Resumen del episodio 17 de Loving Strangers
> Resúmenes de Loving Strangers
After retrieving Jiang Jiaqi’s wallet, Zhou Yu'an chooses not to return it to him directly. Instead, she leaves it with the owner of the congee shop Jiaqi frequents, claiming she found it on a sofa in the store. When the owner contacts Jiaqi to let him know his wallet is safe, Jiaqi is greatly relieved. Later at the office, Jiaqi notices Zhou Yu'an has been absent all morning and grows concerned, eventually catching up with her by the elevators.
When he asks if something happened at home, she dismisses his worries, claiming she simply overslept. Meanwhile, Jiang Jialu continues to embrace a life of manual labor, taking on so many delivery orders that his uncle, Yao Dongshan, jokes that he is working like he is on stimulants. Jialu eventually visits Ai Youyou to apologize for the past. He promises to help her find herself again and tells her she can reach out to him whenever she needs help.
Before he returns to work, Youyou asks for a hug, and he provides the comfort she needs. Later, Youyou tells Jialu that she has landed a new audition for a role that better suits her, thanking him for the encouragement that helped her overcome her psychological barriers. At Sen'an Pharma, the board meets to discuss the Vice GM candidates.
Gu Chen remains silent as CEO, letting Vice GM Gao lead the opposition against Jiang Jiaqi by bringing up a past investigation regarding a gift. However, other board members, including Wang Licheng, defend Jiaqi, citing his twelve-year tenure in R&D and his top-tier performance in the Pharmacovigilance department. They advocate for a democratic vote, praising Jiaqi as a dedicated veteran.
Despite Gu Chen's private hopes to block him, the vote goes in Jiaqi's favor, and he is officially named a candidate. A frustrated Gu Chen later orders Gao to find any possible dirt to ruin Jiaqi's reputation. Gu Chen later meets with Zhou Yu'an to discuss their next move. Zhou Yu'an reveals that she has destroyed the photo of her kissing Jiang Jiaqi because it clearly showed her initiating the act, making it ineffective for blackmail.
Gu Chen suggests a more calculated strategy: instead of a clumsy setup, she should try to actually "understand" him. He explains that Jiaqi is difficult to reach, but since he has already shown kindness toward her, she should become the woman who truly fits into his world. Gu Chen believes that if she becomes close to Jiaqi, any future scandal can be framed as an abuse of power or harassment, depending on how they tell the story.
On her way home, Zhou Yu'an finds herself in a deep internal conflict. While she needs the money Gu Chen promised for her grandmother’s care, she is increasingly reluctant to hurt Jiaqi. Lost in thought, she misses her stop on the subway and runs into Jiaqi. Her mood is further complicated when she receives a message confirming that her grandmother, Zhang Yuzhen, has been approved for admission to the Sen'an Nursing Home.
Knowing Jiaqi recommended the place, she realizes he is a truly good person. To celebrate the nomination, Jiang Jialu treats Jiang Jiaqi and Yao Dongshan to a meal of abalone rice. Jialu reflects on how manual labor has cured his insomnia and anxiety, making him feel truly alive. During the dinner, the family shares the news with Jiaqi's mother, Yao Yumin. Overjoyed, she calls her daughter-in-law, Yijun, to suggest a weekend celebration.
Yijun is blindsided, stung by the realization that her husband shared his biggest professional milestone with his mother and brother before telling her. When she contacts Jiaqi later, he still fails to mention the promotion, deepening her sense of isolation. As the night ends, Jiaqi receives a mysterious phone call from a man asking about a woman named Zhou Yu'an, signaling that the battle for his career is far from over.
