The Early Spring Episode 5 continues directly from the previous night's events as Luan Nian carries the heavily intoxicated Shang Zhitao back to his apartment after she becomes too drunk to find her way home. Meanwhile, Sun Yu returns to the shared apartment limping after a disastrous work event. Sun Yuanzhu immediately notices her injury and helps her upstairs. Sun Yu explains that a female guest at the event had lied about being single, only for her boyfriend to suddenly appear and cause a scene at the venue. When Sun Yu attempted to comfort the woman, she was pushed and injured her ankle. While Sun Yu and Sun Yuanzhu worry about Zhitao and repeatedly try calling her, Luan Nian refuses Tan Mian's calls and makes it clear that he does not want his friends turning his apartment into a late-night gathering. Zhitao eventually wakes up on his sofa and is embarrassed to discover where she is. Luan Nian explains that she was too drunk to clearly tell him her address, so he had no choice but to bring her home with him. Zhitao anxiously asks whether she behaved badly while drunk. Luan Nian deliberately teases her by revealing that she confessed her feelings to him while intoxicated and even urged him to accept her. Horrified by the possibility, Zhitao insists that drunken words should not be taken seriously and says that the sober version of herself would never say such things. Luan Nian then unexpectedly asks whether they should try being together. The sudden suggestion leaves Zhitao completely flustered. She retreats into the bathroom and tries to regain control of her emotions. As the glass door becomes covered in steam, she writes the word "STOP" on it as a reminder to herself not to lose control. Luan Nian notices the message when he comes to give her clean clothes and quietly smiles at her reaction. After Zhitao changes, Luan Nian helps treat the injury on her ankle. Their conversation becomes increasingly intimate as the emotional distance between them begins to disappear. Luan Nian tells her that feelings are not always something people can simply control. Zhitao is clearly attracted to him despite repeatedly insisting that their relationship should remain professional. At that moment, Sun Yu calls to check whether Zhitao is safe. Hearing Luan Nian's voice in the background, Sun Yu realizes that Zhitao is with him. She reassures Zhitao that she does not need to rush home because heavy rain has made traveling difficult. Luan Nian also tells Zhitao that he has been drinking and therefore cannot drive her anywhere. He asks whether she understands what could happen if she chooses to stay the night. Zhitao, now sober enough to understand the situation, chooses to remain with him. The two finally give in to their mutual attraction and spend the night together. Their relationship crosses an important boundary as the tension that has been building since their first meeting becomes undeniable. The following morning, Zhitao wakes before Luan Nian and quietly watches him sleeping. Rather than waking him, she gets dressed and leaves a short handwritten note thanking him for the previous night before quietly returning home. When Luan Nian wakes and discovers that Zhitao has already left, he finds her note and sends her a message. Zhitao sees the message after leaving his building and cannot hide her smile. At the same time, Tan Mian arrives at Luan Nian's apartment to return his jacket and car keys. He immediately notices that Luan Nian seems unusually different and realizes that something happened between him and Zhitao. Back at the shared apartment, Zhitao tells Sun Yu about the night. Although she admits that Luan Nian is exceptionally talented and has achieved a great deal professionally, she begins convincing herself that the two of them belong to completely different worlds. Sun Yu warns her that feeling sympathy for a lonely man can easily become the beginning of deeper feelings. Zhitao nevertheless decides to put romance aside and focus on improving herself. She plans to enroll in an English course and declares that, for now, bread is more important than love. Tan Mian meanwhile confronts Luan Nian about his behavior. He explains that his earlier suggestion that Zhitao might have intentionally left her backpack was only a joke, but Luan Nian apparently took the comment seriously. Tan Mian criticizes him for being unnecessarily cold and encourages him to apologize instead of allowing his pride to ruin the situation. Luan Nian begins regretting the way he treated Zhitao. Remembering her disappointed expression when she left his car, he decides to make amends. He orders a limited-edition luxury handbag for her. However, the particular bag has already been reserved for another rumbleer. Rather than giving up, Luan Nian offers to purchase several other expensive items from the boutique so that the store will arrange a way for him to obtain the handbag. Zhitao begins focusing on her own future. After taking English lessons with Long Zhentian, she visits a bakery and waits for the discounted bread sold later in the evening. Luan Nian eventually finds her there and gives her the new handbag, explaining that her old bag has become worn out. Zhitao refuses the expensive gift. She tells Luan Nian that what happened between them was an unexpected incident between two adults and that she does not want their personal relationship to become entangled with her career. She asks him not to allow their private encounter to influence his evaluation of her performance at Lime Advertising. Luan Nian assures her that her professional assessment will not be affected, but then asks whether refusing the handbag means that she still wants to continue pursuing a relationship with him. Zhitao does not accept his framing of the situation. She returns to Sun Yu and reflects that she and Luan Nian are fundamentally different people living in different worlds. Rather than allowing the complicated relationship to distract her, Zhitao decides to concentrate on building her career and becoming more capable at Lime. She continues her English studies and chooses professional growth over romance, ending Episode 5 with her determination to prove herself independently.