Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Tang Tang has died and been reborn ten times, each life ending before age twenty-seven. Across her lives, she learns that the Tang patriarch had her abandoned as a newborn after a fortune-teller called her ill-fated.
• Her birth mother, Su Xiajing, never meets her and later dies by suicide after her husband betrays her with her stepsister. The girl raised in Tang Tang’s place is actually her stepmother’s biological daughter, and she repeatedly contributes to Tang Tang’s deaths.
• Exhausted by repeated failure and death, Tang Tang enters an eleventh life expecting to do nothing but survive. This time, however, she is reborn as a newborn while Su Xiajing is still alive.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts reveal that the Tang Family’s butler and nanny are about to take her away before Su Xiajing wakes. Just as the nanny holds the baby, Su Xiajing wakes and asks what they are doing.
• Su Xiajing hears Tang Tang’s thoughts, realizes the baby is speaking to her, and looks at her. Tang Tang is delighted to see her mother, warns her inwardly about her husband and stepsister, and then falls asleep.

Character development

• Tang Tang: Repeated deaths have left her fatalistic and exhausted. Seeing her mother alive briefly awakens her affection and concern, though she still believes neither of them can escape their fate.
• Su Xiajing: Introduced as a vulnerable new mother, she becomes alert when she hears Tang Tang’s thoughts. Her apparent ability to hear them may give her a chance to change what happens.

Significant themes

• Fate versus change: Tang Tang has repeatedly failed to escape death, but the altered timing of this rebirth—and Su Xiajing hearing her—suggests this life may be different.
• Family betrayal and injustice: Tang Tang and Su Xiajing are victims of deception and cruelty within the Tang Family.
• Exhaustion, love, and hope: Tang Tang has given up on saving herself, yet her longing to meet her mother and protect her hints at a new possibility.

Character interactions

• Tang Tang silently addresses Su Xiajing with affection, admiration, and warnings about the family.
• Su Xiajing hears those thoughts, questions the adults taking the baby, and makes eye contact with Tang Tang for the first time.
• The butler and nanny are caught in the act of removing Tang Tang, setting up an immediate conflict over whether Su Xiajing can protect her daughter.

Plot points and events

• Tang Tang, a newborn, warns her mother Su Xiajing that the butler and housekeeper intend to get rid of her. Su catches them carrying Tang Tang away and insists on taking her back, forcing them to leave.
• Tang Tang assumes she has been abandoned again, reflecting that she has lived ten short lives and expects to die young. She wakes to find herself still in the hospital, safe with her mother.
• Su learns Tang Tang is hungry and takes her back from the maternity nanny to breastfeed her, despite producing little milk. Tang Tang nurses while accepting her uncertain fate.
• Tang Tang reveals through her thoughts that the Tang Family’s old master considers her a bad omen and will keep trying to remove her. She also foresees that Su’s husband, Tang Beichen, will become involved with Su’s stepsister, leading Su into depression and suicide.
• Convinced that Beichen may betray her, Su decides not to wait for him. She plans to leave the hospital with Tang Tang and go to her own apartment by taxi.

Character developments

• Su Xiajing shifts from physically weak and cautious to protective and decisive. She recognizes the danger posed by the Tang Family and resolves to act independently rather than trust its household staff or rely on her husband.
• Tang Tang is a newborn with memories of ten previous, increasingly brief lives. Her fatalism and weary humor contrast with her keen awareness of danger, but she still cherishes her mother and wants her to protect herself.

Character interactions

• Su confronts the butler and housekeeper and takes Tang Tang from them, asserting her right as the baby’s mother.
• Su comforts Tang Tang and, after noticing her reluctance to drink formula, chooses to breastfeed her.
• Su dismisses the staff and begins arranging an escape, while Tang Tang’s silent warnings reshape her understanding of her marriage and family.

Significant themes

• Motherhood and protection: Su’s bond with Tang Tang drives her to challenge the Tang Family’s authority.
• Betrayal and mistrust: Su realizes danger may come from both the powerful old master and her own husband.
• Fate versus agency: Tang Tang believes her early death is inevitable, while Su’s choices suggest that decisive action may alter what happens.
• Cycles of suffering: Tang Tang’s repeated short lives leave her resigned, yet her warnings offer Su a chance to avoid a tragic future.

Plot points and events

• Shortly after giving birth, Su Xiajing decides to leave the hospital and messages her manager, Zhang Zhang, asking for a lawyer to handle a divorce. Zhang is surprised by the sudden request.
• Her husband, Tang Beichen, arrives home exhausted from a business trip and is affectionate and attentive. Xiajing softens briefly, but seeing her stepsister, Su Chuchu, makes her withdraw and stay guarded.
• The newborn, Tang Tang, appears able to communicate through thoughts that her parents can hear. Tang Beichen is stunned when he hears her voice and is nearly injured by the unsettling things she says.
• Tang Tang believes that Beichen will eventually cheat on Xiajing and that she herself will be lost. She urges her mother not to trust him blindly, though Beichen insists inwardly that he has only ever loved Xiajing.
• The family presents Tang Tang with a gold pendant and bracelets. She is delighted by the gifts and imagines that the gold could help her if she is abandoned. Xiajing gives her all the jewelry, reassuring her through her actions.

Character developments

• Su Xiajing is considering divorce despite Beichen’s loving welcome, suggesting serious doubts about their relationship. Her daughter’s thoughts make her more alert to the possibility of future betrayal. She is also tender and responsive as a mother.
• Tang Beichen appears devoted and eager to care for his wife and daughter, but Tang Tang’s predictions leave him confused and defensive. He is also comically nervous around the newborn.
• Tang Tang is perceptive, blunt, and preoccupied with being abandoned. She loves her mother and is delighted by wealth, which she views as practical security.
• Su Chuchu’s presence unsettles Xiajing, though the reason is not explained here. Su Jiansen and Wei Shufen behave warmly toward the baby.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Tang Tang’s warning challenges the image of Beichen as a devoted husband and casts doubt on the couple’s future.
• Security and abandonment: Tang Tang’s fear that she will be discarded contrasts with the family’s affectionate welcome.
• Love expressed through care: Xiajing protects Tang Tang and gives her the gifts she values, while Beichen and the grandparents show eagerness to bond with her.
• Humor through contrast: The newborn’s cynical inner commentary clashes with the family’s sweet, celebratory behavior.

Character interactions

• Xiajing asks Zhang Zhang to arrange a lawyer, then keeps her distance from Beichen when her family arrives.
• Beichen tries to hold Tang Tang, but Xiajing insists he wash his hands first; Tang Tang approves of her mother’s protectiveness.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts unsettle Beichen and nearly expose her belief that he will betray Xiajing.
• Wei Shufen briefly takes away the pendant after noticing Tang Tang wants it; Xiajing retrieves it and adds the bracelets, delighting the baby.

Plot points and events

• Su Chuchu mocks newborn Tang Tang’s gold Longevity Lock and bracelets as nouveau riche. Su Xiajing and Su Jiansen defend the baby, praising the jewelry and its blessings.
• Tang Tang privately complains about Su Chuchu’s strong perfume and threatens to cry if it makes her sick. The adults notice the scent; Su Jiansen, Su Xiajing, and Tang Beichen agree it could irritate a newborn’s airways. Tang Beichen tells Su Chuchu to leave the room, and she and her mother, Wei Shufen, go outside.
• Tang Tang warmly praises her grandfather and grudgingly approves of her father—while thinking he will betray Su Xiajing in the future.
• Su Xiajing announces she is leaving the hospital for her own apartment rather than going home with Tang Beichen. Tang Tang falls asleep hoping to remain with her mother and grandfather, and anxiously insists they not take away her jewelry.
• Su Jiansen takes Su Xiajing and Tang Tang home with him, telling Tang Beichen to resolve problems in his own family first. Tang Beichen, worried about losing his wife and daughter, signs urgent work documents and takes two weeks of paternity leave to follow them.

Character developments

• Tang Tang is outspoken in her internal thoughts, fiercely attached to her gold jewelry, and already protective of her mother. Her suspicion that she may be abandoned, and her warning about Tang Beichen’s future betrayal, heighten the family’s unease.
• Su Xiajing asserts her independence by choosing to leave with Tang Tang rather than return to Tang Beichen’s home.
• Su Jiansen takes a firm, protective role toward his daughter and granddaughter, openly challenging both Su Chuchu and Tang Beichen.
• Tang Beichen prioritizes his newborn daughter’s safety over politeness and, at the end, over work—but remains unaware of the future betrayal Tang Tang anticipates.
• Su Chuchu is embarrassed by the family’s criticism but maintains an aggrieved façade.

Character interactions

• Su Xiajing and Su Jiansen counter Su Chuchu’s criticism of Tang Tang’s jewelry; Su Jiansen also reprimands her for wearing strong perfume and excessive makeup.
• Tang Beichen backs them up by insisting Su Chuchu leave for the baby’s health.
• Su Jiansen supports Su Xiajing’s decision to go home with him and rebuffs Tang Beichen’s attempt to accompany them.
• Tang Tang’s unspoken comments shape the adults’ reactions, though they cannot hear the thoughts themselves.

Significant themes

• Family protection and loyalty: The adults rally around Tang Tang, while Su Jiansen puts Su Xiajing and the baby first.
• Independence and strained marriage: Su Xiajing’s decision to stay separately signals serious tension with Tang Beichen.
• Appearance versus sincerity: Su Chuchu’s polished, wounded presentation contrasts with her dismissive remarks and the family’s practical concern for the baby.
• Comic dramatic irony: Tang Tang’s sharp inner monologue—and her ominous predictions—clashes with the adults’ confusion and affection.

Key plot points

• Su Xiajing tells her manager, Zhang Zhang, that she is determined to divorce Tang Beichen and asks her to find a reliable lawyer. She gives no specific incident as the cause, but says she no longer wants to trust a relationship that may fail.
• Thinking back, Su Xiajing realizes her younger sister, Su Chuchu, has long behaved as if she were pursuing Tang Beichen. She also recalls painful childhood neglect after her father remarried, which makes her especially afraid of Tangtang suffering the same way.
• Su Xiajing recognizes that the disturbing images she saw in dreams were of herself and her daughter. Shaken by the memories and Tangtang’s warnings, she resolves to protect her child and eventually return to acting.
• Tang Beichen secretly visits the baby and showers her with gifts: gold bars, a villa deed, and a no-limit card. Tangtang is delighted by the gold and money, but her thoughts reveal that she expects to be abandoned soon.
• Hearing Tangtang’s thoughts, Tang Beichen learns that his father may be behind the planned separation. When Su Xiajing returns from the bathroom, he apologizes, promises to protect her and Tangtang, and goes to confront his father.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Xiajing shifts from uncertainty to firm resolve: she chooses divorce and self-protection, despite her recent childbirth and Tang Beichen’s likely objections. Her past experiences shape her determination not to let her daughter endure similar neglect.
• Tang Beichen moves from awkwardly trying to bond with Tangtang through extravagant gifts to recognizing the threat against his family. He responds with a direct promise to defend them.
• Tangtang remains comically focused on wealth, but her thoughts also reveal a deep fear of being discarded. Her warnings give Tang Beichen crucial information.
• Zhang Zhang questions Su Xiajing’s decision but accepts that she is determined and agrees to help with legal arrangements.
• The scene closes with a contrast between Su Xiajing’s desire to leave the marriage and Tang Beichen’s insistence that he can protect their family.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Su Xiajing fears that love may not withstand temptation and chooses not to wait for betrayal to happen.
• Family trauma and protection: Her childhood neglect informs her determination to keep Tangtang safe.
• Money as security: Tangtang treats gold and cash as protection against abandonment, while Tang Beichen uses gifts to win her affection.
• Hidden knowledge and impending conflict: Tangtang’s awareness of the future exposes a threat within the family and sets up Tang Beichen’s confrontation with his father.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Beichen confronts his father, Tang Zhilin, after learning that Zhilin invited Master Xuanqing to Kyoto and acted on the master’s prediction by abandoning his newborn granddaughter, Tang Tang.
• Zhilin insists Tang Tang is a “bad omen” who will harm the Tang Family. Beichen and his mother, Xie Yazhi, are horrified and condemn his superstition and cruelty.
• Beichen vows that no one will hurt his daughter again. He leaves the family residence and arranges for live-in bodyguards to protect her around the clock.
• At home, Tang Tang refuses to part with her gold receipt and black card, fearing she could be abandoned again. Su Xiajing reassures her and makes a small pouch from baby clothes so Tang Tang can keep her valuables close.
• Through Tang Tang’s thoughts, Su learns that the baby fears her mother will someday be betrayed by Beichen and urges her not to trust a man’s excuses or forgive betrayal.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Beichen shifts from anger to decisive protection of his daughter, openly challenging his father despite the risk to his position in the family.
• Tang Zhilin remains rigid and unmoved, prioritizing a mystic’s prediction over his granddaughter’s safety. His actions also reveal that he concealed the truth from his wife.
• Xie Yazhi turns against her husband once she learns what he did, recognizing that his earlier excuses kept her from visiting Su and the baby.
• Su Xiajing responds gently to Tang Tang’s insecurity, respecting her attachment to the valuables and finding a practical way to keep them safe.
• Tang Tang is comically possessive of her “wealth,” but her thoughts reveal deep fear of abandonment and concern about her mother’s future. Su, in turn, worries that Tang Tang is unusually pessimistic and preoccupied with dying.

Significant themes

• Family protection and loyalty: Beichen and Su prioritize Tang Tang’s safety and emotional security.
• Superstition versus reason: Zhilin’s faith in fortune-telling leads him to treat an innocent baby as a threat.
• Trust and betrayal: Tang Tang warns Su not to accept excuses after a partner’s betrayal, foreshadowing future conflict.
• Insecurity and care: Tang Tang’s need to cling to her valuables reflects her fear of being discarded, while Su’s tenderness offers reassurance.

Plot and key events

• Su Xiajing warns Tang Tang that her father’s return may lead to another confrontation with Grandpa, then promises that both parents will protect her.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts reveal that this tragedy has repeated across multiple lifetimes: she and her mother have repeatedly suffered and died. She predicts that Tang Beichen will eventually tire of caring for Su Xiajing, betray her for Su Chuchu, and that Su Xiajing will die.
• Su Xiajing realizes that her daughter’s warnings explain her own disturbing flashes of memory. Already preparing to divorce Tang Beichen and return to work, she becomes more determined to protect herself.
• When Tang Beichen returns, Su Xiajing treats him coldly, seeing him as the future man who will betray her. He apologizes for letting Grandpa frighten Tang Tang and arranges round-the-clock bodyguards.
• Su Xiajing rejects his promises to protect them and tells him to leave. He insists on staying nearby, claiming he has taken two weeks of parental leave, but eventually agrees to sleep in the guest room.
• Confused by her sudden change in attitude, Tang Beichen asks Su Xiajing’s manager, Zhang Zhang, what is going on. Zhang Zhang resents being drawn into their marital problems.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Xiajing shifts from affectionate trust toward Tang Beichen to guarded resolve. Her daughter’s predictions convince her that romantic promises may not last, strengthening her resolve to divorce and rebuild her career.
• Tang Tang remains protective and perceptive, though frustrated that her mother cannot hear her warnings. She eventually gives up trying to persuade her and falls asleep.
• Tang Beichen responds to the recent danger with practical safeguards and earnest promises, but his clingy persistence contrasts with Su Xiajing’s growing distrust.
• Zhang Zhang is reluctantly pulled into the couple’s conflict and wants to stay out of it.

Significant themes

• Fate versus change: Tang Tang’s repeated-life memories suggest that the same tragedies recur, making her warnings feel urgent.
• The fragility of love: Su Xiajing begins questioning whether devotion and promises can survive hardship.
• Self-preservation and independence: She resolves to prioritize her survival and career rather than rely on a husband who may later abandon her.
• Protective love and miscommunication: Tang Tang and Su Xiajing care deeply for each other, but Tang Tang’s thoughts remain unheard, while Su Xiajing’s knowledge of the future remains hidden.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Zhang tells Tang Beichen that Su Xiajing wants a divorce. Shocked, he realizes that recent events—and the Tang family’s treatment of Xia Jing—have destroyed her trust.
• The next morning, Tang Beichen tries to help care for Xia Jing and their newborn daughter, Tang Tang. Xia Jing refuses his help, while Tang Tang’s thoughts reveal that she fears being abandoned and considers her father a “scumbag.”
• With Wang’s guidance, Tang Beichen feeds Tang Tang and begins learning basic newborn care. He is awkward and anxious, and Xia Jing remains cold toward him.
• Hoping to persuade Tang Tang that he truly loves Xia Jing, Tang Beichen recounts their relationship, from his years of secret admiration to their marriage and the birth of their child.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts expose a darker history: in a possible past life, Tang Beichen betrayed Xia Jing when she was depressed after losing her daughter, leaving her isolated and contributing to her death. Tang Beichen hears this and is devastated.

Character developments

• Tang Beichen moves from disbelief and self-pity to genuine fear that he has deeply hurt Xia Jing. He wants to be a devoted husband and father, but his daughter’s memories make him question what he may become.
• Su Xiajing is recovering after childbirth but keeps Tang Beichen at a distance, signaling how badly her trust has been damaged.
• Tang Tang remains wary and sharp-tongued despite being a newborn, clinging to her pouch for security. Her memories of a previous life make her distrust her father and grieve for her mother.
• Zhang Zhang continues to support Xia Jing’s acting career and resents being pulled into the couple’s marital conflict.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Love and good intentions are not enough if trust has been broken.
• The weight of the past and possibility of change: Tang Beichen must confront a future—or former life—in which his actions devastated his family.
• Family and protection: Tang Tang’s fear of abandonment contrasts with her parents’ desire to protect her.
• Dramatic irony: Tang Beichen can hear Tang Tang’s thoughts, but cannot yet know whether the painful future she describes is inevitable.

Character interactions

• Zhang Zhang bluntly informs Tang Beichen of the divorce threat, leaving him stunned.
• Tang Beichen attempts to help Xia Jing, but she refuses, while Wang gently coaches him in caring for Tang Tang.
• Tang Tang’s private judgments clash with Tang Beichen’s attempts to bond with her; he hears her thoughts but cannot explain himself to her.
• When he tells Tang Tang how he fell in love with Xia Jing, her response shifts the scene from romance to accusation, forcing him to confront the possibility that he once betrayed the woman he loves.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Beichen promises Tang Tang that he will protect her and her mother and work to regain their trust. Tang Tang refuses to listen, convinced that he is a scumbag, and falls asleep before he can persuade her.
• Ten days after Tang Tang’s birth, Su Xiajing is discussing her acting comeback with her agent, Zhang Zhang. She chooses a script with a more relaxed schedule so she can wait until Tang Tang is at least six months old before returning to work.
• Tang Tang, who loves gossip, is brought into the discussion by Sister Wang and enthusiastically hopes to hear more about the entertainment industry.
• Zhang Zhang brings out a lawyer-drafted divorce agreement. Tang Tang approves, but Tang Beichen rushes in, tears up the document, and declares that he does not agree to a divorce. Tang Tang considers the gesture childish and ineffective.
• Xie Yazhi arrives with Tang Beichen and appears to hear Tang Tang’s voice. She wonders whether she alone can hear her granddaughter’s thoughts, while Su Xiajing remains wary of the Tang family.

Character developments

• Tang Beichen recognizes that he must earn back Su Xiajing and Tang Tang’s trust, but his desperate attempt to stop the divorce only reinforces Tang Tang’s distrust.
• Su Xiajing is focused on rebuilding her career while protecting her daughter. She remains emotionally unmoved by Tang Beichen’s intervention and cautious around his family.
• Tang Tang continues to judge her father harshly, while showing her lively love of money, praise for her mother, and appetite for gossip.
• Xie Yazhi appears to discover that she can hear Tang Tang’s thoughts or voice, though she keeps her realization to herself.

Significant themes

• Trust and accountability: Tang Beichen knows apologies alone are not enough; he must prove himself through his actions.
• Independence and self-protection: Su Xiajing makes plans for her career and considers divorce while guarding her daughter from potential harm.
• Comedy through dramatic irony: Tang Tang’s sharp inner commentary contrasts with her outward appearance as a helpless newborn, and her judgments expose the weakness of the adults’ behavior.

Character interactions

• Tang Beichen tries to reassure Tang Tang, but she silently rejects his words.
• Su Xiajing balances caring for Tang Tang with discussing her comeback, while Tang Tang’s thoughts turn the meeting into a source of entertainment.
• Zhang Zhang presents the divorce agreement; Tang Beichen’s outburst clashes with Su Xiajing’s calmness and Tang Tang’s scorn.
• Xie Yazhi’s apparent awareness of Tang Tang’s voice creates new tension, as Su Xiajing continues to distrust the Tang family.

• Plot points: Xie Yazhi meets ten-day-old Tangtang and is startled to learn that the baby can hold her own bottle. She greets Tangtang as her granddaughter and offers her a gold Longevity Lock. Tangtang initially seems unimpressed because she already owns plenty of gold, but quickly accepts the gift. Su Xiajing takes it for safekeeping. Xie Yazhi then apologizes for the Tang family patriarch’s past actions and asks Su Xiajing to give Tang Beichen another chance, arguing that Tangtang needs a father. Tangtang protests, and her thoughts trigger a series of accusations about Beichen’s supposed infidelity, betrayal, neglect, and mistreatment. Shocked, Xie Yazhi turns on her son and, unable to defend him, tells Su Xiajing she should divorce him if she and Tangtang are unhappy.
• Character developments: Xie Yazhi is warm and attentive toward Tangtang, but carries guilt over her delayed visit and the family’s past. Her wish to reconcile Su Xiajing and Beichen collapses when she hears Tangtang’s accusations. Su Xiajing appears self-reliant and unwilling to let others decide what she or her daughter needs. Tangtang is sharp-witted, financially savvy, and protective of her mother; her feelings toward her grandmother are complicated by the grandmother’s past material compensation without deeper concern. Beichen is bewildered as his mother’s opinion of him rapidly deteriorates.
• Character interactions: Xie Yazhi tries to connect with Tangtang through affection and a gift, while Tangtang’s blunt inner commentary makes the adults misread her reactions. Xie Yazhi appeals to Su Xiajing on Beichen’s behalf, but Tangtang interrupts and challenges the assumption that she needs a father. Su Xiajing’s thoughts affirm her independence, and Xie Yazhi’s attempt to advocate for Beichen turns into a confrontation with him.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts material gifts with genuine emotional care, explores the lasting effects of family betrayal and neglect, and emphasizes a mother’s independence and a child’s right to have a voice in decisions about her family. Dramatic irony drives the scene: Tangtang’s private thoughts repeatedly reshape the adults’ understanding of one another.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Yazhi unexpectedly shifts from encouraging Su Xiajing to give Tang Beichen another chance to supporting a divorce. Tang Tang enthusiastically backs her, while Tang Beichen insists he will not divorce Xiajing.
• Xie Yazhi leaves the couple to settle matters themselves, warning Tang Beichen not to hurt Tang Tang. Zhang Zhang also slips away to avoid getting caught in their dispute.
• Tang Tang tries to stay and witness the divorce discussion, but Su Xiajing sends her to nap. By the evening, the adults have finished talking, though Tang Tang does not know what they decided. Xiajing seems even colder toward Beichen, who continues trying to please her.
• Later, Beichen takes Tang Tang to his guest room and calls his secretary, asking him to investigate whether Beichen has ever behaved in a way that could suggest infidelity. The secretary confirms Beichen has consistently kept his distance from other women.
• Beichen hopes this will persuade Tang Tang that Xiajing has misunderstood him. Tang Tang refuses: she says that, in her view, Beichen has already betrayed and hurt Xiajing “for ten lifetimes,” and mentions a deceptive aunt, leaving him confused.

Character developments

• Su Xiajing remains determined to divorce and increasingly distrustful of the Tang family; her colder manner suggests the discussion has not repaired the relationship.
• Tang Beichen is desperate to preserve his marriage and clear his name. He investigates his own behavior, but still does not understand the deeper reason Tang Tang considers him guilty.
• Tang Tang stays firmly on her mother’s side, mixes childish antics with sharp observations, and continues to hint at knowledge Beichen lacks.
• Xie Yazhi feels protective of Tang Tang and ashamed of the family’s treatment of her, but restrains herself from revealing what Tang Tang has told her.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Beichen’s claim that he has not literally cheated fails to address the emotional betrayal Xiajing believes has occurred.
• Family loyalty and protection: Tang Tang and Xie Yazhi prioritize Xiajing and Tang Tang’s well-being over preserving the marriage.
• Dramatic irony and secrecy: Tang Tang’s cryptic references suggest that she knows more than Beichen, while he searches for evidence of the wrong thing.
• Humor amid conflict: Tang Tang’s eagerness to observe the divorce, fake crying, and blunt commentary undercut the chapter’s serious marital tension.

Character interactions

• Tang Beichen clashes with Xie Yazhi over her support for divorce; she warns him that Tang Tang’s welfare comes first.
• Tang Tang urges Xiajing to leave Beichen and tries to remain present for the adults’ discussion, but Xiajing sends her away.
• Beichen appeals to Tang Tang as a witness and ally, but she rejects his explanation and condemns him, deepening his confusion.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Beichen asks baby Tang Tang to help her mother keep watch over him, promising to list every woman he knows. Tang Tang refuses to engage, still furious about his past with Su Chuchu and focused on supporting her mother’s wish to divorce.
• Alone, Beichen broods over the revelation that he betrayed and hurt Su Xiajing across ten lifetimes. He loves her, but believes his actions are unforgivable and apologizes for failing both her and Tang Tang.
• On Tang Tang’s one-month birthday, Xiajing declines a celebration with most relatives, wanting to avoid seeing Beichen and Su Chuchu together. Tang Dongcheng and his twelve-year-old son, Tang Xianqi, are exceptions: they visit to take Tang Tang’s one-month photos.
• Tang Tang is immediately charmed by her handsome uncle and gentle older brother, and hints—through her thoughts and her grip on her pouch—that she would welcome more gold. Dongcheng offers to bring her another gold protective pendant.
• Beichen arrives after a company meeting. Dongcheng notices the scent of women’s perfume on him and confronts him, apparently suspecting infidelity.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Beichen is consumed by guilt and vows to change, but Tang Tang’s rejection shows that his family’s trust is far from restored.
• Su Xiajing maintains distance from the wider Tang family while remaining civil to Dongcheng. She is embarrassed by Tang Tang’s greedy thoughts and tries to redirect attention toward Xianqi.
• Tang Tang remains protective of her mother and hostile toward her father, yet readily warms to relatives she finds attractive or kind. She also pities Xianqi, knowing he is destined to die young in every lifetime.
• Tang Dongcheng is kind and attentive to Tang Tang, but grows suspicious of Beichen after noticing the perfume.
• Tang Xianqi is gentle and affectionate toward his baby sister, whose thoughts reveal how much she admires him.

Significant themes

• Guilt and accountability: Beichen recognizes the depth of his past betrayal, but remorse alone has not won back Tang Tang’s trust.
• Family loyalty and protection: Tang Tang sides with her mother, while Xiajing tries to shield her from painful family tensions.
• Fate and loss: Tang Tang’s knowledge of repeated lifetimes—and Xianqi’s recurring early death—casts a shadow over the otherwise warm family visit.
• Humor amid conflict: Tang Tang’s blunt, money-minded inner commentary contrasts with the serious divorce and betrayal tensions.

Plot points and events

• Tang Beichen returns home for Tang Tang’s one-month celebration, reassuring the family that he has not been away for suspicious reasons.
• The family takes portraits. Tang Tang is initially patient but grows tired during her solo photos and refuses to respond to the adults’ efforts to make her pose.
• Hearing Tang Tang’s thoughts, the adults realize she is exhausted and stop the shoot. Photographer Tang Dongcheng reflects that he has been too focused on imposing his ideas and should pay more attention to his children’s feelings.
• Tang Xianqi asks to take photos with his baby sister. Tang Tang enthusiastically admires her handsome older brother, making him blush.
• After the photos, Tang Tang notices the diamonds on Xianqi’s watch and becomes excited about them, prompting Su Xiajing and Tang Beichen to worry humorously about her love of valuables.

Character developments

• Tang Tang asserts herself by refusing to cooperate once she is tired. Her inner monologue shows a sharp, mature perspective, but she is also affectionate toward Xianqi and fascinated by diamonds.
• Tang Dongcheng recognizes his tendency to overlook children’s feelings and resolves to communicate with them more thoughtfully.
• Tang Xianqi shows a gentle, careful side while holding Tang Tang. Though usually responsible and mature, he becomes bashful under her enthusiastic praise.
• Tang Beichen is loving but comically jealous when Tang Tang praises Xianqi and admires his expensive watch.
• Su Xiajing respects Tang Tang’s limits and interprets her comments protectively, though she sometimes misunderstands what Tang Tang means.

Significant themes

• Children have their own feelings and limits; adults should not treat them as if they must obey on demand.
• Family affection grows through attentive, everyday interaction rather than forced performances.
• Humor arises from the contrast between Tang Tang’s sophisticated inner thoughts and her helplessness as a newborn.

Character interactions

• The adults first try to direct Tang Tang’s poses, then back off when they realize she is tired.
• Su Xiajing and Tang Beichen encourage a sibling portrait, and Xianqi handles Tang Tang with care.
• Tang Tang’s praise embarrasses Xianqi and makes Beichen jealous; her interest in Xianqi’s diamond watch sparks further mock exasperation from her parents.

Plot points and events

• Tang Tang admires Su Xiajing’s diamonds but decides not to ask for any, thinking she must save her money to support herself and her mother after her father’s future betrayal.
• Her thoughts confirm to Tang Beichen that her warnings describe events from her repeated past lives: he cheated on and mistreated Su Xiajing and Tang Tang in all ten.
• Tang Xianqi gives Tang Tang his treasured diamond watch as a welcome gift. She loves it, but remembering that he will die at twelve, she breaks down crying.
• Tang Beichen briefly mistakes her tears for dislike of the watch. Tang Tang immediately defends the gift, then reaches for Xianqi, wanting comfort.
• Su Xiajing realizes Tang Tang’s thoughts may reveal how to prevent Xianqi’s death. She and Tang Dongcheng decide to encourage the children to spend more time together and learn more.
• Dongcheng and Xianqi leave because Dongcheng’s wife has a performance. Tang Tang contrasts his lifelong devotion to his wife with Beichen’s betrayal of Su Xiajing.
• Dongcheng takes Beichen aside and asks whether he knows the difference between humans and animals.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Tang shows both restraint and affection: she refuses to demand diamonds or accept gifts without consideration, but deeply loves Xianqi and fears losing him.
• Tang Xianqi is gentle and generous, giving Tang Tang a valuable watch and being visibly shaken by her distress and her warning about his early death.
• Su Xiajing shifts from grief over Tang Tang’s past suffering to a practical resolve to uncover the details of Xianqi’s fate.
• Tang Beichen accepts that he has been cruel in Tang Tang’s past lives and is chastened by her comparisons, while trying to bond with her.
• Tang Dongcheng remains protective of Xianqi and bluntly confronts Beichen. His devoted marriage provides a foil for Beichen’s infidelity.

Significant themes

• Family love and loss: Tang Tang’s fear for Xianqi underscores how deeply she has attached herself to him.
• Regret and accountability: Beichen must face the harm he caused in Tang Tang’s repeated lives.
• Second chances and prevention: The family hopes that learning about Xianqi’s fate can help avert it.
• Devotion versus betrayal: Dongcheng’s faithful marriage highlights the contrast with Beichen’s broken promises.

• Tang Dongcheng confronts Tang Beichen about Xia Jing’s wish for a divorce. He reminds Beichen that Xia gave up her career to marry him and have their child, and urges him to consider what she sacrificed, honor his promises, and let her go respectfully if their marriage cannot be saved. Beichen accepts the blame, reasoning that although his current self feels misunderstood, he must face the consequences of the harmful choices made by his other selves.
• The family says goodbye. Tang Tang is sleepy but reluctant to see her cousin Tang Xianqi leave, imagining future outings and meals with him. Xia Jing asks Xianqi to visit more often, and he says he can come back the next day—with someone else. Tang Tang realizes he means his younger brother, Tang Xiancheng, whom she remembers as an eccentric, socially anxious shut-in.
• Tang Tang’s memories shape her expectations. In past lives, she had little contact with most of her cousins: they once looked down on her, and later she decided they were all useless except for her kind fourth cousin. She barely remembers Xiancheng, but is now excited to meet him as a child and see whether he really has a bowl cut.
• A small gift becomes a family moment. Before falling asleep, Tang Tang worries about where to keep the diamond watch Xianqi gave her. Xia Jing stores it in a pretty box inside the safe and jokingly invites Tang Tang to memorize the code. Tang Tang privately notes that she is only a month old—though, as usual, she understands far more than an ordinary baby.
• The next morning, the family returns. Tang Dongcheng, Xianqi, and their household arrive as promised. Tang Tang gives the adults minimal attention and eagerly searches for Xiancheng, asking where her “bowl-cut third cousin” is. Her description leaves the adults baffled, ending the chapter on a comic note.
  Character and relationship developments: Beichen shows remorse and accepts responsibility despite feeling unfairly judged. Dongcheng takes a protective, morally direct stance toward Xia Jing and Tangtang. Xia Jing and Tang Xianqi share a warm, attentive bond with Tang Tang, while Tang Tang’s lively inner commentary makes her affection—and her curiosity about her cousins—clear.
  Significant themes: Accountability for past harm; marital duty and compassion; family connection across generations; and the contrast between Tang Tang’s infant appearance and her unusually mature, humorous thoughts.

• Key events: Tang Tang meets her shy third brother, Tang Xiancheng, for the first time. She is stunned by how different he looks as a child from the overweight, bowl-cut shut-in she remembers as an adult. Their family tries to encourage him to greet and hold her, but he is too frightened and refuses. Tang Tang accepts comfort from her eldest brother, Tang Xianqi, instead. As she watches Xiancheng, she wonders whether losing Xianqi’s support is what eventually deepens his shyness—and thinks ominously that Xianqi may not have much time left with him.
• Character developments: Tang Tang’s confidence and vanity come through in her playful belief that she is a princess everyone should want to hold. Despite her teasing, she is perceptive and begins to suspect that Xiancheng’s adult isolation may have a painful cause. Xiancheng is introduced as timid and overwhelmed: he can hear Tang Tang’s unspoken thoughts but is too scared to respond. Xianqi remains gentle and attentive, trying to make both siblings comfortable.
• Character interactions: Tang Tang openly admires Xiancheng’s beauty, while her intense gaze and thoughts make him increasingly uneasy. Their mother, Li Qixian, gently prompts him to greet his sister; Xianqi later invites him to hold her. When Xiancheng refuses, Xianqi reassures Tang Tang and holds her himself. Tang Beichen silently reacts to Tang Tang’s declaration that people should be grateful for the chance to hold her.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts outward appearance with personality, childhood innocence with adult outcomes, and affectionate family support with the vulnerability that can arise when that support is lost. Humor comes from Tang Tang’s bossy inner monologue and Xiancheng’s bewildered fear, while her final thought introduces a darker note of impending loss.

Plot points and events

• Tang Xiancheng becomes upset after hearing Tang Tang’s thoughts suggest that he will lose his beloved older brother. He cannot explain why he is crying, and the family assumes he was frightened by Tang Tang.
• Tang Tang recognizes his social anxiety and silently urges him to speak up. With Tang Xianqi’s patient encouragement, Xiancheng manages to say that he does like Tang Tang and asks to hold her.
• Xiancheng carefully holds the baby, gradually relaxing as his family coaches and praises him. Tang Tang grabs his finger, and he proudly checks with his brother that he is doing well.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts reveal the reason for Xiancheng’s distress: she says his brother will die, and that the loss devastated him. Xiancheng hears this and freezes; the adults realize she has finally reached the subject they were waiting for.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Xiancheng shows how deeply he depends on and loves Xianqi, who largely cared for him while their busy parents worked. Despite his anxiety, he takes a small step toward independence by holding Tang Tang.
• Tang Xianqi responds gently to his brother’s tears, apologizes for teasing him, and guides and reassures him as he holds the baby.
• Tang Tang is blunt and teasing in her inner thoughts, but also perceptive and encouraging. She notices Xiancheng’s anxiety and pushes him to act.
• The family initially misreads Xiancheng’s tears, then supports him with patience and praise. Tang Tang’s thoughts are audible to some family members, who recognize the significance of her revelation.

Significant themes

• Sibling love and fear of loss: Xiancheng’s devotion to Xianqi makes the possibility of separation terrifying.
• Anxiety and communication: Xiancheng struggles to express himself, but patient support helps him take a first step.
• Growth through encouragement: Holding Tang Tang becomes a small but meaningful act of confidence and independence.
• Dramatic irony: Tang Tang’s casual inner commentary reveals a future tragedy that Xiancheng and the adults are only beginning to confront.

Plot points and events

• Eight-year-old Tang Xiancheng nervously holds his baby sister, Tang Tang, for the first time. He realizes he can hear her thoughts, but his mother and brother cannot, and worries that telling anyone will make them think he is strange.
• Tang Tang delights in teasing him, calling him “bowl-cut brother” and predicting that he may become an isolated, bowl-cut shut-in. She also reveals that Tang Xianqi may only be with him for another year, alarming the adults who can hear her thoughts.
• Tang Xiancheng stops dodging Tang Tang’s waving hands and is accidentally hit in the face. Tang Tang apologizes and settles down; he reassures her that he is not angry.
• The adults take this as a successful first interaction. Tang Tang is passed to the more experienced Xianqi, while their father remains eager to learn more from her thoughts but gets no further clues.
• On the way home, Xiancheng spots a boy with a bowl-shaped haircut and asks whether it is a bowl cut, deciding that his sister may have a point about how ugly it looks.

Character development

• Xiancheng shows unusual courage by approaching Tang Tang and trying to hold her. Though shy and dependent on Xianqi, he makes an effort to communicate and is gentle even when Tang Tang teases him.
• Tang Tang uses her thoughts to amuse herself and provoke reactions, but she also apologizes when she accidentally hurts Xiancheng. She is affectionate toward Xianqi and bored by the limitations of babyhood.
• Xianqi remains a reassuring, dependable presence for his younger brother and a source of comfort for Tang Tang.
• Tang Dongcheng tries to draw useful information from Tang Tang, especially about Xianqi’s future, while encouraging his sons to spend time with her.
• The adults are quietly alarmed by Tang Tang’s warning that Xianqi may have only a year left, though they conceal their concern.

Themes and interactions

• The chapter contrasts childhood shyness with the effort to connect: Xiancheng is anxious, but he still reaches out and responds kindly.
• Humor and tenderness coexist as Tang Tang’s blunt internal commentary embarrasses her family, while her affection and apologies soften her teasing.
• The siblings’ bonds are central: Xiancheng instinctively turns to Xianqi for help, Tang Tang adores Xianqi, and she tries—sometimes mischievously—to draw Xiancheng out.
• Tang Tang’s thoughts create dramatic irony: the adults hear her ominous hint about Xianqi, while Xiancheng hears her but cannot tell anyone without risking disbelief.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Xiancheng sees a stranger with a bowl cut and, fearing he might end up with the same hairstyle, urgently asks his father for a haircut.
• Tang Dongcheng cuts his hair at home. Pleased with the shorter style, Cheng resolves to get regular trims—but remains worried about his older brother, Tang Xianqi.
• Unable to explain his foreknowledge directly, Cheng wakes from a nightmare he invents, claiming he dreamed that Xianqi died covered in blood. His parents comfort him, and his father promises to visit a temple for a protective amulet.
• Cheng sleeps beside Xianqi and asks whether his brother fears death. Xianqi admits he does, but says fear cannot change what happens. Cheng tells him he wants him to be safe; Xianqi promises to grow up so Cheng can rely on him in return.
• The next day, Tang Dongcheng takes the boys to Su Xiajing’s apartment before going to the temple. Su agrees to look after them, and Tang Tang privately remarks that Cheng’s “dream” shows good instincts. Cheng objects to being called “Bowl Cut,” pointing out that he has had his hair cut.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Xiancheng is anxious and protective of Xianqi, struggling to warn his family without revealing his unusual ability. His childhood insecurity about his hair provides comic relief alongside his serious fear for his brother.
• Tang Xianqi responds patiently to Cheng’s fears, reassuring him and accepting his dependence while expressing hope that he can one day support Cheng in return.
• Tang Dongcheng takes Cheng’s distress seriously, promising an amulet while trying to keep the family from becoming alarmed.
• Li Qixian comforts Cheng gently and reminds him that nightmares are not reality.
• The brothers share a tender exchange about fear, love, and mutual reliance; Su Xiajing’s and Tang Tang’s brief appearances bring the family together and end the chapter on a humorous note.

Significant themes

• Family love and protection: Cheng’s actions are driven by his desire to keep Xianqi safe.
• Fear and helplessness: Xianqi recognizes that fear cannot control fate, while Cheng still hopes that protective measures can help.
• Reliance and growing up: The brothers affirm their closeness while imagining a future in which they can care for each other equally.
• Humor amid tension: Cheng’s haircut worry contrasts with the chapter’s underlying anxiety about Xianqi’s possible death.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Xiancheng notices Tang Dongcheng’s shorter haircut and teases him about his old bowl-cut style, prompting an irritated denial.
• Tang Dongcheng plans to visit temples for a Peace Talisman and hopes to find Taoist Master Yunlong at White Cloud Temple.
• Tang Tang reveals that Yunlong is her master. She explains that after repeated rebirths, she sought a genuine spiritual teacher to end the cycle; Yunlong understood her situation and gave her two comparatively peaceful lives.
• Tang Dongcheng is shocked to learn of Tang Tang’s connection to Yunlong and asks Su Xiajing for Tang Tang’s birth details so he can obtain a talisman for her.
• Tang Tang privately reflects that talismans cannot change fate: across ten lives, she has always died before age twenty-seven. She believes Tang Xianqi will die before thirteen and wants to spend what time remains growing closer to him.
• Tang Tang asks to be held by Xianqi. Xiancheng hopes to hold her too, but first has to finish his ice cream. When he offers her some, she refuses, saying she is too young and wants to protect her health.

Character developments

• Tang Tang reveals more of her past and her weary acceptance of repeated death. Despite her fatalism, she shows a growing desire to cherish her family, especially Xianqi.
• Tang Dongcheng moves from seeking protection for himself to wanting a talisman for Tang Tang, and his concern deepens as he learns she has suffered repeated lives.
• Tang Xianqi is shown as gentle and caring, readily taking Tang Tang and helping his younger brother.
• Tang Xiancheng remains playful and eager for affection, though Tang Tang’s thoughts about his short lifespan cast their time together in a sadder light.

Significant themes

• Fate and helplessness: Tang Tang doubts that spiritual protection can alter the deaths set out by fate.
• The value of limited time: Knowing how little time Xianqi may have, Tang Tang wants to build a closer relationship with him.
• Family care and connection: The family’s everyday acts of helping, holding, and feeding one another contrast with Tang Tang’s grim knowledge of their futures.
• Caution and self-preservation: Tang Tang’s refusal of ice cream is comic but also reflects her determination not to invite unnecessary suffering.

Character interactions

• Tang Tang and Tang Dongcheng discuss temples and Yunlong; her revelations leave him stunned.
• Su Xiajing agrees to provide Tang Tang’s birth details so Dongcheng can seek a talisman for her.
• Tang Tang asks Xianqi to hold her, and he does; Xiancheng then asks for a turn.
• Xiancheng offers Tang Tang ice cream, but she rejects it with a humorous insistence on protecting her health.