Mr. Honesty Episode 9 Recap
> Mr. Honesty Recap
A private detective hired by Li Zhe reports that there were no missing girl reports filed from the period Li Zhe specified thirteen years ago. While the local police officers have no memory of such a case, the detective is attempting to contact two transferred officers and provides graduation photos from the three elementary school classes that had an outing to Qingshan that year. At the location, Li Zhe's associate asks if this is where he met the young girl.
Li Zhe confirms it, and a flashback reveals a younger, despairing Li Zhe about to jump into a river when he was interrupted by a lost little girl's cries. He calmed her down with a small bird but never asked for her name, later explaining to his associate that he didn't expect to live another day. Later, holding a key given to him by Fang Zhiyou, Li Zhe realizes it belongs to his childhood home.
Entering the house alone, he is overcome by a traumatic vision of his parents' suicide. Back at Fang Zhiyou’s company, Li Zhe arrives to find Fang Zhiyou preparing to swim. He confronts Fang Zhiyou, offering five million for the villa—now revealed to be Li Zhe’s childhood home—which is worth four million, stating he doesn't want to be indebted. Fang Zhiyou insists it was a debt he was repaying.
Li Zhe retorts that Fang Zhiyou owes him far more than a villa and that buying back their "secret base" cannot erase the past. Declaring he doesn't know what else to do, Fang Zhiyou listens as Li Zhe vows to take what he values most: his company, Square & Circle, and Xu Yiren. Li Zhe announces he will formally pursue Xu Yiren, prompting Fang Zhiyou to warn him away from her, though he denies having feelings for her himself.
Later, Li Zhe finds Xu Yiren at the office and invites her to a movie the next evening, leaving before she can properly respond. That night, Xu Yiren stays late at the office to study for her driving exam and falls asleep. In her dream, she gets her license, drives Fang Zhiyou to a remote location, and locks him out of the car, demanding he promise to stop mocking her and respect her dignity in exchange for a ride back.
She is woken by the smell of stinky tofu, which Fang Zhiyou is eating. He then drives her home. Noticing he is still down after his confrontation with Li Zhe, she offers to treat him to a meal. They go to a barbecue stall, a type of place Fang Zhiyou says his mother forbade him and his sister, Shiyu, from visiting.
Xu Yiren recalls frequenting similar places as a child, not just for the food but to be in a lively crowd and avoid going home. She reveals how her aunt always favored her cousin, forcing Xu Yiren to lie to keep the peace, such as pretending to hate a teddy bear her uncle bought her so her cousin could have it.
Fang Zhiyou empathizes, encouraging her to be her true self in the future—to express her feelings freely without pretending or trying to please others. Xu Yiren, who had intended to comfort him, finds herself being comforted instead. Back home, reflecting on his words, she resolves to be more honest and finally admits to herself that she likes Fang Zhiyou. The next day, Xu Yiren receives no word from Fang Zhiyou. As she worries, Li Zhe arrives for their movie date.
Having forgotten, she apologizes but agrees to go. After the movie, Li Zhe probes for details about her company's confidential Moon Bay Resort Project. Seeing through his attempt to gather information, Xu Yiren firmly states that whatever the history between him and Fang Zhiyou, she will always stand by Fang Zhiyou, even if he is in the wrong. She pays for her own drink and leaves.
Later, Xu Yiren gets a call from a weak-sounding Fang Zhiyou and rushes to his home. She finds him with a high fever. As she tries to find medicine, he stops her, asking her to keep her cool hand on his forehead. After she makes him take medicine, he falls into a restless sleep, dreaming that Li Zhe renounces their friendship and declares his hatred.
Waking with a start, he looks at Xu Yiren and remarks that she reminds him of his mother. As his fever breaks, she tells him to shower while she makes porridge. Surprised she stayed, he asks why, and she replies that she couldn't leave him while he was sick.
