Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Bai Chen returns to the dorm after getting IV fluids. Gu Yun asks how he is feeling but seems unusually distracted; he lies awake afterward, reassuring himself that Bai Chen and Lin Sen are only friends.
• The next morning, Lin Sen comes back after spending the night eating barbecue with friends. He tells Bai Chen that he danced with a gentle senior student, then clarifies that she left with her friends.
• Lin Sen asks about Bai Chen’s run-in with four troublesome students. Bai Chen says it was minor, but learns their identities and family connections: Gu Cheng is heir to the powerful Gu Family; Shi Long relies on those ties to bully others; Mu Congnan is a notorious womanizer with Xiao Family connections; and Yu Wen is a well-behaved student engaged to his childhood sweetheart.
• Bai Chen memorizes the information, knowing the four may target him again and hoping to avoid them.
• Later, Bai Chen finds the Pottery Club in Hongde Building and introduces himself. The members are surprised that someone with his sunny, gentle appearance wants to learn pottery.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen remains practical and observant. He accepts Lin Sen’s account of the previous night, asks about the four students’ backgrounds, and treats the information as a way to protect himself.
• Gu Yun shows signs of jealousy or possessiveness, though he keeps his feelings to himself. His concern about Bai Chen shifts into unease when he thinks of Bai Chen and Lin Sen together.
• Lin Sen is friendly and candid, sharing both his evening’s story and useful information about the powerful students.
• Bai Chen and Lin Sen have an easy, teasing friendship; Lin Sen also looks out for Bai Chen by warning him to avoid the four men.
• The pottery club members welcome Bai Chen but make assumptions about what activities suit his appearance.

Significant themes

• Knowledge as self-protection: Bai Chen treats understanding his rivals and their connections as a way to avoid danger.
• Jealousy and unspoken feelings: Gu Yun’s private anxiety hints at deeper emotions he has not expressed.
• Appearance versus expectation: The club members assume Bai Chen is unsuited to pottery because of his looks, underscoring how appearances shape others’ judgments.

Plot and events

• First-year plant studies student Bai Chen joins the pottery club and introduces himself. Club president Xia Wangqiu invites him to sit nearby, prompting classmates to tease Xia for pursuing another handsome student.
• Xia says he is only helping Bai Chen and explains that he recognized Bai Chen’s work from a pottery piece given away at his family’s Morning Breeze Teahouse.
• Xia asks why Bai Chen tolerated being bullied by Gu Cheng and his companions despite his family’s means. Bai says he does not want to use his family background to intimidate people or invite trouble.
• Bai demonstrates advanced pottery skills, shaping a vessel with practiced ease. The club members are impressed, and a senior student who has practiced for five years asks him to teach her.
• Bai declines a formal teaching arrangement because his coursework limits his time, but offers instead to exchange techniques. He examines her work and begins identifying her mistakes.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen is cautious about revealing or relying on his family’s status, but confident in his pottery ability. He is modest about his experience and willing to help others without taking on a demanding commitment.
• Xia Wangqiu is sociable and openly charming, with a reputation for brief relationships. He is attentive toward Bai Chen, though Bai stays guarded when Xia reveals he has learned about his pottery.
• The senior student moves from admiration and envy to enthusiasm when Bai offers to learn from her as well. Their interaction becomes a mutual exchange rather than a one-sided lesson.

Significant themes

• Skill earned through patience and practice: Pottery requires steady work, and Bai’s expertise astonishes students who have trained for years.
• Caution and self-protection: Bai avoids using family influence because doing so could create new risks.
• Reciprocity and humility: Rather than accept the role of a paid teacher, Bai frames learning as something both students can share.

Key plot points and events

• At a major bidding event, Lin Jingchen arrives as the favored contender for a valuable plot. Several businessmen praise his prospects and disparage the Gu Group, whose bid proposal has reportedly run into trouble.
• The men hope to profit from Lin Group’s success, but Lin remembers that they abandoned and undermined his family during its hardest period, choosing to invest in the Gu Group instead. He privately intends to wait until he can obtain evidence before settling the old score.
• Lin takes his place in the front row, reserved for members of the four great families. Xiao Li, head of the Xiao Family, sits beside him.
• Lin and Xiao Li exchange pointed remarks about the Gu Family’s recent difficulties. Both act as though they know little, while hinting at their hopes that the Gu family’s troubles will not be resolved easily.
• The chapter closes with Xiao Li’s history: after her twin brother Xiao Zhao was assassinated overseas, she inherited leadership of the Xiao Group while still in university. Resentful relatives tried to remove her, but she anticipated their schemes and purged them.

Character developments

• Lin Jingchen is shown as composed, accomplished, and politically astute. His success has made him a sought-after ally, but he remains guarded and remembers past betrayals.
• Xiao Li emerges as a formidable leader: intelligent, strategic, and hardened by family tragedy and internal power struggles.
• The three businessmen are revealed as opportunists whose present friendliness contrasts with their past disloyalty.
• Xiao Zhao’s death explains why Xiao Li, rather than a male relative, became head of the Xiao Family.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and delayed revenge: Lin has not forgotten those who took advantage of the Lin Group’s weakness, but he waits for the right moment to act.
• Power and survival within elite families: Wealthy families are portrayed as dangerous political environments where inheritance, loyalty, and ambition are constantly tested.
• Appearances versus intentions: Polite smiles and casual conversation conceal suspicion, calculation, and rivalry.
• Resilience and competence: Lin and Xiao Li both demonstrate their ability to overcome crises and establish authority.

Character interactions

• Lin responds politely to the businessmen while privately recognizing their motives and withholding trust.
• Lin and Xiao Li trade restrained, indirect comments about the Gu Family, signaling an understanding of the situation without speaking openly.
• The businessmen try to position themselves close to Lin’s rising power, while Lin keeps them at a distance.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Li’s reputation for ruthlessness is recalled: she keeps crocodiles, piranhas, and vicious dogs, and has eliminated members of the Xiao family’s collateral branches who plotted against the main family. The threats are enough to scare their relatives into backing down.
• At a high-stakes auction, the Lin Group wins the prime plot in the west of the city. Lin Jingchen expected the result but accepts congratulations with little visible enthusiasm.
• Gu Zhengde blames his son, Gu Cheng, for the Gu Group’s failed bid and for serious problems in the proposal that have brought the company to the attention of authorities.
• Back home, Zhengde lashes out, throws a teapot, and tries to beat Gu Cheng. When Xiao Muling protects their son, Zhengde shoves her aside.
• Muling confronts her husband with the Xiao Family’s influence and threatens to expose his past misdeeds. Zhengde backs down and leaves, warning that Gu Cheng will face consequences from both the board and the Gu Family.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Jingchen remains composed after winning the auction, though his restrained reaction suggests the victory brings him little joy.
• Gu Zhengde shifts from anger at Gu Cheng’s incompetence to open hostility toward his wife. His aggression stops only when Muling invokes her family’s leverage and threatens exposure.
• Xiao Muling strongly defends Gu Cheng, but her tears afterward reveal her insecurity and resentment. She believes Zhengde still cannot forget another woman and feels that her sacrifices have gone unrecognized.
• Gu Cheng is frightened by his father’s outburst and initially hides behind his mother. He then tries to protect her, but remains confused by the conflict and by her reference to another woman.
• Mother and son close ranks against Zhengde, while Zhengde’s contemptuous treatment of both exposes the strain and unequal power in their household.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Xiao Li’s fearsome defenses keep challengers in line; in the Gu household, Muling uses family influence and a threat of exposure to halt Zhengde.
• Family loyalty and protection: Muling shields Gu Cheng despite his failures, and Gu Cheng objects when his father harms her.
• Ambition and consequences: The Gu Group’s failed bid and flawed proposal threaten Gu Cheng’s position, while the Lin Group’s success sharpens the rivalry.
• Resentment and hidden history: Muling’s reference to Zhengde’s lingering attachment to another woman hints at a deeper marital wound.

Plot points and events

• After Xiao Muling is left distressed by her husband, Gu Cheng comforts her and suggests she divorce him and return to the Xiao family. She refuses, insisting she secured the Gu family’s future for her son and urging him to become strong enough to inherit it.
• Gu Cheng discovers documents showing that his interests have been undermined. He blames Lin Jingchen and rushes to the Lin family ancestral home to confront him.
• The butler refuses to admit Gu Cheng, citing the family’s hostility toward the Gu family and concern that he will cause trouble. Gu Cheng tries to force his way in and is restrained by security.
• Lin Jingchen orders that Gu Cheng be brought inside. In the courtyard, he calmly tells Gu Cheng that he would have lost the bid even if Lin had played fairly—and that he acted against him because Gu Cheng hurt someone Lin cares about.
• Gu Cheng, suddenly frightened, asks who that person was.

Character developments

• Xiao Muling hides her distress from her son and remains committed to the sacrifices she made for his inheritance, even as Gu Cheng urges her to leave.
• Gu Cheng feels protective of his mother and resentful of his father, but remains determined to inherit the Gu family so he can protect her. His anger at Lin Jingchen quickly turns to fear.
• Lin Jingchen is composed and confident, presenting himself as overwhelmingly superior to Gu Cheng. His retaliation is personal: he says Gu Cheng harmed someone he cares about.
• The butler is loyal to Lin Jingchen and openly distrustful of the Gu family, yet follows Lin’s instruction to bring Gu Cheng in.

Significant themes

• Family obligation and sacrifice: Xiao Muling has shaped her life around securing her son’s future, while Gu Cheng feels bound to fulfill her ambition despite his own preferences.
• Power and inheritance: Gu Cheng sees inheriting the Gu family as his route to protecting his mother, while Lin Jingchen asserts that Gu Cheng cannot compete with him.
• Personal vengeance and loyalty: Lin Jingchen’s actions are motivated not only by business rivalry but by harm done to someone he cares about.
• Anger versus control: Gu Cheng’s impulsiveness contrasts with Lin Jingchen’s calm, controlled intimidation.

Character interactions

• Xiao Muling reassures and encourages Gu Cheng, while he tries to persuade her to leave her husband.
• Gu Cheng confronts the Lin household aggressively; the butler and guards block and restrain him.
• Lin Jingchen remains unshaken by Gu Cheng’s insults and counters his accusations with a direct explanation of his motives, leaving Gu Cheng intimidated and uncertain.

Plot points and events

• In the pottery room, Bai Chen identifies a small flaw in a female student’s technique. His guidance helps her overcome the obstacle, and he praises her attention to detail while recognizing that he could improve his own method, too.
• After club activities, Xia Wangqiu keeps following Bai Chen. Xia’s ex, Xiao Shu, confronts them, accusing Bai Chen of taking Xia away. Bai Chen tries to leave and says he has nothing to do with their relationship, but Xia grabs him and claims he wants to pursue Bai Chen.
• Disgusted by the unwanted contact, Bai Chen throws Xia with a shoulder throw and warns him not to touch him again. Xia is startled but becomes even more intrigued by Bai Chen; Xiao Shu asks Xia to reconcile, but Xia refuses, saying they are incompatible.
• Bai Chen goes to lunch. His arms ache from the throw, reminding him that his current body is physically frail despite his years of taekwondo training.
• Three people approach him. Shi Long throws Bai Chen’s meal to the floor and accuses him of interfering with his family’s company by speaking to Lin Jingchen. Bai Chen feigns confusion as Shi Long pulls him up from his chair.

Character development and interactions

• Bai Chen shows patience and skill as a pottery instructor, but is forceful about personal boundaries. He also deliberately switches to a timid, innocent act when confronting Shi Long.
• Xia Wangqiu ignores Bai Chen’s discomfort and uses him to provoke Xiao Shu, then reacts to Bai Chen’s unexpectedly violent response with increased interest.
• Xiao Shu appears jealous and pleading, but Xia rejects his attempt to get back together.
• Shi Long escalates the conflict by destroying Bai Chen’s lunch and accusing him of having a role in his family’s business troubles.

Significant themes

• Performance and appearances: Bai Chen’s outwardly delicate, meek image contrasts with his strength and his deliberate acting—captured by the chapter’s title and his thought that “acting is everything.”
• Boundaries and agency: Bai Chen rejects being dragged into Xia and Xiao Shu’s relationship and responds decisively when Xia physically restrains him.
• Skill and self-improvement: Bai Chen’s pottery advice helps another student, while her careful observation prompts him to reassess his own technique. His lingering arm pain also highlights the limits of his current body.

Key plot points and events

• Shi Long, Mu Congnan, and Yu Wen confront Bai Chen in the cafeteria, blaming him for Lin Jingchen’s plan to bankrupt their families. Shi Long threatens and attacks him.
• Bai Chen turns the tables, easily overpowering Shi Long and kicking Mu Congnan down. He warns them off, then leaves calmly. The watching students are stunned, and one girl gives him an approving thumbs-up.
• A bodyguard reports Bai Chen’s safety and fighting ability to Lin Jingchen. Lin orders him to keep watch until the three families have been dealt with.
• Lin confronts Gu Cheng, who mocks Bai Chen and threatens to assault him. Lin has Gu Cheng’s legs broken and stabs his palm, warning him never to touch Bai Chen. Gu Cheng submits, terrified.
• Bai Chen studies for an upcoming two-day botany field trip to Longquan Ancient Town, near his family’s home in S City. His older sister, Bai Chichi, calls excitedly after learning he will be nearby, and they plan for him to visit after the trip.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen shows that his mild, innocent manner hides strong fighting skills and a firm refusal to tolerate bullying. He takes satisfaction in standing up to the three students, while remaining careful not to cause excessive harm. His memories of retaliating against a childhood bully reinforce his lifelong belief in returning both kindness and mistreatment in kind.
• Lin Jingchen reveals how far he will go to protect Bai Chen, using both business pressure and violence against anyone who threatens him. His affection is also suggested by his daily enjoyment of the tea Bai Chen gave him.
• Shi Long and Mu Congnan are frightened and humiliated when Bai Chen defeats them; Yu Wen watches but does not intervene. Their histories of abusing others contrast with their sudden helplessness.
• Gu Cheng moves from arrogant mockery to fear and submission after Lin’s punishment. Lin’s bodyguards carry out his orders without hesitation.
• Bai Chen and Bai Chichi have a warm, playful phone conversation. Bai Chen feels some distance from the original owner’s family, but agrees to visit his sister.

Significant themes

• Retribution and justice: Bai Chen and Lin both respond forcefully to cruelty and threats, though their methods and stakes differ.
• Power and accountability: Wealth and family connections have previously shielded the bullies, while Lin’s influence now turns that power against them.
• Protection and vulnerability: Bai Chen can defend himself, yet Lin still keeps a bodyguard nearby; the chapter suggests his safety matters deeply to Lin.
• Belonging and identity: Bai Chen’s hesitation over calling S City “home” reflects his complicated relationship with the original owner’s life and family.

Key plot points and events

• Lin Jingchen spends the night at his grandfather’s old house after an unusually direct confrontation. He watches a video of Bai Chen calmly defeating three men, impressed by a side of Bai Chen he had not seen before.
• Lin Xiaoqian calls to say she is taking her students to S City for fieldwork and invites Jingchen to visit Longquan Ancient Town during its festival. He initially declines, but changes his mind when he learns that Bai Chen is one of her students. He agrees to join the two-day, one-night trip.
• Bai Chen packs for the fieldwork, preparing for rain, insects, and outdoor work. He tells his roommates the group will travel to a remote village where students may work in the fields and carry equipment along mountain trails.
• Lin Sen envies the trip and offers to come along, but is startled to learn it involves carrying a 25-kilogram load and walking over ten kilometers without paved roads or car access.
• The fieldwork is meant to investigate crop failures caused by prolonged rain. Professor Lin wants her students to understand real farming conditions and the practical purpose of agricultural science.

Character developments

• Lin Jingchen reveals growing interest in Bai Chen: his admiration after watching the fight deepens into eagerness to join the trip once he learns Bai Chen will be there.
• Bai Chen is shown as capable and prepared, while taking the fieldwork seriously rather than treating it as a holiday.
• Lin Sen is enthusiastic about outdoor work but has little idea of its physical demands; his reaction highlights his inexperience.
• Lin Xiaoqian remains concerned about her overworked brother and tries to encourage him to rest and socialize.

Significant themes

• Agricultural science and service: Research should respond to people’s real needs, not remain limited to theory or laboratories.
• Privilege and hardship: The students’ comfortable lives make it easy to overlook the difficult conditions faced by rural communities.
• Nature’s unpredictability: Human-caused problems may be preventable, but natural disasters such as persistent rain cannot simply be controlled.
• Attraction and unexpected connection: Jingchen’s sudden change of plans suggests Bai Chen is becoming personally important to him.

Character interactions

• Xiaoqian nudges Jingchen to take a break and introduces him to Bai Chen; Jingchen’s interest becomes obvious through his questions and abrupt agreement.
• Bai Chen and Lin Sen discuss the trip, with Bai Chen correcting Lin Sen’s romanticized idea of fieldwork by explaining its demanding conditions.
• The roommates’ conversation contrasts Lin Sen’s excitement with Bai Chen’s practical understanding of the work ahead.

Key plot points and events

• Gu Cheng lies in a private hospital after the Lin Family broke his leg when he trespassed on their property. He vows revenge on Lin Jingchen.
• Gu Zhengde arrives, scolds Gu Cheng for causing trouble, and orders him to apologize to the Lin Family or lose his place in the Gu Family. He refuses to help him.
• Xiao Muling promises to seek help from her younger sister, Xiao Li. She returns to the Xiao Family’s old residence for the first time in five or six years.
• Inside, she is unsettled by a photograph of Xiao Li and their late brother, Xiao Zhao, displayed beside their grandfather. Xiao Muling calls the picture unlucky because Zhao died at twenty. The housekeeper explains that Xiao Li has refused to remove it and has threatened to bar anyone who challenges her decision.
• Xiao Li appears and asks whether Xiao Muling, too, considers their brother’s death unlucky. Xiao Muling is startled and denies it.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Cheng is furious and vengeful, but his defiance is directed at Lin Jingchen rather than his father, whom he fears. He quickly turns to his aunt as a possible source of support.
• Gu Zhengde prioritizes the Gu Family’s standing over his son’s grievances. His ultimatum leaves Gu Cheng dependent on Xiao Muling’s help.
• Xiao Muling is protective of her son and willing to face an estranged family relationship for his sake, though returning to the old residence clearly troubles her.
• Xiao Li appears authoritative and fiercely protective of her brother’s memory: she has maintained the photograph despite objections from the wider family. Her pointed question immediately puts Xiao Muling on the defensive.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and conditional support: Gu Zhengde’s support depends on Gu Cheng’s obedience, while Xiao Muling hopes her sister will help out of shared family ties.
• Power and authority: Xiao Li’s position as head of the Xiao Family allows her to silence dissent and control who belongs at the main residence.
• Grief and remembrance: The photograph represents Xiao Li’s refusal to treat Xiao Zhao’s death as shameful or unlucky, contrasting with Xiao Muling’s discomfort and traditional beliefs.
• Revenge and consequences: Gu Cheng’s desire to retaliate follows his reckless trespass, while his family urges him to accept responsibility instead.

Key plot points

• Xiao Muling brings her injured son, Cheng, to Xiao Li and asks the Xiao Family to help retaliate against the Lin Family, who nearly crippled him.
• Xiao Li refuses, pointing out that Muling married into another family and accusing her of choosing the Gu Family over the Xiao Family years ago. Xiao Li says Muling knew Gu Zhengde planned to kill their younger brother but failed to warn him.
• Muling insists she was threatened and argues that helping Cheng rise to head of the Gu Family would benefit the Xiao Family. Xiao Li instead declares that she wants Gu Zhengde and Cheng dead, and the Gu Family destroyed.
• Xiao Li reveals that the Gu Group is already near collapse and that she intends to deliver the final blow. She tells Muling not to expose the Xiao Family’s role, then reminds her that it is their brother’s birthday. Muling flees.
• Xiao Li visits a grave marked with the name “Xiao Li.” There, Xiao Zhao speaks in a man’s voice and reveals that he has been living under Xiao Li’s identity since she died in an attack meant for him. He is close to finishing his revenge and hopes soon to restore Xiao Li’s identity publicly.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Li presents herself as calm and almost playful, but her composure conceals profound grief and a determined thirst for revenge. She uses her dogs’ hostility toward Muling to underscore her contempt.
• Xiao Muling arrives expecting family loyalty, but is confronted with the consequences of her past betrayal. She moves from pleading to denial, fear, and anger, then escapes.
• Xiao Zhao’s visit to the grave reveals the truth behind Xiao Li’s identity: he has carried on as his dead sister to survive and avenge her. His tender, private conversation with her contrasts with his ruthless public mission.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and betrayal: Muling claims she will always belong to the Xiao family, but Xiao Li judges her by her choice to protect the Gu family rather than their brother.
• Grief and revenge: Xiao Zhao’s long deception and campaign against the Gu family are rooted in the loss of his sister.
• Identity and sacrifice: Xiao Zhao assumed Xiao Li’s name after she died in his place, preserving her position while hiding his own survival.
• Justice and its cost: The chapter frames revenge as a response to past violence, while showing the personal burdens and secrecy it demands.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Chen organizes the students’ departure for a class trip to Longquan Ancient Town, taking attendance and offering motion-sickness medicine before guiding everyone to the airport.
• At the airport, the class discovers that Professor Lin Xiaoqian’s companion is Lin Jingchen. They mistake him for her husband until she explains that he is her younger brother.
• Lin Xiaoqian is surprised to learn that Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen have already known each other for some time. The three chat comfortably before boarding.
• Lin Jingchen ends up seated beside Bai Chen on the plane—a choice he deliberately arranged, though Bai Chen assumes it is coincidence.
• After they arrive in hot, sunny S City, Lin Jingchen gives Bai Chen glucose water for the upcoming mountain climb. Their conversation turns to Lin Jingchen’s romantic prospects, and Bai Chen says that if he were a girl, he would never reject him.

Character developments

• Bai Chen is considerate and dependable, handling the trip preparations carefully. He is comfortable with Lin Jingchen but still interprets his attention as ordinary kindness and misses the romantic implications.
• Lin Jingchen quietly engineers opportunities to be near Bai Chen and shows him attentive, almost parental care. Bai Chen’s comment about only accepting him if he were a girl disappoints him, revealing his fear that Bai Chen may not be attracted to men.
• Lin Xiaoqian is cheerful and affectionate toward both of them. She hopes they will get along and is amused—and briefly exasperated—to discover they already know each other.

Character interactions

• Bai Chen supports his classmates by checking attendance, reviewing travel advice, and offering medicine.
• Lin Xiaoqian introduces Bai Chen to her brother, only to learn their acquaintance predates the introduction.
• Lin Jingchen looks after Bai Chen during the journey, including arranging to sit beside him and insisting he take glucose water.
• Their exchange about Lin Jingchen’s future partner carries an unspoken romantic tension: Bai Chen praises him while treating the possibility as hypothetical, and Lin Jingchen struggles with what that implies.

Significant themes

• Unrecognized affection: Lin Jingchen’s deliberate closeness contrasts with Bai Chen’s innocent explanations for it.
• Care and intimacy: Practical gestures—saving a seat and sharing a drink—become signs of personal attention.
• Romantic uncertainty: Bai Chen’s remark exposes the gap between his admiration and his assumptions about gender and attraction.

Plot points and events

• Bai Chen, Lin Jingchen, and a group of students travel from S City to Shuiji Village for a visit. The village is reached by a long, roughly two-hour walk along a stream and muddy paths.
• On the way, a local woman guides them. Her young daughter admires the two men, and Bai Chen explains the local word she uses to mean “handsome.”
• Lin Jingchen warmly gives the girl chocolates to share with her younger brothers. She accepts them and sneaks some to the boys.
• The students arrive near evening and are initially unsettled by the village’s modest homes, muddy red-earth roads, and roaming poultry. The villagers’ cheerful welcome, however, moves them.
• The village chief greets the group and takes them to five clean, well-prepared houses. Students share rooms; Lin Jingchen and Bai Chen are paired together. They appreciate the villagers’ hospitality and go out to eat after resting.

Character developments

• Lin Jingchen comes across as considerate and gentle, treating the little girl kindly and making her feel comfortable.
• Bai Chen observes Lin Jingchen’s kindness with admiration. He also shows an easy familiarity with the local dialect, though he does not know why he understands it.
• The students move from disappointment and uncertainty about the village’s basic conditions toward appreciation for the villagers’ welcome and effort.
• The little girl is shy but curious, and quickly grows comfortable enough to accept and share the chocolates.

Character interactions

• Bai Chen teases Lin Jingchen by telling him that a little girl thinks he is handsome; Lin Jingchen responds with a friendly smile and wave.
• Lin Jingchen offers the girl chocolates, reassuring her when she worries her mother might scold her.
• The village chief and Professor Lin exchange polite greetings, while the villagers warmly welcome the visitors.
• In their shared room, Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen agree that the villagers are sincere and thoughtful.

Significant themes

• Kindness across social and cultural differences: Lin Jingchen’s small gesture creates a warm connection with the local children.
• Hospitality and generosity: The villagers prepare clean accommodation and welcome the group despite their own modest circumstances.
• Shifting perspective: The students’ initial discomfort gives way to respect and appreciation once they recognize the care behind the villagers’ welcome.

Key events

• The villagers welcome the visiting students with a generous meal. The village chief explains that Shuiji Village’s mountain spring sustains the village and inspired the name of Longquan Ancient Town. Local legend says the spring appeared during a deadly drought, and villagers still regard the river as sacred and forbid polluting it.
• Lin Xiaoqian sends everyone to rest. Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen share a bed for the first time. Lin Jingchen is distracted by Bai Chen’s exposed legs, then gets up early to work. Bai Chen worries he may have disturbed Lin Jingchen in his sleep, but Lin assures him he slept peacefully.
• The next morning, the group visits the village’s crops. Fruit trees and vegetables are in poor condition despite unusually plentiful rain, drainage efforts, and advice from a local specialist. The villagers’ harvest is suffering, so Lin Xiaoqian’s laboratory has been asked to investigate.
• Lin Xiaoqian gathers soil and fruit samples and instructs the students to observe carefully and record their findings. Lin Jingchen notices errors in Bai Chen’s notes and gently points them out.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen is conscientious but anxious about embarrassing himself; he enjoys the villagers’ hospitality and later worries about how he behaved while sleeping.
• Lin Jingchen remains devoted to his work, but sharing a bed with Bai Chen makes him self-conscious and quietly happy. He reassures Bai Chen and helps him improve his observations.
• Lin Xiaoqian takes charge of the investigation, guiding the students through careful sampling and note-taking.
• The villagers show warmth toward their guests and pride in their community’s history, while their failing crops reveal their growing concern.

Significant themes

• Community and tradition: The village’s spring legend and pollution rule reflect how shared history shapes local identity.
• Care and closeness: Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen’s awkward but tender room-sharing hints at their growing intimacy.
• Observation and responsibility: The investigation emphasizes careful evidence-gathering as the group works to solve a problem affecting the entire village.

Key events

• Bai Chen revises his research proposal after Lin Jingchen spots an imprecise calculation and questions his explanation of the village’s poor fruit yields. Bai Chen investigates and narrows the causes to three possibilities: recent weather has altered the soil, the saplings are defective, or both.
• Lin Jingchen explains that his knowledge comes from previously dealing with troubled land, not from studying agriculture. His reassurance helps Bai Chen turn embarrassment into determination to study harder.
• The villagers guide the group through a dense forest to the mountain spring that supplies water for their fruit trees. They describe living harmoniously with protected wildlife, even setting aside fruit for the animals.
• At the spring, the villagers kneel and pray before allowing the students to test the water. Respecting local customs, the students join them. Professor Lin then asks Wang Tao to retrieve the water-quality tester.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen recognizes the limits of his knowledge, corrects his work, and becomes more motivated to improve. He admires Lin Jingchen but feels humbled when Lin explains his practical experience.
• Lin Jingchen demonstrates modesty and offers Bai Chen encouragement, stressing that he is still a freshman with plenty of time to learn.
• The villagers show deep reverence for the spring and care for the forest animals, while welcoming the students’ investigation.
• Professor Lin and the students follow the villagers’ customs and prepare to examine the spring water.

Significant themes

• Learning through humility and practical experience: Bai Chen’s mistake becomes an incentive to grow, while Lin’s expertise comes from real-world problems.
• Respect for local beliefs and traditions: The group joins the villagers’ prayer before conducting its work.
• Harmony with nature: The villagers’ relationship with the forest and its wildlife reflects mutual care and stewardship.
• Careful investigation: The group considers several possible causes of the crop problem rather than settling too quickly on one explanation.

Key plot points and events

• The students collect spring-water samples for their agricultural research, while other samples and equipment are left in the village for later experiments.
• Bai Chen slips on moss near the spring. Lin Jingchen catches him before he falls, checks that he is unharmed, and then keeps a close eye on him.
• Back in the village, Lin Xiaoqian reports to the village chief that the water and fertilizer seem unlikely to be the main problems. Diseased or aging saplings and poor soil are more plausible causes of the orchards’ trouble; she expects preliminary results by the next day.

Character developments

• Bai Chen feels a new, tender flutter around Lin Jingchen, whose protective attention makes him feel safe. He also privately judges Lin to be exceptionally caring—almost fatherly.
• Memories of his unreliable father sharpen that contrast: his father’s disastrous cooking once made Bai Xi seriously ill, after which Bai Chen became the family’s cook and grew to enjoy preparing food.
• Lin Jingchen’s concern for Bai Chen becomes conspicuous, while Lin Xiaoqian stays measured and careful not to reveal her tentative conclusions before the students complete their research.

Character interactions

• Lin Jingchen rescues and gently admonishes Bai Chen; Bai Chen thanks him and agrees to be more careful. Lin’s continued watchfulness leaves Bai Chen mildly awkward.
• Other student groups feel pressure because the capable Lin Jingchen is closely associated with Bai Chen’s group, even though he is not officially part of their major.
• Lin Xiaoqian gives the village chief a cautious assessment, and he welcomes the time she needs to investigate.

Significant themes

• Care and protection: Lin Jingchen’s attentive behavior stands in contrast to Bai Chen’s recollection of his father’s negligence.
• Growing affection: Bai Chen’s physical reaction to Lin’s voice and touch hints at deepening feelings.
• Evidence and patience: Lin Xiaoqian avoids jumping to conclusions, allowing the students’ research to produce its own findings.

Key plot points and events

• Villagers are worried that their crops may fail. One woman thanks Lin Xiaoqian for investigating, explaining that her daughter’s tuition depends on the family’s harvest.
• Lin Xiaoqian and her students have been examining the problem. She asks them not to interrupt while she and Lin Jingchen work on a solution.
• Lin Xiaoqian tests spring water while Lin Jingchen conducts a separate experiment. They rule out several causes, including a dangerous plant disease.
• Their investigation finds two problems: prolonged rain has made the soil acidic, and the plants themselves are already weakened. Ordinary alkaline fertilizer could worsen the plants’ condition.
• They decide they need a costly, hard-to-find fertilizer that will reduce the soil’s acidity without harming the crops. Lin Jingchen sends a message and soon assures his sister that he has arranged it.
• As evening approaches, Lin Jingchen declines Lin Xiaoqian’s invitation to stay for dinner and hurries back to his room, prompting her to wonder why he is acting unusually.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xiaoqian is compassionate and focused on finding a timely solution, aware that the villagers’ livelihoods and families depend on the crops. She is also protective of Jingchen and worries that his help might create trouble for him.
• Lin Jingchen proves capable and decisive: he conducts careful experiments, rules out dangerous possibilities, and quickly secures the needed fertilizer. His refusal to stay for dinner, however, seems out of character to Xiaoqian.
• The villagers express gratitude and anxiety, especially over the financial consequences of losing a harvest.
• The students, including Bai Chen’s group, return to their rooms; most are tired, while a couple of groups choose to finish their assigned work rather than leave it hanging.

Significant themes

• Community responsibility and compassion: Xiaoqian and Jingchen use their expertise to help families facing a serious threat to their income.
• Careful problem-solving: The pair test possibilities and weigh trade-offs rather than applying a quick fix that could damage the crops.
• Family concern and independence: Xiaoqian worries about protecting Jingchen, while Jingchen’s actions suggest he can manage challenges on his own.
• Unease and foreshadowing: Jingchen’s sudden reluctance to eat with his sister hints that something may be troubling him.

Plot points and events

• Lin Xiaoqian confronts her brother, Lin Jingchen, about his recent behavior. He admits he is in love with her student, Bai Chen, and confirms Bai Chen does not know.
• Jingchen says he intends to win Bai Chen’s affection without pressuring him, and will let go if Bai Chen refuses. When Xiaoqian raises their father’s likely opposition, Jingchen insists his choice is his own.
• Bai Chen, extremely hungry, eagerly welcomes Jingchen back for dinner. Jingchen shares most of the meat with him, and they eat together in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.
• The next day, the students leave Shuiji Village after two days there. Villagers send them off with local food, remedies, and heartfelt advice; both students and villagers are sad to part.
• The group travels to Longquan Ancient Town, where they will spend two days before returning to school. Since it is near Bai Chen’s family home, he must go back to visit his waiting parents.
• The students are excited to explore the town’s Face-Covering Festival. When Wang Tao invites Bai Chen to join his group, Jingchen says he is free to accompany him. Bai Chen chooses to go with Jingchen and feels unexpectedly pleased.

Character developments and interactions

• Jingchen openly acknowledges his feelings and shows both determination and respect for Bai Chen’s consent. His quiet attentiveness—especially sharing his food—reveals his affection.
• Xiaoqian is amused by her brother’s change in behavior but remains protective, urging him to consider the consequences of pursuing a man when their father may object.
• Bai Chen remains unaware of Jingchen’s romantic feelings. He is comfortable enough to pull Jingchen inside and is pleased when Jingchen offers to accompany him.
• The students’ teasing banter and the villagers’ generous farewell highlight the group’s camaraderie and the warmth of their time in the village.

Significant themes

• Love and consent: Jingchen is determined to pursue Bai Chen but promises not to force his feelings on him.
• Personal choice versus family expectations: Jingchen rejects the idea that his father should decide whom he can love.
• Warmth and community: Shared meals, villagers’ gifts, and the tearful farewell emphasize care, belonging, and the bittersweet nature of parting.

Plot points

• During Longquan Ancient Town’s Face-Covering Festival, Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen browse the crowded streets and sample local food. Bai Chen is glad to linger because he is anxious about returning to the original owner’s family and fears they may realize he is not the person they expect.
• Lin Jingchen waits in a long queue to buy Almond Candy specifically for Bai Chen. Bai Chen initially refuses, then accepts a few pieces and discovers the candy is unusually delicious.
• When Lin Jingchen’s hands are full, Bai Chen offers him a piece. Lin Jingchen eats it directly from Bai Chen’s palm, creating an intimate, flustering moment.
• Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoqian rests at the guesthouse and chats by phone with her sweetheart, a teasing, indulgent young actor. She plans to stay on the trip for a few more days.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen remains cautious about his uncertain identity and delays facing the original owner’s family. He also begins to notice that Lin Jingchen’s attention may be more than ordinary friendliness, though he doubts the idea. His delight in the candy briefly lifts his mood.
• Lin Jingchen shows thoughtful, personal care by waiting for Bai Chen’s treat. His insistence that the gift was chosen especially for him—and his playful way of taking the candy—suggests growing intimacy.
• Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen share a warm, slightly charged exchange: Bai Chen is touched by the gift, then embarrassed by their close contact.
• Lin Xiaoqian and her sweetheart have an affectionate, teasing relationship. He worries over her health and urges her home; she mock-complains and jokes about his singing.

Significant themes

• Care expressed through small gestures: Lin Jingchen’s candy gift conveys attention more clearly than a grand declaration.
• Growing romantic tension and uncertainty: Bai Chen senses an unusual closeness but dismisses the possibility that Lin Jingchen might like him.
• Disguise and self-consciousness: The face-covering festival offers people freedom from scrutiny, echoing Bai Chen’s own unease about being recognized and his assumed identity.

• Plot: Bai Chen and Lin Jingchen browse shops in Longquan Ancient Town and buy traditional fox masks. Bai Chen rejects the shopkeeper’s pushy attempt to sell expensive, flashing masks, while Lin chooses a plain one. After dinner, they enjoy the lantern-lit festival atmosphere and head toward a performance. There, a group of Bai Chen’s former high-school classmates recognize him and remind him of a reunion they had planned for the Face-Covering Festival. They say another classmate, Fang Ye, is already waiting at their old private room. Bai Chen, unable to recall the plan or who Fang Ye is, makes an excuse and declines the invitation.
• Character development: Bai Chen’s stubbornness shows in his resistance to sales pressure, and his lack of the original owner’s memories creates anxiety when classmates expect him to know shared history. He tries to cover his confusion with humor and confidence. Lin Jingchen appears composed and refined; seeing him in the moonlight makes Bai Chen feel unexpectedly inferior, which he dismisses as ordinary male competitiveness.
• Interactions: Bai Chen and Lin share a relaxed outing, exchanging a smile before going downstairs together. The shopkeeper’s persistent pitch is brushed off by Bai Chen. The classmates—Yu Bing, Meng Wei, Nan Wenjun, Qiao Gui, Han Baichuan, and Qiu Jiao—greet Bai Chen and remind him of their old reunion plans. Nan Wenjun’s scrutiny hints that she senses something different about him.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts festive public celebration with Bai Chen’s private unease. It also highlights identity and memory: Bai Chen must navigate relationships tied to a past he cannot fully access. His meeting with the classmates sets up tension between maintaining his assumed identity and the risk of being found out.

Key plot points and events

• Bai Chen returns with Lin Jingchen, but his classmates are so excited to see Bai Chen that they initially overlook Lin. When Bai Chen introduces him, they recognize him as the prominent Lin Group entrepreneur and react with astonishment.
• Bai Chen introduces the classmates using names from the original owner’s memories, then relaxes when nobody seems to notice anything amiss.
• Bai Chen would rather stay with Lin than attend the reunion, partly because he feels like a stranger to the classmates and fears giving away that he is not the original Bai Chen. His classmates invite Lin to join them, and Lin accepts.
• The group heads to a luxurious karaoke venue with access to a masked dance performance. On the way, Han Baichuan mentions Fang Ye, Bai Chen’s former deskmate, now a famous competitive racer.
• Bai Chen realizes Fang Ye may be “Cool,” the racer associated with a helmet he found in the original owner’s suitcase. He struggles to hide that he does not remember Fang Ye, then eases away from Han’s overly familiar arm around him.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Chen remains uneasy about impersonating the original owner, carefully relying on borrowed memories and improvising when details escape him. He would prefer to spend the day with Lin, but is swept along by the group.
• Lin Jingchen is courteous and composed. He gives Bai Chen the option to go without him, then agrees to join when invited; his unreadable expression leaves his thoughts unclear.
• The classmates are friendly and eager to include Lin, partly from genuine excitement and partly because meeting such a prominent entrepreneur could benefit them.
• Han Baichuan acts familiar with Bai Chen, putting an arm around his shoulders and bringing up Fang Ye. Bai Chen tolerates the closeness but eventually slips away.

Significant themes

• Identity and concealment: Bai Chen’s borrowed memories help him pass as the original owner, but gaps in his knowledge threaten to expose him.
• Social pressure and belonging: Bai Chen feels detached from people who remember the original owner as a friend, while they welcome him warmly.
• Unspoken feelings and tension: Bai Chen’s strong preference to stay with Lin contrasts with his polite behavior, and Lin’s restrained demeanor keeps their dynamic ambiguous.