Mr. Honesty Episode 18 Recap
> Mr. Honesty Recap
Li Zhe awakens abruptly from a recurring dream. In it, he relives a childhood memory where he, as a young boy, comforts a lost and crying little girl, giving her a small woven bird and promising to take her home. He is deeply troubled to see the girl's face in the dream morph into that of Yu Qing, questioning if she is truly the person he has been searching for.
Meanwhile, at Xia Di's home, her mother expresses strong disapproval of Gu Bo living with them, deeming it inappropriate for an unmarried man and woman to cohabit and urging him to move out. She also tries to push profiles of "high-quality bachelors" on Xia Di, who is confused until she finds the shredded resumes in the trash and realizes Gu Bo was responsible.
Later, Gu Bo musters the courage to call Xia Di, whom he refers to as "Goddess" in his phone, and invites her to dinner to celebrate her recovery. At the restaurant, Gu Bo, dressed up for the occasion, tries to create a romantic atmosphere. However, Xia Di playfully torpedoes his efforts by loudly declaring her preference for "muscular" and "super macho" types, adding that she truly desires a boyfriend who is "mature, stable, older, and rich."
Gu Bo's hopes are dashed. When a violinist he pre-arranged appears, a flustered Gu Bo quickly sends him away, awkwardly explaining that he feels like he's in a detective story and doesn't want to witness a murder. The next day, Xia Di presses Gu Bo about when the electrical problems at his place will be fixed. He tries to prolong his stay by insisting her foot isn't fully recovered, but she assures him it is fine.
Pointedly stating that it's "time for her to look for a boyfriend" to share meals with, she gives him a two-week ultimatum to move out. Fang Zhiyou and Xu Yiren go grocery shopping together. At the supermarket, Fang Zhiyou gently corrects Xu Yiren when she mistakes leeks for leek sprouts and light soy sauce for dark soy sauce, demonstrating a surprising knowledge of cooking ingredients.
He explains that he wants to learn these things to share domestic responsibilities with her in the future. Unbeknownst to them, Yu Qing is working at a high-end clothing store in the same mall. After being harshly reprimanded by her manager, she spots the couple and sees them leave in a car together. She immediately calls Xu Yiren, who lies about being at the company.
Yu Qing concludes that Xu Yiren has found a rich boyfriend and is deliberately keeping it a secret, fearing Yu Qing might try to steal him. Li Zhe meets Yu Qing for coffee. He asks her about the small woven bird she owns and whether she remembers any accident on Qing Mountain during their fifth-grade spring trip. Yu Qing claims the bird was a gift from a friend she can no longer recall.
Shown an old class photo, she confirms she and Xu Yiren were classmates and cynically remarks that Xu Yiren used to steal her things as a child. Regarding the Qing Mountain incident, Yu Qing vaguely remembers falling ill after the trip and has no clear memory of any accident. Later, Xu Yiren visits Fang Zhiyou's secluded private space, which he calls his "island."
He tells her that before she came, it was a place of retreat, but with her, it has started to feel like "home." He admits that because of her, he has even begun to rationalize her lies, realizing they were often a result of his actions, and playfully warns that he will "punish" her for every future lie. After Xu Yiren prepares "wine poached pear" for him, Fang Zhiyou pretends to be intoxicated, teasing her and childishly demanding a lullaby.
At home, Yu Qing complains to her mother about her job. Her mother encourages her to persevere, seeing the high-end mall as a place to meet a wealthy man. Yu Qing reveals she saw Xu Yiren with a rich guy, which her mother sees as a positive, leaving Li Zhe free for Yu Qing to pursue. Yu Qing then mentions Li Zhe's strange interest in the woven bird, sensing "it’s not as simple as it appears."
Li Zhe confirms with a private investigator that Yu Qing and Xu Yiren have been classmates since childhood. Though Yu Qing is likely the girl he's been looking for, he feels no happiness. He painfully reflects that his uncertainty was his "last reason to keep pestering Xu Yiren shamelessly," and he fears what he will do if he loses that connection. The next morning, Yu Qing visits Xu Yiren with lunch and asks about the cherished grass-woven bird.
Xu Yiren explains that a "little brother" who helped her when she got lost on a childhood outing gave it to her, but she never learned his name. Hearing this, Yu Qing realizes that Li Zhe is the little boy who saved Xu Yiren. Heartbroken by Xia Di’s rejection, Gu Bo confides in Xu Yiren. Just then, Fang Zhiyou's sister, Shiyu, arrives and, calling herself a "matchmaker," offers Gu Bo advice.
She astutely analyzes that Xia Di doesn't dislike him, and her rejection is either "insincere" or because she sees him only as a "buddy" and fears making things awkward. Seizing on the "insincere" possibility, a re-energized Gu Bo rushes off to confess again, missing the rest of Shiyu’s advice. Shiyu relays a message to Fang Zhiyou: his father will visit on "that day" next month.
Fang Zhiyou explains it is the anniversary of his mother's death and he always avoids his father on that day to prevent arguments. He asks Xu Yiren to accompany him to the memorial this year with a bouquet of jasmine, his mother's favorite. He then says he would also like to meet her uncle and aunt. Seeing Xu Yiren become hesitant, he reassures her they can wait until after his company's current busy period.
