Episode Summary
The episode splits its time between two major periods. In the 1930s, as Shanghai falls to Japanese forces, Lin Jinghan dies while saving his son, and Cheng Ao and Lin Siyun commit to the resistance, solidifying their bond. In a flash-forward to 1955, Yi Yiyi, a fashion designer with a politically complicated past, fights an order to relocate from Shanghai and has a surprising encounter with Wen Pu, a government official who shows an unexpected appreciation for her art and culture.
Spoiler Alert
Shanghai in Chaos
The episode throws us right into the fire. Shanghai is about to fall. Planes are constantly overhead, and bombs are dropping everywhere. It's a total mess, with refugees flooding the streets.
Cheng Ao, always thinking ahead, has a place in the French Concession. He tells Lin Siyun to get over there immediately. But her family is a disaster. Her father, Lin Jinghan, and his other wife are busy arguing over money. They waste precious time bickering while the city burns.
Predictably, their delay costs them. The bombing gets intense, and they are forced to run for their lives.
A Selfish Man's Last Act
Here's where it gets interesting. Lin Jinghan, who has been a selfish jerk for his entire life, gets caught in an explosion. In his final moments, he does the one decent thing he's ever done. He shields his son with his own body. The act saves the boy's life. It’s a shocking end for a man who never cared about anyone but himself.
A New Beginning in the Rubble
Lin Siyun and Cheng Ao make a huge decision. They choose to stay in Shanghai. They aren't running away from the fight. Cheng Ao decides to become a liaison for the Party, working for the anti-Japanese resistance.Lin Siyun stands right by his side. She commits herself completely to the cause, giving up her own future for the people.
In a quiet moment, Cheng Ao gives Lin Siyun his mother's pocket watch. This is a big deal. He once said he would only give that watch to the most important person in his life. It's his way of telling her everything without saying a word.
Jumping Through Time
The show then pulls a fast one on us. We jump to 1993. Remember Ye Xining from the "present day" timeline? She was suicidal. But after hearing her grandmother tell Lin Siyun's story, she's found a reason to live.
Then we get another story. Ye Xining asks her grandmother, who we learn is Yi Yiyi, to tell her own tale.This sends us flashing back to 1955. The war is over, and a grown-up Yi Yiyi is now a fashion designer. But her life isn't simple. Her great love, Zhaoyuan, vanished without a trace and she hasn't heard from him since.
A Complicated Past
Yi Yiyi's world is being turned upside down by politics. The new government is nationalizing businesses, and her design studio is on the list.To make things worse, she's been ordered to leave Shanghai.
This hits her hard. The building her studio is in was her family home, then her aunt's hospital, and now her creative space. Her identity is also a problem. She was married to Zhaoyuan, a KMT general.Now that the Communists are in power and he's missing, she's in an awkward, even dangerous, position. She suspects the order to leave is because of who she was married to.
Fighting to Stay
Yi Yiyi refuses to give up her city. She starts looking for anyone who will listen. First, she goes to a man named Yang Xue'an. Then she goes to his boss, Wen Pu. She brings her entire portfolio and resume, hoping to convince them to let her stay.
Wen Pu is a serious, by-the-book kind of guy. He decides to check out her story himself. He goes to her studio after hours and finds a hallway full of Impressionist art. Inside, Yi Yiyi is painting while listening to foreign classical music. Wen Pu walks in and surprises her. He recognizes the Monet influence in her art and knows the exact piece of music she's playing. Yi Yiyi is completely taken aback by his knowledge. You can see she's instantly impressed.
