Episode Summary
After Ye Xiuming discovers his betrayal, Wu Bin attempts to murder him by pushing him from a roof, but Ye survives in a coma. Wu Bin establishes a fake alibi and feigns concern while secretly taunting the unconscious Ye Xiuming. The police investigation proves it was attempted murder, allowing Deng Yan to return and lead the case. As evidence from past employees and financial records mounts against Wu Bin, Fang Zilin discovers he has been forging Ye Xiuming's signature on contracts. The episode ends with Wu Bin sending an assassin to kill Ye Xiuming in the hospital, an attempt that is foiled by the police.
Spoiler Alert
"Sword Rose" Episode 31: The Fall and the Betrayal
The episode opens with a tense confrontation. Ye Xiuming has uncovered Wu Bin's scheme to force him out of his own company and calls him for a showdown. Realizing his plot is exposed, Wu Bin decides that murder is his only way out. He concocts a chillingly precise alibi: he invites three friends for drinks, drugs their beverages to knock them out, and then rushes to meet Ye Xiuming. On a rooftop, the confrontation turns violent as Wu Bin shoves Ye Xiuming off the edge. He then quietly returns to the restaurant, where his friends are still unconscious, and feigns being passed-out drunk to create a bulletproof witness account of his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, a worried Fang Zilin can't get in touch with Ye Xiuming. Her calls to Wu Bin initially go unanswered as he continues his act. When one of his friends is roused by the ringing phone and wakes him, Wu Bin plays dumb, claiming to have no idea where Ye Xiuming is. The next morning, Ye Xiuming is discovered and rushed to the hospital. The police, including Yan Lei and Yang Jiajia, arrive on the scene and confirm his identity.
After a sleepless night, Fang Zilin goes to the office, but Wu Bin again feigns ignorance. She eventually learns from Deng Yan that Ye Xiuming is in the hospital fighting for his life. Wu Bin, maintaining his facade of a concerned friend, accompanies Fang Zilin to the hospital. The medical team manages to save Ye Xiuming, but he remains in a deep coma. While questioning Fang Zilin, the police learn that Ye Xiuming had been angry recently, suspecting an inappropriate relationship between her and Wu Bin. Wu Bin cleverly offers to stay and watch over Ye Xiuming, allowing Fang Zilin to go home and care for their child, Qianqian.
Left alone with the comatose Ye Xiuming, Wu Bin's mask slips. He taunts his former friend, boasting that he has seized control of the company's entire Southeast Asia operation and that he will take not only the business but Fang Zilin as well.
The investigation takes a crucial turn when a police report confirms Ye Xiuming was pushed, proving it was attempted murder. This new evidence exonerates Ye Xiuming from being the suspected criminal "Brother Cripple," allowing Deng Yan to be reinstated at the Anti-trafficking Office.Back in charge, Deng Yan and her team immediately focus their suspicion on Wu Bin, believing he is the real "Brother Cripple" who tried to silence Ye Xiuming. However, they lack concrete evidence.
Deng Yan digs into Wu Bin's past by questioning Fang Zilin. She learns that Fang Zilin introduced Wu Bin to the company years ago. He had saved her from a group of thugs, an act for which he served jail time. Upon his release, she helped him get a job as a driver. Ye Xiuming saw his potential and promoted him, eventually trusting him with the entire company's main operations.
The financial trail starts to yield clues. A liaison from Qinmang Country, Zou Yuhuai, discovers that a mysterious company named Jiji Trading has been wiring money to "Brother Cripple." This is the same company that once helped Mu Zhenliang adopt Mu Haobo. When questioned, Mu Haobo reveals that Jiji Trading invested 23 million in Ye Xiuming's company, Dingshun, using his adoptive father's name. Further investigation leads to a fired financial employee who confirms she had discovered Wu Bin's fraudulent activities and had informed Ye Xiuming just before Wu Bin fired her.
Becoming suspicious herself, Fang Zilin examines the company's recent contracts and financial statements. She finds numerous large deals with unusual pre-payments, all bearing what appears to be Ye Xiuming's signature. Realizing they are forgeries, she photographs the documents as proof just as Wu Bin, noticing she has the files, offers to accompany her to the hospital.
The episode culminates in a heart-stopping climax at the hospital. An assassin named Xiao Wu, disguised as a doctor, enters Ye Xiuming's room to finish the job. He is interrupted by a real doctor doing rounds and is forced to flee. Ai Xin and Yan Lei give chase, cornering him in another hospital room. As they burst in to arrest him, the terrified assassin sends a desperate text to his boss: Wu Bin.
