Episode Summary
Feng's mother enjoys a visit from her godson Ye Lang. Feng Qingming successfully convinces Qin Tianyue to give Xia Wanqing a three-month probation period but delivers harsh truths to Lin Kexin about her unrealistic dating expectations. Ma Xintian has an awkward date with Zhang Ke while still thinking about Jiang Qiao, who is researching dog allergies for her. Li Lefan gets engaged to Sheng Kuang. Guo Mingshan becomes instantly smitten with Lin Kexin, and despite a rocky start and Qin Tianyue's disapproval, he persists in pursuing her, offering her a ride home in the rain.
Spoiler Alert
"Home About Us" Episode 12 Recap & Spoilers
Alright, picture this: Feng's mother is totally in her element, cooking up a feast in her cozy, bustling kitchen. The pots are bubbling, the wok is sizzling – you know the vibe. Turns out, her godson, Ye Lang, dropped by for a visit, and get this, he brought some fancy, expensive lychees! Sweet gesture, right?
While they're cooking and catching up, Feng's mother naturally asks about how things are going with Qin Tianyue. Ye Lang reassures her that Qin Tianyue and her son, Feng Qingming, are working together like a dream team at the company – a real power couple. Feng's mother is thrilled to hear it, but knowing Qin Tianyue's strong, no-nonsense personality, she can't help but worry that her son is probably completely wrapped around Qin Tianyue's finger. Moms, right?
Speaking of Feng Qingming, he grabs that bag of lychees and makes a beeline for Qin Tianyue's place. His mission? To plead the case for Xia Wanqing. Once there, he launches into a whole speech about Xia Wanqing's contributions – maybe no massive wins, but definitely a lot of hard work and effort. He basically begs Qin Tianyue to give her another chance. After thinking it over, Qin Tianyue agrees... but with a catch. Xia Wanqing stays, but she's on probation. If she doesn't bring in new results within three months, she's out, according to headquarters' performance review rules (specifically, the last-place elimination policy). Oof, pressure's on!
With Xia Wanqing's situation temporarily settled, Feng Qingming shifts his focus to helping Lin Kexin. He ropes Li Lefan into joining him for a chat with Lin Kexin, aiming to help her figure things out, especially her love life. Seeing Lin Kexin still rocking her usual cool, somewhat aloof demeanor, Feng Qingming decides some tough love is in order. He goes full "brutal honesty" mode, telling her straight up that the reason she hasn't found someone is that she hasn't realistically assessed her own situation. He points out that while she's great, guys who are equally successful often go for younger women. Plus, her checklist – successful, handsome, romantic, artistic, and shares her interests – sounds more like a fantasy character than a real person. Ouch. Lin Kexin's face visibly falls, and poor Li Lefan is practically holding her breath next to them, tense as anything.
Meanwhile, the ever-helpful Cheng Xu is playing matchmaker again, this time for Ma Xintian. The new guy is Zhang Ke, who specializes in training police dogs. Big plus: Zhang Ke and his family aren't allergic to dog hair, which Cheng Xu made sure of before introducing them. Smart move!
On their first meeting, Zhang Ke seems quite taken with Ma Xintian. Ma Xintian, however, is totally spaced out, her mind clearly elsewhere. Later, they take the police dog, Bawan, out for a walk in the countryside. Bawan and Zhang Ke get along great, but Ma Xintian is still not really present. At one point, she even momentarily mistakes Zhang Ke for her ex, Jiang Qiao. Awkward!
And where is Jiang Qiao? He's holed up in the library, deep in research, trying to find ways to eliminate human allergic reactions to dog hair. Cheng Xu drops by and thinks it's kind of pointless since they've broken up. But Jiang Qiao earnestly explains that the information might be useful for Ma Xintian someday. Cheng Xu is genuinely touched by this, snaps a picture of Jiang Qiao, and leaves.
Later, Cheng Xu tells Feng Qingming about Jiang Qiao's efforts, leading Feng Qingming to wonder if maybe there's still a chance for those two. On the other side of things, when Zhang Ke drops Ma Xintian home, he expresses his hope to continue seeing her. Ma Xintian gently turns him down, admitting she's still hung up on Jiang Qiao. To his credit, Zhang Ke says he kind of figured she had something on her mind and encourages her to go after Jiang Qiao if he's the right one for her.
In happier relationship news, Li Lefan gets home to beaming parents (Sheng Kuang's parents, presumably). They've been looking at apartments in the city and plan to buy a small one for Li Lefan and Sheng Kuang as a wedding gift! Taking the cue, Sheng Kuang proposes right then and there in front of his parents. Li Lefan is overcome with emotion and tearfully accepts. Aww!
Back at the office, things are brewing. Guo Mingshan is back from a rather unenthusiastic blind date. Just as he returns, Lin Kexin, having decided to adjust her dating criteria after Feng Qingming's reality check, is registering her new preferences with Li Lefan. Guo Mingshan spots Lin Kexin across the room and is instantly captivated – like, completely smitten, can't-look-away vibes.
Ye Lang totally clocks Guo Mingshan's interest and immediately suggests to Li Lefan that they introduce the two. Li Lefan shuts it down fast, convinced that Lin Kexin would never go for Guo Mingshan, who she sees as having zero artistic or romantic inclinations. But Ye Lang is persistent and eventually wears her down, so she agrees to make the introduction.
When Guo Mingshan finally meets Lin Kexin, he dives right in, telling her she reminds him of his first love – seeing that same purity, transparency, and freshness in her. Yikes, dude, read the room! Lin Kexin coldly replies that she has absolutely no interest in being anyone's substitute. Guo Mingshan quickly tries to backtrack, insisting that's not what he meant.
Word gets back to Qin Tianyue that Feng Qingming orchestrated this disastrous setup, and she is furious. She absolutely chews him out, calling the whole arrangement incredibly unreliable.
Later, a heavy rain starts pouring. Lin Kexin is stuck without an umbrella, about to make a dash for it using her small bag as cover, when suddenly, an umbrella appears over her head. It's Guo Mingshan – he'd been waiting there for her. Once she's in his car, he tells her firmly that he intends to keep pursuing her. But, he promises, even if she keeps rejecting him, he'll never become a burden to her.
Whew! A lot happened with budding romances, tough love, and office dynamics. Can't wait to see how the Xia Wanqing probation plays out and if Guo Mingshan's persistence (or Jiang Qiao's research) leads anywhere! Stay tuned!
