The Early Spring Episode 16 — English Subtitles

The Early Spring Episode 16 begins with Luan Nian returning home to discover that Luke has completely destroyed the apartment. Although he angrily threatens to throw the troublesome Samoyed outside, he cannot actually bring himself to punish the dog. Luke quickly wins him over by rubbing against his legs, and Luan Nian realizes that the dog's stubborn and mischievous personality is surprisingly similar to Shang Zhitao's. When he notices that Luke's paw is injured, his anger immediately turns into concern. After consulting a friend, he carefully cleans the wound and treats it with iodine before making sure Luke eats properly. The episode also shows a much softer side of Luan Nian as he gradually becomes attached to the dog he initially disliked. Zang Yao is preparing to leave China and return abroad because she feels there is nothing left for her in Beijing. Before leaving, she asks Luan Nian to meet her one final time. Luan Nian brings Luke with him, and Zang Yao is surprised to see how carefully he now looks after the dog. She realizes that the man she once loved has changed and that his heart is already with someone else. Knowing there is no longer any possibility between them, she asks Luan Nian for one final embrace before leaving. As they hug, Luke suddenly barks at Zang Yao, interrupting the emotional farewell and making both of them laugh. Zang Yao understands that Luke is almost like Shang Zhitao's little guardian watching over Luan Nian, and she finally accepts their relationship and wishes him happiness. Meanwhile, Sun Yu makes a long journey to visit Sun Yuanzhu while he is away on a business assignment. After traveling for many hours, she arrives at his temporary accommodation and they share a simple meal together. As night falls, the strong wind outside makes Sun Yu unable to sleep. She asks Yuanzhu whether he misses home when he is away and offers to accompany him back to his hometown after the assignment ends. Yuanzhu explains that the home he misses is actually the home he has built in Beijing with Sun Yu, Lei and Shang Zhitao. He considers the group his real family. Sun Yu finally gathers the courage to ask Yuanzhu how he truly feels about her. Before she can confess completely, Yuanzhu gently stops her and explains that he sees her as his best friend and family. His answer quietly rejects her romantic feelings without humiliating her. Sun Yu pretends that she is unaffected and insists that she can travel back alone the following day, but she is deeply hurt. Neither of them is able to sleep peacefully that night as they lie awake listening to the wind. Back in Beijing, Luan Nian prepares food for Luke and makes sure the dog is comfortable. Shang Zhitao calls him and asks him to prepare another osmanthus milk drink. Luan Nian jokingly tells her that if she wants it, she should come home early. Suddenly, the apartment door opens and Shang Zhitao appears with her luggage. She has returned unexpectedly under the excuse of giving a work report because she simply wanted to see him. The reunion immediately melts Luan Nian's usual restraint. Shang Zhitao tells him that she missed him, and the two embrace and kiss passionately. Their brief reunion gives them a chance to enjoy their relationship despite being separated by work. However, their happiness is interrupted when work once again pulls Shang Zhitao away. Dony announces a new special project involving the Xizi Cultural Tourism Group account in Hangzhou. Shang Zhitao initially wants to remain in Beijing to handle local work, but Dony insists that she must join the Hangzhou project team and take responsibility for the work on-site. His decision effectively forces her into an extended business trip under his direct management. Dony privately praises Shang Zhitao's abilities and the quality of her reports, but he also begins testing her loyalty to Luan Nian. He subtly suggests that Luan Nian's impressive position is partly the result of the authority and resources surrounding him and implies that Shang Zhitao could advance faster if she chose to follow Dony's direction instead. Shang Zhitao refuses to accept this characterization of Luan Nian and firmly defends his professional ability and leadership. At headquarters, Liang Xin becomes increasingly suspicious of Dony's sudden arrival and his rapid intervention in the division. She tells Luan Nian that Dony appears to have entered the organization without following the normal HR process. Luan Nian does not react emotionally. Instead, he asks Liang Xin to conduct a thorough background investigation into Dony and determine exactly why he was brought into the company. Luan Nian also decides to temporarily step away from the center of the conflict by taking annual leave. On the surface, he appears to be distancing himself from the company's internal struggles, but he continues paying attention to what is happening. His decision allows Dony to reveal more of his methods while Luan Nian quietly gathers information from outside the immediate conflict. At the same time, a new market specialist named Will arrives at the company. Will has a strict and highly methodical working style and immediately begins imposing detailed reporting requirements on Lumi. Lumi becomes frustrated by his rigid management and privately calls him an old-fashioned scholar. She suspects that Will may have been brought in as another person intended to weaken Luan Nian's existing team and replace his trusted employees. Lumi's situation becomes more difficult when she receives news that her father has suffered a stroke and needs to be hospitalized. She needs to take leave to deal with the family emergency, but she worries that Will will refuse her request. Instead of showing sympathy, Will tells her to follow the formal leave procedure and make sure that all of her work is properly handed over before leaving. Meanwhile, Shang Zhitao and the other members of Dony's Hangzhou project team attend a dinner organized by Dony. Dony attempts to create a relaxed atmosphere and repeatedly encourages everyone to drink. Shang Zhitao and another female colleague politely decline alcohol, but Dony continues pressing them. Shang Zhitao finally reminds him that Lime has a tradition of respecting employees' choices and not forcing people to drink. Kitty then steps forward to protect the atmosphere and drinks a full glass of wine in a toast to Dony. Although her action appears to be an attempt to gain his approval, Shang Zhitao notices that Kitty seems unusually nervous around him. Kitty's behavior makes Shang Zhitao increasingly suspicious that something uncomfortable has happened between them. The following day, Dony questions Shang Zhitao about a project budget that requires Luan Nian's approval. Shang Zhitao explains that the company has a mandatory three-dimensional budget procedure and that certain expenditures must be approved through the established process. Dony does not openly challenge her explanation, but shortly afterward Shang Zhitao receives an unexpected notification stating that the budget has already been approved and paid. Shang Zhitao immediately realizes that something is wrong. She contacts Luan Nian and asks whether he approved the request. Luan Nian tells her that he never received the application and never signed or approved it. He warns her to be extremely careful and to pay close attention to Dony's actions. The unexplained approval becomes the first concrete sign that Dony may be bypassing company procedures for his own purposes. Luan Nian also asks Shang Zhitao for Sun Yu's phone number. He explains that he wants to introduce Sun Yu to an investment contact who may be able to help with her dating-app business project. Even while dealing with his own concerns about Dony, Luan Nian continues trying to help the people close to Shang Zhitao. The Hangzhou project begins experiencing further difficulties. Dony wants to abandon the established Beijing MCN resources and rebuild the project's network locally from the beginning. His approach creates confusion and pressure for the team, while the client begins questioning the lack of concrete progress. Dony frequently disappears under the explanation of conducting market research, but his activities produce little visible result and leave the project team without clear direction. Kitty becomes increasingly frightened of Dony. She needs to deliver a work proposal to him but is afraid to meet him alone. She approaches Shang Zhitao and asks her to accompany her. Shang Zhitao notices immediately that Kitty's fear is not normal workplace nervousness and agrees to go with her. The two women walk together to Dony's room to deliver the proposal. When Dony opens the door wearing a bathrobe and sees Kitty accompanied by Shang Zhitao, his expression changes and he clearly dislikes the fact that Kitty has brought someone else. Shang Zhitao carefully observes the interaction and becomes even more convinced that there is something wrong with Dony's behavior toward Kitty. Back in Beijing, Liang Xin completes her background investigation into Dony. The results reveal serious problems in his professional history. Dony had previously worked for several companies and had been involved in schemes in which he used differences in supplier contract prices to extract money for himself. His repeated involvement in financial misconduct explains why his sudden appointment at Lime is so suspicious. Liang Xin cannot understand why someone with such serious professional stains would be brought into the company. Luan Nian immediately sees the larger political motive. He realizes that Dony was not hired simply because of his professional experience. Board member He Qiming has a personal grudge against Luan Nian because Luan Nian previously opposed He Qiming's Southeast Asia project proposal. Luan Nian concludes that Dony has been sent into the company to create chaos and weaken his position. Rather than confronting Dony immediately, Luan Nian decides to collect evidence. He proposes sending Lumi to Hangzhou to investigate the financial flows connected with Dony's projects, including the companies, supplier relationships, equity structures and actual controllers behind the transactions. By following the money and identifying who ultimately benefits from the suspicious contracts, Luan Nian hopes to uncover the full extent of Dony's misconduct. While Luan Nian is away from the office, Shang Zhitao continues dealing with the difficult Hangzhou project. She also finds time to help Sun Yu improve the business plan for her dating-app project. When Luan Nian notices Shang Zhitao staying up late working on Sun Yu's proposal during his vacation, he jokingly complains that even his time off has turned into work. Despite the teasing, Luan Nian carefully reviews the proposal and points out that it lacks convincing data and distinctive selling points. Instead of simply criticizing it, he helps Shang Zhitao strengthen the business plan and make it more attractive to potential investors. His willingness to help shows that even while dealing with a serious corporate threat, he remains supportive of Shang Zhitao and the people she cares about. Episode 16 therefore shifts the story firmly into a new workplace conflict. Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao's relationship becomes warmer after their brief reunion, but Dony's arrival creates a growing threat around them. Shang Zhitao begins recognizing Dony's disturbing behavior toward female employees, while Luan Nian discovers evidence of Dony's past financial misconduct and realizes that his appointment is part of a deliberate attempt to destabilize the company. By the end of the episode, the romantic relationship remains strong, but the professional battle surrounding Luan Nian and Shang Zhitao is becoming much more dangerous.