Better Halves Episode 7 Recap
> Better Halves Recap
Following up on the previous episode, Shi Fa'ke's two older brothers and their father attempted to send Lu Chi home, but Lu Chi feigned a severe headache and immediately returned to bed. Shi Fa'ke, concerned for Lu Chi, insisted that no one was to take him away, explaining he was injured while saving her and she intended to care for him until his recovery. She spent the entire night at his bedside.
The following morning, as Shi Fa'ke dozed off, Lu Chi awoke and embraced her, calling her "Wifey." Her father and brothers, who had also been keeping watch, immediately pulled her away upon seeing this. Lu Chi, feigning memory loss, insisted that Shi Fa'ke was his "Wifey" and even addressed her father as his "future father-in-law." Despite her father's outrage, Lu Chi maintained his pretense, declaring that Shi Fa'ke had come of age and he intended to marry her.
Believing Lu Chi to be genuinely suffering from amnesia, Shi Fa'ke explained to her family that the doctor had mentioned potential brain damage and memory loss. She swiftly led Lu Chi away, leaving her father and brothers to watch them depart, with her father urging calm for the sake of Shi Fa'ke's career.
Meanwhile, Marquis Wu'an was informed by his subordinate that Marriage Broker Deng had presented eligible bachelors' Information Cards to the Shen family for Shen Tongyun, but her father, Shen Chang, insisted his daughter must approve. His subordinate further revealed that Shen Tongyun, known for her love of handsome men, had become infatuated with Lu Chi, who was actually the Chief of Xibao Pavilion.
The subordinate added that Lu Chi had been poisoned recently and was currently recovering at Shi Fa'ke's residence, suggesting he would no longer interfere with their plans. Delighted by this turn of events, Marquis Wu'an decided to disregard Lu Chi and, leveraging Shen Tongyun's preference for attractive men, proposed introducing his nephew, Li Ang, a gallant general from the Military Headquarters, to her.
As Lu Chi remained inseparable from Shi Fa'ke, she had no choice but to bring him along to the Official Matchmaking Agency. There, Chief Matchmaker Deng immediately confronted Shi Fa'ke, criticizing her for bringing "idle people" inside. Shi Fa'ke clarified that Lu Chi was her client, explaining that Miss Shen Tongyun had personally chosen him as her intended husband.
Deng scoffed at this, claiming Shen Tongyun had already complained about Shi Fa'ke's incompetence and had now entrusted her with the matchmaking case. When Deng grabbed Shi Fa'ke's arm, Lu Chi intervened, warning that he would make anyone who bullied his "Wifey" pay. Shi Fa'ke, still playing along with Lu Chi's feigned amnesia, tried to explain his condition to Deng and another matchmaker, Zhao.
Zhao mused that given Lu Chi's handsome looks and protective nature, marrying him wouldn't be a bad arrangement for Shi Fa'ke. Reasserting her authority, Deng ordered Shi Fa'ke to organize documents for a suitor she had found for Shen Tongyun. Undeterred, Shi Fa'ke insisted she would only believe it from Shen Tongyun herself and proposed a competition for the case.
Lu Chi led Shi Fa'ke to a small painting shop, expressing his preference for its unique "character" over the more renowned Xibao Pavilion. There, they unexpectedly encountered Shen Tongyun, who was dismayed to see them together and accused Shi Fa'ke of trying to "steal" Lu Chi while he was in a confused state. Shi Fa'ke clarified her intentions and learned that Shen Tongyun had not yet committed to any suitor Deng proposed.
Shen Tongyun then offered to have her own marriage case handled by Shi Fa'ke if she would allow her to take Lu Chi home and care for him. Shi Fa'ke hesitated, but Lu Chi directly refused Shen Tongyun, stating he did not have feelings for her. Frustrated, Shen Tongyun declared she would seek another suitor through Deng. Shi Fa'ke, surprisingly pleased by Lu Chi's rejection, immediately worried about Deng successfully arranging Shen Tongyun's marriage.
That evening, Shi Fa'ke's two brothers conspired to drug Lu Chi to separate him from their sister. Her second brother, Shi Chongshan, brought Lu Chi a supposed "brain-boosting tonic," but Lu Chi saw through the ploy and tricked Chongshan into drinking the knockout drug himself. When Shi Fa'ke's eldest brother arrived, he found Chongshan unconscious and realized Lu Chi had outsmarted them and was not suffering from amnesia.
Lu Chi warned him to take Chongshan away quietly, which he reluctantly did. Afterwards, Lu Chi asked Shi Fa'ke to stay with him, and they played a game with paper cranes until she fell asleep. He gently moved her to her bed and watched over her all night without crossing any boundaries. The following morning, Shi Fa'ke awoke to find him still by her bedside.
Lu Chi embraced her, calling her "Wifey" and leaving her flustered but with a subtle sense of excitement. Lu Chi and Shi Fa'ke returned to the painting shop and found Shen Tongyun with Scholar Wang. Observing their easy rapport, Lu Chi recognized a genuine connection. He deliberately began to disparage Shen Tongyun's reputation for chasing handsome men, provoking Scholar Wang to defend her honor.
Shi Fa'ke then revealed her identity as a matchmaker and encouraged the self-doubting Scholar Wang to pursue Shen Tongyun, pointing out their shared history and interests. Inspired, Scholar Wang asked Shi Fa'ke to propose on his behalf, offering a painting as a betrothal gift. As they approached Shen Tongyun's mansion, Shi Fa'ke insisted Lu Chi wait nearby to avoid complications.
At the mansion, Scholar Wang presented a painting that evoked a childhood memory, humbly likening himself to a "common carp" unworthy of her. Shi Fa'ke used the painting as an analogy, suggesting that Shen Tongyun was overlooking the "carp" she already had in her possession while chasing an illusion. Before Shen Tongyun could respond, her maid announced the arrival of Chief Matchmaker Deng and General Li Ang.
Shen Tongyun was instantly captivated by Li Ang's appearance, declaring him her "future husband." Li Ang arrogantly dismissed Scholar Wang's painting as "crude," causing Wang to feel inferior. Despite Shi Fa'ke's plea for Shen Tongyun to value a deeper connection over fading looks, Shen Tongyun asked them to leave. Meanwhile, Lu Chi was speaking with his subordinate Lu Yi when Shi Fa'ke's brothers passed by, loudly accusing Lu Chi of faking his amnesia.
Shi Fa'ke overheard this and confronted Lu Chi, who admitted his deception. He confessed that while he had been poisoned, the effect was not severe, and he remembered everything. He then promised to help Shi Fa'ke resolve the complex situation with Li Ang and Shen Tongyun's marriage if she would forgive him. Shi Fa'ke stated she would only consider forgiveness after the case was successfully resolved.
Back at the mansion, Deng proposed exchanging Information Cards the next day, but Shen Tongyun hesitated, stating she needed more time to get to know Li Ang. Outside, Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi saw Li Ang depart, confirming the marriage was not yet set. Lu Chi then overheard Deng telling Li Ang she would arrange their next meeting at the Carefree Restaurant, a place Shen Tongyun frequented, which was near Scholar Wang's shop.
Realizing this was another chance, Shi Fa'ke resolved to help Scholar Wang. At the Carefree Restaurant, Shi Fa'ke and Scholar Wang joined Deng, Li Ang, and Shen Tongyun. During their conversation, Li Ang was exposed as ignorant about art, while Scholar Wang displayed a profound understanding. When a waiter spilled tea on Li Ang, he reacted with annoyance, whereas Scholar Wang showed compassion.
Despite this, Shen Tongyun, swayed by appearances, declared herself "very pleased" with Li Ang and agreed to Deng's proposal to exchange betrothal documents the next day. As Deng gloated, a worried Shi Fa'ke reported the failure to Lu Chi. He reassured her, instructing her to bring Shen Tongyun back to "watch a show," promising he would personally intervene to ensure their success.
