Episode Summary
Tensions rise in the shared apartment as Li Ke confronts Yan Fei about her privilege. Romantic misunderstandings occur when Jiatong assumes Jiang Chen and Yan Fei are dating. At the law firm, the interns are forced to defend a corrupt rental company. This causes a rift between Jiatong, who approaches it pragmatically, and Xiaoyu, a victim of the company who views the defense as immoral.
Spoiler Alert
Class Warfare in the Apartment
Things get heated at the shared apartment right away. Li Ke finally loses her cool. She tears into Yan Fei. She tells the wealthy girl straight up that she has no clue how hard normal people work just to survive. It’s a harsh reality check. Yan Fei doesn’t have a comeback. She just walks away to stew in her feelings.
Yan Fei’s brother, Yan Da, tries to fix things on his end. He cancels a date to have dinner with their parents and chat with his sister. He admits he’s been too controlling. But he also drops the protective big brother act. He says he won’t let anyone bully her. Yan Fei has mixed emotions about the whole speech. She makes an excuse and bails.
Bad Boyfriends and Denial
Guo Xiaoyu’s relationship hits a major red flag. She goes on a date with Zhu Zhisheng at a hotel. His phone automatically connects to the hotel WiFi. That is suspicious. He lies and says he saw the password in the bathroom.
Work interrupts the date. Song Yifan sends Xiaoyu a task. She opens her laptop immediately. Zhu Zhisheng gets annoyed at being ignored. He packs his bags and leaves her alone at the hotel.
Ren Jiatong isn't having a better time. She visits her mother and spots her stepfather, Uncle Lin, driving off with a young woman. Jiatong tells her mom immediately. She wants her mom to face reality. Her mom remarried way too fast after Jiatong’s dad died. Now the new guy is cheating. Jiatong offers to support her mom if she divorces him. Her mom refuses to listen. Jiatong gives up and goes back to the apartment to drink with Xiaoyu.
The Big Misunderstanding
Yan Fei gets wasted. She drinks until she passes out. Jiang Chen can’t handle her alone. He calls Jiatong for help. Jiatong sees Jiang Chen taking care of Yan Fei. She gets the wrong idea. She assumes they are a couple. She tells Jiang Chen to take better care of Yan Fei if he actually likes her. Jiang Chen is confused. He doesn’t get what she is implying.
The confusion gets worse the next morning. Yan Fei wakes up in Jiatong’s room. She sees hangover medicine Jiang Chen left for her. Jiatong asks Yan Fei if she loves "him." Jiatong means Jiang Chen. Yan Fei thinks she means her brother, Yan Da. Yan Fei says she loves him more than anyone. Jiatong is now convinced Yan Fei and Jiang Chen are in love.
This wrecks the vibe at work. Jiatong gives Jiang Chen the cold shoulder all day. She keeps everything strictly professional. Jiang Chen notices the shift. He asks what’s wrong. Jiatong shuts him down.
Ethics vs. Emotion
The law firm drops a bomb on the interns. Zhou An assigns a new task. They have to represent Nuanchao Company. This company is facing a class-action lawsuit from tenants. The interns need to write an assessment.
This is personal for Xiaoyu. She was a victim of the Nuanchao scandal. She hates the idea of defending them. Jiang Chen tells her to stay neutral. She can’t do it.
Jiatong takes a different approach. She analyzes the case from the tenants' perspective. She argues that a lawsuit hurts everyone. She suggests a settlement is the best move. The senior lawyers, Tian Min and Bai Xiao, agree with her. Zhou An praises Jiatong’s plan publicly.
Xiaoyu feels betrayed. She tries to quit the task. Zhou An tells her to cool off and wait for Song Yifan to return. He lectures her on professional ethics.
The Fallout
That night, the roommates fight. Xiaoyu asks Jiatong why she is defending a bad company. Jiatong admits she wants to secure her job. But she also argues that lawyers are there to solve problems. Xiaoyu snaps. She says she will quit if being a lawyer means helping rich people bully others.
Xiaoyu calls in sick the next day. Yan Fei calls her bratty. Li Ke defends Xiaoyu. She reminds Yan Fei about the struggles of renting in the city. Huang Yue steps in to stop the argument. She points out that Yan Fei stayed up all night to finish their report. Yan Fei even put Li Ke and Huang Yue’s names on it. Li Ke feels guilty.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen is stuck doing grunt work. Bai Xiao makes him organize files alone. Jiang Chen hates it. He confronts Bai Xiao. Bai Xiao tells him to leave if he can’t learn from the files. Tian Min explains later that knowing the files inside out is the only way to control the courtroom.
