Episode Summary
In this episode, Ye Meng's investigation into the Thimble Ring in Jiangbei creates distance and jealousy between her and her new husband, Li Jinyu. Her former colleague, Gou Kai, attempts to manipulate her by sabotaging her leads. After an intense confrontation is overheard by Li Jinyu via video call, he flies to Jiangbei to surprise and support her. The couple reunites and uncovers a promising new lead in their investigation.
Spoiler Alert
"Deep Affection Eyes" Episode 13: A Test of Trust and a Surprise Reunion
Newlyweds Ye Meng and Li Jinyu face their first major test as a married couple. Driven to uncover the truth about the seller of a mysterious Thimble Ring, Ye Meng travels alone to the city of Jiangbei. A reluctant Li Jinyu agrees, but gives her a one-month deadline to return.
Upon her arrival in Jiangbei, Ye Meng is greeted by her warm-hearted former colleague and friend, Tai Mingxiao. When he notices her constantly messaging her new partner, she happily reveals that she is now married. Meanwhile, Li Jinyu, initially pleased to hear from her, grows a bit jealous when her replies stop coming. The situation is further complicated by Gou Kai, who arranges a meeting with Ye Meng at their old company. He dangles information about the ring's seller, Wang Xingsheng, as bait, hoping to convince her to rejoin the company. Ye Meng, however, remains completely unmoved by his advances and ambiguous attitude.
The tension escalates when Tai Mingxiao posts a group photo of the three of them, sparking a sense of crisis in Li Jinyu. His friend, Cheng Kairan, shares his concern, as they both know Gou Kai has feelings for Ye Meng. In a misguided attempt to help, Cheng Kairan seizes an opportunity when Jiang Luzhi visits Li Jinyu's bar. Though their conversation is innocent, Cheng Kairan snaps a deliberately "intimate" photo of them and posts it online to provoke a reaction from Ye Meng. The plan works; while Ye Meng pretends to be calm, she is secretly consumed by jealousy.
Back home, family drama unfolds as Ye Meng's grandmother pays a visit to Li Jinyu's family with gifts. Unfortunately, she and Grandma Dou have been rivals for years, and their new status as in-laws does nothing to quell their bickering. The visit ends in a chaotic argument. Later, during a video call, Ye Meng casually jokes to Li Jinyu that their grandmothers were probably once romantic rivals.
The call is abruptly interrupted when Gou Kai appears at her hotel room door. Thinking it's room service, Ye Meng doesn't end the video call. Gou Kai, refusing to believe she is married, launches into a heartfelt confession, all of which Li Jinyu overhears. Heartbroken and unable to sleep, Li Jinyu decides to fly to Jiangbei immediately. Ye Meng firmly rejects Gou Kai, warning him to stop his wishful thinking. Humiliated and angry, Gou Kai retaliates by instructing his people to cancel the scheduled meeting with Wang Xingsheng.
The next day, Ye Meng is stood up. Tai Mingxiao helps her track down Wang Xingsheng's hotel, but they discover he has already checked out. Furious, Ye Meng calls Gou Kai, who offers to help her find Wang Xingsheng, but only if she agrees to return to the company and accept his confession. She hangs up on him without a second thought.
Dejected after losing her only lead, Ye Meng stands by the river, taking in the night view while pouring her heart out to Li Jinyu on the phone. To her utter astonishment, Li Jinyu appears right in front of her. Their joyful reunion is briefly interrupted by another call from Gou Kai, who claims he wants to apologize. Ye Meng flatly refuses and hangs up. Still, Gou Kai remains convinced her marriage is a ruse to make him jealous, a stubbornness that even Tai Mingxiao finds baffling.
Li Jinyu reveals he came to Jiangbei not just for her, but to help with the investigation. Cheng Kairan calls with a new lead: a man nicknamed Fat-headed Monk, who was previously seen with the Thimble Ring, is back in Jiangbei. Cheng Kairan explains that he is a dealer in fake antiques who was recently released from detention for a brawl and for using a car with fake license plates. He also owns a teahouse in the city. Hearing this, Ye Meng's expression turns serious as Li Jinyu suggests they follow this new lead.
