Episode Summary
In this episode, Ye Meng's bold romantic pursuit of Li Jinyu is met with a harsh rejection, while her violent and unresolved past with childhood friend Cheng Kairan comes to a head, requiring Li Jinyu's intervention. As she tries to escape family pressure by moving, she uncovers more about Li Jinyu's troubled life, including his depression and traumatic memories. The episode culminates in a web of tangled relationships, with Cheng Kairan warning Ye Meng away from Li Jinyu before firing him out of spite.
Spoiler Alert
"Deep Affection Eyes" Episode 2 Spoilers
After just a couple of brief encounters, Ye Meng finds herself captivated by Li Jinyu, who perfectly matches her ideal type. With her aunt pushing for another blind date with Dr. Gao, she impulsively decides to ask Li Jinyu to be her boyfriend. Her direct approach backfires spectacularly. After she's denied his WeChat contact, she suggests they start dating, but Li Jinyu coldly rejects her. He mocks her as being old and desperate for marriage, stating he prefers younger, more innocent girls, and then pointedly adds another girl's WeChat in her presence.
The story then flashes back, revealing a painful history between Ye Meng and her childhood friend, Cheng Kairan. They, along with Fang Ya'en, were once close. However, Cheng Kairan became a delinquent while Ye Meng focused on her studies and Fang Ya'en left town for work. Ye Meng recalls witnessing him being taken away by a group of people; despite his pleading look for help, she did nothing. That event led to him being brutally beaten, leaving a permanent scar on his face.
In the present, Cheng Kairan is consumed by his grudge. He confronts Ye Meng, vowing to make her pay, though he assures her he won't involve her family. Seeking to resolve the old grievance, Ye Meng meets him at a bar. Her explanation that she had called the police for him back then falls on deaf ears, and he pulls a knife on her. Li Jinyu suddenly appears and skillfully disarms him, preventing a crisis. The arrival of Cheng Kairan's sister forces him to retreat angrily, and Ye Meng is left to thank her unexpected savior.
When Ye Meng later asks Li Jinyu why he is with his girlfriend, Jiang Luzhi, he flippantly remarks it's because she is prettier, leaving Ye Meng speechless. He helps her climb a wall to get back home, and both spend the night lost in their own somber thoughts.
Pressured into another blind date with Dr. Gao, Ye Meng attempts to scare him off with a list of extreme demands, including that their future children must take her surname. To her dismay, he agrees to everything. As a last resort to escape the constant pressure to marry, she decides to move into her family's old ancestral home.
There, she contrives a reason to get into Li Jinyu's home by hiring him for an electrical repair. Inside, she discovers he is taking antidepressants. She learns that despite having an extraordinary memory, he dropped out of high school. As they talk, Li Jinyu gets a call from Jiang Luzhi, who is returning to town and wants to meet to talk things through.
On a memorial day, Li Jinyu is seen alone at a cemetery, overwhelmed by traumatic memories of his childhood: being pushed out the door by his mother, a car explosion, and his mother's subsequent anger. His painful reflection is cut short by the arrival of several cars, prompting him to leave immediately.
Later, Ye Meng's friendly attempt to give Li Jinyu a dessert is met with a cold shoulder. Upset, she goes to her best friend Fang Ya'en's clothing store to vent. The situation grows more complex when Li Jinyu arrives for a part-time job at the store. Before they can address their tension, Cheng Kairan enters and apologizes to Ye Meng for his earlier aggression. He then notices her interest in Li Jinyu and warns her to be careful, calling him "scum." The drama intensifies when Fang Ya'en's estranged husband arrives, revealing their pending divorce. Annoyed by Ye Meng defending Li Jinyu, Cheng Kairan fires him from his job at the bar on the spot.
