Episode Summary
Li Fendou and Qiu Lisu trick a drunk Ding Zhiyuan into signing a foreword for Li Fendou's poorly written book. Ai Zhonghua wakes up and reassures Ai Linjiang, while Ma Xiaowei causes a scene begging for help. To manage Ma Xiaowei, Ai Linjiang sets up a trust fund with Xue Xiaozhou's help. Xue Xiaozhou lands the big deal but faces heartbreak as Wu Ya moves out and breaks up with him, despite news that his mother might recover. Tang Ling falsely takes credit for Xue Xiaozhou's success. Ding Zhiyuan's show ratings plummet due to his refusal to be relatable. Xue Xiaozhou partners with Hu Manli again under less favorable terms and, misunderstanding her offer, ends up moving into her apartment instead of a cheap rental.
Spoiler Alert
Recap & Spoilers for "A Better Life" Episode 13
Alright, things kicked off with Qiu Lisu renting a place from Li Fendou to host her book club. Now, Li Fendou fancies himself a writer, though apparently, his skills aren't quite up to par. He's penned a book and is desperate for the well-respected Ding Zhiyuan to write the foreword. Problem is, Ding Zhiyuan read the manuscript and basically thought it was trash – low-brow and full of nonsense. Ouch.
But Li Fendou isn't one to give up easily. He gets someone else to write a foreword but still wants Ding Zhiyuan's signature on it. Sneaky! So, he gets Qiu Lisu to lure Ding Zhiyuan over to his place, pretending it's a birthday celebration for Ding Zhiyuan.
Once there, Li Fendou and Qiu Lisu tag-team, plying Ding Zhiyuan with drinks until he's completely hammered and barely conscious. Li Fendou then whips out the pre-written foreword, hoping the intoxicated Ding Zhiyuan will just sign it. To his credit, even drunk, Ding Zhiyuan initially refuses. But Qiu Lisu works her magic, nagging and persuading him until he finally caves and scribbles his name on it. Pretty shady stuff.
Meanwhile, over at the hospital, there's some major news: Ai Zhonghua has finally woken up! He immediately clears the air with his son, Ai Linjiang, assuring him he never did anything to betray their family back in the day. Phew. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou stop by for a visit, and Ai Zhonghua specifically thanks Xue Xiaozhou for convincing Ai Linjiang to come back.
The relatively calm atmosphere is shattered when Ma Xiaowei rushes in. He dramatically drops to his knees, apologizing profusely to Ai Zhonghua and even showing a picture of his late mother. Ai Zhonghua tries to get him to leave, but Ma Xiaowei, terrified he's going to lose out on any potential inheritance or support, bursts into tears, wailing and begging his deceased mother's spirit to help him out. It's quite a scene. Ai Zhonghua, clearly annoyed, eventually manages to persuade the distraught Ma Xiaowei to leave.
Ai Linjiang is understandably down in the dumps, knowing his father (Ai Zhonghua) has a soft spot and will probably end up helping Ma Xiaowei somehow. Seeing this, Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou cook up a plan: set up a 3 million yuan trust fund for Ma Xiaowei. They explain the key difference between this and an annuity – Ma Xiaowei would need to hold down a steady job to receive regular monthly payments. He could also withdraw lump sums for major life events (like weddings or funerals). Crucially, Ai Linjiang would retain the power to change the terms. The idea is to provide for Ma Xiaowei's basic needs while preventing future headaches for Ai Zhonghua and Ai Linjiang. Ai Linjiang reviews the details and agrees, signing the deal with Xue Xiaozhou right then and there.
Feeling pretty pleased with himself for landing this massive deal, Xue Xiaozhou heads back to his rental, only to find his roommate, Wu Ya, packing her bags. She's moving into the hospital dormitory. Xue Xiaozhou excitedly tells her about the 3 million deal, hoping it might convince her to stay. Instead, Wu Ya gently suggests he should find a smaller, cheaper place and use the money saved for his mother's medical care. Apparently, Director Duan recommended a stimulator therapy that might actually help his mother wake up! Xue Xiaozhou is ecstatic at this news. He tries one last time to get Wu Ya to stay, even using their shared cat as emotional leverage, but her mind is made up.
Her taxi arrives, and Xue Xiaozhou walks her down. It's clear Wu Ya is preparing to end things with him, and they share a tearful goodbye as he sees her off to the dorm. Heartbreak central.
On the professional front, word of Xue Xiaozhou landing two big deals reaches Tang Ling. She immediately goes to their boss, Li Qingqing, and shamelessly takes credit, claiming she introduced Xue Xiaozhou to these major clients. Li Qingqing totally buys it and praises Tang Ling. Seizing the opportunity, Tang Ling asks to be exclusively assigned to handle high-value clients, and Li Qingqing agrees. Still, Tang Ling is suspicious about how Xue Xiaozhou really got these deals and tasks her subordinate, Yi Chang, with digging into it.
Elsewhere, Ding Zhiyuan's intellectual talk show, "Zheren Shuo," is tanking in the ratings. Why? Because he insists on discussing lofty, high-culture topics ("Yangchun Baixue") that aren't resonating with the audience. His colleague, Zhong Ning, urges him to cover more relatable, down-to-earth subjects. Ding Zhiyuan flatly refuses and, adding insult to injury, blames Zhong Ning for the show's poor performance. Zhong Ning is left speechless and furious.
Back to Xue Xiaozhou – he promptly transfers the commission from the Ai Linjiang deal to Hu Manli. He suggests they continue working together. Hu Manli plays hard to get initially. Xue Xiaozhou lays on the compliments, saying how much he's learned from her and how her guidance helped him let go of the resentment he felt towards his father. Seeing her opening, Hu Manli proposes a new commission split: 70/30 in her favor. Xue Xiaozhou, perhaps feeling grateful or maybe just outmaneuvered, agrees, and they sign a new partnership agreement.
Finally, Xue Xiaozhou asks Hu Manli if she can help him find a cheaper place to live now that Wu Ya is gone. Hu Manli gets a bright idea: why doesn't he just move in with her? He could help tutor her son, Ding Da'er, in English as part of the arrangement. She sends him her address. Xue Xiaozhou, assuming it's the address for a cheap rental she found for him, shows up with his luggage and his cat... only to realize it's Hu Manli's actual home. He immediately feels awkward about the prospect of them living together, but Hu Manli dismisses his concerns, assuring him she has zero romantic interest ("no feelings" for him) and playfully teases him about his assumptions. Talk about awkward!
So, Episode 13 leaves us with broken hearts, shady deals, career struggles, budding (and potentially complicated) alliances, and one very awkward living arrangement! Can't wait to see what happens next.
