Chapter Summaries

Fang Ning accompanied Ji Xiangnian to a charity reception, where he publicly introduced her as his wife. After escaping the attention of business guests, she ran into Xia Qing, who had come to the reception and seemed ready to cause trouble.

• Ji Xiangnian admired Fang Ning’s appearance before they set off for the charity reception together.
• Ji Xiangyi met Fang Ning and Ji Xiangnian at the entrance, complimented Fang Ning, and criticized Ji Xiangnian’s plain outfit.
• Ji Xiangnian introduced Fang Ning to business partners as his wife, and Fang Ning played along with the role of his spouse.
• Fang Ning excused herself from the stream of guests and went to find something to drink and eat.
• Xia Qing confronted Fang Ning, surprised to see her at the high-society reception and dressed so elegantly.

At a banquet, Fang Ning traded insults with Xia Qing, then spotted her standing beside Ji Xiangnian and realized she was about to confess to him. The system ordered Fang Ning not to interfere, so she stayed behind and watched as Xia Qing drew Ji Xiangnian to a quiet spot.

• Xia Qing questioned Fang Ning about how she had entered the banquet, and Fang Ning mocked her until Xia Qing left.
• Fang Ning looked for Ji Xiangnian and found Xia Qing standing beside him with admiration in her eyes.
• Fang Ning prepared to approach them, but the system ordered her to leave Xia Qing's confession to Ji Xiangnian alone.
• Fang Ning obeyed the system and watched as Xia Qing drew Ji Xiangnian aside to a quiet spot.

Ji Xiangnian rejected Xia Qing’s confession, while Fang Ning hoped he would accept so she could secure a larger divorce payout. After hearing Fang Ning’s thoughts, Ji Xiangnian left Xia Qing and walked toward Fang Ning.

• Fang Ning and the system bet that Ji Xiangnian would accept Xia Qing’s confession, and Fang Ning imagined using his infidelity to get a bigger divorce payout.
• Ji Xiangnian told Xia Qing he already liked someone and decided not to tell her he was married.
• Ji Xiangnian heard Fang Ning wishing he would accept Xia Qing so she could divorce him and collect money.
• Ji Xiangnian spotted Fang Ning watching from a corner and heard her insist she only liked his money.
• Ji Xiangnian encouraged Xia Qing to improve herself for her own sake, rejected her, and walked toward Fang Ning.
• Xia Qing was stunned by the rejection and concluded Ji Xiangnian had lied about being married.

Xia Qing discovered that Fang Ning was Ji Xiangnian’s wife and left after he revealed that he had rejected her confession. Ji Xiangnian asked Fang Ning about her ideal partner, and the chapter ended with Fang Ning asking why he had turned Xia Qing down.

• Ji Xiangnian introduced Fang Ning to Xia Qing as his wife, leaving Xia Qing stunned.
• Xia Qing apologized and left, while Fang Ning pretended not to know why she had approached them.
• Ji Xiangnian told Fang Ning that Xia Qing had confessed her feelings and he had rejected her.
• Ji Xiangnian asked Fang Ning what kind of partner she liked, and she said she wanted someone rich, handsome, and younger with a wild streak.
• Fang Ning asked Ji Xiangnian why he had rejected Xia Qing and whether she was not his type.

At the banquet, Fang Ning accompanied Ji Xiangnian until she was exhausted, then discovered Xia Qing confronting Ji Xiangyi in the corridor. Ji Xiangyi exposed that Xia Qing had befriended her to get closer to her brother, leaving Ji Xiangyi questioning why she had kept the friendship.

• Ji Xiangnian avoided discussing his romantic preferences with Fang Ning and continued showing her around the banquet.
• Fang Ning asked to leave, so Ji Xiangnian arranged for his driver to take her home while he returned to the banquet.
• Fang Ning saw Xia Qing accuse Ji Xiangyi of hiding that Ji Xiangnian was married.
• Ji Xiangyi challenged Xia Qing’s motives and listed the times Xia Qing had used their friendship to learn about Ji Xiangnian.
• Fang Ning overheard their argument, and Ji Xiangyi heard her thoughts questioning why she kept Xia Qing as a friend.

Ji Xiangyi ended her conversation with Xia Qing, while Ji Xiangnian left a charity banquet after rejecting an executive’s attempt to introduce him to an actress. He returned home drunk, where Fang Ning offered him sobering soup.

• Ji Xiangyi left Xia Qing after telling her to contact Ji Xiangnian directly if she wanted to find him.
• Fang Ning went home, and Ji Xiangnian grew weary of the banquet and left after drinking with company artists.
• An executive tried to use actress Xiao Guo to persuade Ji Xiangnian to help his relative, but Ji Xiangnian threatened him with early retirement.
• Ji Xiangnian returned to the Ji Family home past midnight, dizzy from drinking, and Fang Ning went to fetch him sobering soup.

Fang Ning cared for Ji Xiangnian after he drank too much, and his gratitude made her uneasy. The next day, she found Ji Xiangyi, Ji Xiangzhou, and Ji Xiangchen secretly looking at something on a tablet, while they assumed she was hiding her hurt over news about Ji Xiangnian and a female celebrity.

• Fang Ning brought Ji Xiangnian hot hangover soup, and he remembered the lonely years when he was building his position in the family business.
• Ji Xiangnian thanked Fang Ning and promised to listen to her advice to drink less, leaving her confused by her own reaction.
• Fang Ning came downstairs after sleeping late and found Ji Xiangyi, Ji Xiangzhou, and Ji Xiangchen gathered around a tablet.
• Ji Xiangyi hid the tablet, and Ji Xiangchen asked Fang Ning if she was all right, while the three believed she was upset about Ji Xiangnian and a female celebrity.
• Fang Ning said she was happy to be free from work, but Ji Xiangyi thought she was pretending not to be hurt.

The Ji siblings mistook a misleading photo of Ji Xiangnian with an actress for proof that he had cheated on Fang Ning, so they urged her to leave him and offered to help her find someone new. Ji Xiangnian overheard them and discovered Fang Ning was excited by the idea of dating a younger man, leaving him troubled as he had intended to explain the photo and slowly express his feelings.

• Ji Xiangyi, Ji Xiangchen, and Ji Xiangzhou condemned cheating and advised Fang Ning to break up with Ji Xiangnian, with Ji Xiangzhou joking that he should be castrated.
• Fang Ning agreed that men could not be trusted, then silently grew excited when Ji Xiangyi offered her artists, Ji Xiangchen offered a divorce lawyer, and Ji Xiangzhou offered to introduce her to his athlete friend.
• Fang Ning remembered that her marriage to Ji Xiangnian was contractual and that they had agreed they could each have their own fun, so she considered finding a young man.
• Ji Xiangnian listened nearby and learned that his siblings thought he had cheated and that Fang Ning liked the idea of meeting someone new.
• Ji Xiangnian had returned home to explain that the viral photo with an actress was misleading, but he grew troubled when he realized Fang Ning was interested in young men.

Ji Xiangnian realized he needed to act before Fang Ning divorced him, while Fang Ning and his siblings discussed her future partners and mistook rumors about him for proof of infidelity. The siblings left the couple alone to talk, but Fang Ning still wanted to learn whether Ji Xiangnian’s first love had returned.

• Ji Xiangnian worried that Fang Ning might divorce him before realizing his feelings and considered pursuing her relentlessly.
• Ji Xiangyi, Ji Xiangchen, and Ji Xiangzhou recommended tall, fit young men as potential partners for Fang Ning after her divorce.
• Ji Xiangnian overheard Fang Ning longing for a young man with abs and interrupted the discussion.
• The siblings implied that Ji Xiangnian had cheated with an actress, and Fang Ning pretended to be hurt while hoping his first love had returned.
• Ji Xiangnian sent the three siblings away, and each warned Fang Ning about men before leaving.
• Fang Ning decided not to demand an explanation from Ji Xiangnian but still wanted to confirm whether his first love had returned.

Ji Xiangnian took Fang Ning into the garden to reassure her that he had not done what the online rumors claimed, then asked her to let him pursue her. Fang Ning was stunned and worried that romance would complicate their practical marriage partnership.

• Fang Ning asked Ji Xiangnian about the rumors, and he invited her to walk with him in the garden.
• Ji Xiangnian told Fang Ning that his mother had planted the garden and recalled her love of flowers.
• Ji Xiangnian explained that his father had taught him to be upright and insisted he had never done what people online were saying.
• Ji Xiangnian asked whether Fang Ning believed him, and she said she did not think he would do those things.
• Ji Xiangnian asked Fang Ning to give him a chance to pursue her, leaving her bewildered about their marriage partnership.

After Ji Xiangnian confessed to her, Fang Ning panicked over how far the novel’s plot had strayed and struggled with her renewed feelings for him. She went to discuss a film role, then confided in her manager Wu Qing about her contract marriage.

• Fang Ning questioned Ji Xiangnian about the supposed unattainable love in his heart, and he denied ever having one.
• Fang Ning told the system that Ji Xiangnian had confessed to her, and the system berated her for failing to notice how completely the plot had collapsed.
• Fang Ning wondered whether she had feelings for Ji Xiangnian and struggled to set them aside.
• Fang Ning’s manager, Wu Qing, called to tell her the film she had auditioned for was confirmed, and Fang Ning finalized the arrangements at the company.
• Wu Qing noticed Fang Ning was troubled and took her to a café, where Fang Ning revealed her contract marriage to Ji Xiangnian.

Fang Ning discussed Ji Xiangnian’s confession with Wu Qing and decided not to accept or reject him until she knew him better. On her way home, she searched for rumors linking him to an actress and found an old, cleverly framed photo that made them look like a couple.

• Wu Qing told Fang Ning to take the money and leave when her contractual marriage ended, but Fang Ning explained that Ji Xiangnian now wanted to talk about love.
• Fang Ning admitted she was attracted to Ji Xiangnian but did not know whether her feelings were strong enough to accept him.
• Wu Qing advised Fang Ning to spend more time with Ji Xiangnian before deciding, and Fang Ning agreed to keep him waiting for now.
• Wu Qing warned Fang Ning about online rumors linking Ji Xiangnian to an actress, but Fang Ning said he had claimed the photo was misleading.
• Fang Ning searched for the rumors during her ride home and found an old photo that appeared to show Ji Xiangnian and the actress sharing an intimate moment.

Fang Ning watched people online speculate about her and Ji Xiangnian, deciding she would leave him if he handled the rumors badly or lied to her. Meanwhile, Ji Xiangnian sought advice on courting her and settled on giving her a car, but remembered he had another matter to resolve first.

• Fang Ning read online reactions shipping her with Ji Xiangnian and saw edited videos portraying them as a devoted couple.
• Fang Ning decided to take things one step at a time and said she could not stay with Ji Xiangnian if he lied to her or mishandled the situation.
• Ji Xiangnian asked a friend and then the butler what Fang Ning might need, and learned she sometimes struggled to get around without a driver.
• Ji Xiangnian concluded that Fang Ning lacked a car and decided to use his money to win her affection.
• Ji Xiangnian remembered that he needed to resolve another matter before putting his courtship plan into action.

Ji Xiangnian arranged to gather evidence to clear up the online scandal and welcomed Fang Ning home, then took her out to dinner. During the drive, he asked whether she would accept his pursuit, and Fang Ning teased him for having no experience pursuing anyone.

• Ji Xiangnian called his assistant to obtain banquet entrance footage and bring two people along to help clear his name.
• Ji Xiangnian welcomed Fang Ning home and invited her to dinner, which she accepted despite feeling conflicted about her feelings for him.
• Ji Xiangnian drove Fang Ning to a private restaurant and asked what she thought of him.
• Ji Xiangnian directly asked Fang Ning whether she agreed to his plans to pursue her.
• Fang Ning teased Ji Xiangnian for asking permission to pursue her, and he admitted he had never pursued anyone before.

Fang Ning set boundaries around money and their marriage while agreeing to give Ji Xiangnian a chance to pursue her. At dinner, Ji Xiangnian showed her surveillance footage from the previous night to prove his innocence regarding rumors about an actress.

• Ji Xiangnian asked Fang Ning whether she had given him a chance to pursue her, and she agreed while insisting their feelings must not affect their financial matters.
• Fang Ning told Ji Xiangnian she wanted them to remain calm and handle everything properly if they could not end up together, and he promised.
• Ji Xiangnian drove Fang Ning to an expensive private restaurant, where his assistant reported that they had retrieved surveillance footage.
• Ji Xiangnian showed Fang Ning footage of himself leaving the banquet with an unfamiliar man and the actress rumored to be linked to him, explaining that it would prove his innocence.

Fang Ning accepted Ji Xiangnian’s explanation for the dating-scandal photos, then met Ye Mumu, the fake friend who had exploited the Original Host. She realized Ye Mumu was still wearing clothes and shoes bought with the Original Host’s money and began calculating their cost with the system.

• Ji Xiangnian brought in the woman from the scandal photos and General Manager Yang, who explained that the woman had only helped see him off after a banquet.
• Fang Ning cleared Ji Xiangnian of her suspicions, and he took her to dinner and the Internet Celebrity Food Street.
• Ye Mumu called Fang Ning about their shopping plans, and Fang Ning agreed to meet her despite remembering how Ye Mumu had exploited the Original Host.
• At the café, Ye Mumu said Fang Ning had bought her outfit and shoes, and Fang Ning asked the system to calculate their cost.

Fang Ning turned Ye Mumu’s attempt to make her pay for luxury goods back on her, using flattery and public pressure to push Ye Mumu toward buying them herself. She urged Ye Mumu to spend freely by promising that she could afford even more once she won Ji Xiangnian’s heart.

• Fang Ning accompanied Ye Mumu to a luxury store after Ye Mumu hurried her along to shop.
• Fang Ning pretended to admire Ye Mumu’s selections and asked whether Ji Xiangnian would like her in the clothes.
• Fang Ning asked Ye Mumu to help her by paying for the clothes, leaving Ye Mumu stunned.
• After a sales assistant insulted Ye Mumu’s ability to pay, Fang Ning defended her and claimed she could buy the entire store.
• Fang Ning privately urged Ye Mumu to retaliate by spending money, then assured her that winning Ji Xiangnian’s heart would let her buy ten stores.

After fleecing Ye Mumu by having Xiao Mo provoke her into spending money, Fang Ning returned home expecting Ji Xiangyi and Ji Xiangchen but found Ji Xiangnian with two unexpected visitors. The chapter left their identities and purpose unclear.

• Fang Ning had Xiao Mo help provoke Ye Mumu into buying expensive bags and clothes, while Ye Mumu believed she was putting the sales assistant in her place.
• Ye Mumu realized she had spent her own savings on Fang Ning, but reassured herself that Fang Ning would eventually win Ji Xiangnian over.
• Fang Ning explained to the system that she planned to fleece Ye Mumu gradually and revealed that Xiao Mo had acted as part of her plan.
• The manager confronted Xiao Mo until Fang Ning explained the scheme and offered the staff a share of the commission for helping provoke Ye Mumu next time.
• Fang Ning returned home expecting Ji Xiangyi and Ji Xiangchen, but found Ji Xiangnian sitting with an unfamiliar man and woman in their fifties.

Fang Ning faced her biological father, Fang Guoming, and stepmother, Jiang Hong, when they visited to ask her and Ji Xiangnian for financial help. She called Fang Guoming out for his past cruelty, and Jiang Hong accused her of siding with outsiders.

• Fang Ning learned from the System that the visitors were her biological father, Fang Guoming, and her stepmother, Jiang Hong.
• Fang Ning handed the items she had taken from Ye Mumu to the housekeeper and sat beside Ji Xiangnian.
• Fang Guoming asked Fang Ning and Ji Xiangnian to bail out his struggling family business.
• Fang Ning challenged Fang Guoming's claim to be her father and recalled how he and his new family had treated her as a burden.
• Ji Xiangnian held Fang Ning's hand to steady her as memories stirred deep sadness, while Jiang Hong accused her of refusing to help Fang Guoming.

Fang Guoming demanded that Fang Ning hand over her inheritance, but Ji Xiangnian protected her and sent him away. Afterward, Fang Ning was overwhelmed by memories of her childhood and told Ji Xiangnian she would handle the dispute herself unless she needed help.

• Fang Guoming demanded repayment for raising Fang Ning and insisted that she transfer her shares to him.
• Fang Ning rejected his demand, explaining that her expenses had come from the assets her mother left her.
• Fang Guoming tried to strike Fang Ning, but Ji Xiangnian stepped between them and said the Ji family’s lawyers would handle the share dispute and examine his claims.
• Fang Guoming left with Jiang Hong rather than confront Ji Xiangnian.
• Fang Ning experienced vivid memories of her childhood and her family’s decline after her mother and maternal grandparents died.
• Fang Ning thanked Ji Xiangnian but said she would handle Fang Guoming herself, while Ji Xiangnian offered to help if she needed him.