Episode Summary
In this episode, the immediate aftermath of a death creates a rift between Xia Mo and Gao Ying, who is later forced to confront a harsh reality about her family's powerlessness under the formidable Zhao Jin. While Gao Ying struggles with her conscience and tries to locate a secret mansion, Xia Mo and Tang Zhenyun continue their investigation, which leads them to a critical discovery connecting Sun Mei's hairpin to a victim's wound.
Spoiler Alert
"Rosefinch" Episode 20
The episode opens with a tense standoff as Xia Mo suddenly pulls a knife from the trunk, aiming it directly at Gao Ying. After a moment of shock, Gao Ying calmly shuts the trunk and quietly instructs her subordinate to move a body to another vehicle. Gao Susheng, standing nearby, remains oblivious to the exchange, merely remarking on the unexpected events of the evening.
Meanwhile, Xu Jing is still reeling with fear from having accidentally killed Qian Yun. The other girls are equally distraught. Su Qiuping warns them in a hushed tone that if anyone asks about Qian Yun, they must all say it was an accident, or they will all be killed. Just then, Sun Mei enters with several new women, assigning them to the same dormitory. As she leaves, Shen Ruchun casts a complicated, lingering glance back at the original group.
Later that night, Gao Susheng's party returns to Zhuque Hall. He orders Cao Yin to assist Gao Ying in secretly disposing of the body, emphasizing that no traces can be left behind. After Gao Ying drives away, Xia Mo returns home alone. He confides in his sister that Gao Ying saved him yet again. He then sits down at his desk, drawing a map and trying to pinpoint the exact location of the mysterious mansion.
Haunted by the images of the girls who died, Gao Ying goes straight to the study to confront Gao Susheng. She argues that she has dutifully managed Zhuque Hall, turning it into the most famous song and dance hall in all of Shanghai with dazzling performers, yet she cannot understand why human life is treated so cheaply in their eyes.
Gao Susheng coldly warns her that compassion only leads to ruin. He explains that in Zhao Jin's view, these girls are nothing more than ants. He bluntly states that from the moment they stepped into Zhuque Hall, they were destined to be pawns. Furthermore, he reveals that neither the Gao family nor the Tang family can escape Zhao Jin's control. Gazing up at the brilliant, golden sign of Zhuque Hall, Gao Ying feels a chill run to her very core.
The next morning, Gao Ying attempts to find Zhao Jin's private residence. She has Zuo Ping and A Hu drive while she, blindfolded, tries to retrace the previous night's route from memory, but she fails. Later, Xia Yingqi visits, inviting Gao Ying for snacks under the pretext of catching up. Gao Ying knows this is really a meeting arranged by Xia Mo and Tang Zhenyun.
Gao Ying warns the two men not to interfere, hinting that Tang Boju is also involved. Hearing this, Tang Zhenyun becomes even more determined to get to the bottom of the truth, even if it means holding his own family accountable. The following day, Xia Mo and Tang Zhenyun tail Tang Boju and see Sun Mei attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a movie theater. Xia Mo's sharp eyes notice the hairpin she is wearing; its diamond-shaped tip is a perfect match for the wound found on the left arm of the deceased.
