Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 Summary: “Biological Mother Marries into Wealthy Family”

• Shen Baili is happy when her mother, Shen Wan, remarries. She sees herself as her mother’s closest family and believes she can support her.
• Her feelings turn uneasy when she learns her new stepfather, Xie Chengyue, belongs to an extraordinarily wealthy family. Before moving in, she had thought he was merely a successful, refined, and polite man.
• At the Xie Residence, Baili is overwhelmed by the scale of the family’s wealth: the vast villa sits in an elite district, and its lavish furnishings, valuable art, and enormous grounds are far beyond anything she has known.
  Character development and interactions: Baili is caring and protective toward her mother, but also practical about the sharp differences in class, lifestyle, and values between their families. Her first impressions of Xie Chengyue change as she encounters the reality of his family’s fortune. The chapter establishes the mother-daughter bond and introduces the intimidating new household Baili must navigate.
  Themes: Family loyalty, social and economic inequality, and the uncertainty of entering an unfamiliar world.

Key plot points

• Shen Baili surveys the Xie family’s luxurious mansion and learns that her new stepfamily is among Haicheng’s most powerful. Though her mother, Shen Wan, has married Xie family patriarch Xie Chengyue, Baili remains wary and intends to judge the situation for herself.
• Baili reflects on her ambition to build a prosperous life through her own efforts and worries that she and her mother may be vulnerable in the powerful Xie household.
• At dinner, Baili eats alone: Xie Chengyue is abroad, his sons Xie Zhiyu and Xie Tingsi are away, and Shen Wan is dining out. Baili is content with this comfortable distance and enjoys the meal before going to bed.
• Baili has a vivid, painful dream in which she is struck by a car, enters a seemingly endless corridor, and falls into lava. She realizes she has crossed into another world and into a book, but the influx of unfamiliar memories overwhelms her and she loses consciousness.
• Shen Wan returns home late, exhausted by navigating high society, yet determined to fulfill her responsibilities to Baili. She checks on her daughter and enters her room.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili is self-reliant, ambitious, and cautious about wealth and the Xie family. She prefers peaceful, respectful distance over forced intimacy. Her dream abruptly introduces a major change in her understanding of reality.
• Shen Wan is gentle and elegant but also resolute. Though social life among the elite drains her, she is committed to facing it rather than leaving Baili to manage the new family alone.
• Baili interacts politely with Butler Lin, accepting his explanation for the family’s absence. Her relationship with Shen Wan is close and caring: Shen Wan checks on her even after a tiring evening.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance versus inherited wealth: Baili trusts her own work more than sudden fortune or powerful connections.
• Family, vulnerability, and adaptation: Mother and daughter must find their place within an intimidating new household.
• The supernatural and altered reality: Baili’s apparent transmigration into a book signals a dramatic shift in the story’s direction.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Wan notices that her daughter, Shen Baili, has a dangerously high fever and wakes her. Baili can only say that she is in severe pain.
• Shen Wan calls an ambulance and calmly prepares for the emergency. Butler Lin and the family doctor, Doctor Li, arrive before it does.
• Doctor Li suspects acute appendicitis and says Baili needs immediate hospital care. With the villa’s elevator out of service, Shen Wan carries her downstairs herself; Xie Zhiyu then takes Baili from her and carries her to the ambulance.
• At the hospital, Baili is diagnosed with acute appendicitis and rushed into surgery. Shen Wan and Xie Zhiyu wait outside.
• The following day, Baili wakes in a hospital room, disoriented and wondering if she has transmigrated again.

Character developments

• Shen Wan shows how deeply devoted she is to Baili. Though frightened, she acts decisively, comforts her daughter throughout the ordeal, and even carries her downstairs.
• Xie Zhiyu offers practical help by carrying Baili. He remains polite and reserved, but his reassurance to Shen Wan suggests a cautious willingness to protect his new family.
• Shen Baili is mostly unconscious or in pain during the emergency. Her final thought introduces the possibility that her earlier transmigration experience may be relevant again.

Character interactions

• Shen Wan repeatedly reassures and comforts Baili, while Baili’s calls for her mother reveal their close bond.
• Doctor Li examines Baili, identifies the likely cause, and coordinates the urgent trip to the hospital.
• Xie Zhiyu steps in to carry Baili when Shen Wan is struggling, then reassures her while they wait for surgery. Shen Wan thanks him, and he frames his help as simply the right thing to do.

Significant themes

• Mother–daughter devotion: Shen and Baili instinctively rely on and care for each other.
• Family responsibility and cautious belonging: Xie Zhiyu helps, but his private resolve to protect Shen Wan and Baili is conditional on their knowing their place in the Xie family.
• Emergency and vulnerability: The crisis reveals both the characters’ fear and their capacity to act under pressure.
• Transmigration mystery: Baili’s closing thought hints at a possible return to a supernatural or reincarnation-related plotline.

Key plot points and events

• While recovering from surgery for acute appendicitis, Shen Baili dreams of both her former life and the novel-world she has entered.
• She learns that she and her mother, Shen Wan, are destined to become greedy, scheming supporting characters who antagonize the Xie family and are eventually cast out.
• In her previous life, Baili was overworked and neglected in a poor family that favored boys. She died in an accident while running to take her high school entrance exam.
• On waking, Baili panics that she may have been separated from her mother, then finds Shen Wan asleep beside her hospital bed. She resolves to ignore the novel’s plot and protect her mother.
• Mother and daughter share an affectionate reunion. Shen Wan checks on Baili, reassures her, and struggles to hide her tears.
• A doctor confirms Baili is recovering well and reviews her post-surgery care. She rests, watches Shen Wan eat while she must fast, and later takes a short walk with her mother and a caregiver.
• They watch television together. Shen Wan apologizes for having spent too little time with Baili lately.

Character developments

• Shen Baili gains clarity about her transmigration and the grim future described in the book. Remembering how different her loving present family is from her harsh former life, she becomes determined to protect Shen Wan and reject the villains’ path.
• Shen Wan is shown as deeply loving and attentive, though she feels guilty about her recent absence. Her worry over Baili’s illness and her tenderness reinforce their close bond.

Significant themes

• Love and family: Baili’s loving relationship with Shen Wan contrasts sharply with her neglectful childhood.
• Choice versus destiny: Though the book predicts their downfall, Baili chooses to resist that future.
• Hardship and gratitude: Baili recognizes that both lives brought suffering, but values the affection she has found in this one.
• Care and guilt: Shen Wan’s devotion is accompanied by remorse over feeling she has not been present enough.

Character interactions

• Shen Wan comforts Baili at her bedside, checks her symptoms, and responds warmly when Baili says she missed and loves her.
• Baili, despite being weak and in pain, tries to reassure her mother and encourages her to eat beside the bed.
• Shen Wan and Baili take a post-surgery walk together and watch television, ending the chapter with Shen Wan apologizing for neglecting their time together.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili and her mother, Shen Wan, spend a quiet evening together in the hospital, watching television and talking. Baili agrees to thank Butler Lin and Cheng Yue for helping her.
• Shen Wan mentions that Xie Chengyue could not visit because he was abroad and busy with work. Baili accepts this without resentment, saying she is happy as long as her mother is with her.
• Shen Wan falls asleep from exhaustion. Baili turns down the television, covers her with a blanket, and watches quietly beside her.
• As Baili relaxes, she loudly passes gas just as the doctor and Xie Zhiyu enter the ward. Embarrassed, she awkwardly greets them; the doctor reassures her that passing gas is a good sign after surgery and allows her to start with water and a little diluted millet porridge.
• Shen Wan wakes and mistakes the noise for thunder, making Baili even more embarrassed. Xie Zhiyu briefly struggles to hide his amusement.
• Xie Zhiyu prepares porridge for Baili and noodles for himself. Baili eagerly eats, while he observes that her recovery seems to be going well. When he points out a grain of rice on her face, she simply eats it.

Character developments

• Shen Baili comes across as cheerful, resilient, and openly affectionate toward her mother. She is untroubled by her stepfather’s absence, focuses on her recovery, and meets embarrassment with comic spontaneity.
• Shen Wan is devoted to Baili but clearly exhausted after the previous day. Her tenderness is evident when she embraces and kisses her daughter.
• Xie Zhiyu remains reserved and economical with words, but Baili’s liveliness amuses him. He shows care through practical gestures, cooking for her and checking on her condition.
• The doctor is gentle and reassuring, explaining that Baili’s recovery is progressing normally.

Significant themes

• Family affection and emotional security: Baili feels happiest when her mother is beside her, and their closeness makes the hospital feel safe.
• Care expressed through small actions: Shen Wan’s embrace, the doctor’s reassurance, and Xie Zhiyu’s cooking all show concern in practical ways.
• Humor in ordinary vulnerability: Baili’s noisy mishap and her mother’s mistaken interpretation bring lightness to a tense recovery setting.
• Acceptance and resilience: Baili does not dwell on her stepfather’s absence and remains focused on what she has—her mother’s companionship and the chance to eat again.

Character interactions

• Baili and Shen Wan share a warm, playful evening before Shen Wan falls asleep beside her.
• Baili expresses gratitude toward Butler Lin and Cheng Yue and calmly accepts that Xie Chengyue could not visit.
• Baili’s awkward greeting after her mishap prompts a kindly response from the doctor and restrained amusement from Xie Zhiyu.
• Xie Zhiyu prepares food for Baili; their brief exchange over the rice on her face highlights her unselfconscious personality and his growing interest in her.

Plot points

• Xie Zhiyu brings Shen Baili food and warm water while she recovers. She thanks him for taking her to the hospital; he reacts oddly when she privately thinks of him as a good person.
• Shen Baili remembers that the four Xie family brothers are destined for tragic endings.
• A system named A-Deng reveals that it bound to Shen Baili through a powerful obsession she had before dying. An accident brought her into this world, and the system has forgotten what her original obsession was.
• The system cannot grant her new wishes, but says it can unlock chapters of the original novel when it has enough energy. Those chapters could help her change the story’s outcome.
• Before Shen Baili can ask how to gain energy, A-Deng hibernates, warning that she and her mother, Shen Wan, will die if they cannot resist the original plot.
• Shen Baili remains in the hospital for seven days. Her wound heals well, and she is discharged after her stitches are removed.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Baili is grateful for Xie Zhiyu’s care and increasingly alert to the dangers of the story she has entered. She is quick-witted and playful with A-Deng, but becomes alarmed when it predicts her and her mother’s deaths.
• Xie Zhiyu appears considerate and attentive, though his hurried reaction to Baili’s unspoken “good person” judgment suggests he may have heard her thoughts.
• A-Deng is cheerful but unreliable: it explains its limited abilities and the stakes, yet has forgotten Baili’s key obsession and shuts down before answering her questions.

Significant themes

• Fate versus agency: Shen Baili may be able to alter the original story, but only if she can obtain information and energy.
• Memory and identity: Her past-life obsession is central to her situation, yet both she and the system cannot recall it.
• Care amid uncertainty: Xie Zhiyu’s practical kindness offers a small contrast to the looming danger surrounding Baili and her mother.

Key plot points and events

• After her surgery, Shen Baili stays in hospital with her mother, Shen Wan, for a few extra days. Once home, she recovers steadily, though she must avoid bathing for two weeks and follow dietary restrictions.
• Shen Baili’s high school entrance exam results arrive: she ranks first in her school and twenty-eighth in the city, earning perfect scores in math and English.
• She turns down a celebration with friends, since her closest friend has moved away. Shen Wan instead promises her a cash gift and cooks some of her favorite foods, while refusing to let her eat spicy dishes until she has healed.
• Assistant Li visits on behalf of Xie Chengyue, bringing a gift and a bank card with three million yuan: two million as an exam reward and one million for monthly living expenses.
• He also presents information on two high schools Xie Chengyue is considering for her: the top public Haicheng No. 1 High School and the elite private Nanya International High School.

Character developments

• Shen Baili remains practical and focused on the present, choosing not to dwell on the system’s silence or speculate about the future. She takes her recovery seriously despite her impatience with restrictions.
• Shen Wan’s protective, affectionate nature is evident: she closely oversees her daughter’s health, celebrates her academic success, and indulges her where she safely can.
• Xie Chengyue shows consideration despite his absence, arranging a generous reward and taking an interest in Shen Baili’s education.

Significant themes

• Family care and security: Shen Wan’s daily support and Xie Chengyue’s financial and educational assistance help provide for Shen Baili.
• Patience and self-care: Shen Baili accepts temporary limits on food and bathing because her health matters.
• Achievement and opportunity: Her exam success brings recognition, money, and a choice between two very different paths for high school.

Character interactions

• Shen Baili and Shen Wan share a warm, playful relationship, celebrating the results and making a pinkie promise to visit the food street once Baili has recovered.
• Butler Lin congratulates them and suggests a party, but respects Shen Baili’s decision not to hold one.
• Assistant Li politely conveys Xie Chengyue’s congratulations and explains the gift, allowance, and school options; Shen Wan encourages Baili to accept the money and thank him.

Chapter summary

• School decision: Shen Baili chooses Haicheng No. 1 High School over Nanya International High School. Though Assistant Li assumes the international school would offer better connections and advantages within wealthy circles, Baili values education and skills she can keep over trying to build relationships based on her new family status. Shen Wan respects her daughter’s independence and promises to support whichever school she chooses.
• A changed path: Baili recalls that, in the original story, she attended Nanya International, felt isolated there, and later struggled academically. She suspects her deepest unresolved wish is tied to her education. Her admission to Haicheng No. 1—and completing the entrance exam—may have helped awaken the system by fulfilling that wish. She plans to test the theory.
• Family adjustment: After Assistant Li leaves, Baili offers her bank card to Shen Wan, who tells her to keep her allowance and spend as she likes, trusting her not to be wasteful. Both mother and daughter are adapting to life with the Xie Family, though Shen Wan had carefully considered her decision to remarry.
• A thoughtful gift: Baili tries on a light, elegant white watch provided for her school needs. She likes its features and fit, and Shen Wan warmly approves. Baili decides to keep it on and take good care of it.

Character developments and interactions

Baili shows confidence, practicality, and independence: she chooses the school that supports her own growth rather than chasing status. Shen Wan supports her without imposing her own choice, demonstrating trust and care. Assistant Li privately judges Baili’s decision as naïve, but keeps his opinions to himself; his main concern is avoiding the exhausting family drama that burdens another assistant.

Significant themes

Self-improvement over social advantage

A parent’s respect for a child’s autonomy

The lasting value of knowledge and personal ability

Changing one’s fate by departing from the original story

The adjustment and trust involved in joining a wealthy family

Chapter Summary

• Shen Baili and Shen Wan settle into life at the Xie residence. Shen Baili continues her self-directed studies, balancing schoolwork with English cartoons. Shen Wan studies the customs of wealthy families and formal banquet etiquette. Both are learning how to navigate their new surroundings.
• They select their seasonal wardrobes. A luxury store brings an elaborate private fashion presentation to the house, complete with models, coordinated accessories, and afternoon tea. Shen Wan and Shen Baili choose numerous outfits, which the household staff then put away for them.
• Their relationship remains warm and attentive. Noticing Shen Baili’s tired eyes, Shen Wan suggests a garden walk and helps her outside. She keeps the doctor’s advice in mind, encouraging exercise and time among greenery.
• The store staff react to the pair. A young saleswoman admires Shen Wan and Shen Baili’s beauty, elegance, and kindness. An older colleague, jealous and spiteful, spreads a degrading rumor that Shen Wan manipulated Chairman Xie to marry into wealth and brought her daughter with her. The young woman doubts the gossip, while the supervisor rebukes the staff and plans to report the troublemaker.
• Chairman Xie appears nearby. The supervisor spots Xie Chengyue standing close enough that he may have heard the gossip, leaving the consequences uncertain.
• The mother and daughter reach the backyard greenhouse. It contains flowers and a small vegetable plot: Shen Wan has planted tomato seedlings, while Shen Baili has sown cabbage seeds.

Character Developments and Themes

• Shen Baili is adapting to her privileged new life while maintaining her studies and taking part in ordinary, hands-on activities such as gardening.
• Shen Wan is considerate and protective, attentive to her daughter’s health as well as her comfort.
• The young saleswoman shows independent judgment by questioning malicious gossip rather than accepting it automatically.
• The older saleswoman’s envy contrasts with the household’s polished appearance and highlights the chapter’s concern with status, class prejudice, and resentment toward people perceived as having risen in society.
• The fashion presentation and staff’s reactions emphasize the gulf between ordinary working life and the Xie family’s wealth, while the mother–daughter scenes keep the focus on their growing comfort together.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Wan and her daughter, Shen Baili (Suìsuì), enjoy watching their vegetable patch grow. They celebrate the first tiny tomatoes and flourishing cabbage seedlings, take photos together, and pick sunflowers and other flowers to decorate the villa.
• They return home to find Xie Chengyue has come back early from a successful business trip. He warmly greets them, helps carry the flowers, asks about Shen Baili’s recovery, and notices the watch she received after her strong high-school entrance exam results.
• Manager Liu explains that an older employee mistreated Shen Wan out of jealousy, while a younger coworker and the manager failed to prevent it. The employees apologize.
• Shen Wan accepts the apologies of Manager Liu and the younger employee, but refuses to forgive the older employee, whose response reveals continued resentment. Shen Baili firmly supports her mother. Shen Wan then calmly sends the group away, while Manager Liu promises a satisfactory resolution.

Character developments

• Shen Wan is shown as warm and content in family life, but also self-possessed and clear about her boundaries. She accepts sincere apologies without feeling obliged to forgive everyone.
• Shen Baili is cheerful and affectionate, takes pride in recovering and caring for her health, and confidently defends her mother.
• Xie Chengyue demonstrates affection and concern for both women, joining their domestic moment naturally and paying attention to Shen Baili’s wellbeing.
• Manager Liu takes responsibility for the incident and tries to handle it honestly. The older employee’s apology is undermined by her lingering jealousy and hostility.

Significant themes

• Family closeness and everyday happiness: Gardening, taking photos, and arranging flowers create a sense of shared accomplishment and comfort.
• Recovery and resilience: Shen Baili’s improving health and academic success reflect her strength.
• Accountability and boundaries: An apology does not automatically earn forgiveness; Shen Wan distinguishes between accepting responsibility and excusing harmful behavior.
• Jealousy and fairness: The older employee’s envy contrasts with the household’s supportive relationships.

Character interactions

• Shen Wan and Shen Baili share a relaxed, affectionate outing, encouraging each other and planning how to use their harvest and flowers.
• Xie Chengyue joins them with warmth, exchanges playful remarks with Shen Wan, and expresses concern for Shen Baili.
• In the confrontation, Shen Baili backs Shen Wan, while Shen Wan addresses the employees calmly and decisively. Manager Liu attempts to contain the older employee’s outburst and accepts responsibility for resolving the matter.

Plot points and events

• Manager Liu leaves the Xie residence after Shen Wan makes clear she is dissatisfied with how the salesclerks’ misconduct was handled. Xie Chengyue lets Shen Wan decide how to respond rather than intervening himself.
• The couple resumes arranging flowers. Xie Chengyue apologizes for the hostility Shen Wan has faced since marrying into the Xie family. She reassures him that his support makes her happy, and they finish five arrangements with Shen Baili and Butler Lin.
• Xie Chengyue invites Shen Wan and Shen Baili to a charity auction later in the month.
• In the car afterward, the older salesclerk dismisses the incident and assumes Shen Wan is a pushover. Manager Liu recognizes the seriousness of the trouble she has caused, while Song Huan understands that the matter remains unresolved and has been reported to higher-ups.
• At the end of July, a styling team prepares Shen Wan and Shen Baili for the auction. Their sense of style impresses the stylists; Xie Chengyue finishes his own preparations and joins them.
• At the venue, the Xies encounter Manager Liu and Song Huan again, accompanying VE’s Asia-Pacific head, Ms. Kevin. Manager Liu introduces her to the family.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Wan remains composed and principled after being mistreated. She accepts Xie Chengyue’s apology without dwelling on it and shows confidence and creative judgment during the styling.
• Xie Chengyue demonstrates trust in Shen Wan by leaving the dispute in her hands. His apology and their warm flower-arranging exchange reveal mutual understanding and affection.
• Shen Baili joins her mother in flower arranging and prepares for the auction with her, recalling Shen Wan’s longstanding talent for design.
• Manager Liu recognizes the older clerk’s behavior as a serious business problem and understands that Shen Wan’s restraint does not mean the matter is settled.
• Song Huan admires Shen Wan’s kindness and resolve, and senses the consequences for the brand. The older salesclerk, by contrast, remains smug and oblivious.

Significant themes

• Quiet strength and boundaries: Shen Wan is gracious without surrendering her principles.
• Trust and partnership: Xie Chengyue supports his wife by respecting her judgment and communicating through small, sincere gestures.
• Accountability: The salesclerk’s confidence contrasts with the unresolved repercussions of her actions.
• Family closeness and shared creativity: Flower arranging and auction preparations highlight the warmth and cooperation between Shen Wan and Shen Baili.

Key plot points and events

• Kevin apologizes to Shen Wan on behalf of her company for a prior incident. The company has investigated, fired the employee responsible, disciplined managers, and resumed staff training. Shen Wan accepts the apology, preserving the planned business collaboration.
• At the auction, Xie Chengyue buys Shen Wan an emerald necklace and Shen Baili an antique painting and calligraphy piece. Kevin gives the two women matching pink-diamond bracelets as an apology.
• Song Huan recounts the scandal behind the employee’s dismissal: she and the deputy manager, who had helped her get hired, were having an affair. When the deputy manager’s wife discovered them, she found proof on his phone and filed for divorce. The company also fired the deputy manager and sued both former employees.
• After dinner, Shen Wan, Shen Baili, and Xie Chengyue return home to find Xie Tingsi—Xie Chengyue’s celebrity son—sitting on the floor in cartoon pajamas, eating spicy instant noodles and watching cartoons.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Wan handles the apology calmly and diplomatically, showing that she can accept a sincere resolution without derailing business plans.
• Song Huan observes Shen Wan’s workplace savvy and enthusiastically shares the scandal’s increasingly dramatic details with Shen Baili.
• Xie Chengyue shows concern for his son by asking why he did not get proper food, though his stern delivery obscures his care. He also corrects Xie Tingsi’s casual manners toward Shen Wan and Shen Baili.
• Xie Tingsi is playful and irreverent, teasing Shen Baili and complaining that he was left out of the outing. Shen Baili responds with an intentionally loud “Second Brother!” that startles him. When Xie Chengyue gets angry, Tingsi quickly retreats upstairs.
• Shen Wan avoids getting caught between father and son, gently calming Xie Chengyue instead.

Significant themes

• Accountability and reputation: The company’s public apology and disciplinary actions aim to repair trust, while the affair exposes the consequences of abusing authority and deceiving others.
• Social savvy and observation: Shen Baili and Song Huan learn from the adults’ negotiations and the workplace scandal.
• Family affection beneath friction: Xie Chengyue’s sternness masks concern, while his son’s teasing and their arguments reveal an awkward but familiar father-son bond.

• Key events: After a calm evening with Shen Wan and Shen Baili, Xie Tingsi broods over the hydrangeas his father arranged, resenting the care his father now seems to show his second wife. The next day, father and son have a fierce argument; Tingsi leaves with a forehead injury. Xie Chengyue asks Assistant Li to investigate a film Tingsi wants to invest in, showing that his concern persists despite their conflict. Meanwhile, Shen Wan and Baili continue etiquette lessons. Tingsi’s elder brother, Xie Zhiyu, finds him drinking with friends, brings him home, and the following day tells him to come to the Study after breakfast.
• Character developments: Tingsi’s anger and hurt over his parents’ relationship surface in his reaction to the flowers and his clash with his father. Though he acts defiant, he is emotionally shaken and relies on his family. Chengyue masks his feelings but quietly looks into Tingsi’s plans. Zhiyu is stern and commanding, yet quickly comes to his brother’s aid. Assistant Li is surprised to be drawn into family matters but handles the task promptly. Baili remains cooperative, though etiquette lessons exhaust her.
• Significant themes: Family conflict coexists with deep attachment; arguments and impulsive behavior do not erase care. The chapter also contrasts the privilege and dependable support of the Xie family with the outsiders’ assumptions about Tingsi’s life.
• Character interactions: Shen Wan gently reminds Baili to rest, and the two share a warm good-night exchange with Chengyue. Chengyue and Tingsi clash, while Chengyue’s private actions reveal concern. Zhiyu firmly retrieves his drunken brother and brings him home; Tingsi resists, then gives in. His friends, initially expecting to mock him, are impressed by how quickly Zhiyu comes to his rescue.

Key plot points

• Xie Tingsi asks his older brother, Xie Zhiyu, to fund a fantasy film after their father dismissed the idea. He presents a thorough case, and Zhiyu agrees to invest, leaving the contract details to his assistant.
• Relieved and excited, Tingsi gets dressed up to go out. He meets Shen Baili at the villa entrance, proudly asks for her opinion on his outfit, and rushes off when he realizes he is late.
• At dinner, Xie Chengyue raises an upcoming birthday gathering and reminds Zhiyu to consult his fiancée, Sang Ya, about attending.
• Chengyue also acknowledges the brothers’ decision about the film, though he stops short of offering Tingsi encouragement. Zhiyu says he trusts his judgment, which Tingsi takes as a sign of confidence in him.
• After dinner, Shen Wan and Baili go for a walk, while Chengyue and his sons head to the gym.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Tingsi shows determination and genuine belief in his film project. Though anxious around his stern brother, he is playful and expressive, and Zhiyu’s support visibly boosts his confidence.
• Xie Zhiyu is strict but supportive: he tests Tingsi’s proposal, then backs the project and affirms his confidence in his own decision.
• Xie Chengyue wants a harmonious family and allows his sons to make their own choices, but his inability to encourage Tingsi reflects lingering emotional distance.
• Shen Baili and Shen Wan share a warm, considerate moment over dinner, quietly caring for each other.
• Tingsi’s teasing, friendly exchange with Baili adds lightness to the family’s interactions.

Significant themes

• Sibling trust and support: Zhiyu’s investment is both practical help and a meaningful vote of confidence in Tingsi.
• Family harmony amid unresolved tensions: The dinner is peaceful, yet Chengyue’s reserved response hints that not all family relationships are fully mended.
• Independence and ambition: Tingsi persists with a project he believes in, even after his father rejects it.

Key plot points and events

• After a workout, Xie Tingsi complains that his father and older brother have better-defined abs. Xie Zhiyu teases him but offers a strict training and diet plan, including a personal trainer, to help him build muscle.
• The household’s conversation is interrupted when Little Butler Lin reports that Xie Zhiyu and Xie Tingsi are trending online.
• A paparazzo photographed Zhiyu steadying Tingsi outside a private room at a club. The cropped, suggestive images and sensational headline falsely imply that Tingsi is a gay man being financially kept by a wealthy patron.
• Online reactions range from gossip and insults to fans defending Tingsi and others waiting for his explanation.
• Xie Chengyue tells Tingsi that he must handle the scandal himself, then leaves with Shen Wan and Shen Baili. Tingsi, Zhiyu, and the two butlers remain behind.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Tingsi is competitive and frustrated about his physique, but is tempted by Zhiyu’s offer to help him train. The scandal abruptly shifts him from playful family banter into a public crisis.
• Xie Zhiyu teases his younger brother but is also supportive, offering practical help with his fitness. His attempt to steady Tingsi has been misrepresented by the paparazzi.
• Xie Chengyue jokes with his sons during their workout, then becomes stern when the scandal breaks and refuses to resolve it for Tingsi.
• Shen Baili and Shen Wan exchange a knowing, uncertain look but say nothing. Baili wonders whether the scandal connects to the original novel’s plot.
• The butlers help explain the online controversy, with Butler Lin calming Little Butler Lin so he can give a clear account.

Significant themes

• Sensationalism and misrepresentation: A misleading photo and headline turn an ordinary act of support into a scandal.
• Celebrity scrutiny: Fans, haters, and strangers rapidly judge Tingsi’s private life and career based on limited evidence.
• Family dynamics: Teasing and encouragement between the brothers contrasts with their father’s insistence that Tingsi take responsibility for the fallout.

Plot points and events

• Xie Tingsi feels guilty when a fabricated scandal about him and Xie Zhiyu trends online. Zhiyu reassures him that he did nothing wrong and trusts him to resolve it, while privately asking his assistant to investigate the unusually convenient timing.
• Tingsi posts that Zhiyu is his biological brother and announces legal action against the paparazzi outlet that spread the rumor. The clarification sparks another wave of online attention, including praise for the brothers’ looks and jokes from fans.
• Tingsi continues monitoring comments late into the night, reporting and answering attacks on Zhiyu. He runs into Shen Baili in the kitchen, where they trade playful teasing.
• September arrives, and Baili begins high school. Her injury has mostly healed; she commutes from the Xie residence with a dedicated driver. Shen Wan accompanies her on her first day.
• At breakfast, the Xie family remarks on Baili’s eagerness to start school. Zhiyu admires her diligence, while Tingsi settles on calling her “Little Pear Blossom” instead of using her nickname, Suìsuì.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Tingsi moves from guilt and tears to decisive action, defending his brother publicly and standing firm on suing the paparazzi. His late-night teasing with Baili shows his playful side.
• Xie Zhiyu comforts Tingsi without blaming him, bolsters his confidence, and leaves the public response to him. At the same time, he quietly investigates whether the scandal was deliberately timed.
• Shen Baili is cheerful about starting school and shows a mischievous streak when she teases Tingsi.
• Shen Wan supports Baili’s transition to school by accompanying her on the first morning.
• The brothers’ disagreement over Baili’s nickname reflects their fondness for her: Tingsi prefers “Little Pear Blossom,” while Zhiyu favors “Suìsuì.”

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and trust: Zhiyu stands by Tingsi, and Tingsi fiercely protects Zhiyu from online attacks.
• Taking responsibility without misplaced guilt: Zhiyu distinguishes Tingsi’s actual actions from the false claims others made about him.
• Public scrutiny and accountability: The scandal shows how quickly rumors spread, while Tingsi responds with clarification and legal action.
• Fresh starts and affection: Baili’s first day of school marks a hopeful new chapter, welcomed by a family that takes a warm interest in her.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Tingsi teases his older brother, Xie Zhiyu, about a name he likes, while their father, Xie Chengyue, watches the brothers affectionately.
• Shen Baili arrives at school for her first day. Her mother, Shen Wan, is anxious and reluctant to part, but Baili reassures her and promises to come home after school. They share an emotional goodbye.
• Once on campus, Baili hears the system return. It announces that its energy has reached 10% and that she has fulfilled two lingering wishes.
• Baili asks why she and her mother die in the original story. The system says their deaths are part of that plot, but it lacks enough energy to reveal details. It then begins an automatic repair and goes offline.
• After feeling faint, Baili accepts help from Qiao Yi, a fellow student in Class One. They introduce themselves, compliment each other, and quickly agree to become friends.
• When Baili enters the classroom with Qiao Yi, classmates notice her beauty and whisper about her.

Character developments

• Shen Baili shows warmth and confidence in comforting her mother, but the system’s warning unsettles her and strengthens her resolve to learn how to prevent their deaths. She remains open and trusting when meeting Qiao Yi.
• Shen Wan is deeply attached to Baili and struggles with the separation, though she lets her daughter go.
• Qiao Yi comes across as considerate and sincere: she helps Baili when she feels unwell and openly admits she is shy.
• A-Deng, the system, gains power and repairs itself, but remains unreliable and cannot yet explain the central danger.
• Xie Chengyue is shown as a fond father, while the brothers’ playful exchange highlights their familiar teasing.

Significant themes

• Mother-daughter love and growing independence: Baili’s first day at school is a milestone for both her and Shen Wan.
• Fate versus agency: The system reveals a grim original plot, prompting Baili to question whether that fate can be changed.
• Friendship and kindness: Qiao Yi’s practical help leads quickly to a warm new bond.
• Uncertainty and suspense: The system’s limited knowledge leaves Baili—and the reader—without answers about the deaths.

Character interactions

• The Xie brothers tease one another, while their father watches with affection.
• Shen Wan anxiously checks that Baili is prepared and promises to collect her; Baili comforts her, then calls back a cheerful farewell.
• Baili challenges the system for details about their deaths, but its repair interrupts the conversation.
• Qiao Yi helps Baili sit down, and the two exchange compliments before deciding to be friends.

Key events

• Shen Baili responds to A-Deng’s unusual compliment with confidence, inviting people to praise her openly. Her classmates cheer her on, and the classroom’s quiet murmuring turns warm and lively.
• Looking for seats, Shen Baili and Qiao Yi both want a window seat. Zhu Zhitao offers Shen Baili the aisle seat beside her, letting Qiao Yi take the remaining window seat.
• Zhu Zhitao, her former middle-school seatmate Sang Fang, Qiao Yi, and Shen Baili introduce themselves and quickly begin chatting.
• Zhu shares fruit from her father, and Shen offers chocolates she made with her mother. The girls enjoy them; Qiao Yi, who initially declined, asks to try one and likes it enough to eat several.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Baili shows confidence without dismissing others’ wishes, and her habit of noticing and complimenting others helps the group feel at ease. She is moved when Qiao Yi carefully saves the chocolate wrappers.
• Qiao Yi is initially polite and a little embarrassed to ask for chocolate, but grows comfortable with Shen Baili and openly appreciates her gift.
• Zhu Zhitao is lively and dramatic around beautiful girls, admires Shen Baili, and readily shares food. She saves a wrapper as a bookmark after noticing Qiao Yi do so.
• Sang Fang is composed and familiar with Zhu’s theatrics. She joins the introductions and shares in the snacks.

Significant themes

• Confidence and affirmation: Shen Baili accepts compliments openly, turning potential whispering into friendly encouragement.
• Kindness and reciprocity: The girls share seats, compliments, fruit, and homemade chocolate.
• Belonging and new friendship: Simple gestures and conversation quickly create a sense of warmth and connection for Shen Baili.

Plot points and events

• Deng Qin introduces herself as Class One’s homeroom and math teacher, then organizes elections for class officers.
• Shen Baili wins class monitor in a landslide, 45 votes to 5. Qiao Yi is elected academic representative, winning 32 votes to 18.
• Zhu Zhitao worries that her last-place class ranking will drag down the class average. Shen, Qiao, and Sang Fang reassure her and offer to study with her. Their conversation turns playful when Zhu promises grilled sausages and Sang asks for ketchup.
• Shen’s system finishes repairing itself and returns as A-Deng 2.0. It reveals a bonus chapter describing Shen’s original fate: after raising money for her sick mother, Shen Wan, Shen is killed by a car on her way back to the hospital.
• The money came from Sang Ya, Xie Zhiyu’s fiancée. The system identifies Xie Zhiyu as the story’s villain, but cannot explain what Sang Ya did to feel she had wronged the Xie family.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili openly pursues the class monitor role and wins admiration for her confidence and presence. The system’s revelation unsettles her, but she controls her reaction and asks focused questions. Her distrust of the system remains after its unexplained outages.
• Qiao Yi shows ambition and self-assurance, declaring that she intends to surpass the top entrance-exam student. She supports Zhu Zhitao and is elected academic representative.
• Zhu Zhitao feels insecure about her academic standing, but her friends’ encouragement moves her. Her warmth and humor emerge in the group’s joking exchange.
• Sang Fang offers practical academic help and joins in the lighthearted banter.
• Deng Qin establishes a calm, orderly tone as teacher and election organizer.

Significant themes

• Ambition and self-determination: Shen and Qiao openly pursue their goals.
• Friendship and mutual support: The students respond to insecurity with encouragement and offers of help.
• Fate, danger, and uncertainty: Shen learns that her original story ends in tragedy, raising the stakes of changing her future.
• Trust and incomplete knowledge: The system’s unreliable behavior and partial revelations leave Shen unsure how much she can depend on it or understand about the story.

Chapter Summary

• Shen Baili learns more about the Obsession System. The system explains that it can protect her from the original plot as long as it has enough energy. At 100% energy, both of them will be free of the plot, and Baili’s mother may avoid her fated illness. Two of Baili’s obsessions have begun progressing, restoring the system, though it cannot identify them or offer useful features beyond more reliable communication. The system suspects Baili has two obsessions to fulfill and is an unusual case.
• Baili settles into school life. She spends the morning meeting classmates, collecting textbooks, and getting to know the school. After classes, she chats with Qiao Yi and Zhu Zhitao, who invite her to spend time with them. Baili is picked up by her mother, Shen Wan, and happily recounts her day during their warm, lively trip home.
• Baili meets Sang Ya. At the Xie residence, she and Shen Wan encounter Sang Ya, Xie Zhiyu’s fiancée and the story’s celebrated female lead. Sang Ya has brought medicinal wine made by her grandfather for the family. Shen Wan welcomes her graciously and offers her sea cucumbers to take home.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen Baili is determined to change her fate, and the possibility of protecting her mother gives her renewed purpose. She begins building friendships at school and is openly affectionate and talkative with Shen Wan.
• The system reveals its hopes of escaping the plot alongside Baili, while its damaged state remains a source of uncertainty and humor.
• Shen Wan is attentive and warmly involved in Baili’s school life, and she handles Sang Ya’s unexpected visit with ease.
• Sang Ya is polite but privately unsettled that she has encountered Shen Wan despite carefully choosing when to visit. She recognizes Shen Wan’s likely family role but initially is unsure how to address her.
• Qiao Yi and Zhu Zhitao quickly grow friendly with Baili and invite her to spend time with them; Qiao Yi’s confident claim that beautiful women always smell lovely amuses the others.

Significant Themes

The chapter emphasizes agency against a predetermined fate, as Baili seeks to build enough system energy to resist the plot and protect her mother. It also highlights the importance of ordinary bonds—new school friendships and Baili’s close relationship with Shen Wan—alongside the tension of storybook roles intruding into everyday life when Baili meets the “female lead.”