Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen brings Su Qingying, East Sea’s famous Jinfu Group heiress, to his old apartment and takes precautions to keep her identity hidden. Afterward, he tidies the room while she sleeps.
• Su Qingying’s mother has been tracing the blue Lamborghini Wu Chen drove. Because it is registered to Wang Zhuangyuan, she contacts him; he redirects her to Li Ruotai, who tells Wu Chen what happened.
• Li Ruotai also informs Wu Chen that Su Qingying’s family has been investigating him. Wu Chen is unsurprised and tells Li Ruotai not to get involved.
• Li Ruobing calls after hearing about the Su family’s inquiries. Instead of explaining, Wu Chen hands the phone to Su Qingying and asks her to speak.
• Su Qingying initially tries to pass herself off as Wu Chen’s friend and work associate, but Li Ruobing heard her call him “honey.” Su Qingying eventually identifies herself, then denies having used the endearment.
• Wu Chen confirms he is at his old apartment. Li Ruobing orders him not to leave, clearly intending to come confront him. Wu Chen expects the meeting to be entertaining, while Su Qingying asks why he is not afraid of being found out.

Character developments

• Wu Chen remains composed and calculating. He anticipates how the families and associates will react, and deliberately puts Su Qingying in direct contact with Li Ruobing rather than hiding the situation.
• Su Qingying is exhausted and unusually affectionate toward Wu Chen after their time together, but becomes nervous when she realizes she is speaking to Li Ruobing. She tries to protect herself—and conceal their relationship—through a quick denial.
• Li Ruobing is suspicious but initially controlled. Hearing Su Qingying call Wu Chen “honey” sharpens her doubts, and she decides to confront him in person.
• Li Ruotai acts as a loyal intermediary, offering to support Wu Chen while respecting his instruction to stay out of the matter.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and exposure: Wu Chen’s efforts to conceal Su Qingying’s presence collide with the families’ investigation and Li Ruobing’s unexpected call.
• Power and reputation: Su Qingying’s fame and family status affect how openly she can be identified and how others might respond to her.
• Control and provocation: Wu Chen seems to guide the unfolding confrontation rather than avoid it, while the others struggle to understand his choices.
• Complicated intimacy: Su Qingying’s affectionate behavior contrasts with her insistence that she and Wu Chen are merely friends.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen reassures and indulges Su Qingying while speaking with Li Ruotai, who calls him “brother-in-law” and offers his backing.
• Li Ruobing questions Wu Chen about the Su family, but he makes Su Qingying answer instead, forcing the two women into a tense exchange.
• Su Qingying and Li Ruobing spar over their relationship to Wu Chen: Su Qingying claims friendship, while Li Ruobing challenges that claim based on what she heard.
• The chapter ends with Li Ruobing preparing to confront Wu Chen and Su Qingying openly questioning his apparent fearlessness.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen tells Su Qingying that his relationship with Li Ruobing is fake, a secret known only to the two of them. Su Qingying realizes his earlier leverage over her was a bluff, but she does not resent him.
• Su Qingying is relieved that she can continue seeing Wu Chen. She reflects that he helped her find the courage to resist her mother and gave her a rare day of freedom and comfort.
• Wu Chen warns that Li Ruobing is coming, and asks Su Qingying to keep their real relationship secret while behaving naturally around her. Su Qingying agrees and sees their shared secrets as binding the three of them into a discreet alliance.
• When Li Ruobing arrives, she is stunned to find Su Qingying cooking dinner, doing laundry, and casually calling Wu Chen “honey.” She privately questions Wu Chen, who simply says Su Qingying is his woman and that they got together today.
• Su Qingying continues acting like Wu Chen’s domestic partner, even changing into his pajamas. Li Ruobing’s confusion deepens when Su Qingying announces that the washing is finished and asks about hanging the laundry.

Character developments

• Su Qingying embraces the freedom and intimacy she has found with Wu Chen. Rather than feeling tricked by his false leverage, she enjoys his control and looks forward to maintaining their relationship.
• Wu Chen remains composed and strategically manages what each woman knows. He conceals Su Qingying’s secret from Li Ruobing while presenting their relationship as a convincing public fiction.
• Li Ruobing arrives expecting answers but becomes increasingly disoriented by Su Qingying’s unexpected warmth and domestic behavior. Her confident understanding of both women is shaken.

Significant themes

• Secrets and power: The characters’ hidden relationships and shared information create a shifting balance of leverage.
• Freedom versus expectation: Su Qingying’s ordinary domestic activities represent a life and independence denied to her by her family.
• Performance and reality: Wu Chen and Li Ruobing’s “fake” relationship contrasts with Wu Chen and Su Qingying’s real one—though the narrator hints the fake romance may become real.
• Control and consent: Su Qingying recognizes Wu Chen may be drawing her into a trap, yet welcomes the influence because it matches what she desires.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen confesses the fake relationship to Su Qingying and asks her to preserve the secret; she accepts and reaffirms her affection.
• Su Qingying eagerly takes on the role of hostess, cooking and doing Wu Chen’s laundry before Li Ruobing arrives.
• Li Ruobing interrogates Wu Chen in disbelief, while Su Qingying treats her warmly and behaves openly intimate with Wu Chen, leaving Li Ruobing increasingly baffled.

Key plot points and events

• Li Ruobing arrives at Wu Chen and Su Qingying’s home and is stunned to find them acting like an established married couple: doing laundry and cooking together.
• Su Qingying, dressed in Wu Chen’s pajamas, serves a homemade dinner and explains that she fell for Wu Chen at first sight. Li Ruobing doubts this story and suspects there is more behind their relationship.
• Su Qingying reveals that Wu Chen told her Li and Wu’s relationship is fake. She promises to keep their secret, while asking Li to protect her own relationship with Wu from public attention.
• During dinner, Su Qingying repeatedly calls Wu Chen “my husband” and fusses over him. Irritated, Li impulsively peels a shrimp for him, then tries to soften the gesture by serving Su Qingying too.
• Su Qingying responds with a quiet show of possessiveness: she drops Li’s shrimp, feeds Wu Chen one of her own, and emphasizes that Li is a guest in their home. The women recognize the tension between them.
• After dinner, Su Qingying washes the dishes while Wu Chen and Li speak privately. Wu Chen denies pursuing Su Qingying merely to spite Li, saying he contacted her before their bet, but refuses to explain how he won her over.
• Wu Chen invokes a previous bet: Li owes him one hundred massages. He asks for one, and Li agrees, deliberately suggesting they go to the bedroom where Su Qingying might notice. They disappear for over twenty minutes; when Su Qingying finishes cleaning, she calls out to them.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruobing struggles to make sense of Wu Chen and Su Qingying’s domestic intimacy. Her irritation and jealousy surface in small, impulsive actions, though she insists to herself that she will not fawn over Wu Chen. She also uses the owed massage to honor their bet while potentially provoking Su Qingying.
• Su Qingying shows a newly confident, affectionate side: cooking, hosting, and openly caring for Wu Chen. She is courteous to Li but also perceptive and quietly territorial, steering the conversation and asserting her place as Wu Chen’s partner.
• Wu Chen remains calm amid the women’s rivalry, keeps the details of his relationship with Su Qingying secret, and uses his bet with Li to claim the massage he is owed.
• The dinner shifts from polite hospitality into a restrained contest for Wu Chen’s attention. Li and Su Qingying maintain smiles, but their gestures and remarks reveal mutual suspicion and growing hostility.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and rivalry: Both women’s competing gestures toward Wu Chen expose feelings they do not openly acknowledge.
• Public appearances versus private truth: Li and Wu’s relationship is a façade, while Su Qingying’s unusually swift intimacy with Wu remains mysterious.
• Control and independence: Su Qingying’s domestic choices reflect a break from family-imposed restraint; Li resists appearing submissive even as she fulfills her obligation.
• Power through social gestures: Hosting, feeding, serving, and claiming the role of “guest” or “wife” become subtle ways for the women to challenge one another.

Key plot points and events

• Su Qingying enters Wu Chen’s bedroom and finds Li Ruobing massaging him. Rather than reacting with jealousy, she assumes Li Ruobing is privately like herself—drawn to a stronger man—and joins the massage.
• Su Qingying calls Li Ruobing “sis,” reasoning that Li was with Wu Chen first. Li, unsettled by Qingying’s ease with the situation, asks her to stop.
• Wu Chen reminds Qingying to take her medicine. She changes clothes in front of Li and leaves to buy it, leaving Wu and Li alone.
• Li demands an explanation for how Wu won Qingying over. He refuses to tell her, joking that the answer would cost a hundred million.
• Li worries that the Su Family’s investigation into Wu will implicate her, since the public believes she is his girlfriend. She sees no good way to deny the relationship, confront Wu, or side with the Su Family.
• Li realizes the Su Family does not yet know Wu and Qingying are together: Wu said he helped Qingying run away from home. She recognizes that this knowledge gives them a way forward—and that Wu has maneuvered her into cooperating with him.
• Wu receives a call from Qingying: her family has found them and is waiting beside his car near the alley.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Qingying responds to seeing Wu with Li not with anger but with acceptance, affection, and a desire to participate. Her interpretation of Li as someone like herself deepens her trust in Wu and strengthens her admiration for him.
• Li Ruobing shifts from smugly provoking Qingying to confusion and alarm at her reaction. She then becomes anxious about the consequences of Wu’s involvement with the Su Family, before recognizing his strategic advantage.
• Wu Chen remains calm and teasing, allowing Qingying to misread the scene and refusing to satisfy Li’s curiosity. He appears to have anticipated the political complications and positioned Li to help him.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus inner nature: Qingying imagines that Li’s domineering public persona conceals a private desire to yield, much as Qingying believes her own strength masks vulnerability.
• Power, control, and manipulation: Wu’s influence over both women—and his apparent ability to turn a dangerous situation into leverage—drives the chapter.
• Jealousy and unconventional intimacy: Qingying’s acceptance of Li challenges ordinary expectations of romantic rivalry, while Li’s discomfort reveals how little she understands Qingying’s feelings.
• Consequences of deception: Li’s fake relationship with Wu has become publicly convincing, making it difficult for her to withdraw without damaging her future credibility.

Key plot points and events

• Su Qingying hides in a pharmacy after seeing the Su Family’s cars arrive. She borrows the shop owner’s phone and calls Wu Chen, who promises to come help.
• Wu Chen explains to Li Ruobing that the Su Family likely tracked his Lamborghini. He had planned to take Su Qingying out before they arrived, but Li Ruobing’s presence gives him a way to defuse the situation: the Su Family will find the three of them together rather than him alone with Qingying.
• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing leave the apartment arm in arm, presenting themselves as a couple. Li admits she dislikes feeling that Wu Chen has planned around her and that she cannot resist him. Their teasing turns briefly physical when she pinches him.
• At the alley entrance, the Su Family’s bodyguards confront Wu Chen. Li steps in, identifies herself, and challenges them for blocking her way. When Yang Kuo says Wu Chen took their young mistress and cannot leave, Li slaps him and orders the guards away.
• Wu Chen calms Li, and their convincing exchange makes the guards believe the dispute may be a misunderstanding. Su Qingying then emerges from the pharmacy and backs their account: she says Li invited her out and rebukes the guards for interfering in matters between her and her mother.
• Qingying’s anger is partly strategic but also reflects genuine resentment toward the guards, who help her mother monitor and control her. The confrontation is interrupted when Madam Su’s convoy arrives.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and several steps ahead, using Li’s presence and the women’s ability to coordinate without discussion to manage the Su Family’s suspicion.
• Li Ruobing feels manipulated by Wu Chen but still supports his cover. Her fierce defense of him contrasts with her private irritation and teasing familiarity with him.
• Su Qingying moves from anxious concealment to open defiance, publicly supporting Wu Chen and Li while asserting her independence from her mother.
• Yang Kuo and the Su Family guards act on incomplete information and defer to Madam Su’s orders, but hesitate to provoke Li Ruobing or Qingying once the women confront them.
• Li and Qingying quickly understand and support each other’s roles, creating a united front without prior planning.

Significant themes

• Control and autonomy: Qingying resents her family’s surveillance, while Li resents Wu Chen’s ability to maneuver her into his plans.
• Performance and deception: The apparent romantic couple and the staged “misunderstanding” help conceal the true circumstances.
• Power and loyalty: Li’s and Qingying’s authority forces the guards to reconsider their actions, while Wu Chen relies on personal alliances rather than confrontation.
• Trust and manipulation: Li’s willingness to help Wu Chen coexists with her frustration at being unable to resist his influence.

Plot and events

• Su Qingying’s mother, Madam Su, arrives with a large convoy to confront her. Su Qingying becomes visibly nervous because of her long-standing fear of her mother.
• Wu Chen notices that Su Qingying is still carrying a bag of medicine. He cues Li Ruobing, who takes it from her and presents it as medicine Li Ruobing had asked Su Qingying to buy, concealing its true purpose.
• Li Ruobing links arms with Su Qingying and takes the lead when Madam Su arrives. Madam Su greets Li and Wu Chen with impeccable manners, though her courtesy toward Wu Chen carries an unmistakable edge.
• Rather than ride with her mother, Su Qingying gets into Li Ruobing’s Bentley. Wu Chen deliberately drives separately, anticipating that Su Qingying might say something incriminating if she is alone with her mother.
• During the drive, Li Ruobing questions Su Qingying about Wu Chen. Su Qingying probes Li’s relationship with him in return, including whether they have slept together and why Li gave him a massage. Li says their relationship is fake and explains the massage as the result of losing a bet.
• Su Qingying describes her conflict with her mother, but leaves out important details about her connection to Wu Chen. Li suspects she is concealing something, yet focuses on preparing for the confrontation.
• At Golden Fortune Teahouse, Madam Su directly challenges Li and Wu Chen, accusing them of taking her daughter without permission and raising the possibility that Wu Chen broke the law.

Character development and interactions

• Su Qingying wants to resist her mother’s control but remains intimidated by her. She increasingly trusts Li Ruobing to shield her, while carefully hiding the full nature of her bond with Wu Chen.
• Li Ruobing acts as Su Qingying’s protector and helps maintain the cover story. She is perceptive enough to suspect Su Qingying is withholding information, and her own feelings about Wu Chen show through despite her insistence that their relationship is fake.
• Wu Chen stays outwardly calm and manages practical risks, prompting the medicine concealment and keeping himself apart from Su Qingying during the journey.
• Madam Su is composed and socially polished, but her authority and anger are evident beneath her manners. Her opening questions target Wu Chen through Li.

Significant themes

• Control versus independence: Su Qingying’s struggle to stand up to her mother is complicated by a fear ingrained since childhood.
• Loyalty and concealment: Li and Wu Chen cooperate to protect Su Qingying, while Su Qingying keeps crucial truths hidden.
• Politeness as power: Madam Su’s refined courtesy masks a calculated confrontation.
• Jealousy and emotional tension: Li and Su Qingying question each other about Wu Chen, exposing mutual curiosity and unease.

Key plot points and events

• Madam Su confronts Li Ruobing, suspecting she arranged for Wu Chen to take Su Qingying away. Li and Qingying insist the meeting was planned.
• Li explains that Qingying has repeatedly confided her envy of Li’s independence and business success. She argues that Madam Su’s strict control has left Qingying unable to make ordinary choices and is harming her emotionally.
• To illustrate, Li describes Qingying’s unusual enthusiasm at Wu Chen’s home: buying medicine herself, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry—simple activities she had rarely been allowed to try. Madam Su is visibly shaken, though she quickly regains her composure.
• Madam Su then accuses Wu Chen of touching Qingying and smacking her backside at the golf course, based on a bodyguard’s report. She appears to be testing Li and Wu Chen’s relationship and trying to undermine their united front.
• Wu Chen asks the bodyguard to recount everything. The detailed account reveals that the contact occurred while Wu Chen was teaching Qingying golf. The bodyguard recognizes he had misunderstood the situation.
• Wu Chen angrily rebukes Madam Su for accusing him before establishing the full facts, then mocks Qingying’s poor golf skills. Madam Su takes offense and demands that he show her daughter respect.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruobing stands up for Qingying, drawing on her own experience of nearly losing control over whom she could marry. She remains composed under Madam Su’s hostility and uses concrete examples to make her case.
• Su Qingying supports Li’s account but avoids her mother’s gaze. Her reddened eyes suggest Li’s words touch a painful truth about her lack of freedom.
• Madam Su begins defensive and confrontational, then briefly shows guilt and sympathy as she hears how restricted her daughter feels. Rather than address that issue directly, she redirects the confrontation toward Wu Chen.
• Wu Chen stays calm while questioning the bodyguard, then turns sharply indignant once the report confirms he was teaching Qingying. His sarcastic defense escalates the conflict.
• The bodyguard’s direct, detailed testimony clears up his initial report: he described real physical contact but had mistaken coaching for inappropriate conduct.
• Li’s and Wu Chen’s nominal united front is tested by Madam Su’s accusation; Li appears to react like an angry girlfriend, while privately she is surprised that Qingying never told her about the incident.

Significant themes

• Control versus independence: Qingying’s sheltered life has deprived her of everyday choices and the chance to form an identity of her own.
• Care and its consequences: Madam Su may believe she is protecting her daughter, but her controlling behavior risks causing serious emotional harm.
• Appearances and misinterpretation: The bodyguard’s observations were accurate, yet without context they suggested wrongdoing; the scene emphasizes the need to establish facts before judging.
• Family loyalty and intervention: Li’s personal history motivates her to intervene, while Madam Su resists an outsider’s criticism of her parenting.

Plot and key events

• Wu Chen lets Madam Su believe he and Su Qingying are at odds. After Madam Su rebukes him for insulting her daughter, he doubles down, calling Su Qingying stupid.
• He then performs anger on Li Ruobing’s behalf, claiming the Su family has treated them unfairly after they spent the day helping Qingying. The outburst gives Li a credible reason to defend her boyfriend and reassure Madam Su that she trusts him.
• Li plays along, soothing Wu Chen and kissing his cheek in front of Madam Su. She then apologizes to Qingying for his words while challenging Madam Su about how they have been treated.
• Realizing she risks alienating Li and her powerful family, Madam Su backs down and steers the conversation toward reconciliation. She concedes that she may have been too strict with Qingying and says she will let her take on some everyday tasks if she wants.
• Madam Su recognizes that Li and Qingying’s friendship could be valuable to Qingying’s future leadership of Jinfu Group. She warmly encourages their bond, invites Li to stay, and arranges for Qingying to keep her company overnight.
• After Madam Su leaves, Qingying asks Wu Chen whether he really thinks she is stupid.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen uses staged conflict to redirect Madam Su’s suspicions and protect Li’s position. Though outwardly calm again, he privately intends to challenge Madam Su’s influence over the Su family and Jinfu Group.
• Li Ruobing commits to the act, publicly showing affection for Wu Chen and standing by him. Her visible loyalty changes Madam Su’s view of their relationship and helps prevent a rupture between the families.
• Madam Su remains protective and controlling toward Qingying, but shows her skill as a negotiator by quickly repairing relations with Li once she sees the political value of their friendship. She continues to resent Wu Chen and avoids speaking to him.
• Su Qingying stays quiet during the adults’ discussion and appears subdued. Her final, slightly aggrieved question to Wu Chen suggests she knows his insult was part of the performance but still wants reassurance.

Significant themes

• Performance and manipulation: Wu Chen and Li construct a convincing argument to influence Madam Su’s perceptions.
• Family power and succession: Qingying’s marriage, friendships, and future leadership are treated as matters affecting the Su family’s control of Jinfu Group.
• Strategic relationships: Li’s friendship is valuable not only personally but also as a potential link to the powerful Li family.
• Care versus control: Madam Su sincerely loves her daughter, yet her strict upbringing and desire to direct Qingying’s life strain their relationship.

Plot points and events

• After Su Qingying’s mother leaves, Qingying playfully seeks reassurance from Wu Chen about his earlier scolding. He comforts her, and she sits on his lap and kisses him.
• Li Ruobing returns and urges them to leave the Su family’s Golden Fortune Teahouse for her office, where they can talk privately.
• Wu Chen prepares to make a call. Li Ruobing fears he intends to retaliate against the powerful Su Family, but he explains that he wants to free Qingying from her mother’s control without forcing her to choose between her family and him.
• He gives Qingying two possible futures: she can return home and continue facing pressure over her life and marriage, or he can help her take control of the family and become president of Jinfu Group. Qingying hesitantly chooses the second option.
• Wu Chen calls a man and unsettles him by mentioning Liang Yuan, South River Warehouse, and Bai Kaifeng. He arranges to meet him in an hour at Qinyuan Teahouse, then hangs up.

Character developments

• Su Qingying remains anxious about confronting her mother, but shows growing willingness to claim independence. Her choice signals trust in Wu Chen and a desire for a different future.
• Wu Chen reveals a protective, pragmatic side: he wants Qingying to gain power rather than simply escape her family or be forced to choose between them. His cryptic call suggests he is also pursuing a separate plan.
• Li Ruobing is increasingly concerned about Wu Chen’s actions. She is surprised by his tenderness toward Qingying and briefly feels envious, though she tries to hide it.

Significant themes

• Independence versus family control: Qingying must decide whether to accept her mother’s authority or seek power of her own.
• Love without forcing a choice: Wu Chen argues that Qingying should not have to sacrifice either her relationship or her family.
• Power and hidden leverage: Wu Chen implies that exposing corporate secrets could bring the Su Family to heel, and his call shows his influence reaches beyond the immediate conflict.
• Confidence and agency: Qingying’s main obstacle is not a lack of desire to resist, but her fear that she cannot follow through.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen reassures Qingying affectionately after teasing her, while Li Ruobing watches their intimacy with weary discomfort.
• Li Ruobing tries to dissuade Wu Chen from provoking the Su Family; he counters that his plan is meant to protect Qingying and asks her to choose what happens next.
• Qingying listens to their exchange, then leans close to Wu Chen during the mysterious call, while Li Ruobing also moves in to hear it.

Plot points and events

• Li Ruobing tries to make sense of Wu Chen’s brief phone call. She suspects he plans to help Su Qingying seize control of Jinfu Group, but doubts anyone could overcome Su Qingying’s father, the company’s largest shareholder.
• Wu Chen confirms that Li has guessed his starting point, though she lacks the personal and corporate knowledge needed to predict his full plan. He urges the women to go to Qinyuan Teahouse.
• Li resists helping, but agrees to escort Su Qingying and provide cover for their outing. She insists on accompanying Wu Chen afterward so she can see what he is doing.
• The group visits Illusion Fashion, changes cars, and evades the Su Family’s covert tail. They reach Qinyuan Teahouse around 7 p.m., where Wu Chen has arranged several meetings.
• Wu Chen settles Su Qingying and Li Ruobing in a large private room, then goes alone to meet a middle-aged man, Boss Yao. He invokes the name Bai Kaifeng, immediately unsettling Yao.
• Yao asks where Bai is and tries both to threaten Wu Chen and to bribe him for information. Wu Chen reveals that his phone is still connected to a call, suggesting Yao’s words have been recorded.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains confident and in control, using his knowledge of people and carefully staged encounters to keep others off balance. He also manipulates Li’s choices while allowing her to believe she is acting independently.
• Li Ruobing recognizes part of Wu Chen’s strategy but admits she cannot understand the whole plan. Proud and wary, she reluctantly cooperates to protect the cover story, then follows because she wants answers.
• Su Qingying follows Wu Chen’s lead and remains composed and polite, including when recognized by the teahouse receptionist.
• Boss Yao shifts rapidly from fear and urgency to intimidation and bribery, exposing how deeply the past incident involving Bai Kaifeng troubles him.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Su Qingying’s possible rise at Jinfu Group would challenge both corporate and family authority.
• Knowledge and psychological leverage: Wu Chen’s advantage lies not only in secrets but in understanding people and anticipating their reactions.
• Manipulation and choice: Li’s attempt to set terms may itself fit Wu Chen’s plans.
• Secrets and consequences: Yao’s fearful response suggests a serious, potentially criminal history that may soon be exposed.

Key plot points

• Wu Chen intimidates a middle-aged businessman by revealing that he knows about his past crimes, secret payments to a victim’s family, a buried body, and financial fraud.
• The businessman, Yao Honglin, offers increasingly large sums to silence Wu Chen, eventually promising 300 million yuan in installments. Wu Chen suspects Yao may be considering how to eliminate him.
• Wu Chen ends his phone call, signaling Su Qingying and Li Ruobing to enter. Yao recognizes both women and realizes they heard enough to make resistance perilous.
• Rather than take money, Wu Chen demands that Yao support Su Qingying’s proposals at Jinfu Group board meetings. Yao agrees, relieved by the seemingly modest demand.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains calm and controlled, using what he knows—and the women’s presence—to pressure Yao without revealing everything. He carefully keeps his relationship with Su Qingying discreet by arranging the seating.
• Yao Honglin shifts from threatening and dismissive to frightened, submissive, and finally relieved when Wu Chen asks for political support rather than money.
• Su Qingying is shocked to discover that Yao, a businessman she knows through Jinfu Group, may be connected to serious crimes. She and Li Ruobing witness the confrontation but do not know all of Yao’s secrets.
• Li Ruobing lends weight to Wu Chen’s position simply by being present; Yao recognizes her connection to the powerful Li family.
• The encounter emphasizes Wu Chen’s command over the room: Yao tries to bargain privately, but Wu Chen controls the conversation and sets the terms.

Significant themes

• Power through information: Wu Chen’s knowledge of Yao’s crimes and vulnerabilities outweighs the money Yao can offer.
• Fear and accountability: Yao’s concern about exposure—and the possibility that old crimes could be investigated with modern methods—drives his submission.
• Business influence and leverage: Wu Chen turns a personal confrontation into a demand for support within Jinfu Group’s boardroom.
• Appearance versus reality: Yao’s paper wealth and respectable business standing conceal financial troubles and a criminal past.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen meets Jinfu Group director Yao Honglin, whose board seat and single vote are still valuable despite his declining influence in the company.
• After making Yao fear that his secrets could ruin him, Wu asks for one thing: vote with Su Qingying at board meetings. Relieved that the price is so modest, Yao agrees.
• Yao realizes Su Qingying may be building support against her father, Jinfu chairman Su Ruiwen. He decides that backing the company’s likely future chairwoman could be an opportunity, not merely a risk.
• Li Ruobing questions how one vote could matter and worries that Wu’s plan to change Jinfu’s leadership could fail. Wu reveals that Yao is one of six people he plans to enlist; five more are waiting elsewhere in the teahouse.
• Wu explains that he does not rely on threats alone. He tailors his approach to each person, using incentives, favors, family ties, or information that speaks to that person’s motives.
• Over roughly three hours, Wu meets the other five. Su Qingying and Li Ruobing join each meeting at times Wu has arranged. At the end, Madam Sun of Pearl and Gem Jewelry pledges support, as do the other people Wu has approached.
• The chapter closes with Li still asking how six directors can secure control of a board that requires a two-thirds majority. Wu offers no answer yet.

Character developments

• Yao Honglin shifts from terrified and defensive to relieved, then opportunistic. He commits to supporting Su Qingying and sees potential rewards in aligning himself with her.
• Wu Chen demonstrates strategic confidence and a deep understanding of people’s motives. He reassures Li, but keeps the larger plan—and how it will win enough votes—under wraps.
• Li Ruobing moves from skepticism to uneasy respect for Wu’s methods. Her curiosity and concern remain, especially because she cannot see how his small group of supporters will be enough.
• Su Qingying stays composed and cooperative. Though she has questions, she trusts Wu’s lead and follows the schedule he sets.

Significant themes

• Power through leverage and relationships: Influence comes not only from authority or shares, but from votes, personal loyalties, and the concerns of people around a target.
• Understanding human nature: Wu succeeds by tailoring his approach to each person rather than treating everyone as equally susceptible to threats or rewards.
• Fear turned into opportunity: Yao’s terror gives way to a calculation that cooperation could benefit him.
• Trust and restraint: Wu appears to be helping Su Qingying pursue power while avoiding a direct assault on her family, though the details remain concealed.

Character interactions

• Wu calmly reassures Yao, then directs him to support Su Qingying and dismisses further questions.
• Li challenges Wu’s plan and presses him to explain how he can win enough votes; he teases her curiosity but reveals only part of his strategy.
• Wu teaches Li and Su Qingying that each person must be approached differently, sometimes through someone close to them.
• Su Qingying and Li accompany Wu through the meetings, while Madam Sun’s deferential farewell signals that Wu’s persuasion has secured at least one more ally.

Plot points

• Wu Chen tells Li Ruobing and Su Qingying to wait for the outcome of his plan against the Su Family and Jinfu Group. He coaches Qingying to conceal what she knows, explaining that a little mystery can make others more curious and draw them closer.
• The group goes to Li Ruobing’s villa, where she and Qingying settle on a story to explain the evening to Qingying’s mother. Wu Chen describes himself as a professional intelligence broker but avoids giving more details.
• As Qingying prepares for bed, Li Ruobing takes Wu Chen to a window and kisses him. She reveals that a suspicious person is outside, likely watching on behalf of Ding Ruilong. The kiss is meant to make Ding believe she has a boyfriend and perhaps provoke him.
• Li asks whether Wu Chen fears Ding. He reassures her, then initiates a kiss himself. Their exchange shows that their relationship, though presented publicly as a sham, is becoming emotionally complicated.
• The next morning, Wu Chen wakes beside Su Qingying. Li Ruobing enters with a call from Qingying’s mother and silently warns Wu Chen not to make a sound.

Character development and interactions

• Wu Chen remains calculating and teasing, but also offers Qingying practical guidance and reassurance. He appears confident about the risks of being connected to Li Ruobing.
• Su Qingying is preparing to face her mother and shows growing resolve. She trusts Wu Chen’s help, though she still doesn’t understand all of his methods.
• Li Ruobing becomes more openly affectionate and reveals a fear that Wu Chen might eventually leave her once he gains power and wealth. She uses their public relationship strategically, yet her feelings seem genuine.
• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing trade playful challenges and kisses; beneath the banter is mutual attraction and insecurity. Li and Qingying cooperate in preparing an account of the previous night.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and strategy: Wu Chen advises Qingying to manage information rather than reveal everything.
• Performance and reality: Li and Wu maintain a public romance as cover, while their private feelings increasingly blur the act.
• Power and risk: The characters use relationships and appearances as tools in business and family conflicts, accepting danger for potential advantage.
• Trust and vulnerability: Li’s fear of losing Wu Chen surfaces even as she acts confident and self-reliant.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Su Qingying wakes beside Wu Chen at Li Ruobing’s home and takes a call from her mother using Li’s phone. She tells her mother she stayed up talking with Li, hiding the real reason for her hoarse voice and late start.
• After breakfast, Wu Chen, Su Qingying, and Li Ruobing travel together. They drop Wu Chen at Huancai Fashion Company, then Li takes Su to Jinfu Tower, where Su faces a crucial meeting that could determine her future at Jinfu Group.
• Li watches Su enter the building and worries that she lacks the support needed to take control of the board. Su, however, enters with resolve, knowing she has no other choice.
• In Nanguang City, Ding Ruilong watches surveillance footage of Li and Wu Chen kissing at her villa and being carried inside. Convinced their relationship is real, he erupts in jealousy, destroys objects in his office, and tears up Wu Chen’s photo.
• Ding summons his trusted aide Jiang Chuan and orders him to kill Wu Chen as brutally and quickly as possible. Jiang warns that acting in East Sea—Li Ruotai’s territory—could expose Ding, and that Wu Chen’s background seems suspicious. Ding insists, but asks how long the killing will take.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Qingying is composed while speaking to her mother, but her lies reveal how anxious she is about the previous night. At Jinfu Tower, she gathers herself and proceeds toward the high-stakes confrontation.
• Li Ruobing helps Su by lending her phone and taking her to Jinfu Tower. Though she encourages Su, she remains doubtful that Su can win control of the board. Her easy imitation of Wu Chen’s phrase also hints at their growing closeness.
• Wu Chen remains mostly in the background, but his relationship with Li has become serious enough to provoke Ding’s extreme reaction.
• Ding Ruilong shifts from suspicion to certainty about Li and Wu Chen, then spirals into possessive rage. His fixation on Li is expressed as entitlement and jealousy.
• Jiang Chuan shows loyalty while trying to restrain Ding’s impulsiveness. He obeys the order but raises practical and political risks; Ding is angry, yet recognizes Jiang’s concern enough to ask for a timeline.

Significant themes

• Power and uncertainty: Su’s attempt to secure control of Jinfu Group is a turning point, though her chances remain unclear.
• Possessiveness versus autonomy: Ding treats Li’s choices as a personal insult, revealing his controlling view of her.
• Deception and hidden truths: Su conceals the real reason for her lateness and hoarseness, while Ding’s informants uncover the couple’s private relationship.
• Escalating danger: Ding’s order makes Wu Chen’s relationship with Li a potential trigger for a deadly conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Ding Ruilong orders Jiang Chuan to kill Wu Chen within three days. Jiang agrees, then leaves with a hardened resolve while Ding destroys his office in rage.
• Wu Chen expects Ding to retaliate after his kiss with Li Ruobing and begins preparing a countermeasure.
• In an online sketching group, Wu Chen establishes himself as an insightful critic, then spends fifty minutes drawing Li Ruobing at work. He posts the finished, technically dazzling portrait, designed to impress the group’s mostly inexperienced members.
• Li Ruobing is astonished by Wu Chen’s skill. The group erupts in praise, and Wu Chen receives many messages and friend requests.
• A member named Lin Yuan contacts him. Wu Chen recognizes her as a woman connected to Ding Ruilong: she and Ding had a daughter fourteen years ago.

Character developments

• Ding Ruilong is shown as volatile and consumed by hatred, while Jiang Chuan shifts from concern to a determined willingness to carry out the killing.
• Wu Chen demonstrates strategic patience and artistic talent. His sketch is not simply an expression of admiration: he uses it as bait to attract the attention of someone linked to Ding.
• Li Ruobing remains focused on work, initially dismissing Wu Chen’s drawing as an odd distraction, but her reaction reveals genuine surprise and newfound appreciation of his abilities.

Significant themes

• Revenge and escalation: Ding’s demand makes the threat against Wu Chen immediate.
• Performance and manipulation: Wu Chen deliberately tailors his display of talent to win over a particular audience and draw out a useful contact.
• Appearance versus reality: What seems like a spontaneous portrait is part of a larger plan; Wu Chen’s apparent casualness conceals careful intent.
• Skill and perception: The group sees the sketch as extraordinary, while the narration notes that its technical brilliance is deliberately emphasized at the expense of subtler artistic mood.

Character interactions

• Ding commands Jiang to kill Wu Chen; Jiang accepts the deadline.
• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing exchange skeptical, lightly teasing remarks about his decision to sketch her. She then works while he draws, largely ignoring him until she sees the result.
• Group members praise Wu Chen’s sketch and seek his attention. Lin Yuan’s message creates the next connection in Wu Chen’s plan against Ding.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen uses his familiarity with Ding Ruilong’s history to approach Lin Yuan through the “Not Limited To” account, posing as an art teacher named Xin Chen.
• He praises Lin Yuan’s fourteen-year-old daughter Xin Xin’s drawings and offers advice about her rebellious behavior. Lin Yuan reveals she is a single mother and struggles to communicate with her daughter.
• Lin Yuan asks Wu Chen to come to Magic City and tutor Xin Xin, offering generous pay and introductions to other families. Wu Chen plans to use the invitation to bring Lin Yuan and Xin Xin to East Sea, both to provoke Ding Ruilong and to secure a crucial witness against him.
• The scene shifts to a Jinfu Group executive meeting, where Su Qingying publicly defies her mother, Madam Su. She insists that two security officials, Zhou Da and Yang Kuo, be fired and threatens to convene the board if opposed.
• Madam Su is furious and accuses her daughter of rebelling. Su Qingying asserts her authority as Executive Vice President and says she has legitimate grounds for the dismissals. At the chapter’s end, Madam Su demands that she explain those grounds.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen is shown as a patient, strategic investigator who uses charm and prepared knowledge to gain Lin Yuan’s trust. His broader aim is to expose and destroy Ding Ruilong.
• Lin Yuan is wary and lonely, protective of her daughter, and fearful of Ding Ruilong. Despite her hesitation, she is eager to find help for Xin Xin.
• Ding Ruilong is described as possessive and vindictive: though he has long neglected Lin Yuan and their daughter, he still considers them his property and would retaliate against anyone who became involved with her.
• Su Qingying has shifted from her usual obedience to open, determined independence. She exercises her executive authority despite her mother’s anger.
• Madam Su tries to preserve her influence over the company and her daughter, relying first on intimidation and then on arguments about procedure and reputational risk.
• Tang Deyang, a powerful Jinfu veteran, watches the confrontation with curiosity and apparent approval of Su Qingying’s resolve.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and strategic leverage: Wu Chen turns personal knowledge into a means of gaining access to Lin Yuan and undermining Ding Ruilong.
• Possession versus autonomy: Ding Ruilong’s belief that people remain “his” contrasts with Lin Yuan’s and Su Qingying’s attempts to make independent choices.
• Family control and rebellion: Su Qingying’s clash with her mother exposes the tension between parental authority and adult independence.
• Power and accountability: The meeting raises questions about whether Su Qingying’s authority can overcome Madam Su’s informal influence—and whether the firings have valid grounds.

Plot points and events

• Su Qingying confronts her mother, Madam Su, during a Jinfu Group executive meeting. She argues that Zhou Da, head of Security, must be dismissed after a high-profile robbery damaged public confidence and caused the company’s share price to plunge. Though Zhou was not personally responsible, Su Qingying says his removal would demonstrate that the company is addressing security concerns.
• She also insists that Yang Kuo be removed from Jinfu’s payroll because he serves as Madam Su’s personal bodyguard, not as a genuine company employee. The dispute is therefore also about the proper use of a publicly listed company’s resources.
• Madam Su accepts Zhou Da’s dismissal but challenges the decision about Yang Kuo. Recognizing that Su Qingying is defying her authority, she calls an emergency Board meeting, confident that the directors will side with her. Su Qingying delays the dismissals, having raised them partly to force the board meeting.
• After the executives leave, Tang Deyang stays behind. He supports Su Qingying’s need to become independent but warns that she challenged her mother too suddenly and without preparation, making it harder to succeed.
• Madam Su calls Su Ruiwen, her husband, and tells him she believes Li Ruobing has influenced their daughter. She intends to settle the matter herself at the Board meeting.
• At Illusion Fashion, Wu Chen discusses a possible teaching job with Lin Yuan Buxianyu, who wants him to tutor her talented but difficult daughter. He agrees only to consider it.
• Li Ruobing questions Wu Chen about whether he is really an information broker. He evades a direct answer and leaves. In his car, he calls an unnamed man, accuses him of being a double agent, and warns him that Ding Ruilong or Li Ruotai could kill him if they discovered his betrayal. The man denies knowing anything, ending the chapter on a threat and a mystery.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Qingying shows greater confidence and political skill: she builds a defensible business case while using the dispute to challenge her mother and advance her own authority. She follows Wu Chen’s advice but keeps parts of the plan from Tang Deyang.
• Madam Su is controlling and determined to preserve her influence. She sees Qingying’s actions as rebellion, not merely a disagreement over staffing, and plans to use the Board to reassert control.
• Tang Deyang offers Qingying cautious support. His long-standing resentment toward Madam Su gives him sympathy for her independence, though he believes she chose the wrong moment to confront her.
• Wu Chen remains elusive and influential: he has apparently helped shape Qingying’s approach, while also pursuing a separate, secretive investigation.
• Li Ruobing remains suspicious of Wu Chen, though she trusts that he will not harm her. Their exchange underscores how little she truly knows about him.

Significant themes

• Independence versus control: Qingying’s conflict with her mother is a struggle over whether she can lead the company in her own right.
• Corporate responsibility and public trust: The robbery was unpredictable, but Jinfu must respond to public concern and shareholder losses.
• Power and perception: Removing Zhou Da is presented as a symbolic move to reassure customers and investors, regardless of his personal fault.
• Loyalty, secrecy, and manipulation: Qingying withholds information from Tang, while Wu Chen’s hidden dealings suggest larger political or personal schemes underway.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen confronts a cautious man over his double-dealing: he had informed on Ding Ruilong’s dirty work to Li Ruotai, then betrayed Li to Ding while trying to move assets overseas. The man proposes a meeting, but Wu Chen later cancels when another matter arises.
• Li Ruobing tells Wu Chen that Lu Guangnian wants to see him. Lu Guangnian calls soon after, inviting him to lunch and admitting he needs help winning back his former partner, Ma Huifang, and their son, Ma Jiawei.
• Wu Chen agrees and meets Lu at Mount Buddha Pavilion. Lu explains that Ma Huifang drove him out after he repeatedly visited with expensive gifts, a diamond ring, and even a Ferrari for Jiawei. His wealth and entourage made his attempts at reconciliation seem like an effort to buy forgiveness. He also stayed after being told to leave, leading Jiawei to nearly fight him and Ma Huifang to throw things at him.
• Wu Chen identifies Lu’s main mistake: he has been rushing and flaunting his wealth, while Ma Huifang—who once left him despite his relative prosperity—values neither his money nor his status. She raised Jiawei alone and now fears Lu will disrupt their settled lives.
• Wu Chen offers two approaches: slowly earn Jiawei’s trust, which may eventually soften Ma Huifang, or pursue a faster method that might reunite them that day. Lu chooses the fast option and offers Wu Chen 100 million yuan, but Wu Chen stops him, saying money is not what he meant.

Character developments

• Wu Chen remains composed and calculating, shifting his plans to use Lu’s family crisis as part of a broader strategy. He understands both Lu’s desperation and the emotional dynamics behind the rejection.
• Lu Guangnian is humbled and openly pleading, having abandoned his usual pride. Though he has recovered from the betrayal involving his wife and son, he is impatient to repair the old relationship and struggles to understand why his wealth cannot help.
• Ma Huifang emerges as fiercely independent and protective of the life she built. Her anger reflects years of hurt and her refusal to be bought or pressured.
• Ma Jiawei is loyal to the mother who raised him and rejects Lu’s sudden entrance into their family.
• Li Ruobing is alert to the unusual connection between Lu and Wu Chen, though she does not learn what Lu wants.

Themes

• Money cannot repair emotional harm: Lu’s wealth worsens his first attempts because it comes across as a substitute for accountability.
• Patience and respect in reconciliation: Lu’s persistence becomes pressure, while Wu Chen sees that trust must be earned over time.
• Family loyalty and the consequences of absence: Jiawei’s bond with his mother reflects the cost of Lu’s decades-long absence.
• Power and hidden motives: Wu Chen’s conversation about the double-dealing man and his own strategic use of Lu’s predicament hint at larger schemes beyond the family dispute.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen taunts the unnamed man about his betrayal and overseas asset transfers, prompting him to arrange a private meeting.
• Li Ruobing relays Lu’s request and probes Wu Chen about it; he teases her rather than explaining.
• Lu treats Wu Chen warmly as a trusted friend, recounts his failed reconciliation, and begs for help.
• Wu questions Lu’s conduct, diagnoses why Ma Huifang and Jiawei resist him, and offers alternative strategies. Lu immediately opts for the quick solution and tries to pay, but Wu redirects him.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen refuses Lu Guangnian’s offer of money, reminding him that money cannot restore his relationship with Ma Huifang and their son. He instead gives Lu a carefully tailored plan to win them back, stressing that Lu must set aside his pride and follow every detail.
• After a long lunch, Wu receives a tense call from someone waiting to meet him. The caller becomes threatening, but Wu remains composed and hangs up. Lu offers to help, but Wu dismisses the matter and redirects attention to the reconciliation plan.
• Wu and Lu prepare, then go to Ma Huifang’s home. Lu climbs to the ninth floor alone while Wu watches the hallway through the building’s security cameras, ready to intervene if needed.
• Lu approaches Ma Huifang dressed plainly and brings jianbing, a food they used to share. Ma Huifang angrily rejects him, and the noise frightens her granddaughter, Ma Tingting. Her son, Ma Jiawei, tries to step in, but Ma Huifang orders him back inside. Lu stays calm, apologizes, and uses shared memories to keep Ma Huifang talking as planned.
• Meanwhile, Jinfu Group prepares for an emergency board meeting called by Su Qingying. The meeting may determine her future and alter the company’s leadership. Yao Honglin supports her, though he is unsure how she intends to challenge her mother, Madam Su. When Su Qingying arrives, the directors rise alongside Yao, suggesting a shift in their loyalties.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains strategic and self-possessed. He guides Lu’s attempt at reconciliation while concealing how much he knows about Ma Huifang and Ma Jiawei. His calm response to the caller contrasts with Lu’s protective instincts.
• Lu Guangnian shows genuine remorse and devotion to his former family. He accepts Wu’s advice, suppresses his temper, and approaches Ma Huifang gently rather than relying on wealth or authority.
• Ma Huifang is hardened by years of raising her son alone. Though she lashes out and rejects Lu, the familiar food briefly catches her attention, hinting that their past still affects her.
• Ma Jiawei remains wary of Lu and protective of his mother, but Ma Huifang keeps control of the confrontation. His daughter’s frightened reaction underscores the family tension.
• Su Qingying enters the board meeting prepared to confront her mother’s authority. Yao Honglin stands with her, and the other directors’ response hints that she may have more support than expected.

Significant themes

• Remorse and accountability: Lu recognizes that his choices helped shape Ma Huifang’s difficult life and tries to make amends without demanding forgiveness.
• Money versus genuine care: Wu insists that wealth cannot repair a broken family; Lu must demonstrate humility and sincerity instead.
• Performance and restraint: Lu must act against his natural pride and temper, while Wu carefully manages both the family plan and his own concealed concerns.
• Power and changing loyalties: The Jinfu board meeting introduces a parallel struggle over authority, with Su Qingying challenging Madam Su and the directors’ reaction suggesting a possible realignment.

Key plot points and events

• Su Qingying arrives at an emergency Jinfu Group board meeting with several supporters, including Yao Honglin and Wan Wenchang. She signals them to keep a low profile.
• The meeting has been called to decide whether Zhou Da, head of Security, and his deputy Yang Kuo should be dismissed. Su Qingying argues that removing them serves the company’s interests and that Yang is effectively a nominal employee.
• Madam Su opposes the dismissals. She argues that firing Zhou Da—a long-serving employee—could provoke labor arbitration and further negative publicity. Her real motive is to protect her own ally, but the argument gives opponents a respectable rationale.
• Xu Zhenyuan, the group’s second-largest individual shareholder, agrees with Madam Su and signals that he will oppose Su Qingying.
• Su Qingying calls for a vote. She raises her hand in favor, and Yao Honglin immediately raises his too—surprising both Madam Su and Xu.

Character developments

• Su Qingying presents herself as prepared, forceful, and willing to challenge her mother publicly. She invokes her authority as executive vice president but allows the board to decide, framing opposition without reason as unfit for the company’s leadership.
• Madam Su shifts from an imposing matriarch to a calculated opponent. She uses a plausible business argument to mask her personal agenda and expects her influence to intimidate directors.
• Yao Honglin reveals that his support for Su Qingying is more than a private understanding: he is willing to cast a public vote for her despite the political risk.
• Wan Wenchang, a senior executive and longtime ally of Su Ruiwen, supports Su Qingying, believing she is Jinfu’s likely future chairwoman.
• Xu Zhenyuan backs Madam Su partly as a favor and partly because he sees no meaningful cost in doing so.

Significant themes

• Corporate power and succession: The board vote is also a struggle over who will control Jinfu Group after Su Ruiwen.
• Public arguments versus private motives: Both sides present business justifications, while personal loyalties and political calculations drive their positions.
• Authority, legitimacy, and intimidation: Su Qingying asserts her formal authority, while Madam Su relies on her status and influence to pressure the board.
• Strategic loyalty: Directors choose sides based not only on the immediate issue but on expectations about the company’s future leadership.

Character interactions

• Su Qingying’s quiet signal to her allies reflects coordinated strategy, while Yao Honglin’s later vote turns that discreet support into an open challenge.
• Madam Su and Su Qingying confront each other as mother and daughter but speak through the formal language of corporate governance.
• Xu Zhenyuan privately assures Madam Su of his support, then publicly backs her position.
• Wan Wenchang acknowledges Yao’s hint but remains committed to supporting Su Qingying, highlighting that her coalition includes directors with different histories and motives.