Chapter Summaries

Yan Ningke defended Zheng Yan Che from Qin Chuan’s public accusations by borrowing Wen Shaoyu’s authority and having Qin Chuan removed from the restaurant. Wen Shaoyu invited Yan Ningke out, and Yan Ningke urged the reserved Zheng Yan Che to join them.

• Yan Ningke asked Wen Shaoyu to lend him his name and bodyguards, then confronted Qin Chuan as he berated Zheng Yan Che.
• Yan Ningke mocked Qin Chuan, revealed that Wen Shaoyu owned the restaurant, and had the bodyguards drag Qin Chuan out.
• Wen Shaoyu approved canceling Qin Chuan’s membership after the manager asked, then invited Yan Ningke to go have fun.
• Yan Ningke accepted the invitation and asked Zheng Yan Che to come along, but Zheng Yan Che hesitated as Wen Shaoyu impatiently called from the car.

Wen Shaoyu brought Yan Ningke and Zheng Yan Che to a club, where Zheng Yan Che quietly drank tea and helped Wen Shaoyu light a cigarette. After Yan Ningke and Zheng Yan Che left, Wen Shaoyu followed them and showed unexpected tenderness toward Yan Ningke outside.

• Wen Shaoyu took Yan Ningke and Zheng Yan Che to an entertainment club, where Zheng Yan Che drank tea while the others partied.
• Zheng Yan Che caught Wen Shaoyu’s cup, lit his cigarette, and poured him tea when Wen Shaoyu ordered him to.
• Yan Ningke teased Zheng Yan Che about a video, and Zheng Yan Che said he had sent it to Wang Hechuan’s wife.
• After Shao Ke called, Yan Ningke and Zheng Yan Che left, and Wen Shaoyu unexpectedly followed them.
• Outside the club, Yan Ningke rushed toward Wen Shaoyu, who discarded his cigarette and caught him tenderly in his arms.

After Shao Ke and Yan Ningke made their relationship official to Wen Shaoyu and Zheng Yan Che, Shao Ke took Yan Ningke home and spent the night with him. Yan Ningke woke the next day worried about the mess on the stairs, learned Shao Ke had cleaned it himself, and prepared to eat with him.

• Shao Ke introduced Yan Ningke as his boyfriend, and Wen Shaoyu offered to host a celebration at his new riding club.
• Yan Ningke invited Zheng Yan Che to the gathering, and Zheng Yan Che agreed to attend.
• Shao Ke and Yan Ningke kissed in the car, then Shao Ke carried him up the stairs at home.
• Shao Ke cleaned the stairs and cared for Yan Ningke before putting him to bed.
• Yan Ningke woke near noon, checked the stairs, and asked Shao Ke who had cleaned them.
• Shao Ke reassured Yan Ningke that he had cleaned up himself, then put his slippers on him and told him Aunt An had made fish.

Yan Ningke remembered the childhood cruelty and later kindness that made fish soup deeply meaningful to him, and Shao Ke comforted him as he cried over the warmth he had lost. The chapter ended with Shao Ke promising to stay and catch him whenever he needed to cry.

• Yan Ningke recalled how an orphanage teacher scalded his hands and kicked him after he dropped a bowl of fish soup, leaving him hungry and alone on Lunar New Year's Eve.
• During university, Yan Ningke was moved to tears when a kind couple offered him fish soup and comforted him, and he began helping at their stall in return.
• Yan Ningke later discovered the soup stall had disappeared, and the couple who had offered him warmth were gone from his life.
• As he ate Aunt An's fish and lamb soup, Yan Ningke told Shao Ke it tasted good and began crying over the memories.
• Shao Ke embraced Yan Ningke, gently coaxed him from his loneliness, and told him to cry freely because he would be there to catch him.

Yan Ningke cried in Shao Ke’s arms, and Shao Ke arranged for a fishpond to be built to cheer him up. Yan Ningke showed it off online, where his playful post went viral, and Shao Ke later demanded to know who the “fish in his heart” was.

• Yan Ningke blamed his tears on Aunt An’s soup, while Shao Ke teased him and agreed to dig a fishpond.
• Shao Ke ordered workers to build the pond, and Yan Ningke stayed inside with Lars while Lin Yechen carried out Shao Ke’s orders.
• After three days, the completed pond had separate sections for ornamental and edible fish, and Yan Ningke posted a photo of it on Weibo.
• Yan Ningke replied to fans that the pond’s fish were for his stomach while his fans were the fish in his heart, and his post trended widely.
• Shao Ke interrogated Yan Ningke that night, and Yan Ningke repeatedly declared his love for him.

After Shao Ke’s identity as Bairun Group’s controlling shareholder became public, he hosted a banquet for Yan Ningke, where Yan Ningke avoided a suspicious horse-racing challenge and Wen Shaoyu asked why Zheng Yan Che had not come. The gathering fell silent when staff announced that Ji Wensheng had arrived to see Shao Ke.

• Ji Wensheng saw photos confirming Shao Ke was the renowned Evlis and reacted angrily to the banquet for Yan Ningke.
• Shao Ke and Yan Ningke arrived late at Wen Shaoyu’s gathering, where Si Yanzhuo congratulated Shao Ke on settling things.
• Guests tried to ingratiate themselves with Yan Ningke, and he declined a proposed horse race before deciding to tell Shao Ke about the man who suggested it.
• Wen Shaoyu asked why Zheng Yan Che had not come, and Yan Ningke said he was away on a business trip because of Wen Shaoyu’s poor date choice.
• A staff member announced that Ji Wensheng was outside to see Chairman Shao, and the gathering fell silent.

Yan Ningke enjoyed Shao Ke’s affection at the gathering, then went to meet Zheng Yan Che at the gate, where Ji Wensheng tried to force his way in and taunted him. Yan Ningke dismissed Ji Wensheng’s claims that Shao Ke would return to him and headed back toward the banquet.

• Shao Ke kissed Yan Ningke and ordered Shao Yang to collect his fiancé, while Yan Ningke accepted his affection and ate fruit with him.
• Yan Ningke received a call from Zheng Yan Che and hurried to meet him, leaving Wen Shaoyu coughing after he misunderstood their exchange.
• Zheng Yan Che arrived at the gate, where the bodyguards admitted him, but Ji Wensheng lashed out because they would not let him in.
• Yan Ningke told Zheng Yan Che to go inside and confronted Ji Wensheng, mocking his claim that Shao Ke would return to him.
• Yan Ningke left Ji Wensheng shouting after him and returned toward the feast.

Yan Ningke left Ji Wensheng to Shao Yang and reunited with Zheng Yan Che, who gave him a protective charm before joining the dinner. At the feast, Wen Shaoyu singled out a young man who had mistreated Zheng Yan Che and ordered him to eat an entire plate of yam with blueberry sauce.

• Yan Ningke mocked Ji Wensheng and left as Shao Yang arrived and dragged Ji Wensheng home.
• Zheng Yan Che gave Yan Ningke a protective charm, and Yan Ningke introduced him to the prominent guests at the feast.
• A young man took the last piece of yam from Zheng Yan Che, then flung it onto his hand; Zheng Yan Che quietly crushed the sauced piece in a napkin.
• Wen Shaoyu had a heaping plate of yam with blueberry sauce brought over for the young man and ordered him to eat it before leaving the room.

After Wen Shaoyu drove Zheng Yan Che away from the riding grounds, Yan Ningke and Shao Ke shared an intimate moment in the car. They reaffirmed their love and left their relationship secure, with Yan Ningke declaring that his heart belonged to Shao Ke.

• Wen Shaoyu refused to provide a driver for Zheng Yan Che, then insisted that Zheng Yan Che ride with him into the city.
• Yan Ningke was stunned when Wen Shaoyu took Zheng Yan Che away, while Si Yanzhuo and Shao Ke found the situation interesting.
• In the car, Shao Ke teased and kissed Yan Ningke after Yan Ningke asked whether Shao Ke would return to Ji Wensheng.
• Yan Ningke said he believed Shao Ke would stay with him, and Shao Ke promised that he would always belong to Yan Ningke.
• Yan Ningke pressed his hand to Shao Ke's heart and declared that he named his heart Shao Ke.

Wen Shaoyu’s friends noticed his unusual mood, and he recalled how his attraction to Zheng Yan Che had led him to force a kiss on him. Shao Ke questioned whether Zheng Yan Che would agree to date him, leaving Wen Shaoyu’s hopes uncertain.

• Yan Ningke questioned Wen Shaoyu about what he had done to Zheng Yan Che, then stopped when he learned Zheng Yan Che had gotten home safely.
• Si Yanzhuo and Shao Ke teased Wen Shaoyu about his grin, prompting him to reflect on his parents’ devotion to each other and his own hopes for a great love.
• Wen Shaoyu remembered that Zheng Yan Che had begun appearing in his thoughts while he satisfied himself, and that the feeling had repeated until he accepted his attraction.
• Wen Shaoyu recalled pinning Zheng Yan Che down in the car and forcibly kissing him until Zheng Yan Che bit him, escaped, and left the driver behind.
• Shao Ke reminded Wen Shaoyu that Yan Ningke valued Zheng Yan Che and asked whether Zheng Yan Che would agree to date him.

Yan Ningke was offered an audition for a fourth male lead in an award-winning director’s cops-and-gangsters film and rushed to tell his company. Yu Ping was stunned by the opportunity, and Yan Ningke was left poised to audition in Yancheng.

• After a night out, Shao Ke carried the exhausted Yan Ningke home, while Wen Shaoyu studied information about someone’s past relationship and reacted with jealousy and disdain.
• Yan Ningke enjoyed a work-free stretch at home while Shao Ke worked long hours.
• Xiao Jingzhan called Yan Ningke and offered him an audition for a compelling fourth male lead after the original actor was fired for cheating.
• Yan Ningke agreed, learned the auditions were in Yancheng, and hurried to the company to inform Yu Ping about the opportunity.
• Yu Ping recognized director Hou Lichun’s name and was so shocked by the prestigious opportunity that he called for heart medication.

Yan Ningke left for Yancheng to audition for a role in At Daybreak, while Shao Ke arranged for Bairun Group to invest in the production. Yan Ningke began his audition by performing Cheng Yin’s interrogation scene.

• Yan Ningke told Shao Ke he would be away filming if he won the role, and Shao Ke quietly arranged for Bairun Group to invest in At Daybreak.
• Yan Ningke left for Yancheng, and he and Shao Ke exchanged affectionate farewells before keeping in touch by phone.
• Yan Ningke and Liao Hai reached the production’s hotel audition, where Yan Ningke read the excerpt about Cheng Yin being accused of spying for the police.
• Hou Lichun watched Yan Ningke begin the audition as Cheng Yin, pleading that he was innocent.
• The executive director challenged Cheng Yin to pick up a knife and stab whoever he believed was the mole.

Yan Ningke impressed the audition team with an intense performance and won a role in the production, then learned he would share a room with Liao Hai. When Shao Ke heard about the cramped accommodation, he took over Lin Yechen’s company meeting and startled the executives with his harsh criticism.

• Yan Ningke portrayed a terrified man driven to madness during the audition and stabbed the person threatening him, earning Hou Lichun’s attention.
• After recovering, Yan Ningke learned the production wanted him to return and sign a contract, making him an official cast member.
• Yan Ningke accepted a shared room with Liao Hai and messaged Shao Ke to explain the arrangement.
• Shao Ke heard about Yan Ningke’s lack of private space and ordered Lin Yechen to hand over his quarterly report meeting.
• Shao Ke scolded the executives over video, leaving them wishing Lin Yechen would return to chair the meeting.

Lin Yechen secured Yan Ningke better treatment on the production, and Yan Ningke openly welcomed Shao Ke’s support and flirted with him. After meeting Xiao Jingzhan for dinner and learning more about Cheng Yin’s role, Yan Ningke returned to the hotel and woke early the next morning.

• Lin Yechen arranged production funding on the condition that Yan Ningke be treated well, and Yan Ningke was moved to a Top-Floor Luxury Suite.
• Yan Ningke thanked Shao Ke with flirtatious messages, and Shao Ke teased him about testing the villa’s rooms when he returned.
• Xiao Jingzhan met Yan Ningke and Liao Hai, then revealed that Cheng Yin was secretly an undercover cop and praised the character’s importance.
• Yan Ningke thanked Xiao Jingzhan for recommending him and promised to treat him to a feast after filming wrapped.
• Yan Ningke returned to his suite, messaged Shao Ke, and fell asleep; the next morning, he got up early and joined Liao Hai for breakfast.

Yan Ningke settled into filming as Cheng Yin while his exhausting schedule strained his nightly video calls with Shao Ke. After completing Cheng Yin’s tragic final scene, he hurried through the autumn rain to Huishan Cemetery, where he and Shao Ke unexpectedly locked eyes.

• Xiao Jingzhan introduced Yan Ningke to the cast, and Yan quickly settled into the production while rushing to film his scenes.
• Yan Ningke grew increasingly tired during filming, and his video calls with Shao Ke grew shorter until one night he fell asleep before the call connected.
• Yan Ningke filmed Cheng Yin’s death as an undercover police officer and received congratulations from the crew when his role wrapped.
• Yan Ningke had Liao Hai drive him through the rain to Huishan Cemetery.
• Yan Ningke arrived carrying flowers and a cake and saw Shao Ke kneeling before a gravestone; Shao Ke turned, and their gazes met.

Yan Ningke visited Shao Ke’s parents’ grave with him on Shao Ke’s birthday, helping him face his grief and promising to stay by his side. After they returned home, Shao Ke tended to Yan Ningke’s bruised knees.

• Yan Ningke introduced himself to Shao Ke’s parents at their grave and explained that he was Shao Ke’s boyfriend.
• Yan Ningke brought a cake and asked Shao Ke’s parents to let them celebrate Shao Ke’s birthday together each year, while reassuring them that Shao Ke was doing well.
• Shao Ke lit a cigarette and leaned on Yan Ningke as Yan Ningke promised never to leave him; they made a birthday wish and vowed to return to the grave together.
• Yan Ningke and Shao Ke met Liao Hai, Uncle Zhang, Lin Yechen, Uncle Zhong, and Si Yanzhuo at the cemetery, then went home without Wen Shaoyu, who was away on business.
• Shao Ke carried Yan Ningke’s weight as they left the grave, then brought him to the bathroom and gently blew on the bruises on his knees.

After recovering at home with Shao Ke, Yan Ningke visited the old doctor and then prepared to attend an industry wine tasting. Shao Ke agreed to let him go and promised to pick him up afterward.

• Shao Ke treated Yan Ningke’s bruised knees, and the two spent the night together before Yan Ningke slept until noon.
• Shao Ke helped Yan Ningke wash and eat, and they joked over braised fish and Ginseng Rooster Soup.
• Shao Ke took Yan Ningke to the old doctor, who confirmed his recovery and prescribed new medicine.
• Yu Ping called and asked Yan Ningke to attend a wine tasting hosted by an ultra-A-list star, and Shao Ke agreed to let him go.
• Yan Ningke went to the company for styling, where Liao Hai took photos of him and planned to post them on Weibo.

At the wine tasting, Yan Ningke found Zheng Yan Che sick with a fever and tried to take him to the hospital, prompting Zheng Yan Che to explain that he had been ill for days. A flashback revealed Zheng Yan Che's dinner with Gao Jingkai and ended with Wen Shaoyu confronting him at home; the next morning, Zheng Yan Che woke alone and arranged to take sick leave.

• Yan Ningke rejected executives who approached him at the wine tasting and memorized the name of one who threatened him.
• Yan Ningke found Zheng Yan Che feverish and drinking, then urged him to go to the hospital.
• Zheng Yan Che recalled dinner with Gao Jingkai, who asked about his personal life and offered to drive him home after his car tire was punctured.
• Wen Shaoyu shoved Zheng Yan Che into his apartment, questioned him about Gao Jingkai, and spent the night with him despite his protests.
• Zheng Yan Che woke alone, handled work calls, requested sick leave from Gao Jingkai, and stared out the window.

After Zheng Yan Che fell ill, Wen Shaoyu came to care for him, and the two grew intimate. Yan Ningke discovered Wen Shaoyu was pursuing Zheng Yan Che and tried to warn his friend, while Wen Shaoyu continued teasing and kissing him.

• Zheng Yan Che returned home sick, bought medicine, and collapsed into bed after taking it.
• Wen Shaoyu arrived at Zheng Yan Che's home, found him feverish, and cared for him with medicine and a fever suppository.
• Yan Ningke called Zheng Yan Che the next morning, but Wen Shaoyu answered and revealed he was with him.
• Yan Ningke later confronted Wen Shaoyu at a perfume commercial shoot, and Wen Shaoyu said he was going to see Zheng Yan Che.
• Wen Shaoyu kissed Zheng Yan Che in a car while Yan Ningke messaged him to hold his ground.
• Yan Ningke received Wen Shaoyu's message claiming he could summon Shao Ke with a single word.

Yan Ningke recognized that Ji Wensheng was using Shao Ke’s parents to lure him into a meeting and called Shao Ke to pick him up. After piecing together Shao Ke’s past, Yan Ningke urged him to investigate the cause of his parents’ deaths and said Shao Yang had caused their accident.

• Yan Ningke received an anonymous message from Ji Wensheng and called Shao Ke, asking whether he trusted him before telling him to come pick him up.
• Yan Ningke completed a suggestive perfume campaign shoot and met Shao Ke in the underground garage.
• In the car, Shao Ke teased Yan Ningke about his revealing outfit and kissed him.
• Yan Ningke confronted Shao Ke in the study, said Ji Wensheng’s message was about his parents, and urged him to investigate their deaths.
• Yan Ningke explained that Shao Ke had blamed himself for surviving the accident that killed his parents, then said Shao Yang had caused it.
• Shao Ke seized Yan Ningke’s hand after hearing his accusation against Shao Yang.