Episode Summary
Shi Fake's family is framed and arrested during her coming-of-age ceremony, leaving her to restore their honor alone. Lu Chi, revealing a past connection to her, secretly intervenes by stealing the evidence against her family. He uncovers the political machinations behind the arrest, which involve a powerful Marquis and a reluctant young master, Qi Shaoheng. While Shi Fake faces abandonment by her friends, she and Lu Chi form an alliance, devising a plan to use her matchmaking skills to navigate the crisis and challenge the new, hostile head of the Official Matchmaking Hall.
Spoiler Alert
Better Halves (2025) Episode 2: A Family's Fall and a Desperate Plan
The episode opens with Lu Chi secretly visiting Shi Fake, hoping she can introduce him to her mother, the renowned Head Matchmaker Tao. Shi Fake misunderstands his intentions, believing he's seeking a match for himself. When Lu Chi clarifies that he isn't, her disappointment is palpable, and she gives him the cold shoulder.
During Shi Fake's formal coming-of-age ceremony, a pivotal moment occurs when Lu Chi spots a familiar ornament hanging near her ancestral tablets—the very token from their first meeting in childhood. However, the celebration is brutally cut short. Officials storm the residence, accusing Head Matchmaker Tao of corruption and arresting her along with Shi Fake's two brothers. As they ransack the home, Lu Chi steps in to protect Shi Fake, and in the ensuing chaos, the imperial plaque honoring her mother as the "Number One Matchmaker in the World" is destroyed. To spare her family further trouble, Tao Shoumei goes with the guards, urging her daughter to protect their family's legacy at all costs.
In the aftermath, Shi Fake is comforted by her friends, the siblings He Kexian and He Ketian. With all the men in her family imprisoned, she resolves to restore their honor herself. Her resolve is immediately tested as the guests, witnessing the family's downfall, shamelessly take back their congratulatory gifts. As more officials arrive to seal the property, Shi Fake frantically searches for a cherished gold medal. Lu Chi, having already secured it, quietly hands it to her.
Later, Lu Chi learns from his subordinate, Lu Yi, the real reason behind the arrests. The Marquis of Wu'an's housekeeper had requested Tao Shoumei arrange a marriage for Young Master Qi of the Weiyuan Escort Agency, but she had refused. Realizing the connection, Lu Chi understands that to help Shi Fake, he must first destroy a painting he once gave her symbolizing a happy marriage. That night, he infiltrates the sealed Official Matchmaking Hall and steals the key evidence being used against Shi Fake's family.
The theft forces the Marquis of Wu'an's hand, as he can no longer hold the family without proof, especially with a certain Lord Zheng demanding their release. Under the Marquis's direction, a new official, Matchmaker Deng, is appointed as the head of the matchmaking hall. His first assignment is the very task Tao Shoumei refused: to marry the Grand Tutor's daughter to Qi Shaoheng. This proves to be a difficult task, as Qi Shaoheng is known for rejecting all marriage proposals.
Meanwhile, Lu Chi tracks down Qi Shaoheng and follows him to the Liu Kee Teahouse, where he discovers Qi's secret and close relationship with a woman named Liu Luan'er. At the same time, Shi Fake's attempts to rally support are met with failure. The members of her social circle, the Qianjin She, ignore her invitation for a meal, and her old friend Zhu Yanyan refuses to even see her.
Lu Chi finds the desperate Shi Fake and offers his help. Skeptical that an outsider could have any influence, she initially doubts him. He proves his worth by arranging a secret meeting for her with her imprisoned parents. Shi Fake soon guesses that Lu Chi was the one who stole the crucial evidence. He proposes a plan: she will offer to arrange the Qi family's marriage in exchange for them using their influence to plead her family's case.
Now in power, Matchmaker Deng tries to use his new position to fire Shi Fake from the Official Matchmaking Hall. Seizing the opportunity, Shi Fake cleverly proposes that she can secure the match with the Qi family as a condition of her employment. Despite Deng's continued attempts to oust her, Shi Fake uses her wits and a feigned plea for mercy to successfully keep her position. As she walks out, Lu Chi is waiting for her, ready to show her something that will aid their plan.
