Song Mo questioned Dou Zhao, who provided a superficial explanation. However, Song Mo saw through her confusion and recognized hints of a deeper connection to him but couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t speak openly. Dou Zhao leaned closer and told him that if she made it out alive, she would explain everything. Trusting her words, Song Mo chose to believe her. Ji Yong then arrived with a token to take over the case involving Dou Zhao and An Su.
Ji Yong, acting under orders, noticed that Dou Zhao had been falsely accused. Aware that Ding Wei was spying from outside, Ji Yong feigned a conflict with Song Mo, even pretending to be injured. This delighted Ding Wei, who, thinking both parties were at each other’s throats, left the scene. After ensuring Ding Wei had gone, Ji Yong inspected Dou Zhao’s wounds and noticed they had been treated. Realizing Song Mo had cared for her, Ji Yong applied fresh medicine with deliberate familiarity, claiming his bond with Dou Zhao was something Song Mo could never match. This irked Song Mo, though he remained silent.
Lu Zheng and Lu Ming, observing from outside, regretted allowing Ji Yong into the cell. Lu Ming speculated that Song Mo’s actions revealed his feelings for Dou Zhao, as he had rushed in the moment she was in trouble. They feared conflicts between Ji Yong and Song Mo over Dou Zhao.
Inside the cell, Song Mo, Dou Zhao, and Ji Yong discussed their next steps. Song Mo proposed boarding the ship to uncover the truth about the Duke of Dingguo’s case, while Dou Zhao insisted on joining him to clear An Su’s name. Ji Yong, seeing no alternative, planned to flatter Ding Wei at a banquet to obtain the necessary token for the ship. Ji Yong handed the token to Song Mo and Dou Zhao but warned Song Mo not to slow them down.
Arriving at the ship, the guards, under Ding Wei’s orders, refused to let them board. Dou Zhao pretended to cry, claiming her newly purchased jewelry was aboard. Taking advantage of the situation, Song Mo bribed the guards, who allowed them to board under the pretense of fetching the “jewelry,” mistaking Song Mo for a lovesick fool.
Onboard, Song Mo and Dou Zhao acted as a couple, holding each other closely to avoid suspicion. Song Mo, though slightly embarrassed, suggested this proximity made it easier to investigate. Despite her discomfort, Dou Zhao played along, even as the accompanying guard grew uneasy. Once below deck, Song Mo subdued the guard, and he and Dou Zhao searched for clues. While looking through wooden panels, they caught sight of each other and realized they were the masked individuals they had encountered before, rekindling mutual feelings.
Their search was interrupted by a patrol chief, who, upon learning of their presence, ordered that anyone found be killed on sight. Song Mo fought back, eventually killing the chief, who attempted to shoot Dou Zhao with an arrow. In a flash, Song Mo shielded Dou Zhao and leapt into the water with her, echoing a moment from their past lives where Song Mo had taken an arrow for her.
When Ding Wei awoke and learned Song Mo and Dou Zhao had boarded the ship, he fled in a carriage, unwilling to confront them. Emerging from the water, Dou Zhao and Song Mo lit a fire to dry their clothes. Noticing Song Mo’s injury, Dou Zhao dressed his wound, and Song Mo couldn’t help but ask if she remembered a particular play. Dou Zhao, haunted by memories of Song Mo protecting her in a past life, denied having seen it, unwilling to burden him further.
While Song Mo was stopped by Lu Ming and Lu Zheng, Su Xin broke An Su out of prison. Ji Yong and Dou Zhao confronted the guards with evidence of Ding Wei’s crimes, planning to leave when the chief returned, seizing Dou Zhao as a hostage. Meanwhile, Song Mo captured Ding Wei and interrogated him about the mastermind behind the schemes. Ding Wei urged Song Mo to abandon the pursuit, warning him not to ruin his future. Ignoring the plea, Song Mo stabbed Ding Wei, who confessed his actions were personal revenge but refused to name the instigator. Terrified, Ding Wei bit off his tongue to avoid further interrogation.
Later, the chief attempted to trade Dou Zhao for Ding Wei. Song Mo dismissed Dou Zhao as a pawn, firing an arrow that seemingly brushed past her but struck the chief instead. He freed Dou Zhao and expressed regret for involving her, deeply moved by her trembling hands. Dou Zhao reassured him, though Song Mo marveled at her resilience, having faced death twice in two days.
As they left, they found the area ablaze. Covering Dou Zhao with a blanket, Song Mo ensured her safety, promising to revisit their dreams of the past. Song Mo’s men captured Ding Wei’s accomplices, but Eunuch Wang arrived, claiming command of the situation. Under his orders, all prisoners were executed, leaving no survivors.
Eunuch Wang delivered the Emperor’s edict, framing Ding Wei as the sole culprit and accusing Song Mo of interfering with justice. Enraged, Song Mo held a knife to Wang’s throat, demanding answers. Wang admitted he acted on orders and cautioned Song Mo against pursuing the matter, warning of the danger to those around him. Witnessing this, Dou Zhao felt deep sympathy for Song Mo.
Returning to camp, Song Mo reflected on the twin sabers, recalling how the Emperor had gifted one to Jiang Meisun and later to him, signaling his succession. Disillusioned, Song Mo discarded the weapon, renouncing his loyalty to the Emperor. Handing Dou Zhao a certificate for retrieving a ship, he vowed never to see her again. As Dou Zhao walked away, she remembered Song Mo’s dying words from her past life and turned back to watch him leave.
