Episode Summary
Yan Tuo reveals how Lin Xirou infiltrated his family after a worker vanished. Nie Jiuluo and Yan Tuo bond over lucky stars, though her housekeeper disapproves. In the lab, Lin Xirou feels guilt over a rotting corpse while Li Yueying expresses a desire to die due to her painful existence. Nie Jiuluo secures the captured Di Xiao, Chen Fu, and informs Xing Shen that the creatures rely on blood sacs to maintain their human forms.
Spoiler Alert
Unpacking the Past
Nie Jiuluo isn't wasting time. She intercepts Annie, but her real focus shifts to Yan Tuo. She needs to know exactly how he crossed paths with Lin Xirou. Yan Tuo digs into his memory. He remembers his mom taking him to a construction site to visit his dad. A worker named Li Ergou started a riot and ran into a cave dwelling. He vanished. That’s when Lin Xirou showed up. She claimed to be Li Ergou’s cousin and just moved into their house. It sounds suspicious because it is.
Before Nie Jiuluo moves on, she handles the Annie situation. She makes Yan Tuo send a text from "Chen Fu." He has to pretend to be the missing man and break up with Annie. It seems harsh. But it stops Annie from waiting for a dead man forever.
Whips and Noodles
Yu Rong is trying to train Master Sun. It’s painful to watch. The guy is absolutely useless in a fight. He is terrified of Yu Rong’s whip and goes down immediately. He has zero combat skills.
Yan Tuo heads back to Nie Jiuluo’s place. The vibe is weird because they fought the last time he was there. Lu Jie smooths things over with hot noodles. Yan Tuo gets curious about the housekeeper. Nie Jiuluo explains that Lu Jie raised her. She considers the woman family. Lu Jie doesn't return the sentiment, though. She insists on calling her "Miss Luo." It keeps a cold, professional distance between them.
Paper Stars and Hidden Walls
Dinner ends, and Nie Jiuluo drops her guard. She shows Yan Tuo her jar of lucky stars. She admits she has no real family. Her tough attitude is just a survival mechanism. Yan Tuo steps up. He implies he wants to be her protector. Nie Jiuluo dodges the heavy emotional talk. Instead, she teaches him how to fold the paper stars.
They have a playful moment. It’s genuinely cute. But Lu Jie is watching like a hawk. She quietly prepares the guest room. She clearly doesn't approve of them getting too close.
The Rotting Truth
We cut to the lab, and things get gross. Qin Chi’s body is still there. It’s starting to rot and stink. Lin Xirou stares at the corpse. She actually looks guilty. She admits her negligence caused this mess.
Meanwhile, Li Yueying is sulking on a mountaintop. She looks hollow. Lin Xirou joins her and tries to bond. She reveals she was the first to crawl out of the underground. She had no idea how to act human. She relied on Li Yueying’s later transformation to figure out life.
Li Yueying isn't buying the pep talk. She hates her existence. Her body is half-dead and in constant pain. She is also furious that Lin Xirou killed Dog Tooth. She feels like she is living in hell. She wants out.
The Attic Noise
Morning comes. Yan Tuo leaves, but he’s still thinking of Nie Jiuluo. He ordered some rehab equipment for her. Then Nie Jiuluo gets a call from Uncle Changxi. He is panicked. He hears scratching noises in the attic. He thinks the materials are warping from the dampness.
Nie Jiuluo knows better. She tells him not to touch anything. She rushes over and moves the box containing Chen Fu to the base. She hands the cargo over to Xing Shen. She also drops a major clue. She realized these human-form monsters, the Di Xiao, need blood sacs to survive. This is a massive piece of the puzzle for their research.
