Chapter Summaries

Song Ning learned that Gu Zheng could not uncover her grandparents’ identities because their research records were sealed, while Gu Zheng’s feelings for her became public at the police station. Gu Zheng avoided hearing Song Ning’s promised answer, and Fang Fang began to wonder whether he was unwilling to meet her on a blind date.

• Song Ning told Gu Zheng her grandparents’ names and asked him to help find them, but he explained that protected researchers’ identities were sealed and could only be revealed under strict conditions.
• A public security officer told Gu Zheng that Deputy Director Wei had ordered the station to watch over Song Ning, embarrassing Gu Zheng by exposing his interest in her.
• Song Ning went home to make dinner for Uncle Qiu and reminded Gu Zheng that she would give him an answer, so Gu Zheng hurried away before she could say more.
• Gu Zheng asked the police to keep an extra eye on Song Ning’s courtyard, then called home and told Aunt Huang he would eat with a comrade on Red Star Road.
• Tan Qingru learned Gu Zheng would miss meeting Fang Fang, and Fang Fang asked Sun Jiahui whether Gu Zheng might be unwilling to go on a blind date with her.

Gu Zheng met Wei Jinjun and Tang Wei at the restaurant, where Tang Wei recounted his disastrous blind date. Song Ning learned that Uncle Qiu was weakening and went to find the childhood dishes he wanted, leaving to ask the State-Run Restaurant on Red Star Road for help.

• Sun Jiahui persuaded Fang Fang to go to Red Star Road and see Gu Zheng for herself.
• Gu Zheng joined Wei Jinjun and Tang Wei at the restaurant and promised to share his liquor with them another time.
• Song Wang told Song Ning that Uncle Qiu had barely eaten and seemed close to death.
• Uncle Qiu told Song Ning he longed for mock crab and fried triangles before falling asleep.
• Song Ning asked the nurses where she could find the dishes, and the head nurse recommended the State-Run Restaurant on Red Star Road.

At the State-Run Restaurant, Sun Jiahui tried to use Fang Fang’s sudden stomachache to bring her together with Gu Zheng, who resisted carrying the supposed blind date. Song Ning arrived and pushed through the crowd to examine Fang Fang.

• Fang Fang and Sun Jiahui spotted Gu Zheng, Tang Wei, and Wei Jinjun dining together, and Fang Fang wondered if Gu Zheng was one of them.
• Sun Jiahui recognized Gu Zheng and asked the soldiers to take Fang Fang to the hospital after she slumped over the table.
• Sun Jiahui insisted that Gu Zheng carry Fang Fang, but he refused and told Tang Wei to help instead.
• Tang Wei went to bring the car while Wei Jinjun settled the bill, and Sun Jiahui accused Gu Zheng of making excuses.
• Song Ning heard someone call out to Zheng, realized Gu Zheng was there, and pushed through the crowd, saying she knew medicine.

Song Ning helped Gu Zheng evade Sun Jiahui’s apparent attempt to match him with Fang Fang, then confronted him about agreeing to a blind date and heard him confess that he had only ever wanted her. As Song Ning focused on helping Uncle Qiu, she arranged to have two dishes prepared and decided to take Gu Zheng somewhere the next morning.

• Song Ning carried Fang Fang to the Jeep, and Gu Zheng sent Sun Jiahui with Tang Wei and Wei Jinjun to the hospital while he stayed behind.
• Song Ning questioned Gu Zheng about agreeing to a blind date, and he confessed that he thought of her constantly and had never dated anyone else.
• Song Ning told Gu Zheng she cared about him but felt lost after meeting Uncle Qiu, and Gu Zheng asked to see her every day while he was in Capital City.
• Song Ning asked a restaurant’s head chef to prepare mock crab and fried triangles for Uncle Qiu, then realized he wanted more than those two dishes and asked Gu Zheng to accompany her somewhere the next morning.
• A doctor diagnosed Fang Fang with low blood sugar and said she could go home after receiving a glucose drip, while Tang Wei and Wei Jinjun speculated about Gu Zheng and Sun Jiahui.

Fang Fang tried to make Gu Zheng remember her after their awkward meeting, but he told Tan Qingru he already liked someone else and agreed to apologize to Fang Fang over a meal. Meanwhile, Song Ning and Gu Zheng reached Uncle Qiu’s family nursery, where they saw Qiu Youshi’s heavily pregnant wife.

• Fang Fang told Sun Jiahui she had staged the appearance of being ill to catch Gu Zheng’s attention, then called Tan Qingru to say they should cancel the blind date.
• Gu Zheng told Tan Qingru he had not recognized Fang Fang and revealed that he already liked another girl, though he had not won her over yet.
• Tan Qingru urged Gu Zheng to apologize to Fang Fang in person, and he agreed to invite her and Sun Jiahui out for a meal.
• Song Ning and Gu Zheng arrived at Qiu Youshi’s nursery and saw his pregnant wife struggling to hang clothes.

Song Ning arranged free hospital care for pregnant Chu Yufen in exchange for cooking dishes that Uncle Qiu craved. After tasting the food and seeing Chu Yufen beside his bed, Uncle Qiu drifted into sleep, mistaking her for his mother.

• Song Ning persuaded Qiu Youshi and Chu Yufen to accept a free hospital birth allocation in exchange for Chu Yufen making Mock Crab and Fried Triangles.
• Song Ning secured a private room and meal tickets for the couple at 404 Hospital, presenting the support as a hospital benefit.
• Song Ning brought Chu Yufen’s dishes to Uncle Qiu, who cried at their familiar childhood aroma but was too ill to eat them.
• Chu Yufen visited Uncle Qiu at his bedside, and he murmured, “Mommy,” while half asleep.

Song Ning secured the Siheyuan Courtyard deed and explained its hiding place to Uncle Qiu as his health declined. Meanwhile, Fang Fang schemed to use a wedding invitation to get Gu Zheng to take responsibility for her, and Gu Zheng agreed to attend after recognizing the wedding invitation.

• Song Ning added her name to the Siheyuan Courtyard deed, hid it beneath the old ginkgo tree, and told Uncle Qiu where to find it if he returned to his other world.
• Gu Zheng arranged ways for Song Ning to contact him and spent most of his time away from the hospital attending to his affairs.
• Tan Qingru apologized to Sun Jiahui and Fang Fang after explaining that Gu Zheng already loved someone, and Sun Jiahui asked Fang Fang what she wanted to do.
• Fang Fang told Sun Jiahui to act graciously, invite Tan Qingru to Sun Yanyan's wedding, and create a situation in which Gu Zheng would feel responsible for marrying her.
• Sun Jiahui relayed Fang Fang's plan, and Tan Qingru promised to ask Gu Zheng to attend the wedding with her.
• Gu Zheng showed Tan Qingru an invitation from the groom and said he would attend if it was Sun Yanyan's wedding.

Song Ning witnessed Uncle Qiu’s peaceful death, helped the Qiu family welcome their newborn son, and discovered that he had the same full name as Uncle Qiu. The realization made her fear that she, too, would soon leave this world, and Gu Zheng held her as she struggled to speak.

• Uncle Qiu died peacefully while Chu Yufen and Qiu Youshi held his hands, and Chu Yufen went into labor soon afterward.
• Song Ning arranged Uncle Qiu’s funeral and reassured Song Wang that he could remain in the courtyard under the fifty-year document.
• Song Ning and Gu Zheng visited Chu Yufen and her newborn son, showed the family how to prepare milk powder, and learned they had named him Qiu Zechuan.
• Song Ning realized that the baby’s name matched Uncle Qiu’s full name and feared she would leave the world sooner than he had.
• Gu Zheng held Song Ning as she voiced her fear and could not find words to comfort her.

On National Day, Gu Zheng rescued Fang Fang from an unwanted advance before attending a grand wedding with Tan Qingru. At the auditorium, Tang Wei confronted Gu Zheng over his suspected role in ruining a blind date, while Fang Fang gave Sun Jiahui medicinal powder and said everything depended on it.

• Gu Zheng visited Song Ning and invited her to a comrade’s wedding, but she declined to go with him.
• Outside the Red Star Auditorium, Gu Zheng restrained Fang Fang’s coworker after the man cornered her, then let him go when Fang Fang asked him not to pursue the matter.
• Gu Zheng and Tan Qingru arrived at the wedding, where Tan Qingru reunited Fang Fang with Sun Jiahui and kept the alley incident quiet.
• Tang Wei accused Gu Zheng of conspiring with Song Ning to sabotage his blind date, while Wei Jinjun pressed Gu Zheng about his relationship with her.
• Behind the auditorium stage, Fang Fang handed Sun Jiahui medicinal powder and said everything depended on it.

Song Ning encouraged Song Wang to pursue his love of making liquor and took him shopping in Capital City. As the siblings entered a State-Run Restaurant, Song Ning recognized a departing customer as Lu Changqing.

• Song Ning gave Song Wang permission to plant vegetables in the courtyard and proposed that he try making liquor with new equipment.
• Song Wang admitted that he loved making liquor, and Song Ning promised to help him start a liquor shop if he succeeded.
• Song Ning and Song Wang went out to ask about equipment and bought clothes and other supplies at a Department Store.
• Song Wang recognized the smell of Niulanshan Red Grain Daqu as they entered a State-Run Restaurant.
• A hurried customer bumped into Song Ning and knocked down her shopping bags, and Song Ning recognized his departing figure as Lu Changqing.

Song Ning followed Lu Changqing through Capital City and discovered he had entered the Red Star Auditorium, where Gu Zheng was attending a wedding. Meanwhile, Fang Fang’s plan to drug Gu Zheng was underway, and Tang Wei spotted Song Ning as she went inside.

• Song Ning became suspicious when Lu Changqing left in a hurry, then followed him while he tried to avoid being noticed.
• At the wedding banquet, Fang Fang persuaded Tan Qingru to bring Gu Zheng chilled juice, and Gu Zheng drank it before going to rest in a lounge.
• Fang Fang waited for the drug in Gu Zheng’s drink to take effect before opening the lounge door at the right moment.
• Song Ning followed Lu Changqing to the Red Star Auditorium and entered after recognizing the venue from Gu Zheng’s wedding plans.
• Tang Wei spotted Song Ning entering the auditorium while he argued with Wei Jinjun across the street.

Song Ning sneaked into the wedding banquet to find Lu Changqing but got caught up in Tang Wei’s pursuit and a message for Fang Fang. She entered a dark room looking for Gu Zheng and was pulled into his embrace.

• Song Ning slapped Tang Wei to stop him from saying her name, then scolded him and fled while Wei Jinjun held him back.
• Song Ning climbed over a wall and met a man who asked her to bring Fang Fang outside to talk.
• Song Ning found Fang Fang in the corridor and relayed the man’s message, prompting Fang Fang to hurry toward the back door.
• Song Ning saw Tang Wei returning to confront Gu Zheng and slipped into the room Fang Fang had approached.
• Gu Zheng pulled Song Ning into his arms and told her he had missed her.

At the wedding, Gu Zheng kissed Song Ning after someone apparently spiked his drink, while their families and friends discovered them together. Song Ning and Gu Zheng left to investigate Lu Changqing, who had disappeared from the auditorium.

• Sun Jiahui led Tan Qingru, Tang Wei, and Wei Jinjun to Gu Zheng's room, where they found him kissing Song Ning.
• Tan Qingru accepted the scene happily, while Sun Jiahui and Fang Fang realized their plan had gone wrong.
• Gu Zheng told Song Ning he felt ill and suspected his drink had been spiked, then tried to kiss her again.
• Song Ning told Gu Zheng she had followed Lu Changqing because he was acting suspiciously, and Gu Zheng agreed to investigate.
• Gu Zheng gave his mother and Tang Wei instructions before leaving the auditorium with Song Ning, who noticed Lu Changqing was gone.

Song Ning treated Gu Zheng after he was drugged, then discussed her family ties and past illness with him. Dong Yuan visited to sound her out, but she guessed his motives and arranged a meeting with Old Lei; the chapter ended when the police relayed an urgent message from Capital Military Medical University.

• Song Ning drove Gu Zheng to the Siheyuan Courtyard and used acupuncture to help him recover after he said the only extra thing he drank was juice from his mother.
• Song Ning told Gu Zheng that Lei Ming, Lei Hong, and He Mingyuan were her relatives, and Gu Zheng worried that her time in this world might be limited.
• Song Wang returned with groceries, and Gu Zheng later asked him about Song Ning's childhood illnesses; Song Wang recalled a deep leg wound and a later fainting spell.
• Dong Yuan visited, and Song Ning guessed that Old Lei had sent him to investigate her, then asked him to arrange a meeting with Old Lei.
• Song Ning told Dong Yuan not to schedule the meeting for October fourth and said messages could reach her through the nearby police station.
• A public security officer told Song Ning that Capital Military Medical University had urgently asked her to go there as soon as possible.

Song Ning learned that her unexplained congenital weakness made her plans to establish a hospital and qualify as a doctor even more urgent. She secured permission to pursue a special medical assessment while joining a research project at Qingbei University, and Gu Zheng left in a jealous mood after hearing she had gone rowing with another young man.

• Song Ning questioned Song Wang about Gu Zheng's inquiries and learned that her medical report described her as congenitally weak, strengthening her resolve to build a hospital and save lives.
• Song Ning met Dean Fang at Capital Military Medical University and asked about her proposal to skip classes and graduate early.
• Dean Fang told Song Ning that a laboratory for the De Country research project would be established at Qingbei University, where the technical team could work with her.
• Principal Li approved a special, comprehensive assessment of Song Ning's medical skills and agreed to count the research project toward it before deciding her next steps.
• Tang Wei complained to Gu Zheng about Song Ning slapping him and mentioned that she had gone rowing with a younger, handsome man.
• Gu Zheng became jealous, shook off Tang Wei, and walked away without answering.

Gu Zheng heard Fang Fang confess to drugging him and explained that he would not press criminal charges but believed she should no longer teach. The next morning, just as he was preparing to visit Song Ning, he learned that something had happened to Lu Changqing.

• Fang Fang confessed to giving Tan Qingru the drugged juice and admitted that she had arranged for Yang Jianlin to appear in the alley.
• Sun Jiahui explained that Fang Fang's family was pressuring her to marry an older factory director to solve her brother's legal troubles.
• Gu Zheng refused to pursue criminal charges against Fang Fang but told her she should no longer be a teacher, and Fang Fang left.
• Tan Qingru urged Gu Zheng to bring Song Ning home for a meal before his leave ended, while Gu Zheng insisted he had not won her over.
• Gu Zheng prepared to visit Song Ning for another acupuncture session, but a phone call informed him that something had happened to Lu Changqing.

Song Ning accompanied Liang Lichuan to meet Chen Xiaoyu and arranged to join her and Wu Shuangshuang in apologizing to the soldier they had mistaken for a hooligan. After spotting someone who looked like Lu Changqing in a factory car, Song Ning returned to the courtyard and later received an invitation from Lei Ming to have a meal with him and Regimental Commander Gu.

• Liang Lichuan told Song Ning that Chen Xiaoyu and Wu Shuangshuang wanted to apologize to the soldier and asked her to go with him.
• Liang Lichuan took Song Ning to Guo'an Machinery Factory, where they met Chen Xiaoyu and agreed to arrange a visit together.
• Song Ning saw a passenger in a factory car who reminded her of Lu Changqing, then returned to the Siheyuan Courtyard and found Gu Zheng had not arrived.
• A public security officer summoned Song Ning to the police station to take a call, where Lei Ming invited her and Regimental Commander Gu to a meal.
• Song Ning accepted Lei Ming's invitation and hoped to reveal her identity to her grandparents when they were ready.

Song Ning went to the Guo'an Machinery Factory after hearing it had unexpectedly given its workers time off. She told Gu Zheng that she had seen the missing Lu Changqing near the factory that morning, and Gu Zheng said he would come at once.

• Song Ning apologized to Li Suying and encouraged her to consider Dong Yuan, while Liang Lichuan arranged to meet Chen Xiaoyu and Tang Wei the next day.
• Song Ning rode with Liang Lichuan to the Chinese Medicine Shop on Hengyang Road and stopped at the Guo'an Machinery Factory, where the gates were closed and public security officers were investigating.
• Wei Jinjun recognized Song Ning as Gu Zheng's acquaintance and helped her call Gu Zheng.
• Gu Zheng told Song Ning that Lu Changqing was missing and under investigation.
• Song Ning said she had seen Lu Changqing at the factory entrance that morning, and Gu Zheng told her to wait for him.

Song Ning and Gu Zheng investigated Lu Changqing’s disappearance and learned of Zhou Weide’s suspected suicide at the Guo'an Machinery Factory. After examining Zhou’s body, Song Ning concluded that his death by cyanide poisoning did not look like suicide.

• Gu Zheng told Song Ning that Lu Changqing had vanished from the military district guesthouse after reporting that someone was following him, and that Lin Xiaoming had reported his disappearance.
• Song Ning told Gu Zheng she had seen a black sedan at the factory entrance with someone resembling Lu Changqing inside.
• Wei Jinjun revealed that chief engineer Zhou Weide had been found dead in the factory’s central control room, and Gu Zheng took Song Ning to investigate.
• Lu Ming showed Gu Zheng and Song Ning Zhou’s body in the locked Number Zero workshop, where investigators suspected suicide by cyanide poisoning.
• Song Ning examined Zhou’s body and concluded that, although he had died from cyanide poisoning, it did not look like suicide.

Song Ning determined that Chief Engineer Zhou had been murdered with a cyanide injection and that the locked-room scene had been staged. As Gu Zheng joined a case briefing, Song Ning overheard factory workers mention trouble involving Zhou’s daughter.

• Song Ning found that Zhou had cyanide poisoning but no signs of ingesting it, and discovered an injection mark at the back of his head.
• Song Ning used Zhou’s left-handedness and the beaker’s position to conclude that someone had staged his death as a suicide.
• Gu Zheng proposed that wax in the lock cylinder had made the door seem locked from the inside, and Lu Ming planned to test the theory.
• Lu Ming praised Song Ning, and Gu Zheng told him she was a student at Capital Military Medical University.
• Song Ning waited outside the case briefing and overheard factory workers discussing a problem involving Zhou’s daughter.