Episode Summary
Ning Zhen investigates dashcam footage pointing to Jiang Xiao's neighbor but hits a dead end. Jiang Xiao remains arrogant in detention, expecting his sister Jiang Yan to fix everything. The team celebrates finding evidence against Jiang Xiao, but Cao Jin worries when Luo Yin is assigned as Jiang Xiao's psychologist. Jiang Yan fails to persuade Luo Yin to falsify a report and later fails to bribe Judge Liu. Mo Bei attempts to intimidate Luo Yin but is thwarted. During Jiang Xiao's trial, Jiang Yan arranges for Judge Liu's child to be kidnapped, forcing him to postpone the verdict. Realizing Jiang Yan bought time to pressure Luo Yin, Ning Zhen wants to act, but Cao Jin reminds her that her temporary assignment is over now that the trial is paused.
Spoiler Alert
Mie Zui - Episode 13 Recap & Spoilers
So, Ning Zhen has been staring at that dashcam footage, right? She figures out the angle perfectly captures Jiang Xiao's front door. The obvious conclusion? It must belong to Jiang Xiao's neighbor! Ning Zhen gets this idea that maybe the mysterious "Shen Yuan" (Deep Abyss) is living right next door. She chases down this lead based on the dashcam's viewpoint, but hits a snag. Turns out, the neighbor skipped town for a vacation, leaving their car parked on the street... where it conveniently got scraped while they were away. So, another dead end, it seems.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiao is still acting like a total hotshot in detention. Even when Cao Jin lays out the evidence, Jiang Xiao couldn't care less. He's supremely confident his sister, Jiang Yan, can wave her magic wand and make all his problems disappear. He even tries to bully his lawyer into some shady, under-the-table dealings during their meeting!
Despite Jiang Xiao's disgusting arrogance, finally having solid proof that he's the killer is a huge win. Ning Zhen, Lu Fan, and Cao Jin are ecstatic and head out for some celebratory hot pot. Good times! However, Cao Jin shares some unsettling news with Ning Zhen. The higher-ups are apparently taking Jiang Xiao's case very seriously and have assigned a psychologist to evaluate him. The kicker? The psychologist is none other than Luo Yin. Cao Jin has a really bad feeling about this arrangement; it just feels wrong and keeps him on edge.
Elsewhere, Jiang Yan visits her father, who is tragically in a vegetative state in the hospital. Filled with guilt, she updates him about Jiang Xiao's situation and solemnly promises she will find a way to save her brother.
Her first move to make good on that promise? Trying to get Dr. Luo Yin on her side. She meets with him, hoping he'll help her case, but the conversation doesn't go well at all. Luo Yin shows zero interest in helping her manipulate the system.
Later that night, as Luo Yin is driving home, he realizes someone's tailing him. Playing it smart, he lures the follower into a very secluded tunnel. And who steps out? None other than Mo Bei, Jiang Yan's loyal associate. Mo Bei gets straight to the point: he wants Luo Yin to issue a psychiatric report declaring Jiang Xiao mentally ill. But Luo Yin holds his ground. He insists that whether Jiang Xiao has a mental illness still needs proper assessment, and crucially, he wasn't suffering an episode at the time of the murder. This means Jiang Xiao is fully criminally responsible. Mo Bei tries threats, warning Luo Yin he won't leave the tunnel unless he agrees. But Luo Yin has an ace up his sleeve – the warden of the detention center is sitting right there in his passenger seat! Seeing this, Mo Bei has no choice but to let Luo Yin go.
With Luo Yin proving uncooperative, Jiang Yan has to scramble for another plan. She instructs her lawyer, Zhang Tong, to arrange a meeting with the presiding judge, Judge Liu. Judge Liu clearly wants to avoid any improper contact and tries to leave immediately. But just then, Jiang Yan walks in with her people, brazenly presenting a large sum of money. Major props to Judge Liu, though – he refuses to be bought and isn't swayed by the bribe.
The next day is the trial. Things are tense for another reason too. Ning Zhen was only temporarily transferred from her local police station for the "Cangbei Nude Corpse Case." Once this trial concludes, her assignment is technically over, and she's supposed to return. There's a hint of this unspoken tension when she visits Lu Fan the night before. Lu Fan, however, seems focused on the idea that they've only cracked the surface of the Cangbei case and need to keep digging together. The fact that Ning Zhen might have to leave doesn't seem to fully register with him yet.
The trial begins, and initially, everything proceeds smoothly according to plan. But during a mid-trial recess, Ning Zhen, Lu Fan, and Cao Jin notice Jiang Yan doesn't look worried or defeated at all. Also, Mo Bei, who's usually glued to her side, is nowhere to be seen. Just then, Judge Liu receives a message – his child has gone missing.
When the court reconvenes, Judge Liu is visibly distressed and clearly not himself. Instead of moving towards a verdict, he stalls, suddenly claiming there are "still many doubts" about the case and postpones the trial.
Ning Zhen and the others immediately suspect foul play. Cao Jin takes Ning Zhen and Lu Fan to confront Judge Liu privately. The judge insists nothing is wrong, but then hastily leaves, clearly following instructions from whoever sent the message. The trio follows him discreetly and witnesses the judge finding his child, safe but clearly used as leverage. The horrifying reality sinks in: Jiang Yan resorted to kidnapping the judge's child to force him to delay the trial.
Ning Zhen quickly puts the pieces together: Jiang Yan bought herself more time, likely to double down on pressuring Luo Yin. Just as Ning Zhen decides they need to find Luo Yin immediately, Cao Jin delivers the procedural blow: he reminds her, yet again, that with the trial postponed (effectively concluded for now), her temporary assignment is officially finished. If she continues investigating, it's unauthorized, against regulations, and she must leave the criminal investigation team.
Lu Fan, clearly unwilling to let Ning Zhen go and desperate to continue pursuing the truth alongside her, looks like he's about to protest or do something impulsive. Seeing this, Cao Jin quickly steps in to stop Lu Fan before things get out of hand.
