Episode Summary
Shen Mingzhu and Dr. Li Jingzhe escape from angry patient relatives, leading to a moment of shared vulnerability. A misunderstanding causes Shen Minghui to fight Xu Zhidong, landing them both at the police station. This forces a chaotic reunion where Shen Mingzhu is confronted by her birth mother and sister but rejects them. The aftermath is brutal, as Mingzhu's adoptive mother aggressively protects her, and her birth mother, Yu Jingxiang, is diagnosed with severe depression. The episode ends with Xu Zhixia intercepting Mingzhu for a direct conversation.
Spoiler Alert
A Doctor's Note and a Quick Escape
Shen Mingzhu tries to go to work. Her boss basically tells her to go home and rest. Smart move. So she heads to the hospital. She needs a doctor's note from Li Jingzhe.
I find him in his office. The guy is so busy he's eating spicy snack strips for lunch. Mingzhu gives him the meal she brought for herself instead. Just then, they hear shouting in the hallway. A man and a woman are screaming for Li Jingzhe. He peeks through the door and recognizes them. They're the family of a patient, and they are not happy.
He worries Mingzhu will get hurt. He doesn't even hesitate. He grabs her hand and they bolt out the back door. They end up hiding in a stairwell that leads to the morgue. A little grim, but effective.
This spot triggers a memory for Mingzhu. She was here before for a pregnancy check-up. She saw Li Jingzhe on the phone. He was arguing with his wife about her cheating. Mingzhu remembers thinking something pretty dark. She thought she'd let her husband, Feng Jianqi, cheat on her if it meant he could just stay alive. Li Jingzhe listens to her. He tells her she has to be brave and face death. It seems to help her, just a little.
A Fight Lands Everyone at the Police Station
While all this is happening, Xu Zhidong gets an idea. Bichen heard he has a long-lost twin sister. She pushes him to go see Shen Mingzhu for himself.
So he does. He shows up at the Shen family restaurant. But he's trying to be sneaky. He's all covered up, looking super suspicious. Mingzhu's brother, Shen Minghui, spots him. He assumes Zhidong is one of the online trolls who has been harassing his sister. Minghui doesn't ask questions. He just starts a fight.
The brawl gets both of them arrested. They end up at the police station. This is where Mingzhu finds out something interesting. She sees Xu Zhidong's file. His birthday is the exact same day as hers. Now she's curious.
The World's Most Awkward Family Reunion
The Big Reveal
The police station starts to get crowded. Xu Zhidong's mother, Yu Jingxiang, and his sister, Xu Zhixia, arrive. Then Ni Dani shows up for Shen Minghui. She tries to get him out of trouble. She tells the Xu family that Minghui is a total delinquent. It's a weird strategy, but she's hoping they'll drop the whole thing.
Xu Zhixia is not having it. She confronts Minghui. He's rude and refuses to apologize.
Then Shen Mingzhu walks in. Xu Zhixia freezes. She realizes the guy who fought her brother is Shen Mingzhu's brother. At the same time, Yu Jingxiang sees Mingzhu. She sees her biological daughter right in front of her. She's so overwhelmed she can't even speak.
Mingzhu's Rejection
Seeing all this, Xu Zhixia decides to drop the complaint against Minghui. The police let them go.
That's when Yu Jingxiang makes her move. She rushes over to Mingzhu and tries to claim her. Mingzhu is completely stunned. Xu Zhixia jumps in to explain. She tells Mingzhu that they are sisters. That she's the one they've been looking for.
Mingzhu doesn't believe it. Or maybe she doesn't want to. She grabs her brother and just leaves. Yu Jingxiang is absolutely crushed. Xu Zhixia manages to calm her mother down. And in all the chaos, she did something clever. She snatched a piece of Mingzhu's hair. She's going to get a DNA test.
The Fallout Hits Both Families
Secrets of the Past
The news travels fast. Back at the Xu house, the father, Xu Dacheng, is furious that Mingzhu rejected them. He blames his dead mother-in-law for starting this whole mess decades ago.
Mingzhu told her brother not to say anything to their parents. Of course, he already did. That night, their adoptive mother, Yue Xiue, can't sleep. She remembers everything. She and her husband adopted Mingzhu from a place called Yujia Village. Yue Xiue was so scared the birth family would come looking for her one day. So she tore up the paper that had their address on it.
We also learn Mingzhu already knows she's adopted. A school health check showed her blood type didn't match her parents. Yue Xiue told her the truth back then. But for Mingzhu, they have always been her real parents.
A Mother's Desperation
The next morning, Yu Jingxiang goes to the Shen's restaurant. She just stands outside, too afraid to go in. Shen Minghui sees her and tells his mom. Yue Xiue's reaction is intense. She walks outside and "accidentally" throws a whole basin of cold water on Yu Jingxiang.
Mingzhu hears the commotion and runs out. She pulls her mother back inside. Yu Jingxiang is left standing there, soaking wet and heartbroken. Her daughter is right there but won't even look at her.
Later, Yu Jingxiang shows up at Xu Zhixia's house. She's a mess. She starts crying and says she has chest pains and a racing heart. Zhixia rushes her to the hospital. The doctor's diagnosis is serious. She has severe depression. Zhixia takes her mom home. She finds her dad sitting outside, looking just as miserable. She tells her brother Zhidong to keep an eye on them. She has to do something. She's going to talk to Mingzhu herself.
A Final Confrontation
It's almost Mingzhu's birthday. She's trying to get back to some kind of normal. She plans a small trip with her parents. After dinner, she heads out. She's going to the bridal shop to finally cancel her wedding photos.
She doesn't get far. Xu Zhixia is waiting for her on the road.
