Episode Summary
Xue Xiaozhou is used by Chen Fang to get Hu Manli fired but then quits and joins Taiying Insurance. Hu Manli is banned from the insurance industry and tries to start her own business, facing betrayal. Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu's relationship causes conflict with Hu Manli. Hu Manli is forced to sell her bags to Qiu Lisu.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 5: When It Rains, It Pours
Okay, things are seriously escalating! Chen Fang pulls a seriously shady move, manipulating Xue Xiaozhou into getting Hu Manli fired. Xiaozhou, feeling totally used and betrayed, tries to complain to Jin Zhenhua, but Chen Fang, being the master manipulator he is, twists everything around. Xiaozhou, understandably furious, quits Nanyang Insurance. But hey, when one door closes, another one opens, right? He manages to snag a job at Taiying International Insurance, joining Tang Ling's team – a bunch of super-motivated salespeople who seem to run on pure adrenaline.
But Xiaozhou's got a rough start. Tang Ling immediately tries to knock him down a peg, sticking him at a desk in the hallway – talk about a warm welcome! And when he actually tries to sell insurance, he gets rejected left and right. The poor guy's working late into the night just to face constant rejection.
Meanwhile, Hu Manli isn't one to back down without a fight. After getting fired, Chen Fang and his wife double down and report her to the insurance association, resulting in her being banned from the industry for a whole two years! Seriously, these people are relentless. Not one to give up easily, she decides to team up with her assistant, Wang Chun Lu, offering her a tempting 70/30 split of the profits in exchange for her valuable client contacts. But surprise, surprise, Chun Lu goes completely rogue and starts contacting clients directly behind her back. Hu Manli is beyond furious.
The situation explodes when Hu Manli confronts Wang Chun Lu, who's full of excuses and justifications. Hu Manli isn't buying it for a second and promptly kicks her to the curb. Feeling defeated, she vents to Zhong Ning and tries to find some new insurance agents she can trust, asking Zhong Ning to pose as a client to test their loyalty. Zhong Ning, ever the voice of reason, suggests she take it easy for a couple of years, but Hu Manli's got some serious financial pressures weighing her down – a massive mortgage and barely any savings.
The family drama is still simmering as Ding Zhiyuan picks up Ding Da'er from school and takes him and Qiu Lisu out for a cozy dinner. When Daer gets home late, Hu Manli discovers that Qiu Lisu bought him a shiny new video game console. She immediately tells Daer to return it, but he refuses, leading to a major blow-up. Enraged, Hu Manli calls Ding Zhiyuan and accuses him of letting Qiu Lisu ruin her career and even hints at him having an affair. Ouch.
Daer, sensing the icy tension between his parents, sends Zhiyuan a text, practically begging him to come home for dinner. Hu Manli, however, thinks it's a pointless gesture and instead splurges on an extravagant winter camp for Daer. Zhiyuan, feeling guilty about Hu Manli's job loss, wants to help her out. Qiu Lisu, realizing that Hu Manli has been talking trash about her, clarifies that Xue Xiaozhou is actually the son of Zhiyuan's ex-wife's ex-husband, Xue Runnian. Zhiyuan seems to drop the subject, and Qiu Lisu then asks him to write a preface for an author's book, which he reluctantly agrees to do.
Zhong Ning, still playing the role of a potential client, approaches Hu Manli's less-than-trustworthy partners. They try to cut Hu Manli out of the deal completely and badmouth her at every opportunity. Hu Manli, once again witnessing the dark side of human nature, decides to pay off her mortgage with the last of her savings and makes the tough decision to sell her beloved designer bags.
Wang Xue takes a liking to one of Hu Manli's bags but doesn't have the cash to pay for it upfront. She pleads with Ding Zhiyuan to convince Hu Manli to let her pay in installments. Zhiyuan is forced to reveal the awkward truth – he and Hu Manli are no longer together. Meanwhile, Xue Xiaozhou is working tirelessly to sell insurance, but he hasn't managed to close a single deal. Tang Ling, showing her true colors, gives him a harsh ultimatum: if he doesn't make a sale by the end of the month, he's out. To add insult to injury, she dramatically throws his coffee in the trash, just to make sure he understands the gravity of the situation.
After a long and demoralizing day, Xue Xiaozhou buys Wu Ya her favorite cake as a small gesture. Wu Ya, eager to show off, posts a picture of the cake on social media, and her friends shower her with likes. Wu Ya then puts Xiaozhou on the spot, asking him to play ball with some hospital leaders on the weekend, hoping to exploit their connections for insurance leads. Xiaozhou reluctantly agrees, knowing he's walking into a potentially awkward situation.
Ding Zhiyuan is clearly troubled by what happened to Hu Manli, and Qiu Lisu tries her best to comfort him. Zhiyuan is worried that Ding Da'er is suffering because of Hu Manli's current situation and wants to offer some help. Qiu Lisu, surprisingly, volunteers to help Hu Manli out. Hu Manli lays out all her precious bags on the bed, hoping to attract some buyers. But then, Qiu Lisu makes a grand entrance and chases all the potential customers away! She instructs her secretary, Jiajia, to buy all the bags for a measly 100,000 yuan.
Hu Manli is absolutely livid and unleashes her fury on Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu, not backing down, reminds Hu Manli not to let Ding Da'er suffer because of her pride and deliberately flaunts her seemingly perfect relationship with Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli, fueled by anger and desperation, tries to kick Qiu Lisu out, but Qiu Lisu gives her a minute to reconsider. After a tense moment of contemplation, Hu Manli reluctantly agrees to sell all the bags to Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu then coldly instructs Jiajia to dispose of the bags, and Hu Manli's heart breaks as she watches her beloved possessions being tossed into a large, anonymous bag. Talk about a dramatic ending!
