Episode Summary
Liao Zhibai’s posthumous video forces Liao Siyuan to retrieve his corpse and advance a risky plan. Na Wei is convicted of murder but reveals a fake identity through a staged suicide, exposing a decades-old conspiracy tied to an imposter.
Spoiler Alert
In his final moments, Liao Zhibai ordered his associate A Tai to implant a video file on his phone, programmed to auto-send to Liao Siyuan upon activation. Knowing his estranged son would never forgive him, Liao Zhibai aimed to force Siyuan to unravel the truth through cryptic clues. After his death, Tie Xin dumped Liao Zhibai’s body into the river—a move Zhibai anticipated by ensuring Tie Xin powered on the phone. Hospitalized and emotionally shattered, Siyuan receives the video message. In it, Zhibai chillingly declares his death part of a "final plan," urging Siyuan to use his corpse as a key piece in their twisted endgame.
Weak but determined, Siyuan enlists Ma Luo to pose as him in bed, dodging Nick’s watchful eye. Braving a storm, Siyuan retrieves Zhibai’s waterlogged body and instructs Li Zhi to plant a mysterious gift box in the subway. Flashbacks of their fractured relationship overwhelm him, culminating in a rare emotional breakdown. By dawn, Siyuan returns to his hospital bed, the wheels of Zhibai’s scheme now in motion.
At the police station, Shu He interrogates Na Wei over Liao Zhibai’s murder. Na Wei deflects, smugly taunting that "sin can’t always be punished." He admits stabbing Zhibai with a pen to "protect" his associate Gade, claiming Zhibai provoked the attack. But Na Wei’s theatrics—including cryptic glances at security cameras—hint at a larger game. Shu He argues premeditation, while Siyuan privately questions Na Wei’s ties to a decade-old arson case. The plot thickens when Siyuan confesses to tampering with Zhibai’s corpse, prompting Shu He to shield him from charges. Reynolds, however, berates both for jeopardizing an ongoing investigation.
Na Wei is convicted on seven charges and sentenced to death. As Qi Xia departs the force—gifting Shu He her pet turtle—Li Zhi bids farewell to Siyuan and Ma Luo. When teased about her unrequited feelings, Li Zhi admits affection for Siyuan but prioritizes her hunger for freedom: "The world’s too big to stay tangled in this nightmare."
In a macabre twist, Na Wei slits his wrists in custody while reading Macbeth—but the suicide attempt reveals shocking DNA inconsistencies. Blood type mismatches and Shu He’s discovery of a missing actor (whose photo resembles Na Wei) expose an identity swap: the real Na Wei may have been replaced years prior. Meanwhile, forensic proof that Na Wei and Gade aren’t biologically related cracks Gade’s defiance. Confronted with evidence from Zhibai’s pen, Gade finally agrees to talk—but warns that the truth could unleash "Pandora’s box."
Siyuan and Shu He now race to trace Na Wei’s blood records, suspecting the imposter’s true identity lies buried in cold cases. As the episode closes, one haunting question remains: Who really died in that river—and what horrors will their next revelation ignite?
Final note: Brace for a seismic identity reveal next week as "The Embers" burns toward its finale.
