The Trick of Life and Love Episode 11 Recap
> The Trick of Life and Love Recap
Cao Mei awoke to find Qi Wei gone, but the eavesdropping device she had placed on him was back in her possession, leading her to believe she had underestimated him. At the company, Ma Hao received news that some shareholders had discovered a cash flow deficit and urgently called Cao Mei for a meeting. On a public bus, Ning Chengming observed a young couple in a heated argument.
The man, after several attempts, managed to pacify the woman, explaining his forgetfulness of her birthday was part of a psychological experiment for his thesis on maintaining love's freshness. They shared a kiss as they exited the bus, prompting a passenger to comment that a woman's emotional reactions reflected her affection, and if she truly loved someone, she could be easily swayed.
Ning Chengming pondered his own relationship with Li Qian, noting her lack of anger or jealousy despite his known reputation as a "jerk." He worried this indicated a deeper issue, fearing their bond was weakening and a breakup might be imminent. Back home, Ning Chengming attempted to address his concerns by cornering Li Qian.
He told her that as his fiancée, she was free to express her anger or unhappiness to him, as he felt she had been silently enduring everything since his accident. He asked if it was too late to make amends for his past actions. A flustered Li Qian quickly reminded him of their "No Intimate Contact Agreement."
Ning Chengming jokingly suggested her phone had "defected" and wanted the agreement rescinded, but Li Qian, avoiding the conversation, rushed off to work, feigning urgency. Ning Chengming, noticing she wasn't wearing her watch, privately concluded they were in the "third stage of the broken windows theory," where if unchecked, their emotional distance would lead to a breakup.
Ning Chengming then drove Li Qian to work on his motorcycle, carefully securing her helmet and asking her to return early for a homemade meal, assuring her it wouldn't be instant noodles. Li Qian's heart raced, wary of falling for him, and she quickly departed. Meanwhile, a private investigator, who had been tracking Ning Chengming for days, sent photos of him performing daily chores and dropping off Li Qian to Li Jingfan.
The investigator, after a brief interaction, affirmed to Li Jingfan that Ning Chengming genuinely suffered from amnesia. However, upon seeing the photos of Ning Chengming holding Li Qian, Li Jingfan was furious, convinced Ning Chengming was merely feigning amnesia to seduce his daughter. He immediately ordered the investigator to maintain close surveillance.
At his office, Gu Zhe hosted his emotional advice live stream as "Adhesive Paste Man," advising a viewer to break up with a boyfriend who lectured her during games. Yu Qingqing appeared, having overheard his stream, followed by Gu Lan, who expressed strong support for Gu Zhe's new endeavor.
Gu Zhe confided in Yu Qingqing that he feared Li Qian would ignore him if he were no longer her boss, leading Yu Qingqing to question if he harbored genuine feelings for Li Qian. Gu Lan then left, and Yu Qingqing soon followed. Shortly after, Li Qian entered the office, asking why everyone was acting strangely and if they were hiding something, before presenting a cooperation contract with Guanding for Gu Zhe's review.
During a tense shareholder meeting, investors angrily questioned a significant cash flow deficit and demanded to see Ning Chengming, noting the drastic decline in company revenue since his absence. Jiang Chao was compelled to admit that Ning Chengming had been untraceable since going abroad last month and was officially considered missing. Shareholders accused Cao Mei and Ma Hao of concealing this critical information. Cao Mei, however, took control, emphatically declaring that Ning Chengming was not missing.
She explained he had gone abroad for an inspection, received an "invitation from the north," and temporarily altered his itinerary to investigate "cheap and fine production lines" in a remote area with poor communication, hence his lack of contact. She assured them he would return soon and personally clarify the cash flow issues, which temporarily appeased the shareholders. She then sternly reprimanded Jiang Chao for spreading rumors about Ning Chengming's disappearance.
After the meeting, Cao Mei privately pressed Ma Hao on whether Ning Chengming was truly dead. Ma Hao affirmed his death and offered photos as proof, but Cao Mei refused to look. She reminisced about a painful memory when Ning Chengming had dismissed her efforts to cook for him and her emotions, coldly stating that "sentiment is superfluous and meaningless." She recalled asking him then, "Can I like you?"
Still clutching a photo of them together, she was interrupted by her secretary, who reported that Qi Wei had inexplicably gone missing without leave, leaving Cao Mei deeply perplexed. Yu Qingqing later informed Li Qian about the details of the high-level meeting, including Jiang Chao's admonishment for revealing Ning Chengming's untraceable status. Yu Qingqing suspected Ning Chengming's situation abroad was linked to a betrayal by high-ranking officials at Guanding.
Li Qian, despite her previous dislike for Ning Chengming's arrogance, acknowledged he was not a bad person, but an individual capable of pain and sadness. The thought of him being betrayed by his colleagues stirred a strange sense of empathy in her. Yu Qingqing noticed this shift in Li Qian, who, while denying any special feelings, firmly stated they should help Ning Chengming.
Li Qian volunteered to investigate Guanding's capital dynamics and promptly left the office to prepare some tonic medicine for Ning Chengming, asking Yu Qingqing to cover for her. Meanwhile, Li Chen attended a dinner with Li Jingfan and Gu Lan's parents, maintaining a facade of a loving boyfriend. He served Gu Lan food, much to the delight of her parents, who praised their compatibility.
Li Chen, uncomfortable with the charade, had secretly arranged with Gu Lan to find an excuse to leave early. However, Gu Lan departed first, declining Li Chen's offer to accompany her and instead told him to stay and entertain her parents. Frustrated, Li Chen was forced to go through a performative farewell hug, which pleased both sets of parents, while internally blaming Gu Lan for abandoning him.
Gu Lan's mother expressed her approval of Li Chen's optimistic nature, deeming him a perfect match for her independent daughter. Gu Lan's father, who had recently transitioned into the investment circle, also praised Li Chen's venture into the film industry, expressing his own interest in entering the cultural sector. Later, Li Qian presented Ning Chengming with a traditional Chinese herbal tonic for his recovery.
Ning Chengming, claiming he was no longer in pain and was "invincible without weakness," adamantly refused to drink the bitter concoction, engaging Li Qian in a prolonged debate about medicine and chemical reactions. To get him to comply, Li Qian proposed a coin-guessing game: the loser would drink the medicine. Intrigued, Ning Chengming readily agreed to the "two wins in three games" challenge.
