Chapter Summaries

Li Xiude invited Li Lanxiang and Wang Fen to the Three-Wash Pavilion, then privately arranged with Ouyang Hai to place Wang Fen in a particular room if she visited. Wang Fen later asked Wei Zijin about treating her and Xiaoliang to massages, but Wei Zijin forbade her from going and told her not to tell anyone.

• Li Xiude described the Three-Wash Pavilion’s private rooms and services to Li Lanxiang and Wang Fen, who declined his offer but said they might visit another day as paying customers.
• Li Lanxiang and Wang Fen left the banquet early, while Li Xiude drank with the others and later went to the Three-Wash Pavilion with Fang Dongxu, appearing sober after the gathering.
• Li Xiude met Ouyang Hai in a small tavern and said he would put Wang Fen in the Favorable to Persevere room if she came to the Three-Wash Pavilion.
• Wang Fen messaged Wei Zijin to offer a massage outing for her and Xiaoliang, but Wei Zijin told her not to go or tell anyone why.
• Wang Fen explained that Li Xiude had told her about the Pavilion, agreed to wait for Wei Zijin to choose another place, and wondered privately why she had been forbidden to go.

Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin postponed sharing the Book of Fate online because it could be misused. At a dinner with Xie Hui, they learned she was investigating a supplement-selling scam and began to suspect its employees were connected to Li Xiude’s Three-Wash Pavilion.

• Wang Xiaoliang discussed making videos about the Book of Fate with Wei Zijin, and they agreed to put the idea on hold because people might exploit it or dismiss it.
• Xie Hui invited Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang to dinner, where they reminisced about their old rivalry and reconciled over a relaxed meal.
• Xie Hui described how she investigated a supplement store after Old Cheng’s mother died, having spent most of her savings on supplements and dubious therapy devices.
• Xie Hui revealed that she had seen several former supplement-store employees working at the Three-Wash Pavilion and asked Wang Xiaoliang about his history with Li Xiude.
• Wang Xiaoliang suggested the supplement sellers used different bait to attract victims, then deduced that Xie Hui had police connections behind her lead.
• Xie Hui confirmed that she used her police contacts to trace the sellers through temporary residence permit records.

Wang Xiaoliang studied the Book of Fate and reflected on keeping joy in his heart as a way to change his fate. At Old Sichuan, he unexpectedly reunited with his former master Li Laifu, whose anger over Xiaozhi made Wang Xiaoliang realize he had misunderstood the old man’s tough exterior.

• Wang Xiaoliang read a reader’s added method in the Book of Fate, which said that keeping joy in one’s heart was essential to bearing heaven’s mandate.
• Wang Xiaoliang went to Old Sichuan for dinner and found himself sharing a table with a thin old man drinking alone.
• Li Laifu recognized Wang Xiaoliang, and Wang Xiaoliang eventually recognized his former master, who explained that he had diabetes and had sold his shops.
• Wang Xiaoliang treated Li Laifu to liquor and food while they talked about his supermarkets and current work.
• Wang Xiaoliang asked whether Li Laifu’s daughter Xiaozhi had married, prompting Li Laifu to angrily accuse him of asking on purpose.
• Li Laifu softened and asked whether Wang Xiaoliang really did not know, and Wang Xiaoliang realized the old man’s fierce manner concealed a weak heart.

Li Laifu told Wang Xiaoliang how Li Xiaozhi had reported his shop, later become a successful livestreamer, and then disappeared after her boyfriend sold her to kidnappers. He ended the night drunk and still blaming Li Xiaozhi, while Wang Xiaoliang listened in silence.

• Li Laifu told Wang Xiaoliang that Li Xiaozhi had quit livestreaming after discovering he had inflated her purchase costs and refusing his demand for more money.
• Li Laifu said Li Xiaozhi had reported him to multiple agencies and the Tobacco Company, leading to heavy losses, his hospitalization, and the closure of his shop.
• Li Laifu recounted how Li Xiaozhi later slimmed down and earned money from videos, but never contacted or visited her parents.
• Li Laifu said Li Xiaozhi called home claiming she had been kidnapped, and he called the police instead of transferring the demanded hundred thousand.
• Li Laifu explained that police later found Li Xiaozhi's boyfriend had sold her, but no one knew whether she was alive.
• Li Laifu drank until he slurred his words and blamed Li Xiaozhi for reporting him, while Wang Xiaoliang sat quietly across from him.

Wang Xiaoliang learned that Li Xiaozhi had disappeared after being sold in Southeast Asia, while Wei Zijin launched her interview podcast with Yang Qingyu as her first guest. The episode ended with Yang Qingyu urging women to focus on what they do well, regardless of gender.

• Wang Xiaoliang told Wei Zijin what Li Laifu had revealed about Li Xiaozhi, and Wei Zijin found an online profile and account of her disappearance.
• Wei Zijin released the first episode of her podcast, interviewing Yang Qingyu about her life and work at Grandpa Liu's Beef Offal Shop.
• Yang Qingyu explained that Grandpa Liu taught her to support herself and find what made her special rather than envy others.
• Yang Qingyu said she wanted another child and hoped to find a good family for her younger half sister.
• Yang Qingyu told viewers to do well at what they were capable of, regardless of gender.

Cheng Huan reluctantly prepared to marry a suitable man while still carrying feelings for Luo Bisheng. After she invited Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang, Wang told Luo about the wedding, and Luo asked him to attend despite his own pain.

• At dinner, Cheng Huan's parents discussed the wedding and urged her to invite university friends, including Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang.
• Cheng Huan called Wei Zijin to invite her and Wang Xiaoliang, asking Wang to give a speech on the bride's behalf.
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang about the invitation, and he initially declined because of work and concern for Luo Bisheng.
• Wang called Luo Bisheng and told him Cheng Huan was getting married; Luo admitted it hurt but asked Wang to go.
• Wang agreed that he and Wei Zijin would attend, remembering that being their marriage witness had once been Cheng Huan and Luo's shared wish.

After Sanmu Holdings’ listing and lavish celebration, Wang Xiaoliang and Huang Xueli tried to warn their classmates about its investment scheme, but were expelled from the group and their podcast was taken down. At Cheng Huan’s wedding, she watched Luo Bisheng confess his feelings to Yi Jiahui on Wei Zijin’s podcast and broke down in tears.

• Li Xiude announced Sanmu Holdings’ Hong Kong listing and invited Jiang University classmates to a thousand-person celebration.
• Wang Xiaoliang warned the group that Sanmu’s investment product carried risks, and he and several others were kicked out; his and Huang Xueli’s podcast episode about illegal fundraising was removed after complaints.
• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin arrived in Northeast China for Cheng Huan’s wedding, and Cheng Huan’s father drove them to the family home.
• While traveling to her wedding, Cheng Huan watched Wei Zijin interview Luo Bisheng, who apologized for his past behavior toward Yi Jiahui.
• Luo Bisheng confessed on camera that he liked Yi Jiahui and asked her to be his girlfriend, leaving Cheng Huan in tears and worrying her bridesmaid about her makeup.

At Cheng Huan’s wedding, Luo Bisheng used Wei Zijin’s show to apologize to her father and give Cheng Huan his blessing, giving their relationship a final goodbye. After watching the video, her parents reaffirmed their decision to separate them, while Nuomi urged Yi Jiahui to stop hesitating and consider Luo Bisheng as a partner.

• Luo Bisheng asked Wei Zijin to feature his apology and blessing for Cheng Huan, and Wang Xiaoliang agreed that the broadcast would give the former couple closure.
• Cheng Huan married Wang Xiaoliang as Luo Bisheng’s message marked the end of their relationship.
• Cheng Huan’s parents watched Luo Bisheng’s video, judged him and Wei Zijin harshly, and insisted they had been right to break up the couple.
• Nuomi showed Yi Jiahui her twin sons and encouraged her to consider marrying Luo Bisheng, but Yi Jiahui said she still needed time to decide.

Yi Jiahui accepted Luo Bisheng’s public confession, and he arrived at her office with flowers. Meanwhile, Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin returned from vacation as an entertainment reporter escalated allegations against He Rumeng and Mi Shanshan, leaving the group awaiting the promised evidence.

• Yi Jiahui watched Luo Bisheng confess to her in Wei Zijin’s video and sent him a message saying yes.
• Luo Bisheng visited Yi Jiahui with flowers, and she accepted them as he embraced her.
• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin returned early after an entertainment reporter accused He Rumeng of hiding her marriage and daughter, then identified Nuomi as Mi Shanshan.
• Xiao Mo and Huang Xueli discussed the reporter’s staged revelations, while Nuomi suggested they wait for the remaining evidence.
• The reporter posted two new accusations about Mi Shanshan and a top influencer couple, then promised to reveal proof in twenty minutes.

Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin watched manipulated recordings and footage turn the public against them, while their scheduled show episode featured Wang Xiaoliang discussing an injustice from his past with Song Yi. The episode went ahead without any response to the scandal, leaving Huang Xueli worried that its sensitive conversation could spark controversy.

• Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin recognized that the leaked audio had been cut and rearranged to distort several conversations.
• The reporter released silent footage of Wang Xiaoliang, Wei Zijin, Xiao Mo, and Nuomi meeting with Li Zhenglu and He Rumeng, prompting viewers to accuse them of being accomplices.
• Wang Xiaoliang, Wei Zijin, and Xiao Mo lost followers, and brands paused their partnerships, while their old videos unexpectedly went viral again.
• Wang Xiaoliang and Huang Xueli introduced their former teacher Song Yi on Understanding through Courtesy, where Huang Xueli apologized for not defending him after his retirement.
• Wang Xiaoliang told Song Yi how a university revoked his supermarket operating rights after Song Yi retired, and he described the injustice as a chance to toughen himself.
• Huang Xueli worried the conversation could cause controversy, but Wang Xiaoliang reminded him why they had started the show.

Song Yi discussed social silence, relationships, and cultural influence with Wang Xiaoliang and Huang Xueli, while Li Lanxiang reviewed her stalled plans and decided to invest money to approach her target.

• Song Yi argued that fear of consequences discouraged people from speaking out against wrongdoing and condemned plagiarism.
• Song Yi criticized novels that glorified avoiding relationships and urged writers to portray true love.
• Song Yi identified cultural invasion as the era’s worst problem and praised the enduring vitality of Chinese culture.
• The edited interview drew little attention, and many commenters criticized Wang Xiaoliang while a few praised Song Yi.
• Li Lanxiang reconsidered her approaches to Li Xiude and Sanmu, then wrote a plan to invest one hundred thousand to get close to her target.

Li Lanxiang investigated Li Xiude's money-making course and learned that he was drawing students into a secret stock scheme by promising huge returns on their investments. She concluded that he planned to disappear with their money and decided to wait for a chance to profit from the turmoil.

• Li Lanxiang called Li Xiude late at night, agreed to pay for his course, and learned that he wanted to meet her privately.
• Li Lanxiang attended Li Xiude's course at the Three-Wash Pavilion and recognized that his warnings against greed were designed to build trust.
• Li Lanxiang befriended a student, who revealed that Li Xiude had invited her to invest in Sanmu through a secret group and had promised enormous profits.
• Li Lanxiang learned that the student and her husband had borrowed against their home to invest a million, then recognized the scheme as a staged confidence trick.
• Li Lanxiang wrote that Li Xiude would eventually flee with the cash and decided to wait for events to unfold so she could take advantage of the situation.

Wang Xiaoliang, Wei Zijin, and Xiao Mo challenged the public to reconstruct an edited recording and sued Mu Yanshou and others for defamation. After a lip-reading expert exposed the missing sentence, Wang announced he would sue Ouyang Hai and warned Li Zhenglu that his scandal would be revealed next.

• Wang Xiaoliang, Wei Zijin, and Xiao Mo offered a one-million reward for reconstructing the edited recording and filed legal claims totaling eighty-six million yuan.
• Mu Yanshou realized Li Zhenglu had vanished and that he had no recorded proof of Li’s instructions, leaving him exposed to major damages and possible imprisonment.
• Wang Xiaoliang explained the evidence during a livestream and played the reconstructed audio, which revealed Nuomi had said she was selling her kidney.
• Mr. Chen, a lip-reading teacher, confirmed his analysis and agreed to accept the prize and legal responsibility for his conclusions.
• Daily Three Crazies posted allegations about Wang Xiaoliang’s past, prompting Wang to end the stream and later announce that he would sue Ouyang Hai.
• Wang Xiaoliang warned Li Zhenglu that his scandal would be investigated the next day.

Ouyang Hai feared Wang Xiaoliang's threatened lawsuit and agreed to spy on Zhao Shengkai and his father for Sister Hui. Sister Hui and Li Xiude planned to escape their money-making scheme before trouble arose, while she privately questioned who was using whom.

• Ouyang Hai told Sister Hui that Wang Xiaoliang had recognized him and threatened to sue him, and she criticized his reckless attempt at revenge.
• Ouyang Hai praised Sister Hui for creating the Three-Wash Pavilion business model and questioned why she shared its proceeds equally with Li Xiude.
• Sister Hui ordered Ouyang Hai to monitor Zhao Shengkai and his father and stop the secret activities involving Flying Dragon in the Sky and Favorable to Persevere.
• Ouyang Hai pledged to stay with Sister Hui and left after continuing their affair.
• Li Xiude returned and admitted his anxiety about the money involved, but Sister Hui assured him they could disappear before the scheme collapsed.
• Sister Hui confirmed that Ouyang Hai would alert her to trouble, and she later privately questioned who was whose tool.

As the group planned their response to Li Zhenglu’s attacks, Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin contacted He Rumeng and reflected on how to face the trouble. Wei Zijin resolved to stay happy while confronting their enemies, and Wang Xiaoliang found a new lesson in the Book of Fate about envy.

• Xiao Mo’s team agreed to enhance the video, offer a reward for lip-reading experts, contact He Rumeng, and pursue police and legal action.
• Wang Xiaoliang reassured Wei Zijin that the attacks were like difficult levels in her world, and she said she believed they would win.
• Wei Zijin called He Rumeng, but her phone was off, so Wang Xiaoliang texted her, “Let bygones be bygones. Unite against our enemy.”
• Wang Xiaoliang copied a passage from the Book of Fate and found the next page’s lesson: “To change your fortune, first rid yourself of envy.”
• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang she would face awful people and situations happily, and he kissed her.

Wang Xiaoliang explained how he deduced Ouyang Hai’s identity, then revealed a recording in which He Rumeng described Li Zhenglu’s attempts to force their son and daughter into kidney donations. The recording left Li Zhenglu’s motives exposed, while He Rumeng warned that he had gone completely mad.

• Wang Xiaoliang explained that Wang Fen’s invitation to Three-Wash Pavilion made him suspect Ouyang Hai was trying to target Fenda, and he decoded Daily Three Crazies as a clue to Ouyang Hai’s identity.
• Wang Xiaoliang told his livestream audience that a well-known entertainment reporter had offered to settle, but that he and the others would leave the matter to the police and courts.
• Wang Xiaoliang played an unedited recording in which He Rumeng explained that Li Zhenglu had uremia and had falsely accused them while seeking a kidney donor.
• He Rumeng said Li Zhenglu had pressured their son into donating a kidney, then planned to take their daughter’s kidney for their son after the transplant began failing.
• He Rumeng said she secretly took her son away to protect him, and warned that Li Zhenglu had gone completely mad.

Wang Xiaoliang released a video confirming He Rumeng’s recorded statements and publicly denied that Mi Shanshan was her daughter, while He Rumeng hid with her children and Li Zhenglu searched for a kidney. Jin Huaqi watched the livestream, regretted betraying her friends, then resolved to borrow money and gamble again.

• Wang Xiaoliang showed a secretly filmed video of He Rumeng that matched her recording and said she had consented to its release.
• He Rumeng reassured her frightened son that Li Zhenglu could not find them and firmly told her daughter that Mi Shanshan was not her older sister.
• Li Zhenglu ordered his assistant to find him a kidney and threatened to give his assets to charity if he died; the assistant later told Sister He that Li could no longer get out of bed and would not be allowed to see anyone.
• Jin Huaqi watched Wang Xiaoliang’s livestream on a ferry and recalled how she had helped Li Zhenglu sabotage her friends after he paid off her debts.
• Jin Huaqi blamed herself and vowed to quit gambling, but then decided to get money, return to Macau, and win back what she had lost.

Fang Dongxu agreed to Li Xiude’s plan to profit from discounting bills for a major Sanmu project, while Li Lanxiang began drawing Li Xiude into a private tutoring arrangement through flirtatious messages. She left him eager for more and decided to wait before making her next move.

• After Li Xiaoman and Xiao Weijin withdrew their investments, Fang Dongxu accepted Li Xiude’s invitation to discuss the bills business.
• Li Xiude proposed that Fang handle the commercial acceptance bills for Sanmu’s upcoming two-billion-yuan project and split the extra margin with him; Fang agreed.
• Li Lanxiang messaged Li Xiude about joining his private tutoring class, then used flirtatious exchanges to keep him interested while avoiding meeting him.
• After Li Xiude began messaging her daily, Li Lanxiang noted that he had taken the bait and decided to wait before acting further.

Wei Zijin’s work drove Jiuqing Liquor’s sales to new heights as she and Wang Xiaoliang celebrated the Spring Festival with friends and family in Jiangcheng. On New Year’s Eve, they opened the Book of Fate and found a modern handwritten saying before reading a message about enduring hardship until better times came.

• Boss Yan watched Wei Zijin’s livestream boost Jiuqing Liquor’s sales and lamented that his son had ruined his chance to enjoy life at the factory.
• Wei Zijin and her colleagues prepared holiday episodes for their shows, while Wang Xiaoliang’s parents chose to travel instead of joining them in Jiangcheng.
• At lunch, Nuomi teased Yi Jiahui about worrying over Luo Bisheng’s parents, and Wei Zijin reassured her that they were kind to him.
• Zhao Nan returned to Xicheng with her boyfriend, whom she planned to introduce to her family after they had dated for more than six months.
• The group celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve at Suiyun Residence, and Wei Zijin and Wang Xiaoliang went home and opened the Book of Fate.
• They read a modern handwritten aphorism and a brush-written message advising perseverance through adversity, then kissed and made love as firecrackers sounded outside.

Li Xiude and Zhang Hui built a lucrative, deceptive business with help from Ouyang Hai and the Zhao family, turning Three-Wash Pavilion into a tool for compromising powerful people and advancing their plans. After the company went public, Old Master Zhao gave them two years to clean up their operations, so they decided to maximize their profits, move their cash, and disappear.

• Li Xiude stayed with Zhang Hui’s elderly-targeting supplement business, became her partner, and grew close to community official Ouyang Hai.
• Ouyang Hai introduced Li Xiude and Zhang Hui to Zhao Shengkai and Old Master Zhao, who offered them a forty-percent share in the unfinished Three-Wash Pavilion for funding.
• Li Xiude and Zhang Hui negotiated for the building’s operating rights and turned it into a bathhouse, while Ouyang Hai helped secure a bank loan through a concealed scheme.
• The partners used Three-Wash Pavilion’s hidden rooms to compromise selected people, expanded their business, and moved forward with the Sanmu Mountain plan.
• After the company went public, Old Master Zhao ordered Li Xiude and Situ Hui to clean up their operations within two years, and they resolved to take as much money as possible and vanish.