Pretty Man Episode 19 Recap
> Pretty Man Recap
News of Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao's "late-night date" quickly hit the headlines, a consequence of Lin Shiyi's deliberate smear campaign. Many unaware fans reacted with outrage, fiercely attacking Qiao Anhao online and demanding her removal from showbiz.
Distraught, Qiao Anhao wanted to go downstairs to explain herself, but Zhao Meng held her back, warning that facing the ruthless media and angry fans at that moment would leave her utterly destroyed and "not even a bone scrap would be left of her," as reporters and fans wouldn't listen to explanations and would only deliberately misinterpret her words to create more rumors.
As Qiao Anhao worried about the relentless crowd outside, Shen Mingzhe called, informing her that Lu Jinnian would draw everyone's attention away, allowing her to escape through the back entrance. Following the plan, Lu Jinnian descended first, creating a diversion. Qiao Anhao, disguised, then quickly exited the building and got into Qiao Anyi's waiting car, successfully escaping the media's pursuit.
Once they were safe, Qiao Anyi told his sister that she had truly stirred up trouble, attracting the rage of Lu Jinnian's tens of millions of fans, who were now cursing their ancestors back 500 years on social media. Qiao Anhao expressed her helplessness, but Qiao Anyi reassured her that their uncle and aunt believed in her, knowing she couldn't possibly be seducing Lu Jinnian. Relieved, Qiao Anhao said she had been wondering how to explain the incident to them.
Soon after, Han Ruchu, Qiao Anhao's mother-in-law, saw the news and called Qiao Anhao, demanding an explanation on behalf of Uncle Xu, who was very angry. Qiao Anhao, feeling nervous, explained that the online rumors were false, and both she and Lu Jinnian were innocent; she was not selling her body to climb the ladder. Han Ruchu, though trusting Qiao Anhao, advised her that while the news itself might be false, the photos were real.
She urged Qiao Anhao, as a married woman, to be more cautious in the future and avoid situations that could be easily misunderstood, lest the paparazzi have material to write about. After the call, Qiao Anyi agreed with Han Ruchu, reminding Qiao Anhao that she needed to understand how to avoid suspicion.
Upon learning of the massive scandal, Sister Zhen was furious, exclaiming that Qiao Anhao had caused such a huge problem right after joining the company, dragging Lu Jinnian into it as well. She believed the situation was irreversible and suggested dropping Qiao Anhao, stating it concerned the entire company's reputation and pleading with him not to let his emotions cloud his judgment.
However, Lu Jinnian firmly refused, stating he would handle it his own way, take responsibility, and that Sister Zhen didn't need to worry, adding that he had been slandered before too. Sister Zhen, noticing his unusual tolerance towards Qiao Anhao, remarked that he had stopped being honest with her. She then reluctantly presented Qiao Anhao's contract, allowing Lu Jinnian to do as he wished. Lu Jinnian later sought out Song Xiangsi for assistance.
Song Xiangsi playfully noted it had been a while since he invited her for coffee and quickly guessed he needed her help with Qiao Anhao. She acknowledged that her involvement might also lead to slander, but seeing his stress and recalling their long-standing friendship, she readily agreed to help, knowing he wouldn't ask unless he was at his last resort. Meanwhile, Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng were still in the room, glumly checking their social media feeds.
Zhao Meng angrily pointed out that Lin Shiyi was making things worse by reposting negative comments from popular accounts, accusing Qiao Anhao of doing anything to succeed. Qiao Anhao, frustrated but resigned, remarked that Lin Shiyi wouldn't be herself if she didn't seize the opportunity to stab her. Adding to their woes, Zhao Meng delivered more bad news: the company was terminating Qiao Anhao's contract.
Qiao Anhao sighed, accepting the decision, admitting it would be impossible to clear her name after such an incident, and lamenting that Sister Zhen's previous offer to scout her was now definitely off the table. Zhao Meng was upset that Lu Jinnian seemed to be abandoning Qiao Anhao, thinking he should at least offer an explanation as an involved party and show he was in it together; otherwise, she would become an anti-fan.
Qiao Anhao countered that anything he said would only make things worse. Just then, Zhao Meng excitedly discovered that Song Xiangsi had posted on Weibo, stating that all three of them—herself, Lu Jinnian, and Qiao Anhao—were practicing the script together that night, asking the paparazzi how they only managed to photograph two. This post immediately diffused the crisis, and Zhao Meng congratulated Qiao Anhao on being cleared, cheering for Lu Jinnian and convinced he always had a trump card.
Qiao Anhao wondered why Song Xiangsi would help her, then realized it must have been Lu Jinnian's doing. Later, Qiao Anhao thanked Lu Jinnian for arranging her escape and for asking Song Xiangsi to help, to which he simply replied that it was nothing. Concurrently, at the hospital, Song Xiangsi continued to care for Xu Jiamu. While playing a video of a competition for him, Song Xiangsi suddenly noticed Xu Jiamu's hand move.
They excitedly called the doctor, who, after an examination, confirmed that Xu Jiamu's hypnosis treatment was working, with his blood oxygen levels rising and brain function recovering. The doctor concluded that Young Master Xu would soon wake up, bringing immense relief and joy to Song Xiangsi and Qiao Anyi. Overjoyed, Qiao Anyi rushed to Qiao Anhao's home to share the wonderful news, telling her that Xu Jiamu was waking up and she wouldn't have to be alone anymore.
Qiao Anhao was ecstatic, and the siblings embraced in celebration. However, Lu Jinnian, overhearing Qiao Anyi's joyful pronouncement about Qiao Anhao no longer being alone, felt his spirits plummet to rock bottom, understanding the implication for his own relationship with Qiao Anhao, as Qiao Anhao had also thought that if Xu Jiamu woke up, she and Lu Jinnian wouldn't be able to live together anymore.
Zhao Meng, investigating the incident, discovered through security camera footage that it was Lin Shiyi who had taken and leaked the photos of Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian, realizing that the hotel had prohibited paparazzi access. She called Qiao Anhao, proposing they tell Lu Jinnian to blacklist Lin Shiyi, but Qiao Anhao declined, preferring to confront Lin Shiyi herself. Later, Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng encountered Lin Shiyi outside the company.
Lin Shiyi accused Qiao Anhao of being despicable and shameless, claiming Qiao Anhao had pushed her out and stolen her second lead role. Qiao Anhao sharply rebuked Lin Shiyi, reminding her of all her past malicious acts: snapping the swing, nearly causing her physical harm, setting her up to be assaulted by Producer Sun, and slandering her.
Qiao Anhao asserted that Lin Shiyi was the true expert in despicable and shameless behavior, and had no right to accuse her of stealing a role that wasn't even contractually hers. She then slapped Lin Shiyi across the face, warning her that she had ample evidence regarding the photos Lin Shiyi delivered to the paparazzi, and would sue her for slander if she dared to mess with her again, threatening to take all of Lin Shiyi's projects.
Defeated and humiliated, Lin Shiyi, having already lost her job, cried out in despair on the street, lamenting her hard work, accusing fate of injustice, and swearing to heaven that she would not accept defeat and would eventually make a comeback. Qiao Anhao successfully transferred to Lead Culture Media, where Lu Jinnian introduced her at a company meeting as a new major star.
Qiao Anhao then expressed her desire to join "Victoria's Night," a prestigious variety show, simply stating it was due to ambition. Lu Jinnian privately arranged for Qiao Anhao's appearance on the show by calling Producer Cao. Sister Zhen, however, was highly dissatisfied.
Having learned about Qiao Anhao's booking on "Victoria's Night" from Zhao Meng, she confronted Lu Jinnian, arguing that giving such a prominent role to a newcomer recently involved in a scandal, and accused of sleeping her way up, would be detrimental to Lead Culture Media's image. She suggested Zhou Xin'er as an alternative. Lu Jinnian remained resolute, refusing to change his decision.
She questioned if there was a secret between them, wondering what Qiao Anhao had done to make him so unwavering, even ignoring her advice and asking what had "hypnotised" him. Lu Jinnian warned her to watch her words, stating he could concede on anything else but this. When Sister Zhen asked if he would still not change his mind even if she quit, he firmly said no, leaving her deeply hurt and further suspecting his true feelings for Qiao Anhao.
Later, Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng were discussing celebrating Qiao Anhao's successful contract signing by playing beach volleyball. Lu Jinnian, overhearing their conversation, subtly arranged with Shen Mingzhe for two people to "work overtime" that day. When other colleagues declined, Qiao Anhao and Zhao Meng reluctantly agreed, only to find that their "overtime" assignment was a beach volleyball game with Lu Jinnian and Shen Mingzhe at the beach.
That evening, as Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian walked together, Qiao Anhao asked him if he wanted to know why she insisted on joining "Victoria's Night." Lu Jinnian simply said he didn't need to know, asserting that whether it was ambition or something else, as long as he could help her, nothing else mattered. Qiao Anhao then remembered that his birthday was the day after tomorrow and asked what gift he would like.
Lu Jinnian admitted he had truly forgotten his own birthday, despite his fans' annual grand gestures like reserving a train stop in front of his house and filling the whole train with gifts, or hanging birthday blessings from the Eiffel Tower when he was filming a commercial in France. He confided that, in his memories, the most unforgettable birthday was a very ordinary one, leaving Qiao Anhao curious.
