Light Beyond the Reed Episode 3 Recap
> Light Beyond the Reed Recap
The next morning, Tao Jie confronted Ye Sibei, furious that the work she had assigned to her had not been touched. She publicly scolded Ye Sibei, then dragged her into a warehouse, accusing her of deliberately sabotaging her by agreeing to the task but not completing it. Tao Jie exclaimed, "If you didn't want to do it, you shouldn't have agreed! You agreed to do it for me but you didn't! Who works like you?
How can you still call yourself a human being?" She blamed Ye Sibei for delaying a crucial bank loan, which would impact everyone at the company. " Do you know that these forms are used to apply for loans? They must be submitted to the bank today. When Ms. Tao asks about it and the company can't get the loan approved today, can you take responsibility? You've caused all of us trouble. I'm in a mess because of you too.
Tell me. What will you do today? Anyway, I won't take the blame for this." Tao Jie continued to lash out, speculating that Ye Sibei thought she no longer needed to work because she had been seen drinking with Mr. Fan and, on another occasion, sharing drinks with Mr. Zheng. " Ye Sibei, do you really think you don't need to work anymore because you went drinking with Mr. Fan once?
I was wondering why you weren't in your work clothes today. I was wondering why you had been acting tough today. I heard you had fun drinking with Mr. Zheng a few days ago. You were sharing drinks together. Do you think you've found someone to support you? I'm warning you. As long as you are an employee here, you must work for Fuqiang. Get out and apologize to Ms. Tao immediately. Otherwise, leave the company!
I dare you to find Mr. Zheng to support you." She pressed further, asking if Ye Sibei’s husband knew about these supposed actions, and offered to inform him herself. Driven to her breaking point, Ye Sibei retorted, "Why should I apologize? Because I'm an easy target? Do you think I'm weak?" Ye Sibei also felt that Tao Jie knew the inside story of her sexual assault.
She then slapped Tao Jie, who retaliated by physically assaulting Ye Sibei, shouting, "Ye Sibei, how dare you hit me! How dare you! I'll beat you to death!" Zhao Chuchu arrived, witnessing the commotion, and rushed to intervene. Both women were subsequently taken to the police station.
Zhao Chuchu called Qin Nan, urging him to come to the Guantian Police Station because Ye Sibei had been involved in a fight, and Tao Jie's husband was also present, making her fear they would be at a disadvantage. At the station, Tao Jie's husband demanded compensation and an apology from Ye Sibei. Zhao Chuchu defended Ye Sibei, arguing with the husband. When Qin Nan arrived, looking bewildered, Zhao Chuchu quickly explained the situation.
Ye Sibei, not wanting her husband to be involved, immediately apologized, asking for forgiveness and begging the police not to make her husband pay. Tao Jie's husband stated that Ye Sibei had hit his wife first. A police officer explained the dispute stemmed from Ye Sibei agreeing to work overtime for Tao Jie but not completing the task. Tao Jie's husband insisted Ye Sibei had agreed willingly.
Qin Nan, noticing an injury on Ye Sibei's hand, stopped her from signing the mediation agreement and questioned why she had fought. Qin Nan then fiercely argued with Tao Jie's husband, highlighting that Tao Jie consistently pushed her work onto Ye Sibei and that Ye Sibei was injured. He demanded that Tao Jie's husband apologize for his wife's actions. After more heated exchanges, Tao Jie’s husband eventually apologized.
Qin Nan, refusing to let Ye Sibei be coerced and preventing Tao Jie from being overly aggressive, tore up the mediation agreement, telling her, "Ye Sibei, don't apologize if you didn't do anything wrong in the future." Ye Sibei, mindful of their impending divorce and her mother having approached Qin Nan, told Qin Nan that she would find time to speak clearly with her mother about the situation.
She then informed him, "When you are free, you may come home to get the divorce agreement. I've agreed," before walking away and declining his offer to drive her. Later, Fan Jiancheng offered to drive Ye Sibei back to the company. In the car, he subtly suggested she take a few days off to "cool down," implying it was a disciplinary measure.
Ye Sibei protested, insisting she was not in the wrong and questioning why she should be punished when Tao Jie was equally at fault. Fan Jiancheng stated, "But this isn't a reason for you to hit her." Ye Sibei retorted, "Mr. Fan, I think I didn't do anything wrong in this incident. This has nothing to do with being right or wrong. In that case, why am I being punished?
She gets off work at five in the evening every day and hands her work to me. I've been working overtime every day because of her. I didn't want to work overtime because I had something to do, yet she wouldn't listen. Today, the report was not done in time and she dragged me into a room and scolded me in public. Don't you think that was too much? Shouldn't she be punished? Didn't she hit me as well?
What punishment will she receive? Or are you just punishing me alone? You were the one who hit her first. Yes. I did hit her first. However, you ignored the fact that she asked me to work overtime every day. You ignored the fact that she scolded me. You ignored the fact that she hit me. So why is the company suddenly interfering after I hit her?"
During this conversation, Ye Sibei noticed a familiar waving cat ornament in Fan Jiancheng's car, triggering a terrifying memory from her sexual assault. Realizing Fan Jiancheng was her attacker, she became visibly terrified and immediately asked to get out of the car, claiming she wanted to walk the rest of the way. Fan Jiancheng, sensing her distress, watched her with a chillingly predatory gaze. After composing herself, Ye Sibei went to Fan Jiancheng's office.
He lectured her on the negative impact her fight had on the company's image, stating, "Fuqiang is a legitimate company. If we allow our employees to beat up others without taking action, we'll become a hooligan company." He then reminded her that he hired her because she was a "smart and capable university graduate who was obedient," before telling her to take a break and not return to work for a few days, effectively firing her.
Ye Sibei's expression confirmed she understood the implicit threat. Distraught, Ye Sibei attempted to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but the trauma of her assault continued to haunt her. Meanwhile, Zhao Chuchu met with Qin Nan, informing him that Ye Sibei had been fired and was not doing well. Zhao Chuchu urged Qin Nan to help his wife, emphasizing Ye Sibei’s independent spirit and past struggles.
She recounted Ye Sibei’s history of helping her and Nianwen in high school, working tirelessly through college without family support, and then facing immense pressure and criticism from her parents upon returning to her hometown. Zhao Chuchu then pressed, "Nan, Sibei isn't what she looks like now. She is only at her lowest point in life. She needs someone to support her. Qin Nan. Do you really have no feelings for her at all?
When you hear all these, don't you feel like pitying her and helping her?" Qin Nan initially dismissed Zhao Chuchu's pleas, feeling that he and Ye Sibei had grown distant and that she had "given up on her life." He replied, "I'm done. I've thought it through. Forget about it if that's all you're going to say. Everyone has their own difficulties. I told her countless times to live her life well. However, she gave up on her life first.
Who else can help her?" Zhao Chuchu vehemently disagreed, describing Ye Sibei’s meticulous habits and her sincere desire to make their marriage work, despite her inner turmoil, accusing Qin Nan of not truly understanding her. " What do you mean by giving up on her own life? She would choose every hairband seriously, use different cups for drinking water and tea, and even when she was drunk, she told me she wanted to live her life with you.
No one who is trying to give up on life will do all these things. Qin Nan, have you really tried understanding her? She isn't giving up. She had too much burden and she struggled, but you didn't see that. You thought she didn't handle things well, but if you were in her shoes one day, do you think you'd do better than her?"
Her words resonated with Qin Nan, who recalled Ye Sibei’s inspiring high school speech about resilience and never giving up on a better future. Later that night, the police officer Qin Nan had previously helped arrived at his apartment, asking for his assistance in identifying a car model from a blurry video footage, stressing the urgency of finding evidence for an ongoing case.
As Qin Nan examined the video, he not only recognized the car from the rapeseed field but also heard a snippet of Ye Sibei’s drunken confession to him, expressing her deep desire to live their lives together despite the difficulties. This revelation shattered Qin Nan. He finally understood the full extent of Ye Sibei’s suffering and realized she had been sexually assaulted. Overwhelmed with guilt and rage, Qin Nan immediately confronted Fan Jiancheng at his office.
He demanded to know if Fan Jiancheng was driving the car on April 9th and if he had taken Ye Sibei to the rapeseed field. Fan Jiancheng, unfazed, claimed Ye Sibei was a willing participant, stating she had drunk, willingly entered his car, and confessed her liking for him, all with witnesses. " She did it willingly! She did it willingly! She drank and got in my car. She told me she liked me and said you treated her badly.
Everyone saw and heard it. They can prove it! If she didn't do it willingly, why would she get in my car? Why would she drink so much? Why would she say she liked me? I'm right even if we go to court." Qin Nan challenged him, asking if he believed Ye Sibei wouldn't report him to the police. Fan Jiancheng dismissed the idea, saying it would "look bad for both of us."
Enraged, Qin Nan violently beat Fan Jiancheng, calling him a rapist and vowing to make him "return what you owe her in prison!" As Qin Nan drove away, he was consumed by regret for not having stood by Ye Sibei, leading to her unbearable ordeal. Meanwhile, Nianwen learned from Zhao Chuchu that Qin Nan had assaulted Fan Jiancheng and that Ye Sibei had been fired. Nianwen attempted to contact Fan Jiancheng, hoping to prevent him from filing a police report.
Qin Nan returned home, hesitating at the door before entering. He found Ye Sibei awake, and she was startled to see him. Qin Nan was overcome with guilt, replaying Ye Sibei’s earlier words about their impending divorce and her longing for a life with him despite its difficulties.
