Recaps

Gu Zheng confirmed that the disguised, voiceless woman was Song Ning, whom Zhou Yuanhang had abducted, but he ordered his squad to watch the courtyard rather than attempt a rescue. Zhou Yuanhang hid Song Ning underground and revealed that explosives surrounded the courtyard, leaving Gu Zheng’s next move uncertain.

• Zhou Yuanhang claimed Song Ning could not speak and showed Gu Zheng a medical record while Gu Zheng questioned her during the inspection.
• After Gu Zheng and the others left, Zhou Yuanhang taunted Song Ning, saying he would kill Gu Zheng if he tried to rescue her.
• Chen Jiu led Zhou Yuanhang and Song Ning into a cellar, where Zhou Yuanhang said explosives had been buried around the courtyard.
• Gu Zheng told Chen Liang and Han Xiao that he recognized Song Ning by her eyes and believed drugs had restricted her movements.
• When Chen Liang asked why they would not rescue Song Ning immediately, Gu Zheng ordered more sentries to watch every side of the courtyard and report any movement.

Zhou Yuanhang used lookalike doubles to draw Gu Zheng’s watchers away from the village while preparing to escape with Song Ning. After removing their disguises, he revealed his obsessive fixation on her and trapped her in the cellar with him.

• Gu Zheng ordered Chen Liang and Han Xiao to search the village discreetly and keep the arriving vehicles outside it.
• Zhou Yuanhang told Song Ning he wanted to kill Gu Zheng and take her away, then learned from Chen Jiu that the escape plan was ready.
• Chen Jiu brought two lookalikes disguised as Zhou Yuanhang and Song Ning out through a hidden passage to lure the watchers away.
• Xiao Guang reported that the watchers had followed the doubles out of the village, and Zhou Yuanhang helped Song Ning eat as the drug wore off.
• Zhou Yuanhang removed his and Song Ning’s disguises, then stroked her face and forced her to look at him as he threatened that she would never escape.

Zhou Yuanhang disguised himself and smuggled the immobilized Song Ning through a secret passage and along secluded routes toward the highway. Their ox cart was stopped by soldiers and local militia, who began questioning them.

• Zhou Yuanhang disguised himself and Song Ning, took the syringe box, and carried her through a secret passage to another farmhouse.
• Zhou Yuanhang disguised their escape as a trip to Song Ning’s parents’ home and pulled her on a handcart to an old locust tree.
• Zhou Yuanhang transferred Song Ning and two sacks to an ox cart, then traveled toward the highway with an old driver.
• Two village women boarded the cart and chatted about explosions that had destroyed vehicles on the highway.
• Two soldiers and two red-armband villagers stopped the ox cart, and the soldiers asked Zhou Yuanhang and Song Ning who they were.

Zhou Yuanhang escaped the checkpoints with Song Ning and traveled deep into the Taihang Mountains in a truck driven by Chen Jiu, while Song Ning’s strength slowly returned. They reached a busy roadside restaurant near the Jin Province border, where Song Ning remained trapped beside Zhou Yuanhang.

• Zhou Yuanhang and Song Ning passed a checkpoint after Old Wu identified them as villagers from Yangjue Village.
• Zhou Yuanhang got Song Ning off the ox cart, and Chen Jiu and Xiao Guang picked them up in a truck.
• Song Ning recognized Chen Jiu by the scars on his hands and realized Xiao Guang was traveling in the cargo bed.
• As the truck drove for hours without being followed, Song Ning secretly waited for the drug’s effects to wear off.
• Chen Jiu drove them to the Mountain Pass Restaurant near the Jin Province border, where the proprietress told Song Ning not to block the doorway.

Chen Jiu, Zhou Yuanhang, Xiao Guang, and Song Ning kept their guard up in a crowded restaurant while Chen Jiu arranged food for Song Ning. The proprietress then began topping up their teapot with hot water, unaware that Chen Jiu had switched it from another table.

• Chen Jiu checked the backyard, switched his table's teapot with the neighboring truck drivers' pot, and reported that everything was normal.
• Xiao Guang checked the surroundings and told Zhou Yuanhang that everything was normal.
• Chen Jiu paid the truck drivers to let his group eat their food first, and he and Xiao Guang began eating while Zhou Yuanhang helped Song Ning eat.
• Song Ning pretended to struggle with her food, while Zhou Yuanhang carefully selected tender pieces for her.
• The truck drivers complained about their cold tea, and the proprietress poured hot water into their teapot before heading to the corner table.
• The proprietress lifted the corner table's teapot lid and started pouring in hot water without asking.

Song Ning searched for a chance to escape while Zhou Yuanhang took her to the restroom, but Gu Zheng arrived with soldiers and captured the fugitives. Gu Zheng carried Song Ning away as the group prepared to move out.

• Song Ning refused to drink her tea, and Zhou Yuanhang realized she needed the restroom and insisted on taking her himself.
• At the Mountain Pass Restaurant’s backyard, Song Ning assessed the restroom and considered climbing over a wall or creating chaos to escape.
• After hearing a thud outside, Song Ning rushed from the restroom and fell into Gu Zheng’s arms.
• Han Xiao and another soldier pinned Zhou Yuanhang, while Chen Liang and Chen Jiu brought out Chen Jiu and Xiao Guang in custody.
• The proprietress asked Gu Zheng for a certificate of commendation, and he promised to arrange one.
• Gu Zheng ordered the group to move out, then carried Song Ning from the yard.

Song Ning and Gu Zheng confronted the unmasked Zhou Yuanhang, who revealed how to counteract the drugs and began confessing to his crimes. He left them with a chilling account of his murders and a claim that his hidden life had eventually become dull.

• Gu Zheng brought Song Ning to doctors, who confirmed she had been drugged but not otherwise injured.
• Han Xiao confirmed that their prisoner was Zhou Yuanhang, and Zhou demanded to see Song Ning.
• Gu Zheng removed Song Ning's disguise mask and moved her closer to Zhou Yuanhang at her request.
• Zhou Yuanhang identified medicine in his pocket that could counteract the drugs, but Gu Zheng sent it for testing before using it.
• Zhou Yuanhang confessed to killing many people, acquiring money, weapons, experts, and drugs, and secretly watching his pursuers.
• Song Ning asked Zhou Yuanhang why he had done it, and he burst out laughing.

Song Ning watched Zhou Yuanhang kill himself with poison hidden in a button, then reunited with Gu Zheng as they prepared to return to the capital. After Chen Liang identified Chen Jiu and Xiao Guang, Gu Zheng and Song Ning left with the group, and she asked when he had recognized her.

• Song Ning gave Zhou Yuanhang water, but he bit a poison-filled button from her cuff and died despite Gu Zheng and Chen Liang's attempts to stop him.
• Gu Zheng ordered the others to check Chen Jiu's and Xiao Guang's clothes, then carried Song Ning to bathe and helped her recover.
• Gu Zheng brought Song Ning back to the group, where Chen Liang confirmed that Chen Jiu was Chen Feng and Xiao Guang was You Xiao Guang.
• Gu Zheng ordered everyone to return to the capital, and the group set off in a convoy through the mountains.
• Song Ning told Gu Zheng that the drug's effects were fading and asked when he had recognized her; he said he had known the moment he first saw her.

Gu Zheng explained how his team tracked and rescued Song Ning, then brought her to Capital City for medical examinations after the effects of an unknown drug. After she was sent away from work to recover, Tang Wei appeared at her office door.

• Gu Zheng and Han Xiao explained how they identified Song Ning, followed the impostors, and prepared the trap at Aikou.
• Gu Zheng held Song Ning as she slept during the overnight journey to Capital City.
• Chen Jiu and Xiao Guang were taken to the Military District while Gu Zheng brought Song Ning to the hospital for examinations.
• Jiang Chengshi, Qi Shiyuan, and Director Jin examined Song Ning and collected blood samples.
• Zheng Chang'an ordered Song Ning to return to the Siheyuan Courtyard to recover, and Tang Wei appeared at her office door.

Song Ning arranged for four neighboring courtyard homes to be purchased and assigned as staff housing for her hospital’s vice presidents. After returning to the courtyard, she learned that Tian Mingfeng and Kong Jianming had died in the fall, and asked Han Xiao who Chen Feng was.

• Tang Wei showed Song Ning drawings for four neighboring courtyard homes, and she approved the purchases.
• Song Ning summoned Lao Jiang, Lao Qi, and Zheng Chang'an and assigned them the houses as hospital staff benefits.
• Jiang Chengshi accepted his house, Lao Qi agreed to accept one, and Zheng Chang'an resolved to tell his mother about Song Ning’s generosity.
• Han Xiao drove Song Ning back to the Siheyuan Courtyard and told her that Tian Mingfeng and Kong Jianming had been found dead at the bottom of the cliff.
• Song Ning learned that Kong Jianming had tackled Tian Mingfeng off the cliff and that Elder Zhou’s interrogation remained confidential.
• Song Ning asked Han Xiao who Chen Feng was, and he fell silent.

After recovering from the drug, Song Ning returned to the Siheyuan Courtyard and reassured her family, while her thoughts drifted to the people and crimes surrounding the case. Song Wang urged her to consider making her relationship with Regimental Commander Gu official, but his troubled demeanor made Zheng Chunzhi suspect he was hiding something from Ning.

• Song Ning noticed Han Xiao crouched outside in anguish but left him alone, then collapsed into a deep sleep.
• After waking at night, Song Ning reassured Zheng Chunzhi and Song Wang that she had recovered, and learned Tang Wei had brought her fresh milk and planned to visit.
• Song Ning reflected on Zhou Yuanhang's claim that he had shown her mercy and on the deaths, abductions, and hidden laboratories connected to the case.
• Song Wang and Zheng Chunzhi noticed Song Ning mechanically eating from an empty bowl, and she explained that she had simply become distracted.
• Song Wang proposed helping make Song Ning's relationship with Regimental Commander Gu official, but Song Ning said she was not ready to start a family.
• Song Wang looked deeply worried, prompting Zheng Chunzhi to ask whether he was hiding something from Ning.

Song Wang asked Gu Zheng to affirm his sincere feelings for Song Ning and promise to remain faithful to her, with Han Xiao and Chen Liang as witnesses. Song Wang then knelt and asked his deceased grandfather whether giving Song Ning the things he had left would violate his last wishes.

• Song Wang insisted he would reveal his secret only after Gu Zheng arrived.
• Song Wang invited Gu Zheng, Chen Liang, and Han Xiao into the living room and asked Gu Zheng whether he sincerely loved Song Ning, intended to marry her, and would treat her well.
• Gu Zheng declared his love for Song Ning and promised to remain faithful to her for life, while Song Ning said she was not considering marriage or an engagement yet.
• Song Wang asked Han Xiao and Chen Liang to witness Gu Zheng's promise, and both men agreed.
• Song Wang knelt at the doorway, kowtowed to his grandfather, and asked whether giving Song Ning the things he had left would violate his last wishes.

Song Wang gave Song Ning the letters Grandpa Song had kept for her, including a message revealing that Lu Changqing had been assigned to deliver two strings of code and a Golden Fountain Pen to the person holding the Blue Tears. The letter identified the pen as the mission’s remaining clue, but as Gu Zheng pressed Song Wang for reassurance about his marriage to Song Ning, an order arrived calling him back to the Military District.

• Song Wang revealed that Grandpa Song had left letters for Song Ning and brought her the box he had kept until she married.
• Song Ning found letters from Lu Changqing and a sealed letter from Grandpa Song, which revealed their mission to deliver two strings of code and a Golden Fountain Pen to the holder of the Blue Tears.
• Gu Zheng, Han Xiao, and Chen Liang concluded that Lu Changqing had concealed the pen and that his dying gesture toward the letter G referred to it.
• Gu Zheng sent Chen Liang and Han Xiao to act on the new lead, then asked Song Wang to support his marriage to Song Ning.
• An officer from the neighboring Xiangyang Police Station arrived and told Gu Zheng that the Military District had ordered him to return immediately.