Divorce Lawyers Episode 8

Luo Li kisses twice today. To whom and why?

Shi Hai Dong and Cao Qian Kun are out drinking and its Cao Qian Kun’s turns to sing marriage woes. He confesses that Tang Mei Yu is at a different level than he is: he prefers to go to grocery stores where it’s cheaper but his wife prefers the expensive ones because it’s cleaner. He recalls Tang Mei Yu’s father holding a gun – not at him, he was shooting for practice. However, the questions coming from her parents were like guns firing in terms of speed and accuracy in aiming at his incompetent status in comparison to Mei Yu’s.  

The next morning, Shi Hai Dong rings Luo Li’s doorbell asking for a band-aid because his razing skills went haywire. Luo Li was (oddly) willing to provide one but the mother pushes her back and shuts the door on Shi Hai Dong. Poor Shi Hai Dong’s oblivious to the complete change in attitude from Mom. Luo Li, being reasonable, opens the door to tell Shi Hai Dong (who’s obediently still there) that she’ll be back in a sec with the band-aid. Mom’s reasons with Luo Li against giving him a band-aid because when she provides once, he’ll find another excuse to come again; Mom wants Luo Li to completely upheave the weed (aka Shi Hai Dong) so that new grass can grow. I don’t know if Luo Li’s listening but while brightly smiling to her mom, she tells her to hand the band-aid to him. Mom does exactly so with curtness to boot. However, Luo Li’s at the background biting her lip and mischievously smiling.

In the next few seconds, Mom’s hunches were right; the doorbell rings again. 

Shi Hai Dong is back again to ask for “a boy”. Mom blurts out “Band-aids have genders?” Luo Li smirks. He rephrases and asks for one that isn’t as embarrassing. Mom gets annoyed now and asks whether he meant “our family’s embarrassing now?” Luo Li’s trying really hard back there to stifle her laugh. And ‘bam’, Mom closes the door on him once again.

Shi Hai Dong leaves the condo to catch a taxi to work but gets stopped by Luo Li who’s staring at her new car. Luo Li compliments how intellectual when he reads so early in the morning. She’s pretends to be interested in the book he’s reading (which is all curled up) and takes it from him.

And this is what she’s really after. That’ a really hot pink. She doesn’t deny it when he accuses this as the Mom’s doing. Then she acts like the gentleman – gentlewoman – by providing him with a male one. Dude, I love this girl. Lol. Shi Hai Dong proceeds to thank her.

Shi Hai Dong is impressed when he finds out the car is “hers” and isn’t embarrassed to ask for a lift. Luo Li responds with a wave.

She’s actually headed to Wu Wen Hui’s firm to return him both the car keys and the ring. She tells him she doesn’t want his help and attempts to leave. Wu Wen Hui holds her back and tells her that, yes, he has a family, but that doesn’t overlap with the feelings he has for her. He admits to getting drunk and having a shotgun marriage in Las Vegas. He reveals that his marriage was never certified here so whether he’s married in China is a matter that can be argued. Wow. Luo Li probably realizes what garbage she dated for x years and begs him to let her go.

We find out now why Luo Li slept so late the night before and that was because she was posting an emotional post online depicting Xia Fang Cao’s dismaying fate with her (ex-)husband. It explains that when Xia Fang Cao attempted to commit suicide, Gu Wei happened to be there and was in time to take her to the hospital. However, when he called Zheng Tian Ya for help, he couldn’t care less about his wife. The post continues to illustrate that the hard work Xia Fang Cao and Gu Wei placed into their small restaurant were reaping enough profits, they started a chain. Now, ten years later, the (ex-)husband wants a proper divorce all for a piece of her fortune. This post has garnered a lot of public support but Shi Hai Dong isn’t quite worried because this won’t necessarily affect the court’s ruling. However, if the media gets a wind of this, then his odds of winning may be jeopardized. On the other hand, Xia Fang Cao is in tears, forever grateful for such a wonderful lawyer. Even her daughter, who read the post, is now supportive of her mother and Gu Wei.

Whether the media lends their full support, Luo Li’s got the contract that’s signed by Wu Yi citing Zheng Tian Ya’s infidelity. Although the deadline to submit evidences has already expired, the court is favourably looking into iti to be presentable in court.

Although everything’s swell with the case, there’s something wrong with Luo Li. She calls up Mei Yu and asks her what the symptoms are for pregnancy. She comes home holding a pregnancy tester and cries mom but is surprised to find her mom not only at home but also right behind her.

Mom’s in an awful mood because Dad went to “Xiao Qin’s” place to eat again. Lol. Luo Li doesn’t waste this golden chance to send her mom back home as she takes initiative to buy her ticket so she can guard her husband against that woman (or vice versa). She then stealthily heads to the bathroom, locks the door, and brings out her pregnancy test from her back pocket. However, before she gets to proceed, the doorbell rings.   Luo Li hides the tester in her cardigan pocket and heads out.

Its déjà vu from this morning as its Shi Hai Dong outside requesting something from Luo Li again: this time, it’s the person herself. And Mom is once again hostile and prevents Luo Li from leaving. However, Luo Li insists that they really need to discuss business.

Before getting into business though, Shi Hai Dong expresses his bitterness towards Mom’s hostility and takes a jab at Mom’s acting roles in the best must be those double-faced ones. Luo Li gets up to leave. Knowing he crossed the line, Shi Hai Dong immediately apologizes and gets right down to business while Mom’s outside putting all her energy to right ear’s auditory skills. 

Shi Hai Dong is trying to convince Luo Li out of submitting the evidence (Wu Yi’s contract) because it might not be approved. Luo Li isn’t fazed as she agrees but since the court is willing to consider her evidence in the first place, before coming to a final decision, it is highly likely that they would request Zheng Tian Ya to provide evidence to prove otherwise, which would be tricky. Shi Hai Dong shifts his approach and asks for a simpler solution: a negotiation. Luo Li immediately loses interest and proudly takes her leave. Mom’s superpowers aren’t working because she doesn’t hear Luo Li approaching the door and is now caught eavesdropping by Luo Li.

Shi Hai Dong follows Luo Li out and catches Mom outside his door. Mom attempts to shut the door again, but this time Shi Hai Dongs offers to close his own door. LOL. So, it’s finally his turn to close the door on Mom eh? I like tiny quirks like this.

He comes back in to his own condo and is puzzled to find a pregnancy tester on his couch. Luo Li, not knowing she left it at Shi Hai Dong’s place, heads to the washroom again. Mom thinks Luo Li’s avoiding her nagging as she complains whether her daughter has kidney problems because she’s frequenting the bathroom so much lately. Luo Li dismisses her and tells her she didn’t get to finish her business last time. And once again, Shi Hai Dong’s timing is on point as the doorbell rings once again. Undoubtingly, Mom intercedes and ignores Shi Hai Dong’s request to personally return something to Luo Li. Shi Hai Dong is probably doing a mental smirk as he hands over a brown package to Mom. At least he’s got the courtesy to keep the pregnancy tester hidden. While Luo Li’s still inside the washroom, realizes her mistake and inflicts self-punishment by banging her head against the door.

Although Shi Hai Dong’s got the courtesy to respect Luo Li’s privacy, Mom doesn’t. She opens the package without much of a thought and freaks out at its content. Luo Li does her best trick: feign ignorance. She comes out acting nonchalant and even throws back the pregnancy tester (like it was dirty) at Mom and calls her ignorant for believing whatever the neighbour says. Great way to make Shi Hai Dong’s image sink even lower.

Mom takes the envelope containing the pregnancy tester and heads over to Shi Hai Dong’s place. All this doorbell ringing is starting to annoy me a little. Mom’s much sweeter now as this time, she seems to be seeking a favour from him. He invites her in and before she sits down, she exams his room with a blank expression, probably disappointed that there’s nothing to nitpick about. She tells him about Luo Li and how she wants her daughter to marry well and asks for Shi Hai Dong to confirm on the worst possible scenario would be to end up like him: divorced. He falters a little at Mom’s directness (and harshness) but can only succumb to Mom as he nods his head. She continues to say how Shi Hai Dong is rather intellectual and understanding. Then she asks him, “You understand, right?” Shi Hai Dong nods his head once again. But silence follows. He doesn’t get it. Lol.

Mom then brings out the envelope he gave to her from before and asks him calmly for the content of this package. He feigns ignorance too. Mom doesn’t play nice anymore and takes out the tester and confronts him blatantly to leave her daughter alone.

Shi Hai Dong almost couldn’t contain himself in his seat; he’s shocked at the turn the conversation is taking. His eyes bulges out to the surprising accusation and attempts to explain but gets thwarted by Mom’s claim that Luo Li testified herself that he was her boyfriend. Shi Hai Dong’s flabbergasted. LOL. Mom continues to lash out her evidence: the visit to Luo Li’s place late at night (remember she was on the phone with her that night of Luo Li’s birthday – hey I just remembered! Mom never wished her daughter a Happy Birthday!) and the grand move of picking her up from the airport. I would say Mom slayed him but Shi Hai Dong’s pretty impressive at explaining everything within thirty seconds. In the end he complains that he’s getting accused when he’s done absolutely nothing wrong. Lol, so true. 

Mom is now severely disappointed at Shi Hai Dong’s character. Gobsmacked at the new ridicule, he finally gets up from his seat (which should theoretically lends him more power) in claiming his innocence. He tells Mom to confirm with her daughter first and if she claims otherwise, he will take 100% responsibility if he were caught lying. Confident in her daughter, Mom accepts the challenge. But before leaving, she tells Shi Hai Dong about Luo Li’s father: “He’s a martial artist.” LOL. I’m liking Shi Hai Dong’s stunned face. He’s shocked to find that Mom is threatening to hurt him when both he and her daughter are lawyers. Mom continues that she and Dad have never relied on law to resolve their differences. Haha. While Luo Li’s out there listening to their argument and cowardly escapes, her inner angelic side convinces her otherwise because she confidently trots right into Shi Hai Dong’s condo to confront her problem head on.  

But again, she feigns ignorance. She refutes to be the owner of the pregnancy tester and Shi Hai Dong’s fervour cannot be contained anymore as he does an angry re-enactment of her leaving her pregnancy tester on his couch.

Luo Li claims that the tester probably belongs to one of the women he brought to his condo and this gets Shi Hai Dong’s even more furious; he demands to know which eyes of hers saw him ever bringing a woman home. Luo Li then asks him for evidence too: which eye – insert wink wink here from Luo Li to Shi Hai Dong – did he see her buy the pregnancy tester with.

Ohmygawd, my screenshot cannot capture how much I love Shi Hai Dong’s expression which is a transition from an angry face subsiding to an oh-no-I-don’t-know-what-you-want-me-to-do face.

Mom perks in and asks for evidence too. Shi Hai Dong is like: “Let me think.” LOL! His anger is vanishing with each second he contemplates. Luo Li agrees and tells him to think again too. Then in a quick tiny voice he confesses: “I remembered wrong.” Hahaha. Luo Li’s quick to pick up on his line and swings to her mom: “See, I told you he remembered wrong.”

Now Shi Hai Dong has to eat his own words that he threw at Mom earlier about being 100% responsible. Mom demands an apology. Luo Li has no choice but to urge (or silently beg) Shi Hai Dong to apologize. However, she backs off immediately when Shi Hai Dong glares at her. He helped her and now he wants an apology too? That’s too much. However, Mom is keeping her stance leaving Luo Li no choice but to plead silently with her eyes for his apology. He’s stubborn too but she’s desperate and stomps her feet with a bang while demanding for a quick apology. This gets an “I’m sorry” out of his mouth but it seems like he apologized out of the surprise from the ‘bang’. You know, something like a hiccup but reversed?

Mom’s not impressed with this half-hearted apology and demands a proper one. (We’re getting déjà vu vu from all over the places now.) Shi Hai Dong once again glowers at Luo Li.

However, the next second, he adds a 90^o bow to his apology. You know, this guy is actually very nice. Or should I say compliant?

She thanks him in the background.

And blows him a kiss. 

The mother-daughter team finally leaves.

After a while, Shi Hai Dong catches Luo Li before she leaves again at the elevator and asks her kindly that if she wanted his cooperation, she should have warned him beforehand. He hands back the pregnancy tester but she wears her best puzzled look. LOL. She claims she has no idea at what’s he’s implying and she’s sticking to her original story: it belongs to one of the random women he brought home.  

Comments: 

I’m sorry, but I vaguely remember me citing her angelic side up above but I'd like to take that back because that side obviously ceases to exist if it ever existed. 

This episode was real fun with fresh hijinks between the main OTP. However, am I the only one that doesn’t feel the pull in their chemistry? Or is this kind of love to mature for me?