Episode Summary
Lin Siyun's plan to fund her hospital by mortgaging her family home hits a snag when she discovers her brother, Lin Jinghan, forged their father's will to inherit everything. She decides to sue him but finds no support from her family, except for her young niece. Just as her lawyer, Cheng Ao, prepares for court, her brother manipulates their mother into faking a heart attack to force Lin Siyun to drop the case. Cheng Ao sees through the deception and uses his own brand of intimidation to force Lin Jinghan into a settlement.
Spoiler Alert
A Shady Investment
Cheng Ao's "Brilliant" Idea
So, the one-month grace period on the Lin family's debt is almost up. Cheng Ao's boss, Zeng Peide, is ready to play hardball. He's talking about sending a tougher crew to collect and just taking the house if they don't get the money.
But Cheng Ao has a different plan. He tells Zeng Peide to hold off. He suggests they "invest" in Lin Siyun's dream of opening a modern obstetrics and gynecology hospital. His logic is pretty sharp. He points out that Lin Siyun is a doctor educated abroad, and Shanghai desperately needs a good maternity hospital. The Western ones are too expensive for most people. He frames it as a surefire way to make a ton of money. Since Zeng Peide is a businessman first, he hears "profit" and agrees to Cheng Ao's plan.
The Fight for the House
Hitting a Wall
Cheng Ao's first move is to make sure Lin Siyun can't get money anywhere else. He calls up every bank in Shanghai and tells them not to approve any loans for her. As expected, she goes from bank to bank and gets rejected every time. And who just happens to be waiting at a bank to offer her some "friendly" advice? Cheng Ao, of course.
Lin Siyun makes it clear she doesn't want to take a high-interest loan from the Zeng family. She wants her hospital to be clean. So, Cheng Ao gives her another idea. He suggests she mortgage her father's mansion to a foreign bank. He reminds her that as a daughter, she's entitled to a share of the property. This gives Lin Siyun a spark of hope, and she rushes off to a law firm to get a copy of her father's will.
A Forged Will
When Lin Siyun gets home, her mom and brother have some news for her. They're planning to ship her off to her fourth aunt's house. Why? Because they're about to lose the house to debt collectors, and there's no room for everyone.
Lin Siyun ignores them because she has bigger problems. She finally gets her father's will, and it's a disaster. The will states that her brother, Lin Jinghan, inherits the entire mansion. She immediately sees that the handwriting is not her father's. Only the signature looks real. The only person present when the will was signed was her brother. She realizes he forged it.
The Lawsuit Gets Dirty
An Uphill Battle
Lin Siyun decides to sue her brother for tampering with the will. But she hits another wall. No lawyer in the city is willing to take her case. Seeing her struggle, Cheng Ao steps in and agrees to help her win.
Her family is furious. Her mother can't believe it. First, Lin Siyun refused an arranged marriage, and now she's dragging the family's name through the mud by suing her own brother. After a heated argument where her words have no effect, her mother disowns her. The only person in the entire family who stands by her is her young niece, Xiao Yi. In a really sweet moment, Xiao Yi comes to her at night and gives her all the money she's saved up to help with the lawsuit.
A Fake Sickness
Cheng Ao gets to work. He advises Lin Siyun to start networking with Shanghai's high society to gain support, specifically mentioning an open-minded woman named Mrs. Shen.They prepare everything for the court case. But just as things are about to start, Lin Siyun gets a call. Her mother has been hospitalized with a heart condition.
At the hospital, her mother tearfully begs her to drop the lawsuit against Lin Jinghan. Seeing her mother so sick and upset, Lin Siyun gives in and agrees to do what she says.
Rooftop Justice
Cheng Ao watches this whole scene from outside the hospital room. He knows something isn't right. He immediately finds Lin Jinghan and drags him up to the hospital rooftop.
This is where we see that Cheng Ao is more than just a lawyer. He has assistants with him, and they are armed. He also brings a doctor, who confesses that Lin Siyun's mother isn't sick at all. Lin Jinghan threatened him and forced him to lie. Cornered, terrified, and with a gun pointed at his neck, Lin Jinghan quickly agrees to an out-of-court settlement.
