Episode Summary

Xu Tongsheng uncovers ties between Shen Yi and Fan Yi while surviving a suspicious "accident." Jin Chun grows concerned about an orphaned girl’s behavior, and Shen Ye exposes Wu Yong’s involvement in a decades-old coverup. Zhao Zhiyuan finally confesses the truth about lethal threats from Ducheng Processing Plant, reigniting the investigation into Xu’s father’s death.

Spoiler Alert

TL;DR: Secrets are crumbling faster than a poorly made baozi. Everyone’s lying, nobody’s safe, and Xu Tongsheng’s plot armor better hold up through Episode 24.

Xu Tongsheng’s having a real bad week. After settling He Xi’s grandmother at the nursing home, he starts sniffing around for clues about shady caregivers—only to hit a dead end. But wait! That shadowy figure Fan Yi met earlier? Total "Shen Yi vibes." Side-eye (and side profiles) never lie.

Meanwhile, Jin Chun’s playing part-time detective at the orphanage. She spots a quiet girl named Xiaoyu doing repetitive motions in the playground—classic signs of neurodivergence. When she suggests to director Zeng Mingfang that the kid might need evaluation? Cue the guilt-trippy "she’s just shy" defense. Jin Chun’s eye-roll could power a small city.

Back to Xu Tongsheng, who’s now stalking Fan Yi again. Confrontation time! Fan Yi pulls the ultimate sympathy card—showing off his mangled leg—and begs our hero to back off. Plot twist: A rogue paint bucket nearly turns Xu into modern art on his way home. (Shen Yi’s assassination squad needs better lighting technicians.)

Shen Ye’s digging into cold cases at the police archives when he bumps into Wu Yong—the guy who conveniently handled the 2003 Binjiang University explosion files. Suspicious? Nahhh. Later, when a key witness (Granny Qian Qiuju) chickens out during her police interview after spotting Wu Yong? Even more suspicious.

The episode’s MVP? Zhao Zhiyuan. He finally spills the tea to Xu Tongsheng: Their dads both got death threats from Ducheng Processing Plant years ago. Zhao played it safe; Xu’s dad didn’t. Boom goes the family home. Now that Xu’s back on the case, Zhao’s like "Fine, let’s burn this corrupt system down together."

Oh, and Wu Yong’s having a meltdown after someone plants fake case files on his desk. Shen Ye—master of chaotic good—replaced the docs with blank pages. Cue the dramatic hotel meetup with anti-corruption agent Chang. This isn’t just a conspiracy—it’s a whole conspiracy buffet.

Spoiler Snacks:

  • That "accidental" paint bucket? Totally orchestrated. An elderly witness saw workers "testing" the scaffolding beforehand.
  • Jin Chun and Shen Ye’s coded hospital chat about "moles" in the department? We’re eyeing Wu Yong hard.
  • Xiaoyu’s subplot? Betting $5 she’ll unlock a major clue about the orphanage’s dark secrets.
  • Shen Yi’s poker face cracks when his hitman texts "mission failed." Dude’s running out of alibis.