Episode Summary
Wen Zhiqiu falls for Chu Shaohua after she expertly sells him a pen, but she rejects his job offer due to her hidden past. Shaohua launches a successful "blind box" sales event, which leads to a confrontation with a jealous and pregnant Ni Xiangying. After losing a sales competition on a technicality, Shaohua is promoted anyway, while Ni Xiangying suffers a miscarriage after being dumped by Tian Tongxin. To protect Kang Erniu from a politician who knows her past, Shaohua masterminds a clever blackmail and deception plot. The plan works, leading Tian Tongxin to propose to Kang Erniu, who then goes to finalize her revenge.
Spoiler Alert
A New Admirer and an Old Problem
The Pen is Mightier
A new character, Wen Zhiqiu, walks into the Yongxin Department Store. At first, he seems interested in Ni Xiangying and gives her a hard time over a pen. But then Chu Shaohua steps in. She's wearing a killer black dress and is all business. She uses her sharp observation skills and professional charm to not just sell him the pen but make him feel like he needs it.
Wen Zhiqiu is instantly hooked on Shaohua. He comes back later, pretending he wants to return the pen. Shaohua doesn't just talk him into keeping it. She uses a coupon to convince him to buy a second pen. The guy is seriously impressed.
An Offer She Has to Refuse
Wen Zhiqiu starts pursuing Shaohua hard. He shows up and flat-out tells her he's into her. He also offers her a job at his huge pharmacy, promising to pay her double what she's making now.
You can see Shaohua is tempted. But she has to turn him down. We learn a huge secret about her past. People from her hometown of Qizhou think she jumped off a cliff and died. She's carrying a heavy burden and can't risk going back into the Chinese medicine business. Wen Zhiqiu gets rejected, but he doesn't look like he's giving up.
Business, Betrayal, and a Slap
Shaohua's Big Idea
Shaohua is a workhorse. She gets an idea from her time at the casino and creates a sales plan for the stationery department. She calls it "Guan Pu," which is basically a blind box promotion. Customers buy a bundle of items without knowing exactly what's inside. Some get way more than their money's worth.
The first trial is a massive success. People are lining up to buy these mystery packs. Her boss, Manager Shen, loves it and gives her more staff and products to keep it going.
The Confrontation
Things get messy with Ni Xiangying. She can't get ahold of Tian Tongxin on the phone. Then she sees him driving off with Kang Erniu. She is furious. She marches straight to the store and slaps Chu Shaohua across the face. She accuses Shaohua of pushing her friend Kang Erniu into Tian Tongxin's arms.
Shaohua grabs Ni Xiangying's wrist, ready to hit back. But then she feels something—a "joyful pulse," which in traditional medicine means pregnancy. She remembers seeing Ni Xiangying looking sick and realizes she's pregnant with Tian Tongxin's child. So, she lets it go.
The Fallout
A Winner and a Loser
Manager Shen finds out what happened and comes down hard on Ni Xiangying, docking her a month's pay. The sales competition between Shaohua and Ni Xiangying finally ends. Shaohua technically loses. Ni Xiangying only won because Tian Tongxin bought 200 pens from her.
Shaohua is a good sport about it and starts packing her things to leave. But then comes the twist. She gets promoted to floor manager anyway. As she's leaving her old post, she tells a smug Ni Xiangying to go see a doctor.
A Tragic End
The promotion sends Ni Xiangying into a rage. To make it worse, she gets a breakup letter from Tian Tongxin. The shock of it all makes her faint. They rush her to the hospital, but she loses the baby.
That night, Shaohua waits for Kang Erniu to get home. She tells her about the miscarriage and begs her again to leave Tian Tongxin. But Kang Erniu is stubborn. She believes she can be the one to finally lock him down.
Blackmailing a Politician
A Ghost from the Past
Tian Tongxin takes Kang Erniu to a fancy dinner with a government official, Director Zhou Jieren. The moment Kang Erniu sees him, she recognizes him. He was a regular client back when she worked in a brothel in Beijing. Zhou recognizes her too and starts asking uncomfortable questions.
Panicked, Kang Erniu runs to Shaohua for help. Shaohua sees a newspaper article praising Zhou for being an upstanding official and gets an idea.
The Counter-Move
The plan is brilliant. First, Kang Erniu confronts Zhou at a press conference. She acts a little unhinged and threatens to expose his old habits unless he pays her 50 silver dollars. He agrees.
Then, Zhou goes to Tian Tongxin and tells him that Kang Erniu was a prostitute. Tian gets suspicious and sets up a dinner to get them in the same room. This is where Shaohua's plan really kicks in. During the dinner, a letter is delivered to Zhou. He goes outside and sees a figure that looks just like Kang Erniu under a streetlight. It's actually Shaohua wearing her clothes. He freaks out, runs back inside, and sees the real Kang Erniu calmly playing the piano. His doubts vanish. Tian Tongxin is also completely convinced of her innocence.
The Ring and the Reckoning
After dinner, Tian Tongxin is totally smitten. He proposes to Kang Erniu with his mother's emerald ring. She sends him off for the night. Then, she changes her clothes and heads out to settle her score with Zhou Jieren once and for all.
