At the opening of the supplied story
The Guest-Room Retreat
After another argument with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) agrees to move out the next day. His question about whether she would still come to him for physical intimacy turns the disagreement into a painful reckoning: she retreats to the guest room rather than meet him upstairs.
She tells herself that she cannot meet his demands simply because he wants her to. In the morning, chilled and unwell, she finds a late message from [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) asking her to come to the company.
The morning after the guest-room retreat
The Western District Bid
[Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) asks [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) to approach [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) about a forthcoming [Western District Plot](entity:location-recall-location-2a203963d666) bid. He warns that the Su company may not survive another setback, while she admits she may soon be abandoned and cannot make Lu favor her.
Though ill, she joins a business drinking gathering that afternoon. Her clients respond to her direct hospitality by signing orders, but the effort leaves her sick and unsteady.
That evening
A Drunken Encounter
As [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) helps the feverish [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) through a restaurant, they pass [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) entertaining [Luo Jingjing](entity:character-recall-character-3ce9f1ba66aa). Su Xiangwan sees the actress and her manager toasting him and, drunk and jealous, clings to Bian Jiang while dismissing Lu as merely angry and unreasonable.
Lu Xun sees her familiar leg bandage in another man's arms and takes her away. In the washroom he scolds her for drinking, but her retorts expose how hurt she is by his apparent closeness with Luo.
Later that night
A Fever on the Way Home
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) insists that [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) join her at the drinking gathering and introduces him as a relative, teasing him while the clients watch. Afterward, a bodyguard finds him waiting for her outside, but [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) realizes she is burning with fever.
Lu Xun carries her away, calls for [Hua Shuo](entity:character-recall-character-620e1bbe9df9), and takes her home rather than continue the evening. [Luo Jingjing](entity:character-recall-character-3ce9f1ba66aa)'s attempts to contact him go unanswered, leaving Bian Jiang to wonder why Lu seems so hostile toward him.
That night at Scenic Mountain Villa
The Call to Luo Jingjing
At home, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) notices [Luo Jingjing](entity:character-recall-character-3ce9f1ba66aa)'s messages on [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1)'s phone and mocks the rumors that the actress is his new girlfriend. Lu insists he is only helping her, but the exchange reveals how much his public entanglements trouble his wife.
While [Hua Shuo](entity:character-recall-character-620e1bbe9df9) treats her fever, Su Xiangwan answers Luo's call herself. She warns Luo to stop pursuing Lu and makes clear that she will not tolerate a rival testing her marriage.
After Hua Shuo leaves
The Marriage Reckoning
Once the fever medicine has been given, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) asks [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) to discuss their marriage. She explains that she is trying to do her duty while living in fear of angering him, and tells him that he could return to Song Yun'er if that is whom he truly wants.
Lu Xun speaks of a European honeymoon and a wedding, but Su Xiangwan doubts his sincerity. She believes their marriage began as a transaction and cannot imagine that he has fallen in love with her so quickly.
Before the planned trip to Europe
Grandfather's Birthday Plans
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) visits her grandfather at the [Sanatorium](entity:location-recall-location-1cd5c091bf88), helps him use WeChat, and reassures him that [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) can manage the company. He advises her not to force herself to love someone and asks how [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) treats her; she admits she both wants to draw close to him and feels afraid of him.
Lu Xun waits outside and accompanies her afterward. He introduces her as his wife to an old family friend, then tells her they will leave for [Europe](entity:location-recall-location-ed02f8422cdd) for their honeymoon and that he has begun preparing her birthday celebration.
The evening before departure
A Candlelit Promise
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) arranges a candlelit dinner and asks [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) to begin their life together in earnest. They dance, flirt, and share a long kiss, giving their marriage a warmth that Su Xiangwan has not yet learned to trust.
Before they can settle into dinner, Song Yun'er calls in distress about [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) locking himself away. Lu Xun is furious but agrees to go, and Su Xiangwan offers to accompany him, suspecting the crisis involves her sister.
That night, at Lin Yanche's home
Su Xiangwan Confronts Lin Yanche
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) goes upstairs to speak with [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) and finds medication scattered around his study. He tells her that [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) ended her pregnancy without his consent, but she argues that he had no right to expect her sister to bear his child after his failures as a husband.
She reminds him that he had not truly ended his entanglement with Song Yun'er and had doubted his responsibility for an earlier lost pregnancy. Their argument ends without reconciliation, but Lin Yanche asks whether Su Xiangwan and [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) are really going to [Europe](entity:location-recall-location-ed02f8422cdd) for a honeymoon.
During the first part of the European trip
The Kiss in Italy
After arriving in [Italy](entity:location-recall-location-125be658b0d0), [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) catches a cold and spends much of the honeymoon recovering in the hotel. During a night out with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and her sister, she sees [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) kissing [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) and realizes Song Yun'er has witnessed them too.
Lu Xun moves to steady Song Yun'er, while Su Xiangwan leaves the gathering and calls Lin Yanche privately. She believes he deliberately brought Song along and wants to understand what he is trying to accomplish.
The day of Su Xiangwan's twenty-first birthday
The Birthday Departure
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) returns to the hotel after speaking with her sister and spends the night apart from [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), who is occupied with Song Yun'er's crisis. In the morning, she refuses to wake him and lets him sleep, though the distance between them remains unresolved.
For her birthday dinner, Lu Xun has prepared a private celebration. [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) gives Su Xiangwan the shares their grandfather had left her, strengthening her sister's independence and giving the Su family a better chance of recovering.
During the birthday dinner
The Diamond Ring
Song Yun'er asks [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) to speak with her privately, but [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) stays composed and performs the first dance with [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827). When Lu Xun brings out a small jewelry box, Song Yun'er leaves before he can present it.
Su Xiangwan asks Lu to give her the ring anyway and teases him about leaving with Song. He promises her a larger present later, while she quietly recognizes that the night may be her last chance to experience such a carefully staged celebration with him.
Late on Su Xiangwan's birthday
A Birthday Night Together
Back at the hotel, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) finds a room covered with candles and rose petals. [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) gives her a replacement for the [Dance Dress](entity:object-recall-object-0099e4a51db1) he once tore, apologizes for having hurt her, and tells her that her sister shared how much the original had meant to her.
Su Xiangwan accepts the gift and spends the night with him, allowing the birthday celebration to become intimate. Lu Xun believes her warmth means their relationship is improving, while she has already decided that she may leave after the birthday is over.
The morning after the birthday
The Disappearing Wife
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) leaves the hotel to deal with Song Yun'er after she becomes distressed and threatens self-harm. When he returns, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) has gone, leaving the ring behind and taking her luggage.
He realizes that her departure is not a passing sulk and calls [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827), who accuses him of being foolish for letting her go. Lu Xun books flights home, knowing he has again chosen to answer Song Yun'er's crisis at the cost of his wife's trust.
After their return to Cloud City
The Contract Revealed
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) finds [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) at her family's old home, where she is drunk and refuses to return with him. He guesses that [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) offered her a condition in exchange for leaving Lu, and she confirms that she had always thought of herself as a purchased companion waiting for her freedom.
She describes their marriage as a bargain between his loneliness and her financial need. Lu Xun is shaken by the certainty with which she says it, but his anger and hurt quickly rise to the surface.
That night at the Su family home
A Cruel Reconciliation
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) asks for a divorce and offers to return the money [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) paid, insisting she needs neither his property nor alimony. Their argument turns cruel as they accuse each other of treating people as possessions and bring Song Yun'er into the dispute.
Lu Xun forces her to drink and then has sex with her despite her resistance. He tells her he acts this way because he loves her, but the encounter leaves her hurt and conflicted rather than reassured.
The next morning
The Secret Photo
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) wakes in her own bedroom and finds [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) looking through a photo album containing pictures she had taken of him. He has also used her sleeping image in a public WeChat post, which makes their previously private marriage visible to others.
Lu Xun treats the post as a way of claiming her openly, while Su Xiangwan is embarrassed and angry that he made the decision without her. He says he will not leave her, even if she tries to cross the river and destroy the bridge.
During the reconciliation period
Qin Mo's Wedding Gifts
[Qin Mo](entity:character-recall-character-86bd9414230b) asks to meet [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) before leaving [Cloud City](entity:location-recall-location-cloud-city-c6cdcfbadead) and offers her and [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) two Maseratis as wedding gifts. She initially refuses, then accepts because she believes Qin owes the Su sisters far more than the cars.
She asks about her sister's [Wedding Ring](entity:object-recall-object-022184dc3881) and learns that Qin helped recover it. Their conversation also makes Su Xiangwan wonder whether Qin is truly content with his own life and whether his past involvement with the sisters is finished.
That night
The Jealous Return
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) returns late and finds the Maserati keys in the living room. He sees photographs of [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) with [Qin Mo](entity:character-recall-character-86bd9414230b) and accuses her of meeting another man, revealing that he had someone follow her.
Su Xiangwan refuses to explain herself to a husband who has already decided what happened. Their argument leads to another unwanted sexual encounter; afterward she develops a fever, while Lu Xun learns that she has been unwell and has not told him.
The following day
Su Xiangwan Leaves Home
Feverish and frightened by a thunderstorm, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) calls [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) instead of [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1). Her sister comes to [Scenic Mountain Villa](entity:location-recall-location-dd2dd9ed8a1d) and stays with her, and Su Xiangwan admits that she has felt abandoned and cannot understand why Su Qingrou has stopped answering her calls.
The sisters speak about Su Qingrou's continuing attachment to [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) and their family's history. When Su Qingrou later leaves, Su Xiangwan dreams of her deceased mother and begs to be taken away, revealing how deeply her childhood loss still troubles her.
While Su Xiangwan is feverish
Lu Xun's Illness
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) visits [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) despite her refusal to see him and suffers a serious recurrence of his breathing illness. [Hua Shuo](entity:character-recall-character-620e1bbe9df9) comes to help, while [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) waits outside; both men see Lu sitting beside his wife's bed and recognize that his concern has overcome his pride.
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) arrives and tells Lin Yanche that she is dating [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) and that she is only his ex-wife. Lin Yanche reacts with jealousy, but she does not withdraw her decision to keep her distance.
After Su Xiangwan recovers enough to sit up
The Confession from Jin Zhengnan
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) wakes to find [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) exhausted after watching over her through a long fever. [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) tells her that he intends to confess his feelings to Su Qingrou, even though he knows she may not return them.
Su Xiangwan is glad that her sister has someone devoted to her, but she remains worried that Su Qingrou cannot escape [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827)'s pull. Her concern deepens when she learns that Lin is still involved in Su Qingrou's life.
Several days later
The Wedding Dress Dispute
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) visits the [Bridal Shop](entity:location-recall-location-f6b70b4acfbc) to try on the elaborate [Wedding Dress](entity:object-recall-object-ef79e17e932b) [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) commissioned. She dislikes its lavish style and asks the shop to alter it, then learns that Song Yun'er and [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) have come to buy it for Song.
Su Xiangwan offers the dress to Song, but Lu Xun arrives and refuses to let the gesture stand. He has the gown removed and declares that he will have another made if his wife dislikes this one, making clear that the dress was meant for Su Xiangwan and not for his old friend.
Around the same period
Cheng Chuchu Returns
[Cheng Chuchu](entity:character-recall-character-5f414fdfbaa1) returns to [Cloud City](entity:location-recall-location-cloud-city-c6cdcfbadead) and joins [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827), Song Yun'er, and [Hua Shuo](entity:character-recall-character-620e1bbe9df9) for dinner. Her easy flirtation with Hua Shuo unsettles the group, while Song Yun'er pretends not to understand the tension between them.
When a woman later attacks Cheng Chuchu, [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) appears at the scene and Lin Yanche disappears with her. Song Yun'er accuses [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) of arranging the encounter, but Lu Xun rebukes her and leaves with his wife.
After the restaurant conflict
The Public Relations Appointment
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) suspends funding for a Su company project, and [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) recognizes the move as pressure intended to make her yield. Rather than give in, she tells [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) to remain calm and insists she understands what Lu is doing.
She later overhears [Cheng Chuchu](entity:character-recall-character-5f414fdfbaa1) openly propositioning Lu Xun and chooses to approach him herself. He refuses to go home with her because he has another appointment, leaving her uncertain whether she has misjudged the closeness between them.
That evening
The Old Flame's Jealousy
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) goes home and hears [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) speaking to [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) about [Qin Mo](entity:character-recall-character-86bd9414230b). Lin suggests that she may not have known Qin was married when they first met, sharpening Lu's suspicion about her past.
Lu Xun returns to the bedroom and holds her without pressing her for answers. Though neither speaks openly about their fears, his decision to come back just to be near her briefly softens the tension between them.
A later business gathering
Lu Nianjin and Jun Xi
At a gathering with [Lu Nianjin](entity:character-recall-character-e0b3f0a108c6), [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) meets [Jun Xi](entity:character-recall-character-2f57d22d214a), who is serving as Lu Nianjin's companion. The younger woman is deferential to him, and Su Xiangwan recognizes something of her own earlier caution in the way Jun Xi watches for his approval.
Lu Nianjin tries to separate Su Xiangwan from [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), but Lu openly claims her and refuses to let him take her away. Their business encounter turns into a contest of possessiveness, while Su Xiangwan observes the uncertain attachment developing between Lu Nianjin and Jun Xi.
Late autumn, after the business gathering
A First Date Together
After seeing [Lu Nianjin](entity:character-recall-character-e0b3f0a108c6) kiss [Jun Xi](entity:character-recall-character-2f57d22d214a), [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) apologizes for the evening and tells [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) that he felt he had lost control of the situation. He takes her home and admits that he is unwilling to lose her, while she promises to make him a late-night meal.
They begin spending time together in ways that resemble an ordinary courtship. Su Xiangwan is touched by his concern but remains aware that his feelings may not be enough to overcome the pressures surrounding them.
Soon after the first date
The Su and Lin Collaboration
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) negotiates a collaboration with the Lin company, while [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) appears increasingly determined to keep contact with her. [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) worries that her sister is exposing herself to another painful entanglement, but Su Qingrou insists that the business opportunity matters.
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) later tells Su Xiangwan that [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) has entered the [Cloud City](entity:location-recall-location-cloud-city-c6cdcfbadead) market rapidly and planted an insider near Lin Yanche. The warning gives their family conflict a wider business and security dimension, beyond the sisters' romantic troubles.
During the Su and Lin negotiations
Su Qingrou's Emergency Operation
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) is diagnosed with acute appendicitis and taken to the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337) for emergency surgery. [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) keeps [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) informed, while [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) arrives and reacts angrily to the presence of [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34).
Lin Yanche attacks Jin Zhengnan, leaving him injured and requiring treatment. The confrontation reveals how little Lin can tolerate Su Qingrou choosing another man's company, even as she tries to establish a life beyond him.
After the hospital confrontation
The Manor Imprisonment
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) confines [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) at [Lin Yanche's Manor](entity:location-recall-location-6e47b54fd6ba) after she tries to end their relationship. He accuses her of hypocrisy and uses force to keep her there, while she insists that she is exhausted and wants to leave.
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) learns that her sister is being held and asks [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) for help. He brings men to the estate and gets Su Qingrou out, then confronts Lin Yanche about his controlling behavior.
After Su Qingrou leaves the manor
The Engagement Announcement
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) announces that he and Song Yun'er will become engaged, explaining that he has chosen to stay with her after all. [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481), meanwhile, returns to [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) and tries to create distance from Lin.
The news intensifies [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55)'s unease: her sister may be stepping away from an old love, but Lin Yanche remains determined to keep her within reach. [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) also tells Su Xiangwan that he has helped Song Yun'er recover from the consequences of her choices.
After the engagement news
The Ring Returned
[Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) gives [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) a [Diamond Ring](entity:object-recall-object-608d32e34923) that someone has asked him to retrieve. She recognizes it as the [Wedding Ring](entity:object-recall-object-022184dc3881) connected with her sister and decides that she must keep it safe rather than return it immediately to [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) while she is still vulnerable.
The ring becomes a small emblem of what the sisters have lost and what they may yet recover. Bian Jiang also suggests that [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34)'s devotion is finally beginning to matter to Su Qingrou.
Around the time of the ring's return
Lu Xun's Hospitalization
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1)'s breathing illness worsens, and [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) learns that it is more serious than she had understood. She refuses to visit him at first, determined not to let her concern reveal how attached she has become.
When she finally goes to the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337), she sees [Cheng Chuchu](entity:character-recall-character-5f414fdfbaa1) feeding Lu Xun at close quarters. Su Xiangwan's jealousy and anger erupt; Lu dismisses her, and she leaves believing that he has chosen to humiliate her rather than ask her to stay.
After Lu Xun leaves the Hospital
The Public Relations Standoff
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) refuses to visit [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) again and treats his decision to stop the Su project as a test of her willingness to submit. [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) warns that the funding decision could undo their work, but she insists she will not lower her head just to restore it.
Her resolve is tested by the emotional confusion that keeps drawing her back to Lu Xun. Although she claims she does not care whether he appears beside another woman, she cannot stop noticing the women around him.
During Su Xiangwan's distance from Lu Xun
The Impulsive Kiss
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) goes to a restaurant with [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) and overhears [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and [Cheng Chuchu](entity:character-recall-character-5f414fdfbaa1) speaking intimately. When she returns to the washroom area, Lu Xun catches her waiting outside and asks why she is there.
He tells her that the most important thing is to be obedient, even if the obedience is an act. He then leaves for another appointment instead of taking her home, deepening her uncertainty about whether he wants her as a partner or simply as someone he can control.
Later that night
A Night of Reconciliation
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) returns to [Scenic Mountain Villa](entity:location-recall-location-dd2dd9ed8a1d) and finds [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) dressing upstairs. He pulls her close and kisses her, saying he became drunk the moment he saw her, though she accuses him of sneaking up on her.
Their intimacy grows into an overnight reconciliation, and Su Xiangwan wakes in his arms. She is embarrassed by how passionately she responded, but the closeness gives her a new sense of how easily Lu can draw her back in.
Revealed during their reconciliation
The Childhood Kidnapping
As they talk in bed, [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) asks about [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55)'s father and learns how vividly she remembers her mother's suicide. She describes drawing her parents together as a child before her mother walked onto the balcony, a memory she has never shared openly.
Lu Xun comforts her and promises not to bring the subject up with her grandfather. He also reveals that he was kidnapped at twelve and escaped with a girl who later disappeared, an experience that left a lasting mark on him.
The next day
The Mother’s Birthday
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) remembers that [Shen Hui](entity:character-recall-character-8b16f93b53cf)'s birthday celebration is that evening, and [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) realizes she has little time to prepare. She calls [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481), who offers a dress she designed and a jade bracelet suitable as a gift.
Su Xiangwan is delighted by her sister's thoughtfulness and heads to the Su family home to collect them. Lu Xun later takes her to the gathering, where she gives Shen Hui the bracelet and explains its family history.
At the Lu family birthday banquet
The Musical Performance
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) arrives with [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34), while Song Yun'er wears a dress resembling one associated with Su Qingrou's designs. During the gathering, several guests perform, and Song gives a simple birthday song before others begin competing for attention.
When the family asks [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) to perform, she plays the piano with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and then demonstrates her skill across several instruments. Her command of the music silences those who had dismissed her as a decorative wife, while [Shen Hui](entity:character-recall-character-8b16f93b53cf) is proud of her.
At the end of the birthday banquet
A Public Choice
After the performances, [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) puts his coat around [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) and praises her. Song Yun'er asks whether she can ride back with them, but Su Xiangwan refuses to share a car with her and asks [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) for a lift instead.
Lu Xun finally takes Song Yun'er with him, while Su Xiangwan leaves with Lin. Her choice makes her anger plain, and she uses teasing conversation with Lin to keep the evening from becoming a private fight with Lu.
The next morning
The Lin Company Meeting
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) arrives early at the company and learns that [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827)'s representatives have come to discuss work with [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481). She warns her sister against getting too close to him, but Su Qingrou argues that the project is valuable and cannot be ignored.
The meeting proceeds, and Lin Yanche later takes Su Qingrou to lunch. Their professional cooperation remains entangled with their personal history, while Su Xiangwan senses that the business offer may also be a way for Lin to remain near her sister.
That afternoon
The Confession at Lunch
While lunching with [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827), [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) receives a call from [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) and speaks warmly to him in front of Lin. Jealous, Lin kisses her without warning and objects when she describes their relationship as belonging to the past.
He asks whether loving him had made it impossible for her to live, but she avoids answering and says he is drunk. The encounter shows that neither their separation nor her growing connection with Jin has ended Lin's hold over her.
During the same period
The Cousin’s New Romance
Shen Yi Yun visits [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) at home and later tells him that she has begun dating [Zuo Teng](entity:character-recall-character-d6b986457a7b). She is excited to share the news with her cousin and wants him to approve of the relationship.
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) is uneasy about Shen Yi Yun's closeness with Lu Xun and the way she repeatedly occupies his home and attention. Lu treats the young woman's behavior as family affection, but Su Xiangwan finds it increasingly difficult to ignore.
The morning after Shen Yi Yun's night out
The Overnight Misunderstanding
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) arrives at [Scenic Mountain Villa](entity:location-recall-location-dd2dd9ed8a1d) with breakfast and finds Shen Yi Yun's shoes by the door. [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) explains that his cousin slept in the guest room, but Su Xiangwan leaves before listening to him, convinced that she has again walked into a scene that diminishes her place in the house.
Lu Xun calls after her, then confronts Shen Yi Yun about appearing at the window while he spoke with his wife. The incident becomes a direct misunderstanding between husband and wife, exposing how little reassurance Su Xiangwan has about Lu's boundaries with his cousin.
Soon after the misunderstanding
The Engagement Plan
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) discusses a possible engagement with [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34), partly as a business arrangement between their companies. She has undergone an appendectomy and remains in the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337), while [Bian Jiang](entity:character-recall-character-b6b93f246f91) tries to manage the Su family's negotiations.
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) reacts angrily to the possibility that Su Qingrou will marry Jin. He insists that she cannot simply choose someone else after everything between them, revealing that his jealousy persists even as he continues his public engagement with Song Yun'er.
After Su Qingrou's recovery begins
The Engagement as Leverage
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) asks whether her sister truly loves [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) or is trying to escape [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827). [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) says she no longer loves Lin, but her uncertainty and continued emotional reactions make the claim difficult for her sister to accept.
The sisters' disagreement reflects the different paths they are taking: Su Xiangwan is still learning to trust [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), while Su Qingrou is trying to end a history that has repeatedly pulled her back toward Lin.
After Chu Fei returns to Yuncheng
Chu Fei's Warning
[Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) returns to [Cloud City](entity:location-recall-location-cloud-city-c6cdcfbadead) and offers to help [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) deal with her marital troubles. He speaks of the Su sisters as family and gives [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) a powerful ally outside the influence of [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827).
Lu Xun warns Su Xiangwan that Chu Fei is expanding his business reach and has placed a spy near Lin Yanche. He tells her to stay away from Chu, insisting that the warning is about danger rather than jealousy.
During Su Xiangwan's visit to Chu Fei
An Unwelcome Advance
At the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337), [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) cups [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55)'s face and speaks openly about his willingness to take her side. She is startled by the gesture, while [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) watches and understands that her brother's concern may carry a deeper feeling.
Chu Fei later explains that he will not decide Su Xiangwan's marriage for her, but he will not allow anyone to bully her. His protectiveness comforts her while also making her wary of becoming the object of another man's claim.
After Su Qingrou's operation
The Knife and the Hospital Clash
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) tries to keep [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) in the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337) and orders his men to restrict her movements. She attempts to leave, and the conflict escalates into a confrontation with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), who has come with [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) to help her.
Lin Yanche attacks Lu Xun and then pursues Su Qingrou when she flees down the corridor. Su Qingrou takes a knife and threatens herself, forcing those around her to face the danger of the couple's destructive attachment.
Immediately after the hospital fight
The Blade's Intervention
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) tries to reach her sister, while [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) warns her not to rush into the unstable scene. [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) holds the knife to her own neck and says she would rather die than remain trapped in [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827)'s control.
Lin Yanche lunges to stop her and cuts his own hand in the struggle. He kisses her in front of the gathered crowd, while Su Xiangwan watches in terror and Lu Xun holds her back from approaching.
Later that day
Lu Xun's Promise
After the hospital chaos, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) sits shaken at home and tells [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) she is frightened. He reassures her that he has been beside her throughout the crisis and kisses her, but Song Yun'er arrives and immediately asks where [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) has gone.
Lu Xun tells Song to focus on the man she claims to love, while Su Xiangwan insists that her sister's crisis was not caused by herself. The exchange makes clear that Lu Xun is no longer willing to let Song dictate his priorities.
After the hospital crisis
The Secret of the Wedding Dress
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) learns that [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) once hoped the sisters might wear their own designs at weddings together. The revelation brings back the question of whether Su Qingrou can ever build a life beyond [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827), while Su Xiangwan wonders whether she herself can accept a future with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1).
Lu Xun encourages her not to rush and says he will not force her to return to the shared home. Still, he keeps urging her to trust him and to let their marriage become a real relationship.
During the autumn family celebration
Lu Xun's Birthday Banquet
At [Lu Cheng](entity:character-recall-character-d2679c7b8d95) and [Shen Hui](entity:character-recall-character-8b16f93b53cf)'s family gathering, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) arrives in a dress designed by [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) and gives Shen Hui a treasured jade bracelet. Her warmth wins over the elders, while [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) watches her move easily among his family.
Song Yun'er appears in a dress similar to Su Qingrou's design, and Su Qingrou keeps her distance from both her and [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827). The gathering deepens Su Xiangwan's connection to the Lu family while leaving the old romantic triangle visible to everyone present.
Later in the birthday celebration
The Piano and the Zither
When guests expect [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) to perform, [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) accompanies her on the piano before she plays for the room. She follows the piano with a series of pieces on other instruments, including a zither performance that leaves the guests impressed.
Her skill overturns the assumption that she is only a decorative wife. Lu Xun takes pride in her, and even those who had been eager to judge her are left applauding.
After the birthday banquet
The Engagement at a Distance
[Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481)'s connection with [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) becomes more visible, while [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) watches her from across the room. [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) tries to encourage her sister to accept the stability Jin offers, but she knows that Lin's presence can still overturn the calm.
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) asks Su Xiangwan to return home with him, and she continues to wrestle with the difference between being loved and being possessed. Their public closeness grows, but neither has yet resolved the private fears that govern their marriage.
The next business day
The Rivalry at Work
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) visits the office and learns that [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827)'s team is working with the Su company. She worries that her sister is once again being drawn into Lin's orbit, while [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) maintains that the project is too valuable to turn down.
Lin Yanche's professional attention to Su Qingrou and his jealousy of [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) blur the boundary between business and private life. Su Xiangwan recognizes that the sisters' family history still shapes every negotiation.
After the birthday gathering
The Bedroom Confession
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) and [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) meet over lunch to discuss their business arrangement, but their conversation turns personal when [Jin Zhengnan](entity:character-recall-character-3c32a08cbb34) calls. Su Qingrou speaks affectionately to him, and Lin Yanche responds with a jealous kiss.
He asks whether she can truly move on from him. Su Qingrou refuses to give him an answer, leaving their relationship suspended between the past she rejects and the attachment neither has fully escaped.
After the company negotiations
The Imperial Public Relations Post
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) persuades [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) to let her work at the [Imperial Group](entity:organization-recall-organization-imperial-group-90f4a982ced4), and he appoints her acting head of the Public Relations Department. On her first day, colleagues question her authority and speculate that she obtained the post through an affair.
Rather than retreat, she tells the staff plainly that she has the position and challenges them to prove they can do better. She imposes penalties on those who refuse to work, establishing herself as a manager through directness rather than through Lu's protection.
Su Xiangwan's first day at the Imperial Group
The Foreign Business Dinner
At an evening business gathering, [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) uses her fluent English and keen social instincts to win over foreign clients. She handles the room with more skill than [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) expected and helps her department see the guests off successfully.
Lu Xun learns that she secretly went to vomit during the event and rushes to take her home. Her competence impresses him, but he also worries that she will exhaust herself trying to prove she belongs.
That night
Shen Yi Yun's Night Out
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) is already drunk when Shen Yi Yun and [Zuo Teng](entity:character-recall-character-d6b986457a7b) invite [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) to join them at a nightclub. Lu refuses because he needs to take his wife home, but Shen Yi Yun goes out with Zuo instead and later cannot reach Lu.
Lu Xun learns the next day that Shen Yi Yun was distressed and did not come home. He explains that she is an adult and that Zuo is her boyfriend, while [Shen Hui](entity:character-recall-character-8b16f93b53cf) worries that Lu has stopped taking responsibility for his cousin.
The following day
Song Yun'er's Plea
Song Yun'er calls [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) to ask for help finding [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) and then raises concerns about Shen Yi Yun's night with [Zuo Teng](entity:character-recall-character-d6b986457a7b). Lu refuses to treat his cousin as a child, explaining that she is old enough to make her own choices.
Song Yun'er insists that Lin Yanche is her man, and Lu agrees to take her to see him. [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) hears the call and recognizes that Lu's ties to Song remain a source of tension even when he tries to set boundaries.
After Lu Xun and Su Xiangwan travel to Yan City
Song Yun'er Detained
Song Yun'er arrives in [Yan City](entity:location-recall-location-3761eb2a02ec) and is taken by [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f)'s men. [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1), already injured during the confrontation around her, becomes furious and challenges Chu over the detention.
Chu Fei says that Song's past treatment of [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) has brought her into his sights. Lu Xun fears that Chu's actions will provoke [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) and make the situation more dangerous for everyone involved.
During Song Yun'er's detention
Lu Xun Injured Rescuing Song
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) acts to protect Song Yun'er when the confrontation with [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) escalates, sustaining an injury that sends him to the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337). His actions alarm [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55), who asks whether Song is truly so important to him.
Lu Xun says he cannot stand by while someone he has known since childhood is in danger. His explanation does not erase Su Xiangwan's hurt, but it clarifies that old loyalties still govern his choices even as his marriage becomes more intimate.
During the Yan City stay
Lin Yanche's Diagnosis
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) learns from [Yun Yun](entity:character-recall-character-1fed91e0875d) that [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) has liver cancer and may need a transplant. His sudden frailty reframes his recent silence and his visit to [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481), though he has tried to keep the diagnosis from her.
Su Xiangwan worries that her sister will be devastated if she learns the truth. She also recognizes that Lin's illness cannot undo the harm between them, even if it makes the prospect of a final separation more painful.
After the diagnosis is known to those around him
Lin Yanche's Farewell
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) visits [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481) and says he will leave after seeing her. She asks whether something is wrong, but he avoids giving her the full truth and says only that he will not die.
He accepts her wish that he return to Song Yun'er and leaves without demanding that Su Qingrou come back to him. His restraint unsettles her more than another argument might have, because she can sense that something has changed but does not yet know what.
The day after her argument with Su Qingrou
Su Xiangwan's Ancient-Town Trip
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) leaves the house without telling [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) where she is going and joins a day trip to an ancient town. She wants distance from the complicated choices surrounding her sister and from the uncertainty of her own marriage.
When she turns her phone back on, she finds many messages from Lu Xun and [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481), as well as an address from [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f). She chooses to go to Chu's location rather than return directly to the hotel.
That evening
The Abandoned Factory Meeting
At [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f)'s abandoned factory base in [Yan City](entity:location-recall-location-3761eb2a02ec), [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) finds [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) waiting under guard. She mocks him for failing to rescue Song Yun'er quickly, and he tells her that [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) has already saved Song but is now in the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337).
Chu Fei emerges after watching her arrive on the security cameras. Lin Yanche asks Su Xiangwan whether she intends to leave Lu Xun, and she says that her marriage is complicated and that she alone will decide when it ends.
The next morning in Yan City
Two Women Compared
During breakfast, [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) calls [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) and accuses him of treating [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) and Song Yun'er as equally important by acting for both of them. Chu replies that Lu rushed to save Song but did not know where his own wife had gone until much later.
The comparison leaves Lu Xun without a quick answer. Su Xiangwan hears the exchange but says nothing, while Lu's frustration reveals the gap between what he believes he feels and what his actions have shown her.
After the Yan City confrontation
The Hospital Return
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) returns to the [Hospital](entity:location-recall-location-668305f38337) and sees Song Yun'er pleading with [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1). She leaves a bag of daily necessities outside the ward and turns away, unwilling to intrude on the old bond she has just witnessed.
Lu Xun hears her and runs barefoot into the corridor, despite his injury. He catches her, kisses her, and asks her to stay, admitting that he cannot manage his recovery without her.
Immediately after Lu Xun stops Su Xiangwan
Song Yun'er Leaves
[Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) brings [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) back to his ward and tells Song Yun'er that his wife will care for him. [Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) arrives and reminds Song that she has no claim to dictate who looks after Lu.
Song Yun'er says she has stopped pursuing Lin Yanche, but Lu tells her to leave and focus on her own life. She departs reluctantly, recognizing that Lu's attention has shifted to Su Xiangwan.
After Song Yun'er leaves the ward
A Quiet Promise
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) stays beside [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and peels an apple while he asks her to come into his arms. He tells her that he could not bring her into the danger surrounding [Chu Fei](entity:character-recall-character-9e90168d808f) and Song Yun'er, even if that meant she would be angry with him.
She does not fully accept his explanation, but she lets him hold her. Their conversation marks a small move toward trust, as Lu begins to explain rather than merely demand obedience.
During Lu Xun's recovery
The Bathing Request
[Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) brings [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) porridge and helps wash him because his injuries make it difficult for him to care for himself. He jokes and flirts throughout, while she tries to keep the task practical and avoid encouraging him.
Their familiar teasing offers a brief domestic calm after the crisis in [Yan City](entity:location-recall-location-3761eb2a02ec). Lu Xun uses even his vulnerability to draw her close, and Su Xiangwan finds herself caring for him despite her continuing doubts.
Several days into Lu Xun's recovery
Lin Yanche's Thank You
[Lin Yanche](entity:character-recall-character-b10b81153827) visits [Lu Xun](entity:character-recall-character-0e053f0146d1) and arrives with [Su Qingrou](entity:character-recall-character-2f266854e481), who says she came because [Su Xiangwan](entity:character-recall-character-c91fb04a0e55) asked her to. Su Xiangwan makes room for them, while Lin chooses a seat from which he can keep Su Qingrou in view.
Lu Xun asks Lin to thank his wife for bringing Su Qingrou. Lin does so directly, leaving Su Xiangwan astonished at how much his manner has changed. The visit does not resolve the couple's history, but it shows Lin trying to accept the distance Su Qingrou has set.
