Episode Summary
Xu Xiao is suspicious of Ding Dang and Lin Guoqiang. Zhang Yanni brings chicken soup to the station. Zhang Yanni and Lin Guoqiang take Ding Dang home. Ding Dang is faking her mental state and searches Lin Guoqiang's house. Flashbacks reveal Lin Guoqiang's grief over his daughter's death.
Spoiler Alert
"Hanging Mirrors" Episode 10: Recap & Spoilers
Okay, things are getting seriously twisted in "Hanging Mirrors"! Episode 10 opens with Xu Xiao giving Zhang Yanni a ride back to the station. Zhang Yanni, naturally curious, tries to pry some case details out of him, but Xu Xiao, ever the professional, keeps mum. Zhang Yanni respects the boundary and switches gears, peppering him with questions about his personal life – even offering to play matchmaker since he's single.
Next thing you know, Zhang Yanni's delivering homemade chicken soup to the precinct, and everyone's raving about her culinary skills. Lin Guoqiang even brings a bowl to Ding Dang, which seems to deepen their connection. Ding Dang, touched by the gesture, accepts the soup. After hearing about Ding Dang's tragic backstory, Zhang Yanni feels a surge of sympathy and, concerned for Lin Guoqiang's well-being, proposes to Xu Xiao that they take Ding Dang home to care for her.
Xu Xiao's understandably hesitant. Ding Dang's a key witness and a victim, so letting Zhang Yanni just take her home isn't exactly standard procedure. But after Zhang Yanni lays on the charm and persistence, Xu Xiao finally gives in. As Ding Dang departs, she whispers something to her friend, a detail that doesn't escape Xu Xiao's notice. Suspicious, right?
At Lin Guoqiang's place, Zhang Yanni decides to stay over, figuring it's a bit awkward for Lin Guoqiang, a bachelor, to be alone with a young girl. That night, Zhang Yanni sees the extent of Ding Dang's injuries and her heart breaks. Meanwhile, Lin Guoqiang is haunted by another dream of his deceased daughter.
The next morning, Lin Guoqiang, driven by the need to find the culprit, pushes Ding Dang to recall the car's license plate. But Ding Dang becomes visibly distressed and refuses to relive the trauma. Zhang Yanni, witnessing Ding Dang's pain, steps in and tells Lin Guoqiang to back off.
In a separate development, Xu Xiao picks Chief Yang's brain about Lin Guoqiang, learning that Lin Guoqiang's transfer to the Municipal Public Security Bureau came directly from the provincial bigwigs.
While Lin Guoqiang and Zhang Yanni are out grocery shopping, leaving Ding Dang unattended, Ding Dang seizes the opportunity to snoop around Lin Guoqiang's house. She stumbles upon a family photo, and here's the bombshell: Ding Dang's been faking her mental state the whole time! She's completely aware. Double-cross alert!
Xu Xiao, accompanied by Da Xing and Xiao Xing, visits Chen Nan's tomb, seeking information about sacrificial rituals. They discover that these rituals require human sacrifices, raising the stakes and fueling their urgency to solve the case. Xu Xiao's frustration boils over; he wishes Ding Dang would just spill the beans already.
Back at the house, Zhang Yanni continues to dote on Ding Dang, even clashing with Lin Guoqiang about her future. Zhang Yanni thinks Ding Dang should learn a trade, while Lin Guoqiang insists she should go to school and offers to foot the bill.
The tension ratchets up when Ding Dang appears in Lin Guoqiang's daughter's room, triggering a wave of grief and memories for him. When he spots Ding Dang holding his daughter's hair clip, he snaps. Lin Guoqiang, overwhelmed by the memory of his daughter and the pain of his subsequent divorce, breaks down in tears in a darkened room, a moment witnessed by Ding Dang.
Xu Xiao, desperate to solve the case, obsessively replays the events in his mind. He can't shake the memory of Ding Dang's strange look towards Lin Guoqiang and her hushed conversation with her friend. His suspicions about Lin Guoqiang reignite, leading him to call an old police contact for intel.
