Episode Summary
Shen Jianshe's attempt to appease his wife with a gift backfires. Yangyang impresses her teacher with her modern knowledge, leading Shaoguang to invite him to dinner. At the dinner, Lin Yan confronts the teacher, Master Zhao, about an old case. Lin Yan successfully convinces him to testify, but the Prince of Zhao intervenes by making Master Zhao disappear. Furious, Lin Yan and Shaoguang vent their frustration by smashing things. As New Year's Eve approaches, the romantic tension between Lin Yan and Shaoguang grows, culminating in her going on a long journey to find a special ingredient just for him.
Spoiler Alert
A Gift Gone Wrong
The episode kicks off with Shen Jianshe. He’s taking his daughter, Yangyang, to school. Yangyang points out something interesting. Since she time-traveled, everyone in the family has changed for the better. Everyone except her mom, Li Fengxia. Jianshe thinks he has it all figured out. He assumes his wife is just mad because her life isn't as fancy as it could be.
So what does he do? He buys her a luxury carriage. He hands her the keys and basically says, "See? I can give you the best. Now stop being mad at me." You can probably guess how this goes. Li Fengxia is furious. He completely missed the point about what's actually bothering her. She just turns and walks away. Men.
The Smartest Kid in the Room
We cut to Yangyang's first day at the prestigious Hongwen Academy. The teacher, Master Zhao, is going on about how the earth is flat. Yangyang isn't having it. She stands up and announces that the earth is a sphere. All the other students start whispering. You can feel the secondhand awkwardness.
Later, Master Zhao calls her sister, Shaoguang, to the academy. Shaoguang immediately assumes her little sister is in huge trouble. But it's the opposite. Master Zhao tells her Yangyang is a genius. He says she has unlimited potential if she's guided correctly. His only note is that she's a bit too blunt. It could get her into trouble. Shaoguang is relieved. She also realizes Master Zhao isn't just a book-smart scholar. He understands people. So, she invites him over for dinner at their restaurant. He accepts.
A Dinner with an Agenda
Lin Yan hears about the dinner invitation. He thinks it’s way too risky. He tells Shaoguang he can never repay a favor like that. But Shaoguang shuts that down. She reminds him of all the times he's helped their family. She tells him to stop thinking about repayment. This is an opportunity, and he needs to take it.
The dinner happens. The whole Shen family works together to get Master Zhao good and drunk. Once he's tipsy, Lin Yan makes his move. He walks over to the table. For a second, the drunk Master Zhao mistakes him for someone named Cui Rangzhi.
Lin Yan plays dumb. He then brings up an old story about a guy who sold out his friend for fame and fortune. The jab is not subtle. It’s aimed right at Master Zhao. Master Zhao asks Lin Yan who he really is. Lin Yan says he's just the head of the Jingzhao Prefecture. But he's reopening a certain old case. Then he flips the question. Did Master Zhao act alone, or was someone else pulling the strings?
The Prince's Gambit
We see the Prince of Zhao. He's talking to a memorial for his dead son, Li Sheng. He admits that Lin Yan is investigating much faster than he anticipated. He even says Lin Yan is just as capable as his late son was. And because of that, he probably can't let Lin Yan live.
His subordinate, Li Xun, reports that Lin Yan is now looking into Master Zhao. The Prince isn't worried. He thinks Master Zhao cares too much about his reputation to ever tell the truth. Li Xun doesn't seem so sure.
And he's right not to be. Lin Yan actually convinces Master Zhao to testify. But then, just as suddenly, Master Zhao leaves town. The official reason is that he's going home for a family mourning period. Lin Yan knows the Prince is behind it. He orders his man, Liu Chang, to go to Master Zhao's hometown. He wants him found, dead or alive.
Smashing the Frustration
Shaoguang brings some food over for Lin Yan. She's too shy to go in. He hears her at the door and opens it, only to find his mom already dropped off a meal for him. Awkward.
Liu Chang gets back from his trip. He has bad news. Master Zhao has no living relatives in his hometown. The mourning period was a complete lie. To make it all worse, the Prince of Zhao sent a letter. It congratulates Yangyang on getting into the academy and praises Master Zhao's character. He's pretending he has no idea what happened.
Lin Yan is absolutely livid. Shaoguang sees he's about to explode. So she does something unexpected. She starts throwing things. She smashes case files and expensive porcelain vases. Lin Yan watches for a second, then joins in. They just destroy the room together to let it all out.
New Year's Eve Feelings
After they've calmed down, Shaoguang tells him she knows he'll figure out a new plan. New Year's Eve is just around the corner. Yangyang invites Lin Yan to spend it with their family. She also lets it slip that Shaoguang made him a new set of clothes. He happily agrees to come.
Later, Shaoguang is prepping ingredients for the big dinner. Her mind is completely filled with thoughts of Lin Yan. She absentmindedly writes his name on the menu. Realizing what she's done, she rips the paper off and shoves it into a pickle jar. She's trying so hard to push those feelings down.
The family, along with Lin Yan, starts preparing the New Year's Eve feast. But Shaoguang isn't there. She went on a supply run five days ago and hasn't come back. Lin Yan is starting to get seriously worried. Right on cue, she walks through the door. She brought back a special water shield vegetable that only grows in Qingyang. She tries to play it cool, saying it was just on her way. But everyone in the room knows she went way out of her way to get it for him.
