Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• The corpse’s foot lacks Wu Qiaoyun’s birthmark, confirming it is not her. Shen Shixu asks the Wu family whether anyone else has disappeared.
• Madam Wu reveals that Wu Qiaoyun’s maid, Fen’er, is missing and recalls a burn on Fen’er’s right hand. This matches a mark on the corpse, identifying it as Fen’er.
• Shen Shixu turns the investigation toward finding Wu Qiaoyun. He explains that her disappearance is suspicious: she may be in danger, but evidence also suggests she may have helped incapacitate his brother.
• Wu Liang accuses Shen Shixu of targeting his daughter out of spite and attacks him. Xiao Jinyi stops him and knocks him down.
• Xiao Jinyi rebukes Wu Liang for insulting a member of the imperial family. Shen Zexi explains that Shen Shixu has been betrothed to Prince Jing, granted the title Lord Qian’an, and permitted to keep his official post.
• Xu Wanda realizes Shen Shixu’s high status and identifies Xiao Jinyi as Prince Jing. The Wu parents, now alarmed by the consequences of their past conduct, focus on seeking Shen Shixu’s forgiveness rather than worrying about their missing daughter.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu uses Madam Wu’s knowledge to identify Fen’er and makes clear that he is investigating both Wu Qiaoyun’s safety and her possible involvement in the crime.
• Madam Wu moves from relief that the corpse is not her daughter to shock at recognizing Fen’er, then becomes fearful of Shen Shixu’s influence.
• Wu Liang remains defensive and hostile, dismissing the suspicion against his daughter as personal persecution; his aggression backfires when Xiao Jinyi intervenes.
• Xiao Jinyi protects Shen Shixu decisively, and Shen Shixu is visibly attracted to his forceful manner. Xiao Jinyi notices this and seems to consider how to win Shen Shixu’s affection.
• Shen Zexi reveals the imperial decree and Shen Shixu’s new standing, while Xu Wanda responds with admiration and newfound caution.

Significant themes

• Evidence and inference: A physical mark on the corpse resolves its identity and redirects the search.
• Suspicion and accountability: Wu Qiaoyun’s disappearance raises questions about her role, while her parents’ earlier behavior may carry consequences.
• Status and power: Shen Shixu’s imperial connection changes how others treat him, exposing the risks of disrespecting those with political authority.
• Loyalty and attraction: Xiao Jinyi’s defense of Shen Shixu strengthens their personal bond.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu pressures Wu Liang and Madam Wu to reveal what they know about Wu Qiaoyun. He carefully promises only that he will not pursue their plot against his brother, leaving open the possibility that others still will.
• Madam Wu explains that after Wu Qiaoyun’s engagement to Eldest Young Master Shen ended, Qiaoyun was sent to a temple to recover from her distress. There she fell in love with a monk named Huiwu. Madam Wu brought her home but kept the relationship secret from Wu Liang.
• Qiaoyun later became devoted to Buddhist worship and often visited Liu’an Temple. Madam Wu suspects she may have gone there after leaving home.
• Wu Liang reacts with alarm when he hears Huiwu’s name, suggesting he knows something about the monk beyond what Madam Wu has disclosed.
• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi ride to Liu’an Temple. They find Qiaoyun living in a small house in the nearby Lay Residence, bought with her own savings.
• Qiaoyun greets Huiwu affectionately when he returns. He tells her he lit an everlasting lamp for Fen’er. Qiaoyun responds with gratitude and bitterness, saying Fen’er’s death made her life with Huiwu possible, and asks him to arrange prayers for Fen’er’s reincarnation.

Character developments

• Shen Shixu shows himself to be shrewd and strategically intimidating, using careful wording to make Wu Liang and Madam Wu talk.
• Xiao Jinyi recognizes Shen Shixu’s cleverness and teases him affectionately, reinforcing their easy intimacy.
• Wu Liang is revealed as calculating: he raised Qiaoyun as a means of gaining influence, not out of genuine paternal love.
• Madam Wu has some affection for Qiaoyun but knowingly supported using her as a tool for the family’s advancement. Her guilt leads her to protect Qiaoyun by concealing the relationship with Huiwu.
• Wu Qiaoyun appears to have built a separate life with Huiwu, yet her happiness is shadowed by guilt and fear connected to Fen’er.
• Huiwu appears loving and attentive toward Qiaoyun, but his connection to Fen’er’s death is implied rather than explained.

Significant themes

• Family as transaction: Wu Liang treats his daughter as a bargaining chip, while Madam Wu’s affection is compromised by her support for that plan.
• Deception and strategic speech: Shen Shixu’s carefully limited promise contrasts with the family’s concealment of Qiaoyun’s relationship.
• Love, guilt, and loss: Qiaoyun and Huiwu’s private happiness is intertwined with Fen’er’s death, leaving their relationship emotionally uneasy.
• Reputation and social status: Wu Liang’s indifference to rumors reflects his view that Qiaoyun’s value lies in her usefulness, not her standing as a future wife.

Character interactions

• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi share playful, intimate banter amid the interrogation.
• Wu Liang looks to Madam Wu for information, while her disclosure exposes a secret he apparently already knows something about.
• Madam Wu’s account directs Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi to Liu’an Temple.
• Qiaoyun and Huiwu behave like a devoted couple, but their conversation about Fen’er reveals an unresolved, troubling history.

Key plot points

• Huiwu comforts Wu Qiaoyun, believing Fen’er willingly died to help her escape an unwanted marriage. Wu keeps quiet, knowing that this account is false.
• In truth, Wu tried to escape after her family planned to give her to Shen Zexi as a concubine. When Fen’er confronted her, Wu accidentally stabbed her.
• To cover up the killing, Wu dressed Fen’er in her own clothes, disfigured her face, placed the dagger in the unconscious Shen Zexi’s hand, and fled disguised as Fen’er. She then claimed Fen’er had sacrificed herself to protect her.
• Huiwu helps Wu hide at Liu’an Temple, where she asks him to light an eternal lamp for Fen’er. He buys her a secluded courtyard, and they soon rekindle their relationship.
• Nearly half a month later, two visitors—Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi—arrive looking for someone. Huiwu lets them in, while Wu, working in the kitchen, comes out to meet them.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Qiaoyun is revealed as frightened and calculating: after accidentally killing Fen’er, she stages the scene and maintains a false story to protect herself. Yet she also feels the weight of Fen’er’s final expression and fears discovery.
• Huiwu remains devoted and compassionate, comforting Wu and helping her hide without knowing the truth.
• Fen’er is shown to have opposed Wu’s escape, despite Wu’s claim that she willingly helped her. Her death becomes the basis for Wu’s deception.
• Shen Shixu approaches Huiwu politely and asks to come inside; Xiao Jinyi’s cold demeanor makes a stronger impression.

Significant themes

• Deception and self-preservation: Wu constructs a false narrative and uses a mistaken identity to escape consequences.
• Guilt and moral evasion: Wu remembers the killing but accepts comfort by recasting Fen’er’s death as a sacrifice.
• Love and dependence: Wu and Huiwu reunite, while Huiwu’s kindness makes him vulnerable to her lies.
• Appearance versus reality: The women’s resemblance enables Wu’s escape, and the truth behind Fen’er’s supposed sacrifice contrasts sharply with the story Huiwu believes.

Plot points and events

• Wu Qiaoyun recognizes Shen Shixu and assumes he has come to arrest her. She admits that Fen’er did not die by suicide: Qiaoyun accidentally killed her, then framed Shen Zexi, the man her parents were forcing her to marry.
• Shen confirms the truth and shows Huiwu his official token. Qiaoyun explains what happened, accepts responsibility, and is prepared to face punishment.
• Huiwu stands by Qiaoyun, insists she must have been driven to desperation, and offers to share her punishment. He promises to remain with her whatever happens.
• Qiaoyun asks to marry Huiwu before being taken away. Shen and Xiao Jinyi agree to witness the ceremony.
• Just as the couple are about to bow, Wu Liang arrives and declares that they cannot marry: they share the same father.
• Shen realizes this is the major secret his system, 011, had mentioned. 011 explains that Huiwu is Wu Liang’s son by a former bedchamber maid. Unaware she was pregnant when dismissed, she later sought Wu Liang’s support. After she died in childbirth, Wu Liang sent the infant Huiwu to Liu’an Temple to avoid upsetting his pregnant wife.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Qiaoyun moves from resigned confession to accepting responsibility. Her wish to marry Huiwu reveals how deeply she loves him, but the revelation of their kinship abruptly shatters that hope.
• Huiwu remains loyal and compassionate despite learning Qiaoyun’s crime. He refuses to condemn her and offers to stay by her side, only to discover that he and Qiaoyun are half-siblings.
• Shen Shixu comes to investigate and is surprised by Qiaoyun’s confession. Moved by the couple’s devotion, he agrees to witness their marriage before learning it is forbidden.
• Wu Liang intervenes at the last moment, exposing the family secret that changes everything.
• Madam Wu enters with Wu Liang, but the chapter ends before her response to the revelation.

Significant themes

• Love and loyalty: Huiwu’s devotion persists even after Qiaoyun confesses to murder and framing another person.
• Guilt and accountability: Qiaoyun acknowledges both the killing and her attempt to shift blame, and accepts that she must face justice.
• Family secrets and unintended consequences: Wu Liang’s past relationship and decision to conceal Huiwu’s existence lead to the devastating discovery that the intended couple are siblings.
• Fate and dramatic irony: A wedding meant to give Qiaoyun peace instead becomes the moment their relationship is overturned.

Plot points

• Wu Liang admits that Huiwu is his illegitimate son, born before his marriage, making Huiwu and Wu Qiaoyun half-siblings. He had abandoned Huiwu at Liu’an Temple as an infant, rarely visiting or asking after him.
• The revelation destroys Wu Qiaoyun’s hopes for a future with Huiwu. She recounts how her parents had already controlled her life, broken off her planned marriage to Shen Zexi, and sent her to a temple after public disgrace. She had only recently found love and begun to recover.
• Wu Qiaoyun kills herself by driving a silver hairpin into her throat. Huiwu, overwhelmed by grief, carries her body away, intending to bury her somewhere beautiful and spend the rest of his life tending her grave.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Liang is exposed as a neglectful, self-serving father whose concealed past causes devastating harm to his children.
• Madam Wu condemns Wu Liang and tries to comfort Wu Qiaoyun, but cannot reach her before the tragedy.
• Wu Qiaoyun shifts from despairing anger toward her parents to complete hopelessness after learning she and Huiwu cannot be together.
• Huiwu tries to steady Wu Qiaoyun, then is devastated by her death and withdraws from the world.
• Shen Shixu fears Wu Qiaoyun may harm herself and is ready to intervene. Xiao Jinyi stops him, arguing that her choice should be respected after a life dominated by others. Shen accepts this, though the chapter leaves the moral weight of that decision unresolved.
• Years later, Huiwu is found living beside Wu Qiaoyun’s grave, still devoted to her memory.

Significant themes

• The consequences of parental control and secrecy: Wu Liang’s abandonment and the family’s manipulation of Wu Qiaoyun shape both siblings’ lives and culminate in tragedy.
• Agency and autonomy: Xiao Jinyi frames Wu Qiaoyun’s final act as her first independent choice, raising the painful question of whether respecting someone’s agency means standing aside.
• Love, grief, and irreversible loss: The siblings’ love is made impossible by their shared parentage, and Huiwu’s lifelong mourning shows the enduring cost of the revelation.

Key plot points and events

• After Wu Qiaoyun’s death, Madam Wu lets Huiwu take her body, recognizing that her daughter would never want to remain tied to the Wu family. Grieving and furious, she slaps Wu Liang and tells him she will divorce him, keep their son, and leave him with nothing.
• Madam Wu blames herself for trusting Wu Liang and not asking her powerful brother to help when Qiaoyun’s engagement was broken. She moves out of the Wu residence and sends for her son, intending to explain what happened.
• Wu Liang is left alone and condemned by those around him. Xu Wanda, who disapproves of Wu Liang’s ambition and treatment of his children, spits at him.
• Back at the Shen residence, Shen Father and Shen Mother scold Shen Zexi for causing trouble that forced Shen Shixu to intervene. When they learn Shixu and Xiao Jinyi missed lunch while investigating, Shen Father hits Zexi in anger.
• The family welcomes Shixu and Xiao Jinyi home and feeds them. Zexi feels guilty for burdening his younger brother and Xiao Jinyi; the ordeal also strengthens Shen Mother’s fondness for Xiao Jinyi and Shen Father’s acceptance of him.
• Dinner is interrupted by Mo Yu, who arrives injured and asks for help. He reports that several children have vanished in Pingcheng County; three bodies have been found drained of blood. He and Bai He caught the killer disposing of a body, but the skilled attacker escaped with help from accomplices. Bai He stayed behind, and Mo Yu has come to request reinforcements.

Character developments and interactions

• Madam Wu turns her grief into decisive action: she rejects Wu Liang, plans to divorce him, and resolves to protect her surviving son. Her remorse over failing Qiaoyun is a major part of her reaction.
• Wu Liang is isolated and held responsible for the harm done to Qiaoyun; he accepts Madam Wu’s blows without resisting.
• Xu Wanda is presented as ambitious only within his limits, contrasting his cautious approach to power with Wu Liang’s willingness to sacrifice family for advancement.
• Shen Zexi recognizes the cost of his mistake and feels ashamed that Shixu and Xiao Jinyi had to deal with its consequences.
• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi work together and return exhausted, reinforcing their close partnership. The Shen parents’ concern and welcome show Xiao Jinyi’s growing place in the family.
• Mo Yu’s arrival shifts the focus from the Wu family tragedy to a new, urgent investigation; his account also establishes that the crimes involve more than one perpetrator.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and consequences: Wu Liang and Shen Zexi face the effects of their choices, while Shixu repeatedly bears the burden of resolving others’ problems.
• Family loyalty and protection: Madam Wu’s resolve to protect her surviving child contrasts with her regret over not protecting Qiaoyun; the Shen family’s care for Shixu and Xiao Jinyi likewise comes through in their actions.
• Ambition and self-knowledge: Xu Wanda’s contentment with his position contrasts with Wu Liang’s destructive pursuit of advancement.
• Escalating danger: The children’s murders reveal a coordinated threat and set up the next conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu insists on leaving immediately to investigate a case in Pingcheng County. At Mo Yu and Xiao Jinyi’s urging—and Shen Mother’s insistence—he first finishes his meal.
• He tells his parents and elder brother that, once the case is solved, he will go straight to the Capital. His parents decide they will move there too, hoping to be closer to him.
• Shen Shixu, Xiao Jinyi, and Mo Yu ride through the night. Xiao Jinyi stays close to reassure the nervous Shen Shixu, while Mo Yu privately reflects that he, too, now has someone he loves: Bai He.
• The three stop to eat and hear a group of riders pursuing two people. Xiao Jinyi recognizes one voice as his imperial uncle, Xiao Lie.
• Xiao Jinyi and Mo Yu intervene, quickly wounding two pursuers. Xiao Lie is poisoned, and his companion, Bai Lixi, is injured, so Xiao Jinyi tells them to hide while he deals with the attackers.
• Xiao Lie takes Bai Lixi to cover and nearly strikes Shen Shixu, who is hiding there. Recognizing Shen Shixu’s voice, he stops and helps him up.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu remains determined and duty-driven, but accepts that he needs to eat and lets Xiao Jinyi and Mo Yu handle the fight rather than risk obstructing them.
• Xiao Jinyi shows consideration for Shen Shixu during the frightening night journey, then acts decisively to protect his uncle and the injured Bai Lixi.
• Mo Yu supports Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi, and his thoughts about Bai He show how his own romantic attachment has changed him.
• Shen Shixu’s parents are distressed by his repeated departures but resolve to move to the Capital to stay near him.
• The chapter also establishes Xiao Lie’s trust in Xiao Jinyi and ends with Xiao Lie’s relieved, apologetic reunion with Shen Shixu.

Significant themes

• Family devotion and separation: Shen Shixu’s parents struggle to let him go, then plan to move closer to him.
• Loyalty and protection: Xiao Jinyi and Mo Yu rush to help Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi despite the danger.
• Love and companionship: Xiao Jinyi comforts Shen Shixu, while Mo Yu recognizes his feelings for Bai He.
• Duty amid danger: Shen Shixu presses on with his investigation even as nighttime travel and sudden violence create risks.

Plot and key events

• Xiao Lie explains that he and Bai Lixi were summoned to help the Martial Alliance destroy the Longevity Pavilion, a cult obsessed with immortality. Its members first stole rare medicinal herbs, then began abducting children and drinking their blood, believing it would slow aging.
• Some cultists escaped the Alliance’s operation and continued abducting children. Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi had disrupted one group’s crimes, but the fugitives later ambushed them, using a child to distract Bai Lixi, then poison and overwhelm both men.
• Shen Shixu realizes the cult may be responsible for the children abducted or killed in Pingcheng County. He provides Golden Wound Salve for Bai Lixi, while Xiao Jinyi treats his injuries and, with Mo Yu, defeats the attackers.
• Xiao Lie admits that the cultists’ underhanded tactics left him and Bai Lixi weakened and forced them to flee. He asks the others to keep the embarrassing story quiet.
• Xiao Jinyi gives Xiao Lie a Jade Dew Pill, which eases—but does not fully cure—the poison. The group stays put to avoid worsening Bai Lixi’s injuries.
• Bai Lixi wakes, furious at having been tricked and attacked unfairly. Seeing Xiao Lie poisoned, he checks his pulse and gives him a Condensed Jade Pill, expecting it to neutralize the remaining poison.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Lie reveals his distress over Bai Lixi’s condition and his embarrassment at being outmaneuvered. He accepts help from Xiao Jinyi and later from Bai Lixi.
• Bai Lixi wakes in anger over the dishonorable ambush, but his concern immediately shifts to Xiao Lie when he sees his condition. His examination and treatment of Xiao Lie show their deep affection and trust.
• Xiao Jinyi is protective and quick to act, treating Bai Lixi and worrying over Xiao Lie’s poisoning. His anger at the attackers nearly worsens Xiao Lie’s condition.
• Shen Shixu connects the cult’s crimes to the local missing children and supplies medicine.
• Mo Yu helps Xiao Jinyi defeat the attackers and questions why Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi struggled against them.

Significant themes

• Cruelty in the pursuit of power: The cult’s quest for immortality leads to the exploitation and killing of children.
• Honor versus survival: The cultists’ dirty tactics defeat skilled fighters who would otherwise have been stronger.
• Care and loyalty: The characters respond to danger by treating one another’s wounds and protecting each other, especially Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Lie gives Bai Lixi medicine and reapplies the Golden Wound Salve. Mo Yu, feeling like the only unattached person among several affectionate couples, leaves to prepare breakfast.
• Mo Yu cooks roast chicken and meat pies. Shen Shixu praises his cooking and teases him about Bai He; Mo Yu proudly praises Bai He’s cooking in return. Xiao Jinyi decides he might learn to cook from Bai He someday.
• While the others eat, Shen Shixu approaches the captives and whips one of them without first asking questions. The captives panic, and one offers to tell him everything.
• The prisoner reveals that the group serves the Longevity Pavilion’s Left Protector. They were low-ranking disciples who escaped during the Martial Alliance’s attack, then encountered the wounded Protector, who ordered them to find children. After failing to capture two warriors, they tried to eliminate them and seize children, but were caught.
• The Left Protector is reportedly hiding in Pingcheng County, disguised as a male courtesan at the Elegant Grace House. Other Longevity Pavilion survivors are gathering there, suggesting a possible opportunity to set a trap.

Character developments and interactions

• Mo Yu feels lonely watching the other couples, but regains some cheer when he can talk proudly about his relationship with Bai He.
• Xiao Lie continues caring for the injured Bai Lixi, urging him to rest and bringing him food.
• Xiao Jinyi shows care for Shen Shixu by keeping him warm and considering learning to cook for him.
• Shen Shixu uses intimidation rather than negotiation to force the captives to talk, then questions them about their orders and leader.
• The captives’ fear turns into cooperation when they realize Shen Shixu may keep beating them without warning.

Significant themes

• Romantic companionship and loneliness: Mo Yu’s discomfort among the couples highlights both the warmth of their relationships and his longing for Bai He.
• Care and loyalty: Xiao Lie and Xiao Jinyi express affection through practical acts of comfort.
• Fear as a tool of power: Shen Shixu’s sudden violence breaks the captives’ resistance and produces useful intelligence.
• The aftermath of defeat: Survivors of the Longevity Pavilion are scattered and desperate, but their leader is regrouping in Pingcheng County, keeping the threat alive.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu finishes questioning a group of captives but is unsure what to do with them. Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Lie argue they should be killed, while Shen insists they should be left for the authorities because their crimes do not warrant execution.
• The captives reveal that the Longevity Pavilion’s Left Protector is gathering escaped members in Pingcheng County. Shen worries the group is too small to confront them alone.
• Xiao Lie proposes splitting up: he will contact the Martial Alliance for help, while Shen Shixu, Xiao Jinyi, Mo Yu, and the injured Bai Lixi go to Pingcheng County to investigate.
• They travel slowly because of Bai Lixi’s injuries and the captives they are leading, reaching the county at noon. Shen disguises their purpose at the gate as a robbery arrest and is escorted to the County Office.
• There, Shen reveals his identity to Magistrate Liu Qidong and asks him to imprison the captives. Liu hopes their arrival will help solve the case of missing children and murders that threatens his career.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu acts as the group’s measured leader: he restrains Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Lie, insists on lawful punishment, and prioritizes investigating the danger in Pingcheng.
• Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Lie both show intense hostility toward the captives, but accept Shen’s decision and support avoiding unnecessary military involvement.
• Xiao Lie takes responsibility for recruiting the Martial Alliance and leaves Bai Lixi with the others so the injured man will not endure a difficult ride.
• Bai Lixi accepts Xiao Lie’s concern and travels with Shen’s party to recuperate.
• Magistrate Liu is desperate for the investigation to succeed, both because of the victims and because the unsolved crimes could end his career.

Significant themes

• Justice versus vengeance: Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Lie favor killing the captives, while Shen argues for proportionate, lawful punishment.
• Responsibility and cooperation: The Martial Alliance is expected to help address a threat it failed to contain; local officials and martial-world authorities must work together.
• Practical leadership: The group weighs manpower, civilian casualties, and the urgency of stopping the Longevity Pavilion rather than relying on brute force.
• Personal stakes in public crises: The crimes devastate victims and families, while also placing Liu Qidong’s official future at risk.

Key plot points and events

• After several members of the child-abduction group are captured, County Magistrate Liu Qidong orders them imprisoned and treated harshly. Shen Shixu notes that their attempted kidnappings and later effort to kill Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi are serious crimes, though Great Qian’s laws generally avoid executions in favor of long imprisonment and hard labor.
• Shen tells Liu that the captives identified their leader as a male courtesan hiding at Elegant Grace House. Liu is awkward about discussing the men’s pleasure house, so Bai Lixi tactfully offers to investigate with someone who knows the county.
• Liu appoints the local head constable, Zhang, to guide the group. Zhang is personally invested in the case because he is a father and fears for the children of Pingcheng.
• The group considers entering Elegant Grace House undercover as patrons. They worry that Shen’s striking beauty would make him vulnerable to the courtesans, and Bai Lixi warns that the establishment’s food and incense may contain aphrodisiacs.
• When the others refuse to go, Shen asks Constable Zhang to buy cosmetics and brushes. The chapter ends as Shen begins applying makeup, suggesting he intends to disguise himself for the investigation.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu remains focused and resourceful, but initially underestimates the risks of the pleasure house. He decides to use makeup to alter his appearance and take part in the investigation.
• Liu Qidong is furious at the captured criminals but must work within the law. His embarrassment about Elegant Grace House reveals his concern for his reputation and family life.
• Bai Lixi shows social tact by rescuing Liu from an awkward conversation, then takes a protective role toward Shen.
• Xiao Jinyi is jealous and protective, strongly opposing Shen’s plan; he tries to avoid going himself by citing his marriage. Bai He and Mo Yu resent being volunteered instead.
• Constable Zhang is introduced as an upright local guide whose anger at the crimes is intensified by his own concern for his children.

Significant themes

• Justice and punishment: Great Qian’s relatively lenient criminal code contrasts with the brutal conditions of long-term imprisonment and forced labor.
• Protection of children and community fear: The crimes have affected the whole county, especially parents and local officials.
• Appearance, danger, and disguise: Shen’s beauty is treated as both an asset and a risk, prompting the group to debate who should enter the brothel and how.
• Humor amid tension: Liu’s embarrassment and the group’s squabbling provide comic relief alongside the serious investigation.

Plot points and events

• To enter the Elegant Grace House without attracting attention, Shen Shixu uses makeup to make himself and his companions look plain. Xiao Jinyi remains uneasy but agrees to accompany him.
• Constable Zhang leads them to the brothel but stays outside so his familiar face won’t alert anyone.
• Shen Shixu poses as a wealthy first-time patron, pays generously, and has the young men brought out so he can question them.
• He learns that two newcomers are Liu Xu and Liu Ying. Liu Xu says his uncle and aunt sold him after his parents died; it is his first day serving patrons.
• Bai Lixi discreetly checks Liu Xu’s pulse and concludes that the boy has promise as a martial-arts student. He asks Shen Shixu to buy Liu Xu’s freedom, and Shen agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu shows skill and confidence in disguising himself and conducting the inquiry, while his lavish payments help him maintain his patron persona.
• Xiao Jinyi worries about Shen’s safety but recognizes that arguing will not stop him, so he joins the investigation.
• Bai Lixi reveals a protective, practical side by identifying Liu Xu’s potential and seeking a way to remove him from the brothel. He quietly clarifies to Shen that his motives are not romantic.
• Liu Xu risks recounting painful family history in hopes of earning money and delaying what awaits him. Liu Ying, by contrast, is described as alluring and feminine-looking, matching the suspected Left Protector’s profile.

Significant themes

• Disguise and appearances: Makeup changes how the men are perceived, while Liu Ying’s appearance offers a clue to his identity.
• Power and exploitation: Liu Xu’s story exposes how vulnerable people can be sold and trapped by relatives and institutions.
• Compassion and intervention: The group’s investigation becomes personal when Bai Lixi seeks Liu Xu’s freedom, turning money from a tool of deception into a means of rescue.

Key plot points

• Liu Xu is delighted but anxious when Shen Shixu’s group agrees to buy his freedom; he goes to ask the madam for his indenture.
• Liu Ying grows suspicious of the visitors, noticing their wealth, armed guards, and lack of interest in the establishment’s usual pleasures.
• He deliberately presses close to Shen Shixu to test the group and provoke Xiao Jinyi. Shen stiffens, while Xiao Jinyi becomes visibly jealous and eventually pulls Shen into his arms.
• Sensing the guards’ killing intent and suspecting that the group has come for him, Liu Ying tries to identify which faction they belong to.
• Shen Shixu improvises a cover story: he and Xiao Jinyi are lovers seeking advice from other men in similar relationships. Xiao supports the story, warning Liu Ying to stay away from his “husband,” while Shen feigns embarrassment.
• Liu Ying questions their background and lavish spending. Shen claims to be a young master from a prominent Capital family visiting his ancestral home; Liu Ying finds the explanation mostly credible.
• Liu Ying relaxes somewhat and begins telling the visitors his own tragic love story: after falling for a man, he was rejected by his family and discovered his beloved was about to become engaged to a woman.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu stays composed under pressure, inventing a convincing explanation and quietly signaling his companions not to act.
• Xiao Jinyi reveals strong jealousy and protectiveness toward Shen, physically drawing him close and firmly asserting their supposed relationship.
• Liu Ying is observant, flirtatious, and cautious. His probing tests expose the group’s tension, though Shen’s story wins some of his trust.
• Mo Yu, Bai He, and Bai Lixi prepare for possible violence but hold back when Shen signals them to wait; Bai Lixi recognizes Shen’s quick thinking.
• Shen and Xiao’s performance as a couple helps defuse suspicion, though Xiao’s possessiveness and Shen’s blush make the act seem convincing.

Significant themes

• Love versus social and family expectations: Liu Ying’s story highlights the punishment and rejection faced by men who love men.
• Deception and survival: Shen’s improvised cover story protects the group while they investigate Liu Ying.
• Trust and suspicion: Both sides assess one another, weighing appearances, behavior, and hidden motives.
• Jealousy and intimacy: Xiao’s reaction to Liu Ying’s flirtation exposes his attachment to Shen.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Ying warns Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi that love between two men can face serious obstacles. He urges them to judge commitment by actions, not promises.
• He recounts how his first lover abandoned him, marrying a woman and having children. Heartbroken, Liu Ying left home and found work with an escort agency.
• He later partnered with and fell for a kind employer, but never confessed; the employer had no romantic interest in him and eventually died. After their business collapsed, Liu Ying came to the brothel hoping to find a male companion, though he accepts no clients unless he chooses them.
• Shen Shixu apologizes for bringing up the dead employer and gives Liu Ying silver, which Liu Ying happily accepts.
• Liu Xu presents his indenture contract: the earlier payment is enough to buy his freedom. Shen Shixu saves the additional money, while Xiao Jinyi offers him access to the Prince Jing Residence’s wealth.
• Liu Xu follows them to the County Office and is stunned to learn who freed him. Bai Lixi explains that a friend wants Liu Xu as a disciple.
• Bai Lixi confirms Liu Ying is the Longevity Pavilion’s Left Protector and that the boss Liu Ying loved was the Pavilion’s master, who is now dead. Shen Shixu plans to wait for reinforcements and the remaining suspects before closing the net.
• An upgraded system, 011, offers Shen Shixu a livestream, which he suspects will concern Liu Ying.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Ying reveals the grief and disillusionment behind his guarded outlook. Though he claims he has moved on from his first lover, his past losses still shape his advice and choices.
• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi reaffirm their devotion. Xiao Jinyi responds firmly to Liu Ying’s warning, promising he will never abandon Shen Shixu.
• Shen Shixu shows compassion toward Liu Ying, apologizes, and offers money. He also remains practical about expenses and cautious about the ongoing investigation.
• Bai Lixi acts on Liu Xu’s behalf by arranging a potential apprenticeship through a friend.
• Liu Xu gains his freedom and a chance at a new future as a disciple.

Significant themes

• Actions over promises: Liu Ying’s painful experience teaches him that declarations of love mean little without follow-through.
• Love, loss, and perseverance: His story contrasts past abandonment and bereavement with Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi’s mutual commitment.
• Second chances and new beginnings: Liu Ying seeks companionship later in life, while Liu Xu’s freedom may open a path to learning and independence.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu finishes a letter requesting leave, then hurries back to his room to watch a livestream. Curious, Bai Lixi, Mo Yu, Xiao Jinyi, and Bai He secretly gather beneath his window.
• A strange blue screen appears before them, showing a young Liu Ying. Shen Shixu comments on Liu Ying’s appearance and criticizes his first lover, while praising Xiao Jinyi as a far better match. The others tease Xiao Jinyi, whose ears turn red.
• The livestream recounts how Liu Ying met and fell in love with a man introduced by their fathers. The two grow close through shared activities, and Liu Ying accepts his confession.
• Their families discover the relationship. Liu Ying’s father beats him and casts him out when he refuses to renounce his love. The lover is also beaten and imprisoned by his father, who withholds food, water, and medicine.
• After three days, weakened and feverish, the lover gives in. His father arranges a marriage, and the wedding takes place as soon as his injuries heal.
• Still thinking of Liu Ying, the groom turns his back on his bride and drinks rather than lifting her veil. She removes it herself, appearing tearful and wounded. She has anticipated his attachment to Liu Ying and uses his guilt and pity to begin winning him over; they consummate the marriage.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu’s enthusiasm for the livestream reveals his affection for Xiao Jinyi; his praise embarrasses Xiao, who silences the others’ teasing with a cold look.
• The companions’ curiosity overcomes their hesitation, and they watch together, reacting with amazement to the unfamiliar screen and its censorship.
• Liu Ying is shown as steadfast in love, enduring severe punishment rather than denying his feelings.
• His lover initially shares that resolve but yields under confinement and physical suffering, exposing the difference between his promises and his endurance.
• The bride is perceptive and strategic: she understands her husband’s feelings and deliberately turns his guilt into an opening for intimacy.

Significant themes

• Love and loyalty under pressure: Liu Ying holds to his choice, while his lover’s resolve collapses under coercion.
• Family authority and forced marriage: Both fathers use punishment and control to dictate their sons’ relationships.
• Promises versus actions: The lover’s vow to stay with Liu Ying proves fragile when tested.
• Guilt, pity, and strategy: The bride uses her husband’s remorse to shape their relationship.
• Contrast and framing: The companions compare Liu Ying’s painful history with Shen Shixu’s openly affectionate praise of Xiao Jinyi.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu explains that the bride deliberately understood and exploited the groom’s weaknesses to bind him to her, comparing her to a spider trapping a willing but reckless insect.
• Liu Ying stays near the newly married couple until he sees them living contentedly and learns the bride is pregnant. He finally accepts that his former lover is beyond reach and leaves.
• Wandering without direction, Liu Ying helps an escort agency fend off bandits and joins them. He remains with the escorts for several years, declining matchmaking offers.
• While escorting a porcelain shipment, Liu Ying’s group is overwhelmed by bandits. The master of the Longevity Pavilion saves Liu Ying with a well-aimed arrow.
• Liu Ying follows the pavilion master and joins his organization. He eventually becomes its Left Protector, and the two grow close. The pavilion master treats him differently, though neither openly confesses their feelings.
• When the Longevity Pavilion is destroyed, its master dies saving Liu Ying. Liu Ying may recognize the depth of the master’s unspoken love in that final act.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Ying moves from heartbreak and lingering attachment toward his former lover to a solitary life devoted to work. Though he believes he has given up on love, meeting the pavilion master revives his feelings and gives his life new color.
• The pavilion master begins as a stern, distant figure but grows attached to Liu Ying. He saves Liu Ying at the cost of his own life.
• The bride is reframed as calculating and formidable rather than merely pitiable; she has carefully tailored her plan to the groom.
• The livestream viewers react emotionally to Liu Ying’s loneliness. Mo Yu fears ending up alone, while Bai He comforts him; Xiao Jinyi and Bai Lixi sympathize with how painful it is to watch others’ romances while their own partners are absent.
• In response to 011’s confusion about Liu Ying and the pavilion master’s bond, Shen Shixu explains that each disrupted the other’s emotional stagnation: the pavilion master brought color back to Liu Ying’s gray life, while Liu Ying stirred feelings in the pavilion master.

Significant themes

• Love, betrayal, and letting go: Liu Ying’s long affection cannot be erased quickly, but he eventually accepts that his former relationship is over.
• Loneliness and renewed hope: Liu Ying’s resignation to living alone changes when the pavilion master gives him a reason to feel alive again.
• Unspoken affection and sacrifice: The men’s feelings are conveyed through their actions and growing closeness, culminating in the pavilion master’s sacrifice.
• Perception and hidden motives: Shen Shixu’s explanation reveals that appearances can obscure both the bride’s strategy and the depth of the men’s attachment.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu and system 011 reflect on human emotions; 011 admits he would rather watch cartoons than try to understand them. Shen and 011 often watch Sheep and Wolves together before bed.
• After Shen falls asleep, Xiao Jinyi and the others quietly leave his window so they will not disturb him. The next morning, Liu Qidong provides breakfast.
• The group has confirmed the crimes of Liu Ying and his associates and is waiting for Xiao Lie to return with reinforcements, so they can arrest them alongside Liu Qidong’s bailiffs.
• With time to spare, Shen asks to review Pingcheng County’s backlog of case files. He and Xiao Jinyi resolve the straightforward cases in under half a day, impressing Liu Qidong.
• Shen invites Xiao Jinyi to explore the town. The two shop, snack, and listen to a storyteller recount the fall of the Longevity Pavilion, whose master abducted children to obtain their blood.
• After leaving the teahouse, they decide to eat together. Just after they sit down at a restaurant, they spot Xiao Lie riding through the street.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu remains energetic and helpful despite having little to do, using his official role to clear local cases. He also enjoys relaxed outings and entertainment.
• 011 stays detached from human emotional complexity and prefers cartoons and snacks.
• Xiao Jinyi readily accepts Shen’s invitation and spends the day shopping, listening to stories, and dining with him, showing their easy companionship.
• Liu Qidong is impressed by Shen and Xiao Jinyi’s ability and efficiency.
• Xiao Lie’s return signals that the planned operation against Liu Ying’s group may soon proceed.

Significant themes

• Human emotions are complex and distinguish people from machines.
• Justice and communal responsibility are reflected in both the effort to prosecute Liu Ying’s group and the clearing of the county’s neglected cases.
• Ordinary pleasures—stories, food, shopping, and companionship—offer a calm interlude amid serious events.

Key events

• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi return to the County Office, where Xiao Lie reports that Martial Alliance reinforcements will arrive by the following afternoon. The pair infer that Xiao Lie hurried back because he wants to see Bai Lixi.
• While the Alliance gathers, Liu Ying assembles the remaining Longevity Pavilion members in Pingcheng County. They enter town under the implausible cover story that they have come to find work.
• When the Martial Alliance surrounds the Elegant Grace House, Liu Ying realizes his identity has been exposed. Rather than flee, he bathes, dresses in his favorite purple clothes, and prepares himself.
• The Pavilion’s fighters launch an ambush, and a fierce battle breaks out. Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi watch from a nearby rooftop, noting that the enemy is skilled but fights viciously.
• Liu Ying emerges and calls Shen Shixu down. Xiao Jinyi blocks Liu Ying’s attack and fights him with Red Blood and Cold Ice Palm. After Liu Ying is wounded, a middle-aged man stabs him from behind.
• Liu Ying mortally wounds the attacker in return. Recognizing him, Liu Ying tells Shen Shixu he is sorry to leave him a mess, then kills himself rather than die by that man’s hand.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi remain affectionate and attentive to one another, sharing food and later acting as a united team.
• Xiao Lie’s eagerness to return to Bai Lixi is apparent to Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi; they wisely avoid interrupting him.
• Liu Ying meets his end with composure and pride. Though he says he no longer hates the man who stabbed him, he still despises him and refuses to let that man determine how he dies.
• Xiao Jinyi protects Shen Shixu throughout the confrontation and defeats Liu Ying in close combat. Liu Ying’s final words are directed to Shen Shixu, suggesting a personal connection or responsibility between them.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and attachment: Xiao Lie’s urgency to reunite with Bai Lixi and Xiao Jinyi’s protectiveness toward Shen Shixu frame the chapter’s violence with intimate bonds.
• Pride and control in death: Liu Ying maintains his composure and chooses suicide rather than allowing a hated adversary to claim his life.
• Deception and exposure: The Pavilion’s members disguise their arrival with a weak cover story, while Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi’s concealed identities help expose Liu Ying’s operation.
• Violence and consequences: The ambush and battle leave casualties on both sides, and Liu Ying’s final confrontation ends in mutual death.

Key plot points

• After Liu Ying’s death, the Longevity Pavilion’s remaining members surrender. One captive explains that Liu Ying had punished the people responsible for abducting and killing children, and had arranged for the surviving children to be cared for at a farm. The children are found safe and noticeably healthier, and their parents reunite with them.
• Shen Shixu arranges for Liu Ying to be buried beside the Longevity Pavilion’s master, the person he loved. Shen privately regrets that he cannot take revenge on the man who killed Liu Ying.
• On returning to the Capital, Shen Shixu and his companions follow a crowd to an argument between Prince Kang and Princess Consort Kang.
• A mysterious transparent screen appears, visible to the couple and the onlookers. Xiao Lie recognizes his cousin Prince Kang, steers him away from the crowd, and warns him not to ask about the screen yet.
• A voice from the screen reveals that Prince Kang has been tricked into handing over money through a honey trap. His wife caught the scheme before the household lost much of its wealth.

Character developments

• Shen Shixu shows compassion toward Liu Ying, arranging a meaningful burial despite his anger at Liu Ying’s killer.
• Xiao Lie recognizes Prince Kang and handles the unexpected situation tactfully, while also sharing his characteristic enthusiasm for gossip.
• Xiao Jinyi teases Xiao Lie about his poor memory and recalls their childhood mischief at Prince Kang’s residence.
• Prince Kang is portrayed as trusting and easily deceived, but he trusts Xiao Lie enough to follow his advice.
• Princess Consort Kang emerges as sharp and protective of her family’s finances; she has already discovered her husband’s mistake.

Significant themes

• Mercy and redemption: Though Liu Ying went astray, his final actions to protect the children complicate the judgment of him.
• Family responsibility: The children’s safe return and Princess Consort Kang’s defense of household funds emphasize protecting those who depend on you.
• Public spectacle and gossip: Shen and his companions are drawn to a crowd, and the magical screen turns private troubles into entertainment and revelation.
• Trust and gullibility: Prince Kang’s misplaced trust contrasts with his wife’s discernment and Xiao Lie’s caution.

Character interactions

• Shen questions a captured Longevity Pavilion member, then ensures Liu Ying is buried beside his beloved.
• Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Lie reminisce about their childhood at Prince Kang’s residence.
• Xiao Lie quietly warns Prince Kang about the screen and invites him to lunch, while Princess Consort Kang watches their secretive exchange.
• The screen’s commentary mocks Prince Kang’s credulity and praises his wife’s quick thinking.

Plot and key events

• Prince Kang is lured to a banquet by an old study companion who has returned to the Capital. The former friend and his wife have fallen into poverty and, dazzled by the wealth around them, plot to exploit the prince’s influence and money.
• They get Prince Kang drunk, lead him into a room with drugged incense, and stage a compromising scene by placing the friend’s wife beside him.
• When the friend bursts in the next morning, a hungover and confused Prince Kang offers lavish compensation: an official post, valuables, and eventually his private savings. He keeps the incident from Princess Consort Kang.
• The livestream reveals this scheme to the group as they travel to Prince Kang’s residence. Princess Consort Kang realizes her husband has already spent his savings and is still at risk of giving away household funds.

Character development and interactions

• Prince Kang is shown as sincere and generous but dangerously gullible. His desire to help an old friend leaves him easy to manipulate, and his secrecy compounds the damage.
• Princess Consort Kang had suspected the invitation was suspicious and wanted to protect him. Her affection and understanding of his kindness are mixed with anger at his poor judgment and secret spending.
• The former friend and his wife have allowed envy and ambition to overtake their original wish to get by, deliberately exploiting Prince Kang’s trust.
• Xiao Lie and the others eagerly ask what caused the couple’s public argument, while Xiao Lie jokes that his cousin would be better off consulting his clever cousin-in-law.

Significant themes

Kindness without caution can be exploited.

• Envy and social ambition can turn hardship into scheming.
• Trust and secrecy strain a marriage: Prince Kang’s attempt to handle the trouble alone only makes matters worse.