Guo Zijie suddenly discovers that his father may also be connected to Zhou Qin. To investigate this lead, Guo Zijie asks Sun Weiyan and A Fu to inquire with the courier. Initially, the courier is reluctant to speak because delivering messages is confidential. However, upon learning that it’s Guo Zijie’s courier, he immediately agrees to help, as Guo Zijie is a respected official. The courier finds the information about the day the message was sent and recalls that the sender was A Fu because the letter was dressed up in a particularly beautiful manner. The courier distinctly remembers that the letter was delivered to the capital and that a high-ranking official came to receive it.
Although a lead has been uncovered, Sun Weiyan feels conflicted because Guo Zijie’s father was also a high-ranking official who likely has connections in the capital. Additionally, the capital is far away, making it difficult to investigate thoroughly in a short time. After leaving the courier, A Fu pleads with Sun Weiyan to help rescue Cao Xuanxuan, emphasizing that both of them are good people. Sun Weiyan assures A Fu that he will do his utmost to save her. He Chun’er goes to find Cao Xuanxuan’s sister, Cao Yiyi. However, despite being sisters, Cao Xuanxuan and Cao Yiyi do not look alike, which poses another challenge for the group. Suddenly, Sun Weiyan comes up with an idea since Cao Xuanxuan had mentioned that she could disguise herself. Perhaps they can use disguises to get past the guards. Although Guo Zijie is skeptical about this plan, they decide to try it in order to save Cao Xuanxuan.
Inside the prison, Cao Xuanxuan is physically weakened from the torture and lies limp on the ground. He Chun’er brings Cao Yiyi to find Cao Xuanxuan in the prison. When Cao Xuanxuan sees her sister, she is very surprised. Seeing her sister Cao Yiyi suffering so much makes Cao Yiyi very upset. He Chun’er plans to take Cao Xuanxuan away while Cao Yiyi stays in the main hall as a substitute because only Cao Xuanxuan can find the clues. Initially, Cao Xuanxuan disagrees, but to clear her name, she decides to leave first. However, when they are about to exit, they unexpectedly encounter Zhou Shaoliang.
Zhou Shaoliang pulls out the simplified Chinese characters he saw his teacher Zhou Qin write to question Cao Xuanxuan. As a result, Cao Xuanxuan immediately recognizes him and realizes that her teacher can also write in simplified Chinese characters. Zhou Shaoliang begins to doubt his teacher’s identity but cannot overcome his internal conflict. At this moment, Cao Xuanxuan continues to persuade Zhou Shaoliang that Zhou Qin is not someone to follow blindly. With little time left, Zhou Shaoliang gives Cao Xuanxuan one day to find clues and prove her innocence. He promises that after a day, he will personally escort Cao Xuanxuan to the capital.
After being released, Cao Xuanxuan meets with everyone to discuss the case. Through their discussions, Cao Xuanxuan discovers that Guo Zijie’s father seems to have some connection with Zhou Qin. She even suspects that Zhou Qin’s involvement might be more complicated, suggesting that Zhou Qin is not only surveilling her but also Guo Zijie’s father. This implies that even if Guo Zijie had not killed his father, Zhou Qin would have acted against him. Suddenly, the group remembers that they have overlooked someone—the former victim Fu Miao. Cao Xuanxuan and He Chun’er decide to return to Zhao Jia Village to search for more clues. They visit Zhao Xiaolin, who is pleased to see them. The two begin to inquire about Fu Miao and learn that Fu Miao had a Beijing accent and find clues related to trees.
Guo Zijie gets drunk and causes a scene at the county office, demanding Cao Xuanxuan’s release. His true intention is to cover up Cao Xuanxuan’s secret escape, making Zhou Qin believe that they are all deeply saddened. After returning, Cao Xuanxuan and He Chun’er continue their search for clues and discover that Zhao Xiaolin’s husband, Fu Miao, was likely silenced by the Yan family because there were too many clues to follow. They search all night without success, and Sun Weiyan arrives to help. Eventually, they find a note hidden between two pages of a book. The note contains a reversed poem. To verify her suspicion, Cao Xuanxuan takes everyone to meet someone—Zhou Shaoliang himself. The group consolidates all the clues and analyzes them together.
