My Dear Lady Episode 4 Recap
> My Dear Lady Recap
Picking up from the previous episode, Cheng Li noticed a package delivered for "DuDu" and questioned Ling Xunxun about it. Ling Xunxun stammered, vaguely claiming DuDu was a pet, which Cheng Li readily accepted, assuming it was a dog. He then apologized for having entered her room earlier, explaining that a small creature from the delivery (a hamster, as implied from previous context) had run into her room because her door was ajar.
Expressing his dislike for furry animals, he instructed her to remove the pet the next day. Ling Xunxun was surprised by his apology but also felt a bit uneasy about the situation. Still uneasy about concealing her secret, Ling Xunxun called Zhou Quan, admitting her lie was "getting bigger."
Zhou Quan, a lawyer, reassured her that having a son wouldn't significantly impact her job and that companies rarely sued over such matters, though she warned the worst-case scenario could be contract termination and dismissal. Ling Xunxun expressed discomfort with lying, but Zhou Quan advised her to stop overthinking and go to bed. Later, Cheng Li took Ling Xunxun to a boxing match.
He challenged her presence at the fight, asking if she was afraid of him being shamed, and reminded her of his earlier heroics. During the match, Wang Assistant decisively defeated Cheng Li. Cheng Li playfully complained that Wang Assistant hadn't "let him look good," but Wang Assistant calmly replied it was a competition. Ling Xunxun then subtly probed Cheng Li about loyalty, asking hypothetically about betrayal by someone close.
Cheng Li immediately suspected she was implying Wang Assistant was a spy sent by his mother. Ling Xunxun clarified she was merely thinking aloud after hearing rumors about Cheng Li's mother's surprising corporate visit and her seeming knowledge of company secrets. Cheng Li, however, revealed that this public embarrassment was a deliberate facade, part of a strategy.
Wang Assistant then approached them, stating he had visited Cheng Li's mother but had decided not to resign, offering to work for another year without pay. Cheng Li insisted he leave, claiming he now had Ling Xunxun, whom he described as "considerate and clever" and better than Wang Assistant, making him redundant. Ling Xunxun, misunderstanding the situation and fearing for her own job, frantically offered to take a pay cut.
Wang Assistant later confided in Ling Xunxun, revealing his past: five years prior, he had broken his leg boxing abroad and lost his job. Cheng Li had not only saved him but had also used a year's worth of his own living expenses, earned from part-time jobs, to fund Wang Assistant's university education. Ling Xunxun expressed a changed perception of Cheng Li upon hearing this, but Wang Assistant advised her to maintain her initial perception to avoid disappointment.
Cheng Li then returned, having overheard Ling Xunxun's offer, and questioned who suggested a salary cut, leading Ling Xunxun to realize she had been tricked by both men. Meanwhile, Cheng Li's mother pondered why he hadn't strongly opposed selling the factory land. She believed his company's recent acquisition of Inglemirepharm agency rights had boosted his confidence, finding it illogical that he would seemingly abandon his own confidence after signing such a contract.
At the factory, Mike was exuberantly live-streaming, showcasing Inglemirepharm cosmetics and praising their quality, emphasizing the importance of securing the agency rights. Cheng Li then called Ling Xunxun, asking her to retrieve a crucial document he had left in the factory meeting room, mentioning that Mike was likely still there. Ling Xunxun found Mike unwinding with skewers and drinks after his long live stream.
He confessed that in the live-streaming industry, a "straight man" was considered to have poor aesthetic sense, forcing him to pretend to be effeminate, which he found exhausting. Ling Xunxun empathized, admitting she also "pretended," recalling how she bravely divorced her ex-husband without compensation after his affair, only to feel trapped afterward.
Mike confessed he initially thought she had used a man for her job, but Ling Xunxun clarified she had no powerful connections, attributing her perceived influence to her best friend, who was a close friend of Hui Yiwang, and who had been worried about her being bullied. Mike admired Ling Xunxun's "charming personality" and sincerity. He told her that he liked a girl like her.
Ling Xunxun then confessed her desire to use her own abilities to support her son, whom she hadn't seen in over a month. When Mike questioned her about having a son, she quickly tried to cover it up, claiming her "son" was just a pet. Mike saw through her renewed pretense, urging her to drop the "fake mask" now that they had shared secrets.
He encouraged her to be authentic and promised to be there for her, whether she wanted to cry or vent. Ling Xunxun, encouraged, joined him in playfully insulting Cheng Li. That evening, Cheng Li called Ling Xunxun, but she and Mike, both in high spirits, ignored his calls. Frustrated, Cheng Li decided she could sleep outside. Later, Ling Xunxun, heavily intoxicated, repeatedly banged on his door.
Cheng Li initially ignored her, but the noise led to complaints from neighbors, prompting property management to intervene. Mistaking them for a quarreling couple, the security guard advised Cheng Li to treat his "wife" well, forcing a reluctant Cheng Li to carry a protesting Ling Xunxun back into the apartment. Once inside, Ling Xunxun continued her drunken antics, occupying Cheng Li's bed, declaring it "the queen's room," and comically demanding he serve her while he slept in the storage room.
The next morning, Ling Xunxun woke up in Cheng Li's room, realizing with horror the extent of her drunken behavior. She found Cheng Li asleep on the sofa, indicating she had indeed taken over his room. Mortified, she left apology notes for him and quickly departed, arranging for Wang Assistant to pick up Cheng Li for work.
When Wang Assistant arrived, Cheng Li was still fuming, recounting how Ling Xunxun, in her drunken state, had called him a "little boy," among other insults. Wang Assistant, however, advised Cheng Li against firing her, revealing he had enlisted for military service and would be resigning in about a month. He suggested that if Ling Xunxun left, Cheng Li would have no assistant, subtly implying that she should stay. Cheng Li sighed, realizing he was stuck with her.
Ling Xunxun, meanwhile, began preparing her resignation report, but Mike intervened, urging her not to act rashly. He told her not to resign on her own accord, believing it wouldn't be as bad as she thought. Separately, Wang Assistant confirmed to Ling Xunxun that he was indeed resigning in about a month to join the military.
He advised her that Cheng Li likely preferred her as his assistant, describing Cheng Li as an introvert who takes a long time to trust people, but had quickly trusted her enough to let her live in his home. Ling Xunxun, still mortified by her drunken antics, tried to explain her embarrassment, but Wang Assistant cut her off, refusing to hear the "inappropriate images." Ling Xunxun then sought forgiveness from Cheng Li in his office.
However, he told her he didn't want to "see her face," prompting her to put on a mask. It was revealed that Peter had been supplying Cheng Li's mother with information about the company's Inglemirepharm project, hoping to secure a position at her Chengdu subsidiary. However, Cheng Li's mother rejected Peter's request due to multiple complaints of sexual harassment from his female colleagues, asserting she couldn't hire someone with such a history for a superior role.
She paid him for the information but declined his employment. Cheng Li later sparred with Hui Yiwang. Hui Yiwang thanked Cheng Li for his patience in dealing with Peter, whom they both knew had a history of "gender issues." Cheng Li also mentioned he was aware of Peter's past harassment of Ling Xunxun, noting that she would eventually have to face such issues in her professional life.
Hui Yiwang also thanked Cheng Li for his strategy, which had bought him another year. Cheng Li explained his plan to Wang Assistant: to subtly "leak" details of his collaboration with Hui Yiwang to his mother, allowing her to "discover" the information herself. He reasoned that his intelligent mother would become suspicious if told directly, but would believe information she uncovered independently.
This elaborate plan was designed to make his company and himself appear important enough to his mother that she would hesitate to sell the old factory, giving him a year to protect it. Hui Yiwang acknowledged Cheng Li's unique relationship with his mother and predicted Cheng Li would surpass her as a businessman. Cheng Li, however, stated he preferred a normal life over being a businessman.
Hui Yiwang then candidly warned Cheng Li that while he didn't care about their family struggles, any internal conflict impacting the value of the Inglemirepharm brand would end their friendship, as he would prioritize his company's benefits. Cheng Li agreed they shared common interests and assured him of full resource support.
Zhou Quan, in trouble at the police station due to a dispute with her young boyfriend's mother, urgently texted Hui Yiwang for help rather than her legal colleagues, citing embarrassment. The mother had vandalized Zhou Quan's car, accusing her of "abducting" her college-graduate son. Hui Yiwang mediated the conflict, offering compensation for the car damage to resolve the situation.
Afterward, Hui Yiwang gravely told Zhou Quan that she should not involve him in such private matters in the future, stating there should be "privacy" and "space" between them, despite their close friendship, as he found such incidents too bothersome. He asserted that as a man and a woman, they should maintain more distance and less contact, leaving Zhou Quan bewildered by his sudden change in demeanor.
Zhou Quan later invited Ling Xunxun for drinks, but Ling Xunxun declined, fearing to upset Cheng Li further after her recent drunken escapade. For several days, Ling Xunxun appeared before Cheng Li wearing a mask. Behind the scenes, Mike, Wang Assistant, and Bao Xiaojing amused themselves by betting on how long it would take Cheng Li to get over his anger. Ling Xunxun confided in Zhou Quan about her predicament, suggesting they all have dinner with Hui Yiwang.
Zhou Quan, however, seemed evasive and abruptly left, claiming to have a meeting. Concerned, Ling Xunxun messaged Hui Yiwang, asking if something was wrong with Zhou Quan. Hui Yiwang's blunt reply advised Ling Xunxun to mind her own business and solve her own problems first. Ling Xunxun, perplexed by her friends' behavior, wondered if Mercury was in retrograde. Later, the apartment building experienced a power outage. Cheng Li, seemingly distressed, urgently called out for Ling Xunxun.
She rushed to his side and found him on the floor with a bleeding, cut hand, appearing very weak. Panicked, Ling Xunxun immediately suggested calling an ambulance or going to the hospital, but Cheng Li refused. He instructed her to retrieve a specific bottle from the medical kit and informed her that he expected to develop a fever in about half an hour, telling her to simply hydrate him and cool his temperature if that happened.
As Ling Xunxun gave him the medicine and worriedly checked on him, Cheng Li's consciousness drifted, and he saw a recurring image of a girl asking "Are you okay?" in an old, abandoned factory. Confused, he then asked Ling Xunxun, "Who are you?"
