Go Ahead Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Go Ahead Synopsis

Three children who are not related by blood and have suffered different traumas in their original families are brought together by coincidence to become brother and sister.

The elder brother Ling Xiao, the second brother He Ziqiu, and the younger sister Li Jianjian are raised by two fathers Li Haichao and Ling Heping. They support each other and grow up together.

After graduating from high school, the two brothers return to their families of origin. On one side is the new family that they recognize and cherish each other, and on the other side is their biological parents that they cannot choose but have an indifferent relationship. They wandered between two families.

Nine years later, the brothers return to their new families and are finally reunited, but the psychological problems caused by their families of origin still follow them.

Facing various difficulties in life, they choose to make a concerted effort to get through them. After some trials and tribulations, they finally bravely step out of the shadow of their past, allowing their parents to face their problems and making each other become better and better.

Go Ahead Recap

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In 1999, outside Li Haichao's noodle shop, his daughter Li Jianjian was playing alone at the door. A moving truck passed by and a chair fell off the truck. Hearing the noise, Li Haichao rushed out to check on his daughter. A man also got down from the truck—it turned out to be Ling Heping, a police officer who had just moved into the apartment above Li Haichao's.

After a brief exchange, Ling Heping's wife Chen Ting urged him to return quickly. Ling Heping introduced his wife and son, Ling Xiao, to Li Haichao. Warm-hearted Li Haichao even offered to help them move later. At their new home, while unpacking, Ling Heping and Chen Ting chatted. Chen Ting mentioned that Li Haichao’s wife had passed away the previous year. Ling Heping sighed about how hard life must be for Li Haichao’s family.

But Chen Ting said their own family wasn’t much better. Noticing Chen Ting was in a bad mood, Ling Heping quickly changed the subject, saying he had to report to the police station. When Chen Ting went into Ling Xiao’s room, she found a photo hidden under his bed—a family photo of the four members of the Ling family. It turned out they once had a daughter who passed away young.

Chen Ting, struck in her pain, tore the photo and threw it in the trash downstairs. Just then, Li Jianjian came by with an ice cream for Ling Xiao, but Chen Ting coldly told her that Ling Xiao didn’t eat ice cream. Li Jianjian saw the discarded photo, secretly picked it up and took it home, carefully piecing it back together.

When Li Haichao saw the photo while calling Li Jianjian for dinner, he realized the Ling family once had a daughter who likely died young. He guessed that’s why Chen Ting had torn the photo. He reminded Li Jianjian not to bring it up again. He was going to throw the photo away, but Li Jianjian begged him to keep it, and he finally agreed.

The next morning, their neighbor Aunt Qian visited Li Haichao and introduced him to a blind date, He Mei. Li Haichao brought Li Jianjian, and He Mei brought her own son, He Ziqiu. Upon meeting, Li Jianjian vaguely realized that her father was trying to find her a stepmother, and she angrily hit Li Haichao and ran off. Aunt Qian told Li Haichao to stay while she went after Li Jianjian.

Seeing that He Ziqiu also wanted to go out, He Mei let him go play too. Back at the noodle shop, Li Haichao and He Mei chatted. He Mei worked at a shopping mall counter and had to stand ten hours a day, with no time to cook for He Ziqiu. Li Haichao offered to have He Ziqiu eat at his shop. In the park, Li Jianjian showed hostility toward He Ziqiu and chased him with a water gun.

On their way home, Li Haichao and Li Jianjian ran into Chen Ting and Ling Xiao. When Chen Ting learned about the blind date, she felt it was too soon—Li Haichao’s wife had only been gone for a little over a year. She criticized him for moving on so quickly and later complained to Ling Heping, who defended Li Haichao. Dissatisfied, Chen Ting also scolded Ling Heping for caring only about work and not the family.

Li Jianjian remained hostile toward He Ziqiu but liked Ling Xiao very much. One day, Li Haichao gave her a basket of hickory nuts to take to the Ling family. When Ling Xiao answered the door and saw the nuts, something about them triggered him emotionally—he shoved Li Jianjian and slammed the door. Hearing the commotion, Li Haichao got angry seeing Li Jianjian pushed, but she dismissed it, thinking Ling Xiao just didn’t like hickory nuts.

She even said she would bring him candy next time. Ling Heping found out and wanted to bring Ling Xiao over to apologize, but Chen Ting refused and argued with him again. He Mei brought He Ziqiu to the noodle shop to eat noodles. When Li Jianjian saw He Ziqiu again and playing with her toys, she was quite unfriendly to him, while Li Haichao was very patient. Seeing this, He Mei began to change her view of Li Haichao.

She even visited his home that day. As they chatted, she admired how well he managed raising a child alone. Embarrassed, Li Haichao joked that if she ever regretted it, she could let him raise He Ziqiu—he liked kids. Ling Heping and Chen Ting quarreled all the time. All the neighbors knew their relationship wasn’t good. Not wanting to go home to fight again, Ling Heping had lunch at Li Haichao’s shop.

Aunt Qian and Aunt Fang advised him to communicate more with Chen Ting and not keep giving her the cold shoulder. That night, Li Haichao returned home and heard another argument from the Ling family. He saw Ling Xiao reading alone in the hallway. Feeling sorry, he invited Ling Xiao to come play at his home, but Ling Xiao refused.

One day, Ling Xiao was reading alone in the park when Zhu Peng, a neighborhood kid, led a group of children to bully him. Li Jianjian rushed in to help and fought Zhu Peng. He Ziqiu also joined to help. All three kids got hurt. Zhu Peng’s mother went to the Li home to complain, but Li Haichao smoothed things over with a few words.

After they left, He Mei told the kids to wash up for dinner, but Li Jianjian was in a sulky mood. Then Ling Xiao suddenly knocked on the door and brought iodine for Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu. Back at home, with no one to cook for him, He Ziqiu had to eat instant noodles alone. Chen Ting, getting up, felt guilty when she saw this. Ling Xiao could only say he liked eating instant noodles.

Aunt Fang and Aunt Qian came to the Ling home and also saw Ling Xiao eating noodles. He made them tea and then said he was going out to play, but in reality, he was just reading alone in the hallway. The two aunts wanted to advise Chen Ting to socialize more and not stay home all the time, but she barely listened.

That night, when Ling Heping came home, Chen Ting argued with him again, believing he had asked the neighbors to lecture her. Exhausted by her emotions, Ling Heping sat silently. Ling Xiao, as usual, sat in the hallway. Li Haichao and his daughter invited Ling Xiao over for dinner again. This time, he didn’t refuse.

After dinner, Li Jianjian gave Ling Xiao the photo Chen Ting had thrown away and told him comfortingly that his sister had become a fairy at sea. But Ling Xiao said Li Haichao was lying—his sister and Li Jianjian’s mom were dead, and when people die, they are gone forever. He said you have to throw away things belonging to the dead and forget them. Seeing Ling Xiao didn’t believe otherwise, Li Jianjian quietly took him to her father's room, saying she would show him Li Haichao’s secret.

Li Jianjian opened the drawer at Li Haichao’s bedside and showed Ling Xiao photos and old belongings of her mother. She said she knew everything—that Li Haichao hadn’t forgotten her mother but only thought about her secretly, and she also secretly thought of her mom without letting her father know. After that, Ling Xiao’s attitude toward Li Jianjian softened, and he got used to eating at their home.

One day while they were having a meal, He Mei suddenly called Li Haichao. Her mother was seriously ill, and she asked to borrow money and for Li Haichao to look after He Ziqiu for a while. Kind-hearted Li Haichao agreed. After bringing He Ziqiu home, He Ziqiu saw the money exchange and mistakenly thought it was a bride price for He Mei.

Finding He Ziqiu rather adorable, Li Haichao joked that from now on He Ziqiu would be part of the Li family. He Ziqiu called him "Dad," which moved Li Haichao to the point of tears. But when Li Jianjian got home and found out, she got upset. She wouldn’t let He Ziqiu call Li Haichao "Dad" and kept throwing his suitcase out. However, as time passed, she gradually accepted He Ziqiu's presence.

Chen Ting later found the photo Ling Xiao had been hiding and lost her temper, even hitting him. Ling Heping quickly stopped her, but Chen Ting, overwhelmed by emotion, accused Ling Xiao of causing his sister's death. Years ago, while Chen Ting went out to play mahjong, she left Ling Xiao to care for his sister, who loved eating walnuts. Normally, Ling Xiao fed her, but that day she choked on one.

The door was locked from the outside, and Ling Xiao couldn’t get help. By the time Chen Ting returned, the girl was already gone. Because of the backlash from others, Chen Ting couldn’t stay in their original place and moved. Hearing her bring it up again and lash out at Ling Xiao, Ling Heping finally snapped and slapped Chen Ting. That slap ended their marriage—Chen Ting chose to leave. When she left, Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao were returning home.

At the building’s entrance, they saw Chen Ting dragging her suitcase. Li Jianjian asked if she was abandoning Ling Xiao. Chen Ting hardened her heart and said she didn’t want him anymore and left him to Li Jianjian. Watching his mother leave, Ling Xiao was heartbroken, but Li Jianjian was happy to have a big brother. After Chen Ting left, Ling Heping asked Li Haichao to look after Ling Xiao.

That night, when he came back from work, he saw the three children asleep on the bed and didn’t want to disturb them. He sat in the living room chatting and drinking with Li Haichao. Ling Heping talked about how when their daughter was born, Chen Ting lost her job due to the one-child policy, and he missed a promotion, but he never regretted having the child. What he did regret was not protecting her better.

Ling Xiao used to be talkative and lively, but after the tragedy, he grew quiet. Li Haichao comforted him and said to treat their home like his own. Time passed, and Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu all grew up. Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu were older than Li Jianjian and entered senior high before her. When Li Jianjian started tenth grade, they were already in their final year.

Li Haichao reminded them to look after her at school and make sure she didn’t cause trouble. After the kids left for school, He Ziqiu’s second aunt, He Lan, came to visit Li Haichao’s shop. As they chatted at the entrance, neighbors playing mahjong gossiped and revealed that He Ziqiu’s grandparents had passed away and no one knew what had happened to He Mei. At lunch, Ling Heping also came over to eat.

When the kids came back from school, they all sat down together. Li Jianjian suddenly said she had a big announcement. No one knew what she was going to say, and she gleefully announced that she had gotten her first period. All the men were visibly embarrassed. Trying to change the subject, He Ziqiu said Ling Xiao had put something in her room. Li Jianjian ran to check and found that Ling Xiao had bought her a bra.

Without any shame, she boldly showed it off in front of them. None of them could continue eating and all left one by one. Li Haichao quickly stopped her and told her not to talk about such things outside. Li Jianjian shrugged it off, saying she only said it at home, not outside. Realizing he hadn’t given Li Jianjian enough guidance on these matters, Li Haichao went to find Aunt Qian to ask if her daughter Fangfang could teach her.

At school, a girl was being harassed by a scammer pretending to be injured. He Ziqiu stepped in to protect her. When Li Jianjian found out he was in trouble, she called Ling Xiao and went ahead to help.

As soon as Li Jianjian appeared, she knocked one person down, and He Ziqiu took the opportunity to kick down another. Li Jianjian still wanted to rush up and fight, but He Ziqiu quickly held her back. At that moment, Ling Xiao also rushed over and scared the two scammers by saying he had already called the police. Realizing the situation wasn’t in their favor, the two scammers fled.

After the three returned to school, they were scolded by a teacher from the academic affairs office, who told them that even though they were standing up for justice, they were still students and should seek help from teachers next time. The girl they saved was Qi Mingyue, the class monitor in Li Jianjian's class. She thanked them, but Li Jianjian said she didn’t know her.

Qi Mingyue was puzzled and didn’t understand why they would help her if they didn’t know her, but the three replied in unison: "We were doing the right thing." The next day, to thank Li Jianjian, Qi Mingyue invited her for a snack. Li Jianjian also brought He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao along. Qi Mingyue asked what their relationship was, and Li Jianjian casually replied that they were a family, just not related by blood.

Qi Mingyue didn’t quite understand what she meant but quietly accepted it. From then on, Qi Mingyue and Li Jianjian became good friends. Qi Mingyue was a top student, and her mother, Jin Yuxiang, was very strict with her. Li Jianjian, on the other hand, had poor grades, so Jin Yuxiang didn’t want her daughter to associate with Li Jianjian. At the parent-teacher meeting, Jin Yuxiang even shared her parenting experience with other parents.

After school, Ling Xiao, He Ziqiu, and Qi Mingyue were doing homework at a drink shop. Qi Mingyue accidentally drank from He Ziqiu’s drink. Embarrassed as she looked at He Ziqiu’s lips, she quickly said she would buy him another one. That night at home, the family sat around the table eating hot pot. Li Haichao brought up Li Jianjian’s grades and said he didn’t expect much improvement.

Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, Ling Heping received a call from Ling Xiao’s grandmother. Ling Xiao’s expression changed, and he put down his chopsticks and left. Li Jianjian couldn’t help complaining to He Ziqiu, saying that every time Ling Xiao heard anything about his mother’s family, he would lose his appetite. Li Haichao, a bit helpless, said he’d cook some noodles and asked them to bring it up to Ling Xiao later.

After dinner, Li Haichao privately asked Ling Heping what Ling Xiao’s grandmother wanted. It turned out that Chen Ting had remarried, and her husband was coming to work for six months. She and her daughter were also moving over, and Ling Xiao’s grandmother was asking Ling Heping to arrange a temporary school placement for the daughter. Meanwhile, He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian brought the noodles to Ling Xiao, but he still didn’t want to eat.

Li Jianjian jumped onto his bed and said she wouldn’t leave unless he ate. Ling Xiao, helpless, picked up the bowl to eat a few bites. Then Li Jianjian said his blanket smelled nice and had his scent. Ling Xiao blushed instantly, pulled her off the bed, and told her not to get on his or He Ziqiu’s bed again. Li Jianjian, being young and innocent, didn’t understand why Ling Xiao was angry.

But Ling Xiao had already developed a sense of boundaries between boys and girls and insisted on maintaining distance from her. Over the weekend, Jin Yuxiang took her daughter Qi Mingyue to a math tutoring class and reminded her to spend time with Wang Yajie, the top student, instead of fooling around with Li Jianjian. She even promised to buy her a digital camera if she outperformed Wang Yajie in the next exam.

At school, Jin Yuxiang asked Qi Mingyue what she wanted to eat for dinner. Qi Mingyue said she planned to go to a café with Wang Yajie to work on practice tests and then have hot pot. Jin Yuxiang, pleased with her daughter’s obedience, gave her money to treat her classmates. After returning, Chen Ting went to school to see Ling Xiao. Though he had said he considered her a stranger, seeing her stirred up complicated emotions.

He Ziqiu saw Chen Ting when he returned from playing basketball. Chen Ting told Ling Xiao she had settled in Singapore and had a daughter named Xiao Chengzi, who had been begging to meet him. Ling Xiao, cold and distant, said he didn’t know her, so there was no point in meeting. Chen Ting asked whether he was doing well living with Li Haichao and if he had suffered.

Ling Xiao got angry and told her not to criticize his family. He said he considered Li Haichao his real father and would take care of him when he got old. Chen Ting was a bit heartbroken by his attitude. She explained that back then, she was barely surviving and taking him with her might have hurt him more. Meanwhile, He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian were waiting for Ling Xiao outside the café.

Li Jianjian asked if he had ever thought about looking for He Mei. He Ziqiu suddenly got angry and said he wasn’t garbage that people could throw away and pick back up at will. Not wanting to wait for Ling Xiao, he left. Despite his harsh words, He Ziqiu had always kept a photo of He Mei, still hoping she would come back one day. Chen Ting also missed Ling Xiao deeply all these years and wanted his forgiveness. Ling Xiao saw Li Jianjian squatting at the door waiting for him. Without paying Chen Ting any mind, he pulled Li Jianjian up and left with her.

After Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao left, she held onto Ling Xiao’s hand and refused to let go. They were mistaken as students in a romantic relationship by the director of academic affairs, and the two quickly ran off. After meeting Ling Xiao, Chen Ting called Ling Heping out as well. Their meeting was awkward at first, both being polite. After handing over her daughter’s school admission documents, Ling Heping made a few pleasantries and was about to leave.

Chen Ting said she had already met with Ling Xiao. Ling Heping got angry and questioned her for not showing up for ten years and suddenly appearing—had she considered Ling Xiao’s feelings? Chen Ting fired back, accusing Ling Heping of failing as a father and abandoning Ling Xiao to a neighbor without concern. She claimed Li Haichao, raising three kids alone, couldn’t possibly do a good job.

Ling Heping retorted that Li Haichao was Ling Xiao’s real father and told Chen Ting to stop looking for Ling Xiao. After returning to the noodle shop, Ling Heping wanted to ask Ling Xiao about meeting Chen Ting but saw he didn’t want to talk. He then called Li Haichao outside, told him about Chen Ting, and asked him to talk to Ling Xiao if possible since he was the one Ling Xiao was willing to open up to.

Li Haichao, concerned for Ling Xiao, agreed. That night, Ling Xiao had a nightmare about the day his sister died. It was storming with thunder and rain, and no one heard his desperate cries for help. After school the next day, the trio returned to the noodle shop only to find Ling Xiao’s grandmother there with Xiao Chengzi. Xiao Chengzi greeted Ling Xiao warmly, introducing herself as Qin Meiyang.

Ling Xiao got angry at his grandmother for bringing her without permission. She scolded Ling Xiao and said Qin Meiyang was his biological sister—the closest person to him aside from their parents. Ling Xiao said he already had a sister. His grandmother looked at Li Jianjian with disdain and claimed Li Haichao only took care of Ling Xiao because Ling Heping paid him.

Enraged by her slander, Ling Xiao told her never to look for him again or ask Ling Heping for help. Furious, she hit him a few times. Seeing this, Li Jianjian quickly came out to smooth things over. Ling Xiao’s grandmother insulted Li Jianjian’s upbringing, left Qin Meiyang behind, and left alone. The three were speechless. Qin Meiyang looked at Li Jianjian and asked why she called Ling Xiao “brother,” saying she was his only sister.

Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu both refuted her. Just then, Ling Heping returned, and Ling Xiao, ignoring Qin Meiyang, called Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu to leave. Qin Meiyang tried to follow, but Ling Heping stopped her and sent her back. When Chen Ting learned about this, she was also unhappy with her mother’s actions. But Ling Xiao’s grandmother said she had deliberately let Qin Meiyang cling to Ling Xiao so he would get used to her presence.

After all, Chen Ting had neglected Ling Xiao for ten years—how could she expect him to take the initiative to get close? She occasionally asked Ling Heping for help just to maintain some connection with Ling Xiao. While playing basketball with his friend Zhuang Bei, He Ziqiu appeared distracted. Zhuang Bei asked what was wrong, but He Ziqiu didn’t want to say much, feeling Zhuang Bei wouldn’t understand anyway.

Zhuang Bei thought that since Qin Meiyang and Chen Ting were Ling Xiao’s biological relatives, he shouldn’t be so cold. He Ziqiu shoved him, saying their family only had five people—everyone else was an outsider. Zhuang Bei then asked why he still wanted to find He Mei. He Ziqiu paused and said he just wanted to ask why she abandoned him back then and maybe get back the money Li Haichao spent on him.

Suddenly, He Ziqiu saw a figure that looked like He Mei. He ran after her only to realize he was mistaken. In his daze, Zhuang Bei also ran up. Not wanting to admit it, He Ziqiu just said he mistook her for another sister. After playing basketball, He Ziqiu ran into Qi Mingyue. Jin Yuxiang inquired about He Ziqiu, asking if she was still hanging out with Li Jianjian and told her to focus on studying.

Qi Mingyue explained that as class monitor, she needed to understand her classmates. She also said that both He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao had excellent grades—one in the top ten of their class, the other ranked first in the grade. Jin Yuxiang was surprised and began to see He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao in a new light.

Ling Xiao’s grandmother, relying on her seniority, kept bringing Qin Meiyang to see Ling Xiao and spread news about Chen Ting throughout the neighborhood. Ling Heping had no way to stop her and could only endure it. When Ling Xiao came home and heard neighbors gossiping about Chen Ting, his mood became complicated. That night, the three sat on the rooftop eating late-night snacks and waiting to see shooting stars. After finishing the food, the stars still hadn’t appeared.

Li Jianjian fell asleep while waiting. He Ziqiu asked if Ling Xiao had ever wondered why Chen Ting left. Ling Xiao said he already knew—she hadn’t abandoned him, she had just thrown away her entire past. He Ziqiu, feeling sad, thought they were just disposable in their parents’ eyes. Ling Xiao told him not to overthink it. If He Mei wanted to find him, she would. But He Ziqiu didn’t want to be treated so casually.

He then asked Ling Xiao how he felt about Chen Ting’s return. Ling Xiao said it was noisy, but seeing her doing well made him happy. As they talked, the shooting stars appeared. They quickly woke Li Jianjian. She was overjoyed to see them and shouted to her mother, hoping she could see her from the sky. He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao felt a twinge of pain in their hearts for her.

That night, Chen Ting brought Qin Meiyang to Li Haichao’s noodle shop and had her do homework with Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao even helped teach her. Seeing them getting along, Chen Ting was happy. Ling Xiao suddenly noticed a birthmark on Qin Meiyang’s neck, identical to the one his deceased sister had. Chen Ting began to reminisce, saying she had dreamed of thunderstorms for years. Qin Meiyang didn’t understand why. Chen Ting replied that she was afraid of being struck by lightning. Ling Xiao was slightly moved by this but only said Chen Ting was being superstitious.

Li Jianjian had been in low spirits because of Ling Xiao. Qi Mingyue comforted her a little and mentioned that He Ziqiu's birthday was next Friday. She asked if Li Jianjian knew what He Ziqiu liked so she could prepare a gift. Li Jianjian had actually forgotten He Ziqiu's birthday, while Qi Mingyue remembered it clearly. Li Jianjian found it a bit strange. Qi Mingyue became shy and quickly changed the subject.

Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao bought a pair of headphones as a birthday gift for He Ziqiu. On He Ziqiu's birthday, his second aunt, He Lan, came to the Li house specifically to celebrate with him. He Ziqiu was helping Li Haichao in the kitchen, but Ling Xiao asked him to go chat with He Lan instead. He Ziqiu had no choice but to agree. He Lan was in Li Jianjian's room watching her carve wood.

He Ziqiu entered the room with a plate of fruit and, seeing the wood shavings all over her desk, told her to clean them up herself later. He Lan was dissatisfied with He Ziqiu's attitude and pulled him into another room to lecture him about doing more chores at the Li household. She thought that He Ziqiu was freeloading and, if he didn’t work harder, the Li family would definitely start to resent him.

When Li Haichao came to call He Ziqiu for dinner, he overheard what He Lan said, which made him feel quite uncomfortable. Once the dishes were served, everyone sat together for dinner. He Lan even forced He Ziqiu to propose a toast to Li Haichao and told him to be filial in the future. She even threatened that if he wasn’t filial, she’d be the first to break his legs. Both He Ziqiu and Li Haichao felt awkward.

Li Haichao, feeling down, got drunk and pulled He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao aside to ramble emotionally. He said he truly cherished the two sons fate had given him. Although they weren’t related by blood, he had long regarded Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu as his own. He had seen how Ling Xiao couldn’t sleep after meeting Chen Ting again and also knew the grievances He Ziqiu had endured growing up.

Because He Ziqiu was fostered in the Li family, people would often remind him to be filial—or else he might be taken away. He Lan’s words hurt both He Ziqiu and Li Haichao deeply. Ling Heping and the others quickly helped the drunk Li Haichao to bed. After Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian left, Li Haichao sobered up a bit and recalled the time when he brought Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao to the countryside to find He Ziqiu.

At that time, He Ziqiu was neglected by both He Lan and his grandmother. Li Haichao felt heartbroken and was determined to bring He Ziqiu home and raise him. After arriving at the Li house, He Ziqiu was so afraid of being sent away that he started doing laundry voluntarily and wiping tables at the noodle shop.

Customers at the shop even joked with him, but Li Haichao got upset, pulled He Ziqiu aside, and told him he was just like Li Jianjian—they were both his children, and he would never send He Ziqiu away. When He Mei learned that Li Haichao had taken He Ziqiu in, she wrote a letter to thank him and promised to repay the money someday. But all these years passed, and there was no more news from He Mei.

Back in the present, when He Ziqiu was seeing He Lan off, she reminded him not to inquire about He Mei anymore and to forget her so that Li Haichao wouldn’t be hurt. Qin Meiyang suddenly showed up alone at Li Jianjian’s house, demanding that Li Jianjian take her to see Ling Xiao. At first, Li Jianjian refused, but Qin Meiyang pulled out a hundred yuan bill. Tempted, Li Jianjian took the money and wandered around the park with her.

However, Qin Meiyang accidentally fell down some steps. Li Jianjian rushed her to the hospital. When Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu heard the news, they rushed there too. Thankfully, Qin Meiyang wasn’t seriously hurt. However, Chen Ting furiously questioned Li Jianjian about how Qin Meiyang had fallen. Li Jianjian had her back turned at the time and wasn’t sure, but Chen Ting didn’t believe her. Just then, Ling Xiao came out of the ward.

Chen Ting stopped talking to Li Jianjian and went in to take care of Qin Meiyang. Li Jianjian looked at Ling Xiao, wanting to say something, but before she could, Qin Meiyang started crying for her brother from inside the room. Ling Xiao had no choice but to ask Li Jianjian and the others to leave.

After they left, Chen Ting spoke with Ling Xiao and asked him to give some of the affection he showed Li Jianjian to Qin Meiyang. Ling Xiao refused, saying he was not like Chen Ting and would never share what belonged to Li Jianjian with anyone else. These past few days, Ling Xiao had been heading straight to the hospital after class. Li Jianjian hadn’t seen him in days.

She figured that having to deal with Chen Ting every day must be wearing him down, and she felt like she had dragged him into it. But Ling Xiao never blamed her. In the hospital room, Ling Xiao’s grandmother scolded Chen Ting for spoiling Qin Meiyang without considering that Ling Xiao was now a senior in high school and still had to come to the hospital every night.

Chen Ting was upset, feeling like everything she did was wrong in the grandmother’s eyes. The grandmother also blamed Chen Ting for marrying too far away and being unable to take care of her. If she fell ill, all Chen Ting could do was send money and nothing else.

While Ling Xiao’s grandmother and Chen Ting were arguing, Li Haichao arrived to deliver food. That stopped Chen Ting from continuing. She told him that Qin Meiyang would be discharged the next day, so there was no need for him to bring food anymore. She also pulled out a wad of cash to thank him for taking care of Ling Xiao all these years.

Li Haichao firmly refused, saying he truly considered Ling Xiao his own child and would take good care of him even without money. Not long after, the winter break began. Qin Meiyang and Chen Ting returned to Singapore. Watching them leave, Li Jianjian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Earlier, Ling Xiao had secretly submitted one of Li Jianjian’s wood carvings to a competition, and it ended up winning the gold prize.

Li Jianjian was overjoyed and even hung a banner outside the noodle shop to celebrate. During the New Year, the Li and Ling families were having a reunion dinner together at home. Qi Mingyue even called Li Jianjian to wish her a happy new year. The new semester started, and a transfer student named Tang Can joined Li Jianjian’s class. She had previously starred in an ice cream commercial, and everyone had seen her on TV.

When they met her in person, the whole class was excited. Tang Can introduced herself gracefully and elegantly. After class, Qi Mingyue picked up a bus pass Tang Can had dropped and pulled Li Jianjian along to return it. But they accidentally saw Tang Can changing into a very mature outfit in a nearby alley—completely different from her earlier appearance. Both of them were stunned.

After a moment, Qi Mingyue placed the card on the ground, grabbed Li Jianjian, and ran off. The next day during PE class, after running, Li Jianjian and Qi Mingyue saw Tang Can glaring at them from the sidelines. Li Jianjian refused to be intimidated and mimicked Tang Can’s actions from the previous day. Tang Can’s expression immediately changed. Qi Mingyue didn’t want to stir trouble and pulled Li Jianjian away to watch He Ziqiu play basketball.

After the game, He Ziqiu’s biological father, Zhao Huaguang, came to find him. Zhao Huaguang had done some research beforehand and knew He Ziqiu was raised by Li Haichao. He told He Ziqiu that he had been too poor back then to raise a child and assumed He Ziqiu had endured a lot growing up in someone else’s home. He offered to take He Ziqiu abroad and send him to a top university.

But He Ziqiu didn’t want to talk and walked off, leaving Zhao Huaguang behind. When He Ziqiu got home, he remained in a bad mood, unable to stop thinking about Zhao Huaguang. Since He Lan happened to be visiting that day, he used an excuse to ask her about Zhao Huaguang. He Lan told him everything she knew: Zhao Huaguang came from the village just over the mountain from He Mei’s hometown.

He used to be so poor he couldn’t support a wife or child. But later, he married a rich woman and started doing business with her family, which made him wealthy. However, all these years, he hadn’t had any children. Hearing this, He Ziqiu started to guess why Zhao Huaguang had come to find him. Li Jianjian noticed something was off with He Ziqiu, but he wouldn’t tell her the truth.

He just said sadly that his life was now too happy, and he was terrified someone would come and ruin it. There was an exam in Li Jianjian’s class, and when she checked the rankings, she was thrilled to find that she had gone from second-to-last to third-to-last. She quickly looked to see who was behind her—turns out Tang Can was dead last. The homeroom teacher, Mr. Huang, called Li Jianjian into the office to scold her.

At that moment, Tang Can’s mother arrived with her. Mr. Huang thought she was there because of Tang Can’s grades, but instead, she said she was there to request a leave of absence so Tang Can could go to Shanghai to shoot a commercial. Mr. Huang had no choice but to agree and reminded Tang Can not to fall behind in her studies.

In fact, Tang Can didn’t want to film commercials—she truly wanted to be an actress—but could only comply with her mother’s plans. Jin Yuxiang took Qi Mingyue shopping for clothes and, upon hearing about Tang Can, showed clear disdain. She even warned Qi Mingyue not to be influenced. After learning that Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu had excellent grades, Jin Yuxiang had always wanted to treat them to a meal.

She finally found a time to invite the three siblings for dinner. During the meal, she asked about their future plans. All three planned to apply to universities in Beijing. Jin Yuxiang mentioned that Qi Mingyue wanted to become a lawyer and hoped to get into the University of Political Science and Law. She asked the three to look out for Qi Mingyue in the future.

Jin Yuxiang, Li Jianjian, and the others had almost finished chatting and went to order food. After Jin Yuxiang left, Li Jianjian was a little surprised that Qi Mingyue wanted to become a lawyer. Qi Mingyue was a bit helpless and said it wasn’t her idea but rather what Jin Yuxiang wanted for her. Li Jianjian felt fortunate that Li Haichao was always tolerant of them and not controlling like Jin Yuxiang.

Jin Yuxiang had also noticed Qi Mingyue’s feelings for He Ziqiu and repeatedly reminded her to focus on her studies instead of wasting energy elsewhere. The next day during break, He Ziqiu was about to play basketball when a classmate handed him a box, saying it was from his dad. He Ziqiu was puzzled. It turned out Zhao Huaguang had come to the school to deliver gifts to He Ziqiu and even brought snacks for his classmates.

Only then did He Ziqiu’s classmates realize that Li Haichao wasn’t his biological father. He Ziqiu was furious. He took the items and chased after Zhao Huaguang, throwing them all back at him and emotionally demanding that he never come looking for him again. When Zhuang Bei heard about it, he worried Zhao Huaguang might go find Li Haichao, so he advised He Ziqiu to inform Li Haichao about Zhao Huaguang in advance so he could be prepared.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiao accompanied Li Jianjian to the dentist. Li Jianjian was terrified of dental work, and Ling Xiao stayed by her side, constantly reassuring her. As she lay on the dental chair, Ling Xiao held her hand tightly. After her tooth was pulled, Li Jianjian was still a bit scared and said she wished Ling Xiao would become a dentist in the future. Qi Mingyue ran into He Ziqiu at school when he was looking for Zhao Huaguang.

That weekend, while delivering textbooks to Li Jianjian’s house, Qi Mingyue asked Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao about He Ziqiu. But neither of them knew anything, so Qi Mingyue told them what she had seen. Just as Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian were reacting with surprise, He Ziqiu came home. They quickly asked him what was going on. When He Ziqiu realized Qi Mingyue had revealed his secret, he blamed her for meddling.

Qi Mingyue was scolded and felt wronged, so she took her things and left. Li Jianjian wanted to go after her and persuade her to stay, but Ling Xiao told her to rest and went to comfort Qi Mingyue instead. Ling Xiao said she hadn’t done anything wrong and shouldn’t feel guilty just because He Ziqiu was angry. In fact, Ling Xiao thought Qi Mingyue was truly outstanding and advised her not to deny herself in such situations.

His words gave Qi Mingyue a sense of clarity. After returning home, Ling Xiao asked He Ziqiu about the situation. Seeing that He Ziqiu was determined not to tell Li Haichao about Zhao Huaguang, Ling Xiao didn’t press him and let him make his own decision. But the next day, Zhao Huaguang went straight to Li Haichao. When Ling Heping found out, he rushed home early to meet Zhao Huaguang with Li Haichao.

Zhao Huaguang introduced his current situation, highlighting his strong financial status. He mentioned that since Li Haichao and He Mei weren’t married, he and He Ziqiu had no legal relationship. Li Haichao understood Zhao Huaguang’s real intent—he wanted to reclaim He Ziqiu. Zhao Huaguang even offered one million yuan as compensation to Li Haichao. Furious, Li Haichao and Ling Heping kicked him out.

As Zhao Huaguang was leaving, he ran into He Ziqiu, Ling Xiao, and Li Jianjian returning from school. When He Ziqiu saw that Zhao Huaguang was still harassing Li Haichao, he threw his schoolbag at him. Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian quickly pulled him back to avoid further confrontation. Back home, Li Haichao asked He Ziqiu why he hadn’t told him about Zhao Huaguang. He Ziqiu quickly apologized.

What Li Haichao really worried about was whether this would affect He Ziqiu’s studies. Though they were growing up, they weren’t yet adults and couldn’t handle such problems alone. Ling Heping also said that if Zhao Huaguang bothered them again, they should call the police. After dinner, Li Haichao went to He Ziqiu’s room to comfort him.

He had always known what He Ziqiu felt deep down—he constantly felt indebted to the Li family and tried to make it up in every way possible, always yielding to Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao. Li Haichao, feeling sorry for him, reassured him that no matter what happens, he would always be there.

Tang Can was quite popular in class, and some students even called her “Teacher Tang.” She acted pretentiously in front of others. Li Jianjian, overhearing her, couldn’t help but mock her. Zhao Huaguang, still unwilling to give up, went to Li Haichao’s noodle shop to persuade him again. He said Li Haichao should consider He Ziqiu’s future and accused him of keeping He Ziqiu just to have someone care for him in old age.

He even speculated that Li Haichao thought the one million wasn’t enough. That completely enraged Li Haichao, who kicked him out. Coincidentally, Aunt Qian arrived at the shop and saw Zhao Huaguang being thrown out. After learning who he was, she verbally lashed out at him and even threatened to splash boiling water on him, causing Zhao Huaguang to flee in panic. Teacher Huang asked Qi Mingyue to deliver class notes to Tang Can.

Qi Mingyue brought Li Jianjian along, and the two waited at the entrance of Tang Can’s residential complex for over half an hour before she finally came out. Tang Can pretended she didn’t want people to know where she lived. After a bit of an explanation, she asked for the notes. Furious, Qi Mingyue snapped that Tang Can wouldn’t understand them anyway. Li Jianjian also made some sarcastic remarks.

When Li Jianjian got home, she found the noodle shop closed and no one at home. She called Ling Xiao and learned they were all at the hospital because a customer at the shop had food poisoning. The noodle shop had been having hygiene issues recently, and now it had escalated to a case of food poisoning. Li Jianjian suspected someone was deliberately sabotaging them. He Ziqiu grew nervous and started suspecting Zhao Huaguang.

Due to the incident, the shop was ordered to close for a week. After explaining the situation, Li Haichao went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Li Jianjian wanted to ask more, but He Ziqiu stopped her. He and Ling Xiao both knew that Li Haichao was emotionally upset, so they took Li Jianjian to the convenience store to give him some space to calm down.

On the way back, He Ziqiu said sadly that he wanted to grow up quickly so he could share Li Haichao’s burdens. Ling Xiao responded that growing up happens in an instant. Turning eighteen is becoming an adult by law, but true maturity is that one moment—only known to yourself—when you feel the weight of life. That moment could come the next second, tomorrow, ten years from now, or even never.

He Ziqiu found Zhao Huaguang and accused him of sabotaging the shop. Zhao Huaguang denied it. He Ziqiu didn’t believe him and desperately begged him to leave their family alone, saying the shop was their only source of income. Zhao Huaguang tried to persuade He Ziqiu to go with him, saying it would ease Li Haichao’s burden. But He Ziqiu still refused. Zhao Huaguang changed his tone and threatened them, saying he wouldn’t give up no matter what.

Meanwhile, Li Haichao was thinking of ways to make money. He decided to rent the neighboring store and expand the noodle shop. Ling Heping supported the idea when he found out. When the college entrance exam day arrived, Li Jianjian and Li Haichao were more nervous than Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu.

They even drew a map of the test site and told them to enter from the left and exit from the right, and to sincerely bow when passing the statue of Confucius. After the exams, Li Jianjian returned to school and saw classmates crowding around Tang Can. Qi Mingyue told her that Tang Can had ranked in the top five out of 2,000 candidates and would be going to Beijing next week for training.

Class began, and Teacher Huang asked the top three students who wrote the best essays on “A Good Friend Worth Learning From” to read theirs. The first one was Qi Mingyue, who was nervous because she had written about Ling Xiao. Li Jianjian was upset—not because she wrote about Ling Xiao, but because she didn’t include her or He Ziqiu. Qi Mingyue quickly promised to write about Li Jianjian next time, and Li Jianjian finally calmed down.

Tang Can and her parents went to a restaurant to celebrate her making the top five. Coincidentally, Li Jianjian and Qi Mingyue were also at the same restaurant celebrating Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu’s exam success. A screen separated the two groups. Li Jianjian and Qi Mingyue eavesdropped on their conversation and learned that Tang Can’s family wasn’t well-off. Her mom worked as a cashier at a supermarket, and her dad was a long-haul truck driver.

The two girls waited until Tang Can’s family left before going to the restroom. While they were gossiping about her, Tang Can suddenly came out of a stall, angrily warning them not to spread rumors at school. Li Jianjian, hot-tempered as always, lunged at her, but Qi Mingyue quickly held her back. Though Tang Can pretended to be tough, she was clearly frightened and gave another warning before leaving.

The next day, as soon as Li Jianjian entered the classroom, Tang Can stared at her. Li Jianjian glared back. After sitting down, she found a box of chocolates in her drawer with a note telling her not to talk nonsense. Only then did she realize Tang Can had put it there. Tang Can anxiously watched as Li Jianjian ate the chocolate and made a zipping-the-mouth gesture, finally feeling relieved.

Li Haichao had been extremely busy lately with the renovation of his noodle shop. He Ziqiu thoughtfully applied medicated oil and gave Li Haichao a massage. He then asked if there was anything he could help with, but Li Haichao declined and instead gave He Ziqiu five hundred yuan to attend his teacher appreciation banquet and a class reunion. He told him to have a good time and not to worry about money.

He Ziqiu couldn’t help but recall what Zhao Huaguang had said to him. Guilt crept into his heart—he knew Zhao Huaguang had a point: Li Haichao worked hard running the noodle shop, and his income wasn’t high. Before leaving the house, Li Haichao, somewhat worried, asked He Ziqiu if Zhao Huaguang had come looking for him again. He Ziqiu hesitated for a moment and didn’t tell the truth. After finishing his exam, Ling Xiao had no interest in going out.

He stayed home with Li Jianjian and did homework with her. Li Jianjian, however, wanted to go out and play. Ling Xiao told her to finish her homework first and casually took her paper to look at. When he saw a mistake, he lightly knocked her on the head. Li Jianjian pretended to be angry and told him not to do that—if he knocked her silly, would he still marry her?

Ling Xiao looked at her seriously and said he would marry her. Li Jianjian was taken aback. What had started as a joke suddenly turned serious. She silently took the paper back from him and said nothing more. Ling Heping suddenly rushed home in a hurry. Ling Xiao’s grandmother had suffered a sudden heart attack and was being treated in the hospital. Ling Heping told Ling Xiao to come with him right away.

Ling Xiao’s uncle and aunt were already at the hospital. Chen Ting was far away in Singapore and hadn’t managed to get a ticket. The earliest she could arrive was the next morning. That night, the doctor issued four critical condition notices. Both Ling Xiao and Ling Heping stayed at the hospital. Ling Xiao received a call from Chen Ting and briefly explained the situation. They stayed all night. The outlook for Ling Xiao’s grandmother was bleak.

Then Ling Xiao received a call from Qin Meiyang’s uncle, who said that on the way to the airport, Chen Ting’s husband had been in a car accident and was in critical condition. Before Ling Xiao could fully absorb the news, his grandmother also passed away. Late that night, Li Haichao and the others waited at home until Ling Heping returned. Li Haichao quickly asked about Chen Ting’s situation.

Ling Heping told them that Chen Ting’s husband had died in the car accident and that Chen Ting was seriously injured. Her in-laws were urging her family to get a visa and come over quickly. Ling Heping had spent the day helping Ling Xiao’s uncle and Ling Xiao get their visa applications ready. Even with expedited processing, it would take several days. In the meantime, they would handle the grandmother’s funeral arrangements.

Li Haichao was worried Ling Xiao wouldn’t be able to handle it all, but Ling Heping said he was grown now—whether he could handle it or not, he had to. Ling Xiao and his uncle arrived in Singapore. Chen Ting was still in the ICU. Grandma Qin had already arranged her son’s funeral and was preparing to return to Malaysia, planning to take Qin Meiyang with her.

But Qin Meiyang refused to go and clung to Ling Xiao, saying she wanted to wait with him until Chen Ting woke up. Seeing her plead like that, Ling Xiao let her stay. He Ziqiu asked Zhuang Bei what he thought about him studying abroad. Zhuang Bei supported the idea, saying that if He Ziqiu used Zhao Huaguang’s money to study, it would help ease Li Haichao’s financial burden, and he could always return after growing up.

Li Jianjian had been distracted in class lately, worried about Ling Xiao. One day while going downstairs, she wasn’t paying attention and suddenly felt someone push her. She tumbled down the stairs. Qi Mingyue immediately called He Ziqiu, who rushed to the school. After learning what happened, he called Zhao Huaguang to ask if he had been behind it, but Zhao Huaguang denied everything.

He Ziqiu carried Li Jianjian home on his back, only to discover that Li Haichao had been taken to the hospital by ambulance. They rushed over and were told by the nurse that Li Haichao was fine—he had simply collapsed from exhaustion and malnutrition. After receiving IV fluids, the three returned home. Li Haichao went to sleep, and when he woke up, he found Li Jianjian sleeping beside him and He Ziqiu watching over him from the bedside.

When Li Haichao woke up and saw He Ziqiu looking at him with concern, he tried to perk up and said he was fine, insisting on getting up to cook for them. But when he got out of bed, he accidentally bumped Li Jianjian’s injury, waking her in pain. She quickly asked if he was okay, and he assured her he was. Seeing her injury made him feel terrible.

After some rest, he returned to the construction site to continue working on the noodle shop. During a break, a woman wearing sunglasses walked in. Li Haichao explained the shop was under renovation, but the woman took off her glasses—it was He Mei. He Mei looked like she was doing well.

She took out a wad of cash and said she had borrowed 10,000 yuan from Li Haichao when He Ziqiu’s grandmother was sick, and now she was paying back 30,000. Li Haichao wasn’t concerned about the money and asked where she had been all these years. He Mei said she had been working at a beauty salon in Shenzhen. The two still had little in common to talk about.

Li Haichao assumed she had come to see He Ziqiu, but He Mei said that wasn’t the reason, nor was she there just to repay the money. She had come because of Zhao Huaguang. Zhao Huaguang had reached out to He Mei through an old colleague and asked for his child. He Mei was aware of what had been happening lately.

She knew Zhao Huaguang was a bully who only picked on the weak, and that Li Haichao, being honest, was no match for him. But Li Haichao firmly stated that even if he had to beg on the streets, as long as He Ziqiu didn’t want it, he would never let Zhao Huaguang take him away. He Mei’s view of Li Haichao changed a little.

She used to think he was weak and easy to push around, but now she saw that he was the one who stepped up when it mattered most. Still, she believed that Zhao Huaguang should take back He Ziqiu. With Li Haichao’s financial situation, it would be impossible for him to send He Ziqiu abroad. She also knew that He Ziqiu felt indebted to the Li family and wouldn’t want to leave.

But she said if Li Haichao truly wanted the best future for He Ziqiu, he should let him go abroad. Whether to persuade He Ziqiu to leave or to stay, it was up to Li Haichao. After saying this, He Mei got up to leave and told him to act like she had never been there. If it was for He Ziqiu’s good, he shouldn’t tell him about her visit.

But Li Haichao said He Ziqiu still wanted to see her. He Mei hesitated, then said she already had a family and her husband didn’t know about He Ziqiu. To her, He Ziqiu was a burden. Li Haichao stopped her and returned the extra money, telling her not to worry about He Ziqiu anymore. In Singapore, Chen Ting was temporarily out of danger but still in the ICU.

Li Jianjian called Ling Xiao and complained that their home seemed to be cursed with hospital visits lately. Ling Xiao asked who was sick. Not wanting him to worry, Li Jianjian quickly said no one, then asked if he could come back before her birthday. Ling Xiao hesitated and said he might be a couple of days late.

Qi Mingyue brought gifts from Jin Yuxiang for both He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao and asked if she could borrow their class notes. Ling Xiao readily agreed. Just as Li Jianjian was about to hang up, Ling Xiao suddenly asked her to act cute for him. She complied, making his mood lighten, although he teased her that it wasn’t convincing.

Back at the hospital, the doctor told them Chen Ting’s worst injury was a spinal nerve injury that had caused paralysis in her lower body. The family should prepare for long-term care. Ling Xiao’s uncle asked if Chen Ting would never walk again. The doctor said not necessarily—many patients could regain independence through long-term therapy, but it would take immense effort from both the patient and family. Upon learning about her condition, Ling Xiao’s uncle argued with Qin Meiyang’s uncle.

The latter wanted Chen Ting’s family to care for her while the Qin family would care for Qin Meiyang. But Ling Xiao’s uncle had a job in China and couldn’t stay in Singapore long-term—only Ling Xiao could look after Chen Ting. The uncle suggested Ling Xiao attend university in Singapore, so he could stay with Chen Ting without delaying his studies. But Ling Xiao was upset.

He felt abandoned by Chen Ting years ago and didn’t think he owed her anything now. After his talk with He Mei, Li Haichao also began considering sending He Ziqiu abroad. Ling Heping was surprised by the change but Li Haichao said it was for He Ziqiu’s future. Ling Heping disagreed and advised him not to tell He Ziqiu for now, but Li Haichao asked him to help convince the boy.

Seeing that Li Haichao was determined, Ling Heping dropped his opposition. When He Ziqiu came home, he brought up the idea of studying abroad himself before Li Haichao could even say anything. This surprised Li Haichao—he had just decided to convince him, but now that He Ziqiu mentioned it first, he couldn’t bear it. He Ziqiu wanted to ease his burden, and Li Haichao wanted to give him a better future.

But it all hinged on letting Zhao Huaguang reclaim him, which was painful for them both. Li Haichao couldn’t hold back his tears, but he still agreed. Li Jianjian didn’t know about He Ziqiu’s decision yet. She happily went out and bought shoes as gifts for He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao. When she returned home, she sensed tension between the two and thought they had quarreled. Li Haichao asked He Ziqiu to tell her.

She thought it was about planning a belated birthday for Ling Xiao. Far away in Singapore, Ling Xiao smiled at the birthday wishes he received from his family. But his uncle saw his smile and got angry. He said he would be returning to China soon and told Ling Xiao to stay with Chen Ting until school started. But Ling Xiao said he would go home in a few days to see Li Jianjian.

His uncle was disappointed in him and scolded him for being cold-blooded. A few days later, Ling Xiao returned home. That night, he told He Ziqiu he would be going to university in Singapore next week and asked him to look after Li Jianjian. He Ziqiu couldn’t help but punch him.

He Ziqiu punched Ling Xiao and said he had also been preparing all kinds of documents these past few days. While Ling Xiao was going to see Chen Ting, He Ziqiu was planning to find Zhao Huaguang. He felt that both he and Ling Xiao were ungrateful ingrates. The two of them got into a fight on the rooftop. Li Jianjian, who had come to call them for dinner, saw them fighting and quickly pulled them apart.

After some questioning, she finally learned that both Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu were going abroad. Li Jianjian couldn’t accept it—she didn’t want her two brothers to leave the country. Li Haichao tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen. All she wanted was for Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu to stay. She asked Ling Xiao why he had to go to Singapore to take care of Chen Ting.

Ling Xiao quietly said that Chen Ting was his mother after all. Li Jianjian couldn’t refute that fact and ran back to her room crying. Ling Xiao went into the room to try and comfort Li Jianjian, but she buried herself under the blanket and ignored him. He Ziqiu also came in to try to persuade her to eat, but Li Jianjian just kept crying without saying a word.

As Ling Xiao was about to leave, Li Jianjian suddenly asked him if they were never really a family in the first place—Ling Xiao was just a neighbor, and He Ziqiu was just a foster child living in their home. Ling Xiao denied it. In his heart, they were a family. He also said that once Li Jianjian grew up, they would be together forever. But Li Jianjian didn’t believe it.

She said that as long as they left, they would no longer be her brothers. In the middle of the night, when Li Haichao got up to use the bathroom, he found that He Ziqiu was still awake. He poured him a glass of milk, and the two started talking. He Ziqiu felt especially sorry toward Li Jianjian. Li Haichao tried to comfort him, saying that Li Jianjian just couldn’t accept it for the time being.

Children eventually have to leave their parents. But He Ziqiu was worried that if they weren’t around, Li Jianjian might be bullied. Li Haichao said helplessly that if she were bullied, she’d just have to fight back herself. The same applied to him and Ling Xiao—when they were wronged outside, they could only endure it themselves.

He added that as He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao grew up, they would eventually have families of their own, and the older they got, the more responsibilities they would bear. But He Ziqiu said he wouldn’t get married; staying by their side would be enough for him. Li Haichao took that as childish talk and told him not to overthink it—he truly wanted He Ziqiu to have a better future. He reminded He Ziqiu to come back right after graduation.

Realizing that Li Haichao didn’t blame him at all, He Ziqiu couldn’t help crying from the sadness in his heart. The next morning, Li Haichao went to wake Li Jianjian for breakfast but found she wasn’t in her room. A phone call revealed that she had gone to her grandmother’s house. Ling Heping came home for breakfast and saw the injuries on Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu’s faces.

After asking, he learned that Ling Xiao’s uncle wanted him to attend university in Singapore. Furious, Ling Heping called Ling Xiao’s uncle and scolded him for leaving Chen Ting for Ling Xiao to take care of. In a rage, he said he wanted to cut ties with him. After hanging up, he asked Ling Xiao if his university preference could still be changed, but Ling Xiao said he had already been accepted into a medical school in Singapore.

Ling Heping was furious that Ling Xiao hadn’t discussed this with him, but Li Haichao defended Ling Xiao and asked Ling Heping to let it go. Now that both were definitely going abroad to study, they returned to their room to pack and discovered the shoes Li Jianjian had bought for them, which made them feel even more bitter. Ling Xiao met with Qi Mingyue and asked her to take good care of Li Jianjian in the future.

When Qi Mingyue found out they were leaving the country, she burst into tears and was very reluctant to see Ling Xiao go. On the day Ling Xiao left, Li Jianjian hadn’t returned. The night before He Ziqiu’s departure, Li Haichao called Li Jianjian, urging her to come home and see He Ziqiu off. But she stubbornly refused. He Ziqiu could only ask Li Haichao to notify him when she got home.

Li Jianjian spent the entire summer vacation at her grandmother’s house and didn’t return home until the new school term started. In class, Qi Mingyue asked if she had called Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu and tried to get her to understand their difficulties, but Li Jianjian couldn’t bear it and lost her temper at Qi Mingyue for the first time. She ran out of the classroom and didn’t come back for the rest of the lesson.

Qi Mingyue was a bit worried. As Li Jianjian returned home, her neighbor Wang Doudou caught up with her. Wang Doudou also knew that Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu had gone abroad to study and criticized them for being heartless. Upon hearing this, Li Jianjian couldn’t help but defend them, saying that they’d come back after finishing university. When she got home, Li Haichao was on the phone with Ling Xiao. He wanted Li Jianjian to talk to him, but she didn’t want to speak with Ling Xiao.

Li Haichao could only hang up helplessly. When Li Jianjian came out of the bathroom, he called out to her sternly and asked if she really wanted to sever ties with Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu. He urged her to cherish the bond she had with them. But Li Jianjian said she had come to understand—they were never truly related. They weren’t real family.

If Li Haichao or she ever needed surgery, Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu wouldn’t even be qualified to sign the consent forms. If being close emotionally meant being family, then it was no different from kids playing house. Li Haichao was saddened and said that if Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu heard what she had just said, they would be heartbroken. To be fair, they had treated Li Jianjian better than real brothers would.

Li Haichao continued to persuade her, saying that He Ziqiu went abroad to lessen the family burden and to study what he truly wanted, and Ling Xiao went to Singapore for his birth mother—he didn’t really want to go. He told Li Jianjian that one day, she would have her own family and leave him, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be a family anymore. It didn’t mean they would stop caring about each other.

A real family’s bond is always there, even when they’re apart. Deep down, Li Jianjian understood what Li Haichao was saying, but she just didn’t want Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu to leave. Another year passed, and the Spring Festival arrived. But only Li Jianjian, Li Haichao, and Ling Heping spent the holiday together. Li Jianjian let go of her stubbornness and ended her cold war with Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu.

They had a video call to exchange New Year’s greetings. After a few words, He Ziqiu lost connection due to bad signal, while Ling Xiao continued the call. Li Jianjian brought up the pineapple tarts Ling Xiao had sent her before. Ling Xiao said that if she wanted to thank him, she should act cute.

Just as Li Jianjian was about to do that, Qin Meiyang suddenly came in to call Ling Xiao for dinner and started acting sweet toward him. A strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside Li Jianjian. In 2012, Li Jianjian graduated from high school and was admitted through special selection to the local university’s sculpture department. Ling Xiao had taken a break from school to care for Chen Ting. All three of them became increasingly busy.

Time and distance diluted their feelings. Once open and talkative with Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu, Li Jianjian now found herself cautious and reserved during their conversations. Time flew by. By Li Jianjian’s third year of college, Ling Xiao was also a junior. He Ziqiu had already graduated but hadn’t returned. On a phone call with Li Haichao, He Ziqiu said he wanted to study pastry-making.

His university major required him to work in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, but he just wanted to come home. Listening silently, Li Jianjian didn’t respond. He Ziqiu thought she was angry, so she had to take the phone and reassure him that she wasn’t. She gradually came to understand that long separations, no matter how much you care about someone, can lead to awkward silence and eventually turn people into strangers.

That night, when Ling Xiao called, Li Jianjian didn’t want to answer and handed the phone to Ling Heping. But even he had little to say to Ling Xiao. After a few polite words, he asked about Chen Ting. She was doing better, could stand, and could even help with housework. Ling Xiao was still in touch with Qi Mingyue and secretly asked her to take photos of Li Jianjian for him.

After graduating, Li Jianjian opened a wood carving studio with her senior Du Juan, named “The Gap of Time.” One evening at dinner, Ling Heping mentioned that the hospital where Ling Xiao was interning wanted to offer him a permanent position. Both Li Jianjian and Li Haichao were disheartened upon learning that Ling Xiao planned to stay in Singapore. Ling Heping believed it was because Chen Ting wouldn’t let him come back.

In a phone call, Ling Xiao told Li Jianjian that he had decided to return in two years. By then, Qin Meiyang would be grown up and could help take care of Chen Ting. Gradually, Li Jianjian's contact with Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu dwindled to just holiday greetings. In 2018, Tang Can could no longer manage in Beijing and, after getting her parents’ approval, moved in with Li Jianjian and Qi Mingyue near the studio.

That year, Li Jianjian turned 25. She came to understand that those who are meant to return will return, and those who aren’t, there’s no point waiting for them anymore. Another year passed. One of Li Jianjian’s sculptures won an award. To celebrate, Li Haichao held a storewide discount at his noodle shop. While entertaining customers, he got a call from Ling Heping and learned that Ling Xiao—who had been away for nine years—had returned.

Qi Mingyue helped Ling Xiao rent a place and even picked him up from the airport. She mentioned that Li Jianjian’s award-winning piece would be exhibited and asked if he wanted to see it. But Ling Xiao said he had other things to do and asked her to take him straight home.

After Ling Xiao returned home, he told Li Haichao that he wouldn’t be leaving again this time. He had already found a job and would start working the next day. Li Haichao was overjoyed and called Li Jianjian, telling her to hurry home. But Li Jianjian said she was at the police station. She had been accidentally knocked over at the exhibition and was about to fall when He Ziqiu suddenly appeared and quickly caught her.

However, he accidentally grabbed her chest, mistaking it for her stomach. With her back to He Ziqiu, Li Jianjian thought she had been sexually harassed and immediately called the police. At the police station, He Ziqiu kept covering his face and refused to look at Li Jianjian. Hearing his familiar voice, Li Jianjian turned him around and realized it was He Ziqiu. After clearing up the misunderstanding, Li Jianjian asked why he hadn’t said anything about coming back.

He Ziqiu said he wanted to surprise them. While they were talking, Ling Xiao arrived at the police station and saw both He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian at the entrance. The three of them reunited, but the atmosphere was awkward. Li Jianjian couldn’t handle it and quickly made an excuse to leave. Ling Xiao chatted a bit more with He Ziqiu, telling him about his plans—he had taken a job at a dental clinic.

He Ziqiu said he planned to start his own business. Ling Xiao asked if He Ziqiu wanted to go home with him, but He Ziqiu asked him not to tell Li Haichao about his return yet, wanting to surprise him. Ling Xiao agreed. That evening, Li Haichao and Ling Heping made hot pot at the restaurant to welcome Ling Xiao. Meanwhile, He Ziqiu watched them from outside the noodle shop.

When Tang Can returned home, she ran into Zhuang Bei, who was helping He Ziqiu rent an apartment. Zhuang Bei was crouching at the elevator tying his shoelaces. Tang Can accidentally stepped on a pen he had dropped and twisted her ankle. Seeing she was about to fall, Zhuang Bei instinctively reached out to catch her. The two fell together, landing in each other’s arms.

As they looked at each other, both felt the other seemed familiar, but before they could figure it out, the elevator door opened and two kids coming home from school saw them. Embarrassed, Zhuang Bei let go and ran away. Tang Can picked up the pen and excitedly told Qi Mingyue what had just happened. She believed she would definitely meet Zhuang Bei again. Soon, Li Jianjian came home as well.

The two asked her how she was after the harassment incident. Li Jianjian simply said it was a misunderstanding. After chatting briefly, she went to her room and started reminiscing about their childhood and how close the three of them used to be. That night, Ling Xiao told Li Haichao that he had rented an apartment across from Li Jianjian’s place. Li Haichao felt relieved and asked if he had told her yet.

Ling Xiao said she seemed a bit distant, so he hadn’t told her. Li Haichao reassured him that it was understandable—she had grown up since they left, and it was normal for her to feel a bit unfamiliar. They chatted for a while, and Ling Xiao encouraged Li Haichao and Ling Heping to remarry, but Li Haichao said he was used to being alone.

When asked about relationships, Ling Xiao said he didn’t even have time to study, let alone date. The next morning, Ling Heping returned from the station. Li Haichao purposely left early for the noodle shop to give them time alone. Learning that Ling Xiao was moving out made Ling Heping feel a bit down. He asked when Ling Xiao would start working, and Ling Xiao said it would be today.

Meanwhile, Qi Mingyue took Li Jianjian to the dentist, and the dentist turned out to be Ling Xiao. Li Jianjian was too nervous to recognize his voice. Knowing that she had been scared of dentists since childhood, Ling Xiao spoke gently to calm her. After the appointment, as she was about to leave, he lowered his mask and called her name. Only then did she realize her dentist was Ling Xiao.

He handed her an ice pack for the pain and held her hand to comfort her. Remembering how he used to accompany her to the dentist when they were little, Li Jianjian felt awkward being so close to him again. She quietly withdrew her hand and politely complimented his white coat. Ling Xiao, however, sincerely told her she was becoming more and more beautiful and that, in his heart, she was the most beautiful of all.

Li Jianjian felt a bit embarrassed and didn’t know what to say after chatting briefly about He Ziqiu. She checked the time and said she had to return to the studio. Shortly after, He Ziqiu came to the hospital to find Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao asked him what kind of surprise he was planning, but He Ziqiu still wouldn’t say—just told him he would find out soon.

He Ziqiu said Zhao Huaguang no longer had control over him, and he wasn’t planning to leave again. He wanted to properly honor Li Haichao and take good care of Li Jianjian. When asked how, He Ziqiu simply said, “Just like before.” But Ling Xiao knew the nine years had changed all three of them. Li Jianjian wasn’t a child anymore. In the first couple of years after they left, things were still okay, but gradually, they had grown apart.

He Ziqiu felt a bit troubled and proposed forming an alliance with Ling Xiao, saying Li Jianjian had always listened to Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao said he didn’t have any tricks—feelings had to be built over time. He also advised He Ziqiu to go home soon, as Li Haichao missed him very much. After leaving the hospital, He Ziqiu was busy moving into his new apartment. He paid a high price to rent the place directly across from Li Jianjian.

The apartment had originally been rented by Qi Mingyue for Ling Xiao, and she didn’t know He Ziqiu had moved in. She came with a cleaning crew to tidy it up for Ling Xiao. When she entered and found someone had already moved in, He Ziqiu had just finished showering and hadn’t dressed yet. Seeing someone enter, he quickly ran into the bathroom. Neither of them recognized the other.

Qi Mingyue called the landlord, who had already prepared an excuse—he said He Ziqiu was a relative who had returned to work, so the apartment was no longer for rent. After hanging up, Qi Mingyue tried to reason with He Ziqiu, saying she had rented the place for her secret crush. If she messed this up, she wouldn’t be able to face him again. But He Ziqiu didn’t care and even threatened to come out if she didn’t leave.

Helpless, Qi Mingyue left. He Ziqiu had opened a new café near their old high school and asked Du Juan to invite Li Jianjian over under the pretense of buying her wood carvings. As soon as she entered, the dark café lit up, and the table was covered in cakes—but no one was there. Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck outside. Startled, Li Jianjian dropped her phone under the table. When she bent down to pick it up, He Ziqiu appeared.

She only saw his feet at first and was startled again. Screaming, she jumped up and saw it was He Ziqiu. He had secretly returned without going home to prepare for the café opening. He had planned to lure Li Jianjian and Li Haichao in with free cake coupons, then surprise them.

But Li Jianjian said Li Haichao was too busy to come, and she would have hung up if she received a call about free coupons, assuming it was a marketing call. Feeling a bit awkward, He Ziqiu asked her to try the cake he made. But since Li Jianjian had just seen the dentist, she felt uncomfortable and only forced down a small bite.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, Li Jianjian brought up the wood carving and said she would find a good piece of wood to carve a three-legged toad for He Ziqiu. That evening, after Tang Can returned home, Qi Mingyue told her Ling Xiao had come back. Tang Can was a bit angry, calling Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu ungrateful. Qi Mingyue quickly defended Ling Xiao and said he would be coming over soon.

Although Tang Can had acted tough earlier, when Ling Xiao actually arrived, she became more timid. Qi Mingyue asked her to make tea and told Ling Xiao about the landlord renting the apartment to a relative. Tang Can, overhearing, assumed the person who moved in was Zhuang Bei, the guy she had bumped into at the elevator. Not long after, Li Jianjian returned home.

Unaware that Ling Xiao was there, she told them about running into Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu that day and how awkward it felt. As she was complaining, Ling Xiao came out of the bathroom and reminded her to eat properly in the next few days. Embarrassed, Li Jianjian realized he had probably heard everything she had just said. During dinner, Ling Xiao brought up the idea of co-renting with the neighbor across the hall.

Thinking it was Zhuang Bei, Tang Can dressed up and volunteered to talk about the lease. But it turned into a complete misunderstanding, and everyone finally realized what had happened. He Ziqiu, remembering Qi Mingyue’s earlier mention of a secret crush, realized she liked Ling Xiao. Worried he might spill the secret, Qi Mingyue panicked and splashed water on him. He Ziqiu went home to change, and Qi Mingyue tracked him down to ask him to keep her secret.

Later, Ling Xiao came to find He Ziqiu and asked to share the apartment. He Ziqiu agreed. That night, Li Jianjian couldn’t sleep and went to see Qi Mingyue. They then went to Tang Can’s room. The three of them applied face masks and chatted. Tang Can expressed her dislike for Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu, while Qi Mingyue defended them. They asked Li Jianjian what she thought.

She said their bond used to be strong because they were young and always together. Back when she was still in school, she had often hoped they’d come home during the holidays, but when her hopes kept getting dashed, she stopped expecting it. So now that they had suddenly returned, she felt especially uncomfortable and distant. But she knew if she didn’t get along with them, Ling Heping and Li Haichao would be upset.

She remembered going to the countryside with Li Haichao to honor their ancestors, and how unfamiliar relatives were always extra enthusiastic when they met. She decided she would treat Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu as long-lost relatives.

Tang Can strongly agreed with Li Jianjian’s thoughts. After figuring out how to face Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu, Li Jianjian felt much better and decided to invite them home for dinner the next day to make Li Haichao and Ling Heping happy. Early the next morning, Li Jianjian went to find He Ziqiu and told him that they were going to celebrate Ling Heping’s birthday that evening, and that He Ziqiu could personally bake a cake for him.

He Ziqiu was a little happy seeing Li Jianjian’s sudden change in attitude toward him, but he also started to worry about how to face Li Haichao again. At the dental hospital, Ling Xiao had just seen off a patient when he noticed a little girl crying at the entrance, refusing to see the dentist. His heart softened, and he went up to comfort her.

Under Ling Xiao’s gentle words, the girl stopped crying and insisted that he be the one to check her teeth. Her original dentist, Feng Xixi, was terrified of children and signaled Ling Xiao to take over the case, which he agreed to do. He Ziqiu finally mustered up the courage to go home. When he returned to the noodle shop, Li Haichao was busy in the kitchen. He Ziqiu looked at the menu, unsure of what to eat.

There was a photo of Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu on the counter, and since Li Haichao often mentioned the three of them, the cashier recognized He Ziqiu and guessed he might want the sweet and sour pork ribs noodles. Hearing the cashier’s words, a puzzled Li Haichao came out from the kitchen and was speechless to see He Ziqiu had returned. The cashier joked that He Ziqiu should kneel and kowtow to Li Haichao.

Without hesitation, He Ziqiu knelt before Li Haichao and kowtowed. Li Haichao quickly helped him up and hugged him tightly. He Ziqiu went home with Li Haichao. After some hesitation, Li Haichao asked him what Zhao Huaguang had said about his return. He Ziqiu didn’t want to talk about Zhao Huaguang and only said that Zhao Huaguang couldn’t control him.

Li Haichao was a bit uneasy, knowing that Zhao Huaguang had paid for He Ziqiu’s tuition and living expenses all these years. Even if they weren’t close, he didn’t want He Ziqiu to hurt Zhao Huaguang’s feelings. But since He Ziqiu didn’t want to discuss it, Li Haichao said no more. He Ziqiu opened the door to his old room and was surprised to see it had been tidied up. He asked Li Haichao if someone had been living there.

Li Haichao smiled and said Li Jianjian had called him earlier, saying an extra person would be coming for dinner, and he had already figured out He Ziqiu would return after learning about his recent secret visit to the noodle shop. When asked if he would move back in, He Ziqiu replied that he was staying with Ling Xiao. At the studio, Li Jianjian was busy when she suddenly received a confession text from “Ran,” a longtime online friend.

They were supposed to meet at the exhibition last time, but due to a misunderstanding caused by He Ziqiu, the meeting never happened. Feeling conflicted, she told her senior Du Juan, who encouraged her to try dating and said love might inspire new creative ideas. However, upon learning it was Ran who confessed, Du Juan was a bit concerned. She said that from his work, she could sense Ran’s almost sacred admiration for women, which was beautiful but fragile.

Based on her dating experience, guys like Ran often turned out to be unattractive. She advised Li Jianjian to at least look at his photo first. That night, a few of them gathered to celebrate Ling Heping’s birthday. He Ziqiu personally made a cake for him but forgot the candles. Ling Xiao offered to get them, but He Ziqiu insisted on going himself and, in doing so, noticed a scar on Ling Xiao’s shoulder.

He Ziqiu kept asking about it, and Ling Heping also asked why Ling Xiao never mentioned being injured. Ling Xiao retorted that Ling Heping never told him about the time he broke his leg and got a concussion on a mission. He Ziqiu was surprised—he had never heard about it either. Li Jianjian, frustrated, said that even if they had known, they wouldn’t have been able to come back to take care of them. He Ziqiu was left speechless.

The atmosphere grew awkward, and realizing she may have said the wrong thing, Li Jianjian quickly urged everyone to sit down and continue eating. After dinner, Ling Xiao wanted to take a cab with Li Jianjian to send her home, but He Ziqiu insisted she ride with him. They thought he had bought a car, only to find he had purchased a secondhand electric scooter online that wouldn’t start. As Li Jianjian received a message, she smiled brightly.

Ling Xiao asked who it was, and she said it was her boyfriend. Without waiting for He Ziqiu to start the scooter, she went to hail a cab. Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu exchanged stunned glances—neither could believe Li Jianjian had a boyfriend. Seeing her drive away, He Ziqiu quickly rode off to catch up, but his scooter broke down halfway. He had to push it forward and, while waiting at a red light, saw He Mei sitting in a car nearby. By the time he reacted, the car had already driven away.

After Ling Xiao returned home, Chen Ting kept calling him, but he didn’t answer. Chen Ting didn’t know that Ling Xiao wasn’t planning to go back to Singapore this time and thought he was just on a short visit. She kept texting him, but Ling Xiao didn’t know how to reply. The next morning, while eating at the noodle shop with Ling Heping, their neighbors Aunt He and Aunt Qian came in for noodles too.

They chatted for a bit, and Aunt Qian teased Li Haichao to pick either He Ziqiu or Ling Xiao as his son-in-law. Playing along, Ling Xiao said he would work hard for it. Qi Mingyue, now working as a journalist, was originally heading to the market with photographer Gu Feng for an interview. But they received a tip from their neighbor Aunt Li that she heard a baby crying from the sewer.

Qi Mingyue and Gu Feng rushed to the scene to film. Finally catching a break, Qi Mingyue noticed Ling Xiao had called her. She quickly returned his call. Ling Xiao asked about Li Jianjian’s boyfriend, but Qi Mingyue didn’t know. She called Tang Can to ask, who was also shocked. Du Juan was surprised too when she found out Li Jianjian had agreed to date Ran. She asked if Li Jianjian was worried that Ran might not be good-looking.

Li Jianjian didn’t care—she said she wanted to see if dating Ran in a different way could spark new creative inspiration. New employee Zhou Miao interrupted, asking if she was dating just for inspiration. Li Jianjian admitted that was exactly her reason. When Li Jianjian returned home, she was cornered by Tang Can and Qi Mingyue, who grilled her about her new boyfriend. After seeing Ran’s Weibo posts, both were strongly against the relationship, thinking Ran was a weirdo.

He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao were also nearby listening. He Ziqiu, impulsive as ever, voiced his disapproval right away, while Ling Xiao calmly analyzed Ran’s behavior with He Ziqiu. They decided to have Li Jianjian invite Ran to He Ziqiu’s café so they could meet him. On Sunday, everyone waited at the café for Ran, but he never showed. He later called to say he was suddenly inspired and had gone back to create.

Li Jianjian didn’t mind and let him go. After leaving the café, Ling Xiao wanted to take Li Jianjian back to her studio, but she declined. He then went with Qi Mingyue to ask their landlord for a refund on overpaid rent. After getting the money back, Ling Xiao thanked Qi Mingyue by taking her out to eat. During dinner, he talked about how distant things felt with Li Jianjian lately.

Qi Mingyue comforted him and promised to keep an eye on things between her and Ran. That evening, Qi Mingyue’s news segment aired. Jin Yuxiang disapproved of her TV appearance, called to scold her, and told her to take the civil service exam. After dealing with Jin Yuxiang, the doorbell rang. Li Jianjian opened the door and found Ling Xiao squatting outside. He asked her to register her fingerprint to unlock his front door.

Unable to refuse, she let him take her hand to do it. Afterward, Ling Xiao reminded her that she had a follow-up appointment at the hospital and asked if she wanted to go together. Li Jianjian said she’d be staying up late drawing and would go on her own in the morning. After saying goodnight to Ling Xiao, Li Jianjian returned to her room to draw, but nothing came out right.

Frustrated, she began sketching He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao, and the drawings flowed easily. Only after finishing did she realize what she had done. The next morning, Li Jianjian woke up to find He Ziqiu had made her a full breakfast. After an awkward meal, she headed to the hospital for a dental appointment. Sensing the awkwardness between them, Ling Xiao went to get her medication after the check-up.

Feng Xixi gave her some ice cream and tried to get gossip from her, asking whether Ling Xiao had someone he liked. Before Li Jianjian could answer, Ling Xiao returned and said he already had someone he liked. Just as she was about to return to the studio, Ran called and asked to meet. Meanwhile, Tang Can had opened an online shop offering roleplay services. That day, she dressed up as a client and went on a blind date.

Her date, Mr. Li, made arrogant comments, saying that girls who live with their boyfriends have no self-respect. Tang Can held back her anger, trying to end the date. At that moment, Zhuang Bei, who had overheard the conversation, spoke up and defended her. Tang Can recognized Zhuang Bei and was moved by the way he stood up for her.

Zhuang Bei helped Tang Can drive Mr. Li away. Tang Can quickly returned the fountain pen she carried with her to Zhuang Bei, but Zhuang Bei said he had many pens like that and gave it to her as a gift. After learning about Tang Can’s job, Zhuang Bei asked if she could do him a favor. Li Jianjian met with Ran, whose real name is Zheng Shuran.

While browsing Zheng Shuran’s Weibo, Qi Mingyue found out that he had met with Li Jianjian and noticed he had posted a strange message. Qi Mingyue became worried something might have happened to Li Jianjian and called her, but no one answered. She quickly informed Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu, who also became very anxious and even went to the police station to ask Ling Heping to file a report.

Ling Heping remained calm and said he would call Li Haichao to check. Only then did they find out that Li Jianjian was at the noodle shop having a meal with Zheng Shuran. Upon hearing this, He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao rushed to the noodle shop to find her. They both looked at Zheng Shuran with hostility, staring at him without blinking. Li Jianjian quickly introduced Zheng Shuran to Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu.

The award-winning work that Li Jianjian created had used Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu as prototypes. Realizing this, Zheng Shuran became excited and started discussing artistic creation with Li Jianjian. Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu were confused and couldn’t help interrupting him, asking if he had proposed dating only after meeting Li Jianjian. Zheng Shuran admitted he had. After sending Zheng Shuran off, the three returned to Li Haichao’s home for dinner.

At the table, Ling Xiao brought up Zheng Shuran, believing he was only interested in Li Jianjian because of her looks. He also pointed out that Zheng Shuran had graduated years ago but was still living off his parents. As he spoke, Ling Xiao asked Li Jianjian to call Zheng Shuran and break up with him. He Ziqiu chimed in to support him.

Li Jianjian became angry, telling them not to interfere with her life and that they had already caused a huge impact on it. In her frustration, she let out everything she had been holding in, even saying that they weren’t her real brothers and didn’t need to treat her so well. Ling Xiao was hurt and asked if she had always wanted to say that. Then he left Li’s house directly.

Li Haichao couldn’t help but scold Li Jianjian and reminded her of the bond the three of them had growing up together. On his way home, Ling Xiao recalled how when they were little, he and Li Jianjian were walking home after school. She begged for candy, but he refused to buy it. Li Jianjian then squatted by the roadside and refused to move. Ling Xiao walked ahead in frustration but turned around to find her missing.

He searched frantically and eventually discovered that Li Jianjian had nearly been abducted. He rushed over and held her tightly, refusing to let go. Only after a passerby called the police was she saved. After this incident, Li Haichao was extremely grateful to Ling Heping and Ling Xiao and even asked Li Jianjian to acknowledge Ling Heping as her godfather. After dinner, He Ziqiu apologized to Li Jianjian.

But Li Jianjian said that He Ziqiu and the others didn’t owe her anything and didn’t need to make up for anything. Otherwise, she would feel emotionally burdened. He Ziqiu said he did owe her. Li Jianjian tried to reason with him, saying the past was over and everyone had grown up. She couldn’t cling to her brothers like she did when they were young. He Ziqiu was upset and asked if she didn’t want him anymore.

Feeling irritated, Li Jianjian told him to go find his own family. At home, Ling Heping and Li Haichao discussed what happened. Ling Heping asked Li Haichao what he planned to do, but Li Haichao said it was their internal conflict and they should resolve it themselves. The next morning, He Ziqiu still came to Li Jianjian’s house to make breakfast. But seeing how awkward she looked, he left right after cooking.

Only then did Li Jianjian come out and have breakfast with Tang Can and Qi Mingyue. The three talked about Zheng Shuran. Qi Mingyue asked if Li Jianjian’s heart raced when she met Zheng Shuran or if she would be nervous introducing him to her family. Li Jianjian couldn’t answer, and Qi Mingyue concluded she must not like Zheng Shuran. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have introduced him to her family on their first meeting.

Both Qi Mingyue and Tang Can felt that Li Jianjian couldn’t distinguish between liking a friend and liking a romantic partner. Li Jianjian also admitted she wasn’t sure—her main purpose was just to create better art. While they were chatting, the doorbell rang. Qi Mingyue opened the door and found Jin Yuxiang, who brought them food and started cleaning the house.

After Jin Yuxiang finished cleaning Qi Mingyue’s place, Qi Mingyue walked her downstairs and mentioned that the TV station had an opportunity to send two young reporters to be stationed in Beijing. Jin Yuxiang immediately objected, saying Beijing was too far and she didn’t feel at ease letting Qi Mingyue go alone. She added that if Qi Mingyue went to Beijing for two years, she’d be 27 when she returned, which would make marriage an issue.

Ling Heping was working at the station when he suddenly got a call from Chen Ting. She asked how he was doing and then inquired whether Ling Xiao was with him. From the way Chen Ting talked, Ling Heping realized she had no idea Ling Xiao had returned to look for work. That evening, Ling Heping talked to Li Haichao about it, and Li Haichao told him to speak with Ling Xiao and clarify things.

But Ling Heping felt like they didn’t have anything to talk about anymore and asked Li Haichao to speak on his behalf. Li Haichao refused, saying this matter had to be handled by Ling Heping personally. Because of the tension with Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao gave his appointment with her to Feng Xixi. Feng Xixi tried to ask Li Jianjian about Ling Xiao, but Li Jianjian didn’t want to talk.

After the dental check-up, Li Jianjian couldn’t help sneaking a peek at Ling Xiao’s office. Ling Xiao glanced at her but said nothing. Li Jianjian returned to her studio, and Zheng Shuran came to visit. When they started talking about Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu, Du Juan realized that Li Jianjian had two older brothers. She wanted to ask more, but Li Jianjian quickly changed the topic.

That night, when Li Jianjian returned home, she ran into Ling Xiao at the elevator with a suitcase. He looked at her but said nothing and walked off. She chased after him and asked if he was moving back to Ling Heping’s place. He denied it. She then asked if he was returning to Singapore. Ling Xiao didn’t answer, so she assumed he was and tried to persuade him not to leave just because of a fight.

She apologized, admitting she had been impulsive that day, and asked for some time to cool off. Ling Xiao walked over to the trash can, suddenly squatted down, and opened his suitcase—only then did he explain he was just taking out the trash. Li Jianjian was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. At that moment, Qi Mingyue returned, and Li Jianjian quickly helped her carry her things upstairs, leaving her alone with Ling Xiao.

When Li Jianjian got home, she found He Ziqiu waiting at her door. She hid to the side. He Ziqiu hesitated for a long time but didn’t knock. He just hung a bag on her door handle. Just as he did, his phone rang—it was a call from Zhuang Bei. After He Ziqiu had run into He Mei last time, he had asked Zhuang Bei to help him investigate.

Zhuang Bei found out where He Mei got on and off the bus. Zhuang Bei asked why he didn’t ask Ling Heping for help, but before He Ziqiu could answer, Ling Xiao suddenly showed up, and He Ziqiu quickly hung up the call. Tang Can’s father invited her to dinner. The reason she had moved out was because of a conflict with her mother, who she felt only wanted her to earn more money.

Her father didn’t know how to mediate between them. After the meal, he told her that her mother’s birthday was coming up and asked her to come home for it. Tang Can hesitated but eventually agreed. He Ziqiu got into a car accident. Li Jianjian, who received the news while on a bus, couldn’t get off, so she called Tang Can and asked her to use her bank card to pay at the hospital first.

When Li Jianjian arrived and asked about He Ziqiu’s condition, Tang Can put on an act, saying He Ziqiu had a face full of blood and the doctor had done all they could. She just wanted to tease Li Jianjian a little, but Li Jianjian believed her and burst into tears. Ling Xiao rushed over upon hearing her crying to comfort her. Only after hearing He Ziqiu was fine did she feel relieved—but she cried even harder.

When He Ziqiu regained consciousness, the nurse told them that he had taken sedatives. He recalled that before he left, he had taken pills from Ling Xiao’s bedside drawer, which Ling Xiao had once told him were vitamins. Only now did he realize they were sleeping pills and that Ling Xiao had been suffering from insomnia. Worried, Ling Heping scolded Ling Xiao and told him to clarify things with Chen Ting, who had called recently.

Ling Xiao knew he couldn’t avoid the issue anymore and decided to tell Chen Ting the truth over the phone. Ling Heping also talked with Ling Xiao, hoping that in the future, no matter what happened, good or bad, Ling Xiao would talk to him. Ling Xiao agreed. After their talk, Ling Xiao returned to the hospital room where Li Jianjian was taking care of He Ziqiu. When He Ziqiu saw Ling Xiao enter, he asked what had really happened.

Ling Xiao said it was nothing—he had hidden the sedatives in a vitamin bottle because he didn’t want Qin Meiyang and Chen Ting to know. In that household, he wasn’t allowed to be sick. Both He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian felt sorry for him. After He Ziqiu rested, Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao went to a café to talk. Li Jianjian asked him about his life in Singapore.

Li Jianjian asked Ling Xiao if he had a girlfriend. Ling Xiao denied it and said he already liked someone. He then asked if Li Jianjian had anything else she wanted to ask. Li Jianjian asked how he got the burn on his shoulder. Ling Xiao said he had just finished cooking congee and accidentally spilled it on his shoulder because he hadn’t held the pot properly.

He didn’t feel any pain at the time, but when he went to treat it, he found that his clothes had stuck to his skin. Li Jianjian felt a bit heartbroken hearing that. Qi Mingyue brought clean clothes and toiletries for Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao and also delivered the flowers that Tang Can had sent for He Ziqiu.

Tang Can was too embarrassed to visit He Ziqiu after joking around the last time, but He Ziqiu didn’t mind at all. He even said he should thank Tang Can; otherwise, he might have thought Li Jianjian really disliked him. That night, the three of them sat on a bench chatting. He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao brought up Zheng Shuran again, trying to persuade Li Jianjian to break up with him. Ling Xiao asked if she truly liked Zheng Shuran.

Li Jianjian thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with a clear answer, only saying that she was quite happy at the moment. After some playful banter among the three, they returned to the hospital room. But He Ziqiu had developed a fever. Li Jianjian gave him some medicine and told him to get some sleep. After he lay down, Li Jianjian turned to see Ling Xiao reading.

Ling Xiao said he would read the book when he couldn’t fall asleep. It was a story about two lonely children wanting to escape the city. Li Jianjian took the book out of curiosity and started flipping through it, gradually feeling that the lonely children described in the book were actually Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu. Her emotions grew complicated. Ling Xiao then leaned on her shoulder and fell asleep.

The next morning, Zheng Shuran came to the hospital to visit He Ziqiu with gifts. He Ziqiu greeted him coldly. A nurse came in to take He Ziqiu’s temperature, and Zheng Shuran stared fixedly at the nurse’s waist, which Ling Xiao noticed. After the nurse left, Zheng Shuran suddenly felt inspired, pulled out his sketchbook, and began drafting a drawing. Li Jianjian felt awkward and explained that he was creating art.

After the visit, Ling Xiao took Zheng Shuran to eat and asked why he liked Li Jianjian. Zheng Shuran gave his reasons, but Ling Xiao thought he was too frivolous with feelings. While he didn’t object to Zheng Shuran and Li Jianjian being friends, he advised him to seriously consider whether it was worth sacrificing a soul-level friendship for a fleeting romance.

To help Ling Xiao sleep better, Li Jianjian went to a bookstore to pick out a book for him. She also bought wallpaper and other decorations with Qi Mingyue and made his room very cozy. That night, He Ziqiu was discharged from the hospital and immediately clamored to take a shower when he got home, even asking Ling Xiao to help him.

Qi Mingyue prepared a hotpot meal at home and told Li Jianjian to call them over to eat later. Zhuang Bei also came to Qi Mingyue’s place to eat with them. When Tang Can learned that Zhuang Bei would be there, she carefully put on makeup and dressed up. But Zhuang Bei only had eyes for Qi Mingyue.

As they were almost done eating, Qi Mingyue and Tang Can sang in the living room, and Zhuang Bei, also in the living room, asked Qi Mingyue if she had a boyfriend and what she thought of Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu. Qi Mingyue felt shy and didn’t share her true feelings. Zhuang Bei continued, saying that since Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu had been close since childhood, one pair among them was bound to end up together.

But Qi Mingyue disagreed, saying it was impossible—Ling Xiao already liked someone else. Zhuang Bei then added that men obsessed with their sisters were not suitable partners because they would always prioritize their sister. But Qi Mingyue argued that a man who treated his sister so well would also treat his girlfriend well in the future. Only Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu were left at the table.

Li Jianjian watched He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao bicker and felt emotional. She sat between the two of them and wrapped one arm around each. She had been thinking since yesterday: if something had really happened to He Ziqiu, she would definitely regret how terribly she had treated him these past few days. Now, she genuinely welcomed both He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao back home.

The three reconciled and promised to stay the same as they used to be. Just as the mood was good, He Ziqiu suddenly said he needed to use the bathroom, so Ling Xiao helped him. As soon as Ling Xiao left, Qin Meiyang called his phone. Li Jianjian, who was tipsy and didn’t see clearly, answered it.

Qin Meiyang recognized her voice and asked when Ling Xiao would return, saying that Ling Xiao told them he would go back to Singapore in a month. When she got no reply, she asked Li Jianjian to tell Ling Xiao to call her back. The news made Li Jianjian a bit upset, and she didn’t feel like singing with Qi Mingyue and the others anymore.

When Ling Xiao came out of the bathroom, he saw Li Jianjian sleeping on the sofa and carried her back to her room. After the party, Tang Can enthusiastically walked Zhuang Bei to the elevator, but Zhuang Bei only had Qi Mingyue on his mind. Before leaving, he even took a photo of Qi Mingyue and Tang Can. Tang Can thought he wanted a picture of her and didn’t realize he liked Qi Mingyue.

After settling Li Jianjian in her room, Ling Xiao returned to his room, turned on the light, and found it had been thoughtfully redecorated. Li Jianjian had even prepared a bedtime book for him. The next morning, Ling Xiao asked if Li Jianjian had answered Qin Meiyang’s call. He was worried about what Qin Meiyang might have said to her. Li Jianjian didn’t tell him the truth and just told him to call her back.

She later secretly told He Ziqiu about it. She guessed that Ling Xiao had lied to Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang, but she didn’t know how to help him in this situation. Aunt Qian arranged a blind date for Li Haichao, but he backed out at the last minute. Aunt Qian was annoyed and asked Ling Heping to help persuade him.

While chatting, she asked the shop assistant Xiao Zhu where Li Haichao had gone, only to find out he had gone to the café to see He Ziqiu. Li Haichao brought him some pan-fried dumplings, and as He Ziqiu ate, they chatted. Li Haichao asked whether He Ziqiu had ever thought of looking for He Mei. He even offered to help find her contact info, but He Ziqiu refused, saying after so many years, He Mei had probably forgotten him.

Even if he found her, he wouldn’t know what to say. Though He Ziqiu told Li Haichao he didn’t want to look for He Mei, he still asked Zhuang Bei about where she went after getting off the bus that day. That night, Li Jianjian invited Ling Xiao for a night jog. She told him his anxiety was a mental block and that he needed to open up.

Ling Xiao said only a “heart cure” could heal a heart problem—and Li Jianjian was his cure. She found it cheesy, but Ling Xiao was serious, saying the room she decorated helped him relax. Li Jianjian mentioned that next Saturday would be the 21st anniversary of her mother’s death. She regretted not understanding things when she was younger, refusing to accept a stepmother, and leaving her father alone to raise her.

She also mentioned how she had strongly opposed his relationship with He Mei. She felt that her resistance might have contributed to He Mei leaving. Back then, she didn’t understand why people got married. Now that she’s grown up and Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu are back, the three of them can support their dads together from now on. Li Jianjian went to the hospital for a dental check-up, and Qi Mingyue also had an appointment for a cleaning.

It was Feng Xixi who performed her cleaning. When Ling Xiao checked Li Jianjian’s teeth, she brought up Zheng Shuran, asking him not to be so harsh on him. She said that even though Zheng Shuran kept staring at girls, he wasn’t actually a pervert. Ling Xiao said he simply didn’t like him. When Li Jianjian asked why, Ling Xiao didn’t answer and said he would tell her after he got back from Singapore.

The mention of Singapore made Li Jianjian nervous. Ling Xiao comforted her, saying he was only going there to take care of some matters and would be back before her mother’s memorial. Meanwhile, as Feng Xixi was preparing to clean Qi Mingyue’s teeth, she asked if she knew about Ling Xiao’s crush on a junior. Qi Mingyue was secretly pleased and assumed that girl was her.

She told Li Jianjian about it, but Li Jianjian was too preoccupied with the news of Ling Xiao going back to Singapore to care. Jin Yuxiang asked Qi Mingyue to have dinner with Aunt Chen. When Qi Mingyue arrived at the restaurant, Jin Yuxiang revealed that she invited her to meet a man from Aunt Chen’s workplace for a blind date. Qi Mingyue was caught off guard. The man, Lu Jianyang, soon arrived, and Aunt Chen quickly introduced them.

Halfway through the meal, Qi Mingyue tried to excuse herself, claiming she had work, but Jin Yuxiang wouldn’t let her go. Qi Mingyue had no choice but to say she already liked someone and asked Jin Yuxiang to stop setting her up. Under pressure, she promised to bring the person she liked home in a few days. Jin Yuxiang also told her not to consider working in Beijing and to focus on preparing for the civil service exam.

Zheng Shuran waited for Li Jianjian at He Ziqiu’s café. Seeing him sketching other girls, He Ziqiu got annoyed and said as long as he was around, Zheng Shuran shouldn’t even think about entering the Li family. Zheng Shuran retorted that He Ziqiu had freeloaded off the Li family for years and ran away as soon as his wealthy father showed up. He Ziqiu didn’t want to argue with him.

When Li Jianjian arrived, He Ziqiu immediately pointed out how Zheng Shuran was getting close to other girls and urged her to break up. But Li Jianjian didn’t really care. While out sketching with Zheng Shuran, she mentioned that Ling Xiao was going back to Singapore and was torn about whether to buy a farewell gift. She also worried that once he left, he might never come back.

Tang Can, on behalf of Zhuang Bei, went to keep his mother company by playing mahjong and chatting. Zhuang’s mother was very fond of Tang Can and had a great time talking to her. When she learned that Tang Can had a poor relationship with her own mother, she encouraged her to try to understand her more.

Zheng Shuran didn’t want to always talk about Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu during his dates with Li Jianjian. He wanted to do things couples should do when dating. He leaned in as if to kiss Li Jianjian, but she instinctively dodged him. After Tang Can returned home, Qi Mingyue casually asked if she won any money playing mahjong that day. Tang Can said she lost 300 yuan.

Qi Mingyue became alert, worried that Tang Can was repeating her past mistakes and spending money on men. Tang Can’s ex-boyfriend still owed her 25,000 yuan and had even blocked her. The more Qi Mingyue talked, the angrier she became. Tang Can knew she was in the wrong and quickly changed the subject by asking why Qi Mingyue was putting snacks into a gift box. Qi Mingyue said it was a gift for Ling Xiao.

Tang Can, aware of her feelings, teased her a little. Just then, Li Jianjian returned. Tang Can asked her to look at the gift Qi Mingyue had prepared. Li Jianjian wasn’t in the mood to joke. She took the gift box and brought it to Ling Xiao. She was worried Ling Xiao might not return, but finally felt reassured after he showed her his return flight ticket. The next morning, Qi Mingyue specially accompanied Ling Xiao to the airport.

On the way, she thought for a long time and mistakenly believed Ling Xiao liked her too. Not wanting to keep guessing each other's feelings, she gathered her courage and kissed Ling Xiao, saying this was her answer. Ling Xiao didn’t quite understand what she meant. Embarrassed, Qi Mingyue urged him to go quickly and said they’d talk again when he returned. Ling Xiao could only get out of the car.

He Ziqiu’s second aunt, He Lan, came to the city to visit him. Seeing the coffee shop he opened, she felt a mix of emotions. She was genuinely happy for him but also guilty for not taking better care of him when he was young. She reminded He Ziqiu to be filial to Li Haichao. After chatting at the shop, they went to the Li family home for dinner.

Li Haichao asked He Ziqiu to go downstairs and get Li Jianjian while he welcomed He Lan and started chatting. He Lan, afraid that Li Haichao might blame He Ziqiu for reconnecting with Zhao Huaguang, kept speaking well of He Ziqiu. But Li Haichao said he didn’t mind and was glad He Ziqiu had the chance to study abroad. As they talked, He Lan suddenly cried. Concerned, Li Haichao asked if something was wrong.

She, feeling ashamed, said her husband was sick and needed chemotherapy next week. She had come to borrow money from He Ziqiu but couldn’t bring herself to ask. Li Haichao wanted to help, but He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian had just returned and overheard everything. He Ziqiu interrupted, saying he had money and could lend it to her, and told Li Haichao not to worry.

After Ling Xiao returned to Singapore, Li Jianjian was constantly worried about whether he had made it home safely. When he got home, Chen Ting noticed he hadn’t brought his luggage and immediately panicked, questioning him about quitting his job in Singapore. She guessed it was because of Li Jianjian. As they argued, Li Jianjian happened to call. Chen Ting didn’t let Ling Xiao answer the phone. During the struggle, his phone fell and broke.

Qin Meiyang, seeing them fight, took her bag and left the house. Unable to reach Ling Xiao, Li Jianjian became even more worried. That evening, Ling Heping and Li Haichao were chatting at the noodle shop. Ling Heping asked whether Li Haichao still missed He Mei after all these years. Li Haichao denied it. As they chatted, Li Haichao expressed concern that He Ziqiu might still be thinking about He Mei.

He asked Ling Heping if he could help find out where He Mei was now, especially since she had repaid the money she owed, and he didn’t know how to explain things to He Ziqiu. At Li Jianjian’s house, Qi Mingyue told Li Jianjian and Tang Can that she had confessed her feelings to Ling Xiao. Tang Can eagerly asked for details, but Li Jianjian showed little reaction.

Qi Mingyue thought she was upset, but Li Jianjian explained she couldn’t reach Ling Xiao and was just worried. Realizing Li Jianjian wasn’t angry about her confession, Qi Mingyue was relieved. After He Ziqiu’s coffee shop event ended, foot traffic decreased. That day, Zheng Shuran came to the shop again. He Ziqiu got irritated at the sight of him but couldn’t do anything about it. Zhuang Bei, watching the scene, asked He Ziqiu what kind of boyfriend Li Jianjian should find. He Ziqiu instinctively replied that Li Jianjian didn’t need a boyfriend.

He Ziqiu felt that in the future, he and Ling Xiao could just stay by Li Jianjian’s side. Hearing this, Zhuang Bei became thoughtful and suddenly said that He Ziqiu was in love with Li Jianjian, even encouraging him to pursue her. If they got married, they could all be listed under the same household registration. Outwardly, He Ziqiu disapproved of Zhuang Bei’s words, but after going home, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Zhuang Bei had said.

He began to suspect that perhaps he really did have feelings for Li Jianjian. Unable to reach Ling Xiao, Li Jianjian came to He Ziqiu and talked to him about her worries. She was afraid Ling Xiao wouldn’t be able to return. With Zhuang Bei’s words lingering in his mind, He Ziqiu was distracted and half-heartedly reassured her that Ling Xiao would definitely come back. In Singapore, Chen Ting hadn’t eaten all day due to her argument with Ling Xiao.

Qin Meiyang ignored Chen Ting’s behavior and even said that if she died, she would just go live with their grandmother. Ling Xiao asked Chen Ting to return his documents, but she questioned if he didn’t want her and Qin Meiyang anymore. Ling Xiao said he just wanted to live back home. His flight was scheduled for that day. Meanwhile, Li Jianjian went home early to wait for him, and Qi Mingyue prepared a full table of dishes.

But Ling Xiao’s phone couldn’t be reached, and he didn’t come back even by night. Feeling hurt, Li Jianjian silently returned to her room. He Ziqiu went in to comfort her, but Li Jianjian didn’t want to talk. She told him to go to bed early since they needed to offer incense to Li Mama at 8 a. m. the next morning.

The next morning, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu returned to the Li home to pay their respects to Li Mama. Li Haichao had also invited some relatives and neighbors to the noodle shop. Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu were troubled, as those relatives were gossipy and constantly made snide remarks about their family. They forced themselves to smile and deal with the chatter.

Li Jianjian’s second aunt and second uncle’s wife even kept trying to set up blind dates for He Ziqiu. After finally getting through the day, that evening, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu burned paper money by the river for Li Mama. They also drank together. Li Jianjian drank too much and couldn’t walk, so He Ziqiu carried her home. Lying on his back, she drunkenly mumbled for him not to leave. He Ziqiu promised her he never would.

If Ling Xiao didn’t come back, he would always stay by her side. After returning home, Ling Heping saw Li Haichao drinking alone and joined him. As they drank and chatted, they talked about Ling Xiao. Earlier that afternoon, Ling Xiao had called Ling Heping and explained that he missed his flight and had delays with a transfer. He also asked Ling Heping to tell Li Jianjian that he would be back that night.

As soon as Ling Heping mentioned Chen Ting, he got angry again, but just then Ling Xiao returned. The first thing he did was offer incense to Li Mama. Afterward, Ling Heping remembered he hadn’t told Li Jianjian that Ling Xiao was back. Worried, Ling Xiao said goodbye and immediately went to Li Jianjian’s house. Ling Xiao returned to Li Jianjian’s house and saw her asleep. He sat by her bed watching her.

Overwhelmed by emotion, he couldn’t help but kiss her. Just then, Qi Mingyue happened to see it. Li Jianjian suddenly woke up from her sleep. Seeing Ling Xiao in front of her and recalling the kiss, she opened her eyes wide. Ling Xiao wanted to say something, but Li Jianjian turned her head to avoid him. Seeing this, Ling Xiao had no choice but to leave her room. The next morning, when Li Jianjian woke up and recalled what happened last night, she still felt like it had been a dream.

He Ziqiu, as usual, went to Li Jianjian’s home to make breakfast. When Li Jianjian came out after washing up and saw Ling Xiao, she felt a little awkward. He Ziqiu and Tang Can were talking about Qi Mingyue moving back home, and started gossiping about how Ling Xiao reacted when he confessed to Qi Mingyue.

Seeing Li Jianjian there, Ling Xiao hurried to explain that he only wanted to make things clear with Qi Mingyue — that the person he liked was someone else. Li Jianjian felt uncomfortable hearing this. Fortunately, Tang Can and He Ziqiu didn’t suspect anything, but Li Jianjian still felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She quickly ate a couple of bites and went back to her room.

Li Jianjian listened carefully for sounds outside the door, and only came out when she confirmed Ling Xiao had left, intending to head to the studio. But as she waited for the elevator, Ling Xiao happened to come out at the same time. Feeling extremely awkward, Li Jianjian tried to find an excuse to avoid being alone with him, but Ling Xiao stopped her. She still tried to play dumb, but Ling Xiao straightforwardly confessed that he liked her.

He admitted he lost control yesterday, but he truly liked her and wanted to marry her. Li Jianjian couldn’t accept it and fled in panic as soon as the elevator doors opened. Li Jianjian called Qi Mingyue after arriving at the studio to check in on her, but Qi Mingyue responded coldly and hung up after just a few words. Not long after, Du Juan and her boyfriend Zhou Miao returned to the studio.

Du Juan asked Li Jianjian why she didn’t go on a date with Zheng Shuran on Sunday. Li Jianjian, feeling a bit down, said she and Zheng Shuran had broken up. It turned out Zheng Shuran also realized they were better suited as friends, so he initiated the breakup, saying they should go back to being kindred spirits. It was Li Jianjian’s first relationship and it hadn’t even lasted a month, which discouraged her.

But Du Juan said it was good they broke up, because there was never a romantic atmosphere between her and Zheng Shuran. While physical intimacy in relationships might make people nervous, there should also be anticipation — not a sense of rejection. As long as the other person is nearby, it should bring great happiness. When Zheng Shuran visited He Ziqiu’s café, he told him about the breakup.

He Ziqiu was overjoyed and immediately called Ling Xiao to share the news. Ling Xiao was still enjoying the news when Feng Xixi came looking for him and asked him out for a meal. Realizing Feng Xixi’s intentions, Ling Xiao told her he had already confessed to the person he liked — and that person was Li Jianjian.

That evening, He Ziqiu treated Zhuang Bei to dinner and said he had decided to pursue Li Jianjian but didn’t know how to go about it. Zhuang Bei suggested that he first change how Li Jianjian saw him, and take the initiative to break out of their sibling-like dynamic. Troubled by the situation with Ling Xiao, Li Jianjian sat downstairs, unable to go home.

When Tang Can came back, she saw her and asked a few questions, thinking she was angry because Ling Xiao came home late. After returning home, Ling Xiao came to remind Li Jianjian about her follow-up appointment at the hospital. Li Jianjian replied that if she was fine, she didn’t need to go. Seeing she didn’t want to talk, Ling Xiao left.

Tang Can, noticing the awkward atmosphere, thought Li Jianjian was still upset and told her that Ling Xiao had anxiety and asked her to be more understanding. After some hesitation, Li Jianjian went to Ling Xiao’s place across the hall to talk things through. Li Jianjian thought Ling Xiao had been triggered by something and had mistaken their familial bond for romantic feelings. But Ling Xiao told her that he had liked her since senior year of high school.

When they were kids, and she took him in, he became hers for life. Li Jianjian was stunned and returned to her room dazed and lost in thought. Ling Heping helped Li Haichao get news about He Mei. She had been back for two years and opened a beauty salon. He said he would send the address shortly.

The next morning, He Ziqiu intended to go to Li Jianjian’s place to make breakfast as usual, but saw a note on her door saying she went out to eat. He had no choice but to make breakfast and eat with Ling Xiao. He asked Ling Xiao if something had happened in Singapore, but Ling Xiao brushed it off. Then he asked He Ziqiu if he ever thought about looking for He Mei.

He Ziqiu had already found her salon, but didn’t go inside — he just watched from afar and left. Right after he left, Li Haichao arrived at the salon using the address from Ling Heping and met He Mei.

He Mei had a child with her and was surprised to see Li Haichao appear. They sat down in a café, and Li Haichao told her that He Ziqiu had returned from abroad. He went on and on about He Ziqiu, but He Mei seemed indifferent and didn’t want to talk about him. Li Haichao tried to persuade her to meet with He Ziqiu to help him get closure, but He Mei was annoyed by his do-gooder attitude.

She told him that she had left for herself and come back for herself, and that if they ran into each other on the street in the future, they should act like strangers. With that, she left the café. In truth, He Mei had seen He Ziqiu chasing after her car on the street that day, and had secretly visited his café too. But she had steeled herself against turning back.

Li Jianjian and Zheng Shuran chatted at He Ziqiu’s café. Li Jianjian found it odd that He Ziqiu was suddenly treating Zheng Shuran better. Zheng Shuran said it was because they had broken up — now that there were no romantic ties, He Ziqiu’s attitude naturally changed. Li Jianjian went to the kitchen and found He Ziqiu making a cake. He asked if she wanted to try decorating it, and taught her how, hand in hand.

While making the cake, they talked about Ling Xiao. With a bit of jealousy, He Ziqiu said she had always been closest to Ling Xiao since childhood. Li Jianjian hurriedly explained that she treated both him and Ling Xiao the same. As they stood close together, He Ziqiu got a little carried away and accidentally messed up the cake decoration. Feeling guilty, Li Jianjian said she would take that cake and that she’d be staying at the Li home tonight.

Coincidentally, He Ziqiu was also planning to go there to discuss something with Li Haichao. That night, He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian had noodles at the shop. Aunt Qian joked to Li Haichao that He Ziqiu could be the Li family’s son-in-law. After dinner, Li Jianjian showered and went to the rooftop for some air. Hearing the door open, she thought it was He Ziqiu, but it turned out to be Ling Xiao. She jumped up nervously.

Ling Xiao asked if she was avoiding him, and she quickly denied it. After a pause, Ling Xiao mentioned that she had always been closest to He Ziqiu, going to internet cafés and playing games together. Li Jianjian explained that Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu were like the palm and back of her hand.

But Ling Xiao said that in times of danger, people clench their fists to protect the palm — and asked which he was to her, palm or back. Li Jianjian couldn’t answer. After Li Haichao’s noodle shop closed, He Ziqiu returned and told him about the breakup and his feelings for Li Jianjian. He wanted to get Li Haichao’s approval.

The news surprised Li Haichao, who told He Ziqiu to think carefully — relationships can be unstable, and if things didn’t work out, they could lose the lifelong bond they had. He asked He Ziqiu to promise that if their relationship couldn’t move forward, they’d still go back to being siblings. He Ziqiu agreed.

After returning from the rooftop, Ling Xiao once again brought up his feelings for Li Jianjian, asking her to consider seeing him as a man in the future. He said he wanted to let others know about this, to avoid misunderstandings about him being involved with someone else. Li Jianjian asked if he had told Qi Mingyue, and Ling Xiao said no, he had only told Feng Xixi.

Not wanting others to know, Li Jianjian said if Ling Xiao kept it secret, she would consider it. She was especially concerned about He Ziqiu and reminded him not to tell him. Ling Xiao agreed. After he left, Li Jianjian was muttering to herself when she suddenly heard the door open. Startled, she ran back to her room, only to find it was He Ziqiu. Relieved, she sighed in relief.

Just as she was thinking it was more comfortable being around He Ziqiu, he suddenly said he wanted to be her boyfriend and had thought it through clearly. Li Jianjian couldn’t accept another confession and quickly pulled away, urging him not to tell Ling Xiao. The next morning, Li Jianjian went to the studio early.

While He Ziqiu and the others were having breakfast, Li Haichao told him about He Mei — that she had paid back the money she owed, had remarried, and had a child. He told He Ziqiu to decide for himself whether or not to see her. But He Ziqiu asked back, “Does He Mei even want to see me?” Li Haichao was speechless.

Ling Xiao interjected, saying that even if He Mei didn’t want to see him, He Ziqiu should still meet her to make things clear — that she hadn’t fulfilled her duty as a mother when he was a child, and shouldn’t come to him in the future expecting him to take responsibility. Ling Xiao told He Ziqiu not to be sad — he had lived without a mother growing up, and he could fight for whatever he wanted in the future.

He Ziqiu recalled that before He Mei left for Shenzhen years ago, she bought him a hamburger. He Mei didn’t marry Li Haichao because there was no love between them, but He Ziqiu really liked Li Haichao’s family. He Mei told He Ziqiu to listen to his grandmother at home and promised to come back for him once she had made enough money. He Ziqiu’s grandmother, hearing this from the side, was filled with anger.

In her heart, she wanted He Mei to marry Li Haichao and settle down, but He Mei was determined to leave. After saying goodbye to the two of them, she walked away without looking back. After much thought, He Ziqiu decided to take Ling Xiao’s advice and go find He Mei. However, He Mei wasn’t at the beauty salon.

He Ziqiu left his address with the staff and asked her to pass it on to He Mei, saying he wanted to meet her. Li Jianjian secretly bought sibling-themed manga. While she was opening the package at the studio, Du Juan rushed in excitedly. Flustered, Li Jianjian shoved the manga into the drawer but accidentally dropped one volume, which she had to leave on the chair.

Du Juan told Li Jianjian that an international company was interested in the derivative rights for her award-winning work Three Childhood Mates. The company's representative would visit in a few days to discuss the deal. If they could secure the partnership, they would earn royalties for each sale. Li Jianjian was overjoyed and forgot about the book under her seat.

Du Juan picked it up out of curiosity and teased Li Jianjian, saying she wasn’t in the right mindset to read such comics and should focus on her competition piece. But Li Jianjian was struggling with a lack of inspiration. After she left, Zhou Miao grew concerned that once the studio started making money, Li Jianjian might split up with Du Juan. Du Juan, however, trusted that Li Jianjian wasn’t that kind of person—her mind was set on creation.

With Du Juan handling the studio’s daily operations and each of them having their own responsibilities, Zhou Miao was still uneasy and suggested a contract between them. Du Juan refused and told him to stop bringing it up, leaving Zhou Miao no choice but to drop the issue. At noon, Ling Xiao suddenly came to the studio to take Li Jianjian out for lunch. He introduced himself to Du Juan and said he’d treat her to a meal next time.

Before eating, Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian went to buy a new phone. On the way, Ling Xiao tried to hold her hand. Though Li Jianjian felt awkward, she remembered they used to hold hands often and took his hand. After changing to his new phone, Ling Xiao finally saw a message from Qi Mingyue. Qi Mingyue confessed that she saw him kiss Li Jianjian and misunderstood the situation.

She asked him to wait until she moved out before making his relationship with Li Jianjian public, to save her some dignity. Seeing Qi Mingyue’s message left Li Jianjian feeling conflicted—she blamed Ling Xiao for dragging her into this mess. Li Jianjian called and messaged Qi Mingyue, but got no response. She had no choice but to go wait downstairs at Qi Mingyue’s place.

Qi Mingyue didn’t want to respond at first, but when she heard Li Jianjian cry out in pain after kneeling on a stone from numb legs, she instinctively turned back and helped her. While applying ointment to Li Jianjian’s leg, Qi Mingyue realized Li Jianjian had seen her message to Ling Xiao and got upset. She felt like a fool, thinking that Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian were laughing at her behind her back.

No matter how Li Jianjian explained, Qi Mingyue wouldn’t listen. When she learned that He Ziqiu also liked Li Jianjian, Qi Mingyue felt even more that Li Jianjian was flaunting. Angered, Li Jianjian quarreled with Qi Mingyue, and the two parted on bad terms. Tang Can went to play mahjong with Zhuang Bei’s mother again and even brought her a necklace.

Zhuang Bei’s mother enjoyed playing and became closer with Tang Can, showing concern for her and suggesting she try other jobs. Embarrassed, Tang Can explained that she was an actress, and this was just a way to experience life. She mentioned some of her past dramas and commercials, which Zhuang Bei’s mother vaguely remembered. After keeping her company, Zhuang Bei came to pick Tang Can up for dinner.

After they ate, Zhuang Bei wanted to see Qi Mingyue, so he sent Tang Can home and made an excuse about writing a case when he found out Qi Mingyue wasn’t there. Back at home, Tang Can found Li Jianjian lying on the couch crying. He Ziqiu had been distracted all day. Just before closing, He Mei finally arrived, and the two of them met again.

He Mei, knowing Zhao Huaguang’s character, guessed that He Ziqiu must have escaped on his own since Zhao wouldn’t let him leave easily. He Ziqiu didn’t want to talk about Zhao Huaguang and simply said Zhao couldn’t control him anymore. He Ziqiu wanted closure. He asked why, after telling him she’d come back once she settled down in Shenzhen, she later wrote a letter saying she didn’t want him anymore.

He Mei admitted she had underestimated how hard life in Shenzhen would be—she couldn’t even support herself, let alone raise a child. Abandoning He Ziqiu, in her mind, was for the best. Holding back tears, He Ziqiu said he was now an adult with people who mattered to him. Since He Mei didn’t raise him then, he wouldn’t support her in the future. He Mei told him not to worry—she had her son and didn’t need his help.

He Ziqiu returned the makeup mirror with her photo and said he was grateful she gave birth to him, but from now on, they should consider each other strangers. Just as he was about to leave, He Mei stopped him and said he could still come to her if he ever needed help, but He Ziqiu refused.

Tang Can hurriedly asked Li Jianjian who had bullied her, but Li Jianjian was crying too hard to speak. Seeing that she wouldn’t talk, Tang Can had no choice but to knock on the door across the hall and brought Ling Xiao over. As soon as she saw him, Li Jianjian hit him a few times, blaming him for her fight with Qi Mingyue. She even bit him on the shoulder.

Ling Xiao pulled her into his apartment and gave her an ice pack for her eyes. He told her to give Qi Mingyue a few days to calm down, and once she had, he would go and apologize. After crying, Li Jianjian felt a bit better. Seeing the bite mark on Ling Xiao’s shoulder, she massaged it for him. He Ziqiu came home and immediately noticed that Li Jianjian had been crying.

When he heard it was over a fight with Qi Mingyue, he didn’t think much of it and believed they would make up soon. He Ziqiu poured himself a glass of water and told them he had met with He Mei. Since Li Jianjian had left early that day, she didn’t know what had happened. He Ziqiu briefly shared what He Mei had said and their conversation. Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao stayed silent, unsure of how to comfort him.

He Ziqiu pretended to be fine in front of them. That night, Li Jianjian wanted to comfort him and went to his room to give him some candy. He was curled up under the blanket, only stretching out a hand to take it.

After he finished the candy, Li Jianjian held his hand in silence, just like when they were kids—back then, when other children teased He Ziqiu for being a burden, she used to visit him at night with candy, hold his hand, and tell him not to believe them because he wasn’t a burden. That day, Du Juan and Li Jianjian were supposed to negotiate a business deal with the international company regarding Three Childhood Mates.

But the translator Du Juan had invited couldn’t make it. Zhou Miao suddenly suggested that He Ziqiu had studied abroad and should be good at English. Du Juan quickly informed Li Jianjian, who then called He Ziqiu for help. He readily agreed and even showed up in a suit to help with the negotiation. Du Juan was impressed by his formal appearance and took a photo with him. Zhou Miao, watching from the side, felt a bit jealous.

Du Juan shared all the studio’s materials and her pricing expectations with He Ziqiu so he could prepare. He Ziqiu chatted smoothly with the representative from the company, Maixieer, and successfully secured the deal for them. After the meeting, they all went out for dinner. During the conversation, Du Juan mentioned that Li Jianjian was a student of honorary professor Peng Yulin. Zhou Miao was surprised and said that with such a great mentor, she’d have no trouble making money.

He suggested that if Peng Yulin could introduce her to some contacts in the art world, her works would sell even better. Li Jianjian disliked what he said and preferred to rely on her skills and artwork. Du Juan noticed her displeasure and kicked Zhou Miao under the table, signaling him to stop. He Ziqiu also defended Li Jianjian, saying that if Zhou Miao wanted to flatter powerful people to advance his career, he shouldn’t stay in her studio.

He Ziqiu pointed out that since Li Jianjian got into woodcarving, she’d constantly had injuries on her hands, while Zhou Miao’s hands didn’t look like those of a woodcarver. Feeling guilty, Zhou Miao said nothing more. That night, Ling Xiao fell asleep on the couch and had a nightmare. In the dream, Chen Ting confronted him, asking if he was abandoning her and Qin Meiyang.

He woke up in a panic when he heard the food delivery guy knocking, confused about whether it was a dream or real. He thought Chen Ting had really come. Li Jianjian happened to return home and took the food delivery. Seeing her, Ling Xiao hugged her for comfort. Sensing something was wrong, she let him hold her. Later, they went out for a jog. During a break, Li Jianjian asked how he had managed to return from Singapore.

Ling Xiao explained that Chen Ting had taken his documents, and while she was out grocery shopping, he searched her room. Qin Meiyang suddenly came in and threw his documents on the bed, saying Chen Ting had asked her to give them to him. Though he didn’t believe it at first, Qin Meiyang told him that since his heart wasn’t there, he should return to his own life and that she would take care of Chen Ting.

When Chen Ting came back and asked whether he had bought his plane ticket, he finally believed she had agreed to let him go. After their jog, Li Jianjian accidentally fell downstairs again. While Ling Xiao was treating her injury, she recalled falling down the stairs in her first year of high school. He Ziqiu had always thought it was Zhao Huaguang’s doing and felt guilty.

But Li Jianjian confessed she had fallen by accident and, afraid of being scolded by Li Haichao, asked Qi Mingyue to lie with her. He Ziqiu remembered confronting Zhao Huaguang back then, who hadn’t denied it. Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao couldn’t understand why Zhao Huaguang had silently taken the blame. That night, Li Jianjian posted anonymously on an online confessional forum about the awkward situation of being confessed to by two brothers.

At Li Haichao’s noodle shop, Aunt Qian was trying to set him up again. This time, she introduced a teacher named Hong Ying, who had learned about Li Haichao’s background and thought he was a good man. While they were chatting, He Mei suddenly showed up and said she needed to talk to Li Haichao. He stopped the conversation and asked Xiao Zhu to take care of Aunt Qian and the others while he took He Mei home.

He Mei said based on her understanding of Zhao Huaguang, he wouldn’t have let He Ziqiu go so easily and asked if Li Haichao knew what really happened. Li Haichao didn’t know either. Though He Mei said she had cut ties with He Ziqiu, she still secretly cared for him and had even analyzed his coffee shop’s foot traffic. She estimated that he had picked a bad location and priced too high—he was likely already losing money.

He Mei asked Li Haichao to add her on WeChat. She had a friend who managed a chain coffee shop and planned to introduce the manager to He Ziqiu via Li Haichao. She genuinely wanted to help He Ziqiu, but didn’t want him to find out. She specifically told Li Haichao to say the manager was his own friend when making the introduction. Tang Can asked Li Jianjian to deliver the household registration page to Qi Mingyue.

Qi Mingyue was ready to leave as soon as she got it, even saying she would move out. Li Jianjian snatched the page back and tried to stop her, wanting to talk things through and persuade her to move back. But Qi Mingyue felt that moving back would make her look like a joke in front of them, and she couldn’t get over that psychological barrier.

Li Jianjian blamed herself and kept stressing that no one was laughing at Qi Mingyue. She even offered to move back home herself and wait until Qi Mingyue was ready to return. Qi Mingyue sighed deeply and asked if Li Jianjian thought she was being unreasonable. Li Jianjian quickly denied it. With teary eyes, Qi Mingyue said that she only dared to be unreasonable with them. She admitted that she had thought it through—she never liked fighting for things.

Since Ling Xiao didn’t like her, she had given up. Still, she couldn’t face Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao yet, and asked for more time. Tang Can brought a gift and cake to her mother’s birthday gathering. There, she learned her mom had told relatives she worked at a museum to save face. The relatives also brought up Tang Can’s past as a child actress, making the whole meal quite unpleasant for her.

As she was about to leave after the meal, Tang Can’s mother criticized her for running a Taobao shop and doing errands, which she thought was disgraceful. Wanting to become a star again, in her mother’s eyes, was pure fantasy. Tang Can’s father tried to mediate, but ended up pleasing no one. Tang Can went home frustrated and talked to Li Jianjian about it.

Li Jianjian said that if Tang Can no longer wanted to be an actress, there was no need to run errands for “acting practice.” She suggested finding a new job. Tang Can misunderstood her kindness and thought Li Jianjian looked down on her. The two argued, and Li Jianjian stormed off to Ling Xiao’s place. Ling Xiao asked what happened between her and Tang Can.

After learning they had argued, he told her not to take a friend’s angry words to heart. But Li Jianjian said she couldn’t control her thoughts anymore—she was furious. Ling Xiao said if he did something right now, he could make her forget about Tang Can. Li Jianjian didn’t believe him, saying she wouldn't get over it tonight. So Ling Xiao stepped forward and kissed her. Li Jianjian’s mind went blank.

When Ling Xiao let go, she curled up in the corner of the couch like an ostrich. After Ling Xiao went to shower, she quickly ran home. While eating dinner with her parents, Qi Mingyue was scolded by Jin Yuxiang, who criticized everything from her love life to her work. Jin Yuxiang wanted complete control over her daughter. Tired of it, Qi Mingyue said she’d go back to her own place.

Jin Yuxiang didn’t object and even handed her some books to memorize for the civil service exam. Qi Mingyue instinctively took the books, but later realized she was once again being manipulated. She shoved the books into a drawer and decided to ignore them. The next morning, Li Jianjian found out Qi Mingyue had returned. Qi Mingyue teased her a little and commented that it was obvious neither Ling Xiao nor He Ziqiu knew the other liked Li Jianjian.

As the only one aware, she planned to sit back and enjoy the drama. While heading out with He Ziqiu, Li Jianjian couldn’t stop thinking about Ling Xiao’s kiss. She even asked if He Ziqiu would kiss her impulsively. He Ziqiu quickly denied it, saying he’d rather stick her head in the fridge to calm her down. Zhou Miao had someone write an article praising Li Jianjian to the skies and arranged an interview for her.

Li Jianjian was furious when she saw it and demanded that Zhou Miao cancel the interview. She said that doing something unearned like this was taboo for her teacher, Peng Yulin. Zhou Miao refused and insisted on putting the studio’s collective interests first. That truly enraged Li Jianjian, who reminded Zhou Miao that he was just an employee and should focus on doing his job. Seeing that she was genuinely angry, Du Juan quickly signaled Zhou Miao to stop talking.

At the hospital, Feng Xixi brought coffee to Ling Xiao and pried into his relationship with Li Jianjian. Ling Xiao refused to share any details. At noon, he had lunch with Qi Mingyue and encouraged her to order for herself. Qi Mingyue, in hindsight, realized her lack of opinion and felt it was understandable that Ling Xiao didn’t like her.

Ling Xiao encouraged Qi Mingyue, saying she was actually a great person and just needed more confidence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be friends with her. He also reflected on his own faults—back when they were friends, part of it was for his own benefit. During those stressful years in Singapore, juggling studies and caring for Chen Ting, he would message Qi Mingyue just to ask what Li Jianjian was doing. It was the only way he could find some comfort.

Qi Mingyue didn’t blame him for the confession. In fact, she was glad she had helped him in some way. Ling Xiao still insisted on apologizing and thanked her. Ling Xiao then asked another question. Back then, they had only known each other for less than a year before he went to Singapore and hadn’t spoken much. He couldn’t understand why she liked him.

Qi Mingyue said she had liked him since the first year of high school because he gave her affirmation and confidence. But Ling Xiao pointed out that she didn’t really know him. Their WeChat conversations were mostly about Li Jianjian. She didn’t even seem curious about his life in Singapore. Maybe she didn’t like him as much as she imagined. After hearing this, Qi Mingyue began to doubt her one-sided feelings.

On her way home, she thought about it—perhaps it wasn’t Ling Xiao she liked, but the feeling of secretly liking him. When she told Tang Can about it, Tang Can couldn’t understand. She advised her that next time she liked someone, she should pursue it seriously. Otherwise, she might end up being forced by Jin Yuxiang to marry some random man. Thinking of that made Qi Mingyue sad.

Tang Can sighed that they were like sisters in hardship—one unlucky in love, the other in her career—while Li Jianjian seemed to be thriving. She even joked they weren’t worthy of being her friends. Just then, Li Jianjian, who had overheard from the doorway, slammed the door and left. Startled, both girls jumped, and Qi Mingyue quickly got up to chase after her. Feeling upset, Li Jianjian went to eat some cake.

Ling Xiao happened to show up and told her about having lunch with Qi Mingyue. Li Jianjian then talked about her fight with Tang Can. Ling Xiao comforted her and they joked around, which finally lifted her spirits. The next day, Li Jianjian was interviewed at He Ziqiu’s coffee shop. While watching, the shop staff gossiped about her and He Ziqiu, believing he had opened the café just to make her happy.

After the interview, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu chatted. She noticed the coffee shop wasn’t doing well and felt worried. He Ziqiu said that Li Haichao had introduced him to a woman named Aunt Luo, who specialized in setting up chain cafés, and they had arranged to meet. Li Jianjian then shifted the topic and said she had imagined what it would be like if she and He Ziqiu got married—it would be a nightmare.

Deep down, she saw him as her real older brother. He Ziqiu wanted to care for the little Li Jianjian, but the 25-year-old Li Jianjian could now take care of herself—and her two brothers. Though not related by blood or law, in her heart, He Ziqiu was the eldest son of the Li family, her true big brother. In her room, Tang Can was recording a self-tape for an audition.

Qi Mingyue dragged Li Jianjian to bring Tang Can out for late-night snacks and try to ease tensions. Although Tang Can had previously claimed she’d given up acting, now she was auditioning again. Qi Mingyue asked what had changed. Whatever the reason, they would support her. Since high school, Qi Mingyue and Li Jianjian had always been her biggest cheerleaders.

After Tang Can failed her first audition, the rest of the class distanced themselves, but Qi Mingyue and Li Jianjian approached her. That’s how their friendship began. But over time, their support became a burden. Each time she failed an audition and saw their encouragement, she felt even more like a failure. Li Jianjian pointed out that Tang Can was conflicted—saying she wasn’t cut out for acting while still auditioning everywhere. Her biggest enemy was herself.

She even rejected roles she thought were too small. Tang Can felt that playing minor roles was shameful and accused Li Jianjian of being out of touch. Furious, Li Jianjian stormed off to Ling Xiao’s place. Zhuang Bei happened to be at Ling Xiao’s house, reviewing a contract for Li Jianjian. Ling Xiao tried to get her to sign it when she came in, but she ignored him and went straight to his room.

Tang Can followed and calmed down a bit upon seeing Zhuang Bei there. Zhuang Bei had planned to return the necklace Tang Can gave his mother privately, but seeing Qi Mingyue there too, he decided it wasn’t a big deal and returned it in front of everyone. Tang Can felt humiliated. After going home, Qi Mingyue scolded Zhuang Bei for doing that publicly. After she left, Li Jianjian also came out and blamed him.

Zhuang Bei was completely confused and didn’t understand what he had done wrong. Ling Xiao went to comfort Li Jianjian. He said Tang Can had a strength—she always wore her emotions on her face, straightforward and honest. While they were talking, Chen Ting suddenly called. Ling Xiao had to answer. Once she knew Li Jianjian was there, she asked to speak with her. Ling Xiao put her on speaker, and Chen Ting spoke warmly before hanging up.

Li Jianjian was surprised and said Chen Ting seemed very different. She had even considered how Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang would react if she and Ling Xiao got together—they would definitely object. Ling Xiao was secretly pleased to see her still worrying about these things. Li Jianjian asked when he started liking her. Ling Xiao said it was in high school—that’s why he never let her into his room.

Then she asked what he would have done if she had gotten married before he returned. Ling Xiao said he had thought about it—and if that had happened, he would’ve just waited for her to get divorced.

Ling Xiao had already decided on Li Jianjian. If Li Jianjian didn’t get a divorce, he would continue being her older brother. Someone like him had already lost the energy to build intimate relationships with strangers. Being with Li Jianjian was an instinct for self-rescue. He felt like he was standing in a swamp—if Li Jianjian didn’t hold on to him, he would sink.

Although Li Jianjian didn’t fully understand what Ling Xiao meant, she promised him that as long as he reached out his hand, she would definitely grab it. Ling Xiao was a bit moved, and the atmosphere between them was warm. Just as Ling Xiao cupped Li Jianjian’s face and was about to kiss her, He Ziqiu suddenly opened the door. Ling Xiao quickly pushed Li Jianjian away.

He Ziqiu looked a bit puzzled about what they were doing, and Li Jianjian had no choice but to say they were just playing around. The next morning, Qi Mingyue talked to Li Jianjian about Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu. She suggested that Li Jianjian clarify things sooner rather than later—otherwise, the longer it was kept secret, the more it would affect the brotherly bond between Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu.

Li Jianjian had kept it secret precisely because she was worried about affecting their relationship. After hearing Qi Mingyue say this, she felt even more stressed. Auntie Luo Hong, who was introduced to He Ziqiu by He Mei, went to visit his coffee shop. After checking the place out, she found that business wasn’t doing well, mainly because it was located near a school and students had limited spending power.

Luo Hong suggested that He Ziqiu reduce costs, offer more affordable drinks and desserts, and organize some promotions during the summer break to attract students. She even wanted to draft a business plan for him, but He Ziqiu declined her good intentions. He had already recognized that Luo Hong wasn’t a friend of Li Haichao, but of He Mei. His pride wouldn’t allow him to accept He Mei’s help.

At lunch, He Ziqiu invited Li Jianjian to eat at the Li family home. When Li Haichao asked whether Luo Hong had visited the shop, He Ziqiu exposed his lie and even told him not to associate with He Mei anymore. Then Li Haichao asked whether He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian were dating.

Li Jianjian quickly denied it, saying that He Ziqiu just wanted to get on the Li family’s household register but that she had already "cured" him of that. After lunch, He Ziqiu said he was going to withdraw money to pay his employees. Li Jianjian happened to see that he was using a credit card to do so and quickly asked if he was having financial problems.

She thought Zhao Huaguang had given He Ziqiu the money to open the shop, and asked why he didn’t go to Zhao Huaguang for help. He Ziqiu was a bit upset and explained that every penny he used to open the shop was money he had earned working abroad. Li Jianjian went home and told Ling Xiao about the situation. The two of them asked He Ziqiu what was really going on.

It turned out that after going abroad, He Ziqiu refused to call Zhao Huaguang "Dad" or change his last name, so Zhao Huaguang used financial pressure against him. But He Ziqiu wouldn’t give in. Except for the first couple of years when Zhao Huaguang provided support, He Ziqiu had been supporting himself through work. He didn’t want Li Haichao to worry, so he never told him about this. Ling Xiao then asked what his next plan was.

He Ziqiu had already calculated that after paying his employees, he wouldn’t have any major expenses and should be able to make it through the slow season on the shop’s revenue. Ling Xiao tried to persuade him to shut down the shop, but He Ziqiu refused—he didn’t want all his previous efforts to go to waste. He also mentioned Luo Hong again, saying he believed He Mei wouldn’t help him out of kindness.

It had to be that Li Haichao had begged her, and for that reason alone, he couldn’t close the shop—otherwise, it would just be a joke to others. Li Jianjian remembered that she would soon receive a royalty payment, so she offered to lend He Ziqiu some money. But Ling Xiao immediately stopped her, saying that without a sound business strategy, no one could keep filling a bottomless pit.

Li Jianjian was annoyed and felt like Ling Xiao always rained on their parade whenever she and He Ziqiu wanted to do something. Ling Xiao, hearing this, also became upset—he felt excluded by the two. Sensing his emotion, Li Jianjian quickly clarified she didn’t mean it that way, but Ling Xiao wasn’t comforted and went back to his room. He Ziqiu urged Li Jianjian to go coax Ling Xiao.

When she went into his room, she found Ling Xiao wasn’t angry at all. He was standing behind the door, smiling and saying she only came in after her "boyfriend" had been angry for 27 seconds. Li Jianjian was momentarily stunned, only then realizing their relationship had changed. After teasing her, Ling Xiao suggested they not tell He Ziqiu about their relationship for now, and Li Jianjian agreed.

Outside the room, He Ziqiu said he was going out to buy some fruit. Li Jianjian immediately offered to go with him, thinking she could help pay. Before Ling Xiao could stop her, she had already run out. Ling Xiao worried that her paying would hurt He Ziqiu’s pride—and just as expected, He Ziqiu got angry, and they had an argument. Li Jianjian said they were a family, so it didn’t matter who supported whom.

But He Ziqiu couldn’t accept that. Furious, Li Jianjian went home. Just as she left, Tang Can walked over. She had initially wanted to show concern for He Ziqiu, but he lashed out like a hedgehog. Upset, Tang Can told him to tell Zhuang Bei that when she gave his mother the necklace, it was under pressure. She wouldn’t, like Li Jianjian, spend her own money to support a man.

She also said she would no longer see Zhuang Bei again. After returning home, Li Jianjian told Qi Mingyue about He Ziqiu’s situation and asked her not to call him a rich second-generation anymore. Tang Can also came home and confessed to Li Jianjian that she had overheard her conversation with He Ziqiu and apologized for her past actions. The two reconciled, and Tang Can said she had given up on Zhuang Bei.

To celebrate selling the derivative rights, Li Jianjian’s studio treated Ling Xiao and the others to hotpot. During the meal, Tang Can pulled Zhuang Bei aside to make things clear: she asked Zhuang’s mom not to place any more orders on her Taobao shop. Then she hesitantly asked Zhuang Bei why he didn’t like her. Zhuang Bei said Tang Can was great, but he already liked someone else. Tang Can kept up a calm appearance in front of him, but after their conversation, she went to the restroom and cried in secret.

When Tang Can came back from the restroom, Du Juan suddenly saw a Weibo post. Zhou Miao took the phone and mysteriously said it was a juicy piece of gossip. Everyone was curious, so Zhou Miao shared the post to their Moments using Du Juan’s phone, saying Li Jianjian was two-timing. It turned out one of Li Jianjian’s anonymous posts from "Tree Hole" had been leaked and was trending.

He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao both saw the post and realized they liked the same person—Li Jianjian. Back home, Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu pulled Li Jianjian aside to talk things out. Ling Xiao felt that since he and Li Jianjian grew up in the same household, even without blood ties, they were like real siblings.

But He Ziqiu argued that Li Haichao had raised Ling Xiao like a son, and aside from not sleeping at the Li house, he was no different from a real sibling. The argument escalated. He Ziqiu questioned whether Chen Ting would accept it if she found out Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian were together. Ling Xiao responded that he didn’t need Chen Ting’s approval—only the consent of the person involved.

Not knowing that Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian were already together, He Ziqiu said that Li Jianjian had always seen both of them as older brothers. Hearing this, Li Jianjian felt guilty. Ling Xiao then told He Ziqiu directly that he and Li Jianjian were in a relationship. At first, He Ziqiu laughed it off, but seeing Li Jianjian nod, he was devastated—he couldn’t understand why, if both were brothers, Li Jianjian didn’t choose him.

Li Jianjian was down all night. The next morning, she, Qi Mingyue, and Tang Can all assumed He Ziqiu wouldn’t cook anymore and were about to go out for breakfast. But when they stepped outside, they found that He Ziqiu had already made breakfast like usual. However, he didn’t stay to eat. Li Jianjian stopped him and asked him not to be angry. He Ziqiu replied he wasn’t angry. At that moment, Ling Xiao came out of his room.

Though He Ziqiu’s attitude toward Li Jianjian remained the same, he was clearly hostile toward Ling Xiao. Later at the studio, Li Jianjian received a call from a high school classmate. As soon as she realized it was about the Weibo post, she quickly denied everything and hung up with an excuse. Du Juan felt bad for her and said if she were in Li Jianjian’s shoes, she wouldn’t know how to choose either.

Zhou Miao chimed in, suggesting she pick He Ziqiu because he was wealthier. Just then, Du Juan received a text saying the guaranteed licensing fee had arrived. Everyone was excited. Li Jianjian asked Du Juan to transfer her share right away since she needed it urgently. Zhou Miao suggested using part of the money for promotion. But Li Jianjian cut him off and warned him that if he brought it up again, he’d be fired.

Zhou Miao had no choice but to shut up. After seeing the Weibo post, Feng Xixi also guessed it was from Li Jianjian. Her curiosity got the best of her, so she went to find Ling Xiao. As an outsider, she thought their story was fascinating, but Ling Xiao was upset—it had been a painful experience for him. Realizing he was genuinely angry, Feng Xixi regretted bringing it up.

While Ling Xiao was resting, Chen Ting called and asked where the pineapple tart shop near his university was. After giving her the address, Ling Xiao felt uneasy and called Qin Meiyang to check on Chen Ting. Qin Meiyang said she seemed better lately, even going out with friends and shopping. Ling Xiao was a little reassured and reminded Qin Meiyang not to upset Chen Ting at home.

Qi Mingyue arranged for Zhuang Bei to meet at He Ziqiu’s shop for legal advice. Both of them thought He Ziqiu was acting too calm after learning that Li Jianjian had chosen Ling Xiao. Meanwhile, Luo Hong chatted with He Mei over tea. Luo Hong said after meeting He Ziqiu, she felt he didn’t hold a grudge against He Mei and encouraged her to reconcile with him. But He Mei said she didn’t have the face to do so.

While they were chatting, the kindergarten teacher called to say He Mei’s son Dongdong had bitten another child. He Mei rushed to the school, where she learned that Dongdong had autism. The teacher suggested sending him to a special school, which would be better for him. That night, after work, Ling Xiao picked up Li Jianjian to walk her home. They chatted along the way. Li Jianjian asked if Ling Xiao had dated anyone in college. He quickly denied it.

Then she asked if he had any close female friends. Ling Xiao said there was one, and she had helped him a lot. Li Jianjian grew curious about Ling Xiao’s college life. She didn’t know much about it, but Ling Xiao knew all about hers—even that she had planted a tree at school. They went to see that tree, which had grown so well it had become a “wishing tree” on campus.

Ling Xiao wrote a wish and hung it on the tree, then kissed Li Jianjian under it. During dinner, Ling Xiao said that moving forward, Li Jianjian should keep her distance from He Ziqiu. Li Jianjian agreed but also hoped they could keep some distance from each other in front of He Ziqiu. Ling Xiao disagreed and even got a little angry, asking if she was reconsidering her choice. He thought Li Jianjian had chosen him out of pity. Li Jianjian was upset and said if she didn’t like him, why would she agree to be with him?

Ling Xiao was deeply lacking in a sense of security. Unlike Li Jianjian, who could live well even on her own and had friends, Ling Xiao saw Li Jianjian as his lifeline. Without her, he couldn't survive. Li Jianjian couldn't quite understand. She asked Ling Xiao if there was anything he enjoyed doing apart from being with her. Ling Xiao didn’t answer.

This made Li Jianjian even more puzzled, so she asked what he did in Singapore besides taking care of Chen Ting and attending school. Ling Xiao said he spent all his time thinking about her, thinking about home, daydreaming about marrying her, having a child together, and being a happy family. He had even picked out a name for their child. Feeling heartbroken, Li Jianjian hugged Ling Xiao and asked if he was sick.

After returning home, Li Jianjian asked Qi Mingyue about Ling Xiao’s time in Singapore. Qi Mingyue said she only ever updated Ling Xiao on how Li Jianjian was doing and didn’t know much about what he was up to in Singapore. If Jianjian truly wanted to know, she should ask Ling Xiao directly. Li Jianjian said she was worried that Ling Xiao might have some psychological issues. But Qi Mingyue thought He Ziqiu had more psychological problems.

Ever since Li Jianjian chose Ling Xiao, He Ziqiu had been deeply discouraged. Just recently, when she bumped into him at the door, she noticed he reeked of alcohol, and business at the coffee shop hadn’t been good either. Feeling low, Li Jianjian called Li Haichao, hoping to talk, but didn’t know how to start the conversation. Sensing her mood, Li Haichao cracked a few jokes to cheer her up, making her smile and feel much better.

Li Jianjian thought about how Li Haichao had never remarried because of her and felt guilty. She asked if he truly never wanted to find a partner. But Li Haichao insisted he didn't—he thought it was great just living with Ling Heping. The two even agreed that once they were too old to manage, they’d go to a retirement home together. Li Jianjian didn’t want him to live in a nursing home.

Acting spoiled, she said she would live with him and take care of him when he got old. The next day at lunch, Li Jianjian waited for Ling Xiao to finish work and treated him to a meal. Ling Xiao was puzzled and asked if she had something to say.

Li Jianjian said she just wanted to eat with him, and as long as she had time, she would eat lunch with him and try to finish work early in the afternoon to pick him up. After the meal, Ling Xiao couldn’t help asking why she was suddenly being so kind. Turning her head with a smile, Li Jianjian jokingly said, “Just like you said, I feel sorry for you.”

She told him not to overthink things when he was alone and to use his intelligence in the right places. Hearing her concern made Ling Xiao feel increasingly happy. Li Jianjian told him to wait for her that evening so she could pick him up, but Ling Xiao said he had already made plans with Ling Heping to see a traditional Chinese doctor. Ling Heping used the excuse of feeling unwell to take Ling Xiao to the doctor.

Dr. Zhao took Ling Xiao’s pulse and said he had liver qi stagnation caused by high stress and recommended a visit to a psychiatrist. Not wanting Ling Xiao to overthink, Ling Heping reacted angrily, insisting Ling Xiao wasn’t sick, just had trouble sleeping. Dr. Zhao then prescribed some medicine to help regulate his condition. Ling Xiao didn’t rush to get the medicine—he stayed outside the office to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Ling Heping didn’t want to take him to the psychiatrist for fear it might damage Ling Xiao’s reputation. Though rough around the edges, Ling Heping had thought everything through carefully. After escorting Ling Xiao home, he reminded him that if he didn’t feel comfortable talking to him, he could talk to Li Haichao, He Ziqiu, or Li Jianjian. Whatever happened, he should never bottle things up inside.

That night, Li Jianjian sat at the doorway reading a book while listening for any sounds outside. As soon as she heard the door across the hall open, she pretended to take out the trash and “ran into” He Ziqiu by chance. She handed over her royalty payment, telling him to use it to pay off his credit card. “ Better to owe me than the bank,” she said.

But He Ziqiu refused, saying the thing he hated most was being pitied. That same day, Aunt Qian and Hongying, the woman who had gone on a blind date with Li Haichao, were playing mahjong at his noodle shop. When the server Xiao Zhu needed to use the restroom, she called on Li Haichao to take her place.

At the table, Aunt Qian asked if He Mei had met with him just to see He Ziqiu or if something happened between them. Li Haichao just smiled, saying He Mei had already remarried. Hearing this, Hongying was delighted and began openly expressing interest in Li Haichao. The aunties nearby were also trying to match them up.

Hongying suggested finding a day to let both families’ kids meet. Li Haichao felt awkward at the mahjong table, and when Xiao Zhu returned, he quickly excused himself, saying he needed to prepare ingredients. Aunt Qian felt he was too shy for his own good, while Hongying confidently said she would take the initiative in pursuing him. After leaving, Li Haichao tried to explain to Aunt Qian that he wasn’t interested in Hongying.

But Aunt Qian said that the real matchmaker was Li Jianjian. It was Jianjian who had asked her to help find someone for him—she was clearly worried about her father. Li Jianjian was eating watermelon and watching a movie in Ling Xiao’s room. She asked about what happened when Chen Ting first woke up. Ling Xiao recalled those difficult days.

When he first arrived in Singapore to care for Chen Ting, she had no feeling in her lower body and was completely bedridden, requiring daily massages and physical therapy. No one knew if she would ever walk again. With no other option but to trust the doctors, both Chen Ting and Ling Xiao endured. Chen Ting was in constant misery, incontinent because of her paralysis—the most painful and humiliating part of the condition.

She even attempted suicide by cutting her wrists. After being rescued, she became even more irritable, constantly arguing with Ling Xiao and demanding to be discharged, saying she didn’t want to live like an animal locked in a hospital. When she finally returned home, her mood didn’t improve and she attempted suicide again. Ling Xiao’s burn on his shoulder came from when Chen Ting accidentally spilled a pot of boiling porridge on him during an emotional outburst.

Fearing another suicide attempt, Ling Xiao sat outside her room every night, listening for any noise. One night, he heard a sound and rushed in, only to find her trying out her crutches. She said she wanted to visit the rehab center the next day to ask about treatment. In that moment, Ling Xiao finally felt a glimmer of hope. Li Jianjian was heartbroken after hearing all this.

Gently patting his hand, she said she would love him well from now on. He Mei brought Dongdong to a buffet. While getting food, she lost sight of him. After a frantic search, she found him at the dessert station where a pastry chef was handing him candy. Relieved, she looked up to thank the chef—and saw it was He Ziqiu. Surprised, she asked if he had closed his café.

He didn’t answer, only saying he had gone back to work. Later, while taking out the trash, He Ziqiu found a stray puppy beside the bin. Feeling that the puppy, like him, was unwanted, his heart softened, and he took it home. When he arrived downstairs, Li Jianjian ran into him. She called out twice, but he quickened his pace and ignored her. She chased after him, but slipped on the pavement and fell.

Only then did He Ziqiu turn back. Li Jianjian followed He Ziqiu home and helped bathe the dog. Though He Ziqiu had been cold toward her lately, she still cared about him. She asked if he truly saw her as family. After he confirmed, she told him she believed true family came from mutual love and care.

Marriage could make people family for a time, but if they stopped caring, that bond would break—just like Ling Heping and Chen Ting, or He Mei and Zhao Huaguang. The same nearly happened between her, He Ziqiu, and Ling Xiao. Not because they didn’t return, but because none of them shared their true feelings. That truth included both joy and pain.

He Ziqiu understood she was trying to tell him not to carry everything alone, but he really didn’t want to upset her by sharing his sadness. Li Jianjian said she only got upset when she worried about him, and felt awful when he ignored her. Her words comforted He Ziqiu greatly. The next day, the three of them returned to the noodle shop for a meal. Li Jianjian picked food for Ling Xiao. The two exchanged smiles.

Seeing this, He Ziqiu felt uneasy. Noticing his expression, Li Jianjian quickly gave him some food too. He Ziqiu then laid down three rules: first, she couldn’t treat him and Ling Xiao differently; second, if he and Ling Xiao argued, she had to take his side; third, if Ling Xiao ever mistreated her, he would beat him up. Just as Ling Xiao was about to respond, Li Jianjian poked him and told him to just agree. Ling Xiao gave in.

Xiao Zhu came over and mentioned that Hongying intended to pursue Li Haichao, but he didn’t seem interested. As they were talking, Li Haichao and Hongying returned with groceries, chatting and laughing. The trio quickly stood to greet her. Li Haichao sent Hongying to the kitchen and stayed to chat. Li Jianjian supported the idea of him being with Hongying, but he insisted he was fine living with Ling Heping.

Ling Xiao remarked that Ling Heping did nothing but throw money around and left everything else to others. He added that unlike Ling Heping, he would prioritize family over career. Li Haichao was touched by this and praised Ling Xiao for being mature, saying any woman who married him would be incredibly lucky. Taking the opportunity, Ling Xiao grabbed Li Jianjian’s hand and said Li Haichao could entrust her to him.

Li Haichao followed along with the conversation until he suddenly realized something was off. He turned around and saw them holding hands, and was stunned. Speechless, Li Haichao stared at the two. Li Jianjian quickly pushed him into the kitchen, telling him to help Hongying with the toppings. Afterward, Li Haichao asked Ling Xiao to leave and spoke to Li Jianjian privately, asking what was going on between them.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Bei’s mother had placed another order at Tang Can’s shop. When Tang Can and Zhuang Bei met, she wanted him to clarify things with his mother. But Zhuang Bei pleaded with Tang Can for help—his mom had already bragged to relatives that Tang Can was his girlfriend. While they were arguing, Tang Can saw a photo of Qi Mingyue on Zhuang Bei’s phone and realized he had feelings for Qi Mingyue. Furious, she turned and walked away.

Li Jianjian had thought Li Haichao would support her relationship with Ling Xiao, but seeing that Li Haichao still looked gloomy, she felt disappointed. Li Haichao said he was at ease with Ling Xiao as a person, but he was worried that Chen Ting would object to their relationship, and also concerned that Ling Xiao might get into trouble with her.

Li Jianjian tried to reassure him, saying she had spoken to Chen Ting on the phone recently, and Chen Ting had sounded rather pleasant. She figured people become kinder with age, and besides, Chen Ting was in Singapore and couldn’t control her and Ling Xiao anyway. Li Jianjian told Li Haichao not to worry about her and even tried to matchmake him with Hongying.

Qi Mingyue had written a job application to work in Beijing and was hesitating whether to send it when she received a call from Jin Yuxiang. She quickly pulled out a civil service exam book from her drawer and pretended to be studying in front of Jin Yuxiang. Satisfied, Jin Yuxiang hung up the call. Afterward, Qi Mingyue, feeling irritated, threw all the books in the drawer onto the floor.

She had no desire to become a civil servant, but lacked the courage to defy Jin Yuxiang. Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian, after learning that He Ziqiu had been secretly working part-time to cover the losses at the café, went to the buffet restaurant where he worked. They even hid behind a menu to secretly observe him. Ling Xiao thought their sneaky pose looked silly, but Li Jianjian insisted that covert surveillance always looked like this.

When they looked again, He Ziqiu was gone. While they were still puzzled, He Ziqiu's voice came from behind, asking if they were stalking him. Ling Xiao joked that he had once “bound” He Ziqiu while he was showering, so he could find him anywhere. Li Jianjian added that Ling Xiao had secretly paid off He Ziqiu's credit card debt. He Ziqiu got a little angry, thinking Ling Xiao was meddling too much.

But Ling Xiao shrugged helplessly, saying he had no choice—after all, it was his girlfriend who was worried about He Ziqiu. He Ziqiu, though a bit frustrated, knew they both cared about him and eventually accepted their kindness. He Mei suddenly showed up at Li Haichao's noodle shop with Dongdong. Li Haichao made a bowl of noodles for Dongdong, who ate with great appetite.

He Mei told Li Haichao that she had made some inquiries in Zhao Huaguang's hometown and found out that Zhao had another son, already five years old. He had even taken him back to his ancestral home for a ritual recently. Only then did Li Haichao understand why Zhao Huaguang had so easily let He Ziqiu go.

He Mei also mentioned seeing He Ziqiu working at the buffet restaurant and asked Li Haichao if he had Zhao Huaguang’s number—she wanted to ask why He Ziqiu was short on money. Right there, He Mei called Zhao Huaguang and, after threatening him, got him to reveal the reason. She put him on speaker so Li Haichao could listen too.

It turned out that Zhao Huaguang had deliberately cut off He Ziqiu’s financial support to force him to sever ties with the Li family. For the past six or seven years, He Ziqiu had paid for his tuition and living expenses all by himself through part-time jobs. He Mei, furious, threatened Zhao Huaguang to give He Ziqiu everything he owed him over the years, or else she’d make him regret it. After saying that, she hung up.

After hanging up, He Mei found that Dongdong had given her food to the shop’s dog. Li Haichao quickly picked up Dongdong and took him to wash his hands. Then he cooked another meal and sat down to chat with He Mei. After hearing about He Ziqiu’s life abroad, Li Haichao felt guilty, saying he was just a poor and incompetent father who had made He Ziqiu suffer.

But He Mei sincerely comforted him, saying that he had raised three children all by himself and none of them could compare to him. Meanwhile, He Ziqiu returned home and discovered that Zhao Huaguang had transferred money to him. He felt both angry and confused—why had Zhao suddenly sent him money? Zhao told him that He Mei had called and scolded him. He even asked why He Ziqiu could forgive He Mei but not him.

Feeling humiliated, He Ziqiu threw his phone aside and stormed out. At that moment, Li Jianjian had come over to invite him to eat watermelon and quickly followed him after seeing him run off. She also called Li Haichao to tell him what had happened. After searching for a while, they found out He Ziqiu had gone to He Mei’s shop to look for her. He Mei and Li Haichao also arrived shortly after.

The others left to let He Ziqiu and He Mei talk alone. He Ziqiu questioned why He Mei still wanted to be part of his life. He said that even during his toughest times, he had never gone to Zhao Huaguang for help, and He Mei asking Zhao for money made him feel utterly humiliated.

He said he didn’t actually hate either Zhao or He Mei for abandoning him, but what he couldn’t understand was why he was always the one being abandoned. Whenever he needed a home, it was always Li Jianjian and Li Haichao who took him in. That’s why he wanted to earn money and open a coffee shop filled with the desserts Li Jianjian liked best, so that everyone would know he was doing well, that he didn’t need pity.

He wanted to work hard to give everything good to the people who had never abandoned him. He didn’t want He Mei’s apology—he just wanted her to live her life well and not have any regrets. After saying this, He Ziqiu left with Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian. Li Haichao stayed behind, looking at He Mei with concern. She told him she wouldn’t trouble him anymore, and after he left, she squatted on the floor and broke down in tears.

The next morning, after He Ziqiu got up, he found a drawing on the floor. It showed their family sitting around a table eating together—it had been slipped under his door by Li Jianjian the night before. Li Haichao had already made breakfast and asked He Ziqiu to call Ling Xiao to eat. At the table, with all three of them present, Li Haichao took the opportunity to open up.

He started by criticizing himself, saying he hadn’t been a good enough father. Apart from cooking, he hadn’t really cared about the three of them. He always thought that problems would pass if you just endured them. He reflected that sometimes it’s the adults who are in the wrong, and adults often don’t even have the courage to admit their mistakes.

He told He Ziqiu that while he didn’t have to forgive He Mei, there were still some things he needed to know. Last night, He Mei had talked at length with Li Haichao. Years ago, she had gone to work in Shenzhen, where she was deceived by a department store manager. The manager, though already married, still pursued her.

Although He Mei never accepted his advances, the manager’s wife came to the store and caused a scene, publicly calling her a homewrecker. The manager, afraid of trouble, fired her. Then, as if things couldn’t get worse, her landlord also misunderstood her and kicked her out. After learning all this, He Ziqiu was silent for a long time. Ling Xiao, worried, suggested that Li Jianjian go to the studio a bit later and keep He Ziqiu company for a while.

Li Jianjian tried to comfort He Ziqiu, but he couldn’t hear any of it. After going home, He Mei came down with a fever. She had a nightmare—she dreamt that she was playing in a park with young He Ziqiu, but suddenly he disappeared. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find him. She woke up shouting his name. Luo Hong, who had come over after receiving a WeChat message from Li Haichao, discovered that He Mei was sick.

She felt emotional and even suggested that He Mei reconsider Li Haichao, saying he was a good man and they were both single. But He Mei said she had already brought Li Haichao too much pain in the past—how could she shamelessly get close to him again? She believed that Li Haichao didn’t hold grudges only because he was a genuinely kind person. Besides, he had always thought she had remarried and that Dongdong was her new child.

Luo Hong was surprised, realizing that He Mei had never told Li Haichao the full story about herself and Dongdong. He Mei said she was just an insignificant person and didn’t want her own life to affect Li Haichao’s. When Ling Heping returned from his business trip, he went straight to the noodle shop. Li Haichao said he had two things to tell him—one about Ling Xiao, and one about He Ziqiu.

He started with Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian’s relationship. Ling Heping was thrilled—he had always hoped Li Jianjian would become his daughter-in-law, and he was even more delighted to hear they were finally dating. But Li Haichao worried that Chen Ting might disapprove of Li Jianjian and that she might make her life hard as a mother-in-law. Ling Heping told him not to worry—Chen Ting was in Singapore and couldn’t interfere.

After finishing with Ling Xiao, Li Haichao told him about He Mei and He Ziqiu. Zhuang Bei finally gathered the courage to confess to Qi Mingyue. He asked her out but didn’t dare say it in person, so he sent her a message. Qi Mingyue turned off her phone before finishing the message and was a bit angry, questioning why Zhuang Bei would confess to her when he knew Tang Can liked him.

Zhuang Bei panicked and explained that he had already made things clear with Tang Can and that he had always liked Qi Mingyue. But Qi Mingyue didn’t want to hear it and left without accepting his confession. Not long after, Tang Can called Qi Mingyue. Feeling guilty about Zhuang Bei’s confession, she picked up the call and heard Tang Can excitedly tell her that a director wanted to cast her in a film.

Qi Mingyue was genuinely happy for her and promised to talk more when they got home that night. But that evening, Qi Mingyue didn’t dare go home. Downstairs, she received another message from Zhuang Bei and quickly blocked him. Just then, Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao returned from dinner and saw her there. Li Jianjian approached and tapped her shoulder, startling her. She relaxed once she saw it was Li Jianjian.

She glanced at Ling Xiao, and Li Jianjian got the hint and sent him upstairs. Once he was gone, Qi Mingyue quietly told Li Jianjian about what had happened with Zhuang Bei. Li Jianjian thought for a moment and, based on her experience, said that this kind of thing couldn’t be hidden.

Qi Mingyue also knew that this kind of thing couldn’t be hidden, so she didn’t dare go home. The moment she returned, she’d have to explain it to Tang Can. Li Jianjian told Qi Mingyue to take advantage of Tang Can’s good mood and quickly confess everything. When Li Jianjian dragged Qi Mingyue home, Tang Can was picking out clothes for her interview. Qi Mingyue still didn’t dare say anything, so Li Jianjian volunteered to speak for her.

But when Tang Can came out after changing, Li Jianjian pushed Qi Mingyue forward, saying she had something to say. Qi Mingyue mustered up the courage to tell Tang Can about Zhuang Bei. Tang Can remained composed and said she had already known about it a few days ago. She also said she had cleared things up with Zhuang Bei and that they’d just stay friends from now on.

Tang Can even asked if Qi Mingyue wanted to reconsider Zhuang Bei, but Qi Mingyue said she had already blocked him and angrily added that she hated people chasing after her. The next morning, when He Ziqiu came to Li Jianjian’s home for breakfast, he brought up Zhuang Bei. Qi Mingyue asked He Ziqiu to help tell Zhuang Bei that the two of them really weren’t suitable.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Tang Can came out of her room dressed up. Everyone knew she had an audition today and all encouraged and praised her. Tang Can waited at the office for a long time before finally seeing the director and producer. After learning about Tang Can’s background, they were very satisfied.

Just when Tang Can thought she had a chance, they told her they wanted her to be the stand-in for the female lead Sun Li in the drama. If Tang Can accepted, they promised to give her priority in casting for their next project. Jin Yuxiang suddenly called out to Qi Mingyue, saying she wanted her to buy a house.

Jin Yuxiang had already worked it out—she’d pay 50% of the down payment first, and Qi Mingyue could help repay the loan once she got a new job and a salary raise. Qi Mingyue was a bit angry that Jin Yuxiang made the arrangements without asking and was about to refuse when Jin Yuxiang said she had already paid a 200,000 yuan deposit that was non-refundable.

Just after finishing that conversation, Zhuang Bei came to find Qi Mingyue too, wanting to clear things up. Qi Mingyue was still angry and spoke to Zhuang Bei with no courtesy, even saying that just thinking about him now made her uncomfortable. After saying all that, she left. Li Jianjian was at a shoe store buying shoes for He Ziqiu and Ling Xiao when she suddenly got a call from Qi Mingyue, asking to meet that afternoon.

Tang Can came too. She told them about what happened to her that morning, and both girls felt indignant on her behalf. Tang Can then asked what was wrong with Qi Mingyue, who told them about Jin Yuxiang taking out a loan to buy a house for her. If the house was really purchased with a loan, their family would be completely drained, and they’d have to repay over ten thousand yuan each month for the next thirty years.

Qi Mingyue worried that if anything unexpected happened to the family, they would fall into a financial crisis. Tang Can sighed, saying that when they were young, they thought all roads led to Rome, but now they realized every road had a sign that said “No Entry.” After a moment of gloom, Tang Can and Qi Mingyue cheered each other up, saying that no matter how hard the road ahead is, they still have to try.

While listening to Tang Can and Qi Mingyue talk about their parents, Li Jianjian suddenly recalled a time she passed by the noodle shop and wanted to tease Li Haichao, so she asked him what he was doing. Because she had once told him she didn’t like voice messages, Li Haichao, wearing reading glasses, typed out each word slowly. Li Jianjian felt a pang of sadness as she watched from the window.

In that moment, she realized her father was getting old. From then on, she told him it was fine to send voice messages instead. Tang Can and Qi Mingyue comforted Li Jianjian, and the three of them had dinner before going home. When they returned, they found a box of deliveries from Tang Can’s father on the table. Li Jianjian opened it and found it was filled with Tang Can’s favorite foods made by her mother.

Though Tang Can’s mom didn’t say anything, she clearly missed her and didn’t dare give the food to Tang Can in person, so she mailed it instead. Tang Can felt a bit emotional and asked about the museum job her dad had mentioned. Meanwhile, Qi Mingyue called her dad. Upon hearing that Jin Yuxiang had paid a 200,000 yuan deposit, he got angry too.

He was still out on a business trip and had already refused the idea of buying the house on a loan. He told her to wait until he got back. Qi Mingyue reassured him, saying although the deposit was non-refundable, it could be transferred to someone else. Qi’s dad reminded her not to give Jin Yuxiang her household registration page for the loan.

After hanging up the phone, Tang Can suddenly took out her clothes from the closet and began packing them to throw away. She told Qi Mingyue and Li Jianjian that she would no longer run the delivery shop or pursue acting. She decided to go interview for a museum guide job the next day. From now on, she wanted a more stable job to take care of herself—considering that as her way of showing filial piety to her parents.

While Li Haichao was taking a break after finishing his work at the shop, Hong Ying came by and said she had learned to make dumplings and wanted him to try them. She was even very enthusiastic, feeding dumplings to him herself. Ling Heping entered and saw this scene, then teased them on purpose. At lunch, when Li Jianjian and the others went back home to eat, Ling Heping animatedly mimicked Hong Ying feeding dumplings to Li Haichao.

Li Jianjian teased him too, but Li Haichao said he and Hong Ying weren’t suitable and that just being friends was fine. Seeing that Li Haichao truly wasn’t interested in Hong Ying, Ling Xiao didn’t joke around anymore. Tang Can went to find Zhuang Bei and told him she had closed her delivery shop. However, she said she’d still finish the last errand his mother had asked her to do—just as a favor to his mom.

But she asked Zhuang Bei to make it clear to his mom that it would be the last time. Zhuang Bei didn’t understand why she suddenly decided to quit, and Tang Can explained her reasons. Before leaving, she even comforted Zhuang Bei, saying that Qi Mingyue hadn’t experienced love before, and although she rejected him, it didn’t mean there was anything wrong with him.

Ling Xiao’s birthday was coming up, and Chen Ting wanted to surprise him, so she returned to China with Qin Meiyang. When Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian got home and saw the two of them at the door, they were both shocked. Qin Meiyang could tell Ling Xiao wasn’t happy to see them—he only lit up when he saw Li Jianjian.

Li Jianjian instinctively removed Ling Xiao’s hand from her shoulder, but Ling Xiao wrapped his arm around her in front of them to show they were together. After sitting in Ling Xiao’s home for a bit, Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang left for the hotel. They said they’d book a restaurant for Ling Xiao’s birthday and invite Li Haichao and Ling Heping to celebrate together.

Ling Heping was especially worried after learning Chen Ting had returned, convinced she didn’t have good intentions. Li Haichao, however, thought Chen Ting might have changed from how she used to be. After Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang left, Ling Xiao couldn’t sleep and even started hallucinating again. Just then, Li Jianjian came over, saying she couldn’t sleep and wanted to sleep with him.

In truth, she guessed that Ling Xiao was in a bad mood because of Chen Ting’s arrival, so she came to comfort him. With Li Jianjian’s comfort, Ling Xiao gradually calmed down. He Mei visited He Lan’s husband in the hospital, then went to a restaurant with He Lan. She asked about He Lan’s recent situation. He Lan lamented that her life wasn’t as fortunate as He Mei’s.

They chatted about the past, and He Lan asked why He Mei hadn’t contacted them all these years. He Mei said she was afraid of being a burden. He Lan guessed that He Mei had remarried and brought up that if He Mei had married Li Haichao back then, everything would’ve been different. Not wanting to discuss it, He Mei changed the subject. After the meal, He Mei gave He Lan a bag of money.

As soon as He Mei left the restaurant, she got a call from one of her employees saying Dongdong had gone missing. The surveillance showed Dongdong running off chasing a dog. Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang went to Ling Xiao’s workplace and even brought gifts for his colleagues. Ling Xiao was in the middle of treating a patient.

Feng Xixi happened to be at the front desk and, upon hearing Chen Ting say she was Ling Xiao’s mother, came forward to greet her. After finishing the appointment, Ling Xiao found out Chen Ting was at the clinic. He was upset and said she should’ve told him beforehand. Chen Ting replied that she had called, but he was busy and didn’t answer. Ling Xiao didn’t want to argue and said he had already arranged to switch shifts with a colleague and would take them out in the afternoon.

He Mei returned to the beauty salon. Luo Hong came as well after learning that Dongdong had gone missing. Later, they found out that a kind-hearted person had taken Dongdong to the police station. However, the police required He Mei to bring a guardian’s ID to pick up Dongdong. This troubled He Mei. She suddenly remembered that Ling Heping was a police officer, so she called Li Haichao to ask for help.

With Ling Heping’s assistance, He Mei was able to bring Dongdong back. It was only then that Ling Heping and Li Haichao learned that Dongdong was not He Mei’s son, but rather the child of a salon employee from when He Mei was a manager at a salon in Shenzhen. Dongdong’s mother had endured domestic violence for years for the sake of her child. During one altercation, she stabbed her husband to death.

The court ruled it as excessive self-defense and sentenced her to four years. She is due for release this year. He Mei had already spoken with Dongdong’s mother and promised to hire her once she’s out. Ling Heping and Li Haichao were moved by the story. At that moment, Dongdong, who never spoke, suddenly opened his mouth and repeatedly said “dog.” Li Haichao immediately understood that Dongdong wanted to play with the dog He Ziqiu had rescued last time.

The dog had been given to the supermarket at the entrance and was named Xuedan. After returning home, Li Haichao told the supermarket owner about Dongdong’s situation, and the owner agreed to let He Mei take Xuedan. He Mei was very grateful to Li Haichao and also felt she had troubled him. Li Haichao, curious, asked He Mei if she had remarried. He Mei replied that she was still single.

Li Haichao then asked why she had hidden this from them, noting that He Ziqiu had been very hurt upon learning that He Mei had remarried. He Mei explained that she had made a promise: since Li Haichao had raised He Ziqiu, then He Ziqiu was his son, and she would never try to reclaim him. A promise was a promise—this was her principle.

Li Haichao grew upset, saying that she had also promised to return for He Ziqiu but failed to keep it. The comment hit a nerve with He Mei, and she couldn’t hold back her tears. Seeing her cry made Li Haichao feel terrible, so he quickly offered some comfort. Ling Xiao spent the whole afternoon accompanying Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang shopping. He returned home exhausted in the evening.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Li Jianjian squatting by his bed greeting him. Li Jianjian had sneaked over, worried that Ling Xiao wouldn’t be able to sleep, and wanted to keep him company. Ling Xiao appreciated her concern but told her that he had to take Chen Ting and the others to Gulangyu Island early the next morning.

He also pointed out that it wouldn’t be good if Li Haichao found out about this, so he asked her to go home. The next morning, Ling Xiao saw a gift box on his desk. Upon opening it, he found it was a birthday present from Li Jianjian. Overjoyed, he immediately changed into the new shoes. Early in the morning, Qi Mingyue went to the airport to pick up her father who was returning from a business trip.

Her father didn’t look well and went with her directly to meet Jin Yuxiang. Jin Yuxiang brought up the idea of buying a house for Qi Mingyue. Her father firmly opposed selling everything just to buy a house. Qi Mingyue also chimed in. However, Jin Yuxiang insisted on helping Qi Mingyue solve the biggest pressure in her life. Qi Mingyue felt a headache—her biggest source of stress was Jin Yuxiang.

Though she still had her reason and didn’t voice such hurtful words, Jin Yuxiang and her father’s argument escalated. Jin Yuxiang even said she’d divorce if they didn’t buy the house. Her father, equally angry, said that if Jin Yuxiang insisted, then they’d divorce. He got up and left. Qi Mingyue blamed Jin Yuxiang for going too far, but Jin Yuxiang didn’t think she was wrong.

After Tang Can started working at the museum, her relationship with her parents began to improve. During lunch break, she had a meal with her parents. Her mother was very pleased with the change and started suggesting that Tang Can take the civil service exam next year. Tang’s mother recalled how Tang Can had earned two apartments and a car for the family when she was an actress. Now, with their small supermarket doing well, they had enough to spend.

She said Tang Can had already given them a good life, and as long as Tang Can’s life became stable, they would be at ease. Qin Meiyang went to He Ziqiu’s shop to pick up Ling Xiao’s birthday cake and even asked how much it cost. He Ziqiu found it odd and said the cake was free—he had made it for Ling Xiao.

Qin Meiyang said Chen Ting had told her that if He Ziqiu refused to accept money, she should just leave it anyway. She slapped a wad of cash on the table and left. Staring at the money, He Ziqiu felt upset and didn’t even attend Ling Xiao’s birthday party that night. That evening, Chen Ting hosted a banquet at a hotel.

When the others learned that she had paid He Ziqiu for the cake, they all looked uncomfortable, though none said anything. Chen Ting stood up to toast Li Haichao, ostensibly to thank him for raising Ling Xiao, but she passive-aggressively reminded him that Ling Xiao was not his biological son. The dinner left everyone in a foul mood. Later, in the restroom, Li Jianjian ran into Qin Meiyang. Qin Meiyang asked if she was dating Ling Xiao.

After getting a confirmation, she bluntly said the relationship was pointless because both she and Chen Ting didn’t like her. Li Jianjian didn’t get angry and said she didn’t care. Seeing her indifferent attitude, Qin Meiyang didn’t bother continuing the conversation. After the meal, Ling Xiao sent Chen Ting and the others back. Meanwhile, Li Haichao and Li Jianjian waited outside for Ling Heping to bring the car. After a while, Li Jianjian suddenly said that He Ziqiu told her to hurry home, so she went off on her own to catch a taxi.

When Ling Xiao dropped off Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang at the hotel, he asked when they were returning to Singapore and said he planned to book them Sunday tickets. Qin Meiyang was displeased, thinking Ling Xiao was in a hurry to send them off. Ling Xiao said nothing, but he did criticize Chen Ting for making Qin Meiyang pay He Ziqiu for the cake. Chen Ting merely said she didn’t want to burden He Ziqiu.

After returning home, He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian brought out a cake and surprised Ling Xiao. For the first time, Ling Xiao truly felt it was his birthday. Qi Mingyue told Tang Can about her parents’ argument. Tang Can was worried and advised her to stop avoiding the issue—either fight back or give in. Qi Mingyue, however, was still in avoidance mode and even pointed out that Tang Can ended up compromising too.

Tang Can responded that she hadn’t compromised with her parents, but with fate. Since working at the museum, life had become smoother, her parents’ relationship had improved, and she no longer felt conflicted or miserable. Li Haichao hadn’t been eating or sleeping well due to He Mei’s situation. Unable to suppress his doubts and curiosity, he went to the salon to find her. He had been thinking it over for days, finding He Mei’s behavior unreasonable.

She used to care deeply for He Ziqiu and wouldn’t have abandoned him just because of poverty. If she were selfish, she would’ve tried everything to reclaim He Ziqiu. Even for Dongdong, a child not her own, she had gone to great lengths—how could she not love her own son? Seeing how much Li Haichao wanted the truth, He Mei asked the staff to take Dongdong out so she could speak to him alone.

Meanwhile, He Ziqiu went to the hospital to visit his second uncle. As He Lan walked him out, she brought up He Mei. She told him not to hate He Mei—she was truly pitiful. Even though she didn’t care for He Ziqiu, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to, but because she couldn’t. After deciding to let Li Haichao raise He Ziqiu, He Lan visited her in prison and saw that her eyes were swollen like peaches from crying.

She had written many letters to He Ziqiu but never dared to send them. He Lan let something slip, and He Ziqiu was shocked to learn He Mei had been in prison. He pressed further and finally got the full story. Back then, He Mei was working at a beauty salon in Shenzhen. After one treatment, a customer had an allergic reaction and caused a scene.

He Mei stepped in to help a colleague but the customer accidentally fell, hit the back of her head, and died. He Mei was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years. The police asked her to notify her family, but she only dared to ask He Lan to come quietly and wrote a letter for her to take back, afraid He Lan might reveal the truth to Li Haichao.

She did it all for He Ziqiu—to ensure Li Haichao could raise him as his own. Li Haichao felt sad and said he never raised He Ziqiu for any repayment. Even if He Mei had told him the truth back then, he would have still raised the boy well. He knew that there was a missing piece in He Ziqiu’s heart that only He Mei could fill.

But He Mei stubbornly insisted that what was missing was already gone and couldn't be replaced. The only thing she could do now was not cause He Ziqiu any more trouble. Hearing this, Li Haichao suddenly realized where He Ziqiu’s stubborn personality came from. He advised He Mei that if she truly felt she owed him, she should make it up to him little by little, and that He Ziqiu had the right to know the truth.

Just as Li Haichao was about to call He Ziqiu, He Lan called him. After answering, Li Haichao told He Mei that He Ziqiu already knew everything. Worried about He Ziqiu, Li Haichao called Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao to tell them what had happened. The two immediately dropped what they were doing and went out to find him. Sitting beside him, they asked how he felt.

He Ziqiu said he felt much better after knowing he hadn’t been abandoned and that He Mei hadn’t remarried or had more children. But whether or not he forgave her didn’t really matter to him, since he had never hated her in the first place. That night, he had drinks and talked with Li Haichao at the noodle shop. When asked about his plans, He Ziqiu admitted he didn’t know.

He felt that doing anything now—saying something or taking action—would seem forced. He preferred to leave things as they were. Meanwhile, Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao cuddled at home, eating fruit and watching TV. Suddenly, Ling Heping came home, and they quickly sat up straight. Ling Heping asked about Ling Xiao’s condition and reminded him to take his medicine and go for a follow-up check when the medication was finished. After giving several nagging instructions, he went to shower.

Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao resumed watching TV. As they watched, Ling Xiao suddenly proposed to her. Caught off guard, Li Jianjian was stunned. Seeing her not respond, Ling Xiao dropped the subject. Jin Yuxiang called Qi Mingyue saying she wanted to come by to get the household registration page. Qi Mingyue, still out, made up excuses to stop her. But Jin Yuxiang ran into Tang Can downstairs and insisted on going up.

Qi Mingyue had no choice but to rush home. After Jin Yuxiang entered her room, Tang Can received a call from Qi Mingyue and reassured her not to worry—she had left the page at work, so Jin Yuxiang wouldn’t find it. While rummaging through the room, Jin Yuxiang discovered that Qi Mingyue wasn’t preparing for the civil service exam at all and even found a box of empty beer bottles under the bed.

She immediately called Qi Mingyue and told her to come back at once. Seeing Jin Yuxiang in such a foul mood, Tang Can quickly messaged Li Jianjian, asking her to wait for Qi Mingyue when she came back.

Before long, Qi Mingyue and Li Jianjian returned together. Jin Yuxiang asked Qi Mingyue whether she had really been studying. Seeing the situation had reached this point, Qi Mingyue no longer concealed the truth—she told Jin Yuxiang that she never intended to take the civil service exam. She wanted to become a journalist and work in Beijing for two years, that would be enough.

But Jin Yuxiang scoffed at her, saying Beijing was full of talent and wondered why such a good opportunity would ever be given to someone like Qi Mingyue. Since childhood, Jin Yuxiang had constantly belittled Qi Mingyue. Qi Mingyue had always swallowed her anger and tolerated it. Under Jin Yuxiang’s suppression, she lost her confidence. But now, she didn’t want to tolerate it any longer. Jin Yuxiang continued to mock and deny Qi Mingyue.

Qi Mingyue accused Jin Yuxiang of always negating her. Jin Yuxiang insisted everything she did was for Qi Mingyue’s own good—that it was out of care. Qi Mingyue replied that she didn’t need that kind of care. Their argument escalated. Jin Yuxiang even blamed Li Jianjian and Tang Can for leading Qi Mingyue astray, making her a person who lies and talks back to her elders.

Qi Mingyue defended both of them and told Jin Yuxiang that she had always been like this since she was young. Jin Yuxiang wanted a well-behaved daughter, so she secretly did many things behind Jin Yuxiang’s back that Jin would consider "bad." Even failing the college entrance exam was deliberate—because she knew if she scored high enough, Jin Yuxiang would force her to attend a political law university. So she chose the dumbest way to pursue her desired major.

She told Jin Yuxiang that she was determined to become a journalist and must go to Beijing. She had to go out and explore the world, to see how far she could go with her own efforts. From now on, she would no longer follow Jin Yuxiang’s words. After hearing this, Jin Yuxiang was both shocked and furious and stormed off. Li Jianjian hurried after her.

Jin Yuxiang asked if she had known all along that Qi Mingyue had intentionally left her answer sheet incomplete. Li Jianjian quickly denied it, saying this was her first time hearing about it. Jin Yuxiang was extremely disappointed in Qi Mingyue. She felt she had devoted herself wholeheartedly to this family only to get this in return.

She told Li Jianjian to pass on a message to Qi Mingyue: she was not buying the apartment anymore, and she wouldn’t care about Qi Mingyue’s plan to go to Beijing either. After sending Jin Yuxiang off, Li Jianjian returned and relayed the message. Upon hearing it, Qi Mingyue took out her laptop and sent in a report she had already prepared to her superior.

Her boss had promised long ago that as long as she submitted the report, she would be the first to be taken along. Qi Mingyue told Li Jianjian and Tang Can to keep her room ready. She would still pay rent on time in the future. That evening, Li Jianjian was eating barbecue and watching a soccer match at Ling Xiao’s place. They chatted about Qi Mingyue. Zhuang Bei happened to be there too.

Li Jianjian encouraged Zhuang Bei to take this opportunity to be more proactive with Qi Mingyue. But Zhuang Bei said that chapter had already closed for him—he was just there for the game. Not long after, Tang Can came to join them for the barbecue. Seeing Zhuang Bei, she said the same thing to him as Li Jianjian did, and even added that Qi Mingyue instinctively resisted people she liked. Zhuang Bei seemed a bit helpless.

After the game, Zhuang Bei bumped into a gloomy Tang Can downstairs. Tang Can was upset because Jin Yuxiang didn’t like her. She vented to Zhuang Bei, and eventually started crying. Seeing her in a bad mood, Zhuang Bei tried all kinds of ways to cheer her up. While Li Jianjian was at the studio, she received a video from Xiao Zhu, a shop assistant.

When she opened it, she saw He Mei had brought Dongdong to the noodle shop to eat with Li Haichao. Li Haichao even showed He Mei a photo of He Ziqiu from high school. He Mei told Li Haichao that after thinking it over, she realized he was right—being cared about felt much better than being ignored.

But she didn’t know how to be good to He Ziqiu, since they hadn’t been in touch for so many years and she didn’t know what he liked anymore. Li Haichao mentioned that He Ziqiu loved buying things for the household. He even joked that back then, He Ziqiu once said he wanted to marry Li Jianjian just so he could be on the same household registry. After receiving the video, Li Jianjian even showed it to He Ziqiu.

Chen Ting suddenly decided to move back to China permanently and even planned to rent an apartment in Ling Xiao’s complex. Qin Meiyang couldn’t talk her out of it, so she called Ling Xiao and asked him to come home. After Ling Xiao returned, Chen Ting’s tone softened a bit.

She said she had discussed it with Ling Xiao’s uncle: if she stayed in Singapore and something happened to her as she got older, Ling Xiao and the others would have to travel all the way to Singapore. So it was better to return and settle down in China now. Ling Xiao pointed out that Qin Meiyang was about to start her final year of high school. The textbooks in China were quite different from Singapore’s.

If they settled down now, what about Qin Meiyang? He suggested waiting until after her college entrance exams. But Chen Ting insisted on moving now. Seeing Ling Xiao couldn’t convince her, Qin Meiyang got upset and said she’d be returning to Singapore over the weekend anyway. Ling Xiao realized Chen Ting had long planned to move back—her recent shopping and friend visits in Singapore were actually farewells.

Chen Ting didn’t admit anything and even changed the subject to play the victim. Qin Meiyang was visibly annoyed and told her to stop. Ling Xiao stepped in to stop Qin Meiyang, but she believed that Ling Xiao actually thought the same as she did but didn’t dare to say it. Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Li Jianjian came back holding a box of local specialties she had bought for Chen Ting.

Sensing the awkward mood, Li Jianjian was about to put down the box and leave when Ling Xiao walked up and kissed her in front of Chen Ting. After Li Jianjian left, Chen Ting asked Qin Meiyang to return to the hotel with her. Qin Meiyang refused, so Chen Ting left alone.

Before leaving, she said that she had decided to settle down in China and that if Ling Xiao didn’t want to see her, then they could just stop seeing each other in the future. Ling Xiao felt extremely upset and went next door to seek comfort from Li Jianjian. Qin Meiyang also didn’t want to stay at Ling Xiao’s place anymore and ran off alone. Ling Xiao called her, but she didn’t answer. Qin Meiyang wandered the streets by herself.

That night, she ended up outside the hotel but couldn’t check in because Chen Ting had all her documents. She sat outside the hotel and even encountered a drunk man. He Ziqiu happened to be getting off work and saw her, so he stepped in to help and took her back to Li Jianjian’s home.

Li Jianjian had no choice but to take Qin Meiyang in, giving her own room to her and planning to sleep at Qi Mingyue’s place that night. The next morning, Qin Meiyang said she would stay at Li Jianjian’s home and return to Singapore on the weekend. Ling Xiao then said he had canceled his flight because he was worried about her going back alone.

Qin Meiyang wanted to cause more trouble, but Li Jianjian asked if she wanted to go with her to the wood carving studio. Qin Meiyang wasn’t interested and said she wanted to go to the café with He Ziqiu instead. Seeing this, Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian told He Ziqiu to take good care of her.

After finding out that Chen Ting planned to settle in China, Ling Heping arranged to meet her and told her about Ling Xiao’s current anxiety and insomnia. He said that thankfully, with Li Jianjian’s help, Ling Xiao had been getting better and sleeping more. When Ling Heping noticed Chen Ting looking stunned, he asked if she didn’t know about Ling Xiao’s mental health condition. Chen Ting snapped out of it and quickly said that she did.

Ling Heping continued, saying that if Chen Ting really cared about Ling Xiao’s well-being, she needed to learn to like Li Jianjian. Chen Ting wouldn’t admit she disliked Li Jianjian and just said they weren’t familiar with each other, so she didn’t know what to say. Ling Heping kept talking, but Chen Ting was too absorbed in the news about Ling Xiao’s condition to really listen.

After meeting Chen Ting, Ling Heping went to have lunch with Ling Xiao and advised him not to worry too much about Chen Ting coming back. After all, she had relatives to take care of her now, so things would be easier for Ling Xiao going forward. While He Ziqiu was busy working at the store, He Mei suddenly showed up.

He Ziqiu was surprised, but after learning the truth about the past, his attitude toward He Mei had improved a lot, and he was willing to sit down and talk with her. They chatted about Dongdong, and He Ziqiu mentioned a video he saw of He Mei eating noodles at the shop. He said many people thought Li Haichao still had feelings for He Mei, which made her a bit embarrassed. They talked for a long time.

Before leaving, He Mei gave He Ziqiu a new makeup mirror. When he opened it, he found an old photo of the two of them from his childhood inside. He Ziqiu couldn’t help but smile. That evening, Li Jianjian went to the noodle shop for dinner and even guessed that Li Haichao was texting with He Mei. She teased him a bit and said that if he wanted to find someone, she would support him completely.

Not long after, Ling Heping came back. He sent Li Haichao away and spoke to Li Jianjian privately. He said that during Ling Xiao’s birthday, he had noticed Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang treating her poorly and was worried she had been wronged. He specially comforted her and even said that if Chen Ting ever bullied her again, he would stand up for her. Li Jianjian was touched. After dinner, Li Jianjian took the bus home.

Ling Xiao had waited at the bus stop for her. They held hands and chatted on the way home. As long as he was with Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao felt much better. As soon as they got home, Tang Can came to complain to Li Jianjian, saying Qin Meiyang had snatched her remote control. Ling Xiao asked Qin Meiyang to come over and discussed with He Ziqiu that Qin Meiyang could go to the café again tomorrow, but she had to listen to He Ziqiu.

He Ziqiu and Qin Meiyang agreed on three ground rules. He Ziqiu also arranged for Qin Meiyang to work at his shop during the summer break so she could experience what it feels like to earn money. Ling Xiao chimed in, saying that if Qin Meiyang didn’t want to work, she could go shopping for furniture with Chen Ting tomorrow.

Qin Meiyang panicked a little and asked Ling Xiao if he really intended to let Chen Ting return to settle down in China. She hoped Ling Xiao would come up with a solution, but he said there was nothing he could do—Chen Ting had never cared about his feelings. If she had, he wouldn’t have only just come back from Singapore now. He Ziqiu was confused by Ling Xiao’s words, and Qin Meiyang didn’t explain.

Chen Ting went to the hospital where Ling Xiao works and waited for him to get off duty. She kept thinking about what Ling Heping had said to her, the medicine Ling Xiao took at home, and the fact that he couldn't sleep at night. Feng Xixi happened to see Chen Ting and went up to greet her. The two chatted briefly and added each other on WeChat.

When Ling Xiao got off work, he and Chen Ting went to a nearby shop to talk. Ling Xiao was clearly impatient and didn’t want to continue the conversation. Chen Ting was hurt by his attitude and told him he could talk to her about anything on his mind. Ling Xiao suddenly looked up and said he wanted to marry Li Jianjian.

Chen Ting was surprised, but she verbally expressed support for his decision, although she felt things were moving too quickly between him and Li Jianjian. Qi’s father suddenly called Qi Mingyue out. He had been staying in a hotel the past few days and told Qi Mingyue he was planning to divorce Jin Yuxiang. Qi Mingyue was shocked—she had thought he was just saying that out of anger.

But Qi’s father said the house-buying matter made him realize he couldn’t go on living with Jin Yuxiang. After saying that, he left. Qi Mingyue was worried about Jin Yuxiang, but her calls couldn’t get through since she had been blocked, so she borrowed a phone and called her.

Upon learning Qi’s father wanted a divorce, Jin Yuxiang got angry and said he could come home and get the household registration book—they would go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to divorce immediately. When Qi Mingyue got home, she was in a bad mood and wanted to talk to Tang Can, but Tang Can was busy picking out clothes to accompany Zhuang Bei’s mother to celebrate Zhuang Bei’s grandmother’s birthday.

She gave Qi Mingyue a few words of comfort and then quickly changed and went downstairs. Zhuang Bei was already waiting in the car. Watching Tang Can walk toward him, Zhuang Bei suddenly felt a spark. Zhuang Bei’s mother was overjoyed to see Tang Can and was especially regretful to hear that Tang Can was no longer acting. That night, when Li Jianjian got home, Tang Can and Qi Mingyue weren’t there, only Qin Meiyang was.

Qin Meiyang suddenly asked how far things had progressed between Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao, and warned her not to get physically involved with Ling Xiao. From her point of view, she felt that Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao absolutely couldn’t get married because Chen Ting would never agree. Li Jianjian didn’t take it seriously and even joked that if Chen Ting gave her five million, she’d leave Ling Xiao. But Qin Meiyang was serious.

She said that when Ling Xiao graduated from college, Chen Ting didn’t let him come back because she didn’t want to see Ling Heping or Li Haichao’s daughter—both were people she hated most. That’s why she didn’t come back herself and wouldn’t let Ling Xiao return either. Qin Meiyang said Ling Xiao couldn’t win against Chen Ting, not in the past and not now, simply because Chen Ting was his mother.

At the noodle shop, Hong Ying and Aunt Qian were having noodles when He Mei happened to drop by to learn from Li Haichao how to cook He Ziqiu’s favorite dishes. Aunt Qian recognized He Mei and pulled her aside to chat. After a brief exchange, Li Haichao came back. Seeing the familiarity between He Mei and Li Haichao, Hong Ying felt that Li Haichao had someone in his heart and wasn’t telling her.

Li Haichao explained that he was only meeting He Mei for He Ziqiu’s sake, but Hong Ying didn’t believe him. She even said she was only interested in him because he was a good person. Li Haichao wasn’t upset, but He Mei stood up for him, saying Li Haichao was indeed a good person, and if they weren’t a good match, he just didn’t want to say so to avoid hurting others.

She added that while Hong Ying was drawn to Li Haichao’s good nature, Li Haichao liked her for her looks—everyone wants something, and no one is nobler than anyone else. Hong Ying was at a loss for words. After that, He Mei pulled Li Haichao away. As they walked and talked, He Mei asked about Hong Ying. Li Haichao was a bit embarrassed and said Aunt Qian had arranged it at Li Jianjian’s request.

He then mentioned how Li Jianjian really wanted He Mei and He Ziqiu to reconcile. He Mei was surprised, saying she remembered Li Jianjian didn’t like her as a child. Li Haichao told her it wasn’t that she didn’t like her, she just didn’t want a stepmother. He Mei followed up by asking if that meant it was okay to be Li Jianjian’s stepmother now. Li Haichao didn’t catch on and said there would be no problem.

After saying it, he realized something was off, but He Mei had already shyly walked a few steps ahead, and he didn’t feel comfortable pressing further. When Zhou Miao got to the studio, he mysteriously pulled Du Juan aside. He took out a school paper whose front page featured an exclusive interview with Li Jianjian’s senior, Yu Fei. In the interview, Yu Fei made veiled accusations that Li Jianjian’s work “Three Little Friends” had plagiarized his “The Three of Us.”

Du Juan quickly brought the paper to Li Jianjian. She tried calling Yu Fei to get an explanation, but he didn’t answer. Li Jianjian lost her motivation to keep working and left the studio early. When Li Jianjian got home, she happened to see Chen Ting and Ling Xiao’s aunt standing outside Ling Xiao’s place. Chen Ting was calling Ling Xiao to ask for the door code, but he refused to tell her.

When Chen Ting saw Li Jianjian, she hung up and asked her to help unlock the door. Ling Xiao, worried about Li Jianjian being alone with Chen Ting, immediately dropped his work and rushed home.

Li Jianjian opened the door for Chen Ting and even kindly prepared some fruit for them. However, Chen Ting didn’t like Li Jianjian and drove her away after only a few words. Even Ling Xiao’s aunt felt it was a bit much, but Chen Ting said she simply didn’t want to cause trouble for Li Jianjian. Li Jianjian returned to her own home and was feeling upset on the sofa over the plagiarism issue when Ling Xiao suddenly came back.

Seeing how sad Li Jianjian looked, Ling Xiao assumed Chen Ting had bullied her. He told Li Jianjian to stay home and not move, then went across the hall to confront Chen Ting about what she had done to Li Jianjian. Chen Ting was confused, thinking Li Jianjian had spoken badly about her to Ling Xiao. Li Jianjian realized what was going on and hurried over to explain to Ling Xiao.

But Ling Xiao, still angry, accused Chen Ting of treating him however she liked but forbidding her from treating Li Jianjian poorly. Chen Ting, seeing Li Jianjian arrive, also demanded to know what she had just told Ling Xiao. Li Jianjian tried to pull Ling Xiao aside to stop him from saying more, but the argument had already begun. Chen Ting erupted with long-held emotions, accusing Ling Xiao of putting all his attention on Li Jianjian.

She said that in Ling Xiao’s heart, there was Ling Heping and even the neighbors—but not her, his mother. Ling Xiao interrupted her, saying that Ling Heping and Li Haichao truly cared for him. He then asked Chen Ting why she didn’t love him. Chen Ting was stunned and didn’t know what to say. Seeing her fall silent, Ling Xiao apologized to his aunt and left with Li Jianjian. Ling Xiao hugged Li Jianjian and apologized.

Li Jianjian gently patted him to comfort him and said she wasn’t upset because of Chen Ting. Qi Mingyue went to see Jin Yuxiang to ask about her and her father. But Jin Yuxiang didn’t want to talk to her and said that the divorce was for the best, that both Qi Mingyue and her father would be more relaxed. Qi Mingyue apologized, saying she really regretted her immature way of rebelling and that she felt sorry to Jin Yuxiang.

But Jin Yuxiang said Qi Mingyue wasn’t sorry to her, but to herself. Jin Yuxiang raised her hand as if to slap Qi Mingyue but hesitated and instead slapped her own face. Qi Mingyue hugged Jin Yuxiang. Jin Yuxiang broke down, asking what she had done wrong for both Qi Mingyue and her father to abandon her. She thought Qi Mingyue wanted to go to Beijing just to escape from her.

Qi Mingyue admitted that was her intention at first, but now she wanted to go to Beijing to pursue her dream. —— Li Jianjian told Ling Xiao about the situation with Yufei. When Yufei visited her studio, he had seen the designs for Three Little Childhood Friends—he was the one who plagiarized her work and even released his version ahead of hers. Now he was accusing her of copying him.

All they needed was to find the original photo the design was based on to prove Li Jianjian’s innocence. The photo had been taken by Qi Mingyue. Each of the three childhood friends had a copy. Li Jianjian couldn’t find hers, and Ling Xiao also didn’t know where his was, so the two of them went to the café to ask He Ziqiu. Li Jianjian told He Ziqiu about the photo.

He Ziqiu said his copy was probably at Zhao Huaguang’s house. Qin Meiyang overheard them while serving orange juice and suggested He Ziqiu call Zhao Huaguang to ask. He Ziqiu didn’t respond and told Qin Meiyang to go back to work. Just as Qin Meiyang was leaving, she heard Ling Xiao say he couldn’t find his photo album. Qin Meiyang turned back and revealed that it wasn’t lost—Chen Ting had gone crazy and cut all the photos out.

Ling Xiao tried to stop Qin Meiyang from saying more, but she insisted that it was best for them to know what Chen Ting was like when she lost control so they’d be more prepared if it happened again. Since Ling Xiao didn’t want to talk about it, Qin Meiyang sat down and told Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu the whole story. At the time, Ling Xiao was about to graduate from university.

Chen Ting was in decent health, so he brought up returning to China. But when he mentioned it, Chen Ting became depressed and used her health as an excuse to make him stay. Eventually, she began shouting. That night, while Ling Xiao was in his room looking through his high school album, Chen Ting found out. Her sense of insecurity worsened.

The next day, when Ling Xiao came home, he found that Chen Ting had dug out his photo album and cut up all the photos. She had even thrown away the shoes Li Jianjian had given him. Chen Ting cried and made a scene. In the end, with Qin Meiyang also begging him to stay, Ling Xiao had no choice but to give in. After agreeing to stay, he went downstairs to look through the trash for the shoes.

Qin Meiyang ran after him and told him she had already secretly retrieved them. After telling the story, Qin Meiyang hid in the kitchen to grieve quietly. He Ziqiu, after seeing off Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian, went to comfort her. He knew she spoke harshly but had a soft heart—she had only brought up those things out of concern for Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian. Still, he gently pointed out that even a sharp tongue could hurt others.

Qin Meiyang said she had once fallen down the stairs and blamed Li Jianjian, saying she had pushed her. She thought Li Jianjian still resented her for that. He Ziqiu gently reasoned with her. He understood she had good intentions, but after growing up under Chen Ting’s influence, she had learned to assume the worst in people. He suggested she directly apologize to Li Jianjian—he was sure she wouldn’t hold a grudge.

After their conversation, He Ziqiu called Zhao Huaguang and asked him to take a photo of the picture for him. Zhao Huaguang sounded exhausted on the phone and told He Ziqiu that his grandfather had late-stage lung cancer and only had a few months left to live. His grandfather wished to see He Ziqiu before passing. But He Ziqiu didn’t want to go.

Seeing how urgently he wanted the photo, Zhao Huaguang said that if He Ziqiu agreed to visit his grandfather and accompany him in his final days, he would send the photo. Zhuang Bei made a special trip to the museum to pick up Tang Can after work and even bought two front-row tickets for a stage play. Tang Can was thrilled and offered to treat him to dinner.

At the table, once she started talking about acting, she became animated and her eyes lit up. Zhuang Bei noticed this and remarked that whenever Tang Can mentioned her museum job, her whole demeanor became gloomy. Tang Can sighed, saying she still had to make a living. Seeing how much she loved acting, Zhuang Bei encouraged her to try performing in theater. But Tang Can had lost confidence and kept saying she couldn’t do it.

After finding out about Yufei, Zheng Shuran called Li Jianjian. He comforted her and said he would help dig up dirt on Yufei. Right after she hung up with Zheng Shuran, Du Juan also called to ask if the photo had been found yet.

Zhuang Bei wanted Tang Can to try acting in stage plays, so he contacted a friend who directed plays. After watching a performance with Tang Can, they went to the rehearsal hall to find the director. Tang Can looked at the actors rehearsing on stage, her eyes full of envy and longing. After the rehearsal, the director introduced Zhuang Bei and Tang Can to the play they were currently rehearsing.

He said that the actress playing Xiao Fei had been injured and could no longer perform, so they had to stop and find a new actress. Although there were understudies in the troupe, the director didn’t find them ideal. After meeting Tang Can, the director felt that she was a perfect fit for the lead female role. Zhuang Bei also praised Tang Can on the side.

The director was a little helpless — although Tang Can looked the part, whether she could perform would depend on her acting. He handed her the script and hoped she could come in for an audition the next day. Faced with the sudden opportunity, Tang Can was at a loss. She had many concerns — she had already planned to give up acting, and she had no experience with stage plays. She was worried she wouldn’t do well.

But the director said it didn’t matter; he just wanted her to read the script and give him an answer by noon the next day. Zhuang Bei saw Tang Can still staring blankly at the script after sending his friend off, so he encouraged her to read it first. He also believed Tang Can could definitely perform well. Encouraged by Zhuang Bei, Tang Can found some courage in her heart.

She had never been willing to give up acting, so she decided to seize this opportunity. The next morning, Tang Can told Li Jianjian about it, and Li Jianjian also supported her auditioning. With that support, Tang Can immediately called the museum to ask for time off and prepared to go audition at noon. The director was very pleased with Tang Can's performance, and she successfully landed the role.

After Tang Can went to make a phone call, Li Jianjian went to call Qin Meiyang for lunch. But Qin Meiyang mysteriously asked Li Jianjian to come into the room. When she entered, Li Jianjian saw that Qin Meiyang had tidied up the room neatly. Qin Meiyang even gave her a small speaker as a thank-you gift. She said she would move back in with Chen Ting today and thanked Li Jianjian for taking her in these past few days.

Seeing Qin Meiyang’s improved attitude, Li Jianjian offered a few words of advice. Qin Meiyang then apologized for what had happened during their childhood. As He Ziqiu had predicted, Li Jianjian hadn’t taken those childhood incidents to heart at all. After apologizing, Qin Meiyang looked visibly relieved, and her relationship with Li Jianjian improved significantly. Li Jianjian finished breakfast and went to the studio. Du Juan and Zhou Miao arrived at the studio together.

Du Juan asked about Li Jianjian’s situation, and Li Jianjian appeared calm. Seeing this, Zhou Miao got a bit angry and said that the company they had previously collaborated with was already asking whether Li Jianjian had plagiarized. He told her to quickly find the photo to prove her innocence — otherwise, if the plagiarism accusations stuck, they would have to pay a penalty for breaching the contract. Du Juan told Zhou Miao to drop the matter.

Without the photo, Li Jianjian couldn’t prove that she hadn’t plagiarized. He Ziqiu anxiously tried to find Zhao Huaguang to get the photo, but Zhao Huaguang was busy praying at temples across the country. When he heard He Ziqiu repeatedly bring up the photo, Zhao Huaguang became furious and felt He Ziqiu was being unfilial — his grandfather was sick, yet He Ziqiu only cared about the photo. After saying this, he hung up the phone.

Qi Mingyue brought her parents together to meet. Jin Yuxiang asked Qi’s father if he was divorcing her because he had cheated. Qi’s father said he simply couldn’t stand the years of oppression from Jin Yuxiang. Holding in his frustration, he finally let it all out and told her how he had suffered over the years. Jin Yuxiang didn’t understand and thought she had done everything for his own good. Qi’s father, however, felt that she had ruined him.

Through the issue of buying a house, he realized that Jin Yuxiang never reflected on herself, and he could no longer tolerate her oppression. So he was determined to get a divorce. Seeing how firm he was, Jin Yuxiang didn’t say anything more and agreed to go to the civil affairs bureau the next day to finalize the divorce.

Just as Jin Yuxiang was about to leave, Qi Mingyue held her back and, in front of her parents, spoke from the heart. Qi Mingyue acknowledged Jin Yuxiang’s years of hard work and also pointed out that Qi’s father had avoided problems because he didn’t want trouble, which had led to Jin Yuxiang becoming increasingly controlling. Qi Mingyue also comforted her mother, saying that even after the divorce, she would still live well and that she would always be there for her.

Jin Yuxiang and Qi Mingyue's father agreed to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to handle their divorce the next afternoon at 2 PM. Qi Mingyue felt a pang of sympathy for Jin Yuxiang and offered to stay at home with her for two months since she still had two months before going to Beijing.

Jin Yuxiang shook her head, saying that since Qi Mingyue would be leaving in two months anyway, it was better for her to get used to being alone earlier. Jin Yuxiang was a bit surprised that Qi Mingyue had spoken up for her, but Qi Mingyue explained that as a reporter, she was just stating the facts. Chen Ting rented a house in the community where Ling Xiao lived.

Qin Meiyang also returned home and saw Chen Ting mopping the floor. Qin Meiyang quickly took the mop to help Chen Ting. Chen Ting asked Qin Meiyang what she had been doing lately. When she learned that Qin Meiyang had been working at He Ziqiu's coffee shop for the past few days, Chen Ting was annoyed and told Qin Meiyang not to go there anymore. Chen Ting, being dark-minded, thought that He Ziqiu definitely didn't like Qin Meiyang.

Moreover, He Ziqiu hadn't shown up for Ling Xiao's birthday that day, so Chen Ting wondered what He Ziqiu's intentions were in letting Qin Meiyang work at his coffee shop. Qin Meiyang was also irritated by Chen Ting's slander of He Ziqiu and quickly spoke up for him, telling Chen Ting not to always think the worst of people.

She said that everyone had their own things to do every day, so how could they have so much time to hate the two of them? Chen Ting saw Qin Meiyang suddenly contradict her and felt that Qin Meiyang had betrayed her, and that she, like Ling Xiao, had been brainwashed by He Ziqiu and the others. Seeing that Chen Ting wouldn't listen to her explanation, Qin Meiyang stopped trying to explain.

He Ziqiu went to the studio to pick up Li Jianjian after work so they could go home and eat together. He Ziqiu specifically brought coffee for the three of them, but Zhou Miao didn't appreciate it. After the two left, Du Juan asked Zhou Miao what was going on. Zhou Miao again brought up that Li Jianjian wasn't taking the plagiarism issue seriously, feeling that she wasn't worried at all.

He also said that she had been looking for a photo for so long and couldn't find it, suggesting that Li Jianjian might actually have plagiarized. Zhou Miao added that Yu Fei was well-known in the industry and had works, so she wouldn't plagiarize Li Jianjian. Moreover, Li Jianjian had signed a contract with a furniture manufacturer, and if she couldn't produce evidence to prove she hadn't plagiarized, she would have to pay a large breach of contract fee.

Zhou Miao saw that Du Juan was worried about the breach of contract fee, so he said that Li Jianjian's plagiarism was her own business, and Du Juan was also a victim of plagiarism and didn't need to compensate with Li Jianjian. Zhou Miao advised Du Juan to break up with Li Jianjian so she wouldn't have to pay the breach of contract fee. He also told Du Juan to partner with him after he graduated.

Du Juan felt troubled and conflicted after hearing Zhou Miao's words, not knowing what to do. When He Ziqiu and Li Jianjian returned to the noodle shop for dinner, Xiao Zhu asked He Ziqiu about the progress between He Mei and Li Haichao. She also told them about He Mei contradicting Hongying at the noodle shop that day and said that Li Haichao had asked He Mei to go to the bookstore with him tomorrow.

Li Jianjian was even more curious about their progress when she heard they were starting to date. Li Jianjian excitedly pulled He Ziqiu's hand, saying that if He Mei and Li Haichao got married, their family would be on the same household registration book. He Ziqiu, however, was worried that He Mei might dump Li Haichao again like before. Li Jianjian then suggested that they secretly go and watch Li Haichao's date tomorrow.

After Tang Can got the theater job, Zhuang Bei had been driving her home every day. As they walked and chatted in the neighborhood, Tang Can said she had decided to resign from her museum job. Tang Can planned to go back and explain it clearly to her mother. If her mother didn't agree, she would continue to fight. As they walked downstairs, they met Qi Mingyue and Jin Yuxiang.

Zhuang Bei was a bit awkward when he saw Qi Mingyue. After greeting them, he was about to leave, but Qi Mingyue told Tang Can and Jin Yuxiang to go upstairs first, saying she wanted to talk to Zhuang Bei for a few minutes. Qi Mingyue apologized to Zhuang Bei, saying she shouldn't have treated his confession that way before. She had thought about it for a long time and realized she didn't actually dislike Zhuang Bei; she disliked herself.

So, when Zhuang Bei said he liked her, she was especially scared, afraid that Zhuang Bei would be disappointed in her once he understood her. Qi Mingyue had never understood the feeling of growing up, but when she learned that her parents were getting divorced, she realized she should grow up and support the family.

Zhuang Bei comforted Qi Mingyue, saying that perhaps her parents' divorce wasn't a bad thing, and that everyone makes mistakes; he had once hurt someone who confessed to him. After Qi Mingyue and Zhuang Bei finished talking, they re-added each other on WeChat and remained good friends. After Qi Mingyue returned home, she chatted with Tang Can for a bit, saying that her parents had already divorced.

Her father was tidying up his things at home that night, and Jin Yuxiang would sleep in her room tonight. In the evening, Qi Mingyue heard Jin Yuxiang crying and felt very sad. Qi Mingyue hugged Jin Yuxiang and comforted her for a while. The next morning, Qin Meiyang came to Li Jianjian's house to deliver a gift. Qi Mingyue opened the door and said she would visit her house that evening.

While the two were exchanging greetings at the door, Li Jianjian suddenly came out of Ling Xiao's house. The two looked at Li Jianjian with some surprise and asked if Li Jianjian had slept at Ling Xiao's place last night. Li Jianjian quickly explained that she was just chatting with Ling Xiao. Li Haichao and He Mei had agreed to go to the bookstore together.

Before leaving, Li Haichao specifically tidied himself up and was especially nervous when he saw He Mei. Li Haichao casually picked up a classic novel to flip through. He Mei teased Li Haichao, saying that he was different now that he was dating a teacher and had become fond of reading. Li Haichao quickly explained that he was reading a classic because He Mei used to like them.

He Mei saw Li Haichao explaining so seriously and couldn't help but chuckle, saying that her taste in men used to be poor, and now she knew that serious men were the best. After the two left, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu suddenly emerged from behind the bookshelf. Li Jianjian thought Li Haichao and He Mei's affectionate behavior was particularly wonderful.

She wanted to continue following them to watch their date, but He Ziqiu felt awkward and wanted to pull Li Jianjian away. As they were tugging, Li Haichao and He Mei returned. The four then had lunch together. Seeing the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Li Jianjian said that she didn't think they were dating, but unexpectedly, He Mei generously admitted it. Li Jianjian was overjoyed, feeling that Li Haichao's lifelong happiness was settled.

After eating, she called Ling Xiao to tell him about it. Du Juan considered it overnight, then called Li Jianjian to the studio, saying she wanted to talk to her properly. Zhou Miao thought Du Juan had accepted his advice and decided to break up with Li Jianjian, but Du Juan said that she had thought about it all night and had now formally decided to fire Zhou Miao.

Du Juan not only fired Zhou Miao but also broke up with him, telling him to pack his things and leave. Du Juan could forgive Zhou Miao for lying to play games, but she couldn't accept Zhou Miao slandering Li Jianjian. Moreover, through this incident, she realized that Zhou Miao was someone who couldn't bear responsibility. No matter how much she liked Zhou Miao, she could no longer tolerate his bad character. Du Juan ruthlessly drove Zhou Miao away.

Although she was the one who broke up, she was ultimately the one who felt sad and hurt. He Ziqiu went to the hospital to visit his grandfather and, while he was there, found Zhao Huaguang to return the money Zhao Huaguang had given him last time.

Zhao Huaguang asked He Ziqiu if he thought he was heartless, but He Ziqiu said that he and Zhao Huaguang had no emotional connection, and it was normal for Zhao Huaguang to treat him that way. In reality, He Ziqiu was, after all, Zhao Huaguang's biological son, and Zhao Huaguang still had feelings for him.

It was just that Zhao Huaguang's understanding of father-son affection was different from He Ziqiu's, so the two couldn't communicate, and their grievances ran too deep. However, when He Ziqiu saw Zhao Huaguang's filial side, he felt for the first time that Zhao Huaguang wasn't so hateful. He Ziqiu stated that he would keep his promise to visit his grandfather and asked Zhao Huaguang to arrange the photo matter as soon as possible.

After He Ziqiu finished talking with Zhao Huaguang, Zhao Huaguang sent him the photo He Ziqiu wanted and said that they were even now and didn't need to meet again in the future. He Ziqiu quickly sent the photo to Zheng Shuran. Tang Can sat down and had a good talk with her parents, telling them that she had gotten an opportunity to act in a play and that she genuinely loved acting; she wasn't trying to become a star.

Her father expressed support, but her mother felt that Tang Can was only stable for a couple of days before she started dreaming again. She also said she had a fortune teller tell Tang Can's fortune, who said Tang Can had no star potential and wouldn't become famous. But Tang Can said she wasn't doing it to be famous; she truly loved performing.

Tang Can couldn't convince her mother, but her father interjected, saying that even if her mother disagreed, he would still support Tang Can in acting in the play. With her father's support, Tang Can felt a little more at ease. To help Li Jianjian, Zheng Shuran spent two days looking for negative information about Yu Fei and discovered that Yu Fei was a habitual plagiarist. There had long been suspicions of Yu Fei's plagiarism on foreign websites.

Zheng Shuran compiled evidence of Yu Fei's plagiarism and included the photos proving Li Jianjian's innocence in the clarification article. After uploading the evidence to the forum, he quickly went to the studio to inform Li Jianjian and Du Juan, both of whom were very grateful to Zheng Shuran. Chen Ting prepared a housewarming dinner that evening. She invited Feng Xixi to eat but didn't invite Li Jianjian.

Qin Meiyang was displeased when she found out, feeling that Chen Ting was forcing Ling Xiao this way, and they would definitely argue again. Qin Meiyang advised Chen Ting to let Ling Xiao live his life as he wished, but Chen Ting wouldn't listen. After Feng Xixi and Ling Xiao took a taxi home, they happened to run into Qi Mingyue downstairs. Qi Mingyue found it a bit strange seeing Feng Xixi and Ling Xiao going home together.

Ling Xiao was also unhappy with Chen Ting's actions. While Feng Xixi was in the restroom, Ling Xiao and Chen Ting started arguing. Ling Xiao stated that he had a girlfriend and told Chen Ting not to have any boring wicked thoughts. Chen Ting, however, said she hated Li Jianjian, which infuriated Ling Xiao. He slammed the table and left Chen Ting's house. Feng Xixi felt a bit awkward.

After dinner, Feng Xixi chatted with Chen Ting, saying that she just considered Ling Xiao a younger brother and that she also particularly admired the relationship between Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian, mentioning that Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian grew up together and had a very good relationship.

Chen Ting was a bit curious about how Feng Xixi knew about Ling Xiao and Li Jianjian's childhood, so Feng Xixi mentioned the tree hole blog Li Jianjian wrote and sent the Weibo post to Chen Ting. After Li Jianjian returned home, Qi Mingyue thought Li Jianjian had come back from Chen Ting's housewarming dinner. However, upon asking, she found out that Chen Ting hadn't invited Li Jianjian at all. Li Jianjian's mood immediately dropped.

Tang Can also spoke up for Li Jianjian, asking if Li Jianjian was particularly annoying when she was little. Li Jianjian then talked about sending pecans to Chen Ting's house when she was little. Qi Mingyue also knew about this and explained it in detail to Tang Can.

Qi Mingyue guessed that Chen Ting hated Li Jianjian, not because of that basket of pecans, but because Li Jianjian, including Li Haichao and the neighbors, knew about Chen Ting's dark past and that she had gone out to play mahjong and didn't take care of her child.

Qi Mingyue speculated that Chen Ting felt exposed whenever she saw Li Jianjian, which was why she hated her so much. After hearing Qi Mingyue's analysis, Tang Can felt that from Chen Ting's perspective, anyone would be better for Ling Xiao than Li Jianjian. Qi Mingyue asked Li Jianjian if she had any plans, but Li Jianjian simply said that things would work out naturally, and she didn't have any specific plans.

Qi Mingyue was somewhat relieved to hear Li Jianjian say this and comforted her, saying that as long as two people had strong feelings for each other, they could overcome difficulties. Ling Heping learned about Ling Xiao's situation and took him out for drinks and dinner. Ling Heping felt a bit guilty, saying that he hadn't cared enough for Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao comforted him, saying that as long as Ling Heping was by his side, he felt especially at ease. Ling Xiao suddenly mentioned that he hadn't dreamed of Yunyun in a long time. He wondered if Yunyun had forgiven him and if he had paid back what he owed Chen Ting. Ling Heping felt heartbroken for Ling Xiao but didn't know how to respond. Both fell silent.

Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and suddenly, a heavy downpour began, just like the day Yunyun had her accident—a storm with strong winds, thunder, and lightning. Chen Ting watched the heavy rain outside from home, worried about Ling Xiao but not daring to contact him. Chen Ting opened the Weibo post Feng Xixi had sent her, and as she read the past events recounted from Li Jianjian's perspective, those memories flooded her mind.

Chen Ting felt some guilt and couldn't resist calling Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao, having had some drinks, fell asleep leaning on Ling Heping in the taxi. Seeing it was Chen Ting's call, Ling Heping answered and accused Chen Ting of constantly pressuring Ling Xiao. He also pleaded with Chen Ting to be kind and stop tormenting Ling Xiao. Ling Heping hung up after speaking.

The next morning, Qin Meiyang came crying to Ling Xiao, saying that Chen Ting was gone and had left a suicide note. Ling Xiao hastily read the note, then rushed out of the house to look for Chen Ting. Chen Ting realized that her love was hurting Ling Xiao, and she also began to regret not taking Ling Xiao with her when she left earlier. She wanted to compensate Ling Xiao, but she kept making things worse.

As Qi Mingyue had guessed, Chen Ting opposed Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao being together because she was afraid of recalling those painful memories. Chen Ting no longer wanted to bind Ling Xiao with her selfish love, nor did she want to burden him further, so she chose this way to leave Ling Xiao's life. Chen Ting chose to commit suicide by jumping into the sea. Fortunately, two older men went fishing before dawn, which saved Chen Ting.

Ling Xiao stayed by Chen Ting's side in the hospital until she woke up, telling her that if she felt she had done something wrong, she should live to make amends; dying would only stop everything and wouldn't make things better. After experiencing a brush with death, Chen Ting's mindset changed significantly. After being discharged from the hospital, she had a change of heart and decided to continue living in Singapore with Qin Meiyang.

When Ling Heping went to Chen Ting's house to help with her luggage, he specifically apologized to Chen Ting. Before leaving, Chen Ting held Li Jianjian's hand and thanked her for taking care of Ling Xiao, saying that from then on, she would truly entrust Ling Xiao to Li Jianjian. Li Jianjian also promised that she would definitely make Ling Xiao happy.

After seeing Chen Ting and Qin Meiyang off, Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu rushed home to change their clothes. Today was the day Li Haichao and He Mei were getting their marriage certificate. After getting the certificate, the two families decided to take a family photo together. All three were happy for Li Haichao.

Li Jianjian and Ling Xiao went home to pick up Li Haichao to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau, while He Ziqiu went to pick up He Mei. In the car, He Mei asked He Ziqiu if he was going to transfer the coffee shop. He Ziqiu said that although the coffee shop was now profitable, he still wanted to make desserts.

After the coffee shop was transferred, he planned to open a dessert shop in a scenic area and asked He Mei if she could let Luo Hong help him choose a location. He Mei was, of course, willing to help. After discussing work, He Ziqiu looked at He Mei seriously and sincerely wished He Mei and Li Haichao a happy life.

Li Haichao and He Mei got their marriage certificate and then went to a photography studio to take commemorative photos. When Ling Heping arrived, the two families took a family photo together. Ling Xiao finally found a proper way to get along with Chen Ting, and He Ziqiu also let go of the past, sincerely wished He Mei well, and mended his relationship with He Mei. All of this was because of the companionship of family. Perhaps, true family is not limited to blood relations; as long as there is love in the heart, mutual concern, and care for one another, that is true family.