My Dear Lady Episode 5 Recap
> My Dear Lady Recap
Ling Xunxun, who had stayed by Cheng Li's side all night, found him still recovering from a fever. She immediately checked his forehead, relieved to find his fever had broken. Ling Xunxun explained her detailed arrangements for his missed work, but Cheng Li found her reporting excessive. She then went to prepare a white rice porridge, ensuring it was cooled before bringing it to him.
As she carefully fed him spoonful by spoonful, Ling Xunxun remarked that it was how she fed her dog, DuDu, prompting Cheng Li to question if she was insulting him. Later, while Ling Xunxun was drawing the curtains, Cheng Li brought up a dream he had, asking about her middle school. They discovered they both attended City One Middle School, where Cheng Li had skipped two grades.
Ling Xunxun revealed she was a radio host there, but Cheng Li, ever sarcastic, teased her about being nostalgic and her lack of accomplishments at 29 despite her confidence. Their conversation was interrupted by Jin Hui, who knew the password to Cheng Li’s apartment. Jin Hui inquired about his condition, mentioning that his doctor, Jacob, was on a flight to see him for a checkup. Ling Xunxun, observing the interaction, was full of curiosity.
Soon after, media circulated photos of Jin Hui entering and leaving Cheng Li’s home, fueling rumors of them being a couple. Company employees openly gossiped about the "news" of Jin Hui spending the night at her boyfriend’s house. Cheng Li’s mother called, delighted by the "good news" and encouraging their relationship, mentioning that she and Jin Hui's aunt had been trying to set them up. Cheng Li flatly denied the rumors, expressing his usual disinterest in media speculation.
He then called Jin Hui, urging her to issue a denial statement, but she teasingly suggested they should actually move in together or even announce their marriage, stating that she wasn't worried about her image. Cheng Li insisted it was bad for her reputation, and Jin Hui eventually agreed to his request. Back at the apartment, Ling Xunxun offered Cheng Li porridge, but he craved meat.
He questioned her cooking ability, which she admitted was poor, prompting him to ask her to order takeout. She sarcastically suggested calling Jin Hui to cook for him, creating a "love haven," which Cheng Li dismissed as her trying to slack off. As Cheng Li awkwardly tried to eat with his injured left hand, Ling Xunxun tried to put an apron on him, accidentally knocking the food onto the floor.
Annoyed, Cheng Li told her to feed him the next day and asked her to visit his Uncle Wen, who was sick. At the hospital, Ling Xunxun learned from Uncle Wen that Cheng Li’s condition was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from childhood trauma, causing a fear of dark and confined spaces.
Uncle Wen, who had cared for Cheng Li for a year, explained that while they thought he was recovering with monthly doctor visits, the symptoms had recently returned after a blackout. Ling Xunxun received a call from Hui Yiwang, inviting her for lunch, which Ling Xunxun arranged to be with Zhou Quan as well. Zhou Quan and Hui Yiwang were awkward, so Ling Xunxun subtly slipped away after ordering and paying to give them privacy.
Hui Yiwang apologized for his previous judgment regarding Zhou Quan’s "boyfriend," explaining he had learned from an aunt at the hospital that the young man was a cancer patient secretly undergoing chemotherapy, and Zhou Quan had been selflessly helping him find doctors and beds. However, Zhou Quan refused to accept his apology, questioning his right to judge her actions given their relationship.
Later, Jin Hui released a statement denying her romantic involvement with Cheng Li, clarifying they were just childhood friends. Cheng Li’s mother immediately rushed to his house. Outside, Zhou Quan told Ling Xunxun she was "cutting ties" for a week, frustrated by Ling Xunxun's meddling. When Cheng Li’s mother arrived, she confronted Cheng Li about the quick denial of the Jin Hui rumors, suggesting it was because of Ling Xunxun. Cheng Li asked Ling Xunxun to leave.
His mother warned him against women like Ling Xunxun, whom she considered manipulative, urging him to be wary. Cheng Li defended Ling Xunxun, explaining he hired her due to a "sense of familiarity" she cultivated by researching his habits with Uncle Wen before her interview. Cheng Li, tired of the constant "business talks" with his mother, retreated to his room. His mother, sensing Ling Xunxun’s "scheming" nature, instructed someone to investigate her.
Ling Xunxun felt responsible for the friction, believing her presence affected Cheng Li and Jin Hui’s relationship. Cheng Li, however, scoffed at the idea of Jin Hui being jealous, then playfully accused Ling Xunxun of being scheming, based on her past admission of strategically confronting his mother during their first meeting to gain his attention. The next morning, Bao Xiaojing received a delivery and applied makeup following Mike’s tutorial.
Cheng Li, with his injured hand, called Ling Xunxun to help him with his tie. The moment was briefly awkward until Ling Xunxun broke the tension by presenting his coat and teasing him about paying "handsome-man taxes" for his looks. Cheng Li returned to work, his hand still wrapped in Ling Xunxun’s unexpectedly cute bandage. Meanwhile, Cheng Li’s mother received Ling Xunxun’s investigation report and was surprised by what she found.
During lunch, Ling Xunxun ordered roasted eel and rice for Cheng Li, easier for him to eat with his injured hand. When he still struggled, she fed him bite by bite. Hui Yiwang arrived, witnessing the scene, and suggested they all have lunch together. They went to a hot pot restaurant, where Hui Yiwang deliberately kept serving Ling Xunxun food, clearly annoying Cheng Li, who abruptly declared his intention to go home early, citing the smell.
Unbeknownst to them, Cheng Li’s mother’s car was parked nearby, observing them from a distance. Later, Ling Xunxun observed Cheng Li and Mike having a loud argument at the office. Mike later explained to a curious Ling Xunxun that it was an act orchestrated for Cheng Li’s mother, as Mike was one of "Elder President Cheng’s people," implying a complex history of surveillance within the company.
At the factory, Cheng Li instructed Ling Xunxun to walk around but not disturb the workers, making her feel trusted. Ling Xunxun then met with a gallery agent, whom Hui Yiwang had arranged to represent her artwork, acknowledging that her drawings resembled industrial design. Ling Xunxun confronted Hui Yiwang about his obvious feelings for Zhou Quan, perplexed by his roundabout way of helping her instead of confessing to Zhou Quan directly.
Later, Ling Xunxun discovered one of her paintings, which she had submitted for packaging design through the gallery, had been rejected by Cheng Li himself. This rejection deeply disheartened her, making her feel her talent was worthless in his eyes. She mused on the harsh reality of growing up and accepting one's mediocrity while still needing to find a reason to persevere.
