Beautiful Reborn Flower Episode 21 Recap
> Beautiful Reborn Flower Recap
Ah Li is struggling with two months of overdue rent, with her landlord chasing her for payment. Meanwhile, Nan Sheng, feeling pity for her uncle, Mr. Yao, who wishes to stay in Beijing to find work, pleads with Lin Mama. Lin Mama, initially protective of Nan Sheng’s father and critical of Mr. Yao, reluctantly agrees to give him three days to secure a job.
Witnessing Ah Li’s financial struggles, Xu Zhensheng feels embarrassed by his sister, prompting Lin Heping to immediately reprimand him. Lin Heping later joins Ah Li for a drink. Ah Li expresses deep sadness, feeling she sacrificed her youth for Zhensheng, who now shows her disdain. As she turns to alcohol, Lin Heping gently takes the bottle, wipes her tears, and offers comfort. Ah Li is deeply touched by his gesture, and Lin Heping gradually becomes her sole emotional support.
Nan Sheng observes this intimate moment from afar. Qiao Man finds herself overwhelmed with tasks related to signing Xue Lai. When Lin Heping approaches to inquire about her work, she is still upset with him for not supporting her and walks away. Simultaneously, Ben messages Qiao Man from home, sharing his intention to publish his articles online in hopes of finding a patron, and to diligently look for a stable job the next day. Qiao Man approves of his decision.
Zhuo Yang also informed Qiao Man that Xue Lai currently has an opening in her schedule, urging her to act quickly. Lin Heping visits Qiao Man at her home. Xiao Zhi, wearing a face mask, answers the door and tries to prevent Lin Heping from seeing Qiao Man. Lin Heping intentionally raises his voice, causing a lethargic Qiao Man to emerge. He asks her to accompany him, but she dismisses him. Puzzled, Lin Heping asks about her behavior.
Xiao Zhi interjects, accusing Lin Heping of consistently siding with Ah Li, which irritates Lin Heping, causing him to leave in annoyance. Unable to wait any longer, Qiao Fang goes to Liping Pavilion to confront Ah Li. Yang Lan attempts to block her, but Qiao Fang is determined and takes a seat to await Ah Li. Yang Lan quickly informs Ah Li, who is already at the company entrance. Ah Li brings Qiao Fang into her office.
Qiao Fang directly demands to know He Jianfeng's whereabouts, accusing Ah Li of moving him with ulterior motives. Agitated, Ah Li stands up and instructs Yang Lan to escort Qiao Fang out. Han Sen plans to expand into the cultural industry, but with his wine business just starting, funds are limited. He approaches An Kailun for sponsorship.
An Kailun, impressed by Han Sen's progress, agrees to the sponsorship but sets a condition: Han Sen's cultural and film projects must secure actress Xue Lai. Han Sen readily accepts. Qiao Man, dressed casually, attempts to sneak out of her home, but Lin Heping is already observing her. He insists she comes with him to an auction, surprising her. Lin Heping reveals that Xue Lai's biggest hobby is collecting art.
At the venue, Qiao Man spots Xue Lai sitting at the same table as Professor Su Shan, realizing Lin Heping must have obtained this information from the professor. During the auction, Xue Lai, who Professor Su Shan lauded for her love of collecting artworks, shows interest in an oil painting titled "The Faraway." Lin Heping intentionally drives up the bidding price.
The painting, which started at RMB30,000, is eventually won by Xue Lai for an exorbitant RMB500,000 after Lin Heping aggressively drives up the price. Qiao Man questions Lin Heping's actions, asking if he came to disrupt things and why he inflated the price. Lin Heping explains he did it "so she could remember me," confident that "based on her personality, she will not give up easily" and "will not let others get it too."
After the auction, Lin Heping and Qiao Man wait by the exit for Xue Lai. Xue Lai is visibly annoyed when Lin Heping introduces himself and states his intention to discuss a brand ambassador collaboration. She dismisses him, stating she's not signing with any agency, wants a long break, and critiques Liping Pavilion Studio's "quite bad" product quality.
Qiao Man scolds Lin Heping for his "clever" but ultimately failed plan, but he remains convinced that Xue Lai will eventually seek him out. When Ah Li comes looking for Lin Heping, Mo Hui reluctantly informs her that Lin Heping went to the auction with Qiao Man. Ah Li is furious, exclaiming, "He went with Qiao Man? Why is she there?" Upon Lin Heping's return, Ah Li confronts him directly, but he bluntly retorts, causing her to leave angrily.
Later, Lin Heping and Qiao Man are having a meal together. An interview with Xue Lai is playing on TV, where she discusses her painting purchase, stating that for her, "there is no measurement for arts," only whether one likes it, and she bought it for RMB500,000 to "encourage our young artist." Qiao Man uses this to mock Lin Heping, remarking on his "really bad trick" and asserting it's "impossible" for Xue Lai to become a brand ambassador.
Lin Heping, unfazed, confidently bets that "she will come looking for me within a week," and then teases Qiao Man about her impending unemployment. Qiao Man counters, asking how he would explain to the board if he fails, reminding him that the idea was hers and he's supposedly helping her. Lin Heping then brings up her investigation into He Jianfeng's matter, a sensitive topic that quickly silences her teasing.
Xiao Zhi delivers materials to Han Sen, who inquires about the progress with Xue Lai. Xiao Zhi mentions that she recently noticed news about Xue Lai fighting over a painting. She reveals that Lin Heping was the one who publicly contended with Xue Lai for a painting by a young artist, which Xue Lai eventually bought for an excessive price, leading Xiao Zhi to speculate if they had some conflict.
Han Sen, surprised by this, initially considers asking Qiao Man but dismisses the idea, reasoning that Qiao Man is not particularly close to Lin Heping and is also preoccupied with He Jianfeng's situation, so she might not know the internal details of Liping Pavilion Studio. Observing Xiao Zhi's reaction, Han Sen realizes she has internal knowledge.
He then attempts to entice Xiao Zhi with promises of "promotion," "increment," "holiday," and "big bucks" to get her to contact Zhuo Yang for information. Xiao Zhi, initially hesitant due to an oath not to contact Zhuo Yang, agrees after being tempted by the financial incentives. Xiao Zhi sends a message to Zhuo Yang, asking if he's free to meet. Zhuo Yang eagerly responds and rushes out.
Xiao Zhi coyly questions him about Lin Heping's relationship with Xue Lai and why he's trying to get close to her. Zhuo Yang initially stutters and claims it's company classified information he cannot share. However, when Xiao Zhi pretends to be angry and walks away, calling him a liar for not keeping his promise to help, Zhuo Yang quickly gives in.
He reveals that Liping Pavilion Studio intends to invite Xue Lai to be their brand ambassador, explaining that it was Qiao Man's idea and only top-level management knows. Xiao Zhi promptly leaves after getting the information. Back at the company, Zhuo Yang informs Qiao Man that her sister, Qiao Fang, had visited Ah Li and they had an argument. Concerned, Qiao Man immediately calls her sister.
A nurse answers the phone, explaining that Qiao Fang fainted while searching for a patient and is now in the hospital receiving drips for low glucose levels. The nurse invites Qiao Man to the ward to bring her sister back. Qiao Man rushes to the hospital. At the hospital, Qiao Man is heartbroken to see her sister and scolds Qiao Fang for neglecting her health, having exhausted herself searching for He Jianfeng.
Qiao Fang dismisses her own well-being, stating her only purpose was to find Jianfeng. She then blames Qiao Man for protecting Lin Heping and covering for Ah Li, expressing her distrust for Lin Heping. Qiao Fang suggests they go to Shenzhen to find Wen Jing and sue Liping Pavilion Studio to demand He Jianfeng's return, insisting that she needs to find him "whether he is alive or dead."
Qiao Man tries to calm her sister down, stating such actions are not the right way to handle things. Qiao Man embraces her, taking on the responsibility herself, promising to help look for He Jianfeng, and urges her sister to trust her and recover first. Outside the hospital room, Qiao Man calls Director Yan for help. Director Yan subsequently visits Liping Pavilion and meets with Qiao Man.
Qiao Man requests that her sister be allowed to care for He Jianfeng, promising that she and Qiao Fang will take responsibility for any issues related to the fake RMB10 million account if it is indeed linked to him, or for any accidents that occur while he is in the hospital.
Director Yan agrees but then presents a "Guarantee Letter" with stringent conditions: Qiao Fang must be legally married to He Jianfeng for the right to care for him to be transferred, and Qiao Fang would be solely responsible for all compensation if the fake account is linked to He Jianfeng, or for any incidents in the hospital. Qiao Man is outraged by these terms, calling them "cheaters" and accusing them of pushing all the problems onto them.
She implies that Ah Li is behind this, stating she is sure Ah Li knows everything that has been done. Ah Li later confronts Lin Heping in a heated argument. She accuses him of being heartless and taking Qiao Man's side, pointing out the impossibility for Qiao Fang to pay the RMB10 million compensation. Lin Heping asserts that he is simply following Director Yan's instructions.
Ah Li expresses her pain, feeling that their relationship is becoming adversarial and blaming him for her change. She also refuses to accept the "guarantee letter." Lin Heping declares that if she doesn't sign it, he will not disclose He Jianfeng's whereabouts. Following these events, Lin Heping instructs Mo Hui to secretly monitor Ah Li and Yang Lan to discover He Jianfeng's whereabouts, emphasizing that he must tell no one else.
Qiao Fang, still distraught and actively searching for He Jianfeng, confronts Lin Heping directly at the company entrance. She demands He Jianfeng's return, accusing Yang Lan and Ah Li of hiding him, and implying Lin Heping is complicit and aware of He Jianfeng's illness. Qiao Man tries to calm her sister down, but Qiao Fang warns Lin Heping to stay away from Qiao Man.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xi discovers a highly popular online book titled "Meeting Barcelona," written by Ben, and suggests to Luo Chen that they acquire its copyright for a TV series adaptation. She notes its rapid increase in views from 20,000 to 180,000 in two days, describing it as a captivating collection of essays about the author's experiences in Barcelona. However, Luo Chen is unimpressed, dismissing it as something only "young people like you would like" and "ordinary people won't like it."
Citing his current workload of six projects, he tells her to set the idea aside. In her hotel room, Xue Lai looks at the painting she bought and expresses deep regret over her impulsive, high-priced purchase, feeling she "got cheated by him." She immediately instructs her assistant to investigate Lin Heping and Liping Pavilion Studio, questioning his method of seeking collaboration. Meanwhile, Han Sen, disguised as a hotel attendant, tries to meet Xue Lai by delivering her meal.
He enters her room and converses with her, finding a connection over their shared past in Barcelona and interest in art. However, Xue Lai's assistant re-enters and exposes Han Sen's disguise, revealing he is from the An Group. Xue Lai is disgusted by his "dirty trick" and asks him to leave. Han Sen retorts, criticizing her arrogance and stating he prefers the "Xue Lai who spoke about Spain with me, not an artist who is acting so arrogantly."
