Episode Summary
In this episode, Liu Yan intensifies her efforts to meet Mr. Luo to settle her mother's debt. Her relationships with the seemingly cynical but kind-hearted lawyer Lu Tianchi and the pragmatic Tang Shuangshuang deepen through shared struggles. After misjudging Lu Tianchi's character, she realizes he is a principled man who helps the vulnerable. [1] Liu Yan's persistence pays off when she manages to confront Mr. Luo, only to be directed to his assistant, who offers her a grim path to repayment: illegal fighting. Standing by her principles, Liu Yan rejects the offer, choosing to find another way out of her desperate situation.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Tang Shuangshuang in the middle of a photoshoot with Lu Tianchi. Dissatisfied that the initial shots don't capture the right "aura," she changes into a form-fitting dress, striking various poses. Her goal isn't just to get good pictures; she's secretly hoping to use them to attract a wealthy heir and secure a better life. However, Lu Tianchi, doing some digging during a break, discovers her target is merely pretending to be rich. Amused and perhaps a little intrigued, Tang Shuangshuang playfully considers that marrying Lu Tianchi might offer her a different kind of security.
Their session is abruptly interrupted by their furious landlord. She complains loudly that Lu Tianchi has made a mess of her property, having previously housed a Black person and now bringing in two more strangers. Thinking fast, Tang Shuangshuang uses her charm to placate the landlord, successfully negotiating a few more months for Lu Tianchi to sort things out.
Meanwhile, a desperate Liu Yan pleads with Lu Tianchi to introduce her to the powerful Mr. Luo. To help her, Tang Shuangshuang finds a dilapidated, abandoned house for Liu Yan and Li Zan to stay in. Faced with the squalor, Liu Yan and Li Zan look at each other helplessly before rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. They clean the house, salvaging what little they can from the trash. Starving after their hard work, Liu Yan's resourcefulness shines as she cooks a delicious sweet pancake for Li Zan with what few ingredients she has. He is stunned by how good it is. In a touching moment, Li Zan gives her a toy ring left behind by her mother, Jiang Fang, which brings a flood of emotional memories for Liu Yan.
The next day, Liu Yan once again begs Lu Tianchi for his help. He takes her to a quiet nursing home, where she is initially repulsed to see him having elderly residents sign legal documents without even reading them. She assumes he is exploiting them and feels a surge of indignation. Her opinion changes when two greedy, distant relatives arrive, aggressively trying to claim one of the elder's houses. Liu Yan then realizes Lu Tianchi is handling the wills pro bono to protect the seniors.Filled with guilt for misjudging him, she quietly apologizes.
Later, Liu Yan recklessly ventures into Mr. Luo's territory on her own, hoping to get a meeting but unaware of the danger she's in. Lu Tianchi, who has some familiarity with the people there, arrives just in time to greet them and safely escort her away. That evening, a panicked Tang Shuangshuang rushes to Liu Yan's place, lying that the landlord wants the house back. She is trying to get Liu Yan to leave for her own safety. When pressed, Tang Shuangshuang admits that nobody in Gaya Country dares to cross Mr. Luo, and Liu Yan's massive debt makes her a target. Thinking on her feet, Liu Yan bluffs, claiming Mr. Luo has already agreed to see her. Tang Shuangshuang, who normally skips dinner, is so impressed by the noodles Liu Yan cooks for her that she eats heartily and agrees to let her stay.
Undeterred, Liu Yan stakes out a restaurant where she believes Mr. Luo will be. When he arrives with his bodyguards, she uses her fighting skills to swiftly take them down and finally comes face-to-face with him. Mr. Luo, annoyed, claims not to know her mother, Jiang Fang, but acknowledges the debt. He tells Liu Yan she must pay it back and instructs her to deal with his assistant from now on.
The following day, Liu Yan meets with the assistant, who offers her a way to work off the debt. Learning that she is a skilled fighter, the assistant suggests she participate in illegal underground boxing matches.Liu Yan is horrified. Knowing this path would irrevocably change her life for the worse, she firmly refuses and walks away.
