Episode Summary
Hu Manli, after being fired and banned from the insurance industry, partners with Xue Xiaozhou to continue her business. She uses her father to test Xue Xiaozhou's dedication, but her plans backfire. They eventually agree on a partnership, and Hu Manli tries to network through a book club event, using connections and a bit of deception to get Xue Xiaozhou in.
Spoiler Alert
"A Better Life" Episode 7: Hustle, Heartbreak, and Questionable Ethics
Episode 7 kicks off with some serious setbacks for Hu Manli. After twenty years in the insurance game, she gets canned from her company and slapped with a two-year ban from the industry. Ouch! But Hu Manli isn't one to go down without a fight. She's got a Rolodex full of prime clients and isn't afraid to use it.
She tries to team up with Wang Chun Lu and other insurance agents, even getting her bestie Zhong Ning to play the role of a potential client to test their loyalty. Turns out, everyone's trying to cut her out and snag those clients for themselves. In the end, she decides to partner with Xue Xiaozhou. He even quits his job to stand up for her – plus, they share a common enemy in Qiu Lisu.
Hu Manli hands over her entire client list and years of experience to Xue Xiaozhou, hoping to use his license to keep making deals. She offers him a cut, but Xue Xiaozhou wants to build his own client base. He starts cold-calling Hu Manli's contacts, but she's already one step ahead. She gets her dad, Hu Degong, to pretend to be a difficult client and turn Xue Xiaozhou down, hoping he'll give up.
But Xue Xiaozhou is persistent. Hu Degong makes him do chores and even sends him out for groceries. Finally, Hu Degong "agrees" to buy an endowment life insurance policy and sets up a meeting to sign the contract. Xue Xiaozhou finally lands a deal before Tang Ling's deadline, and his colleagues congratulate him.
Xue Xiaozhou goes to Tang Ling to get his promised bonus, but she wants to wait until the contract is signed. She grills him about the client's address and details, because this product isn't suitable for people over 60. Tang Ling is suspicious because Yi Chang has already scouted that neighborhood and knows it's full of elderly residents who are wary of insurance. She doesn't believe Xue Xiaozhou could have convinced them so easily.
The next morning, Xue Xiaozhou arrives early, files in hand and fruit basket in tow. He waits until 10 AM, but Hu Degong is a no-show. Calls go straight to voicemail. Tang Ling dramatically rips up the bonus application, and Xue Xiaozhou becomes the office laughingstock.
Desperate, Xue Xiaozhou rushes to Hu Degong's apartment. No answer. The neighbors tell him Hu Degong left early. Xue Xiaozhou camps out on the stairs. Finally, Hu Degong sneaks home, only to be cornered by a starving Xue Xiaozhou. Hu Degong pretends not to know him and hides inside. Xue Xiaozhou's stakeout lasts all day, until a famished Hu Degong calls Hu Manli for help.
Hu Manli only wanted her dad to reject Xue Xiaozhou, not stage a whole disappearing act! She rushes over and takes Xue Xiaozhou out for food. She encourages him and shares her own early career struggles, convincing him he can be a great insurance agent. After some thought, Xue Xiaozhou agrees to partner with Hu Manli.
Hu Manli drafts a contract, claiming it's been vetted by lawyers. She wants to use Xue Xiaozhou's license to make sales and give him a measly 10% commission. Xue Xiaozhou calls her out on the illegal arrangement and presents his own contract: Hu Manli finds the clients, he makes the sales, and they split the profits 70/30 in Hu Manli's favor. They haggle until they land on a 60/40 split for Hu Manli, and she signs, eager to start making money.
Hu Manli takes Xue Xiaozhou shopping for discounted designer clothes. He hates the green suit she picks out and storms off, wanting to choose his own outfit. A saleswoman named You Qi is instantly smitten with Xue Xiaozhou and asks Hu Manli to play matchmaker. Hu Manli tries to set them up, but Xue Xiaozhou makes it clear he already has a girlfriend. Hu Manli assumes he's still hung up on Qiu Lisu.
Xue Xiaozhou pulls out a suit his father gave him when he was eighteen. He despises his cheating father and refuses to wear it. His mother once slapped him for it, but he was forced to wear the suit to please his father. The memory still makes him angry, and he angrily packs the suit away again.
Hu Manli brings Xue Xiaozhou to a book club event to meet Wei Yuanxiang. Xue Xiaozhou shows up in his regular clothes, much to Hu Manli's annoyance. He threatens to leave, so Hu Manli relents. She wants Xue Xiaozhou to call Qiu Lisu, who's organizing the event, because you need an invitation to get in. Xue Xiaozhou refuses to contact Qiu Lisu.
Hu Manli calls Ding Zhiyuan's graduate student, Wang Xue, who sees her as a mentor. Hu Manli pretends to apologize to Wang Xue and asks her to sneak Xue Xiaozhou into the book club and introduce him to Wei Yuanxiang, claiming he's a relative of Qiu Lisu.
Wang Xue brings Xue Xiaozhou to the event and introduces him to Wei Yuanxiang. Xue Xiaozhou tries to add Wei Yuanxiang on WeChat, but Wei Yuanxiang makes excuses. Wang Xue casually mentions that Xue Xiaozhou is a relative of Qiu Lisu.
