Episode Summary
A raid on a communist safe house goes wrong, leading to the capture of Jia Yunying and Li Heng. Jia Yunying confesses they were former lovers to save a beaten Li Heng during interrogation. After their release, Li Heng and Lu Shufen proceed with their wedding. At the reception, Li Heng bans his gang from the opium trade. The episode ends with a tense but honest conversation between Lu Shufen and Jia Yunying, where Lu Shufen admits she knows Li Heng married her out of duty.
Spoiler Alert
The Raid Goes Sideways
A Botched Warning
The episode kicks off with Li Heng staking out the print shop. He's supposedly there for an "investigation," but we know what he's really doing. He spots Jia Yunying in disguise and immediately gives chase.
She knows she's been made. He tries to talk her down, but she's on a mission. She ducks into a tailor shop where her comrades are hiding. Thinking fast, she starts loudly complaining about the terrible quality of the clothes. It's a clever signal for them to get out. The problem is, it's too late.
Captured
Tang Meng and his goons already have the place surrounded. A firefight breaks out. It's messy, and several of Jia Yunying's comrades are killed in the chaos.
She and Li Heng don't make it out in time. Tang Meng catches them both red-handed. He hauls them off to the Secrecy Bureau for a little chat. Da Kui sees the whole thing go down and sprints back to his own headquarters to get help.
A Brutal Interrogation
The Secrecy Bureau Gets Nothing
At the bureau, Lu Wenlu and Tang Meng split them up. They work on Li Heng and Jia Yunying separately. They use every trick in the book to get them to talk. But it's no use. Both of them stay silent.
Jia Yunying eventually sees Li Heng. The interrogators did a real number on him. He's covered in wounds. Seeing him like that clearly tortures her.
A Desperate Confession
Tang Meng decides to up the pressure. He puts a gun to Li Heng's head and threatens to pull the trigger. This is the breaking point for Jia Yunying. To save his life, she publicly admits that she and Li Heng used to be lovers. It's a desperate move, but it works to stall them.
Just as things are at a standstill, Cao Peng shows up with his own men. Since the Secrecy Bureau doesn't have any concrete evidence, Lu Wenlu has no choice. He has to let them go. Jia Yunwu arrives to take his sister home, and Lu Shufen comes for Li Heng. The tension is thick.
The Aftermath and a Wedding Date
Family Drama and a Promise
Back at her house, Jia Yunwu is furious with his sister. He demands to know if she's involved with the progressive newspaper. She denies it completely. Still, he orders her to stay away from Li Heng for good.
Meanwhile, Li Heng tries to explain his past relationship with Jia Yunying to Lu Shufen. She is surprisingly understanding. She tells him she doesn't care about his past. They agreed to get married, and they're going to get married.
A Poisoning and a Goodbye
Jia Yunying gets the autopsy report on Lu Kaide. She brings it to Li Heng. The report confirms he was poisoned. She also tells him she saw a suspicious person lurking outside the building on the night of the murder. She thinks there's a connection.
She then thanks Li Heng for protecting her during the raid. He chooses this moment to tell her his news. He's getting married to Lu Shufen. Jia Yunying does her best to hide her heartbreak and offers him her congratulations. It's a rough scene.
Before leaving town, Cao Peng has a secret meeting with Li Heng. He warns him that the KMT army is losing ground. Chengdu is no longer safe. He offers to pull some strings and get Li Heng a job back in Chongqing. Li Heng politely refuses. He says he's put down roots in Chengdu and wants to stay.
A Wedding and Complicated Vows
Li Heng Lays Down the Law
Li Heng and Lu Shufen's wedding day arrives. The whole Deqing Society is there to witness it. As a wedding gift, Lu Shufen gives him her Yanling knife. It's a family heirloom from her father and a symbol of her commitment.
After the ceremony, Li Heng makes a major announcement to his men. First, he assures them that his marriage won't change the society's business. But then he drops a bombshell. The Deqing Society is getting out of the opium trade, effective immediately. He makes it clear that anyone caught dealing will be severely punished according to the gang's rules. This is a huge shift.
An Awkward Wedding Guest
Just then, Jia Yunying shows up to the party. Alone. The mood instantly gets very, very awkward. Li Heng has to introduce his ex-lover to his new wife.
Lu Shufen handles it with incredible grace. She asks to speak with Jia Yunying alone. In private, she admits something stunning. She knows Li Heng married her out of responsibility, not love. But she says she is willing to wait, however long it takes, for him to truly love her back. Hearing this, Jia Yunying offers her sincere blessing to the couple.
