Chapter Summaries

Li Yi enjoyed the unusually comfortable conditions of his gardening job at Shi Yan’s villa, where Yingjun showed him the elaborate guest rooms and joked about Shi Yan’s habits. After Shi Yan returned, Li Yi reported on his garden inspection, but Shi Yan gave him little indication of what he thought.

• Li Yi learned that the gardening job offered short working hours, generous pay, meals, and a long lunch break, and he told Yingjun which foods he disliked.
• Yingjun showed Li Yi the villa’s differently themed guest rooms and joked that Shi Yan might be planning to keep eighteen young models there.
• Li Yi chose the cozy first guest room for his nap and woke at three thirty, then admired the sunlit garden.
• Shi Yan returned to the villa, exchanged a brief greeting with Li Yi, and ordered iced cola from Yingjun.
• Li Yi reported which garden plants needed fertilizer, loosened soil, or regular watering, while Shi Yan responded only with a brief acknowledgment.

Li Yi settled into his new gardening job and shared cheerful photos from his first day, while Lu Junjia and Lu Xingluo plotted to poison Sheriff. As Li Yi went to bed, someone began unlocking his bedroom door.

• Shi Yan visited the villa, watched Li Yi work in the garden, and left after encountering Sheriff in the dog park.
• Li Yi returned to the Lu family villa, cared for Sheriff, and studied plant care before sharing Yingjun’s photos on WeChat Moments.
• Lu Junjia and Lu Xingluo found a spare key and planned to spray highly toxic pesticide on Sheriff while Li Yi slept.
• Li Yi played with Sheriff, studied until late, and had just begun to feel drowsy when he heard his door lock moving.

Li Yi caught Lu Junjia and Lu Xingluo breaking into his room and retaliated with cat litter, an umbrella, and insecticide. As Qiao Xinyue rushed to help Junjia, he spat the litter across her face.

• Li Yi woke, armed himself with an umbrella, and dumped foul cat litter over Lu Junjia and Lu Xingluo when they opened his door.
• Lu Xingluo sprayed insecticide at Li Yi, but he swept her to the floor with a kick.
• Tuxedo Cat scratched Lu Junjia’s calves as he searched the room, and Li Yi kicked him down and sprayed his hair with insecticide.
• Li Yi hit Lu Xingluo with the insecticide can, and she fell onto the spilled litter before fleeing to her room.
• Lu Hongshen and Qiao Xinyue came out after hearing the commotion, and Li Yi forced cat litter into Junjia’s mouth while accusing him of stealing cat poop.
• Qiao Xinyue rushed toward Junjia, but Li Yi dodged her, and Junjia spat litter across her face as he clung to her.

Li Yi clashed with Lu Hongshen over his plans to take Sheriff out, making clear he no longer trusted the Lu family and would stay only until he secured his grandfather’s inheritance. After the pet shop he had chosen closed unexpectedly, Li Yi carried Sheriff to the villa in Wisteria Garden for breakfast.

• Lu Hongshen and Qiao Xinyue retreated from Li Yi’s room after the insecticide and cat-waste stench made Qiao Xinyue sick, while servants speculated that Lu Junjia and Lu Xingluo had come to steal cat waste.
• Li Yi decided to board Sheriff at a pet shop and eventually move out, but to remain with the Lu family for now because his grandfather’s inheritance protected him.
• Lu Hongshen questioned Li Yi about taking Sheriff out, and Li Yi accused him of replacing him with Lu Junjia and treating him like a servant.
• When Lu Hongshen threatened to throw coffee at him, Li Yi smashed his glass on the floor and warned his father not to lay a hand on him.
• Lu Hongshen ordered his assistant to investigate Li Yi’s whereabouts and whether he had contacted a lawyer.
• Li Yi found the pet shop closed and, after Yingjun urged him to come for breakfast, carried Sheriff to the villa in Wisteria Garden.

Li Yi brought Sheriff to the villa again and discovered that Shi Yan had prepared an elaborate Cat Bed for him, which Li Yi suspected was meant to keep Sheriff as a hostage. After watching a video of Li Yi with Sheriff, Shi Yan declined a gathering but invited the suspicious friend to visit after work.

• Yingjun told Li Yi that Shi Yan had arranged for Sheriff to stay in the villa and made him a Cat Bed.
• Li Yi guessed that Shi Yan was keeping Sheriff as a Cat Hostage because he still suspected Li Yi of seeking the Lu family fortune.
• Yingjun showed Li Yi the lavish Cat Bed and recorded Sheriff playing with his toys and eating his favorite canned food.
• Shi Yan watched the unedited video, recognized Li Yi's affection for Sheriff, and saved it.
• Shi Yan declined an invitation to meet, then agreed to let the friend visit after work when the friend questioned why he had prepared a Cat Bed.

Li Yi went to Song Tianyi’s birthday party at Starlight Bar, determined to turn the humiliation Zhou Xuanze had planned against him back on their circle. He used Zhou Xuanze’s money and Shi Yan’s membership information to secure entry, while Zhou and his friends waited to mock him.

• Li Yi accepted Zhou Xuanze’s invitation, prepared a gift from a litter box, and headed to Starlight Bar.
• Zhou Xuanze and his friends mocked Li Yi, while Lu Junjia and Li Xu discussed his relationship with Zhou.
• Zhou Xuanze admitted he was only playing with Li Yi, and the group assumed security would keep Li Yi out of the bar.
• Song Tianyi and Xu Ming went to the entrance to watch Li Yi struggle to get inside.
• Li Yi used the million Zhou Xuanze had given him and Shi Yan’s membership card information from Yingjun to apply for a membership card.

Li Yi arrived at Song Tianyi’s birthday gathering with an expensive bottle of wine and a Harry Winston bag, then taunted Xu Ming and exposed how much he knew about Xu Ming’s private life. He made Xu Ming let him enter the private room first and greeted the stunned guests.

• Li Yi bought a 1.35-million-yuan bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl and charged it to Zhou Xuanze’s room.
• Li Yi confronted Xu Ming and Song Tianyi, and the waiter announced that Li Yi was an esteemed member and the wine was the venue’s most expensive bottle.
• Xu Ming insulted Li Yi, who mocked his looks and revealed that he knew about Xu Ming’s relationship with Xu Lin Li.
• Li Yi boasted about his job and warned Xu Ming that he could lose his standing in the Xu family, prompting Xu Ming to threaten him.
• Li Yi challenged Xu Ming to threaten him again, then demanded respect as the distinguished guest, and Xu Ming opened the private room door for him.
• Li Yi entered the room and greeted the three people inside, leaving them stunned.

Li Yi attended Song Tianyi’s birthday gathering, where he rebuffed Lu Junjia and Zhou Xuanze, shared an expensive bottle of wine, and refused an invitation to extreme racing. When Li Xu opened Li Yi’s gift and found cat poop, the chaos ended with Li Yi kicking him and leaving the contaminated room.

• Li Yi arrived and mocked Lu Junjia’s offer to send a family driver, while Song Tianyi laughed at Lu Junjia’s expense.
• The server revealed that Li Yi had ordered the million-plus bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl, and Li Yi reminded Zhou Xuanze that they had already broken up.
• Song Tianyi thanked Li Yi for the birthday wine and invited him to an extreme-racing gathering, but Li Yi declined.
• Li Xu grabbed Li Yi’s gift bag and accused him of using stolen luxury packaging before opening the box and finding a foul-smelling lump of cat poop.
• Lu Junjia vomited on Li Xu after he touched the cat poop, and Li Yi kicked Li Xu in the crotch before leaving with the wine.

Li Yi confronted Li Xu at Song Tianyi’s birthday party, then erupted into a brutal fight as memories of his past humiliation returned. Shi Yan, Peng Yuyan, and Qi Feiyu arrived and watched as the brawl escalated.

• Peng Yuyan told Shi Yan that someone named Li had used his membership information to order Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl, and Shi Yan identified Li Yi as his gardener.
• Peng Yuyan and Qi Feiyu persuaded Shi Yan to go to room 261, where Li Yi was arguing with Li Xu, Zhou Xuanze, and the others at Song Tianyi’s birthday party.
• Li Xu hurled a bottle toward the doorway, and Li Yi handed the expensive liquor to Shi Yan before rushing back into the room.
• Li Yi punched Li Xu and kept beating him, while Song Tianyi, Zhou Xuanze, Xu Ming, and Lu Junjia tried and failed to stop him.
• Li Yi stomped on Zhou Xuanze, Xu Ming, and Lu Junjia as memories of Li Xu’s past cruelty and the humiliation at the party drove his rage; Peng Yuyan watched from the doorway as Shi Yan approached with a gloomy expression.

Li Yi beat Li Xu and threatened to expose his secret feelings for Zhou Xuanze, then clashed with Shi Yan over a bottle of Louis XIII. The group went to a private room, where Peng Yuyan pointed out Li Yi’s legal and financial troubles while Qi Feiyu treated his injured hands.

• Li Yi beat Li Xu, photographed him, and warned him not to seek revenge or he would reveal his obsession with Zhou Xuanze and his stolen clothes.
• Shi Yan and Qi Feiyu watched from the doorway as Peng Yuyan praised Li Yi’s fighting, and Shi Yan confiscated the Louis XIII bottle Li Yi had left with a stranger.
• Li Yi chased Shi Yan and argued with him and Peng Yuyan about who owned the bottle and whether the bar was ripping him off.
• Qi Feiyu brought Li Yi to a private room and treated his injured hands, while Peng Yuyan explained that Li Yi had charged the bottle to Zhou’s account and listed the trouble he faced.
• Peng Yuyan and Qi Feiyu sampled the Louis XIII, and Shi Yan silently offered his glass for a share.

Li Yi remembered Peng Yuyan’s future downfall after hearing about his matchmaking hobby, while Shi Yan and his friends prepared to visit Xīnzhōutián for a race. When Peng Yuyan invited Li Yi along, the mention of Xīnzhōutián and the Mist Forest brought a scene from the novel to Li Yi’s mind.

• Li Yi gave Shi Yan only a little wine and refused Peng Yuyan’s invitation to stay out late, warning him to stop meddling in other people’s affairs.
• Li Yi recalled how Lu Junjia and Zhou Xuanze would use Peng Yuyan’s matchmaking to smear a divorced woman and ruin the lawyer’s reputation.
• Shi Yan defended Li Yi’s warning, and Peng Yuyan explained that he enjoyed matchmaking as much as handling divorce cases.
• Qi Feiyu prepared his medical kit and left early for his emergency-doctor shift at Xīnzhōutián; Shi Yan declined to race because he had been drinking.
• Peng Yuyan invited Li Yi to watch the races at Xīnzhōutián, and Li Yi recognized the location from a scene in the novel.

Li Yi tried to stop Qi Feiyu and his friends from attending a mountain race, hoping to prevent the accident that would ruin Qi Feiyu’s life, but he went along when they refused. At Xīnzhōutián, someone recognized Li Yi and questioned why he had come after saying he would not.

• Li Yi warned Peng Yuyan and Qi Feiyu that it might rain, but Qi Feiyu left for the race anyway, so Li Yi decided to accompany him.
• Li Yi checked his liquor into storage and refused to drive because he had no license, prompting Peng Yuyan to call drivers for them.
• Shi Yan made Li Yi ride in his car, where he wondered why Li Yi had predicted rain and reflected on the boy’s unusual confidence and fighting ability.
• The two cars reached Xīnzhōutián, where a voice asked Li Yi why he had come after saying he would not.

Li Yi rejected Zhou Xuanze and made clear that he liked Shi Yan, while Shi Yan played along and teased him. The group headed to the spectator stands, leaving Zhou Xuanze behind, stunned and heartbroken.

• Zhou Xuanze warned Li Yi about Shi Yan and urged him to get back together, but Li Yi told him to stop bad-mouthing Shi Yan and said he already knew about his past.
• Li Yi said he had never truly liked Zhou Xuanze and considered their relationship over, while Zhou Xuanze insisted they were still a couple.
• Li Yi asked Shi Yan to help him drive Zhou Xuanze away, and Shi Yan called himself something exciting, flustering Li Yi and upsetting Zhou Xuanze.
• Li Yi joked that he would keep eighteen male models, and Shi Yan teased him about needing more than one man.
• Peng Yuyan asked what Li Yi meant by eighteen, so Li Yi improvised that he meant eighteen older brothers; Shi Yan asked him to call him big brother, but Li Yi refused and walked toward the stands.
• Zhou Xuanze watched Li Yi leave with Shi Yan and Peng Yuyan, looking desolate.

Li Yi tried to stop Zhou Xuanze from entering a dangerous mountain race, but his blunt warnings only made Zhou Xuanze more determined to compete. Afterward, Li Yi spoke with Shi Yan about his violent past and their strained connection, and Shi Yan offered to add him back on WeChat.

• Li Yi realized he could prevent the plot's conflict by stopping Zhou Xuanze from racing and returned to warn him about the coming downpour.
• Li Yi urged Zhou Xuanze to sit out the race, but Zhou Xuanze took offense and insisted on competing.
• Peng Yuyan learned from Shi Yan that Li Yi was Zhou Xuanze's ex-boyfriend, then teased Shi Yan about being single.
• Li Yi found Shi Yan waiting for him and asked whether the accusations about Shi Yan's family were true.
• Shi Yan confirmed the accusations, but Li Yi said he understood his desire for revenge and asked him to remember that he had deleted Li Yi on WeChat.
• Shi Yan laughed at Li Yi's grudge and offered to add him back on WeChat.

Li Yi watched a mountain-road race and predicted that heavy rain would cause injuries, then had Peng Yuyan warn Qi Feiyu to save Wen Chi first. After multiple crashes left Wen Chi and Zhou Xuanze injured, Qi Feiyu faced pressure to choose whom to treat and walked toward Zhou Xuanze.

• Li Yi teased Shi Yan about being deleted on WeChat, then watched the race with Shi Yan and Peng Yuyan.
• Li Yi recalled Wen Chi’s future fixation on Lu Junjia and resolved to warn Qi Feiyu to save Wen Chi first.
• As Wen Chi and Zhou Xuanze raced neck and neck, Li Yi predicted rain, called 120, and asked Peng Yuyan to contact Qi Feiyu.
• Heavy rain caused multiple cars to crash, injuring Wen Chi and Zhou Xuanze, while Lu Junjia pleaded for Zhou Xuanze to be treated first.
• Qi Feiyu remembered Li Yi’s warning, assessed both injured men, and began walking toward Zhou Xuanze.

After a race-car crash, Qi Feiyu treated Zhou Xuanze and Wen Chi at a makeshift first-aid station, while Li Yi watched over Qi Feiyu and worried about his safety. As they left, Shi Yan pointed out that Li Yi had seemed intent on keeping Feiyu from getting hurt.

• Lu Junjia urged Qi Feiyu to treat Zhou Xuanze, but Qi Feiyu asked him to be quiet and examined Zhou first.
• Qi Feiyu examined Wen Chi's chest and treated the wounds on his leg while Wen Chi endured the pain and secretly played with Qi Feiyu's coat.
• Li Yi saw Qi Feiyu treating Wen Chi and left reassured that Wen Chi would not retaliate against him.
• Qi Feiyu accompanied Wen Chi in an ambulance, while Zhou Xuanze watched for Li Yi and Lu Junjia rode with him.
• Shi Yan told Li Yi that his actions during the storm suggested he had been trying to keep Qi Feiyu safe.

Li Yi thanked Shi Yan for helping him and eventually accepted his persistent WeChat friend requests. The next morning, Li Yi enjoyed breakfast while the Lu family endured his presence and discussed their plans to get his shares and remove him.

• Li Yi argued with Shi Yan about his concern for Qi Feiyu, then thanked Shi Yan for driving him home.
• Qiao Xinyue questioned Li Yi about knowing Shi Yan, and Li Yi claimed he had booked a ride through Didi.
• Shi Yan repeatedly sent Li Yi WeChat friend requests until Li Yi accepted the ninety-ninth one, and Shi Yan wished him sweet dreams.
• Li Yi considered approaching Shi Yan's friends about working with him and having Peng Yuyan help him avoid contract traps.
• Li Yi cheerfully ate most of the Lu family's breakfast while Lu Hongshen and Lu Xingluo lost their appetites.
• Lu Hongshen learned that Junjia was staying at the hospital with the injured Xuanze and told Qiao Xinyue to send money and maintain the relationship with the Zhou family.

Li Yi learned that Shi Yan cared about animals and accepted his offer to deal with people investigating him. The chapter ended with Li Yi asking Shi Yan why he was helping him, and Shi Yan saying he disliked people snooping around his villa.

• Yingjun told Li Yi that Shi Yan had cleaned Sheriff’s litter box, donated to animal protection, and avoided getting a dog because he could not properly care for one.
• Yingjun asked Shi Yan whether he was coming back, and Shi Yan confirmed that he would return for dinner.
• Li Yi stayed for dinner, and Shi Yan warned him that someone had investigated him and followed him to the villa.
• Shi Yan offered to handle the people tailing Li Yi, and Li Yi accepted his help.
• Li Yi asked Shi Yan why he was helping him, and Shi Yan said he disliked strangers snooping around his villa.

Li Yi visited the grandparents at South Mountain Nursing Home and told them he planned to leave the Lu family and apply to Beiqing. After deciding to join Lu Xingluo’s charity variety show, he went to see Dean Li and received a message from Zhou Xuanze about checking his Gaokao results.

• Li Yi told the nursing-home grandparents he would leave the Lu family after receiving his coming-of-age gift and hoped to study artificial intelligence at Beiqing.
• Grandpa Wang Song said Lu Xingluo’s manager had asked to use the nursing home for a variety show, and Li Yi agreed while asking to participate.
• Grandma Yun Ruoyi and Grandpa Zhang Jin offered to help Li Yi join the show and oppose Lu Xingluo’s attempt to repair her image.
• Lu Xingluo’s manager explained that the charity show was meant to restore her reputation, and Lu Xingluo decided to behave until filming began.
• Li Yi visited Dean Li, then received Zhou Xuanze’s message asking for his exam admission number so Zhou could check his Gaokao results.

Li Yi tricked Zhou Xuanze and Lu Junjia into believing he had scored poorly so they would not interfere with his university application, then locked in Beiqing University’s artificial intelligence program. He ended the chapter chatting with Shi Yan, who revealed he had designed Yingjun himself.

• Zhou Xuanze and Lu Junjia waited for Li Yi to reveal his Gaokao score, and Zhou grew worried that Li Yi might choose a university that made him harder to control.
• Li Yi told them he had scored 550 and asked Zhou to choose a university for him, sending a misleading exam admission number and asking Zhou to wait until the final application day.
• Zhou suspected Li Yi might be testing him and decided to wait before submitting any choices with Lu Junjia.
• Li Yi revealed that he had actually ranked among Beicheng’s top five and had already locked in Beiqing University’s artificial intelligence program.
• Li Yi explained that he had misled Zhou and Lu Junjia, used the orphanage as his address, and kept his true academic ability hidden from the Lu family.
• Shi Yan asked Li Yi about his university choice, and Li Yi learned that Shi Yan had studied artificial intelligence and personally designed Yingjun.