Episode Summary
Liu Yan's professional success is overshadowed by personal turmoil. While she grows closer to Lu Tianchi, she is sabotaged at work by a colleague and betrayed by her mother, Jiang Fang, who steals her life savings. With Lu Tianchi's help, Liu Yan takes extreme measures to force her mother to confront her gambling addiction.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Liu Yan and Lu Tianchi discovering that Liu Yan's home has been completely ransacked. As they begin to clean up the mess, Liu Yan receives a text from Li Zan, congratulating her on winning the competition.
To celebrate her victory, Lu Tianchi pulls Liu Yan aside. He formally introduces himself, revealing that he is from Gaya and possesses all the qualifications to be her cohabiting boyfriend, a strategic move to help her stay in the country. He explains that after careful consideration, he concluded he was the most suitable candidate and has even bought her a car. Touched by his gesture, Liu Yan understands his feelings, though he shyly insists it's just to help her. The two share a tender moment as she tests out the new car.
The next day, a nervous Jiang Fang apologizes to her ex-boyfriend. Her son, Li Zan, suddenly appears, having skipped school to find her. Jiang Fang realizes he used a tracker, which she calmly removes from her pocket. She confesses to Li Zan that his late father left behind an insurance policy. She has been avoiding regular hospitals to ensure she can collect the payout and asks him to keep her secret.
Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Kuan Tai sabotages Liu Yan by tricking her into signing for a batch of high-starch potatoes, then denying any involvement. Forced to absorb the loss, Liu Yan cleverly develops a new menu using those very potatoes. He Sheng, aware that Liu Yan was framed, warns the staff that someone tampered with ingredients during the competition, hinting at a mole. However, Liu Yan mistakenly suspects Philip.
Later, Jiang Fang goes to a bank with Liu Yan's bank card. After several attempts, she correctly guesses the password—the date she abandoned Liu Yan—and withdraws all the money. At the same time, Liu Yan once again impresses He Sheng at the restaurant, but her hopes for a promotion to sous-chef are gently turned down.
Liu Yan returns home to a devastating scene: Jiang Fang has sold all her belongings and emptied her bank account. She finds her mother drunk on the street. In a powerful confrontation, Liu Yan lifts her shirt to reveal her scars, screaming that the money Jiang Fang gambled away was earned with her life. She tells her mother that with the promotion, she could have supported them both and sent Li Zan to school. She then forcibly drags Jiang Fang home.
Seeing Liu Yan is now penniless, Lu Tianchi gives her his bank card without hesitation. To protect Li Zan, Liu Yan sends him to live at school and asks Lu Tianchi to move in with her to help manage Jiang Fang. They chain Jiang Fang to a mahjong table, forcing her to play non-stop. Liu Yan and Lu Tianchi take shifts, giving her no rest. After two days, an exhausted Jiang Fang finally surrenders, promising she will never gamble again.
