Liars in Love Episode 9 Recap
> Liars in Love Recap
Zhou Yu confronted Jiang Lai, revealing that he knew her true identity. He presented evidence, stating she was Jiang Lai, 25 years old, whose mother had passed away, and who was raised by her father, Jiang Yushu. She lived with her aunt, Jiang Yuqin, at Snapdragon Farm and worked as a professional scumbag tester. Jiang Lai, taken aback, apologized, explaining she had no other choice as she couldn't find her father, and only the contract could make him appear.
She emphasized that Snapdragon Farm was very important and she had to protect it. Zhou Yu expressed his disgust at her hypocrisy, but Jiang Lai retorted that he was the one who first called her Su Qing, and her father had given her the card to access the legal room. Zhou Yu threatened to involve his lawyer, prompting Jiang Lai to desperately ask what she could do to earn his forgiveness.
Zhou Yu then laid out his terms, demanding that Jiang Lai continue to impersonate Su Qing and maintain a fake romantic relationship until he secured the resort project. In return, he would not pursue charges for harassment, defamation, or the illegal theft of company secrets. Jiang Lai agreed but added a condition: she wanted to see the Snapdragon Farm's rental contract.
Zhou Yu revealed that the contract carried a penalty for breach that Jiang Lai could not afford, and his investigation showed her father had accumulated too many debts, making it impossible to save the farm. He offered to add a supplementary clause to the contract, promising her 500,000 yuan if she cooperated. Jiang Lai refused the money, instead insisting that he promise to preserve Snapdragon Farm during the resort's development.
Zhou Yu dismissed her demand, stating the resort's plan would not change for one person, and asked why she was so fixated on it. Jiang Lai countered by asking why he insisted she continue to impersonate Su Qing. Zhou Yu warned that if she didn't sign, he would hand the matter over to his lawyer. Jiang Lai, however, remained defiant, suspecting he had a hidden agenda for signing a "couple contract" with a "female swindler."
Unbeknownst to Jiang Lai, Zhou Yu's assistant and another colleague had overheard their conversation and were shocked by Jiang Lai's true identity. They worried about the company's reputation and the Zhou family's standing if the truth were exposed. Zhou Yu, however, stated he didn't care about the Zhou family's reputation, only the group's.
He explained that Su's Group was likely waiting for them to become a laughingstock before canceling the engagement, which was originally arranged by his now-retired grandfather and was something they desired. He decided to turn the situation to his advantage, instructing his assistant to draft a new contract, the specifics of which he would send later.
Having overheard this, Jiang Lai, with no other option and realizing it was futile to contact her father, agreed to Zhou Yu's terms, emphasizing that the farm was all she had. Zhou Yu then modified the contract, agreeing to "appropriately preserve" the farm's facilities during the resort's development. They both signed the "couple contract."
After the contract was signed, Zhou Yu immediately asserted his new "rights," ordering Jiang Lai to clean every room, referencing a clause in their contract that stipulated she, as Party B, must perform all housework while residing at his home. Jiang Lai reluctantly complied, annoyed by his quirky habits, like his particular way of eating strawberries, and his demand that she clean the cat's litter box.
That night, Zhou Yu couldn't sleep and summoned Jiang Lai to play music for him, instructing her to turn it off once he fell asleep to avoid being woken up. Exhausted, Jiang Lai drifted off first. Zhou Yu woke her, and when she apologized for falling asleep, he complained that the music wasn't "surround sound." Observing her as she slept, Zhou Yu found her "cute" when she wasn't being aggressive.
Jiang Lai, still half-asleep, mumbled for him to continue playing the music. The next day, Zhou Yu took Jiang Lai to a coffee shop and, to her irritation, allowed her to pay for their drinks, citing the "farm" as a reason. This public display immediately sparked a new wave of gossip among their colleagues, who witnessed the exchange. The rumors quickly spread through the company, labeling Zhou Yu a "kept man" for letting his "fiancée Su Qing" pay for coffee.
Zhou Yu's father called, reprimanding him for damaging his reputation and the family's image, demanding he resolve the situation with "Su Qing" immediately. Meanwhile, an operative named Xu Linlin reported her observations of Zhou Yu and "Su Qing" arguing at the coffee shop to Sun Wei, who instructed her to continue monitoring the situation, speculating that without the Su family's support, Zhou Yu wouldn't be able to achieve much.
At the office, Zhou Yu pulled Jiang Lai close, explaining that someone was watching them from outside. Jiang Lai protested, asking if pretending to be a couple also meant enduring sexual harassment, and sarcastically wondered if they were filming a spy movie. Zhou Yu reiterated the need to appear as a loving couple due to the pervasive company rumors, to which Jiang Lai demanded additional compensation.
Moments later, Xu Linlin peeked into the office, confirming the "gossip" that the couple had reconciled. She quickly rushed off, eager to share her "first-hand scoop." Zhou Yu's assistant confirmed Xu Linlin was indeed sent by Sun Wei, praising Zhou Yu's foresight. When the assistant expressed doubts about Jiang Lai's continued cooperation, Zhou Yu confidently stated that Jiang Lai had no choice if she wanted to save her farm.
To further solidify their facade, Zhou Yu took Jiang Lai to a mall. He reminded her that if Sun Wei managed to acquire the resort project, her farm would be in jeopardy. There, in front of staff and onlookers, he lavished her with expensive bags, playing the role of a doting boyfriend. Jiang Lai reluctantly played along, maintaining the illusion of a loving couple.
Xu Linlin, still on their tail, reported that Zhou Yu and "Su Qing" seemed to have reconciled and were acting very intimately. She was once again instructed to continue her surveillance without letting her guard down. After they managed to lose their tail, Jiang Lai complained about Xu Linlin being "scary like a ghost" and her mouth hurting from all the forced smiling. Zhou Yu, also feeling the strain, offered her candy.
Later that day, Jiang Lai received a text from her senior, Li Tingjiang, inviting her to dinner. She enthusiastically accepted. The following morning, Jiang Lai dressed up, and Zhou Yu, though claiming she looked "just so-so," was visibly captivated. She politely declined his offer to drive her, noting it wasn't on his way to his meeting. He insisted he needed to go to the office first anyway.
At the office, after reviewing successful sales data for a pop-up store, Zhou Yu instructed his assistant to book a table at a romantic Western restaurant for a "date" with Jiang Lai that evening. He explained the need for a "romantic Western-style" atmosphere and emphasized the importance of maintaining their act outside the company. Jiang Lai, stuck in evening traffic on her way to the meeting venue, a V Hotel, muttered about "ruthless Zhou" making her run errands after hours.
Jiang Lai eventually arrived late at the V Hotel, noticing Zhou Yu was also there. She delivered the documents he requested. Zhou Yu then invited her to dinner, but she declined, stating she already had plans with a friend, and quickly left. Meanwhile, Li Tingjiang met Jiang Lai at the very same V Hotel restaurant, complimenting her appearance. They reminisced about their school days, particularly their shared fondness for the cafeteria's fried beef, and ordered steak.
In another part of the restaurant, Zhou Yu was seated at a meticulously arranged table for two, complete with dimmed lights, top-tier food, and expensive wine, all orchestrated by his assistant. Zhou Yu received a message from his assistant asking about his eating preferences, signed 'Brother Chen Jun'. Just as he waited, Zhou Yu received a phone call. It was Jiang Lai, using a disguised voice, feigning an emergency about an open window and their cat.
Zhou Yu abruptly left the restaurant, leaving his assistant bewildered and alone to enjoy the extravagant meal. Xu Linlin reported to Sun Wei that Zhou Yu had been called away by "Su Qing," prompting Sun Wei to wonder if Zhou Yu had truly fallen for her, though she quickly dismissed the idea, convinced he had merely been deceived and that she herself was prettier than "Su Qing."
Zhou Yu returned home and found Jiang Lai, immediately confronting her about her dinner with a "friend." Unaware that he knew, Jiang Lai launched into an elaborate, fabricated story about her friend's revenge on an ex-fiancé and maid, culminating in a celebratory drink. Zhou Yu, silently displaying a photo of Jiang Lai and Li Tingjiang on his phone, cut her off, pointedly asking why he hadn't known Li Tingjiang had an ex-husband.
Jiang Lai stammered, attempting to cover her tracks, before trying to steer the conversation back to how good the food from her "date" was. Zhou Yu pressed her directly about why she had eaten with Li Tingjiang. She insisted he was just her senior. Zhou Yu retorted that their relationship appeared to be more than just senior and junior. Jiang Lai firmly stated it was her private matter and that their contract granted her "social freedom."
Zhou Yu countered, emphasizing that it was a critical time and her every action affected him. He questioned why she had lied if she believed she had done nothing wrong. Defeated, Jiang Lai conceded, informing him that she would be returning to school with her senior that weekend. Zhou Yu sarcastically asked if she now needed to report every time she went to the toilet.
