Divorce Lawyers Episode 6

We’re at court and it’s not the obvious party that wins the first trial; Luo Li finally gets a taste of Shi Hai Dong’s prowess.

Luo Li’s a sleepy drunk but pretends to read Shi Hai Dong’s palm. Looking at his palm, she tells him that his life has a problem. Gee, that’s great. She then proceeds to bite his hand. He yelps. Initially, she tells him that he has luck with money only to refute it later when money seems to fall out of his grasp easily (e.g. with Yan Yan). Shi Hai Dong plays along and asks the “Master” how he can resolve his misfortune to which Luo Li tells him matter-of-factually that there isn’t a solution. Sucks to be you, Shi Hai Dong.

Luo Li tells him the most important part when it comes to palm reading: love line. She notes that Shi Hai Dong has a troubled love line and then confirms it after learning that he’s divorced (odd thing to be forgetting when you’re the one that had a helping hand in the case). She’s clearly empathetic and lays on top of him. I think it’s called a hug.  

After hugging him, she accuses him of lying. This girl. She thinks he’s her ex-boyfriend who lied about his marriage status.

She demands him to read her palm now and Shi Hai Dong holds onto her hand, seemingly earnest in reading her palm. Initially he tells her that she might marry someone in the same career (hint hint!). However, he finishes off by telling her to consider negotiations. Only work is in this guy’s head. Well, actually I’ll correct that: wine is too – expensive ones that is. For countless times he says he was leaving but he always slouches back on the couch to savour another glass.

This isn’t the look of someone wanting a kiss but Luo Li swallowing her ring. She decides that since the ring doesn’t mean eternal love, why doesn’t she just swallow it? Perfect logic. Shi Hai Dong freaks when he finds her mouth empty. He calls the emergency department immediately only to be fooled by Luo Li who brings the ring back out. However, the next thing she does is to throw the ring out the window. Shi Hai Dong freaks again and sticks his head out to window to attempt to find a pin in a hayfield ten miles above.

Just a slight note: Luo Li’s been sobbing, whining, biting (his hand), and pouting this entire time at Shi Hai Dong’s knees.

And he’s actually foolish enough to look for the ring that fell however many miles in utter darkness.

The next morning, Luo Li opens the door to Shi Hai Dong, who’s dressed dashingly, and passes an offhand compliment: “Are you going on a date?” He’s obviously pleased; he tells her he’s here to give her a monring call and suggest to carpool (in a taxi) since they’re both heading to the court. She agrees.

Luo Li in one minute...

I love it that she totally cares about her appearance when she opens the door. Shi Hai Dong tells her to fix up her face otherwise her impression will go down the drain in front of the judge. She listens but listens too well. She ends up taking forever in the washroom while Shi Hai Don’gs still outside his door impatiently ringing her doorbell.  

Luo Li in the next minute.

Then the next minute she looks like this (with the same head tilt too, eh?). It’s Shi Hai Dong’s turn to ask her whether she’s on a date, lol. In the taxi, he reveals he found the ring she threw down from her condo last night. She thanks him but with no detectable sincerity. She calls him foolish too but I’m pretty sure she’s a least a little bit touched – albeit, a little bit.  

Shi Hai Dong also takes a long glance at Luo Li’s face and comments her look today to be rather passionate but he later mutters that she suits a natural look better. Luo Li gets really a tad fiery and complains that he’s the one that told her to fix up her makeup. (But you’re the one that listened so diligently) Shi Hai Dong’s only response is to nod: “Yes, yes, yes.” Lol. There’s really no good in arguing with a female about her makeup when you’re the one that told her to fix it up, especially in the morning – sensitive topic with sensitive people at sensitive times – Shi Hai Dong, you just committed three wrongs. But Luo Li listens once again and checks her makeup and even tones it down in the car.

Later in the court, she heads to the washroom to wash her face with water. I don’t know what she’s thinking, is she planning to cool down or wash her face completely from makeup? Because that makeup ain’t coming off with just water. Her futile attempts leaves her eyeliner smudged but luckily she bumps into Shi Hai Dong (leaving the men’s washroom) who hands her some sort of cleanser (hand soap?)  from the men’s washroom. I’m not sure I want to use that on my face. She was skeptical but she listens, again and heads right back into the washroom. Wow, so obedient today, aren’t you Luo Li?

However, we see now that Shi Hai Dong is a conniving bastard. Seriously, it was an underhanded and childish move to make her eyes stingy now from that hand soap. I should mention, it shouldn't really affect Luo Li if she knows her stuff even if she can’t read as well temporarily.

Shi Hai Dong starts off the case and claims the divorce papers from ten years ago as invalid because Zheng Tian Ya signed it under suicide threats from Xia Fang Cao. Xia Fang Cao burst at the outrageous accusation but stutters in fear after Shi Hai Dong  asks: “Who sent you to the hospital after you attempted to commit suicide?” She claims that it was a random man who came to check her water bills.

However, she can’t answer when Shi Hai Dong asks her whether that man is called Gu Wei (because that’s her boyfriend). Shi Hai Dong then proceeds to unveil the footage of the two together in her mansion. Luo Li is at a complete loss at the trajectory Shi Hai Dong is bringing the case to.

Shi Hai Dong’s speed at talking impresses his client, Zheng Tian Ya, and leaves Luo Li with no chance to rebuttal. In those few shots where the focus is completely on Shi Hai Dong’s mouth, he explains that although his client was forced to sign the (invalid) divorce papers, he never neglected his duties as a caring husband. He cares so much that he, the lawful husband, rightfully setup the surveillance camera at his own home to provide security and protection for his beloved family. Bullshit.

Xia Fang Cao is furious to the point that she gets up from her seat and charges at Zheng Tian Ya to beat him up. Luo Li chases after her client to prevent the mess from unfolding any further, while Shi Hai Dong packs up his paper, getting ready to leave.

And this is the look of Shi Hai Dong knowing he’s winning. He’s a jerk, lol.

We take a small break from the case and we’re with Luo Li’s parents. Her mom made lunch but there’s an obstacle in getting her husband to eat. He’s too obsessed with watching soccer that he refuses to eat at that moment. The mom then complains that since his retirement, the only thing he does is watch television while all the housework is still hers to do. This is every mom’s pain. The father had enough with the complaints and decides to lunch out. Luo Li’s mom is furious to the point that she flies to Bejing to find her daughter. Well, that’s sure a temper.

Back to the case, Xia Fang Cao’s anger has nowhere to go except at Luo Li. She complains why she can’t just put a surveillance camera of her own at Zheng Tian Ya’s home since his home is her home too. But apparently, the reverse logic doesn’t work because Zheng Tian Ya’s house isn’t his (anymore), it belongs to  Wu Yi who’s legally married to another random guy that’s not Zheng Tian Ya. Xia Fang Cao, still frustrated, suggests they should just do a DNA test with Wu Yi and Zheng Tian Ya’s baby. However, that’s also a no go because there is no substantial proof that the child belongs to Zheng Yian Ya and hence they can’t just take someone else’s baby to do a paternal test.

After learning that her lawyer can’t do anything he blows her cap as she accuses Luo Li of siding with the opponent’s lawyer  to get a piece of her fortune especially after seeing the two (Luo Li and Shi Hai Dong) coming out of the same taxi. Please tell me Hai Dong didn’t plan this as well.

When Hai Dong spots Luo Li leaving the court, he decides to hitch a ride with her like it was nothing. He thinks they’re heading to the same place or it’s on the way. However, when Luo Li asks him whether he knows where she’s going, he straightforwardly asks, “Where are you going?” Ha. She rolls her eyes and proceeds to leave but not without one last comment: “I’ll never be heading the same direction as you are.” Are you never going home? Sorry, I’m being picky with the wording aren’t I?

Luo Li is actually in her office with Wu Wen Hui who came to discuss how to win at the next trial. This is when Luo Li finds out that she was recommended to Xia Fang Cao by him. He seems to be the ideal mentor as he not only calms down Xia Fang Cao who wants a refund but reminds her to look outside th box, e.g. consider why Wu Yi be satisfied with no status whatsoever but still give birth to his baby. (Or did she give birth to the baby to keep the man by her side?) I personally don’t know what he’s getting at yet. But he tells her to do things simply. Why does “simple” sound “illegal” to me?

Still in the taxi, Shi Hai Dong calls up Luo Li but she left her phone in the backseat of the taxi. Lucky for him, the next caller of Luo Li’s phone is her mother. He learns that her mother is in Beijing and needs someone to pick her up. He attempts to call Luo Li but is hung up on immediately upon speaking his name. He calls again naively thinking he got disconnected. Luo Li clarifies that she hung up. Lol. Shi Hai Dong doesn’t learn as he calls again but this time it gets picked up by Wu Wen Hui who lies that Luo Li just left.  

Once Shi Hai Dong stops calling, Luo Li and Wu Wen Hui get back on the case. He explains Zheng Tian Ya’s logic from a man’s perspective of why he doesn’t want to marry. He’s probably sick of married life and after escaping one, why would he fall into another one so easily? However, since it’s been ten years, his thoughts about marriage may have changed but its his dire financial status that’s preventing his marriage, as Wu Wen Hui has investigated.  

Luo gets distracted from the case and snarks that him and Zheng Tian Ya are both lowly bastards. He contradicts: “I’m different; I sincerely like you.” Her: Bullshit (notice there’s no quotations marks). He takes her against the wall telling her that there isn’t one day he isn’t thinking about her; he continues: “Today, I couldn’t do anything but think about your case / I don’t know what’s love but I know that I care about you. When you win a case, I’m happier than when I win; when you lose a case, I’m more hurt than when I lose.” Luo Li’s holding back her tears as her will against him seems to crumble. Wu Wen Hui heads in for a kiss but Luo Li seems to have grasped on the very last bit of her will and shifts away from him. Whew. She then opens the door for him to leave.

Back to Shi Hai Dong who’s with Xiao Gang; Hai Dong tells him to make up an excuse for tonight’s meeting because he has an “important person” to pick up from the airport. (\o/) Xiao Gang offers this excuse: Hai Dong being in a car accident. Shi Hai Dong doesn’t even bother to yell at him as he tells him to use his brain a little more because that excuse will keep him bedridden for three months. LOL.

As he’s getting set to leave for the airport, Luo Li’s phone buzzes; it’s a message from Wu Wen Hui that basically declares marriage and love don’t go hand in hand but rather marriage is the end of love. Shi Hai Dong agrees in matter of seconds. Men.

Shi Hai Dong successfully picks out Luo Li’s mom because she recognizes him from the picture but he's oblivious as he doesn’t ask why she knows its him. He tells her that Luo Li told him to pick her up because she’s busy. In the car, he guesses correctly that she used to be an actress because her body is still so fit and this gets her ranks of him rising up infinitesimally.

With every question she throws at him, she’s pleased with who she thinks is her potential son-in-law. When she asks how old he is, he tells her he’s almost 40. She’s surprised that he doesn’t look it. Really? Also, her motherly nature is tapped as she finds out he’s alone without his parents. She tells him that sometimes her words can come off piercing but she’s naturally kind within so that connects to her telling him that he doesn’t need to worry because she’ll definitely treat him like a son. The logic is beyond me and possibly for Shi Hai Dong too as he can only laugh.

They finally arrive at Luo Li’s place but Luo Li’s completely dumbfounded at the spatial and temporal overlap between her mom and Shi Hai Dong.

Comments: 

I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not too pleased with the little petty tricks Shi Hai Dong is pulling off, but I’m assuming that’s the know-how in the law world – maybe except for stringing her eyes. I wasn’t too impressed with the way the show decided to emphasize his skills as a lawyer based on how fast he talked ‘cause all I got from that was that he can talk fast.

As a lawyer, Shi Hai Dong knows how to pull off underhanded moves that are legal but he’s actually quite a genuine (foolish) person to go out of his way to find Luo Li’s ring and pick up her mother after being hung up on constantly. Is that his way of retribution?

Other than that I commend the show for providing us a case with an equal ground for fighting even though, initially, one end seemed immediately to be at fault.

And I did enjoy the beginning with all that skinship, but is it just me or did it lack a little chemistry? The dialogue was great though.