Hot Girl Episode 17 Recap
> Hot Girl Recap
At a bar, Guan Xiaodi's friends and colleagues, including Emma, gathered to celebrate her successful first mission. Liang Dawei also arrived, informing Guan Xiaodi that Fang Shu'an had assigned them both to escort their client, Zhang Xiaomu, back to his hometown. Zhang Xiaomu's sister had called him about their mother's illness, but he was hesitant, fearing it was a trick to get his money.
While Liang Dawei and Guan Xiaodi were talking, Ju Liang was watching them from afar, feeling angry and helpless as Guan Xiaodi had clearly rejected him. A very drunk Cui Tianqi expressed her deep friendship for Guan Xiaodi, declaring her best friend forever, and also openly called Liang Dawei her "Adonis." Ma Li instructed Liang Dawei to take care of Cui Tianqi.
Guan Xiaodi then told Ma Li that her relationship with Liang Dawei was not serious and that she was "just playing around with him," adding that she wished Cui Tianqi happiness. After the celebration, Liang Dawei escorted Cui Tianqi home. She clung to him, expressing her fear that if she let go, he would never come back. She asked why he wouldn't find anyone else, especially since Guan Xiaodi had clearly moved on.
Liang Dawei admitted that he wanted to move on and forget Guan Xiaodi, but he just couldn't. Cui Tianqi then silently acknowledged her unrequited feelings for Liang Dawei. Meanwhile, Zhang Yan was confronted by her ex-husband, Wang Dafang, who had been waiting for her. He urged her to return to him, claiming that he had started from scratch and become a multimillionaire, believing he would make a comeback and asking for another chance.
Zhang Yan firmly rejected him, telling him to go back and live his own life and to stop harassing her. She asserted that she was no longer the Zhang Yan of the past. Zhang Yan had gotten into trouble for hitting Lü Zitao, who demanded 500,000 yuan in compensation or threatened to sue Zhang Yan and Fire Shield. To avoid implicating Fire Shield, Zhang Yan considered resigning. However, Guan Xiaodi persuaded her to stay, promising to help resolve the issue.
Guan Xiaodi, Ma Li, and Cui Tianqi investigated Lü Zitao. Cui Tianqi's efforts revealed him to be an utterly despicable man. They decided to "deal with him." When Guan Xiaodi and her team informed Tan Li, Lü Zitao’s wife, of their plan to ruin his future, Tan Li surprisingly opposed it, despite being a victim of his abuse. Guan Xiaodi and Zhang Yan were both surprised by Tan Li's reaction.
Seeing that Tan Li was unwilling to cooperate, Guan Xiaodi decided to confront Lü Zitao with the information they had gathered, hoping to "threaten" him into divorcing Tan Li and dropping his lawsuit against Zhang Yan and Fire Shield. Cui Tianqi, concerned that Guan Xiaodi might act impulsively, accompanied her. Together, they discovered Lü Zitao's extramarital affair, managing to track and photograph him with his mistress. Lü Zitao, discovering their investigation, then escalated his threats and officially sued Fire Shield.
To quickly resolve the matter, Xiong Kuohai instructed Guan Xiaodi and Ma Li to speak with Tan Li, explicitly telling Zhang Yan to step away from the case. Guan Xiaodi and Ma Li met with Tan Li, who remained reluctant to harm Lü Zitao. Ma Li then showed Tan Li the undeniable photographs of Lü Zitao's affair.
Seeing the proof of his betrayal, Tan Li broke down, realizing the man who professed to love her had been deceiving her all along. She agreed to cooperate with Guan Xiaodi’s plan. Following Guan Xiaodi's advice, Tan Li called Lü Zitao to inform him of her decision to divorce. Realizing Tan Li had evidence of his infidelity, Lü Zitao agreed to meet them, consented to the divorce, and promised to drop all legal actions against Zhang Yan and Fire Shield.
Though Tan Li was now free from her abusive marriage, she was deeply hurt by the experience. As for Zhang Yan, her handling of the situation was deemed unsatisfactory and resulted in significant errors, leading Xiong Kuohai to extend her internship period. Earlier, Zhang Xiaomu’s mother, Huang Li, met with a doctor at a clinic. While her illness's progression was slower than expected, she was informed that her condition had not improved and that dialysis treatment could slow its worsening.
Huang Li expressed her unwillingness to let her daughter see her after the dialysis treatment. Meanwhile, Guan Xiaodi made preparations for the escort mission with Liang Dawei. While trying on dresses, she spoke with her father on the phone, informing him that she would be escorting Zhang Xiaomu to Baofeng City with Liang Dawei. Her father, concerned for her safety, warned her to be cautious and not careless.
Guan Xiaodi and Liang Dawei, dressed as bellhops at Zhang Xiaomu's request, began the escort mission. Zhang Xiaomu carried a briefcase full of money for his mother's hospital fees, explaining that direct bank transfers were not possible in his remote hometown as there wasn't a single bank within the vicinity.
During the journey, Guan Xiaodi probed Liang Dawei about his feelings for Cui Tianqi, suggesting he give her a chance, but he responded dismissively, stating that his affections were his own business. Zhang Xiaomu confided in them, expressing his longing to be filial to his mother, whom he hadn't seen since the New Year.
He worried about his relatives trying to steal his lottery winnings, though Guan Xiaodi noted that his recent win seemed to have made him reflect on his filial duties. They encountered locals who deliberately caused trouble, picking fights and trying to rob Zhang Xiaomu. Guan Xiaodi demonstrated her formidable fighting skills, quickly fending off the attackers, but Zhang Xiaomu's briefcase of money was stolen in the chaos.
Distraught, he initially wanted to abandon the mission and return to Nanjing, convinced that his family was using his mother's illness as a trick to get his money. Though injured from the skirmish, Guan Xiaodi passionately argued for the importance of filial piety. With tears in her eyes, she spoke of her own regret at losing her mother at a young age and the lifelong pain of not being able to show her devotion.
Moved by Guan Xiaodi's heartfelt words, Zhang Xiaomu agreed to continue to his hometown. They then managed to recover the stolen briefcase. As Zhang Xiaomu, Guan Xiaodi, and Liang Dawei neared his mother's location, they went to the hospital where she was supposed to be. However, Zhang Xiaomu discovered her room was empty. A nurse informed him that his mother had late-stage liver cancer but had left the hospital, refusing further treatment to avoid financially burdening her family.
Soon after, they encountered a group of scammers at a local clinic, claiming Zhang Xiaomu’s mother owed them 50,000 yuan for medical fees. Guan Xiaodi quickly chased them away, calling them out for their blatant lies. Shortly after, a local gang leader known as Third Master Ma, whose previous ambushes had failed, orchestrated another, blocking their path. After a fierce confrontation, Guan Xiaodi and Liang Dawei overpowered the gang.
Third Master Ma confessed that he was deeply in debt from gambling and had hoped to "borrow" money from Zhang Xiaomu. Guan Xiaodi sternly lectured him on the destructive nature of gambling. Finally, they arrived at Zhang Xiaomu's house. However, their relief was short-lived when Zhang Xiaomu’s sister informed him that their mother had passed away. Uncle San confirmed the heartbreaking news. Zhang Xiaomu was devastated, collapsing in grief.
In his anguish, he attempted to burn the money he had brought for his mother, but Guan Xiaodi intervened, stopping him and urging him to honor his mother's memory by using the money to help others in need. Zhang Xiaomu, overwhelmed with regret, tearfully reconciled with his sister. Following the emotional mission, Guan Xiaodi and Liang Dawei reflected on their experiences.
Guan Xiaodi expressed her profound sadness and regret over her own mother, who died too young for Guan Xiaodi to be truly filial. Liang Dawei shared her sentiment, acknowledging that some regrets leave a lifelong pain. Guan Xiaodi showed him a ring she wore on a necklace, revealing it was her mother’s wedding ring, a precious memento.
Then, with a pained expression, she told Liang Dawei that they could not be together, stating that he would understand why in the future. Separately, Liu Sha discovered that Qin Sheng had frequently covered for Zhang Yan while she made phone calls during training. Liu Sha tasked Cui Tianqi with tracing the number Zhang Yan had called.
Guan Xiaodi, using the address obtained by Cui Tianqi, quietly went there and discovered Zhang Yan had a four-year-old daughter and had divorced her husband, Wang Dafang, due to domestic violence. This revelation helped Guan Xiaodi understand the deep, personal reasons behind Zhang Yan's impulsive and sometimes irrational reactions when dealing with Lü Zitao, as she saw a reflection of Zhang Yan's past in Tan Li's suffering.
Guan Xiaodi reported Zhang Yan's situation to Xiong Kuohai and the team, urging them to be understanding and give Zhang Yan another chance. However, Liu Sha was critical of Zhang Yan’s intentional concealment of her personal circumstances and became furious with Qin Sheng for helping her, leading to a big argument between them.
Qin Sheng, feeling dejected after his big argument with Liu Sha, expressed his unhappiness to Guan Xiaodi, lamenting that while some viewed him as an Adonis, to someone else (Liu Sha), he felt like a killer. To help him vent his frustrations, Guan Xiaodi took him to a boxing gym. There, they discussed Xiong Kuohai's formidable fighting style and strength, with Qin Sheng describing Xiong Kuohai as the strongest person he'd ever met.
Guan Xiaodi expressed her ambition to one day challenge Xiong Kuohai, and Qin Sheng encouraged her, though he also reminded her of the immense hardship, requiring strength, faith, and determination, to achieve such power. Qin Sheng thanked Guan Xiaodi for helping him feel much better, further confiding that his issues with Liu Sha weren't merely discord, but that she 'hated' him. Guan Xiaodi countered that 'hate only comes out of deep love,' but Qin Sheng felt their feelings were too complicated and couldn't be forced.
