The Psychologist Episode 21 Recap
> The Psychologist Recap
Qian Kaiyi burst into He Dun's apartment, finding her applying a band-aid to Ye Jiahui's chin. Qian Kaiyi dramatically exaggerated the injury, claiming it could be fatal, and insisted on applying the band-aid himself, pushing Ye Jiahui onto the sofa. Later that night, Qian Kaiyi pitched a tent outside He Dun's door, declaring that with Lili absent and He Dun seemingly "surrounded by tigers and wolves," he needed to protect her for a few days.
He Dun learned that Lili had prompted Qian Kaiyi to check on her. Despite He Dun's attempts to send him home, he remained steadfast. As He Dun went inside, she overheard Qian Kaiyi announcing his intention to undress, causing her to exclaim, "Pervert!" At the seaside, Mo Yu was quietly building sandcastles when a performer dressed as Monkey King approached him.
After a brief conversation about Mo Yu's sand creation, the performer offered to take a photo together and send it via WeChat. Mo Yu scanned a payment QR code, inadvertently spending 500 yuan for the pictures. The experience triggered a memory of Ye Jiahui's words: "As long as you make yourself strong, you won't need validation from others to live as well as they do." Overwhelmed, Mo Yu snapped and violently attacked the Monkey King performer.
The incident garnered media attention, with news reports detailing the "fistfight incident" on the coast. Back at his office, Mo Yu overheard colleagues gossiping about his nickname "Cuttlefish," a label given to him because he cried a lot, was often bullied, and had experienced isolation in his youth. When his boss assigned him work, Mo Yu repeatedly retorted, "None of your damn business," ultimately leading to his termination.
Later, Mo Yu, attempting to contact Fei (Ye Jiahui), found his calls unanswered. He kicked furiously at nearby objects, haunted by Ye Jiahui's earlier advice that he could thrive as a lone wolf without needing external approval. Zhan Lu returned to He Dun for another counseling session, reporting some emotional improvements but still suffering from insomnia, a problem that began after giving birth to her daughter, Coconut.
She described a period of three years filled with anxiety, feeling wronged, and crying frequently, unable to sleep despite exhaustion. She felt immense guilt over any perceived shortcomings in childcare, believing herself to be a "useless mother." She recalled dismissive comments from family, such as "Don't women all give birth like this?" and "Don't think too much," which only deepened her despair. She recounted a painful moment of staring at her post-pregnancy body in the mirror, wondering, "Was that me?
Why was I so ugly?" He Dun empathetically validated Zhan Lu's feelings, explaining how childbirth can profoundly affect physiological needs, marital relationships, and a woman's sense of self-worth. Zhan Lu also detailed constant arguments with her mother-in-law over child-rearing, feeling her modern methods were dismissed as "asking for trouble," and expressed disappointment in her husband's perceived indifference, which left her feeling unsupported.
Flashbacks depicted her husband suggesting he take their child to watch a football match so she could rest, and her editor implying her domestic responsibilities negatively impacted her professional performance. She expressed profound sadness over losing her cherished career and feeling her life had become aimless, despite having two children. She confessed, "I don't know who I am. I don't know what I need." He Dun gently encouraged Zhan Lu, affirming that self-discovery is a vital, lifelong journey.
She then suggested they explore Zhan Lu's "lifeline" to examine her past, present, and future. Taking Zhan Lu's hand, He Dun reassured her that being a stay-at-home mother is a respected and valuable role, and that self-improvement doesn't necessitate negating her past experiences. Instead, they could find solutions from her current situation.
Zhan Lu's reflections took her back to her past: as an 18-year-old high school student, she aspired to be a novelist and chose to major in literature in college. After graduation, she worked at a publishing house while also writing, but married at 26 before achieving any significant fame.
On her wedding day, her mother, after tenderly combing her hair, advised her to be a "sensible" wife and a good mother, emphasizing the traditional roles of assisting her husband and educating her children. Zhan Lu initially believed marriage wouldn't impede her career, but soon found that mundane daily tasks consumed all her time, leaving no space for writing. She mused on how time can make people forget their initial dreams.
Now, she clearly saw her desire to both care for her children and pursue a new, beloved career, including resuming her novel writing. Zhan Lu questioned if He Dun could change her family's perceptions. He Dun responded that she could not change others; only Zhan Lu had the power to change herself. He Dun explained that when depressed, people often fail to see the warmth around them and might misunderstand situations.
She revealed, through flashbacks, that Zhan Lu's mother-in-law and husband had, at times, genuinely tried to help with childcare, offered breaks, and provided her favorite food, actions that Zhan Lu had previously interpreted as critical or unhelpful due to her own emotional state. He Dun assured Zhan Lu that she had already identified a direction for her future and possessed ample inner strength to navigate her current challenges.
She advised Zhan Lu to have an open, heartfelt discussion with her husband about their marital issues and her insights from therapy, and suggested considering couple or family therapy. Zhan Lu then revealed a past secret: she had called a radio station for counseling but hung up without speaking, due to her child's loud crying.
He Dun, a knowing smile on her face, realized that this was the very unsettling phone call that Qian Kaiyi had received on his radio show, which he had initially dismissed as a prank call. Meanwhile, Lili was summoned to Mr. Fang's office, expecting positive news. Instead, she found Tong Yao, who introduced herself as Mr. Fang's wife and the company's secondary shareholder. Tong Yao immediately challenged Lili's hiring process, noting her lack of formal interviews.
When Mr. Fang tried to interject, claiming Lili was a friend's recommendation, Tong Yao cut him off. Tong Yao then launched into a detailed critique of Lili's career history, highlighting her rapid "meteoric promotions" from a "small-time office clerk" since joining Shengyu, implicitly accusing her of impropriety. She further confronted Lili with dashcam footage of her at Mr. Fang's apartment in Clear Water Bay, openly mocking her as a "domestic hen" attempting to "fly high and become a phoenix."
Unwilling to be intimidated, Lili retaliated sharply, stating that "some people would rather choose a domestic hen than a plucked old phoenix like you." As Lili tried to exit, Tong Yao aggressively pursued her, calling her a "domestic hen" and a "vixen." Lili pushed back, calling Tong Yao a "psycho" and an "old woman," which escalated into a physical altercation. Mr. Fang intervened, attempting to separate them, but in the ensuing chaos, Lili fiercely slapped him across the face.
Later that night, Zhan Lu discovered a heartfelt note from her daughter, Coconut, on her desk that read, "Mommy, you are the most awesome mom in the world." Reading this, Zhan Lu genuinely smiled, a rare moment of happiness. Her husband then approached, offering a sincere apology for his past insensitivity and pledging his full support.
He told her she could even "kick him hard" if he angered her again, to which Zhan Lu playfully responded that she wouldn't want to incur medical bills. She then laid out her condition: once she found a new job, he must share household responsibilities and spend more time with Coconut. He readily agreed and inquired about her job search. The next morning, Zhan Lu, dressed professionally, participated in an online job interview.
She proposed a science fiction story, but the interviewer explained their platform was currently focusing on emotional-themed content. The interviewer then questioned her about the eight-year gap in her employment history. Zhan Lu confidently explained that she had been a full-time stay-at-home mom during that period. She eloquently argued that while women's professional capabilities should be judged rigorously, mothers should not face excessive criticism for their family roles.
She emphasized her commitment, asserting that her experiences over the past eight years, including marriage, childbirth, and career changes, had provided invaluable "creative materials" for her writing. She expressed her strong desire to "pick up again the pen I put down eight years ago and start my life again." The interviewer thanked her and promised to follow up. After the interview, her mother-in-law, holding Zhan Lu's second child, Doudou, offered words of encouragement, reassuring her not to worry about finding a job and promising to help with childcare.
