Chapter Summaries

• The engagement banquet collapses: After the Girl in the White Dress slaps Lu Yanxing and runs, he chases after her, leaving Lu Li and the sobbing Song Wei onstage. Chen Yiyi’s parents angrily accuse Lu Li of deceiving them by concealing his son’s existing relationship while arranging a marriage alliance. Lu Li can only apologize as they end the match and withdraw from working with him. The guests leave, and Zhao Huizhen privately concludes that Lu Li’s ambition has cost him his family’s trust and future alliances.
• The Shen siblings’ reaction: Shen Jiayan had diverted Shen Luoluo’s attention because he feared her thoughts might bring up the painful story of Qi Yang’s mother, whose death followed the exposure of nude photos. Qin Shiyue and Chen Jiashu also learn for the first time of the connection between Lu Li and Qi Yang’s mother. Lu Yanshi, hearing the banquet news, is shocked by his brother’s involvement with their stepmother but sees the broken engagement as a chance for Lu Li to learn that his sons should make their own choices.
• Shen Anya makes a move: Shen Anya interprets the family crisis as an opening for Lu Yanshi to gain their father’s favor and eventually inherit Lu Corporation, as she believes happened in her dream. Determined to become powerful and spite the Shen family, she urges Lu Yanshi to change clothes and go to his father’s house.
• A quieter visit begins: Back home, Zhao Huizhen and Aunt Chen pack chicken soup to take to Shen Xiche at his filming location. Shen Jiayan stays behind to avoid being teased by his brother, while Zhao Huizhen asks Shen Luoluo to accompany her.
  Character developments and themes: Lu Li’s schemes leave him isolated and disgraced; Lu Yanshi remains resentful of being treated as a tool, while Shen Anya focuses on ambition and revenge. The chapter emphasizes the consequences of manipulation, the right to choose one’s own relationships, and the contrast between genuine family care and self-serving calculation.

Chapter 38 Summary

• Shen Luoluo visits the Idol Newcomers dormitory with her mother, Zhao Huizhen, to see her brother Shen Xiche and contestant Sui You. The trainees warmly welcome them, enjoy Zhao Huizhen’s chicken soup and mooncakes, and quickly include Luoluo in their games.
• Sui You confides in Luoluo that the next competition will eliminate thirty-five of fifty-six contestants. She is unsure whether her recently healed brother can perform well enough to take her place, and considers waiting until after the round. Luoluo listens, recognizing that Sui You has few people she can trust with her worries.
• Zhao Huizhen tells Shen Xiche that Shen Anya has been expelled from the family. He says he already knew and feels no grief or anger: he believes the decision was right and that Luoluo is his real little sister. He also reflects that his former closeness to Anya feels inexplicable, as though he had acted out of habit rather than genuine affection.
• Back in the cafeteria, Xiche notices that their mentor, Xia Lanyin, seems to be favoring her left foot despite recently injuring her right ankle. Luoluo’s private thought suggests the woman may not be the same Xia Lanyin he saw before, leaving him puzzled.
• An assistant director asks several contestants to film a sponsor advertisement. Luoluo’s mind-reading ability reveals that this is a setup: the assistant director allegedly uses fake ad shoots to get attractive contestants alone with investors, drugging them and sending them to the investors’ beds. The chapter ends as this abuse is being exposed.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen Xiche is strikingly detached about Shen Anya’s expulsion and more certain of his bond with Luoluo. His confusion about his past behavior hints that something may have influenced his earlier actions.
• Sui You shows vulnerability by sharing her fears with Luoluo, who serves as a trusted confidante.
• Zhao Huizhen worries about Xiche’s reaction to the family decision, then is relieved by his acceptance.
• Luoluo moves easily between family and contestants, while her ability to uncover hidden motives becomes crucial in protecting them.

Significant Themes

The chapter contrasts genuine affection and family loyalty with relationships that may have been artificial or manipulated. It also exposes the exploitation and danger behind the entertainment industry’s polished image, particularly the abuse of power and predatory schemes targeting performers.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luoluo learns the full scheme behind the supposed commercial shoot: trainees are to be drugged, filmed in compromising situations, and blackmailed with threats to ruin their careers. The perpetrators plan to trap a group of trainees together in hotel suite 1801 that night.
• Shen Xiche realizes the assistant director’s last-minute shoot arrangement is a setup. Rather than warn his roommates without proof, he decides to turn the trap against its organizers and calls Shen Jingyao.
• On the way home, Shen Luoluo worries that staying away will protect only Shen Xiche, not the other trainees—or future victims. She contacts reporter Zhao Yuan, who believes her account and sends it to an entertainment-news contact.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Xiche shifts from trying to understand the scheme to planning an active response. He is concerned for his teammates and determined to catch the perpetrators in the act.
• Shen Luoluo moves past her initial helplessness and finds a way to seek outside help. Her trust in Zhao Yuan is strengthened when Zhao accepts her story immediately.
• The assistant director calmly presents the shoot as a sponsor’s last-minute request, reinforcing how deliberately the perpetrators have disguised the trap.
• Shen Xiche’s roommate mistakes his distraction for sadness about his family leaving and urges him to get ready, unaware of the danger.
• Shen Luoluo and Shen Xiche both try to protect the trainees, but pursue different avenues: he plans a direct counter-operation, while she seeks media exposure.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power and exploitation: The perpetrators prey on young performers’ ambition and fear of career damage.
• Silence and blackmail: The threat of fabricated claims and public shame is designed to keep victims from seeking help.
• Protecting others: Shen Xiche and Shen Luoluo look beyond their own safety to prevent further victims.
• Trust and action: Zhao Yuan’s willingness to believe Shen Luoluo gives her a practical route to expose the scheme.

• Key events: Shen Xiche and six other trainees arrive expecting to film an advertisement. The assistant director, Zhang, instead forces them to dine with five investors, who openly ogle the young men. Shen Xiche recognizes the danger because he has learned of it through his sister’s thoughts. He pretends to be drunk and is taken away, avoiding the investors’ immediate attention. Later, Zhang and the investors head to a room where the trainees have been left unconscious. They are met by entertainment reporters and cameras, who expose the scene and begin livestreaming the scandal. Shen watches from behind the reporters, keeping out of sight.
• Character developments: Shen Xiche’s anger at the exploitation of the trainees drives him to act carefully rather than lash out. His feigned drunkenness helps him avoid suspicion while the trap is sprung. Zhang’s friendly public manner gives way to his true role as a coercive broker for the investors.
• Interactions: The trainees encourage one another, excited about their first shoot, then grow uneasy when Zhang insists they join the investors for dinner. Zhang threatens their place on the show to force compliance and pressures Shen to serve Mr. Wang. The investors make predatory comments about the trainees, while reporters confront Zhang and the men with questions about the unconscious youths.
• Themes: The chapter exposes exploitation and abuse of power in the entertainment industry, contrasting the trainees’ hopeful ambitions with the danger concealed behind them. It also emphasizes deception, complicity, and accountability: Shen uses a disguise to help reveal the wrongdoing, and public exposure turns the perpetrators’ secrecy against them.

Chapter summary

• News breaks that assistant director Zhang of Idol Newcomers was caught arranging sexual services at the Laswell Hotel. Reports say he drugged seven boys from the Training Camp and offered them to investors; footage identifying those involved spreads online. Past accusations suggest Zhang had been running this operation for years. Shen Luoluo is relieved the scandal has surfaced and hopes he will be imprisoned so he cannot harm anyone else. She also remembers mentor Xia Lanyin as another person who deserves scrutiny.
• At school, Shen finds homemade cookies and an apologetic note on her desk. They are from Jiang Nian, who is too ashamed to approach her directly and watches from a distance. Shen accepts the cookies, which gives Jiang hope that she may be forgiven, though Jiang still believes she must change and make amends before facing Shen again. Qin Shiyue recognizes the gesture and teases Shen about receiving a gift.
• Fang Zhiye arrives with a bruised, bloodied face. Before he can explain what happened, homeroom teacher Lin Xue summons him to her office. Classmates speculate that he fought over Su Yan, whom he has been pursuing.
• Shen uses the Intelligence System to learn the truth: Fang’s best friend promised to help him win Su Yan over, but instead the friend and Su Yan got together. Fang’s injuries appear to stem from this betrayal.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Nian shows remorse through a quiet attempt at reconciliation, but remains unable to face Shen directly.
• Shen Luoluo accepts Jiang’s gift and responds to the exposed abuse with a strong desire for justice.
• Qin Shiyue playfully teases Shen, shares the cookies, and eagerly follows the gossip revealed through Shen’s thoughts.
• Fang Zhiye is left to explain his injuries after his teacher interrupts him; the chapter reveals the painful betrayal behind them.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts accountability and exploitation with remorse and the possibility of forgiveness. It also highlights betrayal in friendship and romance, while the class’s attention to Shen’s unspoken thoughts turns private information into shared gossip.

Chapter 39 Summary

• Fang Zhiye’s fight and misunderstanding: Fang Zhiye steps in when a boy who likes Su Yan picks a fight with Fang’s friend. He wins, but is injured. The class learns that Su Yan and the friend were holding hands while Fang was being treated. They conclude Fang is being betrayed and jokingly call him “green,” a slang reference to being cheated on. Fang doesn’t understand the hints and spends the day puzzled by classmates’ comments about the color green.
• Cafeteria confrontation: At lunch, Shen Anya and Lu Yanshi pass the group’s table. Xiang Lu trips Shen Anya, leaving her covered in food. When Lu Yanshi protests, Xiang Lu’s friends—and other students—defend Xiang Lu, blaming Shen Anya for taking Xiang Lu’s fiancé. Shen Anya avoids escalating the situation and leaves with Lu Yanshi.
• Plans after school: Qin Shiyue suggests visiting the class monitor’s café before his hundred-day maid-outfit event ends. She admits she wants to see both the outfit and the class monitor. Shen Luoluo agrees, and Shen Jiayan sulks when he learns his sister won’t be going home with him.

Character developments and interactions

Fang remains oblivious despite the class’s increasingly obvious teasing. Qin Shiyue and Shen Luoluo share their disapproval of Shen Anya and Lu Yanshi, while Shen Luoluo and Xiang Lu exchange friendly smiles, suggesting a possible alliance. Shen Jiayan’s disappointment shows his attachment to spending time with his sister.

Themes

The chapter uses comic dramatic irony in the “green” jokes, emphasizes social consequences and public judgment around betrayal, and highlights friendship, loyalty, and romantic interest through the characters’ teasing and plans.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Jiayan initially refuses to go to an internet café, but Duan Yixing and Lu Yanze persuade him to try a newly opened, clean gaming café. While gaming, he hears a girl crying faintly in an alley.
• Shen Luoluo, Qin Shiyue, and their classmates visit a café run by Song Qinghe’s sister, Song Yi. Song Yi warmly welcomes them and offers to treat them to dessert.
• A man in a white suit, Gu Yu, publicly confesses to Song Yi. Her boyfriend, Lin Yanchu, arrives and punches him for confessing despite knowing they are together.
• Gu Yu’s reaction suggests his real interest may be Lin Yanchu, not Song Yi. Before anyone can make sense of the situation, another young man takes Song Yi by the hand and leads her outside. Gu Yu and Lin Yanchu follow, leaving the customers baffled.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Jiayan remains reluctant and particular about his surroundings, but accepts his friends’ invitation after they reassure him.
• Song Yi is shown as confident, sociable, and practical; she brushes off the fight and prioritizes her customers.
• Qin Shiyue’s crush on Song Qinghe is teased by her friends, making her unusually self-conscious. She also joins the group’s bewilderment over the café drama.
• The confrontation reveals a confusing dynamic among Song Yi, Lin Yanchu, Gu Yu, and the young man who leads Song Yi away. Their relationships remain unclear.

Significant themes

• Friendship and persuasion: Duan Yixing and Lu Yanze draw Shen Jiayan into an outing he would not choose alone.
• Romantic misunderstandings and ambiguity: The apparent confession and love-rival fight take an unexpected turn, creating comic confusion.
• Social observation: Shen Luoluo and her friends watch the unfolding drama and try to interpret everyone’s motives.

Key events

• After watching three men compete for Song Qinghe’s sister, Shen Luoluo uses the Intelligence System to learn that the newcomer in a white suit, her current boyfriend, and her childhood friend all have feelings for her. Luoluo and Qin Shiyue speculate that the childhood friend may be her eventual partner, while Qi Yang notes she might choose none of them.
• Song Qinghe reveals that his sister has had many boyfriends, prompting the group to press him for stories.
• At home, Luoluo notices that Shen Jiayan is absent. He has gone out with Duan Yixing and friends, skipping dinner and breakfast—behavior his mother says is not unusual.
• Over dinner, Shen Ting’an worries about Shen Xiche’s refusal to join the family company and Jiayan’s lack of direction. He asks Luoluo what she wants to do, but she has no answer yet.

Character developments and interactions

• Luoluo and Qin Shiyue share playful speculation about Song Qinghe’s sister’s love life; Chen Jiashu is baffled by their reasoning, and Qi Yang offers a more cautious view.
• Luoluo is still uncertain about her own future. She once planned simply to save money and leave, but now she is beginning to accept her family and feels she should find a purpose of her own.
• Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen reassure Luoluo that she need not decide quickly and that they will support her. Zhao also defends Shen Xiche’s choice not to join the company, preferring family harmony to pressure over inheritance or work.

Significant themes

• Romantic uncertainty: Attraction, timing, and unresolved feelings complicate the apparent love triangle around Song Qinghe’s sister.
• Family support and autonomy: Luoluo’s parents offer unconditional security while allowing her to choose her own path.
• Expectations versus personal choice: The family’s different approaches to work and responsibility reflect a preference for individual freedom over forcing every child into the business.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Jiayan is accused of seriously injuring Liang Qin, a high-achieving student: Liang’s parents say his eye is swollen and his hand is broken, and demand Jiayan be expelled.
• At the teachers’ office, Jiayan refuses to explain the fight, insisting the adults should ask Liang what happened. Liang claims he does not know why Jiayan attacked him and suggests jealousy over his grades.
• Jiayan tries to lash out at Liang again, but Teacher Song stops him. The crowd begins judging Jiayan based on his reputation and past fights.
• His friends Duan Yixing and Lu Yanze defend him, recalling that a previous fight was to protect them from students demanding protection money. However, they cannot explain what happened this time.
• Teacher Song threatens to call Jiayan’s parents. Jiayan agrees, then sees his sister, Shen Luoluo, at the doorway. Hoping she will trust him, he watches her leave without speaking.
• Meanwhile, news spreads to Class One. Students speculate about the fight, and Xu Chuangchuang—who knew Jiayan and Liang in an earlier class—begins to respond to their questions.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Jiayan remains defiant and silent despite the risk of punishment. Beneath his stubbornness, he is deeply anxious that Luoluo will think he is violent or unjust.
• Shen Luoluo arrives after hearing the news but leaves without confronting or comforting her brother, leaving Jiayan uncertain about her support.
• Teacher Song tries to give Jiayan a fair hearing and restrain him, while Teacher Zhang and Liang’s parents focus on the injury and press for punishment.
• Liang Qin offers no explanation for the conflict and presents himself as the victim. His parents aggressively defend him and accuse Jiayan of being a bad student.
• Duan Yixing and Lu Yanze stand by Jiayan, though their lack of firsthand knowledge limits their defense. Other students repeat rumors and judge him without knowing the facts.

Significant themes

• Judgment before truth: Adults and students assume Jiayan is guilty based on his reputation and grades before discovering what happened.
• Loyalty and trust: Jiayan’s friends defend him, but he is most concerned with whether his sister believes him.
• Reputation and appearances: Liang’s academic success is used to portray him as innocent, while Jiayan’s poor academic standing makes others suspect him.
• Silence and communication: Jiayan’s refusal to explain may hinder his defense, even as he insists the truth should come from Liang.

• Plot: Liang Qin accuses Shen Jiayan of attacking him without cause, and the dispute escalates to the teachers’ office, where both students’ parents and school administrators gather. Shen Jiayan stays silent because he promised Xu Chuangchuang he would protect her privacy. Xu hesitates to reveal what happened, fearing gossip and blame, but Shen Jiayan’s sister, Shen Luoluo, finds her and offers calm reassurance. Encouraged, Xu accompanies her to the office and explains that Liang pulled down her skirt and pants and was about to assault her. Shen Jiayan hit him to stop him. Xu also produces her phone, saying Liang had asked her to meet him at a café and that he is now twisting the story.
• Character development: Xu moves from fear and self-doubt to speaking up, despite worrying about how others will judge her. Shen Luoluo shows empathy and support rather than blame. Shen Jiayan, anxious that his sister might be disappointed in him, is relieved when she returns with Xu and realizes she is helping him. Liang’s confident victim act collapses once Xu speaks.
• Interactions: Shen Luoluo gently comforts Xu and offers to stand by her. Xu publicly defends Shen Jiayan and explains his silence. A teacher supports Xu as she struggles to recount the incident, while the assembled students and staff turn against Liang’s account.
• Themes: The chapter highlights consent and accountability, the harm caused by victim-blaming and rumors, and the courage required to report abuse. It also emphasizes loyalty, compassion, and the importance of supporting survivors.

• The truth is exposed: Teacher Song confronts Liang Qin with evidence that he was responsible for injuring the girl. Her parents reject the apologies and pleas of Liang Qin’s family, call the police, and have him taken to the Public Security Bureau. Shen Luoluo, who helped the girl, has already returned to class and learns the outcome later through classmates and the school forum.
• Classmates discuss the incident: Chen Jiashu says Liang Qin deserved the beating and boasts that he and Qi Yang only fight when provoked. Luoluo agrees Liang Qin was at fault but cautions that violence is not a good solution. Their teasing conversation continues while Qi Yang sleeps, as usual.
• Shen Jiayan reunites with his family: After the family finishes handling Jiayan’s situation at school, Shen Ting’an and Zhao Huizhen come to take him and Luoluo home. Jiayan had kept quiet about his role in the morning’s events to protect the girl’s privacy, but his parents criticized him for letting the school misunderstand him and potentially affecting his sister.
• Siblings make up: Luoluo gently scolds Jiayan, reminding him that he once promised to tell her when something happened. He fears she thinks of him as less than a real brother and earnestly promises to confide in her. Luoluo forgives him, and their playful exchange ends with laughter as she teases him for being like a puppy—and Jiayan insists he would be a German Shepherd, not a Husky.
  Character development and interactions: Jiayan’s protective instinct is clear, but he begins to understand that keeping silent can worry his family and create consequences beyond himself. Luoluo balances affection with honest correction, then reassures him and restores their closeness. The classmates show their usual banter, while Qi Yang remains withdrawn and asleep.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts protecting someone’s privacy with being accountable to family and community, and questions whether violence can ever be justified. Its warmer thread celebrates sibling trust, affection, and the humor that helps repair hurt feelings.

• Key events: Shen Luoluo and Shen Jiayan leave school together, laughing, while Shen Anya watches and seethes at the sight of Jiayan acting warmly toward Luoluo. At the gate, Zhao Huizhen encounters several mothers boasting about their children. Luoluo’s thoughts expose the women’s hidden family secrets: one mother’s son is actually her husband’s biological half-brother, and another had six children to compete with her husband’s mistress. The shocked women flee before Luoluo can reveal the others’ secrets. Zhao Huizhen then takes the children home for dinner.
• Character developments: Shen Anya’s resentment deepens as she realizes Jiayan shows Luoluo affection he has never shown her. Jiayan, meanwhile, wants Zhao Huizhen to recognize that he has done good things as well as caused trouble. Zhao Huizhen is proud of him but teases him by postponing her praise until after dinner. Luoluo remains cheerfully curious and unaware that her unfiltered thoughts have scattered the crowd.
• Character interactions: Zhao Huizhen handles the mothers’ boasting while Luoluo’s thoughts unintentionally expose their secrets. The group’s reaction shifts from curiosity to embarrassment and panic, and the women make excuses to leave. At homeward departure, Zhao Huizhen and Jiayan trade affectionate, mildly teasing remarks.
• Themes: The scene plays on the contrast between public appearances and concealed family truths, with gossip turning social boasting into humiliation. It also highlights the comic consequences of Luoluo’s mind-revealing thoughts, alongside jealousy, family affection, and the desire for recognition.

Plot points and events

• Shen Ting’an receives a tearful call from his youngest sister, Shen Tingwan: her five-year-old daughter, Tongtong, has disappeared, and the supposed kidnapper demands 80 million in cash within a day, forbidding them to contact the police.
• Shen Ting’an agrees to come help. In the car, Shen Luoluo checks her Intelligence System and discovers that the kidnapper is Tongtong’s own father, Jiang Mingxuan.
• At Tingwan’s home, the family is panicked and preparing ransom money. Tingwan blames herself for losing sight of Tongtong at a crowded amusement park. Jiang’s sister argues they should call the police, but Jiang silences her, and Tingwan angrily rejects the suggestion.
• Shen Ting’an arrives with his family and asks Tingwan to speak with him privately, saying he needs to confirm something before arranging the money. Jiang tries to prevent them from leaving the room, making his anxiety conspicuous. Tingwan trusts her brother and agrees to talk alone.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Ting’an remains calm on the phone and takes charge, but his anger at Jiang grows as he realizes his brother-in-law may be responsible.
• Shen Luoluo initially finds the real-life kidnapping exciting, then is shocked by the culprit’s identity. Her thoughts reveal Jiang’s financial dependence on Tingwan and his fear of being exposed.
• Shen Tingwan is distraught and consumed by guilt, focused only on getting her daughter back. She trusts her brother, though her distress makes her overlook Jiang’s suspicious behavior.
• Jiang Mingxuan appears to play the role of a worried father but reacts defensively when Shen Ting’an seeks privacy. Luoluo’s thoughts and the family’s observations point to his guilt and financial desperation.
• Jiang’s sister urges calling the police, but Jiang and Tingwan both shut her down. The Shen family listens closely to Luoluo’s revealing inner thoughts and becomes more certain that Jiang is hiding something.

Significant themes

• Parental fear and guilt can make people vulnerable to manipulation.
• Family loyalty and trust—especially Tingwan’s faith in her brother—contrast with betrayal within her marriage.
• Luoluo’s mind-reading-like thoughts expose the gap between Jiang’s public performance and his real motives.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Ting’an asks Shen Tingwan about her husband, Jiang Mingxuan, and learns he has repeatedly traveled to City A. Shen Ting’an suspects gambling may be involved.
• An investigation confirms Jiang owes exactly 80 million at a casino—the same amount demanded as ransom for his supposedly kidnapped daughter. Shen Tingwan realizes the kidnapping may be staged to cover his debt.
• Shen Ting’an and Shen Tingwan call the police and plan to catch the kidnappers in the act.
• While the family waits, Shen Luoluo uses her Intelligence System to uncover a secret: the girl in the household is not the man everyone assumes to be her stepfather’s stepdaughter—he is actually her biological father, and she and her brother have different fathers.
• Jiang receives another call and theatrically protests that the ransom has risen from 80 to 90 million. Shen Luoluo learns through the system that Jiang’s lover discovered his scheme and pressured his accomplice to demand an extra 10 million, threatening to expose him.
• Shen Tingwan is enraged but wants to confront Jiang immediately. Shen Ting’an restrains her, urging her to stay calm so they do not alert him.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Ting’an stays composed and analytical, using the casino debt to connect Jiang to the kidnapping and then urging Shen Tingwan to preserve the police plan.
• Shen Tingwan shifts from anxious concern about meeting the ransom deadline to shock and fury as she learns her husband may have arranged their daughter’s kidnapping and has a lover.
• Jiang Mingxuan maintains the appearance of a distressed father, but his staged call reveals the ransom scheme—and his act becomes more complicated when his lover intervenes.
• Shen Luoluo quietly observes the family and uses her system both to uncover family secrets and expose the latest twist in Jiang’s plan.
• The family’s casual exchanges over drinks contrast with the serious crisis, while the revelation about the girl’s parentage exposes hidden tensions within the household.

Significant themes

• Deception and betrayal: Jiang’s apparent concern masks a plot against his own family, while the household also conceals a complicated paternity secret.
• Truth revealed through observation: Shen Luoluo’s system uncovers what the adults cannot see, while Shen Ting’an relies on investigation and inference.
• Self-control under pressure: Shen Tingwan must hold back her anger so the police can catch Jiang and the kidnappers.

Key plot points

• Jiang Mingxuan agrees to raise the 90 million ransom and asks how the exchange will be arranged.
• Police captain Xie Siheng learns that a woman has reported her husband for kidnapping their daughter. Since the husband is still at home and the mother asks police not to alert him, officers quietly prepare for the case.
• The police catch a kidnapper’s accomplice while he goes to collect the ransom, then arrest the other kidnappers. They confess that the girl’s father, Jiang Mingxuan, planned the abduction. Police arrest him outside his home, and the girl is safely reunited with her mother, Shen Tingwan.
• Jiang realizes Shen had uncovered his scheme and that events had unfolded according to her plan. He apologizes, but she rejects his remorse and leaves with their daughter.
• Reporter Zhao Yuan attends the arrest scene because the girl’s mother is her relative. She and Xie reconnect, and he lightly reminds her that she had promised to interview him.

Character developments

• Shen Tingwan is shown to be perceptive and composed: she discovers her husband’s plot, contacts police discreetly, and prioritizes protecting her daughter. Her anger makes clear that Jiang’s betrayal has destroyed her trust.
• Jiang Mingxuan is exposed as the kidnapping’s mastermind, driven by gambling and an affair. His remorse comes only after he sees the consequences, and too late to repair his family.
• Xie Siheng handles the case calmly and professionally, while his teasing exchange with Zhao hints at personal interest.
• Zhao Yuan remains busy with her reporting work but is embarrassed to realize she forgot her promised interview.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and accountability: Jiang’s abuse of his family’s trust cannot be undone by a late apology.
• Protective parental love: Shen’s actions safeguard Tongtong, while the child’s instinctive affection for her father contrasts with his wrongdoing.
• Justice and consequences: Careful police preparation leads to the kidnappers’ arrest and the girl’s safe return.

Character interactions

• Shen confronts Jiang over using their daughter for money; Jiang apologizes to both her and Tongtong, but Shen walks away.
• Jiang’s mother condemns and slaps him, while Tongtong cries and asks her grandmother not to hit her father, revealing the child’s innocence.
• Xie exchanges friendly, teasing remarks with Zhao, renewing their acquaintance and bringing up her postponed interview.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luoluo uses her Intelligence System to check whether Xie Siheng is a suitable match for Zhao Yuan. She finds his family respectable and learns that he has no romantic entanglements.
• Xie Siheng can hear Luoluo’s thoughts, though Zhao Yuan assumes he cannot. He hints that she seems free; Zhao Yuan agrees, and Luoluo joins her, Xie Siheng, and the others on a trip to the police station to give statements.
• At the station, Luoluo witnesses a family dispute: a boy has reported his father for being a host, while his father accuses him of neglecting school and keeping bad company. The boy’s estranged mother arrives to take him, his father objects, and the mother’s fiancé joins the argument.
• Meanwhile, news of the assistant director’s arrest forces Idol Newcomers to postpone its premiere and the contestants’ elimination performance. The contestants continue practicing, relieved that the assistant director can no longer target them.
• During a break, Shen Xiche notices Liang Qi leaning on Sui Huai and quickly moves Liang Qi to his own shoulder. Sui Huai notices Xiche’s unusual protectiveness and suspects he may know their secret, so they suggest the three go to the restroom.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Yuan becomes increasingly flustered as Luoluo investigates Xie Siheng’s suitability, but she insists to herself that they are only former classmates. Xie, by contrast, appears amused and is evidently interested in Zhao Yuan.
• Xie Siheng calmly realizes that Luoluo’s thoughts are reaching him and listens without revealing it.
• Luoluo remains curious and observant, finding unexpected drama in the police station.
• Shen Xiche’s protectiveness toward Sui Huai emerges in his effort to keep Liang Qi from leaning on them. Sui Huai, who is concealing a sister’s disguise, wonders whether Xiche has figured out the truth.
• The contestants discuss the assistant director’s arrest with a mix of fear, relief, and survivor’s guilt; one acknowledges how narrowly he escaped harm.

Significant themes

• Hidden thoughts and secrets: Xie can hear Luoluo’s private assessment, while Sui Huai wonders whether Xiche has discovered a concealed identity.
• Protection and vulnerability: The contestants’ relief at the assistant director’s arrest contrasts with their awareness of how vulnerable they had been.
• Family conflict and responsibility: The boy’s dispute with his parents raises questions about parental care, neglect, and who has the right to look after him.
• Romantic matchmaking: Luoluo’s matchmaking efforts embarrass Zhao Yuan, while Xie’s quiet interest suggests their relationship may develop.

• Shen Xiche’s suspicion of Sui Huai briefly gives way to camaraderie: after Sui Huai invites him and his roommates to the bathroom, they return joking and friendly.
• At rehearsal, Shen Xiche notices that songwriting mentor Xia Lanyin dodges a trainee’s simple question about music theory. He suspects her reputation as a songwriter may be false. The trainees also learn that the show will air that night, raising the stakes of the competition.
• Xia privately tells her manager she cannot answer the trainees’ many music questions. He reveals that her popularity depends on appearing on variety shows—and that the hit songs credited to her were not actually hers. Though frustrated, she accepts that she cannot keep avoiding public exposure. She asks about “that woman,” and the manager says they are pressuring her.
• A boy overhears the call and confronts Xia, promising not to expose her but proposing a deal, leaving their next move unresolved.
• After leaving the police station, Zhao Yuan reflects on a child’s attempt to reunite his parents, whose conflict with the mother’s unsuspecting fiancé nearly turns physical. Zhao Huizhen empathizes with the child, recalling Luoluo’s vulnerable arrival and feeling grateful that her daughter is now safe and thriving. She suggests taking Luoluo shopping for winter clothes; Zhao Yuan enthusiastically agrees and proposes eating at a new music restaurant afterward.
  Character developments and interactions: Shen Xiche grows more observant and skeptical of Xia, while his easy rapport with Sui Huai is revealed. Xia’s insecurity and dependence on her manager become clear; she is trapped between a fabricated public image and the demands of fame. Zhao Huizhen’s maternal concern deepens through her memories of Luoluo, and the family’s planned outing offers a warm contrast to the unhappy family at the police station.
  Themes: The chapter explores deception and manufactured celebrity, the pressure to remain visible, children’s vulnerability amid adult conflict, and the comfort of family affection.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Yuan takes Shen Luoluo and Zhao Huizhen shopping. After two hours of shopping—and filling Zhao Yuan’s Porsche with purchases—they head to a newly opened music restaurant.
• At the restaurant, two of Zhao Yuan’s coworkers, Miss Qiu in white and her friend in pink, make snide remarks about Zhao Yuan dining with family instead of a boyfriend. Zhao Yuan responds sharply, mocking their dependence on men and their assumption that she can’t afford a nice meal.
• Shen Luoluo’s Intelligence System reveals that both women believe they have found devoted boyfriends, but the men are actually in love with each other and are using the women as part of their cover. The men are expected to arrive soon, and Zhao Yuan is amused by the prospect of witnessing the situation.
• The women sit nearby. Zhao Yuan explains that they work at her TV station and that Miss Qiu resented her after Zhao Yuan’s report on “wife pawning” went viral.
• Shen Luoluo asks what wife pawning means. Zhao Yuan explains the impoverished, sexist custom in which men lent or rented their wives to other men to bear children. She says it still occurs in remote villages and recalls that the village she reported on enraged her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Yuan shows confidence and a cutting sense of humor, standing up to coworkers who have long resented her. She also reveals her journalistic integrity: she took on a difficult assignment others avoided, and her report succeeded.
• Shen Luoluo is amused by Zhao Yuan’s verbal sparring and curious about the custom behind Zhao Yuan’s famous report. Her Intelligence System gives her—and Zhao Yuan—advance knowledge of the two women’s romantic deception.
• Zhao Huizhen praises Zhao Yuan’s sharpness and asks about the women, prompting Zhao Yuan to explain their workplace history.
• The two coworkers try to belittle Zhao Yuan, but Miss Qiu’s anger is checked by her friend, who wants to avoid a confrontation before their boyfriends arrive.

Significant themes

• Sexism and exploitation: Wife pawning is presented as a cruel practice rooted in poverty and son preference, with women treated as means to bear children.
• Deception in relationships: The coworkers’ apparent romances conceal the men’s relationship with each other, setting up an ironic reveal.
• Workplace resentment and success: Zhao Yuan’s achievement brings jealousy from a colleague who had rejected the assignment herself.
• Confidence and self-respect: Zhao Yuan refuses to accept condescending judgments about her independence, money, or relationship status.

• Zhao Yuan recounts a reporting success: She tells Shen Luoluo and Zhao Huizhen how a news report exposed a village custom in which a wife was made to bear children for her husband’s brothers. Public and government attention helped protect a younger woman from the same fate, and the village has begun abandoning the practice. The story prompts Zhao Huizhen to reflect on women’s improving social standing.
• The group exposes two cheating boyfriends: At a restaurant, Shen Luoluo anticipates a confrontation involving two women and their boyfriends. Zhao Yuan secretly films the men flirting and feeding each other cake while the women are away, then sends the footage to one of them. The women return, catch the men holding hands, and confront them; the video makes their relationship unmistakable. The trio leave before the argument develops further, pleased with the outcome.
• Shen Anya is spotted: On the way to the parking garage, Zhao Yuan reminds everyone to support Xi Che’s upcoming show. Zhao Huizhen then notices Shen Anya standing with an unfamiliar man. She recognizes him as Shen Anya’s biological brother and reacts with cold satisfaction after a long search.
  Character developments and interactions: Zhao Yuan’s investigative instincts and confidence are highlighted, as she uses evidence to expose wrongdoing both through journalism and in the restaurant. Shen Luoluo admires her decisiveness and watches the confrontation with amused anticipation. Zhao Huizhen’s brief reflection on women’s status gives way to renewed hostility and interest when she spots Shen Anya.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts progress against entrenched social customs, showing how public exposure can help challenge abuse. It also explores betrayal and accountability: the women confront their partners with direct evidence, while the final sighting sets up a new family conflict.

Chapter Summary

• Shen Anya is confronted by Qian Yong, the older “brother” from the family she once lived with. He claims that their parents moved to Jing City to be near her and asks her for money to buy a house. Shen Anya is furious and disgusted, realizing he is exploiting her connection to the Lu Family.
• Worried that Lu Yanshi or his father might see Qian Yong and misunderstand her background, Shen Anya refuses to ask Lu Yanshi for help. She argues that the money belongs to the Lu Family and that requesting a million yuan would make her appear interested in Lu Yanshi only for his wealth.
• Qian Yong backs down from his initial demand but pressures Shen Anya into giving him 200,000 yuan to rent a place for their parents. After receiving the money, he leaves happily. Unknown to him, another car follows him, suggesting that someone is investigating his movements.
• Zhao Huizhen reports the encounter to Shen Jingyao, who tells her not to interfere further. He intends to locate Shen Anya’s parents himself without alerting them. This highlights his calm, capable, and strategic nature, as well as Zhao Huizhen’s trust in him.
• At home, Shen Jiayan sulks because Zhao Huizhen, Shen Luoluo, and the others went out to eat without him. Zhao Huizhen and Shen Luoluo appease him with new clothes and shoes. Although he initially pretends not to like the gifts, he quickly becomes enthusiastic, especially when he realizes he and Shen Luoluo can wear matching hoodies.
• The family gathers to watch the premiere of Idol Newcomers in support of Shen Xiche. Shen Luoluo uses her Intelligence System to investigate the contestants’ backgrounds, while Shen Jiayan dismisses the idols as unremarkable. When Shen Xiche performs, however, his dancing reveals a surprisingly serious and impressive side that contrasts with his usual frivolous personality.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen Anya becomes increasingly frustrated with Qian Yong’s exploitation but remains cautious about protecting her relationship and reputation with the Lu Family.
• Qian Yong is shown to be manipulative, greedy, and unconcerned with Shen Anya’s well-being. He deliberately uses the threat of embarrassment to pressure her into giving him money.
• Shen Jingyao emerges as observant and dependable, taking control of the investigation into Shen Anya’s former family.
• Zhao Huizhen and Shen Luoluo share a warm, playful relationship with Shen Jiayan and know exactly how to calm his anger.
• Shen Jiayan shifts quickly from resentment to excitement, revealing his childish and easily pleased nature.
• Shen Xiche’s performance challenges the family’s assumptions about him, revealing hidden discipline and talent.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and family obligation: Shen Anya is pressured to support people who claim familial ties but treat her primarily as a source of money.
• Reputation and social status: She fears that Qian Yong’s presence will damage her standing with Lu Yanshi and his father.
• Family affection and reconciliation: Small gifts and shared activities restore harmony within the household.
• Hidden sides of people: Qian Yong’s selfishness and Shen Xiche’s unexpected talent demonstrate that appearances can conceal important truths.
• Trust and competence: Zhao Huizhen’s confidence in Shen Jingyao emphasizes his role as a reliable problem-solver within the family.