Episode Summary
Hu Manli saves her father, Hu Degong, from a medical emergency thanks to a health monitor, but is immediately hit with a lawsuit from her former employer, Blue Ocean Insurance, demanding 4 million RMB for alleged past misconduct. Meanwhile, Xue Xiaozhou receives a promotion and company car but moves out of Hu Manli's home after misunderstanding her interactions with her ex-husband, Ding Zhiyuan. Ding Zhiyuan's parents fall victim to a financial scam and pressure Hu Manli for money, leading Ding Zhiyuan to intervene and send them away. The episode concludes by revealing the lawsuit against Hu Manli stems from her filling out a risk disclosure form for a client years prior at his request.
Spoiler Alert
Hu Manli: From Crisis Management to Personal Crisis
Things kick off with some serious family drama. Hu Manli had cleverly put a health monitor on her dad, Hu Degong. Good thing, too, because she gets an alert on her phone, finds him collapsed from a brain hemorrhage, and rushes him to the hospital. Thanks to her quick action and subsequent brain surgery, Hu Degong pulls through, but naturally, Hu Manli is stuck playing nurse at the hospital. Props to Xue Xiaozhou, who immediately steps up to handle picking up and dropping off her son, Ding Da'er. A real stand-up move.
But just when Hu Manli thinks she can catch her breath while watching over her dad – BAM! She gets slapped with a notice from a Shanghai court. Her former employer, Blue Ocean Insurance, is suing her for a whopping 4 million RMB, claiming operational violations during her time there. Talk about bad timing! Completely blindsided, Hu Manli figures her only option is to sell her apartment to cover the potential loss. Ouch.
Xue Xiaozhou's Rise and Awkward Offer
Meanwhile, things are looking up for Xue Xiaozhou professionally. His boss, Li Qingqing, clearly sees his potential, giving him a promotion, a raise, and a company car at Taiying International Insurance. Rolling up in his new ride, Xue Xiaozhou picks up Hu Manli and suggests she come work as his assistant. It's a nice gesture, but Hu Manli turns him down, using the excuse that she needs to care for her dad and Ding Da'er.
Then comes the awkward part: she tells Xue Xiaozhou he needs to find his own place and move out soon. Xue Xiaozhou, having seen Hu Manli's ex, Ding Zhiyuan, helping her out diligently at the hospital, misinterprets the whole situation. He assumes Hu Manli is pushing him out because she wants to get back together with Ding Zhiyuan. So, he sadly agrees to pack his bags. Misunderstandings, gotta love 'em (or hate 'em).
Ding Zhiyuan's Parents Get Scammed
Hold onto your hats, because we've got another crisis brewing. Ding Zhiyuan's parents invested in some financial product that, surprise surprise, goes bust ("explodes," as they say). A scammer claiming to be a "Mr. Wang" calls Ding's mom, spinning a yarn: if she transfers 10% of her principal investment back to him, he'll return the entire amount plus interest. Yeah, totally legit, right?
After discussing it, the elderly couple heads to the bank. The bank staff smells a rat and questions them thoroughly. Ding's mom, however, cooks up a story about transferring money to her son, claiming he shares her (fake) surname, Wang, even showing her ID as proof. The bank staff, unfortunately, buys it and makes the transfer. Predictably, "Mr. Wang" vanishes, and the investment group chat dissolves. Panic ensues.
The Fallout: Confrontations and More Misunderstandings
Xue Xiaozhou finds a new place and moves out, leaving a heartbroken Ding Da'er behind. Before leaving, Xue gives Ding Da'er his new address but tells the kid not to come looking for him, clearly still hurting from the perceived rejection. Ding Da'er, sensing Xue Xiaozhou didn't really want to leave, blames his mom.
Desperate, Ding Zhiyuan's parents show up at Hu Manli's door, begging for help to get their money back. Hu Manli quickly figures out it's a classic telecom scam and texts Ding Zhiyuan, who immediately turns around and heads over.
The parents refuse Hu Manli's suggestion to call the police. Instead, Ding's mom flips out and demands Hu Manli give them 500,000 RMB – money they had previously given Hu Manli from a demolition compensation payout, specifically earmarked for Ding Da'er's education fund. Hu Manli, understandably, refuses flat out.
Later that evening, Xue Xiaozhou is feeling lonely in his new apartment, reminiscing about happier times at Hu Manli's (like sharing hotpot after she freaked him out about potentially spat-in takeout). He impulsively drives back to her building, only to see Ding Zhiyuan heading upstairs. Confirming his earlier (wrong) assumption that Hu Manli called Ding Zhiyuan over, he drives away, feeling even worse. Oof.
Ding Zhiyuan's Messy Life
Inside, Ding Zhiyuan arrives just as his parents are demanding money. Hu Manli firmly explains the 500k is untouchable education money. Ding Zhiyuan tries to smooth things over, asking Hu Manli not to hold it against his parents, and then vents about his own stressful life – his pregnant wife, Qiu Lisu, has become moody and difficult, and he's caught in the middle between her and his parents. Hu Manli offers some sympathy but also some tough love, advising him to manage his parents better before they cause more trouble (like, you know, this). She also acknowledges his past contributions to their family, but reminds him not to enable his parents' behavior.
Taking his parents home, Ding Zhiyuan finally lays down the law, warning them to leave Hu Manli alone. He then books them train tickets to leave the next day. They are furious, calling him ungrateful. Qiu Lisu, overhearing this, is thrilled they're leaving. She asks Ding Zhiyuan to read a story to their unborn child, but he pushes back, saying he needs to sort himself out first before catering to her wishes. Seems like everyone's reached a breaking point.
The Lawsuit Details Emerge
Finally, Hu Manli receives the official court summons and meets with her lawyer (Blue Ocean's lawyer is there too). The backstory comes out: Seven years ago, Hu Manli helped a client, Ma Yong, buy a 3 million RMB investment-linked insurance policy. Later, Ma Yong discovered his account value had plummeted to just a few hundred thousand. He sued Blue Ocean Insurance and won, demanding 4 million in compensation. Now, Blue Ocean is turning around and suing Hu Manli to recoup that loss. Their justification? Hu Manli filled out the risk disclosure form on behalf of Ma Yong. Hu Manli remembers this clearly – Ma Yong was rushing for a flight at the airport and asked her to do it for him. Yikes.
So, to recap Episode 25: Hu Degong is recovering, but Hu Manli is facing a massive lawsuit and financial ruin. Xue Xiaozhou got a promotion but moved out due to a painful misunderstanding fueled by Ding Zhiyuan's (innocent) presence. Ding Zhiyuan's parents got scammed and tried to strong-arm Hu Manli for cash, leading Ding Zhiyuan to finally put his foot down and send them packing. And we finally learned the specific (and tricky) details behind why Hu Manli is being sued.
Whew! Talk about a packed episode. Hu Manli is juggling multiple crises, relationships are tangled in misunderstandings, and financial woes are hitting from all sides. Can't wait to see how she navigates all this next!
