Chapter Summaries

Chapter 120 Summary

Key plot points and events

• Crime Scene Investigation continues to grow in popularity, passing 500 million cumulative views and regularly appearing in trending searches. Hong Congshuang’s father praises her work, strengthening her position in the family succession contest.
• Before Survivor premieres, the cast records promotional footage by watching an edited version of the show’s final case. Hong hopes to turn Crime Scene Investigation into a franchise and bring back all six guests, though Shen Baili remains the one holdout.
• After filming, the group is confronted by Wei Huaiyu, a striking woman who approaches Shen Baili but gives little explanation beyond saying they will meet again.
• The group learns Wei had previously stood up the Crime Scene Investigation production to appear on a dating show. Hong reveals Wei also approached her about sponsoring and joining the next season, but Hong rejected both requests.
• Outside, the cast finds a large crowd of fans waiting for them. Surprised and pleased by their popularity, Shen suggests taking a group photo with the fans, and the others eagerly join in.

Character developments

• Hong Congshuang grows more confident and ambitious, determined to claim both wealth and authority. She also shows firm judgment in protecting the quality and direction of the show.
• Shen Baili remains composed when challenged, while showing warmth and enthusiasm toward the fans.
• Han Wushuang instinctively stands beside Shen when Wei approaches, revealing her loyalty, though the sudden crowd of fans leaves her astonished.
• The cast members appear increasingly comfortable together and modestly delighted by their newfound fame.

Character interactions

• Hong’s father offers encouragement and support, reinforcing her growing confidence.
• The six cast members reunite warmly during the promotional recording.
• Wei’s unexplained approach to Shen unsettles the group, prompting the others to close ranks around her.
• Hong fills the group in on Wei’s business proposal and confirms that she declined it.
• The cast respond to the fans as a group, turning their unexpected encounter into a shared celebration.

Significant themes

• Success and ambition: The show’s popularity boosts Hong’s standing and fuels her pursuit of power.
• Loyalty and camaraderie: The cast protect one another and share both their work and growing public recognition.
• Fame and its surprises: The overwhelming fan reception shows how dramatically the show has changed the cast’s public lives.
• Competition and control: Wei’s interest in the rival shows and the next season raises questions about rivalry, sponsorship, and who gets to shape the franchise.

Plot and key events

• After filming wraps, Shen Baili returns to campus and declines Meng Jiu’an and Lu Mingqian’s invitation to join their year-long exchange abroad. Though tempted, she feels an approaching crisis is a reason to stay.
• Shen and her roommates attend Zhu Peng’s English speech final. Her remarkable improvement—earned through persistent practice—wins her first prize.
• At a celebratory barbecue, Zhu Peng admits she had carefully written and rehearsed her impressive first-day introduction, rather than improvising it. She had wanted to make a strong impression and hide her fear of not fitting in. Her friends reassure her that the lie hurt no one and praise her hard work.
• The next morning, Shen learns that the dating show Don’t Be Deceived by Lies has provoked outrage: eight of its ten contestants were Money Hunters, despite viewers’ investment in possible romances. The backlash sends the show’s rating crashing, while its production team and contestants are criticized online.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili turns down an appealing opportunity abroad because of her unease about what lies ahead. She responds to Zhu Peng’s confession with empathy rather than judgment.
• Zhu Peng is revealed as ambitious but insecure: she once concealed how much effort went into presenting herself confidently. Her first-prize win validates her dedication, and her roommates’ support helps her feel accepted.
• Meng Jiu’an shows greater maturity by making a thoughtful case for the exchange, while Lu Mingqian joins in encouraging Shen.
• Bi Yan and Jiang Zhu celebrate Zhu Peng’s success warmly; Jiang jokes that she feels like a proud mother. The roommates’ affection culminates in a group hug.

Significant themes

• Hard work and growth: Zhu Peng’s progress shows how sustained effort can transform ability.
• Honesty, insecurity, and acceptance: Her confession reveals the vulnerability behind a polished first impression, and her friends distinguish a harmless lie from a betrayal.
• Trust and deception: The dating show’s twist demonstrates how hidden motives can turn audience investment into anger.
• Intuition and choice: Shen’s decision to stay reflects her trust in an uneasy premonition.

Key plot points and events

• The first season of Crime Scene Investigation ends to widespread acclaim, boosting its cast, sponsors, and platform and inspiring a live-action role-playing craze. Shen Baili agrees to return for season two, valuing the show as both good entertainment and time spent with friends.
• Despite her rising popularity, Shen turns down another offer from Xie Tingsi’s agent. She has no interest in an entertainment career and remains focused on her business, Suìsuì Studio, which is expected to go public that summer.
• As final exams approach, Shen and Zhu Peng study together on campus. Jiang Zhu and Bi Yan arrive with alarming news: Shen is suddenly being attacked online.
• Trending topics accuse Shen of lying about her background, abusing her stepfather’s influence, taking another guest’s place on the show, and receiving unfair advantages on both the show and at university.
• The rumors began with influencer Tang Tang, who insinuated that Shen was the subject of her claims without naming her. Tang’s accusations prompted online users to dig up supposed “evidence,” while paid commenters amplified the attacks and silenced people defending Shen.
• Shen recognizes that Tang is likely only the front person for a coordinated effort. She considers several possible sources and begins forming a plan, but does not reveal it yet.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen remains committed to her own ambitions rather than fame. Faced with the smear campaign, she stays composed and assesses the situation instead of panicking.
• Jiang Zhu offers help through her family’s media connections, and both she and Bi Yan make clear they support Shen. Shen thanks them but says she has a way to handle the crisis.

Significant themes

• The chapter contrasts the public’s enthusiasm for a well-made program with the backlash generated by online rumors.
• It highlights how misinformation, paid campaigns, and crowd judgment can rapidly distort public opinion—and how a person’s fame can make them a target.
• Shen’s refusal to let celebrity define her underscores her independence and focus on business, study, and personal priorities.

Key events

• As online attacks against Shen Baili intensify, she posts a striking image of the warrior-king she played on Crime Scene Investigation. The image signals that she will neither plead nor retreat.
• The show’s producer, Hong Congshuang, publishes the guest-selection process and confirms Shen Baili earned her place. Han Wushuang and the other guests repost Shen Baili’s image and voice their support, helping counter the smear campaign.
• Shen sends a message to her lawyers, turns off her phone, and goes to eat malatang with Bi Yan and Jiang Zhu. Later, she tells Zhu Peng that the online controversy is manageable, though Zhu Peng worries it will hurt her.
• Back at the dorm, Shen finds many messages and missed calls from people concerned for her. Before she can call her mother, her eldest brother Xie Zhiyu calls: he and Aunt Shen are waiting outside the dorm. Shen hurries downstairs and sees Shen Wan waiting beneath a streetlamp.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili presents herself as determined and self-reliant, but her brief statement—“I’m strong”—also suggests she is reassuring herself.
• Bi Yan and Jiang Zhu stay close, escorting her like bodyguards and taking her to a comforting meal. Zhu Peng’s concern shows her sensitivity to the emotional harm of public ridicule.
• The show’s guests and production team publicly stand by Shen, while her family’s arrival offers support beyond the online defense.

Significant themes

• Public backlash can be met with solidarity and factual transparency.
• Shen Baili refuses to let the smear campaign define her, but the chapter acknowledges the pain that public cruelty can cause.
• Friendship, professional support, and family care provide refuge amid online hostility.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili reunites with her mother, Shen Wan, who flew in after becoming worried when Baili could not be reached. Xie Zhiyu quietly keeps watch while they embrace.
• Back at the apartment, Baili concludes that Wei Huaiyu is behind the trouble surrounding her. Xie Zhiyu recognizes the Wei Family connection.
• Tang Tang’s role is revealed: resentful over an old slight and jealous of Baili’s popularity, she used Wei Huaiyu’s party as an opportunity to stir up trouble, expecting Wei Huaiyu’s admirers to amplify it. Her attempt is complicated by the Crime Scene Investigation production team’s support for Baili.
• Tang Tang tries to contact one of Wei Huaiyu’s followers, but discovers she can no longer reach them.
• At home, Wei Huaiyu tells her eldest brother, Wei Huaiheng, that she has been unhappy: Yan Li is ignoring her, and she was turned down for a second season of a mystery variety show. She admits that seeing someone she dislikes—Shen Baili—have a bad day cheered her up.
• Wei Huaiheng confronts her about pressuring the television station and offers to help. He says Hong Congshuang will agree to Huaiyu joining the show.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili finds comfort and reassurance in her mother’s affection, then calmly pieces together who may be targeting her.
• Shen Wan demonstrates her concern through her immediate response to Baili’s online troubles.
• Xie Zhiyu supports the reunion unobtrusively and helps connect the suspected scheme to the Wei Family.
• Tang Tang is shown to be driven by jealousy, resentment, and social ambition; she sees harming Baili as a way to ingratiate herself with Wei Huaiyu.
• Wei Huaiyu is privileged and impulsive, and admits to enjoying Baili’s misfortune, though her own romantic and career frustrations weigh on her.
• Wei Huaiheng is indulgent but direct with his sister, confronting her conduct while reassuring her that he will help.

Significant themes

• Family as refuge: Shen Wan’s embrace offers Baili comfort amid public scrutiny.
• Jealousy and status: Tang Tang’s resentment and Huaiyu’s privilege fuel the conflict.
• Power and influence: Wealthy families and their admirers can turn personal dislike into public pressure.
• Accountability and sibling care: Wei Huaiheng challenges Huaiyu while still looking after her.

Chapter 122 Summary

• Wei Huaiyu’s dispute with Shen Baili escalates. Wei Huaiyu thanks her eldest brother, Wei Huaiheng, for backing her, but he warns her not to push the conflict too far because the Xie Family cares about Shen Baili. He says he will have the damaging Trending Search posts handled. Wei Huaiyu doubts the Xie Family will truly defend Shen, yet remains confident that her own family will protect her.
• Tang Tang is exposed and suffers the consequences. Online users uncover that the influencer’s wealthy-heiress persona was fabricated, that she trespassed at parties, and that her shop sold counterfeit goods alongside genuine products. Brand deals collapse, penalties mount, and her store comes under scrutiny. Shen Baili helped trigger the exposure by reporting the shop; netizens uncovered the rest. Tang Tang’s attempt to repair her image with paid publicity fails. She cannot reach Wei Huaiyu, and her parents confiscate her phone and lock her in her room, leaving her to regret her actions.
• Wei Huaiyu’s contract breach becomes public. A source reveals that a popular guest abandoned a mystery show shortly before filming to join a dating show for the sake of a crush, then tried to return after the mystery show became successful. Though Wei Huaiyu is not named, the post clearly points to her, and netizens criticize her for expecting others to bear the cost of her whims and for trying to benefit from someone else’s work. Without paid commenters stoking the controversy, the response is milder than the earlier abuse, but Wei Huaiyu is still upset.
• Wei Huaiyu gives up on the show. She tells her brother she no longer wants to record it because people are mocking her. He agrees, but warns her it will be the last time he indulges her. Wei Huaiyu then reasons that Shen Baili may lack the Xie Family’s support, since Shen has had to speak up for herself. Her brother accepts this conclusion, underestimating Shen’s position.
• A larger crisis overtakes the personal scandals. The hashtag about a building collapse at Wei Real Estate surges to the top of the Trending Search. Wei Huairen is called away to deal with it, and the Wei Group’s staff work through the night to contain the fallout.

Character Developments and Interactions

Wei Huaiyu remains spoiled, reliant on her powerful family, and quick to retreat when criticized. Her brothers protect her, though Wei Huairen shows impatience with her habit of giving up. Shen Baili is not directly present but demonstrates agency by helping expose Tang Tang. Tang Tang’s confidence in her manufactured online identity collapses when both the public and her family turn against her.

Significant Themes

The chapter highlights accountability for past actions, the power and volatility of online public opinion, and privilege and family protection. It also contrasts Wei Huaiyu’s reliance on family backing with Shen Baili’s willingness to defend herself, while the building-collapse crisis shows how private scandals can be eclipsed by serious real-world consequences.

Chapter 307 Summary

• The Wei Group’s scandal worsens. A housing project managed by Wei Huairen’s cousin, Wei Huaisheng, suffered a collapse after he cut corners and pocketed money. Though the company arranged aid for injured workers, negative coverage continued. Wei Huairen learned that Xie Zhiyu was deliberately keeping the story alive, and wondered whether he was acting to defend Shen Baili or pursuing another motive.
• Online discussion turns to Shen Baili and Wei Huaiyu. Following the previous night’s incident involving Tang Tang, Wei Huaiyu, and Shen Baili, commenters debated whether Wei Huaiyu had arranged for Tang Tang to target Shen. Some praised Shen’s academic achievements and character; others assumed that, as a stepdaughter, she had little standing in the wealthy Xie family.
• The Xie family publicly claims Shen as its own. The Xie Group’s official account declares Shen “the Xie Family’s eldest daughter, in every sense of the word.” Wei Huaiyu is stunned, especially since Tang Tang had led her to believe Shen was merely an unwanted stepdaughter.
• Family members rally around Shen. Chairman Xie Chengyue offers her jewelry; CEO Xie Zhiyu says he has bought her villas; actor Xie Tingsi offers her a sports car; and pianist Xie Liuzheng reassures her that the family will always support her. Their posts focus on comforting Shen rather than attacking Wei Huaiyu.
• The revelations overwhelm social media. Fans discover the identities and status of Shen’s relatives, and the flood of reactions crashes Weibo’s servers.

Character and Relationship Notes

• Wei Huairen recognizes that Xie Zhiyu’s intervention makes the situation more serious, but remains unsure of his intentions.
• Wei Huaiyu loses confidence as she realizes Shen is not an outcast but a cherished member of the powerful Xie family.
• Shen Baili becomes the focus of an unusually united public show of family affection and protection.
• The Xie family demonstrates its loyalty through warm, personal gestures, confirming that Shen is accepted and treasured.

Significant Themes

Family belonging is defined by love and loyalty, not blood alone.

• Public reputation can shift rapidly, as online narratives expose hidden relationships and challenge assumptions.
• Powerful families protect their own, while public support can turn a personal conflict into a broader confrontation.

• Key events: Shen Baili’s family supports her after the recent conflict, and she enjoys a warm breakfast and school drop-off with Shen Wan and Xie Zhiyu. After exams, Wei Huaiyu publicly apologizes. Baili accepts the apology but refuses to forgive her. Wei Huaiyu’s family had made her apologize to protect their interests, leaving her to realize that their affection was conditional. Xie Zhiyu ends the Xie Corporation’s attack on Wei Real Estate after the apology, though the Wei Group has already suffered major losses.
• Career milestone: Baili uses the attention surrounding the dispute to promote Suìsuì Studio, publicly revealing herself as its founder. In an interview, she explains that the studio was inspired by her mother’s wish for her to live safely and happily, and by her belief that girls should be free to pursue their ambitions rather than feel pressured to be perfect. The interview boosts the studio’s games, merchandise, and share price; the studio’s fund for women in need also earns public praise.
• Character developments: Wei Huaiyu’s public humiliation and her family’s willingness to sacrifice her interests force her to confront how conditional their affection is. The once-spoiled heiress leaves the public eye and begins an internship at a Wei Group branch. Baili, meanwhile, emerges as a confident, principled entrepreneur whose public image rests on more than her beauty or wealth.
• Relationships and interactions: Baili is grateful for her family’s support, and her cheerful breakfast with Shen Wan and Xie Zhiyu shows their closeness. Her exchange with Huaiyu is firm but controlled: she acknowledges the apology without offering forgiveness. At the end of August, Baili says goodbye to friends Meng Jiu’an and Lu Mingqian at the airport. Meng confesses his feelings and asks her not to fall for anyone else; Baili tells him she does not plan to date and urges both friends to study hard, enjoy life, and stay safe.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts genuine family support with affection that depends on self-interest. It also emphasizes women’s freedom to be imperfect and pursue their own possibilities, while showing how Baili turns public scrutiny into momentum for her work and values.

Chapter 123 Summary

Key plot points and events

• As Lu Mingqian prepares to leave, Shen Baili hugs him goodbye. Later, she enters her third year at university; her friend Zhu Peng begins dating Su Zhe, leaving Shen without her usual study partner.
• Xie Tingsi wins every major Best Actor award for Survivor, becoming the youngest actor to achieve an industry grand slam. Shen is delighted that his story has taken a happier turn.
• During exam week, news reports that police have killed the leader of an overseas drug-trafficking ring in Kun City. At the same time, Shen’s Energy Bar rises to 99%, unlocking a bonus chapter titled Funeral and Revenge—but the system cannot open it because a key factor is missing.
• Shen suspects the news and the energy increase are connected. At the hospital, she and Ruan Mian find Quan Yu badly injured. He reassures Ruan that he is recovering, asks Shen to thank her eldest brother, and promises Ruan he will no longer take dangerous risks.
• Xie Zhiyu reveals that Quan Yu was an undercover operative. Born to a drug lord and raised among the leader’s sons as they competed to become his successor, Quan Yu faced a choice between cooperating or risking death for himself and his mother. Xie Zhiyu gave him another way out, freeing him and helping resolve the Xie family’s crisis.
• Xie Zhiyu explains that Quan Qiang had been laundering drug money through shell companies, including an auction house connected to Duan Xing, Gu Yeliang, and Sang Ya. Quan Qiang had targeted the Xie, Lu, and Meng families, exploiting insiders who were willing to bring him into their businesses.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen is pleased by Xie Tingsi’s success and increasingly alert to how events beyond her knowledge may be changing the story. The locked bonus chapter makes her fear that a funeral and revenge may still lie ahead.
• Quan Yu’s hidden role as an undercover operative gives new meaning to his danger and injuries. Though he withholds some details from Ruan Mian for her safety, he offers her reassurance and a promise to avoid further risks.
• Ruan Mian prioritizes Quan Yu’s survival over learning the full truth, and their affectionate exchange shows their closeness. Shen’s joking comment about being a third wheel keeps the hospital scene light.
• Xie Zhiyu’s investigation and intervention expose Quan Qiang’s scheme and provide Quan Yu with a path to freedom, demonstrating his efforts to protect both the Xie family and those caught in the criminal network.

Significant themes

• Changing fate: The rising energy suggests the story is shifting, even through events Shen has not directly influenced.
• Hidden sacrifice and redemption: Quan Yu’s undercover work required extreme personal sacrifice, but it creates the possibility of a safer future.
• Family vulnerability and betrayal: Quan Qiang exploits greed and misplaced trust to infiltrate powerful families.
• Love and protection: Quan Yu and Ruan Mian’s relationship is grounded in care, while Xie Zhiyu’s actions protect others from danger.

• Plot: Xie Zhiyu tells Shen Baili that Quan Qiang arranged a kidnapping with help from traitors in the Xie Family, intending to kill him if the abduction failed. Zhiyu had pretended to go along with the plan, then exposed the conspirators and resolved the family crisis. Shen realizes this is why his progress bar rose, and learns his fate has changed: he survived, though he later went missing after falling into the sea, and lived to attend Xie Tingsi’s funeral. A-Deng unlocks “Funeral and Revenge” and immerses Shen in the scene.
• At the funeral: Shen appears as her frail fifteen-year-old self, Zhou Yu, and meets Xie Tingsi’s ghost. The funeral is disrupted when Guo Rao arrives with Song Xi. Xie Liuzheng accuses Guo Rao of causing Tingsi’s death by pressuring him to donate a kidney to Song Tianci. Guo Rao seeks forgiveness, but the narration makes clear she would make the same choice again. A confrontation turns physical, and Xie Liuzheng nearly falls and hits her head—until someone catches her at the last moment.
• Character developments and interactions: Zhiyu’s protective tenderness toward Shen contrasts with his ruthlessness toward enemies; she responds with admiration and encouragement. In the immersive scene, Tingsi is playful and generous with Shen, unaware at first that he is dead. Liuzheng’s grief and anger surface as she confronts Guo Rao, while Guo Rao’s regret seems limited: she wants forgiveness without truly reconsidering her favoritism toward Song Tianci.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts family loyalty with betrayal, explores the lasting cost of parental favoritism and sacrifice, and shows grief turning into anger and a demand for accountability. Shen’s trust in A-Deng also carries her from the present into a painful reckoning with the past.

Chapter 124 Summary

• Xie Zhiyu returns home after years away, bearing a permanent scar and a hardened demeanor. Xie Liuzheng and Xie Tingsi welcome him emotionally, while Shen Baili quietly shares their relief.
• After Xie Tingsi’s death, Xie Zhiyu carries out a ruthless revenge against those responsible, including Quan Qiang, Duan Xing, Gu Yeliang, and the Sang Family. Once revenge is complete, he is left overwhelmed by pain and loneliness. Xie Tingsi’s spirit stays near him, talking constantly, and helps Shen Baili feel at home.
• Shen Baili’s time in the unlocked chapter ends. Before disappearing, she promises to meet Xie Tingsi again and agrees to be his little sister in another life. She wakes in the present with tears on her pillow and greets the living Xie Tingsi with emotional excitement.
• Guo Rao and Song Xi visit the Xie Residence to ask for help finding a kidney for Song Tianci, whose health has worsened. Xie Liuzheng realizes Guo Rao may be hoping one of her children with Xie Chengyue—Xie Zhiyu or Xie Tingsi—will be tested as a donor. Shen Baili’s alarmed thoughts reveal that, in the original plot, Xie Tingsi donated a kidney and died.
• The crisis is resolved differently: Song Tianci receives a kidney from his older half-brother, Song Guangyao, who was a match. Song Xi had concealed this from Guo Rao, leading to a bitter argument between them. Song Tianci is rushed into emergency surgery.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Xie Zhiyu is shown both as a loving family member upon returning and as a merciless avenger shaped by loss; afterward, his grief leaves him isolated.
• Xie Tingsi remains affectionate and protective, joking with Shen Baili in the spirit world and later reconnecting with her in the present.
• Shen Baili grows close to Xie Tingsi and intervenes through her foreknowledge to prevent him from being drawn into the kidney-donation outcome.
• Xie Liuzheng protects the family and sees through Guo Rao’s indirect request.
• Guo Rao and Song Xi reveal conflicting loyalties: she favors Song Tianci, while Song Xi favors Song Guangyao.

Significant Themes

The chapter explores grief and revenge, the enduring bonds between family members, and the possibility of changing a tragic fate. It also highlights parental favoritism, manipulation, and the consequences of concealed truths.

Key plot points

• Gu Rao pays Song Guangyao a large sum to donate a kidney to Song Tianci, and the operation succeeds. Xie Tingsi and Xie Zhiyu refuse to help. Xie Tingsi finally accepts that his mother does not love him, while Song Xi takes Gu Rao and Song Tianci to Capital City.
• Song Guangyao recovers, returns to his grandparents, and settles into a comfortable life.
• Shen Baili’s System Energy rises to 99.99%, unlocking both novels despite not reaching 100%. A-Deng says the system bug has fixed itself; Shen’s mother’s illness still requires full energy to cure, though it will not flare up. A-Deng has also grown slightly.
• Shen reads both novels. The Campus Story ends with Quan Yu dying while saving Ruan Mian, and hints that Xie Corporation helped bring down the power behind his tech company. The Rich CEO novel ends with a bonus chapter, “Blood-Red Funeral,” that introduces Xie Zhiyu before cutting off.
• A-Deng explains that Shen’s earlier experience was a parallel timeline: she traveled into the past, and her arrival changed the ending.
• In the present, Shen and her roommates are preparing graduation theses. They rush to the rooftop after hearing Zhu Peng is crying, find her safe, and learn that she and her partner have broken up.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Tingsi gives up on seeking his mother’s affection after her choices confirm his long-held suspicion that she does not love him.
• Song Guangyao’s financial windfall lets him return to a life centered on himself and his grandparents.
• Shen worries about her mother and carefully checks on A-Deng after noticing the kitten has grown. She investigates the novels for clues about the altered timeline and Xie Zhiyu’s role.
• Jiang Zhu jokes with Shen and Bi Yan while lamenting her thesis workload; Bi Yan looks after her. The three roommates respond with concern when Zhu Peng appears distressed, and Shen offers quiet companionship before Zhu Peng reveals the breakup.

Significant themes

• Unequal family love and abandonment: Xie Tingsi confronts his mother’s lack of affection, while Song Guangyao’s strained family ties remain evident.
• Fate, choice, and altered endings: Shen’s presence changes a parallel timeline, complicating what the original stories predict.
• Uncertainty and unfinished business: The Energy Bar stalls just short of full, Shen’s mother’s cure remains pending, and the Rich CEO story’s cliffhanger leaves Xie Zhiyu’s fate unresolved.
• Friendship and care: The roommates’ teasing, practical help, and concern for Zhu Peng provide warmth amid stress and heartbreak.

• Zhu Peng chooses her future over immediate marriage. Su Zhe proposes, but his wish to settle down soon—partly because his ailing grandfather hopes to see him married—conflicts with Zhu Peng’s plan to take up her hard-won government scholarship abroad. She loves Su Zhe and considers marrying while still studying, but he wants a different future. After weighing the decision, Zhu Peng refuses to give up her opportunity, accepting that she may regret losing him. Her roommates reassure her and celebrate her choice with hot pot and wine.
• The roommates’ bond deepens. Shen Baili, Bi Yan, and Jiang Zhu listen without judgment and stand firmly behind Zhu Peng. Their late-night gathering offers her comfort after the breakup and reinforces that she has their friendship even though she has lost Su Zhe.
• Shen Baili receives letters from girls helped by Suìsuì Studio. The heartfelt thanks remind her why she supports girls from poor families: she wants them to have the chance to study and change their futures, partly to ease a regret from her past life.
• The system’s hidden connection to Zhou Yu emerges. Shen Baili hears A-Deng’s voice as the system reports temporal turbulence and critically low energy. An unknown source replenishes it. In a dark virtual space, the wishes and blessings of girls whose lives were touched by Zhou Yu gather into a powerful light and flow into Zhou Yu’s fading body. Shen Baili realizes she had three wishes she could not let go of, though the chapter does not yet reveal what they are.
  Themes: Choosing personal ambition over expected roles; the value of female education and opportunity; friendship as support through loss; and the lasting, reciprocal power of kindness, gratitude, and hope.

Key events

• Zhou Yu reflects on how her interrupted education shaped her longing to study. After becoming successful, she and Shen Baili helped girls from the mountains with schooling and practical necessities. The girls’ acceptance letters and affection became a source of fulfillment and strength for Zhou Yu.
• A system notification confirms that Zhou Yu’s wish has been fulfilled, completing the arc of her helping others while also healing herself.
• Shen Baili and her friends—Jiang Zhu, Bi Yan, and Zhu Peng—graduate after four happy years together. They feel reluctant to leave campus, but encourage one another to enjoy the ceremony.
• Shen Baili gives a speech as an outstanding graduate. Her family arrives to celebrate, bringing sunflowers and taking many photos together. At the tassel-turning ceremony, graduates and faculty share an emotional farewell.
• Months later, Shen Baili leaves to study art and design abroad. Her friends see her off, and she reassures Ji Qi that she will be safe, with a bodyguard and a trusted chef accompanying her.

Character developments

• Zhou Yu turns her own lost educational opportunity into sustained support for other girls. Their success helps her find a sense of restoration and purpose.
• Shen Baili marks the transition from student to graduate, then chooses to keep pursuing her education overseas. She is optimistic about beginning a new chapter.
• Shen Baili’s friends and family express how deeply they value her, while accepting the changes that graduation and travel bring.

Significant themes

• Education as opportunity, empowerment, and a means of healing.
• The reciprocal nature of kindness: Zhou Yu gives support, but the girls’ affection also strengthens her.
• Growing up, parting, and carrying meaningful relationships into new stages of life.
• It is never too late to pursue a long-held dream.

Character interactions

• Zhou Yu and Shen Baili support girls’ education without expecting repayment; the girls respond with heartfelt affection.
• Shen Baili shares a playful, emotional farewell with her three close friends as they rush to graduation and reflect on leaving campus.
• Her family welcomes her after the ceremony with a bouquet, affectionate teasing, hugs, and a flurry of photographs.
• Ji Qi worries about Shen Baili’s safety abroad; she reassures him and reminds him that they can visit one another.

Plot points and events

• Shen Baili leaves for N City to attend design school abroad. Her friends accompany her to the airport, where they share an emotional goodbye.
• In N City, Ruan Mian and Quan Yu welcome her. Ruan Mian is studying there, and Quan Yu has stayed in the country for her; the two are now a couple and live together.
• Shen Baili moves into a comfortable house near her school, with a garden tended by Auntie Li and her bodyguard living next door. After helping her settle in, Ruan Mian and Quan Yu leave.
• Shen Baili looks forward to beginning a new adventure in an unfamiliar city and language.

Character developments

• Shen Baili’s friends are pursuing the futures they chose: Zhu Zhitao is a successful full-time novelist, and Qiao Yi is training as an outstanding fighter pilot.
• Ruan Mian and Quan Yu have reunited and built a life together after Quan Yu chose to stay in M Country for her.
• Shen Baili is excited about her opportunities abroad, but remains unsure about romantic love, having found other priorities more compelling.

Character interactions

• Zhu Zhitao, Qiao Yi, Lu Mingqian, Meng Jiu’an, and Ji Qi say goodbye to Shen Baili. Lu and Meng’s embraces carry unspoken longing: Lu is tender and restrained, while Meng understands Shen Baili is turning him down but continues to express his affection.
• Ruan Mian enthusiastically welcomes Shen Baili, while Quan Yu helps with her luggage. Their playful teasing reveals the couple’s closeness and Quan Yu’s jealousy.
• Auntie Li has prepared Shen Baili’s home, and her bodyguard’s nearby room helps Shen feel secure.

Significant themes

• Choosing one’s own future: The characters have shaped lives around their ambitions and decisions.
• Parting and enduring friendship: Distance does not erase the friends’ affection or promise of future visits.
• Fate and agency: Ruan Mian and Quan Yu’s reunion comes about when Quan Yu acts against the course expected for them.
• Romance versus independence: Shen Baili values her broader goals and is not ready to make love central to her life.

Summary

• Shen Baili chooses a new path: After helping resolve the danger to her mother and the crisis facing the Xie family, she leaves finance behind and studies art and design abroad. With Suìsuì Studio running well under trusted staff and her mother’s partnership, she can focus on learning and living more freely.
• A calmer, creative life: Shen Baili settles into her studies, holds a solo exhibition with her advisor’s support, and makes friends from different cultures. She enjoys social events but promptly leaves situations that feel unsafe and cuts ties with classmates who treat her badly. Slowing down helps her find inspiration, and she begins outlining a story about a girl growing up in the mountains.
• A warm New Year reunion: On her first New Year away from home, Shen Baili returns to find the house decorated and her family preparing dinner. She is welcomed with hugs by her mother, Shen Wan, and aunt, Xie Liuzheng; Xie Zhiyu and Xie Chengyue help cook, while Xie Tingsi joins in. The family jokes affectionately, including about their plump cat, A-Deng.
• A peaceful ending: Over New Year’s Eve dinner, Shen Baili finds a gold ingot in her dumpling and wishes everyone happiness and good fortune. The family shares food and good wishes as a blizzard rages outside, ending the story with warmth, safety, and the hope that they will remain together.

Character development and interactions

Shen Baili has moved from a tightly wound, crisis-focused life toward one marked by independence, creativity, and deliberate rest. She remains sensible and self-protective, while growing closer to her family through their affectionate reunion. The family’s teasing, practical care, shared meal, and New Year wishes show their lasting bonds; A-Deng’s decision to stay with Shen Baili further underscores that sense of companionship.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes personal growth, creative freedom, balance, and chosen trust. Its closing celebration brings the story’s struggles to a gentle resolution, highlighting family belonging, everyday happiness, and the hope of peace lasting into the future.