Episode Summary
Mingzhe’s father hides a mysterious substance while grappling with guilt, as son Li Mingzhe tearfully cuts ties with his family. Mingzhe’s drug-related desperation escalates, leading him to kidnap old friend Xu Junjie. Cop Zhu Huaiyang pursues a drug suspect, while Ye Zhen uncovers Mingzhe’s father’s secrets. Family lies and criminal chaos collide.
Spoiler Alert
"The Love of Charge Cars" Episode 5: Family Secrets & Desperate Moves
Li Family Tension Boils Over
The episode kicks off with Mingzhe’s father (Li Mingzhe) sneaking upstairs like a man haunted. He pulls a key from the attic, hides something suspicious (possibly drugs?) behind a framed photo, and sits trembling at his desk. Whatever he’s hiding, it’s eating him alive—but he’s determined to keep it from his family.
Dinner turns into a tearjerker when Li Mingzhe unexpectedly apologizes to his parents and announces he’s leaving for good. His emotional speech about being grateful for their love wrecks his mother, who begs him to stay. But Mingzhe insists he’s "grown up" and needs to face life alone. The kicker? Mingzhe’s father stays eerily silent through the whole meltdown.
Street Runaways & Toxic Truths
Mingzhe flees into the city, haunted by childhood memories triggered by schoolkids chatting about grades. Mingzhe’s father chases after him, pleading for answers: "What happened to you? Let me help!" But Mingzhe refuses, cryptically begging his dad to "live well" and "pretend you never had a son." The gut-punch moment? Mingzhe notes his father’s newly gray hair before wrenching free and sprinting away. Oof.
Meanwhile, cop Zhu Huaiyang and his squad stake out a mall arcade, hoping to catch drug traffickers. When Mingzhe’s backpack gets stolen (suspicious timing!), Zhu tails a sketchy gamer, bluffing about "debt collection" to confront him. The guy claims innocence ("I just accidentally did drugs at a party!"), but Zhu ain’t buying it—especially after cops reveal the suspect’s drug history. The team knows this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Mingzhe’s Downward Spiral
Desperate to recover his lost drugs, Mingzhe gets beaten by dealers threatening his parents. He sneaks home, rifling through Mingzhe’s father’s hiding spots (that photo frame!) but finds nothing. Flashbacks of his proud parents celebrating his academic wins make his downfall even sadder.
In a wild twist, Mingzhe crashes his old friend Xu Junjie’s wedding, ambushing the groom with a "congratulatory" hug. But this isn’t a reunion—it’s a hostage situation! Mingzhe knocks Junjie out, stuffs him in a car, and speeds off as guests dial 911. Yikes.
Cops Connect the Dots
The Hummingbird Task Force (led by sharp-eyed Ye Zhen) investigates. Clues pile up: Junjie’s shady past with Mingzhe, Mingzhe’s father’s evasive answers to police, and Mrs. Li’s tearful confession about her son’s post-college "change." Ye Zhen’s Spidey-senses tingle—she knows Mingzhe’s father’s hiding something and drags him to an industrial park for a "chat."
As the team pieces together Mingzhe’s motives (drugs? Debt? Parental pressure?), his abandoned car gets flagged. But where’s Junjie? And what’s Mingzhe’s father’s dark secret? We’re left hanging—but one thing’s clear: This family’s skeletons are tumbling out of the closet.
Final Takeaway
Episode 5 serves up heartbreak, suspense, and a masterclass in parental denial. Mingzhe’s tragic self-destruction vs. Zhu’s dogged police work makes for a gripping contrast. Also, someone give Mingzhe’s father an Oscar for "Best Performance by a Dad in Crisis."
