Never-Ending Summer Recap, Inhalt, Handlung

Never-Ending Summer Inhalt

Resilient and strong-willed top student Zhou Wan, needing to save her gravely ill grandmother, approaches her mother's stepson—the unruly boy Lu Xixiao—after her mother refuses to help, hoping to raise money for the surgery.

The summer after graduation, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao slowly develop feelings for each other through moments of hesitation and closeness, saving each other time and again from life's hardships. But cruel reality shatters their beautiful youth, and they part ways amid misunderstandings.

Ten years later, they reunite in the workplace. Still haunted by the pain of the past, Lu Xixiao repeatedly provokes Zhou Wan—only to realize that his love for her has never changed. Together, they set out to uncover the truth behind a factory accident, and with brave, sincere hearts, they never separate again.

Never-Ending Summer Recaps

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In 2026, Zhou Wan returned to her beloved high school, her mind drifting back to the memories of Lu Xixiao that she had tried so hard to forget. Standing on the familiar grounds, she could almost hear his voice reminding her that if she ever looked back, he would always return to her side.

Zhou Wan wondered if he would have still let her get close to him ten years ago had he known how deeply she would eventually hurt him. Her thoughts settled on the hot summer of 2016, when their turbulent story first began during a school morning assembly. That morning, Zhou Wan was leading the student body in a solemn pledge for the upcoming exams. Suddenly, Lu Xixiao dashed across the campus to evade security guards.

In his wild sprint, he accidentally kicked a water valve, sending a spectacular spray of water raining down over the students and creating a shimmering rainbow. Amidst the chaos and the excited cheers, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhao, barked orders to shut off the water. Unfazed, Lu Xixiao boldly grabbed the microphone from Zhou Wan's hands and casually offered a cheeky apology to the entire school.

Following the stunt, Lu Xixiao and his friend Jiang Fan were hauled into the teacher's office. Mr. Zhao reprimanded Lu Xixiao and confiscated his motorcycle keys, declaring they would only be returned if Lu Xixiao secured a spot in the Top 1,000 in the upcoming citywide mock exams. Zhou Wan was also in the office submitting her college application.

Though Mr. Zhao urged her to apply to a prestigious out-of-town university, she insisted on staying local to care for her aging grandmother. Before dismissing her, Mr. Zhao warned her to stay away from private tutoring to protect her financial aid. While Zhou Wan maintained the facade of a well-off student with a happy family, her reality was far more painful.

Her father had passed away when she was young, her mother had abandoned her, and she was left entirely alone to care for her sick grandmother. To pay for the mounting medical bills, she secretly worked part-time jobs and sold highly effective study notes under the alias "Mr. Bow." On her grandmother's birthday, Zhou Wan celebrated at home with her and her childhood friend, Jiang Yan, quietly hoping her desperate lies would never be exposed.

Desperate to get his motorcycle back, Lu Xixiao sought a way to rapidly improve his grades. Jiang Fan revealed that he had scored exceptionally well on a math test by using notes bought from "Mr. Bow" through a secret transaction involving the "English Corner" magazine at a local stationery store.

When Lu Xixiao sent a WeChat friend request to the seller, Zhou Wan recognized his reckless reputation and promptly rejected it, messaging him that she would not sell to Lu Xixiao. Lu Xixiao went to the stationery store to purchase the notes himself, only to find that the magazine had suspended publication and the store owner angrily chased him away. Left with no other options, Lu Xixiao analyzed the seller's WeChat profile picture, which featured a distinct tree on campus.

He and Jiang Fan searched the area after evening self-study. Tracking the clues, Lu Xixiao found Zhou Wan asleep in an abandoned school storage room. Awakened by his presence, Zhou Wan was startled to find Lu Xixiao holding her notebook. Playing on her name's meaning of a fully drawn bow, Lu Xixiao quickly pieced together her identity as "Mr. Bow." When she demanded her notebook back, Lu Xixiao threatened to expose her unless she agreed to sell him her notes.

Their argument was cut short when the school director approached, forcing them to squeeze into a tight hiding spot together until the director and Jiang Fan left. Zhou Wan then made it clear she would not do business with a troublemaker. The next day, Mr. Zhao re-tested Lu Xixiao on his high math scores and confronted him about rumors of selling materials. Lu Xixiao smoothly claimed his family had hired a brilliant private tutor.

Afterward, Lu Xixiao cornered Zhou Wan in the hallway. Since the stationery store route was compromised, he pointed out that only he could buy from her now. Zhou Wan eventually gave in, agreeing to a one-time transaction at double the price. Later that evening, Zhou Wan was confronted by Luo He, a ruthless debt collector, and his sidekick Xu Feng.

Her late father had left behind massive debts, and Luo He blackmailed her by threatening to reveal her secret part-time jobs to her grandmother, knowing the shock could be fatal. Terrified, Zhou Wan managed to keep him away from her home by promising to get the money soon. When she returned inside, Grandma Huang asked about her late return.

Zhou Wan lied that she was returning study materials to Jiang Yan, while her grandmother affectionately boasted about her youthful martial arts skills. With the help of Zhou Wan's exam notes, Lu Xixiao studied intensely and successfully placed in the Top 1,000 list during the citywide mock exam, earning his keys back from Mr. Zhao. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan accompanied her grandmother to the hospital, where Dr. Chen warned that Grandma Huang's blood sugar was dangerously high.

He recommended switching to expensive, imported medication costing 3,000 yuan a month. Determined to find the money, Zhou Wan agreed to the change. Zhou Wan's financial situation grew even worse when one of her tutoring clients discovered she was actually a high schooler who had lied about being a university student. The parent politely let Zhou Wan go, advising her to focus on her own exams. Later, Lu Xixiao spotted Zhou Wan's mother, Guo Yan, with another man.

When he ran into Zhou Wan shortly after, he asked if the woman was her mother, but Zhou Wan denied it. Noticing she was holding a TOEFL vocabulary book, he asked if she was planning to go abroad. Zhou Wan did not answer directly, but instead asked him to meet her on Monday at the school's abandoned swimming pool.

Years ago, a young Zhou Wan stood on the street, desperately pleading with her mother, Guo Yan, not to leave for Guangzhou. Despite her tears and heartbreaking questions about whether her parents abandoned her because she was not a good girl, Guo Yan chose a life of comfort elsewhere.

Offering empty promises of pretty dresses and delicious treats, she left Zhou Wan to be raised by her grandmother, leaving a deep emotional scar that would fuel Zhou Wan’s current desperation to secure expensive imported medicine for her ailing grandmother. In the present day, Zhou Wan's search for tutoring work took a shocking turn when she witnessed her mother, now living a luxurious lifestyle under the name Guo Xiangling, eagerly trying to get close to Lu Xixiao.

After Guo Xiangling left, Zhou Wan questioned Lu Xixiao about their connection. Although he quickly denied that they were mother and son, his defensive reaction confirmed her suspicions. Filled with resentment, Zhou Wan snuck into the teacher's office late at night and found Lu Xixiao's emergency contact form, which officially listed Guo Xiangling as his guardian.

Realizing her mother had abandoned her for a wealthy family, Zhou Wan stood before the memory of her late father, whispering a plea for forgiveness for the dark plan of revenge she was about to set in motion. Posing as Lu Xixiao's English teacher and vice homeroom teacher, Zhou Wan made a phone call to Guo Xiangling. She politely questioned why neither parent had RSVP'd for the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.

When Guo Xiangling expressed surprise at how the school obtained her number, Zhou Wan smoothly lied, claiming it was retrieved from the emergency contact files. She successfully convinced Guo Xiangling to attend the meeting on the 25th of the month to discuss Lu Xixiao's college plans, promising that she would personally ensure Lu Xixiao agreed to her attendance. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao found himself distracted by a situation at the local market.

A fish vendor named Yu was transferring his shop because the smoke from a neighboring grilled fish stall was ruining his business. Seeing that the goldfishes would be abandoned to their fate, Lu Xixiao decided to intervene. He asked his friend Ping to borrow a pet house belonging to Doggie to temporarily hold them, ignoring Ping's jokes about Doggie defending his property rights. Lu Xixiao then bought the fish along with their aquatic plants.

During a sweltering morning gate check at school, Lu Xixiao reminded Zhou Wan of their scheduled meeting at the swimming pool that night. When they met by the big tree near the pool, Zhou Wan proposed a deal. Having noticed him studying advanced English books, she offered to be his study partner to help him prepare for his plans to go abroad in exchange for tutoring fees. However, Lu Xixiao scoffed at the idea and refused.

When he later failed to show up for tutoring, Zhou Wan tracked him down at a local motorcycle repair shop, where he had skipped evening study to play arcade games. She challenged him to a best-of-five arcade match, declaring that if she won even a single round, he would have to accept her tutoring. Confident in his local high-score record, Lu Xixiao agreed, only to lose the final round after Zhou Wan strategically adjusted her setup with lighter accessories.

Bound by his pride, he had no choice but to comply. Back at home, Zhou Wan's grandmother expressed concern over her high stress levels, having caught her staring at an old photo and muttering about Guo Yan. Zhou Wan brushed it off as a recurring dream and made sure her grandmother took her medicine before leaving. With their agreement secured, Zhou Wan waited at the abandoned swimming pool one evening with study guides and a small fan.

Lu Xixiao arrived on time, running all the way. She walked him through his weaknesses in reading comprehension and cloze tests, and when she asked why he wanted to go abroad, Lu Xixiao admitted he simply wanted to escape his family's overbearing control. They agreed to continue their tutoring sessions until the day of the parent-teacher meeting. One afternoon, Zhou Wan noticed the goldfishes at Yu's aquarium shop, now isolated in individual plastic bags to make them sell better.

Feeling a deep empathy for their trapped state, she bought them all. That evening, she arrived late to her tutoring session with a water-logged backpack because the plastic bags had sprung leaks. Worried the fish would suffocate, Lu Xixiao led her to the school's broken chemistry lab to find proper glass containers. They happily began transferring the fish into beakers, only to be interrupted by the sudden shouting of the school security guard. Panicked, they bolted out of the lab.

As they ran from the guard through the dark school grounds, they reached a high ledge. Paralyzed by her fear of heights, Zhou Wan hesitated to jump. Lu Xixiao stood below, urging her to trust him and promising to catch her. Taking a leap of faith, she fell into his arms, and the two quickly escaped into the night, leaving the frustrated guard behind.

After escaping the pursuit of the school administration, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao find a quiet moment to talk by the swimming pool. Looking at the water, Zhou Wan admits that Lu Xixiao is quite different from the pampered, lazy rich boy she had originally imagined—someone who would simply bask in the sun, skip studying, and eventually inherit a family business with a dozen secretaries.

Lu Xixiao jokingly agrees that such a lifestyle was indeed his plan, but he is intrigued when she notes that he seems too kind to ever hurt anyone. Their conversation shifts to the albino tree near the pool, which Lu Xixiao noticed she had set as her social media profile picture. Zhou Wan is surprised he noticed it, explaining that others found it ugly and banished it to this lonely corner.

Lu Xixiao gently points out that since they both appreciate it now, the tree is no longer lonely. After their talk, Lu Xixiao rides his motorcycle alongside Zhou Wan's bus to escort her all the way home. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao spends time at a motorcycle workshop, half-heartedly reciting English vocabulary about friendship and adversity. When his friend tries to coax him into hanging out, Lu Xixiao refuses, reminding him of his plans to study abroad.

He strictly warns his friend not to let his family or the school know about his departure, preferring to keep his plans a secret. On their last tutoring session, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao pass by a local fish vendor. Seeing beautiful goldfish crowded inside small plastic bags, Zhou Wan pauses, expressing a quiet wish to rescue them all, though she lacks the funds.

Hearing this, Lu Xixiao immediately calls out to the vendor, Old Yu, and generously purchases every single goldfish along with a large tank. Seeking a spacious home for them, he decides to release them into the school's swimming pool. However, Lu Xixiao accidentally releases aggressive betta fish into the same water. Realizing they will fight, a worried Zhou Wan jumps into the pool to separate them and move the little bettas to a safer spot.

Lu Xixiao joins her in the water, admitting he never watched much television as a child because his family complained it was too noisy. As they swim among the colorful fish, the dull pool transforms into a vibrant fairytale world. To prevent her from catching a cold, Lu Xixiao finds some club T-shirts for them to change into. While changing, Zhou Wan asks him why he wants to go abroad in secret.

Lu Xixiao replies that there is simply no one here he cares to stay for, and asks about her future plans. Zhou Wan admits she doesn't have the luxury of choice. Knowing how brilliant her grades are, Lu Xixiao urges her to be cautious with her future, unlike himself who merely lives day by day. Zhou Wan softly reflects that they are both only eighteen, facing a world where they have very few choices.

Before they leave, she asks him if he will attend the upcoming parent-teacher meeting and club festival to release balloons. Though he initially dismisses the activity as childish and meaningless, Zhou Wan's gentle confession—that she wants to release balloons with him—leaves him stunned. He questions if she is deliberately trying to get close to him, but before she can answer, a security guard spots them, forcing them out. The midnight escapade quickly catches up with them.

The next morning, the school administration broadcasts a public reprimand over the speakers. Stepping up to the microphone, Lu Xixiao boldly shoulders the entire blame, claiming he incited Zhou Wan to join him under the pretense of a lab experiment. Zhou Wan’s classmates are stunned to see the usually indifferent Lu Xixiao willingly take the fall for someone else.

When Zhou Wan later expresses her gratitude, Lu Xixiao brushes it off, noting that a blemish on his record means nothing since he is leaving the country anyway, whereas she cannot afford any distractions before the college entrance exams. To show her gratitude, Zhou Wan treats Lu Xixiao to a meal at Uncle Kang's modest noodle shop. Unaccustomed to such humble eateries, Lu Xixiao is fascinated by everything on the menu.

Uncle Kang, an old motorcycle enthusiast, immediately spots Lu Xixiao’s impressive bike and strikes up a warm conversation, reminiscing about the Xingfu 250 he rode in his youth. Zhou Wan orders their special Three Delicacies Noodles, a signature dish that her grandmother, who usually works at the shop, often prepares. Since her grandmother is away that day, they enjoy their meal in peace.

Uncle Kang offers to drive her grandmother to the school's parent-teacher meeting the next day, but Zhou Wan politely declines, explaining that her grandmother is unwell and the event is not important enough to trouble her. Unfortunately, their dinner does not go unnoticed. Jiang Yan, Zhou Wan's childhood friend, is consumed by jealousy upon seeing them together. He takes it upon himself to inform Zhou Wan's grandmother about her recent behavior.

When Zhou Wan returns home, her grandmother is furious, scolding her for skipping classes, getting publicly disciplined, and wasting time with a boy instead of focusing on her dream of entering Huaqing University. Zhou Wan tearfully admits that she has no desire to move far away and face loneliness, and that getting into the prestigious university does not matter to her.

Softening, her grandmother reminds her that while her destiny is in her own hands, all she truly wishes is for Zhou Wan to be safe, healthy, and happy. Zhou Wan later confronts Jiang Yan about his betrayal. Jiang Yan defends his actions, admitting he is terrified of how close she is getting to Lu Xixiao, a boy who belongs to a completely different world.

Zhou Wan insists she knows what she is doing but firmly states that some matters are beyond a friend's help. Sensing the growing distance between them, Jiang Yan sadly recalls the day they first met, when she was crying in their secret hideout. Zhou Wan reassures her first friend that this difficult period will soon pass, promising not to shut him out if he swears never to snitch again.

That night, Lu Xixiao texts Zhou Wan, asking about the start time for the club festival after seeing her social media posts. Despite her inner conflict, she replies that it begins at three-thirty. Zhou Wan has already quietly contacted Lu Xixiao's stepmother, Guo Yan, inviting her to the event. The next afternoon, the school playground is buzzing with families taking celebratory photos.

Zhou Wan helps her friend Meng Meng take a family photo, all the while anxiously scanning the crowd for Lu Xixiao. Just as the countdown begins and she fears he won't show, Lu Xixiao appears carrying a massive, towering cluster of colorful balloons. He smiles, wanting to ensure all her wishes can be granted at once. Zhou Wan is deeply touched, yet haunted by a silent guilt, knowing her initial approach to him was fueled by a desire for revenge.

The warm moment is soon interrupted by the arrival of Guo Yan. Lu Xixiao's demeanor instantly turns icy. When she tries to hand him a balloon and wish him well, he mockingly tells her to save her efforts and focus on giving his father another son instead of playing the part of his mother. Guo Yan quietly asserts that he is her only son.

Watching this cold exchange from a distance, Zhou Wan later asks Lu Xixiao about his intense hatred for his stepmother. Lu Xixiao bitterly explains that his father only values women who are pretty, obedient, and easy to control. When Zhou Wan asks what would happen if his stepmother ever displeased his father, Lu Xixiao coldly replies that his father would simply discard her.

Later that evening, after the school activities have concluded, Guo Yan arrives at the street outside Zhou Wan and her grandmother's apartment. Zhou Wan walks down to meet her, looking at her biological mother and quietly addressing her as "Mom."

Guo Yan, who had not seen her daughter in over ten years, finally met with Zhou Wan. Rather than expressing maternal warmth or asking about Zhou Wan's grandmother, Guo Yan immediately remarked on how tall her daughter had grown. Her concern lay entirely elsewhere. She urgently questioned Zhou Wan about her relationship with Lu Xixiao, demanding to know if Zhou Wan had revealed their familial connection to him and how close the two of them had become.

Zhou Wan quietly responded that they were merely friends and that Lu Xixiao knew nothing about her mother's other daughter. Sensing a threat, Guo Yan made her intentions clear. Believing Zhou Wan was using Lu Xixiao to extort her, she offered a bank card, promising financial support on the condition that Zhou Wan stayed away from the Lu family forever. Desperate to cover her grandmother's mounting medical expenses, Zhou Wan accepted the card.

Guo Yan cold-heartedly warned her to keep her word as an adult, mocking that it would be quite amusing if the arrogant Lu Xixiao discovered he was only worth the price of a prescription. Bound by her promise, Zhou Wan began to distance herself from Lu Xixiao. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao had spent his free time at Ping's motorcycle workshop, hand-crafting a metal pendant shaped like an arrow.

His friend Jiang Fan teased him about the unusual gift, but Lu Xixiao was determined to give it to Zhou Wan. However, his plans were shattered when he overheard Jiang Yan advising Zhou Wan to stay away from him. Lu Xixiao listened in silence as Zhou Wan coldly declared that she and Lu Xixiao were not friends, had never been, and never would be. Hurt and bitter, Lu Xixiao hid the arrow necklace away.

As the college entrance exam loomed just nine days away, Zhou Wan actively avoided Lu Xixiao at school, running off quickly during class breaks. This sudden shift left Lu Xixiao deeply tormented. Back at the workshop, Jiang Fan noticed his distress, pointing out the terrible timing of their romance just as Lu Xixiao was preparing to go abroad.

When Lu Xixiao asked a hypothetical question about why a girl would suddenly ignore a friend and deny their bond for no reason, Jiang Fan immediately deduced he was talking about Zhou Wan and advised him to go ask her directly. On his way home, Lu Xixiao spotted a group of thugs, led by He Wenhui, cornering Zhou Wan. He rode his motorcycle directly at them to break up the confrontation, mocking He Wenhui's reliance on his father's status.

After driving the thugs away, a heavy downpour began. Lu Xixiao offered Zhou Wan a ride, but she steadfastly refused to get on his bike, keeping her promise to her mother. Frustrated and angry, Lu Xixiao threw his jacket to her and sped off into the rain. Safely back in the classroom, Zhou Wan dried off with the help of her friend Meng, who lent her a spare uniform.

Meng noticed the arrow keychain on Zhou Wan's backpack and playfully teased her about being Cupid, prompting Zhou Wan to refocus on her studies. Later, when Lu Xixiao arrived late to class, the sarcastic teacher told him he might as well go home to review. Lu Xixiao jokingly apologized, promising to stay out of trouble for the remaining days of high school.

Soon after, the school director informed the class teacher that Lu Xixiao had been asking about the academic certificates required to study abroad, despite his family never mentioning such plans. Overhearing the conversation and wanting to protect him, Zhou Wan stepped in. She lied to the director, claiming that she was the one planning to go abroad on a whim and had asked Lu Xixiao to gather the materials for her.

The director accepted the explanation and praised her ambition, leaving Lu Xixiao's teacher to tell him to follow her example. At home, Lu Xixiao's family helper, Ms. Chen, returned his washed t-shirt with "so hot" written on it. Though he admitted to himself that the shirt held a special significance, he quietly instructed her to throw it away.

A relative reassured him that she had secretly arranged his preparatory courses and plane tickets behind his father's back, reminding him of the favor he owed her. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan visited the clinic to collect her grandmother's expensive medicine. When her grandmother questioned where a student could get so much money and urged her to focus solely on her exams, Zhou Wan lied, claiming the funds came from her tutoring savings.

In a parallel confrontation with her mother, Zhou Wan defended her actions, pointing out that Guo Yan had abandoned them and paid no child support for ten years. Guo Yan defensively argued that she hadn't had it easy either, dismissing the money left by Zhou Wan's father as insignificant. On Mobilization Day, Class 7 celebrated the upcoming exams, but Jiang Yan, the scheduled student representative, was nowhere to be found.

With the speech about to begin, the teacher asked Zhou Wan to take his place. On stage, Zhou Wan delivered a moving speech about graduation, parting classmates, and wishing everyone a bright and successful future. While Zhou Wan spoke, a violent physical confrontation erupted between Jiang Yan and Lu Xixiao behind the school.

Jiang Yan warned Lu Xixiao to stop pestering Zhou Wan and ruining her life, but Lu Xixiao pinned him to the ground, asserting that he knew Zhou Wan far better than Jiang Yan did and warning him to keep his mouth shut. Afterward, Zhou Wan found both of them bruised and injured.

Learning that Jiang Yan had initiated the fight, she coldly told him that she did not need his protection and warned him to stop interfering in her life if he wanted to remain her friend. After graduation, Jiang Yan returned home to his demanding mother, who pressured him to secure a direct master-PhD track at Tsinghua. Seeing his disheveled state, she scolded him for looking messy on stage, unaware that he had missed the speech entirely.

At the motorcycle shop, Jiang Fan congratulated Lu Xixiao on graduating. He then casually mentioned how incredibly loyal Zhou Wan had been, revealing that she had covered for him by telling the school director that she was the one going abroad. Stunned by the truth, Lu Xixiao dropped his tools and raced back to the school, only to find the gates quiet as they narrowly missed each other.

In a tender, fleeting moment of longing, the boundary between reality and dreams blurred as a gentle voice whispered a desire to touch, savoring a familiar scent and welcoming a long-awaited reunion.

Before his scheduled departure for his studies abroad, Lu Xixiao decides to hand over his cherished motorcycle and asks his close friend, Jiang Fan, for a crucial favor: to take custody of the large fish tank containing the goldfish he and Zhou Wan had rescued at school. Jiang Fan is initially hesitant, claiming he does not know Zhou Wan well enough, but Lu Xixiao teasingly reminds him that she recorded his name over fifty times for uniform violations.

Jiang Fan ultimately agrees and asks Gu Meng to contact Zhou Wan. However, the message gets muddled, leaving Zhou Wan with the impression that Jiang Fan simply wants to meet up to give her something. Since Zhou Wan has been looking for an opportunity to return Lu Xixiao's washed school uniform, she accepts the meeting.

A phone call between Lu Xixiao and Jiang Fan reveals the misunderstanding, as Jiang Fan mistakenly told Zhou Wan to come and collect the massive tank herself. Annoyed, Lu Xixiao heads to his mother's apartment to move the tank, only to run directly into Zhou Wan. The encounter is awkward. Zhou Wan explains she had no idea he would be there and returns his clean uniform.

When she asks if he still lives there, Lu Xixiao defensively brushes her off, though he does thank her for helping cover up his travel plans in front of the school director. Just as they declare themselves even, Jiang Fan arrives. To settle the issue of the fish tank, Jiang Fan jokingly holds a custody hearing.

Since Zhou Wan's home has no space and Lu Xixiao cannot take it on a plane, they both readily agree to let Jiang Fan keep the tank at his house. On the morning of the 2016 national college entrance examination, Grandma is a bundle of nerves but happily accompanies Zhou Wan to the exam center. Outside the crowded gates, parents wear traditional Qipaos to bring their children good luck.

Zhou Wan gently urges her grandmother to go home and rest, but just as she approaches the security gate, Grandma suddenly collapses. Terrified and with no other family members around, Zhou Wan abandons her entrance to rush her grandmother to the hospital. Although the doctors manage to stabilize her, Dr. Chen explains that Grandma's diabetes and complications, including uremia, have triggered a severe heart attack.

Facing urgent surgery the following day, Zhou Wan makes the difficult decision to skip the remaining exams to remain by her grandmother's side, quietly resigning herself to trying again the following year. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao stands alone in the international departures terminal, harboring a quiet hope that his family, and perhaps even Zhou Wan, might show up to bid him farewell. His hopes are dashed when his phone rings with urgent news of a massive family crisis.

His father's business is in ruins, and his father, Lu Zhongyue, is attempting to sell off his late mother's villa to cover the debts. Forcing himself to cancel his flight, Lu Xixiao returns home only to find movers already clearing out his mother's cherished art collection under his father's orders. Though he tries to protect the paintings, the workers ignore his protests, leaving the villa nearly empty.

As the exam results are announced, the contrast between their broken dreams and the celebration of others is stark. Zhou Wan has no scores, and Lu Xixiao's dreams of studying abroad are shattered. The two of them walk through the festive fireworks, feeling the bitter irony of their circumstances. To survive, Lu Xixiao lives off his savings from selling his remaining luxury items and takes a job at a local motorcycle repair shop run by Ping.

While working at the shop, Lu Xixiao hears from Jiang Fan that Zhou Wan "blew" her exams, though he does not yet know the reason. Their lives cross paths with He Wenhui, an arrogant customer who arrives at the shop picking a fight over a steering damper and mocking Gu Meng. Recognizing Lu Xixiao, He Wenhui mocks his family's fallen status and challenges him to a high-stakes motorcycle race, demanding that Lu Xixiao kneel and apologize if he loses.

Despite He Wenhui's expensive imported modifications and dirty driving on the track, Lu Xixiao relies on his superior cornering techniques. On the critical final bend of the S-track, Lu Xixiao overtakes his opponent to win the race. A sore loser, He Wenhui refuses to keep his promise and retreats with his crew. The next morning, as Zhou Wan prepares to leave for work, a ruthless rent collector corners her, aggressively demanding rent before it is due.

Desperate to protect her grandmother from being disturbed, Zhou Wan threatens to contact his boss, Fen-jie, to expose his illegal early collection. While they are arguing, the thug receives a call from He Wenhui. Hearing Lu Xixiao's name mentioned, Zhou Wan becomes deeply suspicious. Her fears are realized that evening when she stumbles upon He Wenhui's thugs cornering and attacking Lu Xixiao in a dark alley.

Zhou Wan quickly dials the police, borrows Gu Meng's electric scooter, and bravely rides directly into the violent clash to rescue a battered Lu Xixiao. Zhou Wan takes Lu Xixiao to a quiet spot to tend to his wounds, gently applying bandages and warning him to keep them dry. To repay her, Lu Xixiao treats her to two bowls of noodles. Sitting face-to-face, the ice between them begins to melt.

Zhou Wan asks why he missed his flight, but Lu Xixiao shifts the focus, asking why she has been avoiding him. Zhou Wan quietly replies that not everyone has the luxury of living life exactly as they please. After returning the scooter to Gu Meng, Zhou Wan heads back to the hospital. Meanwhile, a distracted Lu Xixiao accidentally pours water into the wrong tank at the repair shop.

It is only then that Jiang Fan tells him the truth: Zhou Wan skipped the Gaokao because her grandmother was hospitalized and she is now drowning in steep medical bills. Deeply moved, Lu Xixiao immediately goes to the hospital and quietly pays off Grandma's outstanding bills. Discovering this, Zhou Wan confronts him outside. While she accepts a drink from him, she firmly insists on transferring the money back via WeChat, stating that she wants to stand on her own feet.

Lu Xixiao assures her he did not act out of pity, asking if he could simply support her as a friend. To soften her guard, he buys her an ice cream and takes her to an arcade, successfully winning her a pink Kobito doll and presenting her with a necklace that matches her bow-and-arrow accessory. Their peaceful moment is interrupted when Lu Xixiao receives an alert that someone has broken into his late mother's house.

Determined to stop his stepmother, Guo Yan, from selling the beloved villa, Lu Xixiao asks Zhou Wan to come along. Arriving at the estate, they witness Guo Yan and a real estate agent showing a wealthy buyer, Mr. Li, around the property. As Lu Xixiao prepares to angrily storm the front door, Zhou Wan restrains him, advising him to keep a level head. She suggests finding a side entrance so they can slip inside and quietly sabotage the sale.

To stop Lu Xixiao's stepmother, Guo Yan, from selling his late mother's house, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao team up to stage a spooky prank. While Guo Yan is showing a prospective buyer, Mr. Li, around the property, the electricity suddenly cuts out, though the fish tank lights remain on. Suddenly, the eerie sound of clicking high heels and echoing piano music drifts down from upstairs. Terrified by the noises in an supposedly empty house, the buyer is thoroughly spooked.

On his way out, he panics upon seeing fresh, blood-red handprints smeared on the wall and flees the scene. Once the house is empty, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao meet up, delighted by the success of their plan. Zhou Wan was responsible for the noises upstairs, while Lu Xixiao painted the handprints. While looking around, Zhou Wan admires the beautiful paintings in the studio, and Lu Xixiao proudly claims they are his work.

However, when she mentions also seeing paintings in the second-floor room and notices that one of the four seems to be missing, Lu Xixiao's demeanor shifts instantly. Angered by her intrusion into his late mother's private room, he coldly demands to know who let her in and orders her to leave. Zhou Wan's estranged biological mother, Guo Yan, soon discovers that Zhou Wan helped Lu Xixiao disrupt the house viewing.

She meets Zhou Wan at a local tea house, coldly accusing her of breaking their agreement to stay away from Lu Xixiao in exchange for her grandmother's medical bills being paid. Zhou Wan defends that they are merely friends, but Guo Yan remains skeptical. When the topic of the university entrance exam arises, Zhou Wan explains she had to miss it because her grandmother suffered a sudden heart attack triggered by uremia. Guo Yan dismisses it as unfortunate fate.

When Zhou Wan brings up her late father's insurance money, expecting some of it to go to her grandmother, Guo Yan falsely claims the policy was marital property and solely in her own name. Desperate to keep her grandmother's treatment funded, Zhou Wan promises to treat the financial help as a loan, but Guo Yan forces her to block Lu Xixiao on her phone right then and there. At the Lu residence, family tensions rise.

While Lu Xixiao's grandfather supports him, his father demands he attend the Lanyue Group's 40th-anniversary family banquet to apologize to a business partner's son. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xixiao agrees on one condition: his mother's house must not be sold. His father complies, claiming he never actually intended to sell it anyway. Back at home, Zhou Wan is sorting through her father's old documents when she stumbles upon the actual insurance contract.

To her shock, she sees that she was designated as the sole primary beneficiary, meaning Guo Yan lied to steal her inheritance and abandoned her family to live in luxury. Consumed by a desire for revenge, Zhou Wan sees news about the upcoming Lanyue Group banquet and realizes Guo Yan will definitely be there. This event is her only chance to confront her mother and secure the funds needed to save her grandmother.

Zhou Wan seeks advice from a friend on how to mend her relationship with Lu Xixiao. Her friend suggests swallowing her pride and acting pitiful. Together, they visit the repair shop where Lu Xixiao is working to deliver some seafood noodles. Though Lu Xixiao acts indifferent, his friends see through his tough exterior and tease him about how much he secretly cares for her.

Later, Zhou Wan visits her grandmother in the hospital, where her classmate Jiang Yan brings university brochures from Pingchuan City to help her explore her options since she missed the gaokao, gently reminding her that her life is her own choice. Determined to get back in Lu Xixiao's good graces, Zhou Wan corners him at the local arcade. She takes responsibility for deleting him, admitting she was wrong.

Lu Xixiao's defenses crumble, and he apologizes as well, admitting he shouldn't have lost his temper. He agrees that their history of saving a fish and playing ghosts together is too meaningful to throw away, and he adds her back on WeChat. Zhou Wan then asks for a favor, mentioning how much she loves the Phonograph Band, who are scheduled to perform at his family's banquet, and asks if she can attend.

Lu Xixiao readily agrees, telling her to come early and reassuring her that she doesn't need to worry about formal wear. While happy, Zhou Wan is plagued by guilt, silently hoping he won't hate her when he eventually discovers she is using him to get close to Guo Yan. Before the big night, Jiang Yan celebrates his birthday, first with his mother and then with his father, Mr. Lu.

Although Mr. Lu presents him with a customized fountain pen and promises future financial support, Jiang Yan firmly rejects the gifts. He politely points out that they are not a real family and never will be, declaring he will no longer accept anything from the Lu family. Later, Jiang Yan meets Zhou Wan on a rooftop to celebrate his birthday with a small cake.

For his birthday wishes, he prays for her grandmother's recovery and asks Zhou Wan to accompany him to an art exhibition next Tuesday. Although it falls on the same night as the Lanyue banquet, she accepts, confident she can manage both. For his final wish, he selflessly hands it over to Zhou Wan. Staring into the night sky, Zhou Wan silently wishes for the success of her upcoming plan to confront Guo Yan.

On the day of the grand banquet, Zhou Wan dressed in the finest clothes she could find in her meager wardrobe. Since her grandmother’s recurring illness drained all of her family’s resources, she had nothing glamorous to wear, but she braced herself for the critical task ahead. Outside the venue, Lu Xixiao was already waiting.

When Zhou Wan arrived, he casually claimed he was only there out of concern that she might get lost, bringing a soft smile to her face. As they walked in together, Zhou Wan worried aloud that she looked too underdressed for such a lavish event, but Lu Xixiao gently reassured her. Their entry was quickly disrupted when an arrogant young man named Ethan collided with them.

He sneered at Zhou Wan's presence, questioning her right to attend the same gathering, and carelessly spilled his drink onto her dress. Though Lu Xixiao's anger flared, Zhou Wan urged him to let it go to avoid making a scene. Determined not to let her suffer through the night in a stained outfit, Lu Xixiao immediately led her toward the dressing rooms.

In the dressing room, a stunning white gown was on display, its size seemingly a perfect match for Zhou Wan. To ease the awkwardness and mask his own vulnerability, Lu Xixiao bragged that his home was always filled with beautiful clothes because he frequently hosted many girls, specifically mentioning stylists, housekeepers, and designers. Zhou Wan, focused entirely on the success of her plan, readily accepted the dress. Soon after, a voice announced that the stylists and makeup artists had arrived.

Lu Xixiao told them to come in and agreed to handle the expenses. Meanwhile, guests in the main hall gossiped about the late Mrs. Lu’s artistic legacy and her husband's legendary devotion. Lu Xixiao's aunt Qilan had just returned from abroad without informing the family, joining Lu Xixiao's grandfather at the gathering. When his grandfather inquired about his university plans, Lu Xixiao promised to discuss it later.

Before they could head inside, Lu Xixiao's father, Lu Zhongyue, pulled him aside, demanding he apologize to He Wenhui over their previous altercation. Lu Xixiao complied but did so with biting sarcasm, listing out his errors, such as saving He Wenhui's life by stopping him from running a red light, exposing He Wenhui's poor racing skills in public, and merely smashing He Wenhui’s car instead of demanding formal compensation after He Wenhui scratched his.

Lu Xixiao pointed out that their fathers were only using their petty feud as a convenient excuse to resolve business friction. Realizing Lu Xixiao knew exactly how to play the game, He Wenhui backed down, and Lu Xixiao warned him to stay away. When Zhou Wan finally emerged in the elegant white gown, Lu Xixiao was spellbound, softly telling her how beautiful she looked.

Wanting to shield her from the suffocating crowd, he led her away to a quiet outdoor area where he had arranged a private solo performance of a song she had wanted to hear. As they danced together, Lu Xixiao guided her steps, and they spoke about the tragic love story behind the music—a tale of two people who shouldn't have been together but fell in love anyway, only for the woman to hurt the man who ultimately died protecting her.

While Zhou Wan dismissed the man's sacrifice as foolish, Lu Xixiao explained that the composer believed the man accepted it as his destiny, even if it was a flawed one. Overwhelmed by the intense connection, Zhou Wan asked if it was too late to stop before things went too far. She quietly questioned what he would do if she ever hurt him, to which Lu Xixiao softly replied that he would do nothing. Inside, the formal ceremony began.

Lu Zhongyue stood on stage to celebrate Lanyue Group’s 40th anniversary, introducing a cherished painting by his late wife, which he incorrectly called Midsummer. Hearing his father misrepresent her work, Lu Xixiao stepped onto the stage to correct him, explaining that the piece was actually titled Blazing Summer, part of a wider seasonal series representing her most passionate emotions. During his speech, Zhou Wan received an urgent phone call from Dr. Chen at the hospital.

The doctor delivered the hopeful news that her grandmother's indicators were ideal for a kidney transplant, but warned that she needed to secure 300,000 yuan for the surgery as soon as a donor matched. Desperate and realizing she had no other choice, Zhou Wan knew she had to seize this moment. When security guards questioned her presence for lack of an invitation, she bypassed them and walked straight onto the stage, seizing the microphone.

Standing before the stunned audience, Zhou Wan introduced herself as a student from Yangming High School. She turned to the banquet's hostess, Guo Yan (who introduced herself at the event as Guo Xiangling), and boldly addressed her as "Mom." The crowd erupted in murmurs, and Guo Yan froze in absolute terror, fearing her hidden past would be exposed.

However, Zhou Wan smoothly pivoted, explaining that after losing her father early, she had struggled deeply until Ms. Guo began anonymously sponsoring her education and helping with her grandmother's medical bills. She praised Guo Yan as a saintly benefactor who was more than a mother to her. Under the pressure of the applauding crowd, Guo Yan had to play along.

Standing close, Zhou Wan whispered that she only wanted her father's 300,000 yuan insurance money for her grandmother's surgery, urging Guo Yan to finish the performance with her. Forced into a corner, Guo Yan hugged her tightly and tearfully expressed her pride in Zhou Wan's future. While the drama unfolded at the banquet, Jiang Yan was waiting for Zhou Wan at the Pingchuan Art Museum.

When the museum closed and she still hadn't arrived, he hurried to the hospital, fearing something had happened to her grandmother. However, her grandmother explained that Zhou Wan had merely delivered lunch before leaving for some personal errands. She handed Jiang Yan the lunchbox bag to take back, inside of which he discovered a formal invitation to the Lu family banquet.

Staring at it, Jiang Yan realized where Zhou Wan had gone and wondered about her true connection to Lu Xixiao. Following her speech, Lu Xixiao angrily dragged Zhou Wan away from the venue, speeding off on his motorcycle. They stopped in a desolate, quiet area, where Lu Xixiao confronted her, deeply wounded. He accused her of using him solely to get close to Guo Yan, pointing out that she had calculated exactly how to hurt him.

Zhou Wan quietly apologized, but Lu Xixiao bitterly asked if she wanted to be his sister so badly. He demanded to know if she had ever felt any genuine affection for him during their time together. Zhou Wan cold-heartedly claimed she had never thought about it. Stung by her rejection, Lu Xixiao suddenly pulled her close and kissed her passionately, leaving her stunned.

He then rode away in a fury, though his concern for her safety eventually forced him to turn back, only to find she had already left. Zhou Wan took a taxi home, where she found Guo Yan waiting for her. Guo Yan coldly warned her that she was no Cinderella and that she needed to stay away from Lu Xixiao.

She offered a deal: if Zhou Wan attended a breakfast with Lu Xixiao's family the next morning, followed her instructions, and then left Pingchuan forever, she would receive the 300,000 yuan. Zhou Wan agreed but demanded an immediate 6,000 yuan to cover her grandmother's upcoming dialysis. Guo Yan handed over the money, demanding that Zhou Wan vanish from her sight starting tomorrow. After Guo Yan left, Jiang Yan stepped out from the shadows, having overheard their entire conversation.

Zhou Wan broke down and confessed everything, explaining that Guo Yan was her birth mother who had abandoned her and stolen all their money after her father’s death. She asked if he thought she was a bad person, but Jiang Yan comforted her, promising to keep her secret just as they had done when they were children. The next morning, Lu Xixiao sat at the breakfast table with his father, grandfather, and aunt.

When his grandfather asked about his future, Lu Xixiao firmly announced his plan to study art abroad and apply to his late mother's alma mater. This sparked another fierce argument with his father, who demanded he stick to studying finance. His aunt managed to defuse the tension just as their guest was announced. Zhou Wan entered the room. The aunt welcomed her warmly and praised Guo Yan for her charitable deed, teasingly addressing Guo Yan as her future sister-in-law. Guo Yan then prompted Zhou Wan to greet her "brother." Zhou Wan looked at Lu Xixiao and quietly murmured, "Brother."

The day after the chaotic banquet, Lu Xixiao's aunt hosted a family dinner, inviting both Zhou Wan and Guo Yan. During the meal, Guo Yan pushed Zhou Wan to call Xixiao her brother, prompting an awkward, quiet greeting from Zhou Wan. Visibly irritated, Xixiao tried to leave the table, but his aunt scolded him for being rude and made him sit back down.

Sensing the tension, the aunt questioned if the two already knew each other from school, but Xixiao quickly brushed it off, stating they were never close. The aunt went on to praise Zhou Wan's excellent academic record and wondered why she had missed the college entrance exam. Guo Yan quickly covered for her, explaining that a family emergency had prevented Zhou Wan from attending.

Zhou Wan added that she intended to retake the exam, mentioning that Guo Yan had promised to sponsor her until she graduated college. When Guo Yan stated she had already found a cram school in the northern suburbs so Zhou Wan could leave soon, the aunt proposed a different plan.

Since Xixiao was preparing to apply to the art academy, she suggested Zhou Wan move into their house so they could study together and Zhou Wan could serve as a role model. Though both Zhou Wan and Guo Yan tried to politely decline, Xixiao unexpectedly agreed to the arrangement, saying he had much to learn from her. Ms. Chen was then asked to prepare Xixiao's childhood room for Zhou Wan's stay. Meanwhile, Xixiao's father gave him a strict ultimatum.

Acknowledging that the art academy Xixiao's late mother attended was incredibly difficult to get into, his father granted him one year to prepare. However, he warned Xixiao that if he caused any trouble during this time, he would be forced to go abroad and study finance. Xixiao accepted the challenge.

Later, Xixiao's friend teased him about the prospect of living under the same roof as Zhou Wan, suggesting that despite his grumpy attitude, Xixiao was actually quite happy about the arrangement. Zhou Wan shared her anxieties with her close friend, explaining that staying at the Lu residence would at least keep her closer to the hospital where her grandmother was admitted.

When her friend questioned the complicated dynamic between her and Xixiao, Zhou Wan confessed that her sponsor, Guo Yan, was actually Xixiao's stepmother. Because Xixiao detested Guo Yan, Zhou Wan felt their friendship had been compromised from the very beginning. Soon after, Zhou Wan officially moved into the Lu household.

Guo Yan, who had packed Zhou Wan's bags, privately warned her to remember her place and not cause any trouble, noting that her own wedding to Xixiao's father had been postponed until Xixiao went abroad the following year. Ms. Chen showed Zhou Wan to her new room, apologizing that the space lacked a private bathroom. That night, Zhou Wan accidentally bumped into Xixiao in the hallway.

Xixiao questioned why she was using the public bathroom and criticized her for not greeting him after moving in, asking if she even wanted to see him. Zhou Wan quietly explained she had only wanted to avoid making him unhappy. Before they could speak further, Guo Yan interrupted, telling Zhou Wan to use her private bathroom instead.

After Xixiao sarcastically remarked that her "godmother" was calling her and walked away, Guo Yan privately addressed Zhou Wan as her daughter, expressing her own frustration over their living arrangement. During a visit to the hospital, Zhou Wan's grandmother expressed unease over the expensive gifts Guo Yan had suddenly sent, noting they had not been in contact for over a decade. Zhou Wan comforted her, encouraging her to accept the help.

Shortly after, Guo Yan met with Zhou Wan privately and handed her a check for 150,000 yuan. Explaining that a kidney transplant would cost 300,000 yuan, Guo Yan made the remaining half conditional: Zhou Wan had to convince Xixiao to give up his art pursuits and go abroad to study finance by the end of the summer so that Guo Yan could finally marry into the family.

Zhou Wan tried to refuse, arguing that Xixiao's dreams were his own, but Guo Yan ruthlessly reminded her of her grandmother's deteriorating health. Guo Yan also dismissed any threats of exposure, confident that Zhou Wan cared too much about Xixiao's feelings to ever tell him the truth. Soon after, Zhou Wan learned from Xixiao's friend that he had fallen ill. Having spent the last few days caring for her grandmother, she had not realized he was sick.

Back at the house, Ms. Chen worriedly told Zhou Wan that Xixiao had refused to eat or take his medicine, urging her to deliver the tray. Though hesitant, Zhou Wan brought some Three-Delicacy noodles and medicine to his room. Xixiao, who had caught a cold after returning to the mountain to look for her on the night of the banquet, was pleased by her arrival despite his grumpy demeanor. He demanded she stay with him while he took his medicine.

When a message flashed on Zhou Wan's phone, a moment of jealousy prompted Xixiao to grab her phone, teasingly threatening to pass his cold to her to make her stay longer. By the next morning, Xixiao's fever had subsided, and he left early to meet with Professor Qin, a renowned artist. When Ms. Chen realized he had left an important drawing from his portfolio on the table, Zhou Wan offered to deliver it to him.

Upon arriving, she accidentally overheard the professor's harsh critique. While acknowledging Xixiao's technical talent, Professor Qin declined to tutor him, pointing out that his work was merely a soulless copy of his mother's art. The professor urged Xixiao to put his own raw emotions, fears, and desires into his creations, granting him one final chance to present new work at the end of the month.

Determined to help Xixiao find his artistic voice, Zhou Wan sought advice from her grandmother about what it meant to be a truly kind person. Encouraged by her grandmother's words, she contacted Jiang Yan to help arrange a volunteer opportunity for Xixiao at the welfare house, hoping the children there would spark his inspiration. When Xixiao arrived, Jiang Yan welcomed him as his guide, apologizing for their past misunderstandings and urging Xixiao not to let Zhou Wan down.

Xixiao joined Zhou Wan and the children, participating in their games and even playfully competing with a young boy named Shengsheng. Afterward, the children gathered around for storytime. When it was Xixiao's turn, he used hand puppets to spin a tale about a uniquely colored little sheep and a lonely wolf who hid deep in the forest because he felt different. To the wolf's surprise, the little sheep was never afraid of him and loved playing with him.

Before she left, the wolf gifted her a cherished rose from his hidden garden, explaining that while everyone else only saw a dark, gloomy path, she was the only one who saw the beauty of his roses. While the children enjoyed the story, Zhou Wan spent time with a young girl named Xinyi, who showed her a drawing of an amusement park. Despite the heartwarming day, Xixiao still struggled to find the inspiration he needed to create his own art.

Exhausted, he decided to head home, leaving Zhou Wan slightly disheartened. Watching them, Jiang Yan questioned why Zhou Wan was going to such extreme lengths to help Xixiao. Zhou Wan quietly admitted that her options to help him were limited, and that this was simply something she owed him.

One evening, Lu Xixiao knocked on Zhou Wan’s bedroom door. Standing before her like a child who had done something wrong, he hesitantly asked if she would continue helping him search for artistic inspiration the next day. Zhou Wan, unwilling to see his artistic dreams wither from a lack of perseverance, readily agreed. Lu Xixiao explained that Jiang Fan had planned an outing to an amusement park, and Gu Meng would be joining them as well.

The next day, the four of them arrived at the amusement park. Jiang Fan enthusiastically claimed that inspiration stems from happiness, making the park the perfect destination. Lu Xixiao jokingly called out Jiang Fan for using them as a cover to ask Gu Meng out. During their time there, they played bumper cars, went on the swings, and played military games.

During the bumper car game, a highly competitive Lu Xixiao ended up making a little boy cry over a blue car. After Zhou Wan smoothed things over by giving the child some candy, she scolded Lu Xixiao, who defensively claimed the kid had called him a noob. As they walked past the Ferris wheel, Gu Meng expressed her excitement to ride it. However, Zhou Wan noticed that Lu Xixiao grew visibly tense and anxious because of the strong winds.

Realizing the proud young man might be afraid of heights, she quietly smiled to herself and tactfully steered him away, suggesting they go eat ice cream and popcorn instead under the pretense of being hungry. Later, while Jiang Fan and Gu Meng went to ride a roller coaster, they left their digital camcorder with Lu Xixiao. As Zhou Wan stood amidst a dreamlike flurry of bubbles blown by a nearby child, Lu Xixiao was deeply moved by the sight.

He pointed the camera at her and conducted a playful interview, questioning if she had an ulterior motive for helping him find inspiration so earnestly. Feeling slightly embarrassed due to her past actions, Zhou Wan looked into the lens and sincerely stated that she simply wanted him to be able to do what he loved. When the camera battery died, Lu Xixiao bought a flower from a passing child and presented it to her as a reward for her honesty.

That night, Lu Xixiao repeatedly watched the video of Zhou Wan on his camera. Hearing her wish for him to pursue his passion, he realized she was being completely genuine. Later, Zhou Wan entered his room and urged him to check his phone, as Jiang Fan had been messaging him urgently about a pressing matter.

It turned out that Jiang Fan had realized his feelings for Gu Meng during their amusement park trip and wanted to confess to her on her upcoming eighteenth birthday. He struggled to record a video blessing for her, stumblingly admitting his feelings in front of Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan. Jiang Fan then began planning a grand confession at their school, which would be empty for the summer break.

He bought candles and flowers and even secured the cooperation of the school security guard. His plan involved hiding inside a giant gift box, while Lu Xixiao was supposed to dress up in a thick mascot bear suit to push him out at the perfect moment. Due to the scorching summer heat, Lu Xixiao flatly refused to wear the suffocating costume, claiming he needed to prepare his portfolio for an upcoming meeting with a professor.

Left with no choice, Jiang Fan asked the security guard to wear the mascot suit instead. On the night of the birthday, Zhou Wan successfully brought Gu Meng to the school under the pretext of visiting their teachers. Jiang Fan had meticulously decorated the path with hanging wind chimes and lights. However, Gu Meng did not follow the planned route and walked straight toward the sports field.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan was trapped inside the giant box when the built-in oxygen and fog machine malfunctioned. With his phone dead and the air growing thin, he began to suffocate. To make matters worse, the security guard was called away by his captain and left for the restroom. At this critical moment, Lu Xixiao appeared like a savior. Putting aside his previous refusal, he donned the heavy mascot suit to rescue his friend.

He rolled the box to the field just in time, warning Jiang Fan not to tell anyone who had saved him. The confession proceeded in the middle of the field. Although the cake had melted and the fog machine had caused chaos, Gu Meng was deeply touched by Jiang Fan’s sincerity. Even though she teased him about the practicalities of a future long-distance relationship, she happily agreed to be his girlfriend.

Watching the couple celebrate, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao quietly left the field. Zhou Wan quickly noticed that the unusually tall mascot was actually Lu Xixiao. She helped him open a drink and teased him about how well the suit became him, realizing that beneath his aloof exterior lay a deeply caring heart. To save money, they decided to ride an electric scooter back home.

Zhou Wan sat behind Lu Xixiao, holding onto him as they enjoyed the cool night breeze. Lu Xixiao filmed a video of her on the ride, but they were soon stopped by a police officer. The officer reprimanded them because electric scooters are not allowed to carry passengers and they were not wearing proper helmets. After offering their polite apologies and promising not to repeat the mistake, they were allowed to leave.

Later, Lu Xixiao took Zhou Wan to a small convenience store he frequented. The owner, Uncle Li, greeted them warmly and treated them to sodas. Inside the shop, Zhou Wan was drawn to a collection of beautiful paintings. Uncle Li explained that these were the works of Lu Xixiao's late mother. Zhou Wan spotted a painting of a young boy and guessed it was Lu Xixiao.

Although Lu Xixiao bitterly claimed his mother had abandoned him, Zhou Wan comforted him by sharing her own experiences of her fading memories of her father. She gently assured him that his mother's love was real, pointing out that his constant return to this place was proof of his deep affection for her. Nearby, a young boy named Muyi got his kite stuck in a large hackberry tree.

Seeing Lu Xixiao hesitate, Zhou Wan bravely scaled the tree herself to retrieve it, earning the playful admiration of the child. Watching her run around with the children under the sky, Lu Xixiao felt a sudden surge of inspiration. Uncle Li remarked to Zhou Wan that this was the first time Lu Xixiao had ever brought a friend to the store, noting how much happier and more open the young man seemed.

Lu Xixiao sat beneath the hackberry tree and began to draw, with Zhou Wan quietly keeping him company. In a short time, his pencil brought a beautiful image to life: a pure, happy child smiling peacefully under the tree. Zhou Wan was deeply moved by the artwork. When she asked if this was the piece he would submit to his professor, Lu Xixiao smiled and told her that she was his source of inspiration.

Lu Xixiao drives Zhou Wan back home and bids her a gentle good night. After she returns to her room, her stepmother, Guo Xiangling (also known as Guo Yan), confronts her. Guo Xiangling points out that Zhou Wan has been staying at the Lu house for some time and asks about her grandmother's condition.

She reveals that she has secured the remaining funds for her grandmother's surgery and can arrange a kidney donor later, reminding Zhou Wan that she has fulfilled her end of their bargain. However, Guo Xiangling is displeased that Zhou Wan is helping Lu Xixiao prepare his art portfolio instead of pushing him to go abroad as they had agreed. Their tense conversation is interrupted when Lu Xixiao knocks and enters the room.

Guo Xiangling quickly covers by claiming she was merely checking in on Zhou Wan’s studies before wishing them both a good night and leaving. Once they are alone, Lu Xixiao surprises Zhou Wan by presenting her with a beautifully completed painting. When she asks about the piece meant for Professor Qin, he explains that this one was painted specifically for her.

Concerned, Lu Xixiao asks if Guo Xiangling had been bothering her, but Zhou Wan assures him that she was merely checking up on her studies. Hoping to marry into the Lu family, Guo Xiangling is furious to see the growing intimacy between Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao. To crush Zhou Wan's hopes and force her to send Lu Xixiao abroad, Guo Xiangling threatens to destroy the painting.

Zhou Wan desperately lies that the piece in Guo Xiangling's hands is the portfolio meant for the professor. Unmoved, Guo Xiangling ruthlessly tears the artwork to shreds, coldly telling Zhou Wan to blame it on the housekeeper before walking away. Red-eyed and heartbroken, Zhou Wan kneels on the floor to pick up the torn pieces.

Recalling her grandmother's words that the length of one's life is not tied to happiness and her advice to always be honest and kind, Zhou Wan resolves not to hurt innocent people anymore. She rushes to the hospital, where the doctor excitedly informs her that they have secured a surgery slot for her grandmother, requiring an immediate advance payment.

Feeling deeply sorrowful, Zhou Wan asks the doctor how long her grandmother would survive under conservative treatment if they chose not to proceed with the surgery. Later, Zhou Wan joins Jiang Fan, Gu Meng, and their friends for a barbecue. Distracted and exhausted, she quietly admits to Gu Meng that she has feelings for Lu Xixiao but worries about their future.

When Lu Xixiao arrives with skewers, their friends tease them, and Zhou Wan asks what it feels like to drink. Encouraged to try some alcohol now that she is eighteen, she takes a drink and quickly becomes tipsy. As Lu Xixiao walks the heavily intoxicated Zhou Wan back, she struggles with dizziness and complains about her leg hurting. He gently cares for her, prompting her to pour her heart out.

Zhou Wan tearfully confesses that she did something terrible and feels there is no turning back, fearing she has compromised her morals only to lose everything. Lu Xixiao reassures her that even if she turns bad, he is no saint either. Zhou Wan insists that he is a truly kind and gentle person, admitting she wants to treat him well to make up for her past mistakes.

Touched, Lu Xixiao tells her that even if she becomes a bad person, there will always be someone who loves her. The next morning, Zhou Wan loudly encourages Lu Xixiao as he leaves with his portfolio, wishing him success with Professor Qin. Soon after, she finds Guo Xiangling happily arranging flowers at the Lu house. Guo Xiangling smugly tells Zhou Wan that their deal is officially off and orders her to pack her bags and leave.

Zhou Wan quickly realizes that Guo Xiangling has sabotaged Lu Xixiao's portfolio to frame her. Refusing to let her ruin his future, Zhou Wan declares their transaction over and warns her mother never to bother her grandmother or Lu Xixiao again. She then finds the swapped portfolio hidden in her closet and runs out. Despite getting stuck in a massive traffic jam, she gets out of the taxi and sprints the rest of the way to the university.

At the university's fine arts department, Zhou Wan finds Professor Qin and delivers the correct portfolio, explaining that Lu Xixiao brought the wrong one due to a family emergency. She pleads with the professor to reconsider. Professor Qin reveals that he has not rejected Lu Xixiao, who is currently in a nearby room creating a live drawing to demonstrate his skills. Relieved, Zhou Wan leaves before Lu Xixiao finishes.

After the session, Professor Qin praises Lu Xixiao's technique and mentions how impressive his actual portfolio is, revealing that a petite girl had rushed over to deliver it. Lu Xixiao immediately realizes it was Zhou Wan. When he returns home, his friend enters his room and reveals a shocking truth: Guo Xiangling has a biological daughter named Zhou Wan, meaning the mother and daughter entered the Lu family with a calculated plan.

Though stunned, Lu Xixiao refuses to believe Zhou Wan is malicious, wondering why she would go to such lengths to save his portfolio if she was merely scheming against him. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan visits the hospital, where Dr. Chen informs her that her grandmother's surgery is scheduled but requires an immediate advance payment. Determined to go through with the surgery, Zhou Wan approaches a loan shark named Boss Fang to secure a loan of 200,000 yuan.

Knowing she has no collateral, she appeals to Boss Fang's past connection with her grandmother, Huang Xuefen. Remembering how Huang Xuefen had helped him when he was poor, Boss Fang agrees to lend her the money. Later, Zhou Wan returns to the Lu house to pack her belongings, but Lu Xixiao stops her.

When she tells him she is moving out because her grandmother has been discharged, Lu Xixiao begs her to tell him the truth, promising he won't blame her if she just confesses. However, Zhou Wan refuses to reveal her secret and leaves. Shortly after, Boss Fang's enforcer, Luo He, corners Zhou Wan on the street, demanding she sign the loan contract by the next day. Lu Xixiao intervenes to protect her, sparking a confrontation.

To find out what Zhou Wan is hiding, Lu Xixiao agrees to a basketball match proposed by Luo He: if Lu Xixiao wins, Luo He must tell him the truth. During the game, Luo He and his team play extremely dirty, repeatedly fouling Lu Xixiao and injuring his teammate, Ping-ge. Seeing Lu Xixiao repeatedly tripped by Luo He's underhanded tricks, Zhou Wan is deeply upset. After the game ends, Zhou Wan angrily confronts the thugs, criticizing their dirty tactics. Humiliated and furious, Luo He shoves Zhou Wan to the ground and kicks her. Zhou Wan is left injured on the court, struggling to get back up.

During the final game of the tournament, Lu Xixiao secured a spectacular victory with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Zhou Wan's friend, Mengmeng, excitedly shared the news with her, but she quickly noticed that Zhou Wan was acting strangely and saw blood seeping from a wound on her forehead. When pressed, Zhou Wan claimed she had simply bumped into something, but Mengmeng insisted on walking her home.

Before they could leave, Lu Xixiao arrived and invited Zhou Wan to join the team's celebration dinner. Noticeable injuries on her forehead and ankle caught his attention. Despite her attempts to brush it off, Lu Xixiao demanded to know who had bullied her. When she finally confessed that Luo He was responsible, a furious Lu Xixiao rushed off to confront Luo He, sparking a chaotic brawl on the court.

The fight was quickly broken up, and the police took everyone to the precinct to give their statements. Afterwards, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan stopped by Uncle Kang’s noodle shop. The atmosphere between them was tense. Uncle Kang noticed their silence and gently advised Lu Xixiao that a man must always treat a girl with gentlemanly care. Lu Xixiao quietly defended himself, saying he did treat her well, but Uncle Kang remarked that it clearly was not good enough.

Unable to ignore her injuries, Lu Xixiao stepped out to a nearby pharmacy to buy some ointment. Returning to the shop, he knelt down to tend to her sprained right ankle. Aside from her grandmother, no one had ever shown Zhou Wan such tender care. Overwhelmed with emotion and feeling guilty for having used him in the past, she struggled to hold back her tears.

Lu Xixiao told her she did not have to keep avoiding him anymore and could do whatever she wanted. Appreciative but burdened, Zhou Wan begged him not to ask about certain things, promising she would never avoid him again. Lu Xixiao agreed to respect her boundaries but made her promise to tell him immediately if she ever faced trouble again.

Since her ankle was too injured to walk, Lu Xixiao insisted on carrying her on his back through the narrow alleys all the way to her apartment building. Once inside, Lu Xixiao noticed her grandmother was nowhere to be found. Zhou Wan finally confessed that she had lied; her grandmother was still hospitalized. Lu Xixiao was deeply moved, realizing how much pressure she had been under, balancing work and caring for her sick grandmother all on her own.

After Lu Xixiao left, Zhou Wan looked at her father's photograph, tearfully wondering if she was being too selfish by trying to save her grandmother while desperately wanting to stop hurting Lu Xixiao. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao grappled with his own thoughts, realizing Zhou Wan was harboring painful secrets but deciding he would play along with whatever she was doing just to protect her. A few days later, a water pipe burst in Zhou Wan's apartment.

In a panic, she called Jiang Yan, who rushed over with his toolbox. Coincidentally, Lu Xixiao also arrived, carrying a wilting lily plant. He claimed the flower was dying and demanded she take responsibility for it. While they discussed how to care for the plant, Zhou Wan spotted her loan agreement with the loan shark, Luo He, sitting exposed on the desk. She quickly hid the contract before Lu Xixiao could notice it.

Jiang Yan was already hard at work trying to locate the leak. Lu Xixiao questioned why she had called Jiang Yan instead of a professional, and Zhou Wan explained that the professional repairman was not free until the next day, and Jiang Yan's tools were the most complete. While Jiang Yan was working on the pipes, a sudden burst of water sprayed everywhere, soaking both Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan.

Jiang Yan managed to shut off the main valve, pointing out that the issue lay at the valve's connection joint. Seeing Lu Xixiao drenched, Jiang Yan worried he would catch a cold and invited him to his nearby home to change into dry clothes. To thank them both for their help, Zhou Wan offered to cook lunch at Jiang Yan's place. At Jiang Yan's house, Jiang Yan provided Lu Xixiao with a clean, new shirt.

As they changed, Jiang Yan asked if Lu Xixiao liked Zhou Wan. In the kitchen, Zhou Wan prepared a meal of braised chicken wings and Kung Pao chicken. As they sat down to eat, she teased Lu Xixiao about how unusually well-behaved he looked in Jiang Yan's clothes. Their peaceful lunch was abruptly cut short when Jiang Yan's mother, Guo Xiangling, returned home early. Though she initially greeted Zhou Wan warmly, her face darkened the moment she saw Lu Xixiao.

Infuriated by his presence, she immediately ordered him to leave, declaring that no one from the Lu family was welcome. To defuse the tension, both Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan quickly excused themselves and left. As they walked away, Zhou Wan did not pry, but Lu Xixiao voluntarily opened up to her. He revealed that Jiang Yan was actually his half-brother, born just half a year before him.

Zhou Wan admitted she already knew, having seen Jiang Yan getting into Lu Xixiao’s father's car on Jiang Yan's birthday. Lu Xixiao admitted their past school fights were tied to this complicated family history. Before parting, Zhou Wan gently urged him not to let the past dictate his present, to which Lu Xixiao smiled, noting that she was finally showing care for him. Lu Xixiao returned to Zhou Wan’s apartment to retrieve his flower.

While there, he accidentally discovered her signed loan agreement with Luo He. Everything clicked; he finally understood that the thugs had targeted her because of this high-interest loan. Knowing Zhou Wan was heading to the hospital, Lu Xixiao caught up and insisted on accompanying her. At the hospital, Zhou Wan introduced Lu Xixiao to her grandmother, who warmly welcomed him, recognizing him as the friend who had previously sent her soup.

While Zhou Wan stepped out to pay for her grandmother's medicine, the grandmother privately spoke with Lu Xixiao. She pleaded with him to take Zhou Wan out more often, expressing her wish that the eighteen-year-old would not waste her youth constantly worrying and staying cooped up in the hospital. Shortly after, the doctors arrived to check on the grandmother.

They informed her that her condition had grown complicated, and a kidney transplant was now her best option, though the cost was estimated at 300,000 yuan. Worried about burdening her granddaughter, the grandmother quietly asked the doctor if they could bypass the surgery and pleaded with them not to tell Zhou Wan. On his way back from the hospital, Lu Xixiao was filled with a mixture of complex emotions.

He finally realized that everything Zhou Wan had done to him in the past was orchestrated by Guo Xiangling. Not long ago, Lu Xixiao's aunt had investigated and discovered that Zhou Wan was actually Guo Xiangling's biological daughter. Lu Xixiao wondered why Guo Xiangling refused to acknowledge her own daughter, realizing there must be a hidden reason behind it.

Lu Xixiao returned home and found his stepmother, Guo Xiangling, coordinating household decorations. Always maintaining her facade of a loving maternal figure, she greeted him warmly and mentioned she had invited some of his father's academic colleagues over for dinner, asking if he would like to join them. Lu Xixiao bluntly declined, stating he had no appetite. Instead, he confronted her directly, addressing her as Zhou Wan's mother.

He demanded to know what she truly wanted, offering to negotiate directly so she would stop making life miserable for Zhou Wan. He asked if she would finally give Zhou Wan the money she desperately needed if he agreed to go abroad and let her marry into the Lu family. Meanwhile, Guo Xiangling visited Zhou Wan's grandmother in the hospital.

As the elderly woman lamented her slow recovery, Guo Xiangling expressed mock sympathy, blaming herself for not being successful enough to help out over the years. When she mentioned that Zhou Wan was growing up and making her own decisions, the grandmother pressed her for details. Guo Xiangling revealed that Zhou Wan was dating Lu Xixiao, painting him as a wealthy playboy to make her grandmother anxious.

However, the grandmother recognized the name and defended Lu Xixiao's good character, suggesting they might be childhood sweethearts. Seeing her plan falter, Guo Xiangling planted doubts, claiming she only worried Zhou Wan was staying with him for money, prompting the grandmother to wonder why Zhou Wan would ever need such a vast sum. Lu Xixiao met with his father, Lu Zhongyue, who commended him for passing Professor Qin's exam.

However, Lu Xixiao announced that he would not be attending the professor's school. Instead, he agreed to fulfill his father's long-standing wish for him to study finance abroad. He had only one condition: his father must retrieve his late mother's painting. Satisfied that his son was finally falling in line, Lu Zhongyue quickly agreed and dismissed him. Outside the study, Guo Xiangling was waiting.

She assured Lu Xixiao that she would prepare the promised funds, pretending she was not the one forcing him away and calling it a wonderful opportunity. Lu Xixiao urged her to drop the act and demanded to know when she would honor her word. Guo Xiangling promised to transfer the money as soon as he boarded his flight, adding a veiled threat that exposing her maternal connection to Zhou Wan would only ruin the girl's reputation.

Zhou Wan took her signed contract to meet Luo He for a high-interest loan, facing potential heavy future debt. Just as she was about to hand over the contract, she received a phone call from Guo Xiangling, who informed her that the surgery money would be deposited into her account within days. When a bewildered Zhou Wan asked for an explanation, Guo Xiangling mockingly commended her resourcefulness, revealing that Lu Xixiao was going abroad.

Panicked, Zhou Wan tried to call Lu Xixiao, but his phone was unreachable. She frantically searched for him at his usual spots, including a motorcycle workshop, but found no trace of him. Zhou Wan visited her grandmother, who was keeping busy by knitting a winter scarf despite the summer heat. Zhou Wan peeled an apple for her and gently promised that all the medical bills were taken care of.

Once they secured a matching kidney donor, they would proceed with the surgery and recover together. Her grandmother asked about Lu Xixiao, and Zhou Wan smiled, saying he took good care of her. Sensing their mutual affection, her grandmother encouraged Zhou Wan to follow her heart and enjoy the pure romance, jokingly threatening to kick her out of the hospital to live her own life.

At the motorcycle workshop, Lu Xixiao finalized the cheap sale of his high-end bike to Ping. His friends questioned why he was parting with his prized possession so cheaply instead of gifting it to them. Lu Xixiao dryly explained that the customs procedures to take it abroad were too troublesome, and demanded the cash immediately. Once he departed, his friends noted that he must be in desperate need of money.

Zhou Wan returned to the hospital, where Dr. Chen informed her that her grandmother's surgery was tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday. The doctor also revealed that a tall young man without glasses had been constantly inquiring about the 300,000 RMB fee, hoping to assist her. Recognizing Lu Xixiao's sacrifice, Zhou Wan rushed back to the workshop. Ping confirmed that Lu Xixiao sold his motorcycle to fund his sudden departure abroad and suggested he might be at the local arcade.

Before she could find him, Zhou Wan received a call showing a live stream video. A classmate named Xue Xi, overwhelmed by severe mental stress and a painful breakup forced by her ex-boyfriend's parents, was standing on the school rooftop threatening to jump. The video showed Lu Xixiao already on the roof, desperately trying to talk her down. Zhou Wan ran to the school as fast as she could.

On the ledge, Xue Xi was hysterical, complaining about her controlling mother who physically and verbally abused her. Zhou Wan stepped onto the rooftop and gently spoke to her, praising her beauty and urging her to think of her future.

When Xue Xi expressed envy of Zhou Wan's life, Zhou Wan laid bare her own painful past: her father died in debt, her mother abandoned her and later pretended not to know her, she had missed her college entrance exam due to an accident, and her grandmother was gravely ill. Zhou Wan confessed that she, too, had wanted to give up, but chose to live for the sake of those she loved.

Xue Xi's mother arrived, screaming in panic, which only drove Xue Xi closer to the edge. Lu Xixiao stepped forward, calling her ex-boyfriend a coward and imploring her not to leave an eternal scar on the people who cared about her. He confessed his own deepest trauma, describing how his mother had jumped from a roof right in front of him, a bloody image that haunted him every time he closed his eyes.

Touched by their vulnerability, Xue Xi hesitated and prepared to step back, but she slipped. Lu Xixiao lunged forward and pulled her up, but the force pulled him over the edge. Zhou Wan grabbed his arm, only to be dragged down with him. They plunged from the building, landing safely on the rescue net deployed by the firefighters. Lu Xixiao woke up in the hospital and immediately demanded to see Zhou Wan, ignoring the doctor's attempts to examine him.

The doctor assured him she was fine and undergoing a checkup in Room 302 on the third floor. Lu Xixiao bolted from his bed. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan was looking for him. A nurse informed her that the boy who accompanied her had just left, marveling that someone with such severe acrophobia had managed to stand on a rooftop. They found each other in the hallway and locked eyes, relieved to see one another safe.

Zhou Wan insisted she only suffered a minor muscle strain, and Lu Xixiao claimed the same. Zhou Wan called him out on his lie, bringing up his severe fear of heights. Deciding she could no longer keep secrets, she confessed that Guo Xiangling was actually her biological mother, not her sponsor.

Lu Xixiao quietly admitted he had known for a while and was waiting for her to trust him, but declared it no longer mattered because she had held onto him on that roof. Their moment was interrupted by his aunt, Lan Lan, who jokingly scolded him for his recklessness before taking him away for further observation. Later, Lu Xixiao sat with his aunt, noting bitterly that she was the only family member who bothered to visit him.

Lan Lan pointed out that his father, grandfather, and Guo Xiangling would all be thrilled by his departure, as it paved the way for Guo Xiangling's marriage. Lu Xixiao accepted that his absence pleased everyone, but admitted he was delaying his departure only to say goodbye to one person. Xue Xi met with Zhou Wan to bid her farewell. She announced her decision to start fresh at an out-of-town university, confirming her permanent breakup with her boyfriend.

She remarked that Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao seemed like a perfect match, and Zhou Wan urged her never to harm herself over a relationship again. Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao met at the park swings. Lu Xixiao explained that he used to visit the swings with his mother, and being there brought back old memories.

He revealed that his fear of heights began the day his mother took her own life, and he wanted Zhou Wan to know everything before he left. He recounted his mother's tragic life. She was a sheltered woman from an aristocratic family who fell in love with Lu Zhongyue at first sight. Their high-profile marriage was orchestrated by their families and helped Lu Zhongyue secure his position in the company.

While his mother spent her time writing poetry and painting, her happiness shattered when she discovered Lu Zhongyue's secret relationship with Jiang Yan's mother, realizing she was actually the interloper in their lives. When his mother demanded a divorce, Lu Zhongyue refused in order to protect his assets, promising instead to abandon his other family.

He claimed he had been unaware of the other woman's pregnancy until the child was already born, promising that Jiang Yan would never cross paths with Lu Xixiao. Trapped and devastated, his mother succumbed to severe depression. During Lu Xixiao's final visit, she stood on the roof, told him to live his own life, and jumped. Zhou Wan squeezed his hand tightly, deeply moved by his enduring pain.

She comforted him, sharing her father's belief that kind souls always go to heaven, and assured him that his mother was undoubtedly looking down on him, watching over his every step.

Under the soft glow of the night sky, Zhou Wan sought to comfort a quiet and vulnerable Lu Xixiao. She gently shared her father's belief that good-hearted souls ultimately find their way to heaven, reassuring him that his mother was undoubtedly watching over him from above. Lu Xixiao looked up with a bitter smile, murmuring that his mother would likely be disappointed if she saw the state of his life now, but Zhou Wan softly disagreed.

To distract him from his grief, she stepped behind him and began pushing his swing. With each push, she sent him flying higher into the air, helping him escape the heavy pull of gravity until his heavy heart finally found some relief. As hunger set in later that night, Zhou Wan offered to prepare a meal. Having lived in isolation for so many years, Lu Xixiao found a rare sense of warmth in watching her move about his kitchen.

When he offered to help, she playfully invited him to learn, though he joked that his culinary skills were strictly limited to boiling instant noodles. Amidst washing potatoes and lighthearted banter, Lu Xixiao accidentally bumped his head, quickly laughing it off by claiming he was used to it. Zhou Wan then fed him a taste of her cooking.

He eagerly dug into the feast of five dishes and one soup, remarking that such a spread felt like a grand New Year's Eve dinner. For the first time, his solitary home felt like it had the true comfort of family. Zhou Wan urged him to enjoy the food, noting that these simple, home-style recipes would keep him well-fed even after he moved abroad.

Lu Xixiao declared her sweet and savory ribs to be the absolute best he had ever tasted, far better than the overly sweet ones made by his family's housekeeper, Chen Ayi. When Zhou Wan asked if he had memorized her cooking steps, he teasingly assured his teacher that he had committed every detail to memory.

Though she pointed out he could easily look up recipes online or dine at fancy restaurants abroad, Lu Xixiao quietly resolved that he would never forget this specific meal. While clearing up, Zhou Wan finally voiced the question weighing on her mind: why was he so determined to leave the country instead of staying to paint, especially now that his talent was recognized by the respected Professor Qin? Lu Xixiao remained evasive, claiming it was just his nature.

She then brought up his beloved motorcycle, reminding him of how desperately he had worked to obtain it, only to suddenly sell it off. Left with no choice, Lu Xixiao confessed the truth: he had sold the bike because he wanted to help her, wanting nothing more than to ease her financial burdens. Touched but pained by his sacrifice, Zhou Wan insisted she didn't need his help, wishing only for his safety and happiness.

He countered that his own happiness was entirely dependent on hers. Looking around the living room, Lu Xixiao promised to leave her his house keys so she could visit and tend to his plants and pets after his departure. Zhou Wan agreed, though she lamented that summer was drawing to a close without any festive holidays to celebrate. Seeing her disappointment, Lu Xixiao suggested they trade early blessings for all the upcoming holidays.

They took turns wishing each other a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and various traditional festivals. Zhou Wan looked at him earnestly, expressing her deepest hope that he would be safe and happy every single day, free to live on his own terms and become the person he truly wanted to be. Lu Xixiao then showed her around his home, stopping before an unfinished painting left by his late mother.

Staring at the canvas, Zhou Wan softly mused that his mother had clearly loved him deeply, but had simply been trapped in an invisible cage she couldn't escape. Comforted by her understanding, Lu Xixiao looked at her and quietly asked if she would be his girlfriend. Startled by the sudden proposal, Zhou Wan asked if being together would make him happy. He admitted that it likely would.

Sensing her hesitation, he assured her there was no rush and that he would patiently wait for her answer. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan’s grandmother was harboring a painful secret. Having learned from Guo Yan about the staggering medical costs and the rumors that Zhou Wan was compromising herself with wealthy boys to pay the bills, the elderly woman refused to remain a burden.

Determined to stop her granddaughter from exhausting herself any further, Grandma quietly conspired with her physician, Dr. Chen, to cancel her upcoming surgery and check out of the hospital. When Zhou Wan arrived and found her leaving, Grandma claimed she merely wanted some fresh air and planned to pass the time playing mahjong. Assuming her grandmother was just restless, Zhou Wan agreed to take her home, reminding her that she would still need to return for dialysis every three days.

That evening, Lu Xixiao sent a text to check if Zhou Wan had reached home safely, reminding her of their promise to meet at their initial meeting spot at school the next day. He admitted his proposal had been hasty but promised to ask her properly next time, reassuring her that even a long-distance relationship would work if they trusted each other.

Zhou Wan sent a gentle reply before carefully preparing a framed picture as a special gift for their upcoming meeting. The following morning, Grandma busied herself looking for her keys, claiming she was heading out to pray at a temple before meeting Mrs. Li for a game of mahjong. Noticing the dark circles under Zhou Wan’s eyes, she insisted that her granddaughter stay behind and rest.

Looking at her fondly, Grandma reflected on how quickly time had flown, noting that the child she had raised would soon be the one taking care of her. Zhou Wan smiled warmly, promising to look after her until she was well over a hundred years old. Since she couldn't find her keys, Zhou Wan promised she would return later that evening to open the door for her, letting her grandmother head out alone.

With hours to spare before their seven o'clock meeting, Lu Xixiao visited their school. He was disappointed to find that the bulletin board had been updated, erasing the old student council photos he wanted. Determined to find a specific memory of them together, he reached out to his friend Jiang Fan and eventually tracked down Gu Meng, trading a valuable item for a memory card containing the archive of old photos.

Gu Meng happily assisted him, finding it incredibly romantic that he wanted their very first group photo. As evening approached and Zhou Wan prepared to set out for their meeting, her phone rang. A voice on the other end confirmed her identity as Huang Xuefen's granddaughter and delivered the devastating news of her grandmother's sudden passing. The shock shattered her world.

Memories of her desperate compromises, including a past confrontation with Mr. Gong who had mocked her academic success and questioned her financial desperation, flashed through her mind as she rushed blindly to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor’s formal condolences confirmed her worst fears. Stepping into the cold morgue, Zhou Wan trembled violently. The clinical silence brought back memories of her childhood, when she had stood in this exact spot to bid farewell to her father.

Back then, her grandmother had held her hand, urging her not to cry so her father wouldn't be sad, promising she would stay by her side to watch her grow up. Now, the last person who truly loved her was gone. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao waited anxiously at the school, checking his watch as the hours slipped away. When calls failed to go through, he ran to her house and waited outside her door all night.

It was only the next morning that he finally saw her arrive, her eyes vacant and defeated. She apologized in a whisper, explaining her phone had died. Seeing the front door left open, Lu Xixiao stepped inside and found her cradling her grandmother’s things. She wept over a summer scarf her grandmother had insisted on knitting and an amulet from the temple that wished only for Zhou Wan's prosperity.

Overwhelmed by her grief, Lu Xixiao pulled her into a tight embrace, weeping with her and promising to stay by her side through everything. In the days that followed, Lu Xixiao helped her arrange the funeral. Zhou Wan purchased her grandmother’s favorite treats, crying because her illness had prevented her from enjoying them while she was alive. Understanding that her grandmother loved lively gatherings, Lu Xixiao suggested inviting all the neighbors and contacted Uncle Kang to help coordinate.

As they hurried to gather the necessary items, an aunt from the neighborhood arrived and handed them a spare key Grandma had left with her, urging them to stay strong as they prepared the final farewell.

In the wake of Huang Xuefen's passing, Lu Xixiao steps up to help manage the funeral arrangements. Knowing how overwhelmed Zhou Wan is, he takes the initiative to invite her neighbors and her grandmother's old friends to come and say their final goodbyes. The presence of these familiar faces brings a comforting warmth to the otherwise desolate memorial service.

Among the attendees is their neighbor, Ms. Jiang, who looks through an old photo album and fondly recalls how Huang Xuefen had always been like family, even helping to pick up her son, Jiang Yan, from school and feeding him when she was busy. Even the local debt collectors, led by Mr. Fang, arrive to pay their respects with two large wreaths.

Having once received kindness from Huang Xuefen himself, Mr. Fang silences his underlings' complaints about Zhou Wan's quiet demeanor. Before leaving, he offers to waive Zhou Wan's rent for the next three months. When Zhou Wan mentions that she has already scraped together and paid 9,000 RMB to his subordinate, Luo He, Mr. Fang is deeply displeased by his henchman's actions and urges Zhou Wan to contact him directly if she ever needs help in the future.

During the service, Lu Xixiao hands Zhou Wan a digital camera containing a special recording. It is a farewell video from her grandmother. In the video, Huang Xuefen humorously notes that she wanted to be fashionable by recording her goodbyes ahead of time. She playfully warns her friends not to cry, noting how ugly they look when they weep. Turning her focus to her precious, sensitive granddaughter, Huang Xuefen acknowledges the sacrifices Zhou Wan made for her.

She implores Zhou Wan not to view her departure as a tragedy, but as the beginning of a new chapter. She encourages her to attend university, explore the world, try new things, and live a life true to herself, promising to always watch over her with a smile. Following the funeral, Zhou Wan insists on returning home alone for a night to process her grief.

Though Lu Xixiao respects her wishes, he reassures Jiang Yan that he will keep a close eye on her. When Lu Xixiao returns to his own house, he finds his stepmother, Guo Yan, excitedly trying on a wedding dress. Unaware of the tragedy, Guo Yan eagerly promises that as soon as Lu Xixiao boards his flight to study abroad, she will transfer the money for Zhou Wan's grandmother's surgery.

Lu Xixiao lets out a bitter laugh, coldly informing her that Zhou Wan's grandmother has already passed away. Back in her neighborhood, Zhou Wan isolates herself in her room, keeping her lights on late into the night. Her state of mind deeply worries Jiang Yan, who watches her window from across the street every evening, only resting once her room goes dark.

He begs his mother to let Zhou Wan stay with them for a few days, but she gently declines, advising him to simply visit her more often before they move away. Inside her quiet apartment, Zhou Wan spirals deeper into her grief. While boiling water on the stove, she lies down on her grandmother’s bed, seeking to feel her presence, and accidentally falls asleep. The boiling water eventually overflows, extinguishing the gas stove flame.

With all the doors and windows tightly sealed, toxic carbon monoxide quickly fills the room. Fortunately, Lu Xixiao arrives with some noodles for her. When his persistent knocks go unanswered, he senses something is terribly wrong, leaps onto the corridor, shatters the window, and climbs inside. Finding Zhou Wan unconscious, he immediately rushes her to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctor reassures Lu Xixiao that they caught the poisoning in time to prevent any permanent nerve damage.

When Zhou Wan finally regains consciousness, she weakly assures Lu Xixiao that she wasn't trying to end her life; she was simply exhausted. Hoping to lift her spirits, Lu Xixiao tries telling her some corny jokes, including one about loud farts and bell-bottoms. Though Zhou Wan claims the jokes are terrible, the gesture brings a small, comforting smile to her face.

When Jiang Yan later visits and guiltily apologizes for failing to look after her, Lu Xixiao firmly tells him that Zhou Wan is the only one who deserves an apology. Despite her physical recovery, Zhou Wan's psychological wounds remain severe. She insists on keeping the hospital curtains tightly drawn, claiming the light hurts her eyes, and begs to stay in the ward longer because she has no energy to face the real world.

When Lu Xixiao coaxes her to step outside for some sunlight, she violently resists. When he asks if her grandmother would really want to see her wasting away, Zhou Wan finally reaches her breaking point. She weeps hysterically, screaming that she can no longer pretend to be strong. Having lost both her father and grandmother, she feels utterly abandoned at only eighteen.

Lu Xixiao holds her in a tight embrace, repeating his apologies and promising to stay by her side to help her heal. To ensure she is never left alone, Lu Xixiao moves Zhou Wan into his apartment, promising to sleep on the living room sofa so she can see him the moment she opens her door.

On a heavily rainy afternoon, when a delivery driver accidentally spills their lunch, Lu Xixiao keeps her distracted, suggesting they order something else and go for a walk with their friends, Gu Meng and Jiang Fan, once the weather clears. He explains that keeping her mind occupied is the only way to quiet her painful thoughts, sharing how he had felt similarly isolated when his own mother passed away during his childhood.

Comforted by his vulnerability, Zhou Wan wonders aloud if her intense heartache will ever fade. Lu Xixiao offers a beautiful perspective his mother once shared with him, explaining that her grandmother hasn't truly disappeared, but has simply stepped out of time to return to the fundamental atoms of the universe.

He reassures her that in the future, her grandmother will be the sheltering tree in a storm and the warm sweater in winter, promising that both her grandmother and he will always be there to support her. Some time later, Lu Xixiao takes Zhou Wan to the seaside, where they watch the seagulls fly over the vast, open water. Feeling the gentle sea breeze, Zhou Wan smiles and shares a warm childhood memory.

She recalls how, before turning nine, she would write her wishes on paper and hide them under her pillow. When some wishes failed to come true, her father had explained that it was because she had failed to blow out all her birthday candles in a single breath. On her ninth birthday, she had blown as hard as she could, wishing for her father to stop coughing, but his death shortly after made her stop believing in wishes altogether.

When Lu Xixiao asks what she would wish for now if tomorrow were her birthday, Zhou Wan admits she still longs for a bicycle. She explains that after being caught in a torrential downpour after school years ago, she had fallen terribly ill, and her childhood self believed a bicycle would have brought her home safely before the sickness took hold.

Looking toward the future, Zhou Wan tells him that she is ready to reclaim her life, return to her job at the arcade, and move back into her own home, promising him that she will be okay. Determined to help her heal and fulfill her childhood dream, Lu Xixiao takes over her daily cooking and basic needs. One evening, after Zhou Wan falls asleep, he quietly sneaks out to buy a cake. He hopes to give her a chance to finally blow out all the candles in a single breath, bringing her long-lost childhood wish to life.

Zhou Wan woke up early in the morning to head to work. Passing through the living room, she saw Lu Xixiao fast asleep on the sofa and left a sticky note letting him know she was leaving and reminding him to eat. When she arrived at her job at the arcade, she noticed the machines were jammed with tickets.

Her coworker, Qi, explained that Lu Xixiao had played games all night until after four in the morning to win the grand prize—the bicycle Zhou Wan had once mentioned she wanted. Zhou Wan rushed back home and found the bicycle parked right outside her door with a note from Lu Xixiao wishing her a happy new life. Deeply moved, she called Lu Xixiao. She asked if she had woken him up and thanked him for the beautiful gift.

Lu Xixiao admitted that since the bicycle shops were closed so late, he had to win the one at the arcade. Zhou Wan asked if he was tired from carrying it up to the third floor. He warmly replied that he wanted her future to be smooth, promising that whenever she wanted to ride it, he would carry both her and the bicycle back down to the first floor.

Meanwhile, the local thug Luo He, who had been secretly extorting extra interest from tenants to line his own pockets, was caught by his boss, Mr. Fang. Cowering and begging for mercy, Luo He was sternly ordered by Mr. Fang to spit back all the money he had stolen. That evening, Zhou Wan called Lu Xixiao after taking a shower. She asked what he was doing, and Lu Xixiao replied that he was drawing.

They talked about wanting winter to arrive soon so they could see clean snow together. Though Pingchuan rarely saw snow, Lu Xixiao promised he would make it happen. As they chatted, Zhou Wan gently fell asleep. Hearing her steady breathing on the other end, Lu Xixiao kept the call active throughout the night to stay close to her. The next morning, Lu Xixiao slipped out to Uncle Kang's noodle shop to buy breakfast for Zhou Wan.

While waiting, he answered a call from Zhou Wan, who had just woken up. Hearing unusual noises from her end, she asked if he was at her apartment. Sensing something was wrong, Lu Xixiao rushed over immediately, leaving the noodles behind. It turned out that Luo He, believing Zhou Wan was the snitch who had exposed his extortion to Mr. Fang, had barged into her home with his lackeys to trash her belongings.

Just as Luo He was about to lay a hand on Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao burst in, pulled her behind him, and handed her his phone so she could call the police. Officers arrived shortly after and arrested Luo He and his gang. In the crowded hallway, Zhou Wan noticed her neighbor, Jiang Yan, holding breakfast. He offered to stay and clean up the trashed apartment while she and Lu Xixiao went to the police station.

After giving their statements, Lu Xixiao assured Zhou Wan that Luo He would face serious legal consequences and would not bother her again. Zhou Wan, worried about him getting into fights, pleaded with him not to put himself in danger for her anymore, and he softly agreed. As they walked down the street, a car pulled up, and Mr. Fang’s men invited them for a meeting.

At his office, Mr. Fang explained that he had used the money recovered from Luo He to offset part of the debt interest as a gesture of respect for Zhou Wan's late grandmother. Zhou Wan then brought up redeeming the mortgaged house. After her grandmother's funeral expenses, she had 120,000 yuan left, but Mr. Fang calculated the remaining debt to be 170,000 yuan.

Seeing her distress, Lu Xixiao pulled out a card containing 50,000 yuan—money he had secured by selling his motorcycle. With their combined funds, they paid off the debt and reclaimed the property ownership certificate. Zhou Wan promised to repay Lu Xixiao as soon as she could, prompting him to joke about a fifty-year installment plan. Soon after, Lu Xixiao received a phone call informing him that his grandfather had been hospitalized. Zhou Wan insisted on accompanying him.

Inside the ward, Lu Xixiao found his grandfather stable but receiving IV nutrition. The grandfather announced his plans to gradually hand Lanyue Group over to the family, instantly igniting quiet greed among Lu Xixiao's father, Lu Zhongyue, and the other relatives. In the hospital corridor, Zhou Wan ran into her mother, Guo Xiangling, who was preparing to marry into the Lu family the next day.

Guo Xiangling admitted she was terrified of returning to a life of poverty and was willing to act subserviently just to secure her place in the family. She warned Zhou Wan that she and Lu Xixiao belonged to different worlds and urged her to choose a different path. Zhou Wan coldly retorted, pointing out that her mother had abandoned her years ago and knew nothing about her life, so she had no right to offer life advice.

She defended Lu Xixiao, saying that unlike the power-hungry Lu family, he truly cared for his relatives and possessed the genuine ability to love. Later, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan sat down to eat. They discussed the upcoming wedding of Lu Zhongyue and Guo Xiangling.

Lu Xixiao explained that his father only cared about exchanging benefits and wanted him at the wedding simply to project an image of a united family, thereby securing the ten percent of company shares registered in Lu Xixiao's name. Zhou Wan suggested they leave the past behind, forget about Lu Zhongyue and Guo Xiangling, and focus on building their own lives together. Lu Xixiao happily agreed.

When Zhou Wan returned to her apartment, she found Jiang Yan had finished tidying up the place. He invited her to have dinner with his family if she ever felt lonely. Jiang Yan then apologized for not revealing his connection to Lu Xixiao earlier, and Zhou Wan assured him she didn't mind.

Jiang Yan shared that he would be visiting the hospital frequently to check on Lu Xixiao's grandfather, but promised that he would always be there for her whenever she needed him.

Zhou Wan believes Lu Xixiao is completely different from the cold-hearted members of the Lu family. To her, he is warm, attentive, and genuinely caring. Early in the morning, she visits him at the hospital to deliver a breakfast she personally prepared. She presents him with her top picks from the local convenience stores, including calcium-enriched premium ham sausage. They share a tender, lighthearted conversation as he happily tries the food.

Lu Xixiao mentions that he has to discharge his grandfather and take him back to the old house today. He explains that his father, Lu Zhongyue, is getting married today, and it would look bad for the patriarch to remain hospitalized while his son hosts a wedding at home. Lu Xixiao has no intention of attending the ceremony.

Zhou Wan decides to use this time to visit Dr. Chen, the physician who took great care of her grandmother, Huang Xuefen, before she passed away. After coordinating their plans, they promise to meet up and head home together once she is done. Zhou Wan goes to find Dr. Chen, but a nurse informs her that he has just left for the cafeteria.

While searching for him, she overhears a group of hospital staff discussing Lu Zhongyue’s lavish wedding and his new wife, Guo Xiangling. Zhou Wan is shocked to learn that Guo Xiangling was once married to Director Zhou, her late father. The staff recall that Director Zhou was a remarkably good man who worked himself to death to pay off his factory's debts.

Crucially, they reveal that he had a chance to undergo a life-prolonging surgery, but his wife gave up on the treatment due to the financial burden. They also mention that Guo Xiangling visited Huang Xuefen right before the grandmother suddenly insisted on being discharged, shortly after which she passed away. Devastated by these revelations, Zhou Wan confronts Dr. Chen to confirm the truth.

Dr. Chen admits that while the cancer had already spread, the surgery could have bought her father more time. He explains that Zhou Wan was too young at the time, and her father had strictly forbidden him from disclosing the severity of the illness.

This heartbreaking confirmation triggers a painful memory of her childhood, where her mother showed no grief over her father's death, greedily kept the insurance money, and fought with her grandmother about being trapped in the Zhou family. Realizing that her mother’s selfishness and greed directly led to the deaths of both her father and grandmother, Zhou Wan is consumed by rage and runs to crash the wedding.

Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao sees off his grandfather from the hospital before running into Dr. Chen, who asks if he has finished talking to Zhou Wan. At the wedding venue, Lu Zhongyue is busy entertaining guests, including Mr. Chang from Chang Home Furnishings. Mr. Chang remarks that a harmonious family is the foundation of a successful business. Suddenly, Zhou Wan breaches security by claiming to be the bride's daughter.

She confronts Guo Xiangling in front of the guests, demanding to know what she said to her grandmother in the hospital and why she let her father die without surgery. Terrified of a public scene, Guo Xiangling tries to quiet her down, claiming she only cut off Zhou Wan’s financial support because Zhou Wan skipped her college entrance exam. She accuses Zhou Wan of slandering her and orders the security guards to drag her away.

Just as the guards grab Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao arrives and forcefully pushes them aside to protect her. He openly denounces his father and Guo Xiangling, accusing his father of cheating during his marriage and driving his mother to suicide. He warns Guo Xiangling that the Lu family is a toxic place, pointing out that neither his late mother nor Jiang Yan's mother, Jiang Wensheng, ever found happiness there.

Defending Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao takes her by the hand and they walk out together, leaving the wedding in ruins. This public disruption embarrasses Lu Zhongyue, who was using the wedding to project a wholesome family man image to secure business alliances—particularly with Mr. Chang—at a crucial time when the company's future leadership is being decided. After leaving the wedding, Lu Xixiao takes Zhou Wan to a quiet place to help her release her bottled-up pain.

He sets up a canvas and encourages her to express her anger through bold strokes of paint, telling her that she doesn't have to pretend to be a composed adult around him. As she breaks down, he embraces her and promises that he has decided not to go abroad. He vows to stay by her side, paint, and grow up with her. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan speaks with his mother, Jiang Wensheng.

She encourages him to study hard, make something of himself, and prove he is just as capable as any child in the Lu family. She also shares her plan to sell their house and move to Beijing with him once his school term begins. A few days later, Lu Xixiao surprises Zhou Wan with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. They talk about planting them in the yard so they won't wilt.

They meet up with Gu Meng and Ping to celebrate Gu Meng and Ping officially becoming a couple. During the gathering, Lu Xixiao shares his decision to stay in the country, which delights his friends. Though Zhou Wan worries about his family's reaction, Lu Xixiao reassures her and plans to discuss it with his grandfather that evening. Lu Xixiao goes to his grandfather's house to explain his decision to stay and abstain from the upcoming board vote.

However, his father, Lu Zhongyue, arrives. Lu Zhongyue uses Zhou Wan to blackmail him, threatening to have her prosecuted for extorting money from Guo Xiangling and disrupting the wedding if Lu Xixiao does not comply. He demands that Lu Xixiao return with him, pretend to be a dutiful son at a dinner with Mr. Chang to secure his business support, and remain cooperative until the board vote concludes.

To prevent any outside interference, Lu Zhongyue confiscates Lu Xixiao's phone and places him under strict house arrest with guards watching his every move. The next morning, Ms. Chen serves Lu Xixiao a breakfast of ham sandwiches, cherry tomatoes, and a salad. She warns him that if he attempts to escape, his father won't hesitate to bring Zhou Wan in for questioning. Zhou Wan and Gu Meng grow increasingly anxious when they cannot reach Lu Xixiao.

Gu Meng notes that his father has grounded him and confiscated his phone before. Zhou Wan refuses to leave Lu Xixiao trapped, declaring that since he has never abandoned her, she won't abandon him. Jiang Yan arrives and offers to help. Because of his connection to Lu Zhongyue, he has a legitimate excuse to visit the estate.

He meets with his father, who advises him to focus on his career, avoid being swayed by sympathy like Lu Xixiao, and consider studying architecture. Unbeknownst to Lu Zhongyue, Jiang Yan has successfully smuggled Zhou Wan into the house. Zhou Wan finds Lu Xixiao in his room. Shocked and emotional, Lu Xixiao apologizes for breaking his promise and urges her to leave for her own safety. Instead of leaving, Zhou Wan looks at him with determination and proposes that they run away together.

Lu Zhongyue sat in his office, speaking sharply on a phone call about a woman returning to Lanyue. He mocked her belief that she could resolve everything just by speaking after being away for so many years. When he hung up, he allowed Jiang Yan to enter. Jiang Yan had come to return a custom pen, explaining that after the summer vacation, he and his mother were moving to Beijing and would no longer maintain contact with the Lu family.

Lu Zhongyue dismissed the gesture and urged Jiang Yan to sit. Knowing Jiang Yan had applied for computer science at Huaqing University, Lu Zhongyue advised him to switch to architecture instead, offering to arrange the transfer and cover all expenses. He claimed he was only acting as a concerned biological father, but Jiang Yan remained cold, pointing out that if Lu Zhongyue had ever truly cared, their lives would not have turned out this way.

Lu Zhongyue brushed past the conflict, telling Jiang Yan to focus on his promising future rather than wasting his potential on romance like Lu Xixiao had. He handed back the custom pen and poured a drink, forcing Jiang Yan to toast to his future career. While listening to his father speak, Jiang Yan remained distracted, wondering if Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan had successfully managed to escape the estate.

Suddenly, the house's fire alarm blared, throwing the caretakers into a panic. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xixiao advised the guards to prioritize checking on Lu Zhongyue. Once the guards rushed off, Lu Xixiao grabbed Zhou Wan's hand, urging her to run away with him. The security team soon realized Lu Xixiao was gone.

They reported to Lu Zhongyue that he had likely slipped away in the confusion, adding that Zhou Wan had been spotted on the surveillance cameras before the power went out. Furious at the betrayal, Lu Zhongyue ordered his men to search every airport and train station to drag them both back. Hearing the commotion outside, Jiang Yan knew his friends were safe and immediately bid farewell.

Lu Zhongyue stopped him, realizing that Jiang Yan's visit had been a deliberate distraction to facilitate the escape. Though angry, Lu Zhongyue was begrudgingly impressed by Jiang Yan's calculations. He informed Jiang Yan that since Lu Xixiao had run away, Jiang Yan would now accompany him to an important dinner with Mr. Chang of Chang Home Furnishings.

When Jiang Yan asked if he was merely a convenient substitute, Lu Zhongyue told him to view it as a chance to prove himself, declaring he would pick him up the next day. Free from the Lu family's grasp, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan rushed to the train station. Since the next train heading north to see the snow was departing in ten minutes, they quickly purchased standing-room tickets.

Boarding the crowded carriage, Zhou Wan rested comfortably against Lu Xixiao's shoulder, waking up to share that she had just had a beautiful dream. Upon arriving in the snowy city, the couple enjoyed a series of simple, blissful moments. They watched a movie, ate ice pops on the lively streets, and played a fast-paced game with building blocks. When Zhou Wan accidentally got her fingers stuck with glue, Lu Xixiao carried her on his back to find a supermarket.

Their wandering eventually brought them to a local church where a wedding rehearsal was taking place. Deeply moved by the scene, Zhou Wan spoke of how fairy tale couples always find their happy ending after surviving endless trials. Gathering her courage, she asked Lu Xixiao if they could officially date, and he happily agreed. Later that night, Zhou Wan fell asleep and dreamed of her own wedding with Lu Xixiao in that same church.

But in the dream, just as they exchanged vows, Lu Xixiao looked at her and whispered that all fairy tales are actually lies. She woke up in a panic, the words triggering painful childhood memories of her parents' bitter arguments and her grandmother's silent tears. She remembered her mother, with red eyes, questioning her father about why all his pre-marriage promises had turned out to be lies.

Looking at the sleeping Lu Xixiao beside her, Zhou Wan pushed the unsettling thoughts aside, resolving to cherish every moment they had together. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan attended the business dinner with Lu Zhongyue. During the meal, Mr. Chang highly praised Jiang Yan's intellect and his early admission to Huaqing University.

In the car afterward, Lu Zhongyue boasted about how much Mr. Chang appreciated Jiang Yan's ideas on integrating home furnishings with real estate, noting that he had never shown such respect to Lu Xixiao. Jiang Yan remained distant, stating that since the client was pleased, they were now even. Lu Zhongyue dismissed the coldness, urging him to visit more often and ordering his secretary to prepare a celebratory dinner at home, which Jiang Yan flatly refused.

When Jiang Yan returned home, his mother was showing their apartment to a potential tenant, proudly boasting that her son had graduated from Yangming High School and had been admitted to Huaqing University without even having to take the college entrance exam. Overwhelmed by frustration, Jiang Yan snapped and told the tenant that the place was not for rent, ordering them to leave.

Once they were alone, his mother tried to soothe him, offering him one of Lu Xixiao's old outfits because she had not had time to take his own measurements. Staring at the clothes, Jiang Yan was consumed by bitterness, asking why he was doomed to always be treated as his half-brother's replacement.

Back in the snowy city, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan tried to check into a hotel, only to discover that Lu Zhongyue had frozen all of Lu Xixiao's bank accounts. Reassuring him that they would be fine, Zhou Wan revealed she had brought cash, though they would need to find cheaper accommodation. They visited a salvage market where Lu Xixiao successfully repaired a discarded motorcycle. Zhou Wan bargained with the owner, securing the vehicle and some fuel at a discount.

Traveling further north on the motorcycle, they negotiated a work-for-board agreement with a kind landlady. Though the yard was run-down and required cleaning, they gladly accepted the simple room. The landlady also gifted them a puppy left behind by a previous guest, advising the young couple to cherish their time together. Settling into their new home, they named the puppy Zhou Xiaoliu.

While eating instant noodles in their cozy room, Zhou Wan revealed her plan to retake the college entrance exam, wanting to fulfill her late grandmother's dream of seeing her go to college. Lu Xixiao fully supported her decision and promised to study alongside her, aiming to apply to the fine arts academy. He confessed that while he had once found the world dull and meaningless, his future with her now felt bright and exciting.

The next day, they visited a bookstore to purchase study guides. While browsing, Lu Xixiao received a video call from his friend, who was stunned to hear he was preparing to retake the exam when his father could easily arrange his education. Lu Xixiao explained that he wanted to build a stable, honest future on the exact same path as Zhou Wan. Zhou Wan also chatted with her best friend, who was deeply touched by Lu Xixiao's newfound devotion.

The couple then happily showed off their puppy to their friends over the call. Back at their lodging, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan decided to exchange gifts. After a playful countdown, they opened their packages only to discover they had bought each other the exact same present. Laughing at the perfect coincidence, they embraced, deeply convinced that their lives were truly meant to be.

Lu Xixiao's aunt, Lu Qilan, drives all the way to Yicheng to visit him. She is surprised to find her nephew, who was raised in extreme luxury, living such a simple and frugal life. While she gently teases him about running away from home at his age, she is genuinely concerned for his well-being. Lu Xixiao admits that his bank cards have been frozen by his father, but he is ready to sign over his shares to his aunt.

He explains that the wealth means nothing to him; his only priority now is securing a future where Zhou Wan does not have to live in poverty. Seeing his determination, his aunt agrees to the deal and secretly leaves him some money for living expenses before heading back to Pingchuan. Back in their modest rental, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan share a cozy meal.

He brings home some takeout chicken wings but jokingly tries to pass them off as his own cooking, prompting affectionate teasing from Zhou Wan. However, the warmth of the evening is shattered when Zhou Wan receives a phone call from Lu Xixiao's father, Lu Zhongyue. During the call, Lu Zhongyue wastes no time. He coldly tells Zhou Wan that she is far more pragmatic than his son and reveals a dark secret from a decade ago.

He explains that her family's bankruptcy was caused by Guo Yan, who had been the procurement officer at Zhou Jun's factory. Driven by greed, Guo Yan had purchased cheap, substandard construction materials, which ruined the factory's reputation and left Zhou Jun to take the fall alone. Presuming Zhou Wan shares the same greedy nature, Lu Zhongyue offers her a deal: if she sends Lu Xixiao back to Pingchuan, he will give her whatever she wants.

Deeply insulted, Zhou Wan flatly rejects the offer. At dinner, a quiet Zhou Wan listens as Lu Xixiao shares some encouraging news. The local cram school in Yicheng has accepted their request to study there, but they must retrieve their high school registration files from Pingchuan first. Lu Xixiao suggests a quick, quiet trip back to their hometown to grab the files, pack some clothes, and collect some pocket money.

Wanting to avoid any trouble, Zhou Wan agrees, but only if they keep their return a complete secret. Before they depart, she takes Lu Xixiao to a high glass bridge, helping him confront his fear of heights. Holding his hand, she comforts him, and they watch the beautiful scenery together, wishing to remain by each other's side forever. Upon returning to Pingchuan, they visit their old high school.

Their former teacher is thrilled to see them and expresses hope that they will excel in their exam retakes. The teacher laments that Zhou Wan missed her chance at guaranteed university admission years ago when her grandmother fell ill, but encourages them to study hard this year. While at the school, Zhou Wan receives a call from her friend Gu Meng, who has heard of their return and invites them to a dinner gathering with their old friends.

However, their presence in Pingchuan does not go unnoticed. Lu Zhongyue's assistant informs him that the two are back at the school collecting their files. Lu Zhongyue immediately orders the assistant to retrieve Lu Xixiao and keep a close eye on him so he cannot leave the city.

Having lost all patience with Guo Yan after her daughter caused a scene at his wedding, Lu Zhongyue also instructs his assistant to throw Guo Yan out of his house, as they never officially registered their marriage anyway. The assistant intercepts Lu Xixiao and brings him to meet his father.

Lu Zhongyue presents a pre-drafted contract, offering a price thirty percent higher than his aunt's to buy out his shares, promising to fund any path Lu Xixiao desires, whether it is studying fine arts or going abroad. Lu Xixiao confronts his father, disgusted by his cold-blooded obsession with power and wealth, and demands to know why he married and abandoned his mother years ago.

Refusing to be controlled, Lu Xixiao declares he has no interest in the family empire and only came to deliver his rejection in person. After Lu Xixiao storms out, a furious Lu Zhongyue demands his assistant block his son from leaving Pingchuan at all costs. Outside, Guo Yan is brutally evicted from the Lu mansion, her luggage tossed aside by the assistant.

Desperate to maintain her connection to the wealthy family, she spots Lu Xixiao and begs him to help her get a meeting with his father. When she tries to threaten him by saying she will make sure everyone in the Lu family suffers if she is ruined, Lu Xixiao merely laughs. He tells her he cares nothing for the Lu family and warns her to stop her foolish schemes before she ruins herself completely.

Lu Xixiao hurries back to meet Zhou Wan, telling her they must pack their things and leave Pingchuan immediately before his father interferes. Seeing his anxiety, Zhou Wan finally confesses that Lu Zhongyue had approached her in Yicheng with a bribe to give him up. Lu Xixiao gently comforts her, promising that they will face everything together from now on.

Since train tickets for the night are sold out, they plan to take the earliest train the next morning, hoping to leave Pingchuan behind for good. Meanwhile, Lu Zhongyue summons Jiang Yan to a tailor shop to have a custom suit made, hoping to introduce him to influential business contacts. However, the gathering is interrupted by the arrival of Jiang Yan's grandfather. The elderly man fiercely reprimands Lu Zhongyue for ignoring Lu Xixiao while parading an illegitimate child around.

He firmly declares that only Lu Xixiao is fit to inherit the family business due to his upright character, which is a hundred times better than Jiang Yan's. The harsh words deeply wound Jiang Yan's pride. Lu Zhongyue urges him to prove his worth if he wants to be recognized, and Jiang Yan quietly vows to do so. Returning home, Jiang Yan finds his mother Guo Yan frantically packing their things to rent out their apartment.

Overwhelmed by the constant rejection and feeling like a puppet, Jiang Yan snaps at his mother for never asking what he wants. After slapping him in anger and desperation, his mother breaks down in tears and hugs him tightly. Struggling to breathe, Jiang Yan goes up to the rooftop to clear his head, where he unexpectedly runs into Zhou Wan. Learning that she is leaving for Yicheng the next morning to retake her exams with Lu Xixiao, a desperate Jiang Yan looks at her and asks if she can stay.

Jiang Yan, struggling with his feelings for his neighbor Zhou Wan, confronted her on the rooftop. Devastated by the news of her imminent departure to Yicheng, he desperately pleaded with her to stay, questioning why it had to be Lu Xixiao and if he was truly that inadequate. Zhou Wan, caught off guard, gently but firmly clarified that she had always regarded him strictly as a friend, asking if he had been going through a difficult time recently.

Realizing his feelings were entirely unrequited, Jiang Yan accepted her answer with a heavy heart, wished her well, and parted ways. Upon returning home, Jiang Yan clashed bitterly with his mother, Guo Yan. Frustrated by her relentless focus on his academic success and her sudden plans for them to move to Beijing, he accused her of pushing her own expectations onto him without ever caring about his feelings.

He confessed the deep shame of being regarded as an illegitimate child despite his hard work. Devastated by his mother's emotional response, Jiang Yan stormed out into the night to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Meanwhile, Luo He and his associates were drinking nearby. Having lost his job and his boss after his failed blackmail attempt on Zhou Wan, a heavily indebted Luo He blamed Zhou Wan for all his misfortunes.

When one of Luo He's thrown bottle caps hit a drunken Jiang Yan, Luo He's companion recognized the top student as Zhou Wan's close friend. Luo He seized the opportunity to mock Jiang Yan about Zhou Wan leaving him for Lu Xixiao. In his drunken despair, Jiang Yan let slip that Zhou Wan had returned to Pingchuan, sparking a malicious plan in Luo He's mind. The following morning, Luo He abducted Zhou Wan using a van.

Knowing she was dating the wealthy Lu Xixiao, he took her phone and dialed Lu Xixiao's number once she regained consciousness in an abandoned warehouse. When Zhou Wan tried to negotiate, offering her own money, Luo He dismissed her, blaming her and Lu Xixiao for ruining his life. When Lu Xixiao answered, Luo He demanded he come alone if he wanted to save his girlfriend.

Though Zhou Wan bravely screamed through the phone, warning Lu Xixiao not to come, Luo He silenced her violently and gave Lu Xixiao an ultimatum, leaving him with no choice but to rush to the warehouse. Lu Xixiao arrived at the dilapidated warehouse and found Zhou Wan tied to a chair. Luo He demanded that Lu Xixiao kneel before him, threatening to hurt Zhou Wan if he refused.

Terrified for Zhou Wan's safety, Lu Xixiao ignored her pleas and immediately dropped to his knees, begging Luo He to take his anger out on him alone. Luo He mockingly filmed the submissive Lu Xixiao on his phone, joking about posting a video titled "Lu Xixiao Kneels and Kowtows Like a Dog to Apologize." Not satisfied with the humiliation, Luo He threatened to break Lu Xixiao’s leg or sever one of Zhou Wan's arms.

While Lu Xixiao offered himself up for any punishment to protect her, Zhou Wan managed to secretly untie her hands, grabbed a nearby brick, and lunged at Luo He to fight back. During the chaotic struggle, a panicked Luo He drew a dagger and stabbed Lu Xixiao in the chest.

As the other thugs fled in terror, Lu Xixiao ignored his own agonizing wound and pulled Zhou Wan close, shielding her beneath him until the police arrived to secure the scene and call for emergency medical help. At the hospital, Lu Xixiao was rushed into emergency surgery. His worried family, including his grandfather, father, and aunt, quickly gathered outside the operating room. Seeing Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao's father angrily blamed her for the life-threatening situation.

Later, Lu Xixiao's grandfather spoke with Zhou Wan privately. He explained that Lu Xixiao had closed himself off after experiencing too much loss as a child, until he met her. However, because of his family status, her presence only placed him in danger. The grandfather begged her to leave his grandson, pleading with her not to derail the bright, successful future he was meant to inherit.

Overwhelmed by guilt, Zhou Wan tearfully promised to walk away as soon as Lu Xixiao was safely discharged. Fortunately, the surgery was successful and Lu Xixiao’s vital organs were unharmed. While his family initially banned Zhou Wan from entering the ward, she remained outside to watch over him. She begged the family caregiver, Ms. Chen, to bring him a thermos of homemade chicken soup and even alerted the nurses when his IV bag needed changing.

Touched by her devotion, Ms. Chen eventually allowed Zhou Wan inside. While watching over his sleeping form, Zhou Wan tearfully apologized for endangering him, and she was there right by his side when he finally regained consciousness. When his grandfather and aunt visited, Lu Xixiao playfully insisted on having Zhou Wan care for him, prompting his grandfather to reluctantly tolerate her presence for the sake of his recovery.

Over the next few days, Zhou Wan took meticulous care of his daily needs, preparing nutritious, home-cooked meals like beef with broccoli. The two shared a quiet, affectionate period of peace, though Zhou Wan had to privately beg his grandfather to let her stay just until his discharge date. Eventually, the doctor delivered the good news that Lu Xixiao had recovered well enough to be discharged in a few days, reminding him only to avoid strenuous activity.

To celebrate his recovery, Zhou Wan prepared a bowl of Noodles with Three Delicacies, happily feeding him as they enjoyed their final moments of closeness. Lu Xixiao, completely unaware of her promise to his grandfather, talked warmly about their future, suggesting they move in together and return to Yicheng once he spoke to his grandfather. Knowing their time together had run out, Zhou Wan fought back her tears and agreed to discuss it later.

Masking her deep sorrow, she made an excuse to go downstairs to buy some bread, leaving the room and lingering at the doorway, heartbroken as she prepared to say her silent goodbye.

He was to be discharged the next day. According to their agreement, Zhou Wan had to leave Lu Xixiao. She went back to pack her bags, feeling lost about her future. However, one thing was certain: Lu Xixiao would not be in it, which made Zhou Wan very sad. Lu Xixiao called Zhou Wan, reminding her not to forget to pick him up the next day.

Zhou Wan went to the hospital and personally gave Lu Xixiao a haircut to help him get rid of bad luck. They went to a nearby garden to relax. Zhou Wan hid her true feelings and deliberately told Lu Xixiao that everything she had done for him before was just to use him for her own purposes.

She also told him she had accepted his father's conditions, so they should part ways and break up completely, hoping they would not disturb each other in the future. After saying this, Zhou Wan ran away in tears. Lu Xixiao was very anxious and waited in the garden all night for Zhou Wan. By the next day, he still could not find her, so he called his friends to go out and drown his sorrows in alcohol.

At the bar, a very sexy girl with a beautiful singing voice took an interest in Lu Xixiao and confessed her feelings to him in public. Distraught over not being able to find Zhou Wan and having just received a transfer from her to repay a previous loan, Lu Xixiao accepted the girl's confession out of spite. Lu Xixiao went on a date to the seaside with the girl, but everything he saw reminded him of Zhou Wan.

He was absent-minded and paid no attention to the girl. She was very dissatisfied with him, and Lu Xixiao was not interested in her either, so he immediately suggested they stop contacting each other. Zhou Wan mailed Lu Xixiao's belongings from Yicheng back to him, including neatly written notes from when Lu Xixiao decided to retake the college entrance exam. Zhou Wan hoped he would study hard.

In Yicheng, Zhou Wan began her own path of hard work to retake the college entrance exam. During this time, Lu Xixiao called her countless times, but she never picked up, and he had been blocked on WeChat. Although they clearly missed each other, Zhou Wan insisted on burying her feelings deep in her heart.

During one of the calls Lu Xixiao made to her, he said he would forgive her no matter what she had done, as long as she said she loved him. Tears streaming down her face, Zhou Wan deliberately said she did not love him. After hanging up, she was completely overwhelmed with tears. Zhou Wan knew very well the distance between her and Lu Xixiao. The only leverage she had was her hard work and academic achievements.

To bridge the gap between them, she had to do her absolute best. Later, Lu Xixiao went abroad to study, while Zhou Wan successfully entered a prestigious university. After graduating, she joined a well-known company and became a key employee, securing one project after another. While gaining fame and fortune, Zhou Wan worked like a maniac and earned unanimous recognition from everyone in the company. At the celebratory banquet, her colleagues were surprised to hear she was taking leave.

Zhou Wan jokingly said she was going to the airport to pick up a friend. At the airport, Zhou Wan went to pick up Jiang Yan, who was returning after completing his studies. Lu Xixiao also returned to the country on the same day, but the two did not cross paths at the airport. Jiang Yan had graduated from Tsinghua and Peking University and then went abroad for research.

With his increased experience, he had become much more open-minded and cheerful. Zhou Wan went to welcome him back, but her formal manner as a junior made Jiang Yan feel a sense of distance, so he immediately reminded her to use a different way to address him.

In the evening, Zhou Wan invited Jiang Yan to dinner at the best local restaurant. Jiang Yan and Zhou Wan raised their glasses to celebrate. The restaurant had a wonderful atmosphere. Jiang Yan remarked that many years ago, his greatest wish was to earn enough money to take Zhou Wan to such a luxurious restaurant. He never expected his dream would actually come true.

Lu Xixiao returned to China this time to evaluate a plot of land his company was interested in. Returning to his familiar hometown, his heart was filled with complex emotions. There were too many past events and heavy memories here. Sitting in the car, looking at the high-rise buildings outside, everything felt both familiar and strange. His assistant was reviewing the day's itinerary for him, but Lu Xixiao had no heart to listen.

Having heard no news of Zhou Wan all these years, this city held nothing for him to linger for. Hearing that their former teacher had passed away, Jiang Yan took Zhou Wan to visit their alma mater. Many years ago, at that innocent age, they sat in the classroom every day listening to lectures and reading.

Back then, they thought they were miserable and lacked freedom, but after leaving school, they realized how pure and fulfilling their lives were at that time. As Zhou Wan wandered around the campus, she thought of every little detail of her past encounters with Lu Xixiao here. At this moment, while on his way to work, Lu Xixiao suddenly saw his alma mater.

Stirred by the scene, he immediately told the driver to stop and ran out of the car impatiently to search for his past memories. Zhou Wan came to that tree, remembering that the first time she met Lu Xixiao was also under this tree. Years had passed in a flash, and she wondered how he was doing now. Zhou Wan went to the gymnasium and saw the swimming pool where they once released goldfish.

She recalled how Lu Xixiao had put the mistreated goldfish directly into the swimming pool to save them; thinking about it now, it was still very interesting. Lu Xixiao took the same route, but because of a short time difference, the two continued to miss each other. Lu Xixiao also went to visit his grandfather. While listening to Lu Xixiao report on his recent work, his grandfather couldn't help but ask if he continued to paint while abroad.

The old man still remembered that his grandson loved painting. Although painting had become an amateur hobby, Lu Xixiao had never put down his brushes. Recently, Lu Xixiao's family business had set its sights on the Lan Yue project. His aunt asked Lu Xixiao if he wanted to follow up on this project. It was said that the workload wasn't heavy, but doing it well would certainly bring him recognition from the company.

While painting, Lu Xixiao perfunctorily answered his aunt's call. Over the years, his aunt and Lu Xixiao's father remained bitter rivals in the company, constantly fighting openly and secretly for the top position. After Zhou Wan returned to the country, her best friend Mengmeng came to vent to her. Over the years, she and Jiang Fan had married, but their married life was a mess of trivialities. Both were physically and mentally exhausted by petty matters.

Today, Mengmeng presented Jiang Fan with divorce papers for him to sign. The house they owned together was now listed with an agency and ready for sale. At this time, Jiang Fan had nowhere to go and had to stay at Lu Xixiao's house. Just like Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao was patiently analyzing the process of his friend's failed marriage. These people who once loved each other deeply had actually drifted so far apart.

Lu Xixiao felt both envious and puzzled. He had been missing Zhou Wan all these years, but he didn't even know where she was. In the evening, Lu Xixiao went out to clear his head. He went to the arcade where Zhou Wan used to work part-time, bought some tokens, and played the games again. As he was walking out, Lu Xixiao froze. That familiar silhouette had appeared in so many of his dreams.

Zhou Wan was just outside the arcade playing with the pet dog Lu Xixiao had brought. She and Lu Xixiao had once jointly adopted a stray dog. After they broke up, Lu Xixiao had always asked friends to help feed it, but now Zhou Wan no longer recognized the dog. Looking at that familiar silhouette, Lu Xixiao suppressed the excitement and ecstasy in his heart.

He mentioned that he and the girl he loved most had adopted this dog together, but later that girl had left heartlessly with a random excuse. He asked if she had ever missed him at all. Hearing that familiar voice, Zhou Wan's face was instantly covered in tears. How could she not want to see Lu Xixiao? It was just that she had once made an agreement with Lu Xixiao's grandfather that she would never disturb Lu Xixiao again.

She had to keep her promise. Zhou Wan deliberately spoke with cold words and then left resolutely. Lu Xixiao was extremely sad. After returning home, his aunt came to visit him and mentioned that old romance again. Lu Xixiao confessed that he had never forgotten and wanted to start over. His aunt understood Lu Xixiao's choice. Although she said not to look back, she still handed Lu Xixiao a project proposal that Zhou Wan was involved in, giving Lu Xixiao another chance to contact her.

At Lanyue’s internal bidding meeting, Zhou Wan was startled to see that the representative for the rival company, Dingshang Construction, was actually Lu Xixiao. She struggled to maintain her composure. Lu Xixiao sat right next to her, listening as she described her vision for future architectural design concepts. His mind, however, was filled with memories of the humble little hut where they had lived after fleeing the Lu family.

Despite the poor conditions, it remained his most unforgettable residence, a romantic sanctuary filled with happy memories. Zhou Wan's company won the first round of bidding. However, the mood quickly shifted when everyone learned that Dingshang Construction was actually a subsidiary of Lanyue. Like defeated roosters, the others felt discouraged. Since Lu Xixiao was the son of Lu Zhongyue, they wondered if any other company even stood a chance of being selected.

Zhou Wan’s company, Boxing Construction, was very well-known among local peers and possessed extensive bidding experience. Zhou Wan encouraged her colleagues not to lose heart, reminding them that everyone still had a chance until the final results were officially announced. That evening, Lu Xixiao went to a KTV with his colleagues to relax. Seeing Zhou Wan during the day had left him in low spirits, leading him to drink heavily.

When he encountered Zhou Wan at the bar, he thought he was dreaming. He pulled at her, begging her not to leave. Lu Xixiao touched her face—something he only dared to do in his dreams—muttering that she must not leave this time, while also remarking that she seemed different than before. Zhou Wan, believing he was drunk and mistaking her for a drink hostess or another woman, pushed him away angrily and left.

But as she walked out, she heard him calling her name behind her. Seeing Lu Xixiao completely wasted, Zhou Wan could not bear to leave him there alone. She helped him up and took him home. She stayed by his side through the night, talking to him while he mumbled in his sleep, and even accepted a kiss from him. She understood that the two of them could not be together.

Just before dawn, Zhou Wan called Jiang Fan to come and take care of Lu Xixiao. Before leaving, she prepared breakfast and hangover tea. Lu Xixiao slept exceptionally well that night. He felt as though the experience was somewhere between a dream and reality. He expected to see Zhou Wan’s face when he woke up, but instead found Jiang Fan beside him.

The two ate breakfast together, though Lu Xixiao remained angry over Zhou Wan’s refusal to face him and her sudden departure years ago. Jiang Yan submitted his resume to the Lanyue Group. After multiple rounds of assessments, he finally received an offer. On his first day of work, he put a lot of effort into his appearance, but he was shocked when he met the company's general manager.

It turned out that the high-level executive at Lanyue Group was actually Lu Zhongyue. Lu Zhongyue was playing bowling in his office and explained to Jiang Yan that he hadn't used any backdoors for him; he had only been required to sign off on the final stage. Jiang Yan knew he had gone through a rigorous selection process and understood the regulations of large companies, believing it unlikely that Lu Zhongyue would be kind enough to grant him a favor.

In the evening, Zhou Wan and Jiang Yan shared skewers and beer on the terrace. The two had stayed in contact over the years. When Jiang Yan asked for her opinion of him, Zhou Wan admitted she was grateful for his care over the years, noting that his brotherly affection made her feel very secure. Jiang Yan pressed further, asking if she had ever considered letting him continue to take care of her for the rest of their lives.

Zhou Wan was stunned. She stated clearly that she was currently focused solely on her career and had no time for romantic matters. Jiang Yan did not give up, stating he would respect her choice, but as long as she remained unmarried, he would keep waiting for his chance. Lu Xixiao arrived at Zhou Wan’s house just as she was drinking with his half-brother. Jealousy coiled within him like a venomous snake.

He shouted at Zhou Wan in anger, reminding her that he had once sworn that if he ever saw her again, he would make her cry and beg for his forgiveness. Late into the night, Lu Xixiao had his secretary send over the proposal for the next day's bidding. He stayed up all night revising the details and perfecting the key points. The following day, he finally succeeded in winning the bid.

Zhou Wan was not overly surprised by the news because the rival’s proposal was truly comprehensive and much better than before. She realized that the former playboy had now developed a great deal of ambition and drive. Guo Yan came to see Zhou Wan and spoke about many things from the past. In truth, the one who truly caused the death of Zhou Wan’s father was not Guo Yan, but Lu Zhongyue.

Lu Zhongyue had wanted to acquire the land where Zhou Wan’s father’s factory stood, but her father was unwilling to hand over his life's work and refused to agree. Consequently, Lu Zhongyue took ruthless measures, bribing many local material suppliers to stop providing goods to the factory. Guo Yan, who was in charge of procurement at the time, was desperate. A local dealer showed her goods of the same quality for half the price.

Guo Yan bought them quickly, only to discover they were counterfeit and of poor quality. The materials could not be sold, leading to the factory’s decline and eventual closure and sale of the land. After hearing her mother’s account, Zhou Wan felt a deep, bone-deep hatred for Lu Zhongyue. She ran through the rain and saw the dignified-looking Lu Zhongyue returning from a banquet. Fuming, she vowed in her heart to bring him down and make him watch as he lost everything.

Since seeing Lu Xixiao again, he has been unable to sleep. Symptoms of his anxiety disorder from before have started to reappear. He called his former private doctor abroad. After hearing his description, the doctor believed the symptoms were triggered by Zhou Wan and suggested that Lu Xixiao start keeping a daily journal to ease his anxiety. Since learning from her biological mother that Lu Zhongyue was responsible for her father's death, Zhou Wan vowed to take revenge.

She discovered that Lu Zhongyue had been competing with his sister for the position of Executive Director at Lan Yue Group. She took the initiative to reach out privately to Lu Xixiao's aunt, presenting evidence of Lu Zhongyue’s secret kickbacks at his company over the years. Lu Xixiao’s aunt, a seasoned veteran, got straight to the point and asked what her conditions were. Zhou Wan confessed that she wanted to join the second project of Lan Yue.

Knowing the importance of this project, the aunt did not reply immediately. She quickly sought Lu Xixiao’s opinion, and this time, he agreed without hesitation. Gu Meng is currently the CEO of a media company. Recently, her company has been struggling with poor sales due to a lack of high-end traffic consulting. Gu Meng and Lu Xixiao were classmates.

With Lu Xixiao’s paintings gaining some recognition domestically and abroad, combined with his background as a second-generation rich kid, Gu Meng invited him to the company for an interview. Gu Meng and Zhou Wan are good friends and know the relationship between Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan well. She encouraged Zhou Wan to join the recording session as well.

Zhou Wan thought that entering Lan Yue would require Lu Xixiao’s help, so she agreed readily to shorten the distance between them. During the recording, Lu Xixiao saw Zhou Wan, and his long-suppressed emotions burst forth like a flood through a broken dam. After the recording ended, he immediately grabbed her. Knowing that Zhou Wan needed his approval to enter Lanyue, he felt confident enough to order her around.

He pulled her into the car and brought her to his studio to serve as a model for his painting. The two of them stayed together in the studio. Lu Xixiao saw that Zhou Wan was still as beautiful and charming as she was a decade ago, her gaze just as firm, as if time had left no trace on her face.

He was grateful that time had allowed them to reunite, yet saddened by the ten years they had been apart. Like a wounded lion cub, Lu Xixiao pressed Zhou Wan against the wall with red-rimmed eyes, warning her that if she wanted to enter Lanyue, she had to agree to his terms—become his personal assistant and be at his beck and call from now on. Zhou Wan had no choice but to agree.

After gathering some clues, Lu Xixiao’s aunt, Lu Qilan, immediately wrote a letter of complaint to the old man about Lu Zhongyue. Before even opening the letter, the old man guessed who had written it. Feeling that his two children were always at odds with each other, which would not benefit the project’s progress in the long run, he handed the current project over to Lu Xixiao.

Lu Zhongyue had originally expected the old man to entrust him with the Lanyue Phase II project, but instead, it was given to Lu Xixiao. Furious, he called Lu Xixiao into his office, intending to make him step down voluntarily. However, ten years of growth meant Lu Xixiao was no longer the shy, evasive boy he once was.

He met his father’s gaze and replied that if Grandfather had made such an arrangement, perhaps Lu Zhongyue’s work abilities really were questionable. Lu Zhongyue is a heartless man who values power and status more than life itself. To monitor the progress of the Lanyue Phase II project at all times, he found a way to bring Jiang Yan into the company as his spy. Jiang Yan was depressed when he learned of Lu Zhongyue’s intentions.

He had always been treated as nothing more than a pawn, never receiving his biological father’s attention. He invited Zhou Wan to the rooftop for drinks. Zhou Wan told Jiang Yan that she was also joining the project team, but this time, it wasn’t because of Lu Xixiao. Jiang Yan, who understood her well, offered to help, but Zhou Wan smiled bitterly—this time, she had to handle it herself.

Following their tense reunion and the agreement for her to enter Lanyue, Zhou Wan begins her role as Lu Xixiao’s personal assistant, moving into his apartment to live with him. One evening, she hesitantly steps into his room, her mind clouded with uncertainty. Ten years of separation have left her wondering whether his heart holds more deep-seated resentment than affection, or more lingering bitterness than hope. Under his watchful gaze, she removes her coat, exposing her collarbones.

Though Lu Xixiao fights the urge to embrace her, his determination to remain detached wins over. Noticing her taking medication, he coldly questions what it is. When she asks if this arrangement is merely a punishment, he scoffs at the notion of love and warns her that she will pay back everything she owes him, emphasizing that they are far from even. Despite the palpable tension, they spend the night sharing the same bed without crossing any lines.

The next morning, Lu Xixiao wakes up to find that Zhou Wan has already prepared breakfast. He reminds her that she has only thirty minutes before the kickoff meeting for the Lanyue Phase II project, which also marks her first official day as his special assistant. Zhou Wan quickly gets ready and heads to the company.

Upon arriving at Lanyue, her lack of an employee badge causes a brief delay at the front desk, but she eventually joins the kickoff meeting for Lan Yue Cloud Dwelling Secret Realm, a landmark resort project. During the presentation, the host introduces Lu Xixiao as the project director and Zhou Wan as the deputy project director and special assistant.

The proceedings are interrupted by an announcement that the board of directors has appointed Jiang Yan as the strategic director to join the Phase II team to ease communication with headquarters. This sudden influx of high-profile personnel sparks quiet gossip among the veteran employees, who speculate about the complex corporate rivalry between Lu Xixiao and his half-brother Jiang Yan, while also marveling at Zhou Wan’s formidable reputation from her previous tenure at Boxing Construction.

Following the meeting, Jiang Yan visits Zhou Wan in her office to express his pleasure at working alongside her. He offers her a ride home after work, but Zhou Wan politely declines, revealing that she is staying elsewhere. Their conversation is cut short when Lu Xixiao enters, demanding that Zhou Wan make him a cup of coffee. Outside, Zhou Wan overhears her colleagues whispering about her background, but she remains unbothered, focusing instead on her duties.

Living together brings a semblance of order to Lu Xixiao’s otherwise irregular lifestyle, as he grows fond of waking up to the aroma of freshly cooked meals prepared by Zhou Wan. One evening, when Lu Xixiao jokingly requests a lavish feast of Wellington steak and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Zhou Wan serves him a simple bowl of noodles instead, teasingly warning him about expired green onions. Despite the warning, he eats the meal.

During their banter, he notices she has burned her hand. Though she brushes it off, saying she never sustained such injuries even while working part-time at a noodle shop and tutoring in college, he quietly worries. After bickering over who will wash the dishes, Lu Xixiao takes over. Later that night, as Zhou Wan falls asleep at her desk, Lu Xixiao tenderly applies burn ointment to her injured hand.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wan’s friend Gu Meng, who is staying at Zhou Wan’s old apartment, calls to report a total power outage due to aging wiring. Declining Zhou Wan’s offer of a hotel discount, Gu Meng heads to another property she co-owns, only to end up bickering with the other owner over who gets the bedroom. Back at the apartment, Zhou Wan continues to work late, using her position to quietly gather confidential files on Lu Zhongyue to advance her plans.

Annoyed by her relentless work habits, Lu Xixiao cuts off the electricity in the room, forcing her to rest. He complains about her noisy phone calls and playfully accuses her of touching his hand while he slept, before insisting she join him to walk his dog, Xiaoliu. When the tired dog refuses to walk, Lu Xixiao rides a shared bike with Xiaoliu on it, and the three of them stop to buy milk for the pet.

Back home, Lu Xixiao bans her from working in the living room, insisting that they work and sleep in the same space. At the office, the team reviews potential partners for the Lanyue project. Zhou Wan identifies Xinghai Entertainment as the most suitable candidate due to their clean background check and prior successful collaboration with Lanyue.

Jiang Yan supports this direction by sharing his experience with the Sky Isle Lake Resort project, where introducing the Dream Star Domain IP boosted annual foot traffic by twenty-three percent. However, Lu Xixiao opposes the idea, arguing that negotiating with such massive enterprises involves tedious discussions, heavy royalty fees, and a loss of major profits. Zhou Wan suggests preparing two contingency plans: pursuing a major comprehensive operator while simultaneously seeking sub-item partnerships with multiple specialized IP enterprises.

During a coffee break, Lu Xixiao corners Zhou Wan, accusing her of siding with Jiang Yan. In the middle of their tense argument, Lu Xixiao accidentally spills tea on his clothes, and Zhou Wan immediately helps him wipe it down. Passing by, Jiang Yan notices the intimacy and coldly suggests Lu Xixiao wash his hands in the restroom if they are dirty.

Lu Xixiao fires back that his special assistant has already taken care of it, highlighting the underlying friction between the two brothers. Later, Jiang Yan asks Zhou Wan to accompany him to visit his mother, Ms. Jiang, for her birthday, noting that she often asks about her. Remembering how Ms. Jiang cared for her during her childhood, Zhou Wan agrees.

When Lu Xixiao calls to demand her return, she informs him of her plans and promises to cook for him as soon as she gets back early. At the wellness center, Zhou Wan meets Ms. Jiang, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Though forgetful and memory-addled, Ms. Jiang is delighted by Zhou Wan's presence, warmly praising Jiang Yan's filial nature and mentioning that his friend Hei keeps her company when he is busy.

After sharing cake and singing with the other residents, Jiang Yan drives Zhou Wan back. He reveals his mother's diagnosis began two years ago, prompting his return to Pingchuan. As they drive, Lu Xixiao's persistent calls interrupt them. Jiang Yan asks about her relationship with Lu Xixiao and wonders why she joined Lanyue, offering to help her with whatever she needs. Zhou Wan declines, explaining that some burdens cannot be shared with friends, not even by Jiang Yan or Lu Xixiao.

Jiang Yan drove Zhou Wan back to her apartment late at night. Before she got out of the car, he asked if she truly had to join Lan Yue, to which she replied that she had her own reasons. After apologizing for keeping her out so late without dinner, Jiang Yan suggested they grab a bite together, but she urged him to head home before the traffic police towed his car.

As she walked away, Lu Xixiao, who had been driving nearby and watching them, felt relieved to see no overly intimate gestures between the two. However, when Zhou Wan turned around, she saw him carrying heavy grocery bags. Still feeling jealous, Lu Xixiao coldly demanded to know where she had been. Zhou Wan teased him by saying she went to see a cute guy, which only irritated him further.

She eventually explained that she and Jiang Yan had visited his mother and that she had kept it quiet to prevent him from overthinking. When Lu Xixiao claimed he was merely passing by, Zhou Wan accused him of tailing her. She firmly reminded him that her role as his assistant was to manage his domestic life, not to surrender her personal freedom.

Lu Xixiao fired back, complaining about her ignoring his messages regarding grocery brands and forced her to carry a heavy bag inside. Once back inside the apartment, the tension began to melt. Lu Xixiao held Zhou Wan close, murmuring that having her there was the only way he could sleep. When she complained that his embrace made it impossible for her to rest, he dismissively said he did not care as long as he could sleep soundly.

The following morning at Lan Yue, Zhou Wan was greeted with another delivery of fresh flowers. She asked her colleague, Xin, to retrieve the Phase I resort documents from Lanyue's headquarters, hoping to find some reference material for Phase II. Soon after, she received a call from the sender of the flowers, Huang Hui, the CEO of Xinghai Entertainment. Though she politely asked him to stop the extravagant gestures, he dismissed her protests with flattery.

Zhou Wan proposed a formal meeting at his office to align their project needs, but Huang Hui claimed he had an urgent afternoon business trip. He insisted she meet him face-to-face at a suburban club that afternoon, giving her no room to reschedule before hanging up. Sensing trouble, Zhou Wan prepared a recording pen, a personal alarm, and pepper spray before heading to the club.

When she arrived, Huang Hui received her in his bathrobe, completely ignoring the business proposal she brought. Instead, he made inappropriate advances, grabbing her hands and spilling wine on her as an excuse to get her to change clothes. Zhou Wan rejected his advances and demanded that he let her go. When he persisted, she sprayed him directly with her pepper spray.

A furious Huang Hui threatened that she was throwing away any chance of a partnership between Lanyue and Xinghai, but Zhou Wan turned her back on him and walked out. Meanwhile, Lu Xixiao visited his uncle. While there, he found a twenty-year-old newspaper detailing the bankruptcy of Zhou Wan's father's business, Jun'an Building Materials Factory, following a massive quality scandal.

Knowing that Lanyue had purchased the land shortly after the factory's collapse, Lu Xixiao suspected his grandfather, Lu Zhongyue, had played a dirty hand. He immediately contacted an information consulting firm to hire a private investigator. Later, back in his car, he listened to the secret audio recording of Zhou Wan's confrontation with Huang Hui at the club.

The next morning at Lan Yue, Xin informed Zhou Wan that the Phase I files were not in the archives and were likely kept by Lu Xixiao himself. Suddenly, Mrs. Huang, the wife of Huang Hui, marched into the company lobby. She publicly humiliated Zhou Wan, calling her a shameless home wrecker who seduced her husband to get ahead, and demanded her immediate termination.

Xin fiercely defended Zhou Wan with a borrowed crutch, while both Lu Xixiao and Jiang Yan stepped in to shield her. Lu Xixiao ordered Mrs. Huang to leave immediately. After learning the full story of the harassment from Zhou Wan, Lu Xixiao ordered her to take a three-day holiday to rest, promising to handle the rest. He quickly mobilized his legal team and private investigators to expose Xinghai Entertainment.

Soon, the internet was flooded with accounts from other female employees who had been harassed by Huang Hui, complete with leaked audio recordings and chat logs. The scandal vindicated Zhou Wan and turned the public’s anger entirely toward the CEO. While resting at home, Zhou Wan received an urgent call from Jiang Fan. Since Lu Xixiao was not answering his phone, Jiang Fan asked her to find Lu Xixiao's award certificate in his room.

While searching through his drawers, Zhou Wan stumbled upon empty bottles of Fluoxetine and clinical records of his psychological treatment. Beneath them lay a diary. As she turned the pages, she read his entries spanning ten years, detailing his severe insomnia, his depression, and his agonizing longing for her during their separation. Zhou Wan was overwhelmed with guilt, realizing how deeply he had suffered because of their past, and feared she was still merely using him.

When Lu Xixiao returned home, Zhou Wan prepared a simple meal. Seeing her in an apron, he dryly remarked that she finally knew how to play nice. Zhou Wan expressed her concern that Lanyue might lose a long-term partner because of what he did for her, but Lu Xixiao firmly stated that no one was allowed to bully her except him. Over dinner, she tearfully apologized and asked about his illness.

Lu Xixiao comforted her, explaining that his depression and insomnia had started after his mother's death, not because of her, and that her return had actually made him feel better. Though Zhou Wan whispered that she wanted him to be well even if they could never go back to how they were, Lu Xixiao took her hand and told her she had never been his illness—she was his cure.

Later, Lu Xixiao met with his private investigator, who confirmed that Jun'an Building Materials Factory had gone bankrupt twenty years ago due to defective materials. The investigator revealed that Lanyue had tried to acquire the factory privately before its collapse, but the negotiations had failed. Lu Xixiao instructed him to track down the original material suppliers from that period. Back at Lanyue, Zhou Wan returned to work.

She discussed the aftermath of the Xinghai scandal with her colleagues, noting that while Huang Hui was punished, his victims suffered secondary damage from public gossip. She shared the good news that Lanyue's HR had set up a private reporting channel to protect employees' safety in the future. Shortly after, Jiang Yan and Lu Xixiao joined them for a strategic meeting.

With Xinghai out of the picture, the team debated partnering with Wanhehui or Chaoshang Global, but both presented massive drawbacks in terms of revenue splits and creative control. Lu Xixiao proposed a highly ambitious alternative: Lanyue should design and build its own IP system.

Following the meeting, his aunt pulled him aside, demanding to know if he was pushing for such a risky, radical strategy because Zhou Wan had been wronged, or because he truly believed it was in the best interest of Lanyue.

Following Zhou Wan's professional suggestion to establish intellectual property protections for Lanyue early on, Lu Xixiao schedules a meeting with his aunt to pitch the idea. His aunt immediately questions whether this move is driven by personal feelings for Zhou Wan or genuine concern for the company's future. Lu Xixiao confidently maintains that regardless of his personal motivations, the long-term sustainable benefits of securing their own IP are undeniable.

He proposes to personally assemble and lead a dedicated team to execute the plan once she signs off. Expressing her support, his aunt admits she had previously hesitated due to the high risks, but welcomes his initiative. She challenges him to finalize the setup within fifteen days, though Lu Xixiao confidently promises to have it done in just ten. Meanwhile, Jiang Fan's birthday is approaching.

Knowing his passion for photography, Gu Meng splurges on a classic, hard-to-find camera as a gift, though she casually tells Zhou Wan that she had bought it long ago and simply forgotten about it. Zhou Wan quickly sees through her friend's denial, recognizing that despite the pending divorce, Gu Meng still cares deeply for her husband. The situation becomes even more complicated when colleagues distribute printed invitations to Jiang Fan’s twenty-ninth birthday party.

Although Gu Meng initially scoffs at the gesture and claims she has no intention of going, her lingering affection suggests otherwise. At the office, the team works late to organize project lists. When Zhou Wan receives a series of secretive text messages, her colleagues playfully tease her about having a boyfriend or a persistent suitor. Zhou Wan quickly laughs it off, claiming the messages are just from family, and steps away to handle the call.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan, a highly accomplished top-tier university graduate holding a senior position at Lanyue, remains a prime target of affection for the single female employees. When they eagerly ask if he has a girlfriend and suggest he pick someone from their department, Jiang Yan strictly shuts down the personal chatter and redirects their focus back to work.

In the hallway, Lu Xixiao confronts Zhou Wan about her secretive texting, playfully accusing her of acting guilty to avoid office rumors about their relationship. He asks if she plans to attend Jiang Fan’s upcoming birthday celebration. Zhou Wan explains that she is unsure of Gu Meng's plans, but she has agreed to join Gu Meng for a movie and shopping trip the following day. True to her word, Zhou Wan spends the next afternoon with Gu Meng.

While relaxing over coffee after the film, Gu Meng criticizes the movie's unrealistic plot, particularly a scene where the male lead blocks a knife with his chest to save the heroine. Gu Meng notes that, according to actual studies and human instinct, a person protecting someone else would naturally push them away or take the blow with their back to guard their vital organs. Gu Meng’s words strike a painful chord with Zhou Wan.

She suddenly remembers the night Lu Xixiao was stabbed, recalling how he had shielded her with his chest, leaving the blade to pierce dangerously close to his heart. Realizing that he had selflessly risked his life without a single thought for his own safety, Zhou Wan struggles to hold back her tears. Later that evening, they arrive at the birthday venue, which Jiang Fan has meticulously decorated to win back Gu Meng.

When Gu Meng presents the camera, Jiang Fan is overjoyed and affectionately calls her his wife, earning a sharp warning from her to watch his words. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan arrives at the party with Gu Meng, but Lu Xixiao soon joins them and jokingly insists they arrived together, prompting playful teasing from old high school friends about their rekindled romance. During the party, Zhou Wan runs into their old friend Ping, who pulls her aside for a serious conversation.

Ping reveals how deeply Lu Xixiao suffered after their sudden breakup years ago. He describes finding Lu Xixiao locked in his apartment, burning with a severe fever and repeatedly calling out Zhou Wan's name in his delirium. Ping admits he initially resented her, but Zhou Wan tearfully confesses that she kept her distance only because she loved him too much and wanted to protect him from further harm.

Ping then explains how Lu Xixiao eventually pulled himself together, dedicated himself to retaking the college entrance exam, got into a prestigious university, and built his career entirely on his own merit without taking a single cent from the Lu family. He urges Zhou Wan to treat Lu Xixiao well, emphasizing that he grew up quickly just to be strong enough to protect her. After the gathering, Lu Xixiao drives a heavily intoxicated Zhou Wan back to their apartment.

As he prepares some honey water to soothe her, a deeply emotional Zhou Wan pulls him close and gently unbuttons his shirt to reveal the prominent scar on his chest. Tracing the old wound, she tearfully asks why he chose to take the knife for her back then.

Lu Xixiao confesses that he did it simply because he loved her and wanted to keep her safe, though he admits his deep resentment over how she abandoned him in the hospital and refused to say she loved him. Zhou Wan explains that she only lied to make him give up on her, but her love for him never truly wavered. Overcome with emotion, they share a passionate embrace and spend the night together.

The following morning, a tender atmosphere fills the apartment. Lu Xixiao eagerly prepares a beautiful breakfast, telling Zhou Wan that he wants to use this opportunity to court her properly. Meanwhile, after Jiang Fan brings a drunk Gu Meng back to their apartment on the night of the party, she tearfully confesses how lonely she felt during their marriage because he was always away. The next morning, their unresolved tension reaches a boiling point.

When Gu Meng accuses him of taking advantage of her, Jiang Fan retorts that she was the one who wouldn't let go of him. Their argument exposes the deeper cracks in their marriage, as Gu Meng tearfully laments that despite their ten years together and three years of marriage, Jiang Fan has never truly understood what she wanted, leaving her determined to move forward with the divorce.

Later that day, Lu Xixiao calls Zhou Wan while she is working in her art studio. When he asks what she is eating, she playfully lies, claiming she is enjoying a lavish meal of spicy chicken, stir-fried pork, and braised ribs. Lu Xixiao immediately calls her out, noting the distinct quietness of her studio over the phone. Just then, her colleague Li Xin walks in and hands Zhou Wan a box of fried rice, completely exposing her lie.

Lu Xixiao warmly orders her to stop working and eat. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan’s curiosity about Zhou Wan’s sudden employment at Lanyue leads him to dig through the company's old archives. While reviewing the historical acquisition records of the Jun'an Building Materials Factory, he discovers that the site had been purchased for an exceptionally low price due to severe soil contamination. Piece by piece, Jiang Yan realizes Zhou Wan's true motive: she joined Lanyue to target Lu Zhongyue.

Jiang Yan finally uncovered the truth, realizing that Zhou Wan's ultimate goal in her quest was to go after Lu Zhongyue. Meanwhile, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao were fully enjoying their sweet cohabitation. At home, Zhou Wan tried to discuss tomorrow's meeting regarding independent IP, presenting a preselected list of suitable partner companies. Lu Xixiao playfully reminded her of her promise not to bring work home.

To soothe his irritation, Zhou Wan fed him some konjac jelly, which quickly turned into a romantic game as he teasingly complained that it was still not enough. The next day at the office, Lu Xixiao outlined his vision to build Lanyue Group's own IP. Since they lacked experience, he suggested finding a partner with relevant expertise. An employee mentioned Shengshi Huayu, although rumors suggested they had shut down their theme parks due to operational issues.

Lu Xixiao believed there was more to the story. Their assistant, Xin'er, added that she had contacted Lena, the head of Shengshi Huayu's Pingchuan branch. Lena was open to a meeting, but she insisted on discussing the matter with Lu Xixiao in person. To avoid any potential misunderstandings—especially after his team teased that Lena was a legendary beauty—Lu Xixiao insisted that Zhou Wan accompany him.

Upon arriving at the meeting venue, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao waited for over an hour. Unbeknownst to them, Lena was quietly observing Lu Xixiao from a high glass window before finally instructing her assistant to bring them upstairs. When they met, Lu Xixiao was stunned to realize that Lena was actually Lin Na, a girl he had briefly dated during the summer after the college entrance exam during a period of heartbreak.

Lin Na playfully brought up how Lu Xixiao used to always be late and eventually canceled on her, noting that making him wait today made them even. She then informed them that her headquarters had rejected Lanyue's partnership proposal. Sensing a deeper issue, Lu Xixiao asked if the rejection was related to the closure of their theme parks. When she remained tight-lipped, Lu Xixiao asked for some time to paint a special gift for their president.

While Lu Xixiao was busy painting, Lin Na and Zhou Wan sat down for a chat. Lin Na easily guessed that Zhou Wan was his girlfriend and reassured her that she and Lu Xixiao had only met a few times years ago. She recalled him as distant and emotionally stunted, but seeing him today, she realized he simply saved his warmth for Zhou Wan.

The two women quickly bonded, with Zhou Wan jokingly agreeing with Lin Na's critiques of Lu Xixiao's grumpy face, heavy sweating, and towering height that made them both look short. Once the painting was finished, Lin Na was highly impressed by Lu Xixiao's talent as the artist L. Lu Xixiao explained that this was his first piece not set in winter, inspired by the president's tragic love story.

He hoped the president would reconsider their proposal for Lanyue to fund and Shengshi Huayu to operate a new resort IP. He quickly added that all his inspiration came from Zhou Wan, showcasing a strong sense of romantic self-preservation that amused Lin Na. On the way back, Zhou Wan playfully teased Lu Xixiao about bringing his current girlfriend to meet his ex.

Lu Xixiao explained the impulsive reason he had agreed to date Lin Na years ago—he had just received a transfer notification from Zhou Wan to pay him back, and in his heartbreak, he said yes to someone else, though nothing ever happened. He then performed a magic trick, pulling out a balloon to ask Zhou Wan if she wanted to date him. Zhou Wan smiled, asking if they weren't already dating.

Soon after, Shengshi Huayu's president agreed to the partnership on one condition: L must personally lead the core visual design. The Lanyue team celebrated the successful deal, and Lu Xixiao agreed to foot the bill for a celebratory meal. Later, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao visited the graves of her father and grandmother. Standing before them, Lu Xixiao introduced himself as her boyfriend and promised to protect and care for her always.

Seeing her family's resting place brought back painful memories for Zhou Wan. She remembered her father's warmth and the subsequent tragedy when his factory failed, ruined by Lu Zhongyue's cold-blooded schemes. Zhou Wan vowed to clear her father's name and expose the truth. Though she hesitated because Lu Zhongyue was Lu Xixiao's father, Lu Xixiao promised to stand by her side no matter what.

Zhou Wan shared a new lead: Yinshan Furniture Factory, which was acquired during Lanyue's Phase II project. The factory, once known for its strict quality control in Jinsha Bay, suddenly suffered massive product quality failures just as Lanyue was buying up land. She suspected Lu Zhongyue had used the same framing tactics he used on her father. They decided to visit Jinsha Bay together to look for evidence.

They found the bankrupt owner, Director Wang, living in a cramped rental house with his mother and young daughter, Lili. At first, Director Wang's mother was defensive, thinking they were there to demand debt payments. But Zhou Wan explained she had been through similar hardships and wanted to help. She left her contact information, offering to assist with the factory and even sponsor Lili's education.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan's mother finalized the sale of her house and handed over the keys to the agent. She then called Jiang Fan to let him know she would transfer the money to him soon. Back in Jinsha Bay, Director Wang returned to his family, stressed and debt-ridden. He warned his daughter Lili not to trust strangers, but his mother and Lili defended Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao, believing they were good people. Director Wang agreed to meet them.

That night, Lu Xixiao lovingly prepared a soft-boiled egg for Zhou Wan. While eating, they reminisced about their childhood. Zhou Wan admitted she used to avoid him because she feared being a burden, but Lu Xixiao reassured her that she was never a bother and that he loved when she relied on him, promising to treat her even better in the future. Later that night, Jiang Yan visited Director Wang's home alone, bringing a gift.

He lied and said he was working with Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao, using this connection to gain Director Wang's trust. Believing they were on the same team, Director Wang handed over all his collected evidence—accounting records, chat logs, and proof of the distributor's private dealings with Lu Zhongyue.

The next day, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao arrived at Director Wang's home, only to learn from Lili and Director Wang that a man named Jiang had come by the previous night and taken all the files. Zhou Wan soon received a message from Jiang Yan asking to meet privately. They met at an open field near the old factory site, a place full of childhood memories for Zhou Wan.

Jiang Yan revealed he had reviewed Director Wang's materials, but noted that the distributor involved was not the same one who ruined Zhou Wan's father's factory. Jiang Yan confessed that with his position as Strategic Director, it was easy to access Phase I archives and uncover her secret. He showed her evidence of project irregularities involving Hengtong Raw Material Supply Co., Ltd. and Lanyue Group.

Jiang Yan told Zhou Wan that he could do anything Lu Xixiao could do, and even what Lu Xixiao could not. He promised to help her expose Lu Zhongyue and offer her a better life if she returned to his side, just like when they were children.

Zhou Wan agreed to meet Jiang Yan, only to discover that he wanted to use the evidence he possessed as leverage to force her to leave Lu Xixiao. He begged her to return to him, pleading for things to be just as they were when they were children. Deeply hurt and disappointed, Zhou Wan refused. She told him that her love for Lu Xixiao was not a transaction and did not require any trades.

She then revealed a truth she had kept hidden for ten years: she had always known it was Jiang Yan who leaked her whereabouts to Luo He when she returned to Pingchuan. Despite this, she had chosen to trust him, believing he had some unmentionable hardship. But seeing him use the evidence to threaten her shattered her remaining respect. Deciding to cut ties completely, she walked away, declaring they would go their separate ways from then on.

Outside, Zhou Wan found Lu Xixiao waiting by his car. Seeing her distressed expression, he quickly understood how the meeting went. When she confessed she couldn't get the evidence from Jiang Yan, Lu Xixiao comforted her, revealing he had tracked down the distributor who used to coordinate with Director Wang. If they could get him to talk, they would still have a chance.

He playfully complained about waiting in the cold for an hour while she met his rival, demanding a reward. After a sweet moment, they headed home together. Meanwhile, Lu Zhongyue’s anger boiled over. He confronted Jiang Yan over his handling of the Phase II project and his silence regarding the involvement of Shengshi Huayu, which threatened his own partnership with Xinghai Entertainment. Jiang Yan made it clear he was no longer the gullible child Lu Zhongyue could threaten and control.

Shortly after, Lu Zhongyue learned from his assistant that Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan had visited Wang Yongli's house. Furious at Zhou Wan’s relentless digging into the past, Lu Zhongyue determined to stop them. He secretly hired debt collectors to harass Wang Yongli, hoping to drive him away. The collectors cornered Wang Yongli at his home, demanding repayment and accusing him of hiding money from selling his factory land to Lan Yue.

Believing Lu Xixiao was working with his father to ruin him further, a desperate Wang Yongli decided to take extreme measures. While Lu Xixiao was waiting in the garage for Zhou Wan, he called her phone. The line abruptly went dead while she was in the elevator. Sensing danger, Lu Xixiao rushed to the security room to inspect the CCTV footage, only to see Wang Yongli dragging Zhou Wan away.

Lu Xixiao immediately instructed the security staff to inform the police and search the area around Jinsha Bay and the old Yinshan factory ruins, identifying Wang Yongli as the suspect. As Lu Xixiao ran out, Jiang Yan intercepted him in his car, insisting on joining the search. Jiang Yan explained he had previously investigated Wang Yongli's whereabouts and knew exactly where the old, abandoned Yinshan factory was. Though hesitant, Lu Xixiao chose to trust him.

During the drive, Jiang Yan remorsefully apologized for his betrayal ten years ago, admitting his bitter jealousy over how everyone, including Zhou Wan and even Lu Zhongyue, always favored Lu Xixiao. Lu Xixiao told him to stop living in the past and focus on driving, warning him that he would never be able to atone if anything happened to Zhou Wan. Upon arriving at the sprawling factory ruins, the two men split up.

Lu Xixiao found Zhou Wan tied up in a corner. Wang Yongli had poured gasoline over her, determined to make Lu Zhongyue suffer by destroying those associated with him. Lu Xixiao desperately tried to de-escalate the situation, offering himself as a hostage instead. He argued that as Lu Zhongyue’s actual son, he was far better leverage than Zhou Wan, who was innocent. Wang Yongli ordered Lu Xixiao to tie his own hands.

When Wang Yongli prepared to strike, Zhou Wan selflessly threw herself in front of Lu Xixiao to shield him. Just in the nick of time, Jiang Yan crept up from behind and knocked Wang Yongli unconscious with a heavy club. Following the incident, the news reported Wang Yongli's arrest for kidnapping. At home, Zhou Wan tenderly bandaged Lu Xixiao's injured arm.

Despite his playful attempts to exaggerate his pain for her affection, they soon turned to the grim reality of their investigation. While they had gathered substantial evidence regarding the Yinshan Furniture Factory, Lu Xixiao delivered some devastating news. The corrupt supplier, Mr. Huo, who had framed Zhou Wan's father years ago, had recently died in a car accident. This meant the final legal link to proving Lu Zhongyue's direct involvement in her father's tragedy was gone.

Undeterred, Zhou Wan remained resolved to at least expose Lu Zhongyue's corrupt dealings to the public. Soon after, Zhou Wan's mother called her to meet after seeing the news. In a quiet café, her mother observed how much Zhou Wan had matured. She handed over a thick folder of files she had secretly kept from her time at the building materials factory.

She confessed she had originally kept them as a personal safeguard but now wanted to live a peaceful, honest life. Expressing pride in her daughter for achieving what she never could, she wished Zhou Wan happiness and left her with the crucial evidence. Resolved to finish what she started, Zhou Wan insisted on attending the Lan Yue board meeting alone, wanting to spare Lu Xixiao the discomfort of witnessing his family's downfall.

At the meeting, Lu Zhongyue was busy trying to dismiss those responsible for the recent scandals to protect the company's image. However, a board director revealed that the senior Mr. Lu was furious and had requested a board meeting, inviting Zhou Wan as a key witness. Stepping into the room, Zhou Wan officially resigned and presented two files to the board. The first proved that Lan Yue had orchestrated the fraudulent acquisition of Yinshan Furniture Factory by fabricating quality issues.

As Lu Zhongyue tried to silence her, Zhou Wan revealed he had used the exact same dirty tactics twenty years ago against Jun'an Building Materials Factory, driving countless families to ruin. She announced that the evidence had already been forwarded to the authorities. Before walking out victorious, she coldly asked Lu Zhongyue if he remembered the name of Jun'an's former director: Zhou Jun.

Later, Lu Xixiao faced his grandfather, who insisted Zhou Wan was a bad fit for him and questioned his stubbornness. Lu Xixiao firmly declared he was different from his father and did not need anyone to guide his life. He stated he had never cared about public opinion or the past agreements his grandfather made with Zhou Wan. He loved only her and was willing to face any consequences to be with her.

Seeing his grandson's unyielding determination, the grandfather relented and silently offered him a cup of tea, accepting his choice. Meanwhile, Mengmeng went to her and Jiang Fan’s planned apartment, upset that the real estate agent had complained about Jiang Fan's refusal to return the keys or answer his phone. When she entered, she was stunned to find the space fully renovated and beautifully furnished, complete with glowing candles, flowers, and soft music.

It was exactly as they had once imagined and filmed during their happier days. Jiang Fan appeared with a large bouquet and knelt down, tearfully apologizing for his obsession with work and his neglect of her. He promised to prioritize her from now on. Moved by his sincerity, Mengmeng forgave him with a tearful kiss, resolving their past conflicts. With the storm behind them, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan relaxed in their apartment.

Lu Xixiao promised to take a long vacation and travel wherever she wanted once his upcoming art exhibition concluded. Zhou Wan smiled and suggested they simply stay indoors forever, hiding from the rest of the world and getting moldy together. Lu Xixiao happily agreed, content to be by her side.

Following her victory at the board meeting, Lu Xixiao took Zhou Wan to meet his grandfather. Ten years ago, the old man had tried to tear them apart, yet their bond remained unbroken. Holding Zhou Wan's hand, Lu Xixiao firmly declared his willingness to walk away from the Lu family's wealth and inheritance just to lead a peaceful life with her.

He emphasized that Zhou Wan was nothing like her submissive mother, and he would never be unfaithful like his father, Lu Zhongyue. Deeply moved by Lu Xixiao's unyielding resolve, the grandfather finally accepted Zhou Wan and gave the couple his blessing. Shortly after, Gu Meng shared a video announcing her reconciliation with Jiang Fan. Watching it, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao marveled at how their high school friends had gone from dating to marriage, then divorce, and finally remarriage.

This prompted Zhou Wan to ask if there was still something they had left undone. Understanding her hint, Lu Xixiao took her hand and posted a sweet photo of them on his Moments, admitting he had been waiting for her to give him the chance. Zhou Wan posted the same picture on her account, only to get a comment from a younger male student expressing his regret at her having a boyfriend.

A playful wave of jealousy washed over Lu Xixiao, leading to a lighthearted tease where Zhou Wan threatened to ask their friend Lin Na about his behavior over the last two years. As they laughed and play-fought, Lu Xixiao noticed she had saved his contact nickname as "Six"—a clever play on his surname, Lu, which she had used years ago to hide her feelings. Scrolling further, he discovered a hidden draft from her past confessing her love for him.

When asked why she had hidden it for so long, Zhou Wan sweetly assured him that it was not too late. Later, when she mentioned being hungry, Lu Xixiao playfully carried her to the kitchen to prepare a meal. Following their sweet online announcement, Zhou Wan continued going to work every day, while Lu Xixiao focused deeply on his painting.

Driven by the power of their love, he found the courage to pursue his dream of completing the artwork his mother had left unfinished when she passed away during his childhood. Later, Zhou Wan met up with Gu Meng, who eagerly shared the details of her reunion with Jiang Fan. It turned out Jiang Fan had secretly purchased their house under a guise to prevent her from selling it.

When Gu Meng had walked back in, she was overwhelmed to find all the furniture she loved and a wall covered with their photos. The two friends reflected on the difference between dating and marriage; while dating was about fleeting meetups over milk tea, marriage meant returning to a shared home where someone was always waiting.

Hoping to create another lasting memory, Lu Xixiao led a blindfolded Zhou Wan to a special room where he had set up the exact arcade game machine they used to play a decade ago. They kicked off a match, but Zhou Wan deliberately chose not to dodge his final attack, letting her character lose. She explained that since he had always let her win in the past, she was now happy to yield to him.

Pouring her heart out, Zhou Wan thanked him for always standing up for her, even when she was a cowardly, helpless girl. Looking him in the eyes, she asked if he would marry her, and Lu Xixiao happily agreed. The following morning, Zhou Wan playfully complained about being kept up too late despite her busy schedule, but Lu Xixiao gently told her to rest and help him review the guest list for his upcoming art exhibition instead.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fan helped Lu Xixiao set up the gallery, suggesting they arrange the "First Snow" series in a dedicated zone with artificial snow for an immersive experience. When Lu Xixiao agreed to every design choice without his usual stubbornness, Jiang Fan jokingly asked if he was terminally ill, noting that love had truly softened him. Later, while delivering an invitation to Ms. Qilan's office, Zhou Wan ran into Jiang Yan.

Having resigned from his job, Jiang Yan shared his plans to travel with his mother the next day, finally letting go of his past grievances with Lu Zhongyue. The two shared a warm farewell as Zhou Wan encouraged him to live for himself from now on. With Zhou Wan by his side, Lu Xixiao felt as though all his dreams were finally coming true.

He gifted her a beautiful dress, and the two returned to the school where they had once studied together. Looking at the old tree, which had grown even more lush, they marveled at how destiny had brought them full circle to be truly together. On the opening day of the art exhibition, titled "Never-Ending Summer," their close friends gathered to celebrate, affectionately teasing Zhou Wan by calling her "Mrs. L."

During the gallery tour, Ms. Qilan introduced a special four-season exhibit. She explained that the "Winter" painting had been left unfinished by Lu Xixiao's mother before her untimely death, and Lu Xixiao had completed it years later as a joint tribute. Deep inside the venue's artificial snow area, Lu Xixiao met up with Zhou Wan.

He confessed that during his years of solitary travel, he would always flee a city before the first snow fell because he couldn't bear to watch it alone. He noted that all his previous works had been incomplete because they lacked her presence. As artificial snow began to fall around them, Lu Xixiao proposed to her once again, asking her to spend the rest of her life with him, to which she joyfully agreed.

Some time later, the happily married couple recorded a playful vlog before sitting down for an official interview with Gu Meng. When asked about his journey, Lu Xixiao admitted he had been lost and decadent during his school years until Zhou Wan guided him out of his dark place. He cherished everything about her—both her sharp edges and her scars—and declared that she was his ultimate dream.

In turn, Zhou Wan described Lu Xixiao as her "parachute," the one who always caught her and made her feel like she was flying whenever her life was in freefall. When Gu Meng asked when they first fell in love, Lu Xixiao recalled the summer of 2016, but Zhou Wan revealed her feelings had started much earlier, in 2013.

She recalled a day in the hospital when she was crying over her grandmother’s terminal diagnosis, and a teenage Lu Xixiao—then a total stranger—had gently handed her a tissue. When they crossed paths again at school three years later, she had recognized him instantly and even secretly snapped a blurry photo of him. For Zhou Wan, his presence had always been the rainbow that brought color to her gray world, a quiet devotion that finally blossomed into their own never-ending summer.