Episode Summary
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou successfully close their first deal, but tension arises when Hu Manli brings in a massive potential client, Ai Zhonghua, who wants to secretly buy a three-million annuity policy for his illegitimate son, Ma Xiaowei. Xue Xiaozhou, whose family was destroyed by infidelity, strongly objects on principle. Despite Hu Manli revealing Ai Zhonghua's complex backstory, Xue Xiaozhou ultimately sabotages the signing by highlighting unfavorable policy terms to Ma Xiaowei. This leads to Ma Xiaowei threatening Ai Zhonghua and Xue Xiaozhou dissolving his partnership with a furious Hu Manli, who is also dealing with her son Ding Da'er's issues at school.
Spoiler Alert
A Better Life: Episode 11 Recap & Spoilers - When Principles Clash with Paychecks
Alright, so picking up where we left off, Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou are actually making a decent go of their partnership. They just closed their first big deal together! Like a true professional (or maybe just someone keeping meticulous records), Xue Xiaozhou calculates their shared expenses, deducts them, and transfers Hu Manli her cut, exactly as they agreed. Sweet!
Seeing an opportunity, Hu Manli offers to help Xue Xiaozhou finally deal with his messy past. Remember Qiu Lisu, the woman who basically wrecked his family and is squatting on his inheritance? Hu Manli suggests getting a lawyer involved. Even though Xue Xiaozhou graduated from law school, the trauma surrounding his father's fatal car crash (which, ahem, Qiu Lisu was deeply entangled in) left him feeling powerless to fight for what's rightfully his.
But business calls! Hu Manli has her sights set on a huge potential client: Ai Zhonghua. This guy runs a super well-known art company, the kind of account Hu Manli has been dreaming of landing. She passes the file to Xue Xiaozhou, giving him the lowdown. Turns out, Ai Zhonghua initially gave his insurance business to someone else, but Hu Manli didn't hold a grudge. Instead, she went above and beyond, even helping Ai Zhonghua and his family move valuable art pieces to a warehouse when she noticed they were at risk from humidity. That act of genuine helpfulness seriously impressed Ai Zhonghua and put Hu Manli firmly on his good side.
Hu Manli has a meeting scheduled with Ai Zhonghua for the next day. She plans to go first, sort of scout things out, and tells Xue Xiaozhou to wait for her signal.
So, Hu Manli meets with Ai Zhonghua, and here's the kicker: he wants to buy a hefty three-million annuity insurance policy... for his illegitimate son, Ma Xiaowei. Crucially, he begs Hu Manli to keep this entire thing a secret from Ai Linjiang (presumably his legitimate family member/heir?). The commission on this deal is massive, seriously tempting. But Hu Manli has her principles, her own lines she won't cross. Initially, she's hesitant to take the case because of the secrecy and the nature of it. Seeing her reluctance, Ai Zhonghua opens up, revealing a secret he's apparently kept buried for decades. Hearing his story, Hu Manli feels sympathy for his situation and agrees to help.
Now, Hu Manli brings this bombshell deal to Xue Xiaozhou. Quick reminder: Xue Xiaozhou's dad died in a car crash three years ago, a tragedy precipitated by his affair with Qiu Lisu (who had befriended his mom first – ouch!). The shock sent his mother into a health spiral, leaving her bedridden for three years. Xue Xiaozhou still boils over thinking about it. So, when Hu Manli starts explaining Ai Zhonghua wants insurance for a secret son born out of wedlock... Xue Xiaozhou doesn't even let her finish. He hates infidelity with a passion, given his history. He flat-out refuses to touch the case.
Hu Manli, herself a victim of marital betrayal, surprisingly understands Ai Zhonghua's predicament and tries to persuade Xue Xiaozhou. She takes him to see his mother in the hospital, reminding him of the pain Qiu Lisu caused. Then, she reveals the full story Ai Zhonghua told her: years ago, when he was young and living in the countryside, he had a girlfriend who got pregnant without telling him. He went on, married, had his own family, completely unaware. Decades later, this son, Ma Xiaowei, showed up to connect with his biological father.
Xue Xiaozhou is skeptical, thinking Hu Manli might be spinning a tale just to get him on board. He wants to go straight to Ai Zhonghua to confirm. Hu Manli pleads with him not to expose Ai Zhonghua's deeply personal secret, emphasizing the trust involved. After a lot of convincing, Xue Xiaozhou finally backs down and agrees to draw up the policy proposal. Hu Manli immediately sends it over to Ai Zhonghua for review.
Ai Zhonghua approves Xue Xiaozhou's plan, but Xue Xiaozhou isn't exactly celebrating. Meanwhile, his associate/friend Wu Ya is over the moon when she hears he potentially landed a three-million deal.
Showtime! Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou meet with the son, Ma Xiaowei, to get the policy signed. Ma Xiaowei's first question? Can he just get the three million transferred directly into his account? Hu Manli carefully explains the risks – if Ai Linjiang finds out, things could get very messy. Ma Xiaowei reluctantly agrees. He's about to sign on the dotted line when Xue Xiaozhou stops him. "Maybe you should read the fine print," he suggests. Hu Manli shoots him a look, clearly worried he's about to blow the whole thing, and urges Ma Xiaowei to just sign.
But Xue Xiaozhou isn't backing down. He points out a tiny clause at the end of the policy: Ma Xiaowei won't get a lump sum of three million. Instead, he'll receive fixed monthly payments. Ma Xiaowei immediately flips out. Hu Manli tries damage control, emphasizing that the money in the insurance policy will earn better interest than a bank. But Xue Xiaozhou throws another wrench in the works, "helpfully" adding that Ma Xiaowei would have to live a very long time to collect the full amount, and he can't even withdraw funds early for major life events like weddings or funerals. Oh, and the kicker? The beneficiary of the policy is Ai Zhonghua. If Ma Xiaowei dies unexpectedly, the money goes back to dear old dad.
Hu Manli desperately tries to explain Ai Zhonghua's good intentions – maybe he set it up this way to provide long-term security? But Ma Xiaowei isn't buying it. He feels completely played, convinced Ai Zhonghua is trying to trick him. Furious, he gives an ultimatum: Ai Zhonghua has three days to cough up three million in cash, or else. (He doesn't specify the 'or else,' but it sounds ominous).
Hu Manli knows exactly who sabotaged this: Xue Xiaozhou. He insists he was just doing his job ethically and sticking to his principles. Then, he declares their partnership over, dramatically rips the policy documents to shreds, and storms off.
Hu Manli is left reeling, completely stressed out. As if that wasn't enough, she gets a call from her son Ding Da'er's fancy private school – apparently, he was caught playing games during class. This is the last straw for Hu Manli. She goes home to confront him, heartbroken that after spending so much money on his education, he's slacking off. Overwhelmed, she ends up crying alone in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Xue Xiaozhou tells Wu Ya everything – how he tanked the multi-million deal and broke up his partnership with Hu Manli. Wu Ya is not pleased. She suggests he try to smooth things over by playing tennis with a certain Dean Kang (networking, perhaps?), but Xue Xiaozhou flatly refuses. Wu Ya is clearly unhappy, grumbling about how he shouldn't have dropped out of school three years ago to care for his mother (though he insists he doesn't regret it).
Later, Ding Da'er finishes his homework and tries to make amends by offering to help Hu Manli edit her livestream videos. But Hu Manli, still hurt and determined, isn't letting him off the hook easily and insists on being strict.
So, Episode 11 leaves us with a shattered partnership, a potentially dangerous situation brewing with Ma Xiaowei, and both Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou facing personal turmoil. Yikes! Can they patch things up? Will Ai Zhonghua pay up? Guess we'll have to tune in next time!
