Deep Affection Eyes Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Deep Affection Eyes Synopsis
Ye Meng, a woman in her thirties who experiences setbacks in her career. After resigning from her job, she returns to her hometown with her savings, hoping for a peaceful life in a small town. By chance, she encounters Li Jinyu, a man with a pair of soulful eyes. Drawn to his mystery and cold demeanor, Ye Meng becomes increasingly intrigued by him.
As their paths continue to cross, Ye Meng is moved by the hardships in Li Jinyu’s life and takes the initiative to help him. In turn, Li Jinyu begins to open his heart under Ye Meng’s warm pursuit, gradually becoming more confident and cheerful. The two warm and heal each other, working together to nurture their hard-won relationship.
However, their calm is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a ring, and a long-buried mystery surrounding the death of Ye Meng’s mother begins to surface. Ye Meng is forced to face a harsh truth—the tragedy may be closely tied to Li Jinyu’s family. Despite this, Li Jinyu’s heart has already leaned toward Ye Meng. She brought light into his life, and now it’s his turn to help her confront her emotional wounds.
In the end, the couple joins hands to uncover the entanglements of the past generation, letting go of old grudges and embracing a brighter future together.
Deep Affection Eyes Recap
Episode 1 Recap
Ye Meng resigned from her job in Jiangbei after her boss, Gou Kai, transferred a project she had diligently worked on to Jiang Luzhi. Ye Meng confronted Jiang Luzhi, who cruelly dismissed her, saying it was "unnecessary" for Ye Meng to be sickened by her relationship with Gou Kai, and that Ye Meng was "still the same," pretending to be indifferent when she couldn't get what she wanted.
Jiang Luzhi further taunted Ye Meng, stating that since she and Gou Kai were together, it was inappropriate for Ye Meng to remain at the company. Ye Meng retaliated, revealing she had already directed all the clients Jiang Luzhi had stolen to other companies, warning her to "check your opponent first" before causing trouble. Their heated exchange escalated into a physical altercation, with Jiang Luzhi initiating the violence.
Angered by the injustice and the fight, Ye Meng returned to her hometown, Ningse, to start a new, leisurely life. News of Ye Meng's return quickly reached her old acquaintance, Cheng Kairan, who immediately contacted her best friend, Fang Ya’en, to inquire about the situation. Fang Ya’en had believed Ye Meng would settle permanently in Jiangbei, so she was shocked to see Ye Meng suddenly appear.
After the two friends reunited and reminisced, Ye Meng brought her luggage to the Ye family home. Upon entering, she found her second aunt glowing, on the phone making an appointment. Ye Meng soon discovered that her aunt was arranging a blind date for her. Though the Ye family had once been prominent, they had since declined. However, their foundational wealth ensured Ye Meng's comfort and provided her with ample spending money.
As her aunts were unable to have children, Ye Meng, as the only daughter, naturally bore the responsibility of continuing the family line. Finding a reliable and obedient live-in son-in-law became the family's top priority. Her second aunt had found a Dr. Gao, a well-dressed and cultured physician with a stable and reputable career, whom the elders considered the ideal son-in-law. Ye Meng, however, had no interest.
When Dr. Gao arrived for the visit, Ye Meng hid in her room, refusing to appear. Conveniently, Li Jinyu arrived at the Ye residence to deliver a takeaway. Ye Meng seized the opportunity, asking him for help, and used the chance to jump out the window and escape the blind date. Although Li Jinyu did not refuse to help, he appeared unwilling to engage in much conversation with Ye Meng, riding away on his electric bike, passing her by.
As night fell, Ye Meng went to a crab restaurant she remembered frequenting, only to be told it had moved. She encountered Li Jinyu there again and proactively offered to share a ride with him to the relocated old shop. At the new restaurant, Ye Meng ordered crab stew rice and discreetly observed Li Jinyu dining alone, intrigued by his solitary and mysterious demeanor.
Late that night, Ye Meng returned home to find her grandmother and aunts waiting in the living room. Just as she was about to use her preference for younger men as an excuse, she received a call with news that Fang Ya’en had broken her leg and was hospitalized. Ye Meng rushed to the hospital, where she unexpectedly learned that Li Jinyu was the grandson of their old neighbor, Ms. Jiu.
The two had met briefly as children, but the years had erased any memory of it. Ms. Jiu enthusiastically introduced them, but Li Jinyu responded with his characteristic coolness. Fang Ya’en commented on Li Jinyu's striking looks and subtly hinted that Ye Meng should seize the opportunity. Through Ms. Jiu and Li Jinyu's conversation, they discovered that Li Jinyu's current girlfriend was indeed Jiang Luzhi, who worked in Jiangbei and had a seven-figure income.
Remembering Jiang Luzhi's relationship with Gou Kai, Ye Meng kindly warned Li Jinyu that his girlfriend was cheating on him. Li Jinyu appeared nonchalant, but he quietly took note of her words. As Ye Meng prepared to leave the hospital, she saw Li Jinyu downstairs comforting a sick child with candy. This moment made her realize that beneath his seemingly cold exterior lay the bright and straightforward spirit of a young man.
The next morning, Ye Meng met Li Jinyu again at a convenience store. They awkwardly queued to pay, exchanging no words. When visiting Fang Ya’en later, Ye Meng found that Dr. Gao was Ms. Jiu's attending physician. Fang Ya’en, however, sternly reminded Ye Meng that she shouldn't have meddled, as her interference had led to Ms. Jiu scolding Li Jinyu over his breakup.
Feeling guilty, Ye Meng asked Li Jinyu's cousin, Qiao Maimai, about his workplace, learning that Li Jinyu's nickname was Li Badou from Ms. Jiu, but his real name was Li Jinyu. Qiao Maimai also clarified that Jiang Luzhi was indeed a project manager at "Geometry Area," Ye Meng's former company. That evening, Ye Meng went to the Jewel Bar where Li Jinyu performed. While she was there, Jiang Luzhi called Li Jinyu, but he promptly hung up without hesitation.
Just as Ye Meng was about to approach him, she ran into Cheng Kairan, who had come looking for her. To evade Cheng Kairan, Ye Meng hid in the women's restroom, only to discover that Cheng Kairan was the owner of the bar. At that crucial moment, Li Jinyu and his cousin, Qiao Maimai, who also worked at the bar, teamed up to help her.
They staged a convincing act: Li Jinyu pretended to be Ye Meng's boyfriend, claiming they were in the women's restroom because they were intimate and had to hide. Cheng Kairan, believing the ruse, was persuaded to leave. After the chaotic scene subsided, Li Jinyu took the stage to perform. Ye Meng listened, utterly captivated and deeply drawn to him.
Episode 2 Recap
Ye Meng had several encounters with Li Jinyu in just two days, and his appearance matched her aesthetic. When her aunt contacted Dr. Gao again to arrange a blind date, Ye Meng immediately considered asking Li Jinyu to be her pretend boyfriend. She tried to add Li Jinyu on WeChat but was rejected.
Undeterred, she proposed they date, only for Li Jinyu to refuse, mocking her for being eager to marry at her age and stating he preferred younger, "obedient and easy to fool" girls. He then openly added a younger girl on WeChat in front of Ye Meng. Walking home, Ye Meng traversed familiar streets, memories of her youth resurfacing. In her younger days, Cheng Kairan, Ye Meng, and Fang Ya’en were close, but Cheng Kairan was a delinquent.
Later, Fang Ya’en left for work, and Ye Meng focused on her studies, gradually drifting apart from Cheng Kairan. She even witnessed him being taken away, looking at her with a plea for help, but she did not intervene. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Cheng Kairan was severely beaten during that incident, leaving a permanent scar on his face. Now, Cheng Kairan still harbored deep resentment from the past.
Although he had become successful and was no longer a hooligan, he vowed that Ye Meng would pay, assuring her he would not involve her family. Determined to resolve the long-standing grievance, Ye Meng personally went to Cheng Kairan's bar. She explained that she had called the police back then, but he dismissed her explanation, accusing her of abandoning him despite their past closeness. As the tension escalated, Cheng Kairan drew a knife.
Fortunately, Li Jinyu appeared, disarming him bare-handed and defusing the crisis. Cheng Kairan's younger sister, Jingjing, then arrived, interrupting the scene, and Cheng Kairan, though still enraged, had to leave. Ye Meng silently followed Li Jinyu, thanking him. As Ye Meng pressed Li Jinyu about why he was dating Jiang Luzhi, he casually replied, "Because she's prettier than you," a response that left Ye Meng not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Li Jinyu then helped Ye Meng climb a wall to get back into her house, as she had forgotten her keys. In separate moments of solitude, Ye Meng gazed at a photo, reflecting on her mother, while Li Jinyu sat lost in thought on a rooftop. The next day, Ye Meng’s family once again arranged a blind date with Dr. Gao.
Ye Meng approached it dismissively, intentionally proposing stringent conditions to deter him, such as him living with her family after marriage, waking up early, and canceling all work-related social events. To her surprise, Dr. Gao accepted all her demands. Finally, she used her ultimate tactic, insisting that any future children take her surname. Dr. Gao readily agreed, which delighted the elders.
Left with no choice, Ye Meng decided to move back to her ancestral home to escape the relentless pressure to marry. On her first day back at the ancestral home, Ye Meng used a supposed electrical issue as an excuse to hire Li Jinyu, gaining entry into his home, where she unexpectedly discovered antidepressant medication. She also noticed a book titled "Memory Palace."
During their conversation, Ye Meng learned that Li Jinyu possessed an exceptional memory despite only having a high school diploma. She shared her own struggles with her college entrance exams, but as she attempted to invite him to dinner, Jiang Luzhi called. Jiang Luzhi informed Li Jinyu that she was returning to Ningse to be a bridesmaid for a high school classmate and wanted to meet him in person to "clear things up," effectively ending Ye Meng's dinner plans.
On a day of remembrance, Li Jinyu visited a grave alone, memories flooding his mind. He recalled being pushed out of a door by his mother as a child, only to be comforted by his father. Later, after a car explosion, his mother angrily slapped and berated him, these moments forming permanent, painful images in his mind. Just then, several cars arrived, interrupting Li Jinyu's thoughts.
He turned and left without a word, and a man in one of the cars immediately made a phone call. When Li Jinyu returned later, Ye Meng greeted him warmly and offered him milk pudding she claimed to have made herself. However, his cold demeanor infuriated her, prompting her to storm off to confide in her best friend, Fang Ya’en. As they were talking, Li Jinyu arrived at Fang Ya’en’s clothing store, having taken a part-time job there.
Before the lingering tension between Ye Meng and Li Jinyu could dissipate, Cheng Kairan entered, seeking to apologize to Ye Meng for their previous confrontation. Cheng Kairan, sensing Ye Meng's interest in Li Jinyu, warned her to be careful of him, calling him a "scumbag" and claiming his kindness to the elderly was fake. He asserted that Li Jinyu had once sent someone to the ICU and had a history of manipulating women.
At that moment, Chen Jian, Fang Ya’en's estranged husband, arrived to pick up their son, Jiaoyu. Everyone present was aware of Chen Jian and Fang Ya’en’s impending divorce and the resulting strained relationship. After Chen Jian left, Cheng Kairan, angered by Ye Meng’s defense of Li Jinyu, announced that Li Jinyu was fired from the bar and no longer needed to work there.
Episode 3 Recap
After Li Jinyu finished his part-time work, Ye Meng quickly approached him to apologize, feeling responsible for his job loss. Li Jinyu remained distant, stating he simply wanted to live in peace and care for his grandmother, expressing no desire for romantic complications or to offend Cheng Kairan. He implied Ye Meng's intentions were merely to "play around" and asked her not to bother him again.
Back home, Fang Ya’en sent Li Jinyu’s contact information to Ye Meng, subtly encouraging a connection between them. The following morning, as Ye Meng carefully assisted Fang Ya’en, who was recovering from a leg injury, they unexpectedly encountered Cheng Kairan. Ye Meng quickly excused herself, leaving Fang Ya’en to handle Cheng Kairan, who immediately inquired about Ye Meng's whereabouts. Later, at the hospital, Ye Meng met Li Jinyu’s grandmother. Feeling restless, the grandmother expressed a desire to leave the hospital.
Ye Meng, unable to refuse, offered to accompany her. As they chatted, the grandmother spoke highly of Li Jinyu, affectionately calling him "Badou," and openly suggested he would be an ideal son-in-law for the Ye family, capable of meeting all their expectations. She also revealed that Li Jinyu took his mother's surname and grew up abroad after being abandoned by his mother, a detail that piqued Ye Meng's sympathy for his tragic childhood.
Unable to refuse the grandmother’s plea for an outing, Ye Meng secretly took her to a coffee shop. There, they coincidentally saw Li Jinyu engaged in a conversation with a woman named Sister Li. Ye Meng overheard Li Jinyu asking for a higher price for a "hand model" job and mistakenly concluded he was pursuing disreputable work as a male escort. She immediately intervened, accusing him of illicit activities behind his grandmother's back.
Sister Li, however, clarified the situation by showing Ye Meng a legitimate model agency contract, explaining she was a serious businesswoman looking to hire Li Jinyu. During the misunderstanding, both Sister Li and Ye Meng noticed a distinct scar on Li Jinyu’s wrist. Sister Li stated that such a scar made him unsuitable for hand modeling and advised him to address it before reapplying.
Ye Meng observed the scar with concern, recalling the antidepressants she had seen at his home and wondering if he had once contemplated suicide. With his grandmother's subtle encouragement, Ye Meng found herself alone with Li Jinyu.
As they left the hospital, the grandmother further recounted Li Jinyu's tragic childhood, detailing how his mother abandoned him abroad at a young age, how he lived like a "left-behind child" knowing only his father's kindness, and how he nearly died after his father's passing. This deeply moved Ye Meng, solidifying her sympathy for him. She then took Li Jinyu to her friend Shi’s studio, where she offered to treat his scar.
While applying the treatment, Ye Meng probed the origin of his scar, and Li Jinyu admitted it was "because my mom." Ye Meng then shared her own painful past, recounting how her mother, despite being loving, struggled with depression and eventually committed suicide. She spoke of how she named her mother "Wyatt" after a strong character in a movie, hoping to live with similar energy.
As she treated his scar, Ye Meng reassured him that "scars can be smoothed out, as long as you are willing," drawing a parallel between physical and emotional healing. Their shared experiences of parental struggles and loss subtly brought them closer. On their way back, Li Jinyu hesitated before asking to exchange contact information. Ye Meng initially playfully refused, teasingly asserting her "big sister" status, before agreeing.
She immediately made herself his top contact, asserting her priority, to which he playfully called her "boring." Ye Meng then picked up her pace, walking quickly. When Li Jinyu seemed to struggle, she playfully challenged him to keep up. Meanwhile, Cheng Kairan was accompanying Fang Ya’en while waiting for children after school. He confessed to Fang Ya’en that while he still considered her a sister, his feelings for Ye Meng, which had spanned over a decade, remained unchanged.
He clarified that he sought her out not for revenge, but simply to see how she was doing. Fang Ya’en, however, urged him to accept reality, firmly stating that Ye Meng only saw him as a younger brother. Cheng Kairan, in turn, questioned Ye Meng’s feelings for Li Jinyu and angrily pointed to a scar on his own arm, asking what made him inferior to Li Jinyu.
Fang Ya’en, frustrated by his persistent infatuation, advised him to stop dwelling on it. Ye Meng, feeling rusty after a long break from driving, asked Li Jinyu to accompany her to retrieve her car. She struggled with the controls, humorously mistaking the clutch and forgetting to release the handbrake. Despite her initial fumbling, she eventually drove them to the seaside. She tried to take pictures of him, but Li Jinyu refused, saying it was "meaningless."
Ye Meng countered by encouraging him to live in the present and appreciate what he had. She then definitively told him that there had never been anything romantic between her and Cheng Kairan, assuring him that Cheng Kairan only considered her a sister. Later that evening, a heavily intoxicated Cheng Kairan arrived at Fang Ya’en’s home, attempting to express his unresolved feelings for Ye Meng and even tried to carry Fang Ya'en home.
Fang Ya’en sternly rebuked him for his drunken behavior in front of her son, Jiayu, telling him to stop being petty about Li Jinyu. Just as Cheng Kairan was leaving, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu arrived together. Seeing their close proximity, Cheng Kairan displayed obvious displeasure and criticized Li Jinyu as a man with "no money, no power, and no status."
Ye Meng, seizing the opportunity, declared her choice, stating that she chose Li Jinyu, even if he fit Cheng Kairan's description, simply because she liked him. She emphasized that she was finally clarifying their relationship because Li Jinyu had been pushing her away out of fear of offending Cheng Kairan. Cheng Kairan, faced with this direct confrontation, had no choice but to accept the truth.
After he departed, Ye Meng turned to Li Jinyu, seriously telling him he wasn't merely a "shield," and that if he were to be harmed because of her, she would "marry him." Later, as they scrolled through each other's WeChat Moments, Li Jinyu's feed was dominated by liquor advertisements with very few personal posts.
A flashback revealed the circumstances of his bar job: during his interview, Cheng Kairan, who was initially disinclined to hire him, changed his mind, impressed by Li Jinyu's good looks and his potential to attract female customers. Cheng Kairan then gave him a strict quota—he had to add ten new WeChat contacts daily and post regular liquor promotions on his Moments to meet sales targets.
Episode 4 Recap
Following up on their previous encounter, Ye Meng hired Li Jinyu to repair the pipes and roof at her home. She used the opportunity to apologize for using him as a shield against Cheng Kairan, admitting it could be considered sexual harassment. To make amends, she playfully suggested he could kiss her in return. Her grandmother and aunt interrupted them, forcing Ye Meng to lie that Li Jinyu was simply a repairman.
After her family, who had been pressuring her to date Dr. Gao, finally left, Ye Meng insisted that Li Jinyu stay and continue helping her. Accompanied by Li Jinyu, Ye Meng went to a nearby store to buy a surveillance camera, claiming she needed protection as a "beautiful single girl." At the store, she favored a camera for its appearance, while Li Jinyu prioritized functionality. They settled on a best-selling outdoor model, which Li Jinyu paid for.
Afterward, Ye Meng treated him to a meal of Shacha Noodles, where they ran into Qiao Maimai. She teased them about their "company-paid romance" and reminded them about the town's last-ever Fishing Lantern Festival the next evening. Ye Meng invited Li Jinyu, who was hesitant. On their way home, they met Cheng Jingjing, Li Jinyu's former student, now at Nanhua University. She asked him to tutor her over the winter break, but he declined, citing a busy schedule.
Undeterred, Cheng Jingjing promised to find him at the festival. Ye Meng then told Li Jinyu he had no choice but to accompany her, declaring his eyes were more reliable than any camera. Despite his initial reluctance, Li Jinyu arrived at the Fishing Lantern Festival on time, much to the delight of Ye Meng, who was dressed in a beautiful white outfit.
When Cheng Jingjing appeared and tried to get Li Jinyu's attention, he took Ye Meng’s hand and told her he was using her as a shield, just as she had done with him. Ye Meng corrected his grip to make their act more convincing. As they strolled through the lantern-lit streets, Li Jinyu recounted the local legend behind the festival. They were spotted by Qiao Maimai and her brother, who again teased them about their "company-paid romance."
Ye Meng chose a pink lantern and wished for a handsome, loyal, and easy-to-pursue younger man, while Li Jinyu wished for her dreams to come true. They both denied being a couple to a flower seller, and Ye Meng playfully noted down Li Jinyu’s habit of not buying flowers for girls. As fireworks lit up the sky, Ye Meng found the atmosphere in Ningse more real and freeing than the "fake" liveliness of Jiangbei.
Li Jinyu admitted he was drawn to the "loneliness" of fireworks but appreciated the warmth they could bring. The next morning, Li Jinyu installed the camera for Ye Meng. Their morning was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Jiang Luzhi. Surprised to see Li Jinyu, she accused Ye Meng of getting revenge over a man named Gou Kai by telling Li Jinyu she had a boyfriend. Ye Meng retorted that she simply found Jiang Luzhi untrustworthy.
After Ye Meng left, Jiang Luzhi explained to Li Jinyu that she had quit her job under the mistaken belief he had taken it from her and clarified that Gou Kai had always been interested in Ye Meng, not her. Li Jinyu dismissed her explanations, stating their past relationship was nothing serious. Worried about what Jiang Luzhi might have said, Ye Meng vented to her friend, Fang Ya'en.
Meanwhile, Jiang Luzhi tried to discourage Li Jinyu by detailing Ye Meng’s complex family history—her mother's suicide, her absent father, and the family pressure—but Li Jinyu remained unfazed. Frustrated, Jiang Luzhi invited him to perform at a classmate's wedding. Anxious, Ye Meng checked her new security camera but saw no sign of them.
To ease her mind, Fang Ya'en video-called Li Jinyu and had her son, Jiayu, ask him for help with a math problem, confirming he wasn't with Jiang Luzhi. Fang Ya'en then advised Li Jinyu to cut ties with Jiang Luzhi completely. At the wedding, a classmate named Chen mocked Ye Meng for her age and single status, but she skillfully shut him down.
Dr. Gao then approached Ye Meng and confessed his feelings, but she gently turned him down, saying they were already friends. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu, who was at the hospital with his grandmother, initially declined Jiang Luzhi's request to perform at the wedding. However, he rushed over after she mentioned Dr. Gao was there. He found Ye Meng standing alone, feeling disconnected from her old classmates.
He accompanied her for a walk by the sea, insisting he was only there to earn money from the performance. During their walk, Li Jinyu received a distressing call from his mother, who claimed to be seriously ill and begged him to visit her in Jiangbei. His mood soured, and he coldly warned Ye Meng not to play games with him or try to "save" him out of pity.
Angered by his words, Ye Meng dragged him to a bar to "play" for real, ordering a potent specialty drink called "Absent-Minded." After a few drinks, Li Jinyu apologized for his outburst. Ye Meng encouraged him to let go of his self-imposed rules and be more unrestrained. Standing on a stage, she passionately declared that she would be his champion and fight for him. She then sang a heartfelt song that deeply moved him. As fireworks once again lit up the sky, they shared a meaningful smile.
Episode 5 Recap
In the middle of the night, Li Jinyu escorted a very drunk Ye Meng back to her hotel. Ye Meng, feeling dizzy from the alcohol, pulled him into her room, telling him he had "deeply affectionate eyes" that were "particularly beautiful." She tried to get him to stay, asking if he was "afraid," but he reminded her she was drunk.
Ye Meng insisted he shouldn't leave, but Li Jinyu said he was too tired and suggested they do something another day. Shortly after, Ye Meng fell into a daze and slept. Li Jinyu then unexpectedly received a visit from his psychologist, Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang explained that Ye Meng had sent him an urgent message asking him to see a friend.
It was revealed that Ye Meng had discovered Li Jinyu's serious emotional issues and secretly contacted Mr. Yang to help him, which deeply moved Li Jinyu. When Li Jinyu asked how they knew each other, Mr. Yang recounted that Ye Meng had consistently attended his public lectures on depression in Ningsui a few years prior, even asking many questions. Li Jinyu suspected Ye Meng knew about his past, but Mr. Yang dismissed it, describing her as overly nosy.
Mr. Yang encouraged Li Jinyu to try dating, noting his previous popularity but reluctance to commit. He also mentioned hearing from Li Jinyu's grandmother about a blind date arranged with a girl from Jiangbei, which turned out to be Ye Meng, though Li Jinyu clarified it was just a one-time meeting for his grandmother's sake. Mr. Yang brought up the "white bear effect," explaining that the more one tries to avoid thinking about something, the more it comes to mind.
He advised Li Jinyu not to deliberately avoid his past but also not to rush. As Mr. Yang left, he promised Li Jinyu he would pretend not to know him if Ye Meng were to inquire. Once Mr. Yang was gone, Ye Meng groggily awoke, asking about the conversation. Li Jinyu admitted Mr. Yang had been his psychologist for years.
Ye Meng explained she started attending Mr. Yang's lectures because her grandmother told her that her own mother suffered from depression, making her curious. She confessed her fear for Li Jinyu and expressed hope that he would open up. She said she was used to facing difficult times alone, but now he had her, suggesting she was stable, financially secure, and available, urging him to consider her.
Li Jinyu asked what she liked about him, and she playfully said his face was enough, noting it was the first time she had ever actively asked someone for their contact information, despite having used an earlier excuse about asking about a crab restaurant. Li Jinyu then warned her not to provoke him, stating that if he falls for someone, his feelings would never change.
Ye Meng claimed the same was true for her, to which Li Jinyu jokingly said her claim was "yet to be proven." She mused that she should have just "taken him down" instead of letting Mr. Yang come. Li Jinyu retorted that she should thank him for not taking advantage of her, then added that if he wanted to do something, there was still plenty of time. Ye Meng said goodnight, and Li Jinyu, after a moment, left the room.
Outside, Jiang Luzhi confronted Li Jinyu, revealing she had been looking for him all night and asking if he was now with Ye Meng. She admitted that her previous attempts to show affection towards him were solely to provoke Ye Meng, whom she disliked intensely. Jiang Luzhi expressed her deep resentment towards Ye Meng, citing how teachers, classmates, and even her own parents favored Ye Meng, and how boys she liked always preferred Ye Meng.
Li Jinyu suggested that perhaps Ye Meng also saw Jiang Luzhi as the "perfect girl." Jiang Luzhi concluded that they would likely hate each other forever. She apologized for using Li Jinyu as a tool and asked if they could still be friends. She then advised him that if he truly liked Ye Meng, he should keep her in Ningsui and prevent her from returning to Jiangbei.
The next morning, Li Jinyu visited his grandmother in the hospital, who was recovering from a broken leg. He informed her he planned to go to Jiangbei to see Li Lingbai. His grandmother was baffled and upset, questioning why he would visit the woman who had treated him so poorly in the past.
Li Jinyu explained that Li Lingbai was seriously ill, possibly dying, and that as her son, he felt obligated to go, sarcastically adding that he might "fight for the property." He promised to return to care for his grandmother, joking about using a world map as a dartboard for their future adventures. His grandmother, aware of Li Lingbai's true character, dismissively told him not to be flippant.
Though she reluctantly accepted his decision, she warned him to notify her upon landing, as she had taken out "expensive insurance" on him in case anything happened, so she could claim compensation. He promised to crawl back before Chinese New Year if he had to. Originally, Li Jinyu had wanted to message Ye Meng about going to Jiangbei, but he deleted the text after typing it.
Meanwhile, Ye Meng, with her recovering leg, was busy learning to make a cake from Fang Ya'en for Li Jinyu's upcoming birthday. Fang Ya'en was filming the process as part of a school assignment on "the power of love." Ye Meng, still clumsy with baking, became distracted when she noticed it was snowing in Ningsui.
She confessed that her first instinct wasn't to take a photo, but to worry whether Li Jinyu had an umbrella or if he might fall on the slippery ground. Fang Ya'en teased her, saying she sounded like she was in a romantic drama, and secretly filmed the video, sending it to Li Jinyu. Seeing this, Li Jinyu smiled and immediately replied to Ye Meng's message.
Ye Meng then asked Fang Ya'en for gift ideas for Li Jinyu, dismissing Fang Ya'en's suggestion of "giving herself" as vulgar. She insisted on making the cake herself, emphasizing the "sense of ceremony," despite Fang Ya'en's playful complaints about the cold from the open window. Fang Ya'en proceeded to guide her through decorating the cake. Li Lingbai had arranged Li Jinyu's flight to Jiangbei, sending a driver to pick him up.
At the hospital, she began by asking about his grandmother and noting his change, remarking that he had become "more like a man." She apologized for her past actions towards him and his grandmother, claiming her sudden serious illness was "karma." She recounted vivid nightmares of a stormy night where he cried, begging her not to send him away.
She then admitted she brought him there to ask him to donate bone marrow, adding that he must have already known her intention. She explained the complex procedure would require him to stay for several days. Unaware of the full truth, Ye Meng learned from Qiao Maimai that Li Jinyu had gone to Jiangbei.
Qiao Maimai told her that Li Jinyu's mother was gravely ill and needed bone marrow, calling Li Jinyu "stupid" for rushing off without hesitation, possibly still hoping his mother remembered his birthday. Qiao Maimai added that bone marrow donation was very painful and lamented that Li Jinyu was alone with no one to comfort him. Ye Meng tried to call Li Jinyu, but his phone was off. Distraught, she drove to Jiangbei.
Li Jinyu, meanwhile, had prepared for the procedure, but only learned the truth—that the one truly ill was Li Lingbai's younger son, Li Zhuofeng—upon entering the operating room. After the procedure, Li Jinyu was in considerable pain. He was left alone in the ward, with only the figure of Ye Meng, who had rushed there overnight, present.
Outside his room, Li Lingbai was seen with another young man, Yu Ziyang, whom she affectionately called her "super hero" son, embracing him and telling him she missed him. Li Jinyu, now fully aware of the deception, was confronted by Li Lingbai. He acknowledged he knew Li Zhuofeng was the one who was sick, stating he had sharp eyes.
Li Lingbai offered him money as "compensation," but Li Jinyu refused it, stating the bone marrow was something he owed his father, and she could use it for whoever she wished, adding that he had no interest in knowing more. He discarded the bank card into a nearby trash can before leaving. Soon after, Li Jinyu regained consciousness and saw numerous missed calls from Ye Meng.
He called her back, but not wanting her to see him in a weak state, he told her he didn't want to see her. Ye Meng, who had been standing outside his hospital room, quietly left the hospital. As Li Jinyu took the train back to Ningsui, he saw a mother and child embracing, a sight that stirred complex emotions within him.
Thankfully, Ye Meng appeared at the train station, explaining she had come to "block" him since he had gone to Jiangbei without a word. Li Jinyu apologized, and offered to treat her to tofu cake. She asked about his trip to Jiangbei, noting how weary he looked. Back at Ye Meng's home, she had prepared a birthday celebration for Li Jinyu.
She apologized for it not being a "grand" celebration because he had secretly gone to Jiangbei, but emphasized that she had made the cake herself for the first time. She noted that he had also bought her a tofu cake, declaring them to be "a mutual pursuit." Li Jinyu corrected her usage of the phrase, but she insisted she could use words however she pleased.
She then presented him with a goldfish and a "little black fish," which was Li Jinyu's nickname. She explained it was for the "little black fish" to have a companion and not be lonely, setting an example for them. As he tasted the cake, Li Jinyu, having seen flight information pop up on her phone, asked if she had gone to Jiangbei.
She admitted that Qiao Maimai had told her, and she went to check on him, fearing he might be harmed. Li Jinyu questioned why she hadn't told him. She replied that she had called him, but he had told her he didn't want to see her, which was why she had returned. Feeling touched by her dedication, Li Jinyu then asked if she wanted to try dating him or be with him.
Immediately, he retracted the question, saying to forget he said anything. Ye Meng asked him if he was asking because he truly liked her or simply because he was moved by her actions. She expressed her desire to be with someone who genuinely liked her and told him to take his time thinking about it.
She then urged him to eat the cake, playfully warning him that she didn't know if it was "poisonous," and added that the smiley face on the cake resembled him, suggesting he should smile more often.
Episode 6 Recap
Ye Meng confided in Fang Ya’en about her relationship with Li Jinyu, admitting she wanted to be with him but was hesitant if his feelings were solely out of pity. She confessed to overthinking now that he was making a move, despite having pursued him previously.
Fang Ya’en remarked that love is a game of give and take and expressed surprise at seeing Ye Meng so insecure in love for the first time, calling her sentimental for wanting to hear Li Jinyu's answer directly. At the hospital, Li Jinyu visited his grandmother, who was concerned about his pale appearance and recent trip to Jiangbei. She also mentioned Ye Meng's visit and praised her as a good girl, urging Li Jinyu to cherish her.
Li Jinyu then sought his grandmother's blessing, expressing his desire to try a relationship with Ye Meng. She enthusiastically encouraged him to pursue it immediately, playfully warning him about premature graying hair and a potential drop in his attractiveness if he delayed. Li Jinyu arrived at Ye Meng's home under the guise of fixing her aging water pipes, only to discover she had already arranged repairs.
Ye Meng, however, offered him a different task, asking him to help tidy up her yard as "Gardener Li." While working and playfully teasing each other, a delivery arrived: luggage from Jiangbei. Ye Meng discovered a camera among her belongings, which she realized was a birthday gift from her former boss, Gou Kai.
As Li Jinyu examined the camera, he found team-building photos of Ye Meng and Gou Kai, prompting him to remark on their closeness and suggest Gou Kai wished to "relive the past." Ye Meng, noting Li Jinyu's obvious jealousy, teasingly asked if he should wait until he was her boyfriend before expressing such feelings.
They then decided to buy sunflowers for the yard, with Ye Meng observing that Li Jinyu seemed to care about their "joint construction" despite denying his boyfriend status. While purchasing sunflowers and seeds at the flower market with Li Jinyu, Ye Meng spotted a man wearing a ring identical to her deceased mother's treasured heirloom. She immediately jumped into her car and pursued him, but tragically lost sight of him at a busy intersection.
Returning home visibly distraught, Ye Meng looked at her mother's photograph, recalling that a mysterious man had visited her mother before her suicide. Li Jinyu noticed Ye Meng's distress, offering to leave the remaining planting for the next day. Soon after, Fang Ya’en called Ye Meng, informing her that the car belonging to the man with the ring had been spotted at the X Space nightclub.
Upon learning the car's location, Ye Meng bravely ventured alone to the X Space nightclub, posing as a hostess to engage the man, whom she referred to as "Brother." She complimented his ring, noting its familiarity and learning it was from Ningseui. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu, having secretly followed her, confirmed the car had a fake license plate by contacting the traffic police, indicating it was likely stolen or smuggled.
He then burst into the club, dramatically posing as Ye Meng's jealous husband, accusing her of neglecting her marriage for this "work." Ye Meng quickly played along, calling him "honey" and claiming the man was her "brother." However, the man saw through their act, stopping them from leaving and ordering his bodyguards to corner them.
As they attempted to escape, Li Jinyu questioned why Ye Meng was there dressed like that, prompting her to explain her strong interest in the man's ring, which belonged to her mother, and the suspicion that his car was stolen or smuggled. They were cornered again, and Li Jinyu stepped forward to shield Ye Meng, engaging in a physical confrontation with the man's subordinates. Just as the situation escalated, Cheng Kairan arrived with the police, whom Ye Meng had called.
Officer Chen, familiar with Ye Meng, playfully chided her for causing trouble upon her return to Ningseui. He then informed them that the man, referred to as Fatty, was indeed suspicious. Regarding the ring, Fatty claimed to have purchased it through legitimate channels, only remembering the seller's surname as Wang. Officer Chen advised them to rely on the police for any future investigations and to adhere to the law.
After their visit to the police station, Ye Meng, Li Jinyu, and Cheng Kairan shared a late-night meal. Li Jinyu tended to Ye Meng's minor injury, while Cheng Kairan, openly jealous of their closeness, tried to monopolize Ye Meng's attention, ordering her favorite childhood dishes and contrasting his long-standing friendship with Li Jinyu’s recent presence.
Cheng Kairan then dramatically confronted Ye Meng, accusing her of abandoning him and revealing that she had saved his life during a brutal schoolyard beating years ago, a memory he cherished along with a school ID card engraved with Ye Meng's name. Ye Meng, confused, asserted she had no recollection of such an event and quickly realized Cheng Kairan's long-held belief was a case of mistaken identity.
She clarified that it was, in fact, Fang Ya’en who had bravely intervened to save him from the thugs. Ye Meng explained that this incident led to the thug's mother creating a huge scene at school, resulting in Fang Ya’en being forced to drop out and leave Ningseui to work elsewhere. Cheng Kairan was visibly stunned by this revelation, realizing that the person he had idolized and sought for years was actually Fang Ya’en.
The truth of the mistaken identity weighed heavily on Cheng Kairan, who, after leaving, stood alone outside Fang Ya’en's home, watching her through a window. Despite his newfound understanding and the realization that she was the one he had truly admired, he lacked the courage to go upstairs.
Meanwhile, Ye Meng reflected on the revelation, sharing with Li Jinyu her wish to undo the past, believing that without the misunderstanding, Fang Ya’en and Cheng Kairan's lives might have unfolded very differently. Noticing Ye Meng's somber mood, Li Jinyu offered her a piece of candy, intuiting her thoughts were on her mother.
Ye Meng shared a poignant detail about a bankbook her mother had left her, intended solely for deposits, with each entry accompanied by a loving note specifying how the money should be used for Ye Meng's happiness and future milestones. Despite this profound love, Ye Meng struggled to comprehend her mother's suicide.
She further revealed that the lost ring, which her family discovered when trying to help with a down payment for her house in Jiangbei, was the same one worn by Fatty. Ye Meng emphasized her mother’s deep attachment to the ring, making its loss suspicious. She recounted seeing a man visit her mother two days before her suicide, initially believing him to be linked to the car she pursued earlier.
While that specific lead proved false, Li Jinyu encouraged her, suggesting the ring could serve as a vital new clue to unearth more information. He also insisted she call him for help in such situations, despite Ye Meng’s confident assertion that she could manage on her own, ultimately admitting that his presence made a difference. Li Jinyu's words seemed to lift Ye Meng’s spirits. She gently applied medicine to his injury, then playfully asked if he had been jealous earlier.
Li Jinyu, after a brief denial, admitted he was concerned she had gone to meet her former boss, Gou Kai, and was worried about a rekindling of their past. Ye Meng reassured him not to underestimate herself, nor her feelings for him, reminding him of his past compliment that she was "the best sister he'd ever seen." Their conversation ended with lighthearted teasing before they exchanged goodnights, leaving Li Jinyu with a rare, genuine smile.
Episode 7 Recap
Ye Meng, accompanied by Li Jinyu, visited Mr. Jiang, an antique dealer, to inquire about a specific ring. Introducing herself as Cheng Kairan's friend, Ye Meng showed Mr. Jiang a ring, asking if he had ever seen it. Through him, they identified a middle-aged man surnamed Wang from Jiangbei. Mr. Jiang recalled this man had brought the ring to him for appraisal a few years prior but was unwilling to sell, and he couldn't provide further contact information.
After exchanging contact details with Mr. Jiang, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu left. Outside, Ye Meng pondered if the man Mr. Jiang described could be the same man her mother had met before her death. Li Jinyu offered to have his friends in Jiangbei investigate, and Ye Meng mentioned she would also ask her former colleague, Tai Mingxiao. Li Jinyu commented on Ye Meng's strange tone, prompting her to tease him about being jealous.
She pressed him, suggesting he desired to find a partner, which he denied. Ye Meng then teasingly brought up their dog, Ping'an, suggesting that even Ping'an was out looking for a girlfriend, implying Li Jinyu was becoming a "lonely old man." Li Jinyu joked that Ping'an might be looking for a job instead.
To settle their disagreement, Ye Meng proposed a bet: if she won, Li Jinyu would have to admit his jealousy and his desire for a partner, which Li Jinyu accepted. Li Jinyu found Ping'an's situation pitiful, as Ye Meng had installed a dashcam on the dog's neck to monitor its activities. Li Jinyu teased Ye Meng about her determination to win, to which she playfully retorted by noting his red ears.
As New Year's Eve approached, Li Jinyu arrived at Ye Meng's home with Spring Festival couplets. Together, they meticulously affixed the couplets, with Li Jinyu assisting in reaching the higher spots. During this time, Li Jinyu received a call from Ms. Ke, who informed him that he shouldn't come to the hospital that night because she was playing mahjong with friends and had arranged for him to spend New Year's Eve at Ye Meng's house.
Inside, the Ye family was bustling, preparing "tangyuan". Ye Meng was on a video call with her father, who was still at work in the bank, promising to return home after the New Year. Her grandmother urged Ye Meng to move back into the family home, explaining that an empty house would deteriorate, though she herself later denied ever saying this. Realizing they were out of peanut butter for the "tangyuan", Li Jinyu volunteered to go buy some.
Upon his return, Ye Meng's aunts arrived, quickly noticing Li Jinyu. They greeted him politely but immediately began to probe, asking his name, age, and profession. Li Jinyu introduced himself as Li, stated he was 27, two years younger than Ye Meng, and mentioned he didn't have a fixed job but did "a little bit of everything." The aunts then recognized him as Ms. Ke's grandson and the repairman who had once helped fix a leak at their old house.
Their questioning continued, delving into his family background, to which he revealed his father had passed away and he lived with his grandmother. The aunts subtly expressed their disapproval, discussing among themselves that his reserved nature and lack of a stable job made him unsuitable for their niece, Ye Meng, whom they considered innocent and vibrant. Ye Meng, overhearing their critical remarks, defended Li Jinyu, warning them to stop.
During the New Year's Eve dinner, the family shared red envelopes and lively conversation. Ye Meng assured Li Jinyu that despite her family's focus on appearance, their excitement upon seeing him signified their acceptance. Li Jinyu, in turn, expressed that her family was quite endearing and different from what he had previously imagined, prompting Ye Meng to tease him about having imagined her before.
After the meal, outside, Ye Meng offered to set off fireworks with him after he visited his grandmother, mentioning she had many stored for his birthday. Li Jinyu, however, only offered a vague "later" and started to leave. As he walked away, Ye Meng called out, "Li Jinyu, Happy New Year!" He paused, turned back, and softly uttered, "I'm sorry." When Ye Meng asked him to repeat, he simply said, "Happy New Year!"
again and urged her to go inside before departing. Later, in the hospital, Li Jinyu was seen weeping silently by Ms. Ke’s bedside. Ms. Ke, sensing his distress, also shed quiet tears, as he reflected on his own struggles and feeling unworthy of a bright person like Ye Meng. Elsewhere, Cheng Kairan visited Fang Ya’en and her son, Jiaoyu, bringing New Year's gifts and a red envelope.
Jiaoyu, initially wary, jokingly asked if Cheng Kairan was there to collect a debt. Cheng Kairan presented Jiaoyu with a toy, claiming it matched the boy's temperament, but Jiaoyu, mature beyond his years, politely stated that making money was difficult and Cheng Kairan shouldn't waste it. Fang Ya’en observed Cheng Kairan's increasingly strange behavior, noting his recent desire to mend a suit and remove a scar, which led her to suspect he had found a new girl he liked.
Cheng Kairan nervously denied her suspicions and hastily made an excuse to leave, claiming his father was waiting for him to make "tangyuan". Fang Ya’en offered him a book as a return gift. As he was leaving, Cheng Kairan uncomfortably encountered Chen Jian, Fang Ya’en's ex-husband, who had arrived to visit their son. Late that night, Li Jinyu returned home and observed his fish tank.
On a call, he explained to Ye Meng that the black goldfish she once said resembled him was not naturally black; its dark color was due to a contagious "black spot disease," which had now spread to another fish. He used this as a metaphor, gravely advising her that if one encountered a "sick goldfish," the most crucial action was to distance oneself, to never approach or attempt to pull it closer, as it would only drag them into darkness.
He articulated that the person standing by her side should not be someone like him, incapable of even setting off fireworks with her or spending New Year's Eve with her family. His words served as a harsh rejection, instantly extinguishing their budding romance. Ye Meng, disheartened and frustrated, sent him a voice message.
In it, she angrily expressed her incomprehension of his inability to be brave, stating that she had taken ninety-nine steps toward him, yet he refused to take the final one, and warned him that she might truly give up on him. Li Jinyu listened to her message, tears welling in his eyes, but ultimately chose not to respond.
As the New Year officially began, Li Jinyu carefully removed the Spring Festival couplets Ye Meng had put up at his home, and in doing so, discovered that Ping'an had lost the dashcam. Meanwhile, a downhearted Ye Meng confided in Fang Ya’en at her shop, lamenting her decision to give up on Li Jinyu. She explained that he had rejected her, claiming he didn't want to drag her down and wished for her to find someone more deserving.
Fang Ya'en, exasperated by her ex-husband Chen Jian's frequent visits to her shop, commiserated with Ye Meng, agreeing that Li Jinyu was "hard to please" and supporting Ye Meng's decision to move on. Just then, Cheng Kairan appeared, feigning a coincidental visit, and offered them sugar-free hot milk teas. He casually mentioned that Li Jinyu had returned to work.
Ye Meng dismissed the information, stating Li Jinyu's work was none of her concern, but Cheng Kairan persisted, hinting that Li Jinyu had caused her unhappiness. To defuse the brewing tension, Fang Ya’en quickly intervened, stating she had a nail appointment and needed someone to watch her shop and pick up Jiaoyu. She enlisted Cheng Kairan for the task, then promptly took Ye Meng out for manicures, suspecting Cheng Kairan's true intentions were focused on Ye Meng.
At the hospital, Dr. Gao confirmed he had a meeting with Ye Meng, whom he referred to as the relative of his patient. He clarified it was not a date but an opportunity to seek her help for his nephew's internship. Ms. Ke, whose leg had almost fully recovered, expressed her frustration to Li Jinyu, scolding him for not seizing the opportunity with Ye Meng and ruining a potential good match.
Li Jinyu merely stated that the Ye family was "different," but Ms. Ke inferred that it was likely Ye Meng's "picky old lady," presumably her grandmother, who had found fault with him. Li Jinyu seemed indifferent to the criticism. Later, Fang Ya’en confronted Ye Meng, pointing out that despite her claims of giving up, she clearly couldn't let go of Li Jinyu.
Fang Ya’en strongly advised Ye Meng to invite Li Jinyu to meet and talk to resolve any misunderstandings before she regretted it. Meanwhile, Cheng Kairan, left to watch Jiaoyu, found himself stumped by a second-grade Math Olympiad problem. He called Li Jinyu for assistance, who deliberately instructed him to come to the restaurant where Ye Meng was currently dining. That evening, Fang Ya’en accompanied Ye Meng to the restaurant to meet Dr. Gao.
Unbeknownst to them, Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan were already outside. Cheng Kairan, attempting to offer unsolicited advice, warned Li Jinyu about Ye Meng's past romantic patterns, claiming she pursued handsome men only to leave them heartbroken, often with her ex-boyfriends begging for her return. Li Jinyu sharply retorted that he was still better than someone who didn't even know who he liked. Soon, Ye Meng noticed Li Jinyu, startled by his unexpected presence.
Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan then entered and took a seat at an adjacent table. As Dr. Gao thanked Ye Meng for her help with his niece and offered her flowers, Fang Ya’en, trying to ease the palpable tension, enthusiastically praised Dr. Gao, describing him as gentle, handsome, and financially stable – an "excellent choice for many girls." Dr. Gao then inquired about Ye Meng's past preference for younger men. With a pointed glance toward Li Jinyu, Ye Meng declared that while she "used to like younger men," she had decided to "return to reality" after the New Year.
Episode 8 Recap
At a dinner gathering, Dr. Gao suggested that older men are more mature and suitable for independent women like Ye Meng, contrasting them with younger men whom he deemed too playful for long-term commitment. Cheng Kairan vehemently disagreed, passionately defending younger men as sincere and full of vitality, while characterizing older men as "greasy" and "cunning." Fang Ya'en, irritated by Cheng Kairan's generalizations, debated him, leading the meal to devolve into a heated discussion about dating preferences.
Throughout the exchange, Li Jinyu remained quiet, observing the lively debate. After dinner, Chen Jian, Fang Ya'en's ex-husband, unexpectedly appeared outside the restaurant. Under the guise of discussing an education fund for his son, Jiaoyu, he ostentatiously showed off his new car and sarcastically remarked that Ye Meng should settle for a stable man. Fang Ya'en confronted him, and the others, including Dr. Gao, united to defend Ye Meng, telling Chen Jian to reflect on his own parenting.
Annoyed, Chen Jian left, only to discover his car had been vandalized with eggs. To avoid further conflict, the group relocated to Cheng Kairan’s bar. There, Dr. Gao, keen to impress Ye Meng, offered to cover everyone's drinks. Noticing Dr. Gao's attention toward Ye Meng, Li Jinyu took the stage. He sang a song that Ye Meng had once drunkenly sung to him, pointedly quoting her past words about fighting for his future, hoping to capture her attention.
Despite Li Jinyu's public gesture, Ye Meng left early, feeling emotionally drained by his hot-and-cold behavior. The next morning, they unexpectedly met at a breakfast spot, where Li Jinyu overheard Ye Meng arranging to watch the sunset at the beach, leaving him disheartened. Later, Li Jinyu found Qiao Maimai tending to his goldfish. She revealed that Ye Meng had secretly paid her to regularly change the water and give the fish sunlight to cure their black spot disease.
Qiao Maimai showed him Ye Meng's recent social media post from the beach, which she had sent as a "work report." Realizing the depth of Ye Meng's care, Li Jinyu rushed to the beach. He was initially disappointed not to find her, but she suddenly appeared behind him. Gathering his courage, Li Jinyu asked her directly, "Ye Meng, do you still want me?"
That evening, Ye Meng playfully tested Li Jinyu by having him chase her electric scooter on his bicycle, but her scooter ran out of battery midway. Feigning a sprained wrist and knee pain, she insisted he give her a ride on his bike, teasingly demanding a "fare." Upon arriving at her place, Li Jinyu confronted her about the camera he had placed on his goldfish, which had gone missing, suggesting she wanted to cut ties.
She retorted that he had rejected her first, prompting Li Jinyu to admit he regretted it. Seizing the moment, he initiated a passionate kiss. However, his nervousness got the better of him, and he abruptly pulled away, claiming he needed a shower, much to Ye Meng's amusement. On the first day of their official relationship, Li Jinyu happily acted as Ye Meng's full-time gardener.
When she teased him about when he started caring for her, he became flustered and again used the excuse of needing a shower. Later, Ye Meng noticed two of his goldfish were missing. Li Jinyu explained he had isolated them for treatment, planning to reunite them once they recovered. Ye Meng expressed regret for not giving him a hardier birthday gift, like a turtle, which might have prevented their earlier conflicts.
They then went to a market together, where she bought him a turtle. As they planned their first date, Fang Ya’en called for help, as Chen Jian was heading to her store. They agreed to take Jiaoyu to an amusement park. There, they encountered a somber young girl, Wang Sisi, a patient Li Jinyu had once comforted. Wang Sisi felt like a "little mermaid" whose sadness was invisible to her mother, who was preoccupied with her younger brother and work.
Li Jinyu encouraged her to communicate her feelings by drawing them on a mask and wearing it home. Ye Meng and Li Jinyu joined the children in decorating masks until Wang Sisi's mother arrived. After Cheng Kairan picked up Jiaoyu, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu had time alone on a rooftop, watching the sunset. Ye Meng confessed to having three ex-boyfriends, confirming Gou Kai was not one of them.
Li Jinyu admitted his jealousy stemmed from the unresolved "photo incident" and Gou Kai’s vow to bring her back, but he accepted her explanation. When pressed about his own past, Li Jinyu admitted his "relationship" with Jiang Luzhi was a pretense to appease his grandmother and they had only met once, to Ye Meng's relief. She playfully asked why he couldn't use her for such a pretense, and he earnestly replied, "Because I like you."
He also brought up seeing her with Dr. Gao at the lighthouse, but she feigned ignorance. They ended the evening taking photos together, and when she suggested it was time for him to leave, he chose to stay with her a while longer.
Episode 9 Recap
Cheng Kairan waited in his car with Jiayu, who explained he was waiting outside because his father, Chen Jian, was back, and he didn't want to witness their arguments. Inside, Chen Jian was relentlessly pestering Fang Ya’en for a reconciliation. He spitefully mentioned Ye Meng, suggesting she was a bad influence, which Fang Ya’en strongly rebutted. Fang Ya’en reminded Chen Jian that their marriage ended due to his domestic violence.
Chen Jian insisted he had changed, but then aggressively warned her that he would get custody of their son if they divorced. As the argument escalated, Chen Jian became physically threatening, but Cheng Kairan intervened. Just as the two men were about to come to blows, Jiayu walked in, stopping the confrontation. Chen Jian quickly softened his demeanor for his son, and Jiayu calmly told his father to call his new smart watch if he wanted to see him.
Later, Fang Ya’en tried to reassure Jiayu their fight was just a disagreement, but Jiayu admitted he was used to their fighting and felt they should have separated long ago. After Jiayu fell asleep, a heavily intoxicated Fang Ya’en confided in Cheng Kairan, expressing deep regret over dropping out of school years ago, believing it set her life on a wrong path.
This resonated with Cheng Kairan, who recalled her departure, where she, despite her own struggles, had encouraged him to study hard. As Cheng Kairan gently carried the drunken Fang Ya’en to the sofa, he looked at her with burgeoning affection. Suddenly, Jiayu’s voice startled him. The boy asked Cheng Kairan directly if he liked his mother.
While admitting he didn't dislike Cheng Kairan, Jiayu reminded him that his parents were not yet divorced, and he wasn't ready for a new father. A flustered Cheng Kairan quickly denied any such feelings, but his internal turmoil betrayed him as he awkwardly left. Meanwhile, Qiao Maimai pursued her dream of becoming a singer. She met with Mr. Wang, a manager from an internet celebrity agency, who explained she would need to pay 100,000 yuan for training before her debut.
Qiao Maimai expressed her deep desire to escape her small city and sing on her own stage. She admitted she had already taken out a 50,000 yuan loan and needed help. Mr. Wang encouraged her, assuring her the investment would pay off once she became a successful influencer. Elsewhere, Li Jinyu and Ye Meng visited Grandma Dou at the hospital. They playfully teased each other about seeing Dr. Gao, confirming the closeness of their new relationship.
Qiao Maimai also arrived and, upon seeing Li Jinyu and Ye Meng, realized they were a couple. She introduced her manager, Mr. Wang, who pitched his agency to Li Jinyu and Ye Meng, touting the potential of becoming internet celebrities, but they politely declined. Inside, Grandma Dou was overjoyed to see Ye Meng, warmly calling her "granddaughter-in-law" and immediately pressing them to marry and have children.
She revealed she was renting out her flower bed for 200,000 yuan over four years, which could contribute to their wedding funds, and asked Li Jinyu to retrieve the business license. Ye Meng, feeling the pressure, tried to explain they hadn't made such long-term plans, but Grandma Dou playfully accused her of having "double standards" and sent Qiao Maimai home to fetch some clothes. Later, Li Jinyu discovered Qiao Maimai attempting to steal the flower bed contract.
She explained her desperate need for the 100,000 yuan training fee, intending to mortgage the contract and promising to repay the money. Li Jinyu sternly told her to put it back, threatening to call the police. Qiao Maimai lashed out, accusing him of being selfish now that he had Ye Meng to provide for him, unlike her, who was struggling for a chance to sing. She further taunted him by reminding him that he wasn't Grandma Dou's biological grandson.
Upset, Li Jinyu pushed her hand away from the document. The confrontation left Li Jinyu in a somber mood. Noticing his low spirits, Ye Meng playfully hid a piece of his puzzle to encourage him to talk. Eventually, they went out for crabs, and Li Jinyu confessed his past. He revealed that Grandma Dou's son was his stepfather, who died in a car accident. Afterward, Grandma Dou brought him back from Jiangbei, worried about his state.
His biological brother is Li Zhuofeng, to whom he had previously donated bone marrow. He recounted how Qiao Maimai had tried to cheer him up as a child. One day, when punks harassed Maimai, Li Jinyu fought them off, leading to someone being hospitalized—the event Cheng Kairan had once mentioned. On their way back, Ye Meng playfully teased Li Jinyu with a silly riddle, and he admitted he enjoyed her leaning on him.
The next morning, Cheng Kairan visited Fang Ya’en with gifts and a suit for her to alter, but mainly to clarify the previous night's events. He awkwardly explained that nothing had happened, hoping to preserve their friendship. Fang Ya’en, having blacked out, mistakenly believed she had taken advantage of him and offered to take responsibility. Jiayu, overhearing, clarified that Cheng Kairan had merely carried his mother to the sofa and left.
When Cheng Kairan tried to leave, Jiayu stopped him, asking if he had considered his question about becoming a new father. Cheng Kairan vehemently denied any romantic interest, calling their bond a "revolutionary friendship" and pleading with Jiayu to keep quiet. Jiayu agreed, but only if Cheng Kairan called him "Yu Ge" while he would call Cheng Kairan "Kai Ge."
Jiayu also reiterated his desire to learn boxing to protect his mother, though Cheng Kairan countered that knowledge was a more lasting form of protection. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu were with Grandma Dou during her rehabilitation. When Grandma Dou grew difficult, Ye Meng joined her and played music to make the session more enjoyable. Growing increasingly fond of Ye Meng, Grandma Dou dismissed Li Jinyu, preferring Ye Meng's company.
Episode 10 Recap
When Li Jinyu’s strict approach to his grandmother's rehabilitation causes her to become emotional, Ye Meng skillfully intervenes by turning the exercises into a fun photoshoot. While Li Jinyu is out shopping, she sends him playful photo updates of Grandma's progress, from walking to playing games on a tablet.
Ye Meng later joins him at the supermarket, but their lighthearted mood shifts when he becomes flustered by a display of sanitary napkins, making a hasty excuse about needing eggs to walk away. This leaves Ye Meng feeling deflated, wondering if she isn’t attractive enough to him, as he seems capable of holding back even in a romantic atmosphere. Feeling frustrated, Ye Meng seeks out her friend Fang Ya'en to confide in her.
Criticizing Ye Meng's choice of sports bras despite her good figure, Fang Ya'en advises her to try something sexier and offers to pick out new clothes for her. Their conversation is interrupted when Ye Meng spots Qiao Maimai with her agent, Mr. Wang, at a nearby lingerie store. Seeing Mr. Wang purchase intimate apparel for Maimai, Ye Meng senses something is amiss and immediately alerts Li Jinyu.
He initially dismisses her concerns, assuming Qiao Maimai is just chasing her celebrity dream. However, Ye Meng emphasizes that the bags contain lingerie and that Mr. Wang is also carrying camera equipment, suggesting a suspicious photoshoot. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Li Jinyu agrees to help track them. Mr. Wang takes Qiao Maimai to a hotel room, presenting the lingerie as the "costumes" for an advertisement shoot.
When a hesitant Qiao Maimai tries to decline, Mr. Wang pressures her by reminding her of the substantial training fees she owes—partially funded by a high-interest online loan. He frames the photoshoot as a required part of "artistic dedication" and threatens that the company will not refund her fees, making her feel trapped. Believing she is just one step away from her dream of escaping Ningse, Qiao Maimai reluctantly agrees.
Just as the situation escalates, Li Jinyu recalls Mr. Wang giving him a business card and places a call, pretending to be a delivery person. He uses the ringing phone to locate their room and bursts in, grabbing Mr. Wang, while Ye Meng quickly ushers a distraught Qiao Maimai to safety. Following the incident, Mr. Wang and the photographer are arrested, leaving Qiao Maimai overwhelmed with self-blame.
Ye Meng comforts her, reassuring her that the culprits are in custody and the photos have been dealt with. To encourage her, Ye Meng shares her own past struggles in Jiangbei, recounting how she was betrayed by Li Jinyu's ex-girlfriend, Jiang Luzhi, who stole a project she had worked tirelessly for. Ye Meng admits that despite getting into a physical fight with Jiang Luzhi, she cried all the way back to Ningse, feeling her efforts were wasted.
She tells Maimai that it's not wrong to chase dreams, but that those who exploit them are at fault. Maimai, however, still feels foolish and burdened, believing ordinary people like her don't deserve dreams. Overhearing their conversation, a moved Li Jinyu secretly contacts his friend in Jiangbei to ask about reputable music schools for his "cousin." That same night, as Ye Meng and Li Jinyu share an intimate moment, he playfully deciphers a Morse code message she taps out.
She claims it means "I want to curse my boss," but then reveals it's a confession about her feelings and the new, sexy lingerie she's wearing—bought after he abruptly held back during a previous encounter. Their intimacy is unexpectedly interrupted by Ye Meng's period. Finding sanitary napkins Qiao Maimai had left behind, Li Jinyu clarifies that Maimai is staying with his grandmother and brings Ye Meng warm brown sugar water.
While Ye Meng laments the terrible timing, Li Jinyu patiently reassures her that they have plenty of time and there is no need to rush, comforting her with a tender kiss. The next morning, Qiao Maimai, though still fragile, resumes working at the bar. In a surprising turn, Grandma, appearing to have made a miraculous recovery, dramatically announces her full support for Maimai's musical aspirations.
She offers her life savings as an "investment" and even declares she would sell her house if needed. Li Jinyu adds that he has found a music training institution for her in Jiangbei and offers her his own guitar. Deeply touched, Maimai resolves to pursue her dream step-by-step, declaring her immediate goal is to establish herself on the Jewel Bar's stage. To support her, Cheng Kairan promises to host a "Qiao Maimai solo show" that very evening.
During the performance, Qiao Maimai's heavy metal song, filled with themes of anger and despair, causes most of the guests to leave. Her friends and family, including Ye Meng's aunt who arrives as a self-proclaimed heavy metal enthusiast, valiantly try to hype up the sparse crowd. Despite patrons complaining about the "terrible" singing, Grandma staunchly defends Maimai's "rock music."
However, she later subtly suggests they "re-evaluate" the music school idea and takes back the investment card for "safekeeping," a gesture that conveys reassurance without crushing Maimai's spirit. After the performance, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu walk home together, both agreeing it has been a long time since they felt so happy. The following morning, Ye Meng playfully asks Li Jinyu to take her picture. Dissatisfied with his unflattering attempts, she shows him an older, professional-looking photo as an example.
Seeing the photo, Li Jinyu becomes visibly jealous, mistakenly assuming it was taken by "Doctor Gao." Amused by his jealousy, Ye Meng clarifies that she already rejected the doctor because she has someone else she likes, causing Li Jinyu's mood to brighten instantly. Their sweet moment is interrupted when Fang Ya'en, Cheng Kairan, and Qiao Maimai arrive with food, revealing that Ye Meng invited them for a gathering to share their "good news" with "the entire village."
Episode 11 Recap
Fang Ya’en, Qiao Maimai, and Cheng Kairan visited Ye Meng’s home, where they praised the beautifully maintained courtyard, crediting "Gardener Li" for his work. Fang Ya’en playfully teased Li Jinyu, remarking on how men become masters of all trades when trying to impress a woman. The atmosphere was sweet, with Li Jinyu thoughtfully preparing food for the group. During the gathering, Cheng Kairan and Qiao Maimai declared themselves part of Ye Meng’s family, ready to defend her interests.
Fang Ya’en, claiming the right to ask probing questions as a "family member," questioned Li Jinyu about his future with Ye Meng. She asked about his ideal type before meeting Ye Meng, to which he responded that while he had no ideal type, he did have types he would never date. Ye Meng playfully interjected, revealing he once said he would never date someone like her, alluding to their age difference.
Fang Ya’en then shifted to more serious matters, probing Li Jinyu about his lack of full-time employment and social security, as his household registration was still in Jiangbei. She warned him about potential future issues concerning children’s education and retirement, questioning how he could provide for Ye Meng. Ye Meng jokingly offered to provide for him, but Fang Ya’en emphasized that these were real concerns Ye Meng's aunts would certainly raise, urging him to consider them for a long-term relationship.
Li Jinyu assured her he would take her advice seriously. Later, as Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan stepped outside, Cheng Kairan encouraged Li Jinyu to heed Fang Ya’en’s words. He revealed that the group behind Blue Sea Port planned further development in Ningsui, which would involve demolishing old houses. Cheng Kairan suggested that Li Jinyu could use the potential demolition compensation to buy a new house or invest, which would satisfy Ye Meng’s family.
After their guests left, Ye Meng sensed Li Jinyu’s preoccupation and comforted him, assuring him she loved their current life and didn't want him to feel pressured. Back in their room, Ye Meng asked Li Jinyu to teach her guitar. During the lesson, she snapped a photo of their hands on the instrument and posted it online, declaring it a memorable moment. Meanwhile, in Jiangbei, Ye Meng’s former boss, Gou Kai, saw her post.
Believing Ye Meng was trying to provoke him, he repeatedly called her. Ye Meng rejected his calls and blocked his number. Sensing Li Jinyu’s unspoken jealousy, she playfully coaxed him until he admitted he was "wrong" and affectionately called her "older sister." The next morning, Ye Meng gave Li Jinyu a spare key to her house, joking that he had "unlocked his girlfriend's front door." They then headed to the hospital to process Grandma Dou’s discharge.
While there, Ye Meng received a call from Gou Kai, who had unexpectedly traveled to Ningsui and was waiting outside her home. After the call, as Ye Meng was about to return to the hospital room, she overheard Grandma Dou urging Li Jinyu to buy a house with her savings to give Ye Meng a stable home. To her dismay, she heard Li Jinyu dismiss the idea, saying it was "unnecessary" and "too early to think about."
Feeling a chill, Ye Meng turned and left the hospital. Unaware she had been listening, Li Jinyu then clarified to his grandmother that he didn't want to use material possessions to "bind" Ye Meng to Ningsui, as she was only there for a break and hadn't decided on her future. That evening, a distracted Cheng Kairan confessed to Li Jinyu at the bar that he thought he was falling for Fang Ya’en.
Unsure of his feelings, he asked Li Jinyu to accompany him to her clothing store just to see her from a distance. As they approached, Fang Ya’en emerged and spotted Ye Meng meeting with Gou Kai at a nearby coffee shop. Annoyed, Fang Ya’en muttered to herself about Ye Meng meeting another man right after making her relationship public. Li Jinyu also witnessed the meeting but remained silent.
To prevent a misunderstanding, Fang Ya’en quickly ushered him and Cheng Kairan into her store. Li Jinyu then made an excuse to leave. Inside the store, Fang Ya’en messaged Ye Meng, warning her that Li Jinyu had almost seen her. Upon receiving the message, Ye Meng firmly reiterated her rejection to Gou Kai, telling him she had no intention of returning to Jiangbei and found his patronizing demeanor off-putting.
Back at her store, while measuring Cheng Kairan for a suit, Fang Ya’en mentioned a matchmaker friend, but Cheng Kairan quickly revealed he already liked someone, sparking her curiosity. At the bar, Qiao Maimai noticed Li Jinyu's somber mood as he played guitar without singing. Meanwhile, Gou Kai obtained information about the seller of Ye Meng's mother's thumb ring.
That night, he used this information to arrange another meeting with Ye Meng, telling her the original owner's name was Wang Xingsheng and that he was in Jiangbei. When Ye Meng returned, she found Li Jinyu waiting in the rain. She confessed her plan to go to Jiangbei to investigate her mother's death. Enraged, Li Jinyu accused her of merely "notifying" him instead of discussing it, fearing Gou Kai was using the ring as a ploy.
The argument escalated as Ye Meng brought up his earlier conversation with his grandmother about their relationship not needing "long-term consideration." Li Jinyu explained he didn't want to tie her down, but she countered that she had been the one making all the effort while he always seemed ready to leave. The fight ended with them agreeing to cool down. Elsewhere, Fang Ya’en was at the hospital with her son, Jiaoyu, who had gastroenteritis. Her ex-husband, Chen Jian, arrived to help, and Cheng Kairan, seeing them together from outside, quietly left.
Episode 12 Recap
When Jiayu suffered acute gastroenteritis, Cheng Kairan personally brought him to the hospital. Chen Jian belatedly arrived, attempting to reconcile with Fang Yanen. He lamented his sacrifices, claiming that attending numerous dinner parties and enduring hospital visits were for Jiayu's costly interest classes, summer camps, and trips, especially with his company facing layoffs.
Chen Jian pressed Fang Yanen to reconsider divorce for their son's sake, suggesting Jiayu would be ridiculed as a child of divorced parents and no one else could love him as much. Fang Yanen, however, was resolute, stating she wanted to sign the divorce agreement the next day, asking for no child support, only Jiayu. Cheng Kairan, who had brought Jiayu to the hospital, offered the test results.
Chen Jian curtly dismissed him, attempting to repay Cheng Kairan for medical expenses and suggesting he stop coming to their house, as he was "not Jiayu's family." Fang Yanen defended Cheng Kairan, who then politely left, offering further assistance if needed. Later, Jiayu woke up, innocently asking why his father was there, to which Chen Jian feigned concern.
The next day, Chen Jian failed to show up at the civil affairs bureau to finalize the divorce, a familiar pattern of evasion for Fang Yanen. Speaking with Ye Meng, Fang Yanen expressed deep self-disappointment, admitting she knew Chen Jian would never change and that his remorse at the hospital was merely an act.
Yet, she still pondered if enduring the marriage for Jiayu's sake, to give him a "complete family," would be better for his healthy development, despite feeling her own marriage was "rotten." Ye Meng, however, urged Fang Yanen to prioritize loving herself, asserting that Jiayu witnessing his mother's self-sacrifice to remain with such a man would inflict far greater emotional harm than growing up in a single-parent household.
Meanwhile, Ye Meng found herself in a prolonged cold war with Li Jinyu over their future. She confided in Fang Yanen that while she believed she had the upper hand in their relationship, she felt entirely controlled by Li Jinyu's emotions, reverting to an "18-year-old girl" who brought up old grievances and constantly calculated who cared more. She admitted she was more deeply involved than she had initially realized.
Li Jinyu, in turn, sought out Cheng Kairan, who mentioned Ye Meng was planning to return to Jiangbei to investigate her mother's death. Li Jinyu clarified that their argument wasn't about her trip; rather, Ye Meng felt he didn't want a long-term future with her, and he struggled to convey his commitment without making it seem like he was trying to trap her in Ningse.
Cheng Kairan criticized Li Jinyu for his poor communication, urging him to express his true feelings despite his fear of rejection. Later that evening, Li Jinyu and Ye Meng were both glued to their phones, awaiting messages from each other. Seeing their stalemate, Fang Yanen and Cheng Kairan coordinated, fabricating a story that Ye Meng was heavily intoxicated and needed Li Jinyu to pick her up. Li Jinyu arrived to find Ye Meng waiting for him outside their door.
He immediately picked her up and carried her into the house. Ye Meng, in a moment of vulnerability, tearfully apologized for her harsh words and pleaded with him to comfort and hold her, expressing her desire to avoid further arguments before her trip to Jiangbei. Li Jinyu, however, remained reserved, not fully expressing his own feelings.
Back at his own home, Li Jinyu confided in his Grandma, clarifying that his conflict with Ye Meng was not about her going to Jiangbei. Instead, he expressed deep regret over dropping out of school prematurely, believing his lack of a proper education and a stable job would prevent him from providing Ye Meng with the secure future she deserved, stating she shouldn't be "trapped in Ningse." Grandma sternly rebutted his self-pity, calling his concerns "conceited" and "nonsense."
She urged him to stop making assumptions and instead bravely ask Ye Meng what she truly desired. She reminded him not to let his childhood fears of abandonment dictate his present actions, assuring him that Ye Meng was not like the person who had left him before. Her words spurred Li Jinyu to seriously reflect on his relationship with Ye Meng. The following morning, as Ye Meng prepared her luggage, she discovered a lost dashcam.
Meanwhile, Li Jinyu stood by a trash bin, contemplating a bouquet of flowers. He had seemingly given up on the flowers, telling the delivery person to throw them away. En route to the airport, Ye Meng reviewed the dashcam footage, unexpectedly stumbling upon an unsent video from Li Jinyu. In the video, Li Jinyu confessed that before meeting her, he disliked the world and kept everyone at arm's length.
Her arrival made him question if he was truly as bad as he thought, but he later realized he was still pushing people away, drawing only her into his world and "locking her in." He acknowledged that her world shouldn't be confined. He confessed his fear of falling in love with her that night by the sea, likening himself to a "sick goldfish" that would only drag her into darkness, advising her to stay away.
He concluded by affirming that if he likes someone, his feelings will not change. Overwhelmed with emotion and understanding, Ye Meng immediately told her driver to turn back. Upon arriving home, she found Li Jinyu diligently working on building her "dream garden," a surprise he had planned for when the weather warmed and the flowers bloomed.
As Li Jinyu awkwardly expressed his feelings, Ye Meng impulsively proposed, asking him if he would marry her, mentioning Fang Yanen's belief that "marriage is a gamble." Li Jinyu, initially surprised, quickly knelt, holding a bouquet of flowers, and declared that a proposal should be made by the man. He apologized for not having a ring but affirmed his genuine love, stating he was not just "playing around." Ye Meng, tearfully joyful, accepted his proposal, and they embraced tightly.
Soon after, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu secretly obtained their marriage certificate and took wedding photos, with only Fang Yanen privy to their impromptu decision. Ye Meng later explained to Fang Yanen that her impulsiveness stemmed from feeling that with Li Jinyu, "every word has a response, and everything has a resolution," making past conflicts seem insignificant.
When they finally informed Li Jinyu's Grandma, she was furious at their hasty, unannounced marriage, emphasizing its significance as a decision for both families. Li Jinyu then prepared to explain their actions to Ye Meng's family, only to find them already in jubilant celebration, toasting to their daughter's marriage.
Surprised by their enthusiastic reception, Li Jinyu promised to care for Ye Meng wholeheartedly, even offering for their future child to take her surname and expressing his willingness to move into the Ye family, further delighting them. Later, Cheng Kairan played with Jiayu at an amusement park. He learned that Fang Yanen had decided against divorcing Chen Jian. Jiayu expressed his weariness of his parents' pretense, knowing his mother stayed for his sake but feeling burdened by their charade.
Cheng Kairan comforted Jiayu, advising him to focus on his own happiness and let the adults handle their troubles. On their wedding night, Li Jinyu appeared melancholic about Ye Meng's impending departure for Jiangbei the next morning. Ye Meng playfully teased him, reminding him it was their first night as a married couple and urging him not to be upset. Their playful banter deepened into an intimate moment, as they finally consummated their marriage.
Episode 13 Recap
Ye Meng traveled to Jiangbei alone to investigate the seller of a ring. Before she left, a reluctant Li Jinyu gave her a one-month deadline, warning that he wouldn't wait for her if she took any longer. She playfully teased him, asking if he was the one who couldn't live without her. Upon her arrival in Jiangbei, Tai Mingxiao, a former colleague and friend, eagerly picked her up from the airport.
He observed her constantly texting and noted she had the glow of someone in the early stages of love. Ye Meng corrected him, declaring it was their "honeymoon period" and revealing she was already married. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu, who had been happily texting with Ye Meng, felt a pang of jealousy when her replies suddenly stopped.
At Gou Kai's company, former colleagues warmly welcomed Ye Meng, hinting at their increased workload since she left and expressing their hope for her return. Ye Meng, who had brought coffee for them, clarified she was only there to discuss business. Gou Kai greeted her, remarking on her improved appearance. He then revealed he had arranged a meeting with Wang Xingsheng, the ring seller, for the following day, adding that he would accompany her.
This was a clear attempt to leverage the information to entice her back to his company, but Ye Meng remained noncommittal. Tai Mingxiao took a photo of the "three Musketeers"—himself, Ye Meng, and Gou Kai—and promptly posted it on his social media. When Li Jinyu saw the picture, a sense of unease set in. His friend Cheng Kairan amplified his concerns, warning that Gou Kai's wealth and long-standing connection with Ye Meng posed a significant threat to their new marriage.
Li Jinyu confidently countered that he had the marriage certificate. Seizing an opportunity, Cheng Kairan proposed a plan to make Ye Meng jealous. Just then, Jiang Luzhi, a known rival of Ye Meng's, arrived at Li Jinyu's bar to discuss a business opportunity. Cheng Kairan secretly took a photo of Li Jinyu and Jiang Luzhi together and posted it online. Li Jinyu protested, but Cheng Kairan was convinced his plan would work.
To honor the couple's new marriage, Ye Meng's grandmother visited Li Jinyu's grandmother, Xu Meilan, with gifts. However, the two matriarchs, who had a long-standing feud, immediately began bickering. They criticized each other's appearance and the way they raised their grandchildren. While Ye Meng's grandmother expressed displeasure over the secret marriage, she admitted her fondness for Li Jinyu. Their argument quickly escalated, with them calling each other a "shrew" and throwing a gift box before parting in anger.
That evening, Ye Meng initiated a video call with Li Jinyu, playfully chiding him for not contacting her all afternoon and implying jealousy over the photo with Jiang Luzhi. Li Jinyu countered that he was afraid of disturbing her with her old friends. When he mentioned that their grandmothers had met and argued, Ye Meng jokingly speculated they must have been "love rivals" in their youth, an idea Li Jinyu dismissed, attributing their conflict to differing tastes.
While they were talking, the doorbell rang. Thinking it was her food delivery, Ye Meng went to answer it, leaving the video call with Li Jinyu connected. To her shock, Gou Kai was at the door. He refused to believe she was married, claiming she was either joking or trying to provoke him. He attempted to enter her room, but she firmly resisted, asserting her marital status.
Gou Kai then confessed his long-held feelings for her, claiming he had been working to elevate her professional standing to make them a suitable match for his family. He offered her a key to a property she had once admired, promising her everything she wanted if she stayed. Li Jinyu overheard the entire exchange. Ye Meng dismissed Gou Kai's overtures as a "bossy CEO" fantasy and told him to leave.
Enraged, Gou Kai retorted that she would never meet Wang Xingsheng without him, questioning if her so-called husband could possibly help her. After Ye Meng threatened to expose him using hotel surveillance footage, Gou Kai left and immediately called to cancel the meeting with Wang Xingsheng. Back in NingSui, a sleepless Li Jinyu decided to fly to Jiangbei. The next day, Ye Meng arrived at the meeting place to find Wang Xingsheng was a no-show.
She called Tai Mingxiao, who, annoyed at Gou Kai's behavior, used his connections to find Wang Xingsheng's hotel. But when Ye Meng rushed there, she learned he had already checked out. She angrily called Gou Kai, who admitted to canceling the meeting and reiterated his offer: he would help her find Wang Xingsheng only if she returned to his company and accepted his feelings. Ye Meng hung up without another word.
Dejected, Ye Meng stood by the riverside and called Li Jinyu to vent her frustrations, teasingly asking if he wanted a new wife since he wasn't "coaxing" her. To her astonishment, Li Jinyu appeared before her, explaining he couldn't coax her over the phone because he was about to hug her in person. Their joyful reunion was interrupted by another call from Gou Kai, who wanted to apologize.
Ye Meng curtly told him her husband was with her and would help her before hanging up. Still in disbelief, Gou Kai called Tai Mingxiao, speculating that Ye Meng might have hired an actor to play her husband. Tai Mingxiao was exasperated by Gou Kai's stubbornness and the intensity of his feelings, which he had never fully realized before. Li Jinyu had come to Jiangbei not just to comfort Ye Meng but to help using his own methods.
He called Cheng Kairan, who reported that "Fatty," the man previously seen with the ring, was back in Jiangbei. Cheng Kairan clarified that Fatty was just a small-time dealer of fake antiques and wasn't directly involved in the original transaction. He had recently been released from detention for a "cloned car" incident and a "gang fight" and now ran a teahouse in the city. As Ye Meng listened to the call with a serious expression, Li Jinyu resolved that despite their role in getting Fatty arrested before, they had to try talking to him.
Episode 14 Recap
After returning to Jiangbei, Mr. Qian seemed to be on better behavior. Li Jinyu and Ye Meng sought him out, and after Ye Meng's persistent efforts and a generous cash payment, Mr. Qian finally revealed information about Wang Xingsheng. Upon seeing Wang Xingsheng's photo, Li Jinyu immediately recalled that his mother, Li Lingbai, had dealings with this man, realizing the situation was more complicated than he initially thought.
As soon as Li Jinyu and Ye Meng departed, Mr. Qian quickly called Wang Xingsheng to warn him that people were looking for him. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu and Ye Meng split up to search. Ye Meng first confirmed Wang Xingsheng's presence at the Galaxy Hotel. However, noticing a smaller establishment called the Silver Lotus Hotel nearby, Li Jinyu suggested checking there while Ye Meng staked out the Galaxy.
Ye Meng, posing as a colleague delivering a contract, managed to obtain Wang Xingsheng's room number at the Galaxy Hotel. Wang Xingsheng, having received Mr. Qian's warning, swiftly left the hotel and headed to a racing club. Ye Meng followed him and sent her location to Li Jinyu and Tai Mingxiao, asking for their help. Inside the racing club, Wang Xingsheng confronted Li Lingbai directly.
He accused her of encouraging him to raise funds by using land in Ningwei with promises of support, only for her to take over his project the moment he was imprisoned. He pointed out that her "Blue Sea Port" business had since grown substantially, earning her a fortune, making the initial small sum she gave him seem insufficient. Li Lingbai acknowledged their past agreement, but Wang Xingsheng stated he had changed his mind.
He then subtly threatened her, hinting at having incriminating evidence against her. Li Lingbai feigned agreement to his demands. She claimed that such a large sum would need to go through company channels and asked him to stay at the club for a few days, effectively holding him captive. Outside the club, Ye Meng recognized the place as Gou Kai's.
Tai Mingxiao soon arrived, confirming it was Gou Kai's club, which Gou Kai co-owned with a "silly sweet friend" (Li Jinyu). Tai Mingxiao, who knew the club's password, entered with Ye Meng to search for Wang Xingsheng. They found the computer turned off and the surveillance footage deleted, though the warm computer tower indicated recent activity. They checked a back door, and Tai Mingxiao pointed out a car in a dashcam footage, identifying the driver as Li Jinyu.
Tai Mingxiao then explained Li Jinyu and Gou Kai's history: they were once best friends who opened the club together. Their friendship soured during the World Memory Championship when Li Jinyu unexpectedly withdrew the day before the competition, leading to a significant loss and public criticism for Gou Kai. Li Jinyu subsequently left Jiangbei and never returned, possibly due to issues with his mother. Tai Mingxiao also mentioned that Li Jinyu's mother was the chairman of the Hanhai Group.
This information clicked with Ye Meng, who had seen Li Lingbai driving away earlier, making her realize the full extent of Li Jinyu's hidden past. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu had a private meeting with Li Lingbai. He bluntly questioned her relationship with Wang Xingsheng. He recounted an incident from eight or nine years ago when he coincidentally saw Wang Xingsheng arguing with a woman in a car, followed by news of a woman's suicide in Jiumen Ridge.
He had reported what he saw, including the car's license plate, to the police. However, the next day, Li Lingbai had angrily confronted him, accusing him of meddling and questioning his memory, despite him being certain about the license plate number. Li Lingbai claimed that the license plate belonged to Wang Xingsheng, her business partner, but insisted she was elsewhere at the time.
Li Jinyu stated that he had initially doubted his own memory, but now, seeing Li Lingbai and Wang Xingsheng together, he felt that many details from that time seemed suspicious. He specifically challenged her claim of being on Chenghuai Road on the day of the incident, pointing out that the road would have been impassable due to heavy rain.
Li Jinyu then produced the club's surveillance video to Li Lingbai, implying he had access to the footage and had "deleted" it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, thus gaining leverage over her. He warned her about the consequences if the public linked her to Wang Xingsheng's imprisonment and his subsequent disappearance after seeking money from her.
Li Lingbai was left in a difficult position, caught between Li Jinyu's leverage and Wang Xingsheng's demands, with no immediate solution. Back at the hotel, Ye Meng waited for Li Jinyu. She was upset that he hadn't answered her calls, to which he claimed his phone had died. Ye Meng mentioned her fruitless search at the Silver Lotus Hotel.
Li Jinyu admitted that he hadn't gone to the Silver Lotus but had instead met with Li Lingbai, suggesting their relationship was not as strained as Ye Meng might have thought. Ye Meng then showed him a photo of him and Gou Kai, inquiring about their past. Li Jinyu confirmed he had known Gou Kai since childhood and that Tai Mingxiao was his college roommate.
He explained he hadn't mentioned it before because he thought he would never have contact with them again, and he apologized for his concealment. The conversation left Ye Meng feeling uncomfortable about Li Jinyu's secrecy, and a palpable tension settled between them, despite being in the same room. Li Jinyu then suggested they move in together, given they were married, but Ye Meng declined, choosing only to take her clothes back to her own place.
Li Jinyu and Ye Meng then returned to Ningwei, where they found Ye Meng's grandmother and Grandma Xu Meilan gathered together. Despite their underlying animosity, the grandmothers were trying to discuss the children's wedding. Ye Meng, however, was clearly distracted and unwell, eventually throwing up. The grandmothers, misinterpreting her symptoms, immediately became excited, believing she might be pregnant, and eagerly resumed planning the wedding.
Amidst the chaos, Ye Meng received an urgent message from Fang Yanen, indicating trouble at her home. It turned out Fang Yanen's husband, Chen Jian, had accumulated substantial high-interest debts. His creditors had tracked him down to Fang Yanen's shop. Though Fang Yanen initially claimed not to know him, the creditors revealed they knew she and Chen Jian were still legally married. Chen Jian eventually appeared, promising to repay the debts, but he was penniless.
Desperate, he attempted to coerce Fang Yanen into mortgaging her pre-marital home to cover his spiraling debts, which included a new car and failed business ventures. Fang Yanen vehemently refused, asserting that the house was her pre-marital property and that they were divorced, despite the creditors' claims. Chen Jian resorted to violence, attempting to snatch the property deed from her. Just then, Ye Meng and Cheng Kairan arrived.
Ye Meng quickly called the police while Cheng Kairan intervened physically to protect Fang Yanen. After a heated struggle, Chen Jian was apprehended. Following the incident, Ye Meng and Cheng Kairan took Chen Jian to the police station. As they left, Li Jinyu arrived.
Noticing the tension between Ye Meng and himself, Fang Yanen suggested that Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan take her son, Jiayu, out to play or eat, so he wouldn't witness the distress at home, while she took Ye Meng away to relax and recover.
Episode 15 Recap
Cheng Kairan and Li Jinyu went to pick up Jiayu from school. The teacher was cautious, asking for Cheng Kairan's name and contact information, and even taking down his license plate number, prompting Jiayu to reassure her that they were not human traffickers and that his mother knew them. As they drove off, Jiayu, observing their attempts to cheer him up, revealed that he understood his mother didn't want him home because his father was causing trouble again.
He noted that even adults have their own troubles, prompting Li Jinyu to share that his "wife ignores me" was a problem. Cheng Kairan then took Li Jinyu's phone and sent a lighthearted message to Ye Meng: "Honey, I miss you. Kiss." Ye Meng's reply was a question mark. Ye Meng found Fang Yanen distressed and crying. Fang Yanen, contemplating her divorce from Chen Jian, lamented her poor judgment in men, admitting she almost reconsidered divorce despite his faults.
Ye Meng empathized, reflecting on how easily women are deceived and the difficulty of truly knowing someone even after years of marriage. Ye Meng then confided in Fang Yanen that she felt Li Jinyu was becoming a stranger, suspecting he was hiding something from her, possibly related to their trip to Jiangbei. She expressed doubts about their rushed marriage and admitted to feeling overwhelmed by the wedding preparations, considering postponing it until Li Jinyu stopped "pretending."
Later, Cheng Kairan dropped off Fang Yanen and Jiayu. Li Jinyu then offered Ye Meng a ride. Ye Meng expressed her concern for Fang Yanen and questioned why Li Jinyu didn't help. She then pressed him, asking if he was still angry or had anything to tell her. When he remained silent, she stated that it's difficult to truly know someone's heart and left.
Alone, Li Jinyu felt a burden as he considered that to investigate the "Hanhai Group," he might need to find a way from the inside due to its deep complexity, not wanting to put Ye Meng in danger. The two grandmothers excitedly visited a jewelry shop to choose the "three gold items" for the wedding. They bickered over their differing preferences—one favoring delicate designs, the other, heavy, traditional gold. The shop assistant suggested consulting the younger generation.
Upon arriving with Li Jinyu, Ye Meng initially claimed the current high gold prices made it a bad time to buy. She then candidly admitted that the available styles were outdated and suggested custom-made jewelry for a unique wedding, to which the grandmothers readily agreed. Afterwards, Ye Meng privately told Li Jinyu that she wanted to postpone their wedding.
When Li Jinyu asked her what she meant, Ye Meng explained that she couldn't focus on it until her mother's death was investigated. She confessed that while getting the marriage certificate felt abstract, the actual wedding preparations were making the reality of marriage sink in, and she felt scared and panicked. When Li Jinyu asked if she regretted it, Ye Meng didn't answer directly and left.
Ye Meng visited Fang Yanen and discovered defamatory posters plastered outside her home, falsely accusing Fang Yanen of an affair with Cheng Kairan. Fang Yanen confirmed Chen Jian was behind it, aiming to make her the "at-fault" party in their divorce for financial gain. Outraged, Ye Meng and Fang Yanen armed themselves with red paint and confronted Chen Jian at a nightclub, where he was entertaining clients. Ye Meng brazenly splashed him with the paint.
Fang Yanen then publicly denounced him, revealing his history of domestic abuse, failure to pay child support, attempts to use their son as leverage, and his recent slander. She dared him to call the police, declaring that if there were criminal laws for his kind, he'd have been executed long ago. The clients, witnessing the chaos, quickly left, canceling their cooperation with Chen Jian. Fang Yanen and Ye Meng, feeling a sense of vindication, were pleased with the outcome.
Afterwards, Ye Meng and Fang Yanen went to a late-night food stall to drink and confide in each other. Ye Meng lightly teased Fang Yanen about her aim with the paint, then expressed her disgust with men, concluding that life without them might be happier. They reminisced about their carefree childhoods, contrasting it with their current adult lives filled with worries, feeling they had become more timid.
Ye Meng then revealed her deeper distress, admitting Li Jinyu had lied to her, yet she still inexplicably wanted to believe him, questioning if she was "too kind" and why she couldn't understand him as he felt like a stranger. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu spoke with Cheng Kairan, who commented on Ye Meng and Fang Yanen's recent actions.
Li Jinyu, feeling bewildered by their behavior, stated his desire to protect Ye Meng, acknowledging the situation was complex and not easily resolved by simple persuasion. He then requested a few days off, implying he needed to deal with the issues with Ye Meng directly. Late that night, Li Jinyu waited outside for Ye Meng, who returned home visibly drunk.
Ye Meng confronted him, asking what he meant by his previous words and accusing him of being present when she pursued Wang Xingsheng, and deleting the surveillance footage. She expressed her exhaustion from waiting for his confession and declared that a relationship built on concealment and deception had no reason to exist. She then deliberately kept her distance. Li Jinyu was deeply troubled, his mind flashing back to years ago when he suffered from severe depression.
During that time, Li Lingbai had convinced him to sign an equity entrustment agreement for Hanhai Group, taking advantage of his vulnerable state. Now, Li Jinyu confronted Li Lingbai, having uncovered secrets involving her and Wang Xingsheng, and holding monitoring video evidence. He asserted his intention to reclaim his rightful 15% share of the company's equity, which she had him sign away.
The next morning, Tai Mingxiao contacted Ye Meng, informing her that while he couldn't locate Wang Xingsheng, he had found a crucial informant in her mother's case. He revealed that there was an eyewitness to her mother's suicide, who saw her in Jiumen Ridge sitting in a car with another man, likely Wang Xingsheng. However, this witness later recanted his statement, claiming to have misremembered the license plate number.
When Tai Mingxiao disclosed that this witness was none other than Li Jinyu, Ye Meng was stunned. She then saw Li Jinyu leaving with luggage and quickly followed him. Her pursuit led her to Jiangbei, where she watched him enter the Hanhai Group building. At this moment, Gou Kai contacted Ye Meng, acknowledging her presence in Jiangbei and her knowledge of the deleted surveillance. He apologized for previously canceling her meeting with Wang Xingsheng.
Gou Kai then presented an opportunity: he had secured the Ning-Sui Blue Sea Port project from Li Lingbai, offering Ye Meng the chance to lead it if she rejoined the company. He argued this was her best way to approach Li Lingbai, and Ye Meng, determined to find the truth, accepted his offer. Following her agreement, Gou Kai brought Ye Meng to Hanhai Group for a project signing, where Li Jinyu was also present.
During this time, Gou Kai's assistant informed him that "the naive girl" (referring to Ye Meng) was back, and separately, expressed surprise that Li Jinyu had also returned. Ye Meng noticed Li Jinyu accompanying Li Lingbai. During the meeting, Li Lingbai introduced Li Jinyu as "Mr. Li of Hanhai Group," indicating his new executive role. Gou Kai, in turn, introduced Ye Meng as his most trusted partner and the future project manager for the Ning-Sui Blue Sea Port project.
Both Ye Meng and Li Jinyu feigned ignorance of each other, exchanging formal greetings. After the signing, Li Lingbai praised Gou Kai and Ye Meng, expressing her confidence in them, and asked Li Jinyu to come to her office later. Li Jinyu then approached Ye Meng, questioning her return to Gou Kai's company, given her previous stance. Ye Meng sharply retorted, asking what the problem was, and if he wasn't also back to take over the family business, calling him out for pretending not to know her.
Episode 16 Recap
Following his official return to Hanhai Group as "Little Mr. Li," Li Jinyu's relationship with his mother, Li Lingbai, proved to be far from harmonious. Li Jinyu confronted his mother, demanding control of the Harbor project in exchange for deleting incriminating surveillance footage. He asserted his right as a son to share her burden, but Li Lingbai saw through his facade, recognizing his intent for revenge.
Despite her reluctance, Li Lingbai agreed to hand over the challenging Harbor project, warning Li Jinyu to cease any investigation into Wang Xingsheng's disappearance and to avoid bringing trouble to her. Li Jinyu, in turn, vowed to get what he deserved, emphasizing his desire to avoid making things "too ugly" between them, wanting them to be "a loving family."
After he left, Li Lingbai instructed her lawyer, Ms. Wang, not to worry about the project's existing issues, hinting that Li Jinyu would now handle them. At a subsequent celebration, Li Jinyu and Ye Meng’s unspoken marital status created tension. Gou Kai, a childhood friend of Li Jinyu and a member of the "Jiangbei Trio," introduced Ye Meng as the "face of our company," praising her appearance and business acumen.
He then introduced Li Jinyu as "Silly White Sweet Li Jinyu," revealing his 15% stake in Hanhai Group, to which Li Jinyu feigned ignorance of his own significant family background. Li Lingbai arrived, publicly commending Li Jinyu for taking initiative to ease her burden, expressing pride in his obedience and filial piety despite his years abroad.
Later, Gou Kai offered to drink on Ye Meng's behalf, stating she couldn't drink, which prompted Li Jinyu to challenge Gou Kai's authority and question why he would drink for Ye Meng, pointedly asking if she wasn't already married. After Ye Meng left for the restroom, Li Jinyu followed, confronting her about pretending not to know him in public and accusing her of fearing Gou Kai's disapproval, while she retorted that he was more afraid.
After the party, Li Jinyu offered to drive Ye Meng home, but she declined, mentioning her lawyer friend had information about Wang Xingsheng. Gou Kai, eager to drive Ye Meng, insisted due to everyone having consumed alcohol. Li Jinyu then attempted to join them, but Ye Meng subtly dismissed him.
In the car, Gou Kai warned Ye Meng about Li Jinyu, painting him as a "wild and reckless" individual during his time abroad who only pretended to be filial to Li Lingbai, engaging in smoking, fighting, and drinking. Ye Meng redirected the conversation to Wang Xingsheng, urging Gou Kai to share his information.
Gou Kai revealed Wang Xingsheng had a fraud conviction related to illegal fundraising in Ning Sui, which involved land that Hanhai Group later acquired for the Harbor project. The case occurred in August 2016. Ye Meng realized her mother’s suicide in July 2016, followed by Wang Xingsheng’s imprisonment and Hanhai’s takeover, was too coincidental.
As they spoke, Gou Kai noticed they were being followed, a fact Li Jinyu simultaneously realized while in his own vehicle, indicating Li Lingbai was having him tracked. Later that night, Li Jinyu entered Ye Meng's hotel room, admitting he had followed her. When Ye Meng threatened to call the police, Li Jinyu asserted his right as her husband. Exhausted by his secrets and conflicting actions, Ye Meng proposed a divorce, presenting him with papers.
She expressed her weariness from trying to guess which of his words were true. In response, Li Jinyu explained that he returned to Li Lingbai's side to investigate and provide her with answers, warning that Li Lingbai was ruthless and likely already taking action. He pleaded with Ye Meng to let him handle the Wang Xingsheng investigation to protect her, but Ye Meng insisted on uncovering the truth about her mother, regardless of the danger.
Li Jinyu then confessed that Wang Xingsheng was an eyewitness to his own mother's suicide, but had never revealed the truth, leading Li Jinyu to suspect Li Lingbai’s involvement in his mother’s death. He then sadly departed. Meanwhile, Fang Yanen, upon learning about Li Jinyu’s true identity and the intertwined mystery of their mothers’ deaths, expressed her shock at the "cheesy" situation and how unfamiliar Li Jinyu had become, even questioning if his Ning Sui persona was a "twin."
She shared her own struggles with a complicated divorce, emphasizing to Ye Meng that divorce was far from simple and detailing her efforts to organize years of financial records. Later, Qiao Maimai visited Fang Yanen’s clothing shop, revealing that Cheng Kairan's Blue Sapphire Bar was suffering from malicious online reviews. Fang Yanen deduced that Chen Jian was behind the attacks, which Cheng Kairan confirmed, admitting he had even splashed paint on Chen Jian.
Concerned about the negative impact on Cheng Kairan’s business and reputation, Fang Yanen suggested they reduce contact. However, Cheng Kairan became deeply upset, tearfully insisting on maintaining their friendship and his visits to her shop, despite her concerns about gossip, leading Fang Yanen to drop the suggestion.
Back in Ning Sui, Jiang Luzhi confronted Gou Kai, furious that he had transferred her out and brought Ye Meng back to replace her on the Harbor project, breaking his promise to return her to his side. Gou Kai dismissed her accusations, claiming there was a "glitch" and stating the project was originally Ye Meng's, so he was merely restoring her to her rightful position. Jiang Luzhi accused him of using her as a pawn to undermine Ye Meng.
Despite Gou Kai's attempts to deny it, Jiang Luzhi defiantly declared her resignation, asserting that she knew Ye Meng was married and wished Gou Kai ill in his pursuit of Ye Meng. While handing over her work to Tai Mingxiao, Jiang Luzhi learned that the new person in charge of the Harbor project was Li Jinyu, identifying him as the son of Hanhai Group's president and Gou Kai's childhood friend.
Although she feigned unfamiliarity, her existing awareness of Li Jinyu's 'fake' divorce to protect Ye Meng, coupled with this new knowledge, allowed her to leverage Ye Meng's situation to threaten Li Jinyu and secure the position of PR head for the Harbor project. Soon after, Ye Meng arrived at the Harbor project site with Gou Kai.
Li Jinyu announced he was now in charge, discontinuing outsourced public relations and forming his own team, with Jiang Luzhi as the new PR head. When Gou Kai protested, citing contractual obligations, Ye Meng skillfully intervened, highlighting a clause that prevented arbitrary contract termination and threatened a lawsuit, warning of negative publicity that could delay the project's trial operation.
Faced with this, Li Jinyu agreed to let their team remain but demanded a revised plan within a week, adding that he would assign Cheng Kairan as the new operations manager for the project's shops. Later, Cheng Kairan confronted Li Jinyu, surprised by his hidden identity as the Hanhai Group owner’s son. Li Jinyu revealed that Ye Meng wanted a divorce and confessed his fear that Li Lingbai was involved in Ye Meng's mother's suicide and Wang Xingsheng's disappearance.
He explained that he assigned Cheng Kairan to manage the shops as a way to secretly help him investigate Li Lingbai and prevent Ye Meng from continuing her own dangerous investigation. Cheng Kairan, though initially worried about Fang Yanen's reaction, eventually agreed to help Li Jinyu, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Ye Meng, suspecting a clandestine alliance, called Fang Yanen, expressing her belief that Jiang Luzhi and Li Jinyu had reached an agreement, particularly as Jiang Luzhi had not exposed her marriage to Li Jinyu. Ye Meng also noted Li Jinyu had given Cheng Kairan control of the shops, suspecting this was another tactic to impede her investigation. She asked Fang Yanen to investigate Cheng Kairan and discern Li Jinyu's true intentions. Fang Yanen readily agreed.
In the following days, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu maintained a strictly professional relationship at work and a distant one at home. Desperate, Li Jinyu called his brother, asking him not to tell their grandmothers about his quarrel with Ye Meng and to prevent them from coming over. However, his brother immediately informed them, leading the grandmothers to rush to their home with chicken soup, much to Li Jinyu's chagrin, as he tried to deny any marital issues.
Episode 17 Recap
At Ye Meng and Li Jinyu’s home, Li Jinyu explains they must feign affection for their visiting grandmothers. He told them he found Ye Meng a new job at Blue Sea Port and that it was best not to discuss her position, hoping to also hide their marital strife. When the grandmothers arrive with chicken soup, they fuss over Ye Meng’s pale appearance and insist both she and Li Jinyu drink the nourishing soup.
Ye Meng tries to use work as an excuse to leave, but the grandmothers criticize her demanding boss and insist she stay for a game of mahjong to help them discuss wedding plans. Her aunt and Qiao Maimai are also summoned to join the game. The grandmothers pressure the couple about their wedding and finding a house.
Exhausted, Ye Meng wants to sleep, but the grandmothers force her and Li Jinyu into the same room, instructing him to hold her tight. Once alone, Ye Meng berates Li Jinyu for the charade, which nearly failed and left her and Qiao Maimai waiting in the cold. After he suggests she rest instead of work, she accuses him of conspiring with the grandmothers, a claim he denies.
The mahjong game continues late into the night until everyone is exhausted, and Ye Meng and Li Jinyu are forced to share a bed. When Li Jinyu tries to embrace her, she angrily pushes him away, calling him shameless. The next day, a colleague alerts Ye Meng that a negative comment about formaldehyde in the Blue Sea Port project’s promotional video is gaining traction online.
As panic erupts in the office, with their team facing blame for the potential PR crisis, Ye Meng calmly reveals her counter-strategy. She had noticed the comment when she first took over the social media account and had it monitored. By collaborating with the official Ning-Sui Environmental Supervision Department, she had them share the project's video, which included data disproving the false claim. This move not only neutralized the negative publicity but also significantly boosted traffic.
Li Jinyu, impressed, acknowledges her success and concedes she is more capable than he thought, solidifying her position. Later, Li Jinyu gets the IP address of the negative commenter from Cheng Kairan. At the location, they see Jiang Luzhi meeting a man named Zhou Yu. As Ye Meng approaches, Zhou Yu suddenly brandishes a knife and chases her. Li Jinyu intervenes, revealing the knife is just a toy.
Ye Meng immediately accuses Li Jinyu of conspiring with Jiang Luzhi to force her out. Li Jinyu’s denial is futile, and when Ye Meng demands a divorce, he refuses and holds onto her. Gou Kai arrives and separates them, asserting that Ye Meng is part of his team and their dispute is a private matter. Soon after, Qiao Maimai arrives and, seeing Gou Kai with Ye Meng, misinterprets the situation.
She introduces Cheng Kairan as "my brother, my sister-in-law's husband," causing Gou Kai to mistakenly believe Cheng Kairan is Ye Meng's husband. Nearby, Fang Yanen confronts Cheng Kairan, accusing him of helping Li Jinyu with his "ex," Jiang Luzhi. Cheng Kairan claims he was only observing Jiang Luzhi on their boss's orders because her job change was suspicious. Pressed by Fang Yanen to choose a side, he pledges his loyalty to her and Ye Meng.
After she leaves, Cheng Kairan sends a message to Li Jinyu, reporting Fang Yanen's suspicions. Li Jinyu then informs Cheng Kairan that the attacker, Zhou Yu, is a new intern on the Blue Sea Port project and that the knife was a toy. Suspecting Zhou Yu was behind the negative online reviews, Li Jinyu asks Cheng Kairan to investigate his background.
At Cheng Kairan's bar, Ju Bao Shi, Gou Kai confronts Cheng Kairan, questioning why a charismatic man like him would be chosen by Ye Meng. Li Jinyu, also present, tells Gou Kai to stop being jealous, suggesting Ye Meng prefers "industrialists" like himself over men who are "all show and no substance." Gou Kai bluntly tells Cheng Kairan he is unsuitable for Ye Meng and, having heard they were divorcing, offers him money to finalize it.
Cheng Kairan jokingly demands five million, and when Gou Kai agrees, he retracts the offer, stating that "true love is priceless." After Gou Kai leaves, Cheng Kairan asks Li Jinyu when he plans to reveal their secret marriage. Li Jinyu replies it will be after the Blue Sea Port project is stable and Li Lingbai has left the city. Subsequently, Li Jinyu confronts Jiang Luzhi, accusing her of hiring online accounts to smear the company's reputation and target Ye Meng.
He warns her that if she continues to harm Ye Meng, their agreement will be terminated. Shortly after, Tai Mingxiao finds Li Jinyu and reveals that Gou Kai is organizing a company team-building event where he plans to stage a grand confession to Ye Meng at the Aurora Race Track, alarming Li Jinyu. That night, Ye Meng confronts Jiang Luzhi, showing her a blurry photo of her meeting with Zhou Yu.
She reveals Zhou Yu attacked her with a knife, and Jiang Luzhi is visibly shocked, swearing she never intended for him to cause physical harm. Believing her, Ye Meng invites her for a drink. Jiang Luzhi apologizes and confesses her long-standing envy of Ye Meng’s effortless beauty and confidence. Ye Meng, in turn, reminds Jiang Luzhi of her inspiring high school graduation speech about her dreams, asking if she is still truly living for herself.
Moved, Jiang Luzhi reveals she has been headhunted for a better job and will no longer be working for "you two," making it clear she knows about Ye Meng and Li Jinyu's marriage. She then confesses the truth of her arrangement with Li Jinyu: she had threatened to expose their relationship, and he agreed to let her join the project to protect Ye Meng.
Promising to honor their deal and keep the secret, Jiang Luzhi wishes Ye Meng happiness and leaves. The next day, during the team-building event at the Aurora Race Track, Li Jinyu unexpectedly arrives and challenges Gou Kai to a race. He then uses his position as the client to insist Ye Meng ride in his passenger seat to discuss the project.
During the race, Ye Meng is stunned by Li Jinyu's expert driving skills, realizing how much he has hidden from her. Overwhelmed with questions, she finally confronts him directly: "What about my mother's suicide case? You were the eyewitness, weren't you?"
Episode 18 Recap
Picking up during their car race, Li Jinyu confessed everything to Ye Meng. He admitted to possessing surveillance footage related to Wang Xingsheng and Li Lingbai, explaining he hadn't wanted her to investigate further for fear Li Lingbai would harm her. He also clarified why he recanted his testimony in her mother's suicide case: though he saw Wang Xingsheng's car, the heavy rain made him doubt himself, and Li Lingbai had provided Wang Xingsheng with an alibi.
Li Jinyu further revealed that he was not his stepfather Li Mu's biological son, but Li Lingbai's, which explained her long-standing animosity towards him. Haunted by the memory of the car crash where Li Mu died saving him, Li Jinyu tearfully explained that his secretive and overprotective behavior stemmed from a deep-seated fear of losing Ye Meng, the first person he had truly loved since his father's death. His confession mended their rift.
Meanwhile, Gou Kai meticulously planned a romantic confession to Ye Meng during a company team-building event, instructing Tai Mingxiao to decorate a room with flowers and balloons. He also had Tai Mingxiao set up hidden cameras to record the event, intending to send the footage to Ye Meng's husband, Cheng Kairan, to force a divorce. Gou Kai complained that Cheng Kairan had demanded five million for the divorce, calling him a "greedy street thug."
Tai Mingxiao voiced his ethical concerns about the hidden cameras and the plan to break up a marriage, but Gou Kai dismissed them. Aware of the plan, Li Jinyu insisted on attending the event as a client, much to Gou Kai's annoyance. During a game of Truth or Dare, Gou Kai openly declared his feelings for Ye Meng. When Li Jinyu's turn came, he was asked if he supported office romance.
He said yes, and when asked who he liked, he boldly named Ye Meng, creating a tense atmosphere. Later, when Ye Meng excused herself, Li Jinyu followed her to the decorated room. He mentioned Gou Kai's elaborate confession plans, and Ye Meng swore she had no prior knowledge. The two then shared a passionate kiss on the balcony, unknowingly witnessed by a shocked Tai Mingxiao. Frantic, Tai Mingxiao intercepted Gou Kai, who was approaching with flowers.
He desperately tried to stop him, tackling him and pleading that the timing was wrong because Ye Meng was already married. While they struggled, Li Jinyu and Ye Meng discreetly left. When Gou Kai finally entered the empty room, he demanded to see the surveillance footage. To prevent him from seeing the kiss, Tai Mingxiao deliberately destroyed the computer.
He then managed to delay the confession by convincing Gou Kai to first gather more information on Cheng Kairan to find a weakness. That evening, Tai Mingxiao went to Cheng Kairan's bar to warn him about Ye Meng. Cheng Kairan initially mistook him for a divorce negotiator. When Tai Mingxiao brought up rivals for Ye Meng's affection, Cheng Kairan confidently dismissed Gou Kai.
To Tai Mingxiao's astonishment, Cheng Kairan showed no concern about Li Jinyu either, nonchalantly stating that Li Jinyu was fine and that there were no boundaries between them. His casual response deeply perplexed Tai Mingxiao, who concluded their marriage must be unusually "open." Shortly after, Tai Mingxiao unexpectedly walked in on Li Jinyu and Ye Meng kissing at their home, accusing them of being depraved.
In response, Li Jinyu calmly produced their marriage certificate, revealing he was Ye Meng's legal, albeit secret, husband. A stunned Tai Mingxiao learned their hidden marriage was a necessary precaution for investigating Wang Xingsheng, especially since Li Lingbai was coming to Ningsui for the Haiban Port opening. Revealing their relationship would put them in danger. Faced with the truth and the potential threat from Li Lingbai, a terrified Tai Mingxiao reluctantly agreed to keep their secret, lamenting that he had no other choice.
Episode 19 Recap
After Tai Mingxiao discovered the truth about their hidden marriage, he began acting as an informal "undercover" agent within the company, often causing comical misunderstandings. During an intimate moment between Li Jinyu and Ye Meng in the pantry, their privacy was interrupted by Gou Kai's sudden appearance, only for Tai Mingxiao to repeatedly obstruct him. Perplexed by Tai Mingxiao's peculiar behavior, Gou Kai was then informed by Ye Meng that she and her husband had reconciled.
Realizing his romantic pursuit was futile, Gou Kai decided to return to Jiangbei, citing urgent company matters. With Gou Kai gone, a relieved Li Jinyu frequently called Ye Meng into his office, where their affectionate interactions continued. This sweet interlude was broken when Li Jinyu's mother arranged for Lin Yangyang, the daughter of the Lins Group, to visit Ningsei. Having known Lin Yangyang since childhood, Li Jinyu found it difficult to refuse his mother's request for him to entertain her.
He brought Ye Meng along to accompany Lin Yangyang on a tour of the company's construction site. Throughout the tour and later at dinner, Lin Yangyang made no secret of her long-standing affection for Li Jinyu, openly stating that she had pursued him since they were young. Lin Yangyang's candid declaration cast a strange atmosphere over the dinner table.
To better secure Li Jinyu's affections, she boldly added Ye Meng on WeChat, asking her to act as a spy and report any signs of Li Jinyu developing feelings for someone else. Unable to reveal her true relationship with Li Jinyu, Ye Meng reluctantly agreed and promptly messaged Fang Yanen to pick her up, seeking an escape from the awkward situation. Later, at Lin Yangyang's insistence, Li Jinyu drove her home.
During the ride, she directly brought up the idea of a marriage alliance, framing it as a strategic partnership. Li Jinyu, while polite, subtly indicated that his heart belonged to someone else. Meanwhile, Fang Yanen met Ye Meng at a bar for drinks.
Fang Yanen shared her anxieties about her impending divorce proceedings, and Ye Meng, after being asked about her own investigation, called Cheng Kairan to interrogate him about the "Zhou Yu matter," though he refused to divulge any information. When Ye Meng returned home, she found Li Jinyu waiting outside with peach blossom pastries. She playfully teased him about his attentiveness to Lin Yangyang.
Li Jinyu earnestly swore there was nothing between them, explaining he had waited for Lin Yangyang to go upstairs before specifically buying the pastries for Ye Meng. After some teasing, she let him in. He confided that Lin Yangyang, much like his mother, prioritizes business interests over genuine affection, and urged Ye Meng not to be jealous.
Just then, Cheng Kairan called Li Jinyu to report on being interrogated earlier by Ye Meng and Fang Yanen, boasting of his "brotherly loyalty." He was shocked into hanging up when he realized Ye Meng was listening in. Li Jinyu then mused that he didn't seem to have much friendship, only love. The following morning, Fang Yanen had a heartfelt conversation with her son, Chen Jiayu, about the divorce.
Displaying remarkable maturity, he told his mother he would respect any choice she made as long as she was happy, moving her to tears. Soon after, the court granted her divorce from Chen Jian, citing his domestic violence, and awarded her full custody of Chen Jiayu, finally granting Fang Yanen her freedom. Upon receiving the news, Cheng Kairan began decorating his bar for a celebration.
Li Jinyu advised him against confessing his feelings to Fang Yanen so soon, reminding him she had just escaped the "pit of marriage." However, Qiao Maimai encouraged Cheng Kairan to be bold, asserting that women understand women best. That evening, Fang Yanen and Ye Meng went to a different bar to celebrate. When Cheng Kairan saw Lin Yangyang enter his own bar where he was with Li Jinyu, he orchestrated a scene to deter her.
He deliberately portrayed Li Jinyu as a womanizer who was constantly surrounded by women of all ages and even fabricated a story about his behavior in the restroom. Disgusted, Lin Yangyang quickly left. As part of his plan, Cheng Kairan sent photos from the staged scene to Ye Meng. Unfooled, she responded by sending a photo of herself and Fang Yanen at their bar, surrounded by younger men. Alarmed, Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan immediately rushed to their location.
Upon their aggressive arrival, the younger men at Ye Meng and Fang Yanen's table discreetly retreated. The four friends then moved to the dance floor. Seeing that Fang Yanen was not ready to go home, Cheng Kairan decided to stay and celebrate with her. Li Jinyu, feeling jealous, was reassured by Ye Meng, who told him that no matter how great the younger men were, she only liked him, a declaration that secretly delighted him.
Episode 20 Recap
Having recently regained her freedom after her divorce, Fang Yanen expressed her contentment with her current life to Cheng Kairan. She explained that she cherishes the freedom she now has over her time, choices, and emotions, and has no desire to return to a restrictive relationship. She sincerely thanked Cheng Kairan for his kindness and help towards her and her son, Jiayu.
As Cheng Kairan leaned in, seemingly for a kiss, Fang Yanen warned him to stop, prompting him to feign an issue with his seatbelt as she exited the car. Later, Lin Yangyang met Li Jinyu to discuss the Haiban Port Phase III project. Before anyone else arrived, she confessed her long-standing affection for him.
She revealed that her mother had arranged their marriage and promised that if he agreed, she would be a supportive wife who would not interfere with his freedom. Li Jinyu dismissed her romantic overtures, stating he was only there for business. Just then, Ye Kang, the bank president working with their project, arrived. Lin Yangyang pointedly introduced him to Li Jinyu, mentioning that Ye Kang's daughter, Ye Meng, also worked at Haiban Port and had recently given them a tour.
Realizing Ye Kang was Ye Meng's father, Li Jinyu became annoyed with Lin Yangyang's manipulation and warned her to focus on the project instead. Li Jinyu later vented to Cheng Kairan, who correctly guessed the source of his foul mood. Li Jinyu explained that Ye Meng's father had returned and witnessed his dinner with Lin Yangyang, concluding that he was a scumbag toying with his daughter's feelings.
After some playful teasing, Cheng Kairan advised that since Ye Kang works at a bank, money wouldn't impress him. He suggested Li Jinyu ask Ye Meng directly about her father's preferences, as she would know him best. Upon returning home, Li Jinyu found Ye Meng was already aware of the dinner and Lin Yangyang's public confession. He pleaded with her to help him redeem himself in her father's eyes, even offering to kneel on a durian—a fruit he dislikes—as penance.
Following Ye Meng's advice to appeal to her father's hobbies, Li Jinyu joined him for fishing the next day, bringing special bait. He explained to Ye Kang that Lin Yangyang was an arranged match by his mother and that he had no feelings for her. He clarified that his marriage to Ye Meng was secret because he had just joined the company and feared gossip would harm her. Ye Kang's mood brightened considerably after he reeled in a large fish.
When Ye Meng arrived, she saw Li Jinyu's wet clothes and mistakenly thought her father had forced him into the river. They quickly corrected her, explaining that Li Jinyu had voluntarily jumped in to retrieve Ye Kang's fallen fishing rod. That evening, Li Jinyu prepared the fish for dinner with Ye Kang's guidance. In the kitchen, Ye Kang praised Li Jinyu's improving knife skills, while Li Jinyu humbly credited his father-in-law's teaching.
During the meal, Ye Kang toasted to Li Jinyu, expressing his confidence in him to care for Ye Meng and encouraging them to support each other through their differences. Meanwhile, Cheng Kairan discovered the whereabouts of Zhou Yu, a key figure in their investigation. He learned Zhou Yu grew up in an orphanage and was never adopted because of a man named Wang Xingsheng.
Years ago, Wang Xingsheng had used the guise of charity to acquire land for the Haiban Port project, swindling money and ruining the orphanage's reputation upon his arrest, which caused a family to back out of adopting Zhou Yu. Ye Meng and Li Jinyu visited the orphanage and found Zhou Yu, who was hostile, blaming their project for children losing adoption opportunities. The orphanage director intervened, explaining that the project was initially called Tianhui City.
The developer, Wang Xingsheng, had worked through a trusted partner—a woman named Shuyi who had grown up in the orphanage—to convince them to invest their land for shares. However, this partner used the orphanage's name to commit investment fraud. The revelation devastated Ye Meng, as Shuyi was her mother. The director added that the resulting scandal ruined their reputation, and Zhou Yu was a direct victim. Distraught, Ye Meng returned home and confronted her grandmother, furious about the long-held secret.
A flashback revealed Shuyi, convinced by a seemingly reliable project, getting scammed and then desperately traveling to find the man responsible. Ye Kang admitted he had asked the family to hide the truth to protect Ye Meng and her mother's memory. Ye Meng tearfully confessed she had spent years blaming herself for her mother's depression, feeling betrayed by their "protection." That night, Li Jinyu found a distressed Ye Meng on the terrace.
She reminisced about how her mother was her best friend who always prioritized her happiness. Li Jinyu comforted her, suggesting that while her father clearly loved her, he was also avoiding his own pain. He encouraged her to talk things through with him, emphasizing that family shouldn't hold grudges. In a separate scene, a call revealed Li Lingbai's true motive for the arranged marriage: to quickly offload Haiban Port to the Lin family.
Li Jinyu prepared a special dinner to facilitate a family reconciliation. Ye Kang apologized to Ye Meng, admitting his wife's death was a huge blow and he'd hidden the truth to protect her and avoid his own pain. Ye Meng expressed her understanding, and they agreed to let go of the past and look forward. After dinner, as Li Jinyu walked him out, Ye Kang expressed his full trust in his son-in-law.
Li Jinyu then raised the issue of the fishing village's demolition for Phase III, but Ye Kang, echoing Ye Meng's sentiment to "look forward," confirmed his support for the development. As Ye Kang left, Li Jinyu heard a thud and found Grandma unconscious. At the hospital, the doctor revealed she has a brain tumor, leaving the family with a difficult choice between high-risk surgery and conservative treatment.
Episode 21 Recap
Ye Meng remained by Ms. Jiu Hua's side in the hospital room. Despite having briefly fainted due to high blood pressure, Ms. Jiu Hua tried to dismiss her condition, downplaying the worries of Ye Meng and Li Jinyu. She expressed her eagerness to be discharged, tired of being confined to bed for two months with a broken leg. When Li Jinyu arrived, Ms. Jiu Hua directly asked if the doctor had indicated her life was nearing its end.
Li Jinyu tried to deny it, but Ms. Jiu Hua insisted she knew her own body and had only wanted to keep her illness a secret for a little longer. Li Jinyu was visibly upset, questioning why she hadn't confided in them sooner, but Ms. Jiu Hua simply told them to leave so she could sleep, adding that their sad faces wouldn't matter once she was gone.
Later that night, Ye Meng found Li Jinyu sitting alone on the cold rooftop. She offered to stay, assuring him he didn't need to be strong and could share anything with her. Li Jinyu confessed his confusion and began to recount his past. He admitted that as a child, he barely knew his grandmother, only perceiving her as a hot-tempered old woman.
However, after his father’s tragic death in a car accident—an event Li Jinyu still blamed himself for—Ms. Jiu Hua arrived. She traveled over ten hours by train from Ningsui to Jiangbei, appearing like a superhero to rescue him from his mother, Li Lingbai. He was certain he would have died in Jiangbei without her intervention. Li Jinyu continued, explaining his initial mistrust of everyone.
His interactions with Ms. Jiu Hua were silent on his part, while she, like a "firecracker," constantly pushed him. Ye Meng interjected playfully, suggesting Ms. Jiu Hua thought she had brought home a firecracker, only to find a dud. Li Jinyu confessed his dislike for the new environment, finding the neighbors overly enthusiastic and Ms. Jiu Hua's temper unbearable. He feared being abandoned again and, upon seeing her pack his belongings, he ran away.
However, Ms. Jiu Hua chased after him, physically bringing him back home, and even adopting a stray dog for him, which she named Ping'an, hoping he would live a safe life. He later discovered she wasn't sending him away but had arranged to build a separate room for him in the yard, ensuring he'd always have a home.
Li Jinyu described Ms. Jiu Hua as a formidable woman who once chased him with a feather duster, now confined to a hospital bed. He broke down, confessing he couldn't accept her death, as she was his last remaining family. Ye Meng tearfully embraced him, promising to stay by his side forever. Li Lingbai then arrived to visit Ms. Jiu Hua, claiming concern for her health and offering to move her to Jiangbei's best medical team.
Ms. Jiu Hua sharply rejected her, accusing her of merely checking if she was dead and asserting that she had her own medical insurance, as did her grandson, Li Jinyu. She declared Li Jinyu her dearest grandson, calling Li Lingbai a stranger.
Li Lingbai retorted that her son, Li Zhuofeng, was Ms. Jiu Hua's rightful grandson and questioned Ms. Jiu Hua's lack of care for the long-ill Li Zhuofeng, even bringing up the death of Ms. Jiu Hua's son, Li Lingbai's husband. Ms. Jiu Hua furiously denied any connection between Li Jinyu and her son's death, warning Li Lingbai not to harm Li Jinyu, or she would never forgive her, even in death.
As Li Lingbai left, she told her assistant that despite the conflict, Ms. Jiu Hua was still her mother-in-law and Li Zhuofeng's grandmother, instructing the assistant to focus on preparations for the Blue Sea Port restaurant opening instead of family squabbles. Despite her illness, Ms. Jiu Hua bravely decided to proceed with surgery, stating she would rather take a chance than passively await death. Relatives visited, attempting to dissuade her due to her age and the risks involved.
Ms. Jiu Hua insisted that Li Jinyu understood her best and would support her. Though the relatives urged Li Jinyu to intervene, he ultimately conceded to his grandmother's wishes. Once they were alone, Ms. Jiu Hua revealed her plan: before the operation, she wanted Li Jinyu and Ye Meng to accompany her to her old mountain home, ensuring she would have no regrets even if she didn't survive. Upon arriving, Ms. Jiu Hua joyfully declared her return.
The trio then went to pick tea in the garden, where Ms. Jiu Hua, full of energy, playfully teased Li Jinyu and Ye Meng about their stamina, urging them to pick more tea leaves. Later, Ms. Jiu Hua prepared dishes from her childhood. Ye Meng enthusiastically praised the meal, forming a playful alliance with Ms. Jiu Hua against Li Jinyu, who found the food mediocre, leading to lighthearted banter.
That night, Ye Meng complained of hunger, and Ms. Jiu Hua, feigning a late-night stroll, was caught trying to order takeout, only to find no phone signal. Li Jinyu discovered their predicament and offered to cook for them instead. While getting things for the meal, he accidentally stumbled upon Ms. Jiu Hua's diary. Li Jinyu began to read it.
Ms. Jiu Hua wrote about her distress upon finding Li Jinyu in Jiangbei, seeing him as a "tortured" and "miserable" child, and her relief at arriving in time to save him. She recounted his attempt to run away, thinking she didn't want him, and her decision to build him a home and name his adopted dog Ping'an for a safe life.
Ms. Jiu Hua revealed that she too was raised by her grandmother, living off the tea mountain, a life that abruptly ended with her grandmother's passing when she was just ten. Reflecting on her own fears and hidden tears at night, she admitted to acting tough for Li Jinyu's sake, hoping to live long enough to see him marry Ye Meng. She also recounted a dream of their wedding, affirming her happiness as long as Li Jinyu was happy.
Later, Ye Meng joined Ms. Jiu Hua, asking to sleep with her. Ye Meng expressed her deep admiration for Ms. Jiu Hua's past actions and her current courage. Ms. Jiu Hua mused that living often required more courage than dying and admitted that Li Jinyu was her only remaining worry.
The next morning, while helping Ms. Jiu Hua take photos with flowers, Li Jinyu discreetly revealed his plan to organize a surprise wedding for Ye Meng, which he knew was Ms. Jiu Hua's greatest wish. Although Ms. Jiu Hua playfully accused him of reading her diary, she quickly agreed to help. Li Jinyu then returned to Ningsui, feigning urgent company matters, while Ye Meng remained with Ms. Jiu Hua.
In Ningsui, family and friends were already busy setting up the wedding. A relative involved in construction even offered his workers to help. Cheng Kairan confirmed the arrangements to Li Jinyu: Fang Yanen was designated as the bridesmaid, a boy named Jiayu would be the flower boy, and Cheng Kairan himself would take charge of emcee duties. Back at the mountain house, Ye Meng grew impatient with Ms. Jiu Hua's insistence on picking more tea.
Ms. Jiu Hua distracted her with childhood stories but eventually, feigning a sprained back, agreed to leave. Upon receiving a signal from Li Jinyu that everything was ready, Ms. Jiu Hua swiftly brought Ye Meng back to Ningsui. As Ye Meng opened the door, she was met with a courtyard transformed into a floral paradise, filled with family and friends. Li Jinyu greeted her, expressing his desire to take this final step in their journey together.
Ye Meng's grandmother then led Ms. Jiu Hua away to get ready for the celebration. As she applied Ms. Jiu Hua's makeup, Ms. Jiu Hua was stunned by her reflection, exclaiming how beautiful she looked. Ye Meng's grandmother complimented her, calling her the most spirited old lady she had ever seen and a true beauty.
Ms. Jiu Hua was delighted by the rare praise, and the two grandmothers finally buried the hatchet over past tensions, including a dispute over some land. Ye Meng's grandmother suggested they knock down the wall between their homes for easier visits, to which Ms. Jiu Hua enthusiastically agreed. Ye Meng's grandmother then shared some of Ye Meng's childhood photos.
While lamenting that Li Jinyu, unlike Ye Meng, rarely took photos, Ms. Jiu Hua reassured her, promising to take many pictures of the couple in the future. She also pointed out a beret in one of Ye Meng's childhood photos, noting its resemblance to one of her own, symbolizing their shared connection.
Episode 22 Recap
In the bridal suite, Fang Yanen lovingly helped Ye Meng with her makeup and hair, admiring her as the most beautiful bride she had ever seen. The two friends shared an intimate moment, with Fang Yanen wishing Ye Meng happiness and reminding her that even with new identities as a wife and mother, she should always remain the happy child who does whatever she wants.
When Ye Meng asked Fang Yanen if she was considering a relationship with Cheng Kairan, Fang Yanen hesitated. She admitted that she wasn't planning on starting a new relationship, not entirely because of her son, Jiayu. She felt awkward and strange about Cheng Kairan’s sudden interest, especially since he had previously liked Ye Meng.
Fang Yanen believed Cheng Kairan had gotten the wrong person, but still, she expressed contentment with her current simple life and encouraged Ye Meng to always believe in love. Soon after, Li Jinyu arrived to pick up his bride, but he was met with playful challenges from Ye Meng's friends and bridesmaids at the door. They demanded he name ten affectionate terms for Ye Meng within twenty seconds.
Despite some difficulty, Li Jinyu managed to offer names like "Mengmeng" and "Beauty." For the second challenge, he was asked to recall the most unforgettable moment during their courtship. Li Jinyu confessed that he had expressed his feelings to Ye Meng early on and knew then that he would eventually fall in love with her. Satisfied with his answers and the red envelopes, the bridesmaids allowed him to enter.
The couple then proceeded with a tea ceremony, first serving tea to Ye Meng's father and mother. Afterward, they offered tea to Li Jinyu's grandmother, Grandma Jiu, and his aunts. His relatives offered blessings and advice for their marriage, emphasizing themes like unity, prosperity, economic independence for women, and maintaining control over finances. One aunt also suggested giving each other space within the marriage.
At the subsequent wedding ceremony, Qiao Maimai, serving as a bridesmaid and host, shared a heartfelt anecdote. She recalled realizing Li Jinyu had fallen for Ye Meng when, one day, he sat absorbed in a book, yet didn't turn a single page all afternoon, lost in thought about Ye Meng, whom he wished he could place in a "memory palace."
Li Jinyu then delivered his vows, thanking Ye Meng for her tolerance and admitting that meeting her had allowed him to believe that the world held no ill will towards him. He declared that Ye Meng was his "moon" and the luckiest thing that ever happened to him, promising to become a qualified husband. Ye Meng reciprocated, expressing how lucky she felt to have met someone who perfectly matched her aesthetic.
She acknowledged her good fortune in having many people who loved her, and now, with Li Jinyu, she had one more. She vowed that her family and friends would be his, and she would share all her love and luck with him. Grandma Jiu then delivered a lively and affectionate speech, calling Ye Meng her "baby daughter-in-law" and emphasizing fate.
She praised Li Jinyu as a "real man" and playfully told Ye Meng to report to her if Li Jinyu ever misbehaved. Ye Meng's mother, overcome with emotion, later offered a single, potent warning to Li Jinyu: she had only one daughter, raised with immense care, and she would not forgive him if he ever hurt her. The ceremony culminated with the adorable Chen Jiayu bringing the rings, followed by the exchange of vows and rings, and a loving kiss.
After the ceremony, family and friends offered their reflections for a video recording. Ye Meng’s great aunt expressed a mix of joy and sadness, feeling as though she was marrying off her own daughter. Another aunt reiterated the importance of a wife holding economic independence. Fang Yanen, though genuinely happy for Ye Meng, skillfully avoided conversations about her own future, still feeling a burden regarding a new relationship. Cheng Kairan, however, openly expressed his deep desire for marriage.
Inspired by Grandma Jiu's words, Qiao Maimai announced her decision to re-enroll in college and pursue her music career. Tai Mingxiao comforted his friend, Hook, reassuring him that he would always be there for him. Later, on their wedding night, Ye Meng playfully complained about the bathroom door to Li Jinyu, who was admiring their wedding photos. Li Jinyu then presented Ye Meng with a special gift: a necklace made from the missing piece of a puzzle.
He explained that he always felt like a "puzzle missing a piece" until he met her, at which point he felt complete. Ye Meng pressed him about his past, asking if he had ever fallen for other girls. Li Jinyu swore that she was the only one. He then revealed a secret: the day Ye Meng asked for his WeChat at the seaside, he dreamt of her that night.
He also admitted that he had found the lost driving recorder from Ping'an’s car and had heard everything she said to him on New Year’s Eve. Ye Meng lamented that if he had just sent that message back then, they wouldn't have gone "around in circles" for so long, but she was grateful they finally found each other. Li Jinyu, embracing her, jokingly said he had to be more proactive now that he was a husband.
Meanwhile, Fang Yanen arrived home with a sleeping Jiayu, and Cheng Kairan, who had accompanied her, offered to carry Jiayu upstairs. Cheng Kairan then mustered the courage to confess his feelings to Fang Yanen, asking how long she would pretend to be ignorant. He told her he didn't want to be just her "little brother" anymore and revealed that she had saved him from a beating in a high school alley.
He passionately described his simple aspirations: to stay in Ningse for life, enjoying domestic routines like morning exercises, grocery shopping, cooking, evening strolls by the sea, and road trips with her and Jiayu when he was older. Fang Yanen, caught off guard, tried to use her recent divorce as an excuse for not starting a new relationship. Cheng Kairan, understanding her hesitation, promised to wait for her, urging her to seriously consider his words before he left.
Fang Yanen was left alone on her balcony, deeply contemplating his heartfelt confession. The next morning, Grandma Jiu, having fulfilled her wish of seeing Ye Meng married, returned to the hospital for further treatment. While Ye Meng and Li Jinyu were with her, they received an urgent call from Cheng Kairan. A wall had collapsed at the Blue Sea Port construction site, injuring a worker, and the situation was chaotic.
Upon their arrival, they found the site swarming with angry people demanding explanations and compensation. The crowd accused the developers of being "unscrupulous merchants" and brought up past allegations of "fraudulent financing" and "material substitution" at the Blue Sea Port project. Cheng Kairan explained that the worker’s leg was broken and someone had stirred up old grievances, fueling public outrage. The situation escalated as police arrived, stating that Blue Sea Port was suspected of using non-compliant materials.
They took Li Jinyu, as the person in charge, for investigation. Li Jinyu calmly reassured Ye Meng, telling her not to worry and to take care of herself and Grandma. After he was taken away, Ye Meng deduced from the sudden shift in public opinion that someone was deliberately causing trouble. She learned that Li Jinyu's father, Li Lingbai, the chairman of Hanhai Group, was holding a press conference the next day.
Determined to uncover the truth before the conference could cause further damage, Ye Meng, with the help of Cheng Kairan and Fang Yanen, rushed to the construction site. They discovered that the materials used were indeed different from the contract specifications, confirming they had been secretly swapped. At the site, they confronted Zhou Yu, who was acting suspiciously.
Zhou Yu, however, accused them, claiming he had video evidence of their group, Hanhai, swapping materials and linking them to a person named Wang Xingsheng. Ye Meng realized Zhou Yu believed Hanhai Group was responsible. She immediately called Tai Mingxiao, asking for all recent surveillance footage from Blue Sea Port. To avoid worrying Grandma Jiu, Ye Meng called her, lying that Li Jinyu was simply too busy with work to answer his phone, and promised they would visit later.
As Ye Meng and Fang Yanen reviewed the surveillance videos, they noted that footage from when Li Jinyu and Lin Yangyang visited the site showed all materials to be compliant, unlike those currently on site. They also noticed that some video segments had been tampered with. Cheng Kairan returned, explaining that Zhou Yu adamantly refused to help clear Li Jinyu’s name because he had hated Blue Sea Port since he was a child and wished for its downfall.
Realizing that Zhou Yu’s video wouldn’t be useful without his cooperation, Ye Meng and Cheng Kairan returned to persuade him. Ye Meng explained that the material swap had nothing to do with Li Jinyu and that by remaining silent, Zhou Yu would be indirectly helping the real culprits.
She appealed to his role as a big brother and role model to the children at the welfare home, urging him to simply state the facts he had witnessed, allowing the public to discern the truth. She implored him to reconsider, emphasizing that Li Lingbai's press conference was about to begin. As the press conference was about to start, Lin Yangyang arrived, offering her cooperation to help Li Jinyu.
Yang Bingzhang was also on his way, and Wang Xingsheng was confirmed to be under surveillance. Li Lingbai, as the chairman of Hanhai Group, began the press conference by publicly apologizing for the collapse accident at Blue Sea Port’s second phase. He then declared that Li Jinyu was the project leader and that Hanhai Group would take full responsibility, adding that he would "seriously deal with" his own son, Li Jinyu.
