Episode Summary
Fang Lingyuan's investigation leads him to suspect that Mei Zheng swapped Zhou Delong's phone. The deep, long-standing bond between Mei Zheng and Li Mufeng is revealed. To protect Mei and end her suffering, Li Mufeng destroys the real phone, which contains crucial evidence that could save Duan Hongshan. [1] The case stalls until Fang discovers a potential clue at Li's art exhibition related to a glass sculpture called "Prince Rupert's Drop."
Spoiler Alert
Prosecutor Fang Lingyuan arrives at the Dongjiao Fish Farm, concealing his identity from the local fishermen. He’s puzzled as to how the frail Zhou Delong could have transported Duan Hongshan. Ding Yi points to a nearby trolley, leading Fang to deduce that Zhou chose this spot because it was the most familiar and advantageous for him.
The location where the mobile phone was recovered—outside the aquaculture area—raises Fang's suspicions. He believes it's unlikely that Zhou, in his condition, could have thrown it far like a young person might. Furthermore, if the goal was to destroy evidence, the live stream would have been meaningless. Fang concludes that the person who found the phone is lying.
Fang visits Mei Zheng, who confirms that the phone she found was Zhou Delong's. Fang presents a hypothesis: Mei Zheng, knowing Zhou's plan, used Duan Hongshan to eliminate Zhou. Worried about incriminating evidence on Zhou's phone, she swapped it with a blank one. Mei Zheng coolly tells him he has no proof. Before leaving, Fang makes a pointed comment about the glass wind chimes hanging at her door.
After Fang departs, Li Mufeng is seen in Mei Zheng's room. Their connection runs deep, back to high school when they had feelings for each other. After Li was sentenced, Mei dropped out of school and wrote to him, "Now we are the same." Though they rarely meet, they have been watching over each other ever since. It's revealed that Li, knowing about Mei's plan, was the one who gave Jiang Ting's address to Zhang Yuan.
Fang informs Duan Hongshan about the phone issue. Duan remembers the live stream's bullet comments vividly and tells Fang to trace its network history. He also gives Fang a resignation letter for Prosecutor Gong. Both Fang and Gong realize this means Duan is preparing to plead not guilty, and Fang suspects he is protecting someone.
At Mei Zheng's house, Li Mufeng accidentally finds Zhou Delong's real phone and leaves without a word. Mei Zheng chases him to a glass workshop. Crying, she tells him how unfair everything has been for him and that she has been waiting for a chance to do something for him, as he is incredibly important to her.The case stalls until Fang discovers a potential clue at Li's art exhibition related to a glass sculpture called "Prince Rupert's Drop."
