Episode Summary
Wang Lu is fired for plagiarism after a tense evaluation, saving Ren Jiatong from elimination. Ren discovers that her new potential mentor, Bai Xiao, is the lawyer involved in her father's tragic past, setting up a major conflict of interest.
Spoiler Alert
Fair Fights and Family Secrets
Things are getting messy at the firm. We start with Jiang Chen making a surprising move. He goes straight to Song Yifan. He wants Song to review Ren Jiatong’s report even though she submitted it late. He wants her to have a shot at a review.
Song Yifan is confused. Ren Jiatong is Jiang Chen’s biggest rival. If she fails, his path is easier. But Jiang Chen doesn’t want an easy win. He respects her skills. He wants to beat her fair and square when she is at her best. Song Yifan actually buys this logic. He agrees to think about it.
Eavesdropping Never Ends Well
Li Ke is suspicious. He corners Jiang Chen and asks why he cares so much about Ren Jiatong. He thinks Jiang Chen is trying to copy Song Yifan and start an office romance. Jiang Chen shuts that down immediately. He says no one at the firm is his type.
Of course, Ren Jiatong and Guo Xiaoyu walk into the break room right at that moment. They hear everything. Ren Jiatong acts like she doesn't care. She brushes it off. But you can tell it stings.
The Scoreboard
The results drop. Everyone gets points added to their scores. Wang Lu gets a massive thirty points for a standout performance. But Ren Jiatong gets a zero because of the late submission.
This puts her in the danger zone. The bottom three are Ren Jiatong, Guo Xiaoyu, and Huang Yue. They are facing elimination. The mentors argue about it. They decide to give these three one last chance. They have to pass an oral exam.
Home Life is a Nightmare
Guo Xiaoyu tries to comfort Ren Jiatong back at their apartment. Ren shuts her out. Then Ren’s mom calls. She starts with fake concern but quickly pivots to money. She is angry that Ren kept some of the loan money for surgery fees.
The mom starts screaming about lawyers. She blames lawyers for driving her husband to his death. she says she would never let Ren be a lawyer if she had any control over it. She hangs up after a tirade. It’s brutal.
The Oral Exam and the Cheater
The next day, the pressure is on. Ren Jiatong crushes the oral exam. She analyzes a celebrity endorsement case perfectly. She points out that a single woman can’t honestly endorse baby products. She also notes that food products can't claim health benefits without proof. It’s sharp legal work.
But the vibe in the room shifts. Bai Xiao hands a document to the other partners. Ren thinks she messed up. She didn't.
The problem is Wang Lu. Song Yifan calls him out. Wang Lu cited a case from a website that doesn't exist anymore. He didn't do the work. He copied an old file from another lawyer. He admits it. He wanted to look good, so he plagiarized. His score gets wiped.
His old mentor tries to save him. He says Wang Lu can go back to his old team. But Wang Lu has a conscience. He feels guilty for being selfish and ignoring the rules. He decides to quit. He packs up his desk and leaves without saying goodbye. Ren, Huang, and Guo are safe.
Choosing Sides
Wang Lu is gone. Now the interns have to pick their mentors. Jiang Chen shocks everyone. He picks Bai Xiao without hesitating.
The others make their choices. Song Yifan thinks Ren Jiatong should go to Bai Xiao. Their styles match. But Ren feels like Bai Xiao hates her. She decides to stick with Song Yifan. Guo Xiaoyu joins her.
The Past Comes Knocking
Just when things settle down, Ren’s mom calls again. She drops a bomb. The lawyer involved in her father’s old case was Bai Xiao.
Ren is stunned. She asks Zhou An about how lawyer signatures work on documents. She hopes her mom is wrong. Then a guy named Xiaojie calls asking for money and confirms it. It was definitely Bai Xiao.
Ren checks the online records. There it is. Bai Xiao’s name is on the case file. This is the woman her mother blames for everything. Ren is torn. Jiang Chen gives her a pep talk. She changes her mind. She walks up to Bai Xiao and asks to join her team. Bai Xiao accepts the challenge. She tells Ren to get ready to compete with Jiang Chen.
