Pretty Man Episode 9 Recap
> Pretty Man Recap
After an evening of anticipation, Qiao Anhao, having dressed meticulously, met Lu Jinnian downstairs at the hotel. He had been waiting for her, and though their planned late-night snack was now a breakfast, they were happy to see each other. As they settled in, Lu Jinnian apologized for her long wait, and Qiao Anhao assured him it was fine. She then mentioned encountering Huang Xiaojie, who had told her Lu Jinnian was filming.
Lu Jinnian clarified that he had borrowed notes from Huang Xiaojie after missing some classes, and that's how she became aware of his filming schedule. As they enjoyed their breakfast, a small child accidentally bumped into Qiao Anhao, staining her dress. Lu Jinnian immediately offered to take her to buy new clothes. At the clothing store, Qiao Anhao looked around and chose a white and light green sheer dress to try on.
While she was in the fitting room, Lu Jinnian's manager, Shen Ming Zhe, called, urging him to leave for an appointment. Lu Jinnian, however, told him he was busy and couldn't talk, then ended the call, prioritizing Qiao Anhao. When Qiao Anhao emerged in the new dress, Lu Jinnian complimented her, noting how beautiful she looked.
After paying for the dress, Qiao Anhao noticed Lu Jinnian receiving more calls and, being considerate, encouraged him to attend to his work, saying she could explore the mall on her own. Lu Jinnian, feeling apologetic, agreed. Once Qiao Anhao left, Lu Jinnian answered Shen Ming Zhe's persistent calls, only to learn that his afternoon filming schedule had been postponed to the day after tomorrow.
Frustrated, Lu Jinnian immediately hung up and rushed back into the mall to find Qiao Anhao. Meanwhile, Qiao Anhao was browsing in a boutique when she spotted Huang Xiaojie. Qiao Anhao tried to avoid her, but overheard Huang Xiaojie telling a store employee she was buying a birthday gift for her "soon-to-be boyfriend." Moments later, Huang Xiaojie saw Lu Jinnian and enthusiastically approached him, presenting him with the gift and wishing him a happy birthday.
Qiao Anhao, hidden from view, watched their interaction and mistakenly concluded that this meeting was Lu Jinnian's "urgent matter," leaving her disheartened. Elsewhere, Xu Jiamu continued his pursuit of Song Xiangsi. He invited her out, reminding her playfully about her debt and promise to be his tour guide. She reluctantly agreed, and when he offered to treat her to any expensive Western cuisine, she surprised him by expressing a preference for water and being uncomfortable in such establishments.
Instead, she led him to a bustling night market, where he experienced street food like stinky tofu for the first time. Xu Jiamu observed that Song Xiangsi was not as delicate as he had imagined. They then went to an amusement park, and Xu Jiamu took her on a carousel ride, a long-held childhood wish for Song Xiangsi. She confided in him about her mother's early death when she was six, and how that dream had faded.
Xu Jiamu, deeply moved, promised to take her to every amusement park in the world that had carousels, then lovingly kissed her. The next day, Song Xiangsi found herself confronted by Han Ruchu, Xu Jiamu's mother, who, having investigated Song Xiangsi, presented her with documents detailing her family background.
In a café, Han Ruchu made it clear that Xu Jiamu, as the future head of Han Group, needed a partner who could help him build his business empire, not "a no-name girl from a small town" like Song Xiangsi. Song Xiangsi fiercely defended her genuine feelings for Xu Jiamu, unrelated to his family status, and criticized Han Ruchu for her intrusive investigation.
Undeterred, Han Ruchu offered a chilling ultimatum: she would arrange for Song Xiangsi's ailing father, whose condition was difficult to treat in China, to receive care from the best doctors abroad. The condition was that Song Xiangsi must accompany her father, disappear from Xu Jiamu's life, and never contact him again. Torn between her love for Xu Jiamu and her father's life, Song Xiangsi agonizingly agreed to the terms, with Han Ruchu demanding her departure by the next day.
Later that afternoon, Song Xiangsi met Xu Jiamu by the sea, grappling with her painful decision. She confessed to herself that she had fallen in love with him and believed he loved her too, but she couldn't bear to see either of their families hurt, or for him to hate his mother because of her.
Unaware of her internal turmoil, Xu Jiamu presented her with a necklace he had spent two weeks searching for, wishing they would never part and expressing that being with her was the best thing in his life. He noticed her distance and asked what was on her mind, and they shared another tender kiss. Despite his questions about moving too fast, she insisted she only cared about the present, and he agreed. They spent the night together.
The next morning, Xu Jiamu woke to find Song Xiangsi gone. Thinking she had snuck off early, he called her, playfully asking why she left and reminding her about dinner with friends that night, where he planned to introduce her officially. Meanwhile, Song Xiangsi was in a car, crying silently as she left, reiterating to herself that this was her only choice to prevent harm to both their families.
That evening, Xu Jiamu hosted a dinner with friends, including Qiao Anhao, eagerly waiting to introduce Song Xiangsi. However, Song Xiangsi never arrived, and his calls went unanswered. The following day, a confused Xu Jiamu learned from his counselor that Song Xiangsi had withdrawn from school. Devastated and unable to reach her, he was left heartbroken, utterly bewildered by her sudden and unexplained departure.
