Episode 29 recap: Jiang Xiaoyuan's mentality regarding the chip incident is unstable.
The list of the top 20 contestants for the beauty contest has been announced, and Jiang Xiaoyuan did not make it into the top 20. Jiang Bo had already foreseen this outcome because he knew that Fan Xiaoxiao, whom he was familiar with, would definitely intervene. As long as Jiang Xiaoyuan doesn't attract attention, Fan Xiaoxiao's secret can remain hidden.
Qi Lian didn't want Jiang Xiaoyuan to lose the opportunity to participate in the variety show after working so hard. So, he went to inquire with acquaintances if it was possible to set up a revival round. It was indeed suggested, but it was rejected by the higher-ups. Now, public opinion has shifted in favor of Fan Xiaoxiao due to the release of the scores given by the professional judges. The situation has become even more unfavorable for Jiang Xiaoyuan.
When Qi Maoqing encountered Qi Lian and Jiang Xiaoyuan together, he immediately mocked Jiang Xiaoyuan in an elder's manner for not keeping her promise. He advised Qi Lian to see Jiang Xiaoyuan's true colors and quickly leave her. However, Qi Lian voluntarily held Jiang Xiaoyuan's hand to express his attitude, which made Qi Maoqing even angrier, leading him to attack Jiang Xiaoyuan with words once again.
Jiang Xiaoyuan is not someone who can be easily pushed around. She immediately accused Qi Maoqing of not caring about Qi Lian when he needed him the most and stated that he had no right to meddle in Qi Lian's life now. She also made it clear that she wouldn't consider him as an elder until Qi Lian recognized him as his father.
Jiang Xiaoyuan was firm when confronting Qi Maoqing but became worried that she may have been too harsh when she was alone with Qi Lian. However, Qi Lian reassured her not to worry. If she couldn't enter the Qi family, he could enter the Jiang family and become her son-in-law.
Jiang Xiaoyuan worked hard and ended up exhausted, slumping onto the table. Jiang Bo told her to go home and rest immediately. Just as Jiang Xiaoyuan took a few steps, she began to feel dizzy. Jiang Bo granted her two days off and advised her to take a good rest. Jiang Xiaoyuan went to the hospital for an examination and discovered that a chip had been implanted in the back of her head. Removing it would be dangerous, whether she chose to do so or not. She felt extremely down, not knowing why Qi Lian kept it a secret from her, and stood alone on the hospital staircase, shedding tears.
Qi Lian found Jiang Xiaoyuan and felt deeply sorry for her. He offered her bubble gum to comfort her and revealed that he had found the manufacturer of the chip and could safely remove it.
Professor Lu inquired for a long time and finally found the former researchers from the Mingguang Laboratory. He eventually learned that Qi Lian was Subject 1, while Fan Xiaoxiao was Subject 2. Qi Lian doesn't remember the Mingguang Laboratory or the Noah Project indicating the success of the experiment, but Fan Xiaoxiao was a failure because her memories were not completely overwritten. Coincidentally, the Mingguang Laboratory faced financial issues and planned to take away the sleep capsules. Fan Xiaoxiao felt abandoned, leading to arguments with Noah and contemplating ways to kill him. She then orchestrated a car accident to steal the sleep capsules. Eventually, with her promotion and increasing resources, she used the shell of a gaming company to restart the experiment and recruited Jiang Xiaoyuan and Huo Baiyu as subjects.
Professor Lu wanted to report the situation to the police, but the details regarding Fan Xiaoxiao were based on Qi Lian's speculation. Then he thought about the chip implanted in Jiang Xiaoyuan's brain, which had a unique identification number, making it sufficient evidence. He planned to report Fan Xiaoxiao using the chip as evidence. Qi Lian speculated that Fan Xiaoxiao also wanted Jiang Xiaoyuan's chip and prepared himself accordingly.
When Fan Xiaoxiao learned that her brand had contacted Jiang Xiaoyuan to initiate a revival round, she immediately had a headache. She realized that despite spending so much money to upgrade her system, she hadn't succeeded. The chip in Jiang Xiaoyuan's brain was crucial to her, and she didn't want to wait any longer. She planned to take action before Jiang Xiaoyuan gained more attention.
Lately, Jiang Xiaoyuan had been experiencing increasingly frequent headaches. One day, she had a hallucination where she saw Xu Jingyang and another Jiang Xiaoyuan urging her to return to the Jiang family's heiress. She suddenly collapsed. When Qi Lian returned from buying groceries and discovered the situation, he quickly rushed Jiang Xiaoyuan to the hospital. Professor Lu arrived upon hearing the news. He was certain that the chip wouldn't have negative effects on the human body, but the aftereffects on the subjects could be tormenting. During this period, the subjects had to endure it themselves, as no one could help them.
Jiang Xiaoyuan woke up from the hospital bed and felt relieved when she saw Qi Lian by her side. She understood her current physical condition and couldn't help but cry while eating the meal Qi Lian had bought for her. Qi Lian looked at Jiang Xiaoyuan in this state, feeling deeply upset. When Jiang Xiaoyuan took the initiative to ask him out on a formal date, he immediately agreed.
The next day, Qi Lian was in a restaurant, and Jiang Xiaoyuan approached wearing a dress and high heels. Qi Lian knelt down on one knee and offered his loyalty. Jiang Xiaoyuan asked, "Will you always remember me?" which broke Qi Lian's defenses, causing tears to well up in his eyes. Jiang Xiaoyuan cried while tightly embracing Qi Lian, entrusting everything to fate and feeling grateful that at least they were together at that moment. They cherished the present.
What struck me the most about the affair was Jiang Xiaoyuan being a wealthy young lady and her participation in the Lighthouse Experiment being a fantasy.
Who would have known? It suddenly brought us closer together, despite our different upbringings. Our pain is somewhat similar, as are our fantasies. During my adolescent phase, I read novels that led me to fantasize about living the life I wanted in a virtual world.
It's as if even as I approach graduation from university, I can't accept the idea of being such a worthless individual. I appreciate the writer's intention in allowing Xiaoyuan to gradually accept her original world instead of time travel or entering a parallel universe.
In this world, even NPCs have their own meaningful persistence. Thank you to this drama, it truly encouraged me. I've been feeling quite emotional lately, but fortunately, I encountered Xiaoyuan and experienced the affair.