City of Streamer Episode 18 Recap
> City of Streamer Recap
Yu Zhihui returned home with 5000 yuan in cash, which she gave to her brother to repay his debts, declaring, "From now on, we're even." Her brother and sister-in-law, knowing she had received more money from Rong Dingkun, shamelessly demanded the remaining amount, claiming she was too young to manage such a fortune. This led to a heated argument between the couple about who should control the money.
Heartbroken by their greed, Zhihui packed her belongings and, after slipping a letter under her mother’s door and bowing respectfully to the room, left the house that night. She recalled Rong Jiashang's previous warning that she must leave Shanghai to avoid Rong Dingkun's torment and remembered her confrontation with Yang Xiucheng, telling him she wouldn't marry anyone else. Meanwhile, Concubine Sun approached Feng Shizhen, inquiring if Feng Shixun had a girlfriend.
She offered unsolicited advice to Feng Shizhen about finding a reliable husband and bearing sons, stressing that ambition and love were mere youthful dreams for women. Concubine Sun warned Feng Shizhen to be wary of women who feign kindness before marriage. Mrs. Rong soon arrived, cutting off Concubine Sun and sending her away to tend to her crying son, Jiakang.
Mrs. Rong then cast a discerning eye over Feng Shizhen, mentally noting that Feng Shizhen was precisely Rong Dingkun’s preferred type. She wondered why Rong Dingkun seemed uninterested, speculating that he might be deliberately avoiding her to dispel suspicions that Feng Shizhen was his son’s woman. Mrs. Rong then questioned Feng Shizhen about the previous night’s dance, specifically her whereabouts with Yu Zhihui.
Feng Shizhen explained that Yu Zhihui was drunk, and she had left briefly to see her brother off, expressing regret for the incident. Mrs. Rong dismissed her apologies, stating it was Yu Zhihui's own choice. As Rong Jiashang appeared, Feng Shizhen quickly excused herself and returned to her room, the two passing each other in silence. The next morning, Feng Shizhen went to the study, where she found Rong Jiashang engrossed in writing.
She mentally noted that he was becoming increasingly like his father. Realizing that Rong Fanglin and Rong Fanghua were out for the day, she turned to leave, but Rong Jiashang called out, asking if they were still friends. He invited her to look at his calligraphy, which she found "strong and stylish." She silently mused that a man who could write so beautifully could not be the "spoiled brat" rumored.
When he offered her the brush, she gracefully penned a few characters. He praised her penmanship, discerning her "perseverance and talent," adding that if she were a man, she would make a difference. Feng Shizhen replied that she wouldn't dwell on "what ifs," asserting that common people should focus on living practically, as grand ambitions were meaningless without the ability to support oneself. Rong Jiashang then revealed that he would be stopping his studies to work at the business firm.
Feng Shizhen expressed disappointment but encouraged him to continue pursuing his ideals, especially given his privileged background. He confessed to not giving up his dream, mentioning the sextant she gave him was placed next to his plane model. He then asked if she had ever been in love. She acknowledged having loved someone but playfully refused to elaborate. She then turned the question back to him, asking about his relationship with Shiori Hashimoto.
Rong Jiashang dismissed it as a "mistake years back." He recounted that Shiori's mother was a "retired harlot" and Shiori, originally named Lin Shizhi, was forced to live with relatives in Chongqing after being expelled by her father's wife. Feng Shizhen asked if he stayed in Chongqing for her, mentioning the twins' story of them being childhood sweethearts.
Rong Jiashang clarified that he stayed to apply to the Whampoa Military Academy against his father's wishes, but eventually yielded to family pressure. He then likened the struggle for independence to a plane overcoming gravity and drag. Feng Shizhen expressed her hope to fly in his plane someday, to which he promised she would be his first passenger.
She teased him for calling her by her first name now that she wasn't his teacher, and he countered by pointing out her evasiveness about her own love life. At the business firm, Yang Xiucheng arrived, overhearing employees gossiping about him being cuckolded by Rong Dingkun and paid off. They wondered if he would dare challenge Rong Dingkun. Yang Xiucheng walked past them, feigning ignorance, and entered Rong Dingkun’s office.
Rong Dingkun observed Yang Xiucheng's pale face and offered to call a doctor, but Yang Xiucheng attributed it to a simple cold. Rong Dingkun, sensing Yang Xiucheng's resentment over the recent scandal, openly apologized for the "stupid mistake" and clarified that he never forced women, implying Yu Zhihui was not innocent. He reminded Yang Xiucheng of their familial bond, having treated him like a nephew and promoted him. Yang Xiucheng acknowledged his immense gratitude to Rong Dingkun.
Rong Dingkun proposed that Yang Xiucheng take an extended vacation to relax and consider his future. He offered the General Manager position, as Manager Guo was nearing retirement and Rong Jiashang was still young, or to help if Yang Xiucheng had other plans. Yang Xiucheng, agreeing to the vacation to avoid gossip, vowed never to be alienated by such "trifling matters." As Yang Xiucheng dejectedly left the office, he passed Rong Jiashang without a word.
Rong Dingkun praised Rong Jiashang for successfully completing the Tianjin deal that had long stalled, earning the respect of his business associates. Rong Jiashang then asked if Rong Dingkun was letting Yang Xiucheng go. Rong Dingkun asked for his son's opinion, and Rong Jiashang shrewdly remarked that his father's trust in Yang Xiucheng had likely evaporated. Rong Dingkun warned Rong Jiashang not to let women interfere with his business like Yang Xiucheng did.
He questioned Rong Jiashang about Shiori Hashimoto, who he didn’t know was his son's "girlfriend." Rong Jiashang clarified that she was merely a girl he met in Chongqing, the same one his father had once looked down on for being "too poor." Rong Dingkun was surprised to learn she was a Hashimoto, and Rong Jiashang sarcastically suggested that if his father had known, he would have forced a marriage contract.
Rong Dingkun defended his paternal interference, saying he saved Rong Jiashang from "wasting time on a stupid dream." Rong Jiashang argued that being a pilot was a respectable profession and his ambition, calling his father's views "conservative and stubborn." Rong Dingkun recounted his own dangerous past, carrying guns and fighting for their family business, emphasizing that he didn't want his son to endure such hardships.
He concluded by handing Yang Xiucheng's project files to Rong Jiashang, instructing him to take over. Rong Jiashang reviewed the files and discovered that the Rong Group had acquired the Wenchunli land at an unusually low price. Remembering that Feng Shizhen’s family pharmacy was located there, he immediately called Secretary Zhao to his office.
Secretary Zhao explained that Rong Dingkun had long coveted the Wenchunli land, but Yang Xiucheng's negotiations with numerous shop owners and residents had failed, earning him a severe reprimand from Rong Dingkun. Shortly after, Wenchunli was engulfed in a fire overnight, turning the area into ruins. Dasheng Company then acquired the land at a low price before selling it to the Rong family, also at a surprisingly low cost.
Secretary Zhao admitted he didn't know the specifics of Dasheng Company or why they didn’t profit more from the resale, stating Yang Xiucheng handled the details himself after the fire. Rong Jiashang found this illogical, suspecting that the fire was not an accident but a deliberate act of arson to manipulate land prices, possibly involving the Rong family. He instructed Secretary Zhao to gather all newspaper reports and documents related to the Wenchunli fire.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiucheng boarded a train to Hangzhou, where he was unexpectedly joined by Du Lanxin in his compartment. Du Lanxin taunted him for being cuckolded by Rong Dingkun and Yu Zhihui, calling him "incorrigible" for remaining Rong Dingkun's "slave" and suggesting he would eventually be discarded like a "drowned body" or "buried in the wild," with no one to mourn him.
She criticized his indecisiveness, arguing that if he truly wanted power, he should have abandoned Yu Zhihui and pursued Rong Fanglin instead. When Yang Xiucheng tried to leave, unwilling to listen to her insults, Du Lanxin grabbed him, calling him the "dumbest and cheapest clown" for his lack of self-awareness. In a sudden, frenzied act, Yang Xiucheng kissed her. Rong Jiashang, after reviewing the Wenchunli fire reports, found no valuable clues.
He decided to visit Wenchunli himself, observing the extensive construction underway. He then met with Wu Yunchi, asking him to investigate Dasheng Company. Wu Yunchi confirmed the fire was widely known, with his family's newspaper being the first to report it. Rong Jiashang revealed his suspicion that the fire was deliberate arson intended to manipulate land prices, and that the Rong family might be implicated. He requested Wu Yunchi to help him uncover the truth about Dasheng Company.
Shiori Hashimoto, accompanied by her twin brother, discussed their upcoming visit to the Rong family. Her brother complained about going, but Shiori rebuked his "rude" and "good-for-nothing" demeanor, worried it would reflect poorly on her. He retorted that she only cared because she wanted her "ex" back. Shiori regretted their past separation, lamenting how she had been misled into believing Rong Jiashang was poor, only to discover he was the eldest son and heir of the powerful Rong family.
She blamed her mother and brother for interfering, claiming they would have been married long ago. Her brother reminded her that she was the one who decided to end the relationship due to his perceived poverty. He then flippantly suggested she could still become Rong Jiashang's concubine. Shiori vehemently rejected the idea, citing her mother's undignified life as a concubine, suffering humiliation and dying in depression, and the childhood scorn she and her brother endured.
She declared that her father only acknowledged them because her elder brother was now "half-dead." Shiori vowed to marry Rong Jiashang as his legitimate wife and to eventually control the entire Rong family. When her brother questioned how, given Rong Jiashang's engagement, Shiori asserted that Jiashang was emotional, and she would cleverly leverage their shared past to her advantage. Later, Rong Jiashang returned home and asked a servant if Feng Shizhen was in.
The servant informed him that Mrs. Rong had given Feng Shizhen leave to visit her family for the festival and she would return that evening. Meanwhile, Feng Shizhen was at her parents' home, helping her mother prepare vegetables. Her mother, eager for grandchildren, urged Feng Shizhen, who was already twenty-three, to marry soon, fearing that she would otherwise end up as a stepmother.
Feng Shixun, returning from work, defended his sister, offering to support her for life if she chose not to marry, a notion their mother quickly dismissed as "poppycock." Feng Shizhen then noticed a new scarf on her brother and asked about it.
