Broker Episode 17 Recap
> Broker Recap
Qiu Jiaxin arranged a meeting for Zhou Xiaoshan and Qiu Jianing at a theme hotel. Upon their awkward arrival, Qiu Jianing reflected on her sister's unconventional idea, feeling worried about Zhou Xiaoshan's perception. She composed herself, reminding herself that she was there to apologize and had done nothing wrong. Inside, she told Zhou Xiaoshan that she didn't know what Qiu Jiaxin had told him, but she wanted to apologize. She slowly emerged from the bathroom to find Zhou Xiaoshan asleep.
The next morning, Qiu Jianing awoke with relief, noting she was still fully dressed, only to be startled by Zhou Xiaoshan's presence. Zhou Xiaoshan revealed that he wasn't truly angry but wanted her to experience the feeling of being misunderstood, just as he was when she suspected him of being a corporate spy. Qiu Jianing playfully hit him, expressing her distress.
After they settled, she asked if they were okay, to which Zhou Xiaoshan dramatically replied that he would forgive her as an "act of kindness," claiming no one else would want her if he didn't. Later, at home, Zhou Xiaoshan suggested playing a new game, and they agreed that the loser would have their face painted. Qiu Jianing won, despite Zhou Xiaoshan's claims of a faulty controller and that he had gone easy on her to make her happy.
She playfully chased him, determined to draw a Crayon Shin-Chan on his face. The following morning, on her way to work, Qiu Jianing encountered Li Chunran, who gossiped about hearing a woman's "sexy and charming" laughter coming from Zhou Xiaoshan's apartment the previous night. Qiu Jianing's face reddened, prompting her to claim she was hot. Li Chunran speculated that Zhou Xiaoshan, who appeared cold on the outside but was warm-hearted, probably liked "curvy women."
When Zhou Xiaoshan arrived, he jokingly asked Qiu Jianing for her opinion on his ideal girlfriend, causing her to repeat Li Chunran's "curvy woman" theory, which he found amusing. Meanwhile, Qiu Jiaxin met with Mo Li, having processed their previous difficult conversation. Qiu Jiaxin apologized for her earlier suspicions, acknowledging that one cannot choose their birth and that Mo Li had always been kind to her. She expressed her desire to maintain their friendship.
Mo Li affirmed that their friendship was intact. Qiu Jiaxin then reassured Mo Li not to worry about Qiu Jianing taking Zhou Xiaoshan away, explaining that her sister wasn't "the petty type." She suggested that Mo Li would gain "one more sister and a good friend," referring to herself as a supportive friend who could listen to Mo Li's problems, even about Qiu Jianing.
As they left, a heavy rain began, and Qiu Jiaxin noticed Mo Li was afraid of thunder. Despite Mo Li's denial, Qiu Jiaxin pointed out her fear, and then put earphones on Mo Li, sharing that listening to music helped her overcome her own childhood fear of thunder. She encouraged Mo Li to imagine pleasant scenes. Mo Li seemed momentarily reflective.
Later, back home, Mo Li asked Qiu Jiaxin for the name of the song, "Moonlight," and listened to it for a long time. Overwhelmed by her conflicting emotions and remembering her mission, Mo Li struggled and ultimately threw away her phone. At the lab, Professor Wang Qitian informed Qiu Jianing that the slow-release factor formula had proven effective on all cancer mice and urged her to apply for a patent.
Qiu Jianing, however, expressed concern about an "unusual fluctuation" in some previous cancer mice data, suggesting it could be "experiment contamination," and proposed changing the project's password for security. Wang Qitian agreed. Later, Li Chunran intended to go on a blind date, but Zhang Yu adamantly tried to stop her, even threatening to delete their team's report if she left, stating his dislike for "some people trying to get married so quickly."
Qiu Jianing pulled Li Chunran aside, subtly suggesting she consider people closer to her, like Zhang Yu. Li Chunran rejected the idea, believing Zhang Yu looked down on her because she was from a small town, approaching thirty, and not particularly attractive. She declared that they "hate each other to the bone." Convinced there was a spark between them, Qiu Jianing decided to play matchmaker with Zhou Xiaoshan.
Li Chunran then left for her date, optimistically proclaiming, "Good looks are everything. I'll definitely get you this time." Qiu Jianing informed the rest of the lab that Li Chunran would be livestreaming her blind date via a video call, which prompted Zhang Yu to stay, feigning a need to research materials. The livestream revealed that Li Chunran's date, Mr. He Wenxian, was not at all like his "Daniel Wu" profile picture.
He was bald, wore glasses, and immediately launched into a critique of her, boasting about his apartment, car, and permanent residency. He then told her that after marriage, she would have to quit her job and "prepare for pregnancy" at home to have a son, citing concerns about "radioactive stuff" in her lab. Disgusted, Li Chunran told him they were incompatible. When he proudly reiterated his assets, she retorted, "It's me who doesn't like you. I don't like you!"
and splashed a glass of water on him. After the disastrous date, Li Chunran's mother called, expressing satisfaction with Mr. He and her hopes that he could help their family settle in Jiangcheng, especially given Li Chunran's father's poor health. Li Chunran remained silent, not contradicting her mother's hopes. Back at the lab, Zhang Yu continued to tease her, implying that "no one will marry you."
Li Chunran, at her breaking point, angrily lashed out, explaining that being thirty and unmarried in her hometown was worse than being divorced, and demanding to know why, among "so many girls in the lab," he always targeted her. Qiu Jianing intervened, sending Li Chunran home. Zhou Xiaoshan then confronted Zhang Yu, advising him to be more direct if he liked someone and to "seize the day."
Zhang Yu, however, adamantly denied any feelings for Li Chunran, insisting he just enjoyed fighting with her. Separately, Qin Bin advocated for Aoyoung Hospital to collaborate with Plan-O for clinical trials, calling it a "good project" that was "worth to collaborate." Director Chen, however, favored Norton, citing their proven success and a research fund three times larger than Plan-O's.
Qin Bin argued that while Norton offered an alternative, Plan-O, despite its experimental nature, represented an "epic innovation" by targeting cancer cells at their source, and showed promising results in animal trials. He further emphasized that Norton's drugs were prohibitively expensive for most Chinese families, costing over 2,000,000 CNY per patient, whereas Plan-O aimed to be an affordable, "commonly used anticancer drug" that would "save lives regardless of their wealth."
Director Chen expressed personal agreement but voiced concerns about the department's acceptance due to the financial disparity. Qin Bin offered to convince his colleagues and prepare a new report. Later, Zhao Yan told Qiu Jiaxin that Qin Bin's decision was a "crazy" move that had infuriated the department and jeopardized his chances of becoming vice president, a position that would soon be vacant. Qiu Jiaxin immediately went to talk to Qin Bin.
She assumed his decision was motivated by his lingering feelings for her sister. Qin Bin admitted, "Yes, I admit it. I still like your sister," but firmly stated he wouldn't compromise his work for personal relationships. He then explained that, as a fourth-generation doctor, he had recently realized that his purpose wasn't about money or reputation, but to bring "hope to my patients" and contribute "to the improvement of mankind" by pursuing innovative solutions like Plan-O.
Qiu Jiaxin, initially moved, jokingly called him "quite shameless" for making his "selfish purpose sound so selfless." Later, Mo Li confessed to Zhou Xiaoshan that she felt she was "treating Qiu Jiaxin as a real friend." Zhou Xiaoshan responded that "the moment you decided to step forward and approach her, this ending was meant to be."
When Mo Li expressed her confusion, he advised her that she didn't need to understand, but simply to "relish the outcome," and "relish the feeling of being a regular person, and to have regular emotions."
