The Bond Episode 11 Recap
> The Bond Recap
Ye Xiaolang waited for Qiao Yicheng outside the television station building, explaining that her roommate had gone home and she was afraid to sleep alone, asking if he could accompany her for the night. Qiao Yicheng stammered, unsure where they would go. The next morning, after spending the night at a movie theater, Ye Xiaolang sat close to Qiao Yicheng at breakfast, stating that food tasted better when eaten together.
As Qiao Yicheng went to buy more food, Ye Xiaolang glanced at a draft in his bag. When he returned, he noticed her change in mood as she watched a mother and child nearby, her eyes reddening with tears. She confided that she felt profoundly alone in the big city of Nanjing. Qiao Yicheng, at a loss, simply offered his shoulder, and their bond deepened.
Later, Song Qingyuan warned Qiao Yicheng not to get too deeply involved with Ye Xiaolang, acknowledging Qiao Yicheng's feelings for her but cautioning him against being blind to her "scheming" nature. Qiao Yicheng, however, was unfazed, assuring him it wouldn't impact their special report. Meanwhile, Old Xu accompanied Qiao Zuwang to the Jinling Restaurant to meet CEO Liu. Qiao Zuwang, looking around with a bumpkin's curiosity, was kept waiting for a long time.
Despite this, a trade company was successfully established under Qiao Zuwang's name, and Old Xu even organized a seminar for him. At the event, Qiao Zuwang, now called Manager Qiao, basked in the attention. Wang Xuanen, also present, eagerly approached Qiao Zuwang, expressing his desire to participate in the fundraising scheme. Qiao Zuwang, however, dismissed him, saying such a profitable venture didn't need promoting and that Wang Xuanen needed capital to invest.
With encouragement from Qiao Erqiang, Qiao Simei attended an interview at a foreign hotel. Despite her initial nervousness, Qiao Simei's natural confidence shone through. When asked about her specialty, she performed an energetic dance, which she admitted was a hobby stemming from her desire to make people happy. She was hired for the position. Later, she encountered Wei Shufang and Old Ma, who were enjoying a romantic stroll. Qiao Simei informed them about her new job, which required learning English.
She initially complained about having to learn English as a Chinese person, lamenting that she had forgotten everything she learned since elementary school due to reading romance novels. However, upon realizing that learning English could help her chase foreign celebrities, she quickly became motivated. Wei Shufang teased her for her obsession, while Old Ma praised the benefits of learning English. Back home, Qiao Simei found Qiao Yicheng scolding Qiao Erqiang.
Qiao Yicheng was upset that Qiao Erqiang was hesitant to accept a stable job he had secured for him, instead preferring to "think it over." Qiao Yicheng accused his brother of still being fixated on "that older sister" and acting like their father, to which Qiao Erqiang retorted that Qiao Yicheng himself was behaving like an unreasonable old man. As their argument escalated, Qiao Simei intervened, brandishing her Huamei Hotel employment letter.
She explained that she disliked working at the binding factory and saw the hotel as her chance to "reach nirvana and get reborn," offering her vacancy at the binding factory to Qiao Erqiang. While this presented a solution, Qiao Yicheng was not pleased. He felt a profound sense of failure as an older brother, seeing Qiao Erqiang nearly come to blows with him over a "stranger" and Qiao Simei keeping her resignation a secret.
Qiao Sanli, however, gently reminded him that they were grown up and had their own aspirations. Qiao Yicheng, though still disappointed, reluctantly agreed, warning Qiao Simei that if she gave up on learning English, she shouldn't come to him for help. Qiao Erqiang subsequently started working at the binding factory, where he was met with playful teasing from the predominantly female staff. Meanwhile, Qiao Simei and Qiao Sanli noticed Qiao Yicheng’s uncharacteristic busyness and early departures.
Qiao Simei concluded that their older brother was definitely in love, imagining his shy smiles and playfully calling him "重色轻妹," meaning his lover was more important than his sisters. Later, Qiao Yicheng had dinner with Ye Xiaolang, Song Qingyuan, and Ye Xiaolang's roommate, Xiaomeng. Xiaomeng openly teased Qiao Yicheng and Ye Xiaolang about their relationship.
While in the restroom, Xiaomeng told Song Qingyuan that Ye Xiaolang was typically reserved about her personal life and that her family background might be a contributing factor, a detail Song Qingyuan showed little interest in. The next day, Qiao Yicheng was immediately confronted by Song Qingyuan at work, who showed him a daily newspaper. Ye Xiaolang had published an article using Qiao Yicheng’s research without his permission, listing him as a contributor. Both were reprimanded by their superior, Feng.
The situation further soured Song Qingyuan's opinion of Ye Xiaolang, as he accused her of "plagiarizing" Qiao Yicheng's work, while Feng accused Qiao Yicheng of "siding with his girlfriend." Qiao Yicheng confronted Ye Xiaolang, who tearfully apologized and explained that her chosen topic had been taken, leaving her desperate to submit "Xin Zhong Fu" quickly due to its time-sensitive nature. She tried to appease him by offering to be scolded or even hit, as long as he trusted her.
Qiao Yicheng, still upset about being kept in the dark, pointed out that he wasn't Song Qingyuan and had his own judgment. Ultimately, he agreed to go for hotpot with her, on the condition that she, too, must trust him. Upon returning home, Qiao Yicheng found Qiao Sanli waiting to talk to him. He first asked about her relationship with Wang Yiding, mentioning that he had recently run into Wang Yiding, who still seemed to care deeply for her.
Qiao Yicheng offered advice, suggesting that small conflicts were normal and that both sides should compromise. He even offered to speak to Wang Yiding on her behalf. However, Qiao Sanli stammered and insisted that she felt it was better to be alone. Just then, Qiao Zuwang walked in, dressed in a suit and singing cheerfully.
Qiao Sanli quickly took Qiao Yicheng aside to tell him that she had heard from Wang Xuanen that their father was involved in a fundraising scheme, adding that Wang Xuanen himself had already invested, despite her warning that he should be more cautious because their father was involved. As she was speaking, Qiao Zuwang cheerfully interrupted to ask what was for dinner.
