Nothing But Thirty Episode 15 Recap
> Nothing But Thirty Recap
After Zhong Xiaoqin's father was discharged from the hospital, Chen Yu drove them home. Zhong Xiaoqin's mother, sensing a change in the couple's relationship, suggested they both stay at her home for a few days to keep her father company. Zhong Xiaoqin quickly declined, claiming Chen Yu had another business trip, which Chen Yu corroborated. She then added that she was too busy with work, despite her mother questioning if anything was more important than her father's health.
Zhong Xiaoqin assured them they would visit soon. Back at home, Zhong Xiaoqin informed Chen Yu that she still needed to stay in their shared home for another month. Chen Yu agreed, telling her to sleep in their former bedroom while he would move into the fish room. Zhong Xiaoqin then presented a "Co-habitation Contract" she had drafted, explaining that based on their divorce agreement, she also had the right to use the house.
The contract included detailed rules for their temporary living arrangement: no interfering with each other's freedom, minimizing direct communication by using WeChat, no bringing friends home for gatherings, separate laundry, rotating cleaning duties (Zhong Xiaoqin on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; Chen Yu on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday; Sunday off), specified shower times (Chen Yu in the morning, Zhong Xiaoqin in the evenings), Chen Yu only allowed in her bedroom for clothes when she wasn't home, and general cleanliness standards.
Chen Yu stated he had no objections. Meanwhile, Gu Jia was busy preparing desserts for her new business venture. Xu Huanshan asked if she had packed his luggage for his upcoming trip. She admitted she had forgotten but promised to do it later. As she focused on her work, Gu Jia received two large new orders from Mrs. Yu.
She excitedly messaged Xu Huanshan that the new deals would increase their company's profits by five million, enough to pay off half their mortgage by the next year. At that moment in Beijing, Xu Huanshan received a text message from Lin Youyou confirming his schedule and hinting at a surprise. Gu Jia also planned to pick up Shen Jie’s father the next day, who was returning from an overseas trip unaware of his son's arrest.
She intended to take him to the nursing home where her own father resided, hoping her father could ease him into the difficult news. The following day, Gu Jia picked up Uncle Shen at the airport. He complained about her car not being as luxurious as his daughter-in-law's and remarked that his recent trip to Mauritius was superior to any in Southeast Asia. Noticing his son's lack of social media activity, he pressed Gu Jia for the truth.
Gu Jia deferred, promising to tell him when they arrived. Upon reaching the nursing home, Uncle Shen, still expecting to see his son, began to complain about being in a retirement facility. Unable to keep up the pretense, Gu Jia’s father revealed the truth: Shen Jie's company had an incident, he had been arrested, and his daughter-in-law had taken their children and moved to Australia. Overwhelmed by the news, Uncle Shen collapsed.
Gu Jia later expressed frustration with her father for revealing everything so abruptly, but he argued it was better than prolonged suffering. In Beijing, Lin Youyou took Xu Huanshan on an "inspiration hunt" that led them to a long queue for ice cream. Xu Huanshan was skeptical, but Lin Youyou explained that understanding youth preferences was crucial for designing successful fireworks.
She then playfully took a bite directly from Xu Huanshan's ice cream, and he, after a moment, ate from the same spot. Later, Lin Youyou questioned Xu Huanshan about his dinner fasting, which he attributed to Gu Jia's advice following a fatty liver diagnosis. She challenged his regimented lifestyle by citing a novel about cicadas living only seven days, suggesting that a joyful, albeit shorter, life might be preferable to a long, dull one.
She ordered noodles for him, and despite his initial reluctance, he eventually ate them. Back at the nursing home, the doctor assured Gu Jia that Uncle Shen's condition was not serious, just a shock, and he would likely wake up soon. When he did, he was disoriented, mistaking Gu Jia’s father for his son.
He continued to fantasize about being on vacation, demanding specific food and insisting on going swimming in the ocean, even claiming to be a "storm petrel" unafraid of strong winds. Gu Jia's father humored him for a while before pretending to go to sleep. Later that night, Uncle Shen attempted to sneak out with his luggage. Gu Jia’s father intercepted him, brought him back, and candidly explained that escaping would solve nothing.
He emphasized that Shen Jie was incarcerated, and his daughter-in-law and grandson had left the country. He urged Uncle Shen to stop pretending and to face reality, reminding him that parents must always be their children’s "lifeboat," their "last resort" to help them to shore. The next morning, Uncle Shen appeared clear-headed, telling Gu Jia that her father had "cured" him.
He then declared that he would take on the responsibility for all the "time-consuming, exhausting matters," such as meeting lawyers and handling liquidation, to alleviate the burden on Gu Jia. At work, Zhong Xiaoqin sought out Director Xu to inquire about the internal promotion training she had previously declined. Director Xu questioned her sudden change of heart, prompting Zhong Xiaoqin to reveal that she had gotten divorced.
She explained that last time, she had just discovered she was pregnant and felt it would be wrong to accept the promotion. Although she later lost the baby, her marriage ultimately ended. She promised to dedicate all her energy to work going forward. Unbeknownst to them, Zhong Xiaoyang was outside the office door and overheard her confession. After Zhong Xiaoqin left, she found him and admonished him to control his mouth, threatening him if her divorce became office gossip.
The store manager arrived at Wang Manni's store, and Wang Manni thanked her for approving her previous promotion report, acknowledging her new supervisor role. That evening, at an employee gathering, the store manager announced that the following month would be a "golden sales month" and urged everyone to work hard. She then announced that Assistant Manager Tracy was resigning. Tracy revealed that during a recent physical, a lump was found on her neck.
While awaiting biopsy results, she felt it best to resign. Wang Manni was deeply saddened, but Tracy expressed her strong belief in Wang Manni’s ability to take over the Deputy Manager position, promising to advocate for her with the store manager before leaving. After Tracy's resignation, the store manager temporarily put Wang Manni in charge of the deputy's duties, making her the clear frontrunner for the position.
Later, Wang Manni excitedly told Liang Zhengxian that if she became Deputy Manager, she would qualify for a six-month training program at the Hong Kong headquarters, which meant they could see each other every day. Liang Zhengxian simply told her to work hard to achieve that position. Wang Manni, focused on proving herself, even joked that if she succeeded, she would buy him a car. Liang Zhengxian dismissed the idea and gently urged her to rest.
Wang Manni, now driving a car, realized the significant cost of parking and general car ownership. She called Zhong Xiaoqin, who suggested a cheaper outdoor parking lot located a short walk from the office, costing 30 yuan per day instead of 1000 yuan per month for the mall parking. Wang Manni was thrilled with the idea.
Zhong Xiaoyang, overhearing Zhong Xiaoqin's side of the conversation at the office, playfully teased her about looking for a parking spot, implying her previous lie about going to a drive-in theater was about to be exposed since she couldn't drive. The next morning, Zhong Xiaoqin arrived at work to an outpouring of sympathy from her colleagues, who offered her food and breakup advice. She quickly realized that Zhong Xiaoyang had spread news of her divorce.
Confronting him, she angrily accused him of making her the subject of office gossip and declared their mentor-mentee relationship officially dissolved. Zhong Xiaoyang, however, informed her that Director Xu had assigned them joint responsibility for the upcoming golden sales month and that he was tasked with assisting her. He questioned how they could work together if she refused to speak to him. Zhong Xiaoqin reluctantly agreed that they would only communicate about work-related matters.
Later, Zhong Xiaoyang appeared at the office in casual clothes, prompting Zhong Xiaoqin to scold him for not working. He insisted he was heading out for work and, despite her protests, urged her to join him. Refusing to ride his motorcycle, Zhong Xiaoqin opted for a taxi to follow him. Zhong Xiaoyang led her to a new media company, which Zhong Xiaoqin recognized as a difficult contact they had previously tried to collaborate with via email, without success.
Zhong Xiaoyang revealed that he had visited the company three times on his own initiative and emphasized that many opportunities required in-person engagement. Thanks to his proactive approach, they quickly secured a collaboration.
