Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Guagua explains that the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion is secretly owned by Nian Cenyi, whose officials once revealed the connection while drunk but never realized the secret had slipped out.
• Nian Cenyi sent his trained assassin Chu Xue—known as the Gu Lady for her skill with gu—to the brothel as a temporary courtesan queen. Her icy aloofness made her immensely popular with wealthy clients.
• Liu Xin, a covert operative, became infatuated with Chu Xue and spent his savings to dine with her. After drinking too much, he let slip sensitive information. Chu Xue later lured out more details and planted gu in him, leaving him unable to resist her control. He ultimately betrayed his network.
• Song Yaoyao learns that Guagua has a video of the events and decides to watch it later. She is angry at Nian Cenyi for attacking their side and then asking for help, but resolves to leave the political response to Chen Yixiao.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng hear the account and conclude that Liu Xin’s recruitment and rise to the covert network’s core ranks need investigation.
• The group returns to the residence. Song Yaoyao waits for Chen Yixiao to approach her rather than seeking him out.

Character developments

• Chu Xue is revealed as a skilled, controlled assassin who uses her beauty and detached manner to attract clients and extract information.
• Liu Xin is exposed as a capable operative whose previously hidden weakness for brothels developed during a monotonous undercover posting; that weakness leads to his betrayal.
• Song Yaoyao is outraged but practical: she recognizes that Chen Yixiao is better placed to handle the political consequences.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng shift their attention toward investigating how a compromised operative passed screening and became a core member.

Significant themes

• Lust as a vulnerability: Liu Xin’s desire makes him easy to manipulate and betrays the network.
• Deception and control: Chu Xue’s brothel persona conceals her real mission, while gu gives her power over Liu Xin.
• Institutional oversight: Liu Xin’s betrayal raises questions about recruitment and supervision, especially when operatives are isolated or idle.
• Political responsibility: Song Yaoyao pushes the burden of resolving the crisis toward the leaders with the authority—and family ties—to address it.

Character interactions

• Guagua recounts the events to Song Yaoyao, who reacts with disbelief, anger, and sharp commentary.
• Chu Xue manipulates Liu Xin by first encouraging his confidence, then exploiting his drunken disclosures and controlling him with gu.
• Song Yaoyao’s conclusions align with Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng’s concerns about the network’s security.
• Guagua advises Song Yaoyao to tell Chen Yixiao; she agrees to let him handle the dilemma involving Nian Cenyi and Zhang Zhixi.

Plot points and events

• After returning from the Restaurant investigation, Song Yaoyao tells Chen Yixiao how she and her companions uncovered the trail leading to Ji Bai, and explains why the group was exposed. They are left uncertain how to resolve the situation, especially with Zhang Zhixi caught between them.
• Guagua reveals that Nian Cenyi is near death. Nian Fengyuan has seized control of the palace and Suyu City and has been pressuring his father to abdicate.
• Nian Cenyi’s second plea for help to the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom is discovered. Nian Fengyuan realizes this could give the powerful neighboring kingdom a pretext to enter Dragon Abyss, particularly since Nian Cenyi previously ordered its covert agents executed.
• After consulting his advisers, Nian Fengyuan decides to claim the throne outright. He poisons Nian Cenyi at a staged farewell meal, then plans to conceal the murder by having the court record that his father died of illness and voluntarily yielded the throne.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao is startled by the news of Nian Cenyi’s murder and recognizes that events have taken a sudden, dangerous turn.
• Chen Yixiao listens to Song Yaoyao’s account but has no immediate solution to the political predicament.
• Nian Fengyuan moves from anxious fear of foreign intervention to decisive, ruthless action. He justifies killing his father as necessary and intends to manipulate the historical record.
• Nian Cenyi refuses to abdicate and secretly seeks outside assistance, but his resistance ends in betrayal and death.

Character interactions

• Song Yaoyao gives Chen Yixiao a detailed account of the investigation; they share their silence and uncertainty over what to do next.
• Nian Fengyuan confronts Nian Cenyi about the plea for help, then restricts his access to further communication.
• Nian Fengyuan’s advisers disagree over whether he should seize the throne immediately, but their debate helps him settle on that course.
• At their final meal, Nian Cenyi accuses his son of patricide; Nian Fengyuan blames him for forcing the situation and mocks his inability to shape the story after death.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Nian Fengyuan prioritizes control of the throne despite doubts about his claim.
• Betrayal and family: A struggle between father and son culminates in murder.
• History as propaganda: Nian Fengyuan believes victory will let him dictate the official account.
• Political consequences: Nian Cenyi’s appeal for help may expose Dragon Abyss to intervention by a stronger kingdom.

Key plot points and events

• Guagua tells Song Yaoyao that Nian Cenyi is dead, clearing the way for Chen Yixiao to act without the same political constraints.
• Chen Yixiao tells Zhang Zhixi that her father, the emperor of Dragon Abyss, was murdered by his son Nian Fengyuan. Grief-stricken and enraged, Zhang Zhixi initially wants to attack Nian Fengyuan immediately.
• Song Yaoyao and Chen Yixiao persuade her that a reckless assault on the Imperial Palace would likely get her killed. Zhang Zhixi agrees to wait and plan.
• Chen Yixiao warns that removing Nian Fengyuan could lead to war between their kingdoms, and asks who would rule Dragon Abyss afterward. He reveals that he intends to claim its throne.
• Zhang Zhixi, who has little attachment to the kingdom or her brothers, accepts Chen Yixiao’s plan on the condition that she personally kills Nian Fengyuan.
• After Zhang leaves, Chen Yixiao decides not to tell her that Nian Cenyi had targeted their undercover agents, since it would damage her relationship with him and Dragon Abyss. He will report the agents’ losses to his father for a decision on compensation.
• Song Yaoyao writes to Ji Bai explaining how their cover was exposed, that traitor Liu Xin is still alive, and that Nian Cenyi was killed by his son. She urges Ji Bai’s group to stay calm and await orders, then sends Liu Zheheng to deliver the letter.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Zhixi moves from furious, impulsive grief toward a calculated alliance. Though she feels little loyalty to Dragon Abyss itself, she is determined to avenge her father and insists on carrying out the killing herself.
• Chen Yixiao reveals his ambition to take Dragon Abyss’s throne and secures Zhang Zhixi’s support by promising her revenge. He also chooses political discretion over telling her the full truth about Nian Cenyi’s crimes.
• Song Yaoyao acts as a stabilizing influence, stopping Zhang from rushing into danger and taking responsibility for informing the undercover agents and coordinating their next steps.
• Liu Zheheng responds promptly to Song’s request, while Ji Bai is left stunned by the letter’s revelations.

Significant themes

• Revenge versus strategy: Zhang’s desire for immediate vengeance is tempered by the need to survive and plan.
• Power and ambition: The struggle over Dragon Abyss’s throne is framed as both a personal opportunity and a larger political inevitability.
• Loyalty and political compromise: Zhang’s grief binds her to Chen Yixiao’s cause, while Chen withholds information to protect that alliance.
• Duty and the cost of conflict: The undercover agents’ sacrifices and the prospect of war show the human consequences of political expansion.

Plot and key events

• A letter reveals that Liu Xin—not the men’s presumed dead comrade—was the traitor. He survived, became an official in the Dragon Abyss Kingdom, and now helps arrest people from the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom. Nian Cenyi also died that night.
• Ji Bai and his companions are furious, but they do not know where Liu Xin is. Following the Commandery Princess’s orders, they agree to wait, avoid acting independently, and disguise themselves when they go out.
• They learn that the Dragon Abyss Kingdom’s emperor died that same night, though the news has not yet become public. This suggests the Commandery Princess has a source inside the palace.
• The next morning, Song Yaoyao and her companions explore Suyu City and ask about Liu Xin. They hear a man crying and, through Guagua’s visions, learn that Xue Jing was assaulted after getting drunk and passing out.
• Guagua identifies the assailant as a scholarly-looking man in the crowd and reveals that he has hidden sketches of Xue Jing. Song Yaoyao has Guagua print the evidence so Xue Jing can choose whether to report the crime.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Bai remains disciplined despite his anger, restraining a companion who wants to attack Liu Xin and insisting the group follow the Commandery Princess’s plan.
• The companions share grief and rage: they had believed Liu Xin died loyally alongside their fallen comrades.
• Song Yaoyao’s curiosity leads her to investigate the crying, but she also recognizes the seriousness of the assault and decides to leave the choice of reporting to Xue Jing.
• Guagua supplies information and evidence, while Song Yaoyao directs what to do with it. The group does not confront the assailant, partly because they must keep a low profile.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and grief: Liu Xin’s survival and treachery reopen the companions’ pain over their dead comrades.
• Restraint and trust: Ji Bai follows the Commandery Princess’s orders rather than risking a reckless pursuit.
• Privacy and agency: Song Yaoyao provides Xue Jing with evidence but leaves the decision to him, acknowledging the stigma he may face.
• Abuse of vulnerability: Xue Jing’s assault follows his intoxication and unconsciousness, highlighting the danger of someone exploiting another person’s helplessness.

Key plot points and events

• After planting printed evidence in Xue Jing’s pocket, Song Yaoyao and her companions leave and soon spot Liu Xin at a roadside noodle stall, patrolling with Forbidden Army soldiers.
• They take a private room in a teahouse opposite the stall so they can watch him without being seen.
• Guagua explains that Liu Xin has been ostracized in the Forbidden Army for betraying his comrades to advance his career. Captain Wang Yue pressures the commander to make Liu Xin patrol, accusing him of avoiding duty and perhaps still hoping to return to the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom.
• The commander orders Liu Xin to patrol and warns him to serve the Dragon Abyss Kingdom faithfully. Forced out onto the streets, Liu Xin stops with his squad for noodles.
• Song Yaoyao uses a pistol fitted with a suppressor to shoot Liu Xin. He dies at the table, and a crowd gathers. She puts the weapon away and acts as though she has only just noticed the commotion.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao acts decisively, taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity to kill Liu Xin. She explains the suppressor to Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng and stays composed afterward.
• Liu Xin is shown as feared and despised by his fellow soldiers, insecure about revenge, and unwilling to patrol until he is publicly pressured.
• Wang Yue emerges as a respected, principled officer who openly challenges Liu Xin and pushes the commander to hold him accountable.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng remain eager for revenge, but follow Song Yaoyao’s lead and accept her plan.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and its consequences: Liu Xin’s treachery leaves him mistrusted even by the side he joined.
• Honor versus self-interest: The chapter contrasts respected leaders who care for their people with Liu Xin, who rose through betrayal.
• Justice and revenge: Song Yaoyao treats Liu Xin’s death as deserved punishment, though the killing is carried out covertly.
• Reputation and belonging: Liu Xin’s past isolates him and shapes how others treat him in his new allegiance.

Character interactions

• Wang Yue confronts Liu Xin indirectly by reporting his avoidance of patrols to the commander; the commander then questions and warns Liu Xin.
• Liu Xin glares at Wang Yue but cannot defend himself, knowing his reputation undermines him.
• Song Yaoyao coordinates with Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng from the teahouse, reassures them about the suppressor, and carries out the shooting while they observe.

Key plot points and events

• After Liu Xin is assassinated in the street, Song Yaoyao pretends to be surprised when a teahouse waiter checks on her party. Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng recognize the act, while Guagua teases her for “crying thief.”
• Forbidden Army commander Xiao Ming examines Liu Xin’s body and concludes that the wound resembles one from a fire lance—a weapon loud enough that its silent use seems alarming. He suspects agents from the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom and warns his soldiers to be cautious.
• Xiao Ming and Fifth Prince Nian Fengyuan consider whether the attackers were already hiding in Suyu City or had recently entered. A search of the city gates yields no clues, so Nian Fengyuan orders a house-to-house search.
• Song Yaoyao anticipates the crackdown. To keep Nian Fengyuan occupied, she sends a drone over the city carrying leaflets that expose evidence of his murder of Emperor Nian Cenyi. The drone also broadcasts a recording of their conversation before the emperor died.
• The revelations spread rapidly through Suyu City, causing widespread shock and political turmoil. Rival princes and their supporters are already mobilizing, and the public questions how the recording and evidence were obtained.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao maintains an exaggerated innocent act after the assassination, then shifts to a calculated counterattack. She views the Forbidden Army soldiers as people who may later serve her country, so she does not intend to target them.
• Guagua provides sarcastic commentary on Song Yaoyao’s acting and alerts her to the growing military presence.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng understand Song Yaoyao’s methods and recognize both her performance and her plan. Chen Yixiao and Zhang Zhixi, less familiar with her tactics, understand her intention only once the drone broadcasts the recording.
• Xiao Ming responds cautiously and methodically, investigating the assassination and reporting his concerns to Nian Fengyuan.
• Nian Fengyuan tries to contain the threat with searches, but Song Yaoyao’s public disclosure turns scrutiny toward his own rule and actions.

Significant themes

• Deception and performance: Song Yaoyao uses acting to conceal her involvement and misdirect suspicion.
• Power and accountability: Nian Fengyuan’s belief that victors control history is challenged when evidence of his crime is made public.
• Political upheaval: The assassination and the emperor’s murder threaten to destabilize Suyu City and intensify the struggle among rival princes.
• Loyalty and restraint: Song Yaoyao distinguishes between soldiers following orders and those responsible for political crimes.

Chapter Summary: “Going to the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion”

Key plot points and events

• Officials receive leaflets accusing Nian Fengyuan of murdering the old emperor, Nian Cenyi, and send the news to the princes they support. The accusation threatens Fengyuan’s plan to forge an imperial decree and claim the throne before his brothers return.
• Furious, Fengyuan orders an investigation into who is spreading the news and sends archers after Song Yaoyao’s Drone.
• Yaoyao evades the archers, deliberately leading them on a long chase before retrieving the Drone after dark, when its power runs out.
• Later, Yaoyao and her companions prepare to leave. She tells Zhang Zhixi they are going to a male brothel to discourage her from joining; Zhang believes her teasing until Chen Yixiao explains.
• The real destination is the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion. Yaoyao, Song Qinghui, and Liu Zheheng plan to deal with Chu Xue, who remains alive after Liu Xin has been dealt with. They conceal their purpose from Zhang because Song Qinghui has decided not to tell her about the Secret Outpost.
• At the Pavilion, an auction is underway for the chance to dine with Chu Xue. The trio declines to bid and requests a singer while they wait for the performances to begin.

Character developments and interactions

• Nian Fengyuan is exposed to the political danger of the murder accusation. His anger and panic reveal how dependent his succession plan is on secrecy and on acting before his brothers return.
• Song Yaoyao shows her playful, mischievous side by using the Drone to taunt the archers, but she is also calculating: she invents the male-brothel story to keep Zhang Zhixi away from the group’s covert mission.
• Zhang Zhixi is initially scandalized and concerned for Yaoyao, then regrets missing what she assumes would have been an outing for fun.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng humor Yaoyao’s antics, while following her lead to the Pavilion. Song Qinghui’s decision to keep the Secret Outpost from Zhang shapes the group’s need for secrecy.
• The Pavilion’s attendant courteously receives the three visitors and directs them toward the ongoing entertainment.

Significant themes

• Power and political instability: The murder accusation undermines Fengyuan’s attempt to seize the throne.
• Technology and control: Yaoyao’s Drone gives her a major advantage, while the archers’ futile pursuit exposes the limits of their power.
• Secrecy and deception: Yaoyao’s joke conceals a serious mission, and the group’s information is carefully managed.
• Playfulness alongside danger: Comic banter and the Drone chase contrast with the lethal political struggle and the planned confrontation with Chu Xue.

Key plot points and events

• A wealthy bidder pays 5,000 taels for dinner with Chu Xue at the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion. The auction terms explicitly promise a meal, not sexual favors.
• Chu Xue calmly eats with the bidder. When he complains that she is not entertaining him and demands wine, she pours it. After several drinks, he tries to touch her; she knocks him unconscious.
• Chu Xue orders her maid to have the man killed after he leaves the pavilion, preserving the appearance that the establishment was not responsible for his death inside.
• Song Yaoyao watches the room through Guagua’s surveillance and learns Chu Xue has killed other men who ignored her rules. To avoid Chu Xue’s formidable Gu Art, Song chooses to attack from a distance.
• Song leaves her companions under the pretense of going to the restroom. With Song Qinghui’s help, she reaches a rooftop facing Chu Xue’s window and shoots her with a silenced sniper rifle.
• The pavilion’s staff discover Chu Xue dead and summon the authorities. The officers suspect the killer fired through the open window.
• Song and Song Qinghui return to their private room and continue listening to the performance. When news spreads, Song pretends to be shocked and asks what happened.

Character developments

• Chu Xue is shown as controlled, proud, and firm about the limits of her work. She enforces those boundaries violently, both against the bidder and, as revealed, against other men.
• Song Yaoyao is calculating and composed: she plans around Chu Xue’s Gu Art, chooses a distant attack, and quickly resumes an innocent public persona afterward.
• Song Qinghui supports Song Yaoyao’s plan, helping her reach and leave the rooftop while keeping the operation discreet.
• The bidder is entitled and ignores the clearly stated terms, turning a paid dinner into an attempted assault.

Significant themes

• Consent and boundaries: Chu Xue’s services are explicitly limited to dining together, and the bidder’s refusal to respect that boundary has fatal consequences.
• Power and retaliation: Chu Xue protects herself through violence, while Song Yaoyao uses superior planning and technology to kill her from beyond the reach of her Gu Art.
• Deception and appearances: Chu Xue manages the circumstances around the bidder’s death, while Song disguises her own role in Chu Xue’s murder with an act of surprise.
• Technology versus supernatural skill: Song’s sniper rifle lets her overcome the danger posed by Chu Xue’s Gu abilities without confronting her directly.

Character interactions

• Chu Xue and the bidder clash over what his auction purchase entitles him to; she maintains that it buys dinner, and he attempts to cross the line.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua discuss Chu Xue’s history, the risk of Gu Art, and the sniper plan.
• Song Qinghui assists Song Yaoyao while she keeps Liu Zheheng behind to occupy the singer and reduce the number of people involved.
• The maid carries out Chu Xue’s instructions, while the pavilion staff and authorities investigate the two deaths and begin piecing together how Chu Xue was shot.

Key plot points and events

• A woman’s death at the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion interrupts the evening’s entertainment. Rumors spread that jealousy or a crime of passion may have been the cause, and government troops arrive to investigate.
• Song Yaoyao pretends to be frightened by the commotion. Once the singing girl has left, she immediately recovers, amusing Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng, who are accustomed to her antics.
• While resting, Yaoyao jokes with Guagua about his budding relationship with Lingling. Guagua admits they have held hands and says he is enjoying the slow process of falling in love. Yaoyao teases him for acting innocent and refuses to entertain the idea of romance for herself.
• Soldiers question Song Qinghui, learn that his party has three people, and summon them to the main hall with the other guests. There, patrons grumble about being gathered and protest the possibility of being treated as suspects.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao is theatrical and playful, feigning distress to explain why the singing girl was dismissed, then quickly returning to her usual lively self. She also dodges Guagua’s questions about her own romantic life, insisting that men would only slow her down.
• Guagua reveals he is romantically involved with Lingling and is content with their gradual progress. He admits his “innocent” manner is partly strategic, and trades familiar teasing with Yaoyao.
• Song Qinghui calmly handles the soldiers’ questions and explains the group’s situation, while Liu Zheheng remains with them.
• The guests’ reactions range from anxiety to indignation, especially among those who fear their status or family connections will not protect them from suspicion.

Significant themes

• Comedy amid danger: Yaoyao and Guagua’s banter contrasts sharply with the murder investigation.
• Romance and patience: Guagua values the gradual, enjoyable process of courting Lingling.
• Performance and appearances: Yaoyao’s convincing act and Guagua’s carefully maintained innocence highlight how characters use façades to influence others.
• Privilege and authority: Some guests assume their family standing should shield them from questioning.

Key plot points and events

• After Chu Xue’s murder at the Fragrance-Gathering Pavilion, soldiers question everyone who was present. The privileged guests resent being treated as suspects, but comply when the officer warns that refusal could mean questioning at the government offices.
• Song Yaoyao acts frightened, and the soldiers quickly dismiss her as too timid to be capable of murder. Her companions explain her distress as fear of the killing; Guagua privately jokes that her performance was exaggerated but convincing. Another guest later faints after seeing Chu Xue’s body, making Song Yaoyao seem less unusual.
• Questioning lasts all night. Once curfew ends at dawn, Song Yaoyao returns home and sleeps.
• Later, she visits Ji Bai and the others. She confirms that she arranged the deaths of traitor Liu Xin and Chu Xue, explaining that Liu betrayed them and Chu helped draw him into treachery. She recounts how she killed them, thrilling her listeners.
• Song Yaoyao gives the group several pistols and teaches them how to use them. She also admits that she and her allies used a drone to broadcast the accusation that Nian Fengyuan killed the old emperor, Nian Cenyi. She promises to bring the group another drone, with the condition that they practice operating it at night before using it in daylight.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao maintains a timid public façade to avoid suspicion while privately revealing her decisive role in the killings and political exposure of Nian Fengyuan. She also equips her allies with advanced weapons and technology.
• Ji Bai and the others celebrate Liu Xin and Chu Xue’s deaths, admire Song Yaoyao’s tactics, and eagerly accept her weapons and promised drone.
• The soldiers try to conduct a routine investigation despite the guests’ status and complaints; they are persuaded that Song Yaoyao is harmless.
• The assembled nobles display arrogance and contempt for Chu Xue, while resenting the investigation and mocking Wang Biao.
• Guagua provides private commentary on Song Yaoyao’s acting and the guests’ reactions.

Significant themes

• Justice and revenge: Song Yaoyao frames the killings as deserved punishment for betrayal and complicity.
• Appearance versus reality: Her outward fear conceals her involvement, while the people who seem least threatening escape suspicion.
• Power and privilege: The nobles object to being questioned and demean Chu Xue because of her status.
• Technology as leverage: Pistols and the drone give Song Yaoyao’s allies new means of defense and political influence.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao resumes exposing Nian Fengyuan’s patricide after realizing his supporters have suppressed public discussion. She sends three drones over Suyu City, scattering evidence and broadcasting a recording of his conversation with the late emperor.
• Furious, Nian Fengyuan orders the drones shot down, then rides after them himself. Song Yaoyao steers them around the city, keeping him in pursuit.
• Guagua reveals that Nian Fengyuan is not Nian Cenyi’s biological son. His mother, Consort Lian (Zhu Lianyue), gave birth to a stillborn child after it was poisoned. Her father, Grand Tutor Zhu Qin, secretly substituted his own grandson—Nian Fengyuan—for the dead baby.
• Zhu Qin had intended to place his family’s child on the throne and, through Nian Fengyuan, take control of the dynasty. He also helped Nian Fengyuan seize the palace and kill Nian Cenyi.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao proves determined and inventive: she treats the drones as a way to undo the cover-up and uses Nian Fengyuan’s pursuit to keep drawing attention to him. Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng join her by launching drones of their own.
• Nian Fengyuan’s fury at the public exposure makes him abandon palace business to chase the drones personally.
• The account portrays Zhu Lianyue as a neglected consort desperate to secure her position through a son. After her baby dies, she agrees to the exchange arranged by Zhu Qin, who is the architect of the larger political scheme.
• Song Yaoyao reacts with disbelief and anger at the revelation, recognizing the Zhu family’s plan as a covert attempt to take over the country.

Significant themes

• Truth versus suppression: The authorities can quiet public discussion temporarily, but Song Yaoyao uses repeated broadcasts to make the evidence visible again.
• Dynastic legitimacy and political ambition: Nian Fengyuan’s claim to the throne rests on a concealed identity, while Zhu Qin’s family has engineered a path to power.
• Grief and survival within the palace: Zhu Lianyue’s longing for affection and security helps explain her willingness to participate in the child swap, even as the scheme serves her father’s ambitions.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao decides not to reveal Nian Fengyuan’s parentage yet. She wants him and his rival brothers to weaken one another first, then plans to expose the evidence at the most advantageous moment. She has Guagua prepare the proof in advance.
• Using the Drone, Song Yaoyao repeatedly harasses Nian Fengyuan. The next day, it broadcasts accusations that he plans to kill the emperor, forge an imperial edict, and seize the throne, while urging his brothers to oppose him.
• Nian Fengyuan grows alarmed and orders his Shadow Guards to intercept and kill the princes returning to the capital. Song Yaoyao is pleased that her broadcast has encouraged conflict between the brothers.
• Zhu Qin’s men fail to catch the Drone, while officials backing the other princes welcome the growing turmoil and anticipate Nian Fengyuan’s downfall.
• After several days, Nian Fengyuan becomes accustomed to the Drone, and Song Yaoyao loses interest. Its disappearance for two days gives him relief.
• The Drone’s disruption forces Suyu City’s troops to abandon their search for spies. With rival princes expected to arrive soon, Song Yaoyao and her companions wait for events to unfold.
• Bored at the residence, Song Yaoyao goes out to explore the city. Spotting a crowd, she eagerly hurries toward whatever has happened.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao is strategic and patient: she uses provocation to deepen the princes’ rivalry rather than immediately exposing Nian Fengyuan’s secret. Her playful delight in tormenting him eventually gives way to boredom and a desire to explore.
• Nian Fengyuan shifts from furious helplessness to wary calculation, ordering attacks on his returning brothers. Over time, he learns to ignore the Drone, though its absence brings him relief.
• Guagua assists Song Yaoyao by preparing the evidence of Nian Fengyuan’s parentage and recognizes her growing skill at scheming.
• Zhu Qin is frustrated that the Drone keeps reviving public attention to Nian Fengyuan’s alleged crimes, undermining his efforts to contain the scandal.
• Song Yaoyao, Song Qinghui, and Liu Zheheng set off together toward the crowd at the chapter’s close.

Significant themes

• Political manipulation and factional conflict: Song Yaoyao engineers suspicion between the princes to leave both sides weakened.
• Timing and strategic restraint: She keeps the evidence secret until it will have the greatest impact.
• Technology as disruption: The elusive Drone exposes accusations, frustrates officials, diverts troops, and changes the political situation.
• Public spectacle and shifting fortunes: Nian Fengyuan’s loss of composure and the officials’ anticipation of his rivals’ return turn the crisis into entertainment for some and a threat for others.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao reaches a crowd gathered around a murder scene and learns from Guagua that Xue Jing has killed Shi Jinming.
• Shi Jinming, whose family ran a struggling pastry shop, had grown attached to Xue Jing, a hardworking shopkeeper from a more successful neighboring business.
• After Xue Jing became distressed by the city’s economic hardships and got drunk, Shi Jinming assaulted him. He later admitted what he had done and repeatedly visited Xue Jing, who angrily rejected him.
• Shi Jinming eventually threatened to expose Xue Jing by circulating an album of drawings depicting him during the assault. In the ensuing struggle, Xue Jing knocked Shi unconscious, burned the album, then strangled him in a rage.
• Xue Jing is taken away by constables. Before leaving, he tells his grieving mother he does not regret killing Shi Jinming and asks permission to kowtow to her three times.
• Disturbed by the tragedy, Song Yaoyao leaves the scene with Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng. They go to a restaurant to sample the city’s food, where the waiter warns that prices have risen.

Character developments

• Xue Jing shifts from a distressed and violated man into a killer, pushed past his breaking point by Shi Jinming’s assault, threats, and the strain of hardship. He accepts the consequences without expressing remorse.
• Shi Jinming is revealed as more than a jealous rival: his initial admiration and attachment become possessive and coercive, culminating in blackmail.
• Song Yaoyao feels compassion for Xue Jing and sorrow for the family destroyed by the killing, but chooses to leave rather than keep watching.
• Xue Jing’s mother responds with grief and disbelief as her son is led away.

Significant themes

• Hardship and desperation: Economic pressure and personal anguish help push Xue Jing toward violence.
• Violation and coercion: Shi Jinming’s assault and threat to expose Xue Jing deepen his trauma and remove any sense of safety.
• Consequences and tragedy: Even when Xue Jing sees his act as justified, the killing devastates both families.
• Public judgment: The crowd speculates about the motive before knowing the truth, contrasting rumor with the private events behind the crime.

Character interactions

• Xue Jing repeatedly orders Shi Jinming to leave, but Shi keeps returning; their conflict escalates when Shi threatens him with the album.
• Xue Jing’s final exchange with his mother combines apology with defiance: he says he has failed her, yet insists he would do the same again.
• Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng accompany Song Yaoyao, listen to her reaction, and follow her to the restaurant.

Key plot points and events

• While dining, Song Yaoyao asks Guagua for gossip about Fu Pinshan, a senior court official in his forties who has no children. He is considering adopting a boy from his clan but worries about what would happen if he later had a biological son.
• The video reveals Fu’s background: he was a gifted scholar from a poor family, supported by his clan. Jiang Xintian, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant family, fell in love with him. Her father arranged their marriage and financed Fu’s studies, hoping the match would also give the Jiang family influence at court.
• Fu later keeps thirteen concubines in addition to Jiang. Though Song initially assumes his childlessness is due to excess, Guagua explains that someone drugged him and made him infertile.
• A year after the marriage, Jiang became pregnant. She planned to tell Fu once the pregnancy was secure, but discovered he had secretly established a separate home with a woman he had rescued.
• Fu offered no real explanation. Instead, he told Jiang to accept the woman into the household. Jiang’s distress caused her to lose the child. The next day, Fu brought the woman home anyway.
• Jiang sought support from her parents, but her father dismissed Fu’s conduct as normal for a man.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao approaches the gossip with humor and curiosity, then reacts with sympathy and indignation as Fu’s past is revealed.
• Fu Pinshan is shown as talented and ambitious, but also selfish and entitled: he benefited from Jiang’s family’s wealth while disregarding her feelings and taking another woman into his household.
• Jiang Xintian begins as a young woman who chooses Fu for his looks and promise, but becomes devastated by his betrayal and the loss of her pregnancy.
• Guagua acts as Song’s guide, correcting her assumptions and revealing the hidden cause of Fu’s infertility.

Significant themes

• Marriage as a transaction: Fu gains financial support and Jiang’s family seeks political influence, even as Jiang’s feelings also shape the match.
• Gender inequality and double standards: Fu’s infidelity is treated as acceptable, while Jiang’s grief receives little protection or sympathy.
• Betrayal and power: Jiang’s wealth helps Fu rise, but it does not give her control over her marriage or household.
• Consequences and hidden causes: Fu’s infertility is not the result of the lifestyle Song suspects; the chapter hints at a deliberate act of poisoning whose circumstances remain unexplained.

Character interactions

• Song and Guagua banter as she requests and reacts to the gossip.
• Jiang’s parents help arrange her marriage to Fu, balancing her affection with the family’s ambitions.
• Fu treats Jiang’s discovery of his other household as a matter to settle by simply bringing the woman home.
• When Jiang turns to her father for support, he reinforces the social norms that leave her without meaningful recourse.

Plot points

• After her parents urge her to tolerate Fu Pinshan’s behavior, Jiang Xintian feels utterly betrayed and withdraws from his affairs. She ignores both Fu and Late Madam, who eventually stops trying to provoke her.
• Fu continues bringing home concubines, believing Jiang’s indifference gives him freedom to do as he pleases.
• The concubines discover that Fu deceived each of them with promises of exclusive devotion. In retaliation, they secretly arrange for him to be made infertile, bribing physicians to conceal the cause.
• When Fu considers adopting a child from his clan, the concubines unite again. They discourage him by insisting they may soon bear his children and that an adopted child could be neglected or resent them.
• Their reassurance leaves Fu wavering between hoping for biological children and fearing he will run out of time to adopt. He seeks advice from colleagues.
• Jiang knows what the concubines have done. Though she does not take part, she neither intervenes nor stops them, still resentful over the child she lost because of Fu.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Xintian shifts from a concerned wife to a detached observer, her trust in her family and husband shattered. Her grief and resentment shape her decision to let the concubines act.
• Fu Pinshan is exposed as a habitual deceiver. His confidence gives way to anxiety about having no heirs and being left without family in old age.
• The concubines move from competing for Fu’s favor to cooperating against him. Their shared betrayal creates an unlikely alliance: they secretly undermine his fertility and collectively manipulate his adoption decision.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua comment on the events, but Song refuses to intervene.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and broken promises: Fu’s repeated false vows destroy the women’s trust.
• Female solidarity and retaliation: The concubines turn their collective power against the man who deceived them.
• Consequences and irony: Fu’s own philandering leaves him facing the possibility of having no descendants.
• Grief and detachment: Jiang’s loss and family’s lack of support harden her into a bystander rather than a defender or participant.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao watches a private-room gathering through Guagua’s video. More than a dozen of Fu Pinshan’s concubines have gathered to celebrate Meixiang’s birthday.
• Once alone, the women drop their public act and complain bitterly about Fu Pinshan, whom they describe as repulsive and dishonest. They say they endure him because his name and status still benefit them.
• The concubines reveal they gave Fu Pinshan a sterilizing drug so they would not have his children.
• Fu Pinshan, drunk and on his way to the privy, overhears their conversation. He realizes this is why he has been unable to father children and is devastated and furious.
• He enters the room and confronts them, saying he heard everything. The concubines immediately resume their affectionate, deferential behavior; Late Madam dismisses their words as “nonsense.”

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao remains an observer, surprised by the depth of the concubines’ hatred.
• Fu Pinshan shifts from drunkenness to shock, then anger and hurt as he learns his wives despise him and deliberately prevented him from having children.
• The concubines, especially Late Madam, show how practiced they are at concealing their true feelings behind obedient, caring performances.
• Fu Pinshan’s colleague loses his envy of Fu Pinshan’s household after witnessing the women’s cruelty and deception.

Significant themes

• Public appearances versus private reality: The women perform affection in the manor but speak openly in private.
• Power, dependence, and survival: The concubines resent Fu Pinshan yet rely on his status for comfort and social standing.
• Betrayal and consequences: Their secret actions come to light, forcing Fu Pinshan to confront the truth about his household.
• Deception and mistrust: Both sides have lived behind false appearances, leaving their relationships deeply hostile.

Character interactions

• The concubines bond over shared resentment and discuss their wish to escape their lives with Fu Pinshan.
• Fu Pinshan’s colleague supports him when he nearly collapses, then listens outside the room as Fu Pinshan confronts the women.
• When Fu Pinshan enters, the concubines quickly switch from mocking him to offering food, care, and concern. Late Madam attempts to placate him, but he has already heard their words.

Plot points and events

• Fu Pinshan confronts his concubines after overhearing them discuss harming him. He threatens to ask the Fifth Prince for an Imperial Physician, which would expose the drug they gave him; their guilty silence confirms his suspicions.
• The concubines stop pretending to be affectionate. One by one, they recount how Fu Pinshan won them over with promises of exclusive devotion, then took other women and neglected them.
• They describe the lasting harm his betrayals caused: one woman lost a pregnancy after discovering his infidelity, while another chose to abort her child rather than have it inherit what she saw as his deceitful nature.
• The women reveal that many of them had abortions and, tired of bearing the consequences of Fu Pinshan’s behavior, drugged him to make him infertile so he could not father more children or deceive more women.
• Fu Pinshan collapses after hearing their confession. The concubines leave him on the floor and resume celebrating Meixiang’s birthday over food and wine.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu Pinshan shifts from anger and disbelief to being confronted with the accumulated pain caused by his own actions. He tries to blame one concubine for her abortion, but she and the others reject his hypocrisy.
• Late Madam takes the lead in confronting him, recalling his promises and explaining how his betrayal destroyed her trust and cost her a child.
• The other concubines speak collectively, exposing the pattern of manipulation and showing that they have turned their resentment into deliberate retaliation.
• The women support one another and treat Fu Pinshan with indifference after his collapse. Song Yaoyao observes their resolve with sardonic amusement.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and hypocrisy: Fu Pinshan’s romantic pledges contrast sharply with his conduct.
• Agency and retaliation: The concubines, long harmed by his choices, act together to stop him from causing further harm.
• The cost of betrayal: His infidelity brings emotional suffering, lost pregnancies, and lasting resentment.
• Words versus actions: The chapter emphasizes how persuasive promises become hollow when behavior contradicts them.

Plot points

• Fu Pinshan wakes after the concubines drugged him and left him on the floor. They refuse to comfort him, and he learns they will not help him raise an adopted child.
• The concubines reveal that Jiang Xintian knew about their actions and chose not to intervene. They blame Fu Pinshan’s betrayals and false promises for their hostility.
• Fu Pinshan insists he did nothing wrong, viewing his marriages as mutually beneficial arrangements. The women see their own affection as sincere and feel he deceived them.
• Eavesdroppers—including Fu Pinshan’s colleagues—are caught outside the private dining room. Fu leaves without paying, so one colleague covers the bill.
• Back at the estate, Fu confronts Jiang. She confirms she knew about the drugging, defends the concubines, and warns him that his misconduct may eventually bring about his ruin.
• Half a month later, Fu adopts a three-year-old clan child and decides to raise the child himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu Pinshan is humiliated and frightened by the concubines’ retaliation. Though he remains convinced he is blameless, he curbs his pursuit of other women and resolves to adopt an heir.
• The concubines drop their pretenses and openly reject Fu, while agreeing to coexist peacefully. Their solidarity contrasts with Fu’s assumption that they owe him loyalty.
• Jiang Xintian reveals her long-standing awareness of Fu’s betrayal and the household’s conflicts. She remains emotionally distant and supports the concubines’ actions as a lesson for him.

Themes

• Betrayal and accountability: Fu dismisses his conduct as normal, while the women hold him responsible for the hurt he caused.
• Power and leverage: The concubines’ families’ financial support limits Fu’s ability to punish them, shifting the balance within the household.
• Consequences of misconduct: Fu’s fear and Jiang’s warning suggest that unchecked behavior can eventually destroy him.

Key plot points and events

• Fu Pinshan leaves after discovering his concubines had worked together to deceive him. He avoids punishing them because of their number, their families’ influence, and the risk of public scandal.
• Song Yaoyao and her companions enjoy the gossip, concluding that Fu Pinshan’s trouble is a warning against spreading his affections too widely.
• Guagua offers Song Yaoyao another glimpse of gossip: a matchmaking meeting between sixty-year-old Uncle Ma and fifty-five-year-old Madam Cai.
• Madam Cai corrects the matchmaker’s use of “Madam,” insisting on “Mistress,” and explains that she intends to keep wearing youthful, colorful clothes after marriage.
• She asks Uncle Ma directly about his health and sexual stamina. When he says he can manage twice a night, she rejects him as unsuitable, despite his claim to be one of the most vigorous older men around.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao delights in overhearing private dramas and reacts with amused surprise to Madam Cai’s bluntness.
• Uncle Ma is lonely and hopes for companionship, but becomes embarrassed when questioned about intimacy.
• Madam Cai is confident, outspoken, and determined to preserve her identity and desires regardless of age. She treats sexual compatibility as an essential condition for remarriage.
• Matchmaker Liu tries to placate Madam Cai, then protests that she could not have known about such a specific requirement.

Significant themes

• Consequences of infidelity and deception: Fu Pinshan’s entanglements leave him humiliated and unable to act freely.
• Aging and self-expression: Madam Cai rejects the idea that older people must dress or behave according to others’ expectations.
• Companionship and remarriage: Uncle Ma seeks relief from loneliness, while Madam Cai seeks a marriage that also meets her personal and physical needs.
• Candor and compatibility: The scene treats frank discussion of expectations as part of choosing a partner.

Character interactions

• Song Yaoyao discusses Fu Pinshan’s predicament with Guagua, while Song Qinghui and Liu Zheheng agree with the lesson against provoking women.
• Madam Cai corrects and pressures Matchmaker Liu, then questions Uncle Ma about his lifestyle, appearance expectations, health, and sexual capacity.
• Uncle Ma answers awkwardly but defends himself after rejection; Madam Cai remains unconvinced, leaving Matchmaker Liu to push back at her demanding standards.

• Madam Cai and Uncle Ma’s matchmaking date ends in a brawl. They trade insults over age, desirability, and Uncle Ma’s sexual ability, then fight so violently that Matchmaker Liu is scratched while trying to separate them. A waiter finally breaks it up. Madam Cai leaves still insulting Uncle Ma; they argue over who should pay for the food and broken plates. He pays and leaves after bystanders laugh at his humiliation.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua watch the spectacle. Song is astonished by Madam Cai’s ferocity and delighted by the scandal, and asks Guagua to look for more gossip in the restaurant.
• A wealthy couple’s secret is revealed. Guagua shows Deng You’an and his wife, who appear to be poor and dressed in patched clothes despite ordering an extravagant meal. They are actually rich merchants pretending to be beggars for reasons tied to their family troubles.
• The Dengs’ son is introduced as the source of those troubles. Deng You’an built his fortune from nothing and married at thirty-one; the couple doted on their son, Deng Qizhi, giving him everything he wanted and rarely disciplining him. He grew arrogant and abusive toward servants. Though he promised his father to stop, he continued mistreating them in secret and threatened anyone who might report him. Sent to a respected private school, he misbehaved and eventually struck another student hard enough to split the child’s head open.
  Character developments and interactions: Madam Cai emerges as combative and fearless, while Uncle Ma’s insults and wounded pride lead him into a public confrontation. Matchmaker Liu’s attempt to mediate leaves her caught in the fight, though she remains concerned about her professional reputation. Song and Guagua share an amused, inquisitive dynamic as they uncover one scandal after another. The Dengs’ indulgence of their son contrasts with Deng You’an’s later attempt to correct him, while Qizhi’s outward compliance masks continued cruelty.
  Themes: The chapter mixes comic public scandal with a cautionary story about unchecked privilege. It highlights how indulgent parenting can foster entitlement, how fear can silence victims, and how appearances—whether a respectable matchmaking meeting or a poor-looking couple—can conceal very different realities.