Episode Summary
Gu Pingyuan finally decides to propose to Chang Yuer after some pressure from Jin Mistress. He gets his mother's blessing and travels to Pingyao. While the Li family deals with internal suspicion regarding Gu's survival, Gu faces a nervous Chang Yuer who plays hard to get. After a drunken night with her father, Gu confesses his true feelings, and the couple reconciles.
Spoiler Alert
The Matchmaker Strikes
Jin Mistress is tired of waiting. She wants Gu Pingyuan and Chang Yuer together immediately. Gu Pingyuan hesitates. He thinks he is too poor to support a wife right now. Jin Mistress knows exactly how to handle him. She uses reverse psychology to force his hand. It works like a charm. Gu Pingyuan decides to propose to Chang Si.
He stops by his own home first. He needs his mother's opinion. He tells her everything about his struggles with Chang Yuer. They suffered together. His mother gives her full blessing. She even pulls out a jade hairpin from her own wedding day. That is the betrothal gift. She saves the matching hairpin for Gu Pingwen. Gu Pingyuan has a plan. He will marry first. Then he will look for his father.
Trouble in the Li Family
Chang Yuer is miserable without Gu Pingyuan. Heizi tries his best to cheer her up. It does not work. She stays gloomy. Over at the Li household, the power dynamic shifts. Li Wantang hands the entire Jiangnan salt business over to Li Qin. Su Zixuan offers her congratulations. But she has doubts.
She confronts Li Qin. She points out a strange pattern. Li Wantang always leaves Gu Pingyuan a way out. She tried to kill Gu Pingyuan in Ningguta. Li Wantang let him live. She thinks the old man has a secret agenda regarding Gu Pingyuan. Li Qin takes this concern to Li Wantang. The old man dodges the question with weak excuses.
A Trip to Pingyao
Gu Pingyuan arrives in Pingyao, Shanxi. He goes straight to Chang Si. He asks for permission to marry Chang Yuer. Chang Si weeps with joy. He has waited a long time for this day. Chang Yuer sees Gu Pingyuan. She is thrilled.
Back home, Gu Pingwen and Miss Liao are getting close. They plan to marry after the big wedding. Their mother is delighted. Wu Caishen shows up to help. He brings a crew of craftsmen from Hangzhou to fix up the house. The family welcomes him warmly.
Playing Hard to Get
A fortune teller checks the couple's future. He says they will work hard all their lives. But he also says they are a perfect match. Everyone is happy. Gu Pingyuan suddenly realizes a mistake. He never actually asked Chang Yuer herself. Chang Si sends him to her room with the betrothal letter.
Chang Yuer locks him out. She ignores him completely. Gu Pingyuan stands outside the door. He reads the letter loud and clear. She still refuses to open the door. He just waits there.
The Real Confession
Gu Pingyuan vows to protect her forever. She turns off the lights to spite him. She drives him away. He goes drinking with her dad instead. They drink way too much. Chang Si passes out cold. Chang Yuer finds them. She scolds Gu Pingyuan for letting her dad get that drunk. He apologizes profusely.
She finally admits the truth. She was scared he did not really care. She thought this might be a dream. She wanted to hear his true feelings. Gu Pingyuan looks her in the eye. He tells her exactly how he feels. It gets emotional. Chang Si wakes up and sees the moment. He quietly sneaks away to give them space.
