Episode Summary
The Shen family celebrates New Year's Eve, where Lin Yan's unfamiliarity with local customs is highlighted. The Grand Princess schemes to get closer to Pei Pei and then traps Lin Yan and Shen Shaoguang in a warehouse to force them together. Inside, major truths are revealed: Lin Yan discovers Shaoguang keeps a special vegetable just for him, and Shaoguang realizes he lied about his alcohol tolerance. After a tense kiss, Shaoguang confesses that their engagement was a lie from the start, leaving Lin Yan stunned. The episode ends with Lin Yan confirming the lie through his own investigation and Shaoguang's mother discovering the self-inflicted marks on her daughter's wrist.
Spoiler Alert
A New Year's Eve Full of Surprises
This episode kicks off with the Shen family celebrating New Year's Eve. It’s a cozy family dinner. Shen Yangyang finds a coin in her dumpling, which is a sign of good luck. She then goes around to all the elders asking for her red envelope money. Everyone was prepared for this. Everyone except Lin Yan. He doesn't know about the custom. So he just gives her all the silver coins in his wallet. It's a bit awkward but also pretty sweet.
The Grand Princess Makes Her Move
The Grand Princess is playing games of her own. She finds out Pei Pei is too broke to travel home for the holiday. So, she cancels her plans at the palace. She invites Pei Pei to her place to play chess instead. Then she suggests they go watch the lantern festival together that night. The Princess is not being subtle at all.
A Brother's White Lie
We also get a letter from Shen Shaojie. He tells his family he's halfway to the top of his career. The truth is much sadder. He left home with big dreams. He tried stand-up comedy for villagers. He tried performing acrobatics. He even tried wrestling with strongmen. He failed at everything. Now he's homeless on the streets. He managed to beg for a single copper coin. He sends that coin home as a New Year's gift for his daughter.
The Truth Comes Out (The Hard Way)
Back at the restaurant, things get complicated. Shen Jianshe and his wife take Yangyang to see the lanterns. Just then, the Grand Princess and Pei Pei arrive at the empty restaurant. The Princess asks for their famous hot pot. Shen Shaoguang is happy to serve them. She and Lin Yan act as hosts.
A Dinner Full of Revelations
During the meal, Shaoguang keeps worrying about Lin Yan drinking too much. She keeps reminding him to take it easy. But Pei Pei totally exposes him. She says Lin Yan’s alcohol tolerance is legendary. She tells a story about how he recently drank Huan Erlang's uncle's entire collection of expensive wine. Shaoguang immediately realizes Lin Yan has been lying. He wasn't drunk all those other times. He remembers everything. The Grand Princess can feel the tension between them. Pei Pei just keeps eating her food.
Locked in the Warehouse
After dinner, the Grand Princess asks to see how they make their unique frozen tofu. They all go to the backyard. Then she asks to see the newly expanded warehouse. Shaoguang and Lin Yan go inside first. As Pei Pei is about to follow, the Grand Princess grabs her. Then she slams the door shut and locks it from the outside. A classic matchmaking trap.
The Big Confession
Inside the warehouse, Shaoguang wants to break down the door. Lin Yan stops her. He says the Princess is just being playful. It would be rude to ruin her fun. So they just sit down. Lin Yan notices a bunch of water shield vegetables being stored. He asks how her family prepares them. Shaoguang tells him the truth. Her family doesn't eat it. She keeps it stocked just for him, so he can have a taste of his hometown.
A Kiss and a Rejection
The silence gets awkward. Shaoguang opens a window to watch the sky lanterns. When she turns around, Lin Yan is standing right behind her. They are pressed close together. He leans in and starts to kiss her. Shaoguang panics. She starts pulling a red string on her wrist tighter and tighter. She's trying to use the pain to stop herself from giving in.
Outside, the Grand Princess tries to confess her feelings to Pei Pei again. Pei Pei still can't accept it. She says she has nothing to give the Princess in return. The Princess gets angry at how dense Pei Pei is being and storms off.
The Lie is Finally Exposed
Back inside, Lin Yan sees the red marks on Shaoguang's wrist. He also finds a small jar. It's filled with little slips of paper, all with his name written on them. He finally understands. She does have feelings for him. He asks her why she keeps pushing him away.
Shaoguang decides to end it. She tells him everything. There is no engagement. She lied in the beginning because she was afraid he would kill her. She kept the lie going so she could get protection by moving into Yunshui Garden. She looks him in the eye and says she has no feelings for him whatsoever. Lin Yan is left completely speechless.
The Aftermath
The next day, the Shen restaurant reopens for business. They launch a new spring platter with fresh vegetables. A customer asks how they got fresh produce in the winter. Shaoguang explains they use greenhouses, but the person doesn't understand. Other customers start praising Lin Yan for being a great official. Shaoguang just pretends she doesn't hear any of it.
An Investigation and a Heartbreak
Cheng Hu and his work buddies show up to eat. They talk about how busy they've been since the festival. Cheng Hu says Lin Yan's methods are tough but effective. Lin Yan himself walks in, and a citizen immediately runs up to him to complain about stolen land. He promises to look into it. He then overhears his men talking about Shaoguang and tells them to stop.
Later that night, Lin Yan's man, Liu Chang, returns. He found the real woman Lin Yan was engaged to. Her name is Zheng, and she lives in Shian County. This is concrete proof that the Shen family lied. But Lin Yan isn't thinking about that. He's just thinking about how he and Shaoguang promised to watch the lanterns together.
That same night, Shaoguang can't sleep. She goes to the kitchen to prep for the next day. Her mother, Li Fengxia, finds her there. She sees the raw, painful marks on her daughter's wrist. Li Fengxia is heartbroken. She begs Shaoguang to stop hurting herself.
