Roses for the Wedding, Lilies for the Grave

Episode 1

On the eve of the wedding, Colin Webb already carries a secret he cannot share. Alina's Mother, gravely ill and in need of a heart procedure, warns that the truth about her failing health must be kept from Alina. She speaks of the wedding as her last comfort, telling Colin that he and Alina are the closest family she has left. Then the bomb drops: Alina is pregnant with another man's child. Li Lei's mother is dying, and Alina has decided to give her a grandchild. Colin's world tilts before the ceremony even begins.

Episode 2

Alina refuses to see the betrayal. It's just IVF, she insists—she's only repaying a debt to Li Lei's mother, who once helped her. Colin pleads, but Alina's Mother grows agitated by the argument, and her weak heart gives out. Alina barely registers the danger, still defending her choice and accusing Colin of controlling her. "If he loves me, he should go along with what I want," she says. Then the unthinkable: Alina declares the wedding postponed. She has to give Li Lei this child first. The mother's condition spirals as the family scrambles.

Episode 3

At the hospital, the doctor delivers the blow—Alina's Mother can't be agitated, and this time her heart may not hold. Colin desperately offers his own heart, but it's too late. He calls Alina, begging her to come now, but she's unreachable, and Li Lei is already whispering that Colin is lying. Alina's Mother slips away while Colin holds vigil, vowing to bring Alina to her side. Meanwhile, Alina's own doubts flicker—why does she feel so uneasy? Li Lei dismisses it as a normal reaction to the IVF. The clock is running out.

Episode 4

Li Lei tightens his grip, telling Alina that Colin is lying and only after her money. He paints Colin as a scheming live-in son-in-law who would use her mother's illness as a weapon. Alina lashes out at Colin over the phone, accusing him of cursing her mother to death for cash. But Colin has already made a vow at the mother's bedside: he will bring Alina back to say goodbye, or he'll die trying. The family waits, the rituals loom, and Alina still doesn't know the truth. Trust is the only thing left—and it's crumbling fast.

Episode 5

The family's elders invoke tradition: the deceased must be honored within three days, and only the eldest child can perform the rites. Colin, though not blood, steps forward, begging to do whatever it takes. His devotion moves everyone—he speaks of Alina's Mother as the one who saved his life, wishing he could have been her real son. But custom demands Alina's presence for the first ceremony. Colin promises to bring her back in time. Elsewhere, Li Lei learns the IVF worked, and he tells Alina the child will be his. The trap is closing.

Episode 6

Colin waits for Alina, but she's still out handling business—and time for the funeral rites is running out. Meanwhile, Alina is trying on wedding dresses with Li Lei, planning their marriage for the very day of her mother's funeral. Her heart flutters with unease, but Li Lei waves it off as post-IVF nerves. She even suggests telling her mother they won't marry. Colin, back at the house, tells the elders he and Alina are fine, hiding the truth. The rites must be grand, he says—nothing less for the woman who raised them both.

Episode 7

Alina finally hears the news—her mother is gone—and she rushes to leave, but Li Lei stops her cold. He claims the photo Colin sent is AI-generated, a trick to manipulate her. Alina, desperate to believe him, turns on Colin, calling him cruel and dishonest. She swears she won't marry him and won't even speak to him again. Li Lei steers her back to the wedding dresses. Back home, the elders grow impatient; the rites can't wait. Colin's uncle decides to fetch Alina himself, and the confrontation edges closer.

Episode 8

Colin stalls the elders, insisting Alina is on her way and that contacting her now would endanger her. He begs to perform the rites in her place, reminding them Alina's Mother saved his life when he had no one. Tradition says only the eldest child can, but the elders relent—just this once. The first ceremony proceeds with Colin standing in. Then the tension snaps: Li Lei confronts Colin, and a scuffle breaks out. Alina defends Li Lei, and Colin's voice cracks as he asks whether a liar's sweet words mean more than the mother who gave her life.

Episode 9

The argument explodes. Li Lei accuses Colin of using the mother's death as a weapon; Alina fires back that Li Lei shares the blame. Colin pleads with Alina—does she really believe Li Lei's lies? He reminds her of everything: who carried her to the hospital when she had a fever, who truly loved her. But Alina won't hear it. She tells him their business can wait until after her wedding to Li Lei. Colin warns her the second rite is tomorrow, and as the eldest daughter, she must attend. The standoff hardens.

Episode 10

A memory surfaces—Alina as a girl, promising her mother she'd grow up, marry, and give her a comfortable life. Her mother smiled and said she'd wait. Now Alina's unease deepens: how would Colin know the details of her mother's heart condition unless something is real? She starts to doubt Li Lei's story, but he keeps her close. Colin insists she must come to the second ceremony; the elders will be there, and she is the eldest daughter. Alina wavers between fear and denial. The truth is closer than she knows.