Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Drunk at his manor, Ding Ruilong receives photos from Meng Junhao showing Wu Chen dining with He Shiqin and her daughter, He Xinxin.
• The photos reveal an affectionate dinner: Wu Chen and He Shiqin appear close, and He Shiqin kisses him when her daughter leaves the private room. Ding Ruilong flies into a rage, smashing laptops and a phone and firing a gun into the wreckage.
• Meng Junhao explains that Wu Chen noticed the surveillance. His men stopped following the taxi He Shiqin took, and the driver and car have been removed. Ding orders him to find where He Shiqin and her daughter live.
• Still furious, Ding turns to captives he had seized while searching for Jiang Chuan. He beats one man and shoots all three when they cannot tell him Jiang Chuan’s whereabouts.
• On the way upstairs, Ding stumbles and injures his already bandaged right hand by punching a wall. A doctor treats him. Once calm, Ding calls Meng Junhao and orders him to kill Wu Chen in East Sea that night or the next day, promising to handle the consequences and pay 200 million.

Character developments and interactions

• Ding Ruilong shifts from drunken irritation to jealous fury, then to cold, purposeful violence. His fixation on He Shiqin’s kiss drives him to destroy property, threaten murder, and kill the captives. Even after calming, he turns his rage into a direct assassination order.
• Meng Junhao remains deferential and obeys Ding’s demands, though he is startled by Ding’s anger. He conceals the full circumstances of the surveillance failure, using Wu Chen’s prepared explanation.
• Wu Chen does not appear directly, but his awareness of the surveillance and apparent closeness with He Shiqin make him Ding’s target.
• The bodyguards comply with Ding’s volatile orders, provide guns, and intervene only to prevent him from being hurt by the falling cabinet. Their fear keeps them from challenging him.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and possessiveness: The kiss turns Ding’s interest in He Shiqin into a violent obsession.
• Power and impunity: Ding treats violence, intimidation, and murder as tools, confident that he can manage the consequences.
• Escalating rage: Alcohol and humiliation intensify Ding’s loss of control, while his injuries underscore the physical cost of his outbursts.
• Fear and obedience: The bodyguards and Meng Junhao follow orders despite the danger, illustrating the coercive atmosphere around Ding.

Plot points and events

• Ding Ruilong, enraged by photos of Wu Chen, asks Meng Junhao to arrange Wu’s murder. He offers 200 million yuan, then raises the reward to 300 million if Wu is captured alive.
• Meng Junhao is tempted by the money and Ding’s promises of business support, but knows an attack would make him a prime suspect in Li Ruotai’s territory. He also suspects Wu Chen would learn of his preparations.
• Ding proposes that Meng go abroad before his men act and promises to protect Meng’s assets and help him return if Li Ruotai discovers the plot.
• Seeing no safe way to refuse without arousing suspicion, Meng pretends to accept. He agrees to do everything he can and consider the plan settled, while privately thinking of asking for help—and, if necessary, fleeing the country.

Character developments

• Ding Ruilong is shown acting recklessly under the influence of rage, yet remains persuasive and strategic enough to offer enormous rewards. His fixation on Wu Chen pushes him to take risks and pressure a valuable associate.
• Meng Junhao weighs ambition against survival. Though attracted to Ding’s offer, he trusts Wu Chen more and views Ding as unreliable; his apparent agreement is a desperate act of self-preservation rather than loyalty.
• Wu Chen remains absent, but his reputation and uncanny awareness shape Meng’s decisions. His past leverage over Meng has not been used coercively, earning him Meng’s respect.

Significant themes

• Power versus trust: Ding has family influence and wealth, but Meng sees him as less dependable than Wu Chen or Li Ruotai.
• Survival under coercion: Meng is trapped between powerful men and must conceal his true intentions to stay alive.
• Temptation and risk: A vast financial reward offers a path to greater success, but the danger of accepting it may be fatal.
• Appearances and deception: Meng performs enthusiasm on the call while privately preparing alternatives.

Character interactions

• Ding pressures Meng with escalating rewards and promises, while Meng answers hesitantly and invokes his fear of Li Ruotai.
• Meng internally compares Ding’s treatment of allies—especially the disappearance of Jiang Chuan—with Wu Chen’s restraint and Li Ruotai’s loyalty.
• The call ends with Ding arranging to send people to East Sea and Meng outwardly promising cooperation, leaving their actual alliance uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Enraged after his earlier call, Ding Ruilong recruits backup from his third uncle, offering help securing shares in South Cliff Pharmaceuticals in exchange for trained men.
• At Wu Chen’s villa, Su Qingying asks when he will leave the next day. An unknown number calls: Meng Junhao warns Wu Chen that Ding Ruilong has paid him to arrange an attack.
• Meng Junhao explains that he accepted the assignment outwardly so Ding Ruilong would not become suspicious, but insists he has no intention of harming Wu Chen. He considers fleeing abroad.
• Wu Chen tells him not to run and proposes a startling plan: Meng Junhao should genuinely send men to attack him, allowing the attempt to look convincing to Ding Ruilong’s observers.
• Meng Junhao objects that Ding Ruilong’s people will be watching and may include highly capable operatives, making a staged attack dangerous. Wu Chen clarifies that the attack should not be staged: Meng Junhao’s men should believe they are truly trying to kill him.
• Meng Junhao is alarmed by the danger Wu Chen is willing to accept, and the chapter ends with him struggling to comprehend the plan.

Character developments

• Wu Chen remains composed under an immediate threat and turns the danger into a calculated scheme. He accepts the greatest personal risk to protect Meng Junhao from exposure.
• Meng Junhao demonstrates growing loyalty: he tells Wu Chen everything, worries sincerely about his safety, and even offers to flee rather than betray him. Wu Chen’s trust and willingness to shoulder the risk deepen Meng Junhao’s respect for him.
• Su Qingying glimpses the lethal dangers surrounding Wu Chen. Though frightened and eager to ask questions, she holds back while he handles the call.
• Ding Ruilong escalates from hiring Meng Junhao to arranging additional manpower through his uncle, showing his determination to eliminate Wu Chen.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Meng Junhao risks Ding Ruilong’s suspicion by informing Wu Chen, while Wu Chen’s reassurance and sacrifice strengthen their bond.
• Deception and performance: Wu Chen plans to make a real attack serve as a convincing appearance of betrayal.
• Risk and control: Wu Chen tries to manage a dangerous situation by accepting its physical risks himself, even though the outcome is uncertain.
• Hidden danger: Su Qingying’s reaction highlights how little she knows about the threats tied to Wu Chen’s other relationships and affairs.

Character interactions

• Ding Ruilong bargains with his third uncle for armed support.
• Meng Junhao confesses Ding Ruilong’s offer and his own dilemma to Wu Chen, who reassures him and directs him to proceed with the attack.
• Su Qingying listens beside Wu Chen, hears the threat, and clings to him in alarm, but does not interrupt the call.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Junhao, whom Ding Ruilong believes is his man in East Sea, is actually Wu Chen’s operative. Ding has ordered Meng to arrange Wu Chen’s assassination.
• Wu Chen tells Meng to go ahead with the attempt—but to follow a plan Wu Chen will prepare and keep the truth from everyone except himself. The apparent danger is deliberate: a successful operation could win Meng Ding’s deep trust, placing Wu Chen’s agent inside Ding’s inner circle.
• Wu Chen expects to exploit that access to gather intelligence, influence Ding’s decisions, and advance his broader plans against the Ding family. He privately knows he can use his Reset ability if anything goes wrong.
• Su Qingying overhears enough of Wu Chen’s call to realize he is knowingly putting himself at risk. Unable to persuade him to stop, she goes to tell Li Ruobing, hoping she can intervene. Wu Chen agrees, since he had planned to inform Li Ruobing and Li Ruotai himself.

Character developments

• Wu Chen shows his strategic patience and willingness to take calculated risks for a major advantage. He conceals how safe he believes himself to be, because others cannot know about Reset.
• Meng Junhao is nervous but increasingly loyal and trusting of Wu Chen. He accepts Wu Chen’s plan and is positioned to become a valuable insider in Ding Ruilong’s circle.
• Su Qingying reveals how deeply she cares for Wu Chen. Though usually less forceful than Li Ruobing, she confronts him and seeks help rather than quietly accepting the danger.
• Li Ruobing is presented as the person Su Qingying believes has the strength and standing to challenge Wu Chen when she cannot.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen reassures Meng Junhao, assigns him a controlled role, and insists they discuss the details in person after a delay.
• Su Qingying questions Wu Chen about the assassination plot, remains unconvinced by his assurances, and threatens to tell Li Ruobing.
• Li Ruobing recognizes Su Qingying’s distress and listens as she explains the plan, while Su Qingying’s concern becomes visibly emotional.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Wu Chen’s strategy depends on turning Meng Junhao’s apparent betrayal into genuine loyalty and access.
• Risk and hidden knowledge: What looks life-threatening to others seems manageable to Wu Chen because of information and abilities they do not share.
• Love expressed through worry: Su Qingying’s fear shows the emotional cost of Wu Chen’s secrecy and dangerous schemes.
• Power within relationships: Su Qingying looks to Li Ruobing’s more assertive nature to oppose Wu Chen, highlighting their different roles in his life.

Plot points

• Wu Chen explains to Li Ruobing and Su Qingying that he arranged for Meng Junhao to send photos to Ding Ruilong, provoking Ding into hiring Meng to target him. Wu Chen intends to use the scheme to gain Ding’s trust and hasten the Ding Family’s downfall.
• Li Ruobing worries that Wu Chen is putting his life at risk. At his signal, she pretends to insist that she and Li Ruotai be included in the plan, helping reassure Su Qingying.
• Su Qingying’s fear eases when she sees Li Ruobing’s confidence and learns that Li Ruotai will be involved. Wu Chen also makes clear that he wants Su Qingying to stay out of the conflict and concentrate on Jinfu Group.
• Ding Ruilong calls Li Ruobing, intending to expose Wu Chen’s affair with He Shiqin. Forewarned, Li Ruobing refuses to let him speak, angrily insults him, and repeatedly hangs up. After apparently smashing his phone, Ding calls again from a borrowed number.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains calm and confident, using a small gesture to cue Li Ruobing to support his explanation. He values her intuition and sees her as deeply loyal, while trying to protect Su Qingying from involvement.
• Li Ruobing masks her real anger to comfort Su Qingying, but her concern for Wu Chen is genuine. Once Ding calls, she channels her frustration into deliberately shutting him down.
• Su Qingying is shaken by the danger Wu Chen faces, then reassured by Li Ruobing’s support and Li Ruotai’s expected involvement. Her affectionate, vulnerable response contrasts with her earlier anxiety.
• The three share a close, intimate moment: Li Ruobing and Su Qingying sit beside Wu Chen, with Li Ruobing’s conspicuous kiss and staged calm helping reinforce their united front.

Significant themes

• Trust and unspoken understanding: Li Ruobing quickly grasps Wu Chen’s cue and cooperates without revealing their arrangement.
• Love expressed through protection: Both women worry about Wu Chen, while he tries to shield Su Qingying from the danger and stress of the feud.
• Control through deception: Wu Chen turns Ding Ruilong’s impulsive response into an opportunity, and Li Ruobing uses foreknowledge to frustrate Ding’s attempt to manipulate her.

Key plot points and events

• Li Ruobing and Wu Chen use a phone call from Ding Ruilong to manipulate him. Wu Chen anticipates Ding’s approach, while Li Ruobing pretends to be furious and suspicious of Wu Chen so Ding will keep talking.
• Ding claims Wu Chen has another woman, then reveals that He Shiqing is in East Sea and recently had dinner with Wu Chen. Li Ruobing acts as if she barely knows of He Shiqing and dismisses the claim as a childish attempt to drive them apart.
• Ding offers to send photos as proof. Li Ruobing asks for them, hangs up, and later receives the attachment—but refuses Ding’s follow-up call and switches off her phone, leaving him anxious about her reaction.
• Su Qingying realizes the call is a performance and understands that Li Ruobing is concealing what she knows about the attempt on Wu Chen’s life. She trusts Wu Chen’s plan.
• The next morning, Wu Chen checks that time has advanced beyond August 3, 2020, then finds Li Ruobing awake and doing her makeup. Their conversation about the assassination attempt is postponed until they can speak privately.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruobing enjoys having control over Ding for once. Her feigned jealousy and insults keep him desperate to persuade her, while her guarded handling of He Shiqing prevents him from suspecting what she already knows.
• Wu Chen calmly guides the deception and recognizes that Ding’s frustration will deepen when Li Ruobing withholds a reaction to the photos.
• Ding Ruilong struggles to restrain his anger because he needs Li Ruobing to listen. He mistakes her performance for genuine uncertainty and becomes increasingly desperate to turn her against Wu Chen.
• Su Qingying watches the exchange, understands its basic purpose, and takes Li Ruobing’s silence about the assassination as evidence of her confidence in Wu Chen.

Significant themes

• Deception and strategic performance: Li Ruobing’s words are deliberately crafted to mislead Ding and conceal her knowledge.
• Control and psychological power: Ding tries to provoke a breakup, but Li Ruobing controls the conversation and leaves him waiting.
• Trust and loyalty: Li Ruobing and Su Qingying both show faith in Wu Chen, even as his relationships with other women become a potential source of conflict.
• Time and trauma: Wu Chen’s habit of checking the date reflects the lasting fear of being trapped in the same day for a thousand years.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing discuss her dangerous plan to arrange an assassination. She insists she has other precautions and will explain more after returning from Magic City; Wu Chen remains concerned. Their teasing also reveals a note of jealousy over his planned visit to An Menglan.
• Su Qingying prepares a simple breakfast, finding satisfaction in cooking for herself after having lived under tight control.
• Wu Chen drives from East Sea to Magic City and meets Zhuang Xiaodie for lunch. She has taken on a more mature appearance as a company owner, while remaining shy and familiar with him. The Tang Family has arranged discreet, professional protection for her.
• An Menglan calls with news that Xu Weilai has jumped from a building and is receiving emergency treatment; she doubts he will survive.
• The chapter explains the wider fallout from Wu Chen’s retaliation against the people behind the leak of An Menglan’s new album. Zhou Shenglong’s scandal has devastated his reputation and caused severe losses for Hezong Media, while a separate exposé released by United Media targeted Xu Weilai.

Character developments

• Wu Chen remains playful in personal interactions but is calculating and forceful in business conflicts. He is also alert to the danger Li Ruobing faces.
• Li Ruobing is confident and determined to proceed with her plan, though she resents Wu Chen’s doubts and has not yet revealed her arrangements.
• Zhuang Xiaodie is adjusting to her new role as a company owner, adopting a more mature presentation while retaining her old shyness with Wu Chen.
• Su Qingying is reclaiming independence and pleasure in ordinary activities such as cooking.
• An Menglan sounds conflicted rather than openly distressed by Xu Weilai’s apparent suicide.

Significant themes

• Risk and trust: Wu Chen worries about Li Ruobing’s safety, while she asks him to trust her judgment.
• Recovery and independence: Su Qingying’s enjoyment of cooking represents a return to personal agency.
• Reputation and consequences: Zhou Shenglong’s carefully cultivated public image makes his downfall especially damaging, with financial repercussions for both him and his company.
• Power and protection: Zhuang Xiaodie’s position links her to the Tang Family’s influence and security network.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing trade affectionate barbs while arguing over her plan and his visit to An Menglan.
• Wu Chen and Zhuang Xiaodie share a relaxed, teasing lunch, with her naturally taking his arm when she greets him.
• An Menglan updates Wu Chen about Xu Weilai, relying on their shared awareness of the recent scandal and its consequences.

Key plot points

• Xu Weilai, a hugely popular singer, is exposed for a brutal assault he committed at seventeen that left a classmate permanently disabled. His powerful family had protected him, and the victim’s family accepted compensation.
• The story becomes impossible to contain because it is part of a larger feud: Hezong Media is retaliating against Huaxing Entertainment after a separate leak involving President He and Zhou Shenglong. Xu’s scandal could lead to criminal investigation, blacklisting, and enormous contract penalties.
• Xu Weilai jumps from a building, apparently unable to face the financial and personal consequences. Huaxing plans to describe his death as an accident, but Wu Chen notes it will be difficult to conceal.
• Wu Chen discusses the death with An Menglan, then tells Zhuang Xiaodie. He could use his ability to Reset the day and intervene, but chooses not to.
• Huaxing’s head, An Huaiguo, contacts paparazzo Peng Wei and urges him to stop the conflict with Hezong. Peng tells Wu Chen that he refused to take responsibility for the decision and did not reveal Wu Chen’s involvement.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains detached from Xu Weilai, judging his past violence far more significant than the scandal alone. His refusal to use a Reset shows that his power has limits he chooses to observe.
• An Menglan feels uneasy because events began with a leak connected to her fan-support campaign, though she does not claim personal blame. She has not told her father about Wu Chen.
• Peng Wei is caught between Huaxing’s pressure and his connection to Wu Chen; he reports An Huaiguo’s call and insists he did not disclose Wu Chen’s role.
• Zhuang Xiaodie asks Wu Chen about the breaking news, and he answers plainly that Xu Weilai has died.
• An Huaiguo’s intervention signals that Xu Weilai’s death may prompt Huaxing to seek an end to its battle with Hezong.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Wealth and influence once shielded Xu Weilai, but celebrity scrutiny and corporate conflict make the old assault impossible to bury.
• The costs of fame: Xu Weilai’s success brought high-value contracts whose penalties make his downfall financially catastrophic.
• Moral responsibility and choice: Wu Chen can potentially save Xu Weilai, but decides that he will not spend a Reset on someone whose actions he condemns.
• Corporate warfare: Rival companies’ secrets become weapons, threatening individuals and organizations alike.

Key plot points and events

• An Huaiguo calls Peng Wei, asking Huaxing to stop its conflict with Hezong Media. Peng Wei worries about defying him and suspects the companies may have reached a settlement.
• Wu Chen concludes there has been no settlement. He believes An Huaiguo wants to contain the situation because Xu Weilai’s death could trigger a huge public backlash, attract official attention, and further damage Huaxing’s already vulnerable mainland business.
• Wu Chen refuses to halt his plan. He tells Peng Wei to continue and to say only that the person behind him refuses; Wu Chen will deal with An Huaiguo himself. He also says someone will soon call to verify his identity.
• At lunch, Zhuang Xiaodie asks about Xu Weilai. Wu Chen says Xu could not withstand the pressure, then keeps the details private. They talk instead about her new role running a company.
• After lunch, Wu Chen calls Shang Yunlu, a Hezong Media publicity executive. He threatens to expose Shang’s affair with his boss Guan Hongrun’s wife and possible embezzlement unless Shang comes to Magic City to meet him. Shang recognizes the name Chen Wu and is alarmed by its connection to An Menglan and Huaxing.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains calm and determined, treating An Huaiguo’s intervention as an obstacle to his larger plan. He is willing to use leverage and intimidation to draw both An and Hezong figures into his scheme.
• Peng Wei is frightened by the risks of opposing An Huaiguo, but ultimately agrees to follow Wu Chen’s instructions.
• An Huaiguo is portrayed as powerful but cautious: he wants to end the conflict before public outrage harms Huaxing or draws official scrutiny.
• Zhuang Xiaodie is excited but anxious about becoming a boss. Her affection for Wu Chen becomes more open when she kisses him goodbye in public.
• Shang Yunlu is introduced as a well-connected mid-level Hezong manager with compromising secrets. Wu Chen’s threats leave him shaken and likely to comply.

Significant themes

• Power and influence: Wealth, corporate connections, and political networks shape how the characters act, but even powerful figures must weigh their limits.
• Public opinion as a weapon: Wu Chen sees the fallout from Xu Weilai’s death as a threat capable of drawing authorities into the conflict.
• Control versus caution: An Huaiguo seeks to contain the damage, while Wu Chen refuses to let others interrupt his plans.
• Leverage and secrecy: Wu Chen relies on private information and carefully managed identities to manipulate people on both sides.

Key plot points

• Wu Chen uses his secret knowledge of Shang Yunlu’s affair with Bai Nawei to summon him to Magic City. Shang fears that exposure could mean prison and provoke Hezong Media cofounder Guan Hongrun.
• Shang contacts Peng Wei, the prominent paparazzo who recently broke with Hezong Media, hoping to learn what Wu Chen knows and what he wants.
• Peng Wei reveals that Wu Chen is his boss—not the other way around—and confirms that he has evidence concerning Shang’s kickbacks, embezzlement, and affair.
• Peng advises Shang to meet Wu Chen quickly, suggesting the invitation may be an opportunity rather than a threat. Convinced he has little choice, Shang books a flight to Magic City.
• Just afterward, Shang receives an urgent call telling him to check Weibo. Peng Wei has apparently launched another damaging disclosure, though the chapter ends before its contents are revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen emerges as a strategic, well-informed power broker who uses Peng Wei’s reputation and evidence to pressure Shang while keeping his own identity and intentions guarded.
• Shang Yunlu shifts from anxious denial to fearful compliance. His affair with Bai Nawei is presented as genuine, but his involvement in company misconduct gives Peng further leverage.
• Peng Wei acts as Wu Chen’s trusted subordinate and intermediary. He is candid about their hierarchy, encourages Shang to cooperate, and appears to have begun another public attack.
• Bai Nawei is shown as emotionally worn down by her loveless marriage to Guan Hongrun; her relationship with Shang grew from their longstanding connection and her desire for genuine care.
• Guan Hongrun remains an offstage but powerful threat, known for exploiting women and silencing those who might expose him.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Evidence, connections, and control of publicity shape the characters’ choices.
• Secrecy and exposure: Shang’s private life and business dealings make him vulnerable to reputational and legal consequences.
• Exploitation in the entertainment industry: Guan’s coercion and the industry’s unequal power structures frame Bai Nawei’s past and present.
• Love amid compromised circumstances: Shang and Bai’s relationship is described as sincere, but it exists within betrayal, risk, and a marriage shaped by wealth and influence.

Key plot points and events

• Peng Wei releases another damaging exposé on Weibo, this time accusing prominent United Media director Chen Haiying of coercing actresses into sex. A video Chen apparently made and kept himself is published, raising questions about how Peng Wei obtained it and potentially exposing Chen to criminal charges. The story overtakes Xu Weilai’s scandal on the trending list, while Zhou Shenglong’s scandal remains prominent.
• Wu Chen and Zhuang Xiaodie complete a major business transaction: An Menglan transfers half of Dream China Music to Zhuang for a nominal price. The stake is estimated to be worth two to three billion yuan. Wu Chen arranged for Zhuang to hold it rather than taking the shares himself, and he has no nominee-shareholding agreement with her.
• In the car afterward, An Menglan questions Wu Chen’s confidence in trusting Zhuang with such valuable shares. Wu Chen turns the question back on her: he trusts her not to betray him, and asks whether she trusts him. She cannot imagine him breaking his word.
• An Huaiguo calls An Menglan for the third time that day. He says he is coming to Magic City and wants to meet Peng Wei, who has stopped answering his calls. Wu Chen says Peng Wei need not meet him; he will speak with An Huaiguo himself, and is pleased that her father is coming.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and strategic. He has secured the Dream China Music stake through Zhuang Xiaodie and appears to be guiding An Menglan’s response to the escalating media conflict. He welcomes the prospect of confronting An Huaiguo.
• An Menglan trusts Wu Chen deeply, despite recognizing the risks of their relationship. She is torn between her feelings for him, her loyalty to her father, and fear that the two men will clash. She also knows Wu Chen has a public relationship with Li Ruobing and doubts she can ever marry him.
• Zhuang Xiaodie becomes the formal holder of a valuable half-share in Dream China Music, reflecting Wu Chen’s confidence in her.
• An Huaiguo is increasingly anxious to contain the feud between the companies. His urgency stems from the risk that continued mutual revelations could draw intervention from authorities.
• Wu Chen reassures An Menglan before she answers her father’s call, but his plan to meet An Huaiguo intensifies her fear of a confrontation and of her relationship with Wu Chen being exposed.

Significant themes

• Trust and risk: Wu Chen places immense financial trust in Zhuang and personal trust in An Menglan, while she questions whether such confidence is wise.
• Power and public scandal: The coordinated circulation of exposés shows how media revelations can reshape public attention and threaten powerful figures.
• Family loyalty versus romantic attachment: An Menglan’s feelings for Wu Chen conflict with her affection for her father and her fear of the consequences of their relationship.
• Strategic control: Wu Chen’s calm handling of the share transfer and his welcome of An Huaiguo’s arrival suggest he is maneuvering events toward a larger objective.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen and An Menglan have dinner at a private room in a Magic City restaurant. An Menglan is anxious about Wu Chen’s plans involving her father, An Huaiguo, and whether he will reveal their relationship.
• Wu Chen argues that even strong principles can yield to powerful incentives, using hypothetical offers for An Menglan’s company and Wu Chen’s family business to make his point.
• An Menglan worries that Li Ruobing will expose or punish her. Wu Chen says Li already knows about their relationship but has not acted because Wu himself would prevent her from ruining An Menglan’s career or making the affair public.
• Wu Chen explains that Li’s hostility toward An Menglan stems from seeing her as a genuine rival, whereas she considers Zhuang Xiaodie no threat. An Menglan concludes that Li wants to keep her subordinate and make her feel guilty; Wu agrees in broad terms.
• Wu reassures An Menglan that Li is becoming more accepting of people who might help Wu, and says An Menglan can avoid humiliation if she follows his advice and does not provoke Li. He repeatedly clarifies that he intends to marry Li Ruobing.
• Over dinner, they also discuss An Huaiguo and music. At 9:10 p.m., Peng Wei calls to report that Shang Yunlu has arrived in Magic City; Wu schedules a meeting for the following morning.
• As they leave, Wu says he is heading to a hotel. An Menglan surprises him by inviting him to stay at her home in a spare room.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and strategic. He reveals that he intends to bring An Menglan’s situation with Li forward rather than leave them to resolve it themselves, partly because of the pressure An Huaiguo is causing. He tries to guide An Menglan without asking her directly to choose between him and Li.
• An Menglan begins the dinner frightened and uncertain, but Wu’s explanation helps her understand the power dynamics between herself, Wu, and Li. She remains wary of the consequences yet ends the evening by taking the initiative and inviting Wu home.
• Li Ruobing, though absent, is central to the conversation. Wu portrays her as protective of her position rather than opposed to Wu’s other relationships in general; An Menglan sees her as someone who may demand deference and an apology.
• Wu and An Menglan’s conversation shifts from practical concerns about An Huaiguo and the scandal to candid discussion of jealousy, status, and the future of their relationship.

Significant themes

• Power, leverage, and temptation: Wu argues that people’s principles can change when the stakes become high enough.
• Jealousy and insecurity: Li’s reaction is framed as fear that An Menglan could threaten her place beside Wu.
• Control and negotiation: Wu manages what each woman knows and steers the situation while presenting An Menglan with a path to avoid public humiliation.
• Reputation and vulnerability: An Menglan fears that exposure could damage both her career and standing among powerful families.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen and An Menglan return to her Riverside Mansion apartment after a night out. He warns that she has been drinking, so her bodyguard drives.
• In her study, they take turns playing piano and perform duets. Wu Chen plays an original lullaby whose simplicity and understanding of the form impresses Menglan.
• Menglan kisses him, and Wu Chen carries her from the study. She accepts the relationship, despite knowing he has other women and expects to marry Li Ruobing. Their previously ambiguous connection becomes a committed affair.
• The next morning, Wu Chen wakes at seven while Menglan sleeps. Her father, An Huaiguo, calls to say he has arrived in Magic City, leaving her anxious about his imminent discovery of their relationship.
• Wu Chen says he will meet Huaiguo that afternoon and plans to take Menglan to meet someone else first. He writes and saves a program on her computer, then leaves and calls Li Maoren to discuss something.

Character developments and interactions

• An Menglan deliberately tests her feelings by recreating a situation in which she might choose Wu Chen. She ultimately chooses to be with him, accepting the personal complications.
• Wu Chen remains composed about Menglan’s anxiety over her father. His musical skill deepens her admiration, and his plans suggest he is preparing to manage the coming meeting.
• Their piano playing and teasing shift into intimacy; the following morning, Menglan’s concern about her father contrasts with Wu Chen’s calm confidence.

Significant themes

• Choice and attachment: Menglan knowingly accepts a difficult relationship rather than deny her feelings.
• Talent and understanding: Wu Chen’s lullaby shows that mastery lies not only in technical complexity but in grasping music’s purpose.
• Intimacy versus consequences: Their private commitment immediately faces the prospect of family scrutiny and social complications.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen arranges a private meeting with Shang Yunlu at Hangxiang Teahouse, the same place where Shang secretly met Bai Nawei three years earlier.
• Shang arrives wary and intimidated, apparently having heard enough from Peng Wei to understand that Wu Chen knows about his relationship with Bai.
• Wu Chen asks whether Shang wants to marry Bai, what he thinks of her husband Guan Hongrun, and whether he wants Guan imprisoned. Shang admits he loves Bai, calls Guan “human scum,” and says he wants him jailed.
• Wu Chen offers a deal: if Shang works for him, Guan will go to prison, Bai will receive half of Guan’s assets, and Shang will become a vice president at Hezong Media. Shang asks what Wu needs.
• Shang assumes Wu wants company trade secrets and cautiously hints that his position might limit what he can obtain. Wu clarifies that he wants files from Hezong’s internal server—records of damaging information and evidence about celebrities at rival companies.
• Wu intends to use these files in his coming fight with Hezong Media. He is determined to avoid another tragedy like Xu Weilai’s death.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen is composed and strategic, using the meeting place and his knowledge of Shang’s affair to establish control. He presents the proposal as an opportunity rather than an outright threat.
• Shang Yunlu is frightened but also calculating. His love for Bai and desire to see Guan punished make Wu’s offer appealing, though he initially mistakes Wu’s request for corporate espionage.
• Peng Wei acts as Wu’s discreet aide, helping prepare Shang and fetching a laptop.
• Wu and Shang’s conversation shifts from personal matters—Bai and Guan—to a business arrangement built around mutual interests.

Significant themes

• Leverage and power: Private knowledge gives Wu influence over Shang, while the proposed files offer leverage against the entertainment industry.
• Love intertwined with ambition: Shang’s devotion to Bai is genuine, but his wish to remove Guan is also tied to the chance of marrying her.
• Corruption and accountability: Guan is accused of abusing vulnerable young women, and Wu presents imprisonment as a way to punish him.
• Secrecy and retaliation: The industry’s hidden scandal files reveal a system of mutual blackmail and deterrence. Wu plans to use that system in his coming conflict with Hezong.

Key plot points and events

• Shang Yunlu agrees in principle to help Wu Chen destroy He Zong Media’s compromising files, which could deprive the company of its main leverage against artists.
• Wu Chen has Peng Wei bring a laptop and demonstrates a program he wrote. It can copy and delete files from He Zong Media’s server, erase evidence of the operation, and remove itself.
• When Shang Yunlu asks about backups, Wu Chen reveals that a black external hard drive is in a safe at Guan Hongrun’s house. He says Bai Nawei, Guan’s wife, can retrieve it.
• Shang Yunlu contacts Bai Nawei using their private signals. Concerned by his tense voice and the stranger in the room, she suspects he is being threatened.
• Wu Chen speaks to Bai Nawei directly, explaining the bargain: she and Shang Yunlu can gain a new future, while Wu Chen will ensure Guan goes to prison and dies there. He promises Bai Nawei at least half of Guan’s assets and Shang a vice-president position.
• Bai Nawei questions whether Wu Chen can deliver. Shang reassures her that he trusts him, explaining that his hesitation came from not wanting to involve her.

Character developments and interactions

• Shang Yunlu remains fearful and conflicted, but his hopes for an open relationship with Bai Nawei and career advancement draw him toward cooperation. His concern for her, rather than simple coercion, is the reason he hesitates.
• Wu Chen reveals meticulous preparation and strong technical ability. He controls the pace of the negotiation, anticipates Shang’s questions, and personally wins Bai Nawei’s attention with a bold offer.
• Bai Nawei is cautious and quick-thinking. She initially assumes Shang is being blackmailed, then is stunned by Wu Chen’s proposal and begins weighing its promise of freedom and wealth.
• Peng Wei quietly supports Wu Chen by bringing the laptop and witnessing the demonstration.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Wu Chen uses secret knowledge, technology, and promised rewards to steer others into a high-stakes plan.
• Trust under pressure: Shang and Bai must decide whether to trust Wu Chen when the consequences are irreversible.
• Love and ambition: Their hopes for a life together and greater professional status make the dangerous deal tempting.
• Control and complicity: By asking Bai to retrieve the backup, Wu Chen turns a private agreement into a shared commitment.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen warns Bai Nawei not to poison her abusive husband, Guan Hongrun, revealing that he knows both her plan and where she hid the chemicals.
• He instructs Bai to retrieve a silver-gray hard drive from Guan’s study safe. Though she lacks the combination, Wu Chen knows the mechanical and electronic codes; Bai finds the spare key and opens it.
• Wu Chen has Bai photograph herself with the open safe and hard drive, creating evidence of her access. He then guides her through connecting the drive to Guan’s computer and uses remote access to copy its contents.
• After checking the files, Wu Chen repeatedly overwrites the hard drive so its data cannot be recovered. He tells Bai to return it and remove her fingerprints, allowing her to pursue revenge without leaving physical evidence.
• Wu Chen searches Guan’s computer and uncovers a collection of videos involving Hezong Media executives and women, including rising star Zhou Manshui. Shang Yunlu recognizes the people in the footage and sees its potential, though he doubts one video would seriously threaten the company.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen demonstrates extraordinary foreknowledge, technical skill, and strategic calculation. He controls the operation while keeping his real motives and knowledge hidden from the others.
• Bai Nawei is frightened when Wu Chen exposes her poisoning plan, but quickly becomes cooperative and determined to act against Guan, whose abuse has made her desperate to escape.
• Shang Yunlu shifts from fear and confusion to recognizing Wu Chen as a potentially powerful benefactor. He remains wary of the evidence Wu Chen is creating and is shocked by the videos.
• Peng Wei watches Wu Chen’s work alongside Shang, but has little direct involvement in the operation.

Significant themes

• Power and abuse: Guan’s control over Bai is reinforced by his violence and secrecy, while she seeks a way to reclaim agency.
• Knowledge as power: Wu Chen’s access to secrets and expertise lets him direct people and events with striking precision.
• Evidence and risk: The photograph, fingerprints, and erased drive highlight the difference between suspicion and provable evidence—and Wu Chen’s effort to manage that distinction.
• Corruption and exploitation: The videos suggest that Hezong Media’s powerful executives may be exploiting women and recording it, foreshadowing a wider scandal.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen remotely searches Guan Hongrun’s computer, discovering what may be incriminating videos, then sends them—along with business files, photos, and chat screenshots—to himself. He erases the evidence of his access.
• Wu Chen asks Bai Nawei whether she wants Guan Hongrun to realize she was involved, while remaining unable to prove it. She does. Wu Chen tells her to fly to Xiang River, have the study thoroughly cleaned, and wait for a call from a local contact who will help protect her.
• Wu Chen tells Shang Yunlu that they will meet someone at noon and reveals his larger goal: taking over Hezong Media. The plan is so bold that Shang doubts it, but feels unable to back out.
• An Huaiguo, chairman of the powerful Xiangjiang Huaxing Group, visits his daughter An Menglan at Dream China Music. He has learned that Zhuang Xiaodie owns half the company and demands an explanation.
• An Menglan gives vague answers, describing Zhuang as a close friend and talented business partner. In reality, she is concealing her complicated relationship with Wu Chen and fears that revealing it will derail his planned negotiations with her father.
• An Huaiguo also asks about Peng Wei. An Menglan says Peng is on the way and refuses to explain further, leaving her father increasingly concerned by her secrecy.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains controlled and strategic, gathering useful information while limiting what others need to know. He gives Bai Nawei and Shang Yunlu narrowly tailored instructions.
• Bai Nawei quickly agrees to Wu Chen’s plan and wants Guan Hongrun to know she was involved, provided he cannot prove it.
• Shang Yunlu is unsettled by Wu Chen’s audacious takeover plan but goes along because he sees no safe alternative.
• An Menglan tries to appear composed before her father, but is internally anxious and carefully avoids revealing the truth. Her silence reflects both her fear of public scandal and her desire to protect Wu Chen’s plans.
• An Huaiguo is protective and perceptive. He suspects his daughter may have been deceived, but recognizes that she is withholding something serious. Their normally good relationship grows tense as she repeatedly deflects his questions.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and leverage: Wu Chen gathers potentially useful material and manages information carefully; An Menglan also hides facts to protect a larger plan.
• Power and risk: The proposed takeover of Hezong Media and the transfer of half of Dream China Music show how high-stakes business decisions can reshape relationships and reputations.
• Family, reputation, and social expectations: An Menglan fears that her private relationship with Wu Chen could bring disgrace on the An Family, especially in Xiang River’s status-conscious circles.
• Trust under pressure: Shang Yunlu’s reluctant cooperation and An Menglan’s guarded exchanges with her father show how fear and uncertainty strain personal and professional bonds.

Key plot points and events

• An Huaiguo realizes his daughter, An Menglan, is avoiding a difficult conversation. Menglan retreats to her lounge to change and redo her makeup, buying time while trying not to say anything that could complicate Wu Chen’s plans.
• Wu Chen enters Menglan’s office while she is away and introduces himself to her father as Chen Wu, his stage name.
• An Huaiguo quickly warms to him. Impressed by Wu Chen’s songwriting, appearance, and rising popularity, he welcomes him and discusses music and the changing entertainment industry.
• An Huaiguo gently warns Wu Chen that scandals involving women could damage his career. The irony is that Wu Chen has little interest in becoming a star—and has come to discuss matters connected to women and a much larger, potentially alarming subject.
• From the lounge, Menglan watches and listens through the office’s surveillance monitor. Wu Chen and her father seem to be getting along, but she fears her father’s attitude will change sharply once he learns the truth.

Character developments and interactions

• An Menglan is anxious and evasive, carefully managing what she says to protect Wu Chen’s plans. Her makeover gives her a practical excuse to delay facing her father.
• An Huaiguo is perceptive and protective. He recognizes Menglan’s avoidance, but initially treats Wu Chen warmly, both because of his talent and because Menglan has praised him.
• Wu Chen presents himself as a successful young musician, though fame and wealth do not motivate him. His easy conversation with An Huaiguo conceals the serious purpose of his visit.
• The chapter sets up a contrast between An Huaiguo’s friendly reception of Wu Chen as an artist and the hostility Menglan expects if he discovers Wu Chen’s real connection to her.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Menglan’s change of clothes and Wu Chen’s stage-name introduction both obscure deeper concerns.
• Fame and money: An Huaiguo values genuine musical talent and reflects nostalgically on an earlier music era, while Wu Chen sees celebrity life as exhausting and financially driven.
• Family protection and secrecy: An Huaiguo’s concern for Menglan and his warning to Wu Chen are well-intentioned, but they heighten the tension surrounding what remains unspoken.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen (“Morning Mist”) explains why today’s music industry favors handsome, heavily marketed idols over singers focused on musical ability.
• He argues that audiences have many more entertainment options than they did in the past, so music competes for attention. Producers respond to consumer preferences—especially those of women who spend on variety shows and idols—by prioritizing appearance and marketability.
• Entertainment companies now seek quick profits by repeatedly creating and replacing short-lived stars, rather than cultivating individual artists over the long term.
• An Huaiguo asks whether Wu Chen himself is one of the rare singers who succeeds through talent alone, or whether marketing made him famous.
• Wu Chen says he is neither lucky nor manufactured: he claims he can become famous whenever he wants, setting up a deliberately audacious image before his next move.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen shows a measured, nonjudgmental understanding of changing industry conditions, which he attributes to the perspective gained from his thousand-year reincarnation. He presents his analysis calmly, then reveals extraordinary self-confidence bordering on arrogance.
• An Huaiguo admires Wu Chen’s insight, composure, and refusal to flatter him, especially given his own position as a powerful industry financier. His admiration turns to astonishment when Wu Chen declares himself uniquely capable of succeeding through ability alone.
• Their conversation begins as a thoughtful debate about the music business and ends with An Huaiguo stunned by Wu Chen’s self-assurance.

Significant themes

• Changing tastes and technology: New forms of entertainment have reduced music’s prominence and changed how artists reach audiences.
• Commercialization: Market incentives encourage image, packaging, and rapid turnover over sustained artistic development.
• Talent, luck, and marketing: The chapter questions whether ability alone can break through in a crowded, entertainment-driven market.
• Confidence and ambition: Wu Chen’s exceptional certainty sets him apart—and signals that his future actions may be even more audacious.

Plot points

• Wu Chen continues an increasingly provocative conversation with An Huaiguo. He claims he will retire soon because becoming famous and winning major music awards are easy for him; he says music is only a hobby and that he may later make other people famous.
• An Menglan, listening from a nearby lounge, worries that Wu Chen’s remarks are ruining the discussion. She changes into a glamorous black dress and joins them.
• Wu Chen beckons Menglan to sit beside him, embraces her, and kisses her cheek in front of her father. An Huaiguo is shocked by their intimacy and questions what is happening.
• Wu Chen says he and Menglan have pledged their lives to each other, then introduces himself as twenty-two-year-old Wu Chen. An Huaiguo recognizes the name through Wu Chen’s connection to Li Ruobing and the rumors surrounding her conflict with the Ding family.
• Wu Chen clarifies that he intends to marry Li Ruobing, not Menglan, and says Menglan already knows this. An Huaiguo is stunned and troubled, while Menglan meets her father’s gaze with growing resolve.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains self-assured and deliberately blunt, using both his boasts and public affection with Menglan to force the relationship into the open.
• An Menglan shifts from anxious attempts to protect the meeting to openly standing by Wu Chen. Though initially uneasy, she ultimately shows determination before her father.
• An Huaiguo moves from polite encouragement to disbelief and concern. His composure holds, but the revelation that Menglan accepts Wu Chen’s arrangement unsettles him deeply.
• The central interaction is a tense confrontation between father and daughter, with Wu Chen openly positioning himself at Menglan’s side while acknowledging that Li Ruobing will be his legal wife.

Significant themes

• Ambition and arrogance: Wu Chen dismisses fame and success as effortless, challenging the music industry’s expectations.
• Love, choice, and unconventional relationships: Menglan knowingly accepts a complicated relationship, placing personal commitment against conventional expectations.
• Family authority versus individual resolve: An Huaiguo’s concern and power meet Menglan’s determination to choose her own path.
• Reputation and power: Wu Chen’s association with Li Ruobing and the powerful families’ conflicts adds weight to his identity and unsettles An Huaiguo.