Episode Summary
In this episode, Lin Yan and Shen Shaoguang finally get married in a large, festive ceremony attended by friends and family, including the Grand Princess. Afterward, Pei Fei is promoted and has a final, heartbreaking conversation with the Grand Princess, explaining that his pride and poverty prevent him from accepting her love. The Shen family business continues to expand, while the villain Li Ang, now a fugitive, vows revenge. The episode ends on a cliffhanger during the Mid-Autumn Festival, as a fire breaks out near the Shen family's celebration.
Spoiler Alert
A Wedding Finally Happens
The Main Event
With no more family drama standing in their way, Lin Yan and Shen Shaoguang get married. The day kicks off with some classic wedding shenanigans. Shaoguang's brother, Shen Shaojie, blocks the door. He makes Lin Yan solve a few riddles to prove he's worthy. Lin Yan breezes through them. He even throws in some incredibly cheesy pickup lines.
Inside, A-Yuan gets Shaoguang ready. Shen Yangyang runs in with a letter from Lin Yan, basically telling her to hurry up so he can stop getting grilled by her brother.
The guest list is pretty interesting. The Grand Princess shows up, which sends Shen Jianshe and his wife into a panic. They get her settled, but then Cao Rong pulls them aside. He’s the MC for the wedding and wants to practice his speech. He gives this super emotional delivery, like a seasoned pro. Shen Jianshe’s only note is for him to smile more. He tells him to show exactly eight teeth. Cao Rong immediately runs off to practice his smile in a corner.
Pei Fei also arrives, but he causes a bit of a stir. He just plops down in a seat right by the main entrance. Shen Jianshe and Li Fengxia rush over. They tell him it’s disrespectful to the ancestors and he should take a better seat. Pei Fei makes a point of saying he just got promoted to the fifth rank. But he claims that's still not high enough to sit at the same table as the Grand Princess.
Shen Jingwen and Mrs. Zheng are also there. Mrs. Zheng says she never really believed Cui Che was dead. Seeing him now, alive and getting married as Lin Yan, makes her genuinely happy. The whole wedding is a huge, happy celebration. Later that night, the Grand Princess gives the newlyweds a special gift. It's a handbook on what to do on their wedding night. It seems to work, because Lin Yan and Shaoguang finally spend the night together.
Settling In and Moving On
New Routines and New Restaurants
The next day, things are already different. The officers at the Jingzhao Prefecture all call Shen Shaoguang "sister-in-law." She brings them some of her restaurant's ten-flavor crab dish as a treat. Someone asks where Shen Shaojie is. Lin Yan explains that he and Liu Feng are busy opening a new branch of the restaurant.
That new branch, their third one, is a huge success. Shen Shaojie introduced a kids' menu. It's become a massive hit with the wealthy mothers in the city. He feels a huge sense of accomplishment, especially after hearing that his little sister, Shen Yangyang, brags about him at school.
Speaking of Yangyang, she gets recognized as an outstanding student. Her teacher asks how she got so good at interpreting the classics. She says her secret is to challenge authority and have an innovative spirit. Her teacher has absolutely no idea what to make of that answer.
A Heartbreaking Conversation
Pei Fei gets a big promotion to a top-level Censor. This prompts the Grand Princess to lay her cards on the table one more time. She tells him how she feels, and this time, Pei Fei doesn't dodge the conversation.
He finally explains everything. He says that while the Pei clan is a famous family, his branch of it is poor. His father died young, and his mother raised him all by herself. He says he's only just now, with his new fifth-rank salary, able to bring his mother to the capital to care for her. He feels he has no ability or resources to take care of a wife, especially not a princess.
The Grand Princess insists she doesn't care about his money or family status. But for Pei Fei, that’s not the point. He sees it differently. He thinks that if she, a princess, were to marry down to him, it would just be a constant reminder of his own failures in life. It's a matter of pride. He tells her he would rather serve as a loyal official and protect the kingdom for her. He ends by admitting he did truly love her once. But he believes understanding the reality of their situation is the only way to love without regret.
A Villain in the Shadows
We get a quick cut to Li Ang. He's on the run, hiding out and struggling to even find food. He's furious and swears he will make Lin Yan suffer a fate worse than death.
The Mid-Autumn Festival
The story jumps forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lin Yan is in the kitchen with Shaoguang, helping her make mooncakes. He's even picking up some of her modern slang. While he helps tie her apron, Shaoguang remembers last year's festival. She had to tie a bib on him then. She teases him, saying his ears are turning red. She guesses he started falling for her way back then.
That night, the Shen family throws a huge feast. Liu Feng even skips his own family's reunion to celebrate with them. Shen Jingwen is also there, and he's much more relaxed. Since winning the cooking competition, his family has stopped pressuring him to get married. Lin Yan also thoughtfully prepares food for the soldiers on patrol duty.
Shen Jianshe makes his famous spring water lamb, and everyone is digging in. Just as they're all praising the food and enjoying the night, they notice something terrible. A restaurant nearby has suddenly burst into flames.
