Episode Summary
Episode 7 sees Liu Zimin and Fang Tingting navigate meeting her parents and discussing marriage, despite Zimin's housing concerns. At work, a successor for the ailing Wei Jie is considered, with Captain Huang favoring Liu Yang over Zimin. Tragedy strikes when officer Lao Ma is brutally murdered. The ensuing investigation, led by Zimin, leads to the arrest of Zhou Xiaochen. This arrest unexpectedly cracks a 20-year-old cold case from Mengcheng, revealing Zhou Xiaochen's father as the culprit. The emotional weight of Lao Ma's death and the solved case leads Zimin to briefly attempt breaking up with Tingting, who staunchly refuses. Amidst personal turmoil with his disapproving father, Zimin is pulled into a new kidnapping case.
Spoiler Alert
Love, Family, and Awkward Dinners
So, Fang Tingting's parents are keen to finally meet Liu Zimin. But, you know how it is when you're a dedicated cop – duty calls, and Zimin ends up being fashionably late for their first get-together. When they do manage to reschedule, the Fang family rolls out the welcome mat, full-on hospitality mode. Papa Fang casually drops the "M" word – marriage – and things get a tad complicated. Zimin, bless his heart, isn't exactly rolling in dough for a new place, especially since he can't get a police-assigned apartment yet and definitely doesn't want to live with his alcoholic father. He suggests renting, but Papa Fang wisely advises them to think it over.
Fang Tingting, however, is head-over-heels and not bothered by the practicalities. She’s all for moving into her parents' apartment in Xin Yuan after they tie the knot. Zimin, ever the overthinker, misinterprets Papa Fang’s caution as disapproval, but Tingting quickly reassures him he’s just imagining things.
Meanwhile, there's some buzz at the station. Wei Jie's health is taking a nosedive, and he's looking to pick a successor. He’s got his sights set on Liu Zimin, but Captain Huang thinks Zimin is a bit too… let's say, intense or "stubborn". Huang throws Liu Yang's name into the ring instead. And guess who’s got their ears to the door, soaking it all in? Liu Yang, Cao Lei, and our man Liu Zimin himself. Talk about office eavesdropping!
Back on the home front, Mama Fang is firmly Team Zimin and convinces her husband to give his blessing. Before you know it, Fang Tingting has the keys to that Xin Yuan apartment! She’s absolutely thrilled, as you can imagine.
A Somber Anniversary and a Glimmer of Hope
The episode takes a poignant turn as it’s the anniversary of Liu Zimin's mother's death. He, his sister Liu Ziqing, and Fang Tingting visit her grave. In a touching moment, Zimin tells his late mother about his plans to marry Tingting. Liu Ziqing, supportive as ever, even gives Tingting some money for renovations. Liu Jianlin, Zimin’s estranged father, also shows up to pay his respects but keeps his distance, waiting for Zimin and the others to leave before approaching his late wife's grave.
Tragedy Strikes Close to Home
Just as Liu Zimin is busy with wedding preparations and picking out materials for their new home, the unthinkable happens. He gets a devastating call: Lao Ma, a fellow officer, has been brutally murdered. Zimin rushes to the crime scene. The details are heartbreaking: Lao Ma was on his way to his daughter's graduation ceremony. His wife had asked him to change into a casual outfit that was a bit loose, and she was planning to get it altered. Lao Ma, being the sweet husband he was, had gone to Dong Yuan to buy his wife's favorite buns when he was attacked. He was stabbed thirteen times, each wound fatal. Despite the medical team's desperate efforts, Lao Ma couldn't be saved.
Lao Ma's wife arrives at the hospital, a picture of stoic grief, not shedding a tear in public as she heads home to make arrangements. But later, Liu Zimin spots her hidden beneath a tree, completely breaking down. It’s a gut-wrenching sight for him. Captain Huang immediately puts Zimin, Liu Yang, and Cao Lei on the case. They start by canvassing the area around where Lao Ma was killed and quickly identify a potential suspect. They discover that the suspect, who was injured, sought treatment at a very discreet barbershop. Zimin collects the bloody bandages left behind for forensic analysis.
The Hunt and the Capture
The pressure mounts, and poor Cao Lei collapses from an acute gastric ulcer – no doubt a toll of the demanding job. Liu Zimin and Liu Yang get him to the hospital. Undeterred, they follow the leads and soon pinpoint the suspect's hideout. Liu Yang calls Captain Huang for backup. The Captain himself leads the team, and after an all-night stakeout in a narrow alley, they finally apprehend the suspect, a man named Zhou Xiaochen, as he emerges from his home at dawn.
Zhou Xiaochen confesses. He claims to be an orphan from Mengcheng. After losing his job at a restaurant that went bust, he resorted to pickpocketing. Lao Ma caught him red-handed and was about to take him to the police station. When Zhou Xiaochen noticed Lao Ma's police badge, he panicked and, in his fear, decided to silence him permanently.
A Cold Case Resurfaces
This is where things take another unexpected turn. Captain Huang contacts the police in Mengcheng and learns about an unsolved home invasion, robbery, and murder case from 1983. The victims were a couple who owned a leather goods business, and their eight-year-old son was also severely injured. This cold case had haunted the Mengcheng detectives for years. Huang arranges for Zhou Xiaochen’s DNA sample to be taken, and Liu Zimin and Liu Yang are dispatched to Mengcheng to see if there's a connection.
In Mengcheng, Zimin and Liu Yang learn the grim details of the decades-old crime. The forensic team compares Zhou Xiaochen's DNA with blood evidence collected from the 1983 crime scene. The results are shocking: Zhou Xiaochen's father, Zhou Bingsheng, is identified as the murderer in that cold case! He's arrested immediately. Zhou Bingsheng confesses to his horrific crime, admitting he was a gambling addict who had lost everything. He and an accomplice, Fei Yong (who has since died of lung cancer), murdered the couple.
Closure, Grief, and Relationship Woes
After twenty long years, the Mengcheng cold case is finally closed, bringing immense relief to Captain Tao and his officers. The son of the murdered couple, now an adult, calls to express his profound gratitude. Captain Tao personally sees Liu Zimin and Liu Yang off at the station. Back home, they attend Lao Ma's memorial service. Seeing Lao Ma's wife and daughter consumed by grief is almost too much for Liu Zimin to bear; the raw emotion of it all deeply affects him.
He returns to the new apartment, which Fang Tingting has been getting ready, feeling utterly dejected and overwhelmed. Tingting, seeing his pain, embraces him tightly. Burdened by everything, Liu Zimin tries to break up with her, not wanting to drag her into his turmoil. But Fang Tingting is having none of it. She sees right through him and declares her unwavering commitment to stand by him, no matter what.
Just when you think the drama might take a breather, Liu Jianlin, Zimin's father, hears about their plans to register the marriage and sends a handwritten banner calling Zimin an "unfilial son and grandson." Ouch. Zimin, reaching his breaking point, slams his house keys down and storms out. Later, while trying to have a semblance of a normal day taking Fang Tingting and her parents to a hot spring, his phone rings. Duty calls, yet again. He has to leave them stranded by the roadside and rush back to the station. Liu Yang briefs him on the latest crisis: the nine-year-old son of the CEO of Datong Building has been kidnapped, and the kidnappers are demanding an 8,000 yuan ransom.
And that, my friends, is where Episode 7 leaves us – on the edge of our seats, as always! What a whirlwind of justice, sorrow, and unwavering love. Can Liu Zimin navigate this new case while his personal life is in such upheaval? We'll have to tune in to find out!
