A Better Life Recap, Plot, Synopsis
A Better Life Synopsis
Hu Manli, a 39-year-old insurance professional who faces a sudden downfall at the peak of her career, falling victim to underhanded competition. Her career and marriage are both thrown into crisis, and to her shock, the culprit turns out to be Xue Xiaozhou, a 28-year-old once-wealthy heir who has just entered the insurance industry.
After several confrontations, the two uncover the truth behind the events, gradually resolve their misunderstandings, and begin working together. Amid the ups and downs of daily life, their clashing perspectives spark growth as they become exceptional “sales partners,” learning from each other as both mentor and friend. In the end, they each achieve business success and discover their truest selves.
A Better Life Recap
Episode 1 Recap
Hu Manli is 39 years old this year. She has been working in insurance sales in the Lanyangjiang urban area of Shanghai for twenty years, always diligent and conscientious, securing a total of 392 policies of various sizes. Ten years ago, she became a Million Dollar Round Table member for the first time, and a few years later, she became a Top of the Table member, which is equivalent to the Oscars of the insurance industry.
Her largest single policy was eight million yuan. Hu Manli was exceptionally selected as a candidate for this year's Nanyang Star Award in the insurance industry, which is the highest honor for insurance salespeople. A reporter from the popular website "New Commercial Force" came to her home for an exclusive interview. Hu Manli deliberately turned her best side towards the camera.
She spoke at length about her achievements over her twenty years in the profession and displayed her trophies one by one. After the interview, Hu Manli wanted to say a few words to her son through the camera. Her son Ding Daer is thirteen years old this year and attends a top bilingual school in Shanghai. The reporter was very impatient and made an excuse to interview the next person.
Hu Manli was persistent, insisting and forcibly pulling the reporter and cameraman to the study, where she grandly introduced her husband, Ding Zhiyuan. Ding Zhiyuan is a professor in the Philosophy Department at Donghua University in Shanghai. The reporter recognized Ding Zhiyuan at a glance as the speaker of "Philosopher's Sayings" online; she is a loyal fan of Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli was very happy and boasted extensively about Ding Zhiyuan in front of the reporter.
The reporter picked out a literary magazine from 1985 from the bookshelf. Hu Manli also casually took out a book to flip through. A card fell out of the book. It was a love letter written to Ding Zhiyuan by a girl signed "Yangchun Baixue". Ding Zhiyuan was so scared he stood up.
Hu Manli calmly put the card back into the book, then placed the book back on the shelf, and then found an excuse to send the reporter away. Hu Manli saw the reporter and cameraman to the elevator entrance and then rushed back home. Ding Zhiyuan was going to school to teach. Hu Manli told him to come home early. After Ding Zhiyuan left, Hu Manli couldn't wait to open that book. The card was already gone.
Hu Manli suspected Ding Zhiyuan had hidden it. She took out a key, opened Ding Zhiyuan's drawer, and finally found the card. Hu Manli suspected "Yangchun Baixue" was Ding Zhiyuan's graduate student Wang Xue. Lacking concrete evidence, Hu Manli first investigated the origin of the foreign woman on the card and subsequently discovered that the card was made by Fenglin Photo Agency.
Hu Manli had only one sales agent, Chunlu, under her, but the policies were all for large clients worth millions. Hu Manli, by herself, had the capability to take on a twenty-person team. The company specially approved a two-person group for her. Hu Manli had an arrogant attitude towards her colleagues. As soon as things were slightly unsatisfactory, she would invoke General Manager Jin Zhenhua to pressure them. Everyone was angry but dared not speak up.
Xue Xiaozhou had just joined the claims department half a year ago, three years after graduating from Futong Law School. He personally witnessed Hu Manli's arrogant and overbearing attitude towards the financial staff. Jin Zhenhua called Hu Manli to his office and reminded her to be down-to-earth in her work from now on. Hu Manli guessed that someone had reported her misconduct. She defended herself in every possible way.
Xue Xiaozhou is diligent and responsible in his work and shows no mercy to those who commit insurance fraud. Therefore, he received many complaints from sales agents. Chen Fang, the Director of the Claims Department, spoke highly of him and asked him to investigate whether there were any issues with the policies Hu Manli had handled over the past twenty years.
Chen Fang specifically stated that this matter was assigned by Jin Zhenhua and must be completed before the Nanyang Star Award selection. Ding Zhiyuan hid in the study after dinner. Hu Manli brought him some fruit. Ding Zhiyuan was on the phone, and he quickly hung up in a fright. Hu Manli felt something was off, but she couldn't find anything suspicious, except seeing on his computer that Ding Zhiyuan was invited to a book club meeting.
She mentally noted the address of the book club. Hu Manli decided to meet Wang Xue. She took Chunlu to a clothing store to pick out an outfit. She and Qiu Lisu liked the same dress. There was only one in the store. Hu Manli rushed to try it on first, while Qiu Lisu went to try on shoes. Hu Manli learned about Qiu Lisu's experiences from Chunlu. Qiu Lisu's two consecutive husbands had both died.
She inherited two fortunes and spent lavishly. Hu Manli was secretly pleased. She voluntarily gave the dress to Qiu Lisu and asked Chunlu to inquire about Qiu Lisu's itinerary. If she could "accidentally" run into Qiu Lisu three times, she could make Qiu Lisu her insurance client. Hu Manli chose a bright red dress to attend Ding Zhiyuan's book club meeting. Because she didn't have an invitation, she was stopped outside by the staff.
Wang Xue happened to come out to get some materials, so Hu Manli followed her in. Hu Manli asserted her dominance in front of Wang Xue, threatening and intimidating Wang Xue not to bother Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli pretended to be a reader and asked Ding Zhiyuan a question, challenging whether he was happy or not. Ding Zhiyuan was momentarily speechless. Hu Manli publicly read out the card that "Yangchun Baixue" had given to Ding Zhiyuan.
Ding Zhiyuan was completely disgraced and left in a hurry before the book club meeting ended. Qiu Lisu was sitting in the audience. Her face turned very unpleasant after hearing Hu Manli read the card. Hu Manli suspected Wang Xue was "Yangchun Baixue" and warned her to stay away from Ding Zhiyuan. Wang Xue was so scared she became incoherent. Qiu Lisu suddenly burst in and admitted that she was "Yangchun Baixue". Hu Manli was instantly dumbfounded.
Qiu Lisu wanted to have a good talk with Hu Manli. Ding Zhiyuan and Wang Xue had no choice but to hide outside. Hu Manli warned Qiu Lisu not to bother Ding Zhiyuan. Qiu Lisu retorted, repeatedly claiming that Ding Zhiyuan had no feelings for Hu Manli. Hu Manli was so angry she slammed the door and left. Xue Xiaozhou received a call from Qiu Lisu. He rushed to the book club meeting and saw Hu Manli leaving angrily.
He severely reprimanded Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu played cards with his mother and took the opportunity to seduce his father. After his father died, Qiu Lisu took over his father's company. Qiu Lisu wanted to sell his father's house from when he was alive to resolve the company's crisis and promised to give Xue Xiaozhou 500,000 yuan. Xue Xiaozhou firmly disagreed. That was his father and mother's home from when they were alive.
Qiu Lisu had no right to sell that house. Hu Manli came to complain bitterly to her best friend Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning is Ding Zhiyuan's agent. She was completely unaware of Ding Zhiyuan's affair.
Episode 2 Recap
Hu Manli found out that Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu were having an affair. Qiu Lisu not only wrote love letters to Ding Zhiyuan but also funded his book club. Hu Manli embarrassed Ding Zhiyuan in public and wanted to confront Qiu Lisu aggressively, but she was unexpectedly humiliated by Qiu Lisu, who even brought up the fact that they had not had conjugal life for many years. The more Hu Manli thought about it, the angrier she became.
She was unwilling to give up Ding Zhiyuan to Qiu Lisu. Zhong Ning also cheered her on. Hu Manli asked her father to take Ding Daer back to her parents' home; she was going to start a family defense battle. Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to go home. He sat downstairs alone, lost in thought. Qiu Lisu advised Ding Zhiyuan to break up with Hu Manli soon, saying she would always wait for him.
Ding Zhiyuan felt sorry for his son Ding Daer. Ding Zhiyuan went home reluctantly. Hu Manli prepared a candlelight dinner and deliberately changed into a sexy dress. Hu Manli tried every way to seduce Ding Zhiyuan, but he avoided her like the plague. Hu Manli actively threw herself into his arms, but Ding Zhiyuan desperately dodged. Hu Manli promised to forgive him as long as he left Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli clung to Ding Zhiyuan, but he didn't buy it.
He pushed her away and then hid in the study. Hu Manli was enraged and rushed into the study to make a scene with Ding Zhiyuan. In a fit of pique, she threw all the books on the bookshelf onto the floor. Ding Zhiyuan reached his limit and admitted that he had fallen in love with Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli screamed at him, cursing him for being ungrateful.
She had worked so hard for this family, and now that Ding Zhiyuan had achieved success, he was starting to dislike her. Ding Zhiyuan was so ashamed by the scolding that he impulsively wanted to divorce Hu Manli. Hu Manli adamantly refused. She begged Ding Zhiyuan desperately not to leave her, but Ding Zhiyuan didn't listen at all, repeatedly claiming that he and Qiu Lisu were truly in love. Then he broke free from Hu Manli's entanglement and left home.
Hu Manli looked at the messy home and thought of her past loving relationship with Ding Zhiyuan, feeling very uneasy. As soon as Xue Xiaozhou got off work, he went to the hospital to visit his mother, and then went on a date with his girlfriend Wu Ya. Wu Ya heard that Qiu Lisu was going to sell his family's house and told Xue Xiaozhou to ask Qiu Lisu for more money. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to sell his home.
Wu Ya complained that he didn't earn enough, so Xue Xiaozhou decided to work outside sales to earn more money. After finishing class, Ding Zhiyuan opened his phone and received a message from Hu Manli. He rushed to the agreed-upon location, which was where Ding Zhiyuan had proposed to Hu Manli back then. Unexpectedly, Hu Manli had also called Qiu Lisu there. Hu Manli advised Ding Zhiyuan not to be deceived by Qiu Lisu's sweet words.
Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to listen to Hu Manli's nagging and grabbed Qiu Lisu to leave. Hu Manli dragged Qiu Lisu to the riverbank. She wanted to prove her feelings for Ding Zhiyuan by dying. Hu Manli jumped into the river. Fortunately, someone jumped in and rescued her. Hu Manli watched with her own eyes as Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu left hand in hand. She was completely disheartened. Hu Manli, distraught, walked home barefoot.
When Hu Manli woke up and looked around the empty house, she felt an unprecedented confusion and helplessness. Hu Manli wiped clean each of the medals and trophies she had won over the past twenty years. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and finally, she burst into tears. Hu Manli didn't want to make her father sad, so she asked Ding Zhiyuan to temporarily hide the fact that they had broken up.
Hu Manli vowed to make Ding Zhiyuan regret leaving her. Hu Manli turned her grief into motivation and immediately threw herself into intense work. Xue Xiaozhou found that the documents submitted by Hu Manli's client Ai Zhonghua were incomplete and decided not to process the claim. Hu Manli came to argue with him. Xue Xiaozhou insisted that Ai Zhonghua must complete the documents first. Hu Manli actively added his WeChat and gave him a discount coupon.
Xue Xiaozhou insisted on doing business according to the rules. Hu Manli was so angry that she gritted her teeth, severely reprimanded Xue Xiaozhou, and then called her client Ai Zhonghua to explain.
Episode 3 Recap
唐玲 used to be Hu Manli's assistant. She secretly stole a big client from Hu Manli and finally jumped ship to Taiying International Insurance Company. She took pictures of Hu Manli meeting privately with Li Qingqing, the boss of Taiying International Insurance Company. Tang Ling asked her husband, Chen Fang, to secretly investigate Hu Manli, starting with medical insurance policies from before dual recording. Hu Manli used all her connections to get clients.
She heard that General Manager Wei Yuanxiang's father fractured his bone and was hospitalized. Cathy, an insurance salesperson, was targeting General Manager Wei as a big client, so Hu Manli was the first to visit him at the hospital, bringing Chun Lu with her. Hu Manli catered to his preferences by giving Wei Yuanxiang a box of tea and also offered a free accidental injury insurance policy. She came this time to handle a claim for General Manager Wei.
General Manager Wei guessed that Hu Manli had paid for the accidental injury insurance for his father herself. He looked at Hu Manli with new respect and agreed to let her handle his father's insurance claim entirely. Xue Xiaozhou quickly found out that ten years ago, Hu Manli was suspected of colluding with a client named Cao Ling to commit insurance fraud. He immediately reported it to Chen Fang.
Chen Fang was overjoyed and decided to report Hu Manli to President Jin. Hu Manli had been planning and strategizing for as long as five years and finally secured Wei Yuanxiang as a major client. Hu Manli recommended a permanent life insurance policy with a coverage of 30 million yuan to Wei Yuanxiang. Wei Yuanxiang had always regarded insurance salespeople as swindlers, but he did not expect Hu Manli to be different from them.
Hu Manli persuaded Wei Yuanxiang with her eloquence, and Wei Yuanxiang asked her to prepare a detailed insurance proposal. Chen Fang brought Xue Xiaozhou to complain to Jin Zhenhua and showed him the photos of Hu Manli meeting with Li Qingqing. The Nanyang Star Awards Ceremony was held as scheduled. Hu Manli felt confident. She attended in formal attire and even prepared her acceptance speech. Chen Fang hypocritically wished Hu Manli good luck in winning the grand prize.
Videos of the ten winners were played on the big screen, but Hu Manli was not among them. Hu Manli was instantly dumbfounded. At the same time, Chun Lu brought insurance documents to see Wei Yuanxiang. The secretary showed Wei Yuanxiang Hu Manli, and Wei Yuanxiang sent Chun Lu away immediately. Chun Lu immediately sent a message to inform Hu Manli. Hu Manli was stunned. Jin Zhenhua called Hu Manli to his office.
Chen Fang and Xue Xiaozhou presented the evidence they had collected, questioning Hu Manli's alleged collusion with Cao Ling in insurance fraud. Cao Ling filed a claim for breast cancer, but she had had breast cancer before buying the insurance. Hu Manli was completely unaware of this beforehand. Chen Fang produced a voice recorder, and Cao Ling firmly stated that Hu Manli had told her to lie. Hu Manli clearly remembered this incident.
Cao Ling's son suffered from autism, and Cao Ling had knelt down and begged Hu Manli to help her conceal the fact that she had previously suffered from breast cancer. Hu Manli wanted to explain the whole story to Jin Zhenhua, but he wanted to fire her. Hu Manli immediately called Cao Ling, but Cao Ling's phone was off. Hu Manli guessed that Chen Fang was framing her by using Cao Ling. Xue Xiaozhou went to confront Chen Fang.
He had not given the voice recorder to Chen Fang, and Chen Fang desperately tried to cover it up. Hu Manli was unwilling to be dismissed like this. She took out the police report, which she had kept for twenty years, and went to see Jin Zhenhua. Back then, when she had just started working, she went to the suburbs to sell insurance, was mistaken for a swindler, and was taken to a police station.
Jin Zhenhua drove for over two hours to rescue her. Hu Manli desperately begged Jin Zhenhua to save her one more time. Jin Zhenhua severely lectured her and told her to seek refuge with Li Qingqing. Hu Manli admitted that she had met Li Qingqing, but she had no intention of changing jobs. Jin Zhenhua didn't believe her at all and forcibly kicked her out. Chen Fang saw that Hu Manli was fired.
He called his wife, Tang Ling, to take credit. It turned out that Chen Fang had gone to see Cao Ling and persuaded her to give false testimony to frame Hu Manli, otherwise she would go to jail. Cao Ling was forced to comply. Hu Manli suspected that Xue Xiaozhou was being used to frame her and vowed to fight Xue Xiaozhou to the end.
Qiu Lisu arranged to meet Xue Xiaozhou and once again urged him to sell his house to save the company. Xue Xiaozhou firmly refused. Hu Manli saw Xue Xiaozhou and Qiu Lisu pulling and dragging each other and suspected their relationship was inappropriate. Hu Manli mocked Qiu Lisu sarcastically and threatened to go to Ding Zhiyuan to expose Qiu Lisu's disloyalty. Xue Xiaozhou took the opportunity to leave. Qiu Lisu was furious and told Hu Manli to go ahead and complain to Ding Zhiyuan.
Episode 4 Recap
Hu Manli saw Xue Xiaozhou and Qiu Lisu pulling and dragging each other, thinking their relationship was inappropriate. She wanted to send a message to Ding Zhiyuan to expose Qiu Lisu's scandalous behavior, but then she felt it was unnecessary and deleted the message. Hu Manli came home to see her father. Her father heard she lost her job and desperately comforted her.
Hu Manli lied, saying she had quit the company and was going to find better and bigger development opportunities to earn more money. Instead, she advised her father not to worry. Her father took out his prized tonic wine for Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli was very impatient; she didn't want her father to know about Ding Zhiyuan's affair, so she quickly found an excuse to leave. Hu Manli came to a bar alone to drink away her sorrows.
The waiter here was also someone she had networked with. The waiter hadn't secured any insurance clients and hurried over to explain to her. Hu Manli was not in the mood to listen; she just wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol. The waiter wisely backed away. Hu Manli couldn't handle her alcohol and quickly became heavily intoxicated. The waiter sent her to the hospital.
Xue Xiaozhou came to the hospital to take care of his mother right after getting off work. After settling his mother, he was about to go home when he happened to see Hu Manli vomiting uncontrollably in the corridor. Xue Xiaozhou showed concern for Hu Manli.
Hu Manli recognized Xue Xiaozhou, clung to him tightly and refused to let go, accusing Xue Xiaozhou and Qiu Lisu of colluding to get her fired, and also poured out her grievances to Xue Xiaozhou. Cao Ling's son suffered from autism, and she had knelt down and begged Hu Manli to conceal the fact that she had previously suffered from breast cancer. She didn't expect Cao Ling to turn on her afterwards.
The doctor performed a gastric lavage on Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou stayed by Hu Manli's side constantly. Hu Manli woke up in a daze and saw Xue Xiaozhou accompanying her by the bed. She advised Xue Xiaozhou to stay away from Qiu Lisu and also revealed the affair between Qiu Lisu and her husband, Ding Zhiyuan. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to explain too much. Seeing that Hu Manli had sobered up, he hurried back to the company to work.
The team leader heard that Xue Xiaozhou had caused Hu Manli to lose her job and couldn't help but complain about him for a bit, also telling him the whole story in detail. Chen Fang had always resented Hu Manli, but never found an opportunity to take action. He found that Xue Xiaozhou, who had only recently joined, was quite naive, so he used Jin Zhenhua's name to bring Hu Manli down.
Xue Xiaozhou only then realized the truth, but it was too late. After driving Hu Manli out of the company, Chen Fang didn't stop there. He asked his wife, Tang Ling, to anonymously report Hu Manli to the insurance association. Overnight, Hu Manli's marriage and career both suffered a Waterloo. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
Zhong Ning advised her to cheer up and find a new job as soon as possible, otherwise the monthly mortgage of over twenty thousand yuan would crush her. Hu Manli regretted refusing Li Qingqing's high-paying offer. She didn't want people to laugh at her, so she deliberately posted photos on her social media of herself entering and leaving high-end beauty salons. Li Qingqing greatly appreciated Hu Manli.
Hearing that Hu Manli had been fired, she asked her secretary to arrange a meeting with Hu Manli. Hu Manli suddenly received a disciplinary decision from the insurance association, prohibiting her from entering the insurance industry for two years. Hu Manli was instantly dumbfounded. When Xue Xiaozhou saw this notice, he went to reason with Chen Fang. Chen Fang ignored him. Xue Xiaozhou had no choice but to explain the truth to Jin Zhenhua.
Hu Manli had violated regulations by concealing Cao Ling's illness for her, but the crime was not punishable by death. Jin Zhenhua concluded that Xue Xiaozhou was retaliating against Hu Manli because of a dispute with her over client Ai Zhonghua submitting materials late, and therefore Hu Manli was retaliating. Xue Xiaozhou's many explanations were useless. Xue Xiaozhou suspected that Chen Fang had distorted the facts before Jin Zhenhua, and went to confront Chen Fang again.
Chen Fang insisted that Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli had a prior conflict and that Xue Xiaozhou used Cao Ling's case to strike a fatal blow against Hu Manli. Chen Fang reminded Xue Xiaozhou that he shouldn't have gone to see Jin Zhenhua. In a fit of anger, Xue Xiaozhou quit. Xue Xiaozhou packed his things and left. As he went out, he ran into Hu Manli. Hu Manli spoke sarcastically to him, and Xue Xiaozhou retorted.
Hu Manli wanted to go to the company to find Jin Zhenhua, but she couldn't reach Jin Zhenhua by phone. Hu Manli suddenly realized her notebook was missing. That was the valuable experience she had compiled over twenty years in the industry; it was her treasure trove. Xue Xiaozhou boarded a bus with a large box and discovered that Hu Manli's notebook was in the box. He called Hu Manli but found that she had blocked him.
Hu Manli called Chun Lu out, wanting to introduce all her client resources to her and then split the earnings 80/20. Chun Lu was naturally eager. Wu Ya was very dissatisfied with Xue Xiaozhou's resignation. Wu Ya only relented when Xue Xiaozhou said he wanted to apply for a job at Taiying International. Xue Xiaozhou successfully passed the Taiying International interview. He was assigned to Tang Ling's team. Tang Ling was very cold towards him.
Episode 5 Recap
Chen Fang used Xue Xiaozhou to fire Hu Manli, which Xue Xiaozhou found very unfair. He went to Jin Zhenhua to complain, but was counterattacked by Chen Fang. Xue Xiaozhou quit in a huff and left Nanyang Insurance Company. Taiying International Insurance Company was recruiting widely, and Xue Xiaozhou successfully joined the company and was assigned to Tang Ling's team. The team had over twenty insurance salespeople, all of whom seemed incredibly energetic.
As a newcomer, Tang Ling immediately gave him a difficult time and even assigned him to work in the hallway. Xue Xiaozhou went out to sell insurance but hit roadblocks everywhere. He didn't get home until very late. Hu Manli was fired by the company, and Chen Fang and his wife reported her to the insurance association. Hu Manli was prohibited from working in the insurance industry for two years. Hu Manli was unwilling to give up.
She partnered with her assistant, Wang Chunlu, offering all the client resources she had accumulated over twenty years and agreeing to a 70/30 split. Unexpectedly, Wang Chunlu secretly contacted the clients behind her back. Hu Manli was furious. Unable to swallow her anger, Hu Manli went directly to confront Wang Chunlu. Wang Chunlu made various excuses and argued eloquently. Hu Manli, in a fit of anger, chased her away. Hu Manli went to Zhong Ning to pour out her grievances.
She had found a few other insurance agents and asked Zhong Ning to pretend to be a client to test them. Zhong Ning advised her to rest assured for two years, but Hu Manli only had a hundred thousand yuan on hand, and her monthly mortgage was as high as twenty thousand. She dared not be negligent in the slightest. Ding Zhiyuan drove to pick up Ding Daer from school and took him and Qiu Lisu out for dinner.
Ding Daer came home very late. When Hu Manli learned that Qiu Lisu not only ate with them but also bought Ding Daer a game console, she advised Ding Daer to return the game console to Qiu Lisu. Ding Daer adamantly refused. Hu Manli was so angry she gritted her teeth.
She immediately called Ding Zhiyuan to question him, and also brought up the fact that Qiu Lisu caused her to lose her job and was keeping a younger man outside. Ding Daer saw that Hu Manli and Ding Zhiyuan were having a cold war and immediately sent a message asking Ding Zhiyuan to come home for dinner tomorrow night. Hu Manli felt it was unnecessary. She spent a large sum of money to enroll Ding Daer in a winter camp.
Ding Zhiyuan felt bad when he heard Hu Manli was unemployed and wanted to help her. Qiu Lisu guessed that Hu Manli had said bad things about her and repeatedly explained that Xue Xiaozhou was the son of her ex-husband, Xue Runnian. Ding Zhiyuan no longer pursued the matter. Qiu Lisu asked Ding Zhiyuan to write a preface for an author, which Ding Zhiyuan was very reluctant to do, but couldn't resist Qiu Lisu's persistent efforts.
Zhong Ning posed as a client to approach the potential partners Hu Manli had selected. They all tried to bypass Hu Manli and sign deals privately with Zhong Ning, and they also badmouthed Hu Manli. Hu Manli once again saw the ugliness of human nature. She used all the money she had on hand to pay the mortgage and decided to sell her beloved bags to help with the emergency.
Wang Xue took a liking to the bag Hu Manli was selling, but she didn't have that much money. She asked Ding Zhiyuan to put in a good word with Hu Manli for installment payments. Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to admit that he and Hu Manli had already separated. Xue Xiaozhou worked hard selling insurance every day from early morning to late night, but hadn't closed a single deal.
Tang Ling gave him an ultimatum: if he didn't close a deal by the end of the month, he should leave automatically. She even publicly snatched the coffee cup from his hand and threw it in the trash to embarrass him. After work, Xue Xiaozhou stopped to buy the cake that Wu Ya loved. Wu Ya proudly posted a picture of the cake on her social media, and her friends quickly liked it.
Wu Ya asked Xue Xiaozhou to play ball with the hospital leaders on the weekend to leverage their connections for developing insurance clients. Xue Xiaozhou reluctantly agreed. Ding Zhiyuan was unhappy about Hu Manli's situation. Qiu Lisu showed him great care and concern. Ding Zhiyuan was worried that Ding Daer would suffer with Hu Manli and wanted to help her. Qiu Lisu proactively offered to help Hu Manli.
Hu Manli spread her bags all over the bed, letting clients choose freely. Qiu Lisu suddenly came to disrupt, driving away all the clients. She asked her secretary Jiajia to buy all the bags for a hundred thousand yuan. Hu Manli was so angry she gritted her teeth and cursed at Qiu Lisu.
Qiu Lisu reminded Hu Manli not to let Ding Daer suffer with her and deliberately flaunted how much she and Ding Zhiyuan loved each other in front of Hu Manli. Hu Manli stubbornly wanted to chase Qiu Lisu away. Qiu Lisu gave Hu Manli one minute to think clearly. After much consideration, Hu Manli had to agree to sell all the bags to Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu told Jiajia to get rid of the bags. Hu Manli watched as Jiajia threw her beloved bags into a large bag, and her heart ached.
Episode 6 Recap
Qiu Lisu spent one hundred thousand yuan to buy all of Hu Manli's bags and humiliated her in person. Hu Manli couldn't swallow this anger, so early the next morning, she pulled a truck full of wedding supplies to Qiu Lisu's doorstep, held up a megaphone, and loudly announced that Qiu Lisu was getting married for the third time, attracting many residents to watch. Qiu Lisu rushed over upon hearing the news.
Hu Manli publicly exposed that Qiu Lisu stole her husband and shouted loudly for Ding Zhiyuan to come and collect the congratulatory gifts. Qiu Lisu lost face completely and had no choice but to accept the truck full of gifts. Hu Manli vented her anger and felt much better, but then she had to face the cruel reality again. She decided to sell her beloved car.
The buyers threw away the lucky cat in the car, and Hu Manli refused to sell it to them out of spite. The 4S dealership salesperson made an appraisal, but the price did not meet Hu Manli's expectation. Hu Manli finally sold it with a heavy heart. Wu Ya took Xue Xiaozhou to the hospital's tennis match and introduced him to Director Kang. Director Kang invited Xue Xiaozhou to play.
Xue Xiaozhou was the main player on his university's tennis team, so he deliberately let the director win points. Director Kang saw that he was hiding his strength and told him to play his best. Xue Xiaozhou showed his real level, and Director Kang gradually lost due to lack of stamina. Everyone escorted him away together. Wu Ya lectured Xue Xiaozhou severely, but Xue Xiaozhou felt he was not wrong. Wu Ya turned around and left in a huff.
Xue Xiaozhou quickly caught up with her and tried desperately to appease her. Wu Ya told Xue Xiaozhou to play with Director Kang again next week and be sure to lose completely this time. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to compromise himself to please others. Wu Ya refused to talk to him anymore in a fit of pique.
Xue Xiaozhou called his mother's caregiver and learned that Wu Ya had paid two thousand yuan for his mother's care fee a few days ago. Xue Xiaozhou felt deeply ashamed and decided to give it his best shot. He found Hu Manli's notebook and quickly identified the father and son, Ai Zhonghua and Ai Linjiang. Hu Manli sent messages to her old clients one by one, but they did not reply.
Ai Zhonghua's wife passed away, and he was admitted to a nursing home due to excessive grief. Hu Manli came to the company to find Ai Zhonghua's son, Ai Linjiang, and even gave him the tonic wine her father had treasured. Xue Xiaozhou came to find Ai Linjiang, but the receptionist did not let him in, so Xue Xiaozhou barged into the office. Xue Xiaozhou introduced himself as an agent from Taiying International Insurance Company.
Hu Manli kept saying that she had never heard of Taiying International Insurance Company and insisted that Xue Xiaozhou was a liar. Ai Linjiang asked the security guard to arrest Xue Xiaozhou. Tang Ling sent Yi Chang to pick up Xue Xiaozhou. Yi Chang criticized Xue Xiaozhou severely. Hu Manli suddenly received a call from her informant, Uncle Ma, and learned that her former colleague Yuan Lang from Lanyang Company went to Wei Yuanxiang to sell insurance.
Wei Yuanxiang avoided people from insurance companies like the plague. When Hu Manli heard about this, a good idea suddenly struck her. Hu Manli called her former colleague, Lao Xu, overnight. She learned that Xue Xiaozhou was used by Chen Fang, and afterwards, Xue Xiaozhou went to Jin Zhenhua to speak up for her. Xue Xiaozhou had good ideas about insurance development and had also passed the accounting certification exam.
After much deliberation, Hu Manli decided to cooperate with Xue Xiaozhou. She added Xue Xiaozhou back on WeChat and sent him a message overnight to meet tomorrow. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to see her. Wu Ya advised Xue Xiaozhou not to hold a grudge against Hu Manli and to return the notebook to her anyway. Xue Xiaozhou came to meet Hu Manli as agreed and returned the notebook to her.
Hu Manli felt that Xue Xiaozhou had a good character and proposed to cooperate with him. Xue Xiaozhou flatly refused. He had caused Hu Manli to lose her job, and Hu Manli had caused him to be humiliated; they had a feud between them. Hu Manli, however, was not bothered. She was willing to offer all her client resources and even give Xue Xiaozhou the notebook she had organized for twenty years. Xue Xiaozhou was immediately tempted.
Xue Xiaozhou visited Hu Manli's old clients one by one, but they were all turned away. Xue Xiaozhou did not give up and continued to visit door to door. Finally, Xue Xiaozhou came to Hu Manli's father, Hu Degong's house. Hu Degong had received a call from Hu Manli in advance, and he tested Xue Xiaozhou.
Episode 7 Recap
Hu Manli was fired by the company and also penalized by the association, prohibiting her from working in the insurance industry for two years. Hu Manli was unwilling to give up like this. She had worked her way up in the insurance industry for twenty years, accumulating a large number of high-quality clients. She successively sought cooperation with Wang Chunlu and insurance agents, and even had her best friend Zhong Ning pretend to be a client to test them.
They all wanted to ditch Hu Manli and contact the clients independently. Hu Manli finally chose Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou had voluntarily resigned to uphold justice for her, and they had a common enemy - Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli handed over all the experience and clients she had compiled over the past twenty years to Xue Xiaozhou, wanting to use Xue Xiaozhou's professional qualifications to conduct business and give him a share of the profits.
Xue Xiaozhou disagreed; he wanted to develop clients himself. He visited Hu Manli's client list one by one. Hu Manli had called her father, Hu Degong, in advance to pretend to be a client and reject Xue Xiaozhou, hoping to make Xue Xiaozhou retreat in the face of difficulty. Hu Degong instructed Xue Xiaozhou to do housework and go downstairs to buy rice and flour. Xue Xiaozhou did everything he was asked.
Hu Degong then casually chose the increasing whole life insurance product and arranged to go to the company to sign the contract with Xue Xiaozhou at ten o'clock the next morning. Xue Xiaozhou finally made a sale within the deadline given by Tang Ling, and his colleagues congratulated him. Xue Xiaozhou came to Tang Ling as agreed to ask for the gift.
Tang Ling wanted to wait until he signed the contract with the client before discussing it further, and she also inquired in detail about the client's address and information. This product was not suitable for people over sixty years old, and Yi Chang had visited that community several times for prospecting. Most residents in the community were elderly, and they avoided insurance products like the plague.
Tang Ling felt that it was impossible for Xue Xiaozhou to persuade them so smoothly. Early the next morning, Xue Xiaozhou arrived at the company early. He organized all the documents and even specially bought fruit. Xue Xiaozhou waited until ten o'clock, but Hu Degong didn't show up. He had no choice but to call Hu Degong, but the call went unanswered.
Tang Ling tore up the gift application form in front of him, and other colleagues made fun of him. Xue Xiaozhou rushed to Hu Degong's house to find him. He knocked for a long time but no one opened the door. He learned from a neighbor that Hu Degong had left early in the morning, so Xue Xiaozhou sat on the stairs to wait. Hu Degong tiptoed home and was caught red-handed by Xue Xiaozhou.
Xue Xiaozhou desperately questioned him about the reason for breaking the appointment. Hu Degong couldn't tell the truth, so he lied that he didn't know Xue Xiaozhou and then hid in his house, not daring to show his face. Xue Xiaozhou waited downstairs for a whole day. He was starving, so Hu Degong had to call Hu Manli for help.
Hu Manli had only told Hu Degong to reject Xue Xiaozhou, but she didn't expect him to take the pretense seriously. Hu Manli hurried over and pulled Xue Xiaozhou to eat. She encouraged Xue Xiaozhou not to be discouraged and briefly recounted the various difficulties she encountered when she first started working. Hu Manli firmly believed that Xue Xiaozhou could become an excellent insurance agent. After careful consideration, Xue Xiaozhou decided to cooperate with Hu Manli.
Hu Manli drafted a cooperation agreement and kept saying she had consulted a lawyer to verify it. She would use Xue Xiaozhou's professional qualifications to get orders and then give Xue Xiaozhou a ten percent commission. Xue Xiaozhou pointed out sharply that this agreement was illegal. He took out the contract he had drafted. Hu Manli would be responsible for introducing clients, and he would approach the clients to promote the products.
After the deal was done, they would split the profits 20-80. Hu Manli was worried that he couldn't handle the clients and insisted on getting eighty percent herself. The two of them negotiated down to a 30-70 split. Hu Manli was eager to make money, so she signed the contract with him on the spot. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to choose discounted brand-name clothes.
Xue Xiaozhou didn't like the green suit she chose and turned around and left in a huff; he wanted to choose his own clothes. The female sales assistant at the clothing store, You Qi, fell in love with Xue Xiaozhou at first sight and asked Hu Manli to set them up. Hu Manli tried her best to bring them together, but Xue Xiaozhou clearly stated that he already had a girlfriend.
Hu Manli mistakenly thought Xue Xiaozhou was still hung up on Qiu Lisu. Xue Xiaozhou dug out the suit his father had given him when he was eighteen. He utterly hated his cheating father and refused to wear the suit he gave him. His mother even slapped him for this. Xue Xiaozhou was forced to wear that suit to please his father. Xue Xiaozhou still felt resentful when thinking of the past.
He put the suit back in the case in a huff. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to a book club meeting to see Wei Yuanxiang. Xue Xiaozhou was still wearing his usual clothes. Hu Manli was very displeased. Xue Xiaozhou threatened to leave in a huff, so Hu Manli had to give up. She asked Xue Xiaozhou to call Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu was the person in charge of organizing this book club meeting, and entry required an invitation.
Xue Xiaozhou adamantly refused to contact Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli had no choice but to call Wang Xue, Ding Zhiyuan's graduate student. Wang Xue treated her as her mentor's wife. Hu Manli kept saying that she had specially come to apologize to Wang Xue, and took the opportunity to suggest that Wang Xue take Xue Xiaozhou to the book club meeting and introduce him to Wei Yuanxiang, specifically mentioning that Xue Xiaozhou was a relative of Qiu Lisu.
Wang Xue took Xue Xiaozhou to the book club and directly took him to see Wei Yuanxiang. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to add Wei Yuanxiang on WeChat. Wei Yuanxiang made various excuses to avoid it. Wang Xue casually mentioned that Xue Xiaozhou was a relative of Qiu Lisu.
Episode 8 Recap
Qiu Lisu saw Xue Xiaozhou at the book club, thought he was looking for her, and hurried forward to greet him. Wei Yuanxiang was curious and asked about Qiu Lisu's relationship with Xue Xiaozhou. Qiu Lisu claimed Xue Xiaozhou was her child. Xue Xiaozhou hated Qiu Lisu deeply, denied their relationship on the spot, and then turned around and left. Wang Xue immediately called to inform Hu Manli.
To secure Wei Yuanxiang, a major client, Hu Manli had painstakingly maintained the relationship for five years, but it was completely ruined by Xue Xiaozhou's single remark. Hu Manli severely reprimanded Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to rely on Qiu Lisu's connections to get clients. Hu Manli had always thought Xue Xiaozhou was Qiu Lisu's kept boyfriend, but she didn't expect Qiu Lisu had stolen his father.
Hu Manli advised Xue Xiaozhou to prioritize the bigger picture and not act impulsively, but for a moment, she couldn't think of a way to remedy the situation. Sun Jie learned from a neighbor that her mother was dating a man named A Dong, who was twenty years younger. A Dong was their old neighbor from before. She rushed home to ask her mother about it.
Her mother admitted it without hesitation and even wanted to go to Europe with A Dong. Sun Jie disagreed, worrying her mother would be cheated, and moreover, her father's body was not yet cold, but her mother's mind was made up. Sun Jie couldn't persuade her mother, so she had to call Hu Manli for help. Hu Manli went to pick up Ding Daer from school and heard that the school was organizing a family camping trip.
His classmates' parents were fans of Ding Zhiyuan, and they crowded around Hu Manli asking questions. Hu Manli hid the fact that she and Ding Zhiyuan had separated, and could only smile and play along. Hu Manli lied that Ding Zhiyuan was in seclusion for creative work and wanted to take Ding Daer camping by herself. Ding Daer firmly refused. Hu Manli sent a message to Ding Zhiyuan overnight to inform him.
Qiu Lisu advised Ding Zhiyuan not to pretend to be a couple with Hu Manli anymore and said many bad things about Hu Manli. The slight bit of pity that remained in Ding Zhiyuan's heart for Hu Manli was completely extinguished. He lied that he had a meeting the next day and couldn't go camping. Hu Manli called him, but Ding Zhiyuan refused to answer out of pique. Hu Manli met Sun Jie as agreed, bringing Xue Xiaozhou with her.
Sun Jie complained a lot to her. Hu Manli heard that Sun Jie's mother had one million in savings and worried that A Dong would cheat her out of the money. Xue Xiaozhou thought Sun Jie wanted to buy insurance. Hu Manli and Sun Jie chatted aimlessly for over an hour without getting to the main point. He couldn't help but urge Sun Jie. Sun Jie was unhappy, and Hu Manli quickly smoothed things over.
After Sun Jie left, Hu Manli lectured Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou's random interruptions almost cost them Sun Jie as a client. Hu Manli understood Sun Jie's implied meaning: Sun Jie wanted her to persuade her mother to use her savings to buy insurance for her daughter, Nannan. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to see Sun Jie's mother. She sat with Sun Jie's mother and chatted idly. Sun Jie's mother made an excuse about being busy and wanted them to leave.
Xue Xiaozhou had to explain their purpose. Hu Manli admitted that Sun Jie wanted to buy an educational annuity for Nannan, which required a one-time payment of 1 million. Sun Jie didn't have enough money on hand. Xue Xiaozhou explained the insurance terms in detail. Sun Jie's mother disagreed with funding Sun Jie and left first, leaving Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou stranded.
Hu Manli found Sun Jie's mother like a changed person and couldn't help but lament A Dong's clever tactics. A Dong came with flowers to pick up Sun Jie's mother, and the two left together, laughing and talking. Seeing this scene, Hu Manli couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration for A Dong. Xue Xiaozhou was impatient and urged Hu Manli to quickly develop new clients.
Hu Manli heard that Xue Xiaozhou's girlfriend, Wu Ya, worked at a hospital and wanted Wu Ya to help issue a fake diagnosis of depression. Xue Xiaozhou flatly refused, determined not to engage in dishonest acts. Sun Jie took her mother to the hospital for a physical examination, and her mother was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Sun Jie called Hu Manli for help.
Hu Manli heard that A Dong was also dating other women at the same time and wanted to track A Dong to find concrete evidence. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to stake out A Dong's house. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to do such a boring thing. Hu Manli claimed that landing a major deal worth eight million was about helping clients catch infidelity. A Dong left home on a motorcycle.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou got on bicycles to chase him. They were exhausted. A Dong rode to find Sun Jie's mother, and the two went on a date holding hands. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou followed closely behind them. A Dong took Sun Jie's mother to dance square dancing. Hu Manli had Xue Xiaozhou provide cover, and she secretly filmed the scene. A Dong treated Sun Jie's mother to a meal.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou waited outside with empty stomachs. After the meal, A Dong accompanied Sun Jie's mother to see a movie. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou also had no choice but to buy tickets and enter. Over the next week, Hu Manli called Xue Xiaozhou every day to track A Dong. Apart from dating Sun Jie's mother, A Dong hadn't met any other women. Xue Xiaozhou found it boring and decided to stop tracking.
Hu Manli suddenly saw a woman seeing A Dong out and blowing him a kiss. Hu Manli pretended to be a neighborhood committee worker and came to A Dong's house for a census, confirming that the woman was A Dong's wife. Hu Manli went to a print shop and forged a diagnosis certificate stating Ding Daer had depression, wanting Ding Zhiyuan to go camping with them. Only then did Xue Xiaozhou realize that Hu Manli did all of this for her son, Ding Daer, and couldn't help but look at her with new respect.
Episode 9 Recap
To persuade Ding Zhiyuan to attend the school's family camping trip, Hu Manli forged a diagnosis certificate stating Ding Daer had depression. Ding Zhiyuan was in a dilemma; he didn't want his son Ding Daer to be sad, but he also didn't want to face Hu Manli. Qiu Lisu sent someone to investigate and found that Ding Daer's diagnosis certificate was fake. She calmly advised Ding Zhiyuan to reconfirm Ding Daer's condition.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou tracked A Dong for a week and finally discovered he was two-timing. His girlfriend was named A Li, but he insisted on dating Zhou Shufang every day. Hu Manli then brought Zhou Shufang to A Dong's house, unexpectedly finding that Zhou Shufang already knew A Li. A Dong repeatedly claimed that he and A Li were colleagues from the theater troupe, acting as husband and wife in plays.
Hu Manli didn't believe him at all and suspected A Li and A Dong were colluding to deceive Zhou Shufang. The director and crew members arrived soon after, setting up equipment to film. Hu Manli was dumbfounded and repeatedly apologized to Zhou Shufang. Zhou Shufang guessed that everything was arranged by her daughter, Sun Jie. She had known Hu Manli for over ten years and knew Hu Manli had a sharp tongue but a kind heart.
Zhou Shufang worried that A Dong would be alone after she passed away and wanted to buy him a pension insurance policy. The more Hu Manli thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Sun Jie's father had passed away just two months ago, and Zhou Shufang was already completely smitten with A Dong. Hu Manli suspected A Dong was a swindler but lacked solid evidence. Qiu Lisu and Ding Zhiyuan took Ding Daer to see a psychologist.
Ding Daer was perfectly normal. Ding Zhiyuan confirmed that the diagnosis certificate provided by Hu Manli was forged. He immediately called Hu Manli to demand an explanation. Hu Manli made up excuses to cover it up. Ding Zhiyuan angrily refused to attend the school camping trip and threatened to tell Ding Daer about their separation. Hu Manli worried that Ding Daer's young mind would be hurt.
Xue Xiaozhou advised her to tell Ding Daer the truth, but Hu Manli firmly refused. Ding Daer saw Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu together, and Ding Zhiyuan told Ding Daer about his separation from Hu Manli. Ding Daer was stunned. Hu Manli rushed home. Ding Daer had already accepted her separation from Ding Zhiyuan and even threw away the game console Qiu Lisu had given him. Instead, he comforted Hu Manli, vowing to always be on her side.
Hu Manli was moved to tears. Qiu Lisu asked Ding Zhiyuan to accompany her to meet some major clients. Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to attend these boring social events, but he couldn't resist Qiu Lisu's constant nagging. Xue Xiaozhou called Hu Manli late at night to ask for her opinion on whether they should take Zhou Shufang's insurance policy. Hu Manli decided to take on this deal and do it well. Hu Manli was determined to start over.
She sealed all of Ding Zhiyuan's books and photos from his study and would mail them all to the school tomorrow. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou met with Sun Jie. They were going to take Zhou Shufang's insurance policy, which angered Sun Jie. She was certain her mother was being deceived by A Dong. Hu Manli had tracked A Dong for seven days and confirmed that he and Zhou Shufang were dating, but Sun Jie didn't believe her at all.
She went straight to her mother to argue. Her mother insisted on buying A Dong pension insurance and firmly stated that her relationship with A Dong was genuine. Hu Manli advised Zhou Shufang to be understanding of Sun Jie, but Zhou Shufang wouldn't listen. She was turning sixty soon and didn't want to keep waiting.
Zhou Shufang admitted that she and A Dong had been together for five years, and furthermore, she and Sun Jie's father had separated when Sun Jie was sixteen. They had hidden it to avoid hurting Sun Jie. Sun Jie was dumbfounded. Hu Manli spoke kindly to persuade Sun Jie, but Sun Jie was still uneasy and asked Hu Manli to delay her mother's purchase of the insurance policy for A Dong. Hu Manli felt reluctant to refuse and agreed.
Xue Xiaozhou was eager to close his first deal. Hu Manli advised him not to rush and to think of a solution that would satisfy both parties, asking Xue Xiaozhou to give her three days. Xue Xiaozhou worried Hu Manli wouldn't be able to complete it on time, so he worked overtime to develop a plan. Hu Manli worked tirelessly for two days and even consulted with industry veterans. Xue Xiaozhou suddenly called to urge her.
Episode 10 Recap
Xue Xiaozhou had been employed for a full month. Tang Ling's team members had closed many small deals, making Tang Ling very dissatisfied. She told them to find big clients. Xue Xiaozhou hadn't closed any deals. Tang Ling publicly humiliated him and made him change into a T-shirt that said "I am the Bottom King". Xue Xiaozhou couldn't stand it anymore and threatened to sue Tang Ling for workplace bullying. Tang Ling threatened to fire him.
Xue Xiaozhou left the company in a huff. Hu Degong suddenly called him for help. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to be tricked by Hu Degong again, but couldn't resist Hu Degong's persistent pestering. Hu Degong went to the school to give Ding Zhiyuan medicinal wine and only then found out that he and Hu Manli had separated. Hu Degong was furious and shouted. Hu Manli learned of this and immediately rushed to the school. Xue Xiaozhou also arrived shortly after.
He never expected that Hu Degong was Hu Manli's father. Hu Degong asked Xue Xiaozhou to teach Ding Zhiyuan a lesson and promised to buy an increasing longevity insurance policy. Xue Xiaozhou was instantly dumbfounded. Hu Degong cursed at Ding Zhiyuan, calling him ungrateful. He rushed forward to hit Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli desperately held him back and then pulled him away. Hu Degong scoffed at Ding Zhiyuan's ungrateful actions.
He casually said, "Insurance can only insure money, not people's hearts. " This suddenly enlightened Hu Manli. She turned around and saw Xue Xiaozhou. She found an excuse to persuade Hu Degong to go home. Xue Xiaozhou sorted through the whole story. He didn't expect Hu Manli had been plotting against him all along. Hu Manli used her father Hu Degong to trick him into cooperating with her.
She not only took him to a reading group to meet Wei Yuanxiang but also tracked A Dong. Hu Manli tried every means to explain, but Xue Xiaozhou didn't believe her at all. Hu Manli had to persuade Xue Xiaozhou repeatedly before she managed to drag him to a restaurant. The more Xue Xiaozhou thought about it, the angrier he got. He had been led around by Hu Manli and also experienced workplace bullying.
Hu Manli simply put on the "I am the Bottom King" T-shirt and walked around the restaurant. Xue Xiaozhou quickly put a jacket over her. Hu Manli then presented Zhou Shufang's insurance plan, asking Zhou Shufang to take out a million yuan to buy an increasing longevity insurance policy for herself. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou brought the policy to Zhou Shufang's house. Xue Xiaozhou introduced the policy details in detail.
After Zhou Shufang passes away, this money would be left to Sun Jie's daughter Nannan and A Dong. Sun Jie insisted that the money should be used as an education fund for Nannan. Zhou Shufang wanted to leave a sum of money for A Dong's retirement. The two argued, each sticking to their own opinion and refusing to back down. Hu Manli quickly interrupted Zhou Shufang and Sun Jie. She also used her failed marriage as an example.
If A Dong was to receive that money, he must obtain a marriage certificate with Zhou Shufang. Sun Jie and Zhou Shufang were both satisfied. They signed the contract on the spot. Xue Xiaozhou successfully closed his first deal. He pretended not to give Hu Manli a share. Hu Manli was furious and gritted her teeth. Xue Xiaozhou deliberately let her experience the taste of being teased. Hu Manli packed her bags and went camping with Ding Daer.
Wang Shiyan's mother, a classmate's parent, was a fan of Ding Zhiyuan. She was curious why Ding Zhiyuan didn't come. Hu Manli made up excuses to cover it up. Meanwhile, Qiu Lisu took Ding Zhiyuan to meet Li Fendou, the big boss of a club. Li Fendou was eager to befriend Ding Zhiyuan, the prominent professor. Moreover, Li Fendou was Qiu Lisu's landlord. Ding Zhiyuan remembered Ding Daer's desperate plea for him to attend the camping trip. He felt guilty.
He went straight to the campsite. Ding Daer was so happy he couldn't stop smiling. Ding Zhiyuan suddenly stood up Li Fendou. Qiu Lisu sent her secretary to apologize to Li Fendou. Qiu Lisu utterly hated Hu Manli and decided to go and cause trouble. Ding Zhiyuan and his family of three, along with the other parents, had a barbecue. Wang Shiyan's mother was eager to know the love story between Hu Manli and Ding Zhiyuan.
Hu Manli lightly mentioned that she met Ding Zhiyuan when she was selling insurance. Qiu Lisu suddenly arrived at the campsite to give Ding Zhiyuan earplugs. Ding Daer was speechless with anger. The parents discussed among themselves in private. Hu Manli publicly announced that she and Ding Zhiyuan had separated. Qiu Lisu was Ding Zhiyuan's current girlfriend. Hu Manli thanked Qiu Lisu for letting Ding Zhiyuan come camping with them. Ding Zhiyuan was greatly annoyed.
He had no choice but to follow Qiu Lisu back. Qiu Lisu told Ding Zhiyuan to apologize to Li Fendou. Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to associate with those people. Qiu Lisu had to give up. Hu Manli shared photos of their family of three camping on her WeChat Moments. Her friends liked the post one after another. Ai Linjiang fell in love with Wu Ya. He sent her flowers for a month straight, but Wu Ya remained unmoved.
Every day, she distributed the flowers to the patients in the ward. Ai Linjiang relentlessly pursued Wu Ya. He kept sending her messages, but Wu Ya deleted him. Xue Xiaozhou received a commission of 30,000 yuan. To cater to Wu Ya's preference, he bought a cat to please her. Wu Ya liked it very much and wished Xue Xiaozhou more success in closing deals. Ma Xiaowei came to Ai Zhonghua to ask for three million yuan for his business.
He had gone to the art gallery beforehand. Every painting exhibited there was priceless. Ai Zhonghua didn't want to give him the money. Ma Xiaowei threatened to go to Ai Linjiang.
Episode 11 Recap
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou collaborated to secure their first big deal. Xue Xiaozhou deducted their daily expenses during this period and transferred the money to Hu Manli as agreed. Hu Manli proactively suggested finding a lawyer to help Xue Xiaozhou recover the property seized by Qiu Lisu. Xue Xiaozhou's father died in a car accident, and although he graduated from law school, he was helpless.
Hu Manli then handed Ai Zhonghua's case to Xue Xiaozhou and introduced Ai Zhonghua's situation in detail. Ai Zhonghua ran a renowned art company. Hu Manli had long wanted to secure him as a major client, but Ai Zhonghua gave the policy to other salespersons. Hu Manli didn't mind and even considered Ai Zhonghua's interests in every way. Ai Zhonghua collected some famous pieces for exhibition.
Hu Manli was worried about the exhibits getting damp, so she helped Ai Zhonghua's entire family move all those exhibits to the warehouse. From then on, Ai Zhonghua regarded Hu Manli with new respect. Hu Manli scheduled a meeting with Ai Zhonghua for tomorrow. She wanted to go ahead and pave the way, asking Xue Xiaozhou to wait for her news. Hu Manli arrived at the company on time to meet Ai Zhonghua.
Ai Zhonghua wanted to buy a three million yuan annuity insurance for his illegitimate son, Ma Xiaowei, and specifically asked Hu Manli to keep it a secret from Ai Linjiang. Hu Manli really wanted the substantial commission from this deal, but she had her own principles. She didn't want to take on Ai Zhonghua's big case. Ai Zhonghua had no choice but to reveal a secret he had hidden for decades.
Hu Manli felt very sympathetic to his plight and had to agree. Xue Xiaozhou's father passed away in a car accident three years ago, and his mother fell seriously ill from overwhelming grief. Xue Xiaozhou came to the hospital to take care of his mother whenever he had time. Hu Manli suddenly came to discuss Ai Zhonghua's plan to buy insurance for his illegitimate son. Xue Xiaozhou became anxious before Hu Manli could finish speaking.
He hated extramarital affairs the most and firmly refused to take on Ai Zhonghua's policy. Hu Manli was also a victim of marital infidelity. She felt very sympathetic to Ai Zhonghua's situation and persuaded Xue Xiaozhou to take the case. Xue Xiaozhou took Hu Manli to his mother's ward. His mother had become a vegetative state, and Hu Manli felt deeply moved. It turned out that Qiu Lisu and Xue Xiaozhou's mother were close friends.
The two often played mahjong together. Qiu Lisu took the opportunity to seduce Xue Xiaozhou's father. His father cruelly abandoned them, mother and son. Three years ago, his father died in a car accident, and his mother fell gravely ill from overwhelming grief, remaining paralyzed in bed for three years now. Xue Xiaozhou still grits his teeth with hatred when he thinks of Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli told Xue Xiaozhou the secret Ai Zhonghua had hidden for many years.
When Ai Zhonghua was young, he had a girlfriend in the countryside. The girlfriend secretly got pregnant behind his back. Ai Zhonghua was completely unaware of this. Many years after he got married and had children, his ex-girlfriend's son, Ma Xiaowei, came to acknowledge Ai Zhonghua as his father. Xue Xiaozhou suspected Hu Manli was making up stories to deceive him and wanted to personally find Ai Zhonghua to confirm this.
Hu Manli reminded Xue Xiaozhou not to reveal Ai Zhonghua's privacy. She pleaded with him tirelessly, and only then did Xue Xiaozhou agree to drop it. He quickly prepared the insurance policy, and Hu Manli immediately sent it to Ai Zhonghua for review. Xue Xiaozhou's plan was approved, but he couldn't be happy. Wu Ya was overjoyed when she learned that he had secured the three million yuan deal, beaming with happiness.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou came together to find Ma Xiaowei to sign the contract. Ma Xiaowei wanted the three million yuan transferred to his account. Hu Manli explained the potential risks to him: it would be very troublesome if Ai Linjiang found out. Ma Xiaowei had to give up the idea. Just as he was about to sign the policy, Xue Xiaozhou reminded him to carefully read the insurance terms.
Hu Manli was worried that things would go wrong and urged Ma Xiaowei to sign quickly. Xue Xiaozhou found the last line of small print on the policy. Ma Xiaowei could not receive the three million yuan in a lump sum but would receive a fixed amount monthly. Ma Xiaowei was instantly enraged. Hu Manli repeatedly emphasized that the money held by the insurance company would earn significantly more interest than bank interest.
Xue Xiaozhou deliberately interfered from the side, stating that Ma Xiaowei would have to live long enough to receive the full amount and couldn't withdraw it early for major events like marriage, funerals, or weddings. Furthermore, the beneficiary of this policy was Ai Zhonghua, so if anything unexpected happened to Ma Xiaowei, the money would still belong to Ai Zhonghua.
Hu Manli kept explaining Ai Zhonghua's well-intentioned efforts, but Ma Xiaowei didn't believe her at all, thinking Ai Zhonghua was deliberately scheming against him. He threatened that Ai Zhonghua must produce three million yuan within three days, or face the consequences. Hu Manli saw that Xue Xiaozhou was deliberately causing trouble. Xue Xiaozhou repeatedly claimed that he was acting on principle and wanted to terminate their partnership with Hu Manli.
Hu Manli didn't want to lose him as a partner and desperately tried to explain to him. Xue Xiaozhou angrily tore the policy into pieces and stormed off. Hu Manli was at a loss and extremely anxious. Ding Daer suddenly received a call from Teacher Li at the educational institution. Ding Daer was playing games during class. Hu Manli was even more furious. She went straight home to confront Ding Daer.
Hu Manli had spent a fortune sending Ding Daer to a private school, yet he was so disappointing. Hu Manli was heartbroken and just hid in the kitchen, secretly weeping. Xue Xiaozhou told Wu Ya about messing up the three million yuan deal and breaking off his partnership with Hu Manli. Wu Ya was very displeased and asked Xue Xiaozhou to play tennis with Director Kang. Xue Xiaozhou flatly refused. Wu Ya remained unhappy.
Xue Xiaozhou tried his best to cheer her up. Wu Ya complained that he shouldn't have given up his studies to accompany his mother three years ago. Xue Xiaozhou had no regrets, and Wu Ya found it awkward to say more. After Ding Daer finished his homework, Hu Manli's live stream also ended. He voluntarily helped Hu Manli edit videos, but Hu Manli didn't appreciate it and wanted to set strict requirements for Ding Daer.
Episode 12 Recap
Riding the wave of alcohol, Ma Xiaowei bragged to his friends that Ai Zhonghua was going to give him three million yuan. His friends encouraged him to split the family property with Ai Linjiang, and Ma Xiaowei was immediately tempted. Ai Zhonghua's wife was hospitalized three months ago. When Ai Linjiang went to visit his mother, he fell in love with Wu Ya at first sight.
He not only bought humidifiers for Wu Ya's department but also sent her flowers every day. Wu Ya applied for a single dormitory with her department, lying to Xue Xiaozhou that it was for work needs. Xue Xiaozhou felt abandoned by Wu Ya but found it inconvenient to make her stay. Ma Xiaowei brought his friends to wait downstairs at the company building.
When Ai Linjiang came to report to Ai Zhonghua, Ma Xiaowei and his friends barged into Ai Zhonghua's office, demanding to split the family property with Ai Linjiang. Ai Zhonghua told Ai Linjiang to leave first, but Ma Xiaowei wouldn't relent, repeatedly claiming his mother was Ai Zhonghua's first love. Ai Linjiang immediately became furious with embarrassment and shouted at Ai Zhonghua.
Ai Zhonghua tried desperately to explain, but he didn't listen at all, slamming the door and leaving in a huff. Ai Zhonghua fainted on the ground due to a surge of anger. Ma Xiaowei took the opportunity to inquire how much of the family property he could get. If Ai Zhonghua hadn't made a will, he could legitimately take half of the family property. It started pouring rain. Xue Xiaozhou was holding his cat, lost in thought.
Hu Manli suddenly sent him a message telling him that Ai Zhonghua had been hospitalized from anger. Xue Xiaozhou felt very guilty. He rushed to the hospital through the heavy rain, and Hu Manli also arrived at the same time. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou arrived at the hospital and learned that Ai Zhonghua was in the intensive care unit and was not yet out of danger.
Ma Xiaowei and his friends were guarding the door of the ICU, refusing to let anyone see Ai Zhonghua. Ai Zhonghua's secretary called the police, but the police couldn't do anything about Ma Xiaowei and his group. Hu Manli asked the secretary to tell her the places Ai Linjiang often visited. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou split up to look for Ai Linjiang. Xue Xiaozhou felt sympathetic towards Ai Linjiang's situation, believing Ai Linjiang wouldn't come to the hospital.
He also revealed that the day they signed the contract with Ma Xiaowei was the anniversary of his father's death. Hu Manli apologized to Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou clearly remembered that three years ago, it was also a heavy rain night. His father, on his deathbed after a car accident, wanted to see Xue Xiaozhou and apologize to him in person. Xue Xiaozhou refused to forgive his father and firmly refused to go.
His mother's earnest pleas were useless, and in a fit of anger, she slapped Xue Xiaozhou. As a result, his father died that day. Hu Manli saw that Xue Xiaozhou couldn't get over this hurdle in his heart, regretting that he would never hear his father's explanation. Standing in the heavy rain, Xue Xiaozhou reflected with deep pain and vowed to bear the consequences of the trouble he caused. After much effort, Xue Xiaozhou finally found Ai Linjiang.
Ai Linjiang was drowning his sorrows in alcohol and was completely drunk. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to take Ai Linjiang to see Ai Zhonghua, hoping Ai Linjiang wouldn't regret it like he did, but Ai Linjiang simply couldn't let go. Xue Xiaozhou had no choice but to call Hu Manli. He continued to persuade Ai Linjiang to go to the hospital, letting Ai Zhonghua explain to him personally, or he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Ai Zhonghua's condition was critical. The doctor issued a critical illness notice as per routine. A friend reminded Ma Xiaowei not to sign it, as he might not get a penny if Ai Zhonghua woke up. Ma Xiaowei firmly refused to sign and even wanted to take Ai Zhonghua home. Hu Manli couldn't persuade Ma Xiaowei and told the doctor to wait until Ai Linjiang arrived. Xue Xiaozhou and Ai Linjiang arrived in time.
Ai Linjiang was going to sign the notice, but Ma Xiaowei firmly disagreed and wanted to drive Ai Linjiang away. Xue Xiaozhou exposed Ma Xiaowei's concealment right in front of him, stating that he was hoping Ai Zhonghua would never wake up so he could get half of the family property. If Ai Zhonghua died despite rescue efforts, Ma Xiaowei would have to get Ai Linjiang's consent to do a paternity test, otherwise, he wouldn't get a single penny.
Ma Xiaowei had better pray that Ai Zhonghua wakes up soon; he might give him a portion of the money for his mother's sake. Ma Xiaowei had no choice but to leave sullenly with his friends. Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli didn't leave the hospital until dawn. When Xue Xiaozhou got home, he rummaged through the gifts his father had given him, filled with mixed emotions.
Wu Ya came home from her night shift and saw this scene, so she took out her game console and played with Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou was surprised to find that his father would turn on the game console every year on his birthday. Xue Xiaozhou voluntarily gave up the house his father left behind. He handed the agreement to Qiu Lisu, who was overjoyed and promised to sell the house and give him 500,000 yuan.
Qiu Lisu was worried Xue Xiaozhou would change his mind, so she immediately sent her secretary to sell the house. Then, she arranged for Ding Zhiyuan and Li Fendou to meet again. The secretary was concerned Ding Zhiyuan wouldn't cooperate, but Qiu Lisu was confident that as long as Ding Zhiyuan was given enough respect, he would cooperate obediently. Today was Ding Zhiyuan's forty-second birthday. Qiu Lisu specifically took him to Li Fendou's club to celebrate.
Li Fendou arranged a grand birthday banquet. Qiu Lisu added fuel to the fire from the side, and Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to make concessions.
Episode 13 Recap
Qiu Lisu rented Li Fendou's house to start a book club. Li Fendou wrote an autobiography and wanted Ding Zhiyuan to write a preface. Ding Zhiyuan had read his autobiography and found it not only low in style but also full of ridiculous claims. Li Fendou was unwilling to give up and found someone else to write the preface; he just wanted Ding Zhiyuan to sign it afterwards.
Li Fendou asked Qiu Lisu to invite Ding Zhiyuan to his club for his birthday. Li Fendou and Qiu Lisu worked together, continuously pouring drinks for Ding Zhiyuan. Ding Zhiyuan couldn't handle the alcohol and quickly became dead drunk. Li Fendou seized the opportunity to take out the preface written by someone else and asked Ding Zhiyuan to sign it. Ding Zhiyuan firmly refused, but couldn't resist Qiu Lisu's persistent nagging, so he finally signed his name on the preface.
Ai Zhonghua finally woke up. He recounted his experiences from that year to Ai Linjiang, clearly stating that he had not done anything to betray his family. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou came to the hospital to visit Ai Zhonghua. Ai Zhonghua thanked Xue Xiaozhou for persuading Ai Linjiang to come back. Ma Xiaowei rushed over in a hurry. He knelt down and apologized to Ai Zhonghua, and also showed him a photo of his mother when she was alive.
Ai Zhonghua advised him to go back first. Ma Xiaowei was worried about losing everything. He cried profusely and knelt, begging his mother's soul in heaven to protect him. Ai Zhonghua was very impatient and finally persuaded Ma Xiaowei to leave after much effort. Ai Linjiang knew that Ai Zhonghua would not stand by and do nothing about Ma Xiaowei. He was very frustrated.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou suggested that Ai Linjiang buy a three-million trust fund for Ma Xiaowei. The essential difference between a trust and an annuity is that Ma Xiaowei must have a stable job to receive a fixed monthly living allowance. In case of weddings, funerals, or other major life events, he could also withdraw a certain amount of cash in one lump sum. Ai Linjiang had the right to modify the terms at any time.
This would not only ensure Ma Xiaowei's living needs but also save Ai Zhonghua and Ai Linjiang a lot of trouble in the future. Ai Linjiang carefully read the trust terms and signed the contract with Xue Xiaozhou on the spot. Xue Xiaozhou happily returned to the rental house. Wu Ya had already packed her luggage and was preparing to move to the hospital dormitory.
Xue Xiaozhou couldn't wait to tell her about securing Ai Linjiang's three-million big deal and persuaded Wu Ya to stay. Instead, Wu Ya advised him to move to a smaller house and use the money saved for his mother's further treatment. Manager Duan suggested stimulator therapy. Xue Xiaozhou learned that his mother might wake up and was overjoyed, cheering happily. He used his cat to try and keep Wu Ya, but Wu Ya was determined to leave.
The taxi Wu Ya called had arrived downstairs. Xue Xiaozhou walked Wu Ya to the dormitory. Wu Ya was prepared to break up with Xue Xiaozhou. She tearfully said goodbye to Xue Xiaozhou. Tang Ling heard that Xue Xiaozhou had closed two big deals consecutively, so she came to Li Qingqing to take credit, falsely claiming she had introduced many big clients to Xue Xiaozhou. Li Qingqing praised her profusely.
Tang Ling seized the opportunity to propose specializing in serving big clients, and Li Qingqing readily agreed. Tang Ling suspected there was a master behind Xue Xiaozhou and sent Yi Chang to investigate the matter. Ding Zhiyuan talked about high-brow topics every day, which ordinary people were not interested in, causing the viewership ratings for "Philosopher's Sayings" to plummet all the way. Zhong Ning advised him to talk about more down-to-earth topics.
Ding Zhiyuan firmly refused to compromise and pushed all the responsibility onto Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning was so angry she was speechless. Xue Xiaozhou transferred the commission from Ai Linjiang's deal in full to Hu Manli and actively suggested collaborating with Hu Manli again. Hu Manli played hard to get. Xue Xiaozhou praised Hu Manli as a good person and said he had learned a lot of valuable experience from her.
Furthermore, through Hu Manli's guidance, his hatred towards his father was completely eliminated. Hu Manli seized the opportunity to propose a 30-70 split with Xue Xiaozhou, and Xue Xiaozhou had no choice but to agree. Hu Manli signed a contract with him on the spot. Xue Xiaozhou asked Hu Manli to help him rent a cheaper apartment.
Hu Manli had a sudden inspiration and came up with a good idea: have Xue Xiaozhou move into her house and teach Ding Daer English along the way. Hu Manli sent her home address to Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou mistakenly thought it was a house Hu Manli had rented for him. He arrived with his luggage and cat, only to find out it was Hu Manli's home.
Xue Xiaozhou felt it would be inconvenient for the two of them to live together in the same place. Hu Manli clearly stated that she had no feelings for him and instead laughed at him for a bit.
Episode 14 Recap
Wu Ya moved from the rental house to the hospital dormitory. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to rent a smaller house. Hu Manli then suggested Xue Xiaozhou move into her house, and he could also tutor Ding Daer in English along the way. Xue Xiaozhou felt it was inconvenient. He politely declined Hu Manli's kind offer. Xue Xiaozhou couldn't find a suitable house for a while, so he took his luggage and the cat to a hotel first.
However, the hotel didn't allow pets. Xue Xiaozhou searched until dark but still couldn't find a suitable place to stay. Having nowhere else to go, he had no choice but to return to Hu Manli's house again. Ding Daer thought Xue Xiaozhou was Hu Manli's new boyfriend and enthusiastically welcomed his arrival. Hu Manli didn't like pets, but Ding Daer really liked that cat. He promised to get a good score on the next English exam.
Xue Xiaozhou voluntarily offered to tutor Ding Daer in English. Hu Manli was naturally overjoyed, demanding that Ding Daer's English score must be in the top ten in his class, otherwise they would split 20-80. Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli bargained, neither giving way. Ding Daer pleaded with Xue Xiaozhou to stay, and only then did Xue Xiaozhou reluctantly agree to Hu Manli's condition. The more Xue Xiaozhou thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.
He was stepping into Hu Manli's trap step by step. Hu Manli desperately tried to cover it up. Xue Xiaozhou stopped pursuing the matter. Hu Manli told him to start tutoring Ding Daer that very evening. Ai Linjiang persistently pursued Wu Ya. Wu Ya agreed to have dinner with him. Ai Linjiang seized the opportunity to express his feelings to her, but Wu Ya refused him directly.
Xue Xiaozhou had a video call with Wu Ya and told her about moving into Hu Manli's house. Hu Manli entered the room to bring Xue Xiaozhou some fruit. Wu Ya quickly hung up the phone and continued having dinner with Ai Linjiang. Hu Manli heard that Taiying International Insurance was rewarding agents with a car for achieving a great start to sales performance. Xue Xiaozhou was completely unaware of this.
Hu Manli asked Xue Xiaozhou to verify this matter at the company. When she learned that Xue Xiaozhou was working under her former apprentice, Tang Ling, she didn't ask further questions. Ai Linjiang guessed that Wu Ya was on the phone with her boyfriend. He didn't mind at all, instead, he valued Wu Ya's loyalty in relationships. Wu Ya admitted that she wanted to break up with her boyfriend because she saw no hope in him.
Xue Xiaozhou slept until midnight and suddenly received a message from Hu Manli. He was too scared to reply. Hu Manli, dressed beautifully, came knocking on the door. Xue Xiaozhou thought Hu Manli had improper intentions towards him and was too scared to make a sound. Hu Manli had no choice but to use her key to open the door. She was just there to get her live-streaming lights. Xue Xiaozhou was relieved after the false alarm.
Hu Manli did live streaming every night late. She asked Xue Xiaozhou to help hold the lights for her. Xue Xiaozhou was so cold he kept sneezing, forcing Hu Manli's live stream to be interrupted. The next morning, Hu Manli prepared breakfast and called Xue Xiaozhou up to go meet clients. Xue Xiaozhou complained endlessly. Hu Manli told him to take Ding Daer to school on his way.
Xue Xiaozhou couldn't help but complain about Hu Manli in front of Ding Daer. Ding Daer shared his secret tips for dealing with Hu Manli with him. Tang Ling publicly praised Xue Xiaozhou and asked him to share his experience. Xue Xiaozhou kept saying that both clients were cold calls he made. Tang Ling didn't believe him at all and was eager to know about the expert behind him. Xue Xiaozhou remained silent.
Tang Ling announced the company's decision: the agent who achieves the highest performance in the next three months will receive a luxury car. Tang Ling gave Xue Xiaozhou the office spot widely considered to have good Feng Shui and asked Yi Chang to help Xue Xiaozhou move his files. Yi Chang deliberately dropped the folders on the ground and was scolded by Tang Ling. Hu Manli deliberately chose the most prosperous Western restaurant in Shanghai.
She ordered the signature dim sum using only a 49 yuan coupon and also asked the waitstaff to help her take many photos. She posted them on her WeChat Moments to show off. Then, she successively invited her old clients to meet her there, only asking the waitstaff to change a teacup while the dim sum on the table remained untouched.
Hu Manli quickly met all the clients on her list and asked the waitstaff to pack the dim sum to go. The waitstaff could all tell that Hu Manli was using their restaurant to attract clients.
Episode 15 Recap
Hu Manli had Xue Xiaozhou move into her house. Xue Xiaozhou was responsible for picking up and dropping off Ding Daer every day and also tutored him in English. Hu Manli dressed beautifully to meet clients, deliberately choosing a high-end Western restaurant in Lujiazui, the most prosperous center of Shanghai.
She used a coupon to order a 49-yuan set meal, successively met with the clients listed on her list, posted on her WeChat Moments, and finally packed up the dim sum. Xue Xiaozhou came to the school to pick up Ding Daer. He saw at a glance that Ding Daer liked his female classmate Wang Shiyan. Ding Daer begged him to keep it from Hu Manli. Ding Daer and Xue Xiaozhou went home together. Hu Manli scolded Ding Daer severely.
Ding Daer thought Hu Manli had discovered his early relationship, and he was so scared he spoke incoherently. Xue Xiaozhou quickly stepped in to help, only then realizing that Hu Manli was angry because Ding Daer's English monthly exam score had dropped. Hu Manli took the opportunity to scold Xue Xiaozhou as well. That evening, Ding Daer was distracted.
Xue Xiaozhou questioned him carefully and learned that Wang Shiyan's father was going to work in the United States, and she would be leaving the day after tomorrow. Ding Daer felt that he was not as good as Wang Shiyan in every aspect. Xue Xiaozhou encouraged him to express his feelings bravely and also had him write a letter in English. Hu Manli came to bring Ding Daer some fruit. Ding Daer quickly hid the half-written letter.
Hu Manli snatched it. Xue Xiaozhou lied, saying it was an English composition. Hu Manli asked Ding Daer to read it out, and Ding Daer had no choice but to comply. Xue Xiaozhou could tell that Hu Manli only had a partial understanding of English, so he just translated it haphazardly beside them. Hu Manli wanted to take a picture and post it on her Moments. Xue Xiaozhou desperately tried to stop her by claiming it needed revisions.
Hu Manli had to give up, but she had already taken a picture of the composition. Hu Manli used all her connections to introduce clients, including the convenience store owner in the community and vendors at the wet market. She unintentionally learned that Mr. Chen, who sells seafood, was troubled by an accidental insurance claim, so she proactively helped him solve the problem. Mr. Chen was extremely grateful to her.
Hu Manli took out the composition written by Ding Daer and showed it off to Zhong Ning, only to find out it was a love letter. After school, Ding Daer mustered up the courage to give Wang Shiyan a gift and also handed her the letter. Watching Wang Shiyan drive away, he felt deeply lost. Ding Daer worried that Wang Shiyan would block him, and Xue Xiaozhou advised him not to overthink it.
As soon as Ding Daer and Xue Xiaozhou entered the house, they noticed the atmosphere was off. Hu Manli's face was gloomy, and she ignored them, only focusing on eating at the dining table. The two of them were scared and quickly sat down. Xue Xiaozhou desperately tried to find topics to ease the awkwardness. Hu Manli's attitude was very cold. She wanted to see the revised English composition Ding Daer had finished.
Xue Xiaozhou lied, saying it had already been handed in to the teacher. Hu Manli wanted to post that composition on her Moments. Ding Daer repeatedly tried to stop her. Hu Manli immediately became furious and exasperated. She never expected Ding Daer to have an early relationship behind her back, and Xue Xiaozhou not only didn't stop it but also fanned the flames.
Xue Xiaozhou tried his best to explain, but Hu Manli wouldn't listen at all, unleashing all her anger on Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou pushed Ding Daer into the room. He had a heart-to-heart talk with Hu Manli, repeatedly emphasizing that Ding Daer and Wang Shiyan just had a mutual liking for each other, which was definitely not an early relationship, and that Ding Daer had developed feelings of inferiority due to Hu Manli's bankruptcy.
Hu Manli took the initiative to apologize to Ding Daer. She also listed his strengths one by one and encouraged him to study hard in the future. The mother and son reconciled completely. Hu Manli wanted Xue Xiaozhou to use Wu Ya's connections to develop clients in the hospital. Xue Xiaozhou found various excuses to evade. Hu Manli asked Xue Xiaozhou to draw up an insurance policy for Mr.
Chen and also encouraged Xue Xiaozhou to bring in more clients and strive to win the car the company was awarding. Xue Xiaozhou was immediately interested. Hu Manli seized the opportunity to suggest meeting Wu Ya. Xue Xiaozhou couldn't refuse her insistence and had to agree. Xue Xiaozhou went to the hospital to take care of his mother. Hu Manli accompanied him.
Wu Ya came to discuss his mother's treatment plan with Xue Xiaozhou, and Hu Manli took the chance to add Wu Ya on WeChat. Li Fendou's book was published soon. There was Ding Zhiyuan's signature after the preface. General Manager Kevin was very angry and wanted to suspend "This Person Says" for one month. Zhong Ning notified Ding Zhiyuan.
Ding Zhiyuan clearly stated that he did not write the preface and explained how Li Fendou forced him to sign it while he was drunk. Zhong Ning promised to explain the matter to General Manager Kevin. Kevin asked Ding Zhiyuan to insert a sea cucumber advertisement in "Philosopher Says. " Ding Zhiyuan flatly refused. Zhong Ning explained the stakes to him, but Ding Zhiyuan firmly refused to budge. Zhong Ning had no choice but to tell him Kevin's decision.
The more Ding Zhiyuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He went directly to Qiu Lisu to argue and wanted to sue Li Fendou for infringement. Qiu Lisu's earnest persuasion was in vain. The two stuck to their own points, neither giving way, and finally had a terrible argument. In a fit of anger, Qiu Lisu ordered him to leave.
Episode 16 Recap
Xue Xiaozhou's attending physician finalized his mother's surgery plan. He invited Wu Ya to dinner. Wu Ya claimed she was on duty tonight, but a nurse casually mentioned that Wu Ya had just finished her duty the day before yesterday. Wu Ya had no choice but to go to dinner with Xue Xiaozhou. Ding Zhiyuan's Second Aunt accompanied his Second Uncle from their hometown to Shanghai for surgery. They came directly to the house.
Hu Manli had to tell them that she and Ding Zhiyuan had separated and arranged for them to stay at a hotel. Second Aunt advised Hu Manli to reconcile with Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli had unspoken difficulties. Second Aunt guessed that Ding Zhiyuan was at fault first and promised to support Hu Manli. Hu Manli didn't want to listen to her nagging, so she found an excuse to leave first.
Hu Manli sent a message to notify Ding Zhiyuan as soon as she left. Xue Xiaozhou created a health insurance plan for Mr. Chen's whole family. Hu Manli immediately took it to Mr. Chen for review. Mr. Chen found that his elderly mother was excluded. He thought he had been cheated again and angrily returned the insurance policy to Hu Manli. Hu Manli immediately called Xue Xiaozhou and asked him to recommend medical insurance suitable for people over eighty.
Xue Xiaozhou was at the hospital; his mother was having surgery today. He sent Hu Manli the account and password for the company website and asked Hu Manli to check it herself. Hu Manli immediately transferred 1000 yuan as a慰问金 (consolation money). Hu Manli logged into the Taiying International Insurance Company website using Xue Xiaozhou's account and found that the Elderly Care Medical Insurance was suitable for people over eighty.
Second Aunt couldn't reach Ding Zhiyuan, so she had to call Hu Manli. Ding Zhiyuan was staying in the school office and stubbornly turned off his phone; he didn't want to see Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli went to the school to find Ding Zhiyuan and told him about his Second Uncle coming to Shanghai for treatment. Ding Zhiyuan immediately went to the hotel to find his Second Uncle and Second Aunt.
Second Uncle asked Ding Zhiyuan to help find a doctor for the surgery. Ding Zhiyuan was very embarrassed. Second Uncle was very angry. Second Aunt hadn't originally planned to ask Ding Zhiyuan; Hu Manli had always taken them to see doctors before. Second Aunt complained that Ding Zhiyuan shouldn't have separated from Hu Manli. Ding Zhiyuan took his Second Uncle and Second Aunt to the hospital to queue for a consultation. There were many people at the hospital.
Ding Zhiyuan queued for a long time, with eighty people still ahead. Second Aunt queued for him. Second Uncle complained that he shouldn't have separated from Hu Manli. Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to admit that he had feelings for another woman. Second Uncle couldn't help but complain about him. Xue Xiaozhou waited anxiously outside the operating room. Wu Ya accompanied him. Ding Zhiyuan finally reached the front after queuing for a long time.
The attending doctor asked Second Uncle to undergo related examinations. Second Uncle firmly refused. He had already done many examinations in his hometown and just wanted to have the surgery early. Second Aunt disliked that the doctor was young, and Second Uncle spoke maliciously to the doctor. The doctor, in a fit of anger, drove them away. Second Aunt asked Ding Zhiyuan to use his connections. Ding Zhiyuan was very embarrassed.
The department head suddenly called Ding Zhiyuan, saying someone reported him for writing a preface for Li Fendou's autobiography. Ding Zhiyuan had to call Hu Manli for help. Hu Manli recommended the Elderly Care Medical Insurance to Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen was extremely busy. Hu Manli helped him receive guests when she suddenly received a call from Ding Zhiyuan. She left the insurance policy with Mr. Chen and rushed to the hospital.
Second Aunt and Second Uncle vented loudly to Hu Manli. Hu Manli tried her best to calm them down, then called Wu Ya. Wu Ya helped contact the head of department. Hu Manli took Second Uncle and Second Aunt to see the department head. The head of department agreed to perform the surgery on Second Uncle but asked him to get re-examined. Second Uncle was unwilling but had no choice.
Hu Manli thanked Wu Ya for her help and casually asked about Xue Xiaozhou's mother's surgery. Upon learning that Xue Xiaozhou's mother's surgery was very successful, Hu Manli invited Wu Ya to come to her house for dinner with Xue Xiaozhou sometime. The hospital required a 200,000 yuan deposit. Second Aunt quickly came to Hu Manli to discuss. She happened to have 200,000 yuan, which was money for her son's marriage.
Hu Manli told her to pay the hospitalization fee first. Fortunately, Hu Manli had purchased medical insurance for them beforehand, and the insurance company would reimburse the medical expenses soon. Only then did Second Aunt feel relieved. The department head immediately saw that the preface for Li Fendou's autobiography was not written by Ding Zhiyuan. The words were awkward, and there were many grammatical errors, but it had Ding Zhiyuan's signature on it.
Ding Zhiyuan repeatedly explained that he signed it under duress. The department head asked him to prove that the signature on it was not his, otherwise, he would lose his qualification for evaluation and commendation. Second Uncle was hospitalized and kept asking to see Ding Zhiyuan. Second Aunt had to call him. Ding Zhiyuan immediately rushed back to the hospital. Ding Zhiyuan and Qiu Lisu had been in a cold war, and he had been staying in the office.
The secretary advised Qiu Lisu to call him back. Qiu Lisu didn't want to concede to him, otherwise, she would be even less able to control him in the future. Ding Zhiyuan rushed to the hospital. Second Uncle severely reprimanded him, condemning him for separating from Hu Manli. Second Aunt also chimed in from the side. Ding Zhiyuan was left speechless by the scolding. Xue Xiaozhou invited Wu Ya to dinner.
Xue Xiaozhou wanted to close another big deal and rent a place near the hospital. He said he and Wu Ya would never be apart again. Wu Ya, surprisingly, proposed breaking up. Xue Xiaozhou thought she was joking. Wu Ya didn't want to explain too much and left without finishing her meal. Xue Xiaozhou thought Wu Ya had encountered setbacks at work, so he called the department head to inquire about the situation and learned that Wu Ya had just won an award for being outstanding.
Episode 17 Recap
Hu Manli helped Mr. Chen choose a suitable medical insurance plan for his elderly mother. Mr. Chen agreed to insure his mother, and Hu Manli successfully closed another deal. Xue Xiaozhou returned home dejected. Hu Manli could tell at a glance that he was troubled. Xue Xiaozhou then told her about Wu Ya proposing a breakup. Hu Manli was very surprised. She promised to have a good talk with Wu Ya and asked Xue Xiaozhou to finalize Mr.
Chen's policy as soon as possible. Xue Xiaozhou did not want to break up with Wu Ya and kept sending her messages, even pleading for reconciliation in the voice of Baodan, the kitten they raised together. Wu Ya was on a date with Ai Linjiang and ignored Xue Xiaozhou. Hu Manli hosted live streams every night, popularizing insurance knowledge for her fans. Mr. Chen suddenly called Hu Manli, saying he didn't know how to fill out his personal information online.
Hu Manli went to the vegetable market early in the morning to help Mr. Chen complete the relevant procedures and promised to be responsible until the end. Mr. Chen was very grateful to her. Second Aunt suddenly called Hu Manli for help. The insurance company had returned her husband's claim application. Two years ago, Hu Manli was still working at Nanyang Company.
Wang Chunlu hadn't closed a single policy for three months, so Hu Manli asked her to buy medical insurance plus critical illness insurance for Ding Zhiyuan's Second Uncle and Second Aunt. According to regulations, the insurance company should reimburse Second Uncle's hospitalization expenses. Hu Manli hurried back to her previous company to find Wang Chunlu to understand the situation.
At that time, Hu Manli was in a hurry to attend Ding Daer's parent-teacher conference, so she asked Wang Chunlu to take Second Uncle and Second Aunt to handle the procedures. Wang Chunlu clearly remembered that Second Uncle and Second Aunt were reluctant to spend money and only bought critical illness insurance. Hu Manli was completely unaware of this. She couldn't help but complain to Wang Chunlu.
Because Second Uncle did not have medical insurance, the cost of this treatment could not be reimbursed. Wang Chunlu felt wronged, saying she had to respect the client's opinion. Hu Manli was also helpless. She told Ding Zhiyuan about this. Ding Zhiyuan didn't know what to do for a moment. He asked Hu Manli to help cover Second Uncle's medical expenses, but Hu Manli flatly refused.
Xue Xiaozhou came downstairs to Wu Ya's dormitory building with the kitten Baodan, wanting to see her. Wu Ya was greatly annoyed and called Hu Manli to ask her to persuade Xue Xiaozhou to leave. Hu Manli rushed over to persuade Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou did not want to break up with Wu Ya; they had been together for five years.
Hu Manli called Wu Ya and asked her to give Xue Xiaozhou another chance, but Wu Ya remained firm, repeatedly claiming she had never loved Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou was completely heartbroken. He had no choice but to go home with Hu Manli. The more Xue Xiaozhou thought about it, the sadder he became. As soon as he got home, he locked himself in his room and finally couldn't help but burst into tears.
The next morning, Xue Xiaozhou got up for breakfast as if nothing had happened. He had figured things out and decided to let go of his obsession with Wu Ya and devote himself entirely to work. Hu Manli was happy for him. Hu Manli suddenly noticed that Chen Fang had liked Tang Ling's post. She was puzzled. Tang Ling used to be Hu Manli's apprentice. After stealing Hu Manli's client, she moved to Taiying International Insurance Company.
Chen Fang came to Nanyang Company only after Tang Ling left. Hu Manli thought they wouldn't know each other. In fact, Tang Ling and Chen Fang were husband and wife, but they had not revealed this relationship. Hu Manli was completely unaware. Chen Fang accidentally liked Tang Ling's post. Tang Ling was worried about being discovered and told him to quickly delete it.
Hu Manli saw everything and finally understood that Chen Fang was retaliating against her because of Tang Ling. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to settle the score with Chen Fang. Hu Manli advised him not to be anxious and especially not to show it in front of Tang Ling. Hu Manli encouraged Xue Xiaozhou to work twice as hard and strive to win the car awarded by the company. Xue Xiaozhou went to work.
A colleague offered him bubble tea, but Xue Xiaozhou politely refused. Only when Tang Ling personally gave him a cup of bubble tea did Xue Xiaozhou accept it. Yi Chang couldn't stand Xue Xiaozhou's actions and spoke ill of him in front of Tang Ling. Tang Ling didn't want to offend Xue Xiaozhou, a potential asset, and vowed to touch him with sincerity. Hu Manli came to the market to sell vegetables and unintentionally heard that Mr.
Chen was accompanying his mother to the hospital for joint replacement surgery. She immediately rushed over to see what was happening. Hu Manli told Mr. Chen to choose the best for his mother, as the insurance company would reimburse the full amount. Mr. Chen was beaming with joy. After Second Uncle's surgery, he and his wife were going back to their hometown. Ding Zhiyuan invited them to dinner.
Second Uncle asked Ding Zhiyuan to give him 200,000 yuan for his son's marriage. Ding Zhiyuan did not have that much money on hand. Second Uncle accused Ding Zhiyuan of being ungrateful, mentioning that he had given Ding Zhiyuan 20,000 yuan back then. Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to promise to find a way to raise the money. Second Uncle decided to leave only after receiving the money. Ding Zhiyuan called Qiu Lisu for help.
Qiu Lisu was in a meeting, and her phone went unanswered. Qiu Lisu learned about this from her secretary, Xiao Huang. She agreed to lend the money to Ding Zhiyuan. Ding Zhiyuan brought Second Uncle and Second Aunt to Qiu Lisu's company to get the money. Xiao Huang took them to the finance department to withdraw the money. The finance director asked Second Uncle to sign an IOU. Second Uncle firmly refused.
Ding Zhiyuan wanted to sign on behalf of Second Uncle, but the finance director disagreed, insisting that Second Uncle sign it and repay the principal and interest within half a year. If they failed to repay by the deadline, their legal responsibility would be pursued. Second Uncle, in a fit of pique, tore the IOU to shreds and shouted at Ding Zhiyuan. Ding Zhiyuan didn't know how to explain.
Episode 18 Recap
Qiu Lisu verbally agreed to lend money to Ding Zhiyuan. Not only did she not show up, but she also made Ding Zhiyuan's Second Uncle sign an IOU, with a deadline of six months to repay the principal and interest. Second Uncle was furious and unleashed all his anger on Ding Zhiyuan, who was completely disgraced and had to leave Qiu Lisu's company dejected with Second Uncle and Second Aunt. Zhong Ning went to the hospital for a physical examination.
The doctor suspected she had ALS and suggested she go to a Grade A tertiary hospital for further examination. Zhong Ning was stunned. She immediately made an appointment on the Nanyang Insurance Company website. Ding Zhiyuan wanted to borrow 200,000 yuan from the company. Zhong Ning advised him to give up the idea quickly, as the boss was very dissatisfied with Ding Zhiyuan and had long wanted to terminate the contract with him.
Zhong Ning had spoken up for Ding Zhiyuan multiple times, but Ding Zhiyuan not only didn't appreciate it but also yelled at Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning retorted, and Ding Zhiyuan slammed the door and left in a fit of pique. Zhong Ning told Hu Manli about Ding Zhiyuan borrowing money. Hu Manli didn't have 200,000 yuan on hand, so she went to Xue Xiaozhou late at night to borrow money. Xue Xiaozhou lent her 50,000 yuan.
His parents heard that Ding Zhiyuan was borrowing money everywhere for Second Uncle and told him to ask Hu Manli for the money. They had put 500,000 yuan into an education fund for Ding Daer when their old house was demolished. Ding Zhiyuan couldn't bring himself to ask, but his mother advised him not to be soft-hearted, saying it was their family's money. Hu Manli went to the school to find Ding Zhiyuan early in the morning.
Before she could say anything, Ding Zhiyuan asked for the 500,000 yuan education fund that his parents had given Ding Daer. Hu Manli didn't want to touch that money and told Ding Zhiyuan to ask Qiu Lisu for money. Ding Zhiyuan insisted on having the 500,000 yuan from his parents. Hu Manli was enraged. She called Ding Zhiyuan to the riverside to talk. Ding Zhiyuan verbally abused her.
In a fit of anger, Hu Manli pushed Ding Zhiyuan into the river and vowed never to see him again, no matter if he lived or died in the future. Several days after the surgery, his mother remained unconscious, and Xue Xiaozhou was extremely anxious. Director Duan performed a comprehensive examination on Xue's mother and advised Xue Xiaozhou not to worry. Zhong Ning went to the Grade A tertiary hospital for a follow-up examination. The doctor confirmed she had ALS.
Zhong Ning's parents had passed away early, and she was divorced from her husband. Currently, her only relative was her son Jun Jun. She had no choice but to send Jun Jun a message, but Jun Jun refused to answer in a fit of pique. Zhong Ning went to the school to find Jun Jun. Jun Jun was angry because his parents were divorced and left after only saying a few words. Zhong Ning was heartbroken. Hu Manli helped Mr.
Chen reimburse his mother's medical expenses. Mr. Chen was very grateful to her and asked Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou to come to the market to introduce insurance knowledge to the stall owners. Mr. Chen vouched for Hu Manli. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou distributed flyers and answered their questions one by one. Hu Manli was very happy.
She and Xue Xiaozhou bought a lot of groceries to celebrate at home and casually mentioned that she was happiest when helping clients with claims. Xue Xiaozhou looked at her with newfound respect. Second Uncle and Second Aunt waited at the door of her house, forcing Hu Manli to give them the 500,000 yuan from Ding Zhiyuan's parents. Hu Manli clearly stated that it was Ding Daer's education fund and firmly refused to budge.
Second Uncle and Second Aunt stayed at her house in a fit of pique, suspecting that Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou had an improper relationship. Hu Manli became angry and ashamed, warning Second Uncle and Second Aunt not to talk nonsense. They insisted that Hu Manli forced Ding Zhiyuan to break up with her. Hu Manli didn't want to listen to their unreasonable demands.
She called Ding Zhiyuan and asked him to take Second Uncle and Second Aunt away, but Ding Zhiyuan told her to handle it herself. Xue Xiaozhou secretly called the police. The police officers arrived shortly after. Second Uncle and Second Aunt repeatedly claimed they were Hu Manli's relatives. The police officers asked them to leave first. Second Uncle took out his heart surgery report and started to make a fuss.
The police officers worried that the situation would escalate and someone would die, so they advised Hu Manli to handle the family dispute properly and then left in a hurry. Second Uncle and Second Aunt stayed in the house, eating and drinking. Hu Manli took Ding Daer and Xue Xiaozhou out for dinner. Hu Manli decided to give them a hard time. Hu Manli changed the Wi-Fi password. Second Uncle needed to watch the news every day.
He asked Hu Manli to turn the internet on. Hu Manli flatly refused. Second Aunt cursed at Hu Manli and picked up something from the table, about to smash it. Hu Manli warned her not to break things randomly, or she would have to pay for the damage according to the price.
Episode 19 Recap
Hu Manli was busy developing new clients every day and also didn't forget to visit old ones. She took a gift to see Ai Zhonghua. Ai Zhonghua was in a great mood. His son, Ai Linjiang, had just started a new relationship, and it was intended for marriage. Hu Manli congratulated him and briefly introduced several discounted insurance policies offered by the insurance company, asking Ai Zhonghua to help introduce some new clients.
Ai Zhonghua was very interested in the new policies. Hu Manli gave him a detailed introduction, and Ai Zhonghua immediately decided to take out insurance. Hu Manli was crowdfunding online for Ding Zhiyuan's Second Uncle and Second Aunt. Wang Xue shared this information on her WeChat Moments.
Qiu Lisu saw the information and concluded that Hu Manli had instigated Second Uncle and Second Aunt to post it, because Ding Zhiyuan was a person who valued face more than his life; he would never openly fundraise. Secretary Xiao Huang advised Qiu Lisu to intervene in the matter to avoid affecting Ding Zhiyuan's reputation. Qiu Lisu wanted to see Ding Zhiyuan and Hu Manli fight so she could benefit from the conflict.
The department head saw the crowdfunding information and even gave Ding Zhiyuan a sum of money. Ding Zhiyuan was confused. Wang Xue and her classmates pooled some money for Ding Zhiyuan. Only then did Ding Zhiyuan see the crowdfunding information, and he was furious. Second Uncle and Second Aunt suddenly received a call from their son. His girlfriend saw the crowdfunding information and was arguing to break up with him. Second Uncle and Second Aunt immediately panicked.
They immediately called Ding Zhiyuan back. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to choose a car, vowing to make Xue Xiaozhou the company's top performer. That way, Xue Xiaozhou could legitimately receive the luxury car reward. Ding Zhiyuan suddenly called Hu Manli. Hu Manli felt it was a mood killer and deliberately didn't answer, asking Xue Xiaozhou to take a photo of her as a memento. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou went home happily.
Ding Zhiyuan couldn't wait to urge her to delete the online crowdfunding information. Hu Manli firmly refused, telling Ding Zhiyuan to take Second Uncle and Second Aunt out of her house. Second Uncle and Second Aunt refused to leave. Ding Zhiyuan grabbed their luggage and walked out. Second Uncle and Second Aunt had no choice but to leave dejectedly. Before leaving the door, Second Aunt spat at Xue Xiaozhou, cursing all the while.
Hu Manli stopped Second Aunt and told her to apologize to Xue Xiaozhou. Ding Zhiyuan strongly protested. Hu Manli repeatedly claimed that Xue Xiaozhou had posted the online crowdfunding information and that if Second Aunt didn't admit her mistake, she would not delete it. Second Aunt reluctantly apologized to Xue Xiaozhou and then followed Ding Zhiyuan away in a dejected manner.
Ding Zhiyuan was desperate and had no choice but to agree to insert a sea cucumber advertisement in the "Philosopher Says" program. Ding Zhiyuan advanced twenty thousand yuan from the company to Second Uncle and Second Aunt. They were so happy they couldn't stop smiling. Ding Zhiyuan treated Second Uncle and Second Aunt to dinner. Qiu Lisu came uninvited, falsely claiming that she was away on a business trip and pushing all the responsibility onto Secretary Xiao Huang.
Qiu Lisu wanted to fire Xiao Huang. Xiao Huang begged Second Uncle and Second Aunt to plead for her. Second Uncle and Second Aunt believed her and repeatedly spoke well of Xiao Huang. Qiu Lisu took the opportunity to let her stay. After dinner, Qiu Lisu followed Ding Zhiyuan to the school and saw that Ding Zhiyuan had set up a bed in his office. Qiu Lisu begged Ding Zhiyuan to move back home. Ding Zhiyuan categorically refused.
He had completely seen through Qiu Lisu's true face. Qiu Lisu didn't love him at all and had been using him from the beginning. Qiu Lisu repeatedly claimed that she deeply loved Ding Zhiyuan, begging him to understand her difficulties, and finally broke down in tears. Qiu Lisu tightly hugged Ding Zhiyuan and wouldn't let go. She told him about her pregnancy, and Ding Zhiyuan's heart immediately softened. He obediently followed Qiu Lisu home.
Zhong Ning showed Hu Manli the video of Ding Zhiyuan inserting an advertisement in the program. Hu Manli couldn't help but be amused by his stiff expression. Zhong Ning wanted to buy an education annuity for her son Jun Jun. Hu Manli clearly remembered that she had already bought one for her. Zhong Ning had to admit that she had a terminal illness.
Hu Manli advised her not to worry; she had purchased overseas medical insurance and could go abroad for treatment. All costs would be covered by the insurance company. Zhong Ning knew she only had at most two years left and wanted to arrange everything for Jun Jun before she died. Xue Xiaozhou's mother's condition suddenly worsened. Medical staff made every effort to rescue her, but she still passed away.
By the time Xue Xiaozhou rushed to the hospital, his mother had already passed away. Xue Xiaozhou had not heard his father's final apology, and now he hadn't even seen his mother for the last time. Xue Xiaozhou was heartbroken with grief. Zhong Ning wanted to leave her house and money to Jun Jun, but Jun Jun was a minor. Zhong Ning didn't want her ex-husband to get these things and asked Hu Manli for help figuring out a way.
Hu Manli suddenly received a call from Wu Ya, learning that Xue Xiaozhou's mother had suddenly passed away. She hurried to the hospital and took the heartbroken Xue Xiaozhou home. As soon as Xue Xiaozhou got home, he lay on the bed feeling dejected and sad. Xue Xiaozhou regretted not having earned enough money for his mother's surgery sooner. Hu Manli spoke kind words to him, but Xue Xiaozhou just couldn't let go.
Episode 20 Recap
To help Xue Xiaozhou recover from the pain of his mother's sudden death as quickly as possible, Hu Manli asked Xue Xiaozhou to prepare an insurance plan proposal for Zhong Ning. Since Zhong Ning's son Jun Jun was a minor, if Zhong Ning passed away before Jun Jun turned eighteen, Zhong Ning's ex-husband, as Jun Jun's guardian, would have the right to that money.
However, both of Zhong Ning's parents had passed away, and no direct relatives could be added to Zhong Ning's policy. Xue Xiaozhou thought long and hard but couldn't come up with a better solution. Hu Manli asked Xue Xiaozhou to think of a solution from a legal perspective. Xue Xiaozhou dug out the law books he studied in college. He finally came up with a good idea and suggested that Zhong Ning set up a testamentary trust for Jun Jun.
Zhong Ning couldn't wait to sign the policy immediately, so Xue Xiaozhou went to complete the procedures right away. Zhong Ning asked Hu Manli to accompany her to take a set of photos, and she also wanted to see what she would look like at eighty. Hu Manli had the photographer Photoshop an elderly photo for Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning wanted to keep it for her son Jun Jun.
Hu Manli advised Zhong Ning not to lose heart and to have confidence in her illness. Ding Zhiyuan was extremely busy every day. Qiu Lisu asked him to do prenatal education. Ding Zhiyuan felt it wasn't necessary for a two-month pregnancy and quickly finished telling the story. Qiu Lisu was very dissatisfied, so Ding Zhiyuan had to read it seriously.
Xue Xiaozhou accidentally saw that Hu Manli had already introduced testamentary trusts in detail in her livestream a few days ago, and only then did he realize that Hu Manli had deliberately given him Zhong Ning's case. Xue Xiaozhou complained that Hu Manli shouldn't have indulged him, but Hu Manli just wanted him to win Wu Ya back as soon as possible. Xue Xiaozhou went to the hospital to find Wu Ya.
Wu Ya was very cold to him and repeatedly emphasized that they had broken up. Unexpectedly, Wu Ya was now dating Ai Linjiang, and Xue Xiaozhou was instantly stunned. Wu Ya didn't want to see Xue Xiaozhou embarrassed, so she quickly found an excuse to leave. Ai Linjiang learned that Xue Xiaozhou was Wu Ya's ex-boyfriend and suspected that Xue Xiaozhou still had feelings for Wu Ya. He told Wu Ya to tell Xue Xiaozhou to stay away.
Wu Ya didn't want to listen to his nonsense and got off the car midway. Hu Manli called Ai Linjiang and invited him to dinner. When Ai Linjiang heard that Xue Xiaozhou would also be there, he agreed without hesitation. Hu Manli called and informed Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou originally didn't want to go, but when he heard that the client was Ai Linjiang, he decisively agreed. Zhong Ning took a week's annual leave.
She arranged her company affairs and sent a message to arrange a meeting with Jun Jun, but Jun Jun kept making excuses to decline. Zhong Ning was heartbroken. She regretted not asking for Jun Jun's custody when they divorced. Jun Jun misunderstood that she didn't want him and still refused to accept her. Xue Xiaozhou asked Hu Manli to accompany him to choose clothes. Xue Xiaozhou picked one that an old client had ordered.
Hu Manli asked him to change it. The waitress, You Qi, was resigning the next day to open her own clothing store and told Xue Xiaozhou to take the clothes. She proactively asked to add Xue Xiaozhou's WeChat, but Xue Xiaozhou refused in person. Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to the appointment. Ai Linjiang announced that he had proposed to his girlfriend. Hu Manli didn't know that his girlfriend was Wu Ya and repeatedly congratulated him.
Ai Linjiang spoke at length about his and his girlfriend's relationship history. Hu Manli pulled Xue Xiaozhou to celebrate with Ai Linjiang. Xue Xiaozhou picked up a glass of wine and drank it down, using the influence of alcohol to pour cold water on Ai Linjiang. Ai Linjiang swore solemnly that he and his girlfriend had true love. Xue Xiaozhou drank sullenly by himself.
Hu Manli saw that Xue Xiaozhou wasn't right and secretly sent him a message to remind him. After several rounds of drinks, Hu Manli took the opportunity to propose participating in their company's bidding. Ai Linjiang questioned Xue Xiaozhou's qualifications to participate. Xue Xiaozhou retorted mockingly to Ai Linjiang. Ai Linjiang picked up a glass of wine and challenged Xue Xiaozhou.
Hu Manli quickly stepped forward to block the drink for Xue Xiaozhou and wanted to pay the bill immediately and leave. Xue Xiaozhou snatched the bill to pay. Ai Linjiang couldn't stand it anymore; he verbally abused Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou was enraged, and he got into a big fight with Ai Linjiang. Ai Linjiang clearly stated that Wu Ya was his girlfriend. Only then did Hu Manli realize that Ai Linjiang had taken Xue Xiaozhou's girlfriend, Wu Ya.
Ai Linjiang cursed at Xue Xiaozhou. Hu Manli was enraged. She stepped forward to rescue Xue Xiaozhou and then pulled Xue Xiaozhou away.
Episode 21 Recap
Ai Linjiang stole Xue Xiaozhou's girlfriend Wu Ya and publicly humiliated Xue Xiaozhou. Hu Manli stood up for him, severely scolded Ai Linjiang, then took Xue Xiaozhou's hand and left. Hu Manli went to the bar to pay the bill. The meal cost over 13,000 yuan. Hu Manli felt it was too expensive and wanted to top up to become a member for a discount. Unexpectedly, she had to top up 100,000 yuan to become a member.
Hu Manli reluctantly paid. Xue Xiaozhou returned home dejected. Hu Manli tried to comfort him with kind words, but Xue Xiaozhou couldn't let it go. He was convinced that Wu Ya was with Ai Linjiang because of money, and he wanted to call Wu Ya to clarify. Hu Manli snatched the phone, advising Xue Xiaozhou not to ask for trouble. If he kept wallowing in self-pity like this, Wu Ya would look down on him even more.
Hu Manli encouraged Xue Xiaozhou to cheer up and make a lot of money so he could be invincible in the future. Ding Daer heard the news and came out of his room, reminding Hu Manli not to scold Xue Xiaozhou anymore, worrying that Xue Xiaozhou might do something foolish. Hu Manli had gone through the double blow of a failed marriage and a collapsed career without being defeated, but Ding Daer was still worried.
Hu Manli also started to feel uneasy. She went to the study to check on Xue Xiaozhou and found the door locked. Hu Manli pretended to be bringing Xue Xiaozhou some fruit, but Xue Xiaozhou didn't respond. Hu Manli used a key to open the door and saw Xue Xiaozhou sitting on the balcony window, staring blankly. Hu Manli thought Xue Xiaozhou was going to commit suicide. While comforting Xue Xiaozhou, she rushed over to hug him.
Hu Manli used all her strength to pull Xue Xiaozhou down. She yelled at Xue Xiaozhou, and Xue Xiaozhou was jolted awake by her scolding and swore to start over. Only then did Hu Manli feel relieved and return to her room to rest. The next morning, Xue Xiaozhou woke up and had breakfast as if nothing had happened. He offered to take Ding Daer to school. Hu Manli felt very relieved to see him cheer up again.
Xue Xiaozhou took the bus to work and, following Hu Manli's reminder, liked every friend's Moments post. Around noon, Tang Ling sent a message in the group inviting everyone to dinner. Xue Xiaozhou, like his colleagues, liked the message. Tang Ling treated everyone to hotpot and even bought gifts for the top five performing employees at her own expense.
She gave Xue Xiaozhou a designer bag, asked Yang Yichang to take a group photo for them, and also asked Xue Xiaozhou to post it on his Moments right away. After a few rounds of drinks, Tang Ling asked Xue Xiaozhou to share his experience of becoming the top salesperson. Xue Xiaozhou, fueled by alcohol, gave an impassioned speech, and everyone applauded him.
Tang Ling asked Wang Lingling, a female salesperson who hadn't made any sales, to wear the "I'm the Bottom King" T-shirt. Wang Lingling was very reluctant and pointed out in public that Xue Xiaozhou didn't wear it the last time he was at the bottom. Xue Xiaozhou snatched the T-shirt and put it on, then went around giving out business cards to other customers in the restaurant. Tang Ling and her colleagues cheered for Xue Xiaozhou.
Wang Chunlu suddenly called Hu Manli. Zhong Ning had consulted her about suicide claims many times. Hu Manli was worried that Zhong Ning might do something foolish, so she called her. Zhong Ning's phone was not answered. Hu Manli learned from her secretary that Zhong Ning had taken leave and gone to the Maldives. She was extremely anxious and had to send a message to comfort Zhong Ning, claiming that Jun Jun's insurance policy had a problem.
Zhong Ning felt life wasn't worth living. She had bought a testamentary trust for her son Jun Jun and wanted to jump off a building to commit suicide. Zhong Ning suddenly received a message from Hu Manli and mistakenly thought that Jun Jun's insurance policy really had a problem. She had to call Hu Manli back and asked Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou to come see her together. Hu Manli asked for her location, and then called Xue Xiaozhou.
Xue Xiaozhou was having dinner with his colleagues at the hotpot restaurant, and his phone was not answered. Hu Manli searched for his location based on where Xue Xiaozhou posted on his Moments. As soon as Hu Manli entered, she saw Xue Xiaozhou wearing the "I'm the Bottom King" T-shirt and handing out business cards. She was both anxious and angry. Tang Ling recognized Hu Manli and came over to greet her.
Hu Manli believed that Tang Ling had deliberately made Xue Xiaozhou embarrass himself in public and forcibly dragged Xue Xiaozhou away. Hu Manli dragged Xue Xiaozhou to save Zhong Ning and also called to inform Jun Jun.
Episode 22 Recap
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou arrived at the rooftop. Zhong Ning was preparing to jump off the building to commit suicide. Hu Manli shouted to stop her. Zhong Ning did not want to continue living and was determined to die. She had already called the insurance company, and Jun Jun's testamentary trust was fine. Hu Manli clearly stated that if Zhong Ning committed suicide, her insurance would become invalid, and Jun Jun would not receive a single cent.
She also hinted for Xue Xiaozhou to lie and deceive Zhong Ning. Xue Xiaozhou lied, claiming that the Insurance Regulatory Commission had just issued a notice. Zhong Ning did not believe him at all; she felt life was no longer worth living. Xue Xiaozhou climbed onto the railing, saying he would die with Zhong Ning. His mother had died from illness, and his girlfriend had left him. Xue Xiaozhou felt like a useless person.
Thanks to Hu Manli, who scolded him awake, Xue Xiaozhou advised Zhong Ning to wait patiently, believing that the person who cared about her would come. Zhong Ning thought it was impossible. Hu Manli sent a message to call Jun Jun over. Jun Jun took out the picture that Hu Manli had sent him of Zhong Ning when she was old. He was heartbroken and urged Zhong Ning to live well.
Zhong Ning knew her illness was incurable and did not want to continue living. Jun Jun pleaded with her not to commit suicide, vowing to spend the last moments of her life with her. Zhong Ning's heart was melted. She and Jun Jun hugged and cried. Xue Xiaozhou successfully persuaded Zhong Ning to give up on suicide by threatening to die himself.
Hu Manli looked at him with admiration and regretted her impulsive act of going to the restaurant to find Xue Xiaozhou earlier. Tang Ling definitely knew about their collaboration and would certainly not let it go easily. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to give the bag Tang Ling gave him to Hu Manli, but Hu Manli flatly refused and sold the bag at a second-hand store for a thousand yuan.
Xue Xiaozhou thanked Hu Manli for her help and support during this time. Hu Manli took the opportunity to propose increasing the profit sharing ratio, but Xue Xiaozhou could tell she was joking. Hu Manli confided in Xue Xiaozhou about the accumulated distress in her heart; her career and marriage had both failed, and she could only pretend to be strong. Xue Xiaozhou didn't know how to comfort her and just stayed by her side silently.
Tang Ling returned home and told Chen Fang about Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou's collaboration. Chen Fang told her to get rid of Xue Xiaozhou. Tang Ling had already thought of a way to bring down Hu Manli. Qiu Lisu asked Ding Zhiyuan to buy her spicy wontons with chili oil. Ding Zhiyuan was extremely busy. Qiu Lisu then used the baby in her belly to pressure him, so Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to go buy them.
When Ding Zhiyuan bought the spicy wontons, Qiu Lisu no longer wanted to eat them. She was constantly throwing up. Ding Zhiyuan thought it was morning sickness and didn't dwell on it. Qiu Lisu asked Ding Zhiyuan to accompany her to prenatal training classes. Ding Zhiyuan complained bitterly in his heart. Hu Manli accidentally discovered that Xue Xiaozhou had white hairs, so she helped him pull them out one by one.
Xue Xiaozhou did not want to give up the big deal with Ai Linjiang and was working twice as hard for the bonus luxury car. Hu Manli no longer stopped him. Ding Zhiyuan was overwhelmed and had to call his parents to come and help take care of Qiu Lisu. Ding's mother felt that Qiu Lisu was not simple and wanted to set rules for her. Ding Zhiyuan went to the station to pick up his parents.
Qiu Lisu warmly welcomed their arrival. Ding's mother asked Qiu Lisu to give the upper seat to Ding's father and sit in the lower seat. Qiu Lisu had to comply. Xue Xiaozhou worked overtime to complete the insurance plan. Hu Manli felt something was still missing. He and Ai Linjiang were love rivals, so the plan had to be irreplaceable. Xue Xiaozhou suddenly had a breakthrough. He wanted to find a way in through Ma Xiaowei.
Tang Ling suddenly sent a message asking Hu Manli to meet her at a beauty salon. Xue Xiaozhou was curious about the relationship between Hu Manli and Tang Ling. Tang Ling used to be a nail salon employee. Hu Manli met Tang Ling there, and Tang Ling became her apprentice. Later, Tang Ling joined Tai Ying International Insurance. Tang Ling arrived at the beauty salon on time to meet Hu Manli. She主动 offered to collaborate with Hu Manli.
Hu Manli agreed to introduce a big client to Tang Ling. She heard that Chen Fang wanted to steal the deal and also lied, claiming that Chen Fang was getting hot with a new beautiful female salesperson. Tang Ling believed it to be true. She went home to confront Chen Fang, but Chen Fang denied it vehemently, asserting that Hu Manli deliberately framed her. Tang Ling did not believe him at all.
She called the Human Resources Department at Blue Ocean Company to inquire about the situation and confirmed that no new employees had joined. Hu Manli deliberately spread the false news that Chen Fang was having an affair to sow discord between Tang Ling and Chen Fang. Ding Zhiyuan's parents disliked Qiu Lisu and found fault with her everywhere. Ding Zhiyuan was caught in the middle and felt very awkward.
Episode 23 Recap
Qiu Lisu was always clinging to Ding Zhiyuan after she got pregnant. Ding Zhiyuan was so bothered that he called his parents to come and take care of Qiu Lisu. Ding's father and Ding's mother disliked Qiu Lisu and found fault with her everywhere. Qiu Lisu then complained heavily to Ding Zhiyuan, wanting his parents to leave as soon as possible. Ding Zhiyuan couldn't bring himself to say it. Qiu Lisu came up with various excuses.
Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to promise to find time to persuade his parents. Ai Linjiang stole Xue Xiaozhou's girlfriend Wu Ya and publicly humiliated him. Xue Xiaozhou was enraged and got into a big fight with him. Xue Xiaozhou was disheartened and wanted to die. Hu Manli scolded him awake. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to lose the big client Ai Linjiang, so he gathered his courage to attend the bidding meeting.
Major insurance companies sent sales representatives to bid. They each presented their plans. Xue Xiaozhou took a different approach, explaining the importance and uncertainty of wealth inheritance from a legal perspective. Ai Linjiang heard the hidden meaning in his words. He had been instructed to use Ma Xiaowei to challenge him, so he dismissed the other shareholders.
Xue Xiaozhou explained the stakes to Ai Linjiang: if his father Ai Zhonghua's illegitimate son Ma Xiaowei's descendants were excellent and capable enough to protect this wealth or make the company prosper, then Ai Linjiang would have to step down and yield to the capable. Ai Linjiang felt Xue Xiaozhou was humiliating him. He believed his child with Wu Ya would be superior to Ma Xiaowei's descendants. Xue Xiaozhou warned him not to be blindly optimistic.
Meanwhile, Hu Manli went to see Ai Zhonghua. She was worried that Xue Xiaozhou wouldn't be able to persuade Ai Linjiang. Ai Zhonghua had already given Ai Linjiang full control of the company, and he heard that Xue Xiaozhou and Ai Linjiang had a big fight because of Wu Ya, so he felt it was inconvenient to intervene.
Hu Manli explained the seriousness of the situation to him: if anything happened to Ai Linjiang, Ma Xiaowei would become the sole heir to this insurance policy. Ai Zhonghua did not express his stance on the spot. Ding's father and Ding's mother took Ding Daer shopping, and Ding Zhiyuan had to accompany them. The elderly couple bought clothes and shoes for Ding Daer. Ding Zhiyuan thought his parents were leaving and couldn't wait to buy their tickets.
His parents wanted to wait until Ding Zhiyuan's reading session ended. Ding's father even wanted to have a debate with Ding Zhiyuan at the reading session. Ding Zhiyuan felt extremely distressed and quickly made an excuse that he had to take Ding Daer to tutoring and hurried away. Ding Daer saw through Ding Zhiyuan's thoughts and casually mentioned how Hu Manli had hosted Grandma and Grandpa.
Ding Zhiyuan felt ashamed of himself; he had only focused on work all these years and had never worried about these things. Ding Zhiyuan took Ding Daer home and watched Hu Manli and Ding Daer go upstairs chatting and laughing, feeling a mix of emotions. Qiu Lisu suddenly sent a message urging Ding Zhiyuan to buy tickets for his parents as soon as possible. Ding Zhiyuan felt an unspeakable bitterness in his heart.
After the relentless efforts of Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli, they finally secured the big deal with Ai Linjiang. The two of them cheered happily. Hearing about this, Tang Ling congratulated Xue Xiaozhou right away and proactively offered to collaborate with him. The company was preparing to set up a family office. Tang Ling wanted to use this deal to prove her capability to Li Qingqing. She promised to give Xue Xiaozhou a big bonus after the deal was done.
Tang Ling also told Xue Xiaozhou to poach all the clients from Hu Manli's hands, and then she would bring Xue Xiaozhou into the family office. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to bite the hand that fed him. Tang Ling reminded Xue Xiaozhou to consider it carefully, as Hu Manli could make a comeback in two years and would surely cast Xue Xiaozhou aside then.
Xue Xiaozhou remembered how Tang Ling had ostracized and humiliated him when he first joined the company. Even if Hu Manli left him and went solo, he would not cooperate with Tang Ling. Tang Ling was furious. Ding Zhiyuan couldn't afford to offend his parents, much less Qiu Lisu. He was caught in the middle and felt very awkward, so he could only avoid Qiu Lisu everywhere. Qiu Lisu cornered him in the study.
Ding Zhiyuan had no choice but to explain that he wanted his father to attend the reading session. Qiu Lisu resolutely disagreed, saying that Ding's father was just a primary school Chinese teacher and was not suitable to attend the reading session. Qiu Lisu also took out her prenatal check-up results, claiming repeatedly that the baby's development was very slow, forcing Ding Zhiyuan to drive his parents away, and gave him an ultimatum.
Xue Xiaozhou submitted Ai Linjiang's insurance policy, but the approval was delayed. Hu Manli suspected Tang Ling was causing trouble. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to complain to Li Qingqing. Hu Manli advised him against it, saying that reporting across levels was a major taboo in the industry. Hu Manli's old clients were all asking if she had been fired. Hu Manli concluded that Tang Ling was stirring up trouble behind the scenes. Tang Ling arranged to meet Sun Jie.
She not only bought her a gift but also spoke ill of Hu Manli in front of her. Sun Jie revealed she wanted to buy her husband a 5 million yuan life insurance policy. Tang Ling proactively offered to sign the deal for her and promised to return the first year's premium commission. Sun Jie agreed readily. Hu Manli arranged to meet Tang Ling at the beauty salon. Tang Ling reluctantly went to the appointment.
Hu Manli guessed that she wanted Ai Linjiang's deal as a stepping stone. Tang Ling admitted it. Hu Manli then played the recording of her conversation with Sun Jie. Tang Ling was stunned. Hu Manli heard that Tang Ling had arranged to meet Sun Jie, so she asked Sun Jie to help record her conversation with Tang Ling. Hu Manli threatened to report Tang Ling to the Insurance Regulatory Commission, stating that she would definitely be disqualified.
Tang Ling admitted she was wrong and desperately begged Hu Manli to let her go. Hu Manli warned her not to do it again. Tang Ling promised to ensure the smooth processing of Ai Linjiang's policy and then left crestfallen. Hu Manli personally visited Ai Zhonghua to express her gratitude and learned that Tang Ling had also called him. Ai Zhonghua didn't care if Hu Manli was disqualified or not; he only recognized Hu Manli as a person. Hu Manli felt a warmth in her heart.
Episode 24 Recap
Xue Xiaozhou successfully closed the big deal with Ai Zhonghua, and he got first place in performance as he wished. According to the regulations, the company would reward him with a car. Xue Xiaozhou immediately took Hu Manli to choose a car. What Hu Manli chose was the shopping cart given to her by her customers. She took Xue Xiaozhou to the wet market. The vendors warmly welcomed Hu Manli and even gave her their own local produce.
Boss Chen gave Hu Manli two fish. Xue Xiaozhou saw the pride on Hu Manli's face and realized that what Hu Manli valued was the trust of her clients, and he couldn't help but admire her. In the blink of an eye, spring 2024 arrived. Li Qingqing called Xue Xiaozhou to her office and affirmed his achievements since joining the company half a year ago.
Li Qingqing promoted Xue Xiaozhou to director and asked him to join the family office, specifically responsible for the business of major clients. Xue Xiaozhou worried that he might not be competent for the role. He sent a message to Hu Manli to discuss it, specially choosing a high-end Michelin restaurant. Hu Manli advised him not to miss this excellent opportunity, firmly believed he could do well, and encouraged him to work hard.
Xue Xiaozhou stated on the spot that he would support Hu Manli from then on. Xue Xiaozhou took office today. Li Qingqing invited a reporter from "Business New Forces" to interview him and even personally attended to congratulate him. Xue Xiaozhou sent the interview video to Hu Manli. Hu Manli was having dinner with Zhong Ning, and they watched Xue Xiaozhou's interview together. Hu Manli felt immensely gratified.
After Hu Manli and Zhong Ning parted ways, Hu Manli went home and suddenly received a smart reminder that her father Hu Degong had fainted. She immediately rushed home and took her father to the hospital. Xue Xiaozhou went to work at the company bright and early. By chance, he stumbled upon the news of Wu Ya and Ai Linjiang's marriage. He liked the post on Moments.
When Xue Xiaozhou heard that Hu Degong was hospitalized, he rushed to the hospital immediately. Hu Degong needed brain surgery due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Hu Manli was so scared that she didn't know what to do. Xue Xiaozhou decisively decided to perform the surgery first to save him. Hu Manli signed the surgical notice. Ding Daer was about to get out of school, and Hu Manli couldn't spare the time. Xue Xiaozhou offered to pick up Ding Daer.
Wu Ya rushed over upon hearing the news and offered kind words of persuasion to Hu Manli. Chen Fang went home and told Tang Ling about Hu Manli. Seven years ago, Hu Manli bought an investment-linked insurance policy for her client Ma Yong. Ma Yong's business failed and he wanted to withdraw the premium, but found that only over a hundred thousand yuan remained. Ma Yong then sued Lanyang Insurance in court.
According to regulations, investment-linked insurance requires the client to sign a risk disclosure, which Hu Manli had written on behalf of the client. Tang Ling wanted to use this opportunity to completely bring down Hu Manli and asked Chen Fang to report Hu Manli to the head office. Hu Manli stayed at the hospital all night. Xue Xiaozhou took care of Ding Daer at home. He took Ding Daer to school early in the morning.
The classmates mistook Xue Xiaozhou for Ding Daer's brother. Ding Zhiyuan heard that Hu Degong was hospitalized and rushed to the hospital to give Hu Manli a sum of money. Hu Manli politely refused. Ding Zhiyuan said to just consider the money as buying medicinal wine for Hu Degong, and only then did Hu Manli agree to accept it. Xue Xiaozhou came to the hospital after taking Ding Daer to school. Ding Zhiyuan curiously asked who he was.
Hu Manli explained that Xue Xiaozhou was a colleague. Ding Zhiyuan wanted to take Ding Daer to his home, but Xue Xiaozhou offered to take care of Ding Daer. Due to the shortage of hospital beds, Hu Degong was arranged on an extra bed. Wu Ya was busy helping to contact for a proper bed. Xue Xiaozhou thanked her. Wu Ya repeatedly explained that she forgot to block Xue Xiaozhou when posting her wedding photos on Moments.
Xue Xiaozhou had already let go of that relationship and wanted to remain good friends with Wu Ya. Ding Zhiyuan heard that the department head's relative worked at the health bureau, so he went to the department head for help with Hu Degong's bed. The news about General Manager Ma's issue quickly spread like wildfire. The legal department at the head office received a court summons and immediately notified General Manager Jin.
The head office did not want to bear the four million yuan penalty and wanted the involved salesperson to bear it themselves. After Xue Xiaozhou took Ding Daer to school, he suddenly received a call from Wu Ya, who told him that Hu Manli's father had been arranged in a four-person ward. He rushed to the hospital and saw Ding Zhiyuan and Hu Manli taking care of Hu Degong in the ward.
He also heard that Ding Zhiyuan had found someone to arrange the ward. Xue Xiaozhou felt a pang of jealousy and left with an excuse that he had something to do. When Xue Xiaozhou went to work at the company, his colleagues were very respectful towards him. Some even offered to open the elevator for him. Xue Xiaozhou felt very unaccustomed to this. Li Qingqing arranged the best office for Xue Xiaozhou and also provided him with a car.
Episode 25 Recap
Hu Manli installed a health monitor on her father Hu Degong. She monitored through her phone and saw that Hu Degong had fainted due to cerebral hemorrhage. Thanks to Hu Manli taking him to the hospital promptly, Hu Degong was out of danger after undergoing brain surgery. Hu Manli took care of Hu Degong at the hospital, while Xue Xiaozhou proactively took on the task of picking up and dropping off Ding Daer.
Hu Manli suddenly received a notice from the Shanghai court. Lanyang Insurance Company sued her for violating regulations during her tenure and demanded she bear the four million yuan loss. Hu Manli was stunned. She decided to sell her house to repay the money. Li Qingqing highly valued Xue Xiaozhou, giving him a promotion and a raise, and even provided him with a car.
Xue Xiaozhou drove to pick up Hu Manli and take her home, suggesting she work as his assistant at Taiying International Insurance Company. Hu Manli declined, using the excuse that she couldn't spare the time as she needed to take care of Hu Degong and Ding Daer, and also urged Xue Xiaozhou to find a place and move out as soon as possible.
Xue Xiaozhou witnessed Ding Zhiyuan busy helping Hu Manli at the hospital and mistakenly thought Hu Manli wanted to reconcile with Ding Zhiyuan, so he agreed to move out soon. The wealth management project that Ding Zhiyuan's mother invested in collapsed. A salesman claiming to be named Wang called her proactively and asked her to transfer ten percent of the principal, promising to return both principal and interest.
After discussing with her husband, she went to the bank to make the transfer. The staff, worried that they were being scammed, questioned them carefully. Ding's mother lied, saying she was transferring money to her son, whose surname was Wang like hers, and even produced her ID to prove it. The staff then transferred the money to "Little Wang". Xue Xiaozhou quickly found a place. He packed his luggage and moved out.
Ding Daer was reluctant to see Xue Xiaozhou go. Before leaving, Xue Xiaozhou sent his address to Ding Daer. Ding Daer could see that Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to move out and complained that Hu Manli shouldn't have made Xue Xiaozhou move. Hu Manli reminded him not to go looking for Xue Xiaozhou.
After Ding's father and mother transferred the money to "Little Wang", "Little Wang" could no longer be contacted, and the investment group they were in before was also disbanded. The two of them were frantic and had no choice but to seek help from Hu Manli. After listening to the old couple's account, Hu Manli guessed that they had encountered a telecommunications fraud. Hu Manli immediately sent a message to notify Ding Zhiyuan.
Ding Zhiyuan had just arrived at his doorstep, but he immediately turned back and rushed to Hu Manli's house. Hu Manli suggested that Ding's father and mother report it to the police. They didn't want to report it and begged Hu Manli to help them get the money back. Hu Manli was helpless. Ding's mother immediately became furious, demanding that Hu Manli hand over five hundred thousand yuan.
They had originally given Hu Manli five hundred thousand yuan from demolition compensation to set up an education fund for Ding Daer, and Hu Manli firmly refused. Xue Xiaozhou moved into the rented house and ordered takeout. He couldn't help but recall the happy moments he had while living at Hu Manli's house. One time, Hu Manli and Ding Daer were eating hot pot, while Xue Xiaozhou ordered his own takeout.
Hu Manli found online that a delivery person had spit into takeout food, which made Xue Xiaozhou feel so sick that he couldn't eat it, so he ended up eating hot pot with Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou looked at the takeout in front of him and couldn't eat it. He drove directly to the building where Hu Manli lived. From afar, he saw Ding Zhiyuan going upstairs.
He mistakenly thought Hu Manli had arranged to meet with Ding Zhiyuan, so he quietly drove away. Ding Zhiyuan rushed over. Hu Manli clearly explained that the five hundred thousand yuan was used for Ding Daer's education fund.
Ding Zhiyuan advised Hu Manli not to argue with his parents and also complained bitterly to Hu Manli, saying that Qiu Lisu's temperament had changed dramatically after becoming pregnant, and he was stuck between his parents and Qiu Lisu, facing frustration from both sides. Hu Manli couldn't bear to mock him and advised him to adjust his mindset properly. Ding Zhiyuan thanked Hu Manli for her past efforts for the family.
Hu Manli reminded him not to continue indulging his parents, otherwise, it would bring unnecessary trouble. Ding Zhiyuan took his parents home. His mother urged him to ask Hu Manli for the money. Ding Zhiyuan couldn't stand it anymore and warned his parents not to bother Hu Manli again. Ding Zhiyuan booked train tickets for his parents for the next day overnight. They were both very angry and cursed Ding Zhiyuan for being heartless.
Qiu Lisu was happy to hear that Ding Zhiyuan was sending his parents away and asked Ding Zhiyuan to tell stories to the baby in her belly. Ding Zhiyuan had had enough. He wanted to focus on himself first before fulfilling Qiu Lisu's wishes, and Qiu Lisu no longer insisted. Hu Manli received a court summons and immediately went to court to see a lawyer. Lanyang Insurance also sent a lawyer.
Seven years ago, Hu Manli helped a client named Ma Yong purchase a three million yuan investment-linked insurance policy. Ma Yong wanted to withdraw the money but found that only hundreds of thousands yuan remained in the account. Ma Yong then sued Lanyang Insurance in court, demanding four million yuan in compensation. The court ruled against the insurance company, and Lanyang demanded Hu Manli bear the responsibility, citing that she had written the risk disclosure on behalf of Ma Yong. Hu Manli clearly remembered that at the time, Ma Yong was in a hurry for a business trip at the airport and asked her to write the risk disclosure on his behalf.
Episode 26 Recap
七年前，Hu Manli was entrusted by client Ma Yong to write the risk disclosure on his behalf. Ma Yong promised at the time that he would bear the risk himself, but now that his business has failed, he has turned his back on his word and sued Lanyang Insurance Company in court, demanding four million yuan in compensation. Lanyang Insurance has shifted all responsibility onto Hu Manli, requiring her to hand over the money within one month.
Hu Manli refused to comply, and the lawyer threatened to sue her. After Xue Xiaozhou moved out, Ding Daer's life and studies became disorganized. Not only did he wear the wrong school uniform, but he also failed to complete his English homework. His homeroom teacher sent a message to complain to Hu Manli. Hu Manli, already full of anger, went home and scolded Ding Daer.
When she learned that Ding Daer had not completed his homework because she hadn't printed the English test papers, she was filled with self-reproach. Hu Manli stayed up all night listing the things she needed to do every day and sticking the list on the refrigerator. Tang Ling proactively suggested treating colleagues to a meal to congratulate Xue Xiaozhou, but he didn't appreciate it.
Tang Ling spoke sarcastically to Xue Xiaozhou and deliberately revealed that Hu Manli was suspected of violating regulations and had incurred a huge debt. Only then did Xue Xiaozhou realize that Hu Manli had deliberately driven him away because she didn't want to implicate him. Hu Degong was discharged from the hospital after recovering from his illness, and Hu Manli brought him to her home.
Xue Xiaozhou rushed to find Hu Manli, complaining that she shouldn't have hidden it from him. Hu Manli didn't want to cause him trouble, especially with such a large sum of four million yuan. Xue Xiaozhou mistakenly thought that Hu Manli had first reconciled with Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli repeatedly explained that Ding Zhiyuan was at her home because of his parents' matter.
Xue Xiaozhou wanted to help Hu Manli repay the debt; he borrowed money everywhere but hit dead ends repeatedly. Hu Manli's account was frozen, and she couldn't even afford to repay her house loan. Xue Xiaozhou went to find Qiu Lisu to sell her his shares for three million yuan, but the company's account had no money either.
Xue Xiaozhou threatened to bring his parents to the company to cause trouble, so Qiu Lisu had no choice but to promise to give him the money within a month. The lawyer from Lanyang Insurance Company called to urge Hu Manli to repay the money as soon as possible, giving her one week. Xue Xiaozhou came to inform Hu Manli and told her to wait for one month.
Hu Manli sent a message asking her lawyer to apply to the company for an extension to one month, but the lawyer had already blocked her. A court staff member called Hu Manli, but she dared not answer. Afterward, she received a message from the court stating that her house would be sealed. Hu Manli asked Ding Daer to move to Ding Zhiyuan's house, but Ding Daer didn't want to face Qiu Lisu.
Court staff suddenly came to seal the door. Hu Manli shooed Ding Daer back into his room. She pleaded bitterly with the court staff to be lenient, but they insisted on handling the matter according to regulations. Hu Manli asked Ding Daer to take good care of Hu Degong at home, and she went directly to Nanyang Insurance to find General Manager Jin. The security guard stopped her outside the door.
Wang Chunlu happened to arrive for work, and she took Hu Manli into the building. Ding Daer didn't know how to take care of people; he was flustered and clueless. Xue Xiaozhou happened to call him, so he had to ask Xue Xiaozhou for help. Hu Manli came to plead with General Manager Jin. She had elderly parents and young children to care for and begged General Manager Jin for an extension.
General Manager Jin pleaded for Hu Manli at the headquarters, but many departments at Nanyang Insurance had complaints against Hu Manli, so he was helpless. The company could only bear ten percent of the compensation for Hu Manli.
Episode 27 Recap
Seven years ago, Hu Manli bought a three million yuan investment-linked policy for client Ma Yong. Ma Yong was on a business trip by plane at the time, so he asked Hu Manli to write the risk disclosure on his behalf. After Ma Yong's business failed, he wanted to withdraw the money, but only tens of thousands of yuan were left. In a fit of anger, Ma Yong sued Nanyang Insurance Company in court.
The company did not want to bear this loss and instructed Hu Manli to pay compensation personally, giving her only ten days. Hu Manli couldn't gather such a large sum of money in a short time. The court not only froze her bank cards but also sealed her house. Hu Manli couldn't stand it and went to plead with General Manager Jin. General Manager Jin tried his best to advocate for Hu Manli.
Hu Manli had previously been arrogant towards colleagues and superiors, relying on her status as a star salesperson, and had offended many people. Many departments impeached her, and the company only agreed to bear ten percent of the compensation. Hu Manli had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
General Manager Jin's secretary caught up with Hu Manli and revealed something to her: General Manager Jin had worked hard at the headquarters to speak well of Hu Manli and even threatened to resign to protect her. Hu Manli was deeply moved. She returned to thank General Manager Jin. Hu Manli vowed that she would never be defeated by the current difficulties and would repay General Manager Jin's kindness when she made a comeback.
Xue Xiaozhou took meticulous care of Hu Degong. Ding Daer saw the seal on the door at home and guessed that Hu Manli had encountered an insurmountable obstacle. He asked Xue Xiaozhou to help Hu Manli, and Xue Xiaozhou readily agreed. Hu Manli wanted to tear off the seal posted by the court. Xue Xiaozhou advised her not to do anything illegal and promised to face it with her.
Ding Daer did not want to burden Hu Manli and voluntarily suggested moving to Ding Zhiyuan's house to alleviate Hu Manli's stress. Hu Manli was reluctant to part with Ding Daer and also worried that Ding Daer would be wronged staying with Ding Zhiyuan. However, she also had to take care of Hu Degong, who was recovering from a serious illness, and did not want to affect Ding Daer's studies and life. Ding Zhiyuan drove to pick up Ding Daer.
Hu Manli walked him downstairs and gave him countless instructions. The mother and son tearfully said goodbye. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to wait for Qiu Lisu to give him the three million yuan for acquiring the shares, and then use it to help Hu Manli repay the money. Hu Manli didn't want to evade any longer; she wanted to negotiate with the company to sell the house to pay the debt. Ding Daer remained silent in the car, continuously shedding tears.
Ding Zhiyuan asked him and only then learned about Hu Manli's plight. He went home and discussed with Qiu Lisu about letting Ding Daer stay there for a while. Qiu Lisu was reluctant but didn't want to make things difficult for Ding Zhiyuan, so she reluctantly agreed. Li Qingqing asked Xue Xiaozhou to secure Li Fendou as a major client. Xue Xiaozhou seized the opportunity to propose forming his own team, and Li Qingqing gladly agreed.
A real estate agent quickly found a buyer, but the buyer's offer was too low. Xue Xiaozhou bargained, and the buyer only agreed to add twenty thousand yuan for the furniture. Hu Manli wanted to pay off her external debts as soon as possible. She painfully sold both the house and the furniture. Xue Xiaozhou invited Hu Manli to join his team. Hu Manli did not want to accept Xue Xiaozhou's sympathy and pity.
She also had to take care of Hu Degong and worried that she would not be competent for the work in the family office. Xue Xiaozhou advised her not to give up the career she loved and suggested she could send Hu Degong to a nursing home, which Hu Manli found feasible. Xue Xiaozhou accompanied Hu Manli to find a nursing home, and the nursing home's conditions in all aspects were very good.
A Dong came to this nursing home to take care of Zhou Shufang. He recognized Hu Manli at a glance. Only then did Hu Manli learn that Zhou Shufang had Alzheimer's disease. Thanks to the "Chang Xiang Ban" insurance Hu Manli bought for Zhou Shufang, which included nursing home services, A Dong sent Zhou Shufang to the nursing home. Zhou Shufang looked closely for a long time before recognizing Hu Manli.
She knitted a pair of gloves for Hu Manli every year and gave Hu Manli the pair she had just knitted. A Dong gave a detailed introduction to the nursing home's situation. Hu Manli decided to send her father, Hu Degong, there. She went home and discussed it with her father. Xue Xiaozhou promised to take time to visit Hu Degong at the nursing home, and Hu Degong readily agreed.
There was an empty room in the apartment Xue Xiaozhou rented, where the landlord had stored some miscellaneous items. With the landlord's consent, Xue Xiaozhou cleared out the large room for Hu Manli to move into. Hu Manli packed her luggage and accidentally scattered her medals and trophies on the floor. Hu Manli immediately decided to throw these away and start a new life.
Xue Xiaozhou picked up Hu Manli and took her to the rental apartment, claiming it was company-arranged employee housing. Hu Manli wanted to bring Ding Daer to live with her, but there were only two rooms. Xue Xiaozhou decided to use a bunk bed. Only then did Hu Manli realize it was Xue Xiaozhou's rented apartment. She felt it was inconvenient. Xue Xiaozhou clearly stated that they were co-renting and that he would still tutor Ding Daer as before. Since Hu Manli couldn't find a suitable place to live temporarily, she had to agree to stay.
Episode 28 Recap
Hu Manli sold the house with great pain to repay debts. Xue Xiaozhou asked her to move in and co-rent with him, and also asked Hu Manli to join his family office team. Hu Manli was unfamiliar with the business in this field, so she seized every moment to learn and humbly consulted Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli went to work at the company together. Colleagues were very respectful to Xue Xiaozhou.
Tang Ling was greatly surprised when she learned that Xue Xiaozhou had hired Hu Manli as his assistant. Li Qingqing heard about this matter and called Xue Xiaozhou to her office. Hu Manli took the opportunity to sit in Xue Xiaozhou's boss chair and enjoy herself. Li Qingqing asked Xue Xiaozhou to send Hu Manli away.
Hu Manli had been banned from the industry for two years by the insurance association due to violations, and this time she had lost everything due to a work error. Xue Xiaozhou firmly believed Hu Manli was the best partner. Li Qingqing couldn't persuade Xue Xiaozhou and agreed to give Hu Manli a two-month trial period.
Li Qingqing knew Tang Ling had always wanted to do family office business, and also knew Tang Ling was not convinced by Xue Xiaozhou's exceptional promotion and raise. Li Qingqing called Tang Ling to her office and encouraged her to work hard to prove her strength. Tang Ling was naturally overjoyed. Hu Manli wanted to pick up Ding Daer to live with her, but Ding Daer didn't want to trouble Hu Manli and insisted on living with Ding Zhiyuan.
Ding Zhiyuan also chimed in to help, so Hu Manli had no choice but to make a concession. Ding Daer quietly revealed to Hu Manli that Ding Zhiyuan had become much more likeable recently, and he also wanted to get closer to Ding Zhiyuan, so Hu Manli no longer forced the issue. Ding Zhiyuan drove Hu Manli home. Hu Manli gave him the policy for Ding Daer's education fund, which would start paying dividends from this year.
Ding Zhiyuan returned the dividend money to his parents. Ding Zhiyuan claimed he had already sorted things out with his parents and asked Hu Manli to take the policy back. Hu Manli was impressed by Ding Zhiyuan. Xue Xiaozhou heard that Li Fendou played tennis every week, so he asked Li Shan, a reporter from "Business New Forces," to help with the introduction. Xue Xiaozhou took Hu Manli to play. Li Shan had been waiting for a long time.
She took Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli to meet Li Fendou, but Li Fendou didn't come because he was busy. Li Shan introduced Gu Tianming, the chairman of the chamber of commerce, to Xue Xiaozhou. Gu Tianming was the captain of the Wild Wolf Tennis Team. Xue Xiaozhou was the president of the tennis club when he was in college. Li Shan suggested Xue Xiaozhou spar with President Gu. President Gu's skills were superb.
Xue Xiaozhou started losing as soon as he got on the court. He gradually found his rhythm, then became stronger as the game progressed, and finally won the match. President Gu was a perennial winner and didn't expect to lose to Xue Xiaozhou. He was very unhappy and left in a hurry after the match. Hu Manli was anxious and helpless on the side. Xue Xiaozhou saw that President Gu was angry.
He hadn't met Li Fendou, and he had also offended President Gu. He knew the deal with Li Fendou was also off. He was filled with regret. Hu Manli also felt Xue Xiaozhou was too impulsive. Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli had just returned to the rental apartment when they received a message from Gu Tianming. Gu Tianming added Xue Xiaozhou to the Wild Wolf Tennis Team group chat and grandly introduced him to his teammates.
Xue Xiaozhou was so happy he couldn't stop smiling. He added Li Fendou's WeChat right away, and Li Fendou quickly accepted. Xue Xiaozhou gave him a brief self-introduction. Li Fendou asked Gu Tianming about Xue Xiaozhou's background and asked Secretary Yan to contact Xue Xiaozhou. Hu Manli congratulated Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou arranged to meet Secretary Yan. Secretary Yan got Li Fendou's permission to go to the meeting. Li Fendou and his daughter Keke were having a disagreement.
Keke wanted to see a concert, so Li Fendou asked Secretary Yan to buy tickets and keep it a secret from Keke. The concert tickets were sold out, and Secretary Yan asked around everywhere but couldn't get tickets. Hu Manli proactively offered to help buy tickets. She mobilized her previous major clients and finally managed to get concert tickets. Xue Xiaozhou complained that Hu Manli's actions had no bottom line, and Hu Manli promised it wouldn't happen again.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou came to meet Secretary Yan as agreed. Secretary Yan was slow to show up. Tang Ling suddenly arrived looking for Secretary Yan. Hu Manli immediately guessed that Tang Ling was causing trouble.
Episode 29 Recap
Xue Xiaozhou defied all opposition to hire Hu Manli as his assistant at Taiying International Insurance Company. Their first client was Li Fendou. After much effort, the two finally contacted Secretary Yan, who worked for Li Fendou. Hu Manli even helped Li Fendou's daughter buy two concert tickets. Unexpectedly, Tang Ling got there first, bringing the company's investment team, and played to Keke's interests by giving her an invitation letter that allowed her to get close to the star.
Secretary Yan took Tang Ling and others to meet Li Fendou, leaving Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou aside. Xue Xiaozhou went directly to Li Qingqing to complain and asked her to persuade Tang Ling to withdraw. Unexpectedly, this was specially arranged by Li Qingqing, who wanted Xue Xiaozhou and Tang Ling to compete fairly. Li Qingqing highly valued Xue Xiaozhou's ability, but he insisted on including Hu Manli in his team despite her dissuasion.
If Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou could not secure this big deal with Li Fendou within the specified time, they would both leave the company. To ease Hu Manli's stress, Ding Daer proactively moved in with Qiu Lisu and Ding Zhiyuan. The nanny accidentally put Ding Zhiyuan's suit in the washing machine, causing it to shrink and become unwearable. Ding Daer recognized it at a glance as the 40th birthday gift Hu Manli gave to Ding Zhiyuan.
Ding Zhiyuan asked the nanny to find a way to restore the suit. Qiu Lisu was very impatient and told the nanny to throw the suit away. Ding Daer was very angry and confronted Qiu Lisu directly. He also put the suit away. Ding Zhiyuan quickly called Ding Daer into the room. Ding Zhiyuan affirmed that Ding Daer's actions were not wrong, but Qiu Lisu was pregnant, and embarrassing her in person would affect the baby's development.
Ding Daer still couldn't let it go. Ding Zhiyuan advised him not to be impulsive in doing things and to learn to be patient. The more Ding Daer thought about it, the unhappier he became. He video-called Hu Manli overnight. Hu Manli immediately saw that Ding Daer had something on his mind and thought he had been wronged, so she wanted to pick him up tomorrow. Ding Daer lied, saying he had a quarrel with a classmate.
Hu Manli kindly advised him. Ding Daer used the excuse of needing to do homework to hang up the phone. Hu Manli saw in the group chat that Li Qingqing had also assigned Tang Ling to handle Li Fendou's deal. She suddenly remembered that Ding Zhiyuan had written a preface for Li Fendou's autobiography and wanted Ding Zhiyuan to help with the introduction. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to use Ding Zhiyuan's connections.
He wanted to play ball with Gu Tianming again, this time deliberately losing to him, and get to know Li Fendou through his connections. Xue Xiaozhou left early in the morning with his tennis racket and attire. Hu Manli heard the movement and came out. Xue Xiaozhou lied, saying he was going to a company meeting. Hu Manli didn't ask much. She wanted to go find Li Fendou. Xue Xiaozhou arrived at the tennis court.
Gu Tianming happened to be there as well. Xue Xiaozhou proactively offered to be his hitting partner. Gu Tianming was naturally delighted. Tang Ling and her team members prepared several proposals, but Li Fendou was not satisfied with any of them. He asked Secretary Yan to lead the way to his daughter Li Yukeke's accessories shop. The small shop was on the second floor. As soon as Li Fendou and Keke met, they engaged in a war of words.
Keke asked him to buy an air conditioner for the shop, so Li Fendou had no choice but to transfer money to her. He took the opportunity to persuade Keke to take over the company, but Keke firmly refused and told Li Fendou to have another child. Li Fendou slammed the door and left in anger. Hu Manli found out that Li Fendou's daughter was Li Yukeke.
She recognized at a glance that Li Yukeke used to be You Qi, a store assistant at a fashion shop she often frequented. She followed the address to Li Yukeke's accessories shop. The landlord suddenly came to cause trouble. The tenant in the attic room upstairs shared a bathroom with Li Yukeke. Li Yukeke had installed an anti-theft door between the two floors, so the tenant couldn't access the bathroom inside.
Hu Manli suggested paying the landlord a bit more money each month as compensation. The landlord asked for 500 yuan, and Li Yukeke readily agreed. Xue Xiaozhou played tennis with Gu Tianming. During a break, he brought up the matter of meeting Li Fendou. Gu Tianming agreed to talk about it after the game. Xue Xiaozhou deliberately lost to Gu Tianming. Gu Tianming was very angry, felt Xue Xiaozhou was insincere, and refused to introduce him to Li Fendou.
Hu Manli wanted to tell Xue Xiaozhou that You Qi was Li Fendou's daughter. She remembered Xue Xiaozhou had once said he wanted to meet Li Fendou based on his own ability, so she didn't alert Xue Xiaozhou and went to Li Fendou's company herself. She was stopped by the front desk because she didn't have an appointment in advance. Hu Manli indirectly inquired about Li Fendou's whereabouts and decided to wait for him in the parking lot.
Episode 30 Recap
Xue Xiaozhou played tennis with Gu Tianming for a week, and he deliberately lost, hoping Gu Tianming would help introduce him to Li Fendou. Gu Tianming was very angry. Xue Xiaozhou admitted he just wanted to please Gu Tianming. He thought Gu Tianming was a very righteous person, so he told him his thoughts completely. Gu Tianming was moved by Xue Xiaozhou's sincerity and called Li Fendou on the spot, asking Xue Xiaozhou to meet Li Fendou.
Li Fendou was going to a meeting at the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Committee, so he asked Xue Xiaozhou to talk about insurance with him in the car. Hu Manli found out from the front desk that Li Fendou was going to a meeting, so she waited for him in the underground parking garage.
She first introduced herself, then brought up Li Yukeke, repeatedly claiming that this deal was meant for her, and only asked Li Fendou to meet her leader. Xue Xiaozhou rushed over, and Hu Manli introduced him to Li Fendou. Li Fendou couldn't help but complain about Xue Xiaozhou, saying he first sought Gu Tianming's introduction and then sent an employee to intercept him. Hu Manli repeatedly explained that today's action was her personal behavior.
Xue Xiaozhou took the initiative to take responsibility. Li Fendou asked Xue Xiaozhou to get in the car to talk in detail on the way. Secretary Yan suddenly discovered a stain on Li Fendou's suit. It was too late to go back and get another one. Li Fendou was very angry. Hu Manli immediately took out a watercolor pen and covered the stain. Li Fendou was very satisfied. Xue Xiaozhou handed the insurance policy proposal to Li Fendou for review.
Li Fendou read it from beginning to end. He didn't say anything and went to the meeting. Secretary Yan asked him to go back and wait for notification. Xue Xiaozhou went home to settle the score with Hu Manli, complaining that she shouldn't have waited for Li Fendou in the parking lot and also condescendingly helped Secretary Yan out of a fix.
Hu Manli had no choice but to say that Li Yukeke was Li Fendou's daughter and that she wanted to get to know Li Fendou through Li Yukeke. Only then did Xue Xiaozhou feel a little relieved. Li Fendou asked Secretary Yan to verify with Li Yukeke. Li Yukeke knew Hu Manli and also recommended Hu Manli to help buy insurance. Li Fendou felt that Hu Manli was very much like Li Yukeke's mother.
Secretary Yan suggested letting Hu Manli communicate with Li Yukeke. Li Fendou had no objection. Secretary Yan immediately sent a message to inform Xue Xiaozhou. Just as Hu Manli was about to go meet Secretary Yan with Xue Xiaozhou, an old client named Sun Atao suddenly called to arrange a meeting with Hu Manli. Hu Manli asked Xue Xiaozhou to go meet Secretary Yan alone.
She found Sun Atao's information from her notepad, promised to go see her at the scrap yard immediately, and also bought Sun Atao her favorite pastry. Sun Atao had three million yuan maturing, and she asked Hu Manli to help her buy insurance. Secretary Yan asked Xue Xiaozhou to come up with a family trust plan as soon as possible. Li Fendou wanted to invest thirty million yuan.
Xue Xiaozhou was overjoyed and told Hu Manli to put Sun Atao's case aside for now and focus on Li Fendou's big deal. Hu Manli didn't want to lose Sun Atao as a client. Xue Xiaozhou reminded her to distinguish priorities. Hu Manli had no choice but to agree. Sun Atao's deposit certificate was due tomorrow. She called Hu Manli late at night, wanting to meet Hu Manli tomorrow to sign the contract.
Hu Manli told Xue Xiaozhou about this and begged Xue Xiaozhou to spare an hour to meet Sun Atao. Xue Xiaozhou couldn't refuse her and had to agree. Early the next morning, Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to meet Sun Atao. Sun Atao inquired about the benefits of the policy in detail from Hu Manli. She felt it wasn't as high as bank interest and kept hesitating.
Xue Xiaozhou was very impatient and dismissed Sun Atao in a few words, then took Hu Manli back to the company. Hu Manli strongly tried to set up Xue Xiaozhou and You Qi, suggesting he become a son-in-law in a wealthy family. Xue Xiaozhou told her not to talk nonsense. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou thought hard and finally came up with a win-win solution.
Li Fendou's core demand was to guarantee Li Yukeke's rights, and he could remarry and have another child. Li Fendou only had his deceased wife in his heart, and he had remained unmarried because he didn't want Li Yukeke to suffer from a stepmother. Li Fendou heard that Hu Manli and Li Yukeke got along very well and asked Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou to persuade Li Yukeke to get married and have children.
Hu Manli knew that Li Yukeke would not accept this condition, and she didn't want to go. Xue Xiaozhou had no choice but to tell her Li Qingqing's decision: if they couldn't win Li Fendou's deal, they would both have to leave the company. Hu Manli had no choice but to make a concession. Hu Manli could tell from Sun Atao's words that she was unhappy with her future son-in-law and decided to use this as a breakthrough to persuade Sun Atao to buy insurance.
Episode 31 Recap
Li Fendou repeatedly persuaded his daughter Li Yukeke to take over the company, but Li Yukeke was not interested. She wanted to realize her self-worth through her own efforts. When Li Yukeke heard that Li Fendou wanted to buy insurance, she strongly recommended Hu Manli to Secretary Yan. Li Fendou wanted to invest in a family trust for Li Yukeke, but the prerequisite was that Li Yukeke had to get married and have children.
Li Fendou learned that Hu Manli and Li Yukeke were old acquaintances and asked Hu Manli for help in persuading Li Yukeke. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou came to Li Yukeke's accessories store again, persuading Li Yukeke to get married and have children as soon as possible. Xue Xiaozhou also chimed in from the side. Li Yukeke did not want to start a family. The landlord suddenly called and wanted to raise the rent to 100,000 yuan per year.
Li Yukeke was very angry. Initially, the landlord asked for 80,000 yuan, but later because she renovated and enclosed the toilet within her space, the landlord wanted to increase the monthly rent by 500 yuan. She didn't have that much money, so she took out some online loans, and she never expected the landlord to now demand an extra 20,000 yuan per year.
Hu Manli reminded Li Yukeke that she absolutely must not take online loans and told her to ask Li Fendou for money. Li Yukeke didn't want to be controlled by Li Fendou; she insisted on relying on herself. The more Li Yukeke thought about it, the angrier she became, and she poured out all the grievances she had suppressed in her heart.
After her mother passed away, Li Fendou was busy and sent her to a boarding high school in another place. They barely saw each other a few times a year. Later, when Li Yukeke went to university, it was difficult for her to see Li Fendou whenever she came back for holidays. Li Yukeke felt that Li Fendou didn't care about her at all, and she opened this small store just to fulfill her childhood dream.
Hu Manli advised Li Yukeke to be considerate of Li Fendou. Hu Manli also advised Li Yukeke to have a good talk with Li Fendou. Xue Xiaozhou was single-minded about securing this deal with Li Fendou, otherwise, both of them would be fired by the company. He wanted to talk to Li Yukeke again. Hu Manli didn't want to shatter Li Yukeke's dream; she would rather lose the job.
The two held different opinions and had a fierce argument, which ended unpleasantly. Sun Atao sent a message to Hu Manli, saying she wanted Hu Manli to help her buy insurance. Hu Manli worked overnight to prepare a plan and sent it to Sun Atao. They agreed to meet tomorrow to discuss the details. Early the next morning, Xue Xiaozhou invited Hu Manli to attend an industry forum together.
Hu Manli was in a hurry to see Sun Atao, and she also felt that she wasn't suitable for that kind of occasion. Xue Xiaozhou thought she was still angry. Hu Manli repeatedly explained that she was no longer dwelling on it. Xue Xiaozhou begged her, saying he wanted to attend the forum and then go see Sun Atao with Hu Manli. Hu Manli reluctantly agreed to accompany him. General Manager Jin also came to the forum.
Hu Manli主动 and greeted him. General Manager Jin then learned that Hu Manli was Xue Xiaozhou's assistant. Sun Atao withdrew the matured money. The bank staff tried to persuade her to invest in wealth management products, promising her interest several times higher than the bank. Sun Atao began to hesitate. She called Hu Manli to ask for her opinion. Hu Manli was listening to Professor Zeng's lecture and couldn't take the call, so she had to hang up.
Sun Atao didn't know how to send messages. The bank staff kept trying hard to persuade her. Sun Atao called Hu Manli again. Hu Manli had to answer in a low voice. Sun Atao couldn't hear clearly. The staff repeatedly claimed that there was only a three million yuan quota available now. Sun Atao didn't want to miss such a good opportunity.
Hu Manli desperately tried to stop her, and she stood up to leave, ignoring Xue Xiaozhou's attempts to restrain her. Professor Zeng thought Hu Manli disagreed with his point of view and asked Hu Manli to express her opinion. Hu Manli couldn't refuse and had to express her thoughts. She felt that what Professor Zeng said was very good but not suitable for Chinese families.
She gave an example using her own client and explained that she was not opposing Professor Zeng just now, but trying to stop a client from investing in wealth management over the phone. After saying these words, Hu Manli got up and left, with Xue Xiaozhou following closely behind her. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou came to the scrap yard together to find Sun Atao.
Sun Atao wanted to use three million yuan to buy life insurance for her daughter, but she was worried about her son-in-law snatching the property because he liked to gamble. Hu Manli could see that Sun Atao didn't like her son-in-law and suggested she buy a trust for her daughter. However, Sun Atao had already bought a one-year wealth management product at the bank.
Hu Manli promised to make a plan for her and said that after one year, she could withdraw the money from the wealth management and invest it in insurance. After much deliberation, Hu Manli decided to go persuade Li Fendou. Xue Xiaozhou reminded her to think it over carefully; if they lost Li Fendou's deal, they would both lose their jobs. Hu Manli immediately offered to resign. Xue Xiaozhou said he would stand with Hu Manli.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou brought Li Fendou to see Li Yukeke, hoping that Li Fendou and Li Yukeke could have a good talk. They happened to see the landlord coming to demand rent from Li Yukeke. Li Yukeke didn't want to see Li Fendou. Li Fendou was eager for Li Yukeke's small store to go out of business.
Hu Manli stepped forward to reason with the landlord, pointing out to his face that the toilet he built was an illegal structure and only agreeing to pay him 500 yuan per month; otherwise, she would report him. Knowing he was in the wrong, the landlord left crestfallen. Xue Xiaozhou desperately tried to comfort Li Yukeke, and she finally felt a little relieved.
Hu Manli advised Li Fendou to leave first and talk to Li Yukeke when the time was right. Through Hu Manli's tireless efforts, the landlord and Li Yukeke signed a rental contract. Li Fendou personally witnessed Hu Manli handling the matter perfectly and looked at her with new respect. Hu Manli asked Li Fendou and Li Yukeke to have a good talk.
Li Yukeke remembered that when she was a child, her parents ran a small grocery store, and their family of three was very happy. Later, her parents' business grew bigger and bigger, and she could no longer find the happiness of her childhood.
Episode 32 Recap
Hu Manli arranged for Li Fendou and Li Yukeke to have a good talk. Li Yukeke poured out all the grievances she had suppressed in her heart for many years. When she was a child, her parents ran a small grocery store. The family of three squeezed into a tiny home of thirty square meters, but they were very happy every day.
Later, her parents' business grew bigger and bigger, they moved into a large house, her mother died of illness, and Li Fendou was busy all the time. Li Yukeke opened this grocery store just to find the happiness of her childhood. The more Li Yukeke spoke, the sadder she became, and she couldn't help but shed tears. Li Fendou also felt very wronged.
He worked himself to death every day just so Li Yukeke could live a life without worries, but Li Yukeke didn't appreciate it. The father and daughter started a fierce argument at the slightest disagreement and finally parted ways unhappily. Li Fendou's deal fell through. Hu Manli felt sorry for Xue Xiaozhou. Xue Xiaozhou said he would stick with her. Secretary Yan kindly advised Li Fendou. Li Fendou still wanted to set up a family trust for Li Yukeke.
Secretary Yan seized the opportunity to suggest finding a few more insurance companies to connect with. Li Fendou saw the shadow of his deceased wife in Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to give up Li Fendou's deal. He wanted to create a proposal suitable for Li Fendou and Li Yukeke, and asked Hu Manli to help ease the relationship between Li Fendou and Li Yukeke. The two decided to act separately.
Hu Manli came to the nursing home to see her father, Hu Degong. She heard that Ding Zhiyuan had paid a year's nursing home fees for Hu Degong. Hu Manli immediately went to find Ding Zhiyuan and wanted to give him an IOU. Ding Zhiyuan only wanted to share Hu Manli's burden. He sincerely apologized to Hu Manli, wanting to compensate her for the harm he had caused with money.
However, Hu Manli didn't accept it and reminded Ding Zhiyuan not to betray Qiu Lisu and the child in her belly again. Hu Manli sat alone in the park, remembering the happy moments she had shared with Ding Zhiyuan in the past. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Hu Manli returned home very late. Xue Xiaozhou persistently questioned her whereabouts. Hu Manli lied that she had gone out to eat with Zhong Ning.
Xue Xiaozhou had just looked at Zhong Ning's friends circle and pointed out to her face that Hu Manli was lying. Hu Manli had to admit she went to see Ding Zhiyuan. Xue Xiaozhou mistakenly thought Hu Manli wanted to reconcile with Ding Zhiyuan. Hu Manli repeatedly denied it. She had exhausted herself for their family, but Ding Zhiyuan had turned a deaf ear. Only now did he see Hu Manli's sacrifices. Hu Manli no longer yearned for romantic love.
Xue Xiaozhou took the opportunity to express his feelings to Hu Manli. Hu Manli pretended she didn't understand and went back to her room. Qiu Lisu sent her secretary to the nursing home to inquire about the situation and learned that Ding Zhiyuan had paid a year's nursing home fees for Hu Manli's father. Qiu Lisu came to find Ding Zhiyuan to discuss going to a postpartum care center after giving birth.
She claimed she was a bit short on cash and asked Ding Zhiyuan to lend her two hundred thousand yuan. Ding Zhiyuan lied that the money he had was used to buy wealth management products. Qiu Lisu didn't believe him at all. Ding Zhiyuan then lied that he had lent the money to a friend. Qiu Lisu didn't expose his lie to his face. Jin Zhenhua personally witnessed Hu Manli challenging Professor Zeng at the forum.
The company happened to be launching a pension product, so he recommended Hu Manli be fully in charge of this project. Hu Manli politely declined, saying she had elderly parents above and young children below and could not do this job full-time. Jin Zhenhua no longer insisted. Xue Xiaozhou pondered for a long time and finally came up with a good idea that served both purposes. He called Hu Manli over, and they went together to see Li Fendou.
He suggested that Li Fendou establish a holding company for Li Yukeke. Li Fendou was not satisfied and got up to leave. Hu Manli desperately tried to persuade him to stay and told him about Sun Atao. Like Sun Atao, Li Fendou wanted to give his daughter 100% love and a sense of security. Everything Li Fendou did was to alleviate his inner guilt. Li Fendou sat down and listened to Xue Xiaozhou explain his plan in detail.
Li Fendou was very satisfied. Xue Xiaozhou successfully secured Li Fendou's deal. He was extremely excited and couldn't help but tightly embrace Hu Manli. Hu Manli said she would go home and cook a few dishes to celebrate. Li Fendou personally came to the small store and invited Li Yukeke to come home for dinner that evening. Li Yukeke gladly agreed. Hu Manli cooked a table of her signature dishes. Xue Xiaozhou ate heartily. He gave Hu Manli an insurance annuity as a gift.
Episode 33 Recap
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou, after unremitting efforts, finally secured Li Fendou's 30 million family trust. Hu Manli cooked a few of her signature dishes to celebrate. Xue Xiaozhou bought Hu Manli a million-dollar annuity. He also gave Hu Manli the first year's premium of 100,000, promising to cover the remaining nine years as well. Hu Manli was very surprised. Xue Xiaozhou promised to be responsible for her to the end. Hu Manli saw Xue Xiaozhou's feelings for her.
She was so scared she didn't know what to do and quickly made an excuse to hide in her room. Hu Manli told Zhong Ning about this. Zhong Ning concluded that Xue Xiaozhou had fallen in love with Hu Manli and strongly tried to set them up. Hu Manli's heart was in turmoil. She had always treated Xue Xiaozhou as a younger brother, but she never expected him to have feelings for her.
Hu Manli decided to find a place to move out as soon as possible and coincidentally bring Ding Daer to live with her. Li Yukeke and Li Fendou cleared up their misunderstanding, and she moved back home. Li Yukeke saw that Li Fendou liked Hu Manli and wanted to set them up. Ding Daer had a conflict with his classmate Chen Xiaojun at school. The teacher asked him to bring his parent to talk tomorrow.
Ding Zhiyuan hadn't returned from his business trip. Ding Daer didn't want to trouble Hu Manli, so he put the matter aside. Hu Manli returned home very late. Xue Xiaozhou desperately tried to find topics to chat with her. Hu Manli avoided Xue Xiaozhou everywhere, only reminding him to see a client tomorrow night. Ding Zhiyuan wouldn't be back until tomorrow night, so he called Qiu Lisu to go to the school to see Ding Daer's teacher.
Qiu Lisu was very reluctant, but in the end, she agreed. Xue Xiaozhou met the client as scheduled, but it turned out to be Li Yukeke. She had asked Hu Manli to set up the meeting with Xue Xiaozhou to thank him for persuading Li Fendou. Li Yukeke personally made a bracelet and gave it to Xue Xiaozhou, taking the opportunity to express her affection for him.
When Hu Manli took Xue Xiaozhou to buy clothes, Li Yukeke had fallen in love with Xue Xiaozhou at first sight, but at that time Xue Xiaozhou was dating Wu Ya, so she buried her feelings in her heart. Li Yukeke learned that Xue Xiaozhou and Wu Ya had broken up, and she didn't want to lose the chance again. Xue Xiaozhou rejected Li Yukeke's feelings directly, because he had someone he liked in his heart.
Li Yukeke did not force the issue. Li Yukeke directly asked Hu Manli to be her stepmother. Hu Manli was startled and clearly stated that she did not want to remarry. Qiu Lisu went to the school and briefly learned about the incident from the teacher. She asked Ding Daer to apologize to Chen Xiaojun. Ding Daer firmly refused. Chen Xiaojun always publicly slandered him and made fun of his parents' divorce.
Ding Daer couldn't bear it anymore, so he discussed Chen Xiaojun with his classmates. Now Chen Xiaojun was turning the tables. Qiu Lisu decided Ding Daer was wrong and forced him to apologize first. Ding Daer just wouldn't back down. Qiu Lisu pushed all the responsibility onto Hu Manli, accusing her of not being strict enough. Ding Daer was enraged and shouted at Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu threatened and intimidated Ding Daer.
Li Fendou admired Hu Manli's style of doing things and felt she was very much like his deceased wife. When he learned that Hu Manli did not want to remarry, he wanted to be friends with her. Li Yukeke refused to give up and decided to try again. Hu Manli avoided Xue Xiaozhou everywhere, but Xue Xiaozhou relentlessly pursued her. Ding Zhiyuan suddenly called Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou mistakenly thought Hu Manli wanted to remarry Ding Zhiyuan.
Hu Manli didn't want to explain too much. Ding Zhiyuan returned from his business trip. Ding Daer was late coming home. He had to call Hu Manli. Hu Manli called Xue Xiaozhou, and they went out together to look for Ding Daer. Li Yukeke learned that Ding Daer hadn't come home and also went out to help search. They searched separately but still didn't find Ding Daer. Hu Manli was extremely anxious.
Li Yukeke, Xue Xiaozhou, and Ding Zhiyuan all advised her not to worry. Ding Daer was scolded by Qiu Lisu. He didn't want to go home, so he wandered around outside. Finally, he came to his old home and lingered near the entrance. The current owner happened to come out to dump garbage. Ding Daer wanted to go in and look around, so the owner let him in.
As Ding Daer looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar building, he couldn't help but recall the sweet past when he, Xue Xiaozhou, and Hu Manli lived there. He felt very unpleasant. A young couple and their daughter lived there. They were very sympathetic to Ding Daer, and the little girl even gave Ding Daer a glass of milk.
Episode 34 Recap
Ding Daer was wronged and felt aggrieved by his classmate. Qiu Lisu, without asking for details, forced Ding Daer to apologize to his classmate. Ding Daer firmly refused. Qiu Lisu then threatened and intimidated him. She also kept saying that it would implicate Hu Manli. Ding Daer didn't want to trouble Hu Manli. He also didn't want to go back to Qiu Lisu's home. So he came to the house where he used to live.
A young couple and their daughter lived there. Ding Daer kept crying because he was sad. The couple contacted Hu Manli through an agent. Hu Manli and Ding Zhiyuan rushed over immediately to pick up Ding Daer. Ding Daer told them all the grievances in his heart. Ding Zhiyuan was very angry and couldn't help but complain about Qiu Lisu. Hu Manli slapped herself several times, swearing she would never let Ding Daer live in someone else's home again.
She took Ding Daer's hand and left. Li Yukeke also got in the car with them. Xue Xiaozhou drove Hu Manli and Ding Daer back to his rental apartment. Li Yukeke said goodbye to Hu Manli and left, also revealing to Xue Xiaozhou that her father, Li Fendou, liked Hu Manli. Xue Xiaozhou was immediately stunned. Ding Zhiyuan was very dissatisfied with what Qiu Lisu had done. Qiu Lisu desperately argued. Ding Zhiyuan accused her of wrongly involving Hu Manli.
Qiu Lisu retorted against Ding Zhiyuan, and also wouldn't let go of the matter of Ding Zhiyuan helping Hu Manli's father pay his pension. Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to explain too much, and Qiu Lisu relentlessly pushed him. Ding Zhiyuan felt that he had hurt Hu Manli by cheating and wanted to make up for his mistake with money, but Qiu Lisu didn't buy it, questioning if Ding Zhiyuan had failed her.
Ding Zhiyuan didn't want to explain too much, and in a huff, he ignored her. Xue Xiaozhou bought breakfast and went home early in the morning, finding that Hu Manli and Ding Daer had already moved out. Hu Manli left him a note and left without saying goodbye. Hu Manli and Ding Daer moved to Zhong Ning's house. Zhong Ning persuaded Hu Manli to accept Xue Xiaozhou.
Hu Manli treated Xue Xiaozhou as a younger brother, and moreover, Li Yukeke had deep feelings for Xue Xiaozhou. She hoped Xue Xiaozhou and Li Yukeke would be together. Xue Xiaozhou came to Zhong Ning's house to find Hu Manli. Hu Manli was out meeting a client and was not home. Zhong Ning reminded Xue Xiaozhou not to pester Hu Manli. Hu Manli was divorced and unemployed, with elderly parents to care for and a child to raise.
She really didn't have the energy to start a relationship that wouldn't lead anywhere. And they were eleven years apart in age. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to share the burden for Hu Manli, he didn't want to give up. As soon as Xue Xiaozhou got to work, he received Hu Manli's resignation letter. He went directly to the school to find Ding Daer.
Ding Daer mistakenly thought Xue Xiaozhou and Hu Manli had argued, otherwise Hu Manli wouldn't have taken him to move to Zhong Ning's house so early in the morning. Xue Xiaozhou clearly stated that he liked Hu Manli, he just wanted to know if Ding Daer could accept him. Ding Daer thought it was impossible and didn't know how he should face Xue Xiaozhou in the future. But Xue Xiaozhou swore he had true love for Hu Manli.
Ding Daer finally expressed that as long as Hu Manli could accept him, it would be okay. Xue Xiaozhou came to Hu Manli to have it out. When Hu Manli heard that he had gone to find Ding Daer, she was furious. Hu Manli lied, saying she would rather choose Li Fendou than accept Xue Xiaazhou. Xue Xiaozhou swore he would work doubly hard to ensure Hu Manli and Ding Daer would have no worries about food and clothing.
But Hu Manli didn't appreciate it and got up to leave. Xue Xiaozhou took out the notes Hu Manli had compiled over twenty years and confessed his feelings to Hu Manli again. In a fit of anger, Hu Manli tore the notebook to pieces, then she left in a huff. Xue Xiaozhou recalled the unforgettable moments he had experienced since meeting Hu Manli and with tears in his eyes, he picked up the pieces of the notebook.
Hu Manli went to see President Jin early in the morning. She wanted to take on the elderly care project. President Jin was naturally more than happy to agree. Hu Manli accidentally heard the news of Sun Atao's death. She immediately went to offer her condolences. Only then did she learn that Sun Atao had died of a sudden heart attack.
Her son-in-law wanted money to pay gambling debts, and the daughter firmly refused to give it, so the son-in-law filed for divorce. The daughter had an accidental miscarriage due to excessive anger and stress. The court ruled that the son-in-law would take half of Sun Atao's property. Hu Manli witnessed the experiences of Sun Atao and her daughter and only then did she decide to take on this elderly care project, she didn't want Sun Atao's tragedy to happen again.
President Jin welcomed Hu Manli back to Nanyang Insurance Company and had high hopes for Hu Manli. Hu Manli officially joined the 'Xi Yang' team. She made a proposal, suggesting finding one elderly person in each community to serve as an elderly care pilot case. Hu Manli, putting aside past grievances, volunteered to be in a group with Wang Chunlu. Qiu Lisu's poor management led to the company being heavily in debt. People came to her door to cause trouble. Qiu Lisu quickly drove home to escape.
Episode 35 Recap
Qiu Lisu ran home dragging her big belly. The nanny offered her resignation. Qiu Lisu begged her to stay, but she was determined to leave. Qiu Lisu watched the nanny's retreating back, she was anxious and angry, and heavily slammed a glass of water onto the floor. Hu Manli took Wang Chunlu to an old residential area for promotional activities. The neighborhood committee director fully supported their work and asked security guard Master Cai to cooperate with them.
Wang Chunlu coughed non-stop due to a cold. Hu Manli went to find Master Cai to ask for hot water for her to take medicine. Xue Xiaozhou left early and returned late every day, only able to follow Hu Manli's recent activities on Moments. Qiu Lisu desperately tried to please Ding Zhiyuan, asking him to name the baby. Qiu Lisu seized the opportunity to propose that Ding Zhiyuan help the company promote on the "Philosopher's Talk" program.
Ding Zhiyuan flatly refused. Qiu Lisu had no choice but to tell him about the difficulties the company was facing. Ding Zhiyuan promised to work hard and would never let her and the baby in her belly suffer any grievances. Qiu Lisu was relentless, pushing Ding Zhiyuan hard. Ding Zhiyuan, in a fit of pique, threatened to divorce Qiu Lisu. Qiu Lisu was so angry she gritted her teeth.
Hu Manli and Wang Chunlu promoted in the residential area for many days but couldn't select a suitable elderly care candidate. Master Cai briefly introduced his situation. Hu Manli felt he was very suitable as an experimental subject. Master Cai didn't want to live in a nursing home. Hu Manli asked him to think about it carefully before deciding. Today was the last day of the promotional activities. Hu Manli and Wang Chunlu still hadn't found a suitable person.
They were preparing to pack up and return to the company when Master Cai voluntarily proposed to live in a nursing home. He had discussed it with his son at home. Hu Manli asked him to fill out the application form and then go for a physical examination. As soon as Hu Manli got off work, she went to the nursing home to visit her father Hu Degong.
She learned from the caregiver that Hu Degong hadn't eaten properly today, nor done his rehabilitation training well, and kept insisting on seeing Hu Manli. Hu Degong gave Hu Manli money to buy a cake. Only then did Hu Manli remember that today was her fortieth birthday. Hu Degong sang a birthday song for Hu Manli. Because of his illness, he stammered and was unclear. Hu Manli was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears.
Ding Zhiyuan saw the note on the calendar and remembered that today was Hu Manli's birthday. He sent a message to congratulate Hu Manli. Hu Manli returned from the nursing home. She passed a dessert shop and made a wish looking at the cake in the window. Hu Manli returned home. Ding Daer and Zhong Ning had prepared a birthday cake for her. Hu Manli was very happy, and the three of them celebrated together.
Xue Xiaozhou prepared a birthday cake. He drove to the downstairs of Zhong Ning's house and also prepared a birthday gift for Hu Manli. When Hu Manli opened it, she found it was her own notebook. In a fit of pique, she tore the notebook to pieces. Xue Xiaozhou picked up the pieces and then glued them together little by little. Hu Manli was so touched she couldn't speak.
That was all the experience she had compiled with twenty years of effort. Xue Xiaozhou stated on the spot that he would not force Hu Manli to make a decision and that he would keep waiting. Hu Manli repeatedly emphasized that there was an eleven-year age difference between them. Xue Xiaozhou felt that age was not a problem and that he would keep waiting until the day Hu Manli changed her mind. Master Cai submitted his physical examination results.
The company's underwriting department found that the report was fake. Hu Manli guaranteed she would investigate thoroughly. She took Wang Chunlu to find Master Cai. Master Cai desperately tried to conceal it, repeatedly claiming he did it all to help Hu Manli. Hu Manli wanted to take him to the company to explain clearly, but Master Cai firmly refused. Hu Manli saw that he had a hidden difficulty and persuaded him to tell the truth.
Master Cai had to admit that he had stomach cancer and could live for at most one or two more years. Master Cai took Hu Manli and Wang Chunlu to his residence. It was a small storage room in the underground garage. The room was dark and damp, without even a window. Hu Manli sighed repeatedly. Master Cai had lived here for many years. Hu Manli advised Master Cai to tell his son the truth about his illness.
Master Cai felt it wouldn't help. He had been in Shanghai for over twenty years without social security or medical insurance, and all his medical expenses were out-of-pocket. He didn't want to trouble his son and only wanted to live in a room with a window before he died, even staying in a nursing home for two days would be enough. That was why he concealed his condition. Hu Manli sympathized deeply with Master Cai's plight.
She shared this story in a livestream. Qiu Lisu, with nowhere else to turn, had to come and beg Xue Xiaozhou to find someone to invest two million yuan to save the company. Xue Xiaozhou flatly refused. Qiu Lisu still hadn't paid back the money she owed him for the shares. Qiu Lisu had caused him to be ruined and his family broken, and now she was asking him to save the company.
Qiu Lisu deliberately revealed that Ding Zhiyuan wanted to divorce her and get back together with Hu Manli. Qiu Lisu reminded Xue Xiaozhou to give up on Hu Manli early. Xue Xiaozhou didn't want to listen to her rambling and forcibly chased her away.
Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
Xue Xiaozhou heard that Ding Zhiyuan was going to divorce Qiu Lisu and remarry Hu Manli. He didn't feel it was appropriate to say it directly, so he just sent a message to greet Hu Manli. Li Qingqing convened a high-level meeting and publicly criticized Tang Ling for having the worst performance, making Tang Ling wear a "I'm the Underdog King" T-shirt in front of everyone. Xue Xiaozhou stepped forward to help Tang Ling out of the situation.
Li Qingqing was unrelenting, forcing Tang Ling to change into it on the spot, otherwise, she would automatically resign. Tang Ling had no choice but to change into that T-shirt and admit her mistake to everyone publicly. Xue Xiaozhou couldn't bear to watch, so he went to reason with Li Qingqing. Li Qingqing didn't budge at all. She repeatedly claimed that she only valued the performance each person brought to the company and nothing else mattered.
Xue Xiaozhou felt that Li Qingqing was heartless, so he wrote a resignation letter overnight. He immediately told Hu Manli the news. Hu Manli couldn't wait to know his next plan. Xue Xiaozhou wanted to pursue further studies. Hu Manli left early and returned late every day, taking Wang Chunlu to visit the elderly in the residential area to understand their needs for elderly care in detail. Hu Manli had a cold and cough.
She persevered for a week while sick and completed a detailed investigation report which she submitted to Jin Zong. Jin Zong was very satisfied. Hu Manli seized the opportunity to suggest letting Master Cai have a trial stay. Jin Zong reminded Hu Manli not to forget about her suspension. Hu Manli wanted to fight for Master Cai, and Jin Zong agreed to give it a try. Hu Manli came to see Master Cai and bought him a dehumidifier.
Master Cai was very moved and agreed to accompany Hu Manli to the company to explain about the fake physical examination report. Hu Manli wanted to secure a trial stay at the nursing home for him. Master Cai was naturally overjoyed. Hu Manli went to Zhong Ning to discuss promoting the Sunset Care project on Ding Zhiyuan's program. Zhong Ning arranged for Hu Manli and Ding Zhiyuan to meet.
Ding Zhiyuan thought the project was very good and highly praised the proposal Hu Manli had prepared. Because Hu Manli's cold and cough wouldn't stop, Ding Zhiyuan showed her great concern. When Qiu Lisu saw this scene, she mistakenly thought Hu Manli was seducing Ding Zhiyuan. She yelled at Hu Manli. Hu Manli didn't want to listen to her unreasonable behavior, so she left first. Ding Zhiyuan applied to the company, and it was unanimously approved.
Zhong Ning told Hu Manli this good news. Hu Manli fainted on the ground due to a high fever. Ding Daer and Zhong Ning quickly took Hu Manli to the hospital. Customers came to make trouble. Qiu Lisu rushed up to argue with them and accidentally fell to the ground. When those people saw Qiu Lisu bleeding, they fled in a panic. The doctor diagnosed Hu Manli with pneumonia and did their utmost to save her.
Hu Manli finally woke up. Ding Zhiyuan and Xue Xiaozhou successively came to the hospital to visit her. After the medical staff's full efforts to rescue her, Hu Manli recovered and was healthy. Zhong Ning and Ding Daer picked her up and took her home. Hu Manli reminded Ding Zhiyuan to go home and check on Qiu Lisu. Ding Zhiyuan rushed to the hospital and learned that the fetus was in critical condition.
Ding Zhiyuan desperately pleaded with the doctor to save Qiu Lisu and the baby in her belly. The medical staff did their utmost to save them. The baby was successfully born but was placed in an incubator due to weakness from premature birth. Ding Zhiyuan picked Qiu Lisu up from the hospital. Hu Manli quickly helped Master Cai complete the check-in procedures. Master Cai was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
Hu Manli and her team members worked tirelessly. The Blue Ocean Insurance company's Sunset Care plan proceeded in an orderly manner. Jin Zong accepted a journalist interview and called for society to vigorously promote this project. A year passed in the blink of an eye. The Insurance Star selection was held as scheduled, and Hu Manli lived up to expectations, winning this honor. Hu Manli held the trophy in her hands, immensely excited.
Two years ago, she had missed this trophy. Hu Manli publicly stated that she would continue to serve customers as always, thanking her family and friends who had supported her. Xue Xiaozhou quietly came to the awards ceremony and applauded for Hu Manli. Hu Manli came to work early in the morning. She ran into Xue Xiaozhou downstairs and only then learned that Xue Xiaozhou had also joined Blue Ocean Insurance company. The two of them became colleagues again. The End.
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