Episode Summary
Ge Kaiyang cuts ties with his selfish relatives at his grandmother's funeral, and Lu Xinying accompanies him to his hometown. Xinying's parents catch her lying about her whereabouts, leading to a massive argument that causes Xinying to run away from home. Meanwhile, Lin Anran tries and fails to negotiate a better contract, and Li Daoqi gets drunk protecting Fu Yudong at a business dinner.
Spoiler Alert
Back to the Origin Episode 19
Family Ties and Funeral Rights
We pick things up at a funeral dinner. It’s as awkward as you’d expect. Lu Xinying sits with Ge Kaiyang at the family table. His aunt is busy counting cash. She splits the gift money based on who knows whom. She hands Ge Kaiyang the cash from the immediate relatives. It feels transactional.
Ge Kaiyang doesn't care about the money. He tells his uncle and aunt his plan. He wants to take his grandmother’s ashes back to their hometown for burial the next day. The response is cold. The relatives had a bad relationship with the grandmother. They refuse to go. Only the aunt looks a little guilty.
This is the breaking point for Ge Kaiyang. He realizes these people aren't family anymore. He switches to English to tell them he never wants to see them again. It’s a mic-drop moment. Lu Xinying sees his pain. She texts him quietly. She promises to go with him to the hometown to deliver the ashes.
The Cover-Up Fails
Lu Ming thinks he has fixed everything. He convinced his wife, Zhou Ailing, to let Xinying stay in the country. He calls Xinying with "good" news. They want to visit her company and have a nice family meal.
There is a problem. Xinying is currently in the countryside with Ge Kaiyang. She lies. She tells them the company sent her on a business trip. She thinks this buys her time.
Her parents are relentless. They go to her office anyway to check out the environment. They ask a colleague about Xinying. The truth comes out immediately. The colleague reveals Xinying took personal leave. The lie falls apart.
The Blowout at Home
Lu Ming tries to call Xinying. She ignores it. He texts her instead. She eventually heads home to face the music. Lu Ming tries to keep the peace. He begs Zhou Ailing not to lose her temper.
Xinying walks in. Her mom storms off to the bedroom immediately. Lu Ming tries the calm approach. He asks what happened. Xinying admits she was helping a friend. A male friend.
That brings Zhou Ailing running back out. She demands to know if it’s a boyfriend. Xinying says no. It’s just a friend. Her mom starts complaining and nagging. Xinying has been repressing her feelings for too long. She snaps. They start shouting. Xinying starts crying. She feels suffocated. She turns around and walks right back out the door.
Ge Kaiyang is still at the wake. He can't be there for her physically. He texts her to check in. He sees her angry replies and tries to comfort her from afar.
Office Politics
Lin Anran is on a roll. Her follower count is exploding. She even secured her own sponsors. The boss at Giant Wave and manager Qian Dan take her into the office to celebrate. They pour drinks.
Lin Anran sees an opening. She asks for a bigger cut of the profits. The boss is slippery. He plays word games with her. He talks in circles until she’s confused. She doesn't get the raise she wanted.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ran is also seeing a traffic boost. Qian Dan notices. She suggests to the boss that they should start grooming Zhang Ran as their next big thing.
The Hangover
Li Daoqi drags Fu Yudong to a business dinner. Xing Kai is there with some industry big shots. Fu Yudong is out of his element. He doesn't know how to handle the drinking culture. Li Daoqi steps up. He blocks drinks for Fu Yudong all night.
It works, but at a cost. Li Daoqi gets wasted. Fu Yudong has to carry him home. Cheng Man sees her husband in this state and looks heartbroken.
The next morning is rough. Fu Yudong is passed out in bed. Zhang Ran is up and ready for work. She decides to be annoying. She puts a speaker right next to his ear. She blasts music to wake him up before she leaves.
