Mr. Honesty Episode 17 Recap
> Mr. Honesty Recap
Following the events at the lecture where Fang Zhiyou publicly declared Xu Yiren his girlfriend, he finds her on campus. Meanwhile, Li Zhe is at the same university to establish a scholarship in his mother's name and spots the new couple. Fang Zhiyou playfully expresses his jealousy, not because Xu Yiren was lecturing, but because she was auditing a class on the weekend instead of spending time with him, admitting he only came to be with her.
He offers to pay for the design course, but Xu Yiren declines, valuing her financial independence and wishing to avoid complications should they ever break up—a possibility Fang Zhiyou refuses to entertain. Their conversation is cut short by a call from Xu Yiren's uncle, who has arrived at the train station early with his family. Xu Yiren has to leave, politely declining Fang Zhiyou's offer of a ride, feeling it is too soon for him to meet her relatives.
Having followed them, Li Zhe secretly listens to their entire exchange. Meanwhile, Gu Bo is carefully helping Xia Di walk, as she has sprained her ankle. Despite her injury, Xia Di insists she is fine and tries to walk on her own, only to stumble, with Gu Bo moving quickly to cushion her fall. Her independence is short-lived when her mother unexpectedly arrives at her apartment.
Panicking, Xia Di lies about being in a meeting at work and instructs Gu Bo to go to her place and manage the situation. Once there, Xia Di's mother puts Gu Bo to work on chores before showing him photos of several men, asking for his help in choosing suitable blind-date candidates for Xia Di. Protective of Xia Di, Gu Bo finds a flaw in every candidate, from receding hairlines to signs of alcoholism and potential domestic violence.
Frustrated, Xia Di's mother retorts that any of them are better than him. Her suspicion grows when she discovers a voice message from Xia Di on Gu Bo's phone asking if she has left. Infuriated, she orders Gu Bo to make sure Xia Di chooses two men to meet. When Xu Yiren arrives at the train station, she intends to take her family to a hotel, but Li Zhe unexpectedly appears and insists on driving them.
He takes them to a spacious, beautifully decorated house he has arranged, which immediately impresses Xu Yiren's aunt. Li Zhe pulls Xu Yiren aside, explaining that while his goal of getting revenge on Fang Zhiyou remains, this act of kindness is genuine and that he will not manipulate her again. Xu Yiren hesitantly accepts his help.
However, the goodwill sours slightly when her aunt learns Li Zhe only paid for one month's rent and a deposit, leaving them to cover the rest. To ease the tension, Xu Yiren takes them out to dinner, where she is treated poorly. Her aunt takes the beef from Xu Yiren's bowl for her own daughter, Yu Qing.
When Yu Qing admires Xu Yiren's phone case, a gift from Xia Di, her aunt seizes it and gives it to Yu Qing, telling Xu Yiren to simply get a new one from her friend. Xu Yiren endures it all in silence. Returning home, Xu Yiren finds Fang Zhiyou still awake and makes instant noodles for herself.
She confesses her deep disappointment in her relatives, admitting that despite knowing what they were like, she had held onto a fantasy that things might have changed. She expresses both gratitude for them raising her after her parents' death and a profound sadness, believing their lives would have been easier without the burden of her. Seeing her distress, Fang Zhiyou comforts her, assuring her those difficult times are over.
He promises to stay by her side, fill their home with warmth, and protect her from further hurt. Later, at Xia Di's place, Gu Bo emerges from the shower, and Xia Di walks in on him, complimenting his physique. He playfully strikes a pose, causing her to shyly hide, though she teasingly remarks his body is "not as good as the community guard's." Separately, Gu Bo discusses the blind-date situation with Xu Yiren.
While Xu Yiren lists Xia Di's flaws—a hot temper and a sharp tongue—Gu Bo passionately defends her at every turn, calling her "forthright" and declaring that he doesn't care about such things. Impressed by his loyalty, Xu Yiren tells him he has passed her test and urges him to confess his feelings to Xia Di, reminding him that he was the one who taught her the importance of bravery.
He Yuwen approaches Fang Zhiyou about rumors circulating about him and Xu Yiren, cautioning him that as a boss, such gossip could negatively impact both of them. Fang Zhiyou calmly confirms the rumors are true and that they are dating, which they have kept private at Xu Yiren's request. Shocked and angry, He Yuwen questions Xu Yiren's suitability, dismissing her as a graduate from a third-rate university who initially struggled with basic design concepts.
Fang Zhiyou staunchly defends Xu Yiren, declaring he wants to be the "stars in her eyes" so she can be her true self. Undeterred, He Yuwen accuses Xu Yiren of being manipulative, pursuing him while also being ambiguous with Li Zhe. Fang Zhiyou's anger flares, and he tells He Yuwen that if she were not a long-time friend, he would have thrown her out for her disrespectful words.
He Yuwen then questions her own place in his life, suggesting she is merely a work partner. Unbeknownst to them, Xu Yiren is nearby and witnesses He Yuwen leaving the office in tears. Later, Xu Yiren gets an urgent call from her aunt about a broken water pipe at the house. She arrives to find Li Zhe has already fixed it. Her aunt profusely thanks Li Zhe, and Yu Qing explains she got his number from the agent.
To show her gratitude, the aunt cooks her signature braised fish for Li Zhe. During dinner, Yu Qing openly flirts with Li Zhe and brings up Xu Yiren's ex-boyfriend, asking why they broke up. Li Zhe intervenes, remarking that Xu Yiren's past bad choice in men was fortunate, as it created an opportunity for him. He then pointedly asks why she hasn't told her family about Fang Zhiyou, suggesting she lacks confidence in their relationship.
As Li Zhe is about to ask if she was ever lost in the mountains, Xu Yiren clutches her stomach in pain. While getting medicine, Li Zhe accidentally knocks over a box, revealing a woven grass bird. He instantly recognizes it as the one he gave a lost little girl in the mountains years ago.
Stunned, he looks at Yu Qing, realizing with a jolt that the girl he had been searching for was not Xu Yiren, but her cousin, Yu Qing, who immediately claims the bird as a childhood trinket.
