Episode Summary
Forced to pretend they are a happy couple, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu's relationship is further strained by a malicious online campaign and a physical attack on Ye Meng, which she wrongly blames on him. Meanwhile, a misunderstanding leads Gou Kai to believe Cheng Kairan is Ye Meng's husband. After a heart-to-heart, Jiang Luzhi confesses her schemes to Ye Meng and decides to leave, revealing the truth about her cooperation with Li Jinyu. The episode culminates during a team-building event where Li Jinyu's hidden skills are exposed, prompting Ye Meng to confront him with a critical question about his connection to her past.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with a visit from the two grandmothers, who use the excuse of bringing chicken soup to check in on the "newlyweds." To keep up appearances, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu are forced to act like a loving couple, though Ye Meng is clearly unhappy. The grandmothers, along with the Second Aunt and Qiao Maimai, try to force them to play mahjong together, but Ye Meng manages to slip away by claiming she has to work overtime. Later that night, Ye Meng and Li Jinyu are compelled to share a room and a bed. The atmosphere remains tense, with no sign of reconciliation, until Li Jinyu playfully wraps his arms around Ye Meng and refuses to let go.
The next day, Ye Meng discovers a malicious comment on Hailan Port's Weibo page, falsely claiming the project has excessive formaldehyde levels. The comment is rapidly gaining likes, and she immediately suspects Jiang Luzhi is behind it. Remaining calm, Ye Meng turns the tables by arranging for an official media outlet to conduct a live evaluation. This move not only quells the negative publicity but also solidifies her team's standing.
However, when Ye Meng tracks down the person who made the post, a man named Zhou Yu, the situation turns dangerous. He pulls out a knife and chases her. Fortunately, Li Jinyu arrives just in time to intervene, causing Zhou Yu to flee. Believing Li Jinyu conspired with Jiang Luzhi to orchestrate the whole thing, Ye Meng confronts him. His attempts to explain himself are futile, and they part on bad terms. Gou Kai drives Ye Meng home and, upon meeting Qiao Maimai, mistakenly assumes Cheng Kairan is Ye Meng's husband.
Meanwhile, Fang Ya'en confronts Cheng Kairan, accusing him of being Li Jinyu's informant and demanding to know whose side he's on. Cheng Kairan professes his loyalty to Fang Ya'en, but secretly messages Ye Meng after she leaves. Elsewhere, Li Jinyu tells Cheng Kairan he suspects a new intern at the company is connected to the incident and asks him to investigate.
Acting on his misunderstanding, Gou Kai confronts Cheng Kairan at a bar, bluntly stating that he and Ye Meng are not a good match and offering him any price to agree to a divorce. Cheng Kairan playfully demands five million, which Gou Kai surprisingly agrees to, only for Cheng Kairan to immediately back out of the "deal." After Gou Kai leaves, Cheng Kairan asks Li Jinyu when he plans to reveal his secret marriage. Li Jinyu states he will wait until the Hailan Port situation is fully resolved and after Li Lingbai has left Ningsui.
Later, Li Jinyu presents Jiang Luzhi with an investigation report, warning her to stop her scheming. He makes it clear that if she ever tries to harm Ye Meng again, their arrangement will be terminated immediately. Shortly after, Tai Mingxiao informs Li Jinyu that Gou Kai is planning to confess his feelings to Ye Meng during an upcoming team-building event, leaving Li Jinyu startled.
That evening, Ye Meng confronts Jiang Luzhi, showing her a photo of her meeting with Zhou Yu and mentioning the attack. A guilty Jiang Luzhi clarifies that while she was involved, she never instructed him to physically harm anyone. Believing she wouldn't dare go that far, Ye Meng invites her for a heart-to-heart drink.
Jiang Luzhi confesses that she has always been envious of Ye Meng's beauty, while Ye Meng admits she admired Jiang Luzhi's intelligence and academic achievements. Ye Meng reminds Jiang Luzhi of a speech she gave in high school about striving for self-fulfillment, causing Jiang Luzhi to reflect on how far she has strayed from her original goals. After their candid conversation, Jiang Luzhi finally lets go of her long-held resentment. She decides to leave Hailan Port to start fresh and, before she goes, reveals the truth about her collaboration with Li Jinyu to Ye Meng.
During the team-building event, Gou Kai brings Tai Mingxiao to Ningsui to act as his advisor for the big confession. Li Jinyu learns of the plan and intervenes. He challenges Gou Kai to a car race and, in his capacity as the client, insists that Ye Meng ride in his passenger seat. As they race, Ye Meng is stunned by Li Jinyu's expert driving skills. Realizing he has been hiding much more than she ever imagined, she confronts him directly, asking if he was the witness to the incident from their past.
