Episode Summary
Cen Jin runs into Li Wu, a student she once sponsored, at a business meeting. He is now a client and seems resentful that she lost touch. Flashbacks reveal that years ago, Cen Jin drove to a remote village to save Li Wu from an abusive uncle who forced him to drop out of school. The episode establishes their complicated past and the tension in their current professional relationship.
Spoiler Alert
The Reunion From Hell
Cen Jin is a partner at Shengcan Company. She has a big meeting coming up regarding an environmental exhibition. On her way to work, she spots a guy in the crowd. He looks exactly like an old friend. The traffic is a mess. She can't stop to check. She shakes it off and rushes to the office.
The meeting starts. The partner company, Tongchen, sends their representative. It is Li Wu. Cen Jin freezes. She used to sponsor this guy when he was a college student. Now he is sitting across the table as an equal.
Awkward Conversations
Cen Jin tries to stay professional. She gives a presentation on the theme of "Bonds." It sounds nice. But Li Wu isn't buying it. He interrupts her. He asks her directly what her personal understanding of a "bond" is. Cen Jin doesn't know what to say. The room gets quiet.
Mr. Shen, the boss at Shengcan, steps in. He smooths things over. Li Wu backs down. He admits he was being stubborn. He says there will be plenty of time to discuss things later.
Cen Jin takes a break. She goes to the restroom to breathe. She remembers the first time she met Li Wu. Her husband, Wu Fu, took her to Yunfeng Village years ago. Li Wu was just a shy boy back then. He is definitely not shy anymore.
The Elevator Confrontation
Cen Jin heads to the elevator. She runs right into Li Wu. The doors close. The silence is thick. Li Wu finally speaks. He circles back to her presentation topic. He tells her that a bond can be love or hate. But it is never about ignoring someone. He is clearly mad about the lack of contact.
Later that night, Mr. Shen hosts a dinner. He invites Li Wu and his colleague, Cheng Rui. Mr. Shen drops a bomb. He assigns Cen Jin to handle all the work with Li Wu's company. They are stuck together now.
After dinner, Cheng Rui drives Li Wu home. A group chat gets created. Li Wu borrows Cheng Rui's phone. He scrolls through Cen Jin's social media. He spots a man named Lu in her photos. He stares at the screen.
Flashback: The Hard Times
The show takes us back a few years. We see why Li Wu is so intense. His grandfather passed away. He had to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle was a piece of work. He didn't want to feed an extra mouth. He forced Li Wu to drop out of school. Li Wu had excellent grades. But he ended up working construction for a year.
Li Wu got desperate. He called Cen Jin. He told her he had been out of school for a year. He wanted to take the college entrance exam. He just needed a chance.
Cen Jin's Solo Trip
At that time, Cen Jin's life was also falling apart. She was divorcing Wu Fu. They used to sponsor Li Wu together. Wu Fu refused to continue the payments. He said it was her dad's idea initially. He wanted nothing to do with her family or her charity cases.
Cen Jin didn't give up. She drove to Yunfeng Village alone. She met Secretary Cheng Lixue. They went to the aunt's house. The uncle was screaming at Li Wu for being lazy. Cen Jin intervened. She pulled Li Wu aside. She learned the truth. The uncle had pocketed all the sponsorship money.
The Guardian
Cen Jin confronted the uncle. She offered to pay the tuition directly. The uncle refused. He wanted Li Wu's construction wages. Cen Jin was furious at his ignorance. It got late. Secretary Cheng arranged for her to stay at the school dormitory.
A storm hit that night. The power went out. Li Wu showed up at the dorm. He brought candles and mosquito coils. He bought them with his secret stash of savings. He told Cen Jin he didn't know what to do. He just wanted to leave the mountains.
Cen Jin saw his determination. She told him to hold onto his beliefs. Li Wu left to go home. But he noticed the dorm door had a broken latch. He didn't leave. He stood outside in the dark and guarded her door all night.
