Episode Summary
Zhuang Mingcheng manipulates Shi Zelin by revealing his girlfriend's abuse. Ding Chuan is found dead from suicide. Xu Jingzhi investigates Zhuang Mingcheng but gets outmaneuvered when Zhuang produces a recording to clear his name.
Spoiler Alert
Zhuang Mingcheng Plays God
Zhuang Mingcheng knows exactly which buttons to push. He tracks down Shi Zelin and offers help. He acts like a saint. This makes Shi Zelin feel guilty and grateful at the same time. It is a sick power move.
Xu Jingzhiis busy with his own methods. He lies on the floor and visualizes the crime scene. He tries to see what the killer saw.
Zhuang leads Shi Zelin to a dark room. Ge Feifei is there. She looks broken. Her nerves are shot. Shi Zelin sees her terrified state and snaps. He grabs Zhuang by the collar. He thinks this is Zhuang's fault. Zhuang does not flinch. He calmly drops a bomb. He tells Shi Zelin that Zhang Chao tricked Feifei. While Shi Zelin was in rehab, Zhang Chao lured her to a bar. He forced her to sleep with different men every night. That trauma destroyed her.
The Breaking Point
Shi Zelin refuses to believe it. He cannot accept that Zhang Chao would do that. He holds his girlfriend and sobs. Zhuang twists the knife deeper. He shows Shi Zelin photos of the abuse. Shi Zelin is in denial. Zhuang does not push him. He just says he is available if Shi Zelin needs him.
Xu Jingzhi breaks into a room. It is empty. He checks a phone and finds photos on it.
The police get a hit. Liu Ming receives a report that Ding Chuan is dead. He Ya rushes to the scene. She finds a brazier with burning photos. Ding Chuan is in a car. He died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Back at the care center, Shi Zelin comforts Feifei. He waits until she is calm. Then he makes a secret phone call and slips away.
Old Pacts and New Leads
Xu Jingzhi is back home. He flips through a book. It brings back memories of a friend. They used to have a pact involving Morse code. They argued about psychology constantly. Their views were always opposites.
He Ya rallies the team. They review the timeline. Ding Chuan dated Liu Wanyao for three months before they split. Ding Chuan believed Hu Bo killed her. He wanted revenge. He used torture methods he learned from Liu Wanyao. The chat logs show she taught him anatomy. The police suspect Ding Chuan used that medical knowledge to trap and kill Hu Bo.
He Ya focuses on the bank cards. She thinks these cards allowed a "dead man" to stay off the grid for so long.
The Trap
Shi Zelin makes his move. He lies to two friends. He tells them to meet him in a small alley at 9 PM. He goes there to wait.
Xu Jingzhi visits the bar where Feifei was abused. He walks out and spots someone. It is Shi Zelin. He is covered in injuries. Shi Zelin is desperate. He asks Xu Jingzhi a strange question. He asks if he wants the truth or the evidence. Then he collapses. He passes out right in Xu Jingzhi's home.
He Ya and her team comb through the alley for clues.
The Confrontation
Xu Jingzhi searches Shi Zelin’s pockets. He finds a tissue with a phone number on it. He calls it. Zhuang Mingcheng answers.
Xu Jingzhi is suspicious. He listens to Zhuang’s smooth talking. He starts to see a connection between Zhuang and the crimes. Zhuang has an excuse ready. He claims Shi Zelin is just someone he helps. He says Shi Zelin needed money. He claims he was just passing by.
Zhuang is slippery. He reveals he recorded their conversation. He plans to use it to prove his innocence to the police. The cops already know about the link between Zhang Chao and Shi Zelin.
Zhuang mocks Xu Jingzhi. He laughs at his calm, psychologist demeanor. He warns Xu Jingzhi that the police are closing in. He says Xu Jingzhi will have a hard time explaining this situation. Xu Jingzhi takes a piece of paper from him. He shows no emotion.
He Ya searches a suspect's room. She finds a suicide note. The facts are piling up. Xu Jingzhi struggles to process what he has learned.
