Ch. 21Chapter 11

Chapter 11: “The Engagement Is Canceled”

Key plot points and events

  • After Sheng Mingzhou apologizes to Shen Luoluo for spreading rumors about her, she responds only, “Oh,” and does not forgive him.
  • Shen Jingyao backs Luoluo, saying she is entitled to reject the apology because it cannot undo the harm. Sheng Mother accepts this, then asks what will happen to Mingzhou’s engagement to Shen Anya.
  • Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen tell Anya they have already canceled the engagement, explaining that they will not welcome someone who hurt Luoluo into their family.
  • Anya privately welcomes the breakup: she never liked Mingzhou and thinks his scandalous behavior would damage her reputation. She tells a friend she is sad, though, and the friend offers to introduce her to other boys.
  • Anya hears a car arrive and assumes her second brother has returned, but it is Shen Jiayan driving his car. She scolds Jiayan for driving before he is eighteen, then argues with him when he brushes off her concern.
  • Luoluo accidentally interrupts their argument while fetching water. Jiayan abandons the dispute, follows her, and gives her a roasted sweet potato.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo remains unmoved by Mingzhou’s apology, asserting her independence through silence rather than offering forgiveness.
  • Shen Jingyao openly protects Luoluo and reassures her that she will not be treated unfairly.
  • Sheng Mingzhou admits he was prejudiced and wrong, but his apology does not repair the damage.
  • Shen Anya is privately pleased that her engagement is over, despite pretending to be upset on the phone. Her concern about Jiayan’s driving creates a brief, tense sibling exchange.
  • Shen Jiayan is cheerful and dismissive of Anya’s scolding, but quickly turns his attention to Luoluo and brings her food.

Significant themes

  • Accountability and forgiveness: A sincere apology does not entitle the person who caused harm to forgiveness.
  • Family loyalty: Luoluo’s family prioritizes protecting her over preserving a political or social alliance.
  • Self-interest and appearances: Anya’s outward sadness contrasts with her private relief and ambition.
  • Affection through small gestures: Jiayan’s roasted sweet potato offers a warm, understated moment of care.

Ch. 22Page 22

Key plot points and events

  • Shen Jiayan insists that buying Shen Luoluo a roasted sweet potato was merely repayment, though his actions suggest he wanted to cheer her up.
  • His friends invite Shen Luoluo to join their online game. She agrees and plays with them, while their warm, enthusiastic attention irritates Jiayan—especially when they call her “Sis.”
  • Shen Anya watches Jiayan and Luoluo happily gaming together and becomes distressed. Their closeness contradicts the future she remembers, in which Jiayan despised Luoluo.
  • The next morning, Zhao Huizhen tells Luoluo that her room is ready and movers will bring her belongings by noon. Anya overhears and rushes out without breakfast.
  • Luoluo calmly goes to school with Jiayan following. Their parents reflect on how the room dispute hurt Luoluo and acknowledge that they must repair their relationship with her.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Jiayan shows growing concern for Luoluo, first through the sweet potato and then by inviting her to play. He remains prickly and denies his kindness, but is protective when his friends crowd around her.
  • Shen Luoluo accepts the gesture and the invitation without fuss. She enjoys the company of Jiayan’s friends but remains emotionally detached from the family’s reactions and focused on her own life.
  • Shen Anya feels increasingly threatened by Luoluo’s place in the family. Seeing Jiayan treat Luoluo warmly and learning that Luoluo will get the better room intensifies her fear that events are diverging from her remembered “dream.”
  • Zhao Huizhen follows through on giving Luoluo the room and recognizes that the family’s past choices made Luoluo feel unwanted. She breaks down over her failure as a mother; Shen Ting’an comforts her and urges patience.

Significant themes

  • Actions reveal affection: Jiayan’s denials contrast with his considerate behavior.
  • Belonging and family favoritism: The room allocation symbolizes whether Luoluo feels accepted or overlooked.
  • Changing expectations: Anya’s remembered version of events is being disrupted by the family’s changing treatment of Luoluo.
  • Regret and repair: The parents realize that understanding Luoluo’s unspoken feelings gives them a chance to correct past mistakes.

Ch. 23Chapter 12

Key plot points and events

  • Zhao Huizhen blames Shen Ting’an for the children being given separate rooms, but realizes she cannot remember the family discussion she is referring to.
  • Shen Luoluo and Shen Jiayan arrive at school and go their separate ways. Jiayan soon gets an urgent call from Duan Yixing: Luoluo is being confronted by a group of girls.
  • The girls, led by one in pink, demand that Luoluo leave Rocket Class and stop sitting with Qi Yang. They insult her as a country bumpkin.
  • Luoluo silently considers how to defend herself. The girls unexpectedly hear her thoughts, including her guesses about how to fight them and revelations about their secrets.
  • Luoluo exposes that the girl in pink has been involved with the black-clad girl’s boyfriend and kept gifts meant for her. She also reveals that the pink-clad girl is wearing a necklace engraved with the black-clad girl’s initials.
  • The black-clad girl confirms the necklace’s inscription, grabs the pink-clad girl by the hair, and slaps her, turning the confrontation against its instigator.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo initially feels unsure how to handle the group, but her candid thoughts expose their secrets and shift the balance without her needing to fight.
  • The girl in black changes from threatening Luoluo to confronting the girl in pink after learning about the betrayal.
  • The girl in pink, who led the attack, loses control of the situation when her deception is exposed.
  • Shen Jiayan is alerted to Luoluo’s danger and is on his way to help.
  • Zhao Huizhen shows confusion and alarm when she discovers a gap in her memory; the chapter leaves its cause unexplained.

Significant themes

  • Mind-reading and unintended exposure: Luoluo’s private thoughts are heard by those around her, revealing truths she did not deliberately announce.
  • Betrayal and misplaced hostility: The girls target Luoluo out of jealousy, while the real conflict lies in the pink-clad girl’s betrayal of her friend.
  • Reputation and social status: Luoluo is judged for her background and appearance, while the wealthy students assume they can intimidate her without consequences.

Ch. 24Page 24

Plot and events

  • Shen Luoluo watches as the girl in black realizes that her friend in pink has repeatedly sabotaged her relationships and belongings out of jealousy. The girl in black attacks her, and other girls who have also been hurt by the girl in pink join in. The clique that came to confront Luoluo ends up fighting among itself.
  • Luoluo is bewildered by the sudden brawl, while Duan Yixing laughs and the watching students praise her for supposedly making the group turn on itself.
  • Shen Jiayan arrives expecting to rescue his sister, only to find her safe and the fight already underway. He regrets missing the spectacle.
  • The girls are taken to the Academic Affairs Office. Since Luoluo neither took part nor said anything, she is cleared to leave.
  • Back in class, Qin Shiyue checks that Luoluo is all right and explains that Qi Yang rushed over after hearing she was in trouble. Luoluo instead focuses on why he had taken the day off.
  • Luoluo checks the Intelligence System and sees a list of story-genre rankings, including “Ci Bu Ci Xuegao,” “Mind Reading,” and “Everyone’s Favorite.”

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo remains innocent of the fight and confused by the admiration she receives; her thoughts about the pink-clad girl inadvertently reveal the girl’s history of spite.
  • The girl in black and the others turn against the girl in pink after recognizing her pattern of betrayal.
  • Duan Yixing enjoys the unexpected reversal and explains it to Shen Jiayan, who is frustrated at having missed the action.
  • Shen Jiayan is relieved that Luoluo is unharmed.
  • Qin Shiyue shows concern and reveals that Qi Yang hurried to help, hinting at his care for Luoluo; Luoluo does not dwell on the implication.

Significant themes

  • Hidden resentment can surface when people recognize a pattern of betrayal.
  • Luoluo’s apparent influence contrasts with her actual passivity: others mistake her for having engineered the outcome.
  • Concern and affection are expressed through protective actions, even when Luoluo overlooks their significance.

Ch. 25Chapter 13

Key events

  • Qi Yang’s classmates tease him about supposedly taking time off to be circumcised. He refuses to defend himself, while Chen Jiashu is blamed for spreading the rumor.
  • Shen Luoluo’s unspoken thoughts reveal the truth: Qi Yang accompanied a younger relative to the hospital. But she also reveals that Qi Yang himself was circumcised at seven and wore little skirts afterward. The new information sets off another round of laughter.
  • Though embarrassed, Qi Yang offers Shen Luoluo a can of cola. She notices his red ears but assumes there is nothing shameful about the procedure.
  • After school, Qi Yang waits with Chen Jiashu, apparently to make sure Shen Luoluo is not mobbed as she was that morning.
  • They collide with Shen Jiayan, who recognizes Qi Yang as the boy he believes caused the attention surrounding his sister. After sizing Qi Yang up, Shen Jiayan decides Qi Yang is overrated and boasts inwardly that he would have beaten him as the school’s heartthrob.

Character developments and interactions

  • Qi Yang shifts from irritated and defensive to embarrassed when Shen Luoluo’s thoughts expose his childhood. His small gesture of offering her cola suggests growing consideration for her.
  • Chen Jiashu laughs along with the class and is temporarily pinned by Qi Yang, who blames him for the rumor. Their familiar, teasing friendship remains clear.
  • Shen Luoluo remains unaware of the effect her thoughts have on the others. Her sincere, matter-of-fact response contrasts with their teasing.
  • Shen Jiayan enters with a protective, jealous attitude toward his sister and immediate rivalry toward Qi Yang.

Significant themes

  • Rumors and embarrassment: A mistaken story snowballs into teasing, and the truth only gives the class more material.
  • Private thoughts versus public behavior: Luoluo’s inner commentary reveals facts and feelings that others react to, while she remains puzzled by their laughter.
  • Affection expressed indirectly: Qi Yang’s decision to wait after school and his offer of cola hint at concern for Luoluo.
  • Rivalry and self-image: Shen Jiayan’s first impression of Qi Yang quickly becomes a contest over popularity and attractiveness.

Ch. 26Chapter 14

Key plot points and events

  • Chen Jiashu steadies Shen Luoluo after she is bumped by Shen Jiayan. Jiayan refuses to apologize and tries to shove Jiashu, but Qi Yang steps in, nearly provoking a fight.
  • Shen Luoluo arrives and recognizes Jiayan as her brother, ending the confrontation. Jiashu and Qi Yang leave, with Jiashu teasing Qi Yang about the boy’s hostility.
  • Jiayan explains that he was hurrying to find someone, though he does not admit that he was rushing because he feared girls might harass Luoluo again. Luoluo scolds him for running but later buys him ointment for his swollen forehead. Her concern softens his anger.
  • At home, they meet Zhao Yuan, Luoluo and Jiayan’s aunt, who is preparing for her engagement. Luoluo inwardly warns that Zhao Yuan must not marry her boyfriend, Chen Yuchuan.
  • When Yuchuan calls to say he cannot join Zhao Yuan because of work, Luoluo’s thoughts reveal that he is making excuses to be with his returning first love. Zhao Huizhen and Jiayan seize on the warning, prompting Zhao Yuan to admit that Yuchuan has recently been working late—especially since his first love returned.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Jiayan is impulsive, proud, and protective of Luoluo, but his private worry explains his haste. Despite his gruffness, he accepts her care.
  • Shen Luoluo acts as peacemaker during the near-fight and shows quiet affection toward her brother. Her unusual ability to reveal others’ hidden circumstances becomes crucial to Zhao Yuan’s relationship dilemma.
  • Chen Jiashu and Qi Yang protect Luoluo and leave once they learn Jiayan is her brother. Jiashu jokes afterward, while Qi Yang remains dismissive of the conflict.
  • Zhao Huizhen and Zhao Yuan recognize the significance of Luoluo’s warning. Huizhen encourages her sister to question Yuchuan’s behavior, and Zhao Yuan begins connecting his absences to his first love.

Significant themes

  • Family affection beneath friction: Jiayan’s temper masks concern for Luoluo, while her care for him is expressed through practical kindness.
  • Trust and warning signs in romance: Yuchuan’s repeated excuses raise doubts about his commitment to Zhao Yuan.
  • Intuition and hidden truths: Luoluo’s thoughts expose what others cannot yet see, giving her family a chance to intervene before the engagement.

Ch. 27Page 27

Key plot points and events

  • Zhao Yuan initially dismisses rumors about Chen Yuchuan’s first love, but Shen Luoluo’s unspoken thoughts reveal that Chen has been secretly seeing the woman and has even spent the night at her home.
  • Zhao Huizhen urges Zhao Yuan to investigate. Zhao Yuan traces Chen’s social-media connections to his first love, Xia Yi, whose recent post shows a hand with Chen’s distinctive heart-shaped birthmark. The post’s comments—and likes from Chen’s classmates—make clear that others knew about their reunion while Zhao Yuan was kept in the dark.
  • Determined to confront him, Zhao Yuan drives with Zhao Huizhen, Shen Luoluo, and Shen Jiayan to Xia Yi’s apartment. Shen Jiayan poses as a delivery driver and gets Chen to open the door.
  • Xia Yi appears in a bathrobe with visible marks on her neck and collarbone. Zhao Yuan slaps Chen, who claims he only brought medicine because Xia Yi had a fever. Shen Luoluo’s thoughts reveal that Chen and Xia Yi were intimate the previous day. Chen drops to his knees, calling it an accident, but cannot speak when Shen Luoluo’s harsh inner commentary seems to leave him mysteriously choked up.

Character developments

  • Zhao Yuan moves from trusting her steady relationship to recognizing the deception and confronting Chen decisively.
  • Shen Luoluo acts as the group’s hidden source of crucial information, while privately voicing the accusations Zhao Yuan wants to make.
  • Zhao Huizhen supports Zhao Yuan and joins the confrontation.
  • Shen Jiayan insists on coming along and helps expose Chen by acting as the decoy.
  • Chen Yuchuan is revealed as deceptive and unfaithful; once confronted, he panics and offers a weak excuse.
  • Xia Yi appears to be openly signaling her connection to Chen through her social-media post and her appearance at the apartment.

Significant themes

  • Trust versus betrayal: Zhao Yuan’s confidence in her relationship collapses when she discovers that Chen has hidden his contact with Xia Yi.
  • Truth and evidence: Shen Luoluo’s private knowledge guides the others, while the birthmark, online reactions, and visible marks confirm the affair.
  • Female solidarity and intuition: Zhao Huizhen backs Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Yuan’s determination turns suspicion into action.
  • Hypocrisy and accountability: Chen’s claims that nothing happened and that it was an accident are undercut by the evidence and Shen Luoluo’s revelations.

Character interactions

  • Zhao Huizhen encourages Zhao Yuan to investigate and accompanies her to confront Chen.
  • Zhao Yuan uses social media to uncover the truth, then directly challenges Chen and rejects his excuses.
  • Shen Jiayan helps the group reach Chen by pretending to be a delivery driver.
  • Shen Luoluo’s silent thoughts expose Chen’s lies; though others cannot hear her, her insights shape the confrontation, and Chen appears to sense her presence.

Ch. 28Chapter 15

Plot points and events

  • Xia Yi claims she slept with Chen Yuchuan and says he would have chosen her if she hadn’t gone abroad. Chen denies wanting her back and declares that Zhao Yuan is the one he loves.
  • Zhao Yuan ends their relationship, deciding she would rather leave before their planned engagement.
  • Xia Yi urges Chen to reconcile, explaining that they broke up because his mother opposed them. Shen Luoluo’s thoughts reveal the real reason: Chen Yuchuan and Xia Yi are half-siblings.
  • Luoluo uncovers their hidden family history. Xia Yi’s father arranged for his wife’s dead newborn to be secretly replaced with his mistress’s baby—Xia Yi. Years later, Chen Yuchuan’s mother recognized Xia Yi by her birthmark and tried to keep the siblings apart, without revealing the truth.
  • Once Zhao Yuan learns the truth, her anger disappears. She wishes the pair happiness; Chen collapses in despair.
  • Meanwhile, Shen Anya eats alone in the villa while the family is away. She interprets the elaborate meal and Aunt Chen’s presence as deliberate mockery, blames Shen Luoluo for the family’s changed behavior, and lashes out at the housekeeper.

Character developments and interactions

  • Zhao Yuan moves from hurt and anger to amused detachment once she learns the truth. She decisively ends things with Chen, then delivers a pointed, gracious farewell.
  • Chen Yuchuan first insists he loves Zhao Yuan, but his hopes of keeping her are shattered; the revelation about Xia Yi leaves him devastated.
  • Xia Yi presses Chen to restart their romance, unaware that they are siblings and that their mother’s opposition was an attempt to prevent an incestuous relationship.
  • Shen Luoluo functions as the source of the hidden backstory through her thoughts, while her relatives listen and react to the revelation.
  • Shen Anya grows more resentful and isolated, interpreting the family’s absence as rejection and directing her anger at Luoluo. Aunt Chen tries to respond politely, but Anya accuses her of intentional cruelty.

Significant themes

  • Secrets and mistaken identity: A concealed infant exchange shaped the characters’ lives and led to a forbidden romance.
  • Truth and consequences: The family secret abruptly resolves Zhao Yuan’s romantic dilemma while devastating Chen and Xia Yi.
  • Belonging and jealousy: Anya’s loneliness fuels her hostility toward Luoluo, highlighting the changing dynamics within the household.

Ch. 29Page 29

Key plot points and events

  • Shen Anya catches herself reacting emotionally while eating, covers it by saying she was absorbed in a drama, and learns that her mother, Shen Luoluo, and Shen Jiayan are out for the evening.
  • She receives a message from her second brother, Shen Xiche, saying he will return the next day. The news visibly lifts her mood.
  • Zhao Yuan returns with the others and declines an invitation to stay overnight. She arranges to take Luoluo and Jiayan out to eat the coming weekend; Jiayan eagerly requests an expensive meal.
  • The next day, Xiche comes home with a woman named Yingying. His parents are upset because he wants to marry her, and they think he is too young and has known her for too little time. Xiche insists that they stop changing the subject and listen to him.
  • Anya’s excited greeting turns into shock when she sees Xiche’s companion and hears the family argument. Luoluo is told to stay in the room, while Jiayan pretends to get water so he can eavesdrop.

Character developments

  • Shen Anya masks her colder feelings around Aunt Chen, then becomes genuinely excited by Xiche’s return, whom she especially adores.
  • Shen Luoluo remains an observer, noticing Xiche’s striking appearance and finding herself unexpectedly caught in the family’s tense discussion.
  • Shen Jiayan shows his playful, nosy side, eagerly anticipating the meal with Zhao Yuan and covertly listening in on the argument.
  • Shen Xiche is introduced as charming and beloved by Anya, but also determined to marry Yingying despite his parents’ objections.
  • Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen are concerned about Xiche’s age and the speed of his decision, rather than rejecting the match outright.

Significant themes

  • Family tension and conflicting priorities: Xiche’s wish to marry clashes with his parents’ caution.
  • Appearances versus hidden feelings: Anya’s pleasant behavior conceals a colder reaction, while the family’s outward reunion quickly gives way to conflict.
  • Favoritism and attachment: Anya’s strong affection for Xiche reflects his history of bringing her gifts and attention.

Character interactions

  • Anya politely reassures Aunt Chen, then discreetly asks about her mother’s absence.
  • Zhao Yuan warmly thanks Luoluo and Jiayan and invites them to choose a weekend meal.
  • Anya and Xiche’s reunion is interrupted by the parents’ objections to his marriage plans.
  • Zhao Huizhen introduces Luoluo to Xiche, but he redirects the conversation to his relationship with Yingying.

Ch. 30Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Summary

  • Key events: Shen Xiche returns home with Yingying and announces that he will marry her, regardless of his family’s approval. As Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen argue with him, Shen Luoluo silently thinks that Yingying is actually a scammer who has recently returned from Thailand and is a transgender woman. Her thoughts also reveal that Yingying staged Shen Xiche’s rescue and studied his preferences in detail to make him believe they were soulmates. Shen Xiche unexpectedly seems to hear Luoluo’s thoughts. As he processes the revelations, he repeatedly stumbles and eventually collapses. When Yingying reaches to check on him, he instinctively pulls away.
  • Character developments: Shen Xiche’s confidence in his romance begins to crumble as Luoluo’s observations match details of his own experience. Though he initially dismisses the strange voice, his growing doubts make him wary of Yingying. Luoluo remains unaware that her private thoughts are affecting the room, while Shen Ting’an, Zhao Huizhen, and Shen Jiayan realize—or strongly suspect—that her remarks have exposed the truth.
  • Character interactions: Shen Xiche confronts his father and stepmother, insisting that his marriage is his decision. Zhao Huizhen tries to calm the dispute, while Shen Ting’an threatens to stop him from leaving. Yingying acts concerned when Shen Xiche falls, but his avoidance of her touch creates a sudden shift in their interaction. Shen Jiayan listens from the kitchen, amused by Luoluo’s commentary, and the older couple watch the situation unfold with barely concealed satisfaction.
  • Significant themes: The chapter contrasts romantic infatuation with manipulation, showing how fear and a staged rescue can be mistaken for love. It also highlights deception, family conflict, and the power of unspoken truths: Luoluo’s thoughts expose a scheme that Shen Xiche has not recognized, while the family’s reactions turn the confrontation into dark comedy.

Ch. 31Page 31

Key plot points and events

  • Shen Ting’an realizes Shen Xiche can hear Shen Luoluo’s thoughts and stops trying to make him stay, telling him to go home and reconsider the marriage.
  • Shen Xiche’s fiancée, Yingying, stages an emotional breakup, hoping he will stop her and choose her. But Shen Xiche, disturbed by what he has learned about Yingying’s past, cannot bring himself to comfort him.
  • Shen Luoluo’s irreverent thoughts puncture the melodrama, and Shen Xiche withdraws his hand instead of pursuing Yingying. Yingying eventually leaves alone.
  • Shen Jingyao arrives with documents revealing Yingying’s real identity. Shen Xiche is shaken as the evidence confirms that his relationship was built on deception.
  • Shen Anya comes out, confused by the family’s apparent shared understanding, while Zhao Huizhen urges her to give Shen Xiche time.
  • Later, Shen Jiayan recounts the incident in the family’s group chat, where relatives laugh and speculate about Yingying’s transition and how Shen Luoluo uncovered the truth.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Xiche shifts from determined fiancé to stunned, conflicted victim of deception. He no longer responds to Yingying’s usual emotional tactics and is left reeling by the documents.
  • Yingying tries to regain control through tears and a dramatic farewell, but her plan fails when Shen Xiche does not chase after him.
  • Shen Luoluo remains the blunt, comic observer whose thoughts expose the situation and shape others’ reactions. Shen Jingyao affectionately ruffles her hair.
  • Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen accept Shen Xiche’s choice to leave and quietly share relief when Yingying departs.
  • Shen Jingyao supports the family by investigating Yingying and bringing concrete evidence.
  • Shen Anya is excluded from the unfolding revelations and senses that everyone else knows more than she does.

Significant themes

  • Deception and truth: Yingying’s performance collapses as private thoughts and documentary evidence reveal the truth.
  • Family support and autonomy: Shen Xiche is allowed to make his own decision, while his family gives him space to process the consequences.
  • Comedy amid emotional upheaval: Shen Luoluo’s candid inner commentary repeatedly undercuts the scene’s melodrama.
  • The limits of manipulation: Yingying’s familiar tactics fail once Shen Xiche no longer trusts or responds to him.

Ch. 32Page 32

  • Shen Jiayan jokes that Shen Xiche will recover from his recent humiliation, while Shen Luoluo plans to join Qin Shiyue and Qi Yang’s café outing but declines because she has already promised Zhao Yuan to have dinner with her and Shen Jiayan.
  • Qin Shiyue shares Luoluo’s refusal with their group chat, where she and Chen Jiashu tease Qi Yang for not yet being close enough to Luoluo to get her contact information or secure her time.
  • Zhao Yuan visits the Shen home and finds Shen Xiche dejected. After hearing how he was deceived, she laughs, then consoles him: he discovered the truth before things went further. She invites Luoluo and Jiayan out to eat.
  • When Jiayan protests that the outing was meant to be just the three of them, Shen Xiche joins out of spite. The group of four leaves together, unaware that Shen Anya has been left behind.
  • Anya is upset to learn that Xiche went out with Luoluo and the others. She worries he is becoming closer to Luoluo and decides she must prevent them from spending more time together.
  • At the secluded Westin Restaurant, Xiche notices Anya’s message only after arriving. Zhao Yuan warns everyone to put their phones away.
    Character developments and interactions: Xiche remains wounded by the deception and cannot tell whether he feels more betrayed or heartbroken, but he masks his misery with childish spite toward Jiayan. Zhao Yuan moves from teasing him to offering practical comfort. Anya’s fear of losing her brother’s attention intensifies as she compares his current behavior with his former habit of bringing her gifts. Luoluo’s and Qin Shiyue’s playful exchange also highlights the teasing dynamic among their friends.
    Themes: The chapter contrasts hurt and humor, showing how family and friends respond to emotional setbacks through teasing and consolation. It also emphasizes shifting family bonds, jealousy, and the insecurity that comes when familiar attention moves elsewhere.

Ch. 33Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Summary

  • Shen Anya’s message: Shen Xiche receives a message asking him to come back, but Zhao Yuan deliberately ignores it and continues ordering food. She leaves the choice to him; he stays, though he is surprised he had forgotten Shen Anya, supposedly the sister he was closest to.
  • The brothers’ feud comes to light: Shen Jiayan grows irritated as Shen Xiche takes his time with the menu. Zhao Yuan distracts Jiayan by feeding him a pastry, while Shen Luoluo reads the brothers’ history through the system. Her discoveries reveal a long pattern of Shen Xiche’s pranks and betrayals—from making Jiayan take the blame for childhood mishaps to tricking him out of money and embarrassing him over a childhood crush. The worst revelation is that young Shen Xiche wet the bed and carried infant Jiayan onto it to hide the evidence.
  • Embarrassment and amusement: Zhao Yuan bursts out laughing at the bed-wetting story, while Jiayan is delighted to have new ammunition against his brother. Shen Xiche is mortified, and Luoluo remains unaware of why everyone is reacting.
  • Sun Nan confronts Zhao Yuan: A man named Sun Nan interrupts the meal, taunting Zhao Yuan about her engagement and suggesting Chen Yuchuan has called it off. Luoluo’s thoughts identify him as a rejected former suitor who once spread rumors about Zhao Yuan. She uncovers a more explosive secret: Sun Nan’s wife is allegedly his father’s mistress. Shen Jiayan and Shen Xiche are stunned, but Sun Nan shows no sign of hearing Luoluo’s thoughts.
  • Mind-reading limits: Zhao Yuan recognizes that Sun Nan cannot hear Luoluo’s mental commentary, reinforcing that only people above a certain level of wealth can hear it.

Character Developments and Interactions

  • Zhao Yuan is confident and independent: she chooses whom to invite, does not pressure Shen Xiche to leave, and stays composed when Sun Nan tries to provoke her.
  • Shen Xiche and Shen Jiayan’s hostility is shown to have deep roots in Xiche’s repeated childhood mischief. Jiayan’s annoyance turns to triumph when Luoluo’s revelations expose Xiche’s most embarrassing secret.
  • Shen Luoluo continues gathering and sharing information through her system, unintentionally turning a tense meal into a source of comedy and scandal.
  • Sun Nan’s attempted humiliation of Zhao Yuan backfires in dramatic irony: he is unaware that the group has learned a damaging secret about him.

Significant Themes

The chapter blends family resentment and reconciliation potential, the comic exposure of private secrets, and social status as a condition for access to supernatural knowledge. It also emphasizes Zhao Yuan’s autonomy and the contrast between public accusations and hidden truths.

Ch. 34Page 34

Plot points and events

  • Shen Luoluo realizes that Sun Nan should be wealthy enough for her to hear his thoughts, but she cannot. She wonders whether he is not Sun Hong’s biological son or whether the Sun family is in financial trouble.
  • Luoluo learns through her inner voice that Sun Hong and his young wife are coming to the restaurant, and Zhao Yuan decides to keep Sun Nan there until they arrive.
  • Zhao Yuan needles Sun Nan about her broken engagement. He smugly claims she should have chosen him instead of Chen Yuchuan.
  • When Sun Hong and his wife enter, Luoluo, Shen Jiayan, and Shen Xiche simultaneously throw water at Sun Nan. The splash also catches the couple, prompting Sun Nan to discover them together.
  • Sun Nan publicly accuses his father and wife of having an affair. Their argument draws the attention of the entire restaurant. Sun Nan rejects his father’s attempt to take the discussion home and grabs his wife by the hair, declaring that he will divorce her.

Character developments

  • Zhao Yuan stays composed despite Sun Nan’s taunts and turns his own confidence against him, helping keep him in place.
  • Sun Nan shifts from smugly insulting Zhao Yuan to furious, humiliated outrage when he catches his wife with his father. He reacts impulsively and violently.
  • Shen Luoluo helps expose the affair, though she must restrain herself until the couple arrives. Her thoughts guide the others.
  • Shen Jiayan and Shen Xiche silently follow Luoluo’s lead, joining her in throwing the water.
  • Sun Hong and his wife are exposed in public; the wife initially acts unconcerned, then tries to excuse the affair once Sun Nan confronts them.

Significant themes

  • Betrayal and family boundaries: Sun Nan’s wife and father violate both marital trust and the parent-child relationship.
  • Public humiliation and reputation: Sun Nan insists on confronting the betrayal publicly rather than allowing his father to conceal it at home.
  • Reversal of fortune: Sun Nan’s earlier mockery of Zhao Yuan gives way to his own personal crisis.
  • Mind-reading and coordinated action: Luoluo’s inner thoughts let the group anticipate events and intervene at the right moment.

Character interactions

  • Zhao Yuan provokes Sun Nan while concealing that she knows what is about to happen.
  • Luoluo’s thoughts, though unspoken, influence Jiayan and Xiche to act alongside her.
  • Sun Nan confronts both his wife and Sun Hong, cutting off his father’s explanations and rejecting the wife’s attempt to calm him.
  • The restaurant’s patrons become an unwilling audience, intensifying the family’s humiliation.

Ch. 35Chapter 17

Key plot points and events

  • Sun Nan’s wife reveals she is pregnant, hoping to stop their divorce. Sun Nan strikes her, while his father, Sun Hong, intervenes.
  • The wife urges Sun Hong to tell the truth. Shen Luoluo’s mind-reading-like information system reveals that she had been Sun Hong’s mistress before marrying Sun Nan. Sun Hong arranged the marriage to conceal their affair and give their child a place in the wealthy family.
  • Sun Nan’s mother arrives and demands that Sun Nan release his wife. Sun Hong confesses.
  • Luoluo uncovers a further secret: Sun Nan is not Sun Hong’s biological son. His mother had loved Sun Hong’s younger brother, and the two had an affair while Sun Hong was abroad. Sun Hong never learned the truth.
  • The following day, Zhao Yuan hears that Sun Nan’s mother has moved the family’s assets out of reach, leaving Sun Corporation effectively bankrupt.
  • The chapter ends with Zhao Yuan asking how Anya reacted after the previous night’s events and who Luoluo had bought medicine for; those questions remain unanswered.

Character developments and interactions

  • Sun Nan’s attempt to divorce his wife is complicated by her pregnancy and the revelations about her affair with his father. He is exposed as a pawn in his father’s scheme.
  • Sun Hong’s confession confirms his betrayal of his son and wife; he had arranged his son’s marriage to keep his mistress and unborn child close.
  • Sun Nan’s mother appears composed and authoritative, then is revealed to have long been wary of Sun Hong and to have secretly prepared to protect herself financially.
  • Zhao Yuan, Shen Jiayan, and Shen Xiche witness the escalating revelations. Zhao Yuan moves from shock to grim amusement at the family’s tangled betrayals, while Shen Xiche is initially confused.

Significant themes

  • Betrayal and hypocrisy: affairs cross generations, and no member of the family is entirely innocent.
  • Wealth and manipulation: marriage and family ties are used to conceal secrets and secure status.
  • Consequences: the Sun family’s secrets and schemes culminate in its financial collapse.

Ch. 36Page 36

Key plot points

  • A message leaves Shen Xiche gloomy during the drive. Zhao Huizhen recalls that the night before, he had brushed off Shen Anya when she asked about a promised gift, saying she was bothering him. Anya cried; Zhao Huizhen did not see it.
  • Shen Jiayan jokes that Xiche is upset because of his “ex-girlfriend,” but Zhao Huizhen tells him not to interfere in Xiche’s private affairs.
  • Zhao Yuan tells Zhao Huizhen that Shen Luoluo bought medicine for a family member. Both women are touched that Luoluo seems to be accepting the Shen family, and they guess she bought it for Shen Jingyao.
  • Their guess is correct: Luoluo noticed Jingyao coughing and brought him cold and cough medicine as thanks for his help and a previous kindness.
  • Xiche is visiting Jingyao when Luoluo arrives. Jingyao welcomes her warmly but tells Xiche to leave. Luoluo gives Jingyao the medicine and then goes.
  • Jingyao thanks her affectionately, surprising Xiche, who complains that Jingyao is favoring Luoluo. Xiche searches the medicine bag, hoping to find something for himself, and privately laments that Luoluo cared for Jingyao but not him.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo shows growing affection for the family through a practical, thoughtful gesture. Her care for Jingyao is modestly framed as repayment, though it clearly matters to him.
  • Shen Jingyao reveals a gentler side with Luoluo, contrasting sharply with his usual cold manner toward Xiche.
  • Shen Xiche appears emotionally troubled and jealous of the closeness between Luoluo and Jingyao; his joking protests hide a wish for Luoluo’s attention.
  • Shen Anya is hurt by Xiche’s unusual rejection, while Zhao Huizhen worries about both her children and Luoluo.
  • Zhao Huizhen and Zhao Yuan share a hopeful interpretation of Luoluo’s actions, seeing them as evidence that she is beginning to regard the Shen family as her own.

Significant themes

  • Family acceptance and belonging: Luoluo’s casual use of “family” and her caring gesture suggest she is gradually embracing the Shens.
  • Care expressed through actions: Medicine becomes a quiet sign of gratitude and affection.
  • Jealousy and unequal attention: Xiche resents Jingyao receiving Luoluo’s concern, while Anya suffers from Xiche’s distance.
  • Contrasting sides of people: Jingyao’s warmth toward Luoluo and coldness toward Xiche highlights how relationships bring out different aspects of character.

Ch. 37Page 37

Plot points and events

  • Shen Xiche declines to tell Shen Jingyao what is bothering him, saying he will handle it himself. Shen Jingyao accepts his answer but makes him leave behind the vitamin C tablets he borrowed.
  • At Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, students grow restless during Director Wu’s long speech. Shen Luoluo’s unspoken thoughts reveal gossip that captivates the students: Wu divorced his first wife over his desire for a son, married his mistress, and later discovered that the boy he doted on was actually fathered by the mistress’s lover.
  • Qin Shiyue is disgusted by Wu’s sexist beliefs and decides to ask her father to investigate whether he should remain an educator.
  • Shen Anya sees Shen Luoluo surrounded by classmates and realizes that school life is unfolding very differently from the dream she remembers. She resolves to make events return to what she believes is their proper course.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Xiche shows growing independence by choosing not to rely on Shen Jingyao to solve his problems. Their exchange remains affectionate and familiar, though Shen Jingyao is firm about the borrowed medicine.
  • Shen Luoluo becomes the center of her classmates’ attention as they gather around to follow her revealing thoughts.
  • Qin Shiyue shares the students’ curiosity about the gossip but also displays strong disapproval of Director Wu’s values.
  • Shen Anya feels threatened by Shen Luoluo’s social acceptance and by her own changing relationship with Second Brother. Her frustration turns into determination to intervene.

Significant themes

  • Independence and support: Shen Xiche begins taking responsibility for problems rather than automatically turning to family.
  • Karma and hypocrisy: Director Wu’s betrayal of his first wife is mirrored by his own wife’s deception.
  • Changing expectations and social perception: Shen Luoluo is accepted by classmates despite the rejection Shen Anya expected from her remembered dream.
  • Gender bias: Wu’s preference for a son is condemned as outdated and incompatible with his role as an educator.
  • Control versus reality: Shen Anya’s insistence that events must return to their expected path sets up further conflict.

Ch. 38Page 38

Key plot points and events

  • Shen Luoluo’s Rocket Class listens to her recount gossip about Director Wu. His mistress’s son accidentally revealed that he wanted his “Uncle,” not Director Wu, as his father. A paternity test confirmed the boy wasn’t Wu’s. Wu then tried to return to his ex-wife and ask her to have a son for him, but she slapped him and her current husband drove him off.
  • Qin Shiyue decides even more firmly that her father should fire Director Wu. The class later mocks Wu by thanking him for praising their attentiveness and telling him to give their regards to his son.
  • Shen Ran gives the student speech in place of the class’s top student, apparently because his father is the vice principal. Shen Luoluo privately notices his appearance is enhanced by padding, lifts, and cosmetic work, and that he has athlete’s foot. Her thoughts leave the crowd—and Qin Shiyue—stunned.
  • After the ceremony, Shen Luoluo and Qin Shiyue follow other students to the girls’ dorm, where a boy who had been decorating for a romantic confession has fallen and been injured.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo remains absorbed in gossip and bluntly assesses Shen Ran without realizing her thoughts can be heard by those nearby.
  • Qin Shiyue grows more determined to act against Director Wu, laughs at the effect of Luoluo’s observations, and explains why Shen Ran is unpopular with some students.
  • Director Wu is publicly embarrassed when the Rocket Class alludes to the scandal during his speech.
  • Shen Ran is presented as image-conscious and favored with a high-profile speaking opportunity because of his father’s position.
  • Shen Jiayan, Duan Yixing, and Lu Yanze watch the Rocket Class; Duan and Lu envy its entertaining gossip.

Significant themes

  • Gossip and public reputation: Private scandals become common knowledge, while the class turns gossip into public mockery.
  • Appearance versus reality: Shen Ran’s polished image contrasts with Luoluo’s unflattering observations.
  • Favoritism and social status: Shen Ran’s family connection appears to secure him the speech opportunity.
  • Spectacle and curiosity: Students quickly abandon the ceremony’s aftermath to watch an injured boy and his failed romantic gesture.

Ch. 39Chapter 18

  • Key events: A student named Lu Ren falls near the girls’ dormitory, and the candles around him make it look as though he was injured while arranging a romantic confession. His parents blame a girl named Xiaoya and threaten the school. Shen Luoluo’s mind-reading-like access to the Intelligence System reveals the truth: Lu Ren was trying to steal girls’ underwear, slipped on soapy water, then rearranged the candles to disguise what he had been doing.
  • Character developments: Qin Shiyue is shocked by Lu Ren’s mother’s shameless accusations and feels sympathy for Xiaoya. Lu Ren avoids defending the girl or explaining himself, suggesting he is more concerned with protecting his reputation than with her well-being. Shen Luoluo’s thoughts expose the truth, though she does not directly confront the crowd.
  • Character interactions: Lu Ren’s mother berates Xiaoya and threatens the school, while teachers try to calm her. Students initially watch and speculate, then begin challenging the mother and questioning Lu Ren’s story. Their suspicions start to align with Shen Luoluo’s revelations.
  • Themes: The chapter contrasts public appearances with hidden motives, highlights scapegoating and victim-blaming, and criticizes people who use emotional displays and threats to evade the truth. It also shows how rumors can turn wrongdoing into a romantic story until the facts emerge.

Ch. 40Page 40

Chapter summary

  • The students realize Lu Ren may be lying about arranging the confession decorations. Shen Luoluo’s thoughts reveal that the previous person who confessed can identify the decorations, and—after hearing her reasoning—he steps forward with purchase records and a witness.
  • Lu Ren contradicts himself: first claiming he has purchase records, then saying he paid cash. The other boy lifts the cloth beneath Lu Ren and finds a pair of women’s panties, prompting the crowd to accuse Lu Ren of stealing them.
  • Lu Ren denies it, and his mother rushes to his defense. She claims the underwear could simply have fallen from the girls’ dorm laundry and demands proof that her son took it. The teacher and students are left frustrated by their shameless denials.
  • Shen Luoluo thinks that evidence—and a surprise—is about to arrive. Moments later, Jiang Wen, Lu Ren’s roommate, pushes through the crowd carrying a pillow. He recalls seeing women’s panties fall from Lu Ren’s bag in their dorm, setting up the next revelation.

Character developments and interactions

  • Shen Luoluo continues to guide events through her unspoken thoughts, revealing what others need to know while remaining unaware that they can hear her.
  • The students and witnesses move from uncertainty and anger to hope as they follow her clues and see people come forward.
  • Lu Ren becomes increasingly flustered when challenged, then doubles down on denial once the underwear is found.
  • Lu Ren’s mother aggressively shields him, attacking anyone who accuses him and insisting there is no proof.
  • Qin Shiyue recognizes that Shen’s thoughts have persuaded the witness to act and is furious at Lu Ren and his mother.
  • Jiang Wen’s arrival promises corroborating evidence against Lu Ren.

Significant themes

  • Truth versus denial: Lu Ren and his mother exploit the lack of direct witnesses, even when circumstantial evidence and contradictions point toward guilt.
  • Collective courage and justice: Shen’s insight helps bystanders overcome hesitation and act.
  • Mind-reading and unintended influence: Shen’s private thoughts shape the crowd’s decisions, though she does not realize others hear them.
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