A hot tempered cop goes undercover to find his mother.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Wang Zi Qi: Chu Yi Han
Tian Yu: Cheng Fan
Su Xiao Tong: Gu Lin Na
Tang Xiao Tian:Yu Da Luo
Zhao Xun: Sha Xiao Fei
Director
Screenwriter
Zhao Jun Kai (Author)
Chinese Title
Black and White Password
[Ep1] Northwest desert. The scenery is gorgeous. Chu Yi Han (Wang Zi Qi) is tracking dangerous wanted murderer, Long Qi (Hou Jie). Lao Han's partner, Yu Da Luo (Tang Xiao Tian) informs him that they need to catch the suspect before he gets into the city. Chu Yi Han arrives at the noodle shack first in his cool motorcycle and red leather jacket. Wouldn't be my fashion choice in this heat. In the back room a couple is tied up and duct taped. The man has a bomb on his chest. A mask wearing suspect watches them apprehensively. The lady is let out to take Chu Yi Han's order.
[Ep4] 10 years ago. Cheng Fan secretly meets with undercover Chu Yi Han's mom, Captain Lin Ke (Liu Wei Wei), at a restaurant. They are sitting at different tables and talking over the phone. She lets him know that she will likely meet Gu next month. He updates her on Chu Yi Han who is missing her like crazy. Poor kid. Losing his mother at such an age is very difficult. She left his 12 year old birthday present on the table. Chu Yi Han, with a bruise on his face, comes slamming down his back pack on the table. Kid's temperament hasn't changed much. And his slickness. Under the guise of calling his grandpa, he uses Uncle Cheng's phone, re-dials the last number to talk to his mom. He knows Uncle Cheng is in contact with her but doesn't know why she abandoned him. His mom made a mistake and was dismissed. He's not allowed to tell anyone that his mother was a cop. 😭
Chu Yi Han tells him to stop bluffing when Gun officially introduces himself as Lao Qiang. He isn't old enough. He must be his son.
Network: Tencent Video
Recapper: Potato Chip
Recap Grade: A
First Impression: 3/5
First Impression: 3/5
Mini Recaps
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| Intro to our hero |
Chu Yi Han kicks the door in. Mask guy tries to run but Chu Yi Han tackles him, ripping off his mask to see that he is also duct taped. It's a fake out, the duct taped guy wearing the latest designer bomb is actually the criminal and knocks out Chu Yi Han with a chair.
Xu Da Luo finally gets there, announcing that the place is surrounded by the police. Backroom door opens, Chu Yi Han scoffs at his empty threat. Flashback, Chu Yi Han pretended to be unconscious, he swiftly swept the guy's legs and handcuffed him. Brother Pancake becomes Brother Noodles, Da Luo asks the shop owner for a bowl of noodles. Shop owner glares back. Man needs needs a PTO day for self-care. Bad guy loudly yells for him to get the damn noodles for Da Luo. Everyone, "WTF?" Ha! 🍜
Show must be sponsored by Coke. Da Luo compares the "Wanted" picture of Long Qi, which is a basic cartoon drawing on a poker card, to the bad guy. He's like, "That's a good picture of me, I am a legend." Chu Yi Han snarks, "Bro. Legends aren't supposed to suck like you." That's his first clue that this isn't really Long Qi. Chu Yi Han realizes that he is buying time and they get out of there. Poor Da Luo hasn't finished his noodles.
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| Even if the drama lighting isn't dark, that photo has no resemblance |
Drama has no budget for music, we hear Da Luo singing off-key (Chu Yi Han must love him to endure this) as they drive Fake Long Qi through the desert. Another car chases and rams at them. Chu Yi Han fights and captures the other guy. The real Long Qi is the twin to fake one.
Gu Lin Na (Su Xiao Tong), wearing a red Han Fu, dances in the middle of the desert. She represents folk dancing. 💃🏻 Lecherous photographer sneaks a picture of her changing. She and her BFF fights them. Cheng Fan (Tian Yu), a local police officer, comes to help her but then he collapses suddenly.
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| Please no fire hydrants |
Da Luo finds that the twins use 1 ID, making them more elusive. Chu Yi Han questions Long Qi, telling him to answer him because they are on the same side. Chu Yi Han shoots Da Luo dead.
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| Tang Xiao Tian, are you a cameo? |
Threatening Long Qi with a gun to his head, Long Qi reveals that Gun gave him this gun. Gun hired him to escort someone to Hanbei. So, a guy named Gun used a gun to make Long Qi his hired gun. Got it? Long Qi refuses to talk anymore.
Chu Yi Han tells Da Luo to undead himself. Groaning, Da Luo promises to report him to Master. Tacit understanding of good partners. Weren't the Northwest Wolves Gang 🐺 destroyed 5 years ago? Are they back?
Cheng Fan is picked up by an ambulance. He flashes back to 5 years ago when the leader of the Northwest Wolves Gang, Gu Mulan, blew him up. Chu Yi Han's mom, Captain Lin, also disappeared in this incident.
Police Bureau. Chief of Police, Chief Tai Yong Zhong (Du Yuan), is debriefed on our guy's mission. Qiao Dan is our tech guy. He caught the Chief's attention when he mentioned Gun.
Train. Our guys and a couple of other cops are escorting the twins back. Da Luo is munching and chatting casually with Long Qi. Smart, this silly guy act is get Long Qi talking so that they can learn more about him. Conclusion, he's a psychopath.
Long Qi's phone got a text message from Gun. Meet on the 6th at 9. Long Qi manages to hold Da Luo hostage in the bathroom.
[Ep2] Flashback. Long Qi kills a car full of people to kidnap a 17 year old girl. Wrong girl. Whoops. He kills her too. Psychopath. Gun calls him to meet for a business deal.
[Ep3] 5 years ago. Cheng Fan meets with Gun to buy a gun. He is held up at gun point by a mask man taking away his pocket gun and asking him why he wants to buy a gun when he already has a gun. While being lead in by the gun slinger he snorts/cough. They must have been gunning for him because before he could gǔn 滚, we hear the explosion and see him flying to the ground. I am amusing myself to see how many times I can use the word "gun". Noun, proper noun, adjective, verb, adverb, and Mandarin.
Back to Da Luo being strangled on the train. Train stops, Long Qi runs. A car races up to block him, slamming him to the ground. Duan Qing, Chief of CID, aka Jenga Master (Zhang Jin) orders Chu Yi Han inside the car. Shi Fu Duan is not happy with lone heroism, and him not evacuating the crowd. Huh? We didn't see that. Were these scenes of irresponsible policing were cut by censors? A Spiderman train stunt seems to be gone too. Chu Yi Han proposes that they let "Long Qi" meet with Gun. "Long Qi" = undercover Chu Yi Han. His Master thinks it is wild goose chase.
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| Don't play Crossy Road with this guy either |
Dr. Mu Xiao Wan (Yang Shu) takes care of sleeping Cheng Fan. He wakes up and starts flirting with her. Yes, they have history. And an inappropriate doctor-patient relationship. She reminds him that he has a ticking time bomb in his chest caused by the shrapnel explosion 5 years ago and he needs surgery. His Shi Fu, Chief Tai, visits. He wants him back to defeat the Northwest Wolves Gang, but Cheng Fan's health and his feelings of letting everyone down in the past make him decline. Cheng Fan begs him master for 1 favor, please keep Chu Yi Han out of this. Chu Yi Han's father died when Captain Lin was undercover, that is why Cheng Fan became his guardian. Chief Tai is silent, seeming to relent to this request. They need to protect Captain Lin's son.
Chu Yi Han has a nightmare about losing his mother. He wakes up in a sweat and looks at their family picture. What's up with her cartoon face? Was that to keep her identity secret? Poor guy silently cries like a little boy missing his mother.
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| Jebsen doesn't believe in foundation but raspberry lipstick is OK |
Techie Qiao Dan learns that Gun doesn't know Long Qi's voice because he always uses a voice changer. Duan Qing is considering Chu Yi Han's undercover idea.
Scratched up Da Luo is king right now. He has an audience of impressionable young cops listening to his awesome tale of car chasing and catching Long Qi. The entire time, Chu Yi Han is seriously massaging his shoulders. My turn! My turn!
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| I would flub my lines to have this treatment last forever |
Qiao Dan runs in to give Da Luo a super special traditional wound ointment that has been passed down for generations. Chu Yi Han recognizes it as the ointment he gave Qiao Dan. And Da Luo recognizes it as the one he gave Chu Yi Han. Hahahaha. Chu Yi Han's glance back to Qiao Dan. So Qiao Dan is giving his family ointment that comes from Da Luo back to Da Luo. Qiao Dan naively says that his dad gave it to him and the other guys concede. xD They make a pack to rebel against Captain Duan. Not young anymore Qiao Dan doesn't quite understand, but Da Luo bad mouths saying no one likes him because he "breaks limbs" (It's a play on his name). Of course Duan and Chief Tai walk in on them.
Meeting, they will do the undercover mission, Captain Duan volunteers himself. But Long Qi knows 3 other languages, can he pass? Chu Yi Han slickly says in Russian that Captain Duan knows Russian but his accent needs improvement. Chu Yi Han throws out phrases in Khalkha Mongolian for good measure. He learned these languages for his mother. Everyone realizes that Chu Yi Han is the perfect candidate, but Chief Tai says nope.
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| Chu Yi Han has dumbfounded Master |
Back to present times, hospital. Gu Lin Na and her friend visits Cheng Fan. He is interested in her surname, Gu. Chatting loquaciously, he checks her ID. We learn that Gu Lin Na knows nothing about Gu Mu Lan except he's a bad guy, who has a nursery song named after him to scare kids. Boogie monster. She has a foot injury requiring an external metal plate because she was bitten by hyenas. She also loves wolves because they scared away the hyenas for her. Her foot injury doesn't prevent her from her love of dancing. Save me. I am recapping another "determined heroine loves dancing" drama.
As she leaves, Chu Yi Han and Da Luo come it. Gu Lin Na and Chu Yi Han share a slow motion look at each other. Our CP "meets".
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| Drama plays the vibe of a past meeting present selves |
Old fox Cheng Fan calls Qiao Dan with Gu Lin Na's ID number to run a background check for him. Cheng Fan tests our guy's sign language abilities. I don't know what he meant, but I am sure he is mocking a very annoyed Chu Yi Han. Chu Yi Han wants to know if he was the one blocking him from going undercover. Cheng Fan plays dumb and deflects by showing him real estate pictures. Observant Da Luo asked Cheng Fan if Chief Tai visited him. The fruit basket sold in front of the station gave him away. Chu Yi Han is very mad at this meddling uncle.
Cheng Fan warns Chu Yi Han that if he went into the wolf's den, he will die. He shows the scars from explosion and retells the story of how the Gun suspected him because of that snort cough. It wasn't even a signal but something so minor can kill an undercover cop. Chu Yi Han isn't scared, if it were him, he wouldn't have coughed. xD Da Luo's antenna went up, his sign language isn't bad after all. But Chu Yi Han ignores his anxious "abort" signals and continues to argue with Uncle Cheng that he wouldn't make such a basic mistake. An adult finally arrives to stop these bickering kids. Dr. Mu sternly tells them to keep the noise level down.
Poor Da Luo nags Chu Yi Han about his temper. He hangs out with these oldies all the time, why does he keep arguing with them? Chu Yi Han proposes that they resign, go solo to investigate the case if he can't be undercover. Da Luo nopes out of that plan. He needs this stable job and chance to meet a wife. LOL.
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| Just 2 bros slapping each other |
Dr. Mu asks Cheng Fan if he had a crush on Chu Yi Han's mom. Nooooo... It was simply an admiration. Dr. Mu freezes when she sees the business card of a famous cardiothoracic surgeon that Gu Lin Na had left. Surgeon is Dr. Mu's father. They don't look like they have a harmonious relationship.
Qian Dan reports that Gu Lin Na's background is clean. She is apparently the 9th daughter than Cheng Fan has found for Gu Mu Lan.
Captain Duan studies Long Qi's characteristics profile. Failed 7th grade. Speaks at moderate speed with swearing. "Subject + damn + verb". Doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs, but snores softly occasionally. Has a scar on his neck.
Sinister guy playing the piano. He is Gu Lin Na's brother-in-law, Zhou Ji (Fu Cheng Peng). The music store also created a nifty voice changing program that can mimic another person's voice. Voice deep fake. Of course, sinister BIL wants it.
Gu Lin Na and her friend are chased by a motorcycle gang. They want revenge for her putting the pervert photographer in jail. Da Luo and Chu Yi Han drive by the scene. Nonchalantly, Da Luo says someone should call the police. Um, uh... Chu Yi Han reminds him that they are the police. But Da Luo doesn't want him to show his face if he wants to go undercover.
The ladies run into an underground garage. Da Luo tries to stop the hooligans on his own. He is too out numbered, but never fear, Chu Yi Han is here flying over the hood of a car! Da Luo doesn't have his police ID, but he has a drink while watching Chu Yi Han take down everyone to save Gu Lin Na. They share another timeless look. He introduces himself as Long Qi.
Da Luo jumps in to shake Gu Lin Na's hand and greets her with her with his talents. Da Luo can cook and read tarot cards. How is this guy still single?
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| I don't think you can read your future |
Back at the station, Chief Tai shows Chu Yi Han his mother's top secret file. Tears fall as he sees her picture for the first time. Chief Tai assures him that his mother is their hero, they haven't forgotten her and will find her. And every elite cop he has sent to the Northwest Wolves Gang has not come back unscathed. This mission can't be a lone wolf one.
Cheng Fan calls Captain Duan. He is going to surgery, if he doesn't make it, please promise that he and Chief Tai will take care of Chu Yi Han. He is their collective son. Lucky Chu Yi Han has 3 dads. Unlucky, 3 times the discipline.
As Cheng Fan is wheeled back to the OR, he confesses to Dr. Mu that he likes her. If he lives, he will help her take care of her son and keep her company till old age. If he dies, she needs to help him take care of Chu Yi Han as his step-mother. Cheng Fan must think that he's still a 12 year old boy. Cheng Fan gets a last minute coded text message. "Prepare for action". Captain Lin!
Chu Yi Han types his self-reflection letter along with his resignation letter. Cheng Fan aborts his surgery and rushes to the police station with Captain Lin's coded message. There is a last symbol that they don't know. Why would an undercover officer who disappeared 5 years ago suddenly send a message? Either she's real or she's manipulated/defected. Chu Yi Han immediately recognizes his mother's code and knows that the last symbol stands for himself. Instead of nursery rhymes, she must have taught him spy games. He takes back his resignation letter 😂 and brings out his birthday gift, a necklace pendant, to prove that the symbol represents him. The M with a tail ♏ stands for Scorpio, his sign, and that he was always the little tail following his father, Chu Ming. Aww, what a beautiful, loving family that was broken apart. The message is clear. "Prepare for action, Chu Yi Han."
The fathers have doubts. Why would a mother send her son into danger? Yi Han analyzes. Why would his mother willingly deceive him? She must have her reasons and they should trust her. Gun calls again. Chu Yi Han takes it and the undercover mission.
Preparation? Chu Yi Han practices swearing. I wish I understood Mandarin. Either the English subs or the censors made it less amusing. Long Qi's moderate speech pattern. With a snarky attitude, he goes to meet Gun, Sha Xiao Fei (Zhao Xun). Gun tells him to get into a van. He finds a mute old man asking for help. Gun calls, ordering him to drive the old man to a certain spot. Gun comes onboard an puts a bomb vest on the old man. Chu Yi Han taps his jacket button, a signaling device, to update the surveillance team. Gun is hilarious as he tells the old man to "take it easy". He and Chu Yi Han leave the old man in the car and take another vehicle.
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| Maybe if I were bombless I could relax a bit |
Da Luo gets rid of the bomb and take the old man to the hospital. The charismatic Gun introduces himself to a stiff voiced Chu Yi Han. Good detail of Chu Yi Han trying to act like Long Qi and being awkward as expected at first. Police are chasing them and Captain Duan's cars blocks their way. Chu Yi Han jesters for Gun to give him a gun ; ) only to drag Gun out by gunpoint. This job interview is not going well. Captain Duan tells "Long Qi" to drop his G/guns. Shootout ensues. Gun is hit in the arm. Strike 1. Chu Yi Han shoots Captain Duan to the ground. Frightened Gun screams for "Long Qi" to get back in the car and drive away.
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| This wasn't what I hired you for... |
A flashback to the undercover preparation. It was planned to set up this checkpoint, shootout, injuring Gun, and for Chu Yi Han to take him to a specific clinic in order to gain his trust. Make up artist creates a scar on his neck which will only last 3 days, the parameters of this operation.
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| Fierce police sketch |
Back at the shoot out scene. Captain Duan asks the guys how was his performance. Excellent, he is a great actor and portrayed pain very convincingly. Go Zhang Jin! Duan complains. Of course, damn it. The brat shot him 3 times and it freaking hurt! Must be revenge. He has to be helped up. xD. Don't be friends with Chu Yi Han. He will occasionally shoot ya.
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| Chu Yi Han is getting a lump of coal in his stocking from Father #3 |
Gu Lin Na massages her friend's injured arm. She and Chu Yi Han are masseur soul mates. They see the news of wanted fugitive Long Qi. Oops, the handsome guy they met is a crazy killer? Zhou Ji, her sinister brother-in-law, secretly arranges for her to be a headliner dancer at a charity event.
Chu Yi Han and Gun arrives at the clinic. Chu Yi Han has the thug walk down. Lady doctor bandages his wound. A masked Cheng Fan pretends to be a patient. He is here to identify if this is truly Gun. 2nd part of the job interview, Gun tells him to kill the doctor. Fine, Chu Yi Han is no fool. He doesn't work for free. He is also a go-getter. He will kill her for 500K and the other 3 patients too. Oops, only 1 bullet left. Gun tests his improvisational skills. Use his hands. This casual conversational tone and Gun's bright sadistic smile makes this all creepy and amusing.
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| Ok, why should I hire you? |
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| What are your strengths and weaknesses? |
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| Where do you see yourself in 3 days? |
[Ep5] 11 years ago. Little Gu Lin Na's uncle drops her off at ballet class. The other girls make fun of her black socks that are hiding her metal plated foot. Plucky Gu Lin Na doesn't let that phase her and shows them how she is an excellent dancer despite her foot difference. Uncle looks on proudly. At a dance recital, she performs a solo dance. She falls and hears a mysterious voice cheering her on. Her guardians are apprehensive. She gets right back up to finish splendidly. Cute girl. This is better than any fire hydrant dance.
Chu Yi Han storms back into the clinic. He eyes a masked Cheng Fan and contemplates how to fake shoot him. Gun comes back and tells him they should go. He passed this interview part?
Gu Lin Na and her friend, Nuo Nuo (Xiang Yu Xing), Thank you MDL! go to the hospital to find Cheng Fan. They want to ask him about Long Qi. They run into Da Luo instead and realize that he is indeed a cop. Why would a cop hang out with a fugitive? Uh... Da Luo can't really explain either.
Cheng Fan texts Chu Yi Han an encrypted message to return immediately. Gun throws his phone out the window. When Gun refuses to go get it, Chu Yi Han explodes, grabs his hair, and slams his head on the dashboard. Interview Strike 2! Loving this hilarious volatility. He points the gun to Gun's head. "Long Qi" says he's been elusive all these years, how come cops find him as soon as Gun appears? Gun tells him that he will transfer 2 million to him if "Long Qi" shoots and kills him. Alipay happens. Real Long Qi is banking sitting in custody. Fine, "Long Qi" won't kill this cash cow.
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| What an arrogant finger |
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| Gun: This new hire causes me headaches |
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| But I like him... |
Gu Lin Na doesn't understand why Da Luo doesn't want her to talk about Long Qi rescuing them in the garage. She is also perplexed why the mute old man looks familiar. Cheng Fan reports to Chief Tai his suspicion that Gun can't be the real Old Gun. He hopes this mission ends quickly for Chu Yi Han's safety. At the hospital, Cheng Fan sees the mute old man. He signs and finds out his name is Lu Tian Yang. Later, as he is driving Gu Lin Na home, he learns that her family owns a homestay, her mother has passed away, and she hasn't seen her father for years.
Gun takes Chu Yi Han to his home base and introduces him to his henchman, Skull. A beautiful woman, Yiyi (Fu Mei), excitedly runs up to Gun and kisses him. "Xiao Fei" is back! Thank you, I will be calling him Xiao Fei from here. "Gun" was getting too confusing and ugly. Mid make-out session, Yiyi notices the good-looking new guy. She saunters up to him. Lady, if you flirt with him, he's going FLIRT back.
In the most seductive voice and sweet pretty smile, he confirms he's the killer. Yiyi sits on the arm of his chair. He plays with her hair. Just a light touch. Xiao Fei says killers make the best bodyguards. She asks him what's it like to kill people. Remembering how Long Qi talked on the train, he slowly draws out the killing a cow is harder than a human analogy. His eyes looking at her unflinchingly the entire time. Yiyi, who is dating a crazed psychopath, is completely disturbed by this even crazier psychopath. She tells Xiao Fei to let Long Qi go, his eyes want to sleep with her.
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| He is killing me |
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| Dying.... |
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| Dying... |
Xiao Fei: Is that so?Chu Yi Han leans forward with the most menacingly innocuous smile: Can I?
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| And I'm dead |
Wanting to sleep with the boss's girlfriend? Strike 3! You are hired! Only in the mafia does 3 strikes earn you respect. Please schedule your orientation and team-building activities.
Xiao Fei laughs it off, of course everyone wants to sleep with Chu Yi Han her. Chu Yi Han reiterates that he has another job in 3 days. He wants Skull to give him bullets, he can't sleep without them. WZQ's characters are always looking for something. Mother here. Father in Imperial Coroner, Son in The Love You Give Me. Equipment in Bright Eyes. And bullets in Winter & Lion. xD
Chu Yi Han is finally alone in his room. He leans against the door, releasing the pent up tension and façade. Turning on the lights, he searches the room for monitoring devices. He loads the gun and sends an arrival message back to headquarters through his secret button. Captain Duan is relieved and knows that this is the last message, Chu Yi Han will need to destroy the button device.
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| He isn't infallible after all |
Cheng Fan looks at old case pictures. There is also one of Chu Yi Han and his mother. It's late at night, Chief Tai is still working as Cheng Fan calls him. He will come back to the division to help watch over Chu Yi Han.
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| Actually, the cartoon does look like her |
Xiao Fei takes apart a gun. Yiyi wonders aloud about Long Qi. "Do killers have such good skin?" Doesn't Xiao Fei think he looks like the Masked Wolf Lady in their VR shooting game? Same eyes and mouth. Hmm... Also confusing, the dubbing sound was different at the "mouth" part. Was something else said?
Skull summons Chu Yi Han. He not-so-low-key snarks about Xiao Fei's um... stamina. "Didn't he just get started?" 🍆 😂 Xiao Fei tells Chu Yi Han to play the VR Shooting Game with them. Of course, Xiao Fei needs to pay up for this activity. Xiao Fei clarifies the job. "Long Qi" is to protect him when he goes to this meeting with his enemy. Finally, we get some details. Game starts. Chu Yi Han is teamed with Yiyi, Xiao Fei with Skull. Each team also has 2 NPC players. Chu Yi Han takes out Skull immediately. Xiao Fei hits Yiyi with a grenade and a "Bye, honey". In real life, she kicks him as revenge, causing him to tumble and be shot by Chu Yi Han. Xiao Fei screams at Yiyi and she pouts away. Girl, red flag. 🚩 🚩🚩
Only Chu Yi Han is left to take out the NPCs. He battles a lady wearing a white mask, Wolf Girl. Once he shoots her, the mask disappears, revealing his mother's face.
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| Good |
[Ep6] 6 years ago. Younger Sha Xiao Fei arrives to Gu's place. His 7th Aunt, Lin Ke (Chu Yi Han's mom) is there and greets him warmly. Look how much taller he's grown! She ruffles his mop of hair. I am jealous on Chu Yi Han's behalf as he missed these types of motherly interactions. He brags about how he is an adult now and gets to officially join the organization. Look at his shiny new gun! In a motherly tone, she tells him he should do something else. With slick move she grabs his gun and shoots the wall. Xiao Fei is momentarily frightened but then becomes excited. He wants her to teach him her coolness. She simply walks away.
Present Times, Long Qi is interrogated by Captain Duan and Cheng Fan. He outlines how he knew his brother was captured by Chu Yi Han and Yu Da Luo. He also figured out that the cops sent Chu Yi Han undercover as himself. He threatens that the police need him to tell about his dealings with Xiao Fei in order to keep Chu Yi Han's identity secret.
Chu Yi Han is still being strangled. Zhou Ji calls to set up their meeting place, the mall where the charity event is being held. Xiao Fei needs this bodyguard so he has Skull release him. Chu Yi Han rips off the noose and lunges at Xiao Fei. Xiao Fei points a gun at Chu Yi Han who uses his mother's slick move to steal it and conk Xiao Fei right in the kisser. Xiao Fei dares him to shoot the gun that his pointed to his head. Surprisingly, he one ups him by a thousand. Chu Yi Han turns the gun around and points it to his own head. He crazy cocks his eyebrows and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. Chu Yi Han knew the gun had no bullets just by feeling its weight. Boy, you were busy with your Ken Dreamhouse while Chu Yi Han dismantling guns at 12 years old. Xiao Fei is speechless and in love. He has found the one.
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| If you value your liver, don't play a "Chu Yi Han hits Xiao Fei" drinking game |
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| Out crazy-ing the craziest |
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| Xiao Fei: Will you marry me? |
Xiao Fei tests Chu Yi Han again. He wants "Long Qi" to call his brother, who has been captured by the police. On speaker, Xiao Fei hears the police ask who "Long Qi" is. This response satisfies Xiao Fei who interrupts. Captain Duan knows the ruse, he exclaims that Long Qi's brother has confessed and that they will get him. Xiao Fei hangs up, calling the police really stupid. Irony.
Chu Yi Han drives with Xiao Fei and Yiyi chatting about the VR game in the backseat. Xiao Fei reveals that the masked NPC was based on his 7th Aunt. He speaks about her fondly, she was his favorite when he was a kid. She is dead. Chu Yi Han maintains his poker face. Xiao Fei says 7th aunt was actually the worst player because she was the weakest and gentlest.
Chu Yi Han pulls over. He's done with the job. Playing hard to get? Xiao Fei dangles more money and he continues the drive.
Long Qi is being sleep deprived. Cheng Fan conducts a masterful psychological interrogation of Long Qi. With a bowl of sauerkraut noodles, he figured out Long Qi's tragic childhood. He and his twin brother were abused by their alcoholic father. Long Qi had pushed his brother causing him a head injury, causing his mother to favor the brother. The brother accidentally killed their father with a push, but their mother blamed Long Qi. This caused him to be resentful. He faked his and his brother's deaths and took him on a life of crime. Before leaving, he wanted to kill his mother, but instead, he stole a jar of her sauerkraut. Later, she realized who took the jar and has been living in loneliness and regret.
Long Qi's crime style is methodical. Twin brother's is haphazard and cruel. Turns out, twin was the one that shot that carful of people and 17 year old girl. Long Qi admits defeat to Cheng Fan. Cheng Fan will bring his mother to see him. Let bygones be bygones. Long Qi details how Mr. Bai introduced him to Sha Xiao Fei. Mr. Bai was the only employer that the twins met in person.
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| He is also the 2nd director of this drama |
Most awkward sleeping arrangement ever. Xiao Fei and Yiyi are on one bed. Skull in the next bed. And Chu Yi Han with his back turned to everyone in the last bed. 4 in a room. Xiao Fei, are you broke after paying Chu Yi Han to beat you? Chu Yi Han is unable to express his grief of learning about his mother's death. He can only silently bite his hand to have physical pain to mask his emotional one.
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| 😭 |
Night time at the police station, they are discussing how to get Chu Yi Han out because the 3rd day is tomorrow. Captain Duan tells Cheng Fan he should rest, Chief Tai agrees. Da Luo pipes up that he could use some rest too. The room death glares Da Luo. Chief Tai, Cheng Fan, and Captain Duan all have the same collective thought. "Millennial". Da Luo awkwardly says "Young people should work harder. Eliminate the Wolf King." And he clumsily leaves. Chief Tai smiles.
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| Cute Da Luo: Lao Han, take your fathers back |
Skull and Yiyi sent the police on a wild goose chase by putting Xiao Fei's cell phone in a shipping truck headed away from the mall. Gu Lin Na dances at the charity event. It's not bad.
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| Pretty |
Xiao Fei and Chu Yi Han arrive. Chu Yi Han secretly passes a message to a security guard and also to Gu Lin Na to call the police. 3rd time our CP meet. He implicitly trusts her already. Police are on the way.
Xiao Fei and Zhou Ji meet to discuss an arms deal. Each representing Lao Qiang and Gu Mu Lan respectively. Background, the 2 old guys were partners, but Gu Mu Lan had driven away Lao Qiang. Gu Mu Lan wants to make a comeback, but he will need the Gun family's guns. Zhou Ji points out that Gu Mu Lan's daughter, Gu Lin Na, was the one dancing downstairs. Why? How does this show his sincerity. Police arrive. Gu Lin Na is smart to leave the area. Xiao Fei and Zhou Ji are alerted and rush downstairs. Armored police cars are driving up. An explosion rocks the ground. Laying there is Yu Da Luo motionless and dead.
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| Oh no... Tang Xiao Tian, I am really liking you in these dramas |
Captain Duan screams for an ambulance. It's too late.
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| So much expression with just eyes |
The bad guys are in the underground garage making their escape. They exchange gunfire with the police. The Northwest Wolves Gang are suicidal. Their main tactic is attacking their enemies by self-imploding bombs. Xiao Fei orders Chu Yi Han to help them escape. He is able to secure a car and speeds off with Xiao Fei and Zhou Ji. Cheng Fan's car arrives and he chases after them.
Da Luo's hand has an X crossed on it. This is similar to the hand sign he made at the hospital when he signaled Chu Yi Han to stop fighting with Cheng Fan. Captain Duan realizes that Da Luo's last message to them was to stop going after Xiao Fei because their target wasn't present.
Exciting car chase, weaving in and out of the city's traffic. Zhou Ji leans out the window to shoot back at Cheng Fan. Chu Yi Han swerves at the right moment to prevent a fatal shot. The father/son duo communicate covertly with their turn signals. I am not sure how the bad dudes didn't notice. Zhou Ji shoots at a motorcycle causing it to block Cheng Fan's car, making it rollover. Cheng Fan crawls out, with major injuries.
Driving the murderers away, Chu Yi Han remembers Da Luo. They are driving, singing and horsing around together in the desert. So cute. 😭
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| Maybe Tang Xiao Tian can be lead singer instead of Front Door man in their band |
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| I want more of this bromance |
Dr. Mu performs CPR on Cheng Fan at the hospital. She is able to rescue him. At the morgue, Chief Tai sees Da Luo one last time. He holds his hand, lingering on the X. Make up artist dropped the ball on this one. The scratch looks healed. Captain Duan debriefs Chief Tai. Northwest Wolves Gang's signature move is the suicidal bomb attack. They must be making a comeback. No wonder they need guns, their tactic is self-limiting and stooopid.
Chu Yi Han and Xiao Fei are driving alone. Xiao Fei murmurs how did the police find them. Chu Yi Han has him check his phone, Chu Yi Han is a fugitive. No need to suspect him, Xiao Fei would be dead without him. They arrive at the Gun family's home base. Xiao Fei wants Chu Yi Han to go inside to get his payment. Oh, Mr. Bai is also there. Chu Yi Han, thanks to Cheng Fan's light signals, knows that Mr. Bai is the only one that has met the real Long Qi. He has to go inside, if he doesn't, Xiao Fei would know his identity. Chu Yi Han grabs Xiao Fei by his luscious hair. Xiao Fei offers more money for 3 more hours of work. He needs protection against Mr. Limp Bai.
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| Therapist: Chu Yi Han, do we want to work on a more constructive coping mechanism? |
The home base is the Western Grand Hotel with the ugliest, ugliest, ugliest restaurant ever. Seriously, does the set designer not have eyes? The building is fake Italian style with ornate arches and black and white tiles. Cheap wood tables with grey button upholstered chairs. The waiters and waitresses are dressed in Western Cowboy style complete with cowboy hats, brown suede jackets and red bandanas. I wish I were joking. Anyone who eats here is sus.
They go upstairs to the classic fugly mob meeting room. Mobsters spend all their money on drugs and none on interior designers. At the long and short legged table sits Mr. Bai and Mr. Jin. Chu Yi Han shakes Mr. Bai's hand who plays along that he is Long Qi. The old dudes ask Xiao Fei if he was responsible for the dead cop at the mall. Chu Yi Han clenches his jaw. Xiao Fei plays dumb at the incident.
Doors fly open dramatically. Big boss, the real Lao Qiang (Xie Hou Bin), has arrived with a cigar in his mouth. Yep, it's the old mute man. Why did he pretend to be a victim? Mr. Bai is against working with Gu Mu Lan. Gu Mu Lan has been abroad for 5 years, Lao Qiang wants to help him come back. Mr. Bai and Mr. Jin remembers how they were driven out by Gu Mu Lan. Talk is starting to get heated. Mr. Bai excuses himself to go to the bathroom but asks Chu Yi Han if he needs the potty too.
In the bathroom, 7 of Mr. Bai's men await Chu Yi Han. Mr. Bai threatens him with his identity. Chu Yi Han claims that Long Qi is dead, he took his name because it is useful for business. After all, it takes time to build up a killer reputation and references. Ultimate resume padding. Mr. Bai tries to discern if Chu Yi Han would be useful for his fight against Gu Mu Lan. Nope, Chu Yi Han says it was Gu Mu Lan who introduced him to Xiao Fei. Mr. Bai walks out telling his men to kill Chu Yi Han quietly without their guns.
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| Weibo called him "The Toilet War God" 🚽🤣 |
The mobsters are democratic, they take a vote to see if they should cooperate with Gu Mu Lan. Vote is against cooperation. Lao Qiang vetoes the vote. This is his family's business, he decides.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi Han gets his emotional therapy by beating the crap out of Mr. Bai's men. He has not been able to react to Da Luo's death. Finally, when he is "alone" with these whimpering and unconscious men, he is able to release his anguish. Covering his mouth with his arm, he screams into the void.
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| Chu Yi Han: Nope, my coping mechanism is just fine... |
Flashback to Da Luo's death. Da Luo had confronted the bad guys. A suicide bomber was left and fought with Chu Yi Han. Da Luo grabbed the bomber and to protect Chu Yi Han and was blown out the window.
Chu Yi Han comes back to the meeting covered with blood and looking hot.
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| I need more therapy |
He announces that he isn't Long Qi. Mr Bai knows but used this secret to threaten him to fight against Lao Qiang. Mr. Bai has bought off everyone, including Mr. Jin. Chu Yi Han is pitting these mobsters against each other. Mr. Jin vehemently denies knowing about Mr. Bai's plan. Mr. Bai is ready for a fight. Xiao Fei isn't, but Chu Yi Han isn't done with his therapy. He deals first, 500K for each person he defeats, starting with Mr. Bai. A dozen people attack Chu Yi Han. He is hit multiple times, but his emotional pain has numbed any physical pain. He destroys Mr. Bai's army and that ugly room. Thank you.
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| Please hire a decorator |
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| This session was very cathartic. Thank you. |
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| Xiao Fei ♥ "Long Qi" |
Qiao Dan brings Da Luo's "farewell letter" (cops and firefighters write down their last words in case they die in the line of duty) to Captain Duan and Chief Tai. It is simple and full of personality like him. "Captain Duan, do you think I would die?" Noooooo. At least not this early.
After the fight, sitting quietly alone, cleaning the blood off his hands, Chu Yi Han looks like himself again. The mad killer is tucked away. He spots a picture of Zhang Yu, the suicide bomber that attacked Uncle Cheng 5 years ago. Lao Qiang comes to get to know him. Chu Yi Han admits that he used to be a cop. Lao Qiang seethes with hate at the word "police".
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| The most emotionally unstable and stable person |
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| Stinky kid |
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| Paw Patrol snuck in |
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| Proud Papa |
They dig into the dumplings that Uncle Cheng made. Cheng Fan is excited when Chu Yi Han starts choking on a dumpling. Huh? Abdominal thrusts were semi-successful to get him to the hospital where a doctor removes a key from his throat. LOL.
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| Not a good way to start the year |
Why would there be a key in the dumpling? For luck, of course. "Winner" gets a van. No wonder Chu Yi Han can survive anything. He had practice from being raised by Cheng Fan. He doesn't even seem phased that his Uncle almost killed him. Numbed tongue, he mumbles along hilariously. After Uncle Cheng mentions how his mom would be upset about this situation, Chu Yi Han asks if she was really fired from the police force.
"Just remember, your mother is a good person."
Present times, Chu Yi Han tells Lao Qiang about how he was dismissed form the police force and then killed Long Qi. Lao Qiang confides how Gu Mu Lan kicked him out of the organization. He sees a lot of similarities between himself and Chu Yi Han. Therefore, he must kill him. With a gun pointed at him, Chu Yi Han switches the target, telling Lao Qiang about how Cheng Fan was the one who killed Zhang Xu (Lao Qiang's godson).
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| I'm getting used to this |
Xiao Fei tells his father his suspicion that Chu Yi Han is 7th Aunt's son. He has her old blood sample and a lock of Chu Yi Han's hair - Did you steal a love trinket? Creepy - and is ready to send off a DNA test.
Lao Qiang sends Chu Yi Han to kill Cheng Fan with Xiao Fei following to supervise. At the hospital, Cheng Fan dreams back to the raid on Gu Mu Lan's family. He remembers shooting the daughter in the foot. Poor wrongly accused hyenas. He reports these suspicions to Chief Tai. Dr. Mu's son is there. The cute little boy is open to the idea of this step dad, but ultimately, he doesn't help him since it's his mother's choice. He learns that there is discord between Dr. Mu and her father.
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| Cute kid |
Cheng Fan also learns about Yu Da Luo's death. He breaks down. Dr. Mu comforts him.
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| Da Luo... 😢 |
Seeing Chu Yi Han dressed up as a doctor, Cheng Fan senses danger coming and has the little boy hide in the closet with headphones on. Little guy is completely unaware as Chu Yi Han fake attacks his uncle with a knife and secretly slips him a piece of info (He has made contact with Lao Qiang. Gu Mu Lan is returning). Xiao Fei impatiently comes in and shoots Cheng Fan in the right chest.
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| Would I watch a medical drama with these 2? If it were like Scrubs maybe... |
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| This just looks ridiculously hilarious |
Dr. Mu saves Cheng Fan again. This guy has nine lives. Chief Tai, who wanted to abort the mission for Chu Yi Han's safety, changes his mind after seeing the message. He tells Captain Duan to pursue Xiao Fei and Gu Lin Na at a distance. Meanwhile, Zhou Ji takes Gu Lin Na and her friend back to Kalisha in a cab.
Chu Yi Han meets up with Xiao Fei again and proceeds to beat the crap out of him. How dare he shoot his father figure and put Chu Yi Han in danger? Punch after punch, kick after kick, so gratifying. Lao Qiang calls asking where Xiao Fei is when inflamed Chu Yi Han picks up.
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| Reminder, Chu Yi Han is Xiao Fei's bodyguard |
Chu Yi Han: Dead
Lao Qiang: When did that happen?
Chu Yi Han: Right away. ☠️
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| I have a son to sell ya |
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| Nah, I'll pass. He eats too much. |
He negotiates Xiao Fei's life. Price doesn't matter. More importantly, Lao Qiang just wants to work with Chu Yi Han. Chu Yi Han stomps on Xiao Fei a couple more times for good measure.
Flashback to Lao Qiang and Xiao Fei analyzing Chu Yi Han. This is another test for him. With his skills, if he can't kill Cheng Fan in 10 seconds, he is sus. Xiao Fei will shoot and blame it on Chu Yi Han.
Mr Jin kills Mr Bai for Lao Qiang. They both know that "Long Qi" can't be trusted but don't want to kill him till they know who he works for. Lao Qiang calls Zhou Ji and arranges for him to meet at the Ugliest Hangout.
Chu Yi Han also arrives back. Without missing a beat, he puts his arm around Yiyi and tells her that Xiao Fei is dead, she can follow him now. LOL. So gangsta. 😎Chu Yi Han strides in with the best mobster walk, Mr. Jin follows him, hand reaching for a gun.
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| Focus on the good looking guy walking to avoid looking at the décor |
Present times. Mr. Jin didn't shoot Chu Yi Han. He storms in livid that Xiao Fei is an idiot. I bet if I understood Chinese and if the censors didn't get to it, he had more colorful words than "idiot". Chu Yi Han packs the wads of cash into a suitcase. Lao Qiang proposes a long-term cooperation. Lao Qiang psychoanalyzes Chu Yi Han. Poor guy, he probably wanted to be a psychiatrist but scored "mobster" on his aptitude test. Tangent off this tangent. I once lost my pencil during a job aptitude test. After frantically searching for a couple of minutes, I found it... In my hand. Guess what job I have now?
Back to scene. Lao Qiang diagnoses Chu Yi Han as an overachiever with violent tendencies that even killing his worst enemy won't give him his emotional release. No psychiatrist would treat him, but luckily Lao Qiang can. He stuffs the suitcase haphazardly. Lao Qiang admits this bodyguard job was really a test for him. Somehow beating up Xiao Fei makes him the best collaborator. He is offered another suitcase with US cash. Luckily this one is already packed. Chu Yi Han shakes hands with his new partner.
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| Poor packing skills |
Captain Duan and Qiao Dan arrive at Ugly Mob Hangout. They order food and try to fit in by tearing bread into a bowl. Huh? Zhou Ji, Gu Lin Na, and Nuo Nuo pull up too. Mr. Jin greets Zhou Ji and brings him upstairs to see Lao Qiang. Our cops recognize the bad dudes and realize that this is Lao Qiang's place.
Zhou Ji pretends to be as normal as possible, he lets Gu Lin Na tag along his meeting. She is surprised to see "Long Qi" here. She also recognizes Lao Qiang as the old mute man. Why the victimhood, again? Is this what he prescribes himself? She excuses herself to the restroom. Our Chu Yi Han avoids suspicion by flirtingly offering to show her the way. The additional creep factor he adds is the perfect touch to hide that they know each other. Zhou Ji reminds him that this is his little sister-in-law. Chu Yi Han scoffs, "She's not your wife."
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| Icky flirting |
Nuo Nuo stands guard at the door as Chu Yi Han and Gu Lin Na talk. He asks if she is Gu Mu Lan's daughter. She denies this. Sweet girl has been lied to her whole life. But she isn't dumb. She knows Chu Yi Han is an undercover cop and asks if he needs her to relay messages to Uncle Cheng.
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| The painting behind them is "Romeo and Juliet". Finally, the fugly-arse decorations make sense. |
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| He can't hide his feelings about Da Luo in front of her |
Zhou Ji tells Lao Qiang that Gu Mu Lan wants to come back with the help of Lao Qiang's weapons stockpile. Lao Qiang gives him a sample box. Lao Qiang knows Gu Lin Na is Gu Mu Lan's daughter. Why does Zhou Ji make it so obvious? He tells Zhou Ji to call Gu Mu Lan to talk about the weapons deal or else he will kill him. Gu Mu Lan picks up.
Gu Lin Na asks Chu Yi Han if he heard about Da Luo. Barely able to hold in his feelings, he denies knowing him. Gu Lin Na apologizes for his loss and asks if he is investigating her brother-in-law. She realizes she shouldn't ask any more questions. Xiao Fei has returned must have taken him awhile to get back up after that stomping and knows Chu Yi Han and Gu Lin Na are talking. He tries to eavesdrop but Nuo Nuo knows he is outside. Xiao Fei barrages in to see Chu Yi Han holding Gu Lin Na's face like he was about to kiss her.
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| Xiao Fei, gǔn 滚! |
Chu Yi Han gently tells her to wait for him and he faces Xiao Fei, who goes running scurred. Chu Yi Han tells Gu Lin Na to leave this unsafe place. Nuo Nuo eyes are eating melons.
As Zhou Ji walks out with Gu Lin Na, Xiao Fei with a gaggle of his reinforcements stops her. Does her dad know who she is hanging out with? Where is Long Qi? She isn't afraid of Xiao Fei and gives him spunk back. She leaves with Zhou Ji. Captain Duan's car follows them.
Xiao Fei finally finds Chu Yi Han. He's chilling with Lao Qiang. He tells Chu Yi Han to gǔn 滚 but then jumps back in fear when Chu Yi Han gets up.
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| Good reaction time, Xiao Fei |
Xiao Fei freaks out that his dad is keeping his attacker around. He was hugging nibbling Gu Mu Lan's daughter, he's completely sus! And look what he did to Xiao Fei's face!
Chu Yi Han, looking only at Lao Qiang: Sorry. I might have hit him a bit hard. Pure badass awesomeness.Xiao Fei: A bit??? I hired you! Chu Yi Han is Xiao Fei's calamity.
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| The posture, the way he holds his phone, the arrogant tone... |
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| What? This innocent face is a liar? |
Well, DNA results have returned. He is 7th Aunt's son. Lao Qiang deduces 3 possibilities.
- He cut ties with 7th Aunt and is here by coincidence.
- He is sent by Gu Mu Lan
- He is a cop.
They need to kill Chu Yi Han, but not yet. If he is from Gu Mu Lan, that jeopardizes their deal. They want half of the Desert Tiger's legacy (old bandits' hidden treasure that Gu Mu Lan probably has). Xiao Fei really wants to kill Chu Yi Han. Man is scorned.
Cheng Fan wakes up from his latest death scare. He has a nice tender moment with Dr Mu. The broken bond between her and her father is because he opened a hospital with a shady benefactor, who turns out to be Gu Lin Na's uncle.
Captain Duan stops following Zhou Ji's car. Gu Lin Na is suspicious of her brother-in-law's answers about her father.
Chief Tai visits Cheng Fan with dumplings. This drama does brotherly, master/disciple, and fatherly relationships well. Lots of warm interactions that feel like they have known each other for years. I should update my previous relationship analogy, Chief Tai is the grandfather, the patriarch, of the group.
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| Wake me up with dumplings |
Lao Qiang takes Chu Yi Han to his secret weapons cave. Another test. He asks him if he knows the story of Heisha Sea.
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| Dark and light, the parallels between the 2 father/son pairs |
Present day, Chu Yi Han answers that he knows about Heisha Sea. These weapons belong to the Desert Tigers? Why deal with Gu Mu Lan? Desert Tigers also had lots of cash because they robbed caravans with the help of "mailmen" like Gu Mu Lan's great grandfather.
Lao Qiang confirms that Gu Lin Na's identity after Chu Yi Han purposely unconvincingly denies that she is his "little girlfriend". Once out of eyesight, Chu Yi Han sends a secret message to his team. Text the picture and location of the warehouse to Zhou Ji under Long Qi's name.
Gu Lin Na compares the profile drawing of Gu Mu Lan to her old childhood pictures. Yes, it's a match to her dad during her 6th birthday party. She also realizes he was the one to cheer her on when she fell at her dance recital. Hazy flashbacks, she recalls being shot in the foot and her mother dying.
Captain Duan doesn't understand Chu Yi Han's suicidal sounding plan. Chief Tai explains this may actually protect him because Lao Qiang will believe he is affiliated with Gu Mu Lan. They use a voice disguiser to call Zhou Ji.
Cheng Fan requests to transfer to Dr Mu's father's hospital in Kalisha. Part investigation in Zhou Ji's father-in-law, part trying to mend Dr Mu's family's relationship.
Lao Qiang lets Chu Yi Han overhear that a woman (inferred to be Lin Ke) picked up the phone when he called Gu Mu Lan. In turn, Chu Yi Han's phone beeps. Lao Qiang reads the text message, "deal". Chu Yi Han lies that this was another job taken 6 months ago. It is hard to keep up with the deceptions. Lao Qiang is lying but thinks Chu Yi Han will believe him, Chu Yi Han is lying to make Lao Qiang think he is lying.
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| Lao Qiang: Look at me lie Chu Yi Han: Look at you lie |
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| Lao Qiang: You are lying Chu Yi Han: I am lying |
Gu Lin Na sees a doctor about her old foot injury. Doctor is good. He is able to tell that a 15ish year old divot is caused by a bullet instead of a hyena. Later, she asks her sister and brother-in-law about this and they laugh it all to make her think that she is being silly. She knows the truth, she was testing them hoping that they wouldn't lie. Zhou Ji promises that her dad will call her alter to ease her mind.
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| Everyone and their barber knows I am Gu Mu Lan's daughter |
Cops also figured out that Gu Lin Na's mother is Gu Mu Lan's second wife that died in the raid. New names. Jiang Jiu Ping (Zhou Hui Lin) = Gu Lin Na's maternal uncle and the one that raised her. Captain Duan and Qiao Dan are sent to Kalisha to meet up with Cheng Fan.
Cheng Fan whines the entire time as he is wheeled onto the ambulance for a transfer. Then he complains that Dr. Mu doesn't care about him until Qiao Dan gives him a signal. He does an about face and extols the virtues of Dr. Mu. Yep, Dr. Mu was sitting up front and heard his complaints the entire time. 😂
Lao Qiang and Xiao Fei watch Chu Yi Han sleep via a secret cam. Creepy.
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| Look at this big unused bed. The only decent furniture in the drama |
They can't figure out who the text was from. Zhou Ji is also perplexed by the "Long Qi's" text. He shows his henchman, Aku (Yu Yue). Is "Long Qi" helping him or is this a trap from Lao Qiang? He plays this out by calling Lao Qiang and telling him someone sent him the info of weapons cave. Zhou Ji's tone is always sinisterly polite. He says Gu Mu Lan is here, Lao Qiang hears his voice. But Zhou Ji has his deep fake voice machine. After Lao Qiang tests him with past memories, this voice seems to really be Gu Mu Lan. He's back? Gu Mu Lan tells Lao Qiang to come to Kalisha.
Zhou Ji picks up Lao Qiang in 2 mini-vans. Zhou Ji, Lao Qiang and Chu Yi Han are in one van. Xiao Fei, Skull and Aku in another. Xiao Fei's van veers off on a detour. First sign that something is wrong. Second sign, Zhou Ji shows Lao Qiang via Ipad that Mr. Jin has been captured and shot. Chu Yi Han has Zhou Ji in a choke hold, but another henchman has a gun pointed at Lao Qiang. Lao Qiang tells Chu Yi Han to relax.
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| I like this actor from Bright Eyes. But he's going to be a disposable lackey with that facial scar |
The police were also listening into this conversation. Zhou Ji helped Chu Yi Han confirm that he is Gu Mu Lan's spy. This buys him time and a trip to Kalisha with them.
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| Skull got a hilarious door to the face, which is minor compared to the lynching |
Cheng Fan meets Dr. Mu Shao Bai (Luo Er Yang) and Jiang Jiu Ping. Jiang Jiu Ping seems like a friendly harmless guy. He is thankful that Cheng Fan helped Gu Lin Na. He invites Cheng Fan and Qiao Bai to his home, the Blue Sky Hotel, to attend the annual Golden Lamb Festival. I want to go to a lamb festival.
Lao Qiang travels in style. They are taking a helicopter ride there.
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| The desert scenes below look cool. |
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| No guns needed, his hands (and those eyes) are his weapons |
Zhou Ji calls Xiao Fei: Sorry, your dad is dead.
In the other minivan, Zhou Ji was just kidding. How did he know Xiao Fei had no sense of humor? This guy is the life of the party. He has Lao Qiang and Chu Yi Han hang out at the Big Sky Hotel while they wait for Xiao Fei to show them the warehouse.
[Ep11] August 21, 2006. Gu Lin Na is celebrating her 6th birthday with her parents. Police raid, she was shot in the foot, and her mother died.
Back to Zhou Ji calling Xiao Fei with news of his father's death. Oops, Skull, the lackey, not Xiao Fei's skull, is shot dead too.
[Ep13] Wolf Hut gets blown to smithereens. Qiao Dan's police car also goes flying in the air and topsy-turvy. "Qiao Dan!" Every one runs out to pull Qian Dan out. I swear, I will be so upset if this drama kills Qiao Dan. He's unconscious. Captain Duan screams for "Yi Han! Yi Han!" He runs to wreckage and throws away the flaming debris to crawl to find him. I am getting reverse Bright Eyes flashbacks. T_T. The lid of a big metal box moves a bit. "Yi Han!!!" Lao Duan opens it up and finds Yi Han and Na Na inside.
Uncle Captain Cheng asks his subordinate, Yi Han, if he has talked to Na Na. This isn't a private matter, he needs to report all contacts to Gu Mu Lan's daughter. Fine. He reports she called, he had Qiao Dan call back to thank you. Poor Na Na. But Yi Han defends her. She's a good person who has helped them out many times.
Awesome. Now we know why 75% of C-drama couples are in love. Also, Qiao Dan's soft "over"... I love him too. Must be real, there's no danger involved.
Cheng Fan tries to stir the good in him. Xiao Fei becomes emotional, where were the police when his real father was murder? Where were they during his childhood when he was locked in the basement? It's too late for him to go to the good side.
The Gu sisters bond. Big sister tells Na Na how their father protected her. There's a diary that he wrote about Na Na every day. She was his joy. Reading the diary, the phone call's words are familiar. This makes her suspicious. She accidentally finds Zhou Ji's voice deep faker computer. Na Na calls Zhou Ji and tells him she is coming to Hanbei to discuss this.
Pei Yin wants the 3 of them to share the Desert Tiger's legacy. Business partners, right? He's trying to use Xiao Fei's warehouse to negotiate with Gu Mu Lan. Xiao Fei doesn't want Pei Yin to be the middle man. Pei Yin gets threateningly close with the syringe. Xiao Fei hilariously backs away, reminding him about the heroin residue is still present. Yi Han tells him to stop threatening his Xiao Fei.
Zhou Ji calls Chu Yi Han and thanks him for the warehouse photo. Sit tight in the room till he confirms the info. He analyzes Chu Yi Han's voice and knows it isn't the same as the voice (Captain Duan's) that called him with the warehouse info. Zhou Ji can't figure out our UC. He also needs Aku to win the Golden Lamb boxing match tonight to get the hotel's prize money for his Black Cloak militia. That's embezzlement, sir.
Gu Lin Na overhears Zhou Ji's plotting from the door. She knows "Long Qi" is in danger. She pretends to be here to talk to her dad, which Zhou Ji gives her his phone number to call.
Gu Lin Na receives a call. Anxious, she picks up and her face lights up as she hears her father's warm voice. She tears up with happy tears and asks if he was the one that cheer her on. He cheers her again. She misses him and asks when he will come back. He promises that by the end of the year, he will be home. He denies being Gu Mu Lan and says he is currently in Moscow.
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| So sweet |
Aku informs Lao Qiang that Cheng Fan is downstairs at the festival. Lao Qiang sends Chu Yi Han down to kill Cheng Fan, makes him wear a listening device so that he can hear everything he does.
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| Got a new jacket |
Sha Xiao Fei takes Zhou Ji's men to the warehouse. It's empty. Lao Qiang lied to his own son about the warehouse. Betrayed, he senses his impending death as the henchman points a gun at him. Zhou Ji with a good-natured tone calls him. "Do you know the story of Lu Wen Tian at Lui Jia Bay?"
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| Poor Xiao Fei |
Golden Lamb Festival. The kabobs look good. The ladies dancing on the caged stage, not so good. Jiang Jiu Ping opens the ceremony. Cheng Fan and Qiao Dan watches from their hotel room above. Gu Lin Na comes to tell him:
- "Long Qi" may be here and is in danger.
- The old, mute (not blind) man that she saw is the owner of Grand Western Hotel. Cheng Fan realizes he was Lao Qiang.
- She is Gu Mu Lan's daughter.
- She isn't here to harm anyone, she would never do that.
- Her uncle and sister are good people and law-abiding.
She holds out her arms, please arrest her. She gives them the phone number that her dad call her from. She has no memories of her dad except for when she got her foot injury on her birthday. Cheng Fan softly apologizes. Our plucky heroine says she loves body, her foot injury is fine.
Captain Duan has arrived to the Kalisha Airport and is greeted by Captain of Kalisha Xia Peng (one of the drama's producers).
Zhou Ji spots Chu Yi Han in the crowd. He was about to talk about the weapons warehouse text message when Chu Yi Han discreetly signaled to his ear the presence of the listening device. The conversation eventually ends. Lao Qiang calls Zhou Ji, telling him to kill Cheng Fan. Mr. Jin then calls Lao Qiang. Old man isn't dead after all. It was a ruse they staged to catch Zhou Ji off guard.
Jiang Jiu Ping invites Cheng Fan down to meet a special guest. He wants his assessment on the person. Dr. Mu Shao Bai is also at the table. Zhou Ji orders tea for the table, with a separate special one for Cheng Fan. Is it poisoned? Qiao Dan notices the difference, interrupts him. Cheng Fan understood the danger signal and poured the tea cup into an empty thermos while everyone was distracted by the fight.
Aku had won the boxing match by cruelly making his opponent unconscious, requiring a medical team to take him away. Zhou Ji cheers on his man. Jiang Jiu Ping is disturbed by this violence and questions his son-in-law. Jiang Jiu Ping introduces Zhou Ji to Cheng Fan and asks pointed questions about the legality of owning firearms. Cheng Fan said an anonymous someone made a report on Zhou Ji owning some contraband. Zhou Ji offers for him to search his room.
Lao Qiang tells Chu Yi Han to kill Cheng Fan. Chu Yi Han grabs a big steak knife and slowly heads over but he bumps into Gu Lin Na. She smartly understands his "I am being monitored signal" and plays along with the girl jilted act.
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| Very atmospheric |
Chu Yi Han: It's been 2 days, miss me already?Gu Lin Na: You jerk! We need to settle our score. Come with me.
They are so cute. She leads him away with Aku following them. They go inside an old kitchen. Gu Lin Na holds up her phone so that he can read her message, confessing that she is Gu Mulan's daughter and that he needs to leave because of the danger. Before he can type back, Aku has used a signal blocker and locked them inside.
Gu Lin Na wants to help Chu Yi Han because he saved her but also because she wants to atone for her father's misdeeds. She must be questioning her self-worth after learning that she comes the most evil person, a person that since childhood was used to scare her and be a cautionary tale. She needs to prove that she has good in her.
[Ep12] In a trailer in the middle of the desert, Pei Yin (Xu Hong Hao) is pouring out his life story to the wife of a potential business partner. He was 4th in charge of the Northwest Wolves Gang, drugs were his division. When the gang was destroyed 5 years ago, he has been quietly observing 3 people.
- Gu Mu Lan, but he doesn't know if he's dead or alive.
- Lao Qiang, he hates him with a vengeance and will kill him. Too bad he hasn't been able to find him yet.
- 7th Sister, Lin Ke. He has found her son, a good-looking spirited, 6 footer, who he thinks looks more like Pei Yin than his father. Unfortunately, the young guy works for the government.
The lady says her husband doesn't want to be involved with drugs. Guy doesn't take no for an answer, henchman drags her away. Pei Yin's fake smile and cheery tone makes him more menacing and unnerving. An innocent teen comes up to the trailer and like the candy man, he offers him a free drink laced with some addictive substance.
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| I don't think Chu Yi Han looks like you. |
I am excited to meet #4. Where are #2, 5 & 6? Not only are numbered characters a "familial feeling" design, they also raise the audience's anticipation. It's not an "if" but a "when" these characters appear, we won't feel like they were shoehorned in, but rather have always been present.
Chu Yi Han tries to kick the door open as he and Gu Lin Na are trapped in the old kitchen. Aku reports to Zhou Ji. They are confused by "Long Qi" because the fake cops they sent to the cave warehouse found nothing. Is this Lao Qian's trick? Aku will turn on the kitchen's gas. He will rescue Gu Lin Na in 5 min and kill Chu Yi Han.
Gu Lin Na smells the gas, Chu Yi Han rips off part of his shirt so that they can cover their noses and stuff the pipe. Oh, that's why his shirt had a chunk missing in the BTS. Mr. Jin saw Aku trapping them, he takes advantage of the situation and cranks up the gas.
Gu Lin Na is about to pass out first. Chu Yi Han holds her trying to get her to stay awake. She softly apologizes to him, a tear falls slowly down her cheek. He helped her, but she hurt him. She hasn't seen her dad in a long time, she never wanted to hurt anyone. Please trust her. Her voice gets weaker with this plea.
Chu Yi Han nods reassuringly. He believes her. He believes her.
Gu Lin Na: You can call me Na Na. Long Qi, I want to be friends with you.
She looks up at him, her face wet with tears. Their eyes meet. He is unable to respond. He's a cop. He can't be friends with a mobster's daughter. She looks down, understanding his silence. More tears fall.
Gu Lin Na: Can I know your real name?
She passes out in his arms. He gently shakes her.
Chu Yi Han: Gu Lin Na... Na Na!
He holds her closer and cradles her face.
Chu Yi Han: I am Chu Yi Han.
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| Can you be my friend? |
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| Eyes meeting. We can't be friends... |
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| I know... |
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| But I can protect you |
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| Whispering, "I am Chu Yi Han" |
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| He sweetly rocks her. "Hang in there" |
Wow. So beautiful. Such an intense connection. Show was smart to cast these 2 to have their past and present synergize. A 1st time pair wouldn't have this effect. The way he says "Na Na" reminds me of how Little Goldfish said "Chu Chu" for the first time except with more urgency.
Qiao Dan also saw Aku's trap via the cameras. When Aku came back to save Na Na, Qiao Dan knocked him out. Unfortunately, before he can get to our CP, Mr Jin's men knocked him out too. Mr Jin also got Lao Qiang out. He's more capable than I thought.
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| Look how well they fit |
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| Looking pretty while unconscious |
Seeing how Aku targeted Chu Yi Han, Lao Qiang realized that he is a cop. Everyone, police and Zhou Ji, go after him to rescue Chu Yi Han and Na Na. Zhou Ji calls Lao Qiang, using Xiao Fei as a bargaining chip for the weapons and Na Na. Lao Qiang tells him he could keep his chip. Poor Xiao Fei hears how his father abandons him.
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| Now Xiao Fei has to listen to Zhou Ji's slow as molasses storytelling. Hasn't he suffered enough? |
Captain Duan notices Lao Qiang's suspicious bus. Explosions and gun fire are exchanged.
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| Poor Captain Duan is always hiding from gunshots behind a car |
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| Looking badass |
The henchmen are defeated but Lao Qiang has escaped with his hostages to meet up with Yiyi. He has her drive them to the safe house.
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| She's here for her man |
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| But he's a shell right now |
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| Chu Yi Han tenderly carries Na Na out of the car. |
Inside, Lao Qiang shoots him in the back and in the leg. Mr Jin presses on the wound to inflict more pain.
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| Big ouch |
When Na Na wakes up, she sees him in this awful wounded state. "I'm fine." Sweet guy doesn't want her to worry. He bleeds profusely. Na Na begs Lao Qiang to save him.
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| Chu Yi Han: I have had days with fewer holes in my body |
Chu Yi Han asks how his mother died. Lao Qiang actually doesn't know, but says she was impressive. He didn't know her identity until Chu Yi Han revealed his. To be honest, Chu Yi Han kind of sucked as being undercover. He was good at staying alive and making them guess who he was undercover for.
Pei Yin has the kid call Chief Tai with Lao Qiang's hiding place, the Wolf Hut near the 7 Wolves Mountains. Captain Duan and Cheng Fan are now on their way.
Sha Xiao Fei arrives at the Wolf Hut. He wouldn't have known about this place if Yiyi didn't tell him. Zhou Ji almost killed him, the police almost arrested him, wasn't Lao Qiang worried? Zhou Ji released him to clear the air about Lu Wen Tian. Zhou Ji calls to help Lao Qiang explain this mystery.
1995, fugitive Lu Wen Tian was harbored by a single father who lived in Liu Jia Bay. He repaid him by killing him and taking his identity. Thus, police closed the case on a dead "Lu Wen Tian" while the new single father continued his lavish life of gun smuggling. Yes, Lao Qiang was Lu Wen Tian. Sha Xiao Fei has been raised by his father's killer.
Lao Qiang: My son. For years, I have treated you well. My conscious is clear.Xiao Fei: I am not your son.
Xiao Fei points a gun to his head.
Xiao Fei: Why would I avenge a man I never knew? Lu Wen Tian, if not for you, I might have had a normal life. I could walk out in the open. I could have slept with a pillow instead of a gun. Gone to school and get married. You ruined my life.
There were multiple clues for this reveal ever since Chu Yi Han stomped on Xiao Fei. Also, when the father/son pairs retold the Desert Tiger story. Both sets were not blood related. When he pretended to be mute, the name on his ID card was 陆天阳 Lu Tian Yang. One word off from his real name. I am going to need a native speaker to decipher the meanings. Google tells me it is "positive sky" vs "smell sky" Must compliment the nice set up.
Also, great is the in-depth analysis of his internal struggles. Why would he have feelings for a father he never knew instead of one who seemed to lovingly raise him all his life? Other dramas usually present blood over water, but this is more logical, mentally and emotionally.
Lao Qiang says he prepared a document that exonerates Xiao Fei. Xiao Fei is a victim that he forced into crime as a child. He can tie him up and hand him to the police. Xiao Fei can then live a normal life.
Xiao Fei replies that since he can't be a good guy, might as well take his place and be "Gun". He wants to know where the warehouse is located. Lao Qiang will never tell him about this Pandora's box. Since we first met Xiao Fei, he always claimed to be "Old Gun", will he truly become him?
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| Crying with you, Xiao Fei |
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| The symbolism of the mirror? If Xiao Fei shoots, he truly becomes Lao Qiang. |
Police are approaching. Lao Qiang has buried enough explosives under the Wolf Hut to flatten this place. He is ready to die with the police. He tells Xiao Fei to run and sensible Yiyi drags him away.
Lao Qiang comes over and stabs Chu Yi Han in the leg and knocks Na Na away. Pei Yin calls Lao Qiang. The old foe wants him to let go of Seven's son or else he will go after Xiao Fei. Why does Pei Yin want Chu Yi Han? Lao Qiang basically tells Pei Yin to go climb a tree.
Dr Lao Qiang psychoanalyses Chu Yu Han. Like him, Chu Yi Han must be caught in an identity crisis. Lao Qiang lived a double life for decades, he wasn't wrong when he said he saw "Long Qi" as a young him. Chu Yi Han has a lot of similarities to multiple characters. He is truly the "son" and successor of all of them. Lao Qiang also deduces that they are more prone to suicidal ideations. Did he also imply that Lin Ke may have tried to commit suicide? Fortunately, Lao Qiang can fulfill his wish today. Not so fast, faux doc. Chu Yi Han stabs Lao Qiang in the neck with the knife that was in his leg. During the spell-binding tale of Lu Wen Tian, Na Na used her metal foot plate to saw away at his bindings. He pushes Lao Qiang out the window.
Captain Duan and Cheng Fan's police cars are finally here. Chu Yi Han frantically signals for them to back away, there are explosives. Lao Qiang slowly crawls towards the bomb remote. The police cars stop. Lao Qiang has reached the remote. He looks up to see his wolves in the caged basement. Representing the Northwest Wolves who have been underground? Na Na wakes up and runs towards Chu Yi Han, who is still signaling. Cheng Fan understands his son, he orders everyone to retreat and the cars reverse at full speed. Lao Qiang recalls the past. He is galloping in the desert, a maverick surrounded by his wolf pack. He pushes the button. The Wolf Hut and his galloping world are surrounded by multiple blasts. A lone wolf growls back at us.
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| Guy has delusions of grandeur on top of his other psychological problems |
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| Why did they CGI 8 wolves? Is Chu Yi Han the 8th? |
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| Well done effects + artistry |
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| Lone wolf symbolism |
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| How can 2 people look so cute in a box? |
Hanbei Cemetery. Chu Yi Han remembers Da Luo as he wheels himself to Da Luo's grave. In the memory is horsing around with an injured Da Luo in a wheelchair. Da Luo's laughter is infectious. The tears... He sets down a customized phone case. "Brave Luo is not afraid of hardships."
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| You can hear his laughter through the screen |
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| Jebsen can shoot romances |
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| Big tears |
5 months later, hospital. Chu Yi Han is doing push-ups - 1 footed, elevated on a chair. Not bad. What is bad? This hair. If grief were a hair style. Yay! Qiao Dan is sleeping in a cot next to him. Yi Han looks at him gratefully. Subtle unspoken moment of deep appreciation.
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| Endless energy |
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| Nope. Even fans can't defend this hair. |
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| Thank goodness you are alive. Phew! |
Yi Han looks at a picture of him and Da Luo. So young.
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| A little bird with a giant The BTS on this one is hilarious. The chemistry! |
Cheng Fan catches Yi Han as he is trying to go visit Da Luo again. Cheng Fan sternly calls poor Qiao Dan to wake up. He totally wasn't sleeping and totally was still protecting his target. Cheng Fan tells Yi Han that he will cut his shaggy mop. Gangsters don't strike fear, but Uncle Cheng's barber skills do. Yi Han said he became a cop to get away from his hair cuts. LOL. Qiao Dan hesitantly confirms, even he can do a better job. So he gets started. So funny and warm. Uncle Cheng also stuffs handfuls of candy in Yi Han's and Qiao Dan's pockets.
Cheng Fan: Do you like her?
Yi Han pauses and gives an ambiguous answer. Cheng Fan has Qiao Dan explain the Suspension Bridge Effect to us. Qiao Dan is such a cute, good student.
"When one is nervous while crossing a suspension bridge, their heart rate would increase. If they saw a person with compatible personality and gender, they may mistake the accelerated heartbeat caused by danger for love and develop romantic feelings. Over "
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| Thank you, Professor Qiao Dan |
Yi Han denies that it has anything to do with toxic gas or the Wolf Hut. She was already a good person when they met in Hanbei. This is an indirect admission, right? Cheng Fan, unromantically and cynically, asks if he fell in love at first sight.
Yi Han: I like her slender waist and long legs. I'm horny, alright?
LOL, I'm dead. How can a line be so dirty, but come out upstanding? When Yi Han says nothing happened and they are only friends, Uncle Cheng tells him how dating should be. He doesn't understand the disorderly young'uns these days. Friends by starting with a an affectionate deep handshake. LOL Deep handshake??? Yi Han did not get his flirting skills from this father. Yi Han tells his uncle to stop being so outdated. Qiao Dan's cute cough agrees. Which also gets scolded by his master. I can't stop laughing at this scene. The visuals of getting a hair cut with this hysterical dialogue, enlightening psychology, and interactions between the 3 characters. Masterful.
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| Cheng Fan: I am your boss Yi Han: My disgusted look is only second to this hair Qiao Dan: Uh... Leave me out of this. Please. |
Captain Cheng gets serious. Aku shifted the blame to Mr. Jin. Even though they have monitored Zhou Ji, they got nothing so far. Her entire family are targets, they still have to investigate her. Even if she is innocent, her family may still use her to deal with him. She's a trap.
Our equally serious and feisty guy turns the tables on Captain Cheng. What if Chief Tai told him to stop seeing Dr. Mu? She's the daughter of a suspect, too. He leaves his uncle stammering. They bicker but then Yi Han gets very upset at how Zhou Ji can get away with Da Luo's death. I'm impressed with Qiao Dan, how can he be so good at cutting hair with this moving client?
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| Look at Qiao Dan's talent! |
Phone rings. It's my other favorite guy. Xiao Fei! He wants Yi Han to work with him to kill Gu Mu Lan and will exchange the whereabouts of his mother. His mother is still alive! He sends a picture as proof.
Na Na is at her uncle's shrine. She is looking sharp in this black leather jacket and tie. She saw a birth date at the temple. Later, during dinner with her Uncle and her Jiang Wen Li, she learns that Wen Li is her paternal half-sister. Sorry, for recapping ease, I called her "sister" this whole time. Na Na thought she was her cousin, Jiang Jiu Ping's daughter. Wen Li is Gu Mu Lan's daughter from his first wife. Jiang Jiu Ping is upset by the mention of Gu Mu Lan because he is an evil dude.
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| Why can't she wear this outfit more often? |
Our police all meet to discuss Sha Xiao Fei. Chief Tai vows to find Captain Lin Ke. They found a video that Lao Qiang left at the Ugly Hangout.
Lao Qiang: I am sorry. I never wanted to die by your hands.
This apology. Lao Qiang, your sense of humor is deadpan. He posthumously and painstakingly - especially for re-capper me - speaks at MJTY speed, outlining his crimes and clearing Xiao Fei. Xiao Fei is a good, young kid who was caught up in this life by him. Xiao Fei's crime includes kidnapping, but the victim was himself, Lao Qiang. So the fake kidnapping was a test for Xiao Fei? Or was Lao Qiang trying to find a doctor to get his mental illness treated? Xiao Fei told him to quit being a mobster, although Lao Qiang didn't quit, he did reduce his business by 50%. All that turtle talk, but he still doesn't disclose the location of his warehouse.
Yi Han wants to go to Xiao Fei. The fathers don't approve. Chu Yi Han isn't as strong as before due to his injuries. Wow, is that realism in a drama? Second point of worry, Xiao Fei and Na Na both know his identity. Chief Tai asks if he has ulterior motives with Na Na. Hand to the sky, he vouches for Na Na's innocence, but not not having ulterior motives, lol. Heated disagreement. Little detail, the upset Yi Han sees Uncle Cheng holding his chest, immediately calms and sits down. Chief Tai arranges a test for him. He only knows 80% of the cipher code, if he can get 100%, they can consider sending back to the mission.
Chu Yi Han studies the cipher all night. Sweet Qiao Dan is there with him. Asleep, of course.
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| Not sleeping again |
Captain Duan kicks Qiao Dan awake. Reflexively, he stands straight as an arrow. "I wasn't sleeping". Chief Tai inspects Yi Han's work, he passes the first test. 2nd test, he needs to pass combat combat skills. Chief Tai is kind, he was about to point to Captain Duan but points to Qiao Dan instead. Also, only needs to end in a draw. Qiao Dan is nervous, is this a test for Yi Han or for him? For both. But he couldn't sleep at all.
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| Fans say his hand-writing is nice |
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| The playful cocky eyebrows... Poor sleep deprived Qiao Dan |
Cheng Fan gets a call from Dr. Mu asking him to come meet her. He feels something is off. Yep, Xiao Fei is threatening her. He has kidnapped her son.
Yi Han is stretching, ready for this fight. Qiao Dan, laying down, he tells him to not take this so seriously. Master would kill him if he injured Yi Han. Yi Han is full of bravado, of course.
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| Just a random shot. Maybe he's about to sing in a musical |
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| Totally not sleeping |
Captain Duan enters and gruffly scolds Qiao Dan for always being sleepy. "I didn't sleep". Captain Duan offers him a pillow and tells them Cheng Fan isn't coming because he can't handle seeing Yi Han get his arse kicked. LOL. Father Duan is where Yi Han gets his snark and prickly attitude.
Yi Han and Qiao Dan spar. Yi Han is losing, but he tricks Qiao Dan to let go and pins him down. Hey, that's not cool! Lucky you are brothers. Captain Duan, who has been egging them the entire time (and subtly protecting Yi Han, making sure he is actually strong enough to return to action), is disgusted with this display. He takes off his jacket and to fight Yi Han. He easily beats him. Fortunately, Cheng Fan calls at that time. Duan should find him if he doesn't hear from him in half an hour.
Cheng Fan arrives and tells Dr. Mu to leave, he will negotiate with Xiao Fei. Cheng Fan and Xiao Fei point guns at each other.
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| Numerous cute waving styles |
[Ep14] 5 years ago. Lao Qiang and his men are galloping away when SUVs are gunning them down. He is the lone survivor and reaches Pei Yin's trailer. BTS of the actor sitting with sand blowing his hair wild makes him less intimidating. Brother #3 and #4 talk, arms dealer vs drug dealer, respectively. Pei Yin has had a grudge ever since Lao Qiang slapped him in front of his daughter. Lao Gu knows that Lao Qiang is deflecting. 7th sister told him. Pei Yin was interested in her, but even he is afraid to handle her. Pei Yin is ready to kill Lao Qiang, but he has kidnapped his daughter, Nini. He knows that Pei Yin has Xiao Fei. Lao Qiang indifferently, "You should know that Xiao Fei isn't my biological son." With that, Pei Yin lets him leave. Lao Qiang has won.
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| Cool aviator glasses |
Standoff between Cheng Fan and Xiao Fei. Xiao Fei only wants one thing. Or one person. Chu. Yi. Han. He offers to return Lin Ke and give him Pei Yin, who has feigned death for 5 years. Captain Duan has arrived, but Cheng Fan tells him to stay away, Xiao Fei has Dr. Mu's son. Repeatedly, Xiao Fei demands for Chu Yi Han. He is getting more and more agitated by not seeing Lao Han.
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| I. WANT. CHU. YI. HAN Notice how this isn't in blue. I held back. |
Chu Yi Han arrives. He had followed Captain Duan. Xiao Fei blows up a bomb, threatening that there is a bigger one if Chu Yi Han doesn't follow him. Xiao Fei will help them capture Zhou Ji, Pei Yin, and Gu Mu Lan. He is willing to be bait as long as Chu Yi Han cooperates with him. A text message comes to Chief Tai's phone. It's Yi Han's mom's cipher. "Return to action, Scorpio".
Chu Yi Han agrees to go with Xiao Fei. He tells them that the little boy is at the basketball court. Kiddo skip classed, he wasn't kidnapped. Captain Duan goes there an finds him and a bomb in the trash can. As he dashes away, bomb goes off. Tiny poof. Our grouchy Captain is incredulous, "Are you kidding?!?"
When he left with Xiao Fei, Cheng Fan reminds Yi Han that this is illegal. He leaves behind his police gun.
Xiao Fei is driving. He informs Chu Yi Han about Pei Yin. He warns him about Pei Yin's henchman, Tang, who's hands are even dirtier than Yi Han's. LOL, is that a compliment and some love? Pei Yin has Yi Han's mom. Xiao Fei also warns Yi Han to get rid of tracking devices, otherwise he can't save him if Pei Yin finds them. More love. Aww...
But this is the best thing. Xiao Fei asks Yi Han if he watched the basketball game last night. Nope, Yi Han hasn't watched since Kobe retired. Xiao Fei didn't expect him to be a Kobe fan. Xiao Fei is also a huge Kobe fan. All 3 are lone heroes. What a normal, friendly conversation. I forgot they were cops and gangsters. Yi Han breaks this beautiful moment of bonding telling Xiao Fei he will need to turn in the Desert Tiger Legacy when they do find it.
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| Bromance and basketball |
Xiao Fei arrives home with Yi Han to find Zhou Ji and his thugs there. Yi Han is able to overpower a couple of them, but Aku has a gun. Everyone knows Chu Yi Han is a cop. Funny, how Xiao Fei feigns that this is new knowledge. BTW, why is this furniture so awful? Xiao Fei says he has his dad's warehouse, let's call Mr. Jin so that they can deal. Mr. Jin is sitting with Pei Yin and an apprehensive Yiyi. For a moment, I thought Yiyi could be Nini but then she recoiled when Pei Yin touched her.
The 3 dads discussed their bratty son. Chief Tai let him go because of the cipher message. But there is something different this time, it's not from her. The person who sent this is Gun's enemy, a potential ally. Chief Tai let's them know that during the Northwest Wolves raid years ago, he received a message giving him info on Gu Mu Lan. Could that person be the same as this one?
Mr. Jin arrives at Xiao Fei's party house of gangsters. Zhou Ji is shocked to see Pei Yin. Pei Yin greets "Long Qi" warmly, "young child". Tang beats up Zhou Ji's men. Even Aku is no match. Impressively dirty hands, indeed. Stand-off with guns on both sides. Zhou Ji leaves.
Flashback, Xiao Fei meets Pei Yin in his trailer. Mr. Jin told Pei Yin Lao Qiang's hiding place because he wanted him to save Lao Qiang. He didn't expect him to call the police on Lao Qiang. He has kidnapped Yiyi, and he wants Xiao Fei to bring Chu Yi Han to him.
Pei Yin asks Xiao Fei if he remembers Nini, they used to play together. If she were still alive she would be graduating college now. Lao Qiang had injected her with heroin before letting her go. She became an addict and died of an overdos e. As she was dying, she begged him for "mainlining". Xiao Fei, our baby gangster, asks our cop what that means. Arterial injection. She wanted to die. Pei Yin takes out a syringe and drugs. He tells Xiao Fei to inject him in the neck if he wants revenge. This big show? What is this about? He's pretending to be trustworthy. Our guys look at each other. Yi Han's barely perceptible eye movements warns Xiao Fei not to take the bait. Xiao Fei jumps up with the syringe and empties it to the floor. Tang would have killed him before he got a step away from Pei Yin.
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| This dude watched too much Shakespeare |
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| Tacit understanding |
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| Xiao Fei: Personal space, please |
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| Yi Han: No one threatens him except for me |
Pei Yin: Let's get to know each other again. My surname is Pei. Pei Yin. Yin of Yin dang.
"Yin dang" is apparently lewd enough for Xiao Fei to have this reaction. Lol. The music is danger, but the villain is amusing. A balance between intimidating, dramatic, and cartoonish charisma.
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| Xiao Fei: Pei Yin even makes me feel icky |
Chu Yi Han only wants to know one thing. Where is his mom? Pei Yin wants to verify his identity first. He asks his Zodiac, birthday, and birth time. Dude, do you have another daughter you want to marry off? He says he is predicting his fortune. He rattles off crazy mumbo jumbo like a street fortune teller. Chu Yi Han explodes, "Tell me something I understand!" Well, this is clear, Pei Yin wants Chu Yi Han to be his godson. Chu Yi Han is collecting father figures like a kid collects Pokémon cards. Pei Yin shows him the old cipher text message, "Prepare for action, Scorpio".
[Ep15] 5 years ago. Pei Yin is incredulous that a doctor can't cure his loved one. He beats the crap out of him. We pan to bed, the patient laying there is Lin Ke. Surprise! I thought she would be his daughter. Didn't know he felt passionate about 7th Aunt.
[Ep17] Wen Li tells Na Na that #2 might be in trouble because of he got a mysterious phone call. Oh, I thought this was already shown. Need to make correction in Ep 16. This storytelling technique of confusing the audience then filling in with flashbacks is disjointed and loses impact. Na Na calls Aku who is mending his wounds from the shootout. He tells Na Na that she is the better one to save her uncle. He reminds her about Zhou Ji's deep fake voice computer.
[Ep21] Flashback to when Zhou Ji allowed Na Na to video call her demented father. His hat is removed, revealing a old craniotomy scar. Police did that. Uh, no. A cardio thoracic surgeon did this. 🤦🏻♀️ 🧠 ≠ 🫀. The NWW will only listen to the Wolf King, she's not the Wolf King.
Before he can say more, she goes straight to bed. "Waiting For Your Answer" OST plays again, but this time it is him who is waiting.
Yi Han arrives at this stand-off. Captain Duan hands him the phone, which Chief Tai confirms that his mother is just in the car ahead. Na Na tells him to come back alive.
Some time later, Lin Ke is sitting in a wheelchair. She can't speak or move. Pei Yin has arranged a fake grave for her. He shows her the cipher half. He says he will be her informant to catch the villains. They will split the Desert Tiger treasure 50/50. She looks at him trapped.
In the Wolf Lair, Pei Yin sends a secret code to Chief Tai. He was the informant for the raid on Gu Mu Lan 5 years ago. Pei Yin leaves, Zhou Ji asks who 7th Aunt was. "I am not interested in dead people".
Present day, Pei Yin shows Yi Han that he knows the cipher. He says Chu Yi Han should know who taught him this code.
Yi Han: Impossible. Impossible.Pei Yin: Just a casual conversation between a couple.
Ick. Vomit. Excuse me... Almost got it all out. Chu Yi Han feels the same, except more "I want to beat your face". Before he can get to Pei Yin, Tang has pin him down with a leg strangle hold. Pei Yin explains that he returned to avenge his daughter. He gave Yi Han the info to catch Long Qi so that can lead to Lao Qiang. But since the police were dilly-dallying, he sent the cipher code to speed things up. He also gave the info to the Wolf Hut. He brings Yiyi back. She kisses Xiao Fei. A lot. This couple is passionate. Spoiler alert, they are in charge of all the kissing in this drama.
Finally alone with Yi Han (who still has a goon strangling his neck), he shows him a video call with his mother. Seeing his mother for the first time in 10 years, Yi Han's eyes become red.
Yi Han whispers: Ma.Lin Ke, her voice weak and thin: Yi Han.Yi Han, breathless and unbelieving: MaLin Ke with a slight smile. Her face has lit up: Is it Yi Han?Yi Han becomes frantic: Ma, I'm Yi Han!
Lin Ke repeats his name. He struggles against Tang's hold, screaming for her. It's so sad. He was a lost little boy looking for his mom.
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| Her motherly love radiates |
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| Those eyes... T_T BTS for this scene has WZQ really strangled |
Xiao Fei and Yiyi are upstairs in his father's study. She holds him as they break down together. They are beautiful too. She gently asks if he is hungry and finds him an instant Ramen pack. He crunches on the dehydrated noodles happily. Yiyi tells him she doesn't want to and she is scared. Xiao Fei, feeling powerless to protect her, throws papers around. She hugs him and asks him to quit. On the ground, he suddenly notices his father's old drawings.
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| I love Xiao Fei and Yiyi too |
Pei Yin wants Yi Han to decrypt the half piece of paper cipher code left by Lin Ke. Yi Han says he can't. Pei Yin only knows the basics and decrypt himself.
Meanwhile, Xiao Fei seems to have made a breakthrough with the drawings. Remember his father, he outlines a red star, it seems to be a secret map to the warehouse.
Na Na and Nuo Nuo are traveling to Hanbei. Nuo Nuo is cute, she thinks she is a good fighter. Zhou Ji has gathered his Black Cloak fighters. Funny, Na Na interrupts this mobster meeting. She tells Zhou Ji to leave her uncle and sister alone. She knows he is the one pretending to be her father to call him. 2nd big mystery of the drama, is Gu Mu Lan still alive? Well, video call comes in and Na Na sees him. After the call, Na Na's face is wet with tears. Is everything Zhou Ji is doing is for her father's interest or he is using him for his own interest? It's both, there's no difference to him. He is loyal to Gu Mu Lan. Gu Mu Lan just wants to give her a normal life.
Cheng Fan learns that Dr. Mu's father actually is the big investor in the hospital. Where did he get all this money from? He calls Xiao Wan to plan for her son's birthday and tells her to invite her father over too. That's not cool, Uncle Cheng.
Pei Yin has Xiao Fei call Zhou Ji to trick him back to his house. Xiao Fei uses Chu Yi Han as bait. Zhou Ji has the other half of the cipher code. He's interested in Yi han for that. Pei Yin calls the police. He wants the police to destroy Zhou Ji. Pei Yin holds Yiyi hostage. 24 hours later, if he doesn't see Xiao Fei and Yi Han again, he will kill her.
Zhou Ji and his Black Cloaks arrive at Xiao Fei's house. They find Xiao Fei tied up there. Police with their armored cars are on their way too. Via video call, Pei Yin tells Xiao Fei to tell Zhou Ji the location of the warehouse. He slaps Yiyi to threaten him. Xiao Fei is livid. Poor Yiyi.
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| What does this remind me of? Scooby doo-by doo, where are you? The ghost is really you!?! |
Once they hang up, like a classic abuser, Pei Yin apologizes and wipes Yiyi's tears. She's crying and frightened. She is worried for Xiao Fei. He wants Xiao Fei to lure Zhou Ji there so police can destroy him. Yiyi takes off her jacket, revealing a sexy, skin-tight black shirt. It's sad and endearing how much she wants to protect Xiao Fei. Pei Yin is actually not total scum. He looks away and puts her jacket back on her shoulders. She screams that Xiao will die.
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| The way they tie people up is hilarious |
Yi Han is also tied up here. Na Na has also followed Zhou Ji here. She tells Zhou Ji to release Yi Han. Tactical units have arrived. Everyone gears up to fight. Nuo Nuo is taken hostage. Gun fire exchanged. Zhou Ji has Na Na and Yi Han in the car speeding away. Cheng Fan's police car is on their tail.
Chu Yi Han breaks free from his ties. He fights with Zhou Ji. Zhou Ji has kicked him out of the car. As he is driving away, Yi Han hangs onto to the door and is able to jump back in. Cool stunt. Unbelievable, but cool. The cars stop. Zhou Ji takes Na Na hostage. Yi Han is very concerned for her safety. While Cheng Fan makes a call to the superiors, Zhou Ji has separated from Na Na. The snipers use this opportunity to shoot him dead. Bye-bye, Zhou Ji.
[Ep16] 4 years ago. Jiang Jiu Ping is setting up his family shrine. Zhou Ji and Wen Li are going to be married the next day. Zhou Ji threatens his future father in law saying he now part of the business.. He wants to turn the shrine in to a piano room. Jiang Jiu Ping puts his foot down here.
Present day. Zhou Ji is dead. Chang Fan and Qiao Dan are questioning Na Na about him. She asks why the police killed her brother-in-law. He resisted arrest with a gun, even if he weren't kill then, he would have received the death penalty. These laws... She asks if her mother was also killed by the police. Cheng Fan says a body was found, but unidentified. Well, mystery solved. They showed Na Na a photo of the body. Luckily all we see is the top of her hair and a wrist with a bracelet. Na Na recognizes the bracelet, her mom promised to give it to her when she grew up. This is too much trauma. Show failed here by not giving her more reaction time. Or perhaps she is too shell shocked. Cheng Fan also confirmed that he shot her foot. She's done with conversation but the police want to know all the relationship details of her brother-in-law, sister and uncle.
Chu Yi Han writes down what he could remember of the half cipher. The details the contents of the treasures and the traps used to protect it. He deduces that Zhou Ji probably had the other half. Pei Yin left a phone with a message for Chief Tai. Yi Han doesn't believe his mother would help Pei Yin, he wants to find Pei Yin again to continue the investigation and help Xiao Fei rescue Yiyi. Chief Tai is worried that this is too risky.
Wen Li is worried about the missing Zhou Ji and Na Na. Her father tells her to call the police.
Na Na is being watched by the police at a hotel. Yi Han comes to check on her. She is outside on the balcony. As he is about open the sliding glass door to join her, she stops him. Nameless Poetry OST background music plays for the first time this drama.
Another fan discussion mentioned that she closed the door to protect his integrity as a police officer. I admit, I miss that completely.
Na Na: I am Gu Mu Lan's daughter. You must hate me, don't you?
He leans his back on the glass door. Opposite sides.
Yi Han: Yes. You should hate me too, shouldn't you?
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| Romeo and Juliet on the balcony |
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| Can they hear each other through that door? Eh, disbelief suspended for beauty |
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| They can hear the longing through the door |
Na Na sighs and remains silent. He asks if she misses her father. Always. He responds that he misses his mother too. Does she know what his mother looks like? She saw her once when she visited her father's office. His mom was pretty. Yi Han sighs. Na Na, Xiao Fei, and all the gangsters have seen his mother, but he hasn't.
Beautiful scene. The conflict of identities is a real obstacle, but also real is their longing and friendship. They barely have interactions, but they understand each other immediately, comforting each other about their parents, their deepest emotional pain.
She comes inside. She doesn't like being here, she asks if she can go home. He nods silently. His disappointed face doesn't seem to want to part with her.
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| These 2 say so much with so few words |
Xiao Fei is being interrogated by Cheng Fei and Captain Duan. He says he doesn't know where the warehouse is. He pleads with them to let him and Yi Han find Pei Yin or else his wife, Yiyi, will die. It's super sweet how he calls her his wife. He has lost everything, all he has is her.
Wen Li learns that her husband is dead.
Chu Yi Han and Xiao Fei set off together. Xiao Fei calls Pei Yin to let him know they are coming. Pei Yin doesn't care if they are cooperating with the police. Pei Yin believes he is always one step ahead. He's probably right. After hanging up, Xiao Fei tells Yi Han he can help testify for Na Na. Chu Yi Han is like, "no need, she's innocent." All the criminals in this drama could be lawyers, Xiao Fei reminds him that she knew about Zhou Ji coming to his house with guns. Failure to report a crime is a crime. Chu Yi Han isn't impressed by Xiao Fei's online law degree.
Xiao Fei asks if Chu Yi Han and Na Na have a "thing". After he made a lewd fist banging gesture, Chu Yi Han grabs his hair. Aww... I miss these old times. Xiao Fei really likes messing with him and getting beaten up.
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| They love each other |
Cheng Fan comes to Dr. Mu's house to celebrate her son's birthday. Mu Shao Bai is there alone. They talk about Dr. Mu. Mu Shao Bai doesn't approve of this relationship. Too dangerous. Cheng Fan questions him about the investment. Later, Mu Shao Bai outright tells his daughter to break up with Cheng Fan. She refuses. Mu Shao Bai leaves after he gets a shady phone call.
Xiao Fei and Yi Han arrive at Pei Yin's place. Pei Yin is watching "Godfather" At least I assume it is that movie. I haven't seen it. Poor Yiyi has to watch it too. Movie might be classic, but the company is murderous. There's symbolism, of course.
Pei Yin: After a lifetime of killing, his daughter never forgave him. How tragic. Retribution has no borders. I wonder how we will end up to have a good life.Mr Jin: I've made a prediction. Both of us won't have a good ending.
Foreshadowing! This forgettable lackey/Greek chorus does have his moments. Pei Yin wants to hammer it over our heads, he asks Yiyi if he looks like the old man in the movie.
Xiao Fei: You are much more hideous.
Pei Yin apologizes for Xiao Fei almost dying. He shows him the map that Xiao Fei had found in his dad's study. Meanwhile, Chu Yi Han is trapped in another room tasked to decode the cipher. The desk here isn't bad. Burn down the rest of the room.
Pei Yin threatens Xiao Fei with Yiyi's life to figure out what the red star on the map indicates. He really doesn't know. They stab Yiyi. Bastards! Under extreme duress, Xiao Fei figures out the star must indicate Blue Star Hotel. If this hotel was controlled by Zhou Ji, why would he still be looking for the treasure? Xiao Fei screams that he doesn't know. After figuring out that the hotel was built after Lao Qiang wrote the map, Pei Yin learns that the owner is Jiang Jiu Ping.... the 2nd in command of the Northwest Wolves. Dun, dun, dun! We meet #2. Eh, presentation was a bit anti-climatic. He's Chai Long. At least it will be easier to type his name. #2.
#2 is doing a poor job of consoling his daughter about her husband's death. He didn't care of his evil ways. Pei Yin calls #2, he wants to meet. #2 says he is now an upstanding citizen and doesn't want to associate with Pei Yin anymore. Pei Yin has one advantage over #2, he is more despicable. Recognizing this truth, #2 feels threatened and plans to meet him.
Wen Li is using her husband's deep voice fake computer. She plays him saying, "Wen Li". She cries at the sound of her husband's voice. Aww, they actually had a normal loving marriage. Zhou Ji's character is quite layered, but I didn't get the actor's charisma to pull that off. Wen Li cries in Na Na's arms as she comforts her. Sweet sister bonding. Later, like next episode later, Wen Li tells Na Na that #2 is missing and that before he left, he got a call from Pei Yin.
Chu Yi Han gives Pei Yin the partially decoded cipher. He wants to see his mother. Nopes. Pei Yin pulls out the other part of Yi Han's Scorpio necklace as proof that he and Yi Han's mother are close. He also implies that his mother slept around to gain the trust of the wolf den and endure a lot of torture. Perhaps in a moment of weakness, she secretly took out this necklace to remember her child, but this caused her identity to be exposed. Fortunately, Pei Yin accepted her and she accepted him. That's how she joined his team. Ick. No, like Chu Yi Han, I don't believe him either. Pei Yin tells Chu Yi Han his mother can not move or speak. This enrages Yi Han, he demands to know who did it. Pei Yin claims it was the Northwest Wolves.
At this moment, Na Na calls Pei Yin. She asks if he killed Zhou Ji. As he blames the death on the police, Na Na hears Yi Han's voice in the background. Na Na warns Pei Yin to leave her family alone. This includes her sister, her uncle and her friends. Her father won't spare him. She clarifies her friend is Chu Yi Han.
Pei Yin asks Yi Han about Na Na. Yi Han is bad at lying when Na Na's name is mentioned. "Gu Mu Lan" calls Pei Yin.
"Gu Mu Lan" tells Pei Yi to keep Yi Han and agrees to meet him soon. Pei Yin and Chu Yi Han, same cipher ping-pong. Pei Yi continues to be divisive, this guy plays psychological warfare, he asks Yi Han if he learns that his mother is on Pei Yin's side, would he arrest her. "I am here to find her, not arrest her".
Xiao Fei is brought back to ask about the shrine again. He swears that he has told Pei Yin everything. Pei Yi believes him, that's why he is no longer useful. Predictable. Pei Yin tells Yi Han to inject the heroin syringe into Xiao Fei's neck, otherwise it may end up in his mother's. Yi Han grabs the syringe and coldly walks towards a trembling Xiao Fei. Yi Han slightly flicks his head, Xiao Fei gives a hint of a smile. They both synchronously attack Pei Yin and his men. Yeah! What is their CP name? Xiao Fei has a gun to Pei Yin's head.
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| Xiao Fei: I knew you wouldn't hurt me, Boo. |
If Xiao Fei kills Pei Yin, his men will kill Xiao Fei and Yiyi. He still can't win even though he has him hostage. Xiao Fei wants Yiyi back from the hospital. Fine. Pei Yin will let them both live as long as Yi Han keeps his promise of translating the cipher. Xiao Fei only listens to Yi Han. 🥰 Pei Yin leaves the room grumbling like a grouchy old man, "Unbelievable! This wasn't what I expected at all!" It is kinda funny cute.
Captain Duan finally arrives to rescue them. They are gone. He did find a mark that Yi Han left behind. It means "out of control, need help"
In the car ride.
Xiao Fei, softly: Yi Han. Thank you.Yi Han: 😶Spud: 🫠🥰😘
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| No need to look at each other, car is full of love |
Mu Shao Bai arrives to take out Aku's bullet. Oh no, Dr Mu was caught. She was following her father. Cheng Fan called her and senses something is wrong.
Pei Yi gets another phone call from "Gu Mu Lan". Yi Han is separated from Xiao Fei 😢 to go meet "Gu Mu Lan". They arrive at this random restaurant, Yi Han is sent back alone to meet the big boss. Gu Mu Lan must have been a devil for Pei Yin to be so deferential.
Yi Han sees the cutest Gu waiting for him with a nice pair of wheels. They ram out of there, almost running over Tang.
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| Yi Han: "Gu Mu Lan" is adorable |
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| Webster's: Adorable |
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| BTS for this isn't quite as smooth |
Tang jumps in his car to chase after their motorcycle. He shoots at them. Yi Han takes the bike off road. Na Na hugs him tighter. Yi Han has a shot gun that he deftly uses one-handed to shoot Tang's tire. Spud's disbelief: Just look at the coolness. They escape.
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| Give me more of this and I will believe anything |
Yi Han and Na Na stop to talk. She wants him to follow her to meet someone. He doesn't want her involved, it's illegal to associate with this gang activity. She says giving him that shot gun was already illegal. Gu Lin Na, JD. She tells him not to contact his superiors. This is foolish and out of character for Na Na not to be forthcoming. Yi Han knows this isn't good but because he trusts her, he's going to follow. 😒
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| How can he not trust those cheeks? |
Noodle Shop from Episode 1. It's like a hidden Michelin Star. Xiao Fei is waiting for Yiyi with Mr Jin. Mr Jin takes him out to pick her up. The cars are approaching each other, but suddenly Xiao Fei's swerves and stops in the distance. Yiyi gasps. Mr Jin has stabbed Pei Yin's man. He wants to know about the warehouse. He is tired of being the"lackey of three". They reach Yiyi and she runs up to hug Xiao Fei. He gently asks her if her wound hurt. Her "Yes. It hurt a lot" was so sweet and pitiful.
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| Beautiful. The people. The scenery. The feelings. |
She secretly hands him a gun. Pei Yin's men reaches them, but they are gone. Only one left is dead Mr Jin. Flashback memory of Mr Bai warning him to get out when he can. Hey, Mr Jin predicted 🔮 his own fortune. Let's hope the other half comes true.
[Ep18] Flashback to when Na Na called Aku. He perks up when Na Na tells him "Long Qi" is her friend that needs to be rescued. He wants her to bring "Long Qi" to him, have him translate the cipher, use that to get Pei Yi to release her uncle. And don't tell the police. Na Na, that should be your first 🚩. Otherwise, her uncle and his shady history still be known and he still be arrested.
[Ep19] 25 years ago. Dr. Mu Shao Bai meets Gu Mu Lan from treating his bullet wound. Swayed by loads of cash, he became the gang's doctor. He is #6.
[Ep20] 9 years ago, Gu Mu Lan introduces the newly inducted 7th member, Lin Ke. Some dumb lackey harassed her 2 days ago, Gu Mu Lan executes him. Ruthless. He announces that next month, during the Golden Lamb Festival, they will choose a new Wolf King in a battle. Lao Qiang ironically says loyalty is the most important, the disloyal will die. Anyways, this method of choosing a new Wolf King 🐺 👑 from the wolf cubs is now traditional.
Xiao Fei and Yiyi are driving away and anxiously checking the mirror to see if anyone is following them. Once they finally feel alone, they cry and emotionally release all the pain, fear, and suffering. Are they truly free now?
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| The scenery in this drama is majestic |
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| I wish these crazy kids would stay safe, but... |
Yi Han and Na Na seem to be in their own world on this motorcycle.
Na Na: Officer Chu, is there a girl you like?Yi Han, glancing back, simply and resolutely replies: Yes.Na Na: Does she know?
Yi Han: No, she doesn't need to know.
Na Na: Why?
Yi Han: There is no reason why.
Na Na looks down, gathering more courage to ask.
Na Na: Do I know her?Yi Han, being very proper: Miss Gu. Please, revoke your question.Our spunky Na Na: It's too late now.Yi Han: If you didn't hand me that shotgun, I could answer your question right away.
Is there no hope for them? She reflects silently as he sneaks a peak at her.
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| Spud watched n times |
Ahhhhhhh.... This OST is playing. 等你回答 "Waiting For Your Answer". It has this sweet, nostalgic, full of longing feel. This conversation about love is randomly placed, but I don't care. They are so star-crossed with their identities: his upholder-of-the-law vs her princess of the underworld.
Pei Yin arrives at the noodle shop. Our owner has recovered from his PTSD and demands payment for the henchmen's noodles. #2 shows up. Shop owner and his wife are sent outside so that the two gangsta bros could talk.
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| Yummy, give me a bowl. Hold the snarl. I am unreasonably amused by this noodle shop. |
Cheng Fan arrives to where Dr Mu was held. She's been released but was threatened to stay silent about her father otherwise he would be killed. Aku is watching the police inspect his former hide-out via secret cam, but Cheng Fan finds it and threatens him virtually.
#2 & #4 reminisce. Pei Yin confesses that he stole #2's copy of Jin Yong's "A Deadly Secret". I don't remember that story. It wasn't a popular work. The analogy is that the characters remind him of each of the Wolves and the greed of humanity is its downfall. Pei Yin asks #2 if he were like the emperor in the book and his treasures in the Buddhist statue. Sort of. He melted Lao Qian's guns down to make it. Held at gunpoint, #2 isn't afraid, he has Nini's grave site in his cross hairs. #2 beats #4 and bids him a "never see you again."
Na Na and Chu Yi Han have arrived to this little cottage. Inside is a thug eating grossly who Yi Han fights when he wouldn't let them leave. My shipper eyes notice how Yi Han protects Na Na. Aku comes. This was Lin Ke's home.
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| Gotta take my crumbs |
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| Yi Han: Dare mess with my Na Na? |
Yi Han looks around the room, voices of his childhood try to connect to these objects. Aku shows him the other half of the cipher. He reads it and throws the phone back at Aku, amusingly bouncing off Aku's chest. For an assassin, Aku's reaction time is turtle. Yi Han refuses to translate it. Aku threatens him with gunshots and even points it in Na Na's direction.
Cheng Fan takes Dr Mu to a wedding dress shop, he still wants to marry her but she is unsure that she is good enough for him. Her father carries and talks to him, getting him to go to Kalisha to meet him. He will explain everything about the sick Gu Mu Lan and the experiments he did to try to make him better. A cardio thoracic surgeon treating a dementia patient. No wonder he didn't get better.
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| Stylish color combo |
Aku promises to split the treasure with Yi Han one he finishes translating both halves. Yi Han is "interested" in the split but can't remember Pei Yin's half, they need to get it from him. Aku shows him a picture of his mother's death. Her neck is slit with Pei Yin posing over her with a knife.
Aku calls Pei Yin to meet, he has Chu Yi Han. They should just set up a group chat. Suspended disbelief, people talking to each other on the phone this much. Na Na barges back in and tells Aku to stop acting. Yi Han doesn't understand, she reminds him that she is Gu Mu Lan's daughter, implying that Aku wouldn't dare hurt her. She tells Aku to let Yi Han go, but he wants to have him tied up instead. Yi Han gamely holds his hands out to be tied. "Tying them is easy, untying will be much more difficult". Chu Yi Han isn't going to cooperate. Aku, rolls his eyes, knows defeat and says, "Let's go save Mr. Jiang"
A group chat would have solved this misunderstanding.
👴🏼: Just left #4. C you back home. Running late
👩🏻: K, can you stop by the store to get some honey? Making lamb, a friend is coming to our house
🧔🏻♂️: #2, come back! You left your book!
👴🏼: Nope, got it right here.
🧔🏻♂️: Uhh... Yi Han is with me
👮🏻♂️: I'm with Na Na.
👩🏻: Yi Han is with me.
🧔🏻♂️: 😐
Xiao Fei and Yiyi are at the Blue Sky Hotel. He warns her that there has no turning back if she follows him. She smiles brightly that the point of no return was long gone. He says she should find someone else and she slaps then tears up. She loves this idiot so much. I like him too, but why, Yiyi, why?
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| Yiyi is gorgeous |
He kidnaps Wen Li who knows nothing about the warehouse that may be under her family's shrine.
Captain Duan quickly figures out Xiao Fei kidnapped Wen Li. #2 is transferring #4's fingerprint from the book cover to the buy the hotel contract offer. Was the guy a police officer in another life? Probably, he is a Jebsen regular.
Cheng Fan arrives to Kalisha. Mu Shao Bai picks him up in his fancy gangster money sports car. He admits he is a member of the Northwest Wolves.
Mu Shao Bai takes Cheng Fan to his huge home that has a stretcher and an EKG machine in the living room. Besides that random décor, this set is actually not eye-gouging looking. He tells Cheng Fan to lay day for a check up and hooks him up to a couple of leads. Oops, with a push of a button, these leads can cause a shock to kill him. Huh??? Ok, I will move on. Mu Shao Bai rambles about his boo hoo story of always wanting to be an ethical doctor to save people but became a gansta because of money.
Captain Xia arrives, they run to the house to see Cheng Fan dragging out Mu Shao Bai's lifeless, foamy mouth body. He's shaking him demanding to know where Gu Mu Lan is. Cheng Fan's heart hurts and he is about to pass out too.
Cheng Fan = #1 murder suspect. He thinks about Dr. Mu. Xiao Wan is getting a call about her father and crumbles to the ground.
Chu Yi Han and Aku are at a gas station. Yi Han drops money which tells the gas attendant to call the police. But does he get to keep the money?
Poor Chief Tai. the captain he sent out is a a murder suspect. The investigator he sent is still missing. Worst moment in 36 years on the force. 🤷🏻♀️ It made me laugh.
Pei Yin is almost at the old Wolf hideout. He sings some song that he will keep repeating later.
🎶 I want to journey from South to North. I want to transverse from white to black. I want people to see me. Yet not know who I am.🎶
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| Tune becomes a bit catchy |
Xiao Fei has tied Wen Li to a chair. He tells Yiyi to go outside and then chokes and slaps Wen Li around. 💩 List: Sha Xiao Fei. Why drama, why make him irredeemable? He freaks out and banshee screams at her to give him the guns in the shrine. She knows nothing except that she is Gu Mu Lan's daughter. Now, Xiao Fei knows. Why tell him? These Gu girls tell everyone their paternity.
Cheng Fan is questioned by Chief Tai. He is emotional about how this will affect Dr. Mu and how he can't protect her. Mu Shao Bai committed suicide. Bruise on his chest was because Cheng Fan kicked him before he croaked on his own. Flashback, Mu Shao Bai's brother-in-law was killed by Gu Mu Lan. This caused Xiao Wan's mother to leave him. She didn't know that gang activity was the cause of her parent's divorce. Mu Shao Bai is teary that he is a competent doctor, but now under the control of Gu Mu Lan and Zhou Ji. He denies that Jiang Jiu Ping has anything to do with the NWW. I got tired of writing out 🐺 . Mu Shao Bai is about to kill Cheng Fan because Aku used Xiao Wan's life to threaten him. Mu Shao Bai has to die because only he and Aku know where Gu Mu Lan is located. Mu Shao Bai was afraid that his reputation would be ruined, he wasn't in it for the money. He dies.
With Yi Han's clues, Captain Duan is able to track his whereabouts.
Dr. Mu comes to speak to Cheng Fan. He apologizes. She knows he didn't do it. She cries and runs out before he can comfort her. 💔
Xiao Fei calls Jiang Jiu Ping threatening him with Wen Li. Xiao Fei talks about the weapons being under the shrine. Perhaps the police should raid that? #2 denies that there is anything. Xiao Fei shoots at the ground, Wen Li screams. #2 panics. Xiao Fei wants $2 million, meet him alone.
The police have been monitoring #2. They heard this entire conversation. They analyze that it would be difficult to capture the elusive Xiao Fei.
Chu Yi Han, Na Na, Aku, and Pei Yin all arrive to the old NWW Lair. BTW, Pei Yin typically calls Yi Han "good son". 🙄 In his warm villainous way, he greets Yi Han. Na Na demands to know where her uncle is and tells Aku to give Pei Yin the thing to exchange for her uncle. Sigh... 💡Group text. Pei Yin looks confused, but he knows an advantage is present so he stays silent. Aku also seems to know the truth and is probably stringing Na Na along.
The go underground to a big hall with a gaudy wolf decked out long table. Pei Yin walks around the table. We see the past Wolves drinking and dining here. As he passes each chair, 7th aunt, #3, #2, Gu Mu Lan, Lao Qiang, and himself disappear into ashes. Neat imagery. Gives gravitas to this memory.
Pei Yin: The ones that should be dead are dead
Pei Yin tells Chu Yi Han to take his mother's old seat and Na Na to sit at her father's. She gamely sits at the head of the table. The younger generation taking over.
Na Na: Is it difficult?
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| Badarse |
Pei Yin looks forward to rebuilding the NWW with these new young'uns. Young'uns: 🤨 Pei Yi admits to Yi Han that he was the one who hurt his mother because her identity was exposed and she would have killed them. Perhaps, he should have let her kill him, let her go back to her group and get some achievement award. "Son, please trust that you weren't the only one that loves your mother." Yeah, whatever, dude. 🙄 Blah, blah, Yi Han looks like he is about to fall asleep hearing Pei Yin wax poetic for the umpteenth time. He asks the question he already knows the answer to, "When can I see my mom?"
Pei Yin threatens Aku to give him the other half of the cipher. Aku: 🥱. Pei Yin's white suited thugs: 🔫. Aku's grungy thugs: 🧨💣.
And Na Na? "We will give you what you want if you give us back my uncle!"
Audience: 😬🤦🏻♀️. Someone, please set up a Go Fund Me to give this poor girl an unlimited text plan.
Aku finally takes pity on her and let's her know that her uncle is safely at home. Oh? So he is able to get signal?
Technically #2 is not home. He is at the police station "helping" with the investigation on Pei Yin and reporting that Xiao Fei has kidnapped Wen Li. He implicates Pei Yin while lying and minimizing his own involvement with the 🐺. He dodges every question thrown at him. I am supposed to be impressed by his wits but the actor is not magnetic and makes me want to climb a wall to get out of this very, very, very draggy interrogation.
Pei Yin plays a recording to Na Na proving that her uncle stole the guns and is as shady as him. Na Na: 😮. Pei Yin has deduced that her father is either dead or mentally damaged. Aku's busted face tells him to stop talking about King Gu in front of the cop.
Cop asserts himself. Yi Han teases them with the knowledge of each cipher line. So cocky. 😍 Ah, he has a photographic memory. With a devious smile, he says with this cipher treasure knowledge, why would he be cop?
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| So much arrogance in 1 finger |
Back to #2's momentum breaking show of lies. Spud, with my oh-so professional drama watching experience, recommends 3x speed here.
Yi Han demands 2 things for him to decode the entire cipher. 1. His mom. 2. 20% cut. Pei Yin, 1. No. 2. 10%. Intense stare-down.
Xiao Fei wants Yiyi to leave. He prepared a thumb drive claiming her innocence. He tells her to lie to the police that he raped her and forced her to be with him. Most importantly, she never touched a gun. Got it, show. 🚫🔫. He knows he has lost, but his only card left is using Wen Li to trade for the Desert Tiger Legacy. Yiyi knows his path is death and she is willing to die with him. Oh, Yiyi.
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| There is pain in every beautiful expression |
Police are at the shrine. They find nothing. Xiao Fei texts #2 with the meet up location for hostage trade. #2 shows the police.
Wolf Lair, let's fight to elect new 🐺 👑. Chu Yi Han vs Tang vs Aku's big guy (who is the same actor as the mummified eunuch in The Imperial Coroner) battle in the wolf cage. Exciting fight. Our guy gets his head slammed against the bars and pounded several times. I am a sucker for that gravity defying leg wrap around the neck move.
Captain Duan finds Yiyi at the hostage location tied to the chair. Xiao Fei has Wen Li in the trunk of a car. In the desert. He is ridiculous. He sends her picture to Aku. Aku's loyalty is to Gu Mu Lan. Probably? 🤷🏻♀️ He signals for his man to help Yi Han win. They team up to take down Tang first and then Yi Han beats Aku's guy.
A new king sits on the Wolf Throne. Na Na was so worried about Yi Han the entire time. Look at her attached to him after he gets out of the cage. Yi Han tells Pei Yin to bring out the cipher.
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| Gotta take my crumbs |
Captain Duan questions Yiyi. She's pregnant. So tragic. She doesn't know where Xiao Fei is but he isn't likely coming back.
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| I hope to see this captivating actress in something else. |
#2 visits Cheng Fan. Cat vs mouse. Too bad Lu Si Yu is too young for this role. Trying to think of someone more dynamic. Chief Tai talks to Cheng Fan about the conversation. #2 has perfect answers. Therefore, the more flawless he is, the more he feels something is off.
They don't listen to the Wolf King either. Both Aku and Pei Yin don't want to be the first one to pull out their half.
Xiao Fei finds an old acquaintance, an arms dealer, begs him on his knees for weapons, then strangles him dead since he has no money to pay for the goods. This complete moral downfall is heartbreaking.
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| Putting on my best Tyra Banks: We were rooting for you! Excellent acting |
Xiao Fei texted Aku the "Wen Li in a trunk for hours" photo. Aku demands that she is saved first before they talk about the cipher. He's on speaker phone with Xiao Fei. Pei Yin says Yi Han will decode since being a cop isn't as lucrative as getting the treasure.
Xiao Fei facial expression: I know this cop better than you.
Dr Mu gives Chief Tai a bottle of quinidine she found at her father's. This was what he used to die. Aku held her h on hostage. She feels guilty and wonders if he died because of her. Chief Tai knows that this will affect her relationship with Cheng Fan, but hopes they can work it out. It is difficult to find a compatible person.
Sleepover at the Wolf Lair. Will they have pillow fights? There are 7 rooms, everyone has to share. Some awkward back-and-forth later, it is decided that Yi Han is the best option for Na Na's roommate. Na Na enters by herself first. Alone for the first time in days. All her trauma finally cascading on her.
She remembers when Zhou Ji held her hostage. Her brother-in-law actually gently reassured her that there are no bullets left in the gun and he won't hurt her.
Zhou Ji: It is too late for me. Always remember, your surname is Gu. Take care of yourself and Wen Li. Tell her that I can't play piano for her anymore. I will see her in the next life.
He suicides by cop. Aww, that was a sweet death. Each character is layered in this drama. Other scenes flash by.
"Wen Li is your half sister.""Cheng Fan shot you when you were a child.""Did the police kill my mother?"Her father's confused, "Na Na".
Na Na crouches on the floor sobbing loudly.
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| Poor girl. It is amazing that she has been composed this long |
Yi Han comes to the door. He hears her cries. It's heart-breaking. He quietly knocks. She wipes her tears and tries to compose herself. Door opens, they look at each other. She needs a hug and he wants to comfort her. He murmurs, "Na Na".
He inspects the room for recording devices. She is trying to hold back her tears, but cries silently. Yi Han looks protectively at her, her back is turn towards him.
Aku gets a message to #2 to come tomorrow or else Na Na will be in trouble. Police have been watching him.
Yi Han can't fall asleep on the couch when he spots a listening device under the record player. He turns it on and it plays a traditional Wolf dance song. Na Na gets up as she recognizes the music. Pei Yin is listening in. Yi Han asks her if this is her composition. They gaze at each other across the room.
Na Na: Chu Yi Han. I'll show you a dance.
He nods ever so imperceptibly. "Nameless Poetry" plays.
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| Each look feels like they have so much to say |
Scenes of present Na Na and the first time we met her dancing are intercut. She was carefree, weightless, and luminous. Now, her heart is heavy and the smile has faded, but her resilient spirit is still present. Yi Han is mesmerized. He didn't even blink once.
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| I love how her hair swung around, her movements are very fluid And when she looked at him briefly really got me |
Pei Yin throws the headphones off. "Tacky". Then he sings his ditty again. Who is tacky?
Police learn that Xiao Fei killed the store owner. Cheng Fan also confirmed to be innocent when tox report returns that quinidine overdose was indeed the cause of Mu Shao Bai's death. #2 has eluded police surveillance and he is on his way to Wolf Lai, but he purposely leaves a few clues for them to follow. Chief Tai sends Cheng Fan into the mission. He calls after Cheng Fan as he runs off, but then decides not to say anything. This is particularly sad on 2nd viewing. Dr. Mu is also waiting outside for Cheng Fan. He is about to approach her, but she understandably hasn't resolved her feelings about her father's death. She drives off without speaking to him. T_T
Xiao Fei arrives at the Wolf Lair. Wen Li is no longer in the trunk, he stashed her away somewhere else. Everyone is eating at the Wolf table. Chu Yi Han greets Xiao Fei with the most hilarious, most frat boy of all frat boys, booming, "Hey!".
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| This jerky act is amusing |
Xiao Fei finds his ex-father's old seat "dirty" and wants Yi Han's seat instead. Yi Han: cocky side smile. He has a good appetite and eats throughout this tense scene. Na Na wants her sister. Pei Yin acts as a spokesperson to deal with Xiao Fei. He wants everything in exchange for Wen Li. I also got a kick out of Pei Yin calling Yin Han "Boss Chu".
#2 is on his way. Police are also following. Cheng Fan's heart is acting up and he takes his medicine from this tiny gourd bottle. Their task is to bring Jiang Jiu Ping back alive.
#2 enters the Wolf Lair, Na Na is surprised to see him. He announces that Lao Qiang's guns are with him.
[Ep22] 6 years ago, Jiang Jiu Ping drops off a briefcase at a donation box. Before the item goes into the bin, a thug holds him up with a knife. Unphased, #2 tells him to just take the money he needs, otherwise greed is bad. Guy looks knowingly into the briefcase, #2 was about to donate 10 million dollars. How would he know the person processing this donation wouldn't just take it? Thug tells him Lao Gu wants him to do something for them. #2 has left the organization for 10 years, but he still has tasks. They want him to investigate #7. Later, he meets with thug, gives him the file that she is an antique dealer. Thug threatens that #2 is never truly free, they can always get to the kids. #2 kills him and burns the file. He is reformed but still ruthless. Why did he burn the file? Doesn't it help #7 or did it report her true identity?
Wolf Lair, Pei Yin puts a folder in front of Yi Han so he can decipher. Chu Yi Han messes with him by asking what if he purposely deciphers incorrectly? What a brat. 😆.
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| Keep annoying Pei Yin |
#2 comes in and we see the scene from the last episode.
Pei Yin: Who invited this guy? He's bad news.
🤣 This silly villain is amusing. Aku confirms with #2 about his involvement of Zhou Ji's death. #2: Yeppers. I told Zhou Ji he deserves it. Aku: 🤬
#2 gives Xiao Fei the key. Go release Wen Li, he will text him the address of the warehouse. But he tells Xiao Fei not to let the guns go out because that would be detrimental to the public. #2 knew stole the guns from Lao Qiang by torturing Mr Bai's wife. What a peach. Hard to believe this reformation when he was quite evil. Xiao Fei leaves, he tells Pei Yin to live well, he will come back for him.
#2 tells Na Na to leave this dangerous place. He arranged a person to protect her and also lies she can tell the police when questioned. Pei Yin, who doesn't like anyone up his authority, refuses to let her leave. #2 is second in command for a reason. He designed the Wolf Lair, complete with hidden explosives. With a push of 3 increasing power buttons he can demolish this place so that no one leaves.
#2 pushes the first button to show the skeptical Pei Yin who is boss. Blasts outside rock their ground. Na Na steals the remote and pushes the 2nd button. Closer blasts occur. Seems a bit foolish since she didn't know the exact location of the bombs. But girl isn't thinking with her brain right now. All the repressed emotions have finally exploded.
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| Who has the power? |
Na Na: Staying alive is a chore! Why do you all lie to me? Why is it my family that is hurt???
#2 reassures her that he loves and protects her. She wants to protect him. She is demanding that he, her friends, and all the innocent people can be safe. Pei Yin signals for his man to shoot her. Yi Han stops him and goes livid. How dare anyone aim at Na Na! He gently tells her to give him the controller. Na Na is still overcome with emotions, she let's everything out. Place and time be damn.
Na Na: I confess that I like you. A lot. I know you like me too, right?Yi Han: Yes. I do.Na Na: No!!! You're a cop. I'm scared of cops. I hate them. You killed my mother. My brother-in-law. My father. He can't even recognize me. You won't let my uncle go, right?
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| Yi Han: Oof. Wasn't expecting that response... |
His silence answers that question. She apologizes for her family hurting his mother, she can't help him. But she begs him to take her uncle out and save her sister. They should leave!
#2 tries to calm her down. The person that ruined her family is her father. Xiao Fei calls. Wen Li will be released, #2 sends him the address of the warehouse. Blink and you will miss it detail, #2 has his guy send Xiao Fei's location to Cheng Fan. Police split up. Cheng Fan goes after Xiao Fei, Captain Duan continue to head to the Wolf Lair.
Classic momentum breaking #2 chooses this time to tell Na Na about her father. Nothing surprising, but he acts like it. Discriminated against for his dark skin, he was a poor village kid that grew up idolizing bandit Song Jiang in "Water Margin". #2 became the business mind of the group, bringing it riches while Lao Gu recruited the others and formed the Black Cloaks assassin group. His first wife died because another gang retaliated against him over measly money. Lao Gu became a dictator. 🐺 👑 Is an authoritarian? Shocked. He even supplied weapons to terrorists.
#2: I thought of myself as lord. But in the end, I can't even protect my family!
Jiang Jiu Ping angrily yells that evil people like Gu Mu Lan deserves to die. #2 was the one who gave info to the police 5 years ago. This was not betrayal but salvation.
Aku's man tries to stealthily reach for Na Na's controller. Yi Han knocks her out and tells #2's man to take her to safety. Pei Yin refuses. Yi Han says she must go because they know she is his weakness and will use it against him. She is Gu Mu Lan's daughter, the bad guys still respect that and lets her go.
Xiao Fei is chased by Tang. Tang shoots at his car. I am worried for Wen Lin in the damn trunk. Xiao Fei's car flips over, Wen Li falls out. Tang takes Xiao Fei's phone.
#2 advises Yi Han not to follow in his mother's footsteps. Yi Han sits down, he's not, this is his new home. Can someone tell him about his mother? #2 observed her. He can tell that Yi Han and his mother are alike. He and Na Na are in love, this is rare, please leave with her. Ignore these old grudges.
Pei Yin waves to Yi Han: Don't listen to his nonsense. All the sutras have mushed his brain up.
LOL. Why is he so funny? Yi Han thanks #2 for his kindness, but he won't leave until he finds his mother.
#2 threatens Pei Yin. Old fox has a back up bomb controller on his Smart Watch. I don't see that in my App store. He spent half his life helping Gu Mu Lan, now it is time to end it all. Lackey runs in with the news that cops are here, this distracts everyone so that Aku shoots #2. Revenge for Zhou Ji & Lao Gu completed.
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| Thank you, Aku, finally some silence |
Bomb has been activated, watch shows a countdown. Everyone high tails it outta there. They must be track stars, <1 min later bombs explode, every car is at full speed away. Captain Duan's team arrives, they are also dodging the blasts.
Cheng Fan's team surrounds Tang who has taken Xiao Fei captive. He shoots Xiao Fei's leg. His agonizing wail penetrates my own bones. Great acting.
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| Wen Li: You deserved that |
Cheng Fan offers himself up as hostage. Why??? He entices Tang that he's a better one, he is old and sick with heart disease. He takes a pill to show his weakness. Tang shoots his arm. Qiao Dan screams with distress for his master. Cheng Fan continues the trade. Tang releases Xiao Fei and drives away with Cheng Fan.
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| Qiao Dan: My master is crazy pants |
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| I don't understand you, Cheng Fan |
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| Xiao Fei: I have a lifetime membership to a mental hospital, but should transfer that to Cheng Fan |
Captain Duan is chasing Yi Han and Pei Yin in one car and Aku and his guy in another. Aku's guy blows himself up to slow down Captain Duan's car. Pei Yin uses a video call with Lin Ke to make Yi Han help him escape. Yi Han shoots at Captain Duan's car and drives away.
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| Did he just cross a line? |
[Ep23] Gu Mu Lan gets new brain meds from his heart surgeon, #6. It makes the brain foggy, does he want it? He gulps it down. He looks at a photo album of his daughters. Lots of cute Na Na pictures, but he doesn't recognize any except for the one he took at her childhood recital. He is depressed seeing all the memories he has lost and his daughter's life that he missed.
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| Pathetic evil guy |
Injured hostage Cheng Fan drives Tang to the warehouse location. We learn that he swallowed a tracking device when he pretended to take his heart pills. Tang dumps Xiao Fei's phone onto a passing truck.
Qiao Dan asks Xiao Fei for his phone number so that they can track Cheng Fan. Xiao Fei is silent. Usually calm Qiao Dan blows up and then pleads, he must save his master, the guy that traded his life for Xiao Fei's worthless one. Police are monitoring the tracker. Chief Tai instructs to give Tang some space to run, then they can catch him when he leads them to the armory. Oh, Chief.
Yi Han is driving Pei Yin. He flashes back to when he was in high school. Why is his mother not back yet? The teachers say that he spends all his time at internet cafes playing video games. He doesn't want her to come to him being a villain. Next, he remembers Da Luo.
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| Teenager |
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| Cheng Fan's expression...😒😆 |
Da Luo: Good thing you were recruited early. If a brat like you goes to the streets, you would be public enemy. A lot of people will be hurt.
Aww... These are Da Luo's last words this drama. Yi Han feels terrible for shooting at Captain Duan's car.
Na Na sees her uncle's body. She breaks down. Poor girl lost so many loved ones.
Xiao Fei is at the hospital. Captain Duan comes to question him and brought Yiyi. Xiao Fei doesn't want her to see him like this. They are both sobbing.
Xiao Fei: I'm going to die. I'm going to die.
Captain Duan gives them hope, his crimes may not be punishable by death. Xiao Fei doesn't believe him. Yiyi is pulled away.
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| Why did you make these poor choices? |
Chief Tai questions Na Na about Chu Yi Han. She remembers all the illegal stuff he did, but she says she doesn't know anything. She shakes her head when asked if they are a couple. She isn't lying there, I wish she was lying. Chief Tai warns her that if they find out the 2 share a common interest or consequences happen because she hid information, they would both face legal ramifications. She asks for her sister. Heh. They are a CP. "Where's my mother?" "Where's my sister?"
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| Su Xiao Tong's crying scenes are great |
Xiao Fei denies killing the store owner. But shouldn't a fugitive, arms dealer, rapist, and murderer like that guy die? Captain Duan gets in his face. Xiao Fei is also a fugitive, yet Cheng Fan traded his life for him. He might be get life in prison instead of the death penalty and Yiyi's respect if he helps them. Xiao Fei gives the location of warehouse, but then he realizes #2 lied to him.
Tang is driving now. He goes to the mortuary to meet up with Pei Yin. Pei Yin and Yi Han arrive first. This was #5's crypt. Lu Tai was a grave robber. He's dead. Boo, that's boring. I guess one wolf had to be really dead. Shots are fired at them in the dark. Aku deals with Yi Han that he should kill Pei Yin, avenge his mother, take his share. Pei Yin and Yi Han look at each other, Yi Han shoots that direction, Pei Yin falls down motionless. Aku turns on the lights. Yi Han shoots and captures him. Pei Yin grumbles like a toddler while taking off his jacket. He was grazed a bit by Yi Han's bullet. Tang arrives with a blindfolded Cheng Fan.
Captain Duan reports that #2 said the treasure was at Anxin Cemetery, but they can't find this one. Chief Tai flashes back to when he sent Yi Han back on the mission after his Wolf Hut injuries. He knows he will face great temptation. He contemplates that he may have to become a NWW and become his mother's successor. Yi Han reassures Chief Tai that he will come back alive. Chief hesitantly endorses this plan. Yi Han only reports to him.
Rule 1. Come back alive. 2. Do not shoot at our men.
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| Chief Tai really loves Yi Han |
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| A beautiful warm vibe |
Captain Duan: Please tell me we didn't raise the Wolf King.
LOL. Chief Tai has full faith in Yi Han. Captain Duan is worried. What should he do if Yi Han shoots at them again? Chief Tai tells him to handle it lawfully.
Tang digs the bullet out of Pei Yin's arm. Yi Han looks disappointed. Oh, it was more than a graze. Eh, he deserves that. In separate rooms, Pei Yin has Yi Han and Cheng Fan decipher. He uses each of their lives to the threaten the other.
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| Aku & Yi Han: Wimp. |
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| Cheng Fan looks near death. 😩 |
Chief Tai finds out the location of the cemetery from Na Na. It is her family's cemetery where her mother is buried. Chief Tai takes Na Na with him on this mission to help him confirm.
Yi Han's and Cheng Fan's ciphers match up. Anxin Cemetery. Cheng Fan is twitching at death's door. Pei Yin tells Cheng Fan to convince Yi Han not to betray the organization, otherwise he will kill Yi Han. Pei Yin commands Yi Han to kill Cheng Fan.
Yi Han: Uncle. He has my mom. I need to find her.Cheng Fan: So what if you find her? Would she want to see you like this? She's a good cop. What about you?
They are left alone in the room, but Pei Yin has a listening device to monitor the situation.
Cheng Fan: What have you become?Yi Han: Whether you can survive, is more important than being a cop, right?
Cheng Fan knows that Pei Yin won't let him live. He knows the cipher code. Yi Han says he can persuade Pei Yin. Yin Han urges Cheng Fan that he can find a way, Cheng Fan needs to return to Dr. Mu, right?
Cheng Fan: And live like you? I'll advise you one last time. Change before it is too late. don't go further.Yi Han: I beg you. You have to survive. Don't give up or lose hope.Cheng Fan, voice getting angry: Nonsense! You backstabbing brat! Come on!!
Commotion gets louder. Yi Han is yelling for his uncle. Banging and more screaming.
Yi Han: Don't force me, Uncle!
Silence. Yi Han opens the door. His spirit is broken. He hands Pei Yin the bloody knife. He killed his father. Tang goes inside and delivers a last shot into Cheng Fan's heart. Nooooooo... 😢😭
[Ep24] Five years ago. I am going to cry already. Yi Han meets up with Uncle Cheng at a small diner. He got into the Police Academy, time for Uncle Cheng to full-fill his promise that Yi Han's mother will accompany him to registration. Oh, Cheng Fan, you did have one empty promise after another, huh? He proudly admires the admission certificate. Yi Han is familiar with this disappointment drill, he sits down and drinks with his Uncle. Cheng Fan asks him if he is dating anyone. Yi Han scoffs that he has no time. Well, you got busier and still found someone. You're not as good as our uncle. Uncle Cheng happily tells him about his vast dating experience. Dr. Mu sits at the next table and can't help overhear the loud funny braggart.
First girl, he met in high school. Track athlete, tall, beautiful and a winner. He joined the team to literally chase her. He ran, and ran, and ran, for 3 years. Running towards failure. Yi Han's smirk can't hide his adoration of his cute Uncle.
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| Adorable. I can listen to him for hours. |
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| I love them |
At least that got him into shape so he joined the police academy. Once there, he found an amazing madam. Not tall, but fair skinned, ice-cold killer looks. She was brilliant in all subjects, intellectual and combat. Better than all men. He started writing love letters to her, but then found out that everyone was writing letters to her too. He failed. He learned that she joined the CID, so he followed her and they captured the Northwest Wolves together. What kind of man was Yi Han's father to be so lucky to have her choose him?
Yi Han: Are you talking about my mother?Cheng Fan: *Busted*
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| XD |
But then she went missing. And he became disabled. Yi Han asks if he is finally admitting that his mother is missing. What is worse for a child? Being told that your mother is a criminal and left you? Or suspecting that she is missing and in danger? No wonder Yi Han is prickly.
Yi Han's father figure is dead. He seethes with hate at Pei Yin.
Pei Yin: Don't be sad, son. I can empathize.
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| Broken man exhibit #1 |
Yi Han laughs manically. Pei Yin stabs Aku in the heart. One less weight to carry around as he, Tang and Yi Han drive to treasure cemetery. Yi Han hides a tracker in the car seat. Flashback to how Cheng Fan died.
Yi Han enters, Uncle Cheng signs that there is an audio monitor. This scene is jaw-droppingly impressive. Father and son sign to each other one meaning, but say aloud what they want each other and Pei Yin to hear. The verbalized conversation has lies, truths, lies/truths. Tian Yu does most of the discordant visual and audio dialogue, I am in awe of his brain splitting talents. The signed conversation is in parenthesis.
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| Tian Yu! |
Yi Han: My mother is in his hands. I have to find her.Uncle Cheng: (Bring her back) So what if you found her? (My heart can't support me any longer) Would she want to see you in your current state?
Yi Han is alarmed, he reasons with Cheng Fan.
Yi Han: Uncle. Isn't staying alive more important than being a police office? Ah, this context. Please, we will take care of your heart.Uncle Cheng: (You continue the mission) Will he let me go?Yi Han: As long as you cooperate. (Let's join forces and arrest Pei Yin) I now have all the ciphers. I can definitely convince/trick him.Uncle Cheng: (In my stomach, there is a tracker) I know too much. (Take it out) He won't let me go.Yi Han, pleading: Uncle. Believe me. I'll find a way. Only by staying alive you can take care of Dr. Mu and others, right? Others = Yi HanUncle Cheng: (Tell her to forget about me) If I live like you, will I be worthy of this police uniform? I'll give you one last piece of advice. (No one will bully her again) Change before it's too late. Don't go any further. Truth, he's telling Yi Han to let him die. You won't be able to come back/stop this.Yi Han is tearing up. His voice desperate: Uncle. I beg you. Don't give up. You must stay alive to have hope.Uncle Cheng, emphatically: (My child...) You're talking nonsense! This is my last time... (I am...) am advising you on behalf of your mother. (proud of you) He and Yi Han's mother are proud of him. You backstabbing brat! (Goodbye)
He stabs his abdomen. Yi Han screams for his uncle, his father, his dependable loving rock.
Yi Han: Uncle! Don't force me! Uncle, don't force me!
Cheng Fan pushes him away and stops Yi Han from helping him as he disembowels himself. Yi Han destroys the cabinet in pain and helplessness. Yi Han holds his father tightly, sobbing. Uncle Cheng holds up the tracker, Yi Han clasps his hand. He apologizes over and over. Voice breaking, the anguished cries intensify.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I'm sorry, Uncle"
Brilliant. Powerful. Each cry pierces my heart. Uncle Father Cheng sacrifices for his "brat". No more silly stories. No one for this stinky brat to bicker with. No longer will his questions be met with protective empty promises, oh how he wishes to go back to them.
*Whispers* I am going to ignore the logic of the tracker working despite being drowned in stomach acid and the ease of Cheng Fan finding it. Heart is too heavy for brain to work.
The police and Pei Yin are racing to the location of the treasure. Pei Yin drops off Tang so that his team heads there first. He suspects this may be a trap, therefore, Tang is the canary. Captain Duan sees the tracker heading away from the cemetery. Chief Tai instructs for him to continue. Captain Duan arrives early to monitor the cemetery from a distance. Tang comes.
Pei Yin and Yi Han stop at this mound-like desert area. Pei Yin tells him to get out, pointing to the top of a hill. Sitting in a wheelchair is Lin Ke. Yi Han gets in the waiting car to go uphill. Will he finally get to see his mother? Guess. Pei Yin calls. He has her taken away. He blackmails Yi Han, tell Chief Tai to let him and Tang pass, otherwise he will never see his mother again.
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| Doesn't look wheelchair accessible |
Yi Han knocks out the thug. He can't chase after her because the car is dead. Calling Chief Tai, he tells him to follow the tracker to find Pei Yin. Uncle Cheng is dead. Chief Tai is speechless but has no time to grieve his disciple.
Yi Han catches up to his mother's car. He takes out a bunch of goons, and demands for his mother. Tang comes and fights him. Uh, wasn't he at the cemetery? Nevermind, he left when boss called. Employee of the year. Memories of his mother flashes in his head, giving him the power and resilience to defeat the stronger Tang. He rushes to the car, but the woman inside is a decoy. Damn it, show!
Pei Yin's men open up the cemetery. Countless trunks filled with gold and treasure present. They call their boss with the good news. They are close to the border, if they make it across, they have won.
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| Yi Han gets his cynical "Don't F with me" look from his mother |
Pei Yin's men loaded the trucks and leave. Captain Duan deploys the police back to the cars to chase them. Uh, seems a bit late, right? Ah, I think get it, they want to battle them in another location.
Yi Han found a motorcycle (?) and races after Pei Yin. His entourage is surrounded by the police. Pei Yin calls Chief Tai, threatening him with Lin Ke. He straps a bomb to her. Pei Yin tells her to speak, their lives depend on her.
Chief Tai: Lin Ke, is that you?Lin Ke, tears welling up, she softly is able express one word: Shi Fu... (Master...)
Chief Tai braces himself. His missing disciple. A voice that he vowed to protect and find, after all these years, she calls for him again. Wow! I never knew that she was his disciple. Just a few seconds between these two actors, I got the emotional punch of a hopeless parent finding a child he has lost for years.
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| Powerful acting |
He reaches his mother's car and bangs on the window. Finally, he can see her in person, only this glass separating them. She looks at him proudly. Pei Yin's car takes off, Yi Han races after. Lin Ke smiles at her son, he has grown up so much. She tells Pei Yin to let her talk to him.
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| Love |
Pei Yin: It's been 5 years, you have finally asked for my help.
This selfish man does have a soft spot for her. He rolls down the car window.
Lin Ke: My son! Continue the mission!
Our fearless heroine head-butts the thug next to her, setting off the bomb. She knows Pei Yin too well, she has eliminated his ace card. Pei Yin flies out of the car. Yi Han is also knocked down. Gunfire explodes. Police battle Pei Yin's men and apprehend them.
Pei Yin is still freaking alive. Bleeding, he gets up slowly and limps towards the border, singing his anthem. Yi Han tackles him. He points a gun at Pei Yin.
Captain Duan screams at him: Remember, you are still a cop!
A cop can't take personal vengeance. His mother. His uncle. His best friend. Yi Han has lost too many. Pei Yin knows this, he closes his eyes, expecting human nature to take over. Yi Han shakes with fury and fires 2 shots into the air. Did each represent his mother and uncle?
Yi Han: Report to Chief Tai! Investigator Lin Ke and Chu Yi Han successfully completed their mission! Requesting return to base!
He has found his mother and brought her home. She never betrayed her role and remains their hero. Bittersweet. At command center, the room is elated. Chief Tai, our infallibly composed leader, leaves the room. What was long lost has returned. But today, he has forever lost 2 beloved disciples.
Yi Han goes back to the car. Na Na is by his side. His mother's blood stained head scarf hangs on the door. He falls to the ground holding it. Catatonic, her memories flooding him, from lost childhood till now, ending with her "I love you" to him.
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| Broken Man Exhibit #2 |
How cruel. He finally finds her but didn't even get to hug her or hold her hand.
Dr. Mu waits for Cheng Fan at the police station. She had received a text from him acknowledging that things would never be the same because of her father's death. We flash back to the diner. Cheng Fan continues his story of love failures. He has met a doctor. She embodies the word, "goodness". He even transferred to her hospital to get her to treat him so that he can pursue her. Yi Han notices said wonderful doctor at the next table. He is amused at his blabbering uncle, but kindly interrupts his self-implosion when he calls the doctor, "girlie". She comes over and pours him a drink. Cheng Fan stands to attention with lamb chop saluted to his head. LOL. He instructs Yi Han to greet Auntie Xiao Wan jie jie. She scolds him for drinking with this heart condition. She chugs a beer, he stops her, apologizes and promises not to drink anymore.
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| Aww, they are so husband and wife already. |
1 month later. Memorial ceremony for Lin Ke, Cheng Fan, and Yu Da Luo. Yi Han tells his loved ones that they have won. He won't fail his oath.
The end...
Actually no. Pei Yin interrogated. We finally learn about Lin Ke's story. I am glad he tells this story now instead of during the middle of the car chase. Pei Yin was immediately attracted to her. But because of his stalker tendencies, he found out her secrets. He hesitated, she used that against him and he became her accomplice. If he exposed her, she would drag him down with her. She was in control. Badass. They had set up Lao Qiang to push all the blame onto him. Pei Yin wanted to fake her death to stop Zhou Ji from investigating them. This was when the cipher was split in half and given to Zhou Ji his part. Zhou Ji looks disturbed that Pei Yin would kill the woman he loved himself.
He accidentally gave her too much of the sedative medicine, causing her paralyzed state. After 3 months of begging, she taught him the code in order to send a message to the police to raid Gu Mu Lan. But she gave him an incomplete encryption. 2 days later, Gu Mu Lan was raided again. Now Pei Yin knows it was #2 who was responsible for that.
Chief Tai talks to Na Na. They have found her father. He is a bunch of bones rotting away in the desert. After he died, his men followed his will and returned him to where the wolves roam. Drama makes it seems like the demented man wandered back to the desert and the wolves ate him. I will take that interpretation too. Fighting all his life, but ultimately destroyed by his own wolf pack. The symbolism. When did he die? After her phone call with him? Or was that all AI deep fake too? The bones look decayed for a long time, has he always been dead?
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| Cool imagery Boogie Man till the end |
Yi Han is recovering in the hospital. Chief Tai feels that the Desert Tiger treasure seems a bit short compared to his calculations. Yi Han replies that Chief Tai taught him not to rely on intuition. Wasn't this mission all intuition?
Na Na knocks on the door. Yi Han straightens up, a big smile brightens his face. Chief Tai gives him a knowing grandfatherly look and heads out.
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| Both are dazzling |
Before leaving he asks Na Na if she told anyone about her visit to the cemetery. Only her sister. Chief Tai nods thoughtfully before leaving. An unresolved mystery?
Na Na sits down. Yi Han offers her an orange, she declines. The awkward silence is broken.
Yi Han, politely: It's been a long time, Miss Gu.Na Na: How long?
Yi Han reflects. His eyes shyly focuses on her.
Yi Han: 27 days... And a half.
Awwwwwww...... "Half". Just one word to express how much he misses her, thinks about her, and wants to be with her. A clever, elegant ending full of hope and sweetness.
Remarks
by Potato Chip
[First Impression (Ep1-4)] A simple story. Uh, not simple. Was deceptively so, but there are so many twists and turns. Cop goes undercover. Falls in love Romeo/Juliet style. Fun fight scenes and lots of things getting blown up. Our CP will solve the mystery of his missing mother and take down the big bosses. I am most interested in seeing Chu Yi Han's dual persona and his relationships with his 3 father figures and entanglement with the dark side. Love Sha Xiao Fei!
[Actors/Actresses] Wang Zi Qi and Su Xiao Tong's second collaboration after The Imperial Coroner. I always enjoy funny man Tian Yu. Tang Xiao Tian, Zhao Xun, and Zhang Jin round out the charismatic supporting cast. I count at least 10-11 people from Bright Eyes in this cast too.
[Behind the Scenes]
- A little bird with a giant. WZQ & TXT photoshoot.
- WZQ sweating all over the camera as he gets sand in his pants and is caught on CCTV
- Filming livestream, "WZQ is our teacher"
- Drama making 1, 2 (so much sand)
- Fighting: cool and uncool, parking garage, false start, more pain, ouch
- Sound effect machine aka Rapper, actually Tian Yu too.
- WZQ & SXT: Underworld Princess carry, box (Ep 12/13 spoiler), Motorcycle fail, motorcycle win, fake kiss, garage, this escape makes no sense
- WZQ 2nd job fail. People love pranking him. So funny! 🤣
- Wolf Den, Nana has a gun, Pei Yin's hilarious improv "rice buckets", #2 being protective. Our CP laughing.
- Promos: WZQ, TXT, Zhao Xun, Tian Yu & WZQ, Dorks, 4 dancers, Cuties, 3 leads
- Live: Zhao Xun, CP singing aoao
- WZQ & TXT: singing in car (subbed), money/shoot, improv family ointment
- WZQ studio: Random, Fight, Pool, photoshoot
- Xiao Fei & CHY: Noose, air fight, hostage, VR
- Zhao Xun cute dance
- Xiao Fei & Cheng Fan: I want Chu Yi Han.
- Cheng Fan & Yi Han: Spoiler Ep 24
- Tian Yu: wheelchair, funny
- SXT: dance, with BFF
- Wolves #1, 2, 4, 6, 7, Zhou Ji; Xiao Fei & Wen Li
- Interviews: SXT, hand writing (subbed), 2nd CP, barrage
- 25000: SXT singing, WZQ day Vlog
[OST] Full OST
- One Minute Before Dawn 黎明前的 | 魏巡 Wei Xun
- Chuan Liu 川流 | 张赫煊 Zhang He Xuan
- Waiting For Your Answer 等你回答 | 孟慧圆 Meng Hui Yuan
- Waiting For Your Answer 等你回答 | 苏晓彤 Su Xiao Tong
- Nameless Poetry 无名的诗歌 | 张磊 Zhang Lei
[Ending]
Open ending becomes hopeful ending with one word
[A Highlight]
Difficult to choose... For laughter and wisdom, the hair-cutting scene in Episode 13. If you need great acting and tears, all of Episode 24.
[Review & Rating]
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