Episode Summary
After quitting her job over a workplace dispute, Ye Meng returns to her hometown and immediately finds herself dodging a blind date. Her escape is aided by a cold, mysterious delivery driver, Li Jinyu, whom she repeatedly encounters. Their connection deepens when she learns he is a childhood acquaintance and, complicating matters, the boyfriend of her workplace nemesis. When Ye Meng impulsively reveals his girlfriend's infidelity, she feels guilty and seeks him out at the bar where he performs, only to find herself running from an old friend and becoming captivated by Li Jinyu's music.
Spoiler Alert
Deep Affection Eyes: Episode 1 Spoilers
The story kicks off with Ye Meng, who has been working in Jiangbei since her university graduation. She quits her job in a rage after her boss, Gou Kai, unfairly reassigns a project that was rightfully hers to a colleague, Jiang Luzhi. Fed up, she returns to her hometown of Ningsui to start a more peaceful life. Her old friend, Cheng Kairan, gets wind of her return and calls her best friend, Fang Ya'en, to get the details, only for Ye Meng to walk in and surprise Fang Ya'en mid-call.
No sooner does Ye Meng arrive home than her family ambushes her with a blind date. The Ye family are considered local "fallen nobility"; though not as prominent as they once were, they are still a significant household. As Ye Meng is the only child in a family where her aunts cannot have children, it's crucial for her to find a husband who is willing to marry into the family.
Her mother has her sights set on a well-dressed, mature man, Dr. Gao, but Ye Meng has zero interest. When Dr. Gao comes to visit, Ye Meng hides in her room and flags down a delivery driver, Li Jinyu, to help her escape out the window. Li Jinyu, however, is cold and indifferent, riding off on his scooter and leaving her in the dust.
Later that night, Ye Meng spots Li Jinyu and convinces him to give her a ride to a crab restaurant she used to frequent. She orders a meal and watches him from a distance, intrigued by his solitary and mysterious vibe.
When she finally gets home, her mother, grandmother, and aunts are all waiting up for her. She's trying to come up with an excuse when she gets an urgent call: Fang Ya'en has been hospitalized with a broken bone. Rushing to the hospital, Ye Meng is stunned to discover that Li Jinyu is the grandson of her old neighbor, Grandma Dou. They had met as children but have no memory of each other. Grandma Dou warmly reintroduces them, but Li Jinyu remains as cold as ever. To complicate things further, Ye Meng overhears that Li Jinyu's current girlfriend is none other than Jiang Luzhi, her rival from her old job.
Knowing that Jiang Luzhi is having an affair with their former boss, Ye Meng bluntly tells Li Jinyu that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He acts nonchalant but seems to already know it's true. Later, Fang Ya'en tells Ye Meng how upset Li Jinyu looked, and Ye Meng feels a pang of guilt for being so tactless. As she leaves the hospital, she sees Li Jinyu gently using candy to soothe a sick child, revealing a warm, sincere side beneath his icy exterior.
The next morning, they run into each other at a convenience store but only share an awkward, silent moment in the checkout line. Back at the hospital, Ye Meng finds out that Dr. Gao, her blind date, is Grandma Dou's attending physician. Fang Ya'en scolds her for meddling, revealing that Li Jinyu broke up with his girlfriend and got an earful from his grandmother.
Feeling guilty, Ye Meng gets Li Jinyu's work address from his sister and goes to Jubaoshi Bar, where he performs as a singer. She arrives just in time to see him hang up on a call from Jiang Luzhi. Before she can approach him to explain, she runs into Cheng Kairan, who apparently owns the bar and wants to settle an old score with her.
To escape him, Ye Meng hides in the women's restroom. In a critical moment, Li Jinyu and his cousin, Qiao Maimai, who also works there, help her sneak away. After the chaotic scene, Li Jinyu takes the stage and begins to sing. Ye Meng watches, completely mesmerized by his performance and deeply attracted.
