Episode Summary
The police investigation points directly to Qu Lijun, who is apprehended at the airport. Qu Tong confronts her mother, Shen Jing, and learns the devastating truth about her parents' role in sabotaging her past with Su Muxin. Shen Jing admits to covering up the recent death and trying to frame Su Muxin. After a massive fallout, Qu Tong cuts ties with her mother and agrees to run away with Su Muxin. Meanwhile, Shi Yue's sister vows revenge on Qu Tong.
Spoiler Alert
The Walls Close In
The episode kicks off with the cops tightening their net. Fu Wenjiang tells them he was supposed to meet Qu Lijun at the hotel to get some vehicle records. This makes Wu Dong snap his fingers. He remembers seeing Qu Lijun’s back at that same hotel. Zhou Mi connects the dots. He figures Qu Lijun is the one who moved the body and is probably making a run for it.
The police rush to the airport. Qu Lijun's flight is conveniently delayed, so he's still there. He’s a veteran businessman, so his senses are sharp. He feels something is off and tries to walk out with his suitcase. But Zhang Dongliang saw this coming. He's already there, waiting with a taxi to give him a direct ride to the station.
While this is happening, Qu Tong is with Su Muxin. She thinks her family believes she killed someone and is trying to cover for her. She can't reach her dad, Qu Lijun, and she's starting to panic. Then she gets a text from her mom, Shen Jing. It just says to come home because the family is about to be gone.
The Mother of All Confrontations
Qu Tong goes to her old childhood home, which is slated for demolition. This is the "home" her mother was talking about. Sure enough, Shen Jing is waiting for her inside.
A Botched Cover-Up
Qu Tong explains what happened on the night of the death. The victim had been drinking, and she’s convinced she didn’t kill anyone. She says the items left with the body are now critical evidence. Shen Jing’s response is chilling. She tells Qu Tong she threw everything into the river.
Qu Tong is furious that her mother tampered with a body. But Shen Jing quickly changes the subject to Su Mufan, Su Muxin’s twin brother. She finds his sudden appearance too much of a coincidence. She even says Zhou Mi told her that Su Mufan is the real suspect in the Shi Yue case. Qu Tong defends him, but Shen Jing insists he has a motive. She thinks he must hate his brother, Su Muxin.
The Past Explodes
In her anger, Shen Jing lets something slip. She accidentally reveals she knew all about Qu Tong and Su Muxin back in high school. That one sentence unravels everything.
It turns out a nosy neighbor saw the two teenagers together and tattled to Shen Jing. Qu Tong had planned a secret meeting with Su Muxin one night. Shen Jing physically stopped her from leaving the house. Her father, Qu Lijun, went out and saw Su Muxin lying injured in the rain. Instead of helping, he just took Qu Tong's yellow umbrella, went home, and lied, saying he never saw anyone. To top it off, Shen Jing hid the umbrella, all to "protect" Qu Tong's future.
Qu Tong Finally Snaps
This is where Qu Tong completely breaks down. She accuses her mother of ruining her entire life. She screams that Shen Jing never cared about her happiness, only about herself and her social standing. She looked down on Su Muxin because of his background.
Then Qu Tong drops the biggest bombshell. She says Shen Jing knew she was marrying the wrong man, the fake Su Muxin. She let the wedding happen because the imposter had a government job that was useful to her. And now, to save herself from the shame of having a killer for a daughter, she’s willing to frame the real Su Muxin for a crime he didn't commit.
Qu Tong lays out the final truth. Shi Yue was actually a woman named Hao Meili. Hao Meili was the one who blinded Su Muxin years ago. She ended up scaring herself to death, and it had nothing to do with Su Muxin. Qu Tong tells her mother she will never let her use Su Muxin. With that, she cuts all ties with Shen Jing, telling her never to contact her again. We even see a quick flashback. After Qu Tong's wedding, Shen Jing found the real Su Muxin, revealed she knew who he was, and cruelly handed him a yellow umbrella.
A New Alliance and an Old Grudge
Later, Su Muxin tells Qu Tong the physical evidence is likely gone forever. He suggests they run away to the west, where a friend has relatives who can help them. Qu Tong leans on his shoulder and agrees. He takes her hand.
The episode ends on a dark note. We see Shi Muxian, Shi Yue's sister, burning offerings. She remembers how her sister was obsessed with breaking up Qu Tong's marriage, even resorting to self-harm. Shi Muxian clutches her sister's clothes and vows that she will not let Qu Tong get away with it.
