Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• During Ding Ruilong’s interrogation of Tang Wu, his pistol explodes in his hand. His fingers are badly mangled, and he is rushed to the hospital for surgery. His bodyguards remain behind to handle the death and contain the scene.
• At the Crown Entertainment Club, Wu Chen’s group—Li Ruobing, Li Ruotai, Sun Yongzhang, and Tang Jingbin among them—continues talking after drinking. Earlier, Wu Chen had predicted Ding Ruilong would end up in the hospital that night.
• A fire alarm sounds. The fire began in an empty room on the tenth floor and spreads rapidly. Li Ruotai organizes the evacuation and calls firefighters, ambulances, and contacts who can manage the press. Wu Chen and the others escape safely.
• Li Ruobing quietly confronts Wu Chen, recognizing that the fire was deliberately set as part of their earlier plan to close the Clubhouse for renovations. She suspects Wu Chen chose to carry it out that night and involved Li Ruotai.
• Sun Yongzhang receives word that Ding Ruilong is in surgery after his gun exploded. The group connects this with Wu Chen’s earlier prediction and is unsettled by how accurately he foresaw it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ding Ruilong is shown losing control: after shooting Tang Wu, he suffers a severe injury himself and must rely on his bodyguards.
• Li Ruotai shifts from composed host to frantic owner, directing the evacuation and scrambling to protect the Clubhouse and its guests.
• Li Ruobing demonstrates her insight into Wu Chen’s plans. Their private exchange confirms her suspicion, though Wu Chen postpones explaining himself.
• Wu Chen remains calm and observant throughout the fire, watching the time and offering no public explanation. His apparent foreknowledge deepens the others’ unease.
• Sun Yongzhang and Tang Jingbin maintain a polite discussion about repairing relations between their families, but the news of Ding Ruilong’s injury—and Wu Chen’s prediction—changes the mood.

Significant themes

• Foreknowledge and control: Wu Chen’s predictions suggest he knows more than he reveals, making others question how much control he has over events.
• Performance and concealment: Li Ruotai’s visible panic masks the suspicion that the fire was intentional; Ding Ruilong’s men likewise manage appearances after the shooting.
• Power and consequences: Wealth and influence help the characters mobilize emergency services and contain fallout, but they cannot prevent danger or injury.
• Public safety amid private schemes: The planned fire endangers a crowded venue, even though the evacuation succeeds without reported fatalities.

Key plot points and events

• After Ding Ruilong is injured by his gun, Wu Chen’s apparent prediction of the accident leaves Tang Jinbin and the others wondering whether he foresaw it or arranged it.
• Sun Yongzhang sends Li Ruotai to contain the hotel incident. Li Ruotai contacts Heyi Hotel’s chairman, Yu Hai, to keep guests and investigators away from Ding’s room and delay police involvement.
• Wu Chen secretly directs Li Ruotai to send Ma Yuan’s men to Heyi Hotel to contact Jiang Hongguang. At the hotel, Ma Yuan’s team deletes a month of surveillance footage to erase records of Ding Ruilong’s stay.
• At the hospital, Jiang Hongguang receives a message revealing that Crown Club’s fire began in room 1029—the room he had entered twice that afternoon. Realizing he could be framed and that explaining his actions would expose him to Ding Ruilong’s wrath, he flees instead of returning to confess.
• Ma Yuan’s men track Jiang’s departure and prepare to intercept him.
• Back at home, Wu Chen explains the fire scheme to Li Ruobing. He says Jiang was likely to run; even if he confessed, the resulting investigation could still serve Wu Chen’s plans. Li Ruobing wonders why it might point toward Jiang Chuan.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and secretive, clearly orchestrating events while letting others assume they are uncertain. He teases Li Ruobing but eventually explains part of his reasoning.
• Li Ruobing grows increasingly suspicious of what Wu Chen and her brother are hiding. She presses Wu for answers and listens in on his instructions to Li Ruotai.
• Li Ruotai follows his uncle’s request to help the Ding Family publicly, while privately carrying out Wu Chen’s orders. He evades his sister’s questions and leaves to make arrangements.
• Jiang Hongguang shifts from confusion to panic as he recognizes the trap. Believing both confession and silence could get him killed, he chooses flight.
• Sun Yongzhang manages the aftermath, visiting Ding Ruilong and arranging for Li Ruotai to handle the hotel situation.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and misdirection: Wu Chen’s plan uses the fire, the gun incident, and Jiang’s compromised position to shape how others interpret events.
• Fear and self-preservation: Jiang’s decision to flee shows how terror and distrust can override loyalty.
• Secrecy within families and alliances: Li Ruobing is excluded from the coordination between Wu Chen and Li Ruotai, while the Li and Ding families maintain a public appearance of cooperation.
• Control of evidence: The hotel surveillance footage is erased, underscoring how powerful figures manage—or conceal—the record of events.

Key plot points and events

• Li Ruobing questions Wu Chen’s plan to make the Ding Family answer for the attack on him. Wu Chen explains that the disposable SIM card used to threaten Jiang Hongguang had made only one earlier call—to Jiang Chuan—so investigators would connect the number to him.
• The Ding Family cannot question Jiang Chuan because Wu Chen had him captured after Old Blade escaped from the hospital. From the Li Family’s perspective, the responsible parties all belong to the Ding Family, which must still provide an explanation regardless of what it discovers internally.
• Li Ruotai calls to report that Jiang Hongguang has been caught. Wu Chen infers that Jiang Hongguang chose to flee, leaving the Ding Family unable to explain his movements or his connection to the Crown Entertainment Club fire. The Ding Family is likely to face blame and pay the Li Family a substantial settlement.
• Wu Chen later tells Li Ruobing how he sabotaged Ding Ruilong’s pistol so that it would malfunction only after being fired, making the damage appear accidental. He had also prompted Ding Ruilong to investigate his bodyguard, leading him to fire the gun and injure his hand.
• The next morning, Li Ruobing leaves for a noon press conference. Wu Chen stays home, where Tang Xinbao, Guo Qiqi, and Zhuang Xiaodie are gathered. He gives Tang Xinbao a deliberately vague account of the fire and Ding Ruilong’s injury.
• An Menglan, the famous singer, calls Wu Chen, setting up the next development.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruobing is impressed and unsettled by the scale of Wu Chen’s schemes, but gains reassurance when he promises he would not manipulate her if they ever came into conflict. They confess their love and share an affectionate moment.
• Their intimacy is interrupted by Li Ruotai’s call. Li Ruobing initially scolds her brother for calling late and for keeping her out of the loop, then lets Wu Chen handle the brief report.
• Later, Li Ruobing shows her admiration through affection rather than pressing Wu Chen for every detail. The two discuss his sabotage of Ding Ruilong’s weapon before going to sleep.
• Wu Chen remains composed and strategic, adapting his plans to changing circumstances while concealing the full truth from others. Li Ruotai follows his lead in capturing Jiang Hongguang, while Tang Xinbao trusts him and chats with him at breakfast.

Significant themes

• Control through information and uncertainty: Wu Chen turns hidden connections, missing men, and gaps in evidence into leverage against the Ding Family.
• Loyalty and trust: Li Ruobing fears Wu Chen’s capacity for manipulation but is reassured by his love and his promise to treat her differently.
• Reputation and accountability: Whatever the Ding Family discovers privately, it must answer publicly to the Li Family for the apparent actions of its members.
• The cost of power: Wu Chen’s competence inspires both admiration and fear, complicating the intimacy between him and Li Ruobing.

Key plot points and events

• Superstar and music executive An Menglan calls Wu Chen to praise two hit songs he wrote. She tries to recruit him as a performer, but he declines, saying he has no plans to enter entertainment. She then proposes meeting in East Sea to discuss other possible collaborations. Wu Chen reluctantly agrees.
• Wu Chen reflects that he knows An Menglan very well from his repeated experiences in the time loop, though she does not know his history. He then chats with Tang Xinbao while waiting for Tang Xinbao’s uncle.
• In the hospital, Ding Ruilong is recovering from a severe injury to his dominant right hand. Doctors have saved his fingers, but lasting problems with movement are likely.
• Li Ruotai calls Ding and angrily accuses him of arranging the fire at Crown Entertainment Club. Ding denies involvement and is genuinely confused. Sun Yongchang takes the phone and hears Li’s explanation.
• Li says investigators traced the fire to an outlet in Room 1029. Surveillance showed one of Ding’s bodyguards entering that room twice before the blaze and speaking with a housekeeper, making the visits look suspicious.
• The fire damaged the club’s lavish upper floors and threatens even greater losses through closure and repairs. Li, unaware that Wu Chen was behind the plan, believes Ding ordered the arson in retaliation for a previous dispute.
• Li arrives at the hospital with dozens of men, overwhelms Ding’s guards, kicks in the room door, and draws a gun, threatening to kill Ding.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and uninterested in fame, agreeing to meet An Menglan only after she suggests a broader business discussion. His familiarity with her comes from his time-loop experiences.
• An Menglan is impressed by Wu Chen’s songwriting and approaches him respectfully, showing both her passion for music and her determination to find ways to work with him.
• Ding Ruilong tries to minimize his hand injury, then becomes angry and bewildered when accused of the fire. He does not know about Li Ruotai’s crisis or the real reason behind the arson.
• Li Ruotai shifts from furious accusation to direct, violent confrontation, convinced that Ding betrayed him.
• Sun Yongchang and Tang Jingbin are initially focused on Ding’s recovery, then become alarmed as the accusation and Li’s account expose a widening conflict. Sun tries to mediate, but the situation escalates beyond him.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and incomplete information: Li interprets suspicious surveillance footage as proof, while Ding’s ignorance of Li’s troubles makes the accusation seem absurd to him.
• Hidden causes and manipulation: The fire’s true context is concealed from the Ding family, and the apparent evidence drives the conflict toward violence.
• Talent versus ambition: Wu Chen’s refusal to pursue stardom contrasts with An Menglan’s earnest efforts to recruit him.
• Escalating retaliation: A dispute that might have been contained becomes a dangerous feud, ending with Li confronting an injured man at gunpoint.

Plot and key events

• Li Ruotai storms into Ding Ruilong’s hospital room with a gun, accusing him of burning down Li’s Clubhouse. Sun Yongzhang wrestles the gun away and insists they examine evidence before anyone acts.
• Li shows surveillance footage of Ding’s bodyguard, Jiang Hongguang, entering Room 1029 twice before the fire. The footage also shows him taking a staff member’s key card and checking messages.
• Ding says Jiang has disappeared and insists someone framed him. He orders an investigation into Jiang’s finances and calls.
• At lunch, Wu Chen confirms to Li Maoren that he orchestrated the framing. Li Maoren objects to the risk, then becomes impressed when Wu explains the investigation will lead to Jiang Chuan, a Ding-family insider currently in Wu’s control. Wu also admits he caused Ding’s gun to malfunction.
• Back at the hospital, Ding and Li Ruotai trade accusations. Ding’s investigator reports that Jiang Hongguang received two calls from an unregistered number before the fire. The number’s only earlier call went to Jiang Chuan, leaving Ding stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruotai is furious and impulsive, but accepts Sun Yongzhang’s intervention and uses the footage to press his accusation.
• Sun Yongzhang acts as mediator, preventing violence and insisting on evidence; the footage makes him uneasy about Ding.
• Ding Ruilong shifts from fear and silence to suspicion and counter-investigation. Though he maintains that he was framed, the link to Jiang Chuan unsettles him.
• Wu Chen appears calm and confident, openly owning the scheme to Li Maoren and revealing that he also sabotaged Ding’s gun.
• Li Maoren is wary of Wu’s risks but ultimately recognizes the plan’s strength. Their exchange has the tone of a cautious elder challenging a younger strategist.
• Tang Jinbin watches the footage as a potential witness, hoping the accusation is a misunderstanding.

Significant themes

• Evidence and manipulation: Surveillance seems incriminating, yet the missing bodyguard and suspicious calls suggest the evidence may have been engineered.
• Power and risk: Wu’s bold plan forces the Li family to confront consequences they would prefer to avoid.
• Suspicion and betrayal: The final connection to Jiang Chuan raises the possibility that someone inside Ding’s own circle is involved.

Plot points and events

• Ding Ruilong learns that the blacklisted phone number connected to Jiang Hongguang’s disappearance had also called Jiang Chuan shortly before Jiang Chuan vanished. The repeated disappearances suggest a hidden hand, but investigators have no clear lead.
• Li Ruotai demands answers. Ding Ruilong admits Jiang Chuan is missing, which sounds so convenient that Li Ruotai loses his temper, throws a vase at him, and has to be restrained by Sun Yongzhang.
• Later, Li Ruotai, Sun Yongzhang, and Tang Jinbin visit Wu Chen’s home to discuss the clubhouse fire and Tang Xinbao’s situation. Li Ruotai shows the surveillance footage and accuses Ding Ruilong.
• Wu Chen argues that the evidence may point to infighting within the Ding Family. Ding Ruilong seems less suspicious because the trail is so obvious—but that apparent obviousness could itself be a deliberate attempt to clear his name.
• Wu Chen calms Li Ruotai and redirects the gathering toward a private discussion with Tang Jinbin and Sun Yongzhang about Tang Xinbao. The three go upstairs to Wu Chen’s study.

Character developments and interactions

• Ding Ruilong grows uneasy at the pattern of disappearances but struggles to persuade the others that the investigation is inconclusive. His secrecy and the coincidences make him look more suspicious to Li Ruotai.
• Li Ruotai is exhausted, furious, and openly confrontational. Though he nearly attacks Ding Ruilong, he restrains himself when Wu Chen tells him to sit, showing how much he trusts Wu Chen’s judgment.
• Wu Chen takes command of the discussion through careful reasoning and de-escalation. Sun Yongzhang and Li Ruotai defer to him, which astonishes Tang Jinbin.
• Sun Yongzhang tries to keep Li Ruotai calm while pursuing the truth. He respects Wu Chen’s assessment and accompanies him to the private meeting.
• Tang Xinbao insists he has fully recovered, partly because he hopes to become Wu Chen’s disciple. Tang Jinbin worries this will complicate negotiations.
• Tang Jinbin observes the unusual authority Wu Chen holds over Li Ruotai and Sun Yongzhang, and agrees to discuss matters privately.

Significant themes

• Hidden manipulation and uncertainty: The disappearances and suspiciously obvious evidence hint that someone may be controlling events behind the scenes.
• Anger versus restraint: Li Ruotai’s fury threatens to derail the investigation, while Wu Chen and Sun Yongzhang work to keep it focused.
• Influence and trust: Wu Chen’s standing is revealed through the way powerful figures defer to him.
• Family politics: The fire, the Tang family’s interests, and the proposed private discussion suggest that personal disputes may widen into negotiations between powerful families.

Chapter Summary: “A Grand Gift”

Key plot points and events

• Wu Chen meets with Tang Jingbin and Sun Yongzhang to discuss the Li Family’s responsibility for Tang Xinbao’s injuries at Tang Palace.
• Tang Jingbin wants an explanation, but Wu Chen proposes settling the matter through compensation and by asking Xinbao what he wants. Tang Jingbin recognizes that Wu Chen is no longer merely the man who saved his nephew: he appears to represent the Li Family and has substantial influence within it.
• Wu Chen offers the Tang Family a “grand gift”: damaging evidence against the Liu Family of Northern China, a longtime rival of the Tangs, and the Li Family’s help in acting against them.
• Tang Jingbin is intrigued but doubts Wu Chen’s authority to promise such consequential support. Sun Yongzhang is also alarmed, since he had not known of the offer and believes the conversation was supposed to draw the Tang Family against the Ding Family.
• To settle Tang Jingbin’s doubts, Wu Chen calls Li Maoren on speakerphone. Li Maoren confirms that Wu Chen can represent the Li Family in negotiations with Tang Jingbin, effectively validating Wu Chen’s promise.
• Li Maoren has only just learned that Wu Chen wants to involve the Li Family against the Liu Family, but quickly understands the maneuver and backs Wu Chen publicly. He also recognizes that the Liu Family is an enemy because of its marriage ties to the Dou Family.

Character developments

• Wu Chen demonstrates strategic confidence and a willingness to make bold commitments. He uses his apparent authority within the Li Family—and carefully stages a public confirmation—to make the Tang Family trust his offer.
• Tang Jingbin shifts from seeking accountability for Xinbao’s injuries to considering a major alliance. His initial skepticism remains, but Li Maoren’s confirmation establishes that Wu Chen can speak for the Li Family.
• Sun Yongzhang becomes increasingly uneasy as Wu Chen departs from the apparent plan. His attempt to stop Wu Chen unintentionally exposes his ignorance of the proposal, strengthening Tang Jingbin’s suspicions.
• Li Maoren adapts quickly when Wu Chen puts him on the spot. Though surprised by the proposed action against the Liu Family, he supports Wu Chen rather than undermine him.

Significant themes

• Power and credibility: Wu Chen’s changing status transforms how Tang Jingbin views the negotiations; his credibility depends on whether the Li Family will stand behind him.
• Strategic deception and performance: Wu Chen uses pauses, apparent uncertainty, and the speakerphone call to shape what Tang Jingbin believes and secure his commitment.
• Family rivalries and alliances: The Tang–Liu feud gives Wu Chen’s offer value far beyond compensation, while the Li Family’s own connections to the Dou Family provide a reason to oppose the Liu Family.
• Trust under uncertainty: Tang Jingbin must decide whether to believe an extraordinary promise before learning what the supposed evidence against the Liu Family contains.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen treats Tang Jingbin respectfully while steering him from a narrow compensation discussion toward a potential alliance.
• Tang Jingbin probes Wu Chen directly about both the evidence and the Li Family’s willingness to help.
• Sun Yongzhang tries to intervene, but his reaction makes Tang Jingbin question whether Wu Chen is acting without authorization.
• Wu Chen turns that doubt into a public test: Li Maoren’s warm, affirming response reassures Tang Jingbin while concealing how unexpectedly Wu Chen introduced the Liu Family proposal.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen proposes a Li–Tang alliance, using the Liu Family as their shared starting point. The Liu Family is tied to the Dou Family through marriage, while the Li Family plans to target the Dou and Ding families. Tang Jinbin initially seeks reassurance, so Wu Chen has him speak directly with Li Maoren.
• Li Maoren confirms that Wu Chen has full authority to represent the Li Family. Impressed by Li Maoren’s trust in him, Tang Jinbin accepts Wu Chen as a negotiating equal.
• Wu Chen begins outlining damaging information about Liu Xia, giving the Tang Family a potential basis for action against the Liu Family.
• At the villa, Li Ruotai spends time with Tang Xinbao, Guo Qiqi, and Zhuang Xiaodie. Zhuang Xiaodie grows frightened because Li Ruotai keeps watching her; his earlier anger and visible gun have intensified her fears.
• Li Ruobing returns from her company’s launch event. She questions Li Ruotai about the suspected fire, then joins the group’s conversation about the company’s new makeup line.
• Noticing Zhuang Xiaodie’s unease, Li Ruobing takes her and Li Ruotai into the kitchen. She realizes her brother has frightened Zhuang Xiaodie and orders him to apologize. Li Ruotai is confused and protests that he was only looking at her.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen demonstrates strategic foresight and authority, managing negotiations while earning Tang Jinbin’s respect.
• Li Maoren reinforces his confidence in Wu Chen by publicly delegating the alliance to him.
• Tang Jinbin shifts from cautious verification to warm cooperation after speaking with Li Maoren.
• Li Ruobing shows sharp perception and protectiveness, recognizing Zhuang Xiaodie’s distress and confronting her brother.
• Li Ruotai remains volatile and intimidating, but around his sister becomes a chastened younger brother; he does not understand how threatening his attention seems.
• Zhuang Xiaodie is anxious and reluctant to speak openly, but feels safer when Li Ruobing returns.
• Sun Yongzhang watches the political maneuvering with confusion, unable to see the broader strategy as clearly as Li Maoren.

Significant themes

• Power, trust, and alliance-building: Family politics depend on shared interests, leverage, and confidence in representatives.
• Unequal perspectives: Leaders who oversee the whole operation see connections that their subordinates, focused on narrower tasks, may miss.
• Appearance versus reality: The proposed alliance looks like a gift to the Tang Family but is actually a mutually beneficial arrangement.
• Protection and intimidation: Li Ruobing’s intervention highlights how easily Li Ruotai’s behavior frightens Zhuang Xiaodie, even when he claims no harmful intent.

Plot points and events

• Li Ruotai insists he only looked at Zhuang Xiaodie, but Li Ruobing makes him apologize to reassure her. Xiaodie says it was unnecessary, yet Ruobing privately explains that she wants to prevent Xiaodie from feeling uneasy—and to head off a potential clash between Wu Chen and her brother.
• While the women make conversation downstairs, Wu Chen tells Tang Jinbin upstairs how the Liu Family scandal can be investigated. He provides two phone numbers and explains that financial records, property, and business holdings could expose nearly 500 million in illicit gains. The Dou Family was involved as well.
• Tang Jinbin is thrilled by the information, which could let the Tang Family strike at the Liu Family and improve its political position. He agrees to cooperate and plans to return to Magic City to report to his father.
• Tang Jinbin initially says the Tang Family will drop its grievance over what happened to Tang Xinbao. Wu Chen argues that the Li Family should still make a gesture: otherwise outsiders may think the Tang Family was intimidated or suspect the families are secretly cooperating. Tang Jinbin accepts this reasoning, and they settle on a token compensation.
• Sun Yongzhang privately calls Li Maoren to report that the agreement is in place. He is astonished to learn that Wu Chen independently devised the plan and uncovered the intelligence; Li Maoren confirms that Wu Chen is unusually capable.
• Tang Jinbin leaves with Tang Xinbao and Guo Qiqi. Li Ruobing reads Tang Jinbin’s upbeat mood as a sign that Wu Chen may have lost the negotiations and asks him how they went.

Character developments

• Li Ruobing shows that her sternness toward Li Ruotai is protective rather than punitive: she wants Zhuang Xiaodie to feel safe and hopes to prevent Wu Chen from taking offense.
• Li Ruotai reluctantly obeys his sister and apologizes despite believing he did nothing wrong.
• Zhuang Xiaodie is initially nervous and tries to defend Li Ruotai, but relaxes as Ruobing reassures her.
• Wu Chen demonstrates strategic foresight, balancing the Li Family’s private cooperation with the need to preserve both families’ public reputations.
• Tang Jinbin shifts from pursuing a grievance to prioritizing the Tang Family’s larger opportunity. His excitement and praise for Wu Chen reveal how valuable he considers the alliance.
• Sun Yongzhang moves from skepticism to admiration after learning Wu Chen—not the Li Family’s investigators—was responsible for the plan and evidence.

Significant themes and interactions

• Appearance versus reality: The negotiations appear to have left Tang Jinbin victorious, but the real outcome is a mutually beneficial alliance.
• Political strategy and reputation: Wu Chen insists on compensation not for its material value, but to shape public perceptions and keep the cooperation discreet.
• Power and calculated risk: Tang Jinbin’s pursuit of the Liu Family’s scandal outweighs his complaint over Xinbao, while Wu Chen manages both issues to secure cooperation.
• Protection and family tension: Ruobing’s confrontation with her brother is meant to protect Xiaodie and, indirectly, keep Wu Chen from retaliating.
• Recognition of Wu Chen’s ability: Sun Yongzhang’s call with Li Maoren confirms that Wu Chen’s influence comes from his independent initiative and extraordinary intelligence.

Plot points and events

• After Wu Chen’s private discussion with Tang Jingbin, Li Ruotai learns the dispute over Tang Xinbao’s injury will be settled with modest compensation—under 100 million yuan—and that the Tang family will pursue no one. He is amazed, though Wu Chen keeps the details to himself.
• Tang Jingbin tells Tang Xinbao and Guo Qiqi not to press the matter, to accept whatever compensation Wu Chen offers, and to build ties with Wu Chen and Li Ruobing. Sun Yongzhang and Li Ruotai then leave the villa.
• Li Ruobing takes Wu Chen shopping for a business dinner, buying him clothes and accessories rather than anything for herself.
• At the mall, Li Ruobing receives a call from her estranged grandfather, Li Huaigeng, whom she has saved in her contacts as “Old Bastard.” Their conversation recalls how he engineered her return four years earlier and tried to force her into marrying Ding Ruilong.
• Li Huaigeng unexpectedly admits that Ding is unsuitable and that Li Ruobing was right. He asks to speak with Wu Chen, and she hands him the phone.

Character developments

• Wu Chen again demonstrates his ability to resolve high-stakes disputes, while keeping his methods and conversations private.
• Li Ruotai shifts from worry to relief and admiration after learning the matter is settled.
• Li Ruobing reveals the depth of her resentment toward her grandfather and the painful history behind her independence. His unexpected apology softens her briefly and leaves her wondering whether Wu Chen influenced the family’s change of heart.
• Li Huaigeng appears to reconsider his past decision and reach out to reconcile, though his motives remain uncertain.
• Tang Jingbin recognizes Wu Chen’s influence and sees a relationship with him as valuable to both the Tang and Guo families.

Significant themes

• Family power and personal autonomy: Li Ruobing’s past shows how family duty was used to override her choices.
• Reconciliation and accountability: Li Huaigeng’s admission opens the possibility of repairing a relationship, but does not erase years of harm.
• Influence and negotiation: Wu Chen’s quiet maneuvering reshapes both the compensation dispute and the Li family’s stance.
• Trust and alliances: The Tang family’s advice reflects the growing importance of building ties with Wu Chen.

Character interactions

• Wu Chen reassures Li Ruotai but refuses to explain his private discussions to Li Ruobing.
• Tang Jingbin instructs Tang Xinbao and Guo Qiqi to accept Wu Chen’s terms and cultivate a relationship with the couple.
• Li Ruobing’s call with Li Huaigeng moves from hostility and accusation toward cautious surprise when he acknowledges her judgment.
• The chapter ends as Wu Chen calmly takes the phone to speak directly with the Li family patriarch.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen speaks by phone with Old Master Li for the first time. Their polite conversation is largely small talk, but the invitation to visit the Li household signals that the old master has accepted Wu Chen as Li Ruobing’s partner and is no longer pushing her toward Ding Ruilong.
• After the call, Ruobing questions Wu Chen about what he has done to win over her grandfather. She suspects his influence must now be worth more to the Li Family than an alliance with another powerful family, but Wu Chen is interrupted before explaining.
• Ruobing, Wu Chen, Su Qingying, and Mu Qianqian meet at the mall and take a break at a café. Su Qingying privately asks about Tang Xinbao and Guo Qiqi, who are staying at Wu Chen’s home; Wu Chen says the situation is settled.
• The women discuss their evening plans and their partnership. At the Huancai Fashion banquet, Ruobing and Su announce that Huancai and Jinfu Group will jointly launch a luxury makeup line. The event passes without incident.
• The following morning, Wu Chen and Ruobing are tired after the late night. Separately, singer An Menglan arrives in East Sea by private plane, where Song Xuan and her team are waiting to meet her.

Character developments and interactions

• Old Master Li shifts from pressuring Ruobing to marry Ding Ruilong toward accepting Wu Chen, while carefully testing his honesty and background. His invitation is a cautious, indirect gesture of reconciliation.
• Wu Chen remains composed and discreet. He lies about how long he and Ruobing have been together, answers questions about his family truthfully, and avoids explaining his influence before the conversation is interrupted.
• Li Ruobing is relieved by her grandfather’s change of attitude but also suspicious, recognizing that Wu Chen must have accomplished far more than she knows.
• Su Qingying and Mu Qianqian maintain a careful public façade around Wu Chen, especially in the crowded mall. Qingying quietly checks on his affairs, while Qianqian teases him for being out of touch.
• Ruobing and Qingying show growing trust and coordination, preparing to announce their companies’ partnership together.

Significant themes

• Power, loyalty, and family alliances: The Li Family’s acceptance of Wu Chen reflects the practical value they believe he can bring, rather than simply personal affection.
• Secrecy and appearances: Wu Chen’s actions remain largely hidden, while the women carefully manage how their relationships look in public.
• Strategic partnership and female cooperation: Ruobing and Qingying turn their alliance into a public business agreement, while preserving a close but delicate personal relationship.

Key events

• Song Xuan picks An Menglan up at the airport and welcomes her to East Sea, arranging a luxury hotel suite, bodyguards, and a Rolls-Royce for her use.
• The two women bond over their shared love of music. An Menglan reviews Song Xuan’s songs, praises her talent, and explains why well-crafted songs do not always become popular: hits also need accessibility, emotional resonance, audience appeal, and the right circumstances.
• An Menglan turns the conversation to Wu Chen, whom she hopes to sign. Song Xuan says he refuses to debut despite his musical talent.
• Song Xuan reveals her suspicion that Wu Chen is being controlled by a wealthy older woman. She bases this on a tense phone call with the woman, Wu Chen’s expensive clothes and Lamborghini, his need for money, and his evasive answers when questioned. An Menglan initially doubts the story but comes to believe it.
• Song Xuan wants to help Wu Chen but fears involving her mother, Wu Yurong, could cause misunderstandings. An Menglan agrees to help persuade him to pursue music, and Song Xuan eagerly prepares to call him.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Xuan begins as an excited, nervous fan but grows comfortable with An Menglan. Her admiration for Wu Chen and concern for his future lead her to disclose a secret she is uneasy about sharing.
• An Menglan shows warmth toward Song Xuan and offers practical guidance about music. Her strong interest in Wu Chen’s talent shifts into concern as she accepts Song Xuan’s theory and commits to helping him.
• Wu Chen, though absent, is portrayed as gifted but determined not to debut. Song Xuan interprets his silence and apparent financial dependence as signs that he is trapped in a relationship or arrangement.
• Wu Yurong, Song Xuan’s powerful mother, is due to meet An Menglan over lunch to discuss Song Xuan’s possible signing. Song Xuan respects and fears her influence, which complicates her plans to help Wu Chen.

Significant themes

• Art versus popularity: Quality alone does not make a song a hit; connection with listeners and circumstance matter.
• Talent and lost opportunity: An Menglan and Song Xuan fear Wu Chen’s abilities will be wasted if he remains outside the music industry.
• Pride, secrecy, and control: Wu Chen’s refusal to explain his situation fuels Song Xuan’s theory, while his apparent dependence raises questions about his freedom.
• Influence and power: Wealth and social status shape the characters’ options, especially in Song Xuan’s cautious relationship with her formidable mother.

Plot points and events

• Wu Chen agrees to meet singer An Menglan that afternoon after Song Xuan calls on her behalf.
• Before the meeting, he visits He Shiqin and her daughter, He Xinxin, at Li Ruobing’s villa. He tells He Shiqin that Ding Ruilong has been hospitalized and may have permanently damaged his hand. Delighted, she kisses Wu Chen in gratitude and asks whether she can help with anything. Wu Chen then gives Xinxin a drawing lesson over lunch.
• At a private café, An Menglan and Song Xuan repeatedly urge Wu Chen to make his musical debut. He refuses, but says he is open to collaborating with An Menglan as a songwriter, despite charging high fees. He agrees to join them for dinner that evening.
• Li Ruotai phones with a matter involving Zhao Guai, so Wu Chen cuts the meeting short. Afterward, An Menglan tells Song Xuan she finds Wu Chen unusually easy to talk to and wants to befriend him. She remains determined to persuade him to perform.
• Wu Chen arrives at the Crown Entertainment Club, where Zhao Guai thanks him effusively for saving him and his family. Zhao attempts to kneel and offers Wu Chen a bank card as a gift; Wu Chen stops him from kneeling.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains composed and considerate, switching easily from reassuring He Shiqin to teaching Xinxin and discussing music with An Menglan. He firmly distinguishes between collaborating on music and becoming a performer.
• He Shiqin shows her intense hatred of Ding Ruilong and her growing affection and gratitude toward Wu Chen, while discreetly keeping her behavior from Xinxin.
• An Menglan is surprised by Wu Chen’s ordinary, unpretentious manner. Accustomed to people fawning over or cautiously flattering her, she sees him as someone she might genuinely trust and befriend.
• Song Xuan sincerely supports Wu Chen’s talent and encourages him to debut, believing he should not let anyone prevent him from pursuing music.
• Zhao Guai adopts an extravagant display of gratitude toward Wu Chen, apparently hoping to secure his favor. Li Ruotai watches the exchange, while Wu Chen keeps the gesture from becoming a public show of submission.

Significant themes

• Authenticity and social distance: Wu Chen’s calm, normal treatment of An Menglan stands out in a life where people usually react to her celebrity and status.
• Personal choice: Wu Chen refuses to let others’ expectations dictate whether he performs, even as Song Xuan and An Menglan praise his talent.
• Gratitude, loyalty, and self-interest: Zhao Guai frames his payment as thanks and loyalty, but his exaggerated behavior suggests he is also trying to ingratiate himself with Wu Chen.
• Affection and revenge: He Shiqin’s response to Ding Ruilong’s injury reveals how deeply she wants him punished, while her closeness with Wu Chen signals a strengthening personal bond.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Guai gives Wu Chen a bank card containing 100 million yuan, supposedly as thanks for Wu Chen’s help. Li Ruotai helps persuade Wu Chen to accept it, but Wu immediately recognizes that the gift is unusually large and carries an implied obligation.
• After Zhao Guai leaves, Wu Chen confronts Li Ruotai. Li admits he is about to leave East Sea and has arranged for Wu Chen to oversee the city’s underworld while he is away. He used the oversized gift to draw Wu into the role without openly announcing the handover, which could expose Li’s plans to the Wei Family.
• Wu Chen understands Li’s motives and agrees to help, though he criticizes Li for arranging things indirectly. Li asks him to keep the plan from Li Ruobing, who would likely object.
• Later, Wu Chen invites Li Ruobing to dinner with Song Xuan and An Menglan. Li Ruobing suspects he has ulterior motives, especially because both guests are prominent, attractive women.
• At Li Ruobing’s office, Wu Chen explains that Song Xuan has misunderstood his relationship with Li and may think he is financially dependent on her. Song and An apparently hope to sign Wu Chen and help launch his music career, while Song may also intend to negotiate with Li.
• Li gets ready for dinner, and the two share playful, familiar exchanges as Wu Chen fastens her necklace. They arrive at Yue Lai Xuan, where they discover Song Xuan has reserved the entire floor and lined the corridor with bodyguards. The dramatic setup suggests a deliberate confrontation. Li confidently links arms with Wu Chen and enters; her bodyguard prepares for trouble.

Character developments

• Wu Chen shows sharp judgment, recognizing both the social obligation attached to Zhao Guai’s money and Li Ruotai’s hidden plan. He remains amused and composed but is willing to take responsibility for East Sea’s underworld.
• Li Ruotai reveals himself as strategic and politically cautious. His departure is meant to keep him safe while preserving control of East Sea through Wu Chen, but he fears Li Ruobing’s disapproval.
• Li Ruobing is suspicious of Wu Chen’s dealings with women and takes the dinner seriously, yet remains confident and affectionate with him. She is alert to the possibility that Song Xuan is challenging her.
• Song Xuan and An Menglan remain offstage, but their invitation and elaborate security display establish them as powerful, deliberate players.

Significant themes

• Favors, money, and obligation: A gift can create debt as well as express gratitude; Wu Chen distinguishes reasonable compensation from an offer that binds him to future responsibilities.
• Power and indirect control: Li Ruotai maneuvers Wu Chen into a leadership role while concealing the transition from both the underworld and the Wei Family.
• Trust and manipulation: Wu Chen sees through Li’s scheme, while Li Ruobing questions whether Wu Chen’s explanations conceal another plan.
• Status and rivalry: The lavishly guarded dinner setting turns a social invitation into a possible contest for influence.

Character interactions

• Zhao Guai and Li Ruotai coordinate the gift presentation, but Wu Chen’s pause over Li calling him “brother-in-law” exposes his suspicion.
• Wu Chen confronts Li Ruotai privately; Li explains his scheme and asks Wu to protect it from Li Ruobing.
• Wu Chen and Li Ruobing tease and challenge one another over his connection to Song Xuan, then prepare for dinner with easy intimacy.
• At the restaurant, Li Ruobing responds to the apparent provocation with confidence, while Yang Kuo stays alert behind them.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Li Ruobing arrives at Yuelaixuan with Wu Chen, her arm linked through his. Song Xuan’s plan to intimidate Wu Chen’s supposed “older” girlfriend backfires: the waiting guards recognize Li Ruobing, and several realize the situation could become dangerous.
• Song Xuan and An Menglan are stunned when Wu Chen introduces Li Ruobing as his girlfriend. An Menglan confirms her identity by asking whether she is Li Ruotai’s sister; Li Ruobing also reminds Song Xuan they have spoken before, exposing the source of the mistaken “older woman” description.
• Li Ruobing orders an extravagant meal, including eighteen dishes and costly wine. The dinner begins pleasantly, with conversation about the women’s businesses and Song Xuan’s attempt to make amends for her earlier remark.
• An Menglan praises Wu Chen’s song and proposes signing him to her company. Li Ruobing says the decision is Wu Chen’s, and he reiterates that he does not want to debut. An Menglan suspects Li Ruobing is influencing him, especially after learning he works as her assistant.
• Once Wu Chen leaves for the restroom, An Menglan admits she believes he might listen to Li Ruobing. Li Ruobing rejects that assumption, saying An Menglan does not know Wu Chen well, then accuses her of being attracted to him and bluntly asks when she plans to sleep with him.
• Outside the dining room, a guard reports the situation to Wu Yurong, including Yang Kuo’s apparent firearm. Wu Yurong is alarmed and says she will come over, unsure why Song Xuan has targeted Li Ruobing.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ruobing is composed and socially capable in public, but her extravagant ordering and pointed remarks hint that she is deliberately testing the situation. Alone with An Menglan, she drops her polite façade and becomes openly jealous and confrontational.
• Wu Chen remains relaxed and largely silent during dinner. He makes clear that he has no interest in a music career, despite An Menglan’s efforts to recruit him.
• An Menglan admires Wu Chen’s talent and tries to persuade him to join her company, but assumes Li Ruobing may control his choices. Her professional interest becomes entangled with Li Ruobing’s suspicion.
• Song Xuan is embarrassed by her mistaken description of Li Ruobing, then tries to repair the damage with compliments and a gentler manner.
• Wu Yurong learns that her daughter’s setup has placed Li Ruobing and armed-looking security in the same room, raising the stakes.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and appearances: The “older woman” rumor collapses when Li Ruobing arrives, while An Menglan misreads Wu Chen’s silence and relationship as evidence that he is controlled.
• Independence and persuasion: Wu Chen’s refusal to debut—and Li Ruobing’s insistence that the choice is his—challenges the assumption that she dictates his decisions.
• Jealousy beneath politeness: The dinner’s cordial atmosphere masks rivalry and suspicion, culminating in Li Ruobing’s direct accusation.
• Escalating tension: The guards, possible gun, and Wu Yurong’s urgent response suggest the awkward dinner may soon become a serious confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• An Menglan and Li Ruobing’s conversation turns hostile. Li accuses An of being interested in Wu Chen and challenges her assumptions that Li is controlling his career. An insists she wants only to sign Wu Chen as a singer and denies any romantic interest.
• Song Xuan apologizes for arranging the intimidating show of force that greeted Li. Li accepts her apology, easing the tension briefly, but continues confronting An.
• Li proposes a bet: whether An will fall in love with Wu Chen. An objects, while Li says she does not believe An’s certainty that nothing will happen.
• Wu Chen waits in the corridor for Wu Yurong, who arrives worried about Song Xuan. He explains that the conflict began with misunderstandings over his wealth, Li’s phone call, and his decision not to debut as a singer.
• Wu Yurong realizes Wu Chen deliberately let the misunderstanding develop. She teases him for possibly wanting something to happen with An Menglan. Before returning to the room, she kisses him.
• Back at dinner, An offers Wu Chen a less demanding alternative: working with her company as a songwriter. He agrees to consider it, and they toast to a possible collaboration.
• Wu Chen senses the women’s changed mood and learns that Li made a bet with An. When Li refuses to reveal its terms, he asks An directly, then turns to Song Xuan when no one answers.

Character developments

• Li Ruobing drops her usual restraint and confronts An openly, protecting her relationship with Wu Chen. She also adopts Wu Chen’s teasing, strategic habit of making bets and keeping people guessing.
• An Menglan remains determined to recruit Wu Chen, but her confidence gives way to discomfort under Li’s questioning. By the end, she appears newly defiant toward Li, while still insisting her interest is professional.
• Song Xuan shows humility and responsibility by apologizing for her part in the confrontation. She remains uneasy as the dispute continues.
• Wu Chen is revealed to have intentionally allowed the misunderstanding to unfold, apparently to provoke developments involving An. He stays playful and composed, even when the others are tense.
• Wu Yurong is first anxious as a mother, then quickly reassured. She understands Wu Chen’s motives, shares his teasing intimacy, and seems comfortable with his interest in other women.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and suspicion: assumptions about Wu Chen’s finances, career, and relationships fuel the conflict.
• Jealousy and romantic competition: Li’s protectiveness and the bet about An’s future feelings suggest that attraction may complicate the professional situation.
• Manipulation and playful strategy: Wu Chen engineers events, while Li borrows his tactics.
• Professional ambition versus personal choice: An wants Wu Chen’s talent in the music industry, but he insists that he does not want to become a singer.

Character interactions

• Li and An clash over An’s intentions and Li’s presumed control of Wu Chen; Song Xuan intervenes with an apology but does not resolve their deeper tension.
• Wu Yurong and Wu Chen speak privately, with her concern turning into affectionate teasing and a kiss.
• An and Wu Chen reach a tentative professional understanding about songwriting, though An’s glance at Li hints at continued rivalry.
• Wu Chen and Li exchange playful whispers about the bet, before he breaks their secrecy by asking An and Song Xuan to reveal it.

Plot points and events

• At dinner, An Menglan tells Wu Chen about her bet with Li Ruobing: within a month, An must fall in love with him or kneel and apologize; if An does not fall for him, Li must publicly kneel and apologize.
• Li warns An that Wu Chen is popular with women, but An dismisses the warning and says she and Wu Chen will meet through their music collaboration.
• Wu Yurong arrives, notices the tension between Li and An, and learns the details of the bet from her daughter, Song Xuan.
• After Song Xuan gets drunk and is sent home, Wu Yurong moves beside Wu Chen and kisses him openly. She calls him “darling” and admits to An that she and Wu Chen are lovers.
• Li recognizes that Wu Yurong is deliberately provoking her and trying to undermine her chances of winning the bet. Wu Chen tells the women not to argue, and both obey.
• An is stunned by the relationships and begins to suspect that Wu Chen—not either woman—is the extraordinary factor behind the situation.
• The next morning, An debates whether to contact Wu Chen. She decides their collaboration is strictly professional and calls him to arrange a meeting, though she is already deeply curious about him.

Character developments and interactions

• An Menglan begins confident that she cannot fall in love with Wu Chen. After witnessing his relationships with two powerful women, she becomes unsettled and increasingly intrigued, while insisting to herself that she has nothing to fear.
• Li Ruobing remains confident and strategic, using warnings to provoke An into spending time with Wu Chen. She clashes with Wu Yurong but does not react jealously to Wu Yurong’s affection for him.
• Wu Yurong openly reveals her relationship with Wu Chen to unsettle An and disadvantage Li in the bet. Her calm, affectionate behavior contrasts with Li’s irritation.
• Wu Chen stays composed amid the women’s rivalry and has enough authority that both Li and Wu Yurong stop when he tells them to.
• Song Xuan is nervous around her mother and drinks too much, then leaves before Wu Yurong reveals her relationship with Wu Chen.

Significant themes

• Love as a wager: The bet turns romantic feelings into a contest with public humiliation at stake.
• Power, influence, and attraction: An’s assumptions are challenged by Wu Chen’s unusual pull over accomplished, formidable women.
• Jealousy and retaliation: Wu Yurong uses the bet to take revenge on Li for a past humiliation.
• Self-deception and curiosity: An frames her interest as professional, even as her fascination with Wu Chen grows.

Plot points

• After spending the morning together, Wu Chen tells Li Ruobing he plans to meet An Menglan. Li is amused by his confidence that An will call again and casually wishes him luck.
• An Menglan calls to discuss working with Wu Chen. They meet at a hotel restaurant, where she again proposes bringing him into her music company.
• Wu Chen makes an outrageous counteroffer: he would set up a studio and have her exchange 50 percent of her company’s shares for it. He then suggests starting with a song-by-song consulting arrangement and offers to write a song immediately.
• An Menglan suspects Wu Chen’s earlier “improvised” hits were prepared in advance, possibly with Song Xuan’s preferences in mind. She confronts him, but he neither admits nor denies preparing material.
• Determined to test him, An Menglan requests an anti-war song about peace and reflection, with expressive but restrained high passages—an unfamiliar brief designed to defeat any song he might have prepared. Wu Chen accepts, gets paper and a pen, and begins writing. The chapter ends as he titles the piece “Resound.”

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen remains self-assured and enigmatic. He calmly withstands An Menglan’s accusations and continues to present himself as capable of composing on demand. The narration reveals he has thousands of songs from his thousand-year time loop, though he conceals this.
• An Menglan shifts from seeking a straightforward business partnership to doubting Wu Chen’s honesty and arrogance. Despite her irritation, she still wants to work with him and turns the meeting into a test of his talent.
• Li Ruobing appears relaxed and confident in her relationship with Wu Chen, teasing him about An Menglan rather than showing jealousy.

Significant themes

• Talent versus deception: An Menglan struggles to distinguish genuine genius from a carefully staged performance.
• Trust and collaboration: Their musical partnership is complicated by mutual suspicion, even as both remain interested in working together.
• Hidden knowledge and extraordinary ability: Wu Chen’s time-loop experience gives him a vast creative advantage that others cannot imagine.
• Testing boundaries: An Menglan challenges Wu Chen with an unusual brief, while Wu Chen’s extreme business proposal tests how far she is willing to go.

Key plot points

• Wu Chen finishes writing “Resound,” an anti-war song about a woman waiting for a husband or son to return from battle, only to find him wounded and changed by war.
• An Menglan reads the lyrics and score in a hotel restaurant, quickly becoming absorbed in the song’s grief and longing. As the restaurant fills and patrons notice her, she invites Wu Chen to the piano room in her suite so they can try it privately.
• Menglan first accompanies herself, but repeated attempts leave her dissatisfied: she struggles to play accurately while singing and feels she hasn’t conveyed the song’s emotion.
• Wu Chen offers to play instead. His performance is astonishingly skilled and expressive, startling Menglan so much that she misses her entrance.
• They perform again together. Menglan pours herself into the song and finishes in tears, surprised by how deeply it has affected her.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Chen is shown as both a gifted songwriter and an extraordinarily accomplished pianist. He remains modest and casual about his skill, claiming he taught himself and plays only occasionally; he conceals the unusual reason his abilities never fade.
• An Menglan moves from professional curiosity to deep emotional involvement. Though she is a celebrated performer, she is self-critical about her playing and becomes openly vulnerable when the song overwhelms her.
• Their working relationship grows more trusting and collaborative: Menglan invites Wu Chen to help her test the song, and he supports her first by composing it in detail, then by accompanying her.

Significant themes

• War’s human cost: The plain lyrics portray the lasting physical and emotional damage war inflicts on those who return and on the loved ones who wait.
• Music as emotional communication: Wu Chen’s melody and playing help Menglan express feelings she could not reach in her earlier attempts.
• Talent, craft, and humility: Menglan recognizes Wu Chen’s mastery, while his understated explanations contrast with the extraordinary ability he displays.

Key plot points and events

• An Menglan is deeply moved by Wu Chen’s song “Resound,” but doubts he truly composed it on the spot. She accepts the agreed payment of 100,000 yuan and a 50% share, while postponing its release because its antiwar theme needs the right timing.
• Wanting to test Wu Chen, An Menglan asks him to create a distinctive lead single for what may be her final album. Wu Chen agrees to compose immediately using her laptop.
• After about an hour and a half, Wu Chen presents seven songs, each in a different style and unlike An Menglan’s previous work. She spends over an hour reviewing them, unable to settle on a favorite.
• They move to the piano room to try the songs. Wu Chen accompanies An Menglan on “Single Blade” and “Three Sounds of Fireworks.” During the latter, he demonstrates skilled traditional-opera singing and helps her find the right style for its operatic chorus.
• They begin “Queen,” whose opening calls for a blues violin solo. An Menglan retrieves her violin, but Wu Chen offers to play while she sings. She is surprised to learn he may also play violin.

Character developments and interactions

• An Menglan shifts from admiration to skepticism, then to mounting astonishment as Wu Chen produces seven varied songs and reveals unexpected performance skills. Though professionally accomplished, she recognizes the limits of her experience with opera-style singing and accepts his guidance.
• Wu Chen remains calm and confident, readily meeting An Menglan’s challenges. His versatility extends beyond songwriting to piano accompaniment, singing, and apparently violin.
• Their relationship becomes more collaborative: An Menglan tests Wu Chen’s abilities, while he supports her as a performer and corrects her singing without belittling her.

Significant themes

• Extraordinary talent and disbelief: An Menglan struggles to accept that Wu Chen’s abilities could be genuine.
• Versatility and artistic reinvention: The seven songs span diverse genres and offer An Menglan a chance to break from her established style.
• Collaboration and learning: Their practice sessions show how musical skill can be refined through attentive guidance and mutual experimentation.