Best Choice Ever Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Best Choice Ever Synopsis

Born in an ordinary family in Shanghai, Mai Chenghuan is a girl from the post-95 generation. Under the urging of her mother, Liu Wanyu, she discussed marriage with her boyfriend, Xin Jialiang.

However, Xin Jialiang's affluent economic conditions caused an imbalance in this originally equal emotional relationship. At the same time, Mai Chenghuan's mother's excessive interference in her daughter's lifelong affair accelerated the breakup between Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang. Caught between filial piety to her parents and loyalty to herself, Mai Chenghuan struggled to find her way. Gradually, she broke free from her mother's overbearing care and became more focused on her work.

Mai Chenghuan's transformation gained recognition from her step-grandmother, who entrusted her with the important responsibility of managing the hotel, which she valued most.

Yao Zhiming, the grandson of Mai Chenghuan's step-grandmother and a professional hotel manager, gradually understood and accepted her through their cooperation, and they became work partners, advancing hand in hand.

Meanwhile, in their personal lives, Yao Zhiming was surrounded by the genuine affection of Mai Chenghuan's family and his feelings for her gradually grew stronger. From being "under the care of family" to "achieving self-fulfillment," Mai Chenghuan embarked on a remarkable path of personal growth that was uniquely her own.

Best Choice Ever Recap

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Mai Chenghuan is a gentle and sweet girl from Shanghai, 29 years old this year. Her mother, Liu Wanyu, and father, Mai Laitian, are both working-class. She has lived in the small alley of Sanheli since childhood. It was already 10:30 PM, and Mai Chenghuan hadn’t returned home yet. Liu Wanyu was worried and urged Mai Laitian to go to the alley entrance to pick her up.

Mai Laitian was impatient—after all, the Botticelli Hotel where Mai Chenghuan worked was very close to home, and there was no danger at all, so he felt there was no need. Still uneasy, Liu Wanyu decided to go herself, with Mai Laitian reluctantly following. Mai Chenghuan had been in a relationship with Xin Jialiang for three years. She felt the timing wasn’t right and had never introduced their parents.

That night, after a late date, Xin Jialiang drove Mai Chenghuan home. Unable to resist, he kissed her, only to be caught by Liu Wanyu. Liu Wanyu immediately scolded Mai Chenghuan and yelled at Xin Jialiang. Seeing her father, Mai Chenghuan hurriedly turned to Mai Laitian for help. Mai Laitian feigned a twisted ankle to distract Liu Wanyu, allowing Xin Jialiang to escape.

Liu Wanyu subtly inquired about the progress of Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang’s relationship, urging her to arrange a meeting between the two families to settle the marriage. Mai Chenghuan made all kinds of excuses to stall. Liu Wanyu was dissatisfied with Xin Jialiang and advised Mai Chenghuan to find someone else. With sweet talk and persuasion, Mai Chenghuan finally sent her mother away.

That night, she made two portions of dessert—one for Liu Wanyu and the other for Xin Jialiang. During a video call, Xin Jialiang worried that Liu Wanyu had scolded her, but Mai Chenghuan urged him to come visit their home and try to win Liu Wanyu's approval. Xin Jialiang readily agreed. Early in the morning, Mai Chenghuan took the dessert to work. Her colleague Wu You called and asked her to buy a watermelon on the way, which she did.

Carrying the dessert in one hand and the watermelon in the other, she entered the elevator, just as Liu Wanyu called again to harp on the previous night’s events. She persistently asked whether Mai Chenghuan had slept with Xin Jialiang. The call was loud, and her colleagues turned to look. Embarrassed, Mai Chenghuan blushed deeply. There was also a stranger in the elevator standing right next to her.

When they reached their floor, the man left the elevator with a cup of coffee. Mai Chenghuan accidentally spilled it and apologized repeatedly. The man said nothing and walked away. She handed the dessert and watermelon to her colleague, then chased after the man to clean the coffee stain from his shirt with a stain remover pen. The man offered her a few hundred yuan as a tip, but Mai Chenghuan politely declined and welcomed him to the hotel.

Xin Jialiang lived alone, and his mother often visited to bring him things. Seeing that he was living comfortably, she knew it was all thanks to the capable Mai Chenghuan, who managed his daily life in perfect order. However, his mother looked down on Mai Chenghuan for growing up in a small alley and wrongly believed she was only interested in their wealth.

Xin Jialiang had wanted to explain his family background early on, but his mother always stopped him, so Mai Chenghuan still didn’t know he was from a wealthy family. To welcome the new director, Yao Zhiming, Wu You asked Lily to prepare a fruit platter and cake. Lily forgot to order the cake, and Wu You wanted to use the one Mai Chenghuan made for Xin Jialiang. Mai Chenghuan felt it was inappropriate.

Suddenly, Liu Wanyu called again, and Mai Chenghuan stepped out to answer. When she returned to the meeting room, she saw Wu You had placed her cake on the table. The new operations director, Director Yao, was the same man from the elevator. Without asking for details, he fired Mai Chenghuan on the spot. Lily tried to explain she had put the cake away, but Wu You had brought it out again. Wu You also mocked her.

Knowing Wu You was targeting her, Mai Chenghuan insisted on explaining everything to Yao Zhiming. Yao Zhiming officially took his post, warmly welcomed by General Manager Dennis. However, Deputy GM Zhang was openly hostile. Yao Zhiming did not back down and challenged Zhang in public. Mai Chenghuan pleaded with Yao Zhiming, saying she had worked diligently at the hotel for seven years and didn’t want to give up.

Department manager Zhu Zheng also spoke up for her, but Yao Zhiming refused and insisted she leave. Today marked the third anniversary of Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang’s relationship. After work, Xin Jialiang picked her up and did his best to cheer her up before taking her out to celebrate. Meanwhile, Deputy GM Zhang held a banquet to welcome Yao Zhiming. The two were old acquaintances. Zhang deliberately embarrassed Yao Zhiming in public to hide their past connection.

Zhang asked Yao to help push Dennis out in exchange for recommending him to the head office. They reached an agreement, and Yao Zhiming began investigating Dennis, planning to make a breakthrough via Deshan Home Furnishings. Zhang arranged for her most trusted driver, Mai Laitian, to drive Yao Zhiming. Mai Chenghuan followed Yao Zhiming to a convenience store and earnestly begged for another chance. Yao Zhiming was surprised to learn she was both Xin Jialiang’s girlfriend and Mai Laitian’s daughter.

Just then, he received a call from his assistant and had to get to Songjiang within an hour. It was rush hour, and Mai Laitian couldn’t arrive in time, so Mai Chenghuan took Yao Zhiming on a 40-minute subway ride, followed by a 10-minute bike ride. They arrived 15 minutes early. Impressed, Yao Zhiming agreed to give her another chance and arranged for her to meet a client the next day. Mai Chenghuan stayed up all night researching Deshan Home Furnishings.

Coincidentally, Xin Jialiang worked there. She wanted to call him for more information. Meanwhile, Liu Wanyu urged her to discuss marriage with Xin Jialiang. Left with no choice, Mai Chenghuan reluctantly agreed and texted Xin Jialiang to come over for dinner the next day. But Xin Jialiang had to meet a client, so she dropped the idea. General Manager Xin brought Xin Jialiang to meet Yao Zhiming. Yao Zhiming deliberately stepped out, leaving Mai Chenghuan to receive them.

Xin Jialiang worried she’d recognize him, so he disguised himself, but still got found out. Mai Chenghuan was shocked to learn that Xin Jialiang was the son of Deshan Home Furnishings’ CEO.

Xin Jialiang had no choice but to admit his relationship with Mai Chenghuan. General Manager Xin wrongly assumed Yao Zhiming had known in advance and arranged for Mai Chenghuan to receive them on purpose. Mai Chenghuan quickly explained that Yao Zhiming had no idea about their relationship, but General Manager Xin didn’t believe it and stormed off angrily. Xin Jialiang pulled Mai Chenghuan aside and kept apologizing.

Mai Chenghuan was furious—over the past three years, Xin Jialiang had lied, pretending to be a struggling designer from out of town, with farmer parents. She never imagined he was actually from a wealthy family. Xin Jialiang admitted he had hidden the truth at first, but by the time he wanted to come clean, it was too late. He planned to explain everything during dinner that night, but Mai Chenghuan, upset, wanted to break up.

Mai Chenghuan voluntarily explained everything to Yao Zhiming, insisting she had no idea who Xin Jialiang really was. Yao Zhiming didn’t press further. Xin Jialiang returned home dejected. His mother advised him to leave Mai Chenghuan and wanted to introduce him to Director Zhang’s daughter. But Xin Jialiang insisted on marrying only Mai Chenghuan, which infuriated his father. Mai Chenghuan lied, saying Xin Jialiang was working late and returned home alone. She even brought supplements for her parents.

Liu Wanyu was dissatisfied, and Mai Chenghuan had to admit they had fought. Xin Jialiang came downstairs with flowers, loudly declaring his love. Neighbors gathered to watch the scene. Mai Chenghuan insisted on breaking up. When Liu Wanyu found out Xin Jialiang was rich, she begged Mai Chenghuan to give him another chance and spoke highly of him. Mai Chenghuan quarreled with her mother on the spot and locked herself in her room.

Her younger brother, Mai Chengzao, came home for dinner. Xin Jialiang begged him to help. Mai Chenghuan called and asked Mai Chengzao to come back home for dinner. The neighbors, annoyed by Xin Jialiang’s noise, hit him on the head with a bamboo pole. Left with no choice, Mai Chenghuan went out to meet him. Xin Jialiang swore he’d never lie again, and only then did she forgive him.

Yao Zhiming called to inform Mai Chenghuan she could stay at the company but would have her bonus deducted. Mai Chenghuan was overjoyed. Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao waited downstairs with ice cream for her. Mai Laitian asked about Xin Jialiang, and Mai Chenghuan answered truthfully. Liu Wanyu called Mai Laitian and was finally relieved to hear that they had reconciled. Early the next morning, Wu You arrived at work and saw Mai Chenghuan back, which made her unhappy.

Yao Zhiming held a meeting, requiring everyone in the marketing department to create a proposal for a 520 Wedding Season promotion and announced a public competition. Zhu Zheng encouraged everyone to participate. Liu Wanyu, who was talented in singing and dancing, continued to choreograph for the senior dance troupe after retirement. She thought she was the obvious choice for lead dancer but was beaten to it by Aunt Zhou, thanks to Zhou’s future son-in-law sponsoring costumes and performance fees.

Liu Wanyu was indignant. She posted pictures of Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang on her social media, bragging about his wealth and status. The other ladies in the dance troupe were envious. Mai Chenghuan worked late into the night on her proposal. Liu Wanyu called, urging her to come home early and had prepared pig’s trotter soup. Mai Chenghuan wanted to finish work first. Liu Wanyu reminded her to stay in touch with Xin Jialiang.

He came to pick her up and brought her a late-night snack. Liu Wanyu called again, and Xin Jialiang volunteered to come over for dinner the next day. Liu Wanyu was thrilled and dragged Mai Laitian to clean the house late into the night.

Mai Chenghuan's best friend Mao Mao rushed over after hearing the news. Without asking for details, she fiercely scolded Xin Jialiang. Xin Jialiang's car was blocking the alley entrance, so the security guard called him to move it. Mai Chengzao came downstairs to pick up Mai Chenghuan, and she brought him and Mao Mao home for dinner. Liu Wanyu told Mai Chenghuan to learn from Mao Mao, who was married with a child and living a worry-free life.

Mao Mao suddenly announced in front of everyone that she had divorced, and her child, Ding Ding, was awarded to her ex-husband Song Huaimin. Liu Wanyu sighed with emotion, and Mao Mao quickly changed the subject by giving gifts to every member of the Mai family. After dinner, Mao Mao took Mai Chenghuan to visit the new store she had just rented. She wanted to open a boutique jewelry store. Mai Chenghuan began to re-evaluate her relationship with Xin Jialiang.

Mao Mao advised her not to torment herself and to live happily every day. Only then did Mai Chenghuan feel somewhat relieved. Liu Wanyu took out the family savings to prepare a decent dowry for Mai Chenghuan. However, there wasn't enough money, and she worried the Xin family would look down on her daughter. She considered selling her jewelry to raise funds. Mai Laitian even wanted to pawn his beloved watch.

When Mai Chenghuan came home and overheard her parents’ conversation, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. That night, she wrote a plan called “Continuing Romance” to spend May 20th with her parents. Yao Zhiming personally reviewed everyone’s proposals. He rejected Wu You’s plan on the spot and highly praised Mai Chenghuan’s proposal, giving her full responsibility for this marketing campaign and assigning his assistant He Dong to support her.

He also instructed her to visit Deshan Home to procure gifts. Mai Chenghuan didn’t want to see Xin Jialiang and kept making excuses. Yao Zhiming encouraged her to be bold in negotiating. Mai Chenghuan didn’t want to mix work with personal feelings. Lili advised her not to overthink it. Xin Jialiang sent flowers to apologize to Mai Chenghuan. Lili suggested that she use the price negotiation as a chance to reconcile with him.

After careful thought, Mai Chenghuan still didn’t want to mix business with emotions, so she asked Lili for the contact information of Deshan Home's sales team. Mai Chenghuan hadn’t visited Xin Jialiang’s home for days, and his life was in chaos. He missed the days spent with her. When they were together, she kept everything in order. His friends came over to play video games and teased him when they saw how depressed he was.

Mai Chenghuan went to see Sales Manager Wang, but he was out on business, so she waited in the lobby. Wang returned around noon and invited her to lunch. Yao Zhiming had originally planned to use Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang’s personal connection to negotiate a discount but was surprised when she approached the sales manager professionally. Upon hearing from He Dong that the sales manager was a heavy drinker, he grew concerned.

President Wang hosted a banquet for Mai Chenghuan and invited three sales managers to accompany them. He Dong was assigned to help Mai Chenghuan fend off toasts and report to Yao Zhiming at any time. However, Mai Chenghuan refused to go along. She raised her glass and drank heartily with President Wang, using the momentum to negotiate prices. Xin Jialiang messaged President Wang, asking him to offer a discount to Mai Chenghuan and promised a raise afterward.

Upon learning that Mai Chenghuan was Xin Jialiang’s girlfriend, President Wang immediately offered a 20% discount, which Mai Chenghuan gladly accepted. He Dong drank with President Wang and soon forgot all of Yao Zhiming’s instructions. Yao Zhiming couldn’t get through to He Dong by phone and, worried, rushed to the restaurant. He walked in to see He Dong and Mai Chenghuan celebrating their successful negotiation. Yao Zhiming drank a glass of wine in one go and ended up completely drunk.

He Dong and Mai Chenghuan had no choice but to push him back to his residence on a luggage cart. He Dong even snapped a photo of the two as a souvenir. Mai Chenghuan and He Dong struggled to get Yao Zhiming into his room. He handed his wallet to Mai Chenghuan and insisted on going swimming, even starting to undress in front of her. She quickly called He Dong over.

After He Dong settled him down, Mai Chenghuan finally left, sending the signed contract to Yao Zhiming’s email. Yao Zhiming woke up groggily and opened the email to find a rebate contract. At work, he summoned Mai Chenghuan and questioned why she didn’t use her relationship with Xin Jialiang to negotiate. Mai Chenghuan explained that she wanted to rely on her own efforts. Impressed, Yao Zhiming rewarded her and invited her parents to attend a couple’s dinner at the hotel.

Mai Chenghuan gave the invitation to her parents. They were overjoyed. Mai Laitian even took Liu Wanyu to buy an evening gown. Mai Laitian accompanied Liu Wanyu to the dinner. Mai Chenghuan was on site directing. It was her first time organizing such an event, so she was understandably nervous, especially since few guests had arrived. Wu You mocked her from the side, waiting for her to fail.

Xin Jialiang, dressed as a knight, came with friends to support her and even proposed to her on one knee in front of everyone. Wu You sent someone to call Zhu Zheng, who came and harshly scolded Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan pulled Xin Jialiang aside. He admitted to asking President Wang to give her a 20% discount. She was furious and left, using work as an excuse.

Liu Wanyu quickly stepped in to ease the tension and invited Xin Jialiang home for dinner. During the event, there was a lucky draw, and Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian won. Unfortunately, they had already gone home. Liu Wanyu prepared a lavish meal for Xin Jialiang, who ate with great gusto. She took the opportunity to request a meeting with his parents. Xin Jialiang agreed immediately, vowing to make Mai Chenghuan happy.

Mai Chenghuan returned home late and, upon learning Liu Wanyu had brought Xin Jialiang home, rushed in to confront her. Liu Wanyu tried to persuade her to accept the proposal. Mai Chenghuan didn’t say yes or no and instead called Xin Jialiang out. He repeatedly apologized and took out a power bank she had given him three years ago. When he was staying at a hotel and his phone died, she had given him that charger.

It had become a token of their love. Xin Jialiang wanted to “recharge” their relationship with it. Touched, Mai Chenghuan smiled through her tears and forgave him. Xin Jialiang was overjoyed. Liu Wanyu placed a ring on Mai Chenghuan’s finger. The thought of her daughter getting married left her with a heavy heart. Mai Chenghuan comforted her, telling her not to be sad.

Xin Jialiang, thrilled by the successful proposal, immediately shared the news with his mother Chen Dejing and asked her to arrange a meeting between both families to discuss the wedding. Chen Dejing had initially wanted him to marry the daughter of her business partner, President Zhang, but since Xin Jialiang insisted on marrying Mai Chenghuan, she had no choice but to relent. His sister Xin Jiali also strongly objected.

She had once obeyed her parents and married Luo Mingli, but due to emotional incompatibility, their marriage was cold. Chen Dejing advised her not to interfere. Xin Jiali then suggested holding the meeting at a luxurious restaurant with the most expensive dishes to give the Mai family from the alley a strong impression. Early the next morning, Mai Chenghuan went to report to Yao Zhiming, apologizing repeatedly.

She was caught off guard by Xin Jialiang’s sudden proposal at the May 20th event, which disrupted the original plan. However, Yao Zhiming didn’t blame her. The proposal had brought great publicity to the hotel. Mai Chenghuan made some desserts by hand and gave them to Yao Zhiming. He visited Grandma Mai at the nursing home, brought her some clothes, and shared the desserts.

Grandma immediately recognized that they were made by Mai Chenghuan and urged him to treat her well. Yao Zhiming promised he would.  Chen Dejing confirmed the time and place for the family meeting and informed Xin Jialiang, who promptly messaged Mai Chenghuan. Liu Wanyu didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the Xin family, so she rummaged through her wardrobe for something suitable. Mai Chenghuan offered to buy her a new outfit, which delighted her.

Professor Cheng wanted to take Mai Chengzao to meet a famous lawyer who had just returned from abroad—an opportunity that would affect his future. But since he had to accompany the family to meet the Xin family, he explained the situation to the professor. Liu Wanyu asked Mai Laitian to borrow a car from Yao Zhiming. Reluctantly, he agreed to ask Deputy Director Zhang Peisheng. Mai Chenghuan asked Mao Mao to accompany Liu Wanyu to shop.

Mao Mao advised her to think carefully about her relationship. The stain remover pen, Bluetooth headset, and power bank Mai Chenghuan carried were all for emergencies involving Xin Jialiang. Mao Mao was worried that he couldn’t support a family, but Mai Chenghuan said love was enough. Mai Laitian was driving Yao Zhiming and Zhang Peisheng to the office when Liu Wanyu kept calling. Since he couldn’t use his hands, he switched to speakerphone.

She was urging him to borrow a car from Zhang Peisheng and brought up how he once saved Zhang. Embarrassed, Mai Laitian quickly hung up and explained to Zhang Peisheng that Liu Wanyu just wanted to maintain appearances. Yao Zhiming offered him a day off on the weekend to be with his family. Zhang Peisheng asked Yao Zhiming to choose a gift for the Mai family.

Professor Cheng, not wanting Mai Chengzao to miss the opportunity, encouraged him to visit the returning lawyer. Mai Chengzao found him and expressed interest in working for the prestigious Fangyuan Law Firm. The senior agreed to take his resume and promised to recommend him. Mao Mao and Mai Chenghuan helped Liu Wanyu pick out a cheongsam. She liked it but hesitated due to the price. Mao Mao lied about having a coupon, and Liu Wanyu finally accepted.

When Mai Chenghuan went to pay, she ran into Yao Zhiming, who was there to buy a gift. He congratulated her, and she promised to continue working hard after marriage. He chose a luxury watch as a present. Mai Chengzao arrived and joined them for lunch. Mao Mao heard that Mai Laitian hadn’t borrowed a car and offered hers for the meeting. Mai Chengzao invited Mao Mao to join, but Liu Wanyu found it inappropriate.

Mao Mao used an excuse to avoid it and asked him to go to the garage with her. Feeling bad, he kept apologizing, but Mao Mao didn’t mind. He was developing feelings for her and asked about her views on relationships. Mao Mao wanted passionate love but didn’t want to marry again.  The weekend was approaching. Liu Wanyu, dressed in her cheongsam, admired herself in the mirror.

Mai Laitian polished his shoes and sighed at how fast time flies—their daughter was about to get married. Liu Wanyu felt the same. Overhearing this, Mai Chenghuan felt bittersweet. She couldn’t sleep and went to chat with Mai Chengzao. He had just received a message that his resume had been rejected by the law firm. Though disappointed, he kept his spirits up and had a heart-to-heart with his sister.

Mai Laitian, trying on his new suit, accidentally ripped his pants, making the whole family laugh. Chen Dejing brought Xin Jialiang and Xin Jiali to the restaurant and called to remind Xin Zhishan not to be late. He was annoyed, and his secretary massaged his temples as he waited. The Mai family of four arrived early. Xin Jialiang, Xin Jiali, and Chen Dejing followed shortly. Liu Wanyu greeted Xin Jiali warmly, but Xin Jiali responded coldly.

Xin Jialiang put on an arrogant air and acted condescendingly in front of the Mai family. She even deliberately asked Mai Chenghuan to order the food. Xin Jialiang accompanied Mai Chenghuan, who disapproved of Xin Jialiang’s overbearing behavior. Xin Jialiang kept apologizing to Mai Chenghuan and tried hard to speak well of Xin Jialiang. Mai Laitian expressed his gratitude to Chen Dejing for her hospitality and shared how reluctant he was to see his daughter Mai Chenghuan getting married.

Liu Wanyu praised Mai Chenghuan in public. Xin Jialiang promised to love Mai Chenghuan for a lifetime. Xin Jialiang pointed out that Mai Laitian didn’t know how to drink red wine, which led to an awkward argument with Liu Wanyu. Xin Jialiang deliberately served the fish tail to Mai Laitian and Liu Wanyu. Mai Chenghuan suppressed her anger and took the dish, but Mai Chengzao snatched the fish tail and ate it to ease his parents’ embarrassment.

Liu Wanyu discussed the wedding plans with Chen Dejing. Chen Dejing let Xin Jialiang decide on his own. Xin Jialiang wanted a destination wedding, while Liu Wanyu insisted on holding a lively wedding back in their hometown. Xin Jialiang mocked the guests invited by Liu Wanyu for not being classy enough, which led to a direct confrontation. Unexpectedly, Xin Jialiang sided with Xin Jialiang. Mai Chenghuan couldn’t bear it any longer and publicly announced the cancellation of the wedding.

Yao Zhiming came to deliver a gift to Mai Chenghuan and overheard the families arguing from outside. He quietly left the gift and walked away. Xin Jialiang yelled at Mai Chenghuan. Liu Wanyu was furious and got into a fierce quarrel with Xin Jialiang. She dragged Mai Chenghuan and Mai Laitian away. Xin Jialiang chased after them and tried to persuade Mai Chenghuan with kind words.

However, Mai Chenghuan saw through the Xin family completely and broke up with Xin Jialiang. Xin Jialiang returned to the private room and yelled at Xin Jialiang, who stormed off in anger. Mai Chenghuan received Yao Zhiming’s gift and called to thank him. Yao Zhiming advised her not to mind the Xin family’s prejudice and to live with dignity. Liu Wanyu vented all her anger on Mai Laitian, who was overwhelmed.

Mai Chengzao cooked a bowl of noodles to comfort Liu Wanyu. Liu Wanyu placed high hopes on Mai Chengzao, wishing he could bring honor to the family, but Mai Chengzao kept his feelings to himself. Mai Chenghuan returned home dejected. Liu Wanyu thought Xin Jialiang wasn’t too bad and decided to give up on the hometown wedding. However, she was surprised to learn that Mai Chenghuan had already broken up with him.

Liu Wanyu felt sorry for her, but Mai Chenghuan was determined. Mai Chenghuan went to vent to Maomao. Xin Jialiang kept texting to apologize, which annoyed her. She was completely disheartened. Maomao took her to a bar to unwind. Mai Chenghuan drank a lot and quickly got drunk. Mai Chengzao came to pick her up but suddenly received an internship notice from Fangyuan Law Firm. He was overjoyed, and Maomao happily ordered him a drink.

When Mai Chenghuan came out of the restroom, Mai Chengzao took the tipsy her away. Mai Chenghuan returned home early in the morning. She personally made a delicious breakfast and sincerely apologized to Liu Wanyu. Liu Wanyu had already forgiven her and just wanted her to be happy. Mai Chenghuan promised to find a boyfriend Liu Wanyu would be satisfied with and gave her a gift along with a cake to make amends. Liu Wanyu felt deeply comforted.

Liu Wanyu asked Mai Laitian to borrow money from Grandma Mai, Chen Shuzhen, for Mai Chenghuan’s dowry. Since Chen Shuzhen was not his biological mother, Mai Laitian couldn’t bring himself to ask. Liu Wanyu personally went to the nursing home to look for Chen Shuzhen, but was told she had gone out for morning tea. Disappointed, she left.

Yao Zhiming invited Chen Shuzhen to have breakfast at Xing’anli. Chen Shuzhen was very happy. Yao Zhiming took the opportunity to propose that he and Mai Chenghuan help manage the Xing’anli business, but Chen Shuzhen made various excuses. Yao Zhiming then suggested she buy insurance. When Liu Wanyu learned from the nursing home staff that Yao Zhiming had taken Chen Shuzhen out, she rushed to the hotel.

Upon hearing Yao Zhiming's words, she assumed he was trying to swindle Chen Shuzhen out of money and burst in to beat him up. Later, she found out that Yao Zhiming was the grandson of Chen Shuzhen’s ex-husband—her biological grandson. Mai Chenghuan rushed to the nursing home and quickly understood the situation, repeatedly apologizing to Yao Zhiming on behalf of Liu Wanyu. Learning that Yao Zhiming was Mai Chenghuan’s boss, Liu Wanyu apologized to him awkwardly.

She explained her intention of asking Chen Shuzhen to fund the dowry so the Xin family wouldn’t look down on them. Mai Chenghuan strongly opposed this and blamed Liu Wanyu for asking Chen Shuzhen. She would rather not get married than compromise with the Xin family. Chen Shuzhen called Mai Chenghuan aside to ask her opinion about the marriage.

Mai Chenghuan recounted the insults and mockery from Xin Jialiang and how she wanted to rely on her own efforts to give her parents a good life, not change her fate through marriage. Chen Shuzhen gave her a family heirloom jade bracelet and advised her to think carefully about the marriage. Liu Wanyu suspected Yao Zhiming had bad intentions, and although he didn’t explain, he acted indifferent. Liu Wanyu scolded him and left with Mai Chenghuan.

When Mai Laitian learned that Liu Wanyu had asked Chen Shuzhen for money, he couldn’t help but scold her. Yao Zhiming knew Chen Shuzhen wasn’t lacking money but still gave her a bank card for emergencies. Chen Shuzhen asked him to take good care of his non-blood-related “sister” Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan couldn’t sleep that night. After careful consideration, she decided to break up with Xin Jialiang and placed the engagement ring in a box.

Zhu Zheng used the excuse of an urgent matter at home to ask Mai Chenghuan to deliver some documents to Yao Zhiming downstairs. Without thinking much, she went down and saw a customer angrily arguing with the front desk over a reservation issue. She quickly stepped in to calm the customer with a fruit platter and helped rearrange the room with the front desk. Unfortunately, due to a conference, the hotel was fully booked.

Just as she was feeling helpless, she saw Yao Zhiming and asked him to give up his executive suite for the client. He agreed readily. The customer later wrote a thank-you post for Mai Chenghuan on the official site, and Zhu Zheng couldn’t praise her enough. To express her thanks, Mai Chenghuan invited Yao Zhiming for coffee. Yao Zhiming asked her to accompany him to visit Chen Shuzhen over the weekend. She gladly agreed, saying she often visited her.

Curious, Yao Zhiming asked why she treated Chen Shuzhen so well despite not being related. Mai Chenghuan replied that she already considered Chen Shuzhen her real grandmother and even made plans with Yao Zhiming to visit the nursing home regularly. Liu Wanyu prepared generous gifts and asked Mai Laitian to sound out Xin Zhishan’s opinion on the marriage. Reluctantly, Mai Laitian went without an appointment and was stopped by the receptionist.

Xin Zhishan, with his secretary, was heading to meet Yao Zhiming. Mai Laitian introduced himself as Yao Zhiming’s driver and offered to drive them. On the way, he probed Xin Zhishan’s opinion on the marriage. Xin Zhishan, learning that he and Yao Zhiming were relatives, wanted to use the marriage to secure a hotel bid. He later discussed the benefits with his wife Chen Dejing and decided to let Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang get engaged first.

Mai Chengzao reported for duty at Fangyuan Law Firm. A senior assigned him to assist Lawyer Liu, who looked down on his school and background and mocked him publicly, leaving him embarrassed. Meanwhile, Chen Dejing secretly followed Liu Wanyu to the market and greeted her, even going home to learn how to make chili sauce. She apologized and flattered Liu Wanyu, asking her to speak well of them to Yao Zhiming so they could win the hotel bid. Liu Wanyu, unfamiliar with business, wanted to consult with Mai Laitian.

Xin Zhishan, upon learning that Yao Zhiming and the Mai family were relatives, sent Chen Dejing to reconcile with them. Chen Dejing did her best to flatter Liu Wanyu and even got Mai Chengzao into her son-in-law Luo Mingshi’s law firm. Unexpectedly, Mai Chengzao was already interning there. Chen Dejing promised to help him become a full-time employee.

Overjoyed, Liu Wanyu vowed to ask Yao Zhiming for the order and gifted Chen Dejing her homemade chili sauce, which the latter threw away right after leaving. Liu Wanyu visited the hotel to see Yao Zhiming, bringing her homemade smoked fish for him to try. She explained her purpose: asking him to give the hotel order to the Xin family.

When Mai Chenghuan found out, she rushed to the office and dragged Liu Wanyu away, forbidding her from interfering with the bidding. Upon learning that Chen Dejing had approached Liu Wanyu and even brought up Mai Chengzao’s job, Mai Chenghuan was speechless with anger. Mai Chengzao wanted to earn his position at the law firm on his own merit and didn’t want to sacrifice Mai Chenghuan’s marriage for his job. Liu Wanyu yelled at him.

Mai Chenghuan pulled him aside and encouraged him not to care about others’ opinions and just work hard to earn recognition. Mai Chengzao was worried this would affect her marriage, but she firmly believed she could handle it and told him not to overthink. Mai Chengzao arrived early at the law firm. His colleagues’ attitudes had completely changed—they congratulated him on becoming a full-time employee early.

Lawyer Liu even reassigned fieldwork to someone else and gave him easy office tasks, making him feel awkward. Yao Zhiming transferred Mai Chenghuan to an administrative secretary position. Zhu Zheng and colleagues congratulated her, but she was left confused, while Wu You was jealous. After work, Mai Chengzao went straight to Maomao’s store, where she was overwhelmed with orders. Without a word, he helped her pack and ship them. Yao Zhiming gave the bidding materials to Mai Chenghuan.

She couldn’t understand why she got a promotion and suspected it was related to the Xin family. Yao Zhiming didn’t explain and simply encouraged her to do a good job. Mai Chenghuan delivered an invitation to Xin Zhishan, who was away on a business trip. As she was leaving, she saw Xin Jialiang and confronted him about Chen Dejing trying to use her mother to pull strings.

Xin Jialiang, in a rush for a meeting, brushed it off and left in a hurry. Xin Zhishan’s secretary, Zhu Baoqiao, watched everything from the side and greeted Mai Chenghuan. The two were college classmates, and Mai Chenghuan was surprised to learn Zhu Baoqiao was now Xin Zhishan’s secretary. Zhu Baoqiao revealed that Yao Zhiming used the bidding to edge out Deshan Home, and asked Mai Chenghuan to help the Xin family.

Mai Chenghuan refused to mix work with personal matters and left with an excuse. Zhu Baoqiao gritted her teeth in anger. Mai Chenghuan stayed up late working on the bidding materials. Yao Zhiming advised her to go home and rest early. Early the next morning, Mai Chengzao took the subway to work and ran into Maomao at the station. Worried about him, Mai Chenghuan had asked Maomao to talk to him.

Mai Chengzao poured out all his bottled-up frustrations, and Maomao advised him not to care about workplace gossip. He felt slightly relieved. Chen Dejing suspected that Mai Chenghuan was eyeing their family’s wealth. Xin Jialiang suggested they have Mai Chenghuan sign a prenuptial agreement. Zhu Baoqiao asked Wu You to get the base bidding price of the hotel.

Wu You refused, but after Zhu Baoqiao offered a generous gift and promised to help her improve her housing if successful, Wu You was swayed.

Since Mai Chenghuan became Yao Zhiming’s secretary, she has been leaving early and returning late every day, working diligently. He Dong advised her not to push herself too hard and to find a balance between work and rest. He suggested she leave work early and even recommended a restaurant with great food and ambiance. However, Mai Chenghuan insisted on leaving only after work. Yao Zhiming noticed everything and warned He Dong not to meddle.

After work, Xin Jialiang came to pick up Mai Chenghuan. She hadn't figured out how to handle their relationship yet and ignored him. Xin Jialiang acted cute and clingy in public, so Mai Chenghuan reluctantly got into the car with him. He took her to see the new house his parents prepared for them. As long as she liked it, they could immediately transfer the ownership to her.

But Mai Chenghuan wanted to buy a house with their own efforts and didn’t want to be influenced by his parents. Xin Jialiang didn’t think much of it. Mai Chenghuan guessed that the house gifted by Xin Zhishan was to curry favor for the hotel bidding event. Xin Jialiang confessed and pleaded with her to put in a good word for him in front of Yao Zhiming, but she was helpless.

Mai Chengzao accidentally discovered that a colleague was helping Xin Jialiang draft a prenuptial agreement. He immediately called his sister to inform her. Xin Jialiang knew nothing about it. Mai Chenghuan was furious and couldn’t believe his parents would use such an agreement to demean her. She stormed off after breaking up with Xin Jialiang. Mai Chenghuan went alone to the Huangpu River to clear her mind.

She recalled Yao Zhiming once reminding her that only the kitchen and garden were her stage in the Xin family. Mai Chengzao, worried about her, came straight to the river after work and gently tried to comfort her. Mai Chenghuan had initially wanted a simple life with Xin Jialiang, but everything was ruined by his family. She vowed to change her fate with her own abilities. Seeing her start to let go, Mai Chengzao was finally relieved.

Liu Wanyu was overjoyed upon hearing the news of Sanhe Lane's demolition. She prepared a large table of dishes to celebrate and called Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao home. She and Mai Laitian planned to buy a big house in Qingpu with the compensation. Mai Chenghuan thought Qingpu was too far and suggested buying a second-hand house in the city center for Mai Chengzao’s convenience. But Liu Wanyu insisted on Qingpu, and Mai Chengzao supported his parents' decision.

Xin Jialiang angrily returned home to confront his mother, Chen Dejing, and found out that it was Xin Jiali’s idea to draft the prenuptial agreement. He vented all his anger on Xin Jiali. When Xin Zhishan came home and learned of the situation, he gave Chen Dejing and Xin Jiali a stern scolding. He had worked hard to use Mai Chenghuan to connect with Yao Zhiming, but now everything was a mess because of them.

Xin Zhishan stormed out in anger. After dinner, Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian continued discussing the house in Qingpu. Mai Chenghuan didn’t want them living in the suburbs and vowed to work hard and earn enough money so the family could live downtown. Xin Zhishan personally visited Yao Zhiming to build rapport and asked him to give Deshan Furnishings a chance at the bidding event. Yao Zhiming readily agreed and asked Mai Chenghuan to escort him.

Xin Zhishan apologized to Mai Chenghuan about the prenuptial agreement and begged her to speak favorably about Deshan Furnishings. Mai Chenghuan flatly refused to take shortcuts, hoping Deshan Furnishings would win on merit. He Dong overheard the conversation and reported everything to Yao Zhiming. Upon learning that the Xin family had made Mai Chenghuan sign a prenuptial agreement, Yao Zhiming was furious and vowed to expose Deshan Furnishings’ bribery.

He Dong was concerned this might ruin Mai Chenghuan’s future and marriage. Yao Zhiming didn’t want her to marry Xin Jialiang. The bidding event went ahead as scheduled. All furniture companies arrived on time and sent representatives to speak. Xin Jialiang represented Deshan Furnishings on stage. Dennis asked all companies to leave temporarily so the judges could deliberate. Yao Zhiming submitted a rebate record from Deshan Furnishings to Mai Chenghuan. After discussion, the judges chose Tianhe Furnishings.

Xin Zhishan thought victory was assured, but Yao Zhiming exposed a rebate receipt related to Deshan’s 520 promotion gift at a hotel. Xin Jialiang admitted that he had authorized the discount for Mai Chenghuan. Xin Zhishan publicly announced their relationship and accused her of using it to get rebates. Despite Mai Chenghuan’s many explanations, he didn’t believe her. Yao Zhiming quickly stepped in to defend her.

Suddenly, Zhu Baoqiao stood up and accused Mai Chenghuan of leaking the bidding baseline to Tianhe Furnishings. Xin Zhishan believed she and Yao Zhiming had set Xin Jialiang up and forcibly took him away. Mai Chenghuan went to confront Yao Zhiming about the rebate. Yao Zhiming admitted he had already seen it and believed she leaked the baseline.

Mai Chenghuan laid out the entire sequence of events and finally realized Yao Zhiming had been using her to take down the Xin family and oust Dennis. He admitted to it. Mai Chenghuan was heartbroken. She had always thought he cared about her and even accompanied her to see her grandmother, but now she saw it was all a lie.

He Dong explained on Yao Zhiming’s behalf that he had planned to transfer Mai Chenghuan to headquarters after the bidding event. But she had completely seen through him and stormed out. Yao Zhiming suspected someone had used her email to leak the baseline and asked Security to check surveillance footage from that day. Unable to find her, he went to the nursing home to ask Chen Shuzhen. She guessed he had wronged Mai Chenghuan and scolded him.

He worried she couldn’t handle the blow, but Chen Shuzhen believed she was strong enough. Knowing he couldn’t keep her, he asked He Dong to find her a suitable position. Zhang Peisheng successfully brought down Dennis and called Yao Zhiming to celebrate, but he just wanted to return to headquarters. Mai Chenghuan tried to call Xin Jialiang to explain, but he didn’t answer. Mao Mao consoled her, and Mai Chengzao comforted her too.

Mai Chenghuan wanted to resign, but didn’t want to be accused of leaking secrets. She asked her colleague Xue Li to check her email and found that her computer had been taken for investigation and the hotel surveillance sealed. She suspected Zhu Baoqiao had something to do with it. Mai Chenghuan confronted Zhu Baoqiao about the email, but Zhu Baoqiao blamed her for not cooperating.

He Dong called and said surveillance showed someone tightly covered using her computer to send the email. She immediately recognized the person as Wu You, confronted her, and recorded everything. Mai Chenghuan gave the evidence to Yao Zhiming. Wu You confessed she had been bribed by Zhu Baoqiao and begged for mercy. Zhu Zheng also pleaded for her. But Mai Chenghuan insisted on reporting to the police. Wu You tearfully explained her hardships trying to survive in Shanghai.

Mai Chenghuan revealed her own difficult background and her determination to provide a better life for her family. Yao Zhiming agreed to report Wu You to the police. Mai Chenghuan requested a transfer, wanting to stay far from Yao Zhiming. He transferred her to the hotel apartment’s property management. When Mai Chenghuan returned home, Liu Wanyu had made her favorite dishes. Mai Laitian noticed she seemed troubled. She made excuses.

Liu Wanyu casually asked about the bidding event, but she didn’t want to talk. Mai Laitian advised Liu Wanyu not to press. Mai Chenghuan packed up and transferred to the property office. Xue Li stood up for her. Mai Chenghuan warned her to be cautious. Zhu Zheng reminded her not to be too impulsive and to protect herself. She was deeply touched. Dennis was suspended and transferred back to Switzerland.

Although Yao Zhiming had helped Zhang Peisheng succeed, he wasn’t happy. He Dong saw that Yao Zhiming liked Mai Chenghuan. Xin Zhishan decided to fire Zhu Baoqiao. She protested, but he was firm and unquestioning. Mai Chenghuan reported to the apartment property office. Manager Zhang took her around to tour departments and briefly explained her duties. She was responsible for sixteen residents. Manager Zhang asked her to collect overdue fees from Ms. Chen in 512. Ms.

Chen not only refused to pay but also complained about many services. Mai Chenghuan took note of everything. Ms. Chen then asked her to buy milk tea and demanded it be delivered within an hour. She ran to the store and returned on time, but Ms. Chen gave her more tasks. Mai Chenghuan patiently completed everything until she was exhausted. Yao Zhiming witnessed it all.

He moved to the same floor and constantly assigned her tasks, showing concern, but she remained indifferent. Ye Xiaomei reminded her to prioritize the most urgent needs of clients instead of handling everything herself. From colleagues, she learned about the conflict between Ms. Chen and the housekeeper. After carefully researching Ms. Chen’s background, she invited her to the hotel’s regular wine tasting event.

Mai Chengzao did his work conscientiously and visited factories himself for investigation, which made him late for a meeting. Lawyer Liu reported him to their boss Luo Mingli. Mai Chengzao rushed in and presented his evidence. Luo Mingli was impressed and praised him, reminding Lawyer Liu to focus on work.

Luo Mingli affirmed Mai Chengzao's efforts and publicly criticized Lawyer Liu. Lawyer Liu was furious. Knowing that Luo Mingli was the brother-in-law of Mai Chenghuan's fiancé, he still took out his anger by scolding Mai Chengzao. Mai Chenghuan agreed to all of Ms. Chen’s requests, trying every possible way to meet her unreasonable demands. She even invited Ms. Chen to a wine tasting event at the hotel, hoping to help her connect with potential clients. Ms. Chen was deeply touched.

As she was preparing to start a business, she was grateful that Mai Chenghuan bore no grudges and offered such a rare opportunity. She immediately paid off all her overdue property fees. Yao Zhiming witnessed this and felt comforted. Mai Chenghuan left early and returned late every day, passionately serving each resident and quickly gaining everyone’s recognition.

One evening, when she had not yet returned home, Liu Wanyu grew worried and asked Mai Chengzao about Mai Chenghuan's relationship with Xin Jialiang. Mai Chengzao made excuses to cover it up, and Mai Laitian also helped to divert the question. Liu Wanyu didn’t ask further. When Mai Chenghuan came home late, her parents were at the supermarket. Mai Chengzao took the opportunity to persuade her to leave Xin Jialiang and not to compromise herself for his job.

Mai Chenghuan reassured him to focus on his work and not to let her relationship with Xin Jialiang affect his future. Liu Wanyu sensed that Mai Chengzao was hiding something and suspected that Mai Chenghuan had argued with Xin Jialiang. Unable to ask her directly, Liu Wanyu was advised by Mai Laitian not to interfere in the younger generation’s marriage matters. However, she couldn't let it go and decided to visit the Xin family to find out for herself.

Liu Wanyu brought smoked fish early in the morning to Chen Dejing. Chen Dejing immediately saw her intention and insisted that Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming had teamed up to bring down the Xin family. She accused Mai Chenghuan of leaking the bid price to a competitor and Yao Zhiming of reporting the kickbacks Xin Jialiang gave her. After hearing the whole story, Liu Wanyu felt that Mai Chenghuan did nothing wrong.

Xin Jiali stood up and yelled at Liu Wanyu, who didn’t want to argue and tried to leave with the smoked fish. As it began to rain heavily, Mai Laitian learned Liu Wanyu had gone to the Xin family and planned to take Yao Zhiming home first before picking her up. Xin Jiali accidentally revealed that she had forced Mai Chenghuan to sign a prenuptial agreement.

Liu Wanyu was furious, never expecting them to make Mai Chenghuan sign such a humiliating document. Mai Chenghuan rushed over, pulled Liu Wanyu away, and prepared to leave. Xin Jiali hurled insults at Liu Wanyu. Xin Jialiang, unable to stand it, came out to stop her. Mai Chenghuan could no longer bear it and declared on the spot that she had not revealed the bid price and knew nothing about the kickbacks.

She wouldn’t let her parents suffer because of love. She broke up with Xin Jialiang then and there and walked out with Liu Wanyu. Xin Jialiang ran after them in the rain. Liu Wanyu urged Mai Chenghuan to talk things over with him. Mai Chenghuan told her to stay under the awning at the entrance and stay out of the rain. She told Xin Jialiang once again that they should break up.

Xin Jialiang was unwilling and finally vented all the frustrations he had bottled up. He had quarreled with Xin Jiali countless times because of her. Mai Chenghuan felt exhausted and no longer wanted to be tormented by this relationship. She turned and left decisively. Mai Laitian arrived with Yao Zhiming to pick up Liu Wanyu and saw everything from a distance.

Yao Zhiming told Mai Laitian to take Liu Wanyu and Mai Chenghuan home first, and he would find his own way back. Mai Chenghuan saw Xin Jialiang standing alone in the rain and silently wished him happiness. When she returned home, she locked herself in her room, refusing to eat, drink, or speak. When Mai Chengzao got home and found out she had broken up with Xin Jialiang, he was relieved for her.

Liu Wanyu, worried that Mai Chenghuan might do something foolish, tried to go in and check on her. Mai Chenghuan came out smiling and used buying laundry detergent as an excuse to leave the house. Mai Chenghuan went alone to the Huangpu River. Mai Chengzao followed and gently comforted her. He said he wanted to resign and leave Fangyuan Law Firm.

Mai Chenghuan advised him not to act rashly and not to let her situation with Xin Jialiang affect his career. Liu Wanyu prepared a hearty breakfast in the morning, but Mai Chenghuan had no appetite and left for work without eating. Liu Wanyu remained worried, while Mai Chengzao believed she would move on. Liu Wanyu wanted him to persuade Mai Chenghuan to reconcile with Xin Jialiang, but Mai Chengzao felt they weren’t right for each other.

As Mai Chenghuan entered the apartment lobby, she didn’t notice the warning sign placed by the cleaning lady and slipped to the floor. Luckily, a colleague came to help her up in time. Yao Zhiming happened to be in the lobby and wanted to comfort her but held back. Manager Zhang affirmed Mai Chenghuan’s work and encouraged everyone to learn from her. Mao Yongxin, upon hearing that she had broken up with Xin Jialiang, came to comfort her right away. Mai Chenghuan was deeply saddened.

Mai Chengzao and Mao Yongxin took turns comforting Mai Chenghuan, but she couldn’t break free from the pain. Liu Wanyu grew extremely anxious and regretted speaking so harshly at the Xin family. She wanted to go back and try to mend Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang’s relationship. Mai Laitian thought it was inappropriate. Seeing both women so depressed, he was silently worried.

Knowing that Mai Chenghuan had a close relationship with her grandmother Chen Shuzhen, Mai Laitian mustered the courage to visit the nursing home to seek her help. He told her about what Mai Chenghuan had experienced at work, the grievances she and Liu Wanyu suffered at the Xin family, and the breakup with Xin Jialiang. Chen Shuzhen agreed to talk to Mai Chenghuan. Chen Shuzhen called Mai Chenghuan to the nursing home and expressed her care and concern.

Mai Chenghuan poured out all her grievances and cried in Chen Shuzhen’s arms. Chen Shuzhen, who had experienced two marriages and seen all kinds of people, knew that Mai Chenghuan couldn’t let go of a three-year relationship. She supported Mai Chenghuan’s decision and promised to be her strong backing. Chen Shuzhen took Mai Chenghuan to have a meal at Xing'anli, letting her try the hotel’s new dishes. Mai Chenghuan felt much better.

When Chen Shuzhen casually asked about her new job, Mai Chenghuan said she had adapted well and was even awarded the Five-Star Steward title last month. Chen Shuzhen was gratified and wished her good fortune. Xin Zhishan and Zhu Baoqiao gradually developed feelings for each other and often met secretly. After the bidding event, Xin Zhishan asked Zhu Baoqiao to resign to avoid upsetting the staff.

Bored at home, Zhu Baoqiao clung to him, so Xin Zhishan had to meet her in secret behind his family's back. Yao Zhiming came to the nursing home to visit Chen Shuzhen. She scolded him for dragging Mai Chenghuan into the mess. Yao Zhiming had already made plans to help Chen Shuzhen manage the Xing'anli Hotel and wanted Mai Chenghuan to assist.

He planned to take both of them on a weekend trip to relax and inspect a resort hotel under the Yueda Group. Chen Shuzhen called to inform Mai Chenghuan. Soon, the weekend came. Mai Chenghuan arrived at the nursing home on time, bringing full camping gear. Yao Zhiming came to pick them up. Chen Shuzhen hoped that the two could resolve their misunderstandings. As soon as they met, Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming started bickering.

Yao Zhiming deliberately brought up Xin Jialiang to provoke her, and Mai Chenghuan was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. Chen Shuzhen quickly intervened. Yao Zhiming apologized, but Mai Chenghuan wasn’t having it and gave him the cold shoulder. Yao Zhiming drove Chen Shuzhen and Mai Chenghuan to a resort hotel hidden deep in the mountains. Chen Shuzhen felt the hotel lacked warmth. Mai Chenghuan pointed out its management and service flaws.

Yao Zhiming decided on the spot to replace all the staff, and no amount of persuasion from Mai Chenghuan could stop him. He took them on a hike. Despite being out of breath, Chen Shuzhen refused to stop. Yao Zhiming called He Dong to send him a work plan, and Mai Chenghuan couldn’t help but tease him. Mai Chenghuan accidentally learned that the hotel staff were all local villagers.

She advised Yao Zhiming not to replace them, but he was resolute. Later, while giving Chen Shuzhen a massage, she unintentionally revealed that Yao Zhiming had suffered a lot since childhood and couldn’t empathize with others. That evening, Mai Chenghuan called Yao Zhiming for dinner, but he suddenly collapsed. She summoned the hotel staff. Because of the difficult mountain roads, the staff helped carry Yao Zhiming to a nearby clinic.

After continuous effort, the medical staff helped him pass a kidney stone. Mai Chenghuan stayed by his side the entire time. When he finally woke up and saw her asleep by the bed, he was filled with affection. Yao Zhiming called He Dong to give work instructions. Mai Chenghuan snatched the phone and told him to rest, once again urging him not to dismiss the hotel staff.

Yao Zhiming was suddenly hospitalized due to kidney stones. Mai Chenghuan took meticulous care of his daily life. She learned about his unfortunate background: his father abandoned his mother, and his mother abandoned him. Later, his father ended up in jail, and his mother died in an accident while seeking a boyfriend. The only relative Yao Zhiming had was Chen Shuzhen. Mai Chenghuan felt deep sympathy for him. Thanks to Mai Chenghuan's attentive care, Yao Zhiming quickly recovered and was discharged.

The resort hotel manager personally came to see him off, expressing special thanks to Mai Chenghuan for her suggestions, which the hotel had already implemented thoroughly. Yao Zhiming also agreed to let the employees stay and continue working. Mai Chenghuan was very happy, surprised that Yao Zhiming had become so warm-hearted in just a few days. Chen Shuzhen felt deeply comforted seeing the two of them chatting and getting along harmoniously.

Mai Chenghuan ran into Zhu Baoqiao in the apartment and learned that she lived on the fourth floor. Zhu Baoqiao greeted her warmly, and Mai Chenghuan could only force a smile and respond awkwardly. Manager Zhang called to ask Mai Chenghuan to handle a problem for Zhu Baoqiao, the owner of unit 416. Mai Chenghuan hurried upstairs and happened to witness Zhu Baoqiao sending Xin Zhishan off.

The two were being affectionate in the hallway, which made Mai Chenghuan feel very awkward, and she quickly turned to take the elevator. Yao Zhiming happened to be in the elevator and noticed something was off with Mai Chenghuan, who tried hard to hide it. Zhu Baoqiao saw Xin Zhishan to the underground garage, repeatedly promising that she would never be affectionate with him in public again.

Xin Zhishan suspected that Zhu Baoqiao deliberately moved there to let Mai Chenghuan see their affair. Zhu Baoqiao tried to defend herself with various excuses, and Xin Zhishan didn’t ask further. Zhu Baoqiao prepared a lavish meal and invited Mai Chenghuan again. Mai Chenghuan guessed that Zhu Baoqiao had intentionally let her see their affair. Zhu Baoqiao admitted it—she wanted to use this method to pressure Xin Zhishan into marrying her as soon as possible.

Mai Chenghuan reminded her not to take shortcuts and to do things steadily. Zhu Baoqiao wouldn’t listen and even asked Mai Chenghuan to help keep it a secret, otherwise Xin Zhishan would be kicked out with nothing. Mai Chenghuan looked down on her. Xin Zhishan sent someone to deliver a bank card to Mai Chenghuan, asking her to keep his relationship with Zhu Baoqiao secret. Mai Chenghuan firmly refused to accept it.

Xin Zhishan came home on time for dinner and forced Xin Jialiang to break up with Mai Chenghuan for good. Xin Jialiang was not convinced and argued back, and the father and son ended up in a heated quarrel. Zhu Baoqiao messaged Xin Zhishan, claiming she had settled things with Mai Chenghuan. Xin Zhishan immediately decided to come home for dinner every day from now on. Chen Dejing was surprised but didn’t ask questions.

Yao Zhiming brought supper to Mai Chenghuan and reminded her not to interfere in Xin Zhishan and Zhu Baoqiao’s affair. Mai Chenghuan wasn’t interested and took the opportunity to ask Yao Zhiming to sign the lease renewal. Liu Wanyu suddenly called Mai Chenghuan—the water pipe at home burst. Mai Chenghuan immediately called Mai Chengzao, who had to request leave from lawyer Liu Yuxian. Liu Yuxian, annoyed, told him to finish the legal letter at home.

Mai Chenghuan rushed home to find the place flooded. She helped Liu Wanyu clean up the water. While Mai Laitian repaired the pipes, he blamed Liu Wanyu. Mai Chengzao and Maomao arrived in time with a repairman. Seeing the mess, Maomao advised Mai Chenghuan to take her parents to a hotel. Liu Wanyu was reluctant, but the house was unlivable, so she and Mai Laitian followed Mai Chenghuan to the hotel. Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian kept blaming each other.

Mai Chenghuan and Maomao took turns calming them down and finally settled them. Mai Chenghuan told Maomao to go home and rest, while she went back to the old house with Mai Chengzao to continue cleaning up the water. Mai Chengzao’s computer had been damaged by the water, and he hadn’t backed up the data. Mai Chenghuan promised to buy him a new one. Mai Chengzao found a box of childhood toys, which triggered many memories for Mai Chenghuan.

As they worked, the siblings reminisced about the past and felt warmth in their hearts. Due to the burst pipes in the Mai home, water flowed into the downstairs neighbor’s unit. The downstairs neighbor demanded compensation. Mai Chenghuan promised to coordinate with the neighborhood committee and provide a satisfactory response as soon as possible. The repairman gave a rough estimate: the house would take more than two months to repair and cost 100,000 yuan. Liu Wanyu was stunned.

Mai Chenghuan wanted to take this opportunity to properly renovate the house and advised Liu Wanyu to rent a place, but Liu Wanyu firmly refused. Yao Zhiming offered to let Mai Chenghuan and her parents stay at the apartment at the lowest rate. Mai Chenghuan couldn’t afford it. Yao Zhiming wanted to help but was worried she wouldn’t accept, so he discussed it with He Dong and asked Xue Li to arrange a renovation team for Mai Chenghuan.

Mai Chengzao stayed up late to send the legal letter to Liu Yuxian, but Liu Yuxian deliberately made things difficult, claiming the client had changed their requirements and using this as an excuse to cancel all of Mai Chengzao’s cases. Unconvinced, Mai Chengzao went to Luo Mingli to complain and asked to be transferred to another team. Luo Mingli refused—he only kept Mai Chengzao on account of the Xin family.

When Mai Chengzao asked to settle his salary, Luo Mingli not only refused but accused him of lying to avoid overtime. Unable to bear it any longer, Mai Chengzao resigned on the spot. A senior colleague witnessed everything. He knew Mai Chengzao had been wronged but didn’t have the power to intervene, so he quietly encouraged him.

Mai Chengzao packed up and left the law firm. Maomao called him over to help assemble fitness equipment. Mai Chengzao left his things at the door and easily assembled the treadmill. Maomao asked him to supervise his running and weight loss, and Mai Chengzao happily agreed. After leaving Maomao’s house, Mai Chengzao carried a large box home and happened to see a courier on the street. He began to consider becoming a deliveryman.

Mai Chenghuan was short on cash, so she searched online for a cost-effective renovation team. Xue Li came to her proactively and recommended a good one. Mai Chenghuan was naturally very grateful. Yao Zhiming flattered Madam Chen by introducing her to a client, hinting that she should thank Mai Chenghuan. Madam Chen immediately understood. Since Mai Chenghuan discovered the affair between Xin Zhishan and Zhu Baoqiao, Xin Zhishan never visited the apartment again.

Zhu Baoqiao found out she was pregnant and messaged Xin Zhishan, threatening to abort the child. Xin Zhishan rushed to the hospital to stop her. Zhu Baoqiao pressured him to get a divorce. Xin Zhishan refused and even threatened her. In a fit of anger, Zhu Baoqiao pushed him down, and Xin Zhishan lost consciousness. Madam Chen, representing the fifth-floor owner, presented a banner to Mai Chenghuan.

Yao Zhiming happened to be there to sign the lease renewal, so Manager Zhang had the three of them take a photo together. Mai Chenghuan guessed that Yao Zhiming contributed to the banner and thanked him. Zhu Baoqiao suddenly called Mai Chenghuan for help. That’s when Mai Chenghuan found out that Xin Zhishan had suffered a stroke and was in emergency care. She initially didn’t want to get involved and was asked to call the Xin family instead.

Yao Zhiming reminded her not to meddle. Zhu Baoqiao had no money to pay for the surgery and was too afraid to call the Xin family. She kept calling Mai Chenghuan, who eventually gave in and called Xin Jialiang. Mai Chenghuan wanted to return the bank card to Xin Zhishan. She and Manager Zhang asked for leave and headed to the hospital. Yao Zhiming advised against it, but she insisted. So, Yao Zhiming drove her to the hospital.

The doctor asked Xin Zhishan’s family to sign the surgery consent form. When Zhu Baoqiao saw Mai Chenghuan, she made an excuse and fled. Mai Chenghuan called Xin Jialiang, who asked her to sign the form. Yao Zhiming came to stop her but was too late. He blamed her for getting involved, but Mai Chenghuan couldn’t just watch someone die. Xin Jialiang and Xin Jiali came shortly after. Zhu Baoqiao came quietly to ask about Xin Zhishan’s condition.

Xin Jiali caught her and insisted on settling the score. Seeing no way out, Zhu Baoqiao revealed she was pregnant with Xin Zhishan’s child. Chen Dejing fainted from shock. Xin Jiali, heavily pregnant, rushed forward to fight Zhu Baoqiao. Mai Chenghuan tried to stop them, but Xin Jiali turned her anger on her and began hitting her. Yao Zhiming did his best to shield Mai Chenghuan.

Unable to endure it anymore, Mai Chenghuan returned the bank card Xin Zhishan had given to silence her, then pulled Yao Zhiming away. Yao Zhiming praised her for how she handled everything that day. Mai Chenghuan invited him to dinner to thank him. After dinner, Yao Zhiming drove her home and suggested she take a day off tomorrow. But Mai Chenghuan was reluctant to miss out on the 1,500-yuan perfect attendance bonus.

Yao Zhiming dropped her off, and Zhang Peisheng called him to urge progress on the Xing'anli project. Thanks to the full efforts of the medical staff, Xin Zhishan was finally out of danger. Xin Jialiang tried to persuade Chen Dejing to visit him, but she refused. Xin Zhishan heard everything from inside the room. Xin Jialiang and Xin Jiali came in to see him. Xin Zhishan called Mai Chenghuan to thank her.

He acknowledged that had she not signed the consent form in time, he might not have survived. He admitted that his whole family had misjudged her and kept apologizing. He wanted to give her a large red envelope, but she politely declined. After work, Mai Chenghuan went to visit Maomao, who blamed her for getting involved with the Xin family’s business. She said she couldn’t ignore someone in need. Maomao gave her a beautiful necklace, which she loved.

Xin Jiali saw Chen Dejing crying alone in the living room and urged Xin Jialiang to reconcile with Mai Chenghuan to win back Xin Zhishan’s heart; otherwise, the family would fall apart. Liu Wanyu heard from neighbors that the nearby alley was about to be demolished, but their own alley wouldn’t be for now, and she felt deeply disheartened. Mai Chenghuan bought a lot of things and ran into Mai Chengzao at the door. He also carried a load of daily necessities. Not wanting her to worry, he kept his job loss a secret.

When it rains, it pours. A burst pipe flooded the Mai household. Liu Wanyu had been eagerly awaiting the demolition of their old house, but it fell through again. Distracted while cooking in the kitchen, the rice cooker plug suddenly short-circuited and sparked. Liu Wanyu screamed in fright, and Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao rushed to help her to her room to rest. Seeing her like this, Mai Chenghuan felt very uneasy.

The house’s wiring was old, and the food in the fridge had gone bad. Mai Chenghuan took her parents and Mai Chengzao out for a meal. Liu Wanyu couldn't stop complaining and said she never wanted to live in the old house again. She urged Mai Chenghuan to get back together with Xin Jialiang and leave that broken place as soon as possible. But Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang’s relationship was beyond repair.

She didn't want to continue with it and agreed to hire a renovation team to fix the old house. Liu Wanyu pressured her relentlessly. The mother and daughter ended up in a fierce quarrel. Liu Wanyu left in a huff without eating. Mai Chenghuan hurried out to apologize repeatedly to Liu Wanyu and said she would find someone to renovate the house as soon as possible. Only then did Liu Wanyu calm down a bit.

Mai Chenghuan did some quick calculations and realized she didn’t have enough money. Mai Chengzao borrowed money from his supervisor at the delivery company to give to Mai Chenghuan. He had secretly resigned from Fangyuan Law Firm and taken a job as a food delivery rider. Delivery riders were not allowed inside the apartment building according to the property rules, so Mr. Wang had to come downstairs to pick up his order.

He accidentally spilled the food all over the ground and vented all his anger on Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan helped clean up the mess herself. Just then, Xin Jialiang arrived to apologize to Mai Chenghuan. He offered Mr. Wang twenty thousand yuan to hire someone to clean up. Mr. Wang gladly accepted. Xin Jialiang wanted to reconcile with Mai Chenghuan, but she firmly refused. He then offered to recommend her for a job, but Mai Chenghuan politely declined.

She wanted to rely on her own abilities and didn’t want to be labeled as someone with connections. Xin Jialiang had no choice but to accept it. Yao Zhiming, watching from afar, was impressed by Mai Chenghuan, and He Dong couldn’t help teasing him. Mai Chenghuan met with the renovation company manager and accidentally saw Mai Chengzao delivering food. He fell off his scooter while riding but endured the pain and delivered the order on time.

Mai Chenghuan helped bandage his wounds. Mai Chengzao confessed he had quit his job and believed he would soon find a new one to help ease her burden. Mai Chenghuan regretted not accepting Xin Jialiang’s job offer but couldn’t bear to see her brother suffer. Mai Chengzao supported her decision. The two of them vowed to work together to change their family’s situation and never let Mai Chenghuan bow her head to Xin Jialiang.

Yao Zhiming visited Chen Dejing at the nursing home and told her about the situation at Mai Chenghuan’s home. He wanted to help but was afraid she wouldn’t accept it. Chen Dejing immediately messaged Mai Chenghuan to ask about it, and she claimed she could handle it. He Dong advised Yao Zhiming to push forward with the Xing’anli project and suggested involving Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming was reluctant to pressure her at this time. Xin Jialiang returned home dejected.

When Xin Jialiang’s sister, Xin Jiali, found out that Mai Chenghuan refused to reconcile, she scolded him harshly. If he couldn't bring Mai Chenghuan to their side, Xin Zhishan would eventually give the family assets to outsiders. In frustration, Xin Jialiang gave his phone to Xin Jiali and told her to apologize to Mai Chenghuan herself. Liu Wanyu received a long message from Xin Jialiang, professing his deep love for Mai Chenghuan and asking her to help persuade her.

He also invited Liu Wanyu to visit their future marital home the next day. Liu Wanyu happily went to meet Xin Jialiang, but it was actually Xin Jiali who had arranged the meeting. Xin Jiali apologized sincerely and pleaded with Liu Wanyu to convince Mai Chenghuan to get engaged to Xin Jialiang as soon as possible. Liu Wanyu liked the large apartment and agreed to give it a try. Xin Jiali returned home and gave Xin Jialiang his phone.

Seeing him still sound asleep, she woke him up to go meet Mai Chenghuan. That’s when Xin Jialiang found out Xin Jiali had secretly gone to see Liu Wanyu. He couldn’t help but complain. Though he was eager to reconcile with Mai Chenghuan, he was also worried she wouldn’t come around. Xin Jiali explained the stakes and falsely claimed Liu Wanyu had already convinced Mai Chenghuan to change her mind.

Without telling Mai Chenghuan, Liu Wanyu called her younger brother and sister to Shanghai to attend the engagement banquet between Mai Chenghuan and Xin Jialiang at the Botticelli Hotel.

Liu Wanyu called Mai Chenghuan to the hotel and even prepared a gown for her. Mai Chenghuan was confused. She thought it was just a family dinner with her aunt and uncle and didn’t see the need for all the fuss. But unable to resist Liu Wanyu’s persuasion, she reluctantly changed clothes. Noticing Liu Wanyu’s odd behavior, Mai Chenghuan was about to react when Liu Wanyu dragged her into the banquet hall.

The room was lavishly decorated, with a banner at the center of the stage announcing the engagement banquet of Xin Jialiang and Mai Chenghuan. Family and friends from both the Mai and Xin families were all present. Xin Jialiang stood on stage waiting for her. Mai Chenghuan instantly understood everything. Upon hearing that Xin Jialiang and Mai Chenghuan were getting engaged downstairs, He Dong immediately informed Yao Zhiming, who rushed over without hesitation.

Mai Chengzao and Mai Laitian arrived shortly after and blamed Liu Wanyu for acting on her own. Mai Chenghuan stood frozen in place without saying a word. Xin Jialiang thought she had agreed and kept apologizing when he realized she knew nothing about it. Xin Jiali quickly came over and urged Xin Jialiang to go through with the process and calm Xin Zhishan first. Liu Wanyu also tried to persuade Mai Chenghuan to get engaged.

Furious, Mai Chenghuan called Xin Jialiang onto the stage and publicly announced that they had broken up, apologizing to both families. Liu Wanyu tried to stop her and insisted that it was just a lovers’ quarrel and the engagement banquet should continue. But Mai Chenghuan stood firm. Liu Wanyu lost face, flew into a rage, and threatened to sever their mother-daughter relationship. Deeply hurt, Mai Chenghuan said she no longer wanted to be the obedient daughter.

Liu Wanyu slapped her hard across the face. In defiance, Mai Chenghuan left without looking back. Yao Zhiming witnessed it all and quietly walked away. Mai Laitian told Xin Zhishan to keep an eye on Xin Jialiang and not let him bother Mai Chenghuan again. Then he pulled Liu Wanyu and Mai Chengzao away. Xin Zhishan, humiliated, vented his anger on Xin Jiali. She retaliated by bringing up his extramarital affair, causing Xin Zhishan to faint on the spot.

Mai Chenghuan went alone to the riverside to clear her head. Yao Zhiming arrived shortly after to accompany and comfort her. Mai Chengzao escorted their aunt, uncle, and other relatives to the bus station. Unable to reach Mai Chenghuan by phone, he returned home to explain the situation to their parents. Mai Laitian blamed Liu Wanyu for acting without permission. Mai Chenghuan came home furious, packed her things, and decided to move out.

Liu Wanyu refused and scolded her for being ungrateful. Mai Chenghuan didn’t want to hear it, grabbed her luggage, and slammed the door. Liu Wanyu was dumbfounded, and Mai Chengzao did his best to comfort her. Mai Laitian caught up with Mai Chenghuan and gave her all his saved pocket money. Mai Chenghuan firmly refused. She just wanted to be an independent person. Mai Laitian forced the bank card into her hand, then tearfully said goodbye.

Mai Chenghuan walked out with her luggage. Yao Zhiming had been waiting outside, intending to help her find a place to stay. Mao Yongxin rushed over after receiving a call from Mai Chengzao. Mai Chenghuan didn’t want to trouble her and preferred to live with Chen Dejing. Yao Zhiming offered to drive her, but Mao Yongxin firmly refused and took her by car.

Along the way, she tried to cheer Mai Chenghuan up and promised to do everything she could to help her through this tough time. Yao Zhiming asked He Dong to buy a bouquet of sunflowers that night. He planned to give them to Chen Dejing the next morning. He Dong complied. Chen Dejing took Mai Chenghuan in and made her a cup of anti-swelling tea, encouraging her to get a good night’s sleep.

She told Mai Chenghuan to live for herself. Mai Chenghuan gave Chen Dejing the necklace Mao Yongxin had gifted her, placing a photo of the two of them inside the pendant. Chen Dejing cherished it dearly. Early the next morning, Yao Zhiming brought the sunflowers to visit Chen Dejing. She guessed he was there because of Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming denied it, so Chen Dejing asked him to help wash the bedsheets.

Yao Zhiming had never done that kind of chore before. Mai Chenghuan guided him, but he still couldn’t get it right. She then taught him hand-in-hand. Yao Zhiming playfully splashed water on Mai Chenghuan’s face. Not to be outdone, she fought back. The two of them joked and laughed together. Ever since Mai Chenghuan left home, Liu Wanyu had been utterly distraught.

Mai Chenghuan and Liu Wanyu had a falling out, and Mai moved out of the house. She paid a renovation team to work on the place, but Liu Wanyu, still angry, drove them away in a fit of rage. She would rather make do in a dilapidated house than accept Mai Chenghuan’s financial help. Even Mai Laitian’s desperate persuasion was of no use. Maomao heard from Mai Chenghuan that Mai Chengzao was delivering food.

She dragged him away and took him to the mall to buy clothes, encouraging him to cheer up and look for a job at a suitable law firm. Unable to refuse her kindness, Mai Chengzao tried on a suit. Maomao’s eyes lit up, and she repeatedly praised how handsome he looked. Embarrassed, Mai Chengzao blushed. Maomao helped him tie his tie, and Mai Chengzao was so nervous he didn’t dare look at her.

Without another word, Maomao bought the entire outfit. Zhu Baoqiao and Xin Zhishan’s affair was exposed to the public. Xin Zhishan suffered another stroke and became partially paralyzed. Ashamed, Zhu Baoqiao couldn’t stay in the apartment and packed her things to leave Shanghai. Mai Chenghuan sympathized with her, and Zhu Baoqiao confessed that she wasn’t actually pregnant. She had used that as an excuse to pressure Xin Zhishan into getting a divorce, but everything ended in a mess.

Mai Chenghuan advised her to take care of herself and even called a taxi for her. Maomao, inspired by Mai Chengzao, designed a necklace. She hoped it would become a hit and promised to thank Mai properly. Mai Chengzao ran into a senior from his law firm, who told him about the Xin family’s situation: Xin Jialiang was in a slump, Xin Jiali and Luo Mingli were getting divorced, and the company was now fully managed by Chen Dejing.

The senior had also left Fangyuan Law Firm and invited Mai Chengzao to join his team. Yao Zhiming mentioned the Xing’anli Hotel to Chen Shuzhen, but she avoided the topic, leaving him disappointed. In the hallway of the apartment, he ran into Mai Chenghuan, who teased him about wearing suits every day and his boring shirt colors. Yao Zhiming was at a loss for words, and He Dong couldn’t resist joking about him.

Not seeing Mai Chenghuan for days, Mai Chengzao asked Maomao about her. Maomao then called Mai Chenghuan and invited her to dinner. Yao Zhiming also wanted to invite her to dinner to share some good news—he wanted her to join the Phase II management team of the apartment complex—but Maomao got to her first. Yao Zhiming specially changed into a T-shirt and took He Dong to the restaurant where Mai Chenghuan was eating.

She invited them to share the table, and Yao Zhiming gladly accepted. After dinner, he walked Mai Chenghuan back to the senior center and invited her to join the Phase II apartment management team. Mai Chenghuan was very happy. Liu Wanyu couldn’t eat or sleep and was visibly depressed, which worried Mai Laitian. Meanwhile, Mai Chengzao officially joined his senior’s legal team and was enjoying fulfilling days.

Liu Wanyu personally made shepherd’s purse dumplings, Mai Chenghuan’s favorite, and Mai Laitian delivered them. Mai Chenghuan gave her month’s salary to Mai Laitian. As she ate the familiar-tasting dumplings, she was overwhelmed with emotions. Maomao advised her to make peace with Liu Wanyu soon, but Mai Chenghuan wanted them both to cool down a bit first. Song Huaimin went to Maomao’s store, accusing her of plagiarizing his designs. Mai Chenghuan angrily scolded him.

Song Huaimin went as far as suing Maomao. Mai Chengzao volunteered to defend her, and Mai Chenghuan planned to create an independent brand for Maomao. That night, she stayed up late working on the plan. Unable to sleep, Chen Shuzhen offered her advice. Today is the weekend. Yao Zhiming came early to visit Chen Shuzhen. Mai Chenghuan was still sound asleep, and Yao took a photo of her sleeping.

When she woke up and found out, she retaliated by threatening him with an embarrassing photo of him drunk. Chen Shuzhen had to step in to mediate and asked Yao to help Mai Chenghuan with some ideas. Yao Zhiming took Mai Chenghuan out for breakfast and carefully reviewed her design proposal. He suggested designing a gift package for Botticelli, which immediately inspired her. She skipped breakfast and went to discuss it with Maomao.

Yao Zhiming had hit a wall with Chen Shuzhen regarding the Xing’anli Hotel. Zhang Peisheng visited Chen Shuzhen to discuss the collaboration, but she wasn’t interested. When Zhang mentioned Yao Zhiming, he happened to be delivering breakfast and overheard the conversation from outside. He rushed in and pulled Zhang out. Only then did Chen Shuzhen realize that Yao and Zhang were working together on the Xing’anli Hotel. Yao Zhiming warned Zhang Peisheng not to rush things.

Zhang mocked him in return. Later, Yao returned to the senior center and found that Chen Shuzhen had collapsed in the bathroom. He rushed her to the hospital. Meanwhile, Song Huaimin returned the luxury item Maomao designed without even opening the packaging and left a bad review on purpose. Furious, Maomao wanted to sue him. Mai Chenghuan advised her to use public opinion to pressure Song.

Yao Zhiming rushed Chen Shuzhen to the hospital and immediately called Mai Chenghuan. She dropped everything and hurried there. After emergency treatment, Chen Shuzhen was out of danger. Mai Chenghuan regretted keeping her up late the night before. But Chen Shuzhen comforted her instead. When Mai Chenghuan went to get medicine, Chen Shuzhen took the chance to ask Yao about his and Zhang Peisheng’s plan for the Xing’anli Hotel. Yao admitted it was the reason he returned to China.

Seeing her hesitation, he didn’t push further. Mai Chengzao accompanied his parents to visit Chen Shuzhen at the hospital. He went downstairs to pick them up. Liu Wanyu noticed that Mai Chenghuan was limping but didn’t want to ask directly, so she asked Mai Laitian to find out. Mai Chenghuan claimed she just twisted her ankle. Seeing Mai Laitian, Liu Wanyu, and Mai Chengzao made Chen Shuzhen very happy.

When asked about the house renovations, Mai Laitian stammered, unsure how to respond. Liu Wanyu took the opportunity to vent her frustrations. Mai Chenghuan wanted to rent a place for them, but Chen Shuzhen offered her own garden house instead. Reluctantly, Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian accepted. Chen Shuzhen also invited Mai Chenghuan to move in with them, but she declined and went house hunting with her parents and Mai Chengzao.

Chen Shuzhen’s house was spacious and bright, and Liu Wanyu was delighted. But Mai Chenghuan, worried about Chen, handed them the keys and returned to the hospital. Dissatisfied, Liu Wanyu complained to Mai Laitian, who gently comforted her and suggested inviting Chen Shuzhen over for dinner—then Mai Chenghuan would naturally come along too. Mai Chenghuan rushed to the hospital to relieve Yao Zhiming.

Chen Shuzhen explained that the house was once her wedding home with Yao’s grandfather and held many unhappy memories, which was why she never wanted to live there again. She encouraged Mai to reconcile with Liu Wanyu. Mai then shared a promo video she had made for Maomao with Chen, who expressed interest in learning how to film videos. Mai promised to teach her the next day.

Chen Shuzhen reviewed the proposal Zhang Peisheng had brought and disagreed with including Xing’anli under Botticelli. She had poured years of effort into managing it and had developed a familial bond with her staff. Yao Zhiming promised to retain all the hotel employees, which reassured her a little. She wanted to wear a qipao and go home gracefully. Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao joined Maomao’s livestream. Maomao planned to expose all the evidence of Song Huaimin’s plagiarism.

Concerned, Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao thought it was risky, since Song had millions of followers and would retaliate. Maomao decided to reveal the evidence bit by bit. Chen Shuzhen watched the livestream and, under Yao Zhiming’s guidance, sent Maomao a gift. Mai Chengzao was going back to have dinner with Chen Shuzhen, so he left Maomao to continue the livestream on her own.

Yao Zhiming wanted to gift a qipao to Chen Shuzhen, so Mai Chenghuan took him to the most renowned tailor in Shanghai. They carefully selected the fabric and style. Yao was impressed by how well Mai understood Chen Shuzhen and felt inferior in comparison. Maomao’s ears got infected from trying on too many earrings, and Mai Chengzao disinfected them for her. When Maomao casually touched his earlobe, he blushed. Today was the day Chen Shuzhen was discharged.

Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian decided to bring her home directly. Mai Chenghuan also returned home with her. As requested by Mai Chenghuan, Mai Laitian ordered a bouquet of roses for Chen Shuzhen and brought it with him to pick her up. Just after finishing a meeting with her lawyer, Chen Shuzhen was ready to go.

Mai Laitian wanted to bring her home, but she was used to living alone and asked Yao Zhiming to take her back to the senior center. She also invited Mai Laitian, Liu Wanyu, and Mai Chengzao to dinner at the Xing’anli Hotel that evening. Chen Shuzhen called Mai Chenghuan and told her she had ordered her favorite crab roe buns. Mai Chenghuan also had a mystery gift prepared for her, which made Chen Shuzhen very excited.

Chen Shuzhen was discharged from the hospital today. She was in a great mood, dancing with the bouquet of roses Mai Chenghuan had given her. Suddenly, Chen Shuzhen suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Early in the morning, Yao Zhiming picked up the custom-made cheongsam for Chen Shuzhen and went to pick her up from the hospital. Mai Chengzao accompanied Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian to the hospital early. Chen Shuzhen died despite emergency treatment for her heart condition.

Mai Chenghuan knew Chen Shuzhen loved dancing and had bought her a pair of dance shoes. She happily rushed to the hospital. She and Yao Zhiming arrived at the ward one after the other and saw that Chen Shuzhen had already passed away. Both were heartbroken and devastated. Friends and relatives came to attend Chen Shuzhen’s funeral. Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan placed the cheongsam and dance shoes before her memorial, expressing their grief.

The attorney played a video of Chen Shuzhen recorded before her death. Chen Shuzhen felt she had lived a fulfilling life, surrounded by loving family and friends. She left a message for each family member. Although Mai Laitian was not her biological grandson, she considered Mai Chengzao her true grandson and hoped Mai Laitian and Liu Wanyu would continue to cherish each other. She urged Liu Wanyu to live more freely and not to worry about her children's marriages anymore.

Chen Shuzhen had been closest to Mai Chenghuan, even though they weren’t related by blood. She would bless her to be happy and encouraged her to treat herself kindly. Chen Shuzhen was most concerned about Yao Zhiming and especially urged him to get closer to the Mai family. Chen Shuzhen’s heartfelt words moved everyone present. After the funeral, Mai Chenghuan sat in the pavilion silently weeping. Liu Wanyu took the initiative to reconcile with her.

Seeing that Liu Wanyu’s feet were blistered and bleeding, Mai Chenghuan placed a tissue under her foot. The two resolved their past misunderstandings. Mai Laitian invited Mai Chenghuan to come home for dinner, but she wanted to visit Chen Shuzhen’s place first. Mai Chenghuan arrived at the nursing home and stood in the room where Chen Shuzhen had once lived. Thinking about her laughter and demeanor in life, everything now felt so different.

She was overwhelmed with emotions and fell asleep on Chen Shuzhen’s bed. Yao Zhiming, grieving the loss of his only family member, sat in the courtyard in tears. The more he thought about it, the sadder he became, and eventually broke down sobbing. That night, Chen Shuzhen appeared in Mai Chenghuan’s dream and spoke many heartfelt words to her. Mai Chenghuan tearfully said goodbye to her.

Yao Zhiming arrived at the nursing home early and told Mai Chenghuan in detail about his childhood — how his father's business failed, and debt collectors frequently harassed them. His mother had to wander with him. At a critical time, Chen Shuzhen showed up with money to pay off his father’s debts and also provided him with living expenses and tuition. Because of this, Yao Zhiming worked extremely hard to achieve his current success.

Mai Chenghuan believed Chen Shuzhen was watching over them from above and blessing them. Mai Chenghuan quickly returned to her busy work schedule. Xue Li advised her to take some rest, but she only gave a bitter smile and remained silent. Yao Zhiming, overwhelmed with grief, refused to eat or drink and immersed himself in endless work as a form of escape. He Dong was very worried and called Mai Chenghuan to ask her to talk to him.

Mai Chenghuan visited Yao Zhiming, tidied up his room, and suggested they go visit Chen Shuzhen together. Mai Chenghuan brought Yao Zhiming to the cemetery, bringing along Chen Shuzhen’s favorite butterfly pastries. She advised him to rest properly, saying otherwise Chen Shuzhen wouldn’t appear in his dreams. Yao Zhiming wanted to tell Mai Chenghuan something, but just then, Chen Shuzhen’s lawyer called and asked to meet her. Yao Zhiming decided to wait until she returned from the meeting.

Yao Zhiming, Liu Wanyu, Mai Laitian, and Mai Chenghuan arrived at the law office on time. The lawyer read Chen Shuzhen’s will in person. Chen Shuzhen left all her jewelry to Liu Wanyu and all her money to Mai Chenghuan. She only left a garden house to Yao Zhiming and handed over full ownership and management of the Xing'anli Hotel group to Mai Chenghuan.

Yao Zhiming thought that Chen Shuzhen would leave the management and ownership of the Xing'anli Hotel to him, her biological grandson. Unexpectedly, she gave it to Mai Chenghuan, who had no blood ties to her. Before the lawyer could finish reading the will, Yao Zhiming left. The lawyer had no choice but to ask Mai Chenghuan to pass on the letter Chen Shuzhen had left for Yao Zhiming.

Mai Chenghuan was shocked after hearing the will—she didn’t even know the Xing'anli Hotel belonged to Chen Shuzhen. Zhang Peisheng, upon learning that Chen Shuzhen left the Xing'anli Hotel to Mai Chenghuan, immediately called Yao Zhiming to remind him not to forget their agreement. Distraught, Yao Zhiming went fishing in the rain. He Dong advised him to return to Switzerland.

Remembering Chen Shuzhen’s dying wish for him to learn from Mai Chenghuan, he decided to stay and try every means to get the hotel back. The relocation plan for the alleyway was finally finalized. After careful consideration, Mai Laitian decided to use the compensation to buy a house in the suburbs. Liu Wanyu was very comfortable living in the garden house and did not want to move.

He Dong suggested that Yao Zhiming exchange the old garden house for the Xing'anli Hotel, and Yao Zhiming suddenly saw a new possibility. The law office notified Mai Chenghuan to go to the hotel to handle the handover. Mao Mao insisted on going with her. Mai Chenghuan had often accompanied Chen Shuzhen to dine at Xing'anli, never expecting that the hotel actually belonged to her. She suspected that Yao Zhiming already knew the truth beforehand.

Housekeeper Cui, who had worked with Chen Shuzhen for many years and was deeply loyal to her, personally gave Mai Chenghuan a tour of the hotel, handed over the account books and hotel keys. Faced with such a large hotel to manage, Mai Chenghuan felt lost. Housekeeper Cui promised to do his best to assist her. Yao Zhiming came straight to the point and proposed exchanging the garden house for the Xing'anli Hotel.

Mai Chenghuan guessed that his return to China was for the hotel. His efforts to get close to her and even taking her and Chen Shuzhen on a mountain retreat were all for this. Yao Zhiming admitted this and explained that he believed Chen Shuzhen’s management style was outdated and he wanted to make a thorough change. Mai Chenghuan firmly refused, unwilling to go against Chen Shuzhen’s final wishes, and handed him the letter left by Chen Shuzhen.

She had anticipated that Yao Zhiming would be unhappy and hoped he would support Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan read through the hotel’s account books and found that the operation was indeed not good, causing her some concern. Zhang Peisheng, seeing that Yao Zhiming was hesitating, sent someone to the Xing'anli Hotel with a gift, intending to intimidate Mai Chenghuan. Mao Mao tried to hang a photo on the wall but almost fell due to unsteady footing.

Mai Chengzao arrived just in time to catch her. Song Huaimin happened to visit Mao Mao and took a photo of the scene. He accused Mao Mao and Mai Chengzao of having an affair, mocking Mao Mao and insulting Mai Chengzao. Mai Chengzao stood up for Mao Mao and threatened legal action against Song Huaimin, forcing him to leave in frustration. Mao Mao didn’t want to implicate Mai Chengzao.

Mai Chengzao confessed his feelings to her, admitting he had liked her for a long time. Mao Mao was caught off guard by his sudden confession and quickly excused herself to take inventory. Liu Wanyu’s old house was about to be demolished. Meanwhile, Mai Chenghuan had taken over the Xing'anli Hotel and happily returned home for dinner. Liu Wanyu was so happy she even smiled in her dreams.

Hearing about Liu Wanyu’s good fortune, her elder sister and younger brother called one after another to congratulate her. Liu Wanyu welcomed them to visit Shanghai and invited them to stay at the Xing'anli Hotel. Mai Laitian reminded her to keep a low profile. In high spirits, Liu Wanyu took Mai Laitian to the hotel to check the food quality. She was extremely picky and took detailed notes in a small notebook.

She asked Housekeeper Cui to summon the head chef for questioning. Housekeeper Cui had no choice but to comply and secretly called Mai Chenghuan. Liu Wanyu nitpicked the head chef’s work, which made him very unhappy—he had always done things his way. Mai Chenghuan hurried over to mediate and finally persuaded Liu Wanyu to leave.

She also asked Liu Wanyu to move out of the garden house as soon as possible, since it had been left to Yao Zhiming by Chen Shuzhen.

Mai Chenghuan read through all the questions Liu Wanyu had written in her notebook. Some were overly critical, but most were legitimate issues. Ms. Chen called Mai Chenghuan for help; there was a last-minute issue with the travel group she was coordinating. Mai Chenghuan arranged for the guests she brought to stay at Xing'anli Hotel. Mai Chenghuan stayed up late to write a reception plan, working until dawn and finally falling asleep on the desk.

Steward Cui brought her breakfast early in the morning. After handing him the reception plan, he immediately went to make preparations. Mai Chenghuan went to the apartment to hand over her work. Manager Zhang and Sherry were reluctant to see her leave. As they said their goodbyes, she ran into Yao Zhiming. Upon learning she was about to start working at Xing'anli Hotel, he felt a pang of jealousy.

Steward Cui suddenly called Mai Chenghuan: the health supervision department received an anonymous complaint from a customer claiming food poisoning after dining at Xing'anli. The authorities ordered the hotel to suspend operations for rectification. Guests began requesting to check out. Fortunately, Mai Chenghuan had reminded Steward Cui to keep food samples daily. She rushed back to the hotel. Guests were arguing with the front desk staff. She publicly announced that the restaurant would temporarily close, while room service would continue.

Despite that, the guests insisted on leaving, and she was powerless to stop them. Ms. Chen called to hold Mai Chenghuan accountable. She had placed her most important clients at Xing'anli and was upset about the food poisoning incident. Mai Chenghuan promised to help find a hotel of equal value as soon as possible, which finally calmed Ms. Chen down. Mai Chenghuan went to the kitchen to understand the situation. Steward Cui and the head chef voluntarily took responsibility.

She urged them to wait for the test results before jumping to conclusions. Test results came back quickly, showing no issues with the food at Xing'anli, to Mai Chenghuan’s great relief. Yao Zhiming realized someone had maliciously framed the hotel and scoffed at the tactic. Despite the test results, someone posted a video online accusing the hotel's food of causing food poisoning and even presented medical records.

Mai Chenghuan and Steward Cui discussed finding the person spreading the false rumor and making him post a public clarification video. Yao Zhiming sent He Dong to investigate the person who framed Xing'anli. He also asked He Dong to arrange a meeting with President Liu from the Global Golf Tournament project, which Zhang Peisheng had been following up on. Yao Zhiming took the initiative to help Mai Chenghuan.

She suspected he was behind the incident, aiming to reclaim ownership of Xing'anli, but he said he wanted to find the truth to prove his innocence, so she had to compromise. Yao Zhiming, Steward Cui, and Mai Chenghuan split up to investigate and gather evidence, then combined their findings. After a night of work, all three were exhausted. Yao Zhiming gave her a cup of coffee to help her stay alert. She accidentally spilled it on him.

Steward Cui brought him a Xing'anli hotel uniform to change into. When she saw him devouring noodles, she was reminded of what Chen Shuzhen once told her and stared at him, lost in thought. Yao Zhiming felt embarrassed by her gaze. He Dong soon tracked down the person who framed the hotel. When Mai Chenghuan called, he refused to answer. She lied, saying she wanted to negotiate compensation. He agreed to meet her soon.

Yao Zhiming returned to the company in the bellhop uniform, and He Dong couldn’t resist teasing him. Yao Zhiming asked the PR team to help eliminate the hotel’s negative press. Mai Chengzao arrived at the agreed location early and quickly recognized the man. He messaged Mai Chenghuan. Mao Mao accompanied her to the fast food restaurant. After checking the man's medical records, she immediately saw they were fake. Mai Chengzao revealed his identity as a lawyer and threatened legal action.

Mai Chenghuan also threatened to call the police. The man’s defenses crumbled, and he posted a clarification video on the spot, admitting he had framed Xing'anli. Mai Chenghuan thanked Mao Mao and Mai Chengzao for their support. She was in a hurry to see Yao Zhiming, so she couldn’t treat them to a meal. Mai Chengzao apologized to Mao Mao, admitting he had confessed to her impulsively the other day. Mao Mao quickly changed the subject.

Mai Chenghuan rushed back to Xing'anli with the good news. Steward Cui, the head chef, and others were overjoyed and immediately reposted the clarification video. Steward Cui received notice from higher authorities that Xing'anli could resume operations. When Zhang Peisheng heard Yao Zhiming had secretly met with President Liu, she angrily confronted him, thinking he had stolen her client. Yao Zhiming retorted and exposed her for orchestrating the framing of Xing'anli. Zhang Peisheng was left speechless.

Mai Chenghuan came looking for Yao Zhiming and overheard their conversation at the door. She had long suspected Zhang Peisheng. She invited Yao Zhiming to dinner to thank him. Yao Zhiming admitted he and Zhang Peisheng had once planned to acquire Xing'anli and then confessed his feelings to her. Caught off guard by his sudden confession, Mai Chenghuan froze, unaware that her coffee had spilled all over the floor. Yao Zhiming repeatedly apologized.

That night, she went to find Mao Mao and told her about the confession. Mao Mao suspected Yao Zhiming still wanted to take over the hotel, but Mai Chenghuan saw his sincerity. Mao Mao thought they were a good match. Zhang Peisheng had carefully planned to bring down Xing'anli, but it all fell apart. Unwilling to give up, she intended to exploit Yao Zhiming’s weakness.

Liu Wanyu sent many messages to Mai Chenghuan, but she didn’t respond. Worried, Liu Wanyu made sweet rice balls early in the morning and asked Mai Laitian to take them to her. Mai Chenghuan officially took over Xing'anli Hotel and called on all staff to work together. Liao Gang publicly challenged her and made sarcastic remarks. However, she had done her homework on every employee and knew them well.

She knew Liao Gang had started as a bellhop and was promoted to concierge supervisor due to outstanding performance. She also realized that Chen Shuzhen’s management model was outdated and needed to gradually adjust the salary structure. She promised bonuses and dividends for excellent employees and encouraged everyone to treat the hotel as their home. The staff applauded her enthusiastically. Mai Laitian walked in and saw the scene, feeling very gratified.

He felt sorry for Mai Chenghuan and didn’t want her to be too exhausted. As she ate the sweet rice balls made by Liu Wanyu, she felt warm inside. She planned to settle the hotel’s affairs and then go home to have a good talk with Liu Wanyu. Yao Zhiming reported to headquarters. The leader, swayed by Zhang Peisheng’s words, ordered him to acquire Xing'anli within a month. He didn’t expect her to scheme behind his back.

He Dong urged him to choose between Mai Chenghuan and the hotel. Yao Zhiming gave no clear answer. He sent Mai Chenghuan a potted plant via courier, wishing her business success. Liu Wanyu brought Auntie Wang, an old neighbor from the alley, to the garden house and asked her to introduce a potential partner to Mai Chenghuan. When Mai Chenghuan came home from work, Liu Wanyu was overjoyed. Auntie Wang made an excuse and left.

Liu Wanyu urged her to move back home soon, but was shocked when she said they should move out and rent a place instead. Liu Wanyu was used to the garden house and didn’t want to live in a rental. Yao Zhiming moved into the garden house and insisted the Mai family stay. Mai Chenghuan gave in, but there were no extra rooms. Yao Zhiming volunteered to move into the attic.

She felt it was inappropriate and offered her room instead, saying she would move out otherwise. Liu Wanyu firmly refused. Not wanting to argue, Mai Chenghuan left. When Mai Chengzao came home from work, he supported Mai Chenghuan’s decision. Liu Wanyu still refused to move. So he decided to move out and live with her. After much consideration, Liu Wanyu reluctantly agreed but told him repeatedly to watch over everything Mai Chenghuan did.

Mai Chengzao packed and moved in with Mai Chenghuan, who arranged for him to stay in the staff dormitory. Yao Zhiming also moved into the attic. When He Dong heard about it, he couldn't help teasing him. Yao Zhiming prepared a lovely breakfast the next morning, impressing both Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian. The revenue at Xing'anli wasn’t ideal. Mai Chenghuan came up with practical ideas and asked Sherry to refer business orders rejected by Botticelli.

Yao Zhiming came home promptly after work, bringing fresh salmon. Liu Wanyu cooked a big meal. She didn’t dare eat raw fish and urged Liu Wanyu to eat more home-cooked food. After dinner, Yao Zhiming took the initiative to wash the dishes, earning praise from Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian before they went out for a walk. Mai Chenghuan met with Director Zheng from Shanghai Daily Chemicals to discuss a business reception and accidentally learned he was getting married soon.

Yao Zhiming arrived to discuss cooperation with Director Zheng, so Mai Chenghuan had to leave first. Afterward, he left Xing'anli to apologize to her. She admitted their business reception couldn’t compete with Botticelli’s and wanted to organize weddings instead. Yao Zhiming suggested hosting Shanghai-style weddings, which she found appealing. After work, Yao Zhiming came home and saw Mai Laitian drinking. He guessed Liu Wanyu wasn’t home—she disliked his drinking the most.

Taking advantage of the moment, Mai Laitian gave Yao Zhiming tips on how to maintain a good relationship between husband and wife.

Yao Zhiming’s business collaboration with President Zheng is progressing smoothly. Mai Chenghuan, knowing that Xing'anli cannot compete with Botticelli in commercial events, takes Yao Zhiming’s advice and decides to launch a Shanghai-style wedding project at Xing'anli. She inadvertently learns that President Zheng is planning a wedding and visits her again, bringing a detailed, comprehensive wedding plan. President Zheng, in a rush to go on a business trip, promises to inspect Xing'anli after she returns.

Mai Chenghuan asks Maomao to customize a wedding jewelry set for President Zheng. Maomao readily agrees. With tight deadlines and heavy workload, Maomao works overtime designing the sketches but struggles to find inspiration. Mai Chengzao takes her out to spark ideas. It’s raining outside. They walk under an umbrella together. Mai Chengzao picks a romantic tune to share with her and deliberately splashes water. Maomao doesn’t back down and splashes back. They laugh and play all the way.

Mai Chengzao drops Maomao off at the store and goes to buy two cups of brown sugar ginger tea. The sight of raindrops suddenly inspires Maomao, and she hugs Mai Chengzao excitedly, unwilling to let go. When President Zheng returns, she visits Xing'anli first thing. Mai Chenghuan personally accompanies her, and Maomao delivers her design plan just in time. President Zheng is very satisfied and entrusts the entire wedding to Mai Chenghuan.

It’s Mai Chenghuan’s first big win, and she is ecstatic. Mai Chengzao accompanies Maomao to the hotel and dresses up specially. Mai Chenghuan senses something is off. Mai Chengzao makes random excuses. From their strange expressions, Mai Chenghuan realizes they are dating and quickly finds an excuse to leave. President Zheng invites Yao Zhiming to her wedding at Xing'anli. On the wedding day, Yao Zhiming arrives at the hotel on time. Mai Chenghuan is busy preparing for the wedding.

Everything goes smoothly, and Yao Zhiming is impressed by her. After the wedding, Yao Zhiming lingers. Mai Chenghuan offers watermelon to the staff to cool off and invites him to join. She shares amusing childhood stories about eating watermelon and even feeds Yao Zhiming herself. They laugh and eat together. Mai Chengzao takes many photos of Maomao, and she praises his photography skills endlessly. After a full day of work, Mai Chenghuan is exhausted.

Mai Chengzao comes to see her, shows concern, and wants to reveal his relationship with Maomao, but holds back in the end. Mai Chenghuan wants to buy a house for her parents. She finds several options and goes to view them with Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian. Yao Zhiming learns they’re moving out of the old house and feels disappointed. With her successful wedding debut, Mai Chenghuan is determined to manage Xing'anli well.

Liao Gang questions her abilities and suspects her promises of salary increases and bonuses are empty talk. Mai Chenghuan, unwilling to explain further, agrees to their resignation. Housekeeper Cui advises Mai Chenghuan not to be upset. Business is slow and funds are tight. It’s understandable the staff are dissatisfied with their pay. Mai Chenghuan decides to use the house funds for emergency relief. Liu Wanyu is furious, but Mai Laitian persuades her to understand Mai Chenghuan’s difficulties.

Housekeeper Cui calls Yao Zhiming and tells him about the hotel’s situation. Yao Zhiming brings Liu Wanyu, Mai Chengzao, and Mai Laitian back home and urges them to stay at the old house. Mai Chengzao tells Mai Chenghuan about this. He sees that Yao Zhiming likes her, but she tries to hide it. After work, Mai Chenghuan returns to the old house. She hesitates at the door, wanting to explain things to Liu Wanyu.

Yao Zhiming returns from a night run. She thanks him, and he invites her to go fishing. Liu Wanyu, waiting at home, adds him on WeChat. The next morning, Yao Zhiming comes to pick up Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chengzao and Mai Laitian also happen to be going fishing, so the four of them go together.

Yao Zhiming originally planned the fishing trip as a date with Mai Chenghuan but didn’t expect Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao to tag along. He feels frustrated but pretends to be cheerful and chats with Mai Laitian. Mai Chenghuan notices he’s unhappy but doesn’t know how to break the awkwardness and remains silent. Mai Chengzao also notices the tension but doesn’t say anything. All four fish together.

Yao Zhiming racks his brain trying to send Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao away, but they don’t get the hint. Mai Chenghuan asks Mai Laitian to start a fire for barbecue and tells Mai Chengzao to help, hoping to talk to Yao Zhiming alone. But Mai Laitian keeps interfering. Yao Zhiming focuses on fishing but keeps missing. When Mai Chenghuan catches a fish, Yao Zhiming helps pull it up but ends up flinging it into a tree.

Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao finish grilling the meat and fish. The four of them drink and chat. Mai Laitian encourages Mai Chengzao and Mai Chenghuan to spend more time with Liu Wanyu. They readily agree. Liu Wanyu is home alone, bored. Yao Zhiming and Mai Laitian return home late. Smelling the alcohol on Mai Laitian, she scolds him and drags him back to their room. Yao Zhiming stays up late and doesn’t get up in the morning.

Liu Wanyu, worried, keeps knocking on his door despite Mai Laitian’s advice. Yao Zhiming opens the door and explains. Liu Wanyu prepares a big meal, hoping Mai Chenghuan will come home to eat. Yao Zhiming, not wanting her to be disappointed, goes with her to deliver the meal. Liu Wanyu suddenly gets a headache and wants to stop by the pharmacy. Yao Zhiming happens to have headache medicine.

Mai Laitian suspects she’s using it as an excuse to avoid seeing Mai Chenghuan. Liu Wanyu has no choice but to go to Xing'anli. The success of President Zheng’s wedding brings great fame to the hotel. Many people now want to hold their weddings there. Mai Chenghuan is thrilled and wants to visit her parents. While waiting for a car at the hotel entrance, a drunk man approaches Mai Chenghuan and insists she drink with him.

She politely declines, but he keeps pestering her. Liu Wanyu sees this from afar, rushes over to protect her, and beats the drunk with her shoe, injuring him. The man flees in fear. The police call both parties to the station. Liu Wanyu explains she saw someone harassing Mai Chenghuan and hit him. Mai Chenghuan hugs Liu Wanyu tightly and thanks her repeatedly. Yao Zhiming arrives and threatens the drunk to drop the matter.

He also asks He Dong to buy Liu Wanyu a new pair of shoes. Luckily, the man wasn’t seriously hurt. The police give Liu Wanyu a warning and let her go. Mai Chenghuan accompanies Liu Wanyu home and agrees to move back. Liu Wanyu is overjoyed. Mai Laitian tells Maomao what happened, and she can’t stop laughing. Mai Chengzao gives Maomao a bottle of milk.

Mai Chenghuan asks Mai Chengzao to pack and move back home and specifically tells him to escort Maomao. Maomao worries Mai Chenghuan won’t approve of their relationship, but Mai Chengzao doesn’t care as long as their love is real. Liu Wanyu worries that Mai Chenghuan won’t get used to living at home again and might leave. She wants to check on her, but Mai Laitian reassures her that she won’t leave again.

As Mai Chenghuan is about to lie down, Yao Zhiming invites her to sit in the yard. She thanks him for helping Liu Wanyu. Yao Zhiming takes the chance to confess his feelings, leaving her unsure how to respond. Suddenly, he receives a call from airport staff—his friend Zhang Ziyu had her wallet stolen. Yao Zhiming rushes to the airport. Mai Chenghuan goes to bed and adjusts the hallway light to shine on the stairs for his convenience.

Yao Zhiming hurries to the police station to pick up Zhang Ziyu. She’s Zhang Peisheng’s daughter and just started college this year. When Yao Zhiming was abroad, he was her guardian. Feeling bored overseas, she decided to drop out. She just returned to China today and was extorted after doing a good deed. In a rage, she beat up the scammer and cursed him out in front of the police. Yao Zhiming arrives in time to take her away.

Zhang Ziyu wants to go home with him, but Yao Zhiming refuses and sends her to Zhang Peisheng’s house. Zhang Peisheng is furious when he finds out she dropped out. Zhang Ziyu no longer wants to study abroad and is now a popular travel blogger with tens of thousands of followers. Zhang Peisheng is speechless with anger. Yao Zhiming returns home late and sees a small nightlight by the stairs.

He guesses it was from Mai Chenghuan and feels warm inside. He brings the nightlight into his room, wants to thank her by message, but doesn’t want to disturb her, so he posts the nightlight on Moments and sets it so only she can see it. Mai Chenghuan is still awake and immediately replies to his post. The next morning, Liu Wanyu prepares a big breakfast. But Mai Chenghuan, already busy with work, doesn’t have time to eat.

Liu Wanyu is disappointed. Mai Chenghuan signs her up for a culinary class at a senior university and registers a food blogger account for her to share her cooking. Liu Wanyu uses the opportunity to introduce a potential partner, but Mai Chenghuan uses work as an excuse and leaves. Liu Wanyu attends class for a few days but finds it boring and signs up for rock climbing instead. Mai Laitian enjoys gardening in his spare time.

Yao Zhiming wants to learn from him, so Mai Laitian gives him a potted plant and shares his gardening tips. Liu Wanyu’s sister Liu Wanrong and her husband Fang Zhihong arrive in Shanghai with their son Fang Jie and grandson Qiuqiu. Liu Wanrong is warmly welcomed. Seeing Liu Wanyu’s family living in a spacious old house, she feels jealous. Liu Wanyu arranges a luxury suite at Xing'anli for them.

When the front desk asks for a 5000 yuan deposit, Liu Wanyu refuses. Housekeeper Cui can’t decide and has to ask Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan arranges a satisfactory room and treats them to local Shanghai cuisine, covering all expenses herself. Zhang Ziyu comes to the hotel to see Yao Zhiming and pesters him. Unable to cope, Yao Zhiming sends He Dong to escort her out. He Dong doesn’t want to get involved and quickly finds an excuse to leave.

Zhang Ziyu asks Yao Zhiming to treat her to a meal. He takes her to eat fast food. She bluntly asks him to be her boyfriend. Yao Zhiming repeatedly emphasizes they are just like siblings. Zhang Ziyu had already expected this but is unwilling to give up and believes he’ll accept her eventually. Mai Chenghuan treats Liu Wanrong’s family to a meal. Mai Laitian and Mai Chengzao join them.

Fang Zhihong brings up how he beat Mai Chengzao for allegedly stealing money as a child, with Fang Jie backing him up. Mai Chenghuan refuses to believe it and defends Mai Chengzao. Unwilling to explain, Mai Chengzao quietly leaves. Mai Chenghuan hurries after him and learns the truth: Fang Jie stole the money and let Mai Chengzao take the blame. She wants to go back and clear his name, but Mai Chengzao, not wanting family conflict, chooses to endure.

Mai Chenghuan reluctantly agrees. Fang Zhihong calls his nephew Fang Da, who runs a wedding company and once bid on Xing'anli. Fang Zhihong and Liu Wanrong both pressure Mai Chenghuan to get married and try to set her up with Fang Da. Mai Chenghuan politely declines, saying she’s focused on the hotel and not thinking about marriage. Liu Wanyu is very fond of Fang Da and keeps persuading her. Annoyed, Mai Chenghuan changes the subject.

Zhang Ziyu asks around about Yao Zhiming’s address. Liu Wanyu happens to be returning from the market. Zhang Ziyu claims to be his girlfriend, and Liu Wanyu brings her home and serves her food. After she eats, Liu Wanyu calls Yao Zhiming. He rushes back, repeatedly explains there’s nothing between them, and forcefully kicks Zhang Ziyu out.

Mai Chenghuan returned home after work and learned from Liu Wanyu that Zhang Ziyu had come looking for Yao Zhiming at their house. Zhang Ziyu even claimed to be Yao Zhiming’s girlfriend. Yao Zhiming denied it, saying he only saw Zhang Ziyu as a younger sister. Liu Wanyu encouraged Mai Chenghuan to learn from Zhang Ziyu and boldly pursue her own happiness. Mai Chenghuan called Mao Yongxin late at night to ask about the matter.

Mao Yongxin thought Yao Zhiming and Zhang Ziyu’s relationship wasn’t ordinary, which made Mai Chenghuan feel jealous. Zhang Ziyu couldn't find Yao Zhiming anywhere, so she went to ask He Dong. He Dong was on a date with his girlfriend. When he spotted Zhang Ziyu from a distance, he got so scared he ran off, only to be caught by Zhang Ziyu. Liu Wanyu came to the hotel to chat with Liu Wanrong.

While they were talking, Qiuqiu accidentally stained a guest’s dress. Fang Jie not only refused to apologize but even acted self-righteous. The guest’s boyfriend got angry and threatened to call the police. Liu Wanyu quickly tried to smooth things over. Fang Zhihong wouldn’t back down and got into a heated argument with the guest. When Mai Chenghuan heard the news, she rushed over and repeatedly apologized to the guests.

She offered to waive their bill and even have the dress dry-cleaned. Only then did the guests calm down. Fang Zhihong and Fang Jie were unhappy with how Mai Chenghuan handled things and mocked her sarcastically. Liu Wanyu blamed Mai Chenghuan for embarrassing them. Enraged, Mai Chenghuan argued back on the spot. Fang Da arrived just in time to ease the situation and managed to persuade Fang Zhihong and Fang Jie to leave.

Mai Chenghuan had called Fang Da over to discuss cooperation. The two had a pleasant conversation. Zhang Ziyu happened to come to Xing’anli and secretly took a photo of the scene, which she immediately sent to He Dong. He Dong then told Yao Zhiming about it. Yao Zhiming went to Xing’anli to find Zhang Ziyu and advised her not to cause trouble there.

Zhang Ziyu suspected that Yao Zhiming liked Mai Chenghuan and declared she wanted to compete fairly with her. Ignoring Yao Zhiming’s opposition, she went straight to apply for a job with Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan told her to submit her resume through the standard process, and only then did Zhang Ziyu leave. Liu Wanyu spent the whole day shopping with Liu Wanrong’s family and was completely exhausted. Mai Chenghuan advised her not to push herself too hard.

Liu Wanyu wanted Mai Chenghuan to spend time with Liu Wanrong’s family to strengthen their bond, but Mai Chenghuan declined, saying she was too busy with work. Yao Zhiming volunteered to accompany them instead. Liu Wanyu didn’t want to trouble him and asked Mai Chengzao to be their guide. Mai Chenghuan was busy with work from morning till night. Yao Zhiming showed concern for her and took her on a ride around the city on a sightseeing bus.

Mao Yongxin called Mai Chengzao, wanting to go to the aquarium with Dingding the next day. Coincidentally, Mai Chengzao was also planning to take Qiuqiu there, so they decided to go together. On the bus, Yao Zhiming casually asked about her relationship with Fang Da. Mai Chenghuan repeatedly explained that they had only met a few times as children. Taking the opportunity, Yao Zhiming confessed his feelings, and Mai Chenghuan kissed him. They then shared a romantic kiss.

Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming returned home together. She wanted to keep their relationship a secret until Liu Wanrong’s family left, and Yao Zhiming readily agreed. They tiptoed upstairs and went to their respective rooms, both too excited to sleep. Yao Zhiming texted Mai Chenghuan to meet for work the next day. Worried Liu Wanyu might find out, he went to the balcony and quietly called her out.

They whispered sweet nothings, and Mai Chenghuan agreed to meet him at 5 a. m. Liu Wanyu heard noise from the balcony and thought it was a rat, telling Mai Laitian to buy rat poison the next day. Mai Chengzao brought Qiuqiu and Fang Jie, while Mao Yongxin brought Dingding. The five of them went to the aquarium together. Dingding and Qiuqiu got into a fight over a toy.

Fang Jie yelled at Dingding, leading to an argument with Mao Yongxin. Mai Chengzao hurried to mediate. Fang Jie, full of anger, took it out on Mai Chengzao and threatened to expose his childhood secrets. Mai Chengzao fought back with sharp words. Enraged, Fang Jie left with Qiuqiu. After having lunch with Mao Yongxin and Dingding, Mai Chengzao went home. Yao Zhiming couldn’t stop thinking about Mai Chenghuan and wished to be with her every day.

Mai Chenghuan was overwhelmed with work, so they arranged to have dinner together in the evening. Unable to wait, Yao Zhiming brought her lunch. Seeing her eating bread while working, he fed her himself. Fang Jie took Liu Wanrong and Fang Zhihong to complain to Liu Wanyu, who scolded Mai Chengzao harshly.

Mai Chenghuan found out that Liu Wanrong’s family had gone to confront Mai Chengzao. Yao Zhiming brought her home and offered to help her deal with it, but Mai Chenghuan knew how difficult Liu Wanrong’s family could be and didn’t want him involved. Yao Zhiming had no choice but to wait downstairs. Without asking for details, Liu Wanyu scolded Mai Chengzao and forced him to apologize to Fang Jie. Mai Chengzao refused.

He had been sent back to their hometown at a young age and was bullied by Fang Jie. He didn’t want to make Liu Wanyu sad, so he had kept all his grievances to himself. Mai Chenghuan arrived in time to defend him. She had learned the whole story from Mao Yongxin—everything started with a conflict between Dingding and Qiuqiu, but Fang Jie wouldn’t let it go.

Fang Zhihong thought Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao had ganged up on them and yelled at Liu Wanyu, who ended up apologizing on Mai Chengzao’s behalf. Unable to bear it anymore but unwilling to speak of his long-hidden pain, Mai Chengzao stormed out. Mai Chenghuan stepped in to stand up for him, revealing all the hardships he had suffered growing up in their aunt’s home. Liu Wanyu was shocked and hadn’t realized how much Mai Chengzao had gone through.

Fang Zhihong, furious and embarrassed, accused Mai Chenghuan of being mentally abnormal for not wanting to get married or have children. Liu Wanyu, enraged, argued bitterly with Fang Zhihong and then locked herself in her room, crying. Outside, Mai Chengzao saw Yao Zhiming and asked him to tell Mai Chenghuan not to worry about him. Suddenly, Yao Zhiming barged in and forcefully kicked out Fang Zhihong and Fang Jie. Liu Wanrong apologized repeatedly to Liu Wanyu before leaving.

Yao Zhiming comforted Mai Chenghuan, telling her not to be angry and to have a good talk with Liu Wanyu. Mai Chenghuan didn’t know how to face her, afraid they would argue again. She decided to head to Xing’anli to clean up the mess left by Fang Zhihong and his son. Yao Zhiming didn’t press her further. Mai Chenghuan called Mao Yongxin, asking her to talk to Mai Chengzao. When Mai Chengzao visited her store, he pretended nothing had happened.

After much questioning, he finally told Mao Yongxin everything. She comforted him and offered to let him stay with her. Mai Chengzao was moved to tears. Yao Zhiming took the initiative to apologize to Liu Wanyu for impulsively kicking out Fang Zhihong’s family. Liu Wanyu was still troubled by the day’s events and hadn’t realized how much Mai Chengzao had suffered.

Liu Wanrong transferred the full accommodation and meal expenses to Liu Wanyu, signaling that the sisters had completely fallen out. Mai Laitian advised Liu Wanyu to stop showing off in front of relatives, as it only brought unnecessary pressure on Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming mentioned the difficulties Mai Chenghuan was currently facing, which made Liu Wanyu feel very guilty. Mai Chenghuan went to Xing’anli Hotel and, together with the housekeeping staff, cleaned the room that Fang Zhihong’s family had messed up.

She finished very late. Yao Zhiming had been waiting for her and took her to the hot springs. He was reluctant to soak in the pool with the foot-nibbling fish, and Mai Chenghuan teased him. Eventually, Yao Zhiming gathered the courage to soak his feet and tried to persuade Mai Chenghuan to move back to the old house with him. Mai Chenghuan politely declined, guessing he was doing it at Liu Wanyu’s request.

Liu Wanyu called and messaged Mai Chengzao, but he didn’t respond. She was worried he had nowhere to go. When Mai Laitian heard that Mai Chengzao was staying at a friend’s place, Liu Wanyu was slightly relieved. Zhang Peisheng pressed Yao Zhiming to secure Xing’anli Hotel quickly—only ten days remained of the one-month deadline. Yao Zhiming said he would report to headquarters’ Amber. Zhang Peisheng was furious.

Liu Wanyu cooked her best dishes and messaged the family group, inviting Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao home for dinner. Mai Chenghuan and Fang Da had just reached a cooperation agreement and were having a pleasant chat. A little flower-selling girl mistook them for a couple and asked Fang Da to buy flowers for Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming arrived in time, bought a bouquet, and introduced himself as Mai Chenghuan’s boyfriend. Fang Da quickly made an excuse to leave.

Mai Chenghuan joked that Yao Zhiming was a jealous man and dragged him along to find Mai Chengzao. Liu Wanyu had prepared a big meal, but neither Mai Chengzao nor Mai Chenghuan came home, leaving her very disappointed. Mai Laitian accompanied her for dinner, but she didn’t appreciate it. Mai Chenghuan brought Yao Zhiming to Mao Yongxin’s house to see Mai Chengzao and announced their relationship. She had long known that Mai Chengzao and Mao Yongxin were dating.

Yao Zhiming took the opportunity to persuade them to go home for dinner and not let Liu Wanyu down. Mao Yongxin also encouraged Mai Chengzao to reconcile with Liu Wanyu. With Mai Chengzao’s birthday approaching, Mai Chenghuan decided to go home the next day and have a good talk with Liu Wanyu so Mai Chengzao could celebrate his birthday at home. Yao Zhiming returned to the old house.

Liu Wanyu wanted to visit Mai Chenghuan at Xing’anli, but Yao Zhiming advised against going to her workplace, so she gave up. Zhang Ziyu volunteered to work at Xing’anli and wanted to prove herself to Zhang Peisheng through her actions. Mai Chenghuan agreed to let her stay. She rallied the staff to work hard and strive to be recognized as a top ten hotel. Liao Gang publicly challenged Mai Chenghuan, just as Liu Wanyu arrived with food and witnessed the confrontation.

Liu Wanyu saw Liao Gang speaking rudely to Mai Chenghuan and quickly called her over to eat. Mai Chenghuan was in the middle of a meeting and had no appetite. Liao Gang took the opportunity to make sarcastic remarks. Mai Chenghuan hurriedly pulled Liu Wanyu outside and scolded her for causing trouble at the hotel, telling her to pay more attention to Mai Chengzao. Liu Wanyu thought Mai Chenghuan was rejecting her and left angrily.

Zhang Ziyu saw this from a distance and, thinking of how Zhang Peisheng ignored her, felt a sense of envy toward Mai Chenghuan. Mai Chenghuan was frustrated but didn’t want to apologize to Liu Wanyu herself. She had no choice but to call Yao Zhiming for help and asked him to check on Liu Wanyu. Zhang Ziyu visited Liu Wanyu at home and happily tasted the food she made.

Liu Wanyu took the chance to vent her frustrations, and Zhang Ziyu consoled her kindly. Yao Zhiming arrived shortly after and persuaded Liu Wanyu to understand Mai Chenghuan better. He even bought many small household appliances for Liu Wanyu in Mai Chenghuan’s name. Zhang Ziyu realized Yao Zhiming had feelings for Mai Chenghuan and couldn’t help mocking him. Yao Zhiming firmly stated that he and Mai Chenghuan were dating and warned Zhang Ziyu not to meddle.

Zhang Ziyu thought they were a good match and wished them happiness. After comforting Liu Wanyu, Yao Zhiming drove to pick up Mai Chenghuan, who wanted to go home and have a proper talk with Liu Wanyu. Yao Zhiming accompanied Mai Chenghuan home. When Liu Wanyu learned Mai Chenghuan had already eaten dinner, she felt disappointed. She remained upset about Mai Chengzao running away from home.

Mai Chenghuan initiated a heart-to-heart with her, expressing how Liu Wanyu’s interference in her life and work made her feel pressured. Mai Chenghuan would never forget the slap she received at the Xin family’s engagement party — it was a wake-up call. She just wanted to use her own strength to give her parents a better life and would never turn back no matter how hard things got. Liu Wanyu felt guilty after hearing Mai Chenghuan's heartfelt words.

Having endured countless grievances at her own parents' home, she only wanted to give Mai Chenghuan the best life but ended up burdening her. Liu Wanyu vowed to support Mai Chenghuan's work sincerely. The mother and daughter reconciled and made peace. That night, Yao Zhiming climbed from the attic into Mai Chenghuan’s room, using the excuse of preparing a birthday gift for Mai Chengzao. Mai Chenghuan thanked him for all his help and support. Today was Mai Chengzao’s birthday.

Mao Yongxin had carefully prepared a birthday gift for him, then rushed to the kindergarten to pick up Ding Ding, only to find Song Huaimin had already taken him and forbade her from picking him up again. Mao Yongxin was furious and stormed home to confront Song Huaimin. She wanted to bring Ding Ding to celebrate Mai Chengzao's birthday, but Ding Ding refused.

Song Huaimin insisted that Mao Yongxin didn’t care about Ding Ding and only had her boyfriend Mai Chengzao in mind. Mao Yongxin tried her best to persuade Ding Ding, but it was no use. Mai Chengzao arrived early at the restaurant and ordered Mao Yongxin’s favorite dishes. Mao Yongxin forced a smile and came to the meeting spot. She wanted to regain custody of Ding Ding. Mai Chengzao volunteered to be her defense lawyer.

Mao Yongxin hesitated, fearing Ding Ding would affect their relationship and worried that Mai Chengzao's parents wouldn’t approve of their marriage. She advised him to think it over. Mai Chengzao left without saying a word. Liu Wanyu made a big dinner, but Mai Chengzao hadn’t returned. Mai Chenghuan urged her to wait patiently. Liu Wanyu feared he wouldn’t come back. Unable to reach him by phone, they only received an address from him. Yao Zhiming arrived soon after.

Mai Chenghuan decided to go find Mai Chengzao and asked Yao Zhiming to stay and accompany her parents. Mai Chenghuan brought a birthday cake to find Mai Chengzao. Yao Zhiming lied, saying it was his birthday, but Liu Wanyu had already seen his ID and even matched his birth details with several blind date candidates. Yao Zhiming was left speechless. Following the address, Mai Chenghuan found Mai Chengzao, who then shared the problems he and Mao Yongxin were facing.

Mai Chengzao wanted to fight for Ding Ding’s custody and planned a parent-child event at Xing'anli Hotel to improve Mao Yongxin and Ding Ding’s relationship. He also intended to propose to Mao Yongxin at the event. Mai Chenghuan was happy for him and agreed to help with the arrangements. When Mai Chenghuan returned home alone, Liu Wanyu was disappointed that Mai Chengzao still hadn’t come back.

Mai Chenghuan told her not to worry — he just wanted to sort things out before returning. Mai Chenghuan also told her everything about how Mai Chengzao had taken up food delivery work after quitting his job. Liu Wanyu was deeply moved, realizing how much pressure he had silently endured. Mai Chengzao stayed up day and night reading files on child custody cases.

He helped Mao Yongxin compile evidence in her favor and even dug up negative information on Song Huaimin. He vowed to do everything he could to win the case and take back custody of Ding Ding. He handed his salary card to Mao Yongxin and promised to work hard to give both her and Ding Ding a better life. Mao Yongxin was moved to tears and hugged him tightly.

When Mai Chenghuan heard that Mai Chengzao and Mao Yongxin had reconciled, she was in a great mood. She had dinner with Yao Zhiming and invited him to attend the parent-child event Mai Chengzao was organizing. Mao Yongxin visited Ding Ding at the kindergarten, but Song Huaimin had already instructed the teacher to forbid her visit. Mao Yongxin invited the children to attend the Xing'anli event, but the teacher was worried about Song Huaimin’s reaction.

Mai Chengzao, as her lawyer, assured the teacher. Unable to decide, the teacher went to consult the principal. Mao Yongxin went to Xing'anli to discuss event arrangements with Mai Chenghuan. Liao Gang overheard them and expressed strong dissatisfaction with Mai Chenghuan. Mao Yongxin worried she might be causing trouble for her, but Mai Chenghuan didn’t mind. Despite being the hotel’s peak season, Yao Zhiming ordered He Dong to upgrade the guest rooms.

He Dong advised him to focus on performance to avoid accountability from headquarters, but Yao Zhiming was determined. Living under the same roof, Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan grew closer. Zhang Ziyu returned home to give Zhang Peisheng an invitation to the event. When Zhang Peisheng found out she was working at Xing'anli, she exploded with anger and yelled at Zhang Ziyu. Zhang Ziyu finally let out all the grievances she had bottled up for years.

Comparing Zhang Peisheng to Liu Wanyu, the two clashed fiercely and parted on bad terms. Mai Chenghuan handed the event arrangements over to Fang Da. He led hotel staff to set up the venue on the lawn. Liao Gang was sluggish and complained non-stop. When the steel frames Fang Da had ordered didn’t arrive on time, Liao Gang offered to help by replacing them with wooden frames.

Zhang Peisheng learned about Yao Zhiming upgrading the room systems and stripped him of all his permissions. He Dong was anxious, but Yao Zhiming had anticipated this and wanted to see how Zhang Peisheng would explain herself at the video meeting with headquarters. The parent-child event took place as scheduled. Zhang Ziyu arrived early, ready to take photos of the children. Zhang Peisheng was late, disappointing her. Yao Zhiming brought He Dong to the video meeting.

Zhang Peisheng complained to Amber, but Yao Zhiming had already secured hosting rights for the autumn SCO summit. By sacrificing a month’s performance to upgrade the hotel's smart systems, he brought in three years of profits. Amber fully supported Yao Zhiming’s decision. Zhang Peisheng, unaware of all this, had no choice but to return his permissions.

Zhang Peisheng confronted Yao Zhiming, but he clearly stated he no longer wanted to return to headquarters and warned her not to fantasize about Xing'anli, or it would ruin her. Zhang Peisheng was furious. Yao Zhiming went to attend the event and even brought a gift for Mai Chenghuan. He Dong thought it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but Yao Zhiming had planned it thoroughly. The event officially began.

Mai Chengzao, dressed in a mascot costume, hosted the activities and led the children in a “rescue the mother” game. Ding Ding refused to participate, convinced that Mao Yongxin only cared about her boyfriend and didn’t want him anymore. Mai Chengzao patiently coaxed him until he finally joined and happily rescued Mao Yongxin. She was deeply grateful to Mai Chengzao, and seeing this from afar, Mai Chenghuan felt relieved and gratified.

A strong gust of wind caused the promotional stand to shake. Mai Chenghuan ran behind to check and found the wooden frame breaking. She held it tightly and called Butler Cui to bring Fang Da. As the wind grew stronger, Mai Chenghuan used all her strength to stabilize it. The stand was about to collapse when Yao Zhiming arrived just in time to help. Thanks to him, the event was completed smoothly.

He put the necklace he had prepared on Mai Chenghuan, and she loved it. Mai Chenghuan called Fang Da over, and he had to confess the truth. Due to the weather, the steel frame couldn’t be delivered, so Liao Gang told him to use wooden ones instead. Unexpectedly, the weather changed suddenly. Fang Da apologized repeatedly. Yao Zhiming was appointed President of the East China region, and He Dong cheered with joy.

At the meeting, Mai Chenghuan announced the termination of cooperation with Fang Da and fired Liao Gang. Liao Gang refused to accept it. Mai Chenghuan publicly exposed him for replacing steel frames with wooden ones for personal gain and taking kickbacks. Liao Gang denied everything and argued self-righteously. Mai Chenghuan ordered him to go through the resignation procedures. Enraged, Liao Gang splashed a glass of water in her face. Butler Cui had someone drag him out.

Zhang Ziyu sent the video of Liao Gang making a scene with Mai Chenghuan in public to Yao Zhiming. Yao Zhiming rushed to the Xing'anli Hotel as soon as he saw it. Mai Chenghuan, exhausted from the past few days, had fallen ill. Yao Zhiming took her to the hospital. Mai Chenghuan was heartbroken. She had been dedicated to her work and always considerate of her employees, only to be repaid like this.

Yao Zhiming comforted her with kind words and did his best to cheer her up until she finally smiled through her tears. Early the next morning, Yao Zhiming left on a business trip, asking Mai Chenghuan to get some good rest. As she gradually recovered, she went for a stroll at the mall and unexpectedly ran into her former colleague Duoduo from the apartment property team. Upon learning that Duoduo had resigned, Mai Chenghuan invited her to work at Xing'anli.

Duoduo was more than willing but worried she wouldn't be up to the task. Mai Chenghuan believed in her. Mai Chengzao came to visit Liu Wanyu early in the morning, bringing her and Mai Chenghuan's favorite pastries. Liu Wanyu was moved to tears and rushed to make shrimp dumplings for him. Mai Chengzao ate heartily. Liu Wanyu admitted that over the years, she had neglected to show enough care for Mai Chengzao and had overlooked his growth and progress.

She sincerely apologized to him. Mai Chengzao had long since let go of the past. The two reconciled as mother and son, restoring their bond. When Mai Chenghuan came downstairs and saw them chatting and laughing, her heart was filled with joy. Liu Wanyu held a cookbook and asked Mai Chenghuan to choose a dish, then went downstairs to start preparing. Yao Zhiming, worried about Mai Chenghuan, finished his work early and rushed back to Shanghai.

Yao Renfu had just been released from prison and went straight to the old house. Liu Wanyu tried to drive him away, but not only did he refuse to leave, he walked right in and demanded to see Yao Zhiming. When Mai Chenghuan found out he was Yao Zhiming’s father, she immediately called Yao Zhiming. Yao Zhiming arrived at the old house shortly after. The moment he saw Yao Renfu, his anger flared, and he forcefully dragged him away.

Only then did Liu Wanyu realize Yao Renfu had just gotten out of prison and was left speechless in shock. Yao Zhiming drove Yao Renfu to the airport, planning to send him to Switzerland. But Yao Renfu was unwilling to leave and sneaked out of the car during a red light. Yao Zhiming was left speechless in anger. Yao Renfu was a gambling addict who had ignored both Yao Zhiming and his mother.

His mother eventually left them in frustration, and Yao Zhiming suffered greatly as a child. Just thinking about Yao Renfu filled him with rage. Mai Chenghuan sent a message to check on Yao Zhiming. He didn’t want her to worry and quickly made up an excuse to brush it off. Yao Renfu went to Xing'anli to stir up trouble, loudly claiming that the hotel was his.

Mai Chenghuan rushed over and clearly stated that Chen Shuzhen had left the hotel to her in her will. But Yao Renfu wouldn’t listen and verbally attacked Mai Chenghuan, demanding she return the hotel to Yao Zhiming or he’d stay there forever. Mai Chenghuan arranged for him to be placed in a guest room. Yao Zhiming soon arrived and told Yao Renfu to leave Xing'anli immediately. Yao Renfu refused. Yao Zhiming listed all of Yao Renfu’s misdeeds.

Feeling guilty, Yao Renfu claimed he wanted to take back Xing'anli for Yao Zhiming, but Yao Zhiming didn’t believe him and insisted he leave. Yao Renfu locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Hearing their argument, Mai Chenghuan rushed over to comfort Yao Zhiming and called He Dong for help. Yao Zhiming returned home, dejected and silent. He went straight upstairs. Mai Chenghuan followed but found the door closed. She had no choice but to wait outside.

Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian noticed something was wrong with Mai Chenghuan but didn’t feel it appropriate to interfere, so they quietly observed from afar. On the balcony, Mai Chenghuan danced and made cute poses, trying hard to cheer up Yao Zhiming. He finally softened and agreed to let her into his room. Mai Chenghuan promised to face everything ahead together with Yao Zhiming. They would deal with Yao Renfu as a team.

Liu Wanyu came to Mai Chenghuan’s room but found it empty, so she went to Yao Zhiming’s room. Sure enough, Mai Chenghuan was there. Liu Wanyu called her out and reminded her not to get involved in Yao Zhiming’s family affairs. That night, Mai Chenghuan sat alone on the swing in the courtyard. Mai Laitian came to talk with her.

After dinner, Mai Chenghuan sat alone in the courtyard, lost in thought. Seeing that she had something on her mind, Mai Laitian came over to talk. Mai Chenghuan told him everything about Yao Renfu causing trouble at the hotel and didn’t hide her concern for Yao Zhiming. Mai Laitian could tell that she liked Yao Zhiming and sympathized with his situation. He encouraged her to treat Yao Zhiming well and make up for the family affection he had long lacked.

He Dong came to see Yao Renfu and accidentally revealed that Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan were in a relationship. Yao Renfu immediately understood everything. Liu Wanyu heard about Yao Renfu causing trouble at Xing'anli and came to confront him. From a distance, she saw Yao Renfu stirring up trouble and inciting employees to rebel against Mai Chenghuan. She couldn’t hold back and charged forward to demand an explanation.

Yao Renfu refused to back down, and the two soon fell into a heated argument and parted on bad terms. Liu Wanyu then went to see Mai Chenghuan and reminded her to beware of Yao Renfu’s schemes. Mai Laitian invited Yao Zhiming to go fishing by the river and used the opportunity to ask about his relationship with Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming admitted that he liked her. Mai Laitian approved of their relationship.

Yao Zhiming was overjoyed and immediately shared the good news with Mai Chenghuan. Song Huaimin hired Luo Mingli as his defense lawyer. Luo Mingli, upon learning that Mai Chengzao was Maomao’s lawyer, didn’t take him seriously. Mai Chengzao, however, didn’t back down and fired back with witty remarks. Worried that he might not be a match for Luo Mingli, Mai Chengzao advised Maomao to find a more experienced lawyer. But Maomao had full confidence in him.

Zhang Peisheng approached Yao Renfu for a partnership, offering him a large sum of money to take back the Xing'anli Hotel. They quickly struck a deal. With the Shanghai Tourism Festival approaching, Mai Chenghuan wanted to use the opportunity to promote the hotel and discussed practical marketing strategies with Zhang Ziyu. After careful consideration, Yao Renfu decided to start with Liu Wanyu. He approached her to discuss the marriage between Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan.

Liu Wanyu was completely unaware and called Mai Chenghuan, who was in a meeting and couldn’t answer. So Liu Wanyu went directly to Botticelli to confront Yao Zhiming. She questioned his intentions with Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming explained sincerely that his feelings were genuine. Liu Wanyu demanded he become a live-in son-in-law and put him through some tests, which Yao Zhiming readily accepted. Yao Zhiming went out to scout shops, and Liu Wanyu offered to accompany him.

They visited several physical stores and worked late into the evening. Seeing how dedicated Yao Zhiming was, Liu Wanyu was quite satisfied. He hurried off to pick up Mai Chenghuan after work, and Liu Wanyu went with him. She brought them together and gave Yao Zhiming a few conditions. Worried that Yao Renfu would cause trouble again, Yao Zhiming promised to handle everything and ensure their life remained undisturbed.

When Mai Laitian came home from work, he overheard the conversation between Liu Wanyu and Yao Zhiming. He supported Yao Zhiming. Liu Wanyu was surprised to learn that Mai Laitian already knew about their relationship — it turned out she was the only one in the dark.

Liu Wanyu hadn’t expected that Mai Laitian already knew about Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan’s relationship. Feeling left out, she lashed out at Mai Laitian, who tried to explain but to no avail. Mai Chenghuan came to apologize to Liu Wanyu, saying she had planned to wait until the relationship stabilized before making it public. Liu Wanyu gradually calmed down. She just wanted Mai Chenghuan to be happy and trusted her judgment.

Yao Zhiming secretly climbed down from the balcony using a ladder to see Mai Chenghuan. Liu Wanyu suddenly knocked on the door with oranges. Mai Chenghuan quickly hid Yao Zhiming behind the curtains. But Liu Wanyu had already seen him. She told him he could come and go from Mai Chenghuan’s room openly and reminded him to go back to his own room after eating the oranges.

Liu Wanyu arranged to meet with Yao Renfu, reminding him to behave himself and not interfere in Yao Zhiming’s life. Yao Renfu wanted to stay in Shanghai and attend Yao Zhiming’s wedding. Liu Wanyu firmly refused. He then tried to ask Yao Zhiming to let him stay a few more days. Yao Renfu also approached Mai Chenghuan to claim credit, asking her to buy him new clothes for the wedding. She agreed to take him shopping when she had time.

He also requested a room upgrade to a smart suite. Yao Renfu didn’t understand how to operate the smart system and ended up making a mess of the room. Luckily, Mai Chenghuan arrived in time to help. But Yao Renfu vented all his frustration on her, demanding compensation for emotional damage. Mai Chenghuan advised him to learn gradually and try to earn Yao Zhiming’s forgiveness. She gave him a smartphone so he could stay in touch with Yao Zhiming.

He gladly accepted. To ease tensions between Yao Renfu and Yao Zhiming, Mai Chenghuan arranged a tasting salon for Yao Renfu. Yao Zhiming, knowing his father’s cunning nature, warned her to stay on guard. Yao Renfu tried hard to win Yao Zhiming over and even invited him to dinner. Though reluctant, Yao Zhiming eventually agreed under Mai Chenghuan’s persuasion.

Yao Renfu brought a bottle of Moutai to share, but Yao Zhiming immediately recognized it as fake and brought out his own stash. Yao Renfu felt deeply guilty and even shed tears of remorse. Unable to hold his liquor, Yao Renfu got drunk quickly. Yao Zhiming used a hotel luggage cart to push him back to his room, and Mai Chenghuan captured the moment on camera. After settling Yao Renfu in, they went out to the courtyard.

Yao Zhiming recalled scenes from his childhood there. Mai Chenghuan encouraged him to let go of the resentment and forgive Yao Renfu. Yao Zhiming agreed to give it a try. Zhang Ziyu worked overtime to prepare for receiving the Shanghai Tourism Festival delegation. She even invited a popular celebrity to help draw attention and reported everything to Mai Chenghuan. Zhang Peisheng accidentally saw her proposal and read it thoroughly.

He then sent Secretary Zou to find Yao Renfu and instructed him to get a reception pass for the Xing'anli Hotel. Yao Renfu brought some snacks for the staff and stole a pass while they were distracted. Yao Renfu bumped into Mai Chenghuan, who invited him to her home and treated him like family. This warmed his heart and made him regret cooperating with Zhang Peisheng.

Yao Zhiming wanted to cook a meal himself, so he went to the market with Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian. Liu Wanyu taught him how to pick ingredients and asked him to invite Yao Renfu to dinner as well. When Liu Wanyu started coughing uncontrollably, Yao Zhiming had already scheduled a premium health check-up for them and urged her to take the opportunity to get a thorough examination.

Yao Zhiming earnestly learned how to make crucian carp with tofu from Liu Wanyu. He wanted to cook it himself for Mai Chenghuan. Yao Zhiming was meticulous in his preparation, and Mai Chenghuan cheered him on from the side. Mai Chengzao made thorough preparations in advance. He stated the facts in court and presented strong evidence. Even Luo Mingli, who was serving as Song Huaimin's defense lawyer, was speechless. Mai Chengzao helped Mao Mao win back custody of Ding Ding.

Mao Mao was overjoyed and full of praise for Mai Chengzao. Mai Chengzao went to the supermarket to buy snacks for Ding Ding, when he suddenly received bad news: Song Huaimin was dissatisfied with the first trial’s verdict and planned to appeal. Mao Mao was furious. She had been looking forward to reuniting with Ding Ding, and now it seemed she would have to wait even longer.

While Yao Zhiming was cooking in the kitchen, Liu Wanyu sat on the sofa chatting with Mai Laitian. They thought of Mai Chengzao, and Liu Wanyu called him to ask him to come home for dinner over the weekend and urged him to find a girlfriend soon. At the time, Mai Chengzao was shopping with Mao Mao at the supermarket. He casually made up an excuse to brush her off.

Yao Renfu, following Secretary Zou’s instructions, stole a reception pass from Xing’anli Hotel. He was caught in a moral dilemma. Mai Chenghuan always responded to his requests and did her best to mediate between him and Yao Zhiming. He felt guilty towards Mai Chenghuan, yet he had accepted a bribe from Secretary Zou. Yao Renfu handed the pass to Secretary Zou and deliberately changed the lanyard to a blue one. He again asked what the pass was for.

Secretary Zou lied, saying that his niece wanted to meet a celebrity who would be present that day. Yao Renfu suspected that Zhang Peisheng was behind all this and secretly recorded their conversation. He even returned the bribe to Secretary Zou. Secretary Zou threatened him, scaring Yao Renfu into silence. Yao Renfu grew increasingly uneasy. He wanted to message Yao Zhiming and tell him about Secretary Zou’s request for the reception pass.

Suddenly, there was a power outage in the hotel room. Yao Renfu guessed it was Zhang Peisheng’s doing and rushed downstairs to investigate. The hotel staff were in chaos. Mai Chenghuan called Zhang Ziyu and learned she had already picked up the delegation and was heading to the hotel. Mai Chenghuan asked Zhang Ziyu to find a way to delay them. She instructed Butler Cui to call for technicians to repair the power lines.

Unable to bear seeing Mai Chenghuan in a difficult position, Yao Renfu stepped forward to reveal the truth. The power outage had been deliberately caused. Mai Chenghuan immediately sent people to investigate any strangers at Xing’anli Hotel with a blue lanyard reception pass. Yao Renfu played the recording of his call with Secretary Zou, and only then did Mai Chenghuan realize that the whole thing had been orchestrated by Zhang Peisheng.

Since the electrical damage was severe, it would take at least an hour to fix, but Zhang Ziyu could only stall the delegation at the Bund for fifteen minutes. Filled with guilt, Yao Renfu repeatedly apologized to Mai Chenghuan. She chose not to pursue the matter further and still treated him like family. She asked him to organize a small cigar and wine tasting event for the delegation guests. Yao Renfu got to work immediately.

Zhang Ziyu brought the delegation to Xing’anli Hotel and led them directly to the lawn. Yao Renfu introduced them to the history of Xing’anli and offered them wine. His explanation was articulate and engaging, and the guests listened attentively. The power was finally restored. Butler Cui reported to Mai Chenghuan at once. She instructed Duoduo to help the guests check in. She praised Yao Renfu highly.

Upon hearing what happened, Yao Zhiming came to confront Yao Renfu and yelled at him. Mai Chenghuan arrived in time to defend Yao Renfu and dragged Yao Zhiming along to confront Zhang Peisheng. Mai Chenghuan went directly to Zhang Peisheng’s office and exposed his role in orchestrating the previous food poisoning incident, his use of Yao Renfu to obtain the hotel’s reception pass, and his hiring of people to sabotage the power lines.

Yao Zhiming arrived with the police to arrest Zhang Peisheng. Although Zhang Peisheng refused to confess, the police had irrefutable evidence. Zhang Peisheng had no choice but to surrender. Yao Zhiming, under orders from his superiors, took over all of Zhang Peisheng’s duties. Mai Chenghuan urged Yao Zhiming to apologize to Yao Renfu. It was thanks to Yao Renfu’s confession that the truth came to light. She accompanied Yao Zhiming to look for Yao Renfu, but found the room empty.

Yao Zhiming called him, but Yao Renfu didn’t answer. Only when Mai Chenghuan called did he finally pick up. After learning the matter had been resolved, he breathed a sigh of relief. Yao Zhiming offered to pick him up, but Yao Renfu, overwhelmed with emotion, insisted on returning to the hotel on his own. As Yao Renfu was crossing the street, he was hit by a speeding car and thrown into the air.

Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, they could not save him. When Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan rushed to the hospital, Yao Renfu had already passed away. Yao Zhiming was devastated and went straight to Yao Renfu’s room, while Mai Chenghuan stayed behind to handle the necessary formalities. In Yao Renfu’s room, Yao Zhiming saw two bottles of Moutai on the table.

Yao Renfu had spent all his money on them, intending to share a drink with Yao Zhiming. Now, however, they were forever separated. Mai Chenghuan came to find Yao Zhiming at the hotel, but he had locked himself in the room, silently crying. Mai Chenghuan waited patiently in the hallway. Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian arrived early in the morning and saw Mai Chenghuan dozing in the corridor.

Liu Wanyu, worried that Yao Zhiming might do something foolish, banged on the door. There was no response. Mai Chenghuan used a key to open the door. Yao Zhiming was leaning by the bed, speechless. Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian took turns comforting him and even offered to fast with him. Seeing how haggard Yao Zhiming had become overnight, Mai Chenghuan felt heartbroken.

Yao Zhiming was heartbroken over Yao Renfu’s sudden death. He sat on the floor in a daze, speechless, with Mai Chenghuan silently by his side. Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian cared for Yao Zhiming attentively. It was Yao Zhiming’s birthday. Liu Wanyu made steaming noodles and carved “Happy Birthday” out of carrots. Mai Laitian brewed a cup of this year’s new tea for him. Though Yao Zhiming felt the warmth in his heart, he still couldn’t escape his sorrow.

After eating a few bites, Yao Zhiming once again felt the warmth of family, and tears streamed down his face. Mai Chenghuan gave him the sample cigars that Yao Renfu had picked during the tasting session before his death as a memento, and did her best to comfort him. Only then did Yao Zhiming begin to let go a little. Early the next morning, he visited Yao Renfu’s grave to express his grief.

Mai Chenghuan promised to always stay by his side, and Yao Zhiming was deeply grateful. Xing’anli Hotel lived up to expectations and was named one of the Top Ten Boutique Hotels. Mai Chenghuan was overjoyed, and Yao Zhiming was happy for her. She gave bonuses to the staff and granted them a five-day annual leave. Zhang Ziyu bid farewell to return to Switzerland for further studies, and Mai Chenghuan welcomed her to work at Xing’anli after graduation.

Yao Zhiming went to the market and bought a pile of groceries, wanting to cook a thank-you meal for the Mai family, but he didn’t know where to start. He had to call He Dong to find a home chef to help. Yao Zhiming thanked the Mai family for their continued support and help. Mai Chenghuan immediately saw that the dishes weren’t made by him, and Yao Zhiming admitted it.

Mai Chenghuan then publicly announced that Xing’anli had been named one of the Top Ten Boutique Hotels, and Yao Zhiming also shared the news of his promotion to President of the East China Region. The whole family rejoiced. After the meal, Mai Chenghuan picked some flowers grown by Yao Zhiming and placed them in front of Chen Shuzhen’s memorial photo, sharing with her the recent happenings, hoping her spirit would bless them.

Liu Wanyu received a hospital notice that her physical examination had revealed a shadow on her lung, suspected to be a tumor. The doctor advised further examination. She was stunned, feeling as though the sky had fallen. When Mai Chenghuan, Mai Laitian, and Yao Zhiming came home from work, they saw Liu Wanyu asleep on the sofa. She lied, saying she had a stomachache.

Mai Chenghuan showed concern, but Liu Wanyu quickly changed the subject and urged Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming to get married soon. Mai Chenghuan said she wanted to wait a bit longer. Mai Chenghuan arranged for a tour group for Mai Laitian and Liu Wanyu, wanting them to go out and have fun for a few days. Liu Wanyu didn’t want them to worry, so she didn’t mention her illness.

Mai Laitian packed their bags overnight and left early in the morning with Liu Wanyu. Though Mai Chenghuan noticed something was off with Liu Wanyu, she didn’t give it much thought. Mao Mao suddenly received a call from Ding Ding, who tearfully said that Song Huaimin had hit him. Mai Chengzao and Mai Chenghuan happened to be present, so they went together to confront Song Huaimin.

Song Huaimin had sent Ding Ding to his grandmother’s house and yelled at Mao Mao. Since the second trial had not yet been decided, Mao Mao had to endure it for the time being and left with Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao. Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian departed with the tour group. Liu Wanyu was preoccupied the entire trip and had no interest in sightseeing, so Mai Laitian took her back home.

Mai Chenghuan invited the hotel’s lawyer to help Mai Chengzao devise a custody battle defense plan. They worked through the night to formulate strategies.

Liu Wanyu and Mai Laitian gave up their trip and returned home, only to see Mai Chengzao and Mao Mao standing hand in hand as soon as they entered the door. They were all surprised. Mai Chengzao admitted that he was in a relationship with Mao Mao. Contrary to expectations, Liu Wanyu didn’t object; instead, she encouraged Mai Chengzao to help Mao Mao with the lawsuit and fight to win back custody of Ding Ding.

Yao Zhiming drove Mai Chengzao and Mao Mao off. Liu Wanyu locked herself in her room. Mai Chenghuan thought she was angry and repeatedly apologized outside the door. Mai Laitian also chimed in, but Liu Wanyu remained silent. The three of them had no choice but to return to their rooms and rest. Liu Wanyu dug out old photo albums and recalled many funny stories from Mai Chenghuan and Mai Chengzao’s childhood, feeling a swirl of emotions.

Early in the morning, Liu Wanyu prepared a hearty breakfast, left a note, and went out. Mai Chenghuan thought she wasn’t angry anymore and decided the whole family would come home for dinner tonight. The second trial was held today. Mai Chengzao had fully prepared and vowed to win back Ding Ding’s custody. Mao Mao cheered him on. Mai Chengzao received a message from Mai Chenghuan and believed that Liu Wanyu had accepted his relationship with Mao Mao.

Overjoyed, he planned to bring Mao Mao and Ding Ding home for dinner. Mai Chengzao fought the lawsuit with all his strength and finally won custody of Ding Ding. Mao Mao and Mai Chengzao went to pick up Ding Ding and then headed home together for dinner. After work, Mai Chenghuan called Yao Zhiming. Yao Zhiming immediately went to pick up her and Mai Laitian.

Mai Chenghuan, Mai Chengzao, Mao Mao, Ding Ding, Mai Laitian, and Yao Zhiming returned home happily. Seeing the table full of food, they realized Liu Wanyu wasn’t home. Mai Chenghuan couldn’t reach her by phone or text. As night fell, Liu Wanyu still hadn’t returned. Sensing something was wrong, Mai Chenghuan and the others split up to look for her. Yao Zhiming asked He Dong to report to the police.

He noticed that Liu Wanyu had left the house key at home but took the family portrait with her. Suspecting she had run away, Yao Zhiming called Mai Chengzao and Mai Chenghuan to return. A courier delivered a letter from Liu Wanyu, in which she admitted she was ill and wanted to go off on her own for a while. Mai Laitian felt deeply guilty—Liu Wanyu had a serious health issue, yet he knew nothing about it.

Mai Chenghuan comforted him with kind words. Through police inquiry, Yao Zhiming discovered Liu Wanyu had bought a ticket to her hometown in Jixi, Anhui. Mai Chenghuan immediately called Liu Wanyong, who was on a trip in Wuyuan with Qiuqiu. Fang Zhihong called Fang Jie, who stayed home, but Liu Wanyu hadn’t gone to his house. Mai Chengzao guessed she went to the old house in Shangcun. Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming rushed there overnight.

As expected, Liu Wanyu took a taxi to Shangcun right after getting off the train. Liu Wanyu returned to the old house in Shangcun late at night, utterly exhausted. It was her parents’ home and held many fond memories. At the service area, Mai Chenghuan recalled Liu Wanyu’s odd behavior in recent days and regretted not discovering her illness sooner. Yao Zhiming consoled her, telling her not to blame herself. Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan arrived at Shangcun at dawn.

The front door was locked from the inside. Yao Zhiming climbed over the wall to open it. Mai Chenghuan knocked on the bedroom door, scolding Liu Wanyu for leaving without saying anything and urging her to go back for treatment. Liu Wanyu just wanted to be alone. Mai Chenghuan couldn’t persuade her and sat sulking at the front door while Yao Zhiming silently kept her company. Mai Chengzao and Mai Laitian went to the hospital to get Liu Wanyu’s test results. The doctor suspected the shadow might be a tumor and advised her to return soon for further examination.

Mai Chenghuan returned to the dilapidated old house and tried to persuade Liu Wanyu to return to Shanghai for further examination, but Liu Wanyu resolutely refused. Mai Chenghuan, out of frustration, decided to stay with her. Yao Zhiming went to a nearby supermarket to buy supplies and used the chance to call Mai Laitian. He felt that Liu Wanyu was in poor condition and urged him to come to the old house as soon as possible.

Liu Wanyu took Mai Chenghuan shopping and decided to buy some ready-made dishes. She deliberately chose the spiciest ones. Yao Zhiming couldn’t handle the heat, while Mai Chenghuan forced herself to eat. Liu Wanyu wanted to make things difficult so that Mai Chenghuan would give up, but she insisted on staying. Mai Laitian arrived that night with Mai Chengzao and Mao Mao.

Uncharacteristically, he blew up at Liu Wanyu and demanded she return for treatment, or else he would divorce her. Liu Wanyu agreed to divorce. Mai Laitian had only intended to scare her but realized she was determined to stay. He decided to sit down and talk things through calmly. Mai Laitian had a heart-to-heart with Liu Wanyu. Liu Wanyu felt her days were numbered and didn’t want to burden him. She urged him to find a considerate companion.

Mai Laitian decided to resign and stay to accompany her. Liu Wanyu broke down in tears, and it took all of Mai Laitian’s patience to calm her down. That night, he sat at the door smoking. Mai Chenghuan came to join him. Mai Laitian regretted not giving Liu Wanyu a good life. Mai Chenghuan wanted to find a tumor specialist and have him persuade Liu Wanyu to undergo treatment.

Early in the morning, Mai Chenghuan called Liu Wanyu out for a walk. Meanwhile, Mai Chengzao, Yao Zhiming, Mao Mao, and Mai Laitian cleaned the old house thoroughly. Liu Wanyu went to cook. Mai Chengzao, anxious to return to Shanghai for the lawsuit, came to bid her farewell. Liu Wanyu recalled the past—because Mai Chenghuan was frail as a child, she decided to have another child and gave birth to Mai Chengzao, who brought blessings to the family.

Mai Chenghuan’s health gradually improved. Since both she and Mai Laitian were busy with work, they had to send Mai Chengzao to live with relatives in the countryside, where he suffered a lot. Liu Wanyu apologized repeatedly, but Mai Chengzao had already let it go. Mai Laitian thanked Yao Zhiming for staying, concerned it might affect his job.

Yao Zhiming said his work was already arranged and advised Mai Laitian to spend more time with Liu Wanyu to help her feel better. Early in the morning, Mai Chenghuan prepared breakfast. Mai Laitian got Liu Wanyu up and asked her to help pick a location to open a hotel after breakfast. Liu Wanyu took Mai Chenghuan, Yao Zhiming, and Mai Laitian out for a stroll in the fields. There, they ran into her childhood friend Aunt Wang.

When Aunt Wang’s ducks ran off, Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan helped catch them. The scene made Liu Wanyu laugh, and she took a group photo with them. Yao Zhiming invited Liu Wanyu, Mai Chenghuan, and Mai Laitian to a fancy restaurant and ordered her favorite dish—fermented mandarin fish. Mai Laitian picked food for her, but Liu Wanyu could immediately tell the fish wasn’t fermented long enough. She recalled the Feng family's fermented mandarin fish she loved as a child.

Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming immediately set out to find the old restaurant. After much effort, they found it, but it no longer served the dish.

After extensive inquiries, Yao Zhiming and Mai Chenghuan finally located the owner, Master Feng, who had turned the restaurant into a cake shop. Mai Chenghuan pleaded with her to make the dish again. Master Feng was elderly and unable to care for herself. Her daughter took care of her daily needs. Recognizing Mai Chenghuan, Master Feng’s daughter spoke of a past event involving Liu Wanyu.

When Liu Wanyu was accepted into an opera school but couldn’t afford the tuition, she decided to head to Shanghai. Before she left, Master Feng made her a dish of fermented mandarin fish. Mai Chenghuan asked Master Feng to teach her how to cook it. She learned diligently while Yao Zhiming tended the fire. Through persistence, Mai Chenghuan finally made the dish. Yao Zhiming coughed from the smoke. Master Feng tasted it and nodded in approval.

Her daughter even found an old photo of Liu Wanyu in opera costume. Mai Chenghuan was amazed. Meanwhile, Liu Wanyu wandered around the village and unknowingly arrived at the old stage, recalling her youthful opera days and shedding tears. Mai Chenghuan quickly came to comfort her. After returning from the stage, Liu Wanyu went straight to her room. Mai Laitian was worried and urged Mai Chenghuan to persuade her to return to Shanghai.

Mai Chenghuan wanted Liu Wanyu to regain confidence in life first and thought performing on stage again might help. She made fermented mandarin fish, which Liu Wanyu praised as delicious and finished every bite. That night, Mai Laitian took Liu Wanyu to watch an opera at the stage. Mai Chengzao also came. Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming performed a shadow play based on Liu Wanyu’s life. They even invited the old accompanist. Mai Chengzao prepared a costume.

Encouraged by her family and Master Feng’s daughter, Liu Wanyu returned to the stage and performed her signature Huangmei opera, “The Female Prince. ” Her performance was full of emotion and authenticity. The audience and her family applauded and cheered. Liu Wanyu felt completely uplifted. After the show, Mai Laitian asked Mai Chengzao and Yao Zhiming to light fireworks to celebrate. Liu Wanyu’s heart was warm. Mai Laitian asked her to make a wish.

She wished for everyone in the family to be healthy. Mai Chengzao wanted to bring the family to live in the old house periodically. Yao Zhiming wanted to open a hotel there, and Mai Chenghuan would be the boss. Yao Zhiming readily agreed. Liu Wanyu decided to return to Shanghai the next morning. That night, she and Mai Chenghuan slept together, talking heart to heart. Back in Shanghai, Liu Wanyu had surgery.

It was very successful, and the tumor was completely removed. A year passed in the blink of an eye. The whole family accompanied her to the hospital for a check-up. Liu Wanyu beamed with joy upon seeing the results. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the resort jointly built by Xing'anli Garden Hotel and Yueda International Hotel officially opened. Yao Zhiming gave a speech, expressing hope that the hotel would bring opportunities to Shangcun. Mai Chenghuan also gave a heartfelt speech.

Liu Wanyu and Mai Chenghuan sat in the fields, having a heartfelt mother-daughter talk. Mai Chenghuan hoped Liu Wanyu could shed the “mother” label and be her true self. On Mid-Autumn night, Liu Wanyu prepared a big family meal. Everyone gathered around for a reunion dinner. Mai Laitian welcomed Mao Mao and Ding Ding as official family members. Liu Wanyu urged Mai Chenghuan and Yao Zhiming to marry soon. Mai Chenghuan quickly changed the topic. The family laughed and chatted, their joy echoing through the courtyard.

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