Episode Summary

Shen Jing confesses to being the mastermind behind the poisoning, leading to her arrest and a death sentence with reprieve. The rest of the characters receive their sentences, with Su Muxin getting two years and Qu Tong getting eighteen months. After serving his time, Su Muxin is released and has an emotional reunion with Qu Tong and their friends and family by the river, finally free to start over.

Spoiler Alert

The Final Confessions

A Mother's Goodbye

The episode kicks off with Zhou Mi confronting Chen Shuncai. She wants the truth. Is Qu Tong really dead? Did Su Muxin really commit both murders? Chen Shuncai just says he told the police everything he knows. He also mentions buying a scrapped vehicle.

That's all Zhou Mi needs. She immediately figures out Shen Jing used the car to help Qu Tong escape and calls her boss, Gao Bo.

We then see Qu Tong wake up in a shack by a river. Shen Jing is outside, waiting. Shen Jing gives a heartbreaking speech. She says her life was a failure. She married a man she didn't love, but he was always good to her. Now she's dragged him into this mess. She admits that for a long time, she felt like life wasn't worth living. Then she had Qu Tong. She did everything she could, both right and wrong, to give Qu Tong a better life.

The police show up. Shen Jing tells Qu Tong she can't be with her anymore but feels at ease knowing Su Muxin will be. She asks for a hug, and they cry together. Shen Jing whispers "I'm sorry" and slips a photo into Qu Tong's hand. It's a picture of a young, smiling Shen Jing holding an award. On the back, it says, "This is what Mom really looks like. Mom loves you."

The Real Mastermind

Zhou Mi lays out the whole plan for Gao Bo. Shen Jing was the one behind the poisoning.She knew that Shi Yue and Su Mufan both liked a specific brand of dry white wine. She bought a bottle, injected it with poison, and swapped it with the one at Shi Yue's desk. Her target was both of them all along.

We learn Shen Jing told Qu Lijun not to destroy the evidence. She was afraid Qu Tong would end up taking the blame for it.After her arrest, Shen Jing confesses everything. She tells the police exactly where she buried the poisoned wine bottle. The evidence is perfectly preserved. It has Shi Yue's fingerprints on it, plus a partial print from Shen Jing.

Tying Up Loose Ends

The Verdicts Are In

Qu Tong ends up in the hospital with a lung infection from being in the water. Zhou Mi visits her. Qu Tong is surprisingly calm and agrees to cooperate fully. Zhou Mi tells her that the information she provided was crucial. She also reveals that Su Muxin didn't mean to kill Shi Yue. He had given her a painkiller by mistake and even tried to save her. Because of this, he'll likely get out of prison soon and can start a new life.

Then, the sentences are handed down.

  • Shen Jing: Guilty of intentional homicide and false accusation. She gets a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.
  • Su Muxin: Guilty of helping to destroy evidence. He gets two years in prison.
  • Qu Tong: Guilty of attempted murder and helping to destroy evidence. The attempted murder charge is dropped because she stopped, so she gets one year and six months for the evidence charge.
  • Qu Lijun: Guilty of helping to destroy evidence. He gets a one-year sentence, suspended for two years.

A New Beginning

The episode gives Zhou Mi a personal resolution, too. She finally visits her father, who has liver cancer, in the hospital. Her mother sees her and pulls her into the room, where her parents hold her hand. Later, her colleagues visit her parents' home, and they all take a happy group photo. Zhou Mi is actually smiling.

Time passes. Su Muxin's prison sentence is up. Zhou Mi is there to pick him up. She tells him that the Xue family has moved away and that Xue Xiaoling and Chen Shuncai are working in another city.

Zhou Mi drives him to the river and leaves him alone. Soon after, Qu Tong appears. She quietly sits next to him and places his ring back into his hand. Just then, the Xue family, Xue Xiaoling, and Chen Shuncai all arrive. The whole group has a happy, tearful reunion and gets on a boat to cross the river together.