Episode Summary
Amidst pandemic anxieties, Luo Man navigates personal and professional challenges. Her parents encourage a relationship with the attentive Fang Chi, leading to a tentative connection between them. Meanwhile, Zhong Qingcheng faces a public smear campaign orchestrated by her estranged, ill father demanding money; Luo Man cleverly helps her resolve this. Subplots include Chen Kaixi's parenting disagreements with Chen Mian and Luo Man's cousin's unsuccessful blind date with Fang Chi, who seems more interested in Luo Man. The episode culminates with Fang Chi caring for Luo Man when she falls ill, deepening their bond as they collaborate on her script. Luo Man then discovers Fang Chi is the doctor her new project needs, confidently stating she can secure his involvement.
Spoiler Alert
It kicks off with Luo Man having a majorly relatable moment, glued to the pandemic news, tears streaming, and just feeling all the feels about life. You know, that existential dread mixed with a sudden appreciation for just being alive? Yeah, that.
Since everyone's basically grounded, Luo Man, Zhong Qingcheng, and Chen Kaixi are living that video chat life. Luo Man, enjoying a couple of drinks, muses on how life really does write the best (and craziest) material. Meanwhile, Gu Qingcheng is diligently doing daily health check-ins. Chen Kaixi, ever the practical one, tells Luo Man to maybe lay off the doomscrolling because it's messing with her emotions. But then, in a classic friend move, while telling Luo Man to drink less, Chen Kaixi also offers to send her driver over with some top-shelf booze. Mid-chat, the lights go out at Chen Kaixi's place, and her husband, Chen Mian, swoops in like a domestic hero to fix the circuit. When the lights come back on, Chen Kaixi is all smiles.
Meanwhile, Luo Man's parents are in the hospital, but they're getting the VIP treatment from Fang Chi. This guy is the definition of attentive – checking on their condition, explaining treatments, bringing fruit and little gifts. Naturally, Luo Man's parents are totally smitten and start playing matchmaker, basically telling Luo Man she should seriously consider getting to know Fang Chi better.
So, after some prodding from her folks, Luo Man musters up the courage to text Fang Chi and ask the million-dollar question: "You seeing anyone?" Fang Chi gets super excited and says his ideal woman is someone with a strong mind, someone who can be his partner in crime through thick and thin. Luo Man, ever so graciously (and perhaps a tad cluelessly?), decides her cousin, who's also looking to settle down, would be perfect for him and suggests setting them up. Fang Chi jokingly asks if her cousin's temper is any better than hers and then drops a line about how his first impression of Luo Man was actually really good, hinting there might be something more there. Smooth, Fang Chi, smooth.
Elsewhere, Zhong Qingcheng gets a blast from the past when her ex-boyfriend reaches out, hoping to meet. Talk about a complicated cocktail of emotions – all those sweet memories and painful heartbreaks come flooding back, leaving her totally unsure how to respond. Later, Luo Man is hanging out at Chen Kaixi's, and they get to talking about Chen Mian's cousin, Fang Chi, and how he just hasn't found the right person yet.
But hold on, because things are about to take a sharp turn. Zhong Qingcheng suddenly gets super sick in the bathroom, and at the same time, a strange number keeps blowing up her phone. Annoyed, she answers, completely unaware of the storm brewing. Soon enough, nasty rumors start flying online, accusing Zhong Qingcheng of abandoning her cancer-stricken father. The internet wolves pounce, calling her heartless and immoral.
Luo Man and Chen Kaixi, obviously worried sick, rush over to Zhong Qingcheng's. They find her devastated, eyes empty, tears welling up. Zhong Qingcheng explains her side: her father ditched her and her mom when she was little, she never knew a father's love, and now that he's down on his luck and sick, he wants to waltz back into her mother's life and demand a ton of money from her. She's crushed that these keyboard warriors, who know nothing about her past, are dragging her through the mud.
Our dynamic duo, Luo Man and Chen Kaixi, decide to accompany Zhong Qingcheng to confront her father at a restaurant. The tension in that private room is thick enough to cut with a knife. As soon as Zhong Qingcheng's father sees them, he drops the bombshell: he wants a million in compensation. Luo Man, absolutely furious, jumps up and lays into him, pointing out how utterly unreasonable it is to expect a young actress, who's already struggling to make it in the entertainment industry, to cough up that kind of cash. But Dad Dearest doesn't care and threatens to go on TV and trash his daughter's reputation.
Zhong Qingcheng, heartbroken and enraged, tearfully calls him out for abandoning her when she was just ten and how her mother taught her to be self-reliant and never expect him to return. She asks if he feels any guilt, but he just plays the victim card, insisting he's the weak one now and she has to give him the money.
Little did he know, Luo Man is always three steps ahead. Before the meeting, she cleverly hid a recording pen in a flower arrangement at the hotel and caught his entire extortion attempt on tape. Later, she and a lawyer play the recording for him. The color drains from his face – busted! Luo Man gives him a choice: sign an agreement or go to jail. Defeated, he signs, takes a few tens of thousands, and slinks away.
Luo Man thought she was doing a good deed by introducing her cousin to Fang Chi, hoping for a love connection. But then her cousin calls, totally frustrated, saying Fang Chi is like talking to a brick wall – he only answers direct questions and never initiates conversation, basically just going through the motions. Plus, the cousin has a nagging feeling that Fang Chi is way more interested in Luo Man, constantly bringing her up in their chats. Awkward!
On the home front, Chen Kaixi and Chen Mian are butting heads over parenting. Chen Kaixi is all about discipline and teaching their son not to quit (specifically, his music lessons). Chen Mian, on the other hand, thinks kids should be out playing and enjoying their childhood. They argue, neither backing down, until Chen Kaixi reluctantly gives in, though she still has to drag her unwilling son to his music practice. The struggle is real.
Then, drama strikes Luo Man directly! She collapses with severe abdominal pain, breaking out in a cold sweat. She remembers her dad saying how important it is to have someone by your side for moments like these. The first person who pops into her head? Fang Chi. She manages to call him, and he, like a knight in shining armor, races over, scoops her up, and rushes her to the hospital. On the way, he's dropping some not-so-subtle hints that he's interested in pursuing her. Luo Man is a bit taken aback, but you can tell a little something is stirring in her heart.
The diagnosis? Hemorrhoid-induced abdominal pain. Ouch. After treatment, she heads home, and Fang Chi is there, taking care of her, bringing her tea, telling jokes to cheer her up. Just then, her colleague calls – a script is due tomorrow! Luo Man is in no condition to type, so Fang Chi steps up again, offering to type while she dictates. As Luo Man crafts this romantic, witty, and tender dialogue between her characters, Fang Chi is listening, visibly amused and, by the end of their all-night editing session, gaining a whole new understanding of the female psyche.
When Fang Chi leaves, it's pouring rain. He pauses, umbrella in hand, and looks up. Luo Man is at her window, watching him. They both break into a smile. Cue the romantic music!
To wrap it all up, Luo Man lands a new gig. During a video conference, the director mentions wanting to bring a doctor on board for the project, but this doctor is proving hard to get. When Luo Man sees a photo of the doctor in question, it's none other than Fang Chi! A smile spreads across her face as she confidently says, "I can handle him." Oh, we bet you can, Luo Man!
