
She was forced into a marriage she never wanted. Three years later, they’re still strangers under the same roof. But as secrets unravel, she realizes—none of this was an accident. Because he’s been planning this… for longer than she ever knew

Zhao Koukou, unwilling to accept her fate as a pawn, decides to take the initiative and show affection to her husband, Gu Huanzhi. On a quiet night, she brings tea into his study and even gathers the courage to suggest they "consummate their marriage." However, despite inner turmoil, Gu Huanzhi coldly rejects her, citing early court sessions and official duties, and sternly warns Zhao Koukou to "respect herself." After Zhao Koukou leaves in shame, Gu Huanzhi, alone, reveals his immense doting and deep affection for her, exposing the complex emotions behind his cold demeanor.

She was forced into a marriage she never wanted. Three years later, they’re still strangers under the same roof. But as secrets unravel, she realizes—none of this was an accident. Because he’s been planning this… for longer than she ever knew

This episode tells the story of Zhao Koukou, who, dissatisfied with her husband Gu Huanzhi's indifference, decides to write a romance novel titled "The Dominant Prime Minister" based on him as revenge. Unexpectedly, the novel becomes a sensation in the capital, eagerly sought after by women of noble households. Zhao Koukou earns a substantial profit from her book and even begins to plan for an independent life in case she is "divorced." Meanwhile, the novel's content circulates among Gu Huanzhi's subordinates like Lin Feng, and Gu Huanzhi himself is about to discover his wife's astonishing undertaking.

Prime Minister Gu Huanzhi receives an "absurd storybook" from a subordinate in the palace, which explicitly depicts intimate interactions between women and himself. Upon reading it, Gu Huanzhi realizes the author is his own wife, Zhao Koukou. He publicly orders a city-wide search for the writer and their imprisonment, but secretly plans to "interrogate" and discipline her himself. Zhao Koukou panics upon learning of the government's ban on books and the manhunt. Persuaded by her friend, she prepares to flee the city, but then decides to turn the tables for fear of her identity being exposed. A game of cat and mouse begins, centered around secret creation and the "Prime Minister's punishment."

Zhao Koukou sneaks into Gu Huanzhi's study late at night, attempting to find clues or secret letters related to the extermination of the Zhao family. However, she is discovered and warned by the guard, Lin Feng. After entering the study, facing Gu Huanzhi's questioning, Zhao Koukou, feeling guilty, resorts to a "honey trap." She throws herself into his arms and confesses, "I miss you," to divert his attention. However, the unfathomable Gu Huanzhi has long seen through her eavesdropping outside the door for an extended period. Amidst their ambiguous struggle, Gu Huanzhi whispers the truth in her ear, instantly making the atmosphere in the study both dangerous and intimate.

Gu Huanzhi, through ambiguous "coaxing and questioning," exposes Zhao Koukou's actions of writing and spreading a storybook about their private affairs under a pseudonym. Koukou, due to guilt and nervousness, experiences an asthmatic attack inherited from her mother and falls unconscious. After examination, the doctor warns her against any further emotional stimulation. Though Gu Huanzhi speaks of "settling scores," he is deeply tender towards his wife. To protect Koukou's health, he orders a halt to the investigation of the storybook and personally tends to her with great care. After their reconciliation, Gu Huanzhi informs Koukou that they will be accompanying the emperor on a southern tour the next day.

Zhao Koukou is temporarily staying in Jiangnan. Longing for the different scenery compared to the capital, she heads to the night market with her personal maid, Xiao Yin. Meanwhile, Gu Huanzhi, while handling the affairs of the Wuna family in the imperial court, remains concerned about his wife's safety. He not only arranges for the secret guard Lin Feng to accompany and protect her but also discreetly follows behind himself. In the night market, Zhao Koukou displays a dignified demeanor adhering to proper etiquette, refusing to eat tanghulu on the street. Afterwards, at Xiao Yin's suggestion, she seeks a fortune telling from a mysterious gentleman. The fortune teller reveals that Zhao Koukou's destined fate is by her side, seemingly far away yet within reach. Shortly after, Gu Huanzhi also arrives at the stall. The fortune teller sees through his identity and leaves a cryptic prophecy about the choice between "obsession and detachment," hinting at their complex and profound emotional bond.

Zhao Keke receives a coveted gift sent by Gu Huanzhi, but is filled with doubts about his complex identity and previous omens. At the subsequent Southern Tour banquet, the ladies present gossip about Zhao Keke's three years of marriage without conceiving. Concubine Shu, using the excuse that Chief Minister Gu has no one to attend to him, intends to bestow several Jiangnan women upon him as concubines, thereby testing and humiliating Zhao Keke. Zhao Keke, for the sake of the bigger picture, accepts the reward on behalf of her husband. Unexpectedly, Gu Huanzhi publicly and sternly refuses, citing the Gu family's ancestral rule of "no concubines allowed." Afterward, Gu Huanzhi, angered by Zhao Keke's "magnanimity," leaves Zhao Keke feeling bewildered.

Zhao Koukou meets with Madam Liu at a restaurant. Madam Liu subtly hints that the Grand Chancellor Gu Huanzhi is upstairs entertaining officials with female company, intending to provoke Zhao Koukou. Feeling upset, Zhao Koukou drowns her sorrows in wine. While drunk, she retaliates by praising the beautiful zither music of the top courtesan at "Chunfeng Lou," thus targeting Gu Huanzhi. Hearing this, Gu Huanzhi is consumed by jealousy and forcefully takes the drunken Koukou back to his carriage. Inside the carriage, they engage in a heated argument and intimate struggle over their "double standards." Koukou questions the scent of makeup on him, while Gu Huanzhi is bothered by her mention of the "male courtesan." The atmosphere is ambiguous and charged with tension.