A lawyer unwillingly fabricates a marriage to a stranger, and then marries him for real.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Director:
Chinese Title
爱的二八定律
爱的二八定律
Cast
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| Yang Mi: Qin Shi |
Xu Kai: Yang Hua |
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| Li Ze Feng: Tao Jun Hui |
Tang Jing Mei: Li Dai |
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| Wang Zi Xuan: Wu Fei |
Liu Lin: Tang Yi Hui |
Mini Recaps
Believe it or not, I have actually tried to condense it, so events aren’t necessarily in aired order. There are quite a lot of flashbacks and I’ve italicized these in some cases.
This drama is filled with legal and financial jargon, neither of which I’m familiar with. I’ve tried to make sense of them as best I can.
A man Qin Wenyu, hides in an upscale hotel room while his wife, Ren Meimei, causes a ruckus outside, wielding a hammer and threatening to break open the door. Lawyer Qin Shi (FL) makes a glamorous entrance, gains entry into the room, and discovers Wenyu’s current inamorata hidden in a closet.
Wenyu is Qin Shi’s brother, while Meimei is her best friend and client. Qin Shi pretends to broker a divorce agreement between the two, knowing full well that neither wants a divorce. The affairs and divorce threats seem to be a regular occurrence, this being the 17th divorce agreement Qin Shi has drafted for them. She looks absolutely fed up.
…
There’s a party that evening to celebrate Madam Tang’s wedding anniversary with her husband Jin Cheng. Ah, the other half of Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang says Qin Shi should bring her husband along, but according to Qin Shi this is not possible because he’s in Slovakia on business. Madam Tang wonders at the fact that she hasn’t seen Qin Shi’s husband once in the two years that Qin Shi has been at Cheng & Hui. She warns that at this crucial juncture, Qin Shi shouldn’t do anything in her personal life that might jeopardize her career. That includes getting pregnant or divorced(!) At least with pregnancy, the law firm will be affected by maternity leave. Why should divorce be the law firm’s concern?
Qin Shi’s supposed husband is none other than Yang Hua. Was anybody surprised, given it’s the premise of the entire show?
In a flashback, we learn that when Bian Jing brought Qin Shi into Cheng & Hui, she’d also told Madam Tang that Qin Shi was already married.
In the present, Yang Hua puts a negative spin on this, saying Qin Shi chose to lie for her career and he happened to be a random person on the internet whom she chose as her “husband”. Qin Shi says it wasn’t random, but doesn’t explain. Instead, she finally apologizes. On the surface, her apology doesn’t sound sincere, but you can tell she’s panicking internally. Her apology doesn’t cut any ice with him. She asks him to make some requests, to see if they can come to a compromise.
He doesn’t need her to explain the true situation to her colleagues. He just wants her to announce her divorce, within three days. She makes a feeble attempt to flirt her way out of trouble, but meets with no success. I don’t like that she even attempted to flirt. She agrees to his terms.
While they’re negotiating, Yang Hua seems mildly amused with Qin Shi. And despite his non-reaction to the kiss, he seems to be affected when she bids him goodbye in front of her colleagues.
…
Qin Shi runs into Bian Jing as she leaves the party. The latter is pregnant, which is the reason she’s leaving. We see from a more recent flashback that Bian Jing advised Qin Shi to continue her deception, and that Qin Shi was against the idea, even before Yang Hua came onto the scene.
What Bian Jing did was so unfair. She made up a lie and forced Qin Shi to go along with it, and is now walking away while leaving her protégé in deep trouble. Also, how was Bian Jing able to become a partner when she didn’t yet have a child?
…
At the party, Madam Lan introduces Madam Tang to her niece, Zhao Danping. Zhao Danping gives Madam Tang the most frosty greeting imaginable. It turns out Li Dai (Yang Hua’s intended date), handled Zhao Danping’s divorce, from the side of Danping’s husband, which resulted in Danping losing 12 million yuan. Mr Jin thinks Li Dai handled the case well, but Madam Tang is furious that all her work building connections to get to Madam Lan has ended like this.
…When Yang Hua gets home from the party, he finds that his mom has evicted God of Wealth from his room, put his belongings out in a suitcase, and also changed the room’s locks. She’ll only let him back in if he agrees to marry. That seems unbelievably extreme. Dad Yang is on his son’s side and has hidden some money to enable Yang Hua to lay low somewhere for a while. Are these evictions frequent? Otherwise, why would father and son have a secret hiding place?
[Ep2] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
After settling matters with her brother and sister-in-law, Qin Shi heads for her office at Cheng & Hui law firm, which apparently has the most lenient dress code ever. Sparkly jackets, lip-print blouses and long earrings are not what I imagine when I think “lawyer”, no matter how attractive the lawyer might look in them.
Qin Shi has a very close relationship with her boss, Tang Yihui, and calls her “older sister Hui”. I’m assuming Tang Yihui is one of the partners of Cheng & Hui. Tang Yihui tells Qin Shi that Shi’s mentor, Bian Jing, is leaving soon. Her departure from the 11th floor (corporate division) means there’s a coveted vacancy for the position of partner. Madam Tang thinks Qin Shi is best suited to fill the role… provided she toes the line. Qin Shi cutesily replies that she’ll be more obedient than Madam Tang’s dog. Ugh! Self-respect, girl!
…
In a very different neighborhood - a more “home-y” one - Mom Yang goes through a list of prospective girlfriends for her son, Yang Hua (ML), all of whom he rejects for various reasons. He doesn’t actually seem to want a girlfriend. Nor does he want to be financially successful or own a house. His biggest dream is to live a peaceful life and die on his bed. His mother, on the other hand, wants him to be successful and have his own family. Essentially, to be “like others”. Mom Yang also says she hopes her son can “get back on the right track slowly”, which suggests he wasn’t always this way.
One of the reasons for Mom Yang’s nagging is that, despite graduating from a top university, Yang Hua doesn’t have a traditional job. He trades stocks at home, isn’t in a relationship, and keeps a pet turtle named God of Wealth. This gives rise to Talk. Since Mom can’t do much about his work, she’s determined that he should at least find a girlfriend. She has set up a date with a lawyer, Li Dai, for that evening.
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In a very different neighborhood - a more “home-y” one - Mom Yang goes through a list of prospective girlfriends for her son, Yang Hua (ML), all of whom he rejects for various reasons. He doesn’t actually seem to want a girlfriend. Nor does he want to be financially successful or own a house. His biggest dream is to live a peaceful life and die on his bed. His mother, on the other hand, wants him to be successful and have his own family. Essentially, to be “like others”. Mom Yang also says she hopes her son can “get back on the right track slowly”, which suggests he wasn’t always this way.
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| His very posture screams “apathy” |
One of the reasons for Mom Yang’s nagging is that, despite graduating from a top university, Yang Hua doesn’t have a traditional job. He trades stocks at home, isn’t in a relationship, and keeps a pet turtle named God of Wealth. This gives rise to Talk. Since Mom can’t do much about his work, she’s determined that he should at least find a girlfriend. She has set up a date with a lawyer, Li Dai, for that evening.
Mom Yang: Don’t call me Mom unless you win her heart.Yang Hua: Aunty xD
…
There’s a party that evening to celebrate Madam Tang’s wedding anniversary with her husband Jin Cheng. Ah, the other half of Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang says Qin Shi should bring her husband along, but according to Qin Shi this is not possible because he’s in Slovakia on business. Madam Tang wonders at the fact that she hasn’t seen Qin Shi’s husband once in the two years that Qin Shi has been at Cheng & Hui. She warns that at this crucial juncture, Qin Shi shouldn’t do anything in her personal life that might jeopardize her career. That includes getting pregnant or divorced(!) At least with pregnancy, the law firm will be affected by maternity leave. Why should divorce be the law firm’s concern?
Qin Shi’s supposed husband is none other than Yang Hua. Was anybody surprised, given it’s the premise of the entire show?
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| Well well well… |
In a flashback, we learn that when Bian Jing brought Qin Shi into Cheng & Hui, she’d also told Madam Tang that Qin Shi was already married.
At the wedding anniversary dinner, which is held at the law firm itself and seems to be more a networking event than a celebration, Madam Tang points out Lan Xiaoting, the president of the Association for Women Entrepreneurs. Apparently Madam Lan is on the lookout for a new legal adviser, and Madam Tang wants that person to be from Cheng & Hui. But there’s an unspoken rule that Madam Lan won’t work with unmarried women or divorcees. Shouldn’t that be illegal, given how stupidly discriminatory it is? And she’s the president of an association that’s supposed to help female entrepreneurs! Is marriage a criteria for the entrepreneurs as well? Madam Tang promises anything Qin Shi wants, even a partnership, if she manages to win over Madam Lan.
For some reason, Qin Shi adopts a cutesy tone when speaking with Madam Lan, and tries to get on her good side by flattering her looks and asking her about yoga, rather than by displaying her own professional expertise. I was so unimpressed.
Coincidentally, Yang Hua’s date (Li Dai) happens to be a lawyer at Cheng & Hui and he shows up at the party, dressed so very informally. Madam Tang recognizes him from Qin Shi’s photo, and excitedly drags him over to his “wife”. Qin Shi goes from coquettish - which seems to be her standard mode of speech with Madam Tang - to horror-stricken in a second.
After a few seconds of panic, Qin Shi strides over to Yang Hua… and kisses him. This is harassment! This of course makes them the cynosure of all eyes and an embarrassed Madam Tang sends Qin Shi away to talk with her “husband” in private. Yang Hua’s reaction to the kiss seemed to be… nothing. Not shock, not anger, not enjoyment, not even stunned. I couldn’t figure it out.
Rather than apologizing, Qin Shi asks Yang Hua whether he was looking for someone, as the party was for invitees only. He doesn’t see why his personal affairs are her concern. He just wants an explanation.
We get the explanation in a continuation of the previous flashback. Younger Qin Shi confronts her mentor about the lie. She cares about her credibility as a lawyer and doesn’t see the need for any deception. According to Bian Jing, unmarried women can only reach the rank of senior attorney within Cheng & Hui. To climb higher, they have to be married. Bian Jing knew Qin Shi wouldn’t agree to lying, so she did it for her.
For some reason, Qin Shi adopts a cutesy tone when speaking with Madam Lan, and tries to get on her good side by flattering her looks and asking her about yoga, rather than by displaying her own professional expertise. I was so unimpressed.
Coincidentally, Yang Hua’s date (Li Dai) happens to be a lawyer at Cheng & Hui and he shows up at the party, dressed so very informally. Madam Tang recognizes him from Qin Shi’s photo, and excitedly drags him over to his “wife”. Qin Shi goes from coquettish - which seems to be her standard mode of speech with Madam Tang - to horror-stricken in a second.
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| When abject horror meets deep distrust |
Rather than apologizing, Qin Shi asks Yang Hua whether he was looking for someone, as the party was for invitees only. He doesn’t see why his personal affairs are her concern. He just wants an explanation.
We get the explanation in a continuation of the previous flashback. Younger Qin Shi confronts her mentor about the lie. She cares about her credibility as a lawyer and doesn’t see the need for any deception. According to Bian Jing, unmarried women can only reach the rank of senior attorney within Cheng & Hui. To climb higher, they have to be married. Bian Jing knew Qin Shi wouldn’t agree to lying, so she did it for her.
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| Random observation: the Qin Shi of two years ago was very different to present-day Qin Shi |
Yang Hua: I want a divorce. So much for compromise :D
He doesn’t need her to explain the true situation to her colleagues. He just wants her to announce her divorce, within three days. She makes a feeble attempt to flirt her way out of trouble, but meets with no success. I don’t like that she even attempted to flirt. She agrees to his terms.
While they’re negotiating, Yang Hua seems mildly amused with Qin Shi. And despite his non-reaction to the kiss, he seems to be affected when she bids him goodbye in front of her colleagues.
…
Qin Shi runs into Bian Jing as she leaves the party. The latter is pregnant, which is the reason she’s leaving. We see from a more recent flashback that Bian Jing advised Qin Shi to continue her deception, and that Qin Shi was against the idea, even before Yang Hua came onto the scene.
What Bian Jing did was so unfair. She made up a lie and forced Qin Shi to go along with it, and is now walking away while leaving her protégé in deep trouble. Also, how was Bian Jing able to become a partner when she didn’t yet have a child?
…
At the party, Madam Lan introduces Madam Tang to her niece, Zhao Danping. Zhao Danping gives Madam Tang the most frosty greeting imaginable. It turns out Li Dai (Yang Hua’s intended date), handled Zhao Danping’s divorce, from the side of Danping’s husband, which resulted in Danping losing 12 million yuan. Mr Jin thinks Li Dai handled the case well, but Madam Tang is furious that all her work building connections to get to Madam Lan has ended like this.
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| Poor Li Dai. In trouble for doing her job too well |
Yang Hua rolls off with his suitcase and God of Wealth. While his father feigns concern, his mother knows her son well enough to know his exact destination: a hotel within 500m of their house. She also knows that because he’s spoiled at home, he won’t be able to adjust to living at the hotel for a long time. She predicts he’ll be back in 2 days.
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Qin Shi finds out why Madam Tang is so desperate to get Madam Lan as a client (or to make lots of money through Madam Lan’s connections). Mr Jin’s ex-girlfriend was wealthy and her husband is now the president of a public company. Madam Tang feels guilty about this. She thinks if she can get through to Madam Lan, Cheng & Hui could also go public, or at least Mr Jin’s net worth could be doubled or tripled. This seemed very silly to me. Mr Jin chose Madam Tang knowing she had less money. They own a company together now. For how long will they compare themselves with their exes? In any case, it doesn’t seem like he cares. But she feels guilty.
When she sees how much Madam Tang values her marriage with Mr Jin, Qin Shi feels uneasy about her impending “divorce” with Yang Hua. She tries to broach the subject, but is cut short. Madam Tang is only interested in Madam Lan right now.
Unfortunately, they’re doomed to fail. Madam Lan is letting Zhao Danping take care of the Association. Now Madam Tang has to set her sights on Zhao Danping instead. Qin Shi’s immediately on it.
…
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| Little chance of escape for Yang Hua, and even less chance of escape for poor God of Wealth |
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Qin Shi finds out why Madam Tang is so desperate to get Madam Lan as a client (or to make lots of money through Madam Lan’s connections). Mr Jin’s ex-girlfriend was wealthy and her husband is now the president of a public company. Madam Tang feels guilty about this. She thinks if she can get through to Madam Lan, Cheng & Hui could also go public, or at least Mr Jin’s net worth could be doubled or tripled. This seemed very silly to me. Mr Jin chose Madam Tang knowing she had less money. They own a company together now. For how long will they compare themselves with their exes? In any case, it doesn’t seem like he cares. But she feels guilty.
When she sees how much Madam Tang values her marriage with Mr Jin, Qin Shi feels uneasy about her impending “divorce” with Yang Hua. She tries to broach the subject, but is cut short. Madam Tang is only interested in Madam Lan right now.
Unfortunately, they’re doomed to fail. Madam Lan is letting Zhao Danping take care of the Association. Now Madam Tang has to set her sights on Zhao Danping instead. Qin Shi’s immediately on it.
…
Meanwhile, Yang Hua is brainstorming with his best friend, Cai Liang, about ways and means for dealing with his mom. Cai Liang sides with Mom Yang. Apparently Yang Hua was the top student at university with the greatest potential. For him to become an almost-recluse is reason enough for any mother to worry. Cai Liang believes Yang Hua can easily earn 1 million a year, but Yang Hua is happy with his current income. He’s also not interested in marriage when “divorce is the solution to end every argument”
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| This duo spends less time exercising and more time chatting. Gym membership well spent |
Cai Liang changes tactics and tries to argue for making compromises to regain freedom. He thinks little white lies aren’t bad for appeasing parents. Yang Hua compares telling a lie to appease his parents with Qin Shi’s lie to get ahead in the workplace. Cai Liang explains that it’s harder for women to climb the corporate ladder due to outdated views about marriage and maternity leave. Yang Hua thinks the outdated views should be abolished rather than circumvented, and that Qin Shi shouldn’t have given in. Easy for him to say.
During the conversation, we also learn that Yang Hua had previously been employed and had lost his job, and had also broken up with his girlfriend at the same time.
…
Wu Fei (the new legal assistant) saunters casually into Cheng & Hui, much to the surprise of her colleague, Zhou Qianqian. All the legal assistants are working on Qin Shi’s assignment to find out as much about Zhao Danping as possible, but Wu Fei isn’t even aware of the assignment, as she doesn’t read work emails at home. Qin Shi is not impressed with her new legal assistant and makes some cutting remarks.
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| Not the best of starts |
Wu Fei lets off steam to Tao Junhui about Qin Shi’s harshness. He comforts her, and she admits that she was mostly at fault. His “look at my baby, she’s reflecting on herself” sounded so condescending. He says if work gets too tough, just come home and he’ll take care of her. Why do people discourage girls from working hard? She knows she always has the option to “be his princess, his obedient fiancée”. Ugh! Also, until this sentence, I thought he was her father!
Tao Junhui also seems to be a lawyer of some sort and has a private investigator tailing Madam Lan. I don’t know what his interest in Madam Lan is. He sees the photos from the dinner party and zooms in on one of Qin Shi.
…
Qin Shi arranges a meeting with Zhao Danping and Madam Tang. Zhao Danping is a tough cookie and isn’t swayed by Madam Tang’s insincerity. Qin Shi reads her well and realizes that frankness and honesty are the only things that will work. Every curveball Zhao Danping throws, Qin Shi handles, and finally manages to get her on board (with the condition that legal consultations are provided for free). But after all Qin Shi’s hard work, she’s shocked to find that Zhao Danping wants Li Dai to be the lead attorney, because she thinks Qin Shi is too feisty. I think Zhao Danping enjoys discomfiting people because she immediately looked for Qin Shi’s reaction.
Madam Tang is thrilled at their new client, and doesn’t seem to care that Qin Shi is upset. Madam Tang seems very phoney. Qin Shi starts to tell her about the “divorce”, but decides against it (probably because she didn’t gain a complete victory with Zhao Danping).
Qin Shi asks her subordinates for information about Madam Lan. Is she going to try and win over Madam Lan and use her to convince Zhao Danping? That seems a bit unfair to Li Dai. Even though it’s natural for Qin Shi to feel wronged, it’s not Li Dai’s fault that she was overlooked by Danping.
Zhou Qianqian tries to manipulate Wu Fei and claim credit for her work, but it isn’t that easy to fool Qin Shi. Wu Fei also gets tickets for Qin Shi to attend a charity dinner at which Madam Lan will be present. The caveat: she has to attend with a family member. The assumption is that attendees will bring their spouses. Why should there be such rules for a charity dinner?
…
Yang Hua writes an advertisement for “renting a girlfriend for a year”. Oh my. On another note, has he moved to a new hotel? This one seems much cleaner and nicer.
Cai Liang goes with Yang Hua to meet his potential hired girlfriend. Actually, Cai Liang is doing the meeting, while Yang Hua is hiding so he can see the girl first before she sees him. So he’s safe but it’s ok if his friend gets into trouble? Cai Liang calls his friend out on his hypocrisy, but Yang Hua thinks what he’s doing is ok and “no one will get hurt anyway”. Isn’t this similar to Qin Shi’s justification that he wouldn’t be affected by her lie? He really is a bit of a hypocrite.
The girl arrives and to nobody’s surprise, it’s Qin Shi. Yang Hua walks out immediately and into Cai Liang’s car, but instructs his friend not to drive just yet. Cai Liang is puzzled by the situation. He thinks Qin Shi is Yang Hua’s friend and is genuinely surprised that Yang Hua has a friend apart from himself xD
Yang Hua correctly predicts that Qin Shi will follow them. She wants to be allowed to finish her request, but he’s not interested and asks her to leave. Then why did he ask his friend to wait at all? Despite all his words to the contrary, he seems to be intrigued by her. But then he decides to be mean.
Tao Junhui also seems to be a lawyer of some sort and has a private investigator tailing Madam Lan. I don’t know what his interest in Madam Lan is. He sees the photos from the dinner party and zooms in on one of Qin Shi.
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| And the plot thickens… |
…
Qin Shi arranges a meeting with Zhao Danping and Madam Tang. Zhao Danping is a tough cookie and isn’t swayed by Madam Tang’s insincerity. Qin Shi reads her well and realizes that frankness and honesty are the only things that will work. Every curveball Zhao Danping throws, Qin Shi handles, and finally manages to get her on board (with the condition that legal consultations are provided for free). But after all Qin Shi’s hard work, she’s shocked to find that Zhao Danping wants Li Dai to be the lead attorney, because she thinks Qin Shi is too feisty. I think Zhao Danping enjoys discomfiting people because she immediately looked for Qin Shi’s reaction.
Madam Tang is thrilled at their new client, and doesn’t seem to care that Qin Shi is upset. Madam Tang seems very phoney. Qin Shi starts to tell her about the “divorce”, but decides against it (probably because she didn’t gain a complete victory with Zhao Danping).
Qin Shi asks her subordinates for information about Madam Lan. Is she going to try and win over Madam Lan and use her to convince Zhao Danping? That seems a bit unfair to Li Dai. Even though it’s natural for Qin Shi to feel wronged, it’s not Li Dai’s fault that she was overlooked by Danping.
Zhou Qianqian tries to manipulate Wu Fei and claim credit for her work, but it isn’t that easy to fool Qin Shi. Wu Fei also gets tickets for Qin Shi to attend a charity dinner at which Madam Lan will be present. The caveat: she has to attend with a family member. The assumption is that attendees will bring their spouses. Why should there be such rules for a charity dinner?
…
Yang Hua writes an advertisement for “renting a girlfriend for a year”. Oh my. On another note, has he moved to a new hotel? This one seems much cleaner and nicer.
Cai Liang goes with Yang Hua to meet his potential hired girlfriend. Actually, Cai Liang is doing the meeting, while Yang Hua is hiding so he can see the girl first before she sees him. So he’s safe but it’s ok if his friend gets into trouble? Cai Liang calls his friend out on his hypocrisy, but Yang Hua thinks what he’s doing is ok and “no one will get hurt anyway”. Isn’t this similar to Qin Shi’s justification that he wouldn’t be affected by her lie? He really is a bit of a hypocrite.
The girl arrives and to nobody’s surprise, it’s Qin Shi. Yang Hua walks out immediately and into Cai Liang’s car, but instructs his friend not to drive just yet. Cai Liang is puzzled by the situation. He thinks Qin Shi is Yang Hua’s friend and is genuinely surprised that Yang Hua has a friend apart from himself xD
Yang Hua correctly predicts that Qin Shi will follow them. She wants to be allowed to finish her request, but he’s not interested and asks her to leave. Then why did he ask his friend to wait at all? Despite all his words to the contrary, he seems to be intrigued by her. But then he decides to be mean.
Yang Hua: I find it hard to trust someone who lies her way up. Ouch!
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| This has to be so entertaining - and embarrassing - for Cai Liang |
Qin Shi is visibly hurt. We see a conversation from two years ago with Bian Jing, where her mentor stresses that single female lawyers have a glass ceiling and that someone with Qin Shi’s relentlessness and talent should have a bigger stage. She also reminds Qin Shi of being overlooked at her previous workplace despite her ability. Younger Qin Shi is completely against lying to achieve her goals, but Bian Jing guilt-trips her by telling her she (Bian Jing) would have to lose her job as well. I don’t see that Qin Shi had any choice but to go along with the lie after that. It was either that or getting her mentor in major trouble. Having said that, her mentor got her in major trouble, so it’d be totally fair to return the favor.
In the present, Qin Shi regains her composure and wants to come to some agreement with Yang Hua.
Yang Hua continues to criticize Qin Shi, saying she’s the sort of person who chooses the easy way out of things, uses others for her own benefit, and cares only about herself. He ends with “you’re a despicable person”. Whoa, that was entirely uncalled for.
He comes off as a horribly judgemental ***** here. He doesn’t really know much about her and yet decided that she was “that sort of person”.
Cai Liang looks uncomfortable and Qin Shi looks like she’s holding back tears. She furiously tells them she’s a good lawyer who is fighting against an unfair system. She apologizes for her lie but says she had no choice. She then tells Yang Hua the truth about why she chose him. It was because of a Weibo post he’d posted years ago, which resonated with her and which she can still quote verbatim. But she sees now that she chose the wrong person. During her rant, Qin Shi told Cai Liang to shut up a couple times, which I didn’t like. He was just trying to help. Is “shut up” considered less rude in Chinese than in English?
Yang Hua is moved by her words, but refuses to go after her when she exits the car, despite Cai Liang’s persuasions. I would hope that he feels guilty because of his harsh and unfair words, and not just because she liked his Weibo post.
Yang Hua asks to borrow money from Cai Liang. He wants to move out, but his trading account is under his mother’s name and associated with his mother’s phone number (WHY?) and she’s changed the password. He has no savings since he believes stocks are a better option for his money. At least until he’s locked out of his account. How is someone who’s supposedly so smart also so stupid? Cai Liang lends him a little money, and asks him again to apologize to Qin Shi.
Yang Hua arranges to meet with Qin Shi again, but this time the tables are turned. Qin Shi realizes that if he’s willing to negotiate with a “despicable person” he must be in a worse situation than her, so she makes him eat humble pie for a little while. He absolutely deserved it, imo. That “despicable” remark (and his entire criticism of her in the car) was unacceptable. They finally come to an agreement that for six months, they will pretend to be married in front of her colleagues and in a relationship in front of his mother. She’s come with a written agreement ready for him to sign. So she knew he’d agree to her terms. Heh. They also have their first assignments for each other: Qin Shi has to visit Yang Hua’s parents; he has to accompany her to the charity dinner.
At his home, Yang Hua tells his mom he’s going to date Qin Shi for a year before marrying her. He wants to add her to the house property deed and for his parents to move out. And to top it all off, they don’t want a wedding or kids. Mom Yang is shocked and promises not to pressure him into marriage any more. Yang Hua rejoices…
… in his dreams. In reality, Mom Yang knows her son well and suspects a trick. She pretends to agree with every condition Yang Hua makes, but wants them to marry in three months instead of a year. Dad Yang is very uncertain and tries to interject, but is stopped by his wife.
Yang Hua is taken aback by his mother’s reaction. Qin Shi seems amused by the whole exchange. She’s formed an accurate assessment of Mom Yang and strikes in a way that’ll actually work. She says she wants to marry straight away instead of waiting even 3 months. Yang Hua can live in the house that Qin Shi owns and do housework while she takes on the role of breadwinner. She makes it seem like Yang Hua is completely under her thumb. Qin Shi also claims that her father has been married three times, which is probably the last straw for someone like Mom Yang, who cares about What Other People Think.
Yang Hua is very impressed by his “girlfriend’s” method of handling his mother.
After they leave, Mom Yang rants to her husband. She thinks they’ll have no peace if Yang Hua marries Qin Shi, and is unhappy because Qin Shi is six years older than her son. Why is Mom Yang so upset about age? She arranged a date for her son with Li Dai, and Li Dai is the same age as Qin Shi. Dad Yang is entertained by the situation.
…
On their way to the charity dinner, Qin Shi briefs Yang Hua on her husband, i.e., himself. He’s in International Finance, mostly works abroad, and has a 2.5 year old child with his wife. The child is unwell and in the care of relatives abroad. Yang Hua wonders how they have a 2.5-year-old if they only married two years ago.
…
Li Dai has found out about Qin Shi’s plan (to accost Madam Lan) and complains to Madam Tang. Boss lady seems amused and thinks Qin Shi just seeks validation and won’t cause any harm. But if she can change Madam Lan’s mind with a few words, then it shows that she is capable. Li Dai is not happy. Madam Tang’s method of handling her employees is very poor. She comes off as insincere and uncaring, and even seems to enjoy their conflicts.
…
At the charity dinner, Qin Shi wonders why Zhao Danping chose Li Dai when Li Dai was the cause of her losing so much money. Yang Hua thinks that if someone defeats him, it means they are capable. He advises Qin Shi to target Madam Lan’s husband, Pang Dingfang, first. He’s the president of the Luowei Yulan group.
Yang Hua chats with Pang Dingfang about economics (or finance or something like that). Tao Junhui is also at the party and joins the conversation. He seems to be on close terms with Madam Lan, so I don’t know why it seemed like he was investigating her earlier. Qin Shi freezes at the sight of Tao Junhui and doesn’t respond to Yang Hua’s signals to join him. When she finally does walk over, she grabs Yang Hua’s arm and keeps holding it. She also makes no move to speak to Pang Dingfang apart from introducing herself as Yang Hua’s wife and a lawyer from Cheng & Hui. Yang Hua is surprised but reassuring.
Tao Junhui sees this and looks a bit sour.
Qin Shi doesn’t get a chance to speak to Pang Dingfang, so she approaches Madam Lan instead. Madam Lan’s secretary whispers to her that Qin Shi knows Mr Wu from Xi Mei PR, which is news to Qin Shi herself. Tao Junhui seems to be eavesdropping nearby and looks suspicious.
Yang Hua wants to leave the party. He agreed to help with Qin Shi’s work, but not with ex-boyfriends. I suppose her behavior was enough to tip anyone off that Tao Junhui was someone who’d been close to her. Tao Junhui introduces himself as being Qin Shi’s senior at university and wants to know about Yang Hua, but Qin Shi soon ends that conversation.
Qin Shi thinks back to a time when she was Tao Junhui’s fiancée, having dated him for seven years(!). It’s only after those 7 years that his mother seems to have come to know about Qin Shi’s family’s circumstances, namely that her father has been married three times. So that was true? I thought she’d just said it to shock Mom Yang.
Mom Tao argues loudly with her son about not marrying “a girl from such a family”, while said girl is a dinner guest in the same house within earshot. Nice manners, Mom Tao :-/ Younger Qin Shi is humiliated (and probably upset that it took 7 years for her fiancé to tell his mother about her) and leaves. Mom Tao actually has the nerve to complain that she left without saying goodbye.
He comes off as a horribly judgemental ***** here. He doesn’t really know much about her and yet decided that she was “that sort of person”.
Cai Liang looks uncomfortable and Qin Shi looks like she’s holding back tears. She furiously tells them she’s a good lawyer who is fighting against an unfair system. She apologizes for her lie but says she had no choice. She then tells Yang Hua the truth about why she chose him. It was because of a Weibo post he’d posted years ago, which resonated with her and which she can still quote verbatim. But she sees now that she chose the wrong person. During her rant, Qin Shi told Cai Liang to shut up a couple times, which I didn’t like. He was just trying to help. Is “shut up” considered less rude in Chinese than in English?
Yang Hua asks to borrow money from Cai Liang. He wants to move out, but his trading account is under his mother’s name and associated with his mother’s phone number (WHY?) and she’s changed the password. He has no savings since he believes stocks are a better option for his money. At least until he’s locked out of his account. How is someone who’s supposedly so smart also so stupid? Cai Liang lends him a little money, and asks him again to apologize to Qin Shi.
Yang Hua arranges to meet with Qin Shi again, but this time the tables are turned. Qin Shi realizes that if he’s willing to negotiate with a “despicable person” he must be in a worse situation than her, so she makes him eat humble pie for a little while. He absolutely deserved it, imo. That “despicable” remark (and his entire criticism of her in the car) was unacceptable. They finally come to an agreement that for six months, they will pretend to be married in front of her colleagues and in a relationship in front of his mother. She’s come with a written agreement ready for him to sign. So she knew he’d agree to her terms. Heh. They also have their first assignments for each other: Qin Shi has to visit Yang Hua’s parents; he has to accompany her to the charity dinner.
At his home, Yang Hua tells his mom he’s going to date Qin Shi for a year before marrying her. He wants to add her to the house property deed and for his parents to move out. And to top it all off, they don’t want a wedding or kids. Mom Yang is shocked and promises not to pressure him into marriage any more. Yang Hua rejoices…
… in his dreams. In reality, Mom Yang knows her son well and suspects a trick. She pretends to agree with every condition Yang Hua makes, but wants them to marry in three months instead of a year. Dad Yang is very uncertain and tries to interject, but is stopped by his wife.
…
On their way to the charity dinner, Qin Shi briefs Yang Hua on her husband, i.e., himself. He’s in International Finance, mostly works abroad, and has a 2.5 year old child with his wife. The child is unwell and in the care of relatives abroad. Yang Hua wonders how they have a 2.5-year-old if they only married two years ago.
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| You cannot be that innocent, Yang Hua :D |
…
Li Dai has found out about Qin Shi’s plan (to accost Madam Lan) and complains to Madam Tang. Boss lady seems amused and thinks Qin Shi just seeks validation and won’t cause any harm. But if she can change Madam Lan’s mind with a few words, then it shows that she is capable. Li Dai is not happy. Madam Tang’s method of handling her employees is very poor. She comes off as insincere and uncaring, and even seems to enjoy their conflicts.
…
At the charity dinner, Qin Shi wonders why Zhao Danping chose Li Dai when Li Dai was the cause of her losing so much money. Yang Hua thinks that if someone defeats him, it means they are capable. He advises Qin Shi to target Madam Lan’s husband, Pang Dingfang, first. He’s the president of the Luowei Yulan group.
Yang Hua chats with Pang Dingfang about economics (or finance or something like that). Tao Junhui is also at the party and joins the conversation. He seems to be on close terms with Madam Lan, so I don’t know why it seemed like he was investigating her earlier. Qin Shi freezes at the sight of Tao Junhui and doesn’t respond to Yang Hua’s signals to join him. When she finally does walk over, she grabs Yang Hua’s arm and keeps holding it. She also makes no move to speak to Pang Dingfang apart from introducing herself as Yang Hua’s wife and a lawyer from Cheng & Hui. Yang Hua is surprised but reassuring.
Yang Hua wants to leave the party. He agreed to help with Qin Shi’s work, but not with ex-boyfriends. I suppose her behavior was enough to tip anyone off that Tao Junhui was someone who’d been close to her. Tao Junhui introduces himself as being Qin Shi’s senior at university and wants to know about Yang Hua, but Qin Shi soon ends that conversation.
Qin Shi thinks back to a time when she was Tao Junhui’s fiancée, having dated him for seven years(!). It’s only after those 7 years that his mother seems to have come to know about Qin Shi’s family’s circumstances, namely that her father has been married three times. So that was true? I thought she’d just said it to shock Mom Yang.
Mom Tao argues loudly with her son about not marrying “a girl from such a family”, while said girl is a dinner guest in the same house within earshot. Nice manners, Mom Tao :-/ Younger Qin Shi is humiliated (and probably upset that it took 7 years for her fiancé to tell his mother about her) and leaves. Mom Tao actually has the nerve to complain that she left without saying goodbye.
Tao Junhui accosts Qin Shi (actually, I’d class what he did as assault). He wants to know who her contact is in Xi Mei PR and why she approached Pang Dingfang and Madam Lan.
Yang Hua shows up just then and Qin Shi leaves with him.
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| Tao Junhui notices every little gesture of closeness between Qin Shi and Yang Hua |
Qin Shi tries to persuade Madam Lan to give her a fair chance, but Madam Lan says she has to respect Danping’s choice. Madam Lan also advises Qin Shi not to be so ambitious. “Striving hard for work is a man's job. Women should be elegant and dainty.” Seriously? o.O Tao Junhui has overheard the conversation (or was actively eavesdropping) and mocks Qin Shi for even failing to be the company’s chosen attorney.
Yang Hua shows up with food for Qin Shi and she over-plays the role of wife. Do wives really baby-talk so much? I don’t think I know a single woman who speaks like that with her husband. Tao Junhui wonders how Yang Hua doesn’t know about his wife’s taste in food (referring to a plate of beef he’s brought over). Qin Shi says her tastes have changed and eats some of the beef, but leaves quickly.
Her tastes may have changed but her allergies haven’t. Qin Shi is allergic to beef, and her face has developed a rash. Instead of comforting her (or just leaving her alone), Yang Hua lectures her on why she failed with Madam Lan. He was very irritating here, and not just because of his know-it-all attitude. The girl is not only dealing with an annoying allergic reaction, but both her arms are marked because of Tao Junhui. Now is not the time for “You should have done this differently…. Aren’t you taking notes?” Also, his remark on “women are more emotional than rational” was unbelievable.
Tao Junhui drinks alone, thinking back to just after his break-up. Qin Shi seems to have made a clean break, sending his things back to him via post (including the engagement ring), and not responding to any of his texts. On one hand, it seems extreme, to not even have a discussion before ending a seven-year relationship. On the other hand, the fact that he hadn’t told his mother about her family background for seven years is just unbelievable. And he presumably invited Qin Shi for dinner without first explaining to his mom, so he should have known there was a good chance his fiancée would be humiliated.
Yang Hua searches Qin Shi’s very messy car and finds that her allergy medication has expired. He goes to a pharmacy and is stopped by Tao Junhui on his way back. Tao Junhui tries to get a rise out of Yang Hua, remarking on how he didn’t know about his wife’s allergy, and congratulating him for marrying a “confirmed bachelorette”.
Yang Hua: What a pity. The medicine I bought is brand new, while I guess yours must have been thrown away. After all, it's expired.
Yang Hua goes back to the hotel room to find Qin Shi fast asleep. He’s amused by the way she sleeps… until he finds that she also snores.
Ren Meimei comes home from work and finds her husband lounging about playing video games. He for some reason expects an apology from her. And she actually does apologize(!!!), though she seems to be forcing herself to do it. He’s taken aback. She asks whether he’s eaten. “No, you didn’t cook”. And he couldn’t cook because…?
Instead of leaving well enough alone, he says an apology isn’t enough. He wants to know why she fired Vivian (the girl from the hotel closet in Ep1). Meimei is furious that he’s still in communication with Vivian, whom she fired on legitimate grounds. When she cools down a bit and goes looking for him, she hears him on the phone, badmouthing her to Vivian. She throws something at him, but is horrified when it actually causes injury. He’s fine though, so they carry on arguing until he yells that he wants a divorce and leaves the house, while she remains, crying theatrically. This is the most immature couple I’ve ever come across. He’s definitely the world’s greatest jerk, but she should just leave him instead of throwing things or bawling like a baby. He goes partying and she finds out because her card is charged.
…
The next morning, Yang Hua tells Qin Shi about his conversation with her ex. He believes Tao Junhui still cares about her. She’s taken aback but then tells him not to believe anything her ex says. She wonders why Junhui attended the dinner, as he doesn’t socialize without a purpose. Yang Hua is reading a business document and suspects that something is wrong with Luowei Yulan, the company for which Pang Dingfang is CEO. Just then Meimei calls Qin Shi and the latter blazes through traffic to drop Yang Hua off at his hotel before going to the aid of her friend. Unfortunately, she forgets to give him his luggage.
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| “I want to go hooommmmmme” |
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| “See? I got you home safely. Take care of your health. You’re weak, despite your young age” :D |
Yang Hua is shaken from Qin Shi’s driving. He thinks to himself that she’s impulsive and ambitious and that he should get out of his involvement with her quickly. Suuuure. And what would we do for the remaining 36 episodes then? Just then he gets a voicemail from his mother telling him to come home. He’s delighted.
…
Ren Meimei takes photos at the club of her husband sleeping (in the innocent sense) with some women. The club operator Hu Peng seems to be her husband’s longtime friend. Qin Shi shows up and threatens to call police and auditors to check for embezzlement and fraud, which Hu Peng is apparently very likely to be involved in. Hu Peng promises to prevent Qin Wenyu from entering the club again.
Later, Qin Shi tells Meimei she was wrong in her approach in handling Qin Wenyu. She thinks an idiot like her brother (and “idiot” really is too kind for him) will run away if Meimei keeps creating a scene. If Meimei really desires a divorce, though, Qin Shi will force her brother to sign. But Meimei doesn’t seem to desire it, despite being angry with her husband and despite saying it’s wise that Qin Shi chooses to remain single.
…
Tao Junhui visits Pang Dingfang’s hotel room, but finds it empty. Pang Dingfang’s phone is also switched off. Something’s wrong
Yang Hua is back home, happily eating his mother’s cooking. His mother apologizes for being difficult lately… before springing her trap. She says she approves of Qin Shi and thinks Yang Hua should move in with her to make sure they can get along well. She’s trying to force his hand. Yang Hua is disconcerted by this new development.
…
Qin Shi is at Cheng & Hui, replaying Tao Junhui’s questioning the prior evening. She wonders why he was wary of her approaching Madam Lan and Pang Dingfang, and whether there could be some big case involved. Yang Hua calls her just then about his luggage and she remembers that he mentioned a possible problem with Luowei Yulan. He explains that Luowei Yulan hints at a partnership with an international company called Luowei International Foundation, but doesn’t make the nature of the partnership clear. If Luowei Yulan is deliberately misleading its clients about the partnership, then it could be a big problem. Qin Shi wants to know what work Yang Hua did before (because he seems very knowledgeable about finance), but he evades the question.
Qin Shi persuades Cheng & Hui staff member Qiao Siming to delay sending the contract to the Association for Women Entrepreneurs and enlists Wu Fei’s help in investigating Luowei Yulan. Even though they can’t find any problem, Qin Shi feels uneasy because of Yang Hua’s warning.
There isn’t time to focus on the problem though, because her older brother, Qin Wenbin, has invited her and Qin Wenyu to dinner to discuss their father’s 70th birthday. Qin Shi is very fond of her eldest brother, and listens to him. He in turn cares about his little sister, and seems to be more like a father to her. He also acts as peacekeeper between her and Qin Wenyu, because the two younger siblings seem to revert to childish behavior when they’re together. Side note: Qin Wenbin’s wife somehow seems more like a mother or housekeeper than a wife, and the way he dismisses her to talk to his siblings didn’t seem like a husband addressing his wife.
…
Tao Junhui learns that his ex-fiancée is his current fiancée’s boss. He hides his former relationship from Wu Fei, instead telling her that he thinks Qin Shi is his junior from the same university. Wu Fei wants to know Qin Shi’s likes and dislikes, but he claims not to know because he wasn’t close to her. I don’t see why he felt the need to hide the truth. Unless maybe he wants to find things out about Qin Shi or her cases through Wu Fei?
…
Qin Shi brings a stack of work home. When Yang Hua calls to remind her about his luggage, she asks him to come over and collect it as she’s busy. That’s inconsiderate of her. But when he arrives, she hasn’t brought his luggage up from her car because she injured her foot in the meantime. She invites him into her still messy apartment and then realizes that he might be able to make sense of Luowei Yulan’s financial reports.
She’s smart enough to be suspicious when he agrees to help without any argument, and guesses that he wants something from her. He says he’ll ask for the favor after he finishes the financial analysis. Isn’t he worried that she’ll go back on her word? He’s certain she won’t. What a 180. From considering her a despicable person whom he couldn’t trust, he now seems to have absolute trust in her.
They start work, occasionally glancing at each other for some reason. She falls fast asleep after a while. He finishes the report by morning and also tidies up her living room. He remembers his mother’s condition that he move in with Qin Shi and realizes that this is the perfect opportunity to get “proof”. He takes a selfie with the sleeping Qin Shi, but she catches him at it.
She provides him with much better proof.
Yang Hua is discomfited by her kiss. He also wonders what to do if his mother is still not convinced. Qin Shi says he should move in for real. She has a very cluttered study that he can use as his room. She doesn’t want rent because she’s grateful for his help with Luowei Yulan. She believes they won’t even see each other much since she’s always at work. She gives him the passcode for the front door and dashes off to work. Why does she think it’s a good idea to let a strange man have full access to her apartment? How do they trust each other so much? The weird thing is, the trust feels quite natural.
Yang Hua cleans the entire apartment and looks forward to living in his new home with God of Wealth.
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| Dad Yang finds this very amusing |
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| Yang Hua finds it less amusing |
Qin Shi is at Cheng & Hui, replaying Tao Junhui’s questioning the prior evening. She wonders why he was wary of her approaching Madam Lan and Pang Dingfang, and whether there could be some big case involved. Yang Hua calls her just then about his luggage and she remembers that he mentioned a possible problem with Luowei Yulan. He explains that Luowei Yulan hints at a partnership with an international company called Luowei International Foundation, but doesn’t make the nature of the partnership clear. If Luowei Yulan is deliberately misleading its clients about the partnership, then it could be a big problem. Qin Shi wants to know what work Yang Hua did before (because he seems very knowledgeable about finance), but he evades the question.
Qin Shi persuades Cheng & Hui staff member Qiao Siming to delay sending the contract to the Association for Women Entrepreneurs and enlists Wu Fei’s help in investigating Luowei Yulan. Even though they can’t find any problem, Qin Shi feels uneasy because of Yang Hua’s warning.
There isn’t time to focus on the problem though, because her older brother, Qin Wenbin, has invited her and Qin Wenyu to dinner to discuss their father’s 70th birthday. Qin Shi is very fond of her eldest brother, and listens to him. He in turn cares about his little sister, and seems to be more like a father to her. He also acts as peacekeeper between her and Qin Wenyu, because the two younger siblings seem to revert to childish behavior when they’re together. Side note: Qin Wenbin’s wife somehow seems more like a mother or housekeeper than a wife, and the way he dismisses her to talk to his siblings didn’t seem like a husband addressing his wife.
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| The Qin siblings in their default settings: Wenbin is fatherly, Wenyu is petulant, Qin Shi is focused on food |
Tao Junhui learns that his ex-fiancée is his current fiancée’s boss. He hides his former relationship from Wu Fei, instead telling her that he thinks Qin Shi is his junior from the same university. Wu Fei wants to know Qin Shi’s likes and dislikes, but he claims not to know because he wasn’t close to her. I don’t see why he felt the need to hide the truth. Unless maybe he wants to find things out about Qin Shi or her cases through Wu Fei?
…
Qin Shi brings a stack of work home. When Yang Hua calls to remind her about his luggage, she asks him to come over and collect it as she’s busy. That’s inconsiderate of her. But when he arrives, she hasn’t brought his luggage up from her car because she injured her foot in the meantime. She invites him into her still messy apartment and then realizes that he might be able to make sense of Luowei Yulan’s financial reports.
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| How is she able to work like this? |
They start work, occasionally glancing at each other for some reason. She falls fast asleep after a while. He finishes the report by morning and also tidies up her living room. He remembers his mother’s condition that he move in with Qin Shi and realizes that this is the perfect opportunity to get “proof”. He takes a selfie with the sleeping Qin Shi, but she catches him at it.
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| Busted |
Yang Hua cleans the entire apartment and looks forward to living in his new home with God of Wealth.
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| This shot was too good to leave out. I don’t think tidying up needs to include analyzing her outfits :D |
Madam Tang is upset after reading Yang Hua’s report on Luowei Yulan. She wants to know if Qin Shi is willing to take responsibility for Yang Hua’s report and the problems it will cause; Qin Shi has absolute confidence in the person who wrote the report, so she will take full responsibility. Again, how does she believe in Yang Hua - whom she barely knows - so much?
Li Dai barges in, furious at Qin Shi’s interference, but calms down when she reads the report. Madam Tang seems to be taking the news very badly. When her husband calls, she reveals that she’s invested in Luowei Yulan using Cheng & Hui funds… to the tune of 25 million!
Li Dai barges in, furious at Qin Shi’s interference, but calms down when she reads the report. Madam Tang seems to be taking the news very badly. When her husband calls, she reveals that she’s invested in Luowei Yulan using Cheng & Hui funds… to the tune of 25 million!
Mr Jin also seeks assurance from Qin Shi that the report is credible and Qin Shi again risks her career and stands by her “husband’s” work. Mr Jin gets confirmation that Luowei Yulan is a risky investment; he warns that the news should not leave the office. Qin Shi calls Yang Hua and swears him to secrecy.
Madam Tang convinces Madam Lan to allow her to withdraw her investment, though it will take a few days for Pang Dingfang - who’s overseas - to get back and sort it out.
…
At the same time, Yang Hua is with a group of (I’m assuming) retirees, whom he seems to be helping with finances or investments. One of the old men, Old Zhou, brags about a project he’s invested in, which turns out to be Luowei Yulan. Yang Hua warns his friend against Luowei Yulan, but can’t provide a reason because of Qin Shi’s insistence on secrecy. I know nothing about finance, but wouldn’t it be like insider trading if Yang Hua did tell? Unless the financial reports were public information. I have no idea.
Li Dai tells Qiao Siming about the problems with Luowei Yulan. Bad enough that she’s talking about something that’s meant to be a secret, but they have their chat in the stairwell where anyone could overhear.
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| This is so not the place to be having secret discussions |
Somehow, the news spreads outside the company and Cheng & Hui are inundated with calls. Li Dai and Qin Shi are summoned by Madam Tang, but Li Dai doesn’t admit her fault. Because the rumors include Cheng & Hui’s financial information (which Yang Hua didn’t know about), Qin Shi is certain Li Dai is the leak, and warns her privately.
…
Qin Shi asks Wu Fei about her relationship with Xi Mei PR (since it was through a connection with Xi Mei PR that Wu Fei got her tickets to the charity dinner). She also wants to know whether Wu Fei has heard of Tao Junhui. Wu Fei hides her connection to the firm as well as her relationship with Tao Junhui, instead pretending she’s only vaguely heard about him. But she does reveal that Tao Junhui’s girlfriend “is the daughter of Xi Mei PR’s boss”. Very crafty, Miss Wu.
Wu Fei in turn asks Qin Shi whether she knows Tao Junhui. Qin Shi says they were on the same debate team at university. This must surprise Wu Fei a little, since Tao Junhui made it seem like he and Qin Shi hadn’t interacted much. Qin Shi wants Wu Fei to try and find whether Tao Junhui is working on Luowei Yulan’s case.
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| Tao Junhui’s ex-fiancée instructing his current fiancée to investigate him |
Mom Yang has apparently contacted the matchmaking agency to persuade Li Dai to give Yang Hua another chance (since he didn’t keep his date last time). Mom Yang also tells her son to go on the date while keeping it secret from Qin Shi. Shouldn’t she be happy that her son is apparently in a relationship and actually taking some responsibility for himself? And how does she know Li Dai will be better than Qin Shi?
The matchmaking agency sends Li Dai a photo of Yang Hua, and she wants to compare it with the photo Qin Shi has in her office of her “husband”. Wu Fei fake-innocently calls her out on her snooping. Wu Fei is growing up fast!
…
Meimei makes plans to drink with Qin Shi that evening. Qin Shi seems to have forgotten that she has a new housemate now, because she agrees. It’s only when Meimei calls her about her “handsome neighbor” that Qin Shi realizes her mistake.
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| Why does he look like a kid who’s been called into the principal’s office? :D |
Qin Shi confronts Yang Hua about talking to Meimei in her absence. He assumed Meimei was a close friend and introduced himself as Qin Shi’s boyfriend instead of husband, as that seemed more appropriate.
Meimei is taken with how caring Yang Hua seems to be towards Qin Shi, but also taken aback by most of his opinions (about social media, living expenses, materialism, etc). A lot of what he says is true, but not really compatible with how city people live. He also never seems to consider saving for retirement.
Qin Shi sees the conversation entering dangerous territory and sends Yang Hua out on an errand. When he’s left, Meimei - who is very drunk by now - makes Qin Shi feel guilty about hiding her relationship from her best friend. But just as Qin Shi is about to tell her the truth, Meimei begins crying drunkenly, so Qin Shi laughs and takes photos of her instead :D
From Meimei’s drunken rambling, we learn that the breakup with Tao Junhui hit Qin Shi hard and she lost interest in relationships after that. Meimei now seems to think that Yang Hua was the reason Qin Shi left Tao Junhui. Hopefully she doesn’t spread that around. It could cause problems. Meimei also claims to stick to Qin Wenyu in order to show Qin Shi that there is still true love. Really? Affairs and domestic violence are signs of true love? Qin Wenyu is still seeing Vivian, who Qin Shi has investigated and found to be a fraudster.
…
Wu Fei reveals to Tao Junhui that Qin Shi asked about him. She also calls him out on not telling her about them being on the same debate team, but he still pretends he didn’t know Qin Shi well. He guesses that Qin Shi wants to know about any connection between him and Luowei Yulan. Wu Fei admits to being conflicted between her loyalty to Cheng & Hui and to him. I think she’s being too naive, spilling everything to her boyfriend. He refuses to tell her anything but intentionally or unintentionally hints that he is involved with Luowei Yulan.
On his way home from work, Tao Junhui for some unknown reason takes a detour to Qin Shi’s apartment building. He sits in the car, staring at the apartment and reminiscing about when he and Qin Shi first moved in there. They seem to have been very happy for a while.
I have so many thoughts about this scene, apart from the obvious “why present-day Tao Junhui even wanted to drive to his ex’s apartment”. The first is just how different Qin Shi was, only two years before. Her fashion sense and attitude changed drastically in two years. The second is that Tao Junhui seems to like babying his girlfriends, though he does it more with Wu Fei. The third, most importantly, is that Qin Shi never bothered to change the passcode to the front door. I don’t think she wanted Tao Junhui back; she probably just didn’t think about it, but it was quite careless of her.
Yang Hua walks by just then and Tao Junhui gives him advice on some household maintenance for the apartment. He seems to be trying to make it clear to Yang Hua that he was with Qin Shi first.
Yang Hua finds a very drunk Qin Shi in the apartment, and learns that Drunk Qin Shi has a habit of trying to go to work, even when it’s late at night. He helps get her to bed, and solves the problem of her drunk-walking by sleeping outside her bedroom door.
Next morning, the duo discuss the previous night’s events to come up with a plan. Firstly, change the passcode for the front door. Yes, please do! Yang Hua has already done that. The passcode is now his birthday. Umm, it isn’t his apartment :D Qin Shi will tell her colleagues that her husband is going overseas on business again, so he shouldn’t be required for the time being. Yang Hua thinks he can have his side of things under control soon too, and speaks of moving out, but she says he can still live in her apartment as thanks for his help with the Luowei Yulan case.
There’s an awkward moment where Qin Shi inadvertently blurts out that Yang Hua is broke and then makes things worse by physically attempting to stop him from walking away. She tries to cover up the awkwardness by asking him about a mint plant he brought home the previous evening, but he freezes when she asks what the “flower language” of mint is. He claims it’s “integrity and virtue”, but she doesn’t believe him. He tries to stop her from searching online, but she does it anyway and finds that mint stands for “eternal love”. He steadfastly refuses to make eye contact.
He was definitely already aware of that meaning, but did he buy it intentionally for its meaning? Or did he buy the plant without bothering about the meaning? You wouldn’t think that just buying a plant could cause so much confusion.
…
Zhao Danping is coming to Cheng & Hui on behalf of Madam Lan. It sounds like there’s trouble in the offing and Mr Jin isn’t in, so Madam Tang needs Qin Shi’s help.
[Ep8] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
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| You’d think it wouldn't be intimidating when the other person is a head shorter, but he seems pretty intimidated |
Qin Shi sees the conversation entering dangerous territory and sends Yang Hua out on an errand. When he’s left, Meimei - who is very drunk by now - makes Qin Shi feel guilty about hiding her relationship from her best friend. But just as Qin Shi is about to tell her the truth, Meimei begins crying drunkenly, so Qin Shi laughs and takes photos of her instead :D
From Meimei’s drunken rambling, we learn that the breakup with Tao Junhui hit Qin Shi hard and she lost interest in relationships after that. Meimei now seems to think that Yang Hua was the reason Qin Shi left Tao Junhui. Hopefully she doesn’t spread that around. It could cause problems. Meimei also claims to stick to Qin Wenyu in order to show Qin Shi that there is still true love. Really? Affairs and domestic violence are signs of true love? Qin Wenyu is still seeing Vivian, who Qin Shi has investigated and found to be a fraudster.
…
Wu Fei reveals to Tao Junhui that Qin Shi asked about him. She also calls him out on not telling her about them being on the same debate team, but he still pretends he didn’t know Qin Shi well. He guesses that Qin Shi wants to know about any connection between him and Luowei Yulan. Wu Fei admits to being conflicted between her loyalty to Cheng & Hui and to him. I think she’s being too naive, spilling everything to her boyfriend. He refuses to tell her anything but intentionally or unintentionally hints that he is involved with Luowei Yulan.
On his way home from work, Tao Junhui for some unknown reason takes a detour to Qin Shi’s apartment building. He sits in the car, staring at the apartment and reminiscing about when he and Qin Shi first moved in there. They seem to have been very happy for a while.
Yang Hua walks by just then and Tao Junhui gives him advice on some household maintenance for the apartment. He seems to be trying to make it clear to Yang Hua that he was with Qin Shi first.
Yang Hua finds a very drunk Qin Shi in the apartment, and learns that Drunk Qin Shi has a habit of trying to go to work, even when it’s late at night. He helps get her to bed, and solves the problem of her drunk-walking by sleeping outside her bedroom door.
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| He has quite an affectionate look when dealing with Drunk Qin Shi |
There’s an awkward moment where Qin Shi inadvertently blurts out that Yang Hua is broke and then makes things worse by physically attempting to stop him from walking away. She tries to cover up the awkwardness by asking him about a mint plant he brought home the previous evening, but he freezes when she asks what the “flower language” of mint is. He claims it’s “integrity and virtue”, but she doesn’t believe him. He tries to stop her from searching online, but she does it anyway and finds that mint stands for “eternal love”. He steadfastly refuses to make eye contact.
…
Zhao Danping is coming to Cheng & Hui on behalf of Madam Lan. It sounds like there’s trouble in the offing and Mr Jin isn’t in, so Madam Tang needs Qin Shi’s help.
Qin Shi has found CCTV footage showing that it was a legal assistant within Cheng & Hui who leaked the news about Luowei Yulan. He will be fired. Zhao Danping isn’t satisfied. She thinks firing a lowly legal assistant isn’t enough. I don’t like how casually they talk about firing people. Qin Shi makes an argument for maintaining the partnership between Luowei Yulan and Cheng & Hui, but Danping is inflexible. She returns Madam Tang’s investment and severs any relationship between the two organizations (which I believe is what Qin Shi was aiming for all along).
Once Danping leaves, Madam Tang hugs Qin Shi, almost crying in relief at having got her money back. But she still wants to know where the legal assistant got his news from.
Once Danping leaves, Madam Tang hugs Qin Shi, almost crying in relief at having got her money back. But she still wants to know where the legal assistant got his news from.
 |
| Nothing quite so joyful as saving 25 million |
Qin Shi takes advantage of Madam Tang’s gratitude to push for a promotion to the 11th floor. Apparently, getting there means you’re a “reserve partner” (like in sports?). Madam Tang agrees to let her attend a partner dinner… with her husband. Qin Shi tries to argue about the unfairness against single female lawyers, but Madam Tang is steadfast.
Qin Shi thinks back to numerous interviews she had prior to joining Cheng & Hui. One question that invariably popped up was “Are you married?”, followed by “Are you planning to in the next three years?” She was at the end of her tether when Bian Jing got her the job at Cheng & Hui. She also remembers Bian Jing’s employment gift to her: a fake wedding ring. I’d wondered how someone who dressed as well as Qin Shi could have chosen such an unsuitable ring. This explains it.
Present-day Qin Shi realizes that she has no choice if she wants to get ahead, and agrees that Yang Hua will accompany her to the dinner.
…
Li Dai drags Qiao Siming into a stairwell to ask him about the company’s firing of the “snitch”. Does she never learn? Qiao Siming is careful this time around and doesn’t allow her to blurt out anything that could be used against them. When she goes back to her office, she finds a flash drive with the CCTV footage on it o.O
The matchmaking service calls Li Dai just then and informs her that the Yang Hua who was to be her date has informed them that he has a girlfriend. Li Dai is very suspicious now and tries to sneak into Qin Shi’s office to check her photo of Yang Hua, but Qin Shi has foreseen the danger and swapped the photo with a different one.
Li Dai is left with two puzzles: the CCTV footage, and Qin Shi’s husband.
Qin Shi and Li Dai’s rivalry is quite unprofessional. The legal assistants are tired of having to take sides. Putting your subordinates in such an awkward position isn’t a good thing for a senior to do.
Qin Wenyu signs a divorce agreement and hands over his car and credit cards to Ren Meimei in lieu of a divorce settlement. He does this with his mother, Liu Yan, as witness. Liu Yan seems to be on very good terms with Meimei, and promises that in three days her son will return to his wife. I don’t see why Meimei looks so miserable. I’d be relieved at getting rid of a spouse like Qin Wenyu.
…
Yang Hua goes home when his mom isn’t in and begins packing things to move in with Qin Shi. Dad Yang isn’t on board with the plan, but Yang Hua argues that you have to live with someone to know “the human side of someone who is glamorous on the outside”. Dad still thinks they’re moving too fast, but Yang Hua reminds him that Dad fell in love with Mom within three seconds. So why can’t Yang Hua marry the beautiful and successful Qin Shi quickly? Dad doesn’t mind, but he’s worried that Mom might do something harmful to Qin Shi in a fit of temper. Yang Hua is also worried now.
Mom Yang is indeed doing something harmful. She’s found that Qin Shi works at Cheng & Hui, and has dropped by to see her. The receptionist won’t allow her in, but Li Dai does. Mom Yang assumes Li Dai is Qin Shi’s superior (why?) and Li Dai only corrects her superficially. She does admit that Qin Shi is one of the best lawyers in the family department. Mom Yang wants to know how much she earns, but thankfully Li Dai doesn’t give her an answer to that. Mom Yang crossed the line when she came to the law firm and she seems to be disregarding the line entirely now.
Mom Yang thinks Li Dai looks familiar and starts questioning her. Li Dai sneakily sets Yang Hua’s photo as her phone’s lock screen and shows it to Mom under the guise of showing her the time. Mom wonders why Li Dai would have her son’s photo. Li Dai says Mom’s son and daughter-in-law are famous within the law firm. Oh no! Mom Yang is taken aback.
Qin Shi has been informed that Mom Yang is at the law firm and she runs there from a restaurant where she was having lunch. Running in heels is never practicable, so she carries them in her hand and drops them on the floor when she gets to the office. She arrives just in time to prevent Mom Yang from finishing the sentence “my son is not…”
Li Dai leaves, having mostly achieved her purpose. Qin Shi calls Yang Hua over to the law firm. Until he arrives, she wants to talk to Mom. Her tone seems to intimidate Mom. Or maybe the sight of her walking about barefoot has rendered Mom speechless.
 |
| “Your shoes…” |
We also learn from this conversation that Mom used to be a teacher. I feel sorry for her former students.
Yang Hua arrives just then and tells Qin Shi they should terminate their partnership. Mom thinks Qin Shi has some hold over him, but Qin Shi takes charge again and says marriage is a kind of partnership. They are going to marry, just not for love.
Qin Shi explains that being single is too expensive, and dating is time-consuming. She wants to marry, but not necessarily for love. She claims that Yang Hua is the same, and that they share the same set of values, so they struck an agreement. Mom Yang wants her son to marry, but he should find someone “the proper way”. Qin Shi correctly interprets this to mean that Mom has to decide whether a girl is suitable for Yang Hua. He himself thinks Qin Shi is a good fit. Throughout the conversation, he keeps looking to Qin Shi for signals before speaking :D
Mom doesn’t agree about the “good fit”. She’s certain that a marriage to Qin Shi will end in divorce. Besides, their family has never had a divorcee before (referring to Qin Shi’s father’s two divorces). Qin Shi gives Mom a spiel about caring about her son instead of worrying about what people think, which sounded a little more like a rehearsed speech than an impassioned one. Yang Hua is either very impressed with what she’s saying or just amazed that someone dared speak this way to his mother.
Mom promises that she won’t force Yang Hua to marry or date if he comes home with her. He waits for Qin Shi’s cue before allowing himself to be led away by his mother. It’s then that he notices that Qin Shi is shoeless.
Qin Shi makes her way up to her office, feeling awkward (and grossed out?) about being barefoot. When the elevator opens, Yang Hua is there, waiting to princess-carry her to her office while being stared at by all the legal assistants, and followed by little pink hearts that sprouted out of nowhere.
This was a really silly setup, and nobody in the real world would want to be carried in front of their colleagues. But it’s a drama, so let’s just ignore reality.
Qin Shi is very moved by Yang Hua’s thoughtfulness, and wonders whether being single for a while has made her overly susceptible to any act of kindness. He apologizes for his mother. She doesn’t let him say too much because she knows Li Dai will be listening from the office next door.
Li Dai is perplexed by the situation, and wonders why a couple would hide their marriage from their parents when they have everything going for them, and also why Yang Hua attended the matchmaker-arranged dinner (Ep1). She deduces that Qin Shi may not actually be married.
…
Qin Wenyu is on a date with Vivian at an expensive restaurant, but finds that he can’t pay the bill because Meimei has frozen his accounts. Vivian has to pay and isn’t happy about it. Wenyu tries to borrow money from his brother and from Hu Peng, but fails on both tries. When Wenyu visits his brother’s house, it’s his sister-in-law who answers and she says she dare not disturb her husband. I don’t know whether she was actually afraid or just trying to get rid of Wenyu. The couple dynamics are very odd in both the Qin brothers’ households.
…
Yang Hua goes home for dinner, to the joy of his parents. Mom assumes he’s moving back. Dad wonders about Qin Shi. After their earlier conversation, Dad must have an idea about his son’s feelings for Qin Shi. Yang Hua thanks his parents for their love and care, and apologizes for taking them for granted. Dad is surprised and pleased at these words from his normally self-centered son. Yang Hua then begins praising Qin Shi and rebukes his mom for barging into her office earlier that day. This is news to Dad, and he’s not happy with his wife. Mom defends her actions. She genuinely believes Qin Shi isn’t a good match because of her family background, but Yang Hua believes Qin Shi is a good person and excellent lawyer. Even if he doesn’t marry her, he won’t continue living at home. He’s going to be independent from now on. Mom and Dad have opposite reactions.
In fact, Dad is so happy that he wants to drink with his son. Dad feels that if Yang Hua changed so much in a few days of knowing Qin Shi, then she must be someone extraordinary. He tells his son to take the relationship slow instead of rushing things. Father and son get very drunk before the son goes home to Qin Shi.
Qin Shi wants a favor from Yang Hua. She asks him to accompany her to the partner gathering. He wants to ask her a question first. When he was at her law firm, he overheard two legal assistants discussing Luowei Yulan. Did she ask him to keep Luowei Yulan’s problems a secret because her firm had something to do with the 25 million debt? I’m confused. There was no debt, was there? Madam Lan and Zhao Danping both made it seem like the 25 million was nothing. Did they later default on some other payment because they no longer had the 25 million? Also, does nobody at Cheng & Hui have the sense not to discuss secret matters in public? Qin Shi says she'll explain, but gets distracted when Yang Hua starts taking his shirt off. It’s all very decent, don’t worry :D
Meanwhile, Mom Yang is puzzling over Li Dai. She thinks she’s heard her name somewhere before. Oh no. Just then Dad Yang comes in and begins praising Mom’s beauty very poetically and drunkenly xD Mom shoos him off but then goes to cover him with a blanket. She hopes her son hasn’t inherited “this rotten habit”.
Fortunately for our entertainment, her son has. He stares drunkenly at his “wife” and rambles on about humans’ imperfect bodies and about Qin Shi wasting her beauty and talent by not taking care of herself.
He shepherds her to bed despite her protests, and then tells her that when he first saw her he thought she was the definition of beauty. So his expression during their first meeting was “stunned by her beauty”? Didn’t really seem that way, but ok. He spouts a lot of poetry and ends with “goodnight, my lady”.
She maintains her composure just long enough for him to leave before bursting out laughing.
The next morning, Qin Shi pretends Yang Hua agreed to attend the partner gathering with her, but he remembers their conversation despite having been drunk. He wants an answer to his question and doesn’t accept her evasions. I don’t like that she tried to evade the question. If she genuinely has done nothing wrong, why not be straightforward? He wants to know whether her firm has anything to do with the debt, and whether her loyalties lie with her firm or other investors who stand to lose because of the debt. She clarifies that the 25 million debt doesn’t exist, but if it did, she would support her firm. She has no obligation to let other investors know. That at least is probably true? Her firm was only an investor in Luowei Yulan, and pulled out their investment with Luowei Yulan’s consent. I don’t think that one investor is obliged to tell others about problems in the investment? And making the news public might make it worse rather than better for other investors? If there’s anyone here who understands finance, please enlighten me.
Yang Hua thinks Qin Shi isn’t a good lawyer if she allows a bunch of ordinary people who invested their life savings to lose their money. While I do feel bad for the investors, it’s a fact that investments are inherently risky. I’ve seen enough trading advertisements to know that.
Qin Shi argues that people who put their money into ventures with the goal of making large profits should know that those sorts of ventures come with high risk. They can’t complain when their investment doesn’t pan out. She remarks that he’s too compassionate and that’s why he can only ever be a shareholder. Yang Hua thinks back to a time when he wasn’t a mere shareholder.
He was at one point a stockbroker (overseas?), until a precipital collapse in a single company’s stocks seems to have brought about the end of his career. We also see a smug-looking man at his former workplace watching with satisfaction as the disaster unfolded.
Present-day Yang Hua agrees that Qin Shi didn’t do anything wrong. But he still won’t go to the gathering with her. She’s got a trick up her sleeve though. She’s recorded his drunken poetry from the previous night, and threatens to use it as her ringtone if he doesn’t comply. Clever girl xD
Yang Hua sits sullenly in the car, and gets an assurance from Qin Shi that it’s the last favor she wants from him. She puts a ring on his finger to match hers. She does it quite casually, but he’s taken aback and seems to forget to sulk afterwards.
Madam Tang has invited all existing and candidate partners to the dinner. They give Qin Shi a lukewarm reception. She’s the only woman there apart from Madam Tang. And there’s something weird in the air. Madam Tang leaves her in Mr Jin’s care with an ominous “take care of her”. Mr Jin invites our main CP and another lawyer, Lawyer Ma, out to the garden “to drink tea”.
Mom promises that she won’t force Yang Hua to marry or date if he comes home with her. He waits for Qin Shi’s cue before allowing himself to be led away by his mother. It’s then that he notices that Qin Shi is shoeless.
Qin Shi makes her way up to her office, feeling awkward (and grossed out?) about being barefoot. When the elevator opens, Yang Hua is there, waiting to princess-carry her to her office while being stared at by all the legal assistants, and followed by little pink hearts that sprouted out of nowhere.
This was a really silly setup, and nobody in the real world would want to be carried in front of their colleagues. But it’s a drama, so let’s just ignore reality.
 |
| “You didn’t leave?” |
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| Yep, I’d be embarrassed too |
The reactions though :D
Qin Shi is very moved by Yang Hua’s thoughtfulness, and wonders whether being single for a while has made her overly susceptible to any act of kindness. He apologizes for his mother. She doesn’t let him say too much because she knows Li Dai will be listening from the office next door.
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| How well Qin Shi knows her rival |
Li Dai is perplexed by the situation, and wonders why a couple would hide their marriage from their parents when they have everything going for them, and also why Yang Hua attended the matchmaker-arranged dinner (Ep1). She deduces that Qin Shi may not actually be married.
…
Qin Wenyu is on a date with Vivian at an expensive restaurant, but finds that he can’t pay the bill because Meimei has frozen his accounts. Vivian has to pay and isn’t happy about it. Wenyu tries to borrow money from his brother and from Hu Peng, but fails on both tries. When Wenyu visits his brother’s house, it’s his sister-in-law who answers and she says she dare not disturb her husband. I don’t know whether she was actually afraid or just trying to get rid of Wenyu. The couple dynamics are very odd in both the Qin brothers’ households.
…
Yang Hua goes home for dinner, to the joy of his parents. Mom assumes he’s moving back. Dad wonders about Qin Shi. After their earlier conversation, Dad must have an idea about his son’s feelings for Qin Shi. Yang Hua thanks his parents for their love and care, and apologizes for taking them for granted. Dad is surprised and pleased at these words from his normally self-centered son. Yang Hua then begins praising Qin Shi and rebukes his mom for barging into her office earlier that day. This is news to Dad, and he’s not happy with his wife. Mom defends her actions. She genuinely believes Qin Shi isn’t a good match because of her family background, but Yang Hua believes Qin Shi is a good person and excellent lawyer. Even if he doesn’t marry her, he won’t continue living at home. He’s going to be independent from now on. Mom and Dad have opposite reactions.
Qin Shi wants a favor from Yang Hua. She asks him to accompany her to the partner gathering. He wants to ask her a question first. When he was at her law firm, he overheard two legal assistants discussing Luowei Yulan. Did she ask him to keep Luowei Yulan’s problems a secret because her firm had something to do with the 25 million debt? I’m confused. There was no debt, was there? Madam Lan and Zhao Danping both made it seem like the 25 million was nothing. Did they later default on some other payment because they no longer had the 25 million? Also, does nobody at Cheng & Hui have the sense not to discuss secret matters in public? Qin Shi says she'll explain, but gets distracted when Yang Hua starts taking his shirt off. It’s all very decent, don’t worry :D
Fortunately for our entertainment, her son has. He stares drunkenly at his “wife” and rambles on about humans’ imperfect bodies and about Qin Shi wasting her beauty and talent by not taking care of herself.
Yang Hua thinks Qin Shi isn’t a good lawyer if she allows a bunch of ordinary people who invested their life savings to lose their money. While I do feel bad for the investors, it’s a fact that investments are inherently risky. I’ve seen enough trading advertisements to know that.
Qin Shi argues that people who put their money into ventures with the goal of making large profits should know that those sorts of ventures come with high risk. They can’t complain when their investment doesn’t pan out. She remarks that he’s too compassionate and that’s why he can only ever be a shareholder. Yang Hua thinks back to a time when he wasn’t a mere shareholder.
He was at one point a stockbroker (overseas?), until a precipital collapse in a single company’s stocks seems to have brought about the end of his career. We also see a smug-looking man at his former workplace watching with satisfaction as the disaster unfolded.
 |
| We will probably see this guy again at some point |
Present-day Yang Hua agrees that Qin Shi didn’t do anything wrong. But he still won’t go to the gathering with her. She’s got a trick up her sleeve though. She’s recorded his drunken poetry from the previous night, and threatens to use it as her ringtone if he doesn’t comply. Clever girl xD
Yang Hua sits sullenly in the car, and gets an assurance from Qin Shi that it’s the last favor she wants from him. She puts a ring on his finger to match hers. She does it quite casually, but he’s taken aback and seems to forget to sulk afterwards.
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| “Perfect” |
Li Dai has also been invited to Madam Tang’s “party”, and now she, our main CP, Mr Jin and Lawyer Ma are in conversation. Lawyer Ma keeps probing into Yang Hua’s job, maybe innocently. Li Dai of course tries to make capital of the situation. Qin Shi handles things as well as she can. They learn later that Li Dai is also a candidate for the 11th floor. Qin Shi isn’t happy about this. I suppose it’s possible to be a candidate in name, but never be seriously considered. Otherwise, how could Li Dai become a candidate given Cheng & Hui’s unspoken rule about single female lawyers?
Qin Shi doesn’t make any attempt to mingle with the partners because they’re discussing golf, women and whiskey, none of which she has any interest in. She seems a little tense and downhearted. Li Dai is slightly mocking of her. She thought Qin Shi was special because Madam Tang favored her, but it turns out she’s the same as Li Dai. As Qin Shi walks away, Yang Hua corrects Li Dai: “You’re wrong. Qin Shi is not like you”
Mr Jin and the male partners head indoors to smoke cigars, while their wives remain outdoors. Qin Shi invites herself to the males’ gathering; they grudgingly agree. She sits silently and watches them cut cigars, drink and talk, while Yang Hua sits with the wives, equally silently. Our main CP are both out of their element and uncomfortable. At least until one of the women tells Yang Hua his wife looks haggard and shouldn’t push herself, and one of the men asks Qin Shi her opinion as a female lawyer on the pressure issues in their industry. The duo seem to be of one mind because they both independently answer that work (for Qin Shi) is a joy and that intelligence makes a person look sexier. This seems to displease the women and puzzle the men.
One of the lawyers, Lawyer Chen, who has very old-fashioned views, says he’s against career women because marriage and looking after children has been women’s job since ancient times, and with women entering the workforce, there is a declining fertility rate. He believes if all married women leave the workforce, it would solve the fertility problem and employment problem(!!!). Qin Shi answers calmly and very cleverly, and impresses Mr Jin and the rest.
The conversation gets to a point where one of the men feels that Qin Shi is against men, and she wonders if she’s been too outspoken. Nothing she said was anti-male, so I don’t know where the guy got that idea from. Yang Hua is walking past and speaks in support of her, and says if one of them had to choose between career and family, it would be he who chooses family. Qin Shi is very happy with his answer.
Li Dai overhears the conversation and secretly phones Yang Hua to ask why, if he’s so happy with his family, would he keep his marriage a secret and go on a blind date. She meets up with him alone and repeats the questions while secretly recording their conversation. Li Dai owes Qin Shi a favor, so she will keep quiet, but she wants Yang Hua to convince Qin Shi to surrender (in the competition to the 11th floor).
Madam Tang and Qin Shi come across Yang Hua and Li Dai just then, and Madam Tang wonders how they know each other. Something Qin Shi says about having private conversations with other people’s husbands prompts Li Dai to tell the truth. Qin Shi shouldn’t keep needling Li Dai, especially when she knows Li Dai is suspicious.
Qin Shi tries to make it seem like everything is because Yang Hua’s mother doesn’t like her. Li Dai isn’t buying it. Why wasn’t Qin Shi the first person Yang Hua sought out on his return to China?
There seems to be no way out of the situation until Yang Hua finally says he lost his job. A year ago.
Madam Tang thinks their marriage is more real now that there are problems. Mr Jin comes by with news. Luowei International Foundation (the international company with whom Luowei Yulan is supposedly in partnership with) has released a statement. They have nothing to do with Luowei Yulan. Yang Hua’s initial suspicions were correct and Qin Shi was right to trust his judgment.
…
Madam Lan is on her way to the airport with Zhao Danping when they’re waylaid by Tao Junhui and his private investigator. They delay Madam Lan by causing a car crash and then taking away Zhao Danping’s phone. They were unnecessarily aggressive. And shouldn’t this be something the police do? Tao Junhui reveals that one of the first investors of Luowei Yulan hired him to investigate the company, and there are suspicions of falsified data and other problems. Zhao Danping thinks he’s believing unsubstantiated rumors; Madam Lan just looks puzzled. They get information just then that the Luowei International Foundation has pressed charges against Luowei Yulan, and Madam Lan has to take the fall as her husband has absconded.
…
All top law firms in Pujiang have received many new cases because of Luowei Yulan, but Mr Jin is refusing any cases related to it, supposedly because it’s not fair to Madam Lan. Qin Shi thinks Cheng & Hui is an honest law firm and appreciates the characters of the two bosses. Yang Hua doesn’t share her trust. He thinks Mr Jin might be refusing the cases for other reasons. Separately, Li Dai has come to the same conclusion and oddly, Qin Shi seems to know this. Does she have a spy among the legal assistants?
…
Our main CP discusses their personal situation. Things have become complicated but still manageable since Yang Hua’s visit to the bosses’ place. Qin Shi thinks everything is going to plan, but it seems that Yang Hua now has a problem…
[Ep11] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
Qin Shi doesn’t make any attempt to mingle with the partners because they’re discussing golf, women and whiskey, none of which she has any interest in. She seems a little tense and downhearted. Li Dai is slightly mocking of her. She thought Qin Shi was special because Madam Tang favored her, but it turns out she’s the same as Li Dai. As Qin Shi walks away, Yang Hua corrects Li Dai: “You’re wrong. Qin Shi is not like you”
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| Yang Hua looked genuinely annoyed when Li Dai got the better of his “wife” |
Mr Jin and the male partners head indoors to smoke cigars, while their wives remain outdoors. Qin Shi invites herself to the males’ gathering; they grudgingly agree. She sits silently and watches them cut cigars, drink and talk, while Yang Hua sits with the wives, equally silently. Our main CP are both out of their element and uncomfortable. At least until one of the women tells Yang Hua his wife looks haggard and shouldn’t push herself, and one of the men asks Qin Shi her opinion as a female lawyer on the pressure issues in their industry. The duo seem to be of one mind because they both independently answer that work (for Qin Shi) is a joy and that intelligence makes a person look sexier. This seems to displease the women and puzzle the men.
One of the lawyers, Lawyer Chen, who has very old-fashioned views, says he’s against career women because marriage and looking after children has been women’s job since ancient times, and with women entering the workforce, there is a declining fertility rate. He believes if all married women leave the workforce, it would solve the fertility problem and employment problem(!!!). Qin Shi answers calmly and very cleverly, and impresses Mr Jin and the rest.
The conversation gets to a point where one of the men feels that Qin Shi is against men, and she wonders if she’s been too outspoken. Nothing she said was anti-male, so I don’t know where the guy got that idea from. Yang Hua is walking past and speaks in support of her, and says if one of them had to choose between career and family, it would be he who chooses family. Qin Shi is very happy with his answer.
Madam Tang and Qin Shi come across Yang Hua and Li Dai just then, and Madam Tang wonders how they know each other. Something Qin Shi says about having private conversations with other people’s husbands prompts Li Dai to tell the truth. Qin Shi shouldn’t keep needling Li Dai, especially when she knows Li Dai is suspicious.
Qin Shi tries to make it seem like everything is because Yang Hua’s mother doesn’t like her. Li Dai isn’t buying it. Why wasn’t Qin Shi the first person Yang Hua sought out on his return to China?
There seems to be no way out of the situation until Yang Hua finally says he lost his job. A year ago.
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| “When were you going to tell me?” “I was afraid you’d leave me” |
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| “You’re such a fool!” |
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| Li Dai is so done :D |
…
Madam Lan is on her way to the airport with Zhao Danping when they’re waylaid by Tao Junhui and his private investigator. They delay Madam Lan by causing a car crash and then taking away Zhao Danping’s phone. They were unnecessarily aggressive. And shouldn’t this be something the police do? Tao Junhui reveals that one of the first investors of Luowei Yulan hired him to investigate the company, and there are suspicions of falsified data and other problems. Zhao Danping thinks he’s believing unsubstantiated rumors; Madam Lan just looks puzzled. They get information just then that the Luowei International Foundation has pressed charges against Luowei Yulan, and Madam Lan has to take the fall as her husband has absconded.
…
All top law firms in Pujiang have received many new cases because of Luowei Yulan, but Mr Jin is refusing any cases related to it, supposedly because it’s not fair to Madam Lan. Qin Shi thinks Cheng & Hui is an honest law firm and appreciates the characters of the two bosses. Yang Hua doesn’t share her trust. He thinks Mr Jin might be refusing the cases for other reasons. Separately, Li Dai has come to the same conclusion and oddly, Qin Shi seems to know this. Does she have a spy among the legal assistants?
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| Which of these could be Qin Shi’s spy? My money’s on Haitao (the guy at far right, with a sun halo) |
Our main CP discusses their personal situation. Things have become complicated but still manageable since Yang Hua’s visit to the bosses’ place. Qin Shi thinks everything is going to plan, but it seems that Yang Hua now has a problem…
Mom Yang wants to visit them! Apparently Yang Hua never told his mother they were faking their relationship. He has a slightly guilty look when he tells Qin Shi this. Mom thinks they’re truly in love. It’s true that he at least isn’t faking being in love, but only we know that. I thought Qin Shi told Mom Yang that they were marrying for convenience, not love. So why would Mom still think they’re in love?
Qin Shi thinks refusing his mom would cause problems, but at the same time she doesn’t want Mom Yang to make a habit of dropping by. She has a Plan, but she won’t tell him what it is.
Qin Shi avoids the actual visit by hiding at Meimei’s. Yang Hua shows his mother around the apartment, and she seems quite impressed that Qin Shi owns it. When they’re in the bedroom, she subtly asks whether he and Qin Shi are “together all the time”. Yang Hua says they’re quite conservative and sleep in separate rooms as they’re not married yet. Mom pokes around when her son isn’t in the room and finds “evidence” (that Qin Shi has planted) that the couple are in fact sleeping together. A lot. She makes a furious exit, threatening never to forgive him if people talk because he’s been careless (and has a child out of wedlock).
…
Meimei receives a call from Vivian, asking to meet. Qin Shi remarks that Meimei seems nervous and asks whether she truly has no feelings for Qin Wenyu any more. Meimei says developing feelings for someone is dangerous, because you’re giving them a weapon to stab you over and over with. How graphic. Just witnessing the madness with this couple must be enough to put Qin Shi off marriage. Meimei thinks she will go through with the divorce this time. Qin Shi doesn’t believe she will. Qin Shi seems to be subtly trying to prevent divorce, but she should realize that this particular marriage is toxic.
Vivian tells Meimei she can persuade Wenyu to come back home, if Meimei helps settle her in a new city. She wants 1 million yuan. Wow, this girl takes “brazen” to a whole new level. Meimei says Wenyu leaving her will just make him penniless; Meimei herself will be fine. Why would she want to pay to get a parasite back? xD That’s funny and yet sad. There is no respect in this marriage.
Meimei addresses Vivian by a different name, Lv Fenghe, which throws the other woman. Qin Shi shows up just then, with proof of Vivian’s true identity as a fraudster. Vivian is dismayed at her arrival, as she remembers the competent lawyer (from Ep1).
Qin Shi: Miss Lv, if you missed your lectures on common laws in jail, I can give you a free reminder here xD
Vivian tries to push her luck, but Meimei’s had enough. She slaps the girl, thrusts some notes into her hand and walks off with Qin Shi.
Vivian goes back to Wenyu and breaks up with him angrily. He actually has the nerve to demand money from her(!!!) What does anyone see in this louse of a human being? She slaps him and throws him out.
Wenyu goes whining to his mom. “Why is life so difficult? I treat everyone with sincerity but no one returns it.” His dictionary must have some very strange definition of sincerity! Meimei comes by (because Wenyu’s mom called her?). Wenyu wails and pretends he was a victim. He swears he only hung out with Vivian to make his wife jealous. Actually, that might be true. He seemed to spend his time at Vivian’s playing video games.
After a lot of theatrics from Wenyu, Meimei actually takes him back! If she’s going to be this silly, she deserves all the trouble he brings. She could easily have walked away. She herself had a disgusted look on her face when he was (literally) rolling on the floor, so why would she ever want him back?
Wenyu’s mom reminds Meimei of some promise as they leave. This is the first time I’ve seen a woman get along with her mother-in-law so well, but not with her husband.
…
Yang Hua has settled into life at Qin Shi’s. He keeps the apartment clean and has even begun making packed breakfasts for her. She asks whether he’s still looking for an apartment. Why does she ask? Why not just “forget”? He says he’ll move out soon. She doesn’t seem all that happy. She is happy when he asks her to come home early to have dinner with him.
Old Zhou (Yang Hua’s elderly friend, who invested in Luowei Yulan) has had a stroke and is hospitalized. But the old man is in good spirits. Apparently his daughter-in-law had prevented him from investing all his savings in Luowei Yulan, so his loss wasn’t significant. He says he lost 1 million but can afford it o.O He’s well enough to be discharged, but chooses to remain in hospital because his children have spent more time with him in hospital than all the time they spent together in a year before. That’s really sad :-(
…
Qin Shi and Li Dai are called into a secret meeting. Madam Lan and Zhao Danping have come to ask Cheng & Hui to be their attorneys.
Qin Shi thinks refusing his mom would cause problems, but at the same time she doesn’t want Mom Yang to make a habit of dropping by. She has a Plan, but she won’t tell him what it is.
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| Judging by her mischievous look, the Plan should be interesting |
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| He is so confused :D |
Meimei receives a call from Vivian, asking to meet. Qin Shi remarks that Meimei seems nervous and asks whether she truly has no feelings for Qin Wenyu any more. Meimei says developing feelings for someone is dangerous, because you’re giving them a weapon to stab you over and over with. How graphic. Just witnessing the madness with this couple must be enough to put Qin Shi off marriage. Meimei thinks she will go through with the divorce this time. Qin Shi doesn’t believe she will. Qin Shi seems to be subtly trying to prevent divorce, but she should realize that this particular marriage is toxic.
Vivian tells Meimei she can persuade Wenyu to come back home, if Meimei helps settle her in a new city. She wants 1 million yuan. Wow, this girl takes “brazen” to a whole new level. Meimei says Wenyu leaving her will just make him penniless; Meimei herself will be fine. Why would she want to pay to get a parasite back? xD That’s funny and yet sad. There is no respect in this marriage.
Meimei addresses Vivian by a different name, Lv Fenghe, which throws the other woman. Qin Shi shows up just then, with proof of Vivian’s true identity as a fraudster. Vivian is dismayed at her arrival, as she remembers the competent lawyer (from Ep1).
Qin Shi: Miss Lv, if you missed your lectures on common laws in jail, I can give you a free reminder here xD
Vivian goes back to Wenyu and breaks up with him angrily. He actually has the nerve to demand money from her(!!!) What does anyone see in this louse of a human being? She slaps him and throws him out.
Wenyu goes whining to his mom. “Why is life so difficult? I treat everyone with sincerity but no one returns it.” His dictionary must have some very strange definition of sincerity! Meimei comes by (because Wenyu’s mom called her?). Wenyu wails and pretends he was a victim. He swears he only hung out with Vivian to make his wife jealous. Actually, that might be true. He seemed to spend his time at Vivian’s playing video games.
After a lot of theatrics from Wenyu, Meimei actually takes him back! If she’s going to be this silly, she deserves all the trouble he brings. She could easily have walked away. She herself had a disgusted look on her face when he was (literally) rolling on the floor, so why would she ever want him back?
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| Meimei should seriously reconsider her life choices |
…
Yang Hua has settled into life at Qin Shi’s. He keeps the apartment clean and has even begun making packed breakfasts for her. She asks whether he’s still looking for an apartment. Why does she ask? Why not just “forget”? He says he’ll move out soon. She doesn’t seem all that happy. She is happy when he asks her to come home early to have dinner with him.
Old Zhou (Yang Hua’s elderly friend, who invested in Luowei Yulan) has had a stroke and is hospitalized. But the old man is in good spirits. Apparently his daughter-in-law had prevented him from investing all his savings in Luowei Yulan, so his loss wasn’t significant. He says he lost 1 million but can afford it o.O He’s well enough to be discharged, but chooses to remain in hospital because his children have spent more time with him in hospital than all the time they spent together in a year before. That’s really sad :-(
…
Qin Shi and Li Dai are called into a secret meeting. Madam Lan and Zhao Danping have come to ask Cheng & Hui to be their attorneys.
A number of senior lawyers from the criminal and family departments are present for the meeting with Madam Lan. 
…
Li Dai muses to Qiao Siming about why Mr Jin asked her to speak instead of Qin Shi at the meeting with Madam Lan. Li Dai thinks she is finally getting recognition. Qiao Siming sets her straight. Qin Shi helped the bosses get out of a 25 million shortfall. She’s like their favorite child now. The Luowei Yulan case is bound to be difficult and with minimal benefit. Nobody would let their favorite lawyer take on such a case. Li Dai is upset.
…
That evening, Qin Shi and Yang Hua are grocery shopping together, but not very amicably. He keeps putting back what she takes in favor of healthier or cheaper alternatives until she gets fed up and takes a separate shopping cart xD.
She asks him about Madam Lan’s case. He thinks she should avoid it, as Madam Tang advised. Qin Shi wants to take it because she believes Pang Dingfang planned on absconding and letting his wife take the blame.
They discuss asset seizure and Yang Hua says Pang Dingfang deserves everything as he only has his greed and desire to blame. For some reason, Qin Shi appears to defend Dingfang (or defend desire at least) by saying it’s the nature of capitalism and it’s hypocritical to speak of anti-consumerism while living in a city. Yang Hua throws her accusation of hypocrisy back at her, by reminding her that she’s lying (about her marital status) to get justice. He smugly asks whether justice achieved by lying can ever be true justice. Because he hit where it hurts, she does the same by asking whether he’s found an apartment. This part of their conversation confused me so much. He contradicts what he said in Ep3 (that it might be acceptable to lie to achieve justice). Does he just change his mind to suit his situation? And I thought she said he could live at her place indefinitely, so she shouldn’t bring up moving out even if he does. I suppose it’s one of those situations where people say things just to hurt the other in an argument.
…
Wu Fei and Tao Junhui are also grocery shopping. She tries to get information about his case against Luowei Yulan and is not at all subtle about it. He turns the tables on her by asking whether Madam Lan visited Cheng & Hui. Wu Fei is bad at lying, so he can easily confirm what he guessed. He believes Mr Jin deliberately refused all the plaintiff’s cases so that he could get Madam Lan as a client. This is what Yang Hua and Li Dai seem to have been thinking as well (in Ep10).
…
Because there is a Coincidence Quota that must be filled in every CDrama, both couples are actually shopping at the same supermarket and run into each other. I feel like Tao Junhui must still slightly disbelieve that Qin Shi is with Yang Hua, so seeing them shopping together must come as a surprise.
There follows an awkward meeting where poor Wu Fei is the only person who doesn’t understand the odd atmosphere. Qin Shi makes jibes directed at Tao Junhui about family background, while Tao Junhui is openly antagonistic towards her. Yang Hua ends the awkward conversation with a simple “let’s go home” and his apparent closeness with Qin Shi is again noted by Tao Junhui.
Tao Junhui tells Qin Shi to stop getting Wu Fei to fish for information on Luowei Yulan from him. Qin Shi says Wu Fei will no longer work on the case, to Wu Fei’s dismay. Wu Fei should really have told Qin Shi about her relationship with Tao Junhui. There was no need to hide it, since she didn’t know about his past relationship with her boss, and there was a definite conflict of interest from not declaring it. On another note: the way Tao Junhui looked at Qin Shi as she left suggests he hasn’t gotten over her fully.
Qin Shi seems thoughtful on the drive back home. Yang Hua thinks she hasn’t gotten over her ex, and says it doesn’t matter if the ex is getting married and his fiancée is young and accomplished, because Qin Shi is accomplished too. Isn’t that like pointing out that she isn’t young? Yang Hua is not great at comforting people. He needn’t have worried anyway. Qin Shi doesn’t care about Tao Junhui’s personal life. She noticed that he was stressed (based on his shopping cart), which means the Luowei Yulan case is going to be complicated. She’s also realized that she can’t trust any of the information Wu Fei got from Tao Junhui. Yang Hua is shocked that she isn’t upset about her ex and thinks her ambition has overridden her emotions. Dude, make up your mind! Do you want her to be upset about her ex or not?
…
Zhao Danping goes home to find her aunt missing. She gets worried and calls Cheng & Hui. She seems to be thinking more towards suicide, while they wonder whether Madam Lan has also absconded. Mr Jin and Madam Tang organize a search party. Li Dai remembers what Qiao Siming said about the case being risky, and decides to drag Qin Shi into it as well.
…
Wu Fei thinks Tao Junhui was antagonistic earlier because he’s afraid of Qin Shi :D Tao Junhui suggests Wu Fei work for another senior attorney, but Wu Fei believes Qin Shi is the best because she was impressed by Qin Shi’s character in not revealing Li Dai’s involvement in the information leak. Why would Wu Fei reveal information like that to Tao Junhui? And why does she call Tao Junhui “uncle”? That sounds so weird when he’s her fiancé.
Tao Junhui wants to know whether Qin Shi will be the lawyer if Cheng & Hui represent Madam Lan. Wu Fei says no but muses out loud that Qin Shi wouldn’t be so interested in a case that she couldn't handle. Wu Fei! Zip it! She seems to be the biggest leaker of information!
[Ep13] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
Qin Shi moves to speak but is silenced by a sign from Madam Tang. Madam Lan wants Cheng & Hui to represent both herself and her husband. She believes he’s innocent and that Luowei Yulan doesn’t lack money. Mr Jin believes she is innocent, at any rate.
The lawyers give Madam Lan the worst-case scenario. Even if she won’t face criminal charges, she will have to face civil cases. Her company will turn insolvent and file for bankruptcy. Pang Dingfang will be found guilty and all their common assets will also be confiscated. Zhao Danping is worried for her aunt and aunt’s son. Whatever Zhao Danping’s flaws may be, she is very supportive of her aunt.
Mr Jin says there is only one solution if Madam Lan doesn’t want to lose everything. He cues Li Dai to speak, and she says the solution is divorce. Madam Lan is absolutely against that idea. Zhao Danping cares more about her aunt, and tells Mr Jin she’ll try to convince her. Danping seems to have changed her mind about Cheng & Hui now. All it took was frank speaking. They should avoid allowing Madam Tang to communicate with clients, and send Mr Jin or the senior lawyers instead.
Qin Shi and Li Dai have a brief moment of solidarity, followed by a very cringey high-five-ish situation, before going back to their usual rivalry.
They both pretend not to be interested in the case, but each gets their most loyal legal assistant to start investigations on it in secret. In doing this, Qin Shi is actively disregarding Madam Tang’s advice. Madam Tang wants Qin Shi to avoid Madam Lan’s case, as it’s fraught with difficulties. Instead she advises focusing on getting to the corporate division.
The lawyers give Madam Lan the worst-case scenario. Even if she won’t face criminal charges, she will have to face civil cases. Her company will turn insolvent and file for bankruptcy. Pang Dingfang will be found guilty and all their common assets will also be confiscated. Zhao Danping is worried for her aunt and aunt’s son. Whatever Zhao Danping’s flaws may be, she is very supportive of her aunt.
Mr Jin says there is only one solution if Madam Lan doesn’t want to lose everything. He cues Li Dai to speak, and she says the solution is divorce. Madam Lan is absolutely against that idea. Zhao Danping cares more about her aunt, and tells Mr Jin she’ll try to convince her. Danping seems to have changed her mind about Cheng & Hui now. All it took was frank speaking. They should avoid allowing Madam Tang to communicate with clients, and send Mr Jin or the senior lawyers instead.
Qin Shi and Li Dai have a brief moment of solidarity, followed by a very cringey high-five-ish situation, before going back to their usual rivalry.
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| Why did the director think this scene was a good idea? |
…
Li Dai muses to Qiao Siming about why Mr Jin asked her to speak instead of Qin Shi at the meeting with Madam Lan. Li Dai thinks she is finally getting recognition. Qiao Siming sets her straight. Qin Shi helped the bosses get out of a 25 million shortfall. She’s like their favorite child now. The Luowei Yulan case is bound to be difficult and with minimal benefit. Nobody would let their favorite lawyer take on such a case. Li Dai is upset.
That evening, Qin Shi and Yang Hua are grocery shopping together, but not very amicably. He keeps putting back what she takes in favor of healthier or cheaper alternatives until she gets fed up and takes a separate shopping cart xD.
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| She does look truly fed up |
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| And he seems to have no idea why :D |
They discuss asset seizure and Yang Hua says Pang Dingfang deserves everything as he only has his greed and desire to blame. For some reason, Qin Shi appears to defend Dingfang (or defend desire at least) by saying it’s the nature of capitalism and it’s hypocritical to speak of anti-consumerism while living in a city. Yang Hua throws her accusation of hypocrisy back at her, by reminding her that she’s lying (about her marital status) to get justice. He smugly asks whether justice achieved by lying can ever be true justice. Because he hit where it hurts, she does the same by asking whether he’s found an apartment. This part of their conversation confused me so much. He contradicts what he said in Ep3 (that it might be acceptable to lie to achieve justice). Does he just change his mind to suit his situation? And I thought she said he could live at her place indefinitely, so she shouldn’t bring up moving out even if he does. I suppose it’s one of those situations where people say things just to hurt the other in an argument.
…
Wu Fei and Tao Junhui are also grocery shopping. She tries to get information about his case against Luowei Yulan and is not at all subtle about it. He turns the tables on her by asking whether Madam Lan visited Cheng & Hui. Wu Fei is bad at lying, so he can easily confirm what he guessed. He believes Mr Jin deliberately refused all the plaintiff’s cases so that he could get Madam Lan as a client. This is what Yang Hua and Li Dai seem to have been thinking as well (in Ep10).
…
Because there is a Coincidence Quota that must be filled in every CDrama, both couples are actually shopping at the same supermarket and run into each other. I feel like Tao Junhui must still slightly disbelieve that Qin Shi is with Yang Hua, so seeing them shopping together must come as a surprise.
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| This is when she finds out that her ex is now with her subordinate |
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| He immediately looks for her reaction |
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| Wu Fei is the only person who is happy about this accidental meeting |
Qin Shi seems thoughtful on the drive back home. Yang Hua thinks she hasn’t gotten over her ex, and says it doesn’t matter if the ex is getting married and his fiancée is young and accomplished, because Qin Shi is accomplished too. Isn’t that like pointing out that she isn’t young? Yang Hua is not great at comforting people. He needn’t have worried anyway. Qin Shi doesn’t care about Tao Junhui’s personal life. She noticed that he was stressed (based on his shopping cart), which means the Luowei Yulan case is going to be complicated. She’s also realized that she can’t trust any of the information Wu Fei got from Tao Junhui. Yang Hua is shocked that she isn’t upset about her ex and thinks her ambition has overridden her emotions. Dude, make up your mind! Do you want her to be upset about her ex or not?
…
Zhao Danping goes home to find her aunt missing. She gets worried and calls Cheng & Hui. She seems to be thinking more towards suicide, while they wonder whether Madam Lan has also absconded. Mr Jin and Madam Tang organize a search party. Li Dai remembers what Qiao Siming said about the case being risky, and decides to drag Qin Shi into it as well.
…
Wu Fei thinks Tao Junhui was antagonistic earlier because he’s afraid of Qin Shi :D Tao Junhui suggests Wu Fei work for another senior attorney, but Wu Fei believes Qin Shi is the best because she was impressed by Qin Shi’s character in not revealing Li Dai’s involvement in the information leak. Why would Wu Fei reveal information like that to Tao Junhui? And why does she call Tao Junhui “uncle”? That sounds so weird when he’s her fiancé.
Based on Wu Fei’s musings, Tao Junhui comes to the conclusion that Madam Lan is seeking to divorce Pang Dingfang. He knows he needs to act quickly.
Madam Tang is surprised that Qin Shi is involved in the search for Madam Lan. Mr Jin suspects that Madam Lan might have gone to look for her husband. Separately, Yang Hua and Qin Shi have the same thought and look for Madam Lan at the airport. Qin Shi texts Madam Tang that Madam Lan is safe and then switches her phone off, which annoys Madam Tang.
Madam Lan is waiting hopefully for her husband, but he doesn’t come. Qin Shi suggests calling him, but his phone is switched off. It finally strikes Madam Lan that her husband has deceived her. Qin Shi reminds her of when she said women shouldn’t try to dominate. Qin Shi believes nobody should lose themselves in a relationship, especially a marriage. Nobody will respect you when you place them above yourself. All very true but it still sounded preachy. They give up the wait and leave.
Madam Lan instructs Cheng & Hui to proceed how they see fit with the divorce. She’s counting on Qin Shi. Madam Tang on the other hand is annoyed at her favorite. She wants to know if Qin Shi is getting arrogant and not listening to her anymore. She thinks it’s lucky Qin Shi isn’t a man, because if she was, her ambition would make her grow too powerful. Huh??? Qin Shi adopts her usual little-girl attitude with her mentor and says she can be powerful as a woman too.
Yang Hua and Qin Shi are both exhausted and there follows a silly scene where she falls asleep against his shoulder while in the elevator, which is not likely to happen irl, and he has to carry her into the apartment.
Next morning, she says he can continue to live at her place if he hasn’t found an apartment he likes, but he has to do housework in lieu of rent. I’m assuming she only started talking about him finding an apartment because he said he was going to move out (Ep11), and I think she made the condition about housework because he was feeling awkward about living with her for free.
…
Qin Wenyu and Ren Meimei are in an amicable phase right now, which is as irritating as when they’re fighting. He’s actually going to work! She’s going to help his mom buy a 70th birthday gift for his dad. He doesn’t see why his mom would buy a gift for her ex-husband. The conversation turns to relationships, and Meimei lets slip that Qin Shi is dating.
…
Qin Shi and Li Dai have been given joint responsibility for Madam Lan’s case. Four legal assistants are called in to help. Wu Fei is keen to join, but Qin Shi leaves her out.
Cheng & Hui are interested in preserving as much of Madam Lan’s property as possible. Most of the assets belonged to Madam Lan before she got married, so if she divorces her husband, she may get to keep her assets. Cheng & Hui lawyers have also got proof that Pang Dingfang is having an affair with his son’s tutor. This is almost too convenient. However, because the husband has absconded, the divorce case alone could take a long time.
This is the first case Li Dai and Qin Shi are working on together. The duo exchange sarcastic words, but in an amicable way. They’re on track to start getting along now. The legal assistants can heave a sigh of relief.
…
At the same time, Tao Junhui and his investigator friend (does this guy even have a name?) are conducting the same investigation, but on behalf of the plaintiffs (the people who put money into Luowei Yulan). They want to get as much as possible for their clients. Tao Junhui doesn’t have enough information about Madam Lan’s assets. But he knows that, as the divorce attorney on the case, Qin Shi will.
…
Wu Fei approaches Qin Shi, asking to be allowed to help with Ms Lan’s case. Qin Shi says her refusal isn’t because of Wu Fei’s involvement with Tao Junhui. It’s because Wu Fei isn’t good enough. Wu Fei thinks her mentor is prejudiced against her because she’s rich and is hurt by it. Qin Shi scolds herself for being so harsh because of jealousy. Is she really jealous of Wu Fei? She doesn’t seem interested in Tao Junhui at all outside of work.
Unhappily, Wu Fei calls Tao Junhui. He says he’s out for work and that she should wait for him at home. As she leaves Cheng & Hui, he drives in.
…
Yang Hua is visiting Old Zhou in hospital when he comes across Zhou’s previous visitors… three tough-looking guys. They’re collecting debts on behalf of some of Luowei Yulan’s creditors and want to know if Old Zhou would like to be their client, but they’re not the sort of people Old Zhou wants to get mixed up with. He also tells Yang Hua that the debt collectors informed him that Madam Lan is getting a divorce and a top law firm is handling the case. Yang Hua knows who that is and seems worried. Is it because, if the divorce results in no assets for the creditors, then it would be in the debt collectors’ interest to prevent the divorce case from going through successfully?
…
Mom Yang gets a call from the matchmaking service, accusing her of lying about her son’s marital status and threatening a lawsuit. She must remember Li Dai also referring to Qin Shi as her daughter-in-law, because she looks for and finds Li Dai’s business card. Oh no.
Madam Tang is surprised that Qin Shi is involved in the search for Madam Lan. Mr Jin suspects that Madam Lan might have gone to look for her husband. Separately, Yang Hua and Qin Shi have the same thought and look for Madam Lan at the airport. Qin Shi texts Madam Tang that Madam Lan is safe and then switches her phone off, which annoys Madam Tang.
Madam Lan is waiting hopefully for her husband, but he doesn’t come. Qin Shi suggests calling him, but his phone is switched off. It finally strikes Madam Lan that her husband has deceived her. Qin Shi reminds her of when she said women shouldn’t try to dominate. Qin Shi believes nobody should lose themselves in a relationship, especially a marriage. Nobody will respect you when you place them above yourself. All very true but it still sounded preachy. They give up the wait and leave.
Madam Lan instructs Cheng & Hui to proceed how they see fit with the divorce. She’s counting on Qin Shi. Madam Tang on the other hand is annoyed at her favorite. She wants to know if Qin Shi is getting arrogant and not listening to her anymore. She thinks it’s lucky Qin Shi isn’t a man, because if she was, her ambition would make her grow too powerful. Huh??? Qin Shi adopts her usual little-girl attitude with her mentor and says she can be powerful as a woman too.
Yang Hua and Qin Shi are both exhausted and there follows a silly scene where she falls asleep against his shoulder while in the elevator, which is not likely to happen irl, and he has to carry her into the apartment.
…
Qin Wenyu and Ren Meimei are in an amicable phase right now, which is as irritating as when they’re fighting. He’s actually going to work! She’s going to help his mom buy a 70th birthday gift for his dad. He doesn’t see why his mom would buy a gift for her ex-husband. The conversation turns to relationships, and Meimei lets slip that Qin Shi is dating.
…
Qin Shi and Li Dai have been given joint responsibility for Madam Lan’s case. Four legal assistants are called in to help. Wu Fei is keen to join, but Qin Shi leaves her out.
This is the first case Li Dai and Qin Shi are working on together. The duo exchange sarcastic words, but in an amicable way. They’re on track to start getting along now. The legal assistants can heave a sigh of relief.
At the same time, Tao Junhui and his investigator friend (does this guy even have a name?) are conducting the same investigation, but on behalf of the plaintiffs (the people who put money into Luowei Yulan). They want to get as much as possible for their clients. Tao Junhui doesn’t have enough information about Madam Lan’s assets. But he knows that, as the divorce attorney on the case, Qin Shi will.
…
Wu Fei approaches Qin Shi, asking to be allowed to help with Ms Lan’s case. Qin Shi says her refusal isn’t because of Wu Fei’s involvement with Tao Junhui. It’s because Wu Fei isn’t good enough. Wu Fei thinks her mentor is prejudiced against her because she’s rich and is hurt by it. Qin Shi scolds herself for being so harsh because of jealousy. Is she really jealous of Wu Fei? She doesn’t seem interested in Tao Junhui at all outside of work.
…
Yang Hua is visiting Old Zhou in hospital when he comes across Zhou’s previous visitors… three tough-looking guys. They’re collecting debts on behalf of some of Luowei Yulan’s creditors and want to know if Old Zhou would like to be their client, but they’re not the sort of people Old Zhou wants to get mixed up with. He also tells Yang Hua that the debt collectors informed him that Madam Lan is getting a divorce and a top law firm is handling the case. Yang Hua knows who that is and seems worried. Is it because, if the divorce results in no assets for the creditors, then it would be in the debt collectors’ interest to prevent the divorce case from going through successfully?
Mom Yang gets a call from the matchmaking service, accusing her of lying about her son’s marital status and threatening a lawsuit. She must remember Li Dai also referring to Qin Shi as her daughter-in-law, because she looks for and finds Li Dai’s business card. Oh no.
The lawyers at Cheng & Hui think it’s possible Pang Dingfang felt frustrated at running a company that his wife owned and that he’d been planning his fraudulent activities for five years, around the time he met his son’s tutor. Qianqian’s reaction to that is so shallow. “No way! Other than youth, she isn’t like a supermodel or anything. Why would he do that for her? He could find someone more beautiful if he wanted”. Why are looks the only thing to be taken into account in a woman?
Apparently, Madam Lan’s nephew also entered the Yulan Group five years ago, so Pang Dingfang must have felt threatened as well. The lawyers seem to have additional degrees in psychology, because they start analyzing Dingfang’s actions from a psychological perspective.
Yang Hua calls Qin Shi and says he’ll pick her up after work. She doesn’t know about the debt collectors and thinks it’s unnecessary for him to wait. Tao Junhui calls her as well, and wants to meet to discuss the case. She tries brushing him off but he persists and says he’ll wait in the parking lot till she finishes work.
A delivery arrives for Qin Shi when she gets back to the meeting. Everyone assumes it’s food, but it’s some foul-smelling substance, along with a warning to mind her own business. She isn’t worried, but does dismiss the meeting. Li Dai offers to take everyone out for drinks, but Qin Shi refuses as she has someone waiting for her. Li Dai seems disappointed.
Over drinks, Li Dai and the legal assistants discuss marriage and patriarchy. This drama does that a bit too much. I know there are serious problems, but feminism doesn’t have to be forced into every conversation. Li Dai keeps getting phone calls from one number and when she finally answers it, she finds that it’s Yang Hua’s mother.
…
Mom Yang later complains to her husband about her son leaving her and not having time for her. Dad Yang says their son is possessive; when he wants something, he won’t give it up for anyone. Mom Yang is stunned to realize that maybe there’s something real between her son and Qin Shi.
…
Qin Shi is accosted by the debt collectors on her way to the parking lot. She whacks them with her handbag and runs away, dropping her phone in the process. Tao Junhui grabs her while she’s hiding. Together they try to evade the debt collectors.
They’re outnumbered, however, and are soon in trouble. She manages to get free from her captor, but skids and falls while running away. Another thug is looming over her when Yang Hua shows up and tasers the guy. Qin Shi wants him to help Tao Junhui, which he does less-than-willingly, and gets a punch on the jaw from a debt collector for his pains. It does serve as a distraction though, and Tao Junhui is able to deal with the remaining attacker.
The cops are called and take the debt collectors away. Yang Hua’s pride is hurt from being punched in front of his rival. Tao Junhui wants them to go with him to the police station. Qin Shi starts to follow, but Yang Hua stops her.
Qin Shi is taken aback (and maybe slightly amused). She ends the face-off by driving Tao Junhui’s car. Yang Hua is sullen and complains during the journey. He’s such a child :D Qin Shi averts an argument between the two men by asking why Tao Junhui was looking for her. He wants to discuss the debt settlement. He says the problem occurred when Madam Lan and Pang Dingfang were married and so she should bear some responsibility. He likens it to Yang Hua losing his job and asks if Qin Shi would just abandon him because of it. Wu Fei is such a blabbermouth! Yang Hua isn’t happy with the reference to his unemployed status. Qin Shi is adamant that the debt is not Madam Lan’s to bear. Tao Junhui threatens to push for freezing Madam Lan’s other businesses if Qin Shi doesn’t try to convince her to settle at least some of the debt. I may be wrong but I thought Yang Hua was jealous of how authoritative Tao Junhui was with Qin Shi.
…
Wu Fei is at Tao Junhui’s place. When she grabs a book to read, a photo falls out. I felt like this was another weird coincidence. Hasn't she been at his place before and read books? Why is the photo making itself seen only now?
The photo says “2007 debate tournament champion” on the back. Clearly the champion is Qin Shi and Tao Junhui is next to her. This contradicts his claim that he hardly knew Qin Shi. Why did Junhui keep the photo at all? Wu Fei looks disconcerted. But when Tao Junhui returns later, she doesn’t think of asking him about it because she sees his injuries. She reacts far too much like a child. I don’t know why but half the time I think I’m watching an uncle and niece when I see these two interact. It doesn’t help that she actually calls him “uncle” as well.
…
After Tao Junhui leaves, our main CP go to a convenience store so Qin Shi can satisfy her pangs of hunger with instant ramen. Yang Hua explains how he knew about the debt collectors and Qin Shi thanks him for going above and beyond to save her. He somehow (though I don’t understand how) realizes she was injured during the scuffle and treats her scrapes. She returns the favor and he feels… something.
A group of boys enter the store just then and a sudden movement from one of them causes Yang Hua to immediately grab Qin Shi to protect her.
It’s very awkward when he realizes there was no danger after all. He beats a quick exit. Now it’s Qin Shi’s turn to feel all sorts of things. And the feeling continues later that night, as she tries to sleep, but Yang Hua keeps entering her dreams xD I think this was significant because we’d previously established that Qin Shi could sleep through pretty much anything. For someone to disrupt her sleep is a big deal :D
The next day, Li Dai walks into Cheng & Hui to hear the legal assistants discussing the attack on a female lawyer. She seems to be worried for Qin Shi and is relieved to find her safe in her office. It doesn’t stop her from starting their usual snark war though.
[Ep15] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
Apparently, Madam Lan’s nephew also entered the Yulan Group five years ago, so Pang Dingfang must have felt threatened as well. The lawyers seem to have additional degrees in psychology, because they start analyzing Dingfang’s actions from a psychological perspective.
Yang Hua calls Qin Shi and says he’ll pick her up after work. She doesn’t know about the debt collectors and thinks it’s unnecessary for him to wait. Tao Junhui calls her as well, and wants to meet to discuss the case. She tries brushing him off but he persists and says he’ll wait in the parking lot till she finishes work.
Over drinks, Li Dai and the legal assistants discuss marriage and patriarchy. This drama does that a bit too much. I know there are serious problems, but feminism doesn’t have to be forced into every conversation. Li Dai keeps getting phone calls from one number and when she finally answers it, she finds that it’s Yang Hua’s mother.
…
Mom Yang later complains to her husband about her son leaving her and not having time for her. Dad Yang says their son is possessive; when he wants something, he won’t give it up for anyone. Mom Yang is stunned to realize that maybe there’s something real between her son and Qin Shi.
…
Qin Shi is accosted by the debt collectors on her way to the parking lot. She whacks them with her handbag and runs away, dropping her phone in the process. Tao Junhui grabs her while she’s hiding. Together they try to evade the debt collectors.
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| Why is everything he does slightly aggressive? |
The cops are called and take the debt collectors away. Yang Hua’s pride is hurt from being punched in front of his rival. Tao Junhui wants them to go with him to the police station. Qin Shi starts to follow, but Yang Hua stops her.
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| “You want to speak with my wife, you sit in my car” |
…
Wu Fei is at Tao Junhui’s place. When she grabs a book to read, a photo falls out. I felt like this was another weird coincidence. Hasn't she been at his place before and read books? Why is the photo making itself seen only now?
…
After Tao Junhui leaves, our main CP go to a convenience store so Qin Shi can satisfy her pangs of hunger with instant ramen. Yang Hua explains how he knew about the debt collectors and Qin Shi thanks him for going above and beyond to save her. He somehow (though I don’t understand how) realizes she was injured during the scuffle and treats her scrapes. She returns the favor and he feels… something.
A group of boys enter the store just then and a sudden movement from one of them causes Yang Hua to immediately grab Qin Shi to protect her.
 |
| I like these two together :D |
Madam Tang has told everyone to stop working on Madam Lan’s case. She’s discovered a large loan taken out by Pang Dingfang using the Yulan Group’s name where Madam Lan was the guarantor. No matter what, Madam Lan will be left with nothing, despite owning other businesses with good operating potential.
Madam Tang is going to find a junior lawyer to handle the case. Qin Shi isn’t happy about leaving Madam Lan high and dry. She’s come up with a plan, but Madam Tang isn’t interested.
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| Did they coordinate their outfits? |
Madam Tang is going to find a junior lawyer to handle the case. Qin Shi isn’t happy about leaving Madam Lan high and dry. She’s come up with a plan, but Madam Tang isn’t interested.
Qin Shi calls Yang Hua to ask for his advice. He guesses she already knows what to do, but just wants his encouragement. She’s worried about whether she’s doing the right thing and he reassures her. She also wants a favor.
Qin Shi approaches Zhao Danping and offers her services as an independent lawyer for free. Zhao Danping thinks Cheng & Hui’s lawyers are odd and unpredictable, because apparently Li Dai has done the same thing as Qin Shi. Danping wants to know why they’re even interested in the case when everyone else has refused them. For Li Dai, it’s to see justice done; for Qin Shi, it’s fame :D
Qin Shi gets Yang Hua to speak to Zhao Danping and Madam Lan about their options. The only viable option is for Madam Lan to not divorce, and to use the profits of her properly operating businesses to pay off the creditors. It will take around three years for the debt to be paid off. Qin Shi mentions her conversation with Tao Junhui. If Madam Lan comes up with a good debt repayment plan, the creditors will guarantee normal operation of her businesses. But Madam Lan thinks the board of directors of Yulan Group won’t allow her to be in charge as they see her only as a brainless figurehead. Cue motivational speeches from Li Dai and Qin Shi.
Later, Li Dai expresses genuine appreciation for Qin Shi, as she’d previously thought Qin Shi would only focus on herself and wouldn’t do anything to help others. Li Dai is also grateful to Qin Shi for keeping the secret about Li Dai being the leak at the start of the Luowei Yulan debacle. Li Dai wants to return the favor now. She returns Qin Shi’s flash drive to her, and then plays a recording of Yang Hua’s mom telling her that her son is single (to avoid having to pay the compensation Li Dai threatened to ask from the matchmaking agency). Li Dai has no intention of revealing this information. But she does want fairness; she wants Qin Shi to withdraw from the competition to the 11th floor. She leaves Qin Shi feeling uneasy.
Qin Shi later remembers that she’d placed the flash drive with the CCTV footage in her own drawer, and wonders how Li Dai got it at all.
Qin Shi reveals this new problem to Yang Hua. She remembers his words about achieving justice by lying and says maybe he’s right. She’ll have to go somewhere new and start all over again. But she doesn’t want to withdraw from the competition, because she wants to get to the 11th floor and remove this rule regarding unmarried women. Yang Hua says he’ll be watching her as she does it. He has a perfect solution. Get married for real.
Yang Hua talks to his parents about his intention to marry Qin Shi. His dad is for, his mom is against. Surprise surprise. Mom thinks Qin Shi is devious because she lied about being married to Yang Hua. Mom Yang used the word “ambition”. I don’t see why being married to Yang Hua would be considered a sign of great ambition. Yang Hua says it was he who told Qin Shi to lie. He did it because he loves her very much and won’t allow anyone else to pursue her. Dad finds this hilarious. Mom is stunned.
It’s Qin Shi’s dad’s 70th birthday. Qin Shi seems disinterested. The family - Qin Wenbin and wife (Zhao Qing), Qin Wenyu, Meimei, Qin Shi, her mom (Hu Xiaomei) and her dad (Qin Jun) - are posing for a photo when Liu Yan (Qin Wenyu’s mom) inserts herself into the photo. This annoys Qin Shi and her mother, and Qin Shi prevents the photo from being taken. Qin Wenyu takes the side of his mother and chaos ensues. Liu Yan makes a remark about Qin Shi’s temper and the unlikelihood of her getting married, which angers Hu Xiaomei even more. A physical fight starts o.O Qin Shi’s dad is annoyed.
Zhao Qing manages to calm everyone down and has them move to the dinner table. Qin Shi’s dad makes a speech where we learn that Qin Wenbin’s mother was ambitious (according to Mr Qin) and he divorced her to let her go abroad. The reason for Mr Qin divorcing Liu Yan is unclear, but she blames Qin Shi’s mom. Qin Shi’s temper rises gradually as her father and then Liu Yan speak. Dad apologizes to Qin Wenyu, who apparently didn’t get much parental care growing up because his dad was trying to start a business. Wenyu begins weeping and says it doesn’t matter, he has Meimei now and he’ll never ask to divorce her again. That triggers Mr Qin, who waves a knife around and says children of the Qin family were only ever widowed, never divorced. Umm.. Wenyu points out the hypocrisy and - to avoid any further scolding - shifts the topic to Qin Shi and breaks it to the family that she has a boyfriend.
Qin Shi is interrogated by her dad (it honestly felt like an interrogation), while Qin Wenyu is kneeling on the floor as punishment. He’s an adult! What sort of a craziness is this? Dad Qin wants to meet Yang Hua. Qin Shi makes it seem like she rarely sees Yang Hua, as they’re both busy. She’s also not thinking of marriage. She snarkily remarks that as they’re not allowed to get divorced, and she isn’t confident she can avoid it, she’d rather not marry at all. She uses the examples of her brothers’ and father’s marriages to make a case for why marriage isn’t necessarily a happy thing.
Dad Qin is angry at her remarks about him. She excuses herself and leaves. Qin Wenbin runs after her, not to lecture her but to ask for a ride. She’s regretting her words a bit now, but is still angry. Meanwhile Meimei is excitedly interrogated by the female family members regarding Yang Hua.
Qin Shi approaches Zhao Danping and offers her services as an independent lawyer for free. Zhao Danping thinks Cheng & Hui’s lawyers are odd and unpredictable, because apparently Li Dai has done the same thing as Qin Shi. Danping wants to know why they’re even interested in the case when everyone else has refused them. For Li Dai, it’s to see justice done; for Qin Shi, it’s fame :D
Qin Shi gets Yang Hua to speak to Zhao Danping and Madam Lan about their options. The only viable option is for Madam Lan to not divorce, and to use the profits of her properly operating businesses to pay off the creditors. It will take around three years for the debt to be paid off. Qin Shi mentions her conversation with Tao Junhui. If Madam Lan comes up with a good debt repayment plan, the creditors will guarantee normal operation of her businesses. But Madam Lan thinks the board of directors of Yulan Group won’t allow her to be in charge as they see her only as a brainless figurehead. Cue motivational speeches from Li Dai and Qin Shi.
Later, Li Dai expresses genuine appreciation for Qin Shi, as she’d previously thought Qin Shi would only focus on herself and wouldn’t do anything to help others. Li Dai is also grateful to Qin Shi for keeping the secret about Li Dai being the leak at the start of the Luowei Yulan debacle. Li Dai wants to return the favor now. She returns Qin Shi’s flash drive to her, and then plays a recording of Yang Hua’s mom telling her that her son is single (to avoid having to pay the compensation Li Dai threatened to ask from the matchmaking agency). Li Dai has no intention of revealing this information. But she does want fairness; she wants Qin Shi to withdraw from the competition to the 11th floor. She leaves Qin Shi feeling uneasy.
Qin Shi later remembers that she’d placed the flash drive with the CCTV footage in her own drawer, and wonders how Li Dai got it at all.
Qin Shi reveals this new problem to Yang Hua. She remembers his words about achieving justice by lying and says maybe he’s right. She’ll have to go somewhere new and start all over again. But she doesn’t want to withdraw from the competition, because she wants to get to the 11th floor and remove this rule regarding unmarried women. Yang Hua says he’ll be watching her as she does it. He has a perfect solution. Get married for real.
 |
| “Let’s get married” |
It’s Qin Shi’s dad’s 70th birthday. Qin Shi seems disinterested. The family - Qin Wenbin and wife (Zhao Qing), Qin Wenyu, Meimei, Qin Shi, her mom (Hu Xiaomei) and her dad (Qin Jun) - are posing for a photo when Liu Yan (Qin Wenyu’s mom) inserts herself into the photo. This annoys Qin Shi and her mother, and Qin Shi prevents the photo from being taken. Qin Wenyu takes the side of his mother and chaos ensues. Liu Yan makes a remark about Qin Shi’s temper and the unlikelihood of her getting married, which angers Hu Xiaomei even more. A physical fight starts o.O Qin Shi’s dad is annoyed.
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| This is probably the most entertaining 70th birthday ever. They could sell tickets |
Qin Shi is interrogated by her dad (it honestly felt like an interrogation), while Qin Wenyu is kneeling on the floor as punishment. He’s an adult! What sort of a craziness is this? Dad Qin wants to meet Yang Hua. Qin Shi makes it seem like she rarely sees Yang Hua, as they’re both busy. She’s also not thinking of marriage. She snarkily remarks that as they’re not allowed to get divorced, and she isn’t confident she can avoid it, she’d rather not marry at all. She uses the examples of her brothers’ and father’s marriages to make a case for why marriage isn’t necessarily a happy thing.
Dad Qin is angry at her remarks about him. She excuses herself and leaves. Qin Wenbin runs after her, not to lecture her but to ask for a ride. She’s regretting her words a bit now, but is still angry. Meanwhile Meimei is excitedly interrogated by the female family members regarding Yang Hua.
Qin Shi has questions for Qin Wenbin. Does he love his wife? He says there’s a connection, but not necessarily love. It’s more a feeling of responsibility. Qin Shi asks if he’s happy. He says he’s content. She doesn’t seem entirely satisfied with his answers. Who would be? He didn’t make marriage seem appealing at all.
Qin Shi and Yang Hua are back at her apartment (should I start referring to it as their apartment?). She has a question for him now.
Qin Shi’s been thinking about it for a whole day. She thinks he’s a pure-hearted loner, and the marriage would be far more beneficial for her (for her work). He makes up three reasons for wanting to marry her, and says it’s definitely not because he likes her. Liar liar…
Yang Hua comes up with a three-year marriage agreement. There’s an obstacle though. They need their household registers in order to marry. She’s confident of getting hers. His will be guarded by his mother, but he thinks he can get it.
…
Ms Lan exercises her right as president of Yulan Group to appoint Zhao Danping as CEO. Half the board members aren’t happy because Zhao Danping doesn’t have the surname Lan.
…
There’s a rumor circulating in Cheng & Hui that an unmarried person is pretending to be married. Qin Shi freaks out and mentally berates Li Dai. But it wasn’t Li Dai who leaked it. And the rumor isn’t about Qin Shi at all. Qiao Siming tells Li Dai someone is pretending to be married when they’re divorced. He seems to be less surprised at the theoretical possibility of someone pretending to be married when they’re single. I’m confused about Qiao Siming’s role in the law firm. He says he’s been in HR for 20 years, but then why was he the person handling the (legal?) contract with the Association for Women Entrepreneurs?
Qin Shi isn’t aware of the identity of the person in trouble and she fearfully listens to Madam Tang ranting about being made a fool of. But it turns out to be a senior lawyer named Steven, who apparently isn’t particularly good at work and only became a senior lawyer because his wife is the vice president of some group. How was Cheng & Hui able to rise so much when they seem to be basing promotions on connections rather than talent?
Qin Shi quips that family background has always been prioritized at Cheng & Hui. That’s brave of her. Madam Tang says if it really was, Qin Shi would never have been able to get to where she was. That’s rude o.O Madam Tang says she can handle failure, but not betrayal, and starts to wonder whether other people in the company could be lying too. I suppose a very brave person would have confessed, but the way Madam Tang was banging on the table and ranting, the person would have to be so brave as to be foolhardy.
Qiao Siming is now going carefully through HR data and notices that Qin Shi’s records are missing proof of marital status. He asks her to bring it asap. Qin Shi realizes she has to move fast, and tells her parents she’s getting married. Her mom ishysterical excited. Dad is calmer and asks how the person who vowed never to marry has changed now. He seems a lot nicer today. Does he get mood swings? Qin Shi says she wants her parents to stop worrying about her.
Mom Qin thinks marrying quickly is good and a simple ceremony is ok. But when she hears that her daughter wants to register her marriage that very day, she’s shocked. She wants to meet the would-be groom first. Dad tries to play peacekeeper but to no avail. Mom keeps bringing up money and when Qin Shi asks why, she says people kept walking over her throughout her life because she never made any demands of them. She wants things to be different for her daughter. She expects Yang Hua to have a house, car and a whole lot of other things.
Yang Hua is having problems of his own. His mom has locked him out of the house. He tries to enlist his dad’s help, but Dad says his wife hid the register a long time ago and he has no idea where to look.
Dad promises to help.
Qin Shi whines to Yang Hua about the situation. I don’t like whining, especially from adults, but she sounded cute. CDramas are warping my tastes :D She asks him to come home with her to meet her parents. Qin Shi thinks they will succeed. Yang Hua isn’t sure, after hearing more about her parents.
The reception given to him by the Qin family, if not hostile, is not exactly welcoming. Mom Qin is a bit antagonistic, Dad Qin seems ok, Zhao Qing (who is there in place of her husband) seems to approve, Qin Wenyu is openly surprised at how young Yang Hua is. The women’s approval increases when they see how attentive he is towards Qin Shi, but Wenyu thinks it’s an act.
Yang Hua is asked to drink and he dare not refuse in case it’s viewed badly. But he overdoes it from the start and Wenyu plies him with more and more alcohol till even Dad Qin seems alarmed. Mom Qin stalks off to the kitchen, Qin Shi follows to cajole her, and Zhao Qing follows to gossip. In the dining room, Dad Qin asks drunk Yang Hua how he met his daughter. Oh no.
Qin Shi and Yang Hua are back at her apartment (should I start referring to it as their apartment?). She has a question for him now.
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| “Do you like me?” |
 |
| Cue spit take from Yang Hua |
Yang Hua comes up with a three-year marriage agreement. There’s an obstacle though. They need their household registers in order to marry. She’s confident of getting hers. His will be guarded by his mother, but he thinks he can get it.
…
Ms Lan exercises her right as president of Yulan Group to appoint Zhao Danping as CEO. Half the board members aren’t happy because Zhao Danping doesn’t have the surname Lan.
…
There’s a rumor circulating in Cheng & Hui that an unmarried person is pretending to be married. Qin Shi freaks out and mentally berates Li Dai. But it wasn’t Li Dai who leaked it. And the rumor isn’t about Qin Shi at all. Qiao Siming tells Li Dai someone is pretending to be married when they’re divorced. He seems to be less surprised at the theoretical possibility of someone pretending to be married when they’re single. I’m confused about Qiao Siming’s role in the law firm. He says he’s been in HR for 20 years, but then why was he the person handling the (legal?) contract with the Association for Women Entrepreneurs?
Qin Shi isn’t aware of the identity of the person in trouble and she fearfully listens to Madam Tang ranting about being made a fool of. But it turns out to be a senior lawyer named Steven, who apparently isn’t particularly good at work and only became a senior lawyer because his wife is the vice president of some group. How was Cheng & Hui able to rise so much when they seem to be basing promotions on connections rather than talent?
Qiao Siming is now going carefully through HR data and notices that Qin Shi’s records are missing proof of marital status. He asks her to bring it asap. Qin Shi realizes she has to move fast, and tells her parents she’s getting married. Her mom is
Yang Hua is having problems of his own. His mom has locked him out of the house. He tries to enlist his dad’s help, but Dad says his wife hid the register a long time ago and he has no idea where to look.
Yang Hua: This is what happens when you spoil her.
Dad Yang: I’m spoiling my wife. What’s that got to do with you?
Yang Hua: Your wife is making things difficult for my wife. What then?
Dad promises to help.
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| Is there no way around household registers? This seems crazy |
The reception given to him by the Qin family, if not hostile, is not exactly welcoming. Mom Qin is a bit antagonistic, Dad Qin seems ok, Zhao Qing (who is there in place of her husband) seems to approve, Qin Wenyu is openly surprised at how young Yang Hua is. The women’s approval increases when they see how attentive he is towards Qin Shi, but Wenyu thinks it’s an act.
Yang Hua is asked to drink and he dare not refuse in case it’s viewed badly. But he overdoes it from the start and Wenyu plies him with more and more alcohol till even Dad Qin seems alarmed. Mom Qin stalks off to the kitchen, Qin Shi follows to cajole her, and Zhao Qing follows to gossip. In the dining room, Dad Qin asks drunk Yang Hua how he met his daughter. Oh no.
Yang Hua thinks back to his first meeting with Qin Shi, but fortunately he describes it poetically, to the amusement of Qin Wenyu and Dad Qin. He says he fell for her straightaway. Could’ve fooled me. Dad Qin is happy about Yang Hua’s depth of feeling but wants to talk about practical matters. Drunk Yang Hua confesses all. He hasn’t studied abroad, hasn’t got a job, and lives with his parents.
Qin Shi’s parents are not happy. Mom Qin is furious at Qin Shi for breaking up with Tao Junhui for Yang Hua, and keeps making unfavorable comparisons between the two. Qin Shi maintains that Yang Hua is a reliable choice. When Mom doesn’t let the subject of Tao Junhui go, Qin Shi finally snaps and tells her family the truth: Tao Junhui’s family didn’t approve of her because of her family situation. That silences everyone. It’s probably the first time Yang Hua is hearing about this as well, and he seems disquieted.
Qin Shi is furious at Yang Hua and makes a move to leave. She’s actually almost bristling with anger. Still-drunk Yang Hua tells her parents that he may not be the perfect husband for her, but he won’t ask her to change or stand in the way of her pursuits. She’s not mollified though.
Something good unexpectedly comes out of this. Mom Qin gives her daughter the household register, despite not approving of her soon-to-be son-in-law.
Wenyu later relates all the gossip to his mom. She’s slightly maliciously happy at first that she was proven right, but whacks him with a pillow when Wenyu laughs at how his sister was treated by Tao Junhui’s mother. Good for her!
…
Tao Junhui has his investigator friend dig up information on someone, and it seems like that someone could be Yang Hua. Why does nobody in this drama mind their own business?
…
Wu Fei has obtained footage of the 2007 debate tournament (that Qin Shi won). How? Do debate associations keep footage from university-level tournaments that happened over a decade ago? The video clearly shows that Tao Junhui was close to Qin Shi.
Qin Shi approaches Tao Junhui at a martial arts class to ask about Madam Lan’s debt repayment. They spar. He’s slightly aggressive even when he spars with his investigator friend and doesn’t hold back with Qin Shi. She feigns injury to beat him. Isn’t that unsportsmanlike? Though, none of the others seem to mind. He tells her there’s an additional clause now: they want a guarantor. When she tries to reason with him (in the men’s changing room!), he makes a snarky remark about not being able to trust women because they change all the time (referring to her changing her anti-marriage stance). He really does let his personal emotions bleed into his work.
…
Yang Hua and Qin Shi come to the conclusion that some of Ms Lan’s companies need to go public in order to be able to get enough funds to satisfy the creditors requirements. Yang Hua insists on helping Qin Shi with this as an apology for creating a mess at the family gathering.
The help involves convincing Madam Tang to find investors for Madam Lan. This is also the first time Madam Tang realizes Qin Shi is working on Madam Lan’s case (after being expressly forbidden to) and she’s not happy about it. But she does consider their suggestion. Qin Shi is confident of success, not because of anything else, but because she has 100% confidence in Yang Hua. She always seems to have had confidence in his intelligence and financial abilities, right from the start when she didn’t even know him well.
While still at the firm, Qin Shi spots Qiao Siming, who’s looking for her to get her marriage certificate. She grabs Yang Hua and hides in a utility room. They remain in hiding after Qiao Siming leaves because Qin Shi’s got pins and needles.
They’re standing very close. Yang Hua hesitantly starts moving in to kiss her, saying “actually, we…”. She closes her eyes in anticipation… and his phone rings. It’s Dad Yang, wanting to meet his son and fiancée.
Dad Yang apologizes to Qin Shi for his wife’s behavior and thanks her for the positive changes in Yang Hua, which Dad credits Qin Shi with. She wants to know if Dad is ok with her family circumstances, since Mom Yang once said there’d never been a divorced couple in their family. Dad tries to spin things in a positive light, but Qin Shi reminds him that her dad is twice-divorced. She seems very anxious about Dad Yang’s reaction. Dad Yang doesn’t know what to say. Yang Hua steps in and says it doesn’t matter how others view you, only how you view yourself. Personally he feels it’s not a big deal. Qin Shi is moved by his words. Dad smiles approvingly. He also has a gift for them: the household register. Mom Yang is unbelievably controlling. When she finds her husband missing, she immediately goes to where she hid the register to check if it’s there.
…
It’s Tao Junhui’s mom’s birthday, and he and Wu Fei are in attendance. Wu Fei is looking at his debating trophies and asks where the one for 2007 is. When he says he didn’t win it, she probes into who did win. He tries to change the subject, but she’s undeterred. She tries to pry information from his mom instead. Tao Junhui is taken aback.
Tao Junhui should have told Wu Fei about his relationship with Qin Shi when it became clear there was a conflict of interest. I have a suspicion he didn't at first so he could get information out of Wu Fei about the Luowei Yulan case without her realizing. Now she’ll wonder why her fiancé kept such a huge secret from her.
Qin Shi’s parents are not happy. Mom Qin is furious at Qin Shi for breaking up with Tao Junhui for Yang Hua, and keeps making unfavorable comparisons between the two. Qin Shi maintains that Yang Hua is a reliable choice. When Mom doesn’t let the subject of Tao Junhui go, Qin Shi finally snaps and tells her family the truth: Tao Junhui’s family didn’t approve of her because of her family situation. That silences everyone. It’s probably the first time Yang Hua is hearing about this as well, and he seems disquieted.
Qin Shi is furious at Yang Hua and makes a move to leave. She’s actually almost bristling with anger. Still-drunk Yang Hua tells her parents that he may not be the perfect husband for her, but he won’t ask her to change or stand in the way of her pursuits. She’s not mollified though.
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| If looks could kill… |
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| Why did he think that was a good outfit choice for meeting her parents? |
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| Now is not the time for hugging, dude! |
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| “What are you doing?” |
Wenyu later relates all the gossip to his mom. She’s slightly maliciously happy at first that she was proven right, but whacks him with a pillow when Wenyu laughs at how his sister was treated by Tao Junhui’s mother. Good for her!
…
Tao Junhui has his investigator friend dig up information on someone, and it seems like that someone could be Yang Hua. Why does nobody in this drama mind their own business?
…
Wu Fei has obtained footage of the 2007 debate tournament (that Qin Shi won). How? Do debate associations keep footage from university-level tournaments that happened over a decade ago? The video clearly shows that Tao Junhui was close to Qin Shi.
…
Yang Hua and Qin Shi come to the conclusion that some of Ms Lan’s companies need to go public in order to be able to get enough funds to satisfy the creditors requirements. Yang Hua insists on helping Qin Shi with this as an apology for creating a mess at the family gathering.
The help involves convincing Madam Tang to find investors for Madam Lan. This is also the first time Madam Tang realizes Qin Shi is working on Madam Lan’s case (after being expressly forbidden to) and she’s not happy about it. But she does consider their suggestion. Qin Shi is confident of success, not because of anything else, but because she has 100% confidence in Yang Hua. She always seems to have had confidence in his intelligence and financial abilities, right from the start when she didn’t even know him well.
While still at the firm, Qin Shi spots Qiao Siming, who’s looking for her to get her marriage certificate. She grabs Yang Hua and hides in a utility room. They remain in hiding after Qiao Siming leaves because Qin Shi’s got pins and needles.
 |
| Are pins and needles a reason to snuggle? |
Dad Yang apologizes to Qin Shi for his wife’s behavior and thanks her for the positive changes in Yang Hua, which Dad credits Qin Shi with. She wants to know if Dad is ok with her family circumstances, since Mom Yang once said there’d never been a divorced couple in their family. Dad tries to spin things in a positive light, but Qin Shi reminds him that her dad is twice-divorced. She seems very anxious about Dad Yang’s reaction. Dad Yang doesn’t know what to say. Yang Hua steps in and says it doesn’t matter how others view you, only how you view yourself. Personally he feels it’s not a big deal. Qin Shi is moved by his words. Dad smiles approvingly. He also has a gift for them: the household register. Mom Yang is unbelievably controlling. When she finds her husband missing, she immediately goes to where she hid the register to check if it’s there.
…
It’s Tao Junhui’s mom’s birthday, and he and Wu Fei are in attendance. Wu Fei is looking at his debating trophies and asks where the one for 2007 is. When he says he didn’t win it, she probes into who did win. He tries to change the subject, but she’s undeterred. She tries to pry information from his mom instead. Tao Junhui is taken aback.
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| Is it just me or does Wu Fei look like she’s enjoying Junhui’s discomfiture? |
Tao Junhui should have told Wu Fei about his relationship with Qin Shi when it became clear there was a conflict of interest. I have a suspicion he didn't at first so he could get information out of Wu Fei about the Luowei Yulan case without her realizing. Now she’ll wonder why her fiancé kept such a huge secret from her.
Tao Junhui confesses to Wu Fei that he’d been in a relationship with Qin Shi for seven years and had even been engaged to her. He broke up with her two years ago because his mother didn’t like her, which exacerbated Qin Shi’s fear of marriage. Wu Fei wonders how it is that Qin Shi has been married for two years with a son. This is news to Tao Junhui.
Wu Fei thinks Qin Shi cheated on Tai Junhui with Yang Hua. He tells her to forget about it but she wants to avenge her boyfriend. If she’d mentioned the child’s age to him, he’d have realized the impossibility of it, but she doesn’t.
…
Qin Shi and Yang Hua have gotten married! It happens off-screen and we just see Qin Shi congratulating herself and admiring their photos. She texts Yang Hua (in the next room) and asks what he started to say earlier that day in the utility room.
Yang Hua heads over to her room and surprises her so much that she stumbles and he has to catch her. He asks “can I?” and kisses her…
… in his imagination. He then imagines a second outcome where he tells her he meant to say “actually, we could try dating for real”, only for her to refer to their contract and threaten to sue him for 5 million if he tries to start an actual relationship.
She’s still waiting eagerly in her room for a response. He heads over for real this time, she stumbles and he catches her. Does he have second sight?
She puts her arms around his neck and closes her eyes in anticipation. He carries her off to bed…
…to give her a massage. He was so worried about being sued that he panicked and changed course. Dude! Learn to read signals! Even though the massage is probably doing her good (it looks too painful to not be useful), she asks again whether this was what he was talking about earlier and is disappointed when he says yes.
…
Qin Shi hands over her marriage certificate to Qiao Siming, claiming to have married overseas originally and then cancelled it and re-registered in China only now. Li Dai is annoyed at Qin Shi being able to get away with her deception. Li Dai says Qiao Siming is so dense he’ll never be able to make it to the 11th floor, but if he’s HR, how could he? According to him, he’d just take the elevator, lol. But really, what is this guy’s actual job? Qin Shi is a little too smug and complacent now.
…
Pang Dingfang is now an internationally wanted fraudster. Zhao Danping speaks at a press conference on behalf of her aunt and in her new role as CEO, informing of Madam Lan’s innocence and her promise to repay all debts incurred by her husband. Madam Tang also speaks, letting everyone know that a guarantor has been found.
Tao Junhui arrives at Cheng & Hui to sign agreements with Qin Shi. She thanks him for helping convince the creditors and offers to buy him and Wu Fei lunch. He refuses. Wu Fei watches angrily.
…
Yang Hua arrives at Cheng & Hui as Tao Junhui is leaving. He asks how Tao Junhui could have “done that to Qin Shi”. I’m guessing he’s referring to her being insulted by his mother? They face off and Yang Hua tries to punch Tao Junhui, but only manages to break a glass door pane.
…
Yang Hua’s mom is still being difficult. Even after they’ve gotten married? Geez. Or does she not know about it yet? Qin Shi suggests they arrange a meeting between the parents. Yang Hua is worried about what his mother might say in the presence of others. Qin Shi isn’t worried. She thinks her dad will be more than a match.
…
The meeting between the parents initially seems to go ok because Yang Hua’s mom and Qin Shi’s dad find common ground in music. Yang Hua’s mom shamelessly lies that she liked Qin Shi straightaway.
Dad Qin admits his daughter has a fiery temper and asks Mom Yang to look after her. Yang Hua hides a smile at that.
Unfortunately, Qin Shi’s mom looks sour right from the start, and gets steadily angrier because of Mom Yang praising Qin Shi for not asking for anything. Mom Yang also makes a remark about Qin Shi being good at “seizing chances”, which sounded like a jibe. What chance is it that Qin Shi is supposed to have seized?
Mom Qin begins highlighting her daughter’s virtues and advantages (apparently Qin Shi won scholarships, had excellent grades, and was able to buy a house at a young age). Mom Yang says her son was also excellent academically, but that doesn’t appease Mom Qin. Does he have a job? How much does he earn? If Qin Shi goes on maternity leave or falls ill, will he be able to support the family? She also asks what happens if Qin Shi is tired of working and wants to take a short break from work, but that question could apply equally well to a man. Most people can’t afford to take a break just because they’re tired. Qin Shi tries to stem her mother’s speech, but Mom isn’t having any of that.
The situation becomes very awkward until Dad Yang finally speaks. He is very happy at having Qin Shi as his daughter-in-law. He thinks a wedding should be held; Dad Qin agrees, much to Qin Shi’s dismay. Dad Yang also says they will do whatever needs to be done as the groom’s family.
Qin Shi later tries to reason with her mother. She has a house and car, and Yang Hua is financially independent despite not having a formal job. Qin Shi thinks Mom is using her wedding to satisfy her own vanity. Actually, I think Mom was hurt by what people were saying about her daughter. Ignore them Mom, ignore them. Mom is annoyed.
…
Yang Hua goes drinking with Cai Liang, who thinks Mom Qin is right in her criticism. Cai Liang mentions his daughter, so he’s already a dad and everything! When Yang Hua is alone for a minute he drunk-calls Qin Shi and starts rambling. He says he dislikes Tao Junhui, for how he looks at her and for how he hurt her. He wants to beat Tao Junhui up. He did last time… but it missed by a little. A little? xD. She’s amused in an affectionate sort of way. He changes tone and tells her she’s priceless; she’s all the best things in the world, and he wants to give her everything. She smiles softly, but still tries to maintain a businesslike tone. But then he says he loves her. He loves her so much. She’s moved.
She’s also somehow gotten the CCTV footage of him punching Tao Junhui. She smiles affectionately and strokes on-screen Yang Hua’s head: “childish”.
…
Madam Tang is at an upscale wine club (or some place like that) and sees Wu Fei dancing with a familiar-looking gentleman, who she’s informed is the head of Xi Mei PR.
Wu Fei thinks Qin Shi cheated on Tai Junhui with Yang Hua. He tells her to forget about it but she wants to avenge her boyfriend. If she’d mentioned the child’s age to him, he’d have realized the impossibility of it, but she doesn’t.
…
Qin Shi and Yang Hua have gotten married! It happens off-screen and we just see Qin Shi congratulating herself and admiring their photos. She texts Yang Hua (in the next room) and asks what he started to say earlier that day in the utility room.
Yang Hua heads over to her room and surprises her so much that she stumbles and he has to catch her. He asks “can I?” and kisses her…
… in his imagination. He then imagines a second outcome where he tells her he meant to say “actually, we could try dating for real”, only for her to refer to their contract and threaten to sue him for 5 million if he tries to start an actual relationship.
She’s still waiting eagerly in her room for a response. He heads over for real this time, she stumbles and he catches her. Does he have second sight?
…to give her a massage. He was so worried about being sued that he panicked and changed course. Dude! Learn to read signals! Even though the massage is probably doing her good (it looks too painful to not be useful), she asks again whether this was what he was talking about earlier and is disappointed when he says yes.
…
Qin Shi hands over her marriage certificate to Qiao Siming, claiming to have married overseas originally and then cancelled it and re-registered in China only now. Li Dai is annoyed at Qin Shi being able to get away with her deception. Li Dai says Qiao Siming is so dense he’ll never be able to make it to the 11th floor, but if he’s HR, how could he? According to him, he’d just take the elevator, lol. But really, what is this guy’s actual job? Qin Shi is a little too smug and complacent now.
…
Pang Dingfang is now an internationally wanted fraudster. Zhao Danping speaks at a press conference on behalf of her aunt and in her new role as CEO, informing of Madam Lan’s innocence and her promise to repay all debts incurred by her husband. Madam Tang also speaks, letting everyone know that a guarantor has been found.
Tao Junhui arrives at Cheng & Hui to sign agreements with Qin Shi. She thanks him for helping convince the creditors and offers to buy him and Wu Fei lunch. He refuses. Wu Fei watches angrily.
 |
| I always wonder about his expression when he looks at her |
Yang Hua arrives at Cheng & Hui as Tao Junhui is leaving. He asks how Tao Junhui could have “done that to Qin Shi”. I’m guessing he’s referring to her being insulted by his mother? They face off and Yang Hua tries to punch Tao Junhui, but only manages to break a glass door pane.
…
Yang Hua’s mom is still being difficult. Even after they’ve gotten married? Geez. Or does she not know about it yet? Qin Shi suggests they arrange a meeting between the parents. Yang Hua is worried about what his mother might say in the presence of others. Qin Shi isn’t worried. She thinks her dad will be more than a match.
Qin Shi: Do you know a language teacher’s nemesis? It’s my dad. When your mom meets my dad, it’ll be like a scholar meeting a savage. Omg, about her own dad :D
…
The meeting between the parents initially seems to go ok because Yang Hua’s mom and Qin Shi’s dad find common ground in music. Yang Hua’s mom shamelessly lies that she liked Qin Shi straightaway.
Mom Qin begins highlighting her daughter’s virtues and advantages (apparently Qin Shi won scholarships, had excellent grades, and was able to buy a house at a young age). Mom Yang says her son was also excellent academically, but that doesn’t appease Mom Qin. Does he have a job? How much does he earn? If Qin Shi goes on maternity leave or falls ill, will he be able to support the family? She also asks what happens if Qin Shi is tired of working and wants to take a short break from work, but that question could apply equally well to a man. Most people can’t afford to take a break just because they’re tired. Qin Shi tries to stem her mother’s speech, but Mom isn’t having any of that.
Qin Shi later tries to reason with her mother. She has a house and car, and Yang Hua is financially independent despite not having a formal job. Qin Shi thinks Mom is using her wedding to satisfy her own vanity. Actually, I think Mom was hurt by what people were saying about her daughter. Ignore them Mom, ignore them. Mom is annoyed.
…
Yang Hua goes drinking with Cai Liang, who thinks Mom Qin is right in her criticism. Cai Liang mentions his daughter, so he’s already a dad and everything! When Yang Hua is alone for a minute he drunk-calls Qin Shi and starts rambling. He says he dislikes Tao Junhui, for how he looks at her and for how he hurt her. He wants to beat Tao Junhui up. He did last time… but it missed by a little. A little? xD. She’s amused in an affectionate sort of way. He changes tone and tells her she’s priceless; she’s all the best things in the world, and he wants to give her everything. She smiles softly, but still tries to maintain a businesslike tone. But then he says he loves her. He loves her so much. She’s moved.
…
Madam Tang is at an upscale wine club (or some place like that) and sees Wu Fei dancing with a familiar-looking gentleman, who she’s informed is the head of Xi Mei PR.
Qin Shi goes to collect Yang Hua from the bar. Cai Liang has to wake him up with “your wife’s here”. Yang Hua: “I don’t have a wife… [looking at Qin Shi] She’s my goddess”. I couldn’t help laughing :D Poor Qin Shi, how embarrassing :D
Once they’ve got him into the car, Cai Liang tells Qin Shi that Yang Hua likes her a lot and not to hurt him even if she’s just using him.
Qin Shi struggles to get Yang Hua into the apartment. “Why is he so heavy when he’s mostly vegetarian? Right, herbivores are bigger”. xDxDxD She manages to drop him onto the couch and gets him settled there. He’s fast asleep. She remembers his proclamation of love and kisses his cheek softly, before smiling hesitantly and leaving.
…
Wu Fei introduces Madam Tang to her father. Madam Tang is surprised (and probably salivating) at the influential connection. Wu Fei asks if Madam Tang can be legal counsel for her father’s firm. That could bring a lot of wealthy clients to Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang wants to know what Wu Fei would like in return. I’m confused how Wu Fei set this meeting up. It seemed so coincidental.
…
When Qin Shi gets to work the next day(?), she finds Wu Fei in her office, in the role of Senior Lawyer(!). Qin Shi herself has been promoted to the 11th floor, with an office in … the reference room. Qiao Siming - who shows her to her new “office” - shamefacedly says he was acting on instructions. She storms off to Madam Tang, but Madam Tang won’t see her just then or answer her calls. Li Dai accosts Qin Shi and tells her not to have it out with the boss just then, unless Qin Shi is ready to resign, as Li Dai herself has done.
Li Dai has resigned because Wu Fei has taken Qin Shi’s place without doing any of the work that the position would normally require. Li Dai feels bitter that Madam Tang didn’t even try to persuade her to stay. I would feel bitter too. Madam Tang really doesn’t know how to treat her employees. Li Dai also feels that no matter how hard she works, she will never be on par with married male colleagues or female colleagues who pretend to be married. She can’t take such a corporate culture anymore.
Qin Shi feels that the reason for Li Dai’s resignation is different. We see that indeed it is. Zhou Qianqian had previously approached Li Dai about her performance evaluation. She had gotten a subpar score, but wanted Li Dai’s reference as senior attorney to boost her chances of being promoted. Li Dai doesn’t think Qianqian is good enough. Qianqian reveals that it was she who put the flash drive on Li Dai’s desk. She thinks those who don’t have influence should look out for each other. Is she blackmailing Li Dai?
Qin Shi asks Li Dai to stay, saying Cheng & Hui’s unfair practices against single female lawyers will change. Li Dai realizes Qin Shi means she will make the change and laughs at her for being foolish enough to take such a risk to benefit others. Qin Shi says the reason she went along with the lie two years ago was to accomplish just this goal. Is that why she sucked up to Madam Tang so much? Li Dai doesn’t think she has much of a chance, especially given her current circumstances. She thinks Qin Shi should secure her footing on the 11th floor first. Apparently the voting has taken place.
Qiao Siming briefs them on the voting. It’s now down to two nominees: Qin Shi and Lawyer Shen from the criminal department. Seven partners voted, and each nominee got three votes. So someone abstained? Also, apparently not all candidates for the 11th floor are internal employees. Tao Junhui has just been parachuted into Cheng & Hui.
To make things worse for Qin Shi, her new “office” is near Tao Junhui’s. She asks him whether he planned this, and why - when he has a new life and new partner - does he want to mess with her. He says she herself is quite scheming, as she married someone as soon as she broke it off with him. He also wants to know who the father of her 2.5 year old child is. Qin Shi refuses to answer and he stalks off. Where’s his common sense? Even if she’d had an invisible pregnancy, I think he’d have noticed if she’d been carrying an infant around during the last few months of their relationship, since the child would have been 6 months old when they broke up. A better question would be “who’s the mother?”
Yang Hua drops by, ostensibly to bring her lunch and a mint plant for her office, but actually to ask her about the previous night. He wants to know if he said anything he shouldn’t have while drunk. He can’t remember anything. He was very sweet in this scene. Like an innocent kid. She hides the fact that he confessed his love and only refers to some poetry he spouted. He’s relieved.
The legal assistants have started a bet that Qin Shi won’t last for more than three months. Qiao Siming and Li Dai bet that Qin Shi will stay, he (probably) because he believes in Qin Shi’s tenacity, she because she thinks Qin Shi should be able to handle a kid like Wu Fei.
Qiao Siming also reveals to Li Dai that it was Madam Tang who abstained from voting, resulting in the tie. Not really surprising, but Madam Tang is just so… despicable. Siming thinks despite the awkward position she’s been put in, Qin Shi will still thank Madam Tang and devote herself to the company. He doesn’t know the big plan Qin Shi has.
Qin Shi whine-sulks to Madam Tang about why she was placed in the reference room instead of Lawyer Shen. Madam Tang seems to pretty much say she did this because Wu Fei asked her to, but also says she won’t be taken advantage of. She says she assigned Qin Shi the worst non-office because she’s better at handling adverse conditions, and makes it seem like something Qin Shi should thank her for (and Qin Shi actually does!). Madam Tang says Qin Shi is on a three-month probation period in her new role. She also wants Qin Shi to investigate Tao Junhui; she suspects an ulterior motive for him joining Cheng & Hui. What’s with pitting all her staff against each other? Madam Tang would have been more suited to an old-time royal court.
Wu Fei mockingly congratulates Qin Shi on her promotion, and says she’ll treat her and all the legal assistants to lunch at a very expensive restaurant. But she ends up being the only person there. The legal assistants must be furious at her bypassing all the difficulties they had to undergo, simply because of her connections. She didn’t even go from legal assistant to associate lawyer, which in itself takes a few years. Instead, she was promoted straight to senior lawyer.
Li Dai leaves Cheng & Hui to sad music. Nobody sees her off, and I felt bad for her for that. She calls Yang Hua and asks to meet. She reveals that she knows about the fake relationship and tells him she wants Qin Shi to succeed in her plan. But to do that, Qin Shi will need help. Yang Hua is the person who can help right now.
…
Ren Meimei, having handed over the reins of Qin Wenyu’s business to him, is bored at home. But she’s impressed at her husband’s apparent staying power. She thought he wouldn’t be able to go to work regularly for even a week, but he’s been going for a month. Or so she thinks. They actually haven’t seen him at the office for a while and problems are starting, so they call her to come put out fires. She’s secretly quite happy. She also seems to be happy to be vindicated in her opinion of him as an idiot.
 |
| She was entirely unprepared for this :D |
Qin Shi struggles to get Yang Hua into the apartment. “Why is he so heavy when he’s mostly vegetarian? Right, herbivores are bigger”. xDxDxD She manages to drop him onto the couch and gets him settled there. He’s fast asleep. She remembers his proclamation of love and kisses his cheek softly, before smiling hesitantly and leaving.
Wu Fei introduces Madam Tang to her father. Madam Tang is surprised (and probably salivating) at the influential connection. Wu Fei asks if Madam Tang can be legal counsel for her father’s firm. That could bring a lot of wealthy clients to Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang wants to know what Wu Fei would like in return. I’m confused how Wu Fei set this meeting up. It seemed so coincidental.
…
When Qin Shi gets to work the next day(?), she finds Wu Fei in her office, in the role of Senior Lawyer(!). Qin Shi herself has been promoted to the 11th floor, with an office in … the reference room. Qiao Siming - who shows her to her new “office” - shamefacedly says he was acting on instructions. She storms off to Madam Tang, but Madam Tang won’t see her just then or answer her calls. Li Dai accosts Qin Shi and tells her not to have it out with the boss just then, unless Qin Shi is ready to resign, as Li Dai herself has done.
 |
| I understand this pose is a staple in CDramas. Probably not quite this way though |
Qin Shi feels that the reason for Li Dai’s resignation is different. We see that indeed it is. Zhou Qianqian had previously approached Li Dai about her performance evaluation. She had gotten a subpar score, but wanted Li Dai’s reference as senior attorney to boost her chances of being promoted. Li Dai doesn’t think Qianqian is good enough. Qianqian reveals that it was she who put the flash drive on Li Dai’s desk. She thinks those who don’t have influence should look out for each other. Is she blackmailing Li Dai?
 |
| I think Li Dai realizes Qianqian is dangerous |
Qiao Siming briefs them on the voting. It’s now down to two nominees: Qin Shi and Lawyer Shen from the criminal department. Seven partners voted, and each nominee got three votes. So someone abstained? Also, apparently not all candidates for the 11th floor are internal employees. Tao Junhui has just been parachuted into Cheng & Hui.
Yang Hua drops by, ostensibly to bring her lunch and a mint plant for her office, but actually to ask her about the previous night. He wants to know if he said anything he shouldn’t have while drunk. He can’t remember anything. He was very sweet in this scene. Like an innocent kid. She hides the fact that he confessed his love and only refers to some poetry he spouted. He’s relieved.
 |
| Is it appropriate for them to be feeding each other in the office? Tao Junhui doesn’t think so. |
Qiao Siming also reveals to Li Dai that it was Madam Tang who abstained from voting, resulting in the tie. Not really surprising, but Madam Tang is just so… despicable. Siming thinks despite the awkward position she’s been put in, Qin Shi will still thank Madam Tang and devote herself to the company. He doesn’t know the big plan Qin Shi has.
Qin Shi whine-sulks to Madam Tang about why she was placed in the reference room instead of Lawyer Shen. Madam Tang seems to pretty much say she did this because Wu Fei asked her to, but also says she won’t be taken advantage of. She says she assigned Qin Shi the worst non-office because she’s better at handling adverse conditions, and makes it seem like something Qin Shi should thank her for (and Qin Shi actually does!). Madam Tang says Qin Shi is on a three-month probation period in her new role. She also wants Qin Shi to investigate Tao Junhui; she suspects an ulterior motive for him joining Cheng & Hui. What’s with pitting all her staff against each other? Madam Tang would have been more suited to an old-time royal court.
Wu Fei mockingly congratulates Qin Shi on her promotion, and says she’ll treat her and all the legal assistants to lunch at a very expensive restaurant. But she ends up being the only person there. The legal assistants must be furious at her bypassing all the difficulties they had to undergo, simply because of her connections. She didn’t even go from legal assistant to associate lawyer, which in itself takes a few years. Instead, she was promoted straight to senior lawyer.
Li Dai leaves Cheng & Hui to sad music. Nobody sees her off, and I felt bad for her for that. She calls Yang Hua and asks to meet. She reveals that she knows about the fake relationship and tells him she wants Qin Shi to succeed in her plan. But to do that, Qin Shi will need help. Yang Hua is the person who can help right now.
Ren Meimei, having handed over the reins of Qin Wenyu’s business to him, is bored at home. But she’s impressed at her husband’s apparent staying power. She thought he wouldn’t be able to go to work regularly for even a week, but he’s been going for a month. Or so she thinks. They actually haven’t seen him at the office for a while and problems are starting, so they call her to come put out fires. She’s secretly quite happy. She also seems to be happy to be vindicated in her opinion of him as an idiot.
Qin Wenyu admits his wife is better at business than he is and wants her to take back control, saying he’ll cook and clean at home to help her. Yeah right. Why didn’t he do that all this time?
…
Yang Hua is thinking about Li Dai’s words and wondering how he can help Qin Shi. He eases into the conversation by giving her junk food first :D She remarks that he eats more at meals now, which is interesting. I don’t know why I find it interesting, but I do. She isn’t thinking about work just then, though. She’s thinking about a phone call from his mom regarding wedding requirements from her mom. Qin Shi doesn’t want to burden Yang Hua’s family, and she says she’ll reason with her mom. Gosh, you’d think having to deal with work problems would be enough. Their moms are still making things difficult for them!
Yang Hua gets the subject back to work and asks about her stress levels and colleagues. Qin Shi is clearly not very happy with things at work, but puts up a brave front. It’s stressful but she can handle it. Her new colleagues are arrogant and indifferent, but she can handle it. Yang Hua wants to know the plan for her “rebellion”. She hasn’t got one. She spent two years slaving away, maintaining a lie, and being a lapdog to get to this level, but now plans on winging it? Although, she does need a proper foothold on the 11th floor first. He starts saying she needs a good plan for if she fails, but realizes she’s fallen asleep. She must be exhausted all the time, with how easily she seems to fall asleep.
The next morning, Qin Shi tells Yang Hua the good news that her mom has rescinded all her demands, except to hold a wedding ceremony. Yang Hua wants to know what Qin Shi herself expects from their wedding. She has no expectations. She believes that having five marriages in one family is already too much. Also, she’s seen how they live before and after marriage, and thinks there’s nothing worth looking forward to.
Qin Shi has a present for Yang Hua as thanks for everything he did that helped her get to the 11th floor. Since Yang Hua himself seems to be free from materialistic desires, she got God of Wealth a gift instead. A tortoise friend, to prevent it from getting lonely. She insists on it being named “Sprite”. Let’s hope the tortoise doesn’t die of shame.
…
Qin Shi is trying to learn about criminal law, but Lawyer Shen isn’t too interested in helping her out. Though, following him to a meeting while constantly asking questions is probably not the best approach she could have taken. She should learn to do things a little more formally, instead of coming off as a pest. Her behavior in the corporate division is very rookie-ish, very different to how she was in the family department where she was the expert.
…
It’s two weeks before the wedding, and the couple are trying on outfits for a photo shoot. Everyone admires Qin Shi and Yang Hua in their wedding attire. Qin Wenbin doesn’t recognize the little girl who used to follow him around everywhere, wanting to be his daughter instead of his sister. I think that says a lot about Dad Qin’s parenting.
Wenbin asks Yang Hua to love, respect, protect, and never abandon Qin Shi. Yang Hua says it’s not possible to protect her because she is more excellent than him. She’s the smartest, bravest, most excellent, and most responsible person he’s met. He does go in for hyperbole. I always feel like such strong emotions won’t last. He can only be a faithful friend, and go through thick and thin with her as a partner. Qin Shi leans in and sniffs, and then wonders how he’s so eloquent when he’s not drunk xD
Qin Shi doesn’t have time to try on all the clothes Meimei has set out for her (and Yang Hua doesn’t like photo shoots), so the couple sneak out. Yang Hua doesn’t think it’s a good idea, since they’ll just be asked to come back another day. “Besides, you look gorgeous, it’s a waste if we don’t take a photo”. Smooth! She takes a selfie of them to make up for missing the photo shoot with her coat hiding the wedding dress!
Yang Hua asks again about her work and offers his help. She wonders how he could help her. Unfortunately, he follows Li Dai’s advice about being merciless at times, and says he can at least offer suggestions, and refers to her not being mentioned on the company website as a partner. This rankles and she immediately turns on him. She admits he’s smart, even a genius. But has he studied law before or understand how a lawyer works? If not, how is he qualified to make suggestions? He says he hopes she can achieve her goal quickly. She seems to take this to mean that he hopes to get out of their marriage quickly because she says she too wants the marriage fiasco to end soon. He quickly stops her, saying she doesn’t need to do everything by herself and that asking for help is an ability too. She thanks him sarcastically for reminding her of this and says she’ll remember to ask him for help next time. He gets miffed at her tone and leaves.
…
Work goes from bad to worse for Qin Shi. Important information about meetings is kept from her. Lawyer Chen (the sexist guy from Ep10) treats her like a secretary. And she has no case to work on, no matter how many people she asks. When she finally gets invited to a case study session, she’s subtly pressured into getting the first order of coffee, and finds that she seems to be expected to run every food and drink errand thereafter so that she misses the entire session. She rants about this to Yang Hua, but he chooses now to be petty and says he can’t offer any suggestions because he doesn’t know about law.
…
Wu Fei asks Tao Junhui how Qin Shi is doing and is thrilled to know that she still has no cases. Tao Junhui smiles at his girlfriend’s mirth. She’s a little idiot, impacting a person’s job just for a personal vendetta. He’s also an idiot for failing to realize the hole in Qin Shi’s story, and for going along with Wu Fei’s scheming. He later overhears the legal assistants discussing Qin Shi’s plight. Haitao seems to be on Qin Shi’s side (he seems to have been Qin Shi’s loyal supporter from the start); Qianqian and another legal assistant think Qin Shi is just reaping what she sowed because she was harsh with them in the family department. Tao Junhui doesn’t like what he hears. Then why did he smile when Wu Fei was gloating?
Lawyer Chen increasingly treats Qin Shi like an errand girl, and refuses to let her tag along for a case on the grounds that she can’t hold her liquor well enough. He takes her competition, Lawyer Shen, on cases instead. Tao Junhui sees Qin Shi running errands during meetings and is unhappy about it. When he overhears Lawyer Chen ordering her around, he drags her into his office to confront her. Why is he so aggressive? He asks how she’s tough in front of him and yet servile in front of others. He deliberately humiliates her so that she snaps back, and then smiles softly and says “this is how you should be”.
I didn't like most of what he did and said in this scene, but I do agree with “You’re a lawyer. How will you protect others’ rights when you can’t even protect your own?” Also, his smile had affection in it. Wu Fei might need to start worrying soon.
Another observation: since being promoted to the 11th floor, Qin Shi seems to have toned down her makeup and glamorous outfits a bit, and her confidence level has also gone down. I wonder whether they’re related.
Upset, Qin Shi goes back to her “office”, replaying all the humiliation she’s suffered in the past few days. She opens her notebook and finds a sticky note from Yang Hua: “The world reflects how you treat yourself”. She stares at it and then pastes it on a lampshade in front of her, so she can always be reminded of the message.
Qin Shi teaches Lawyers Chen and Shen a valuable lesson on not treating her like a dogsbody (or at least, not trusting her to drive them anywhere). At the next meeting, she firmly refuses to run any errands, instead speaking intelligently about the case they’re studying. Tao Junhui is pleased.
…
Yang Hua’s retired friends are thrilled about his upcoming wedding. Old Zhou secretly tells him about another promising investment opportunity, to do with a New Energy Smart City project run by well-known businessman Hu Ping. Some people never learn.
[Ep21] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
…
Yang Hua is thinking about Li Dai’s words and wondering how he can help Qin Shi. He eases into the conversation by giving her junk food first :D She remarks that he eats more at meals now, which is interesting. I don’t know why I find it interesting, but I do. She isn’t thinking about work just then, though. She’s thinking about a phone call from his mom regarding wedding requirements from her mom. Qin Shi doesn’t want to burden Yang Hua’s family, and she says she’ll reason with her mom. Gosh, you’d think having to deal with work problems would be enough. Their moms are still making things difficult for them!
Yang Hua gets the subject back to work and asks about her stress levels and colleagues. Qin Shi is clearly not very happy with things at work, but puts up a brave front. It’s stressful but she can handle it. Her new colleagues are arrogant and indifferent, but she can handle it. Yang Hua wants to know the plan for her “rebellion”. She hasn’t got one. She spent two years slaving away, maintaining a lie, and being a lapdog to get to this level, but now plans on winging it? Although, she does need a proper foothold on the 11th floor first. He starts saying she needs a good plan for if she fails, but realizes she’s fallen asleep. She must be exhausted all the time, with how easily she seems to fall asleep.
Qin Shi has a present for Yang Hua as thanks for everything he did that helped her get to the 11th floor. Since Yang Hua himself seems to be free from materialistic desires, she got God of Wealth a gift instead. A tortoise friend, to prevent it from getting lonely. She insists on it being named “Sprite”. Let’s hope the tortoise doesn’t die of shame.
…
Qin Shi is trying to learn about criminal law, but Lawyer Shen isn’t too interested in helping her out. Though, following him to a meeting while constantly asking questions is probably not the best approach she could have taken. She should learn to do things a little more formally, instead of coming off as a pest. Her behavior in the corporate division is very rookie-ish, very different to how she was in the family department where she was the expert.
…
It’s two weeks before the wedding, and the couple are trying on outfits for a photo shoot. Everyone admires Qin Shi and Yang Hua in their wedding attire. Qin Wenbin doesn’t recognize the little girl who used to follow him around everywhere, wanting to be his daughter instead of his sister. I think that says a lot about Dad Qin’s parenting.
Qin Shi doesn’t have time to try on all the clothes Meimei has set out for her (and Yang Hua doesn’t like photo shoots), so the couple sneak out. Yang Hua doesn’t think it’s a good idea, since they’ll just be asked to come back another day. “Besides, you look gorgeous, it’s a waste if we don’t take a photo”. Smooth! She takes a selfie of them to make up for missing the photo shoot with her coat hiding the wedding dress!
…
Work goes from bad to worse for Qin Shi. Important information about meetings is kept from her. Lawyer Chen (the sexist guy from Ep10) treats her like a secretary. And she has no case to work on, no matter how many people she asks. When she finally gets invited to a case study session, she’s subtly pressured into getting the first order of coffee, and finds that she seems to be expected to run every food and drink errand thereafter so that she misses the entire session. She rants about this to Yang Hua, but he chooses now to be petty and says he can’t offer any suggestions because he doesn’t know about law.
 |
| She rants while he maintains his apathetic pose :D |
Wu Fei asks Tao Junhui how Qin Shi is doing and is thrilled to know that she still has no cases. Tao Junhui smiles at his girlfriend’s mirth. She’s a little idiot, impacting a person’s job just for a personal vendetta. He’s also an idiot for failing to realize the hole in Qin Shi’s story, and for going along with Wu Fei’s scheming. He later overhears the legal assistants discussing Qin Shi’s plight. Haitao seems to be on Qin Shi’s side (he seems to have been Qin Shi’s loyal supporter from the start); Qianqian and another legal assistant think Qin Shi is just reaping what she sowed because she was harsh with them in the family department. Tao Junhui doesn’t like what he hears. Then why did he smile when Wu Fei was gloating?
Lawyer Chen increasingly treats Qin Shi like an errand girl, and refuses to let her tag along for a case on the grounds that she can’t hold her liquor well enough. He takes her competition, Lawyer Shen, on cases instead. Tao Junhui sees Qin Shi running errands during meetings and is unhappy about it. When he overhears Lawyer Chen ordering her around, he drags her into his office to confront her. Why is he so aggressive? He asks how she’s tough in front of him and yet servile in front of others. He deliberately humiliates her so that she snaps back, and then smiles softly and says “this is how you should be”.
Another observation: since being promoted to the 11th floor, Qin Shi seems to have toned down her makeup and glamorous outfits a bit, and her confidence level has also gone down. I wonder whether they’re related.
Upset, Qin Shi goes back to her “office”, replaying all the humiliation she’s suffered in the past few days. She opens her notebook and finds a sticky note from Yang Hua: “The world reflects how you treat yourself”. She stares at it and then pastes it on a lampshade in front of her, so she can always be reminded of the message.
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| Her “thank you” to Yang Hua |
…
Yang Hua’s retired friends are thrilled about his upcoming wedding. Old Zhou secretly tells him about another promising investment opportunity, to do with a New Energy Smart City project run by well-known businessman Hu Ping. Some people never learn.
The day of the wedding. Dad Qin walks his daughter down the aisle. Everyone’s smiling and waving. Yang Hua is his usual poker-face. Qin Shi, on the other hand, looks uncomfortable and a little unhappy because her marriage began with a lie. She stops halfway down the aisle and everyone wonders what’s wrong. Yang Hua takes over and reassures her. I found all of this very unnecessary. The rest of the wedding goes off without a hitch.
Yang Hua has to carry a drunk Qin Shi home from the wedding. She’s very happy (she’s a nice happy drunk :D) and hopes he’s happy too. Does he want something more exciting? Yes, he does.
Qin Shi alternates between looking at his hands (counting money) and staring at his face. When he finally finishes and asks what she’d like to do with the money, she happily and drunkenly says he looks very handsome when he’s counting money xD
They have more presents… Qin Shi’s mom has given her several duvets as dowry(?). Among them is a letter from Mom Qin, in which she apologizes to her daughter for the embarrassment caused by her family. Mom had no employment or income all these years, but this time she worked as a domestic cleaner to earn the money to buy Qin Shi’s dowry. Qin Shi begins crying and Yang Hua comforts her.
Next morning, Yang Hua and Qin Shi are fast asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. He stirs first and very naturally kisses her forehead, wraps his arms around her tighter, and makes to go back to sleep… and then realizes where he is and what he just did. He escapes the awkwardness quickly while she looks annoyed.
At breakfast, she tries to pretend nothing happened the night before, but he says it’s important to him. She says it’s ok, they were drunk and tired, and they can do better next time. Ohhhh xD Is that why she looked annoyed? He tells her he likes her and wants to be her boyfriend. She wants more assurance, so they begin kissing but are interrupted multiple times, first by Qin Shi herself and finally by phone calls from both their parents.
In the Qin household, things aren’t going too well. Mom Qin wants to sell the house. She wants to move closer to her daughter and away from “the person upstairs”. The person is Liu Yan (Dad Qin’s second wife)! That seems like such an awkward arrangement when the Qin siblings were growing up. Ex-wife, current wife and husband, plus three kids from three different wives, all under the same roof. Dad doesn’t want to sell and doesn’t want his wife to continue working. She threatens divorce if he doesn’t agree to selling. I don’t like this casual use of divorce as a threat, instead of trying to have a proper discussion.
Qin Shi, who has become a cute clingy mommy’s girl after reading her mom’s letter, sides with Mom Qin but is logical about it. She asks why her father won’t agree.
Turns out, the house they’re living in belongs to Liu Yan! She got it in the divorce settlement, but agreed to let him and his 3rd wife stay because he had no money for one reason or another. Dad Qin is also in debt with his ex because he borrowed money from her to help Qin Shi buy off her apartment from Tao Junhui. This just gets weirder and weirder. But why didn’t Qin Shi pay her dad’s money back? She mentions that her brothers and she provide their parents with a monthly allowance, but shouldn’t she have also paid back the amount Dad gave her for the house? Apparently, Dad does have enough in savings to pay back Liu Yan, but wanted to save it for Hu Xiaomei because he’s sure he’ll predecease her. Mom Qin is touched by that. She has squirreled away some money and with that and Qin Shi’s help, they can pay off the debt. We learn from this and previous conversations that Dad Qin was very stingy with money and that the family struggled a lot financially when he was with his second wife. We also learn that Wenbin has a daughter studying abroad!
Mom Qin isn’t angry with her husband for hiding things from her. But she still wants to move. Dad still doesn’t want to. Yang Hua calls Qin Shi just then and hears the argument between her parents (including her mom threatening divorce again). He probably wonders at the sort of family life Qin Shi had as a kid. Apparently her mom often threatened her dad with divorce. No wonder Qin Shi was so averse to marriage.
Qin Shi rants to Yang Hua about her family when they’re alone. Her plan is to bring her mother to her apartment and rent another one (for them), and work harder to earn a down payment for another house in future. Since the arrangement affects him, shouldn’t she consult rather than tell him? Also, work harder than she does now? I don’t think that’s possible. Yang Hua tells her not to rent. He wants to work. He’ll get a loan and buy a house for himself and his wife. Qin Shi doesn’t want him to change his principles because of her. He says his principle is to try and make the people he cares about happy. She’s touched.
On the subject of houses, Wu Fei takes Tao Junhui house-hunting. He’s concerned that the area is too pricey, but she’s confident her dad will help out. Tao Junhui would rather buy something within their own means. As with several of their other conversations, I got dad-advising-daughter vibes here.
Dad Wu isn’t done with helping out his daughter and future son-in-law. He introduces an important client, Mr Ding, to Cheng & Hui, for Tao Junhui to handle. But coincidentally (because we haven’t had any coincidences in the last few episodes and the Coincidence Quota rears its ugly head again) Mr Ding is well-acquainted with Qin Shi as she has represented him in his previous divorces. The two have a friendly banter going, where he proposes marriage to her and she good-naturedly brushes him off. I found it weird when Mr Ding play-flirted with Qin Shi because he seemed too old for her. Do I have double standards? All of this by-play happens in front of Tao Junhui, and he feels awkward.
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| “This wouldn’t be breaking the contract, would it?” |
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| No, no it would not |
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| There’s nothing quite so exciting as counting money |
Next morning, Yang Hua and Qin Shi are fast asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. He stirs first and very naturally kisses her forehead, wraps his arms around her tighter, and makes to go back to sleep… and then realizes where he is and what he just did. He escapes the awkwardness quickly while she looks annoyed.
In the Qin household, things aren’t going too well. Mom Qin wants to sell the house. She wants to move closer to her daughter and away from “the person upstairs”. The person is Liu Yan (Dad Qin’s second wife)! That seems like such an awkward arrangement when the Qin siblings were growing up. Ex-wife, current wife and husband, plus three kids from three different wives, all under the same roof. Dad doesn’t want to sell and doesn’t want his wife to continue working. She threatens divorce if he doesn’t agree to selling. I don’t like this casual use of divorce as a threat, instead of trying to have a proper discussion.
Qin Shi, who has become a cute clingy mommy’s girl after reading her mom’s letter, sides with Mom Qin but is logical about it. She asks why her father won’t agree.
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| The difference in her attitude with her mom vs with her dad now :D |
Mom Qin isn’t angry with her husband for hiding things from her. But she still wants to move. Dad still doesn’t want to. Yang Hua calls Qin Shi just then and hears the argument between her parents (including her mom threatening divorce again). He probably wonders at the sort of family life Qin Shi had as a kid. Apparently her mom often threatened her dad with divorce. No wonder Qin Shi was so averse to marriage.
Qin Shi rants to Yang Hua about her family when they’re alone. Her plan is to bring her mother to her apartment and rent another one (for them), and work harder to earn a down payment for another house in future. Since the arrangement affects him, shouldn’t she consult rather than tell him? Also, work harder than she does now? I don’t think that’s possible. Yang Hua tells her not to rent. He wants to work. He’ll get a loan and buy a house for himself and his wife. Qin Shi doesn’t want him to change his principles because of her. He says his principle is to try and make the people he cares about happy. She’s touched.
On the subject of houses, Wu Fei takes Tao Junhui house-hunting. He’s concerned that the area is too pricey, but she’s confident her dad will help out. Tao Junhui would rather buy something within their own means. As with several of their other conversations, I got dad-advising-daughter vibes here.
Tao Junhui wants to have a discussion with Mr Ding, and tries to hint at Qin Shi to leave. She ignores him and deliberately remains there, using her previous professional relationship with Mr Ding as the apparent excuse. Tao Junhui seems to be both slightly frustrated but also quite amused by her brazenness.
Mr Ding is concerned about his daughter, Ding Fangfang. She’s getting married to Cao Yiren, and Mr Ding doesn’t trust his future son-in-law. He wants Cheng & Hui’s help to get the couple to sign a prenup. I didn’t realize lawyers were expected to convince clients to sign prenups. I thought they just drafted the agreements. Mr Ding trusts Tao Junhui because he was recommended by Mr Wu, and he trusts Qin Shi because he’s worked with her before and she knows his daughter well, so he’s sure they will be successful. Tao Junhui forces a frustrated smile because Mr Ding is now assuming Qin Shi will work on the case as well. They show snippets of the young couple as this discussion is going on, and I didn’t like the dynamics between Fangfang and Cao Yiren. She behaves and he treats her like a little girl, rather than an equal.
When Tao Junhui later tells Wu Fei about Qin Shi being on the case, she throws a fit because it’s through “her dad’s clients and her dad’s connections that her dad got them the case”. This from the girl who once didn’t want her dad mentioned in case she should be thought nepotistic. Also, Tao Junhui’s “didn’t we agree not to throw a fit while eating?” again made me feel like I was watching a conversation between a parent and child.
Tao Junhui has already agreed to let Qin Shi work on the case because of her existing working relationship with the client and friendship with his daughter, as well as her experience in the family department. Wu Fei knows Fangfang as well and insists on being part of the case.
The problem apparently isn’t just convincing Cao Yiren to sign a prenup, it’s to convince Fangfang. The wedding is in two weeks and Tao Junhui isn’t sure they can convince her in time. Qin Shi talks to Fangfang directly, behind Wu Fei’s back. We learn about the case from Qin Shi’s conversation with Ding Fangfang and in parallel from the discussion between Tao Junhui, Wu Fei and Qi Dagang (the private investigator used by Tao Junhui in earlier episodes, whose name I finally caught in this episode).
Fangfang has a slightly difficult relationship with her father because of his tendency to view every potential suitor as suspicious and money-grubbing; she interprets this as him thinking she herself has no desirable qualities. She also disliked his treatment of her mother (his first wife), as he had affairs while still married to her. Witnessing the breakdown of her parents’ marriage left Fangfang disillusioned and uninterested in relationships, and also doubtful of herself. It was Cao Yiren who changed her mind. Fangfang thinks Yiren could have gotten many better girlfriends and that she’s lucky he chose her instead. She also thinks she won’t meet a better man. This girl has serious self-esteem issues.
Wu Fei also echoes this opinion. She thinks Fangfang has met a man who’s too good for her. Seriously, what is with these girls? Both seem to over-value their partners and undervalue themselves. Do they not realize that their partners, being much older, have had time to accomplish things and that they themselves also can accomplish things with time and effort?
The only thing “against” Cao Yiren is that he’s divorced with a daughter. According to Fangfang, he had focused on his career and neglected his first marriage, and by the time he wanted to fix things, it was too late. He’s told Fangfang that if a conflict arose in future, he would choose family over career.
Qin Shi probably reads the situation better than Wu Fei and Fangfang (and is concerned about Fangfang’s obvious lack of self-confidence). She convinces Fangfang to use the prenup as a condition to get her father to agree to the marriage.
…
Meanwhile, Yang Hua is looking for a job. While his resume is impressive, his attitude puts potential employers off. Cai Liang - who seems to be the person introducing him to the potential employers - is at the end of his tether. Yang Hua manipulates his friend into getting him a job in the same bank where Cai Liang himself works.
Yang Hua finds that he’s the focus of a lot of female attention at work, since Cai Liang deliberately hid his marital status from his colleagues. Cai Liang seems to think that pretending to be single is good to foster interpersonal relationships. He has some skewed ideas. Yang Hua immediately sets the record straight, much to the disappointment of the girls at the bank. He also actively discourages any form of socialization at work, remarking that it’s only incompetent people who seek to form groups to have a better chance of survival. He doesn’t believe a workplace is a place to make friends. Imo, that’s silly. We spend more than one-third of our adult lives at work, and it makes sense that we would want a pleasant working environment where we get along with our colleagues and enjoy spending time with them. He says he doesn’t need socialization because he’s married. I didn’t realize marriage precluded having other friendships.
Zhen, a young female staff member, stages a very fake and theatrical fall in front of Yang Hua and is put out when he ignores her and walks past. This somehow results in a complaint being lodged against Yang Hua to Cai Liang, that Yang Hua tripped Zhen up. Cai Liang defends his friend by obtaining CCTV footage, but wonders why his friend didn’t help “the prettiest girl in the bank”. I didn’t know we should help people on the basis of their beauty. Cai Liang, you really need to be more sensible. Cai Liang wants Yang Hua to be nicer, less cold. I agree with this. Yang Hua’s attitude at work is very off-putting. It’s fine not to participate in socializing, and some of his colleagues do seem to be either silly or borderline jerks. But he could still be pleasanter. He comes off as quite anti-social. Yang Hua advises his friend not to get too close to female colleagues and to remember that he is a married man. I don’t like how Cai Liang talks about women because there’s underlying sexism, but I think married people should be able to socialize with colleagues of both genders without it being a problem.
…
Qin Shi calls Yang Hua in the middle of his lunch break and he happily pretends he hasn’t eaten yet so he can have lunch with her instead. This was quite sweet :D She’s worried that his social anxiety might be triggered by having to work with others. He says he doesn’t have social anxiety, but instead rejects invalid socialization. He guesses she has something she wants to ask him.
Qin Shi wants Yang Hua to evaluate true love in economic terms. She then goes back and uses his analysis against Wu Fei, who believes that the love between Cao Yiren and Ding Fangfang is real because he is rich and doesn’t need her money. Qin Shi doesn’t think it’s their job to determine if the relationship is genuine; they just need to get him to sign the prenup. She also says he’d sign it more easily if his feelings aren’t genuine, which confused me. I thought if he had faith in their relationship, he would sign it.
Qi Dagang recognizes Qin Shi from her earlier sparring session with Tao Junhui (in Ep17) and theatrically whispers to Tao Junhui “is this lady the one…”, which Tao Junhui cuts off but Wu Fei hears anyway. Qi Dagang is surprised to learn that Qin Shi is married (because he must have assumed there was something going on between her and Tao Junhui). Qin Shi deliberately provokes Wu Fei until she storms off and then innocently asks Tao Junhui “what’s wrong with your girlfriend?” “You tell me” “I have no idea. I’m not your girlfriend though”.
Wu Fei marches into her office, slamming the door and closing the blinds before throwing books onto the floor in anger. This causes the other legal assistants to gossip about the feud between her and Qin Shi. Most of the legal assistants (apart from Qianqian) seem to be on Qin Shi’s side now, or at any rate think she’s the better choice. Haitao is very much her staunch supporter.
Tao Junhui goes to Qin Shi’s “office” (which is still just the reference room) where she’s immersed in reading some law books. He stares at her with a small (affectionate?) smile on his face before deliberately startling her and causing her to fall over. That fall looked painful! He wants to discuss the prenup. She’s only too happy, because this is the only case she’s got. The looks Tao Junhui gives Qin Shi are getting to be more and more affectionate. Wu Fei might soon regret bringing him into Cheng & Hui, if she doesn't already.
…
Mom Yang is thrilled at her son’s new job and because he’s looking to buy a house. She wonders how Qin Shi managed to change Yang Hua so much. Well, Mom Yang, maybe now you regret being so difficult earlier?
…
Yang Hua comes home to find that Qin Shi’s mom is there “to check around”. Once one mom stops causing problems, the other mom starts.
When Tao Junhui later tells Wu Fei about Qin Shi being on the case, she throws a fit because it’s through “her dad’s clients and her dad’s connections that her dad got them the case”. This from the girl who once didn’t want her dad mentioned in case she should be thought nepotistic. Also, Tao Junhui’s “didn’t we agree not to throw a fit while eating?” again made me feel like I was watching a conversation between a parent and child.
Tao Junhui has already agreed to let Qin Shi work on the case because of her existing working relationship with the client and friendship with his daughter, as well as her experience in the family department. Wu Fei knows Fangfang as well and insists on being part of the case.
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| This’ll be interesting… |
Fangfang has a slightly difficult relationship with her father because of his tendency to view every potential suitor as suspicious and money-grubbing; she interprets this as him thinking she herself has no desirable qualities. She also disliked his treatment of her mother (his first wife), as he had affairs while still married to her. Witnessing the breakdown of her parents’ marriage left Fangfang disillusioned and uninterested in relationships, and also doubtful of herself. It was Cao Yiren who changed her mind. Fangfang thinks Yiren could have gotten many better girlfriends and that she’s lucky he chose her instead. She also thinks she won’t meet a better man. This girl has serious self-esteem issues.
The only thing “against” Cao Yiren is that he’s divorced with a daughter. According to Fangfang, he had focused on his career and neglected his first marriage, and by the time he wanted to fix things, it was too late. He’s told Fangfang that if a conflict arose in future, he would choose family over career.
Qin Shi probably reads the situation better than Wu Fei and Fangfang (and is concerned about Fangfang’s obvious lack of self-confidence). She convinces Fangfang to use the prenup as a condition to get her father to agree to the marriage.
…
Meanwhile, Yang Hua is looking for a job. While his resume is impressive, his attitude puts potential employers off. Cai Liang - who seems to be the person introducing him to the potential employers - is at the end of his tether. Yang Hua manipulates his friend into getting him a job in the same bank where Cai Liang himself works.
 |
| He looks so sneaky when he’s guilt-tripping his friend :D |
Zhen, a young female staff member, stages a very fake and theatrical fall in front of Yang Hua and is put out when he ignores her and walks past. This somehow results in a complaint being lodged against Yang Hua to Cai Liang, that Yang Hua tripped Zhen up. Cai Liang defends his friend by obtaining CCTV footage, but wonders why his friend didn’t help “the prettiest girl in the bank”. I didn’t know we should help people on the basis of their beauty. Cai Liang, you really need to be more sensible. Cai Liang wants Yang Hua to be nicer, less cold. I agree with this. Yang Hua’s attitude at work is very off-putting. It’s fine not to participate in socializing, and some of his colleagues do seem to be either silly or borderline jerks. But he could still be pleasanter. He comes off as quite anti-social. Yang Hua advises his friend not to get too close to female colleagues and to remember that he is a married man. I don’t like how Cai Liang talks about women because there’s underlying sexism, but I think married people should be able to socialize with colleagues of both genders without it being a problem.
…
Qin Shi calls Yang Hua in the middle of his lunch break and he happily pretends he hasn’t eaten yet so he can have lunch with her instead. This was quite sweet :D She’s worried that his social anxiety might be triggered by having to work with others. He says he doesn’t have social anxiety, but instead rejects invalid socialization. He guesses she has something she wants to ask him.
Qin Shi: If it weren’t for the fact that you’re here and I can see you and touch you, I’d doubt you were a real human.Yang Hua: Are you praising or criticizing me?Qin Shi: Praising you.Yang Hua: <very pleased smile>
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| They’re so cute |
Qi Dagang recognizes Qin Shi from her earlier sparring session with Tao Junhui (in Ep17) and theatrically whispers to Tao Junhui “is this lady the one…”, which Tao Junhui cuts off but Wu Fei hears anyway. Qi Dagang is surprised to learn that Qin Shi is married (because he must have assumed there was something going on between her and Tao Junhui). Qin Shi deliberately provokes Wu Fei until she storms off and then innocently asks Tao Junhui “what’s wrong with your girlfriend?” “You tell me” “I have no idea. I’m not your girlfriend though”.
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| Dagang: “I’m not your girlfriend either. I also don’t know” I’m beginning to like this guy xD |
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| What with Yang Hua princess-carrying Qin Shi earlier and now Wu Fei throwing tantrums, the legal assistants get a lot of free entertainment |
…
Mom Yang is thrilled at her son’s new job and because he’s looking to buy a house. She wonders how Qin Shi managed to change Yang Hua so much. Well, Mom Yang, maybe now you regret being so difficult earlier?
…
Yang Hua comes home to find that Qin Shi’s mom is there “to check around”. Once one mom stops causing problems, the other mom starts.
Qin Shi guilt-trips Tao Junhui into teaching her more about corporate law, because she’s aware of gaps in her knowledge but is unable to learn from her direct superior, Mr Jin, as he hasn’t met with her often. Why is Mr Jin not helping her? I always thought he genuinely valued her.
As the first step in teaching, Junhui gives her an enormous pile of contracts and an unbelievable amount of associated work and wants her to get it done by the next morning. They’re supposed to be peers, even though he has more corporate experience, but he talks to her like a teacher would to a student. Even a manager wouldn’t talk to a subordinate as he did, bearing in mind the subordinate was previously the lead attorney of another department. Then again, Tao Junhui always seems to have a slightly paternalistic attitude towards his fiancées… and it seems to carry on even after they become ex-fiancées.
…
Tao Junhui goes home to have lunch with his mom. She suggests he buy a house as prices are stable, but he says well-located ones are expensive. For some reason, she immediately assumes Wu Fei’s parents want Tao Junhui to move closer to them. Mom Tao seems to take an antagonistic view of everyone and everything. She says “whoever pays is the boss. If they want us to obey them, they have to pay… Didn’t you say they own several houses?”. What an odd attitude. Why would you “obey” in-laws? And is she ok with just accepting a house from the in-laws? She’s angry that Tao Junhui “gave” the first house to Qin Shi. He corrects her on her unreasonable view. He didn’t have the money; Qin Shi’s family paid for the house and bought them out, at the highest market price no less. Mom Tao is one of those mothers who sees only good in her own child and imagines bad characteristics in others.
Mom asks about his new workplace and then warns him to stay away from Qin Shi. Apparently she’s said this several times before. But she carries on that Wu Fei is pretty, young and simple, and from a good family, and that Qin Shi’s family is in no way a match. Tao Junhui tries to allay her concerns but doesn’t look very happy at her words. I have a sneaking suspicion that if Qin Shi’s family had been rich, then Mom Tao wouldn’t have cared about her dad’s three marriages.
…
On Wu Fei’s side, Dad Wu has given his daughter a prenup for her and Tao Junhui to sign, but she doesn’t want to. She also wonders if introducing Junhui to Mr Ding was some sort of test. Dad Wu reassures his daughter but later calls Madam Tang and reports on the failure to get his son-in-law to sign. He doesn’t trust Tao Junhui because of how he behaved with Madam Lan, and doesn't want him taking advantage of his “spoiled and silly” daughter. His words, not mine, but very accurate. Madam Tang assures Dad Wu she’ll get the result he wants.
Mr Jin, who has heard his wife’s side of the conversation, wants to know what her plans are for Qin Shi. Madam Tang nominated but didn’t vote for her; promoted but also suppressed her. He thinks his wife should train Qin Shi in the corporate department; otherwise she will leave and they would have lost the two best senior attorneys from the family department. Qin Shi said Mr Jin was her direct superior. So, was Mr Jin refraining from meeting with and training Qin Shi at his wife’s behest? That seems quite spineless to me. Madam Tang thinks Qin Shi is over-ambitious and that she’ll get into trouble sooner or later in the corporate department, as the cases there are in a different league to those in the family department. Madam Tang wants to “tame” Qin Shi before making her an official corporate lawyer. Ugh, what a term to use. And how phoney. She doesn’t care about anything except (Mr Wu’s) money and her own control over her employees.
…
Qin Shi’s mom wants to know whether Qin Shi pressured him into working and is happy when he says it was his own decision. “A man should have his own career”. Why only men? Mom Qin volunteers to take on the household chores now that both young people are working. Actually, she seems to want to do it. Yang Hua doesn’t look too happy at this potential invasion into their private lives.
It’s night when Mom Qin finally leaves and Qin Shi isn’t home yet. Mom tells Yang Hua he should pick her up as “it’s not safe for a girl at night”. While that’s possibly true if the girl is walking or taking public transport, how many incidents can happen when she drives? Yang Hua heads for Cheng & Hui.
…
Tao Junhui gets back to his office late and finds Qin Shi fast asleep on the couch in his office. Do all lawyers’ offices have couches? She seems to have done a lot of work though, at least judging by the number of notes all over the documents. He goes to cover her with his jacket... and is seen by Yang Hua, who has come up just at that moment.
Qin Shi wakes up just then in confusion, grabs her stuff and hurriedly walks Yang Hua out. They go to her “office” and he’s unimpressed that she still hasn’t been moved out of the reference room. He gives her the silent treatment in the car ride home and she thinks it’s because she hadn’t responded to his messages. She starts telling him about falling asleep and then realizes she hadn’t actually told him about Tao Junhui working at the same firm. She begins explaining, a little nervously (because he speeds up his driving), but he cuts her off.
The silent treatment continues when they get home and she cutely asks “why are you mad at me?” He’s angry that she’s not angry at her office and treatment. He’s angry because she said she was going to change the way things worked but hasn’t achieved anything. The company is using her, using her eagerness. She should just pretend she didn’t get through, that she was ineligible for the corporate department.
She’s upset by his words, and announces that she’s going to “reboot”. She’s worked a long day and is tired and doesn’t want to argue with him, so she’s going to erase what he’s said from memory and they can start over. Awww, I know this feeling.
She asks whether, apart from his concerns about her office, he also has a thing for Tao Junhui. No, he isn’t interested in men xD. Then does he think she has a thing for Tao Junhui? He immediately asks “do you?” and waits anxiously for her answer. She thinks for a long time before answering that no, even if Wu Fei wasn’t in the picture, she still wouldn’t want to be with Tao Junhui. He doesn’t look fully convinced. I believe she was being absolutely truthful here. She just weighed all the evidence in her mind before answering. A very lawyerish thing to do.
Yang Hua wants to know whether Tao Junhui has any thoughts towards Qin Shi. She says yes. She thinks he’d want to strangle her to death. She clearly hasn’t seen Tao Junhui’s expression towards her in recent times. She thinks the discrepancy in the timing of their breakup and her marriage to Yang Hua, and especially the age of her supposed child, must make Tao Junhui think she cheated. Only if he has no understanding of pregnancy.
Yang Hua thinks Tao Junhui has no reason to be angry since it was he who couldn’t handle his mom. But Qin Shi thinks it must still have felt like an insult to an outstanding and prideful person like him. Yang Hua’s hackles immediately go up.
Later that night, Yang Hua is unable to sleep as he thinks back to Tao Junhui covering Qin Shi with his jacket, and to Qin Shi’s description of Tao Junhui as “outstanding” and “prideful”. Fortunately, Yang Hua is a scientific man and believes in scientific methods to clear up doubts.
God of Wealth chooses Yang Hua, but Sprite seems to be considering Tao Junhui when Qin Shi walks in. Yang Hua immediately blocks her view of the “competition”. He becomes annoyed when he realizes she only came in because she wanted his help in analyzing Cao Yiren’s finances. He sulkily goes to bed, telling her to ask her outstanding partner instead. She’s amused when she realizes he’s jealous and tells him he looks cute. She also notices the two tortoises and, despite Yang Hua’s attempts to hide the evidence, guesses that he was getting the tortoises to choose between him and Tao Junhui. Oh snap :D
In a surprisingly bold move (for him), he grabs her and says “Even though I don’t like comparing with others in case they get a feeling of inferiority, since we’re having this conversation, I’ll give you a chance to illustrate your point. Just how great is Tao Junhui?” The arrogance :D
She gives a (deliberately?) inadequate reply and escapes. I think she finds it funny. I would find it funny anyway. The next day at work, Yang Hua tells Cai Liang about this. Cai Liang initially thinks there’s no way Tao Junhui could be superior to his friend, but later checks Junhui’s resume and is impressed.
Just then, a client walks into the bank and Yang Hua freezes, flashing back to when that same client - Qiu Jianxiang - was his boss, threatening to ensure that Yang Hua would never work in the securities industry again. Apparently, the bank launches and sells the fund trust for Mr Qiu’s company, Fangyu Finance. Cai Laing asks his friend to just ignore Mr Qiu and avoid interacting with him.
[Ep24] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
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| Even though he must realize she’s manipulating him, he only seems amused |
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| And she only cares that she’s finally got someone willing to teach her :D |
…
Tao Junhui goes home to have lunch with his mom. She suggests he buy a house as prices are stable, but he says well-located ones are expensive. For some reason, she immediately assumes Wu Fei’s parents want Tao Junhui to move closer to them. Mom Tao seems to take an antagonistic view of everyone and everything. She says “whoever pays is the boss. If they want us to obey them, they have to pay… Didn’t you say they own several houses?”. What an odd attitude. Why would you “obey” in-laws? And is she ok with just accepting a house from the in-laws? She’s angry that Tao Junhui “gave” the first house to Qin Shi. He corrects her on her unreasonable view. He didn’t have the money; Qin Shi’s family paid for the house and bought them out, at the highest market price no less. Mom Tao is one of those mothers who sees only good in her own child and imagines bad characteristics in others.
Mom asks about his new workplace and then warns him to stay away from Qin Shi. Apparently she’s said this several times before. But she carries on that Wu Fei is pretty, young and simple, and from a good family, and that Qin Shi’s family is in no way a match. Tao Junhui tries to allay her concerns but doesn’t look very happy at her words. I have a sneaking suspicion that if Qin Shi’s family had been rich, then Mom Tao wouldn’t have cared about her dad’s three marriages.
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| “You have to cherish [Wu Fei]” |
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| The problem, Mom Tao, is that he cherishes Qin Shi a lot more |
On Wu Fei’s side, Dad Wu has given his daughter a prenup for her and Tao Junhui to sign, but she doesn’t want to. She also wonders if introducing Junhui to Mr Ding was some sort of test. Dad Wu reassures his daughter but later calls Madam Tang and reports on the failure to get his son-in-law to sign. He doesn’t trust Tao Junhui because of how he behaved with Madam Lan, and doesn't want him taking advantage of his “spoiled and silly” daughter. His words, not mine, but very accurate. Madam Tang assures Dad Wu she’ll get the result he wants.
Mr Jin, who has heard his wife’s side of the conversation, wants to know what her plans are for Qin Shi. Madam Tang nominated but didn’t vote for her; promoted but also suppressed her. He thinks his wife should train Qin Shi in the corporate department; otherwise she will leave and they would have lost the two best senior attorneys from the family department. Qin Shi said Mr Jin was her direct superior. So, was Mr Jin refraining from meeting with and training Qin Shi at his wife’s behest? That seems quite spineless to me. Madam Tang thinks Qin Shi is over-ambitious and that she’ll get into trouble sooner or later in the corporate department, as the cases there are in a different league to those in the family department. Madam Tang wants to “tame” Qin Shi before making her an official corporate lawyer. Ugh, what a term to use. And how phoney. She doesn’t care about anything except (Mr Wu’s) money and her own control over her employees.
…
Qin Shi’s mom wants to know whether Qin Shi pressured him into working and is happy when he says it was his own decision. “A man should have his own career”. Why only men? Mom Qin volunteers to take on the household chores now that both young people are working. Actually, she seems to want to do it. Yang Hua doesn’t look too happy at this potential invasion into their private lives.
It’s night when Mom Qin finally leaves and Qin Shi isn’t home yet. Mom tells Yang Hua he should pick her up as “it’s not safe for a girl at night”. While that’s possibly true if the girl is walking or taking public transport, how many incidents can happen when she drives? Yang Hua heads for Cheng & Hui.
…
Tao Junhui gets back to his office late and finds Qin Shi fast asleep on the couch in his office. Do all lawyers’ offices have couches? She seems to have done a lot of work though, at least judging by the number of notes all over the documents. He goes to cover her with his jacket... and is seen by Yang Hua, who has come up just at that moment.
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| “Don’t touch her” |
Qin Shi wakes up just then in confusion, grabs her stuff and hurriedly walks Yang Hua out. They go to her “office” and he’s unimpressed that she still hasn’t been moved out of the reference room. He gives her the silent treatment in the car ride home and she thinks it’s because she hadn’t responded to his messages. She starts telling him about falling asleep and then realizes she hadn’t actually told him about Tao Junhui working at the same firm. She begins explaining, a little nervously (because he speeds up his driving), but he cuts her off.
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| “Why are you explaining so much? Do I look angry?” |
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| “Of course not” Her expression here was great xD |
The silent treatment continues when they get home and she cutely asks “why are you mad at me?” He’s angry that she’s not angry at her office and treatment. He’s angry because she said she was going to change the way things worked but hasn’t achieved anything. The company is using her, using her eagerness. She should just pretend she didn’t get through, that she was ineligible for the corporate department.
She’s upset by his words, and announces that she’s going to “reboot”. She’s worked a long day and is tired and doesn’t want to argue with him, so she’s going to erase what he’s said from memory and they can start over. Awww, I know this feeling.
She asks whether, apart from his concerns about her office, he also has a thing for Tao Junhui. No, he isn’t interested in men xD. Then does he think she has a thing for Tao Junhui? He immediately asks “do you?” and waits anxiously for her answer. She thinks for a long time before answering that no, even if Wu Fei wasn’t in the picture, she still wouldn’t want to be with Tao Junhui. He doesn’t look fully convinced. I believe she was being absolutely truthful here. She just weighed all the evidence in her mind before answering. A very lawyerish thing to do.
Yang Hua wants to know whether Tao Junhui has any thoughts towards Qin Shi. She says yes. She thinks he’d want to strangle her to death. She clearly hasn’t seen Tao Junhui’s expression towards her in recent times. She thinks the discrepancy in the timing of their breakup and her marriage to Yang Hua, and especially the age of her supposed child, must make Tao Junhui think she cheated. Only if he has no understanding of pregnancy.
Yang Hua thinks Tao Junhui has no reason to be angry since it was he who couldn’t handle his mom. But Qin Shi thinks it must still have felt like an insult to an outstanding and prideful person like him. Yang Hua’s hackles immediately go up.
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| “Outstanding? Prideful?” (asks the man who matches the curtains) |
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| She doesn’t notice the jealousy emanating from her husband and just sighs thoughtfully |
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| The use of pet tortoises has been scientifically proven to be highly accurate when choosing the individual who is smarter and more outstanding |
In a surprisingly bold move (for him), he grabs her and says “Even though I don’t like comparing with others in case they get a feeling of inferiority, since we’re having this conversation, I’ll give you a chance to illustrate your point. Just how great is Tao Junhui?” The arrogance :D
Just then, a client walks into the bank and Yang Hua freezes, flashing back to when that same client - Qiu Jianxiang - was his boss, threatening to ensure that Yang Hua would never work in the securities industry again. Apparently, the bank launches and sells the fund trust for Mr Qiu’s company, Fangyu Finance. Cai Laing asks his friend to just ignore Mr Qiu and avoid interacting with him.
Wu Fei gets Ding Fangfang to introduce her to Cao Yiren as her bridesmaid, for the purpose of understanding him better. Tao Junhui isn’t happy that she didn’t discuss this with him first. Rather than getting firsthand knowledge, Wu Fei naively believes Fangfang’s description of Cao Yiren and thinks that because Fangfang is happy, Cao Yiren must be a good guy. Ultimately she thinks “love is the most powerful thing in the world, so the relationship must be genuine”. Huh??? Where’s the logic in that? She also asks Yiren outright (as Fangfang’s friend) whether he’ll sign the prenup. He’ll do it if Fangfang wants him to, but not if it’s just Fangfang’s dad who desires it.
At the same time, Qin Shi has enlisted Qi Dagang and the legal assistants to investigate Cao Yiren. They’ve found that, contrary to Dagang’s original thought that Cao Yiren gave up his fortune to his ex-wife during his divorce, actually he had nothing of his own. The fortune was his wife’s. He had signed a prenup, so left with nothing. Qin Shi wonders whether the fact that his ex-wife and girlfriend are both affluent are by design. Dagang’s discovered that Yiren has received very expensive gifts from possibly several wealthy women.
When Qin Shi later compares notes with Tao Junhui, she calls Cao Yiren a professional sponger. Junhui is miffed and argues that it's not a crime to date rich women. Ooh, he’s taking this personally. Qin Shi sweetly asks whether he sees any similarities between himself and Cao Yiren. He chooses not to answer. He thinks even if Yiren likes money, it doesn't mean he doesn’t also love Fangfang. And even if he has his feet in 2 boats, he isn't married yet, so it can’t be considered an extramarital affair. And that makes it ok to have multiple girlfriends? Junhui has asked Yiren to come down that same day to see if he will sign.
Yiren doesn't show up. Instead his lawyer does… and it's Li Dai! Did Yiren find out that Li Dai was a lawyer at Cheng & Hui until recently and decide to exploit that? Yiren has given her power of attorney to sign on his behalf. Li Dai knows how Qin Shi works, and knows that Yiren would have been investigated, so she’s brought along additional info: Fangfang met Yiren through his wealthy ex-girlfriend (one of those who gave him expensive gifts). Tao Junhui seems almost pleased because it backs up his assertion. Qin Shi still isn't convinced.
Li Dai privately tells Qin Shi to give up, as Yiren won’t sign the prenup. She also takes the chance to mock Qin Shi for her present circumstances.
Li Dai also reveals that she communicated with Yang Hua about taking care of Qin Shi and that Yang Hua started reading law books in order to be able to help his wife. She thinks that with Qin Shi’s limited intelligence, she wouldn’t last in the corporate department, let alone make significant changes. But by making use of Yang Hua’s brains as well, she should be able to accomplish things. Qin Shi is taken aback and remembers uneasily that she scolded Yang Hua for trying to give her advice (Ep20).
I didn’t like this. Maybe Li Dai was just mocking Qin Shi’s intelligence because that’s what the two of them do. But it seemed like she genuinely thought Qin Shi couldn’t get ahead without Yang Hua’s help. Qin Shi has been shown to be both intelligent and tenacious. Yes, she didn’t handle herself well for a little while in the corporate department, but she’s ok now. Her biggest obstacles right now are Wu Fei and Madam Tang’s collusion, and her own lack of knowledge about corporate law. Maybe Yang Hua could advise about the former (and even there, it’s not like he knows either of them well enough), but for the latter, why would someone who has passed the bar need the help of someone who only recently started reading beginner texts in law?
…
Cai Liang isn't happy when he learns that Yang Hua is looking into Fangyu Finance (Ep23). Mr Qiu of Fangyu Finance, who Yang Hua has a beef with, is someone the bank wants to maintain a close relationship with, due to his connections with someone involved in the New Energy Smart City project (that old Zhou was telling Yang Hua about in Ep20). Cai Liang warns his friend not to look into Fangyu Finance anymore.
Cai Liang also has some gossip he wants to share with Yang Hua about Tao Junhui. Junhui only had one relationship in university “with a junior who tried to woo him in every way…and finally took him as a role model, worked hard and strove to break his records in exams”. The junior also bested him at debating, and won the Best Debater award instead of him. Wait, now they're saying Qin Shi's accomplishments were because she wanted to impress Tao Junhui? Ugh! I really dislike this about CDramas where a girl can't be a high achiever without external stimulus from a guy. In Why Women Love, it was because of the FL’s dad. Here it’s apparently because FL wanted to attract a guy.
Cai Liang wonders whether there’s something going on between Qin Shi and Junhui now. Cai Liang, I like you but do be quiet. Yang Hua trusts his wife.
…
Things are still tense between Yang Hua and Qin Shi at home, and he’s not talking much. She’s confused and upset, and wonders whether he’s still angry because she earlier scolded him for trying to help without knowing the law. That was before they got married and… things. He can hardly hold a grudge after confessing that he likes her. She asks outright whether he has anything to say to her, but he says no. She goes to her room and sulks, thinking an argument would be better than this almost silent treatment. He finally comes to her, to talk.
[Ep25] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
At the same time, Qin Shi has enlisted Qi Dagang and the legal assistants to investigate Cao Yiren. They’ve found that, contrary to Dagang’s original thought that Cao Yiren gave up his fortune to his ex-wife during his divorce, actually he had nothing of his own. The fortune was his wife’s. He had signed a prenup, so left with nothing. Qin Shi wonders whether the fact that his ex-wife and girlfriend are both affluent are by design. Dagang’s discovered that Yiren has received very expensive gifts from possibly several wealthy women.
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| I didn’t realize Dagang took his job so seriously. Camera glasses and all |
Yiren doesn't show up. Instead his lawyer does… and it's Li Dai! Did Yiren find out that Li Dai was a lawyer at Cheng & Hui until recently and decide to exploit that? Yiren has given her power of attorney to sign on his behalf. Li Dai knows how Qin Shi works, and knows that Yiren would have been investigated, so she’s brought along additional info: Fangfang met Yiren through his wealthy ex-girlfriend (one of those who gave him expensive gifts). Tao Junhui seems almost pleased because it backs up his assertion. Qin Shi still isn't convinced.
Li Dai privately tells Qin Shi to give up, as Yiren won’t sign the prenup. She also takes the chance to mock Qin Shi for her present circumstances.
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| “It’s always been my dream to be the director of a library. To my surprise, you made my dream come true” :D |
I didn’t like this. Maybe Li Dai was just mocking Qin Shi’s intelligence because that’s what the two of them do. But it seemed like she genuinely thought Qin Shi couldn’t get ahead without Yang Hua’s help. Qin Shi has been shown to be both intelligent and tenacious. Yes, she didn’t handle herself well for a little while in the corporate department, but she’s ok now. Her biggest obstacles right now are Wu Fei and Madam Tang’s collusion, and her own lack of knowledge about corporate law. Maybe Yang Hua could advise about the former (and even there, it’s not like he knows either of them well enough), but for the latter, why would someone who has passed the bar need the help of someone who only recently started reading beginner texts in law?
…
Cai Liang isn't happy when he learns that Yang Hua is looking into Fangyu Finance (Ep23). Mr Qiu of Fangyu Finance, who Yang Hua has a beef with, is someone the bank wants to maintain a close relationship with, due to his connections with someone involved in the New Energy Smart City project (that old Zhou was telling Yang Hua about in Ep20). Cai Liang warns his friend not to look into Fangyu Finance anymore.
Cai Liang wonders whether there’s something going on between Qin Shi and Junhui now. Cai Liang, I like you but do be quiet. Yang Hua trusts his wife.
…
Things are still tense between Yang Hua and Qin Shi at home, and he’s not talking much. She’s confused and upset, and wonders whether he’s still angry because she earlier scolded him for trying to help without knowing the law. That was before they got married and… things. He can hardly hold a grudge after confessing that he likes her. She asks outright whether he has anything to say to her, but he says no. She goes to her room and sulks, thinking an argument would be better than this almost silent treatment. He finally comes to her, to talk.
Yang Hua apologizes to Qin Shi. She says he’s become unprincipled. Unprincipled how? He admits that the root cause for everything was his jealousy of Tao Junhui. She happily hugs and reconciles with him. Ah, an open discussion and a satisfactory conclusion. Theirs is the only adult relationship in this drama.
The duo discuss the Cao Yiren case and then have a conversation about marriage. Qin Shi gets heart eyes from Yang Hua’s progressive views and blurts out that they should sleep together that night. Yang Hua, being the smooth operator that he is, just stares at her.
The awkwardness finally gets too much for her and she says forget it just as he agrees. But he’s too late. According to her, such a question should be answered within three seconds. Is that really a thing? Then again, I can’t imagine that anyone would take more than three seconds to answer. She gives up after 13 seconds; I checked :D
On that note, why is Yang Hua so slow when it comes to quite obvious signals? Not just here, but in Eps 17 and 18 too, where she makes it very clear that she’s interested.
Yang Hua goes through his wardrobe looking for clothes that are easy to take off (omg xD). He suddenly sees Qin Shi’s Best Debater award and is reminded that Qin Shi once pursued Tao Junhui and that her initial accomplishments were because she strove to impress him. I said it before and I hope nobody minds if I say it again, I do not like this. He goes to her room to “ask her something”. She pulls him into bed but he springs back up again.
We never learn what he wanted to ask, because the next scene we see of the two of them is him obsessively playing a game on his phone while she clumsily but repeatedly tries to get him to bed. I feel like some significant dialogue got cut out here. But even if that’s the case, how did we go from choosing-a-shirt-that-is-easily-removed to staring-at-phone-while-wife-leans-against-you? Finally, she runs out of patience and just pushes him onto the bed and kisses him. He doesn’t seem to have much of a reaction. I know this happens a lot with the roles reversed in CDramas, but it’s weird there and somehow weirder here that he has very little reaction to being kissed by the woman he supposedly loves.
Later, she asks him about reading law books in secret. He wants to help her achieve her goal faster. He asks “and you? Why do you like me?” This makes me think there was yet more dialogue that got cut out, because his question doesn’t follow from hers. She says she likes his brains and his heart. She thinks he’s pure, brave and kind. The way she said this was so sweet.
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| How awkward for her |
On that note, why is Yang Hua so slow when it comes to quite obvious signals? Not just here, but in Eps 17 and 18 too, where she makes it very clear that she’s interested.
Yang Hua goes through his wardrobe looking for clothes that are easy to take off (omg xD). He suddenly sees Qin Shi’s Best Debater award and is reminded that Qin Shi once pursued Tao Junhui and that her initial accomplishments were because she strove to impress him. I said it before and I hope nobody minds if I say it again, I do not like this. He goes to her room to “ask her something”. She pulls him into bed but he springs back up again.
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| “I can't sleep if I don’t ask you now” |
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| It should not be this difficult. She looks so fed up. |
Later, she asks him about reading law books in secret. He wants to help her achieve her goal faster. He asks “and you? Why do you like me?” This makes me think there was yet more dialogue that got cut out, because his question doesn’t follow from hers. She says she likes his brains and his heart. She thinks he’s pure, brave and kind. The way she said this was so sweet.
Yang Hua: I’m not as good as you say.Qin Shi: You’re way better. Awww
Even though Qin Shi’s not the romantic one in the relationship, I like the way she compliments him. She isn’t effusive or poetic, but everything she says is sincere.
…
Next day at work, Yang Hua reports to Cai Liang that he has found problems with Fangyu Finance’s project, and believes they shouldn’t accept it. Cai Liang is annoyed that his friend looked into the company after being warned off from it; he also doesn’t know how to break this news to the relevant team in the bank. Old Zhou calls Yang Hua just then about buying shares in Fangyu, and Yang Hua warns him against it.
Wu Fei visits Ding Fangfang with Tao Junhui, to enable him to talk to Cao Yiren. Junhui is not too happy that Wu Fei arranged the meeting without consulting him. Even though professionally speaking, he’s probably right, I get the feeling he expects to be the one calling the shots in both professional and personal relationships.
Cao Yiren is wary when Junhui reveals his profession and isn’t amenable to signing the prenup. Or at least, he says he will respect Fangfang’s decision, knowing perfectly well that she won’t ask him to sign. Yiren thinks Junhui is like him and asks whether he would sign? Junhui evades the question and says legally, without Mr Ding’s consent, Yiren can’t marry Fangfang. Is Fangfang a minor? Why would parental consent be needed? Yiren is amused and says “to men, marriage doesn’t matter”. Junhui is disgusted.
Later, Wu Fei tells Junhui they should leave the case and she will get her dad to introduce other cases instead. She says she’ll convince Mr Ding about how “happy and blessed” Fangfang is. Where’s the facepalm emoji when you need it? Tao Junhui thinks Mr Ding only ostensibly wants to protect his assets through the prenup; actually, he doesn’t trust Yiren. Something about Junhui’s manner prompts Wu Fei to assure him of her trust in him. He tells her he will sign a prenup if her dad wants it; she nervously smiles and says there’s no prenup.
The envelope contains CCTV footage from inside Cheng & Hui, of Tao Junhui staring at Qin Shi and covering her with his jacket. Wu Fei is angry and upset.
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| Cheng & Hui must have super high definition CCTV to get footage of this quality |
Meanwhile, Tao Junhui has investigated Cao Yiren’s properties on Qin Shi’s suggestion, and visits Yiren at his office to present him with multiple environment monitoring reports of the properties, showing high levels of formaldehyde.
Tao Junhui indirectly threatens Cao Yiren that he will reveal the problematic environmental reports to Yiren’s partners and investors, and also reveals knowledge about how precarious Yiren’s financial situation actually is.
Turns out, Tao Junhui faked all but one of the reports. Wouldn’t Yiren be able to find out that they’re fake? Qin Shi is impressed that Tao Junhui is now able to lie. The two have an amicable conversation (about work) when Wu Fei walks in. Qin Shi deliberately needles her, knowing Wu Fei doesn’t like seeing them together.
After Qin Shi leaves, Tao Junhui tries to cajole Wu Fei out of her obviously bad mood. Being in his office reminds her of the CCTV photos (from Ep25) and of the look on Junhui’s face when he was staring at his sleeping ex. Wu Fei has an envelope in her hand, which we assume has the photos, but it turns out to be a prenup.
The prenup was Madam Tang’s idea. Wu Fei had confronted Madam Tang about the photos, only to have that phoney lady tell her that everyone knows about the CCTV in the office and it’s up to employees to be aware of their actions. Wu Fei is unhappy because Junhui has never looked at her quite the same way he looks at Qin Shi. Madam Tang advises her not to compare, and also says “I never thought Junhui was with you for the money” in a tone that suggests that it’s exactly what she thought. She tells Wu Fei to ask Tao Junhui to sign a prenup as a test to see whether he loves her.
In the same conversation, Madam Tang says according to the agreement she made with Wu Fei, she brought Tao Junhui into the corporate department, made Wu Fei the senior lawyer of the family department, and embarrassed Qin Shi. Madam Tang is so vile. She would actually humiliate her best lawyer just for the business that Mr Wu can bring? And she’s unashamedly admitting it as well. I wish Qin Shi could hear this conversation.
Wu Fei is upset when Tao Junhui agrees to sign. She begins tearlessly bawling that the prenup is an insult to him and their relationship, and that he should throw it away. He hugs her with “Don’t cry. You look ugly if you cry”. o.O Why would he say such a thing when she’s clearly unhappy (even if she is being childish about it)? He paternalistically tells her not to throw a fit whenever she’s upset. She wants to marry asap. He agrees.
…
Yang Hua gets chewed out by the manager at his bank for causing the loss of a valuable client (old Zhou?). Apparently, Mr Qiu is unhappy as well. The manager also doesn’t like Yang Hua’s insistence that there is a fault in Fangyu Finance, and wants him to leave. Well, that was a short-lived job.
Yang Hua goes home to find Qin Shiburning cooking food and creating a mess in the kitchen. Turns out, she was planning on making lunch and bringing it to him at work. She’s grateful for everything he’s done for her and wanted to do something in return. She wants him to know that she can look after him and do anything for him too. Aww. Though, for the sake of both their stomachs, maybe she should leave cooking out of the “anything”.
Qin Shi knows Yang Hua will choose family (i.e., her) over career, but she doesn’t want family to be a burden to him. She doesn’t want one to succeed due to the sacrifices of the other. He sneakily asks what if he loses his job. She’ll take care of him. As long as he is happy in what he’s doing, she’ll back him up.
…
Cao Yiren has signed the prenup! Li Dai is a little sour, Qin Shi is a little smug. But her smugness vanishes when Li Dai tells her it wasn’t due to her efforts that the prenup was signed. Cao Yiren met with Mr Ding of his own accord and came to an understanding. Why would he do that if not for the subtle threats by Tao Junhui (which were the result of Qin Shi’s investigation)?
Discussing this with Madam Tang later, Qin Shi has the uneasy feeling of being outwitted. She admits to being a less suitable candidate than Tao Junhui and wonders whether she was being tested. She also thinks she was put in the reference room because Madam Tang was annoyed with her. Madam Tang has a smug smile on her face throughout. She warns that hereafter, Qin Shi shouldn’t take matters into her own hands without consulting others, hide information of interest to the company, or cut corners. Wait, when did Qin Shi ever cut corners? Or hide information? Why does Madam Tang have no shame at all in how she treats her employees? Why does she make her unfair treatment seem like something she should be thanked for? And why oh why does Qin Shi always revert to being a lapdog whenever she’s around her boss?
Madam Tang gets Qin Shi to do some charity law consultations (at a public booth?), which Haitao - as Qin Shi’s #1 supporter - isn’t too happy about. Is the charity booth considered to be beneath her? Is this Madam Tang’s way of further punishing her? I’d have thought it’d be viewed as a positive thing to do something for the community. The charity law booth is near Yang Hua’s bank, so Qin Shi calls him to pick him up after work. That’s when she finds out that he actually has no work.
Qin Shi goes all Avenging Angel and confronts Yang Hua’s manager. I want to be able to take command of situations like that. The manager went from blustering bully to quiet lamb with a few sentences from her.
Yang Hua’s back to being employed now. On a side note, Cao Yiren is a really good friend. He defends Yang Hua hotly but ineffectively with the manager. On another note, who thought the windswept hair and the power-walk out (in the wrong direction) was a good idea? Though, her “you should’ve told me earlier” was funny :D
The moment of triumph ends when Yang Hua finds himself face to face with Mr Qiu, who surprisingly doesn’t throw a hissy fit, but instead offers him a job. Good mood gone, Yang Hua just walks away with Cai Liang and Qin Shi.
Turns out, Tao Junhui faked all but one of the reports. Wouldn’t Yiren be able to find out that they’re fake? Qin Shi is impressed that Tao Junhui is now able to lie. The two have an amicable conversation (about work) when Wu Fei walks in. Qin Shi deliberately needles her, knowing Wu Fei doesn’t like seeing them together.
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| Well, this is awkward… |
The prenup was Madam Tang’s idea. Wu Fei had confronted Madam Tang about the photos, only to have that phoney lady tell her that everyone knows about the CCTV in the office and it’s up to employees to be aware of their actions. Wu Fei is unhappy because Junhui has never looked at her quite the same way he looks at Qin Shi. Madam Tang advises her not to compare, and also says “I never thought Junhui was with you for the money” in a tone that suggests that it’s exactly what she thought. She tells Wu Fei to ask Tao Junhui to sign a prenup as a test to see whether he loves her.
In the same conversation, Madam Tang says according to the agreement she made with Wu Fei, she brought Tao Junhui into the corporate department, made Wu Fei the senior lawyer of the family department, and embarrassed Qin Shi. Madam Tang is so vile. She would actually humiliate her best lawyer just for the business that Mr Wu can bring? And she’s unashamedly admitting it as well. I wish Qin Shi could hear this conversation.
Wu Fei is upset when Tao Junhui agrees to sign. She begins tearlessly bawling that the prenup is an insult to him and their relationship, and that he should throw it away. He hugs her with “Don’t cry. You look ugly if you cry”. o.O Why would he say such a thing when she’s clearly unhappy (even if she is being childish about it)? He paternalistically tells her not to throw a fit whenever she’s upset. She wants to marry asap. He agrees.
Yang Hua gets chewed out by the manager at his bank for causing the loss of a valuable client (old Zhou?). Apparently, Mr Qiu is unhappy as well. The manager also doesn’t like Yang Hua’s insistence that there is a fault in Fangyu Finance, and wants him to leave. Well, that was a short-lived job.
Yang Hua goes home to find Qin Shi
Qin Shi knows Yang Hua will choose family (i.e., her) over career, but she doesn’t want family to be a burden to him. She doesn’t want one to succeed due to the sacrifices of the other. He sneakily asks what if he loses his job. She’ll take care of him. As long as he is happy in what he’s doing, she’ll back him up.
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| All this hugging is very sweet, but must be so bad for their backs |
Cao Yiren has signed the prenup! Li Dai is a little sour, Qin Shi is a little smug. But her smugness vanishes when Li Dai tells her it wasn’t due to her efforts that the prenup was signed. Cao Yiren met with Mr Ding of his own accord and came to an understanding. Why would he do that if not for the subtle threats by Tao Junhui (which were the result of Qin Shi’s investigation)?
Discussing this with Madam Tang later, Qin Shi has the uneasy feeling of being outwitted. She admits to being a less suitable candidate than Tao Junhui and wonders whether she was being tested. She also thinks she was put in the reference room because Madam Tang was annoyed with her. Madam Tang has a smug smile on her face throughout. She warns that hereafter, Qin Shi shouldn’t take matters into her own hands without consulting others, hide information of interest to the company, or cut corners. Wait, when did Qin Shi ever cut corners? Or hide information? Why does Madam Tang have no shame at all in how she treats her employees? Why does she make her unfair treatment seem like something she should be thanked for? And why oh why does Qin Shi always revert to being a lapdog whenever she’s around her boss?
Madam Tang gets Qin Shi to do some charity law consultations (at a public booth?), which Haitao - as Qin Shi’s #1 supporter - isn’t too happy about. Is the charity booth considered to be beneath her? Is this Madam Tang’s way of further punishing her? I’d have thought it’d be viewed as a positive thing to do something for the community. The charity law booth is near Yang Hua’s bank, so Qin Shi calls him to pick him up after work. That’s when she finds out that he actually has no work.
Qin Shi goes all Avenging Angel and confronts Yang Hua’s manager. I want to be able to take command of situations like that. The manager went from blustering bully to quiet lamb with a few sentences from her.
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| Cai Laing is totally enjoying this |
The moment of triumph ends when Yang Hua finds himself face to face with Mr Qiu, who surprisingly doesn’t throw a hissy fit, but instead offers him a job. Good mood gone, Yang Hua just walks away with Cai Liang and Qin Shi.
The trio go drinking and Cai Liang regales Qin Shi with tales of Qiu Jianxiang’s greatness and Yang Hua’s cleverness in being offered a job with him when he was fresh out of university. I like Cai Liang and Qin Shi’s interactions. He’s boisterous while she’s calm and amused. Yang Hua tells her how Mr Qiu took him under his wing and trained him to be a fund manager at the age of 22. He’s still gloomy and drinking a little too much, and both Qin Shi and Cai Liang are concerned.
[Ep27] Cai Liang continues the story while Yang Hua continues drinking. Qin Shi watches him and gently stops him when he attempts to refill his glass.
Cai Liang mentions a “Yongli 21 incident” and claims that Yang Hua would have been the “king of trust” if not for the incident. He later confides in Qin Shi that he’s certain that this incident was the reason for Yang Hua to have fallen out with Mr Qiu. Cai Liang credits Qin Shi with getting Yang Hua to open up about past events and asks her to take care of him. He was very drunk, but it was still sweet :D Also, we don’t really hear Yang Hua speak about that incident, but this and the next scene suggest that there is yet another deleted scene somewhere.
Qin Shi tells Yang Hua she believes the incident wasn’t his fault, and that even though she didn’t know him at the time, she thinks she knows what he was like from his words (from the Weibo post that brought them together in the first place). He tells her Yongli 21 was a high performing trust that he was entrusted with, and which he grew rapidly but which suffered a dramatic loss afterwards. He wasn’t upset about having made a mistake, but the people, jealousy and greed he encountered were scary.
They’re distracted at this point by a little dog and Yang Hua says “dear, it looks like we have a child now”, which makes Qin Shi all happy inside because it’s the first time he called her “dear”. Actually, he did use the same term when he drunk-called her, but maybe that doesn’t count.
Yang Hua says after the Yong Li incident, he went from being highly sought after to a Nobody, worse than the dog they just encountered (because the dog at least has someone to care for it). Qin Shi tells him he’s her baby now and promises she will never abandon him.
Their sweet moment is interrupted by a call from Qin Wenyu. What a pity. Just when I’d almost forgotten his existence. He wants them to come over as “someone is going to die”. They go over to find Meimei wielding a knife and threatening to jump off a balcony. Good grief! Can this couple get any more unstable? Qin Shi doesn’t believe the threat and tells Meimei to jump, but warns that her face will be a mess and all the money she spent over the years on skincare will be wasted xD. Meimei drops the knife and begins crying theatrically while Qin Wenyu tries to comfort her. Qin Shi and Yang Hua just watch them.
Meimei reveals that Qin Wenyu’s mother had promised him a sports car if he would have a child with Meimei, so he had secretly given her some random pills (that he was told would stimulate ovulation), which had caused an allergic reaction o.O WTH! Wenyu retorts that Meimei signed an agreement with his mom to get 20% of the company shares if she would have a child with Wenyu. What is wrong with these two? For that matter, what’s wrong with his mom???
Qin Shi stops their argument from escalating and says she had previously suggested divorce because she hadn’t believed they would go through with it. This time, she thinks they really should. She even has a divorce agreement with her. Does she carry it around wherever she goes, just in case these two start one of their stupid arguments?
Qin Wenyu signs the agreement. It’s the first time he’s signed; usually it’s her. He’s gone all serious now. He believes Meimei looks down on him because he isn’t good for anything. His brother is obedient and favored by their mother, his sister wins awards every year and is pampered by their father, but he has nothing. He did work hard but didn’t have the ability. He accuses Qin Shi of looking down on him for not being smart. She did, to be fair, but there was nothing stopping him from at least behaving well. I don’t think she would have spoken of him as she did if he’d behaved like a decent human being and treated Meimei with respect.
Meimei is all upset and hugs her husband, telling him she loves him. As the two reconcile - slightly theatrically, as is their custom - our main CP begins cracking up.
At home, Qin Shi wonders whether she should stop getting involved in Wenyu and Meimei’s affairs. She thinks they’ve been married a long time and just need some distraction rather than these frequent tantrums. Yang Hua doesn’t believe a good relationship needs distractions. Qin Shi asks if he can guarantee that he’ll love someone forever. He thinks it should be possible, if it’s her. She wonders about the “should be possible” and teasingly asks who else is on his shortlist.
She’s sitting on the back of the couch and leaning against him during this conversation. He moves suddenly (and deliberately?), she falls backward, he catches her, but the cameraman decides to focus on the mint plant instead, because it’s begun magically sprouting hearts.
…
Next day, Yang Hua apologises to Cai Liang for being arrogant and prideful in the past, and offers to quit if him working at the bank is stressful for Cai Liang.
Cai Liang tells him the bullying bank manager asked about Yang Hua’s background. Cai Liang assumes his friend is going to be promoted because as it turns out, something was wrong with Fangyu Finance and Mr Qiu has been arrested! He actually seemed like a nice old man to me, from his very brief interaction with Yang Hua in the bank and his past interactions from flashbanks. Yang Hua’s colleagues now try to gain his favor. They really are quite a phoney bunch.
…
Tao Junhui and his mom have dinner with Wu Fei and her parents. Wu Fei’s parents want to have the wedding soon. Mom Tao is amenable, but Junhui himself seems less keen. Wu Fei makes the excuse that they’re still house-hunting, but her parents are one step ahead of her and have bought her a house as a wedding present! Tao Junhui and his mom are a bit taken back, especially when Mom and Dad Wu want to set the wedding date immediately. Tao Junhui gives a forced smile and says he’ll let Wu Fei decide. Wu Fei’s parents seem like nice down-to-earth people, even if they’ve spoiled their daughter way too much.
Later, Mom Tao asks her son whether they still need to buy a house, since Mr Wu has given them a valuable property. Junhui corrects her. Mr Wu has given his daughter a valuable property. Tao Junhui wants to follow his mom’s teaching and live within his means. Mom notices that something’s off about her son. She knows he was forcing a smile at the dinner as well. Has he had a fight with Wu Fei? And why is Mr Wu in a hurry for the wedding? Tao Junhui tells her about the prenup. Mom is not very happy.
Mom Tao randomly brings up Qin Shi and compares Wu Fei favorably with her. She believes the Qin family is in no way a match for Wu Fei’s family. Tao Junhui appears to assent, but I don’t think he agrees with mom’s comparison of the two women. But even though Wu Fei’s background is good, mom never wanted her son to be a social-climber. Yet she seemed pretty pleased when she thought “they” were getting a house.
Tao Junhui and his mom seem to have a good relationship, but he never disagrees with her about anything. When she criticizes Qin Shi, he just goes along with it. It makes me wonder whether he’d have been that way if he and Qin Shi had remained together as well.
…
At Cheng & Hui, Qiao Siming is trying to win back Qin Shi’s favor. (She’s been giving him the cold shoulder for arranging the reference room as her office. But then shouldn’t she treat Madam Tang with some reserve as well?). He has some good news for her. One of the senior lawyers is transferring to a different town and Qin Shi will be given his office.
Qiao Siming also has some gossip for her. The actress He Dongna is at the law firm, planning a lawsuit after being kicked out of Tianhang hotel the previous night. Wu Fei(!) is representing the actress and makes a statement on her behalf at a press conference. According to the statement, He Dongna was injured by glass bursting in the hotel bathroom (what glass spontaneously bursts in a bathroom?) and instead of providing treatment, the hotel asked her to leave at three in the morning. Wu Fei wants the hotel to issue an apology, fire the relevant staff and make reparations. Otherwise, they’ll file a case.
We’re shown the actual incident and it doesn’t look like the hotel staff are forcibly evacuating her, although they are wheeling her luggage out and bundling her into a car. A female hotel manager offers to take the actress to the hospital but He Dongna refuses. She seems to be a little belligerent. Is she drunk?
At Cheng & Hui, He Dongna plays the part of an innocent victim, but there’s something phoney about it. Madam Tang, the Queen of Phoniness, sympathizes but does she seem uneasy? Is it because she’s found someone who might be phonier than her?
Tao Junhui and two senior lawyers, who are also partners in the law firm, have been assigned to the case. Wu Fei is the legal rep in charge of communications. Did they just make up a role for her because she’d be useless at actual work?
Qiao Siming wonders why a hotel would kick out a celebrity who could promote them. What surprises Qin Shi is Madam Tang agreeing to a celebrity case and assigning senior lawyers to it. Also surprising is that the celebrity would come to Cheng & Hui in the first place. It turns out, He Dongna is a friend of Dad Wu. Xi Mei PR is handling the public relations side of things. Qin Shi also squeezes out of Siming that He Dongna’s husband is Hu Ping (who was mentioned in Ep20). Hu Ping is the boss of a venture capital firm, and the reason they’re taking the case is because Madam Tang wants to meet him. Even though Siming warns her against it, Qin Shi secretly wants to get involved, to build her reputation. Are celebrity cases good for a corporate lawyer’s reputation?
…
Meanwhile, Madam Tang is throwing a tantrum because she’s meeting Hu Ping that evening but Mr Jin has some urgent work-related travel. Madam Tang needs someone well-versed in business, but all eligible lawyers are predisposed. She’s desperate to keep the meeting because a venture capital firm they had previously had a deal with pulled out suddenly, preventing Cheng & Hui from going public. Oh, she’s still on that plan (from Ep2)? She wonders whom she can get on short notice… Which tortoise-loving former recluse might fit the bill?
Qin Shi tells Yang Hua she believes the incident wasn’t his fault, and that even though she didn’t know him at the time, she thinks she knows what he was like from his words (from the Weibo post that brought them together in the first place). He tells her Yongli 21 was a high performing trust that he was entrusted with, and which he grew rapidly but which suffered a dramatic loss afterwards. He wasn’t upset about having made a mistake, but the people, jealousy and greed he encountered were scary.
They’re distracted at this point by a little dog and Yang Hua says “dear, it looks like we have a child now”, which makes Qin Shi all happy inside because it’s the first time he called her “dear”. Actually, he did use the same term when he drunk-called her, but maybe that doesn’t count.
Qin Shi stops their argument from escalating and says she had previously suggested divorce because she hadn’t believed they would go through with it. This time, she thinks they really should. She even has a divorce agreement with her. Does she carry it around wherever she goes, just in case these two start one of their stupid arguments?
Qin Wenyu signs the agreement. It’s the first time he’s signed; usually it’s her. He’s gone all serious now. He believes Meimei looks down on him because he isn’t good for anything. His brother is obedient and favored by their mother, his sister wins awards every year and is pampered by their father, but he has nothing. He did work hard but didn’t have the ability. He accuses Qin Shi of looking down on him for not being smart. She did, to be fair, but there was nothing stopping him from at least behaving well. I don’t think she would have spoken of him as she did if he’d behaved like a decent human being and treated Meimei with respect.
Meimei is all upset and hugs her husband, telling him she loves him. As the two reconcile - slightly theatrically, as is their custom - our main CP begins cracking up.
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| She’s actually shaking with laughter. Maybe the scene got too ridiculous for them :D |
She’s sitting on the back of the couch and leaning against him during this conversation. He moves suddenly (and deliberately?), she falls backward, he catches her, but the cameraman decides to focus on the mint plant instead, because it’s begun magically sprouting hearts.
Next day, Yang Hua apologises to Cai Liang for being arrogant and prideful in the past, and offers to quit if him working at the bank is stressful for Cai Liang.
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| Cai Liang: You’re well-intentioned, but I’ll beat you to death if you speak this way xD |
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| “Just be as self-righteous as you always were. I’m used to it. Now you use this new trick… I can’t take it” xDxDxD |
…
Tao Junhui and his mom have dinner with Wu Fei and her parents. Wu Fei’s parents want to have the wedding soon. Mom Tao is amenable, but Junhui himself seems less keen. Wu Fei makes the excuse that they’re still house-hunting, but her parents are one step ahead of her and have bought her a house as a wedding present! Tao Junhui and his mom are a bit taken back, especially when Mom and Dad Wu want to set the wedding date immediately. Tao Junhui gives a forced smile and says he’ll let Wu Fei decide. Wu Fei’s parents seem like nice down-to-earth people, even if they’ve spoiled their daughter way too much.
Later, Mom Tao asks her son whether they still need to buy a house, since Mr Wu has given them a valuable property. Junhui corrects her. Mr Wu has given his daughter a valuable property. Tao Junhui wants to follow his mom’s teaching and live within his means. Mom notices that something’s off about her son. She knows he was forcing a smile at the dinner as well. Has he had a fight with Wu Fei? And why is Mr Wu in a hurry for the wedding? Tao Junhui tells her about the prenup. Mom is not very happy.
Mom Tao randomly brings up Qin Shi and compares Wu Fei favorably with her. She believes the Qin family is in no way a match for Wu Fei’s family. Tao Junhui appears to assent, but I don’t think he agrees with mom’s comparison of the two women. But even though Wu Fei’s background is good, mom never wanted her son to be a social-climber. Yet she seemed pretty pleased when she thought “they” were getting a house.
…
At Cheng & Hui, Qiao Siming is trying to win back Qin Shi’s favor. (She’s been giving him the cold shoulder for arranging the reference room as her office. But then shouldn’t she treat Madam Tang with some reserve as well?). He has some good news for her. One of the senior lawyers is transferring to a different town and Qin Shi will be given his office.
Qiao Siming also has some gossip for her. The actress He Dongna is at the law firm, planning a lawsuit after being kicked out of Tianhang hotel the previous night. Wu Fei(!) is representing the actress and makes a statement on her behalf at a press conference. According to the statement, He Dongna was injured by glass bursting in the hotel bathroom (what glass spontaneously bursts in a bathroom?) and instead of providing treatment, the hotel asked her to leave at three in the morning. Wu Fei wants the hotel to issue an apology, fire the relevant staff and make reparations. Otherwise, they’ll file a case.
We’re shown the actual incident and it doesn’t look like the hotel staff are forcibly evacuating her, although they are wheeling her luggage out and bundling her into a car. A female hotel manager offers to take the actress to the hospital but He Dongna refuses. She seems to be a little belligerent. Is she drunk?
At Cheng & Hui, He Dongna plays the part of an innocent victim, but there’s something phoney about it. Madam Tang, the Queen of Phoniness, sympathizes but does she seem uneasy? Is it because she’s found someone who might be phonier than her?
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| Two Great Phonies, in matching outfits no less |
Qiao Siming wonders why a hotel would kick out a celebrity who could promote them. What surprises Qin Shi is Madam Tang agreeing to a celebrity case and assigning senior lawyers to it. Also surprising is that the celebrity would come to Cheng & Hui in the first place. It turns out, He Dongna is a friend of Dad Wu. Xi Mei PR is handling the public relations side of things. Qin Shi also squeezes out of Siming that He Dongna’s husband is Hu Ping (who was mentioned in Ep20). Hu Ping is the boss of a venture capital firm, and the reason they’re taking the case is because Madam Tang wants to meet him. Even though Siming warns her against it, Qin Shi secretly wants to get involved, to build her reputation. Are celebrity cases good for a corporate lawyer’s reputation?
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| I like the interactions between these two as well. Two flamboyantly dressed people :D |
Meanwhile, Madam Tang is throwing a tantrum because she’s meeting Hu Ping that evening but Mr Jin has some urgent work-related travel. Madam Tang needs someone well-versed in business, but all eligible lawyers are predisposed. She’s desperate to keep the meeting because a venture capital firm they had previously had a deal with pulled out suddenly, preventing Cheng & Hui from going public. Oh, she’s still on that plan (from Ep2)? She wonders whom she can get on short notice… Which tortoise-loving former recluse might fit the bill?
ang Hua is accosted by Zhen (the girl who staged the theatrical fall in Ep22) and is subjected to theatrical sobbing before she reveals her true motive: she wants to move to the investment department and wants him to guide her. He turns her down. While she is so fake (and possibly conniving), he could have declined her more politely. She mentions the Yongli 21 incident, guessing correctly that he was the fund manager, and wants a chance such as he seems to have gotten. Why are so many people in this drama so unpleasant? He still doesn’t agree.
…
Li Dai is Mr Qiu’s lawyer! (Seriously, how many crazy coincidences must we be subjected to?) She confronts him about having sold off valuable shares in the past, just before they surged in value. He’s quite smug and arrogant in his replies until she points out that most of the shares were bought by the same firm, Qilin Foundation. That firm was investigated and had claimed that they paid Mr Qiu to buy off valuable shares at lower prices. This is the reason for his indictment. Mr Qiu mockingly asks why he would receive a small amount of black money when he could make far more in interest.
Li Dai is worried that his smug and unyielding attitude will prevent them from winning the case. She wants someone who can vouch for him. There’s only one person who would understand his decision-making process…
…
Madam Tang asks Qin Shi to get Yang Hua involved in dealing with Hu Ping. Qin Shi thinks Yang Hua’s fake background will be exposed if the meeting takes place and tries to deter Madam Tang, but ultimately agrees when she’s offered an equal share in the He Dongna case.
Qin Shi is horrified that evening when they find that the dinner isn’t a small gathering but an Annual Investor Award Ceremony, with a large number of investment specialists in attendance. She begins freaking out about their lie being exposed. Yang Hua calms her down and mingles quite effectively by conning someone at the party xD
Wu Fei is furious that our main CP should be stealing the thunder at an event that apparently she and her dad put together. Dad Wu really should stop spoiling his daughter so much.
Madam Tang is displeased when He Dongna breaks the news that Hu Ping will not be attending the dinner. Dongna suggests Madam Tang liaise with their company’s VP instead.
Yang Hua is struck dumb when he sees that the VP is Wang Jiesen. From flashbacks, it looks like Jiesen was actually the person responsible for the Yongli 21 incident, but he let Yang Hua take the fall. Mr Qiu prevented Yang Hua’s name from being leaked to the press and wanted him to stay on and weather the storm, but Yang Hua chose to resign instead.
And so we have yet another unlikely coincidence. While it’s not surprising that Yang Hua should run into his former colleagues at an investors’ gathering, for his enemy to play such an important role in a company and case that is of interest to Qin Shi is surprising.
Wang Jiesen is seated at the same table as our main CP, along with Wu Fei, Tao Junhui, Madam Tang and He Dongna. Jiesen is very complimentary of Yang Hua, much to Wu Fei’s displeasure. Yang Hua, on the other hand, is sullen from the time he encounters Jiesen and abruptly leaves the gathering. I liked Qin Shi’s silent support of Yang Hua in this scene, even when she had no clue what was going on.
Yang Hua’s departure leaves a slightly awkward gathering at the table. Wang Jiesen keeps staring at Qin Shi (slightly lecherously, I thought) and finally asks why Yang Hua was a house husband for so long. (How did he find out about that?). Wu Fei asks him about Mr Qiu’s indictment. Qin Shi seems to be pondering something and finally asks about Yongli 21. Why would she do this? Especially in front of Wu Fei? Jiesen’s response gives Wu Fei the ammo she wants as she realizes that Yang Hua was the fund manager responsible for the decline of Yongli 21. I thought Qin Shi had way more sense than this. She must have guessed that Wang Jiesen had something to do with it, but why bring it up in front of someone who will be only too happy to see herself and Yang Hua fail? Madam Tang quickly changes the subject.
Yang Hua calls Qin Shi to tell her he can’t help her. The tone of his voice reveals how upset he is. Qin Shi makes her excuses and leaves the dinner. She searches the neighborhood and finally finds Yang Hua, seated dejectedly at a street corner. As soon as she approaches him, he hugs her and begins to cry. Awww :-(
Qin Shi doesn’t really know how to comfort him, so she distracts him instead. She takes him to a restaurant and keeps up a constant and mostly irrelevant prattle while plying him with food and watching anxiously to make sure he eats. This is so familiar. When you don’t know what to do to make things better, just hug and distract :-)
[Ep29] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
…
Li Dai is Mr Qiu’s lawyer! (Seriously, how many crazy coincidences must we be subjected to?) She confronts him about having sold off valuable shares in the past, just before they surged in value. He’s quite smug and arrogant in his replies until she points out that most of the shares were bought by the same firm, Qilin Foundation. That firm was investigated and had claimed that they paid Mr Qiu to buy off valuable shares at lower prices. This is the reason for his indictment. Mr Qiu mockingly asks why he would receive a small amount of black money when he could make far more in interest.
…
Madam Tang asks Qin Shi to get Yang Hua involved in dealing with Hu Ping. Qin Shi thinks Yang Hua’s fake background will be exposed if the meeting takes place and tries to deter Madam Tang, but ultimately agrees when she’s offered an equal share in the He Dongna case.
Qin Shi is horrified that evening when they find that the dinner isn’t a small gathering but an Annual Investor Award Ceremony, with a large number of investment specialists in attendance. She begins freaking out about their lie being exposed. Yang Hua calms her down and mingles quite effectively by conning someone at the party xD
Yang Hua is struck dumb when he sees that the VP is Wang Jiesen. From flashbacks, it looks like Jiesen was actually the person responsible for the Yongli 21 incident, but he let Yang Hua take the fall. Mr Qiu prevented Yang Hua’s name from being leaked to the press and wanted him to stay on and weather the storm, but Yang Hua chose to resign instead.
And so we have yet another unlikely coincidence. While it’s not surprising that Yang Hua should run into his former colleagues at an investors’ gathering, for his enemy to play such an important role in a company and case that is of interest to Qin Shi is surprising.
Wang Jiesen is seated at the same table as our main CP, along with Wu Fei, Tao Junhui, Madam Tang and He Dongna. Jiesen is very complimentary of Yang Hua, much to Wu Fei’s displeasure. Yang Hua, on the other hand, is sullen from the time he encounters Jiesen and abruptly leaves the gathering. I liked Qin Shi’s silent support of Yang Hua in this scene, even when she had no clue what was going on.
Yang Hua calls Qin Shi to tell her he can’t help her. The tone of his voice reveals how upset he is. Qin Shi makes her excuses and leaves the dinner. She searches the neighborhood and finally finds Yang Hua, seated dejectedly at a street corner. As soon as she approaches him, he hugs her and begins to cry. Awww :-(
…
Wu Fei weasels more information from Wang Jiesen and is maliciously happy at the way things turned out.
Wu Fei weasels more information from Wang Jiesen and is maliciously happy at the way things turned out.
Tao Junhui takes Wu Fei to the same restaurant where Qin Shi and Yang Hua are. Qin Shi had just succeeded in getting Yang Hua to smile, but the smile disappears when he sees the new arrivals. Wu Fei mockingly asks Yang Hua about feeling unwell and tells Qin Shi that she’s got information about Yang Hua from Wang Jiesen that she can pass on. Qin Shi immediately gets the better of the conversation by saying she can return the favor: she can tell Wu Fei all about Tao Junhui. Wu Fei is furious. Yang Hua looks unhappy.
Just then, a waitress walks by, carrying a vat of hot soup. She trips and the burning-hot liquid spills. Qin Shi and Yang Hua pull each other out of the way, while Tao Junhui puts his arm out to push Qin Shi out of harm’s way and ends up getting scalded. Qin Shi offers to drive them to the hospital but Wu Fei angrily tells her to leave them alone.
When Wu Fei and Tao Junhui get back from hospital, she tries to take care of him despite his assurances that he’s ok. She’s worried that if his wound doesn’t heal properly, there’ll be a scar at the wedding. Is that seriously something to bring up now? He thinks they should postpone the wedding as their marital home is not ready. She thinks he’s angry because of the prenup. She says they can use the house her dad gave her (which apparently she asked for), and promises to put Junhui’s name on the property deed after marriage. She desperately tells him that everything she has is his and she’s fine with nothing. That’s sad to the point of pathetic. Nobody should be that desperate.
Junhui tries to use his injury as an excuse to postpone the wedding. Wu Fei seems to blame Qin Shi for… something, and is determined to get her ousted from Cheng & Hui. Tao Junhui tells Wu Fei not to be angry at Qin Shi, and foolishly adds “she’s already married”. Wu Fei asks “what if she wasn’t?” and almost pleadingly asks, even if he can’t forget his ex and even if he still cares about her, could he at least take Wu Fei’s feelings into consideration and not make it so obvious? He doesn’t give her a satisfactory response. It’s very obvious that if Qin Shi agreed, he’d go back to her in a flash. I can’t help feeling sorry for Wu Fei, because after all, she thought she was avenging her fiancé (even if it was done in a stupid and harmful way). I wish she would walk away from this relationship that’s clearly not working for either of them any more.
…
Yang Hua is morose on the drive back home. He says Tao Junhui is a nice guy and Qin Shi would probably be happy with him, and offers to divorce if she wants to go back to him. Qin Shi doesn’t like what he’s saying and vows not to divorce him. He says they’ll get divorced in three years anyway, according to their contract. He’s worried that he’ll be found out soon and that it’ll affect her.
She cuts him off and apologizes for putting him in a tight spot by inviting him to the dinner for her own ambition. Yang Hua says he knew she was ambitious from day one and that she wouldn’t shy away from any difficulty. He feels that he, in contrast, is a coward. He’s near tears and she’s unhappy at where his thoughts are going.
I felt really bad for him. There’s nothing quite so bad as feeling you’re a coward. I wish he hadn’t brought up divorce so casually though, because that’s her main fear.
Yang Hua admits to having been arrogant because of his early success, and having considered Wang Jiesen as his best friend because the latter was nice to him. Jiesen was in fact annoyed that the younger man might supplant him and plotted against him to cause his failure. But Yang Hua also says it was Mr Qiu who told him to buy large amounts of shares?
When Yang Hua returned to China, he found that he was unemployable in his field and began suffering symptoms of depression, until finally he just gave up entirely and stayed home, reading comics and playing video games. It’s only after an intervention staged by his parents that he began trading shares at home to make a living. No wonder Mom Yang was so adamant about him leading a normal life (at the start of the drama). She was worried he would sink again.
Present-day Yang Hua says it’s easier if you admit you’re a loser because then others degrading you won’t affect you, because you’ve already degraded yourself. And failures don’t fade away, they strike you again after you’ve built yourself back up. He wants to know if it’s unpleasant to be liked by someone like him. Qin Shi thinks it’s no big deal to fail. Everyone has. It’s ok to stand up and fight, or to hide. She herself has few good points but she will defend those she cares about, so he shouldn’t keep saying bad things about her husband. Awww, that’s sweet. She says he can rely on her and they will face difficulties together. They hug, but both are crying, him openly, her discreetly. Awww :-(
Next morning, Yang Hua is still down. Qin Shi makes breakfast. I’m not sure that’s wise when he’s already sad, given her culinary skills :D. Also, how come they still sleep in separate rooms? Qin Shi also threatens gets Cai Liang to promise to take care of Yang Hua. Her interactions with Cai Liang are funny :D
 |
| Qin Shi kept looking at Yang Hua in this scene, to check how he was doing. It was sweet |
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| Their immediate concern is for each other, Wu Fei’s concern is for Tao Junhui, and Tao Junhui’s concern is for Qin Shi. How complicated |
Junhui tries to use his injury as an excuse to postpone the wedding. Wu Fei seems to blame Qin Shi for… something, and is determined to get her ousted from Cheng & Hui. Tao Junhui tells Wu Fei not to be angry at Qin Shi, and foolishly adds “she’s already married”. Wu Fei asks “what if she wasn’t?” and almost pleadingly asks, even if he can’t forget his ex and even if he still cares about her, could he at least take Wu Fei’s feelings into consideration and not make it so obvious? He doesn’t give her a satisfactory response. It’s very obvious that if Qin Shi agreed, he’d go back to her in a flash. I can’t help feeling sorry for Wu Fei, because after all, she thought she was avenging her fiancé (even if it was done in a stupid and harmful way). I wish she would walk away from this relationship that’s clearly not working for either of them any more.
…
Yang Hua is morose on the drive back home. He says Tao Junhui is a nice guy and Qin Shi would probably be happy with him, and offers to divorce if she wants to go back to him. Qin Shi doesn’t like what he’s saying and vows not to divorce him. He says they’ll get divorced in three years anyway, according to their contract. He’s worried that he’ll be found out soon and that it’ll affect her.
She cuts him off and apologizes for putting him in a tight spot by inviting him to the dinner for her own ambition. Yang Hua says he knew she was ambitious from day one and that she wouldn’t shy away from any difficulty. He feels that he, in contrast, is a coward. He’s near tears and she’s unhappy at where his thoughts are going.
Yang Hua admits to having been arrogant because of his early success, and having considered Wang Jiesen as his best friend because the latter was nice to him. Jiesen was in fact annoyed that the younger man might supplant him and plotted against him to cause his failure. But Yang Hua also says it was Mr Qiu who told him to buy large amounts of shares?
When Yang Hua returned to China, he found that he was unemployable in his field and began suffering symptoms of depression, until finally he just gave up entirely and stayed home, reading comics and playing video games. It’s only after an intervention staged by his parents that he began trading shares at home to make a living. No wonder Mom Yang was so adamant about him leading a normal life (at the start of the drama). She was worried he would sink again.
Present-day Yang Hua says it’s easier if you admit you’re a loser because then others degrading you won’t affect you, because you’ve already degraded yourself. And failures don’t fade away, they strike you again after you’ve built yourself back up. He wants to know if it’s unpleasant to be liked by someone like him. Qin Shi thinks it’s no big deal to fail. Everyone has. It’s ok to stand up and fight, or to hide. She herself has few good points but she will defend those she cares about, so he shouldn’t keep saying bad things about her husband. Awww, that’s sweet. She says he can rely on her and they will face difficulties together. They hug, but both are crying, him openly, her discreetly. Awww :-(
…
Dad Yang visits Yang Hua at home and tries to persuade him to testify for Mr Qiu. Li Dai had previously tried to call Yang Hua but when he didn’t pick up (because of the dinner debacle), she went to his parents instead. Mom Yang was furious at Mr Qiu for ruining her son and wasn’t inclined to help, but Dad knows Mom blames herself. Dad thinks Yang Hua should help Mr Qiu to help himself.
…
At Cheng & Hui, Qin Shi runs into Yao Yao, the manager of Tianhang hotel, from the He Dongna case. Yao Yao seems nice. And why does this look like she’s putting a friendship bracelet on Qin Shi? xD
Yao Yao is there to meet with Tao Junhui and Wu Fei, to make a personal statement rather than a statement on behalf of the hotel. Yao Yao’s version of events contradicts He Dongna’s mainly in two points: He Dongna couldn’t have been injured while showering, and the hotel didn’t evict her. She refused all medical treatments, attacked staff who tried to help, and was entirely unreasonable in her behavior. Yao Yao has evidence for what she says which she is currently withholding to protect He Dongna’s privacy, but threatens to publicize it if He Dongna continues to make a scene. Wu Fei is somewhat disbelieving of her.
Madam Tang seems to think that asking Tianhang hotel to fire Yao Yao is an acceptable thing to do. How do these people so casually mess with someone else’s livelihood? Wu Fei’s information on Yao Yao shows her to be competent and hardworking. There have been complaints against but mostly because she took the side of hotel staff during disagreements with clients. However, the hotel has a long-term contract with her, so they won’t fire her easily. Wu Fei thinks she can sway public opinion to force the hotel’s hand, by using information about Yao Yao’s personal life. Ugh! To think I was feeling sorry for Wu Fei a little while ago. Tao Junhui advises caution and warns against personal attacks. Madam Tang looks knowingly at Wu Fei probably because Wu Fei’s lack of experience (and ethics) is showing itself too much.
Madam Tang wonders which version of events - He Dongna’s or Yao Yao’s - they should believe. Wu Fei thinks they should of course believe their client, because they’re her attorneys. Oh good grief!
…
Qin Shi finally has a proper office! It’s right next to Tao Junhui’s and she gets to watch and hear him being chewed out by Wu Fei for disagreeing about Yao Yao. Tao Junhui warns Wu Fei that her tactics might be violating the law. Wu Fei thinks it’s irrelevant, because firing Yao Yao would boost Tianhang hotel’s image as being quick to rectify errors, so she thinks the hotel would benefit too. Why does nobody think about Yao Yao? Is it acceptable to scapegoat an innocent person? Also, Wu Fei’s professional ethics leave a lot to be desired.
While Qin Shi’s enjoying the drama next door, Madam Tang comes by. She wants a favor.
Dad Yang visits Yang Hua at home and tries to persuade him to testify for Mr Qiu. Li Dai had previously tried to call Yang Hua but when he didn’t pick up (because of the dinner debacle), she went to his parents instead. Mom Yang was furious at Mr Qiu for ruining her son and wasn’t inclined to help, but Dad knows Mom blames herself. Dad thinks Yang Hua should help Mr Qiu to help himself.
…
At Cheng & Hui, Qin Shi runs into Yao Yao, the manager of Tianhang hotel, from the He Dongna case. Yao Yao seems nice. And why does this look like she’s putting a friendship bracelet on Qin Shi? xD
Madam Tang seems to think that asking Tianhang hotel to fire Yao Yao is an acceptable thing to do. How do these people so casually mess with someone else’s livelihood? Wu Fei’s information on Yao Yao shows her to be competent and hardworking. There have been complaints against but mostly because she took the side of hotel staff during disagreements with clients. However, the hotel has a long-term contract with her, so they won’t fire her easily. Wu Fei thinks she can sway public opinion to force the hotel’s hand, by using information about Yao Yao’s personal life. Ugh! To think I was feeling sorry for Wu Fei a little while ago. Tao Junhui advises caution and warns against personal attacks. Madam Tang looks knowingly at Wu Fei probably because Wu Fei’s lack of experience (and ethics) is showing itself too much.
Madam Tang wonders which version of events - He Dongna’s or Yao Yao’s - they should believe. Wu Fei thinks they should of course believe their client, because they’re her attorneys. Oh good grief!
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| I think Madam Tang might be starting to regret backing Wu Fei now. She looked so unimpressed |
Qin Shi finally has a proper office! It’s right next to Tao Junhui’s and she gets to watch and hear him being chewed out by Wu Fei for disagreeing about Yao Yao. Tao Junhui warns Wu Fei that her tactics might be violating the law. Wu Fei thinks it’s irrelevant, because firing Yao Yao would boost Tianhang hotel’s image as being quick to rectify errors, so she thinks the hotel would benefit too. Why does nobody think about Yao Yao? Is it acceptable to scapegoat an innocent person? Also, Wu Fei’s professional ethics leave a lot to be desired.
While Qin Shi’s enjoying the drama next door, Madam Tang comes by. She wants a favor.
The favor is related to… Wang Jiesen. He’s coming to Cheng & Hui for a project inspection, to decide whether Mr Hu should invest in them. Madam Tang wants Qin Shi to help him understand the business and operations. Qin Shi pointedly refuses to shake Wang Jiesen’s hand, which made me laugh. It was childish and unprofessional, but cute.
Qin Shi maintains a professional distance from Wang Jiesen and avoids his questions about Yang Hua. She’s very plain-spoken when discussing the business, which surprises and intrigues him. For some reason, perhaps idle curiosity, he asks about He Dongna’s case as well. After she leaves, we see him with a slimy thoughtful look on his face.
Wang Jiesen wants to have lunch with Qin Shi to “get a feel” of Cheng & Hui’s employees. When she suggests they invite all employees, he says he’s only interested in getting to know her. Ugh. If she doesn’t agree, he’ll ask Madam Tang.
…
Yang Hua visits Mr Qiu in prison and asks why Mr Qiu asked him to buy large amounts of bad shares (Yongli 21) and whether he made a profit from it. Mr Qiu is adamant that he never touched any money that didn’t belong to him.
Li Dai hopes that because Yang Hua met Mr Qiu, it means he will testify, but he doesn’t agree. So Li Dai does the obvious thing and goes to the person who can convince Yang Hua.
Qin Shi promises that Yang Hua will testify for Mr Qiu in return for Li Dai not revealing to Madam Tang that, apart from only becoming Qin Shi’s husband recently, Yang Hua was also unemployed for four years.
Meanwhile, Yang Hua is conflicted about what to do and so he returns to the proven Tortoise Test, to decide.
Both tortoises unequivocally choose to help Mr Qiu, so Yang Hua reads the case files. He plops the tortoises back into the tank quite roughly, which shocked me.
When Qin Shi gets back home that evening, she tells him about meeting Li Dai and Wang Jiesen. Yang Hua thinks he could have helped her more if he was the Yang Hua of before, and wonders whether she would have liked him more back then. She says she likes the Yang Hua she knows now, who is pure and kind. Awww, she’s so forthright about her feelings.
…
Next day at the law firm, Wang Jiesen stalks to Qin Shi’s office only to find that she’s left him in the hands of Qiao Siming. His sleazy intentions are foiled.
In the law firm’s parking lot, Qin Shi sees Tao Junhui struggling to open his car and offers to drive him (to investigate He Dongna’s case). She says she won’t interfere in the case (yeah right!), but will act as his chauffeur or assistant because she feels guilty that he was injured because of her. Why? It isn’t her fault he put his hand out. She thinks they need to find a trusted third party testimony since both Yao Yao and He Dongna have reason to lie.
Qin Shi pretends to be an assistant to a corporate boss to gain access to Tianhang hotel’s presidential suite where He Dongna stayed, but doesn’t find anything useful. She also doesn’t believe they will find evidence or third-party witnesses because all people on the scene that night are believed to be hotel staff. Contradictorily, He Dongna tells Wu Fei she’s found a witness, but stalls when asked to reveal details or allow Wu Fei to meet the witness. Wu Fei doesn’t force her hand.
Qin Shi and Tao Junhui discuss the case over lunch. Because his hand is injured, she helps him by unwrapping and cutting up his food. She does this matter-of-factly, as anyone would if a friend was injured, but he’s discomfited.
Maybe to get over his discomfiture, he mildly reproves her for her table manners.
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| Awkward! |
Wang Jiesen wants to have lunch with Qin Shi to “get a feel” of Cheng & Hui’s employees. When she suggests they invite all employees, he says he’s only interested in getting to know her. Ugh. If she doesn’t agree, he’ll ask Madam Tang.
…
Yang Hua visits Mr Qiu in prison and asks why Mr Qiu asked him to buy large amounts of bad shares (Yongli 21) and whether he made a profit from it. Mr Qiu is adamant that he never touched any money that didn’t belong to him.
Meanwhile, Yang Hua is conflicted about what to do and so he returns to the proven Tortoise Test, to decide.
When Qin Shi gets back home that evening, she tells him about meeting Li Dai and Wang Jiesen. Yang Hua thinks he could have helped her more if he was the Yang Hua of before, and wonders whether she would have liked him more back then. She says she likes the Yang Hua she knows now, who is pure and kind. Awww, she’s so forthright about her feelings.
Next day at the law firm, Wang Jiesen stalks to Qin Shi’s office only to find that she’s left him in the hands of Qiao Siming. His sleazy intentions are foiled.
In the law firm’s parking lot, Qin Shi sees Tao Junhui struggling to open his car and offers to drive him (to investigate He Dongna’s case). She says she won’t interfere in the case (yeah right!), but will act as his chauffeur or assistant because she feels guilty that he was injured because of her. Why? It isn’t her fault he put his hand out. She thinks they need to find a trusted third party testimony since both Yao Yao and He Dongna have reason to lie.
Qin Shi pretends to be an assistant to a corporate boss to gain access to Tianhang hotel’s presidential suite where He Dongna stayed, but doesn’t find anything useful. She also doesn’t believe they will find evidence or third-party witnesses because all people on the scene that night are believed to be hotel staff. Contradictorily, He Dongna tells Wu Fei she’s found a witness, but stalls when asked to reveal details or allow Wu Fei to meet the witness. Wu Fei doesn’t force her hand.
Qin Shi and Tao Junhui discuss the case over lunch. Because his hand is injured, she helps him by unwrapping and cutting up his food. She does this matter-of-factly, as anyone would if a friend was injured, but he’s discomfited.
Tao Junhui: Can you not eat like a hungry ghost? You eat like a dog.Qin Shi: If I’m a dog, you’re eating at the same table as a dog. Are you any better? xD
…
When Tao Junhui gets back to his office, he finds Dagang waiting for him. Dagang wants to know whether Wu Fei or Qin Shi is Tao Junhui’s girlfriend, which gives Junhui pause. Dagang also has news. Wu Fei had asked him to investigate Yang Hua, and Dagang has found out the truth about Yang Hua’s past (lack of) employment. Tao Junhui tells Dagang to keep this a secret from Wu Fei.
…
That evening, Qin Shi cooks for Yang Hua, but this time she’s got the recipe from the restaurant they ate at, and the food is actually nice! Yang Hua has something on his mind. He wonders whether the law firm really needs Hu Ping’s funding and whether it will affect Qin Shi’s chances to be made partner. Qin Shi thinks if He Dongna’s case goes well, it’ll be Tao Junhui who gets the credit, so she won’t gain. But if the case fails, while Qin Shi won’t be blamed, she also won’t benefit because Hu Ping is Dongna’s husband. Either way, she loses. Yang Hua looks thoughtful.
After dinner, Qin Shi actually helps clean up (she never seems to, normally), and broaches the subject of Mr Qiu. She tells him she supports him regardless of the decision he makes and gives contradicting reasons, which are both valid but confuse him.
She then remembers her agreement with Li Dai and tries to get him to agree to testify, admitting that she made a deal with Li Dai. He tells her not to trick him as she tricks others. She’s upset (or offended?) that he leaves without listening to her.
…
Next day, Yang Hua tells Cai Liang he is going to reject an offer he received from the investment department and instead continue in his old post for the remainder of his probation. Why? Cai Liang is comically frustrated because he seems to have hoped that Yang Hua’s promotion would enable him to benefit too.
…
Wu Fei marches into Qin Shi’s office and literally screams at her for looking into the He Dongna case. Tao Junhui comes in to try and smooth things over, but Wu Fei is even more incensed when she realizes he was aware and even gave Qin Shi the case materials. She throws a book onto the floor (which Tao Junhui shamefacedly picks up), and accuses Qin Shi of shamelessly using Tao Junhui for a case, to which Qin Shi quips “ask him, he’s willing to be used by me”. The contrast between the two women is huge at this moment, with Wu Fei giving way to emotions and appearing a bit unhinged, while Qin Shi is extremely calm and collected.
Tao Junhui and Wu Fei argue about the case. Wu Fei wants to sue Tianhang hotel, while Tao Junhui insists that settling out of court is the best option. Wu Fei really shouldn’t be put in charge of cases, especially high-profile ones. Why is Madam Tang willing to embarrass her law firm just to make money?
Tao Junhui shows He Dongna footage (from the hotel vehicle’s dashcam?) which corroborates Yao Yao’s statement. He Dongna still insists on suing and reveals that the hotel wants her to sue them!!!
The lawyers and He Dongna come to some sort of agreement that we don’t hear about. Qin Shi isn’t in the meeting and is surprised when she sees He Dongna leaving amicably.
Qin Shi also learns that leaving Wang Jiesen in the hands of Qiao Siming (the previous day) might not have been a good idea after all. Qiao Siming has talked at length about Qin Shi, praising her but also accidentally revealing the holes in her story!!! Argh!
Wang Jiesen uses this information to blackmail Qin Shi. I don’t know how Jiesen would realize that Qin Shi having a child with Yang Hua 2.5 years ago was impossible. After all, Jiesen lost touch with Yang Hua four years ago. He won’t tell Madam Tang, but he wants Qin Shi to ‘have dinner’ with him. UGH.
…
Madam Tang tells Qin Shi about Wu Fei’s request to fire her (Qin Shi). According to Madam Tang, she wants Qin Shi to have an equal chance so she introduced her to Wang Jiesen. I nearly spit my drink when Madam Tang said “I’m not into office politics. I hate to stab people in the back”. All she ever seems to do is make deals with everyone and pit them against each other. Madam Tang’s gossipy mind is also curious about the relationship between Qin Shi and Tao Junhui. I didn’t understand some of this conversation. There was a remark by Qin Shi “she’s his lover, I’m nobody”; I don’t know who the “she” was or what Qin Shi meant.
Madam Tang has some fresh gossip as well. Hu Ping wants to divorce He Dongna, but Dongna is refusing. This means the handling of He Dongna’s case won’t influence Hu Ping’s investment (and Wang Jiesen possibly knows this).
…
It’s Court Day. Yang Hua is going to testify on behalf of Mr Qiu. Both he and Qin Shi are nervous.
The case seems to be purely about whether Mr Qiu’s decision to sell off a particular stock was valid. Yang Hua defends Mr Qiu’s decision, but when Li Dai changes one aspect of the data, he says he wouldn't have sold based on the new data. Mr Qiu agitatedly claims that someone must have falsified the data and that his decision was correct. The case is postponed because of the new evidence. Mr Qiu bows to Yang Hua, thanking him for testifying. He seems defeated. Yang Hua looks upset.
As is normal in the Land of Coincidences, the trial between He Dongna and Yao Yao is happening at the same time. Some hotel staff lie on the stand and Yao Yao’s lawyer is also working against her. Tao Junhui is taken aback, but He Dongna, Wu Fei or Qianqian are unsurprised and maliciously pleased. When the trial ends, Li Dai approaches Yao Yao and helps her avoid reporters by having Yang Hua take her away.
And this is when we find out that Yao Yao is Yang Hua’s ex-girlfriend. I guess scriptwriters really don’t mind how improbable coincidences are. Their breakup seems to have been because of his decision to move to Canada and her worry that he’d agree to marry Qiu Jianxiang’s daughter.
They don’t have much chance to reminisce. Qiu Jianxiang has had a heart attack and Li Dai wants to get to the hospital. Yang Hua suspects that Mr Qiu might also have Alzheimer’s because of his persistent claims of innocence without any memory of facts; The hospital confirms Alzheimer’s.
Li Dai asks how Yang Hua knows Yao Yao and is very suspicious when he doesn’t answer.
…
Meanwhile, Qin Shi is fake-flirting with Wang Jiesen (ugh!) while telling him about her desire to climb the corporate ladder at Cheng & Hui. He says she can do far greater things; he can teach her to do business. She acts coy and slightly innocent/stupid, but carefully rejects any physical advances.
Wang Jiesen tells her what we already know about Yang Hua and Yao Yao. Qin Shi is not happy in a childish sort of way… She turns his photo to face the corner as punishment xD.
…
Li Dai reveals to Qin Shi that Tianhang hotel set Yao Yao up. Li Dai then tells about her suspicions of Yang Hua and Yao Yao. Qin Shi looks upset. She wouldn’t have realized that his ex is so close at hand. Li Dai also says she’s begun to admire Yang Hua and wants to know how much it would take for Qin Shi to divorce Yang Hua so Li Dai can snap him up xD.
Tao Junhui shows He Dongna footage (from the hotel vehicle’s dashcam?) which corroborates Yao Yao’s statement. He Dongna still insists on suing and reveals that the hotel wants her to sue them!!!
The lawyers and He Dongna come to some sort of agreement that we don’t hear about. Qin Shi isn’t in the meeting and is surprised when she sees He Dongna leaving amicably.
Qin Shi also learns that leaving Wang Jiesen in the hands of Qiao Siming (the previous day) might not have been a good idea after all. Qiao Siming has talked at length about Qin Shi, praising her but also accidentally revealing the holes in her story!!! Argh!
…
Madam Tang tells Qin Shi about Wu Fei’s request to fire her (Qin Shi). According to Madam Tang, she wants Qin Shi to have an equal chance so she introduced her to Wang Jiesen. I nearly spit my drink when Madam Tang said “I’m not into office politics. I hate to stab people in the back”. All she ever seems to do is make deals with everyone and pit them against each other. Madam Tang’s gossipy mind is also curious about the relationship between Qin Shi and Tao Junhui. I didn’t understand some of this conversation. There was a remark by Qin Shi “she’s his lover, I’m nobody”; I don’t know who the “she” was or what Qin Shi meant.
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| I really don’t understand how Qin Shi can stand to be so friendly with the Queen of Phoney |
…
It’s Court Day. Yang Hua is going to testify on behalf of Mr Qiu. Both he and Qin Shi are nervous.
As is normal in the Land of Coincidences, the trial between He Dongna and Yao Yao is happening at the same time. Some hotel staff lie on the stand and Yao Yao’s lawyer is also working against her. Tao Junhui is taken aback, but He Dongna, Wu Fei or Qianqian are unsurprised and maliciously pleased. When the trial ends, Li Dai approaches Yao Yao and helps her avoid reporters by having Yang Hua take her away.
And this is when we find out that Yao Yao is Yang Hua’s ex-girlfriend. I guess scriptwriters really don’t mind how improbable coincidences are. Their breakup seems to have been because of his decision to move to Canada and her worry that he’d agree to marry Qiu Jianxiang’s daughter.
Li Dai asks how Yang Hua knows Yao Yao and is very suspicious when he doesn’t answer.
…
Meanwhile, Qin Shi is fake-flirting with Wang Jiesen (ugh!) while telling him about her desire to climb the corporate ladder at Cheng & Hui. He says she can do far greater things; he can teach her to do business. She acts coy and slightly innocent/stupid, but carefully rejects any physical advances.
Wang Jiesen tells her what we already know about Yang Hua and Yao Yao. Qin Shi is not happy in a childish sort of way… She turns his photo to face the corner as punishment xD.
Li Dai reveals to Qin Shi that Tianhang hotel set Yao Yao up. Li Dai then tells about her suspicions of Yang Hua and Yao Yao. Qin Shi looks upset. She wouldn’t have realized that his ex is so close at hand. Li Dai also says she’s begun to admire Yang Hua and wants to know how much it would take for Qin Shi to divorce Yang Hua so Li Dai can snap him up xD.
Li Dai doesn’t think it was Mr Qiu who prevented Yang Hua from reentering the finance world. She thinks it might be someone else who wronged Yang Hua… just as that Someone Else stalks up behind Qin Shi.
Qin Shi remembers what Yang Hua told her about Wang Jiesen and quickly switches to Coy Mode. Qianqian - Wu Fei’s spy - secretly snaps a photo of them and sends it to Wu Fei, who sends it anonymously to Yang Hua. How does she know his number?
Wang Jiesen says the power of deciding whether Cheng & Hui gets a hundred million yuan project investment has been left to him. If Qin Shi wants to “see how the report is written”, she should go away with him to Hangzhou where he will be doing the writing up.
Tao Junhui sees Qin Shi apparently flirting with Wang Jiesen and thinks she’s demeaning herself because Jiesen found out about Yang Hua. Junhui thinks Yang Hua is a conman because of his fake background, and wonders where the “child” came from. To shut him up, Qin Shi tells him the truth. He’s sarcastically amused at first, but not after she reminds him of how his family disrespected her. She wants to be rich and powerful so she can lead a desirable life with nobody judging her. She also calls him out on his hypocrisy on demanding her to be pure while using his wealthy girlfriend to bypass a process that normally takes years and years of hard work. He tells her not to sacrifice herself to Wang Jiesen. Does he seriously think she would?
…
Wu Fei tries desperately to bring up the subject of Hu Ping and funding with He Dongna, but is given the brush-off. She whines to her dad, who promises to help her. Dad Wu, just let her learn from her mistakes. Madam Tang asks how things are with He Dongna and Wu Fei lies. Madam Tang knows about the impending divorce and knows that He Dongna has no influence over Hu Ping. Is she testing Wu Fei for her ability or her honesty?
Dejected, Wu Fei goes to Tao Junhui, wanting affirmation that he loves her. He says it casually first and then more seriously. I think he does care about her, though maybe it’s not love. He said it sincerely enough though.
…
Over dinner that night, Qin Shi avoids Yang Hua’s questions about Wang Jiesen and instead tries to get him to admit to his past relationship with Yao Yao. Unfortunately, Yang Hua - acting on Cai Liang’s advice - lies that they were just classmates, not even friends. Cai Liang gives terrible advice. Qin Shi has an ex-fiancé, why would she mind an ex-girlfriend? But she would mind an outright lie. Qin Shi actually guesses that Cai Liang told Yang Hua not to tell her :O Is she a mind reader? Dad Yang calls Yang Hua just then and advises him to tell his wife, just not in an unplanned way. But it’s too late. Qin Shi is annoyed now and in no mood for conversation.
Cai Liang still thinks Yang Hua did the right thing, not telling Qin Shi. Oh for… He wants to know, if given the choice, which woman Yang Hua would choose. The answer, ambiguously, is “the ball is not in my court”.
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He Dongna receives a message from Wang Jiesen asking her to meet him ‘at the usual place’, and immediately cancels all her plans in order to meet him. Are they having an affair?
…
Tao Junhui tries to dissuade Qin Shi from going with Wang Jiesen to Hangzhou, but she gives him the slip. Wu Fei complains to Madam Tang about Qin Shi interfering with the investment deal, but Madam Tang ignores it and somewhat coldly asks Wu Fei to arrange a meeting with Hu Ping (as she’s been promising to do for a long time).
…
Someone sends Yang Hua an anonymous message that Qin Shi is meeting another man. The anonymous messenger is obliging enough to provide the address as well. Yang Hua and Cai Liang go blazing away to find her. Actually, Cai Liang seemed more angry on behalf of his friend.
[Ep33] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
Tao Junhui sees Qin Shi apparently flirting with Wang Jiesen and thinks she’s demeaning herself because Jiesen found out about Yang Hua. Junhui thinks Yang Hua is a conman because of his fake background, and wonders where the “child” came from. To shut him up, Qin Shi tells him the truth. He’s sarcastically amused at first, but not after she reminds him of how his family disrespected her. She wants to be rich and powerful so she can lead a desirable life with nobody judging her. She also calls him out on his hypocrisy on demanding her to be pure while using his wealthy girlfriend to bypass a process that normally takes years and years of hard work. He tells her not to sacrifice herself to Wang Jiesen. Does he seriously think she would?
Wu Fei tries desperately to bring up the subject of Hu Ping and funding with He Dongna, but is given the brush-off. She whines to her dad, who promises to help her. Dad Wu, just let her learn from her mistakes. Madam Tang asks how things are with He Dongna and Wu Fei lies. Madam Tang knows about the impending divorce and knows that He Dongna has no influence over Hu Ping. Is she testing Wu Fei for her ability or her honesty?
Dejected, Wu Fei goes to Tao Junhui, wanting affirmation that he loves her. He says it casually first and then more seriously. I think he does care about her, though maybe it’s not love. He said it sincerely enough though.
Over dinner that night, Qin Shi avoids Yang Hua’s questions about Wang Jiesen and instead tries to get him to admit to his past relationship with Yao Yao. Unfortunately, Yang Hua - acting on Cai Liang’s advice - lies that they were just classmates, not even friends. Cai Liang gives terrible advice. Qin Shi has an ex-fiancé, why would she mind an ex-girlfriend? But she would mind an outright lie. Qin Shi actually guesses that Cai Liang told Yang Hua not to tell her :O Is she a mind reader? Dad Yang calls Yang Hua just then and advises him to tell his wife, just not in an unplanned way. But it’s too late. Qin Shi is annoyed now and in no mood for conversation.
…
He Dongna receives a message from Wang Jiesen asking her to meet him ‘at the usual place’, and immediately cancels all her plans in order to meet him. Are they having an affair?
…
Tao Junhui tries to dissuade Qin Shi from going with Wang Jiesen to Hangzhou, but she gives him the slip. Wu Fei complains to Madam Tang about Qin Shi interfering with the investment deal, but Madam Tang ignores it and somewhat coldly asks Wu Fei to arrange a meeting with Hu Ping (as she’s been promising to do for a long time).
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| Wu Fei’s eye roll tho :D |
Someone sends Yang Hua an anonymous message that Qin Shi is meeting another man. The anonymous messenger is obliging enough to provide the address as well. Yang Hua and Cai Liang go blazing away to find her. Actually, Cai Liang seemed more angry on behalf of his friend.
He Dongna hysterically screams that she’s been aware of Wang Jiesen hitting on Qin Shi since day one. Jiesen realizes this must be a trap, but too late. Hu Ping walks in with his lawyer, recording the scene. He Dongna will have no choice but to sign the divorce papers with this amount of evidence against her.
Hu Ping’s lawyer thanks Qin Shi for her part in setting the trap, which confuses Dagang. Qin Shi teasingly asks Tao Junhui why he’s there. He asks whether she thinks before she acts, and whether she realized how dangerous this was. While what he said is true (because no matter how many people are on standby, the chances of things going wrong is still fairly high), he still sounded way too patronizing.
In flashbacks we learn that Qin Shi was summoned to Madam Tang’s office on the night of the post-trial celebration to meet Hu Ping’s lawyer. She was informed that Hu Ping wants custody of his child in the planned divorce, but He Dongna won’t let go. Apparently the child is autistic and He Dongna has been taking antidepressants since finding out, and doesn’t actually do anything for the care of the child. Hu Ping wants the case settled with minimal publicity, for the sake of the kid. The whole trap was his idea.
In present time, Qin Shi thanks Tao Junhui for being so concerned and asks whether he really thought she’d give herself away for a job. He gives her a sudden crushing hug, saying “think before you act”, to which she doesn’t know how to react. Dagang is watching, probably very entertained.
…
Wu Fei calls Tao Junhui, but he's clearly got only one woman on his mind now. He lies about where he is and what he’s doing, but she seems to have Qianqian on permanent retainer as a spy now, because she has photos of him with Qin Shi. She tearfully listens to him lying. When they hang up, she begins crying. She cries like a child would.
Dagang drives Qin Shi home and tells her Tao Junhui was so worried about her safety that he called Yang Hua. She thinks Yang Hua came to Hangzhou too, and is probably disappointed when Dagang tells her Yang Hua didn’t seem to care at all. Dagang also says that Tao Junhui will be hurt if things between him and Qin Shi remain in the current state (of him being in love with her and her not returning his feelings).
…
Qin Shi goes home to find Yang Hua with a small injury on his forehead. She’s concerned but he shrugs it off. As he walks away, she runs to him and asks whether he has anything he wants to ask her. It was so cute the way she did this.
She tells him what Dagang told her about him being unconcerned. He responds that he knows she won’t demean herself for a job because she has principles. She asks how he’s so sure; after all, she loves money. Yang Hua doesn’t think Jiesen would have risked any investment project for a woman. His real purpose was to attack Yang Hua via Qin Shi. I don’t know if that is actually true. Jiesen might have wanted to attack Yang Hua, but he seemed genuinely attracted to Qin Shi. Also, Yang Hua words things badly. He made it seem like she wouldn’t be worth risking something over.
She’s upset that he wasn’t worried, but why does she want him to doubt her? Surely the fact that he trusts her is a good thing? He calls her a warrior who doesn’t need a man to help her achieve things. That doesn’t make her happy at all. She pulls his arms around herself, making him hug her, and goes into a cute and childish complaint, ending with “I was so scared!”
She’s suffering from reaction right now. She just wants someone to hug her and comfort her and say what she wants to hear. So Yang Hua does just that: “I was worried sick”. That makes her happy. But then he says “I could only choose to believe you and I’m sure you’ll be fine”. This upsets her again and she marches off. I don’t understand her logic, but she was so cute. I’d have just hugged her and asked whether she was ok, and saved the motivational speech for the next day.
Yang Hua is perplexed by his wife’s behavior. His dad gives him some very sexist advice, that a woman shouldn’t be praised as a warrior, but only as a beautiful flower or something cute. Dad Yang, I liked you until just now. Dad helps his son realize that if Qin Shi was willing to show him her vulnerable side, it means she trusts him the most.
…
Qiao Siming gives Qin Shi a gift from Madam Tang and Mr Jin… a new car and a bank card with 100,000 yuan! Some gift! Qin Shi is suspicious and wants an explanation. Qiao Siming says it’s compensation for her and her husband. Qin Shi wonders what her husband has got to do with anything.
Apparently Yang Hua wasn’t as apathetic as he seemed the previous night. He met with an accident while speeding to where Qin Shi was, so he went to Cheng & Hui instead, to demand that they call Qin Shi back. He has evidence obtained from Mr Qiu’s daughter about Wang Jiesen’s involvement in Yongli 21. He hadn’t taken it to the police because Qin Shi was working with Jiesen (but why would she be impacted by something that happened years ago?). On a separate note, this is the first scene where Madam Tang looked like a caring human being. She seemed really concerned about Yang Hua.
…
Yang Hua is getting chewed out by Cai Liang (because it was Liang’s car that he crashed) when Qin Shi interrupts from a stunning car. She gives Cai Liang the bank card (with 100,000 yuan!) to compensate him for the repairs and his trouble, but isn’t interested in his thanks. She’s only interested in Yang Hua just then.
Our main CP is very happy now.
…
Mr Hu has reached the first financing agreement with Madam Tang and Mr Jin. Because of Qin Shi’s contribution, she’s now in a much stronger position within the firm. She’s been asked to handle a mergers and acquisitions case for Tianhang hotel. Qin Shi believes that on successful handling of the case, she can become a partner and finally carry out her plan. This seems to be going too smoothly now. Why am I nervous?
…
Qin Shi calls Tao Junhui, asking him to be her co-counsel on the Tianhang merger case. He tries to hide the caller ID from Wu Fei, but is not successful. Wu Fei confronts him about going to Hangzhou and about hiding things and lying to her. Even though he hasn’t anything going on with Qin Shi, it does feel like he’s two-timing. How can he sound so caring with his current fiancée when he was hugging his ex-fiancée the previous night? Wu Fei says she’s going to resign. She wants Junhui to leave with her; he doesn’t agree, so she storms off.
…
Qin Shi is annoyed when Tao Junhui says he won’t participate in the merger case. She actually kicks him! Tao Junhui has experience with mergers and acquisitions, and she wants his expertise. But also, Madam Tang is unsatisfied with Wu Fei’s performance in the He Dongna case and Qin Shi thinks Tao Junhui could be implicated as well. Since he helped her before, she wants to return the favor. She also wants to make the case her masterpiece, and wants him to help her in her plan to become partner and abolish the unfair rules against single female lawyers. He agrees to help. She’s thinking about this purely from a professional and ambitious angle, and also wants to help him out in return for his help before. There are no romantic feelings from her side. She also seems quite clueless about his feelings for her.
According to Qin Shi’s background research, Tianhang hotel started looking for strategic partners a month prior. Multiple entities are interested, but the hotel wants a specific investor. The reason Tianhang purposefully lost the He Dongna case was not just because they wanted to get rid of Yao Yao without paying her termination fee, but also because they wanted to lower their share value so their desired investor could buy the shares more easily. This all seems very underhanded. Isn’t there an ethics board anywhere?
…
Yao Yao has found out that it was her boss, Mr Yin, who colluded with He Dongna and abused his authority to force his employees to provide false testimonies. She wants a public apology. Even though Tianhang hotel has reinstated her, she resigns. She is later visited by Mr Yin and a subordinate, both trying to bring her back to Tianhang.
[Ep34] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
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| The infamous Hu Ping |
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| I don’t know why but I felt sorry for her. I think she needs counseling or professional help of some kind |
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| I have no pity to waste on him, though he could probably use professional help too |
Hu Ping’s lawyer thanks Qin Shi for her part in setting the trap, which confuses Dagang. Qin Shi teasingly asks Tao Junhui why he’s there. He asks whether she thinks before she acts, and whether she realized how dangerous this was. While what he said is true (because no matter how many people are on standby, the chances of things going wrong is still fairly high), he still sounded way too patronizing.
In present time, Qin Shi thanks Tao Junhui for being so concerned and asks whether he really thought she’d give herself away for a job. He gives her a sudden crushing hug, saying “think before you act”, to which she doesn’t know how to react. Dagang is watching, probably very entertained.
Wu Fei calls Tao Junhui, but he's clearly got only one woman on his mind now. He lies about where he is and what he’s doing, but she seems to have Qianqian on permanent retainer as a spy now, because she has photos of him with Qin Shi. She tearfully listens to him lying. When they hang up, she begins crying. She cries like a child would.
Dagang drives Qin Shi home and tells her Tao Junhui was so worried about her safety that he called Yang Hua. She thinks Yang Hua came to Hangzhou too, and is probably disappointed when Dagang tells her Yang Hua didn’t seem to care at all. Dagang also says that Tao Junhui will be hurt if things between him and Qin Shi remain in the current state (of him being in love with her and her not returning his feelings).
…
Qin Shi goes home to find Yang Hua with a small injury on his forehead. She’s concerned but he shrugs it off. As he walks away, she runs to him and asks whether he has anything he wants to ask her. It was so cute the way she did this.
She’s upset that he wasn’t worried, but why does she want him to doubt her? Surely the fact that he trusts her is a good thing? He calls her a warrior who doesn’t need a man to help her achieve things. That doesn’t make her happy at all. She pulls his arms around herself, making him hug her, and goes into a cute and childish complaint, ending with “I was so scared!”
…
Qiao Siming gives Qin Shi a gift from Madam Tang and Mr Jin… a new car and a bank card with 100,000 yuan! Some gift! Qin Shi is suspicious and wants an explanation. Qiao Siming says it’s compensation for her and her husband. Qin Shi wonders what her husband has got to do with anything.
Yang Hua is getting chewed out by Cai Liang (because it was Liang’s car that he crashed) when Qin Shi interrupts from a stunning car. She gives Cai Liang the bank card (with 100,000 yuan!) to compensate him for the repairs and his trouble, but isn’t interested in his thanks. She’s only interested in Yang Hua just then.
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| His expression xD |
Yang Hua: I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.
Qin Shi: It’s alright. You were right. I’m a woman who’s never failed… because I have you. With you, I can succeed in everything. Awww
Our main CP is very happy now.
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| Cai Liang third-wheeling so hard xD |
Mr Hu has reached the first financing agreement with Madam Tang and Mr Jin. Because of Qin Shi’s contribution, she’s now in a much stronger position within the firm. She’s been asked to handle a mergers and acquisitions case for Tianhang hotel. Qin Shi believes that on successful handling of the case, she can become a partner and finally carry out her plan. This seems to be going too smoothly now. Why am I nervous?
…
Qin Shi calls Tao Junhui, asking him to be her co-counsel on the Tianhang merger case. He tries to hide the caller ID from Wu Fei, but is not successful. Wu Fei confronts him about going to Hangzhou and about hiding things and lying to her. Even though he hasn’t anything going on with Qin Shi, it does feel like he’s two-timing. How can he sound so caring with his current fiancée when he was hugging his ex-fiancée the previous night? Wu Fei says she’s going to resign. She wants Junhui to leave with her; he doesn’t agree, so she storms off.
Qin Shi is annoyed when Tao Junhui says he won’t participate in the merger case. She actually kicks him! Tao Junhui has experience with mergers and acquisitions, and she wants his expertise. But also, Madam Tang is unsatisfied with Wu Fei’s performance in the He Dongna case and Qin Shi thinks Tao Junhui could be implicated as well. Since he helped her before, she wants to return the favor. She also wants to make the case her masterpiece, and wants him to help her in her plan to become partner and abolish the unfair rules against single female lawyers. He agrees to help. She’s thinking about this purely from a professional and ambitious angle, and also wants to help him out in return for his help before. There are no romantic feelings from her side. She also seems quite clueless about his feelings for her.
According to Qin Shi’s background research, Tianhang hotel started looking for strategic partners a month prior. Multiple entities are interested, but the hotel wants a specific investor. The reason Tianhang purposefully lost the He Dongna case was not just because they wanted to get rid of Yao Yao without paying her termination fee, but also because they wanted to lower their share value so their desired investor could buy the shares more easily. This all seems very underhanded. Isn’t there an ethics board anywhere?
…
Yao Yao has found out that it was her boss, Mr Yin, who colluded with He Dongna and abused his authority to force his employees to provide false testimonies. She wants a public apology. Even though Tianhang hotel has reinstated her, she resigns. She is later visited by Mr Yin and a subordinate, both trying to bring her back to Tianhang.
Despite Mr Yin’s blatantly insincere attempts, Yao Yao remains firm in not returning to Tianhang. If she is to return, he must take the blame for the He Dongna incident and resign. Girl’s got guts.
Apparently, sending Mr Yin to try and win Yao Yao over was Tao Junhui's (or Qin Shi’s) idea. Since it failed, Qin Shi decides she will meet Yao Yao in person instead. Yang Hua is taken aback when he hears of this. Qin Shi gently interrogates him until he admits to his past relationship. She asks whether he’d want Yao Yao back if given the chance. He tells her it’s pointless to talk about it as it can’t happen anyway. She isn’t happy with his answer. Her question was petty, and his answer was foolish. Nobody wants to hear about parallel universes and impossibilities when they ask a question like that. “No, I would not want to reconcile with my ex” is the only answer you give your wife. Unless you actually do want to reconcile with your ex. Both he and Tao Junhui answer these sorts of questions very badly.
…
There’s yet another entity interested in the Tianhang Group. Qin Shi learns that it’s because several of Tianhang’s hotels lie in the area of the proposed New Energy Smart City. While it’s speculation at the moment, Tinahang can look forward to its share value rising a lot once the announcement is made.
Qin Shi and Tao Junhui meet with Yao Yao, who refuses point blank to return to Tianhang. Qin Shi knows - partly through Yang Hua - that Yao Yao has a heroic personality and stands up for those who are weaker. So she brings up a list of hotel staff who have been fired in recent times and observes that it was Yao Yao who spoke up for them. But Yao Yao feels bitter that, even though she spoke up for staff, they didn’t help her in her time of need. Still, Qin Shi says if Yao Yao helps out for a month, she will promise to see to it that the hotel fairly compensates staff who were fired and also improves working conditions for female staff. Yao Yao seems hopeful.
Later, Qin Shi admits to Tao Junhui that she admires Yao Yao. He brings up similarities between the two and says a woman shouldn’t be as tough as Qin Shi. Huh?? Qin Shi retorts that everyone behaves according to how life has treated them, regardless of gender.
There’s a gathering of the debate team that evening and Tao Junhui wants Qin Shi to attend. She makes excuses not to go, but finally says she has a previous engagement and will drop by if it finishes early.
The previous engagement is dinner with Madam Tang, Mr Jin and other partners. Qin Shi is announced as the youngest partner of Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang seems genuinely excited when she announces this. For once, Qin Shi is at a loss for words. After thanking everyone, she quietly and sincerely thanks Yang Hua. Madam Tang looks on, admiring their relationship?
…
Meanwhile, at the debate team gathering, Tao Junhui keeps looking around for Qin Shi, but there’s no sign of her. He then messages Wu Fei - maybe in hope of pacifying her - and invites her to the gathering… and immediately sends another message saying not to force herself. What is he thinking? Why invite her when there’s a chance Qin Shi might come as well? He’s distracted throughout and one of his friends calls him out on it, asking if he misses Qin Shi. Someone else says Qin Shi has arrived, and Junhui happily goes to greet her, only to find Wu Fei. He still has the gall to try and placate her, but foolishly says Wu Fei needn’t worry because Qin Shi is married. Wu Fei tells him Qin Shi’s marriage is a sham and is disgusted when she learns that he already knew. She leaves, threatening to reveal all to Madam Tang.
…
Back at Madam Tang’s, Qin Shi privately tells Yang Hua of her intention to confess to Mr Jin straightaway. He encourages her to go ahead, because they’re in a good mood. Just then, Tao Junhui calls her and gives her the opposite advice. Madam Tang arrives and whisks Yang Hua away, leaving Qin Shi with Mr Jin.
Qin Shi, maybe acting on Tao Junhui’s advice, doesn’t say anything, though Mr Jin asks her some leading questions about her “child”. Meanwhile, Madam Tang tells Yang Hua about a hypothetical friend who betrayed her trust. Yang Hua uneasily asks whether what the friend did was illegal. Madam Tang says not yet, but if the friend signs an agreement then it will be. At the same time, Mr Jin gives Qin Shi a partnership agreement with benefits solely for her, to aid her as a “working mother”.
Wu Fei must have told Madam Tang about Qin Shi’s deception, because Madam Tang seemed truly happy at Qin Shi’s partnership until after the dinner. In any case, if Madam Tang had known before, she wouldn’t have wasted the time of other senior partners by going through the rigmarole of announcing a fake partnership.
Apparently, sending Mr Yin to try and win Yao Yao over was Tao Junhui's (or Qin Shi’s) idea. Since it failed, Qin Shi decides she will meet Yao Yao in person instead. Yang Hua is taken aback when he hears of this. Qin Shi gently interrogates him until he admits to his past relationship. She asks whether he’d want Yao Yao back if given the chance. He tells her it’s pointless to talk about it as it can’t happen anyway. She isn’t happy with his answer. Her question was petty, and his answer was foolish. Nobody wants to hear about parallel universes and impossibilities when they ask a question like that. “No, I would not want to reconcile with my ex” is the only answer you give your wife. Unless you actually do want to reconcile with your ex. Both he and Tao Junhui answer these sorts of questions very badly.
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| “I’m not angry. Do I look like I’m angry?” |
There’s yet another entity interested in the Tianhang Group. Qin Shi learns that it’s because several of Tianhang’s hotels lie in the area of the proposed New Energy Smart City. While it’s speculation at the moment, Tinahang can look forward to its share value rising a lot once the announcement is made.
Qin Shi and Tao Junhui meet with Yao Yao, who refuses point blank to return to Tianhang. Qin Shi knows - partly through Yang Hua - that Yao Yao has a heroic personality and stands up for those who are weaker. So she brings up a list of hotel staff who have been fired in recent times and observes that it was Yao Yao who spoke up for them. But Yao Yao feels bitter that, even though she spoke up for staff, they didn’t help her in her time of need. Still, Qin Shi says if Yao Yao helps out for a month, she will promise to see to it that the hotel fairly compensates staff who were fired and also improves working conditions for female staff. Yao Yao seems hopeful.
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| Yang Hua seems to have a type: Determined, hard-working, intelligent and obstinate :D |
There’s a gathering of the debate team that evening and Tao Junhui wants Qin Shi to attend. She makes excuses not to go, but finally says she has a previous engagement and will drop by if it finishes early.
The previous engagement is dinner with Madam Tang, Mr Jin and other partners. Qin Shi is announced as the youngest partner of Cheng & Hui. Madam Tang seems genuinely excited when she announces this. For once, Qin Shi is at a loss for words. After thanking everyone, she quietly and sincerely thanks Yang Hua. Madam Tang looks on, admiring their relationship?
Meanwhile, at the debate team gathering, Tao Junhui keeps looking around for Qin Shi, but there’s no sign of her. He then messages Wu Fei - maybe in hope of pacifying her - and invites her to the gathering… and immediately sends another message saying not to force herself. What is he thinking? Why invite her when there’s a chance Qin Shi might come as well? He’s distracted throughout and one of his friends calls him out on it, asking if he misses Qin Shi. Someone else says Qin Shi has arrived, and Junhui happily goes to greet her, only to find Wu Fei. He still has the gall to try and placate her, but foolishly says Wu Fei needn’t worry because Qin Shi is married. Wu Fei tells him Qin Shi’s marriage is a sham and is disgusted when she learns that he already knew. She leaves, threatening to reveal all to Madam Tang.
…
Back at Madam Tang’s, Qin Shi privately tells Yang Hua of her intention to confess to Mr Jin straightaway. He encourages her to go ahead, because they’re in a good mood. Just then, Tao Junhui calls her and gives her the opposite advice. Madam Tang arrives and whisks Yang Hua away, leaving Qin Shi with Mr Jin.
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| Madam Tang’s smile here seems less sincere than before. Signs of trouble? |
Wu Fei must have told Madam Tang about Qin Shi’s deception, because Madam Tang seemed truly happy at Qin Shi’s partnership until after the dinner. In any case, if Madam Tang had known before, she wouldn’t have wasted the time of other senior partners by going through the rigmarole of announcing a fake partnership.
Yang Hua asks Madam Tang to speak frankly with her “friend”. Madam Tang thinks a friend wouldn’t have lied to her. Well, Madam Tang, she wasn’t a friend at the beginning. She was an employee placed in an impossible situation that you created. But Madam Tang does seem to feel truly betrayed.
Yang Hua rushes over to Mr Jin’s office and yanks Qin Shi away, telling her not to sign as it will make her a fraudster. He tells her “they already know”, to which Qin Shi unhappily responds “I know”. She hasn’t signed anything. She’s a smart lawyer. Why would they think she’d be fooled? Madam Tang walks up and glares as Mr Jin shakes his head.
Qin Shi quietly tells her bosses how she feels about Cheng & Hui’s unfair practices and apologizes for her deception. Madam Tang is angry that Qin Shi is criticizing them.
Back home, Qin Shi tiredly wonders what will happen to her. Maybe she’ll be fired. But she thinks Madam Tang won’t let her off so easily. She drinks a little too much and is upset that she’s a hypocrite because she did something wrong under the guise of doing good for others.
Yang Hua comforts her by admitting that he too was weak and greedy when he was younger. At the peak of his career, when he was dating Yao Yao, Mr Qiu wanted him to marry his daughter instead. Mom Yang was also against Yao Yao because she was an air stewardess, and Mom thought her son was destined for greater things and people. Then Yongli 21 happened and he lost everything.
Yang Hua thinks Qin Shi is better than him, as she did finally come clean and because she always felt guilty for her lie. He thinks she’s a good lawyer and if Cheng & Hui fail to see that, she can look elsewhere. It’s only after he finishes his comforting speech that he realizes what we all saw ages ago: she’s fallen fast asleep :D
Madam Tang, at the same time, angrily rants to Mr Jin about Qin Shi. She thinks she treats her employees so kindly and that she thought of Qin Shi as a sister. So… she agreed to humiliate her sister on the request of a rich brat? Mr Jin, in his usual calm way, points out that their hiring system was discriminatory. Madam Tang argues that she has to invest a lot in a senior lawyer and the investment doesn't pay off if the lawyer leaves to marry and have a child. While I can see her point (even if I don’t like it), why should divorce matter?
Mr Jin reminds his wife that Qin Shi did a spectacular job, but Madam Tang thinks it’s because she gave Qin Shi the stage. Actually, Qin Shi grabbed opportunities even when they weren’t given to her. A lot of her success was through sheer determination (and some good luck). Mr Jin says Qin Shi should be allowed to resign, rather than Madam Tang holding a grudge and being angry.
…
Tao Junhui is at Wu Fei’s place, trying to talk to her. He has some nerve! Mom Wu worriedly tells him Wu Fei doesn’t want to talk.
Yang Hua rushes over to Mr Jin’s office and yanks Qin Shi away, telling her not to sign as it will make her a fraudster. He tells her “they already know”, to which Qin Shi unhappily responds “I know”. She hasn’t signed anything. She’s a smart lawyer. Why would they think she’d be fooled? Madam Tang walks up and glares as Mr Jin shakes his head.
Back home, Qin Shi tiredly wonders what will happen to her. Maybe she’ll be fired. But she thinks Madam Tang won’t let her off so easily. She drinks a little too much and is upset that she’s a hypocrite because she did something wrong under the guise of doing good for others.
Yang Hua comforts her by admitting that he too was weak and greedy when he was younger. At the peak of his career, when he was dating Yao Yao, Mr Qiu wanted him to marry his daughter instead. Mom Yang was also against Yao Yao because she was an air stewardess, and Mom thought her son was destined for greater things and people. Then Yongli 21 happened and he lost everything.
Yang Hua thinks Qin Shi is better than him, as she did finally come clean and because she always felt guilty for her lie. He thinks she’s a good lawyer and if Cheng & Hui fail to see that, she can look elsewhere. It’s only after he finishes his comforting speech that he realizes what we all saw ages ago: she’s fallen fast asleep :D
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| Yang Hua’s function: Qin Shi’s pillow :D |
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| Awww |
Mr Jin reminds his wife that Qin Shi did a spectacular job, but Madam Tang thinks it’s because she gave Qin Shi the stage. Actually, Qin Shi grabbed opportunities even when they weren’t given to her. A lot of her success was through sheer determination (and some good luck). Mr Jin says Qin Shi should be allowed to resign, rather than Madam Tang holding a grudge and being angry.
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| Cheng & Hui can never improve as long as petty Madam Tang and spineless Mr Jin are at the helm. |
…
Tao Junhui is at Wu Fei’s place, trying to talk to her. He has some nerve! Mom Wu worriedly tells him Wu Fei doesn’t want to talk.
Mom Wu: The two of you are always like this. One’s a crybaby, the other’s a robot. Hahaha xDxD I really do like Wu Fei’s parents. What a pity they raised such a spoiled child.
Dad Wu takes Tao Junhui aside and asks whether there’s another woman in the picture, before reminding him that he can only get so far in his career without connections. He thinks a good relationship can make a woman happy forever, but a man needs a career to be happy. He wants Tao Junhui to weigh pros and cons, and to remember that Wu Fei is the only woman who has his interests at heart. I retract my praise and reserve it for just Mom Wu. What outmoded ideas Dad has. And why does he want his daughter to be married to someone who isn’t faithful to her?
Later, we’re randomly shown a clip of Tao Junhui working out at home. Was there a reason for this?
…
Next morning, Qin Shi gets up to find a comforting note from Yang Hua. She motivates herself to go to work, though she really really doesn’t want to. She’s actually going to the law firm already? I’d have gone into hiding for a bit.
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| Yeah, this is how I’d be for a few days |
The punishment is a demotion… to legal assistant in the family department! That’s insane! I’d tell Madam Tang just what to do with that demotion. I’m not condoning Qin Shi’s actions (though I still think she had no choice), but Madam Tang should remember that in addition to handling all her cases well, Qin Shi also saved the firm millions that it would have lost due to Madam Tang’s poor judgement. That alone should be enough for leniency. Demoting to a senior attorney would have been ok. But to legal assistant? If I was Qin Shi, I’d have just quit. But I’d have quit right at the beginning of the drama and then there’d be no drama :D
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| Awkward all round… |
Yao Yao is furious with Qin Shi because the promises the Cheng & Hui lawyers made have come to nothing. Tianhang has made a deal with two strategic partners and no longer needs Yao Yao’s help. Mr Yin, nursing past grievances, has demoted her. Qin Shi takes Yao Yao’s side, but Tao Junhui doesn’t care. What he does care about is why Qin Shi admitted the truth. She believes Madam Tang just needs to vent for a bit and that the situation is not that serious. Junhui tells her not all good people have good endings and not to be too kind or naive.
Qin Shi has pretty much nothing to do at work because the actual legal assistants aren’t going to give petty matters to someone who used to be their boss. She takes matters into her own hands, giving unsolicited (but useful) advice and offering help where needed.
Wu Fei is irritated when she sees Qin Shi get round the legal assistants. She accuses Qin Shi of being shameless. She should know there’s no use in starting a war of words with her former boss because the former boss is skilled at calm arguments and will always win.
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| Wu Fei, why even bother? |
During the conversation, Wu Fei as usual loses her cool and begins shouting, and the other legal assistants listen in. They’re all on Qin Shi’s side, with the possible exception of Qianqian (Wu Fei’s spy, who I believe has been promoted - ugh).
…
Yang Hua wants to buy a house, and has to endure Cai Liang’s teasing because he (Yang Hua) once said that Cai Liang was trading his future and happiness for a cold concrete box, but now is seeking the same cold concrete box himself.
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| “Welcome to the world of real estate slavery” :D |
…
Hu Ping seems to know Yang Hua! Apparently, after Qin Shi told Yang Hua that Cheng & Hui wanted Hu Ping’s investment (in Ep30), he reached out directly to Hu Ping through Old Zhou’s connections.
In a flashback, we see that Yang Hua had sent a report to Hu Ping about the New Energy Smart City project, and had suggested he reconsider his investment in Cheng & Hui. Do Cheng & Hui have anything to do with the Smart City project? Have I already forgotten? Even though Yang Hua’s report didn’t fully agree with what a professional organization has said, Hu Ping was impressed and made his decision based on Yang Hua’s observations.
…
Yao Yao’s attorney is Li Dai. This time it’s not really a coincidence. There aren’t many lawyers willing to take Yao Yao’s case, and Li Dai sort of forces her way in. And it seems like Li Dai is working with Qin Shi, or even on Qin Shi’s instructions. Li Dai isn’t confident of winning unless Tianhang goes easy on them.
Li Dai also breaks the news to Qin Shi that Yao Yao has a son and advises her not to get so close to Yao Yao. Li Dai thinks Qin Shi is projecting her love for Yang Hua onto Yao Yao xD. I never would have thought of it like that xD. Li Dai wonders what Qin Shi will do if Yang Hua gets back together with Yao Yao. Even if Qin Shi doesn’t mind, has she forgotten that Li Dai is next in line? xDxDxD
…
Some lawyers from Cheng & Hui, including Tao Junhui and Haitao, are entertaining Mr Yin and others from Tianhang. Tao Junhui and Mr Yin get very drunk. Haitao and Tao Junhui see Mr Yin trying to force himself on one of Tianhang’s female employees. Haitao moves to stop him, but is prevented by Tao Junhui. HUH?
…
Qin Shi finds a very drunk Tao Junhui lying by the elevator. She manages to get him to stumble down to the parking lot, but he doesn’t remember where he parked his car.
She wants to send him back to the office but he claims his car is just upstairs. She drives him there, but they don’t find his car. So she tries to drive him to his house instead. Except she doesn’t know his address. He isn’t coherent and Wu Fei isn’t answering. I can't imagine that she would! When Qin Shi irritatedly asks “Where do you live? Where’s your home?”, Tao Junhui tells her her address.
Qin Shi pulls over by the roadside and calls Yang Hua for help. Tao Junhui grabs her hand and takes the phone from her. Still holding her hand (in what looks like a painful grip) he tells her he regrets letting her go. She tries to get free, and reminds him that he’s engaged. I really admired how she handled herself here.
She manages to get free and tries to get her phone back. He wants her to give him another chance. He wants them to get married. Without answering, she just tries to get her phone back, but he grabs hold of her and hugs her. She tries desperately to get free just as Yang Hua (maybe hearing her “let me go”) arrives on scene - unseen by the other two. He, instead of going to her aid, just stands and stares. WTH Yang Hua. Your beloved wife is being manhandled and you just let it be?
Qin Shi shoves Junhui off but he still has a firm grip on her arm and confesses that he hasn’t gotten over her. I think she was the only one who was actually unaware of this. She’s trying to break free and gives Junhui an almost pleading look, and Yang Hua still stands by and watches. Tao Junhui asks her again to marry him and crushes her to him. She shouts “you’re hurting me” and STILL Yang Hua does nothing but watch unhappily.
Luckily, Qin Shi doesn’t actually have to depend on her useless husband for protection. She gets free and berates Tao Junhui for his drunken behavior, but he still carries on confessing. She reminds him that she's married; he reminds her it was a ruse. She says nothing, but her face says it’s not a ruse now. Tao Junhui wants her to marry him after divorcing Yang Hua. She says a Qin may be widowed but never divorced (quoting her dad from Ep15). She won't divorce and she won’t remarry.
Tao Junhui doesn’t get it. She didn’t want to get married, but married Yang Hua. Her marriage was a sham, so why won’t she divorce? Did she fall in love with Yang Hua? Yang Hua is anxious to know as well, but Qin Shi doesn't answer Tao Junhui. She just reminds him that he’s drunk and her personal life isn’t his business. When he grabs her arm for the third time, Yang Hua finally arrives on the scene, much to her relief.
They leave Tao Junhui by the roadside and drive home. On the way, Qin Shi begins to explain, but Yang Hua cuts her off and says they can talk at home. She looks discomfited. She was in a stressful situation just a little while ago. Why is he giving her so much attitude? Even though she handled herself well, she must have been afraid internally, especially as Tao Junhui didn’t show any signs of letting up.
At home, she explains again, but Yang Hua seemingly irrelevantly asks “why don’t you want to get married?” “Because I’m married to you”. He reminds her that their marriage is fake and she can leave. She hurriedly says “being married to you is great. I won’t marry anyone else”. He asks her whether she loves him. She’s speechless for a while and then softly and uncertainly asks “I thought we were already in a relationship?”. Isn’t that an indirect answer to his question?
He asks whether she would choose Tao Junhui if it weren’t for the fact that they were married. She nervously jokes that this must be his payback for her asking him whether he would choose Yao Yao. She gives him his own answer back. She begins babbling that he’s her husband, she’s his wife, if she chose Tao Junhui it would be an affair. She won’t leave him.
He goes to his room to get “something for her”. She grips the kitchen counter in anxiety. We see him smiling at a deposit agreement for property purchase. But that’s not what he gives her. He gives her their prenup and calmly tells her she’s violated their agreement. When they signed, they agreed to allow each other the freedom to live, love and work. But the agreement wasn’t to be an excuse or a shield for cowardice. He therefore terminates the agreement. He wants a divorce. He’s so casual when he says this that I wanted to punch him. She’s clearly upset. Why would he do this?
She’s stunned into silence for a little and then goes over and hugs him. In a choked voice she asks him to stop throwing a tantrum and reassures him that she has no feelings for Tao Junhui. He tears up, but tells her they can sign the paperwork the next day.
She’s both upset and angry now, and anger takes first place when she asks what exactly he wants. She’s made her stance clear about Tao Junhui. He claims it has nothing to do with Tao Junhui. She asks him about his previous flowery words promising companionship and support. He says he meant every word, but he wants her to figure out what the marriage means to her. Is it just a barrier to shield her from reality? “I want to be your fortress, not your excuse. I don’t want you to live a lie”. Tears run down her cheeks, but she says nothing. He walks away after reiterating that they’ll sign the paperwork the next day.
I was so irritated with him in this scene. In the first place, she’s an adult. She doesn’t need him patronizing her about hiding from reality. In what way did she hide? She was happy with him. We could all see that.
She’s not a person who uses flowery words or who says “I love you” easily. There are lots of people like that in the world. It doesn’t mean they love any less; they just don’t say it. Anyway, she’s said several times that she likes and admires him.
She stood by him when he was down, and risked her safety and reputation to get revenge on behalf of him with Wang Jiesen.
She said they would always have each other’s backs because that’s what people in a relationship do.
She said she’s never failed because she has him.
And he came to the realization only a few days ago (with his father’s help) that he was the person she trusted the most.
Also, maybe an inappropriate question, but does he really think she’d sleep with someone she had no feelings for?
And she’s crying now that he’s suggested breaking up. What more does he want???
He once said his principle was to make the person he cares about happy. Well, now she’s unhappy because of him. He also once said he wouldn’t ask her to change for him, but isn’t that kind of what he’s doing now? Do his promises come with conditions? He’ll be her companion but only if she explicitly says she loves him? Do people care so much about hearing “I love you”? Don’t actions count for more?
And what a time to do this! She suffered a humiliating demotion just that day, had a long day at work, had been assaulted by her drunken ex, and now the person who should be her ally and comfort thinks he knows best about everything and wants to do something she fears the most: get a divorce.
Side note: As much as I absolutely hated this scene, both actors killed it. Their acting was so realistic. Her choked-with-tears voice was so good.
…
And just like that they’re divorced. Qin Shi scolds herself for not asking for his forgiveness or telling him she loves him. Why should she ask for forgiveness? What did she do wrong?
Qin Shi tells Meimei everything. She liked being married to Yang Hua and thought it would be nice to be that way forever, but she doesn’t believe she is capable of a long commitment, which might be what Yang Hua wanted. Meimei is perplexed. Does Qin Shi love Yang Hua? She loves him a lot. Meimei thinks Qin Wenyu and Qin Shi are cut from the same cloth, because they do silly things while seeming smart. Please don’t insult Qin Shi like that!!! And when did Qin Wenyu ever seem smart?
Meimei wants to know why Qin Shi agreed to divorce. Qi Shi thinks that a relationship shouldn’t be based on a lie, which is what their marriage originally was. Meimei notes her troubled look and wonders whether there’s more to it.
I felt like this scene was unnecessary. It was just explaining to the audience that yes, Qin Shi does in fact love Yang Hua, which most of us already knew. Only Yang Hua apparently didn’t know.
…
Yao Yao’s attorney is Li Dai. This time it’s not really a coincidence. There aren’t many lawyers willing to take Yao Yao’s case, and Li Dai sort of forces her way in. And it seems like Li Dai is working with Qin Shi, or even on Qin Shi’s instructions. Li Dai isn’t confident of winning unless Tianhang goes easy on them.
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| These two “rivals” talk with each other more than friends do :D |
…
Some lawyers from Cheng & Hui, including Tao Junhui and Haitao, are entertaining Mr Yin and others from Tianhang. Tao Junhui and Mr Yin get very drunk. Haitao and Tao Junhui see Mr Yin trying to force himself on one of Tianhang’s female employees. Haitao moves to stop him, but is prevented by Tao Junhui. HUH?
…
Qin Shi finds a very drunk Tao Junhui lying by the elevator. She manages to get him to stumble down to the parking lot, but he doesn’t remember where he parked his car.
Qin Shi pulls over by the roadside and calls Yang Hua for help. Tao Junhui grabs her hand and takes the phone from her. Still holding her hand (in what looks like a painful grip) he tells her he regrets letting her go. She tries to get free, and reminds him that he’s engaged. I really admired how she handled herself here.
She manages to get free and tries to get her phone back. He wants her to give him another chance. He wants them to get married. Without answering, she just tries to get her phone back, but he grabs hold of her and hugs her. She tries desperately to get free just as Yang Hua (maybe hearing her “let me go”) arrives on scene - unseen by the other two. He, instead of going to her aid, just stands and stares. WTH Yang Hua. Your beloved wife is being manhandled and you just let it be?
Tao Junhui doesn’t get it. She didn’t want to get married, but married Yang Hua. Her marriage was a sham, so why won’t she divorce? Did she fall in love with Yang Hua? Yang Hua is anxious to know as well, but Qin Shi doesn't answer Tao Junhui. She just reminds him that he’s drunk and her personal life isn’t his business. When he grabs her arm for the third time, Yang Hua finally arrives on the scene, much to her relief.
They leave Tao Junhui by the roadside and drive home. On the way, Qin Shi begins to explain, but Yang Hua cuts her off and says they can talk at home. She looks discomfited. She was in a stressful situation just a little while ago. Why is he giving her so much attitude? Even though she handled herself well, she must have been afraid internally, especially as Tao Junhui didn’t show any signs of letting up.
He asks whether she would choose Tao Junhui if it weren’t for the fact that they were married. She nervously jokes that this must be his payback for her asking him whether he would choose Yao Yao. She gives him his own answer back. She begins babbling that he’s her husband, she’s his wife, if she chose Tao Junhui it would be an affair. She won’t leave him.
She’s stunned into silence for a little and then goes over and hugs him. In a choked voice she asks him to stop throwing a tantrum and reassures him that she has no feelings for Tao Junhui. He tears up, but tells her they can sign the paperwork the next day.
She’s not a person who uses flowery words or who says “I love you” easily. There are lots of people like that in the world. It doesn’t mean they love any less; they just don’t say it. Anyway, she’s said several times that she likes and admires him.
She stood by him when he was down, and risked her safety and reputation to get revenge on behalf of him with Wang Jiesen.
She said they would always have each other’s backs because that’s what people in a relationship do.
She said she’s never failed because she has him.
And he came to the realization only a few days ago (with his father’s help) that he was the person she trusted the most.
Also, maybe an inappropriate question, but does he really think she’d sleep with someone she had no feelings for?
And she’s crying now that he’s suggested breaking up. What more does he want???
He once said his principle was to make the person he cares about happy. Well, now she’s unhappy because of him. He also once said he wouldn’t ask her to change for him, but isn’t that kind of what he’s doing now? Do his promises come with conditions? He’ll be her companion but only if she explicitly says she loves him? Do people care so much about hearing “I love you”? Don’t actions count for more?
And what a time to do this! She suffered a humiliating demotion just that day, had a long day at work, had been assaulted by her drunken ex, and now the person who should be her ally and comfort thinks he knows best about everything and wants to do something she fears the most: get a divorce.
Side note: As much as I absolutely hated this scene, both actors killed it. Their acting was so realistic. Her choked-with-tears voice was so good.
…
And just like that they’re divorced. Qin Shi scolds herself for not asking for his forgiveness or telling him she loves him. Why should she ask for forgiveness? What did she do wrong?
Qin Shi tells Meimei everything. She liked being married to Yang Hua and thought it would be nice to be that way forever, but she doesn’t believe she is capable of a long commitment, which might be what Yang Hua wanted. Meimei is perplexed. Does Qin Shi love Yang Hua? She loves him a lot. Meimei thinks Qin Wenyu and Qin Shi are cut from the same cloth, because they do silly things while seeming smart. Please don’t insult Qin Shi like that!!! And when did Qin Wenyu ever seem smart?
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| Does it matter that Spa Lady is privy to the entire conversation? |
I felt like this scene was unnecessary. It was just explaining to the audience that yes, Qin Shi does in fact love Yang Hua, which most of us already knew. Only Yang Hua apparently didn’t know.
Yang Hua has left Qin Shi books like “Cooking for one”, “From a small house to a big one” and “Rebuilding when your relationship ends”. Ugh, still patronizing, I see. I would punch anyone who did this. He’s also left her a card with some numbers on it, which don’t mean anything to her.
…
Tao Junhui is confident that the Tianhang merger will take place soon. Apparently another labor dispute has arisen in relation to Tianhang, but he wants Haitao to handle it. Mr Yin (and therefore Madam Tang) seems to want Junhui himself to handle the labor case as well, but Mr Jin allows Tao Junhui his own way.
Madam Tang wants Qin Shi to take up the labor dispute case, but Qin Shi demurs that legal assistants aren’t allowed. Madam Tang points out that she’s the most capable and experienced. Qin Shi finally talks back to Madam Tang a little and Madam Tang angrily admits that their policy is flawed (but doesn’t agree to change anything). Qin Shi is unhappy that Cheng & Hui are taking the case at all, but Madam Tang says if she doesn’t, then she doesn’t deserve to work at Cheng & Hui or any other high-end law firm. Qin Shi says she’ll handle it but somewhat fierily asks “if she wins it…”? She will be back on the 11th floor.
The labor dispute is Tianhang vs Yao Yao, with Li Dai on Yao Yao’s side. Tianhang wants Yao Yao to either pay 2 million yuan or agree not to work in the hospitality industry for 10 years. Mr Yin seems to really be going out of his way to be unpleasant. Li Dai is annoyed that Qin Shi doesn’t show any compassion towards Yao Yao (and apparently is going against some standard for justice imposed by the legal system).
Li Dai tries to persuade Yang Hua to change his wife’s mind and in the process lets slip in the most artificial way that Qin Shi’s feelings towards him were real. She also makes a horribly sexist statement about women, hormones and judgment that I don’t feel like repeating. Yang Hua wants clarification. Did Qin Shi tell Li Dai her feelings were real? Li Dai says Qin Shi would never admit it, but does that even matter when she was so happy with him? Apparently this is enough to put a smile on Yang Hua’s face.
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| What is he smiling for? He can’t see that his wife is happy with him? Instead, he needs a random person to tell him? |
Yang Hua reads some law books and is able to advise Li Dai that the case is a personal grudge disguised as a labor dispute. If it’s so easy for a layperson to grasp law concepts in a few weeks, why do lawyers go through years of training? It made sense when he advised Qin Shi on business and finance, because those were his areas of expertise, but now he’s advising a senior lawyer on law? This deification of MLs and their abilities really needs to stop. Also, Li Dai allows Yang Hua to secretly listen in on her conversation with Yao Yao. Isn’t there some sort of client confidentiality agreement between lawyers and clients? Yang Hua isn’t even qualified, yet he’s privy to sensitive conversations.
Qin Shi has independently come to the same conclusion as Yang Hua. She wants to know why there’s such a rift between Yao Yao and Mr Yin when it was Mr Yin who gave Yao Yao her first chance in the hotel industry. Yao Yao tells them Mr Yin behaved inappropriately with female staff and she didn’t allow it, so he resents her; but he can’t fire her because of her contract, so he made things unpleasant so she’d want to quit instead.
Madam Tang is furious that Qin Shi went “snooping around” Tianhang to ask employees about Yao Yao. Qin Shi doesn’t want Cheng & Hui to help a sly man destroy a talented worker. Madam Tang totally loses her cool.
Tao Junhui thinks Qin Shi should quit. She won’t quit until she achieves her goal. He wants to relieve her of the labor dispute case, but she won’t allow that either. In case anyone had any doubts about his feelings for Qin Shi, the way he looked at her when she didn’t know he was looking said it all. Too bad he’s prone to violence, has sexist ideas and questionable ethics, and can’t stand up for himself with his mom. Otherwise, with how Yang Hua behaved recently, I’d have started rooting for Tao Junhui.
Through some coincidences, Yang Hua meets Yao Yao’s son, Sunny. Li Dai is struck by how similar Sunny is to Yang Hua. This seems to be when Yao Yao also finds out that Yang Hua is married to Qin Shi.
Yang Hua thinks any legal attempt by Yao Yao will be met with failure. Their best option is to try to get rid of Mr Yin by finding other women he might have been inappropriate with. Yao Yao is way ahead of him. She already has a list of women, but she knows they won’t come forward. For the moment at least, she’s tired of fighting.
…
In other news, Hu Ping has asked Yang Hua to be his chief financial consultant. Cai Liang is thrilled and wants to follow him there, even though Yang Hua himself hasn’t decided anything.
…
Meimei is pregnant. She and Qin Wenyu go into theatrics, as is their custom. But this seems to give Qin Wenyu a sense of responsibility and he begins to take a new interest in their company.
Tao Junhui gives Qin Shi the most cursory apology for his previous drunken behavior. I would be so ashamed to face anyone if I’d behaved as he had, but he thinks it’s ok to first advise her about things before apologizing. He also has the nerve to ask her out for dinner, which she obviously refuses.
…
Yao Yao and Yang Hua have an awkward conversation, but part amicably. Li Dai is an interested spectator for some of it.
Li Dai later calls Qin Shi to gossip. She says Yao Yao’s son is just like Yang Hua and that Yang Hua is very interested in the case. Li Dai thinks Qin Shi should be vigilant, because if she lets Yang Hua go, he could be a complete family with Yao Yao. Even though I normally find Li Dai’s needling of Qin Shi amusing, I thought this was taking things too far. She doesn’t know about the divorce, so she’s sowing doubt and uncertainty between what she believes is a happily married couple.
Qin Shi is upset after Li Dai’s call. She looks at a photo of herself and Yang Hua on her desk and tears up as she thinks back to when they took it.
Meimei calls Qin Shi in a panic because Qin Wenyu is missing. He’s carrying a check for a million, which is why Meimei is worried (that he might have been mugged, I guess). Meimei also calls Yang Hua for some reason, so Qin Shi comes face to face with her ex in an unexpected way. They ultimately find Qin Wenyu drunk and out cold in a hotel. Meimei takes this very calmly. Deathly calm. It’s like she’s broken.
Our main CP takes Meimei back to Qin Shi’s apartment. Qin Shi makes Yang Hua stay for longer and they make stilted small talk. After some time he says he finally understands why Qin Shi fears marriage. A marriage such as Meimei’s will really wear a person out. He thinks he made the correct decision. At least they won’t have to face such a situation. Oh for… If I was there, I would have stuck tape over his mouth. Qin Shi, even though she disagrees, says they might have had worse conflicts. He doesn’t believe they would. Then why did he make that senseless remark? He leaves, politely refusing her offer to see him off. Left alone in her apartment, she tries not to cry, but fails. Outside the apartment, he cries as well. I have no pity for him.
…
Next day, Qin Shi visits Yao Yao at her house wearing a very flouncy-frilly-absolutely-inappropriate-for-a-lawyer outfit and confronts her about misleading Yang Hua (that he’s Sunny’s father), but is silenced by Yao Yao’s calm rebuttal. It’s probably the first time Qin Shi has been bested with words. She abruptly changes the subject to the case. She has a solution for Yao Yao that requires her cooperation. Yao Yao is suspicious because Qin Shi has spoken on behalf of Mr Yin before, but Qin Shi reminds her that she’s not Mr Yin’s lawyer, she’s Tianhang’s lawyer. She will protect the hotel’s interests. But Yao Yao must withdraw her lawsuit.
They come to some agreement that we don’t hear. Before Qin Shi leaves, she stakes her claim on Yang Hua and childishly threatens to fight Yao Yao if she gets in the way. Oh great, now we’re getting to two women fighting over a man? Or even the FL fighting for a man? So much for female empowerment.
After she leaves, we learn that Yang Hua was there all the time and heard everything. He speaks affectionately of his ex-wife and Yao Yao remarks that he’s changed a lot for the better because of Qin Shi. She wants to know if she can trust Qin Shi. Yang Hua is positive she can.
…
Qin Wenyu goes home to find that Meimei has left, having cleared out all of her belongings and left him a divorce notice. We learn that his “friend” Hu Peng (Ep4) set him up by taking a compromising photo of a woman with a passed-out Wenyu and sending it to Meimei. Even Qin Shi doesn’t know where Meimei is; she’s gone AWOL, but has sent Qin Shi a message that she has no confidence in Wenyu as a father, and isn’t sure she can trust him never to cheat again.
Wenyu can’t believe Meimei would leave him and blames Qin Shi. She furiously snaps at him for hanging out with useless friends and cheating over and over again. He begins crying, either in remorse or self-pity.
…
Yao Yao and Yang Hua have an awkward conversation, but part amicably. Li Dai is an interested spectator for some of it.
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| Li Dai comparing Yao Yao’s kid with Yang Hua, to see if he could be Yang Hua’s son :D |
Li Dai later calls Qin Shi to gossip. She says Yao Yao’s son is just like Yang Hua and that Yang Hua is very interested in the case. Li Dai thinks Qin Shi should be vigilant, because if she lets Yang Hua go, he could be a complete family with Yao Yao. Even though I normally find Li Dai’s needling of Qin Shi amusing, I thought this was taking things too far. She doesn’t know about the divorce, so she’s sowing doubt and uncertainty between what she believes is a happily married couple.
Qin Shi is upset after Li Dai’s call. She looks at a photo of herself and Yang Hua on her desk and tears up as she thinks back to when they took it.
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| This was such a cute scene. They were just goofing around and enjoying themselves |
Our main CP takes Meimei back to Qin Shi’s apartment. Qin Shi makes Yang Hua stay for longer and they make stilted small talk. After some time he says he finally understands why Qin Shi fears marriage. A marriage such as Meimei’s will really wear a person out. He thinks he made the correct decision. At least they won’t have to face such a situation. Oh for… If I was there, I would have stuck tape over his mouth. Qin Shi, even though she disagrees, says they might have had worse conflicts. He doesn’t believe they would. Then why did he make that senseless remark? He leaves, politely refusing her offer to see him off. Left alone in her apartment, she tries not to cry, but fails. Outside the apartment, he cries as well. I have no pity for him.
 |
| This scene was so realistically tense and awkward |
Next day, Qin Shi visits Yao Yao at her house wearing a very flouncy-frilly-absolutely-inappropriate-for-a-lawyer outfit and confronts her about misleading Yang Hua (that he’s Sunny’s father), but is silenced by Yao Yao’s calm rebuttal. It’s probably the first time Qin Shi has been bested with words. She abruptly changes the subject to the case. She has a solution for Yao Yao that requires her cooperation. Yao Yao is suspicious because Qin Shi has spoken on behalf of Mr Yin before, but Qin Shi reminds her that she’s not Mr Yin’s lawyer, she’s Tianhang’s lawyer. She will protect the hotel’s interests. But Yao Yao must withdraw her lawsuit.
They come to some agreement that we don’t hear. Before Qin Shi leaves, she stakes her claim on Yang Hua and childishly threatens to fight Yao Yao if she gets in the way. Oh great, now we’re getting to two women fighting over a man? Or even the FL fighting for a man? So much for female empowerment.
…
Qin Wenyu goes home to find that Meimei has left, having cleared out all of her belongings and left him a divorce notice. We learn that his “friend” Hu Peng (Ep4) set him up by taking a compromising photo of a woman with a passed-out Wenyu and sending it to Meimei. Even Qin Shi doesn’t know where Meimei is; she’s gone AWOL, but has sent Qin Shi a message that she has no confidence in Wenyu as a father, and isn’t sure she can trust him never to cheat again.
Wenyu can’t believe Meimei would leave him and blames Qin Shi. She furiously snaps at him for hanging out with useless friends and cheating over and over again. He begins crying, either in remorse or self-pity.
Qin Shi reports to Madam Tang that Yao Yao has dropped the lawsuit, but is met with a frosty reception. Madam Tang - or Mr Yin? - has learned that Yao Yao is looking up Mr Yin’s victims and that Li Dai and Qin Shi have been meeting in secret. While Qin Shi has a response for everything, Madam Tang doesn’t care because it seems they are going to lose the deal for becoming Tianhang’s legal counsel.
Madam Tang wants Qin Shi to persuade Yao Yao to drop the sexual harassment charges. To her amazement, Qin Shi refuses point-blank. Qin Shi argues against working on Mr Yin’s case, but Madam Tang has definitely sold her soul for money and issues an ultimatum: get Yao Yao to drop her investigation or leave Cheng & Hui. Possibly to Madam Tang’s shock, Qin Shi chooses to leave, rather dramatically.
Tao Junhui tries to convince Qin Shi not to be headstrong. He says she could be reported “for her action” to some Lawyer’s association and be unable to work in the industry again. What did she do that was bad? She’s on the ethical side.
As Qin Shi leaves, she runs into her former mentor, Jian Bing, who has dropped by with her baby for a visit. Qin Shi apologizes to her for not succeeding in becoming a partner. Jian Bing gives her a motivational speech. Surely Jian Bing should apologize to Qin Shi for getting her into such a mess in the first place?
…
Qin Shi, Li Dai and Yao Yao begin working together to look for victims who’d be willing to testify against Mr Yin. But Mr Yin has got wind of their goal and suddenly, nobody is willing to come forward.
…
Tao Junhui has spoken to Mr Jin and got Qin Shi her job back, on the 11th floor, no less. But she isn’t interested, especially as it means she’d have to give up on Yao Yao’s case. Junhui also finds out that Qin Shi is divorced and immediately asks her to marry him. Dude has a one-track mind. She isn’t interested in that either. She doesn’t believe in marriage or eternal love. He thinks she does believe in love; she just isn’t in love with him. As she leaves, she remembers Yang Hua’s promise of eternal love and his words prior to their divorce, and tears begin to fall.
When she gets home, Qin Shi finds her apartment has been tidied up and food has been prepared. She assumes it’s her mom’s doing.
…
Yang Hua has postponed his job with Hu Ping so that he can look into Mr Yin. Cai Laing thinks he’s doing this for Yao Yao and extends his support. Cai Liang is very shallow in his relationship views. But of course Yang Hua hasn’t given up on his ex-wife. He waxes lyrical about good students and fear of exams, and likens marriage to a long exam. He believes Qin Shi values marriage more than anyone else but witnessing others’ bad marriages has made her wary. And of course, being divorced by a man she was happy with is great for that fear :-/ He makes a whole lot of arguments to justify his actions. Maybe I’m pig-headed, but I’m not buying any of them.
Yang Hua has enlisted Dagang’s help in investigating shady deals that Mr Yin’s been involved in. How did he find Dagang? Did they run into each other before? Or was it just from Dagang’s phone call that one time (in Ep32)? Now that Mr Yin’s days at Tianhang seem numbered, a victim (Xiao Han, the one who was attacked in Ep36) comes forward, willing to testify.
Dagang also parrots what Yang Hua has told him about trying for a criminal rather than a civil case. Scriptwriters, please. How is it that Yang Hua somehow knows better about the case they should try than two seasoned lawyers (albeit seasoned family lawyers rather than criminal lawyers)? Qin Shi and Li Dai guess that Yang Hua is secretly helping. Li Dai teases that he did it for Yao Yao and I think Qin Shi feels uneasily that it’s possible.
The lawyers need more victims to come forward, so that they can put together a criminal case for rape or sexual assault. Testimony from a single victim, without any proof, is unlikely to be enough.
They’re about to get proof from an unlikely source. Tao Junhui prevented Haitao from intervening when Xiao Han was being attacked so that they could get proof of the assault. Tao Junhui then fake drunk-stumbled into the room and interrupted Mr Yin, allowing Xiao Han to escape. Haitao is about to email someone the proof, but Tao Junhui stops him, reminding him that he could lose his lawyer’s license. Why? Haitao isn’t working as Mr Yin’s lawyer, is he? This is evidence of a crime. Surely it should be reported? Haitao is reminded of his sister when he thinks of Xiao Han. He doesn’t want her to be oppressed by people like Mr Yin. Tao Junhui says he’ll help.
Madam Tang wants Qin Shi to persuade Yao Yao to drop the sexual harassment charges. To her amazement, Qin Shi refuses point-blank. Qin Shi argues against working on Mr Yin’s case, but Madam Tang has definitely sold her soul for money and issues an ultimatum: get Yao Yao to drop her investigation or leave Cheng & Hui. Possibly to Madam Tang’s shock, Qin Shi chooses to leave, rather dramatically.
As Qin Shi leaves, she runs into her former mentor, Jian Bing, who has dropped by with her baby for a visit. Qin Shi apologizes to her for not succeeding in becoming a partner. Jian Bing gives her a motivational speech. Surely Jian Bing should apologize to Qin Shi for getting her into such a mess in the first place?
…
Qin Shi, Li Dai and Yao Yao begin working together to look for victims who’d be willing to testify against Mr Yin. But Mr Yin has got wind of their goal and suddenly, nobody is willing to come forward.
…
Tao Junhui has spoken to Mr Jin and got Qin Shi her job back, on the 11th floor, no less. But she isn’t interested, especially as it means she’d have to give up on Yao Yao’s case. Junhui also finds out that Qin Shi is divorced and immediately asks her to marry him. Dude has a one-track mind. She isn’t interested in that either. She doesn’t believe in marriage or eternal love. He thinks she does believe in love; she just isn’t in love with him. As she leaves, she remembers Yang Hua’s promise of eternal love and his words prior to their divorce, and tears begin to fall.
…
Yang Hua has postponed his job with Hu Ping so that he can look into Mr Yin. Cai Laing thinks he’s doing this for Yao Yao and extends his support. Cai Liang is very shallow in his relationship views. But of course Yang Hua hasn’t given up on his ex-wife. He waxes lyrical about good students and fear of exams, and likens marriage to a long exam. He believes Qin Shi values marriage more than anyone else but witnessing others’ bad marriages has made her wary. And of course, being divorced by a man she was happy with is great for that fear :-/ He makes a whole lot of arguments to justify his actions. Maybe I’m pig-headed, but I’m not buying any of them.
Yang Hua has enlisted Dagang’s help in investigating shady deals that Mr Yin’s been involved in. How did he find Dagang? Did they run into each other before? Or was it just from Dagang’s phone call that one time (in Ep32)? Now that Mr Yin’s days at Tianhang seem numbered, a victim (Xiao Han, the one who was attacked in Ep36) comes forward, willing to testify.
Dagang also parrots what Yang Hua has told him about trying for a criminal rather than a civil case. Scriptwriters, please. How is it that Yang Hua somehow knows better about the case they should try than two seasoned lawyers (albeit seasoned family lawyers rather than criminal lawyers)? Qin Shi and Li Dai guess that Yang Hua is secretly helping. Li Dai teases that he did it for Yao Yao and I think Qin Shi feels uneasily that it’s possible.
They’re about to get proof from an unlikely source. Tao Junhui prevented Haitao from intervening when Xiao Han was being attacked so that they could get proof of the assault. Tao Junhui then fake drunk-stumbled into the room and interrupted Mr Yin, allowing Xiao Han to escape. Haitao is about to email someone the proof, but Tao Junhui stops him, reminding him that he could lose his lawyer’s license. Why? Haitao isn’t working as Mr Yin’s lawyer, is he? This is evidence of a crime. Surely it should be reported? Haitao is reminded of his sister when he thinks of Xiao Han. He doesn’t want her to be oppressed by people like Mr Yin. Tao Junhui says he’ll help.
[Ep40] [Jump to: Top | Comments]
Mr Yin has been demoted within Tianhang. He’s now in the same position Yao Yao was before, where he’s signed a contract that he can’t get out of without paying a huge penalty. He can’t hide behind Tianhang’s power, and Cheng & Hui have given his case to a legal assistant. He’s powerless now, so the lawyers decide the time is ripe for attack.
Dagang phones Yang Hua in private but Qin Shi grabs his phone and asks Yang Hua who he’d choose between herself and Yao Yao. Seriously? Qin Shi, keep your self-respect. Just let him go. Yang Hua remains silent, which upsets Qin Shi. Meanwhile, Yao Yao tells Li Dai about the divorce and also that she’s moving back to Australia permanently and taking Yang Hua with her. Li Dai is shocked, but in front of Qin Shi she acts fake-upset because she was next in line to date Yang Hua, so how is Yao Yao cutting in line? xDxDxD
Yang Hua arrives and Yao Yao leaves with him. She tells him Qin Shi needs to be straightened out with more force. I’m sorry, but I beg to differ. People who actually love each other won’t try to force the other’s hand like this. She believes that even if Yang Hua goes after her, Qin Shi needs to be the one to take the final step towards him.
Qin Shi stubbornly remains for a while, but then does actually go after them. She’s too late though and walks disconsolately in the rain, because would it be a drama if someone didn’t walk disconsolately in the rain? For some reason, she comes across Qin Wenbin, who is there because she wasn’t answering her phone. For how long was she walking exactly, that her brother would worry so much? Qin Shi hugs her brother and begins to cry.
…
As we all knew anyway, it’s only Yao Yao who’s leaving. Yang Hua’s just seeing her off. She’s worried they might have gone overboard the previous day in forcing Qin Shi’s hand.
…
Later, Qin Shi’s mom comes by with food and this is when Qin Shi finds out that it was not her mom who’s been cleaning and cooking for her. Since Yang Hua did it, it means he still cares about her. Mom also reveals that Yang Hua told them about the divorce. He assured them he would still take good care of Qin Shi forever.
Qin Shi remembers Yao Yao’s challenge to her, to stop them at the airport, and runs there. But they don’t see each other despite being in the same place. Scriptwriters really decided they’d go for every trope in the book. Is there time for an amnesia angle as well?
…
Seven months later(!), Qin Shi and Li Dai have successfully gotten justice for Mr Yin’s victims. Mr Yin is jailed. All those in the He Dongna perjury case are also detained. The two lawyers have gained notoriety for winning such a case.
The fame gained by the lawsuit has an expected side effect. Madam Tang invites Qin Shi back to Cheng & Hui as a partner. They’ve decorated an office for her. And they have a case for her as well. Pang Dingfang (from the very first case) has died in an accident and Madam Lan needs a lawyer to handle the asset transfer. She wants Qin Shi.
As Qin Shi doesn’t show signs of agreeing, Mr Jin and Madam Tang tell her they’ve done away with Cheng & Hui’s unfair practices and are making progressive changes. Madam Tang also reveals that they ran into Yang Hua in Australia and that he’s CEO of one of Hu Ping’s businesses. Qin Shi in turn fake-smilingly breaks the news of her divorce.
 |
| “Will you still allow me back?” |
Tao Junhui is leaving this branch of Cheng & Hui to head a different branch. He and Qin Shi part on good terms. As he leaves, he runs into Wu Fei, who seems to be starting again as a legal assistant. They shake hands. I don’t know if this necessarily means they will reconcile. They were never a good fit. And I’m still not convinced he’s fully over Qin Shi. It’s probably a good thing for everyone concerned that he’s moving away.
…
Meimei has the baby and Qin Shi has Thoughts About Life. She thinks being alone is good, but it’s comfortable with another person too. She believes Yang Hua was right. She needed time and space to figure out what she wanted. I’m still wondering when she indicated that she didn’t want to be in a relationship with him.
…
Qin Shi seems to be getting new neighbors and the neighbors seem to have lost their pet tortoise. A very familiar tortoise.
Yang Hua has apparently been renovating the apartment opposite Qin Shi’s for the past three months, though they’ve somehow never run into each other in that time. The numbers he’d left her (in Ep37) turn out to be a passcode for his stock trading account. He shows her the stock he bought on their wedding day. It’s the only stock he’s ever bought without analyzing first. He’s convinced it will be successful and will be the assets for their future generation. She happily assents.
The end
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-8)] She’s feisty, intelligent and hard-working. He’s calm, intelligent and thoughtful. I can easily see myself enjoying that combination of personalities. But then they have a scene in the very first episode where she kisses him without his consent (when they’re still strangers to each other), which is both unrealistic and, in my opinion, falls strongly under Harassment. The FL also baby-talks in professional settings and sometimes tries to brazen her way out of bad situations rather than dealing with them properly, while the ML can be very unpleasant with his words. These sort of put me off.
It’s in Ep3 that things start to look up. The antagonism between the leads ends, and they realize they can both benefit from each other. Once that happens, everything becomes better. He helps her with work; she helps him handle his overbearing mother. They trust each other as soon as they start working together, which should seem unrealistic but instead felt very natural.
He seems to have fallen for her by Ep8, though there isn’t an aha! moment where we know for sure. And that’s very realistic. I don’t think anyone knows exactly when they fell for someone. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be a love-at-first-sight scenario.
[Ending] Happy.
[Review & Rating]
[Review & Rating]
Recommendations
| Independent | Independent | Independent |
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