Episode Summary
Cen Jin's mother discovers her relationship with Li Wu and vehemently opposes it due to the age gap, leading to high tension at home. Cen Jin and Li Wu continue to see each other in secret. Meanwhile, Li Wu faces a massive crisis at work when key employees steal his technology and defect to a rival company, causing investors to withdraw.
Spoiler Alert
Mom Goes Full Detective
The secret is officially out. Colleagues at the office are already gossiping about photos of Cen Jin holding hands with a guy. But the real trouble starts at home. Cen’s Mom confirms the guy in the photos is Li Wu. She marches straight to Cen Jin’s apartment to hunt for evidence.
Li Wu actually helps her get in when she forgets the passcode. That was a mistake. Mom immediately starts snooping. She spots a shirt on the sofa with a missing button. She recognizes it because Cen Jin wore it days ago. Li Wu tries to play it cool. He claims it’s just a common work shirt. It’s a weak lie.
Cen Jin makes it worse. She comes home, knocks on Li Wu’s door, and immediately wraps her arms around his neck. Mom is standing right there. She drags her daughter back to her own apartment immediately.
The Dinner Table War
Dinner is a disaster. Cen Jin tries to argue that she’s an adult. She says she has the right to choose her partner. Mom isn't hearing it. She brings up their different backgrounds and the massive age gap. She thinks their lives will never sync up. When Cen Jin pushes back, Mom gets petty and takes the food away. Cen Jin goes to bed hungry.
Later, Cen Jin vents to her dad. Surprisingly, he isn't furious. He thinks the relationship isn't the end of the world. But he’s too scared of spiking Mom’s blood pressure to speak up. He stays quiet for now.
Balcony Chats and Secret Sleepovers
Li Wu calls Cen Jin to the balcony that night. He knows Mom hates this. He feels guilty about his age and wishes he could grow up faster to give her security. Cen Jin shuts that down. She promises they will face the heat together.
The cold war continues the next day. Mom is giving everyone the silent treatment. Cen Jin decides to be rebellious. She waits until she thinks Mom is asleep, then sneaks out to meet Li Wu. A quick meet-up turns into a sleepover at his place.
The next morning is risky. Li Wu is clingy and doesn't want her to leave. He claims she’s his cure for headaches. Cen Jin barely makes it back before Mom wakes up. She lies and says she went for a morning run. It’s a close call.
The Company Implodes
While the romance is heating up, Li Wu’s career is catching fire in the bad way. Zhang Chenyang, the tech lead at Tongchen, quits. Li Wu tries to keep him, but the guy is checked out. He refuses to do a proper handover.
Then the bomb drops. Zhang Chenyang didn't just quit. He ghosted work to help a rival company, Kejun, launch a product. The product uses stolen technology from Tongchen. To make it worse, another colleague, Lao Yi, quits via text message. It’s a coordinated betrayal.
Li Wu and Cheng Rui are scrambling. A lawyer tells them they have no case because they didn't file patents in time. A lawsuit would just bleed them dry. Investors are already calling to pull their money. Cheng Rui wants to call Shen Yiyang for a bailout. Li Wu refuses. He wants to fix this mess himself.
