Will Love in Spring Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Will Love in Spring Synopsis

Chen Maidong was once a rebellious youth, but after experiencing a life-changing event, he chose to become a funeral makeup artist. Zhuang Jie became disabled due to a car accident, but she worked hard and became a career elite in the big city in order to pursue a better self.

One is a funeral makeup artist with a rebellious personality but is emotionally and physically lonely, the other is a brave and dazzling medical salesperson with physical defects. Through constant struggles, they gradually understand and respect each other, healing each other's "imperfections" with love.

Will Love in Spring Recap

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The 9th Funeral Professional Skills Competition was divided into three categories: Funeral Service Attendant, Embalming and Restoration Specialist, and Caregiver for Orphaned and Disabled Children. Chen Maidong sat at the judges' table, scoring and giving comments. He also personally demonstrated on stage, teaching everyone how to face and arrange each body with dignity and respect, understanding the grief and anger families feel toward death.

Zhuang Jie, a social "bandit," underwent a minor surgery and planned to take the high-speed train from Shanghai back to her hometown to recuperate. During a transfer at the station, she unexpectedly ran into her former high school classmate Chen Maidong. At first, Zhuang Jie didn’t recognize him until she saw the faint scar on his forehead and suddenly realized who he was. She took the initiative to greet him.

However, Chen Maidong looked impatient, mistaking her for someone deliberately trying to strike up a conversation with a man. He grabbed his luggage and headed straight for the exit. Zhuang Jie chased after him and reintroduced herself, but he still maintained a distant and indifferent attitude. Even though he realized Zhuang Jie was hoping to hitch a ride, he coldly refused without any hesitation. Zhuang Jie's hometown was in Nanping Town.

Since moving to Shanghai for work, she had returned home only a handful of times throughout the year. Fortunately, Uncle He helped take care of the family, so she didn’t have too much to worry about. Her mother, Liao Tao, was known as a capable woman in town. After remarrying He Zhangyue, she started selling braised chicken, and the small business did very well, more than enough to support the whole family.

That same year, when Zhuang Jie was about to enter college, Liao Tao became pregnant and gave birth to Zhuang Jie’s half-sister, He Niaoniao. Now, the family ran two braised chicken shops in town. Liao Tao was in charge of sales and new product development, while He Zhangyue handled the slaughtering and cooking. Most of the time, it was Liao Tao busy at the store.

On the day Zhuang Jie returned home, He Zhangyue happened to be tending the flowers in the courtyard. When he realized it was Zhuang Jie, he happily took her luggage and carried it inside, talking nonstop about how poorly little He Niaoniao was doing in school and how she couldn’t compare to her big sister at all. Chen Maidong had just returned to the Nanping Funeral Home when he had to personally deal with a tricky situation.

The deceased had died at a banquet table, and his close buddies, drunk with grief and alcohol, caused a loud commotion at the funeral home. Chen Maidong used a clever trick to lock them in the meeting room, quickly arranged the cremation process for the deceased, and told his apprentice, Feng Xilun, not to blame these people—they were just struggling to accept the painful reality.

As Zhuang Jie passed by downstairs, she overheard neighbors talking about the neighborhood committee director Wu Xuehua getting into trouble. Curious, she went upstairs to check it out, only to find Wu Xuehua and a neighbor uncle being forced by Granny Chen to play ping-pong. Despite their best efforts, they kept losing to her. Granny Chen declared that unless the committee arranged a marriage for her eldest grandson, she wouldn’t stop.

Zhuang Jie helped Wu Xuehua deal with Granny Chen, teaching her how to use the "Shake" feature on WeChat to find a granddaughter-in-law. But Granny Chen took a liking to Zhuang Jie instead—the more she looked, the more she genuinely liked the girl. Near evening, Zhuang Jie finally went to her mother’s braised chicken shop.

Though the shop wasn’t large, it occupied one of the best spots in the town center, and a few people were lined up at the entrance. When Liao Tao first saw Zhuang Jie, she was startled, then scolded her with a smile for not letting her know she was coming home. He Zhangyue specially prepared a big meal. Little sister He Niaoniao was very close to Zhuang Jie, and the whole family enjoyed a warm, happy reunion.

Early the next morning, Zhuang Jie was still drowsy when she heard He Niaoniao getting scolded by their mother, which made it hard for her to sleep. She simply paid her little sister to wash her hair for her.

Granny Chen used WeChat’s "Shake" to add Zhuang Jie as a friend, but clever little He Niaoniao took the opportunity to ask Zhuang Jie for 100 yuan as pocket money, threatening to tell their mom she was playing with "Shake" if she didn’t. An elderly man in the neighboring village passed away. Because it was considered a happy death, the family hired a suona band and an opera troupe to hold a grand ceremony.

Due to his special profession, Chen Maidong was recognized by the bereaved family and was dragged to sit at the front. Since he didn’t have many friends, he simply stayed with his grandma to watch the opera. By coincidence, Zhuang Jie came by to deliver goods and saw Chen Maidong sitting in the front row. She walked over to chat with him and was surprised to discover that Granny Chen’s eldest grandson was Chen Maidong himself.

Granny Chen was once a coach on the provincial table tennis team and enjoyed a moment of glory. However, her career was ruined after a fight with a colleague. Now, the person she worries about most is her grandson. He’s nearly thirty, tall and well-mannered, but still can’t find a girlfriend. No matter how many blind dates are arranged, they all end without results. By a twist of fate, Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong met again tonight.

Especially since they used to be high school classmates, Granny Chen became even more satisfied with Zhuang Jie. Chen Maidong noticed his grandmother’s intention and subtly hinted that Zhuang Jie had a phone call. Zhuang Jie used it as an excuse to leave and later mentioned Chen Maidong to her best friend Wang Xixia, unexpectedly learning that he had once gotten into a fight during senior year of high school, nearly resulting in serious injury.

Wang Xixia had some history with Chen Maidong and knew a bit about his situation. Back then, Chen's father made a fortune doing business outside and, after having an affair, wanted to abandon his wife. The couple fought in court, and twelve-year-old Chen Maidong was sent back to his grandparents. Now, Chen Maidong worked as a postmortem restoration specialist and had a civil servant position.

In the eyes of both Wang Xixia and Zhuang Jie, he wasn’t a bad person—just someone who almost went down the wrong path, and a reformed man deserves forgiveness. Granny Chen returned home talking about Zhuang Jie and proactively asked about her. Chen Maidong responded carelessly, which enraged Granny Chen. She believed he was still thinking about his two-timing ex-girlfriend Song Yi and criticized him for having terrible taste in people.

The next moment, however, Chen Maidong revealed that Zhuang Jie had once been in a car accident and everything below her right knee was a prosthetic. Granny Chen was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and still felt Zhuang Jie was good enough for her grandson, blaming him for being too useless and still single. Chen Maidong locked himself in his room, staring at Song Yi’s wedding invitation, caught in a swirl of emotions.

Early in the morning, the atmosphere at home was tense. No one dared to provoke Liao Tao, who was clearly in a bad mood. Zhuang Jie’s biological younger brother, Zhuang Yan, came home for the holidays. As soon as he entered, he surprised everyone—dressed in an eccentric outfit and holding a goose named “Ji San Ezi. ” When he announced the goose was a new family member, it nearly made Liao Tao faint with anger.

Liao Tao often worried about this eldest son. He hadn’t followed in the family’s footsteps to join the military and had no sense of masculinity. He was delicate, overly emotional, and spent all day painting in his room. Zhuang Yan’s biggest dream was to attend an art academy, but Liao Tao forced him to apply for a computer science major instead, believing it was a practical field that could support him.

This led to constant conflicts between mother and son, and this homecoming was no exception. Feng Xilun wasn’t sincerely interested in the funeral profession—it was just a temporary job while he looked for better opportunities. In his spare time, he studied for an accounting certificate, and had zero sense of responsibility for his current work. Chen Maidong didn’t hold high hopes for his apprentice and simply wished he would put in more passion. But Feng Xilun never really listened.

Granny Chen personally went to her old friend Granny Lin and asked her to read a fortune to see if her grandson Chen Maidong and Zhuang Jie were a good match. Granny Lin said there was still hope, but the key decision lay with Chen Maidong, and the process would be long and painful. Furthermore, there would be a third party involved in their relationship.

Granny Chen wanted to know their ultimate fate, and Granny Lin replied that their bond wasn’t just strong—it might even be a life-and-death connection. Female colleague Zhang Xin had been forced by her family into a hasty marriage and had to give up her beloved funeral profession because of it. On her last day, she invited Chen Maidong and others to dinner.

At the table, Zhang Xin poured her heart out, expressing envy that Feng Xilun had such a good mentor, while as a woman, she had to bear so many compromises. At that moment, Zhuang Jie found Zhuang Yan drowning his sorrows in alcohol at a roadside food stall and also saw Chen Maidong and the others talking at the neighboring table.

To comfort Zhang Xin, Chen Maidong told her she could keep these experiences in her heart—there’s no need to expect others to understand them. The decay of the body is simply another truth of death; the sights and smells remind us of the body’s fragility. In Buddhism, monks meditate on rotting corpses to maintain awareness of life. Feng Xilun was puzzled. Chen Maidong explained that corpses go through different stages of decay—bloating, disintegration, blood staining, pus-filled rot, and green discoloration.

Just as he finished speaking, Zhuang Yan, sitting nearby, couldn’t hold it in and threw up. Seeing this, Chen Maidong stopped talking, walked past Zhuang Jie without a word, and headed home—just like the way they once brushed past each other.

In the eyes of her best friend Wang Xixia, Zhuang Jie is a workaholic who risks her life for performance. Over time, it naturally led to health problems. After Zhuang Jie had surgery, Wang Xixia took the initiative to request leave from the company on her behalf and arranged for her to return to her hometown for a proper rest. Zhuang Jie happily agreed, pleasantly surprised to run into Chen Maidong again—someone who had left a deep impression on her.

Although he was still eccentric after all these years, this reunion lifted her spirits. Because of what Granny Lin said, Granny Chen felt a vague sense of unease—after all, a life-and-death bond sounded a little unsettling. Meanwhile, Zhuang Yan was sketching by the riverside when he unexpectedly discovered a body floating on the water. By the time Chen Maidong and others arrived at the scene, the forensic team and police had already left.

The initial assessment indicated the deceased was a minor who drowned while swimming in the river during a stay at a classmate’s home. Chen Maidong noticed Zhuang Yan nearby as a witness and reminded him to go home early. However, Zhuang Yan proactively asked to attend the farewell ceremony at the funeral home. After some consideration, Chen Maidong agreed to take him along.

But when Zhuang Yan was confronted directly with death for the first time, he found it hard to accept the impact and reality of a life lost. Zhuang Jie received a call and rushed over. She used words Chen Maidong had once said to her to comfort him. Chen Maidong then explained that death is the most powerless yet also the fairest thing of all—everyone’s ashes weigh about the same.

It never judges a person’s worth by success or failure; simply having existed gives life meaning. Zhuang Jie accompanied Zhuang Yan home. After her brother fell asleep, she went to the balcony to chat with their mother. Liao Tao was dissatisfied with Zhuang Yan’s personality—apart from exams, he had never been reliable and hadn’t earned a cent for the family.

In fact, Liao Tao had long wanted to expand the braised chicken shop and purchase a batch of fully automated equipment, which would spare her from having to work so hard late into the night. The family’s savings had all been used to help the three children buy homes. Although Zhuang Jie and her mother had a bit of an argument, she still handed over the money she had saved from work to Liao Tao.

She openly said that she liked being at home—it made her feel very comfortable. But it was exactly this comfort that could dull one’s ambition. Knowing her own body had flaws, she had to fight even harder. From the first day she got into a university in Shanghai, she was determined to be more driven than most, to become the golden phoenix flying out of Nanping Town, to take root in Shanghai and see greater, farther horizons.

Hearing these heartfelt words from her daughter, Liao Tao finally calmed down and smiled in relief. The town mayor wanted to take advantage of the May Day holiday to gather university students who studied or worked away from home for a tea party. Wu Xuehua came to Liao Tao to fill out a form and expressed her admiration for raising two college students.

Liao Tao continued to praise her daughter endlessly, but the moment she brought up her son Zhuang Yan, her face turned full of disdain. At that time, Zhuang Jie was shopping for clothes with He Niaoniao when they unexpectedly ran into Granny Chen, who was dragging an unwilling Chen Maidong along. Granny Chen firmly believed that Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong were destined to marry and become a family.

Standing nearby, He Niaoniao felt like she had stumbled upon a juicy piece of gossip and secretly took a photo of Chen Maidong with her phone. Zhuang Jie admitted that she quite liked Chen Maidong, but unfortunately, the two of them could only be friends and couldn’t develop into lovers. Chen Maidong’s cold and indifferent response once again infuriated his grandmother.

Zhuang Yan had no interest in the so-called tea party and asked Zhuang Jie to attend on his behalf, while he returned to his room to supervise his little sister’s studies. He Niaoniao gossiped with Zhuang Yan about the past between Chen Maidong and his eldest sister, even suspecting that the reason Zhuang Jie had been single all these years was due to Chen Maidong’s psychological influence over her, and that this problem needed to be dealt with.

Every time Granny Chen nagged Chen Maidong about marriage, he would hide at Hongxu Freight Station. His buddies all cared a lot about his future and believed that despite the years, there must still be something between him and Zhuang Jie. Though Chen Maidong strongly denied it, he had to admit they once had a rumored fling.

Back then, Zhuang Jie was assigned by a teacher to play a tree on stage, and she recommended the solitary Chen Maidong to play another. That day, the "two trees" stood in the school hallway and exchanged a smile—something unspoken took root and quietly grew in their hearts.

By chance, Zhuang Jie saw Chen Maidong at the tea party. He was still sitting alone in a corner, and compared to the sociable Zhuang Jie, he seemed especially eccentric and withdrawn. Before the tea party officially began, Zhuang Jie chose to sit right next to Chen Maidong and proactively asked to add him on WeChat, but he lied and said he had left his phone at the funeral home.

This time, the town mayor had gathered everyone mainly to introduce the recent developments in Nanping Town over the past two years. They planned to relocate the pharmaceutical factory to the city within five years, which meant thousands of people would face unemployment. Likewise, tourism was not as prosperous as outsiders believed, and there was still a significant difference between the busy and off-seasons.

Therefore, he wanted to see if anyone present had resources or suggestions—whether to help sell local agricultural products or offer ideas for new industries or development paths for the town. In addition, the mayor specially introduced Chen Maidong, who had returned from out of town. Because of his presence, Nanping Town not only brought dignity to the deceased but also helped many elderly people living alone. Even the provincial authorities had sent people to learn from his work.

In the mayor’s view, such a rare talent being single was a waste, and he reminded the single women present to pay more attention to Chen Maidong. In response, Zhuang Jie playfully kicked Chen Maidong to get his attention, but ended up hurting her own leg. Although Zhuang Jie had replaced her prosthetic socket six months ago and everything fit perfectly during the fitting, she had been feeling discomfort over the past couple of days.

After the tea party ended, she sat on a stone bench outside, silently enduring the pain. Initially, Chen Maidong didn’t intend to give Zhuang Jie a ride, but seeing her struggling to move, he suddenly felt a wave of sympathy and borrowed a motorcycle from someone nearby to take her home. Zhuang Jie hugged Chen Maidong’s waist without reservation and chattered on about how she felt the day they reunited.

At first, she had been attracted because he resembled her ideal type, only to discover he was actually an old flame. Chen Maidong abruptly hit the brakes, feeling that Zhuang Jie was a bit too noisy. But unaware of this, Zhuang Jie kept talking emotionally, glancing around and commenting that the town had changed a lot. It wasn’t a place suitable for long-term living—staying too long would dull a person’s ambition.

Just as she finished speaking, Chen Maidong quickly got off the motorcycle and ran toward a peach orchard. Zhuang Jie saw an old widower chasing after a deranged woman and instantly understood what was happening. Regardless of whether her leg still hurt, she ran even faster than Chen Maidong. Meanwhile, Granny Chen and Granny Lin were enjoying desserts.

When Granny Lin mentioned Zhuang Jie, Granny Chen had mixed feelings—on one hand, she felt Zhuang Jie was like her younger self, but on the other, she thought Zhuang Jie was too eager to leave Nanping Town. Despite the town’s beautiful scenery and good environment, it was never truly where her heart felt at peace. After stepping in to help, the two returned home late at night. Chen Maidong found himself unable to read Zhuang Jie’s mind.

He couldn’t tell which parts of what she had said during the day were true and which were false. Her unserious attitude made him angry, and once again, the two got into an argument. This scene was witnessed by his little sister and Zhuang Yan. He Niaoniao was convinced that Chen Maidong had mentally manipulated her older sister, which was why she had become like this. Back in high school, Zhuang Jie wasn’t as lively and cheerful as she is now.

Her transformation mainly stemmed from something Chen Maidong once told her: “Turn your crutch into a weapon in your hand. ” After being in a car accident, Zhuang Jie was left with a disability in her left leg. Even when others treated her kindly, it was always tinged with pity and prejudice, which severely hurt her self-esteem. Meanwhile, Chen Maidong experienced upheaval in his family and became a target of bullying at school.

Because of this, the two wounded souls—physically and emotionally—gradually moved from mutual dislike to becoming each other’s source of warmth. One day after school, it was pouring rain. Ignoring the stares from classmates, Chen Maidong carried Zhuang Jie down a busy street. Zhuang Jie silently held an umbrella and looked at his cold side profile and injured forehead. He Niaoniao and Zhuang Yan came over to gossip about Zhuang Jie’s past, speculating why she had returned home.

Zhuang Jie candidly said she had two reasons: one, she had undergone gallbladder surgery; two, she had broken up and needed time to heal. Zhuang Yan had also come to terms with many things and no longer clung stubbornly to his passion for painting. Though he still loved art, his current priority was to study well and finish his university courses, so their mother wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

Granny Chen, dissatisfied with Chen Maidong’s stubborn temper and his hopeless pursuit of Zhuang Jie, decided to step in herself and help make the match happen.

The funeral home staff arrived on time to collect the body of an elderly man who had just passed away, but his son, following local superstitions, believed that placing a basin of water at home and waiting for the sunlight to reflect on the wall at noon would reveal his father's spirit. Left with no choice, Feng Xilun called Chen Maidong for help, and Chen Maidong patiently stayed with the family until exactly noon.

As the holiday was coming to an end, the whole family was busy packing Zhuang Yan’s luggage, and He Zhangyue drove him to the train station. When Zhuang Jie heard that the yam in Yanggou Village wasn’t selling, she asked He Zhangyue to take her there that very afternoon to investigate. She learned that although someone had planned to purchase the yams, the buyers were severely undercutting the price.

Without access to machinery, villagers could only dig them up manually, which was both time-consuming and exhausting, resulting in extremely low prices. Wu Xuehua went door to door conducting a population census. When she arrived at the Chen household, she saw only Granny Chen sitting alone in the courtyard—Chen Maidong wasn’t home. Granny Chen didn’t pressure Wu Xuehua to arrange a blind date for her grandson this time.

Instead, she asked her to read a thank-you letter over the town’s broadcast system, praising Chen Maidong for his contributions to Nanping Town. Zhuang Jie heard the broadcast while sitting in the car, watching the scenery pass by the window, and recalled what Chen Maidong had said that night. In Zhuang Jie’s eyes, Chen Maidong was someone willing to shine in his hometown, with a deep affection for Nanping Town that she couldn’t fully understand.

Moved by this, she made a bold decision—to help Yanggou Village sell all their yams. Chen Maidong felt helpless about his grandmother having someone read the thank-you letter, but Granny Chen told him that if he wouldn’t take the initiative to pursue Zhuang Jie, then she would have to step in herself.

At the same time, Zhuang Jie leveraged her connections, reached out to many friends, found buyers and processing factories for the yams, and sent them the information she had compiled. Liao Tao, though sharp-tongued and soft-hearted, complained about how her husband and daughter had developed rashes from the yams while carefully applying cucumber slices to their faces, and the whole family laughed and bonded over it.

Soon, Zhuang Jie found a sales channel for Yanggou Village and directly signed a three-year cooperation agreement. All the villagers held their heads high with pride, and the town’s broadcast repeatedly aired thank-you messages for her. For a time, everyone in the neighborhood heard about it. The stewed chicken shop saw a surge in customers, and people praised Zhuang Jie endlessly. As her mother, Liao Tao felt deeply gratified and proud.

This success made Zhuang Jie feel light and inspired, a sense of accomplishment and mission arising naturally within her. Granny Chen, now even more fond of Zhuang Jie, warmly invited her over to the house to share stories from Chen Maidong’s childhood. At that moment, Chen Maidong returned from outside, and the atmosphere turned slightly awkward. Granny Chen made an excuse to go for a walk, leaving the two alone.

Zhuang Jie curiously looked around Chen Maidong’s room but stormed off angrily because of something he said. Since Zhuang Jie was about to return to Shanghai, Chen Maidong took the initiative to invite her to dinner—partly to apologize and partly to send her off. Zhuang Jie readily agreed. It was rare to see Chen Maidong smile. He explained that because of the nature of his work, he had to control his emotions.

Over time, it became a habit—even when something joyful happened, he wouldn’t express it too enthusiastically, to avoid being disliked by others. As the two walked back together, Zhuang Jie brought up their school days, reflecting on how he had never changed. She remarked that his profession was truly noble and urged him not to be constrained by others’ opinions. Those who understood him would naturally understand. At parting, the two added each other on WeChat.

Zhuang Jie offered a handshake goodbye and suggested they meet again next time in Nanping Town. However, Chen Maidong believed they shouldn’t shake hands, nor should they meet again. As he passed by the school gate, old memories resurfaced in his mind. Years ago, Zhuang Jie had left Nanping Town. Now she was leaving again. Chen Maidong told Granny Chen that some people and things couldn’t be forced—those who were meant to leave would eventually leave.

The next morning, Chen Maidong still went to the station, pretending to see off a friend, but in truth, just to see her one more time. As he helped place her suitcase, ready to turn and leave, Zhuang Jie suddenly kissed him. Stunned for a moment, he unexpectedly pulled her in and kissed her back. Their kiss was bold and passionate, reluctant to end—until the warning bell of the train rang out.

The train slowly pulled away, with Chen Maidong and Zhuang Jie going their separate ways, leaving behind a trace of impulsive emotion that lingered in memory. Coincidentally, a fellow townsman from Nanping Town on the same train casually took photos and videos and shared them in a group chat. Within just half a day, the whole town knew. Everyone began looking at Chen Maidong with a mix of gossip and blessings, leaving him completely baffled.

As soon as Zhuang Jie returned to her shared apartment, she received a message from Uncle He, but was puzzled by its vague wording—until Wang Xixia revealed the matter of the photo at the train station, and only then did she realize what had happened. Meanwhile, Chen Maidong saw the photo in the group chat and was instantly overwhelmed with despair. With that photo in existence, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash him clean.

His apprentice, Feng Xilun, as a gossip-loving bystander, naturally assumed his mentor had finally bloomed like a late-blooming tree, ushering in his first spring. Because Feng Xilun wanted to celebrate his father’s birthday, he asked Chen Maidong to take over his shift to receive a recently deceased elderly person who lived alone.

He even said that if Chen Maidong were to suddenly get married and go on a honeymoon, he would gladly take over the shifts without disturbing the little world of his master and mistress. That evening, while on duty, Chen Maidong discovered a small hand next to the deceased. Upon closer inspection, he found a young boy, who turned out to be the grandson of the deceased.

The boy didn’t yet understand the concept of death and simply thought his grandmother was angry and ignoring him. Chen Maidong, feeling heartache, gently held him and comforted him, telling him that his grandmother would always love him. Wang Xixia was concerned about the future of Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong. Although Zhuang Jie admitted that she had always liked Chen Maidong, she loved the city of Shanghai even more. Meanwhile, Chen Maidong had decided to stay in Nanping Town.

The two couldn’t bridge the gap of distance. As Wang Xixia put it, one person cannot match an entire city—rational people are destined to miss out on emotional love. After her talk with Wang Xixia, it was already late at night. Zhuang Jie thought it over and decided to send a WeChat message to Chen Maidong. She initially wanted to tell him she had safely arrived in Shanghai, but wrote three messages and deleted them all.

After much deliberation, she sent the most appropriate one, only to see a prompt saying "Friend verification enabled," meaning that Chen Maidong had deleted her from his contact list. Early the next morning, Chen Maidong prepared breakfast, which made Granny Chen uneasy. She remembered the last time he had done this, it was to announce his breakup with Song Yi—this time surely wasn't good news either.

Chen Maidong confessed to his grandmother that he had deleted Zhuang Jie and that they would no longer be in contact. He sincerely expressed his feelings. Granny Chen, heartbroken for her grandson, also sighed that the two were fated but not destined. She then went to Wu Xuehua again to arrange a blind date. Zhuang Jie, being sociable and adept at navigating relationships, maintained good relations with both doctors and nurses at the hospital.

During her time recovering in her hometown, a newcomer named Xiao Jia joined the company. The nurses, looking out for Zhuang Jie, kept an eye on him and warned her to be cautious of someone trying to take over her respiratory pump accounts. The department director, Director Liu, was known for his bad temper and was difficult to deal with.

But when Zhuang Jie stepped in herself, she got him to sign off on the paperwork with just a few words. Wu Xuehua told Chen Maidong that Granny Chen had come to her again to arrange another blind date. She felt Granny Chen should be informed about the photo, but Chen Maidong directly stated that he and Zhuang Jie had nothing to do with each other, and told her to proceed however she saw fit.

Ever since the photo of Chen Maidong had circulated in the Qingping Town group chat, it had drawn the attention of many single young women. They found Chen Maidong very attractive and kept asking to meet him. After that, Chen Maidong and Zhuang Jie returned to their respective cities, repeating their daily routines. Chen Maidong’s blind dates never progressed, much to Granny Chen’s dissatisfaction.

However, while Zhuang Jie was in the middle of negotiating a hospital procurement contract, she suddenly received a call from her younger sister, informing her of the tragic news that He Zhangyue had died unexpectedly. Because of the unique condition of He Zhangyue’s remains, he was transferred directly from the city hospital to the funeral home. Chen Maidong briefly inquired about the situation and, upon seeing the devastated Liao Tao, felt a storm of emotions welling up inside.

The incident happened so suddenly that no one was prepared. Overwhelmed with grief, Liao Tao was unable to manage the funeral arrangements. As a result, Uncle He's comrades and friends set up the mourning hall in advance, waiting for Zhuang Jie to return from Shanghai to take over. Zhuang Yan brought He Niaoniao to the vigil area.

Realizing that she was about to lose her father too, He Niaoniao threw herself into Zhuang Jie’s arms and cried bitterly, deeply moving everyone present. At that moment, Liao Tao stayed at the funeral home, waiting for Chen Maidong to arrange He Zhangyue’s final appearance.

When her gaze fell on the cabinet full of facial reconstruction materials, Chen Maidong patiently explained that this technique was used to preserve dignity for the deceased with facial damage, as manual restoration alone would be extremely difficult. Liao Tao immediately understood and asked Chen Maidong to take good care of He Zhangyue. Chen Maidong promised to do his best.

Looking at the black-and-white portrait of Uncle He at the mourning hall, Zhuang Jie had no time to grieve, as she had to personally handle all kinds of matters. Due to local customs, the obituary had to be issued under the name of a son, and not a daughter or wife.

So even though Zhuang Yan was not He Zhangyue’s biological son, Zhuang Jie still asked him to return home and complete the tasks entrusted by Uncle Yang, and return to keep vigil in the second half of the night. Once the final preparations were complete, Chen Maidong bowed slightly to the deceased and asked Liao Tao to personally put shoes on He Zhangyue. Though Liao Tao tried to hold back her sorrow, tears streamed from her eyes uncontrollably.

In the end, she could no longer contain her emotions and collapsed beside her husband’s feet, crying her heart out. After receiving the guests who came to pay their respects, Zhuang Jie stood silently at the door of the mortuary. Watching the scene unfold, she too burst into tears. In the late night hours, Zhuang Yan and He Niaoniao began to nod off, their energy completely drained after a day of tears and exhaustion.

Due to her leg condition, Zhuang Jie couldn’t kneel. After standing with difficulty for a long time, she finally rose and placed a custom-made banner in front of the portrait, then broke down crying again. Seeing this, Chen Maidong stepped forward to support her and suggested she take a short rest. Zhuang Jie tearfully expressed her regret that she never got to call him “Dad,” and now it was too late.

Chen Maidong brought Zhuang Jie to the funeral home’s lounge to help her calm down. Zhuang Jie thought of her biological father and Uncle He, who treated her like his own daughter, and suddenly felt that the women of the Liao family were fated to suffer.

Chen Maidong countered that the passing of loved ones is an inevitable part of life, a signal from the heavens to remind us that the most dependable shield is gone, and that soon, it will be our turn. Precisely because life has limits, we must strive harder to live, to create, and to love. Chen Maidong then told Zhuang Jie a sorrowful story from when he was seventeen.

Because he missed a phone call, he lost his close friend Song Ran forever. He witnessed Song Ran’s body lying on the ground. At the time, he couldn’t grasp the concept of death. He only felt confusion and recklessness, until his master woke him with a slap.

After handling Song Ran’s body, his master personally scrubbed his bloodstained shoes and washed his feet, telling him that death always comes unexpectedly, and regret alone is useless—there must always be people to carry on the work. It was because of his master that Chen Maidong resolutely chose to work in the funeral industry. But he never imagined that one day he would personally see his master off.

Chen Maidong told Zhuang Jie that the essence of loss is learning to accept it, and that even the hardest times will eventually pass. He remembered his master’s words: “Those who are meant to leave will always leave—you can’t hold on to them. As human beings, all we can do is mourn with dignity. ”That night, the He family’s front door bore the obituary notice. The house was silent, with dust floating under the dim lights.

In the large living room, only Liao Tao remained, sitting quietly beside the cupboard, fiddling with ingredients for braised chicken. Tears brimmed in her eyes, stirring a deep sense of sorrow in anyone who saw her.

Now, people outside are gossiping that the Liao family women bring misfortune to their husbands—how else could two husbands have died in accidents one after another? Liao Tao pulled herself together to sort through her husband's belongings. She planned to reopen the braised chicken shop the next day and insisted that the three children return to school or work as usual. As long as they lived their lives well, it would be the greatest help to her.

That night, Zhuang Jie had an all-night conversation with her mother. She revealed that she would soon return to Shanghai to hand over her work and then immediately come back to Nanping Town to be with the family. Just like Chen Maidong had said, even the hardest days would eventually pass.

Wang Xixia understood Zhuang Jie’s situation and told her to go home with peace of mind—she would keep an eye on the company, regularly update client information and industry news, and ensure a smooth return to work for her. Zhuang Jie attended a meeting at the company and handed over her duties. Xiao Jia took the opportunity to apply for Zhuang Jie’s desk, full of ambition.

Zhuang Jie advised her that ambition wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but becoming the top salesperson couldn’t rely on tricks. This industry could only thrive with a sense of ethics. Whether in a high position or a low one, one must rely on real capability. At that moment, Zhuang Jie received a call informing her that He Niaoniao had run away from home. Just as she was about to rush back, Chen Maidong called.

As it turned out, he had run into He Niaoniao by chance while attending a conference in Shanghai and had brought her to meet Zhuang Jie. Zhuang Jie invited Chen Maidong to stay for dinner and asked her younger sister why she had left home. He Niaoniao said bluntly that the house felt too cold and empty for her to bear. She also sensed her father’s presence, which made her develop thoughts of ending her life.

Listening to the sisters’ conversation, Chen Maidong suddenly got up and turned off the living room lights, lit a candle, and told He Niaoniao that what she was sensing might not be an illusion. Everything in this world is made of atoms, including people. In a sense, humans are a form of energy. Therefore, Chen Maidong believed that the father He Niaoniao missed so dearly had only changed into another form of energy.

Their bodies were neither remains nor relics but were undergoing some kind of transformation, gestation, and rebirth. Even if she couldn’t find her father now, it didn’t mean life had lost its meaning. Precisely because her father had hidden himself, she should cherish the rest of the family even more.

That night, after coaxing He Niaoniao to sleep, Chen Maidong quietly walked out of the room, turned off the extra lights in the living room, and taught Zhuang Jie how to use warm lighting to calm the mind. As he slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to leave, Zhuang Jie rushed out to stop him—partly to thank him, and partly to remind him that he had deleted her contact. The two re-added each other on WeChat.

Later, Zhuang Jie took He Niaoniao to Disneyland, stayed in a themed hotel, and returned to Nanping Town two days later. She deliberately sent a message to everyone that the women of the Liao family were strong—they could overcome grief and live well. Knowing that Zhuang Jie was determined to stay in Nanping Town, Liao Tao no longer tried to persuade her to return to Shanghai. Instead, she taught her some social customs so she could adapt to local life.

Seven days later, the three siblings accompanied Liao Tao to the mountaintop, holding He Zhangyue’s urn to send him on his final journey. Liao Tao told He Zhangyue to rest assured—they would live well. Under Chen Maidong’s guidance, He Niaoniao had also read some books about life and death. She learned that energy can neither be created nor destroyed—it only transforms from one form to another.

All the lives that vanish use their energy to nourish other beings, forming a cycle. Therefore, He Niaoniao felt that no matter where her father was, as long as they were on the same planet, she would be happy. The whole family flew kites from the mountaintop, watching them soar higher and higher, carrying their longing for He Zhangyue.

After returning to Nanping Town, Zhuang Jie gave the family shop a simple makeover, expanding it from two rooms to three. She also hired a marketing team to promote their braised chicken, which soon became a moderately famous internet sensation. Business grew increasingly prosperous, and some people no longer dared to look down on the women of the Liao family.

Granny Chen chatted with an old friend, sighing that her grandson, already thirty, lived a monotonous life between home and work, indifferent to desires. Though she thought highly of Zhuang Jie, it was a case of the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor. Granny Lin advised her to take it easy. Zhang Hongxu, a close buddy, wanted to experience what it felt like to be dead.

Chen Maidong and the others granted his wish, wrapping him in a blanket and carrying him home—only to be discovered by Zhang Hongxu's wife. Zhang was notoriously henpecked, and the others all hurried back to their own wives, leaving only the bachelor Chen Maidong to be teased by everyone. Thanks to the good volume of orders for the internet-famous chicken, Zhuang Jie and Liao Tao planned to expand the factory.

Influencer friends were useful for initial traffic, but they would need their own operations team in the future. Youngest sister He Niaoniao expressed interest in helping with livestreaming, but Liao Tao firmly rejected the idea. Zhuang Jie, however, thought her little sister could give it a try.

To support Zhuang Jie’s business, Granny Chen bought braised chicken for several days in a row, sighing that Zhuang Jie was truly one in a million—if someone could marry her, it would be a blessing from the heavens. Zhuang Jie set up a factory to produce vacuum-packed cooked food and became busier than ever. Liao Tao felt that the household was still missing a man. Zhuang Jie had thought the incident with the photo at the train station was behind her.

Unexpectedly, her mother brought it up again. But clearly, she didn’t know her daughter was the woman in the photo and guessed that Chen Maidong, being such a calm and steady person, must have been forcibly kissed by a shameless girl. Zhuang Jie wished she could sink into the ground from embarrassment but had no way to explain. That night was both Granny Chen and Chen Maidong’s birthday.

But since Chen Maidong didn’t care much for birthdays, Granny Chen didn’t insist and instead went to spend it with Granny Lin. Wang Xixia suddenly returned to Nanping Town, surprising Zhuang Jie’s entire family and preparing a big meal. Given the complexity of Wang Xixia’s own family situation, both Zhuang Jie and her mother offered some gentle advice and support.

Granny Lin, worried about Granny Chen returning home alone, used the excuse of ordering takeout to call Zhuang Jie over, asking her to escort Granny Chen home. During this time, Zhuang Jie learned it was Chen Maidong’s birthday and decided to bring him a birthday cake on Granny Chen’s behalf. When she arrived at the funeral home, she found chaos—two groups of people were arguing loudly.

It turned out the deceased woman had discovered her husband was having an affair and, in a fit of anger, drank pesticide and ended her life. By the time her husband’s family discovered it, her body had already stiffened. They neither took her to the hospital nor informed her natal family, but directly contacted the funeral home. Once the natal family found out, they brought relatives and friends to confront the husband’s family, leading to a physical fight.

Chen Maidong tried to mediate but got punched by the deceased’s husband. Seeing the situation, Zhuang Jie rushed over and slapped the man. Enraged, he tried to hit her, but Chen Maidong got angry too and was about to retaliate when a group of men in black suddenly appeared. The young man leading them was named Cui Ge, who seemed to hold some authority. The deceased’s husband immediately bowed and scraped upon seeing him, his arrogance fading.

Cui Ge, being relatively reasonable, scolded the husband in front of everyone and told Zhuang Jie to take Chen Maidong to stop the nosebleed. Zhuang Jie accompanied Chen Maidong to the lounge and learned that being a mortician was no easy task. He often dealt with cases involving severe decomposition or accidents, sometimes unable to leave for days. His protective suit would be soaked through, and both body and mind were constantly tested.

Likewise, accompanied by Zhuang Jie, Chen Maidong had a warm little birthday, eating cake together. When he walked Zhuang Jie to the door, he saw the deceased’s son sitting alone in the lobby. He took off his coat and gently draped it over the boy—a heartwarming moment. Before leaving, Zhuang Jie asked Chen Maidong what kind of birthday gift he wanted. Unable to refuse anymore, he told her to buy clothes for him.

That night, Zhuang Jie gossiped about Chen Maidong with Wang Xixia, who complained about meeting a man from a family of traditional Chinese medicine on a blind date, her expression full of disdain as she mentioned him.

Early in the morning, Zhuang Jie was delivering food on her electric scooter when she unexpectedly ended up riding alongside a hearse from the funeral home. Chen Maidong called her, reminding her to ride carefully and not try to overtake it—after all, the deceased should be respected, and she should give way if possible. After hanging up, Zhuang Jie received another call.

Thinking it was Chen Maidong again, she picked up—only to find it was Ji Tong, a man she had liked for three years. Ji Tong was Zhuang Jie’s supervisor. He had always taken good care of her both in life and at work and clearly knew her feelings. But their ambiguous, undefined relationship had dragged on for three years, only to end the day Zhuang Jie finally confessed.

Ji Tong vanished without a word, flying directly to the company’s French headquarters and leaving Zhuang Jie heartbroken and alone. Now Ji Tong had suddenly called Zhuang Jie because he saw the photo of her kissing someone at the train station through Wang Xixia and felt a sudden sense of crisis. The call left Zhuang Jie agitated—three years of affection couldn’t be forgotten just like that.

As a result, she was distracted during her livestream, and even He Niaoniao could tell something was bothering her. He Niaoniao believed Ji Tong was not a good match for Zhuang Jie. What Zhuang Jie needed wasn’t someone to add flowers to a brocade but someone to offer help in times of need—like Chen Maidong, who had accompanied her through the pain of losing a loved one. Understanding her sister’s meaning, Zhuang Jie’s mood brightened.

The next day, she dragged Wang Xixia to the city to pick out clothes and underwear for Chen Maidong. There, they happened to run into someone they had briefly met before—Cui Ge, the traditional Chinese medicine man whom Wang Xixia had scorned during a blind date. Chen Maidong tried on the clothes Zhuang Jie had bought for him in his room. Granny Chen saw it and was quietly delighted—until she noticed a pack of brand-new underwear.

When she learned that Chen Maidong had asked Zhuang Jie to buy the underwear, she scolded her eldest grandson for being shameless—how could he make an unmarried girl do such a thing? A person like him should be sentenced! As Granny Chen grumbled, Chen Maidong suddenly asked whether she truly liked Zhuang Jie. When she confirmed, he told her to go ahead and choose his bride however she liked—if she approved of someone, he would marry her.

Granny Chen was overjoyed to hear this and rushed to tell Granny Lin. The two women went hiking together, chatting about life and coming away with fresh insights. Now that Chen Maidong had begun to face his true feelings, he went to ask Zhang Hongxu’s wife for some pain relief patches for his leg. She readily agreed, but Zhang Hongxu was baffled, worried that this rare bloom of affection from his friend would soon wither.

After all, Zhuang Jie was a woman who had worked in the big city—she wasn’t someone who belonged in a small town like Nanping. Keeping her here would be difficult. After staying in Nanping Town for a few days, Wang Xixia had to return to Shanghai. Zhuang Jie personally saw her off at the station, suggesting she consider giving Cui Ge a chance—he was wealthy and came from a good family, so it wouldn’t hurt to get to know him.

What Zhuang Jie didn’t expect was that Ji Tong would suddenly show up in Nanping Town and even find her family’s braised chicken shop. Left with no choice, she reluctantly agreed to go to a café with him. That evening, Liao Tao sulked at home, upset that her daughter hadn’t told her she had a boyfriend. She also felt that a man like that didn’t seem reliable and worried that her daughter might be emotionally deceived.

Sensing her mother’s anger, He Niaoniao secretly texted Zhuang Jie, issuing a red alert and warning her to be careful when she got back. Meanwhile, Zhuang Jie was at the restaurant talking with Ji Tong, who kept bringing up the past and trying to win her back. As someone opened the door nearby and chatted idly, a cold wind blew in, causing discomfort in Zhuang Jie’s left leg. She reminded them to close the door.

Ji Tong didn’t notice at all and continued to justify going to France, claiming it was for their future. But in her heart, Zhuang Jie knew that he and his family would never accept a daughter-in-law with a disability. Chen Maidong had prepared the pain relief patches for Zhuang Jie, along with a card containing usage instructions. He originally planned to deliver them in person, only to find out she was at a restaurant.

Ji Tong stepped outside to take a call and carelessly left the door wide open, not considering how the cold wind might affect Zhuang Jie. Instead, it was Chen Maidong who, upon seeing this, took off his coat and draped it over her legs. Holding back his jealousy, he handed her the patches and rode away. Through this incident, Zhuang Jie clearly saw the true difference between Chen Maidong and Ji Tong and decisively rejected Ji Tong’s confession.

Back home, she reassured her mother not to overthink things—she and Ji Tong were at most just colleagues. Her heart now belonged entirely to the aloof and proud yet gentle and kind Chen Maidong. At the same time, Ci Wei showed up with some men to cause trouble. Holding back a surge of anger with nowhere to release it, Chen Maidong fought him on the spot.

Two days later, Zhuang Jie followed the advice in the letter. Grandma Chen couldn’t bear to see her grandson being bullied, so she stormed over to Ci Wei’s house with a sickle, taking on his whole family single-handedly without losing the upper hand. Worried about both Grandma Chen and Chen Maidong, Zhuang Jie brought a fruit basket to the Chen household. When the chicken soup was ready, she personally went upstairs to call Chen Maidong for dinner.

Compared to Grandma Chen’s commanding presence, Chen Maidong seemed slightly lacking. With a faint bruise still visible on his left cheek, he looked like a pitiful little puppy, sulking on the couch. Glancing at Zhuang Jie, he suddenly asked whether she had ever had feelings for him. Though Zhuang Jie admitted she had, she stubbornly claimed she’d never thought about a future together. Chen Maidong, irritated, accused her of being a tease. There was a cold edge to Chen Maidong’s words.

He was like a sleeping cat suddenly baring its claws, leaving Zhuang Jie both embarrassed and angry. Just as she was about to leave, Chen Maidong grabbed her wrist and pinned her down. A moment later, Grandma Chen saw Zhuang Jie storm out in a rage, while Chen Maidong stood there with a bitten lip, making her secretly delighted — she believed there was hope for the two of them. That day, Liao Tao accompanied Wu Xuehua to visit Grandma Lin.

Wu Xuehua looked troubled and complained that her daughter had always been a handful. Years ago, she had dated a distant cousin with the same surname, and their passionate relationship had embarrassed Wu Xuehua for years. Now the two were married and doing well, but they were so inseparable and affectionate that they never considered having children, leaving her so anxious that she had to seek help from Grandma Lin.

However, Grandma Lin understood the younger generation’s desire to enjoy more time as a couple, which was quite different from Wu Xuehua’s mindset that marriage must lead to children. Sharing her own experience, she comforted them, saying that life only burns brightly for a few years, so it’s best to let children enjoy it fully, or they might regret it in old age.

During a video call with Wang Xixia, Zhuang Jie was distracted, her mind replaying the passionate kiss from earlier in the day. Thinking back to Chen Maidong’s gaze, she suddenly realized she had always lacked courage in love. She couldn’t keep blaming others and felt a bit disappointed in herself. While replacing her medicinal patch, she noticed it came from Cui Ge’s traditional medicine shop and asked Wang Xixia to buy more in Shanghai, hoping to matchmake her best friend.

On his way to the funeral home that morning, Chen Maidong had his apprentice buy braised chicken, just as an excuse to see Zhuang Jie again. Meanwhile, Zhuang Jie personally went to the station to say goodbye to Ji Tong. Chen Maidong witnessed the scene, especially when the two nearly hugged, and was instantly overwhelmed with jealousy. He walked straight up, grabbed Zhuang Jie’s hand, and pulled her off the train, forcefully declaring his claim.

Still burning with jealousy, Chen Maidong kissed Zhuang Jie again. This time, she didn’t resist, returning the kiss with deep affection as they embraced tightly. This moment became a turning point for both of them. Now daring to face their feelings, their relationship quickly deepened, and Zhuang Jie became a shy and gentle woman in front of Chen Maidong.

Meanwhile, Wang Xixia, buying more medicinal patches at the traditional medicine shop for Zhuang Jie, was surprised to discover that the physician was Cui Ge. She awkwardly left her phone number and ordered twenty patches to help with residual limb nerve pain. Zhuang Jie playfully responded to Wang Xixia, saying that if she was interested in dating him, she could give it a try — and if it didn’t work out, there was no need to force anything.

Love couldn’t be compelled. After leaving the pharmaceutical factory, Zhuang Jie saw Chen Maidong waiting for her outside, and her heart warmed. He took her home and personally cooked for her, taking care of her in every way. When discussing the nature of their relationship, Zhuang Jie’s tone became serious. Having experienced so much, she had learned since childhood how to read adults’ moods, how to survive, and had developed maturity, intelligence, and worldly savvy far beyond her peers.

Thus, Zhuang Jie believed that clarity comes from calculation, and calculation comes from not loving enough. It was almost impossible to expect adults to throw themselves into love recklessly, and she didn’t hold any naive fantasies. She told Chen Maidong that while she did like him, she liked Shanghai even more. Between him and Shanghai, she would make the most rational choice. Chen Maidong listened and, though pretending to be unfazed, felt a deep sense of disappointment inside.

Soon after, Zhuang Jie successfully secured the pharmaceutical factory project and learned from Director Shao that Chen Maidong had played a big role. He had not only spoken to the factory director about the Liao family’s situation but also personally vouched for the product.

Since the factory director’s father had once been helped by Chen Maidong, he had been looking for a chance to return the favor — and this time, with Chen Maidong taking the initiative, he was sure to take it seriously. Zhuang Jie was overjoyed and went to find Chen Maidong, affectionately wrapping her arms around his neck, applying lip balm for him while whispering sweet words — only to have his mother suddenly emerge from the room.

Chen Maidong’s mother appeared suddenly, making Zhuang Jie feel a bit awkward, but she didn’t stay long and left with her bag. Before leaving, she gave Zhuang Jie a meaningful smile. When Chen Maidong mentioned his mother, he appeared somewhat indifferent and said his feelings toward them were complicated. Zhuang Jie interpreted it as a psychological shadow—he had gradually lost his sense of security due to his parents’ unhappy marriage. In fact, Zhuang Jie experienced something similar after her car accident.

That kind of grief pushed her to read many psychology books. Eventually, she came to one conclusion: never try to find reasons for your own setbacks. Original family and childhood trauma are nothing more than narratives of hateful others and pitiful selves, often just a way for people to feel special. So for a period of time, Zhuang Jie buried herself in psychology books and drew inspiration from the unyielding spirit of the Paralympics.

Later, she met someone like Chen Maidong, who never looked at disability with pity, and her life became less monotonous and dull. Her words were full of affection for Chen Maidong, yet she couldn’t make him too many promises. Her vague and ambiguous attitude made Chen Maidong feel she was full of contradictions.

Wang Xixia received a message and went to the lobby to pick up the medicinal patches, only to find that Cui Ge had come to deliver them in person. Cui Ge was persistent and took the initiative to add her on WeChat and invite her to dinner. Wang Xixia originally declined, but when she later faced Ji Tong, she firmly said she already had plans with Cui Ge.

At dinner, Cui Ge awkwardly tried to please Wang Xixia and expressed his true feelings without reservation when it came to relationships. His previous marriage had been very happy—his wife was gentle and virtuous, so he had never suffered the pain of love. Wang Xixia thought that men like Cui Ge had even less of an advantage in the dating market. She had wanted to give him some advice, but his overly straightforward nature left her speechless.

Zhuang Jie delivered takeout to Grandma Lin and saw a portrait of a male dancer hanging on the wall, along with a photo of him and Grandma Lin. Only then did she realize they had been lovers, and the beautiful girl in the photo was Grandma Lin herself. Although the man passed away young, Grandma Lin remained unmarried for life, believing that as long as you had truly loved, there would be no regrets.

Besides, he passed away in his prime and had lived in her heart all her life. But in the next moment, Zhuang Jie unexpectedly found Grandma Lin’s medical report and learned she was in the late stage of a brain tumor. Wu Xuehua, entrusted by Chen Maidong, personally came to the Liao family to act as a matchmaker. Uncertain of Zhuang Jie’s intentions, she tried to subtly sound things out.

But Liao Tao didn’t catch her drift and with a few careless words pushed away a good match for her daughter. At that time, Chen Maidong was playing the role of the deceased so his apprentice could practice makeup techniques. When he learned from Wu Xuehua that Zhuang Jie didn’t seem to be looking for a partner in town, he immediately felt downhearted.

He went from playing the deceased to becoming the mortician again and proposed treating everyone to dinner and a movie. Ever since seeing Grandma Lin’s medical report, Zhuang Jie had been emotionally unsettled and kept wanting to talk to someone. After much thought, she sent a message to Chen Maidong, but he didn’t reply for a long time.

Meanwhile, the girl who had previously shown interest in Chen Maidong came to visit his grandmother with gifts and was caught by Zhuang Jie. Chen’s grandmother helplessly revealed the girl’s intentions to Zhuang Jie, who appeared indifferent on the surface but felt quite upset inside. That evening, after coming out of the cinema, Chen Maidong and his group saw Zhuang Jie waiting alone at the entrance.

Once everyone had left, Chen Maidong responded coldly to Zhuang Jie and turned the tables to question whether she had ever truly cared. He said she had never given him a clear answer, and he was done playing this ridiculous love game. Zhuang Jie was furious at Chen Maidong’s words and accused him of being unreasonable. She said that while she might have some minor flaws, she had always been consistent in word and deed.

A man like Chen Maidong, who made a marriage proposal feel like a guessing game, didn’t seem like someone serious or responsible. On the way back, Zhuang Jie cried until her eyes were red. Chen Maidong rode his bike to catch up with her, apologized sincerely, and scooped her up in a princess carry, which finally soothed her anger. The two of them then attended the town’s art exhibition.

In the middle of the brilliant lanterns, they embraced and kissed—just in time for Wu Xuehua and Liao Tao to arrive at the exhibition and witness the scene.

Originally, Liao Tao was confident that her daughter would never do something like passionately kiss at a train station, but reality quickly proved her wrong. When she finally realized that Zhuang Jie was the woman in the photo, it hit her like a bolt from the blue. Shaking with rage, Liao Tao might have rushed up and torn the infatuated couple apart if Wu Xuehua hadn’t held her back. Wu Xuehua took Liao Tao to seek advice from Grandma Lin.

The two didn’t return home all night. The more Liao Tao thought about it, the angrier she got, and she ended up in the hospital getting an IV. Wu Xuehua patiently tried to talk her through it, saying it was perfectly normal for someone Zhuang Jie’s age to be in a relationship.

But Liao Tao believed that Chen Maidong came from an unstable family, and considering what Zhuang Jie had been through since childhood, she feared that even if they fell in love, it would lead nowhere. When Zhuang Jie got home, she took the initiative to text Chen Maidong, sincerely admiring how he could remain calm and settled in the small town after having seen the bustling world.

In contrast, Zhuang Jie felt she still couldn’t overcome her deep-rooted insecurity and needed many external things to arm and validate herself, making it hard for her to change quickly. Chen Maidong replied, telling her to be herself, and those words warmed her heart. Liao Tao didn’t come home that night. Zhuang Jie called Wu Xuehua to ask about her, and Wu Xuehua lied that Liao Tao had drunk too much and spent the night at her place.

Because her little sister wanted to give a gift to a classmate, Zhuang Jie asked Chen Maidong for help and discovered he was very skillful with his hands. In his room, Zhuang Jie saw items belonging to his ex-girlfriend, but she didn’t mind. She believed everyone had a past and that cherishing the present was what mattered—especially since she would soon return to Shanghai, and there wasn’t much sweet time left with Chen Maidong.

That evening, Zhuang Jie came back with a box of cherries. Liao Tao immediately guessed they were from Chen Maidong and looked even more displeased. Frustrated, she urged Zhuang Jie to hurry back to Shanghai and stop lingering around her. Chen’s grandmother hoped Chen Maidong would cherish Zhuang Jie and even offered to go to Shanghai with them to help ease his attachment to Nanping Town. Soon after, Chen Maidong received a call and left home in a rush.

Song Yi suddenly returned to Nanping Town and was recognized by neighbors while buying cooked food. When Liao Tao learned she was Chen Maidong’s ex-girlfriend, she became even more upset. After much deliberation, she decided to talk to Zhuang Jie, questioning her about her relationship with Chen Maidong. Zhuang Jie answered truthfully, saying not all relationships had to lead to marriage.

But Liao Tao disagreed with that view of love, opposing any use of freedom or openness as an excuse to act irresponsibly—once pregnancy was involved, it would be a serious matter for both parties. This caused a rift between mother and daughter. When Zhuang Jie heard that Song Yi had returned to Nanping Town, she felt a vague sense of unease. Sure enough, she couldn’t reach Chen Maidong by phone.

She immediately rushed to his house and saw his grandmother heading out to throw away the gifts Song Yi had brought. Chen’s grandmother still held a grudge against Song Yi for cheating on Chen Maidong and hadn’t changed her attitude toward her. Since Chen Maidong didn’t come home that night, Zhuang Jie went personally to the beach resort where Song Yi was vacationing. She also sent a message to remind Chen Maidong of his promise to always be honest.

Even though Zhuang Jie hated the melodrama of catching someone cheating, she was just a regular person and couldn’t control her impulses. Especially after confirming that Song Yi had checked in as part of a couple, her imagination ran wild, and she quickened her pace. When Zhuang Jie knocked on the door, Song Yi appeared in front of her. Zhuang Jie immediately noticed her slightly swollen belly and, surprised, guessed she was already married.

Just as she finished speaking, a man in a bathrobe came out from inside the room and spoke coldly—it was obvious he was Song Yi’s husband. After calming him down, Song Yi took Zhuang Jie to the lobby downstairs to talk. She admitted that she had indeed dated Chen Maidong for seven years, but throughout those years, Chen Maidong had no real feelings for her—it was mostly out of guilt toward her brother, Song Ran.

Song Yi couldn’t deny that she liked Chen Maidong. Because her feelings were too intense and passionate, they inadvertently became a burden for him. Back then, in Chen Maidong’s eyes, Song Yi was just his good buddy’s younger sister—nothing more. He even went out of his way to avoid her.

One day, when Song Yi was surrounded by some local thugs outside school, she could have left, but instead, she deliberately stayed, hoping to create a “hero saves the damsel” moment with Chen Maidong. However, Chen Maidong refused to answer her calls and asked Song Ran to tell her to give up. Unexpectedly, this twist of fate led to Song Ran’s death.

After her brother’s passing, Song Yi was overwhelmed with guilt and didn’t have the courage to face Chen Maidong. But Chen Maidong also felt remorse, and in the end, he took over Song Ran’s role in looking after and protecting Song Yi. The two of them became the people who understood each other best in the world. During that time, Chen Maidong fulfilled all of Song Yi’s requests and demands.

Even though she knew he was intentionally blurring the line between pity and affection, she still clung to a shred of hope—believing her love for him would be enough to carry them through. But things didn’t go as she wished. During their seven years together, pain and exhaustion made up most of their relationship. Later, it was Song Yi who first suggested breaking up.

Only after meeting her current husband did she finally realize that she, too, was someone who could smile easily—and that liking someone was not the same as loving them. Song Yi knew that Chen Maidong loved Zhuang Jie, and so she hoped Zhuang Jie would treat him well and allow him to find happiness. In truth, though, Zhuang Jie was best at simplifying things.

Whenever she encountered something she couldn’t figure out or something too complicated to handle at the moment, she’d simply set it aside, believing that everything would work out when the time came. It wasn’t until this moment, when she saw Song Yi, that Zhuang Jie suddenly realized how cruel she had been. That night, Chen Maidong returned home utterly exhausted. Working through two nights had taken a toll on his body. His grandmother, concerned, asked him about his true thoughts.

Chen Maidong admitted that he stayed in Nanping Town not just for her and his master, but also because of promises he had made to others. Hearing this, his grandmother felt heartache and advised him to be a bit more selfish. The next day, Zhuang Jie came to visit Chen Maidong, who had caught a cold. She suddenly asked if he would hate her for leaving Nanping Town and going to Shanghai.

Zhuang Jie explained that if she wanted to prove her value, she had to make sacrifices. She didn’t want to settle for less, nor did she want to get married and, years later, feel regret and resentment—wondering if her life could’ve been different. She feared becoming a version of herself that she no longer recognized, putting a strain on their marriage and turning against Chen Maidong.

Liao Tao went to a nearby town to deliver food and left some money for Zhuang Yan and the others to get a meal. Zhuang Yan was overjoyed when he heard that his eldest sister was dating Chen Maidong. Meanwhile, Chen’s grandmother was shocked to learn that Grandma Lin had brain cancer and didn’t have much time left. She wandered the streets in a daze and was eventually spotted by Liao Tao, who immediately called Chen Maidong.

Unfortunately, he was in the shower and didn’t hear the phone. Wu Xuehua then mobilized everyone to help search for Chen’s grandmother. Zhuang Jie, despite the pain in her leg, rushed to the riverside and found her, promptly informing Chen Maidong. After this incident, Liao Tao told Zhuang Jie that if she insisted on being with Chen Maidong, they would face many more difficulties in the future.

With her health and his circumstances, they would only be burdens to each other, and even if they had a child, there’d be no one to care for it. After comforting his grandmother, Chen Maidong had a video call with Zhuang Jie. Both of them tactfully avoided talking about the future and agreed to go see a movie together. But since the movie had already started, neither of them felt like going in. Instead, they sat at the entrance of the theater, chatting, leaning on each other, and enjoying the warmth of the night scenery.

On New Year’s Eve, lights sparkled across the city and households were filled with joy and laughter—except for the Liao family, where the atmosphere was unbearably heavy. The table was full of delicious food, but the most important person was missing. The portraits of two fathers stood side by side, stirring an overwhelming sadness in Liao Tao. She noticed that Zhuang Jie seemed distracted and was preparing to go out to celebrate the new year with friends.

Suspecting that she was meeting Chen Maidong, Liao Tao felt extremely displeased. Zhuang Jie didn’t want to argue at such a moment and tried her best to suppress her emotions, but Liao Tao wouldn’t let it go. She started listing all the times Zhuang Jie had barely been home over the years, claiming that even now, she still wasn’t reliable.

In Liao Tao’s view, a proper girl wouldn’t go out this late at night under the pretext of celebrating, because in the end, it was always girls who suffered the consequences. But Liao Tao, driven by concern, ended up speaking too harshly and never considered how hurtful her words could be. In turn, Zhuang Jie snapped back without hesitation, saying that her leg had already held her back enough.

Even if she wanted to enjoy herself, it depended on whether others were willing. With that, she stormed out the door. Zhuang Yan rushed out after her and tried to persuade his eldest sister not to be upset with their mother. He also revealed that an accident had occurred at the factory, which had worsened their mother’s mood.

Although Zhuang Jie had long grown used to it—having heard both praise and criticism since childhood—she sometimes chose how to respond based on her environment. Compared to Zhuang Yan’s refined and poetic temperament, which resembled their father, Zhuang Jie was more like their strong-willed mother. She never accepted defeat in the face of adversity and always pushed forward, which was exactly why she wanted to leave Qingping Town.

Within the same family, this kind of character trait could be a weapon for survival. But if two family members possessed it simultaneously, it would naturally become a weapon of mutual destruction. Chen Maidong prepared a variety of fruits for New Year’s and, seeing his grandmother happily video chatting with Granny Chen, he left home with peace of mind to meet Zhuang Jie at the plaza bar.

Zhuang Jie, slightly tipsy after drinking, wrapped her arms around Chen Maidong’s neck and spoke suggestively. Suddenly, a strange man groped her from behind, igniting the fury she had long buried. She grabbed a chair and smashed it toward him. Fortunately, the security guards intervened just in time, preventing the situation from escalating. Chen Maidong then took Zhuang Jie out of the bar and brought her straight to the new apartment he had bought a couple of years ago.

It was Zhuang Jie’s first time at Chen Maidong’s new home. She enjoyed his thoughtfulness without guilt and was surprised to discover a custom-made clay figurine of the tree characters they once portrayed together. When the moment felt right, Zhuang Jie straddled Chen Maidong’s lap, kissed him, and began unbuttoning his shirt. Her mind was filled with Liao Tao’s scolding, and a surge of rebellion took over, as if only this could ease the emotions clawing at her from within.

Chen Maidong initially thought Zhuang Jie was acting on a drunken impulse, but once he realized she truly wanted to go further, he stopped holding back and reached out to help her remove her prosthetic limb. That act suddenly brought Zhuang Jie back to her senses. She pushed him away and angrily accused him of trying to force her. Chen Maidong was stunned.

Watching her get dressed and walk away in a huff, smashing the clay figurine before leaving, he felt a deep chill in his heart. That night, Chen Maidong rode his motorcycle to take Zhuang Jie home. They remained silent the whole way until they reached her doorstep. After giving serious thought to their relationship, Chen Maidong admitted that he couldn’t embrace pleasure in the moment and couldn’t treat feelings lightly the way she did.

He decided it was time to end this fleeting affair. Back home, Zhuang Jie saw the card her younger sister had written for her. He Niaoniao hoped that her eldest sister and mother wouldn’t fight anymore—she didn’t want to see them cry. Her thoughtfulness made Zhuang Jie feel unbearable sorrow. The next morning, she took the initiative to help Liao Tao cook and offered to go to Chengdu in her place to purchase marinade ingredients.

Liao Tao didn’t object, thinking it would be good for her to clear her mind. While taking out the trash downstairs, Wang Xixia encountered a rude man. At the critical moment, Cui Ge stepped in and spoke up for her, earning her favor. As a result, Wang Xixia invited Cui Ge to her home for a chat. Meanwhile, Zhuang Jie called Wang Xixia to vent.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xixia scolded her, saying this was a matter of mutual consent between adults and that Zhuang Jie had no reason to throw such blame on Chen Maidong. After all, she was the one who seduced him in the first place, so why act so pitiful now? Although Wang Xixia used to admire the natural confidence Zhuang Jie exuded, she now believed that too much confidence could turn into arrogance, which would eventually harm both others and oneself.

She urged Zhuang Jie to apologize and stop acting like a feminist all the time. After hanging up, Wang Xixia looked at the considerate Cui Ge beside her and suddenly felt a desire to start a relationship. She went on her first date with him.

Chen Maidong returned to the new apartment, picked up the shattered pieces of the clay figurine with his own hands, and leaned quietly against the wall, shedding silent tears. After returning from Chengdu, Zhuang Jie dropped off the gift she bought for Grandma Chen while Chen Maidong was not home. Worried about passing on her cold, she left shortly after sitting for a while. Later, Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong were invited to a class reunion.

They sat at the same table, but despite being so close, they felt worlds apart. Zhuang Jie smiled and responded to her old classmates’ teasing, her gaze never straying from Chen Maidong. As his father's business continued to thrive, Chen Maidong’s indifferent attitude toward money irked their classmate Liang Wei, who felt he was acting too superior. Hearing Liang Wei's sarcastic remarks about Chen Maidong, Zhuang Jie interrupted him and was scolded in return.

Chen Maidong couldn't stand it either and quickly became confrontational with Liang Wei. The others hurried to calm the situation, but Chen Maidong left the table and walked out. Zhuang Jie rushed after him to apologize for her earlier words, admitting she shouldn't have used that expression. Chen Maidong ignored her and kept walking. Zhuang Jie quickly stopped him by pretending her leg hurt, which finally made Chen Maidong respond.

He told Zhuang Jie that if she had any objections, she could have spoken up at the time; there was no need to insult him. He, too, was a person with dignity. After saying this, he shook off Zhuang Jie's hand and said he didn’t want to be entangled with her any longer. Furious, Zhuang Jie fainted. That night, Chen Maidong took Zhuang Jie home and waited anxiously outside until Zhuang Yan came out and told him she was fine.

He finally relaxed. He Niaoniao had long noticed that her eldest sister carried hidden pain, and she and Zhuang Yan persuaded Liao Tao to try to understand Zhuang Jie better and show more care to this daughter who appeared strong but was fragile inside. Thanks to the two children’s persuasion, Liao Tao gradually came to accept Zhuang Jie’s relationship with Chen Maidong. In her view, being in love required seriousness and responsibility, and a long-distance relationship wasn't a real issue.

She asked Zhuang Jie how she distinguished her feelings for Ji Tong and Chen Maidong. Zhuang Jie said that what she felt for Ji Tong was a misguided form of love, but what she felt for Chen Maidong was true and sincere. At home, Chen Maidong tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol, his mind replaying the events of New Year’s Eve.

Realizing he truly couldn’t let go of Zhuang Jie, he gathered his courage and messaged her, saying he was outside her door. Zhuang Jie was overwhelmed with joy and ran out to throw herself into his arms. She finally confessed why she had said those harsh words before. Thankfully, Chen Maidong accepted her explanation, and the incident was put to rest.

Zhuang Jie then wrote a post on her social media based on her mood, reminding Chen Maidong to read it—an indirect way of publicly announcing their relationship. Revived by love, Zhuang Jie was in high spirits and cooked for the entire family in the morning. Even her cold had disappeared, and laughter filled the dining table.

Since the family had been kept awake by a mouse and everyone returned to their rooms for a nap after breakfast, Zhuang Jie went to the store alone. With nothing else to do, Chen Maidong came to help and suggested they go on a proper, formal date. Both believed this time everything would go smoothly. That evening, Chen Maidong prepared fine wine and food at the new apartment, peeling shrimp and feeding them to Zhuang Jie with great care.

Zhuang Jie suddenly reflected aloud, saying she once read a book that gave her a new insight: only by loving oneself first can one truly know how to love another. Even blood-bound family ties can’t always be relied upon—staking one’s entire life on love could be a burden for both parties. Zhuang Jie told Chen Maidong that love didn’t necessarily have to lead to marriage, and sometimes maintaining a relationship didn’t require a piece of paper.

They cuddled and watched the snowfall. Chen Maidong had drawn a bath for Zhuang Jie and prepared her crutch, suggesting she stay the night. When Zhuang Jie tried to seduce him, he gently declined, reminding her she still wasn’t ready, and that he could wait. On the way home, Chen Maidong received a call from Zhuang Jie.

She shared that she had a boyfriend back in college, and when they were about to be intimate for the first time, the boy reacted with shock and disgust at seeing her prosthetic leg, which left her deeply hurt. After her amputation, her family couldn't afford to keep her in the hospital until she fully healed, which led to an infection and a near-fatal fever.

Though she survived, her stump was disfigured and grotesque, and she had long been afraid of anyone seeing it. Chen Maidong finally understood Zhuang Jie's vulnerability. Drawing from his own experiences, he comforted her, saying he had come to terms with many things. If she was willing, he was prepared to be her confidant, her lover, even her secret partner—as long as he could be with her. Deeply moved, Zhuang Jie suddenly asked if he wanted to come back.

Early in the morning, Zhuang Jie opened her eyes and saw a man's hand, which startled her into quickly turning around—only to realize it was Chen Maidong lying beside her. She instantly breathed a sigh of relief and snuggled into his arms, savoring the sweetness of love. Because Zhuang Jie hadn’t come home the night before, Liao Tao was furious and took it out on Zhuang Yan.

Their younger sister He Niaoniao hurriedly messaged Zhuang Jie to warn her and told her to come home quickly and take responsibility for her actions. There had never been a curfew in the Liao household, but ever since Chen Maidong appeared, Liao Tao suddenly set this rule. Zhuang Jie had no choice but to quickly ask Wang Xixia to go to the shop first to help calm Liao Tao down.

Meanwhile, Chen Maidong decided to take Zhuang Jie back himself, personally helping her put on her prosthetic leg. He said he might be clumsy at first but would become more skillful over time. Zhuang Jie was deeply touched by his words. Hiding in a corner, Zhuang Jie observed Liao Tao’s mood and saw her younger brother and sister standing obediently in front of her like scapegoats, getting scolded.

Wang Xixia was trying to smooth things over and successfully kept the situation under control. Seeing the timing was right, Zhuang Jie rushed out, pretending to warmly welcome Wang Xixia. Liao Tao couldn’t stay angry anymore and had just stood up when she saw Chen Maidong riding past on his motorcycle, nodding at them in greeting. Wang Xixia had been dating Cui Ge for a while and suddenly began thinking about marriage.

It was rare for her to feel so at ease with a man. Seeing how happy Wang Xixia looked, Zhuang Jie was sincerely happy for her. At the same time, she was inspired to start her own business, hoping to stabilize her life sooner and better maintain her relationship with Chen Maidong. Later, Zhuang Jie helped clean up Grandma Chen’s house and chatted with Grandma Lin over video call.

The two elderly women felt immense joy watching the affection between Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong. Once again, Chen Maidong drove Zhuang Jie home. She wanted him to come inside, reasoning that even an “ugly daughter-in-law” would have to meet her in-laws eventually. But at the thought of Liao Tao, Chen Maidong became nervous—he wasn’t mentally prepared yet. Just then, Zhuang Yan came out and invited Chen Maidong in as a guest.

It was Chen Maidong’s first time at the Liao home, and he felt uneasy. Everyone asked him to help write couplets, and sure enough, the mood became lively and warm. When Liao Tao came back carrying things and saw Chen Maidong, she didn’t know what to say and went straight into the kitchen. Zhuang Jie quietly reminded Liao Tao to be nicer, since after all, he was her future son-in-law.

However, during the conversation that followed, Chen Maidong’s thoughtfulness and maturity made Liao Tao like him more and more. When she received a gift from him, she couldn’t stop smiling. That night, the whole family celebrated Zhuang Jie’s birthday. But during the celebration, Chen Maidong suddenly received a call from the funeral home and had to rush back to work. The next morning, the neighbors gossiped that a funeral procession had been hit by a large truck, killing many people.

The funeral home was now overwhelmed. Zhuang Jie wanted to go, but Zhuang Yan went in her place to assess the situation and offered to stay and help out at the funeral home. Chen Maidong told him to contact them again if volunteers were needed. For the entire day, Chen Maidong worked non-stop, utterly exhausted. The tragic scene of the accident haunted him mentally. Through this incident, he developed a sudden fear of death.

He had always been a carefree person, but ever since starting his relationship with Zhuang Jie, he had become more emotionally sensitive. That night, Chen Maidong dreamed of meeting a little girl holding flowers in a hospital. When he walked into the room, the flowers on the cabinet were already withered, and Zhuang Jie was sitting beside them, smiling at him.

Just then, a call from Zhuang Jie woke him up—she came to the new apartment with a bouquet to spend Valentine's Day with him. Chen Maidong had also repaired the clay figurine and gave it to her. On the way back, Zhuang Jie couldn’t resist opening the gift. Seeing the reconstructed clay figurine filled her with complex emotions. She immediately turned around, pulled Chen Maidong back into the room, and the two finally consummated their relationship. The next morning, Zhuang Jie stood on the balcony wrapped in a coat, gazing into the distant morning light.

Grandma Lin looked back on her life and came to a deeper understanding of death. The first time she realized that people die was at her father's funeral. Her father had nine siblings and over forty children, so relatives came in an endless stream to pay their respects.

After she finished offering incense to her father and looked at the many similar faces around her, she suddenly understood: people strive to reproduce, and even if they end up scattered across the world, blood ties are the bond that brings them back together. Life will eventually come to an end, but it will also be passed on in new ways.

When Chen Maidong arrived at the hospital, Grandma Lin’s vital signs were still relatively stable, but the doctor warned him to be mentally prepared. Outside the operating room, Ci Wei’s mother was in critical condition, and Ci Wei was extremely agitated, terrified that she would leave him just like his father did. In the eyes of outsiders, Ci Wei was a reformed troublemaker, aggressive and arrogant, rarely showing such vulnerability.

Seeing this, Chen Maidong couldn’t help but feel compassion and comforted Ci Wei, telling him to cherish life—living well is the best way to honor one’s parents. At that time, the Liao family was discussing Grandma Lin’s condition. Lately, Chen Maidong had been rushing back and forth, juggling his work at the funeral home while also taking care of Grandma Lin at the hospital.

A good friend had gone to deliver goods to Grandma Shen in Jincun, and to their surprise, Grandma Chen was there too. She had heard that Grandma Shen’s relative was nearing the end, so she wanted to observe the final moments of someone passing. Zhuang Jie hadn’t contacted Chen Maidong for days and finally couldn’t resist making a video call to express how much she missed him.

Considering Grandma Lin’s grim condition, Zhuang Jie tentatively asked if they should start preparing for the worst. She reminded Chen Maidong that Grandma Lin was already very old and not suitable for further resuscitation—otherwise, the process would be very painful. Chen Maidong stayed at the hospital to accompany Grandma Lin, saying things that would make her happy, which brought her great comfort. She had never imagined that there would be a loved one by her side at the end.

However, when Chen Maidong returned from fetching water, he found the hospital room filled with doctors and nurses—and the next moment came the news that Grandma Lin was about to be declared brain-dead. Between trying to resuscitate and letting go, Chen Maidong remembered Zhuang Jie’s words and ultimately made the same choice she would have: to let Grandma Lin leave this world with dignity. In the end, Grandma Lin did not make it through the spring.

Grandma Chen was devastated by the news, overcome with grief, and Zhuang Jie was moved to tears at the sight. Before this, Grandma Lin had written a letter to Grandma Chen, instructing her to open it only after she was gone. At the beginning of the letter, Grandma Lin entrusted someone to take care of her old cat, hoping it would have a peaceful ending.

As for herself, she understood that she had few close family ties and would not have the joy of being surrounded by children and grandchildren. But because this path was one she had chosen, she had no regrets and hoped Grandma Chen wouldn’t feel sorrow on her behalf. The reason she wrote the letter was entirely because she couldn’t stop worrying about her dear friend.

She knew that with Grandma Chen’s personality, it would take a long time to accept things. But life and death are part of the natural order, and she believed Grandma Chen could get through this difficult time. She sincerely hoped Grandma Chen would one day say to her: “Sister Lin, you lived one hell of a life. ”At the end of the letter, Grandma Lin told Grandma Chen that women are the strongest beings.

The survival of every family depends on the resilience of women. In this world, she was not the only one in pain—everyone has their own suffering. Therefore, no one suffers alone. Not long after, Grandma Chen returned to the small house in Qingshui Town with Grandma Lin’s ashes. Ci Wei’s mother’s surgery was a success, lifting a heavy burden from his heart. Zhuang Yan’s goose, Ji San Ezi, had mingled into an old man’s flock and eventually left him.

Liao Tao comforted the children with stories from her own life, helping them understand the meaning of being human. Zhuang Jie was also about to return to Shanghai, and Zhuang Yan worried about how she and Chen Maidong would continue their relationship. Zhuang Jie said she wasn’t going back for money, but to do something meaningful.

A young man about to undergo an amputation came to Chen Maidong to inquire about the cremation fees, trying to decide whether to cremate his entire body or just the leg. Chen Maidong saw the man's pessimism toward life and his preoccupation with money. He told him that everyone goes through moments of weariness with life—some for big reasons, some for small—but the weight of suffering is the same for all.

Because all beings are equal, no one can escape life and death. Only by living with all one’s strength can one prove their uniqueness. Zhuang Jie was soon returning to Shanghai, and this trip would mean separating from Chen Maidong. However, she had no intention of breaking up—she only wanted to implement the startup plan she had been preparing for a long time. Liao Tao noticed that Zhuang Jie found it difficult to express certain things to Chen Maidong.

Zhuang Jie admitted that she was afraid of hurting him and needed to be tactful. Liao Tao suggested they could try a long-distance relationship. Because of that, Liao Tao told Zhuang Jie that even in a long-distance relationship, they didn’t have to worry, as long as their feelings were strong—any obstacle could be overcome. Even so, Zhuang Jie had already made up her mind not to let go.

As long as Chen Maidong didn’t mention breaking up, she would keep the relationship going. The next morning, Zhuang Jie accompanied Grandma Chen for a walk in the park, listening to her talk about Chen Maidong’s recent situation. Grandma Chen straightforwardly asked Zhuang Jie what she truly thought—whether she and Chen Maidong just wanted to date or were seriously considering marriage.

Zhuang Jie honestly admitted that she used to think of it all very simply: dating was just dating, and breaking up could be done cleanly. But now she was completely certain that Chen Maidong had to be part of her future life. Hearing this, Grandma Chen finally felt at ease and in turn spoke candidly to Zhuang Jie. She said that if one met the right person at the right time, it would be best to marry.

Dating without marrying might save a lot of trouble in the end, but such a relationship, leaving behind no trace at all, was unlikely to help people grow. Though managing a marriage or going through a divorce comes with a high cost, possibly involving unpleasant experiences, that in itself is meaningful. A life worth living includes real hurt and defeat—only then is it not lived in vain. The full range of emotions is what makes life rich.

Chen Maidong returned wearily to Nanping Town and saw a hopscotch grid drawn on the ground nearby. When no one was watching, he jumped on it. Cui Ge came to find Zhuang Jie personally—mainly because she was Wang Xixia’s close friend—and felt that she might better understand Wang Xixia’s preferences. He brought out a custom-made gold ring, hoping she could give him some advice.

Seeing the mahjong-shaped gold ring engraved with a big “Xi” character, Zhuang Jie didn’t know how to comment on Cui Ge’s taste, but she could tell that this man genuinely wanted to marry Wang Xixia and was full of sincerity. Then, Zhuang Jie threw a question at Cui Ge that she had kept inside for a long time—whether men could accept a long-distance relationship. Cui Ge said that if they were already married, they would just have to overcome it.

But if he still had a choice, he definitely wouldn’t want a long-distance relationship. In Cui Ge’s view, he was no longer a naive young guy. He knew well that time and distance would inevitably wear down feelings. He simply didn’t want to gamble on human nature. To put it more realistically, adults need real meals three times a day and someone to share a bed with.

Relying on WeChat and phone calls to maintain a relationship was meaningless to him. In the following days, Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong were inseparable, always sticking together. Even little sister He Niaoniao couldn’t stand it, complaining that Zhuang Jie looked like a flamboyant butterfly every day. Zhuang Jie thought it was time to come clean with Chen Maidong. She anxiously rehearsed her speech downstairs over and over.

After spending a night together, Zhuang Jie gathered her courage to have a serious talk with Chen Maidong. She wanted to know how she could make him happy. Through what happened with Grandma Lin, Chen Maidong realized there are only two kinds of farewells in life—parting by life or parting by death. He once thought that death was the hardest kind of separation, until in just a few minutes, a separation in life turned into a separation by death.

He suddenly understood that perhaps parting in life was even more terrifying. Chen Maidong showed his vulnerable side to Zhuang Jie. He didn’t want to keep pretending to be strong, nor did he want her to disappear from his life in any form. Zhuang Jie was deeply moved and responded with the same affection. Early in the morning, Chen Maidong woke up and walked into the living room, where he saw his grandmother already sitting on the sofa.

Grandma Chen’s sudden appearance caught Chen Maidong off guard. She believed her grandson had taken advantage of Zhuang Jie and should take responsibility for her. Zhuang Jie repeatedly emphasized that she was willing and wished to spend her life with Chen Maidong. Grandma Chen then decided to arrange their engagement, setting the marriage in motion, with the wedding date left for them to decide. After agreeing, Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong took many engagement photos.

The handsome man and beautiful woman made a perfect couple. Wu Xuehua made a big announcement over the radio, and neighbors came to the Liao family for wedding candies, while friends and relatives sent their blessings. The Liao and Chen families busied themselves with preparations for the engagement banquet. When Chen Maidong brought Zhuang Jie home, he saw that the yard and house were splendidly decorated.

Although Grandma Chen felt the preparations were rushed and had wronged Zhuang Jie, Zhuang Jie didn’t mind. Moreover, Chen Maidong’s parents also came to attend, and the whole family was filled with joy. The couple was very pleased with the engagement banquet. For a moment, it even felt like a dream they didn’t want to wake from, fearing reality would be harsh. Zhuang Jie hugged Chen Maidong tightly and said she wanted to take back her earlier words.

Though she loved Shanghai, she loved Chen Maidong more. Wang Xixia reminded Zhuang Jie that marriage was, after all, a practical matter—rice, oil, and daily trivialities—and besides love, money was also necessary. For that reason, Zhuang Jie decided to start a business with Wang Xixia. The two of them shared with Liao Tao their views on modern women’s perspectives on love and career. Despite the generational gap, they all reached a tacit understanding.

Meanwhile, the guys were also celebrating with Chen Maidong. Even Ci Wei had made peace with him. During drinks, Ci Wei revealed that he was preparing to go to Hainan to develop medical tourism, a field with great potential. Chen Maidong was immediately intrigued and asked Ci Wei to introduce him to some key figures in the industry, hoping to bring clients to Zhuang Jie.

On the other hand, with Zhuang Jie about to return to Shanghai, she truly didn’t know how to tell Chen Maidong. She used to think she was carefree, but now she realized she was just a coward in love. Still, Wang Xixia, Liao Tao, and others advised her to be honest with Chen Maidong. Zhuang Jie mentally prepared herself, but just then, Chen Maidong had an urgent matter and left in a hurry.

Her family offered suggestions, telling her to gently explain her reasons for going to Shanghai, but there wasn’t enough time. On the day of departure, Zhuang Jie called Chen Maidong to the train station and confessed that due to the startup, she couldn’t say when she’d return to Nanping Town. Chen Maidong was furious and questioned her for acting first and informing him later.

She had no plans for their future, and after hastily getting engaged, was now leaving him—treating marriage as a game. Because of that, Chen Maidong once again proposed breaking up and asked Zhuang Jie to return the engagement ring. He said they should act as if they had never been engaged. Zhuang Jie refused to give it back. In the struggle, she accidentally hit Chen Maidong’s nose.

Watching him walk away from the station with a bleeding nose, she felt awful and boarded the train in tears. After returning to Shanghai, Zhuang Jie was emotionally low. Looking at the clay figurine Chen Maidong had repaired by hand, she once again realized how cruel she had been. Fortunately, her business was thriving, and the proposal she had prepared was outstanding. Still, she couldn’t feel happy.

The Shanghai she once saw as the most beautiful place in the world suddenly seemed dim and lifeless. Chen Maidong stared into the distance, lost in thought. He still hadn’t taken off the engagement ring—it remained on his ring finger. But the whole incident made him reflect deeply. He told his grandmother how much he hated a life without plans and asked her not to interfere in his love life anymore.

Later, while on a business trip to Shanghai, Chen Maidong gave valuable advice to a group of students in the funeral industry. As he was leaving, he noticed a corpse lying on a gurney. The face was covered with a white sheet, but the engagement ring on the ring finger looked incredibly familiar.

Every year when Chen Maidong serves as a judge for the funeral services competition, he begins with the same opening line: Everyone lives in the midst of death. Some believe that death is not the end of life, but the completion of it. Yet most people refuse to talk about death, let alone draft a will or sign a do-not-resuscitate order in advance. All of this stems from fear of death.

But for Chen Maidong, an unprepared death disrupts all plans—just like now, when he hasn't had the chance to express his feelings to the one he loves, and that familiar engagement ring may become a lasting regret. A month ago, Grandma Chen personally visited Liao Tao. The two elders, though from different families, shared mutual understanding and tolerance regarding the younger generation’s conflicts. They also shared a strikingly similar view: children and grandchildren have their own blessings.

He Niaoniao overheard her mother and Grandma Chen’s conversation and messaged Zhuang Jie, telling her that the rear line was filled with her allies—she could boldly launch a full offensive toward Chen Maidong. In high spirits, Zhuang Jie gathered top technical talents in the medical industry and shared her project vision. She believed everyone shared the same goal: to develop high-end domestic medical equipment and provide multi-level healthcare services, forming an important foundation for strengthening the healthcare system.

But they were facing a current problem—the upstream and downstream of the industry chain were not aligned. While various institutions were committed to product development, they lacked cohesion. Therefore, they built this platform to form an interdisciplinary team integrating biomedical materials and mechanical engineering, and planned to deeply cultivate the field long-term, striving to launch a top-tier domestic brand.

Later, through Cui Ge, Zhuang Jie learned that Nanping Town had officially submitted a proposal to the province for a pilot zone for medical tourism. An idea instantly came to her—it was a gateway that offered her an opportunity and a bridge between her and Nanping. With this bridge, she could have both love and career.

Since Zhuang Jie would soon return to Nanping Town, Zhuang Yan used a small trick to get Chen Maidong to see him off to the station, thus creating an opportunity for the two to meet. Although Zhuang Jie acted coquettishly and tried to win him over in the car, Chen Maidong remained unmoved throughout, his attitude cold. He also kept secret his involvement in promoting Nanping’s medical tourism pilot plan.

Zhuang Jie’s pursuit of love was like walking into a crematorium—far from softening Chen Maidong, she instead heard rumors that he had recently become meticulous about his appearance, strutting around like a peacock. This gave Zhuang Jie a sense of crisis, so she asked Wang Xixia to deliberately post a photo in her friend circle where she appeared flirtatious during a dinner gathering, visible only to Chen Maidong. Unexpectedly, the next morning, Chen Maidong didn’t contact Wang Xixia.

Instead, he posted a handsome selfie to his own friend circle. Zhuang Jie, unable to wait, rushed over to confront Chen Maidong and asked if he was going to dump her. Chen Maidong helplessly reminded her to think carefully about the future—what kind of life would truly bring her peace of mind?

Before going to deliver her speech at the town hall, Zhuang Jie kept thinking about Chen Maidong’s words, feeling completely unsettled and afraid he would truly break up with her. After calming down, Zhuang Jie presented her project plan to the leadership of Nanping Town. She sincerely expressed her desire to contribute to her hometown and said she was lucky to have met Chen Maidong at this age—it was he who helped her find her life’s purpose.

Standing outside the door, Chen Maidong heard her words and was deeply comforted. Zhuang Jie had once said that she didn’t know how to change her personality—after all, she had been used to laughing through her sadness for over a decade. Chen Maidong wasn’t angry that Zhuang Jie had left Nanping Town, but upset that she never trusted him and treated love and marriage like a joke.

But through this experience, he saw how much she had changed and ultimately decided to personally take her to the train station to return to Shanghai, and the two reconciled. From then on, Wang Xixia moved out of the shared apartment and lived with her husband Cui Ge. Chen Maidong often sent food to Zhuang Jie and would occasionally express how much he missed her—the sweetness between them was overwhelming.

One day, while Zhuang Jie was on her way back, she almost got into a car accident. Having brushed past death, she suddenly realized that between tomorrow and an accident, no one knows which will come first, so one must cherish the present. Likewise, when Chen Maidong saw that the deceased wearing the engagement ring was not Zhuang Jie, he breathed a sigh of relief, then ran out of the funeral home to call her.

The two agreed to meet at Shanghai Station. Zhuang Jie told him that her future world included only Chen Maidong. Wherever he went, she would follow. Wherever he was, that was home. From now on, she would no longer speak of “every day,” but of every minute, every second.

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