Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Xie Liuzheng leaves the study relieved after her brother, Xie Chengyue, agrees to her and Duan Xing’s plan to adopt a child. He also suggests she spend time shopping with Shen Wan.
• In the greenhouse, Xie Liuzheng and Shen Wan pick flowers together. They arrange to go shopping the next day, and Xie Liuzheng offers to drive.
• Xie Liuzheng gives Duan Xing a bouquet of Champagne roses she made herself. He is delighted, and they discuss visiting welfare institutes together after her shopping trip. Duan Xing says he has already gathered information on several.
• The next morning, Xie Liuzheng and Shen Wan go to a luxury boutique to find a formal gown for Baili, a sixteen-year-old girl, ahead of an upcoming banquet. Neither woman is impressed by the available designs.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng feels increasingly at ease about the adoption and shows affection for Duan Xing through her handmade bouquet. She and Shen Wan begin building a friendly bond through flower arranging and their shopping plans.
• Shen Wan is quietly supportive and shares her interest in fashion design. She is considerate about personal boundaries, choosing not to pry into what happened in the study.
• Duan Xing responds warmly to Xie Liuzheng’s gesture and presents himself as an involved partner in the adoption process. However, his private thought that “everything was going according to plan” hints that he may have motives he has not shared.
• Xie Chengyue’s approval and suggestion that the women spend time together signal his support, though his unusual behavior leaves Xie Liuzheng curious.

Significant themes

• Marriage and partnership: Xie Liuzheng and Duan Xing treat the adoption as a shared decision and support each other with care.
• Family and belonging: The couple’s plans to adopt and their search for a gown for Baili point toward expanding and integrating a family.
• Growing independence and connection: Xie Liuzheng is learning to drive, while her outings with Shen Wan foster companionship and self-expression.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Wan and Xie Liuzheng reject a boutique’s unconventional gowns and visit another shop, where an associate rudely refuses to let Shen Wan inspect a bag, assuming she cannot afford it.
• Shen Wan calmly challenges the associate’s conduct. The manager recognizes her as Mrs. Xie, apologizes, and makes the associate acknowledge her mistake. Shen Wan asks to see the bag, then dismisses it and leaves.
• Xie Liuzheng responds by buying nearly every bag from the rival boutique. She gives them to Shen Wan as thanks for helping her before. Shen Wan accepts only after asking to give Xie a bouquet of flowers in return; Xie requests red roses.
• At a jewelry store, Xie buys a pink-diamond necklace and asks Shen Wan’s opinion. Shen compliments it and straightens it for her.
• Qiao Yun arrives and sees Xie wearing the necklace. She envies Xie’s wealth, ability, and beauty, but comforts herself by thinking that Xie cannot keep a man or have a child, and that Qiao’s son may inherit Xie’s fortune.

Character developments

• Shen Wan remains composed in the face of class-based disrespect. She is assertive without seeking revenge, and values personal gestures over expensive gifts.
• Xie Liuzheng shows loyalty and gratitude toward Shen, using her wealth to defend her and offer a generous gift. Her request for flowers reveals a desire for meaningful affection, not just luxury.
• Qiao Yun reveals her deep envy and spite. She reframes Xie’s personal circumstances as a source of superiority and imagines benefiting from Xie’s wealth through her son.

Significant themes

• Class prejudice and service: The associate’s assumption that Shen cannot afford the bag exposes the contempt behind status-based treatment.
• Dignity and quiet power: Shen’s calm questions prove more effective than an angry confrontation, while Xie’s spending makes the consequences unmistakable.
• Gratitude and reciprocity: Shen and Xie turn an expensive gift into a more personal exchange through the promised bouquet.
• Envy and imagined triumph: Qiao’s thoughts show how resentment can distort another person’s hardships into reasons for self-satisfaction.

Character interactions

• Shen’s measured confrontation leaves the associate and manager scrambling to apologize; Xie watches, then supports Shen through her actions.
• Xie offers bags as thanks, while Shen proposes flowers as a more personal return gift.
• Shen’s warm compliment strengthens the ease between her and Xie, while Qiao’s arrival introduces an antagonistic perspective on Xie’s life.

Plot points and events

• At a jewelry store, Qiao Yun demands the pink diamond necklace Xie Liuzheng is wearing and offers to pay double. Xie refuses, saying she likes it and it is not for sale, then leaves with Shen Wan. Bodyguards prevent Qiao Yun from following.
• Qiao Yun watches them go with a possessive, threatening attitude, thinking that Xie’s men—and everything else—will eventually belong to her.
• At home, Shen Baili hears about the encounter and praises her mother and Aunt Liuzheng. She is preoccupied with a plot she remembers: Duan Xing intends to use an adoption scheme to manipulate Xie Liuzheng. Unsure how to warn her without alerting Duan Xing, she decides to approach Xie directly and asks Shen Wan for her number.
• The next day, Shen Baili unexpectedly encounters Xie Liuzheng at the mall. The chapter shifts to Shen Baili’s predicament in a restroom: her period has arrived early, her light-colored pants are stained, and her phone is in her bag. She calls out for help, but no one answers.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiao Yun appears increasingly entitled and fixated on Xie Liuzheng, while Xie and Shen Wan both find her behavior suspicious.
• Shen Baili is protective of Xie Liuzheng and determined to prevent her feelings from being exploited, though she struggles to decide how to share what she knows.
• Shen Wan and Shen Baili share a warm, playful mother-daughter moment while looking at the shopping haul and trying on clothes.
• Xie Liuzheng’s arrival at the mall is presented as a possible rescue for Shen Baili, but the excerpt ends before their interaction is shown.

Significant themes

• Possessiveness and control: Qiao Yun treats Xie Liuzheng’s possessions and relationships as things she can claim.
• Trust and deception: Shen Baili worries that Duan Xing may exploit Xie Liuzheng’s trust.
• Care and loyalty: Shen Baili’s concern for Xie contrasts with Qiao Yun’s self-serving interest.
• Everyday vulnerability and unexpected help: Shen Baili’s embarrassing emergency sets up a chance encounter and potential assistance.

• Kindness and recognition: Shen Baili is stranded in a restroom after her period stains her pants. A stranger buys her pads, disposable underwear, heat patches, and clean pants. When they finally see each other, Shen realizes the thoughtful woman is Xie Liuzheng, her distant aunt by marriage. Shen is deeply grateful, while Xie is surprised by the coincidence.
• A strange new ability: As they leave the restroom, Xie hears Shen’s unspoken thoughts—first praise, then concern about Xie’s health. She becomes frightened, wondering whether something supernatural is happening, and takes Shen into the busy mall to feel safer. Shen assumes Xie is simply unwell and offers to help.
• A dangerous secret revealed: Xie then hears Shen’s thoughts about Xie’s husband, Duan Xing. Shen believes he is having an affair and plans to manipulate Xie into adopting his illegitimate son, arranging for the boy to gain a legitimate identity and inherit Xie’s property. The child may be renamed Duan Muzheng. Shen considers asking her brother to investigate rather than telling Xie directly, since Xie may not believe her.
• Xie’s reaction: Shocked by the accusations and by her apparent ability to hear Shen’s mind, Xie eventually separates from Shen and returns to her car. She considers calling Duan Xing but hesitates, recalling his promise that an adopted child would be theirs and a “testament” to their love.
  Character developments and interactions: Shen’s warm, spontaneous gratitude reveals her kindness, while Xie’s practical, generous act complicates her “ice queen” reputation. Their brief encounter creates unexpected intimacy, but Xie’s fear and the disturbing information in Shen’s thoughts leave her guarded and uncertain.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts outward appearances with hidden character, explores kindness between people who barely know each other, and introduces mind-reading as a source of both fear and potentially vital knowledge. It also raises themes of betrayal, inheritance, and trust within marriage.

Key plot points and events

• After hearing Shen Baili’s thoughts and realizing he knew a private name shared only by her and Duan Xing, Xie Liuzheng becomes shaken and begins to suspect Duan Xing is having an affair.
• She avoids their planned visit to the Welfare Institute, telling Duan Xing she has a headache. He is concerned and offers to take her to the hospital; she says she will go with her friend Zheng Nuan.
• At the hospital, examinations find nothing wrong with her head or ears. The doctor gives her medication to calm her nerves.
• Still unsettled, Xie Liuzheng visits her nephew Xie Zhiyu at Xie Group and asks him to investigate Duan Xing. She withholds the strange detail that prompted her suspicion, afraid it will sound unbelievable.
• Xie Zhiyu agrees, arranges for a private detective to look into Duan Xing, and contacts Xie Liuzheng’s bodyguard and assistant for information. Exhausted, Xie Liuzheng rests in his office lounge.

Character developments

• Xie Liuzheng struggles to distinguish a genuine warning from something implausible, but ultimately acts on her suspicion by seeking help. She is anxious, physically tense, and drained.
• Duan Xing appears caring and attentive, worrying about her health and offering to take her to the hospital.
• Xie Zhiyu responds calmly and supportively, trusting his aunt while recognizing that he needs more information to investigate properly.
• Zheng Nuan shows practical concern by driving Xie Liuzheng to the hospital.

Significant themes

• Trust and uncertainty: Xie Liuzheng’s suspicion conflicts with Duan Xing’s affectionate behavior.
• The burden of extraordinary knowledge: She hesitates to reveal what she heard because it seems too strange to believe.
• Family support: Xie Zhiyu gives her a steady source of help when she feels overwhelmed.

Character interactions

• Xie Liuzheng conceals her real reason for changing plans from Duan Xing, who responds with concern.
• Zheng Nuan accompanies her and takes over driving.
• Xie Liuzheng confides her suspicion to Xie Zhiyu, who agrees to investigate without demanding immediate proof.

• Plot: After waking from a dream, Xie Liuzheng returns home to find Duan Xing cooking her favorite meal. Their familiar, affectionate routine briefly eases her doubts about him. But when he mentions knowing she visited Xie Zhiyu, she realizes she had told only Zheng Nuan she was going to the company—not whom she planned to see—leaving her unsettled. The next morning, she and Duan Xing visit two welfare institutes. She donates ¥500,000 to the first, then at the second finds herself drawn to a quiet boy clutching a stuffed toy.
• Character developments: Xie Liuzheng tries to remain fair-minded, reminding herself that her long relationship with Duan Xing gives her reason to trust his care. Still, her suspicion returns when she notices he knows more about her movements than she expected. Duan Xing appears attentive and loving, and shows his familiar fondness for feeding stray cats. At the second institute, Xie Liuzheng’s strong, unexplained interest in the lonely boy suggests a significant connection may be ahead.
• Interactions: Duan Xing comforts Xie Liuzheng’s headache, cooks for her, encourages her to eat, and playfully asks about her visit to the company. Their warm domestic intimacy contrasts with her growing wariness. At the institutes, Duan Xing kindly engages with the children, while Xie Liuzheng is quietly drawn apart from the group toward the boy.
• Themes: The chapter explores the tension between trust and suspicion: ordinary acts of devotion make Xie Liuzheng question her doubts, but an unexplained detail keeps them alive. It also emphasizes compassion and care, through the couple’s domestic gestures, Duan Xing’s kindness to children and strays, and Xie Liuzheng’s charitable donation.

Key plot points and events

• At Furi Welfare Home, Xie Liuzheng meets a shy boy called Little Sheng, who is attached to a stuffed puppy he calls Doll. Though she takes to him, she decides not to rush into choosing a child.
• Duan Xing seems pleased when he assumes she may want to adopt Little Sheng. They discuss the name they might give an adopted son, but Xie Liuzheng does not commit to adopting him.
• Xie Zhiyu’s private detective reports that Duan Xing appears to be an exceptionally devoted, orderly husband with no obvious affair. Still, his perfection feels suspicious, and the detective notes his unusually frequent beauty-salon spending and promises to investigate further.
• Xie Liuzheng continues visiting the welfare home and begins to suspect Duan Xing’s interest in it is personal—especially because he has asked about Little Sheng more than once.
• She calls Xie Zhiyu, then abruptly disguises the purpose of the call, wondering whether her phone is being monitored. Duan Xing is indeed tracking her location and becomes more wary, deciding to accelerate the adoption.
• Meanwhile, Shen Baili observes the family’s recent busyness. Her mother, Shen Wan, measures her for a handmade blue dress.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng grows more observant and cautious. Although she likes Little Sheng, she resists acting on emotion and starts investigating Duan Xing’s motives.
• Duan Xing maintains a caring, attentive façade but is increasingly suspicious of Xie Liuzheng. Their long familiarity allows each to notice the other’s changed behavior; he secretly monitors her location and tries to stay ahead of her suspicions.
• Xie Zhiyu supports his aunt by hiring a detective and agrees to help, while the detective becomes determined to uncover Duan Xing’s hidden secret.
• Shen Wan and Shen Baili share a warm, domestic moment as Shen Wan prepares a dress for her daughter.

Significant themes

• Trust and suspicion: Xie Liuzheng’s confidence in Duan Xing is giving way to doubt, while both secretly watch each other.
• Appearance versus reality: Duan Xing’s spotless reputation may conceal something serious.
• Care and responsibility: Xie Liuzheng treats adoption as a decision that requires thought, not just affection.
• Surveillance and secrecy: Tracking, coded communication, and undercover investigation intensify the chapter’s tension.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili asks her mother, Shen Wan, about Xie Liuzheng’s adoption plans and what kind of person Xie Liuzheng’s brother, Xie Zhiyu, is. Shen Wan describes him as smart and attentive, while cautioning that no one is perfect and people need to be known personally.
• Mother and daughter set aside the conversation to work on a dress together. Shen Wan chooses vivid Klein blue fabric, and the two share an affectionate, playful moment.
• At dinner, Xie Chengyue notices that Xie Liuzheng looks unwell and urges her to have a checkup. She explains that she recently saw a doctor, and that her problem is an old one worsened by fatigue.
• Shen Baili privately worries that Xie Liuzheng may need warning about Duan Xing’s behavior. Unable to prove what she suspects, she decides to tell Xie Zhiyu instead and invents a story that she saw Duan Xing behaving intimately with another woman.
• After dinner, Xie Zhiyu asks Shen Baili to speak with him and presents her with a stack of documents showing asset records. She is stunned, unsure why he is showing them to her.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Wan and Shen Baili show their close, trusting bond as they discuss relationships and collaborate on a dress. Shen Wan responds warmly to her daughter’s questions but emphasizes self-worth and caution in romance.
• Xie Liuzheng’s health concerns prompt a rare expression of care from her brother, Xie Chengyue.
• Xie Liuzheng realizes she can hear Shen Baili’s thoughts, finding the girl endearing and beginning to consider becoming closer to her. She understands why Baili would trust Xie Zhiyu more than her.
• Xie Zhiyu watches Xie Liuzheng’s reactions after hearing Shen Baili’s thoughts, suggesting he is attentive to what is happening around them.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Xie Zhiyu shows Shen Baili financial documents without explaining their purpose.

Significant themes

• Family affection and trust: Shen Wan’s supportive parenting and the Xie siblings’ concern for one another frame the chapter.
• Getting to know people before judging: Shen Wan cautions that people are imperfect and must be understood through experience.
• Protectiveness and uncertainty: Shen Baili wants to protect Xie Liuzheng but struggles with how to act without evidence.
• Hidden thoughts and growing connection: Shen Baili’s unspoken thoughts shape events, while Xie Liuzheng’s ability to hear them opens the possibility of a closer relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Zhiyu tells Shen Baili that, as a member of the Xie family, she has been given substantial assets: properties, storefronts, investments, jewelry, and antiques. He assures her she deserves them, partly because her earlier warning helped protect Xie Group from major losses and exposed a potential threat.
• Overwhelmed by her new wealth, Shen Baili returns to her room and works on chemistry problems to steady herself.
• Xie Liuzheng visits Xie Zhiyu and urges him to rest, but he says he finds purpose in his work.
• Xie Zhiyu reports that a private investigator has uncovered something about Xie Liuzheng’s partner, though it remains unverified. Xie Liuzheng asks him to investigate Furi Welfare Home and a boy called Little Sheng, and to arrange DNA testing between the boy and Duan Xing using hair samples.
• Xie Liuzheng also suspects her phone is being monitored. Xie Zhiyu offers to inspect it, but she refuses to stay at the residence, fearing that would alert the person under suspicion. She intends to discover the truth herself and relies on her bodyguards for protection.
• As she leaves, Xie Zhiyu reflects on recent events and concludes that they all point toward a particular answer.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili is moved from feeling uneasy about receiving so much wealth to accepting Xie Zhiyu’s reassurance, though she remains overwhelmed.
• Xie Zhiyu shows unusual patience and tenderness toward Shen Baili, expressing gratitude for her help. He also becomes protective and decisive when Xie Liuzheng shares her suspicions.
• Xie Liuzheng remains composed and determined despite the possibility of betrayal or danger. She speaks openly with Xie Zhiyu and wants to investigate without alerting anyone.
• Their conversation reflects growing trust: Xie Zhiyu communicates warmly with his aunt, while she trusts him with sensitive evidence and suspicions.

Significant themes

• Family care and belonging: Shen Baili is recognized as part of the Xie family and supported through both words and material security.
• Gratitude and deservingness: Xie Zhiyu frames Shen Baili’s assets as something she has earned, not a burden or favor.
• Trust amid uncertainty: The investigation into surveillance, possible infidelity, and Little Sheng raises questions about whom Xie Liuzheng can trust.
• Responsibility and protection: Xie Zhiyu and Xie Liuzheng balance protecting family with the need to uncover the truth carefully.

• Xie Zhiyu confronts Xie Liuzheng about the strange voice he can hear. She realizes he, too, can hear Shen Baili’s thoughts—and confirms that she learned of Duan Xing’s affair through them. Xie Zhiyu also admits that Shen Baili’s thoughts revealed Sang Ya’s secret relationship with Chairman Gu’s illegitimate son.
• They agree to keep Shen Baili’s ability secret and discuss its limits: neither can hear her thoughts all the time, and Xie Zhiyu has found himself mysteriously unable to tell Shen Baili what is happening. He vows to respect her privacy and protect her from anyone who might exploit her.
• Xie Liuzheng reveals a more painful discovery: Duan Xing has an illegitimate son and intends to use an adoption agreement to make the boy legally hers. Though she still hopes the claim is untrue, she asks Xie Zhiyu to find convincing proof of Duan Xing’s betrayal. He agrees.
• The next morning, Shen Baili goes to school. Zhu Zhitao spots Lu Mingqian, the handsome top student, waiting at the classroom door for her. Shen Baili jokes about Zhu’s admiration, then goes to see what he wants.
  Character developments and interactions: Xie Zhiyu and Xie Liuzheng move from suspicion to frank cooperation, building trust through shared secrets. Liuzheng’s openness also exposes her vulnerability: despite Duan Xing’s apparent betrayal, she is still struggling to let go of hope. Zhiyu responds with anger on her behalf and commits to helping her.
  Themes: The chapter explores supernatural knowledge and its ethical limits, the danger of secrets being weaponized, loyalty and trust, and the painful gap between evidence and the hope that a loved one has not betrayed you.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Mingqian tells Shen Baili that Teacher Deng wants her in the office, likely to discuss the midterms. On the way, they talk about difficult Olympiad math problems and agree to study together at the Provincial Library on Saturday; Baili may bring a friend.
• Lu offers to help Baili with chemistry, but she says her brother, Xie Zhiyu, has arranged a tutor whose lessons are helping her.
• Teacher Deng gives Baili the midterm seating chart and asks her to post it and help prepare the exam room. In the office, Baili warmly reassures and shares candy with Deng’s young daughter, Su Mianmian.
• Lu helps Baili carry math homework back to Class One. Their classmates tease him about seeming like an honorary member of their class, and he jokes back. Baili then announces the midterm schedule: exams begin Wednesday and last three days.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Baili is responsible and considerate: she accepts her exam duties, treats Mianmian affectionately, and gives up her last milk candy to make the girl happy. She is also increasingly comfortable interacting with Lu.
• Lu Mingqian shows interest in spending time with Baili, inviting her to study together and offering academic help. He is helpful and easygoing, even when classmates tease him.
• Su Mianmian adores Baili and gives her a piece of candy in return for Baili’s kindness. Deng Qin tries to keep Mianmian from disturbing Baili but appreciates the girl’s affection.
• Lu reveals that Meng Jiu’an, his childhood friend, once complimented his dimple. Baili recognizes the significance of the Lu, Meng, and Xie families—and recalls that the Lu and Meng families may have contributed to the Xie family’s eventual decline.

Significant themes

• Kindness and reciprocity: Baili’s small gestures toward Mianmian are returned with the child’s treasured candy.
• School life and responsibility: The approaching exams, study plans, and class duties shape the chapter.
• Growing closeness and social scrutiny: Lu and Baili’s shared walk attracts classmates’ attention, while their study appointment hints at a developing connection.
• Hidden family power dynamics: Baili’s knowledge of the three prominent families foreshadows possible conflict involving the Xie family.

Plot points and events

• In Class 2, Ji Qi teases Lu Mingqian for repeatedly helping Shen Baili, suggesting he likes her. Lu denies it and tells Ji Qi to focus on his studies. Meng Jiu’an keeps sleeping.
• The Xie family’s investigation into Duan Xing advances. Evidence confirms his long-running affair with Qiao Yun, a former student, and reveals that their five-year-old son, Duan Sheng, is the child Xie Liuzheng met at Furi Welfare Home.
• Xie Zhiyu also uncovers Duan Xing’s bribery, concealed assets, and efforts to move nearly 80 million through art purchases. He has hidden much of his wealth overseas or in accounts held by his parents, despite having signed a prenuptial agreement that would leave him with nothing in a divorce.
• The investigation finds a connection between Duan Xing and Gu Yeliang, suggesting the Xie family may be under outside scrutiny.
• Devastated by the evidence, Xie Liuzheng asks to be alone. After more than an hour, she emerges determined to make Duan Xing pay and asks Xie Zhiyu for help.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng confronts the collapse of her idealized memories of her marriage. Her grief turns into resolve: she chooses to face the full truth and pursue revenge.
• Xie Zhiyu supports his aunt gently, comforting her while sharing painful findings. His anger at Duan Xing grows.
• Duan Xing is exposed as an unfaithful and financially calculating husband who has exploited the Xie family’s wealth and influence.
• Lu Mingqian remains guarded about his motives, while Ji Qi’s teasing highlights how unusual his repeated help to Shen Baili is.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and disillusionment: A once-romantic marriage is revealed as rotten beneath its polished appearance.
• Greed and exploitation: Duan Xing’s dependence on the Xie family has become a means to build wealth and protect his own interests.
• Truth and accountability: Evidence replaces suspicion, setting the stage for consequences.
• Loyalty and support: Xie Zhiyu stands by Xie Liuzheng as she faces the revelations.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili sees Xie Zhiyu and Xie Liuzheng in a tense moment and slips away. Xie Chengyue arrives, and Liuzheng asks to speak with him privately.
• That evening, Xie Chengyue confides in Shen Wan about the betrayal of someone close to the family. She comforts him, and he asks her to help talk things through with Liuzheng when she returns home. He insists the matter stay secret for now—even from Suìsuì.
• Duan Xing, unaware that the Xie family has uncovered his scheme, is focused on two plans: completing the adoption of his illegitimate son, Duan Sheng, with Liuzheng, and using an art auction to move assets into his own hands.
• Duan Xing interprets Liuzheng’s recent behavior as anxiety about adopting a child. He attends the auction alone, wins the artwork he wanted, and expects the sale to let him transfer a large sum of money.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Chengyue reveals a rare, vulnerable side to Shen Wan, leaning on her for comfort after learning of Duan Xing’s betrayal. Their mutual shoulder massage and praise show their trust and tenderness.
• Shen Wan responds with empathy, recognizing Chengyue’s emotional burden despite not knowing the full story at first. She agrees to keep his confidence and support Liuzheng later.
• Xie Liuzheng shows resolve by approaching Chengyue to tell him what is happening.
• Duan Xing remains confident and calculating, prioritizing wealth and power over his marriage. He mistakenly believes Liuzheng’s unease is harmless and that his plans are proceeding smoothly.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and change: Chengyue reflects on how someone trusted by the family has become a stranger.
• Trust and emotional support: Shen Wan gives Chengyue a safe place to set aside his burdens.
• Deception and misplaced confidence: Duan Xing believes he is in control, while the Xie family is preparing to confront his schemes.
• Family and self-interest: Duan Xing’s stated hopes for a family life conceal his stronger attachment to money, power, and himself.

• Key plot points: During a high-stakes auction, Duan Xing learns that his son Duan Sheng has a dangerous fever. Though worried, he chooses to protect an eight-figure business deal and asks Qiao Yun—the boy’s mother—to handle the hospital visit. Xie Zhiyu’s plan then succeeds: Duan Xing is arrested, apparently believing he was caught in a general crackdown on money laundering. Xie Zhiyu reflects that Duan Xing’s rise was made possible partly by the Xie family’s support. Meanwhile, Qiao Yun hears gossip about the Xie family while playing mahjong, but when Duan Xing calls, her companions persuade her to keep playing and send the nanny to check on her sick son. Duan Xing spends the night in custody and is released the next day after the evidence against him proves inconclusive; Xie Liuzheng comes to bail him out.
• Character developments: Duan Xing’s concern for Duan Sheng is genuine, but he puts business first and assumes he can manage both by delegating the crisis to Qiao Yun. Xie Zhiyu’s composed revenge is colored by sadness for his aunt and resentment at Duan Xing’s ingratitude. Qiao Yun is eager to improve her status and enjoys winning at mahjong, yet shows little urgency about her son’s illness; she also keeps her relationship with Duan Xing secret from the other women.
• Character interactions: Duan Xing relies on Qiao Yun to respond to their son’s emergency. Xie Zhiyu watches Duan Xing’s arrest and recalls how warmly Duan Xing and Xie Liuzheng once loved each other, contrasting their past with the present. The mahjong players trade gossip and pressure Qiao Yun to stay, while she deflects their questions about her wealthy partner. Xie Liuzheng ultimately intervenes to secure Duan Xing’s release.
• Significant themes: The chapter contrasts love and ambition, showing how the pursuit of power has eroded Duan Xing and Xie Liuzheng’s marriage. It also highlights privilege and indebtedness: Duan Xing overlooks the protection that enabled his success. The mahjong gathering depicts transactional social bonds, status-seeking, secrecy, and competition, while Duan Xing’s choice exposes the cost of treating family responsibilities as problems to delegate.

• Plot: After his release, Duan Xing is furious that an intermediary has taken his money and the police have dismantled the laundering operation. He meets Xie Liuzheng, who remains cold despite his apologies and excuses about the auction. She takes him to a café to speak privately, while Xie Zhiyu has discreetly arranged bodyguards to follow them. In a private room, Xie Liuzheng asks whether “Little Sheng” is really named Duan Sheng. Duan Xing’s composure breaks; he kneels, confesses to fathering a child with another woman, and begins explaining how it happened.
• Character developments: Xie Liuzheng has shifted from trust and affection to painful detachment. Though she once cherished Duan Xing’s expressions and even enjoyed coaxing him after he cried, she now watches his tears without comfort, convinced she is seeing a stranger. Duan Xing, usually adept at reading people and adapting his act, realizes his control is slipping. He responds with tears, self-blame, and self-slapping, but his sincerity remains uncertain.
• Interactions: Duan Xing tries to soothe Xie Liuzheng in the car and explain away his arrest, but she refuses to be drawn in. At the café, she addresses him by name rather than as her husband, signaling how far their relationship has changed. He begs forgiveness and offers an account of the child’s conception and his family’s desire for a grandson; she listens silently.
• Themes: The chapter explores deception and performance within marriage, the collapse of trust, and the tension between remorse and manipulation. It also contrasts Xie Liuzheng’s desire to confront and end the relationship herself with Xie Zhiyu’s more cautious view that a desperate person may be dangerous.

Plot points

• Duan Xing begs Xie Liuzheng to stay, explaining that his parents pressured him to keep the child his pregnant former lover is carrying. He claims he wants to raise the baby with Xie and insists that he loves her.
• Xie rejects his explanations, saying he is still testing how much she will tolerate. She throws evidence at him and accuses him of fearing the loss of her family’s influence more than the loss of her.
• She announces that she wants a divorce and that her lawyer will contact him.
• Duan clings to her and confesses that he tried to bind her to him with a child because he feared she would leave for someone more accomplished. He admits he was relieved by her inability to have children and that her first love’s return intensified his insecurity.
• Xie briefly wavers, but remembers Duan’s scheme with Xie Corporation executives to remove Xie Zhiyu. She asks him to release her. Though he refuses at first, he eventually lets go after she promises they can take time to calm down.

Character developments

• Xie Liuzheng moves from grief and lingering compassion toward resolve. She recognizes Duan’s words as attempts to exploit her vulnerabilities and sees that his present behavior differs from the love he once showed her.
• Duan Xing exposes his possessiveness and insecurity beneath his declarations of love. His fear of losing Xie—and the status and security she represents—has led him to manipulate her and try to keep her by force.

Themes

• The difference between love and possession: Duan calls his actions love, but Xie sees that genuine love would not treat her this way.
• Emotional manipulation and guilt: Duan’s remorse, tears, and appeals about the child make Xie hesitate, even as she suspects he is deliberately targeting her weaknesses.
• Betrayal, power, and self-respect: Xie must separate past affection from present harm and choose whether to protect herself.

Character interactions

• Duan pleads, confesses, and physically clings to Xie; she listens but challenges his claims and refuses to grant forgiveness.
• Xie’s direct questions expose the gap between Duan’s words and actions. When she says he is hurting her, he loosens his hold but initially refuses to release her.
• Their exchange ends in a fragile pause: Xie is free, but agrees to sit with him while they calm down.

Key events

• After Duan Xing insults her, Xie Liuzheng summons her bodyguards and leaves the café, telling him their next meeting will be at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
• She moves out of the apartment she owns, tells Duan Xing through her lawyer, and puts it up for sale. After saying goodbye to the memories there, she returns home with Butler Lin.
• At school, Shen Baili receives an alert that her energy has risen by three points, bringing it to 16%. The increase coincides with Xie Liuzheng’s decisive break from Duan Xing.
• Teacher Deng Qin announces that Class One has the school’s highest average and seven of the top ten students.
• Shen Baili learns she ranks fifth in her class and seventh in the school. She earned full marks in math, English, politics, and history, and raised her chemistry score from 66 to 88.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng acts with pride and resolve: she refuses to reconcile, ends her ties to Duan Xing, and begins returning to the security of her family home. Butler Lin’s warm, familiar welcome helps ease her sadness.
• Shen Baili gains confidence as her studying produces clear results. She is especially pleased by her chemistry improvement, even though the subject remains her weakest.
• Deng Qin expresses pride in her students, crediting their strong class culture and the example set by the class monitor and study representative.
• Zhu Zhitao excitedly shares Shen Baili’s ranking and chemistry score, celebrating her achievement with her.

Significant themes

• Self-respect and moving on: Xie Liuzheng lets go of a painful relationship and its associated memories without looking back.
• Effort and growth: Shen Baili’s improved results show that sustained work can overcome earlier weaknesses.
• Collective achievement: Class One’s success reflects students supporting one another and building a shared culture of learning.
• Emotional energy and change: The system’s energy increase suggests that Xie Liuzheng’s major decision may be connected to Shen Baili’s progress.

Key plot points and events

• The students receive their midterm results. Zhu Zhitao earns 59 in chemistry, while Sang Fang places ninth in her class—well below her usual standard. Qiao Yi ranks first in their class and second in the school; Shen Baili comes fifth in her class.
• Sang Fang explains that family turmoil has kept her from sleeping. Her grandfather is seriously ill, and relatives are already maneuvering over control of the family company. Sang Ya’s secret visit to Gu Yeliang also worries Sang Fang, who fears the news could further upset their grandfather.
• Despite her disappointing ranking, Sang Fang stays focused and declares that she intends to take first place next time. Her friends encourage one another and set their own goals.
• Shen Baili learns that A-Deng’s energy level has reached 16%, though neither of them can explain the increase. A-Deng cannot investigate the Xie Family, so Baili wonders whether recent events there—possibly an upcoming birthday banquet—account for some of the rise.
• After school, Zhu Zhitao jokingly calls Baili a possible heiress, noting her expensive belongings and private driver. She then playfully promises to write her friends into novels. Qiao Yi says she would want to be a Great General, inspired by the idea of defending her home and country.

Character developments and interactions

• Sang Fang reveals how deeply her grandfather’s illness and family conflict have affected her, but remains practical and determined rather than discouraged by her grades.
• Shen Baili questions A-Deng’s theories and suspects the energy increase has a cause beyond her exam results. She is increasingly used to relying on her own efforts when the system cannot help.
• Zhu Zhitao keeps the group’s mood light with jokes, while still cheering on her friends and sharing their ambitions.
• Qiao Yi shows a more idealistic, quietly courageous side through her wish to become a general and protect others. The friends’ teasing and encouragement reflect their closeness.

Significant themes

• Effort and resilience: Exams are a way to identify weaknesses, not a reason to give up.
• Family power struggles and responsibility: Sang Fang is caught between concern for her grandfather and the relatives competing for authority.
• Friendship and encouragement: The girls support one another’s academic goals and dreams.
• Uncertainty and self-reliance: Baili’s unexplained energy bar—and A-Deng’s limited abilities—leave her to investigate the wider mystery herself.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Baili returns to the Xie Residence and notices it has been brightened with flowers and decorations for Xie Liuzheng’s homecoming.
• Shen Wan tells Baili that Xie Liuzheng is divorcing Duan Xing. He cheated, fathered a child with another woman, and tried to persuade Liuzheng to adopt that child without telling her the truth.
• Baili shares her midterm results: she ranks seventh in the school, thirteen places higher than before, and earns an 88 in chemistry.
• The Xie family reunites for dinner. Baili notices Liuzheng still seems somewhat sad, despite appearing composed.
• Through Baili’s unspoken thoughts, Liuzheng learns that Xie Chengyue and Xie Zhiyu have been quietly preparing her room and handling matters related to the divorce.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Wan openly discusses the divorce with Baili and advises her to judge people by their actions rather than their promises. Her own experience has made her protective and cautious about romance.
• Shen Baili is proud of her academic improvement and eager to keep working hard. She also worries about Liuzheng and recognizes how much the Xie men care, even though they struggle to express it.
• Xie Liuzheng is welcomed home but remains emotionally vulnerable. She is touched by her family’s care, while also feeling disappointed that Xie Chengyue was not there to meet her personally.
• Xie Chengyue and Xie Zhiyu show their concern through practical, behind-the-scenes support rather than affectionate words.

Significant themes

• Actions over promises: Duan Xing’s betrayal contrasts with the Xie family’s quiet, dependable care.
• Self-reliance and growth: Shen Wan encourages Baili to prioritize her education and future.
• Family support and emotional needs: Material comfort cannot replace the reassurance of loved ones being present.
• Women learning from experience: Shen Wan’s advice reflects the lessons she and those around her have learned about trust and relationships.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Liuzheng returns to the Xie Residence after separating from Duan Xing. Her sadness quickly gives way to comfort at being welcomed home by her family.
• At dinner, the family encourages Shen Baili to eat well and celebrates her academic progress: she scored 88 in chemistry and rose to seventh place in the school, thirteen ranks higher than before.
• Shen Baili asks to learn self-defense as a reward. Xie Zhiyu agrees to find her an instructor, while Xie Liuzheng and Xie Chengyue insist on giving her additional gifts.
• Duan Xing’s attempts to save his marriage fail. Confronted with evidence of his money laundering and unable to reach Xie Liuzheng, he completes the divorce. She leaves without looking back; he loses her and nearly 90 percent of his assets.
• Duan Xing then learns that Duan Sheng has been adopted from the Welfare Institute. Shocked, he drives there and tries to contact Xie Liuzheng, only to find that she has blocked him. He calls Xie Zhiyu instead, asking meekly about the adoption.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng appears increasingly resolute about ending her marriage, yet finds emotional safety and belonging with her family.
• Shen Baili is rewarded for her effort and growing academic confidence, and shows a new interest in protecting herself. Her gratitude toward Xie Zhiyu reflects their supportive relationship.
• Xie Zhiyu recognizes both Shen Baili’s diligence and her recent injury, balancing praise with concern. Xie Chengyue and Xie Liuzheng join in warmly encouraging her.
• Duan Xing shifts from scrambling to preserve his marriage to confronting the finality of his losses. His panic over Duan Sheng’s adoption suggests he has neglected the child amid his other crises.

Significant themes

• Family as refuge: The Xie family offers Xie Liuzheng acceptance and care after her marriage ends.
• Effort and encouragement: Shen Baili’s achievement is treated as the result of both good teaching and her own hard work.
• Consequences of betrayal: Duan Xing’s loss of his wife and most of his assets underscores the cost of betraying sincere love.
• Agency and self-protection: Xie Liuzheng refuses to look back, while Shen Baili chooses to learn self-defense.