• Power and intimidation: Chu’s wealth, bodyguards, and legal team make her threats especially effective.
• Family responsibility: The warning about unpaid child support highlights the parents’ long-term neglect and the consequences they have avoided.

Character interactions

• Livestream viewers cheer the beating, though some worry about legal repercussions; one law student cautions against copying Chu’s approach.
• Chu stops Xiong and Lin before the violence goes further, then reassures them and provides legal cover.
• Her bodyguards confront Zhou and Li at the hospital, where fear finally makes the couple agree to leave the Xiong family alone.

Key plot points and events

• While eating alone at a local restaurant, Chu Xiyue overhears diners discussing the case against Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing.
• News reports confirm that both have been taken into criminal custody on suspicion of intentional homicide.
• The diners say investigators recovered deleted chats and call recordings, exposing how the pair planned and carried out their scheme. Once confronted with the evidence, the two blame each other.
• Cao Xiao Qing accuses Cao Jingzhuang of raping her years earlier. His parents produce a secretly recorded video meant to defend him, but it instead supports her allegation because she had verbally refused.
• Chu Xiyue joins the gossip, then deflects diners who recognize her by joking that she had surgery to look like the celebrity Chu Xiyue.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue remains casual and unbothered by her fame, more interested in food and gossip than in being recognized. She also reveals that she used the system to restore the suspects’ deleted messages, helping expose their crimes.
• Cao Jingzhuang and Cao Xiao Qing’s partnership collapses under investigation as each tries to shift blame.
• Cao Jingzhuang’s parents’ attempt to protect their son inadvertently provides evidence against him.

Character interactions

• Chu Xiyue exchanges gossip with neighboring diners, encouraging them to share more details.
• The diners briefly suspect she is a celebrity, but accept her playful denial.
• The chapter ends with Chu Xiyue finishing her meal as a visibly affectionate couple takes the next table.

Significant themes

• Accountability and evidence: Deleted records can be recovered, and attempts to conceal wrongdoing may fail.
• Betrayal and self-preservation: The accused turn against one another when faced with consequences.
• Misguided loyalty: The parents’ effort to defend their son backfires.
• Consent: The chapter stresses that verbal refusal matters, even without physical resistance.

Chapter Summary: “Four People, Five Couples”

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xiyue is preparing to leave a restaurant when two married couples arrive and sit on either side of her.
• One woman, Guo Qiqi, recognizes the other, Zhao Xin, and the atmosphere immediately becomes tense.
• Both women introduce their male companions as their husbands and begin competing through exaggerated displays of affection.
• Their husbands join in, feeding, serving, wiping, and kissing their respective wives in an escalating contest.
• Intrigued, Chu Xiyue stays to observe and asks the system about their history.
• The system reveals that the four people are connected through an extraordinarily tangled series of past relationships—hence the title, “Four People, Five Couples.”
• Guo Qiqi and Zhao Xin were once bisexual best friends, roommates, and romantic partners. Guo Qiqi later cheated on Zhao Xin with Zhao Xin’s male admirer.
• That man had originally confessed to Zhao Xin, but after being rejected, he deliberately seduced Guo Qiqi to break up the women. He then abandoned Guo Qiqi and pursued Zhao Xin when she was vulnerable.
• Guo Qiqi retaliated by pursuing Zhao Xin’s first-love boyfriend, whom Zhao Xin had once “stolen” from her and never forgotten.
• In the present, both women are married to men connected to their former relationships and compete whenever they meet.
• Delighted by the melodramatic gossip, Chu Xiyue remains to watch the spectacle and eats so much that she nearly makes herself sick.

Character developments

• Chu Xiyue: Reveals herself as an enthusiastic gossip-lover. Rather than leaving, she becomes increasingly invested in the unfolding drama, eagerly guessing the relationships and treating the encounter like live entertainment.
• Guo Qiqi: Previously Zhao Xin’s lover, she cheated with Zhao Xin’s admirer. She later sought revenge by winning over Zhao Xin’s first love. Her present behavior is driven by rivalry and the need to outshine Zhao Xin.
• Zhao Xin: Once Guo Qiqi’s best friend, roommate, and partner, she was betrayed by both Guo Qiqi and the man who manipulated their breakup. Her marriage and rivalry with Guo Qiqi remain entangled with unresolved resentment.
• The two husbands: Both men are connected to the women’s past relationships and actively participate in the present competition by displaying affection toward their wives.

Significant themes

• Romantic entanglement and betrayal: The chapter centers on cheating, manipulation, revenge, and relationships built from overlapping past romances.
• Competition and wounded pride: The women use public displays of affection to prove that they are happier, more desirable, or more successful than each other.
• Gossip as entertainment: Chu Xiyue’s perspective turns the painful history into humorous, soap-opera-like spectacle.
• The instability of relationships: Friendships, romances, marriages, and rivalries constantly overlap, making the characters’ connections difficult to define.
• Performance versus reality: The couples appear loving in public, but their exaggerated affection conceals resentment and a long history of emotional conflict.

Character interactions

• Guo Qiqi and Zhao Xin exchange polite but pointed remarks, each subtly mocking the other’s marriage.
• Their husbands immediately recognize the rivalry and participate in a silent contest of romantic gestures.
• The four characters’ behavior contrasts with the hidden history revealed by the system: former friends became lovers, then enemies, while each man became linked to both women through past and present relationships.
• Chu Xiyue remains physically between the couples and metaphorically between their competing narratives, observing everything while the system supplies the concealed truth.