Chapter Summaries

Yan Heqing slept in Lu Lin’s car while Lu Lin answered a call about Yan Heqing’s newly delivered vehicle and saw a message from Lin Fengzhi. They drove to a fish restaurant for lunch, where Yan Heqing considered Lin Fengzhi’s situation and noticed the message had arrived while Lu Lin had his phone.

• Yan Heqing set an alarm and fell asleep in Lu Lin’s car, and Lu Lin covered him with a cashmere blanket.
• Lu Lin answered a repeated call from the dealership and learned that Yan Heqing’s vehicle had been delivered to Xiumei Flower Garden.
• Lu Lin stopped Yan Heqing’s alarm and saw a WeChat message from sep12 asking whether “Brother” was awake.
• Yan Heqing woke after sleeping until 1:23, and Lu Lin told him about the vehicle delivery as they drove down the mountain.
• Lu Lin and Yan Heqing ate at a fish restaurant, where Yan Heqing checked Lin Fengzhi’s message and realized Lu Lin had probably seen it.

Yan Heqing visited Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home and learned that Xu Qiaoyin had resigned after calling Auntie Zhang on New Year's Day. Meanwhile, Lu Lin went to help the heartbroken Chu Ziyu and was asked how far things had gone with Yan Heqing.

• During a dumpling-making activity at Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home, Yan Heqing found a one-yuan coin in a dumpling and heard Auntie Zhang say Xu Qiaoyin had resigned.
• Auntie Zhang told Yan Heqing about Xu Qiaoyin volunteering to care for a girl with HIV and paying for her cleft-lip surgery.
• Chu Ziyu drunkenly called Lu Lin, and Xie Yunjie asked him to come over because Chu Ziyu was acting out after a breakup.
• Lu Lin found Chu Ziyu asleep in bed, and Xie Yunjie asked how far Lu Lin and Little Master Yan had gotten.

Lu Muchi tried to win Yan Heqing back with a kitten, but Yan rejected him and arranged for the abandoned cat to be adopted. The next morning, Yan handed the kitten to a trustworthy local woman.

• Xie Yunjie teased Lu Lin about the snacks he kept for Yan Heqing, then grew more serious about wanting things to go well for his friend.
• Lu Muchi waited for Yan Heqing with a Ragdoll kitten, but Yan told him to take it away and never come looking for him again.
• After Yan called him disgusting, Lu Muchi left the kitten by the roadside and drove away when Lu Changcheng summoned him home.
• Yan Heqing found the kitten, fed and watered it, and arranged its adoption through an online platform.
• The next morning, Yan Heqing gave the kitten to a young woman after deciding he trusted her from her adoption profile.

Yan Heqing learned that Lu Lin would attend Lu Changcheng’s dinner and went to Songxian Vegetable Market before dawn to seek temporary work with the delivery service. He offered to prove he could handle the labor, while Lu Lin had agreed to attend the dinner after retrieving his childhood comic collection.

• Yan Heqing bought groceries, chose a pair of men’s slippers, and later saw that his weight had risen to 121.
• Lu Lin collected his thirty-six-volume superhero comic set from the Lu family home and agreed to attend Lu Changcheng’s dinner the next day.
• Yan Heqing learned from Lin Fengzhi’s Moments that Lu Changcheng had invited the Lin family and planned to announce Lu Muchi’s engagement.
• Yan Heqing booked an early ride to Songxian Vegetable Market, where the Lu family chef bought ingredients for Lu Changcheng’s banquet.
• Yan Heqing asked the delivery-service owner for temporary work and offered to do a trial shift without pay if she was unsatisfied.

Yan Heqing infiltrated the Lu residence’s kitchen while preparing for Lu Muchi and Qi Xuehong’s engagement announcement. As guests arrived, Lin Fengzhi saw Lu Muchi with Qi Xuehong and struggled to face him.

• The woman paid Yan Heqing triple wages and sent him to deliver produce to the Lu residence.
• Yan Heqing bought colored contacts to disguise himself, then changed into a chef’s uniform and joined the kitchen staff.
• While preparing vegetables, Yan Heqing recalled that Lu Changcheng would announce Lu Muchi and Qi Xuehong’s engagement, and that Lin Fengzhi would find Lu Muchi with him in Lu Lin’s bedroom.
• At around four in the afternoon, the guests arrived, including the Lin family.
• Lin Fengzhi saw Lu Muchi chatting with Qi Xuehong and remembered learning that Lu Muchi had wanted Yan Heqing as his stand-in.

At the Lu Family banquet, Lu Changcheng announced that Lu Muchi and Qi Xuehong would get engaged next month, while Lu Muchi was messaging Yan Heqing. Yan Heqing revealed he was at the Lu residence, and Lu Muchi hurried off to find him.

• Lin Fengzhi hoped Yan Heqing had refused Lu Muchi, then felt crushed when Lu Lin walked past without recognizing him.
• Lin Fengyi greeted Lu Lin at the villa entrance, and Lu Lin entered without further conversation.
• At the banquet, Lu Changcheng seated Qi Xuehong beside him and encouraged her to call Lu Lin “Uncle.”
• Lu Muchi messaged Yan Heqing, who replied that he knew Lu Muchi was eating and that he was at the house.
• Lu Changcheng announced Lu Muchi and Qi Xuehong would hold their engagement ceremony next month.
• Yan Heqing ate seafood fried rice in a corridor and switched off his phone, while Lu Muchi decided to go find him.

Lu Muchi rushed to find Yan Heqing after seeing him with Lu Lin, while Lu Lin left the banquet and Yan Heqing disguised himself as kitchen staff to pass him unnoticed. Yan Heqing told Lu Muchi to enjoy his engagement, and after Lu Muchi declared it would not happen without his consent, Yan Heqing left and encountered Lin Fengzhi, who was interrupted by a familiar voice.

• Lu Muchi ignored Lu Changcheng and hurried out of the banquet to find Yan Heqing.
• Lu Lin left the table, and Lin Fengzhi chased after him but lost sight of him.
• Yan Heqing, disguised as a kitchen assistant, passed Lu Lin in the corridor without being recognized.
• Lu Muchi found Yan Heqing, urged him to leave, and was told, “Congratulations. Happy engagement.”
• Lu Muchi declared that the engagement would not happen unless he agreed, while Yan Heqing left the residence.
• Lin Fengzhi ran into Yan Heqing, sensed something unusual about his eyes, and froze when a deep voice called his name.

Yan Heqing received an anonymous gift of pineapples and a carefully preserved superhero comic, which stirred memories of finding a quiet refuge as a child. After registering for his driving test, he accepted Lu Lin’s offer of driving instruction and a practice ground in exchange for a favor.

• Yan Heqing opened two deliveries and found pineapples and a copy of Superhero with a message written inside.
• Yan Heqing recalled childhood memories of being scolded for reading comics and finding comfort in an old comic at a recycling station.
• Yan Heqing accepted the anonymous gift without contacting the sender, while Lin Fengzhi did not reach out or post on Moments.
• Yan Heqing registered for his subject one driving test and received an offer for driving lessons from an instructor outside the vehicle administration office.
• Lu Lin called Yan Heqing and offered instruction for subjects two and three and a matching practice ground in return for a favor; Yan Heqing agreed to help.

Yan Heqing passed the theory test and joined his new class’s WeChat group, where classmates recognized him and Gu Xingye welcomed him. At the orphanage’s Lantern Festival outing to the Lu Group amusement park, Yan Heqing carried a frightened child downstairs, and Lu Lin ordered an elevator installed.

• Yan Heqing accepted Yang Rucheng’s WeChat request and joined Biological Sciences, Class 2, where Gu Xingye and the other students welcomed him.
• Yan Heqing kept studying and volunteering, then passed the theory test with a score of 100 and planned to tell Lu Lin about it at the amusement park outing.
• Yan Heqing arrived at the orphanage as the children prepared to board coaches for the Lu Group amusement park opening, and learned that Lu Lin had sent employees to help.
• Yan Heqing found Xiao Rong crying because she was frightened by an unfamiliar male employee, then carried her downstairs himself.
• The assistant told Lu Lin what had happened, and Lu Lin ordered an elevator installed.

Yan Heqing took the children from Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home to Dream Amusement Park, where they spent the day enjoying its attractions. At the sky lantern release, Lu Lin appeared and handed Yan Heqing a lantern, inviting him to make a wish.

• Yan Heqing took the children to Dream Amusement Park, where Lu Lin had arranged a special day for welfare homes from across the country.
• Yan Heqing pushed Xiao Rong around the park, and Lu Lin remained out of sight despite having arrived.
• At dinner, Yan Heqing noticed an elderly former welfare-home employee watching him.
• Yan Heqing brought Xiao Rong to the sky lantern release as a song he and Lu Lin had heard together played nearby.
• Lu Lin appeared with a sky lantern for Yan Heqing, then handed him a fountain pen and asked him to make a wish.

At the sky lantern event, Yan Heqing made a wish to see a sunrise two years later and gave Lu Lin a lucky coin. As the outing ended, Yan Heqing arranged to practice driving with Lu Lin the next morning and returned to the orphanage with Xiao Rong.

• Yan Heqing wrote a wish to see the sunrise on March 4, 20XX, on his sky lantern and released it with Lu Lin and Xiao Rong.
• Lu Lin recalled hearing that a wealthy man had once wanted to adopt Yan Heqing, but Yan Heqing had disappeared and later taken his younger brother instead.
• Yan Heqing gave Lu Lin a cleaned one-yuan coin he had found in his food, saying it would bring good luck.
• Yan Heqing made another wish, and Lu Lin said he had a wish of his own now and would let Yan Heqing's wish come true.
• Yan Heqing told Lu Lin he had passed his driving theory test, and they agreed that Lu Lin would pick him up at eight the next morning for practice.
• Yan Heqing took Xiao Rong back to the orphanage, returned home near eleven, and went to bed after standing against the wall for fifteen minutes.

Lu Lin returned to the Lu residence and found Lu Muchi trying to escape after refusing the arranged marriage, while Lu Changcheng blamed Lin Fengzhi for the rebellion. The next morning, Yan Heqing waited at school with a lunch box, and Gu Xingye mistook him from a distance for Lin Fengzhi.

• Lu Han summoned Lu Lin to the Lu residence, but Lu Lin tried to leave after learning Lu Changcheng's blood pressure had come down.
• Lu Muchi broke out of his room with a bleeding hand, then stopped when he saw Lu Lin at the gate.
• Lu Changcheng blamed Lin Fengzhi for Lu Muchi's refusal, while Lu Muchi let him believe it to keep him from seeking out Yan Heqing.
• Lu Changcheng ordered the bodyguards to take Lu Muchi inside for treatment, and Lu Lin left without intervening.
• Yan Heqing prepared breakfast and extra dumplings before waiting at the school gate, where Gu Xingye briefly mistook him for Lin Fengzhi.

Yan Heqing brought Lu Lin breakfast and took him to Xiumei Flower Garden, where Zhu Xiumei recalled Yan’s difficult high-school years and later received a flower-supply contract. On the drive back, Lu Lin shared memories of his modest childhood, and Yan offered to cook him instant noodles.

• Yan Heqing gave Lu Lin homemade steamed dumplings, and Lu Lin ate them on the drive to the flower garden.
• Zhu Xiumei welcomed Yan Heqing and sent him to harvest lychee honey while she told Lu Lin how Yan had worked for her as a teenager and often stayed for meals.
• Yan Heqing bought three jars of honey, and Lu Lin asked Zhu Xiumei for her business card before leaving.
• Zhu Xiumei received a call offering Xiumei Flower Garden a two-year flower-supply contract.
• In the cramped car, Lu Lin told Yan Heqing about his childhood bicycle, a confrontation with Xie Yunjie, and his past meals of instant noodles.
• Yan Heqing offered to cook Lu Lin instant noodles sometime.

Yan Heqing remembered the abuse that had taught him to hide his claws, then shared a warm farewell with Lu Lin after driving practice. When he returned home with groceries, Lin Fengzhi appeared and urgently tried to take him somewhere.

• Yan Heqing recalled surviving childhood hunger on instant noodles and remembered how Yan Shengbing's violence had made him afraid to fight back.
• Yan Heqing asked Lu Lin about his fight with Mr. Xie, then invited him to share instant noodles when he got his license; Lu Lin agreed.
• Yan Heqing passed the second-test driving maneuvers, and Lu Lin took a candid photo of him and set it as his lock screen.
• Yan Heqing went to the supermarket for noodles and ingredients, then ignored a call from Lin Fengzhi as he returned home.
• Lin Fengzhi hurried downstairs, grabbed Yan Heqing's arm, and urged him to come with him; Yan Heqing said he had not eaten, and Lin Fengzhi asked where he had been.

Lin Fengzhi asked Yan Heqing to visit the Lu residence and deliver a message to Lu Muchi, and Yan Heqing saw the request as an opportunity to get inside. Yan Heqing left his agreement uncertain, while Lin Fengzhi also questioned him about the wealthy friend who had given him a crystal ornament.

• Yan Heqing returned from driving practice, and Lin Fengzhi noticed the crystal ornament before Yan Heqing put it away and said it was a gift from a friend.
• Lin Fengzhi asked whether the gift came from Lu Muchi, and Yan Heqing said he would not accept anything from him.
• Lin Fengzhi explained that Lu Changcheng had learned Lu Muchi liked him and asked Yan Heqing to deliver a message to Lu Muchi at the Lu residence.
• Yan Heqing recognized that Lin Fengzhi's request gave him a legitimate reason to visit the Lu residence, but he made Lin Fengzhi wait for an answer.
• Lin Fengzhi asked about the friend pursuing Yan Heqing, and Yan Heqing replied that the friend was not pursuing him.

Lin Fengzhi learned that Yan Heqing had deliberately let him be adopted, while Yan Heqing prepared to enter Lu Muchi’s villa and began his new semester at Beijing University. The chapter ended with students whispering about Yan Heqing as he previewed his botany textbook.

• Lin Fengzhi asked Yan Heqing whether he had hidden himself so Lin Fengzhi could be adopted, and Yan Heqing admitted that he had.
• Lin Fengzhi fled the apartment building, shaken by the truth that Yan Heqing had given him the chance to join his family.
• Yan Heqing reconstructed Lu Muchi’s hillside villa from his memories and marked most of its surveillance camera locations on a model.
• Yan Heqing cleaned the Cube of Light and returned it to its velvet box in the drawer.
• On the first day of classes, Yan Heqing arrived at his botany classroom early, and students whispered about his appearance.

Yan Heqing spent his first day at Beijing University, where Gu Xingye recognized him and Lin Fengyi ran into him in the cafeteria. A relative of Yan Heqing’s mother contacted him, and Yan Heqing met the man at the university gates that evening.

• Gu Xingye saw Yan Heqing enter class and recognized him as the student who resembled Lin Fengzhi.
• Yan Heqing left the crowded cafeteria after nearly colliding with Lin Fengyi, who grew angry but could not bring himself to chase him.
• Yan Heqing received a call from his mother’s cousin’s husband and arranged to meet him at the university gates.
• Gu Xingye found Yan Heqing crouched by the road and offered to help, but Yan Heqing declined and left.
• Yan Heqing met the middle-aged man at the university gates, took his travel bag, and offered to find them somewhere to eat.

Yan Heqing met Lin Manfeng, who brought him a tin of his mother’s belongings, then returned to campus without opening it. Lin Manfeng later met a mysterious boss and reported that Yan Heqing had suspected nothing.

• Yan Heqing took Lin Manfeng to a restaurant, where Lin Manfeng praised him and spoke about their family and Twenty Bridges.
• Lin Manfeng gave Yan Heqing an old tin containing belongings Yan Qiushuang’s aunt had kept, and Yan Heqing decided to open it after class.
• Lin Manfeng declined Yan Heqing’s offer to show him around, and Yan Heqing returned to campus for his evening classes.
• After Yan Heqing left, Lin Manfeng met a young man who escorted him to a café to see his boss.
• Lin Manfeng told the boss he had followed the instructions exactly and that Yan Heqing had not suspected anything.

Yan Heqing received photographs of his mother, Yan Qiushuang, and dreamed of her with him and Yan Mingsong. Though grateful to Lin Manfeng for bringing the photos, he remained wary of the distant relatives he was about to visit.

• Lu Lin paid Lin Manfeng for Yan Qiushuang’s photographs and warned him not to contact Yan Heqing again.
• Yan Heqing opened the envelope and saw three photographs of his mother at different ages, including one in a pale purple qipao.
• Yan Heqing dreamed of Yan Qiushuang sharing pomegranates with him and Yan Mingsong.
• Yan Heqing bought gifts for his mother’s cousin and her son, reflecting that no relatives had come to his parents’ funeral or taken him and Yan Mingsong in.
• Yan Heqing called Lin Manfeng, who said his flight had been moved up and that he was already at the airport.

Yan Heqing kept to his studies, agreed to meet Lin Fengzhi on Tuesday, and received the Lu Family’s address. On Saturday, he found Lu Lin waiting with food at the driving practice grounds, where they ate together.

• Yan Heqing declined a classmates’ invitation and later welcomed Lin Fengzhi, who brought him palmiers and asked him to visit on Tuesday.
• Yan Heqing agreed to meet Lin Fengzhi on Tuesday after Lin mistook his reluctance for lingering feelings for Lu Muchi.
• A tabby cat chose Yan Heqing over Lin Fengzhi, and Lin Fengzhi sent Yan Heqing the Lu Family’s address before leaving.
• Yan Heqing arrived at the driving practice grounds Saturday morning and found his car missing from its parking spot.
• Lu Lin arrived in Yan Heqing’s car with breakfast, and Yan Heqing joined him to eat and asked if he had worked all night.