Episode Summary
In this episode, Shen Mingzhu continues to reject her birth parents, causing them immense pain. This rejection coincides with her and her twin brother's birthday, which highlights the family's divided loyalties and leads to a tense, emotional confrontation between the two fathers that ends in an unexpected understanding.
Spoiler Alert
The Cold Shoulder
A Sister's Plea
So, Shen Mingzhu still wants nothing to do with her birth parents. You can't really blame her. Yu Jingxiang and Xu Dacheng are a wreck. Jingxiang is so heartbroken she's become depressed. Dacheng has stopped eating and just sighs all day. It's pretty bleak.
Their other daughter, Xu Zhixia, is caught in the middle. She's trying to fix everything. She goes and gets a DNA test done. No surprise, it confirms Mingzhu is her long-lost sister. Zhixia takes this proof to Mingzhu. She begs her to just pretend to accept their parents. She thinks it might pull them out of their depression.
Mingzhu is not having it. She gets angry. She points out that her own husband, Feng Jianqi, died from being too helpful. Now she's pregnant, alone, and terrified. She has no energy to save anyone else. Zhixia’s plan fails completely.
A Secret Between Father and Daughter
Back at the Xu house, the parents are anxiously waiting for the DNA results. Zhixia decides to play it smart. She lies to her mom, Jingxiang. She says the results aren't ready yet. She knows the news could make her mom's depression worse.
But she secretly gives the report to her dad. Xu Dacheng reads it. He finally knows for sure that Mingzhu is his daughter. The man just breaks down and cries. It’s a heavy moment. While all this is going on, Mingzhu is dealing with her own grief. She goes to the bridal shop to get a refund for her wedding photos. The owner feels for her. He gives her a small photo of her and Jianqi for free. Seeing her late husband’s smiling face just guts her.
A Birthday to Remember (and Forget)
Two Families, Two Cakes
This is where things get really tangled. It turns out to be Mingzhu's birthday. It's also her twin brother Xu Zhidong's birthday. They just don't know it yet.
Mingzhu celebrates with her adoptive family. They go to a nice restaurant that Jianqi always wanted to take them to. It's a sweet, sad, and quiet celebration.
Over at the Xu house, things are different. Zhidong usually spends his birthday with his girlfriend, Bichen, but she's busy. His mom makes him longevity noodles. His dad, Dacheng, comes home with a huge, expensive birthday cake. Zhidong's face lights up. He thinks it's for him. It’s not. The cake is for Mingzhu. The disappointment on his face is rough to watch. Luckily, Bichen shows up later with a smaller cake and the exact gift he wanted. She really saved his birthday from being a total disaster.
The Confrontation at the Door
The next morning, Dacheng and Jingxiang take their expensive cake over to Mingzhu's house. They are not welcome. Mingzhu's adoptive dad, Shen Shengli, meets them at the door. He physically blocks them from entering. He refuses to let them see Mingzhu.
Jingxiang starts sobbing. Shengli doesn't budge. So Dacheng pulls Shengli aside for a man-to-man talk. And then he does something unexpected. He gets on his knees. He begs Shengli and explains the whole story. He tells him they never abandoned Mingzhu. It was their mother-in-law who gave the baby away without their knowledge thirty years ago.
Dacheng even offers Shengli money, which Shengli immediately refuses. But then Dacheng thanks him. He sincerely thanks Shengli and his wife for raising Mingzhu so well. That finally does it. Shengli's anger melts away. He tells Dacheng to be patient and give Mingzhu time to process everything.
Shifting Alliances and New Problems
The Two Fathers
The talk between the two dads seems to have worked. They found some common ground. They both love Mingzhu, and that's what matters. Dacheng goes home feeling a little better. He even takes his family to pay respects at the grave of the grandmother who caused all this trouble.
At home, Dacheng and Jingxiang are now full of gratitude for the Shen family. They tell Zhixia she should treat Mingzhu's adoptive parents as her own. Zhixia is furious. She's been running around, managing everyone's emotions, and now they're giving her more work. She storms out.
Family Feuds
Other little fires are starting everywhere. Zhidong's girlfriend, Bichen, overhears the family fighting. She calls Zhidong and tells him he needs to talk to his parents about them getting married, and soon. He tries. But his parents are so focused on Mingzhu that they just brush him off.
Meanwhile, Mingzhu's sister-in-law, Feng Meiqi, stops by. She brings soup and asks Mingzhu to move back in with their family. Mingzhu says no. On her way out, Meiqi runs into Mingzhu's adoptive brother, Shen Minghui. He tries to be nice, but she's in a bad mood and snaps at him. He gets angry and mutters a curse that she'll never get married. It’s just one more little piece of drama in a house already full of it.
