Episode Summary
Ying Tao finds Jiang Qiaoxi living in poor conditions in Hong Kong. He runs from her, leading to a chase that ends with Ying Tao fainting from heatstroke. After a brief hospital visit, she insists on returning to his apartment, afraid he will vanish again. Back at his home, the two are finally alone, and Ying Tao is ready to learn the truth about his difficult life over the past two years.
Spoiler Alert
Ying Tao finds Jiang Qiaoxi, but he is not ready to face her. Her primary concern isn't his current situation but rather understanding what has happened to him, though he remains silent. After leaving the apartment, Jiang Qiaoxi heads to the construction site where he works. On his way, he asks his landlord to buy shrimp dumplings for Ying Tao the next morning, remembering they are her favorite.
Left alone, Ying Tao endures a difficult night. The apartment's air conditioning is broken, and with the large temperature drop at night, she is left cold, wrapping herself in a blanket and drinking tap water.
The next day, a call from Du Shang clarifies things. He admits that their friends knew about Jiang Qiaoxi's whereabouts but were asked by Qin Yeyun not to tell her. Feeling it was wrong to keep her in the dark, Du Shang, after consulting with Cai Fangyuan, decided to reveal the truth. Ying Tao holds no anger, understanding that Qin Yeyun was only trying to protect her.
The landlord arrives with breakfast and tries to persuade Ying Tao to move to a hotel for her own comfort, but she refuses to leave. He then offers to take her to Jiang Qiaoxi's workplace. During the drive, the landlord speaks kindly of Jiang Qiaoxi, explaining that because Jiang had helped him earn a significant amount of money, he gave him his best apartment at a reduced rent. He mentions that Jiang still works several jobs but doesn't elaborate, suggesting she ask Jiang herself.
At the construction site, Ying Tao immediately spots Jiang Qiaoxi squatting on the ground, eating with his fellow workers. Ashamed to be seen in this state, he gets up and runs. Ying Tao gives chase, but her body gives out; she stumbles and faints from heatstroke. A panicked Jiang Qiaoxi rushes her to the hospital.
While unconscious, Ying Tao dreams of their childhood together. She wakes up crying but is instantly relieved to find him by her side. Fearing he will disappear again, she insists on leaving the hospital. Jiang Qiaoxi suggests a hotel, but when he realizes it requires her ID, she feigns disorientation. Left with no other option, he carries her on his back to his apartment.
Back at his place, he tells her to take a hot shower. With the bathroom door broken, he stands guard outside. Afterward, she tells him to wash up as well, remarking on how nice his shower gel smells—the same scent she noticed when he carried her. As he steps out of the bathroom, looking just as he did in high school, the familiar sight touches her. Finally alone together, Ying Tao prepares to ask the question that has been weighing on her mind: what happened to him these past two years, and why has he had to suffer so much?
