All Rise Episode 19 Recap
> All Rise Recap
Yan Fei, concerned about her performance in the assessment round, sought advice from Zhou Nian. She approached him while he was in a meeting room, offering him coffee and playfully accusing him of favoritism towards Li Ke. Noting that both Li Ke and Ren Jiatong were on probation, Yan Fei directly asked if she could take on Bai Xiao's workload, asserting that she was willing to be seen as opportunistic if it meant getting an opportunity.
Zhou Nian accepted her coffee but stated that he could not overtly help her due to fairness. However, he implied that he would not prevent her from directly contacting Bai Xiao to lobby for the position, which Yan Fei understood. That evening, Jiang Chen found Guo Xiaoyu, expressing concern for Ren Jiatong and Li Ke, who were under immense pressure regarding the missing original document, as their future at Jun An depended on it.
He suggested they return to the law firm to re-enact the events of the day. Guo Xiaoyu admitted her apprehension, confessing to a "wishful thinking" that if one of them left, she might have a better chance of staying, given her low ranking. Jiang Chen praised her honesty, stating that as law professionals, they should avoid ambiguity, and he didn't want anyone to be eliminated without clear justification.
He proposed they enlist his "boyfriend," Holmes, also known as Sherlock, to help them uncover the truth. Back at the firm, Li Ke joined Jiang Chen and Guo Xiaoyu. They reconstructed the scene, with Guo Xiaoyu playing Ren Jiatong and Li Ke playing himself, while Jiang Chen observed. They noted the evidence box was in a surveillance blind spot. Ren Jiatong had been binding documents, and Li Ke was shredding them. The original document was near Ren Jiatong.
When Guo Xiaoyu accidentally nudged a coffee cup, Li Ke had a strong reaction, which triggered his memory. He recalled Ren Jiatong accidentally spilling coffee, and in a rush, he instinctively swept the original document into a pile of papers meant for shredding, then mistakenly put the entire stack into the shredder. Overwhelmed, Li Ke excused himself, claiming to feel unwell, and left.
On his way home, he sent a text message to his sister, admitting he thought he had made a mistake and felt too exhausted to continue. The next day, Jiang Chen and Guo Xiaoyu, now suspecting Li Ke, demonstrated their reconstruction of the incident to Zhou Nian. Zhou Nian prepared to report their findings to Bai Xiao but was informed by her that Li Ke had already confessed.
Li Ke explained to Bai Xiao that he had always believed his sister's greatest wish was for him to secure an offer from Jun An, and he aimed to make her proud. However, his sister had recently told him her true desire was for him to live according to his own wishes. Despite genuinely liking Jun An and its people, he was uncertain if continuing as a lawyer there was truly what he wanted for his future.
He expressed deep regret for causing trouble with her case, acknowledging that her silence was an attempt to alleviate their pressure, but he could not feign ignorance. He felt compelled to take responsibility for his actions. Li Ke also highlighted the systemic challenges female lawyers face in the industry, where opportunities are scarcer and greater effort is required to achieve parity with male counterparts.
He refused to let his mistake burden Bai Xiao or impede Ren Jiatong, a promising female lawyer. He concluded that he must own his mistake and refuse to become someone he dislikes, even if his future path remained unclear. Bai Xiao commended him for his honesty and integrity. Later, Jiang Chen, Guo Xiaoyu, and Zhou Nian gathered to see Li Ke off as he collected his personal belongings.
Zhou Nian urged Li Ke to reconsider, suggesting he wait for the review meeting, but Li Ke stated his decision was not impulsive, but a realization of his exhaustion and a desire to leave with dignity. He thanked Zhou Nian for helping him understand if his aspirations were his own or his sister's. Ren Jiatong rushed in, pleading with him to stay until the truth was fully clarified.
She even offered to share responsibility, claiming her memory of that night was hazy due to alcohol. Li Ke firmly rejected her offer, insisting he had genuinely recalled the events and, despite his own initial selfishness, believed in upholding the truth as a legal professional.
He shared his observation that everyone at Jun An had their own unique reasons for staying, such as Yan Fei seeking family validation, Jiang Chen escaping his father's shadow, Guo Xiaoyu striving to prove herself after a past relationship, and Huang Yue searching for her own goal before marriage. He realized he was the only one unsure of his own desires, having only wanted to win for his sister.
Ren Jiatong still wished him well, noting that he was fortunate, as many things in life are dictated by family rather than personal choice. She advised him not to shoulder his family's burdens alone. As Li Ke left the firm, Ren Jiatong acknowledged his genuine passion for the profession, and they bid each other "Till we meet again."
The results of the fifth assessment round were then announced: Jiang Chen ranked first, Ren Jiatong second, Yan Fei third, and Guo Xiaoyu was last. Zhou Nian reminded them that two more interns would be eliminated in the next round. Yan Fei then approached Bai Xiao, expressing her desire to join Bai Xiao's team and asking why Ren Jiatong was chosen for the upcoming business trip over her, despite her strong performance (ranking third).
Yan Fei emphasized her unique skills and competitive drive, likening herself to a boxer who fights until the last moment. Bai Xiao acknowledged Yan Fei's boldness and affirmed her abilities, but explained that Ren Jiatong was more familiar with the team's urgent and demanding workload, making her the most efficient choice for the case. Bai Xiao still expressed confidence in Yan Fei, encouraging her to remain a "great boxer."
Sensing Yan Fei's disappointment, Zhou Nian found her sitting in her car. He offered to drive her, even joking about going to the boxing gym where she often trained. Yan Fei declined the gym but accepted a ride, on the condition that he wouldn't try to comfort her. Zhou Nian drove her outside the Fifth Ring Road to a scenic spot where they could see the stars.
He pointed out Venus, reminiscing about his childhood astronomy club and how he viewed Venus as a goddess of love and beauty, a constant source of inspiration during difficult times. Yan Fei related to the idea, describing her own life as being pre-coded and algorithmically arranged by her family, from being steered towards ballet as a child to studying finance or law abroad for prestige, and eventually marrying a suitable partner.
She felt that any praise she received was merely "adhering to conventions" due to her family background, and that Bai Xiao's politeness meant she was not truly seen as "one of her own," unlike Ren Jiatong. Zhou Nian challenged her perspective, asking if others or she herself placed too much importance on her background. He validated her ambition to be a good lawyer, citing her assertiveness as a key trait of an excellent legal professional.
He clarified that Bai Xiao's decision was a pragmatic one, based on efficiency for the case, not personal favoritism. Zhou Nian advised Yan Fei that to become a good lawyer, she needed to learn how to cope with setbacks—challenging cases, difficult clients, disproportionate effort, and family expectations—and promised to share his trial experiences with her upon his return. Yan Fei then unexpectedly asked if he liked her.
Zhou Nian, flustered, confirmed he liked her, but clarified it was the same collegial affection he held for Li Ke, Guo Xiaoyu, and Jiang Chen. He explained that his mentorship stemmed from seeing his past self in them, and his efforts were a way to "make up for that old me" who also needed encouragement. As he tried to leave, Yan Fei playfully accused him of running away.
Meanwhile, Guo Xiaoyu, determined not to be last, proactively contacted Song Yifan for work. She secured the task of drafting legal opinions for the "Yiaiwan AI model development case." Despite Song Yifan's initial doubts about her experience, Guo Xiaoyu leveraged her unique connections and background—being from Hangzhou where Yiaiwan is based, having visited their headquarters, knowing her ex-boyfriend Zhubao coded the model, and her own experience using AI software—to convince him to give her a chance.
Ren Jiatong, now excited to be working on Bai Xiao's major project, stayed late at the office. She noticed Jiang Chen, also working late, appeared despondent and suspected it was related to family matters, as he repeatedly ignored calls from his mother. Ren Jiatong subtly encouraged him to relax and smile, noting that prolonged stress caused frown lines, a habit she related from her own father. She offered to listen to his troubles.
Jiang Chen confessed that his mother had become overly insistent on him returning to Chongqing after learning he had met his father. He felt caught between not wanting to rely on his father and not wanting to upset his mother, choosing to "avoid" the situation in hopes it would resolve itself. Ren Jiatong lightheartedly chided his "avoidance" but ultimately encouraged him to focus on work. Later, Zhou Nian and Ren Jiatong joined Bai Xiao on the business trip.
Ren Jiatong, eager and excited for her first major case, had printed and organized a large volume of additional documents. Zhou Nian explained that another lawyer, Ms. Tian, had to return home due to a family emergency, leading to Ren Jiatong's reassignment to the team.
He warned Ren Jiatong that their sleep would be measured in minutes due to the immense workload of reviewing newly acquired bank records for all parties involved, preparing cross-examination opinions, and creating court presentations, all while maintaining efficiency and meticulousness. He emphasized that a perfect trial required unimaginable effort. During their intensive late-night work session, Ren Jiatong believed Zhou Nian had revised her presentation and apologized for her original being "too rough." Zhou Nian clarified that Bai Xiao herself had made the changes.
