On a rainy night, Gu Yanci deliberately draws Su Nian into his world while investigating the old Su family case, offering to cover her grandmother’s medical bills and arrange an internship. When Su Qingyuan catches on, she secretly takes photos to provoke them, causing Jiang Chen to misunderstand and break up with Su Nian. At a banquet, Gu Yanci forcefully asserts his claim over her and crushes Jiang Chen, then bluntly declares that “Su Nian’s mother owes him a debt that must be repaid,” hinting at the old case. Thus begins their tortured romance of “using each other, then falling in love.”
Afterward, Gu Yanci uses the old case to keep Su Nian firmly under his control. During a heated argument, his love turns to hatred and his possessiveness spirals out of control. He takes her virginity against her will. Wounded in body and spirit, Su Nian is both afraid and resentful, but her grandmother’s illness leaves her unable to escape. Jiang Chen learns what happened and keeps showing up, trying to take her away. Instead, this only fuels Gu Yanci’s jealousy and possessiveness, intensifying their tortured romance. He forces intimacy on her while using cruel words to hurt her. Seizing her chance, Su Qingyuan frames Su Nian by fabricating evidence that she has reconciled with Jiang Chen and leaked confidential information, deepening the misunderstandings between the two. In a fit of rage, Gu Yanci hurts Su Nian, then falls into regret and inner turmoil afterward.
As the investigation deepens, Gu Yanci discovers that Su Nian’s mother may not have been the real culprit and could even have been a victim. The true mastermind was a villain from within the Su and Gu families, who joined forces to frame her. While sorting through her mother’s belongings, Su Nian also finds a crucial clue. As they work together to uncover the truth, the two gradually let go of their resentment and see how they truly feel about each other. Su Qingyuan’s scheme is exposed, and she loses everything. Jiang Chen accepts reality and chooses to let Su Nian go, wishing her well. Once the truth of the old case comes to light, Gu Yanci sincerely apologizes to Su Nian for the pain he caused her, and the two resolve all their misunderstandings. After enduring their painful romance, they finally open up to each other.
