Debit Queen Episode 2 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Xu Zilu was in a desperate situation, facing a strict three-day deadline from his mother to find a wife or forfeit his position as clan leader. Despite his protests that he wasn't speaking in anger, his mother was firm, threatening to disown him if he failed, and revealing to his sister-in-law that her true motive was to prevent him from getting involved in royal family affairs.
Panicked, Xu Zilu turned to his attendant, Fu Ding, who vowed to help him find a Young Madam within the tight timeframe. Fu Ding embarked on a frantic search, consulting various matchmakers, fortune tellers who offered items like jade pendants said to guarantee a heaven-sent match, and even doctors claiming to cure his "difficult case" and eliminate his fear of women using remedies made from the remains of an "ancient fierce beast."
Xu Zilu was skeptical of these methods but felt compelled to try everything, enduring awkward encounters and frustrating delays. Meanwhile, Ling Se was also trying desperately to meet with Xu Zilu to discuss business concerning a shop. She inquired about his daily movements, receiving conflicting information from different people about whether he was at Xiangyun Street, Xianghua Garden, Tongfu Tavern, or the northern suburbs. She finally located him after he left a doctor's office.
As he tried to avoid her, calling her a "stubborn bandage," Ling Se, mistakenly assuming he had been treated for hemorrhoids, earnestly recommended a different pharmacy, much to Xu Zilu's embarrassment and Fu Ding's flustered denials. Ling Se insisted she had an urgent matter to discuss, but Xu Zilu criticized her attitude as rude and insincere, telling her to reconsider her approach.
Determined to prove her sincerity, Ling Se returned home and spent her entire fortune making "victory cakes" for Xu Zilu. Her maid, Ping'er, was surprised she was giving away something for free, but Ling Se explained that showing genuine sincerity was crucial in business. As the deadline loomed with no viable candidates, Fu Ding suggested Xu Zilu meet with Miss Tao, who was known to be deeply infatuated with him.
Fu Ding proposed discussing the possibility of sleeping in separate rooms after marriage as a last resort. Xu Zilu reluctantly agreed to meet her in the East Market the next day. During the meeting between Xu Zilu and Miss Tao, Ling Se arrived to deliver the victory cakes. Miss Tao, seeing Ling Se approach, became visibly upset and declared that she and "Zilu brother" were deeply in love and about to marry, warning Ling Se to stay away.
Ling Se congratulated them but reiterated her need to discuss a pressing matter with Xu Zilu, referring to him sarcastically as Miss Tao's "esteemed fiancé." She presented the victory cakes, explaining the effort she put into making them overnight because she heard he liked sweets. In his agitation, Xu Zilu accidentally knocked the box, sending the cakes scattering to the ground. Ling Se was devastated, detailing the cost and effort, stating the ingredients cost all the money she had.
Feeling that her sincerity was completely wasted, she angrily declared she no longer wanted the shop. She vowed never to marry, never to rely on a man, and certainly never to like someone like him, whom she compared to a fragile "paper doll." She promised that whatever business he opened in the shop, she would ensure its failure. Wang Zhujue, who witnessed the scene, was impressed by Ling Se's spirit.
Xu Zilu, upon hearing her strong declaration that she had sworn never to marry and would never like him, began to see her as a potentially suitable partner precisely because she was not interested in him or his status. Later, Ling Se encountered her father, who was drunk. She confronted him about marrying her mother when he disliked her and questioned why he had her if she was considered "unlucky."
Her father callously admitted he only married her mother for her dowry, claiming it was the reason for his current prosperity. Heartbroken by his words, Ling Se declared he was not worthy of filial respect and that she no longer wished to acknowledge him as her father. Ling Shuo, Ling Se's brother, overheard their mother (Ling Se's stepmother) arranging a marriage for Ling Se, demanding 500 taels and indifferent to the groom's identity or circumstances.
He warned Ling Se that their mother was selling her off and urged her to escape immediately. Ling Se feigned needing to change clothes and used the opportunity to slip out of the mansion. Outside, she encountered Fu Ding and desperately offered him five coins to take her away. Fu Ding agreed and hurried her into a carriage. As they rode, Fu Ding referred to her as "Young Madam," confusing Ling Se.
Before she could question him further, Fu Ding accidentally bumped her head, causing her to faint in the carriage. Ling Se awoke to find herself at the Xu Mansion. She was informed that her stepmother had accepted 500 taels and sold her into marriage with Xu Zilu. Furious, Ling Se attempted to leave. Xu Zilu stopped her and proposed a one-year contract marriage.
He explained that he was being forced to marry and knew she didn't want to, making them suitable partners for a temporary arrangement. He promised that after one year, they would divorce, and he would give her the shop she desired for free, plus the 500 taels her stepmother had received.
He argued this was a deal with "hundred gains, not one harm," offering her the protection of the Xu family during the year, after which she would be truly free to establish herself, something she couldn't easily achieve if she simply escaped the Ling family and was pursued. Ling Se, despite her initial anger, quickly grasped the immense benefits of the proposal, realizing it was a pathway to achieving the independence she craved. She agreed to the deal.
Ling Se requested a written agreement to solidify the terms. Xu Zilu, knowing she was illiterate, cleverly pretended difficulty using the brush and ink, prompting her to help, while he secretly penned a fake contract. Fu Ding expressed concern about leaving a paper trail, but Xu Zilu reassured him the document was useless as evidence and ordered him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Ping'er was thrown out of the Ling Mansion.
Disbelieving that Ling Se was married and worried about her whereabouts, she wandered alone until she encountered Wang Zhujue, who was sneaking out after curfew to drink midnight wine at Fulai Inn. Witnessing her distress, Wang Zhujue offered Ping'er shelter for the night. Waking up in the Xu Mansion, Ling Se remembered Ping'er and resolved to ask Xu Zilu to bring her maid to the mansion.
As she went to find Xu Zilu, she was confronted by his mother, who immediately began interrogating her. Xu Zilu quickly stepped in, explaining that Ling Se was new and needed time to adjust, ushering her inside at his mother's insistence.
