Episode Summary
Li Heng struggles with the emotional cost of his mission, especially concerning Jia Yunying. Meanwhile, Shen Yihe blackmails Qiu He into sleeping with him but gets caught by his wife and sister-in-law. In a clumsy side plot, Zhang Yunhu's attempt to force Li Heng and Lu Shufen together fails completely. The episode ends with Li Heng looking for a reliable man for a new task.
Spoiler Alert
Li Heng's Secret Burden
The episode kicks off with Li Heng getting a secret meeting with Yu Tong. He finally unloads everything that's been going on. He tells him the whole story. He even admits that he and Jia Yunying used to be a couple.
You can tell this is tearing him apart. He knows he can never tell Jia Yunying he's an undercover agent. But thinking about the hate and disappointment in her eyes is killing him. It’s a brutal position to be in.
Yu Tong is the calm voice of reason here. He lays it out for Li Heng. On this secret front line, sacrifices are part of the job. That doesn't just mean your life. It means your feelings and your reputation, too. He says if you want to stick to your beliefs and finish the mission, you have to bear costs most people can't even imagine.
But he does give Li Heng a sliver of hope. Yu Tong promises that when the time is right, he will personally explain everything to Jia Yunying. He truly believes that day will come. Then Li Heng asks Yu Tong if he's ever been in love. Yu Tong's face gets serious. He admits he had someone once.
A Family Divided
Things are still incredibly tense between Jia Yunwu and his sister. He’s suspicious of Jia Yunying, but he also doesn't want to completely turn against his own family. He waits at home for her to come back.
The conversation goes nowhere fast. They just can't see eye to eye. He pushes her, asking what Chen Miao said before he died. Jia Yunying's response is ice-cold. She says a man who has already accepted death is beyond worldly games. He was fundamentally different from the types in the Military and Central Bureaus. It's a clear jab at her brother's world.
Shen Yihe's Dirty Game
An Mi has a bad feeling about her brother-in-law, Shen Yihe. She suspects he’s cheating on her sister. So, she decides to follow him. Her suspicion pays off. She sees him go to the Lanxin Theater to watch an actress named Qiu He. After the show, he invites Qiu He to dinner.
The Blackmail
Qiu He is smart. She sees right through Shen Yihe's intentions and flat-out rejects him. But things get complicated. Shen Yihe spots her meeting privately with Zhang Yunhu, who is a wanted man. This gives Shen Yihe a nasty idea. He now has leverage.
Later, Zhang Yunhu can tell Qiu He is on edge. He promises her that once he's done with his current business, they'll settle down and live a quiet life. The next day, he takes her to a tailor. On the way, they see Zhao Jun arresting a little boy on the street. The kid's crime was picking up a political flyer. Zhang Yunhu tries to step in, but the boy is gone before he can do anything.
Shen Yihe makes his move. He finds Qiu He at the theater again. He uses what he knows, threatening Zhang Yunhu's life to force her to do what he wants.
Caught in the Act
To protect Zhang Yunhu, Qiu He has no choice. She is forced to spend the night with Shen Yihe. It's a truly awful situation.
The next morning, it all blows up. An Mi shows up at Qiu He's place with her sister in tow. They walk in and catch Shen Yihe right there. He completely panics. He doesn't even bother to get fully dressed before scrambling out a window to escape.
Qiu He is left to face the two sisters alone. An Mi walks up and gives her a hard slap across the face. An Mi's sister, worried about a public scandal ruining their reputation, quickly pulls her away and they leave.
A Misguided Matchmaking Attempt
On a slightly lighter, but still very awkward note, Lu Shufen is really missing Li Heng. She can't focus on her business at all. She goes to Zhang Yunhu for help, asking him to play matchmaker.
Zhang Yunhu agrees immediately. His plan is... not subtle. He invites Li Heng for drinks, gets him completely drunk, and carries him back to a room. Then he brings Lu Shufen in and locks them both inside. His goal is to force the situation.
Lu Shufen, however, isn't willing to force anything on Li Heng. She just lies down on the floor next to the bed and falls asleep. When Li Heng wakes up, he’s terrified and immediately tries to leave. He finds the door is locked. Defeated, he sits at a table and eventually falls back asleep.
The Aftermath
The next morning, Li Heng plays dumb. He acts like he's totally confused and insists nothing happened between him and Lu Shufen. Which is true. Nothing did. He definitely doesn't want this mess to ruin his relationship with the Lu family.
Qingtian pulls him aside later. He tells Li Heng that Lu Shufen has never cared for anyone the way she cares for him. She's genuinely in love. Li Heng just says you can't force feelings. He hopes she'll figure it out on her own.
Then, Li Heng shifts gears. He asks Qingtian to find him a guy for a job. He needs someone who is absolutely reliable and knows the city inside and out.
