Episode Summary
Tensions flare as Liao Siyuan’s investigation into Song En’s trafficking ring reignites a decade-old arson mystery. Nu Na’s tragic death—staged in a haunting wedding gown—exposes hidden trauma, while Siyuan’s risky pursuit of repressed memories and Qi Xia’s growing suspicions hint at darker secrets. Meanwhile, Song En’s "madness" and cryptic clues suggest a larger conspiracy.
Spoiler Alert
A decade ago, Liao Sibai confronts Qi Xia for forgetting his birthday, brandishing a "wish coupon" to pressure her into agreeing to marriage. Qi Xia deflects and leaves, while Liao Siyuan watches their awkward exchange and drags Sibai into a video game session, wagering a prized novel as stakes.
At the police station, Deputy Commissioner Reynolds pushes to close the Song En case, but Detective Shu He insists the shadowy human trafficking ring behind Song En deserves further investigation. Reynolds skeptically notes Song En’s insanity and legal loopholes but greenlights a covert plan: Invite Liao Siyuan to "assist" the police—a guise to both monitor him and use his connection to Song En to lure out higher-level players.
Siyuan visits Song En at the psychiatric facility, attempting to force open the criminal’s fractured memories through a risky neural probe. The procedure backfires when Song En’s erratic brainwaves trigger a violent rejection. Sibai intervenes, warning Siyuan that his obsession could destroy him. Meanwhile, Nu Na lurks in the shadows, shaken by Song En’s madness and a devastating call from her doctor: Her cancer has metastasized. Flashbacks reveal Nu Na’s traumatic past as a nurse at Song En’s clinic, where she once treated a wounded Siyuan and received a wish coupon—a token now heavy with guilt. That night, she awakens from a nightmare of the decade-old arson incident to find a mysterious wedding gown haunting her apartment.
At the precinct, Qi Xia grows suspicious as Siyuan dives into cold cases, uncovering Nu Na’s victim file. Sibai urges him to confront Nu Na about the arson, but Siyuan hesitates, fearing retraumatization. Unbeknownst to them, Nu Na spirals after seeing Song En’s arrest on news—memories of being trafficked by him resurface. A cryptic text lures her to a rendezvous with a wedding dress "gift." When Siyuan visits Nu Na’s boutique, clerk A-Jing claims she’s absent. He narrowly avoids Qi Xia, who arrives with colleague Owen—a pairing Sibai dismisses as purely professional.
Nu Na later visits Siyuan’s pharmacy, thanking him for Song En’s arrest but cryptically promising to "reveal the truth" about the fire that night at Meet Bar. Siyuan waits hours, only to be stood up. Meanwhile, A-Jing discovers Nu Na’s corpse hidden beneath a bridal gown in the shop, her eyes frozen in terror. Police interrogate A-Jing and Nu Na’s husband Chapong, while Shu He’s team traces Siyuan’s presence near the boutique via surveillance.
Under scrutiny, Siyuan explains he “saw Nu Na” leaving at 10 PM, but Sibai points out the timeline flaw: The altered sleeve folds on the gown suggest Nu Na died before 10, meaning the figure Siyuan glimpsed was likely the killer in disguise. As tensions rise, Qi Xia’s lingering doubts about Siyuan’s erratic behavior—and his uncanny resemblance to Sibai’s mannerisms—hint at deeper secrets yet to ignite.
The haunting wedding dress and wish coupons intertwine as keys to the arson cold case, while Song En’s "insanity" may be a carefully staged ruse. Who else is pulling strings from the shadows? And will Siyuan’s fractured psyche survive the truth?
