Episode Summary
Episode 24 featured intense confrontations and revelations. Xiao Min confronted Li Liang about his secret child, leading to their divorce, though she ultimately decided against selling their coffee shop. Meanwhile, Zhang Shiqi discovered Dong Jiajia's double life as a mermaid performer, which clashed with her professional resume, resulting in him ordering Ye Lang to delete her files and Ye Lang's subsequent suspension for covering it up. In another dramatic storyline, Qin Tianyue exposed Jiang Fangyuan's simultaneous affairs with Lin Xia, Su Tang, and Cao Zixuan, leading to a chaotic scene where Cao Zixuan, devastated, found solace and support from He Huanhuan by the sea.
Spoiler Alert
Xiao Min & Li Liang: The Marriage Implodes
We open in that familiar coffee shop, but the vibe is anything but cozy. Qin Tianyue slides some hot tea towards Xiao Min, but all eyes are metaphorically (and maybe literally, through the window) on Li Liang. His shadow stretches across the doorway, looking ominous. Xiao Min, curled up on the sofa, is twisting her wedding ring, and she lays it out bare: "You swore we were DINKs for life, but then you got drunk and had a secret kid?" Oof.
Li Liang tries to smooth it over, claiming he hid it because he was scared she'd flip out (ya think?!). He spins it like the kid saves her the "hardship of childbirth" and the mother signed away her rights. Yeah, Xiao Min isn't buying that load of crap. She slaps the divorce papers down on the table, right over a crack in their wedding photo (the symbolism!). Outside, Feng Qingming and Ye Lang are lurking in the shadows, looking worried.
The confrontation escalates. Xiao Min throws her red wine right at Li Liang, the glass hitting that same wedding photo, shattering the image of their decade-long happiness. As she starts ripping up the divorce agreement, Li Liang suddenly changes tactics, tearing up the clause that gave him a million bucks. "Keep the coffee shop," he says, "I'm leaving."
Later, as evening settles in the shop, there's a bittersweet moment. A group tries to convince Xiao Min to stay, the warm light catching the lines around her eyes. She's fiddling with a copper coffee spoon, worn smooth from Li Liang's touch over the years. Then, decisively, she rips down the "For Transfer" sign she'd put up on the door. Those little notes she'd made – his lactose intolerance, her cashew allergy – reminders of their shared life, now feel like faded artifacts mingling with old coffee stains. Is she keeping the shop? Staying put? It feels like a turning point, but not necessarily reconciliation.
Zhang Shiqi & Dong Jiajia: The Mermaid and the Resume
Shift scenes to somewhere much more... aquatic. Zhang Shiqi is at what looks like an aquarium or exhibit. He's mesmerized watching Dong Jiajia perform as a mermaid, her tail shimmering like "liquid amber." But then, reality hits. This image clashes hard with the "Diving Club Operations Director" title on her resume he's likely reviewing.
Backstage, smelling of chlorine, he bumps into Dong Jiajia, sans tail. He notices the waterproof tape behind her ear, still crusted with salt. Meanwhile, the matchmaking company Destiny (where Zhang Shiqi seems to work or be involved) is hosting a fancy event, and Director Zhao's award banner is gleaming. Zhang Shiqi clutches Dong Jiajia's real file, the discrepancy weighing on him. You can almost hear his silent sigh bubbling up like the air tanks in the exhibit. This hidden identity clearly bothers him, especially in the context of a business built on matching people accurately.
The Fallout: Ye Lang Takes the Heat
The consequences ripple outwards. During a meeting where a screen boasts a 97% talent matching rate (oh, the irony), Zhang Shiqi calls Ye Lang. His voice is cold, like he's crushing roses: "Delete every file on Dong Jiajia. I don't want to see her name again." Ye Lang is caught completely off guard.
Later, in the breakroom, Qin Tianyue confronts Ye Lang, his face red with anger. He's just smashed a coffee cup. Ye Lang tries to excuse himself, maybe about Dong Jiajia's credentials, mumbling something about "certificates left back home." Qin Tianyue isn't having it: "Our industry's credibility is a glass wall, and you're using lies as glue?" Boom. Ye Lang is suspended, the notice flashing like a countdown timer. In Zhang Shiqi's office, Dong Jiajia's forgotten diving certificate is symbolically shredded by the blinds, mixing with missed call alerts in the air vents. The cover-up has failed, and Ye Lang is paying the price.
Jiang Fangyuan: Caught Red-Handed (Triple Time!)
Hold onto your hats, because Qin Tianyue is on a roll exposing liars tonight. He slams three incriminating photos down on a table – showing Jiang Fangyuan getting cozy with Lin Xia, Su Tang, and Cao Zixuan. Their different lipstick shades are practically a spectrum on his collar in the pics. And the kicker? Right at that moment, Jiang Fangyuan is in room 502, champagne flowing, about to propose with a diamond ring hidden in a rose!
Qin Tianyue kicks the door open, freezing Jiang Fangyuan's romantic words in his throat. Chaos erupts. The three women, realizing they've all been played, knock over candles, setting curtains ablaze. Amidst the fire and fury, Jiang Fangyuan's lies turn to ash. The final, brutal evidence? His phone, and likely theirs too, simultaneously flashing alerts for the dates he scheduled with all of them. Busted.
Cao Zixuan & He Huanhuan: Finding Shore After the Wreck
In the aftermath, Cao Zixuan slaps the fake persona right off Jiang Fangyuan. The ring box goes flying, crashing into a champagne tower, shattering glass everywhere. Utterly devastated, she runs out barefoot, heading towards the foggy seashore, her social media location pinging like waves.
But she's not alone for long. He Huanhuan finds her there, offering comfort and understanding, like weaving a "lifeline out of empathy." On the rocky beach, they connect, sharing unspoken feelings and finding strength in each other as the sea breeze carries the remnants of Jiang Fangyuan's lies away.
