Shine On Me- Episodes 25-28

“Marking Territory & Falling Into Place”

Episode 25 is pure after-the-confession sweetness, the kind that makes you grin at your screen like you’re intruding on someone else’s honeymoon phase and honestly, I loved every second of it.

We start at the hospital, where Kevin is finally on the mend. Zhuang Xu and the team visit, and Kevin’s mom is visibly grateful, especially toward Lin Yusen, whose quick action quite literally saved her son. Kevin, ever the optimist, even jokes that his temporary amnesia makes him feel like the main character in a drama. That humor fades slightly when it’s confirmed that he has retrograde amnesia, he doesn’t remember the day of the ski accident at all, including whether he saw Lin Yusen pursuing Xiguang back then. One truth remains frustratingly out of reach… for now.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the hospital tension, Xiguang and Yusen are living in their “first official day as a couple” glow in Wuxi. Snacks are bought, streets are wandered, and even a casual phone call to Jiang Yun turns into a soft reveal, only for Xiguang to learn that her mother had already figured everything out. Naturally. Yusen, equally incapable of containing his happiness, calls Fang Shiyi just to flex a little, earning himself some well-deserved teasing.

As they stroll through Nanchang Street sharing plum blossom cakes, Xiguang messages Jiang Rui to announce she’s finally found her “real estate view”, their long-running joke for a love that’s solid, permanent, and worth settling into. And then comes that moment: before Yusen leaves, he asks her to write her name in his palm. If she’s claimed her “property,” she might as well sign for it. She does. Soft. Intimate. Completely lethal to my heart.

That night, Jiang Yun waits up for her daughter, armed with advice she never ends up giving. One look at Xiguang’s radiant happiness is enough. Love, she reflects, is luck and she hopes her daughter remains the luckiest girl in the world. Later, Yusen and Xiguang text goodnight openly, freely, with none of the hiding from before. He promises to dress more casually for her lecture the next day… joking that maybe he’ll even get a bowl cut.

And he shows up the next morning with a youthful new hairstyle that has Xiguang laughing the entire drive.

At Soochow University, they squeeze into a packed lecture by Professor Lu Shuanghang, ending up seated on the steps. Yusen offers his coat for her to sit on; she offers hers back, and he simply holds it instead, because of course he does. The lecture itself hits deep, discussing innovation, trade barriers, and the future of photovoltaics in China’s Northwest. For Xiguang, it’s a lightbulb moment: Liuguang Garden isn’t just a task anymore, it aligns perfectly with a larger vision she finally understands.

The sweetness continues in the cafeteria, where Yusen’s good looks earn him extra pork ribs and whispered speculation that he’s a young tutor. Xiguang leans into it immediately, calling him “Professor Lin” as they eat and laugh together. Back at work, Yusen hands out Wuxi clay figurines as souvenirs, and Xiguang’s happiness is impossible to hide. Under Yin Jie’s playful interrogation, she finally confesses, they’ve been officially dating since Saturday.

“Paid Dating, Long-Distance Hearts & A Grand Entrance"

Episode 26 perfectly balances office sweetness, long-distance yearning, and one very iconic public power move, the kind that makes you sit up and whisper, oh, she’s serious about him.

We open at Shuangyuan with Lin Yusen wrapping up a meeting and sharing a quiet, affectionate look with Nie Xiguang, subtle, soft, and immediately noticed by Yin Jie, who reacts with playful jealousy. When Xiguang worries that dating at work might affect productivity, Yin Jie waves it off and proudly coins the term “paid dating,” insisting that two people working this hard absolutely deserve to be in love on company time.

Because Yusen is flying to Guangzhou early the next morning, he decides to keep his promise and treat the team to dinner that very night. But first, business mode. In a meeting with Ms. Chen, Lin lays out his long-term strategy: the future of photovoltaics won’t be won through price wars, but through technological superiority. Drawing from what he learned in the Northwest, he proposes upgrading equipment to improve module conversion rates and push toward mass production of PERC cells. Ms. Chen is impressed, but understandably concerned about the cost.

Lin, already five steps ahead, explains his plan to partner deeply with suppliers, co-develop equipment, and share patents to protect cash flow. It’s efficient, forward-thinking, and exactly why everyone keeps calling him “fresh blood.” That evening, he treats Xiguang, Yin Jie, and Wan Yuhua to an indulgent dinner. Since he’s clearly operating in boyfriend mode rather than boss mode, Yin Jie declares they should order without mercy.

Rain falls as Lin drives Xiguang back to her dorm, and the mood turns tender. He admits he hates being pulled away just as they’ve officially started dating. Xiguang, ever practical and affectionate, jokes that since the Nie family owns 49% of the company, all his hard work technically benefits her anyway. Delighted by her logic, Lin asks for a “travel allowance” as compensation and seals it with a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving.

While Lin is away, Xiguang throws herself into the photovoltaic garden project, exploring the idea of adding a sun-tracking system to boost efficiency, only to be shut down by budget constraints. Frustrated by high material costs and stalled progress, she vents to Lin over the phone. He listens patiently, praises her judgment and perseverance, and then does the most him thing possible: sends her a PDF of his resume, labeled a “product manual,” so she can better understand her boyfriend’s features.

He even clarifies that a mysterious “blind date” on his record belonged to Fang Shiyi, not him. Xiguang laughs and sends her own resume back, only for Lin to casually reveal that he’d read it long before joining Shuangyuan. Sir???

Later, Xiguang’s aunt calls to confirm the dating rumors. Hearing that Lin is busy and hardworking on a business trip instantly raises his approval rating, though she mentions that Cheng Rui is currently competing with the Sheng family for a Feng Teng project, foreshadowing quietly doing its thing.

While grocery shopping with friends, Xiguang talks to Lin again. Negotiations in Shenzhen have hit minor snags, delaying his return. Instead, he’ll fly straight to Shanghai for his grandfather’s 80th birthday banquet, an unusually grand event meant to officially announce the family heir. Without telling him, Xiguang decides to attend with her uncle Jiang Ping, determined to support him.

At the banquet, Lin appears as the undisputed standout in the room; calm, elegant, and impossible to ignore. Tension spikes when Sheng Xingjie arrives with his father. Whispers ripple through the crowd: Xingjie may be the designated heir, but everyone knows Lin is the truly capable one. Xingjie reinforces that narrative by offering a pointed, condescending toast, basking in his supposed victory.

Watching Lin endure the pitying looks and subtle humiliation is the last straw for Xiguang. She abandons all hesitation and walks straight to his side.

Lin is stunned, but all she says is that she came because she wanted to see him.

Together, they greet Jiang Ping and approach Grandpa Sheng, who immediately recognizes Xiguang as Nie Chengyuan and Jiang Yun’s daughter. Remembering her from Wuxi two years ago, he beams with relief that Lin has finally found a partner, joking that his handsome grandson had been “unsellable” for far too long.

As gossip begins swirling about the powerful alliance between Lin Yusen and the Yuan Cheng Group, Lin quietly asks Jiang Ping for permission to take Xiguang outside for some air, just the two of them, before the formal dinner begins.

“A Balcony Kiss, Life Confessions & Power Shifts Behind Closed Doors”

Episode 27 is one of those quietly devastating, deeply romantic episodes, the kind where love feels steady and real, even as power games start tightening their grip.

After making their very public appearance at Grandpa Sheng’s birthday banquet, Lin Yusen gently whisks Nie Xiguang away to the first floor, escaping the noise and whispers. On a quiet balcony overlooking the river, Xiguang admits she felt all the stares. Lin, unfazed as ever, simply shrugs it off, envy, in his book, is nothing to fear. What does move him is her willingness to stand beside him so openly. Emotion overflowing, he pulls her into a deep, unguarded kiss. It’s bold, unmistakable, and strangely freeing, no more hiding, no more second-guessing.

In the calm that follows, Lin opens up about something huge: his heart is no longer in business. Once Shuangyuan is stable and past its current crisis, he plans to return to medicine. Xiguang isn’t surprised, she’s suspected it ever since he once explained the rehab purpose behind a simple bowl of soybeans. This has always been who he is.

On the way back, Uncle Jiang Ping calls to check in, half-teasing and half-parenting. He puts Xiguang on speaker and gives her a strict midnight curfew, which she cheerfully accepts, she’s already cleared it with her mom anyway. Freed from the suffocating banquet atmosphere, Xiguang meets Lin again for a late-night walk along Riverside Avenue by the Huangpu River. She didn’t eat much at the banquet, but after all the toasting, she’s full of nothing but water and exhaustion.

Lin, meanwhile, looks completely sober and finally admits the truth. He’s never actually found his alcohol limit. He only ever pretended to be a lightweight to avoid social traps. From now on, he promises to handle all the drinking for her… except at one unavoidable banquet, their wedding. Sir, excuse me???

The night turns chilly, and Lin invites her back to his nearby apartment to look at old photos and share snacks from Guangzhou. Inside his study, lined wall to wall with medical textbooks, Xiguang flips through his past, laughing at his awkward university photos and iconic bowl cut. Lin explains that his childhood albums are still at his grandparents’ house and promises to take her there someday.

A folded university schedule slips out, and with it, Lin finally tells her everything. After his father passed away, the Sheng family pushed him toward business, so out of rebellion, he chose medicine. That same Wuxi banquet where he first noticed Xiguang? He only attended because his grandfather insisted. After the car accident, he joined Sheng Yuan out of bitterness, quickly proving his worth by cleaning up Sheng Xingjie’s messes.

But traveling to Tianchi Lake and across the Northwest changed him. The vastness cleared his resentment. Even if his hands can no longer operate, his medical knowledge is still his greatest strength. He confesses his new dream: joining a brain–computer interface research team in Shanghai, led by a Johns Hopkins professor. Xiguang, moved and unwavering, gives him her full support, no hesitation, no conditions.

Meanwhile, the fallout from the banquet is brutal. Sheng Xianmin explodes over Sheng Xingjie’s behavior, harshly reprimanding Sheng Bokai and ordering Xingjie to stay home and reflect. The next day, as Lin plans a casual outing with Xiguang to Tianzifang and Wukang Road, he’s summoned urgently to the Sheng residence. Xiguang heads out alone while Lin walks straight into a power shift.

Lin reports on his Guangdong trip, outlining a “turnkey” cooperation model that reduces costs, shares profits, and protects Shuangyuan’s cash flow. Sheng Xianmin is impressed, so impressed that he announces he’s transferring all his Shuangyuan shares to Lin Yusen. Even when Lin reiterates his intention to return to medicine, the Chairman doesn’t object. The shares, he says, are a personal gift, security for Lin’s future.

Sheng Xingjie, meanwhile, is given one final chance: lead a Suzhou digital data center project. Fail, and he’s done.

When Sheng Bokai hears about the share transfer, he immediately calls Nie Chengyuan, furious. He blames Chengyuan for allowing Xiguang to steal the spotlight and demands his help in blocking the transfer and even suggests manipulating the bidding process to save Xingjie. Chengyuan, already exhausted and unwell, is stunned to learn his daughter even attended the banquet. Irritated and drained, he snaps at Qian Fangping when she tries to comfort him.

Quick to retreat, Qian Fangping apologizes for the chaos caused by Ma Nianyuan and promises to keep her family far away from business matters.

“Money Games, Power Plays & Love That Refuses to Be Small”

Episode 28 shifts the spotlight from romance to raw ambition, where money talks, resentment simmers, and love quietly refuses to be sidelined.

Qian Fangping is reaching the end of her patience with Nie Chengyuan. Age has made him sharper, colder, and impossible to please. Her resentment spikes when she overhears a phone call and realizes the truth: during the divorce, Jiang Yun walked away with the bulk of his assets and estates, leaving him asset-rich on paper but short on liquid cash. The bitterness explains a lot.

Meanwhile, Ma Nianyuan meets her friend Qianqian, who casually reveals she’s earning hefty monthly commissions through an investment recommended by young Mr. Zhao. Tired of relying on the Nie family and exhausted from constantly pleasing others for money, Nianyuan is drawn to a securities product with a so-called “safety cushion.” With a stop-loss at ninety-five percent and T+0 redemption, it sounds secure enough. Determined to carve out a sense of independence, she invests 200,000 yuan of her own savings.

Back at Shuangyuan, Nie Xiguang proves, once again, that she is not just Lin Yusen’s girlfriend. In a tense negotiation with contractor Mr. Bao, she calmly dismantles his inflated quote, pointing out that cement prices have recently dropped and backing it up with meticulous market data. The room goes quiet. The contractors quickly realize that her youth and her relationship, don’t make her easy to fool. If anything, they’d better deliver perfection.

That evening, over hotpot with Yin Jie and Wan Yuhua, Xiguang initially turns down Lin Yusen’s invitation to join them. But Lin soon appears in the parking lot with news too good to ignore: after a government clean-energy meeting, the district plans to launch a Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) demonstration project. If Shuangyuan qualifies, they could receive a major subsidy. Fired up, Xiguang decides to spend the next day refining the application data.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new factory cafeteria and Liuguang Garden draws key industrial park leaders, including Director Ren and Director Mao. Xiguang is stunned when the “mysterious guests” turn out to be her mother, Jiang Yun, and architect Ms. Shen. As Jiang Yun asks for a site tour, Yin Jie can’t resist teasing Xiguang about the undeniable couple energy between her and Lin Yusen. Xiguang briefly considers revealing her true identity but decides it’s not the moment.

Inside the lab, they meet Hua Xiangyang, the head of Technical, who skipped the ceremony entirely because he was too busy working. His excitement is contagious: the module conversion rate has just jumped by 0.5 percentage points. It’s a breakthrough, and proof that Shuangyuan’s future is bright.

But the high doesn’t last long.

At lunch in Lihuyan Restaurant, Ms. Chen drops a bombshell: Grandpa Sheng’s planned share transfer to Lin Yusen is being blocked. While the Chairman is determined, the transfer requires majority shareholder approval and Nie Chengyuan is firmly opposed.

Xiguang is devastated. She fears her father is acting out of spite over her relationship, even after learning the truth about the past. Lin Yusen steadies her, reminding her that once his grandfather decides something, it’s only a matter of time. In a quiet, tender moment, the two decide to drop formal titles altogether, choosing softer, more intimate ways of calling each other. Love, at least, gets to stay simple.

Later, Xiguang updates her WeChat avatar with two small trees, rooted, growing together. Lin responds by adding a touch of “sunshine” to his own.

Determined to break the deadlock, Jiang Yun goes straight to the Yuan Cheng Group to confront Nie Chengyuan. He argues that photovoltaics are a bottomless money pit and insists Shuangyuan can’t survive without Shengfar’s backing. His plan? Sell Shuangyuan to a silicon supplier and return to the safe, high-profit world of real estate.

When Jiang Yun offers to buy his shares outright to protect Xiguang’s work, he counters coldly: he’ll only give up his Shuangyuan shares if she trades them for her remaining founding shares in Yuan Cheng.

The demand stuns her. It’s not just business, it’s an attempt to erase her final ties to the company they built together. After consulting a lawyer, Jiang Yun begins seriously considering the swap, choosing to walk away on her terms.

When she explains everything to Xiguang, her daughter is alarmed. She begs her mother not to sacrifice herself for her sake, but Jiang Yun sounds resolved. Some battles, she believes, are worth trading the past for.

DramaZen's Opinion

Episodes 25–28 were that perfect mix of romance glow-up and “oh wow, the plot is plotting.”

We finally get to enjoy Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang in their official couple era, and it’s as sweet as expected, handwritten names in palms, late-night texts, inside jokes, and that effortless comfort that says, yes, this is real. Their dates feel warm and lived-in, not flashy, which somehow makes them even more romantic.

But what really elevated these episodes was watching Xiguang fully step into her professional power. Whether she’s shutting down shady contractors with hard data or confidently leading the Liuguang Garden project, she proves she’s not just “the girlfriend”, she’s the backbone. I loved seeing colleagues (and even rivals) realize they absolutely cannot underestimate her.

Meanwhile, the adult drama quietly ramps up. Family politics, blocked share transfers, financial power plays, everything feels heavier and more real. Jiang Yun especially broke my heart in the best way: a mother weighing her past against her daughter’s future and choosing love over pride. That kind of quiet sacrifice hit hard.

And through all of it, Lin Yusen remains steady, supportive without overshadowing, romantic without being performative, and clearly thinking long-term about both love and purpose. By the end of Episode 28, you can feel the tension building, but it’s the good kind, the kind that makes you lean forward and think, okay, I’m fully invested now.

Soft romance, strong women, meaningful ambition, and just enough angst to keep things deliciously interesting, this batch of episodes truly made Shine On Me shine.