My True Friend Episode 5 Recap
> My True Friend Recap
Jing Ran and his mother, Aunt Bai, waited at the real estate office for Luo Zu'er, the prospective buyer. Jing Ran expressed his impatience, finding the term "should be here soon" too vague. Aunt Bai tried to reassure him, while Cheng Zhenzhen offered to call Luo Zu'er. When Shao Pengcheng arrived, he immediately pulled Cheng Zhenzhen away from Jing Ran, accusing her of acting coy and selling herself, not houses.
Cheng Zhenzhen, offended, demanded to know Luo Zu'er's whereabouts, but she wasn't picking up her phone. Soon, an attorney, Mr. Zhang, arrived, introducing himself as Luo Zu'er's representative. He announced that Miss Luo would not be buying the house because her physical and mental health had been negatively affected by the house's alleged "marriage demon" Feng Shui. He also stated that, according to the signed agreement, Miss Luo was not obligated to pay any compensation. Manager Zeng was visibly shocked.
Cheng Zhenzhen admitted that she had altered the letter of intent. Jing Ran, frustrated by the unprofessionalism, declared that an unreliable person is unreliable in all aspects and suggested they find another real estate agency. Aunt Bai tried to object, but Jing Ran decided to leave to catch his flight, prompting Manager Zeng to order Cheng Zhenzhen to go after her client. Back at the office, Manager Zeng severely reprimanded the team, stressing the damage to the agency's reputation.
Shao Pengcheng, however, was dismissive, asserting that Aunt Bai never genuinely intended to sell the house and fabricated stories to deter buyers. Manager Zeng rebuked Shao Pengcheng for his problematic attitude and for unauthorized changes to the contract. As punishment, both he and Cheng Zhenzhen were ordered to distribute an additional 500 flyers. He warned Shao Pengcheng about his upcoming month-end evaluation, implying he could be fired.
Cheng Zhenzhen took full responsibility for the situation and decided to apologize to Aunt Bai again. Shao Pengcheng called her foolish for not recognizing Aunt Bai's deceptive tactics, but Cheng Zhenzhen insisted on fulfilling her responsibility to Aunt Bai, no matter how tired she became. Hao Meili, overhearing the conversation, gossiped that Cheng Zhenzhen's true interest lay in Aunt Bai's outstanding son, Jing Ran.
Shao Pengcheng defended Cheng Zhenzhen, reminding Hao Meili that she was the one who had passed the difficult case to Cheng Zhenzhen in the first place, causing all these problems. Cheng Zhenzhen visited Aunt Bai with a fruit basket to offer her apologies. Aunt Bai graciously absolved her of any blame and expressed gratitude, explaining that Cheng Zhenzhen's involvement had allowed her to see Jing Ran sooner.
From an inner room, the sound of a violin drifted, and Aunt Bai proudly revealed it was Jing Ran playing. She invited Cheng Zhenzhen to watch. Cheng Zhenzhen secretly began filming Jing Ran on her phone, but he noticed and advised her to be more professional in her work. Aunt Bai quickly dismissed Jing Ran's words, explaining he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Jing Ran then departed for Italy, stating he had an important meeting the next day. As Cheng Zhenzhen left Aunt Bai's house, she found herself caught in a heavy downpour. Jing Ran, driving past, stopped and offered her a lift back to the Flower Garden Real Estate office. While driving, Jing Ran sent a message to his online friend, "Miss Sincerely," apologizing for not being able to meet up during his brief two-day visit.
He hoped they could meet next time. Unbeknownst to him, "Miss Sincerely" was Cheng Zhenzhen, who, upon receiving the message, excitedly replied that it was perfectly fine. Upon reaching the agency, Cheng Zhenzhen asked Jing Ran to wait a moment. She rushed inside and returned with a potted succulent plant, presenting it as an apology and an early birthday gift, which she learned about from Aunt Bai.
Jing Ran thanked her but explained he couldn't take plants on a plane and wasn't sure how to care for them. He suggested she give it to his mother, who would surely nurture it well. Cheng Zhenzhen readily agreed. Shao Pengcheng, observing from nearby, mocked Cheng Zhenzhen, calling her a "love-struck fool." Meanwhile, Shao Pengcheng decided to take a different approach.
He brought a Feng Shui master, Master Xie, to Aunt Bai's house, claiming he was there to apologize and to "drive away the bad marriage predestined by fate." Aunt Bai was hesitant, mentioning that her son, Jing Ran, didn't believe in such superstitions. Master Xie initially complimented the house's Feng Shui but then changed his tune, declaring it "excessively cold" and harmful to men, hinting at a "broken family."
Aunt Bai became visibly agitated, recalling her late husband and Jing Ran's achievements, particularly his global design competition award. Master Xie then focused on a large tree in the yard, asserting that it drained "Yang energy" and caused misfortune for the men in the house. Overwhelmed with fear and stress, Aunt Bai collapsed. Cheng Zhenzhen, arriving with the succulent, immediately called for an ambulance, and Aunt Bai was rushed to the hospital.
At the hospital, the doctor informed Cheng Zhenzhen and Shao Pengcheng that Aunt Bai's blood pressure had spiked due to extreme excitement. Cheng Zhenzhen chastised Shao Pengcheng for tormenting the elderly woman and made him wait outside the patient's room. Aunt Bai soon received a phone call from Jing Ran. She concealed her hospitalization, feigning breathlessness from simply walking in the yard to avoid worrying her son.
Shao Pengcheng offered to cover all medical expenses, but Aunt Bai insisted on keeping her condition a secret from Jing Ran. Seeing a family photo on her phone, Aunt Bai became emotional and started crying. Cheng Zhenzhen entered, ushered Shao Pengcheng out, and gently comforted Aunt Bai. Aunt Bai confided in Cheng Zhenzhen, sharing precious memories of her late husband and explaining her deep affection for the house.
She recalled how her husband would romantically surprise her with new curtains, a black leather sofa, and fresh flowers, and how they had planted the tree in the yard together to watch Jing Ran grow. Cheng Zhenzhen listened patiently and gently reminded Aunt Bai that a house is merely a physical structure, and the true meaning of home lies in a family being together, especially since Jing Ran wanted her to live with him abroad.
Shao Pengcheng took Aunt Bai's car keys, claiming he needed to retrieve her belongings from home, leaving Cheng Zhenzhen to care for her. However, he secretly hired renovation workers and had them transform Aunt Bai's house overnight into a nostalgic style, incorporating elements like an old-fashioned radio. To cover the renovation costs, Shao Pengcheng, short on funds, reluctantly pawned his valuable Richard Mille watch, accepting a high interest rate.
Upon her discharge, Aunt Bai returned home to a completely refurbished house. The nostalgic decor, particularly the vintage radio, stirred deep emotions within her, bringing tears to her eyes as she reminisced about her late husband. She tearfully embraced Shao Pengcheng, overwhelmed with gratitude. Reflecting on everything, Aunt Bai finally decided to sell the house and move to Italy to live with Jing Ran, concluding that being with her family was indeed the most important thing.
Back at the office, Hao Meili expressed disbelief that "two newbies" like Cheng Zhenzhen and Shao Pengcheng could have convinced "that old fox," Aunt Bai. Manager Zeng praised the pair, telling Hao Meili to stop speaking ill of others. Hao Meili then made a bet, wagering 100 yuan that Cheng Zhenzhen and Shao Pengcheng wouldn't be able to sell Aunt Bai's house within a month.
Manager Zeng raised the stakes, stating that if they failed, they would both have to leave the company without any accomplishments. Later, while distributing flyers, Cheng Zhenzhen and Shao Pengcheng encountered Aunt Li, who was looking for a school district house with a small yard. Cheng Zhenzhen immediately thought of Aunt Bai's house and took Aunt Li to see it. Aunt Bai and Aunt Li quickly found common ground, bonding over their sons' achievements.
Aunt Bai proudly spoke of Jing Ran's success in a global design competition, while Aunt Li enthusiastically shared that her son had won first place in a city-wide primary school mathematics competition.
