Episode Summary
Liu Jun is persuaded to expand his business. Cui Bingbing's attempt to expose Qian Hongming's affair to his wife, Shen Jiali, is thwarted when Qian is tipped off and cleans the evidence. However, Shen Jiali later discovers the truth on her own, leading to an emotional breakdown and the ruin of her friendship with Cui Bingbing, though she ultimately decides to stay in the marriage.
Spoiler Alert
Created in China: Episode 28 Spoilers
While Liu Jun’s conservative approach leaves his long-time employees puzzled, Luo Qing isn't surprised, noting it's consistent with his cautious nature. However, a dinner with Lu Huadong changes everything. Lu’s incisive analysis of global industrial trends deeply inspires Liu Jun, dissolving his hesitation and convincing him to finally expand his production scale.
During the same dinner, a man Liu Jun recognizes as Boss Wu from a previous gathering with Qian Hongming sends a plate of fish to their table. Boss Wu is facing a cash flow problem and hopes Liu Jun can ask Qian Hongming for a one-month extension on his behalf. Liu Jun agrees to pass the message along.
Meanwhile, Cui Bingbing feels sorry for Shen Jiali, who remains completely unaware of her husband Qian Hongming's affair. Unwilling to see her friend kept in the dark, Cui Bingbing devises a plan. She suggests they go to Shanghai for the weekend to "surprise" Qian Hongming, with the secret intention of catching him in the act with his mistress.
The plan is unknowingly compromised when Shen Jiali, in a moment of casual conversation, tells Qian Hongming's sister, Qian Hongying, about their upcoming trip to Shanghai. Qian Hongying immediately alerts her brother. Panicked, Qian Hongming orders his mistress to vacate the apartment at once and hires cleaners to erase any trace of her presence.
When Cui Bingbing and Shen Jiali arrive in Shanghai, the plan hits another snag: Shen Jiali doesn't remember the apartment's address. Cui Bingbing has no choice but to take her to Qian Hongming's office. Putting on a calm facade, Qian Hongming greets them and suggests they stay at a hotel, claiming the apartment is a mess. Despite Cui Bingbing's subtle hints to go to the apartment, Shen Jiali naively agrees to the hotel.
Later, Liu Jun returns from a business trip, and the two families meet for dinner. During the meal, Cui Bingbing notices Qian Hongming's subtle reaction as he checks a text message—a confirmation from the apartment manager that the cleaning is complete.
The next day, Qian Hongming takes his wife and daughter back to the now-spotless apartment. As Cui Bingbing watches them leave, she feels a mix of pity and anger, frustrated that a bright, university-educated woman like Shen Jiali has become a naive housewife, completely oblivious to her husband's betrayal.
However, at the apartment, Shen Jiali grows suspicious. The place is far too tidy to be merely "messy" as her husband claimed. Her fears are confirmed when she smells lingering perfume in the bathroom and discovers a single earring under the bed. The evidence is undeniable. Emotionally shattered, Shen Jiali calls Cui Bingbing in tears. Liu Jun and Cui Bingbing immediately turn their car around and drive back to escort a distraught Shen Jiali and her daughter home.
Back home, Shen Jiali confronts Cui Bingbing, questioning why she brought her to Shanghai in the first place. Cui Bingbing realizes that Shen Jiali had suspected the affair all along but chose to live in denial to maintain the illusion of a happy marriage. Even with the truth exposed, Shen Jiali decides she will not divorce her husband, but her friendship with Cui Bingbing is irrevocably broken.
In the aftermath, a guilt-ridden Qian Hongming tries to atone by offering to buy a country house for Shen Jiali and even considers immigration. In a separate turn of events, the soaring property prices force Qian Hongying's company out of business. The episode closes with Shen Jiali and her daughter staying at their friend Fu Qiufang's house.
