Second Chance Romance Episode 9 Recap
> Second Chance Romance Recap
Tan Siting received a message on her phone containing an address related to her father. Hastily, she left the bridal shop and spotted Feng Rui’s car. She asked him for a ride to the address. As they drove late into the evening, Tan Siting coughed from the cold, prompting Feng Rui to glance at her with concern in the rearview mirror. Tan Siting urged him to drive faster, revealing she had received news about her dad.
Her thoughts drifted back to a day in her youth when she found her father looking dispirited. She offered him water before leaving to buy groceries, excitedly clutching a recent interview notification. However, upon her return, her father was gone, leaving behind a note that simply read, "Dad is going out for a walk. Don't worry about me." He never returned, and years passed. Shortly after her father's disappearance, there was a knock on the door.
Tan Siting opened it to find Feng Rui and his mother. Feng Rui's mother aggressively demanded to know if it was Tan Jun's house and insisted on seeing him. When Tan Siting informed her he wasn't home, Feng Rui's mother tried to push past her, accusing Tan Jun of conspiring with a woman named Shi Wei to blackmail her brother, Haotian. She then called Tan Jun a murderer.
Feng Rui attempted to calm his mother, reminding her they had agreed to talk peacefully. He then apologized to Tan Siting for his mother's emotional state. Tan Siting, however, sternly replied that she couldn't understand, emphasizing that Shi Wei, a mere twenty-two-year-old, was the true victim of the "scum Gao Haotian." She also confronted Feng Rui, asking why he hadn't disclosed that Tianlu Trade was his family's company, suggesting he feared she was after their money.
Feng Rui denied this, clarifying that his mother's opinions were not his own. Tan Siting then challenged him, asking if he, too, believed Haotian's death was her father's fault. Feng Rui stated that Haotian's death was a result of his own mistakes and promised to speak with his mother to prevent her from bothering Tan Siting's father. Still agitated, Tan Siting questioned why his mother would harass her father when neither he nor Shi Wei had done anything wrong.
Feng Rui explained his mother's behavior was a consequence of her recent grief. Following the message, Tan Siting arrived at a specified address, which she discovered was a scam. She had earlier been on the phone with her friends, Shuhan and Yuan, who were helping her search for her father, and they had discussed contacting the police.
At the scam location, a man identifying himself as Mr. Wang claimed to have seen a homeless man matching her father's description, even sharing his surname. He then artfully hinted at the reward money Tan Siting had offered. Mr. Wang spun a detailed tale of encountering the supposed "Tan" during a snowstorm, describing him as limping, somewhat disoriented, missing his daughter, and notably, drinking alcohol.
Tan Siting, recognizing inconsistencies, tested him by stating her father would always talk about her mother after drinking. Mr. Wang readily agreed, further embellishing his fabrication. Having heard enough, Tan Siting exposed his deceit, revealing that her father never drank and her mother had passed away when she was very young. Enraged, Mr. Wang attempted to grab her bag. Fortunately, Feng Rui, who had followed Tan Siting, intervened.
He recorded the incident on his phone, prompting the scammer to flee, protesting that Tan Siting's subsequent collapse had nothing to do with him. Feng Rui then rushed the unconscious Tan Siting to the hospital. At the hospital, a doctor informed Feng Rui that Tan Siting had a fever but would recover after an IV drip. While she was unconscious, Tan Siting murmured her father's name repeatedly.
Feng Rui noticed two identical scented sachets in her bag, triggering a vivid childhood memory. He recalled giving one to a young Tan Siting, explaining they were made from rare plants of the snow plateau, meant to purify the air and calm nerves. Tan Siting had inquired if the sachet would truly keep them safe, and Feng Rui had confidently assured her it would, imbued with his own "energy."
They had then exchanged the sachets, believing it would guarantee their safety and well-being. Back in the present, Tan Siting awoke, instinctively calling out Feng Rui's name, unaware he had discreetly moved away. After a nurse checked on her, Tan Siting insisted on leaving on her own. As her taxi departed, she caught a glimpse of Feng Rui standing alone at the hospital entrance in the rearview mirror, a sight that evoked a complex mixture of emotions within her.
Later, Feng Rui returned home, where his mother confronted him about his absence from Wen Peiyan’s dress fitting. He explained he had been delayed by an unforeseen matter. His mother, visibly annoyed, recounted seeing Tan Siting at both the wedding venue selection and the dress fitting, interpreting her presence as manipulative "little tricks." Feng Rui defended Tan Siting, clarifying that she and Wen Peiyan were merely colleagues.
Brushing off his mother's accusations, he began to head upstairs, but she called him back. She instructed him to accompany her the following morning to visit his uncle Haotian, noting it had been a long time since his last visit. Feng Rui consented. A flashback unfolded, revealing a tense family dinner at Feng Rui’s maternal grandfather's house. His grandfather warmly welcomed Feng Rui, commending his business achievements.
Feng Rui seized the moment to propose a new direction: establishing their own wine brand. His mother, however, dismissed the idea. Feng Rui then announced his intention to temporarily leave the company to pursue a master's degree. His grandfather, though acknowledging Feng Rui's "aerospace dream," insisted that Feng Rui possessed a natural talent for business and pleaded with him to stay.
Feng Rui suggested his uncle Haotian could step in, but his grandfather vehemently rejected the idea, declaring Haotian utterly unsuitable for company affairs. Haotian eventually arrived, making lighthearted remarks that only fueled his father's anger. The grandfather immediately chastised Haotian for his tardiness and irresponsibility, accusing him of gambling and demanding he disclose his losses. Haotian tried to dismiss it as a minor "slip-up." The grandfather, however, exploded, branding him a "disgrace" and ordering him to leave. Haotian stormed out.
Feng Rui's mother attempted to defend Haotian, but the grandfather berated her for constantly spoiling him. When Feng Rui's father also made a critical comment, Feng Rui's mother snapped at her husband, fiercely asserting that Haotian was her brother, the family's sole son, and the child for whom their own mother had sacrificed her life, implying that outsiders had no right to judge.
Later, Feng Rui spoke with Haotian, proposing he take over the company so Feng Rui could return to school. Haotian, however, revealed deep-seated resentment, explaining he never willingly joined the company and saw himself merely as a "tool" for his grandfather, who he felt only cared about the wine business and disliked him for not achieving academic success like Feng Rui.
Haotian also expressed profound sadness over his lack of a mother figure, recalling being told at age three that Feng Rui’s mother was his sister, not his birth mother, who had died in childbirth. Despite his bitterness, Haotian pledged to Feng Rui that he would stop gambling. He then asked if Feng Rui truly believed him, and Feng Rui affirmed that he did.
