The Lion's Secret Episode 27 Recap
> The Lion's Secret Recap
Mu Wanqing arranged a vacation for two couples, herself and Liu Qing, and Fu Jundie and Lei Shuo. She intentionally booked a single room for Fu Jundie and Lei Shuo, signaling her awareness of their romantic relationship. Fu Jundie, uncomfortable with the implied acknowledgment, insisted that Lei Shuo book a separate room, to which he reluctantly agreed. Liu Qing, concerned about the company's busy schedule, questioned the necessity of Mu Wanqing bringing a large group of people on vacation.
Mu Wanqing clarified that the trip was primarily for him, asking if he would have come otherwise. She then addressed his assumption that she might be shifting her focus to family life, emphasizing her belief in pursuing one's strengths and assuring him of her full support, regardless of his chosen path. She then unveiled a surprise: a visit to an ice skating rink. Liu Qing, suffering from PTSD, was visibly distressed by the cold environment, feeling inadequate.
Mu Wanqing reassured him, explaining that overcoming trauma required familial support and encouragement. Inspired, Liu Qing promised to try, asking her to stay by his side, which she did. Later, when Mu Wanqing accidentally fell and narrowly avoided being cut by another skater's blade, Liu Qing, overcoming his deep-seated fear, bravely rushed to her rescue. The shock, however, caused him to collapse. Wu Fengyu quickly carried Liu Qing to a warmer area.
Upon regaining consciousness, Liu Qing immediately asked for Mu Wanqing. Lei Shuo, along with Wu Fengyu, indicated that she was in the adjacent room with Fu Jundie. The men quietly listened as Fu Jundie recounted the ice rink incident, highlighting the danger and praising Liu Qing's bravery. Mu Wanqing, touched by Liu Qing's selflessness, expressed how courageous he was to defy his fears for her, emphasizing her significance to him. She affectionately described him as looking exceptionally handsome.
The conversation then shifted to Liu Qing's PTSD. Mu Wanqing explained its severity and the difficulty of treatment, particularly given Liu Qing's past reluctance to acknowledge and seek help for his condition. She reiterated the importance of continuous encouragement and support. Fu Jundie expressed concern about potential failures, but Mu Wanqing confidently declared her ability to help him recover and vowed to keep him warm and safe, regardless of the outcome.
Fu Jundie, finding her declaration overly sentimental, then playfully pried into the details of Mu Wanqing and Liu Qing's private night. Before Mu Wanqing could fully answer, Liu Qing inadvertently made a noise, abruptly ending their conversation. As part of Mu Wanqing’s plan to surprise Liu Qing, Li Yuting also arrived at the hotel. Liu Qing, anticipating potential issues, privately warned Li Yuting to be on her best behavior, given Mu Wanqing’s kindness.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a mysterious person had planted a tracking device in Li Yuting’s bag. During their vacation, Li Yuting deliberately targeted Mu Wanqing. In one incident, she ordered extra spicy hotpot base and poured it into the non-spicy section where Liu Qing was eating, then urged him to try it. Liu Qing, who was sensitive to spicy food, began to sweat profusely and his mouth went numb.
Li Yuting then mocked him, suggesting he was "allergic to her" rather than chili. Witnessing the affectionate interactions between Liu Qing and Mu Wanqing, Li Yuting grew jealous, believing Mu Wanqing was deliberately flaunting their happiness. She expressed a desire to leave prematurely, but Mu Wanqing reassured her, stating her genuine intent to help. Li Yuting then provocatively challenged Mu Wanqing to let her move into their home to "see for herself," a challenge Mu Wanqing readily accepted.
Mu Wanqing then discussed this decision with Liu Qing, explaining that after learning about his past with Li Mo, she understood his sense of obligation to Li Yuting. As his wife, Mu Wanqing felt it was her responsibility to accept Li Yuting and vowed to treat her well, regardless of whether Li Yuting reciprocated. Liu Qing, concerned that Mu Wanqing would be made uncomfortable, initially hesitated, but Mu Wanqing dismissed his worries.
During the vacation, Lei Shuo surprised Fu Jundie by taking her to an art studio to present her with a painting he had commissioned. Fu Jundie was pleased by the thoughtful gesture. After the vacation concluded, Lei Shuo invited Fu Jundie to stay at his wine cellar, having instructed Sun Yu to prepare all her personal necessities, including her preferred moisturizing products. However, Fu Jundie felt that Lei Shuo had been secretly "investigating" her since their return from Bazhen.
A few days later, Fu Jundie announced her return to her martial arts club, citing the new gym nearby that was siphoning off her customers and the need to oversee her employees. She explicitly forbade Lei Shuo from interfering in her business. At the club, Fu Jundie was initially pleased by a sudden influx of new enrollments, believing her "hunger marketing" strategy was highly successful.
Her joy turned to anger when she discovered that a significant number of the new recruits were employees from Lei Shuo's company. She confronted Lei Shuo, accusing him of undermining her autonomy and success. Lei Shuo denied direct interference, suggesting his employees might genuinely want to exercise and that they shouldn't be so rigid about boundaries between them.
Fu Jundie, however, interpreted his actions as a lack of faith in her capabilities, making her feel he saw her as destined for failure. Feeling disrespected and distrusted, she declared that they needed to maintain clear boundaries in the future and packed her belongings to return to the martial arts club. Lei Shuo's attempts to calm her, by calling her "childish" and "immature," only further inflamed Fu Jundie.
She retorted that his perception of her as naive highlighted their fundamental differences in life and values, concluding that they were incompatible and initiating a breakup. Li Yuting’s relocation to Liu Qing and Mu Wanqing's home created an awkward living situation. Mu Wanqing initially planned to dine out but Li Yuting insisted on a home-cooked meal. With their house staff, Mi and Gua, on holiday, Mu Wanqing decided to cook, with Liu Qing assisting her in the kitchen.
Despite Liu Qing's encouraging remarks and efforts to eat the food, Mu Wanqing’s cooking proved to be exceptionally bad, particularly salty. Li Yuting openly expressed her distaste for the food, complaining about the time spent for such a poor outcome, and ordered takeout for herself. Mu Wanqing, tasting the food and realizing its quality, stopped Liu Qing from eating more, and they, too, ordered takeout.
Later that evening, Li Yuting played video games loudly, disturbing Liu Qing and Mu Wanqing upstairs. Liu Qing went down to ask her to lower the volume, which angered Li Yuting, who accused him of yelling. Mu Wanqing intervened, suggesting Liu Qing join Li Yuting in playing, but he declined, citing exhaustion. Mu Wanqing then simply advised Li Yuting not to play too late.
Later, Liu Qing confided in Mu Wanqing, asking if he had been as difficult as Li Yuting when he first moved in. Mu Wanqing conceded he was "almost" but quickly added that he was more polite. She assured him she understood Li Yuting’s emotional state and had a plan to manage the situation. The next morning, a bouquet of white roses arrived at their home.
Li Yuting received them and, upon seeing Feng Cong’s card, attempted to conceal it and claim they were from a secret admirer to avoid an awkward situation for Liu Qing and Mu Wanqing. However, Mu Wanqing immediately recognized the sender. Li Yuting eventually revealed the card to Liu Qing, confirming the flowers were from Feng Cong, and then claimed credit for "saving them from embarrassment." Liu Qing, though visibly jealous, did not dwell on the matter.
Soon after, Yu Lu arrived, seeking to discuss her company's, Zhentian, involvement in the partnership between Maoyuan and Weikai Group. Liu Qing explained Mu Wanqing’s absence and offered to relay her message, accepting the relevant documents. He then called Lei Shuo, who, upon hearing of Li Yuting's presence, jokingly wished him good luck. When Mu Wanqing returned, Liu Qing informed her about Yu Lu's visit and placed the cooperation agreement in her room.
Mu Wanqing was surprised that Liu Qing hadn't opposed Zhentian's inclusion. Liu Qing responded that he trusted her judgment. Mu Wanqing, having reviewed the proposal, agreed that a tripartite partnership with Zhentian would create a healthy system of checks and balances, ultimately benefiting Maoyuan. Liu Qing then inquired about her meeting with Feng Cong. Mu Wanqing reported a pleasant and productive discussion.
Despite his underlying jealousy, Liu Qing praised her increasing maturity and strategic business acumen, which Mu Wanqing acknowledged with a kiss. Later, in a meeting with Feng Cong and Yu Lu, Mu Wanqing reaffirmed her decision to include Zhentian, noting Feng Cong’s impression of her growing confidence and vitality, which she attributed to being in a good relationship. As the collaboration between Maoyuan, Weikai Group, and Zhentian moved forward, rumors began to circulate within Maoyuan.
Employees speculated that the successful partnership was not due to merit but rather Mu Wanqing’s past relationship with Feng Cong, even implying that she used personal connections to secure the deal. During a corporate meeting, a manager questioned the unproven market viability of Maoyuan's new technology. Mu Wanqing confidently detailed her R&D team’s continuous testing since the start of the Weikai Group partnership and extended an invitation for the manager and Feng Cong to visit the lab for reassurance.
Yu Manshan, concerned by the persistent gossip and its potential impact, approached Mu Wanqing to warn her. Mu Wanqing dismissed the rumors with a laugh, stating that they both overestimated her capabilities and underestimated Feng Cong’s professional integrity. She firmly believed in the principle that "a clean hand needs no washing" and that any attempt to explain would only worsen the situation.
She then received a call from the board of directors, who were aware of the rumors and expressed concerns about the company's image, promising to monitor the situation. Despite Yu Manshan’s offer to uncover the source of the rumors, Mu Wanqing insisted it was unnecessary to be distracted by such trivial matters.
