Plot Love Episode 2 Recap
> Plot Love Recap
The atmosphere in the model dressing room was charged as all the models, except for Liu Qianying, fawned over Su Manni, hailing her as their "head." Su Manni, spotting Su Bei, feigned ignorance and remarked that she only knew of an "unknown model" before realizing it was Su Bei. She then proceeded to mock Su Bei, asking if she "couldn't make a living abroad" and sarcastically offering her "resources," implying she should "sleep around."
Liu Qianying attempted to interject, reminding Su Manni that Annie was arriving soon. Su Bei retorted, agreeing that Annie was indeed "very picky," especially with models "like you." She chastised Su Manni for her "obscenities" and "rude manners," questioning her audacity. Su Manni proudly asserted her favored status with Boss Lu, the surrounding models, and numerous brand endorsements. Unfazed, Su Bei declared, "I'm very good at depriv[ing] others of what they own."
She informed Su Manni that her contracts for the next quarter would not be renewed and that upcoming collaborations with Gu's Group and Eminence on the KOOG brand would all be terminated. She sarcastically suggested that "models like you deserve better opportunities." Su Manni's entourage, angered, tried to remove Su Bei, but Manager Tang intervened, asking, "How can you treat Annie like this?" The models were shocked to realize Su Bei's true identity.
Su Bei then formally announced her new role as CEO of Eminence Starlight Agency and stated her intention to select and personally train one model from among them who would "follow my words, and work hard" to achieve international recognition. Afterward, Su Bei entered Lu Nan's office. Believing the 'fragrance brocade' was hidden there, she began searching. Lu Nan walked in on her, and Su Bei quickly fabricated a story about looking for a lost earring.
Lu Nan, cynical about her previous encounters, accused her of concocting various schemes to attract his attention and presented her with a divorce agreement, demanding she sign it and asserting that she held no value for him. Su Bei agreed to sign but immediately insisted they discuss how to divide their properties. Lu Nan, thinking to himself that her true aim was money, was interrupted by Special Assistant Yun's arrival, who addressed Su Bei as "Annie."
Realizing Su Bei was the renowned agent he'd hired, Lu Nan, surprised, discarded the divorce agreement. Su Bei challenged Lu Nan, asking if he now recognized her value. Lu Nan remained defiant, claiming many other agents were more capable. Su Bei then presented a detailed analysis of Eminence Starlight's dire financial situation, noting its 27 models, high operating costs, and reliance on Su Manni's mostly free "brand friend" endorsements, primarily within Asia.
She suggested this was not the outcome Lu Nan desired. Su Bei proposed a wager: within three months, she would transform Eminence Starlight into the top model agency in the country, fostering more models who would surpass Su Manni. Lu Nan countered, demanding results within two months, which Su Bei accepted.
As she left, Lu Nan reminded her to "never forget who you are," to which Su Bei responded that professionalism meant separating her work from her personal life and that he should "wait to see the final results." Lu Nan later complained to Special Assistant Yun about Su Bei being "so hard to deal with." Special Assistant Yun initially dismissed Su Bei as "easy to deal with," a "soft bun" that "anyone can manipulate."
Lu Nan retorted, questioning if a "soft bun" would immediately demand property division. Special Assistant Yun, recalling Su Bei's absence during Lu Nan's long illness, labeled her "heartless" and unworthy of his money, vowing she wouldn't receive "a penny" from him. Lu Nan then instructed Special Assistant Yun to find a lawyer to ensure Su Bei left with nothing, and sarcastically told his assistant to "go to deal with her for me." Special Assistant Yun agreed.
Anticipating Lu Nan's actions, Su Bei spoke with her confidante on the phone, noting Lu Nan's apparent unawareness of their divorce agreement was to their advantage. She confirmed her employment paperwork was being processed and that "someone will come to me soon." True to her prediction, Special Assistant Yun met Su Bei for coffee. He expressed surprise at her identity as Annie and remarked, "You've changed."
Su Bei explained that "seven years ago, I got smeared for no reason, and was kicked out by my beloved husband. So, if I'm still the same, I'll be a joke to everyone." Special Assistant Yun mentioned missing her in Italy, to which Su Bei clarified, "Actually, I was avoiding you on purpose." Su Bei then called him out, asking if Lu Nan had sent him to "find out why I come back."
She then feigned a desire to reconcile, claiming she had returned "neither for divorcing with him, nor for getting his properties. I just want to reconcile with him." She questioned why Lu Nan seemed to have "forgotten me." Special Assistant Yun vaguely responded that "it's too miserable for him to remember you," intentionally omitting any mention of Lu Nan's amnesia. Su Bei then asked if it was "greedy to resume my marriage with him."
Meanwhile, Lu Nan held a meeting with lawyers, demanding a solution to ensure Su Bei received no property in the divorce. Frustrated by their legal limitations, he threatened to fire them if they couldn't find a way. A lawyer suggested that strong evidence of infidelity combined with ethical public opinion could pressure her to relinquish her claim.
Dismissing the lawyers, Lu Nan later received a box from Special Assistant Yun containing items from his and Su Bei's seven years together, intended to help him understand her better. During the model assessments, Su Manni arrived late and demanded to postpone her turn, citing her busy schedule. Su Bei, however, declared the assessment concluded and immediately canceled all of Su Manni's business activities.
An enraged Su Manni confronted Su Bei, boasting about her value to the company and her numerous brand endorsements. Su Bei coolly corrected her, pointing out that Su Manni's endorsements were mostly unpaid "brand friend" deals limited to Asia, and assured her that under her management, the company would no longer solely rely on one model. Su Manni then spread rumors that Su Bei had "slept around to get endorsements," claiming many in the industry knew.
Su Bei challenged her to name specific individuals, listing prominent figures like William (founder of CG), Leo (Design Director of Double C), and Ken from L. She then revealed that she had once supported William financially when he was struggling, and Leo was a former model under her care who retired due to injury.
To refute the "Ken from L" accusation, Su Bei called Ken, who was revealed to be a woman named Kennie, with whom Su Bei had a close, non-romantic relationship. Su Bei demanded an apology, but Su Manni refused, instead announcing her contract with Eminence was expiring and other agencies were eagerly pursuing her. Su Bei calmly congratulated her and promptly declared that Liu Qianying, the top performer in the assessment, would become Eminence's chief model once Su Manni left.
She instructed her assistant to reassign all of Su Manni's activities to Liu Qianying or terminate the contracts. Su Manni threatened Su Bei with Lu Nan's wrath, but Su Bei reminded her that her employment terms granted her "independent decision-making power over the entire brokerage company," including contract renewals.
Su Manni vowed to reclaim everything Su Bei had "stolen" from her, but Su Bei confidently proclaimed that within a month, Liu Qianying would replace her as the next "national model star." Lu Nan and Special Assistant Yun, having overheard the entire exchange, agreed that using Su Bei to curb Su Manni was "indeed a good idea."
Later, Su Manni complained to Lu Nan's sister, Lu Fei, about Su Bei's "insolent" behavior, accusing her of acting like the "Chairman's wife" and having "slept with many men" to climb to her current position. She also reminded Lu Fei of how Su Bei's presence had caused Lu Nan to be distant with her in the past.
Lu Fei initially feigned subservience, reminding Su Manni that Annie was her brother's hire and that without evidence, neither she nor even their grandmother could challenge Su Bei. Su Manni, however, insisted she possessed "all the evidence he wants" and vowed to expose Su Bei's true colors to Lu Nan.
Once Su Manni left, Lu Fei, her meek facade dropping, angrily shredded flowers and called someone, demanding a thorough investigation into Su Bei's activities and records from her time in Italy. At the Gu's Group KOOG brand launch, CEO Gu Chengze, the founder of the KOOG brand, introduced the company's new vision. Su Bei and Liu Qianying were seen getting refreshments.
Su Bei encouraged Liu Qianying to have confidence in herself regarding the KOOG endorsement, despite Liu Qianying's hesitation, mentioning President Gu's preference for Su Manni. Su Manni approached them, scoffing at Su Bei for bringing "a drag alongside" and confidently stating that her existing relationship with President Gu made securing endorsements "quite easy." Gu Yan, Gu's project manager, then approached Su Bei, introducing himself as the intermediary from Gu's whom she had "declined three times."
Su Bei apologized for her previous "disrespectful" actions and expressed a desire for future cooperation, asking him to call her "Su Bei." Gu Yan noted she was "not the same as I imagined" and "really not like others." Overhearing their conversation, Su Manni disparaged Gu Yan as "the illegitimate child of Gu's family," implying he was beneath Su Bei's attention. Later, Su Manni directly approached President Gu to secure the KOOG endorsement.
As she offered a toast, President Gu made an inappropriate advance, suggesting the endorsement was conditional on her cooperation. Su Manni, concerned about "so many people here," struggled to push him away, accidentally spilling wine on him. An enraged President Gu accused her of "patronizing" him and threatened to ruin her career if she didn't provide an explanation.
Su Bei quickly intervened, apologizing on Su Manni's behalf and subtly suggesting that Su Manni's recently "injured arm" had caused her to drop the glass. Su Manni, seeing Su Bei take responsibility, smirked. Su Bei then tried to de-escalate the situation, implying her own job was on the line if her employee offended President Gu on her first day. She offered to "apologize to you for Manni."
President Gu, recognizing Su Bei as the Annie who had previously rejected his company, found her "not like others" and accepted her offer. He then demanded that Su Bei "finish all three of them," referring to three glasses of alcohol, in exchange for forgiving Su Manni. Su Bei looked distressed at his demand.
