Episode Summary
Lin Anran tries to sabotage Zhang Ran during a livestream but fails. The company edits the footage to create a scandal, turning the internet against Zhang Ran. The boss refuses to clear Zhang Ran's name to protect Lin Anran's reputation. Fu Yudong comforts a devastated Zhang Ran while Ge Kaiyang deals with an escaped peacock at the zoo.
Spoiler Alert
Back to the Origin Episode 30 Recap
The Livestream Disaster
Lin Anran is feeling the heat. She spends her time frantically practicing industry buzzwords. She wants to dominate the upcoming livestream with Zhang Ran. The company is pouring resources into Zhang Ran. This makes Lin Anran anxious. She takes it out on her assistant with unreasonable demands. Her mental state is clearly fraying.
The cameras roll. Lin Anran chokes. She forgets her lines repeatedly. Zhang Ran, on the other hand, is smooth. She handles every beat perfectly. Lin Anran gets desperate. She loses her cool. She attacks Zhang Ran personally. She brings up Zhang Ran’s painful past to score points. Liu Bo watches this train wreck with worry. Zhang Ran deflects the attacks with grace.
The director sees the tension. He pivots the topic. They discuss marriage versus single life. The show ends. It hits number 12 on the entertainment charts. Lin Anran checks the stats. She is disappointed. All the search terms are about Zhang Ran. Lin Anran is irrelevant.
Corporate Sabotage
Li Daoqi holds a meeting. He wants to push a video collaboration with "Sister Wanwan." He asks for ideas. The team checks the trends. Zhang Ran is the hottest topic.
The company decides to capitalize on this. They edit the livestream footage. They twist Zhang Ran’s words. The new cut generates traffic. It also generates hate. The internet turns on Zhang Ran. People misunderstand her points. They flood her livestream with abuse.
Zhang Ran panics. She goes to the boss and Qian Dan for help. Qian Dan offers comfort. The boss plays the good guy. He pretends to be angry on her behalf. He promises to support her. This is a lie.
The Sacrificial Lamb
Zhang Ran leaves the office. Qian Dan suggests a fix. She wants to release the unedited video. This would clear Zhang Ran’s name. The boss refuses. He reveals his true colors.
The unedited video shows the truth. Lin Anran was the one spewing toxic rhetoric. Releasing the full tape would destroy Lin Anran. The boss makes a cold calculation. He decides to protect Lin Anran. He sacrifices Zhang Ran. He orders Qian Dan to lock Zhang Ran’s account. He sends Zhang Ran home to "rest."
Tears and Peacocks
Fu Yudong sees the online firestorm. He rushes home. He finds Zhang Ran sitting by the window. She looks defeated. He comforts her. She breaks down and cries in his arms.
We get a bizarre detour. Ge Kaiyang is working the night shift at the zoo. He gets careless. A peacock escapes its cage.
Zhang Ran’s parents see the trending topics. They think the content shows bad values. Then they realize it is their daughter. They rush to her house. Back at the zoo, Ge Kaiyang can’t find the bird. He calls his friend Fran. He even calls Lu Xinying. They all search for the runaway peacock in the dark.
