Ten Years Late Episode 17 Recap
> Ten Years Late Recap
Zhao Chengzhi leaves the hospital, his mind reeling as he remembers his interactions with Shen Shuangshuang, feeling a mix of emotions about their relationship. Meanwhile, Shen Shuangshuang, left alone and weak at the hospital, is deeply hurt and angry at his callousness. Vincent calls Ji Aoting to his office, informing him that Li Jing from SN is suing Feitu due to a recent scandal.
Ji Aoting acknowledges the issue, highlighting that their public relations department is overwhelmed with calls from the press. He expresses concern about reporting to the board regarding the third quarter's performance, as SN's intention to terminate the contract, withhold final payments, and demand compensation will significantly impact their financial results. He notes that Jin Ran is usually cautious and wonders how such an oversight occurred.
Vincent then asks Ji Aoting to schedule a meeting with Li Jing's lawyer for a possible reconciliation and instructs him to call Jin Ran back to the company as soon as possible. During a subsequent meeting with Jin Ran, Yuan Lai, and Ji Aoting, Vincent confronts them, stating Li Jing’s lawyer claims Feitu representatives colluded with journalists by providing access to a room for celebrity scandal photos. He expresses disbelief and demands an explanation.
Yuan Lai clarifies that it was a misunderstanding, as they were unaware the journalists were a disguised couple and would not have given them access if they had known. Ji Aoting implies Jin Ran's recent carelessness. Yuan Lai admits her oversight and takes full responsibility. Vincent interjects, emphasizing that the priority is to solve the problem, not assign blame.
He identifies two immediate challenges: minimizing the scandal's impact and reaching an out-of-court settlement with Li Jing, and ensuring the third quarter's financial report passes auditing. Jin Ran admits he has no immediate solution but confidently requests a week to provide a satisfactory answer, which Vincent grants. After the meeting, Vincent detains Jin Ran, revealing an even more critical issue: Hela, a third-party investor, is withdrawing its investment due to the negative market reaction to the SN scandal.
Vincent explains that Hela's initial investment was based on Feitu's promise to focus on co-shooting projects, which would benefit Hela’s own production and talent agencies. Hela's abrupt withdrawal, combined with SN’s compensation demands, would severely cripple Feitu’s working capital, putting the company in a dire position. Vincent, trusting Jin Ran implicitly, urges him to resolve this crisis, stressing his desire to protect the company he built.
Jin Ran apologizes for his oversight and promises to prevent Feitu from facing a capital chain break, asking for Vincent's absolute trust in return. An assistant informs Jin Ran that Yuan Lai left the meeting room looking distressed. Jin Ran immediately goes to find her, locating her by the riverside. Yuan Lai is visibly upset, replaying painful memories of Li Jing's accusations, the pregnant couple’s desperate pleas, and Vincent's disappointment.
Jin Ran attempts to comfort her, teasing her slightly to lift her spirits, then reassures her that he knows she tried her best. Yuan Lai apologizes for causing trouble, to which Jin Ran tells her not to be sorry. She then asks if she can always trust him, and he promises he will never lie to her. Moved by his words, Yuan Lai kisses him.
Later, as Jin Ran gives her a piggyback ride, Yuan Lai proposes a plan to offset the company’s financial losses by securing a major travel contract with Senlv Company, an idea Jin Ran warmly supports. Ding Ang continues to shower the pregnant Xinyi with affection, preparing an elaborate breakfast featuring French, Chinese, and Western dishes, which delights Xinyi. He emphasizes the importance of breakfast for her and the baby's health.
Xinyi's relaxed morning is interrupted by a call from Man, her colleague, who informs her that Carnot wants to replace Xu Bingbing as their spokesperson due to a scandal, requiring the immediate removal of all her advertisements. Xinyi needs to rush to the office to handle the crisis, meaning she will miss her scheduled pregnancy check-up.
Ding Ang expresses his understanding but insists she drink her milk and cautions her against wearing high heels, reminding her she can wear them on their wedding day. At her company, Xinyi learns the depth of the crisis: the director is furious, explaining that Xu Bingbing was chosen to attract male "otaku" for their fantasy game, but her relationship with Deng Wei has alienated this target audience, negating her value as a spokesperson.
The director instructs the team to prepare for contract termination with Xu Bingbing and seek new endorsers. Xu Bingbing's agent, in turn, urges Xu Bingbing to find a solution, but Xu Bingbing is hesitant to seek help from Xinyi due to their past conflicts. Despite this, Xinyi, valuing professional integrity over personal grievances, goes to Carnot to meet Selina.
She argues that Xu Bingbing, despite her temper, is an impeccable spokesperson with wide audience appeal, and her upcoming movies will further boost her popularity. Selina admits the scandal is problematic and the extensive advertising withdrawal would be financially damaging to Carnot. Xinyi assures Selina that the scandal's impact might be manageable and asks for one day to prepare a solution, which Selina grants.
Jin Ran receives a call from Chen Youzhi, who implies he has found a new investor interested in the domestic tourism market, seeing Feitu's investor withdrawal as an opportunity. Jin Ran is interrupted by another call before he can get more details. Vincent convenes a meeting, announcing that Yuan Lai has a solution for the third quarter's financial problems. Jin Ran feigns ignorance. Ji Aoting, noting Yuan Lai's confident entrance, remarks that she's increasingly adopting Jin Ran's style.
Given only five minutes, Yuan Lai surprises everyone by introducing Mr. Lu, CEO of Senlv company. Mr. Lu praises Yuan Lai's interesting proposal and expresses his desire for Feitu to manage Senlv's upcoming employee travel project for its 2,435 employees, with a generous budget of 15,000 yuan per person. He specifically requests Yuan Lai to be the project lead. Ji Aoting readily agrees to the terms and praises Yuan Lai’s initiative.
Jin Ran then makes a strategic request for Senlv to pay half the contract amount as an upfront deposit upon signing. Mr. Lu, though initially finding it a bit much, agrees to the prepayment if Feitu delivers a detailed plan within a week, acknowledging a mutual benefit from the collaboration.
It's later revealed that Jin Ran had already secured Mr. Lu's cooperation by offering to help Senlv become an aviation partner for Xiguo, a massive company Jin Ran previously assisted with capital operations. Vincent is delighted by the success and praises Yuan Lai's work, although he privately realizes that Mr. Lu's unusual generosity points to Jin Ran's hidden influence, acknowledging the significant contribution Jin Ran made in solving their financial woes.
Ji Aoting also expresses admiration for Yuan Lai but slyly probes about her "trick" in convincing Mr. Lu, to which Yuan Lai simply claims ignorance, attributing Mr. Lu's easy agreement to his good mood. Shen Shuangshuang transforms into a diligent worker, deliberately ignoring Zhao Chengzhi. She discards the yogurt he brought her and, when he questions her changed attitude, she quotes labor laws about her right to refuse unreasonable overtime, leaving him perplexed by her newfound assertiveness.
Yuan Lai, working with high efficiency, discusses securing volunteers for the travel project, much to her delight. When Ji Aoting attempts to help her with files, Jin Ran intervenes, pointedly telling Ji Aoting to focus on his own health and duties, implicitly asserting his own claim to work with Yuan Lai. Yuan Lai is confused by Jin Ran's open hostility towards Ji Aoting.
Meanwhile, the SN representative meets with Feitu, reiterating their firm stance against reconciliation and demanding a public apology from Feitu, threatening further legal action if they refuse. Jin Ran flatly rejects the demand for a public apology, asserting that Feitu will not back down before a thorough investigation is conducted, confident in the board's support. He promises to uncover the truth and prevent the scandal from escalating further. Jin Ran and Yuan Lai have dinner.
Jin Ran expresses his surprise that Yuan Lai is not upset by the public relations department's suggestion for her to apologize, noting her newfound resilience. Yuan Lai explains that she has embraced his philosophy that emotions don't solve problems and that staying healthy is crucial for facing challenges. She reveals her plan to meet Li Jing and suggests finding the journalist who leaked the story to have him clarify the truth to the public.
Yuan Lai expresses concern about locating the elusive freelance reporter, but Jin Ran confidently assures her he will handle it. He immediately calls his journalist friend, Zhang Wei, congratulating her on her "Top 10 Journalist of the Year" award and asking for a favor, emphasizing its urgency. Ding Ang and Xinyi snuggle on the sofa watching a tear-jerking movie. Xinyi teases him for making a pregnant woman watch such a sad film.
Ding Ang then shares his unique philosophy on love, suggesting that even tragic endings can be viewed as happy if they preserve the intensity of love before mundane life sets in. He questions if Rose and Jack from the movie would have truly found lasting happiness amidst everyday pressures, proposing that their tragic fate cemented their love as eternal. Xinyi, touched, asks if their love will last.
Ding Ang playfully replies, "No, sixty years at most," adding that after that, she can make another choice, solidifying their deep and affectionate bond. Jin Ran tells Yuan Lai to change clothes after work, hinting at an evening outing. A colleague teases Yuan Lai about a date at Betty’s Bar. Yuan Lai, dressing alluringly for what she assumes is a romantic evening, is playfully criticized by Jin Ran for her choice of attire.
He then reveals their actual mission: he’s learned the elusive gossip journalist, Panther, is a regular at Betty’s Bar, and they’re going to try to find him. Jin Ran describes Panther as a morally bankrupt freelancer who fabricates stories for money. At the bar, Zhao Chengzhi follows Shen Shuangshuang, who is drinking heavily. He attempts to get her to leave, but she angrily confronts him about abandoning her at the hospital.
In a drunken outburst, Shen Shuangshuang tearfully confesses that despite understanding his disinterest, she stubbornly and shamelessly loves him, and has sacrificed her dignity to please him, only to remain "nobody" in his eyes. She declares she’s done with him and bids him farewell. As Zhao Chengzhi tries to stop her from drinking more, they get into a physical struggle. Jin Ran and Yuan Lai, who have just arrived, spot them and go over to intervene.
While trying to calm Zhao Chengzhi and Shen Shuangshuang, Yuan Lai suddenly spots Lingling, Li Jing's assistant, at a nearby booth, seemingly engaged in a transaction with Panther, the very journalist they are searching for. Surprised by this revelation, Lingling notices Yuan Lai and, along with Panther, attempts to flee.
