Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Fu Ruan approaches Bo Lin at a restaurant, offering an expensive brooch as an apology and expecting Bo to favor him over Hua Jian.
• Bo Lin ignores Fu Ruan and leaves with Hua Jian. When Fu Ruan invokes Old Master Bo’s authority, Bo Lin has six bodyguards remove Fu Ruan and his companion Cui Tang, saying Fu Ruan has ignored his warnings.
• Hua Jian wonders how Bo Lin will explain the incident to the old master. Bo Lin is unconcerned and invites Hua Jian for a coastal drive. Though initially stiff at Hua Jian’s casual embrace, he soon relaxes.
• News of Bo Lin’s public rejection of Fu Ruan spreads. Families previously intimidated by the Fu family feel emboldened, while Hua Jian’s name—and the Xie family’s standing—rise in elite circles.
• At the Camphor Hotel, the Poulton family head learns that Bo Lin has gone on a date with Hua Jian. The news stirs memories of his own past: he met the woman he loved, A Chen, by the sea.

Character developments and interactions

• Bo Lin makes his rejection of Fu Ruan unmistakable, showing that Fu Ruan’s apparent influence depended on Bo Lin’s tolerance rather than affection. His easy invitation to Hua Jian, and growing comfort with his closeness, suggest genuine attachment.
• Hua Jian is pleased by Bo Lin’s choice and acts familiarly with him, while also recognizing the political consequences of Bo Lin’s actions.
• Fu Ruan interprets Bo Lin’s past indifference as possible affection and blames Hua Jian when that illusion collapses. His reliance on the old master proves ineffective.
• The Poulton family head responds to the news with personal nostalgia, connecting Bo Lin’s seaside date to his own romantic history and the painful choices he made.

Significant themes

• Power and allegiance: Bo Lin’s decision shifts the balance around the Fu family and encourages those it has mistreated to resist.
• Misreading affection: Fu Ruan mistakes Bo Lin’s tolerance for love, while Bo Lin’s actions now clearly favor Hua Jian.
• Love and regret: The Poulton family head’s memories introduce a parallel romance shaped by sacrifice, family power, and loss.
• The sea as a symbol: The coast links Bo Lin and Hua Jian’s developing relationship with the family head’s remembered meeting with A Chen.

Key plot points and events

• The head of Puer’s household reflects on his past relationship with A Chen. He does not regret leaving her, believing he could not protect her then, but is unsettled to learn she may have left him a child. Because he knows neither the child’s sex nor A Chen’s surname, he has no clear way to find them.
• Dressed unusually casually, the old man leaves his room with his bodyguards.
• Hua Jian and Bo Lin enjoy a sunset drive along the coast. Their conversation turns flirtatious when Bo Lin calls Hua Jian handsome and says Hua Jian would be his “dream guy.” Bo Lin admits he would pursue him if Hua Jian liked men.
• They stop at a busy beach area for drinks and a walk. Hua Jian notices men in black arriving in two black SUVs with Imperial Capital plates. One man recognizes them, then tries to appear inconspicuous.
• Hua Jian quietly warns Bo Lin that they may be followed and asks where Bo Lin’s bodyguards went after escorting Fu Ruan away.

Character developments

• The head of the household reveals lingering complexity beneath his claim of having no regrets: he feels unsettled by the possibility of a child he never knew about and wants to find them.
• Bo Lin shows how deeply his feelings for Hua Jian have changed him. He describes himself as having discovered emotions and desire, and makes his attraction clear, though conditionally.
• Hua Jian is visibly affected by Bo Lin’s compliment and near-confession, but remains too embarrassed to ask whether he is personally Bo Lin’s ideal man. He also shows alertness and protectiveness when he suspects surveillance.

Significant themes

• Love, regret, and responsibility: The old man’s past choice to leave A Chen is complicated by the possibility of a child.
• Emotional awakening: Bo Lin contrasts his former detachment with the feelings Hua Jian has awakened in him.
• Unspoken desire: Both men approach a confession, but Hua Jian’s uncertainty and embarrassment leave their feelings only partly addressed.
• Threat beneath leisure: A peaceful, romantic outing shifts toward suspense when Hua Jian notices they may be watched.

Character interactions

• The old man’s memories of A Chen show that their relationship ended without bitterness, though its consequences may still bind them.
• Hua Jian and Bo Lin tease and compliment one another during the drive; Bo Lin’s direct admission of attraction leaves Hua Jian flustered.
• At the beach, Hua Jian considers Bo Lin’s comfort and chooses a drink for him. Their relaxed outing is interrupted when Hua Jian discreetly alerts him to the suspicious men.

Key plot points and events

• At a crowded beach café, Hua Jian stays close to Bo Lin to discourage other men from approaching. Bo Lin warns that they are being watched by someone he suspects belongs to the Fu family, then urges Hua Jian to get coffee.
• Hua Jian touches Bo Lin’s ear without thinking. Bo Lin pulls away, angry and embarrassed, and explains that intimate gestures like this should be reserved for a romantic partner.
• Bo Lin’s remark that such things belong to his future boyfriend leaves Hua Jian dejected. Hua realizes he feels possessive of Bo Lin, though he insists to himself that he is straight and only wants to protect their friendship.
• Hua tries to explain Bo Lin’s attraction to men as the result of someone “seducing” him. Bo Lin points out that Hua himself is the only man who has recently entered his life—and that Hua initiated their drunken intimacy.
• Bo Lin says that night helped him recognize how good it felt to be with a man. Hua admits it felt good for him too, but repeats that he is straight.
• Bo Lin challenges the claim: a truly straight man, he says, would recoil or fight back. Hua instead closes his eyes and responds to Bo Lin’s pressure with a soft moan.

Character developments

• Hua Jian becomes increasingly aware of his possessiveness and attraction to Bo Lin, but tries to explain it away as protectiveness and deny that it challenges his heterosexual identity.
• Bo Lin confidently acknowledges his attraction to men and uses Hua’s own behavior to expose the contradiction between Hua’s words and reactions. He is also attentive to boundaries, making clear that certain intimacy belongs to a partner.

Significant themes

• Denial and self-discovery: Hua’s repeated insistence that he is straight clashes with his jealousy, desire, and physical response.
• Intimacy and boundaries: Bo Lin distinguishes affectionate friendship from gestures he considers exclusive to a romantic relationship.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Hua’s wish that Bo Lin did not like men reveals his fear of losing their closeness.
• Words versus actions: Bo Lin highlights how Hua’s behavior undermines his verbal claims.

Character interactions

• Hua’s teasing closeness and ear-touching meet with Bo Lin’s embarrassment and firm rebuke.
• Bo Lin’s mention of a future boyfriend provokes Hua’s silent distress and attempt to rationalize Bo Lin’s sexuality.
• Their argument turns flirtatious and confrontational as Bo Lin links Hua’s drunken behavior to his own self-discovery, then tests Hua’s claim of being straight.

Plot points and events

• On the beach, Bo Lin touches Hua Jian provocatively. Hua Jian is flustered but does not push him away, and his body reacts despite his embarrassment.
• Bo Lin says his attraction to men is genuine and that nobody has seduced him. Hua Jian offers to vet the man Bo Lin likes, then—still misunderstanding Bo Lin’s feelings—proposes that Bo Lin choose him instead. He even offers to sleep with him, insisting he can do better than he did when he was drunk.
• Bo Lin is torn between happiness that Hua Jian is willing to be with him and frustration that Hua Jian still does not realize Bo Lin likes him. He takes Hua Jian’s hand and says he needs a man’s company because he has just “figured things out,” effectively letting Hua Jian play his boyfriend.
• Hua Jian is delighted. He laces their fingers together and asks about sharing a bedroom, but Bo Lin says he wants to enjoy the simple happiness of having a boyfriend and tells him not to rush things.
• The two walk barefoot along the shore, holding hands. Hua Jian enjoys their closeness but catches himself imagining keeping Bo Lin to himself, prompting him to wonder whether his thoughts are becoming troubling.
• Elsewhere, Poulton and his armed-looking entourage watch from the beach parking lot. Poulton learns that people other than Bo Lin’s bodyguards have been following him and orders his men to deal with them. He then wistfully recalls the sea breeze from when he first met “A Chen.”

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian moves from trying to protect Bo Lin from a supposed bad influence to offering himself as a partner. He remains convinced he is straight and does not recognize that his possessiveness and eagerness may signal deeper feelings.
• Bo Lin gains a little emotional security by taking Hua Jian’s hand and accepting his offer, but he is careful to set the pace. His embarrassment—especially his reddened ears—hints at how much the arrangement means to him.
• Their interaction is marked by romantic tension and comic misunderstanding: Hua Jian thinks he is helping his friend, while Bo Lin knows Hua Jian is the person he wants.
• Poulton introduces a parallel threat, as his men prepare to confront the unknown followers.

Significant themes

• Unrecognized love and miscommunication: Hua Jian offers intimacy without understanding its emotional meaning to Bo Lin.
• Friendship, jealousy, and possessiveness: Hua Jian fears losing his place in Bo Lin’s life and begins to imagine keeping him exclusively for himself.
• Consent and pacing: Bo Lin accepts closeness but clearly says he wants companionship, not immediate sex.
• Comic contrast and suspense: The tender beach scene is juxtaposed with Poulton’s ominous order and mysterious reminiscence.

Plot points and events

• Bo Lin reflects on his difficult upbringing: after his parents and younger sister died, he took on the family business and cared for his younger sister, Fanling. Meeting Hua Jian has made life feel more carefree.
• Bo Lin tells Hua Jian he has set aside two paintings for the art museum Hua Jian plans to open, revealing he once pursued several foolish schemes to get closer to him.
• On a quiet stretch of beach, they encounter the Poulton Family Head and his bodyguards. The older man greets Hua Jian and insists on walking back with them.
• Bo Lin and Hua Jian act formally at first, but soon hold hands. The Family Head watches their affectionate, awkward courtship and recalls his own past romance with A Chen.
• The Family Head suddenly grows melancholy by the sea. Hua Jian assumes he may regret failing to look for his child; afterward, the Family Head asks Hua Jian’s age and chuckles, implying Hua Jian’s assumption is mistaken.
• On the drive back, Hua Jian keeps holding Bo Lin’s hand while Bo Lin handles work. In their hotel suite, Bo Lin retreats to his own room, leaving Hua Jian frustrated by the separate bedrooms.
• While showering, Hua Jian recalls fragmented memories of their night at the Jiarui Hotel. As he fantasizes about Bo Lin, someone opens the bathroom door—echoing that earlier night.

Character development and interactions

• Bo Lin is shown as dutiful and burdened by family responsibilities, but more relaxed and openly affectionate with Hua Jian. He tolerates Hua Jian’s playful hand-holding even while trying to work.
• Hua Jian is protective when the Poulton Family Head appears, yet teasing and physically affectionate with Bo Lin. His thoughts reveal curiosity about the older man and lingering, increasingly vivid memories of their intimate past.
• The Poulton Family Head is perceptive and nostalgic. He recognizes the couple’s early-stage affection and privately compares them to himself and A Chen, though his sudden sadness and later chuckle leave the reason unclear.
• Bo Lin and Hua Jian’s relationship is marked by shy public restraint but growing physical closeness; their hands, rather than their words, express much of their affection.

Significant themes

• Love and emotional refuge: Their relationship offers Bo Lin relief from a life shaped by duty and loss.
• Memory and mistaken assumptions: Fragmented recollections and Hua Jian’s interpretation of the older man’s sadness shape the chapter’s quieter emotional mystery.
• Affection expressed through action: Hand-holding and small gestures convey what the couple still struggles to say directly.
• Past echoing the present: The Poulton Family Head’s memories—and the final mirrored bathroom moment—connect earlier romance and intimacy to the couple’s developing relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Hua Jian wakes from an erotic dream about kissing Bo Lin and realizes he has had a wet dream. Bo Lin is nearby, occupied with a video conference.
• At breakfast, Hua Jian tries to enjoy his noodles, but Shu Yao and the Poulton Family Head interrupt him. Hua Jian bluntly asks the Family Head to make Shu Yao leave; the older man’s stare is enough to send Shu Yao away.
• The Family Head hears Hua Jian’s unspoken thoughts. As Hua Jian recalls the story’s plot, he mentions Minlan District and reveals damaging information about the Family Head’s trusted associate, Lü Lin, and Candy’s father.
• The Family Head arranges for extra broth-filled beef balls to appear in Hua Jian’s bowl, claiming he cannot eat them. Hua Jian happily accepts, and the strange stream of thoughts stops.
• In the elevator, the Family Head speaks wistfully about a woman he loved who painted. Hua Jian privately mocks him for having abandoned her. Thinking about his own relationship with Bo Lin, Hua Jian worries that he might be a scoundrel too—then angrily insists their night together was an accident.
• Bo Lin arrives just in time to hear Hua Jian’s thoughts about having sex with him repeatedly in a dream. The Family Head also hears them and is startled by what they suggest about Hua Jian’s sexual role.

Character developments

• Hua Jian remains blunt, irritable, and food-motivated, but his dream about Bo Lin—and his anxious self-questioning afterward—show that his feelings and guilt about their relationship are becoming harder to ignore.
• The Poulton Family Head discovers that he can hear Hua Jian’s thoughts and realizes they contain useful information. He uses a small act of generosity to keep Hua Jian content and continue their contact.
• Bo Lin is mostly offstage, but his presence frames Hua Jian’s dream and the chapter’s final embarrassment.
• Shu Yao tries to insert himself into Hua Jian’s breakfast, but quickly retreats when the Family Head dismisses him with a look.

Significant themes

• Private thoughts versus public behavior: Hua Jian’s inner monologue repeatedly contradicts his polite or casual outward manner—and is unexpectedly audible to the Family Head.
• Accident, intimacy, and responsibility: Hua Jian labels his relationship with Bo Lin an accident, yet his dream and self-doubt suggest deeper attachment.
• Hypocrisy and regret: The Family Head’s romantic recollection prompts Hua Jian to condemn his past behavior and question whether he may be repeating a similar pattern.
• Humor through exposure: The chapter’s comedy comes from Hua Jian’s unfiltered thoughts being overheard, culminating in Bo Lin and the Family Head hearing his intimate dream confession.

Character interactions

• Hua Jian dismisses Shu Yao and tells the Family Head he cannot eat with him nearby; the Family Head’s authority sends Shu Yao away.
• The Family Head quietly tests his new ability by listening to Hua Jian’s thoughts, then wins Hua Jian’s goodwill by giving him the extra beef balls.
• The Family Head’s remarks about his former lover provoke Hua Jian’s private criticism and self-reflection.
• Bo Lin and the Family Head both overhear Hua Jian’s final thoughts, leaving them shocked and Hua Jian exposed.

Key plot points and events

• The Poulton Family Head meets Bo Lin to review fresh leads in Minlan District. Bo Lin notes that he received the information only minutes earlier and wonders how Hua Jian seemed to know about it already.
• The Family Head asks Bo Lin to persuade Hua Jian to paint him a picture. Hua Jian politely refuses, but the old man insists and arranges for them to paint by the sea.
• Hua Jian tells them that Xie Zhiyan has returned from F Country after the explosion and is recovering from a concussion. Through Hua Jian’s thoughts, the Family Head learns that Candy was implicated in the deadly blast and that he himself helped Candy and Shu Yao secure lawyers and bail.
• The Family Head orders his people to give evidence to the B City police, then examines Hua Jian’s background and photographs, searching for the source of the boy’s familiar appearance.
• New residents in Minlan District have been found, but the Family Head asks his contact to investigate whether anyone remembers “A Chen,” an old acquaintance he can no longer clearly picture.
• Bo Lin explains that he must audit the Bo Group’s Sea City branch accounts. Hua Jian offers to assist, and Bo Lin accepts. Hua Jian’s increasingly suggestive thoughts about Bo Lin end with Bo Lin smiling at him, leaving Hua Jian alarmed and flustered.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian remains embarrassed by his erotic dream about Bo Lin and struggles to hide his attraction. He tries to act capable by volunteering as Bo Lin’s assistant, while insisting to himself that he is straight.
• Bo Lin is alert to Hua Jian’s nervousness and subtly protective, taking his hand when the Family Head asks for a painting. He also teases Hua Jian by accepting his offer to help.
• The Poulton Family Head is usually controlled but is angered by Candy’s actions. Hua Jian’s thoughts reveal that he may have helped the wrong people, while his investigation of Hua Jian suggests a possible personal connection he has yet to identify.
• Hua Jian and the Family Head have an oddly familiar, uneasy dynamic: the old man is intrigued by Hua Jian, while Hua Jian is unaware of the memories and suspicions he stirs.
• Hua Jian and Bo Lin grow closer through their private, tactile interaction and the new assistant arrangement, even as Hua Jian’s attraction makes him panic.

Significant themes

• Memory and identity: The Family Head searches for A Chen despite fading memories and the lack of a photograph, while Hua Jian’s resemblance or presence may connect to the past.
• Hidden knowledge and suspicion: Hua Jian seems to know about the investigation before Bo Lin tells him, and the Family Head quietly probes his background.
• Justice and complicity: The Family Head confronts the consequences of having aided Candy and Shu Yao, and turns evidence over to the police.
• Romantic self-denial: Hua Jian’s growing attraction to Bo Lin clashes with his insistence that he is straight, creating both comedy and tension.

Key plot points and events

• Bo Lin is repeatedly called by Bo Group’s headquarters and shifts from flirtatious company into focused CEO mode. He asks Hua Jian to make him black coffee.
• While handling business, Bo Lin secretly uses his absence from the Imperial Capital to expose and deal with people moving against him. He orders staff to manage his grandfather’s calls, sends the Fu Family’s assigned personnel back, and has Legal coordinate with other families to remove hostile shareholders.
• Hua Jian makes Bo Lin an excellent espresso. Bo Lin praises it and jokes that Hua Jian could work as a barista at a café he might open beside the Exhibition Hall.
• The comment leads Hua Jian to suspect that Bo Lin opened the Exhibition Hall years earlier mainly to give him a job painting its mural—and perhaps because Bo Lin had romantic feelings for him even then.
• Hua Jian searches online for advice about what a straight man should do if a gay friend pursues him, but finds hostile answers and angrily reports one.
• Qin Ci messages and calls to gossip about rumors that Hua Jian and Bo Lin are together. He says Bo Lin’s rejection of other suitors—and the Fu Family’s actions against Hua Jian—have become topics of conversation in their circle.
• Qin Ci assumes Hua Jian and Bo Lin are lovers and misreads Hua Jian’s insistence that he is straight as teasing. Hua Jian ends the call rather than trying to explain their complicated relationship.

Character developments

• Bo Lin shows how composed and strategic he is under pressure, quietly using a temporary absence to strengthen his position in the Bo Group. His private teasing and apparent thoughtfulness toward Hua Jian suggest a long-standing personal interest.
• Hua Jian grows more conscious of the possibility that Bo Lin’s feelings go beyond friendship. Instead of recoiling, he feels secretly pleased, though he remains uncertain about what their relationship means.
• Qin Ci acts as an enthusiastic but unreliable commentator, turning rumors into exaggerated assumptions and offering Hua Jian no useful advice.

Character interactions

• Bo Lin’s request for coffee gives Hua Jian a chance to care for him, and Bo Lin responds with praise and a flirtatious job offer.
• Hua Jian’s speculation about the Exhibition Hall contrasts with Bo Lin’s calm, unreadable manner, leaving his intentions unspoken.
• Qin Ci’s gossip puts Hua Jian on the defensive: he insists he is straight and that he and Bo Lin are not what Qin Ci imagines, but Qin Ci takes this as further evidence of flirtation.

Significant themes

• Ambiguous attraction: Both men appear to flirt while avoiding a direct conversation about their feelings.
• Private affection versus public rumor: Their quiet interactions become exaggerated gossip among the Imperial Capital’s social circle.
• Power and strategy: Bo Lin’s romantic, teasing side exists alongside his disciplined efforts to manage threats to his company.

Plot points and events

• After an awkward phone call, Hua Jian tries to settle himself by livestreaming a painting from his ocean-view hotel room.
• He paints a seascape inspired by “Little Hua Jian’s” work, adding a laughing cartoon child beside a woman with indistinct features.
• A camera mishap reveals part of Hua Jian’s face. Viewers argue over his wealth and speculate that he has a sugar daddy; one anonymous account’s accusation helps fuel the commotion.
• Because Sea City is trending as a travel destination, the stream rapidly attracts thousands—and eventually around 100,000—viewers. When Hua Jian accidentally shows his face again, his striking looks send the audience into a frenzy.
• Uncomfortable with the attention, rumors, and attempts to identify him, Hua Jian ends the stream. His follower count has jumped to nearly 37,000, and he logs out, deciding he no longer needs to pursue streaming for money.
• His brief appearance makes him a local trending topic. Bo Lin, who misses the livestream, later receives Hua Jian’s message with his WeChat ID and a promise not to disappear with the gift he sent. Bo Lin wonders if Hua Jian is “cheating on the side.”

Character developments

• Hua Jian is embarrassed and unsettled by sudden fame. He insists he is simply painting, not courting attention, and makes clear that he dislikes being tracked down. His financial security also makes his former plan to earn money through provocative streaming seem unnecessary.
• Bo Lin is surprised to find Hua Jian has shared contact details with him, though his joking suspicion suggests a hint of jealousy or possessiveness.
• The viewers shift quickly from skepticism and gossip to admiration once Hua Jian’s face appears.

Significant themes

• Public scrutiny and privacy: A small livestream becomes a vehicle for speculation, doxxing, and efforts to locate Hua Jian.
• Online fame and appearance: A brief accidental glimpse of Hua Jian’s face transforms the stream’s popularity.
• Misinterpretation and gossip: Viewers invent explanations for his hotel, wealth, and relationships without evidence.
• Art and self-expression: Hua Jian’s painting provides a quiet contrast to the noisy attention surrounding him.

Character interactions

• Hua Jian addresses viewers directly, apologizing for the delay and later asking them to stop spreading rumors or seeking him out.
• Viewers argue among themselves about his appearance, wealth, and alleged sugar daddy.
• Hua Jian privately contacts Bo Lin, sharing his WeChat ID and reassuring him about the gift; Bo Lin reacts with bemusement and possible jealousy.

Plot points

• A waiter warns that the kitchen staff are about to finish, prompting Hua Jian to check whether Bo Lin is ready to eat. Bo Lin says the Poulton family head wants to join them; Hua Jian is relieved to hear Shu Yao will not be coming.
• Bo Lin asks whether Hua Jian had been livestreaming. He offers to arrange a professional team if Hua Jian ever wants to become an influencer, but Hua Jian says it is not for him.
• Hua Jian urges Bo Lin to look at a photo he sent: an edited picture of the two of them at the beach in matching purple outfits. He asks to use it as Bo Lin’s WeChat profile picture. Bo Lin agrees, and Hua Jian happily makes their pictures match.
• When Bo Lin nudges Hua Jian to move away from his chair, Hua Jian unexpectedly collapses onto him. Their faces—and Hua Jian’s lips and Bo Lin’s ear—briefly touch, leaving both flustered.
• Hua Jian apologizes and scrambles to get up, while Bo Lin tells him to leave the room. Alone, Bo Lin imagines a future in which he kisses Hua Jian and, if Hua Jian tries to escape, keeps him locked away.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian shows how much Bo Lin’s approval matters to him: he anxiously seeks a reaction to the photo and is delighted when Bo Lin accepts the matching profile picture. The accidental contact makes him acutely self-conscious, though he misreads his own physical reaction as weakness.
• Bo Lin hides his feelings behind calm, casual responses. He has already seen the photo, knows Hua Jian’s phone passcode, and is visibly affected by their closeness. His private fantasy reveals possessiveness and a growing desire to stop Hua Jian from avoiding him.
• Their teasing, shared passcodes, coordinated profile pictures, and awkward physical contact suggest increasing intimacy, even as neither openly acknowledges it.

Significant themes

• Unspoken attraction: Their outwardly ordinary conversation contrasts with their strong reactions to small gestures and accidental touch.
• Intimacy through everyday details: Knowing each other’s passcodes and sharing matching profile pictures quietly deepen their bond.
• Possessive desire versus consent: Bo Lin’s fantasy of keeping Hua Jian captive marks the darker, controlling edge of his attraction, sharply contrasting with the chapter’s playful surface.

• Bo Lin and Hua Jian’s relationship becomes gossip: In the Imperial Capital, Lu Zexi notices Bo Lin has changed his WeChat profile picture and learns that it matches Hua Jian’s. He is disgusted by what he sees as their shameless couple picture, though he insists he is single when teased. The childhood-friends group discusses Bo Lin’s support for Hua Jian and his retaliation against the Fu Family, which cost them funding and led to Fu Ruan’s concerts being canceled. Zhang Yiming and Lu Zexi book trips to Sea City; Yan Ruqiu’s suggestive question about which man is “the top” goes unanswered.
• Hua Jian is left guessing about Bo Lin’s past: At the coast, Hua Jian paints for the Poulton Family Head, an influential F Country underworld businessman. Hua Jian resents the interruption to his time with Bo Lin, while the older man seems unusually fond of him—possibly because Hua Jian’s inner thoughts helped expose Lü Lin’s wrongdoing, or because of an instinctive attachment. The Head probes Hua Jian about Bo Lin’s romantic life, mentioning that someone in F Country once nearly won Bo Lin over. Hua Jian becomes jealous and wonders who it was, even speculating that it might have been Blond Bond.
• The Head pushes Hua Jian to admit his feelings: He repeatedly calls Hua Jian Bo Lin’s boyfriend, despite Hua Jian’s insistence that they are only friends. He argues that Hua Jian should have the courage to own his feelings and stop hiding behind friendship. Hua Jian’s outward denials contrast with his increasingly obvious jealousy and emotional investment.
• A final provocation: The Head points out a muscular, shirtless man appearing beside Bo Lin beyond the security perimeter. Hua Jian turns to look, furious, and snaps his paintbrush in half. The man’s sudden appearance is an intentional—or at least perfectly timed—provocation that leaves Hua Jian visibly rattled.
  Character developments and themes: Hua Jian’s jealousy exposes feelings he refuses to acknowledge, while the Poulton Family Head acts as a teasing matchmaker and meddlesome observer. The chapter plays with the gap between public appearances and private feelings, using the matching profile pictures and Hua Jian’s inner monologue to underline the romantic tension and miscommunication between him and Bo Lin.

Chapter summary: “Flirting and jealousy”

Key plot points and events

• The Poulton Family Head teases Hua Jian, pointing out that a boyfriend could openly drive away Bo Lin’s admirers, unlike a mere friend. Hua insists that he only wants to be Bo Lin’s close friend, but the Head tells him that means he can only sit back and watch.
• At the beach, Chen Dapeng—who calls himself Jason—approaches Bo Lin and boasts about working in the Bo Group’s Project Department. Bo Lin asks for his real name and scans his contact code, apparently recognizing that Chen works in the department whose problematic accounts he is reviewing.
• Hua Jian arrives, takes Bo Lin’s phone, and introduces himself as Bo Lin’s boyfriend. He drives Chen off after Chen continues flirting with Bo Lin and tries to entice them both.
• Bo Lin reminds Hua that their relationship is only pretend. Hua becomes visibly jealous when Bo Lin asks for his phone back, while Bo Lin remains composed and pointedly suggests that Hua, being straight, should find the situation distasteful.
• Bo Lin sends Chen’s details and room number to Jiang Kai, along with work instructions. He then changes the subject and leaves with Hua.
• Meanwhile, the Poulton Family Head meets Xie Father and Madam Hua. Xie Father eagerly thanks him for agreeing to part with a painting by Charkin. The Head asks Madam Hua to leave so he can speak privately with Xie Father.

Character developments

• Hua Jian begins to recognize that his feelings for Bo Lin may go beyond friendship. His possessive response to Chen and his hurt at being reminded their romance is only pretend expose his jealousy and uncertainty.
• Bo Lin stays cool and controlled throughout the encounter. He uses Chen’s attempt to connect with him to identify him and pass his information to Jiang Kai, suggesting that his interest is practical rather than romantic.
• The Poulton Family Head mischievously pushes Hua to acknowledge the advantages of being Bo Lin’s boyfriend, while also arranging a private conversation with Xie Father.
• Chen Dapeng disguises his real identity and exaggerates his position, then persists in flirting despite Hua’s warning.

Significant themes

• Friendship versus romantic love: Hua’s claim that he wants only friendship conflicts with his jealousy and desire to protect Bo Lin.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Hua’s intervention is framed as boyfriendly protection, but Bo Lin’s reminder that the relationship is fake reveals the emotional imbalance between them.
• Appearances and deception: Chen presents himself as “Jason” and implies a more prestigious job than he holds; Bo Lin quickly pierces the act.
• Power and leverage: Bo Lin quietly turns a flirtatious encounter into a work matter by forwarding Chen’s details to Jiang Kai.

Character interactions

• The Poulton Family Head needles Hua about being merely a friend, prompting Hua to confront his own feelings.
• Chen flatters and pursues Bo Lin; Hua steps between them and claims the boyfriend role, but Bo Lin challenges his possessiveness and insists on getting his phone back.
• Bo Lin’s restrained handling of Chen contrasts with Hua’s openly heated reaction.
• Xie Father approaches the Poulton Family Head as an enthusiastic admirer of Charkin, while Madam Hua leaves at the Head’s request so the two men can talk privately.

Key plot points and events

• The Poulton family head, Cang Shu, tells Xie Father that he came to China hoping to find a child and felt an unusually strong connection with Hua Jian.
• Cang Shu proposes making the twenty-year-old Hua Jian his adopted son—or, more accurately, his godson. He offers Xie Father the painting Empty and several works by the artist Randy in exchange for persuading Hua Jian and Madam Hua.
• Xie Father is stunned. He explains that Hua Jian is Madam Hua’s son from her first marriage, though he has supported him with education, shares, and a house.
• Cang Shu reveals that Hua Jian is dating Bo Lin. He suggests Madam Hua’s hostility toward homosexuality could help convince her to let Hua Jian go, and says he wants her to stop interfering in Hua Jian’s life.
• Cang Shu gives Xie Father only three days to decide. Xie Father is tempted by the paintings and by the prospect that a tie to Cang Shu could elevate the Xie family.
• Elsewhere, Madam Hua leaves Cang Shu’s room feeling disturbed by his cold, contemptuous stare.
• Shu Yao, hiding nearby, recognizes Madam Hua and worries about why Cang Shu is meeting Xie Father. He has believed Cang Shu intended to adopt him, based on a conversation he overheard.

Character developments and interactions

• Cang Shu presents himself as generous and composed, but his offers and comments reveal a calculating, persuasive side. He uses wealth, family ambition, and Madam Hua’s prejudice to push Xie Father toward agreement.
• Xie Father shifts from discussing the sale of Empty to considering a life-changing bargain. His affection and sense of responsibility toward Hua Jian compete with the promised art and the potential benefit to the Xie family.
• Madam Hua is unsettled by Cang Shu, whose gaze makes her feel scrutinized and threatened.
• Shu Yao becomes anxious that Cang Shu’s plans may not match what he had assumed about being adopted.

Significant themes

• Family defined by choice rather than blood: Cang Shu’s proposal challenges Hua Jian’s place in the Xie family and raises questions about who has the right to claim him.
• Transactional affection and power: Cang Shu frames family ties as personal feeling while attaching them to valuable rewards and influence.
• Prejudice as leverage: Cang Shu exploits Madam Hua’s disapproval of homosexuality to influence Xie Father’s decision.
• Ambition versus loyalty: Xie Father is tempted to trade Hua Jian’s place in the household for wealth and status, despite having treated him as a son.

Key events

• Hua Jian encounters Madam Hua in the Camphor Hotel café and confronts her about secretly collecting Yishuang’s remaining works and selling sketches he had drawn for her—apparently without Uncle Xie’s knowledge.
• Madam Hua reacts with sudden fear, then turns on Hua Jian, accusing him of trying to seduce Uncle Xie and hurling cruel insults at him and his father.
• She tries to slap him, but Hua Jian catches her wrist. He calmly declares that he will reimburse the costs of raising him and pay the support legally owed to her, then formally severs their relationship as mother and son.
• Hua Jian leaves without seeing Madam Hua’s frightened reaction. She later receives two substantial transfers, labeled as repayment for raising him and support payments.

Character developments

• Hua Jian stops seeking his mother’s affection and sets a firm boundary after years of abuse. His decision combines emotional detachment with a practical effort to settle any financial obligations.
• Madam Hua shifts from contempt and aggression to shock and fear when Hua Jian no longer behaves like the son who craved her approval. Her brief, unexplained alarm at his questions suggests she may be hiding something.
• Bo Lin offers to accompany Hua Jian but respects his choice to handle the encounter alone.

Themes

• Breaking cycles of abuse: Hua Jian refuses to accept further mistreatment.
• Family, duty, and independence: He separates legal support obligations from emotional ties.
• Power and self-respect: Madam Hua’s attempts to shame and control Hua Jian lose their force once he asserts himself.
• Hidden motives and secrets: Her reaction to the allegations hints that the conflict extends beyond the argument itself.

Character interactions

• Bo Lin checks whether Hua Jian wants support; Hua Jian asks him to go ahead.
• Hua Jian confronts Madam Hua, remaining composed despite her insults, then physically stops her from striking him.
• Their final exchange makes the estrangement explicit: she dismisses his declaration, while he insists that their emotional relationship is over and walks away.

Plot points

• Hua Jian thanks Good Times’ director, Jiang Ruiming, for helping with a large payment. Jiang says the company’s recent exhibitions have been so successful that Hua Jian need not transfer his shares to him.
• After his confrontation with Madam Hua, Hua Jian decides to untangle himself from the Xie family: return their money and arrange to transfer his apartment and entertainment-company shares. He begins looking for somewhere to live.
• Hua Jian’s worries about whether he should remain Bo Lin’s “friend” or become his “fake boyfriend” feel suddenly insignificant beside the Bo family’s wealth. He resolves to rent a place and return to the Imperial Capital.
• Cheng Ruimu tells Hua Jian their film has won an award and may reach theaters in time for the summer release window. Hua Jian is delighted and asks him to bring Feng Rong back; Feng is already on his way.
• Bo Lin invites Hua Jian to lunch with his friends, but Hua Jian texts that he must return to the Imperial Capital. Bo Lin interprets the message as rejection, and his friends speculate that Hua Jian has dumped him.
• Hua Jian then arrives in person, apologizes for leaving, and teases Bo Lin to remember he has a boyfriend while Hua Jian is away. Bo Lin asks whether a straight man can hug his boyfriend; Hua Jian embraces him.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian takes a decisive step toward independence from the Xie family, while his success at work briefly lifts his spirits. Despite his doubts about the gulf between his finances and Bo Lin’s, he still makes a playful, possessive claim on him.
• Bo Lin reveals how emotionally vulnerable he is to Hua Jian’s apparent departure. He misreads the text as a breakup, then reaches for reassurance through a hug.
• Jiang Ruiming is appreciative of Hua Jian’s contribution to Good Times and refuses to take his shares.
• Cheng Ruimu shares the film’s good news, showing the company’s progress and strengthening Hua Jian’s confidence in his judgment.
• Lu Zexi and Zhang Yiming tease Bo Lin about his relationship. Their banter turns awkward when Bo Lin thinks Hua Jian has rejected him; they retreat once they realize his mood has changed.

Significant themes

• Independence and severing old ties: Hua Jian begins returning the material benefits that bind him to the Xie family.
• Class and self-worth: Hua Jian’s comparison of his wealth with the Bo family’s makes him question his confidence and place in the relationship.
• Miscommunication and reassurance: A brief, practical text sparks Bo Lin’s fear of abandonment, while Hua Jian’s return and embrace restore closeness.
• Ambiguous identity and affection: Bo Lin frames the hug around being “straight,” but his request shows that labels matter less than his need for intimacy with Hua Jian.

Key plot points and events

• Hua Jian comforts Bo Lin before his flight back to the Imperial Capital, asking him to avoid men who might approach him. In a sudden burst of feeling, Hua Jian kisses him and apologizes, calling himself disgusting.
• Bo Lin encourages him to kiss again. Their mutual desire becomes clear, though Hua Jian briefly hesitates when he remembers Bo Lin is a man. He soon kisses Bo Lin again and admits he doesn’t want to leave.
• They stop before Hua Jian misses his flight. Two hours later, he departs for the Imperial Capital.
• Back at the Camphor Hotel, Bo Lin runs into Xie Father and Madam Hua. Xie Father asks after Hua Jian, while Bo Lin remains guarded and leaves without answering.
• Xie Father doubts that Hua Jian and Bo Lin are genuinely dating. He then tells Madam Hua that Cang Shu wants to make Hua Jian his godson and proposes that he and Madam Hua have a child together.
• Madam Hua objects to Cang Shu, suspecting a scheme, but is tempted by the prospect of having a child with the Xie surname. Xie Father says he will respond to Cang Shu and tells her to inform Hua Jian later.

Character developments

• Hua Jian moves from anxious affection to openly acting on his feelings. Though he still struggles with the fact that Bo Lin is male, he chooses to return the kiss and wishes he could stay.
• Bo Lin is confident and forward in their intimacy, but his earlier disappointment suggests he expects Hua Jian to pull away.
• Madam Hua remains hostile toward Hua Jian and men’s relationships with men. Her resentment deepens after discovering he has blocked her, while her desire for a child with the Xie surname makes her receptive to Xie Father’s offer.
• Xie Father shows more interest in securing Cang Shu’s paintings and pursuing his own plans than in reconnecting with Hua Jian.

Significant themes

• Affection versus prejudice: Hua Jian’s attraction conflicts with his ingrained assumptions about masculinity and sexuality.
• Family control and belonging: Hua Jian’s place in the Xie family is questioned through his surname, while Madam Hua longs for a child who would secure her status.
• Self-interest and manipulation: Xie Father’s proposal is tied to his ambitions, and Madam Hua suspects Cang Shu may have ulterior motives.
• Intimacy and vulnerability: The couple’s kisses reveal both their desire and their fear of rejection.

Character interactions

• Hua Jian and Bo Lin share a tender, increasingly passionate goodbye, with Bo Lin encouraging Hua Jian to act on his feelings.
• Bo Lin’s brief exchange with Xie Father is cool and evasive; he deliberately avoids discussing Hua Jian.
• Xie Father criticizes Madam Hua for failing to reach their son, then shifts to bargaining over Cang Shu, a future child, and the paintings.
• Madam Hua outwardly agrees with her husband, but her resentment toward Hua Jian and unease about the arrangement remain unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Hua Jian picks up Feng Rong from the airport. Feng has recovered some confidence after filming, and Hua promises to arrange a way to clear his name, though he warns Feng to follow instructions.
• Hua meets well-connected investigator Wang Junfei, who reports that Zheng Chunrong’s suicide case was closed quickly after someone intervened, but that investigators found no suspicious evidence. Hua asks whether a video recorded before Zheng’s death could reopen the matter and whether Wang can deliver it to the proper authorities.
• Hua returns a call from his eldest brother, Xie Zhiwei, who demands that he come to the Xie Corporation. Before Hua arrives, Zhiwei and Xie Zhitan discuss Hua’s repeated attempts to distance himself from the family and return his shares.
• The brothers also discuss an explosion in F Country. It was aimed at Bo Lin, but Bo apparently anticipated it and blocked the road; those three minutes prevented the taxi carrying the third Xie brother from entering the worst of the blast. The brothers suspect Hua played a role in preventing the disaster.
• Hua arrives at the office and is greeted with sarcastic remarks from both brothers about his wealth and his wealthy boyfriend.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian remains decisive and protective of Feng Rong, while disguising his concern behind blunt threats and teasing. He is also quietly pursuing evidence related to Zheng Chunrong’s death. With his family, he uses a cheerful manner to mask the tension.
• Feng Rong appears more confident than before and openly admires Hua, whom he sees as his savior. His enthusiastic hug crosses Hua’s boundaries; Hua sharply pushes him away. Feng apologizes, assuming Hua’s objection is because he is straight—a belief the narration humorously undercuts by noting Hua has a boyfriend.
• Wang Junfei proves willing to investigate powerful people for money, though he warns Hua to take the suicide case seriously and stresses that direct evidence is needed.
• Xie Zhiwei is angry at Hua’s continued distance from the family, but his past actions and silence suggest he recognizes Hua’s importance. Xie Zhitan is more measured and points out that Hua may genuinely want to give up his family ties and shares.
• The Xie brothers share an unspoken understanding about their ability to hear Hua’s thoughts. They recognize that his actions—including his connection to Bo Lin—may have helped protect the family, even as they complain about him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protection: Hua supports Feng and may have helped save the Xie brothers, even when his care is hidden beneath irritation or secrecy.
• Family estrangement and acceptance: Hua’s relationship with the Xies is strained, especially amid his aunt’s hostility toward his relationship with Bo Lin.
• Power, evidence, and justice: The investigation into Zheng Chunrong’s death highlights how influence can shape a case—and how difficult it is to challenge without concrete proof.
• Comedy through contradiction: Hua insists he is straight while having a boyfriend, and the family’s sharp banter contrasts with the serious issues beneath it.

Key plot points and events

• Xie Zhiwei confronts Hua Jian about his strained relationship with Hua Yingrou, telling him to change his surname to Xie Jian. Hua Jian refuses the new surname but confirms he wants distance from her and declines further family money.
• During a call with their father, Xie Zhiwei erupts in anger. Xie Zhitan takes Hua Jian away, suspecting the argument concerns him.
• Xie Zhitan urges Hua Jian to invite Bo Lin to dinner and warns that other wealthy heirs may pursue Bo Lin. Hua Jian insists their relationship is not serious, though he agrees to the meal.
• Several days later, Feng Rong’s name is cleared as the investigation into Professor Zheng Chunrong’s death is reopened and evidence against Feng is discredited. Hua Jian’s publicity team helps restore his reputation.
• Hua Jian tells Feng Rong to build an online presence through livestreaming, despite Feng’s anxiety about speaking publicly.
• That evening, photos of Feng Rong embracing Hua Jian spread online. Users recognize Hua Jian as the popular artist “Ordinary Great Painter,” and the pair become a trending topic.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Jian shows growing independence: he rejects both a new family surname and additional financial support, while confidently managing Feng Rong’s comeback. He remains in denial about his relationship with Bo Lin.
• Xie Zhiwei acts as an overbearing but protective elder brother, trying to settle Hua Jian’s family situation and reacting angrily to their father.
• Xie Zhitan mediates between the brothers and gives Hua Jian blunt advice about Bo Lin, mixing concern with teasing.
• Feng Rong is grateful to Hua Jian for believing in him, but his self-doubt and social anxiety make him reluctant to livestream.
• Bo Lin is absent, but his wealth, desirability, and relationship with Hua Jian are central to Xie Zhitan’s warning.

Significant themes

• Family conflict and self-determination: Hua Jian chooses distance from his mother and refuses to let family ties dictate his identity.
• Denial and romantic ambiguity: Hua Jian continues to label himself Bo Lin’s “fake boyfriend” despite evidence of growing intimacy.
• Reputation and public image: Feng Rong’s public disgrace is reversed as evidence collapses, while a new viral story abruptly makes Hua Jian and Feng Rong the focus of online attention.
• Opportunity and risk in entertainment: Clearing Feng Rong’s name is only the first step; rebuilding his career requires publicity and taking chances.

Key plot points and events

• Bo Lin returns to the Imperial Capital after disciplining managers who falsified the Sea City branch’s reports and data.
• A trending photo of Hua Jian and Feng Rong embracing makes it appear that Hua Jian is involved with someone else. Jiang Kai, worried about Bo Lin’s reaction, secretly contacts Hua Jian.
• Hua Jian meets Bo Lin at the airport and hurriedly explains that he was helping Feng Rong, then shows security footage proving he pushed Feng Rong away.
• Bo Lin says he does not blame Hua Jian and reminds him that their relationship is only pretend. His composure unsettles Hua Jian more than anger would.
• Hua Jian admits he could not bear to see someone else embrace Bo Lin, then tells him he can no longer get a girlfriend and kisses him, asking for a kiss with tongue.

Character developments

• Hua Jian is forced to confront feelings that contradict his belief that he is straight. His jealousy and distress reveal that he wants Bo Lin as more than a friend, though he is still confused by the change.
• Bo Lin hides his own jealousy behind calm reminders that they are only pretending. He wants Hua Jian to make his feelings clear without being prompted, and struggles not to give in first.
• Jiang Kai is anxious about Bo Lin’s reaction to the scandal and tries to help Hua Jian manage the situation.

Character interactions

• Hua Jian urgently explains himself and offers evidence; Bo Lin listens but stays emotionally guarded.
• Hua Jian pulls Bo Lin into an embrace and challenges his indifference, while Bo Lin insists their arrangement is pretend.
• Bo Lin’s restraint and Hua Jian’s confession culminate in a sudden kiss.

Significant themes

• The chapter explores jealousy, denial, and the blurred boundary between a pretend romance and genuine attachment.
• Hua Jian’s growing attraction challenges his assumptions about his sexuality, while Bo Lin’s restraint reflects his fear of investing in a relationship Hua Jian may not truly choose.

Key plot points and events

• At the airport, Hua Jian passionately kisses and embraces Bo Lin, relieved after worrying about a scandalous photo and Bo Lin’s reaction to it.
• Bo Lin, however, is hurt and angry. He suspects Hua Jian is treating their intimacy as a novelty despite knowing Bo Lin’s feelings, and demands to know whether Hua Jian still wants him as a fake boyfriend.
• Hua Jian admits he no longer wants a fake relationship: he wants to be Bo Lin’s real boyfriend. Bo Lin does not give him an answer, saying he needs time and is not ready to respond.
• Bo Lin leaves for his car. Hua Jian assumes he is being abandoned, but Bo Lin lets him ride along to the Luchuan villa.
• In the car, the two sit apart. Hua Jian secretly moves closer and touches Bo Lin’s hand; Bo Lin notices and tries to pull away, but Hua Jian catches him.

Character developments

• Hua Jian moves from panic and possessiveness toward an explicit declaration of commitment. He recognizes that he wants a genuine relationship, though he remains impulsive and struggles to understand why Bo Lin needs time.
• Bo Lin reveals how deeply vulnerable he is around Hua Jian. Although he wants Hua Jian, he feels hurt by the uncertainty of their arrangement and resists accepting an answer until he can trust Hua Jian’s intentions.

Significant themes

• The difference between pretending and genuine commitment drives the chapter: physical closeness is not enough for Bo Lin without emotional clarity.
• Trust, vulnerability, and self-respect shape Bo Lin’s hesitation, while Hua Jian must learn that declaring his feelings does not automatically resolve the hurt he caused.
• The chapter mixes romantic tension with teasing humor, especially through Hua Jian’s shameless inner thoughts and sexual jokes.

Character interactions

• Their airport confrontation shifts from passionate kissing to an emotionally charged argument about Hua Jian’s motives and Bo Lin’s feelings.
• Hua Jian pleads for another chance and asks Bo Lin to accept him as a real boyfriend; Bo Lin responds with guarded humor but postpones his decision.
• In the car, Hua Jian continues pursuing closeness despite Bo Lin’s cool exterior, ending the chapter with Bo Lin caught off guard by his covert approach.