Episode Summary
Zhang Ran's success causes accidental friction with Cheng Man over a misdelivered cake. Fu Yudong struggles with stage makeup and fake credentials at his new modeling gig. While Cheng Man rejects her husband's attempt to celebrate, Zhang Ran and Fu Yudong bond over wine. Zhang Ran is forced into a humiliating comedy campaign by her boss, but it goes viral, leading to a drunken, emotional celebration of her breakthrough.
Spoiler Alert
Back to the Origin Episode 21 Recap: Cake Wars and Cheap Laughs
We are deep into the workplace drama now. Success is a double-edged sword, and this episode proves it. You get the perks, but you also get the jealousy and the humiliating marketing campaigns. Let’s get into the mess.
The Cake Incident
Zhang Ran is killing it at work. Her numbers are up, and traffic is flowing. Naturally, the company wants to celebrate. They order a congratulatory cake. The delivery guy, however, is in a rush. He drops the name "Ran" at the front desk and bolts.
The receptionist makes a lazy assumption. She thinks it’s for Cheng Man. Her assistant, Xiao He, hauls the cake to Cheng Man’s live stream room. Cheng Man is thrilled. She thinks the company is finally showing her some love.
Then she opens the box. It’s for Zhang Ran. The mood shifts instantly. Cheng Man does the polite thing and delivers the cake to its rightful owner. Zhang Ran doesn't think twice about it. She just sees cake. Cheng Man, however, takes it personally. That little mix-up plants a seed of resentment.
Fu Yudong’s Beauty Routine
Fu Yudong is having a rough morning. He tries to leave for work, but his door is barricaded by a mountain of packages. Zhang Ran went on a shopping spree. She even calls him to nag about the deliveries while he’s climbing over boxes.
His job isn't much better. The company is plastering his face on posters everywhere. He comes home later that night looking like a different person. He’s wearing heavy stage makeup. Zhang Ran loses it when she sees him.
He has no idea how to take it off. The guy actually tries to use water and dish soap. Zhang Ran has to step in. She helps him remove the makeup properly before he ruins his skin.
A Tale of Two Bottles
We get a sharp contrast between our two main couples here. Li Daoqi comes home late. He’s got a bottle of expensive wine and wants to celebrate with Cheng Man. He finds her asleep in bed. He wakes her up, which is a rookie mistake. She’s not interested in the wine. She’s annoyed. She tells him to stop coming home so late and rolls over.
Cut to Zhang Ran’s place. She’s thinking about Lin Anran. She feels genuinely grateful for Lin Anran’s help in boosting her traffic. She wants to repay the favor someday. Lin Anran acts supportive, but we know better.
Fu Yudong walks in. He is holding the exact same brand of expensive wine Li Daoqi had. Zhang Ran immediately stresses about the cost. She thinks he’s wasting money. Fu Yudong doesn't care. He pours the drinks. They sit together, sipping the fancy wine and dreaming about a better future. It’s a sweet moment compared to the cold shoulder Li Daoqi got.
Resume Padding
Fu Yudong gets to his office and spots a problem. The new promotional posters list educational credentials that look fake. This ticks him off. His actual resume is solid. He doesn't need to lie.
He confronts Michael about the false advertising. Michael is a coward, though. He doesn't own up to it. Instead, he drags in the graphic designer who Photoshopped the posters and screams at him. Fu Yudong watches the poor guy get chewed out. He feels guilty. He wanted to fix the lie, not get a low-level employee in trouble.
The Humiliation of Success
Zhang Ran’s company is ready to push her to the next level. The team is buzzing around her. Lin Anran watches from the sidelines, seething with jealousy.
The marketing team pitches a new campaign. Zhang Ran hates it. It’s low-brow, slapstick comedy. It makes her look stupid. She refuses to do it.
Qian Dan pushes back. He argues that her traffic spiked when she did that silly stuff with "Tiger Lady." That is their formula now. Zhang Ran tries to fight it, but the boss steps in. He plays the intimidation card. Zhang Ran caves. She agrees to the plan.
The video drops, and the internet eats it up. It goes viral immediately. Boss Chang is ecstatic. He takes Zhang Ran out for drinks and showers her with high-tech gadgets as a reward.
Zhang Ran finally feels like she has made it. She gets smashed at the celebration. She stumbles home, drunk but happy. She didn't forget her husband, though. She hands Fu Yudong a new electronic watch. She collapses on him, letting out all the frustration and joy she has been bottling up. She has suffered a lot of grievances to get here, and she finally lets it all out.
