Episode Summary
This episode delivered a massive blow. Liu Tianyao's snooping forces Qiao Zhengjun to reveal a partial truth about Nuan Nuan's origins, but Nuan Nuan overhears the devastating conversation. She learns Sheng Xuezhu is not her biological mother. The shock causes her to fall ill, derailing Xuezhu and Leshan's marriage plans. While Leshan makes ambitious moves at work, Zhengjun sinks into corruption. The episode ends with Nuan Nuan running away to find her birth parents, leaving her family to slowly realize she's missing.
Spoiler Alert
The Truth Finally Explodes
Okay, this is the episode where it all hits the fan. The secret about Nuan Nuan's parentage has been simmering for a long time. Now, it just blew up in everyone's face.
Liu Tianyao's Investigation Pays Off
Liu Tianyao has been suspicious of her husband, Qiao Zhengjun. She finally finds his secret stash. It contains a bankbook and a photo of Nuan Nuan. This is all the proof she needs. She starts following him but doesn't catch him doing anything shady at first. Her big move comes after he gets back from a "business trip." She storms into his office ready for a fight. She throws the photo and the bankbook on his desk. She's not playing around anymore. She threatens to expose him in front of everyone.
The Worst Possible Eavesdropping
Zhengjun panics and pulls Tianyao into a private room. She demands to know the truth about Nuan Nuan. He's trapped. But he still can't admit Nuan Nuan is his daughter with another woman. So he tells a different, awful lie. He claims Sheng Xuezhu just found Nuan Nuan as an abandoned child. He says the money in the bankbook was collected by old friends to help her out.
And of course, who walks in at that exact moment? Nuan Nuan. She came to ask Zhengjun for help with a trip. Instead, she sees her photo on the desk. Then she hears every word of his conversation with Tianyao. She learns she isn't Sheng Xuezhu's biological daughter. The shock is immediate. She just turns and runs.
Family Matters Get Complicated
While that bomb was ticking, life was moving on for everyone else. Or so they thought.
Sheng Xuezhu's New Romance
Sheng Xuezhu is finally ready to be happy. She nervously tells Nuan Nuan that she's dating someone. Nuan Nuan instantly guesses it's Yu Leshan. She gives her mom her full support. Xuezhu is thrilled. She and Leshan are already talking about marriage. He wants to land a big business deal first, then start planning the wedding. It all seems perfect.
A Misguided Conversation
The family starts putting some weird ideas in Xuezhu's head. Bai Yufei tells her she should marry Leshan quickly. She points out that Xuezhu isn't getting any younger. She says they should have their own biological child together. Nuan Nuan happens to wake up and overhears parts of this. She can't hear everything clearly. But it's enough to plant a seed of doubt. The next morning, she asks Xuezhu if she is her real mother. Xuezhu says yes, of course. Nuan Nuan feels relieved, but the question is now out there.
Business and Betrayal
The professional lives of the men in this story are just as messy as their personal ones.
Yu Leshan's Big Swing
Yu Leshan is going all-in at the factory. He shoots a shampoo commercial starring Sheng Xuezhu. The factory bosses worry a TV ad is too expensive. Leshan tells them not to worry. He promises he can get it on the air. He uses this as leverage. He demands the title of Sales Section Chief. He also wants a ten percent commission if he sells all the old shampoo stock. The director is impressed and signs a contract on the spot. Leshan is betting big on himself.
Qiao Zhengjun Takes a Bribe
While Leshan is trying to build something, Zhengjun is just sinking deeper. He's supposed to be a government official. He discovers a building materials factory is making faulty products. Instead of reporting them, he takes a bribe. The factory leader gives him a bankbook. Zhengjun accepts it and agrees to cover for them.
The Aftermath
The truth about Nuan Nuan sends shockwaves through the family.
Nuan Nuan Runs Away
After fleeing Zhengjun's office, Nuan Nuan runs to a riverbank and just breaks down. She now believes none of her parents are her real parents. She feels completely alone. When she gets home, she pretends everything is fine. But the emotional stress makes her physically sick. She develops a high fever. This forces Xuezhu and Leshan to postpone their plan to register their marriage. Xuezhu won't leave her daughter's side.
A Journey to Find Herself
Nuan Nuan knows she can't stay. She cleans the entire house and leaves flowers on the table. Then she packs a bag. She gets on a long-distance bus to Nanling Town. She's going to find out where she really came from. She falls asleep on the bus and misses her stop. She has to get off and start walking back. Back at home, the family finds the clean house. They have no idea who did it. Xuezhu realizes it must have been Nuan Nuan. She goes to her room, but she's already gone.
