Chapter Summaries

Plot points

• Jiang Ze encounters Chu Chen, a longtime friend of Meng Zhiyuan and Mu Shaoxuan, at Chu Chen’s bar. Chu Chen greets Meng Zhiyuan with an intimate nickname, prompting the system to tease Jiang Ze about having a romantic rival.
• Chu Chen offers Jiang Ze champagne, but Meng Zhiyuan stops him. Jiang Ze protests that he is an adult, then becomes irritated as Meng and Chu drink together. Mu Shaoxuan brings him sweet fruit wine instead.
• When Chu Chen asks about his relationship with Jiang Ze, Meng Zhiyuan calls Jiang Ze “my kid” and says their relationship is none of Chu’s business. Chu leaves, and Mu Shaoxuan suggests Jiang Ze may be jealous.
• Alone with Jiang Ze, Meng Zhiyuan asks if he is jealous, then kisses him. He explains that Chu helped him during the Meng Corporation’s difficult rebuilding period and that they are only friends.
• Meng reveals that Chu once refused to help him when he asked, though Chu later regretted it. Meng has since forgiven him and invested in the bar. Jiang Ze responds with sympathy, then kisses Meng’s cheek and bites his neck in embarrassed retaliation.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze insists he is not jealous, but his irritation at Chu Chen’s closeness with Meng—and his reaction to Meng’s explanation—suggest otherwise. He remains flustered by Meng’s sudden kisses while also showing affection through playful gestures.
• Meng Zhiyuan is protective and possessive of Jiang Ze, especially when Chu Chen offers him alcohol. He reassures Jiang Ze about Chu and shares a painful detail from his past, while continuing to tease and kiss him.
• Chu Chen appears to have a history with Meng. Though he once turned Meng away during a crisis, he later felt guilty; their relationship is now presented as friendship.
• Mu Shaoxuan observes the apparent rivalry and tries to smooth over the tension, eventually leaving the two alone.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and romantic ambiguity: Jiang Ze denies jealousy even as his behavior suggests it.
• Trust and reassurance: Meng explains his history with Chu to ease Jiang Ze’s suspicions.
• Past hurt and forgiveness: Meng has moved beyond Chu’s earlier refusal, though the memory still shapes their relationship.
• Possessiveness and boundaries: Meng’s protective behavior and declaration that Jiang Ze is “his” blend affection with a strong claim of ownership.

Key plot points and events

• After reconciling with Meng Zhiyuan, Jiang Ze escapes to the restroom. On the way, he overhears Daniel and Shen Yun together and records their encounter.
• Shen Yun confronts Jiang Ze, taunts him about being sold off by his father, and reveals that Meng Zimu was complicit in the earlier incident.
• Shen Yun also says Jiang Ze was reborn in his previous life. Jiang Ze, who didn’t know Shen Yun had been reborn, demands an explanation from the system. It admits that the world’s plot has gone off course because of “bugs.”
• Jiang Ze realizes Shen Yun may suspect him because he has changed events from the original story, though Shen Yun apparently doesn’t know that Jiang Ze has already thwarted Meng Zhiyuan’s business deal with Daniel’s family.
• Back in the private room, Jiang Ze says he is tired. Meng Zhiyuan drives him home, slowing the journey so Jiang Ze can sleep. He covers Jiang Ze with his coat.
• At home, Jiang Ze decides to send his recordings and photos of Shen Yun and Daniel anonymously to Meng Zimu, intending to disrupt Shen Yun’s plans.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze is increasingly comfortable with Meng Zhiyuan, responding to his care with warmth. He also shows a more calculating, retaliatory side, using the evidence he gathered against Shen Yun.
• Meng Zhiyuan remains attentive and protective: he does not press Jiang Ze when he seems troubled and lets him sleep during the drive home.
• Shen Yun is revealed to be reborn and to know details of Jiang Ze’s former life. His hostility toward Jiang Ze is sharpened by jealousy and his alliance with Meng Zimu.
• The system admits it knew the plot had diverged but offers little reliable help, leaving Jiang Ze frustrated.
• Mu Shaoxuan recognizes that Jiang Ze and Meng Zhiyuan have made up and directs Jiang Ze to the restroom.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and altered fate: Shen Yun’s rebirth means the original plot can no longer be trusted.
• Trust and betrayal: Shen Yun’s account implicates Meng Zimu in Jiang Ze’s past misfortune.
• Revenge and strategy: Jiang Ze turns overheard information into leverage.
• Care and growing intimacy: Meng Zhiyuan’s quiet gestures contrast with the manipulation and hostility surrounding Jiang Ze.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ze’s shower stops mid-wash, leaving shampoo in his hair. After discovering the other second-floor bathrooms also have no water, he goes to Meng Zhiyuan’s forbidden third floor to ask to use his bathroom.
• Meng lets him in. Once Jiang Ze has rinsed off, he realizes he forgot to bring a robe; while reaching for one through the partly opened door, he accidentally touches Meng’s abdomen.
• Meng suggests Jiang stay in his bedroom rather than go downstairs. Jiang agrees to sleep there, and as he climbs into the oversized bed, Meng pulls him close and asks permission to kiss him.
• They share a gentle, restrained kiss. Meng says he will only kiss Jiang, then switches off the light and tells him to sleep. Jiang is left frustrated and flustered.
• The next morning, Jiang wakes with a sore throat and finds Meng already gone. The system warns that someone is about to “steal” him. Downstairs, Jiang meets a woman who says she is Meng’s fiancée.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze is increasingly attracted to Meng, despite reminding himself that Meng is a future villain. His embarrassment and desire conflict with his attempts to stay cautious; the fiancée’s arrival immediately sparks jealousy and indignation.
• Meng Zhiyuan shows a protective, considerate side by helping Jiang and inviting him to stay. He is clearly attracted to Jiang but restrains himself, asks before kissing him, and stops when Jiang seems uncertain.

Significant themes

• Growing intimacy and restraint: A mundane emergency brings the two men into close quarters, turning practical help into romantic tension.
• Consent and mixed signals: Meng asks permission and limits the encounter, while Jiang’s thoughts reveal that his feelings and responses are ahead of what he is willing to say.
• Jealousy and romantic complications: The unexpected claim of a fiancée threatens Jiang’s emerging attachment and creates a new source of conflict.

Character interactions

• Meng accommodates Jiang’s bathroom emergency and lends him a robe; their awkward closeness heightens the attraction between them.
• In bed, Meng initiates a kiss only after asking, while Jiang’s flustered silence and later teasing leave both of them uncertain about what the other wants.
• Elder Feng appears troubled by the woman’s visit. She introduces herself to Jiang as Meng’s fiancée, abruptly challenging his assumptions about their relationship.

Plot points and events

• Han Ke arrives at Meng Zhiyuan’s home with a suitcase, claiming to be his fiancée and insisting she can stay there. She clashes with Jiang Ze, who is already staying as Zhiyuan’s honored guest.
• Jiang Ze learns through the system that Han Ke is a corporate spy sent by Zhiyuan’s older brother, Meng Zhixiong, to steal confidential Meng Group information. In the original story, the scheme fails, Han Ke falls for Zhiyuan, and her exposed identity leaves her rejected by both sides.
• To provoke Han Ke and warn Zhiyuan, Jiang Ze calls him and pretends to be hurt and ready to leave. Zhiyuan reacts sharply and says he is coming back.
• When Han Ke asks about Jiang Ze’s relationship with Zhiyuan, Jiang Ze claims he is Zhiyuan’s boyfriend. Zhiyuan arrives just as he says it, and Jiang Ze hurriedly explains in a whisper that he is only acting.
• Zhiyuan denies recognizing Han Ke, but she produces an old letter that refers vaguely to a childhood betrothal. He allows her to stay temporarily, while making clear that an arrangement made by their fathers does not bind them.
• Jiang Ze tries to leave in a jealous performance, but Zhiyuan lifts him into a bridal carry. Jiang Ze plays along by kissing Zhiyuan’s cheek and taunting Han Ke—apparently overlooking Zhiyuan’s ominous expression.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze is quick-witted and theatrical, using mock vulnerability and a false boyfriend claim to unsettle Han Ke. His playful confidence is mixed with growing awareness of Zhiyuan’s intense reactions.
• Meng Zhiyuan remains cold toward Han Ke but is notably protective and affectionate with Jiang Ze. His sharp response to Jiang Ze’s supposed departure suggests that his feelings may be more than simple cooperation in the act.
• Han Ke is exposed to the reader as a spy, though she maintains her fiancée cover. She is frustrated by Jiang Ze but stays focused on gaining access to Zhiyuan and his household.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ze and Han Ke trade hostile remarks, with Elder Feng warning Han Ke that antagonizing Zhiyuan’s honored guest will not help her.
• Jiang Ze and Zhiyuan put on a convincing show of intimacy: Jiang Ze claims to be his boyfriend, clings to him, and kisses his cheek, while Zhiyuan indulges him and carries him.
• Han Ke attempts to establish her claim through the alleged betrothal, but Zhiyuan refuses to treat it as binding.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Han Ke’s fiancée story conceals an espionage mission, while Jiang Ze uses deception as a tactic of defense and provocation.
• Power, loyalty, and family schemes: Meng Zhixiong’s plot uses Han Ke to undermine Zhiyuan, but Zhiyuan rejects the authority of an old family arrangement.
• Jealousy and emerging intimacy: Jiang Ze’s performance sparks a strong response from Zhiyuan, blurring the line between pretending to be a couple and genuine attachment.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Zhiyuan confronts Jiang Ze after hearing him talk about moving out. Jiang Ze says he was only pretending for Han Ke, but Zhiyuan insists that he must not leave and promises to protect him.
• Jiang Ze worries that Zhiyuan may know about his system and his connection to another world. To reassure him, Jiang Ze says he will stay, then asks Zhiyuan to trust him about Han Ke and play along with his plans. Zhiyuan agrees.
• Jiang Ze arranges for Han Ke to stay in a room on the second floor, away from their rooms, while he moves his own belongings into Zhiyuan’s third-floor room. Zhiyuan supports the arrangement.
• The system reports that Meng Zimu has become suspicious of Shen Yun after receiving an anonymous message containing unclear photos and audio.
• Shen Yun denies the evidence and manipulates Meng Zimu by claiming Jiang Ze sent it to retaliate for learning of Shen Yun’s involvement in Jiang Ze’s father’s troubles. Meng Zimu believes him and vows revenge.
• Meng Zimu reveals that his father has placed someone in Zhiyuan’s villa, intending to undermine Zhiyuan, drive Jiang Ze away, and damage Zhiyuan’s reputation. Shen Yun welcomes the plan, hoping both men will be ruined.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze uses playful confidence to manage the situation with Han Ke, while privately feeling anxious about his secrets and uncertain future. His eagerness to move in with Zhiyuan shows his growing attachment, despite insisting it is merely strategy.
• Meng Zhiyuan reveals a protective, vulnerable side: he is deeply afraid Jiang Ze will leave and offers unwavering belief and support. He indulges Jiang Ze’s schemes, though he remains aware of Jiang Ze’s effect on him.
• Han Ke is left waiting and is assigned a separate room, limiting her access to Zhiyuan.
• Meng Zimu is quick to abandon doubt when Shen Yun appeals to his feelings. His ambition and hostility toward Jiang Ze and Zhiyuan become explicit.
• Shen Yun proves adept at deception, turning evidence against himself into an opportunity to strengthen Meng Zimu’s resentment and advance his own interests.

Significant themes

• Trust and insecurity: Zhiyuan’s fear of abandonment contrasts with Jiang Ze’s hidden secrets and uncertainty.
• Performance and manipulation: Jiang Ze and Shen Yun both stage appearances to influence others, though for different ends.
• Possessiveness and attachment: Jiang Ze’s protective maneuvering around Han Ke and Zhiyuan’s plea that he stay reveal growing emotional stakes.
• Power and revenge: Meng Zimu’s corporate ambitions and the planted intruder set up a campaign against Zhiyuan and Jiang Ze.

Key plot points and events

• While Meng Zhiyuan is home, Han Ke tries to attract his attention by bringing him a fruit platter. Jiang Ze interrupts, joking that Zhiyuan only eats fruit when he feeds him, and takes over. Han Ke watches them flirt, grows furious, and leaves.
• Jiang Ze continues feeding Zhiyuan after Han Ke is gone. Zhiyuan pulls him close and kisses him, turning their playful act into an intimate moment.
• Meng Zhixing arrives unexpectedly with urgent news: tests confirm that the pastries Ye Rong sent contained harmful substances. Zhixing suspects his eldest brother, Meng Zhixiong, knew about the poisoning.
• Zhiyuan tells Zhixing to keep the discovery secret, investigate quietly, and accept any further pastries from Ye Rong without eating them.
• Jiang Ze enters with pastries for Zhixing. In his thoughts, he reveals that he has hidden antidote pills in them, intending to protect Zhixing without revealing the reason.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze enjoys teasing Han Ke and feeding Zhiyuan, though he becomes embarrassed when Zhiyuan kisses him. His quiet effort to provide Zhixing with an antidote shows his concern for the Meng family.
• Meng Zhiyuan remains controlled and protective, openly drawing Jiang Ze into his arms and shielding him when Zhixing walks in. The poisoning news brings out his colder, more calculating side.
• Meng Zhixing is shaken by the possibility that his own family members are involved in poisoning him. He is timid around Zhiyuan but accepts Jiang Ze’s gift warmly, unaware of the antidote.
• Han Ke is frustrated and jealous when Zhiyuan ignores her and focuses on Jiang Ze.

Significant themes

• Romance and jealousy: Jiang Ze and Zhiyuan’s affectionate teasing contrasts with Han Ke’s failed advances.
• Family betrayal and mistrust: The poisoned pastries suggest a dangerous conspiracy within the Meng family.
• Protection through secrecy: Zhiyuan plans to investigate without alerting the suspected conspirators, while Jiang Ze secretly protects Zhixing with the antidote.

Plot points and events

• Meng Zhixing eats the pastry Jiang Ze gives him. Though he privately believes the added pill will work best if taken immediately, Meng Zhiyuan’s intimidating stare leaves him too nervous to question it. Meng Zhiyuan sends him away with a reprimand to use his brain.
• Jiang Ze checks the spirit fruit he planted, then learns from the system that Han Ke may be preparing to act out of desperation.
• Han Ke is pressured by an unidentified contact to steal confidential information from Meng Corporation after failing to seduce Meng Zhiyuan. She agrees to the alternative plan because she urgently needs money.
• Meng Zhiyuan tells Grandpa Meng about Han Ke. Grandpa Meng approaches Han Ke’s father to address an old debt: Han Ke’s father once saved his life, and the men had once discussed a marriage between their families.
• Han Ke disappears from the villa with a suitcase. Jiang Ze suspects trouble, but cannot determine what she has done.
• That night, Jiang Ze and Meng Zhiyuan share a kiss in their bedroom. A hidden camera broadcasts them live, and Mu Shaoxuan calls to warn them that the clip is trending. Meng Zhiyuan disables the camera, while Jiang Ze realizes Han Ke may be responsible and panics about the public exposure.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze remains affectionate and playful with Meng Zhiyuan, but is also watchful of Han Ke and increasingly alarmed by the possibility of a trap. His embarrassment over the leaked kiss contrasts with his anger at the invasion of privacy.
• Meng Zhiyuan is protective and indulgent toward Jiang Ze, while remaining stern with Meng Zhixing. When he learns about the camera, he reacts decisively.
• Han Ke shifts from frustrated schemer to someone apparently willing to take a more desperate, covert step for money.
• Grandpa Meng acts to resolve Han Ke’s presence through her father and their old obligation.
• Mu Shaoxuan alerts Meng Zhiyuan to the livestream because his connection to the streamer’s company helps bring it to light.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: Han Ke is under pressure to obtain corporate secrets and appears to escalate her scheme.
• Privacy and public exposure: The hidden camera turns an intimate moment into a public scandal.
• Affection amid danger: Jiang Ze and Meng Zhiyuan’s growing closeness unfolds alongside threats and surveillance.
• Obligation and choice: Grandpa Meng’s old marriage arrangement reflects the tension between past debts and the younger generation’s autonomy.

Plot points and events

• A secretly recorded video of Jiang Ze kissing Meng Zhiyuan spreads online. Jiang Ze panics, but Meng Zhiyuan points out that Jiang’s face is not visible and says the leak was probably aimed at him.
• The video rapidly gains views, while paid commenters fuel speculation, homophobic abuse, and attempts to identify the pair from the bedroom. Headlines soon expose Meng Zhiyuan as Meng Corporation’s CEO and frame the clip as a scandal that could threaten the company.
• By morning, Jiang Ze’s identity has also been posted online. People compare his appearance in old show footage with the person in the video, and the story approaches ten million views. Some observers suspect a coordinated attack on Meng Group, but most commenters accept the accusations.
• Meng Zhiyuan leaves to deal with the crisis and tells Jiang Ze to stay home. Jiang remains calm, believing Meng can handle the attack and expecting his enemies to escalate. That afternoon, a new wave of gossip targets Jiang.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze moves from alarm and anger to a composed, watchful attitude. He worries about the damage to Meng Zhiyuan and himself, but trusts Meng’s ability to respond and anticipates further attacks.
• Meng Zhiyuan remains controlled and reassuring, comforting Jiang with kisses, making calls, and taking charge rather than showing panic.
• Jiang and Meng are shown as an intimate, affectionate couple: Meng protects and reassures Jiang, while Jiang is emotionally invested in the threat facing Meng.

Significant themes

• Manipulation of public opinion: Paid trolls and selective leaks turn a private moment into a viral scandal.
• Privacy and online harassment: The crowd tries to identify, expose, and shame the people in the video.
• Prejudice and spectacle: Homophobic abuse appears alongside voyeuristic fascination with the clip.
• Corporate power struggle: The scandal is presented as a possible commercial attack on Meng Group, with Jiang suspecting Meng Zimu and Shen Yun are involved.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ze sees that footage of his earlier encounter with Meng Zhiyuan has gone viral. At first, the scandal paints him as a shameless opportunist, while presenting Shen Yun as Meng Zimu’s devoted love and Jiang Ze’s victim.
• Jiang Ze recognizes that the people behind the smear campaign are also trying to rehabilitate Shen Yun’s reputation. He and the system conclude that he must raise his luck value to resist the novel’s pull back toward its original plot.
• Confined at home for his safety, Jiang Ze spends the day alone. Meng Zhiyuan stays out handling the crisis, sending only a message to reassure him. Jiang Ze insists he trusts Meng, but feels lonely and misses him through the night.
• Meng Zhiyuan returns at dawn, exhausted. Jiang Ze rushes into his arms, and Meng carries him to bed. He teasingly calls Jiang his boyfriend; the two sleep together until evening.
• Meng says the online backlash should soon fade and tells Jiang to remain home. His counterattack then becomes public: evidence emerges of Shen Yun slapping himself and falsely accusing Jiang, along with material exposing Shen’s intimacy with other men and Meng Zimu’s behavior.
• Public opinion reverses. Shen Yun and Meng Zimu are mocked online, while Jiang Ze gains system points. Delighted by Meng’s success, Jiang kisses him and, at Meng’s prompting, kisses him again more passionately.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze begins to show how emotionally attached he is to Meng Zhiyuan. His jokes about missing Meng’s warmth mask genuine loneliness, and he instinctively runs to him when he returns. Jiang also remains alert to the plot’s influence and focused on improving his luck.
• Meng Zhiyuan demonstrates both competence in managing the public and corporate crisis and tenderness toward Jiang. His teasing claim that Jiang is his boyfriend hints at growing intimacy.
• Shen Yun and Meng Zimu lose control of the narrative: the new evidence undermines their public image and turns online attention against them.

Significant themes

• Public image and manipulation: Viral footage and selective narratives can shape opinion, but counterevidence can reverse it just as quickly.
• Fate versus agency: Jiang and the system fear the novel’s plot will force events back to their original course, making luck a tool for resisting it.
• Growing intimacy: Separation makes Jiang recognize his feelings, while care, teasing, and physical closeness bring him and Meng nearer.
• Reputation and revenge: Meng answers the smear campaign by exposing the people behind it, shifting the damage onto Shen and Meng Zimu.

Character interactions

• Jiang discusses the smear campaign and his luck with the system.
• Meng reassures Jiang from a distance, then comforts him on returning and carries him to bed.
• Meng playfully calls Jiang his boyfriend; Jiang is flustered but stays close to him.
• Jiang praises Meng’s successful counterattack with a kiss, and Meng asks for a more substantial “reward.”

Key plot points and events

• As public attention around Meng Zimu and Shen Yun fades, Jiang Ze learns that Shen Yun is making a move connected to a previously unidentified “mysterious man” from the novel.
• Jiang Ze discovers that Shen Yun and Meng Zimu have fallen out over the public scandal. He wonders whether the novel’s destined couple will still be forced together, but the system says the world’s rules are unsettled.
• The system detects Shen Yun entering an exclusive, secretive club. Hoping the mysterious man may be there, Jiang Ze disguises himself as a performer and infiltrates it.
• The club admits wealthy spectators and attractive performers wearing masks. Performers must follow its rules and compete onstage for bids; they may also choose a spectator, while the club takes a 30% cut.
• Jiang Ze arrives, spots Shen Yun, and waits for his turn to perform while quietly observing him.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze remains strategic and curious, prioritizing information about Shen Yun’s plans and the mysterious man. He is willing to take an unconventional risk to investigate, though he is unsure of his performance skills.
• Shen Yun appears to be acting proactively, using his knowledge of the plot to access the club and prepare for future events.
• Meng Zimu is estranged from Shen Yun after the scandal, suggesting their relationship has been significantly damaged.
• The system continues tracking plot changes and encourages Jiang Ze, despite sharing his doubts about the club.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ze discusses Shen Yun’s actions and the mysterious man with the system, then relies on it to locate the club.
• Jiang Ze keeps his infiltration secret from Meng Zhiyuan, telling him he has a class gathering.
• At the club, a masked manager warns performers that the spectators are powerful and lays out the rules, while Jiang Ze listens and watches Shen Yun discreetly.

Significant themes

• Destiny versus disruption: Jiang Ze questions whether the novel’s “official couple” can remain together after a major rupture.
• Knowledge as power: Both Jiang Ze and Shen Yun use advance knowledge of the plot to influence what happens next.
• Secrecy and performance: Masks, concealed identities, and staged performances make the club a setting where appearances hide motives—and potentially the identity of the mysterious man.

Plot points and events

• At a masked auction, Shen Yun performs piano and appears confident that a particular mysterious bidder will choose him.
• Jiang Ze is called to perform next. He spots Shen Yun and a masked man he suspects might be the powerful Meng Zhiyuan—someone Jiang Ze knows well from outside the auction.
• Jiang Ze completes a pole-dance performance despite his alarm. The suspected Meng Zhiyuan watches him intently, then bids fifty million, silencing the room.
• After the bid wins, Jiang Ze is taken to a private room with the man. His suspicions seem confirmed, but he is too uneasy to speak freely.
• Jiang Ze tries to address him by name, but Meng Zhiyuan sharply tells him to be quiet and orders him closer. When Meng Zhiyuan appears ready to leave, Jiang Ze panics and offers to obey.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze begins the scene focused on watching Shen Yun, but his performance becomes a source of anxiety when he recognizes a familiar presence in the audience. He tries to reassure himself that Meng Zhiyuan cannot recognize him, yet his fear grows as the man bids for him and confronts him privately.
• Meng Zhiyuan appears controlled and cold, but his intense attention to Jiang Ze and willingness to spend fifty million suggest strong interest—and possibly anger or possessiveness.
• Shen Yun maintains an aloof, aristocratic stage persona and seems confident about attracting the mysterious bidder.
• The system offers a brief explanation of Shen Yun’s confidence, then disappears when Jiang Ze needs reassurance.

Significant themes

• Hidden identities and recognition: Masks conceal the characters’ faces, but familiar mannerisms and an intense gaze threaten to expose them.
• Performance and persona: Shen Yun cultivates an aristocratic image, while Jiang Ze’s stage performance clashes with his usual sweet, obedient presentation.
• Power and control: The auction and Meng Zhiyuan’s commands place Jiang Ze in a vulnerable position, emphasizing the imbalance between them.
• Anxiety and uncertainty: Jiang Ze’s attempts to dismiss his suspicions fail as events increasingly point toward Meng Zhiyuan’s presence.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ze and the stage manager clash briefly when Jiang Ze tries to get a better view of the audience.
• Shen Yun interacts with the mysterious man during the bidding, though the exchange is not fully revealed.
• Meng Zhiyuan’s companion teases him about finally showing interest in a performer; Meng ignores the remark.
• In the private room, Meng Zhiyuan rebuffs Jiang Ze’s attempt to speak and gives curt commands. Jiang Ze, fearing Meng will leave, yields, while Meng watches him with a darkened gaze.

Plot points and events

• Meng Zhiyuan finds Jiang Ze in a private room at a nightlife venue after Jiang Ze lied about attending a class reunion. Angry, he frightens and interrogates him, asking whether anyone else has touched him.
• Jiang Ze breaks down, clinging to Meng Zhiyuan and pleading to go home. Meng carries him out, telling Young Master Chen—who appears connected to Shen Yun’s mysterious acquaintance—that he is taking Jiang Ze home.
• Jiang Ze falls asleep on the way to the villa. Afterward, Meng says he must return to work and leaves for the night.
• Over the following days, Meng stays away and does not read Jiang Ze’s messages. The system tells Jiang Ze that Meng is still angry and suggests using the Character Card reward from a completed hidden mission to win him over. Jiang Ze asks how to use it.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze is frightened and remorseful after being caught, but also feels hurt and confused by Meng’s coldness and absence. He still seeks comfort from him, then turns to the system for advice.
• Meng Zhiyuan shifts from controlled anger to reluctant tenderness: despite wanting to teach Jiang Ze a lesson, he carries him home. He then withdraws, apparently avoiding him while upset.
• The system tries to coach Jiang Ze, but its advice is glib and potentially ill-advised.
• Young Master Chen briefly interacts with Meng and recognizes him, hinting at wider social connections.

Significant themes

• Trust and consequences: Jiang Ze’s lie and risky behavior damage his relationship with Meng.
• Fear, protection, and control: Meng’s intimidating behavior frightens Jiang Ze, yet he is also the person Jiang Ze clings to for safety.
• Emotional distance and reconciliation: Meng’s withdrawal leaves Jiang Ze longing for contact and searching for a way to repair their bond.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Zhiyuan has been staying at the office and acting cold toward Jiang Ze, leaving the Meng Group’s employees to assume the couple have quarreled.
• Jiang Ze prepares a reconciliation scheme using a time-limited Character Card that gives him realistic cat ears and a fluffy tail.
• He phones Meng Zhiyuan, says he misses him, and persuades him to come home. Meng Zhiyuan’s remaining anger fades when he hears Jiang Ze’s sweet voice.
• At home, Jiang Ze uses the cat features and affectionate behavior to win Meng Zhiyuan over. Meng Zhiyuan apologizes for his recent distance, and the two reconcile intimately.
• The next morning, Jiang Ze wakes sore and hoarse. His cat ears and tail have vanished with the card’s time limit. He claims they must have fallen off and changes the subject by asking for food and water; Meng Zhiyuan suspects he is lying.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze is resourceful and playful, deliberately using the Character Card to make up with Meng Zhiyuan. Though embarrassed by his own performance, he admits he genuinely missed him.
• Meng Zhiyuan shifts from anger and emotional distance to longing, tenderness, and desire. He recognizes Jiang Ze’s behavior as deliberate teasing but is clearly charmed by it.

Significant themes

• Reconciliation through affection and playful seduction.
• The contrast between public tension—employees fearing their cold, overworked president—and private tenderness.
• Jiang Ze’s mix of calculated performance and genuine feeling.
• Trust and concealment: Jiang Ze hides the Character Card’s mechanics, while Meng Zhiyuan sees through at least some of his excuses.

Character interactions

• The employees gossip about Meng Zhiyuan’s mood and hope he and Jiang Ze will reconcile.
• Jiang Ze coaxes Meng Zhiyuan home over the phone, then welcomes him with affectionate names and kisses.
• Meng Zhiyuan comforts and indulges Jiang Ze, apologizes, and teases him the next morning.
• Jiang Ze evades questions about the vanished ears and tail, while Meng Zhiyuan quietly recognizes his deception.

Plot points and events

• After an intense few days with Meng Zhiyuan, Jiang Ze stays home to recover while Meng leaves on a business trip.
• Jiang Ze learns that Shen Yun has connected with the mysterious figure, so that part of the plot is likely unchanged. He still plans to investigate the figure’s identity, since the person seems to know Meng.
• The system reports that Meng’s partnership with Daniel’s family has collapsed. Jiang Ze earns 500,000 points, and his luck value rises to 40%; the system hints that higher luck may activate the world’s rules but gives no further details.
• Jiang Ze is selected for a university treasure-appraisal trip led by Professor Lü. Excited by the opportunity, he packs lightly and stores most of his supplies in his system storage.
• At the university, he reunites with classmates Wang Ping, Dong Jiansheng, and Yang Qing. Professor Lü is delayed examining a newly delivered Treasure Statue, then warmly praises Jiang Ze for standing up to Elder Tong Dingguo.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze is sore and wary of Meng’s intensity, but still gives in to his affection before Meng leaves. He is also pragmatic and enthusiastic about the university trip, and remains focused on uncovering the mysterious person’s identity.
• Meng Zhiyuan recognizes that his lack of restraint has overwhelmed Jiang and tries to be affectionate and reassuring, though he continues to tempt him before departing.
• Wang Ping is friendly and athletic, but becomes shy and tongue-tied around Jiang.
• Dong Jiansheng is surprised Jiang joined the trip and appears familiar with Professor Lü.
• Yang Qing admits he assumed Jiang would not participate because he thought Jiang’s uncle would forbid it.
• Professor Lü is energetic and passionate about appraisal. He openly admires Jiang and dislikes Elder Tong, a rivalry Wang Ping explains.

Significant themes

• Desire and restraint: Meng’s passion clashes with Jiang’s need to recover, creating both comic frustration and tenderness.
• Changing fate and hidden rules: The system’s reward and cryptic warning suggest Jiang’s growing luck may affect the world’s underlying mechanisms.
• Opportunity and discovery: The appraisal trip gives Jiang a new setting to broaden his horizons, while the mysterious figure remains an unresolved thread.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ze travels with Professor Lü’s archaeology group to City Y, where they are meant to examine newly discovered artifacts and take part in fieldwork.
• The group spends the night at a hotel. Dong Jiansheng briefs the students on excavation precautions, especially protection from the heat.
• The next morning, after an awkward breakfast exchange involving Wang Ping and Yang Qing, the group heads to a tomb on a barren hill.
• They discover the tomb has been robbed overnight. The museum director explains that a guard’s illness and the rain contributed to the lapse in security.
• Professor Lü leaves the officials to handle the theft and takes the students farther into the area to inspect other sites and learn about the terrain.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze is preoccupied with missing Meng Zhiyuan and wonders whether he has read Jiang Ze’s message.
• Professor Lü shows his impatience and dedication to archaeology, but also compromises when reminded of his students’ needs.
• Dong Jiansheng acts as an experienced, practical guide to the students.
• Wang Ping behaves unusually attentive toward Jiang Ze, while Yang Qing’s appearance and teasing remark prompt Jiang Ze to suspect an undercurrent of insincerity.

Character interactions

• Professor Lü and the museum’s elderly representative share an easy familiarity: the representative gently reins in Lü’s urgency, and Lü agrees to rest before visiting the site.
• Wang Ping offers Jiang Ze blueberry-jam bread, but Yang Qing takes it, claiming to like that flavor. The exchange leaves Jiang Ze uncomfortable and curious about their behavior.
• Yang Qing jokes that Jiang Ze is the department’s most handsome student; Jiang Ze privately reads the comment as potentially passive-aggressive.
• At the tomb, Professor Lü calmly challenges the claim that the artifacts “ran off,” identifying the event as a robbery, then redirects the students toward other learning opportunities.

Significant themes

• Archaeology and preservation: The theft highlights the vulnerability of cultural heritage and the ongoing threat posed by tomb robbers.
• Learning through experience: Despite the failed visit, Professor Lü makes the trip educational by guiding the students through the surrounding landscape.
• Interpersonal ambiguity: Jiang Ze’s interpretations of Wang Ping and Yang Qing’s behavior suggest social tensions and possible insincerity.
• Longing and attachment: Jiang Ze’s thoughts repeatedly return to Meng Zhiyuan even while he is away on the project.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ze’s group travels deep into the mountains, where a herd of elephants suddenly emerges. The elephants are carrying armed men, who surround and capture the group.
• Their scarred leader recognizes Professor Lü and says the gang specifically came to take him. Jiang Ze then spots Meng Zimu among them.
• Jiang Ze’s system reveals that the location is part of Meng Zhixiong’s illicit network, which works with tomb robbers. The group’s stolen artifacts are being carried on smaller elephants.
• Jiang Ze concludes that the robbers need Professor Lü to authenticate the artifacts so they can sell them at a higher price. He quietly tells Dong Jiansheng to keep Professor Lü calm and avoid provoking the captors, promising to handle the rest.
• The gang brings the captives to a crude mountain hideout. Jiang Ze and Professor Lü are treated somewhat carefully, while Yang Qing and two others are dragged in roughly.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze remains observant and composed under threat. Though Meng Zimu taunts him, Jiang Ze suppresses his anger and focuses on protecting the group and finding a way out.
• Dong Jiansheng is frightened by the kidnapping but steadies himself enough to identify the artifacts. Jiang Ze reassures him and gives him a practical role.
• Professor Lü tries to de-escalate the encounter and objects when the gang humiliates Jiang Ze, showing concern for his student.
• Meng Zimu displays open hostility and contempt toward Jiang Ze, enjoying his apparent helplessness.
• Scarface commands the gang and treats the captives as useful assets, especially Professor Lü and Jiang Ze.

Significant themes

• Greed and power: The tomb robbers risk violence and imprisonment for profit, while Meng Zimu’s involvement links the operation to a broader struggle for wealth and political advantage.
• Composure under pressure: Jiang Ze’s restraint and quick assessment contrast with the others’ fear and the gang’s brutality.
• Trust and protection: Jiang Ze tries to shield his companions, while Professor Lü defends him despite being captive himself.

Plot points and events

• Professor Lü and his students are held by criminals and forced to restore a collection of damaged porcelain artifacts. Their captors promise the other students will be safe if he finishes the work.
• Lü chooses Dong Jiansheng and Jiang Ze to assist him. Once the artifacts are mostly restored, Jiang secretly uses sleeping medicine to knock out Lü and Dong, then stores the artifacts away to protect them.
• To create an opening, Jiang pretends a thief has stolen the artifacts and accuses Meng Zimu of being involved. The accusation fuels existing distrust between Meng and the scar-faced criminal leader, Zhou Zhen.
• The criminals’ factions turn on each other, and a group of mercenaries joins the fight. Amid the chaos, Jiang summons Wang Ping and Yang Qing and sends them away on an elephant with the unconscious Lü and Dong, assuring them they will eventually reach the search party.
• Jiang stays behind to collect the remaining artifacts. He then escapes in the confusion, setting a fire as he leaves, and keeps his role secret.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze remains calm and resourceful, using deception, system-bought supplies, and careful planning rather than force. He risks staying behind so the others can escape and prioritizes recovering the artifacts.
• Professor Lü is protective of his students and deeply devoted to preserving the national treasures, despite his fear and exhaustion.
• Wang Ping and Yang Qing follow Jiang’s plan, though they worry about leaving him behind. Yang Qing persuades Wang Ping to go so they can seek help and return.
• Meng Zimu and Zhou Zhen quickly become enemies when the artifacts disappear. Their fragile, profit-based partnership collapses into violence, especially after Zhou sees Meng’s armed allies emerge.

Significant themes

• Deception as a survival tool: Jiang’s staged theft and false accusation turn the captors against each other.
• Trust and self-interest: The criminals’ alliance proves unstable once suspicion and competing interests take over.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Jiang sends his companions and the professor to safety while accepting the danger of remaining behind.
• Preserving cultural heritage: Despite the crisis, the restoration and recovery of the artifacts remain central to the characters’ efforts.

Key plot points and events

• After escaping the tomb robbers’ camp, Jiang Ze wanders alone through the mountains as rain intensifies. The system says Meng Zimu is likely safe and capable of defeating the robbers.
• Back in B City, Meng Zhiyuan learns Jiang Ze has not returned. He immediately flies to Y City to search for him.
• Jiang Ze slips on the mountain path and falls into a deep, narrow hollow, twisting his ankle. Rain loosens the walls, and rocks begin to fall, raising the danger of a collapse.
• While Jiang Ze struggles with his injury and the cold, Meng Zhiyuan reaches the mountain. He learns that the rest of Professor Lü’s group has been rescued but Jiang Ze is missing, then joins the search.
• As the hollow begins to collapse, the system activates a protective barrier. Jiang Ze, feverish and disoriented, thinks he sees Meng Zhiyuan—until Zhiyuan appears and pulls him into his arms, shielding him from the falling debris.

Character developments

• Jiang Ze remains resourceful, using supplies from the system’s exchange space, but his injury, exposure, and fever leave him vulnerable. In his delirium, he realizes how much he misses Meng Zhiyuan.
• Meng Zhiyuan moves from irritation at Jiang Ze’s troublemaking to urgent concern. He personally joins the rescue and risks himself to protect Jiang Ze.
• The system provides practical guidance and ultimately activates a life-saving barrier, though it warns that Jiang Ze’s medicine will not heal him immediately.

Significant themes

• Devotion and protection: Meng Zhiyuan’s actions show the depth of his concern for Jiang Ze.
• Vulnerability and dependence: Jiang Ze’s isolation and injury contrast with his usual cheeky confidence.
• Danger and uncertainty: The storm, unstable terrain, and delayed rescue keep Jiang Ze’s survival in doubt.
• Longing and emotional attachment: Jiang Ze’s wish for Zhiyuan’s warmth signals growing affection.

Character interactions

• Jiang Ze banters with the system, which advises him about the danger and helps him survive.
• Meng Zhiyuan questions the rescued group about Jiang Ze; Wang Ping blames himself for failing to protect him.
• The chapter ends with Meng Zhiyuan embracing Jiang Ze amid the collapse, turning Jiang Ze’s supposed hallucination into a real reunion.

• Key events: The cave collapses, but Jiang Ze and Meng Zhiyuan survive in a newly exposed cavern. Meng is badly injured and loses consciousness. Jiang Ze treats his wound, gives him two drops of Spirit Spring Water, and makes them a bed with supplies from his storage space. Exhausted, he falls asleep holding Meng. After Meng wakes, Jiang mistakes his unconsciousness for a sign that he needs water and mouth-to-mouth feeds him—only for Meng to suddenly kiss him back. They share several intimate kisses before Meng stops short of further escalation because he is still injured. The cavern has enough air, food, and water for them to wait out his recovery.
• Character developments: Jiang shifts from panic to determined caretaking, but remains guilt-ridden for having put Meng in danger. His concern and growing attraction show in his tender care and kisses. Meng, despite his severe injury, is playful and openly affectionate; he reassures Jiang rather than blaming him and asks him not to leave.
• Interactions: Jiang nurses Meng, shelters him, and later initiates a kiss out of concern. Meng turns it into a passionate exchange, teasing Jiang while still restraining himself to protect his wound. He notices the supplies in the cavern but does not question their source, allowing Jiang to relax.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes devotion and vulnerability under danger, Jiang’s guilt and need to protect Meng, and the growing romantic intimacy between them. Meng’s plea—“Don’t leave me”—also hints at an underlying fear of abandonment.

Plot points

• Trapped in a stone cave, Jiang Ze searches for an exit while Meng Zhiyuan rests with an injury. Meng pulls Jiang close by pretending to be in pain, then reveals that he has already sent his phone’s location to the authorities.
• Knowing rescue should arrive, Meng persuades the flustered Jiang to spend their waiting time with him. Over the following days, Jiang continues caring for Meng’s wound; the Spirit Spring Water appears to speed its healing.
• Jiang worries that no one has come for them, but soon hears rescuers digging. Meng uses an explosive to open a way out and shields Jiang from the blast.
• Meng’s trusted men, including Meng Cheng, arrive. Meng prioritizes taking Jiang to the hospital, especially because the explosion has left his ears ringing. In the car, Jiang finally relaxes and falls asleep in Meng’s arms.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ze is resourceful and devoted, taking responsibility for finding a way out and tending to Meng’s injury. He remains easily flustered by Meng’s teasing and affection, but clearly cares for him and feels safe in his arms.
• Meng Zhiyuan is recovering but remains playful and flirtatious, deliberately drawing Jiang close and enjoying his embarrassment. At the same time, he is protective: he has arranged for rescue, shields Jiang from the blast, and puts Jiang’s wellbeing first.
• Meng Cheng is relieved to find his boss and curious about the young man Meng keeps close, but Meng gives him little chance to get a good look.

Significant themes

• Care and intimacy: Jiang’s practical nursing and Meng’s affection deepen their bond.
• Protectiveness and trust: Meng takes charge during the rescue and safeguards Jiang, while Jiang relies on him.
• Relief after danger: Their playful closeness and Jiang’s eventual sleep bring the chapter’s tense confinement to a gentle close.