Tender Light Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Tender Light Synopsis
On New Year's Eve of the millennium, a shocking murder case in a small town unveils a hidden romance. While everyone is immersed in the joy of witnessing the turn of the century, the most beautiful woman in Qingshui Town, Nan Ya, uses an axe to kill her husband. Zhou Luo, who dropped out of a prestigious university and returned home, becomes the only eyewitness to the case, becoming an unexpected focal point of discussion.
When Nan Ya looks at Zhou Luo, her eyes are filled with sadness, revealing a heartfelt but unspoken truth beneath the surface. The maze-like truth behind the town's intertwined stories slowly unravels as all lies are gradually shattered in the presence of genuine emotions.
Tender Light Recap
Episode 1 Recap
The last ten seconds counted down, and Qingshui Town welcomed the Millennium Eve. The sound of fireworks exploding and burning, mingled with the cheers of the people, formed a unique picture that filled every corner.
Some ran barefoot, tears streaming down their faces; some fled in panic, clutching the child in their arms; others were slumped in a chair, their hands covered in blood, looking in horror at the man with a dagger plunged into his chest, who had long since lost his breath. Lin Fanglu, a criminal investigation expert, was a high-achieving student who came from Qingshui Town.
After graduation, he was highly valued by his mentor, Chen Guoying, and rose rapidly through the ranks. However, Chen Guoying, considering his future promotion, arranged for him to return to Qingshui Town for two years of training. Lin Fanglu requested to be transferred to a different place, citing the difficulty of working with acquaintances.
Chen Guoying reminded him that wherever he was, it was a society of acquaintances, and as long as he worked hard, he would let him marry his daughter, Wen Ting, after she graduated. Ultimately, Lin Fanglu went to Qingshui Town to take up his post with a heavy heart, met Captain Liu Yingxiong and other colleagues, and took over a homicide case that had occurred recently.
According to the information held by the police, the deceased, Xu Yi, was an entrepreneur in Qingshui Town, who was murdered by his wife on Millennium Eve. The weapon was a dagger, and the wounds were mainly concentrated on the front and back. Currently, the suspect, Nan Ya, has turned herself in. When Lin Fanglu saw Nan Ya's photo, he fell silent, because this person was actually his former classmate.
Nan Ya recounted to the police the long history of domestic violence she suffered from Xu Yi. She had once wanted to divorce him, but Xu Yi threatened her with their daughter, Wan Wan.
For years, Nan Ya tried various methods, but they were all ineffective, until she accidentally learned the inside story of the bridge collapse case and discovered that Xu Yi and others had arbitrarily modified the plans and used substandard materials, leading to the bridge collapse which crushed two workers to death. Originally, Nan Ya planned to use this to negotiate with Xu Yi, but Xu Yi suddenly became enraged and went mad.
In a moment of urgency, Nan Ya swung a knife in self-defense and accidentally stabbed Xu Yi to death. In the subsequent investigation, the police learned that there was a witness, Zhou Luo, at the crime scene who saw it with his own eyes. He was a repeating student at Huashan High School. Due to frequent contact with neighbors, he reported the case to the police station at six o'clock after the incident.
The police officer on duty, Shi Leshan, recalled that Zhou Luo was relatively calm when he reported the case. He first made a phone call and then came to the police station accompanied by his parents. His description of the crime scene was basically consistent with Nan Ya's. Soon, the news of Nan Ya killing someone spread throughout Qingshui Town.
The school, considering Zhou Luo was a witness and for his psychological health, advised him to go home and rest first. In addition to finding Xu Yi's body, the police also found a burned car. The cause of the fire was still unclear, but it was initially speculated to have occurred earlier than the time of the homicide. During the site investigation, Lin Fanglu had different opinions from the experienced criminal police officer Lao Chen.
Lao Chen had a relatively negative opinion of Nan Ya and subjectively believed that she had the motive for intentional homicide. In fact, Nan Ya's reputation in Nanping Town was not good. She was the most beautiful woman in the small town, and also the focus of rumors and various gossips. After Nan Ya was arrested, her daughter Wan Wan was left alone and helpless.
Lao Chen took Lin Fanglu to see Nan Ya's stepmother, Hu Xiu, to discuss adoption matters, but Hu Xiu spoke ill of Nan Ya as soon as she was mentioned, as if there was a deep-seated hatred between them. Subsequently, Lin Fanglu went to see Nan Ya and said that he was preparing to send Wan Wan to the county welfare institute.
Nan Ya hoped that Lin Guixiang could help take care of the child for a period of time and told Lin Fanglu that the child was ill and could not withstand being moved around. Fortunately, Lin Guixiang was very warm and kind, not only willing to take in the child but also politely refused Lin Fanglu's money. When mentioning Nan Ya, Lin Guixiang had a very good impression of her.
At this time, classmates Chen Jun, Zhang Qingli, and Jiang Bingbing came to find Zhou Luo and repeatedly confirmed whether he had seen Nan Ya kill Xu Yi with his own eyes. Jiang Bingbing was worried that the police might find clues from Xu Yi's car, but Chen Jun hurriedly interrupted her and warned her not to talk about it. While they were talking, Lin Fanglu came to the room to question Zhou Luo about the situation.
Zhou Luo's answers were flawless and his excessive calmness made Lin Fanglu suspicious. After his classmates left, Zhang Qingli returned and questioned Zhou Luo why he lied to the police when he was clearly not at home that night. Meanwhile, Lin Fanglu noticed that there was a room for rent on the second floor of the Zhou family's house.
After observing the surrounding environment, he decided to rent the room and move in that night, which surprised Lin Guixiang a little. Zhou Luo took Zhang Qingli to an internet cafe and explained that he was surfing the internet there that night. He hid the fact because he was afraid of being discovered by the police for privately accessing foreign websites.
Since he had the internet usage time as proof, Zhang Qingli was convinced and took the initiative to apologize to Zhou Luo. Zhou Luo believed that Nan Ya was a pitiful person, and if her and Xu Yi's mistakes were to be pursued, everything should be handled by the police and the law. Lao Chen suspected that Nan Ya's actions were not legitimate self-defense and subjected her to fatigue interrogation. Lin Fanglu stopped him in time.
The two got into an argument again. Lao Chen stuck to his own opinion, and Lin Fanglu did not back down either. In the evening, Zhou Luo helped Lin Fanglu tidy up the room. Lin Fanglu took the opportunity to ask Zhou Luo if he harbored resentment because Xu Yi had beaten him. Zhou Luo did not give a direct response when he heard this. That night, the two men had their own thoughts. Zhou Luo flipped through the poetry collection on his desk, his gaze fixed on the last page, where Nan Ya's library card from five years ago was clipped.
Episode 2 Recap
Nan Ya, as the most beautiful woman in town, every move she made was closely watched. She was the impulse many men dreamed of, and the public enemy that women envied and were jealous of. Although Nan Ya tried hard to live in this small-town society filled with familiar violence, rumors about her promiscuous private life intensified. She became an object of universal condemnation, further giving Xu Yi a reason for domestic violence.
When everyone was questioned by the police, their evaluations of Nan Ya varied, pushing the evil of human nature to the extreme. Only Zhou Luo truly felt sorry for Nan Ya. From his tone and expression, one could see the forbearance and love. When Zhou Luo mentioned Nan Ya, it was as if he was narrating a story, slowly telling of his and Nan Ya's encounter. Time rewinds to eight months ago.
April in Qingshui Town was full of spring, peaceful and serene, but Zhou Luo's return stirred up waves. Back then, Zhou Luo was admitted to a prestigious university with excellent grades, and his parents were proud of him. They set up a banquet in their yard to treat relatives and friends, praising him to everyone they met. However, only a few months later, the news of Zhou Luo dropping out of school quickly spread, shocking everyone.
Returning to this tiny Qingshui Town, Zhou Luo suffered much criticism from his neighbors. His mother, Lin Guixiang, was worried and unable to sleep at night, sitting alone in the yard in a daze, making Zhou Luo feel terrible. His parents remained silent for several days, finally taking the opportunity to ask Zhou Luo about his future plans. Zhou Luo said that he wanted to stay in Qingshui Town to look after the shop.
This decision made his parents uneasy, so they hurriedly sought out Principal Zhang Huashan to discuss countermeasures. After much deliberation, they decided to have Zhou Luo retake the college entrance examination. Soon, Zhou Luo was arranged to enter Huashan High School for the retake program, where he met Chen Jun and others who were also retaking the exam. Qingshui Town was too small, so small that it was often forgotten by the world.
If you were to pick it up and shake it, you would only end up covered in dust. And students like them, flamboyant and with poor grades, were no different from dust in the eyes of the teachers, especially the maverick Zhou Luo, who became an oddity in the eyes of the teachers.
Because Zhou Luo's academic performance had always been among the best, Zhang Huashan had high hopes for him, instructing the teachers to give him more privileges and attention, so as to make the students jealous, stimulate competition, and improve everyone's academic performance. That night, Chen Jun and others took Zhou Luo to eat at a food stall, formally inviting him to join their "not love learning" little group. Zhang Qingli was the principal's daughter.
She had already been admitted to a university, but was forced to retake the exam because the school was not a top-tier one. Although Zhang Qingli was rebellious and especially liked to go against her father, the moment she saw Zhou Luo, she suddenly felt somewhat fortunate to stay at school and retake the exam. From then on, her heart was filled with admiration for him.
In the days that followed, Zhou Luo became friends with Chen Jun, Zhang Qingli, and Jiang Bingbing. Their monotonous life became more joyful, and one day during the summer vacation, a stunning figure broke into his world. Nan Ya opened a clothing store called "Zi Jin" in the town. The first time Zhou Luo passed by, he was attracted by Nan Ya, and her every move was captivating.
However, in this town, no one but Zhou Luo was unfamiliar with Nan Ya. Just mentioning her would arouse men's fantasies and women's contemptuous glares and curses. Although Zhou Luo had heard a lot, he was slightly surprised when he saw the neighbors attacking her with vile words.
They believed that the clothes Nan Ya made were all sent to the city to be sold to prostitutes to attract business; they also said that if male customers went to her store, there must be something fishy going on, that she was a seductress even before she got married, and that she didn't behave like a virtuous woman even after she got married and had children.
Nan Ya seemed to turn a deaf ear, deliberately spilling the vegetable basket and pressing the busybody's skirt onto a chair nail, embarrassing her in public. This scene was all seen by Zhou Luo. At lunchtime, the weather was as hot as an oven, and the streets were deserted. Nan Ya, wearing an elegant qipao, stood outside a video store, instantly waking up Zhou Luo, who was feeling a little sleepy.
He nervously and awkwardly introduced her to the song cassettes. After Nan Ya left with her daughter, Zhou Luo's eyes fell on the sweat on his arm. Recalling the scene just now, he was still moved. Chen Jun's evaluation of Nan Ya was equally negative. He admitted that it was ungentlemanly for men to hit women, but he firmly believed that Nan Ya cheated on her husband first.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Luo retorted in a displeased tone. Chen Jun spoke of this unfounded defamation as a matter of course, without feeling the slightest inappropriateness throughout the entire process, and Zhou Luo's mood was inexplicably clouded. On the third day after the incident, the police preliminarily determined that the car was set on fire intentionally.
Lin Fanglu discovered a suspicious point in the eyewitness Zhou Luo's testimony - he had an hour and a half of unaccounted-for whereabouts. Lao Chen strongly vouched for Zhou Luo's good character, saying that this case definitely had nothing to do with him.
That night, Lin Fanglu chatted with Zhou Luo, discovering that there were many detective novels in his room, so he deliberately brought up a crime topic to guide him, but Zhou Luo didn't take the bait at all, and his expression was calm and flawless. After Lin Fanglu left, Zhou Luo tightly closed his eyes, as if he had returned to that summer.
In the evening, Zhou Luo lingered outside Xu's house, when he suddenly heard vulgar scolding and intermittent tearing sounds coming from inside. Curiosity drove him to climb over the wall, where he saw the tables and chairs in the yard were crooked and askew, Nan Ya's hair was disheveled, and her qipao was tattered. Afterwards, Zhou Luo ran home in a panic and locked himself in his room, his mind full of Nan Ya's seductive body, and he could only calm his mood by taking a cold shower.
Episode 3 Recap
Lin Fanglu first saw Nan Ya in junior high school. At that time, she was wearing a white shirt and a long skirt, with no makeup, like a lotus emerging from water, imprinted in his mind, and he couldn't forget it to this day. Lin Fanglu couldn't imagine that such a gentle and beautiful woman like Nan Ya would be cruel enough to kill her husband. However, Lao Chen held a different view.
He believed that Xu Yi's motive for killing Nan Ya was not valid. On the contrary, Nan Ya held a grudge and was fully capable of committing the crime. After breakfast, the two went to Shengda Construction Company to learn about the situation. Since the bridge case occurred, this company had become a rat everyone wanted to beat. Family members of the deceased often came to make trouble, and protest banners were everywhere.
According to the staff, the main reason for the collapse of the bridge was cutting corners, passing off substandard work, and other complex issues. Since the bridge was privately designed and illegally modified, and the construction was subcontracted layer by layer, although Xu Yi was the construction contractor, he subcontracted the project to another company, resulting in a large number of people involved, making it difficult to convict Xu Yi.
Lin Fanglu learned that the purchasing agent, Liu Changshui, was the main person in charge of building materials, and immediately went to retrieve the accounts of Shengda Company. The department head revealed that Liu Changshui had disappeared, leaving a large amount of debt for the company to bear. Xu Yi had to personally come forward to appease the families of the deceased, earning a good reputation. Then the two conducted a brief inquiry to Liu Changshui's wife and children.
Liu Changshui's wife had many complaints, accusing him of having a mistress outside. In contrast, his son Liu Xun had a strange personality and a bad temper, and firmly believed that his father was innocent. Months ago, Liu Xun discovered that Liu Changshui had absconded with money in the middle of the night, and cried and begged him not to leave, but it was useless. During the final exam, Liu Xun lost to Zhou Luo, who ranked first, again.
Lao Chen suspected that Liu Changshui's wife and children were acting in front of them, while Lin Fanglu believed that Liu Xun was a thoughtful child. He seemed to care about whether his father had committed a crime, not because of father-son affection, but because he was worried about his reputation being damaged. After listening to Lin Fanglu's reasonable analysis, Lao Chen did not refute and acquiesced to his point of view.
That night, Lao Chen invited Lin Fanglu to his house as a guest and cooked himself. Chen's wife warmly welcomed Lin Fanglu and introduced him to her son Chen Jun and daughter Chen Ling. But Chen Ling had a cold attitude towards Lin Fanglu. When she heard Lin Fanglu infer that Nan Ya would be found not guilty if it was self-defense, she immediately threw her chopsticks and left. The whole family was already accustomed to Chen Ling's behavior.
Chen's wife saw Lin Fanglu's doubts and took the initiative to tell the story of Chen Ling and Nan Ya. In fact, the two used to be close friends who talked about everything. Chen Ling felt sorry for Nan Ya's experience, so she took care of her in life and study, and the Chen family also regarded Nan Ya as their daughter. But Nan Ya and Chen Ling would always like the same man.
Even if these people had dated Chen Ling, they would all cheat on Nan Ya without exception. What really made Chen Ling and Nan Ya fall out was when Nan Ya and Wang Zhi were caught in bed by her, and the two became enemies from then on. Zhou Luo personally took Wan Wan to the hospital for a follow-up visit.
Lin Fanglu took the initiative to accompany him, and by the way, asked the doctor Jiang Zhi about Nan Ya. He unexpectedly learned that Wan Wan's illness was caused by Nan Ya's pregnancy and being subjected to domestic violence by Xu Yi.
Jiang Zhi deliberately concealed some things, saying that Nan Ya had injuries on her face in the early stages, but later Xu Yi became smarter and no longer hit her face, so he didn't know much about Nan Ya's situation. Xu Yi's ex-girlfriend Chen Ling was dissatisfied with Lin Fanglu verifying the case for Nan Ya, and believed that a woman like her should be sentenced to death. She didn't understand why everyone wanted to help Nan Ya.
Lin Fanglu retorted that if someone had helped, Nan Ya wouldn't have been beaten so badly by Xu Yi. At the same time, Jiang Zhi spoke to Zhou Luo alone, reminding him not to talk nonsense, and his tone was full of contempt and humiliation towards Nan Ya, and Zhou Luo could only suppress his anger.
Lin Fanglu investigated Nan Ya's medical records and found that all the obstetric examinations and birth records in the obstetrics and gynecology department were there, but the records of the day of birth were inexplicably missing.
He brought these materials back to the station to search carefully, and suddenly thought of something, and asked everyone to find the outpatient records for September 28th, because this day was the day Zhou Luo was injured by Xu Yi, and it was also the day Nan Ya went to the hospital to get a forensic examination. Coincidentally, the record page for this day had already been torn off.
Looking at everyone's flustered appearance, Lao Chen couldn't help but remind them that the direction of the investigation might be off. After speaking, he took Lin Fanglu to meet Wang Guihong, this woman was also a victim of domestic violence, and even more so a poisonous woman who committed adultery and killed her husband in the eyes of outsiders.
Lao Chen said that it was worthy of sympathy for women who were subjected to domestic violence, but the truth was another matter. As policemen, they were not responsible for that part of sympathy, so he hinted that Lin Fanglu should focus the investigation on Nan Ya's lovers.
Episode 4 Recap
Zhou Luo likes morning runs, and so does Lin Fanglu. They share the same hobby, but their paths are completely opposite. For some time now, Lin Fanglu has been deliberately paying attention to Zhou Luo's words and actions, trying to find flaws to confirm his inner suspicions. However, Zhou Luo has been too calm, as if the fire had nothing to do with him, and what he ignited was not a car, but just a faint hope in someone's heart.
Although Zhou Luo has been back in Qingshui Town for two months, he still hasn't adapted to the summer heat. It's like the gossiping mouths outside the door, making him restless. When Lin Guixiang goes out on weekdays, Zhou Luo stays by the small store with his walkman. After Lin Guixiang returns, he can't wait to escape this place. A group of people went to the library to study. Zhang Qingli was absent-minded, her gaze occasionally drifting towards Zhou Luo.
In the bloom of youth, she once wanted to confess her feelings, but hesitated at the crucial moment. For several days in a row, Zhou Luo was in a low mood and couldn't concentrate on studying. By chance, he found a rare poetry collection on the bookshelf that Nan Ya had once borrowed.
He casually flipped open a page and was instantly drawn in by the licentious and unrestrained words, making his mouth dry and his heart both astonished and excited. Zhang Qingli's sudden appearance startled Zhou Luo wide awake. He quickly closed the poetry collection, hid it under his jacket, and then, when no one was looking, slipped it into a thick book.
After returning home, Zhou Luo lay panting on the mat, feeling the cool breeze from the ceiling fan, his thoughts drifting into the clouds. He couldn't understand why Nan Ya would enjoy reading erotic poems. Afterwards, Zhou Luo and his friends agreed to go hiking and swimming in the suburbs.
A few teenagers, boys and girls, laughed and played with each other, rushing towards the stream in their thin clothes and not stopping until they had had their fill of fun. Zhou Luo got out of the water early and lay half-reclining on a stream rock, feigning sleep. In a daze, he heard the sound of feet stepping on stones, and in his mind's eye appeared the Nan Ya he longed for day and night.
Confused by passion, he took the initiative to kiss the other person. However, Zhang Qingli had not yet recovered from the brief touch, while Zhou Luo was already wide awake from his dream. He immediately got up and left without the slightest hesitation. When the exam results were announced this time, Liu Xun was completely surpassed by Zhou Luo again, feeling unwilling.
As the summer vacation approached, Zhou Luo delivered something for Lin Guixiang to Nan Ya, but through the window, he saw Jiang Zhi making physical advances towards Nan Ya, intending to do something improper. Zhou Luo rushed in in time to interrupt Jiang Zhi's subsequent actions and warned him. Jiang Zhi had no choice but to leave indignantly.
Nan Ya noticed that Zhou Luo's clothes were coming undone and asked him to take them off so she could sew a few stitches. Since there were no suitable men's clothes in the store, Zhou Luo could only cover his bare upper body with a scarf. Fearing that his classmates outside might notice, he turned and entered the partitioned room where Nan Ya was. The partitioned room was less than two square meters, narrow and stuffy.
Nan Ya wore a proper long dress, sitting focused at the sewing machine. Sunlight slanted in through the window, making Nan Ya's cheeks slightly red, and sweat beads were fine and dense on her collarbone. Looking at her made him feel hot all over, and his mind wandered. But in the next second, Nan Ya's gaze, full of desire, met Zhou Luo's head-on.
Zhou Luo felt as if he had been hit over the head, his self-esteem shattered into pieces, feeling ashamed and utterly mortified. But adolescence is a time of pride. Shame quickly turned into anger, and accompanied by malicious thoughts, he rapidly transformed it into harsh and insulting words, accusing Nan Ya of being as disreputable as the rumors claimed, and secretly reading vulgar erotic poems. As soon as he said this, Nan Ya's eyes gradually turned cold.
She told him to get out and stated directly that she would never say another word to him from then on. Zhou Luo then rushed out the door and walked wildly into the stream to vent his anger. --- Since then, Zhou Luo did not see Nan Ya for many days. He was absent-minded in class and felt anxious after class.
To get answers and guidance, Zhou Luo personally went to see his former teacher and confessed that he had been ordered to drop out of school for assaulting a teacher. Teacher Zheng believed Zhou Luo was a good child and advised him not to look at these poems in a one-sided way, because human life is full of passion, desires (lit. eating and drinking, men and women), and trivial matters.
Some things can be pursued as a lifelong career, while others are the meaning of their existence. At Teacher Zheng's recommendation, Zhou Luo watched the movie "Dead Poets Society" and was deeply inspired by it, gradually realizing his own narrow-mindedness and one-sided view. Finally, Zhou Luo caught butterflies and waited on the path Nan Ya had to take. When Nan Ya returned from the hospital with her daughter Wan Wan, he bravely apologized for what happened before.
Episode 5 Recap
The case of Nan Ya killing her husband has not yet been definitively characterized. Reporters interviewed Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen at the station, attempting to understand the actions of Qingshui Town police in the domestic violence incident, as well as whether Xu Yi was guilty in the bridge case and if there was a logical causal relationship with Nan Ya's self-defense.
Lin Fanglu believed that Nan Ya had been completely controlled by Xu Yi, making it impossible for her to get a divorce. All evidence of domestic violence was destroyed, and Zhou Luo was the only person who caused Xu Yi to be detained, which was extremely unfair to Nan Ya. Lao Chen disagreed with Lin Fanglu again.
The police sent a representative to respond to reporter questions, stating that they would be extremely cautious in homicide investigations, neither wrongly accusing a good person nor letting a bad person go unpunished. --- Time returned to seven months ago. Chen Jun and others repeatedly invited Zhou Luo out to play, but he always refused, finding excuses. At the same time, he frequently showed affection towards Nan Ya.
During the scorching summer vacation filled with cicadas, the young man carefully selected bouquets every day to send to the clothing store, immersing himself in this without tiring. Until one day, he discovered those flowers discarded in the trash pile, and a chill went through his heart. On this day, Zhang Qingli proactively came to find Zhou Luo, asking with a slight complaint if he was deliberately avoiding her.
Although Zhou Luo replied that he was busy with schoolwork, Zhang Qingli clearly felt that things had changed between them. To maintain their relationship, she pretended to be relaxed and hoped Zhou Luo would act as if nothing happened and they could continue to be friends. Wan Wan went to the store alone to shop, mentioning that her mother had asked her to deliver dried longan to her maternal grandmother.
Zhou Luo sensed a clue from this remark and suddenly had a bad premonition. He urged Lin Guixiang to quickly call the police. After saying this, he took off running, sprinting all the way to Nan Ya's house. As expected, sounds of tables and chairs overturning, cups and bowls shattering came from the courtyard, mixed with a man's roar. Nan Ya hid in a corner, her mouth and nose bleeding, painfully enduring Xu Yi's violence.
Seeing a chair about to be thrown at Nan Ya, Zhou Luo instinctively shielded her, but he was hit in the back by the chair, the pain unbearable. Xu Yi mistook Zhou Luo for a lover and punched and kicked him. Although Zhou Luo was young and weak, he tried his best to fight back. At the critical moment, Lin Guixiang arrived with police officers.
Seeing her son collapsed on the ground, Lin Guixiang was furious and rushed forward without a second thought to fight Xu Yi, but under the police officers' dissuasion, she first took Zhou Luo to the hospital. Afterward, the police officers acted as mediators, stating that Xu Yi was willing to cover all nutritional and medical expenses and provide an additional 50,000 yuan in compensation, hoping that Mr. and Mrs. Lin Guixiang would sign the settlement agreement. However, they refused.
Nan Ya personally visited the hospital. After enduring Lin Guixiang's angry accusations, she still insisted on staying. Because she needed to look after the store, Lin Guixiang couldn't spare time to be at the hospital. Coupled with Nan Ya going to the police station to testify that Xu Yi had beaten people, she handed her son over to Nan Ya to care for. Lao Zhou thought Nan Ya was heartless, even thinking of sending her husband to jail.
Lin Guixiang heard this and was displeased, believing that even jailing a man who commits domestic violence like this wouldn't be satisfying enough. Although Zhou Luo was injured and apologized, Nan Ya had not forgiven him for his previous offense. In Nan Ya's view, swords hurt the body, but words kill the heart. Words spoken are hard to take back, and gratitude and forgiveness cannot be exchanged. It was precisely because of this that Zhou Luo was in low spirits.
In the evening, he borrowed poetry books to convey his guilt and feelings to Nan Ya. Wan Wan had a severe fever. Jiang Zhi reprimanded Nan Ya for being irresponsible and warned that if a similar situation occurred again, dialysis would be necessary. Hospital nurses gossiped about Nan Ya's private matters. Wherever she went, she was maliciously speculated about. Zhou Luo comforted Nan Ya sympathetically, but she always showed a strong side and kept others at a distance.
Soon after, Xu Yi's family came to trouble Nan Ya. Zhou Luo worried about her safety, sneaked out of the hospital in the middle of the night, and went to find her in the heavy rain. Seeing Nan Ya safe and sound, Zhou Luo finally relaxed. But Nan Ya saw Zhou Luo soaked and couldn't bear it, so she asked him to come in and sit for a while. Zhou Luo took this opportunity to apologize again.
After the rain stopped, Nan Ya rode her bicycle to take Zhou Luo back to the hospital. They passed the bluestone alley bathed in moonlight; the arched bridge shrouded in mist. Accompanied by Zhou Luo's recitation of poetry, word by word, it gradually imprinted itself on each other's souls.
On the sixth day after the incident, Lin Fanglu waited for Zhou Luo to come home and directly pointed out that he and Nan Ya had similar reading interests, suspecting their relationship was more than shallow. Zhou Luo retorted, saying he had almost borrowed every book in the collection, so this could not be used as a basis. On the contrary, Lin Fanglu and Nan Ya were classmates, so their connection was far deeper than his.
With one sentence, Zhou Luo shifted from a passive position to an active one. The two intelligent people tested each other, and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand in their back and forth. Afterward, Zhou Luo returned to his room and was silent for a long time before slowly unfolding an old group photo. On it were a young Lin Fanglu and Nan Ya, standing side by side, smiling at the camera.
Episode 6 Recap
--- Time returned to seven months ago. Chen Jun and others repeatedly invited Zhou Luo out to play, but he always refused, finding excuses. At the same time, he frequently showed affection towards Nan Ya. During the scorching summer vacation filled with cicadas, the young man carefully selected bouquets every day to send to the clothing store, immersing himself in this without tiring.
Until one day, he discovered those flowers discarded in the trash pile, and a chill went through his heart. On this day, Zhang Qingli proactively came to find Zhou Luo, asking with a slight complaint if he was deliberately avoiding her. Although Zhou Luo replied that he was busy with schoolwork, Zhang Qingli clearly felt that things had changed between them.
To maintain their relationship, she pretended to be relaxed and hoped Zhou Luo would act as if nothing happened and they could continue to be friends. Wan Wan went to the store alone to shop, mentioning that her mother had asked her to deliver dried longan to her maternal grandmother. Zhou Luo sensed a clue from this remark and suddenly had a bad premonition. He urged Lin Guixiang to quickly call the police.
After saying this, he took off running, sprinting all the way to Nan Ya's house. As expected, sounds of tables and chairs overturning, cups and bowls shattering came from the courtyard, mixed with a man's roar. Nan Ya hid in a corner, her mouth and nose bleeding, painfully enduring Xu Yi's violence. Seeing a chair about to be thrown at Nan Ya, Zhou Luo instinctively shielded her, but he was hit in the back by the chair, the pain unbearable.
Xu Yi mistook Zhou Luo for a lover and punched and kicked him. Although Zhou Luo was young and weak, he tried his best to fight back. At the critical moment, Lin Guixiang arrived with police officers. Seeing her son collapsed on the ground, Lin Guixiang was furious and rushed forward without a second thought to fight Xu Yi, but under the police officers' dissuasion, she first took Zhou Luo to the hospital.
Afterward, the police officers acted as mediators, stating that Xu Yi was willing to cover all nutritional and medical expenses and provide an additional 50,000 yuan in compensation, hoping that Mr. and Mrs. Lin Guixiang would sign the settlement agreement. However, they refused. Nan Ya personally visited the hospital. After enduring Lin Guixiang's angry accusations, she still insisted on staying. Because she needed to look after the store, Lin Guixiang couldn't spare time to be at the hospital.
Coupled with Nan Ya going to the police station to testify that Xu Yi had beaten people, she handed her son over to Nan Ya to care for. Lao Zhou thought Nan Ya was heartless, even thinking of sending her husband to jail. Lin Guixiang heard this and was displeased, believing that even jailing a man who commits domestic violence like this wouldn't be satisfying enough.
Although Zhou Luo was injured and apologized, Nan Ya had not forgiven him for his previous offense. In Nan Ya's view, swords hurt the body, but words kill the heart. Words spoken are hard to take back, and gratitude and forgiveness cannot be exchanged. It was precisely because of this that Zhou Luo was in low spirits. In the evening, he borrowed poetry books to convey his guilt and feelings to Nan Ya. Wan Wan had a severe fever.
Jiang Zhi reprimanded Nan Ya for being irresponsible and warned that if a similar situation occurred again, dialysis would be necessary. Hospital nurses gossiped about Nan Ya's private matters. Wherever she went, she was maliciously speculated about. Zhou Luo comforted Nan Ya sympathetically, but she always showed a strong side and kept others at a distance. Soon after, Xu Yi's family came to trouble Nan Ya.
Zhou Luo worried about her safety, sneaked out of the hospital in the middle of the night, and went to find her in the heavy rain. Seeing Nan Ya safe and sound, Zhou Luo finally relaxed. But Nan Ya saw Zhou Luo soaked and couldn't bear it, so she asked him to come in and sit for a while. Zhou Luo took this opportunity to apologize again.
After the rain stopped, Nan Ya rode her bicycle to take Zhou Luo back to the hospital. They passed the bluestone alley bathed in moonlight; the arched bridge shrouded in mist. Accompanied by Zhou Luo's recitation of poetry, word by word, it gradually imprinted itself on each other's souls.
On the sixth day after the incident, Lin Fanglu waited for Zhou Luo to come home and directly pointed out that he and Nan Ya had similar reading interests, suspecting their relationship was more than shallow. Zhou Luo retorted, saying he had almost borrowed every book in the collection, so this could not be used as a basis. On the contrary, Lin Fanglu and Nan Ya were classmates, so their connection was far deeper than his.
With one sentence, Zhou Luo shifted from a passive position to an active one. The two intelligent people tested each other, and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand in their back and forth. Afterward, Zhou Luo returned to his room and was silent for a long time before slowly unfolding an old group photo. On it were a young Lin Fanglu and Nan Ya, standing side by side, smiling at the camera.
--- Because Nan Ya's injury medical record mysteriously skipped pages, Lin Fanglu suspected someone deliberately destroyed it, so he went to Chen Ling again to ask about the situation, which caused Chen Ling's emotions to erupt. Chen Ling left the hospital angrily and sat by the river alone in a daze. After she calmed down, she talked with Lin Fanglu and, based on her understanding of Nan Ya, firmly believed that Nan Ya murdered Xu Yi.
In fact, the root of Nan Ya's tragedy lay with her mother, who loved poetry. This woman had hoped to return to the city but was violated by Nan Ya's father after getting drunk, became pregnant in a daze, and was completely bound to Qingshui Town. Nan Ya's father was addicted to alcohol, and whenever he was drunk, their home would become his outlet.
Facing her husband's repeated brutality, Nan Ya's mother bore immense psychological pressure and finally chose to commit suicide with lingering resentment. Losing her mother, Nan Ya did not see repentance or change in her father. Soon, her father remarried a divorced woman named Hu Xiu, who had a son named Hu Lifan. He was Nan Ya's stepbrother and also the man who truly ruined her life.
Originally, Nan Ya had excellent grades and planned to apply for university to leave Qingshui Town, but Hu Xiu wanted her to marry Hu Lifan, selfishly withholding the money for her registration fee, forcing her to drop out of school. For a time, Nan Ya gradually became cheerful under the guidance of Chen Ling and her parents, but not long after, her father froze to death from drunkenness, and she was publicly slapped and cursed by Hu Xiu.
From then on, Nan Ya's personality reverted to being as solitary and indifferent as before, unwilling to share her thoughts with Chen Ling even if she had any. Hu Lifan was uneducated and wasteful, exhausting the family's savings, relying entirely on Hu Xiu for food, clothing, play, and entertainment. Thus, Nan Ya had no money for school and was deprived of the opportunity for further education by the Hu family mother and son.
After graduating from high school, she could only work in a factory to save money. In contrast, Chen Ling met a wealthy man, Xu Yi, quickly established a relationship with him, and introduced him to Nan Ya. But Chen Ling never imagined that Nan Ya would seduce her boyfriend, develop a deep relationship behind her back, and walk into the marriage hall.
Chen Ling felt betrayed by her best friend and lover, but she didn't blame Xu Yi, who had started the affair and abandoned her. Instead, she developed hatred towards Nan Ya, spreading rumors about her everywhere, using the outsider's mentality of watching a good show and Xu Yi's suspicion, ultimately dragging Nan Ya into the abyss. After seeing Chen Ling, Lin Fanglu personally went to visit Nan Ya and told her about her daughter Wan Wan's situation.
That year, Lin Fanglu successfully applied to the University of Political Science and Law and also hoped that Nan Ya could leave Qingshui Town sooner, but after many years, Nan Ya had unexpectedly followed in her mother's footsteps. Nan Ya told Lin Fanglu that Xu Yi was a selfish, violent, suspicious, and extremely possessive person; he was weak at his core and had no bottom line.
Lin Fanglu was curious why Nan Ya would marry such a man, but Nan Ya's attitude suddenly changed, stating frankly that even if she was materialistic, it should not be a reason for domestic violence. Late at night in the quiet hospital compound, Zhou Luo and Nan Ya sat side by side and talked openly for the first time. Zhou Luo read poetry to Nan Ya and even adapted the poems into music, which touched Nan Ya slightly.
Their past disputes and conflicts vanished like smoke, as if they had returned to the beautiful time they had shared at the audio store. The next day, Zhou Luo's family completed the discharge procedures for him. Nan Ya personally knitted a sweater and gave it to him, which surprised him greatly. But not long after, Xu Yi was released from the detention center and went to find Nan Ya with flowers and gifts.
Soon, neighbors and people in the streets were spreading rumors that the two had reconciled. Zhou Luo was furious when he heard this and threw the sweater into the trash bin upon returning home. Zhou Luo couldn't help but run to question Nan Ya, but the answer he got was that she couldn't leave Xu Yi.
In fact, Xu Yi acted polite, restrained, and magnanimous in front of outsiders, but secretly spread rumors, attempting to mold Nan Ya into a slutty and vulgar woman to satisfy his twisted possessiveness. Nan Ya knew this clearly, so while Xu Yi was off guard, she held a dagger to his neck, showing a determination to die together, scaring Xu Yi into agreeing to move out of the house.
Episode 7 Recap
Hu Yue and Jiang Bingbing walked out of the cinema, their hearts still touched by the plot, especially tearing up over the protagonists' missed opportunities. The movie inspired Hu Yue to believe she should bravely pursue love, but she was curious whether men preferred mature or pure women. In response, Jiang Bingbing shared her view: young men often like mature women, while older men prefer purity. Six months ago, Qingshui Town remained unchanged, unaffected by anyone's emotional fluctuations.
Zhou Luo could only watch the clothing store from a distance, his gaze following the woman who made his heart flutter until she disappeared into the doorway of the shop, feeling a sense of loss. Meanwhile, Jiang Bingbing gave Hu Yue advice on how to pursue Zhou Luo, teaching her how to show her feminine charm, confident that she would succeed.
At school, Hu Yue used the excuse of publishing Macau posters to ask Zhou Luo to stay and help her write on the blackboard, creating an opportunity for them to be alone. Because Zhou Luo had previously helped Nan Ya, in Hu Yue's view, he was a boy who was not bound by old ideas and was very respectful of girls, and her admiration for him grew day by day, but Zhou Luo seemed reluctant to talk about it much.
The next morning, Hu Yue proactively went to Nan Ya to alter a dress and tentatively asked her if she had someone she liked. Although Nan Ya was a bit uncomfortable, she still responded politely. As Nan Ya closed the store and rode her bicycle home, she happened to see Zhou Luo walking home from school with Hu Yue. However, the two passed each other without speaking. Soon, Zhou Luo learned from Wan Wan that Nan Ya planned to leave.
He was shocked and filled with panic. Although he knew he wasn't important in Nan Ya's heart, he still couldn't help but go find her. The pureness, ideals, recklessness, and persistence that a young man should possess, that stubbornness of running into a wall without knowing how to turn back, were fully displayed in him. The thought of Nan Ya leaving and completely disappearing from his world felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
He hugged Nan Ya tightly, openly expressing his love. Although Nan Ya had a moment of being moved, she quickly regained her composure. She wanted Zhou Luo to understand that love and liking are two different things, and liking might just be an impulse he mistakenly thought was deep affection. For someone his age, liking someone was like catching a bad cold; with time, he would forget.
At Nan Ya's insistence, Zhou Luo went home in a daze, his emotions uncontrollable. That night, he sat at his desk and recorded a cassette tape for Nan Ya, pouring out the words he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time. As if overnight, he learned awe and fear, not daring to disturb Nan Ya's life anymore, and realized that she was a huge challenge on his path in life.
This small town, just like every day in the past, always greeted the first ray of dawn with vulgarity, noisiness, and decay. Business owners opened their shops as usual, people gathered at the small store to gossip as usual, and no one knew that at this moment, a woman was quietly preparing to leave this town. Nan Ya did not foolishly wait for another man to redeem her like Wang Guihong.
Instead, using the excuse of visiting Xu Yi's mother in the city, she took a bus directly to the train station. After giving Nan Ya the cassette tape, Zhou Luo silently followed her, watching her and Wan Wan enter the station, his face streaming with tears. However, just as Nan Ya was about to board the train, Xu Jian suddenly appeared and pulled Nan Ya into his arms.
Subsequently, a group of people rushed forward, dragged her off the train without question, and took her back to the Xu family ancestral hall in Qingshui Town. Everyone accused Nan Ya of being a slut who seduced someone else's husband, and the situation gradually got out of control.
More and more spectators gathered, a group of women like hyenas fiercely tore at Nan Ya's clothes, cursing and beating her, while Xu Yi pretended to be a pitiful figure betrayed by his wife. It was at this moment that Nan Ya saw Zhou Luo pushing his way through the crowd. Hearing her daughter's cries, she immediately cast a pleading look at him.
Zhou Luo understood and hugged Wan Wan, covering her eyes, and handed her over to his mother, Lin Guixiang, to take care of. Just as he was about to go back, Chen Jun stopped him in the alley, warning him not to meddle and get into trouble. Finally, the police officers arrived and dispersed the crowd.
Nan Ya's body was exposed to the spectators' mocking gazes, only Hu Yue and Jiang Bingbing, two kind girls, took off their school jackets to cover her. That night, accompanied by Zhou Luo, Nan Ya swam naked into the cold river water, questioning Zhou Luo about what he really wanted.
Episode 8 Recap
After the interview, the reporter asked Lin Fanglu to inform them immediately if he found any clues. Given the warning significance of the Millennium Eve husband murder case to society, they planned to make it a key topic. In addition, the reporter learned that Lin Fanglu was the first student from Qingshui Town to be admitted to a key university and planned to include this information in the report, but Lin Fanglu refused.
The case was quickly published in the newspaper and attracted widespread attention. Zhou Luo, as the sole eyewitness, instantly became the focus of public opinion. Lin Guixiang was worried that the Xu family's anger wouldn't subside, and since Nan Ya was out of their reach inside, they might target Zhou Luo. Lao Zhou reminded her not to overthink it, saying the Xu family wouldn't dare act rashly at this time.
Lao Zhou saw his son return from outside holding Wan Wan and warned him to mind his own business and focus on his studies. Similarly, Zhang Huashan lamented that Zhou Luo witnessing the murder case would definitely have a psychological impact, yet he was unwilling to give up this golden signboard. Zhang Qingli returned home and heard her parents' conversation, learning that Nan Ya might face the death penalty, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
His girlfriend Wen Ting came to Qingshui Town to visit Lin Fanglu during her vacation. While discussing Nan Ya's case, she sensed that Lin Fanglu had sympathy for the perpetrator. However, Wen Ting only hoped that Lin Fanglu would handle a few more major cases and return to the city soon to get married. Lin Fanglu remained silent, and the two ended up sleeping in separate beds.
While sorting through photos, Liu Xun discovered a photo that could prove his father did not abscond with money. He determined that Xu Yi had framed his father, which was why his father was forced to hide and dared not show his face. Lin Fanglu found Xu Yi's rented place based on the photo and discovered many company ledgers and clues beneficial to the case inside.
Subsequently, Lin Fanglu, Lao Chen, and others attended a municipal bureau meeting to report the case progress to their leaders. From the account files in the safe, it was clear that Xu Yi was indeed the mastermind behind the bridge case. He gained huge profits by purchasing fake materials and modifying the construction plan and costs, and transferred and hid this money through various companies.
Furthermore, based on the hair found in the sewer and the items left in Xu Yi's room, they analyzed that Xu Yi very likely had an affair during his marriage and was cohabiting with a woman. Because the other party was very secretive, neither the landlord nor the neighbors had ever seen her. Although there were signs of the room being pried open and entered, the intruder was very cautious and left no fingerprint information.
The municipal bureau leaders believed that the bridge case involved huge sums of money and two lives, and it was consistent with Nan Ya's confession. This indicated that Xu Yi killed to silence Nan Ya and prevent her from reporting him, leading Nan Ya to kill in self-defense in a state of panic. Combining the evidence and witness testimonies, Xu Yi's motive for murder and Nan Ya's self-defense were both established.
Precisely because of this, the municipal bureau leaders asked Lin Fanglu to write the report as quickly as possible and told everyone that times were different, and perspectives should change accordingly; the legal definition of such criminal behavior would become increasingly clear and comprehensive.
Considering that Nan Ya was a long-term victim of domestic violence, there were eyewitnesses, media support, and attention from the provincial department and the Women's Federation, the handling of the case must be done with extreme caution. Although Lao Chen did not agree with this conclusion, he could not change public opinion. Lin Fanglu returned to his alma mater classroom, reminiscing about his student days, and Nan Ya's face appeared before his eyes.
In contrast, the relationship between Wen Ting and Lin Fanglu became increasingly cold, completely lacking the deep affection between lovers, but that night, Lin Fanglu still chose to share a bed with Wen Ting. Because of Zhou Luo's prominence at school, Liu Xun harbored resentment towards him.
Afterwards, Liu Xun learned from netizens that Zhou Luo had been ordered to withdraw from school due to a sex scandal, and the person who left with him was also a female teacher over forty. After class the next day, Liu Xun deliberately pasted the female teacher's photo on the blackboard to provoke Zhou Luo, triggering a fight. Chen Jun arrived in time to stop Zhou Luo, preventing a tragedy.
After returning to the dorm, Chen Jun asked Zhou Luo about the identity of the woman in the photo. Zhou Luo did not answer directly but followed Chen Jun to his home for dinner, where they happened to meet Lin Fanglu.
At the dinner table, Zhou Luo revealed the details of Xu Yi chasing and hacking at Nan Ya with an axe, and the scene later where Xu Yi slipped and fell onto Nan Ya with a knife in his chest. Chen Ling could not tolerate Zhou Luo absolving Nan Ya and left angrily again. As Lin Fanglu and Zhou Luo walked back, Lin Fanglu stated that Nan Ya would soon be classified as acting in self-defense because of Zhou Luo's testimony.
Episode 9 Recap
Chen Ling, in order to protect Xu Yi, personally confessed her relationship with him to Lao Chen and firmly believed that Xu Yi would not kill Nan Ya. Because on the day of the incident, Xu Yi was with her all along, and she was the woman Xu Yi had outside his marriage. Lao Chen was startled upon hearing this, looking at his daughter in disbelief. He saw her eyes dim, her thoughts drifting back several months.
That year, Chen Ling was betrayed by Xu Yi and never saw him again. Later, Xu Yi was sent to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning. When he discovered that Chen Ling was the nurse on duty, he began endless pestering. Similarly, Chen Ling could never forget Xu Yi, eventually becoming his hidden mistress. Xu Yi lied, claiming he was beguiled by Nan Ya and his married life was full of regret, and promised to divorce as soon as possible.
Chen Ling believed him. This relationship continued until New Year's Eve. Nan Ya came to her initiative, stating that she had known about their relationship for a long time and hoped Chen Ling would persuade Xu Yi to divorce. Chen Ling was moved by what Nan Ya said and indeed got Xu Yi to agree to divorce, but she didn't expect the murder to happen that night.
Furthermore, she had seen Xu Jian outside Xu Yi's house and guessed that Nan Ya and he were not innocent, just as rumored outside. Chen Ling also revealed that the bridge case was Xu Jian's doing; he proactively requested to contract part of the project, and the bridge collapsed due to his insatiable greed. In reality, Xu Yi's responsibility was not significant, and this matter was not enough to serve as a motive for murder.
Lao Chen was furious and demanded that Chen Ling go to the police station and explain everything clearly. The whole family rushed over to dissuade her. Lao Chen's wife pleaded for their daughter, but was refused by Lao Chen. Lin Fanglu coincidentally met Teacher Zheng while having breakfast. Seeing that Lin Fanglu had become an excellent criminal investigator, Teacher Zheng was very pleased. Because Teacher Zheng had always been teaching the graduating class at Qingshui No.
1 Middle School, and it happened that Zhou Luo was also from Qingshui No. 1 Middle School, Lin Fanglu directly inquired with Teacher Zheng about Zhou Luo's situation. However, Teacher Zheng spoke highly of Zhou Luo, thinking the child was very much like Lin Fanglu, with a steady personality and excellent academic performance, capable of getting into a prestigious school even after dropping out and retaking the exams.
When mentioning Nan Ya, Teacher Zheng considered her a rare good student whose future development would far surpass Lin Fanglu and Zhou Luo. Even after this incident occurred, he still firmly believed she could not be a bad person. Lao Chen rushed back to the station, but unfortunately, he was a step too late; Lin Fanglu had already submitted the report to the captain.
Subsequently, the police found clues outside Xu Yi's house, confirming that the shoe print belonged to Xu Jian. Xu Jian had a company that contracted bridge projects. The legal representative was his wife's cousin's fiancé. Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen summoned Xu Jian, who confessed that everything was instigated by Xu Yi behind the scenes. He stated that his relationship with Nan Ya was innocent.
Because Xu Yi wanted to trap Nan Ya, he asked him and his wife to put on an act to prove her infidelity in the marriage. Therefore, Nan Ya had no way to divorce; otherwise, she would lose custody of her daughter Wan Wan if she filed for divorce. For many years, Xu Jian relied on Xu Yi to get projects and support his family.
It was equivalent to the livelihood of his entire family depending on Xu Yi, so naturally, he obeyed him without question. Xu Yi resorted to unscrupulous means to amass money. He secretly instructed Xu Jian to find a trustworthy person to open a company, keeping the relationship as distant as possible. In reality, this was about transferring money through various channels, allowing him to make a fortune.
After the bridge accident occurred, Xu Yi remained aloof and didn't care about the lives of others at all. Xu Jian really had no other way and planned to talk to Xu Yi, but that night, he heard arguing in the yard and climbed over the wall out of curiosity to listen for a while. In the end, he found it uninteresting and left first.
The main reason he wasn't in a hurry to confront Xu Yi was that he had obtained some key evidence. Ever since Liu Changshui disappeared, Xu Yi reported him to the police for absconding with funds, identifying him as the main person responsible for the accident. But not long after, Xu Jian took a photo of the two of them talking at a small restaurant in the suburbs, further proving that Liu Changshui was hiding under Xu Yi's instruction.
In addition, Xu Jian told Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen that he had long been dissatisfied with Xu Yi. Besides helping transfer money and clean up messes, he had also previously concealed the secret of Xu Yi and Nan Ya's affair from the outside world.
Episode 10 Recap
Ever since Nan Ya's father died on a winter night with heavy snow, Hu Xiu has hated Nan Ya deeply, even cursing her as a "vixen" in front of the police. She seemed convinced that Hu Lifan did not lustfully assault Nan Ya back then, but rather Nan Ya intentionally seduced Hu Lifan. This resentment always gave Hu Xiu an excuse to attack Nan Ya. The evil of Qingshui Town was etched into its bones and flowed in its blood.
When this "water" was no longer clear, the malice would scatter with just a gust of wind, making one shudder. Most of the rumors about Nan Ya were spread by Xu Yi and Chen Ling together, and another part was instigated by Hu Xiu to achieve her ulterior motives.
On New Year's Eve of the millennium, Hu Xiu cursed at Nan Ya on the street, but Nan Ya was not to be outdone, warning her to move out of her father's house as soon as possible, otherwise she would seek legal recourse. These words completely enraged Hu Xiu. She ran to Xu Yi to complain, maliciously speculating that Nan Ya had a lover outside, and Xu Yi actually believed her.
Seeing Xu Yi angrily take Nan Ya away, Hu Xiu felt triumphant. However, the next second, she was rushed to the hospital due to angina. After waking up, she noticed Chen Ling crying sadly in the corner, and using Chen Ling's plight, she attempted to solidify Nan Ya's image as a ruthless and promiscuous woman.
Last time, Liu Xun felt unsatisfied after provoking Zhou Luo with a photo of the female teacher, so this time he escalated, posting posters all over the classroom. The two got into a big fight on campus, making it known throughout the school. Principal Zhang Huashan rushed to call the police to stop the farce, but he didn't want the students to be detained and affect their college entrance exams, so he eventually just criticized and lectured them.
Lin Fanglu spoke to Liu Xun alone, warning him not to do things that harm others without benefiting himself. In contrast, Zhou Luo had dinner with Chen Jun and others, intending to reveal the real reason he dropped out of school, but everyone didn't mind at all and were still willing to be friends with him. Zhang Qingli was even more heartbroken by Zhou Luo's experience.
On the other side, Lin Guixiang was rummaging through Zhou Luo's room, always feeling that her son was hiding something from them. Zhou's father advised his wife not to pry into their son's privacy, but Lin Guixiang revealed that she witnessed the car burning on New Year's Eve and, based on Zhou Luo's reaction, he was the one who burned the car.
Lin Fanglu contacted his girlfriend Wen Ting, asking her to help find out the reason for Zhou Luo's dropping out. Wen Ting knew that Lin Fanglu used to like Nan Ya and reminded him not to get caught up in such a clichéd romance drama, much less dream of being a hero saving a beauty. They were both rational people and eventually had to return to normal life. That night, everyone was lost in their thoughts.
Lao Chen learned from the cinema ticket checker that Nan Ya and Xu Yi did not watch a movie, which meant Xu Jian's testimony was not mixed with lies. Afterwards, Lao Chen asked Lin Fanglu to accompany him for a chat by the river and shared their own concerns.
Lin Fanglu said his mentor had regrets over an unsolved case, while Lao Chen also stated frankly that as long as the Hu Lifan case remained unsolved, it would be a knot in his heart. Although a suspect was arrested before, the suspect revealed the killer was Qiu Kuan, who was already dead. Only Hu Xiu insisted that Hu Lifan was killed by Nan Ya. The next morning, the two personally went to Hu Xiu to understand the situation.
Hu Xiu was still cursing Nan Ya, wishing she were dead. This hatred was definitely not groundless. Seeing that Hu Xiu was unwilling to reveal more information, Lin Fanglu prepared to leave. However, Hu Xiu suddenly stopped them and, after a moment of hesitation, voluntarily confessed some old matters. From her disjointed words, Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen were basically able to confirm that Hu Lifan had assaulted Nan Ya when they were students. Although in everyone's eyes this was a forced assault, Hu Xiu still insisted that Nan Ya was indecent and deliberately seduced her son, which led to this result.
Episode 11 Recap
Nan Ya used to be beautiful and outstanding, and multi-talented, once becoming the focus of attention among her classmates. However, after her mother passed away, the so-called "stepmother" Hu Xiu appeared with her son Hu Lifan, and Nan Ya's life gradually turned dark. Hu Lifan was only slightly older than Nan Ya, and whenever he looked at his stepsister, his eyes were filled with an undeniable lewdness.
Originally, Nan Ya, Lin Fanglu, and others had arranged to watch a meteor shower, but she was harassed by drunk hooligans on the way. Although Hu Lifan appeared in time and took Nan Ya away, he had already prepared to carry out his long-planned evil intentions. In the end, Nan Ya failed to resist and suffered a shameless assault in the woods.
Afterward, Hu Lifan walked away arrogantly, leaving Nan Ya like a walking dead person, struggling to walk towards home. At this moment, Nan Ya's father was humming a tune, Hu Xiu was in a rather good mood, and Hu Lifan was eating noodles next to them. The family of three seemed warm and harmonious. However, Nan Ya walked straight up and smashed the noodle bowl, then turned and rushed into the kitchen to grab a knife.
Seeing this, Nan Ya's father understood instantly. He angrily raised a shovel, but Hu Lifan took it away and started punching and kicking him. To prevent Nan Ya from calling the police, Hu Xiu and her son locked her in the woodshed. And Nan Ya's father, despite knowing his daughter had been violated and he himself had been beaten, still knelt before Hu Xiu to beg for forgiveness.
That night, while Nan Ya was unconscious, Hu Xiu cleaned up the bloodstains and residues for her, completely erasing the evidence of her son's crime. Nan Ya's father could only stand by the door, weeping sadly. The next day, Nan Ya didn't come to school, which aroused everyone's suspicion.
Lin Fanglu went to ask Nan Ya's father about the situation, but Nan Ya's father was reeking of alcohol and ignored him, finally lying that Nan Ya was sick and had taken leave. Meanwhile, Nan Ya was still locked in the room.
Nan Ya's father brought her food and persuaded his daughter not to call the police, because it was a time of harsh crackdowns, and if Hu Lifan was caught, he might face the death penalty, and the family would be torn apart as a result. Nan Ya's father hoped his daughter would marry Hu Lifan after graduation, believing that they had already had a substantive relationship.
If she didn't marry Hu Lifan, he feared no one would marry a woman who had lost her virginity. Listening to her father's words, Nan Ya's heart sank to the bottom. She finally understood why her mother was disappointed in her father, and she also hated being born into such a family. After learning about Nan Ya's experience, Lin Fanglu was both shocked and angry.
Even Lao Chen found it hard to believe that such a small town like Qingshui Town could have so many vicious people. It was precisely because of this that Lin Fanglu drank alone by the bridge, listening to the songs from his alma mater and recalling Nan Ya's dropping out of school.
He hated his weakness and incompetence, for not protecting Nan Ya and not having the courage to take her away from this troubled place, because once he made a wrong choice, it might take years or even decades to pay the price, and he didn't dare to gamble. Early the next morning, Lin Fanglu used the photo taken by Xu Jian to find the restaurant where Xu Yi and Liu Changshui met. But the restaurant had closed down.
The manager revealed that the restaurant used to be a repair shop. Lin Fanglu therefore obtained important information: the repairman Wu Shangui didn't go away, but married and had children in the neighboring Furong Town, where he opened a mahjong hall. Subsequently, Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen personally went to the mahjong hall to investigate.
Through Wu Shangui, they learned that Xu Yi had driven there in the middle of the night five years ago because his car had broken down and he asked Wu Shangui to check it. During that time, Xu Yi's behavior was somewhat strange, and he even prevented Wu Shangui from opening the trunk. According to Wu Shangui's recollection, there was also a woman in the car at that time.
Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen speculated that if this person was Nan Ya, it was highly likely that she and Xu Yi jointly killed Hu Lifan and dumped the body in the suburbs. In order to cover their tracks, the two would need a ticket checker to provide an alibi, which perfectly matched Xu Jian's statement about "hiding an affair. " Lin Fanglu drove along the road to the suburbs and discovered a large lake ahead. His first instinct was that Hu Lifan's body was most likely thrown in here.
Episode 12 Recap
The police quickly locked down this wild lake and began searching, but the underwater visibility was too low, making the search difficult. Just when everyone was losing hope, the salvage team suddenly discovered a tightly wrapped body. Based on the degree of decomposition, it didn't seem like the person had been dead for five years, until they saw the name Liu Changshui written on the identification. Soon, the salvage team pulled another body from the lake.
Forensic examination confirmed that the two bodies were Hu Lifeng, who disappeared five years ago, and Liu Changshui, who fled with embezzled funds six months ago. Because Hu Lifeng's body had been submerged for a long time, the forensic doctor couldn't determine the exact time of death, but estimated it to be at least more than five years. From the condition of the skulls, both had been struck with a heavy object.
However, Liu Changshui died of suffocation, while Hu Lifeng had a comminuted skull fracture, possibly caused by traumatic brain injury, or perhaps by other reasons. Since his organs had decomposed, a definitive conclusion couldn't be reached. Based on the methods, the forensic doctor speculated that the two cases were very similar, so it was likely the work of the same person. Although Lin Fanglu suspected Xu Yi as the main suspect, there was no direct evidence at this time.
The forensic doctor stated that even with DNA testing, samples would need to be sent to a provincial institution. He also revealed that Liu Changshui had been struck unexpectedly without any defense, and there were no signs of a struggle between them, while Hu Lifeng's condition made comparison impossible. Subsequently, Lin Fanglu went to see Nan Ya again, showing her two photos of the body disposal site.
As expected, Nan Ya's emotional state showed obvious fluctuations, and she finally revealed the fact that she had been violated by Hu Lifeng. After Nan Ya's father died, Hu Xiu and her son attempted to control Nan Ya, forcing her to drop out of school, and even publicly humiliated her. But Nan Ya disregarded Hu Xiu and her son, even warning Hu Lifeng to take a good look at himself.
If he wanted to marry her, he had to be psychologically prepared, because any night he could be killed by her. As soon as she finished speaking, Hu Lifeng, at Hu Xiu's signal, rushed forward to drag Nan Ya back to the room. Fortunately, Chen Ling arrived in time to protect Nan Ya and took her away from Hu Xiu's house. At this time, Nan Ya could only feel warmth in the Chen family.
The whole family expressed concern and comfort, and treated her like family, which moved her deeply. From then on, Nan Ya went to work in a factory, planning to save money to study and go to university, which was her only hope of escaping Qingshui Town. In the spring of 1994, Nan Ya and Chen Ling had grown into adults. Chen Ling had met a boyfriend, Xu Yi, and introduced him to Nan Ya without hesitation.
The three often went shopping, ate meals, or went to dance halls together. During this time, Xu Yi gradually fell in love with the beautiful Nan Ya. Sometimes, when he kissed Chen Ling, he was thinking of Nan Ya. Even when he walked her back to the dormitory, he would look back for a long time, reluctant to leave.
Until one day, Xu Yi mustered up his courage and presented Nan Ya with flowers to express his feelings, but he was ruthlessly rejected by Nan Ya. Nan Ya couldn't accept Xu Yi betraying Chen Ling, nor could she become a third party who destroyed other people's relationships, so she asked Xu Yi to leave.
The next second, Hu Lifeng emerged from the corner, mocking Nan Ya for being promiscuous, saying that no matter how pure she pretended to be, she was still a woman he had slept with. In the time that followed, Xu Yi was obsessed with Nan Ya, while Nan Ya was distant from Xu Yi. Anyone with eyes could see that something was amiss, but Chen Ling didn't take it seriously at all.
Hu Lifeng was idle every day, and whenever he needed money, he would come to Nan Ya for it, repeatedly escalating his demands, causing Nan Ya great suffering. Soon, Chen Ling revealed to Nan Ya that she was preparing to get married. Nan Ya reminded Chen Ling to consider it carefully, and not to be deceived by appearances, but Chen Ling didn't listen at all. Hu Lifeng informed Nan Ya to come home for dinner that night.
Nan Ya refused and was slapped by him, attracting the attention and discussion of her colleagues at the factory. Chen Ling and Xu Yi rushed to her rescue, and Hu Lifeng had no choice but to leave angrily. That day, Xu Yi came to see Nan Ya again, wanting to ask her to go to a movie with him, hoping she would make a decision after seeing the movie.
That night, Xu Yi waited for Nan Ya in vain, so he drove to Nan Ya's residence and unexpectedly caught Hu Lifeng violently assaulting Nan Ya. Hu Lifeng had long harbored resentment towards Xu Yi, and directly kicked him to the ground and beat him up. Seeing Nan Ya injured, Xu Yi, in anger, pushed Hu Lifeng's face into the fire and even raised a shovel to smash it hard on his head.
Episode 13 Recap
Night was deep, heavy rain poured down. Beyond the noisy sound of the rain, a car drove straight into the suburbs. Xu Yi dragged Hu Lifeng's body from the car and discarded it in the wild lake. Just then, Nan Ya woke up and witnessed this scene through the car window. Recalling what happened that night, she was still shaken. Xu Yi told her that she would no longer be threatened by Hu Lifeng from now on.
However, the clues Nan Ya provided to the police were limited to personal speculation. She was even more afraid that the speculation would become reality. Lao Chen believed that when Nan Ya recounted the incident, she deliberately concealed her role in pushing for Hu Lifeng's death. Nan Ya insisted that she was the victim and that even if she didn't kill Hu Lifeng herself, the hatred in her heart for him was deeper than anyone else's.
Lao Chen found a piece of torn cloth in the trash can outside the boiler room door. He suspected it was torn from Hu Lifeng's clothes and had his bloodstains on it. But Lin Fanglu couldn't understand why Xu Yi, who had processed the scene so meticulously, would leave such a significant flaw. Doubt lingered in his mind.
Returning to the detention center, Lao Chen questioned Nan Ya again, asking her to recall the color of the clothes Hu Lifeng was wearing and what happened on the night of the incident. In Nan Ya's narration, Xu Yi put Hu Lifeng's body into the trunk and went to a car repair shop. Afterward, the two returned to their residence, dejected. Nan Ya wanted to turn herself in but was stopped by Xu Yi.
Xu Yi took this opportunity to express his deep feelings, and ultimately won her over completely. After Xu Yi woke up, he proactively contacted Chen Ling, deliberately lured her to Nan Ya's dormitory, and staged a scene of catching them having an affair to fabricate an alibi.
Because of this incident, Chen Ling completely resented Nan Ya, crying and cursing her as having a cruel heart, saying that the retribution she had received and would receive in the future was well-deserved and that she would never find happiness in her life. Lao Chen was furious upon hearing this. Lin Fanglu was also curious why Nan Ya didn't choose to call the police.
Nan Ya said that at the time, she couldn't be sure of the truth of the matter. Once the speculation was confirmed, Xu Yi had killed Hu Lifeng for her, and she couldn't live with that on her conscience. Later, Nan Ya married Xu Yi out of gratitude, and Xu Yi also fell out with his family to marry her.
The two also had a period of loving days, but as time passed, Xu Yi's temperament became volatile, he was often suspicious, and even physically abused Nan Ya. Since their daughter Wan Wan was born prematurely due to Xu Yi kicking her, resulting in congenital kidney failure, Nan Ya gradually became disappointed in Xu Yi. Before the train station incident, Nan Ya felt slightly indebted to Xu Yi.
But after the train station incident, her heart was filled with endless hatred. The main reason she didn't report Xu Yi was primarily for Wan Wan's medical expenses. The mother and son came to the morgue to see Liu Changshui's body. Liu Qi was heartbroken, and Liu Xun also felt bad.
Soon, the forensic doctor detected Xu Yi's DNA under Liu Changshui's fingernails, determining that Liu Changshui suffered a traumatic brain injury from being struck in the back of the head with a blunt object, and was then tied to a large stone and drowned in the lake. The method of body disposal was identical to the Hu Lifeng case, basically confirming that Xu Yi was the killer.
Because the mother and son from the Liu family were emotional, Lin Fanglu first comforted them and promised to bring justice for the deceased. When the criminal police team discussed the case, they first ruled out Nan Ya as a suspect for murder. Whether she was harboring a suspect was unknown. The bureau leader was very happy that the cold case spanning five years had finally been solved, and publicly praised Lao Chen and Lin Fanglu.
But Lao Chen still had unresolved issues. He always felt that Nan Ya was hiding something and confessed to Lin Fanglu that Chen Ling was Xu Yi's secret lover. On the fifteenth day after the incident, Lao Chen went home and asked his wife about their daughter's state after learning of Xu Yi's death.
Chen Qi said that on the day Xu Yi was killed, Chen Ling became emotionally unstable upon learning about it, and later she was in a daze, which pained her greatly. Now that this had happened, Chen Qi was worried that their daughter would not be able to face others in the future. Lao Chen was about to go find Chen Ling but was stopped by his wife, so he had no choice but to stay at home.
Episode 14 Recap
As the outside world learned that Nan Ya was highly likely to be acquitted on grounds of self-defense, reporters and Hu Xiu arrived at the criminal police team one after another. The former was there to conduct an in-depth interview on the case, while the latter caused a commotion at the criminal police team, accusing Lin Fanglu and Nan Ya of being former classmates and thus shielding the killer.
Other police officers from the station then had to step in to escort these people out. In addition, Xu Yi's family also came to cause trouble. Lao Chen finally managed to persuade them to leave. Liu Changshui's family wanted to seek compensation. Lin Fanglu patiently explained that civil compensation requires filing a lawsuit and that half of Xu Yi's property, which was jointly owned with Nan Ya, could be used for compensation.
However, his property was frozen due to the bridge case, and there were many financial holes to fill. Not only would the process be long, but the actual compensation received would be negligible. Liu Xun, who had been silent next to them, suddenly spoke up. He wanted to know why Xu Yi killed Liu Changshui.
Lin Fanglu stated that Liu Changshui had blackmailed Xu Yi before his death, thus inviting the killing, and showed Liu Xun a photo of the restaurant. Liu Xun recalled being beaten for threatening Xu Yi and deliberately concealed the secret that Liu Changshui had left him a large sum of money.
After leaving the criminal police team, Liu Xun went to the place where Liu Changshui had hidden the money, only to find that both the letter and the money were gone. Subsequently, the economic investigation unit thoroughly checked all account statements of Xu Yi's company and also found the source of the unqualified materials. They confirmed that the company run by the husband of Xu Jian's wife's cousin was not simple at all.
Liu Changshui regularly received a salary from the company, and the accounting books had clearly been manipulated, making it difficult to trace the flow of funds. However, one point was certain: the economic investigation unit suspected that the person who secretly burned the car and the person who lived with Xu Yi were the same person, with the purpose of destroying this evidence.
Lin Fanglu combined these clues and suspected that Xu Yi and Xu Jian had conspired to kill someone, so he interrogated Xu Jian again to understand the situation. Xu Jian admitted that he did hate Liu Changshui, but not enough to commit murder. When he saw the autopsy photo of Liu Changshui, he paused for a moment, clearly not expecting that Xu Yi would actually kill him.
Xu Jian voluntarily confessed that after the bridge incident, the three of them had met in a small restaurant and even had a dispute due to differing opinions. Xu Yi had a volatile temper and would resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. In the end, it was at Xu Jian's suggestion that Liu Changshui was persuaded to accept a 40% share of the profits. Liu Changshui was hesitant and insisted on going back to consider it.
However, shortly after, Liu Changshui suddenly changed his mind and insisted on taking half of the money plus a house, otherwise he would report them to the police. Xu Yi found Xu Jian to discuss pooling money, but was rejected by Xu Jian. Xu Jian also confessed to having previously snuck into Xu Yi's residence and personally witnessing Chen Ling burning the car on New Year's Eve millennium night.
Lao Chen was shocked upon hearing this and immediately called Chen Ling, asking her to come to the criminal police team for investigation. Chen Ling admitted that she set fire to the car, only because she discovered that Xu Yi had been superficial with her all along and never had any intention of getting a divorce.
On New Year's Eve millennium night, Xu Yi and Nan Ya were supposed to discuss divorce matters, but Chen Ling found the two arguing by the river and feared things would change, so she planned to go to Xu Yi's house to make things clear. However, Xu Yi was impatient with Chen Ling's appearance and even pushed her out the door, which completely disheartened her.
Through this incident, Chen Ling knew that Xu Yi was simply in love with someone he couldn't have, that Nan Ya had never loved him from beginning to end, and that she herself was the real clown in this relationship. Although Chen Ling had not witnessed the entire incident, she insisted that Xu Yi was not bad at heart and became like this entirely because of Nan Ya, suggesting that Nan Ya had a greater motive for killing him.
After Xu Yi's death, to prevent the police from finding where she lived with him, Nan Ya packed up her things in advance and also believed that Nan Ya would not tell the police about this matter. On the night of the incident, Chen Ling burned the car without hesitation. Liu Xun and Zhou Luo arrived at the scene one after another. Zhou Luo threw a bag into the car and ran away.
Episode 15 Recap
Liu Xun confessed to the police that he burned Xu Yi's car, and even for a moment wanted to kill him. But he unexpectedly found a letter written by the female teacher to Zhou Luo, full of apologies for his expulsion, which made him suspect Zhou Luo had an improper relationship with the female teacher.
It was also on the night of the millennium that Liu Xun helped Chen Ling set fire to Xu Yi's car, and coincidentally ran into Zhang Qingli, who was running barefoot and crying. In Liu Xun's view, the millennium would not bring any changes to Qingshui Town; the gutters in the toilets would still stink, dirty people would still be dirty, and ants would always be ants.
Combining so many pieces of evidence and clues, Lao Chen gradually began to sympathize with Nan Ya, believing her to be acting in self-defense with no questionable points. Whether it was the bridge case or the Hu Lifan case, neither had a direct connection to her. Even the car burning was done by Chen Ling and Liu Xun. The case could essentially be declared closed.
But Lin Fanglu had a different opinion, thinking Nan Ya was not acting in self-defense, and that the deaths of Xu Yi and Hu Lifan had similarities. Because Lin Fanglu suspected a tangled connection between Zhou Luo and Nan Ya, he personally went to Shanghai based on the clues provided by Liu Xun to find Donghua University, where Zhou Luo once studied, and investigate the real reason for his expulsion.
Director He stated that Zhou Luo had outstanding academic performance and was well-regarded by teachers. Yang Mei was their department's theoretical mechanics teacher; she had a relatively cold personality, was still single at forty, and only showed exceptional care for Zhou Luo, leading everyone to gossip about the two having an affair. Although the school found this to be groundless fabrication and rumor, at that time, rumors were rampant within the school.
Yang Mei resolutely chose to submit her resignation application to the school authorities. The news somehow reached Zhou Luo. Zhou Luo directly sought out the school leaders and even got into an argument with Deputy Director Zhang, hitting the other party in a fit of anger. In fact, Deputy Director Zhang judged others with a mean heart, his mouth full of vulgar and dirty words, which naturally caused anger.
The problem was that a student hitting a teacher had a seriously bad impact, so after discussion, the school authorities decided to have Zhou Luo write a self-criticism and apologize to Deputy Director Zhang, and give him a severe warning so he could stay in school. Unexpectedly, Zhou Luo preferred to be expelled rather than apologize. Later, Lin Guixiang tearfully begged the school leaders for leniency.
Considering that Zhou Luo was indeed a promising talent, the leaders couldn't bear to ruin his future, so they simply changed it to medical withdrawal, so as not to block his path completely. With the help of Director He, Lin Fanglu contacted the female teacher Yang Mei and found that she spoke very highly of Zhou Luo. They were both teacher and friend, and the relationship described by outsiders simply did not exist.
Even though the two no longer had contact, Yang Mei believed that Zhou Luo's character was still beyond doubt. As long as Zhou Luo said it was something he saw with his own eyes, it must be the truth itself. Lin Fanglu returned to Nanping Town and happened to meet Zhou Luo who was coming back from school.
He wanted Zhou Luo to give him an answer directly, but Zhou Luo believed that there was a type of thing in this world that would never have a so-called real answer. The truth only existed in the hearts of the parties involved, and saying more was useless. Zhou Luo learned through Chen Jun that Liu Xun's father's body had been found by the police. Liu Xun was secretly observing Zhou Luo and others.
Lin Fanglu kept Chen Jun and Jiang Bingbing in the classroom to ask about the situation, wanting to know what they thought about whether Zhou Luo liked Nan Ya. Zhang Qingli, after hearing this at the door, immediately rushed in and declared that she was Zhou Luo's girlfriend. To protect Zhou Luo, she even sacrificed her reputation, falsely claiming that she was with him on the night of the incident and did what adults do.
Precisely because of this, Lin Fanglu did not continue asking. Before leaving, he told her that he would help keep it a secret so that the outside world wouldn't know. However, as soon as everyone left, Liu Xun returned to the classroom. He took out a long-stored recorder from under Zhou Luo's desk and listened to the content of their conversation.
Episode 16 Recap
Zhang Qingli expressed her love for Zhou Luo, firmly believing in his character. She said if he was determined to protect someone, she would stand with him. Zhou Luo was deeply moved by her words. He had no reason to let down such a good girl, so in the following days, the two got closer and closer. This feedback made Zhang Qingli feel incredibly precious. After the train station incident, Nan Ya returned to Qingshui Town.
The desolate and withered town became lively due to her appearance. She was still beautiful and moving; even the bruises on her neck and mouth were merely decorative embellishments. People on both sides of the street cast their gaze, either curious, sarcastic, or wanting to see what she would become after yesterday, whether she would be in a sorry state, becoming a street rat unable to lift her head. But the fact was just the opposite.
Nan Ya did not become self-conscious or embarrassed because of this. In front of everyone, she overturned the rice bowl of the man who was criticizing her behind her back, leaving him speechless. Zhou Luo watched this scene. A feeling stronger than possessiveness surged from the bottom of his heart. It was a pain different from the usual, no longer hurting for himself, but for the woman who was being bullied by everyone.
Afterwards, at Nan Ya's request, Zhang Qingli personally went into the house to help her take photos as evidence. Seeing her whole body covered with new injuries on top of old ones, she was extremely shocked. Because Nan Ya was preparing to file a complaint with the Women's Federation, Zhang Qingli stated that she would personally accompany her and was willing to testify for her, which made Nan Ya very grateful.
Zhou Luo and others waited outside the door until Zhang Qingli came out. Listening to her describe Nan Ya's tragic experience, they were indignant about it. Zhou Luo wanted to go settle the score with Xu Yi. Zhang Qingli quickly stopped him to prevent him from acting impulsively and causing trouble, stating that Nan Ya could completely seek help from the Women's Federation and the police, and if all else failed, file for divorce.
Afterwards, Zhou Luo told everyone that Xu Yi, in order to teach Nan Ya a lesson, deliberately created the train station elopement incident to leave her with the stain of cheating and eloping, making divorce completely impossible in the future. Now Nan Ya's biggest weakness was Wan Wan. Once divorced, she would inevitably lose custody. Zhang Qingli and the others wanted to help Nan Ya escape, but in Zhou Luo's opinion, it was meaningless.
Chen Jun mentioned a movie about murder and staging the crime scene, which was said unintentionally but heard with intent. Not long after, the bridge collapsed, causing deaths. Qingshui Town was thrown into chaos, and people rushed to Shengda Construction Company to demand an explanation. Xu Yi angrily accused Liu Changshui, but Liu Changshui and Xu Jian shifted responsibility to each other.
Finally, Xu Yi reported Liu Changshui to the police, but Liu Changshui absconded with the money, becoming the hot topic of gossip in the town again. In the middle of the night, Zhou Luo was discovered by Chen Jun while he was alone looking for evidence. Chen Jun accompanied him out of loyalty, and the two went all the way to the collapse site, but soon two cars drove in.
The leading person in charge told everyone that these things must be removed tonight. If they waited for the investigation team, it would definitely be too late, and they absolutely could not let them find any clues. From this, it could be seen that Xu Yi was inseparable from the bridge case. On the surface, he had a falling out with Xu Jian, but behind the scenes, he was doing unspeakable things.
In order to send Xu Yi to prison, the four people, Zhou Luo, Chen Jun, Zhang Qingli, and Jiang Bingbing, decided to investigate secretly. It just so happened that Jiang Bingbing had a camera that could be useful. Afterwards, the four tracked Xu Yi and found that Liu Changshui had not escaped but was meeting him in a small restaurant in the suburbs. Zhou Luo took more photos while seizing this opportunity.
Until Xu Yi and Liu Changshui parted ways, he followed Liu Changshui to observe where he had gone. Liu Changshui wanted to block Xu Yi, but Xu Yi ignored him and drove away directly, eventually shaking off the four people on bicycles. Because there were too many people and it was too conspicuous, Zhou Luo and Chen Jun followed in a car behind them to confirm the location where Liu Changshui and Xu Yi frequently met.
That night, Liu Changshui was burying money in the woods by the river, not yet aware of Xu Yi standing behind him. Xu Yi raised a shovel and killed Liu Changshui with a blow, took the money directly, and dumped the body into a wild lake. On the eighteenth day after the case occurred, Lin Fanglu was still organizing the statements from Chen Jun and the others.
Chen Jun deliberately waited for Zhou Luo to come out of the library, found an excuse to accompany him home, and incidentally talked about the movie he had recently watched, trying to probe his attitude through indirect questioning. However, Zhou Luo appeared very calm. Chen Jun couldn't help but ask him if he had killed someone.
Episode 17 Recap
Chen Jun repeatedly asked Zhou Luo if he had killed someone, but Zhou Luo remained silent, which shocked him greatly. After calming down, he urged him to escape quickly. However, Zhou Luo suddenly described the details of killing with a dagger, saying that if the forensic doctor examined the suspect, how could the murderer escape? His words implicitly suggested that the real murderer was someone else. Hearing Zhou Luo say this, Chen Jun felt a little more at ease.
After bidding farewell to Zhou Luo, he returned home in a daze. Lin Fanglu asked Nan Ya to explain the source of the photos. Nan Ya lied, claiming she took the photos to find evidence of Xu Yi's crime as leverage for divorce and custody rights. She pretended not to remember the date the photos were taken or other details, which made Lin Fanglu feel very suspicious.
Lao Chen believed Nan Ya had no need to lie anymore, but Lin Fanglu thought taking these photos required long periods of waiting. Nan Ya had to take care of both the store and her child, so she had no time to do such a time-consuming and laborious thing. Combining various clues, Lin Fanglu suspected things were more complicated than he imagined, perhaps even more difficult to handle than the murder case.
--- In the following days, Zhou Luo and Zhang Qingli became a couple, looking like a sweet young couple in the eyes of outsiders. However, as their relationship spread, the young people around were full of mockery and ridicule. For a repeating student and a dropout, Zhou Luo, in their words, became someone who "goes for both old and young". Zhou Luo couldn't bear Zhang Qingli being wronged because of him.
Zhang Qingli said she never regretted it and hoped to get into a good university with Zhou Luo and get away from Qingshui Town. Afterwards, Lin Fanglu came to the print shop to investigate the photos, which happened to be overheard by Liu Xun. Liu Xun hurried home to check the photos he had saved and found them similar to the photos in Lin Fanglu's hand. When going to school in the morning, he noticed a familiar bicycle.
The sticker on it caught his attention, making his thoughts drift back several months. At that time, Liu Xun went alone to find Xu Yi to demand an explanation. As a result, he was mistakenly thought to be the person who took candid photos and was severely beaten. At the critical moment, Chen Jun and others deliberately turned off the lights in the parking lot, helping Liu Xun escape.
But Liu Xun remembered the sticker on a bicycle outside the parking lot, which was exactly the same as Zhang Qingli's bicycle. Liu Xun questioned Zhang Qingli about the source of the sticker and confirmed they were the people outside the parking lot that day. He warned Zhang Qingli to stay away from someone like Zhou Luo, who was expelled from university.
He believed that since Zhou Luo could get involved with a female teacher over forty, he would also use Zhang Qingli to achieve his goals. Zhang Qingli retorted and angrily called Liu Xun a base and shameless scoundrel. After school, the four came to the riverside to discuss whether Liu Changshui's death was related to blackmailing Xu Yi.
Because the photos they had previously obtained could not convict Xu Yi, Zhou Luo came up with the idea of blackmailing Xu Yi with the photos, hoping to expose the other party's weaknesses. Unexpectedly, it accidentally involved Liu Xun. Seeing him being beaten, he had no choice but to pull the power switch to let Liu Xun escape. Now that things had developed to this point, the four felt a mix of emotions.
Chen Jun sighed, lamenting that Zhou Luo, excellent in studies and extraordinarily lucky, should have had a bright future. He hoped that after the case was over, Zhou Luo could leave this troubled place, say a complete goodbye to the past people and events, and not have any lingering attachment to Qingshui Town.
After Liu Xun discovered the photos were problematic, he went back to the print shop to look for clues and finally locked onto Zhou Luo as his target. For this, Liu Xun personally came to find Zhou Luo and emotionally questioned him if he had taken these photos and caused his father's death. Zhou Luo firmly denied it and reminded him not to forget that Liu Changshui died due to uneven distribution of spoils.
However, Liu Xun could not accept this reality. He angrily blamed Zhou Luo, Zhang Qingli, and others, determined to retaliate against them. The next morning, when all the students were doing morning exercises in the square, they suddenly heard the school loudspeakers playing a recording of Lin Fanglu talking to Chen Jun and others. Zhou Luo and Chen Jun realized something was wrong and hurried to the broadcast room. The square was already in chaos.
Episode 18 Recap
Originally, when facing police questioning, Zhang Huashan admitted that Zhou Luo was a smart child, but his excessive intelligence made him elusive, so he worried that Zhou Luo might go astray. As for whether Zhang Qingli would like Zhou Luo, Zhang Huashan had never thought about this question. He believed his daughter was relatively simple and, while not minding her seeking Zhou Luo's help with studies, he strongly opposed them dating.
However, Zhang Huashan never expected Zhang Qingli to get involved in this scandal. Although Zhou Luo and Chen Jun cut off the power in time, preventing damage to Zhang Qingli's reputation, he still found it difficult to accept the fact of his daughter's early romance with Zhou Luo. Prompted by Liu Xun, Zhang Huashan proactively contacted Lin Fanglu and confirmed the situation. In class, Zhang Qingli was called home by a phone call from her mother.
Liu Xun was very pleased inside and again maliciously slandered Zhang Qingli and Zhou Luo, claiming their private lives were chaotic. Zhou Luo was furious and wanted to step forward to teach Liu Xun a lesson, but was stopped by classmates. Chen Jun and Jiang Bingbing saw this and had to take him out of the classroom first. Meanwhile, Zhang Huashan was enraged, questioning his daughter's actions on New Year's Eve, and slapped her.
Learning that Zhang Qingli had a premarital relationship with Zhou Luo, Zhang Huashan felt utterly humiliated, so he took Zhang Qingli to the Zhou family to demand an explanation, threatening to ruin Zhou Luo's future. The two families were locked in an irreconcilable dispute over this matter, with Lin Fanglu observing from the second floor with a cold eye.
Zhang Qingli stood in front of Zhou Luo and argued fiercely with Zhang Huashan, angering Zhang Huashan to the point of almost fainting. Lao Chen's request to recuse himself was rejected. The captain of the criminal police team believed that although Chen Ling was involved in the case, her involvement was not significantly related to the main case, thus there was no need for recusal from the Nan Ya case.
The captain cautioned them not to overthink things, and simply to uphold the law impartially and justly. Before the superiors made a decision, the case would be primarily handled by Lin Fanglu, with Lao Chen temporarily assisting alongside him. Subsequently, Lao Chen went to the hospital to visit his daughter Chen Ling and asked about her whereabouts on the night of the incident, which resulted in Chen Ling losing emotional control.
Her colleagues were discussing how well-matched Chen Ling and Jiang Zhi were. Hearing this, Chen Ling became furious and even smashed the things Jiang Zhi had left in the office. Afterwards, she found out that they were actually full moon gifts from Jiang Zhi to the director's grandson. That night, Lao Chen dreamed that Chen Ling had killed Xu Yi. He woke up with lingering fear.
Meanwhile, Chen Ling was restless in her room, looking at the gift Xu Yi had given her, her emotions complex. The romance between Zhang Qingli and Zhou Luo spread throughout the school, causing much discussion. Zhang Qingli knew that gossip could be destructive, but she still chose to hide the secret for Zhou Luo. Due to the relationship exposure, Zhou Luo was suspended from school.
Lin Gui Xiang and her husband sought out Lin Fanglu and others to uphold justice, firmly believing their son was innocent and would not do anything to harm a girl's reputation. Therefore, Lin Fanglu suspected that either Zhang Qingli or Zhou Luo was lying. Zhang Qingli argued with her parents, threatening that if they insisted on suspending Zhou Luo, she would give up her chance to retake the university entrance exam.
At this moment, Yang Mei called to counsel Zhou Luo, blaming herself for not protecting him and letting him fall into gossip. In the past, Yang Mei always felt that the innocent would naturally be proven innocent and disdained explaining and clarifying, which led to things getting out of control later on.
However, she now underestimated the seriousness of the matter and did not advise Zhou Luo to cut his losses in time, which caused a huge change in his life. Therefore, she hoped he wouldn't waste time on meaningless things, and that as long as he got into a top domestic university and achieved success, his future would be limitless from then on.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhang Qingli came to the Zhou family looking for Zhou Luo but was refused entry by Lin Gui Xiang. Crying outside the door, she expressed her true feelings, which made Lin Gui Xiang feel sorry for her. Zhou Luo brought Zhang Qingli into the room and said he didn't want her to bear such a reputation, deciding to confess to the police.
But Zhang Qingli hugged him tightly, believing that as long as they could get into university in Beijing and never return, she didn't care about her current reputation. As long as she could protect Zhou Luo from harm, she was willing to pay any price.
Episode 19 Recap
Because Zhang Huashan ordered Zhou Luo not to attend class, Zhang Qingli sulked with her father and locked herself in her room. At the dinner table, Zhang Huashan mentioned Zhou Luo to his wife, recalling seeing a figure suspected to be him at the car burning scene on New Year's Eve. Although it was too dark to see clearly, he felt that Zhou Luo must have a problem, otherwise why would the police keep a close eye on him?
Chen Ling ran to the Zhou family's house to make a scene, questioning the real cause of Xu Yi's death, accusing Zhou Luo of helping Nan Ya for selfish reasons, and stating that she had long seen the two of them meeting secretly at the hospital. Seeing this, Lin Gui Xiang rushed up to stop Chen Ling. Similarly, Chen Jun also rushed over and forcibly took Chen Ling home, even having a big argument with Chen Ling over this matter.
Back at home, Chen Ling continued to make a scene unreasonably. Chen Jun's suppressed emotions completely exploded. He angrily accused Chen Ling of being selfish and self-centered, having nothing but Xu Yi on her mind, and never considering the feelings of her family. Ever since Chen Ling and Xu Yi separated, the whole family had to live on tenterhooks every day, speaking carefully. If Chen Ling was even slightly unhappy, the whole house would feel suffocated.
It was also because of this that Chen Jun looked down on Chen Ling for becoming unlike herself for a man like Xu Yi, living more and more like a resentful woman. Hearing this, Lao Chen was about to act, but luckily his wife stopped him in time. After Chen Jun stormed out in a rage, Chen Ling cried herself into a state, feeling very wronged, which made his wife feel distressed.
To get Zhou Luo back to school, Zhang Qingli took the initiative to soften her stance towards her father. However, Zhang Huashan was determined not to change his mind, which angered Zhang Qingli and made her return to her room. Watching Zhou Luo go out for a night run with a heavy heart, Lin Gui Xiang recalled his excessive attention towards Nan Ya and suddenly had a bad feeling.
In the middle of the night, Chen Ling burned Xu Yi's photos in her room. Chen Jun silently stood outside the door, his heart filled with mixed feelings. The next morning, when Chen Ling opened the door, she saw Chen Jun rushing off to school in a panic and couldn't help but smile, knowing that although her brother seemed fierce on the surface, he actually cared about her.
As Zhou Luo was admitted to Jinghua University with a reduced score, education bureau leaders personally visited the school and found that among many students, only Zhou Luo was missing. Zhang Huashan had to have someone quickly find Zhou Luo and ask him to stand in the center of the stage to take a photo with the leaders. However, Huashan School had only cultivated one top student who got into Jinghua University after so many years.
Zhang Huashan was very conflicted and contradictory. On one hand, he didn't want Zhou Luo to return to school, but on the other hand, he was constrained by the attitude of the education bureau leaders. Lin Fanglu pointed out Zhang Huashan's thoughts in one sentence and stated that Zhang Qingli and Zhou Luo were innocent, because he had never believed what the two of them said.
On this day, Zhang Qingli proactively came to find Lin Fanglu, hoping he could publicly clarify her relationship with Zhou Luo. Lin Fanglu agreed to help Zhang Qingli, on the condition that she must tell the truth. As soon as the words fell, Zhou Luo rushed up and stood in front of Zhang Qingli, accusing Lin Fanglu of relentlessly pursuing Nan Ya's conviction, questioning whether it was for a promotion or due to personal grudges.
Lin Fanglu stated that he was a police officer, and the duty of a police officer is to investigate the truth of the case and bring the guilty to justice. Wen Ting called urging Lin Fanglu to return to the city as soon as possible and felt that he was too involved with personal emotions in this case, expressing great dissatisfaction with him. Lin Fanglu couldn't stand Wen Ting's questioning, and his tone became much harsher.
The two had a very unpleasant argument over this. Afterwards, Lin Fanglu found a recording tape at the crime scene. It proved Zhou Luo's feelings for Nan Ya and his deliberate concealment of important information from the police.
Lao Chen found the recording on the tape incredible, while Lin Fanglu believed that Zhou Luo and Nan Ya were acting from the beginning, and Zhou Luo could not prove where he was for over an hour because he was at the crime scene. Therefore, Lin Fanglu suspected that if Zhou Luo and Nan Ya were in a relationship, then there would be another possibility for the case.
Episode 20 Recap
Facing interrogation by Lin Fanglu, Nan Ya denied being in a relationship with Zhou Luo, saying that even if Zhou Luo did have some feelings for her, it was nothing more than adolescent rebellion. Although Nan Ya did know Zhou Luo's feelings, she believed the age difference between them made it impossible.
Zhou Luo was in the prime of his youth, and recording a few tapes wasn't particularly infatuated; as long as he hit a few walls, he would give up in the blink of an eye. There were many young girls around him, a brilliant future, and leaving Qingshui Town was another world entirely.
However, Lin Fanglu then played a recording of the night of the incident for Nan Ya, in which Xu Yi's angry questioning of Nan Ya was clearly audible. Sure enough, Nan Ya's expression changed, and she admitted that Xu Yi was inherently suspicious; any man who approached her and spoke even one extra word would be interrogated and attacked. She had originally intended to erase that tape, but she unexpectedly recorded this sound.
It was also because of this that Lin Fanglu told Nan Ya a story. In the story, Xu Yi detected the feelings between Nan Ya and Zhou Luo, and had a dispute with her by the river. And Zhou Luo, out of concern for Nan Ya, followed the two back home, and saw Xu Yi's abusive behavior at a glance.
Such a naive adolescent, because the woman he loved was hurt, accidentally killed someone, causing a tragedy, and Nan Ya immediately decided to take the blame for him. However, Nan Ya adamantly denied it, refuting Lin Fanglu's baseless conjectures, leaving him unable to find any flaws. Because Lin Fanglu's tactic was exposed by Nan Ya, he had to end the interrogation hastily.
He returned to the team and had little Liu contact his forensics colleagues to re-examine the scene, and also send the skin tissue found under Xu Yi's fingernails to the province for comparison with Zhou Luo's genes. In addition, Lin Fanglu instructed the forensic doctor to carefully re-examine the knife wounds on Xu Yi's back, and if they couldn't be distinguished, to conduct experiments. Lao Chen saw Lin Fanglu looking annoyed and reminded him if his conjecture was too bold.
After all, Zhou Luo was still a young man; if he had really killed someone, how could he be so calm, so perfect, without any flaws throughout the entire process? But Lin Fanglu insisted that Zhou Luo was definitely a suspect, either he and Nan Ya had closely coordinated their stories, or Zhou Luo's entire family was involved in concealing the truth.
At this time, Liu Xun came to the station and reported Zhou Luo to Lin Fanglu and Lao Chen, stating bluntly that Zhou Luo had threatened Xu Yi, which led to his father's death. Lao Chen was dissatisfied with Liu Xun's recent groundless troublemaking, while Liu Xun accused him of shielding Zhou Luo because his son had a good relationship with Zhou Luo. Lao Chen was so angry that he immediately left the office on the grounds of avoiding suspicion.
Lin Fanglu reprimanded Liu Xun and told him to go back and wait for news. Because Liu Xun caused trouble at Huashan School, he completely angered Zhang Huashan, which indirectly facilitated Zhou Luo's return to school. Lin Guixiang and his wife were very happy after learning this.
That evening, they brought gifts to the Zhang family to apologize and express their gratitude, stating that Zhang Qingli was a good girl, and if she was really in love with their son, they would be overjoyed and hoped that the two could both get into Beijing together and look out for each other. Zhang Qingli heard the conversation in her room and felt a little secretly pleased.
Meanwhile, Zhou Luo returned home and found Lin Fanglu flipping through a poetry collection in his room. Lin Fanglu questioned Zhou Luo repeatedly, forcing him to admit that he deeply loved Nan Ya. Although Zhou Luo admitted all this, he adamantly insisted on his innocence, and Lin Fanglu still couldn't find any clues, so he left in frustration. The next day, on his way to school by bike, Zhou Luo looked at Lin Fanglu with unfriendly eyes.
The two looked at each other, and the tension gradually dissipated in the silence. Hu Xiu reported to the team that Lin Fanglu had previously liked Nan Ya and had even written an ambiguous letter. Lin Fanglu was reprimanded by the captain and reluctantly withdrew to avoid suspicion. Afterward, Lin Fanglu found Lao Chen alone and said he had a risky strategy in mind but needed his assistance to persuade the captain. Lao Chen readily agreed. At night, Lin Fanglu waited for Zhou Luo to return, exposing his deliberate planning of all this and telling him that even if his plan succeeded now, there was no such thing as a perfect crime in the world.
Episode 21 Recap
Lin Guixiang was a kind and honest woman. Even though Nan Ya had a bad reputation in Qingshui Town, she didn't spread rumors or cause trouble like others, nor would she wrongly accuse Nan Ya in front of the police. As for the situation on the day of the incident, Lin Guixiang reported that Zhou Luo took the child home out of kindness, which was why he saw the scene where Nan Ya accidentally killed someone.
This incident had a great impact on their family. And now, Lin Guixiang felt increasingly uneasy, and after hesitating for a long time, she decided to have a good talk with Zhou Luo. Originally, Lin Guixiang thought Lin Fanglu was just an ordinary police officer handling cases, and that he would move out as soon as he investigated Nan Ya's case thoroughly.
She never expected this case to become increasingly complex, resulting in Zhou Luo being involved and finding it difficult to extricate himself. Ever since Lin Fanglu came to this home, Lin Guixiang couldn't sleep well day and night. She wanted to know if her son was hiding something from her.
Zhou Luo comforted his mother, telling her not to think too much, because he was a witness to the case, and Lin Fanglu had to investigate thoroughly to prove Nan Ya's innocence. After Lin Guixiang returned to her room to rest, Zhou Luo couldn't help but cover his mouth and weep bitterly, his mind full of all sorts of past memories. Lin Guixiang still tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
After careful consideration, she decided to let Zhou Luo leave Qingshui Town, believing that anywhere was better than staying here. The next morning, Lin Guixiang came to the school to pick up Zhou Luo after class. Just as she was about to let him leave by car with his uncle, a police car suddenly arrived screeching, and Zhou Luo was taken away by the police on the spot. The scene instantly became chaotic.
Chen Jun and Zhang Qingli chased the police closely on their bicycles all the way to the town's criminal police team, but couldn't get in through the door. At this moment, Nan Ya was released by the criminal police team and met Zhou Luo face to face. The moment their eyes met, too many emotions surged in their hearts, but they still had to pretend to be calm on the surface.
Earlier on, the captain had already felt that Lin Fanglu's strategy was too risky. Without completely solid evidence, releasing someone and arresting someone on the same day meant that if anything went wrong, everyone would likely be disciplined. Lin Fanglu said that releasing Nan Ya could only be considered release on bail pending trial, as she currently met the conditions.
As for Zhou Luo, whether there were suspicious points or not, asking him to assist in the investigation was not excessive. He planned to use psychological warfare within twenty-four hours. Lao Chen falsely claimed that Nan Ya had already voluntarily confessed the entire process of the incident, but Zhou Luo remained emotionally stable. He said directly that he had confessed his feelings to Nan Ya but was rejected, and had never received her love from beginning to end.
Zhou Luo revealed that after he returned from the Jinghua interview, he took the same bus as Xu Yi, so it was very likely that the hair got stuck on his coat at this time. In Zhou Luo's view, if he and Xu Yi were truly incompatible, how could they possibly sit in the same row? Moreover, given Nan Ya's height and weight, it would be difficult to kill a man.
Only accidentally killing someone during legitimate self-defense could possibly turn out like this. Lao Chen deliberately revealed to Zhou Luo that Xu Yi killed Hu Lifeng for Nan Ya, persuading him not to follow in Xu Yi's footsteps and ruin his own future and family. However, this kind of leading interrogation did not truly break through Zhou Luo's psychological defense line.
The police officers all felt that they should play the recording for Zhou Luo, maybe it could make him confess. But Lin Fanglu believed this approach was not advisable. After all, whatever the situation was on the night of the incident was just their guess and inference. Once the inference was wrong, given Zhou Luo's intelligence and talent, he would likely quickly realize that the police did not have concrete and indisputable evidence.
It would then be even more difficult to break through his psychological defense line. Therefore, Lin Fanglu said that whether the case could be solved, the key lay in the confession. The first step was to address the suspicion about their relationship, letting Zhou Luo focus his attention on making his account of their relationship consistent, and then informing him about the loophole regarding the axe at the scene, thus achieving the effect of creating a diversion.
Because this loophole was not enough to break Zhou Luo, they again threw out the information that Xu Yi killed Hu Lifeng. Regarding this matter, Nan Ya could not possibly have told Zhou Luo, so it would inevitably cause a huge shock in his heart, until there was enough time for the doubts to ferment. But the problem of whether he could shake Zhou Luo was always a difficult one.
As time was ticking away, Lin Fanglu began to consider new countermeasures, believing that the person locked up inside was not the most important, but rather to break the person who was let out. Zhou Luo's weakness was also Nan Ya's weakness. Nan Ya came to the store to pick up the child, but Lin Guixiang hit her severely and cursed her loudly, calling her a devil.
Until Wan Wan came out crying and pleading for mercy, Lin Guixiang couldn't bear it and finally let Nan Ya take the child home. Soon, the Xu family members came to their door one after another to cause trouble, especially Xu Yi's father, who even threatened that if the law was ineffective against Nan Ya, he would personally kill her. Lao Chen and others hurried to stop them and actually drove the Xu family members away.
Meanwhile, Lin Fanglu bought some rice, flour, and vegetables and brought them to Nan Ya. Nan Ya's attitude towards him was still cold, which made him feel very uncomfortable.
Episode 22 Recap
Day after day, Hu Xiu finally reached the end of her life. As she lay in bed unattended, Nan Ya walked in from outside, called her "Auntie," and maintained her usual elegant and calm demeanor. At this moment, Lin Fanglu rewatched the interrogation video of Nan Ya, and a segment where Nan Ya commented on her feelings for Zhou Luo reached Zhou Luo's ears word for word, breaking his heart.
On the night of the train incident, Zhou Luo accompanied Nan Ya after swimming in the cold river. As soon as they got ashore, he felt a burning sensation on his skin, as if every cell in his body had been activated. Nan Ya told Zhou Luo that she came here to remind herself that death is easy, but she still has her daughter Wan Wan, so she doesn't have the freedom to die.
The person who truly deserves to die is someone else. Subsequently, Nan Ya personally went to the Women's Federation to seek legal rights protection. Lawyer Gao believed that winning custody in the previous divorce was a sure thing, but since the train station incident occurred, it would likely become very difficult. She was now unable to clear her name, and no one was willing to believe that Xu Yi would use such a shameful fact to smear himself.
Although Nan Ya was suffering from Xu Yi's domestic violence, Lawyer Gao believed that under the extreme circumstances of the so-called catching in the act, it could be considered justifiable cause. Even if the nature of domestic violence was confirmed, Nan Ya had become the party at fault for the marital breakdown. Coupled with no stable income, she had no advantage in winning custody of the child.
Meanwhile, Zhou Luo was searching for many divorce cases similar to Nan Ya's online at an internet cafe. Suddenly, he heard men in the next booth discussing Nan Ya with extremely vulgar content, which he couldn't bear. He was so enraged that he beat the men up. The next day after school, Chen Jun reminded him that he was overly concerned about Nan Ya, and as a brother, he hoped Zhou Luo would give up his unrealistic dream.
Nan Ya went to Xu Yi to sign the divorce agreement, but was rejected by him. Zhou Luo personally organized the case files and sent them to Nan Ya, discovering a piece of evidence that was particularly beneficial to her: Xu Yi and Chen Ling had an affair at the Seagull Hotel in the city. Nan Ya saw this but didn't appreciate it at all.
She warned Zhou Luo not to go near Wan Wan again and not to come looking for her in the middle of the night. Because of this, they argued and parted unhappily. During this time, Xu Yi was swamped with work on the bridge project. Nan Ya came to see Xu Yi as usual, insisting that he sign the divorce agreement. Xu Yi directly pushed Nan Ya away and hosted a banquet for leaders.
Unexpectedly, Nan Ya made a scene at the dinner and even waited at the restaurant for half the night. She didn't see Xu Yi until the banquet ended, as he had already slipped away through the back door. On a night of torrential rain, Nan Ya walked listlessly on the street. Zhou Luo rushed over with an umbrella but was pushed away by Nan Ya. Because of Nan Ya's attitude, Zhou Luo felt completely broken.
He couldn't understand why she couldn't see his genuine feelings. Nan Ya bluntly said that she didn't want to see him looking self-pitying, because love is insignificant in the face of suffering. The next morning, Zhou Luo suddenly rushed into the clothing store and passionately confessed his love to Nan Ya, stating that no matter what Nan Ya thought, he couldn't bear to see her suffer here.
He vowed that one day he would take her away from Qingshui Town, away from this place of sorrow and conflict. Since then, Zhou Luo and Chen Jun started following Xu Yi, trying to gather evidence of his crimes. The day Nan Ya returned home, she received a poetry collection, finding it difficult to respond to Zhou Luo's feelings. Not long after, Wan Wan disappeared while playing near the house.
Nan Ya was distraught and ran to ask Lin Guixiang and others if they had seen Wan Wan. Zhou Luo gathered everyone to help search, but after a whole day, they found nothing. Reminded by Zhou Luo's father, they instantly thought of Xu Yi. Indeed, Xu Yi admitted on the phone that he had taken Wan Wan and even used this to threaten Nan Ya into giving up the idea of divorce.
Because Wan Wan was not in good health, everyone immediately contacted the police and accompanied Nan Ya to Shengda Construction Engineering Company. However, the police refused to dispatch officers, citing that Nan Ya and Xu Yi were not divorced. Therefore, everyone decided to force their way into the company to get the child back. Unexpectedly, the company gate was locked, and they couldn't determine Xu Yi's whereabouts. That night, Nan Ya was like a soulless walking corpse, her heart solely focused on her daughter's safety.
Episode 23 Recap
After a sleepless night, Nan Ya couldn't wait to go out and look for Wan Wan, showing extreme impatience towards Zhou Luo's concern. Since she couldn't find any trace of Wan Wan, Nan Ya contacted Lawyer Gao again, hoping to get her daughter back through legal means. However, Lawyer Gao speculated that Xu Yi might hide the child for a long time to get a more favorable court ruling.
After meeting the lawyer, Nan Ya found Zhou Luo and Zhang Qingli waiting outside. She called Chen Ling, asking her to tell Xu Yi to take their daughter to the hospital as soon as possible, but Chen Ling directly hung up the phone. Seeing Nan Ya's heartbroken appearance, Zhou Luo felt great sympathy, and was even more angered by Jiang Bingbing's words.
Afterwards, Nan Ya personally went to the hospital to find Chen Ling, begging her to tell her Xu Yi's whereabouts. Chen Ling contacted Xu Yi, and Xu Yi also personally went to see Nan Ya. He embraced her in front of everyone and drove away, making the outside world mistakenly believe that they had reconciled. Zhou Luo's heart sank upon seeing this. While having dinner in the evening, Zhou Luo's parents talked about Nan Ya forgiving Xu Yi.
Lin Guixiang believed that it wouldn't be easy for Nan Ya to divorce Xu Yi, because Xu Yi was a shrewd businessman, and coupled with the huge cost of the child's illness, it would be very difficult for Nan Ya to escape his control. Hearing these words, Zhou Luo became increasingly restless. He ate a few bites hastily and then got up and returned to his room.
Going back to after the millennium, the interrogation had continued until 5 PM, but Zhou Luo consistently maintained his innocence and could see that the police lacked direct evidence. Lao Chen deliberately revealed the fact that Nan Ya had been violated by Hu Lifeng. Zhou Luo was shocked upon hearing this, wearing an expression of disbelief. Lin Fanglu observed the details from behind the monitor. Lao Chen told Zhou Luo that Xu Yi originally had no grievances with Hu Lifeng.
The reason he killed him was entirely for Nan Ya, but ultimately he still died at Nan Ya's hands. In Lao Chen's view, Xu Yi was also once a devoted lover. He advised Zhou Luo not to let himself fall into the whirlpool of love and passion, and even more so, not to follow in Xu Yi's footsteps. As expected, Zhou Luo covered his face with his hands, appearing to be in great pain.
After a moment of silence, he insisted that he had personally witnessed Xu Yi chasing and hacking Nan Ya, and therefore Nan Ya killed Xu Yi by accident. Soon, Nan Ya and Xu Yi appeared before everyone with Wan Wan. Xu Yi explained that it was a misunderstanding and feigned the appearance of the couple having reconciled. Zhang Qingli noticed that Zhou Luo's feelings for Nan Ya were different, so she revealed her feelings for Zhou Luo to Jiang Bingbing.
This complex love triangle caused her great suffering. Due to Xu Yi's financial strain and the significant debt under Wan Wan's name, Nan Ya could not afford the medical expenses. To raise funds, Nan Ya took on a batch of goods from a friend. Because she was rushing to make clothes day and night, Nan Ya had no time to take care of her daughter and had to leave her with Lin Guixiang.
Fortunately, the clothes were completed on time, and Wan Wan's medical expenses were covered. That night, Nan Ya flipped through the poetry collection, and Zhou Luo's figure kept appearing in her mind. Xu Yi came home drunk and once again morally blackmailed Nan Ya. But Nan Ya's heart was completely calm. She said bluntly that she had long known about him and Chen Ling, and she didn't want to get entangled with him any further.
Zhou Luo vented his suppressed emotions of many days through winter swimming. After calming down, he climbed over the wall late at night to see Nan Ya, but Nan Ya still remained resistant. She told him that this kind of unrequited heroism was meaningless, and he couldn't bear the burden of someone else's life, especially someone with whom there was no future possibility. Although Nan Ya's words were very resolute, Zhou Luo felt that Nan Ya liked him.
She was avoiding him precisely because she liked him, afraid that those dirty matters would implicate him, causing him to be criticized and blamed by others, and perhaps even unable to withstand the age difference and life pressures. But the more this was the case, the more clearly Zhou Luo understood. From his initial desire for Nan Ya to later winter swimming under the moon, he completely understood that his feelings for Nan Ya far exceeded desire. Even if it meant sacrificing his life, he wanted to protect her, ensure her happiness, and help her regain freedom.
Episode 24 Recap
Nan Ya put the tape Zhou Luo gave her into her portable player. Listening to the heartfelt confession he left for her, her calm heart finally stirred. That night, Zhou Luo came to find Nan Ya in the dark and gave her the photo evidence he personally took. As a result, he was severely reprimanded by Nan Ya, who worried that his actions would be known to Xu Yi. Given Xu Yi's viciousness, he would certainly retaliate fiercely.
However, Zhou Luo didn't care at all. His persistent dedication completely moved Nan Ya. For this reason, Nan Ya and Zhou Luo agreed on three rules. First, Zhou Luo should no longer meddle in the bridge matter; second, he should not get too close to her in front of others and should learn to protect himself; lastly, he should no longer harbor any fantasies about her. Zhou Luo readily agreed and returned home happily.
The next morning, Jiang Bingbing and others gossiped about Liu Changshui's disappearance, suspecting that Liu Xun was very likely to know the inside story. At this moment, Zhang Huashan came over to announce that Zhou Luo had obtained a spot through special enrollment at Jinghua University and had entered the re-examination. Upon hearing this, everyone present applauded and cheered, except for Liu Xun, who was furious and stormed out. After school, everyone came to Zhou Luo's home to celebrate.
Lin Guixiang kept saying that Zhou Luo should spend more time with Zhang Qingli, and at Jiang Bingbing's suggestion, she asked Zhou Luo to tutor Zhang Qingli often. But Zhou Luo was absent-minded. Using the excuse of taking Zhang Qingli home, he found an excuse to slip away and go see Nan Ya. An ambiguous atmosphere spread between the two of them.
In contrast, Zhang Qingli turned back to the Zhou family home to get her schoolbag and learned that Zhou Luo hadn't come back at all, feeling a hint of uneasiness. Just as Zhou Luo was reading poetry to Nan Ya, Xu Jian's wife, Luo Yan, suddenly came looking for her, pleading with Nan Ya to help them report Xu Yi together, or else Xu Jian would become the scapegoat in the bridge case.
Nan Ya laid out her conditions: either she gets Xu Yi to agree to a divorce, or she takes 500,000 yuan as a deal. Luo Yan couldn't do either, and left the clothing store in a fit of pique. After Luo Yan left, Zhou Luo came out from the partition and expressed his worry that Nan Ya would be hurt.
On the other side, Xu Yi was completely drunk, pounding on the door looking for Nan Ya, but there was no response. Early in the morning, Zhou Luo helped Nan Ya deliver the rush-made clothing to the market. Seeing how diligent and obedient he was, Nan Ya agreed to give him a hundred yuan as a reward. But Zhou Luo didn't spend the money recklessly. Instead, he went to a nearby market and bought two scarves as a couple's scarves.
Nan Ya bought a copy of "Stray Birds" and then met Zhou Luo in the alley, pushing her bicycle. Zhou Luo saw that Nan Ya was free in the afternoon, so he took her by car to the suburbs for a mountain climb, choosing a little-known path on the back mountain. Zhou Luo recounted how he often came here as a child. Sometimes when he was in a bad mood, he would climb the mountain.
It was sparsely populated, but it could bring peace to his soul. And in Zhou Luo's view, this path would become a valuable memory for his future. The path less traveled is more difficult, just as people should not choose the easy path, but rather the right path. Nan Ya sat in the pavilion, looking at the scenery down the mountain, her heart particularly calm.
Zhou Luo used Jiang Bingbing's camera to take pictures of Nan Ya, capturing the beauty of that moment. Nan Ya thought of the previous photos and reminded Zhou Luo to be wary of Xu Yi, as he was a very dangerous person, and that he must learn to protect himself well. Hearing Nan Ya's concern, Zhou Luo felt a little sweetness in his heart. He then took out a red scarf from his bag and wrapped it around Nan Ya.
Nan Ya reciprocated by giving him "Stray Birds". The two sat side by side, looking into the distance. From then on, Zhou Luo would always find time to see Nan Ya. Even if they didn't interact in front of outsiders, their contact became increasingly frequent. They even arranged to take Wan Wan shopping in the city together, looking like a happy family of three. For so many years, Nan Ya's dormant heart seemed to be injected with vitality. For this passionate young man, it began to beat again.
Episode 25 Recap
Because Lin Guixiang had helped her a lot before, Nan Ya was very grateful. This time, she made some money from clothing orders and immediately took out a portion to return to Lin Guixiang, stating that the rest would be repaid within two months. Lin Guixiang was not in a hurry to get it back at all.
She casually revealed to Nan Ya that Hu Xiu was planning to buy a house, feeling that if Nan Ya could get her house back, she would at least have a place to stay even if she left Xu Yi in the future. The town was going to show a public movie, and Zhou Luo proactively invited Nan Ya to watch it together. Although Nan Ya didn't respond directly, she still went to the appointment with her daughter Wan Wan.
Inside the movie theater, Zhou Luo sat in the row behind Nan Ya, leaned over, and made a funny face to amuse her and Wan Wan, looking very much like a family of three. However, Chen Jun and Zhang Qingli and others also came to this movie theater and spotted Zhou Luo at first glance, calling him directly to the front row. Nan Ya watched the young people talking and laughing, and instantly felt out of place.
She then got up and left the theater with Wan Wan. Seeing this, Zhou Luo chased after her using the excuse of going to the restroom. Outside the movie theater, Zhou Luo held Wan Wan and spun her around, also asking her to call him 'little uncle', reaching a peer-like title one step ahead. Nan Ya urged Zhou Luo to hurry back. Seeing him still acting like a child, she promised to treat him to wontons after the movie ended.
Sure enough, Zhou Luo obediently listened, and Nan Ya was in a great mood. However, after the movie ended, Zhang Qingli and the others found Nan Ya sitting at the wonton stand, disrupting her opportunity for a date alone with Zhou Luo.
Zhang Qingli saw that Zhou Luo had different feelings for Nan Ya, so she deliberately revealed that Zhou Luo often tutored her and that they planned to take the exam together to Beijing in the future, thus asserting her claim. In addition, Zhang Qingli suddenly asked Nan Ya if she thought a person could encounter true love twice in a lifetime. Nan Ya gave an uncertain response, but she felt that she might not be destined for true love.
Zhang Qingli then followed up by stating that if she encountered true love, she would cherish it a thousand times over. Moreover, Zhang Qingli indirectly told Nan Ya that their attention and help towards Nan Ya were more out of sympathy. These words made Zhou Luo somewhat unhappy, and the atmosphere became particularly subtle. Nan Ya smiled faintly, paid for the wontons, and left with Wan Wan. Zhou Luo felt very uneasy.
He climbed over the wall again in the middle of the night to find her and saw that she was already jealous. Zhou Luo hoped that Nan Ya would not care about their age difference. As long as their loving souls fit together, perhaps he was someone who traveled back in time from several years in the future. He even quoted Einstein, completely moving Nan Ya. That night, Nan Ya made a bowl of noodles for Zhou Luo.
As Zhou Luo watched her busy in the kitchen, the gentle and virtuous scene made his heart sink deeper and deeper. The next day, everyone was discussing holding a birthday banquet for Zhou Luo, but Zhou Luo only wanted to spend time alone with Nan Ya. Using his birthday as an excuse, he asked Nan Ya for a gift and arranged to meet her at the wooden bridge in town that night to wait until past midnight.
Just as Zhou Luo left Nan Ya's clothing store, Zhang Qingli walked out from the corner. Soon after, Xu Yi personally came to find Nan Ya. He discovered the photos Zhou Luo took of her, but because he still had a mess to deal with, he didn't bother questioning the identity of the lover but instead begged Nan Ya to help him get through the difficult time. Nan Ya proposed that Xu Yi sign the divorce agreement.
To her surprise, Xu Yi agreed readily. He then immediately asked to borrow Nan Ya's ID card, wanting to use her identity to register a company and transfer illicit money. Facing this request, Nan Ya did not agree and warned Xu Yi to surrender himself as soon as possible. Xu Yi became furious, directly snatched the signed divorce agreement, and reminded Nan Ya that if she wanted a divorce, she had to exchange it for her ID card.
On this day, everyone celebrated Zhou Luo's birthday, talking and laughing, singing the birthday song, but Zhou Luo responded listlessly, lacking interest. After much consideration, Nan Ya still went to the wooden bridge to wait for Zhou Luo. Sure enough, Zhou Luo ran there in a hurry. The moment he saw Nan Ya, he felt relieved and happily brought out the things he had prepared.
Zhou Luo made a wish over the cake candles, hoping that Nan Ya could get to know him again with the feelings of a nineteen-year-old, or that he and Nan Ya could one day walk openly on the street together.
Nan Ya felt that neither of these wishes could come true, but Zhou Luo stated that he was going to switch to a computer science major and would work hard to earn money after graduation to bring Nan Ya and Wan Wan to live in Beijing, asking her to let go of everything she had now and become a happy woman. Listening to Zhou Luo's words, Nan Ya was moved to tears.
She took out a wristband she had knitted from her pocket and gave it to him as a gift. Afterwards, Nan Ya took Zhou Luo to an abandoned swimming pool. The spot they were standing on was once the pool, and it was where she had wanted to end her life back then. The nineteen-year-old Nan Ya had experienced too much misfortune, felt that the future was bleak, and tied her ankles with a rope to drown herself.
Zhou Luo felt very heartbroken for Nan Ya and frankly said that he wished he could go back to that year, hold Nan Ya tightly in his arms, and make up for all the harm she had suffered. After saying these words, Zhou Luo hugged Nan Ya, as if holding onto her hope of living, allowing her to see a spark of light in her dark life.
Episode 26 Recap
Soon, Zhou Luo was going to Beijing for the retake examination. His parents and friends came to see him off, giving him many words of caution and encouragement, believing that he would pass the exam and return. Although Nan Ya didn't go to the station to see Zhou Luo off, she looked towards the direction of the train station from home, silently blessing him in her heart.
In the end, Zhou Luo lived up to expectations and passed the exam smoothly. During his stay in Beijing, he walked through streets and alleys, taking many photos, preparing to bring these photos and the good news back to Qingshui Town. At the same time, Nan Ya was busy running around for the divorce lawsuit and finally waited for the first court hearing. Xu Yi did not appear in person.
Lawyer Gao stated that Xu Yi's absence would still not affect the judgment, and given the sufficient evidence of domestic violence, the two were already considered divorced to some extent. Currently, Nan Ya and Xu Yi had a disagreement over custody. Nan Ya's only disadvantage was her unstable income, and the child needed a large amount of money for medical treatment, so Xu Yi would likely have an advantage.
Zhou Luo called Nan Ya immediately to share the good news that he had been accepted with a reduced score. Nan Ya was sincerely happy for Zhou Luo.
Because Zhou Luo had seen the vastness and freedom of the big city and saw everyone working hard for their dreams, he believed Nan Ya would definitely like it there, and even more so, he believed Nan Ya would achieve great things if she left Qingshui Town, and her beloved music, literature, and poetry could all be realized.
Afterwards, Nan Ya personally came to find Chen Ling, persuading her to get Xu Yi to sign the divorce agreement and give each other a chance to start anew. In contrast, Xu Yi encountered Zhou Luo on the bus. Due to the previous fight, the two had deep-seated resentment. Xu Yi reminded Zhou Luo not to interfere in other people's family affairs and stated that Nan Ya was gentle and virtuous towards him, and the two would never be separated.
At this moment, the bus suddenly braked sharply, and the photos Zhou Luo carried with him scattered on the ground. Xu Yi fell into thought after learning that Zhou Luo liked photography. Nowadays, the bridge case is becoming increasingly serious. Xu Jian is like a time bomb; a slight carelessness could cause Xu Yi to be shattered to pieces. To prevent the matter from being exposed, Xu Yi decided to pack up and go out to avoid the spotlight.
When he saw Chen Ling cooking a table of dishes for him, he felt a trace of guilt in his heart. However, Chen Ling suddenly mentioned Nan Ya, hoping Xu Yi could divorce Nan Ya, and even took out the divorce agreement. Under Chen Ling's insistence, Xu Yi had to sign and agree. Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled, and the weight on her mind finally lifted.
At the same time, Zhou Luo couldn't wait to find Nan Ya and share the photos he had taken with her. The two chatted and laughed. While Zhou Luo was fantasizing about the future, Nan Ya had already silently made a decision. She knew Zhou Luo was upright and kind, with a great youth ahead of him, and didn't understand when the future would come or how far forever was.
She wasn't afraid of being abandoned by Zhou Luo, but only feared that one moment of willfulness on her part would make his life heavy. For this reason, Nan Ya didn't want to hurt Zhou Luo. As long as they got through these few months smoothly, when the dream ended, they would ultimately have to go their separate ways.
After Zhou Luo assisted in the investigation for eight hours, Nan Ya took Wan Wan and hurried to the wonton stand, where she happened to bump into Chen Ling. They faced each other in silence. After eating the wontons, Nan Ya found Jiang Zhi to check on Wan Wan.
Jiang Zhi gossiped about her and Zhou Luo's private matters, but was warned by Nan Ya, who threatened that as long as he honestly treated Wan Wan, she wouldn't reveal that he had helped Xu Yi tear up medical records. The forensic doctor found a new problem and quickly called Lao Chen and Lin Fanglu, stating that the location of Xu Yi's back knife wound was strange.
After simulating the scene, they believed the knife wound had back-and-forth pulling marks, which meant there was a third person at the scene who attacked Xu Yi. Although Lao Chen and Lin Fanglu suspected that Zhou Luo was the third person at the scene, they had not yet gathered enough evidence. Lin Fanglu came up with a plan and asked Lao Chen to lend him a person.
That day, Zhang Qingli personally came to find Nan Ya, questioning why she had implicated Zhou Luo and also wanting to know the relationship between the two. Before Nan Ya could respond, Lin Guixiang had already come in from outside the door, scolding her incessantly and being deeply distressed, vowing to go to the police and explain everything. Nan Ya quickly pulled Lin Guixiang, begging her to believe her and that Zhou Luo would definitely come back safe and sound.
In fact, long before Lin Fanglu came to Qingshui Town, Zhou Luo and Nan Ya had already rehearsed their conversation. They aimed for foolproofness and absolutely could not reveal any flaws.
Episode 27 Recap
In the poetry collection that Zhou Luo often read, there was a small line of text, gentle yet heartbreaking: "You are sober, gentle, and unstained; although the road ahead is difficult, it is still the most beautiful scenery of this life.
" The person described in the lines is Nan Ya, and the one who admires her is Zhou Luo, willing to give up everything for the person he loves, which also became a point that the police found difficult to break through. Lin Fanglu repeatedly listened to the tape, paying attention to the interrogation process. Lao Chen stared at Zhou Luo, giving him one last chance: What exactly happened on the day of the incident?
On the night of the Millennium, Qingshui Town square was bustling with activity, everyone having their own thoughts, independent yet intertwined. Because Zhou Luo received the admission notice with a reduced score from Jinghua University, he became the object of admiration, a role model everyone envied. Lin Guixiang and her husband were beaming, sincerely proud of their son. In contrast, Liu Xun and his mother appeared rather lonely. Liu's wife complained incessantly, making Liu Xun feel restless.
Jiang Bingbing knew that Zhang Qingli liked Zhou Luo, so she tried to create more opportunities for the two to be alone. However, she did not suggest that Zhang Qingli proactively break the ice. If the timing wasn't right, doing so might hurt their friendship.
Similarly, Zhang Huashan had high hopes for Zhou Luo, hoping his daughter could also get into a university in Beijing like Zhou Luo, so that the Zhang family could bring glory to their ancestors in the future. At this moment, Lin Guixiang noticed Nan Ya standing in front of Hu Xiu with Wan Wan. A few words provoked Hu Xiu, causing her to erupt in curses. Nan Ya came to Lin Guixiang's stall to pay a New Year's visit.
She seemed to be in a good mood and was not affected by Hu Xiu, which made Lin Guixiang feel a bit more at ease. Chen Ling suddenly came over and called Nan Ya away. Nan Ya entrusted Wan Wan to Lin Guixiang's care. Chen Jun and others discovered Nan Ya and Chen Ling talking by the river, worrying that the two might quarrel and something bad would happen.
Seeing this, Zhou Luo quickly ran down and stood not far away, observing the situation. Fortunately, both of them were emotionally stable. Chen Ling told Nan Ya that Xu Yi had already signed the divorce agreement, and after the New Year, everything would be settled, with neither owing the other. But Nan Ya said she would rather Chen Ling hate her, because forgiveness was too cheap.
She would rather be indebted to Chen Ling until the next century, so that she would at least have a chance to make up for what she owed. Since things had come to this, at the beginning of the New Year, Nan Ya hoped that they both would have a brand new future. Upon hearing this, Chen Ling felt a touch of emotion. By the time Nan Ya returned to Lin Guixiang's stall, Zhou Luo was already waiting there.
He played a song she loved to listen to. The two sat down not far from each other, exchanged glances, and smiled in unison. However, Xu Yi drove back from out of town. As soon as he got out of the car, he received a call from the Economic Investigation Detachment, informing him to come in for investigation tomorrow. Xu Yi's heart sank to the bottom.
He walked numbly on the street, ignoring Jiang Zhi's flattery and Zhang Huashan's attempts at conversation. Jiang Zhi was somewhat exasperated by being ignored by Xu Yi and gossiped behind his back. He even made a move on Chen Ling, only to be scolded by her. Seeing Xu Yi appear, Zhou Luo felt unhappy. He could only get up and leave first, standing on the balcony and observing his every move.
Xu Yi said his case was almost over and asked if Nan Ya would be willing to give him another chance. Nan Ya mentioned the divorce agreement again, meaning they could never go back to the past, and their broken marriage could not be restored. Xu Yi did not want to talk anymore. He hugged Wan Wan and went to see the lantern display. But halfway there, he seemed to think of something.
He took out a family photo of the three of them and gave it to Wan Wan, telling her to remember what her father looked like in the future. After saying these words, Xu Yi hugged Wan Wan and silently shed tears. After calming down, he put on a smile again and accompanied Wan Wan as they wandered through the bustling market.
Just then, Hu Xiu came over and criticized Nan Ya in front of Xu Yi, which reminded Xu Yi of those photos. He ran angrily to question Nan Ya about cheating on him. During the argument, Xu Yi saw Zhou Luo and others nearby, and he suddenly realized something. Filled with rage, he walked towards home. Nan Ya quickly chased after him. Lin Guixiang and Zhou Luo helped look after Wan Wan.
Liu Xun took the opportunity to steal Zhou Luo's backpack, intending to burn the reduced-score admission notice. Zhou Luo arrived in time and angrily beat Liu Xun. He finally snatched the backpack from his hands. Zhang Huashan and others also rushed over to mediate. When facing Zhang Huashan's accusations, Liu Xun became even more annoyed and exposed Zhang Huashan's intention to marry his daughter to Zhou Luo. After saying that, he left in a flustered manner.
At the same time, Xu Yi searched for photos at home without success. Nan Ya, taking advantage of his distraction, hid the tape recorder. After thinking it over, she put the tape back into the recorder. Xu Yi chased away Chen Ling who had come to bother him. When he heard Nan Ya was going to report him for killing Hu Lifeng, he gradually lost his mind. His hands tightly clasped Nan Ya's neck until Nan Ya stopped struggling.
Xu Yi thought he had accidentally killed Nan Ya. Scenes of past killings flashed through his mind. In this state of mental collapse and despair, he resolutely swung the axe towards the house beam, wanting to die in this house with Nan Ya. Nan Ya slowly opened her eyes, picked up the dagger, and stabbed Xu Yi in the back, which angered Xu Yi again.
After a series of extreme struggles, Xu Yi grabbed Nan Ya's hand holding the dagger and plunged it into his chest, then fell to the ground and lost consciousness. When Zhou Luo arrived, he saw Nan Ya slumped beside the body, looking distraught and muttering that she had killed someone. Zhou Luo was utterly shocked. After a long while, he came back to his senses and looked at Nan Ya with a determined gaze.
That night, Zhang Qingli confirmed that Zhou Luo liked Nan Ya and ran home crying; Chen Ling confirmed that Xu Yi would not divorce her and burned the car with Liu Xun; Hu Xiu was sent to the hospital due to a heart attack and saw Chen Ling crying and washing her hands in the bathroom; Jiang Zhi was dead drunk at the table. Across the river, the square was lit up with brilliant fireworks, and people counted down to welcome the Millennium.
Episode 28 (Ending) Recap
After a moment of shock and pain, Zhou Luo calmed down, took off his jacket, and smeared Xu Yi's blood on himself, intending to take the blame for Nan Ya. When Nan Ya heard this, she strongly objected. At the same time, people in the square were counting down, witnessing this historic New Year's Eve together. No one noticed that a murder was taking place in the small town.
Zhou Luo patiently comforted Nan Ya, asking her to recount the sequence of events and planning a strategy for acquittal, to make the truth appear as follows: Xu Yi refused to divorce her and threatened to take Wan Wan away. Nan Ya couldn't bear it and decided to end things tonight.
Nan Ya told Xu Yi that she had photographed his criminal evidence, which angered Xu Yi, causing him to commit domestic violence again until he lost control and wanted to kill Nan Ya. In desperation, Nan Ya picked up a dagger and stabbed Xu Yi in the back, causing Xu Yi to accidentally lose his life while chasing and attacking Nan Ya.
Nan Ya initially did not want to involve Zhou Luo, but he insisted repeatedly and even held her in his arms, dreaming of a beautiful future. When Nan Ya heard Zhou Luo mention Wan Wan, she suddenly realized that the child couldn't be without her mother, and finally accepted Zhou Luo's arrangement. Because rigor mortis would set in within two hours, Zhou Luo didn't have time to rehearse repeatedly with Nan Ya.
He quickly took off his sweater and put it in his bag, intending to rush back to the riverside to find an opportunity to bring Wan Wan over. Before leaving, he instructed Nan Ya to remember the sequence of events for her future statement to the police. However, Xu Jian's call unexpectedly interrupted Zhou Luo's plan. Zhou Luo thought the police would notice the time of the call and investigate the cause of Xu Yi's death more thoroughly.
So, to create a diversion, he specifically put on Xu Yi's coat and staged a scene of mutual struggle with Nan Ya in an alley. People in the square saw the shadows reflected on the wall and discussed it amongst themselves. At the same time, Liu Xun and Chen Ling burned Xu Yi's car. Chen Jun witnessed Zhou Luo and Nan Ya walking away.
On his way back to the riverside, Zhou Luo saw the burning car and casually threw Xu Yi's bag into the fire. When he heard Zhang Huashan's voice behind him, he fled the scene in a hurry without looking back. It just so happened that Lin Guixiang saw this scene, but she couldn't be sure if it was Zhou Luo himself. Zhang Qingli stopped Zhou Luo halfway, intending to confess her feelings.
Zhou Luo wasn't interested in getting entangled and accidentally pushed her to the ground, which made her extremely sad. Afterwards, Zhou Luo returned to the stall, panting, and insisted on taking Wan Wan home. In reality, he took her back to his own house first, and planned to go find Nan Ya when the time was right. On this quiet night, Zhou Luo left the crime scene in a pre-planned panic.
After he left, Nan Ya went alone to the Qingshui Town police station to surrender. Now that Zhou Luo had been questioned by the police for over twelve hours, it meant he was about to be released. Lin Fanglu could only make a desperate gamble, betting on the relationship between Nan Ya and Zhou Luo. That night, Chen Ling found Nan Ya to inform her of Hu Xiu's death and sat outside the door with her, drinking and talking.
After six years of grievances between the former best friends, there was finally a sign of reconciliation. Chen Ling stated that she knew Xu Yi had killed Hu Lifan because he killed him for Nan Ya, and thus Nan Ya committed herself to him. But Chen Ling was curious about the reason for Nan Ya's divorce and whether she had ever loved Xu Yi.
Nan Ya said that she was afraid of Xu Yi and felt pity for him, and once felt indebted to him, but the reality had become irreversible like this. The two had gone in the wrong direction from the start. Recalling everything from the past, Chen Ling sighed that fate played tricks on people. Two people who shouldn't have become love rivals mistakenly became love rivals.
Now that the culprit was dead, Chen Ling and Nan Ya buried their past grudges with a drink and became strangers who owed nothing to each other. Before parting, Chen Ling deliberately told Nan Ya that the police had found suspicious points in Xu Yi's stab wound, and that Zhou Luo had already confessed. As soon as these words were spoken, Nan Ya completely lost her judgment.
Early in the morning, she came to the criminal police team and confessed that she had personally killed Xu Yi and used Zhou Luo to fabricate a scene of self-defense. Lao Chen completely disbelieved Nan Ya's words, knowing deeply that Nan Ya was doing this to protect Zhou Luo. Lin Fanglu also felt uneasy. Twenty-four hours later, Zhou Luo signed the papers himself under the watchful eyes of Lao Chen and Lin Fanglu.
Lao Chen instructed Zhou Luo to go back and study hard for school, then suddenly revealed that Nan Ya had already confessed, which caused Zhou Luo to turn pale with shock. He finally gave up his chance for freedom and voluntarily confessed the truth of the matter. While everyone was celebrating New Year's Eve, Zhou Luo disguised himself as Xu Yi and pulled Nan Ya along to stage a scene of mutual assault.
The two faced each other tearfully, then passionately hugged and kissed, releasing all their inner emotions, without a trace of desire. It was as if Lin Fanglu had witnessed this scene firsthand from the side, and he was profoundly moved by their love, unable to calm down for a long time. --- Ending 1: That night, Lin Fanglu sat by the river feeling dejected and recounted to Lao Chen the past of his mother suffering domestic violence.
Back then, Lin Fanglu almost became a murderer to protect his mother, and now, inadvertently, he had become the force that pushed Nan Ya and Zhou Luo to their deaths. Lao Chen watched Lin Fanglu break down and cry. Although he couldn't empathize directly, he sighed at the tragedies of Nan Ya and Lin Fanglu's mother.
Ultimately, the prosecution combined Nan Ya's crime of intentional homicide with the fact that she had surrendered, presenting the case to the court which sentenced her to ten years in prison; Zhou Luo was found guilty of obstructing testimony and harboring a criminal, receiving a sentence of ten months.
Liu Xun was sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of intentional destruction of property due to intentionally setting fire to others' property; Chen Ling also received a sentence of one year for participating in the arson and destruction of property; Jiang Zhi was sentenced to one year in prison for destroying important evidence related to the case; Xu Jian was sentenced to two years in prison for obstructing testimony and being involved in the criminal responsibility for the bridge collapse case.
Six years later, Zhang Qingli returned to Qingshui Town and learned from her parents that Zhou Luo had opened an internet cafe next to Nan Ya's clothing store and had been carefully taking care of Wan Wan all along. After being transferred back to the provincial capital, Lin Fanglu unexpectedly discovered new material evidence, thereby confirming Xu Yi's suicidal act, and Nan Ya's case was retried.
On New Year's Eve, Zhang Qingli saw Zhou Luo at Nan Ya's doorstep, and the two exchanged glances and smiled. --- Ending 2: That night, Lin Fanglu sat alone by the river, lamenting that Nan Ya and Zhou Luo were too foolish. Why didn't they choose to trust the law and tell the truth, instead of hiding so many things? Watching Lin Fanglu cry heartbreakingly, Lao Chen sighed.
He understood that if Lin Fanglu hadn't insisted on investigating, Nan Ya's experiences and the dirt that had been thrown on her over the years might never have been known. However, this outcome was not what Lin Fanglu wanted. Two days later, Lin Fanglu discovered new tape evidence and immediately began restoring it.
Through the dialogue on the tape, he simulated and recreated the crime scene, finally confirming that Xu Yi's extreme behavior was the fundamental reason for Nan Ya accidentally killing him. Given that Nan Ya was able to voluntarily surrender to the judicial authorities after the incident, the court lawfully imposed a lighter sentence on her, ultimately sentencing her to two years in prison.
Zhou Luo, for helping Nan Ya fabricate the scene, committed the crimes of helping to forge evidence and harboring a criminal, and was sentenced to ten months in prison. Other individuals involved in the case were dealt with according to the original verdicts, without any changes. Back then, Zhang Qingli was curious and asked Zhou Luo why he chose physics as his major.
Zhou Luo replied that humanity is extremely small in the vast universe, and the world outside is so wide and boundless; physics is simply his tool for exploring the future world. But when Zhang Qingli further asked if he believed in fate, Zhou Luo replied without hesitation that what they encountered were just a series of seemingly random and disordered problems, but fate is the sum of all choices. In the same field, Zhou Luo rode his bicycle past, while Nan Ya walked towards the front, laying the groundwork for their intertwined destinies in the future.
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