Episode Summary
Lin Zhi Tao conducts an experiment proving the children couldn't have fallen from the boat accidentally due to shaking, strengthening her belief that Tu Huai Wei threw them in. However, her request to arrest him is denied due to lack of direct evidence. Hope arises when Xiao Hua wakes up, but she is too traumatized to provide testimony. Frustrated, Lin Zhi Tao throws herself into work. It's revealed she also suffered childhood abuse, explaining her deep empathy. The episode ends with a mystery: an unknown elderly woman pays Xiao Hua's hospital bill with small change.
Spoiler Alert
"Endless Protection" Episode 8 Recap & Spoilers: The Boat, The Trauma, and a Lingering Mystery
Alright, so the big question still hanging over everyone is: how did those poor kids, Xiao Hu and Xiao Hua, end up in the river? Lin Zhi Tao is laser-focused on getting answers.
She starts by grilling Yang Hui Hui again. Yang Hui Hui admits, yeah, she was shaking the boat like crazy back then. But – and it's a big but – she swears she didn't actually see Tu Huai Wei toss the kids overboard. She also claims she has no idea if her rocking the boat is what caused them to fall in. She insists she's telling the truth. Hmm.
Lin Zhi Tao isn't buying it, or at least, she needs more proof. So, she gets practical. Setting up a simulation, she grabs two dolls roughly the same weight as the kids and puts them in a boat. Then, channeling Yang Hui Hui, she sits in front of them and rocks the boat with all her might. We're talking serious rocking here. The result? The dolls barely budge. They're wedged in pretty tight.
The conclusion is chillingly clear to Lin Zhi Tao: There's no way those kids just tumbled out because of the boat shaking. It leads her to one horrifying deduction: Tu Huai Wei must have thrown them in. The realization hits her hard. She's furious, muttering about what kind of monster would do that to their own children.
Fueled by righteous anger, Lin Zhi Tao rushes back to the office, compiles all her findings, including video footage of her experiment, and marches straight to her superior to request an arrest warrant for Tu Huai Wei.
But here comes the frustrating part: The boss pumps the brakes. While they agree Tu Huai Wei definitely had a motive, Lin Zhi Tao's experiment, compelling as it is, isn't considered hard proof. They point out there's no direct evidence showing him physically throwing the children, and crucially, they can't be 100% sure the conditions on the day of the incident (like the weather, specific water currents, etc.) were perfectly replicated in her simulation.
Lin Zhi Tao argues passionately that she recreated the scene as accurately as possible, but it's no use. The request is denied due to insufficient evidence. She's left stunned, questioning the very nature of scientific proof when her methodical approach still isn't enough. She knows what happened, but she can't legally prove it... yet.
A Glimmer of Hope, Followed by Heartbreak:
Just when things seem bleak, there's news from the hospital: Xiao Hua, the little girl who survived the ordeal, has woken up! This could be the breakthrough they need. Lin Zhi Tao and her colleague Bai En Yu rush over, hoping Xiao Hua can finally finger Tu Huai Wei.
Sadly, the poor girl is deeply traumatized. When Lin Zhi Tao gently asks how their life jackets came off, Xiao Hua seems to lose her voice, resorting to frantic hand gestures. When another officer pushes slightly, asking how they fell into the water, Xiao Hua becomes overwhelmed with distress and starts screaming. The interview has to be stopped immediately. It's clear she's suffering from severe PTSD.
Lin Zhi Tao Hits a Wall (and Reveals Her Own Past):
Lin Zhi Tao is now incredibly frustrated. She can't arrest Tu Huai Wei, and her key witness is too traumatized to testify. She feels trapped, obsessively repeating to the hospital director, Zheng Yan Lai, "I know it was Tu Huai Wei!" But she knows she needs more evidence. She throws herself into work, pulling all-nighters, desperately searching for that missing piece.
Bai En Yu sees how stressed and consumed Lin Zhi Tao is becoming. He's worried about her and wants to help, but he's hesitant to add more pressure. He lingers outside her office after hours, just wanting to check on her.
Director Zheng Yan Lai notices Bai En Yu's concern and pulls him aside, sharing some insight into Lin Zhi Tao's intense dedication. It turns out, Lin Zhi Tao has a deeply personal connection to cases like this. She herself grew up in an abusive household, with a father who constantly beat her and her mother. Zheng Yan Lai recalls meeting Lin Zhi Tao for the first time when she, as a terrified little girl with a dirty face, ran away to report her father to the police. This shared experience of childhood trauma explains why she feels Xiao Hua's pain so acutely and is so driven to get justice.
A Final, Intriguing Twist:
Later, Lin Zhi Tao goes back to the hospital with Bai En Yu to check on Xiao Hua again. Hearing that the medical bills are overdue, she heads to the nurse's station to pay. But just as she pulls out her money, she overhears the nurses talking: apparently, an old woman had just been there and paid the bill... using a large amount of small change.
Who was this mysterious benefactor? And why pay in coins? Episode 8 leaves us hanging with this new puzzle, even as the central case remains agonizingly stalled. Lin Zhi Tao has the motive, a strong theory backed by her experiment, but still lacks the concrete proof needed to nail Tu Huai Wei, while her star witness is locked in trauma. And now, there's a mysterious old lady paying hospital bills... Things just got even more complicated.
