Chapter Summaries

At Mr. Xie's wedding, Yan Heqing worked as a server and tried to avoid Lu Lin, while Lu Lin noticed a fleeting glimpse of him. Lu Muchi searched for Yan Heqing through the hotel surveillance footage, and Yan Heqing ended the chapter on a short break with a server offering him durian pastries.

• Yan Heqing folded napkin swans and then joined the banquet staff as the wedding guests arrived.
• Lu Lin and Chu Ziyu discussed Lu Lin's closeness with Yan Heqing, and Lu Muchi joined their table while looking for him.
• Lin Fengzhi entered room 2120 with a master key card and prepared to bathe while imagining Lu Lin's scent.
• Yan Heqing served food while avoiding Lu Lin, but Lu Lin caught sight of a slender figure and wondered if it was him.
• Lu Muchi left the banquet and searched surveillance footage for Yan Heqing, who later took a break as a server offered him durian pastries.

Yan Heqing used Lu Muchi’s search for him to lure him into room 2120, where Lu Muchi found Lin Fengzhi naked in bed. Lu Lin saw them together and left, while Lu Muchi confronted Lin Fengzhi about liking his uncle.

• Yan Heqing accepted a durian pastry from a waitress, then went upstairs as the wedding banquet ended.
• Yan Heqing appeared on a surveillance camera and deliberately let Lu Muchi see him enter the twenty-first floor.
• Lu Muchi searched rooms 2116 and 2118 before entering room 2120, where Lin Fengzhi was waiting naked in bed.
• Yan Heqing watched from the stairwell as Lu Muchi entered 2120, then left by the stairs.
• Lu Muchi pulled back the duvet and found Lin Fengzhi; Lu Lin saw them together and left without a word.
• Lin Fengzhi tried to follow Lu Lin, but Lu Muchi stopped him and told him that the person he liked was his uncle.

Lu Muchi confronted Lin Fengzhi after learning he had pursued Lu Muchi to get close to his uncle, then abandoned him and drove to Yan Heqing’s apartment. Yan Heqing returned from feeding stray cats to find Lu Muchi waiting, and the chapter ended with Lu Muchi accusing him of deliberately leaving Lin Fengzhi’s diary in his car.

• Lu Muchi pinned Lin Fengzhi down and accused him of being unworthy, but stopped when Lin Fengzhi cried out in pain and left him sobbing.
• Lu Muchi noticed Lin Fengzhi’s diary in his car, connected it to Yan Heqing, and drove toward Yan Heqing’s apartment.
• Yan Heqing collected canned cat food from his apartment and fed the stray cats near the building.
• Yan Heqing saw Lu Muchi’s Mercedes blocking the road and calmly entered the building.
• Lu Muchi threw the diary at Yan Heqing, cutting his cheek, and accused him of leaving it in the car on purpose.

Yan Heqing used Lu Muchi’s misunderstanding about the diary to make him suspect that Yan was jealous and liked him, then destroyed the diary entry. After finishing his café job, Yan prepared a Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home staff ID and posted it for Lu Lin alone to see, testing whether Lu Lin would respond.

• Yan Heqing let Lu Muchi believe he had deliberately shown him Lin Fengzhi’s diary, prompting Lu Muchi to wonder whether Yan was jealous and liked him.
• Yan Heqing burned the diary entry and washed its ashes down the drain.
• Yan Heqing finished his last shift at the café, received a farewell treat from Zhang Qing and a bonus from the manager, and went home.
• Yan Heqing filled in a Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home staff ID using his own photo and name.
• Yan Heqing posted a photo of the ID to Moments for Lu Lin alone, hoping to gauge Lu Lin’s attitude toward him.

Yan Heqing volunteered at Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home while Lu Lin moved the Lu Group’s gift delivery there up to the same day after seeing Yan Heqing’s Moments post. The chapter ended with Lu Lin arriving and asking whether any volunteers were there, without yet finding Yan Heqing.

• After seeing Yan Heqing’s Moments post, Lu Lin moved the welfare home gift delivery to the next day, added a Cube of Light, and decided to go without media.
• Yan Heqing slept well, noted that his weight had risen to 117, and arrived at Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home early to help care for the children.
• Yan Heqing helped Auntie Zhang change the children and then handed out breakfast, drawing the children’s admiration.
• Lu Lin arrived at the welfare home with three gift trucks, looked around for Yan Heqing, and asked the director whether volunteers were there that day.

Lu Lin visited the orphanage, where he encountered Yan Heqing volunteering and confirmed Lu Group would donate supplies and buildings. The chapter ended with Lu Lin and Yan Heqing setting off to tour the orphanage after Lu Lin asked about Yan Heqing’s injured face.

• Lu Lin arrived at the orphanage cafeteria and saw Yan Heqing giving an apple to a child.
• Yan Heqing served Lu Lin and the director breakfast, while Xu Qiaoyin hid beneath a table after recognizing Lu Lin.
• Lu Lin told the director that the promised air conditioners would arrive shortly and said he would eat the same meal as everyone else.
• The director asked Yan Heqing to show Lu Lin around and emphasize the planned infirmary and library donations.
• Lu Lin asked about the bandage beneath Yan Heqing’s eye, and Yan Heqing said the minor scratch was nearly healed before they left to tour the orphanage.

Yan Heqing helped Lu Lin distribute gifts and new televisions at the orphanage, then helped Lu Lin demonstrate how a Cube of Light worked for the children. The girls eagerly awaited the rainbow Lu Lin promised to show them.

• Yan Heqing showed Lu Lin the children's dormitories and told him he had lived in a nearby abandoned building from the age of five.
• Lu Lin cleaned a boy's dirty hands before calling for the Lu Group employees to bring the gifts upstairs.
• Yan Heqing helped distribute the gifts and suggested handing them out separately so the children could enjoy several rounds of presents.
• Lu Group employees installed a new television in every classroom, and Auntie Zhang invited them to lunch.
• Yan Heqing delivered meals to the fifth-floor girls' dormitory, where a paralyzed girl asked what her present was.
• Lu Lin explained that the Cube of Light captured sunlight and said they could see a rainbow, then asked Yan Heqing to close the curtains.

Yan Heqing received a Cube of Light from Lu Lin and tested its colors at home, while Lin Fengzhi was devastated when Lu Lin failed to recognize him. Lin Fengzhi called Yan Heqing for comfort, and Yan Heqing asked what had happened.

• Lu Lin showed a little girl how the Cube of Light scattered colored rays, then left Yan Heqing with the memory of his reaction.
• Yan Heqing thanked Xu Qiaoyin for returning his umbrella and assured her he would keep her private matter confidential.
• Lu Lin's assistant gave Yan Heqing a larger Cube of Light, which Yan Heqing later held up to his bedside lamp and watched scatter brilliant colors.
• Lin Fengzhi visited the Lu family residence to explain himself to Lu Lin, but Lu Lin did not recognize him, and Lin Fengzhi fled in tears.
• Lin Fengzhi called Yan Heqing late at night, addressed him as big brother, and Yan Heqing gently asked why he was crying.

Lin Fengzhi sought comfort from Yan Heqing after Lu Lin failed to recognize him, and Yan Heqing helped him get home safely and reminded him about his exam. Meanwhile, Lu Lin rejected Lu Changcheng’s attempt to arrange a dinner with the Jiang family’s daughter.

• Lin Fengzhi asked Yan Heqing whether he could fall for a woman who loved him, and Yan Heqing said he would not be moved by someone willing to give up her life.
• Yan Heqing learned Lin Fengzhi was lost near an intersection, guided him into a taxi, and told him to go home and take his exam the next day.
• Lin Fengzhi messaged Yan Heqing that he had arrived home safely, then wished Lu Lin cared about him as much as Yan Heqing did.
• Lu Changcheng asked Lu Lin to keep the following evening free for dinner with Uncle Jiang, whose daughter would be there.
• Lu Lin refused the dinner invitation and said he planned to go fishing, prompting Lu Changcheng to ask whether his mother had to invite him before he would agree.

Yan Heqing finished his exams, confronted Zhao Huilin about her demand for support, and left her to seek legal advice. That night, he sent Lu Lin a thank-you gift: an animated ocean of glowing fish.

• Lu Lin refused Lu Changcheng's attempts to involve his mother and arrange a blind date, then prepared to go fishing.
• Yan Heqing finished both exams early and left through the main gate, where Zhao Huilin confronted him.
• Yan Heqing warned Zhao Huilin that abuse could void her right to demand support, then left after learning she had run short of money.
• Zhao Huilin hurried home to consult the lawyer in the alley.
• Lu Lin fished alone and received a message from Yan Heqing, who thanked him for the Cube of Light and sent him an animated aquatic gift.

Yan Heqing spoke with Lu Lin after giving him a gift, then finished his exams and learned Lu Lin would give a lecture at Beijing University. Meanwhile, Lin Fengzhi admitted to Lin Fengyi that his crush did not return his feelings and asked his brother for dating advice.

• Lu Lin called Yan Heqing, thanked him for the gift, and wished him luck on his exam.
• After finals, Fu Helang caught up with Yan Heqing and told him about an afternoon lecture by Beijing University's only straight-A student, Lu Lin.
• Yan Heqing recognized Lu Lin's name and asked whether the lecture would be in the main auditorium.
• Lin Fengyi realized Lin Fengzhi was heartbroken, and Lin Fengzhi confessed that the person he liked did not like him back.
• Lin Fengzhi asked Lin Fengyi to teach him how to make someone like him.

Lin Fengzhi took Lin Fengyi’s advice and hurried to Beijing University to pursue Lu Lin, while Lu Lin arrived to give a lecture. Yan Heqing and Fu Helang attended the packed auditorium as Lu Lin began his speech.

• Lin Fengyi promised to teach Lin Fengzhi how to pursue someone and advised him to keep appearing in front of Lu Lin.
• Lin Fengzhi learned that Lu Lin was lecturing at Beijing University and left to get a student ID from a friend.
• Lu Lin went to Beijing University after his assistant told him the lecture was full and discussed a scholarship decision with him.
• Yan Heqing entered the auditorium, and Fu Helang joined him and offered him juice, which he declined.
• Lu Lin began his lecture as Yan Heqing and Fu Helang listened from the audience.

Lu Lin gave a speech at Beijing University, then noticed Yan Heqing's photo on the campus wall and arranged a scholarship for the biology department. Lin Fengzhi sought his attention, while Fu Helang confessed interest in Yan Heqing and was rejected.

• Lin Fengzhi asked Lu Lin whether he was dating anyone, but Lu Lin declined to answer personal questions.
• Yan Heqing left the auditorium, and Fu Helang followed him outside.
• Lu Lin spotted Yan Heqing's photo on the university's top-student wall and assigned next year's scholarship to the biology department without naming a recipient.
• Lin Fengzhi asked Lu Lin for a ride home, and Lu Lin instructed his assistant to take him instead.
• Fu Helang asked Yan Heqing to add him on WeChat and admitted he wanted to know whether Yan Heqing liked men.
• Yan Heqing told Fu Helang he did not like him, and Fu Helang walked away in tears.

Yan Heqing led Lu Lin away from the university’s main gate to avoid his creditors and treated him to skewered food at a tiny shop. As rain poured around them, they shared music, and Yan Heqing explained the story behind “Wellerman.”

• Lu Lin approached Yan Heqing after overhearing him say he did not like Lu Lin, and they exchanged candid remarks about Lu Lin’s speech.
• Yan Heqing said his creditors were waiting at the university’s main gate, pulled Lu Lin toward another route, and took him to a food street.
• Yan Heqing bought them skewered food at a small shop as a heavy rainstorm drove everyone else indoors.
• Yan Heqing offered Lu Lin an earbud, and they listened to “Wellerman” while eating beneath the shop’s awning.
• Lu Lin noticed the fresh scars on Yan Heqing’s ear and asked about the song, so Yan Heqing described its story of sailors pursuing a wounded whale.

Lu Lin and Yan Heqing discussed a song about whalers and whales, and Lu Lin invited him to go whale-watching at sea next summer. Later, Lu Lin visited his ill mother, who hoped the whale in his story could escape, and he left without giving the story an ending.

• Yan Heqing said he hoped the whale in the song would win and refused to see whales in an aquarium because he did not want them confined.
• Lu Lin invited Yan Heqing to go sea fishing next summer and see whales and dolphins in the ocean.
• Lu Lin returned to his apartment, opened the WeChat mini program, then left for his mother's villa.
• Lu Zhichan praised Lu Lin for helping Xu Qiaoyin and encouraged him to help her further.
• Lu Lin told Lu Zhichan an unfinished story about a wounded whale, and she said she hoped it escaped back to the ocean.

After learning that Xu Qiaoyin was being harassed, Yan Heqing offered to escort her home and installed a security camera at her apartment. Xu Qiaoyin accepted his help and exchanged WeChat contact information with him.

• Yan Heqing returned to the orphanage and learned from Auntie Zhang that someone had been leaving disgusting messages for Xu Qiaoyin and following her home.
• Yan Heqing offered to walk Xu Qiaoyin home, and she agreed after he reassured her that it would not trouble him.
• Yan Heqing accompanied Xu Qiaoyin across the city through the snow and bought a security camera for her apartment.
• Yan Heqing installed the camera while Xu Qiaoyin heated milk for him, then accepted payment and added her on WeChat.

Yan Heqing remembered his childhood and the fire that took his parents, then bought gladioli for his mother and returned home. Lu Muchi waited outside his building and watched him go in, while Yan Heqing wondered whether he had changed Lu Muchi's behavior.

• Yan Heqing remembered his mother, father, and brother Lin Fengzhi beneath the pomegranate tree, then recalled the fire in which his mother died and only he and Lin Fengzhi survived.
• Yan Heqing bought white and pale purple gladioli, choosing them for their resemblance to the qipaos his mother had worn.
• Lu Muchi waited in his car outside Yan Heqing's building, growing impatient when the third-floor window stayed dark.
• Lu Muchi watched Yan Heqing arrive with the flowers and enter the building, then burned his fingers on a cigarette as he stared after him.
• Yan Heqing put the gladioli in water and kept quiet about recognizing Lu Muchi's car, wondering whether he had managed to change Lu Muchi's actions.

Yan Heqing waited to see whether Lu Muchi would come to his door, then read while Lu Muchi watched his window from his car. After Lin Fengzhi called to share his excitement about the person he liked, Yan Heqing asked what he would do if that person loved someone else, then took medicine for his worsening chill.

• Yan Heqing checked his old scars in the shower, then sat by his window and read while he waited for Lu Muchi to act.
• Lu Muchi watched Yan Heqing reading through the lit window, stayed in his car until the light went out, and then left.
• Lin Fengzhi called Yan Heqing after one in the morning and excitedly said that the person he liked had sent a car to take him home.
• Yan Heqing asked what Lin Fengzhi would do if the person he liked loved someone else, and Lin Fengzhi insisted that the person belonged only to him.
• Yan Heqing ended the call, boiled water, and swallowed tablets for his chill.

Yan Heqing went to the welfare home despite his cold, helped the children play in the snow, and walked Xu Qiaoyin home after work. Lu Muchi became suspicious of Yan Heqing’s late returns and ordered a private detective to follow him, while Yan Heqing welcomed the surveillance as a way to draw attention to Xu Qiaoyin.

• Yan Heqing woke with a cold, ate plain porridge, and went to the welfare home through the snowy streets.
• Yan Heqing helped the children on the third floor build snowmen and brought a miniature snowman to the girls on the fifth floor.
• Yan Heqing finished his work and walked Xu Qiaoyin home; she told him that no one had followed her that morning and shared durian with him.
• Lu Muchi watched Yan Heqing return late and hired a private detective to report his movements.
• Yan Heqing recognized the detective from the novel and decided the surveillance would help him draw Lu Muchi’s attention to Xu Qiaoyin.

Lu Lin arranged for a heater to be delivered to Yan Heqing, who had left his café job and was being followed by a private detective. The detective reported that Yan Heqing went to the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home, leaving Lu Muchi wondering why he had returned there.

• Yan Heqing sent Lu Lin the first installment of his debt, and Lu Lin accepted the transfer.
• After noticing the sharp cold and Yan Heqing’s inadequate heater, Lu Lin asked his assistant to arrange a portable radiator as a New Year’s gift.
• The assistant persuaded the manager of Light and Shadow Coffee to contact Yan Heqing and deliver the heater to his home.
• Yan Heqing rode the subway to the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home while a private detective secretly followed and photographed him.
• Lu Muchi told the detective to stop a young man from taking sneaky photos, then learned Yan Heqing had gone to the welfare home.