Broker Episode 9 Recap
> Broker Recap
While Qiu Jianing guided Zhou Xiaoshan through an experiment in the lab, she reminded him to be careful of bubbles when using the pipette and to ensure the correct dilution. Zhou Xiaoshan, noticing her attire, complimented the color of her outfit, adding that it matched the color of the culture medium. Qiu Jianing, momentarily flustered, asked him to continue. Meanwhile, Qin Bin, who was not on duty, appeared at Aoyoung Hospital to see Qiu Jiaxin.
He awkwardly asked her for directions to Qiu Jianing's company. Qiu Jiaxin, busy with patient-related matters, pointed him toward the science park next door to the hospital. Observing Qin Bin's hasty departure, Qiu Jiaxin commented that he had been particularly strange lately, forgetting to eat or sleep due to a manuscript. She suspected he was using his paper on telomerase and cancer, which aligned with her sister's research, as an excuse to get closer to Qiu Jianing.
She mused that pursuing her extraordinary sister would be quite a challenge for him. Qin Bin quickly arrived at Qiu Jianing's lab. He explained that he was writing an article on telomerase and cancer and had heard from Qiu Jiaxin that Qiu Jianing was an authority in the field, so he sought her advice. Qiu Jianing offered to discuss any questions he had and asked him to leave his article for her to review.
Their interaction quickly sparked gossip among colleagues in the lab, who speculated that Qiu Jianing's attractive, limited-edition designer outfit meant she was meeting a boyfriend. The colleagues also gossiped about Qiu Jianing's assertive leadership style since her arrival, noting her unconventional approach, such as forcing Zheng Wei to resign, prompting Professor Su to move to another company, and boldly disputing with Professor Sun.
Zhou Xiaoshan, hearing the gossip, remained silent and eventually left, stating he was full, after another colleague, Zhu Zhu, suggested that Qiu Jianing was treating her current position as a stepping stone to marry into wealth. Zhu Zhu added that Qiu Jianing, who used to dress plainly, had started wearing expensive brands after getting to know the doctor. Qin Bin then invited Qiu Jianing to lunch.
They went to a small Hunan restaurant run by Old Wu, a longtime friend of Qin Bin. Old Wu enthusiastically praised Qin Bin, mistakenly believing Qiu Jianing was his girlfriend, which Qin Bin quickly clarified. When it came time to pay, they debated over who should treat. Qiu Jianing pulled out her phone to show a map, demonstrating that the restaurant was closer to her science park than to Qin Bin's hospital, therefore insisting it should be her treat.
Qin Bin conceded with a laugh. Qiu Jianing admitted that she found the food a bit salty and just "okay." Qin Bin then explained that Old Wu's cooking had improved significantly, sharing a story about Old Wu's mother, who was Qin Bin's patient. She had kidney failure at 70, and Old Wu sold everything to fund her treatment, even though she passed away a year later. Many people had called his efforts "a monkey fishing for the moon."
Understanding the deeper meaning, Qiu Jianing expressed that she would visit the restaurant often in the future. Later that afternoon, Qiu Jianing received a phone call from Qiu Jiaxin, who demanded they meet at a shopping center at 6 PM sharp, threatening to call their father if Qiu Jianing didn't comply. Although Qiu Jianing tried to reschedule, Qiu Jiaxin insisted, forcing Qiu Jianing to agree.
In the lab, Zhou Xiaoshan, concerned about the ongoing experiment, asked Qiu Jianing if she was leaving. Qiu Jianing told him she would be back in two hours. A colleague, Xiao Xiao, chided Zhou Xiaoshan for his lack of awareness, saying Qiu Jianing was clearly hurrying off for a date and was just using work as an excuse to dismiss him.
At the mall, Qiu Jiaxin made Qiu Jianing buy numerous clothes, teasing her for being tired after only a short shopping trip, despite being able to pull all-nighters for experiments. Qiu Jianing, laden with bags, eventually managed to leave. Unknown to them, Mo Li followed Qiu Jiaxin, tracking her to her family home where she joined her parents for dinner.
During the meal, Qiu's father offered to buy Qiu Jiaxin a car for commuting, but she politely refused, explaining that parking was difficult at the hospital and having a chauffeur would seem pretentious for an intern. The parents then inquired about Qiu Jianing, expressing their desire to fly out and visit her. Qiu Jiaxin quickly intervened, fabricating excuses about Qiu Jianing's busy research schedule. Struggling with her many shopping bags, Qiu Jianing soon realized she was lost.
She called Qiu Jiaxin for help, who pretended it was a call from a patient to maintain privacy from her parents. Qiu Jianing explained she couldn't get a taxi and was lost after taking the subway, admitting she didn't realize Line Two had been extended. Qiu Jiaxin, unable to pick her up, instructed her to use a taxi app, to which Qiu Jianing cluelessly asked what a "taxi app" was.
Back at the dinner table, Qiu Jiaxin continued to feign difficulty in booking flights for her parents, claiming all tickets were sold out, a lie her parents didn't suspect. Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaoshan called Qiu Jianing, asking when she would return, as she was well past her two-hour estimate. Qiu Jianing confessed she had gotten lost. Zhou Xiaoshan soon arrived to pick her up, happy to learn she had been with Qiu Jiaxin.
He playfully teased her about her poor sense of direction, noting that "God gave her talent in science but took away her living talent," and offered to accompany her whenever she needed to leave the science park in the future, even carrying her bags. Later, Qiu Jianing started coughing persistently, prompting a worried Zhou Xiaoshan to take her to the hospital.
The doctor ordered blood tests, but Qiu Jianing was visibly reluctant, trying to escape from the phlebotomy area after seeing other patients getting injections. Zhou Xiaoshan gently pulled her back, and she hesitantly extended her arm, turning her head away as the blood was drawn. Zhou Xiaoshan couldn't help but chuckle at her obvious fear of needles.
The doctor diagnosed her with pneumonia and prescribed an IV drip, which again made Qiu Jianing anxious, arguing that she could just take oral medication. Zhou Xiaoshan insisted, explaining that an IV was necessary to prevent further infections. As the nurse administered the IV, Qiu Jianing tensed up. Zhou Xiaoshan, finding her fear endearing, further teased her about being scared of needles, reassuring her that she was "the strongest and bravest person in the world."
The next morning, Qiu Jiaxin called Qiu Jianing, urging her to return home soon before their parents discovered her prolonged absence. Hearing that Qiu Jianing was in the hospital, Qiu Jiaxin immediately rushed to her ward. Qin Bin, also learning of Qiu Jianing's condition, hurried to the hospital to check on her, expressing concern about her pneumonia and having inhaled xylene previously.
Seeing Qin Bin with Qiu Jianing, Qiu Jiaxin shrewdly pulled Zhou Xiaoshan away, suggesting they go buy breakfast to give Qin Bin and Qiu Jianing some alone time. While getting breakfast, Qiu Jiaxin candidly described her sister as messy and lacking femininity, noting she even had to borrow Qiu Jiaxin's pink outfit because she forgot to wash her own.
She also revealed that Qiu Jianing, despite her intelligence and good looks, had never dated and considered love a "waste product" that couldn't withstand the test of time. Qiu Jiaxin then added Zhou Xiaoshan on WeChat, enlisting his help to "strike while the iron is hot" and promote Qin Bin's pursuit of Qiu Jianing, a request that left Zhou Xiaoshan speechless.
Concurrently, during one of Mo Li's fitness classes, a student, Mr. Li, attempted to leave early, explaining that his boss, President Wang, needed him to finish editing a proposal by tomorrow noon. Mo Li stopped him, presenting him with two choices: either refuse his boss or defeat her in a physical challenge. Mr. Li, realizing that rushing the proposal would lead to poor quality, decided to call President Wang.
He feigned illness, explaining he had a fever, and requested two more days to complete the proposal. To his surprise, President Wang agreed. Overjoyed and feeling empowered, Mr. Li decided to purchase an annual gym membership for ¥36,888 and specifically requested Mo Li to be his designated private trainer, stating that the arrangement would allow him to see her more often.
