Broker Episode 22 Recap
> Broker Recap
Qin Bin confronted Zhou Xiaoshan, grabbing him and demanding an apology to Qiu Jianing. Qiu Jianing immediately intervened, telling Qin Bin to let go of Zhou Xiaoshan and urging Zhou Xiaoshan to leave. Qin Bin then pressed Zhou Xiaoshan, asking if he was serious about breaking up with Qiu Jianing. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Qin Bin took Qiu Jianing's hand, while Zhou Xiaoshan responded dismissively, telling Qin Bin he could do whatever he wanted.
Afterwards, Qiu Jianing apologized to Zhou Xiaoshan, admitting that Qiu Jiaxin must have informed Qin Bin about their breakup and that the entire situation had arisen because of her. Meanwhile, Qiu Jiaxin tried to find Mo Li at the boxing gym. She called ahead and was told Mo Li was there, but upon arrival, staff informed her Mo Li had just left. Frustrated that Mo Li wasn't answering her phone, Qiu Jiaxin realized Mo Li was deliberately avoiding her.
As Qiu Jianing was leaving work, Qin Bin appeared and insisted on taking her somewhere, to the visible surprise of Li Chunran. At a bar, Qin Bin offered alcohol as his "medicine" for her unhappiness and pressed her to explain what happened with Zhou Xiaoshan. Qiu Jianing initially resisted, but Qin Bin insisted. She then agreed to tell him, but only if he promised not to confront Zhou Xiaoshan. After some hesitation, Qin Bin gave his word.
Meanwhile, a distraught Mo Li sought out Zhou Xiaoshan. Though initially annoyed with her, he became concerned when he noticed she had a fever and let her inside. Mo Li confessed that she knew she had made a mistake, having unexpectedly grown close to Qiu Jiaxin, and now felt terrible, unsure how to face her. Zhou Xiaoshan reminded her that she should have anticipated this outcome since her first lie.
He advised her to tell Qiu Jiaxin everything, explaining that the emotional turmoil she was experiencing was a normal human emotion and, in a way, a form of happiness because it meant she was finally becoming a normal person. He stated that those who do wrong must accept punishment, reflecting that they had committed too many misdeeds to easily deserve happiness.
Zhou Xiaoshan then expressed a longing for a simpler life, wishing he could have remained in the tea garden with his mother forever, free from the pain of his current reality. After hearing Qiu Jianing's story, Qin Bin concluded that Zhou Xiaoshan was an "international phoenix male," having pursued her only because she reminded him of an ex-girlfriend. Qiu Jianing, visibly heartbroken, accepted this harsh assessment.
Qin Bin, teasingly suggesting he could help her get over the breakup, offered her more alcohol to numb the pain, explaining that by reaching total despair, her heart would eventually begin to heal. Suddenly, Qin Bin received an urgent call from the hospital about a patient needing surgery and had to leave. He asked a bar staff member, Xiao Feng, to look after Qiu Jianing and ensure she didn't drink excessively.
Later, the bar staff called Zhou Xiaoshan, informing him that Qiu Jianing was very drunk and asking him to pick her up. Zhou Xiaoshan immediately agreed to go. Mo Li confronted Zhou Xiaoshan about picking up Qiu Jianing, reminding him of their breakup. Zhou Xiaoshan responded cryptically, "The breakup is between two people, not the relationship."
At the bar, a very drunk Qiu Jianing recognized Zhou Xiaoshan and, despite his apologies, declared she had grown up and wouldn't be dramatic like before. Yet, she tearfully questioned if he truly never loved her, asking why he was with her if he felt nothing. Zhou Xiaoshan then took Qiu Jianing home. In his thoughts, he admitted that Qiu Jianing was nothing like Xiang Lan and that he had only ever loved Qiu Jianing.
At her dorm, Qiu Jiaxin helped her sister inside and then confronted Zhou Xiaoshan, asking if he was truly breaking up with Qiu Jianing and if he had ever loved her. Zhou Xiaoshan avoided directly answering but instructed Qiu Jiaxin to prepare honey water for Qiu Jianing in the morning for her hangover.
The next morning, Qiu Jiaxin told a groggy Qiu Jianing about the honey water from Zhou Xiaoshan and pressed her sister about still loving him, noting Zhou Xiaoshan's concerned demeanor the previous night. Qiu Jiaxin believed they still had feelings for each other and that breaking up was a waste. Qiu Jianing replied that their relationship was more complicated than simple love or lack thereof.
During a company distribution of welfare items, colleagues playfully suggested Zhou Xiaoshan should collect Qiu Jianing's portion. However, both of them conspicuously ignored the suggestion and each other. When Xiaoxiao asked if they had fought, Qiu Jianing calmly stated that they had broken up. Later, at lunch, the topic of their breakup became office gossip. Zhu Zhu expressed her dislike for both Zhou Xiaoshan and Qiu Jianing, suggesting Qiu Jianing was manipulative and Zhou Xiaoshan's actions were calculated.
Her opinion was strongly rebutted by Xiaoxiao and Momo. Observing the situation, Li Chunran urged Zhang Yu to talk to Zhou Xiaoshan and try to understand the reasons behind the breakup, emphasizing that Zhou Xiaoshan and Qiu Jianing's past help was crucial to their own relationship. Qin Bin discussed the breakup with Qiu Jiaxin, revealing that Zhou Xiaoshan had been adamant about his lack of feelings for Qiu Jianing, despite Qiu Jiaxin's observation of his concern.
Qin Bin felt there was a deeper, complicated issue with Zhou Xiaoshan. Qiu Jiaxin added that Mo Li had been avoiding her since the breakup, which she also found suspicious. To meet Mo Li, Qiu Jiaxin deceptively told gym staff that Mo Li's brother was looking for her. When they finally met awkwardly in a convenience store, Mo Li initially denied avoiding her but then confessed that the person she liked was Zhou Xiaoshan.
Qiu Jiaxin realized with anger that Mo Li's initial calls to Qiu Jianing and their subsequent friendship were merely a pretense to monitor Zhou Xiaoshan's relationship. Overwhelmed by betrayal, Qiu Jiaxin angrily told Mo Li she was sinister and broke off their friendship. Qiu Jiaxin returned home, furious, and informed Qiu Jianing about Mo Li's deception and her feelings for Zhou Xiaoshan. To Qiu Jiaxin's surprise, Qiu Jianing reacted with calm understanding.
Qiu Jiaxin, still feeling the sting of betrayal, questioned Qiu Jianing's serene response, asking if she didn't hate Zhou Xiaoshan. Qiu Jianing, however, counseled her sister to forgive herself rather than seek revenge, viewing the experience as a life lesson. She emphasized that when one loves someone, they must respect their decisions and simply wish them well. Qiu Jianing stated that her relationship with Zhou Xiaoshan was in the past and whether she loved him or not no longer mattered.
She then asked Qiu Jiaxin to prescribe some sleeping pills, admitting she hadn't been sleeping well and wanted to prevent further deterioration, inquiring if there were any without side effects. Qiu Jiaxin explained that most effective sleeping pills have side effects, and only placebos don't. That night, Qiu Jiaxin tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to her anger and confusion. Meanwhile, Qiu Jianing quietly watched the lights on in Zhou Xiaoshan's apartment across the way.
Uncle Zha pressured Zhou Xiaoshan to advance their plan, reminding him that there wasn't much time left as the patent was already uploaded to the server, and hacking was the simplest method. Zhou Xiaoshan expressed reservations, fearing that acting immediately after his breakup with Qiu Jianing could expose him and Mo Li, making their retreat difficult. He also admitted to lacking full confidence in decoding the password, fearing forceful hacking would lead to easy exposure.
Uncle Zha dismissed his concerns, reassuring him of his trust and past successes, and urging him to proceed. Taking advantage of visitors from company headquarters, Zhou Xiaoshan managed to infiltrate the server. However, the system detected the foreign IP address and shut down, alerting Professor Wang and Qiu Jianing, who quickly rushed to investigate.
Professor Wang addressed the staff, confirming a foreign IP attempted to hack their server to steal the formula, leading to a three-day suspension of internet service in the labs for upgrades and increased security measures, including keeping the WiFi password secret from external visitors. Meanwhile, Zhao Yan encouraged Qin Bin to seize this moment of Qiu Jianing's vulnerability to pursue her.
Although Qin Bin initially claimed he wouldn't be so shameless, he later eagerly went to find Qiu Jianing after work, driving her somewhere, following a call from Zhao Yan hinting at a significant matter.
