Episode Summary
Zhou Ailing discovers her husband has been hiding their daughter, Lu Xinying, which triggers painful memories of their time in Canada. Lu Ming confesses to losing his job, and the couple learns they are being evicted. Meanwhile, Xinying helps Ge Kaiyang recover a debt in the form of goods after he gets scammed. Finally, a flashback reveals that Lu Ming, not Ailing, was the one who originally pushed for the family to move to Canada.
Spoiler Alert
The Secret is Out
Zhou Ailing has been acting like a private investigator lately. She keeps checking her husband Lu Ming’s phone for clues. She tracked him once before and saw him with a woman, but she was too far away to see the face. Tonight, she tails him again. She finally gets a clear look. The "other woman" is actually their daughter, Lu Xinying.
Ailing is furious. She didn't want her daughter sneaking back into the country. This triggers some bad memories for her. She thinks back to 2014 when she went to Canada with Xinying. She stayed there alone to care for her daughter. She suffered a lot in a foreign country just to keep Xinying there. Seeing her back here feels like a betrayal of that sacrifice.
Bad News Comes in Threes
Lu Ming decides to come clean. He goes home and tells Ailing everything. He admits he got laid off a while ago. He has been driving a ride-share car to make ends meet. You might expect Ailing to explode, but she doesn't. She isn't angry about the job loss or the lying. She is actually worried about his physical health.
Just as they clear the air, reality hits them hard. Their landlord drops a bomb. The landlord’s child is getting married and needs the apartment. They need to renovate. That means Ailing and Lu Ming are getting kicked out. They have to find a new place to live immediately.
Kaiyang’s Desperate Debt Collection
Ge Kaiyang is in a tight spot. His grandmother hasn't had her insulin for days. He needs cash fast. He finds a guy who owes his father money and brings the IOU note to collect. It goes terribly. The guy takes the note and refuses to pay. He scams Kaiyang right to his face.
Lu Xinying is still jobless, but she spots Kaiyang dealing with the police after the incident. She meets up with him. Kaiyang admits he was scammed and feels humiliated. Xinying steps up. She tells him they have nothing to lose.
They go straight to the debtor's factory gate. They make a scene. They loudly tell everyone about the guy's breach of contract. The boss panics. He can't afford the bad press. He agrees to pay, but there is a catch. He doesn't have cash. He pays them in stagnant inventory—a bunch of cotton. It’s not money, but it’s an asset. Kaiyang is overwhelmed by her help. He gets emotional and hugs Xinying. They immediately start trying to sell the cotton, though they haven't found a buyer yet.
Dinner with Dad and a Twist from the Past
Lu Ming picks up Xinying from Li Manfei’s house. He takes his daughter out to dinner. He has an agenda. He wants to figure out how to calm Ailing down. He is worried the constant anger will hurt his wife's health. He suggests Xinying should apologize.
Xinying shuts that down. She refuses to apologize for coming back to China. She tells him it was her decision to make. She finally unloads on her father. She has lived in misery for years. She never followed her own will. Her parents arranged everything. Even her childhood playdates abroad were orchestrated by her mother. Lu Ming feels terrible hearing this.
We then get a flashback to 2012. This changes how we see the family dynamic. Before Xinying went to Canada, Ailing didn't want to go. She was a top-tier teacher and the school valued her. It was actually Lu Ming who insisted on sending Xinying away for high school. He was the one who convinced Ailing to quit her job and move overseas.
