Episode Summary
Tai Mingxiao's attempts to protect Li Jinyu and Ye Meng's secret lead to comedic misunderstandings with Gou Kai, who then leaves town. A new rival for Li Jinyu's affection, Lin Yangyang, arrives and makes her intentions clear, creating awkwardness for Ye Meng. Meanwhile, Fang Ya'en finalizes her divorce with her son's blessing. The episode ends with the main group celebrating and navigating their complex feelings, as Ye Meng reassures a jealous Li Jinyu of her affection after a playful exchange of photos.
Spoiler Alert
Deep Affection Eyes Episode 19: A New Rival and a New Beginning
Now that Tai Mingxiao is in on Ye Meng and Li Jinyu's secret marriage, he's taken it upon himself to be their "undercover" agent at the office. Unfortunately, his efforts often backfire hilariously. When he spots Gou Kai heading towards the breakroom where the married couple is having a sweet moment, Tai Mingxiao repeatedly tries to block him, leading to a very awkward and confusing situation for Gou Kai.
Tired of the weirdness, Ye Meng finally clarifies things for Gou Kai, telling him that she and her husband have made up. Realizing his chances are gone, Gou Kai decides to leave Ningsui under the guise of handling company business. With Gou Kai out of the picture, Li Jinyu is relieved and wastes no time enjoying his time with Ye Meng, frequently calling her into his office for some romantic moments.
However, their peace is short-lived. Li Lingbai sends Lin Yangyang, the daughter of the Lin's Group, to Ningsui. Li Jinyu receives a call from Li Lingbai and, because they've known each other since childhood, feels he can't refuse. He takes Ye Meng along to show Lin Yangyang around a construction site, but the whole time, Lin Yangyang makes her crush on Li Jinyu incredibly obvious. This culminates at dinner, where she openly declares that she has been pursuing him since they were young.
The announcement makes the atmosphere incredibly strange. To further her goal of winning Li Jinyu's heart, Lin Yangyang asks to add Ye Meng on WeChat, hoping Ye Meng will help her keep an eye on him. Trapped, Ye Meng has no choice but to agree. To escape the awkwardness, she texts Fang Ya'en to come and pick her up.
Later, as requested, Li Jinyu drives Lin Yangyang home. She cuts right to the chase, bringing up the idea of a marriage alliance but also noting that it's clear he already has someone he likes. Meanwhile, Fang Ya'en takes Ye Meng to the Sapphire Bar for a drink. They discuss the progress of the clues Ye Meng is investigating for Fang Ya'en's upcoming divorce case, and Ye Meng wishes her friend the best.
When Ye Meng gets home, she finds Li Jinyu waiting for her by the door. She playfully teases him about his relationship with Lin Yangyang, but he earnestly reassures her that there is nothing romantic between them. After letting him squirm a bit, she lets him into her room. He explains that Lin Yangyang is a very pragmatic person who values benefits over true feelings, so Ye Meng has no reason to be jealous. Just then, Cheng Kairan calls Li Jinyu to give him a "brotherly" heads-up about the situation, not realizing Ye Meng is right there listening, which causes him to hang up in a panic.
The next morning, Fang Ya'en is heading to court. Before leaving, she tells her son, Chen Jiayu, the truth about the divorce. Chen Jiayu is incredibly supportive, telling his mother that he respects her decision as long as it makes her happy. His words move Fang Ya'en to tears. Later, the divorce is finalized, and she is finally free.
Upon hearing the news, Cheng Kairan immediately starts decorating a bar to celebrate and plans to confess his feelings. Li Jinyu advises him against it, warning that Fang Ya'en just escaped the "tiger's den" of marriage and won't be ready to jump into the "wolf's den" of a new relationship so soon. Qiao Maimai, however, encourages Cheng Kairan to be brave and go for it.
As it turns out, Fang Ya'en and Ye Meng go to a different bar. When Cheng Kairan sees Lin Yangyang enter his bar, he quickly creates a diversion to help Li Jinyu. He deliberately makes Li Jinyu look like a playboy to scare Lin Yangyang away, even sending a picture of Li Jinyu surrounded by other women to Ye Meng. Unfooled, Ye Meng immediately sends back a photo of her and Fang Ya'en sharing a table with some younger guys. Seeing the picture, Li Jinyu and Cheng Kairan immediately rush over to their bar.
The young men quickly leave when the two arrive with such intensity. The four of them end up dancing together on the dance floor. Seeing that Fang Ya'en doesn't want the night to end, Cheng Kairan promises to stay with her as long as she wants. Ye Meng notices Li Jinyu is still a bit jealous about the earlier photo and reassures him that no matter how great other guys might be, none of them can compare to him, much to his delight.
