Episode Summary
Wu Limei's mother passes away, devastating the family. Gu Yunsu deals with work pressures and her mother's grief. Li Yan seeks refuge with Gu Kangqi. The episode explores the complex and strained relationship between Wu Limei and her mother, revealing past events that led to their estrangement. Gu Yunsu lies to her mother to ease her guilt over her grandmother's death.
Spoiler Alert
Wu Limei has been desperately trying to reach her mother, sending voice messages and apologies, but she hasn't received any replies. She's worried that her mother is still angry with her. Meanwhile, Gu Yunsu is dragged into a meeting at work by Zhou Zimeng to discuss her script. The feedback isn't great – everyone thinks the story is too generic. They want something trendy, something that fits the mold of currently popular dramas. Gu Yunsu understands what they're after and pitches a revised version based on that framework, but it feels like a betrayal of her original vision.
The family is struck by tragedy when Wu Limei receives a phone call from her hometown: her mother has passed away. Gu Yunsu also gets the call, and she immediately leaves the still-ongoing meeting to join Wu Limei and Li Jianxiong. They rush back to Shaoxing for the funeral, the journey filled with a heavy silence.
Back in her childhood home, Wu Limei is consumed by regret. She's devastated by the harsh words she last spoke to her mother. The emotional stress takes a toll on her, especially given her high-risk pregnancy. She experiences some bleeding, terrifying everyone. Gu Yunsu immediately contacts Xu Wenbin, who personally drives to Shaoxing to deliver medication. Gu Yunsu is both surprised and incredibly grateful for his dedication.
Meanwhile, Li Yan finds himself locked out of his house. Unable to reach his father, he contacts Gu Yunsu. Gu Yunsu, not wanting to reveal the news about his grandmother, gives him Gu Kangqi's address, suggesting he stay with his father temporarily. Li Yan, taking after Gu Yunsu with his smooth-talking, shows up at Gu Kangqi's place and insists on staying, claiming to be a relative. Gu Kangqi, unable to refuse, has to send the woman he's with away.
After the funeral, Gu Yunsu and her family return to Hangzhou. The loss of her grandmother makes Wu Limei realize the value of what she once had. Back home, she breaks down while eating the eggs her mother bought for her. Gu Yunsu, worried about her mother's health and wanting to ease her guilt, comforts her. She lies, claiming to have heard the voice messages Wu Limei sent to her grandmother. In reality, her grandmother hadn't heard any of them – all of Wu Limei's messages were unread. But Gu Yunsu believes this white lie is necessary to prevent her mother from living with lifelong regret.
Gu Yunsu listens to the messages Wu Limei sent, finally understanding the depth of their strained relationship. She learns about how close they used to be, like best friends, with her grandmother taking her to get her hair done and even letting her drink. Her grandmother had always favored Wu Limei, her youngest daughter, and was incredibly proud when she was accepted into the Chinese department at university. Their relationship fractured when Wu Limei got pregnant out of wedlock with Gu Kangqi. The harsh, shameful words her grandmother spoke at the wedding planted a seed of resentment in Wu Limei's heart. From that point on, their relationship became increasingly distant, culminating in Wu Limei only informing her mother of her divorce as her mother was about to leave on a bus, prompting her mother to throw away the fruit Wu Limei had given her.
