Episode Summary
Gu Yangshan kills Liang Jingyuan during his escape with Luo Han, ignoring a warning that Luo Han is a traitor. With Japan's surrender, Ding Yi plans to marry Xian Biyun but is given a new mission to rescue prisoners, including Meng Jie. Meng Jie is arrested after her father abandons her, while Gu Yangshan's father collapses from despair over the political situation.
Spoiler Alert
My Thoughts on Episode 31
A Messy Escape
An Unwelcome Guest
The episode kicks off with Gu Yangshan on the run. Ding Yi set him up perfectly, so now he’s scrambling to get out of town. He’s at the docks with Luo Han, forced to escape together. They get on a boat, and who do they find there? Liang Jingyuan. You remember him. He killed his wife, Ye Yin, and he looks like he hasn't slept in weeks. He’s a total wreck.
Liang takes one look at Gu Yangshan standing next to Luo Han. He immediately knows Luo Han hasn't been telling the whole truth.
A Deadly Secret
Liang starts talking. He claims Cao Yuanzhong hasn't killed him because he has important information. He’s got leverage. Luo Han tries to shut him up by mentioning a high-ranking post in Hong Kong, basically a threat.
That just makes Liang spill everything. He says he has a huge stash of gold and antiques hidden in Hong Kong. It’s his insurance policy against Cao Yuanzhong. He hasn’t told Cao where it is. Before he can say more, Gu Yangshan grabs him. He strangles Liang Jingyuan right there on the deck. It's brutal and fast.
As Liang is dying, he gasps that Luo Han betrayed Gu Yangshan. I’m not sure if Gu heard him or chose to ignore it. Afterward, Gu acts completely normal. He turns to Luo Han and says he’s the only person he trusts. Luo Han looks so relieved it's almost suspicious.
A New Chapter and an Old War
The War is Over
Then, we get the news everyone has been waiting for. Japan has officially surrendered. People are celebrating in the streets. We even see protesters smashing the homes of known traitors. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted.
Amid the celebrations, Ding Yi is walking with Xian Biyun. He gives all of his intelligence files to Old Owl. His part in the war seems to be over. He and Xian Biyun plan to go to Yan'an to study. But first, they ask for permission to get married in Shanghai.
Ding Yi also tells Old Owl what's happening with Gu Yangshan. The organization tried to find him. We learn he left Chongqing with his father. They are both committed to trying to keep the peace between the two parties.
One Last Mission
Old Owl isn't ready to let Ding Yi go just yet. He hands him a new, difficult mission. He has to rescue a list of people being held by the KMT. Meng Jie's name is on that list.
The show cuts to a prison. We see exactly what's at stake. Patriots are being lined up and executed. One man screams that he’s an underground party member, not a traitor. Luo Han shoots him without a second thought. This is what Ding Yi is up against. He has to give the rescue list to Xian Biyun. He apologizes to her. The wedding will have to wait.
Crossroads and Collapse
A Father's Despair
Gu Yangshan is with his father, Old Gu, visiting his mother's grave. Gu wants to retire from all the conflict. He's had enough. But then, a group of his old, loyal subordinates appears. They tell him they won't leave him. They support his goal for peace and are with him to the end.
We get a brief, quiet moment that feels earned. Xian Biyun gently pins the groom's flower on Ding Yi's suit. He looks at himself in the mirror. It's like he's finally seeing himself, not a cover identity. He finally has a home.
But things fall apart quickly. Old Gu is completely disillusioned. He knows the KMT has no intention of negotiating in good faith. He's heard they are secretly executing communists in a prison outside the city. He thinks the country is broken beyond repair and wants to leave. Gu Yangshan begs his father to stay, but then Old Gu suddenly collapses. The situation looks critical.
The Meng Family's Fate
Cao Yuanzhong’s plan to control Meng Mingyi has failed. He tried to use Meng Jie as a hostage to threaten her father. Instead, Meng Mingyi chose to abandon his daughter to save his own skin.
Cao is furious. He orders his men to speed up Meng Jie's conviction. He wants to seize the Meng family's assets as soon as possible. Ding Yi and Xian Biyun race to Meng Jie's home, but they're too late. She's already been taken.
We see Meng Jie in prison. Her father is there, unconscious from being tortured. She tries to defend herself to Luo Han. She explains that she only treated Japanese patients because it was her job as a doctor. Luo Han doesn't care. He points his gun at her and calls her a traitor. All this "work" has been paying off for him. He's getting promotions left and right.
