Love is Sweet Episode 8 Recap
> Love is Sweet Recap
Qiao Na found Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun in a close, ambiguous position in Yuan Shuai's office. Feigning an apology for not knocking, Qiao Na's gaze fell on Jiang Jun, who, recognizing the tension with her superior and Yuan Shuai's admirer, quickly excused herself and left. Du Lei and his sister Linda attended their father's birthday banquet.
Du Lei wished his father a happy birthday, but his father responded sharply, expressing surprise at his presence and implying he lacked sincerity, even suggesting he leave if he couldn't drop his poker face. Linda attempted to smooth things over, explaining Du Lei's busy schedule, but their father cut her off. Linda was then introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Zhai and their son, who commented on her beauty and age similarity to their son.
Later, Linda found Du Lei drinking alone and acknowledged his reluctance to come. She assured him their father treated him like his own son and asked him to be more understanding. Du Lei, however, felt he was merely a substitute, a sentiment Linda immediately refuted, emphasizing that in her heart, he was unique and not a replacement. Observing the brevity of his interaction with their father, Du Lei remarked that he had set a new record for upsetting him.
Du Lei then noticed Wan Shan at the banquet. After composing himself, Du Lei approached Wan Shan and introduced himself as an Executive Director from GE Investment Banking. He congratulated Wan Shan on becoming CEO of Wanxing Entertainment, noting the company's peak valuation after its recent talent show, which was positive for its IPO. Wan Shan, wary of a poaching attempt, mentioned MH was a trusted partner of Wanxing's former chairman.
Du Lei clarified his intentions, stating he wasn't there for business but to warn Wan Shan that Yuan Shuai was not easily deceived. Wan Shan dismissed his advice, but Du Lei confidently asserted that Wan Shan would soon seek him out. He then handed over his business card and departed. Feeling down, Jiang Jun met with her friend Lili at a convenience store. Lili excitedly showed off her new slippers, a gift from her "Prince Charming."
Jiang Jun then recounted the awkward encounter with Qiao Na in Yuan Shuai's office, describing their close proximity during a case discussion when Qiao Na unexpectedly entered. Lili, a connoisseur of romance novels, immediately identified Jiang Jun's predicament as a "love triangle, the typical plot in chick-lit urban office fiction."
When Jiang Jun asked for a "spoiler" to help herself, Lili warned that Qiao Na would likely pull rank, constantly monitor her, and wait for an opportunity to strike her down. The next morning, Jiang Jun's fears were confirmed as Qiao Na immediately confronted her about her trendy fast-fashion clothes. Qiao Na then delivered a speech to the new hires, emphasizing that while they were teammates, they were also rivals, echoing Lili's prediction of a "war fiction."
Yuan Shuai, meanwhile, found fault with Jiang Jun's report, instructing her to redo several sections, which made her silently label him a "weirdo." Later, when Yuan Shuai invited the team for a late-night meal, Jiang Jun, determined to maintain distance, invented a "family emergency" and left quickly. Yuan Shuai was perplexed by her behavior and later directly confronted her, asking if she was suffering from "social anxiety" and needed to see a doctor.
Jiang Jun, still wary, retorted that he should see a doctor instead. Jiang Jun went to the library, deep in thought about Wanxing Entertainment. Seeing a familiar face on an entertainment magazine, she recalled the trainee she had helped in the restroom, further fueling her suspicions about the company. There, she unexpectedly encountered Du Lei. Sensing her hesitation, Du Lei apologized for not having previously disclosed his affiliation with GE and his role as a finance guest lecturer.
He explained that he withheld the information to prevent her from feeling pressured due to the competitive relationship between their companies. Jiang Jun assured him she bore no grudge. Du Lei then asked if they could still be friends if he refrained from discussing her work, to which Jiang Jun readily agreed, emphasizing that "peers are not enemies." Before leaving, Du Lei offered a piece of advice: if books couldn't provide answers, she should "follow her heart."
This entire exchange was secretly photographed by Shen Xin, who observed their interaction with suspicion. On her way home, Jiang Jun received text messages from Yuan Shuai offering her leftover egg-fried rice, which she ignored. Yuan Shuai then intercepted her at her apartment door, directly asking why she was avoiding him, suggesting she was "playing hard to get." Jiang Jun dismissively accused him of "self-hypnosis" and tried to leave.
Yuan Shuai stopped her, revealing he had arranged for a large drawing board in the apartment hallway, encouraging her to express her emotions there instead of on paper, and assured her he had secured approval from property management. Jiang Jun, initially hesitant, began to draw. She shared that she hadn't drawn since "613," the "date we broke," referring to their childhood falling out. During their playful drawing session, Yuan Shuai questioned if she was truly suited for investment banking.
They continued to tease each other, adding humorous details to their respective drawings, with Jiang Jun playfully calling herself "a cute wolf." Their lighthearted interaction brought them closer. The new analyst team waited outside Yuan Shuai's office, noting Jiang Jun had been inside for a long time. Inside, their discussion of the Wanxing case was interrupted when Yuan Shuai received the photos of Jiang Jun with Du Lei at the library.
Furious, he accused her of being unprofessional and fraternizing with the competition. Acknowledging her mistake, Jiang Jun tried to placate him, eventually coaxing a smile out of him with a lollipop. As Qiao Na approached Yuan Shuai's office, she overheard Shen Xin mentioning that only Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun were inside, followed by sounds of laughter. Her expression darkened. Moments later, Jiang Jun exited, immediately sensing Qiao Na's displeasure, froze, and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Back at her desk, Jiang Jun continued to puzzle over the anomalies at Wanxing: the secret resting room, the girl seen leaving late at night, and the inexplicable bullying of a trainee. Recalling Du Lei's advice to "follow her heart" when logical solutions were elusive, she decided to visit Wanxing Entertainment. There, she encountered a security guard she had previously played cards with.
Inventing a story about searching for a lost "family heirloom" bracelet brought by her "cousin from Shantou," she managed to gain entry. Inside a training room, Jiang Jun witnessed other trainees bullying Tang Xin by placing a goldfish in her water bottle. She swiftly intervened, warning the bullies of the potential negative impact on Wanxing's upcoming IPO. She then took Tang Xin aside.
Jiang Jun formally introduced herself to Tang Xin as an MH analyst investigating Wan Shan's background for Wanxing's IPO, promising confidentiality. She encouraged Tang Xin to speak openly, recalling the abnormal bullying incident and her suspicions that a senior Wanxing executive, likely Wan Shan, was behind it. Jiang Jun emphasized that silence would prevent her from helping and could allow similar abuse to continue, potentially affecting others.
She assured Tang Xin that concrete evidence of Wan Shan's misconduct could derail Wanxing's IPO and force his removal by shareholders. This assurance prompted Tang Xin to open up. She revealed that after being eliminated from the "Come on, sisters!" competition, Wan Shan had offered her a chance to return for the repechage and debut. Tang Xin then played a recording from her phone.
Wan Shan's voice was heard praising her talent but lamenting her lack of popularity, then offering to make her a "pop star" within three years, complete with top stylists, provided she signed a contract and "understood" how to "be his sweetheart." Tang Xin, on the recording, resisted his advances. She then recounted to Jiang Jun how Wan Shan had drugged her water, and she woke up "disheveled" in his "secret resting room," with him lying beside her.
She fled while he was asleep. Tang Xin added that the "monster" had sought her out several times later and offered another recording where Wan Shan's voice suggests she wouldn't be in her current predicament if she had "listened to him," reiterating his ability to "make her a pop star" if she made him happy. Jiang Jun, enraged by Wan Shan's "monstrous" actions, offered to help and requested a copy of the evidence.
A desperate Tang Xin, seeing Jiang Jun as her "last hope," provided the recording. Unbeknownst to them, their entire conversation was secretly photographed. Walking home, Jiang Jun felt a sense of being followed, prompting her to hurry. She then literally bumped into Du Lei, who noticed her anxiety and offered her a ride, which she accepted for safety.
In the car, Du Lei jokingly suggested she continue calling him "teacher," citing his greater life experience, to which Jiang Jun playfully retorted that she hadn't realized he was "much older" given his youthful appearance. Du Lei revealed he had been visiting a newly appointed CEO on his father's behalf, confirming it was Wan Shan from Wanxing Entertainment.
Jiang Jun, feigning casual curiosity, expressed admiration for Wan Shan's "star-making ability" and tried to subtly probe for his "secret" to success in the entertainment industry. Du Lei, sensing her underlying interest, dismissed variety shows as superficial and warned her that the true stories behind them were "complicated." He then explicitly advised her that "for pretty girls, it’s better to stay away from him." Jiang Jun, understanding the veiled warning, dropped the topic.
Upon arriving at her building, Du Lei offered to be her "driver" if she ever needed a ride at night. Yuan Shuai observed the entire scene from below. Once Jiang Jun went inside, he confronted Du Lei, angrily reminding him to "stay away from her" and questioning his presence at Jiang Jun's building. Du Lei, unfazed, merely smiled and retorted that if Yuan Shuai truly cared about Jiang Jun, he "had better watch out."
Jiang Jun received a summons from Wan Shan and went to his office, secretly bringing a hidden camera to record their interaction. Wan Shan, having been informed of her conversation with Tang Xin, dismissed Tang Xin's accusations as "nonsense" from a child under pressure. He then attempted to bribe Jiang Jun with money, stating that a smart person like her wouldn't believe such stories.
Jiang Jun politely but firmly refused the money, asserting that she understood what she needed to do and quickly departed, internally pleased with the evidence she had captured. However, moments later, Wan Shan made a phone call, instructing his subordinate to "destroy Jiang Jun’s phone and give her a lesson." As Jiang Jun walked alone down a dark road, she again felt a sense of unease. Suddenly, a menacing voice demanded her phone.
