Episode Summary
Chu Shaohua and Xia Chu plan to leave for France, but their plans are destroyed by a night of horrific violence. Two separate plots—one by Zhou Yan to steal money and another by Chen Ershun to assault Shaohua—collide. Shaohua is drugged, and during the assault, her daughter Xuanxuan is murdered by Chen Ershun. Shaohua kills him in revenge. A gang then raids the pharmacy, killing Mrs. Chen and setting the building on fire. Shaohua's brother helps her escape, but she is left traumatized. The episode ends with Xia Chu being falsely told that Shaohua is dead.
Spoiler Alert
A Fresh Start Goes Sideways
So, Chu Shaohua and Xia Chu are officially back together. They have a plan. In three days, they’re running off to France to start over. It sounds perfect.
To get ready, Shaohua starts putting her affairs in order at the pharmacy. She gives shares to her mother, her mother-in-law, and the staff. She hands over complete control to Mr. Jiang and Mr. Wang. Most importantly, she makes it clear that her brother, Chu Shaozhong, is not to be involved.
This does not go over well with Shaozhong’s wife, Zhou Yan. She is furious and comes to the pharmacy to cause a scene. Shaohua kicks her out. But while she was there, Zhou Yan spotted where Shaohua keeps her money. This gives her a terrible idea. She decides to drug Shaohua and steal the cash.
Two Separate Plots, One Target
Zhou Yan isn't the only one with a plan, though. Chen Ershun is also fuming. He's angry that Shaohua cut him out of the pharmacy's management.He doesn't want her to leave. His solution is horrifying. He gets his mother, Mrs. Chen, to put a drug in some chicken soup for Shaohua. The goal is to assault her so she'll be forced to stay.
Back at the pharmacy, one of the clerks, Shuangxi, is getting ready for his night shift. Suddenly, another clerk runs in saying Shuangxi's father is sick. The second clerk offers to cover the shift so Shuangxi can go home. It's a setup. After Shuangxi leaves, the guy removes the bolt from the pharmacy door, leaving it open for Chen Ershun.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yan puts her own plan into motion. She shows up and asks Shaohua to come home for a meal, saying her mother-in-law wants to see her. Shaohua is too busy but promises to say goodbye before leaving for France. Then, Zhou Yan lies that Shaozhong has a headache and asks for some medicine. While Shaohua's back is turned, Zhou Yan drugs the teapot.
A Night of Absolute Chaos
Later that night, Shaohua is in the back with her daughter, Xuanxuan. After putting Xuanxuan to bed, she gets ready to eat the chicken soup from Mrs. Chen. But something feels off. She remembers how nervous Mrs. Chen looked when she dropped it off. She also recalls Mrs. Chen specifically telling her not to let Xuanxuan have any. Shaohua suspects the soup is bad.
She goes to the front of the pharmacy to find the clerk on duty. She discovers the main door is unbolted. She immediately locks it. Still feeling uneasy, she grabs a weapon for protection and puts it under her pillow. Then, she drinks a cup of tea—the tea Zhou Yan drugged—and falls asleep.
At the same time, Zhou Yan is forcing her husband, Shaozhong, to go to the pharmacy and steal the money. He doesn't want to do it, but she screams at him until he gives in and leaves.
The Attack and the Tragedy
Chen Ershun, drunk and determined, arrives at the pharmacy. He finds Shaohua drugged and unable to move, and he attacks her. The noise wakes up Xuanxuan. She tries to fight him off, pushing him with all her might. In the struggle, Ershun grabs a pillow and smothers Xuanxuan until she stops breathing.Shaohua can only scream in horror.
When Shaohua finally wakes up, she finds her daughter is dead. She is completely destroyed. Chen Ershun is on the floor, begging for forgiveness. He claims he truly loves Shaohua and that he killed Xuanxuan by accident. In a fit of pure rage and grief, Shaohua kills him on the spot.
The Aftermath
Things just get worse from there. Mrs. Chen, worried about her son, comes to the pharmacy. She walks in to find Ershun dead and starts screaming. Her screams attract Chu Shaozhong, who had just arrived to steal the money. He sees the dead bodies and runs away in terror.
As he flees, he sees Er Tuzi and the Sanshou Gang arriving to rob the pharmacy. Shaozhong hides. Er Tuzi and his men go into the back, where they find Mrs. Chen. Er Tuzi kills her without a second thought. They grab the dazed Shaohua, throw her on a horse, and go inside to loot the place.
Seeing an opportunity, Shaozhong creeps out of his hiding spot. He unties the horse Shaohua is on and smacks its rear. The horse bolts, carrying Shaohua away. Er Tuzi, not wanting any loose ends, orders his men to burn the pharmacy to the ground before they escape.
Picking Up the Pieces
Shaohua eventually falls off the horse and stumbles away into the woods. The pharmacy clerks see the fire and rush to put it out, but the building is already a ruin.
When Xia Chu hears what happened, he runs to the scene. He finds the burned-out pharmacy and learns that Xuanxuan, Chen Ershun, and Mrs. Chen are all dead. He's told that the Sanshou Gang took Shaohua. Desperate, he goes to Yi Dajin to get ransom money. Yi Dajin doesn't have that kind of cash and tells Xia Chu to calm down. Xia Chu begs him to at least talk to the gang and make sure they don't kill her.
A Desperate Rescue and a Cruel Lie
The clerks hold a burial for the three deceased. Shaohua appears, still in shock. She goes to Xuanxuan's grave and starts digging it up with her bare hands. She wants to take her daughter's body and bury her somewhere else.
The trauma of the night has made Chu Shaozhong incredibly sick. He just lies in bed muttering, "run, run."
The Chen family elders are not sympathetic to anyone. They formally kick Song Ping, Chen Ershun's widow, out of the family home.
The final blow comes from Yi Dajin. He lies to Xia Chu. He says that Shaohua was so distraught that she committed suicide by jumping off a cliff. He even takes a heartbroken Xia Chu to the supposed location.
