All Rise Episode 20 Recap
> All Rise Recap
Ren Jiatong expressed surprise that Bai Xiao had modified the presentation, which was sent at 3 AM for a 7 AM start, wondering if Bai Xiao ever slept. She noted that despite her own shortcomings, Bai Xiao hadn't criticized her but instead thanked her for her hard work. Zhou Nian explained that Bai Xiao, though often perceived as strict, was always objective about work, never personal.
He stressed that work was paramount to Bai Xiao, who would never compromise her standards, no matter how exhausted. Ren Jiatong felt guilty, believing that if she had been more diligent, Bai Xiao might have gotten two extra hours of sleep. Zhou Nian, however, told her not to feel guilty as her inexperience was normal, adding that he should have been the one to revise the document.
He further revealed that Bai Xiao’s daughter, Niuniu, had a fever the previous night, and Bai Xiao had been worried sick, yet still stayed up late to work on the presentation. Jiang Chen, surprised to find Yan Fei still at the firm late at night, playfully suggested it wasn't for work but for someone special.
Yan Fei initially tried to deflect the conversation by mentioning her project nearing its end, her brother's unexpected support for her joining Mr. Song's team, and even pointing out a "meteor shower." Jiang Chen, however, saw through her attempts to change the subject, prompting her to open up. Yan Fei confessed that she had asked a man if he liked her, only for him to respond that his affection was merely brotherly, not romantic.
She added that he had a lovely, attractive ex-girlfriend. Yan Fei regretted asking him, claiming she would never fall for a male lawyer. Jiang Chen then took a picture of Yan Fei, instructing her to post it on social media with an "only he can see it" setting. He explained that if the man truly had feelings for her, he would undoubtedly react, likening it to a "cross-examination" of emotions. Yan Fei agreed and posted the photo.
Later, when Zhou Nian returned with takeout, Ren Jiatong inadvertently saw Yan Fei’s photo on his phone screen. Zhou Nian had been repeatedly looking at it. After Zhou Nian left, Ren Jiatong joined Bai Xiao, who reassured her that Niuniu's fever had gone down. Bai Xiao then instructed everyone, including Ren Jiatong, not to stay up late, prioritizing their rest and health.
Ren Jiatong again tried to apologize for her work, but Bai Xiao stopped her, emphasizing that health was crucial and her mother would worry if she overworked herself. Ren Jiatong offered comfort, assuring Bai Xiao that Niuniu would recover soon and they would win their current case. During their conversation, Bai Xiao discussed the unrealistic "elite professional woman" persona, admitting she occasionally indulged in high-calorie snacks to relieve stress.
She confessed that despite her pride in her career, she felt she wasn't a good mother, constantly battling guilt for not being able to dedicate enough time to Niuniu. She explained that as a single mother, she had to shoulder the responsibility of supporting her family, yet she also found immense self-worth and happiness in her work. Ren Jiatong sympathized, recognizing the challenges women face in their careers.
Bai Xiao acknowledged her fortunate situation of having an "incredible nanny," but still noted the ongoing struggle, concluding that all mothers share the same endless worries for their children. The next day, after the trial, Bai Xiao comforted the client's family in the hall. Ren Jiatong felt dismayed, questioning why, despite their utmost efforts, the outcome might still be unfavorable, though she still held out hope for the first verdict.
Zhou Nian explained that the court proceedings did not look optimistic, and Bai Xiao was preparing the family mentally for this possibility. He reiterated Bai Xiao’s view that lawyers, much like doctors, sometimes cannot guarantee a desired outcome despite their best efforts. Nevertheless, he emphasized the profound importance of supporting clients and ensuring they receive respect and companionship throughout their difficult journey. He then instructed the team to submit all necessary documents and begin preparing for the second appeal.
Guo Xiaoyu sent Song Yifan her draft legal opinion, thoroughly explaining her analytical approach. She detailed how she began by using AI's chat function to understand its underlying principles, followed by extensive research into China's regulatory framework, landmark court rulings, and international AI legislation and judicial literature. Her key recommendation was to assign the rights to AI-generated content, such as images, music, and videos, directly to users, with Yiaiwan explicitly waiving ownership.
She argued that while this might seem unfavorable to the client, it was a strategic move to gain a user acquisition advantage once the model launched, clarifying that Yiaiwan should consider it a commercial decision. Song Yifan was highly impressed, noting their shared perspective and her diligent research. He commended her rapid growth from her early days as an intern, expressing how proud he was of her maturity and strategic thinking, especially given her past relationship with an Yiaiwan employee.
Guo Xiaoyu, feeling bold, playfully compared her competitive advantage as "a trainee of Jun An" to Song Yifan, the "former heartthrob of Jun An," still leveraging his good looks to navigate the legal world, a remark Song Yifan objected to. She then asked for bonus points, which he readily promised. Zhou Nian returned to the firm and encountered Yan Fei, who invited him to join her and Guo Xiaoyu for late-night snacks.
He declined, explaining he needed to organize some documents before heading home to rest. Yan Fei, however, pressed him, asking about a WeChat message he had sent and immediately retracted, and why he chose to come to the firm to organize "unimportant files" rather than going straight home. Zhou Nian dismissed the message as a mistake and stated that as a lawyer, he must honor his commitments.
Yan Fei then pointed out that he might be a lawyer, but he wasn't "her" lawyer. Zhou Nian, after a moment of silence, stated that he was their mentor and expressed his desire to prevent their professional relationship from becoming awkward, indirectly conveying his stance. Disappointed, Yan Fei left the office.
Zhou Nian, seeing the heavy rain, instinctively grabbed an umbrella and rushed out, but by then, Yan Fei had already driven away in her car, as another colleague pointed out. Meanwhile, Yan Fei met Guo Xiaoyu for late-night snacks. Guo Xiaoyu immediately noticed Yan Fei's uncharacteristic behavior—speeding to their meeting, wanting to drink, and being unusually quiet—diagnosing it as the "3 must-have items for heartbreak," offering her full support and a shoulder to cry on.
Yan Fei confessed that she had indeed expressed her feelings, which Guo Xiaoyu criticized, suggesting she should have employed more "ambiguity" and "strategy" rather than a direct confession. Yan Fei recounted how the man had accompanied her to boxing workouts and even "watched the stars on the Fifth Ring Road at night" with her, questioning what else could signal his interest.
Guo Xiaoyu speculated about various reasons, eventually concluding that if he liked Yan Fei but still rejected her, there must be an "unbeatable reason," such as differences in family background, income, or geographical distance. Yan Fei, however, stated that it was all in the past, and they would simply remain colleagues. Misinterpreting the situation, Guo Xiaoyu jumped to the conclusion that Yan Fei was referring to Jiang Chen.
Believing Jiang Chen was a "scumbag" who was "two-timing" Ren Jiatong, Guo Xiaoyu became furious and immediately called Ren Jiatong, who, having just returned from her business trip, answered and casually mentioned her phone was about to die. As Ren Jiatong returned home, Jiang Chen was waiting downstairs. He followed her, questioning why she hadn't replied to his numerous messages or had even blocked him.
He explained that he had purposefully waited at her building instead of the airport to avoid any misunderstandings with Bai Xiao and the team, and was hurt by her dismissing their relationship as merely "colleague." Feigning a dramatic illness with symptoms like lack of appetite, poor sleep, nausea, and cramps, he dramatically claimed the only cure was for the person he missed to "come back soon and kiss him."
Ren Jiatong recognized that Yan Fei and Guo Xiaoyu had tried to call her for dinner. Jiang Chen confirmed this, explaining that he and Yan Fei were now good friends, and he had helped her with a problem out of "gentleman's instinct." Ren Jiatong quickly deduced he was referring to Yan Fei’s social media post and accused him of orchestrating the situation.
Jiang Chen admitted his mistake for allowing the photo with Yan Fei but insisted Ren Jiatong had "mistaken" him. He apologized and asked for a chance to explain over a private dinner, humorously demanding compensation for his days of distress. During their dinner, Ren Jiatong was still under the impression that Yan Fei might have simply forgotten to block senior lawyers from seeing her post, unaware it was set to "only Zhou Nian can see it."
Jiang Chen teased her about being slow when in love. He then clarified that he only saw the photo because Zhou Nian had been "staring at it for a while, repeatedly," even foregoing dinner, which confirmed to Jiang Chen that Zhou Nian "definitely likes Yan Fei." Ren Jiatong speculated that Zhou Nian might have reservations due to a perceived "huge gap" between himself and Yan Fei in terms of status or background.
Jiang Chen dismissed the idea of a gap between himself and Ren Jiatong, citing their youth, capability, and good looks. Ren Jiatong, however, highlighted a significant difference between them: "You have a father who is a lawyer. I have a father with a criminal record," adding that a lawyer friend would advise him to "stop" pursuing her. Ren Jiatong told Jiang Chen that while she couldn't be held responsible for "who our fathers are," she "can choose who I love."
She affirmed that she was serious and hoped he was too. As they arrived at her building, Jiang Chen asked her again if she was truly serious about him. When she inquired if the answer was important, he earnestly declared that it was "very important" to him. Ren Jiatong then pulled him closer, almost kissing him, but a call from Guo Xiaoyu interrupted the moment. Jiang Chen, not waiting for her to answer, embraced her and kissed her.
Ren Jiatong, flustered, quickly went upstairs, leaving Jiang Chen behind. Moments later, Guo Xiaoyu came downstairs looking for Ren Jiatong, wondering why the trash was still there. Ren Jiatong gave a clumsy excuse and promptly went to bed. Jiang Chen, meanwhile, sent her a message asking why she ran and if she was afraid of being discovered. Ren Jiatong replied simply, "Alright, see you tomorrow. Go to sleep. Good night."
Both of them spent the night restless, their hearts pounding from the unexpected kiss. The next morning, Ren Jiatong discovered heating pads and brown sugar on her desk, accompanied by a note from Jiang Chen. He reminded her of their first hotpot dinner, implying he remembered details about her cycle and prepared them for her. Later, Zhou Nian and Bai Xiao discussed a new case concerning their client, Xia Jun.
Zhou Nian presented the initial findings: evidence indicated that Xia Jun had received a large tennis bag during a meeting, which a witness later claimed, during an internal investigation, was filled with two million yuan in cash. While the evidence chain appeared complete, Bai Xiao quickly identified a crucial potential breakthrough point: the lack of direct evidence proving the tennis bag actually contained cash.
She instructed Zhou Nian to lead Ren Jiatong and other interns in thoroughly reviewing Xia Jun's company's internal investigation report and related details before they would convene to strategize. Meanwhile, Song Yifan paid a visit to Bai Xiao, seemingly to reminisce about old cases they had handled together, but also conspicuously noticing a bouquet of flowers on her desk. He commented that they "look nice yet are fragile" and "won't last a few days," revealing his subtle jealousy.
Shortly after, Guo Xiaoyu, bubbling with "hot news," eagerly shared with Jiang Chen and Ren Jiatong that the "handsome man" who brought Bai Xiao flowers was her ex-boyfriend, Gao Lang, and he was actually seeking Bai Xiao's legal assistance for his current girlfriend's case. Guo Xiaoyu was furious, condemning such men as "heartless."
Jiang Chen cautiously suggested she be more rigorous in her conclusions, but Guo Xiaoyu stood firm, declaring she would physically intervene with a broom if she heard any commotion from Bai Xiao's office. Ren Jiatong and Jiang Chen, however, both felt confident that Bai Xiao, being a professional who separates emotions from work, would indeed take on the case, while Guo Xiaoyu was convinced she wouldn't.
