Incomparable Beauty Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Incomparable Beauty Synopsis

The drama tells the story of Xu Yao, who lost his girlfriend after a failed business venture, Yu Jia'en, a single lady in city, Zhang Qing, a lady who has been struggling in the city for ten years, and Li Nianhuan, a good girl who suffered from cheating during pregnancy. They all experience workplace and emotional confusion and growth.

Incomparable Beauty Recap

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Yu Jiaen is the marketing manager of Keda Appliances. Her company collaborates with the Spectrum Marketing Team, led by Zhang Qing. Yu Jiaen has a negative opinion about the current Spectrum Marketing proposal. She had a heated disagreement with Zhang Qing, the General Manager of Spectrum, and even received a lecture from Zhang Qing in the restroom. Yu Jiaen found this unbearable and consequently criticized their proposal as worthless. Before the meeting, Yu Jiaen's colleagues reminded her that Zhang Qing is known as the Proposal Queen in the industry and has friendly relationships with many clients' top executives. Therefore, they advised Yu Jiaen to give Zhang Qing some face. Despite this, Yu Jiaen didn't regard Zhang Qing highly.

Keda Appliances was acquired by Shanghai Jianning Group, leading to the decision to lay off Yu Jiaen's entire department. Yu Jiaen deemed this decision unfair and confronted her boss, recording the conversation. The reason for the department's layoffs was to hire new employees for future management convenience. Yu Jiaen hoped that the company would provide compensation to the laid-off employees; otherwise, she would resort to labor arbitration.

On Yu Jiaen's birthday, she got laid off, causing her whole team to be affected. She intended to invite her colleagues for a meal through a workgroup message, but to her surprise, everyone left the group simultaneously, leaving her alone.

Xu Yao is Yu Jiaen's former boyfriend. Back when they both failed in their entrepreneurial venture, Xu Yao was burdened with significant debt. Not wanting to drag down Yu Jiaen, he disappeared a week before their marriage. He hadn't returned to his hometown of Chengdu for three years. Now, with the help of his partner Su Yi, they secured an investment of eight million yuan in an angel round, allowing Xu Yao to finally clear his debts. He decided to return to Chengdu, feeling grateful for Su Yi's assistance. However, Su Yi didn't reveal that the investment came from her own father, Su Xianshan, as she was worried that Xu Yao might feel uncomfortable knowing this.

After losing her job, Yu Jiaen returned to her hometown in Chengdu. Her best friend Li Nianhuan welcomed her at the airport. Li Nianhuan is Xu Yao's cousin and was the one who introduced Yu Jiaen to Xu Yao initially. Given the current situation, Li Nianhuan only considers Yu Jiaen her best friend and ignores her cousin. Li Nianhuan is pregnant, and her husband Xu Wensong rewarded her with 100,000 yuan. However, Yu Jiaen dislikes Xu Wensong and hopes that Li Nianhuan won't be influenced by him. The term "reward" makes Yu Jiaen uncomfortable. Despite this, they avoid discussing Xu Wensong too much to prevent straining their friendship, as mentioning him inevitably leads to arguments.

Xu Yao returned home and had dinner with his father. Although his father eagerly awaited his return, he didn't show it in front of Xu Yao. Li Nianhuan brought Yu Jiaen to a class reunion, and Xu Yao saw the messages in the group. He decided to join them. Yu Jiaen was at a loss for words upon seeing him, and they started drinking. After the gathering, Xu Yao retrieved a bag he had bought for Yu Jiaen from his car. Back in the day, Yu Jiaen liked this bag a lot, but he couldn't afford the genuine one, so he gave her a fake version as a birthday gift. Now that Yu Jiaen is thirty, Xu Yao can finally afford to buy her the real bag. However, Yu Jiaen cannot accept it; after all, the bag can't compensate for all those years of youth.

Xu Yao and his father visited his aunt and uncle, and coincidentally, Li Nianhuan was there too. Li Nianhuan deeply regrets introducing Yu Jiaen to Xu Yao. He left a week before their wedding. Yu Jiaen never looked down on his financial difficulties, yet he still abandoned her. Li Nianhuan hopes he can act like a man, even if they're going their separate ways, and bid a proper farewell.

Yu Jiaen was arranged for a blind date, and the other person was someone who had experienced being dumped before marriage, just like her. As a "veteran," Yu Jiaen had plenty of experience, and with a few words, she convinced the other person that being dumped was just that – being dumped. Thankfully, it happened before marriage; otherwise, she would have had to split the house, which wouldn't be worth it. She found Yu Jiaen's words reasonable.

Yu Jiaen had dinner with her best friend Li Nianhuan. Li Nianhuan didn't want Yu Jiaen to be influenced by Xu Yao and hoped that she could find her old self again. Yu Jiaen witnessed some unclear interactions between Li Nianhuan's husband, Xu Wensong, and the company's accountant. They shared the same milk tea, and he even skipped accompanying Li Nianhuan to a prenatal check-up to be with the accountant. Yu Jiaen intentionally knocked the milk tea from Xu Wensong's hand, hinting to the accountant not to touch other people's belongings.

While on the plane, Yu Jiaen encountered Xu Yao again. They were on the same flight back to Beijing. However, in the parking garage, when she was calling her driver, Xu Yao's partner Su Yi accidentally knocked her phone out of her hand, breaking the screen. Xu Yao happened to appear, picked up the phone, and without much exchange, Yu Jiaen left. After arriving in Beijing, Li Nianhuan contacted Yu Jiaen. She told Li Nianhuan about seeing Xu Wensong at the airport sharing a drink with another girl through the same straw, advising her to be cautious. Despite avoiding discussing Xu Wensong for years to prevent arguments, Yu Jiaen couldn't stand by and watch Li Nianhuan end up with nothing. She had already given up her job, her dreams, and became Xu Wensong's housekeeper. She was even pregnant, yet Li Nianhuan remained steadfast in her belief in Xu Wensong.

Yu Jiaen's landlord needed her to move out due to her son's upcoming wedding. If she didn't move, the rent would increase. Though Yu Jiaen reluctantly started looking for a new place, the high rent worried her. She received an interview opportunity, but the HR person was concerned about her age and unmarried status at thirty. Additionally, Yu Jiaen was resistant to answering questions about her future relationships, which led the HR person to reject her application. Yu Jiaen faced consecutive failures in her job interviews – either companies thought she lacked experience or she wasn't the right age.

On social media, Yu Jiaen saw someone offering a spare bedroom for rent. She brought flowers to see the place and unexpectedly found her former boss Zhang Qing there. It turned out that the one renting the room was Zhang Qing. Despite their previous conflicts, Yu Jiaen understood that Zhang Qing wouldn't rent to her, so she turned to leave. Zhang Qing, a clear-minded woman, advised Yu Jiaen not to be too stubborn sometimes, as it wouldn't make people care about her. She suggested learning to compromise is not embarrassing. However, Yu Jiaen remained stubborn, not heeding Zhang Qing's advice. She left, throwing the flowers in the trash, and ended up cutting her hand on the thorns. Unable to hold back her emotions, she cried as she looked at her bleeding fingers.

Yu Jiaen's landlord came with a renovation team to inspect the house. Though Yu Jiaen was angry, she wasn't set on staying there. She decided to move out quickly, and they agreed that the landlord would refund the current month's rent and deposit. Unlike Yu Jiaen, Xu Yao started a new company called Fading Stars and became the boss, leading very different lives.

Xu Yao found Yu Jiaen's phone number in his old phone and called her, arranging to meet at their old spot at 8 PM. Just after hanging up, Yu Jiaen received an interview invitation from Fading Stars' HR.

Learning that Su Yi's father, Su Xianshan, was one of Fading Stars' investors, Xu Yao asked Su Yi to arrange a meeting with him. He thanked Su Xianshan for the investment but found his phone dead and couldn't check the time. As a result, he missed the appointment, and Yu Jiaen left without waiting, leaving behind the notebook he had given her without any writing.

Zhang Qing, despite being an independent and strong woman in the workplace, had an unhappy upbringing. Her parents treated her like a "supporting younger brother demon." Her younger brother works in their hometown, earning a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan. He's in a relationship and wants to buy a house before getting married. Zhang Qing told her mother that she would only buy a house under 90 square meters, and the property deed should be in her name; otherwise, she wouldn't spend the money. Her mother wanted to buy a bigger house, thinking that the cost of a larger house is only slightly higher than buying a few expensive bags. Zhang Qing felt helpless in such a family situation but dared to voice her opposition.

Hao Chenshi dressed up like Leon and overheard Zhang Qing's conversation with her mother. He felt drawn to her. At forty years old, Hao Chenshi had no interest in love and marriage, but Zhang Qing's appearance seemed to open a door in his heart. Hao Chenshi agreed to partner with Xu Yao and become the vice president for their startup. Fānxīng Technology is located on the 41st floor, just above Zhang Qing's company. When Zhang Qing heard Hao Chenshi introduce himself, she quickly handed him her business card for future collaboration.

Yu Jiaen went for an interview at Fānxīng Technology and registered her information at the front desk, which Zhang Qing happened to notice. The interview went fairly smoothly for Yu Jiaen, except that the salary wasn't ideal. Hao Chenshi, as the head of the marketing department, personally interviewed her after the HR interview. Meeting her was a surprise and joy for both of them due to their past friendship. Hao Chenshi learned from Yu Jiaen about her unpleasant experience with Xu Yao, so he took her downstairs for coffee, intending to recommend her to other companies with better benefits. Yu Jiaen found it strange; Hao Chenshi appeared nervous, and she didn't understand why. Meanwhile, Su Yi gave Yu Jiaen's resume to Xu Yao, recognizing her as Li Nianhuan's classmate, and asked if Xu Yao wanted to have a personal conversation with her.

Xu Yao personally approached Yu Jiaen, and upon seeing him, Yu Jiaen realized the hurried reason behind Hao Chenshi's attempt to separate them. Su Yi hoped for another chance to communicate, which Yu Jiaen agreed to. Xu Yao messaged Yu Jiaen, telling her that Fānxīng wasn't the right fit for her. He didn't want her to suffer there, considering it's a startup and their future success is uncertain. During their conversation, Su Yi admired Yu Jiaen and hoped she would join soon, but Yu Jiaen politely declined.

After seeing off Yu Jiaen, Hao Chenshi joined Xu Yao at the coffee shop downstairs. He couldn't influence Xu Yao's decisions. Rejecting Yu Jiaen shouldn't have been his role, and when Xu Yao saw "widow" on Yu Jiaen's resume, he clearly became upset. Hao Chenshi also expressed his confusion; after all, Xu Yao is just an ex-boyfriend, and it's Yu Jiaen's choice to mention her widow status.

Hao Chenshi took Yu Jiaen's resume to the 40th floor to meet Zhang Qing, hoping to discuss a collaboration. Zhang Qing saw Yu Jiaen's resume and realized she wasn't hired by Fānxīng Technology. After buying a house for her brother, Zhang Qing had limited savings left, and her rent was due soon. So, she took this opportunity to contact Yu Jiaen and offered her a place to stay, as she needed money and Yu Jiaen needed a place to live. Zhang Qing promptly arranged for Yu Jiaen to move in.

Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing began their shared life in a rented apartment. Although they had their disagreements, the bond between women is often unique. Living under the same roof, they shared their experiences in Beijing, envisioned a brighter future, and reconciled with their past. Zhang Qing informed Yu Jiaen about a vacant position in their company's department. If Yu Jiaen was interested, she could interview for the Spectrum Marketing role.

Xu Wensong was hospitalized due to a leg injury, and colleagues visited him in the hospital. Even Xiaoli came to the hospital in tears, bringing a pair of Chanel earrings. Li Nianhuan noticed the earrings and remembered that there was a Chanel purchase receipt in Xu Wensong's pocket. She hadn't seen this gift before. At that time, Xu Wensong had claimed it was for a client. Now Li Nianhuan realized something was amiss. She questioned Xu Wensong about the person, the reason for the tears, and why he had the Chanel earrings.

Yu Jiaen went for an interview at Spectrum Marketing and received a call from Li Nianhuan downstairs. Li Nianhuan informed her about Xu Wensong's affair. Coincidentally, Yu Jiaen had just been venting to Li Nianhuan about seeing the despicable elder brother Xu Yao downstairs. Unfortunately, Xu Yao overheard their conversation. To her surprise, he realized how he was perceived by Yu Jiaen. Yu Jiaen suggested that Li Nianhuan divorce Xu Wensong and not continue living with such a scoundrel. Li Nianhuan finally decided to seriously consider this matter, but she wanted Yu Jiaen to keep it confidential until she made a decision. Outside Spectrum Marketing, Yu Jiaen encountered CEO Lu Zijie, although she didn't know he was the CEO at the time. Upon entering Zhang Qing's office, she realized she had been led by the CEO himself, which made her feel embarrassed.

Zhang Qing interviewed Yu Jiaen. Previously, Yu Jiaen had worked for clients, whereas Spectrum Marketing was on the agency side. Zhang Qing wasn't sure if Yu Jiaen understood the difference between the two roles. However, Yu Jiaen clearly expressed her understanding of both sides—the agency's responsibility to serve the client's creativity and results, and the client's understanding of sales outcomes. Zhang Qing compared the agency team to waiters and questioned if Yu Jiaen was ready for the challenges.

Li Nianhuan went to the hospital to find Xu Wensong. Following Yu Jiaen's advice, she tested Xu Wensong and indeed, as Yu Jiaen had predicted, Xu Wensong shifted blame onto Li Nianhuan. With a wry smile, Li Nianhuan informed Xu Wensong of her decision to divorce. After her interview, Yu Jiaen received a call from her mother. Mothers all over the world seem to share the same traits—harsh on the surface but deeply concerned for their children. Her mother consoled Yu Jiaen, suggesting that if things didn't work out, she could return to their hometown, and her mother would support her. Yu Jiaen hoped her mother would keep this matter confidential within the neighborhood. After hanging up, she received a 10,000 yuan transfer from her mother.

Li Nianhuan left home and came to Beijing. Xu Yao got news from his aunt and informed Yu Jiaen. They both went to the airport to pick up Li Nianhuan. Xu Yao happened to have borrowed a car from Hao Chenshi, so he drove them home. During the ride, Li Nianhuan video-called her mother using Xu Yao's phone to assure her safety. When her mother found out that she was with Yu Jiaen, she wanted to talk to Yu Jiaen. However, the conversation almost revealed Xu Yao's debt situation. Fortunately, Li Nianhuan and Xu Yao managed to cut her off. Despite this, Yu Jiaen found it strange and felt something uncomfortable beneath her. She discovered a pair of earrings and mistakenly thought they belonged to Xu Yao's girlfriend.

That night, Yu Jiaen and Li Nianhuan slept together. Yu Jiaen recalled Li Nianhuan's mother's words and asked her about their meaning. Instead of directly explaining, Li Nianhuan mentioned how Xu Yao had truly struggled at one point, like a drowning person needing to save himself. The next morning, Zhang Qing noticed an unfamiliar face at home. Yu Jiaen returned with breakfast and heard voices inside the room. She hurried in to explain to Zhang Qing. Hearing that Li Nianhuan was in her early pregnancy, Zhang Qing's husband instincts kicked in, advising her on how to claim compensation from the scumbag. Li Nianhuan hadn't expected everyone to advise her to divorce. She felt she was already thirty and pregnant, and she had always been her parents' pride. If she divorced now, she felt there would be no way to move forward. Her words left both Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing speechless.

Li Nianhuan went for her prenatal check-up, accompanied by Yu Jiaen. Initially, Li Nianhuan had contacted Xu Yao, but Yu Jiaen didn't want to rely on him for transportation. Li Nianhuan secretly messaged Xu Yao, asking him to follow behind in his car. On the way to the hospital, Li Nianhuan covertly messaged her mother, inquiring whether she should tell Yu Jiaen about Xu Yao's past debt. However, Li Nianhuan's mother advised against it. Li Nianhuan attempted to indirectly approach the subject. Knowing that Xu Yao was a good person, she wanted to convey that his leaving Yu Jiaen back then was a reluctant decision. She asked Yu Jiaen whether marrying Xu Yao and staying in Chengdu back then would have led to happiness. This question left Yu Jiaen silent.

At the hospital, Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen waited for Li Nianhuan's check-up. They reminisced about the past when Yu Jiaen mistakenly thought she was pregnant, and Xu Yao accompanied her for a check-up. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, Yu Jiaen appreciated Xu Yao's dedication. She felt that having a child between them would have been nice. Xu Yao cautiously asked if their ending would have been different if they had actually had a child back then. Yu Jiaen didn't respond. Li Nianhuan's check-up went well. After leaving the hospital, Li Nianhuan called her mother to let her know she was safe. Yu Jiaen answered Xu Yao's earlier question, stating that even if they had had a child back then, the outcome would likely have been the same. Even if they had married, happiness wasn't guaranteed.

Yu Jiaen used their "clearing spell" ritual on Xu Yao's forehead. If performed after a breakup, it meant they wouldn't meet again. Yu Jiaen informed Xu Yao that she would try to persuade Li Nianhuan to go back home and hoped he wouldn't come looking for her in the future. Xu Wensong had been seeking Li Nianhuan's forgiveness. His main intention was for her to give birth to their child. Li Nianhuan was willing to give him a chance but insisted on their parents meeting. Xu Wensong wrote a guarantee letter in person, promising not to return to Chengdu if his actions were met with forgiveness. Xiaoli added Li Nianhuan on WeChat and sent her a new audio recording of her conversation with Xu Wensong. Li Nianhuan learned that Xu Wensong had two faces—one that coaxed her and another that engaged with Xiaoli ambiguously.

Now, Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing had become her emotional advisors. Zhang Qing still suggested they divorce, and to prevent Li Nianhuan from sinking into sadness, she took her and Yu Jiaen out for a drink. Coincidentally, Hao Chenshi had finished work and was planning to find Zhang Qing. Hao Chenshi handed his car to Xu Yao and asked him to drive home. Xu Yao saw Yu Jiaen making a call at the entrance and, despite his lack of initial interest, he suddenly became intrigued.

Fate brought these individuals together at the bar. Zhang Qing also learned about Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao's past relationship from Hao Chenshi. To Zhang Qing, this wasn't an issue at all. She felt that if Yu Jiaen rejected the job offer at Spectrum Marketing due to this reason, it would be immature. At the bar, Li Nianhuan also met the resident singer Zhao Ang, who was a few years younger. The moment Zhao Ang saw Li Nianhuan, he felt a love-at-first-sight sensation.

Xu Yao took Yu Jiaen aside and used provocative tactics, which worked. Yu Jiaen immediately decided to accept the job offer at Spectrum Marketing. However, on her first day at work, Zhang Qing had gone to Shanghai for business. Since she had previously offended some team members, Yu Jiaen was a bit uncertain. As expected, her colleagues ignored her at the office. While Yu Jiaen was used to such situations, she wouldn't let it affect her work or state of mind. However, the department head, Lin Li, pretended not to see Yu Jiaen and completely ignored her.

In the team, Amy is a pretty good girl. She thinks isolating Yu Jiaen is a bit excessive, but everyone feels that they should show her some colors. Amy is also helpless. She goes to the pantry to get water, and Yu Jiaen seizes the opportunity to approach her. She appeals to Amy emotionally and rationally, directly telling Amy that they had conflicts before, but now they are colleagues, and she doesn't want to engage in office politics; she just wants to do a good job. Amy doesn't dare to give her company-related templates because Lin Li is her direct supervisor, so she hesitates. Their conversation is overheard by Lu Zijie, who knows that Yu Jiaen had trouble on her first day at the company. However, Yu Jiaen insists it's not trouble, and she can handle it herself.

Lin Li knows that Zhang Qing asked Yu Jiaen to prepare a client analysis report, so she asks Amy to do one as well, to avoid Yu Jiaen surpassing her. Lin Li and other colleagues in the department intentionally make Yu Jiaen run errands like buying coffee, sending contracts, and getting lunch. Amy feels this isn't right and doesn't participate, but Yu Jiaen understands their intentions and is willing to help. After all, sometimes compromises are necessary in the workplace, and she really needs this job.

When Yu Jiaen returns with the coffee, she finds that everyone is not at their desks. She asks her colleagues from other departments and learns that Lin Li is holding a meeting. She wasn't even informed through the department's group chat, and she has no experience working with the client side, so she needs guidance. Lin Li becomes infuriated upon hearing this; everyone here is younger than her, so why should they be paid to learn? Yu Jiaen is truly helpless, and her concessions do not earn her the respect she deserves.

While buying coffee downstairs, Yu Jiaen is spotted by Xu Yao, who notices that her days at the company are tough. He invites her to lunch, but Yu Jiaen knows her boundaries. She and Xu Yao are currently in a client-provider relationship, so she declines the meal and focuses on work, trying to understand the company's needs. In the afternoon, Yu Jiaen starts writing the client analysis, and before leaving, Lin Li compares her report with Amy's. Yu Jiaen, who lacks client-side experience, has written a lot of text in Word, but Lin Li tears it up. She tells Yu Jiaen to learn from Amy's report, which is clear in format and logically rigorous, presented in a PowerPoint format for easy understanding.

Yu Jiaen is asked to work overtime by Lin Li, and she works through the night. The next day, Yu Jiaen submits a beautiful analysis report, and when Zhang Qing returns from Shanghai, she praises Yu Jiaen for doing an excellent job on the client analysis report. On the other hand, Xu Yao has put a lot of effort into securing the visit of the Fashion Association's CEO. To impress the CEO and create the right atmosphere, Xu Yao and Hao Chenshi immediately gather the Spectrum Marketing Team for a meeting. Su Yi's team and the product department are also busy with their respective tasks.

Coincidentally, Zhang Qing has entrusted the entire Starry project to Yu Jiaen. Lin Li didn't expect Zhang Qing to trust Yu Jiaen so much. Hao Chenshi comes running and hopes that Zhang Qing can take the team upstairs for a meeting. When the CEO arrives and sees the energetic and motivated employees, he believes that their team is quite good and can't help but exclaim, "Youth is great!"

Yu Jiaen noticed that Xu Yao had been touching his ear the whole time. She knew Xu Yao well and realized he was exaggerating. He had intentionally gathered everyone together to put on a show for CEO Ma. So, she took a risky step and deliberately pointed out the conflicts between the client and the company. Then, she redirected the focus to the advantages of Fānxīng's data. She emphasized that Fānxīng's target users closely overlapped with Túyǎ's brand target audience. She praised Túyǎ but also made it clear that their marketing team, as the client, only added the finishing touch. The real advantage lay with the client. Yu Jiaen's move had a positive impact, and CEO Ma found her words inspiring.

After they left, Xu Yao, CEO Ma, and Hao Chenshi, along with Su Yi, held a meeting together. They teamed up to persuade CEO Ma to agree to the collaboration. However, despite their efforts, CEO Ma, with his many years of business experience, couldn't be convinced so easily. In the end, Xu Yao made the final argument from a professional perspective. He explained that they were about to promote clothing rental, and promoting Túyǎ on their platform would be beneficial. As CEO Ma had mentioned earlier, it was about balancing both sides. In the short term, Fānxīng would gain more, but Xu Yao hoped CEO Ma would consider the long-term perspective. By partnering with Túyǎ, Fānxīng would help the brand target precise users, ensuring that all retained customers were the target consumers. CEO Ma was moved and decided to give Túyǎ a six-month trial.

After bidding farewell to CEO Ma, Hao Chenshi told Xu Yao that Yu Jiaen still had the same old style. She didn't hold back in her words. Their eight years of mutual understanding showed in that moment. Xu Yao knew that Yu Jiaen was helping him. As expected, when they returned to the company, Zhang Qing was furious. She felt that Yu Jiaen shouldn't have expressed herself that way during the meeting. Yu Jiaen explained her reasoning, and then Zhang Qing received a message from Hao Chenshi, who thanked Yu Jiaen for the help. Zhang Qing then cooled down. It seemed Yu Jiaen had made the right bet.

Yu Jiaen told Zhang Qing that she had engraved her words in her mind. She advised Zhang Qing not to just look at the surface but also pay attention to what was happening beneath the table. Public relations and handling clients were similar; they both involved social skills. Zhang Qing was pleased that Yu Jiaen was learning quickly, but she reminded her to be tactful when considering whether to help Xu Yao or the company. Otherwise, her knowledge of Xu Yao's strengths could become a disadvantage.

In the evening, when they got back home, Zhang Qing asked Yu Jiaen why they had broken up. Meanwhile, at the office, Xu Yao was working late, and Hao Chenshi also asked the same question. Xu Yao had bought all the groomsmen's suits in advance, but as the wedding day approached, he ran back to Beijing and canceled the wedding. The same event, but different interpretations from the male leads, could lead to divergent conclusions. Hao Chenshi, after listening to their stories, believed that they no longer loved each other, while Zhang Qing felt that their love had disappeared. Love is like that; it gradually wears out in constant quarrels and lack of communication.

There was a new claw machine downstairs at the company to relieve stress. Xu Yao remembered that Yu Jiaen used to like pandas, so he won a panda plush toy for her. Just as he and Yu Jiaen were about to head upstairs together, Xu Yao got off the elevator and saw Zhang Qing coming out with Su Yi. Su Yi had intercepted the little panda plush toy. Zhang Qing and Yu Jiaen exchanged a look but didn't say anything.

After work, Xu Yao saw Yu Jiaen helping Lu Zijie catch a stuffed toy from the claw machine, and she was using the technique he had taught her. Xu Yao felt jealous and left without a word. To express his gratitude, Lu Zijie planned to give Yu Jiaen a ride home.

Li Nianhuan, influenced by Zhao Ang, decides to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. When she shares this news with Xu Wensong, he mercilessly mocks her, leading Li Nianhuan to increasingly dislike him. She goes to a bar to find Zhao Ang, who has been eagerly waiting for her, as he wants to get Li Nianhuan's contact information. As Li Nianhuan and Zhao Ang chat, they lose track of time and pay no attention to their phones.

Li Nianhuan's father cannot reach his daughter, so he contacts Xu Yao to ask about Yu Jiaen. Yu Jiaen rushes to Li Nianhuan's apartment building and quickly heads back to find her. Yu Jiaen confirms that Li Nianhuan is not at home and guesses that she might have gone to the bar to meet Zhao Ang. She goes to the bar and arrives at the same time as Xu Yao, but they don't find Li Nianhuan there. Later, they learn that Zhao Ang has taken Li Nianhuan to a nearby pedestrian street. There, Zhao Ang performs music, and some people give him money. Li Nianhuan uses the money to buy two cotton candies. Just as they raise their cotton candies for a toast, Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen arrive. Xu Yao is about to tell them that Li Nianhuan is pregnant, but Li Nianhuan interrupts him. Xu Yao is anxious and, suspicious of Zhao Ang, decides to send Li Nianhuan back to her hometown as soon as possible. However, Li Nianhuan doesn't want to go back. Yu Jiaen hopes that Xu Yao won't make decisions for others anymore, always dwelling in his own perception and self-pitying.

After returning home, Yu Jiaen asks Li Nianhuan why she doesn't want Zhao Ang to know about her pregnancy. Li Nianhuan is concerned that if Zhao Ang finds out she is married and pregnant, he won't be as open to her as he is now. It could create a barrier between them. Yu Jiaen hopes that Li Nianhuan will think this through.

Hao Chenshi wants to pursue Zhang Qing, unaware that she has a boyfriend. Zhang Qing is clear about her stance; she only wants to maintain a professional relationship with him. However, Hao Chenshi is persistent and shameless in his pursuit.

A project at Fānxīng faces issues when they collaborate with a film crew to rent costumes. There was a problem with the logistics, and all the costumes were ruined. Now, they need to find replacement outfits. If they delay the shoot because of their mistake, they'll have to pay ten times the compensation to the film crew. The shoot is scheduled to start in three days, and they don't have much time left. They can't afford the five million yuan compensation, even if they sell everything. Su Yi has been trying her best to resolve the situation.

Yu Jiaen encounters a difficult client, and her handling of the situation is immature. She not only offends the client but also becomes the subject of ridicule among her colleagues. Zhang Qing steps in and successfully manages the client right in front of Yu Jiaen. Yu Jiaen genuinely admires Zhang Qing's work abilities and is determined to learn from her. Zhang Qing is guiding Yu Jiaen step by step and hopes she can change her mindset. Instead of just apologizing and saying she can't afford to lose, she should focus on improving.

Li Nianhuan writes lyrics and goes to find Zhao Ang. The two of them start singing in a square, attracting a crowd of onlookers, and some people start recording videos on their phones. Li Nianhuan firmly tells Zhao Ang about Xu Wensong's divorce, but Xu Wensong believes that Yu Jiaen is behind this decision. He calls Yu Jiaen and reveals the story of how the Xu family lent money to Xu Yao to start his business. He feels that they don't show gratitude because they didn't even ask for interest on the loan, and now they're encouraging Li Nianhuan to divorce him. Yu Jiaen realizes that there was more to Xu Yao's departure from Chengdu, especially after Li Nianhuan's mother mentioned the debt issue. Yu Jiaen calls Li Nianhuan's mother to inquire about Xu Yao's borrowing history.

Yu Jiaen learned about the fact that Xu Yao owed more than 1.2 million yuan in debt back then from Li Nianhuan's mother. She didn't know what to do. When Xu Yao left, she became the subject of ridicule, and no one could understand her pain. Xu Yao was always like this, making decisions for others and indulging in his self-pity. Yu Jiaen didn't forgive him for it, nor did she feel grateful. Yu Jiaen learned that Li Nianhuan had also kept this information from her, which made her somewhat angry. It seemed that Li Nianhuan still sided with Xu Yao deep down. Li Nianhuan felt helpless; she wanted to tell Yu Jiaen, but her mother didn't allow it. Her mother believed that only by hating Xu Yao could Yu Jiaen start a new life.

Xu Yao and the others were searching for clothes in an old clothing recycling warehouse. The situation looked optimistic as they found replacement clothes, but some of them needed overnight modifications. Su Yi couldn't reach her designer friend, so she thought of Yu Jiaen, who had a design background. She hoped Xu Yao could contact Yu Jiaen for help because relying solely on the company's seamstresses wouldn't get the clothes ready in time. Xu Yao tried to reach out to Yu Jiaen, but she didn't answer her phone due to anger. So, Hao Chenshi contacted Zhang Qing. Xu Yao, upon Su Yi's suggestion, decided to try again. He asked Li Nianhuan if Yu Jiaen was sleeping. Upon learning the situation, Yu Jiaen, Zhang Qing, and Li Nianhuan went to the old clothing recycling center. Xu Yao was delighted to see Yu Jiaen come to help, and Hao Chenshi was equally pleased when Zhang Qing arrived.

With everyone's efforts, they finally finished the work after daybreak and managed to deliver the costumes to the film crew on time. Everyone was happy, and they sang and danced together. However, there was a strange atmosphere between Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao. Xu Yao's company had successfully overcome its difficulties.

Li Nianhuan had been declining Zhao Ang's invitations for the past few days. Her pregnancy was becoming more apparent, so she didn't want to see Xu Yao anymore. Yu Jiaen also encountered problems as her client, Zhao Xiu, had blocked her. She panicked and sought help from Zhang Qing. Finally, when the weekend arrived, Zhang Qing could sleep in, but Yu Jiaen woke her up. Zhang Qing was skilled at handling such situations. She immediately contacted Zhao Xiu and apologized, regardless of the actual situation. She quickly resolved the issue. Zhang Qing informed Yu Jiaen that Zhao Xiu had reported her to Lu Zijie. Zhao Xiu claimed that Yu Jiaen had rolled her eyes at her during a meeting, which left Yu Jiaen feeling wronged. She didn't dare to do such a thing. Later, she realized that Zhao Xiu might have misunderstood when she looked up at the projector.

Zhang Qing understood Zhao Xiu's personality very well. She just didn't like Yu Jiaen's work style and was deliberately nitpicking. Zhang Qing reminded Yu Jiaen that she had to mend her relationship with Zhao Xiu and persuade her to withdraw the complaint to Lu Zijie; otherwise, she should resign as soon as possible. Yu Jiaen learned from Zhang Qing that Zhao Xiu and her friends jointly owned a beauty salon. So, she decided to visit the salon to win Zhao Xiu over. Zhang Qing was very relieved; it seemed that Yu Jiaen had finally come to her senses.

From a waiter, Yu Jiaen learned that Zhao Xiu would return to the salon to hold a meeting at 3 PM. So, she decided to delay her payment at the bank on purpose. This trick worked, and she deliberately claimed that her phone's camera was broken, making it impossible to pay. She took the opportunity to add Zhao Xiu on WeChat and privately sent her the money. Maintaining customer relationships came at a considerable cost, but Yu Jiaen spent 10,000 yuan to secure Zhao Xiu's favor and remain on the project team at Lìtiān. Xu Yao and Hao Chenshi had social obligations, and while Xu Yao couldn't drink due to health reasons, the bosses were not too happy about it. To secure the cooperation, Xu Yao had no choice but to accompany them at the risk of his own health.

Li Nianhuan had already decided to divorce Xu Wensong and then confessed to Zhao Ang about being married and pregnant but choosing to divorce. Yu Jiaen supported Li Nianhuan leaving Xu Wensong, but it didn't mean she approved of Zhao Ang being a good person. Xu Yao was hospitalized due to stomach bleeding caused by drinking. The next day, Hao Chenshi visited him in the hospital and took a picture while pretending to be hospitalized in his own social media post. His purpose was to test Zhang Qing.

Zhang Qing and some others were in a meeting when Yu Jiaen learned that they had used her proposal for Keda Appliances and successfully won the bid. Yu Jiaen felt wronged because she had been laid off from the company because of this and had affected her own team. Zhang Qing hadn't expected Yu Jiaen's reaction to be so strong. She told Yu Jiaen not to dwell on this matter and sincerely apologized for forgetting to inform her about it.

In addition, Zhang Qing arranged for Yu Jiaen to visit Hao Chenshi at the hospital, solely from the perspective of one party caring about another. After Yu Jiaen bought flowers and fruits and arrived at the hospital, she realized that it was Xu Yao lying in the hospital bed.

Since they were both there, and Xu Yao was the boss of the first party, Yu Jiaen still sat down to peel apples for him. Xu Yao couldn't take his eyes off her; she hadn't changed, even when peeling apples, she was determined not to break the apple peel. Xu Yao also felt that Yu Jiaen's hostility towards him had decreased significantly. Yu Jiaen didn't say anything, and Xu Yao smiled as if it was worthless. After peeling the apples, Yu Jiaen prepared to return to the company. Xu Yao received a call from Xu Wensong, who had arrived in Beijing. He came to Beijing personally to pick up Li Nianhuan.

Upon learning the news, Yu Jiaen was worried about Li Nianhuan. So, the two of them went home together to check the situation. At this time, Li Nianhuan was dressing up carefully; she was planning to confront Zhao Ang. Li Nianhuan felt very sad when she learned that Xu Wensong had come to Beijing. She sat at home, not knowing what to do. On the other hand, Zhao Ang kept calling, but Li Nianhuan didn't dare to answer.

Xu Wensong was frantically knocking on the door. Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao tried to stop him. Li Nianhuan was sitting at home and suddenly felt her baby kick her three times, just like the knocking on the door. She opened the door and decided to go back to Chengdu with Xu Wensong because she was a mother. She didn't want her child to be born without a father and a home. Both Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen understood her feelings, so they helped her pack her luggage and took her to the airport.

On the way, Li Nianhuan was not happy, and Xu Yao noticed it. When they arrived at the airport, Xu Yao asked Li Nianhuan seriously if she had thought about whether she really wanted to continue living with Xu Wensong. He didn't want Li Nianhuan to compromise just for the sake of the child. If the child was born, he, as the maternal uncle, could help her raise the child. He hoped Li Nianhuan could truly find happiness. Li Nianhuan still decided to return to Chengdu.

Back in Chengdu, Li Nianhuan took out the lyrics she had written and couldn't help but sing them. However, she was mocked by Xu Wensong, who thought she sang terribly, and even tore up the lyrics she had written. Li Nianhuan sat in the bathroom, feeling heartbroken. She didn't know if her decision was correct. She didn't want to face Xu Wensong again, and her mind was on Zhao Ang, but when she touched her belly, she fell into agony once more.

After Li Nianhuan left Beijing, the house suddenly became quiet, and even breakfast was no longer warm to eat. Zhang Qing missed Li Nianhuan a lot, but Yu Jiaen mentioned that as long as the leader needed, she could learn. Zhang Qing could clearly feel that Yu Jiaen had changed, and her emotional intelligence had improved.

Li Yan specifically took an early flight to Beijing to see Zhang Qing. Coincidentally, Yu Jiaen opened the door, and she sensed Li Yan's intentions. He came to reconcile with Zhang Qing. Yu Jiaen returned to the bedroom and felt that she recognized Li Yan, then found Li Yan's WeChat in a group chat. She suddenly realized that Li Yan was Zhang Qing's boyfriend, and the two of them probably hadn't made it public because of their working relationship.

Zhang Qing and Li Yan had different values. Li Yan hoped that Zhang Qing would resign and move to Shanghai for career development. Li Yan had already bought a house in Shanghai with his family, and he would take care of the mortgage payments, so Zhang Qing didn't need to worry. However, Zhang Qing didn't want to make such a sacrifice. She believed that conceding once would mean conceding in the future, and once she got married, she would be responsible for more people, which she didn't want because her upbringing had already brought her enough troubles. In the end, they parted ways, and Li Yan thought Zhang Qing was someone who was diligent and materialistic.

Zhao Ang finally caught up with Yu Jiaen, wanting to know about Li Nianhuan's situation. Yu Jiaen invited Zhao Ang for coffee and then told him what she really wanted to say. Zhao Ang was very sad, feeling deceived and unable to accept this fact. At Su Yi's repeated requests, Xu Yao went to do a fashion magazine photoshoot. Su Yi told Xu Yao that the magazine had approached them, but in reality, she had seen it on a friend's social media and volunteered for it. On the set, everyone thought Su Yi and Xu Yao were a couple, believing that Su Yi had a good eye for men.

Zhang Qing didn't return home that night. As per her habit of self-regulation when she was on the verge of breaking down, she found a high-end hotel within her budget, enjoyed room service, and soaked in the bathtub while drinking, letting her emotions run freely. Yu Jiaen was responsible for a project at FANXING Company that was about to bid. She accidentally overheard the core creative idea of the competing company's proposal, which was similar to hers. The bidding began, and Yu Jiaen didn't have time to make changes. Coincidentally, the competing company with the similar proposal drew lots to present their proposal first. When Yu Jiaen was presenting her proposal, Xu Yao and his team clearly lost interest. However, Yu Jiaen was clever; she instantly presented an alternative plan. Still, because of this, she offended her team members, as they had worked hard to support her, and she unilaterally used her own plan without informing the team. Later, Yu Jiaen's alternative proposal won the bid. Zhang Qing also found out through her connections. Yu Jiaen's last-minute change had a reason, and Zhang Qing had a one-on-one conversation with Lin Li and told her the truth. She hoped that Lin Li wouldn't let her emotions take over. After so many years of training, Zhang Qing believed that Lin Li had the ability to handle bigger responsibilities.

When the magazine was published, Xu Yao realized that it wasn't about their entrepreneurial story. The magazine's theme was about entrepreneurial couples. Even so, Su Yi lied that she hadn't understood the situation fully, but this incident could bring fame to FANXING, which was a good thing. Yu Jiaen felt a bit jealous when she saw the magazine.

Li Nianhuan went to the hospital for a prenatal check-up by herself, but she was stopped by Xiao Li. Xiao Li informed Li Nianhuan that she still had contact with Xu Wensong. Although she had left Xu Wensong's company, he arranged for her to work at a friend's company and even gave her a raise. Xu Wensong was enduring this marriage only for the sake of the child in Li Nianhuan's womb. Li Nianhuan paid no attention to Xiao Li and went to her parents' house. She cried in the bathroom when she didn't know what to do. When she felt lost, she would turn to Yu Jiaen. Yu Jiaen received Li Nianhuan's WeChat message and was very worried. During work hours, she sneaked to the door to call her. Li Nianhuan actually knew that Xu Wensong was still in contact with Xiao Li, and she wasn't really angry because she didn't love Xu Wensong anymore. She was only doing this for the child's sake. She didn't want her child to suffer with her. Yu Jiaen hoped that Li Nianhuan would seriously consider divorce. They could raise the child together, but she didn't want Li Nianhuan's second half of life to be like this.

Lu Zijie overheard Yu Jiaen on the phone and told her that raising a child was difficult. She shouldn't casually promise others. Yu Jiaen believed that in life, one had to use their time, energy, and money wisely because they had to keep living. Yu Jiaen took Amy to the FANXING meeting, and Su Yi immediately noticed that she was wearing clothes rented from the FANXING platform. Su Yi told her that it was from a niche designer brand that she also liked and had bought a piece herself. It seemed that their aesthetics matched. Hao Chenshi glanced at Xu Yao and Xu Yao avoided his gaze and kicked him. After discussing the script for the ad shoot during the meeting, Su Yi and Hao Chenshi felt that it could be left to Yu Jiaen to play the female lead. However, Xu Yao was very protective of Yu Jiaen and felt that it wasn't appropriate.

Hao Chenshi was really attracted to Zhang Qing this time. He asked Yu Jiaen if Zhang Qing was single and why she was ignoring him. Yu Jiaen didn't say anything but reminded him that Zhang Qing wasn't easy to pursue. Hao Chenshi wouldn't back down because of this. He took the initiative to invite Zhang Qing to dinner. In fact, he had a good personality, and Zhang Qing was always happy when she was with him.

Yu Jiaen learned that Xu Yao's father really wanted a photo of the three of them together. She arranged for her mother to send it over. Yu Jiaen's mother also learned about Xu Yao's past affair from her, but she felt that Old Xu had also had a tough time over the years. Those unpleasant incidents from the past were all in the past, and since he wanted the photo, she would consider it a memento. Old Xu told Xu Yao about this and asked him to thank Yu Jiaen. Coincidentally, Xu Yao ran into Yu Jiaen, who was working late and wanted to buy coffee. However, the coffee shop downstairs was closed. Xu Yao took her to buy coffee since he was also working late, and he couldn't stay awake without it.

When they returned with coffee, they were seen by Lin Li. Yu Jiaen quickly explained that they had run into each other while buying coffee. Yu Jiaen's mother called because she saw the fashion magazine and mistakenly thought Xu Yao had a girlfriend. Upon hearing that Xu Yao was right next to Yu Jiaen, she insisted on talking to him. Yu Jiaen didn't want to, but Xu Yao took the phone and kindly called her "Auntie." Over the years, Yu Jiaen's mother had been very good to him, so he always addressed her this way. Xu Yao explained to Auntie that he was single, and the magazine had fabricated the story. However, Auntie made some cryptic remarks before hanging up.

On the day of the FANXING ad shoot, Yu Jiaen got up early to prepare. However, when she arrived on set, the actors were nowhere to be found, and her agent couldn't reach them. Yu Jiaen personally went to the actor's house to pick her up, but the actor had just gone through a breakup and was in a bad mood. No matter how Yu Jiaen tried to persuade her, she refused to go to work and even smashed a cup. In an attempt to protect her face, Yu Jiaen's hand was cut. Finally, Yu Jiaen decided to step in herself. They only had one day's worth of shooting budget, and all the crew members were there. Her stepping in was the most convenient solution, but Xu Yao wasn't happy about it, but he had no better option, so he had to compromise.

Yu Jiaen was shooting an advertisement on set and quickly got into the groove, earning praise from the director. Lu Zijie, seeing her dedication, asked Zhang Qing to make her a full-time employee earlier. Zhang Qing was surprised as it was the first time Lu Zijie had made such a request. Zhang Qing, Lu Zijie, and Lin Li happened to run into Xu Yao at the company building. It seemed that rivals meeting was particularly tense. Xu Yao deliberately mentioned Lu Zijie's family situation, and Zhang Qing noticed something was off, quickly interrupting Xu Yao. Lu Zijie and his wife had been separated for over a year, but they hadn't divorced yet because his wife suspected him of having an affair. Zhang Qing joked that she should keep her distance from him to avoid being misunderstood by her sister-in-law. Lu Zijie told her that if they had something going on, it would have happened by now, a statement that Lin Li took note of. She deliberately took a picture of Lu Zijie handing fruit to Yu Jiaen at the shooting location, planning to frame Yu Jiaen.

Xu Yao knew that Yu Jiaen was allergic to kiwi fruit. Seeing Lu Zijie offering her kiwi, he knew that Yu Jiaen would reluctantly eat it because of her personality, and she would likely feel unwell afterward. So, Xu Yao didn't hesitate and took away two boxes of fruit. Lin Li took the opportunity to send the photos she had taken to Lu Zijie's sister-in-law, informing her that Lu Zijie and Yu Jiaen were getting close.

Yu Jiaen was shooting under tight time constraints, and they continued until 4 a.m. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day. After the shoot, she collapsed from a fever. Xu Yao was extremely worried and quickly had Hao Chenshi bring the car to take Yu Jiaen to the hospital. Little Mi watched on the side, thinking that clients these days were too good. At the hospital, Xu Yao stayed with Yu Jiaen all the while.

Su Yi saw the photos from the set and felt that Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen's relationship was unusual. She looked at the photos repeatedly and noticed that Xu Yao was holding Yu Jiaen's hand. Furthermore, he was answering her calls, and he was even at the hospital taking care of her. The more Su Yi thought about it, the more something felt off. So, she approached Hao Chenshi to try to get some information from him.

As expected, Su Yi managed to get the information that Yu Jiaen was Xu Yao's ex-girlfriend out of Hao Chenshi. He immediately contacted Xu Yao, not only to give him a heads-up but also to ensure that Xu Yao would deny any lingering feelings for Yu Jiaen. The company was in its startup phase, and partners couldn't afford to cause conflicts. Just as Xu Yao was about to enter the elevator, he ran into Zhang Qing coming out of it. Zhang Qing gave him a friendly reminder, hoping that he would handle his relationship with Yu Jiaen appropriately, setting boundaries and being cautious about unintentional actions that might cause trouble for Yu Jiaen.

Su Yi suddenly changed her mind and went to find Hao Chenshi. She hoped that, for now, he would keep the knowledge of Xu Yao's relationship with Yu Jiaen a secret. She liked Xu Yao, and Yu Jiaen was already in the past. She didn't mind; what she wanted was a future with him. So, when the time was right, she would confess her feelings to Xu Yao.

Xu Yao extended Yu Jiaen's FANXING platform membership permanently and told her it was the client's way of showing appreciation for her hard work on their project during this time. However, Yu Jiaen still hoped that Xu Yao would maintain boundaries between work and personal relationships, keeping them separate. Lu Zijie's wife came to the company building and confronted Yu Jiaen in front of everyone, accusing her of being the other woman. Yu Jiaen was utterly bewildered, not understanding why she was making such accusations.

Xu Yao stepped in to clear the air for Yu Jiaen, claiming in front of many people that she was his wife. He embraced her tightly, and Amy quickly went upstairs to inform Lu Zijie. Lu Zijie then escorted his wife away. Su Yi witnessed the whole situation, feeling hurt but unable to question Xu Yao. Su Yi decided not to communicate with Xu Yao at this moment. They returned to the company before discussing the matter.

When Yu Jiaen arrived at the company, her colleagues were gossiping about her, but fortunately, Zhang Qing came to her defense. Yu Jiaen hadn't been with the company for long, and Lu Zijie and his wife had already been separated for over a year, so this had nothing to do with Yu Jiaen.

Lu Zijie was a responsible person, and he proactively approached Yu Jiaen to apologize. He offered to write an apology letter if she needed one to clear her name through public notice by the property management. However, Yu Jiaen felt it wasn't necessary once the misunderstanding was explained. Now, Lin Li was unhappy again. Yu Jiaen had both Lu Zijie and Xu Yao at her side, and it was clear to everyone. After hearing Lin Li's remarks, Yu Jiaen told her directly that she had someone to rely on now, and in the future, she would speak based on her abilities. Lin Li was left speechless and left in embarrassment.

Yu Jiaen arranged to meet Xu Yao to have a thorough conversation. In the evening, she went to where Xu Yao was staying, hoping that he would respect boundaries in the future. The two began arguing about who loved whom more. They reminisced about their past during their initial stages of dating. Finally, Xu Yao took out his old phone, filled with text messages from Yu Jiaen begging him to come back. He thought this would prove that Yu Jiaen loved him more, but it backfired. Yu Jiaen was deeply hurt. She realized that Xu Yao knew about her moments of desperation when she had set aside her dignity, thinking that if he saw those messages, he would feel sorry for her and come back. However, he remained indifferent all these years. Xu Yao hadn't even had a chance to explain that he had only recently seen those messages when Yu Jiaen got angry and left.

Li Nianhuan and Xu Wensong's wedding anniversary was approaching. Xu Wensong had bought her a new phone, but Li Nianhuan had always used his account. This time, when she logged into her account, she found synchronized photos that revealed Xu Wensong had booked a hotel room on their anniversary. Li Nianhuan intentionally called him while he was with Xiaoli. Li Nianhuan had changed; when a woman truly felt disappointed, she wouldn't create a scene. She decided to be brave; she couldn't go on like this. She dressed up and went to the hotel to find Xu Wensong. According to the hotel's regulations, they couldn't disclose guests' privacy, so she lied, claiming to be Xu Wensong's cousin. She said that Xu Wensong had undergone heart bypass surgery and had contacted her to come to the hotel for some rest but couldn't be reached now. The front desk considered her request reasonable and, after Li Nianhuan provided Xu Wensong's ID number, gave her the room number. Inside the room, she indeed found what she had expected and took photos. She remained composed and immediately decided to file for divorce from Xu Wensong. Xu Wensong pressured her to delete the photos, and in the struggle for the phone, he accidentally pushed Li Nianhuan down the stairs. Seeing that she was bleeding, he was too scared to move.

Yu Jiaen arranged to meet Su Yi at a coffee shop to clear things up. She wanted to ensure that this wouldn't affect their cooperation. Hao Chenshi witnessed the meeting and thought they might end up arguing, so he quickly informed Xu Yao. Xu Yao rushed down but was relieved to find that they were having a peaceful conversation. During the conversation, both Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen received photos sent by Li Nianhuan but couldn't reach her by phone. Later, they learned from Li Nianhuan's parents that she had been taken to the hospital. Yu Jiaen intended to return to Chengdu to be with Li Nianhuan, so Xu Yao asked her to go back to the company and request leave from Zhang Qing. He would arrange the earliest flight to Chengdu.

Li Nianhuan had a miscarriage, but fortunately, she was physically fine. However, Xu Wensong was solely focused on the child and didn't care about Li Nianhuan's condition. Yu Jiaen took leave and returned to Chengdu. Su Yi saw an opportunity to replace her and personally approached Lu Zijie. She decided to change the project's executor to Lin Li. Su Yi deliberately mentioned that her father's company was looking for a PR firm. After weighing the pros and cons, Lu Zijie thought replacing Yu Jiaen might not be a bad idea. After learning of this news, Hao Chenshi quickly informed Zhang Qing. Zhang Qing rushed to Lu Zijie's office, but it was too late, and the decision was irreversible.

Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao hurried to the hospital to visit Li Nianhuan. With Yu Jiaen's presence, Li Nianhuan finally closed her eyes to rest. It was Zhang Qing's birthday, but her parents had forgotten it, and her younger brother had called, asking for money to renovate his new house. Zhang Qing felt sad and, after hanging up the phone, decided to accept Hao Chenshi's invitation to have a drink. Hao Chenshi had been earnestly pursuing Zhang Qing, and she was beginning to notice. However, Hao Chenshi didn't know it was her birthday, so he hadn't prepared a gift. Instead, he drew a picture of the two of them on a napkin. Zhang Qing could redeem it anytime for whatever she wanted. Zhang Qing felt that words alone were not enough, so she took out her lipstick from her bag and applied it to Hao Chenshi's lips, then stamped it on the napkin. The two of them got drunk and ended up staying in a hotel. The next morning, Zhang Qing hadn't expected to wake up next to Hao Chenshi. She told him that what happened last night was a result of being drunk and not to misunderstand.

Li Nianhuan's mother asked Xu Yao to ensure that Yu Jiaen was safely escorted home. She took the opportunity to send some things to Mrs. Wang (Yu Jiaen's mother). When Mrs. Wang received the news, she went to the market early in the morning to buy groceries. As an elder, she wouldn't harm Xu Yao, but she did want to ask him why he had abandoned Yu Jiaen without a word. Xu Yao unintentionally mentioned how Mrs. Wang had come to him in the past, urging him and Yu Jiaen to get married quickly. This was something Yu Jiaen didn't know about. After Xu Yao left, Yu Jiaen asked her mother what had happened and if she had already known that their relationship wouldn't last.

A mother knows her daughter best. Mrs. Wang loved her daughter deeply but was also an observer. She worried that Yu Jiaen's sunny personality might affect their future. So she thought about having them register their marriage early. Yu Jiaen and her mother never saw eye to eye, and Yu Jiaen felt that her mother always found fault with her. In response, Yu Jiaen asked if her parents' divorce had also been her fault. Mrs. Wang had hardly ever talked to Yu Jiaen about her divorce before, but now that her daughter was grown up, she felt it was time to discuss it and didn't want any rift between them. Mrs. Wang had a tough life because Yu Jiaen's father didn't earn much, but she worked two jobs a day and had to come home and deal with her husband's emotional state. As a result, her mother-in-law thought it was her fault that her son had lost face, accusing her of loving to show off and being overly competitive. Yu Jiaen learned about her mother's experiences for the first time, and she felt deeply for her.

Hao Chenshi sent a large bouquet of roses to Zhang Qing's company, but she instructed the receptionist to throw them away. Then she called Hao Chenshi to scold him. Hao Chenshi decided to pursue Zhang Qing more openly, engaging in a battle of wits and confidence. Regardless of what kind of relationship expert Zhang Qing was, he was confident that he could win her over.

Mrs. Wang hoped that Yu Jiaen wouldn't end up like her, being alone in her fifties without a companion. She didn't think Yu Jiaen was at fault, but she wanted Yu Jiaen to learn to act dumb and appear vulnerable, thinking it would make life easier. However, Yu Jiaen had her mother's blood, and she couldn't escape it. She had a naturally strong personality.

Xu Wensong took the initiative to visit Li Nianhuan at the hospital and proposed a divorce. He still believed it was Li Nianhuan's fault, that she had become arrogant after becoming pregnant. Now, everyone was gossiping about the Xu family, saying that despite their wealth, they couldn't have a son. Li Nianhuan couldn't believe that Xu Wensong still thought she was at fault. He had pushed her down the stairs, and now he was divorcing her of his own accord, saying she couldn't take any of his assets. He had never cared about her.

Upon hearing this news, Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao were furious. They went straight to Xu Wensong's factory. Yu Jiaen showed the workers the pictures of Xu Wensong's affair, "publicizing" his deeds. In a fit of anger, Xu Wensong pushed Yu Jiaen to the ground. Xu Yao arrived just in time, witnessing the scene. He rushed over and punched Xu Wensong twice. Later, the two of them got into a scuffle. Yu Jiaen saw that Xu Yao was at a disadvantage, so she decisively intervened, delivering a few more punches to Xu Wensong. Both Xu Yao and Xu Wensong ended up with some injuries. Eventually, they chose to settle the matter privately at the police station.

With this issue resolved, Yu Jiaen took the initiative to invite Xu Yao to dinner. They finally talked openly about the knots in their hearts that had built up over the years. It was a scene of reconciliation. Yu Jiaen finally realized her own shortcomings. Back then, she had been too focused on her own anger and starting a business, neglecting Xu Yao. She recognized that at that time, Xu Yao must have been going through a lot. Yu Jiaen hoped to part on good terms with him and let go of the past.

Xu Yao drove Yu Jiaen back home. She remembered the lottery ticket Xu Yao had given her, which had won two hundred yuan. She gave Xu Yao half of it, each carrying good luck in their wallets. Xu Yao hugged Yu Jiaen, and this was how they bid a proper farewell. Yu Jiaen didn't resist; she also felt that this was a true and meaningful farewell.

Back at their respective homes, they each took out the photo album from their past. They looked at the memories they had created back then and couldn't have imagined they would end up apart. Yu Jiaen had truly let go, erasing the blackened image of Xu Yao's face. The past had been beautiful, so she wanted to preserve those memories.

Xu Yao's company had a lot of work to do. They had to hold a meeting to report the company's finances. Su Yi helped Xu Yao book a flight. Since Yu Jiaen was still with Li Nianhuan, Xu Yao decided to focus on the company's financial issues. They needed to prepare for cost-cutting and increased revenue; otherwise, in three months, they might not be able to pay their employees' salaries. Their future work priorities were financing and increasing membership.

Li Nianhuan was discharged from the hospital and returned home in poor condition. Fortunately, Yu Jiaen was there to comfort her. Li Nianhuan now believed that she had killed the child with her thoughts. Yu Jiaen encouraged her not to overthink it and advised her to recover her health. After that, she could go to Beijing in the best possible condition to reunite with Zhao Ang and their dreams. Hao Chenshi went to Zhang Qing's office and hoped she could expedite their company's case. Zhang Qing warned him that, due to their past, it would never be expedited on his behalf.

Li Nianhuan suffered from postpartum depression. Before leaving, Yu Jiaen instructed Li Nianhuan's mother to inform her of anything important. Xu Yao learned that Su Yi had replaced project manager Yu Jiaen, and he felt the need to defend Yu Jiaen. He intended to talk to Su Yi, but was stopped by Hao Chenshi. Hao Chenshi told Xu Yao that Su Yi's decision was sound, as she was considering the company's progress. Changing the project manager was not to Yu Jiaen's detriment. If he interfered, it would only cause trouble for her. Xu Yao recalled Yu Jiaen's words; they were now in a professional relationship, and he should not disrupt the established boundaries out of guilt. Doing so would only invite criticism, so Xu Yao abandoned the idea of intervening for Yu Jiaen.

Upon returning to Beijing, Yu Jiaen discovered that her project had been given to someone else, a workplace rule she couldn't change. She realized that she could be sad but couldn't let it hinder her progress; otherwise, she would be replaced. Having lost a project, she decided to familiarize herself with other projects at the company while working overtime. This caught the attention of Lu Zijie, who, as a senior and boss, gave Yu Jiaen some advice and assigned her a new project he was personally overseeing. As it got late, Lu Zijie offered to drive Yu Jiaen home. Remembering their previous encounter, Yu Jiaen declined, but Lu Zijie informed her that he had divorced, so there was no reason to worry about gossip.

Li Nianhuan's and Xu Wensong's mothers met to discuss their children's divorce. Knowing that Li Nianhuan's mother was an intellectual, Yu Jiaen was concerned she might be at a disadvantage, so she had her mother come to support her. As expected, when two troublemakers clash, Wang Mama and Xu Wensong's mother had a heated argument, with Wang Mama prevailing and driving Xu Wensong's mother away. Li Nianhuan's mother was grateful to Wang Mama and hoped they could keep in touch since their children were doing well. They might have a chance to reconcile in the future. Wang Mama was eager to play mahjong, so she urged Li Nianhuan's mother to go home and take care of her daughter.

Lin Li deliberately had Yu Jiaen bring water into a meeting between herself, Xu Yao, and others, even making her assist her openly. She was actually trying to please Su Yi. Since learning about Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao's relationship, Su Yi had become increasingly hostile and sometimes made things difficult for Yu Jiaen. However, Yu Jiaen remained composed, smiling, and told Su Yi that her decision not to reunite with Xu Yao was due to her own issues, not fear of Su Yi. She still believed they were not suitable for each other.

While serving coffee to Su Yi, Yu Jiaen accidentally spilled it. Lin Li began to criticize Yu Jiaen in front of everyone. Xu Yao couldn't bear to watch and signaled to Hao Chenshi, who reminded Lin Li that her actions would make everyone uncomfortable. Su Yi also felt uneasy, thinking it would make her appear intentionally cruel to Yu Jiaen. Overwhelmed with frustration, Yu Jiaen went to the restroom, finally understanding what Lu Zijie had called the "Mushroom Law."

Yu Jiaen approached Zhao Ang and informed him of Li Nianhuan's miscarriage. Regardless of their own relationship, Yu Jiaen hoped Zhao Ang could help Li Nianhuan in this difficult time. Li Nianhuan received a message from Zhao Ang, who tried to persuade her in his own way to overcome her troubles. Meanwhile, Xiao Li visited Li Nianhuan's home, intentionally recorded their conversation, and pretended to help Li Nianhuan secure more money. However, Li Nianhuan was no longer the naive person she once was and didn't fall for the trap. She warned Xiao Li that if she ever came back, she would remain a mistress forever.

Yu Jiaen's video went online and quickly reached the third spot on the trending list. However, the comments section was filled with criticism, with netizens accusing them of objectifying women and denying their value. Knowing there was a problem, Zhang Qing and her team rushed into damage control mode. Yu Jiaen wanted to be involved but was denied by Zhang Qing to protect her. Zhang Qing asked Yu Jiaen to write a statement, but Yu Jiaen had never done so before and found online resources unhelpful.

This significant issue naturally caught the attention of Lu Zijie, who came to the company and personally taught Yu Jiaen how to write a statement, emphasizing the importance of sincerity at this point. However, the situation continued to worsen. Su Yi's father's company was also criticized online, and the actor An An, who had initially declined to film an advertisement, took advantage of the situation to gain attention. An An even disclosed Yu Jiaen's name, leading to her being doxxed. Now, Yu Jiaen applied to participate in the public relations project. She couldn't stay on the sidelines; she had to save herself. Su Yi's father came to Beijing for a meeting and received the negative information about Fanyixing from the corporate PR department. He went directly to Fanyixing to ask about a solution.

Su Yi's father knew that netizens liked to see karma, so he requested that Fanyixing and Guangpu each fire one person to calm the public outrage. He used Lu Zijie as leverage to pressure Zhang Qing into making a quick decision. Zhang Qing understood that Lu Zijie wanted the public relations cases of Su's conglomerate, so she had to comply with Su's wishes. Consequently, she chose Xiaomi, as firing an assistant would cause the least harm to the company.

Yu Jiaen wouldn't let Xiaomi take full responsibility. She communicated separately with Zhang Qing and decided to resolve the situation within 24 hours of golden public relations time. If public opinion wasn't calmed, she would resign voluntarily. Zhang Qing chose Xiaomi to protect Yu Jiaen. After their discussion, Zhang Qing decided to handle things the way Yu Jiaen suggested.

"Family should stick together." Xu Yao also refused Su's suggestion to fire someone from Fanyixing's marketing department. They were a startup company, and everyone relied on their beliefs. Handling the situation this way would only dishearten employees, which was not the corporate culture Xu Yao wanted. So, he disagreed with Su's proposed solution. At this moment, Yu Jiaen rushed into the office and shared her thoughts. Su Yi felt that since she was so confident, they should follow her plan. If it didn't work, she could leave.

Yu Jiaen planned to record an apology video to shift the blame onto herself, gradually reducing the negative impact on all three companies. Zhang Qing gave Yu Jiaen full authority to mobilize all available company resources. Xiaomi was very grateful to Yu Jiaen for standing up for her, as everyone should sweep in front of their own doors. Yu Jiaen, despite her initial difficulties, appreciated Xiaomi's kindness. When everyone isolated her, Xiaomi showed her kindness, and such kindness should be acknowledged and reciprocated.

Zhang Qing found the situation suspicious and suspected that someone was manipulating Fanyixing. However, as there were no competing companies, she instructed Lin Li to gather information and control the narrative on social media to see how the situation would unfold. She confronted the head of the marketing accounts responsible for the marketing campaign, using a combination of tactics to force them to reveal the names of their clients. Simultaneously, Yu Jiaen and her team found a breakthrough in An An's case. They discovered a recorded conversation between An An and her ex-boyfriend, proving her poor character and her initial rejection of the advertising shoot. Lin Li cooperated by immediately taking advantage of this trend to turn public opinion in their favor.

Zhang Qing learned from a marketing account that the mastermind behind the scenes was the Wei Yi faction. The An An incident was just an accident. Yu Jiaen now understood what Zhang Qing meant when she mentioned something unpleasant happening under the table. Yu Jiaen also resorted to similarly questionable methods to retaliate against An An, but she didn't consider it the right approach. Therefore, she hoped Zhang Qing would drop the idea of suing An An. Zhang Qing asked Yu Jiaen to apologize to Xiaomi on her behalf. Her years of experience had taught Zhang Qing to minimize losses.

The reversal in the An An incident was only a temporary turn of events. In the evening, Xu Yao, Hao Chenshi, Zhang Qing, and Yu Jiaen held a meeting. Zhang Qing informed Xu Yao that it was the Wei Yi faction behind the scenes. Renting clothing was already a popular trend abroad, and they were planning to enter the Chinese market. They had targeted Fanyixing as a competitor, so this was a precise strike.

The second round of public relations began. Their counterattack aimed to make women understand that renting clothes was a form of fashion freedom, not objectification. The four of them worked late into the night to finalize their counterattack plan. Zhang Qing planned to sleep until 12 o'clock and then assess the results. This was the moment that would determine their fate – it was a make-or-break situation.

Within a day, Fanyixing completely turned the unfavorable situation around. The majority of netizens supported Fanyixing, with even Su Yi's father praising Yu Jiaen's skills. He had also guessed that Yu Jiaen was Xu Yao's former girlfriend and believed she was not ordinary. This statement made Su Yi a bit unhappy, as it implied she had a strong competitor.

Yu Jiaen and Lu Zijie had dinner together. She thanked him for his guidance and help during the Fanyixing incident. However, Lu Zijie only saw it as doing what he should. If Yu Jiaen felt uneasy about it, he hoped she could teach him how to win at claw machines. Previously, Yu Jiaen had won some toys from claw machines, which Lu Zijie had taken home for his daughter. His daughter loved them, and he had falsely claimed to have won them himself. As a result, his daughter kept pestering him to win more toys. Now, Lu Zijie would avoid claw machines to prevent being caught in the lie. Yu Jiaen promised to teach him.

After one year, Fanyixing achieved more than 7 million in cash flow for the first time. After celebrating with colleagues, Xu Yao wanted to share this good news with Yu Jiaen personally. However, Yu Jiaen was having dinner with Lu Zijie and forgot to reply to his messages. Xu Yao went to wait downstairs at Yu Jiaen's home and witnessed a heart-wrenching scene: Lu Zijie had escorted Yu Jiaen home and gave her a bouquet of flowers. When Yu Jiaen returned home and saw Xu Yao's missed calls, she called him back but acted distant and formal. Despite Xu Yao's efforts to bridge their relationship, he only received an official and cold response from Yu Jiaen.

After Zhao Ang and Li Nianhuan got in touch, their relationship improved over time. Zhao Ang surprised Li Nianhuan by visiting Chengdu. Li Nianhuan took Zhao Ang to places she frequented and shared her story. Seeing other couples together, Li Nianhuan felt envious. She realized that this was what love was supposed to be – a heart-pounding feeling. Moved by Zhao Ang's actions, she also felt her heart racing. Zhao Ang hoped that Li Nianhuan would accompany him to Beijing, and she agreed.

Zhang Qing's mother came to Beijing to visit her because she had been upset with her son and daughter-in-law at home. During this visit, Zhang Qing advised her mother not to use her real name, Zhang Chunfen, anymore. When Zhang Qing's mother learned that her daughter had unilaterally changed her name, she started to educate Zhang Qing.

Since Zhang Qing's mother came to Beijing, she rarely worked overtime at the office, and when she did, she worked from home. She accidentally came across WeChat messages between her mother and younger brother, Zhang Qiang, revealing that she had been manipulated by her family. Her mother's visit was to inquire whether she still had money, as they wanted to use it to renovate their hometown house. Zhang Qing was devastated by this revelation. She had already used up all her savings to buy a house for her brother. She couldn't allow her family to treat her this way any longer. She told her mother that she had two options: either sever the mother-daughter relationship and return to her hometown immediately, or stay a few more days without mentioning the renovation expenses.

Zhang Qing's mother was furious and retreated to her bedroom. Yu Jiaen overheard the argument happening near the front door. At lunchtime, they went out to have Peking duck together. Coincidentally, they bumped into Hao Chenshi and Xu Yao downstairs, and what should have been a scene of Hao Chenshi trying to win his wife back turned into a comedy when he mistakenly identified Zhang Qing as his wife. However, this mix-up didn't spoil their meal, and they all ate together.

During the meal, Zhang Qing's mother kept asking Hao Chenshi about the cost of his car, his occupation, whether he owned property in Beijing, and Zhang Qing couldn't stand her intrusive questions. When they were eating, Zhang Qing's mother intentionally used her real name, Zhang Chunfen, at the dinner table, which angered Zhang Chunfen and led her to leave. Yu Jiaen tried to speak up for Zhang Qing, but Zhang Qing's mother rebutted her. Zhang Chunfen left without wearing a coat, and Hao Chenshi followed her to give her one. While overhearing Zhang Qing's mother and daughter's conversation, Hao Chenshi realized that Zhang Chunfen's name wasn't just a simple matter – it represented a past she was desperately trying to leave behind. Understanding the challenges of Zhang Qing's current life, he didn't distance himself from her but felt even more compassionate.

After the meal, only Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen remained. Fortunately, they had resolved their previous conflicts. After a satisfying meal, Xu Yao went to pay the bill. However, a medicine bottle fell out of his coat. Yu Jiaen checked the medicine's name and discovered that Xu Yao had a mental health condition, most likely stemming from the failure of their previous startup. She suddenly softened her attitude and showed unexpected gentleness towards Xu Yao. After leaving the restaurant, Yu Jiaen invited Xu Yao for a walk. She assured Xu Yao that she would always be a friend he could turn to.

Li Nianhuan expressed her desire to work in Beijing to her parents, but her father scolded her. He had already arranged a future for her, and her stubbornness surprised him. Fortunately, Li Nianhuan's mother supported her daughter. She understood that her daughter had followed the family's plans for the first half of her life, and now she needed a chance to be a little rebellious. If her child wanted to try her luck in Beijing, why couldn't she? Their own child might not have experienced much in life, but that didn't make her worthless. Li Nianhuan's mother warned her husband that if he didn't agree to let their daughter go to Beijing, she would divorce him. Late at night, Li Nianhuan's father reflected on his actions. He wrote a lengthy message to his daughter, expressing his deep remorse as a father. He hadn't protected her well in terms of her marriage, and now he wanted to pave the way for her future. However, he had overlooked the fact that his child had grown up and developed an independent personality. He agreed to let Li Nianhuan go to Beijing and pursue her dreams.

Yu Jiaen was unexpectedly promoted to vice director by Lu Zijie, and Zhang Qing announced this news during the meeting. Everyone was surprised, except for Xiao Mi, who was genuinely happy for Yu Jiaen. Lin Li was very dissatisfied with this decision. She felt aggrieved, having struggled for many years to reach where she was today. Yu Jiaen had only been at the company for a few months, so why was she promoted? Zhang Qing had no mood to comfort Lin Li and told her to directly discuss her concerns with Lu Zijie.

Yu Jiaen was very confident and told Lin Li that she had the capability for the position and that's why she got it. She wanted to shake hands with Lin Li, hoping for smooth cooperation in their future work. However, Lin Li ignored her completely and left the meeting room. On the other hand, Xu Yao was planning the future strategy in a meeting. Su Yi didn't want to handle the marketing part for Yu Jiaen's team, so she was trying to contact other marketing companies. Su Yi got in touch with someone she knew and wanted to hand over the marketing contract for Fanying to them. However, she wasn't the head of the marketing department, so she needed to consult Hao Chenshi's opinion.

Lu Zijie arranged to meet Yu Jiaen at a distant fruit-picking farm. He brought his daughter and the family nanny with him. His daughter, Du Du, had recently taken a keen interest in it. Du Du knew that Yu Jiaen was a claw crane operator because she often heard her dad talk about Yu Jiaen and liked her. Later, Yu Jiaen joined in the fruit-picking, and she and Du Du had a great time playing together, which Lu Zijie observed.

After it was over, Du Du fell asleep from exhaustion. Lu Zijie arranged for the nanny to take Du Du home first and then had tea with Yu Jiaen. He took this opportunity to confess his feelings to her. Yu Jiaen was somewhat startled, but Lu Zijie was a gentleman. He told Yu Jiaen that she didn't need to answer now and shouldn't feel pressured. Her promotion was indeed based on her abilities.

During Zhang Qing's business trip, Hao Chenshi took the initiative to take Zhang Qing's mother out for dinner. Zhang Qing's mother took the opportunity to test whether Hao Chenshi wanted to marry Zhang Qing and requested a dowry of 200,000 RMB. Hao Chenshi understood Zhang Qing's mother's intentions. He believed that Zhang Qing was not a commodity with a fixed price, and if the money was for Zhang Qing, he would naturally give it. However, he knew it was for someone else, so they couldn't discuss this matter further. The conversation between the two wasn't very pleasant, but Hao Chenshi still finished the meal and safely escorted Zhang Qing's mother home. Zhang Qing's mother felt a bit embarrassed but continued eating with her chopsticks.

Yu Jiaen took the initiative to invite Xu Yao to watch a Marvel movie, which had been a regret for them. Yu Jiaen even booked an entire screening for them, hoping to help Xu Yao relax and relieve some stress. After watching the movie, they had hotpot together. Yu Jiaen informed Xu Yao that they needed to secure the annual cooperation with Fanying and that the plan was already in progress. She had confidence in winning the contract, and Xu Yao also had faith in her.

Su Yi and Lu Zijie ran into each other in the office garage while waiting for the elevator. Su Yi could tell that Lu Zijie had feelings for Yu Jiaen, and Lu Zijie knew about Su Yi's feelings for Xu Yao. Su Yi hoped that they would both focus on their respective pursuits. Lu Zijie mentioned his confession but didn't go into details, just as Su Yi advised. They both agreed to focus on their own efforts.

In the end, Su Yi unilaterally decided to hand over the operation of Fanying's social media accounts to another marketing company. Her reasoning was difficult for Hao Chenshi to dispute: to fragment the marketing business and try out multiple marketing companies. Zhang Qing and Yu Jiaen thought it was okay, but Xu Yao couldn't contain his anger and got into an argument with Su Yi.

Xu Yao wasn't favoring Yu Jiaen; he was considering it from the company's operational perspective. Su Yi was pressuring Hao Chenshi, who was in charge of the marketing department, and it wasn't suitable. This was a sign of the partners drifting apart. Hao Chenshi heard their argument outside the door and took the opportunity to ask Xu Yao to leave. Su Yi also spoke her mind; she didn't care which marketing company handled it; she cared about Yu Jiaen. In fact, Xu Yao had known for a while that Su Yi liked him. Since she found out about his relationship with Yu Jiaen, her attitude towards Yu Jiaen had changed, and Xu Yao had noticed. But he didn't like Su Yi romantically; he considered her a business partner.

Su Yi didn't want to endure it any longer. She took the initiative to confess her feelings to Xu Yao, but he politely declined her confession. He saw Su Yi as a partner and hoped they could succeed together in their careers. After being rejected, Su Yi was in a bad mood and returned to Shanghai. Su Yi's father knew why she had come home, so he had a heart-to-heart talk with his daughter. He told Su Yi how to interact with Xu Yao in the future. As a man, he understood the guilt Xu Yao felt toward Yu Jiaen, which proved that Xu Yao was a responsible person. So, Su Yi's father had high hopes for Xu Yao. If he weren't responsible, he wouldn't have invested eight million for his daughter's love. Su Yi's father advised her not to target Yu Jiaen; it would only make Xu Yao more repelled. However, he reminded Su Yi to be prepared on both fronts, so she wouldn't lose the company and get her heart hurt.

Li Nianhuan was about to come to Beijing, and Xu Yao helped her find an apartment in his own neighborhood. Li Nianhuan's mother paid the rent for her. Li Nianhuan and Yu Jiaen were having a video call when Li Nianhuan's mother entered the room. She hoped Yu Jiaen would take care of Li Nianhuan and even tried to matchmake Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao. She intentionally asked Yu Jiaen to help Li Nianhuan buy some household items to create an opportunity for Xu Yao to meet her. Li Nianhuan understood her mother's intentions but didn't reveal them.

Zhang Qing's mother, seeing how well-equipped Zhang Qing's kitchen was, thought of asking her to buy things for Zhang Qiang. She also complained about Hao Chenshi, thinking he wasn't reliable. Zhang Qing brought up the issue and deliberately led the conversation. Sure enough, she found out that her mother had asked for a dowry from Hao Chenshi. In anger, she told Zhang Qiang that if he couldn't afford it, he shouldn't get married. He shouldn't expect to receive a penny from her in the future. Then, she dressed and went to the office to work overtime.

Yu Jiaen went to a furniture store and, while looking at a sofa, remembered the time when she and Xu Yao had shopped for furniture together. Coincidentally, Xu Yao saw Yu Jiaen lost in thought and asked her if she was thinking about something. Yu Jiaen collected her thoughts and didn't say much. Then she received a call from Lu Zijie, who was on a business trip in Hangzhou. Du Du had fallen and was crying at home. He begged Yu Jiaen to visit his house and take Du Du to the hospital. Xu Yao, knowing that Yu Jiaen was going to Lu Zijie's house, felt jealous, thinking she was overstepping boundaries by getting involved with someone who had just divorced. Yu Jiaen was very angry and believed that he had no right to meddle in her affairs.

At Lu Zijie's house, Du Du immediately hugged Yu Jiaen and called her "mom," which surprised Yu Jiaen but also made her happy that Du Du liked her. Zhang Qing took her mother to the train station. She wasn't heartless; she knew she hadn't spent much time with her mother recently due to her busy schedule. So she gave her mother some money, hoping she and her father could use it, but not to give it to Zhang Qiang. Zhang Qiang was already an adult and needed to support himself. Her mother understood the difficulties Zhang Qing faced in Beijing and decided not to trouble her further regarding Zhang Qiang's matters. She and her husband would figure something out.

Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen were setting up Li Nianhuan's room. While Yu Jiaen was preparing to cook, she accidentally cut her hand while peeling potatoes. Xu Yao found a clown headgear while searching for a bandage and Yu Jiaen lied, saying it was a stress-relief technique recommended by her therapist. Xu Yao learned about the medication Yu Jiaen had seen in Hao Chenshi's possession and guessed that it was intended for him. So, he decided to pretend to find it amusing and joined Yu Jiaen. Yu Jiaen applied clown makeup to Xu Yao and they both wore the headgear. They followed the movements of a clown in a video with accompanying music. Xu Yao began to dance, but eventually, he recalled a childhood incident when he had been mistaken for stealing a phone and how his father had bowed and apologized to the other party. Xu Yao had seen this from outside his father's office. His father had told him that the other party's parents had forgiven him, but he would always remember how the other student's mother had pointed at his father and insulted him. Since that time, he had been determined to earn a lot of money. Seeing Xu Yao cry on the floor, Yu Jiaen felt very sorry for him.

Li Nianhuan invited Zhang Qing and Hao Chenshi to her housewarming party. Hao Chenshi saw Zhang Qing and asked why she was avoiding him, as he couldn't seem to evade her no matter what. While Li Nianhuan and the others were on their way home, Xu Yao quickly washed off the makeup on his face. He was happy that he was getting closer to Yu Jiaen.

Zhao Ang and Li Nianhuan were officially dating, but Xu Yao didn't like Zhao Ang. He was concerned that Li Nianhuan might get hurt. In his role as the elder, Xu Yao asked Zhao Ang about his background, but Yu Jiaen, who was nearby, gestured for him to be quiet. After dinner, the six of them chatted and laughed together, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Hao Chenshi tried to tell a corny joke to cheer up Zhang Qing, but she wasn't interested. She made an excuse to leave, and Hao Chenshi followed her. He apologized, saying he shouldn't have invited Zhang Qing's mother to dinner without her consent. Regarding the dowry issue, he would give it to Zhang Qing if she wanted, but not to her family. Zhang Qing was moved by his words and looked at Hao Chenshi through the rearview mirror. For the first time, she felt that he appeared less arrogant and actually understood her.

Xu Yao warned Zhao Ang not to stay overnight, as things were progressing too fast, and Li Nianhuan was older than Zhao Ang. Li Nianhuan sought Yu Jiaen's help to "rescue" Zhao Ang. Yu Jiaen thought they had settled down in Beijing and it was time to consider the future. Still, she helped Zhao Ang out. After leaving Li Nianhuan's house one after the other, Xu Yao mentioned that when he tried to kiss Yu Jiaen in the afternoon, she didn't resist, so he wanted to confirm if she still had feelings for him. Yu Jiaen didn't want things to continue to be messy between them and suggested that they should just be friends. She wanted them to forget the words they exchanged today.

Su Yi returned to Beijing with a completely changed attitude, not only toward Xu Yao but also toward Yu Jiaen. The three of them took the same elevator to work. Su Yi remembered her father's words and made an effort to be friendly to Yu Jiaen. She also hoped that if they had an annual marketing plan, they could discuss it at the company. Later, Xu Yao saw an advertisement from Wei Yi Pai in the elevator, and after analyzing it, they realized that they couldn't compete with Wei Yi Pai in elevator advertising.

After reviewing Yu Jiaen's marketing plan, Su Yi thought it was excellent and wanted to discuss it. Hao Chenshi went to talk to Zhang Qing, but she told him that Yu Jiaen was solely responsible for this matter, so he should approach Yu Jiaen instead. The marketing strategy by Wei Yi Pai was indeed a significant challenge for Xing Media. Now, Xu Yao needed to establish a logistics system, so there wasn't much money to spare for marketing. Su Yi told Xu Yao that her father had decided to increase the investment, but Xu Yao refused. He wanted to consider the long-term perspective. If he accepted the money from Old Su, they would have a combined 15% ownership, which could lead to future problems. So, Xu Yao wouldn't do it. Hao Chenshi thought Xu Yao was worried about Su Yi's feelings, but it turned out that he had underestimated Xu Yao.

Hao Chenshi still stood by Xu Yao's side. He wasn't naive and understood that Su Yi's confession had been rejected this time. She had gone to Shanghai and returned with money; it seemed that the Su family was not ordinary. In front of Su Yi, Hao Chenshi told her that Xu Yao was considering her and Old Su's interests. Accepting this investment would be a high-risk move, and Xu Yao didn't want Old Su to bear such a significant risk.

Li Nianhuan suddenly felt a bit melancholic. She was worried that being with Zhao Ang was just a passing fancy, and their future looked uncertain. Li Nianhuan was approaching thirty, unemployed in Beijing, and dating a younger man. She felt sad thinking about it. Zhao Ang, being a native of Beijing, thought that if Li Nianhuan agreed, they could get married, and she wouldn't be part of the "North Drifting" crowd anymore. Zhao Ang comforted her, and Li Nianhuan felt better, and they had breakfast together.

Yu Jiaen went to discuss the marketing strategy with Hao Chenshi and Su Yi. However, Su Yi lost her temper, especially when she found out that Yu Jiaen's thoughts about Xing Media's positioning were aligned with Xu Yao's. She felt that they had probably discussed it privately. No matter how Yu Jiaen explained, Su Yi wouldn't listen. Seeing the situation deteriorating, Hao Chenshi immediately contacted Xu Yao via WeChat to come to the rescue. Xu Yao appeared very serious. He knew that Su Yi was still targeting Yu Jiaen, but this was unwarranted. They decided to first resolve their differences internally and then bring in Yu Jiaen for the meeting.

Hao Chenshi agreed with Yu Jiaen's suggestion to adjust the positioning to serve white-collar workers, as their needs were more significant. Xu Yao and Hao Chenshi shared the same ideas. Xu Yao privately contacted Yu Jiaen to implement the positioning they had discussed. Li Nianhuan was worried about her job, but she had no work experience, and finding a job in Beijing was extremely challenging. Yu Jiaen knew that Xu Wensong had given Li Nianhuan 100,000 yuan in alimony, so her urgency to find a job had a reason. As expected, Li Nianhuan revealed the truth; she had lent the 100,000 yuan to Zhao Ang. Zhao Ang needed the money to attend a music festival in Europe, but he didn't have enough, so she gave him the money.

Yu Jiaen was very angry when she found out. Li Nianhuan was too naive to give away all her savings like that. However, it was too late, and scolding her wouldn't change anything. Many people had advised Yu Jiaen not to return to Chengdu with Xu Yao to start a business back then, but she had gone without hesitation. So, she understood Li Nianhuan's situation. Once money was spent, it was spent. Yu Jiaen decided to help her create a resume and find a job.

Zhao Ang and Li Nianhuan were immersed in the sweet moments of being a young couple, something Li Nianhuan hadn't experienced in her previous marriage. Yu Jiaen watched them happily and felt glad for Li Nianhuan. On the weekend, Yu Jiaen had arranged to meet Xu Yao, who wanted to see the lives of their target users on Fanzhing. Yu Jiaen brought Xu Yao to a bus stop, where they could observe the lives of ordinary white-collar workers. This trip turned out to be worthwhile as they witnessed a married couple arguing. The reason was that the woman had spent 3,000 yuan on clothes to boost her confidence as she was reentering the workforce, but her husband couldn't understand her. Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao took the opportunity to offer the lady a free one-month Fanzhing membership to rent clothes, with the condition that she provided feedback after using it. The reason for offering it for free, according to Xu Yao, was that the lady's time and energy were also valuable.

Yu Jiaen wanted to eat pancakes, and Xu Yao was generous, ordering a deluxe meal. Later, Xu Yao remembered a fancy restaurant they had wanted to eat at in the past. After paying for it, they canceled the pancakes and took a taxi. Back then, they couldn't afford it, but now Xu Yao had the means and wanted to make up for that regret. However, the restaurant had already moved, so they ended up eating instant noodles at a convenience store. Their years of understanding each other often led to aligned inspiration and ideas. Xu Yao wanted to use an ordinary woman they met today as the protagonist of a Fanzhing story. Such a person would be more persuasive and could attract their target users. Yu Jiaen fully agreed.

Meanwhile, Su Yi secretly met with Lin Li to collaborate on a plan to challenge Yu Jiaen. Su Yi couldn't maintain goodwill toward Yu Jiaen and knew that Lin Li was unhappy with Yu Jiaen's promotion. They shared the same planning ideas and wanted to use a show format with influential people to promote the Fanzhing brand.

Yu Jiaen organized a meeting with the team, but Lin Li intentionally arrived late and tried to assert her seniority, making Yu Jiaen personally invite her. Yu Jiaen explained her ideas during the meeting, intending to feature Fanzhing users as the protagonists of their story, which she believed would be more convincing than using celebrity influencers. The theme of the big show was "Your Efforts Are Beautiful," combining "real," "touching," and "resonance" as key elements to evoke a sense of connection with the users. However, Lin Li disagreed with her plan. Among the five team members, only Xiao Mi sided with Yu Jiaen, and in the end, they had to follow Lin Li's direction. Yu Jiaen didn't give in and thought that this type of marketing was just the client company spending money; it didn't showcase the true capabilities of their public relations firm. So, she decided that both she and Lin Li should independently create proposals, submit them anonymously, and the winning proposal would be the one they pursued. If Lin Li's proposal won, she would resign from her position as Deputy Director and follow Lin Li's plan. They kept this plan a secret from Zhang Qing.

Lin Li secretly informed Su Yi about this development. Su Yi was thrilled to learn that if Yu Jiaen's proposal didn't win, she would automatically exit the Fanzhing project and resign as Deputy Director. Su Yi planned to help Lin Li's proposal win. Xu Yao also took precautions and worried that someone might undermine Yu Jiaen. He deliberately sought out marketing experts to vote, ensuring fairness.

Zhang Qing went to Shanghai on a business trip and met Li Yan again. She learned that Li Yan was getting married next week and, after a moment of surprise, quickly adjusted her emotions and congratulated Li Yan on finding the right person. Li Yan consoled Zhang Qing, saying that anyone who wasn't playing games with emotions was the right person. During this trip to Shanghai, Zhang Qing also met with Liu Jie, who wanted her to join a startup. However, the offer only included equity without a basic salary, and profit wasn't expected in the near future. Zhang Qing still hoped for some financial security, even if it was just half of her current salary. However, Liu Jie needed to consider the bigger picture, as none of the partners received a salary. It wouldn't be reasonable to pay Zhang Qing separately, so she decided to think it over.

Xu Yao had been under a lot of pressure lately, having nightmares about another business failure. Waking up in a bad mood, he left the company alone. Su Yi saw his condition and became very worried, so she informed Hao Chenshi to find him. Xu Yao went to Li Nianhuan's house and coincidentally found Zhao Ang's band rehearsing there. Seeing them like this, Xu Yao became very angry and scolded them. Li Nianhuan cleverly initiated a video call with Yu Jiaen, but Xu Yao saw Lu Zijie in the video, making him even more upset due to jealousy. Yu Jiaen quickly found Xu Yao in a bad mood and, along with Lu Zijie and Du Du, rushed to Li Nianhuan's house. Zhang Qing and Hao Chenshi had also arrived in her residential area. Zhang Qing treated everyone to a club visit to relieve the stress.

Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen, along with Hao Chenshi and Zhang Qing, were dancing at the bar. Someone approached Hao Chenshi, but Zhang Qing rushed over to introduce herself as Hao Chenshi's girlfriend. Hao Chenshi was thrilled, as his persistent pursuit had finally paid off. Guided by Yu Jiaen, Xu Yao took the first step and ventured into the dance floor.

Zhao Ang was deceived for the money he needed to attend a music festival in Europe. He felt deeply regretful, and Li Nianhuan, feeling nervous herself, tried to console him. Their entire savings, including borrowed money, were on the line, and they didn't know how to proceed. That night, Zhao Ang had dinner with Li Nianhuan and a few friends to brainstorm solutions. The atmosphere was tense, and everyone was feeling low. Keyboard Gangster and Drum Captain believed in Zhao Ang and contributed money, but Zhao Ang's unreliable friend led to a falling out between him and the Drum Captain. They got into a physical fight, and Keyboard Gangster struggled to break it up.

Lu Zijie attended a meeting in Zhang Qing's department, where the issue of Yu Jiaen and Lin Li's bet over project proposals was exposed. Both of them faced criticism from Zhang Qing. In reality, Zhang Qing was using this approach to develop Yu Jiaen, and Lu Zijie witnessed that Yu Jiaen was being isolated by other team members. Lu Zijie acknowledged the unique talents of Lin Li and Yu Jiaen and emphasized the importance of teamwork without criticizing them. Zhang Qing later submitted her resignation to Lu Zijie, citing her need for a break. She assured Lu Zijie that she would find a suitable replacement within the one-month handover period. However, Lu Zijie didn't want to let her go and hoped she would reconsider or find another position within the company. He was willing to accommodate any other requests from Zhang Qing, but she didn't make any demands.

Xu Yao and Su Yi had a heated argument in the office because Su Yi saw the presentation draft Xu Yao had prepared and thought he was making decisions about the presentation without consulting her. In reality, Xu Yao was just organizing his thoughts and planned to discuss it with Su Yi later, but their different values and perspectives made it difficult to reconcile. Even with Hao Chenshi's intervention, Su Yi still believed that Hao Chenshi was taking Xu Yao's side.

In the evening, Yu Jiaen was working late in the office, and Lu Zijie brought her dinner. Lu Zijie thought Yu Jiaen was upset with him for not speaking up on her behalf during the day, but he didn't understand Yu Jiaen. She just felt that no one wanted to hear her opinions. Lu Zijie started to advise Yu Jiaen again, telling her that in the service industry, one couldn't always focus on winning and had to consider team dynamics. Being overly assertive would only make others feel burdened. Yu Jiaen didn't say much, left her meal untouched, and left the office. She went to the rooftop and found Xu Yao there. As snow began to fall from the sky, Xu Yao remembered the time when he had caught snowflakes for Yu Jiaen using a notebook. Now, they finally had the chance to watch the snow together. They shared a romantic kiss in the snow, and later, Xu Yao brought Yu Jiaen to his home, where they had a wonderful night together. The next morning, Xu Yao prepared breakfast, did laundry for Yu Jiaen, and she noticed his old phone, reminding her of their past. She couldn't simply act like nothing had happened, so she left without having breakfast. Xu Yao hid in the bathroom, listening for any sounds from outside. When he heard the door close, he came out to find the untouched breakfast, feeling a bit saddened.

Yu Jiaen took the notebook filled with snowflakes and felt the need to calm down. She entered her home quietly, only to be confronted by Zhang Qing. Based on her clothes, Zhang Qing could tell that she had spent the night with Xu Yao. When Hao Chenshi came to Xu Yao's house and saw Yu Jiaen's clothes, he had mixed feelings as a good friend. Su Yi found out about this, and it caused even more trouble.

Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing had a heart-to-heart talk at home. Zhang Qing's mother had sent her a message about Zhang Qiang's wife being pregnant, and Zhang Qing knew that her family would soon come asking for money. Yu Jiaen shared a story about her mother from the past when her aunt stayed up past 2 a.m., waiting for her after her late-night shift, sitting by the window counting the planes flying by. She was waiting to pick up her daughter because the weather forecast predicted snow, and she was worried that her daughter would slip in high heels, so she had bought her a pair of pink snow boots in her favorite color. Yu Jiaen couldn't understand whether it was love or just a habit for Zhang Qing's mother. Zhang Qing told her that being busy was the true nature of their mother-daughter relationship, where they loved and resented each other.

Since being deceived, Zhao Ang had been drowning his sorrows in the bar every day, which deeply upset Li Nianhuan. They still had a debt of 50,000 yuan to repay. Seeing Li Nianhuan cry, Zhao Ang felt extremely guilty and knelt in front of her. On the night of his wedding, Li Yan called Zhang Qing but didn't say a word. Later, Zhang Qing heard the voice of the bride on the other end and hung up. She only remembered that it was Li Yan's wedding day after checking her calendar reminders. She felt sad but had to internalize her emotions alone.

The dispute between Yu Jiaen and Lin Li over their proposals continued. They both approached Zhang Qing, hoping to get their respective proposals accepted. Yu Jiaen was doing it for Xu Yao and Fānxīng, but Lin Li mentioned her and Su Yi's relationship, making it clear that it was a power struggle between Su Yi and Xu Yao. They were caught in the middle and found it difficult to handle. Zhang Qing learned from Yu Jiaen that Xu Yao had hired a professional marketing expert as a judge, so neither of their influences would matter; it would come down to the quality of their proposals. In the end, Zhang Qing decided to have both proposals perfected and presented simultaneously.

To help Zhao Ang repay his debt, Li Nianhuan went to the company to borrow money from Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen. However, Xu Yao refused to let Li Nianhuan continue paying for Zhao Ang's dreams. This time, Yu Jiaen agreed with Xu Yao, and Li Nianhuan left in anger. After seeing Li Nianhuan off, Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen coincidentally met Lu Zijie as he was picking up Du Du from school. When Du Du saw Yu Jiaen, she ran towards her without paying attention to the traffic. Yu Jiaen rushed to protect Du Du, and both men protected the most important people to them. Fortunately, the driver stopped in time, and no one was hurt except for Du Du, who was frightened.

Yu Jiaen suggested that Lu Zijie take Du Du home. After they left, Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen went to her school. According to their tradition, they started a table tennis match. Previously, Yu Jiaen was always the one who lost to Xu Yao. Every major decision they made was determined by the outcome of their matches, including their decision to start a business in Chengdu. This time, Yu Jiaen needed to win, and the decision-making power rested in her hands. Yu Jiaen didn't give Xu Yao an immediate answer; she wanted to wait until after the Fānxīng fashion show to tell him her decision. This time, Yu Jiaen hoped that they would both achieve success in their careers. Xu Yao saw hope in Yu Jiaen's response and expression.

Before, when Li Nianhuan went to the company to ask Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen for money, she ran into Su Yi. During their conversation, Su Yi learned about Li Nianhuan's intention to borrow money. She willingly transferred 50,000 yuan to Li Nianhuan. Li Nianhuan was conflicted about whether to accept the money. She knew that Su Yi had feelings for Xu Yao, so she didn't dare to accept the money privately. When she returned home, she discussed the matter with Zhao Ang. He pleaded with her to accept the money first, and he would find a job to repay the debt. In the end, Li Nianhuan accepted Su Yi's money for Zhao Ang.

Xu Yao and Hao Chenshi went to the gym together. Xu Yao borrowed some money from Hao Chenshi. Despite his words that he didn't care about Li Nianhuan, she was like a little sister he had cared for since childhood. He just wanted Li Nianhuan to experience the feeling of being in need of money temporarily before giving her the money.

Yu Jiaen, Zhang Qing, and Li Nianhuan had hotpot and drinks together. Each of them, from different graduating years, had their own troubles. Some worried about money, others about work-related stress. Zhang Qing was also concerned about whether she should tell Hao Chenshi about her plans to go to Shanghai. Yu Jiaen suggested that she should give Hao Chenshi a heads-up.

Li Nianhuan had a bit too much to drink, and Yu Jiaen escorted her home. Xu Yao brought the money borrowed from Hao Chenshi to Li Nianhuan. Both of them deeply cared for Li Nianhuan. Yu Jiaen originally planned to give her the money after receiving her salary, but Li Nianhuan lied and claimed that Zhao Ang was figuring out how to raise money. She didn't mention Su Yi giving her money.

Hao Chenshi wanted to make a ring for Zhang Qing himself. This came as a surprise to Zhang Qing, who thought it was silver and not convenient for her to wear. However, Hao Chenshi insisted it was a gesture, and she could dispose of the ring after wearing it for a few days. Just then, Liu Jie called Zhang Qing, and that's when Hao Chenshi found out about Zhang Qing's decision to go to Shanghai. He was very angry, and Zhang Qing felt that he was in a bad mood, so it wasn't a good time for them to have dinner together.

Hao Chenshi still made the ring and went to the bar to drown his sorrows, but Xu Yao came to pick him up again. Li Nianhuan planned to sublet her current apartment so that even if they didn't have work this month, they would still have some money. As for their living situation, they would have to stay in Zhao Ang's small apartment for now. When Zhao Ang brought Li Nianhuan to his place, they had just finished tidying up when his mother came with dumplings. She didn't even look at Li Nianhuan properly, and Zhao Ang didn't mention that she was his girlfriend in front of his mother. He lied and said she was there to see the apartment. Li Nianhuan felt very sad but had no choice but to go along with Zhao Ang's wishes. There was a moment when she felt that her efforts for Zhao Ang were not worth it.

Li Nianhuan went to see Yu Jiaen, who knew something was wrong. She planned to finish her current copywriting work and then take Li Nianhuan out for some good food. Li Nianhuan casually wrote a couple of lines of copy, which surprisingly gave Yu Jiaen a new idea. She decided to have Li Nianhuan work on the proposal. If it was good, they could make some money from it. Li Nianhuan was very happy and went home to brainstorm ideas. To apologize to her, Zhao Ang bought a large bouquet of flowers, which he had asked his mother for money to purchase.

Zhang Qing's younger brother got into trouble after fighting with someone, and her mother wanted to settle the matter privately by asking for money. Zhang Qing was reluctant but couldn't let it go entirely. Eventually, she negotiated with Lu Zijie. Her salary would be increased, and she would receive shares in the future subsidiary company. Consequently, she gave up her plans to start a business in Shanghai. Yu Jiaen and Lin Li went to Fānxīng to make their proposals, while Xu Yao and Su Yi attended a financing conference. Xu Yao and Su Yi exchanged encouraging messages on WeChat. Whenever Xu Yao felt nervous, he would solve a Rubik's Cube. He did the same thing during the conference, and even when he was about to go on stage. However, when he began speaking, he did exceptionally well, not shying away from discussing the differences between him and Su Yi. His words even made the audience laugh. On the other hand, Yu Jiaen was bidding at Fānxīng. She first presented her proposal, focusing on a grand show centered around Fānxīng's users.

Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao are pursuing their dreams in different places. Yu Jiaen's proposal was unanimously accepted, and she won the bid successfully. At the presentation event, Xu Yao also delivered an excellent speech. However, some judges were optimistic about him, while others had doubts. Later, Zhao Yongping approached Xu Yao, expressing interest in investing in Fānxīng's project as he was the chairman of the university entrepreneurship competition. He wanted to have a one-on-one conversation with Xu Yao. In the end, Xu Yao received an investment intention letter and rushed back to the company to share the good news with everyone. He advised them not to relax just yet because the investor would conduct due diligence. Su Yi knew that Xu Yao had brought up the Delayed Gratification Theory again. After Xu Yao explained the situation, she decided to treat everyone privately to show her appreciation for their hard work. They had a fun-filled outing.

Xu Yao went to inform Yu Jiaen about the good news, and they happily embraced, but this moment was captured secretly by Lin Li, who took a photo. Li Nianhuan's copywriting was commissioned, and she earned six thousand yuan. Yu Jiaen also planned to give her two thousand yuan from her bonus. For the first time in her life, Li Nianhuan earned eight thousand yuan on her own, and she felt extremely happy, reigniting hope in her life.

Xu Yao took the company's employees on an outdoor team-building activity, and they played games. One of the games involved sharing the happiest recent moments. Xu Yao talked about the day it snowed in Beijing, and how he danced in the snow wearing a clown's red nose. He encouraged everyone to cherish the present moment, emphasizing that happiness doesn't just occur during major events but in life's little moments. Lin Li sent a photo of Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen embracing to Su Yi. Seeing Xu Yao's happy and carefree demeanor in the picture made Su Yi realize that she wasn't the source of his happiness.

Su Yi had a bit too much to drink and needed a ride home. When they arrived, fueled by alcohol, Su Yi forcefully kissed Xu Yao. He struggled to break free and could only apologize to her. Then he got out of the car to find Yu Jiaen because she had been giving him a stern look since the team-building event. Su Yi cried heavily in the car, recalling her father's words. Since she couldn't have the person she wanted, she decided to find a way to hold onto the company. Xu Yao had been unable to contact Zhao Yongping lately, and he was worried that something might go wrong. So, he decided to personally visit the company to confront Zhao Yongping and get a clear explanation. Coincidentally, Zhao Yongping was about to leave on a business trip, so Xu Yao offered to drive him to the airport. During the ride, Zhao Yongping told Xu Yao that he was interested in investing because of Xu Yao's character. However, he pointed out significant issues with the company's equity structure. Su Yi had more shares than Xu Yao, and her father was an angel investor, effectively making Su Yi an angel investor too. This could lead to future complications. As someone with experience, Zhao Yongping could see that Su Yi had feelings for Xu Yao. He reminded Xu Yao that everything should be in black and white in business matters, and feelings should not be trusted, especially when it involves interests.

Xu Yao remembered Zhao Yongping's words and realized the importance of dealing with the company's equity issue promptly. He needed to return to the office. Coincidentally, he saw Yu Jiaen, and they rode the elevator together. Since they decided to reconcile, even when they didn't speak, there was a sweet atmosphere between them. Yu Jiaen took Li Nianhuan for a beauty treatment and tried to find part-time jobs for her. However, Li Nianhuan was concerned about Zhao Ang, as he was having difficulty finding a job. She considered recommending him for a position at Xu Yao's company.

Xu Yao called Hao Chenshi and Su Yi for a meeting to discuss the issue of equity. Hao Chenshi suggested that Xu Yao buy three points from Su Yi, with the payment deferred. Su Yi felt uncomfortable about this, as it implied that Xu Yao viewed their relationship solely as a business transaction, and he would not yield to her. Su Yi, being clever, had just received ten thousand yuan from Li Nianhuan and intentionally left her phone screen on while excusing herself to the restroom during the meeting. Her goal was to let Xu Yao see the message content, and indeed, Xu Yao saw it. He contacted Li Nianhuan and scolded her for two reasons: first, for deceiving him, and second, for telling Li Nianhuan to return the money to Su Yi. Su Yi later visited Xu Yao's office, pretending to console him and taking responsibility for the situation. Xu Yao realized that Su Yi had been silently helping him and his family. Su Yi told Xu Yao that as long as he asked, she would transfer three points to him, as she only wanted to experience the beauty of Fānxīng with him.

Zhao Ang heard Xu Yao scolding Li Nianhuan on the phone and felt that he wasn't being a good brother. He believed that Xu Yao didn't truly care about his sister. This time, Li Nianhuan couldn't bear it anymore. She and Zhao Ang had an argument. Zhao Ang had been having difficulties with job interviews recently and would come home to play games without considering his future. Li Nianhuan, as a homemaker, could earn money, but Zhao Ang, a student studying abroad, couldn't do anything right. This led to a heated argument, and Zhao Ang, in anger, left home. Li Nianhuan cried alone in her empty room.

Hao Chenshi discussed the company's situation with Yu Jiaen. Later, Yu Jiaen arranged to meet Su Yi, who couldn't stand seeing Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao together. Su Yi offered to transfer her shares to Xu Yao if Yu Jiaen resigned from Spectrum and left Xu Yao. Yu Jiaen was taken aback by Su Yi's unexpected words.

On Xu Yao's side, he wanted to borrow 3 million yuan from Su Yi to buy some shares. However, Hao Chenshi only had 300,000 yuan in savings and couldn't help Xu Yao. Even if he had 3 million yuan, it wouldn't make a difference to Su Yi's situation, as this problem couldn't be solved with money.

In the end, Xu Yao sought help from his family. He wanted his father to mortgage their house at the bank to see how much money they could raise. He also borrowed money from his aunt. Later, the aunt informed Li Nianhuan about this, and she temporarily dropped the idea of recommending Zhao Ang to Xu Yao's company. It seemed like Xu Yao was facing difficulties. Li Nianhuan shared this news with Yu Jiaen, who knew that Xu Yao was in a tough spot. She didn't want his dreams to crumble, so she contacted Hao Chenshi to inquire about Xu Yao's whereabouts. Hao Chenshi speculated that Xu Yao should still be at the office and advised her to check. Then he asked a question that left Yu Jiaen speechless: would everything be better if she and Xu Yao were together?

Yu Jiaen went to find Xu Yao and discovered that he had been drinking and was sleeping on the couch. When Xu Yao woke up, she took him outside to get some fresh air. Yu Jiaen was silently healing him. Yu Jiaen had already decided to sacrifice herself for Xu Yao. She told Su Yi that she planned to resign and disappear from Xu Yao's world. However, Su Yi found it hard to believe Yu Jiaen, as it's not easy to let go of someone you love. Yu Jiaen told Su Yi that she would be happy if Xu Yao was happy.

Zhang Qing and Hao Chenshi also had a conflict. A colleague saw Zhang Qing entering a hotel with a man and accidentally sent the picture to the wrong group, which Hao Chenshi saw. Zhang Qing couldn't be reached on her phone, and the next day, Hao Chenshi confronted her at the Spectrum office, extremely angry. He directly questioned her about who she had spent the night with, and in response to Hao Chenshi's disdain and questioning, Zhang Qing couldn't bear it and slapped him.

Yu Jiaen hopes for Xu Yao's success. She knows that Xu Yao needs a comrade by his side, and for him at this moment, Su Yi is that comrade. Just as Su Yi mentioned, it is she, not Yu Jiaen, who can help Xu Yao realize his self-worth. Su Yi decided to temporarily transfer her shares to Xu Yao, considering it as him holding them on her behalf. She told Xu Yao that Fānxīng is their company, and she also hopes that Fānxīng can have a bright future. Xu Yao was quite surprised that Su Yi made this concession so quickly.

Zhang Qing's mother, who was in a desperate situation, contacted Hao Chenshi. She informed him about what was happening at home. She knew that Zhang Qing had been delaying sending money home to rescue Zhang Qiang, probably because she really didn't have any money on hand. However, now the family had no other options, so Zhang Qing's mother could only implore Hao Chenshi to help Zhang Qing. Hao Chenshi saw a familiar bag from an employee and confirmed that it belonged to Zhang Qing. He inquired about the website from which the bag was purchased and, after checking the homepage, realized that Zhang Qing was selling her favorite bags and jewelry. Hao Chenshi intercepted Zhang Qing in the garage, wanting to help her. However, Zhang Qing had a poor attitude toward Hao Chenshi as she didn't want to owe anyone. She didn't want to involve him further; she didn't want another person to make sacrifices like she had.

Xu Yao secured the investment, and the grand show was about to take place. Xu Yao contacted Li Nianhuan to celebrate together, but unexpectedly, Li Nianhuan brought Yu Jiaen along. They ran into Xu Yao and Su Yi at the restaurant, and all four of them felt very awkward. However, they ultimately decided to eat together. Su Yi intentionally reminded Yu Jiaen at the dinner table to remember what she had said. Xu Yao was puzzled, and Su Yi falsely claimed that it was about Yu Jiaen's show. Yu Jiaen understood what Su Yi was referring to, and she assured Su Yi that she would keep her promise.

Yu Jiaen and Xu Yao, in perfect harmony, discreetly arranged for reinforcements. However, right after their recent conflict, both Zhang Qing and Hao Chenshi arrived simultaneously. The meal was purely a matter of social etiquette. After the meal, Hao Chenshi wanted to talk to Zhang Qing, but she had nothing to say. As a result, Hao Chenshi followed Zhang Qing's car. Zhang Qing saw that he was following her, deliberately had the chauffeur drive to a hotel, and then sent Hao Chenshi her room number. Initially, Hao Chenshi misunderstood and thought Zhang Qing was having a date with someone else. He didn't expect her to be waiting for him, and his expression went from cloudy to sunny as he rushed back to the hotel.

Zhang Qing straightforwardly asked Hao Chenshi if she was worth 200,000 yuan. Hao Chenshi didn't understand Zhang Qing's meaning; he just wanted to know about the man who had entered the hotel with Zhang Qing. It was merely a coincidence; the man had consumed too much alcohol and had fallen onto Zhang Qing. She had instinctively helped him up, and that incident had been photographed. Hao Chenshi believed Zhang Qing's words. He took out his bank card, and Zhang Qing wrote an IOU, intending to repay the money with her year-end bonus. However, Hao Chenshi stopped her. He was forty years old now and perhaps experiencing his last bout of infatuation. Therefore, he was willing to share Zhang Qing's difficulties and pain. Zhang Qing was deeply moved by Hao Chenshi's words.

Zhao Ang started working at Xu Yao's company, and Li Nianhuan hoped that he would do well. She even tried to please Xu Yao by specially delivering lunch to the company for him. Yu Jiaen was begged by Du Du to attend the school's parent-child party because Du Du's mother couldn't make it back in time. Seeing Du Du acting cute, Yu Jiaen couldn't bear to refuse and agreed. At the school party, the teacher asked fathers and their children to put lipstick on mothers. Lu Zijie and Du Du came up with a unique idea. They painted a small red heart on Yu Jiaen's face, which looked very nice. The three of them took a group photo. Yu Jiaen sent the photo to Li Nianhuan, explaining that she was currently at the school, which is why she hadn't answered her calls.

Li Nianhuan's intention was not really to drink but to see Zhao Ang. Zhao Ang was a bit nervous having lunch with Xu Yao in his office. After the meal, Li Nianhuan insisted that Xu Yao accompany her downstairs. In reality, she wanted Xu Yao, as a parent, to have a talk with Zhao Ang. With the year-end approaching, it was a good time for Zhao Ang to visit his parents. However, Li Nianhuan herself had a delicate situation and needed Xu Yao's help. Xu Yao called Zhao Ang into his office and, without being direct, told him that Li Nianhuan was a few years older than him. Therefore, she might prioritize stability in a relationship through marriage. He knew that by saying this, Zhao Ang would understand his intended message. Zhao Ang clearly got the message but had a troubled expression.

Xu Yao's father had lung cancer and collapsed downstairs. Fortunately, neighbors saw it and contacted Li Nianhuan's mother. Xu Yao's father had been in the hospital for several days, but he didn't want them to tell Xu Yao about it. The doctors had informed them that the situation was not optimistic given the current circumstances. Li Nianhuan's mother couldn't bear it and ended up telling Li Nianhuan about the situation. Li Nianhuan didn't know what to do. She could only ask her mother to accompany her uncle and persuade him not to leave the hospital. They would figure something out after the big show.

The launch event for Fānxīng was about to take place, and Xu Yao had already bought an engagement ring in advance. He planned to propose to Yu Jiaen in front of everyone during the event.

Many guests arrived the next day, including Su Yi's father and various media personnel. Hao Chenshi repeatedly confirmed with Xu Yao if he really intended to propose to Yu Jiaen in this setting, but Xu Yao didn't seem like he would back out. Xu Yao sent the carefully prepared proposal video to Xiaomi, intending to release it after the launch event. Xiaomi, in order to ensure everything went smoothly, checked all the materials and saw the video's content. She advised Xu Yao to inform Yu Jiaen in advance. Xu Yao told Xiaomi that the video must be released no matter what. Xiaomi was very concerned, so she decided to inform Yu Jiaen about it. Yu Jiaen went directly to Xu Yao and told him not to mention her and to give up on the proposal. She had changed her mind and couldn't reconcile with Xu Yao. They had already experienced a failed relationship once, and she couldn't guarantee that they could make a marriage work on a second try.

Xu Yao didn't understand why Yu Jiaen had changed so dramatically in just a few days. He prevented Yu Jiaen from leaving and, at the right moment, Yu Jiaen sent a message to Lu Zijie, asking for help in leaving. Yu Jiaen intentionally held Lu Zijie's hand in front of Xu Yao, hoping that he could find the right person too. She also hoped that Xu Yao could bless them. Xu Yao watched Yu Jiaen leave, feeling very pained, but he had run out of the medication he was carrying. He had to control his emotions himself because he had to speak on stage soon.

Finally, the moment for Xu Yao to speak on stage arrived, and he decided to release the video. He talked about the initial intention behind founding Fānxīng, which was to fulfill a promise to his ex-girlfriend. He wanted her to have beautiful clothes to wear every day. Back when they got engaged, they didn't have much money, and an engagement banquet required a significant sum. Yu Jiaen searched her entire wardrobe but couldn't find a suitable dress. They were either pilling or fading in color. She was very upset. At that time, Xu Yao was determined to make Yu Jiaen's life better, to ensure she had beautiful clothes to wear every day.

Xu Yao was very dignified. He shared his story with his ex-girlfriend and the initial intention behind establishing his brand. He sincerely wished Yu Jiaen happiness and said he hoped she would be happy every day in the future. Yu Jiaen ran out, and Li Nianhuan followed, hoping she wouldn't leave because she would regret it. But Yu Jiaen still left. It was her choice for Xu Yao, and Li Nianhuan felt she was pitiable and was deeply concerned for her brother.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Nianhuan and Xu Yao went back to their hometown for the Lunar New Year. The New Year is about family reunion, so everyone decided to keep Xu Yao in the dark about his father's illness. They wanted to have a good New Year, possibly the last one together. When Yu Jiaen returned home and learned that her mother had agreed to have dinner with Xu Yao's family, she told her mother the truth that she and Xu Yao were no longer possible. She had also agreed to an arranged blind date by her aunt. Her participation in the blind date wasn't genuine; it was just to fulfill a task. She hoped the other person would find her unsuitable, but her blind date, Zhao Xu, liked her. However, Yu Jiaen wasn't interested in him.

Yu Jiaen received a call from the bridal shop where she and Xu Yao had taken wedding photos. The photos were displayed in the shop. Yu Jiaen conveniently had Zhao Xu accompany her to retrieve the photos. Unexpectedly, she ran into Xu Yao at the bridal shop. The two stared at each other for a long time. Later, while struggling for the wedding photos, they fell to the ground. Yu Jiaen took the photos, walked out of the bridal shop, and, right in front of Xu Yao, tore them up and threw them in the trash. She hoped Xu Yao would let her go. Xu Yao suspected that Yu Jiaen hadn't been with Lu Zijie after all because she referred to Lu Zijie as "General Lu." Indeed, since the fashion show, Lu Zijie had realized that he and Yu Jiaen weren't meant to be. He had finally found the answer to the question Zhang Qing had asked him initially. Yu Jiaen was better suited to being a key figure in the company, and he decided to give up pursuing her.

Xu Yao's father's health deteriorated day by day. He started coughing up blood and intentionally kept it from Xu Yao. Xu Yao's father organized some of his belongings and told Xu Yao where they were. He hoped Xu Yao would remember them so he could show them to his child in the future and let the child know how outstanding their father was. Xu Yao was puzzled by his father's words, but after his father explained, he found it reasonable and didn't dwell on it.

Li Nianhuan couldn't help but seek out Yu Jiaen and told her about Xu Yao's father's terminal illness. She emphasized that Xu Yao would lose even more in the future, and he was truly pitiable. Therefore, Li Nianhuan hoped Yu Jiaen wouldn't treat Xu Yao this way. Su Yi's parents went abroad for a trip, and she traveled to Chengdu. She intentionally called Xu Yao while at the airport, hoping to have dinner with his family. Coincidentally, it was the day Xu Yao was going to his aunt's for a family reunion dinner, and after picking up Su Yi at the airport, Xu Yao went straight to his aunt's house. Su Yi had bought some scarves as gifts for her family at the airport and helped them put them on. When it was Xu Yao's turn, Yu Jiaen arrived with a gift. The situation was quite awkward. Yu Jiaen claimed she came to deliver the gift she bought for Li Nianhuan's uncle and tried to leave after putting it down. However, Li Nianhuan stopped Yu Jiaen and told everyone that the gift was from Yu Jiaen to her family, insisting that she stay for dinner. The family members didn't know what was going on and were very happy. They enthusiastically invited Yu Jiaen to join them for dinner. Su Yi's face turned very unpleasant.

Zhang Qing didn't go home for the Lunar New Year. She felt it was a small holiday that was suitable for being alone. She was already tired from dealing with clients during regular times and didn't want to go home to maintain family relationships. Hao Chenshi knew she was spending the Lunar New Year alone in Beijing, so he purposely bought a lot of groceries and sent them to her place.

Xu Yao's whole family had a meal together. Li Nianhuan was very clever; she asked Su Yi to take a photo for them. She deliberately didn't ask Yu Jiaen to join the photo because she wanted a family picture. On the surface, she pretended that Yu Jiaen wouldn't look good in the photo. Su Yi acted very well in front of the elders, and she managed to capture a family photo for Xu Yao's family. In reality, Li Nianhuan did this for her uncle. She knew her uncle really liked Yu Jiaen, and this might be their last Lunar New Year together. So, she felt it was necessary to take a family photo.

After dinner, Yu Jiaen and Su Yi tried to compete in washing dishes, and they accidentally broke a bowl. The family sensed an unusual atmosphere between them. Xu Yao's father used the excuse of buying red envelopes to send Su Yi away. He took Su Yi for a walk on the streets of Chengdu, reminiscing about Xu Yao's childhood. In fact, he wanted to tell Su Yi that it would be difficult to change what Xu Yao had decided. It had been that way since he was a child. After saying a lot, Xu Yao's father told Su Yi that he could see she liked Xu Yao, and she owed Xu Yao a favor. However, relationships couldn't be forced, and he advised Xu Yao to make his own choice. Su Yi was very sad; she felt that on New Year's Day, she had set aside her dignity and come to Chengdu just to get Xu Yao to notice her a little more.

Li Nianhuan prepared a cake, and they all blew out the candles to make New Year wishes. She took photos to commemorate the moment. In the photo, Xu Yao's gaze was fixed on Yu Jiaen. Later, while everyone was watching fireworks, Li Nianhuan gave the photo to Su Yi, hoping she would look at it alone. Su Yi understood Li Nianhuan's intention and Xu Yao's feelings but refused to give up. She believed that she was the one who truly loved Xu Yao, and Yu Jiaen was just a thing of the past.

In the evening, Xu Yao took Su Yi back to his home because they couldn't find a hotel due to the Lunar New Year. Su Yi had to make do with the situation. Xu Yao took a blanket and went to sleep in his father's room. Su Yi asked him for a charger, but Xu Yao didn't go to his room. Instead, he sent her a message telling her it was in the drawer. Su Yi opened the drawer and found a wedding photo of Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen. It turned out that Xu Yao had retrieved the photo that he had thrown in the trash and had repaired it. Su Yi became even more saddened upon seeing this photo. This New Year's Eve was one she would find difficult to forget—a night filled with three emotional blows.

Hao Chenshi specially flew back from his hometown to spend the Lunar New Year with Zhang Qing. He was worried that Zhang Qing wouldn't eat properly. Indeed, when he arrived home, he saw that Zhang Qing was preparing to have wine with her meal. The two of them went out for a stroll. Beijing during the Lunar New Year seemed a bit deserted, but at this moment, Zhang Qing and Hao Chenshi felt that the city belonged to them. For the first time, Hao Chenshi shared his own story with Zhang Qing. In fact, he didn't want to get married either because he had an unreliable father when he was young. He was afraid of becoming like his father and affecting his future child. So, he had decided not to get married. Zhang Qing felt sorry for Hao Chenshi, and she had finally found someone who understood her.

Early in the morning, Su Yi left Xu Yao's home secretly. Xu Yao found out and went to look for her. This time, they had a heart-to-heart conversation. Su Yi finally realized that nothing could make Xu Yao give up on Yu Jiaen, not even his career. In that case, she decided to sell Fānxīng as soon as possible. Wang Ma brought Yu Jiaen to Xu Yao's home, and both sets of parents hoped the two children would be together. Wang Ma even decided to cook a meal at Xu Yao's home so that both families could have a meal together.

When Xu Yao returned home and saw Wang Ma and Yu Jiaen there, a smile couldn't help but appear on his face. Finally, there was a chance for the whole family to have a meal together. Yu Jiaen took Xu Yao to the bedroom to talk to him but noticed the wedding photos on the table. She finally stopped suppressing her feelings and hugged Xu Yao. She decided to face everything together with him, and no matter what happened, they would not break up.

After the Lunar New Year, everyone gradually returned to their work. Yu Jiaen decided to resign. Zhang Qing could understand her situation because Su Yi was intentionally blocking the project, causing delays in the progress of both Spectrum and Fānxīng projects. Zhang Qing allowed Yu Jiaen to take unpaid leave and hoped she would reconsider. Yu Jiaen stayed in her hometown to help take care of Xu Yao's father. Xu Yao's father's condition deteriorated day by day, and the doctor had advised him to enjoy his remaining time. Xu Yao's aunt felt it was time to tell Xu Yao the truth and asked Yu Jiaen to do so. Yu Jiaen thought her aunt had a point, so she called Xu Yao. She asked about the situation at Xu Yao's company and learned that things were not going well. Su Yi had completely severed ties with him, and they were on the path to dissolution. Yu Jiaen held back her emotions and didn't want to distract Xu Yao at the moment.

Su Yi planned to sell Fānxīng to the Wei Yi Pai group. She arranged a meeting with their General Manager Wang privately. Xu Yao and Hao Chenshi were also not idle. They were concerned that Su Yi would burn her bridges, so they went to see General Manager Zhao, hoping to sign a unanimous action agreement with him. At first, General Manager Zhao remained neutral. He knew that Su Yi had a big corporation backing her, and as a businessman, he admired Xu Yao. However, he also had basic business sense. Xu Yao had prepared a detailed plan, intending to seize the short video trend. General Manager Zhao thought Xu Yao's idea was excellent, so he signed the unanimous action agreement.

Su Yi was very angry when she saw this agreement. She hadn't expected Xu Yao to secretly form alliances. However, she wasn't worried and believed that the last laugh might still be hers. Xu Yao's father was critically ill, and Yu Jiaen contacted Xu Yao, asking her to catch the last flight home. Su Yi learned about this and felt a moment of guilt. Hao Chenshi accompanied Xu Yao to the airport. On the way, Xu Yao instructed Hao Chenshi to keep an eye on Su Yi. She had decided to sell Fānxīng to Wei Yi Pai. Although they had a unanimous action agreement, they needed to be cautious about Su Yi.

Xu Yao returned home and took care of his father with great attention. Yu Jiaen knew it was a tough time, so she stayed by Xu Yao's side, supporting and encouraging him. Li Nianhuan found a new job as a new media editor, and her work was stable now. She wanted Zhao Ang to introduce her to his parents officially as his girlfriend. However, Zhao Ang's parents couldn't accept the fact that she was thirty and divorced. They spoke very harshly, and Zhao Ang didn't stand up for Li Nianhuan to protect her. Li Nianhuan felt hurt and decided to temporarily stay at Zhang Qing's place. She was no longer the same Li Nianhuan as before. Although she loved Zhao Ang, she didn't let herself be demeaned because of his mother's words. She had helped Zhao Ang find jobs and spent her money on him. Why should she allow herself to be insulted like this? She was also someone's beloved child and had never suffered such injustice.

Li Nianhuan accidentally discovered Zhang Qing's pregnancy test report. She hoped Zhang Qing would keep the child, but Zhang Qing had never considered it. She hadn't decided what to do with this unexpected child yet, but motherhood was innate, and after hearing Li Nianhuan's words, she began to reconsider whether to keep the child.

Li Nianhuan said a lot, after all, in this matter, she was the "senior." She hoped Zhang Qing would consider it carefully and avoid saying negative things because the baby would feel hurt hearing them. Xu Yao returned to his hometown and spent his days in the hospital with his father. He felt very guilty for not letting his father move into a bigger house while his father was still with him. At night, when he couldn't hear his father snoring, he woke up and quickly called his father. Seeing his father respond, he finally felt relieved, as he was worried his father might pass away in his sleep.

Su Yi returned home and reported the recent situation to her father. Old Su was a ruthless businessman, and although he had a high opinion of Xu Yao, he felt that Xu Yao was too clueless and had made his precious daughter sad many times. Therefore, this time he wanted to kick Xu Yao out of the game. Su Yi was worried she couldn't manage Fānxīng properly, but Old Su didn't think it was a problem. There were plenty of talented individuals now, and even if Xu Yao was out, he would help Su Yi build a new management team. From the current situation, Old Su felt like he held the winning hand. Hao Chenshi was not important, and as a businessman, General Zhao always stood on the side of money.

Xu Yao shared the good news of reconciling with Yu Jiaen with his father. He planned to hold a wedding and was waiting for his father to attend it. Xu Yao's father really liked Yu Jiaen and insisted on making the wedding grand to welcome Yu Jiaen into their family. Yu Jiaen came to the hospital to bring food to Xu Yao's father. He hoped Yu Jiaen could persuade Xu Yao to get discharged and told her that when the time came, they shouldn't attempt resuscitation.

Yu Jiaen understood Xu Yao's father, so she went to talk to Xu Yao. It was time to let go now, but Xu Yao couldn't bear it. He couldn't watch his father go home and wait for death. After Su Yi communicated with her father, they decided to operate in secret. So, Su Yi intentionally went to find Hao Chenshi under the pretext of work and told him that she had come to terms with everything. Now, selling Fānxīng wouldn't make any money, so she had to work diligently.

Zhao Ang had been working hard at his job, but his superiors hadn't recognized his efforts. Hao Chenshi decided to take him on a business trip, which provided an opportunity to mentor him. Hao Chenshi called Zhao Ang downstairs for coffee, and he learned about the incident where Li Nianhuan felt wronged when she met Zhao Ang's parents. He had always regarded Li Nianhuan as his sister, so he hoped Zhao Ang could handle the situation like a man. However, Zhao Ang didn't dare to resist his parents or meet Li Nianhuan. He felt Li Nianhuan was rushing things, and it was impossible for his parents to accept her in the short term.

When the two of them entered the elevator, Zhao Ang deliberately pressed the button for the floor where Spectrum was located. Then, he told Hao Chenshi about Zhang Qing's pregnancy. Just like Zhang Qing, neither of them had planned to become parents, but Zhao Ang felt that Hao Chenshi should know about it. Li Nianhuan had already persuaded Zhang Qing to keep the child. When the elevator reached the floor where Spectrum was located, Zhang Qing happened to come out to entertain clients. Hao Chenshi hurriedly pressed the door-close button, not yet sure how to face Zhang Qing.

Hao Chenshi went to talk to Li Nianhuan to find out how Zhang Qing had made her decision. Li Nianhuan had always treated Hao Chenshi like a brother. She suggested that Hao Chenshi choose "to stay" now because he was the one who had the courage to keep Zhang Qing and the baby. Hao Chenshi believed that whether the child should be born or not was Zhang Qing's right, so his own opinion didn't matter. However, Li Nianhuan didn't agree with this and still hoped that he could confront this issue with Zhang Qing. She believed Hao Chenshi would be a great father, and she was currently searching for her own courage. She held Hao Chenshi's hand, hoping to pass her courage on to him.

Hao Chenshi wanted to take responsibility for Zhang Qing and the child, so he proposed to her during dinner. However, Zhang Qing wasn't ready and decisively returned the ring, hoping that Hao Chenshi would give her more time to consider. Originally, they had agreed not to get married, but due to an unexpected situation with the child, she didn't want to disrupt her life plans just because of the child's arrival.

Su Yi accidentally bumped into a hurried girl in the garage. She noticed the girl carrying a stack of documents and seals as she got into Su Yi's car. Sensing something suspicious, Su Yi immediately contacted Hao Chenshi. She analyzed that Su Yi intentionally distracted Hao Chenshi. Hao Chenshi tried to contact Xu Yao, but his father's condition was not good. The call was abruptly cut off, and with no time to spare, Hao Chenshi prepared to return to Beijing.

Xu Yao's father passed away, and their only regret was not being able to see the snow in the Northeast together. However, Xu Yao, at his father's last moments, described scenes of running and playing in the snow together.

Su Yi, in collaboration with her father, continued financing. By diluting the company's shareholders' stakes, Old Su would sign an agreement to transfer shares to Su Yi for free, making her the largest shareholder in Xingxing. Upon returning to Beijing, Hao Chenshi immediately went to the company and scolded Su Yi for her actions. He didn't expect Su Yi to be so ruthless and decided to quit, leaving Su Yi to deal with everything alone. Moreover, Hao Chenshi was confident that Su Yi couldn't win, as the Wei Yi faction had just announced the cancellation of user deposits, which was not good news for Xingxing.

After handling his father's affairs, Xu Yao packed up his father's belongings and returned to Beijing with Yu Jiaen. There would be no one waiting for him at home, so Yu Jiaen had prepared a bowl of steaming hot beef noodles in advance. She would accompany Xu Yao because he only had her now.

Upon returning to Beijing, Xu Yao dealt with the mess caused by Su Yi. The head of the technology department was Xu Yao's junior, who had joined the company because of Xu Yao. Now that Su Yi led the company, he was dissatisfied and submitted his resignation. Half of the people in the technology department were his people, so everyone decided to leave with him, giving Su Yi some preparation time. Xu Yao, with a broad perspective, decided to address external issues first and then adjust internal conflicts. When everyone saw Xu Yao return, they felt relieved and started working.

The first thing to address was the issue of users requesting deposit refunds. Su Yi intended to sell Xingxing to Wei Yi Pai, and they seized the opportunity to spread the news, causing users to panic and apply for deposit refunds. Zhang Qing was officially promoted to vice president, and the position of Spectrum General Manager was contested between Yu Jiaen and Lin Li. Zhang Qing knew they had unpleasant conflicts, but in the workplace, it depended on skills. She hoped this time would be a fair competition, and regardless of who won, it wouldn't affect their team collaboration.

Zhang Qing was initially undecided about keeping the child, but now she was more certain about wanting a career. She knew that money could bring her everything she wanted. While Yu Jiaen hoped she would keep the child, she wanted Zhang Qing to live for herself. Xu Yao knew what Su Yi had done, but he didn't confront her. The immediate priority was to overcome the difficulties faced by Xingxing. Regarding the resignation of the head of the technology department, Xu Yao would not agree. Now, Wei Yi Pai was causing trouble again, and Xu Yao knew their intentions. It was just a low-handed way to force Su Yi to sell Xingxing cheaply to them. Xu Yao had already figured out a counterattack strategy.

Xu Yao called Zhang Qing and Yu Jiaen to the company for account opening. He hoped Su Yi would also participate. Su Yi was surprised by Xu Yao's calmness and didn't understand why he did it. She chose to go home and rest instead of participating in the meeting. Before leaving, she expressed condolences to Xu Yao. Zhang Qing and Yu Jiaen proposed excellent solutions. They would help Xingxing hold the ground in public opinion, and Xu Yao would finalize the marketing strategy. Xu Yao decided to create a section on the app with items starting at 1 yuan. Only Xingxing members could participate, aiming to retain users. Zhang Qing suggested donating the proceeds to a charity project to stabilize Xingxing's public opinion.

After the meeting, Hao Chenshi went to Zhang Qing's office and gave her two boxes of folic acid. Although he wanted to keep the child, he respected Zhang Qing's opinion. Xu Yao decided to leave Xingxing after this confrontation with Wei Yi Pai to maximize the company's preservation. Yu Jiaen supported Xu Yao's decision, thinking it more suitable for him to leave, considering his unconventional entrepreneurial ideas. She saw Xingxing as a gift to Su Yi.

Zhang Qing worked hard on Spectrum's affairs and the subsidiary's matters. Unaware, Lu Zijie already knew about her pregnancy, arranged a new leader for the subsidiary through headhunting, and felt regret for Zhang Qing. A woman getting pregnant at forty meant her focus would shift to her family, and a new company couldn't afford to wait.

The relationship between Li Nianhuan and Zhao Ang had changed. Once daily life pressures and concerns mix into a relationship, love can be consumed. Li Nianhuan was spirited, being thrifty to repay debts. Zhao Ang, to maintain good relations with colleagues, spent three thousand yuan treating them to a feast and wanted to buy a camera.

Hao Chenshi, heavily drunk, sought Xu Yao. He felt helpless because he wanted to keep the child, but Zhang Qing's opinion mattered. Each night, he practiced holding and changing the baby's position, trying to be a good father. However, the day of Zhang Qing's surgery was approaching, and he felt he had no chance. The next day, Xu Yao sent a video of Hao Chenshi to Zhang Qing, who watched it with teary eyes.

At the company, Zhang Qing encountered Lin Wen, the new head of the subsidiary hired by Lu Zijie. Zhang Qing was disappointed that Lu Zijie didn't consult her and had acted on his own. She had followed Lu Zijie for ten years, thinking they were friends, but she ended up being the smallest sacrifice in the workplace. Yu Jiaen overheard their conversation at the office door, chased after Zhang Qing, and, knowing it was the day of her scheduled surgery, wanted to accompany her. However, Zhang Qing declined, leaving advice for Yu Jiaen before going to find Hao Chenshi. She told Yu Jiaen that no job was worth sacrificing one's life.

Zhao Ang bought a used camera, leading to an argument with Li Nianhuan. Li Nianhuan ate instant noodles every day to save money, but Zhao Ang spent over ten thousand yuan on a camera, using an advance payment. Li Nianhuan couldn't understand why she was working hard to repay debts while Zhao Ang, in her view, sacrificed much for him. Zhao Ang, feeling aggrieved, regretted being with Li Nianhuan, realizing that love and life were two different things.

Zhang Qing changed her mind; she decided to forgo the surgery and go shopping with Hao Chenshi for some maternity and baby products. Hao Chenshi was overjoyed as he finally had the chance to become a father, and this little life meant a lot to him. Li Nianhuan sought solace with Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing, unable to understand Zhao Ang's attitude. Yu Jiaen and Zhang Qing understood that Li Nianhuan pursued impractical and crazy things because of Zhao Ang's yearning for freedom. Yu Jiaen told Li Nianhuan that in relationships, such problems are bound to arise.

Zhao Ang apologized to Xu Yao, and fortunately, Hao Chenshi was present; otherwise, Xu Yao might have given Zhao Ang a beating. Zhao Ang still loved Li Nianhuan, but he didn't want to continue living the way they were. Feeling aimless, he didn't know why he was living. At this point, it seemed that Zhao Ang had decided to break up with Li Nianhuan. Now, Hao Chenshi needed to know who would repay the money he had lent, considering he was about to become a father. Since becoming pregnant, Zhang Qing had learned to be more tolerant and considerate. Lu Zijie had taught her a lesson in self-centeredness, and now she decided to take a long break, awaiting the baby's birth.

Xu Yao convened a shareholders' meeting and announced his decision. Once the battle with Wei Yi Pai was settled, he would withdraw, retaining only ten percent of the shares. If Su Yi agreed, he would take on the role of strategic development consultant for Xingxing. Xu Yao handled the situation with grace, ensuring the interests of all involved parties. The public opinion was now favoring Xingxing, with reports of allergic reactions to Wei Yi Pai's clothing surfacing. Spectrum Marketing seized the opportunity to spread positive opinions about Xingxing. Panicking, Wang Feng proactively contacted Su Yi.

With Xu Yao's efforts, Xingxing and Wei Yi Pai reached a cooperation agreement. They were now one big family, aiming for mutually beneficial cooperation. Zhao Ang decided to continue pursuing his impractical dreams. Before leaving, he bid a proper farewell to Li Nianhuan, giving her a signed promissory note. Ironically, after the breakup, they could peacefully coexist. Li Nianhuan still supported Zhao Ang in doing what he wanted, and he read articles from her public account every day. Li Nianhuan even wrote lyrics for Zhao Ang, hoping he would continue singing.

Xu Yao decided to leave the company; his mission was complete. He believed Xingxing would thrive under Su Yi's leadership. Before leaving, he went to Su Yi's office and gave her a USB drive containing over 200 animated films. Recognizing each employee at Xingxing, he shared their personality traits with Su Yi, hoping she wouldn't mistreat them.

Su Yi initially thought of asking Xu Yao to stay and watch an animated film together, but Xu Yao declined. He explained that Yu Jiaen was waiting for him downstairs. After Xu Yao left, Su Yi watched "Spirited Away" alone in the meeting room. Having been through so much, she had become a new Su Yi.

Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen returned to the rooftop. Xu Yao apologized for not being able to fulfill his promise to Yu Jiaen. However, Yu Jiaen didn't feel regretful because, after all they had been through, Xu Yao had returned to her side, and that was the happiest thing.

Zhang Qing resigned from Spectrum, and Yu Jiaen gave up her candidacy speech. She was moved by Lin Li's passion for Spectrum and work, so she voluntarily abstained and voted for Lin Li. Zhang Qing reconciled with the employees in the marketing team. Despite some complaints behind her back, when the time came for her to leave, everyone felt reluctant. Xiao Mi hoped that Zhang Qing wouldn't set high demands for her child in the future. Lin Li, whom Zhang Qing had nurtured, promised not to bring shame to Zhang Qing. Lu Zijie also came to see Zhang Qing, expressing a desire to remain friends. However, Zhang Qing no longer took such words seriously and hoped that Lu Zijie could treat his former subordinates well.

Yu Jiaen accompanied Zhang Qing on the way out, and Zhang Qing informed Yu Jiaen that Lu Zijie had internally designated her as the general manager. Yu Jiaen didn't understand why Lu Zijie suddenly gave up, and she had been conflicted. It was only after reading Lin Li's candidacy report that she decided to step down. She could sense Lin Li's genuine passion for the business, willing to dedicate her life to it. When Yu Jiaen first joined Spectrum, it was the lowest point in her life, and she just wanted a job to support herself. She couldn't claim to be passionate about it. Therefore, Lin Li was more suitable for the general manager position than herself.

Now, Yu Jiaen envied Zhao Ang. Despite others thinking he was unreliable, he was now sincerely true to himself and bravely pursuing his dreams. Hao Chenshi and Xu Yao watched the sunset together, reflecting on the fleeting time. However, each had their worries. Xu Yao was concerned that Yu Jiaen might break up with him again if he decided to start a business, while Hao Chenshi was troubled about how to make Zhang Qing feel secure and dependent on him.

Li Nianhuan had also grown up, learning independence and bravery. Even when she fell and no one helped her up, she could stand on her own.

After Zhang Qing became pregnant, finding a job became challenging. New industries considered her inexperienced, and in familiar fields, she was deemed unsuitable for work while pregnant. Zhang Qing was saddened. Now that Hao Chenshi was earning more, he comforted Zhang Qing, assuring her that he could support her. Xu Yao and Yu Jiaen were pressured by Xu Yao's mother to get married, but Yu Jiaen didn't share that desire. In her thirties, she didn't feel the need for a house, car, or child. She just wanted to live life on her own terms. If Xu Yao decided to start a business again, she would still accompany him.

Hao Chenshi drafted a marriage partner contract, listing 16 terms, all from Zhang Qing's perspective. Zhang Qing would always be herself, then a mother and wife. He then proposed on his knees, and Zhang Qing, moved, accepted his proposal without hesitation.

Upon seeing Yu Jiaen's design sketches, Xu Yao was inspired with a new idea. He decided to realize this dream together with Yu Jiaen, focusing on incorporating design concepts into China's local culture. Eight months later, Zhang Qing gave birth to a child. She continued to search for a job, now more confident, juggling the roles of a mother and wife. She aimed to rediscover the old Zhang Qing while being a 40-year-old, with 20-year-old Zhang Chunfen and 30-year-old Zhang Qing combined.

Finally, Xu Yao proposed to Yu Jiaen. After many ups and downs, things finally settled. Everyone celebrated Li Nianhuan's 30th birthday, and Zhao Ang sent a video, playing a happy birthday song on the guitar. They celebrated not only for Li Nianhuan but also reconciled with their thirty-year-old selves. Each had gone through a lot, and they were still working hard for their dreams and careers. The future held unknown paths, but they continued to move forward courageously.

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