Original subtitles

(Firefly Theater)

♪Neon lights twist into a knot♪

♪I rest in the ruins of defeat♪

♪You tap your fingers lightly♪

♪I fall into the abyss♪

♪I've seen this game before♪

♪Every single move was calculated♪

♪I finally see your silhouette♪

♪Just an empty shell♪

♪I've broken this game before♪

♪Every move was placed wrong♪

♪Now it's my turn to play♪

♪I'll show you what stunning looks like♪

♪When I stand back up again♪

♪The whole city goes dark♪

♪For the part you owe me♪

♪I'll make you pay double♪

♪You're just my starting point♪

=The Vanishing Beauty=

=Episode 16=

What's for dinner?

- Anything's fine. - Mr. Jiao.

Whatever works.

Honey.

Why are you here?

Helping a friend shoot a video.

Mr. Jiao,

we meet again.

Seeking legal help

again, Mr. Di?

Feels like your company is always

running into trouble.

Just bad luck lately.

What Liu Bai did

really surprised me.

The police said

he even hired people

to troll online,

claiming I abused you.

How did he

turn out this way?

Honestly,

I want to be nice.

He's Liu Zi's brother, after all.

But

blackmail

and extortion are serious crimes.

Plus, Han Guang

is pressuring me.

I have no choice.

Mr. Di,

let's talk about details inside.

Sure.

After you.

Let's talk at home.

Is his lawyer any good?

He is

the top dog in this field.

I can recommend good lawyers

to you.

I've looked into it.

Liu Bai

can get bail.

If you need it...

I do.

I know Liu Bai.

I don't think he'd do that.

What's up?

My boss is calling me.

I feel something's up.

Can you do me a favor?

First, get the lawyer

to file a jurisdiction objection.

Then bring up

his no Jiangzhou residency

and push for venue transfer

to his registered address court

for trial.

Once you apply,

the hearing will be put off.

Won't teaching me like this

get you in trouble for ethics violations?

Di Liren sued Liu Bai.

Zi's the related party.

You're not involved.

I'm discussing a hypothetical case

that happens to share the same names,

so what's the harm?

You want

to drive up Di Liren's legal costs, both in time

and money.

What if he digs his heels in

just to lock Liu Bai up?

He won't.

He's way more stressed.

He has to fix this

before Jinghua officially

hits the market.

And his

biggest mistake is

he hired Mr. Chen.

Didn't you say Mr. Chen

is the top lawyer in this field?

Mr. Chen is too seasoned.

He'll quickly spot the holes

in Di Liren's story.

So your real target

isn't Di Liren,

but Mr. Chen.

Mr. Chen's usual cases

are worth millions,

even tens of millions.

Taking Di Liren's case was purely

as a personal favor.

That's why we challenge jurisdiction,

forcing him to travel

across provinces.

I have a million other ways

to delay the trial,

making him travel all the way

for nothing.

Tell me.

How will he

view a case

he already

had doubts about?

You want him

to talk Di Liren down?

Big shots hate petty nuisances.

As the nuisances,

our job is

to keep hassling him,

till he's done wasting time

on this

and convinces Di Liren to settle

out of court.

(Zi)

You head up first.

Zi,

why did you meet

with him alone?

If this was

about Liu Bai,

Jiao Xu already found a way.

Di Liren agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Why didn't you

tell me

before meeting with him?

Time was tight.

He asked to meet,

so I went.

Liu Bai's account was banned,

and I was fired.

I provided the resources

for his live streams.

The police reached out to Rongmei Media,

and the boss talked with me.

So...

Look, I've worked there

for ages.

I've been dying to quit.

Don't worry.

The company will

assign someone to work with you.

Where are you going?

Stay here.

I'll settle it with him.

Meng,

don't be reckless.

Don't forget your main goal.

He's dropped the suit.

Just let it go.

I can find another job

and do something else.

Just give me some time

to reset, okay?

Zi,

I'll make it up

to you

ten times over.

Mommy, Ms. Meng.

Did I come

at a bad time?

Mommy,

the teacher said

I need playdough and watercolors

for school tomorrow.

Okay, I'll buy them for you

first thing tomorrow.

Okay.

The stream room is banned,

and the account is closed.

I've been sending resumes,

but nothing looks promising.

I'm out of a job now.

What am I going to do?

Take it easy.

Worst case,

I'll feed you.

Mommy,

I'm hungry.

Okay, I'm going to cook.

You're still here?

I mean,

thanks for picking up Chestnut today.

I'll treat you sometime.

You can't support him.

I ran the numbers.

Your monthly salary

barely covered

you and Chestnut.

Without a job,

your money will

last six months max.

Add Liu Bai in,

and it's only three.

None of your business.

Come on, go inside with me.

It's not your job

to take care of everyone.

It's tiring.

This is my family matter.

None of your business.

That way,

Liu Bai will never grow up

or be responsible.

That's my choice.

Anyway,

thank you so much for today.

Thanks.

Harry?

Harry.

Harry!

I'm sorry.

I made a mistake.

(Comprehensive Service Window)

Excuse me.

I'm here for a nurse

named Lu Hui.

Lu Hui?

One moment.

We don't

have a nurse named Lu Hui here.

What?

Weng Yue.

(Psychiatry)

What are you doing here?

I need a favor.

What do you want?

Jinghua's inventory logs.

That's a trade secret.

Coming to me means

you also can't get it

inside Jiali.

Right.

I heard you've been suspended.

You're an outsider now.

No way I'd give it to you.

Weng Yue,

Jiali means just as much to me

as Yaoyan means to you.

I can never

let defective products

hit the market,

or it would

ruin Jiali's reputation.

I'm sure you'd do the same

if you were in my shoes.

True.

Still, I can't agree.

If this log

leaks from me,

I'll be held accountable.

We're not close enough

for me

to take that kind of risk for you.

I heard you're sick.

Weng Yue

never wastes words.

She wouldn't ask if I was sick

for no reason.

Someone must be up to something.

Did she hint

on purpose?

I think so.

Besides, I could tell

she and Han Guang

don't get along.

She's actually an ally

we could

bring to our side.

The thing is,

she doesn't trust me

enough to help me openly.

Right.

I think you should

dig more

into the Wengs,

especially

her, Han Guang,

and Weng Xin.

Got it.

I caught one!

Then it's yours.

Just take it.

So generous.

I thought

you'd charge me for it.

If you want to pay,

I won't say no.

In your dreams.

Your plushies

are pretty good quality.

Where'd you get them?

Not this one.

Pick another one.

Anything else.

Why?

Don't tell me

your ex gave you this.

This one is already

discontinued.

Get it?

Cheapskate.

Take it back.

Mr. Tian's coming for dinner tonight.

I compiled all the info

and sent it over.

I need to go back

and get ready.

Whether I can make a comeback

and get the signing authority

rides on Jinghua.

Bye.

Weng Xin.

(Weng Xin)

(No answer)

(Where are you? Call back ASAP.)

(No answer)

Meng.

This is...

Mr. Tian,

this is a doctor friend of mine.

He's interested

in Jiali,

so today,

I invited him

to meet you

and see

if we can collaborate.

Nice to meet you.

Me too.

Mr. Tian,

I organized the info

and sent it to you.

Did you see?

Honey,

why did you serve mutton?

Mr. Tian doesn't eat mutton, remember?

Mutton?

Well...

Ms. Hui,

what's going on here?

You bought the meat.

Impossible.

Are you mistaken?

Ms. Hui,

take it away right now.

Sure.

I'm so sorry, Mr. Tian.

It's fine, Meng.

Don't worry about it.

Let's just eat.

I'm really sorry, Mr. Tian.

I guess I wasn't clear.

Please try the others.

Try that one.

Mrs. Tian,

I got you a present.

When I was out shopping,

it caught my eye.

Check out

if you like this necklace.

Thank you.

Honey,

those are earrings.

Why did you say necklace?

Impossible.

I know her ears aren't pierced.

It's definitely a necklace.

Take a look.

It's okay. They're lovely.

I can have them converted into ear clips.

I clearly bought a necklace.

I actually

spent so long picking it out

and watched the clerk

pack it.

Ms. Yu,

can you recall the details

when you bought the necklace?

Of course.

I bought it last Friday.

I still have the receipt.

(Item: Dainty Stud Earrings)

Let me see.

(Item: Dainty Stud Earrings)

Honey,

it says earrings right here.

Why did you say necklace?

If this is accurate,

you might

have a mental health issue.

I'd suggest having an evaluation done

at a real clinic.

It's best not to self-diagnose.

(Our bodies)

(need rest.)

(You should keep her company)

(in the mountains.)

(Surrounded)

(by beautiful scenery,)

she can reset her mood

and body.

She might not even need medication anymore.

Honey,

don't overthink this.

Let's eat,

okay?

Fine.

Now I get it.

But let me make one thing clear:

I am not sick.

Excuse me,

I have something else to do.

I have to go now.

Mr. and Mrs. Tian,

enjoy your meal.

You're finally here.

What's wrong? Didn't go well?

No.

Di Liren pulled a whole stunt

before Mr. Tian

to slander me.

Now even Mr. Tian thinks

I'm mentally unstable.

I need to get tested

right away

to prove I'm sane.

Di Liren

is completely out of line now.

You're totally fine mentally.

He just wants

to turn you

into a madwoman.

You need the test,

but at the right time,

in the right way,

to force him

to admit you're fine,

or it will backfire.

I take you to Liu Zi's?

I...

She said

she needs some quiet time.

Well then,

I have a new secret place.

Coming?

Come on in.

Have a seat.

This is the secret place you meant?

Special treatment today,

no admission fee.

You're the one who invited me,

and you charge me?

Mr. Jiao,

you can play the suona?

I learned it on my own.

Really?

A client of yours

left this here, no?

Listen closely.

Stop!

Stop!

What are you even playing?

You got it?

Nobody could.

Stop playing, Mr. Jiao.

Otherwise, you will

get a legal note.

Did you learn this

for your lawsuits?

I grew up around it.

My parents were

in the funeral business.

Funeral business?

So I've always felt

life is short.

Buy what you love,

do what you want to do,

and don't hesitate,

or you might never get another chance.

Thanks.

Aren't you being a bit pessimistic?

Not pessimistic, realistic.

Ten years ago,

I already wrote my will.

I update the notarization yearly.

So many tragedies strike

before the next day.

You never know

what's coming next.

True.

A few months ago,

I never would've imagined being here.

Who knows how many rumors

Di Liren spread out there

about me being crazy.

He plotted all this

so meticulously,

not just to seize power,

but to destroy my credibility.

That way, if I

expose his thing with Lu Hui,

people will think I'm insane.

That only proves

our strategy is working.

We cornered him

into such cheap tricks.

He used to

nail every situation.

By that logic,

this counts as a victory for us?

Again?

Why wouldn't it count?

Don't you fear your neighbors

will complain about the noise?

I'm only worried you'll lose heart.

What if you quit

and skip out on my payment?

I won't lose heart.

I'm just thinking

about what we should do next.

(Di Liren, Han Guang)

(Lin Qiang, Warehouse)

I don't think Di Liren

has enough power

to rig an independent testing agency.

The only possibility is

that the warehouse samples

were swapped.

And tampering always

leaves a trail.

You are really something, Mr. Jiao.

If we cross-check receipts

against batch numbers,

wouldn't that prove...

Wait,

I'm not even

at the company anymore.

You did great today.

Mr. Tian bought it.

We used to fear

she'd hunt us down even abroad

and never let us go

because she had money, friends,

and resources.

But now, if everyone thinks

she's sick

and needs to be institutionalized,

what do we have to fear?

She can't do anything

to Haoyu then.

Of course.

What do you plan to do

with this?

Yu Meng

was supposed

to give this to Mrs. Tian.

You had me swap it for earrings.

Keep it if you like it.

I don't want her stuff.

Then toss it.

You will

have as many as you want soon.

(Liu Bai's Resume)

(Majored in Psychology)

(Used to be a content creator)

Mommy,

don't forget my playdough

and watercolors.

I nearly forgot.

Breakfast is ready.

Go ahead and eat.

Okay.

Sit.

Liu Bai, why did you buy...

(I didn't know)

(what kind of watercolors,)

(so I bought)

Zi.

(all of them.)

What is it?

Are you going out?

An interview.

Looks good?

Look,

Kang Long

referred me to two companies.

Running late.

I have to go.

Which companies?

I haven't polished your resume yet.

E-commerce companies.

I'm really into them.

He already

polished my resume.

Bye, Chestnut!

Bye, Zi!

Wish me luck!

Uncle's so energetic today.

Indeed.

I thought

he'd stay home for three months.

But I wonder,

if he flunks the interview,

will he be upset again?

Hello.

Mr. Kang hired me

to clean for three hours.

Is it okay to start now?

I can't believe this.

Can't I clean up myself?

Is our place really that messy?

No, thanks.

Wait.

Since you're here...

Meng,

someone named Weng Yue

brought something and asked me

to give it to you.

Weng Yue?

(Get Well Soon)

Hello?

I brought something for your dad.

In a rush, I left a flash drive

containing our company's files

in the hospital.

Did you see it?

(Get Well Soon)

No.

That's a relief.

I was scared to death.

I thought

I lost our company's

trade secrets.

A cautious person like you

couldn't do that.

Weng Yue knows how to avoid risk.

With this call log,

she won't be accused

of leaking secret files.

Still, your intake logs

have over 6,000 entries.

Can you finish all that?

Mr. Jiao,

if I couldn't even handle this,

she wouldn't have bothered helping me.

Mr. Tian.

Good to see you!

Me too, Mr. Han.

- Hello. - Hello.

This way.

Han,

it wasn't easy for me

to get you time with Mr. Tian.

Make the most of it.

Of course.

We just

developed new stuff

and we'd love Mr. Tian's guidance.

Are you done yet?

Until you give me

a reasonable explanation,

this isn't over!

Honey,

why are you here?

Honey,

I suspect their company

swapped the test samples for Jinghua.

The test report can't be trusted at all.

That's slander!

Show us the proof!

I checked

all the inventory logs for Jinghua.

The batch numbers of the test samples

and the stock logs

don't match at all.

This is my proof!

Where did you get them?

Must be a mistake.

Mr. Di, stay out of this.

I want an explanation, too.

She has been targeting us

for a long time.

I can't figure out

what she's up to.

She beefs with the company,

or with me?

Since you have doubts,

have Mr. Lin

come out and explain.

Who is this?

Weng Yue,

my wife's sister.

No need to make a fuss over this.

I think it might be

just a clerical error.

Thousands of entries are correct,

yet only the test samples are wrong?

Quite a coincidence, isn't it?

When it comes to brand image,

everything is a big deal.

Since Miss Yu has concerns,

I can personally

send another batch of Jinghua for testing.

That's not necessary.

It's already been tested twice.

Once more won't hurt.

If it can finally

put Meng's mind

at ease,

it's worth it.

Well,

let Meng

handle it in person.

Don't worry, Mr. Tian.

I'll do it myself.

Mr. Di,

if Miss Yu send samples for testing,

she'll find out soon.

Once the results are out,

I'll be the first one locked up!

Everything I did

was on Mr. Han's orders!

Otherwise, I'd never have the guts.

He told me

to ignore the active ingredients,

saying he'd already

hooked up the QC team,

and that easy money's ours.

That's an internal matter.

Deal with it yourselves.

I can't help you.

Look,

Mr. Di,

could you

hit Mr. Han up for me?

H-He keeps avoiding me.

Look...

I'm sorry,

but I'm off to a meeting.

W-Wait, Mr. Di...

Mr. Di, please!

Miss Yu, please help me out.

Please, help me!

Mr. Lin,

only you

can save yourself.

What do you mean?

I-I don't understand.

How did you

forge the Jinghua samples?

Who put you up to it?

Lay it all out in detail

at the meeting.

If you tell the truth,

from the company's side,

I can guarantee

they will go easy on you,

or the production files

with your signature

will be solid proof to lock you up.

(I miss you, Zi.)

(Can we talk?)

(See you at the usual place tonight.)

Zi,

I missed you so much!

You didn't contact me for days.

I thought

you'd never talk to me again.

Nonsense, silly.

It wasn't your fault.

I've thought it through these days.

My brother got arrested,

and I lost my job.

Di Liren set up the whole trap.

He's a bad person

and deserves to be punished.

Don't say that.

You're being so understanding,

which only makes me feel worse.

I'd rather you hit me

or yell at me.

That'll make me feel better.

You're really going to hit me?

Come on.

Not a single text all week?

You deserve it.

I do!

I was just worried

you'd find me annoying.

So I didn't dare reach out to you.

We used to talk

every single day.

When it suddenly went quiet,

I just felt empty

inside.

Look,

I wrote what I wanted to say

to you in this notebook.

Take a look.

(Eat well no matter what) You're still just like when you were

back in school.

You always write things down

in small pads.

I have something for you too.

Ice cream!

I've been craving this for days!

You always know me best,

my sweet Zi.

What flavor is yours?

Strawberry.

Let me try.

Go ahead.

It's so good!

Delicious!

Do you remember

back when we were in school?

After school,

we'd come straight here.

Every single day,

we'd buy an ice cream

and hang out here eating it.

We were so happy.

Of course, I remember.

My birthday

fell during summer break.

As a kid, I always felt ripped off.

I never got a birthday gift back

in return.

Only you remembered.

You'd always call me right on time

to say happy birthday.

We used to sit here,

eating ice cream

and exchanging gifts.

You've actually always

been such a thoughtful person,

even if you seem carefree

on the surface.

Zi,

have you thought

about what to do in the future?

I haven't decided yet.

Anyway, I won't

work for anyone again.

All these years of grinding

have totally burned me out.

I'll take a good rest first,

and then see if I can

open a little shop

and do a small business.

My sweetie,

opening a shop,

running a small business...

Good idea.

Are you part cat?

Why do you sneak up on me?

I'm sorry.

I came to apologize to you.

About the cleaning,

I was out of line.

That's in the past.

And also,

I was wrong last time too.

I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have

judged you and Liu Bai.

Is today an official apology tour?

You actually made a fair point.

I should be thanking you.

You helped Liu Bai find his direction.

He went to Beijing

to study videography.

When I was

on a video call with him,

it was the first time

I'd seen him work so hard.

I...

I just want to say...

You don't have to bear it all

on yourself.

Leaning on someone

isn't that bad.

I'm used to it.

I have to handle everything myself.

I can't trust others with it.

Does that mean

I've done a terrible job

these past few days,

and couldn't satisfy you?

Not like that.

So you're satisfied?

Tell me.

What's holding you back?

I have Chestnut to take care of.

The kid comes first.

I think Chestnut and I

get along great.

Kang Long,

there's something I need to tell you.

What is it you want to tell me?

Actually, I looked for you after that night,

but couldn't find you.

I flew straight to Germany next day

and changed my contact info.

Only came back this year.

So, what is it?

Before I tell you,

let me ask you a question.

All these years abroad, you...

I'm so sorry.

I really have to take this call.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Hello?

What's up?

If he doesn't listen, spank him.

He's tough as nails.

Well, he does learn fast.

After all, he's ten.

Besides,

he's my boy,

smart like me.

Then tell him

Daddy will be back soon.

Let him wait.

Alright, bye-bye.

Where'd she go?

He has a kid?

And the boy is already ten!

Guess what that means?

That means,

when we...

He was already a dad!

A married

scumbag!

What if he got divorced

when the kid

was still little?

Doesn't that make him worse?

Look,

he must've been so awful

that his ex-wife

divorced him

right after the baby

came.

So clearheaded.

What a shame.

I thought this was going to be

a sweet reunion story.

Anyway,

I'll never let him know

that he's Chestnut's dad.

Keep this a secret for me.

Chestnut is used to living

without a father.

If a father

suddenly shows up one day,

it shouldn't be someone

who already has a kid

and can't give her his full love

and attention as a shared dad.

That's meaningless to Chestnut.

You're right.

Chestnut is doing just fine right now.

Zi,

what if he

keeps pursuing you?

I won't give him the chance.

A player like him

probably has kids all over the place.

Where are you going?

(Test Results & Item Details) The latest test data for Jinghua

(Pass & Fail) is all right here.

(Fail) As you can see,

several indicators failed.

Mr. Lin admitted

that he let greed blind him,

cutting corners during production

for personal gain,

and swapped out the samples

last time.

Sorry to interrupt.

Honey,

it's an exec meeting.

You shouldn't attend.

Mr. Di,

she's Jiali's legal rep,

Yu Jianguo's daughter.

Yu Jianguo currently

lacks civil capacity,

so she is

accountable to the company for her father.

The new product about to launch

passed Jiali's quality inspection

so smoothly

and quickly.

Who on earth

signed off on it?

I'd like to know too.

Mr. Di,

what do you think?

Then let Mr. Lin explain

who

his accomplice inside Jiali was.

Okay.

Mr. Lin, please tell everyone

who helped you

bypass the quality check

to let this batch pass.

Ms. Zhang.

That's nonsense.

I'm sorry, Ms. Zhang.

Right now,

we can't hide it.

You and I

have been strictly following

company rules

all this time.

No personal favors.

You can't pin this on me!

Turning your back on me now?

That's dirty.

When you took a car from me back then,

you looked quite happy.

W-What car?

Make yourself clear!

The one you're driving now,

worth a million...

Mr. Lin,

back it up

with evidence.

Sure.

(Test Results & Item Details)

The engine number

of Ms. Zhang's car

is written clearly

right in the contract.

(Invoice)

And the invoices

for the bags and watches from me

are all here.

(Lin Qiang)

These were rewards

given to me by the company

for commercializing my research!

They were clearly the kickbacks we agreed on,

okay?

I wrote up

a higher budget

for Jinghua,

and then you signed off on it

and helped me pass QC.

Once the money came in,

I gave you your cut

through the car

and luxury goods!

Absolute nonsense!

The samples I approved

had no issues at all!

And that car...

Mr. Di

handed me the key in person!

He can vouch for me!

Zhang Yu,

I'm really disappointed in you.

Mr. Lin,

even though you have

the contracts and invoices,

it can't directly prove

that she took bribes from you.

After all,

these files are super accessible.

I couldn't believe it at first either.

But...

Let's have Mr. Lin

explain it.

I know I won't get away

with this.

That's why I confessed to Mr. Di

before the meeting,

hoping for a chance

to mend my ways.

Here are my personal bank statements.

(Jiangzhou Bank Transaction Details) The kickback transfers to Ms. Zhang

are on them.

I couldn't have made this up.

You two

set this trap for me

from the very beginning, right?

Once a problem arises,

I'm going to take the fall.

Don't put it that way.

Didn't Miss Yu just say

that we need proof?

Do you have any?

You plotted this for so long.

Would you leave behind any proof

for me to find?

As for this matter,

the company will

investigate thoroughly

and fix it by law.

Get out and assist with inquiries.

Ms. Zhang.

Thank you, Mr. Di,

for teaching me this lesson.

I'll never forget it.

I will pay the price

for my blind trust,

but karma will come around.

Bad guys

will face retribution!

=The Vanishing Beauty= (Next Episode Preview)

(Jiali) I'd like to apply to return to Jiali

and work

with you all.

I object.

How about this?

Let's take

a show of hands.

Then Jinghua

(Brand Ambassador Yu Meng) will be put under Meng's charge.

(General Manager Yu Meng)

There's no money left in our account.

We can't pay the manufacturer's deposit.

We're out of money?

Mr. Di, your wife

is truly something else.

She cornered me right at my company.

Didn't get the money, right?

I looked into it.

You

checked into Ms. Xu?

♪Old dreams have faded in color♪

♪A lonely heart torn in conflict♪

♪The love that stumbled along♪

♪Was just a quiet release♪

♪I write the future into a song, honoring the brave with no regrets♪

♪Turning all losses into the passion of this moment♪

♪I write the future into a song, for the me who never walks away♪

♪Forging all weaknesses into sharp, bold colors♪

♪In this life, I follow only my own choice♪

♪The chilled night has lost its color♪

♪No need to echo those who drifted apart♪

♪No longer proving my worth to anyone♪

♪The answer has long been etched in my silhouette♪

♪I write the future into a song, for the me who never walks away♪

♪Paving every twist and turn into a path forward♪

♪The ending of this life will be set by me♪