Episode 26 recap: Tian Liu sacrifices herself to protect Chen Ke Hai.
Xing Han Zhu knows that there is a rouge compact camera in Chen Ke Hai's house, which is placed in the drawer of the study. Tian Liu answers a phone call from Chen Ke Hai, who tells her that Fang Li won't attend the child's birthday banquet and asks her to change the cake to a smaller size but keep the time unchanged, emphasizing the need to act quickly. Fang Li tells Chen Ke Hai that entering Number 76 is not a game, and Xing Han Zhu questions what Li Liqun has done. They were supposed to wait until the new leader arrived before taking any action. Li Liqun explains that the Japanese don't want any disturbances either. Chen Ke Hai takes Tian Liu and tells her to leave quickly.
Tian Liu and the person who sold her the rouge compact camera are interrogated by Xing Han Zhu. They discover that someone has planted a bug in Chen Ke Hai's house and suspect that Fang Li is responsible for it. The bug is meant to verify whether Luo Bing is a traitor. Xing Han Zhu receives a secret phone call, claiming that there is a camera-equipped rouge compact in the drawer of the study in Chen Ke Hai's house. Xing Han Zhu instructs the caller to keep an eye on it and not to mind other matters.
Li Liqun invites Fang Li for tea and indirectly admits that he has no trustworthy person by his side. He promoted Fang Li because he valued his ambitious nature. Number 76's position is now precarious, and Fang Li asks whether he is on Mr. Wang's side or Mr. Jiang's side. Fang Li assures Li Liqun that he won't forget what happened on Xialing Road and is willing to shoulder Li Liqun's debts. The people sent to persuade Chongqing to surrender have been dismissed, and Fang Li can only move forward and not retreat. His future depends on Fang Li's performance. Chen Ke Hai receives a call from Fang Li and immediately heads to the French Concession. He deliberately opens the door and lets the listening device in the living room overhear his conversation with Tian Liu. He tells Tian Liu that Fang Li won't attend the birthday banquet and asks her to order a smaller cake. Before leaving, he informs Luo Bing that there is an urgent mission in the French Concession.
Chen Ke Hai arrives at the French Concession and discovers that Li Liqun has ordered them to arrest people according to a list. Chen Ke Hai doesn't want to participate, but Fang Li warns him that entering Number 76 is not a game. Xing Han Zhu reports to Li Liqun, stating that Fang Li has disrupted the French Concession. Li Liqun explains that he arranged it that way to make the French Concession chaotic and thus make Number 76 appear valuable. If they face any consequences, he will push Fang Li forward.
Xing Han Zhu reports his investigation findings, revealing that Fang Li's mistress has connections with Chen Ke Hai. Tian Liu packs her belongings, preparing to leave, but the area outside her door is filled with informants. Fang Li has just arrested a few people when he is reported by someone with connections. Their operation is temporarily suspended. Li Tang can't find Fang Li and tells Chen Ke Hai that Tian Liu is planning to run away. Chen Ke Hai asks if she's just in a bad mood and goes to visit Luo Bing voluntarily.
Chen Ke Hai takes Tian Liu away, and Fang Li's men follow them. Chen Ke Hai instructs Tian Liu to go to the train station immediately and buy a ticket for the fastest train out of Shanghai. Meanwhile, he walks the streets, and when he is surrounded, he realizes that he is the only one in the car. Tian Liu gets off the slow-moving train and rushes to the train station.
Li Tang waits for Fang Li at the gendarmerie and learns that Chen Ke Hai has been captured while Tian Liu escaped.
Xing Han Zhu's men capture Chen Ke Hai, and Xing Han Zhu asks about his relationship with the spy, Tian Liu. Chen Ke Hai openly admits that she is his friend, but Xing Han Zhu concludes that Tian Liu is affiliated with either Chongqing or Yan'an.
Chen Ke Hai doesn't buy into Xing Han Zhu's tactics, and Xing Han Zhu proceeds to torture him. Tian Liu arrives at the train station and buys a ticket to Nanjing. She hesitates and walks towards a phone booth after learning that Chen Ke Hai is in grave danger. Fang Li enters the interrogation room and orders the removal of Chen Ke Hai's handcuffs, but Xing Han Zhu disagrees. Fang Li refuses to believe that Tian Liu is a spy and they argue. Fang Li accuses Xing Han Zhu of torturing Chen Ke Hai without evidence and accuses him of favoritism.
Xing Han Zhu's audacity stems from Li Liqun's approval. Fang Li suspects that Xing Han Zhu is using torture on Chen Ke Hai and claims that harboring Tian Liu makes him more suspicious. Tian Liu enters the interrogation room, and Chen Ke Hai looks at her in astonishment. Tian Liu is heartbroken and sheds tears upon seeing Chen Ke Hai being tortured. Chen Ke Hai deliberately states that they cannot live together due to her capriciousness, but now they have labeled her as a spy. However, the truth will prevail, and as long as she believes in her innocence, no one can use her against Fang Li and him.
Tian Liu discerns the underlying meaning. She is tied up and maintains that she is not a spy. She explains that she packed her belongings in the morning to move in with Chen Ke Hai, but he disagreed. She got off the train halfway due to her capriciousness and had no idea that she was being followed. Moreover, if they were blind to the fact that they were being followed, why would they blame her? Xing Han Zhu looks at his subordinates with an ugly expression and brings forth a witness, who is the person who sold her the camera-equipped rouge compact.
She lies, claiming that she bought the rouge compact for fun. At this moment, Fang Li slaps her to make her confess the truth, and after the witness finishes testifying, he tries to leave but is stopped by Xing Han Zhu's subordinate, Luo Tie. Xing Han Zhu had already sent someone to Chen Ke Hai's study to steal the camera, and soon they will know its contents.
At this point, Fang Li brandishes a knife and orders everyone else to leave, while Tian Liu watches him in fear. Xing Han Zhu is not afraid if Fang Li kills Tian Liu; in fact, it would be even better to pin the blame on her. His subordinate hands the camera to Xing Han Zhu, and it remains intact. Xing Han Zhu orders the photos to be developed to see how Fang Li will deal with Tian Liu this time.
Tian Liu asks Fang Li if he will spare her, but Fang Li only does so for the sake of appearances. He says that she never meant anything to him, not even for a second, and mentions Shen Qiu Ping. Tian Liu admits that she bought the camera but doesn't remember exactly what she captured with it. She stole intelligence from the Akutagawa family for Fang Li, not Chen Ke Hai. Fang Li doesn't believe her and asks if she ever had any feelings for him, even for a second. Tian Liu apologizes to him.
At this point, Fang Li changes his address to Miss Tian because it concerns the fate of him and Chen Ke Hai. He stabs Tian Liu directly, and Chen Ke Hai rushes in, pushing Fang Li away and shouting for a doctor. Tian Liu expresses that he owes her a dance in this lifetime and promises to repay her in the next, then she dies in Chen Ke Hai's arms.
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