Episode Summary
Hu Manli forges a depression diagnosis for her son, Ding Da'er, to manipulate his father, Ding Zhiyuan, into attending a family camping trip. Qiu Lisu discovers the forgery. Meanwhile, Hu Manli investigates Zhou Shufang's boyfriend, A Dong, suspecting infidelity, only to discover he's an actor Zhou Shufang has secretly dated for five years; Zhou Shufang also reveals she separated from her husband long ago. Ding Zhiyuan tells Ding Da'er about the separation, and the boy sides with his mother. Zhou Shufang wants Hu Manli to arrange retirement insurance for A Dong, but her daughter Sun Jie, shocked by the revelations, asks Hu Manli to delay it, creating conflict with Hu Manli's business partner, Xue Xiaozhou.
Spoiler Alert
Recap: Twists, Turns, and Tears in Episode 9
So, the episode kicks off with Hu Manli pulling a pretty desperate move. She's trying to convince her estranged husband, Ding Zhiyuan, to join the school's family camping trip for the sake of their son, Ding Da'er. Her tactic? Forging a doctor's note saying Ding Da'er has depression. Yikes. Ding Zhiyuan is torn – he obviously doesn't want his son to be sad, but dealing with Hu Manli right now is the last thing he wants.
Enter Qiu Lisu, Ding Zhiyuan's new flame. She smells something fishy about that diagnosis and does some digging, quickly finding out it's fake. Playing it cool, she just suggests to Ding Zhiyuan that maybe they should get a second opinion on Ding Da'er's condition, you know, just to be sure.
Meanwhile, Hu Manli and her business partner, Xue Xiaozhou, are playing private investigators. They've been tailing this guy, A Dong, for a week because he's dating Zhou Shufang (who they're trying to sell insurance to), but they suspect he's shady. They think they've caught him red-handed with another woman named Ali. Hu Manli drags Zhou Shufang over to A Dong's place for a confrontation, but plot twist! Zhou Shufang already knows Ali.
Turns out, A Dong and Ali are actors who play a couple in a theater troupe. Just as Hu Manli is accusing them of scamming Zhou Shufang, the director and film crew show up, ready to shoot a scene. Hu Manli is totally embarrassed and apologizes profusely to Zhou Shufang. Zhou Shufang, who's known Hu Manli for ages and knows she means well despite her sharp tongue ("knife mouth, tofu heart" as they say), reveals this whole confrontation was likely orchestrated by her own daughter, Sun Jie. Zhou Shufang's real concern? She's worried about A Dong's future if something happens to her and wants to buy him retirement insurance.
But Hu Manli can't shake the feeling that something's off. Zhou Shufang's husband only passed away two months ago, and she's already head-over-heels for A Dong? Hu Manli suspects A Dong is a con artist but has no solid proof.
Back to the main drama: Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu take Ding Da'er to an actual child psychologist. Surprise, surprise – the kid is perfectly fine. Now knowing for sure that Hu Manli faked the document, Ding Zhiyuan calls her up, absolutely furious. Hu Manli scrambles for excuses, but Ding Zhiyuan isn't having it. He declares he's not going camping and, more importantly, he's going to tell Ding Da'er the truth about their separation. Hu Manli panics, worried about scarring their son, and even Xue Xiaozhou suggests maybe honesty is the best policy now, but Hu Manli refuses.
Too late. Ding Da'er sees his dad being couple-y with Qiu Lisu, and Ding Zhiyuan breaks the news about the separation. The kid is stunned. When Hu Manli rushes home, expecting a meltdown, Ding Da'er has already processed it. In a surprisingly mature move, he even throws away a game console Qiu Lisu gave him, comforts his mom, and vows he's firmly on her side. Hu Manli is moved to tears.
Later, Qiu Lisu tries to get Ding Zhiyuan to join her for schmoozing with important clients, but he's really not into these kinds of social obligations, though Qiu Lisu is pretty persistent.
On the business front, Xue Xiaozhou checks with Hu Manli – should they take Zhou Shufang's insurance case? Hu Manli decides yes, and they need to do a great job. She's determined to make a fresh start. Symbolically, she packs up all of Ding Zhiyuan's books and photos from his study, ready to send them off.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou meet with Sun Jie to tell her they're taking her mom's insurance case. Sun Jie hits the roof, convinced her mother is being scammed by A Dong. Hu Manli explains they followed A Dong for a week and confirmed he is dating Zhou Shufang. Sun Jie doesn't buy it and confronts her mother directly. Zhou Shufang insists her feelings for A Dong are real and she will buy him the insurance. She tells Hu Manli to basically back off, explaining she's almost 60 and doesn't want to wait any longer.
And then, Zhou Shufang drops the real bombshell: She and A Dong have secretly been together for five years. Furthermore, she and Sun Jie's father actually separated when Sun Jie was only sixteen! They kept it hidden all those years to protect Sun Jie. Understandably, Sun Jie is absolutely floored by this double revelation.
Hu Manli tries to comfort Sun Jie, who, still reeling and suspicious, asks Hu Manli to please delay processing the insurance policy for A Dong. Feeling sympathetic, Hu Manli agrees. This puts her in a tough spot with Xue Xiaozhou, who's eager to close their first deal. Hu Manli asks for three days to figure out a solution that works for everyone. Xue Xiaozhou is anxious, but Hu Manli throws herself into research, working non-stop for two days and even consulting industry veterans, trying to find that perfect plan before Xue Xiaozhou calls, likely getting impatient.
Spoilers & What's Next:
- The Separation Fallout: Ding Zhiyuan and Hu Manli are officially done living together. The big question is how this new dynamic, especially with Qiu Lisu in the picture, will affect Ding Da'er long-term, despite his initial acceptance. His loyalty pledge to his mom might create friction with his dad.
- Hu Manli's Dilemma: She's caught between her promise to Sun Jie (delaying the policy) and her business commitment with Xue Xiaozhou (closing the deal). How will she navigate this? Finding a "perfect solution" in three days seems tough. Expect tension with Xue Xiaozhou.
- Zhou Shufang's Secrets: The revelation of the five-year affair and the long-hidden separation completely changes the family dynamic. How will Sun Jie process this betrayal from both her parents? Will she come to accept A Dong, or will she remain convinced he's bad news?
- Is A Dong Genuine? Despite the acting troupe explanation, Hu Manli's gut feeling persists. The show might still reveal A Dong has ulterior motives, or perhaps he truly is just an actor Zhou Shufang has been involved with for years. Zhou Shufang's insistence on buying him insurance keeps the suspicion alive.
- Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu: Their relationship is moving forward, but Ding Zhiyuan's reluctance to participate in Qiu Lisu's social/professional life might become a point of conflict.
Episode 9 definitely threw some major curveballs! Looks like the next episodes will deal with the emotional fallout from these secrets and Hu Manli's attempts to balance her personal loyalties with her new professional life. Stay tuned!
