Chapter Summaries

Shi Yuan secured a well-paid German tutoring job with the Ren family and began planning how to leave the Wei household. Meanwhile, Wei Zelin secretly took a strand of Shi Yuan’s hair and considered using his connection to Ren Zheng for his own plans.

• Shi Yuan interviewed with Mr. Ren and Anna, who praised his German proficiency, and accepted a tutoring job teaching Ren Yunrong.
• Shi Yuan agreed to have dinner with Ren Zhi when he returned to Capital City, then searched for rental housing and found the prices unaffordable.
• Shi Yuan told Wei Zelin he had found private tutoring work, then went to bed hungry rather than ask for food.
• Wei Zelin watched the sleeping Shi Yuan, picked up a strand of his hair, and learned that Hou Yuting had obtained Shi Guohua’s medical report, hair, and blood samples.
• Wei Zelin arranged to take Shi Yuan’s hair to a testing facility and considered exploiting Shi Yuan’s connection to Ren Zheng to advance his plans.

Shi Yuan settled into his new commute and began tutoring Xiao Rong, while Wei Zexuan humiliated Fan Zuo and discussed plans to obstruct Shi Yuan's teaching career. The chapter left Wei Zexuan intent on dealing with Shi Yuan and others once he had time.

• Shi Yuan tested his route, bought a used electric scooter, and told two women on the subway that he was attracted to men; they introduced him to a man named Yixiu.
• Shi Yuan chose not to ride across town to buy peaches for Wei Zelin, waited at a library, and then began tutoring Xiao Rong at Mr. Ren's house.
• Wei Zexuan summoned Fan Zuo to a private room, threatened his younger brother over a supposed fifty-million shortfall, and forced Fan Zuo to kneel and lick his shoe.
• Wei Zexuan returned from upstairs and said he could not yet pursue Ren Zhi because of the person backing him, but vowed that he would eventually get what he wanted.
• Wei Zexuan's associates said they were trying to stop Shi Yuan from being hired at a school, and Wei Zexuan vowed to deal with Shi Yuan when he was free.

Shi Yuan tried to thank Wei Zelin with a shirt, but Wei Zexuan intercepted him and smashed his phone. When Xiao Rong appeared, Shi Yuan pretended to abandon him to keep Wei Zexuan from recognizing the boy as important, and Xiao Rong escaped while Shi Yuan remained in danger.

• Shi Yuan visited Xiao Rong at school before shopping for discounted autumn clothes.
• Shi Yuan went to the Wei Corporation to give Wei Zelin a shirt, but Wei Zexuan seized and smashed his phone.
• Wei Zexuan accused Shi Yuan of betraying him and threatened him with his men.
• Xiao Rong arrived, and Shi Yuan pretended not to know him when Wei Zexuan questioned them.
• Wei Zexuan kicked Shi Yuan and ordered his bodyguards to seize Xiao Rong, but released the boy after Shi Yuan claimed he did not care what happened to him.
• Xiao Rong fled with tearful eyes while Shi Yuan stayed with Wei Zexuan.

Wei Zelin hesitated to intervene while Wei Zexuan abducted Shi Yuan, then discovered the abduction had moved from the Clubhouse to a cruise ship. At sea, Wei Zexuan ordered Shi Yuan thrown overboard as Xiao Rong remained trapped with him.

• Wei Zelin watched Wei Zexuan humiliate Shi Yuan, then sent a message to advance his own plan while Xiao Rong returned with security guards.
• Wei Zexuan dismissed the guards and revealed that he had stopped Xiao Rong’s police call from bringing help; Wei Zelin later found Shi Yuan’s crushed phone and a shirt bought for him.
• Wei Zelin ordered his security captain to shelter the men from his hometown and arranged for them to be assessed after the situation was over.
• Shi Yuan realized Wei Zexuan had taken him and Xiao Rong toward the Seaside Ferry Terminal instead of the Clubhouse, and they were forced aboard a cruise ship.
• Wei Zexuan mocked Xiao Rong’s claim that his father was a director, then ordered Shi Yuan thrown overboard.

Huang Shiren watched the coast guard rescue Shi Yuan and Xiao Rong after Wei Zexuan dragged them behind his ship, and Wei Zelin stayed by Shi Yuan as he recovered in the hospital. When Shi Yuan returned home, he found the Wei Family in turmoil over Wei Zexuan's arrest and the scandal, while Wei Zelin comforted him as the family argued.

• Huang Shiren spotted the coast guard approaching Wei Zexuan's cruise ship, withdrew his speedboats, and later reported the rescue to Wei Zelin.
• The coast guard stopped Wei Zexuan's ship and rescued Shi Yuan and Xiao Rong, and Shi Yuan woke three days later in the hospital beside Wei Zelin.
• Wei Zelin reassured Shi Yuan that Xiao Rong was safe, then arranged Shi Yuan's discharge and drove him home.
• Shi Yuan learned that Wei Zexuan had been taken into custody after Mr. Ren pressed charges, and news of the incident sent the Wei Corporation Group's stock plunging.
• Wei Mother berated Wei Ming and insulted Wei Zelin's mother, while Wei Zelin took Shi Yuan's wrist and told him not to take the words to heart.

Wei Ming brought his mistress and their two children to the Wei Family home, intensifying his conflict with Wei Wanwan as both parents maneuvered over Wei Zexuan’s arrest and Wei Zelin’s future. Wei Zelin and Shi Yuan moved into a nearby villa, where they began settling in and cooking for themselves.

• Wei Ming arrived with his mistress and their two children, and Wei Wanwan confronted him about his affair and the children.
• Wei Wanwan slapped Wei Ming’s mistress, while Wei Ming defended her and urged Wei Wanwan to focus on getting Wei Zexuan released.
• Wei Ming summoned Wei Zelin, suggested he help at the company, and encouraged Shi Yuan to forgive Wei Zexuan, but neither young man responded.
• Wei Ming arranged a nearby villa for Wei Zelin and Shi Yuan, who moved their belongings and chose rooms on the first floor.
• Shi Yuan and Wei Zelin agreed to buy groceries and cook at home, and Shi Yuan began learning to cook while recovering.

Shi Yuan and Wei Zelin adjusted to the fallout from Wei Zexuan’s attack while Wei Zelin’s allies investigated who was backing the Wei Family. The chapter ended with Xiao Rong confiding that Mr. Ren kept him on a strict budget and concealed their relationship.

• Wei Zexuan was sentenced to three months in prison after his lawyer reduced the attempted-murder charge to intentional bodily harm, and Shi Yuan and Wei Zelin discussed how his return could affect the Wei Family.
• Wei Zelin rejected Fan You’s brother’s offer to go undercover with Wei Zexuan, saying their debt was settled and there was no need to involve themselves further.
• Bao Lili followed Wei Wanwan to Xianfu Road, noticed the suspicious men there, and avoided being detected by calling Fang Yuan and leaving the area.
• Bao Lili reported the visitors to Wei Zelin, who planned to identify the Wei Family’s backer by watching who returned to Xianfu Road.
• Shi Yuan resumed tutoring Xiao Rong, who worried that Wei Zexuan might target them again and complained that Mr. Ren tightly restricted his spending and kept their relationship secret.

Shi Yuan stayed with Xiao Rong while Ren Zheng repaired his relationship with his son, then Wei Zelin picked him up and stirred up confusing feelings in him. The next day, Shi Yuan tried to resist those feelings by focusing on You Gui’s invitation to S City, but he and Wei Zelin continued caring for each other, leaving Shi Yuan avoiding him when he came home.

• Ren Zheng explained to Xiao Rong why he had raised him frugally, and Xiao Rong reassured his father that he would not embarrass him.
• Shi Yuan told Wei Zelin about Xiao Rong’s family conflict, and Wei Zelin came to collect him from Ren Zheng’s home.
• Wei Zelin took a grape from Shi Yuan’s fingers with his mouth, leaving Shi Yuan flustered and questioning his growing attraction to him.
• Shi Yuan agreed to visit You Gui in S City for her company’s tenth-anniversary celebration.
• Shi Yuan found that Wei Zelin had left red bean porridge and eggs for him, then cooked dinner for Wei Zelin that evening before avoiding him when he got home.

Shi Yuan finished his month of tutoring Xiao Rong, wandered the night market, and was picked up by Wei Zelin. Back home, Wei Zelin kissed him passionately, leaving Shi Yuan embarrassed and bewildered about how quickly their relationship had changed.

• Shi Yuan completed his tutoring and accepted Ren Zheng's correctly sized payment after returning the extra transfer.
• Shi Yuan explored the night market, where he recognized Xiao Ying and met her brother Zhang Xiushuo, who offered him a ride.
• Wei Zelin called Shi Yuan at the night market, found him, and brought him home with bubble waffle ice cream.
• Wei Zelin reheated the chicken soup, caught Shi Yuan as he stumbled into him, and kissed him deeply.
• Wei Zelin stopped to turn off the stove while Shi Yuan sat on the kitchen island, flustered and unsure how they had reached this point.

Shi Yuan asked Wei Zelin for time to sort out his feelings, leaving Wei Zelin frustrated and unsure what was holding him back. They avoided each other for half a month, while Shi Yuan hid a romantic-looking post from Wei Zelin and promised to explain their complicated situation to You Gui.

• Wei Zelin confronted Shi Yuan about avoiding him, concluded that Shi Yuan liked him, and asked why he still would not be with him.
• Shi Yuan recalled how the novel’s tragic romance and his own past losses had made him wary of love, then asked Wei Zelin to give him time and returned to his room.
• Wei Zelin asked Bao Lili whether Shi Guohua had contacted Shi Yuan and told her and Huang Shiren that Shi Yuan liked him but would not be with him.
• Huang Shiren advised Wei Zelin to make Shi Yuan jealous, while Bao Lili silently reacted to the revelation.
• Shi Yuan realized Wei Zelin had drunk two bowls of unsalted chicken soup, and the two avoided each other for half a month.
• Shi Yuan posted a rose from the Wei Family garden as a gift from his husband, prompting Zhang Xiushuo to stop contacting him and You Gui to ask about his relationship with Wei Zelin.

Shi Yuan learned that Wei Zelin planned to divorce him and saw Wei Zelin being matched with Sun Yixuan in a marriage alliance. The alliance advanced, but Sun Yixuan’s parents intended to keep their options open until the Wei Corporation’s power struggle became clearer.

• Lin Qingxue told Shi Yuan that Wei Zelin wanted to know when they would divorce because he had met Sun Yixuan.
• Shi Yuan taught Xiao Rong, searched for apartments farther from the city, and saw Wei Zelin driving with Sun Yixuan.
• Wei Ming promoted Wei Zelin and arranged for him to represent the Wei Corporation at Magic Cube Technology’s anniversary celebration.
• Sun Yixuan’s parents agreed to support Wei Zelin at a company meeting, and Wei Ming encouraged Sun Yixuan to travel with him to S City.
• Shi Yuan arrived at the gathering and made a sharp remark to Wei Ming before Sun Yixuan’s parents left with their daughter.
• Sun Yixuan questioned the match, but her parents decided to keep Wei Zelin as an option while they waited to see how the Wei family’s struggle unfolded.

Shi Yuan confronted Wei Zelin over his role in the kidnapping of Xiao Rong and learned about Wei Zelin’s painful childhood. Though Shi Yuan still planned to divorce him, Wei Zelin brought him to a modest apartment and asked him to live there, leaving their relationship unresolved but newly hopeful.

• Shi Yuan told Wei Zelin that he had promised Wei Ming to divorce him, then accused him of having a hand in Xiao Rong’s and his kidnapping; Wei Zelin admitted it, and Shi Yuan punched him.
• Wei Zelin told Shi Yuan how Wei Ming had abandoned his mother and how her illness and death had left him rejected by both his maternal grandparents and his father.
• Wei Zelin asked Shi Yuan to trust him and took him to Bookish Garden, where he had prepared an apartment and registered Shi Yuan’s fingerprint on the door lock.
• Wei Zelin asked Shi Yuan to live with him, and Shi Yuan’s emotions softened despite his promise to divorce him.
• Wei Zelin kissed Shi Yuan on the sofa but stopped when Shi Yuan told him not to go further, then promised not to use Shi Yuan’s friends again.
• Shi Yuan agreed to look around the apartment, which felt like a small home they could share.

Shi Yuan moved into the apartment Wei Zelin had rented for them and began making it their home while Wei Zelin prepared for his trip to S City. After running into Xiao Ying and shopping with Wei Zelin, Shi Yuan ended the day resting as Wei Zelin finished setting up their apartment.

• Shi Yuan toured the one-bedroom apartment and accepted Wei Zelin's plan to move in after returning from S City.
• Shi Yuan moved his belongings into Shuxiang Gardens, cleaned the apartment, and went to the supermarket for household supplies.
• Shi Yuan ran into Xiao Ying and her mother, who invited him to visit and joked about matching him with Xiao Ying's brother.
• Wei Zelin returned and told Shi Yuan that he would not need to spend more time with Sun Yixuan or take her to S City.
• Shi Yuan and Wei Zelin bought bedding, sofa covers, and groceries, then returned home to finish furnishing the apartment.
• Wei Zelin called Shi Yuan to help with the sofa covers, but had already put them on so Shi Yuan could rest.

Wei Zelin and Shi Yuan grew closer after making their relationship official, while Wei Zelin arranged plans against his rivals and prepared for Shi Yuan’s trip to S City. As Wei Zelin packed Shi Yuan’s few belongings, he realized how little Shi Yuan owned.

• Wei Zelin pulled Shi Yuan onto his lap, kissed him passionately, and sent him home before their intimacy went further.
• Wei Zelin ordered Shi Yuan his favorite foods, then instructed Bao Lili to let Wei Ming discover a plot involving Sun Yixuan’s ex-boyfriend and a woman from the Wei Corporation; he also told his staff to call Shi Yuan the boss’s wife.
• Shi Yuan visited Xiao Rong for a lesson, kept his move nearby secret, and received an erotic dream after several days of seeing Wei Zelin in secret.
• After receiving his second paycheck, Shi Yuan booked a ticket to S City, and Wei Zelin brought a lighter suitcase to pack for his seven-day trip.
• While Shi Yuan made noodles, Wei Zelin saw that the master wardrobe held little besides Shi Yuan’s documents and marriage certificates, and that everything in the suitcase represented all Shi Yuan owned.

Shi Yuan traveled to S City, reunited with You Gui, and told her he had decided to trust Wei Zelin and give their relationship his whole heart. You Gui warned him about the risks, but Shi Yuan remained determined to love without holding back.

• Wei Zelin drove Shi Yuan to the train station and gave him a backpack with earphones, a power bank, and snacks.
• While waiting for his train, Shi Yuan read a report about Sun Yixuan’s ex-boyfriend leaking intimate videos and suspected Wei Zelin had known about the scandal.
• Shi Yuan met Xiao Ying and Wenwen aboard the train, shared snacks with them, and learned that many passengers were traveling to S City for Magic Cube Technology’s event.
• In S City, Shi Yuan reunited with You Gui, ate local food with her, and told her that he and Wei Zelin were dating.
• You Gui shared concerns drawn from her own painful past and warned Shi Yuan that Wei Zelin’s growing power could threaten their relationship.
• Shi Yuan acknowledged Wei Zelin’s calculating nature but said he trusted their feelings and would give the relationship everything he had without regret.

Shi Yuan attended Magic Cube Technology’s tenth-anniversary celebration with You Gui, where a security robot flagged him and headquarters identified him as a protected target. The chapter ended with venue staff instructed to prioritize Shi Yuan’s safety as he and You Gui stopped to buy drinks.

• After You Gui left, Shi Yuan slept, ate the food Wei Zelin had ordered, and spoke with him over a video call that night.
• Shi Yuan met You Gui at the enormous celebration venue and learned about its entrances, security robots, and seating sections.
• At the entrance, a robot scanned Shi Yuan’s code and repeatedly asked him to turn around, prompting headquarters to identify him as the target individual.
• Kuang Yuebin ordered venue security to protect Shi Yuan, and staff received his name, appearance, and safety instructions.
• Shi Yuan told You Gui that milk tea made him dizzy and chose fruit tea instead, while a passing staff member listened in.

Shi Yuan and You Gui explored the crowded event grounds, then joined Xiao Ying and Xiao Wen on a ride to Koi Park after a confrontation over a vehicle. On the way, Xiao Ying learned You Gui was single, and Shi Yuan passed her contact to Xiao Ying’s older brother.

• Shi Yuan learned that streamers would perform on stages at the event grounds and went with You Gui to eat breakfast.
• Shi Yuan and You Gui were about to take an electric vehicle when Xiao Ying and Xiao Wen asked to join them.
• Huang Zhenru and her companions took the vehicle despite Xiao Wen arriving first, and Xiao Ying slapped Huang Zhenru before leaving with the others.
• Shi Yuan, You Gui, Xiao Ying, and Xiao Wen rode to Koi Park and chatted about Xiao Ying and Xiao Wen’s planned meetup with online dubbing acquaintances.
• Xiao Ying asked whether You Gui had a partner, and Shi Yuan sent You Gui’s WeChat contact to Xiao Ying’s older brother.

Shi Yuan escorted Xiao Ying and Xiao Wen to their online group’s meetup at Koi Park, then explored the park with You Gui and confessed to Wei Zelin that he missed him. Meanwhile, Meng Zhenzhen’s group got stranded after their shuttle headed the wrong way, and Wei Zelin refused Wang Liya’s request to transfer with him to Rubik’s Cube Headquarters.

• Shi Yuan and You Gui walked Xiao Ying and Xiao Wen to the Winding Stream Banquet, where Lin Yunan introduced them to their online friends, including group owner Gu Chengwang.
• Shi Yuan declined Gu Chengwang’s invitation to join the group at a Comic Convention and left with You Gui; afterward, Gu Chengwang asked Xiao Ying whether Shi Yuan was her brother’s partner, and she avoided revealing his private affairs.
• Meng Zhenzhen, Huang Zhenru, Li Da, and Lu Hao realized their electric shuttle was traveling away from Times Square because its battery needed charging, and the driver offered to drop them off or make them wait.
• Shi Yuan fed the koi with You Gui, then answered Wei Zelin’s call and quietly admitted that he missed him.
• At Wei Corporation Group, Wang Liya asked Wei Zelin to take her to Rubik’s Cube Headquarters, but he said the newly merged Shi Corporation still needed her contributions.

Shi Yuan and You Gui spent the day together, then attended a concert where Lu Hao pressured Xiao Wen into selling her ticket and Meng Zhenzhen insulted Shi Yuan. Shi Yuan and You Gui moved to C Section, left the concert early, and made plans to meet again before You Gui started work.

• Shi Yuan and You Gui discovered their tickets had been changed to VIP seats, chose seats at the edge of A Section, then went downstairs to meet Xiao Ying.
• Shi Yuan and You Gui found Xiao Ying arguing with Meng Zhenzhen and Lu Hao, who offered Xiao Wen two hundred thousand for her ticket; Xiao Wen accepted and left in tears.
• Meng Zhenzhen mocked Shi Yuan's clothes, and Shi Yuan arranged for himself and You Gui to move to C Section, where staff gave them drinks and snacks.
• Shi Yuan, You Gui, and Xiao Ying watched the concert, then Shi Yuan and You Gui left early and agreed to meet the next day.
• Shi Yuan admired the figure Xiao Ying had given him, discussed the next day's plans with You Gui, and fell asleep during a video call with Wei Zelin.

Shi Yuan met Wei Zelin in the rain, and Wei Zelin took him shopping for warm clothes after giving him a bank card with eight million in it. As Wei Zelin helped Shi Yuan choose an outfit, he said earning money for his wife to spend mattered more to him than revenge, and they left the chapter preparing to buy a coat.

• Shi Yuan ran into Wei Zelin outside the hotel, and Wei Zelin wrapped him in his trench coat and took him to the car.
• Wei Zelin kissed Shi Yuan and gave him a bank card from Wei Ming containing eight million, but Shi Yuan refused to keep it.
• Wei Zelin drove Shi Yuan to a menswear mall, while Meng Zhenzhen complained to Lu Hao about their place in the queue and Lu Hao eventually left to meet his friends.
• Wei Zelin wiped the mud from Shi Yuan's shoes and told him that earning money for his wife to spend mattered more to him than proving himself to Wei Ming.
• Shi Yuan cried after Wei Zelin kissed his forehead, then tried on a warm outfit that Wei Zelin had chosen for him.
• Wei Zelin admired Shi Yuan in the new clothes and suggested adding a coat when Shi Yuan declined to try anything else.