Episode Summary
This episode saw Ding Yi and Xian Biyun finally confess their love after a bombing. Liang Jingyuan betrayed and murdered his wife Ye Yin to secure his own safety with Cao Yuanzhong. In a final confrontation, Ding Yi masterfully framed Gu Yangshan for murder, forcing him to flee while making himself appear to be a victim.
Spoiler Alert
A Close Call and a Confession
We open right in the middle of the action. Xian Biyun rips the bomb off Ding Yi. She doesn't even hesitate. She just chucks it down a nearby well. Boom.
Ding Yi completely panics. He thinks she died in the blast. He's screaming her name. But then she stands up, alive. They lock eyes for a second and then just grab each other. It’s the hug we’ve been waiting for.
Later, the military police show up to investigate the explosion. Joseph Needham is there. He smoothly cooks up a believable story to get them off the hook. For now, they're safe. Ding Yi can't stop staring at Xian Biyun. She has to quietly remind him that Needham is blind. He snaps out of it, realizing he was being obvious.
This whole near-death thing finally pushes them over the edge. They both know how they feel. They finally say it out loud. Ding Yi talks about when he first met her. He says she was like the moon. Something beautiful you could see but never reach. He tells her she’s now his faith, the thing he follows. Xian Biyun just shows him the ring on her hand. She says she'll wear it forever. They’ve spent all this time together. They've proven to each other that they're all in.
Deals and Double-Crosses
Liang Jingyuan goes to Cao Yuanzhong. He’s ready to defect. He brings information on several strongholds as a sign of good faith. He thinks this will buy him a ticket out of this mess. He's wrong. After he gives up the locations, Cao Yuanzhong plans to kill him anyway.
But Liang Jingyuan isn't stupid. He came with a backup plan. He knows Cao is a huge collector of art and calligraphy. Liang just so happens to have a famous ancient painting. This immediately gets Cao’s attention. The man has his weaknesses.
Separately, Joseph Needham goes back to the cryptography institute. Anjing personally hands him a report. He officially makes Needham the new director of the institute.
Liang Jingyuan's Ultimate Betrayal
Liang Jingyuan gets back to the hotel. Ye Yin sees him walk in safe and she is ecstatic. She immediately starts packing. She’s dreaming of their new life in Hong Kong. She's even talking about having a baby. Just a normal, quiet, happy life.
She goes to hug him, full of joy. And he stabs her. He just kills her right there. She spent her entire life scheming for him. In the end, she never truly knew the man she married.
It turns out Cao Yuanzhong had a condition. The person who helped him claw his way to power had to be brought to justice. That person was Ye Yin. So, Liang Jingyuan killed his own wife to save himself. He then has the nerve to report back that the "Ye family" has been dealt with.
The Tables Have Turned
Gu Yangshan finds Ding Yi. He gives him boat tickets and tells him to leave. Gu says he’s already taken care of everything. He even put out a story that Ding Yi died of a brain tumor.
Then he finally comes clean. He admits the sauce he used that day wasn't from Ding Yi's mother. He never had her hostage. The big misunderstanding between them is finally cleared up.
But things shift. Ding Yi thinks this is all too easy. Everything is wrapping up too neatly. He tells Gu Yangshan he's not the same naive actor he was two years ago. Then Ding Yi pulls out his own set of boat tickets. He tells Gu Yangshan that he should be the one to leave. Gu refuses.
Joseph Needham has had enough. He calls out to some men hiding in the shadows. They are Anjing's soldiers. They're here for Gu Yangshan. Anjing suspects Gu, as "Charlie," was working with Liang Jingyuan and Sasaki. This suspicion started when Gu reported Needham.
Gu Yangshan scoffs. He asks Ding Yi if he isn't worried he'll talk. He could expose Ding Yi's real identity. Needham says they aren't worried. Ding Yi is now the only survivor of Higashizono-ji. That background makes him basically untouchable.
Ding Yi's Master Plan
As Anjing's men move to arrest Gu Yangshan, Ding Yi makes a move. It's incredibly fast. He grabs Gu Yangshan's gun. Then he shoots and kills Anjing's men.
Just like that, Gu Yangshan is framed for murder. He is now Anjing's most wanted man. Gu is furious. He can't believe Ding Yi outplayed him so completely.
But he doesn't run. Not yet. Instead, he grabs Joseph Needham. He decides to use him as a hostage and wait for Anjing to arrive. Ding Yi plays his part perfectly. He raises his hands, cooperating with the "hostage" situation.
Anjing's troops arrive in a hurry. They see the scene but can't shoot. They're afraid of hitting Needham. Gu Yangshan scans the area and figures out his escape route. He looks at Ding Yi, says "take care," and then floors it, speeding away in a car.
