Such a Good Love Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Such a Good Love Synopsis

When the most talented young man, Zhou Shui, meets the most righteous young woman, Da Ji, they fall in love. In a cramped rental apartment, they dream of a better future. In tough times, they find joy in hardships and support each other. Eighteen years later, their love story is discovered by a pair of Gen Z youngsters, who become the viewers and commentators of this past romance. The encounter and intertwining of two generations ignite reflections on love: Is it still worth it? And do we still dare?

Such a Good Love Recap

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• 22
• 23
• 24

This is the end of the story. On the bustling street, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji bid farewell to each other and left, their once passionate love now resembling that of strangers. Zhou Shui turned back to look, just as Dai Daji looked back on her youth. She asked Zhou Shui if he still remembered the time in Hainan in 2007, when he sent her off to Beijing and she asked him a question.

Back then, Dai Daji had asked Zhou Shui: If going to Beijing meant knowing their love had no future, would it still be worth it? Years later, Zhou Shui remained silent. The two stood at a crossroads, and such crossroads often appeared in life—each choice leading to a different ending. People cannot simultaneously have both their youth and the feeling of youth.

If they could return to that day in 2007 when they first met, would they still be the same people? In 2007, at Haikou University, a girl holding a hammer—Dai Daji—charged into the boys' dormitory to take revenge on her cheating boyfriend, Ren Zhuangzhuang. At the time, Zhou Shui was Ren Zhuangzhuang’s roommate. Dai Daji calmly told Zhou Shui to mind his own business before she started smashing Ren Zhuangzhuang’s belongings.

Wielding the hammer with full force as she tore the place apart, Dai Daji entered Zhou Shui’s camera frame. He thought she looked like someone out of a movie. However, Dai Daji had no interest in movies whatsoever. Her purpose for attending university was to experience a passionate romance—but she never quite succeeded, not until she met Zhou Shui that day. Zhou Shui, ever unconventional, asked if she wanted to apply a face mask.

Then, without waiting for her response, he tore open a packet and placed a mask on her face. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the oddly harmonious yet bizarre scene. Dai Daji was momentarily dazed, but upon hearing the commotion outside, she quickly snapped back to reality. Ignoring Zhou Shui’s protests, she stripped off his shirt. When her boyfriend Ren Zhuangzhuang walked in with his new girlfriend, the scene he saw was that of Dai Daji forcefully pushing Zhou Shui down.

Ren Zhuangzhuang left with his girlfriend in anger, while Zhou Shui, still in shock, heard Dai Daji’s sobbing beside him. Zhou Shui filmed Dai Daji with his camera. That was how junior film student Zhou Shui and senior economics and trade student Dai Daji met. Though their interests and tastes were vastly different, Zhou Shui firmly believed they could communicate through film.

Dai Daji, still drowning in heartbreak, was taken by Zhou Shui to a bar, where he hosted a mock funeral for Ren Zhuangzhuang in front of the "cheating couple," declaring that Ren Zhuangzhuang was dead in Dai Daji’s heart. Zhou Shui became the light at the end of Dai Daji’s university days. To show her gratitude, Dai Daji agreed to watch Zhou Shui’s films.

At an internet café, Ren Zhuangzhuang barged in with a group of people, yelling that he was giving Dai Daji one last chance—after graduation, he would take her to Beijing to watch the Olympics. Zhou Shui tilted his head defiantly; he could take her too! Dai Daji ignored them and continued applying face masks with Zhou Shui, enraging Ren Zhuangzhuang, who then insisted on fighting Zhou Shui. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji ran off hand in hand.

Zhou Shui told her that after graduation, he was going to Beijing because he wanted to be a director. Dai Daji began analyzing the downsides of moving to Beijing, but Zhou Shui paid no attention. Instead, he asked her seriously if she had any dreams. When Dai Daji had told Ren Zhuangzhuang she would go to Beijing on her own, Zhou Shui had found it incredibly cool.

Because of Zhou Shui’s words, Dai Daji felt a sudden urge to go to Beijing for the first time. However, her mother strongly opposed it, even threatening to sever their mother-daughter relationship. After class, Zhou Shui appeared again with his camera. Frustrated, Dai Daji asked if he was trying to pursue her. Zhou Shui stubbornly denied it—he really just wanted to film her! The two went to the seaside, where Dai Daji said, "This is the last sea of my life.

" In the last few days before graduation, she felt like she was experiencing a surreal moment. After graduation, she would return to her hometown, get a job as her mother wished, and live a life with no end in sight. Zhou Shui, on the other hand, had dreams—unlike her, who had nothing but regrets after four years of university. Zhou Shui raised his camera and asked what her regrets were.

Dai Daji replied that she wanted to experience a passionate romance and do everything that couples do. In the dimly lit motel, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji sat awkwardly on opposite ends of the bed. Dai Daji was eager, but Zhou Shui, like a fool, took out some newspapers and began covering the transparent bathroom, seriously explaining that it was to prevent her from being exposed. Dai Daji had Zhou Shui’s film disc in her pocket.

That night, she watched his film from beginning to end. Though it was boring, she found it meaningful. During the graduation photo session, Dai Daji’s dreams were ruthlessly mocked by Ren Zhuangzhuang. Suddenly, Zhou Shui appeared, holding a water hose—he was there to fulfill her dreams. At that time, both Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were full of youthful spirit. By today’s standards, they were completely love-struck, though the term "love-struck" didn’t exist back in 2007.

Because of this love-struck mindset, Dai Daji made a life-changing decision. After graduation, Zhou Shui sent Dai Daji to the airport. She told him to go back to school while she boarded a plane to her hometown. They were not allowed to look back. But Zhou Shui, with music playing, turned back and danced with her one last time. Dai Daji asked if he had anything else to say.

Suddenly, Zhou Shui stepped forward with determination and asked if she would be willing to go to Beijing with him. He would be heading there after graduation, and together, they could become the strongest duo in the film industry! Without hesitation, Dai Daji rushed to the counter and changed her ticket to a Beijing flight. And that was when she asked Zhou Shui—if their love in Beijing had no future, would this moment still be worth it?

Dai Daji knew that Zhou Shui had a habit of storing all his footage on his laptop’s hard drive, no matter how ridiculous or boring the content was. Later, Dai Daji developed a habit of watching his footage every day—until 2017, when she abandoned it at the airport.

Dai Daji thought that her love with Zhou Shui would fade away with the disappearance of that laptop. However, she never expected that someone had picked it up. The hard drive, which contained records of their love, was removed and, after passing through several hands, was purchased by an e-sports hotel. On the last day of 2023, a Gen Z couple happened to open it. This couple had met at the e-sports hotel to play games.

The boy, Su Zihao, was born in 2002, and the girl, Dong Leyi, was born in 2000. As they were playing, Dong Leyi’s computer suddenly crashed. While Su Zihao was helping her fix it, he accidentally opened the hard drive and discovered the videos documenting Dai Daji and Zhou Shui’s love story. Back in the day, Dai Daji had resolutely flown to Beijing. After landing, she got into an unlicensed taxi.

She told the driver she wanted to rent a place near Tiananmen, but he scoffed at her. Claiming to be a real estate agent, the driver took Dai Daji to a tiny room. Dissatisfied, she refused, so the driver then took her to a high-end apartment. He claimed he had forgotten the key and needed to fetch it, but also insisted this was the last available unit, urging her to sign the lease first.

Dai Daji, somewhat wary but not overly so, decisively signed the contract and handed over all her cash as rent, leaving behind the driver’s ID card as collateral, feeling reassured. When the police arrived, they were utterly helpless in the face of her gullibility. How could a rental in the Third Ring Road only cost 600 yuan? Moreover, the name on the ID card was fake—it literally read "Chi Yi Qian" (which means "Learn from Experience").

Swinging a hammer, Dai Daji hunted down the driver. After much back and forth, he finally took her to the original tiny room—800 yuan per month, the best deal she could get in Beijing. Left with no choice, Dai Daji settled there. However, during phone calls with Zhou Shui, she completely hid her struggles. She claimed to be living in a luxury apartment with IT elites and bodybuilders as neighbors, right within the Third Ring.

Zhou Shui simply laughed and asked if it all felt real. When he asked whether coming to Beijing was worth it, Dai Daji brushed off all her hardships. Thus, she officially started her life as a Beijing drifter. She had thought that with more people, there would be more opportunities, but even by winter, she still hadn’t found a job. Beijing was vast, yet no corner of it felt like home.

Struggling to make ends meet, she had to ration a single Chinese pancake into three meals a day. Before a job interview, Dai Daji visited a cosmetics counter to try out foundation and unexpectedly met her never-before-seen roommate, Wang Jingshu. Wang Jingshu was still in college but had been doing part-time jobs, which was why she lived off-campus. She helped Dai Daji with her makeup and even took her to buy professional attire.

However, Dai Daji was rejected yet again, and to make matters worse, she couldn't even return the outfit. Zhou Shui called her via video chat, but Dai Daji covered the camera, unwilling to let him see her in this state. He asked how she planned to celebrate New Year's—there would be fireworks in Haikou. At that moment, Dai Daji finally felt defeated. Fireworks weren’t allowed in Beijing.

Zhou Shui said he would come to Beijing and set off fireworks for her. She replied that she might not last until then. After she hung up, Zhou Shui called again, but it was her roommate who answered. From them, he finally learned just how difficult Dai Daji’s life in Beijing had been. The next day, Zhou Shui rushed straight to Beijing. The same kind of taxi, the same scammer driver—Zhou Shui also claimed he wanted to live near Tiananmen.

Just like Dai Daji, he ended up being taken to the same rental apartment and moved into the unit right next to hers. However, he didn’t want her to know he was there. He had no money, so he planned to wait until he became a successful director before appearing before her. Watching these two fools who had barely met yet recklessly moved to Beijing, Su Zihao couldn't help but curse.

Zhou Shui applied for a director's job and, without any suspicion, signed a contract. He even requested a press conference that the whole of Beijing would see—he needed to find someone. But right after signing, he fell into their trap. They asked him to cover the costume fees, and without thinking, he handed over all his money. The next day, he learned that he had been scammed.

Meanwhile, Dai Daji noticed a gym weight hanging from her door with a pancake on it. She mistakenly assumed that the gym-goer next door had a crush on her and hurriedly clarified that she had a boyfriend. Only later did she realize the pancake was probably meant for Wang Jingshu. Dai Daji and Wang Jingshu talked about Zhou Shui. She told Wang Jingshu that they had planned to meet in Beijing for New Year's.

Just a wall away, Zhou Shui was also struggling with life as a drifter in the capital. On a packed bus, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji got off one after another. They both arrived at Shichahai. Zhou Shui had once tricked Dai Daji, saying there was a sea in Beijing. Now that she was really here, she realized Shichahai wasn’t a sea at all. Furious, she called Zhou Shui and cursed him out over the phone.

Hearing her voice, Zhou Shui instinctively started looking around for her but suddenly stopped in his tracks. New Year's was approaching. Would Dai Daji be able to see fireworks in Beijing?

Winter 2023, Beijing. Su Zihao went to help Dong Leyi move, only to discover that she was in a relationship. She told him that her boyfriend was a photographer and that they were in a long-distance relationship. This time, her boyfriend had returned and told her that he had decided not to go to Tokyo. He was willing to change jobs and stay by her side. Su Zihao sighed, saying her boyfriend reminded him of Zhou Shui. However, Dong Leyi firmly broke up with him.

Winter 2007, Beijing. Zhou Shui sat dejectedly in his tiny rental apartment when he unexpectedly overheard a girl next door speaking Sichuan dialect over the phone. Peeking through the door crack, he caught a glimpse of Dai Daji’s face. Zhou Shui wanted to approach her but didn’t dare to knock. Dai Daji’s mother had bought her a plane ticket, urging her to leave Beijing and return home the next day.

But Dai Daji had already made up her mind—she wanted to stay in Beijing until after the New Year. Seeing this, Zhou Shui also became determined to spend New Year’s in Beijing. But what could he do for Dai Daji when he couldn't help her with anything? After another failed job interview, a costumed teddy bear suddenly appeared in front of Dai Daji, dancing and handing her a small teddy bear doll.

Unable to hold back her emotions, Dai Daji broke down crying in front of a stranger. She said she had made a promise with someone very important to meet in Beijing for New Year's, but she didn’t think she could hold on until then. The person inside the costume was Zhou Shui. He thought that if he couldn't be Dai Daji’s hero, he could at least be her teddy bear.

The next day, Zhou Shui continued wearing the costume, bringing Dai Daji breakfast and showing up at night to encourage her. But just as she was starting to get annoyed, Zhou Shui ran into the person who had scammed him and, without thinking, charged at him in a fight. In the chaos, Dai Daji discovered the real face hidden beneath the costume.

Dong Leyi commented that Zhou Shui’s whole trip to Beijing seemed like an elaborate attempt to emotionally manipulate Dai Daji. Su Zihao didn’t understand. Dai Daji couldn’t catch up to Zhou Shui, nor could she reach him by phone. She ended up at an old street vendor’s stall, ordering a bowl of dumplings. The vendor, noticing she was broke, kindly gave her the dumplings for free. At that moment, the New Year’s bell rang.

As Dai Daji sat there, lost in thought, Zhou Shui appeared behind her, holding up fireworks. He wished her a happy New Year and finally said, “I like you. ” Before he could finish his sentence, the police arrived, chasing them. Zhou Shui grabbed Dai Daji’s hand, and they ran, sharing a kiss on the bridge. At exactly 12:00 AM on January 1, 2008, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji fell in love in Beijing.

Back at the rental, they were caught in a passionate moment, barely getting their clothes off before they were discovered by their neighbors, including Liang Yalin. For the sake of Dai Daji’s happiness, Wang Jingshu decided to move in with Liang Yalin. With the roommate swap, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji officially started living together. Six months earlier, Liang Yalin had also been scammed by the same driver and ended up in this rental.

It was here that he fell in love with Wang Jingshu at first sight. Once, Liang Yalin bought the last available Chinese pancake, and Wang Jingshu looked visibly disappointed. From then on, he always left a pancake at her door. One day, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui spotted an abandoned vanity table downstairs. She had always wanted one, so they carried it home together. Zhou Shui picked up his camera to capture the moment of her first vanity table.

During their first month together, they barely left their room. Looking back later, their first hundred days together felt like a dream. In this humble yet lively rental, their journey as struggling dreamers in Beijing officially began. At that time, they promised to stay together forever. Su Zihao used AI to predict that Zhou Shui and Dai Daji’s love would break apart in two years. Spring 2008.

Dai Daji finally received an interview notice from the variety show The Later the Night, The More Beautiful It Gets. She rushed to the chaotic studio, so nervous she could barely speak. Unexpectedly, she was pulled on set last minute, only to end up with a mere 50-yuan red envelope and an unsuccessful interview. She used that 50 yuan to buy KFC, hiding under the blanket while waiting for Zhou Shui to return.

Understanding their financial struggles, Zhou Shui decided to put his film dreams on hold and find a job first. But Dai Daji didn’t want him to worry about money—his dreams were what made him shine. She wholeheartedly believed that love was enough to sustain them, willing to take on the burden of daily survival so that Zhou Shui could focus on making films. However, Zhou Shui didn’t want Dai Daji to live a life where they couldn't even afford fried chicken.

After that night, he reached out to a website that was willing to buy his video footage. The prices were low, but little by little, it added up. Zhou Shui realized that every person in Beijing was like a movie, telling the story of the gap between dreams and reality. He used his camera to document everyone in the rental—each with their own dreams.

Eighteen years later, when Zhou Shui and Dai Daji reunited at this very place, the old street vendor was gone. Glasses and Tank Top had started their own gaming company. The entire building had been bought by Wang Jingshu. And as for Liang Yalin—he had really married Wang Jingshu.

Wang Jingshu and Dai Daji were tricked into selling male enhancement wine. When they heard that each bottle sold would earn them a 20-yuan commission, Dai Daji immediately agreed to do it. She and Wang Jingshu were forced to wear somewhat revealing clothes. Relying on her gift of gab, Dai Daji attracted a lot of customers. By the end of the day, both of them had earned 200 yuan, and Dai Daji was thrilled—it was easy money.

For love, who cared about pride? Zhou Shui and Liang Yalin came to pick them up after work. Liang Yalin, too shy to admit he came for Wang Jingshu, just tagged along. The four of them walked home hand in hand. Halfway there, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui suddenly said they had something urgent to do and left Liang Yalin to escort Wang Jingshu home. Wang Jingshu came from a struggling family.

Her family never supported her decision to attend college in Beijing. Her tuition came from student loans, her living expenses from part-time jobs, and her family never sent her money—instead, she had to send money home every month. But Wang Jingshu never felt it was hard; attending university in Beijing was her dream. Liang Yalin, too, was happy at that moment. His dream was to become someone as charismatic as Schwarzenegger.

Fearing he couldn’t control himself, he told Wang Jingshu to go home while he went for a run. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji passed by the China Film Archive, where many famous films were screened. That day, Pulp Fiction was showing. Both of them got excited. The ticket price was exactly 100 yuan per person. Without hesitation, Dai Daji used the 200 yuan she had just earned to buy two tickets. Zhou Shui’s passion drew Dai Daji in.

Years later, she would realize it wasn’t just infatuation—it was like a flag she followed. After the movie, the two of them danced in the crowd. At that time, they didn’t have a penny, but they were happy. Over three days, Wang Jingshu and Dai Daji earned 800 yuan. Suddenly, Wang Jingshu got a call—her bed-renting roommate had gone out on a date, but her boyfriend showed up at the door looking for her.

She asked Dai Daji to help her put on an act. After the act, when they returned, they were told by the boss they were being penalized and wouldn’t receive any commission for the day. Hearing that the hotel was changing its hard drives, Su Zihao and Dong Leyi went to retrieve the old one from the computer—just to keep tracking Zhou Shui and Dai Daji’s relationship.

Halfway through, the internet café manager came to inspect the room, and the two had to stage a quick act before fleeing. When Dai Daji got home, she found Zhou Shui, Liang Yalin, and others huddled around the computer watching something. She thought they were watching adult videos together, but it turned out Zhou Shui was reviewing the footage he had shot over the past few weeks.

He had originally planned to compile the material and sell it online to make some money, but now he couldn't bring himself to part with it. Suddenly, Zhou Shui’s phone rang—it was a woman inviting him over. Zhou Shui explained that it was his eldest sister from his hometown, Hun Xiang. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji went to Hun Xiang’s luxurious home. She had a foreign boyfriend named David.

After leaving Hun Xiang’s place, Dai Daji began fantasizing about their future home. The two of them gazed up at the starry sky in Beijing—happy, idealistic, and a little childish.

Spring 2024.

Dong Leyi and Su Zihao visited a temple to pray. Su Zihao invited her to continue shipping the couple that night, but Dong Leyi said she was heading to Hong Kong to make money. Beijing’s summer was scorching. Dai Daji tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

She had to get up early the next day to take the bus and subway to sell wine. Zhou Shui, feeling helpless, went to plead with a boss to buy his footage. But the boss said it was too artsy and wouldn't appeal to viewers, and suggested he go work on a documentary crew instead. After working an entire day, Zhou Shui didn’t even get paid.

But he ran into Hun Xiang, who was working on wedding microfilms and invited him to join her. Zhou Shui didn’t think that kind of thing qualified as real film, so he refused. While selling the wine, Dai Daji and Wang Jingshu ran into an old man causing trouble. Just as things got messy, Zhou Shui and Liang Yalin barged in to help.

In the middle of that chaotic moment, Dai Daji received a notice—she was finally getting a formal job.

Zhou Shui’s camera lens was shattered in the chaos. With the lens gone, his dreams and livelihood broke along with it. Hun Xiang’s job became Zhou Shui’s only lifeline—he had no other choice. While filming a wedding microfilm, Zhou Shui was asked to create a K-drama aesthetic. He didn’t understand what that meant, so Hun Xiang quickly stepped in to help. Dai Daji ran into a lot of trouble with the production team.

The models for the show refused to take off their makeup and cooperate with the promotion. In the end, they all walked out. With no other option, Dai Daji pulled in Wang Jingshu to help. Barefaced Wang Jingshu was chosen to go on stage, but there was a problem backstage. The brand reported a missing necklace and demanded that Dai Daji compensate for it. The necklace was worth over ten thousand yuan—a sky-high number for her.

Dai Daji begged them not to tell the director and promised she would resolve it herself. She didn’t want to tell Zhou Shui, afraid it would affect his creative work. But Zhou Shui wasn’t making a film—he was shooting weddings. On set, Dai Daji ran into Senior Brother Yiming. He was from headquarters and had even bought a house in Beijing, while she was just an intern ordered around by everyone.

Zhou Shui had worked all day, his artistic dreams shattered, but he received a 2,000-yuan payment from Hun Xiang, and in that moment, he gave in to reality. When they got home, Zhou Shui asked Dai Daji what birthday gift she wanted. Dai Daji didn’t want to talk about it—she just wanted to see the footage Zhou Shui had shot that day.

She didn’t want their difficult life to become an even bigger burden, so she insisted she didn’t want a gift. But Zhou Shui saw her searching for a specific necklace on her laptop. Faced with the necklace compensation, Dai Daji had no choice but to call her mother. But her mom was still angry that she had run off to Beijing on her own and refused to help. Dai Daji’s wages were cut by several hundred yuan.

When she asked the accountant about it, she got brushed off. Senior Brother Yiming offered to treat her to a meal. During dinner, she talked about her boyfriend. Stars lit up in her eyes—she firmly believed Zhou Shui would become a famous director. But unexpectedly, there was a wedding shoot right next to the restaurant—and the person holding the camera was Zhou Shui.

Dai Daji approached to ask what was going on, and found out he had been filming weddings all this time! Senior Brother Yiming stepped in with mocking sarcasm, crushing Zhou Shui’s pride. Dai Daji understood why Zhou Shui was out making money, but she was mad at herself. She couldn’t help him focus on his filmmaking. In her eyes, Zhou Shui was a proud artist—he wasn’t meant for ordinary work. The two of them lay back to back in bed.

The alarm went off—it was Dai Daji’s birthday, but they still had to run around trying to make ends meet. Dong Leyi took on a wedding promotion job. Since she couldn’t find a partner, she had to ask Su Zihao for help. Su Zihao didn’t understand why Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were fighting. Zhou Shui didn’t want to stay a wedding director forever—he just needed to make enough to pay back the necklace cost for Dai Daji.

The brand was coming to collect the necklace. A coworker suggested Dai Daji just quit, so the responsibility wouldn’t fall on her. But it was her birthday—she didn’t want to lose her job on her birthday. In desperation, she got a text notification: her mother had sent her ten thousand yuan—stubborn mouth, soft heart—saving her in the nick of time.

After the wedding shoot, Zhou Shui sat down to eat a boxed meal, but before he could even snap a photo, the meal was taken away. He ran over to another table and started eating leftovers. Seeing this, Dai Daji felt a wave of sadness. Zhou Shui pulled her along to go eat a fancy dinner, but she just started eating the leftovers too. Even like this, they found it delicious.

Dai Daji bought Zhou Shui a new lens, but Zhou Shui had already sold his camera to buy the necklace. Dai Daji got mad right away—they argued, frustrated but laughing through it. On the subway ride home, in an empty carriage, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji imagined their wedding. At that moment, they had nothing—but love was their pillar. But from that day on, the words “I do” were ones Dai Daji would never have the chance to say again.

Spring, 2009. Dai Daji finished reading Zhou Shui’s script, overwhelmed with excitement. In her eyes, Zhou Shui’s script was a masterpiece. If their story was turned into a film and seen by the world, Zhou Shui would definitely become famous! After they got off the bus, someone approached them, claiming to be a director as well. He suggested Zhou Shui participate in a directing competition, with a grand prize of three million yuan.

On the rooftop, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were brainstorming names for the film when Dai Daji suddenly had unbearable stomach pain. Zhou Shui carried her to the hospital for tests. After running tests that cost over three thousand yuan, the doctor called Zhou Shui aside to tell him privately that Dai Daji might have gallbladder cancer. Leaving the hospital, Zhou Shui wanted to hail a taxi, but Dai Daji refused to waste money.

So Zhou Shui carried her onto the crowded subway, his heart filled with complex emotions. Dai Daji asked him what illness she had. Zhou Shui lied and said it was just a stomach ulcer, and that some medication would fix it. Dai Daji’s treatment would cost a lot. Zhou Shui went to Hun Xiang and begged her for help—he was willing to take on any kind of work. In private, Zhou Shui also asked others for help.

Everyone was struggling, but they still pitched in whatever small amounts they could. Wang Jingshu even borrowed ten thousand yuan from a friend—after all, to her, Dai Daji was her only friend in Beijing. Zhou Shui took Dai Daji for more checkups, but only family members could wait inside. Sitting next to her happened to be a cancer patient.

Seeing how young Zhou Shui was, the patient sighed, and it was then that Dai Daji realized her illness was more serious than she had thought. Dai Daji said she wanted to eat roasted sweet potatoes. Zhou Shui ran outside and finally found a street vendor. When he returned to the hospital, he found Dai Daji acting strangely. She forced a smile and praised the sweet potato’s taste, though in truth, she couldn’t even tell what it tasted like.

That night, she called her mother. Her mom was busy playing mahjong and didn’t want to talk. Dai Daji begged her not to hang up, saying just listening was enough. Dai Daji booked a train ticket back to her hometown. She wanted to face this alone and didn’t want Zhou Shui to suffer for her. The train was leaving the day after tomorrow. She and Zhou Shui had twenty-four hours of love left.

She bought Zhou Shui a new camcorder and playfully asked him to record something for her—consider it her will. Zhou Shui, eyes red, kept insisting it was just a stomach ulcer. But he still lifted the camera. Dai Daji’s eyes were already brimming with tears before she even spoke. She handed him her bank card and down jacket. She had one last wish—she wanted to eat roast duck.

She’d been in Beijing for over a year but had never tried it. But roast duck was too greasy; the doctor said she couldn’t have it. So Zhou Shui brought her old duck soup instead. After that, Dai Daji said goodbye to Lao Jiucai, Gangling, and the others, and reminded Wang Jingshu and Gangling to stay together. The final scene took them to Chunzhili.

Dai Daji told Zhou Shui that if he ever got to make a movie, he should film a scene there. But without Dai Daji, Zhou Shui might never even make a movie. Without Dai Daji, Zhou Shui was nothing. Everything they’d been through was worth it, including their love. Dai Daji suddenly had an idea—their film would be called Such a Good Love. A day passed. Early in the morning, Dai Daji left the rental house, dragging her suitcase to Shichahai.

She was still bitter about how Zhou Shui once claimed Shichahai was a sea. Zhou Shui caught up with her. Dai Daji told him she was going home—she knew what illness she had. The two of them lay on the frozen surface of Shichahai, filming the final shot of their movie. They heard the ice cracking, but they enjoyed the feeling of being in the sea. The sun came out. Hope rose with it.

Spring 2024, Beijing. A classmate saw the wedding promotional photo of Su Zihao and Dong Leyi and rushed over to gossip, warning him that there were lots of negative rumors about her online and that he should be careful. But the moment Dong Leyi appeared, the classmate completely changed their tone, claimed to be her fan, and even asked for a photo. Dong Leyi deliberately emphasized that Su Zihao was her boyfriend.

Zhou Shui managed to get an appointment with a specialist and dragged Dai Daji to the hospital. They had mentally prepared for the worst, but the doctor told them that Dai Daji didn’t have cancer—it was just gallstones. The hospital they’d gone to before wasn’t even a proper medical facility. It had been a misdiagnosis! Zhou Shui and Dai Daji cheered as they left the hospital. She wished she could frame the medical report at home.

From today on, she was determined to stay in Beijing and enter the screenwriting competition with their script! Dong Leyi asked Su Zihao to be her 24-hour boyfriend and to help her film a “24-Hour Love Diary. ” Dai Daji was wheeled into the operating room for her gallstone surgery. While waiting outside, Zhou Shui had many thoughts. Two years ago, he believed he could conquer Beijing, but now he realized how naive he had been.

He needed to work hard and make money—at the very least, to give Dai Daji a sense of security in Beijing. When Dai Daji was groggily wheeled out of surgery, Zhou Shui held her hand, calling her name through tears. Su Zihao and Dong Leyi’s “24-Hour Love Diary” won over many fans. Although Dong Leyi truly wanted to be in a relationship, she ultimately chose to just enjoy shipping the couple.

For Dai Daji’s two-year anniversary of moving to Beijing, her gift was an air conditioner—one that benefited both rooms in the apartment. Dai Daji was troubled about not securing a permanent position at work. Zhou Shui tried to distract her by sharing gossip from a wedding shoot he did. To their surprise, they discovered that intern Xiaolong and Director Wen were secretly dating!

As soon as Dai Daji and Zhou Shui finished digesting the juicy gossip, they both quickly realized that her chances of getting a permanent position probably just went up in smoke. Zhou Shui returned the money he had borrowed from Wang Jingshu. Gangling overheard and warned her that the money she lent had been borrowed from someone else, and borrowing from the wrong person might cause trouble. But Wang Jingshu didn’t seem to care.

After working for six months, Zhou Shui had saved up 50,000 yuan. But he had completely stopped thinking about filmmaking—his mind was full of rent, electricity bills, and treating Dai Daji to a few good meals. And Dai Daji understood she shouldn’t bring it up again—ever since she got sick, she could no longer support his filmmaking dreams wholeheartedly. Senior Yiming had moved and invited Zhou Shui and Dai Daji over to his new place.

Yiming had secured Beijing residency and bought a new apartment. When the two heard that the apartment cost 10,000 yuan per square meter, they were stunned. Awkwardly, they took out a box of chocolates to congratulate him, but Yiming didn’t care about it at all and even brought out several boxes of chocolates from the kitchen to give them. Zhou Shui’s self-esteem hit rock bottom again.

But Dai Daji was delighted with the free chocolate and comforted Zhou Shui, saying their current apartment was actually quite nice. Zhou Shui went to Hun Xiang to vent. After seeing Yiming’s apartment, his jealousy boiled over—why could someone like Yiming live in a place like that, while he and Dai Daji couldn’t? Hun Xiang said he didn’t understand Beijing and subtly hinted that Zhou Shui should join her in private equity.

Zhou Shui initially refused—he didn’t even know what private equity was. He just wanted to work steadily in wedding videography. But under Hun Xiang’s relentless goading, his reason began to crumble, and he decided to invest his entire 50,000 yuan in her scheme. Back home, Zhou Shui discussed the investment with Dai Daji. She disagreed, but Zhou Shui desperately tried to convince her of the benefits of private equity.

However, this version of Zhou Shui felt like a stranger to her. Despite her objection, Zhou Shui still invested the 50,000 yuan. Later, a group of people stormed into the company, claiming that Hun Xiang owed them over 3 million yuan. Zhou Shui went to her residence, only to find out the apartment wasn’t even hers—she was just renting it. Dai Daji’s permanent position remained out of reach.

Senior Yiming approached her and offered to change her salary arrangement to a direct bank transfer. Hun Xiang had disappeared, and the 50,000 yuan was gone. Zhou Shui didn’t know how to break the news to Dai Daji. When he came to pick her up from work, he happened to see Yiming wiping food grease from the corner of her mouth.

Dai Daji had been an intern on the program team for over a year, working tirelessly every day, often leaving home without even having breakfast. She didn’t notice anything unusual about Zhou Shui. During a meeting, Xiaolong suddenly exploded in frustration over unfair treatment, scolding everyone in the room before dramatically packing up and quitting the company. He even broke up with Director Wen on the spot.

Before leaving, Xiaolong returned the necklace that had gone missing before—it turned out he had stolen it to force Dai Daji to resign. Dai Daji was left speechless by the scene, and then unexpectedly got notified by Director Wen that she could prepare for her official promotion. She couldn't tell whether it was a blessing or a curse. Wang Jingshu returned the 10,000 yuan to Jingjing’s boyfriend, Li Dongting, and treated him to a meal.

During the meal, he held Wang Jingshu’s hand and confessed that he liked her. Wang Jingshu firmly rejected him. At that moment, Jingjing suddenly burst in and caused a huge scene. She completely ignored Wang Jingshu’s attempts to explain and even swore she would expose her true colors to everyone. Jingjing gathered a group of her friends, yelling through a loudspeaker on the streets where Wang Jingshu walked.

They even followed her to her rental apartment, saw that she was living with Gangling, and took many photos and videos, hurling insults at her. Wang Jingshu turned her back and silently shed tears. Zhou Shui pretended to be working every day, but in reality, he was frantically looking for a new job. On the subway, Dai Daji spotted Zhou Shui and discovered his lie. She furiously chased him all the way home. Zhou Shui instinctively hid under the bed.

At that moment, Dai Daji's anger faded—he must have felt completely humiliated not to dare face her. Dai Daji didn’t expose him and pretended she had just come back to pick up some documents. Zhou Shui didn’t dare tell Dai Daji the truth about Hun Xiang. He feared that if she found out, their life together would fall apart.

While shopping at the supermarket, Dai Daji brought up Xiaolong’s incident, hoping to encourage Zhou Shui to pursue what he truly loved—losing a job wasn’t the end of the world. Zhou Shui gathered the courage to admit that he had lost his job. Dai Daji didn’t take it seriously; losing a job wasn’t a big deal. She had officially been promoted now, and besides, they still had savings.

But then Zhou Shui said that the 50,000 yuan in savings was gone too. Dai Daji was so angry she almost threw him off the overpass. Still, she chose to endure it. Remembering that Senior Yiming had some connections, she thought maybe she could get Zhou Shui into the program team—maybe that could turn things around. Beijing was such a vast place; staying here was still worth it.

To get Senior Yiming’s help, Dai Daji humbled herself and brought Zhou Shui along to make a request. But Senior Yiming harshly criticized Zhou Shui’s creative abilities. Seeing Dai Daji serve tea and pour water for Senior Yiming shattered Zhou Shui’s self-esteem completely. Because of Jingjing’s rumors, Wang Jingshu’s student loan application was rejected. She had to come up with her tuition fees by the end of the month.

To do so, she approached a woman hoping to quickly earn the money, only to find out the job involved pretending to be a bride at weddings. When Gangling saw Wang Jingshu in a dress, she said it was provided by the place where she worked. Gangling was worried she’d be mistreated, but Wang Jingshu knew—it was only when you had no money that you got mistreated. She sat across from an elderly man with graying hair, looking uncomfortable.

Dai Daji called Senior Yiming to ask about the job for Zhou Shui. In truth, Zhou Shui instinctively didn’t want her to beg Senior Yiming—maybe it was just a matter of pride. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji brought a pile of gifts and went to the restaurant where Senior Yiming had made a reservation. He said he would introduce them to someone in leadership. But just as they reached the private room door, Senior Yiming’s expression suddenly changed.

He told Zhou Shui not to go in and asked Dai Daji to speak on his behalf instead. When Dai Daji came back out, her face was red—clearly, she’d been forced to drink a lot.

In 2004, Su Zihao and Dong Leyi were watching a championship gaming match together. Su Zihao had passed the civil service exam and was about to secure a government job. He suggested they continue following Zhou Shui and Dai Daji’s story together, but Dong Leyi suddenly got upset and went home. A few days later, Dong Leyi specially invited a professional gamer to play against Su Zihao. Though Su Zihao lost, he admitted defeat graciously.

What he didn’t expect was that the obnoxious guy was foul-mouthed. Seeing Dong Leyi filming with him, Su Zihao realized she might be in danger. After filming, Dong Leyi made plans to hang out with the gamer, and when Su Zihao instinctively offered to go too, she turned him down. Zhou Shui went out to an internet café to send emails, while Dai Daji got a call from Senior Yiming and went to meet him.

Senior Yiming said there was news from the higher-ups and it was basically settled, but Dai Daji had to pay a little money—only 20,000 yuan. Dai Daji was a bit troubled, but in the end decided to use the living expenses her mom had sent to deal with it.

She originally wanted to gather the rest and give it to him the next day, but Senior Yiming said he’d be on a business trip and told her to bring the money to his home that night. Dai Daji, unsuspecting, agreed. Li Dongting heard about Wang Jingshu’s situation and offered 10,000 yuan to help pay her tuition. Wang Jingshu refused again, insisting she would earn the money through work.

While Dong Leyi and Su Zihao were watching videos, Dong Leyi was busy chatting with the pro gamer, entirely focused on getting him to interact with her on Weibo for exposure. Su Zihao warned her that the guy was a creep, but Dong Leyi didn’t take it seriously. That day, Zhou Shui had two interviews that went really well, but Dai Daji felt those companies couldn’t compare with a TV station.

She insisted on dragging him to Senior Yiming’s house, saying that if he got into the TV station, there would be benefits like insurance and possibly even a Beijing household registration. They argued over it. Zhou Shui didn’t want Dai Daji to go to Senior Yiming, nor to use her mother’s money to secure a job. But Dai Daji was determined, and even his threat to break up couldn’t stop her. Dai Daji brought 20,000 yuan to Senior Yiming’s home.

She planned to drop off the money and leave, but it was too late and didn’t seem appropriate. Senior Yiming said he had some work matters to discuss, so Dai Daji went inside. Meanwhile, Zhou Shui, feeling down, drank with Gangling. His phone had run out of battery and was left in the room charging. Inside the house, Dai Daji sat bored while Senior Yiming boasted endlessly. He insisted she drink with him.

Feeling awkward, she went to wash the dishes. Flushed from drinking, Senior Yiming suddenly picked up a guitar and started singing. Dong Leyi really wanted to take a photo with the gamer and post it on Weibo. She went with them to a bar and then to an internet café. Su Zihao, worried, kept asking her to send her location. After answering his call, Dong Leyi realized everyone else had left.

The gamer took advantage of the photo opportunity to kiss her, then lewdly said that small-time models like her were just there to be slept with. It was getting late, and sensing something was wrong, Dai Daji grabbed her bag and tried to leave. When Senior Yiming’s advances were rejected, he became vulgar and sarcastic, saying Zhou Shui couldn’t bring her happiness, that 20,000 yuan couldn’t buy her a secure job, and that Zhou Shui was a lost cause.

Only then did Dai Daji realize she had been played. The scumbag tried to use force, but Dai Daji kicked him in the groin and locked herself in the bathroom. She pinned all her hopes on Zhou Shui coming to save her. Outside, the man banged on the door like a mad demon, while Zhou Shui’s phone hadn’t charged and couldn’t receive her call.

Only after Wang Jingshu reminded him did Zhou Shui realize it was already 11:30 and Dai Daji hadn’t returned. He rushed out to find her. Su Zihao couldn’t reach Dong Leyi by phone and ran to her location. Dong Leyi had already beaten up the pervert and decided to expose him. Dai Daji hid in the bathroom for a long time. When she finally realized it had gone quiet outside, she carefully left. Senior Yiming had passed out drunk.

He woke up to Zhou Shui’s knocking and spotted the lipstick Dai Daji had dropped in her panic. So he pretended he had just showered and opened the door, deliberately placing Dai Daji’s lipstick on the bed to provoke Zhou Shui. That night, with not a penny on her, Dai Daji wandered through Beijing for a long time, lost in the city, unable to find her way home or back to him.

At the moment she needed saving the most, Zhou Shui had missed her call. He never imagined that a phone that didn’t charge would lead to such a disaster in their relationship. When Zhou Shui got home, he found Dai Daji sitting at the dressing table, crying and saying she wanted to break up. Dai Daji took out a bottle of Erguotou and said once she finished it, they would break up.

She coughed and teared up as she drank, while Zhou Shui, overwhelmed, snatched the bottle from her hands. After calming down, Zhou Shui pulled Dai Daji into his arms. Dai Daji said, from now on, whoever wants to break up will have to finish a whole bottle of Erguotou first.

Dong Leyi exposed the creepy guy and firmly rejected the company’s attempt to settle the matter. In the end, she chose to terminate her contract with the company. In the winter of 2009, a new intern named Jieyu joined the company. Dai Daji did her best to mentor her and even worried about when she’d be able to officially get hired. But Jieyu casually mentioned that she had completed the formal hiring procedures that very morning, which crushed Dai Daji.

Furious, Dai Daji stormed into the office to demand an explanation, only to be told the same excuse again—“next round. ” But this round’s spot had already been reserved for Jieyu because her family was connected to the station’s leadership. Dai Daji had no background and was completely defeated. On the Beijing subway, Zhou Shui ran into Hun Xiang, the familiar older sister from his hometown.

Zhou Shui rushed over to ask her for money, but Hun Xiang wasn’t doing well either. She gave Zhou Shui a business card for a client named Geng, saying if he could get the money back, it would all be his. Hun Xiang herself had nothing left. During this period, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji barely spoke. They were both afraid of bringing up that night, as if not mentioning it meant it had never happened.

Zhou Shui never asked what happened that night, and Dai Daji never asked why he had hung up on her. Yet the memory remained a painful thorn between them. At the station, Dai Daji faced increasing pressure. In the end, she courageously chose to resign. Ironically, she saw her former colleague Xiaolong had become a celebrity. The love between Zhou Shui and Dai Daji seemed beyond repair.

Dai Daji said, now that neither of them had a job, were they just going to keep dragging things out like this? She decided to pack her things and leave Beijing. From that moment on, neither Zhou Shui nor Beijing would have anything to do with her. Zhou Shui had Gangling run with him to distract himself. Wang Jingshu also tried to persuade Dai Daji to stay, but Dai Daji had already made up her mind.

Leaving Beijing, leaving Zhou Shui—it didn’t seem as hard as she’d imagined. Gangling had saved up some money and hoped that Wang Jingshu wouldn’t have to work part-time anymore—he could help pay her tuition. But Wang Jingshu still refused. One day, while working as a fake bride at a matchmaking scam, Wang Jingshu was harassed by an old man. Gangling appeared just in time to take her away. Dai Daji and Zhou Shui talked like strangers.

That day, Dai Daji asked Zhou Shui to meet for dinner in Sanlitun. Zhou Shui knew exactly why—she wanted to break up. In order to save their relationship, Zhou Shui decided to retrieve the 20,000 yuan, but on the subway he ran into people from the script competition. He had actually won first place, but because he hadn’t seen the message in time, the opportunity had gone to the runner-up. Zhou Shui went to find Mr.

Geng to ask for the remaining 20,000 yuan, but the man not only refused to pay but also attacked him. Zhou Shui was beaten to the ground and still couldn’t get the money. Dai Daji waited at the restaurant in Sanlitun for a long time. She was about to leave when Zhou Shui arrived, his face faintly bruised. Zhou Shui awkwardly ordered two bottles of water and a piece of cake.

Holding a plastic ring, he proposed to Dai Daji—regardless of everything that had happened before. Dai Daji realized that Zhou Shui had misunderstood and believed she had slept with Senior Yiming. That night’s events were finally laid bare. Dai Daji tore open her wounds, and what disappointed her most was that every time she needed Zhou Shui, he wasn’t there.

Zhou Shui stayed in that awkward kneeling posture, pulling out a handful of coins from his pocket to try to pay the bill. Dai Daji paid the rest and hurried away. That was the last video. Dong Leyi and Su Zihao had finished watching all the clips. There was no answer as to whether they had broken up. Dai Daji wanted to drink the bottle of Erguotou, but just then, she got a call from the police station—Zhou Shui had been detained for assault.

Dai Daji received a call saying that Zhou Shui had been taken to the police station, so she rushed over. The person Zhou Shui had hit was none other than that scumbag. Senior Yiming said he wouldn’t settle. At the time, Dai Daji thought that in order to get Zhou Shui out, she had to first stabilize him, but she knew she would eventually settle the score with that man. When questioned, Zhou Shui didn’t explain why he had hit someone.

His heart was filled only with endless regret and frustration—regret that he hadn’t chosen to trust Dai Daji. Dai Daji waited all night. The next morning, the police told her to go home and even gave her a lift. On the way, the officer told her not to come back again. What she cared about was when Zhou Shui would be able to come home, only to find out that he had been transferred to a detention center.

With no other option, Dai Daji sought help from Pujie. Last year, he had boasted about having connections in Beijing and claimed he could get someone thrown in for not paying rent—so Dai Daji figured he could also get someone out. At first, Pujie didn’t want to get involved, but after Dai Daji angrily called him a lying scumbag, he finally agreed. The next day, Pujie asked Dai Daji to get Zhou Shui an employment certificate.

Otherwise, the police would treat him as an unemployed vagrant. Dai Daji went to the production team she had already left, but the director made things difficult for her. In the end, Director Wen helped her out. Once the employment certificate was ready, Pujie had someone forge a fake medical record for Zhou Shui and told Dai Daji to wait at a small convenience store up front.

At that moment, Dai Daji got a call from Zhou Shui’s father—Zhou Shui hadn’t contacted home lately, so she had to cover for him. Pujie figured it out: Zhou Shui was under administrative detention. The person he hit was undergoing an injury assessment, and if he pressed charges, Zhou Shui would go to prison.

In order to keep Zhou Shui from getting a criminal record, Dai Daji, looking a mess, went to Senior Yiming’s house to apologize and plead for him to let Zhou Shui off. If Zhou Shui ended up in prison, his life would be ruined. Senior Yiming refused, so Dai Daji broke down and said she was willing to sleep with him. In front of a room full of his friends, she started taking off her clothes.

Senior Yiming panicked and finally agreed to settle, even returning the 20,000 yuan he had previously scammed from her. Though the matter was resolved, Zhou Shui still had to stay inside for a few more days. Once it was confirmed he was truly okay, Dai Daji finally breathed a sigh of relief. Summer 2024, Beijing. Su Zihao met up with Dong Leyi to play ranked games together—he was leaving the next day.

Dong Leyi asked if he wanted to do something else, and Su Zihao blushed. When Zhou Shui was released, everyone helped welcome him back. Dai Daji brought him new clothes to change into. Zhou Shui was anxious but couldn’t take his eyes off her. Pujie had already told Zhou Shui everything Dai Daji had done for him. True feelings are revealed in hard times—Zhou Shui was determined to live a steady life from now on.

But Dai Daji believed that Zhou Shui went in because of her. As long as they stayed together, neither of them could truly feel at peace. Their love was beautiful, but short-lived. Dai Daji paid three months of rent at once and said Zhou Shui could cover the rest himself. Zhou Shui carried a bowl of freshly boiled dumplings back to the room and anxiously talked about his experience inside. Dai Daji said nothing.

With the feeling of impending departure in her heart, she kissed him. After one last moment of passion, she finished an entire bottle of Erguotou. Before leaving, Su Zihao’s eyes were filled with reluctance as he looked at Dong Leyi. He returned to give her a parting kiss. Before leaving, he handed the story of "The Scumbag Couple" to Dong Leyi as a keepsake, but she threw it straight into the trash can.

Zhou Shui woke up to see Dai Daji packing her luggage, but he didn’t dare get out of bed. Dai Daji left, dragging her suitcase behind her. There was no formal farewell. Zhou Shui hurried after her onto the subway, silently staying by her side. As the train sped along, Dai Daji reached her destination and decisively stepped out of the carriage. Zhou Shui returned to their rented room, his heart aching with unspeakable pain.

Summer 2024, Chongqing. Su Zihao passed the civil service exam and secured a job with a permanent position. Dong Leyi, meanwhile, lay at home every day, scrolling through each other’s Moments on WeChat but not daring to reach out. 2010, Beijing. Today was Little New Year. Zhou Shui had been in a slump in his rented room for a long time.

Even when he got a call from his father, he only shared good news and kept the bad to himself. The landlord showed up, saying she had entrusted the house to an agent to rent out, but was very dissatisfied with the current state and demanded they move out within three days or she would call the police. Gangling planned to look around the next day for a better place.

Wang Jingshu returned money to Dumbbell—she had been reported to her school for working off-campus as a fake marriage partner and was ordered to drop out, so she said she wouldn’t need the money anymore and wanted to go back to her hometown. Dumbbell asked what would happen to them in the future. Wang Jingshu didn’t answer. Lao Jiucai left, and everyone else began to go their separate ways.

Before Wang Jingshu left, Dumbbell hoped she would stay and even finally confessed his feelings. But Wang Jingshu only said, “Why didn’t you say it earlier? ” before she walked away. The landlord gave Zhou Shui and Dumbbell a final ultimatum: they had to move out before the Spring Festival. Zhou Shui brought over a whole box of Erguotou, saying they wouldn’t leave until it was finished.

But after the first sip, both of them gagged in unison—they simply couldn’t drink it. Back in her hometown, Dai Daji’s mother arranged a job and a dormitory for her. On her first day at work, Dai Daji was bored and didn’t know what she was supposed to do, but to everyone else, slacking off was the norm.

After work, when she got home, she found Jingjing and her boyfriend there, so she had to leave them alone for some private time. Dai Daji couldn’t get used to the structured government job back home. Zhou Shui and Dumbbell ended up finishing that whole box of Erguotou. Just when they didn’t expect it, Wang Jingshu came back. Dumbbell hugged her, and only after hearing that she wasn’t leaving again did he feel at ease—yet Zhou Shui remained alone.

Wang Jingshu wasn’t willing to return to her hometown. Having once come to Beijing, she knew she could no longer go back. Dumbbell was a bit disappointed—so she hadn’t stayed for him after all. Dumbbell and Wang Jingshu rented a new place together, leaving Zhou Shui alone in the previous apartment. During the Spring Festival, Dai Daji attended a class reunion and was asked if she had a boyfriend. Her heart wavered a little.

Zhou Shui continued to waste away in the rented room. When Lao Jiucai left, he had left behind a hundred dumplings. Zhou Shui didn’t know what he’d do if he finished eating all one hundred and Dai Daji still hadn’t come back. Suddenly, Hun Xiang showed up. She was getting married to her new boyfriend, and all her previous troubles had been resolved.

After hearing what Zhou Shui had gone through recently and seeing him drinking in a daze, Hun Xiang simply grabbed the bottle and started pouring it down his throat. In the end, Zhou Shui’s face was a blur of liquor and tears. Fireworks burst outside the window, and the dim yellow light cast shadows on Zhou Shui’s face. Dai Daji used a roadside phone booth to make a call—to Zhou Shui. But by then, Zhou Shui was already drunk.

Hun Xiang lay on top of him, covering his ears so he wouldn’t answer. By the time Zhou Shui sobered up, he had already missed the call. Even when he tried calling back, Dai Daji didn’t pick up.

Summer 2024, Beijing. Dong Leyi received a call from Su Zihao. Although Su Zihao had a job now, he was bored and didn’t really know what he was doing. Both Dong Leyi and Su Zihao were curious about what Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were like now, so they decided to ask an AI. The AI’s answer was that Dai Daji had become a civil servant in Ezhou, her husband also worked within the system, and they had two children.

Zhou Shui was a successful director, unmarried and childless. After the cheerful chat ended, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. 2010, Ezhou. Dai Daji’s mother arranged a blind date for her with a man named Yi Shu, whose uncle happened to be Dai Daji’s current supervisor. Dai Daji put on an unpleasant face and tried every way she could to ruin the date, but this straightforward personality actually hit the mark for Yi Shu, who became interested in her.

Yi Shu walked Dai Daji back to her dormitory. Drunk and exhausted, Dai Daji collapsed in the dim stairwell of a supermarket. After that day, Yi Shu kept asking her out. He was actually interesting, but Dai Daji always felt they were from different worlds. She had thought going back home meant returning to her own turf, but it turned out even the light bulbs in her turf were working against her.

Because of Yi Shu, her supervisor no longer gave her a hard time, which made Dai Daji wonder whether she should start accepting reality. That day, when Yi Shu took Dai Daji back to her dorm, she decided to invite him in for tea—only to run into the person who should have disappeared from her life: Zhou Shui. Zhou Shui introduced himself as Dai Daji’s cousin. Out of spite, Dai Daji told him to call Yi Shu “brother-in-law.

” Yi Shu, completely in the dark, warmly treated Zhou Shui to dinner and even wanted to book a hotel for him. Meanwhile, Dai Daji just wished he would leave immediately. Zhou Shui said he was there for sightseeing, and he looked serious about it. He also said he would be starting a job in the film and television industry next week. Dai Daji pretended everything in her life was great.

But after drinking too much that night, she forgot she had called Zhou Shui, crying on the phone that she was useless—worse than useless in this place. So Zhou Shui came. He wanted to take Dai Daji back to Beijing, but she snapped back that her home was here and she would never go back to Beijing. Zhou Shui checked into a small inn. The landlady made hotpot and invited him to eat.

Zhou Shui’s parents happened to run a hotpot restaurant, so he was quite the expert. He had come to Ezhou to find the Dai Daji he had lost. The landlady's story was similar to theirs—she had once come to this city without hesitation and opened this very shop. The next day, Zhou Shui went to Dai Daji’s house to win her back, even saying he’d marry into her family.

It was right around dinnertime, and Dai Daji’s mother invited Zhou Shui in for a meal, though her disapproval was written all over her face. Dai Daji asked Zhou Shui what exactly he came for. Zhou Shui recalled a question she once asked him at the airport. He said he hoped that in the future, they would always be together. Dai Daji’s mother couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted them, telling Zhou Shui to shave his head.

The next day, Zhou Shui cut his long hair and even went for an interview at the Second Primary School—he wanted to stay in Ezhou. Dai Daji found his shouting by the lake childish and, out of spite, said she would marry Yi Shu. Zhou Shui’s face turned pale, and he looked like he wanted to jump into the water. Dai Daji booked a plane ticket for Zhou Shui to fly back to Beijing and shoot his movie.

Dai Daji’s mother accompanied her to try on wedding dresses. Life back home had actually been good—Dai Daji had even gained some weight. Before his flight, Zhou Shui came to the bridal shop for one last meeting with Dai Daji. She hurried him off to catch his flight, but with teary eyes, she ran out and told him she’d visit him in Beijing in two years. They smiled as they talked about the future and said goodbye with smiles.

Just before getting in the car, Zhou Shui asked his final question: “Many years from now, will you still remember me? ” Dai Daji didn’t know. Zhou Shui crossed the street to stand beside her, looking at her in the pure white wedding dress. He couldn’t help but think that when Dai Daji wore her wedding dress, he should’ve been the first one to take her hand. Zhou Shui left. Dai Daji didn’t continue picking out wedding dresses.

She didn’t want to choose, didn’t even want to think about it anymore. Her mother noticed her disappointment and encouraged her to go after what she truly wanted, or she would regret it later. This time, with her mother’s support, Dai Daji ran straight to the airport in her wedding dress, waving the plane ticket and telling Zhou Shui she was going to Beijing with him! Dong Leyi told Su Zihao that the AI had gotten it wrong!

She had recently submitted her resume online and got a job at a company. The producer there was Dai Daji—but surprisingly, the signed director was not Zhou Shui.

Summer 2024, Beijing. In a noisy train carriage, Dai Daji, wrapped in a veil, answered a call from Lawyer Chen. He informed her that her husband had finally been sentenced to death. Dai Daji burst into tears and begged Lawyer Chen to let him give their child a name. A woman sitting across from her overheard the call and was deeply moved, offering help. Dai Daji shared their story with her, and after listening, the woman felt emotionally connected.

Suddenly, Dai Daji turned serious—if that was the case, why had she rejected her script? All the scripts Dai Daji had previously submitted to Sister Yuan had been rejected, but she had always hoped Sister Yuan would take on this project. By now, Dai Daji was already a producer at Huan Teng Film. Back at the company, Dong Leyi joined as Dai Daji’s assistant. In August 2010, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui returned to Beijing.

They decided to start over, to burn their boats. Rent prices in Beijing had surged, so to save money, they rented an apartment in Yanjiao, known as the "sleeping city. " In the new place, they moved in again with Dumbbell and Shen Jingshu. They all had hotpot together. Shen Jingshu and Dumbbell’s relationship was sweet, but watching their intimacy made Dai Daji and Zhou Shui awkward. They clearly felt they were no longer the same as before.

Even so, both Dai Daji and Zhou Shui were successfully accepted into Deep Film. On their first day, they ran into Lin Aze, the script competition champion, whom they had once met on the subway. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji assumed Lin Aze was a higher-up and flattered him endlessly, only to later find out he was just pretending. All three of them had blue-lanyard employee IDs—blue lanyards meant interns. Their workspaces were also chaotic.

After a week of work, the three were completely bored. At the company, it seemed like everyone else was busy except for the three of them. They started trying to pull in tasks for the online content department but were ignored. Sister Sudan from the video department was the first to ask for help—she had high expectations, but the budget was only fifty yuan.

To get it done, Dai Daji, Zhou Shui, and Lin Aze decided to recruit the company’s editing genius, Xiao Mao. The three of them tricked blue-lanyard Xiao Mao into joining by luring him with grilled sausage. Next, they set their sights on the company’s blue-lanyard videographer, Xue Cheng, forming the “Useless Corner” five-member crew.

With only forty yuan left in the budget, Dai Daji tapped into her connections from "The Later the Night, the More Beautiful" to find actors, but only managed to recruit an older woman. Xue Cheng chipped in another hundred yuan, and the responsibility for budgeting and haggling fell to Dai Daji. This was her first production as a producer—with a total budget of only 140 yuan. At the company, Dong Leyi video-called Su Zihao.

These past few days, she had never heard the name Zhou Shui. Dai Daji noticed Dong Leyi was angrily on a call and scolded her for chatting with her boyfriend instead of finishing her work. Dong Leyi snapped back that Dai Daji was the one obsessed with romance, and her own tasks were already done. The Useless Corner’s first short film became a hit. Everyone called it "bonkers," and the five of them gained some reputation in the company.

At a dinner party, Lin Aze introduced his girlfriend to the team. Strangely, everyone assumed Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were just bros. The two were confused but had no way to refute it. On the way home, Dai Daji asked Zhou Shui if they should just be bros—no strings attached. At the apartment entrance, Dumbbell waited for Shen Jingshu but saw her being dropped off by a colleague.

Dumbbell and Shen Jingshu got into an argument, and Zhou Shui and Dai Daji tried to mediate separately. But it was clear the couple wasn’t seriously fighting. On the contrary, it seemed the real emotional problems lay between Zhou Shui and Dai Daji. What exactly was their relationship now? After the three-month internship ended, the five rushed into HR demanding to upgrade to black lanyards, only to be told they had another six months of probation.

Xiao Mao, furious, decided to quit and return home to marry his girlfriend. The others protested and insisted on meeting his girlfriend—only to discover Xiao Mao was actually a low-key rich second generation, and his girlfriend was even wealthier! After the breakup, Zhou Shui comforted him by opening up about his relationship with Dai Daji. Dai Daji then called out to Xiao Mao’s girlfriend, saying she was just like her.

The reason she came back was because the person she loved was someone who shined brightly. After a passionate speech from the five of them, Xiao Mao’s girlfriend changed her mind, and Dai Daji also realized something—she had returned to Beijing this time to help Zhou Shui make his movie!

Winter 2010, Yanjiao. The alarm went off. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji opened their eyes and called each other awake, then dragged their tired bodies to work. Yanjiao was a strange place—without traffic, it only took half an hour to get from Guomao to Yanjiao. But out of the 365 days in a year, traffic jams lasted for 360, which meant they were always late clocking in.

To get converted to full-time employees, the five of them asked Lai Chaoyang how to make it happen. But Lai Chaoyang, who joined Deep Film at 28 and only got converted at 32, told them there was no way. Still, he signed them up for the Creative Showcase competition. This was their only chance now. And so, their first project was born—"Yanjiao Version of Fallen Angels".

A Hong Kong-style café refused to let them film there, and more and more problems arose. Xiao Huang and Xiao Mao’s girlfriend gave them a lot of support. Then, Dai Daji received a call: the café owner had agreed to let them shoot. The team immediately rallied and resumed filming. In that very café, they held a rushed and simple yet hopeful opening ceremony and took their first group photo.

Zhou Shui quietly thanked Dai Daji—without her, this film would never have been possible. Dai Daji replied that the most important thing about being a girlfriend was loyalty. Dong Leyi discovered a man changing photos in Dai Daji’s office. Dai Daji quickly introduced him as the company chairman, Mr. Zhang. He had changed the computer wallpaper to a photo of himself. With a hint of disdain, Dai Daji asked Dong Leyi to change it back.

Dong Leyi replaced it with the launch photo from "Fallen Angels Yanjiao Version" and secretly snapped a photo of Mr. Zhang trying to pursue Dai Daji. Looking at the picture brought back a flood of memories for Dai Daji. Dong Leyi pointed at Zhou Shui and deliberately asked who he was. Dai Daji coldly replied, “Just a colleague. ” Dong Leyi was convinced that Dai Daji must be seeing Mr. Zhang, but Su Zihao didn’t think so.

Dai Daji called her mother to share the good news about the film starting production. Since college, she had always clashed with her mother. Tearfully, she tried to make peace, but her mother hurriedly hung up—only then wiping away her own tears. At the Creative Showcase, "Fallen Angels Yanjiao Version" won first prize. Zhou Shui excitedly invited everyone on stage to celebrate. But before he could thank Dai Daji, the microphone was snatched away.

In the audience, Dai Daji looked at the group photo on the screen, her face barely hiding the awkward loneliness. At the celebratory dinner that evening, Xiao Mao held the trophy and said that even if he left Beijing, he’d have no regrets. Everyone talked about their dreams. Zhou Shui remained determined—he wanted to stay in Beijing and make films. But before Dai Daji could say her dream, the others interrupted, saying her dream must be to marry Zhou Shui.

Dai Daji wanted to refute it but realized she didn’t have a dream. She began to wonder—what was it that she truly wanted? Despite winning first place, the company leadership wasn’t optimistic about their film. Xue Cheng slammed the table and stormed out on the spot. Xiao Mao heard rumors that the company was planning to shut down the online department and reassign them elsewhere.

He threw a farewell party for Xue Cheng, who was going back to his hometown and didn’t want to return to Beijing. Xiao Mao also decided to quit—he was going home to marry Yan Yan. Zhou Shui tried to smile and said to Lin Aze and Dai Daji that the three of them could still make films together. But Lin Aze said he had already gone full-time. Xiao Huang was shocked—they had already broken up.

Lin Aze was now with Sudan because she could help him become full-time. Dai Daji slapped Lin Aze across the face. Xiao Mao held her back while Lin Aze lost control, complaining furiously. In the chaos, Zhou Shui was powerless. In the end, he flipped the table, and the room fell silent. Sudan drove to pick up Lin Aze. Xiao Huang forced a smile and made an excuse to leave.

Zhou Shui tried to stop Lin Aze, telling him that if he got in that car today, no one would consider him a friend again. But Lin Aze left anyway—he had chosen his future. Xiao Mao left soon after. Zhou Shui was left standing with the wine bottle raised in mid-air. After seeing Xue Cheng off, only Dai Daji and Zhou Shui remained from the Deep Film five. That night, they never saw each other again.

Xiao Mao returned to his hometown, inherited the family business, married a wealthy beauty, and reached the peak of his life. Lin Aze married Sudan and had a child, giving up his career to raise the kid. Xiao Huang became a well-known streamer and never saw the others again. Xue Cheng became a "National Geographic" photographer, staying true to his dreams. Only Zhou Shui and Dai Daji remained in Beijing. They said they would never part, always stuck together like glue.

Su Zihao discovered some gossip in a photo on Dai Daji’s Weibo. After a thorough analysis with Dong Leyi, the two concluded that Dai Daji was dating the celebrity Lin Chenxing! Paparazzi had snapped photos of Lin Chenxing and Dai Daji together, and the news immediately trended online. Their relationship was confirmed, and fans crowded around the company entrance. At that moment, President Hong rushed in to confront Dai Daji. Autumn 2011.

On set, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui were assigned to hand out boxed lunches. Many actors refused to eat, so the two of them helped themselves to a hearty meal instead. Their team had disbanded, and Zhou Shui began to wonder if it was meaningless to keep going—maybe it was time to quit. But Dai Daji worried that if they resigned, they wouldn’t be able to sustain their lives, so she insisted they couldn’t quit.

Lai Chaoyang found them hiding and eating lunch and called them to the rooftop for a talk. He was leaving Deep Film to start his own company, and the only people he wanted to bring along were Dai Daji and Zhou Shui. He believed in them—they had both the talent and the dream. Lai Chaoyang offered them better salaries than before.

They immediately submitted their resignations, believing Lai Chaoyang’s promise that he would get them a chance to make a film. Thus began a new chapter. By winter, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui were filming with a new crew. It wasn’t a movie, just a commercial. But unlike the low-budget productions at Deep Film, this one had real investment. Dai Daji had written a scene involving a train into the script, and Lai Chaoyang actually got a real train for it!

Zhou Shui wasn’t entirely used to it, but Dai Daji supported him at every turn. Su Zihao was dragged to a blind date by his aunt, only to discover that the date was his college classmate, Ya Tian. Though Ya Tian had rejected Su Zihao before, now that she was back in her hometown, she was willing to give it a try. Dong Leyi’s home life was unhappy—her parents were constantly arguing and on the brink of divorce.

That’s why she worked so hard to leave. Their first project was completed. Though it was just a commercial, it was shot like a film, and the client was very satisfied. Lai Chaoyang drove Dai Daji and Zhou Shui out for dinner. Seeing the two of them working so hard in Beijing stirred up Lai Chaoyang’s own past, and he launched into a long story about his life.

He then asked Dai Daji and Zhou Shui when they planned to settle down. Back at home, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were calculating their expenses. Meanwhile, Wang Jingshu still had to send money home to support her irresponsible younger brother. Liang Yalin hadn’t made any money in over a year, and all the pressure was on Wang Jingshu. Liang Yalin felt deeply guilty.

The two had already decided to get married the following year and save up enough money within a year. When they asked Zhou Shui and Dai Daji when they planned to get married, Zhou Shui impulsively said they should have a four-person wedding. Dai Daji quickly reminded him that just during dinner, he told Lai Chaoyang he wanted to build his career before starting a family.

Everyone praised Zhou Shui, saying he seemed to be getting closer and closer to his goal. But Lai Chaoyang asked Dai Daji to stay behind and questioned her about what she truly wanted to do. Dai Daji was momentarily at a loss. In 2024, President Hong demanded that Dai Daji clarify the situation with Lin Chenxing and, on behalf of Lin Chenxing, broke up with her. He even required that Dai Daji withdraw from the project.

From then on, they were never to appear in the same project again, even though this project had been developed entirely by Dai Daji herself. Dai Daji was caught in a dilemma. To resolve it, she came up with a plan—but it required Mr. Zhang’s help. Lai Chaoyang was going to attend the Berlin Film Festival and needed to bring someone along. Everyone naturally assumed he would take Zhou Shui.

But when Lai Chaoyang called both Zhou Shui and Dai Daji into his office, it turned out he had chosen Dai Daji to go on the trip instead. Since Zhou Shui was the only director in the company, he had to stay behind and finish shooting "The Swindler" as soon as possible. Walking out of the office, Zhou Shui couldn’t hide his disappointment. Dai Daji came to comfort him, sensing how upset he was.

Before her trip, Zhou Shui withdrew all the money in his account, converted it into euros, and secretly stuffed it into Dai Daji’s bag before sending her off. Dai Daji’s plan was to let the paparazzi deliberately capture a photo of her and Mr. Zhang walking together and claim that she had only gotten into Lin Chenxing’s car that day to meet with Mr. Zhang. Mr.

Zhang was more than willing to help—he had liked Dai Daji for years and genuinely hoped the rumor could be true. The matter blew over just like that. Dai Daji was content as long as the project could continue. But Dong Leyi was still fuming, so Dai Daji pulled the head off a cardboard cutout of Lin Chenxing, and the two of them smashed all of his fan merchandise to pieces with hammers.

Spring Festival, 2012, Beijing. Today was Valentine’s Day. Liang Yalin hoped Wang Jingshu would come home early. Zhou Shui was excited by the good news that Dai Daji would be back tonight—he could finally give her the gift he had prepared. Liang Yalin sent Wang Jingshu off to work, the two of them sweet and affectionate. The store said a major client would be visiting today, and whether they could get their annual bonus depended on him.

Wang Jingshu waited in the shop all day but never saw the big boss, so she left work and went home. Unexpectedly, a modest-looking man dragging a suitcase came in. The other salespeople didn’t want to waste their time, so Wang Jingshu took the initiative to help. The man set his sights on a Rolls-Royce. Others mocked him, saying it cost 1. 8 million and that if he couldn’t afford it, he could take out a loan.

To everyone’s shock, he paid the full amount in cash from the suitcase. After returning from the business trip with Lai Chaoyang, Dai Daji stopped by the office. She felt awkward accepting the designer bag Lai Chaoyang gave her, but he said it was just a travel allowance, so she didn’t decline further. When she got home, Dai Daji brought gifts for Liang Yalin and Wang Jingshu, and also bought Zhou Shui a new backpack.

But Zhou Shui noticed her bag was a luxury brand. When he heard it was a gift from Lai Chaoyang, he felt disheartened and didn’t even give her the Valentine’s Day gift he had prepared. After helping Director Liao buy a car, he started pursuing Wang Jingshu, who tried her best to avoid him. Dong Leyi received a lot of packages. After calling her mother, she found out that her parents were divorced and had already divided their assets.

All her belongings had been shipped to her office. Dong Leyi was deeply disappointed. Dai Daji informed Dong Leyi that she would be going on a business trip to Chongqing with her next week. Dai Daji’s designer bag drew attention at the office. When Zhou Shui saw her laptop crash, he finally mustered the courage to give her his Valentine’s Day gift—a brand-new laptop.

But before he could explain it properly, Dai Daji was called away by Lai Chaoyang for work. That evening, Lai Chaoyang even drove her home. Dai Daji had attended a social event with Lai Chaoyang and met a top producer in the industry, which made Zhou Shui feel even more upset. The company was about to start filming a movie. The outline written by Dai Daji received approval from the client, and Zhou Shui was named the director.

Over the next few days, Zhou Shui busied himself preparing materials for the film. But suddenly, Lai Chaoyang told him to shoot a commercial instead, leaving the movie prep to Dai Daji. Zhou Shui, eager to shoot the movie, rushed to the hospital to start filming. However, the investor doubted his capabilities and kept interfering. Frustrated, Zhou Shui called Dai Daji saying he was done with it.

But Lai Chaoyang’s daughter needed an appointment with a doctor at that hospital, and they couldn’t get one, so the commercial had to be made no matter what. Zhou Shui insisted on filming it his way. Lai Chaoyang was exasperated—the client's needs were simple, but Zhou Shui had made things overly complicated. Lai Chaoyang made Zhou Shui work overtime to revise the proposal, yet that night he joined the team in celebrating Dai Daji’s promotion.

Zhou Shui arrived late and felt out of place. Dai Daji was seated next to Lai Chaoyang, being praised by everyone. After the party, Lai Chaoyang thoughtfully put his coat over Dai Daji’s shoulders. Zhou Shui was burning with jealousy, and his resentment toward Lai Chaoyang surged. Dai Daji felt Lai Chaoyang had been kind to them and didn’t think Zhou Shui should be so emotional.

While Zhou Shui was reshooting at the hospital, Dai Daji called to say there was an important meeting about the movie and all the investors would be there. Zhou Shui rushed back to the office, excited to take the stage—only to find out the director had been replaced. Zhou Shui got into a huge argument with Lai Chaoyang in the office, releasing long-held frustration.

Lai Chaoyang said Dai Daji was more mature and better suited for directing films—she was the director Zhou Shui needed. He added that in the next project, the company would support Dai Daji as the director. Standing there, Dai Daji felt as if Lai Chaoyang’s words were a wake-up call—she was not Zhou Shui’s accessory, not “Zhou Shui’s Dai Daji. ” Zhou Shui looked at her, and a gulf seemed to open between them.

Zhou Shui disappeared and didn’t return to the hospital shoot. Dai Daji had to step in and take over his work. When she got home, she found Zhou Shui drinking, throwing a tantrum and saying he’d finish that bottle and leave. Dai Daji just felt tired and focused solely on work.

Zhou Shui made a scene, trying desperately to get her attention, but Dai Daji tuned him out—until she opened her laptop and saw the video Zhou Shui had edited, filled with memories of their time together. Zhou Shui asked if she loved him. Dai Daji, with tears in her eyes, kissed him and said, “I love you, from beginning to end. ” That night, they made up, just like old times.

But from that point on, everything began to fall apart in a way that felt irreversible. Dai Daji knew Zhou Shui didn’t truly want to break up, and she hadn’t been seduced by Lai Chaoyang. It was just that, for the first time in her life, her talent and abilities were being recognized. Dai Daji felt like she had finally found her value. Autumn 2024, Chongqing. Dong Leyi and Su Zihao met in Chongqing and spotted Dai Daji from afar.

Dai Daji had originally planned to dine with a director, but the schedule changed, so she went to have hot pot with Dong Leyi and Su Zihao instead. While Dong Leyi went to the restroom, she accidentally walked into the kitchen—only to see Zhou Shui inside, his hair now gray, cooking.

Autumn 2024, Chongqing. The owner of this hot pot restaurant had a quirky personality—there was no menu; whatever the owner served, that’s what the customers ate. Dong Leyi and Su Zihao were a bit excited when they saw the owner, Zhou Shui, bringing out the hot pot base. But just then, Dai Daji received a phone call and hurried off to handle something.

No matter how Su Zihao and Dong Leyi tried to persuade her to stay, she left, and they narrowly missed crossing paths. Both Su Zihao and Dong Leyi were deeply troubled. Watching Zhou Shui work around the restaurant, they couldn’t understand how someone so passionate about film had ended up as the owner of a hot pot place.

As Zhou Shui approached, Su Zihao and Dong Leyi deliberately mentioned Dai Daji’s name, though they weren’t sure if Zhou Shui heard it. Zhou Shui and Xiao Juan sat down to eat. Xiao Juan joked that Zhou Shui’s cooking was better than his filmmaking. In the past, Zhou Shui would’ve punched anyone who said that, but now he agreed. Dong Leyi suspected there was something between them, but Su Zihao believed there was nothing going on.

To prove it, they followed the two from the restaurant back to their home and saw them picking up a young boy from the neighbor’s place. The three looked very happy together. Angry, Su Zihao and Dong Leyi left—unaware that Zhou Shui had actually returned to his own home next door after leaving Xiao Juan’s place. Their shipped CP had shattered, and Dong Leyi was completely disheartened.

By chance, she saw that Hun Xiang had become a very popular parenting blogger. Su Zihao complained that their generation had been wild in their youth, and now that they were over forty, they’d all settled down and had families. Dong Leyi, on the other hand, envied them for having homes, while she had none. Su Zihao immediately invited her to his place.

Dong Leyi, testing him and still a bit upset, followed him to his doorstep—but in the end, she gave up and left in a hurry. Su Zihao never managed to say that he really liked her, and Dong Leyi ran off. 2012. Dai Daji’s mother came to Beijing, and Dai Daji took time off to pick her up. Lai Chaoyang happened to pass by and gave both mother and daughter a ride.

Zhou Shui only arrived at the private room after finishing reshoots. He tried hard to be attentive, but Lai Chaoyang and Dai Daji’s mother chatted enthusiastically. In front of her, Lai Chaoyang constantly made subtle jabs at Zhou Shui, deepening her negative impression of him. Dai Daji’s mother was visibly displeased and couldn’t help questioning Zhou Shui—had he told his family about buying a house? Two years ago, he’d confidently promised to give Dai Daji a home.

Now two years had passed—where was the home? When it came time to pay the bill, Dai Daji stopped Zhou Shui and let Lai Chaoyang handle it instead. In the car, Dai Daji’s mother received a “Welcome to Hebei” message on her phone and immediately became alarmed. Seeing the meter approaching two hundred yuan, she jumped out of the car and insisted on walking back.

Coincidentally, they ran into Wang Jingshu, who was ride-sharing with friends, and they all walked back together. Dai Daji’s mother strongly disliked the apartment in Yanjiao. That night, Zhou Shui slept on the sofa while Dai Daji and her mother shared a room. The next morning, her mother turned off Dai Daji’s alarm. When she and Zhou Shui woke up, they realized they were late. They rushed to catch the bus without even eating the breakfast her mother had prepared.

Lai Chaoyang was dissatisfied with the script Dai Daji had written, and Zhou Shui was also very passive when facing the client. The two continued arguing at home over work issues. The next day, Dai Daji saw her mother crying. It turned out she wanted Zhou Shui to see how much she cared about her daughter. Dai Daji couldn’t help commenting that her mother’s performance felt a little fake.

After a long day, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji came home and tried their best to put on a smile for her mother. She had cooked a big meal and urged Zhou Shui to learn how to cook. Inadvertently, she brought up the matter of Wang Jingshu getting picked up and dropped off by car, which immediately made Liang Yalin suspicious. A few months ago, the store had sent Wang Jingshu to be Director Liao’s after-sales service rep.

Her job was basically riding in Director Liao’s car for dozens of kilometers every day. At first, Wang Jingshu refused, but she eventually gave in out of fear of losing her job. Since then, Director Liao had been picking her up and dropping her off, and when he saw her eating boxed meals alone, he’d bring her elaborate feasts. Wang Jingshu tried her best to avoid all of it.

When Liang Yalin confronted her, she assured him she would never betray him. But still, Liang Yalin couldn’t help himself—he went to pick her up during her shift and made her hug him and spin around several times in front of Director Liao.

Summer 2012, Beijing. Dai Daji suddenly received a call from the hospital. It turned out that her mother had come to Beijing for medical treatment. She had been suffering from stomach pain for the past six months, and the doctor suspected it might be cancer. Dai Daji’s mother didn’t want Dai Daji to tell Zhou Shui about her illness, fearing that it would cause complications with their marriage due to Zhou Shui's family’s possible objections.

Dai Daji sat in the hallway, her eyes red. She called Zhou Shui to ask him to help her take a day off so she could accompany her mother. But after work, Dai Daji unexpectedly returned to the office to ask the finance department if she could withdraw money from her medical insurance and her provident fund because her mother was sick and her savings weren’t enough. Yaling went to pick up Wang Jingshu after work and encountered a heavy rainstorm.

They decided to wait until the rain stopped, but when they saw Director Liao’s car waiting outside, Yaling went crazy and dragged Wang Jingshu into the rain to get on her electric scooter. Director Liao, sitting in his Rolls-Royce, had someone follow them, and in the end, Yaling, in a fit of rage, crashed into Director Liao’s car. Dai Daji was assigned by Lai Chaoyang to work as a scriptwriter for the production.

The script had already gone through many revisions, and she hoped to receive payment for the first draft. Lai Chaoyang told her that the company was still in its early stages, and he would help her if she had any difficulties. Dai Daji and Zhou Shui rushed to the hospital after receiving a call from Yaling and Wang Jingshu. Wang Jingshu had injured her leg, and Yaling had a bandage around her head.

Zhou Shui took money from his card and asked Yaling to use it to pay for the damages. However, it turned out that Yaling had crashed into a Rolls-Royce, and that amount of money wasn’t enough to cover the expenses. To Wang Jingshu’s surprise, Yaling had quit her job at the gym just to pick her up, and now she was complaining that everything was caused by this incident.

After sending Wang Jingshu and Yaling home, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji were about to head to work. Dai Daji’s mother was very worried since it was already quite late. On the way, Dai Daji suddenly became tired and leaned on Zhou Shui’s shoulder while talking about her mother. She recalled how, as a child, she was often left alone at home. Back then, her mother had to work multiple jobs and attend night school.

Coming from a single-parent family, she feared that Dai Daji would be bullied, so she became especially strong-willed. Dai Daji comforted herself, thinking that her pressure was nothing compared to her mother’s. Zhou Shui noticed that her eyes were barely open and decided to carry her home to sleep. The next morning, Zhou Shui turned off Dai Daji’s alarm because he had stayed up all night making notes on her script.

At home, Zhou Shui decided to cook a meal for Dai Daji, but when Dai Daji’s mother came out, she immediately saw smoke filling the kitchen. Zhou Shui said he wanted to make sure that Dai Daji could have a warm meal when she got off work, and he took the initiative to ask her mother to teach him how to cook. Her mother happily agreed, even praising Zhou Shui for having more talent in cooking than in filmmaking.

In 2024, Zhou Shui invited Xiao Juan and her son to his home for a meal. While riding his electric scooter to pick up Xiao Juan from the store, they happened to pass by Dai Daji’s film crew, who were filming. Dong Leyi was trying to convince Dai Daji to go to that hotpot restaurant again that evening, volunteering to help her with the queue.

When they arrived at the hotpot restaurant, Dong Leyi unexpectedly saw Su Zihao, but he wasn’t alone—he was dining with her blind date. Dong Leyi immediately became jealous and, gritting her teeth, sarcastically wished them well before turning and leaving, completely forgetting about trying to set up Zhou Shui and Dai Daji. As soon as Dai Daji arrived, Dong Leyi pulled her away, but when Dai Daji turned around and saw Su Zihao and his companion, she immediately understood.

When Zhou Shui came over to serve the dishes, he stared at Dai Daji’s back for a long time. Zhou Shui was having his salary deducted by Lai Chaoyang, and when he went to the finance department, he inadvertently learned about Dai Daji’s mother’s illness. That night, when Dai Daji returned home, Zhou Shui immediately pulled her into the bathroom and asked why she hadn’t told him about it. He wanted to share the burden with her.

But Dai Daji was afraid—if she spoke about it, it would feel real, and if her mother really did have cancer, she would lose her mom. Dai Daji’s mother overheard their conversation but pretended not to hear and hurried them out. The next day, Dai Daji’s mother took out a stack of cash—money they had paid for medical expenses, along with her savings book, which contained decades of savings. Dai Daji instinctively wanted to leave.

The situation wasn’t confirmed yet, and her mother was acting as if she were settling her affairs! Her mother asked Dai Daji to sit down and then took out the titles to three houses from their hometown, asking Dai Daji to transfer them into her name. For Zhou Shui, her mother gave him her notebook, which was filled with recipes of Dai Daji’s favorite dishes, with detailed instructions and ingredients.

Dai Daji cried nonstop as her mother took out her lifetime savings as her dowry, only hoping that Zhou Shui would treat her daughter well, as she truly could not put her mind at ease about Dai Daji. Dai Daji and Zhou Shui accompanied Dai Daji’s mother to the hospital for a follow-up check-up.

The results were neither good nor bad—it wasn’t a malignant tumor, but it was a rare condition called adenocystic bladder inflammation, which would require follow-up checks every six months. Dai Daji felt both relieved and anxious. After leaving the hospital, she smiled and told her mother that she was perfectly fine.

Wang Jingshu and Yaling managed to gather some money to pay Director Liao for the car damages, but Yaling seemed unwilling to do so and even considered leaving Beijing with Wang Jingshu. Director Liao didn’t make Wang Jingshu pay for the repairs, but he told her that Yaling wasn’t good enough for her. He made Wang Jingshu a bet—whether love would win or human nature would win.

In 2012, Hun Xiang and Wang Jingshu went together to repay Liao Zong, but he only allowed Hun Xiang to enter. Wang Jingshu was very worried that Hun Xiang might get physical, repeatedly warning him to stay calm. Hun Xiang asked Liao Zong to give him one year to repay the 100,000 yuan car repair cost with interest. However, Liao Zong said Hun Xiang didn't need to worry about that anymore and instead invited him to sit down and chat.

He laid out stacks of cash in front of Hun Xiang, whose mental defenses gradually crumbled—until it reached 500,000. Liao Zong told Hun Xiang to break up with Wang Jingshu and let her go with him. That money would save Hun Xiang fifty years of struggle. But Hun Xiang nearly smashed his desk, angrily shouting at Liao Zong not to think a few lousy bills made him so great. Hun Xiang and Wang Jingshu returned home laughing and carefree.

Zhou Shui and Dai Daji admired how they treated money like dirt and joked about writing it into a script. Hun Xiang went to a gym for an interview but was rejected due to lack of education and resources. Meanwhile, Lai Chaoyang was receiving clients, and Zhou Shui mustered the courage to pitch their proposal on his own. Lai Chaoyang was displeased with this behavior. Later, Zhou Shui apologized.

Lai Chaoyang gave their team a 100,000 yuan budget for the project, leaving about eight to nine thousand as bonuses for them. Seeing Zhou Shui’s change, Dai Daji was a little relieved. When she returned to the office to retrieve her forgotten notebook, she overheard Lai Chaoyang asking clients for 500,000, while only allocating 100,000 for their budget. Back home, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji realized their true value.

Zhou Shui came up with a bold idea: to resign and start their own business—only by becoming strong could they truly realize their worth. Dai Daji said that loyalty matters most in a relationship. If Zhou Shui decided to leave, she would go with him! Hun Xiang kept failing interviews. At night, he obsessively talked about the 500,000, vowing to earn it by teaching 10,000 classes. Hearing this, Wang Jingshu tried to chat with him.

Suddenly, Hun Xiang sat up and slapped himself, trying to convince himself not to want that money—compared to Wang Jingshu, that 500,000 was worthless. Though he said that, the money became like a demon in his heart. Before he realized it, he showed up at Liao Zong’s company. Liao Zong invited him in for tea and, on top of the previous offer, added another 500,000—making a total of 1 million. This time, Hun Xiang was no longer as defiant.

Later, Wang Jingshu received a call from Hun Xiang’s phone, but it was Liao Zong calling—saying Hun Xiang had left his phone behind. Dai Daji was preparing to submit the resignation letters for herself and Zhou Shui when Lai Chaoyang invited her to dinner. On the way, she called Zhou Shui to say she would be home late to talk with Lai Chaoyang. Wang Jingshu returned home uneasily. Hun Xiang had cooked and invited her to eat.

She cautiously asked what he did that day. Hun Xiang smiled and said he had passed by Liao Zong’s teahouse and that the money had been raised to 1 million, but he didn't care about it. Wang Jingshu finally relaxed, but then Hun Xiang said he had a plan—to just take the money and they would secretly return to their hometown. Wang Jingshu's heart turned cold.

Watching Hun Xiang excitedly fantasize about what to do with the money, she coldly said he could take the million if he wanted—but that money had nothing to do with her. Wang Jingshu had never thought of leaving Beijing. During dinner, Lai Chaoyang deliberately sat next to Dai Daji and used it as an excuse to get handsy. Dai Daji awkwardly brought up her resignation, but Lai Chaoyang ignored it.

He continued to sow discord, suggesting she consider her own future—that following the right person was what's best for her. Being a planning director was only the beginning; maybe the company would be hers one day. Lai Chaoyang grabbed her hand, urging her to create a different future with him. Dai Daji pulled away and finally had enough—she brought up how Zhou Shui once described him, saying he shouldn't think of himself as a good person.

Dai Daji and Zhou Shui officially resigned. They were done. On the street, Dai Daji ran into Zhou Shui, who had just come back from grocery shopping. The two happily returned home to cook, only to open the door and find Hun Xiang drunk on the floor while Wang Jingshu had packed and left. Hun Xiang said he had sold Wang Jingshu for one million yuan.

Zhou Shui and Dai Daji ran out of the complex chasing her, but Wang Jingshu still resolutely got into Liao Zong’s car. Even when Dai Daji warned that if she got in, they would no longer be friends. Wang Jingshu said her name wasn't really Wang Jingshu—her real name was Luo Guixi. A girl named Wang Jingshu sounded noble and elegant, while her real name was ridiculed by others.

From then on, she remembered the name Wang Jingshu and even changed her name to it. Dai Daji tried to persuade her, saying no matter what her name was, she should stay true to herself. But Wang Jingshu never had a choice. The next day after Wang Jingshu left, Hun Xiang also left with the million. He said he didn’t understand Wang Jingshu, but that money made him finally understand himself.

Summer 2012, Beijing. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji couldn’t calm down after the departure of Wang Jingshu and Yaling. Suddenly, Dai Daji was determined to make money, to earn enough to live with dignity and never end up like them. Over the years, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji had also built up a solid network in the industry. Together, they successfully founded Geywai Cultural Advertising Company. Dai Daji became the CEO, and Zhou Shui was the sole contracted director.

That year, they moved back near the CCTV building. Under Dai Daji’s leadership, the company had been running for three years. From signing their first contract to buying a car, three years had passed in the blink of an eye. In 2016, Dai Daji’s mother came to Beijing again. Dai Daji picked her up while juggling phone calls. Before her mother could scold her, Dai Daji pulled out the keys to a Mercedes-Benz.

The place where Zhou Shui and Dai Daji lived was very luxurious, and they even had a housekeeper cleaning daily. At the mall, Zhou Shui let Dai Daji’s mother pick out whatever she liked without restraint. But just as they were heading into a phone meeting, Dai Daji’s mother went shopping on her own and took a liking to a handbag that cost thirty thousand yuan. To her surprise, Wang Jingshu appeared and bought it for her as a gift.

It was the first time Zhou Shui and Dai Daji had seen Wang Jingshu in three years. While Zhou Shui was busy taking photos of her mother, Dai Daji added Wang Jingshu on WeChat and transferred her the money for the bag. Wang Jingshu firmly refused to accept it. After the photos were taken, Dai Daji’s mother returned the bag, saying that she simply couldn’t accept it.

Wang Jingshu then left in a Rolls-Royce worth several million, leaving Dai Daji’s mother stunned. Over the next few days, Zhou Shui tried all kinds of ways to make Dai Daji’s mother happy, but she still wasn’t at ease. She set her eyes on a property and dragged Zhou Shui and Dai Daji to go view it. The down payment was 1. 5 million yuan. But Zhou Shui and Dai Daji still couldn’t afford that amount.

Dai Daji’s mother suggested Zhou Shui call his parents so the two families could discuss together. Autumn 2024, Beijing. Dong Leyi and her new boyfriend were out house hunting. As they were discussing buying a car and a house, Dai Daji happened to pass by and overheard their meticulous calculations and plans. She was surprised.

Dong Leyi had planned to marry her previous boyfriend, Yaoming, but Dai Daji felt they treated love like a business deal, which meant Dong Leyi didn’t truly love him. She advised her to think it through again. Back in 2016, Zhou Shui’s father came to Beijing. Dai Daji’s mother’s face fell immediately when she realized Zhou Shui’s mother hadn’t come. Zhou’s father explained that their store was too busy, and someone had to stay and manage it.

Dai Daji’s mother had sold all her properties in their hometown to come up with 600,000 yuan, but the remaining 900,000 yuan for the down payment would have to come from Zhou’s family. Zhou’s father explained that they had bought a retirement home in Chongqing last year, so things were financially tight. Dai Daji’s mother was furious and insisted that Zhou’s father sell the Chongqing property. Zhou Shui disagreed, and Dai Daji’s mother slammed the table on the spot.

Unable to stop the argument, Dai Daji bluntly said, “Then let’s not get married. ” Her fiery-tempered mother stormed out. Outside, Dai Daji tried to calm her down. Meanwhile, Zhou’s father had already decided to sell the retirement home and transfer the hotpot restaurant. They would move back to their hometown, but since Dai Daji had been with Zhou Shui for eight years, he felt she deserved an answer. That night, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji did the math.

Without relying on their parents, they were still short one million yuan for the down payment. So, they began borrowing money—although asking for loans was never easy. Dai Daji went to Wang Jingshu for help but was surprised to learn that Wang Jingshu didn’t have any cash. Liao Zong only gave her shopping cards and had a driver watching over her. Liao Zong never gave her money, just the illusion of being wealthy.

Wang Jingshu invited Dai Daji to do some cosmetic procedures together, but Dai Daji said she had a meeting and would join next time. She couldn’t bear to see Wang Jingshu like this. Youth is fleeting, and so is beauty—Wang Jingshu should keep something more substantial for herself. Wang Jingshu still wanted to help. She hoped Liao Zong would give them the advertising project, but his condition was for her to bear him a son.

The next day, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui received the real estate company’s ad project. The budget was two million yuan. The two of them were overjoyed at the chance to earn one million. But then, Zhou Shui received an invitation from a famous company to direct Such A Good Love, with an investment of twenty million yuan. The original plan was to shoot the movie first, then the commercial.

But the real estate company wanted to push the ad shoot to February 16 of the following year. The movie was set to start filming on the 15th. That meant Zhou Shui wouldn’t be able to direct the film. The film crew refused to budge. Now, he had to choose: the movie or the ad? His dream or a house? Zhou Shui began to hesitate.

Autumn 2016. Faced with the choice between shooting a movie or a commercial, Zhou Shui chose the commercial, which took Dai Daji by surprise. Zhou Shui decided to earn a solid one million yuan, buy a house, get married, and take on the responsibilities a man should. He accompanied Dai Daji to try on wedding dresses.

Dai Daji thought he would hold her hand and they would be immersed in a romantic atmosphere, but Zhou Shui was too busy asking for a discount and swiping his card, which left her feeling disappointed—as if she no longer recognized him. Zhou Shui went to the real estate office to pay the deposit, but Dai Daji returned the money. She had turned down the commercial.

Sitting aimlessly in the car, Dai Daji said she wanted to go home—the first home they had when they came to Beijing. The place was already cleared out and looked like no one had lived there in a long time. Her vanity was still in their room, although the mirror was broken. In that small room they once shared, the two of them sat down to talk.

Dai Daji said she no longer planned to buy a house, so there was no need to do the commercial either. As for marriage, it seemed like they couldn’t get married anymore. Their life together had become nothing but work. But Zhou Shui had promised Dai Daji’s mother that he would buy a house before the end of the year—this time, he couldn’t break his promise.

They were already thirty years old and had to give up certain things to face reality. But Dai Daji couldn’t accept that kind of reality. On the rooftop, Dai Daji looked up at the sky, full of memories. Her love with Zhou Shui had begun with film, and she wanted to reclaim their ideals—only then could love return. Zhou Shui had always believed they would get married.

When they had nothing, they stood firmly together—now that things were better, shouldn’t marriage come even more naturally? He took out the pull-tab from a soda can and proposed to Dai Daji, but she refused. She didn’t want to marry herself off so casually. They had to make the movie. They didn’t come to Beijing just to buy a house and get married.

Zhou Shui reached into his pocket for the engagement ring, feeling afraid—what would happen if they gave everything up for the future? But he still decided to shoot the movie as Dai Daji said, also to save their love. In 2016, China’s film market was booming, and once again, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji stood at a crossroads in life.

By autumn 2024, Dai Daji asked Dong Leyi to help her move—her landlord wanted to sell the place, and she had to move downstairs. Su Zihao came to pick up his girlfriend from work and ran into Zhou Shui and Xiao Juan with a child. They were planning to enroll the child in a preschool program. When Su Zihao found out Zhou Shui wasn’t the child’s father, he was surprised.

Yet Zhou Shui asked for his help with school matters, and Su Zihao didn’t understand why he was so invested. Dai Daji had still never bought a house after all these years. Dong Leyi said she had missed out on six million yuan because of it. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji went to see Producer Sister Chao, but the script for Such A Good Love was labeled “low” by her. She insisted on turning it into a romantic idol drama.

Left with no choice, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji began rewriting the script, but they couldn’t find the right feeling for an idol drama. Their revised script was dismissed by Sister Chao as showing “petty ambition due to poverty,” and she ultimately kicked Zhou Shui out of the writing team. Frustrated, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji temporarily shut down their company, paid Xiaoyu’s salary, and planned to resume work after finishing the movie.

They decided to regroup their “useless five” team. But Sister Chao replaced the entire main creative team and treated Dai Daji like an assistant, even making her run errands for skincare products. Wang Jingshu helped Dai Daji handle it all and bid her farewell—she had decided to study abroad, taking control of her own destiny. At the Such A Good Love press conference, Man Jiaxin handed Zhou Shui a cue card to read from—but it didn’t mention Dai Daji at all.

Meanwhile, Wang Jingshu was pregnant and arranged a meeting with Liao Zong’s wife. She planned to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at NYU. The money, as Liao’s wife explained, was a way to ensure peace of mind when Wang Jingshu and her daughter would eventually inherit their share. After the press conference, Dai Daji realized she didn’t want to be forever standing behind Zhou Shui. Clearly, they had both contributed equally. She wanted to be the film’s co-director. Zhou Shui was a bit surprised but agreed—though Dai Daji had already spoken with Man Jiaxin about it.

Autumn 2024, Chongqing. Su Zihao had helped Xiao Juan’s child get into school, and Zhou Shui prepared many gifts to thank them. Su Zihao and Dong Leyi planned to watch a movie together that night. When they saw the "dog couple" file on the hard drive, Su Zihao decided to deal with it the next day and throw the hard drive away. Meanwhile, Dong Leyi also handed in her resignation to Dai Daji.

Dai Daji didn’t understand why Dong Leyi suddenly wanted to quit. Dong Leyi confessed that she had known Zhou Shui and Dai Daji’s story from beginning to end. Su Zihao also went to see Zhou Shui and admitted that he had known him for a long time—and that he also knew his story with Dai Daji. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji told them that the video they saw wasn’t the whole story.

They had broken up, but later got back together. They had been together for a full ten years. In 2017, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji boarded a plane to shoot a film together. It was only later that Dai Daji found out Wang Jingshu had left that day too. She didn’t hit the child and eventually stepped onto a different path in life because of the child.

Zhou Shui and Dai Daji flew to Haikou, not knowing they wouldn’t return together in the future. With Sister Chao’s domineering control, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji had almost no say in the production crew. The hotel arranged for them was an old, shabby place—so bad that there was only one single bed in the room—while Sister Chao herself stayed at the Hilton in the city. Gritting their teeth, Zhou Shui and Dai Daji endured it.

Then, Sister Chao directly assigned an executive director to Zhou Shui, who came in holding a storyboard and insisted on doing it his own way, telling Zhou Shui there was no need for him to draw anything. Zhou Shui was very unhappy, and Director Feng mocked him, saying he hadn’t made any real movies and was only lucky to become a director.

This time, Zhou Shui couldn’t hold back and hit him on the spot, then called Man Jiaxin to question him. But from Man Jiaxin’s perspective, Zhou Shui’s dignity didn’t matter. The movie couldn’t go on without him, but it could still be made without the others. Dai Daji went to calm Sister Chao down, but she said she couldn’t work with Zhou Shui. Her only demand was for him to leave.

Suddenly, she claimed to be dissatisfied with the script and demanded that filming start with a new version. Zhou Shui slammed the table and walked out. Dai Daji followed Zhou Shui, and before they knew it, they ended up at a school. They decided to go in and take a look. The campus was still full of youthful energy, while they felt somewhat out of place.

As they walked through the campus, they talked about old memories and began imagining how they would shoot their own movie. While talking about their story, it felt like a bit of their love had come back. But the film’s name had changed, the script had changed, the main creative team had changed, and Zhou Shui no longer knew what to do.

Dai Daji had always believed that once filming began, they would have control—she hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. Since the story had changed, she decided to stick with Zhou Shui anyway. Worst case, they could go back to shooting commercials. Zhou Shui saw a junior student filming a short and planning to submit it to Beijing. Zhou Shui and Dai Daji felt a bit melancholic.

They went to Sister Chao’s office and decided to resign, even giving up credit. Suddenly, Sister Chao changed her tone and spoke to them kindly. As they kept listening, they realized there were threats and temptations hidden in her words. When Dai Daji decided to leave, Zhou Shui changed his mind—he wanted to continue filming, because he absolutely didn’t want to become the kind of “husband” Sister Chao spoke of.

After hearing their story, Dong Leyi and Su Zihao were both angry—each thinking the other person was terrible. But now, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui were able to understand each other’s situation back then. After that, Dai Daji and Zhou Shui drank an entire bottle of erguotou. Having drunk it so many times before, they barely felt it anymore. Dai Daji left Haikou, and the last thing she did before leaving was sign her name on the clapperboard.

Since then, Zhou Shui never saw Dai Daji again. Su Zihao came today to give Zhou Shui the hard drive—it contained all of their stories. Even after hearing all the gossip, Dong Leyi still decided to resign. In 2017, at Haikou Airport, Dai Daji left behind the computer filled with their memories. Years later, their stories and videos had come full circle back into Zhou Shui’s hands.

Back at her home in Beijing, Dai Daji began packing up the room full of their memories. When she saw the first draft of their script, she suddenly realized what she had to do. Dai Daji brought the script back to Deep Film. Over the past two months, she had approached many production companies, but none were hopeful. Deep Film was her last chance. Dai Daji insisted on no changes to the script—she wanted to make the film without compromise. Xiaolin really wanted to help her. During that time, Zhou Shui was going crazy trying to find Dai Daji—he believed he could help her. But Dai Daji said she could make the film on her own.

Dai Daji's movie began production. Xiao Mao, Xue Cheng, and A Ze all came back to help. The shooting location was the first apartment they had lived in together in Beijing—Chunzhi Li. But during filming, the former boss Zhang brought a group of thugs to trash the place and drive them out. Pushed to her limit, Dai Daji stood beneath an excavator and risked her life to stop them. All she asked was to be allowed to finish filming. She finally climbed onto a pile of bricks and declared that she would stay right there and see who dared to shoot. Boss Zhang tried to pour water on her, but even drenched and miserable, Dai Daji refused to leave. To her, this was her magical moment.

In the end, Boss Zhang gave in and agreed to let her film for one day. Dai Daji even gave him a role—playing an old leek. Boss Zhang suddenly confessed to Dai Daji, but she no longer wanted a relationship built on mutual compromise. She wanted a path of her own. Zhang wasn’t ready to give up and decided to start a film company with Dai Daji. If they couldn’t be a couple, they could at least be business partners.

By 2025, the company run by Dai Daji and Boss Zhang had grown considerably. Dai Daji was recommended a popular novel called 2025, We Really Broke Up. After reading it, Dong Leyi sent it to Zhou Shui. Su Zihao recognized that the novel was written by Zhou Shui. He encouraged Zhou Shui to use this opportunity to return to filmmaking, but Zhou Shui refused. He didn’t have much money, but he didn’t lack it either—there was no real need.

Zhou Shui’s film The Day Youth Ended had been completed, but Dai Daji’s name didn’t appear on the poster. Sister Chao’s request was for Zhou Shui and Dai Daji to walk the red carpet hand in hand. But Zhou Shui hadn’t been able to reach Dai Daji—until the very last day of 2017, when he saw her in her mother’s WeChat Moments.

That day, all the train and plane tickets were sold out, so Zhou Shui drove to Ezhou, throwing everything aside to chase after her and win back their love.

As the New Year’s bell rang, Zhou Shui didn’t make it to Ezhou. He knew it was just a self-moved act of futility—but perhaps it was also their final farewell.

In the New Year of 2025, Zhou Shui spent the holiday with Xiao Juan and her son. Watching the video of Dai Daji back then asking, If we really break up in 2025, will all of this still have been worth it?—Zhou Shui wrote that novel.

• Such a Good Love - Wang Anyu, Wang Yuwen
• Chinese Dramas Like Such a Good Love
• What is Wang Yuwen and Wang Ziqi's Relationship?
• Who Is Uvin Wang Yuwen's Boyfriend? Relationship With Eric Yang Le Was Spotted
• Who is Julia Xiang Hanzhi's Boyfriend? Is She Dating Leo Wu Lei?
• Wang Ziqi, Uvin Wang Yuwen Make A Contractual Marriage Surprisingly
• Wang Yuwen Photos
• Wang Yuwen Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List
• Wang Anyu Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List