Episode Summary
Xu Yan hires actors to play her parents to win over her wealthy future mother-in-law, Yu Lan. The plan is nearly exposed when Yu Lan's suspicions lead to a tense confrontation, but Xu Yan salvages the situation with a sympathetic story about her childhood. We learn that Xu Yan orchestrated her first meeting with her boyfriend, Shen Haoming, as a calculated move to advance her career. The episode ends with an unexpected, quiet moment of connection between them at his office.
Spoiler Alert
The Grand Deception
Faking It to Make It
The show kicks off with Xu Yan.She has a very specific life plan. That plan involves marrying her rich boyfriend, Shen Haoming. To do that, she needs to impress his powerful family. Her own family isn't going to cut it. So, she does the most logical thing. She hires actors to play her parents.
Xu Yan gives them a whole script to memorize.She thinks she has everything under control. The fake parents are charming and say all the right things. Xu Yan feels like she's about to secure her future. She's so close to marrying into a wealthy family.
The Test
But there's a problem. The boyfriend's mother, Yu Lan, is sharp. She's sitting there, drinking her tea, and you can just tell she isn't buying any of it.She casually mentions that she couldn't find these supposedly famous academic parents on Baidu. It's a total power move.
Xu Yan panics for a second. Then she remembers the cover story she created. She told Shen Haoming her parents were low-key researchers. She even sent him some files, which she now shows to his mom. The fake dad jumps in. He says he doesn't do research for fame. He talks about the quiet, selfless dedication of a true academic.
To really sell it, the fake dad gives them a book as a gift. But Yu Lan notices one of the books isn't signed. She asks him to sign it for her right there. He does it perfectly, without even flinching. Yu Lan doesn't call them out, but you know she knows.
The Confession
Later, Yu Lan gets Xu Yan alone for a walk. She drops a simple line. "The real can't be fake, and the fake can't be real."She's basically telling Xu Yan to drop the act.
So Xu Yan switches tactics. She apologizes. She tells a story about her unhappy childhood. Her parents fought all the time. She says she just pretends to be strong to get by. She wanted to present a happy family to them. It's a calculated move, and Xu Yan walks away thinking she passed the test. She believes she's officially in.
Reality Bites
Back to the Grind
Life at work is not as glamorous. Xu Yan's boss, Sun Siwei, is a piece of work. She rips into Xu Yan in front of everyone for a poorly written script. Then she gets personal. She sneers at Xu Yan for latching onto a rich guy.
Shen Haoming offers to help her out. Xu Yan is a little thrown when she learns he has "informants" at her job, but she's not going to turn down the help.She uses the moment to ask what his parents thought of their meeting. He's vague. He says their opinion doesn't represent his own.
The Master Plan
We then learn how Xu Yan and Shen Haoming actually met. It wasn't by chance. She orchestrated the whole thing.Initially, she just wanted to interview him for her show.
She did her homework to get his attention. She found out he was into specific, high-end gardening tools. She got him a set as a gift. He was impressed that she figured out what he liked so quickly. He found her interesting, and her plan worked perfectly.
An Unexpected Connection
Back in the present, Xu Yan is feeling down about a tough interview. But she's determined to fight for a better life. Her boss, Sun Siwei, actually shows a moment of kindness. She sees Xu Yan is sick and tells her to take a day off.
Just then, Shen Haoming sends her a text. Xu Yan goes to his office. She finds him in the middle of a big meeting. For a second, she just watches him. She's struck by how focused and serious he looks.
He's deep in his presentation, but then he looks up. He sees her sitting in the back of the room. They just lock eyes. For a moment, it feels like they're the only two people there.
