Episode Summary
Feng Qingzhuo is exonerated when Mrs. Huo confesses to murdering Xue Qianshan, not General Huo. Her motive was to secure the family inheritance after the General, aware of her affair with Li Xiao and her pregnancy, had planned to let them leave peacefully. As this case closes, a new one opens, with Xiao Beiming growing suspicious of Huo Dairong's role in the events and uncovering a clue that links her past to a mysterious place called Haiya City.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Feng Qingzhuo jolting awake, his memory hazy. He only recalls following a suspicious Mrs. Huo before being knocked unconscious from behind. When he comes to, he's been framed for a murder he didn't commit.
Meanwhile, Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman's investigation points directly at Mrs. Huo and her secret lover, Li Xiao. They theorize that the pair framed Feng Qingzhuo to conceal their affair. Their suspicions are bolstered by several facts: Mrs. Huo's spirits only lifted after Li Xiao joined the household; she bears a tattoo that matches a design on his dagger; and they were overheard discussing control of the Huo family's finances. It becomes clear that Huo Dairong has known about the affair for some time, having previously tried to expose them to Zhong Xueman.
Sensing the net closing in, Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao make a run for it, but Xiao Beiming intercepts them. Li Xiao surrenders without a fight, his primary concern being the safety of Mrs. Huo, who is pregnant with his child.
During interrogation, Li Xiao confesses to the murder, hoping to protect Mrs. Huo. However, Zhuge Kongyun isn't fooled; the evidence from the victim, Xue Qianshan, points to a female killer. Cornered, the lovers finally tell the true story. They deny killing General Huo, revealing an unexpected backstory. The General had discovered their affair and, knowing he was infertile and the child wasn't his, he kindly wrote a letter of divorce to let them leave and start a new life. As a token of his sincerity for the pain he caused, Li Xiao had even thrust his own hand into a pot of boiling oil. They insist they were grateful to the General and had no reason to kill him.
The real victim was Xue Qianshan. On the day they were meant to leave, General Huo died unexpectedly. Mrs. Huo, seeing a chance to inherit the family fortune, decided to stay. Fearing Xue Qianshan would discover the divorce letter and ruin her claim, she killed him and framed Feng Qingzhuo.
Mrs. Huo also reveals a disturbing memory of seeing General Huo eating raw meat one night, a secret she kept out of fear. Now, she confesses to killing Xue Qianshan and is ready to face justice, asking only that her execution be delayed until after her child is born, a request Zhuge Kongyun grants.
Despite the confession, Xiao Beiming feels something is wrong. The clue of a rare drug found in the General's medicine seems too convenient, almost as if it were planted. He begins to suspect that Huo Dairong manipulated the entire situation to expose her stepmother. His suspicion deepens when he recalls a partially burnt book from the General's study mentioning a place called "Haiya." He theorizes that the infertile General adopted Huo Dairong and her mother, who might be orphans from Haiya City.
The episode concludes as Feng Qingzhuo visits the Huo mansion, pretending to treat the terminally ill Aunt Feng. While he prepares her medicine, Zhong Xueman seizes the opportunity to question the old woman about Huo Dairong's true origins.
