Love between Lines Episode 10 Recap
> Love between Lines Recaps
Hu Xiu began packing her belongings to move back into the attic to live and work more closely with her boss, Xiao Zhiyu (also known as Qin Xiaoyi). Her best friend, Zhao Xiaoru, arrived with leftover cake and, far from being upset about Hu Xiu leaving, expressed relief that she would no longer be living alone in an insecure rental. Xiao Zhiyu even lent Hu Xiu his car to facilitate the move.
Later that night, Hu Xiu found Xiao Zhiyu attempting to wash the car despite his injured arm and the rain. She took over the task, leading to a lighthearted moment where they splashed each other with the hose. Xiao Zhiyu teased that while she was a skilled car washer, she should focus her talents on her true calling as a designer, challenging her to begin drafting drawings the following evening.
However, Qian Jinxin, still resentful after their confrontation during the murder mystery game, sought revenge. He posted a maliciously edited video of the fight online to tarnish Hu Xiu’s reputation and used his position at the industrial park to pressure Zhao Xiaoru’s cafe. Claiming the cafe violated "business and residence" regulations, he orchestrated a rent hike and the cancellation of their cooperation agreements.
Despite the threat to her business, Zhao Xiaoru stood by Hu Xiu and posted the full surveillance footage online, exposing Qian Jinxin’s violent behavior toward women. Facing pressure from the owner of the ME Club and the park’s leadership, the industrial park fired Qian Jinxin for damaging their corporate image. Driven by spite, Qian Jinxin spotted Hu Xiu and Zhao Xiaoru driving and initiated a dangerous high-speed chase.
He repeatedly tried to force their car off the road until Pei Zhen, a rival architect, intervened and helped stop him. After the police took Qian Jinxin into custody, Pei Zhen acted the part of a helpful gentleman. However, he privately admitted to his assistant that he was "playing a long line to catch a big fish," using the situation to keep tabs on his competitor, Xiao Zhiyu. Back at the attic, things began to stabilize.
The industrial park corrected Qian Jinxin's misconduct and renewed the cafe’s contract without a rent increase. Hu Xiu became Xiao Zhiyu’s indispensable assistant, and the two worked in perfect harmony on design revisions. This peace was interrupted when Hu Xiu’s father arrived unannounced. Panic-stricken, Hu Xiu shoved Xiao Zhiyu into the bathroom. She tried to rush her father out, even making up a lie that her boss had chronic health issues and couldn't drink the baijiu her father had brought.
The deception fell apart when her father returned for a forgotten thermos and found Xiao Zhiyu in the living room. Caught, Hu Xiu was forced to negotiate. She firmly explained that she and Xiao Zhiyu were strictly roommates and colleagues at D Design Studio. She also confessed that she had long since quit her stable job at Shiyuan Real Estate to pursue architecture. Her father was deeply upset, fearing the industry was too grueling and dangerous.
He felt a heavy sense of guilt, believing Hu Xiu had already sacrificed her dream of studying abroad three years ago to care for him after his leg injury. Hu Xiu tearfully explained that while she never regretted staying for him, architecture was her lifelong passion that she couldn't give up. Heartbroken after the confrontation, Hu Xiu hid under her covers for hours. Xiao Zhiyu, sensing her pain, eventually lured her out by faking an emergency about a broken drainpipe.
Realizing it was a ruse to distract her, Hu Xiu eventually found solace in their work. As they spent the night refining drawings together, Hu Xiu realized that the only way to truly prove herself to her father and resolve her inner conflict was to win the upcoming design competition.
