Episode Summary
Lu Xinying discovers her parents sold their home ten years ago to fund her education, leading to a massive confrontation where she sells her Canadian assets to pay them back, only to be berated by her mother for destroying their "dream." Meanwhile, Fu Yudong avoids his wife Zhang Ran by sleeping at the office, and Lu Ming, overwhelmed by the family's financial ruin, gets into a car accident.
Spoiler Alert
Parenting Fails and Real Estate Disasters
We need to talk about Zhou Ailing’s parenting style. We start with a flashback to Lu Xinying’s childhood, and it is brutal. Little Xinying is practicing piano, and her mother decides the best way to build "perseverance" is to make the kid hold a chunk of ice. Xinying can’t handle the pain and drops it. Instead of checking if her daughter’s hands are frozen solid, Zhou Ailing scolds her for being weak.
This explains a lot about Xinying’s current personality.
Back in that timeline, things get worse for the parents. Their landlady, Feng Jie, shows up to kick them out. Zhou Ailing texts her husband, Lu Ming, to break the bad news. Lu Ming is out driving his taxi. He picks up a delivery guy who took a nasty spill in the rain but is still trying to work. Seeing this guy struggle hits Lu Ming hard. He feels the weight of his own financial mess.
We find out the family secret here. Zhou Ailing’s sister, Zhou Aiying, drops by to help them move. She learns the truth: Lu Ming and Zhou Ailing sold their own house ten years ago. They have been renting this whole time.
The Cold War at Home
Fu Yudong is hiding out. He knows Li Daoqi has a big mouth and probably spilled the beans about the family drama. He texts Li Daoqi and blames Xinying for telling Zhang Ran anything.
We get a quick flashback to 2022 in Canada. Fu Yudong and Duan Zhihao are fishing. They talk about marriage. Duan Zhihao makes a point that arguing is just another form of communication. Fu Yudong doesn't seem to be taking that advice now.
In the present, Zhang Ran is having a miserable night. She takes a taxi home in the rain. The driver recognizes her as a minor internet celebrity, which is awkward. Then she gets a text from her husband. Fu Yudong says he is sleeping at the office. Zhang Ran sits in an empty house, lonely and scrolling through her contacts. She wants to text him, but she has no words left.
Fu Yudong isn't exactly partying, though. He orders takeout at the office. The delivery guy is the same injured man Lu Ming drove earlier. Fu Yudong sees the injury and actually shows some heart. He helps the guy with the elevator. It’s a small moment, but it shows he isn’t a total monster.
The Ten-Year Secret Explodes
Aunt Zhou Aiying is furious that her sister is homeless. She tries to add Xinying on WeChat, but Xinying ignores the request. So, the aunt calls her own daughter, Zhang Ran, to demand Xinying’s number. She yells at Zhang Ran for not fixing the situation. Zhang Ran can’t catch a break. Her boss calls her back to work for an emergency right after her mom hangs up.
Xinying finally goes to her parents' old address. It’s a shock. The furniture is gone. The vibe is wrong. Landlady Feng Jie drops the bomb: the house was sold a decade ago to pay for Xinying’s study abroad fees.
This guilt trip is massive.
Xinying tracks her mother down at Aunt Zhou Aiying’s place. She tries to fix it with money. She reveals she sold her apartment in Canada and hands all the cash to her mother.
You would think this solves the problem. It does not.
Zhou Ailing loses it. She screams at Xinying for selling the Canadian property without asking. Xinying fires back. She is tired of her parents living only for her. She says she never made a single decision in her life because her mother forced everything on her.
Zhou Ailing sees the sale of the Canadian house as the ultimate failure. It severs their link to that "successful" life she built for her daughter. Aunt Zhou Aiying rushes out of the bedroom to join the dogpile and scolds Xinying too.
While the women scream at each other, Lu Ming is still driving his taxi. He is stressed, depressed, and distracted. He takes his eyes off the road for a second too long. He crashes into another car.
