Only Side by Side with You Episode 40 (Ending) Recap
> Only Side by Side with You Recap
Nan Qiao, while testing a drone, inadvertently recorded a drug transaction conducted by Tai Ge and his accomplices. They cornered her at a factory, demanding the incriminating video. Despite being held at gunpoint, Nan Qiao calmly advised them to surrender, suggesting it was not too late for leniency. Unbeknownst to her captors, she had already sent an SOS signal to Shi Yue via her smart bracelet.
Tai Ge, however, was unfazed, warning her that her life depended on handing over the recording. An Ning, the leader of the operation, suspected the video might have been uploaded to a cloud platform and immediately dispatched her men to Future Up, Nan Qiao's company. They found the office deserted due to a holiday and couldn't locate the server. An Ning then instructed Tai Ge to bring Nan Qiao to Future Up.
Upon arrival, Nan Qiao asserted that only she had access to the R&D Lab. Inside the lab, with Tai Ge watching, Nan Qiao deleted the video from the cloud storage. When asked about the server, she explained that its contents could not be manually deleted, so she proceeded to dismantle the server and physically destroy its hard drive. Tai Ge, believing the evidence was completely eradicated, called An Ning to report that all recordings had been deleted.
An Ning, however, immediately inquired about Nan Qiao's whereabouts. Tai Ge, realizing Nan Qiao had slipped away during his call, panicked and searched for her. An Ning, furious, ordered her subordinates to block all exits to prevent Nan Qiao's escape. Meanwhile, Shi Yue, having received Nan Qiao's distress signal, raced towards Future Up. He quickly contacted Chang Jianxiong, urging him to alert Detective Zhang, only to be informed that the police were already aware of the situation and en route.
Nan Qiao desperately tried to evade the drug dealers within the building but was eventually cornered. An Ning arrived to confront her, declaring that she had gone too far down her chosen path to turn back. An Ning claimed she had initially not intended to kill Nan Qiao, but now Nan Qiao had "walked into the gun muzzle" herself. She then ordered Tai Ge to shoot Nan Qiao.
At that critical moment, Shi Yue burst onto the scene, shouting for them to stop. Tai Ge attempted to downplay the situation, calling it a "little misunderstanding" between An Ning and Nan Qiao. Shi Yue retorted, questioning if a mere misunderstanding would necessitate guns, and reminded Tai Ge that he and An Ning had never resorted to such methods before.
Tai Ge scoffed, asserting that no one in their line of business was truly clean, and dismissed Shi Yue's words as fake. Shi Yue countered that he sought to earn a living "just to live more like a human." Tai Ge ridiculed him, calling him a dog and saying that one who crawled out of the mud could never be clean. Shi Yue, undeterred, addressed An Ning directly, stating that despite his origins, he could indeed live like a human.
He revealed that he had known about her and Tai Ge's drug trafficking long before Nan Qiao's involvement. Shi Yue confessed that he had always hoped An Ning would not follow the destructive path of her "Big Brother" and urged her not to live a life dictated by others. An Ning sadly admitted she wasn't as strong as he perceived.
Shi Yue explained he left her to give himself a chance at a different life, emphasizing that personal change is a choice, not an external influence. He challenged her, asking if she truly intended to sacrifice her freedom as well. An Ning tearfully pleaded with Shi Yue not to leave, reminding him that he once said his life belonged to her.
Shi Yue embraced her, acknowledging his deep love for her in the past, a time when she was his entire world. He then gently expressed that he now carried new responsibilities and could no longer accompany her on her current path. He implored her to live for herself, even just once, and to surrender to the authorities. An Ning softly asked if giving up everything would truly be worth it. Shi Yue's firm response was, "It is."
An Ning then turned and walked away, weeping. Seeing this, Tai Ge quickly aimed his gun at Shi Yue. Nan Qiao, breaking free from her captors, bravely lunged at Tai Ge, knocking his arm and causing him to drop the weapon. Shi Yue swiftly seized the gun, taking Tai Ge hostage. He then held the other drug dealers at bay, grabbed Nan Qiao, and they fled the scene.
Shi Yue and Nan Qiao maneuvered through the building, eventually finding refuge in a hidden corner. Shi Yue received a call from Chang Jianxiong, who informed him that the police had secured Future Up, apprehending Tai Ge and the other drug dealers. An Ning, however, was still at large and being pursued. Shi Yue and Chang Jianxiong agreed to meet at the police station. With a sigh of relief, Nan Qiao and Shi Yue embraced, grateful for their safety.
At another location, An Ning's subordinate reported that a helicopter for evacuation would be ready in five minutes, with further arrangements at the dock. An Ning, having learned that Shi Yue had gone to the police station, understood that her escape was futile. She urged her subordinate to leave alone. The loyal subordinate refused, stating that his duty, given by Big Brother, was to protect her, and he would not abandon her.
He then asked An Ning if everything they had done was "worth it." An Ning smiled sadly, replying, "If Shi Yue feels that it's worth it, then it's worth it." As they approached the exit of their hiding place, special police forces breached the door. An Ning pulled out a handgun, but instead of resisting, she surrendered. Back home, Nan Qiao's father was enjoying playing with Shi Yue's three dogs, expressing his growing affection for them.
Nan Qin teased him, suggesting he couldn't bear to be separated from Shi Yue. Nan Qiao's father then had a heartfelt conversation with Nan Qin, admitting his past belief that love was an illusion and marriage was merely about practical living. He confessed that watching Shi Yue and Nan Qiao's struggles to be together had made him realize that youthful love was not pretentious at all.
He acknowledged his biggest mistake had been treating love as family affection and family affection as responsibility. He confessed to treating his daughters like soldiers, always making decisions for them. Shi Yue's journey, however, had taught him that his true role as a father was to let go. He now understood that a marriage must be founded on love. Nan Qin was moved to tears by her father's profound realization.
One year later, Chang Jianxiong met Shi Yue by the sea. He informed Shi Yue that An Ning had refused his prison visit but had sent him a letter. In her letter, An Ning wrote that she had adapted to prison life, finding it tough but also a release from her past obsessions, granting her an unprecedented sense of peace. She expressed immense admiration for Shi Yue's unwavering integrity and light, even after crawling out of a "muddy swamp."
An Ning sincerely believed that being loved by Shi Yue was the greatest blessing of her life and wished him and Nan Qiao enduring happiness. At Future Up's new product launch by the seaside, Nan Qiao presented her lifelong dream: a physical manned drone, named "184." She enthusiastically described it as a fully battery-operated, low-altitude, mid-range unmanned passenger aircraft, developed independently by Future Up.
She proclaimed that its advent signified a revolutionary new mode of transportation, fulfilling humanity's dream of having wings to fly. Meanwhile, Chang Jianxiong playfully told Wen Di that their "friendship boat" was about to capsize, as he had fallen for her and wished for them to "fall into the river of love" together. Wen Di, initially surprised, then smiled shyly, her patience for his confession finally rewarded. Shi Yue then took off his necklace, knelt before Nan Qiao, and proposed.
Ouyang Qi and Hao Jie, along with the crowd, enthusiastically chanted, "Marry him! Marry him!" Shi Yue then added playfully, "Your five elements lack me," a charming way of saying she needed him. Nan Qiao joyfully accepted, and the two embraced tightly amidst cheers.
