Chapter Summaries

Chapter summary

Plot points and events

• On the walk back to the car, Shen Baili admits she is sleepy and asks Xie Zhiyu whether he fears ghosts. He says he doesn’t, then reveals he knows she fears both ghosts and the dark.
• Xie Zhiyu tells her that his younger brother, Xie Tingsi, was also afraid of the dark as a child and still sleeps with a light on. Shen Baili jokingly declares Tingsi the bad brother and Zhiyu the good one; Zhiyu playfully calls both Tingsi and Baili “scaredy-cats.”
• They reach Zhiyu’s Hummer. Baili falls asleep in the passenger seat, and Zhiyu turns up the heat and agrees when she murmurs that they should go home.
• The next morning, Baili wakes to find her mother, Shen Wan, beside her. Shen Wan has returned overnight and stayed with her while she slept.
• Once Baili wakes again, mother and daughter embrace. Shen Wan checks that Baili’s fever has broken and urges her not to hide it when she is hurt or unwell.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhiyu comforts Baili by treating her fear as normal and sharing a fond, embarrassing childhood story about Tingsi. Their teasing shows growing ease and trust.
• Baili’s playful “good brother/bad brother” verdict strengthens the warm, familial tone between her and Zhiyu.
• Shen Wan’s reunion with Baili reveals how deeply she loves and worries about her daughter. Baili responds with affection, clinging to her mother and saying her presence makes her feel better.
• Shen Wan acknowledges Baili’s bravery and the support she has given her, while emphasizing that Baili need not be strong at the cost of hiding her pain.

Significant themes

• Family care and belonging: Both Zhiyu and Shen Wan reassure Baili through attentive, practical affection.
• Vulnerability without shame: Baili’s fears and illness are met with teasing or tenderness rather than criticism.
• A mother-daughter bond shaped by mutual support: Shen Wan sees Baili as her most important person and credits her daughter with helping her endure past betrayal.

Chapter 222 Summary

• Mother–daughter reassurance: Shen Wan tells Shen Baili that she will always be there for her, without blame or pressure. Baili responds with affection, strengthening their warm, trusting bond.
• A relaxed family day: At breakfast, Baili’s appetite has returned, and she eagerly welcomes Xie Zhiyu when he joins them. He takes the day off, and the three decide to rest together. They ensure Baili takes her medicine before spending the day at their own pace.
• Peace beneath the pear tree: Baili and Shen Wan walk and swing together in the glass room. A-Deng enjoys the scene too, reflecting on her growing attachment to Baili and the world around her. Baili’s energy rises by 1%, to 67%, as happiness seems to replenish it.
• Lingering uncertainty: Despite her peaceful mood, Baili remains wary of a threat that has yet to emerge. She wonders whether Meng Xiu and Lu Mingqian could betray Xie Zhiyu, but chooses to set those worries aside for the day.
• A movie together: That afternoon, Shen Wan and Xie Zhiyu steer Baili away from a horror film because she is still recovering. The family watches Titanic instead, settling into a rare, comfortable stretch of shared leisure.

Character and thematic notes

• Baili is recovering physically and regaining her lively, affectionate manner, though she remains alert to possible danger.
• Shen Wan balances care with respect for her daughter’s independence, offering support without trying to control her.
• Xie Zhiyu makes time to rest and enjoys being with the family, showing a softer, more relaxed side.
• A-Deng feels happy and increasingly connected to Baili, though she does not understand why.
• Themes: unconditional family support, rest as a necessary counterbalance to work and worry, happiness as a source of energy, and the tension between peaceful domestic life and an unresolved threat.

• After watching a long film, Shen Baili is deeply moved by Rose’s later life: Rose survives, breaks free, and builds a vivid, independent life. The story reinforces Baili’s admiration for women who pursue freedom and become who they want to be.
• Shen Wan and Xie Zhiyu comfort Baili as she cries. Zhiyu tells her a funny story about watching the same film with his brother Xie Tingsi: they ended up pulling each other into a swimming pool, catching colds, and sharing hospital beds. The memory shows the brothers’ affection and closeness; meanwhile, Tingsi sneezes during a TV interview and decides his family must be talking about him.
• The next morning, recovered from her illness, Baili returns to school. Zhiyu drives her, reminds her to take her medicine and call if she needs help, and leaves after seeing her safely into the company of friends.
• Qiao Yi, Zhu Zhitao, Su Yan, Meng Jiu’an, Lu Mingqian, and Ji Qi greet Baili warmly and worry over her health. Her classmates welcome her with concern and snacks, while her friends promise to help make sure she takes her medicine.
  Character developments and relationships: Baili’s emotional response to Rose’s story reveals her respect for courage, freedom, and self-determination. Zhiyu is shown as protective and attentive toward Baili, while his story about Tingsi highlights his deep loyalty to his family. Baili’s friends’ enthusiastic concern shows how strongly she is loved and supported.
  Themes: Women’s independence and living life on one’s own terms; the emotional power of stories; family and friendship expressed through care, teasing, and everyday support.

• Results and warning: After exams affected by her illness, Shen Baili places eighth in her class and eleventh in the school. Her math score is perfect, but the system announces that her Energy Bar has fallen by 2%, to 65%. Shen suspects the drop is tied to her ranking.
• The top-ten threshold: Shen realizes that eleventh place matters because her current school rewards the grade’s top ten with waived expenses and scholarships. This echoes her childhood in a poor mountain town, where a modest scholarship and waived fees were what allowed her to keep studying. Falling out of the top ten back then meant her family would pull her from school.
• Character development and motivation: Shen understands that her drive to study is rooted not only in ambition for university, but in the hope of freedom and a better life. Education has been a source of happiness and strength in both her lives. Despite the setback, she vows to regain first place and decides to reduce her workload.
• Interactions: A-Deng worries that the pressure of staying in the top ten will be too much. Shen reassures her through their mental link, while discreetly petting the kitten in a way that looks ordinary to classmates. Meng Jiu’an secretly glances at Shen; Lu Mingqian works on a difficult problem; Ruan Mian reflects over her second-place result.
• Decision: Shen concludes that she must give something up to focus on her priorities, and voluntarily withdraws from the Math Olympiad.
• Themes: The chapter explores education as a path to escape poverty and constraint, the lasting effects of past deprivation, ambition balanced against overwork, and how a setback can reveal both personal history and hidden stakes.

Chapter 97 Summary

• Key events: Shen Baili tells Teacher Deng she intends to pursue the Mathematics Olympiad. Deng supports her choice while reminding her not to overwork herself. As Shen leaves, she notices bruises and scabbed wounds on Deng’s neck, but Deng quickly covers them. The next day, students learn that Deng was badly beaten by her husband; a classmate says police came to the family’s home.
• Shen Baili’s response: Disturbed by what she saw, Shen keeps Deng’s private situation to herself when classmates ask why she seems distracted. After a photo of Deng’s injuries appears on the school forum, students express concern and anger, while some anonymous users mock her. Shen has the post removed and publishes a warning under her real name that the forum can trace users’ identities and that sharing the photo without permission is unlawful. She then arranges for the administrator to send the offenders’ identities and comments to their homeroom teachers.
• Character developments and interactions: Deng’s encouragement strengthens Shen’s resolve, and Shen leaves their conversation feeling relieved. The discovery of Deng’s injuries shifts her attention from her own concerns to how she might help her teacher. Qiao Yi, Ji Qi, Lu Mingqian, and Ruan Mian each interact with or show concern for Shen and Deng; Lu Mingqian tries to help Shen with a difficult math problem, while Ruan Mian is visibly upset by Deng’s suffering. Shen responds to the online cruelty with calm, decisive action.
• Significant themes: The chapter contrasts ambition and self-care, as Deng encourages Shen to balance achievement with health. It also addresses domestic violence, privacy, online harassment, and accountability, showing how public humiliation can compound a victim’s suffering—and how Shen uses her influence to push back.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili quickly handles the online forum posts, leaves Lu Mingqian to keep order, and goes to support Deng Qin. Lu Mingqian urges Meng Jiu’an to trust her.
• At school, Deng Qin’s colleagues express concern about her visible injuries and possible domestic abuse. Though exhausted and hurt, she insists on teaching after obtaining medical treatment, documenting her injuries, contacting police, arranging care for her daughter, and consulting a lawyer.
• Deng Qin throws away her broken glasses and stained hat, then heads to class determined to carry on as a teacher and mother.
• Her students greet her normally, but they have all changed their hairstyles to match hers: the girls have uneven short cuts, and the boys have patchy buzz cuts. Their playful show of solidarity moves Deng Qin to tears.
• After class, she finds a note and a divorce lawyer’s business card from the class, promising that they will stand by her. She wants a divorce, though her husband, Su Jian, may prove difficult to deal with.

Character developments and interactions

• Deng Qin shows composure and resolve: she has a clear plan to leave her abusive husband and protect her daughter and financial rights. The students’ support finally breaks through her emotional restraint, giving her comfort and renewed strength.
• The students of Science Class 1 express loyalty through humor and action, treating Deng Qin as they always have while visibly sharing in her humiliation and pain.
• Shen Baili acts decisively behind the scenes, while Lu Mingqian supports her judgment and maintains order.
• Deng Qin’s colleagues offer concern and advice, but she remains focused on returning to her students.

Significant themes

• Solidarity and community: The class’s shared haircuts and legal referral turn empathy into visible, practical support.
• Resilience and agency: Deng Qin responds to abuse by taking deliberate steps toward divorce rather than surrendering control of her life.
• Care beneath humor: The students’ jokes lighten a painful moment without diminishing their genuine compassion.
• The power of being seen: Deng Qin’s students accept her as she is, helping her feel less alone and more able to endure.

Key plot points and events

• Su Jian publicly begs Deng Qin not to divorce him during a school flag-raising ceremony. He kneels, slaps himself, swears to stop drinking, and claims he cannot live without her and their daughter, Mianmian.
• Some students are moved by his performance, but Su Yan and Zhu Zhitao challenge the idea that public remorse excuses domestic violence.
• Su Jian tries to win Mianmian over, but she says she wants her mother and rejects him because he hurt Deng Qin. She remembers him attacking both of them, while Deng Qin shielded her.
• Deng Qin kicks Su Jian away and refuses to be swayed. She recognizes that his apology is calculated: he wants to pressure her into reconciliation and ultimately make her financially dependent on him.
• The chapter reveals Su Jian’s self-justifying view of the abuse. He blames stress, alcohol, and Deng Qin’s requests for help with parenting and housework, and believes being her husband gives him the right to hit her.
• After other attempts to persuade Deng Qin fail, Su Jian follows his lawyer’s advice to threaten her job if she will not return to him. Deng Qin sees through the tactic and remains determined to divorce.

Character developments

• Deng Qin remains resolute and recognizes Su Jian’s emotional manipulation and coercive plans.
• Su Jian shifts from pleading theatrically to revealing his entitlement and willingness to use threats. His “remorse” is shown to be self-serving rather than genuine.
• Su Mianmian openly chooses her mother over her father, showing the lasting impact of witnessing the abuse.
• Su Yan and Zhu Zhitao speak against excusing violence, while other students’ reactions show how easily a public display can be mistaken for sincere love.

Significant themes

• Domestic violence and the harm it causes to both partners and children.
• Manipulation disguised as remorse, including using public shame, a child, and threats to control a victim.
• Victim-blaming and entitlement: Su Jian excuses his violence by portraying his wife’s ordinary requests as provocation.
• The contrast between genuine care and performative devotion.

Character interactions

• Su Jian pleads with Deng Qin in front of the school, using Mianmian to strengthen his appeal.
• Mianmian rejects her father and sides with her mother; Deng Qin protects her and ends Su Jian’s performance.
• Students debate whether Su Jian’s kneeling proves his love, while Su Yan and Zhu Zhitao challenge that reasoning.
• Su Jian’s attempts to sway Deng Qin’s family and enlist others fail, leaving him to resort to threats about her employment.

Chapter 98 Summary

• Deng Qin’s escape from abuse: Su Jian threatens to ruin Deng Qin’s reputation and finances unless she ends the divorce. She refuses to back down, confronts him, and helps the male teachers restrain him until the police arrive. The school’s principal reassures her that she has done nothing wrong and urges her to stay, recognizing her as an excellent teacher. Students who had been eavesdropping celebrate that she will remain at the school.
• A fresh start: Deng Qin’s divorce is finalized. She and her daughter, Su Mianmian, move into the teachers’ apartments, and Deng Qin receives seventy percent of the couple’s assets. Though she could have pursued more, she chooses to avoid further conflict. Both she and Mianmian begin recovering from the abuse.
• Gratitude and warmth: Deng Qin thanks Shen Baili for the many ways she and her classmates supported them, including finding legal help, removing a harmful forum post, and protecting Mianmian. Shen Baili credits Deng Qin herself for finding the strength to leave. Back in class, Ruan Mian compliments Shen Baili, and the two exchange warm, encouraging words.
• A threatening new story: The system grants Shen Baili five percent energy, bringing her total to seventy percent, and unlocks a new campus story: “The Fragility of Life: One Death, One Survivor.” Alarmed by the title, Shen Baili worries that Meng Jiu’an may be the person destined to die. She wakes him to check that he is alive, then unlocks the chapter.
• The coming disaster: The story opens with news of a murder at Haicheng No. 1 High School: one person dead, two seriously injured, and more than twenty students hurt. Shen Baili considers possible causes and realizes she must learn what happened—and whether she can prevent it.
  Character development and interactions: Deng Qin moves from fear and harassment toward independence, while Su Mianmian also begins to recover. The principal and students show their support for Deng Qin, and Shen Baili’s compassion earns her Ruan Mian’s admiration. Shen Baili’s concern for Meng Jiu’an reveals how personally she takes the looming danger.
  Themes: Escaping abuse and reclaiming agency; the importance of community support; healing and hope; and the tension between ordinary school life and an approaching tragedy.

Plot points and events

• Shen Baili reads a chapter in which Ruan Mian waits at the hospital after a violent attack near her school. Her teacher, Deng Qin, is dead; Meng Jiu’an and Lu Mingqian are in emergency surgery.
• Earlier that day, Ruan Mian had been happy with her new friends. She and Meng Jiu’an shared a shy, mutual moment, while Lu Mingqian watched them and privately envied Meng.
• Attackers ambush the students outside the school. Deng Qin is killed, Ruan Mian is wounded, and Meng, Ji Qi, and Lu Mingqian protect the girls as everyone tries to survive. Security guards and bodyguards eventually subdue the attackers.
• One of the boys dies and the other survives: Meng Jiu’an is killed, while Lu Mingqian lives. The chapter ends with Shen Baili questioning the story’s implausible events.

Character developments

• Ruan Mian’s ordinary happiness gives way to terror, grief, and desperate hope for her friends.
• Meng Jiu’an is shown as lively and caring, risking himself to protect Ruan Mian and the others.
• Lu Mingqian’s envy of Meng is revealed, but he also fights to protect the group. Surviving while Meng dies leaves him with a profound loss.
• Shen Baili responds with distress, then shifts into critical analysis of the chapter’s logic.

Character interactions

• Ruan Mian and Meng share an unspoken romantic attraction.
• Lu Mingqian observes their closeness and compares his own life with Meng’s.
• Meng, Ji Qi, and Lu Mingqian defend Ruan Mian, Qiao Yi, and the other girls during the attack.
• The students’ bond with teacher Deng Qin is underscored by her presence with them before the attack and her death.

Significant themes

• Sudden violence shatters the safety and happiness of ordinary life.
• Friendship, sacrifice, and protection emerge under pressure.
• Survival can carry the unbearable cost of losing someone close.
• The passage contrasts youthful hopes and romance with irreversible tragedy, while Shen Baili’s criticism raises questions about plot plausibility and security.

• Plot: After reading a chapter in which Ms. Deng and Meng Jiu’an are murdered in a seemingly ordinary school attack, Shen Baili rejects the idea that their deaths should be dictated by a story’s plot. The chapter describes how an implausible chain of “accidents” lets Su Jian and four accomplices reach their victims. All five are convicted, but their punishment cannot undo the deaths. The tragedy also unsettles the Meng family’s succession and shifts the balance among wealthy families. Realizing the attack is due to happen that day, Shen Baili contacts her nearby bodyguard and checks that Meng Jiu’an’s security team is in place. Finding nothing suspicious makes her more uneasy. Distracted, she accidentally calls Xie Zhiyu.
• Character developments: Lu Mingqian grieves for Meng Jiu’an and feels guilty that jealousy may have contributed to his loss; he wishes he had died instead. Ruan Mian, Ji Qi, and Lu grow closer through their shared grief. Shen Baili moves from furious disbelief at the story’s violence to urgent action to prevent the tragedy from recurring.
• Character interactions: A-Deng comforts Shen Baili as she struggles to recover from reading the chapter. Qiao Yi prompts her to go to PE, but Shen asks her to go ahead while she makes arrangements. Shen then contacts Bodyguard Sister and checks on the guards protecting Meng Jiu’an and the others. Her accidental call reaches Xie Zhiyu as he heads between work meetings.
• Themes: The chapter questions whether people in a supposedly fictional world have lives and choices of their own, or are controlled by a predetermined plot. It also explores grief, guilt, revenge, and the limits of justice: legal punishment cannot restore the dead, while tragedy leaves lasting damage to families and society.

Key plot points and events

• Feeling that danger is imminent, Shen Baili calls her eldest stepbrother, Xie Zhiyu. He believes her without demanding an explanation, cancels his meeting, and arranges guards, a school security sweep, and extra protection for her bodyguard.
• At PE class, Shen Baili recognizes that events are unfolding as predicted. She urges her classmates to put on their coats and gives teacher Deng Qin a scarf, partly to protect her from the coming attack.
• As the students leave school, Su Jian lunges at Shen Baili and Deng Qin, but Deng Qin is his intended target. Shen grabs Deng away; the scarf catches the knife, giving her time to kick it from Su Jian’s hand and incapacitate him. Meng Jiu’an disables the weapon, while Ji Qi and Lu Mingqian check that the women are safe.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili moves from anxiety to focused action, relying on her judgment and martial-arts training. She emphasizes that protecting herself is necessary if she is to help the people she cares about.
• Xie Zhiyu shows his trust and devotion to Shen Baili by prioritizing her call and acting immediately. Their close, familial bond reassures her.
• Deng Qin accepts Shen Baili’s thoughtful protection and is deeply grateful after the attack; she checks on Shen in turn.
• The classmates respond supportively: Meng Jiu’an looks after Ji Qi, and he and the others help secure the scene and make sure everyone is unharmed.

Significant themes

• Trust and family support: Xie Zhiyu’s calm response gives Shen Baili the confidence to act.
• Preparedness and self-preservation: Shen’s precautions—security measures, warm clothing, and the scarf—help reduce the danger.
• Care and mutual protection: Shen protects Deng Qin, while her classmates and Deng Qin show concern for her.
• Agency in changing fate: Shen uses foreknowledge and her own skills to intervene rather than accept the predicted harm.

Plot points

• After Shen Baili helps save Teacher Deng and Meng Jiu’an, she suddenly collapses. Xie Zhiyu catches her and rushes her to the hospital.
• She wakes the following morning, weak from exhaustion. A-Deng explains that an unknown force tried to erase them from the world; to conceal their whereabouts, A-Deng used some of her energy, leaving Shen Baili with lingering weakness.
• Doctors find no serious medical problem but recommend another night of observation. Shen Baili learns that Teacher Deng and her classmates are safe.
• Her family visits and supports her. Once they leave, Shen Baili and her mother spend time together watching their familiar TV series.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili remains calm despite waking in hospital again. She feels guilty for worrying her mother but says she would still have risked herself to save others. She also comforts A-Deng and promises to be more careful.
• A-Deng reveals the danger posed by the world’s consciousness and admits she was frightened Shen Baili might not wake. Their exchange reinforces their partnership and mutual concern.
• Shen Wan stays by her daughter’s bedside all night, anxiously tending to her. She praises Shen Baili’s bravery and reassures her that everyone is safe.
• Xie Zhiyu gets Shen Baili to the hospital; Xie Liuzheng and Xie Chengyue also visit and show their concern and approval.
• Shen Baili’s classmates and Teacher Deng were worried and plan to visit, underscoring the bonds she has formed.

Significant themes

• Self-sacrifice and its cost: Shen Baili’s courage saves others but leaves her physically depleted and exposes her and A-Deng to a mysterious threat.
• Family care and belonging: Her mother’s devotion—and the family’s support—helps her recover and echoes the closeness of an earlier hospital stay.
• Partnership and responsibility: Shen Baili and A-Deng rely on each other, while A-Deng’s warning urges Shen Baili to balance bravery with self-preservation.

Chapter 99 Summary

• Key events: After changing major events in the Campus Story—including the deaths of Meng Jiu’an’s first love and Deng Qin—Shen Baili realizes that the plot of her own wealthy-family story may also be changeable. She and A-Deng reaffirm their determination to reshape their future. Later, Xie Zhiyu and Xie Tingsi visit her in the hospital after her confrontation with an attacker.
• Character developments: Shen Baili feels newly hopeful and confident about changing her and her mother’s fate. Xie Zhiyu’s praise for her bravery is paired with genuine fear for her safety. Xie Tingsi is relieved to see her well and uses teasing and humor to cheer her up. Their visit also highlights Shen Baili’s affection for her brothers and her playful, stubborn response to being teased about her height.
• Character interactions: Xie Zhiyu tells Shen Baili she was brave but urges her not to risk herself again; Xie Tingsi joins in praising her, then jokes about her height. Shen Baili banters with him, while Xie Zhiyu gently scolds him for teasing her. Tingsi leaves after greeting Shen Wan, promising to visit again. Zhu Zhitao arrives, realizes that Xie Zhiyu and Xie Tingsi are Shen Baili’s brothers, then turns her attention to her friend’s condition.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes hope, agency, and the possibility of changing fate. It also explores family protection and affection: Shen Baili and her mother comfort one another, while her brothers’ concern shows that her courage matters to them—but so does her safety.

• Key events: Zhu Zhitao visits Shen Baili in the hospital and discovers that the mature CEO and flamboyant movie star with her are Suìsuì’s elder brothers, Xie Zhiyu and Xie Tingsi. Thrilled to meet her favorite actor, Zhu gets an autograph and photo. Later, friends, teachers, and students visit Shen Baili, filling the room with warmth. After everyone leaves, Shen returns to studying while Shen Wan and Xie Liuzheng keep her company.
• Character developments: Shen Baili admits she had concealed Xie Tingsi’s identity because she wants to be known for herself and avoid unwanted attention at school. Zhu understands and promises to keep the secret. Su Mianmian, grateful that Shen saved her and her mother, vows to study hard and learn to fight like her.
• Character interactions: Shen and Zhu reaffirm their close friendship, sharing jokes and affection. Xie Tingsi warmly welcomes Zhu as Shen’s friend, indulges her as a fan, and exchanges playful affection with Xie Zhiyu before leaving. At the hospital gathering, friends and family show their care for Shen; Mianmian thanks her, and Shen reassures the child.
• Themes: The chapter celebrates friendship, gratitude, and family affection. It also emphasizes Shen’s desire for independence and privacy, while the lively hospital visits show how care and companionship help everyone move beyond fear and gloom.

Chapter summary

• Su Yan is smitten with Xie Zhiyu. On the way home, she tells Zhu Zhitao that Shen Baili’s eldest brother is exceptionally handsome—and that seeing his gentle side with his family made him even more appealing. Su Yan can’t decide whether Xie Zhiyu or Meng Jiu’an is more attractive, though she ultimately gives Xie the edge. When she asks why Xie and Shen Baili have different surnames, Sang Fang tactfully explains that Shen Baili took her mother’s surname. Su Yan accepts this and jokes about how she got her own surname. The friends part ways when Su Yan’s father comes to take her home.
• Deng Qin and her daughter begin a happier life. Deng Qin and Su Jian divorce; Deng Qin sells their former home, buys a small apartment near the school, and her daughter changes her name from Su Mianmian to Deng Mianmian. With greater freedom, less housework, and a more stable life, Deng Qin gradually recovers both physically and emotionally. Shen Baili and her friends are glad to see her doing better.
• The school year reaches winter break. Final exams arrive, and snow falls on the last day. Excited by the fresh snow, Shen Baili, Qiao Yi, and their classmates rush to the field for a snowball fight. Friends join them, including Zhu Zhitao, Su Yan, and Sang Fang. Shen Baili’s beauty catches Su Yan’s eye again, while Meng Jiu’an watches her with evident delight.
• A friendly snowball fight erupts. Shen Baili dodges a snowball aimed at her and retaliates, burying Ji Qi—and splashing Lu Mingqian and Meng Jiu’an—with snow. Lu and Meng team up to dunk Ji Qi, who retaliates by attacking everyone nearby. The group trades snowballs in lively, chaotic fun. Zhu Zhitao even uses Sang Fang as a shield while sneak-attacking the others.

Character developments and interactions

Deng Qin’s new life marks a hopeful turning point: free of her former marriage, she is rebuilding her health and independence alongside Deng Mianmian. Among the students, affectionate friendships and playful rivalries remain central. Su Yan’s admiration for Xie Zhiyu grows, Sang Fang shows discretion in protecting Shen Baili’s private family details, and Meng Jiu’an’s fondness for Shen Baili is visible in his expressions.

Significant themes

• Recovery and independence: Deng Qin’s divorce gives her and her daughter room to heal and build a better future.
• Friendship and belonging: The group’s easy teasing and shared celebration of the snow show their closeness.
• Admiration and attraction: Su Yan’s fascination with Xie Zhiyu contrasts with Meng Jiu’an’s quiet attention to Shen Baili.
• Everyday joy: The snowball fight offers a carefree pause after exams and the chapter’s more serious family developments.

Key plot points and events

• The students’ snowball fight grows into a chaotic, joyful battle. Zhu Zhitao falls while carrying a giant snowball, mourns its destruction, then gets back up and charges back into the fray.
• Shen Baili joins in wholeheartedly, finding that the play helps her release the pressure and negative feelings she has been carrying.
• Photos of the students’ snowball fight spread online after a marketing account reposts them. Haicheng No. 1 High School trends, and Shen Baili becomes a trending topic as the school’s “most beautiful campus belle.”
• Shen Baili sees a photo of herself from the fight and likes it. She chooses not to respond to the attention or pay to have the trend removed, expecting interest to fade.
• Xie Tingsi calls to tease her about trending. Hearing his concern beneath the joke, Shen Baili reassures him and asks whether he arranged the new story that appeared on Trending Search.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili relaxes and reconnects with a carefree side of herself during the snowball fight. She is comfortable appreciating her photo but remains uninterested in celebrity attention.
• Zhu Zhitao shows her exuberant, impulsive loyalty by rushing to defend Shen Baili, then immediately returning to battle after her fall. Sang Fang watches over her with exasperated concern.
• Su Yan joins Shen Baili in the fight, while Ji Qi celebrates their early hits and quickly becomes a target herself. The friends’ teasing and teamwork fuel the playful chaos.
• Xie Tingsi checks in through teasing rather than directly expressing concern; Shen Baili recognizes his care and responds openly.

Significant themes

• Youth and friendship: The snowball fight captures the students’ shared energy, loyalty, and happiness—an experience the narrator suggests they will remember for years.
• Emotional release: Physical play gives Shen Baili a break from recent stress.
• Public image and privacy: Online praise brings sudden attention, but Shen Baili stays grounded and chooses not to chase or fight the spotlight.

Key events

• After the trending topic about the students, Shen Baili learns Xie Tingsi did not arrange to bury it; he had intended to ask her how she wanted to respond. She thanks him, and he lightens the mood by asking her to invite him to the next snowball fight.
• Students react differently to the online attention: Zhu Zhitao boasts about it, while Qiao Yi watches for and reports hurtful comments directed at Shen Baili.
• Lu Mingqian is harshly scolded by his father for being second in class and supposedly wasting time. He is ordered to copy the family rules through the night. His mother secretly brings him bread, but he sees his parents’ concern as a pretense masking their use of him in the family’s power struggle.
• Meng Jiu’an’s mother warns him to avoid publicity because of the earlier attack near the school. After she leaves, he secretly uses an anonymous account to defend Shen Baili against malicious comments and report them.
• At home, Su Yan and her family talk about the trending topic and play with little Su Rui. Su Yan reassures him and promises to protect him.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili and Xie Tingsi: Their warm, considerate exchange shows their trust; he understands her wish to avoid attention, while she appreciates his thoughtfulness.
• Lu Mingqian: His outward obedience contrasts with his resolve to gain power and escape his family. He has learned that arguing only brings harsher punishment.
• Meng Jiu’an: Despite his mother’s warning, he quietly acts to shield Shen Baili online, then checks their chat and hopes she did not see the attacks.
• Su Yan and Su Rui: Their affectionate exchange highlights Su Yan’s growing protectiveness and the closeness between the siblings. Their parents join in playfully to calm Su Rui.

Significant themes

• Public attention and protection: Families and friends try to limit exposure, while some students use online attention to support or attack others.
• Control versus independence: Lu Mingqian’s punishment and private ambition reveal the coercive dynamics within his family.
• Quiet loyalty and care: Xie Tingsi’s consideration, Meng Jiu’an’s anonymous defense, and Su Yan’s promise to her brother show affection expressed through small, protective acts.

• School results and energy progress: Shen Baili places first across the school in the final exams, followed by Lu Mingqian, Ruan Mian, and Qiao Yi. Lu is punished by being made to kneel and copy his family rules. Meng Jiu’an and Ji Qi also make it into the top fifty. Baili’s return to first place raises the energy progress to 70%, but unlocks no new storyline. She concludes she must strengthen herself and take the initiative before the next developments can begin.
• Su Yan and Shen Baili: Su Yan shows her younger brother Rui a photo of Baili and explains that “school beauty” means a very pretty girl. Rui compliments both Baili and his sister, while Su Yan’s parents insist she is prettier. Su Yan disagrees, admires Baili, and hopes to become her best friend. Her father, Su Bowen, briefly wonders whether Baili might be someone he recognizes, but relaxes when he hears her name.
• New Year with the Xie family: Shen Baili and her family travel to Capital City to celebrate New Year with Xie Tingsi, who—unlike in the prior year’s course of events—has not been disfigured and is now successful enough to perform at the Spring Festival Gala. His family watches proudly as he sings. Though they remark on his maturity, his exuberant grin and playful manner quickly make them laugh.
• Family interactions: After the performance, Tingsi reunites with his family and wishes them a happy New Year. Xie Chengyue praises him, while Tingsi cheerfully fishes for more compliments and jokes about his singing. Xie Zhiyu looks after him by helping him into his coat; Shen Wan wraps Baili warmly and leaves hand-in-hand with her, accompanied by Chengyue. Xie Liuzheng delights in the couple’s closeness, while Zhiyu gently reminds her to watch her step. Tingsi heads home with them and tells his assistant Ning Xin she can begin her holiday after the evening celebration.
• Character development and themes: Baili remains focused and strategic, recognizing that academic success alone cannot unlock the next phase. Tingsi’s thriving career and affectionate family reunion contrast with the danger and hardship his alternate fate might have held. The chapter emphasizes family warmth, admiration and encouragement, the joy of shared celebrations, and the importance of building strength before confronting what lies ahead.

• A period of family and career growth: After New Year’s, the family enjoys a hot-spring holiday before returning to work and school. Shen Baili turns seventeen and grows to 1.62 meters. Suìsuì Studio’s games and merchandise become major successes, allowing Shen Baili and Shen Wan to expand the business and fund aid for girls in poverty and women facing domestic abuse. Shen Wan also learns business management from the semi-retired Xie Chengyue.
• The Xies thrive: Xie Zhiyu takes control of Xie Group and steadies its board. Xie Liuzheng’s music career flourishes as she joins an international orchestra and becomes an associate professor. Xie Tingsi’s film The Wayfarer becomes a blockbuster, earning four billion yuan and raising his prospects for a Best Actor award. The family celebrates their success with gifts and bonuses.
• School and lingering uncertainty: Ruan Mian hears from childhood friend Quan Yu that he is safe after months of training, though they lose contact again. Shen Baili finishes her second year ranked first and reaches 87% on her Energy Bar, but unlocks no new chapter. She wonders whether danger has passed or is merely approaching, and recognizes that the college entrance exam will be pivotal.
• The start of senior year: Shen Wan and Xie Chengyue attend Shen Baili’s first parent meeting together, with Xie Chengyue notably nervous. Meanwhile, Meng Jiu’an and Ji Qi tease and support each other at school, joking about who should pay for snacks. Their easy camaraderie contrasts with Lu Mingqian’s strained family situation: his father refuses to attend the meeting and prevents his mother from going, sending a steward instead.
  Character developments and themes: Shen Baili’s steady growth and academic success accompany her expanding sense of responsibility, while Shen Wan develops as both a business leader and philanthropist. The Xie siblings and their father find renewed success in their respective careers. The chapter emphasizes family as a source of belonging, women supporting women, resilience, and the contrast between loving relationships and controlling family authority.

Key events

• The students head to the school store for ice cream while their parents wait in the classroom for the meeting to finish.
• During the meeting, Shen Wan is praised for raising Shen Baili. She deflects the credit, emphasizing her daughter’s intelligence, discipline, and effort, and notes that the other students have worked hard too.
• Ji Qi’s and Meng Jiu’an’s mothers thank Shen Baili for inspiring their sons to take school more seriously. Ji Qi has reached the school’s top fifty for the first time.
• The Lu family’s butler privately regrets that Lu Mingqian has not received the support he deserves.
• Teacher Deng discusses plans for the students’ final year. After the meeting, the children return and reunite with their parents.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Wan shows pride in Shen Baili while respecting her independence. She explains that she supported her daughter’s ambitions rather than taking credit for her accomplishments.
• Xie Chengyue quietly supports Shen Wan during the conversation, handing her water and letting her speak for herself. He considers Shen Baili his own daughter and is committed to helping both her and Shen Wan build the skills to protect and grow their wealth.
• The other parents admire Shen Wan and Xie Chengyue’s relationship and are impressed that Shen Baili has positively influenced their children.
• The Lu family’s butler feels sympathy for Lu Mingqian but believes he has little authority to change the boy’s circumstances.
• When Shen Baili returns, Shen Wan notices her sweaty forehead and asks whether she had fun.

Significant themes

• Effort and perseverance: Shen Wan believes it is never too late to improve if a student is willing to work.
• Support without control: She gives Shen Baili room to choose her own path, then backs her once she commits.
• Family as practical care: Xie Chengyue’s love is shown through steady support and teaching, not just promises or money.
• Influence and opportunity: Shen Baili’s example motivates her classmates, while Lu Mingqian’s situation highlights how much a child’s prospects can depend on adult support.