The Trick of Life and Love Episode 26 Recap
> The Trick of Life and Love Recap
Li Qian drove Ning Chengming to meet Mr. Qian of Jiechi, suggesting she could handle it alone as she had met Mr. Qian at an industry summit before. Ning Chengming insisted, stating that negotiating with an experienced man like Mr. Qian was crucial and his presence was necessary. Li Qian then brought up her past successes, including securing the GC order, which Ning Chengming commented led to their reunion.
To ease the atmosphere, Li Qian turned on the radio, but the programs—first a relationship expert, Wang Xin, discussing "Lies Make Love More. . ." , then the song "Recall" from the movie "A Moment to Remember"—made her feel awkward. She called the programs boring, but Ning Chengming found them interesting and nostalgic. Suddenly, Ning Chengming received a phone call and instructed Li Qian to stop and turn around, explaining that Mr. Qian was not at his office.
Li Qian quickly realized Mr. Qian was deliberately avoiding them but stated they shouldn't show their urgency. She then had an idea to visit someone else first, believing it might be helpful. At a beauty salon, Zhao Donglan, Mr. Qian's wife and the salon owner, was critiquing her staff, Chen, for bringing in "internet celebrities" as potential spokespersons. She emphasized that their establishment provided high-end medical beauty services for successful men, not just fitness models.
Just then, Li Qian, having received Zhao Donglan's details from a colleague, stepped in with Ning Chengming. Zhao Donglan was immediately impressed by Ning Chengming's "temperament" and wanted him to be the spokesperson for their new men's product line. Seizing the opportunity, Li Qian introduced Ning Chengming as her boyfriend, hinting at an imminent marriage, and agreed on his behalf in exchange for a discount on her beauty treatments.
Zhao Donglan offered a free health examination for Ning Chengming, which he accepted, while Li Qian joined Zhao Donglan for a beauty session. During their chat, Li Qian played the part of a struggling career woman in an "office romance" with her superior, Ning Chengming. She lamented the difficulties of being an independent woman in the tech industry, facing pressures and the challenge of finding foundries, implying Ning Chengming's promise of marriage hinged on their company's survival.
Zhao Donglan, sympathetic as a fellow "able woman," revealed that her husband was Mr. Qian of Jiechi and that she had suspected Li Qian's identity from Guanding due to their recent quotation. Seeing her deception uncovered, Li Qian apologized and explained her desperate situation. Impressed by Li Qian's wit, Zhao Donglan agreed to let Guanding resubmit their proposal, advising them to apply for government subsidies and factor in annual increases.
However, when Zhao Donglan casually mentioned the endorsement was for treating "male breast hyperplasia," an alarmed Li Qian rushed to stop Ning Chengming's ongoing medical examination, quickly pulling him out of the salon. Driving back, Li Qian excitedly reported her success to Ning Chengming, detailing her plans to adjust the project details, apply for subsidies, and prepare a contract with annual increases, confident that Jiechi would no longer refuse them.
Ning Chengming, however, calmly stated that Li Qian had "sold him out." Li Qian denied it, but Ning Chengming playfully insisted and demanded to know how she intended to repay this "debt." Flustered, Li Qian reminded him she was driving. Meanwhile, Cao Mei met with Dong Sheng, who presented a report designed to damage Guanding. It used the company's own publicly disclosed data on declining performance but reframed it as a "torpid stage before modification" to avoid libel.
The report also detailed Ning Chengming's emotional cognitive disorder, highlighting its potential to develop into schizophrenia, thereby planting doubt among potential partners without stating outright lies. Cao Mei praised his "realism." When she inquired about his interactions with Li Qian, Dong Sheng described her as "very lovely" and caring. Cao Mei remarked that Li Qian had likely not yet witnessed the "horror" of media manipulation.
When Dong Sheng noted he wrote the piece according to her wishes, she retorted that he was truly motivated by money. Noticing Yu Qingqing's sadness after her breakup, Gu Zhe stayed by her side, suggesting they order food for a "farewell dinner" for their alliance. He then gave her a cosmetic mirror, calling it important to him.
Yu Qingqing immediately saw through his "old-fashioned trick," recounting how several boys had tried the same move on her in middle school, and jokingly asked if he learned it from Li Chen. Gu Zhe claimed he thought of it himself. Despite her teasing, Yu Qingqing admitted he had cheered her up and accepted the mirror for the office. She awarded him ten points, then playfully told him to "get lost" when he asked what the total score was.
Later, Yu Qingqing took a call from Li Qian summoning her to work overtime, complaining that she deserved ten times her salary for working while heartbroken. She then declined Gu Zhe's offer to drive her. At the office, Li Qian, Yu Qingqing, and their team were preparing declaration materials for a 6 PM deadline the next day. Ning Chengming entered and insisted the materials be completed that night.
He specifically expressed concern for Li Qian's health, urging her not to work too late and get sick, playfully adding that he wouldn't be able to "settle the debt" with her if she fell ill, drawing curious glances from colleagues. He approved their work plan and teased her about buying him a midnight snack.
When Li Qian sarcastically asked for "constructive suggestions," he had none, telling her to find him if issues arose and that completing the project would be her way of making amends. Li Qian conceded to providing snacks. As they got to work, Qi Wei, also working overtime, messaged Lu Fanyi that he wouldn't be home to cook. Li Chen messaged his sister Li Qian, complaining that his engagement was more exhausting than working for three straight nights.
He added that Gu Lan admired her and wanted to have dinner together once Li Qian was free. When Li Chen and Gu Lan returned to their hotel room, they found it transformed into a bridal chamber, complete with wedding characters and items signifying a wish for offspring. Their plans to leave for Gu Lan's place were interrupted by Li Chen's brother, Li Juan, who proudly claimed the elaborate design was his concept.
After Li Juan left, Li Chen joked that Gu Lan in traditional wedding attire would look like something from a "horror movie" and wondered if "peanuts and dates" were hidden under the quilt. Later, Gu Lan accused him of "burning the bridge after crossing it," reminding him their arrangement was for mutual support, not just his utilization.
Li Chen questioned her confidence in proposing an "equivalent exchange" with him and asked her to accompany him to his parents' home the next day to deliver a "big present" he'd prepared with Li Qian's help to provoke his father, Mr. Gu. Gu Lan refused to invest in his film but offered to help him provoke his father.
When he persisted, she playfully offered to "give her body," and he jokingly asked what being a "widow" was like, which earned him the sofa for the night. After everyone had worked through the night, Ning Chengming received a package from Zhao Donglan containing two massage chairs and a personal letter for Li Qian. Reading the letter, he discovered Zhao Donglan praising Li Qian's independence and offering to introduce her to "handsome men." Infuriated, he crumpled the letter.
He then found Li Qian asleep at her desk and gently woke her. When she complained of a stiff neck, he told her about Zhao Donglan's gift. Thrilled, Li Qian immediately wanted to try them. As they sat in the chairs, Ning Chengming accused Li Qian of getting "too into the act" with Zhao Donglan and asked if she agreed with her sentiment that women "shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket."
Trying to tease him, Li Qian enthusiastically agreed. This angered Ning Chengming, who used the chair's remote to firmly squeeze her arm. She cried out, profusely apologizing for "selling him out" and offering to let him sell her out next time. Satisfied after she understood the "pain in the chest caused by anger," he released her, warning her that he was vengeful.
He gave her a drink, told her to rest, and allowed her to come in late, concluding with a pointed warning: "You can forget the whole forest. You plant a tree, then you must be responsible for it." The next day, Qi Wei showed Ning Chengming the negative news report online, which claimed Guanding's performance was declining due to mismanagement and hinted that its president, Ning Chengming, suffered from a mental disorder like schizophrenia.
Ning Chengming remained calm, seeing it as proof of Cao Mei's impatience. He stated his emotional cognitive disorder was cured and instructed the PR department to wait for the right moment to "fight back." He also ordered Lu Fanyi to create a backdoor in Guanding's system and to monitor his aunt's information, suspecting this was just the beginning. At that moment, Li Qian entered with the completed application materials and the Jiechi proposal.
She voiced her concern about the rumors affecting partners' confidence and offered to handle the PR, a role she had long managed. Ning Chengming cut her off, stating that as president, he had the authority to reassign her duties and was taking her off public relations. Though she disagreed, Li Qian silently accepted and left. Qi Wei then asked why he'd removed her, and Ning Chengming explained that their opponents already knew about his illness and might have other information. He felt Li Qian was already a target and wanted to protect her from further harm by keeping her out of the public fight.
