Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Li Yichen takes Fang Enmeng to Golden Eagle Plaza, promising to buy her whatever she wants. She is excited to explore but initially avoids purchasing anything.
• In the sportswear section, Li notices that Fang likes a white outfit and encourages her to try it on. Though worried about its cost, she agrees.
• Fang looks radiant in the outfit, and the saleswoman repeatedly assumes Li is her boyfriend. Fang blushes but enjoys the implication.
• Li buys the outfit and matching shoes, then adds a second set in black before Fang can object. Fang is moved by his generosity and says he is going to spoil her.
• As they leave, a spiteful voice calls out Fang’s name, interrupting their warm moment.

Character developments

• Li Yichen shows attentiveness and affection by noticing what Fang likes and insisting she accept his generosity. He playfully frames his care as a big brother’s duty.
• Fang Enmeng reveals her financial hardship and initial reluctance to spend Li’s money. She gradually lets herself enjoy the outing and feels deeply cherished, while their teasing and closeness suggest affection beyond ordinary sibling warmth.

Significant themes

• Generosity and care: Li’s spending is less about the clothes than about making Fang feel valued.
• Poverty and self-restraint: Fang’s past scarcity makes her uncomfortable with costly gifts.
• Ambiguous intimacy: Their affectionate teasing, physical closeness, and the saleswoman’s repeated “boyfriend” remarks blur the line between sibling affection and romance.

Character interactions

• Li and Fang trade playful jokes and affectionate teasing as they shop, with Fang repeatedly holding his arm.
• The saleswoman compliments Fang and treats Li as her boyfriend, intensifying Fang’s embarrassment and quiet happiness.
• Their tender exchange ends abruptly when an unidentified person recognizes Fang and addresses her with hostility.

Key plot points and events

• At a jewelry store, Fang Enmeng runs into her dormmates Hu Jing, Zhou Qian, and Sun Yao, who are accompanied by three swaggering men.
• Hu Jing boasts that her boyfriend, Shen Zitao, is buying her birthday jewelry. She notices the men staring at Fang Enmeng and turns their attention to Li Yichen, whom Fang quickly identifies as her “brother.”
• Hu Jing and her friends mock Fang for not wearing jewelry and imply that Li should buy her something. They and the men pressure the pair to join them, while Fang quietly urges Li to leave.
• Li instead plays along, pretending to be impressed by Zitao’s family status and eager for a free gift. He takes Fang by the hand and leads the group to the jewelry counters.
• Zitao tells Hu Jing to choose anything for her birthday, making a show of his generosity. He privately treats women as purchasable bait and tells his friends they can share Fang once he has seduced her.
• Hu Jing eagerly selects jewelry and praises Zitao’s generosity as the saleswoman looks on admiringly.

Character developments

• Fang Enmeng is uncomfortable with the group’s taunts and wary of the men’s attention. She relies on Li for support, tugging his sleeve and later allowing him to lead her away.
• Li Yichen remains calm and protective of Fang, but adopts an exaggeratedly greedy, opportunistic act to turn the group’s challenge around.
• Hu Jing uses birthday theatrics and conspicuous jewelry to show off her relationship and needle Fang. She stays composed despite noticing Zitao’s attraction to Fang, apparently unwilling to give up his money.
• Shen Zitao is boastful and predatory: he flaunts his wealth, objectifies women, and becomes captivated by Fang. He also begins to find Hu Jing less appealing.
• Zhou Qian, Sun Yao, and the other men join in the mockery and reinforce Zitao’s crude, transactional attitude toward women.

Significant themes

• Wealth as status and leverage: The group uses jewelry and spending to display social rank and pressure others.
• Objectification and entitlement: Zitao and his friends treat women as sexual prizes to be bought and shared.
• Appearance and rivalry: Hu Jing’s performance of glamour is undermined by the men’s fascination with Fang.
• Protective performance: Li uses apparent greed and politeness to navigate a hostile encounter while staying beside Fang.

Character interactions

• Hu Jing provokes Fang and tests Li by questioning their relationship and inviting them to shop.
• Fang seeks to leave, but Li reassures her and accepts the invitation on his own terms.
• Zitao boasts to Li while privately conspiring with his friends about Fang.
• Hu Jing performs affection toward Zitao in public, even as his attention shifts to Fang; the saleswoman’s praise encourages Hu Jing’s display of the relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Hu Jing admires a diamond necklace and pressures her boyfriend, Shen Zitao, to buy it. Li Yichen takes the necklace, calls it tacky, and tosses it back onto the counter. It is unharmed, but Hu Jing angrily blames him and tells Fang Enmeng to control him.
• Shen Zitao buys the necklace for 88,888 yuan, loudly emphasizing his generosity. Hu Jing is delighted, while their friends envy the purchase.
• Li Yichen reminds Shen that he had offered to buy everyone a gift. Shen confidently agrees, assuming the item Li chooses will be inexpensive.
• Li selects a jade bangle at the Stone Pavilion. Shen offers to pay without checking the price, but the bangle costs 680,000 yuan. His payment fails twice because he has insufficient funds, leaving the group stunned and the saleswoman disappointed.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yichen deliberately provokes Hu Jing by handling the necklace, then turns Shen’s boast into a test of his means. He appears confident and may know the bangle’s true value.
• Fang Enmeng stands up for Li when Hu Jing attacks him, but stops herself from arguing when he discreetly signals her.
• Hu Jing is vain and eager to display her boyfriend’s spending; after getting the necklace, she becomes affectionate toward Shen. When his payment fails, she immediately defends his status.
• Shen Zitao uses the necklace purchase to impress Hu Jing and Fang Enmeng. His boastful confidence collapses when he cannot afford Li’s choice.
• Zhou Qian and Sun Yao envy Hu Jing’s necklace and hint that they want similar gifts.

Significant themes

• Status and materialism: The women’s excitement centers on expensive jewelry, and Shen uses spending to project wealth and desirability.
• Boasting versus reality: Shen’s public claims of generosity are exposed when the much costlier bangle exceeds his balance.
• Humiliation and reversal: Li’s apparent recklessness shifts into a calculated challenge, turning Shen’s contempt for him back on Shen.

Plot points

• Hu Jing boasts that Shen Zitao’s newly bought diamond necklace is genuine and expensive, but the central stone suddenly shatters. She and Shen decide to confront the shop that sold it.
• Before they can leave, Li Yichen insists Shen pay for a bracelet he had promised to buy. The bracelet costs 680,000.
• Hu Jing angrily slams the bracelet onto the counter, breaking it. She denies responsibility, but the shop’s owner—known as the Jade King—arrives and insists that even Shen Beichen would have to compensate for the damage.
• Recognizing the owner, Shen backs down and gathers money with his companions to pay the full amount. He leaves furious, planning to confront the necklace seller.
• Li Yichen and Fang Enmeng watch them go. Li jokes that the group got what they deserved, while Fang is pleased by their misfortune.

Character developments and interactions

• Hu Jing shifts from loudly showing off her necklace to panicking when it breaks. She then causes further trouble by breaking the bracelet and trying to avoid paying.
• Shen Zitao is enraged by the apparent fake necklace and initially resists paying for the bracelet, but becomes deferential when he recognizes the Jade King. He also silences Hu Jing when her defiance threatens to worsen matters.
• Li Yichen uses Shen’s obligation to keep the group from leaving, then enjoys their increasingly costly predicament.
• Fang Enmeng shares Li’s amusement and feels unexpectedly happy to see Hu Jing and her companions suffer.
• The Jade King is courteous but firm, asserting his authority and requiring compensation.

Significant themes

• Boasting and humiliation: Hu Jing’s extravagant claims are immediately undercut when the necklace breaks.
• Responsibility and consequences: Her careless handling of the bracelet leaves Shen and his companions with a large bill.
• Status and deference: Shen’s attitude changes once he recognizes the respected shop owner.
• Reversal of fortune: The group’s attempt to pursue a refund turns into an even greater financial loss.

Plot points

• Fang Enmeng gets her clothes and shoes, then persuades Li Yichen to leave the shop rather than continue confronting Shen Zitao and his friends.
• Elder Wang calls Li Yichen back and offers him the broken jade bracelet Shen Zitao paid for. Li declines, saying the jade is not good enough and that he has seen better.
• When Elder Wang challenges him to show proof, Li proposes a wager: if his jade impresses Wang, Wang will make jewelry for Enmeng.
• Li produces a watermelon-sized spirit stone. Elder Wang recognizes it, becomes overwhelmed, and agrees to make the jewelry, staking his reputation as the Jade King.

Character development and interactions

• Li Yichen is protective of Enmeng, but readily yields to her request. He is also confident and unimpressed by ordinary luxury jade, and keeps the spirit stone’s origins secret.
• Fang Enmeng remains affectionate and trusting, tugging Li away by the hand and serving as the reason for his wager.
• Elder Wang shifts from amused generosity to offended skepticism, then to awe and excitement when he sees the spirit stone. His recognition suggests experience with rare treasures.
• The exchange between Li and Wang turns their initial disagreement into a wager and a promise of valuable jewelry for Enmeng.

Significant themes

• Status versus true value: The broken bracelet and Elder Wang’s prestigious title pale beside the spirit stone.
• Confidence and expertise: Li’s claims are tested, while Wang’s knowledge is revealed by his recognition of the stone.
• Loyalty and protection: Li’s concern for Enmeng shapes both his actions and the wager’s reward.

Plot points

• Elder Wang agrees to craft jewelry for Fang Enmeng from Li Yichen’s spirit stone. After explaining that the leftovers alone are worth about five million, he offers to buy them for that amount.
• Li Yichen accepts and has the money transferred directly to Fang Enmeng. She is stunned by the gift and initially refuses, but he persuades her that it is natural for siblings to share.
• Shen Zitao’s group returns after failing to get a refund for the damaged diamond necklace; security threw them out. Li Yichen needles them about the outcome, prompting Fang Enmeng to laugh.
• Shen suggests they all visit a new “ghost marriage” escape room for Hu Jing’s birthday. Though Hu is reluctant, Shen threatens her privately, and she quickly pretends to be enthusiastic and invites Fang Enmeng.
• Fang asks Li Yichen whether they should go. He agrees, concealing his suspicions while hinting that he expects the experience to be frightening.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yichen shows generosity toward Fang Enmeng but remains playful and provocative with Shen’s group. His faint smile and staged fear suggest he may anticipate trouble at the escape room.
• Fang Enmeng is overwhelmed by her brother’s wealth and kindness. She accepts the money after his reassurance, resolves to save it, and increasingly relies on him for guidance.
• Elder Wang is thrilled to work with the spirit stone but insists on paying fairly for the valuable remainder.
• Shen Zitao masks his anger after the failed refund, then quietly threatens Hu Jing. He plans to exploit and punish her once he has obtained Fang Enmeng.
• Hu Jing is frightened by Shen’s threat and hides her distress behind a forced smile.

Significant themes

• Generosity and trust: Li Yichen’s gift strengthens his sibling-like bond with Fang Enmeng.
• Wealth and value: The spirit stone’s extraordinary price contrasts with Fang’s modest hopes of covering tuition and meals.
• Coercion beneath appearances: Shen presents the outing as friendly birthday fun while using threats to control Hu Jing and pursuing a cruel plan.
• Foreshadowing and suspense: The “ghost marriage” escape room may be more than harmless entertainment, especially given Shen’s intentions and Li Yichen’s guarded response.

Plot points

• Li Yichen and seven companions enter a ghost-marriage escape room after rushing the NPC’s introduction. The room’s rules warn them not to touch forbidden objects and, especially, not to turn around.
• Unbeknownst to the group, the actors meant to play the ghosts are still outside. Hearing that the customers may find the room insufficiently frightening, Li Yichen secretly opens a supernatural gate behind the group, intending to make the experience unforgettable.
• As the group proceeds through a dim, talisman-lined passage, unseen skeletal arms touch several women. Their attempts to identify the culprit lead Hu Jing to grab one arm—and discover it is skeletal.
• More arms appear, reaching toward Sun Yao and Zhou Qian. Shen Zitao finally sees them and panics, realizing there are genuinely supernatural forces in the room.
• A skeletal arm targets Fang Enmeng, but she responds without hesitation: she knocks it down with a brick and repeatedly crushes it.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yichen is confident and playful, secretly escalating the scare while holding Fang Enmeng’s hand. He expects to protect her, but she proves more aggressive and capable than he anticipated.
• Fang Enmeng begins frightened enough to cling to Li Yichen, yet immediately turns fierce when threatened, attacking the ghost arm herself.
• Shen Zitao starts out boastful and dismissive of the scares, encouraging the others to follow him; his confidence collapses when he sees the floating arms.
• Hu Jing flirts with Shen Zitao and initially mistakes the ghost’s touches for those of the men nearby. Her confusion turns to terror when she grabs the skeletal arm.
• The group’s banter and accusations give way to shared panic as the apparent escape-room effects become real.

Significant themes

• The line between performance and reality: A staged haunted attraction becomes genuinely supernatural.
• Overconfidence and reversal: Shen Zitao’s bravado is undone, while the seemingly frightened Fang Enmeng acts decisively.
• Fear versus courage: The chapter contrasts panic, playful confidence, and practical action under threat.

Key plot points and events

• Fang Enmeng brutally smashes a skeletal attacker until only bone fragments remain, then tells Li Yichen she acted to protect him. He promises to protect her in return, and she affectionately takes his arm.
• Li and Enmeng enter the room where the rest of the group has barricaded themselves. Li dismisses the skeletal arms as fake props, calming everyone enough for them to search the funeral-themed room.
• Shen Zitao and two other men secretly plan to abduct Enmeng during the next stage, a maze with brief, regularly timed blackouts. Their scheme relies on a walkthrough Shen has read.
• Sun Yao paints eyes onto one of the paper figures beside the coffin. After she leaves, four ghostly shadows bow to Li and possess the paper children.
• The paper figures come alive and approach the group. One man strikes a figure with a stool, breaking its arm and revealing only a hollow framework inside. When he meets its living, ink-black gaze, it raises its lantern-holding hand to strike him.

Character developments and interactions

• Enmeng shows fierce protectiveness toward Li, while Li tries to reassure her that he will protect her too; their closeness is clear.
• Shen Zitao’s apparent bravado masks greed and predatory intentions toward Enmeng. His companions join his plan, while the frightened group remains unaware of it.
• Sun Yao’s curiosity prompts her to paint the paper figure’s eyes, unknowingly triggering the supernatural danger. Zhou Qian dismisses her idea and urges her to keep searching.
• The group’s fear repeatedly clashes with its attempts to explain events as tricks. Their confidence collapses when the paper figures visibly move and attack.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Li’s claim that the dangers are props offers false reassurance, while the hollow paper figures prove terrifyingly real.
• Fear and denial: The characters try to rationalize what they see until the supernatural threat becomes undeniable.
• Protection and exploitation: Enmeng’s loyalty to Li contrasts sharply with Shen Zitao’s plan to take advantage of her.
• Curiosity and consequences: Sun Yao’s playful experiment brings the paper figures to life, with immediate danger for everyone.

Key plot points and events

• In the mourning-hall stage, four animated paper effigies approach the group. Shen Zitao struggles to unlock the exit, while the frightened men rush through first and the women follow.
• Li Yichen reassures Fang Enmeng, who stays calm and trusts him. She notices that the effigies seem to be avoiding them, though Li Yichen pretends not to know why.
• After the group exits, Shen Zitao assigns positions for the maze ahead. He and Zhao Lei lead, the women walk in the middle, and Zheng Heng and Li Yichen bring up the rear.
• Shen Zitao and Zheng Heng secretly intend to exploit a blackout: Zheng will grab Fang Enmeng and bring her to the front before diverting her down another passage.
• When the maze lights go out, Zheng trips and lands among the women, who mistake him for an attacker and claw at him. Meanwhile, Li Yichen reaches Fang Enmeng and leads her away by the hand, telling her to close her eyes and trust him.

Character developments

• Li Yichen remains composed and protective of Fang Enmeng. He is alert to the men’s scheme and appears ready to turn it against them.
• Fang Enmeng shows courage and strong trust in Li Yichen, following him without hesitation in the darkness. Her intuition also picks up on the paper figures’ unusual behavior.
• Shen Zitao, Zhao Lei, and Zheng Heng reveal their self-serving and predatory intentions. Despite their own fear, they continue to target Fang Enmeng.
• The girlfriends are terrified by the haunted stage and later react defensively when Zheng Heng falls among them.

Significant themes

• Trust and protection: Fang Enmeng’s confidence in Li Yichen contrasts with the group’s panic and betrayal.
• Fear and selfishness: The men’s bravado collapses under pressure, yet their scheming persists.
• Appearance versus reality: The escape-room threats may be staged, but the danger posed by the men is genuine.

Character interactions

• Li Yichen comforts Fang Enmeng and quietly watches the other men’s movements.
• Shen Zitao organizes the group while signaling his plan to Zheng Heng.
• In the blackout, Zheng’s attempted approach goes wrong; the women attack him, while Li Yichen safely takes Fang Enmeng’s hand and guides her onward.

Key events

• Li Yichen secretly takes Fang Enmeng through the maze by turning intangible with her. They arrive almost instantly at the final stage, the brightly decorated “Wedding Hall.”
• Fang Enmeng tries on the bridal gown and phoenix crown, while Li Yichen dresses as the groom. They admire their reflection together and take a photo, sharing a warm, flirtatious moment.
• Meanwhile, Shen Zitao’s group loses track of the pair. After Zheng Heng is scratched by a girl in the maze, the group eventually finds its way onward.
• Shen Zitao, Zhao Lei, and Zheng Heng enter a locked room containing three curtained beds. Each bed holds a beautiful woman in a bridal gown; the three men react with excited surprise.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Yichen and Fang Enmeng grow more comfortable and intimate. He helps her dress, praises her, and indulges her request to dress as a groom; their teasing hints at unspoken romantic feelings.
• Fang Enmeng is playful and affectionate, though she suspects Li Yichen is hiding how they reached the Wedding Hall.
• Shen Zitao becomes frustrated and impatient, blaming Zheng Heng for losing sight of the others and urging his group to escape quickly.
• Zheng Heng is shaken by his injuries but becomes eager when he discovers the woman on the first bed.
• Shen Zitao, Zhao Lei, and Zheng Heng act as a wary group at first, then approach the beds together; Zheng Liang claims the first woman for himself.

Significant themes

• Romance and playful intimacy: The wedding costumes and shared photo bring Li Yichen and Fang Enmeng closer.
• Contrasting experiences: Their peaceful, affectionate scene contrasts with the other group’s fear, confusion, and increasingly suggestive encounter.
• Appearance and uncertainty: The bridal imagery seems celebratory, but the locked room and motionless women leave the situation’s true nature unclear.

Plot points and events

• Shen Zitao, Zhao Lei, and Zheng Heng encounter three apparently beautiful women in the escape room. The women entice them, insist they drink wedding wine first, then transform into paper effigies as the men kiss them.
• Terrified, the men flee and pound on the locked door until staff let them out. A costumed female-ghost employee appears, and they faint in fear; the incident leaves them soaked with fright.
• Outside, Fang Enmeng and Li Yichen have already escaped the room. They leave the other men behind, and Fang asks Li to take her shopping for bras.
• Fang’s personal question about whether men prefer larger breasts makes Li awkward. Mo Yurou and two other women arrive, see them together, and accuse Li of having “hooked up” with someone else. Mo asks Fang who she is.

Character developments

• The three men’s bravado and lust quickly give way to panic when the apparent beauties reveal themselves as paper effigies.
• Fang Enmeng is candid and trusting with Li, discussing her changing body and asking for his help shopping.
• Li Yichen tries to appear casual, but Fang’s intimate question and the women’s arrival expose his embarrassment.
• Mo Yurou shows jealousy and suspicion toward Li’s closeness with Fang.

Significant themes

• Illusion and fear: The seductive scene turns into horror, exploiting the men’s expectations.
• Desire and consequences: The men’s impulsive behavior leaves them vulnerable to the scare.
• Jealousy and misunderstanding: Li and Fang’s innocent shopping conversation looks intimate to the women watching.

Character interactions

• The three men are lured by the apparent brides before fleeing in terror.
• Fang and Li share a private, awkwardly personal conversation.
• Mo Yurou confronts Li in front of Fang, setting up tension over who Fang is and what her relationship with Li might be.

Plot points

• Fang Enmeng mistakes Li Yichen’s three girlfriends—Mo Yurou, Ouyang Xuanxuan, and Jiang Ruoyi—for his sisters-in-law. She enthusiastically praises Mo, claiming Li often compliments her, though her flattery is largely invented.
• Fang is surprised to learn that all three women are Li’s girlfriends—and that they seem to get along. Jiang draws Fang aside, joking that Li tricks pretty young women, but Fang insists he never tricked her.
• Fang explains how Li helped her: when they first met, he gave her a job and treated her kindly, accepting a humble bowl of noodles and saving her the braised egg. Later, when relatives demanded repayment of her late father’s 30,000-yuan debt and threatened to force her into marriage, Li paid the debt and took her in as his younger sister.
• The women are moved to tears and welcome Fang as family. Ouyang asks her age and birthday, then cheerfully claims big-sister status and takes her to buy underwear. Meanwhile, Mo questions Li’s motives, and he insists he acted out of compassion.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Enmeng is grateful, sincere, and protective of Li, asking the women not to blame him. Her story reveals the hardship behind her cheerful manner.
• The three women shift from playful curiosity to deep sympathy. Mo comforts Fang, Jiang offers warmth, and Ouyang quickly bonds with her.
• Li Yichen is shown through Fang’s account as generous and quietly supportive, though his girlfriends teasingly suspect him of ulterior motives. He feels unfairly criticized for helping.
• Fang’s heartfelt defense of Li challenges Jiang’s teasing and brings the women closer together; by the end, they are chatting like sisters.

Significant themes

• Kindness and gratitude: Li’s practical help makes a profound difference in Fang’s life.
• Poverty and vulnerability: Fang’s struggle to repay debt—and the threat of forced marriage—contrasts sharply with the women’s sheltered upbringing.
• Chosen family: The women embrace Fang as a little sister, expanding their sense of family beyond formal ties.
• Trust and suspicion: Li’s generosity is viewed both as compassion and, jokingly, as possible romantic scheming.

Key plot points and events

• Li Yichen accompanies Fang Enmeng and four women to a lingerie shop. Enmeng is shocked by the prices, but he assures her that the others can afford the purchases—and reveals something about their relationships that astonishes her.
• He boasts that the women pursued him because of his charm, prompting them to pelt him with lingerie. In the fitting room, they tease Enmeng and give her gifts.
• The group’s purchases total nearly 58,000. Before Li Yichen can pay, he gets a call from Su Shengnan, who asks him to visit her at Hidden Dragon Manor. He agrees to come later.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan pays for the shopping. A sales assistant assumes Li Yichen is financially dependent on her, but Xuanxuan dismisses the idea and criticizes the assistant’s judgment.
• Li Yichen tells the women to take Enmeng back to school, claiming he needs to retrieve something from Hidden Dragon Manor. He hurries off, avoiding their questions.
• Jiang Ruoyi suspects he is hiding something. The women conclude he has a secret mistress and decide to follow him and catch him cheating.

Character developments and interactions

• Fang Enmeng remains modest and frugal despite receiving money, but quickly warms to the women, siding with them when they tease Li Yichen. They welcome her affectionately, joke with her, and buy her lingerie.
• Li Yichen is playful and boastful around the women, but becomes evasive after Su Shengnan’s call. His hurried departure makes his intentions look suspicious.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan confidently pays the bill and rejects the assumption that Li Yichen relies on her.
• Mo Yurou, Jiang Ruoyi, and the others share a teasing, intimate rapport with Enmeng, then unite in suspicion of Li Yichen.

Significant themes

• Playful intimacy and camaraderie: The women’s teasing and gift-giving bring Enmeng into their circle.
• Money and appearances: The expensive purchase and the sales assistant’s mistaken assumption show how easily wealth and relationships can be misread.
• Secrecy and jealousy: Li Yichen’s excuse, paired with his call from Su Shengnan, turns a shopping trip into a suspected infidelity investigation.

Plot points and events

• Fang Enmeng warns Li Yichen by text that his girlfriends are on their way to find him.
• Li Yichen travels to Hidden Dragon Manor, where he finds Su Shengnan exhausted and discouraged by the Su Family’s rapidly worsening financial crisis.
• Seeking comfort, Su Shengnan asks for his affection. They become intimate, and she says she wants to have his child; Li Yichen agrees.
• Their moment is interrupted when Mo Yurou, Jiang Ruoyi, and Ouyang Xuanxuan arrive. Su Shengnan quickly dresses using her powers, and Li Yichen tries to prevent a confrontation.
• Su Shengnan openly declares herself Li Yichen’s woman and proposes joining the other women, even jokingly suggesting she become the senior wife.
• Mo Yurou rejects the idea that Su Shengnan can simply join their group, but offers a test: Su Shengnan must choose one of the three and defeat her in a fight. Su Shengnan asks whether she may choose any of them, noticing Ouyang Xuanxuan may not know martial arts.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Shengnan is worn down by the Su Family’s collapse and begins considering a life with Li Yichen and a child instead of endless family conflict. She is also confident and strategic: her “senior wife” claim is a provocative opening move, while her real aim is acceptance into the women’s circle.
• Li Yichen comforts Su Shengnan and agrees to her wish for a child, but is caught off guard when the other women arrive. He tries to protect her from their anger.
• Mo Yurou is jealous and confrontational, demanding to know who Su Shengnan is, then sets the fight as a condition of joining.
• Jiang Ruoyi and Ouyang Xuanxuan back Mo Yurou, though Ouyang seems more open-minded about Su Shengnan’s proposal.
• Fang Enmeng worries about Li Yichen and attempts to warn him, but her messages arrive too late.

Significant themes

• Family power and vulnerability: The Su Family’s decline illustrates how quickly strength can turn into weakness when rival families strike.
• Love amid rivalry: The women recognize that Li Yichen may have multiple partners, but acceptance into their group still has boundaries and conditions.
• Negotiation and status: Su Shengnan’s joking claim to senior-wife status masks her real effort to secure a place among the women.
• A possible change in priorities: Su Shengnan’s desire for a child suggests she may be ready to trade political struggle for domestic life.

• Lot and setup: Su Shengnan, Jiang Ruoyi, and Mo Yurou compete to decide who will spar with Su Shengnan. Li Yichen suggests drawing lots rather than intervening. Jiang Ruoyi is chosen, disappointing Mo Yurou, and the group moves to the Training Ground. Li Yichen referees and asks them to keep the match friendly.
• First exchange: Jiang Ruoyi and Su Shengnan begin with a simultaneous punch, but Su Shengnan proves stronger. She catches Jiang Ruoyi’s kick and pulls her into a split, then dodges her rapid flurry of punches with an effortless leap. When Su Shengnan nearly touches her shoulder, Jiang Ruoyi’s ice ability instinctively forms protective armor. Jiang Ruoyi admits she is outmatched in martial arts and offers to concede; Su Shengnan encourages her, saying abilities count as part of their strength.
• Abilities revealed: Su Shengnan demonstrates psychokinesis, lifting and controlling stones around the training ground. She proposes a proper contest between their abilities. Mo Yurou is astonished that another person has powers and suspects Li Yichen gave them to Su Shengnan; he says she awakened them herself, which Mo Yurou refuses to believe.
• Battle resumes: Excited by the challenge, Jiang Ruoyi forms dozens of Ice Arrows and fires them at Su Shengnan. Su Shengnan assembles the floating stones into a Stone Wall. The arrows batter it, breaking some stones, but the others shift to fill the gaps and keep her protected. The chapter ends with their powers still clashing.
• Character developments and interactions: Su Shengnan’s confidence and control are evident, but she is also considerate, holding back and welcoming Jiang Ruoyi’s ability instead of dismissing her. Jiang Ruoyi shows humility and sportsmanship, then regains her enthusiasm once the contest becomes a test of powers. Mo Yurou is competitive and openly envious, while Li Yichen tries to keep the proud women from fighting seriously by offering a face-saving, fair arrangement. Ouyang Xuanxuan cheers for her cousin.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts martial skill with supernatural abilities, suggesting that each can be part of a fighter’s strength. It also emphasizes pride, fair competition, restraint, and the growing normalization of abilities in a world where they were once rare.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ruoyi and Su Shengnan duel with their ice and stone abilities. Jiang nearly lands a powerful ice spike, but Su counters with a thick barrier of stone.
• The attack breaks apart, leaving both women with weapons poised at each other. Li Yichen intervenes and destroys them, calling the fight a draw.
• The women welcome Su into their circle. Mo Yurou jokes that she will accept Su only if she is not made the “junior wife”; Su reassures everyone that they are equals.
• Su quickly wins the group over with tact and flattery. Mo Yurou proposes forming a group to keep Li Yichen in check, and the women begin debating names.

Character developments

• Su Shengnan proves both formidable in combat and highly socially perceptive, turning a tense rivalry into friendship.
• Jiang Ruoyi accepts the duel’s outcome and recognizes Su’s strength, showing openness and respect.
• Li Yichen is relieved by the draw and impressed by Su’s diplomacy, but becomes the target of the women’s teasing and proposed alliance.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan and Mo Yurou enthusiastically welcome Su and help shape the group’s new identity.

Significant themes

• Mutual respect: The duel ends not in resentment but in admiration between equals.
• Sisterhood and belonging: The women establish an affectionate, non-hierarchical bond.
• Humor and playful power dynamics: The proposed group turns the women’s unity into a joke at Li Yichen’s expense.

Character interactions

• Su and Jiang move from opponents to appreciative sisters; Su insists that outcomes matter more than hypothetical alternatives.
• Su charms the other women, while Li Yichen silently applauds her success.
• The group jokes about controlling Li Yichen and argues over names, eventually considering “Pretty Girl Squad” and “Witch Alliance.”

Chapter summary

• Jiang Ruoyi, Ouyang Xuanxuan, and Mo Yurou unanimously make Su Shengnan the head of their newly named “Witch Alliance.” Li Yichen jokes about the title while Dazhuang patrols Hidden Dragon Manor as her self-appointed protector.
• As the women talk, Su Shengnan admits that leading the Su Family has brought her little but hardship. The family is in crisis: the Jiang, Shen, and Qin families have united against it, cutting its assets in half.
• Su believes the Su Family may still have a chance to recover if she can seize the right opportunity. That opportunity is a pharmaceutical project she is developing with Ouyang Hai. If they resolve a problem involving heavenly star grass and the ointment works, the Su Family could regain its strength.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan cannot provide fresh heavenly star grass, but says she may be able to grow it from seeds. Su is thrilled, though Xuanxuan is cautious about making promises. Mo Yurou proposes visiting the laboratory, and Su agrees because she trusts the women.
• The group travels to the Su Family’s highly fortified research facility. Su explains that rival families have tried and failed to breach it. Li Yichen dismisses its defenses as ordinary and boasts that he could get inside easily.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Shengnan reveals her vulnerability beneath her confident leadership: she feels isolated and bears the pressure of her family’s survival. Her friends’ support lifts her spirits, and Xuanxuan’s possible help gives her renewed hope.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan shifts from admiring Su to offering a practical, if uncertain, way to help: growing the needed herb from seeds.
• Jiang Ruoyi and Mo Yurou promise to stand by Su. Mo’s enthusiasm pushes the group toward taking immediate action.
• Li Yichen watches and teases the group, then challenges Su’s pride in the laboratory’s security.
• Su’s trust in the women is reinforced by their personal and family ties, as well as their shared relationship with Li Yichen.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and friendship: The women form a supportive alliance and rally around Su during her family’s crisis.
• Hope amid adversity: Su sees a possible opening in an otherwise desperate situation, though success remains uncertain.
• Trust and shared purpose: Su is willing to show the women a sensitive facility because she believes they will protect her interests.
• Power and vulnerability: Su holds a powerful position but feels alone, showing the personal cost of leadership.

Plot points and events

• Li Yichen bets Su Shengnan that he and his companions can all enter her heavily guarded compound undetected. If they succeed, Su Shengnan must cook them a meal; if they fail, Li Yichen will give her an Ability Pearl.
• Mo Yurou sneaks close using her training, then uses spatial powers to appear inside the compound.
• Jiang Ruoyi finds a river running through the grounds, freezes its surface, and uses the ice to slip inside.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan sinks into the ground, then emerges from a vine inside the compound.
• After all three succeed, Su Shengnan accepts that the bet is lost. Li Yichen then takes her through the wall himself, bypassing the security entirely.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Shengnan’s confidence in her compound’s security gives way to astonishment and resignation as each ability defeats it. She is especially eager to win the Ability Pearl, which could help the Su Family recruit stronger fighters.
• Li Yichen playfully provokes Su Shengnan and uses the demonstration to showcase his companions’ abilities. His Round Light Technique lets the group watch the infiltrations.
• Mo Yurou is eager to try her stealth skills; Jiang Ruoyi acts with focused determination; Ouyang Xuanxuan surprises Su Shengnan with an unexpected plant-based power.
• The group’s teasing, friendly competition contrasts with Su Shengnan’s practical concern about her family’s lack of powerful defenders.

Significant themes

• Ability versus conventional security: Extraordinary powers make even sophisticated defenses ineffective.
• Teamwork and varied strengths: Each companion uses a different ability and approach to enter.
• Power and vulnerability: The Su Family’s wealth and security cannot compensate for its shortage of elite fighters.
• Playful rivalry: The bet turns a display of power into lighthearted competition.

• Plot and events: Li Yichen, Su Shengnan, and her companions arrive at the Su Family’s restricted research facility. When guard Su Cheng blocks their entry, Li Yichen knocks him down and briefly chokes him until he agrees to let them pass. Afterward, Su Cheng guesses Li Yichen may be a Heaven Grade expert and tells the other guards to warn the Su Family’s senior masters not to provoke Su Shengnan. At the laboratory, Director Chen reports that two days of attempts to germinate the Heavenly Star Grass have failed. Su Shengnan introduces Li Yichen and the others as helpers, but Chen doubts their ability because of their age. He agrees to let them try, then reveals they have only one seed left.
• Character developments: Li Yichen displays overwhelming strength and confidence, while also taking charge when Su Shengnan is challenged. Su Cheng’s hostility turns to fear and caution after he is easily defeated. Su Shengnan remains composed and authoritative, though she acknowledges that her family’s depleted ranks leave her relying on weak guards. Director Chen’s confidence in conventional methods has been shaken by failure, but he is still skeptical of the young newcomers.
• Character interactions: Li Yichen protects Su Shengnan’s authority by confronting Su Cheng himself; afterward, she directs the group into the facility and places hope in their help. Chen initially dismisses the newcomers, prompting Su Shengnan to insist that expertise is not limited by age. Su Cheng’s subordinates avoid confronting Li Yichen and bear the brunt of their boss’s frustration.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes that ability matters more than age or appearance, and that strength can command respect—or fear—where formal authority fails. It also highlights the pressure of scarce resources: the Heavenly Star Grass problem has reached a critical point, with only one seed remaining.

Plot points and events

• Su Shengnan discovers that Director Chen used too many of the extremely valuable heavenly star grass seeds. Li Yichen calms her down, then jokingly suggests recovering the cost from Chen’s salary.
• The group enters the ice-cold seedling room, where Ouyang Xuanxuan uses her ability to accelerate a heavenly star grass seed’s growth.
• The plant sprouts, grows, flowers, and produces new seeds in moments, giving Su Shengnan a renewable supply. Xuanxuan then grows a second plant only to the stage needed for testing.
• Director Chen eagerly takes the mature plant to the laboratory. He and his team process it using their well-practiced formula, and the test results show that every parameter meets the standards.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Shengnan’s frustration and anxiety turn to overwhelming relief and gratitude when the plant grows successfully. She embraces Jiang Ruoyi in excitement and later thanks Xuanxuan and the others.
• Ouyang Xuanxuan demonstrates precise control of her growth ability: she first lets one plant mature enough to produce seeds, then stops another at the required stage.
• Li Yichen supports Su Shengnan but keeps his humor, alarming Chen with the suggestion that he repay the seeds through salary deductions.
• Director Chen shifts from embarrassment and worry to intense curiosity and excitement. Though excluded from the seedling room, he rushes to test the plant and returns with the successful report.

Significant themes

• Cooperation and practical problem-solving: Xuanxuan’s ability solves the seed shortage and enables the team to test their formula.
• Hope and renewal: The plant’s rapid growth and seed production turn a scarce, costly resource into a sustainable supply.
• Dedication to scientific work: Chen’s urgency and the team’s practiced procedures reflect their commitment to the project.