Chapter Summaries

Lin Yu rode with Chen Lüli to an East City hotel after learning that Li Yin had spent the night there with his superior, Qin Jialan. She confronted Li Yin at the entrance, leaving their relationship at a breaking point.

• Chen Lüli questioned Lin Yu about Li Yin and criticized his tendency to let others push him around, while Lin Yu said being with a close friend was different from being with a boyfriend.
• Chen Lüli told Lin Yu that Jiang Yingshan had seen Qin Jialan help Li Yin into his hotel room, and Lin Yu decided to wait in the lobby and call Li Yin.
• Lin Yu saw Qin Jialan straighten Li Yin’s collar and touch his neck as they came toward the hotel entrance.
• When Li Yin spotted Lin Yu and called her “wife,” Chen Lüli covered her eyes and told her to tell Li Yin to get lost.
• Lin Yu pulled Chen Lüli’s hand away and asked Li Yin whether he understood what he was doing.

Lin Yu ended her relationship with Li Yin after confronting him about his involvement with Qin Jialan, then returned to her shop with Chen Lüli. As she processed the breakup and her old feelings resurfaced, she went to Threshold that evening and asked for alcohol.

• Lin Yu asked Li Yin whether he would have confessed, and when he stayed silent, she broke up with him.
• Chen Lüli drove Lin Yu away while Qin Jialan taunted Li Yin, who blamed himself for what had happened.
• On the drive back to Li City, Lin Yu read Jiang Zao’s messages about Qin Jialan and later sent Chen Lüli sea salt pastries with his meal order.
• Lin Yu reflected on her failed relationship with Li Yin and her lingering feelings from before, then arranged to meet Jiang Zao at Threshold.
• Lin Yu arrived at Threshold, asked the manager for her usual private room, and requested alcohol.

Lin Yu drank alone while upset about Li Yin, and Chen Lüli arrived and kissed her despite her struggling. After Jiang Zao arrived, Chen Lüli carried the sleeping Lin Yu home, leaving Jiang Zao wondering whether something had changed between them.

• Lin Yu drank fruit wine and played whack-a-mole while waiting for Jiang Zao, and the manager told Chen Lüli she was at the shop and had been drinking.
• Chen Lüli came to the private room, criticized Li Yin, and questioned Lin Yu about defending him.
• When Lin Yu asked why Chen Lüli was concerned about her relationships, he kissed her, and she struggled before biting his lip.
• Jiang Zao arrived and found Chen Lüli carrying the sleeping Lin Yu; he asked her to bring Lin Yu’s coat and bag.
• Chen Lüli rode in the back of his car with Lin Yu in his arms while Jiang Zao drove them to Lin Yu’s residential complex.
• Chen Lüli carried Lin Yu out of the car and toward her home, while Jiang Zao wondered whether their closeness meant something.

Chen Lüli brought the drunken Lin Yu home, left her in Jiang Zao’s care, and showed jealousy over how often Jiang Zao stayed with her. The next morning, Lin Yu told Jiang Zao that she and Li Yin had broken up, then reflected on her dream of kissing Chen Lüli and the attraction she had felt the previous night.

• Chen Lüli carried the sleeping Lin Yu into her apartment while Jiang Zao let them in and explained that she sometimes stayed over.
• Chen Lüli tucked Lin Yu into bed, left a note by her journal, and asked Jiang Zao to look after her.
• Chen Lüli questioned Jiang Zao by message about sleeping beside Lin Yu and how often she stayed at her home.
• Lin Yu dreamed of kissing Chen Lüli and woke beside Jiang Zao the next morning.
• Lin Yu told Jiang Zao that she and Li Yin had broken up, and Jiang Zao left for an early meeting.
• After Jiang Zao left, Lin Yu recalled her dream and admitted to herself that she had wondered what kissing Chen Lüli would feel like.

Lin Yu woke after spending the night with Li Yin, found his note, and told her mother about their situation. After her mother comforted her, Jiang Zao and Ming Yu arrived to keep her company, and their conversation turned to how her home resembled Chen Lüli’s.

• Lin Yu found a note from Li Yin asking her to come find him and saw that a page had been torn from her journal, but she decided not to seek him out.
• Lin Yu’s mother told her that Li Yin’s mother had explained what happened and that she had refused the gifts Li Yin prepared.
• Lin Yu admitted she was a little sad, and her mother reassured her and asked whether she liked any of her friends, especially Chen Lüli.
• At Star Rise Games, Chen Lüli watched his silent phone during a meeting while an assistant spoke to him.
• Jiang Zao and Ming Yu arrived at Lin Yu’s home to keep her company, and Ming Yu remarked that the apartment’s layout resembled Chen Lüli’s.

Lin Yu reunited with Ming Yu and Jiang Zao at her shop, where Chen Lüli arrived later with Jiang Yingshan. As the group made plans to celebrate Lunar New Year's Eve together, Chen Lüli texted Lin Yu to meet him outside.

• Jiang Zao and Ming Yu comforted Lin Yu over Li Yin's betrayal while sharing coffee and snacks.
• Lin Yu returned to her shop, checked its New Year plans, and later welcomed Ming Yu and Jiang Zao for dinner.
• Chen Lüli and Jiang Yingshan arrived, and the group chatted and ordered food together.
• Ming Yu arranged for everyone to gather at Lin Yu's shop on Lunar New Year's Eve, and Jiang Yan'an joined their discussion by video call.
• Chen Lüli texted Lin Yu to come outside and warned that he would take her hand and lead her out if she did not.

Lin Yu and Chen Lüli discussed the kiss at Threshold, his growing feelings, and the rumors about Ming Yu, leaving Lin Yu asking for time to think about him. Ming Yu and Jiang Zao found them together, and Lin Yu explained that they had been talking about Li Yin.

• Lin Yu met Chen Lüli in the alley, where he confronted her about the note and asked whether she blamed him for taking advantage of her at Threshold.
• Chen Lüli said Li Yin’s arrival had stirred an impulse to take Lin Yu away, and he suggested he might like someone but needed to confirm his feelings.
• Lin Yu asked about Chen Lüli and Ming Yu’s rumored relationship, and he explained that their apparent closeness came from favors and mutual convenience.
• Chen Lüli asked Lin Yu to consider him instead of Li Yin, and Lin Yu asked if she could think about it; he agreed.
• Ming Yu and Jiang Zao found Chen Lüli and Lin Yu by the flower wall, and Lin Yu said they had been talking about Li Yin.

After dinner, Chen Lüli kept Ming Yu from visiting his company, while Jiang Zao began to suspect that he and Lin Yu might have feelings for each other. Lin Yu finished work and went home, where Chen Lüli called her on video and looked at her quietly.

• Lin Yu told Ming Yu and Jiang Zao that Li Yin’s mother had apologized, and explained that Chen Lüli had accompanied her to discover Li Yin’s infidelity.
• Chen Lüli and Jiang Yingshan left for work, and Chen Lüli declined Ming Yu’s offer to visit the company, suggesting she come another time with Lin Yu.
• After Ming Yu left, Jiang Zao asked Lin Yu whether she and Chen Lüli had talked about more than Li Yin, then assured Lin Yu that she would support her.
• Lin Yu finished closing the bakery and went home, where she noted that she owed Ming Yu a return gift.
• Chen Lüli called Lin Yu on video; after she answered, he turned the phone toward himself, and they met each other’s gaze.

Lin Yu reflected on Chen Lüli’s hint that he wanted an answer about their relationship, then revisited old college and high school photos that reminded her of their history. The next evening, she visited Chen Lüli’s apartment, dressed Xiao Diu in a new outfit, and took the cat downstairs for a walk.

• Chen Lüli asked Lin Yu when she would give him an answer, and Lin Yu blushed before ending their call when Jiang Yingshan arrived to discuss Dream Fiend’s New Year plaza plans.
• Jiang Zao sent Lin Yu a college photo of Chen Lüli carrying her to the infirmary after she twisted her ankle in the snow, prompting Lin Yu to revisit old photos of Chen Lüli and their friends.
• Lin Yu went to Chen Lüli’s apartment with new clothes for Xiao Diu, who greeted her eagerly and chose a beige outfit.
• Lin Yu put Xiao Diu in the new sweater and hat, attached a leash, and took the excited cat downstairs for a walk.

Lin Yu and Chen Lüli took Xiao Diu home after the cat darted into a bush, and Chen Lüli treated the mark the leash had left on Lin Yu’s wrist. Their conversation turned to Lin Yu’s relationship with Li Yin, and the chapter ended with Lin Yu asking Chen Lüli whether there was anyone he liked.

• Xiao Diu ran into a bush, and Lin Yu crashed into Chen Lüli as she chased after him.
• Chen Lüli caught Xiao Diu and walked back to the apartment with Lin Yu.
• Chen Lüli noticed the red mark on Lin Yu’s wrist, brought her home, and applied medicine to it.
• Chen Lüli asked whether Lin Yu was thinking about Li Yin, and Lin Yu denied it.
• Chen Lüli asked whether Lin Yu had kissed Li Yin; she said yes, and challenged Chen Lüli about whether he had anyone he liked.

Lin Yu and Chen Lüli shared a charged evening before he walked her home, leaving her wondering whether his feelings for her were real. As New Year’s Eve plans shifted, Chen Lüli canceled the group’s gathering at his villa, and Lin Yu accepted that she might stay home with her father.

• Chen Lüli and Lin Yu admitted that neither had been in a relationship, and Chen Lüli walked her home with Xiao Diu.
• At Lin Yu’s building, Chen Lüli nearly kissed her but instead told her to get to bed early, and Lin Yu watched him leave while wondering if he liked her.
• Chen Lüli asked to see Lin Yu’s photos, and she sent him pictures of Xiao Diu while saving a photo of the two of them together.
• Ming Yu asked Lin Yu to help choose motorcycle gloves for Chen Lüli and announced that the group planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve at his villa.
• Chen Lüli said his family was using the villa and canceled the gathering, while Lin Yu decided she could stay home with her father.

Lin Yu went home for the New Year after the annual gathering was canceled, and Chen Lüli sent a gift box for her to take. At home, her parents discussed Li Yin and Lin Yu discovered that Chen Lüli had given her a custom butterfly dance necklace and a red envelope.

• Jiang Zao planned to spend the holiday with her parents, while Jiang Yan'an tried and failed to arrange another gathering with Lin Yu and the others.
• Lin Yu dressed Xiao Diu for the New Year, left a red envelope for it, and took the gift box Chen Lüli had left for her.
• Lin Yu returned to her parents' home, where Zhong Lixin reassured her that Lin Zhenghe had gotten over the matter with Li Yin.
• Lin Zhenghe questioned Lin Yu about keeping quiet about Li Yin, while Zhong Lixin argued that retaliating against him could harm Lin Yu's business.
• Lin Yu opened Chen Lüli's gift and found a custom butterfly dance necklace and a red envelope inside.

On New Year’s Eve, Lin Yu watched fireworks with Chen Lüli after he came to pick her up, and her feelings for him grew harder to hide. When motorcycle riders surrounded his car, Chen Lüli shielded her and waited until they left, leaving the two of them alone together.

• Lin Yu put away the necklace and red envelope, then spent the days before New Year’s Eve at home while Jiang Zao and Jiang Yan'an returned to their respective cities.
• Lin Yu prepared auspicious pastries for her parents and noticed Ming Yu’s photos from the Chen family home, where Chen Lüli was absent.
• Lin Yu drank wine with her parents, then accepted Chen Lüli’s invitation to watch fireworks from a mountaintop park.
• Chen Lüli ordered Lin Yu her favorite original milk tea while they watched the fireworks beside his car.
• When several motorcycles circled the car and shone their headlights inside, Chen Lüli pulled Lin Yu onto his lap and covered her eyes until the riders left.

On New Year's Eve, Chen Lüli and Lin Yu kissed and became intimate in his car before he drove her home. Lin Yu returned to her room, where she received the replacement milk tea he ordered, and the chapter ended with them exchanging New Year's greetings by message.

• Chen Lüli pulled Lin Yu onto his lap and kissed her after telling her he would not regret what he did that night.
• When Lin Yu's mother called, Chen Lüli helped her get dressed and drove her home, where she hurried inside without him.
• Zhong Lixin gave Lin Yu the hot milk tea delivered for her, and Chen Lüli messaged to explain that he had replaced the cup that went cold.
• Lin Yu ignored Chen Lüli's messages while thinking about their intimacy, then received New Year's greetings from Jiang Zao and Jiang Yan'an.
• Lin Yu replied to Chen Lüli's New Year's greeting, admitted she had received the milk tea, and sent him a photo of it.

Lin Yu spent New Year’s Eve exchanging red envelopes with Chen Lüli and her friends, then joined her family for several days of holiday visits. At the Spring Flower Festival, she ran into Chen Lüli and met his mother, Tan You, as their families prepared to look around together.

• Chen Lüli texted Lin Yu after getting home, while Lin Yu showered and remembered their intimate moments.
• Lin Yu and Chen Lüli exchanged large red envelopes with Jiang Yan'an, Jiang Zao, and Ming Yu in their group chat.
• Zhong Lixin checked on Lin Yu, who hid her lit balcony and told her mother she was playing a game before going to bed.
• Lin Yu’s aunt suggested finding her a local match from a prominent family, but Lin Zhenghe shut down the matchmaking talk.
• After several days of visiting relatives, Lin Yu went with her parents to the Spring Flower Festival and encountered Chen Lüli and his mother, Tan You.
• Chen Lüli introduced Lin Yu and her parents to Tan You as his longtime classmate and good friend, and the two families began chatting about the festival.

Lin Yu and Chen Lüli grew closer during a visit to the Spring Flower Festival, while their mothers noticed his attentiveness. After dinner with her parents, Lin Yu arranged to meet Ming Yu at nine thirty.

• Zhong Lixin invited Tan You and Chen Lüli to walk with her family through the flower festival, where Chen Lüli helped Lin Yu down a step and held her hand.
• Chen Lüli asked Lin Yu if she was already looking at him after New Year's Eve, and she admitted she had not forgotten what happened.
• Chen Lüli protected Lin Yu from bubbles, caught her fingertips, and told her to keep looking at him; Tan You watched their closeness thoughtfully.
• Chen Lüli took Lin Yu's unfinished ice cream and reminded her to say when she could not finish something before the families parted.
• Lin Yu chatted with Jiang Zao and Jiang Yan'an about the festival, then agreed to meet Ming Yu at nine thirty.

Lin Yu met Ming Yu at Wenxing Tower, where Ming Yu talked about Chen Lüli’s abusive childhood and her uncertainty about love and possession. After exchanging New Year’s gifts, Lin Yu returned home and learned that Star Rise’s new game had topped download charts, prompting a gathering at Nine Harmony Residence the next night.

• Lin Yu drove to Wenxing Tower and joined Ming Yu on the top-floor platform, where they discussed their high-school friendship and Ming Yu’s childhood memories of Chen Lüli being abused by his father.
• Ming Yu told Lin Yu that she had not decided whether her feelings were affection or possessiveness, and Lin Yu gave her a New Year’s gift before they parted warmly.
• At home, Lin Yu spoke briefly with Zhong Lixin, then messaged Chen Lüli, who invited her to a gathering at Nine Harmony Residence the next night and warned her to drive carefully.
• Jiang Zao sent Lin Yu news that Star Rise’s new game had reached number one in downloads and was trending, revealing why Jiang Yan'an and Jiang Yingshan were arranging the gathering.

Lin Yu joined Chen Lüli and their friends at Nine Harmony Residence for a New Year gathering, where Chen Lüli suggested they play Coward. The first round’s cards were revealed, but Lin Yu’s and Chen Lüli’s friends had not yet finished showing theirs.

• Lin Yu congratulated Chen Lüli on his trending searches, game, and Star Rise, then agreed to attend a gathering at Nine Harmony Residence.
• After a day of visiting relatives, Lin Yu left her parents’ home and drove to Chen Lüli’s villa, where Jiang Zao, Jiang Yan’an, Ming Yu, and Jiang Yingshan had gathered.
• Chen Lüli sat beside Lin Yu, and the group chose to play Coward after discussing games for the evening.
• Jiang Yan’an dealt the cards, and Chen Lüli poured wine as the players tried to decide whether to call stop.
• Chen Lüli revealed a ten, Jiang Zao a six, Ming Yu a five, and Jiang Yan’an a three as Jiang Yingshan began to reveal his card.

Lin Yu joined Chen Lüli and their friends for a drinking game, where Chen Lüli quietly protected her and she eventually grew drowsy. After carrying Lin Yu to a guest room for the night, Chen Lüli returned to her bedside and kissed her.

• Chen Lüli gave Lin Yu his partly finished glass, but Lin Yu refilled her own glass and drank it after drawing a low card.
• Lin Yu played several rounds with Jiang Zao and the others, then leaned sleepily against Jiang Zao while Chen Lüli had his jacket draped over her.
• Ming Yu left for home after watching Chen Lüli, who continued playing games with Jiang Yan'an and Jiang Yingshan.
• Jiang Yingshan, Jiang Yan'an, and Jiang Zao decided to stay the night, and Chen Lüli carried the drowsy Lin Yu to a guest room despite her saying she wanted to stay with Jiang Zao.
• Chen Lüli returned to Lin Yu's room, realized she was awake, and kissed her.

Lin Yu and Chen Lüli spent the night together, and Chen Lüli told her he was certain he wanted to be with her. Lin Yu remained overwhelmed by her long-held feelings and uncertain whether he understood how much it had cost her to keep loving him.

• Lin Yu and Chen Lüli became intimate, and she asked whether they could call it an accident; he agreed in the moment but later challenged her to explain herself when she woke.
• Jiang Zao considered messaging Lin Yu about Ming Yu, while Jiang Yan'an grew suspicious that Chen Lüli and Lin Yu had become unusually close.
• After waking, Lin Yu tried to get out of bed, but Chen Lüli stopped her and told her not to run away or dismiss the night as an accident.
• Chen Lüli helped Lin Yu bathe and dress, then told her he was certain he wanted to be with her.
• Lin Yu thought about Ming Yu, her doubts about Chen Lüli's feelings, and the moment she first fell in love with him on a bus years earlier.