Second Chance Romance Episode 24 Recap
> Second Chance Romance Recap
Tan Siting and Feng Rui were happily grocery shopping when Wang Shuhan observed them. Seeing their affectionate interaction and then looking at her own cart filled with instant noodles, Shuhan felt a surge of jealousy. Driven by financial desperation after her recent bankruptcy, she decided to repeat a manipulative act from twelve years ago to gain a large sum of money. Shuhan contacted Feng Rui's mother, Gao Hui, who was surprised to hear from her after so many years.
Shuhan proposed a collaboration to break up Siting and Feng Rui, confident she knew what Gao Hui desired. Gao Hui found it intriguing that Siting's closest friend would betray her again for money, to which Shuhan responded that she "learned from the best," implying Gao Hui's past influence. Shuhan explicitly demanded a one-time payment for her services. That night, Shuhan, dressed in dark clothing, anonymously posted defamatory content about Siting from an internet café.
The following day, Siting's reputation was ravaged by widespread online rumors. The posts falsely accused Siting of being a "sugar daddy's girl" in college, having a child for money, and bringing shame to her university. The detailed nature of these "dirty laundry" stories caused many to believe them, tarnishing Siting's recently positive public image. Feng Rui immediately contacted Siting, promising to pursue legal action against the rumor-mongers and contacting his lawyer, Mr. Zhu.
He informed Le that their planned family dinner was postponed because Siting was dealing with a difficult situation. Le expressed his concern and disappointment, asking if Siting no longer wished to see him or if she was in trouble. Feng Rui reassured his son, explaining that Siting’s current distress was similar to Le's past experience of being falsely accused at school, and promised that Siting would return to them in her best state once the matter was resolved.
Siting initially wanted to let the rumors fade, believing netizens had short memories. However, Feng Rui insisted on protecting her reputation. Siting voiced her profound fear that the scandal would harm Feng Rui and especially Le, stating she would rather die than have her child endure such pressure, particularly since she hadn't been there for him during his early years.
Feng Rui pledged his unwavering support, assuring her that he would handle everything and that this adversity could even serve as an unexpected promotional opportunity for Cygne Winery. Meanwhile, Siting's brother, Yuan, was incensed by the malicious posts. Knowing Siting's true character, he immediately deployed his company's technical team to trace the IP address of the posts, determined to identify the culprit and make them issue a public apology.
Simultaneously, the school where Siting taught faced demands for withdrawals from parents and threats of canceled contracts from partners, with many insisting on Siting's termination. The principal staunchly defended Siting, recalling her past achievements in bringing recognition to the school, and declared his support for whatever decision Siting made. To mitigate further damage to the school's reputation, Siting decided to resign temporarily, with the principal assuring her she could return whenever she wished after the storm had passed.
Feng Rui pressed Siting to decide when to send the lawyer's letter, even as Siting continued to receive news of canceled contracts. He told her not to worry, as Mr. Zhu would handle it, and optimistically believed the legal action would make the rumor-mongers face consequences. Siting, however, reiterated that her primary concern wasn't business losses, but the well-being of those around her, including Feng Rui, who was now being implicated.
Feng Rui confronted his mother, Gao Hui, about the possibility of her involvement in the online attack. Gao Hui vehemently denied it, claiming she would never resort to such underhanded methods, stating that while she disliked Siting, she never intended to ruin her. Siting, however, had already suspected Shuhan, as only she knew many of the intimate details mentioned in the defamatory posts.
Yuan's investigation led him to an internet café, where surveillance footage from the night the posts were made revealed a figure bundled in dark clothing. Upon closer inspection, Yuan was horrified to realize the person was his own sister, Shuhan. He rushed to her apartment, where he found her drinking heavily. Shuhan, feeling bitter and useless after her financial failures, resented what she perceived as Yuan's success and constant burden to him.
When Yuan confronted her about the "slander," Shuhan defiantly challenged him to call the police. She lashed out, claiming her "uselessness" and constant failures were why she was doing this. She accused Yuan of idolizing Siting and demeaning his own sister, who had sacrificed her education for him. Yuan tried to reason with her, acknowledging her past sacrifices and offering his support, but questioned why she would hurt Siting.
Shuhan retorted that their family issues were indeed connected to Siting and demanded to know why she, his sister, had been pushed to such extremes. Siting arrived, having received Feng Rui's conclusive evidence. She confronted Shuhan, expressing her profound pain and disbelief that their years of friendship, during which she had shared everything and found comfort in Shuhan's presence, could have been a sham fueled by jealousy.
Shuhan admitted to a lifelong envy of Siting's popularity and success, confessing that she had even sabotaged Siting's ballet shoes before a crucial audition years ago. She revealed her current motive for defamation was to acquire money to cover a significant penalty incurred by her boyfriend, Zu, due to her fraudulent investment. Shuhan confessed she had proactively sought out Gao Hui for this scheme.
Yuan, calling her "insane," offered to sell his own company to help Shuhan with the debt, but she refused, citing his importance as the family's "pillar." Shuhan tearfully explained that she felt unloved and uncared for, and that Zu was the only person who genuinely cared for her, making her desperate to repay him. Siting then asked if Shuhan had betrayed her for Zu, to which Shuhan chillingly replied, "Not just this time."
She then revealed another shocking secret: she had known for a long time that Le was Siting's son, and that he had not died twelve years ago, a truth she had deliberately withheld, also for money. Yuan called Shuhan "despicable." Shuhan then cryptically alluded to the source of Siting's initial game company investment, which Siting asked her to keep confidential.
