Episode Summary
Lin Tao blackmails Qiao Lin, threatening to send Xu Yan to jail with a fake contract. This forces Qiao Lin to break up with a heartbroken Yu Yiming. At the same time, Shen Haoming's father is hospitalized, sending Shen Haoming into a spiral of guilt. The family stress causes Shen Haochen to have a breakdown, so Xu Yan and Shen Haoming take him to the countryside. There, some tough love and farm work from Grandma finally get him to start eating and engaging with the world again.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap Springs Shut
I knew Lin Tao was bad news. I just didn't know he was thisbad.
Lin Tao Shows His True Colors
The episode opens with Qiao Lin and Lin Tao at dinner. She's so happy he's helping with their company. She thinks he's doing their accounting and being a great friend. She is completely clueless about what's coming.
Lin Tao drops the act. He puts on this ugly, smug face. He says the company is short on cash. He also says it has legal problems. Then he pulls out a contract. It's not the real one. He swapped it with a fake that he doctored.
He's blackmailing her. He tells Qiao Lin she has one day to give him what he wants. If she doesn't, Xu Yan could go to jail. Qiao Lin is stunned. She asks for a day to think it over. This guy is a total snake.
A Family in Crisis
Just when you think things can't get worse, they do. The Shen family gets hit with a major crisis.
A Father's Collapse
Shen Haoming's father suddenly collapses. He's in critical condition. The whole family rushes to the hospital. Yu Lan stays by her husband's side after his surgery. Xu Yan comes to the hospital to support her.
Shen Haoming is falling apart. He tells Xu Yan he never appreciated his dad. He was always busy with his own career. He realizes his father took on all the pressure for him. Now that his dad is down, he can't handle the guilt.
Shen Haochen's Breakdown
With the hospital situation, Yu Lan can't manage Shen Haochen. She asks Xu Yan to take him for a while. This kid is not doing well. He's emotionally destroyed from everything that's happened.
Yu Lan tries to take him out for a walk. But he sees a reporter with a camera and has a full-blown panic attack. He actually faints in the house. The doctor says it's from extreme stress and not eating. His blood sugar crashed. An IV drip will help physically, but Yu Lan knows this is serious. She begs Xu Yan and Shen Haoming to help him.
A Trip to the Countryside
Shen Haoming and Xu Yan decide a change of scenery is needed. They take Shen Haochen to the countryside to see Grandma.
Farm Work as Therapy
The trip doesn't start well. Shen Haochen is completely hostile toward his dad, Shen Haoming. He refuses food from him. He just walks away from the table.
Xu Yan explains the situation to Grandma. Grandma's advice is simple. She says you have to trade genuine feelings for genuine feelings. Then she puts them all to work. Her rule is simple. If you want to eat here, you have to work.
It's a brilliant move. Xu Yan plays along to get Shen Haochen involved. He takes the bait. He tries to shuck corn for the first time and is terrible at it. Shen Haoming tries to show him how, but Haochen just ignores him. Later, they have to catch a chicken. Haochen is scared, but you can see a tiny crack in the ice between him and his dad.
After a day of hard farm labor, it finally happens. Shen Haochen is hungry. He sits down and eats a huge meal. It seems Grandma's plan is working.
A Heartbreaking Lie
Back in the city, Qiao Lin's world is imploding.
Qiao Lin's Impossible Choice
She's been avoiding her boyfriend, Yu Yiming. She's torn between protecting her sister and admitting her own mistake. But Yu Yiming finally finds her.
Just as he corners her, Lin Tao shows up. He's there to pick up Qiao Lin. Then he tells Yu Yiming that he and Qiao Lin are dating. Yu Yiming is in disbelief. He looks to Qiao Lin for an answer.
She's trapped. To protect Xu Yan from the blackmail, she goes along with the lie. She confirms it. Then she takes off the ring Yu Yiming gave her and hands it back. He is completely heartbroken.
Small Moments
A few other things happened that you should know about.
Loose Ends
Xu Yan's father pays her a visit. He gives her back some money he owed her. He also tells her to call him if she ever needs help. It's a quiet, nice moment of reconciliation for them. She genuinely thanks him.
Later, Shen Haoming finds Xu Yan's journal. He flips through it. He notices that she stopped writing on the day they got divorced. The last entry was from that day. He clearly still cares. A lot.
