Episode Summary
Dean Fu takes over from Dean Zheng at the Juvenile Procuratorate Office, now working with Lin Zhitao. The episode centers on Wang Yuqing's case: her father faces charges for assaulting her abuser, dance instructor Wan Xuemin. Lin Zhitao counsels Wang Yuqing, sharing her own past trauma, which encourages Wang Yuqing to detail Wan Xuemin's grooming and assault. Police arrest Wan Xuemin, who tries to hide evidence but is cornered. Wang Yuqing's father avoids prosecution. Empowered, Wang Yuqing offers to testify against Wan Xuemin. Lin Zhitao declines a dinner invitation from her classmate, Li Daoran (Wan Xuemin's lawyer), intended to discuss the case. The episode ends with Lin Zhitao having dinner with the now-transferred Dean Zheng, who encourages her work.
Spoiler Alert
So, our girl Lin Zhitao strolls into the office expecting to see Dean Zheng, but surprise! It's Dean Fu parked in the chair. Turns out, Dean Zheng has moved on and passed the torch for the Juvenile Procuratorate Office to Dean Fu, telling him to work closely with Lin Zhitao. A new dynamic, perhaps? We'll see how that pans out.
The main heat of this episode, though, revolves around Wang Yuqing and the fallout from her dance instructor, Wan Xuemin, being a total creep. Her dad, understandably, went full protective-papa-bear and ended up roughing Wan Xuemin up a bit (we're talking minor injuries, but still an assault charge). Now, he's facing a potential trial and, you guessed it, Wang Yuqing would have to testify. Lin Zhitao, bless her empathetic heart, is worried this will dredge up all the trauma for Wang Yuqing. So, she does what she does best: she sits down with her for a heart-to-heart.
And this is where it gets heavy. Lin Zhitao, in a move that shows just how much she gets it, shares her own painful past – being abused by her father as a kid and the awful isolation from her family when she tried to speak out. She sees Wang Yuqing, this inherently kind girl, blaming herself for what happened, even wanting to apologize to her abuser. Lin Zhitao’s message is clear: "Honey, no. You need to speak your truth. These predators deserve what's coming to them, and girls need to be brave enough to protect themselves." It’s a powerful moment.
With Lin Zhitao's gentle guidance, Wang Yuqing finally spills the whole horrifying story. She never even really liked dancing; her parents just thought it would be a good confidence booster. But that slimeball Wan Xuemin used it as an opportunity. He’d make inappropriate physical contact during training, and when Wang Yuqing would flinch or resist, he’d turn cold and punish her with bogus excuses. Her mom, thinking her daughter just wasn't talented, even brought Wan Xuemin gifts and asked him for private lessons for Wang Yuqing. Talk about unknowingly feeding the wolf! This just gave Wan Xuemin more chances to be a predator. The guy was an old hand at manipulating young girls – he’d shower Wang Yuqing with compliments, make her feel special, get her to lower her guard, and then... bam, he’d make his move. Ugh, just vile.
The police, armed with this, slap an arrest warrant on Wan Xuemin. And what does this weasel do? He goes into full damage control, trying to cover his tracks. He gets rid of the sofa where he assaulted Wang Yuqing and even rearranges the equipment room. Like that's going to fool anyone!
The cops, however, have seen it all. They haul Wan Xuemin in for questioning. He tries to play dumb at first, denying everything. But as the police start laying out the evidence, you can just see him squirming. The walls are closing in, buddy!
Good news for Wang Yuqing's dad, though. Since it was his first offense and he showed remorse, the police decide not to prosecute. The scene where Wang Yuqing sees her dad come home, and they have that emotional hug? All the feels. It’s a small victory, but a much-needed one for her.
With Wan Xuemin’s trial looming, Wang Yuqing, now empowered, proactively goes to Lin Zhitao with more evidence and says she’s ready to testify in court. Lin Zhitao, ever the protector, gently reminds her that courtrooms aren't as straightforward as they seem and that her previous detailed statement might be enough. She’s still trying to shield Wang Yuqing as much as possible.
Then there’s a little side-drama. Lin Zhitao's old classmate, Li Daoran, is actually Wan Xuemin’s lawyer. Smooth move, Li Daoran (not!). He invites their former teacher and Lin Zhitao out for dinner, clearly hoping to discuss the case on the down-low. Lin Zhitao sees right through this charade. She raises her glass, toasts to their teacher's health, flat-out refuses to talk about Wan Xuemin's case privately, and then just walks out. You go, girl! Standing her ground, as always.
Finally, we catch up with Dean Zheng, who’s now working at the Women's Federation. Lin Zhitao invites her over for dinner, and it’s a sweet moment. Dean Zheng sees Lin Zhitao's younger brother and marvels at how much he's grown since she first met him as a kid. She gives Lin Zhitao some words of encouragement, reminding her that every case, big or small, is a commitment and a chance to do good.
