Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Still upset, Bu Yao tells Xing Yue to get off her lap. Xing Yue coaxes her instead, using affection and a new, revealing outfit to shift the mood toward intimacy.
• Bu Yao discovers the lingerie Xing Yue chose, puts it on, and joins her in the dimly lit bedroom. Their teasing and kissing turn into a private, passionate encounter.
• Later, Bu Yao tells Xing Yue about her first day at a new law firm. Though spoiled and strong-willed in private, she proves capable and professionally confident; the firm sees her reputation as a major asset.
• They discuss Bu Yao’s mother and an upcoming birthday banquet. Bu Yao says her mother has not mistreated her, while Xing Yue recognizes that Madam Bu may resent her for drawing Bu Yao away from her family and wealth.
• Xing Yue admits she will work hard and earn money, pleading for Bu Yao not to leave her. Bu Yao jokes that she might dump Xing Yue years later, but the joke exposes Xing Yue’s deep fear of losing her.

Character developments and interactions

• Xing Yue is unusually clingy, tender, and eager to please. Her desire for closeness is mixed with insecurity: she knows she cannot match the Bu family’s wealth and fears Bu Yao may eventually leave. She listens attentively to Bu Yao’s work stories and reassures herself through physical affection.
• Bu Yao moves from anger to embarrassed willingness to be coaxed, revealing both her attraction to Xing Yue and her softer side. She also shows professional independence and remains loyal to her mother, correcting Xing Yue when she speaks critically of her.
• Their relationship combines playful teasing, intense physical affection, and honest vulnerability. Xing Yue’s pleading contrasts with Bu Yao’s joking bravado, underscoring how differently they experience the risk of separation.

Significant themes

• Love beyond appearance and status: Xing Yue imagines Bu Yao beautiful at any age or body type, while also confronting the vast economic gap between their families.
• Insecurity and fear of abandonment: Xing Yue’s promise to work hard cannot quiet her fear that Bu Yao will leave.
• Family loyalty and conflict: Bu Yao’s attachment to her mother coexists with her choice to build a life with Xing Yue, whom Madam Bu may blame for their estrangement.
• Independence and sacrifice: Bu Yao has left the security of her family’s wealth to pursue work on her own terms.

Plot points and events

• Bu Yao arrives early at New Shadow Entertainment and orders an eight o’clock training session postponed until after ten. When manager Luo Zhi hesitates, Bu Yao threatens to fire her.
• Ji Wenyan backs her daughter’s demand, overriding Luo’s practical concerns. Afterward, Bu Yao warns Luo not to question her again and says she will visit the company after midnight, so no work should be scheduled then.
• Bu Changqin challenges Ji Wenyan’s indulgent parenting. He fears Bu Yao’s lack of business experience and independence will leave her vulnerable, while Ji Wenyan says she only wants their daughter to be happy. She agrees to consider talking with Bu Yao.
• The delayed training disrupts the morning schedule. Xing Yue, exhausted, uses the extra time to sleep.
• At rehearsal, Xing Yue discovers the scripted storyline casts her as insulting Lan Qianqian. The planned drama is meant to provoke viewers, trigger Lan’s poor performance, eliminate Xing Yue and Mi Ning, then generate sympathy and attention for them in a second-chance round.
• Lan Qianqian accepts the arrangement because she needs screen time. Jiang Yue privately recognizes that the contestants are being used to promote Xing Yue.

Character developments and interactions

• Bu Yao displays entitlement and impatience, expecting staff to accommodate her without question. Her mother’s immediate support reinforces this behavior.
• Ji Wenyan is deeply devoted to her daughter and prioritizes her happiness, but her indulgence clashes with Bu Changqin’s concern that it prevents Bu Yao from becoming capable and self-reliant.
• Bu Changqin tries to persuade his wife to prepare Bu Yao to manage her own future. Though frustrated, he softens the disagreement, and Ji Wenyan makes a limited concession.
• Luo Zhi tries to protect the company’s schedule, but retreats after Bu Yao threatens her job and Ji Wenyan orders her to comply.
• Xing Yue sees through the show’s manufactured conflict and understands that the contestants—and ultimately the audience—are being manipulated.
• Lan Qianqian accepts being targeted because any publicity is valuable after her time away from the spotlight. Jiang Yue notices the favoritism toward Xing Yue and resents how the others are being used as her stepping stones.

Significant themes

• Indulgence versus independence: Bu Changqin argues that protecting Bu Yao from responsibility may leave her unprepared for life.
• Power and entitlement: Bu Yao’s family status lets her disrupt work and silence objections.
• Manufactured entertainment and manipulation: The show engineers conflict, elimination, and redemption to attract attention, treating contestants and viewers as tools.
• Ambition and exploitation: The chapter frames others as “stepping stones” in Xing Yue’s rise, highlighting both the show’s strategy and Jiang Yue’s suspicion of it.

Key events

• Jiang Yue questions Mi Ning about her sudden change in attitude. Mi Ning nervously agrees with Jiang Yue, despite having openly disliked her the day before, and appears frightened and unwell.
• Jiang Yue watches Xing Yue’s promotional video and posts insults about her appearance. When those attract little notice, she spreads insinuations about Xing Yue’s seven-year relationship—suggesting she left her girlfriend for a wealthy backer. The rumors quickly spark online speculation.
• He Zhiwen asks Jiang Yue to bring medicinal herbs to Xing Yue, who seemed feverish. Jiang Yue dismisses He Zhiwen’s faith in Xing Yue, throws the herbs away, and warns her not to reveal that she is a Spirit Snake. He Zhiwen believes Jiang Yue is protecting her, while Jiang Yue’s real motive is to keep others from learning about He Zhiwen.
• To escape an awkward conversation about He Zhiwen’s four Snake Eggs, Jiang Yue claims she will deliver the herbs and leaves with the basin.
• Meanwhile, Xing Yue undergoes a procedure with Tan Xiang’e. Tan identifies her unusual pheromone pattern as a rare genetic mutation. Xing Yue says her father was a Green Tree Python and her mother a Bamboo Viper. Tan explains that Xing Yue is still a Green Tree Python, but her coloration has mutated, and remarks that Bu must be fortunate to be her partner.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yue acts spitefully toward Xing Yue online and manipulates He Zhiwen with affectionate language while concealing her self-interest. She resents Xing Yue’s likely advantage on the show and shows little interest in the eggs.
• Mi Ning has abruptly become submissive toward Jiang Yue, but her pallor, sweating, and nervousness suggest fear rather than genuine reconciliation.
• He Zhiwen remains trusting and affectionate. She believes Xing Yue would protect Spirit Snakes and interprets Jiang Yue’s possessiveness as concern.
• Xing Yue is quiet and subdued when discussing her absent father, while her rare genetic mutation becomes a point of discovery.
• Tan Xiang’e is experienced and curious, combining technical explanation with teasing remarks about Xing Yue and Bu.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and trust: Jiang Yue presents jealousy and secrecy as care, exploiting He Zhiwen’s trust.
• Reputation and online rumor: Jiang Yue uses social media to redirect attention from insults toward damaging speculation about Xing Yue’s private life.
• Inheritance and identity: Xing Yue’s unusual traits complicate the rules of genetic inheritance and her connection to her family’s Snake Species.
• Power and competition: The show’s outcome appears shaped by company interests, leaving contestants with limited control.

Key plot points and events

• During surgery on Xing Yue’s injured leg, Tan Xiang’e discusses the risks of Xing Yue’s genetic mutations and the possibility of future children with Bu Yao. Xing Yue admits she has not thought that far ahead, though she would accept whichever kind of children Bu Yao wanted.
• Jiang Yue brings Xing Yue medicinal herbs and unexpectedly encounters Tan Xiang’e. Tan, intrigued by Jiang Yue’s unusual scent, invades her personal space. Jiang Yue reacts with intense disgust and leaves.
• Jiang Yue suspects Tan is more than a simple assistant and may be able to identify snake species. She asks He Zhiwen for photos of their eggs, claiming Xing Yue wants to see them.
• In a private conversation, Tan examines the photos and concludes the eggs were laid by two female snakes and are python eggs—not Coral Snake eggs as He Zhiwen’s supposed species would suggest. Jiang Yue realizes this contradicts what she knows about He Zhiwen’s true snake form.
• Jiang Yue drives He Zhiwen toward their hometown under the pretense of visiting the eggs. Once He Zhiwen falls asleep in snake form, Jiang Yue drugs her, locks her in a cramped electrified cage, and arranges to have her sold on the Black Market. She also plans to have the eggs destroyed and tells her accomplice they are not yet developed enough to count as children.

Character developments

• Xing Yue shows tenderness and concern for Bu Yao, especially over the physical burden of pregnancy, while revealing that she has begun imagining a shared future with her.
• Tan Xiang’e is medically perceptive and enthusiastic about unusual species, but her curiosity leads her to violate Jiang Yue’s boundaries.
• Jiang Yue shifts from outwardly polite and affectionate to calculating and ruthless. Her bodily revulsion and questions about the eggs hint at growing suspicion about He Zhiwen; she ultimately reveals a hidden agenda against her.
• He Zhiwen remains trusting and affectionate, unaware of Jiang Yue’s deception. Her vulnerability while nursing and sleeping makes Jiang Yue’s betrayal especially stark.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: He Zhiwen believes she is being taken to see their eggs, but Jiang Yue is plotting to sell her and destroy them.
• Identity and concealment: Scent, egg traits, and snake species become clues that expose hidden truths.
• Reproduction and power: Genetic inheritance, pregnancy, and the status of Snake Species shape relationships and family expectations.
• Objectification and exploitation: The Black Market plan reduces He Zhiwen to something to be sold, echoing the chapter’s opening focus on selling a person for her unusual traits.

Character interactions

• Xing Yue and Tan Xiang’e discuss possible children and genetic risks, revealing Xing Yue’s concern for Bu Yao.
• Tan Xiang’e’s invasive inspection of Jiang Yue provokes a sharp confrontation; Xing Yue apologizes on Tan’s behalf.
• Jiang Yue manipulates Tan into studying the egg photos, then uses Tan’s conclusions to confirm her suspicions.
• Jiang Yue maintains a loving front with He Zhiwen, obtains the photos she needs, and then drugs and cages her once she is asleep.

Plot points and events

• Xing Yue’s training for a televised competition is underway, with filming scheduled to begin in another city. She is already worried about what the move will mean for Bu Yao and her work.
• He Zhiwen, Xing Yue’s ex-girlfriend, has disappeared. He Zhiwen’s mother, Ming Shushan, publicly accuses Xing Yue and begs her to reveal where her daughter is. Police take Xing Yue in for questioning.
• The investigation focuses on two encounters: Xing Yue met He Zhiwen on June 11, and He Zhiwen was last seen on the 26th after telling Jiang Yue she intended to find Xing Yue. Xing Yue says she stayed home on the 26th with Bu Yao.
• Police find a red envelope connected to the June 11 meeting, but Xing Yue says she never brought it or made any deal with He Zhiwen. Car footage shows He Zhiwen asking Xing Yue for help and Xing Yue refusing. Their conversation also includes an angry, suggestive remark from Xing Yue about thinking He Zhiwen wanted to get a hotel room.
• Jiang Yue, He Zhiwen’s wife, uses the footage to accuse Xing Yue of trying to rekindle the relationship and abducting He Zhiwen after being rejected. The footage does not prove involvement in the disappearance, but the leads keep Xing Yue under suspicion.
• Because He Zhiwen is a Spirit Snake, the case is treated as especially serious. Police warn Xing Yue not to leave the city.
• The audio from the car is leaked online without mentioning the disappearance or He Zhiwen’s identity. It goes viral, portraying Xing Yue as a spurned ex who propositioned a married woman. Exhausted and facing public scrutiny, Xing Yue goes home.
• Bu Yao returns, but rather than comfort Xing Yue, she asks whether Xing Yue would have slept with He Zhiwen if He Zhiwen had accepted. Their argument ends with Bu Yao challenging Xing Yue to repeat her defensive remark.

Character developments and interactions

• Xing Yue remains outwardly composed during police questioning but is worn down by suspicion, public humiliation, and the apparent loss of Bu Yao’s trust. She insists she rejected He Zhiwen’s request for help and that her hotel-room comment was angry sarcasm, not a genuine proposition.
• Bu Yao initially supports Xing Yue at the station, embracing her and criticizing the police for focusing on her while He Zhiwen remains missing. The car footage changes her mood: hurt and anger replace her support, and she leaves before questioning is over. At home, she confronts Xing Yue with jealousy and doubt.
• Ming Shushan believes Xing Yue may have taken her daughter, linking the disappearance to Xing Yue’s past relationship with He Zhiwen. Her public accusations intensify the pressure on Xing Yue.
• Jiang Yue presents the footage as evidence of Xing Yue’s motive, despite it not proving that Xing Yue caused He Zhiwen’s disappearance.
• He Zhiwen is absent, but her disappearance and past connection to Xing Yue drive the chapter’s investigation and conflict.

Significant themes

• Suspicion versus proof: Circumstantial evidence and one-sided testimony make Xing Yue a suspect, while the actual evidence remains inconclusive.
• Public judgment and media distortion: A selectively framed audio leak turns a complicated encounter into a sensational scandal.
• Trust and jealousy: Bu Yao’s sudden doubt exposes insecurity in her relationship with Xing Yue.
• Powerlessness under scrutiny: Xing Yue faces police pressure, family accusations, and online abuse while having little control over how others interpret her actions.

Plot points and events

• Bu Yao refuses to help Xing Yue find He Zhiwen unless Xing Yue appeases her. Xing Yue accuses the Bu family—especially Madam Bu—of helping create the scandal surrounding her and of investigating mainly to protect their own reputation.
• Bu Yao slaps Xing Yue. Xing Yue throws her out and ends their relationship, declaring she will never love a woman like her.
• Still reeling, Xing Yue tells Qiao Rui she will never return to work, then cuts off the phone Bu Yao gave her.
• She sees messages from her best friend, Bo Wuxue, excitedly sharing an adult toy modeled on her snake form. Xing Yue is glad for Bo but feels lonely and reluctant to interrupt her date.
• Tan Xiang’e visits to continue Xing Yue’s medical treatment. She reveals that Jiang Yue had asked about four Snake Eggs shortly before they disappeared with He Zhiwen.
• The eggs were found at an elderly couple’s home, but had not been properly incubated and were all dead. Tan suspects the eggs’ disappearance and He Zhiwen’s may be connected.
• Xing Yue realizes He Zhiwen may have been trafficked not as a Spirit Snake but as an ordinary woman, and fears she is being exploited or abused.

Character developments and interactions

• Xing Yue finally confronts the Bu family’s perceived hypocrisy, ends things with Bu Yao, and withdraws from work and contact. Her grief shifts toward alarm and anger as she learns of the dead eggs and considers He Zhiwen’s fate.
• Bu Yao responds to criticism of her mother with violence, confirming the deep imbalance and resentment in their relationship.
• Qiao Rui offers Xing Yue time off, assuming the scandal is manageable; she does not understand how deeply Xing Yue is affected.
• Tan Xiang’e feels guilty that her earlier interaction with Jiang Yue may have been connected to the disappearances. She shares what she knows, prompting Xing Yue’s new suspicions.
• Bo Wuxue is happily occupied with her fiancée, unintentionally leaving Xing Yue feeling more alone.

Significant themes

• Power and class imbalance: Xing Yue feels the Bu family treats her as inferior and expects her obedience.
• Betrayal and hypocrisy: Xing Yue believes Madam Bu’s apparent support concealed hostility and self-interest.
• Isolation and loss: The breakup, withdrawal from work, and Bo Wuxue’s absence leave Xing Yue emotionally alone.
• Trafficking and vulnerability: The chapter raises the danger Spirit Snakes face and the possibility that He Zhiwen has been trafficked as an ordinary woman.
• Guilt and responsibility: Tan Xiang’e worries her actions may have contributed to the disappearances, while Xing Yue turns that guilt into urgent concern for He Zhiwen.

Key plot points and events

• Tan Xiang’e suggests asking Bu Yao’s family for help finding He Zhiwen, who has disappeared. She feels guilty that something she said may have contributed to the deaths of four Snake Eggs and hopes Xing Yue can bring He Zhiwen back.
• Xing Yue agrees despite her recent fight with Bu Yao. Returning to the Bu estate revives memories of her past there; Tan Xiang’e is astonished by the family’s enormous wealth and vast maple grove.
• At the residence, Ji Wenyan calmly confronts Xing Yue about ending her company contract, which Xing Yue suspects the Bu family has pushed her toward. Xing Yue goes straight to Bu Yao’s room.
• The room remains unchanged, including a “double happiness” sign on the door, stirring Xing Yue’s feelings. Bu Yao initially tells her to leave and insists they have nothing to discuss except their relationship.
• Xing Yue tries to prioritize rescuing He Zhiwen, but mentioning her again only intensifies Bu Yao’s anger. Tan Xiang’e advises Xing Yue privately to apologize affectionately and focus on Bu Yao’s feelings.
• Alone together, Xing Yue takes Bu Yao’s injured hand, admits she was wrong to speak provocatively about He Zhiwen, and asks for another chance. Bu Yao remains hurt and tests Xing Yue’s sincerity by making her kneel to put on her shoes and reminding her that she once said she could never love someone like Bu Yao.
• Xing Yue says she means her apology and promises to keep her distance from other women. The chapter ends before Bu Yao responds.

Character developments

• Xing Yue is anxious about He Zhiwen but also recognizes her role in worsening the quarrel. She sets aside her pride and tries to reassure Bu Yao, though her first attempt—appealing to urgency and reason—fails.
• Bu Yao is still deeply attached to Xing Yue, as suggested by preserving the room and its keepsakes, but feels betrayed and humiliated. Her anger masks hurt, and she demands evidence that Xing Yue’s apology is sincere.
• Tan Xiang’e feels responsible for the crisis and acts as a mediator, guiding Xing Yue toward the emotional reassurance Bu Yao wants.
• Ji Wenyan remains composed and businesslike, pressing Xing Yue about her contract without showing warmth.

Significant themes

• Love, jealousy, and trust: Xing Yue’s closeness with He Zhiwen has wounded Bu Yao, exposing unresolved expectations about their relationship.
• Pride and vulnerability: Xing Yue must humble herself, while Bu Yao’s hostility reveals how vulnerable she feels.
• Reason versus emotional needs: Xing Yue initially focuses on the rescue, but Tan Xiang’e points out that Bu Yao needs reassurance before practical concerns can be addressed.
• Memory and devotion: The preserved room and maple grove show how strongly Bu Yao’s past and feelings endure.

Character interactions

• Tan Xiang’e encourages Xing Yue to seek help, then coaches her on how to approach Bu Yao.
• Xing Yue and Ji Wenyan exchange a restrained, tense conversation about Xing Yue’s company contract.
• Xing Yue and Bu Yao clash over He Zhiwen and their relationship; the exchange shifts from anger to a painful test of whether Xing Yue truly regrets her words.

Plot points

• Bu Yao reveals that He Zhiwen has been hidden nearby and has watched Xing Yue humble herself. She frames this as punishment for Xing Yue’s supposed intention to get a hotel room with another woman.
• Xing Yue is horrified and tries to leave with He Zhiwen, but Bu Yao blocks her and threatens that leaving will end their relationship.
• Xing Yue accepts the break. She curses that she should lose ten years of her life each time Bu Yao comes looking for her, then leaves and tears down the wedding decoration at the door.
• Outside, Tan Xiang’e notices that Xing Yue’s eye membranes have ruptured from crying and warns that she could lose her sight. Xing Yue ignores the danger, retrieves He Zhiwen, and drives her to her dormitory.
• He Zhiwen quietly leaves the car without speaking, trying to preserve Xing Yue’s dignity. The restraint only deepens Xing Yue’s grief, and she collapses over the steering wheel, bleeding from her eyes.

Character developments and interactions

• Xing Yue shifts from pleading and submission to a decisive, bitter severing of ties. Her distress is so severe that it causes a dangerous physical injury.
• Bu Yao turns jealousy and suspicion into deliberate humiliation, using He Zhiwen’s presence to make Xing Yue’s apology more painful. When Xing Yue ignores her, Bu Yao escalates to an ultimatum.
• He Zhiwen remains quiet and considerate, recognizing that Xing Yue needs space and seeking not to embarrass her further.
• Tan Xiang’e reacts with alarm and tries unsuccessfully to stop Xing Yue from worsening her injury.

Significant themes

• Humiliation and control: Bu Yao uses power over Xing Yue to punish her, while Xing Yue’s earlier submission becomes unbearable once she learns it was witnessed.
• Jealousy and mistrust: Bu Yao treats her suspicion as proof and dismisses Xing Yue’s explanations.
• Dignity and separation: Xing Yue’s departure—and her tearing down the wedding symbol—marks a stark break from their past.
• Compassion deepening pain: He Zhiwen’s gentle silence is meant to protect Xing Yue, but it underscores how broken she feels.

Plot points and events

• Exhausted and emotionally devastated, Xing Yue discovers that sunlight now causes severe pain and blurred vision. She appears to have developed Iris Membrane Rupture, an eye condition associated with profound grief. Sunglasses ease the pain but leave her seeing only in black and white.
• At home, Luo Zhi brings the contracts for ending Xing Yue’s agreements with her former studio and New Shadow Entertainment. Despite warnings about enormous penalties, Xing Yue signs the compensation agreements, which total 9.2 million.
• Xing Yue calculates what she can sell to cover the debt: savings, her house and car, valuables, and even the Red Camellias in her yard. Selling everything still will not fully cover the amount, and her damaged reputation makes returning to online work difficult. She begins seeking buyers for her property.
• Bo Wuxue arrives, furious about the online abuse and the Bu Family’s role in the crisis. She comforts Xing Yue, offers her a modeling job, then suggests a better fit: a resident singing position at a friend’s new bar, paying 30,000 a month. Xing Yue accepts, determined to earn her way back.

Character developments

• Xing Yue is numb but resolute. She accepts the financial consequences without appealing to her past relationship with Bu Yao, and shifts from mourning what she has lost toward rebuilding her life.
• Bo Wuxue shows fierce loyalty, defending Xing Yue online and offering practical help. Her concern also reveals how much she blames the Bu Family for Xing Yue’s downfall.
• Luo Zhi delivers the company’s warning and notices Xing Yue’s unsettling calm, but she remains bound to her role as the messenger.

Character interactions

• A roadside-stall owner offers Xing Yue sunglasses out of concern; she accepts them only after her failing vision makes eating impossible.
• Xing Yue and Luo Zhi discuss the contract penalties. Xing Yue insists on proceeding and signs the agreements, while rejecting the implication that she expects leniency because of Bu Yao.
• Bo Wuxue embraces and tries to comfort Xing Yue, but Xing Yue ends up soothing her. Their joking exchange about lingerie modeling briefly restores their familiar warmth before Bo Wuxue offers the bar job.

Significant themes

• Loss and starting over: Xing Yue must give up much of the life she built, but resolves that rebuilding is still possible.
• Grief made physical: Her eye condition turns emotional devastation into a lasting bodily consequence.
• Loyalty versus public judgment: Bo Wuxue supports Xing Yue while online strangers condemn her on limited evidence.
• Independence and accountability: Xing Yue accepts the debt and plans to repay it through work rather than relying on her connection to the Bu Family.

Plot points and events

• Xing Yue starts a night-shift singing job at the newly opened bar Meeting Again. Manager Jiang explains the schedule and reassures her that the wealthy clientele are unlikely to harass her over the online controversy surrounding her.
• While touring the bar, Xing Yue takes a call from Doctor Tan Xiang’e, who has come looking for her with medicine. Xing Yue admits she may have to pause treatment because she can’t afford it. Tan explains that the hospital has approved free treatment for her as a rare research case, and urges her to continue caring for her injured eyes.
• Tan gives Xing Yue carefully labeled eye drops, including drops secretly made from He Zhiwen’s processed blood. He Zhiwen asks Tan to keep this secret, since Xing Yue would not knowingly accept medicine from a Spirit Snake. Tan agrees reluctantly, motivated partly by guilt over what happened to the Snake Eggs.
• Xing Yue performs her first shift. Though unfamiliar with singing before a live audience, she settles in under the bar’s subdued lighting and wins listeners over with a soothing folk song.
• During a break, the bar’s owner, Bai Yulun, reveals that she recognizes Xing Yue from their childhood. Bai offers to drive her home, but Xing Yue declines at first. Manager Jiang sends her home at midnight rather than make her work late on her first night; Bai is waiting outside and insists on driving her.

Character development

• Xing Yue is practical and independent, trying to manage financial strain and accept help without imposing. She remains wary of relying on others, but her first successful performance shows she can adapt to unfamiliar situations. She is also embarrassed when Bai teases her about being a “little bottom.”
• Bai Yulun emerges as warm, playful, and protective. Though Xing Yue considers them near-strangers, Bai feels a strong affection for her and follows through on ensuring she gets home safely.
• Tan Xiang’e shows genuine compassion for Xing Yue, going beyond her professional obligations. She is also uncomfortable being caught between He Zhiwen’s secret and Xing Yue’s trust.
• He Zhiwen is physically frail and burdened by guilt, but quietly tries to help Xing Yue by arranging the eye drops.

Significant themes

• Care and vulnerability: Several characters look after Xing Yue, even as she struggles to accept their help.
• Trust and concealed truths: He Zhiwen’s blood is hidden in the eye drops, creating tension between benevolent intentions and Xing Yue’s right to know.
• Independence versus protection: Xing Yue wants to make her own way home, while Bai insists that she should not walk alone at night.
• Loneliness and adaptation: Xing Yue’s discomfort with moonlight and her adjustment to a new job reflect her ongoing effort to live with hardship and change.

Character interactions

• Manager Jiang supports Xing Yue by easing her into the job, reassuring her about her safety, and letting her leave early.
• Tan Xiang’e urges Xing Yue to continue treatment and gives her labeled medicine; later, she tells He Zhiwen she does not want to keep participating in the secret arrangement.
• Bai and Xing Yue reconnect through memories of childhood, though Xing Yue’s formal “Ms. Bai” contrasts with Bai’s affectionate “Sister Xiao Yue.”
• Bai’s teasing ride-home offer turns into a lighthearted exchange: Xing Yue denies being a “little bottom,” and Bai playfully asks whether she is simply a bigger one.

Key plot points and events

• On the drive home, Xing Yue reflects on the history of same-sex relationships and the social influence of Madam Bu’s mother, a poet who fought bloodline-based discrimination. Xing Yue admires the poet despite the public criticism surrounding her.
• Bai Yulun asks whether Xing Yue will invite her inside. Xing Yue politely declines, citing her cramped apartment; Bai accepts the refusal without offense.
• Alone in her bare rental, Xing Yue is startled by He Zhiwen’s special ringtone. She answers He’s second call after ignoring the first.
• He offers to bring zongzi made by his mother, Ming Shushan. Though Xing Yue initially declines because it is late and travel would be difficult, He explains that he has moved to Silent City, partly because Jiang Yue remains at large. Xing Yue sends him her address.
• He arrives with zongzi, flowers, and a small vase. He apologizes for his mother having believed Jiang Yue’s accusation that Xing Yue abducted him; Xing Yue says she does not hold it against her.
• He prepares the food and brightens Xing Yue’s stark room with a tablecloth and flowers. He also explains that Jiang Yue’s accomplices and their relatives continue to cause fear and distress.
• He leaves after the meal, but Xing Yue stops him when he says goodbye and asks what he means by “tomorrow.” He reveals that his mother plans to make her a long list of treats, suggesting further visits.

Character developments

• Xing Yue remains guarded and slow to trust, but her memories of He Zhiwen and his family reveal lingering affection and gratitude. She is lonely and unsettled, and his small domestic gestures soften her surroundings and mood.
• He Zhiwen appears frail and anxious after the abduction and ongoing threats. He remains gentle and considerate, offering explanations so Xing Yue will not feel pressured, while quietly hoping to reconnect.
• Bai Yulun is playful and confident but respects Xing Yue’s boundaries.
• Ming Shushan is absent, yet her continued care for Xing Yue—and the history of her gifts—shows that the bond formed during Xing and He’s seven-year relationship has not disappeared.

Significant themes

• Love and lingering attachment: The breakup has not erased the emotional ties between Xing Yue and He Zhiwen.
• Care expressed through ordinary gestures: Food, flowers, and a handmade table setting bring warmth to a bare, lonely room.
• Fear and vulnerability: He’s physical and emotional exhaustion reflects the lasting impact of violence and uncertainty.
• Prejudice and social inequality: Xing Yue’s reflections on the poet highlight the long history of bloodline discrimination and the importance of challenging inherited privilege.

Character interactions

• Xing Yue and Bai Yulun share light teasing, followed by a respectful exchange when Xing Yue declines an invitation.
• Xing Yue and He Zhiwen speak with familiar tenderness but also restraint: He offers care and explanations, while Xing Yue accepts help without openly addressing their past or his hopes.
• He apologizes on his mother’s behalf; Xing Yue responds with understanding, preserving her affection for Ming Shushan despite the earlier misunderstanding.

Plot and events

• Xing Yue politely turns down He Zhiwen’s dinner invitation, citing an upset stomach, but agrees to let He visit and cook for her during the Dragon Boat Festival.
• Alone, Xing Yue reflects on the “double happiness” paper-cut she took from the Bu Residence and on why she loved Bu Yao: unlike snakes who follow instinct, Bu Yao had shown years of devotion to one person. Xing Yue still believes leaving was necessary because she could not live as Bu Yao’s servant.
• She deletes her photos of Bu Yao and changes her phone wallpaper, but soon checks Bu Yao’s social media. Seeing no sign that Bu Yao is distressed makes Xing Yue feel hurt. She accidentally sends—and quickly retracts—a WeChat “pat” message that calls Bu Yao’s girlfriend gorgeous.
• During the night, Xing Yue’s legs become painfully itchy, red, and begin shedding skin. She assumes it is an allergy and takes medicine, but the peeling worsens. Suspecting a snake molt, she remembers how her grandmother helped her through earlier molts. Xing Yue eventually collapses asleep under the cold shower.
• Bai Yulun finds Xing Yue feverish and unconscious in the bathroom and cares for her. Bo Wuxue had changed Xing Yue into dry clothes before leaving for an emergency at the factory; her teasing messages afterward embarrass Xing Yue.
• After eating, Bai takes Xing Yue shopping for clothes and shoes, presenting it as preparation for work. Xing Yue tries on both elegant and striking outfits, but Bai rejects a revealing black dress. Bai then proposes visiting an amusement park and taking photos before work.

Character developments and interactions

• Xing Yue remains deeply attached to Bu Yao despite trying to erase reminders of her. Her anxiety about aging—reinforced by her mother’s comments—also surfaces when she envies Bai Yulun’s youthful energy. Her sudden, painful shedding leaves her physically vulnerable.
• Bu Yao does not appear directly, but Xing Yue’s memories emphasize her exceptional loyalty and the emotional cost of their separation.
• He Zhiwen accepts Xing Yue’s refusal without pressure and offers a future visit, showing consideration while keeping their connection open.
• Bai Yulun acts as a lively, attentive friend: she rescues Xing Yue, respects her privacy, and takes her shopping. Her playful comments about Xing Yue’s appearance contrast with her practical care.
• Bo Wuxue helps change Xing Yue’s clothes, then sends outrageous flirtatious messages that lighten the mood.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus instinct: Xing Yue sees Bu Yao’s devotion as rare and precious, especially in contrast with what she perceives as widespread infidelity.
• Love, separation, and lingering attachment: Xing Yue tries to move on, but her keepsake, online stalking, and accidental message reveal that she has not let go.
• Aging and self-worth: Xing Yue’s worries about being thirty-six are challenged by Bai’s insistence that she is still young enough for new experiences.
• Vulnerability and care: Xing Yue’s painful molt recalls her grandmother’s past help and brings her friends’ present-day support into focus.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Yulun takes Xing Yue to recreate a childhood photograph of them together. While suggesting they find a private place so Xing Yue can see her snake tail, Bai Yulun’s teasing sounds suggestive to Xing Yue, who feels uncomfortable and makes an excuse to leave.
• At the bar, Xing Yue learns Bai rarely visits and suspects her special treatment—including shopping for her work clothes—means Bai is pursuing her. Manager Jiang’s knowing reaction reinforces the impression that others think they are involved.
• Bai picks Xing Yue up after her shift, insisting she promised Bo Wuxue she would keep Xing Yue safe. When Xing Yue resists her familiarity, Bai jokes that she is a “snail” who retreats into her shell at the slightest flirtation.
• Bai resents how much closer Xing Yue has always been to Bo Wuxue and demands that Xing Yue look at her tail. She unfurls it in the car and places Xing Yue’s hand on it. Xing Yue finds its pink, white, and gold scales beautiful, though the tail’s coolness does not appeal to her.
• Their moment is interrupted by Housekeeper Li, who asks them to move the car. In the vehicle behind them is Bu Yao, whose birthday Xing Yue has forgotten. Li delivers Bu Yao’s cutting message: move before they make headlines for having sex in the car.

Character developments

• Xing Yue is cautious and socially uncertain, especially about flirtation and intimacy. She needs her job and dislikes feeling pursued or becoming the subject of coworkers’ gossip. Her discomfort contrasts with the trust and physical closeness she shares with Bo Wuxue.
• Bai Yulun is playful and forward, but her teasing masks a longstanding hurt: she remembers Xing Yue favoring Bo Wuxue and seems to want comparable affection. She pushes past Xing Yue’s hesitation rather than recognizing its seriousness.
• Bo Wuxue is absent, but memories establish her deep, trusting bond with Xing Yue, including her comfort with showing her snake form.
• Bu Yao appears only at the end, but her presence and pointed message introduce tension and suggest she has witnessed an intimate-looking scene.

Significant themes

• Different meanings of intimacy: Showing a snake tail is a private sign of trust, affection, or attraction, and Xing Yue interprets Bai’s invitation as potentially sexual.
• Unequal closeness and jealousy: Bai’s resentment highlights the lasting effects of feeling overlooked in Xing Yue’s relationship with Bo Wuxue.
• Miscommunication and boundaries: Bai treats her advances as playful, while Xing Yue feels pressured and uncertain how to respond.
• Appearance versus perception: To bystanders, the pair’s closeness looks romantic—even sexual—regardless of Xing Yue’s actual feelings.

Character interactions

• Bai praises and photographs Xing Yue, then tries to recreate their childhood embrace.
• Xing Yue repeatedly creates distance, while Bai uses coaxing, joking, and the promise to drive her home to keep her close.
• Bai compares Xing Yue’s affection for Bo Wuxue with the little she received herself, then physically guides Xing Yue’s hand onto her tail.
• Housekeeper Li interrupts the pair on Bu Yao’s behalf, turning their private encounter into a potentially embarrassing public incident.

Key plot points and events

• On Bu Yao’s birthday, Xing Yue and Bai Yulun arrive at the Bu residence and encounter Bu Yao outside. Bai Yulun provokes her, even while holding Xing Yue’s hand against her snake tail.
• Housekeeper Li reveals that Bu Yao waited for Xing Yue all day and later searched through her birthday gifts, hoping to find one from her.
• Bu Yao ignores Bai Yulun and confronts Xing Yue through the housekeeper. She accuses Xing Yue of breaking a promise to keep her distance from other women after Bu Yao helped save Miss He.
• Xing Yue stays silent, while Bu Yao avoids looking directly at her. When Bai Yulun urges Xing Yue to leave, Bu Yao insults Bai Yulun and calls her Xing Yue’s wife.
• Bai Yulun explains that her marriage is an arrangement between families and says she plans to divorce. Xing Yue gently steers the conversation away rather than embarrass her.
• As they are about to leave, Housekeeper Li says Bu Yao is still waiting for an answer. Xing Yue refuses to respond through a messenger, telling Bu Yao to ask her directly—or let her go home. Despite the housekeeper’s plea, Xing Yue tells Bai Yulun to drive.

Character developments

• Xing Yue remains composed and considerate, but her restraint also shows frustration with Bu Yao’s indirect demands. She sets a boundary by insisting Bu Yao speak to her herself.
• Bu Yao reveals how much Xing Yue’s absence matters to her: she delayed her party, waited all day, and searched for a gift from Xing Yue. Her coldness and insults conceal hurt and anger.
• Bai Yulun openly antagonizes Bu Yao, but becomes flustered when her own engagement and marriage are brought up. She is anxious that Xing Yue might misunderstand her intentions.
• Housekeeper Li acts as an intermediary, trying to convey Bu Yao’s feelings and keep Xing Yue from leaving, though he cannot bridge the distance between them.

Significant themes

• Unspoken feelings and miscommunication: Bu Yao’s longing comes out as accusations and insults, while Xing Yue refuses to answer messages passed through others.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Bu Yao resents Xing Yue’s closeness with other women, while Bai Yulun uses physical intimacy and taunts to provoke her.
• Boundaries and dignity: Xing Yue avoids humiliating Bai Yulun but also refuses to be kept from leaving or drawn into an indirect confrontation.
• Social obligation versus personal emotion: Bai Yulun’s arranged marriage highlights the tension between family interests and individual romantic choices.

Character interactions

• Bai Yulun and Bu Yao trade hostile barbs rooted in years of rivalry, including resentment connected to Bai Yulun’s fiancée having once written Bu Yao a love letter.
• Bu Yao communicates with Xing Yue largely through Housekeeper Li, while avoiding eye contact, revealing the gap between her intense feelings and her unwillingness to speak openly.
• Xing Yue shows Bai Yulun sympathy when she struggles to explain her marriage, but refuses to give Bu Yao an answer unless Bu Yao addresses her directly.

Key plot points and events

• Xing Yue recalls how Butler Li repeatedly urged her to indulge Bu Yao, until the endless excuses made her feel more like a servant than a partner.
• After driving Xing Yue home, Bai Yulun insists that her marriage to “that woman” was only a distant, practical arrangement. Xing Yue notices the bitterness in Bai’s language but chooses not to pursue it.
• Bu Yao follows Xing Yue into her cramped apartment to confront her about her past remarks to He Zhiwen, her promise to avoid other women, and her breakup with Bu Yao.
• Xing Yue admits making the hotel-room suggestion but says Bu Yao’s cruel treatment—making her grovel and leaving her unable to get up—was the real reason she ended the relationship.
• Bu Yao angrily accuses Xing Yue of betraying her, remaining attached to He Zhiwen, and keeping thousands of photos of her. She knocks flowers from the table and crushes them while crying.
• Xing Yue apologizes for her own mistakes but refuses to reconcile or continue discussing their feelings. Bu Yao demands immediate repayment of 900,000 yuan; Xing Yue explains that the debt is owed to her company and is being repaid by installments.
• As the confrontation escalates, Xing Yue becomes physically ill and is overwhelmed by memories of her childhood home: her mother’s breakdowns and the outwardly composed person whose calmness made them worse.

Character developments

• Xing Yue is exhausted by the relationship’s recurring demands and recognizes that love does not excuse Bu Yao’s controlling or humiliating behavior. She accepts responsibility for her own actions but is firm that she does not want to reunite.
• Bu Yao is revealed as deeply jealous, hurt, and unable to let go. Though she says she relaxed some of her demands, she still sees Xing Yue’s connection to He Zhiwen as betrayal and frames the conflict as proof that Xing Yue never returned her affection.
• Bai Yulun presents her marriage as an arrangement, but her hostile way of referring to her spouse hints at unresolved resentment.

Significant themes

• Love versus control: Bu Yao’s demands and punishment blur the line between affection and domination.
• Mutual blame and incompatible perspectives: Xing Yue and Bu Yao interpret the same events differently—one emphasizes betrayal and broken promises, the other emotional abuse and humiliation.
• The weight of past trauma: Bu Yao’s emotional collapse echoes the volatile domestic scenes Xing Yue experienced as a child, triggering a distressing physical and psychological reaction.
• Unequal sacrifice: Xing Yue feels expected to keep yielding, while Bu Yao believes she has changed without receiving the love she wanted in return.

Character interactions

• Bai Yulun explains her marriage to Xing Yue, who listens politely but remains skeptical.
• Bu Yao confronts Xing Yue in her home, pressing her for admissions and attacking her character; Xing Yue tries to explain, challenges Bu Yao’s treatment of her, and ultimately ends the discussion by refusing reconciliation.
• Their argument shifts from romantic grievances to money, exposing how deeply their relationship remains entangled even after the breakup.

Plot points

• Bu Yao stays after Xing Yue tells her to leave, attempts to care for her by boiling water, and fails to operate the kettle. Xing Yue corrects it and again asks her to go.
• Bu Yao demands repayment of the 900,000 yuan Xing Yue owes New Shadow Entertainment and taunts her about relying on the wealthy, married Bai Yulun.
• Xing Yue, pushed past restraint, lashes back at Bu Yao’s accusations and mocks the gifts and marriage proposal she received from the Bu family. She vows to repay the debt within a week, even if it means taking a dangerous loan or selling the building she bought to support her mother.
• Bu Yao offers Xing Yue 100,000 yuan a night to “serve” her. Her snake tail emerges and instinctively reaches for Xing Yue, exposing Bu Yao’s desire and vulnerability.
• Bu Yao tries to leave, but Xing Yue stops her and initiates a sexual encounter. As Bu Yao cries and struggles, Xing Yue assumes she is asking her to stop; instead, Bu Yao pleads, “Don’t break up with me.”

Character developments

• Xing Yue is exhausted, angry, and determined to sever ties with Bu Yao. Her hurt over being treated as a gold digger turns into deliberate cruelty, and she acts on her anger rather than maintaining her earlier restraint.
• Bu Yao shifts between hostility, jealousy, and a clumsy attempt at care. Her money offer disguises her longing for intimacy, while her emerging tail reveals how strongly she still yearns for Xing Yue. Beneath her pride, she is desperate to prevent the breakup.

Relationships and interactions

• Their exchanges escalate from an awkward caregiving gesture to accusations, insults, and a humiliating offer of money for sex.
• Xing Yue interprets Bu Yao’s actions as contempt and control; Bu Yao’s jealousy of Bai Yulun and her demand for repayment keep the conflict alive.
• The chapter ends with a painful mismatch: Xing Yue believes Bu Yao wants a paid encounter, while Bu Yao’s real plea is for their marriage not to end.

Significant themes

• Love entangled with money and power: Debt and wealth become weapons in an already damaged relationship.
• Pride and miscommunication: Both women hide vulnerability behind insults and dominance, making reconciliation harder.
• Class and dignity: Xing Yue resents being judged as a gold digger despite feeling she has received little from Bu Yao’s family.
• Desire versus consent: Bu Yao’s longing is exposed, but the encounter unfolds amid distress and a serious mismatch in what each woman believes is happening.

Key plot points

• After an intense night together, Xing Yue and Bu Yao spend the day in Xing Yue’s cramped apartment. Bu Yao clings to Xing Yue, who remains composed despite the intimacy.
• While Xing Yue sleeps, Bu Yao quietly tends to a small wound on her tongue. Bai Yulun and Bo Wuxue arrive with clothes for Xing Yue, find Bu Yao barely dressed beside her, and leave—though Bo privately wonders why Xing Yue ended up exhausted.
• When Xing Yue wakes, Bu Yao’s tail playfully interferes with her phone, sending a message to her manager and deleting Bai Yulun’s chat.
• Xing Yue tells Bu Yao to leave, treating their encounter as a transaction that reduces Bu Yao’s debt by one hundred thousand. Bu Yao insists she is injured and complains about Xing Yue’s “subpar service.”
• Xing Yue checks her, recognizes that she is sore rather than having an allergic reaction, and buys ointment. She applies it despite Bu Yao’s embarrassment.
• Once Xing Yue finishes, Bu Yao retreats with her tail and asks, “Can I court you?”

Character developments and interactions

• Bu Yao shifts from tearful, physically vulnerable dependence to teasing protest and a direct expression of romantic interest. Her attachment is clear in how she stays close to Xing Yue and tends to her while she sleeps.
• Xing Yue maintains a guarded, transactional attitude, insisting Bu Yao should leave after their encounter. Yet her concern is visible in checking Bu Yao’s condition and promptly getting medicine.
• Bo Wuxue reacts with surprise at the apparent reversal of expectations about Xing Yue’s role in their relationship, while Bai Yulun responds to the discovery by quietly leaving.
• Bu Yao’s playful tail and Xing Yue’s handling of it add a mischievous, intimate dimension to their interactions.

Significant themes

• Intimacy versus emotional distance: Physical closeness contrasts with Xing Yue’s insistence that their encounter is merely a transaction.
• Care beneath defensiveness: Xing Yue’s practical gestures reveal concern even as she tries to keep Bu Yao at arm’s length.
• Changing power and expectations: The friends’ assumptions about who is dominant are unsettled, while Bu Yao’s final question opens the possibility of a relationship beyond debt and sex.

Key plot points and events

• After a rough night together, Bu Yao is bruised and exhausted. Xing Yue recognizes that she went further than she intended, but responds by insisting that Bu Yao cannot pursue her.
• Xing Yue gives Bu Yao several reasons they are incompatible, including their different backgrounds and clashing personalities. She pointedly says she prefers young women and describes He Zhiwen’s gentleness and competence as traits she likes.
• Bu Yao is deeply hurt but refuses to leave. She cries and hides in the bedding, while her snake tail repeatedly seeks contact with Xing Yue.
• Xing Yue notices a lifted scale on Bu Yao’s tail, treats the painful injury, and bandages it. She continues trying to push Bu Yao away with cruel remarks.
• When Bu Yao searches for somewhere to hide, she finds an old paper “double happiness” wedding cutout beneath a pillow. Xing Yue quickly crushes and discards it, making her embarrassment—and the object’s significance—clear.
• Xing Yue orders a large meat-heavy meal for herself before going to work, but refuses to share it with Bu Yao. After Xing Yue leaves, Bu Yao eats the leftovers and falls asleep on the floor with a distended belly. Xing Yue returns to find her there.

Character developments

• Xing Yue is unsettled by how carried away she became during their encounter. She tries to enforce emotional distance, but her care for Bu Yao shows through when she treats her injured tail. Her reaction to the wedding cutout hints that their past still affects her.
• Bu Yao remains stubbornly attached despite Xing Yue’s rejection. Her proud, domineering exterior gives way to grief and vulnerability, while her tail’s instinctive attempts to seek comfort reveal feelings she cannot—or will not—abandon.

Significant themes

• Desire versus emotional rejection: physical intimacy does not resolve the couple’s deeper estrangement.
• Power, cruelty, and vulnerability: Xing Yue uses cutting words to drive Bu Yao away, while Bu Yao endures them and continues seeking closeness.
• The past and lingering attachment: the old wedding keepsake suggests that their marriage remains emotionally significant, even as Xing Yue tries to erase or conceal it.
• Care beneath hostility: Xing Yue’s treatment of Bu Yao’s tail contrasts with her verbal rejection.

Character interactions

• Xing Yue repeatedly rejects Bu Yao’s pursuit and compares her unfavorably with the kind of woman she claims to want.
• Bu Yao challenges Xing Yue’s reasoning by pointing to their marriage, then responds to rejection with tears rather than leaving.
• Xing Yue tends Bu Yao’s tail injury, but later refuses her food; Bu Yao waits until Xing Yue is gone before eating the untouched dishes.

Plot points and events

• Xing Yue returns home after work and finds Bu Yao asleep in snake form, still digesting bones she ate earlier. She photographs her and sends the picture and her location to Ji Wenyan, Bu Yao’s mother.
• Xing Yue calls Ji Wenyan, sharply insisting she come collect her daughter or Xing Yue will take the matter to the police. She expects Ji Wenyan to come in person because Bu Yao does not actually want to leave.
• Near Ji Wenyan’s arrival, Bu Yao transforms back into a naked human. She greets Xing Yue as if she were a partner returning home from work, briefly stirring Xing Yue’s longing.
• Xing Yue offers to apply ointment to Bu Yao’s injury. The intimate, teasing way she does it embarrasses Bu Yao, who stops her.
• Bu Yao learns her mother is waiting downstairs and starts getting dressed. Xing Yue asks her to stay the night, persuading her to tell Ji Wenyan she will return home the next day.
• Ji Wenyan hangs up after hearing this, visibly furious.

Character development

• Xing Yue is resentful toward Ji Wenyan and uses the late-night call to force her to come herself. Beneath her cool, provocative manner, Bu Yao’s casual greeting awakens a deep longing for domestic closeness. Her request that Bu Yao stay suggests she does not want the night—and their intimacy—to end.
• Bu Yao remains trusting and emotionally drawn to Xing Yue. She is shy about the ointment and the sexual tension, but readily accepts Xing Yue’s request to stay. Her consideration for her mother also shows her usual obedience despite her independence.
• Ji Wenyan is shown as a concerned mother willing to drive over in the early morning, but her anger at Bu Yao’s decision creates an unresolved conflict.

Significant themes

• Longing for intimacy and home: Bu Yao’s ordinary “You’re home from work” touches a desire Xing Yue has cherished for years.
• Desire versus vulnerability: Their playful physical closeness contrasts with Bu Yao’s uncertainty about whether Xing Yue will send her away once her injury heals.
• Family duty and autonomy: Bu Yao must choose between going home for her worried mother and staying with Xing Yue.
• Power and emotional honesty: Xing Yue masks her desire with teasing and coolness, while Bu Yao is too flustered and hopeful to question the sudden change.

Character interactions

• Xing Yue confronts Ji Wenyan by phone, then pressures her to come in person.
• Xing Yue tends to Bu Yao’s injury, turning a practical gesture into an intimate, teasing encounter.
• Bu Yao’s affectionate greeting briefly exposes Xing Yue’s emotional vulnerability.
• Xing Yue persuades Bu Yao to stay, leaving Ji Wenyan waiting downstairs and angry.

Plot points and events

• Bu Changqin and Ji Wenyan leave after Xing Yue tricks them into thinking Bu Yao is coming home. Changqin takes the incident lightly, while Wenyan remains angry and distrustful of Xing Yue.
• Wenyan’s objections stem from Xing Yue’s snake nature, which she believes makes her prone to infidelity, as well as Xing Yue’s disability and lower social standing. She would prefer Bu Yao to choose a faithful, capable partner suited to inheriting the family business.
• Back at Xing Yue’s apartment, Bu Yao tries to wash dishes to prove she can help. Allergic to detergent, her hands become swollen and rash-covered; she panics and breaks several dishes.
• Xing Yue comforts her, rinses her hands, carries her to bed, and applies Calamine Lotion. Bu Yao admits she kept going because she feared Xing Yue would think her useless.
• Bu Yao asks whether she can keep visiting after she returns home. Xing Yue sidesteps the question, but her tenderness reveals that her feelings toward Bu Yao have softened.
• As they lie together, Bu Yao asks Xing Yue to let her pursue her.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Wenyan remains protective of Bu Yao but expresses that concern through prejudice and strong disapproval of Xing Yue.
• Bu Changqin is more conciliatory, urging Wenyan to ease tensions for their daughter’s happiness.
• Bu Yao tries to become more self-reliant, though her effort to avoid burdening Xing Yue backfires. Her vulnerable request shows her growing attachment and determination.
• Xing Yue is sharp-tongued but caring. She recognizes Bu Yao’s effort, treats her allergy, and privately worries that her earlier criticism may have hurt her. Their intimacy is making her less guarded.

Significant themes

• Prejudice versus individual character: Wenyan judges Xing Yue by her species, disability, and status, while the chapter raises the possibility that people can choose fidelity despite social expectations.
• Care, dependence, and self-worth: Bu Yao mistakes domestic competence for proof that she is not a burden; Xing Yue’s response suggests care need not mean servitude.
• Softening through intimacy: Beneath teasing and defensiveness, both women show vulnerability and affection as their relationship deepens.