Episode Summary
Ning Zhen arranges to meet Jiang Yan through Shen Yuan, who is revealed to be Qiao En seeking revenge. Wu Keran, also wanting revenge on Jiang Yan for his father's death, gets involved. Qiao En captures Jiang Yan and tries to force Ning Zhen to kill her. Mo Bei intervenes, leading to a chaotic confrontation where Ning Zhen is shot, and Mo Bei is later incapacitated by Wu Keran. Qiao En attempts to shoot Jiang Yan, but Mo Bei shields her. Flashbacks reveal Jiang Yan's traumatic past. As police, led by Cao Jin (who discovered Qiao En's deception), arrive, Ning Zhen escapes Qiao En's grasp. Later, hospitalized, Ning Zhen makes a pact with Wu Keran. Lu Fan suspects Ning Zhen's involvement with Shen Yuan but lets her escape from the hospital. Cao Jin grows suspicious of Wu Keran.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Ning Zhen making a call to the ever-mysterious Shen Yuan. She’s got one thing on her mind: a face-to-face with Jiang Yan. But Shen Yuan, always one for theatrics, insists Ning Zhen has to pick a specific "identity" or role for this little rendezvous. You just know this isn't going to be a casual coffee chat.
Meanwhile, Wu Keran is blowing up Shen Yuan’s phone. He’s just found out the devastating news that Jiang Yan was the one who murdered his father, and revenge is screaming his name. After what feels like an eternity of unanswered calls (we’ve all been there), Shen Yuan finally picks up. Following Shen Yuan's cryptic instructions, Wu Keran heads to a meeting spot, and the second he sees Shen Yuan, he’s all business, demanding to know who Shen Yuan really is. The tension is already thick enough to cut with a knife!
Over on Cao Jin’s side of things, he’s busy grilling those tech-savvy guys who were at the coffee shop during that earlier incident. Suddenly, Tao Zi pulls him aside with a bombshell: Qiao En’s leg? Totally healed! Turns out, Qiao En had it treated overseas, which is why there were no local medical records, and they missed it during previous checks. The moment Cao Jin hears Qiao En hid his recovery, his cop senses go into overdrive. He knows something’s fishy and immediately leads a team to Qiao En’s place. But, surprise, surprise, Qiao En is long gone. Cao Jin, now convinced Jiang Yan is with Qiao En, orders Tao Zi to use the "Tian Yan" (think city-wide surveillance, like Sky Eye) to track Qiao En’s movements.
Then, Ning Zhen pings Cao Jin a location. She’s also followed Shen Yuan’s breadcrumbs and finds herself at the designated spot, only to discover Jiang Yan locked in a cage. Talk about a dramatic entrance! Ning Zhen doesn’t beat around the bush and straight-up asks Jiang Yan if she’s the one who killed her mother. Jiang Yan, however, has her mouth taped shut and gives Ning Zhen a look that just screams "I'm so over this".
And then, the moment we’ve (maybe?) been waiting for: Shen Yuan steps out of the shadows, revealing his true identity… it’s Qiao En! Dun dun DUN! Qiao En’s motive? He believes the victims of the past deserve their pound of flesh and has been biding his time for years, waiting for this chance at revenge. Clearly, his faith in the legal system has completely eroded.
Qiao En then uncages Jiang Yan and rips the tape off her mouth. But Jiang Yan? Not a flicker of fear. She even starts taunting Qiao En, which, girl, read the room! Qiao En, probably thinking this will be poetic justice, hands Ning Zhen a gun, wanting her to be the one to end Jiang Yan.
Just as things are about to get even bloodier, Mo Bei bursts onto the scene like a hero in a cape (or, well, a very determined rescuer) and shoots Ning Zhen, injuring her. Qiao En, not missing a beat, grabs Jiang Yan and drags her deeper into the warehouse. Mo Bei, who clearly doesn't actually want to hurt Ning Zhen any more than necessary, follows them, but not before locking the door behind him and warning Ning Zhen to stay put. Good luck with that, Mo Bei.
Cao Jin and his team are racing towards the location Ning Zhen sent, but of course, there’s a roadblock – literally. A conveniently broken-down car is blocking their path. Cao Jin, smelling a rat, tells Tao Zi to check it out. And guess who the car belongs to? Jiang’s Group. Shocking, said no one ever.
Back in the warehouse, Mo Bei catches up to Qiao En and manages to shoot him, knocking him unconscious. Mo Bei is just about to deliver the final blow to Qiao En when Ning Zhen, ignoring all previous warnings, reappears and stops him. Mo Bei, probably sighing internally, uses his skills to disarm Ning Zhen, and the two of them start throwing down.
Ning Zhen is clearly outmatched by Mo Bei and is on the verge of being seriously hurt, or worse. But then, Wu Keran to the rescue! He tasers Mo Bei, incapacitating him. Qiao En, seizing the moment (and regaining consciousness way too quickly), grabs the gun again, aiming to finally finish off Jiang Yan. In a last-ditch effort, Mo Bei throws himself in front of Jiang Yan, taking the bullet for her.
This intense moment triggers a flood of memories for Jiang Yan. We see flashes of her traumatic childhood: her mother’s repeated suicide attempts, one of which was tragically successful, leaving Jiang Yan utterly alone. We see her father moving on with a new woman, Jiang Yan’s profound loneliness as she grew up, and how she found a confidant in Mo Bei. There are also glimpses of various painful family scenes. It’s a heartbreaking insight into what made Jiang Yan who she is.
With Mo Bei down, Wu Keran is frantically urging Qiao En to just shoot Jiang Yan already. Ning Zhen, on the other hand, is desperately trying to reason with Qiao En, pleading with him not to go through with it. The wail of sirens cuts through the tension. Wu Keran, knowing their time is up, pressures Qiao En even more. In Qiao En’s moment of hesitation, Ning Zhen makes a grab for the gun.
Just then, Cao Jin and the police storm the place, quickly subduing Jiang Yan’s bodyguards who had just arrived.
In the aftermath, Ning Zhen is hospitalized for her injuries, and Lu Fan is a frequent visitor. However, the plot thickens, as all the evidence seems to be pointing at Ning Zhen as a possible accomplice to Shen Yuan (Qiao En). Lu Fan can’t believe it and is determined to go to the hospital to get answers from Ning Zhen herself.
Ning Zhen wakes up in the hospital and finds Wu Keran, who’s also receiving treatment. With Jiang Yan still walking free, the two of them make a pact: it’s every man (or woman) for themselves now, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stay safe. Ning Zhen then takes the bracelet that Shen Yuan/Qiao En had given to Wu Keran. As Ning Zhen tries to make her exit, Lu Fan intercepts her, wanting to take her to the police station for questioning. They argue, but just as police cars pull up, Lu Fan makes a split-second decision and lets Ning Zhen go.
The episode wraps up with Cao Jin visiting Wu Keran in the hospital. It seems Cao Jin is also starting to piece things together, noticing some very suspicious elements in Wu Keran’s past actions.
