Episode Summary
Episode 9 sees Zhou Musun and Luo Man's relationship deepen, leading to intimacy, but also their first major conflict and subsequent breakup. The trouble starts when Zhou Musun hires Luo Man's best friend, Chen Kaixi, to work at his company, a move intended to manipulate Chen Kaixi's estranged partner (and Zhou Musun's rival), Chen Mian. Luo Man views this as a betrayal and a destructive tactic, leading to a heated argument with Zhou Musun who defends it as a business strategy. This disagreement proves irreconcilable, and they split. Meanwhile, Chen Kaixi and Luo Man also argue over the job, though they later show signs of reconciliation, emphasizing their strong bond. Elsewhere, Zhong Qingcheng finally gets an acting role but faces severe bullying on set, particularly from an actress who has issues with Chen Kaixi and Ken Zong. The episode ends with all three women facing significant personal and professional challenges.
Spoiler Alert
"Dear Enemy" Episode 9 Recap: Love, Lies, and Badminton Showdowns
The episode kicks off with Zhou Musun and Luo Man being all kinds of adorable and in sync. Their chemistry is so thick, you could cut it with a knife, and it's definitely not going unnoticed. Ken Zong is side-eying them hard, basically asking, "So, what's the deal with you two?" Truth be told, neither Zhou Musun nor Luo Man can quite put a label on their "thing" just yet. Zhou Musun's attempt to describe their relationship is so hilariously awkward that it actually makes Luo Man laugh out loud.
Later that night, back at their place, the romantic tension finally boils over. Luo Man, in a bold move, pretty much throws herself at Zhou Musun. Post-passion, they're all cuddled up, sharing secrets and sweet nothings. But the night takes a turn when Zhou Musun wakes up to find Luo Man burning up with a fever. Ever the gentleman (sometimes!), he carefully tucks her in and gets her some medicine. Aww, right?
Meanwhile, in another corner of this dramatic universe, Zhong Qingcheng finally snags an acting gig! Yay! But hold your applause because her colleagues are a bunch of catty haters, constantly throwing shade and sarcastic remarks her way. To make matters worse, her main scene partner is that famous actress from before. And guess what? Said actress spotted Chen Kaixi and Ken Zong looking a little too cozy, so she decides to take it out on poor Zhong Qingcheng during their scenes, making her life a living hell on set.
Elsewhere, Chen Mian and his cousin Fang Chi decide to hit the badminton court with Zhou Musun. And who should they conveniently bump into? None other than Luo Man, hanging out with Zhou Musun. Small world, huh?
Later, Luo Man decides it's time for a heart-to-heart with her bestie, Chen Kaixi. She spills the beans about her and Zhou Musun. Luo Man was probably bracing for some serious judgment, but Chen Kaixi plays it surprisingly cool. Instead of freaking out, Chen Kaixi cuts to the chase: "So, are you, like, planning to marry this guy?" Luo Man admits she hasn't really thought that far ahead but confesses that, yeah, she's definitely caught feelings for Zhou Musun, even if she's not sure where it's all headed.
Back to the badminton game! Zhou Musun keeps feeding easy shots to Song Zong (another player, presumably), which really throws Fang Chi off his game. During this sporty interlude, Chen Mian also finds out that Chen Kaixi is now working for Zhou Musun. He's clearly shocked but tries to play it cool, Mr. Suave that he is.
That cool facade crumbles pretty fast, though. Once Chen Mian gets home, he unleashes his fury on Chen Kaixi. He's convinced Zhou Musun is just trying to mess with him and drag him down, and Chen Kaixi working there is just going to make things worse for him.
Luo Man isn't thrilled about Chen Kaixi working for Zhou Musun either. She flat-out tells Chen Kaixi that Zhou Musun's company is a "fire pit" and she shouldn't go there. But Chen Kaixi, perhaps a little defensively, throws Luo Man's own relationship with Zhou Musun back in her face, basically saying, "If you can be with him, why can't I work for him?" This, as you can imagine, leads to a pretty heated argument between the two best friends.
Zhou Musun, meanwhile, is practically gloating. He remembers the look of pure dejection on Chen Mian's face when he found out Chen Kaixi was his employee, and he's loving every minute of it. But his smugness is short-lived because Luo Man comes at him, furious that he hired Chen Kaixi without even telling her.
Zhou Musun pulls the classic "it's my business, not yours" card. He tells Luo Man she only feels awkward because she's choosing to feel awkward. He insists it was purely a business decision. He claims he knows Chen Mian isn't genuinely interested in cooperating with him, so hiring Chen Kaixi is just a strategic move to gain some leverage.
Luo Man is not buying it. She argues that his actions have put her in an impossible position with Chen Kaixi. Plus, she's seen how much this whole situation is hurting Chen Kaixi and Chen Mian's already rocky relationship. She's worried Zhou Musun's scheming might be the final nail in the coffin for them.
With both of them digging their heels in and refusing to see the other's point of view, the inevitable happens: Luo Man and Zhou Musun break up. Ouch.
So, to recap the emotional carnage: Zhong Qingcheng is being bullied at her new job, Luo Man and Chen Kaixi are fighting, and now Luo Man and Zhou Musun are over. It's like a trifecta of trouble for our leading ladies.
But even though Luo Man and Chen Kaixi had a massive fight, Luo Man can't just switch off her concern for her best friend. She's wracking her brain, trying to figure out how to explain things to Chen Kaixi and convince her to quit Zhou Musun's company. Just then, a gift arrives for Luo Man via flash delivery – it's from Chen Kaixi.
Later that evening, Luo Man is in a car, and she reads a note that Chen Kaixi had tucked into the gift. The words hit her right in the feels, and she starts crying. It's a poignant reminder that even when these besties fight, their bond is incredibly strong. They both care deeply for each other and don't want their friendship to fall apart.
