Episode Summary
Shen Yanqing, pressured by clan elders, publicly claims Xiu Ju's unborn child as his own to protect the family's honor. He later reveals his secret motivation to his brother: he is infertile and this is the only way to secure an heir for the Shen family. After his wife, Zhuang Hui, overhears this confession, she confronts him and, realizing the depth of her own suffering, chooses to leave the family to reclaim her identity.
Spoiler Alert
Girls Fighting Fate Ep. 23 Spoiler: A Desperate Plan and a Painful Liberation
The episode opens with Shen Yanqing making a shocking proposal to Xiu Ju. He asks her to give birth to her child but to let him raise it as his own, claiming it's his child with her. Both Xiu Ju and Shen Yanzhou are appalled and vehemently refuse. Pleading with them to consider the Shen family's honor, Yanqing departs, leaving them confused and suspicious.
Their suspicion proves correct when the clan elders forcibly seize the pair, claiming it was on Shen Yanqing's orders. In reality, Yanqing is furious that the elders used his name, but they back him into a corner: either he claims Xiu Ju's child as his heir, or the baby will be branded a bastard, disgracing the family. Trapped by duty, Yanqing publicly announces that Xiu Ju is pregnant with his child. He then puts on a cruel act, telling Xiu Ju not to hope for Shen Yanzhou to rescue her, all while knowing the elders are listening in.
The truth is revealed in a powerful, private confession. In the ancestral hall, Shen Yanqing breaks down before Shen Yanzhou, admitting he is infertile and cannot produce an heir. He has foreseen the downfall of the Shen family without a new generation to lead it. Therefore, he is willing to sacrifice everything, including his own happiness and reputation, to protect the family's future by claiming this child. Unbeknownst to them, his wife, Zhuang Hui, overhears this devastating secret from outside the hall.
Shattered by the truth, Zhuang Hui finds Xiu Ju and falls to her knees, apologizing for her past jealousy and for pulling her into this mess. She offers to help Xiu Ju escape, but Shen Yanqing intervenes. The confrontation culminates in Zhuang Hui demanding a separation. She unleashes years of pent-up sorrow, realizing she had wrongly blamed herself for their childlessness while Shen Yanqing never truly cared for her, reserving his affection for Xiu Ju. She laments losing her own identity, becoming nothing more than the "First Madam," a title without a name.
In a moment of raw honesty, Shen Yanqing finally calls her by her name, Zhuang Hui. He admits that while the Shen family was lucky to have her, she was deeply unfortunate to be trapped by it. He grants her freedom from the "cage" of the Shen household. After a moment of tearful hesitation, Zhuang Hui accepts. In the final scene, she is seen dressed for herself, packing her belongings, and leaving the compound to finally find her own name and see the world.
