Qiao Ling/Story

== Childhood and Early Life ==
Since her childhood, Qiao Ling has always lived at her father's photo studio, named Hero Photo Studio at the time. She would become good friends with Cheng Xiaoshi, who lived in the same neighborhoood. They grow up together, with Cheng Xiaoshi feeling akin to a younger brother to her.
At one point, Cheng Xiaoshi's parents leave him for unknown reasons. Though his neighbors are concerned, he firmly believes that his parents will be back, and rejects their help. He then turns to Qiao Ling, asking if she also believes his parents are gone for good. Qiao Ling reassures him that she believes they will return, promising to wait for them together. Cheng Xiaoshi thanks her, but she tells him to save his gratitude for her father, who offered him ten years of free rent, saying he could pay it back when he grew up. This is when Cheng Xiaoshi first begins calling Qiao Ling "landlady."
Qiao Ling goes on to witness Cheng Xiaoshi trying his best to fit in with others like a normal kid, but still ending up isolated after lashing out at those who brought up his family situation. Then, during the , Cheng Xiaoshi breaks down, fearing his parents had been caught in the disaster. Tearfully, he asks Qiao Ling if she thought they were dead, and she comforts him, saying she believed they traveled somewhere much farther, hugging Cheng Xiaoshi as he cries, missing them.
Qiao Ling is often concerned with Cheng Xiaoshi's wellbeing during this time, worrying whether Cheng Xiaoshi could ever make any friends who truly cared about him. This was until she one day gets to meet Lu Guang, a new friend of Cheng Xiaoshi's, when he passes by the photo studio by chance. They are in the process of refurbishing the studio, and Lu Guang agrees to help them with the work when asked by Qiao Ling.
After finishing the work, Qiao Ling asks Lu Guang how they became friends. Initially bashful, Lu Guang explains it started when Cheng Xiaoshi invited him to play basketball. However, Qiao Ling presses further, insisting that for them to have become friends, there must be a quality that Lu Guang was attracted to. Though slightly reluctant, Lu Guang answers with a serious tone that it was probably Cheng Xiaoshi's "innocence." Qiao Ling would agree with the sentiment, saying his pure and simple nature is what makes others want to protect him.
Later, Qiao Ling would go on to attend a university name Hui Jie Movie Academy along with Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, Dong Yi, and Xu Shanshan.
Currently, Qiao Ling runs the photo studio, which has since been renamed to Time Photo Studio, along with Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. Besides regular photo studio services, Qiao Ling also helps Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang manage their unique business of extracting information from past photographs.
== Emma, Yu Xia, Liu Siwen, and Chen Xiao's Commissions ==
During the first few commissions featured in the show, Qiao Ling is not heavily involved. She serves as front to their clients, passing their provided details and photos to Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi, as well as their discoveries back to the clients.
At this time, Qiao Ling is still unaware of how Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi operated, as they have kept the existence of their special abilities a secret to her and only operated in private.
== The Search for Doudou ==
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are not on speaking terms after a failed mission. Because of this, Lu Guang asks Qiao Ling to let them operate only as a regular photography studio for the time being. Despite this, a police officer enters the shop. Introducing himself as Xiao Li, he inquires about a "witch being able to enter photographs." Qiao Ling vehemently denies them providing such services, and attempts to usher Xiao Li out the door only for him to be joined by a distraught father. Mr. Li tearfully recounts his son, Doudou's disappearance and beseeches them to help. He is turned down by Cheng Xiaoshi who cynically states that the past can never be changed, and that Doudou's father should just start getting over it. Xiao Li agrees with the sentiment, gently escorting Mr. Li out.
Despite his refusal to get involved, Cheng Xiaoshi is curiously looking the child up on his laptop when Qiao Ling comes to offer him some bubble tea later. Qiao Ling then reveals that she was a witness to Doudou's kidnapping, but never came forward — a decision she sorely regrets. Wanting to atone for her mistake, she persuades Cheng Xiaoshi to help.
Cheng Xiaoshi enters the past using CCTV footage, observing Doudou before his kidnapping. When he follows the kidnapper, Cheng Xiaoshi becomes distracted by running into Qiao Ling and her friend, Xu Shanshan, causing him to lose track of Doudou and the kidnapper — before running into Cheng Xiaoshi, Qiao Ling also became suspicious as the kidnapper passed by, but the sudden run-in also distracts her from the matter, causing her lingering regret.
Despite the first attempt ending in failure, Cheng Xiaoshi is able to enter the past through another photo, confirming the kidnapper's identity. The kidnapper is arrested, and Doudou is returned to his parents.
== Hunt for the Serial Killer ==
After the arrest, Captain Xiao Li, aware of Cheng Xiaoshi's time-traveling ability due to detecting him in past CCTV footage, asks for his help in a homicide investigation. Before Cheng Xiaoshi can agree, Lu Guang intervenes, asserting control over their decision to take on the case.
Xu Shanshan, one of their university friends, visits the photo studio. She and Cheng Xiaoshi initially bicker, but Xu Shanshan is also here as a customer, needing their help figuring out what her friend Dong Yi meant to say to her from a recent drunken night out. Despite Cheng Xiaoshi's reluctance to help for free, they agree to assist her, and Cheng Xiaoshi enters the photo as Xu Shanshan during the post-graduate party.
Qiao Ling and Xu Shanshan then exit the Time Photo Studio to take a walk. Outside, Xu Shanshan asks her how Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are able to get info from photos. she responds that she doesn't know how the two do it and that she's never seen them do it before. Xu Shanshan expresses concern that Cheng Xiaoshi will mess something up. Qiao Ling reassures her by saying that Lu Guang is reliable and that Cheng Xiaoshi is probably just a tool Lu Guang uses to achieve their goal. However, she then reflects on Cheng Xiaoshi, admitting that despite his flaws, he's always had a resilient spirit, even if he acted carefree and indifferent since he was young. She recounts their childhood memories and Cheng Xiaoshi's past struggles on their way to get bubble tea.
Within the photo, though Cheng Xiaoshi gets close to finding out what Dong Yi said, he is distracted by a man resembling the serial killing suspect previously shown by Xiao Li. He pursues the suspicious man and defeats him as he reveals malicious intents. However, the man is unrelated to the serial killings, and Cheng Xiaoshi's actions instead land Xu Shanshan on an exaggerated news article about how a lone girl defeated a criminal. In their group chat, they receive a cryptic "clue received" message sent from Xu Shanshan's phone, and when trying to call her, they are answered by an unknown third party who promises to come to them.
Suspecting a connection to the serial killing case, Lu Guang instructs Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling to lock the doors and sets off to find Xiao Li. Qiao Ling suggests that they accompany him, but Lu Guang insists that it's best for Cheng Xiaoshi to stay behind to avoid potentially slipping up under stress. He also advises Qiao Ling to hold onto Cheng Xiaoshi's phone for the time being.
Staying behind with Cheng Xiaoshi, Qiao Ling finds him extremely stressed, unable to sit still. When he takes out his phone to search for clues online, Qiao Ling confiscates the phone as instructed by Lu Guang, explaining that it is so he is not made even more anxious by online rumors. Cheng Xiaoshi then decides to lie down upstairs until Lu Guang returns.
Some time later though, Qiao Ling receives an urgent call from Lu Guang, asking her to check on Cheng Xiaoshi. Believing that Cheng Xiaoshi is resting, she is shocked when she finds his room empty.
When Lu Guang returns, they witness Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly appearing back in his room out of thin air, having returned from a photo dive. Lu Guang angrily confronts Cheng Xiaoshi for his actions, but Cheng Xiaoshi, utterly defeated, answers that he now knows, which is why he didn't do anything to interfere this time — diving into the surveillance photo of the suspect that the police releasded online, he witnessed Emma falling victim to Liu Min, an indirect result of him sending a message to Emma's parents on her behalf during the Quede Games commission.
Cheng Xiaoshi then goes on to confesses something else to Qiao Ling: his sudden appearance during a previous dive distracted her, which prevented her from stopping Doudou's kidnapping — the true cause for Qiao Ling's regrets. Piecing it together, Qiao Ling comes to the conclusion that Cheng Xiaoshi has the ability to enter photos. Cheng Xiaoshi confirms it, and explains he and Lu Guang's true roles in their past operations. 
While the police prepares for a missing persons case for Xu Shanshan, Lu Guang investigates what happened to her through a recent photo she posted on WeChat and discovers that she was attacked by a masked man at home after visiting the photo studio. Cheng Xiaoshi is eager to enter the photo but is told to prepare for the worst case scenario. As they leave Cheng Xiaoshi alone to mentally prepare, Lu Guang explains the situation to Qiao Ling, as well as the fact that if the worst outcome did occur, entering the photo would mean experiencing death first-hand for Cheng Xiaoshi, and with no choice but to accept it. 
Once Cheng Xiaoshi finishes preparing, they commence the operation. Cheng Xiaoshi has devised a radical plan which Lu Guang ends up going along with, resulting in them successfully capturing the criminal, who turns out to be Liu Min.
Lu Guang explains everything to Qiao Ling, who is impressed by Cheng Xiaoshi. However, Cheng Xiaoshi is still concerned about Liu Min's alibi in the Emma case and suspects an accomplice. Permitted by Lu Guang, he enters the surveillance image of Emma taken before her death.
However, events take an unexpected turn in the photo — they encounter an unknown third party who appears to have remote control abilities, leading Lu Guang to realize that Liu Min may have merely been a puppet, and the true culprit is still running free. Though he begins to comprehend the danger, he doesn't realize that Qiao Ling has also become possessed. The possessor, controlling Qiao Ling, plunges a fruit knife into Lu Guang's stomach.
== Chen Bin's Tragedy ==
Cheng Xiaoshi, returning from the dive, is confronted by the possessor. The confrontation ends when the police enters the room and mistakenly assume Cheng Xiaoshi to be the attacker. Regaining consciousness as the possessor stops their control, Qiao Ling is met with the horrifying sight of Lu Guang's conditions, leaving her in extreme shock and prompting a loud scream.
Lu Guang is rushed to the hospital, while Cheng Xiaoshi is taken to the police station for interrogation. There, joined by Xiao Li, Qiao Ling learns what had actually happened. In order to protect Lu Guang, they decide to have Lu Guang take on a fake identity. Qiao Ling asks Liu Siwen's family to help, and Lu Guang is admitted under the name of Liu Siwen's father-in-law, Ouyang Bubai. Additionally, he is transferred to a brand new hospital building that has yet to open as a further security measure.
Later, they are also joined by Cheng Xiaoshi, who was picked up from the police station by Chen Bin. When Lu Guang is handed a phone supposedly belonging to Liu Min to look for clues, the group is shocked to see a wallpaper of Chen Bin and his wife, realizing it's actually Chen Bin's phone. Turning around, they find Chen Bin missing. Xiao Li immediately rushes out to find him, while Cheng Xiaoshi hesitates, realizing the danger of leaving Lu Guang and Qiao Ling alone.
Not long after, Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly loses contact with Xiao Li. Checking the surveillance footage, they discover that Chen Bin has met a grim fate, having fallen to his death. Lu Guang points out a suspicious man descending from the top floor, prompting Cheng Xiaoshi to rush out to intercept him. When Qiao Ling offers to join, Cheng Xiaoshi tells him to stay, earning an unexpected punch. Qiao Ling asserts that while he appreciates Cheng Xiaoshi's protection, he needs his trust more. Lu Guang informs them of two exits they can block and prepares to lock the door behind them, urging haste.
Combining their efforts, Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling intercept the suspicious man and eventually defeat him after exchanging blows. However, when they search the man for Liu Min's phone, they realize he was not carrying it. The man laughs as reinforcements arrive. However, they are interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Turning towards the source of the sound, they see three people walking into the hallway, wearing cartoon superhero masks.
The three turn out to be martial arts masters Liu Siwen, Ouyang, and Ouyang Bubai. They instruct the two to leave, and effortlessly defeat the thugs.
The thugs arrested and interrogated, and Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi are also taken to the police station. They confirm Lu Guang's safety over a call before Xiao Li arrives to meet them. Xiao Li informs them that Liu Min's phone has not yet been found, attributing Chen Bin's death to his own errors in judgment and inadequate planning, deciding to seek a demotion and accept any repercussions after uncovering the whole truth.
Later, Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling attend Chen Bin's funeral, with Cheng Xiaoshi bringing a flower on behalf of Lu Guang who cannot attend due to injuries. Meeting Xiao Li there, their conversation is interrupted by Liu Jing, his wife, and lawyer Qian Jin, attending Liu Min's funeral, held alongside Chen Bin's.
Liu Jing aggressively demands answers about his son's death but refuse to listen to what Xiao Li has to say. Cheng Xiaoshi declares he witnessed Liu Min's knife-wielding attack, but Liu Jing's wife mocks the idea, claiming her disabled son couldn't have committed homicide. She threatens legal action and provocatively accuses Chen Bin of taking bribes, enraging Xiao Li, who orders her to stop spreading rumors. Liu Jing persists, citing alleged cash found at Chen Bin's house and threatening to speak publicly.
The tension peaks when Cheng Xiaoshi attempts to punch Liu Jing, but is intercepted by Qian Jin. Liu Jing's wife demands Cheng Xiaoshi's arrest for assault, but he insists Liu Jing provoked him. Qian Jin refuses to release Cheng Xiaoshi without an apology, until Qiao Ling slaps Qian Jin, declaring her hit as the only real blow. Xiao Li teases Qian Jin for being struck by a girl, and the group leaves, ending the confrontation as Liu Jing decides to avoid further conflict.
Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling pay their respects to Chen Bin. They notice absence of his wife, but she soon arrives in a flowing white dress, holding dandelions. Tearfully, she accuses Chen Bin of breaking promises and laments their lost time together. She makes a heartfelt plea, asking him to fulfill one final promise in their next lives by returning what he owes her.
== The Abduction & Meeting the Li Siblings ==
After the arrest of the trespasser Ma, the trio learn that he had been to Chen Bin's house together with Qian Jin. Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi suspect Qian Jin as the one with remote control abilities, but Xiao Li disagrees, believing Qian Jin to be a righteous man based on his past experience with him as colleagues.
Xiao Li then questions Lu Guang about a mysterious hooded figure was spotted on surveillance outside Lu Guang's room while he was alone. Lu Guang reveals a photograph given to him by the visitor, depicting a woman and a young girl and bearing a handwritten message, "can't live without a good brother," on its back side.
With Qiao Ling speculating that the visitor may be seeking help finding a lost family member, they decide to dive into the photo to investigate. In the photo, Cheng Xiaoshi witnesses a horrifying domestic abuse incident from the perspective of the younger sister, Xixi. Base on clues gathered, they conclude that he photo subjects are a woman named Liu Lan and her daughter. Liu Lan and her husband Li Fan died years ago in a domestic abuse incident, killing each other in simultaneous blows. Present during the incident were their twin son and daughter, Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi. Cheng Xiaoshi reflects that his time in the photo corresponded with the day of the incident. However, he also recalls that Liu Lan was consistently on the receiving end of the violence, never retaliating. Xiao Li suggests that Liu Lan's resistance might have occurred only after Cheng Xiaoshi's exit from the photo. Cheng Xiaoshi then inquires about the children, theorizing that they could have been the ones who gave Lu Guang the photo. However, Xiao Li reveals that information about the children are nowhere to be found in their system, and they seemingly vanished following the incident.
Xiao Li then informs Cheng Xiaoshi that an informant with crucial knowledge about the case insists on speaking only to him. Despite Lu Guang's concerns, Cheng Xiaoshi confidently heads to the police station, with Qiao Ling instructed to keep an eye on him. At the station, Wang Juan briefs them about the evasive nature of the informant and tasks Cheng Xiaoshi with carrying a listening device.
In the interrogation room, the informant introduces herself Li Tianxi. During their conversation, Cheng Xiaoshi realizes that she was the person with remote control abilities behind the previous incident at the photo studio. When he probes further, Li Tianxi dodges the question and instead shares her trauma, revealing her sensitivity to her surroundings and the events that led her to wear a mask.
After downing three cans of coke all by herself, Li Tianxi grabs Cheng Xiaoshi's hand, requesting that he accompanies her to the washroom. Officer Wang Juan steps in to accompany them. However, all three of them are soon found missing from the station, with surveillance footage revealing them leaving together, with Wang Juan seemingly leading the escape.
"Li Tianxi." later revealed to be Li Tianchen in disguise, intends to capture Cheng Xiaoshi and use him to change the past, using his own special ability to control Wang Juan and Cheng Xiaoshi via touch. Xiao Li, though confused, immediately mobilizes to chase after them. Qiao Ling also rushes out of the station in an attempt to catch up with him. On a call with Wang Juan, she is instructed to stay put for her own safety, but she then discovers a text message sent by Lu Guang containing a location marked on the map, which is situated along the riverbanks.
Qiao Ling arrives at the location to find Cheng Xiaoshi and "Li Tianxi" preparing to board a boat. Li Tianchen is surprised but carries on to board the boat. However, circumstances take another unexpected turn as he spots a speedboat rapidly approaching them. The speedboat performs a drift and collides with their boat, knocking it sideways. Leaping ashore from the speedboat is Lu Guang, who immediately pushes Cheng Xiaoshi to the ground and rolls away. As Cheng Xiaoshi regains consciousness, Lu Guang expresses his relief for making it in time.
Broken free of Li Tianchen's control and finally regaining consciousness, Cheng Xiaoshi questions why Lu Guang is there. Li Tianchen attempts to reach towards Lu Guang, but he reacts quickly, knocking her hand away. She then aims for Cheng Xiaoshi, but Lu Guang continues to intercept her attempts, forcing her into a physical confrontation. Eventually, Li Tianchen gives up on fighting Lu Guang and walks onto the boat. Still unaware of Li Tianchen's plot to kidnap him, Cheng Xiaoshi gives chase, but Lu Guang gets ahead of him. As Lu Guang touches Li Tianchen, he activates his control ability again, taking an obedient Lu Guang with him as the boat departs, leaving Cheng Xiaoshi behind.
Perplexed, Cheng Xiaoshi has no choice but to return to the hospital with Qiao Ling. They learn that some time earlier, Lu Guang had broken the window of his room as a distraction as he escaped unnoticed. Xiao Li notes Lu Guang's swift twenty-minute journey to the riverside, indicating premeditation. Within the washroom, they find Lu Guang's phone wrapped in a towel, realizing that he had left clues.
Cheng Xiaoshi successfully unlocks the phone with the passcode 091305, which he had previously seen by accident, and discovers a lone photo of the window in the album, taken at 18:42, coinciding with Qiao Ling receiving a location message from Lu Guang which led her to the riverside. Xiao Li recalls Lu Guang appearing anxious when he left his room, leading Cheng Xiaoshi to deduce that the photo was taken as a temporal marker. This revelation leads Qiao Ling to realize that the Lu Guang who intercepted Cheng Xiaoshi at the riverbank was actually Cheng Xiaoshi himself, accounting for his unusual combat skills and impulsive pursuit of Li Tianxi. Cheng Xiaoshi ponders the implications of not entering the photo, possibly becoming the one captured instead of Lu Guang.
They then receive the news that the police have located Li Tianxi: a girl matching her description was discovered in an abandoned grocery store two days ago. Upon arriving at the station, Xiao Li and Cheng Xiaoshi storm into the interrogation room, aggressively confronting Li Tianxi. However, they soon realize that she may not be the same Li Tianxi as before, as the mute girl, overwhelmed, begins to cry, echoing Cheng Xiaoshi's earlier experience in the photo. They deduce that the "Li Tianxi" they encountered was actually her twin brother in disguise.
However, questions still remain unanswered as Qiao Ling is puzzled about why he went to such great lengths to abduct Cheng Xiaoshi, and Cheng Xiaoshi uncertain of how he simultaneously controlled both himself and Wang Juan, or the specific triggers for his powers. Grabbing Cheng Xiaoshi's cheeks, Qiao Ling encourages him to enter the photo left by Lu Guang to find the answer. Despite his reluctance, she expresses her belief that avoiding action will not change the past, and Lu Guang's self-sacrifice to save Cheng Xiaoshi is an inevitable destiny.
After the police's attempts to communicate with Li Tianxi prove fruitless, Qiao Ling volunteers to give it a try, while Lu Guang enters the photo as Lu Guang to save himself from capture. With milk, snacks, and paper, she enters the room and sits besides Li Tianxi, introducing herself in a friendly manner. She offers the snacks and milk without pressure, allowing Li Tianxi to consume them at her own pace. Qiao Ling reminisces about her childhood with Cheng Xiaoshi, referring to him as a younger brother. She shares anecdotes of her efforts to persuade a young Cheng Xiaoshi to drink milk, including a time he compared her to a tigress, which he illustrated in a drawing. In retaliation, Qiao Ling humorously drew Cheng Xiaoshi on her milk carton, provoking him to chug the milk in one go. As she narrates, Qiao Ling sketches these memories to show Li Tianxi. She reveals that although she often played the older sister role, their age difference was minimal, and Cheng Xiaoshi has since grown up to be tall and strong. Despite his occasional childlike carelessness, she highlights his coolness in the face of adversity, humorously attributing it to the milk-drinking episode. With Li Tianxi now drinking her milk, Qiao Ling hands her the crayons and paper, inviting her to share her own story as well.
By examining Li Tianxi's drawings, Qiao Ling uncovers crucial information about how Li Tianchen's powers function. She rushes into Xiao Li's office, finding him engaged in conversation with Cheng Xiaoshi, who has just returned from his dive into Lu Guang's photo. Though he had managed to intercept Li Tianchen at the riverbanks, he failed to prevent Lu Guang's capture as the Cheng Xiaoshi in the photo started chasing Li Tianchen. To avoid an even more unpredictable outcome, he, as Lu Guang, decides to chase after Li Tianchen himself. However, upon making contact, Li Tianchen seized his hand, abruptly ejecting him from the dive. Linking this to his earlier forced ejection from the Li family dive, Cheng Xiaoshi notes that both instances involved physical contact with Li Tianchen. Based on the observation that Li Tianchen was simultaneously holding hands with both Wang Juan and Cheng Xiaoshi when he escaped the police station, they infer that Li Tianchen's power to manipulate others is triggered by touch.
Qiao Ling steps in at this juncture to present Li Tianxi's drawing. She explains that both siblings possess special powers. Li Tianxi can inhabit others through photographs, enabling her to see through their eyes, monitor their actions, and access their memories, though she lacks direct control over them. Reflecting on the photo studio incident, Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly realizes why the possessor could instantly see through his lie: he had accessed the truth in Qiao Ling's memories, evidenced by his remark, "You can fool me, but you can't fool her." This leads to the realization that Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi's powers, when combined, facilitate remote manipulation. Moreover, it becomes apparent that Li Tianchen's abduction of Cheng Xiaoshi is driven by his desire to exploit his ability to alter the past.
== Hostage Exchange and Final Confrontation ==
In a critical development, Xiao Li arrives with urgent news: Li Tianchen has contacted him, proposing a hostage exchange within the next 35 minutes, trading Cheng Xiaoshi for Lu Guang. Moreover, Li Tianchen insists that Qiao Ling must be the only one to accompany Cheng Xiaoshi. Given the tight deadline, they decide to set off immediately and strategize en route, with Li Tianxi requesting to go together.
Cheng Xiaoshi comes up with a clever strategy to both extract Lu Guang and escape capture himself. Via a live recording, his ability enables him to effectively teleport to the location of the recording without changing timelines, and when he claps his hands again, he will "exit" the dive, teleporting him back to the original location.
Soon, Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling arrive at the designated exchange location — a theatre. Once inside, they hear an announcement from Li Tianchen, declaring the commencement of the "show" and directing them to the theater entrance. When Cheng Xiaoshi triggers an alarm at the metal detector, Li Tianchen instructs them to leave all personal items behind and change into prearranged attire.
Entering the auditorium, they find Lu Guang standing at the center of the stage, mouth taped and hands tied. Cheng Xiaoshi calls out to him and runs forward, but is stopped by the sound of a gunshot and Li Tianchen's warning over the speakers to adhere to the rules of the "show" to prevent any harm. Li Tianchen directs Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang to approach each other slowly, then swap places. As they pass each other, Cheng Xiaoshi whispers a reassurance of his plan to Lu Guang. Once Cheng Xiaoshi reaches his designated spot on stage, Lu Guang urgently calls out to him, but Cheng Xiaoshi gives a composed wave as he is dropped beneath the stage through a trapdoor, escaping the theatre using his ability.
Lu Guang and Qiao Ling rush to exit the theatre. However, Qian Jin had rigged the place with explosives. Fortunately, they are unharmed the detonation, managing to emerge from the theatre to find Xiao Li, assisting an injured officer in the process. Xiao Li informs them that although Cheng Xiaoshi was able to escape the theatre, they were found by Ma, who tased him unconscious and took Cheng Xiaoshi away, along with the true Li Tianxi, who was earlier found by the police and had joined them on their trip to the theatre. Lu Guang, pondering the explosion's rationale, suspects an alternate escape route. He recalls the sound of a subway from his time in Qian Jin's hideout, raising concerns about a potential underground getaway. Xiao Li acknowledges the possibility and agrees to Qiao Ling's proposal to split up.
Down in the subway tunnels, their search leads eventually leads them to Li Tianchen, who is engaged in battle with Cheng Xiaoshi while a helpless Li Tianxi watches. Qian Jin and Ma however, are not there when they arrive. Lu Guang attempts to intervene, but is quickly tased and restrained by Li Tianchen. As Li Tianchen presses on Lu Guang's stab wound and threatens Cheng Xiaoshi, his mute sister, in tears and unable to bear the situation any longer, calls out to her brother and utters the words "brother, I want to go home." Jolted from the conflict, Li Tianchen recalls teaching the phrase to her sister while they were young, breaking into tears himself. However, the emotional moment is abruptly shattered when a bullet strikes Li Tianxi in the chest. Li Tianchen desperately rushes towards his falling sister, as Qian Jin emerges from the shadows, muttering about betrayals. As Qiao Ling kneels next to the fallen Li Tianxi, he approaches Qiao Ling from behind, his pistol aimed at her head, calling for everyone to die. However, Cheng Xiaoshi jumps in front of Qian Jin as he fires, taking the bullet to the side of his waist. Lu Guang lets out a desperate scream and charges at Qian Jin. Qian Jin turns to fire at him too, only to realize his gun is empty. Lu Guang tackles and him and launches a fierce series of punches.
In response to Qiao Ling's desperate call, Cheng Xiaoshi rises and assures her that he is fine. Qian Jin manages to overpower Lu Guang, but Cheng Xiaoshi rushes to his aid, joining Lu Guang in a two-on-one struggle against Qian Jin. As Qian Jin momentarily pauses, discarding his bulletproof vest, Cheng Xiaoshi cautions Lu Guang to not overexert himself due to his injury, but Lu Guang retorts that Cheng Xiaoshi is not in a much better condition. While the confrontation resumes, Qiao Ling is knelt beside Li Tianxi, pressing on her wound as it continues to bleed. Li Tianchen holds her sister's hand, trembling in tears, as Li Tianxi slowly mutters to him, "I am scared... I miss mother..." 
Despite the valiant efforts of Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi, Qian Jin proves to be overpowering. Just as he prepares to finish off Cheng Xiaoshi, Xiao Li arrives in the nick of time. With a police officer now on the scene, Li Tianxi urges her brother to flee despite her condition, while simultaneously holding Qiao Ling down with her remaining strength. Recognizing his dire situation, Li Tianchen heeds her sister's plea, fleeing in tears.
The confrontation eventually ends in Qian Jin's defeat. However, Li Tianchen has disappeared without a trace, and Li Tianxi lies weakly on Qiao Ling's legs. Li Tianxi mutters words of gratitude to Qiao Ling, passing on her special power to Qiao Ling in her final moments. 
Qiao Ling suddenly finds Li Tianxi's memories surging into her mind, initiating a series of flashbacks to her troubled past. She not only gains access to Li Tianxi's own memories, but also those of individuals that she had used her special ability to possess, whether voluntarily or forced by her brother. Under the weight of these memories, Qiao Ling is driven to tears and collapses.
Some time later, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang have recovered from their injuries and are expected to be discharged. Having adorned the photo studio with "welcome home" decorations and prepared a cake, Qiao Ling sits down in contemplation. She ponders the sudden influx of memories that she inherited from Li Tianxi, notably those of Lu Guang. She is particularly troubled by why Lu Guang's memories included a scene of Cheng Xiaoshi's death, but dismisses her concerns as overthinking as Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang return.
The strange memory seen by Qiao Ling is later explained via Lu Guang's flashback: in a previous timeline, Cheng Xiaoshi had succumbed to his wounds, with Lu Guang inheriting his photo-diving ability, and the present timeline where Cheng Xiaoshi survives is the result of Lu Guang somehow managing to alter the past, despite his prior beliefs that crucial nodes such as death cannot changed.