Episode Summary
Li Lefan and Cheng Xu's attempt to gather evidence against a competitor hits a snag due to Cheng Xu's awkwardness. Meanwhile, pressure mounts as HQ executive Mr. Jiang demands Qin Tianyue fire Xia Wanqing. Qin Tianyue resists, citing Xia Wanqing's performance and team morale. After a tense confrontation where Xia Wanqing is given an ultimatum, Feng Qingming intervenes, revealing the hidden burden Xia Wanqing carries: her husband, Zhuo Yue, is seriously ill and requires regular dialysis, explaining her frequent absences. Witnessing Xia Wanqing's breakdown after a fight with her husband, a guilt-ridden Qin Tianyue promises to find another solution. The Destiny team shows solidarity by threatening mass resignation if Xia Wanqing is fired. Side plots involve trying to expose a fraudulent "Master" and a scheme targeting Guo Mingshan.
Spoiler Alert
"Home About Us" Episode 17 Recap & Spoilers
Alright, so the episode kicks off with Li Lefan trying to help Cheng Xu gather evidence against a competitor called "Jin Yu Liang Yuan," who they suspect of playing dirty. They arrange for Cheng Xu to meet a woman named Tian Tian. The plan hits a snag immediately because Tian Tian thinks Cheng Xu is super hot and gets very touchy-feely right away. Poor Cheng Xu is totally freaked out and keeps dodging her advances. Li Lefan, watching from upstairs, is getting seriously stressed – how are they supposed to get any incriminating info if Cheng Xu can't even manage small talk without running scared?
Meanwhile, back at the office, the drama surrounding Gao Huihui has escalated all the way to headquarters. A top boss, Mr. Jiang, comes down personally to sort things out. His command to Qin Tianyue is blunt and brutal: Xia Wanqing must be fired.
Qin Tianyue is clearly uncomfortable with this. She tries to push back, pointing out that their branch, Destiny (Si Di Ni), has actually been exceeding sales targets set by HQ recently. She argues that this success is a team effort and firing Xia Wanqing now would demoralize everyone and just wouldn't be fair.
But Mr. Jiang is having none of it. He's cold as ice, basically telling Qin Tianyue that Xia Wanqing is small-minded, lacks vision, and that her supposed contributions are irrelevant. He warns Qin Tianyue not to let one person's issues damage the company's overall interests.
So, Qin Tianyue finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. She has the horrible task of confronting Xia Wanqing. She lays out three options:
- Resign voluntarily to protect her future job prospects.
- Be officially fired by the company but receive severance pay.
- Be fired outright, possibly with negative consequences for her record.
As you can imagine, Xia Wanqing completely snaps. She breaks down, tearfully listing all her contributions and hard work over the years, accusing Qin Tianyue of having a personal vendetta against her. Qin Tianyue holds her ground, insisting she's only following orders from above. Xia Wanqing, absolutely furious, threatens to report Qin Tianyue for something (the details aren't clear, adding to the suspense!), grabs her bag, and storms out. The office tension just cranked up to eleven!
But wait, it gets even more dramatic! Feng Qingming, who had apparently been eavesdropping nearby, bursts into Qin Tianyue's office. In a move completely unlike his usual self, he shouts at Qin Tianyue, fiercely defending Xia Wanqing. He dramatically declares that if Qin Tianyue fires her, he will consider her his "enemy."
Qin Tianyue, trying to maintain composure, reminds Feng Qingming that Destiny is just a small branch of the main company. Defying a direct order from HQ could risk getting their entire operation shut down. Feng Qingming pauses for a moment, then grabs Qin Tianyue and insists she come with him to the hospital. He tells her that after she sees what he wants to show her, if she still insists on firing Xia Wanqing, he won't say another word.
At the hospital, Feng Qingming points towards a room and reveals the truth: the patient inside is Xia Wanqing's husband, Zhuo Yue. They were deeply in love, but less than three years into their marriage, he was diagnosed with uremia (severe kidney failure). He needs dialysis treatments every Tuesday and Friday. Suddenly, it clicks for Qin Tianyue – this is why Xia Wanqing always takes those half-days off, no matter what.
As they leave the hospital, Feng Qingming shares more backstory while they sit on a bench. He talks about the early days of their previous company (Yuexia Qiushen?), when it was just him and Ye Lang struggling to get by. Xia Wanqing joined them specifically because the job offered the flexibility she needed to care for Zhuo Yue. Their business started doing better after she joined, but she always stuck to her condition of needing those specific half-days off.
Feng Qingming emphasizes how much pressure Xia Wanqing is under, holding her family together despite this hidden hardship. Firing her wouldn't just be losing a job; it would be like pulling the rug out from under her entire life. He also mentions Ye Lang's own struggles – everyone thinks he's made it big in Ningzhou, but he's actually living frugally, sleeping in the office, just trying to save enough money so his parents can have a comfortable retirement.
Right on cue, they see Xia Wanqing and Zhuo Yue coming out of the hospital. Zhuo Yue stubbornly wants to take the subway, but Xia Wanqing, worried about his weakened state, calls for a ride-sharing car. This simple disagreement explodes into a fight. Zhuo Yue gets incredibly angry, says some really harsh things to her, and storms off, ignoring her pleas. Xia Wanqing, already fragile from the threat of being fired earlier that day, just crumbles. She collapses right there on the sidewalk, sobbing her heart out.
Feng Qingming and Qin Tianyue rush over to help the devastated Xia Wanqing. Qin Tianyue, clearly affected by everything she's learned and witnessed, apologizes and tells Xia Wanqing they will find another solution regarding her job.
Word spreads quickly back at Destiny, and the team shows amazing solidarity. They collectively submit their resignation letters, refusing to work there if Xia Wanqing is fired! Feng Qingming has to quickly step in and stop them, assuring everyone that Qin Tianyue is actively working on a plan to keep Xia Wanqing.
In a side plot, Feng Qingming and Qin Tianyue also try to dig up dirt on a "Master" figure associated with Wang Da'an, hoping to expose him as a fraud, but the Master is too wary and doesn't give anything away.
And elsewhere, it seems Guo Mingshan is being targeted (maybe poached by a competitor?), as Han Bing tells Shu Xin to try and tempt him with a share of some money.
So, Episode 17 leaves us with Qin Tianyue caught in a moral and corporate dilemma, Xia Wanqing facing overwhelming personal and professional crises, incredible team loyalty, and a couple of other schemes simmering in the background. Phew! What a rollercoaster. Can't wait to see how Qin Tianyue handles the pressure from HQ next!
