Broker Episode 12 Recap
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Qiu Jianing received an urgent call, prompting her to ask Qin Bin to pull over as something had come up at the lab. Both Qin Bin and Qiu Jiaxin expressed their disappointment. Qiu Jianing quickly returned to the lab, where Zhou Xiaoshan informed her of an unexpected issue with their cell proliferation experiment.
He revealed that cells had stopped growing two days prior, and he had deliberately kept it from her to avoid worrying her, but had since discovered that someone had tampered with the culture dishes. Zhou Xiaoshan had made marks on the mediums, which were later gone, indicating interference. They decided to catch the culprit that night. Late in the evening, as the person entered the lab to sabotage the experiment, Zhou Xiaoshan and Qiu Jianing appeared, catching Xie Xiaoxiao red-handed.
Xie Xiaoxiao had used Dimethyl Sulfide, a colorless, odorless substance that doesn't kill cells but prevents their normal growth, making the cause difficult to detect. Qiu Jianing was furious, warning Xie Xiaoxiao that this discovery could ruin her future. Xie Xiaoxiao defiantly retorted that the board would give her father face, at most forcing her to resign, but Qiu Jianing wouldn't be able to stay in the company. Zhou Xiaoshan dismissed her casual attitude and called Sun Lei.
Xie Xiaoxiao, while confessing her affection for Sun Lei, insisted he had no involvement in her actions. Upon Sun Lei's arrival, Zhou Xiaoshan discreetly led Xie Xiaoxiao out of the room. Qiu Jianing then confronted Sun Lei, stating that Xie Xiaoxiao's actions were undoubtedly for him, and a man should take responsibility rather than let the woman who loves him bear everything. Sun Lei admitted he had indeed considered such actions due to feelings of unfairness.
He explained that many "talent imports" like Qiu Jianing had used the lab as a stepping stone, but Qiu Jianing was different, producing real results that negated years of his own hard work. He confessed to initially thinking of sabotaging Zhou Xiaoshan's experiment to ensure Qiu Jianing's dismissal, thereby securing his position as lead researcher. However, he ultimately gave up on the plan, stating he wanted to maintain his dignity and self-respect.
Qiu Jianing believed him, but insisted that Xie Xiaoxiao's misconduct could not be easily overlooked. She asked for his opinion on how to handle Xie Xiaoxiao. Sun Lei pleaded with Qiu Jianing to give Xie Xiaoxiao a second chance, to which Qiu Jianing agreed, but with a condition of her own. Xie Xiaoxiao apologized to Sun Lei but remained insolent towards Qiu Jianing until Sun Lei sharply rebuked her.
It was decided that Xie Xiaoxiao would apply to transfer to the administration department, ceasing all involvement in lab work. Zhou Xiaoshan expressed surprise at Qiu Jianing's leniency, reminding her of her past strictness. Qiu Jianing reflected that perhaps she had been too rational in the past, causing people like Su Xiewei to leave, and she now wanted to give those who made mistakes another chance.
When Zhou Xiaoshan jokingly asked if she would give him a second chance if he erred, she nodded. Qiu Jianing revealed that her condition for Sun Lei was to ask Professor Wang and the company for more time for her research. Zhou Xiaoshan, noting that Sun Lei had protected Xie Xiaoxiao and Qiu Jianing had gained time, playfully demanded a favor from Qiu Jianing for helping catch the culprit, preferring she "owe him one" to make things more interesting.
Later, Li Chunran recounted a disastrous blind date experience, jokingly adding that she had wasted shampoo and body wash cleaning herself thoroughly for the date. Zhu Zhu gossiped that Xie Xiaoxiao was transferring to administration, suggesting Qiu Jianing was behind it. Xie Xiaoxiao simply packed her belongings and left without explanation. Meanwhile, the three experiment results were finally consistent, delighting Professor Wang, who announced he would report to the head office.
He tasked Qiu Jianing with leading the mouse experiments, focusing on medical effects, pharmacology, toxicity, and metabolism. Sun Lei was assigned to manage the primate experiments, emphasizing drug safety and regulatory compliance for large mammalian animal experiments. Both acknowledged the challenging road ahead. Qiu Jianing thanked Sun Lei for his contributions to the experiment. Sun Lei, however, maintained that her experimental plan still had flaws. Qiu Jianing responded with a smile, stating that great achievements often stem from great skeptics.
Zhu Zhu continued to frequently visit Zhou Xiaoshan, who largely ignored her. Noticing this, Qiu Jianing playfully congratulated Zhou Xiaoshan, assuming he and Zhu Zhu were secretly dating. Zhou Xiaoshan vehemently denied any romantic interest in Zhu Zhu, causing Qiu Jianing to ask who he "did" like. He almost confessed but stopped himself. Qiu Jianing then began to speculate about other female colleagues in the lab, eventually concluding he must like Li Chunran, much to Zhou Xiaoshan's frustration.
Qin Bin, regretting not having confessed his feelings to Qiu Jianing earlier, resolved to do so that very night. Qiu Jiaxin informed him that it would be difficult as Qiu Jianing's lab was having a team-building party. Undeterred, Qin Bin went to the lab and was invited by the team to join their gathering. As everyone boarded the elevator, it became overloaded.
To prevent Qin Bin and Qiu Jianing from spending time alone, Zhou Xiaoshan stepped out, claiming he needed some exercise. Downstairs, Zhou Xiaoshan suggested he and Qiu Jianing ride with Zhang Yu. Qin Bin interjected, insisting he had work-related questions to discuss with Qiu Jianing, to which Zhou Xiaoshan quickly added that he also had questions for her. He then insisted on sitting in the front, claiming he got carsick in the back.
Consequently, the three were arranged to ride together. In the car, when Qiu Jianing asked about their supposed questions, neither Qin Bin nor Zhou Xiaoshan elaborated, with Qin Bin claiming it wasn't convenient to talk while driving and Zhou Xiaoshan simply saying he was sleepy. Upon arriving at the party venue, Zhu Zhu pulled Zhou Xiaoshan away to get snacks.
Qin Bin, observing this, asked Qiu Jianing if they were a couple, to which she sighed and replied, "It's a bit complicated." Later, as Qin Bin engaged in conversation with Qiu Jianing and Professor Wang, Zhou Xiaoshan sat by himself, drinking. Zhu Zhu then approached Zhou Xiaoshan, clinging to his arm and asking him to shield her from drinks.
Qiu Jianing, seeing their intimacy, pulled Zhou Xiaoshan aside and questioned why he was being so close with Zhu Zhu if he didn't like her. Before Zhou Xiaoshan could answer, Qin Bin approached, creating an awkward tension among the three. Back inside the private room, Qiu Jianing was encouraged to play dice. She lost and was pressured to drink.
Zhou Xiaoshan offered to drink on her behalf if she begged him, but Qin Bin immediately stepped in, stating Qiu Jianing was recovering from an illness, and drank for her without hesitation. Qin Bin then found another excuse to pull Qiu Jianing aside. Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaoshan asked Zhu Zhu to pick a song and began to sing. As the party wound down, Zhou Xiaoshan and Qin Bin began to dispute who would take Qiu Jianing home.
Qiu Jianing quickly opted to ride with Professor Wang. In the car, Professor Wang subtly noted Qin Bin's interest in Qiu Jianing and gently suggested she was at an age where she should consider dating. Later, Qin Bin directly questioned Zhou Xiaoshan about his conversation with Qiu Jianing in the corridor. Zhou Xiaoshan evasively replied it was "work-related."
Qin Bin then revealed that Qiu Jianing had mentioned Zhou Xiaoshan liked a female colleague in the lab, but he believed she had guessed incorrectly, implying he knew the true object of Zhou Xiaoshan's affection.
He hinted that he would advise Zhou Xiaoshan to give up if he liked the "wrong person," to which Zhou Xiaoshan confidently asserted his calm demeanor and reminded Qin Bin of Qiu Jianing's responsiveness to him, adding that he had called her to the lab that day because he knew she would listen to him.
Back at the dorm, Zhou Xiaoshan asked Qiu Jianing if she still hadn't figured out who he liked, urging her to use a process of elimination given the small number of people in the lab. Qiu Jianing sat on the sofa, pondering his words and recalling their previous interactions. The realization slowly dawned on her that Zhou Xiaoshan's affection was directed at her. She instinctively tried to dismiss the thought.
Qiu Jiaxin, noticing her sister's preoccupied state, pressed her for details. The following day, Qiu Jianing purposefully avoided Zhou Xiaoshan, asking Tong Mo to deliver documents to him. Unfazed, Zhou Xiaoshan immediately appeared in her office with questions, moving uncomfortably close to her. Qiu Jianing tried to maintain a professional distance. Zhou Xiaoshan then picked up her cup and took a sip of water.
Qiu Jianing clarified, "This is my cup," implying he had just drunk from it, to which Zhou Xiaoshan calmly replied, "I don't mind it." Recognizing the need for a frank discussion, Qiu Jianing decided to talk. She told Zhou Xiaoshan that his feelings were starting to trouble her because she didn't know how to respond.
She believed they were incompatible due to fundamentally different worldviews, citing his past belief in "survival of the fittest" versus her belief in "love and peace." Zhou Xiaoshan countered that he had changed, now believing in "love and peace" as well.
He explained that in the past, he thought her views on "love and peace" were "very stupid," but her persistence, passion for work, efforts to change Sun Lei, and unwavering belief in him when everyone else doubted, had slowly, bit by bit, transformed his perspectives. Qiu Jianing tried to dismiss his claim, saying she would have done the same for anyone else. Zhou Xiaoshan emphasized that her actions were the first time a woman had ever done something like that for him.
