The ongoing period C-drama Tender Light aired episode 18 on May 5, 2024. It features Zhang Xincheng and Tong Yao in the lead roles. The episode primarily focuses on Zhou Lou (Zhang Xincheng) and Qing Li’s families coming to know about their secret relationship.
Liu Xun plays the recording of Fanglu interrogating Zhou Lou’s friends about him at the school assembly. Zhou Lou rushes to stop the recording from being broadcast. In the recording, Qing Li confesses to being in a relationship with Zhou Lou. She freaks out as her father might get angry at her for dating a problematic person like Zhou Lou.
Qing Li’s father, Mr. Zhang, asks Liu Xun to stop harassing Zhou Lou. He explained that no one other than Xu Yi owed him an apology and asked him to read a reflective letter in front of the whole school. However, Liu Xun successfully manipulates him, saying that Qing Li has ruined her own reputation by being with a person like Zhou Lou.
Fearing her daughter’s safety, Mr. Zhang visits the police station. He denies all ties between Nan Ya (Tong Yao) and Zhou Lou. He refuses the rumors of her daughter being anything other than friends with Zhou Lou. Mr Zhang also cunningly hints at Zhou Lou being in a relationship with Nan Ya in the past.
Tender Light Ep 18: Did Zhang Xincheng confess to witnessing the murder?
Mr. Zhang drags her daughter to Zhou Lou’s house and threatens him to stay away from Qing Li. He calls him a troublemaker and blames his parents for raising a son who is good for nothing. Zhou Lou’s mother intervenes and asks him to stop demeaning his son. Even Qing Li takes Zhou Lou’s side and says she won’t stop seeing him.
The next morning, Qing Li and her friends find out about Zhou Lou being suspended from the cram school for violating the rules and discipline. Meanwhile, Mr Ling and Fang Lu try to convince Zhou Lou’s parents to let him testify in court as he is the sole witness of the murder. However, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou do not want their son to get into any more trouble and strictly decide against it.
Qing Li runs away from home and comes to see Zhou Lou late at night. But Lou’s mother won’t let her see him. She blames her for ruining her son’s life and strictly asks her to leave. She asks Qing Li about the night of the murder, but she refuses to tell her. Qing Li threatens to quit school if she can’t see Zhou Lou.
Zhou Lou takes her to his room and calms her down. He asks her to stop worrying about him getting into the university. There are alternative choices for him. Lastly, he decides to confess to the police what he saw on the night of the murder.
In the next scene, Zhou Lou is seen opening up to the police about how he felt watching the murder take place before his eyes. He vows to tell the truth and even is willing to take a polygraph test. He mentions feeling dizzy and not being able to run away.
Tender Light is available to stream on Youku throughout the week.
