Episode Summary
Xia Yuan and Kang Erniu's elaborate plot to steal the Wanlingdan formula backfires when Chu Shaohua is warned about their betrayal. The scheme leaves Xia Yuan divorced and empty-handed. Desperate, Xia Yuan kidnaps Erniu to lure Shaohua into a trap set by Komura Moriichi. The plan results in the deaths of Kang Erniu, Wen Zhiqiu, and Xia Yuan himself. In the end, Shaohua learns that Zhiqiu was a Communist who faked his death to protect her. After giving the formula to the Party, she moves to Hong Kong, where she is reunited with Zhiqiu.
Spoiler Alert
The Ultimate Betrayal
The Fake-Out
Xia Yuan and Kang Erniu cook up a wild scheme. They want the Wanlingdan formula from Chu Shaohua. The plan is for Xia Yuan’s wife, Xu Shufen, to publicly attack and injure Erniu. It works. Shaohua sees the fight and takes pity on Erniu, bringing her home to recover.
Next, Xia Yuan sends assassins after Shaohua. But another agent, one working for Ma Juncai, gets there first and opens fire. In a moment that seems like the ultimate act of loyalty, Erniu jumps in front of Shaohua and takes the bullet. This completely wins Shaohua's trust. Shaohua decides she needs to go into hiding for a while. Before she leaves, she hands the precious Wanlingdan formula to Erniu for safekeeping.
The Reveal
Xia Yuan picks Erniu up from the hospital. He hands her divorce papers for his wife and offers her 30% of his pharmacy as a wedding gift. Erniu is finally going to be Mrs. Xia. But she hesitates to give him the formula. She knows this move burns the bridge with Shaohua forever. Xia Yuan swears he'll never abandon her.
That’s all she needs to hear. She hands over the envelope. Xia Yuan opens it and finds a letter and a check. No formula. Erniu is floored.
It turns out Wen Zhiqiu was nearby during the assassination attempt. He overheard Xia Yuan's men talking. They revealed that Erniu was an undercover operative all along. Zhiqiu went straight to the hospital and told Shaohua everything. She now knows the entire thing was a setup. Xia Yuan is left with nothing. He divorced his wife, didn't get the formula, and now has to face a very angry Komura Moriichi. Erniu is horrified to learn he planned to give the formula to the Japanese. He just screams at her and calls her a fool.
The Walls Close In
A Last-Ditch Trap
The Kuomintang is rounding up Communists, and Wen Zhiqiu is on their list. Yin A'mei tells him to flee to Hong Kong, but he’s worried about Shaohua. A'mei promises to keep her safe.
Meanwhile, Xia Yuan gets one last chance from Komura Moriichi to get the formula. He has his men kidnap Erniu. He tries to force her to call Shaohua and lure her into a trap. Erniu refuses. She has seen Xia Yuan for who he truly is. He even gets on his knees and begs, but when she tells him to cut ties with Komura Moriichi, he snaps and beats her brutally.
A battered Erniu calls Shaohua. She lies and says she left Xia Yuan and needs to be rescued from the Xinya Hotel. Just before Shaohua hangs up, Erniu manages to whisper a warning: "Don't come." She reveals it's a trap set by Xia Yuan. He grabs the phone and tells Shaohua to be there at six.
A Cascade of Death
Shaohua, desperate to save her friend, rushes over anyway. Luckily, Cheng Hui alerts Wen Zhiqiu, who immediately drives to the hotel.
Komura Moriichi has the hotel surrounded. As Shaohua arrives, Erniu makes a final, tragic choice. She jumps from a window to her death. Zhiqiu pulls up just in time to grab Shaohua and speed away. After a chase, Zhiqiu deliberately crashes into a bus. He tells Shaohua to get out. He then drives the car into a river, leading the agents away and sacrificing himself to save her. Shaohua is completely broken.
That same night, Xia Yuan is assassinated. His body is left in the street.
The Truth and The Future
The Final Twist
Yin A'mei finds Shaohua and tells her the whole truth. Wen Zhiqiu was a Communist. A'mei also explains what really happened the day Shaohua's first love, Xia Chu, died. The Kuomintang was arresting Communists, and Zhiqiu was sent to warn them. He told Xia Chu to get to safety, but Xia Chu volunteered to warn others at the Kangning Clinic. That's where he was caught and killed by Mu Ziru.
Yin A'mei arranges for Shaohua to go to Hong Kong and set up a new contact point for the Party. Before she leaves, Shaohua hands over the Wanlingdan formula. She boards the boat, convinced that Zhiqiu isn't really dead and that they will meet again.
And she's right. When she arrives in Hong Kong, Wen Zhiqiu is there, waiting to pick her up. They just look at each other and smile.
