Episode Summary
Du Yangxi's new position and a secret meeting cause tension. He distances himself from Shou Hua, ending their relationship despite her family's pleas. His mother is distraught, and old friendships are broken. Du Yangxi takes concubines, further complicating matters. A key symbol on a plaque and a pendant links Du Yangxi to a mysterious past.
Spoiler Alert
In episode 17 of "Perfect Match," Du Yangxi, despite Sang Yanrang's analysis of the situation, decides to proceed with his new post, bringing Shou Hua with him. Sang Yanrang, deeply concerned, confesses to Du Yangxi that he has a history with Shou Hua. He had been helped by her in the past, and it was love at first sight. He pleads with Du Yangxi to treat Lady Li (Shou Hua's mother) with kindness.
Later, Du Yangxi receives a personal invitation to visit Yu Weiyi's home. While there, he notices the character "Fang" on a plaque in Yu Weiyi's study. This character is strikingly similar to the one on his own jade pendant. Combined with his mother's recent strange behavior, this discovery throws Du Yangxi into a state of suspicion. After this meeting, the imperial court appoints Du Yangxi as a officer of the Directorate for Imperial Manufactories and assigns him to the History Institute, allowing him to remain in the capital.
However, Du Yangxi's mother shows no joy at this news. In contrast, Lady Li is ecstatic and eagerly prepares a lavish feast to celebrate Du Yangxi's success. But Du Yangxi is conspicuously absent from the celebration. The atmosphere at the dinner table is incredibly tense, and even after the meal, Du Yangxi fails to appear, enraging Lady Li.
That night, Fan Lianghan and Chai An are walking home, grumbling about Du Yangxi. They complain that he's become arrogant after his recent success, even disrespecting his mother-in-law. As they pass through the market, they suddenly spot Du Yangxi meeting secretly with Yu Xiu'e. Chai An leaves in a fury, while Fan Lianghan realizes this is very bad news.
When Du Yangxi finally returns home, he sees Shou Hua sleeping restlessly. He feels a pang of guilt and tenderness, wanting to kiss her forehead but restraining himself. Shou Hua wakes up and leans on Du Yangxi's shoulder, sharing her nightmares with him. Du Yangxi is relieved that she's finally opening up, but he's also filled with despair about their future, feeling it's all too late.
The next morning, Du Yangxi's mother angrily scolds him for his disrespectful behavior towards his mother-in-law, skipping the celebratory banquet. She's so upset that she refuses to eat breakfast and retreats to her room. Du Yangxi takes his frustration out on Shou Hua, speaking to her coldly. Sang Yanrang, unable to stand by and watch, confronts Du Yangxi but is met with scorn and insults. Sang Yanrang declares their friendship over and leaves.
Soon after, Du Yangxi brings home two women, Jin'nu and Fufu, intending to take them as concubines. His mother is furious, accusing him of forgetting his roots. Sang Ma tries to involve the two women in household chores, which triggers Du Yangxi's rage. He berates Sang Ma, calling her a lowly servant who dares to boss around his concubines. He lashes out with a whip, accidentally striking Shou Hua.
Later that night, Sang Ma tends to Shou Hua's wounds. Shou Hua believes there must be a reason for Du Yangxi's drastic personality change. Du Yangxi bluntly tells her that he doesn't want her to suffer because of him and proposes a separation. Shou Hua, shocked that Du Yangxi views her this way, packs her bags and returns to her family home.
Shou Hua's sisters are outraged and discuss how to punish Du Yangxi. Lady Li, trying to control her anger, urges Shou Hua not to be rash, believing Du Yangxi will come to apologize the next day. However, Du Yangxi does show up, but only to deliver a formal letter of separation, declaring his intention to end the marriage.
Lady Li initially tries to reason with him, but Du Yangxi is unyielding, determined to dissolve the marriage. Enraged, Lady Li gives him a severe scolding. Shou Hua, in her room, is heartbroken. Ling Yao, seeing the situation, quickly takes Du Yangxi back to their residence to pack. However, Du Yangxi's mother refuses to move, furious and accusing him of abandoning his principles after achieving success.
At this point, Lady Li's family delivers a message: Du Yangxi's mother is welcome to stay in the courtyard and continue living as before. Du Yangxi kneels before his mother, who is so distraught that she attempts suicide but falls. Shou Hua rushes to comfort her, but she is also starting to have doubts and suspicions.
Meanwhile, Kang Ning, Shou Hua's third sister, is angry about what happened to her sister. She demands that Chai An cut off all ties with Du Yangxi. Chai An readily agrees, declaring Du Yangxi his enemy and vowing to drive him away if he ever comes near.
