Episode Summary
A'Lai is reinstated as a cop but assigned to a desk job. He reads a story about Lu Na, who is revealed to be a character in a novel, manipulated and ultimately killed by the author, Zi Dan. This mirrors a real-life case: A'Lai connects the story to a missing person, Zhang Baobao, and her manipulative writer boyfriend, Mu Xuefeng. Zhang Baobao's body is found, and Mu Xuefeng is implicated in her death. The episode ends with A'Lai finding the storybooks blank.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with A'Lai, fresh off his undercover assignment, being reinstated as a police officer by Chief Inspector Zhang. However, A'Lai's celebration is short-lived. He's assigned to the archives, a desk job that's far from the action he craves. Meanwhile, Lu Na remains in a coma. The doctor suggests that talking to her about past events might help her regain consciousness. A'Lai, having never met her before, decides to read aloud from the books she had with her. He randomly selects one, titled "Lu Na's Story," and, driven by curiosity, begins to read.
The narrative shifts to Lu Na's world, where she's a character in a novel written by an author named Zi Dan. Displeased with Zi Dan's portrayal of her, Lu Na confronts him directly. The story depicts a chaotic wedding scene: Lu Na and her groom exchange vows, only for gangsters to disrupt the ceremony. They manage to eliminate the attackers, but the groom, immediately after placing the ring on Lu Na's finger, turns a gun on her. Furious, Lu Na tears up Zi Dan's manuscript, demanding he rewrite her story with a happy ending.
Lu Na becomes Zi Dan's muse, guiding him to create a successful novel. In this story, Lu Na is a tragic figure: an orphan abused by her foster parents, who only took her in for government benefits. She was later forced into prostitution. After killing a client, she's recruited by a killer organization, yet she yearns for a normal, happy life. Under Lu Na's influence, Zi Dan becomes a bestselling author, and Lu Na, living vicariously through her fictional counterpart, experiences the happiness she desires. However, Zi Dan's ambition gets the better of him. With new bestselling authors emerging, he craves more success, but he can't achieve it on his own. He begs Lu Na for help, but she realizes he's using her, not loving her, and disappears.
Zi Dan falls apart. He becomes addicted to opium and struggles to write, facing accusations that "Lu Na's Story" wasn't his original work. Lu Na, unable to bear seeing him suffer, reappears. Zi Dan proposes to her in a church, seemingly sincere this time. He even calls her by her real name, Zhang Baobao, at her request. But after the ring is on her finger, his true colors emerge. He reveals that he still wants her help to write, confirming Lu Na's fears of being used. When she refuses, he shoots her dead.
The story jolts A'Lai. He recalls a past missing person case involving a woman named Zhang Baobao, reported by a writer named Mu Xuefeng. The similarities are striking. A'Lai suspects Zhang Baobao is dead and, remembering the recurring church motif, suggests searching there. His hunch is correct: A'Jia and the team discover Zhang Baobao's body in the church. Mu Xuefeng is brought in for questioning. His real-life story mirrors Lu Na's fictional one: Zhang Baobao helped Mu Xuefeng with his writing, but he exploited her and refused to acknowledge their relationship publicly. After an argument, Zhang Baobao fell down the stairs. Instead of helping her, Mu Xuefeng hid her body in the church.
The case is solved, and the Chief Inspector is pleased with A'Jia and A'Lai's teamwork. Back at the hospital, A'Lai revisits the notebooks, only to find them blank.
