Episode Summary
In this episode, Zhong Ning confirms that Zhao Qian was having an affair with Yang Youmo and verbally abused his pregnant wife, Luo Lijuan, contributing to her suicide. He then discovers that his daughter's former surgeon, the brilliant Dr. Liao Boyan, is now suffering from severe Alzheimer's disease, brought on by the tragic death of his own daughter. Meanwhile, drug dealer Xie Wuqiang neglects his sick son and attempts to blackmail Dr. Liao, only to be ignored. The episode culminates in Xie's shocking death; after being forcibly injected with adrenaline, he collapses at the hospital moments after seeing Liu Renkai and Dr. Liao, suggesting a deeper conspiracy is at play.
Spoiler Alert
"The Perfect Suspect" Episode 4 Recap & Spoilers: Faded Memories and a Finale Out of Control
The fourth episode of "The Perfect Suspect" dives deep into the characters' painful pasts, revealing the tragic stories that connect them while ending on a shocking cliffhanger that pushes the mystery into overdrive.
The Truth Behind a Broken Home
The episode opens with Zhong Ning and his former brother-in-law, Zheng Gang, visiting Zhang Qiaoyun, the grieving mother of Yang Youmo. Armed with a restored family photograph, they gently press her for the truth about the relationship between her son and the powerful CEO, Zhao Qian. While Zhao Qian had painted herself as the victim of Yang Youmo's unrequited love, Zhang Qiaoyun tells a much darker story. She angrily reveals that Zhao Qian was entangled with her son long before his wife Luo Lijuan's death, carrying on an affair while Lijuan was pregnant. In a heartbreaking confession, Zhang Qiaoyun recounts Zhao Qian's cruelty, claiming she relentlessly belittled the pregnant woman, even taunting her by saying, "You might as well die!"
The intense interrogation is abruptly cut short when Zhang Qiaoyun's nephew storms in, accusing the police of driving his aunt to a suicide attempt and disruptively live-streaming the encounter. As Zhong Ning is leaving the hospital, a familiar face catches his eye: Dr. Liao Boyan, the renowned surgeon who performed a life-saving heart operation on his daughter seven years prior. Something about the doctor's demeanor seems off, and Zhong Ning decides to follow him.
A Brilliant Mind Lost to Tragedy
Zhong Ning's concern proves justified when he witnesses Dr. Liao attempting to walk out of a supermarket without paying for his items, leading to a confused argument with the staff. Zhong Ning steps in to settle the bill and follows the doctor to his home. When he brings up the surgery from seven years ago, thanking Liao for saving his daughter's life, the doctor responds with a blank stare, denying he ever performed such an operation.
Seeking answers, Zhong Ning learns the devastating truth from Liao's former mentor.
Meanwhile, a parallel story of desperation unfolds. The low-life drug dealer, Xie Wuqiang, is cornered and beaten by the menacing Liu Renkai, who gives him a deadline to track down a specific drug buyer. Xie returns home to find his young son visibly ill but callously tosses some cash at the boy, telling him to "go buy your own medicine." His neglect has dire consequences, as a neighbor later finds the child collapsed, and he is rushed to the hospital.
Cycles of Pain and a Glimmer of Redemption
Furious and looking for a scapegoat, Xie Wuqiang tracks down Dr. Liao, attempting to blackmail him for "hush money" related to the drug purchase, but the disoriented doctor simply ignores him.
In a poignant scene, Zhong Ning tries to connect with the man who once saved his family. He takes Dr. Liao for a drink, hoping to stir his memory. Zhong Ning recounts a time seven years ago when, grieving his own wife's death and facing his daughter's brain tumor diagnosis, it was Dr. Liao who pulled him from the brink. Liao had staged a fake "stolen medicine" incident to force Zhong Ning to snap out of his depression, urging him to "be there for your daughter when she recovers." Now, Zhong Ning hopes to return the favor, but his efforts are met with a cold, painful rejection. "You've never experienced death," Liao tells him, "How can you pretend to understand?"
Defeated, Zhong Ning returns home to find his own daughter, Zhong Renxi, upset over a failed exam. Instead of the reprimand she expects, he embraces her and takes her out for a meal. In that moment, having witnessed Liao's profound loss, Zhong Ning has an epiphany: "Just being alive is a blessing."
A Fatal Finish
With Dr. Liao's memory gone, a key lead in the case seems to have evaporated. But Xie Wuqiang's troubles are just beginning. The police intercept an illegal sale of adrenaline, and Xie is identified as the supplier. After a lucky night at the mahjong table, Xie is ambushed by shadowy figures. They forcibly inject him with a massive dose of adrenaline and give him a terrifying command: "Run to the hospital in ten minutes."
Fueled by a primal will to survive, Xie sprints through the streets in a desperate race against time. He bursts into the hospital, his body coursing with adrenaline, and in his final, hyper-aware moments, he sees two figures: Liu Renkai and Dr. Liao Boyan. He then collapses and dies on the floor.
The episode ends with a chilling question: Was this a random, out-of-control death, or a calculated experiment? And was Dr. Liao's presence at the scene a tragic coincidence, or the next move in a sinister, unfolding conspiracy?
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