Episode Summary
Cheng Xu overhears Song Hao admitting he's deceiving Li Lefan to get his father to pay his debts. After confronting Song Hao, Cheng Xu confesses his feelings to a flustered Li Lefan. Song Hao's scheme is fully exposed, disgusting Li Lefan. Qin Tianyue encourages Li Lefan to consider Cheng Xu and advises Cheng Xu on how to pursue her. Meanwhile, Ye Lang crashes Xiao Min's blind date with Guo Mingshan, leading to an ultimatum from Xiao Min. Xia Wanqing rushes to the hospital when her husband Zhuo Yue collapses during dialysis but still refuses his request for a divorce. Fang Ye and Ma Jie reconcile and try living together again.
Spoiler Alert
Recap & Spoilers for "Home about Us" Episode 31
First off, Cheng Xu is back at the hospital, basically eavesdropping like a pro. He overhears Song Hao talking to his dad and confirms his suspicions – Song Hao isn't genuinely into Li Lefan; he's just trying to manipulate his dad into paying off his debts by pretending to settle down. Not cool, Song Hao.
Naturally, Cheng Xu is furious and confronts Song Hao. Things get physical, but luckily Li Lefan shows up right on time to stop Cheng Xu from throwing down completely. She’s already told Cheng Xu to stay out of her business, but things escalate. In the heat of their argument, Cheng Xu just blurts it out: he likes Li Lefan! Cue the dramatic pause and sudden silence. Li Lefan, totally flustered, makes a run for it. Awkward!
Later, Song Hao actually has the nerve to find Cheng Xu (the text mentions "Destiny" / 思蒂妮, but the context strongly implies Cheng Xu is the one Song Hao confronts, likely demanding money). Song Hao throws out a number – 50,000 yuan! Cheng Xu, completely unimpressed, basically counters with, "How about I give you 100,000, and then beat you up for 50,000 worth?" Yeah, negotiations totally stalled there. Cheng Xu then exposes Song Hao's real endgame to Li Lefan: get married so his dad pays his debts. Li Lefan is absolutely disgusted, realizing just how shameless Song Hao is.
After Song Hao leaves, Li Lefan gets called into Qin Tianyue's office. Qin Tianyue connects the dots – Cheng Xu's fight must be about Li Lefan. Li Lefan confirms Cheng Xu's confession but admits she hasn't figured out her feelings yet. Qin Tianyue gives her some real talk, basically saying opportunities like Cheng Xu don't come around often, so she better think fast!
Then, Qin Tianyue has a separate chat with Cheng Xu. She makes it clear she's talking to him not as his boss, but as Li Lefan's concerned "big sister." Cheng Xu is pretty surprised when Qin Tianyue says she's okay with them dating and even starts giving him tips on how to woo Li Lefan! Looks like Cheng Xu's got a powerful ally.
In other news:
- Fang Ye & Ma Jie: Remember them? Thanks to some help from Qin Tianyue and Feng Qingming, they've patched things up! They've decided to give living together a real try for a month, putting themselves in each other's shoes. It seems they're finally realizing how much they mean to each other.
- Li Lefan & Professor Song: Feeling guilty about the deception, Li Lefan visits Song Hao's dad. She confesses that the relationship was a sham but, feeling bad for Professor Song, promises to keep visiting him. Cheng Xu gives her some solid advice: Professor Song is mainly worried about his son being a screw-up. If they can show him that Song Hao is capable of holding down a steady job and being independent, maybe Professor Song can finally relax a bit. Li Lefan agrees it's a good angle.
- The Blind Date Disaster: Xia Wanqing sets up Guo Mingshan with Xiao Min. They actually seem to be hitting it off and are considering dating... when Ye Lang bursts into the cafe! He aggressively tells Guo Mingshan to leave. Guo Mingshan is furious, arguments ensue, and Xiao Min, totally embarrassed, drags Ye Lang outside. Ye Lang swears he didn't mean to cause trouble, but admits he just couldn't control himself seeing her on a date. Xiao Min gives him an ultimatum: he has two months to learn to stay away from her coffee shop ("Lu Yin Coffee"), or she'll close it down for good. Yikes!
- Xia Wanqing's Crisis: As if dealing with Ye Lang's meltdown wasn't enough, Xia Wanqing gets a call from the hospital. Her husband, Zhuo Yue, passed out during his dialysis treatment. She rushes over. Despite his critical condition, Zhuo Yue is still insisting on a divorce because he doesn't want to be a burden. Xia Wanqing refuses to give up on him.
- The Aftermath: Guo Mingshan is (rightfully) angry and wants to complain about Ye Lang's behavior. Feng Qingming hears about it and tells Ye Lang off. However, realizing Ye Lang has genuine feelings for Xiao Min, Feng Qingming decides to step in as the "big brother" and help him out. Meanwhile, Fang Ye invites Ma Jie's parents over for a do-over dinner. This time, she totally impresses them, even having gifts ready. Looks like she's really growing into the daughter-in-law role!
Whew! So much happened. Cheng Xu confessed, Song Hao got exposed, Ye Lang made a huge mess, and poor Xia Wanqing is dealing with a serious family crisis. Can't wait to see what happens next!
