Episode Summary
Ding Da'er is wrongly accused at school, and his stepmother, Qiu Lisu, handles the situation poorly, causing him to run away. His mother, Hu Manli, retrieves him, vowing to keep him safe, while his father, Ding Zhiyuan, confronts Qiu Lisu over her actions, deepening their marital strife. Xue Xiaozhou learns that Li Yuke's father, Li Fendou, is interested in Hu Manli. Hu Manli moves out of Xue Xiaozhou's home and firmly rejects his romantic advances, even after he tries to gain her son's acceptance and presents her with old notes. Deeply affected by the tragic death and subsequent family dispute of an acquaintance, Sun A'tao, Hu Manli decides to rejoin Nanyang Insurance Company and spearhead an elderly care project. Meanwhile, Qiu Lisu faces financial trouble with her own business.
Spoiler Alert
Heads up: Spoilers ahead for Episode 34!
Alright, so things kick off with some serious schoolyard drama, but with adult-level consequences. Poor Ding Da'er gets wrongly accused by some classmates. Instead of, you know, investigating, his stepmom (or caretaker figure at this point?), Qiu Lisu, goes full steam ahead and demands he apologize. When Ding Da'er rightly refuses (go Ding Da'er!), Qiu Lisu resorts to threats, even dragging his mom, Hu Manli, into it, saying his actions will cause trouble for her. Ding Da'er, wanting to protect his mom and definitely not wanting to go back to Qiu Lisu's place, bolts.
He ends up at his old family home, which is now occupied by a young couple and their little girl. Understandably, Ding Da'er is a crying mess. Thankfully, the couple gets in touch with Hu Manli through an agent.
Cue the rescue squad! Hu Manli and Ding Da'er's dad, Ding Zhiyuan, rush over. Ding Da'er spills the whole story, detailing how wronged he felt. Ding Zhiyuan is furious (rightfully so!) and lays into Qiu Lisu (verbally, for now). Hu Manli, in a shocking display of self-blame and desperation, actually slaps herself several times, vowing that Ding Da'er will never have to live with anyone else again. She grabs his hand, and they leave, with Li Yuke tagging along.
Xue Xiaozhou plays chauffeur, taking Hu Manli and Ding Da'er back to his rental place. As Li Yuke leaves, she drops a bomb on Xue Xiaozhou: her dad, Li Fendou, has a crush on Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou is totally blindsided. Talk about awkward!
Meanwhile, back at the Ding/Qiu residence, the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. Ding Zhiyuan confronts Qiu Lisu about her treatment of Ding Da'er. She tries to justify herself, but he calls her out for dragging Hu Manli into it. Qiu Lisu snaps back, bringing up the fact that Ding Zhiyuan helped pay for Hu Manli's father's pension. Ding Zhiyuan, clearly weighed down by guilt over his past affair and the pain he caused Hu Manli, seems to feel this financial help is a way to make amends for his mistakes. Qiu Lisu isn't buying it, feeling betrayed herself. It's a stalemate, and Ding Zhiyuan shuts down, refusing to engage further. Oof, that marriage is strained.
The next morning, Xue Xiaozhou, playing the thoughtful host, brings breakfast home... only to find Hu Manli and Ding Da'er have vanished. Hu Manli left him a note – a classic "Dear John" but for roommates, I guess? They've moved in with her friend, Zhong Ning.
Zhong Ning, playing matchmaker/concerned friend, gently encourages Hu Manli to give Xue Xiaozhou a chance. But Hu Manli's got her walls up high. She insists she only sees Xue Xiaozhou as a younger brother (ouch, the dreaded bro-zone!). Plus, she knows Li Yuke is head over heels for him and genuinely seems to want them to get together.
Xue Xiaozhou isn't giving up that easily, though. He tracks Hu Manli down at Zhong Ning's place, but Hu Manli's conveniently "out meeting a client." Zhong Ning steps in, laying out the harsh realities for Xue Xiaozhou: Hu Manli is divorced, jobless, supporting a child and possibly parents, and there's that significant 11-year age gap. Zhong Ning warns him not to pursue a relationship that seems doomed from the start, given Hu Manli's current headspace and burdens. But Xue Xiaozhou insists he wants to help carry her load and isn't ready to throw in the towel.
His next move? A bit questionable. After receiving Hu Manli's official resignation letter at work, he goes straight to Ding Da'er's school. Ding Da'er initially assumes Xue Xiaozhou and his mom had a fight, hence the abrupt move. But Xue Xiaozhou lays his cards on the table, confessing his feelings for Hu Manli and asking Ding Da'er if he could accept him. Ding Da'er is understandably thrown but ultimately says it's his mom's decision. Xue Xiaozhou swears his love is genuine.
Armed with... well, maybe not Ding Da'er's blessing, but at least his non-objection, Xue Xiaozhou confronts Hu Manli directly. When she finds out he spoke to her son, she. is. LIVID. Cornered and angry, she throws out a desperate, likely untrue, statement: she'd rather choose Li Fendou (Li Yuke's dad!) than him. Double ouch! Xue Xiaozhou passionately vows to work harder, to provide for her and Ding Da'er. Hu Manli isn't having it. As a last resort, Xue Xiaozhou pulls out a collection of notes Hu Manli had compiled over twenty years (presumably work-related, showing her dedication?). In a fit of rage and rejection, Hu Manli tears the notebooks to shreds and storms off. Left alone, Xue Xiaozhou tearfully picks up the pieces, flashing back to happier moments between them. Man, that's rough.
Shifting gears, Hu Manli channels her energy into work. She meets with President Jin and declares she wants to take on that challenging elderly care project. President Jin is thrilled. Her resolve is solidified when she learns some tragic news: a woman named Sun A'tao passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Attending the service, Hu Manli discovers the heartbreaking aftermath: Sun A'tao's gambling son-in-law demanded money, the daughter refused, he filed for divorce, the daughter miscarried due to the stress, and a court awarded the scumbag son-in-law half of Sun A'tao's assets. Witnessing this tragedy fuels Hu Manli's determination to make the elderly care project succeed, hoping to prevent similar devastating situations.
So, Hu Manli is officially back at Nanyang Insurance Company, joining the "Xi Yang" (Elderly Care) team. She immediately proposes a pilot program, suggesting they start with one elderly person in each residential community as a test case. In a surprising move, showing she's maybe ready to bury the hatchet (or just be pragmatic), she volunteers to be paired with her old rival, Wang Chunlu.
And just to wrap up the episode with a bit more chaos: Qiu Lisu's business ventures are crashing and burning. Deep in debt, she's got people showing up demanding money, forcing her to literally flee home in her car.
