
I wasn’t the girl who said no to his money. I was the one who picked it up, hands shaking, and gave it back. Theo Reed smiled and said, “Tell her to take it—and I’ll take care of you too.”

Shen Nianchu finally agrees to join Nianxinghe Company, preparing to start a new chapter in her life. Through flashbacks, it's revealed that she was almost sold due to her gambling-addicted father, and Lu Linzhou saved her with money. However, this also made her a "stand-in" for Lu Linzhou's white moonlight, Jiang Jingxue. Now that Jiang Jingxue has returned to the country, Lu Linzhou not only demands Shen Nianchu cook for Jiang Jingxue but, after Jiang Jingxue sarcastically mocks Shen Nianchu for having lived in the master bedroom, cruelly tells Shen Nianchu to find a boyfriend to alleviate Jiang Jingxue's worries. Utterly disheartened, Shen Nianchu decides to withdraw from this subservient relationship.

This episode reveals Shen Nianchu's humble position in Lu Linzhou's relationship with Jiang Jingxue. Jiang Jingxue returns to the country, and Lu Linzhou, without any hesitation, treats Shen Nianchu as a servant and driver in front of Jiang. Furthermore, at a KTV party, faced with his friends' teasing, he personally admits that Shen Nianchu is merely Jiang Jingxue's "bed substitute" and "plaything to pass the time." Shen Nianchu overhears all of this at the entrance of the private room. Her heart is clear yet filled with sorrow. Lu Linzhou's extreme trampling of her emotions pushes the plot to a peak of anguish.

This episode depicts Shen Nianchu attending Lu Linzhou's friend gathering as his "life secretary." She calmly observes Lu Linzhou's extreme favoritism towards Jiang Jingxue, his returned childhood sweetheart, such as drinking on her behalf, and his cold commands to her, like asking her to take drinks for him. Shen Nianchu remains unfazed, clearly recognizing she is merely a "caged" substitute, a tool rather than an emotional confidante. After the party, Jiang Jingxue expresses her displeasure at Shen Nianchu's presence, and Lu Linzhou placates Jiang with words. Finally, Lu Linzhou individually questions Shen Nianchu about her progress in finding a boyfriend, and their relationship plummets to an icy low.

This episode reveals Shen Nianchu's humble "substitute" predicament. Lu Linzhou dotes on his white moonlight, Jiang Jingxue, treating her as a pure and inviolable goddess in public. However, in private, he treats Shen Nianchu as Jiang Jingxue's stand-in. He not only casually orders her around in daily life (e.g., making her act as a driver) but also cruelly exploits her physically. Lu Linzhou claims that all the financial support Shen Nianchu receives is because of Jiang Jingxue, and therefore she must "repay her debt" to him on Jiang Jingxue's behalf. Shen Nianchu endures endless humiliation and decides to leave with her "wish fulfilled" by the final deadline.

Lu Corporation's planning director position is vacant, and the best-performing deputy director, Shen Nianchu, is the top candidate. However, Lu Linzhou, the heir to the Lu family in Haishi, brings back his "white moonlight," Jiang Jingxue, and directly appoints her as the new director. Facing the inexperienced Jiang Jingxue, the planning department employees collectively express doubts, but Lu Linzhou forcefully suppresses them and orders Shen Nianchu to assist Jiang Jingxue. Shen Nianchu reluctantly agrees, but while familiarizing Jiang Jingxue with the business, she is upstaged and publicly humiliated to make coffee, igniting workplace conflict.

This episode follows Shen Nianchu as she is targeted by the newly appointed director, Jiang Jingxue, at the company. Jiang Jingxue not only pushes forward high-risk projects but also publicly throws coffee on Shen Nianchu, resorting to personal insults about her background and her relationship with Lu Linzhou. Despite the humiliation, Shen Nianchu remains remarkably calm. At a crucial moment, 99 roses signed "Boyfriend" are delivered to the company, drawing everyone's attention. Lu Linzhou is visibly affected by this, while Jiang Jingxue feigns an invitation for Shen Nianchu to bring her boyfriend to her birthday banquet. The episode ends with the reveal that Shen Nianchu bought the roses herself, foreshadowing her counterattack.

This episode opens with a tense "chance encounter." To regain her dignity in front of her crush, Lu Linzhou, and his "white moonlight," Jiang Jingxue, Shen Nianchu hires a low-level worker to impersonate her boyfriend. Facing Lu Linzhou's angry questioning, Shen Nianchu responds coldly. Subsequently, the fireworks filling the sky trigger painful memories for Shen Nianchu: years ago, her gambling-addicted father almost sold her for 300,000 yuan to a disabled widower. It was the young Lu Linzhou who generously paid 500,000 yuan to sever her paternal ties and promised to protect her. Reality and memory intertwine, revealing Shen Nianchu's humble secret love and their complex relationship of salvation and substitution.

Shen Nianchu decides to leave Lu Linzhou for good. She receives a call confirming her departure time for the capital and decides to attend Lu Linzhou's party one last time before saying goodbye. Watching Lu Linzhou embrace Jiang Jingxue, his "white moonlight," under the fireworks, Shen Nianchu silently thanks him for five years of financial support that helped her escape the mountains. However, she also clearly realizes she was merely a "substitute" and "follower" in his pursuit of Jiang Jingxue. Finally, Shen Nianchu walks up to Lu Linzhou in front of everyone, submits her resignation letter, and officially declares her break and new beginning.

I wasn’t the girl who said no to his money. I was the one who picked it up, hands shaking, and gave it back. Theo Reed smiled and said, “Tell her to take it—and I’ll take care of you too.”

I wasn’t the girl who said no to his money. I was the one who picked it up, hands shaking, and gave it back. Theo Reed smiled and said, “Tell her to take it—and I’ll take care of you too.”