Chapter Summaries

Jiang Huaixiao confronted Jiang Xun in the hospital for risking his life to lure the knife-wielding attackers out, insisting that Jiang Xun was not on his own. He begged Jiang Xun to trust him, leaving Jiang Xun overwhelmed and unsure how to respond when the room door opened again.

• Jiang Huaixiao challenged Jiang Xun for thinking he could handle the attackers alone, and Jiang Xun defended his plan to lure them out.
• Duan Qizhao burst in with breakfast, then left when Jiang Huaixiao ordered him out.
• Jiang Huaixiao told Jiang Xun that he had risked his life and asked him to trust his brother.
• Jiang Xun struggled to respond to Jiang Huaixiao's gentle plea, and someone pushed open the hospital room door.

Jiang Huaixiao confronted Shen Wangjing over Jiang Xun’s injuries and questioned whether he would join the Li family, but Shen Wangjing refused and said he wanted to build a life with Jiang Xun himself. Li Zhaoheng arrived to invite Shen Wangjing back to Hong Kong City and bury his mother in the Li family cemetery, leaving the decision unresolved when he noticed someone peeking from the hospital room.

• Shen Wangjing apologized to Jiang Huaixiao for failing to protect Jiang Xun, and Jiang Huaixiao punched him in the corridor.
• Jiang Huaixiao asked Shen Wangjing whether he would return to the Li family, and Shen Wangjing refused, saying he wanted to earn the life Jiang Xun wanted.
• Jiang Huaixiao told Shen Wangjing that Shen Yuxing had already met Li Zhaoheng and agreed to go back to Hong Kong City.
• Li Zhaoheng recalled judging Shen Yuxing as grasping and impatient, while Shen Wangjing had impressed him as steady and resilient.
• Li Zhaoheng asked Shen Wangjing to return with him and promised to bury his mother in the Li family cemetery, but Shen Wangjing refused.
• Li Zhaoheng noticed a tousled head peeking out from the hospital room door.

Li Zhaoheng met Jiang Xun at the hospital and tried to pair him with his grandson, Li Jingyao, for the sake of the Li family’s ties to the Jiang family. After leaving, Li Zhaoheng urged Shen Wangjing to pursue money and power so he could protect the people he cared about, then made a phone call as his car left the hospital.

• Li Zhaoheng spotted Jiang Xun eavesdropping and decided the handsome young master would make a useful match for his grandson, Li Jingyao.
• Li Zhaoheng praised his grandson to Jiang Xun and offered to introduce them, while Jiang Xun teased Shen Wangjing by asking whether Li Jingyao was as handsome as him.
• Shen Wangjing dismissed Li Zhaoheng and took the old man’s business card from Jiang Xun, claiming he was keeping it safe.
• Outside the hospital, Li Zhaoheng told Shen Wangjing that money and power could secure justice and protect loved ones, and urged him to think over his advice.
• After the stretch Bentley left the hospital, Li Zhaoheng opened his eyes and called a number from his phone.

Shen Yuxing brought soup to Jiang Xun’s hospital room and overheard him joking with Shen Wangjing, prompting reflections on his complicated feelings toward Jiang Xun. After Duan Qizhao warned him about the dangers of returning to the Li family, Shen Yuxing erupted over his difficult upbringing, and Jiang Xun stopped him from leaving.

• Li Zhaoheng ordered Li Jingyao to come to Capital City and meet the Jiang family’s newly found youngest son, Jiang Xun.
• Shen Yuxing watched Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing play cards together and realized his former jealousy had become a more distant, complicated feeling.
• Duan Qizhao warned Shen Yuxing that the Li family’s collateral branches might target him if he returned without protection.
• Shen Yuxing defended his desire for a better life and described his mother’s death, his paralyzed grandfather, and his father’s violence.
• Jiang Xun opened the ward door, and when Shen Yuxing tried to leave after delivering soup, he caught his wrist and invited him to stay.

Jiang Xun, Shen Wangjing, and Duan Qizhao comforted Shen Yuxing and advised him to finish school before facing the Li family. Li Zhaoheng agreed to fund Shen Yuxing’s education and arranged for Shen Wangjing to return to school, but the brothers’ new supplementary cards left Shen Yuxing uneasy.

• Jiang Xun shared soup with Shen Yuxing and urged him not to rush back to the Li family before finishing school.
• Shen Wangjing told Shen Yuxing he could acknowledge his roots later, after gaining an education and the ability to stand up for himself, and Shen Yuxing agreed.
• Li Zhaoheng agreed to cover Shen Yuxing’s schooling in Capital City on the condition that he review his end-of-term report card.
• Li Zhaoheng met Shen Wangjing, who said he wanted to return to school rather than join the Li family immediately.
• Li Zhaoheng enrolled Shen Wangjing at Jinghua Middle School with Jiang Xun and Shen Yuxing, and gave both brothers unlimited supplementary cards.
• Shen Yuxing accepted the card uneasily, and within two days that unease came to a head.

Li Zhaoheng received documents accusing Shen Yuxing of poisoning Jiang Yu and Shen Wangjing of killing his father, then learned Jiang Yu had sent them. After dismissing Jiang Yu, Li Zhaoheng confronted Shen Wangjing, who denied killing Shen Dayong but said he had wanted him dead.

• Li Zhaoheng received surveillance images and village statements accusing Shen Yuxing and Shen Wangjing of wrongdoing.
• Li Zhaoheng’s assistant traced the anonymous package to Jiang Yu, who had sent it to expose the Shen brothers’ past.
• Li Zhaoheng had Jiang Yu brought to his suite, rejected his attempt to turn the accusations against the Shen brothers, and ordered the bodyguards to remove him.
• Li Zhaoheng summoned Shen Wangjing and pushed the documents toward him for an explanation.
• Shen Wangjing denied killing Shen Dayong but said that Shen Dayong deserved to die and that he had wanted him dead.

Li Zhaoheng questioned Shen Wangjing about his father’s death after reviewing evidence about Shen Yuxing’s past. Shen Wangjing recounted how Shen Dayong stole his savings, beat Shen Yuxing, and drowned during a fight with him, leaving Shen Wangjing to return home badly wounded and find his brother near death.

• Li Zhaoheng recognized that Shen Yuxing’s actions against Jiang Yu followed years of hardship and asked Shen Wangjing how Shen Dayong died.
• Shen Wangjing recalled how Shen Yuxing had stayed by his side and helped him carry the burden of their impoverished household.
• Shen Dayong returned home, found Shen Wangjing’s savings, and beat Shen Yuxing when the boy tried to stop him from taking the money.
• Shen Wangjing confronted Shen Dayong by the river, where Shen Dayong’s axe wounded him and Shen Dayong fell into the water and drowned.
• Shen Wangjing struggled home and found Shen Yuxing lying in a pool of blood after Shen Dayong had nearly beaten him to death.

Shen Wangjing told Li Zhaoheng the truth about saving Shen Yuxing and how the boy's amnesia left him believing his brother planned to abandon him. After Li Jingyao arrived and announced his interest in Jiang Xun, Shen Wangjing warned him to stay away, then received several messages from Jiang Xun.

• Shen Wangjing explained that at fifteen he had saved money to send Shen Yuxing away to study, but Shen Yuxing had misunderstood and believed the money was for his brother's escape.
• Li Zhaoheng promised to deal with Shen Dayong and the human traffickers, and told Shen Wangjing he would protect the brothers.
• Li Jingyao introduced himself as Shen Wangjing's cousin and asked about his fiancée, Jiang Xun.
• Shen Wangjing grabbed Li Jingyao's shoulder and warned him to stay away from Jiang Xun.
• Li Jingyao fled after promising not to pursue Jiang Xun for now, and Shen Wangjing then received several messages from Jiang Xun.

Shen Wangjing returned to the hospital and spent the evening with Jiang Xun, whose teasing revealed that Shen Wangjing was jealous of Li’s younger grandson. As they settled in for the night, they urged each other to avoid taking risks again, and Jiang Xun pretended to sleep after accidentally admitting he had planned an escape route.

• Jiang Xun called Shen Wangjing back to the hospital, where he shared fruit dessert with him and joked with Duan Qizhao.
• After Duan Qizhao left, Jiang Xun noticed Shen Wangjing was upset and teased him about Li’s younger grandson.
• Shen Wangjing said the other man was not as handsome as him, and Jiang Xun delightedly realized he was jealous.
• Shen Wangjing held Jiang Xun close, fetched him water, and reminded him to eat properly after his discharge the next day.
• Jiang Xun told Shen Wangjing not to take such risks again, and Shen Wangjing pointed out that Jiang Xun had offered himself as bait to Captain Zhou.
• Jiang Xun accidentally revealed he had scouted an escape route, then pretended to sleep until Shen Wangjing’s breathing steadied.

Jiang Xun was discharged from the hospital with Shen Wangjing and Jiang Huaixiao, but Li Jingyao arrived to take him to meet his grandfather and declared himself a candidate to be Jiang Xun’s boyfriend. Jiang Xun rejected Li Jingyao’s advances and had Shen Wangjing throw away his extravagant bouquet, leaving Li Jingyao humiliated and angry.

• Jiang Huaixiao woke Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing, brought soup, and took them to complete Jiang Xun’s discharge.
• Li Jingyao arrived at the hospital and said his grandfather had ordered him to bring Jiang Xun to see him.
• Li Jingyao introduced himself as a candidate to be Jiang Xun’s future boyfriend, and Jiang Xun mocked his blond hair by calling him a golden retriever.
• Shen Wangjing blocked Li Jingyao from approaching Jiang Xun, while Jiang Xun said he liked seeing Shen Wangjing act possessive and intimidating.
• Duan Qizhao arrived, mocked Li Jingyao’s hair and extravagant bouquet, and joined Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing outside the hospital.
• Jiang Xun let Shen Wangjing accept Li Jingyao’s bouquet, then watched him throw it into a sorting bin and told Li Jingyao to leave.

After Jiang Xun returned home from the hospital, he persuaded Jiang Huaixiao to let him go back to school, where Shen Wangjing had moved into the dorms. Jiang Huaixiao later learned that Jiang Xun had secretly completed boarding paperwork and rushed to the school.

• Li Jingyao left after taunting Jiang Xun, and Shen Wangjing turned Jiang Xun away from watching him and took him home.
• Jiang Xun persuaded Jiang Huaixiao to let him return to school despite the doctor's advice to rest another week.
• Duan Qizhao told Jiang Xun that Shen Wangjing had moved into a school dorm room near his classroom.
• Jiang Huaixiao returned to a dark villa and learned that Jiang Xun had completed boarding paperwork and signed the guardian field himself.
• Secretary Chen told Jiang Huaixiao that Shen Wangjing lived next door to Jiang Xun, and Jiang Huaixiao set off for the school.

Jiang Huaixiao visited Jiang Xun at the dorm and accepted his decision to board at school. As Shen Wangjing settled into Jinghua, classmates loudly shipped him and Jiang Xun, while Duan Qizhao endured being their overlooked friend; the chapter ended with Duan discovering that Metamorphosis had passed a billion views and was holding a celebration banquet.

• Jiang Huaixiao found Jiang Xun’s handwritten notes in Room 302 and agreed to let him board at school, asking Duan Qizhao to help put away supplies.
• Jiang Yu disappeared from Jinghua after his enrollment was transferred and his classroom desk was removed.
• Students crowded around Class Three to watch Shen Wangjing and Jiang Xun, leaving Duan Qizhao complaining about being their backdrop.
• Duan Qizhao refused to deliver love letters, insisting that his relationship with Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing was pure brotherhood.
• Duan Qizhao saw that Metamorphosis had passed a billion views and announced that the production team was holding a celebration banquet.

Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing attended the Metamorphosis celebration banquet, where the season’s footage and their growing popularity drew attention. As Jiang Xun enjoyed the lobster, a haughty young man arrived at the hall with two bodyguards.

• Duan Qizhao told Jiang Xun that the director had invited him, Shen Yuxing, and Brother Jing to a banquet at the Hengyue Hotel.
• Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing arrived at the banquet, where guests stared at Jiang Xun and the director greeted them.
• The director teased Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing about their popularity and praised them for helping the show surpass a billion views.
• The banquet screened highlights of the season, including Shen Wangjing carrying Jiang Xun and Jiang Xun’s viral threat to the camera.
• Jiang Xun hurried to the seafood section and shared lobster with Shen Wangjing.
• A young man in a silver-gray suit entered the banquet hall with two bodyguards.

Li Shaoqian confronted Shen Wangjing at the banquet, but Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing humiliated and drove him away. Afterward, the director learned that Jiang Xun may not have been trafficked as a baby, and the former orphanage worker offered evidence to the Jiang family.

• Li Shaoqian insulted Shen Wangjing and Jiang Xun, then swung at Jiang Xun.
• Shen Wangjing caught Li Shaoqian's fist and twisted his wrist, while Duan Qizhao blocked the bodyguards.
• Shen Yuxing accidentally-on-purpose hit Li Shaoqian with a cake, and Li Shaoqian left the banquet in disarray.
• Shen Wangjing peeled lobster for Jiang Xun and cleaned sauce from his nose as Shen Yuxing watched.
• The director received a call from a former South City Orphanage worker, who said Jiang Xun had arrived as a baby wrapped in an expensive, bloodstained blanket and might not have been trafficked.
• The former worker told the director he had kept a few things and asked her to find out whether the Jiang family would make an offer.

The director told Jiang Huaixiao about a man claiming to know what happened when Jiang Xun was taken from the crash scene. Sun Shutong brought an embroidered piece of Jiang Xun’s baby blanket and a longevity lock engraved with his name, leaving Jiang Huaixiao to hear the rest of the story.

• The director watched Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing at the banquet, then left early to contact Jiang Huaixiao.
• The director played Jiang Huaixiao a recording and explained that Sun Shutong had a fragment of the blanket Jiang Xun was wrapped in as a baby.
• Jiang Huaixiao recognized the magnolia embroidery on the cloth as his mother Song Minzhi’s work.
• Sun Shutong told Jiang Huaixiao that he found a bloodstained baby in a bamboo basket outside an orphanage seventeen years earlier and secretly kept the blanket.
• Sun Shutong produced a longevity lock engraved with the character “Xun,” and Jiang Huaixiao stopped breathing for an instant.

Jiang Huaixiao uncovered that Liu Wanying had arranged the crash that killed Song Minzhi and caused Jiang Xun to disappear as a baby. He confronted Liu Wanying in detention and vowed to ensure she received the harshest punishment.

• Jiang Huaixiao remembered Song Minzhi praying for Jiang Xun and the longevity lock that vanished with him after the car crash.
• Jiang Huaixiao matched the embroidered fabric and blood evidence to Song Minzhi and found that the crash’s brake pads had been tampered with.
• Jiang Huaixiao’s investigation linked Liu Wanying to bribing the driver and arranging for Jiang Xun to be taken away and disposed of.
• Jiang Huaixiao learned that Liu Wanying had later drugged Jiang Xun and sent him to the Metamorphosis Production Team to ruin his reputation.
• Jiang Huaixiao told Liu Wanying that Jiang Yu had been expelled and warned her he would pursue the harshest punishment for her.

Jiang Huaixiao told Jiang Xun that his mother had never abandoned him and gave him the longevity lock that proved it. After visiting Song Minzhi’s grave, Jiang Xun lay awake in his dormitory, grieving the life they might have shared.

• Jiang Huaixiao left Liu Wanying and resolved to protect Jiang Xun and make sure he knew he had been wanted.
• Jiang Huaixiao told Jiang Xun how Sun Shutong had brought him the evidence and how Liu Wanying had confessed to her crimes.
• Jiang Xun accepted the longevity lock, broke down as Jiang Huaixiao held his hand, and asked to visit his mother’s grave.
• Jiang Xun laid white roses at Song Minzhi’s grave and traced her name on the headstone.
• Jiang Xun imagined how Song Minzhi had protected and loved him, then lay awake grieving the childhood he had missed.
• Someone gently pushed open the dormitory door.

Jiang Xun dreamed of his mother, Song Minzhi, comforting him and urging him to keep walking without looking back, while Shen Wangjing stayed by his side. In the weeks that followed, Shen Wangjing continued caring for Jiang Xun at school, ending the chapter with a tender kiss as he dried Jiang Xun’s hair.

• Shen Wangjing comforted Jiang Xun as he grieved after seeing his mother, and Jiang Xun fell asleep in his arms.
• Jiang Xun dreamed that Song Minzhi embraced him, told him she would always love him, and urged him to keep walking without looking back.
• Jiang Xun woke crying, and Shen Wangjing held him until he fell asleep again near dawn.
• Shen Wangjing established a morning routine of waking Jiang Xun and helping him get ready, while Duan Qizhao grew accustomed to it.
• Shen Wangjing returned from the cafeteria, dried Jiang Xun’s wet hair, and kissed the back of his neck.

Jiang Xun and Shen Wangjing grew closer as Shen Wangjing rapidly improved his grades and earned a guaranteed-admission offer to UCL. Shen declined it to avoid leaving Jiang Xun exposed to the Li family, but Jiang promised to follow him wherever he went.

• Shen Wangjing teased Jiang Xun with a deliberate kiss on the forehead, making Jiang flee to the balcony.
• Shen Wangjing's grades rose from the lower middle of his year to the top ten after intensive tutoring and weekly tests.
• Jinghua Middle School awarded Shen the year's guaranteed-admission slot with a full scholarship to UCL.
• Shen declined the offer, and Jiang confronted him about giving up the opportunity.
• Jiang told Shen he would go wherever Shen went, and Shen pulled him into his arms.

Shen Wangjing promised Jiang Xun that he would keep studying and never let him go again, and Jiang Xun began working hard to keep pace with him. On Christmas Eve, the four friends shared dinner and watched fireworks, where Shen Wangjing said something Jiang Xun could not hear.

• Shen Wangjing told Jiang Xun he would keep studying, honor his promises, and stay with him wherever he went.
• Shen Wangjing tutored Jiang Xun each evening, and Duan Qizhao supported his friend's new dedication to studying.
• Duan Qizhao arranged a Christmas Eve dinner for himself, Jiang Xun, Shen Wangjing, and Shen Yuxing.
• The four friends ate barbecue together, then went to the river to watch the fireworks.
• Shen Wangjing wrapped his scarf around Jiang Xun and whispered something during the fireworks, but Jiang Xun could not hear him.