The Fox's Summer Season 2 Episode 18 Recap
> The Fox's Summer Season 2 Recap
Li Yanshu was packing her belongings, and Gu Chengze watched her, feeling reluctant to let her go. He then noticed a bracelet in her jewelry box that looked remarkably similar to one Auntie Fu had snatched from the perpetrator of the accident. Feigning casualness, he asked about it. Li Yanshu, engrossed in packing, did not notice his expression deepen. She explained that it was her late father's relic and a token of love between her parents.
She said they each had a bracelet with their English initials carved on it. Her father's bracelet had "XM" for Xia Meng (her mother's initials), and her mother's bracelet had her father's initials, "LSY". Later, in his room, Gu Chengze struggled to believe the implications of the bracelet, telling himself it couldn't be such a coincidence and that they likely just had the same style. Unable to convince himself, he drove to the hospital to confirm his suspicions.
Seeing the clear "LSY" engraving on the bracelet, the images of the car accident flooded his mind. He felt utterly drained of life, collapsing into a chair. The next morning, Li Yanshu woke up to find Gu Chengze gone. She called out his name, wondering if he was upset about her moving out, then searched the house. Realizing he wasn't there and wasn't answering her calls, she found it very strange and wondered where he could have gone so early.
As she was about to go look for Gu Jinyun, she unexpectedly saw Gu Chengze at the company, where he had been summoned by the shareholders. At the company, Gu Chengze was asked by shareholders to attend a voting rights meeting aimed at removing Gu Jinyun and reinstating him as CEO. The shareholders expressed dissatisfaction with Gu Jinyun’s performance, citing his impulsive decisions, such as signing a huge investment deal without proper risk assessment.
Gu Chengze, however, refused to accept the CEO position, stating that he was grateful for their trust but would never return to that role. He believed their concerns about Gu Jinyun were temporary and asked them to give Gu Jinyun more time, emphasizing that a CEO consultant role would undermine Gu Jinyun’s dignity and confidence. During the meeting, Gu Taitai arrived unexpectedly.
She presented Gu Chengze’s medical record and photos of him with his psychiatrist, Dr. Zhao Qiming, a famous local psychiatrist, claiming he had a mental problem. The shareholders reacted with shock and disbelief, questioning how a "psychotic" could lead Sheng Hong. Gu Taitai seized the opportunity to argue that the truth was undeniable and that Gu Chengze had been secretly undergoing treatment for years.
She then demanded that the board permanently remove Gu Chengze from his CEO position and never rehire him. Overwhelmed, Gu Chengze stood silently before slowly leaving the meeting room. Li Yanshu soon heard company employees gossiping about Gu Chengze being fired due to a mental illness. She angrily confronted them, defending Gu Chengze, but couldn't reach him by phone, which worried her greatly. Meanwhile, Gu Jinyun also heard the rumors. Enraged, he fired the employees spreading such nonsense.
When he discovered his grandmother was behind it, he stormed off to confront her. He accused her of lying and maliciously guiding everyone to believe Michael had a mental illness when he only suffered from selective amnesia due to a brain impact. Gu Jinyun emphasized that Michael's health was his privacy and criticized Gu Taitai for publicly humiliating him, causing him immense pain. Gu Taitai, however, insisted she acted for Gu Jinyun's sake, claiming she didn't care about Michael's feelings.
Gu Jinyun retorted that he was disgusted by her actions, begging her to stop doing things for him. He even stated he would not object if the directors reinstated Michael, acknowledging Michael's significant contributions to Sheng Hong. Gu Taitai called him a scoundrel, warning that Michael would kick him out if he became CEO, but Gu Jinyun maintained that Michael was not an unreasonable and insane person like her.
Gu Chengze, overwhelmed by the setbacks, channeled his frustration into a vigorous boxing session, drenched in sweat. Later, when Li Yanshu found him, she told him she knew he was upset about the company matters and offered her support, telling him to call her if he needed to talk. He, however, coldly asked her to leave him alone and let him quietly deal with his emotions. Li Yanshu, understanding his need for space, eventually left.
Back home, she sat idly on the sofa, waiting for his call and reminiscing about their time together, until she drifted off to sleep. When Gu Chengze finally returned home, Li Yanshu greeted him with a warm smile, only to be met with his cold and distant demeanor. Gao Yang was stunned when he suddenly saw a magazine article revealing Qiao Na as the sole daughter of the Qiao Corporation chairman and its future inheritor.
He confronted her, throwing the magazine down, questioning her motives for loving him, given her prominent family background. Qiao Na admitted she had hidden her identity because she feared he would leave her. Gao Yang pressed her, asking why she, having met so many rich young guys, would choose him. Qiao Na insisted he was better than anyone else, but Gao Yang sarcastically suggested he was just "more stupid."
He then theorized that she approached him not out of love, but because he was the closest person to Gu Chengze, noting her keen interest in Gu Chengze's matters. Qiao Na countered that she found Gu Chengze's matters interesting and rarely cared about her own family corporation. Realizing Gao Yang was not rational, Qiao Na acknowledged her mistake in hiding her identity and his understandable suspicions, but insisted there was no benefit in arguing further while he was upset.
She suggested he calm down, then return to talk, hoping he truly knew her feelings for him were real. The next morning, Gu Chengze remained distant towards Li Yanshu, only showing concern when she accidentally scalded her hand. During breakfast, Li Yanshu suggested she stay, but Gu Chengze insisted she return to her family home.
He explained that he was feeling upset and wanted some peace and quiet, not wishing to transfer his negative energy onto her or affect their relationship. He believed it would be better for both of them if she went home and eased her mother's worries. Although reluctant, Li Yanshu agreed, making him promise to answer her calls. Li Yanshu went to David to vent her frustrations about Gu Taitai’s unscrupulous actions.
She explained that Gu Taitai had gone too far by publicly fabricating Gu Chengze’s mental illness, especially after he had shown her such respect for over twenty years. Li Yanshu clarified that Gu Chengze actually suffered from hypersensitivity reactions due to amnesia and childhood trauma, for which they had been consulting a doctor. She worried about how hurt Gu Chengze must be and expressed her helplessness in comforting him.
David advised her to give Gu Chengze some space, trusting that someone with his strong management skills would soon resolve his issues. When Gao Yang returned home, he found Qiao Na huddled miserably at his doorstep, her hands cold, having waited for an unknown duration. He quickly invited her inside, expressing concern for her being out in the cold.
He admitted he hadn't contacted her because he lacked confidence, unable to comprehend why someone as exceptional as her would like him. He confessed that his mind had been plagued by fantasies about her approaching him for reasons other than genuine affection, but he hadn't found any. Instead, he had mostly thought about the wonderful, joyful, and blessed times they shared, feelings that were undeniably real and trustworthy. Qiao Na, in turn, expressed how much she had missed him. Gao Yang felt their sudden closeness was a little awkward. Qiao Na suggested they "start all over," to which Gao Yang echoed the thought.
