Love Has Fireworks recap, intrigue et synopsis

Synopsis de Love Has Fireworks

Qian Fei, a Shanghai migrant girl, works in an investment bank. She has been frugal for many years and finally took possession of the house she bought with her boyfriend, Wang Ruohai.

However, Wang Ruohai caught the attention of Liao Shiyu, the president's daughter, and broke up with Qian Fei.

Suddenly, Qian Fei faced heartbreak and job loss as the company downsized. Under the pressure of mortgage payments, she had to find roommates to share the burden.

Li Yifei, a hidden wealthy second-generation and an elite in the investment banking industry, along with his girlfriend Gui Lili, moved into Qian Fei's house due to financial difficulties.

However, they broke up shortly after. Qian Fei and Li Yifei, living under the same roof, engage in humorous banter and encounter many comical situations.

Unexpectedly, both of them coincidentally join the listing project team of Shanli Cube Group, the company where Wang Ruohai and Liao Shiyu work.

Qian Fei faces criticism and pressure in her work, but Li Yifei repeatedly helps her overcome crises. They continuously adapt and get along with each other at work and at home, gradually developing feelings for each other.

They assist and support each other during professional lows, accompany and uplift each other during family emergencies.

Ultimately, Qian Fei and Li Yifei achieve higher career success, realizing their own dreams. Their love story becomes a legendary tale in the investment banking industry.

Recaps de Love Has Fireworks

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In the bustling financial hub of Lujiazui, Shanghai, countless young professionals strive to build their dreams. Li Yifei, a sharp investment professional from Zhizhong Construction Investment, steps out of a sleek red sports car, intensely demanding over the phone that his assistant secure a meeting with a vital investor. Meanwhile, the city's crowded subway is packed with morning commuters.

Among them is Qian Fei, a diligent back-office analyst at Hejing Securities who rushes from the train to a bus to ensure she makes it to her office on time. Unlike her career-driven peers, Qian Fei prioritizes her personal life, believing a happy home is far more important than climbing the corporate ladder. Today is her boyfriend Wang Ruohai’s birthday.

During her lunch break, she visits a department store to purchase an expensive designer suit for him, viewing it as an investment in his professional image. Afterward, she meets her friend at a local noodle shop. At a nearby table, Li Yifei is pitching a project to a potential investor, Mr. Ma, hoping to raise twenty million.

However, the meeting goes poorly, and a frustrated Li Yifei accidentally makes a loud disturbance, drawing awkward stares from other diners, including Qian Fei. That afternoon, Qian Fei receives the keys to her newly completed apartment—a property her parents helped secure with their savings. She is filled with joy, dreaming of the stable life she and Ruohai will build together. Meanwhile, Hejing Securities prepares to submit their IPO bid for the Shanlifang Hotel Group before the 2:00 PM deadline.

Director Fang urgently drafts Qian Fei to assist, revealing that Shanlifang's chairman, Liao Jinshan, specifically requested her. It turns out Qian Fei is "Jumbo," the brilliant analyst who exposed the financial discrepancies of Huang Shusong—a key manager at Hejing's rival firm, Zhizhong Construction Investment—leading to his recent arrest. At the bidding venue, Hejing's team attempts to block Zhizhong's entry to ensure their rival's disqualification. Amidst the chaos, Li Yifei rushes in to submit Zhizhong's proposal at the very last second.

In his haste, he collides with Qian Fei, knocking her phone to the ground. Instead of apologizing, Li Yifei accuses her of stalking him since the morning noodle shop encounter before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Qian Fei thoroughly annoyed. While Qian Fei is dedicated to their future, Wang Ruohai, a bank employee, is offered a different path.

He meets with Liao Shiyu, the wealthy daughter of Shanlifang's chairman, who has harbored deep feelings for him since he saved her in their youth. She invites him to join Shanlifang as their Finance Director. Later that evening, she treats him to a dinner to discuss the offer. By chance, Qian Fei's close friend, Jingjing, and her husband, Lu Ze, are dining at the same restaurant and spot Ruohai acting intimately with Shiyu.

Though Jingjing wants to confront them on the spot, Lu Ze holds her back. Meanwhile, Li Yifei's financial world is crumbling; due to a failed investment project, he has to list his luxury apartment for a quick cash sale. When he dines with his high-maintenance girlfriend and reveals he must rent, she becomes upset and accuses him of failing to plan for their future.

To show her sincerity, Liao Shiyu gifts Ruohai an expensive watch, urging him to wear it while considering her offer. When Ruohai returns home past midnight, he quickly hides the watch. Qian Fei, who fell asleep waiting on the sofa to celebrate his birthday, eagerly presents him with a cake and her gift. Ruohai avoids opening it and instead announces his career transition to Finance Director.

When Qian Fei mentions she booked their wedding venue after his mother hinted at an impending proposal, Ruohai reacts defensively, feeling suffocated by the pressure. The tension escalates when he expresses discomfort over living in an apartment funded by her father, suggesting they sell the new property to invest the money instead. Deeply hurt, Qian Fei vehemently rejects the idea.

The next day, Jingjing confronts Wang Ruohai in person about seeing him with another woman, demanding he tell Qian Fei the truth. Instead, Ruohai meets with Liao Shiyu, wears the gifted watch, and officially accepts the job offer. Shiyu takes him shopping to purchase a lavish new wardrobe and wallet. Later, Jingjing calls Qian Fei to warn her about Ruohai's suspicious behavior, but Qian Fei fiercely defends her boyfriend, refusing to believe he would ever cheat.

However, when the couple meets later, Qian Fei notices the luxury watch on his wrist. When questioned, a defensive Ruohai claims they no longer share common goals or basic trust. To Qian Fei's absolute devastation, he calls off their relationship and walks away, leaving their years of shared dreams in ruins.

Qian Fei strongly opposes the idea of selling the wedding apartment her parents bought for her just to fund an investment. Seizing the opportunity, Wang Ruohai abruptly proposes a breakup. He argues that they no longer share the same life goals and lack mutual trust, while admitting that her always being right and her parents paying the down payment on the house stripped him of his dignity.

Realizing he is merely making excuses to mask his betrayal, Qian Fei asks if these feelings only started after he met another woman. Ruohai walks out defensively, leaving their wedding plans in ruins. Distressed but attempting to cope, Qian Fei spends the afternoon baking a birthday cake, hoping to reconcile with Ruohai. When she goes to find him, she witnesses Liao Shiyu driving him back.

Liao Shiyu has just celebrated his birthday with him, gifted him a designer wallet, and expressed her desire to spend every future birthday together. Seeing Ruohai bid an affectionate farewell to Liao Shiyu, Qian Fei understands everything: he has chosen a wealthy partner to bypass years of hard work. After a bitter final exchange, Ruohai departs.

Devastated, Qian Fei is found on the street by her friend Jingjing, where she breaks down in tears, recalling the sweet promise Ruohai had once made to give her a big, beautiful home. Unable to handle the emotional pain, Qian Fei drinks alone on the street and is targeted by local thugs. Fortunately, Li Yifei drives past, steps in, and chases the thugs away.

Since Qian Fei is completely intoxicated, Yifei lets her sleep in his car overnight, grumbling about how trouble always seems to follow him whenever she is around. The next morning, Qian Fei wakes up to find herself unharmed with her phone and wallet intact. Spotting a note left by the driver explaining that the car locks automatically, she believes she simply lucked out with an incredibly kind ride-share driver and heads to work.

At the office, a newer colleague, Xinyao, asks Qian Fei to help double-check a data report for Director Fang. Qian Fei kindly agrees, despite another colleague's warning that Xinyao is a calculating relative of Mr. Kong. Meanwhile, Jingjing storms into Wang Ruohai’s bank, demanding answers and exposing his infidelity in front of his colleagues. However, a manager reveals that Ruohai has already resigned.

Back at Qian Fei's office, Xinyao falsely accuses Qian Fei of taking credit for the report in front of Director Fang and snatches her representative badge for an upcoming financial forum. Facing the sudden pressure of paying the mortgage alone, Qian Fei decides to rent out a bedroom to make ends meet. At the high-level financial forum, Yifei runs into Qian Fei again. They bicker over their previous encounters, and Qian Fei demands he pay for her broken phone.

To put an end to their meetings, Yifei hands her two hundred yuan in cash. Later, Yifei's girlfriend, Gui Lili, is shown a small apartment with bunk beds by an agent. She secretly signs the lease, unaware of Yifei's growing financial strain. Yifei also notices Gui Lili posting social media updates with another man, hinting at a growing rift between them.

The next day, Yifei and Gui Lili arrive at the new apartment, only to find that the landlord is Qian Fei. Yifei is furious to find himself in a shared apartment, and Qian Fei is equally displeased to see him. When they demand to terminate the lease, Qian Fei points out that according to the contract, she would have to pay double the rent as compensation for early termination—money she already used to pay her mortgage.

Yifei and Gui Lili argue over their tight budget, especially after Yifei discovers Gui Lili spent their remaining money on an expensive designer bag. With no other options, they accept Qian Fei's proposal to temporarily cohabitate until she can refund their money. Lili suspects Yifei and Qian Fei have a prior connection, which Yifei vehemently denies. Later, Qian Fei spots Yifei's friend, Zihao, with the red car she slept in.

Believing he was her kind driver, she introduces herself and thanks him warmly, and Zihao plays along. When Yifei returns, he questions Gui Lili about her packing progress, hiding the fact that he had to hand over his car keys to Zihao as collateral for a loan. Meanwhile, Qian Fei meets Wang Ruohai to return his remaining belongings.

She presents a formal repayment plan for the mortgage share she owes him and informs him she will handle canceling their wedding banquet. When Ruohai admits he expected her to be more heartbroken, Qian Fei delivers a scathing parting shot, pointing out that his past complaints about her parents' house were merely excuses driven by his own deep-seated insecurity and hypocrisy.

Meanwhile, Jingjing learns from her husband Lu Ze that Ruohai's new partner is Liao Shiyu, the wealthy daughter of Shanlifang's Chairman Liao Jinshan. Furious, Jingjing wants to confront her, but Lu Ze stops her, explaining that Shanlifang is currently acquiring his company, Xinxin Vision, and he cannot risk his employees' livelihoods.

As the day ends, Li Yifei meets with Chairman Liao to discuss Shanlifang's upcoming IPO, hoping to secure the sponsor role despite recent setbacks at his firm due to his superior's investigation. At the same time, Qian Fei desperately begs a hotel manager to refund her wedding deposit, even offering to accept just a portion of it. Watching her plead until she nearly faints from exhaustion, Yifei, who is at the same venue, steps in.

He drags her to a nearby pharmacy to buy her medicine, proving that despite his complaints, he cannot leave her in distress. Later, Gui Lili confronts Qian Fei at the apartment door, asking her to do a favor: tell Li Yifei that she wants to break up with him. Lili then shows her a photo, demanding an explanation.

During her trip to refund a wedding banquet deposit, Qian Fei suffered from severe period pain. Fortunately, she ran into Li Yifei, who helped her into a taxi. He was surprisingly attentive, buying her a heat pack and advising her to drink water slowly. Qian Fei admitted the pain was likely worsened by her recent stress. Upon arriving at their building, they found the elevator broken.

With no other choice, Yifei helped carry her things and walked her up the stairs. Their relief was short-lived when they opened the door to find the apartment flooded because Gui Lili had left a bathroom faucet running. Together, they frantically swept the water toward the drain. When Lili returned, oblivious to the mess, Yifei confronted her angrily about her carelessness. Offended by his public outburst, Lili stormed out.

A remorseful Yifei promised Qian Fei he would compensate her for the damaged flooring once he had the money. At work, Hejing Securities and Zhizhong Jiantou were negotiating a joint sponsorship project for Shanlifang Hotel Group, following the arrest of Yifei's superior, Huang Shusong. Yifei attended the meeting as the joint sponsor's team leader.

Qian Fei’s jealous colleague, Xinyao, tried to make her look bad during a break by causing a coffee spill, but Yifei blocked it with his own suit jacket. Later, Qian Fei's friend Jingjing warned her to keep her cohabitation with Yifei a strict secret to avoid allegations of leaking trade secrets, also hinting at upcoming layoffs in the backend department. On Sunday morning, Qian Fei prepared a delicious breakfast, and though Yifei acted indifferent, she invited him to eat.

She then went to the mall to return her unused wedding ring. There, she spotted Gui Lili intimately walking with a wealthy client named Mr. Niu, whom Lili coyly addressed as "Dong Ge." Niu promised to use his connections to get Lili into Milan Fashion Week. Seeing this, Qian Fei couldn't help but pity the clueless Yifei. That evening, Qian Fei offered to let Yifei split dinner meals with her for a fee.

Yifei playfully suspected an administrative trap and jokingly ordered luxury dishes like sea cucumber and lobster, prompting her to tell him to just order takeout. Later, Qian Fei received a video call from her father pressing her about wedding plans. As she scrambled to make excuses, Yifei overheard the conversation and advised her to tell her parents the truth about her breakup instead of dragging it out.

The next day, Qian Fei’s fears came to pass when HR laid her off due to company-wide backend department cuts. Despite her excellent performance, she was forced to pack up her belongings and leave, feeling like a complete joke after losing both her relationship and her job. Seeing her leave, Jingjing worried about how she would pay her mortgage, but Qian Fei remained hopeful, relying on her severance pay and her new roommate's rent.

Soon after, Yifei's colleague showed him a compromising video of Yifei dropping Qian Fei off in a red sports car. The colleague also revealed that Qian Fei was the blogger behind the "Back End Little Flying Elephant" Weibo account that had exposed Huang Shusong, suggesting that Director Fang Yun had set Qian Fei up to take the heat.

Realizing his father, Li Qiansheng (Chairman of Qiansheng Group), had secret-filmed the video to pressure him into returning to the family electronics business, Yifei confronted him. He flatly refused his father's offer, criticizing Qiansheng Group's reliance on licensed technology as a fatal weakness. Later, Gui Lili met Qian Fei to ask her to deliver a breakup message to Yifei and retrieve her passport, explaining she was going to Milan and felt nothing for him anymore.

When Qian Fei conveyed the breakup, Yifei scoffed, noting he was always the one making sacrifices. Gui Lili also forwarded the sports car video to Qian Fei. When Qian Fei questioned Yifei about it, he demanded she delete it. A struggle for the phone ensued, and Qian Fei accidentally tumbled into Yifei's arms. After a tense, awkward moment, they quickly pulled apart. The next morning, Gui Lili called Qian Fei, asking her to quietly bring her luggage downstairs.

To prevent Yifei from catching his ex-girlfriend leaving, Qian Fei intercepted him as he woke up. She coaxed him into staying in his room by volunteering to cook him breakfast, and a touched Yifei happily agreed to go back to sleep.

Guilty about her actions, Gui Lili asks Qian Fei to help retrieve her passport from the apartment. As they search the room, Li Yifei catches them and dryly mocks their poor acting. He tells Gui Lili that they could have broken up with dignity instead of sneaking around. Repulsed by his pride, Gui Lili points out that he is struggling so much that he has to rent a room, yet he still acts superior.

She openly admits she is leaving him for money, arguing that he has provided neither financial security nor emotional warmth. She even taunts him, claiming he will never manage to surpass his father. Li Yifei calmly stops her, revealing he had already decided to let her go before renting the apartment, wanting to ensure she was settled first.

He hands her a bank card containing over a hundred thousand yuan—money he borrowed from friends—and advises her to use it to secure a place of her own so she won't be left with nothing if Mr. Niu ever treats her poorly. He bids her a quiet farewell. After a tearful Gui Lili leaves, Li Yifei immediately throws himself into his work, determined to investigate the real reason behind Shanlifang's push for a complicated joint sponsorship with Hejing Securities.

To cheer Li Yifei up, Qian Fei prepares breakfast the next morning. They joke about the apartment, with Qian Fei suggesting the place might be cursed since both of them experienced sudden breakups right after moving in. Concerned about Li Yifei locking himself in his room all day, Qian Fei later pounds on his door, threatening to call the police unless he makes a sound. When he responds with a simple "beep," she is relieved.

She cooks him lunch and leaves it at his door. Li Yifei devours the meal and praises her cooking, though he later refuses to help prep dinner and proudly claims he would rather eat out. Meanwhile, Li Yifei's childhood friend, Da Jun, deals with his overbearing mother, who pressures him to find a girlfriend. While Da Jun is cooking wontons, his mother meddles with his computer and accidentally deletes the valuable gaming equipment he spent six months grinding for.

The discarded gear is instantly snapped up online by Qian Fei's best friend, Dang Yu. Devastated by the loss of his hard work, Da Jun seeks out Li Yifei to complain and ends up drinking heavily. Later that night, Dang Yu and Qian Fei are taking a walk when they spot a heavily intoxicated Da Jun vomiting, looked after by Li Yifei. Recognizing Dang Yu as a bartender he had seen before, Da Jun stumbles toward her.

Mistaking him for a hostile drunk, Dang Yu swiftly flips him over her shoulder. The next day, after the misunderstanding is cleared up, Qian Fei tells Li Yifei that Dang Yu only spared Da Jun from a police visit out of respect for them. To return the favor for the lunch she cooked, Li Yifei reveals that a friend of his wants to take over her cancelled wedding banquet reservation on October 18th.

Thrilled to recover her deposit, Qian Fei happily promises to prepare his breakfasts for the next month. Over at Shanlifang, Wang Ruohai is working late when Liao Shiyu drops by his office and invites him for a midnight snack. When he steps out, he is stunned to find she has hired a star chef to prepare a high-end meal on-site. Touched by her gesture, Wang Ruohai holds her hand.

Liao Shiyu is deeply moved, confessing she has been waiting a very long time for him to take the initiative. Meanwhile, Qian Fei faces harsh rejections in her job hunt due to her lack of front-office experience and age discrimination, with one company even demanding a five-year contract prohibiting marriage or pregnancy. Stressed by her massive mortgage, she feels backed into a corner. Observing her financial distress, Li Yifei points out that desperation ruins a person's judgment.

He proposes hiring her as his housekeeper for 100 yuan an hour. Qian Fei accepts the offer. To help her further, Li Yifei transfers her the depreciation fee for the water-damaged floor. Realizing she cannot let her pride get in the way of her mortgage, she accepts the money. At the bar, Da Jun clumsily apologizes to Dang Yu for his drunken behavior.

She accepts his apology, serves him a milk-based drink, and advises him to listen to his mother by drinking less and staying out of bars. Back at the apartment, Qian Fei mentions that she has chosen Director Fang Yun of Hejing Securities as her professional idol. Li Yifei is skeptical of Fang Yun's character, but he suggests that since Qian Fei was only laid off due to backend downsizing, she should apply to Fang Yun's department.

If Fang Yun truly values talent, she would hire her even for a front-office role. Inspired by his advice, Qian Fei heads over to Hejing Securities early the next morning, waiting outside the entrance to speak with Fang Yun face-to-face.

On his day off, Li Yifei met with his colleague at the office to review his findings from his tireless research into Shanlifang's financial statements. He had uncovered a massive, sophisticated fraud hidden deep within the company's records. The data showed non-compliant valuations of intangible assets, irregular amortization treatments, artificially inflated goodwill, and clear related-party transactions aimed at boosting revenue and profits.

Although Hejing Securities was supposed to be handling the project, their lead analyst, Fang Yun, was intentionally pretending to be oblivious to these discrepancies. Li Yifei's colleague was puzzled by her silence, but Li Yifei explained that the first person to expose the fraud would inevitably offend Chairman Liao Jinshan. Fang Yun was simply letting them do the dirty work so she could reap the benefits.

Refusing to risk being penalized by the CSRC for being complicit, Li Yifei decided to keep digging and pressure Shanlifang directly. Meanwhile, Qian Fei was waiting near Hejing Securities' office entrance to see Fang Yun. Instead, she crossed paths with Xinyao and Mr. Kong. Hearing their conversation, Qian Fei finally realized that Mr. Kong was Xinyao's uncle, which explained why she had been so easily dismissed from the firm.

Once Mr. Kong walked ahead, Xinyao confronted Qian Fei and smugly pointed out that despite Qian Fei's strong professional skills, she had failed to understand the company's internal dynamics during her years there. Xinyao accurately guessed that Qian Fei was waiting to ask Fang Yun for a job, but she mockingly questioned why Fang Yun would ever help someone who had lost her utility.

Deeply disheartened, Qian Fei walked away, realizing that Xinyao was right; she had been naive to think Fang Yun would throw her a lifeline without any exchange of value. By the time Qian Fei returned to her apartment, it was already late and pitch black inside. As she fumbled in the dark for the light switch, Li Yifei suddenly leaned out wearing a white face mask, causing her to scream in terror.

He calmly explained that he had used a leftover face mask from his ex-girlfriend because it felt like a waste to discard it. Qian Fei quickly deduced that the power outage was due to a tripped breaker and asked what high-power appliance he had plugged in. Li Yifei sheepishly admitted to buying a massive new oven just to heat up pizza, and even confessed to ordering a dishwasher so they wouldn't have to wash dishes.

Exasperated, Qian Fei pointed out that their small kitchen had no space for a dishwasher, and that running a noisy machine for two hours for just two plates was absurd. She walked over to the electrical panel, flipped the breaker back up, and instantly restored the lights. Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was an electrician whom Li Yifei had frantically called for an emergency late-night service.

Even though the problem was already solved by flipping a switch, the electrician insisted on a 200-yuan call-out fee. Li Yifei readily scanned the code and paid. Qian Fei shook her head at his lack of basic life skills, pointing out that he could have easily resolved the issue himself with a quick search online. Li Yifei defensively argued that his time was worth much more than the money spent researching trivial household issues.

To prevent further domestic disasters, Qian Fei dragged Li Yifei to the kitchen to teach him the basics of household maintenance, starting with the main gas shutoff valve. When she asked how he had managed to survive in the past, Li Yifei replied that his previous residence had a twenty-four-hour concierge to handle every minor issue. Shocked by his extravagance, Qian Fei lectured him on his inability to save money.

In response, Li Yifei leveraged his investment banking background to deliver a harsh financial analysis of her apartment, factoring in taxes, depreciation, interest over thirty years, and the risk of default. He condescendingly told her to expand her horizons beyond breakers and valves. Offended, Qian Fei snapped back, asking how his mother had raised him. Li Yifei's expression softened as he quietly admitted that his mother had passed away years ago.

Remorseful, Qian Fei apologized and confessed that she had also lost her mother at a young age and currently lived with her father and stepmother, creating a moment of quiet, shared grief between them. Before retiring to his room, Li Yifei mentioned that a package had arrived for her. Inside, Qian Fei found a collection of old family photographs and a heartwarming letter from her father.

He wrote that although he and her stepmother could not be with her in the big city, he wanted these photos to keep her company in her new home, reminding her that she would always be his beloved daughter. Overwhelmed with emotion, Qian Fei called her father.

When he excitedly asked about her wedding preparations and expressed a desire to speak with Wang Ruohai, Qian Fei held back her tears and confessed that they had broken up due to conflicting plans for the future. Though surprised, her father immediately offered his unconditional support. That night, Qian Fei fell asleep on the balcony while looking out at the city. Seeing her there, Li Yifei gently draped a blanket over her shoulders.

Back in his own bed, he found himself unable to sleep, deeply missing his own mother. The following morning, the noise of Qian Fei preparing to leave woke Li Yifei up. Annoyed, he got out of bed to complain about the lack of soundproofing, only to find her dressed in a vibrant, stylish outfit, ready to go out. The sudden change in her appearance caught him completely off guard.

In truth, Qian Fei had spent the previous night tirelessly drafting a detailed research report on Shanlifang in hopes of joining Fang Yun's IPO project team. Meanwhile, Hejing Securities' back-end department was in utter chaos under their manager, He Li, who was furious about a barrage of data errors. Her staff quietly lamented how much they missed Qian Fei's competence. Later that day, Qian Fei met with Yao Jingjing to show her the completed Shanlifang research report.

Yao Jingjing was highly impressed by the quality of the analysis but suggested that Qian Fei should have a seasoned professional review it. When Qian Fei expressed hesitation about reaching out to her former colleagues, Yao Jingjing reminded her of her tenant, Li Yifei. Qian Fei scoffed at the idea, calling him a slacker, but Yao Jingjing pointed out that he was actually a highly capable project team leader on the same level as Fang Yun.

She urged Qian Fei to put aside her pride and ask for his guidance, noting that a true professional knows when to bend. When Yao Jingjing arrived home early, she found her boyfriend, Lu Ze, already there. He was surprisingly clean, having immediately showered and started laundry upon returning. When she discovered a diamond ring in his bag, Yao Jingjing feared the worst, suspecting he was cheating on her just as Wang Ruohai had cheated on Qian Fei.

She furiously demanded to know where he had been and why his shoes were covered in mud. A panicked Lu Ze quickly pulled out his phone to show her a video of himself rehearsing a marriage proposal in a muddy park earlier that morning. Realizing she had completely misjudged him, Yao Jingjing's anger turned to tears of joy as Lu Ze knelt before her and asked for her hand.

She happily accepted his proposal, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. Meanwhile, Qian Fei returned home to find workers carrying a heavy door into the apartment under Li Yifei's direction. When she demanded to know why he was replacing her door without permission, Li Yifei pointed to their lease agreement, which granted him the right to modify his room for his convenience.

He ranted about how the old door offered no soundproofing, forcing him to endure the sounds of her brushing her teeth, walking around, making phone calls, and running appliances. Finding him incredibly difficult to deal with, Qian Fei struggled to find a way to ask for his help with her research report. She decided to soften his mood by cooking a delicious spread of dishes and inviting him to join her for dinner.

Li Yifei was initially highly suspicious of her sudden hospitality, but the aroma of the food eventually won him over. He agreed to eat on the condition of a strict division of the dishes and declared that he would absolutely not do any washing up. Qian Fei eagerly accommodated his demands, piling his plate with his favorite eggplant.

As Li Yifei thoroughly enjoyed the meal and praised her culinary skills, he pointed out that her flattery must mean she had an ulterior motive. Smiling warmly, Qian Fei prepared to use the pleasant atmosphere to ask her arrogant tenant for his professional advice on her Shanlifang report.

Qian Fei prepared a lavish dinner to win Li Yifei's favor, hoping he would review her research report on Shanlifang. Observing the table piled with food, Li Yifei became suspicious and jokingly asked if she had poisoned the dishes, even theatrically pretending to gag himself. Once reassured, and taking advantage of his good mood, Qian Fei made her request, pointing out his expertise as one of the leads on the Shanlifang IPO.

Li Yifei teased her, claiming that such a massive favor could not be bought with a single meal. When she offered a small rent discount, he dismissed her as a money grubber and demanded she formally call him "master." Though Qian Fei initially doubted his expertise, she eventually showed enough humility for him to agree, and she quickly brought over her report. As Li Yifei read through the document, he became deeply absorbed.

The comprehensive data and detailed findings sparked an idea, prompting him to retreat to his room to study it further. He quickly devised a solution to the ongoing Shanlifang issue and called his subordinate to coordinate their team's next steps. When Li Yifei finally emerged, he offered highly professional and constructive revisions. Qian Fei immediately set to work, staying up late to apply the changes.

Watching her efficiency, Li Yifei remarked that if she had always possessed such strong execution skills, she would not have spent years stuck in her previous position. Qian Fei admitted she had wasted opportunities in the past for the sake of her former relationship and home life. Li Yifei dismissed this as an excuse people use to avoid competition, but he was curious about her calm demeanor after her breakup.

Qian Fei explained that while a long-term relationship makes losing it feel agonizingly painful, she simply had no time to grieve when she had a report to finish, a job to find, and debts to pay. To her, her ex-boyfriend was just a major flaw in her life plan that had now been patched up. By dawn, the report was complete, and Qian Fei found Li Yifei fast asleep on the sofa.

The next day, Jingjing met up with Dang Yu and Qian Fei for lunch. Jingjing intentionally hid her engagement ring to avoid hurting the recently dumped Qian Fei. During the meal, Dang Yu’s gaming friend, Grand Chancellor (who was actually Jun Cheng), repeatedly spammed her alternative account with messages, begging to join her team. Persuaded by her friends, Dang Yu sent a few brief replies, warning him to focus on his studies if he was a minor.

Jun Cheng eagerly replied that he was an adult and willing to help in any capacity as a backup, leaving him thrilled when she agreed. As they wrapped up their lunch, Dang Yu and Jingjing discussed Qian Fei's goal of joining Fang Yun's project team, which would put her on the Shanlifang project. They realized Qian Fei had no idea her ex-boyfriend, Wang Ruohai, was currently employed there.

They worried about the immense awkwardness she would face dealing with her ex and his new girlfriend, the Shanlifang heiress, as clients. After leaving the restaurant, Dang Yu ran into Jun Cheng, who was on his way to see Li Yifei. Recognizing her as Qian Fei's friend, Jun Cheng apologized for his previous drunken behavior and offered to treat her to dinner. Dang Yu remained indifferent, completely unaware that he was her online gaming buddy.

She politely declined his invitation, claiming she was busy, and walked away without actually giving him her WeChat, leaving him bewildered. Jun Cheng met up with Li Yifei and talked about how intriguing Dang Yu was, begging for her contact information. Li Yifei refused to play matchmaker, admitting he only knew she worked at Hejing Securities and was Qian Fei's friend.

Jun Cheng noticed Li Yifei had put on weight and teased him about his landlady's cooking, suggesting a new romance. Li Yifei strongly denied it, claiming Qian Fei was not his type, though Jun Cheng pointed out that he could have easily moved out by now if he truly wanted to. Qian Fei had asked Dang Yu to place her completed research report directly on Fang Yun's office desk, but Xinyao spotted it and secretly took it away.

At home, Qian Fei waited anxiously. Li Yifei caught her eating instant noodles and threw them away, declaring that junk food was banned because the smell made him sick. After bickering, Li Yifei ordered a healthy, expensive takeout dinner for them instead. As they ate, Qian Fei expressed her anxiety over the lack of news from Fang Yun. Knowing Fang Yun's efficient nature, Li Yifei suggested that something must have gone wrong.

He encouraged Qian Fei to personally deliver another copy the next day, arguing that if only work performance mattered, she would never have been laid off in the first place. The next morning, Qian Fei confronted Fang Yun in the office lobby and handed her the report, mentioning that she had already left a copy on her desk. Fang Yun was dismissive, claiming she had no time for amateur work.

Qian Fei returned home dejected and told Li Yifei that it seemed hopeless. That evening, the two drank beer on the balcony and opened up about their backgrounds. Li Yifei revealed his strained relationship with his father and how his father was absent when his mother passed away. This triggered Qian Fei's own grief over her late mother.

She wept, regretting how she had wasted her prime years on a failed relationship, only to end up dumped, jobless, and heavily in debt. She eventually passed out drunk, and Li Yifei carried her back to her room. The next day, Fang Yun called a meeting and severely criticized her team of elite investment bankers, using Qian Fei's insightful report to shame them for their lack of progress. She ordered Xinyao to copy the report for everyone to study.

Fang Yun then reprimanded Xinyao for entering her office without permission to remove the document earlier. Believing that Fang Yun had integrated her analysis and was about to bring her back onto the project team, Qian Fei received the summons to the office with a hopeful heart and headed to Hejing Securities.

During a joint working meeting between Zhizhong Construction and Hejing Securities, Fang Yun delivered a presentation on the rapid expansion of the Shanlifang Hotel Group. She highlighted their impressive footprint of 130 active hotels and over 30,000 rooms across 24 provinces, with another 120 locations projected to open over the next five years. To formalize their partnership, Fang Yun presented a responsibilities allocation agreement to define the working boundaries and liabilities of both firms.

Sensing something was amiss, Li Yifei feigned a sudden stomach ache and excused himself to the restroom, instructing his assistant, Zhao De, to have their legal team review the document later. In the quiet of the restroom stalls, Li Yifei and Zhao De quietly conferred. Li Yifei pointed out the trap hidden within the agreement. If they signed, Zhizhong would bear the sole blame if Shanlifang's financial issues came to light after going public.

Realizing Fang Yun was trying to shield Hejing Securities by shifting the liability, Li Yifei instructed Zhao De to use stalling tactics while he slipped away. Outside the meeting room, Qian Fei eagerly waited for news. When she saw the Zhizhong representatives departing, she approached Fang Yun.

Fang Yun invited her into her office and coolly mentioned that she had utilized some of the data from Qian Fei's report during the presentation, promising to arrange a financial bonus for her hard work. Qian Fei declined the money, explaining that her goal was not a bonus, but reinstatement into the Shanlifang IPO project team to prove her worth to the firm. Fang Yun remained unmoved, bluntly pointing out that Qian Fei's report was comprised entirely of secondhand data.

She asserted that Qian Fei had spent too much time in back-end support and was currently unqualified to join the active project team. Though disheartened by the rejection, Qian Fei refused to give up. When her friend Dang Yu offered a comforting cup of coffee, Qian Fei declared her determination to gather the primary source data herself to win Fang Yun's approval.

Analyzing Fang Yun’s motives, Li Yifei realized she was trying to force Qian Fei into searching for Shanlifang's historical data from three years ago, when the company was still based in Chengdu. To help Qian Fei, Li Yifei decided to travel to Chengdu himself to retrieve the original records. He visited Liao Jinshan and presented him with a limited-edition golf club for his upcoming birthday.

Claiming he was traveling to Chengdu to attend an academic forum where he could build positive momentum for Shanlifang, Li Yifei requested formal authorization to liaise with local business partners. Delighted by the gesture and the initiative, Liao Jinshan readily agreed and promised to provide the necessary authorization along with the partners' contact details. Meanwhile, back in Shanghai, Juncheng endured a family dinner where his mother tried to set him up with a colleague's daughter.

To escape his mother's persistent questions about university degrees and test scores, Juncheng lied that he already had someone in mind, using the excuse of urgent overtime to quickly leave the house. Qian Fei searched online for potential leads in Chengdu. Despite the daunting cost of flights and hotels, she booked her travel, planning to save money by taking a hard-seat train on her return. Upon arriving at the airport, she was surprised to run into Li Yifei.

He playfully offered to sneak her into business class by pretending she was his secretary, but she flatly refused. Once on board, Li Yifei traded his business-class seat to sit next to Qian Fei in economy. He plugged in a USB drive and shared his private project notes from his years in investment banking to help her learn. Grateful for his guidance, Qian Fei studied the material diligently until she drifted off to sleep, resting her head on his shoulder.

In Shanghai, Fang Yun’s assistant informed her that Li Yifei had departed for Chengdu. Fang Yun was pleased, revealing that her seemingly restrictive agreement was a calculated move designed to provoke Li Yifei into digging up Shanlifang's problematic accounts. By letting Zhizhong stir up the hornet's nest, Hejing Securities would avoid offending Liao Jinshan, and if Zhizhong was ultimately disqualified from the deal, Hejing would secure the position of sole underwriter.

Upon arriving in Chengdu, Li Yifei used his authorization from Liao Jinshan to search the records but found nothing useful, realizing that the cunning Liao Jinshan had left no trace. He learned that the entire internal audit team from three years ago had resigned. Undeterred, he asked Zhao De to investigate a former auditor named Xin You. Tracking his target to Taoyuan Village, Li Yifei was guided to a modest home by a helpful resident.

Li Yifei attempted to persuade Xin You to cooperate, arguing that since he had left the company, there was no need to protect their secrets. However, Xin You remained deeply cynical, viewing all investment bankers as self-serving opportunists. He revealed that another persistent woman had already been pestering him since the previous evening. Entering the house, Li Yifei discovered Qian Fei playing video games with Xin You's son, Simba, and another local boy named Aji.

Qian Fei pulled Li Yifei aside, explaining she wanted to secure firsthand data on her own merits. During their visit, Aji accidentally broke an iPad and fled the house in fear of a scolding. Qian Fei quietly explained to Li Yifei that Simba had Asperger's syndrome, a detail she had researched the night before. Li Yifei gently introduced himself to Simba, establishing a warm connection with the young boy.

However, Xin You remained defensive, insisting his son was simply unique rather than ill, and demanded that the visitors leave. Exiled from the house, Li Yifei and Qian Fei set up a tent nearby and shared a meal of instant noodles. Their quiet evening was interrupted when they learned that Aji had not returned from the mountains. Despite Xin You's warnings that they would only get in the way, the two joined the search.

Simba snuck out of the house to help, explaining that Aji was his friend and needed him. Following Simba's lead through the dark terrain, they successfully located Aji shivering beneath a large boulder. Aji's family and the villagers were profoundly grateful for their help in rescuing the boy. Before departing, Li Yifei handed Xin You the contact details and website of a world-renowned autism specialist, urging him to seek proper guidance for Simba's development.

As they began the long drive back along the winding, pitch-black mountain roads, Qian Fei grew anxious about the journey. Sensing her unease, Li Yifei playfully teased her, spinning a spooky ghost story about desolate roads and mysterious figures in white to pass the hours.

On the way back to the city from Taoyuan Village, Li Yifei drove through the dark road. To keep Qian Fei awake and stave off his own exhaustion, he began spinning an eerie ghost story about the spiritual flames behind a person's back. However, the tale did little to spook Qian Fei, who only grew sleepier. Unable to fight his mounting fatigue, Li Yifei decided to pull over for a quick rest.

Sensing his exhaustion, Qian Fei offered to take the wheel, proudly claiming she had held her driver's license since she was eighteen. Trusting her reassurance, Li Yifei leaned back and quickly drifted off. His fifteen-minute nap stretched into two hours of deep sleep. When he finally opened his eyes, he gasped in terror as he saw the car heading straight for a muddy ditch.

He lunged for the steering wheel and shouted for her to brake, but it was too late. The vehicle swerved and slid into the muddy slope, leaving them completely stuck. Stranded with no cell phone reception in the low-lying mountain area, the two had to step outside the car to avoid freezing in the cold night. To keep their blood flowing, Li Yifei suggested they move around and began demonstrating some comical warm-up exercises.

While jogging and joking around, they accidentally collided with each other. In that brief, close contact, a sudden wave of tension and attraction washed over them. Caught off guard, Qian Fei quickly stepped back, covering her embarrassment by teasing him about watching too many romance dramas before retreating to the car to sleep. When dawn broke, the distant rumble of an engine brought a wave of relief.

A local farmer driving a tractor arrived to help, successfully towing their car back onto the road and pointing them in the right direction. As they sped back toward the city, Qian Fei received a life-changing message from Xin You. Touched by their genuine concern for his son's autistic condition, he decided to trust them and sent over the link containing Shanlifang’s original Chengdu financial records.

The breakthrough left both of them ecstatic, knowing their grueling journey had not been in vain. Before heading to the Chengdu airport to catch their flight back to Shanghai, Li Yifei bought some local souvenirs. He playfully handed a jar of fermented chili bean paste to Qian Fei, mentioning how much he loved the eggplant dish she made with it and suggesting she prepare it for him again.

Their lighthearted banter was cut short when Li Yifei received an urgent phone call from Mr. Jiang. Hearing that his father had been injured, Li Yifei's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by deep anxiety as he hurried to catch his flight. Upon landing in Shanghai, Li Yifei rushed straight to his family home, only to find his father leisurely walking his dog, Maomao, in the yard.

Frustrated by what seemed like another manipulative ploy to lure him home, Li Yifei angrily confronted him. His father sheepishly insisted he had indeed sprained his ankle, blaming Mr. Jiang for exaggerating the situation. Over a quiet lunch, the old rules of silent dining hung heavily between them. Breaking the silence, his father offered to invest in Li Yifei's startup, Fulaxida. Li Yifei immediately declined, recognizing the offer as a transaction to bring him back to manage Qiansheng Manufacturing.

His father also brought up his breakup with Gui Lili, agreeing it was the right decision and urging him to find someone suitable for building a family. Before leaving, Li Yifei packed up a box of premium Da Hong Pao tea and borrowed Mr. Jiang's Volkswagen Polo instead of taking any of his father's luxury cars. Meanwhile, back in Shanghai, the preparations for Chairman Liao Jinshan's sixtieth birthday banquet were underway.

His daughter Shiyu was busy finalizing the menu when the Chairman arrived early. Soon after, Ruohai joined them and presented a birthday gift—a single golf glove custom-made in Italy. Though Ruohai explained that only one glove was needed for the sport, the discerning Chairman privately expressed his disdain, warning Ruohai that while he could tolerate dishonesty directed at himself, he would never tolerate anyone deceiving his daughter.

Back at the shared apartment, Qian Fei welcomed a tired Li Yifei with a warm bowl of white fungus soup, reassuring him that minor health issues were common for elderly parents. After he rested, Qian Fei stayed up to compile the comprehensive research report on Shanlifang. Waking up in the middle of the night, a hungry Li Yifei noticed the finished document and was deeply impressed by her work ethic and professional layout.

He quietly ate the Yangzhou fried rice she had prepared, polished her draft with his own expertise, and left a note saying they were even. In the meantime, at the birthday banquet, Shiyu encouraged Ruohai, mentioning that her father's upcoming assignment of an important IPO task to him was a sign of growing trust and reliance. The next morning, Qian Fei was thrilled to see Li Yifei's helpful revisions.

In a series of text messages, Li Yifei demanded tea eggs as his true reward, revealing he had already ordered eggs to the fridge and left his father's premium Da Hong Pao tea by the door. Laughing at his extravagant use of luxury tea for a simple snack, Qian Fei boiled the eggs, marveling at the incredible aroma of the tea. Shortly after, Hejing Securities and Zhizhong Construction Investment held another joint project meeting.

When it concluded, Li Yifei invited Fang Yun to his office for coffee. He complimented her professionalism before directly addressing her hesitation during the meeting, pointing out that she was holding back information regarding Shanlifang. Fang Yun countered by noting his own secretive trip to Chengdu. Li Yifei took the opportunity to advocate for Qian Fei's reinstatement, emphasizing her dedication.

Fang Yun admitted she wanted Qian Fei on the team but voiced a major concern: if they exposed Shanlifang’s financial discrepancies, Chairman Liao would undoubtedly scapegoat Qian Fei. To protect her, Li Yifei boldly proposed that he would take full responsibility for bringing the issue to light, allowing Hejing Securities to claim total ignorance. Satisfied with this arrangement, Fang Yun thanked him and immediately contacted the human resources department.

Qian Fei woke up in her room, initially disappointed to realize her reinstatement was just a dream. However, her phone was buzzing with several missed calls from her friend Dang Yu. When she finally answered, Dang Yu broke the astonishing news that a colleague had suddenly been transferred, clearing the path for Qian Fei to step back into her role. Meanwhile, Li Yifei's friend Wu Yu teased him about whether he had fallen for his landlord, but Li Yifei defensively brushed it off, claiming she was not his type.

Qian Fei woke from a vivid dream about her busy workdays under Director Fang Yun, startled by her ringing phone. Dang Yu explained that the human resources department had been trying to reach Qian Fei, eventually contacting Dang Yu instead to deliver the good news of her reinstatement. Thrilled but cautious, Qian Fei rushed to the Hejing Securities office to hear it directly from Fang Yun.

Fang welcomed her back, praising her report for successfully uncovering Shanlifang's complex financial irregularities using concrete data. However, Fang Yun instructed her to keep completely quiet about the client's issues, explaining that under a division of responsibilities agreement, Zhizhong would officially raise the problems, with Li Yifei handling the confrontation. For now, Qian Fei was assigned to start from the bottom, running everyday errands for the team.

Upon returning to her desk, Qian Fei was warmly welcomed by her former colleagues. However, a recently transferred coworker bitterly accused her of backstabbing to steal the position, warning others to be wary of her, which left Qian Fei bewildered. Meanwhile, Liao Shiyu bought high-end golf gloves from abroad and had Wang Ruohai present them to her father, Liao Jinshan, for his birthday.

Knowing the gift was not truly Ruohai's idea, Jinshan took him aside and sternly warned him not to play false with his daughter, threatening severe consequences if he ever mistreated her. Highly anxious, Ruohai was later reassured by Shiyu on the drive home, as she mentioned that her father trusting him with Shanlifang's massive IPO project was a clear sign of his confidence.

When Li Yifei returned to the apartment, he found Qian Fei cleaning and mopping with unusual intensity, showing no excitement about her return to work. Qian Fei blamed him for always playing the hero, warning that exposing Shanlifang's financial issues alone would deeply offend the client. Li Yifei dismissed her concerns, claiming that with greater capability comes greater responsibility. Later, delivery workers arrived to replace Li Yifei's old bed with a larger one.

When a furious Qian Fei confronted him, Li Yifei quickly claimed she had agreed to the replacement while drunk, recalling her previous complaints that the old bed reminded her of failed marriage dreams. Although Qian Fei initially went along with it, she later realized she had been tricked, noting that as a financially savvy person, she would have negotiated the depreciation value of the old furniture first.

Seeking an opportunity, Jun Cheng visited Dang Yu at her workplace and pestered her to set up a group dinner with Qian Fei, suggesting that he and Li Yifei tag along. Believing Jun Cheng had a crush on Qian Fei, Dang Yu readily agreed. To celebrate her reinstatement, Qian Fei prepared a feast at home to share with Dang Yu. Since their friend Jingjing was away on a team-building trip with her boyfriend, Qian Fei video called her.

After the call, Jingjing felt deeply anxious, as she already knew that Wang Ruohai had been appointed as Shanlifang's finance director, meaning Qian Fei would inevitably run into her ex at work. Though her boyfriend urged her to warn Qian Fei, Jingjing struggled with how to break the news. Later that evening, Li Yifei returned home and happily finished the leftovers Qian Fei made.

When Jun Cheng later chatted with Li Yifei, he observed how comfortably Li Yifei lived with his landlady and suspected he had fallen for Qian Fei, though Li Yifei quickly denied it. The next day, Dang Yu visited the apartment to help Qian Fei pick an outfit, making fun of her outdated wardrobe and insisting she wear a nice puff-sleeved dress.

When Li Yifei saw Qian Fei dressed up, he mocked her appearance, comparing her to a walking turkey and teasing her for rushing to find another guy so soon after a breakup. Angered, Qian Fei assumed Li Yifei was the one who had set up the date to play mind games with her, and she angrily kicked him out of her room.

Li Yifei quickly clarified that Jun Cheng had organized the dinner and swore he had no romantic interest in her. Qian Fei was equally relieved, stating she had no time or energy for romance. To put the awkwardness behind them, the two stayed up drinking and playing games. Qian Fei eventually drank until she passed out. As Li Yifei carried her back to her bedroom, she sleepily wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Gazing at her face from so close, Li Yifei felt his heart flutter. Terrified that he was actually falling for her, he called Jun Cheng in the middle of the night to frantically confess his feelings. The next day, the four of them met for lunch. While waiting, Dang Yu played a game on her phone. Jun Cheng leaned over and noticed her username was "Po Ming."

Realizing she was the popular gaming streamer he idolized, Jun Cheng lost all composure, grabbing her hand and loudly confessing his endless admiration in the crowded restaurant. Embarrassed by the scene, Dang Yu slipped away to the restroom to escape, but Jun Cheng chased her to the parking lot, reciting a dramatic speech of devotion and begging to drive her to her side job.

Left alone at the table, Qian Fei suggested to Li Yifei that since they were now working on the same project, it was no longer appropriate for a single man and a single woman to live together. Li Yifei argued that cohabitation was common and accused her of kicking him out right after he helped her get reinstated.

When Qian Fei reminded him of his promise to move out once his finances improved, Li Yifei pulled out his phone to show her his empty bank accounts. Baffled by his lack of savings despite his high salary, Qian Fei offered to teach him how to save money, starting the lesson immediately by calling the waiter over to pack up their leftovers.

On the day the joint sponsorship team is scheduled to meet the high-level executives of Shanlifang, Fang Yun gives Qian Fei a strict warning before they enter the building. She emphasizes that the documents from Chengdu are vital to the partnership but warns Qian Fei that she does not yet fully understand the delicate power dynamics. Fang Yun commands her to observe and learn, but to keep her mouth shut.

Although Qian Fei privately questions why they are overlooking Shanlifang's falsified financial statements, she reluctantly agrees to remain silent. Li Yifei and his team from Zhizhong arrive shortly after. The group is warmly received by Shanlifang's representative, Mr. Wu, who happily shows them around their newly allocated, independent office space. The luxurious setup features private offices, a conference room, and a fully stocked pantry.

Mr. Wu assures them that Shanlifang will spare no expense to accommodate their needs for the upcoming CSRC review meeting, characterizing the joint venture as a crucial battle for all three parties. Following the tour, the hosts arrange a welcoming lunch in the banquet hall. Mr. Wu explains that Chairman Liao had an unexpected scheduling conflict, so Vice President Liao Shiyu will be representing the company instead.

Soon after the dishes are served, Liao Shiyu glides into the room alongside Wang Ruohai, whom she introduces as the company's Chief Financial Officer. The sudden encounter sends a jolt through Qian Fei, and Wang Ruohai is visibly shaken as well. Having previously seen photos of Qian Fei, Liao Shiyu immediately notices the awkward tension passing between her boyfriend and the assistant. During the banquet, Wang Ruohai and Liao Shiyu act intimately.

Shiyu notes that she cannot eat seafood today and asks Ruohai to taste the freshly flown-in Silver Cod with Black Truffle and Lily Bulbs for her. Witnessing her ex-fiancé's doting gestures toward another woman cuts Qian Fei to the heart, leaving her to silently bury her distress in her food. As the guests begin exchanging toasts, Fang Yun sends Qian Fei a discreet text message, instructing her to go toast the CFO since they will be working closely with him.

Cornered, Qian Fei reluctantly approaches with her glass. Shiyu declines to drink due to personal reasons, but Qian Fei pointedly toasts Wang Ruohai, wishing him a successful career, a bright future, and a happy life before draining her glass. Despite Li Yifei's attempt to intervene by suggesting they switch to tea because of the afternoon's workload, an increasingly intoxicated and emotional Qian Fei pours herself more wine. She raises another glass to Shiyu, downing it completely.

When Shiyu inquires about her identity, Fang Yun quickly introduces Qian Fei as her assistant. Unraveling from the alcohol and emotional pain, Qian Fei ignores Fang Yun's earlier warnings. She boldly points out that Shanlifang's pre-IPO financial statements are filled with illogical discrepancies and hidden data, particularly regarding their intangible assets. She declares that under CSRC regulations, any company guilty of severe asset falsification is barred from going public.

She then pointedly asks Wang Ruohai if he is simply ignorant of these rules because it is his first time managing an IPO. The room plunges into an incredibly awkward silence. Sensing the impending disaster, Li Yifei swiftly intervenes to salvage the situation. He smoothly asserts that they caught these minor issues early enough, and as long as the client cooperates by providing complete, authentic financial data, everything can be adjusted in time.

Fang Yun plays along, lightheartedly accusing Li Yifei of using the Chengdu trip to poach her assistant. After the banquet concludes, the tension lingers. In private, Wang Ruohai humbly apologizes to Shiyu, promising that his past relationship with Qian Fei won't jeopardize the company's listing. Shiyu brushes off his worry but asks him to give her a shoulder rub while they are alone in her office.

Later, Shiyu confronts Qian Fei in the hallway, condescendingly telling her to keep her personal and professional lives strictly separate. Qian Fei fiercely replies that her only goal is to do her job and ensure a smooth IPO by helping Wang Ruohai catch his errors.

Wang Ruohai tries to warn her to cherish her spot on the project team, but Qian Fei coolly retorts that wasting years has only made her realize how precious opportunities are, adding that everyone encounters a scumbag eventually. Meanwhile, Fang Yun's assistant digs into the history between the two. She reveals to Fang Yun that Wang Ruohai is indeed Qian Fei's ex-boyfriend, who abandoned her for Liao Shiyu just before their scheduled wedding.

Suspecting that Qian Fei joined the project team to exact revenge and drag Wang Ruohai down with her, the assistant warns that Qian Fei is a liability. However, Fang Yun admits she is curious to see how the drama unfolds. Back at Hejing Securities, a furious Fang Yun severely reprimands Qian Fei for her impulsive outburst.

She demands to know how someone nearing thirty could act worse than an intern, reminding her that her recklessness almost ruined the firm's standing on a hard-won project. A deeply regretful Qian Fei offers to write a public self-criticism and tearfully begs for one last chance. Just as the situation looks hopeless, Li Yifei walks in with a gift of organic apples.

He casually tells Fang Yun that his assistant, Zhao De, is completely overwhelmed with other duties, leaving him desperately short-staffed. Praising the abundance of talent at Hejing Securities, he asks if he might temporarily borrow Qian Fei to serve as his special assistant during the project. Fang Yun agrees, successfully defusing the crisis and saving Qian Fei's job. Meanwhile, Juncheng waits at Hejing Securities to bring Dang Yu some food.

His suspicious loitering catches the attention of a security guard, who warns Dang Yu about him and suggests she leave through the back door if she feels uncomfortable. In her new role as Li Yifei's special assistant, Qian Fei finds herself tasked with running mundane errands, including brewing pour-over coffee, which she finds incredibly pretentious. While outside in the pouring rain, she spots Wang Ruohai tenderly kneeling to tie Shiyu's shoelaces—a gesture he once reserved for her.

Standing in the wet street, Qian Fei finally accepts the reality of her broken past, realizing that while he once meant everything to her, he is now entirely irrelevant. Later, Li Yifei comforts Qian Fei, advising her not to throw away her career over an unworthy ex. Although Qian Fei insists she has moved on, she admits that seeing the two together triggered her emotional outburst.

Li Yifei reminds her that in this world, only hard work will never betray her efforts, urging her to cherish her new role as his special assistant. Qian Fei gratefully thanks him for saving her job. Later that evening, Qian Fei meets Yao Jingjing and Lu Ze for dinner.

Her friends apologetically confess that they knew Wang Ruohai was Shanlifang's CFO but kept it a secret so she wouldn't lose her drive to fight for a spot on the project team. Qian Fei reassures them that she understands their protective intentions. Jingjing then joyfully reveals that she and Lu Ze are getting married.

Lu Ze sheepishly explains how his unromantic, barefoot proposal in a bathrobe came about after Jingjing accidentally discovered the ring in his bathroom, bringing a genuine smile to Qian Fei's face. As they eat, Lu Ze shares his professional anxieties. He explains that the joint sponsorship team is already beginning to analyze the financial health of all Shanlifang's subsidiaries, including his company, Xinxin Vision.

He admits that Xinxin Vision has suffered three consecutive years of losses and recently failed several rounds of financing, though he remains hopeful because Chairman Liao has always been a supportive investor. Qian Fei raises her glass, wishing her dear friends eternal happiness. Meanwhile, back at their shared apartment, Li Yifei waits impatiently for Qian Fei to return and cook. Realizing she is not coming home anytime soon, he grumbles about her absence before opening the refrigerator and heating up the leftover food in the microwave himself.

Qian Fei celebrates with her friends Jingjing and Lu Ze, congratulating them on their upcoming marriage and wishing them eternal happiness. Meanwhile, Jun Cheng falls asleep on a bench outside Hejing Securities while waiting for Dang Yu. A security guard eventually wakes him up, warning him that the office is empty and that he is no longer allowed in the building without proper clearance.

Back home, Dang Yu complains to Qian Fei over the phone about Jun Cheng's annoying persistence, explaining that she only promised to let him join her gaming guild once he acquired enough gear. Qian Fei suggests that Jun Cheng's true motive might be to pursue her. Simultaneously, Jun Cheng seeks advice from Li Yifei over the phone. Li Yifei encourages him to be relentless, claiming women appreciate persistence.

When Jun Cheng asks if Li Yifei is applying the same tactic to his own landlady, Li Yifei denies it, explaining his current priority is simply to live in the apartment peacefully without being evicted. That night, Qian Fei returns home to a dark apartment, where Li Yifei startles her. They share a philosophical conversation about life's unpredictable detours, with Li Yifei musing that since everyone's final destination is the cemetery, taking scenic detours is worthwhile.

The next morning, Qian Fei is furious to find that Li Yifei left his dirty dishes. He claims washing them would waste food and time, suggesting they use disposable containers instead. Qian Fei rejects this as financially and environmentally wasteful. Desperate to avoid being late, Li Yifei offers her a free ride to work in exchange for her washing the dishes, and she reluctantly agrees.

During the car ride, Qian Fei gives Li Yifei tips on saving money, suggesting he swap driving for public transit. She teases him for lacking basic life skills despite not actually being a wealthy heir, pointing out his shared rent, borrowed cars, and high-quality knockoffs. Li Yifei playfully accepts her critique and promises to work toward becoming a self-made millionaire under her guidance.

As they near the office, Qian Fei insists on getting out early to avoid office gossip, ignoring his playful teasing. At Hejing Securities, Fang Yun holds a morning meeting to delegate tasks but deliberately leaves Qian Fei with nothing to do. Feeling sidelined, Qian Fei offers to help Daisy and Dacui, but they politely decline. Noticing her predicament, Li Yifei calls her into his office on the pretext of pouring him water.

He warns her that keeping an employee idle is a method to ruin them and asks if she has a backup plan for the Shanlifang situation. Qian Fei admits she has no elaborate strategy and regrets that her impulsive actions have burdened her colleagues. Desperate to resolve the fallout, Li Yifei organizes a meeting with Chairman Liao Jinshan.

Meanwhile, at a golf course, Wang Ruohai serves Liao Jinshan, who points out that Wang Ruohai must be clever to have won his daughter Shiyu's affection. However, Liao Jinshan expresses deep disappointment that Wang Ruohai, as the Chief Financial Officer, was the last to discover the falsified asset data, which was actually exposed by Qian Fei. He instructs Wang Ruohai to cooperate with the auditors and resolve the issues, prioritizing the company's long-term interests over short-term gains.

During his meeting with Liao Jinshan, Li Yifei apologizes for the accounting discrepancy. Liao Jinshan accuses him of using Qian Fei as a tool to expose the fraud, but Li Yifei defends his actions as necessary medical treatment to cure the company's issues before listing. He also mentions that Liao Jinshan tried to threaten him with Fulaxida to hide the truth. Ultimately, Liao Jinshan yields, entrusting the IPO to Li Yifei.

He laments that Shiyu did not choose someone as bold as Li Yifei and reveals he knows Li Yifei is the son of the wealthy Li Qiansheng, a secret Li Yifei asks him to keep. Back at the office, Qian Fei studies an old project report of Li Yifei's that has become a textbook success. She watches him work with his colleague Zheng, amazed by how quickly he grasps the critical financial points of Shanlifang's report.

Deeply impressed by his professionalism, she writes a note to herself to study hard and improve. Meanwhile, Liao Shiyu visits Wang Ruohai to offer reassurance. She explains her vision of a clean, honest listing for Shanlifang to facilitate international growth, expressing gratitude to Qian Fei for uncovering the issues early. Later, Daisy asks Qian Fei to buy her some medicine due to her fatigue from working late.

While Qian Fei is out, her phone goes dead, causing panic among her colleagues. Upon her return, Li Yifei reprimands her for leaving her post and turning off her phone, reminding her that she must always be reachable. However, his anger softens as he presents her with a box of premium sushi from Zhufeng Sushi, ordering her to eat it as her next work assignment. As they eat together in his office, Fang Yun walks in on them.

Noticing Li Yifei’s special care for Qian Fei, Fang Yun coldly warns her to remember that she is still an employee of Hejing Securities and not to let herself be used by Li Yifei. That evening, as Wang Ruohai passes by Qian Fei's office, he sees her working late and glances in. He leaves without saying a word, and by the time Qian Fei turns around, she only sees his retreating back.

At home, Jun Cheng gets dressed up for what he claims is work. His suspicious parents confront him, revealing they visited his office and learned he took the previous day off to chase a girl at the Financial Center. Jun Cheng quickly shows them a newly issued work ID for a major fire safety inspection, claiming he volunteered for the assignment.

After he leaves, his mother notes that the ID was only issued the day before, confirming his real motive is to see Dang Yu. Armed with his official credentials, Jun Cheng successfully bypasses the security guard who had previously blacklisted him. He joins his inspection team and manages to get assigned to floors 28 and 29, where Hejing Securities is located. As they begin their check, he spots Dang Yu, but the elevator doors close before he can say hello.

Jun Cheng joined a joint task force as a street office representative to conduct a routine fire safety inspection at Hejing Securities. While inspecting the premises, he caught a sudden glimpse of Dang Yu and immediately grew anxious. Desperate to catch up with her, he quickly made an excuse to his team leader about an upset stomach and slipped away. He lost her trail but noticed a cleaning lady behaving strangely and quietly followed her into a secluded corner.

To his absolute astonishment, when the woman removed her hat and mask, he found himself staring at his own mother. Since his parents had managed every aspect of his life from school to his career, his mother had desperately wanted to see the girl he was pursuing. She had persuaded a friend who worked as a cleaner to let her cover the shift just so she could spy on him.

Jun Cheng was both amused and exasperated, eventually coaxing her to leave before she got fined for slacking off. Once the inspection concluded, the team leader wrapped up the session, expressing overall satisfaction but noting a few issues to be addressed. Spotting Dang Yu once more, Jun Cheng eagerly tried to approach her, but his team leader called him back to assign him the task of writing the group's report.

Later, during Dang Yu's outdoor jog, Jun Cheng tried to catch up with her under the pretense of a coincidental encounter, but she paid him no mind and ran off. Meanwhile, Li Yifei wrapped up a productive work session with his team, planning to finalize their proposal for Shanlifang Hotel within three days. As he left the office, a strange sense of unease washed over him, as though he had forgotten something.

Nearby, Qian Fei walked with a senior colleague and thanked him for answering a technical question she had asked earlier that afternoon. When she asked how he managed to stay so relaxed in such a high-pressure industry, he admitted that at his age, he had to keep things in perspective.

He shared his dream of working a few more years before retiring to his hometown to open a private restaurant or a bar with a future wife, prompting Qian Fei to warmly cheer him on. Later that evening, Dang Yu was livestreaming a video game under her alias, "Qi Ge Po Ming Xiang Ban Tian" (Po Ming).

Jun Cheng watched the broadcast and repeatedly sent her gifts under his online moniker, Grand Chancellor, until she firmly warned him to stop or face being blocked. Soon after, a delivery driver arrived at her door with food sent by him. Furious, Dang Yu went downstairs to confront Jun Cheng, who was waiting in his car. She berated him for stalking her and sending food, calling him a creepy sasaeng fan.

Although Jun Cheng pleaded that he was merely a devoted admirer trying to understand her better, Dang Yu only let him off because of his connection to Qian Fei's tenant, warning him that she would call the police if he ever did it again. Distressed by the encounter, Jun Cheng met Li Yifei for dinner to vent his frustrations.

Li Yifei urged him to remain thick-skinned, referencing strategic lessons from The Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems to justify a persistent approach. When Jun Cheng jokingly asked if Li Yifei applied those same relentless tactics to his landlady, Li Yifei accidentally spat out his drink.

He quickly denied having any romantic designs on Qian Fei, explaining that she had already sworn a dramatic oath to the heavens never to like him, claiming that pursuing her would practically tempt fate to strike her down with lightning and bankruptcy. When Jun Cheng finally returned home, his eager parents were waiting up to hear about his romantic progress.

To deflect their relentless questions and avoid more blind dates, he claimed he was simply too busy with work to even remember what the girl looked like. He then shared that his director had praised his performance, hinting at a potential promotion to deputy section chief by the end of the year.

Overjoyed by the news, his proud parents vowed to handle all his household chores so he could focus entirely on his career, leaving his mother too thrilled to sleep. The next morning, Qian Fei paid the price for staying up late reading Li Yifei's book. Realizing she was running dangerously late, she rushed out of the apartment and hurriedly hopped into Li Yifei's car. Overcome with exhaustion, she fell fast asleep during the drive.

Li Yifei gently quizzed her on real estate business tax regulations, and she mumbled the correct answer half-asleep. Upon arriving at the office, he drove into the underground garage to let her rest a bit longer. When she finally startled awake and hurried out of the vehicle, she was spotted by Fang Yun, who was just arriving to park her car.

After a brief encounter where Wang Ruohai dropped off signed documents for Hejing Securities, Fang Yun called Qian Fei to the riverside for a serious talk. While she praised Qian Fei's professional potential, she sharply criticized her for being impulsive and foolish. Fang Yun revealed that Qian Fei's public outburst regarding Shanlifang Hotel Group's financial fraud had nearly ruined the project and invited immense trouble from vested interests.

She explained that Li Yifei had merely used Qian Fei as a mouthpiece to help Zhizhong divest from the risk, leaving Hejing to clean up the mess. Realizing she had been a pawn in Li Yifei's calculated maneuvers, a disheartened Qian Fei asked if she could step down as his special assistant to work directly under Fang Yun.

Although Fang Yun encouraged her to learn from both of them, she firmly reminded Qian Fei that her loyalty must ultimately lie with Hejing. Jun Cheng's persistent advances continued when a delivery courier tracked down Dang Yu during her outdoor run to hand her a bouquet of flowers. To her friend's amusement, the courier insisted on reading a cheesy card aloud, declaring Dang Yu as the only superstar in his heart, before striking a dramatic pose requested by the sender.

Soon after, another package arrived for her gaming alias, Po Ming, once again sent by Jun Cheng. At the end of the workday, Li Yifei went to find Qian Fei but discovered she had already left. Assuming she had gone home, he drove back, only to find the apartment completely empty. Growing increasingly restless and bored, he bombarded her with text messages, teasingly complaining about her busy social life and how quiet the apartment was without her.

Meanwhile, Qian Fei was still at the office, determined to reclaim her agency. She mapped out the entire Shanlifang project and asset management plan on a massive whiteboard, systematically analyzing the connection between the complex figures. Restless at home, Li Yifei drove back to the office, where he stood in silence, watching her work before the illuminated whiteboard.

Seeing that it was already past midnight and Qian Fei had not returned home, Li Yifei grew anxious and drove to the office. He found her fast asleep on the sofa next to whiteboards covered with her meticulously drafted work proposals. Feeling a mix of respect and tenderness, Li Yifei gently woke her up, advising her to go home. He offered to drive her and grant her half a day off to rest.

However, when Qian Fei realized it was already nearly five in the morning, she declined. She reminded him that she worked under Director Fang and had to deliver her presentation first thing in the morning. Fearing office gossip due to the security cameras, she urged him to leave immediately. Frustrated by her stubbornness, Li Yifei grumbled that his good intentions were being thrown back in his face, before retreating to his own office to sleep on the couch.

When Qian Fei woke up, the office was already bustling. She scrambled to tidy up, only to run into Fang Yun, who instructed her to present her proposals at the upcoming morning meeting in ten minutes. Qian Fei panicked because, in her exhaustion, she had failed to take photos or back up her whiteboard notes, and her mind was completely blank.

She entered the meeting room ready to apologize, but before she could confess, Li Yifei interrupted, claiming he had mistakenly kept her materials. Fang Yun then revealed that Li Yifei had already distributed her proposal outline, which she found highly satisfactory. Pointing to the printed version of her board notes, Fang Yun asked her to elaborate on the implementation details.

Reassured, Qian Fei easily regained her train of thought and confidently walked the team through her assessment of the internal control system. After the meeting, Li Yifei was amusedly looking at a photo he had snapped of Qian Fei's sleeping posture.

When his assistant questioned why he didn't use his own, more complete restructuring plan for Shanlifang Hotel Group instead of letting Qian Fei take the spotlight, Li Yifei replied that he was not interested in stealing credit, as the project's success was what mattered most. Later, Qian Fei approached Yifei to express her gratitude, but her tone was notably distant.

Their conversation quickly devolved into bickering when Li Yifei teased her, prompting her to demand that he find a new apartment and move out. Shortly after, a colleague informed Qian Fei that Director Fang wanted her to hand over her current data and take on the task of organizing the working papers. Overhearing this, Li Yifei grew concerned that Fang Yun was deliberately wasting Qian Fei's time. He dragged her to the rooftop garden for a talk.

When he questioned her sudden coldness, Qian Fei bluntly accused him of manipulation. She pointed out that his previous assistance in revising her research report had been a calculated move to expose Shanlifang's financial discrepancies to Fang Yun, turning her into an unwitting pawn in their high-level corporate maneuvering. Li Yifei met her accusations with a bitter smile, reminding her that investment banking was not a fairy tale where simple optimism always triumphed.

He warned her that by quietly accepting mundane tasks like organizing working papers, she was allowing herself to be taken advantage of without receiving any credit. He urged her to be proactive and show her ambitions to Fang Yun. To cheer her up, he even playfully recited a poem about holding fast to one's principles and offered to continue mentoring her in exchange for a discount on his rent or meals.

Bolstered by his encouragement, Qian Fei requested a meeting with Fang Yun to discuss her career growth. Fang Yun smiled warmly, admitting she had been waiting for Qian Fei to show the confidence to match her exceptional grasp of the Shanlifang Hotel Group's details. She officially invited Qian Fei to work on the prospectus and financial reports, a breakthrough that left Qian Fei ecstatic. Meanwhile, Jun Cheng waited outside Dang Yu’s office with a bouquet of flowers.

Though annoyed by his persistence, Dang Yu reluctantly agreed to have dinner with him to escape the teasing of her curious colleagues. At the restaurant, Jun Cheng earnestly laid out his life details, explaining his stable job as a local civil servant, his lack of financial pressure while living with his parents, and his total lack of dating experience. Dang Yu, however, remained unmoved.

She bluntly graded his personality, career, and family background as failing marks, declaring that they had no future together. Treating the dinner as both his formal confession and her final rejection, she paid the bill, instructed him to take the leftovers home to his mother, and walked out. Heartbroken, Jun Cheng met with Li Yifei and their friends, drinking heavily and lamenting his unrequited love before returning home to drown his sorrows in video games.

While he slept, his worried parents checked his phone, examining photos of Dang Yu to piece together who she was. Later that night, Li Yifei returned home to find Qian Fei cooking congee. When she admitted she was preparing it for Zhao De due to his stomach issues and had simply made extra, Li Yifei felt a prickle of jealousy.

He warned her not to get any ideas about Zhao De, who was currently climbing the career ladder, but Qian Fei dismissed his remarks. Sensing his underlying craving, she served him a bowl as well. As they ate, Qian Fei happily shared the news that Fang Yun had officially assigned her to help write the prospectus. Delighted by her success, Li Yifei joked that his excellent teaching had paid off.

He then placed a stack of cash in a jar, declaring that she could use it to cover his meals, effectively hiring her as his personal chef until the money ran out. The next day, after a lighthearted office dispute where Li Yifei jokingly asserted his authority by making Qian Fei clean up and join him for a game of Landlord, Fang Yun assigned them to a crucial task.

The primary supplier of the Shanlifang Hotel Group had arrived for a due diligence meeting, and since Fang Yun had an emergency, Qian Fei and Li Yifei were to handle it. While reviewing the supplier's files, Qian Fei was shocked to see that the new assistant to the chairman was Gui Lili, Li Yifei's ex-girlfriend. Worried about how he would react, she tried to warn him, but the clients arrived before she could speak.

During the meeting, Gui Lili introduced herself on behalf of the absent Chairman Niu. Rather than being flustered, Li Yifei delivered a brilliant, flawlessly structured presentation. Qian Fei watched him in awe, realizing his polished, exceptionally elegant behavior was a deliberate display designed to make his ex-girlfriend feel regret. After the meeting concluded, Gui Lili hurriedly left, claiming she was unwell.

A colleague subsequently gossiped to Qian Fei that Gui Lili was actually the chairman's fiancée and that a wedding was imminent. Shortly after, Gui Lili sent a text message to Qian Fei's phone, asking how Li Yifei had been doing lately and if he ever mentioned her. As Qian Fei tried to respond, Gui Lili sent another message, bluntly asking if Qian Fei had fallen for Li Yifei.

Spotting the text, Li Yifei snatched Qian Fei's phone to type a teasing, self-aggrandizing reply, praising himself as handsome, helpful with chores, and attractive in anything he wears. Annoyed by his interference, Qian Fei lunged to grab her phone back, and the two of them ended up colliding in a flustered scramble.

At the start of the episode, the awkward tension between Li Yifei and Qian Fei after their sudden collision over the phone is broken when Zhao De, who had tactfully stepped out, returns to look for some items he left behind. Though the two quickly separate, the atmosphere remains highly charged with embarrassment. When they resume their card game, Qian Fei channels her intense energy into the play.

She dominates the game with high-level hands, leaving both Yifei and Zhao De repeatedly passing and lamenting their inability to counter her winning streak. Later, Qian Fei meets up with her close friend Jingjing at a coffee shop, where they discuss Gui Lili. Jingjing looks at Qian Fei's bare, casual appearance and sighs, reminiscing about their college days when Qian Fei used to dress up beautifully and had plenty of suitors, including Wang Ruohai.

Jingjing teases her that since moving in with Ruohai, her style has devolved into a hopeless mix-and-match disaster. Attempting to lift her spirits, Jingjing pulls out her phone to show Qian Fei a curated list of potential blind dates. Qian Fei dismisses them all, casually noting that none of them are even as handsome as her current tenant. Jingjing immediately senses something deeper, teasing Qian Fei about having feelings for Yifei.

Qian Fei quickly defers, claiming she sees Yifei merely as an attractive molecular aggregate and has lost all interest in men. Jingjing tries to convince her that shopping is just like investing in undervalued companies and drags her out to shop. The next morning, Yifei wakes up with an urgent need to use the bathroom, only to find the guest bathroom completely clogged. With no other choice, he barges into Qian Fei's master bathroom to relieve himself.

By the time he finishes and comes out, Qian Fei has already skillfully cleared the clog with a plunger. Amazed and annoyed, she expresses her sheer frustration with his lack of life skills, prompting a sheepish Yifei to offer a rent increase of three hundred yuan a month to appease her. Because Yifei's car is in the shop for repairs, the two are forced to take the bus together to work.

At a roadside stall, Qian Fei orders a shou zhuabing. Yifei initially acts snobbish and criticizes her for practically begging the vendor for an extra egg, so she only buys one for herself. However, unable to resist the mouthwatering aroma, Yifei greedily snatches it from her hand and takes a large bite. Despite her protests, they end up sharing the single pancake, with Yifei seemingly forgetting his germophobia as he happily eats after her.

Crammed onto the packed bus, they are pushed close together, bickering all the way to the office. Upon arriving at the office, Yifei leaves instructions at the front desk for Qian Fei to retrieve a large shipment of books he ordered. As his assistant, Qian Fei hauls the heavy box up to his office. Seeing the massive stack of professional books, she wonders how someone who seems so helpless in daily life could perform so exceptionally as an investment banker.

Believing his success stems from these texts, she secretly takes a photo of his reading list. She goes out and purchases the exact same books, carefully wrapping them in covers so Yifei won't discover that she is trying to emulate his self-improvement efforts. On Sunday, Yifei relaxes in the living room, eagerly waiting for Qian Fei to make a promised feast.

However, Qian Fei receives a phone call from her colleague Dang Yu, informing her that their department manager, He Li, was hospitalized with a broken leg after falling down the stairs. Qian Fei decides to visit her and promises Yifei she will return before dinner.

To ensure she has enough cash for both the hospital flowers and dinner groceries, Yifei intercepts a child downstairs to exchange WeChat funds for five hundred yuan in cash, presenting it to Qian Fei so she has plenty of money. When she returns with groceries, she insists Yifei earn his meal by washing the vegetables. Yifei reluctantly complies, though his slow, tedious pace makes Qian Fei joke that they won't be eating until the next morning.

Meanwhile, Wang Ruohai has a video call with his parents, who are eager to know how the renovations on his and Qian Fei's new apartment are progressing. Ruohai lies, claiming Qian Fei is busy on a business trip and that they are temporarily renting an upscale place while fixing some renovation issues. He quickly hangs up when Liao Shiyu arrives.

Shiyu warmly links arms with him and watches him cook, commenting on how happy she feels, noting that he had never cooked for Qian Fei. Their warm moment is interrupted when Ruohai receives a text from his father stating that his mother's kidney transplant will cost hundreds of thousands of yuan and asking how much he can contribute. Shiyu notices his tense expression and asks if the message is from Qian Fei.

Ruohai quickly reassures her, claiming he and Qian Fei have had absolutely no contact since their breakup. Hoping to get his messy room cleaned, Yifei deceptively claims he saw cockroaches in his bedroom, knowing Qian Fei's dread of pests. Terrified, Qian Fei enters his room and thoroughly cleans and organizes everything. Afterward, exhausted and frustrated by having to constantly serve a fake "young master," she demands that he move out.

Shortly after, Qian Fei finds Yifei preparing to send his entire wardrobe—including his socks—to the dry cleaners. Shocked by his wastefulness, she decides to teach him how to use the washing machine, sorting his dark clothes and explaining the detergent and water valves.

She also teases him about wearing high-quality knockoffs, arguing that he wouldn't be sharing an apartment if his designer clothes were real, though she tells him he is welcome to keep pretending to be a rich second-generation heir in front of her. Despite her instructions, Yifei's attempt at laundry ends in disaster. When Qian Fei returns from grocery shopping, Yifei tries to distract her by suggesting a walk downstairs to look at the blooming flowers.

Her suspicion is raised, and she quickly discovers that he has flooded the apartment, with water leaking all the way to the living room. Yifei frantically vacuums up the water, promising to pay for the floor repairs with next month's rent.

To escape eviction, Yifei fabricates a tragic sob story about his childhood to gain her sympathy, claiming his father cut ties with him over a woman who eventually ran off with someone else, leaving him entirely on his own and unable to master basic life skills. Softened by his seemingly tragic past, Qian Fei agrees to let him stay.

However, she presents him with a precise, itemized price list for all household chores, meaning Yifei must pay cash for any service she provides. To resolve their chore and financial arrangements, Qian Fei brings out a childhood piggy bank jar, which happens to perfectly match one Yifei owned in his youth. She declares that Yifei must pay cash directly into the jar for every chore she completes, which will serve as her motivation to tolerate his presence.

He agrees to the terms and tallies up his debt for the day's meals and laundry, promising to place the seventy yuan into the jar after dinner. In the corporate world, Lu Ze's company, Xinxin Vision, is a subsidiary and cooperating partner of the Shanlifang Hotel Group. Due to continuous financial losses over the past three years, Xinxin Vision is facing severe operational difficulties.

While they initially hoped to ride Shanlifang's upcoming IPO to revive the company, Shiyu delivers the harsh news that Xinxin Vision is being officially spun off from the group, and proposes that they transfer their shares. When Lu Ze protests the unfairness of the asset valuation and asks to speak with the chairman, Shiyu reveals that the decision came directly from the top.

However, she offers a potential lifeline, presenting a proposal that allows Xinxin Vision to transition smoothly if they can find an outside investor to take over before the spin-off is completed. She notes that the capital market is ruthless, and mentions that Hejing Securities, the sponsor handling the group's IPO, has taught them all a harsh lesson.

Later, Jingjing meets up with Qian Fei and gifts her a small toy that bears an uncanny resemblance to Yifei, complete with a tiny suit and gold buttons. Jingjing teases her about how the toy captures Yifei's knack for acting innocent and pitiful, while Qian Fei laughingly denies it, though she is clearly amused by the comparison.

Lu Ze met with Liao Shiyu to negotiate the future of Xinxin Vision, pleading that the company should not be cast aside right before Shanlifang's IPO. He argued that divesting Xinxin Vision was incredibly cruel, considering the years of contribution it had made to Shanlifang's growth. Liao Shiyu explained that the capital market was inherently ruthless and success required more than just hard work.

However, she offered a small concession: if Lu Ze could find an investor to take over Xinxin Vision before the spin-off was completed, Shanlifang would cooperate with the transition. Lu Ze firmly resolved to find a buyer. When Liao Shiyu mentioned that the IPO sponsor had recently taught her a harsh lesson, Lu Ze guessed she was referring to Hejing Securities, noting he had a friend working on the project.

When he revealed his friend was Qian Fei, Liao Shiyu was surprised. She informed him that the entire group asset revaluation plan, including the recommendation to spin off Xinxin Vision, was actually orchestrated by Qian Fei. While waiting in the lobby, Qian Fei made use of her spare moment to study.

When her best friend Jingjing arrived, she was amazed to find Qian Fei diligently taking notes while reading an original English textbook, recalling how Qian Fei had sworn off studying at graduation. Qian Fei explained that her picky, high-maintenance tenant, Li Yifei, had motivated her.

Though she initially wrote him off as a superficial pretty boy, she recently realized he was highly skilled and professional, forcing her to step up her own game to prove herself in front of an outsider. Jingjing teased that even Wang Ruohai couldn't motivate her like this during college. Mentioning her ex reminded Qian Fei of her current workplace headache, as she now had to collaborate with Wang Ruohai and his new girlfriend, Liao Shiyu.

Jingjing, who was there to pick up Lu Ze, handed Qian Fei a plush bear she had specifically gone back to buy over the weekend. Qian Fei adored the stuffed bear, pointing out that its little suit, gold buttons, and innocent expression looked exactly like Li Yifei. Jingjing jokingly warned that Qian Fei was obsessed, as she couldn't go three sentences without mentioning him, and suggested she use the bear as a voodoo doll whenever her tenant annoyed her.

Just then, Lu Ze approached with a tense and grim expression while Jingjing stepped aside to answer a phone call. When Qian Fei asked him why he had been meeting with Liao Shiyu, Lu Ze coldly asked if she wasn't already aware. He criticized her, pointing out how much she meant to Jingjing—not just as a best friend, but as a sister and family who would drop everything to support her.

He explained that he and Jingjing were about to get married, and Jingjing had been overjoyed, believing Xinxin Vision would ride Shanlifang's coattails to a successful IPO so they could build a stable life together. Lu Ze then confronted Qian Fei, demanding to know why she had designed the proposal to divest Xinxin Vision without warning them.

Qian Fei was completely bewildered and insisted she had no knowledge of the spin-off, but Lu Ze dismissed her excuses, stating that Liao Shiyu had explicitly named her as the mastermind behind the plan. Before they could argue further, Jingjing returned, needing an urgent ride to her office to resolve a project issue, and the couple left in a rush. Seeking answers, Qian Fei found Li Yifei at the gym.

While trying to assist him during his workout, she accidentally added too much weight to his machine, causing him to strain his shoulder. Feeling guilty, she gave him a massage while questioning him about Xinxin Vision's impending divestment. Li Yifei did not deny the situation, explaining that while Qian Fei’s initial plan was just a general framework, the reality of the implementation was far more complicated.

He pointed out that Xinxin Vision had terrible financials and had failed to launch any new products in three years. What started as a sentimental investment by Shanlifang had merely become a tool for Chairman Liao to raise money by overvaluing intangible assets. Because of its massive debt, divesting the company was the only logical step to ensure a successful IPO.

Despite Qian Fei's pleas to find a way to save the tech company, Li Yifei admitted he had already exhausted all possibilities and found no viable solutions. On their ride home, Li Yifei asked Qian Fei to help him reset his fingerprint on their home’s smart lock. This conversation was overheard by his colleague Zhao De, who was shocked to discover they were living together.

Although they quickly clarified that they were merely co-renting as landlady and tenant, Zhao De couldn't help but tease that the two of them made a perfect match given how incredibly sharp-tongued they both were. On the way to meet Jingjing, Qian Fei was filled with guilt, worrying about how to tell her best friend that her work had inadvertently ruined Lu Ze's company.

Li Yifei brushed her worries aside, telling her she was overthinking and that Lu Ze's failure to manage his own business had nothing to do with her. Soon after, Jingjing took Qian Fei to tour her newly decorated wedding home, proudly showcasing the warm and cozy design she had put together herself. She mentioned that Lu Ze had been so swamped with the IPO preparation that he had not even had time to visit the house.

When Lu Ze failed to answer Jingjing's calls and later phoned to say he had to skip dinner due to work, Qian Fei decided to cheer her friend up by inviting her back to her apartment for a home-cooked meal. Lu Ze, in truth, had intentionally avoided the gathering because he could not bring himself to face Qian Fei. Back at the apartment, Qian Fei prepared steamed cured meats for dinner.

Li Yifei informed them that he had an evening appointment and headed out. Left alone with Jingjing, Qian Fei carefully tried to broach the subject of Lu Ze's company, but their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Wang Ruohai. He demanded that Qian Fei immediately repay the remaining 500,000 yuan from their previous house transaction.

When Qian Fei explained that she did not have that kind of money on hand but would pay him back as soon as possible, Wang Ruohai pressured her to withdraw from the Shanlifang due diligence team. He claimed their past relationship was causing him too much professional and social pressure, even offering to pull strings with her boss to transfer her to a different position.

Jingjing was outraged, immediately recognizing that Wang Ruohai was using the debt to blackmail Qian Fei just to keep her out of Liao Shiyu's sight. When Wang Ruohai began physically grabbing and refusing to let go of Qian Fei at the doorway, Li Yifei suddenly returned to retrieve his forgotten car keys. Seeing the struggle, Li Yifei stepped in, grabbed Wang Ruohai, and executed a clean shoulder throw, slamming him to the ground and bloodying his nose.

Humiliated, Wang Ruohai scrambled away. Li Yifei reminded the women to lock the door before heading out again. Later, Jingjing offered to lend Qian Fei the money, but Qian Fei declined, not wanting to burden her friend right before her wedding. After Jingjing left, Qian Fei sat alone, drafting a message on her phone to explain the Xinxin Vision situation to Jingjing, but she ultimately hesitated and deleted it, completely torn.

Meanwhile, Li Yifei joined his friends at a bar, where they teased him about his feelings for his landlady, noting how he was secretly pining for her. Li Yifei dismissed their jokes and left the gathering early, admitting he preferred his landlady's cooking over the bar food. Around the same time, Liao Shiyu initiated a video call with Wang Ruohai and noticed the fresh injuries on his face.

Wang Ruohai tried to cover up the truth, claiming he had gotten into a physical altercation with a taxi driver. Deeply concerned, Liao Shiyu insisted on rushing over to his apartment immediately to check on him, pleading with him to always be honest with her. When Li Yifei returned home later that night, he found that Qian Fei had saved the dinner leftovers specifically for him.

Touched by the gesture, he asked why she did it, and Qian Fei explained it was her way of thanking him for teaching Wang Ruohai a lesson. As she offered to reheat the food for him, the tension between the two roommates melted away into a warm, comfortable silence.

Liao Shiyu immediately rushes to check on Wang Ruohai after learning about his facial injury. However, instead of telling her that Li Yifei threw him over his shoulder, Wang Ruohai lies, claiming he got into a physical altercation with a taxi driver over a minor disagreement. Sensing that he is hiding the truth, Liao Shiyu expresses her wish that he would always be completely honest with her about everything in the future.

When Li Yifei returns to the apartment, he is surprised to find four neatly prepared dishes waiting for him on the dining table. He knocks on Qian Fei's door to see if she is asleep. Qian Fei emerges, and they slide into their usual playful bickering.

When Li Yifei demands she heat up some supper for him, Qian Fei threatens to slam his foot in the door, to which he jokes that she would have to sell her house to cover his medical bills. Eventually, Qian Fei shyly admits she cooked the meal to thank him for standing up to Wang Ruohai. Touched, Li Yifei warmly offers to reheat the food himself.

Meanwhile, Jun Cheng returns home in a state of deep depression and immediately collapses onto his bed. His concerned parents try to coax him into sharing his troubles. While his mother worries about potential issues at work, his father deduces that their son was rejected by a girl. Jun Cheng's mother refuses to believe this, insisting that her son is far too outstanding to be turned down by anyone.

The father points out that Jun Cheng's current dejected state looks exactly like his own back when she had initially rejected him. To help her son regain his confidence, the mother decides to cancel her plans for a photography exhibition the next day. The following morning, Jun Cheng's parents trick him into driving them to the park under the guise of dropping off spare speakers for her dance troupe. Instead, they lead him straight to a bustling matchmaking corner.

His mother proudly broadcasts his credentials over a megaphone, boasting that he is a tall university graduate who passed the civil service exam on his first try. Eager parents quickly crowd around, clamoring to exchange WeChat contacts. Embarrassed, Jun Cheng suddenly spots Dang Yu jogging nearby and immediately runs after her. Exhausted but determined to see what kind of girl would reject their son, his parents chase after them.

When Jun Cheng catches up, he asks why she won't accept him when everyone else finds his credentials perfect. Dang Yu does not hold back. She points out that instead of reflecting on his issues like an adult, he acts like an overgrown child. She criticizes his complete lack of independence, noting that he blindly follows his mother's instructions, even ordering milk at a bar.

Declaring that she desires a self-sufficient partner who values freedom, Dang Yu makes it clear that she has no interest in a mama's boy. She firmly states that in their business project, he can only be Grand Chancellor and she can only be Po Ming, with no other relationship possible. Overhearing this from the bushes, Jun Cheng's mother is deeply offended, though the father suggests they might need to give their son more breathing room.

Back at the apartment, Li Yifei notices that Qian Fei has stopped cooking her usual meals and has locked herself in her room for days, surviving on instant noodles. Concerned, he orders extra takeout and leaves it at her door. When Qian Fei finally opens her door looking disheveled and exhausted, she explains that she took on a rush translation gig to earn extra cash and has not slept in two days.

Li Yifei chides her for putting her health at risk. He reassures her that Wang Ruohai cannot easily get her fired from Shanlifang since she has Fang Yun's backing and serves as his special assistant. He suggests they handle her debts systematically and offers to look over any receipts or IOUs. Later, Yao Jingjing visits Qian Fei at work. Qian Fei apologizes for forgetting their furniture shopping plans due to her heavy workload.

She admits she is working ahead so she can take on side translation jobs to repay Wang Ruohai as quickly as possible. When Jingjing offers her own money, Qian Fei refuses, reminding her that she needs her savings for her upcoming wedding. Qian Fei urges Jingjing to go shopping with Lu Ze instead. At the furniture store, Lu Ze is highly distracted, taking stressful phone calls regarding the spin-off plan.

Jingjing notices his anxiety and mentions how overwhelmed Qian Fei is, caught between Shanlifang's IPO preparations and Wang Ruohai's aggressive financial demands. Lu Ze makes a bitter remark about Qian Fei, which Jingjing quickly dismisses as an attempt to drive a wedge between them. Later that evening, Lu Ze sits alone drinking in frustration. Jingjing joins him, offering to share his emotional burdens.

Lu Ze confesses his feelings of inadequacy, lamenting that despite working day and night on R&D, he cannot deliver a successful product. Jingjing comforts him, praising his idealism and passion as a tech professional, which deeply moves him. Determined to save his company, Lu Ze barges into Shanlifang to confront Li Yifei, creating a loud scene in the lobby. Qian Fei ushers him into Li Yifei's office and presents the previous cooperation agreement between Xinxin Vision and Shanlifang.

Li Yifei calmly reminds Lu Ze of his previous warning at the Venture Capital Forum regarding Xinxin Vision's low technical barriers and high market dependency. He shows Lu Ze the original contracts, explaining that the funds provided by Shanlifang were structured as loans rather than investments. Consequently, any new buyer must first repay these outstanding loans before acquiring the assets—a harsh reality of capital operations.

Meanwhile, Yao Jingjing arrives at Shanlifang's lobby and calls Qian Fei to see if she is free for lunch. Seeing Wang Ruohai finally appear, Jingjing confronts him in the open lobby. She dumps 500,000 RMB in cash on the table, loudly denouncing him for threatening his ex-girlfriend's job security to force immediate repayment. Liao Shiyu arrives to defuse the situation, accusing Jingjing of attempting to tarnish the hotel's reputation on behalf of a competitor.

Jingjing retaliates by calling Wang Ruohai out for cheating and having an affair. As Liao Shiyu threatens legal action for defamation, security guards grab Jingjing. Lu Ze, who is leaving his meeting, rushes over to defend her, warning the guards not to touch his fiancée. Qian Fei arrives amidst the chaos. A tearful Wang Ruohai finally reveals the true reason for his desperation: his mother is gravely ill, and he desperately needs the money for her treatment.

Hearing this, Qian Fei feels a wave of guilt. She tells him to keep the 500,000 RMB for his mother's medical bills and promises to find a way to repay her portion as soon as possible. Liao Shiyu coldly accuses Lu Ze of orchestrating the entire public scene out of resentment over Xinxin Vision being excluded from the IPO.

After she and Wang Ruohai depart, Qian Fei is left shocked as she learns about the spin-off plan for the first time, realizing that both Lu Ze and Li Yifei had kept the truth from her.

Liao Shiyu is convinced that the chaotic scene in the lobby was orchestrated by Lu Ze, accusing him of sending Jingjing to sabotage her because of his resentment over Xinxin Vision being spun off from Shanlifang. Shocked by the accusation, Jingjing demands to know the truth from Lu Ze. When Lu Ze and Qian Fei exchange looks, both realizing they kept Jingjing in the dark, Lu Ze quickly pulls her away to talk privately.

Inside the car, Lu Ze confesses everything about the company’s current financial ruin. Jingjing is deeply hurt, feeling foolish that she was the last to know about such a significant crisis while she was led to believe he was merely busy preparing for the company's joint IPO. Lu Ze explains that Xinxin Vision has no commercializable products and is heavily burdened with debt, prompting Shanlifang to spin them off to protect their own valuation before going public.

Determined to save his company, which he views as his own child, Lu Ze plans to personally fund its operations for eighty-seven days while searching for new investors. Jingjing strongly opposes this decision, viewing it as a hopeless gamble. She suggests they get married and go on a honeymoon first to let him clear his mind, but Lu Ze refuses, insisting that the wedding must be postponed.

Frustrated by his obsession with his career, Jingjing gives him an ultimatum to choose between her and the company. When Lu Ze struggles to find a compromise, she hands back her ring and walks away. Meanwhile, Qian Fei confides in a close friend about her guilt. She explains that exposing Shanlifang's fake accounts inadvertently ruined Lu Ze's company, and she feels terrible for keeping Jingjing in the dark.

Although she feels responsible, her friend advises her not to let her savior complex take over, especially after learning that Wang Ruohai's mother is seriously ill. Later, Liao Shiyu confronts Wang Ruohai in her office, expressing her frustration that he hid his family's financial struggles from her. Wang Ruohai admits he did not want their relationship to be complicated by money, but ultimately accepts her financial help as a loan.

Back in the office, the staff eagerly gossips about the lobby drama, relishing the revelation that Wang Ruohai cheated and Liao Shiyu is a mistress. The public scene prompts Ms. Fang to summon Qian Fei to her office. Ms. Fang reprimands her for bringing personal drama into the workplace and disrupting the sponsor team, ordering her to apologize to Liao Shiyu to quiet the rumors.

However, Qian Fei firmly refuses, declaring that she will not compromise her principles or apologize for a private matter in which she did nothing wrong. Afterward, Zhao De offers Qian Fei a warm drink and voices his own dislike for Liao Shiyu's privileged attitude. When Qian Fei asks about Li Yifei's whereabouts, Zhao De mentions he left to attend to some business. In truth, Li Yifei is busy on multiple fronts.

First, he accompanies an investor, Mr. Sang, to inspect their agricultural project, explaining how high-tech integration makes modern agriculture a highly promising field for investment. After sending off Mr. Sang's group, Li Yifei meets with self-media contacts, drinking heavily to ensure they suppress the gossip surrounding Qian Fei. Later that night, he admits to his friend that he is deeply in love with his landlady and hopes to officially win her over soon.

Qian Fei returns home carrying the savings Jingjing had prepared to lend her, only to find that Li Yifei is still not back. She receives a text from Wang Ruohai, who apologizes for pressuring her and explains his mother's sudden illness. When Li Yifei finally returns home, he finds Qian Fei fast asleep on her bed without a blanket. He gently tucks her in and notices the book she was reading.

Seeing the title, he smiles as he realizes she has been copying his own reading list. He also spots a stuffed bear that he jokingly decides looks just like him, before quietly wishing her a good night. The following morning, Li Yifei desperately begs Qian Fei to wash his white business shirt for an afternoon meeting, as the dry cleaners refused to rush the job.

When Qian Fei teases him for treating her like a maid, he uses her book copying as leverage, offering to share his latest titles on institutional investing in exchange for her doing his laundry. Qian Fei agrees on the condition that he goes downstairs to buy groceries. Despite complaining about the chore and boasting that he has never bought groceries for anyone before, Li Yifei heads out.

Assuming the shirt is just a cheap knockoff, Qian Fei throws it directly into the washing machine. Li Yifei returns from an upscale import supermarket, only to be horrified when he discovers his luxury shirt in the washing machine. He exasperatedly explains that the delicate buttons should have been removed before washing to prevent damage from the detergent. To make amends, Qian Fei offers to buy him an identical one online.

Later, she catches him trying to sew the buttons back on himself and laughs at his messy work. She offers to sew them properly for him after dinner if he agrees to wash the dishes in return. Over dinner, they bicker playfully about the lobby drama and his chore duties.

Despite his protests about never having washed dishes in his life, he takes on the task, and she carefully sews the buttons back onto his shirt, with both reflecting on how their mothers used to sew for them. Meanwhile, Lu Ze and his assistant prepare to meet with the boss of Qiansheng Group. Knowing that this is their final opportunity to secure the funding needed to save Xinxin Vision, Lu Ze prepares himself for one last desperate effort.

Lu Ze, accompanied by his assistant, went to the villa of Li Qiansheng, the chairman of Qiansheng Group, hoping to secure an investment for Xinxin Vision. Knowing that the seasoned industrialist was known for being open-minded, Lu Ze treated this meeting as his last desperate gamble. After waiting for nearly an hour past their scheduled appointment, the housekeeper, Jiang, explained that Li Qiansheng went to walk his dog every Wednesday afternoon and was likely running late.

Soon after, Li Qiansheng returned, thoroughly exhausted from chasing his dog. He politely poured tea but made it clear that he would not invest in Xinxin Vision. Having already reviewed the materials, he pointed out that the project lacked a clear timeline, contingency plans, and a guaranteed return on investment. The proposal, he noted, was like painting a picture of a pie that belonged to someone else while asking him to pay for it.

The words echoed what Li Yifei had once warned Lu Ze about. Although Li Qiansheng rejected the proposal, he kindly encouraged Lu Ze, stating that for a young entrepreneur, struggling and gaining experience was never a bad thing, and his door would remain open for a genuinely good project. Meanwhile, Qian Fei arrived at Yao Jingjing’s new apartment carrying a large suitcase of returned cash, which Wang Ruohai had refused to accept.

Finding Jingjing alone and eating instant noodles, Qian Fei asked if her friend blamed her for the downfall of Lu Ze's company. Jingjing reassured her that the re-evaluation of Shanlifang's assets was simply Qian Fei's professional duty. She added that Xinxin Vision was already poorly managed with highly overvalued intangible assets; it would have collapsed sooner or later anyway. However, the mention of Lu Ze still made Jingjing furious.

She expressed her resentment that Lu Ze was a stubborn workaholic who had chosen his career over their future. Hearing that they had broken up, a shocked Qian Fei urged Jingjing to go find Lu Ze, arguing that he had tried his best before Shanlifang backed out of their deal. But Jingjing remained firm, stating she could not spend her life with someone who valued his company above everything else.

Despite admitting she still loved him, she knew that in his heart, his business would always come first. After Jingjing left, Lu Ze returned to his empty apartment. Looking at the vacant rooms, he was flooded with memories of when he had proposed to Jingjing, prompting him to cover his eyes in quiet devastation. On a brighter note, the modern agricultural project Fulaxida, spearheaded by Li Yifei and his partner Ma Li, had begun to yield positive results.

During an on-site demonstration, Li Yifei presented their third-phase experimental scene, showing how organic crops could be cultivated on a large scale within urban buildings with minimal modifications, coupled with smart logistics. The representative for the potential investor, Mr. Sang, was highly impressed. When asked why a rising star in investment banking would focus on farming, Li Yifei passionately explained that modern agriculture was driven by digital technology and life sciences, carrying the potential for rural revitalization and shared prosperity.

Following the presentation, Mr. Sang met with Liao Shiyu on a golf course. Praising her skills, he casually mentioned his recent investment in Fulaxida, noting it was run by talented young people who had sought his financial backing. Jun Cheng's birthday was fast approaching, and Li Yifei met him at the mall to hand over a birthday gift. Seeing Jun Cheng moping, Li Yifei encouraged him to pull himself together.

Jun Cheng confessed that he felt completely worthless after being rejected by Dang Yu. He lamented how his parents had meticulously arranged every aspect of his life, from his education and job to his living situation and finances, making him exactly the kind of dependent "mama's boy" that an independent girl like Dang Yu could never love. Li Yifei urged him to change for the sake of love, pointing out his own transformation.

He showed Jun Cheng his mended clothes and admitted that he now did laundry, washed dishes, and bought groceries because his landlady would not feed him otherwise. Inspired by the realization that Li Yifei was willing to discard his pride for his landlady, Jun Cheng vowed to change himself for Dang Yu.

Back at the apartment, Qian Fei proudly presented a replacement white shirt she bought online for Li Yifei to make up for the one she had ruined in the wash. She boasted that it looked identical but only cost 109 yuan with free shipping. Li Yifei scoffed at the cheap knockoff, but Qian Fei teased him about his reckless spending habits, suggesting he could have moved out if he saved more.

Li Yifei retorted that he would only move out for a villa. Amused, Qian Fei snatched his phone and downloaded a bargain shopping app, giving him the nickname "Dummy Li" and demonstrating how he could find identical household items for even lower prices. Later, Jun Cheng returned home, where his mother noticed the gift from Li Yifei.

Knowing his birthday was over the weekend, she instructed him to invite Li Yifei and his friends over for dinner, handing him a box of fresh cherries to deliver to Li Yifei's place immediately. When Jun Cheng arrived with the fruit, he extended the invitation to both Li Yifei and Qian Fei. Qian Fei was hesitant to attend since she did not know his parents, but Li Yifei urged her to go and suggested they also invite Dang Yu.

Although Jun Cheng was nervous because of his rejection, Li Yifei advised him to act natural. When Qian Fei called Dang Yu, they were surprised to learn that Jun Cheng's mother had already personally invited her. Over the weekend, everyone gathered at Jun Cheng's house for the birthday dinner.

During the meal, Jun Cheng's mother deliberately tried to undermine Dang Yu by belittling her administrative front desk job, condescendingly suggesting that such positions were only meant for wealthy girls who wanted easy work. She then expressed a patronizing sense of Shanghai superiority over Dang Yu's Yunnan roots, calling Yunnan backward. Dang Yu handled the comments gracefully, but Jun Cheng's mother continued to press, asking if there was any room for promotion.

Qian Fei quickly stepped in to defend Dang Yu, describing her as a highly capable "slash generation" youth. However, when his mother continued to make sharp, insulting remarks under the guise of casual conversation, Jun Cheng finally stood up to her for the first time. He angrily accused her of trying to humiliate him on his birthday and walked out of the house with Dang Yu.

Once outside, Jun Cheng apologized for his mother's behavior, and Dang Yu smiled, expressing how glad she was to see him finally stand up for himself. Following the dinner incident, Li Yifei noted to Qian Fei that the unpleasant evening had actually worked in Jun Cheng's favor, allowing Dang Yu to see a different side of him.

Soon after, Jun Cheng joined Dang Yu as a volunteer, helping her distribute fire safety flyers to the neighborhood, determined not to let her down. Back at the apartment, Li Yifei noticed Qian Fei trying to study for her sponsor representative exam while doing household chores. Believing that multitasking was ineffective, he decided to quiz her.

He questioned her on complex concepts, including options trading, the monetary base, and a calculation to find the EBIT margin based on a variable cost ratio and break-even operating rate. To his astonishment, Qian Fei answered every question flawlessly, proudly declaring that her school nickname was "Ace Fei" because of her academic prowess. Meanwhile, the embarrassing video of Wang Ruohai's public incident with his mistress was spreading rapidly across the internet.

Recognizing that someone was intentionally fueling the fire, Li Yifei quickly made calls to have the matter resolved. At Hejing, the viral video became the subject of heavy office gossip, making Qian Fei feel highly uncomfortable. Fearing the backlash, Liao Shiyu planned to transfer Qian Fei out of the company immediately to avoid further controversy. However, Wang Ruohai firmly rejected the idea.

He explained that transferring Qian Fei now would only lead people to speculate that Liao Shiyu was abusing her power to settle a personal grudge, emphasizing that keeping Qian Fei in her position was actually the best way to protect Liao Shiyu's reputation. That evening, Qian Fei prepared a nice dinner and waited for Li Yifei to return. However, he remained out late, leaving her waiting alone at the table.

Qian Fei sits alone at the dining table, feeling a wave of loneliness as she eats the dinner she prepared. Her quiet evening is interrupted when Li Yifei finally returns home. Exhausted and starving, he is thrilled to see a freshly cooked meal waiting for him and eagerly sits down to eat. However, the comfortable atmosphere quickly shifts when Qian Fei seriously suggests that it is no longer appropriate for them to continue living together.

Li Yifei refuses to move, teasingly claiming he won't leave until he saves enough to buy a villa. Seeing his stubbornness, Qian Fei breaks into tears, confronting him about secretly resolving the trending search scandal involving Wang Ruohai and asking why he did so much for her without saying a word. Softening at the sight of her crying, Li Yifei comforts her and offers to pay a higher rent.

After a tearful negotiation, they agree to raise the monthly rent by one thousand yuan, prompting Li Yifei to jokingly call her a money-grubber. Their conversation is cut short by a courier at the door. Inside the package, Qian Fei finds a formal lawyer's letter from Shanlifang Hotel Group. The document holds them accountable for the viral lobby video, demanding public apologies and compensation from both Qian Fei and Dang Yu.

Qian Fei immediately calls Dang Yu, who confirms she received the same notice. Distressed and feeling deeply guilty, Dang Yu admits she posted the video in a fit of rage and fears her actions might cost Qian Fei her hard-earned job. Later that night, Li Yifei stands by Qian Fei's bedroom door, trying to ease her anxiety by reassuring her that the lawyer's letter is simply a bluff meant to scare her.

The next morning, Qian Fei waits outside to intercept Liao Shiyu, sincerely apologizing for letting her personal affairs affect the hotel's reputation and asking for the lawyer's letter to be withdrawn. Liao Shiyu remains unmoved, coldly stating that since the legal department has intervened, they must follow the established procedures.

Upon returning to her desk, Qian Fei's anxieties are realized when a colleague delivers a message from Fang Yun, instructing her to list and hand over all her work tasks and barring her from attending the day's meeting. Meanwhile, Dang Yu launches a livestream to publicly apologize. She takes full responsibility for the video, clarifies that Wang Ruohai was already separated from his ex-girlfriend at the time, and pleads with the audience to stop the cyberbullying.

When the comment section turns hostile, a distressed Dang Yu abruptly ends the stream. Deeply concerned, Jun Cheng immediately starts his own broadcast from his car to defend her. He sits there for hours without food or water, arguing with hostile netizens. To prove his sincerity, he reveals his status as a public servant and explains that Dang Yu is actually a kind-hearted volunteer who recently helped community residents sort garbage.

Watching the livestream, Jun Cheng's mother is horrified to see her public servant son risking his career for a girl. She sends him a private message urging him to stop, but Jun Cheng promptly blocks her. Back on the subway, Qian Fei receives a call from her father, who is worried about the viral video and asks if she and Wang Ruohai broke up over their apartment.

Qian Fei assures him she is sorting it out and lies that she has enough investments to pay off Wang Ruohai's share. Li Yifei, who is standing nearby, overhears the call and realizes she is lying about her finances, deciding she needs a distraction from her mounting worries. Li Yifei insists that they go shopping, telling Qian Fei that she needs to face whatever happens tomorrow with dignity and spirit.

Despite her complaints about her tight budget, he drags her through the mall, personally selecting a stylish outfit with a short skirt and even buying a pair of safety shorts. When Qian Fei emerges from the fitting room, Li Yifei is stunned by her slender waist and long legs.

He caps off the makeover by choosing a pair of high heels, bringing the bill to three thousand yuan, and then takes her to his friend Steven's salon to get her hair done. Struggling to walk in the unfamiliar heels on their way out, Qian Fei stumbles, and Li Yifei quickly catches her, leaving the two of them in a brief, charged moment of silence.

At the same time, Dang Yu is so touched by Jun Cheng's unwavering support that she invites him on a date to a horror escape room called Demon Realm. Once inside the haunted house, the public servant's brave facade crumbles, and he screams in terror, begging Dang Yu to protect him. Meanwhile, Jun Cheng's anxious parents track him to his subdistrict office, only to learn from his colleague that he went to a haunted house.

They follow him to the venue, but upon entering the dark corridors, they are immediately startled by the terrifying decorations. Panicking, they yell at the staff to open the doors, warning them that they both have weak hearts. Later that evening, Qian Fei and Li Yifei unwind at an outdoor food stall over a plate of skewers. Qian Fei raises her glass to toast him, expressing her gratitude for his efforts to pull her out of her depression.

Calling him China's best tenant, she finally smiles, and Li Yifei happily returns the compliment, calling her China's best landlady. Their peaceful dinner is briefly interrupted when a man named Qiu Shi approaches their table and tries to introduce himself to Qian Fei. Li Yifei immediately steps in to block the advance, lightheartedly teasing Qian Fei about ruining her romantic prospects.

Elsewhere, Liao Shiyu has a tense phone conversation with her father, expressing her anger that he bypassed her authority to send the lawyer's letter. After she hangs up, Wang Ruohai attempts to comfort her, suggesting that Qian Fei should not remain with the sponsor team because of her unpredictable character. Liao Shiyu dismisses his concerns, stating that Qian Fei's presence is of no consequence to her. Her only priority is ensuring that Hejing Securities successfully guides Shanlifang Hotel Group to a successful listing, and she is willing to tolerate anything to make sure that happens.

Wang Ruohai suggests to Liao Shiyu that it is highly inappropriate for Qian Fei to remain on Hejing Securities' team, noting that Liao does not truly understand Qian Fei's character. However, Liao Shiyu remains unmoved, stating that her only priority is for Hejing Securities to successfully guide Shanlifang Hotel Group through its public listing. As long as that goal is met, she is willing to tolerate Qian Fei's presence.

Late that evening, a delivery crew arrives at the apartment with a massive treadmill that Li Yifei purchased. He tries to get Qian Fei to start running immediately, but she complains that she is far too full from eating grilled corn and promises to use it the next day. Meanwhile, Lu Ze faces a painful reality with his startup, Xinxin Vision. Recognizing that he cannot drag his loyal team down with him, he gathers everyone to announce the company's closure.

He admits that he overestimated his own capabilities and underestimated the harshness of the market. After the team leaves, Lu Ze sits alone in the quiet office, filled with deep regret as he reminisces about the early days of his dream and how happy Jingjing had been for him. During an outdoor training session, Dang Yu paces one of her clients. Jun Cheng's mother, Mrs. Jun, approaches the client to pry for information.

After learning that Dang Yu works at the nearby Zela Dance Studio, Mrs. Jun decides to investigate the place herself. The next morning, Qian Fei arrives at Hejing Securities looking remarkably polished and beautiful, instantly catching her colleagues' attention. One coworker remarks that dressing up is a great way to handle tough times, to which Qian Fei agrees that regardless of how difficult life gets, she might as well look her best.

She is then asked to retrieve some documents from the lobby for their upcoming meeting. While taking the elevator, Qian Fei meets Li Yifei and thanks him, noting that changing her look indeed brought good luck, as the lawyer's letters sent to her and Dang Yu have been withdrawn. Yifei suggests she treat him to a proper meal as thanks.

A stranger named Qiu Shi tries to flirt with Qian Fei in the elevator under the guise of asking for the cafe's location, prompting Yifei to quickly pull her away, while Qian Fei playfully complains that he is ruining her romantic prospects. The internet drama intensifies when the video of Qian Fei apologizing to Liao Shiyu in the parking garage goes viral.

Wang Ruohai warns Liao Shiyu that she was too soft on Qian Fei, believing Qian Fei is deliberately exploiting the situation. Furious, Liao Shiyu storms into the Hejing meeting room, demanding that Fang Yun and Li Yifei leave so she can confront Qian Fei alone. Liao Shiyu accuses Qian Fei of orchestrating the leaked video to garner public sympathy and humiliate her.

Qian Fei defends herself, explaining she also just saw the video and is a victim herself, pointing to a mysterious third party. Refusing to believe her, Liao Shiyu calls in Fang Yun and demands Qian Fei's immediate removal from the due diligence team. To Liao Shiyu's frustration, Fang Yun flatly refuses. Fang Yun firmly states that Hejing's role is to facilitate Shanlifang's IPO, not manage PR crises or Liao Shiyu's personal image.

She emphasizes that personnel decisions lie entirely with Hejing, based strictly on professional competence rather than personal grudges. Fang Yun warns that she will not compromise unless Shanlifang wishes to terminate their contract. Liao Shiyu is forced to back down and leaves with a warning. Afterwards, Qian Fei expresses her deep gratitude to Fang Yun for standing up for her.

However, Fang Yun clarifies that her priority was defending Hejing's professional authority, reminding Qian Fei that she is currently a weak link in the project and must prove her worth through results. Later, Li Yifei and Qian Fei discuss the situation over a barbecue dinner. Yifei points out that Fang Yun was simply protecting Hejing's reputation, but he suggests they celebrate Qian Fei's survival anyway. Over dinner, Qian Fei mentions her admiration for A Zhi, a highly popular crosstalk comedian.

She shares his inspiring journey of surviving a devastating car accident and turning his struggles into comedy. When she mentions that tickets to his upcoming weekend show are completely sold out, Yifei boastfully claims he can secure front-row VIP tickets for her. Skeptical, Qian Fei bets that she will take his last name if he actually pulls it off. The following day, Hejing's team holds a meeting to address a major hygiene scandal in the hotel industry.

A video posted by blogger Diansansan exposing hygiene issues across several prominent hotels goes viral, severely impacting Shanlifang and eight other hotels. While Shanlifang's leadership intends to lay low and copy other hotels' generic PR responses, Qian Fei voices her concerns during the meeting. She suggests that Shanlifang should set a positive industry example instead of adopting a passive, conservative stance. However, Yifei abruptly interrupts her, advising that they leave crisis PR to Shanlifang's own team.

After the meeting, Qian Fei confronts Yifei for cutting her off. Yifei explains that while her suggestion was excellent, timing is crucial, and it was not the right moment to present it. Mrs. Jun visits Zela Dance Studio, pretending to look for classes. When she encounters Dang Yu, Dang Yu realizes Mrs. Jun's true intentions. Mrs. Jun criticizes Dang Yu's unstable lifestyle of doing odd jobs, declaring her completely incompatible with Jun Cheng.

Dang Yu calmly stands her ground, suggesting that Mrs. Jun should discuss compatibility with her own son rather than her. Shortly after, the mother of the studio's owner, who is Mrs. Jun's acquaintance and dance troupe leader, arrives and warmly invites Mrs. Jun to teach a senior dance class. Mrs. Jun agrees on the condition that her classes are scheduled on the same days as Dang Yu's, wanting to monitor her closely.

At home, she diligently prepares her lessons, determined to pass her own test and keep a close eye on Dang Yu. Li Yifei attempts to source the VIP tickets through his wealthy friends, but none of them have the necessary connections. During their gathering, a popular short-video influencer named Jinzi joins them.

Meanwhile, Jun Cheng surprises Dang Yu by having a delivery driver bring her milk tea along with a sweet message and a choreographed dance, which Dang Yu happily accepts. At the gathering, Yifei spends the entire evening talking endlessly about A Zhi, boring Jinzi to the point that she leaves early. His friends tease him for being so oblivious to Jinzi's feelings.

The next day, Jinzi surprises Yifei by visiting Hejing's lobby and handing him two hard-to-find VIP tickets to A Zhi's show. She declines his offer to pay, suggesting he simply owe her a favor instead. That evening, Yifei returns home and casually asks Qian Fei about dinner before presenting the highly coveted tickets. Qian Fei is thrilled and tries to grab them, but Yifei holds them back, playfully reminding her of their bet. He suggests she start preparing to adopt his real family name, Tan, leaving her flustered.

After a long day at the office, Qian Fei was still buried in her work when Li Yifei strolled over, demanding she go home and cook dinner for him. Still feeling grumpy, Qian Fei flatly refused, claiming she was trying to manage her figure. Li Yifei simply smiled and waved two coveted front-row tickets to a crosstalk show by her favorite performer, Azhi. Overjoyed, Qian Fei lost all her composure, leaping into his arms and jumping with excitement.

The sudden embrace sent Li Yifei’s heart racing. Unaware of his flustered state, Qian Fei happily promised to buy a whole sack of eggplants the next day and cook his favorite stir-fried eggplant dishes. Once they returned home, however, Li Yifei revealed his little trick by handing her only one ticket. He confessed that he had also become a fan of Azhi and wanted to go with her.

Left with no other choice, Qian Fei reluctantly agreed to let him tag along, promising to cook him three meals of eggplant strips as payment. Meanwhile, Liao Jinshan sat in his office listening to a report from his secretary. The hotel scandal video crisis was continuing to escalate online, dealing a massive blow to Shanlifang and dragging down nine hotels in total. The crisis had ignited a massive wave of public outrage that seemed impossible to quiet down.

At the apartment, Qian Fei was meticulously dressing up and trying on outfits for the show. Li Yifei watched her with amusement, pointing out that Azhi would be on stage while she would be in the dark audience. Qian Fei retorted that their front-row seats meant they would be right in the performer's line of sight during audience interactions, insisting she had to look her best. Later that day, Liao Shiyu brought Wang Ruohai home to visit Liao Jinshan.

When the conversation turned to the escalating hotel video crisis, Wang Ruohai spoke with absolute confidence. He proposed a "cold treatment" strategy, suggesting that doing nothing externally while conducting internal deep investigations and rolling out promotional discounts would allow the storm to blow over. Liao Shiyu looked at him with deep admiration, and Liao Jinshan was pleased to see his daughter so happy and well-supported. At the theater, the crosstalk show was a roaring success.

Qian Fei was completely captivated, laughing heartily and actively interacting with Azhi on stage. Li Yifei, on the other hand, was entirely distracted. He spent the evening watching Qian Fei, quietly sliding his fingers across the armrest to touch her hand. However, his attempts were repeatedly thwarted as Qian Fei suddenly raised her hands to clap, leaving him grasping at thin air. Afterward, she happily dragged him along to take photos with Azhi.

On their walk back, Qian Fei was still buzzing with excitement. Li Yifei teased her about her earlier promise to take his surname if he got the tickets. This prompted Qian Fei to share her embarrassing past: she revealed that her mother’s surname had originally led to her being named "Su Fei," which sounded exactly like a sanitary pad brand and brought her endless ridicule.

Though she had bravely changed it to her father's surname, she ended up as "Qian Fei," which unfortunately sounded like "overdue payment," ensuring she could never hold onto her money. Back at his office, Wang Ruohai was working late when he received an urgent call from his father. He was shocked to learn that his mother's blood pressure had spiked upon finding out about his breakup with Qian Fei, triggering a heart attack.

With her major artery ninety percent blocked, she was rushed into emergency surgery. Deeply shaken, Wang Ruohai promised to book the earliest flight home the next morning. At the apartment, Li Yifei received a phone call from Jinzi and dressed up to head out. Qian Fei immediately assumed he was going on a hot date, teasingly warning him not to drive if he had been drinking and asking if he planned to stay out overnight.

Shortly after Yifei left, Wang Ruohai called Qian Fei. He aggressively accused her of calling his mother to reveal their breakup, demanding that she stop her "fake concern" and stay far away from his family. Before Qian Fei could defend herself, she heard Wang Ruohai suddenly shout Li Yifei's name, and the line abruptly cut off. Li Yifei had tracked Wang Ruohai down at his office building.

Having discovered that Wang Ruohai was the mastermind who edited and leaked the hotel scandal videos to advance his own position, Yifei wasted no words and beat him up. Before leaving, Yifei delivered a fierce warning, telling Ruohai that if he ever tried to hurt Qian Fei again, the consequences would be far worse than a simple beating. Yifei eventually returned to the apartment with visible cuts on his face.

He tried to brush it off with a flimsy excuse about a difficult girl, but Qian Fei saw right through the lie. Knowing he had fought Wang Ruohai on her behalf, she insisted on treating his wounds. As she tenderly disinfected his cuts, their physical closeness charged the room with a sudden, intimate silence. To break the tension, they realized that the following evening was New Year's Eve.

Yifei warmly suggested that she make her signature stir-fried eggplant strips so they could share a quiet dinner and watch the news together, ensuring neither of them would have to spend the holiday alone. Qian Fei happily agreed. The next day, the open day event at Zela Dance Studio was underway. To get closer to Dang Yu, Jun Cheng had applied to be a square dance coach at the studio.

During the event, Dang Yu delivered a flawless, high-energy street dance performance that instantly won over the crowd of children and parents, resulting in a flurry of sign-ups. In contrast, the square dance booth run by Jun Cheng's mother, Fang Ying, was rather quiet. One grandmother wanted to join street dance to accompany her grandson but hesitated due to her bad back. Dang Yu stepped in to help, gently advising the woman against the intense strain of street dance.

Instead, she suggested signing up for the square dance class next door, pointing out that the schedules aligned perfectly so they could arrive and leave together. Appreciative of the thoughtful solution, the grandmother happily signed up. Later, Dang Yu insisted on driving Fang Ying home. During the ride, Fang Ying expressed her gratitude but could not help letting slip a snobbish sense of local Shanghai superiority.

Knowing she was dating Jun Cheng, Dang Yu kept her composure and politely ignored the subtle jabs. Meanwhile, Lu Ze tracked down Jingjing, who was busy decorating for a New Year's Eve event. Desperate to salvage their relationship, he explained that he had finally dissolved his startup because he realized she was the most important thing in his life. Getting down on one knee, he presented a ring and proposed to her again.

Though Jingjing was visibly torn, she tearfully turned him down, admitting that while she did not care about his lack of money or his failed startup, she simply could not bring ourselves to marry him before walking away. That evening, Qian Fei returned to the apartment carrying bags of groceries, ready for her dinner with Yifei. Just then, her phone rang. It was a devastated, weeping Jingjing calling about the failed proposal.

Without a second thought, Qian Fei canceled her plans with Yifei and rushed out the door to comfort her friend. Left stood up and thoroughly disappointed, Yifei could only call his friends to put together a last-minute party with Jinzi and others to wild away the lonely night.

Qian Fei finds Jingjing in a deeply disheartened and exhausted state. Having just rejected Lu Ze's marriage proposal, Jingjing feels completely drained of energy. Heartbroken to see her friend in such a mess on New Year's Eve, Qian Fei insists on taking her back to her apartment and coaxes her to get some rest. While Jingjing sleeps, Qian Fei checks on Li Yifei's room. Finding him out, she mutters to herself that he simply cannot stand being alone.

Qian Fei quickly prepares a table full of delicious dishes using the high-quality ingredients Li Yifei had bought, though she jokes that he is a spendthrift. When Jingjing wakes up, the two friends raise their glasses to toast the New Year. Sensing a change, Jingjing asks if Qian Fei has secretly started dating, noting that she looks prettier and more feminine. Qian Fei laughs it off, pointing out that she is long over her ex, Wang Ruohai.

Soon, the conversation turns back to Lu Ze. When Qian Fei mentions that Lu Ze shut down his company, Xinxin Vision, to be with her, Jingjing looks depressed. Qian Fei frankly points out that Jingjing clearly hasn't let him go, and that refusing him now after he sacrificed everything for her seems unreasonable. Feeling overwhelmed and confused, a heavily intoxicated Jingjing insists on going to a KTV to sing, and Qian Fei accompanies her.

Meanwhile, to avoid upsetting his mother—who had previously disapproved of Dang Yu—Jun Cheng makes up an excuse that he is heading out to celebrate with Li Yifei and their friends. In reality, he joins Dang Yu at her place, where they spend the evening playing video games. After successfully clearing a tough level, an excited Jun Cheng instinctively hugs Dang Yu, and she does not push him away.

At his parents' home, Jun Cheng's mother is secretly watching videos of Dang Yu dancing on her phone, admitting to her husband that the girl is actually quite talented and nice. Seeing his wife's attitude change, Jun Cheng's father quickly sends a text message to his son, letting him know that his mother has finally relented and encouraging him to pursue Dang Yu.

At the same KTV venue, Li Yifei, who was stood up by Qian Fei, has organized a large gathering with his own friends to ring in the New Year. During their session, Lu Ze calls Jingjing's phone to check on her. Hearing the noisy background, Lu Ze realizes they are out singing and insists on driving over. As the night wraps up, Jingjing is so dizzy she can barely walk.

As Qian Fei supports her stagger out of the building, two thugs spot them and try to harass them, grabbing Jingjing's arm. Qian Fei tries to fend them off, but they lack the strength to break free. Seeing the commotion, Li Yifei rushes out to protect them. Just then, Lu Ze pulls up in his car and joins Li Yifei in fighting off the thugs.

When the thugs threaten to call for backup, Li Yifei makes a quick phone call, prompting his friends from the KTV to pour out of the lobby. Terrified by the crowd, the thugs quickly flee. While Lu Ze and Qian Fei bring the girls inside to rest, Li Yifei returns to the KTV room to bid farewell to his friends.

His friends express their dissatisfaction, complaining that he is abandoning them after they gave up their own New Year's Eve plans to join his gathering. Later, they head to a nearby congee shop. Li Yifei orders a bowl of white fungus and papaya soup for Qian Fei, along with some preserved egg and pork congee. He scolds her for being careless, though she notes his temper has softened.

Wishing to speak with Lu Ze, Qian Fei coaxes Li Yifei to leave them. She then questions Lu Ze about his intentions. Lu Ze admits his regrets, explaining that while Jingjing seems tough, she is incredibly fragile and has sacrificed too much for him over the years. He declares his unwavering love, stating that even if she doesn't accept him now, he will wait by her side until she does.

Moved by his sincerity, Qian Fei decides to give him her blessing. Meanwhile, outside, Li Yifei's friend Jin asks to be introduced to the "tough girl" Qian Fei, but Li Yifei protectively refuses, warning him that Qian Fei takes life very seriously and isn't someone to be trifled with. Once the countdown hits midnight and they usher in the New Year, Li Yifei returns to find the girls asleep.

Lu Ze insists on coming along to Qian Fei's apartment, arguing that he can clean up if the drunken Jingjing throws up during the night. Although Li Yifei complains about the apartment contract rules regarding the sofa, he ultimately relents. However, once they arrive at the apartment, a nauseous Jingjing unexpectedly asks Lu Ze to come into her bedroom so they can talk.

Sitting on the living room sofa, Li Yifei jokingly tells Qian Fei that she is like the Little Match Girl, having had her own bed taken over on New Year's Eve. Qian Fei argues that Jingjing still harbored deep resentment earlier, but Li Yifei's prediction turns out to be entirely accurate. Hearing noises from the bedroom, Qian Fei realizes she is locked out of her own room and ends up sleeping on the sofa for the night.

The next morning, Qian Fei prepares a warm breakfast for Li Yifei. A sheepish Jingjing and Lu Ze finally emerge from the bedroom, clearly reconciled. Looking at Jingjing's swollen lips, Qian Fei and Li Yifei playfully tease her, making her blush as she jokingly claims her lips are just worn out from arguing all night.

After finishing his breakfast, Li Yifei excuses himself from the table, leaving Qian Fei a list of chores, including ironing his favorite shirt and emptying the bathroom trash. Qian Fei then presents Li Yifei with a study plan she customized for him, pointing out that he only has six months left before his exam. She tells him to boil some tea eggs while she prepares

After a chaotic New Year's Eve, Qian Fei prepares a delicious breakfast for everyone. As Li Yifei finishes his meal and prepares to leave, he casually reminds Qian Fei to empty the trash can in his bathroom. Qian Fei grumbles in response, muttering that she will fill it right back up. Jingjing and Lu Ze, observing the domestic interaction, tease them about their unusually close dynamic. Qian Fei quickly tries to silence them, urging them to eat.

Lu Ze then remarks that Li Yifei looks remarkably familiar. He recalls his past search for investors and notes that Li Yifei bears a striking resemblance to Li Qiansheng, the chairman of Qiansheng Group. When Lu Ze mentions that they even share the same surname and points out how Wang Ruohai was repeatedly rejected by Qiansheng Group, Qian Fei dismisses the theory as ridiculous and tells him to drink his congee to sober up.

Elsewhere, Dang Yu finishes teaching a children's dance class. After the students leave, Jun Cheng's mother approaches her and invites her to sit down for a chat. She claims she has reflected on things and wants to stop interfering in their lives, asking Dang Yu to understand her overbearing nature as a mother. However, she quickly begins listing her conditions again, emphasizing that dating should lead to marriage and children, and advising Dang Yu to secure a stable job.

Dang Yu calmly but resolutely rejects these demands. She explains that while she understands the mother's love for her son, she cannot accept a relationship that requires her to constantly change herself. Realizing that these endless rules will only lead to unhappiness, Dang Yu declares that she and Jun Cheng should remain ordinary friends. She asks his mother to convey this decision to Jun Cheng and walks out.

Back at the apartment, Li Yifei notices Qian Fei's food purchases and asks what they are having for lunch. When Qian Fei claims she is dieting, Li Yifei points out the eggs and expensive tea leaves she bought. He reveals that he has designed a comprehensive six-month study plan for her upcoming sponsor representative exam. In return, he demands that she boil him some tea eggs.

Meanwhile, Wang Ruohai's mother is transferred to a Shanghai hospital for her recovery, accompanied by his father. The arrangements were made by Liao Shiyu, and Wang Ruohai calls her to express his gratitude. He asks if she could find some time to visit his mother, but Shiyu declines, citing her hectic schedule and an ongoing hotel scandal.

She reassures him that the professional caregivers she hired are highly capable, advising him that people should focus their energy where they can create the most value. Later, Qian Fei receives a call from her father, who urges her to visit the son of his former superior who is also working in Shanghai. Her father explains that this man once helped him immensely, and he has already shared her contact details with the son.

Soon after, Qian Fei receives a friend request from a man named Yuan Feng. Upon checking his social media profile, which boasts of his stable job, Shanghai residency, and lack of bad habits, Qian Fei realizes with a sigh that her father has set her up on a blind date. Jun Cheng returns home in a great mood, oblivious to the trouble brewing. During dinner, he notices his parents acting strangely quiet and tense.

When his mother unexpectedly urges him to return to his dormitory under the guise of him being too busy with work, Jun Cheng reluctantly agrees and leaves. He tries messaging Dang Yu but receives no response. When they finally meet, Dang Yu breaks the news to him, explaining that they can only be ordinary friends because she cannot accept a marriage bound by his mother's suffocating rules.

Devastated and angry, Jun Cheng rushes back to his parents' house to confront them. However, his mother locks the door and refuses to let him in, ignoring his calls. Seeing his angry text message, his mother becomes outraged by his tone, while his father tries to reassure her that their son just needs time to heal from this heartbreak. On the first day back to work, Li Yifei offers Qian Fei a ride.

He is shocked to see her wearing an elegant outfit and carrying a makeup bag, which is completely out of character for her usually casual style. He teases her and tries to stop her from taking the makeup bag, but Qian Fei insists she is doing this to please herself.

When she reveals her bare legs under her winter coat, Li Yifei chides her for dressing so lightly in the cold and forbids her from taking off her down jacket at the office, claiming her stylish look will distract their colleagues. Even at the office, Li Yifei insists the air conditioning is broken so she must keep her coat on. Later, Lu Ze drops off a document at the office.

After he leaves, Qian Fei comments on how hard Li Yifei fought during the New Year's Eve scuffle, but is surprised to see his face is completely clean. Li Yifei smugly credits the medicine she applied for him. Later, while browsing on her phone, Qian Fei notices photos of a beautiful female influencer named Jin, realizing that Li Yifei is very close with her. As Qian Fei prepares to leave the office, her colleagues compliment her charming outfit.

Li Yifei presses her for details, and she reluctantly admits she is heading to her blind date. Determined to protect his apprentice, Li Yifei insists on tagging along despite her protests. At the restaurant, Li Yifei sits at a nearby table and strikes up a conversation with a heavy-set woman, pretending to be a fitness trainer, while Qian Fei meets Yuan Feng.

Yuan Feng immediately begins boasting about his Shanghai household registry and stable public job, suggesting they are a perfect match because she owns an apartment. When Qian Fei tries to slow things down, Yuan Feng brings up his cheating ex-girlfriend and proposes a trial marriage, eventually suggesting she stay overnight at his rental apartment. Disgusted, Qian Fei refuses and tries to leave, but Yuan Feng grabs her arm aggressively.

Unable to watch any longer, Li Yifei steps in, calls Yuan Feng a creep, and punches him in the face when the man insults him. After leaving the restaurant, Qian Fei thanks Li Yifei for his help, though she teases him about his aggressive reaction. Li Yifei warns her to stop going on blind dates with untrustworthy men, claiming he only cares because he is her master.

As they arrive near home, they are met by Jin, who got Li Yifei's address from his friend. After Qian Fei politely introduces herself as his colleague and landlord and heads inside, Li Yifei expresses his annoyance at Jin's unannounced visit. Jin questions him about why he spent New Year's Eve with his landlady instead of her.

Li Yifei and Qian Fei returned to their apartment building, only to be intercepted by Jinzi, an influencer. Recognizing Jinzi from Yifei's social media, Qian Fei politely greeted her and went upstairs first. Jinzi immediately confronted Yifei, questioning why he spent New Year's Eve taking his drunken landlady home when he supposedly detests women who lose control from drinking.

Yifei cold-shouldered her, stating his personal life was none of her business, and called her out for editing a group photo to look like a couple's shot. Undeterred, Jinzi admitted she could tell Yifei cared about Qian Fei, but declared she would not give up her pursuit before bidding him goodbye. Back inside, Qian Fei questioned why Yifei had returned so quickly instead of spending time with his gorgeous influencer girlfriend.

Yifei clarified that Jinzi was just an uninvited friend and asked Qian Fei if she was jealous. Deflecting with a mock-sweet tone, Qian Fei denied it and retreated to her room. Safe inside, she vented her frustration on a plush doll resembling Yifei. To sort through her feelings, the finance major even started a spreadsheet to analyze whether she liked him.

Meanwhile, Yifei gleefully suspected that her jealousy meant she was finally falling for him, though he quickly chided himself for being too self-satisfied. At the hospital, Wang Ruohai's mother was recovering well from surgery. She expressed deep gratitude to her husband before asking Ruohai why he had broken up with Qian Fei, praising her as a sincere, wonderful girl.

When she urged him to apologize and beg for her return, Ruohai despondently admitted that they simply were not compatible, and since he had initiated the breakup, she would never forgive him. Meanwhile, while cleaning the apartment, Qian Fei received a speakerphone call from her father. He fumed over the shameless behavior of her blind date, Yuan Feng, but quickly pivoted to ask about the young man she had brought along.

Qian Fei tried to downplay it, explaining they had only recently met and were still in a trial phase. When her father pressed for details, Yifei suddenly chimed in, loudly playing the doting boyfriend by offering to warm up a glass of milk for his "sweetheart." Flustered, Qian Fei spun a story to her dad, calling Yifei a younger colleague named Huang who had been kicked out by his father.

Her father got confused over the names, but Qian Fei quickly cut the call short. Afterward, Yifei playfully demanded an acting fee, but Qian Fei told him to move out, though Yifei insisted on staying to keep up the act. Just as they were bickering, Ruohai called Qian Fei to let her know his mother had been transferred to a Shanghai hospital for rehabilitation and had been asking for her.

Qian Fei readily agreed to visit, explaining to Yifei that Ruohai's parents had always treated her with immense kindness. Furthermore, Qian Fei wanted to pay back the remaining 370,000 yuan she owed Ruohai as soon as possible so she would not delay his mother's medical expenses. She mentioned that her senior classmate, Yuan Qin, owed her 100,000 yuan for a massive translation job. Yifei encouraged her to put aside politeness and demand her hard-earned money.

However, when Qian Fei tried to text Yuan Qin, she realized he had blocked her, and he refused to answer her calls. Determined, she headed directly to his office building and got past the front desk by pretending to be an important client. Faced with Qian Fei, Yuan Qin tried to brush her off, claiming her translation work was so poor that he had to hire someone else to redo it.

When Qian Fei demanded to see the revised version, Yuan Qin reluctantly transferred only 10,000 yuan and insulted her, calling her a money-obsessed woman whom Ruohai was right to dump. Suddenly, a company representative stepped in, apologizing to Qian Fei and revealing that their chairman was furious upon learning of the dispute and had summarily dismissed Yuan Qin to protect the firm's reputation. The representative then guided a stunned Qian Fei to the finance department to settle the remaining payment.

Elsewhere, Jun Cheng waited for Dang Yu outside her workplace. He earnestly confessed his transformation, admitting he used to be a mother's boy who harbored a sense of superiority as a local Shanghainese with a stable job. However, after meeting her, he realized his true purpose lay in serving the community on his own terms.

He assured Dang Yu that while they had different lifestyles, his feelings for her were genuine, and he would always be there for her, even just as a friend, if she ever got tired. Dang Yu listened in quiet surprise to his newfound maturity before they went their separate ways. Later, Qian Fei visited Ruohai's mother in her Shanghai hospital room, encouraging her to stay positive.

The mother gently asked if Ruohai had done something wrong and begged Qian Fei to give him another chance, but Qian Fei firmly stated they could never go back to the way things were. Outside the ward, Ruohai tried to deliver a long-overdue apology for the breakup and his previous video upload.

Qian Fei shut him down, stating she did not need his apologies, and informed him that she had just transferred another 100,000 yuan to his account before walking away. Qian Fei walked with Yifei and realized he was the one behind Yuan Qin's sudden firing, as he had asked detailed questions about Yuan Qin's job the night before.

While Qian Fei worried that getting her senior fired was too harsh, Yifei told her to have some backbone and stop spreading misplaced kindness. Pleased with his help, Qian Fei tasked him with washing the vegetables instead of the dishes that night. Meanwhile, Liao Shiyu arrived at the hospital to visit Ruohai's mother, only to find that Qian Fei had just left.

Angered by the awkward timing, she confronted Ruohai in her car, demanding to know why he had not informed his parents of their relationship. Ruohai explained that she was always too busy, and since he could not be sure of her arrival, he had to prioritize his mother's emotional stability. Bristling at his defensive tone, Liao Shiyu coldly ordered him out of her car.

Liao Shiyu later met with a young entrepreneur named Ma Li and another partner, Sang, at a golf course. Expressing her interest in Ma Li's potential rather than just his company, Fulaxida, she used a golf analogy to explain how Shanlifang could serve as the "sand" to launch Fulaxida through an indirect IPO, allowing them to cash out quickly.

The peaceful moment was shattered when a massive scandal broke online, exposing Shanlifang's hotels for failing to change guest bedding between visits. Qian Fei discovered the explosive news on her phone and frantically knocked on Yifei's bathroom door while he was showering. She rambled about the disastrous comments section, though a damp Yifei could barely hear her. Shortly after, they were both summoned to an emergency joint sponsorship meeting late at night.

On their way, Yifei teased her about catching him naked in the shower, while Qian Fei defensively retorted that she had no interest in his average physique anyway. At the meeting, Liao Shiyu was furious that her team had spent five hours without identifying the source of the leak, realizing this was a coordinated attack against Shanlifang. During the discussion, Fang Yun suggested focusing entirely on calming public opinion and moving the IPO forward, using gossip to deflect attention.

However, Qian Fei spoke up, arguing that they should not use gossip to deflect the issue. Instead, she believed Shanlifang must face its mistakes head-on and offer a sincere apology to appease the public. Liao Shiyu was unimpressed by Qian Fei's idealistic advice. She coldly cut her off and requested Hejing Securities to reassign her, stating she was no longer needed on the joint sponsorship team. Despite Qian Fei's confusion, Liao Shiyu ordered her to leave immediately.

Qian Fei handed her prepared materials to her colleague, Daisy, before exiting. Afterward, Fang Yun caught up with her outside, explaining that Liao Shiyu had bypassed her to go straight to her superior, Mr. Kong, leaving her with no choice. Qian Fei expressed her understanding and headed down to pack up her things, preparing for what would come next.

Following Qian Fei’s abrupt departure from the tense meeting, Fang Yun hurried after her to offer an explanation. She admitted that Liao Shiyu had bypassed her entirely to speak directly with Mr. Kong, leaving her completely powerless in the decision. Though she expressed deep regret over the suspension, Fang Yun promised to find a way to bring Qian Fei back to the team.

Grateful for her superior's support, Qian Fei thanked her and returned to her desk to pack her belongings, saving her work files onto a USB drive. While downloading her data, Qian Fei found herself watching a video of Li Yifei delivering an inspiring speech at the annual meeting for his agricultural project, Fulaxida. His words about fighting for what one wants and refusing to let current setbacks dictate the future resonated deeply with her.

Encouraged by his message that hope arrives sooner to those who keep running toward it, she felt her determination return. Meanwhile, the Shanlifang meeting continued without her. Liao Shiyu instructed the business department to utilize their connections to invite prominent industry leaders, while the PR department focused on securing media coverage and social media influencers to maximize the impact of their upcoming event.

To address the hotel group's ongoing PR crisis, Fang Yun proposed hosting a high-profile charity gala, suggesting that they internally reassign sixty percent of their core service staff to implement quiet, confidential rectifications while dedicating the remaining forty percent to the banquet. She argued that the positive publicity from charity donations would successfully shift public attention away from the negative press. Liao Shiyu approved the strategy and asked Li Yifei for his thoughts.

Agreeing that the plan was excellent, Yifei noted that investigating the truth of the scandal would have to wait until after the gala due to their current lack of manpower. When Yifei returned home later that night, he found Qian Fei asleep on the sofa, still wearing her outdoor clothes. Believing she had entirely succumbed to despair, he immediately began lecturing her, demanding to know if she had spent the entire night lying there.

He reminded her that she was only temporarily suspended rather than permanently fired, asking if all the training and guidance he had given her had gone to waste over a single hurdle. Defending herself, Qian Fei snapped that she had done everything in her power, but Liao Shiyu simply targeted and disliked her.

When Yifei urged her not to let herself be pushed around, she handed him her laptop to show him the project she had stayed up all night drafting. To Yifei’s surprise, she had independently conceived the very same idea of hosting a charity gala to resolve the crisis. However, Qian Fei’s proposal featured a crucial difference: she wanted Shanlifang to issue a public apology during the event.

Yifei pointed out that Liao Shiyu would never agree to such a blow to her pride, but Qian Fei countered that many scandals only dragged on because executives refused to swallow their pride. She then admitted that watching his Fulaxida video had prevented her from falling apart, prompting Yifei to tease her about demanding royalties for using his image without filters. Smiling, they both recited his favorite quote about running toward hope.

Reinvigorated, Qian Fei confidently asserted that Shanlifang would eventually have to invite her back. Across town, Liao Shiyu discussed the ongoing crisis with her father over breakfast. Assuring him that the new strategy would quickly resolve the situation, she listened as he urged her to rest after her sleepless night. Her father brought up that Wang Ruohai's mother was currently hospitalized in Shanghai, prompting Shiyu to admit that the woman did not seem to care for her.

He gently advised her not to dwell on minor personal grievances since her future lay in running the entire hotel group, promising that the family company would always stand behind her. At the next joint sponsor meeting, Yifei presented the finalized gala proposal, outlining the venue layout, agenda, and guest list. Recognizing the logical flow of the document, Fang Yun later pulled Yifei aside to ask if the brilliant strategy had actually come from Qian Fei.

Yifei confirmed her suspicion, expressing his profound admiration for Qian Fei's selflessness. He pointed out that even if she had not been suspended, managing this crisis fell completely outside her job description, yet she had still worked tirelessly to help the company without expecting any reward. Fang Yun warmly agreed, deeply impressed by her subordinate’s integrity. The peace between Yifei and Qian Fei did not last long.

Back at the apartment, Yifei complained of hunger and urged a meditating Qian Fei to start cooking. She agreed to prepare the food on the condition that he wash the vegetables, which resulted in Yifei flooding the kitchen sink just to clean a few leaves. The lighthearted bickering turned serious when Qian Fei revealed she had spoken to Zhao De and discovered that the final PR proposal Yifei submitted had been heavily modified.

Furious, she accused him of deleting the public apology, which she considered the most vital component of the gala. Yifei defended his decision, arguing that a client would never blindly follow an investment bank's demands and that Liao Shiyu would have blocked the entire event had the apology remained. He insisted his priority was simply helping her get reinstated, but Qian Fei countered that she had not walked out of the meeting just to secure her job.

Accusing him of being chauvinistic and refusing to understand her principles, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the apartment, leaving Yifei with a sink full of washed vegetables and no dinner. Qian Fei met up with Dang Yu for dinner, where her friend expressed surprise at how calm she remained despite her suspension.

Confident in her abilities, Qian Fei explained that she was focused on securing a train ticket home for the upcoming Chinese New Year, admitting she did not want to return too early and make her father worry about her job. Dang Yu then vented about her own family, who were relentlessly pressuring her to bring a boyfriend home for the holidays.

When Qian Fei suggested she bring Jun Cheng, Dang Yu dismissed the idea, noting that his doting mother would never allow him to spend the holiday away from her. At the same time, Jun Cheng visited Yifei, who was stuck eating instant noodles alone. Jun Cheng mocked his terrible cooking compared to Qian Fei's and teased him for driving his roommate away.

He criticized Yifei for living under the same roof as the girl he liked without ever confessing his feelings, contrastingly sharing how he quietly supported his own love interest by playing games with her on Yifei’s account. Yifei defended his patience, explaining that because Qian Fei was currently facing immense career instability and family pressure, he refused to take advantage of her vulnerability. He preferred to wait until she was happy and successful before making his move.

When Qian Fei eventually returned home, she found Yifei pretending to be asleep on the couch to avoid taking out the trash. She kindly told him to cook something so he wouldn't starve, and the two officially reconciled over late-night coffee. Qian Fei teased that since she was currently suspended, Yifei was her only source of income, meaning she could not afford to stay angry with her tenant.

Their peace was interrupted when Qian Fei received a phone call from her father, Mr. Su. He eagerly pressured her to bring her boyfriend home for the holidays, even suggesting they could share some fatherly love with him. Panicking, Qian Fei scrambled for excuses, falsely claiming her boyfriend was currently out of the apartment. Overhearing the desperate lie, Yifei took the phone and introduced himself to Mr. Su as her boyfriend, Xiao Li.

He politely explained that while he had to spend this holiday with his own father, he promised to visit Mr. Su next year and look after Qian Fei in the meantime, even asking him to pass along his regards to Ms. He. Qian Fei was left entirely stunned by his convincing performance. She admitted that her initial lie about having a boyfriend had snowballed into an exhausting drama, but Yifei kindly offered to keep playing the role whenever she needed.

When she jokingly warned that he might end up as some girl's live-in husband because of his lack of wealth, Yifei warmly pointed out that she had already taken him in. Meanwhile, Lu Ze faced a frustrating job search. During an interview, the employer praised his strong credentials but ultimately rejected him solely because of his failed startup, claiming that former entrepreneurs lacked the right mindset and were too difficult to manage.

Though Lu Ze argued that the failure had given him invaluable management experience and a deeper understanding of the software engineer role, the interviewer remained unmoved. Later, Lu Ze met with Jingjing, who was sick with anxiety over her upcoming bid for Shanlifang's charity gala. Terrified of competing against major firms and worried that she had previously offended Liao Shiyu, she threatened to abandon the project entirely.

Lu Ze firmly encouraged her, reciting her own motto that only one's career never betrays them. He reassured her that Liao Shiyu was far too high up in the company to micromanage a standard bidding event, successfully convincing her to face the challenge and give it her all. At Fulaxida, Ma Li raised concerns that their trial fields were failing quality checks and that their remaining funds would not last.

He pushed for equity financing, but Yifei suggested they shift their strategy by exploring the plateau regions in Ngapa, promising to have soil samples delivered within three days. Ma Li then revealed that multiple investors had approached him, offering a two-hundred-million-yuan valuation and forty million in Series A funding based on a simple pitch deck. While Ma Li was eager to accept the capital to expand their market reach, Yifei vehemently objected.

Exercising his veto power, Yifei argued that accepting predatory capital at such an early stage would turn the company into a heartless money-making machine and force them to abandon their original vision. He suspected the investors either wanted to exploit his family's Qiansheng Group resources or harbored ulterior motives. Though Ma Li worried about missing out on exponential growth, Yifei assured him that once Fulaxida proved its worth, even Qiansheng would eagerly seek them out.

Looking to resolve their struggle in finding a core R&D team, Yifei found inspiration in Ma Li's comment about outsiders disrupting established industries. Realizing they needed to change their recruitment strategy, Yifei decided that instead of standard hiring, they should look for true allies as partners, immediately thinking of Lu Ze as the perfect candidate.

Li Yifei found inspiration for his agricultural project, Fulaxida. He realized that an unconventional hiring strategy could disrupt the industry, deciding that the company should recruit allies rather than traditional employees to challenge the established market from the outside. Meanwhile, Yao Jingjing returned home exhausted but triumphant. She happily shared with Lu Ze that she had won the highly competitive bid to plan the Shanlifang charity gala. Lu Ze was incredibly proud and pampered her with a home-cooked dinner.

Deeply touched by his care, Jingjing expressed how much she treasured this peaceful moment, as they both used to be too busy for such simple comforts. Lu Ze jokingly offered to become a dedicated househusband and live off her success, and Jingjing readily agreed, promising to keep him thoroughly spoiled. Lu Ze urged her to rest on the sofa while he finished setting the table, but by the time he brought the dishes out, she had already fallen fast asleep.

Later, Jingjing called Qian Fei to share the exciting news. Qian Fei warmly congratulated her, calling her a legendary queen of the industry, and promised to join the team and help out in a few days. After the call, Yifei, who was nearby, praised Jingjing's exceptional competence but playfully teased Qian Fei, questioning how such an intelligent and capable woman could be best friends with someone on a completely different level.

Qian Fei's focus soon shifted to her struggle to secure a ticket home for the holidays. Sensing an opportunity to tease her, Yifei waved his phone to reveal that he had already secured a flight ticket for her. Astonished and skeptical since all flights were fully booked, Qian Fei tried to snatch the phone, praising his effortless capability and admitting she saw him in a new light.

When Yifei pressed her on what she had thought of him before, she candidly listed a string of flaws, describing him as vain, a show-off, sharp-tongued, picky, lazy, and bad-tempered. Feigning offense, Yifei pretended to call and cancel the ticket, forcing a panicked Qian Fei to frantically reframe her criticisms as compliments. When Yifei still threatened to make her stay with him for the New Year, she lunged for the phone.

During the playful struggle, the two tumbled onto the couch, ending up tangled together. The sudden physical closeness sent Yifei’s heart racing, while an oblivious Qian Fei remained entirely focused on her ticket. Yifei later met his friends at a bar. Their friend Jun was in a state of panic because his online gaming partner, Dang Yu, was about to marry another player in an upcoming virtual event.

While his friends teased him about taking a game so seriously, Jun remained determined to win her back. Afterward, Hao complained that he was the one who had stayed up all night to pull strings for the flight ticket, yet Yifei had taken all the credit with his landlady. When Hao demanded an introduction so he could pursue her, Yifei grew protective. He grabbed Hao by the neck, warning him to stay away from his woman.

The friends laughed, teasing Yifei for talking big while being too cowardly to confess his true feelings. The Shanlifang charity gala commenced with great fanfare, attracting media outlets and prominent business figures. Li Qiansheng attended the event, primarily hoping to cross paths with his son, Yifei. During the reception, Qiansheng conversed with Sang Shiqi, who praised Qiansheng's swift U. S. listing.

Qiansheng kept the conversation polite, subtly showing interest in Sang Shiqi's investment in Fulaxida, noting that despite its small scale, it was a highly strategic project. At the same time, Wang Ruohai arrived alongside Liao Shiyu. The wealthy guests whispered mockingly about his lack of background, dismissing him as a weak phoenix man who would forever live under his wife's thumb. Unable to endure the humiliation, Ruohai retreated to a quiet side room to drink alone.

Dressed in a waiter's uniform, Qian Fei slipped into the venue. Yifei quickly spotted her and revealed that he had already deduced her plan when she first brought the uniform home. Although he warned her that her approach might not solve anything, he stepped in to shield her from suspicious glances, pulling her close and teasingly noting her scent before letting her proceed. Qian Fei found Shiyu and Ruohai in the private lounge.

Ignoring Shiyu’s cold reception, Qian Fei presented a drafted apology speech and a USB drive. She argued that Shanlifang's ostrich policy would only invite further damage, as the leaked videos were clearly a coordinated smear campaign. Qian Fei insisted that a sincere public apology and comprehensive reforms were the only ways to restore public trust and protect the upcoming IPO.

While Ruohai worried that apologizing would look like admitting defeat, Qian Fei urged him to take the risk, believing it would earn him Shiyu's respect. She left the materials on the table and departed. Once they were alone, Shiyu berated Ruohai for drinking instead of offering constructive solutions, reminding him that his actions reflected on her family and the company. Pushed to his limit, Ruohai voiced his deep frustration over being defined solely by her status.

Realizing they were fundamentally incompatible, Ruohai calmly called for a breakup, stating he could no longer meet her high expectations. Shiyu was forced to compose herself and take the stage. She began her speech by highlighting Shanlifang's world-class fresh air systems and announcing a nine-million-yuan donation to the Nature Foundation. However, when she went to play a promotional video, a video exposing the hotel's room hygiene failures suddenly broadcasted on the main screen, throwing the room into chaos.

It was revealed that Yifei had secretly instructed Zhao De to broadcast the footage. Faced with the unfolding disaster, Shiyu summoned her courage. She addressed the crowd directly, confirming that the hygiene failures in the footage were entirely true. She delivered a sincere public apology, pledging rigorous internal reforms while warning that she would pursue legal action against malicious defamation. Her decisive response won the respect and warm applause of the audience.

After the successful operation, a joyful Qian Fei drove Yifei home, singing happily along the way while Yifei watched her with fond amusement. Meanwhile, Ruohai met with Shiyu to finalize their separation. Shiyu apologized for her demanding nature, admitting she had never cared for him the way Qian Fei once did.

Ruohai confessed that while he had served Shiyu willingly, he realized he had done far too little for Qian Fei in the past, a regret that still weighed on him. Desiring a simple, supportive partnership, Ruohai bid Shiyu a final farewell. The next day, Qian Fei discovered her laptop in Yifei's possession, realizing he had orchestrated the video broadcast at the gala. She playfully cornered him, demanding to know when he had stolen her computer and figured out her plan.

She teased him, asking if he wanted her out of the house so he could bring his influencer friend over for the New Year. Yifei quickly defended himself, clarifying that the influencer was not his girlfriend and that he was entirely single. Their banter was interrupted when Yifei received a phone call from Jinzi, who weakly claimed she was nearby with a severe stomach ache and begged him for help.

Upon returning home, Qian Fei noticed her laptop sitting out and suddenly put the pieces together. It was Li Yifei, not Wang Ruohai, who had manipulated the big screen at the banquet to broadcast the damning video, forcing Liao Shiyu to make a public apology. When she questioned him about how he pulled it off, Li Yifei dramatically took offense. He scoffed at the idea of eavesdropping on her and Wang Ruohai, proudly claiming his actions were pure foresight.

Knowing her reckless plan would likely fail, he had enlisted his tech-expert friend, Zhao De, to secure the technical connection to the screen. He grumbled about her putting so much faith in her ex, leaving Qian Fei amused but deeply grateful for his silent protection. The next morning, as Qian Fei prepared to rejoin the underwriting team, Li Yifei warned her not to get complacent.

He pointed out that Director Fang only valued utility, and would certainly demand a thorough follow-up plan to claim the credit for herself. When he teased her about not having one, Qian Fei confidently retorted, challenging his assumption. Meanwhile, Liao Jinshan sat down with his daughter, Liao Shiyu, expressing deep regret for neglecting her during her childhood and leaving her to face her struggles alone.

Shiyu reassured him, explaining that Wang Ruohai had been her beacon of hope during her darkest times, which was why she had returned to the country after her studies. However, she acknowledged that their relationship was never built to last. When her father questioned whether keeping Qian Fei on the team would cause trouble, Shiyu dismissed the concern, praising Qian Fei’s competence and strategic mind.

She made it clear that while Wang Ruohai was once her light, neither her future nor the future of Shanlifang needed him anymore. Before entering the meeting room, Director Fang checked if Qian Fei was ready. Brimming with confidence, Qian Fei delivered a comprehensive and brilliant follow-up strategy during the meeting, detailing how they could leverage the banquet's publicity to rebuild Shanlifang's image and secure key clients.

Impressed by her thorough grasp of the group's affairs, Shiyu gave her full approval and ordered the departments to execute the plan immediately. Li Yifei watched proudly, leading the applause. After the meeting, Director Fang pulled Qian Fei aside to commend her rapid progress, teasingly asking who was behind her transformation. Though Qian Fei playfully credited her director, both of them knew the real guide was Li Yifei.

Reflecting on Li Yifei’s strict guidance, his invaluable project notes shared on a flash drive, and his playful Finger Flick Technique, Qian Fei felt incredibly fortunate. She thanked him sincerely and happily announced she was heading home early for Chinese New Year, thanks to the flight he had booked for her. To show her gratitude, she treated him to a grand, home-cooked meal. Soon after, Li Yifei insisted on driving her to the airport and carrying her heavy suitcase.

Qian Fei teased him, asking if he was trying to get her out of the house to spend the holidays with his influencer friend, Jin. Li Yifei firmly denied that Jin was his girlfriend. During the drive, he revealed he had left two bottles of premium baijiu in the back seat for her father, having overheard her mention her dad's desire for a good drink. In the city, Jun Cheng’s parents spotted Dang Yu working diligently on the street.

While his mother admired the young woman’s drive, she still held a lingering bias against her for not being a Shanghai local, wishing she were. When they crossed paths, Dang Yu politely clarified that she and Jun Cheng had agreed to remain just ordinary friends. Meanwhile, Jun Cheng was busy organizing a subdistrict dance team that combined hip-hop with square dancing for an upcoming district competition. He volunteered to instruct alongside Dang Yu.

Back at Qian Fei's hometown, her father happily received the baijiu, noting that Li Yifei clearly cared for her. However, when he saw a photo of Li Yifei on her phone, he humorously remarked that the young man resembled a popular stand-up comedian. He quickly grew suspicious of their relationship, pointing out the lack of couple photos and accusing her of using Li Yifei to dodge his pressure.

Around the same time, Jun Cheng confronted his mother back home, begging her to stop interfering with Dang Yu so he wouldn't be branded a mama's boy. His father defended her, reminding Jun Cheng of how much she respected his choices. Jun Cheng then explained that the square dancers and hip-hop dancers were actually on the same team.

To slip away and help Dang Yu, Jun Cheng told his parents he was heading to Yunnan for the holidays to shoot background videos for the competition, a career-boosting move his mother eagerly supported. Jun Cheng joined Dang Yu on her trip to her family home in Yunnan, acting as her fake boyfriend to quiet her sharp-tongued sister. At the family reunion dinner, the sister immediately interrogated Jun Cheng about his job and pressed him on a steep bride price.

When the sister boasted about the expensive sea cucumbers she brought for their father, Jun Cheng stepped in to present premium cordyceps as a joint gift from himself and Dang Yu. Later, a surprised Dang Yu asked where he got the cordyceps, and Jun Cheng jokingly admitted he had swiped them from his mother's cabinet as a necessary sacrifice for the dance competition.

Back in the city, Jin was filming a vlog nearby when she was struck by a severe stomach ache. With her phone battery dying, she desperately called Li Yifei. Unable to reach anyone else, she waited at the street corner until Li Yifei arrived and brought her back to his apartment. He provided her with medicine, water, and a power bank.

Looking around, Jin asked if Qian Fei took care of him, to which Li Yifei replied that Qian Fei looked after him more, though he affectionately labeled her a tomboy who treated him like a buddy. Jin noted the lack of a feminine touch in the apartment and asked him to make her some congee. Rejecting his offer to order delivery, she offered to teach him how to cook it.

Sometime later, Qian Fei called Li Yifei on Valentine's Day, her voice teasing. But their playful exchange was abruptly cut short when Li Yifei received a call from his business partner. A critical software vulnerability had surfaced, draining their remaining capital and forcing them to immediately scramble for urgent fundraising.

After arriving at Li Yifei's apartment with a sudden stomachache, Jinzi rested inside and asked him to cook her a bowl of congee. Claiming he had no cooking skills, Yifei suggested ordering delivery, but Jinzi insisted on staying in, noting how late it was for delivery drivers. She offered to guide him through the process. Yifei reluctantly agreed, found some rice, and began cooking under her instruction.

Despite trying his best, he struggled with the task, accidentally breaking some tableware in frustration. After taking her medicine and eating the porridge, Jinzi felt much better. Yifei immediately urged her to return home. Learning that Yifei was planning to spend Chinese New Year's Eve at his father's place, Jinzi asked him for a ride since it was nearly impossible to catch a cab at that hour.

It was Chinese New Year's Eve, and the festive Spring Festival Gala played on television screens across the country. Over at her family home, Qian Fei watched the countdown with her parents. Right at the stroke of midnight, her phone rang. It was Yifei calling to wish her a happy New Year. Surprised by the gesture, Qian Fei chatted with him briefly before Yifei asked to speak with her father to maintain the appearance that they were a couple.

Qian Fei's father warmly accepted the call, thanking Yifei for the expensive liquor he had sent. After hanging up with her father, Yifei continued his conversation with Qian Fei, asking about her return date and teasingly offering to pick her up from the airport. Back in her hometown, Qian Fei's father sat her down for a serious talk, having easily seen through her and Yifei's relationship.

He pointed out her surprise at the midnight call, the lack of photos, and her hesitation to call Yifei first. Realizing she could no longer hide the truth, Qian Fei admitted that Yifei was only her tenant and a close friend. However, her father insisted that Yifei's actions showed genuine sincerity rather than empty tricks. He encouraged her to let go of her past relationship burdens and recognize the love of the person standing right beside her.

Meanwhile, after Jinzi got into Yifei's car, she could not keep her feelings bottled up any longer. She confessed her love to Yifei, admitting she had fallen for him from the moment they first met. Yifei gently but firmly turned her down, stating they were not a good match. When Jinzi asked if she was simply not good enough compared to Qian Fei, Yifei reassured her of her worth but admitted his heart already belonged to his landlady.

He confessed that he was too afraid of losing control of himself to make his feelings official. Jinzi promised not to pester him anymore and urged him to be brave and pursue his true love. Later that night, Qian Fei reflected on her father's words, wondering whether Yifei was truly spending the holidays alone or if he was being accompanied by his rumored influencer girlfriend. On Valentine's Day, Yifei called Qian Fei again to inquire about her return flight.

During the call, Qian Fei playfully teased him about whether he was calling because of a fight with his girlfriend. Irritated by her constant assumptions, Yifei snapped that he did not have a girlfriend. When Qian Fei pointed out the date, asking if he was calling to wish her a happy Valentine's Day, Yifei awkwardly claimed ignorance and quickly hung up. He then walked into a local flower shop, searching for a meaningful gift.

Rejecting traditional roses as too cliché, he explained to the shopkeeper that he wanted a flower that could convey deep affection without being overly obvious. Following the assistant's suggestion, Yifei purchased a pot of daisies, drawn to their symbolic meaning of a love hidden deep in the heart. Meanwhile, Dang Yu and Jun Cheng made their way back to Shanghai.

Dang Yu thanked Jun Cheng for playing the role of her boyfriend during the visit, and she opened up about the strained atmosphere in her family home. She confessed that she often felt distant from her father, leading her to visit less frequently to avoid causing conflict. To comfort her, Jun Cheng played a recording of a private conversation he had with her mother in the kitchen.

In the recording, her mother tearfully expressed her deep worry and love for Dang Yu, wishing only for her daughter to find a stable and happy life in the big city. Deeply moved, Dang Yu wept as Jun Cheng assured her that she would always have supportive friends waiting for her in Shanghai. Back at his place, Yifei was fussing over the daisy when he received an urgent phone call from Ma Li.

A critical bug had compromised their mobile software system, and Fulaxida's capital was on the verge of running out, leaving them with insufficient funds for repairs. Ma Li suggested immediate financing, but Yifei strongly objected, knowing that premature funding would cost them control over the software's future direction. Promising to resolve the issue within a day, Yifei prepared to fly to Sanya.

Before leaving, he carefully handed the pot of daisies over to his colleague, giving strict instructions on its care. On the fourth day of the New Year, Yifei called Qian Fei yet again, demanding to know her exact return time on the sixth. When Qian Fei teased him about whether his girlfriend had made a mess of the house, Yifei once again firmly reiterated that he did not have a girlfriend.

Upon arriving at a seaside villa in Sanya, Yifei met with his father, Li Qiansheng, bringing along a few organic apples from Fulaxida. Knowing his son would not fly all this way without a motive, Qiansheng waited for him to speak. Yifei got straight to the point, requesting a loan of at least twenty million yuan.

Qiansheng pointed out that his son was still too inexperienced, failing to see that Fulaxida's financial crisis was actually a trap set by someone working behind the scenes. Ultimately, Qiansheng agreed to provide the capital under a six-month term with a fifteen percent interest rate. Calling his father a foxy old man, Yifei rushed back to Shanghai to catch his flight. Back in Shanghai, Yifei immediately sought out Lu Ze to propose a business partnership.

He offered to invest in Lu Ze's software system to integrate it with Fulaxida's agricultural bases. This would allow consumers to trace the entire lifespan of their produce from soil to table, ensuring quality and encouraging farmers to maintain their integrity. Lu Ze was amazed by the innovative proposal and eagerly agreed.

He then revealed that he had recognized Yifei as the wealthy heir of Qiansheng Manufacturing Group after spotting a family photo on Chairman Li's desk during a previous pitch. Although Yifei insisted on keeping his identity a secret from Qian Fei, Lu Ze noted that Yifei's deep affection for her was obvious to everyone. Yifei playfully warned him to watch his tone with his new financial backer.

With the investment secured, Lu Ze met with Jingjing at a local market to share the joyful news that his project was officially back on track. He expressed his deep gratitude to Jingjing for her unwavering support, noting how she had protected him by not having him accompany her home for the holidays, sparing him from her parents' questioning about his career.

Jingjing happily brushed off his sentimentality, and the two walked off to celebrate their hard-won victory with a proper dinner. On the sixth day of the New Year, Yifei waited at the airport to pick up Qian Fei. Despite a slight delay from traffic, he greeted her warmly, and she handed him a package of local specialties from her father. Noticing his exhausted state from his relentless work, Qian Fei insisted on taking the wheel.

Back at the apartment, Qian Fei spotted a pair of women's slippers, but Yifei quickly clarified that they belonged to Qiqi, whom he had asked to water his plants. He then proudly showed her the daisy he had bought. When Qian Fei complimented its beauty, Yifei offered it to her. Later that evening, Yifei prepared a simple dinner of salad and congee. Qian Fei noticed that the old tableware had been completely replaced with an expensive new set.

Yifei sheepishly admitted he had broken the old dishes and bought these as compensation. While eating, Qian Fei realized Yifei had personally cooked the warm congee for her, learning the recipe online. She then noticed a painful burn on his hand and gently began applying medicine to his skin. However, as she leaned down, she spotted a long strand of hair on the floor, leaving her with growing questions about who had recently visited the apartment.

Li Yifei is nursing his burned hand when Qian Fei brings over the first-aid kit. While preparing to dress the wound, she notices a long strand of hair on the sofa. Pointing out that its length, thickness, and texture do not match her own, she deduces it belongs to Jin, linking it to the guest slippers and daisies left in the apartment.

Although Li Yifei tries to explain that the slippers were worn by Qi and that his relationship with Jin is entirely platonic, Qian Fei is hurt by his apparent dishonesty and retreats to her room, refusing to eat the food he prepared. Determined to clear the air, Li Yifei continues to plead his case through her closed door, explaining he was only helping Jin out of a tight spot.

When Qian Fei sarcastically suggests she should thank Jin for the new tableware and congee instead, Li Yifei asks if she is simply jealous. Qian Fei quickly denies this, insisting their connection is strictly professional and transactional. To coax her out, Li Yifei resorts to a dramatic act, loudly complaining about his agonizing hand injury and threatening to call an ambulance. Relenting, Qian Fei emerges to bandage his hand while calling him an idiot.

The tension melts away, and Li Yifei happily coaxes her into sharing the salad he made. On her first day back at the office after the holidays, Qian Fei arrives looking refreshed, drawing playful comments from her colleagues about whether her love life has finally blossomed. However, she soon notices a new face, Mr. Wu, who has taken over as the Chief Financial Officer for Shanlifang.

A coworker fills her in on the office gossip, revealing that Wang Ruohai and Liao Shiyu have broken up, and Wang Ruohai has officially resigned. Free from the past drama, Qian Fei declares she is entirely focused on her career. The peace is short-lived when Fang Yun announces she must cooperate with Shanlifang’s internal investigation regarding the leaked room video, instructing the team to follow Li Yifei's directions in her absence.

Seeking clarity, Qian Fei goes to find Li Yifei but instead witnesses Gui Lili pleading with him to help her secure a project. Now married but deeply unfulfilled, Gui Lili desperately wants to prove her worth, but Li Yifei flatly refuses to get involved in her marital issues or business ventures. After Gui Lili leaves, Qian Fei steps out from her hiding spot. Li Yifei teases her for eavesdropping before explaining the gravity of Fang Yun's situation.

He reveals that Fang Yun is suspected of being the mole who leaked the hotel video. He reassures a shocked Qian Fei that since the Economic Crime Unit has not intervened, Shanlifang is likely keeping the investigation internal. Later that evening, Qian Fei returns home late with a bricked phone, explaining it caught a virus. In a quiet moment of domesticity, Li Yifei washes the dishes and surprises her with a brand-new, high-end phone.

Hesitant to accept such a lavish gift, Qian Fei suspects he is trying to use it to offset his next rent payment. Li Yifei dismisses her cynicism, claiming his friend refurbished it for only 2,700 yuan. Qian Fei reluctantly agrees to keep it, but only on the condition that she transfers the money to him immediately. Later, while out drinking with a friend who teases him about falling hard for his landlady, Li Yifei receives the transfer notification.

Frustrated by Qian Fei's insistence on keeping their interactions strictly transactional, he leaves his friend behind to head back home. The next day, rumors circulate at the office that Fang Yun has been cleared and the real mole has been identified. However, the situation takes a dark turn when Mr. Wu, the new CFO of Shanlifang, confronts Qian Fei. He accuses her of using the Weibo alias "Back End Jumbo" to feed the leaked video to the blogger Diansansan.

Confused and alarmed, Qian Fei tries to log into her account to prove her innocence, but the system rejects her password. Compounding her troubles, her old phone has already been sold, which Mr. Wu finds incredibly suspicious. Refusing her requests to confront Diansansan directly, Mr. Wu orders her office supplies and computer to be confiscated and demands she leave the premises immediately. Li Yifei returns to find her desk cleared out.

Though he wants to confront Fang Yun, his colleague advises him to go home and speak with Qian Fei first to avoid getting dragged into the mess. At the apartment, Li Yifei finds Qian Fei drowning her sorrows in beer. She tries to put on a brave face, claiming that escaping the corporate backstabbing might be a blessing in disguise.

However, Li Yifei urges her not to give up, pointing out that Fang Yun’s sudden silence and decision to fire her are highly suspicious. He warns her that a blacklisting would end her career in investment banking. Overwhelmed by the betrayal and disappointed by the industry, Qian Fei breaks down. After she gets heavily drunk, Li Yifei carries her to her bedroom. Clinging to his neck, a tearful Qian Fei begs him to stay with her.

Lost in the moment, Li Yifei leans in and kisses her gently. He immediately pulls back, regretting taking advantage of her vulnerability, but softly confesses his true feelings to her sleeping form before tucking her in. The next morning, Dang Yu calls Qian Fei, urging her to face the office gossip head-on. Still hungover, Qian Fei mentions a highly vivid "dream" where a handsome man kissed her with immense tenderness.

Dang Yu playfully suggests that the man was likely Li Yifei, who had stayed up to care for her, but Qian Fei quickly dismisses the idea. When she hangs up and walks out of her room, she is startled to find Li Yifei standing there with a bowl of congee. Realizing he heard the entire conversation, an embarrassed Qian Fei fiercely warns him to pretend he knows nothing and never bring it up.

Meanwhile, Dang Yu bids a poignant farewell to her partner, Juncheng, at a taxi as he prepares to depart for his new business venture. She urges him to eat well and work hard, promising that they can only get married once he returns successfully. In the company parking lot, Qian Fei corners Fang Yun. She reminds Fang Yun of how much she once revered her as a mentor.

Directly addressing the betrayal, she asks why Fang Yun chose to leak the video and set her up to take the fall. Fang Yun coldly explains that in the corporate world, companies and clients will always sacrifice the less valuable employee to protect their own interests. Though she admits she saw her younger, idealistic self in Qian Fei, Fang Yun warns her that the world is not non-binary, and even good intentions can cause harm.

Qian Fei replies that while she understands the complexities of the world, everyone is still capable of distinguishing right from wrong. She tells Fang Yun that she did not come for a fight, but to find closure. Armed with her own principles, she walks away, ready to face the future without her former idol.

Qian Fei confronted Fang Yun, wanting to know why she had leaked the video and framed her. Fang Yun offered no real excuse, merely remarking that the financial industry was never black and white. She claimed that while she once saw her younger, passionate self in Qian Fei, years in the business had stripped away her ideals.

Fang Yun insisted that Qian Fei was not just taking the fall for her, but for the entire company, urging her to consider why she was the one chosen to be sacrificed. Unshaken, Qian Fei calmly told Fang Yun that she did not come to place blame, but to make peace with herself. Fang Yun had once been her professional guide and beacon, but that was no longer the case.

Even so, Qian Fei remained confident that she was heading in the right direction. At the joint sponsor meeting, the team concluded that Shanlifang was not currently fit for an IPO and recommended postponing it to focus on operational restructuring. Liao Shiyu was outraged, blaming Hejing's employees for leaking the video and asserting that simply firing Qian Fei did not make up for the damage.

Fang Yun firmly retorted that Shanlifang's internal operational issues should not be blamed on a third party. She made it clear that if Shanlifang refused the recommendation, they could proceed, but they would face a much stricter investigation by the CSRC. Seeing the heated argument, Li Yifei intervened and backed the restructuring plan. After the meeting, Liao Shiyu asked Li Yifei to stay behind.

He gently advised her to look into why these negative rumors had surfaced at such a critical moment rather than focusing solely on blaming the underwriter. Meanwhile, the local square dance competition kicked off. Just as Dang Yu was preparing to go on stage for the sailor dance, she was hit by a sudden, severe stomach ache and ran to the restroom to vomit.

Jun Cheng's mother immediately suspected that Dang Yu was pregnant, furiously chasing and hitting Jun Cheng in frustration. Jun Cheng desperately explained that it was not what she thought, while Dang Yu clarified that she had likely caught a cold from eating while walking. Despite feeling incredibly weak, Dang Yu insisted on performing. During the dance, Jun Cheng's mother watched over her and caught her during the final pose when she was about to collapse.

Once the performance ended, a grateful Dang Yu thanked Jun Cheng's mother before losing consciousness. Jun Cheng quickly carried her to the hospital. Despite the recent setbacks, Qian Fei refused to be defeated. She bought a new laptop to mark a fresh start in both her career and life. Today was her birthday, but her close friends Jingjing and Dang Yu were caught up with work and could not celebrate with her.

Meanwhile, Fang Yun was visibly troubled by Qian Fei's parting words. She placed a phone call to confirm that Shanlifang's IPO had been postponed and asked if she could cash out her payment early. When Qian Fei returned home, she found that Li Yifei had prepared a birthday feast for her, though she immediately saw through his claim of cooking and realized it was takeout.

Li Yifei presented a cake, and they made a wish and blew out the candles together. Over glasses of red wine, Qian Fei suddenly recalled the night she got drunk and realized it was Li Yifei who had kissed her. Caught off guard, Li Yifei struggled to find the words to explain himself. Feeling disrespected and deeply hurt, Qian Fei locked herself in her room to cry.

Li Yifei was left in an anxious panic, terrified of how this would affect their relationship and wondering if he would be kicked out of the apartment. Before he could resolve things, Li Yifei received an urgent call from Ma Li. Ma Li explained that the local villagers at their digital agriculture project site were trying to drive them away, and they desperately needed his help to save the project. Li Yifei flew out that very night.

The next morning, Qian Fei woke up to find him gone and assumed he was merely running away to avoid her. She tried calling his phone, only to find it switched off. Frustrated, Qian Fei later vented to Jingjing, admitting how awkward and embarrassed she felt about the whole situation. Jingjing teased her, suggesting she had completely fallen under Li Yifei's spell.

Upon arriving at the project site, Li Yifei found a crowd of angry villagers surrounding Ma Li and Lu Ze. The villagers accused them of being scammers trying to steal government subsidies. Li Yifei stepped forward to defuse the tension. He brought up a local child, Xin Ba, who had successfully received remote medical treatment from Shanghai experts thanks to their network camera.

He explained that their technology was not just about basic live-streaming; it was a way to connect the village directly to premium consumers who valued quality over cheap prices. By showing the entire process of growing, harvesting, and shipping, they could build trust and bypass heavy transportation costs. His sincere explanation won over the skeptical villagers, who finally agreed to disperse. Afterward, Ma Li praised Li Yifei's speech. As they walked through the fields, they discussed the immense potential of rural revitalization and their shared passion for the project.

At the project base in Taoyuan Village, Ma Li questioned Li Yifei about his investment choices. As an elite in the investment banking world and the heir of Qiansheng Group, it seemed absurd that Li Yifei would sell his own house to bet everything on a small agricultural project. Li Yifei explained that policies like rural revitalization represented a massive wave of opportunity, comparable to the Reform and Opening-up that his father had capitalized on decades ago.

He was willing to take the risk because he recognized Ma Li's execution and Lu Ze's technological support. Gathered with like-minded partners, he found the journey of striving toward a goal worthwhile regardless of the final outcome. When Ma Li asked if they should proceed with raising funds—a move Li Yifei had previously opposed—Li Yifei clarified his stance. He did not object to financing itself, but rather to bad money that would quickly burn out without contributing real value.

Instead, he wanted good money that brought resources and could turn Fulaxida into a modern agricultural model zone. Following their discussion, Ma Li made a phone call to Sang Shiqi to share the news. Hearing that Li Yifei had finally relented, Sang Shiqi turned to Fang Yun, who was sitting beside him.

He confidently declared that they were close to success, promising that once Fulaxida went public through a backdoor listing, her nominee shares in his possession would multiply dozens of times. Fang Yun, however, remained cautious, advising him to accelerate the process before the situation deteriorated. Back at the base, Lu Ze was busy helping a local farmer set up and connect a mobile app. Noting Li Yifei's distracted and anxious demeanor, Lu Ze walked over to offer some advice.

He mentioned that Jingjing had called him, revealing that Qian Fei was deeply worried because she had no idea Li Yifei was on a business trip. Lu Ze compared Li Yifei's hesitation to his own past overthinking with Jingjing and advised him to put aside the calculations of returns and losses that finance professionals usually obsessed over, and simply follow his heart.

Deeply affected by these words, Li Yifei lingered in the greenhouse, recalling fond memories of his contract and interactions with Qian Fei. Meanwhile, Qian Fei stumbled upon a short video showing Xin You and his son, Simba, in Shanghai for a medical follow-up. She immediately met up with them. During their meeting, Xin You expressed immense gratitude toward Li Yifei.

Thanks to the specialist Li Yifei had introduced, Simba had received remote treatment for months, and his social and language skills had recovered to match his peers. Furthermore, Li Yifei had integrated the surrounding lands into Fulaxida's high-tech experimental farm, which significantly boosted the local economy. Hearing about the livestock livestreaming app Li Yifei and Lu Ze were developing to let consumers track pre-ordered farm products online, Qian Fei was stunned.

She realized that while she had struggled to move ten steps forward, Li Yifei had already quietly advanced fifty steps. Despite her progress, Qian Fei felt incredibly lonely with Li Yifei away and her job applications yielding no responses. After days of cleaning, cooking, and checking job boards in solitude, she finally invited Jingjing out to dinner.

During their meal, Qian Fei admitted she felt embarrassed about her past kiss with Li Yifei and thought he had fled on a business trip to avoid her. Although Jingjing concluded that Qian Fei was clearly in love with him, she remembered Lu Ze's warning not to interfere. Instead of pushing her friend, Jingjing pointed out their different backgrounds, noting that Li Yifei belonged to the wealthy elite while Qian Fei was from the grassroots.

She shared that Li Yifei had sold his appreciated house to invest tens of millions into Fulaxida, which was why he was now broke and co-renting with Qian Fei, advising her to take it one step at a time. Before they parted, Jingjing mentioned she would be out of town and unable to attend their five-year college reunion on Saturday, jokingly advising Qian Fei to slap Wang Ruohai if he got too close.

At the base, Ma Li pressed Li Yifei again on the financing timeline. However, Li Yifei had changed his mind, stating that seeking funds now was premature. When Ma Li grew frustrated by his hesitation, Li Yifei questioned him about his meetings with Sang Shiqi and Liao Jinshan. He warned Ma Li that Sang Shiqi had approached Fulaxida with ulterior motives from the start.

Ma Li defended the businessman, pointing out that Sang Shiqi had settled a recent villager protest by paying them off. Li Yifei then delivered a shocking revelation: the entire protest had been orchestrated by Sang Shiqi in the first place. To confirm his suspicions, Li Yifei met with Liao Jinshan, who presented investigation files linking a Weibo account to Sang Shiqi's schemes. Realizing that Sang Shiqi was a master manipulator playing a dangerous game, Li Yifei headed to the airport.

On his way, he called his contact to compile ten years of data regarding mid-project shareholder removals by Zhizhong, planning to review the files as soon as he landed. On Saturday, Qian Fei arrived at the college reunion, where Wang Ruohai paid for the expensive meal and showed meticulous care toward her. When Mr. Zhang mistakenly celebrated them as the only enduring couple from the class, Wang Ruohai played along, poeticizing their pure college romance.

Wang Ruohai served Qian Fei her favorite dish, admitting he organized the entire gathering just to see her because he knew she would reject a private invitation. However, when the Class President created a group chat and asked everyone to share their phone numbers, Qian Fei discovered that her phone had automatically blocked Wang Ruohai. Wang Ruohai confronted her outside the room, asking why she had blacklisted him and begging to remain friends.

Qian Fei firmly declined, stating that she wanted him completely erased from her life and that mutual support was what mattered most to her now. At his hotel, Li Yifei stared at his phone, wondering if his landlady was angry or simply did not miss him at all. Back in the city, Qian Fei worked on her resume with Dang Yu. Seeking guidance, she finally sent him a text asking when he would return.

Meanwhile, at the base, Li Yifei explained equity distribution to Ma Li, warning him that diluting their combined 67% absolute controlling interest down to a 51% simple majority would strip them of solo decision-making power. When his phone buzzed, Li Yifei replied that he was not sure. Qian Fei felt discouraged, convinced he was avoiding her, while a stressed Ma Li complained that he would rather just go back to farming.

Later, Qian Fei, Dang Yu, and Jingjing gathered to pack donations, including clothes and books, for the children in Xin You's county. While packing, Jingjing noticed that Dang Yu had put her exam preparation books up for sale online. Dang Yu explained that under the new registration-based system, she planned to secure a direct recommendation from a future employer instead of focusing solely on the sponsor representative exams.

After Jingjing left for her part-time job, Dang Yu ran into Mrs. Jun outside. Mrs. Jun warmly congratulated Dang Yu on their dance team winning first prize, praising her determination for performing while being severely ill, and warmly invited Dang Yu to her home to eat shepherd's purse wontons.

Qian Fei continues her grueling job search, but after receiving yet another rejection call, she feels deeply discouraged. However, she is puzzled when she receives an unexpected interview invitation from a newly established venture capital firm called Xinzouqi Capital. Confused because she never applied there, she calls Jingjing, who denies sending the resume but remembers telling Wang Ruohai about Qian Fei's situation.

Jingjing explains that Wang Ruohai's former boss had left his bank to start Xinzouqi Capital and was hiring, so Wang Ruohai had pulled some strings to secure her an interview. Reluctant to be entangled with her ex, Qian Fei decides to ignore the opportunity. Shortly after, the doorbell rings, and a courier delivers a bouquet of flowers to Qian Fei's door.

Finding a card from Wang Ruohai asking to start over, an irritated Qian Fei unblocks his number and calls him, demanding that he stop harassing her. Wang Ruohai smugly replies that he only did it to get off her blacklist. Annoyed by his manipulation, Qian Fei cuts the conversation short. Meanwhile, Dang Yu hosts a gaming livestream. After successfully completing her game, she stays online to chat with her viewers.

Jun Cheng's mother joins the stream under her username BlueBearBaby, enthusiastically sending gifts and rallying the audience to light up their screen hearts. Jun Cheng and his friends, including Peng Fei, watch the interaction online, teasing Jun Cheng about how wonderfully his mother and Dang Yu are getting along. Jun Cheng's mother even initiates a split-screen connection to exchange dance tips with Dang Yu, sparking a lively dance session that propels the stream's popularity into the top five.

As Ma Li's financing moves along suspiciously fast, Li Yifei secretly investigates and uncovers Sang Shiqi's involvement. He immediately flies back to handle the matter. Upon landing, he drives to Qian Fei's residential complex, quietly looking up at her apartment window from a distance before checking into a hotel instead of going home. Anxious about Li Yifei's long silence, Qian Fei sends him a WeChat message, but he is too busy to see it.

That night, Li Yifei gets heavily drunk during a business dinner and is helped back to his hotel room by Ma Li, where he immediately passes out. That same night, Qian Fei develops a high fever. Feeling miserable and isolated, she tries calling Li Yifei, but he remains unreachable. The next morning, the Class Monitor calls Qian Fei to ask her to be a bridesmaid.

Hearing her faint, weak voice on the phone, Wang Ruohai, who is with the Class Monitor at the time, immediately rushes to her apartment and finds her unconscious. Wang Ruohai carries her to the hospital, where the doctor notes she was brought in just in time to prevent pneumonia. Wang Ruohai takes a leave of absence from work to stay by her side, feeding her and keeping her comfortable.

When Qian Fei comments on his sudden caregiving skills, Wang Ruohai admits that after she took care of him for five years, he finally learned. He confesses he used to take her for granted because he believed she would never leave. Upon waking up, Li Yifei finally sees his phone and sends Qian Fei a message explaining that he drank too much with partners. Qian Fei replies coldly, stating she has forgotten what she wanted to say.

Sensing her emotional distance, Wang Ruohai warns her that when a man takes a woman for granted, he stops replying promptly and uses being busy as an excuse. Though Qian Fei tells him not to make wild assumptions, her disappointment in Li Yifei is clear. Li Yifei meets with Sang Shiqi, directly confronting him about orchestrating the villagers' riots and demanding his withdrawal from the project.

However, Sang Shiqi confidently brandishes a technical contract signed by Ma Li, who had been tricked into signing it as the legal representative. The contract's key clauses had been altered, threatening Li Yifei's control over Fulaxida. Afterward, a panicked Ma Li apologizes to Li Yifei. Li Yifei reassures him, explaining that he deliberately provoked Sang Shiqi to force him to reveal his hand.

This confirms Sang Shiqi is backed by Liao Jinshan, the same adversary who targeted Li Yifei's family years ago. He also deduces there is a mole within his team who understands his tactics, which is why he hid his plans from everyone. Following Jingjing's advice, Qian Fei goes to Xinzouqi Capital for her interview. The interviewer recognizes her as the woman who used to wait for Wang Ruohai after work.

They discuss her departure from Hejing Securities, and Qian Fei candidly shares her growth in the financial industry. She explains her philosophy that equity investment is a zero-or-one game, and the only way to win is to help businesses create real value for society. Impressed by her insights, the interviewer welcomes her to the firm. Out in the fields, Lu Ze helps local farmers install field controllers.

He mentions to Li Yifei that Qian Fei has started her new job at Xinzouqi Capital thanks to Wang Ruohai's recommendation. Guilt-ridden, Li Yifei recalls Qian Fei's unanswered message and realizes how helpless she must have felt. He confesses his love for Qian Fei to Lu Ze but admits his fear of rejection. Encouraged by Lu Ze to follow his heart, Li Yifei decides to fly back to Shanghai immediately.

Hoping to make a grand gesture, Li Yifei books a window seat at an Italian restaurant and invites Qian Fei to dinner. He dresses formally and buys a bouquet of roses. When they meet, the atmosphere is slightly tense. Noticing she has lost weight, he learns about her recent fever. Li Yifei presents the flowers, but Qian Fei speaks first, admitting she missed him terribly and constantly checked her phone, but confesses his sudden disappearances make her feel incredibly insecure.

Deeply moved, Li Yifei confesses his love, apologizes for his past selfishness, and asks her to be with him. However, Qian Fei rejects his proposal, stating she cannot accept a relationship defined by waiting and uncertainty. Shortly after, Li Yifei hires a moving company to pack up his belongings and officially moves out of Qian Fei's apartment.

Li Yifei officially moved his belongings out of the apartment, bringing an end to their shared living arrangement. From her window, Qian Fei watched him leave with deep reluctance, quickly stepping back to avoid his upward glance when he turned around to look. Later, Yao Jingjing spoke with Lu Ze on the phone, expressing her deep sorrow over how things had ended between the two.

She confessed her regret for not telling Qian Fei sooner how desperately Li Yifei had missed her while he was away at Taoyuan Creek. Lu Ze comforted her, suggesting they leave everything to time, confident that their story was far from over. Back at the apartment, Qian Fei kept herself busy by cleaning. While tidying up, she discovered a Kindle that Li Yifei had left behind. She tried calling his number, but his phone was switched off.

Meanwhile, Qian Fei went out to buy groceries, but because she was now living alone, she had to ask the vendor to split a portion of okra so she wouldn't waste it. Li Yifei had actually lost his phone and had to purchase a new one. Upon turning it on, he noticed a notification for a missed call from Qian Fei and dialed her back.

Qian Fei answered and explained that she had found his Kindle, offering to mail it to him if he provided an address. Still guarded, Li Yifei coldly told her to throw it away, claiming he no longer needed it. After hanging up, they went their separate ways, seemingly cutting off all contact. A real estate agent called Qian Fei, recalling that she had listed her shared rental a year ago, and asked if she had any vacancies.

She politely declined, saying she would contact them if a vacancy arose. Sitting in her quiet living room, she couldn't help but feel that drinking beer with Li Yifei on the sofa belonged to an entirely different lifetime. Sometime later, Qian Fei ran into Zhao De at work and asked how Li Yifei was doing. Zhao De revealed that Li Yifei was currently embroiled in a massive corporate lawsuit.

A newly hired lawyer had accused Li Yifei of losing a critical guarantee contract during a previous convertible bond issuance. The client company had secretly bypassed Zhizhong Capital, using Li Yifei's completed project materials to issue the bonds through another brokerage to save money. The lawyer had printed out and notarized all related communication logs to pin the blame on Li Yifei, accusing him of taking bribes to deliberately sabotage the case.

Making matters worse, Li Yifei's phone had been lost, and his hacked email account had been completely wiped without any backup. Qian Fei was highly skeptical, pointing out that since Zhao De usually handled all of Li Yifei's affairs, he should have been involved. Zhao De explained that the company had sent him away on a week-long training course right when the trouble started.

Qian Fei suspected the new lawyer was actually a mole who was settling a personal score because Li Yifei had previously argued with him. Zhao De warned that the lawyer had close ties to the board of directors, meaning Li Yifei could be forced out of the firm if they couldn't find the original contract. Desperate to help, Qian Fei remembered when Li Yifei had once backed up his phone data onto her old computer.

That old computer had recently been donated to a school in Taoyuan Creek. Believing the backup might still exist on the hard drive, she immediately contacted Xin You to ask about the computer. Qian Fei decided to take leave and fly to Chengdu immediately. Before departing, she told Yao Jingjing about her plans.

Jingjing pointed out that flying thousands of kilometers for Li Yifei proved she was still deeply in love with him, regardless of her claims of being a hopeless romantic who had finally grown up. Qian Fei insisted she simply couldn't stand by and watch a friend suffer, then rushed to check in for her flight. Upon landing in Chengdu, Qian Fei rented a car and drove straight to Taoyuan Creek. Xin You and the children welcomed her warmly.

He expressed his immense gratitude to both her and Li Yifei, explaining how the Fulaxida app had transformed the lives of local farmers and ranchers, with bookings now secured a year in advance. Xin You retrieved the old computer, noting that the school teachers had been using it without ever reinstalling the operating system. Since Qian Fei struggled to navigate the files, Xin You assisted her and quickly located the folder named "Li Phone Backup."

Relieved, Qian Fei immediately sent the files to Li Yifei's email address. At the same time, Li Yifei was searching for clues with Zhao De, who insisted they had already combed through the archives several times. When Li Yifei received the email from Qian Fei, Zhao De saw it and was about to open it. Li Yifei quickly stopped him and sent him away to coordinate with the legal team, wanting to examine the files in private.

Li Yifei then met with Liao Shiyu to share his findings. He explained that the IP address of the hacker, who went by the alias Diansansan, had appeared multiple times at the Lis Premium Club. Shiyu obtained the club's membership list, and they identified Sang Shiqi, a man currently close to her father, Liao Jinshan. Li Yifei advised Shiyu not to show the list to her father yet, keeping their investigation confidential for the time being.

Meanwhile, Qian Fei prepared to return to Shanghai on the earliest flight, promising Xin You that she would mail a brand-new computer to replace the old one once she got back. Li Yifei called Yao Jingjing to ask if she had seen Qian Fei. Jingjing revealed that Qian Fei had traveled all the way to Chengdu just to retrieve his lost phone data from the donated computer.

Alarmed, Li Yifei called Xin You, who confirmed that Qian Fei had already left for the airport. Li Yifei immediately drove out to intercept her. After landing in Shanghai, Qian Fei got into a taxi, only to realize that a luxury car was aggressively tailing them. Knowing the taxi could not outrun the speeding luxury car, and with a collision seemingly imminent, Qian Fei urged the driver to pull over and frantically called the police to report the pursuit.

Shortly after, Li Yifei received a phone call from a police officer. He was devastated to learn that Qian Fei had been in a car accident and rushed to the hospital. Li Yifei raced to the hospital in a panic. Ignoring everything else, he charged toward the operating room. Seeing a doctor step out in a blood-stained gown, he completely broke down, crying hysterically and screaming Qian Fei's name. Suddenly, Qian Fei appeared behind him, holding her medical reports.

Aside from a few minor scratches on her arm, she was completely unharmed. Seeing her safe, Li Yifei turned around and pulled her into a tight, emotional embrace, weeping with relief. Li Yifei was surprised to find Mr. Jiang at the hospital as well. Mr. Jiang smiled and assured him that he was not fighting his battles alone.

It turned out Li Qiansheng had already anticipated the danger and had quietly sent Mr. Jiang to protect Qian Fei from any potential harm. Meanwhile, Sang Shiqi's conspiracy was fully exposed. Facing a furious Liao Jinshan, Sang Shiqi tried to defend his actions, claiming he had only orchestrated the public uproar to force Liao Jinshan into facing their corporate hurdles. He urged Liao Jinshan to abandon the failing Shanlifang listing and focus all resources on seizing control of Fulaxida instead.

Liao Jinshan lost his temper, fiercely rebuking Sang Shiqi for his reckless and foolish behavior. He pointed out that Sang Shiqi had only succeeded in digging his own grave, as Liao Shiyu, Li Yifei, and Li Qiansheng were now all actively investigating his crimes.

Sang Shiqi remains confident that Liao Jinshan will not report him, believing he holds too many of Liao's secrets. Previously, Sang Shiqi used a mole to leak Shanlifang's video and planned to invest in Fulaxida so Shanlifang could pursue a backdoor listing. Liao Jinshan viewed this plan as a shortcut to bypass the CSRC's investigation and shorten their path to going public. As Qian Fei recovers from her injuries, Li Yifei checks on her with deep concern.

He is deeply moved and terrified after learning from Yao Jingjing that she drove 5,000 kilometers in a rented, beat-up car to Chengdu just to find evidence to clear his name. Realizing that Qian Fei loves him deeply, Yifei urges her to admit her feelings. Though she remains silent, Qian Fei gives him a playful kiss. Moved by her affection, Yifei embraces and passionately kisses her back, promising to protect and love her from now on.

Returning home, Yifei finds his father, Li Qiansheng, asleep on the sofa and gently covers him with a blanket. Once his father wakes up, Yifei sincerely thanks him. Li Qiansheng explains that his years of business experience taught him to anticipate the dirty tricks of their rivals.

When Sang Shiqi's plot was exposed, he sent men to block Qian Fei on the road to seize and destroy her laptop containing evidence of financial fraud, causing her to crash into a guardrail. Fortunately, Qian Fei had alertly called the police, and thanks to Qiansheng's pre-arranged bodyguards, she only suffered minor scratches. Li Qiansheng then urges Yifei to return to Qiansheng Group, which is currently being drained by foreign investors.

Yifei proposes a brilliant alternative: utilizing Fulaxida to help Qiansheng Group execute a backdoor listing. Li Qiansheng realizes with pride that his son has been paving this rescue route for the family business all along by selling his house to invest. The legal consequences of the corporate warfare quickly unfold. As Zhao De attempts to flee, the police arrest him. It is revealed that Zhao De betrayed Yifei for money, secretly leaking his data to Sang Shiqi.

Meanwhile, Sang Shiqi had also recruited Fang Yun of Hejing Securities as an insider to steal and leak Shanlifang's bad financial records, forcing their IPO to fail. Sang Shiqi also plotted to marginalize Fulaxida, intending to buy it cheap and resell it to Liao Jinshan. Throughout the scheme, Fang Yun framed Qian Fei as the scapegoat to ruin her reputation. Fang Yun is arrested at Hejing Securities, and her files are handed over to the police.

At the police station, Yifei and Qian Fei cross paths with Fang Yun and Zhao De. Witnessing his close friend's betrayal, Yifei struggles to accept the painful reality. Before being led away, Fang Yun requests a brief word with Qian Fei. She admits she always liked Qian Fei and thought they were alike, but now realizes they are different. She urges Qian Fei to just be herself. Overwhelmed with emotion, Qian Fei gives Fang Yun a silent embrace.

Meanwhile, Sang Shiqi's attempt to flee the country is thwarted when the police apprehend him at the airport, bringing the commercial storm to a temporary close. Safely distanced from the fallout, Liao Jinshan watches his former partner's downfall, smug in the knowledge that he was not outsmarted. Back at the Liao household, Liao Shiyu confronts her father. She reveals she discovered Sang Shiqi was behind the attacks on Shanlifang, and that Liao Jinshan had known all along but did nothing.

Liao Jinshan defends his complicity, arguing that the expose minimized their eventual losses and that merging with Fulaxida through a backdoor listing was the quickest path to maximize profits. Disgusted by her father's complete lack of ethical boundaries, Shiyu refuses his attempt to demote her to a lower-level department and abruptly resigns from Shanlifang. Some time later, life returns to normal.

Li Yifei attempts to pick Qian Fei up from work in a high-profile manner, but she deliberately ignores him to humble his ego and test his patience. Soon, their professional paths cross again when Xinzouqi Capital decides to invest in Fulaxida. During a high-profile meeting, the company's president, Mr. Zhang, officially appoints Qian Fei as the head of the All Things Grow project. After the meeting, Qian Fei and Yifei celebrate their partnership.

Qian Fei insists on setting strict ground rules: they must not mix personal feelings with work, keep their close relationship a secret, and Yifei must avoid public romantic gestures. Additionally, she demands that he stay away from bars; if he must go, he must inform her, and if he flirts with other women, she will beat him. Though Yifei defends bars as legitimate businesses, he happily agrees to her terms.

With their personal terms settled, Yifei shifts the conversation to business strategy. He explains that while Sang Shiqi has been neutralized, Liao Jinshan remains a threat. To secure Fulaxida's growth, Yifei proposes a collaboration with Qiansheng Group, which has recently privatized and delisted in the US but needs help with capital transition. He asks Qian Fei to act as Xinzouqi's consultant to facilitate this partnership, and she happily agrees.

Later, Liao Shiyu visits Yifei seeking a fresh start at Zhizhong or Fulaxida. Recognizing her management background, Yifei gently explains that those roles require highly specific professional credentials. Instead, he suggests she invest in Fulaxida as a shareholder, but when she admits her personal savings are insufficient, Yifei proposes an alternative.

He introduces her to Gui Lili, the wealthy wife of supplier Mr. Niu, suggesting that Shiyu's sharp management skills combined with Gui Lili's substantial financial backing could yield a highly successful joint venture.

During a business conversation, it was suggested to Li Yifei that he collaborate with Liao Shiyu, the former assistant to Mr. Niu who had recently married her wealthy boss. Although Liao Shiyu wanted to start a venture, she lacked direction. Li Yifei politely declined, privately admitting to his associate that Liao Shiyu was his ex-girlfriend. Since he was no longer single, he felt it was inappropriate to maintain close contact out of respect for Qian Fei’s feelings.

When he later discussed this with Qian Fei, she teased him with a hint of jealousy, but Li Yifei quickly reassured her. He explained that Liao Shiyu’s recent comments were simply born of nostalgia, reminding her of her past relationship with Wang Ruohai. He also clarified that his past kindness to Wang Ruohai's mother was purely out of respect for the elderly woman and had nothing to do with Wang Ruohai himself.

Seeking to change the subject, Li Yifei drove Qian Fei to his massive new villa. Still unaware of his true wealth, Qian Fei immediately chided him for his lavish spending, assuming he had rented the enormous property. She lectured him on the importance of saving money to buy a home of his own instead of throwing it away on high rent.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Yifei playfully suggested that he should just move back into her apartment as a tenant, which would help ease her mortgage burdens while saving him a significant expense. Qian Fei promised to consider it. Inside, the two spent a lively evening preparing food together, playfully smearing flour over each other's faces in a moment of pure joy. Meanwhile, Jun Cheng brought Dang Yu home to meet his family. The gathering was an absolute success.

Jun Cheng's mother was overjoyed, already dreaming of a wedding and looking forward to becoming a grandmother. The relatives showered Dang Yu with compliments, with her aunts and uncles eagerly handing over generous red packets. Finally, Jun Cheng’s parents presented her with a substantial red packet of their own, cementing their warm approval of the match. Later, Li Yifei picked Qian Fei up in his flashy new luxury car, causing her frustration to flare.

She lamented his complete inability to hold onto money, comparing his hands to a sieve. Li Yifei jokingly claimed he was completely broke and might not even afford next month's rent, begging her to support him. He pushed once more for an early move-in date, suggesting they consult a calendar for an auspicious day to ensure their shared household would thrive.

Following their strict ground rules to keep their romance a secret at work, Li Yifei had to pick Qian Fei up after hours in a highly discreet manner. As they drove, Li Yifei voiced his frustration over their secretive arrangement, questioning why they had to remain hidden. Qian Fei firmly explained that office romances were highly risky.

Even though they worked for different companies, they were currently collaborating on the same project, and she refused to let personal feelings compromise their professionalism. Qian Fei also pointed out a recent company dinner where two attractive female colleagues had hovered closely by his side. Li Yifei quickly defended himself, explaining that he had practically fled the room to avoid them and reiterating that he only had eyes for her.

Qian Fei promised she would officially acknowledge their relationship once she became as successful and capable as he was, leaving Li Yifei highly flattered by her praise. Their lighthearted mood was interrupted when Qian Fei received a distress message from her ex-boyfriend, Wang Ruohai. He revealed that his mother’s condition had deteriorated, requiring an urgent kidney transplant and a massive sum of money. To keep the peace, Qian Fei quickly hid the message, claiming it was merely a work document.

Driven by a sense of obligation, Qian Fei secretly contacted a real estate agent to list her apartment for sale, intending to use the proceeds to help Wang Ruohai and clear her perceived debt to him. When Li Yifei discovered her plan, he rushed over to stop her. He was deeply hurt that she would sell the home containing their precious memories to rescue her ex-boyfriend, accusing her of ignoring his feelings.

Qian Fei argued that Wang Ruohai had supported her when she was jobless, making this a necessary act of gratitude. Li Yifei offered to lend Wang Ruohai the money himself to save the apartment, but Qian Fei remained stubborn, reminding him that their relationship was not even official yet. As Qian Fei began packing her things with the help of Dang Yu, her friend pointed out that Li Yifei's jealousy and anger were entirely understandable.

Qian Fei explained her true motive: she wanted to repay Wang Ruohai once and for all so they would have absolutely no remaining ties. During a conversation with Jun Cheng, Li Yifei anxiously asked if Qian Fei still harbored feelings for her ex. Jun Cheng, relaying what Dang Yu had told him, assured him that Qian Fei was only selling the place to settle her moral debt and cut ties permanently.

Realizing he had reacted out of petty jealousy, Li Yifei immediately set a plan in motion. He enlisted the help of Qi to purchase the apartment under her name. Qi fast-tracked the paperwork and immediately wired the full amount to Qian Fei.

When Qian Fei asked Qi if she could delay her move-out for a few days while she searched for a new rental, Qi smiled and told her she would have to negotiate with the new landlord, as the property had already been leased out. To Qian Fei’s astonishment, Li Yifei stepped forward, gleefully announcing that their landlord-tenant roles had officially reversed.

Now holding the upper hand as the landlord, Li Yifei playfully took over the master bedroom, forcing Qian Fei to relocate her things. Despite his teasing, he rolled up his sleeves and helped her pack, organize her wardrobe, and sort the laundry. He proudly noted that his domestic skills had improved tremendously since meeting her, joking that his father would probably weep with joy to see him working so hard.

Later, as they rested, Li Yifei remarked on how his lifestyle had become delightfully down-to-earth, trading his luxurious silk pajamas for inexpensive T-shirts. He happily claimed every corner of the apartment as his own, teasingly asking Qian Fei to marry him as a token of her appreciation. Qian Fei, however, playfully used his own past behavior against him, keeping him on his toes.

Soon after, Qian Fei embarked on a business trip, eventually meeting up with her friends Lu Ze and Jingjing in Xining. Enjoying a rare moment together outside of Shanghai, the three shared a lively dinner of local barbecue, and Qian Fei posted a photo of the gathering on her WeChat Moments.

Back in Shanghai, Li Yifei saw the post and immediately called her to complain, expressing his jealousy that everyone else got to spend time with her while he was left behind. Qian Fei shared her hectic travel itinerary, mentioning that she was flying to Guiyang the following morning for a brief meeting before heading to Yinchuan, adding that she was eager to try Guiyang’s famous sour fish soup.

Deeply missing each other, they exchanged sweet confessions of affection over the phone. After wrapping up his own work, Li Yifei secretly flew to Guiyang to surprise her. At the airport, a middle-aged businessman named Mr. Meng approached Qian Fei, striking up a conversation and handing her his business card for Yingxing Outdoor, which had recently listed on the STAR Market.

Seeing the encounter, Li Yifei stepped in, wrapped his arm around Qian Fei to assert his presence, and introduced her as his girlfriend. Mr. Meng politely took his leave, offering to host them for dinner once they were all back in Shanghai. Once Mr. Meng was out of earshot, Li Yifei playfully warned Qian Fei about the man’s flirtatious reputation, teasing her about her knack for attracting older gentlemen.

He then instructed her to head straight to a local restaurant for her beloved sour fish soup as soon as her afternoon business was finished. Following a successful round of client meetings, Qian Fei joined Li Yifei at the restaurant. He had already laid out a spread of local specialties, including the sour fish soup, chicken soup, and crispy pork shred. They dined happily, trading playful jabs about eating too much and exchanging lighthearted banter about their relationship.

Back at the hotel, while Li Yifei was in the shower, his phone rang. Qian Fei answered it and found Ma Li on the line. Ma Li urgently requested that Li Yifei return to Shanghai immediately, explaining that he had only taken two days of leave and was required to chair a crucial company meeting the next afternoon.

Realizing that Li Yifei had stayed up late working the night before just to steal a brief day with her, Qian Fei immediately began packing his suitcase and booked him a flight home. When Li Yifei stepped out of the bathroom and saw her packing his things, he protested, frustrated that his hard-earned romantic getaway was being cut short so soon.

Li Yifei stepped out of the bathroom to find that Qian Fei had already packed his suitcases for him. He immediately began to complain, pointing out that he had worked half the night just to fly over and see her, only to be kicked out right after his shower. Qian Fei, however, had already booked his flight ticket and urged him to change quickly because a driver was on the way.

She teased him about how he would afford to renew the lease on his rented mansion if he did not work properly. Li Yifei playfully asserted that money did not matter to him and that his only priority was to be responsible for her. He quickly paid off the driver to turn back, and the couple happily spent the night together, fully giving themselves to one another. The next morning, Qian Fei woke up to find him gone.

He had left a sweet note promising to catch the early flight and not neglect his work. Looking out at the warm morning sun, Qian Fei felt her heart fill with joy. With their successful joint efforts, Fulaxida was soon on the verge of going public. A confident and energetic Li Yifei stood at the center of the stage, passionately presenting the company’s promising future to the gathered crowd.

Walking into the grand hall, Li Qiansheng watched his son speak with immense pride and satisfaction. He then publicly announced Qiansheng Group’s formal decision to invest in Fulaxida, a powerful alliance that earned enthusiastic applause from everyone in the room. To finalize the partnership between Qiansheng Group and Fulaxida as quickly as possible, Qian Fei brought home gigabytes of data. Determined to draft a transition plan, she worked around the clock.

When Li Yifei returned home and tried to playfully coax her into giving him some affection, she turned him down to focus on her work. Recognizing her incredible data skills, Li Yifei praised her talent. Seeing how busy she was, he transformed into a supportive partner and cooked a bowl of house special fat noodles to keep her energized.

Qian Fei delivered a highly professional presentation on the transition plan to Li Qiansheng and his team, analyzing the potential pitfalls of Qiansheng Group’s US delisting process. Her insightful analysis won the admiration of Li Qiansheng and the rest of the board. During the subsequent celebratory dinner, Li Qiansheng offered a toast of gratitude.

After the dinner, as they prepared to leave the hotel, Qian Fei was approached by Liao Shiyu and Gui Lili, who asked for her professional advice regarding the risks of investing in Fulaxida. Realizing they had business to discuss, Li Qiansheng took his leave first. Qian Fei gladly offered her expert opinion, and they toasted to a successful future.

Meanwhile, Shanlifang was plagued by various issues and data loopholes, leaving Liao Jinshan furious at his staff, especially with Xiantai Capital entering the field. Li Qiansheng paid an unannounced visit to his old friend, refusing his offer of Rougui tea and urging him to retire so the younger generation could take over. Just then, Liao Shiyu entered and revealed that after resigning, she and some friends had co-founded Xiantai Capital, which now planned to invest in Fulaxida.

With Li Qiansheng's encouragement, the father and daughter finally reconciled, putting their past grievances behind them. Later that evening, while at a bar, a bartender sent Qian Fei a complimentary drink, mentioning that any friend of Li Yifei, the heir of Qiansheng Group, enjoyed free service. This unexpected revelation left Qian Fei in complete shock. She recalled their past together and felt deeply hurt by his dishonesty.

When Li Yifei returned to their apartment, he found his phone calls blocked and the bedroom door locked. Qian Fei had left him a message telling the heir of Qiansheng Group to pack up and move back to his grand mansion. Despite Li Yifei's desperate pleading outside her door, she refused to let him explain.

The next day, Mr. Zhang informed Qian Fei that their project with Qiansheng Group was finalized and asked her to visit Chairman Li at his home. Armed with a gift, Qian Fei arrived at the Li Residence. Li Qiansheng received her warmly, formally speaking to her as Li Yifei's father. Knowing she was upset about the hidden identity, Li Qiansheng explained his motives.

He revealed that he had permitted his son to conceal his background to ensure any woman who loved him was drawn to his character rather than his wealth, to allow Li Yifei to grow independently, and to protect him from opportunistic people. Qian Fei was deeply moved by his genuine explanation. While they were talking in the living room, a restless Li Yifei hid behind the door, anxiously trying to listen in.

When the voices suddenly faded, he panicked and rushed out, only to find the room empty. He ran out to the courtyard and stopped Qian Fei just as she was about to leave. Struggling to find the right words, he was stunned when Qian Fei smiled and invited him to go home with her.

Listening to Li Qiansheng's explanation helped her realize how much Li Yifei had sacrificed to build a simple life with her, from cramming into subways to eating instant noodles. All her resentment vanished. On their way back, Li Yifei expressed how he had always felt like an uninvited guest in her world, constantly fearing she might cast him out.

He confessed that his family's prestigious label had always felt like shackles, and meeting her had taught him that true happiness lay in the simplest moments. Soon after, Fulaxida successfully went public. At the listing celebration banquet, Li Qiansheng offered a heartfelt toast to Qian Fei, thanking her for transforming his once selfish, spoiled, and lazy son into a grounded, considerate man who thought of others. He expressed his immense happiness and complete trust in leaving Yifei in her care.

Back at the apartment, Li Yifei prepared to propose with a diamond ring. However, he was stunned to find a male ring on the table with a handwritten note from Qian Fei, asking if he would marry her. Overwhelmed with emotion, Li Yifei was embraced by Qian Fei as she walked into the room, and the two shared a passionate kiss, their long journey finally culminating in true love.