Definitely Not Today Episode 7 Recap
> Definitely Not Today Recap
Mi Chong noted that Zhi Le had not mentioned having an older brother, and it seemed she might have more than one. Zhi Le's brother pointed to height markings on the wall, identifying them as belonging to Hong Yuan, Hong Jie, Xiang Yuan, himself, and Zhi Le. He remarked that Zhi Le's mark hadn't been updated in five years. Zhi Le, surprised, confronted him, stating she wasn't aware he had gotten married.
Her brother explained it happened last year, rather quickly, and he had intended to tell her. Zhi Le then pressed him on why he was back. He countered, asking if she thought he would abandon his child, just as their parents had abandoned them. He clarified that Grandma had asked him to return because his own place was too small.
When Zhi Le asked about Grandma, her brother said she was at Hong Yuan's place and offered to call her back, but Zhi Le declined, asking him not to inform Grandma of their presence. Mi Chong sensed an underlying tension. Zhi Le's brother then offered them dinner, mentioning some salted vegetables Grandma had prepared. While Zhi Le was getting ready, Mi Chong accompanied her brother downstairs to a shop. Her brother apologized for Zhi Le's difficult demeanor.
He confided that their parents had divorced soon after they were born and had since formed new families in the city. This had deeply affected Zhi Le, especially during her puberty. He admitted he might have been too strict with her. He also recounted that five years prior, Zhi Le had trouble with some people in town, and he hadn't taken her side, which led to her becoming the person she is today.
Mi Chong could see that the brother cared deeply for Zhi Le, a heartfelt care that made him a little envious. The brother then asked about Mi Chong's family, and Mi Chong revealed that everyone in his family had passed away. The brother expressed his sorrow but then added that marriage offers a second chance to choose one's family, mistakenly assuming Mi Chong and Zhi Le were a couple. Mi Chong quickly corrected him, clarifying they were not getting married.
Mi Chong paid for a few popsicles and two packs of cigarettes from their limited funds, a total of 17 yuan. As they walked back, the brother reminisced about a song that Zhi Le and Grandma loved to sing together when Zhi Le was a child. Soon after they left the house, Qiang located Zhao and, under threat to his son's life, forced Zhao to reveal Mi Chong's whereabouts, which he could track via a GPS device in the car.
Back at the house, Zhi Le's brother's wife expressed surprise to Mi Chong about a man she saw on the street, stating Zhi Le used to like him a lot. When Mi Chong returned with her brother, Zhi Le was furious, demanding to know where he had been. Her brother tried to de-escalate, saying he was just showing Mi Chong around. Zhi Le then noticed the cigarettes and angrily asked if her brother had bought them himself.
His wife defended him, saying he didn't complain, and Mi Chong added that he was okay with it. Zhi Le retorted that it was "not okay at all," reminding them of their current precarious financial situation. Her brother tried to calm her, offering to soak her leg in a herbal bath he had prepared, apologizing for his past actions and promising to consult her in the future.
Zhi Le, however, refused, stating there was no need for them to pretend to be a close family. This, she reflected, was one of the reasons she didn't want to come home. When Mi Chong tried to intervene and suggest that her brother simply missed her because she hadn't been home for so long, Zhi Le angrily told him to stop being a busybody, asserting that her brother was "nothing" more than just her brother.
Mi Chong observed Zhi Le's familiar temper and admitted to himself that he didn't truly understand what a family was, feeling an increasing distance between them in her hometown. Zhi Le herself pondered whether holding onto past mistakes was a mistake in itself, and which was harder: letting go of a grudge or letting go of herself. The next morning, Mi Chong reminded Zhi Le that he had promised her brother they would eat breakfast before leaving.
Her brother then mused, expressing uncertainty about when they would be able to meet again. Zhi Le, however, told Mi Chong that if he wished to stay, he could, but she would not be dragged along. Zhi Le's sister-in-law announced that breakfast was ready, subtly reminding Zhi Le that she should not take out her anger on her. To everyone's surprise, Zhi Le complimented her sister-in-law's cooking, which pleased Mi Chong.
Her brother then offered to pack some extra food for their journey. A knock at the door startled Zhi Le, who initially thought it was Grandma. Mi Chong cautioned her, reminding her about her recently recovered leg.
When Zhi Le opened the door, she was instantly frozen by the sight of a man—her blood or nominal father—who possessed a flippant demeanor and scrutinized her body with a repulsive gaze, reminiscent of the sexual assault five years prior in a warehouse for which he had served prison time, and yet he still acted brazenly. He remarked that she had grown, making Zhi Le recoil as she demanded to know why he was there.
The man claimed he was there to discuss the shop's accounts with her brother and, in a disturbing manner, to "check on his daughter." Zhi Le's brother urged her to let go of the past, mentioning that "Dad" (Uncle Zeng) felt guilty and "Fen" had apologized multiple times for the incident, and even pointed out that Zhi Le herself had "hurt him" and wasn't around when he tried to find her after his release from jail.
Her sister-in-law quickly intervened, pushing the man out the door and telling him to leave and talk another day. Zhi Le's brother then insisted that, as the eldest sibling, she should listen to him and "let go." Enraged, Zhi Le screamed at her brother, asking how he could say such a thing, and began to hit him. Her sister-in-law desperately tried to stop her. Amidst the violent outburst, her brother shockingly confessed, "He raped you and I raped his daughter.
Isn't that avenging you?" Mi Chong was stunned by Zhi Le's unprecedented fury. Zhi Le cried out that she had gone along with his "act." Zhi Le's sister-in-law then brought out Grandma's portrait and a stack of money, revealing it to be Grandma's inheritance and the savings Zhi Le had sent home over the years, suggesting Zhi Le should discuss it with her brother.
Mi Chong and Zhi Le abruptly left in their car, driving to a secluded mountain forest where they found Grandma's grave. Shortly after they departed, Qiang and his men arrived at the house, only to see Zhi Le's brother angrily smashing birdcages.
