Because of You Episode 8 Recap
> Because of You Recap
Following her agreement with Xu Xiaoqin, Zhang Guoguo meticulously cleaned Li Yunkai's messy apartment, leaving a note signed with Xu Xiaoqin's name. As she was about to leave, Li Yunkai unexpectedly returned. Zhang Guoguo quickly hid under a table, waiting until he finished his phone call and went into the bathroom to shower before making her exit. However, she discovered she had left one of her shoes behind.
Missing a shoe, Zhang Guoguo hurried to Song Xiuhua's house to continue her embroidery studies. They joyfully read a newspaper announcing Zhang Guoguo's successful entry into the embroidery competition semi-finals. During their conversation, Zhang Guoguo mentioned cleaning Li Yunkai's home, which made Song Xiuhua wonder if he might be her long-lost nephew.
Song Xiuhua, recognizing Zhang Guoguo's immense potential and thoughtful approach, such as crafting an intentionally slanted dress for a client with a leg difference, officially accepted her as an apprentice, urging her to wholeheartedly embrace embroidery as a profession. Overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude, Zhang Guoguo eagerly agreed, declaring that meeting Song Xiuhua was her life's greatest honor. Song Xiuhua then revealed that she had signed Zhang Guoguo up for the cheongsam competition instead of herself.
Zhang Guoguo continued to hone her skills, constantly thinking about embroidery, even teaching herself advanced knot-making techniques and diligently studying books on embroidery allusions and famous art pieces. For her semi-final piece, she boldly proposed embroidering on black satin, an idea strongly supported by Song Xiuhua, further impressing Song Xiuhua with her rapid learning and dedication. With one shoe missing, Zhang Guoguo returned home to find another pair. Her mother immediately began scolding her.
Feeling disheartened, Zhang Guoguo complained that her mother didn't even care about her injured foot. Hearing this, her mother's demeanor softened, and she anxiously inquired about Zhang Guoguo's injury, which cheered Zhang Guoguo. Zhang Guoguo then brought up her desire to study embroidery again, assuring her mother that it wouldn't interfere with Zhang Yuxin's future, especially since they lived far apart.
Her mother's attitude softened further, and she agreed to keep Zhang Guoguo's embroidery studies a secret from Zhang Yuxin, but not without emphasizing that Zhang Yuxin's prospects must not be jeopardized. Zhang Guoguo, who was designing a cheongsam for a contest with a looming deadline, assured her mother that she would continue to help at the wonton shop in the mornings and then go to learn from her teacher in the afternoons, reiterating her passion for embroidery.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Zhang Guoguo, Li Yunkai was desperately trying to find the owner of the lost shoe, even gathering all the female acquaintances he knew at his office to try it on. Unable to hide it any longer, Zhang Guoguo reluctantly admitted the shoe was hers but refused to confess she was the one who cleaned his apartment, instead falsely accusing Li Yunkai of stealing her shoe.
Meanwhile, news circulated about Lu Sichen's father's bankruptcy and legal troubles, leaving Lu Sichen burdened with debt. Zhang Yuxin was alarmed, worried she might be implicated. She answered a phone call from Lu Sichen dismissively, later lamenting her difficult fate, furious that her wealthy suitor had turned poor. Determined to take control of her own destiny, she resolved to enter Golden Thread Embroidery. It was revealed that Zhang Yuxin, already married to Lu Sichen, sought a divorce from him.
Despite his deep love for her, Lu Sichen refused, especially after discovering her pregnancy through her medical report. Enraged, Zhang Yuxin slapped him and left, determined not to endure poverty with him. She even threw their wedding photo into the trash before hastily leaving their home. Unable to find Zhang Yuxin, Lu Sichen visited Golden Thread Embroidery, hoping to see her, but Xu Huijie told him Zhang Yuxin was not there.
Lu Sichen briefly mentioned that Zhang Yuxin needed to go to the hospital, but considering her reputation, he did not elaborate further, simply leaving his contact information before rushing off. In reality, Zhang Yuxin had arrived at Golden Thread Embroidery earlier and asked Xu Huijie to help her get rid of Lu Sichen, fabricating that he was merely a persistent suitor whom she had rejected.
Seeing Zhang Yuxin with no place to go, Xu Huijie invited her to stay at Golden Thread Embroidery. Jin Zhiming, still harboring suspicions, confronted Xu Huijie about the disappearance of Jin Yi Bei years ago. Xu Huijie, apprehensive that Song Xiuhua might return and reclaim her position as lead embroiderer, vehemently denied taking Jin Yi Bei to Jiangling, instead accusing Song Xiuhua. Knowing Song Xiuhua's character, Jin Zhiming was initially unwilling to believe Xu Huijie.
However, Xu Huijie presented Ding Wei, who claimed to have seen Jin Yi Bei enter Song Xiuhua's car. Jin Zhiming's resolve wavered slightly. When Xu Huijie then accused him of trusting outsiders more than his own wife, he finally succumbed and believed her and Ding Wei's fabrication. Later, Xu Huijie, walking through the courtyard, noticed Zhang Yuxin washing clothes and appeared pale. Recalling Lu Sichen's earlier comments, Xu Huijie grew suspicious.
Before she could inquire further, Zhang Yuxin fainted from blood loss. Xu Huijie immediately tended to her. In her private thoughts, Zhang Yuxin, disturbed by her physical condition, vowed she would not bear a child for a poor man. She visited a doctor, who confirmed her pregnancy. When Zhang Yuxin requested an abortion, the doctor warned her of the significant risks involved for a late-term pregnancy, particularly given her severe uterine contractions, which could potentially lead to permanent infertility.
The doctor advised her to carry the child to term. Distraught, Zhang Yuxin resolved to travel to Xiping to seek an abortion. Soon after, Zhang Guoguo called Zhang Yuxin, having mailed her some pastries and expressing hope that she would be happy, also urging her to call their mother. Zhang Yuxin, however, was dismissive and hung up the phone abruptly.
Upon arriving at Zhang Guoguo's home in Xiping, Zhang Yuxin was greeted with immense joy by her mother, who eagerly inquired about her sudden return and any troubles she might be facing. Zhang Yuxin quickly deflected, then subtly asked her mother about available abortion clinics in the area, claiming it was for a friend. Her mother explained that such services were strictly regulated and difficult to find.
Zhang Yuxin, frustrated, later noticed a cheongsam made by Zhang Guoguo, adorned with embroidered flowers. Her mother proudly declared Zhang Guoguo's talent, which stirred envy in Zhang Yuxin, who questioned why her adopted sister surpassed her in embroidery and drawing. While pondering her ambitions for Golden Thread Embroidery, Zhang Yuxin recalled her initial plea to Xu Huijie to teach her embroidery, despite her lack of foundation. She had vowed to be Xu Huijie's best student and the next lead embroiderer.
Xu Huijie had acknowledged her determination but emphasized that the heir to Golden Thread Embroidery must be a member of the Jin family, like Jin Yi Bei, who would surely return. Zhang Yuxin had offered to serve as Jin Yi Bei's substitute until her return, willing to do anything for Xu Huijie. After Zhang Yuxin's return to the main city, seeing the luxurious master bedroom at Golden Thread Embroidery, she was consumed by envy for Jin Yi Bei.
Selfishly, she imagined replacing Jin Yi Bei and claiming everything in the house. As she explored the various rooms, she stumbled upon Jin Yi Bei's room. Jin Zhiming quickly intercepted her, explaining that Jin Yi Bei's room was a forbidden space, a symbol of his enduring pain and a sacred memory. Zhang Yuxin resented his protective gesture. Meanwhile, Li Yunkai's father, overseeing affairs at Strong Group, expressed his concern for the upcoming competition.
After assigning tasks to Li Yunzhe, he brought up Li Yunkai. Seeing Li Yunzhe's evident displeasure, Li Yunkai's father was displeased with his elder son's inability to tolerate his younger brother. He then decided to take Li Yunzhe to Xiping to visit Li Yunkai after their meeting concluded. Convinced by Xu Huijie and Ding Wei's testimony, Jin Zhiming's heart filled with resentment towards Song Xiuhua.
He no longer longed for her return and ruthlessly ordered all of Song Xiuhua's belongings to be discarded. Even Dong Lijun's intervention could not sway his decision, and he recounted Ding Wei's fabricated story to her. However, Dong Lijun, who deeply trusted Song Xiuhua, refused to believe his account. Li Yunkai celebrated a recent lawsuit victory with his colleagues, declaring his intention to dominate the law industry in Xiping.
Later, back at his apartment, feeling a bit melancholic from alcohol, he spoke aloud to a kite, expressing how much he missed Jin Yi Bei and his "Aunt" (Song Xiuhua), wishing they could see him and find him, as he yearned for their presence. His mood quickly soured when he discovered that Xu Xiaoqin and Zhang Guoguo, during their cleaning, had found his deceased mother's unfinished handkerchief with his name on it.
Xu Xiaoqin, who had asked Zhang Guoguo to complete the embroidery, was then blamed by a furious Li Yunkai for damaging his mother's only keepsake. He demanded she restore it, threatening to sever ties if she didn't, which forced Xu Xiaoqin to reveal Zhang Guoguo's involvement. Li Yunkai then angrily confronted Zhang Guoguo, shouting at her to restore the handkerchief. Zhang Guoguo realized that her good intentions had inadvertently caused distress.
Before she could attempt to repair it, Li Yunkai's father and Li Yunzhe arrived. Panicked, Li Yunkai quickly ushered Zhang Guoguo into the bathroom, then opened the door for his family. The three men sat together, but the conversation between Li Yunzhe and Li Yunkai was fraught with tension and veiled insults, prompting their father to intervene and diffuse the argument.
When his father requested to use the restroom, Li Yunkai, aware of Zhang Guoguo's presence in the bathroom, quickly claimed there was none and instead recommended a nearby wonton shop that offered both facilities and delicious food. Unsuspecting, his father and Li Yunzhe agreed to go there first. At the wonton shop, Song Xiuhua, who was visiting Zhang's mother, had an unexpected encounter with Li Yunkai's father.
He expressed his profound sympathy for her, seeing her living a solitary life in Xiping. Song Xiuhua, however, earnestly requested that he not disclose her whereabouts to anyone. Respecting her wishes, he agreed, but pleaded with her to promise to maintain contact, to which Song Xiuhua nodded in agreement. Back at Golden Thread Embroidery, Xu Huijie remained dissatisfied with the semi-final design for the competition and instructed Zhang Yuxin to make more modern and daring alterations. Dong Lijun, who happened to witness this, expressed her disapproval, dismayed at Golden Thread Embroidery's increasingly commercial direction and the near-complete abandonment of traditional qipao designs.
