Episode Summary
Qiao Lin's life implodes after she's harassed at work, leading her to break up with her fiancé and seek out Xu Yan. The reunion is icy, as Xu Yan reveals a painful childhood of neglect and favoritism that explains her resentment. Through flashbacks, we learn Xu Yan was denied an education and felt abandoned by her father, leading her to find solace only with her grandmother.
Spoiler Alert
Qiao Lin's Very Bad Day
A Creep, the Cops, and Awful In-Laws
The episode kicks off with Qiao Lin having a terrible time.First, some creep harasses her at her job. She fights back, which somehow lands her at the police station.Her banker boyfriend shows up to get her. But when they get home, his parents just lay into her. Their mouths are like machine guns, just non-stop criticism.They are completely obsessed with their son's career and image. They clearly don't care about Qiao Lin at all.
The Breakup
Qiao Lin has finally had enough. She looks at her useless boyfriend and his terrible parents and just walks away. She dumps him and heads straight for her sister, Xu Yan.
The "Reunion"
A Frosty Welcome
So Qiao Lin shows up looking for comfort. She finds Xu Yan with her new man, Shen Haoming. They look happy. But the reunion is anything but warm. Xu Yan introduces Qiao Lin as her cousin, not her sister.She does this right in front of Qiao Lin. You can see the hurt on Qiao Lin's face.
The Hotel and the Truth
Xu Yan then puts Qiao Lin up in a hotel.She makes it very clear that Qiao Lin is not welcome to stay and should leave after a few days. Qiao Lin is shocked. She assumes Xu Yan has snagged a rich boyfriend and now wants to ditch her poor family.
But Xu Yan hits her with the truth. She tells Qiao Lin that her last name is Xu, same as her grandma.They share a household registration. She says Qiao Lin's family never once treated her like she belonged.
Xu Yan's Side of the Story
The Gas Leak
Then we get Xu Yan's backstory. And it is a lot. She explains why she feels so disconnected from the family. She flashes back to a horrible memory from their childhood. There was a gas leak in the house, and both girls passed out. Their father ran in and saved Qiao Lin first. He only went back for Xu Yan as an afterthought. That was the moment she knew she was disposable.
A Childhood of Neglect
Her life didn't get much better. Her dad only agreed to raise her because her grandma threw a massive, public fit. He was just trying to save face with the neighbors. Her stepmother wasn't mean, but she always favored her own child, Qiao Lin. Xu Yan was mostly ignored. Her family never even celebrated her birthday.Only her grandma would remember to call her.
The Final Straw
The real breaking point came when she was in high school. Xu Yan was a top student. Her teachers thought she was a shoo-in for a great university.But her dad refused to pay for her to take the college entrance exam. He claimed they were broke. Then, he turned around and used the family's money to send Qiao Lin to college. That was it. Her dad even slapped her when she protested. She felt totally abandoned and ran away to live with her grandma. The two of them have been on their own ever since.
The Flower and The Promise
After dredging up all these painful memories, Xu Yan is in a taxi feeling awful. She gets a call from Shen Haoming. He invites her to his studio. He shows her a rare agave plant that is about to bloom.He explains that this plant blooms only once in its entire life.It saves up all its energy for decades to create one perfect flower, and then it dies.
Xu Yan looks at that flower and sees herself. She sees all the hardship she has endured. She decides right then that she will do absolutely anything to stay with Shen Haoming. He is her one chance to finally bloom.
