Later, I Laughed Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Later, I Laughed Synopsis

The story revolves around Wu Xiuya, a modern "big corporation girl," whose connection to stand-up comedy traces back to her high school classmate Shi Ye. Years later, Wu Xiuya appears to have a stable career and an ambitious boyfriend, yet she feels deeply dissatisfied with her life.

Everything she does follows a path meticulously arranged by others, forcing her to conform and live a life of compromise and people-pleasing. By chance, Wu Xiuya reunites with Shi Ye and officially steps into the world of stand-up comedy. Through this newfound stage, she discovers a way to express herself honestly, pursue her passions, embrace transformation, and reclaim a life true to herself.

Later, I Laughed Recap

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The chairman of Zhonghe Group fell and fractured two ribs and the ulna in his right arm. During his hospitalization, the company’s performance declined. Enraged, the chairman scolded the executives for over two hours in his hospital room. Immediately, the entire group sprang into action from top to bottom, strengthening their work ethic and aiming to recover the losses within a quarter.

This happened to coincide with the annual employee performance evaluation period, and everyone was highly motivated, competing fiercely with one another. The manager of the internal communications department informed his team that they would join forces with the planning and advertising departments for a mock internal bidding competition to design a promotional campaign for the company’s upcoming new tea beverage.

As a regular officer in the internal communications department of this large conglomerate, Wu Xiuya was assigned to lead the promotional campaign. Wu Xiuya had a lively and intelligent face, which often made people wary of her. However, no one would have guessed that she actually had a people-pleasing personality. She longed for approval from others and worked hard to earn it, but the more she tried to please others, the more she lost her sense of self.

This created a vicious cycle, and many tasks that weren’t originally hers ended up being handed to her. For instance, once she was busy covering a story about President Qin’s inspection of a logistics branch, but her colleague Ma Chao called and insisted that she order takeout for Manager Hu and the chief editor of the Evening News. Despite her refusals, she had no choice but to take time to place the order.

Unfortunately, during the interview, she missed the delivery person’s call, which indirectly caused Manager Hu and the chief editor to go hungry for several hours. This led to Wu Xiuya being harshly reprimanded by Manager Hu. Wu Xiuya’s boyfriend, Zheng Hao, was a standout in the marketing department and had been the company’s sales champion for three consecutive years. Zheng Hao left a deep impression on the chairman and became the youngest deputy director in the marketing department.

Within the group, many believed he was poised for rapid promotion and could become the youngest vice president. One day, her colleague He Xiaoli asked Wu Xiuya to complete a complicated form on her behalf and casually invited her to a newly opened hotpot restaurant. Wu Xiuya reluctantly agreed, but after completing the form and heading to the restaurant after work, she discovered that Xiaoli and the others had already eaten and hadn’t even called her to join.

Behind her back, they gossiped that Zheng Hao’s mother and Manager Hu were close friends, subtly reducing Wu Xiuya’s hard work to mere nepotism. The more this happened, the more Wu Xiuya wanted to prove herself. She wasn’t always so accommodating. In 2005, when she moved with her mother from Shenzhen to Ningxi City, she had a very different personality.

Her mother, a woman who sacrificed her career for the family, gave up her role as a deputy manager in a shopping mall to follow her husband’s relocation. While Wu Xiuya’s father’s career continued to climb, her mother never found a suitable job again. After moving to Ningxi City, Wu Xiuya transferred to Seventh Middle School, where the homeroom teacher seated her next to the class monitor, Shi Ye.

On her first day, unable to find pants to wear, she wore a red dress to school. However, this led her classmates to think she was attention-seeking, and one even outright told her not to wear a dress or sit next to Shi Ye again. Back then, Wu Xiuya wasn’t one to back down. She flatly refused, intending to wear a dress to school again the next day.

However, since her dress was already in the washing machine, she wore pants instead. Another girl, Fang Lu, wore a red dress to steal the spotlight but ended up looking foolish when Wu Xiuya didn’t wear hers. Wu Xiuya was also skilled at basketball, often joining the boys’ games, which strengthened her bond with Shi Ye and made Fang Lu even more jealous.

This group of girls began spreading rumors that Wu Xiuya had transferred schools because of misbehavior at her previous school. Fang Lu even deliberately excluded her from notifications about a change in meeting locations, leading to the school troublemaker Mao Biao ambushing Wu Xiuya. Shi Ye arrived and ended up fighting with Mao Biao and his gang. The fight caused serious injuries, and an ambulance took some students away. This incident had a major impact at school.

Wu Xiuya’s father furiously scolded her and even slapped her. Though she believed she had done nothing wrong, her father, in a fit of rage, smashed all her basketball-related items. The director of studies ordered Wu Xiuya to write a self-criticism letter and required Shi Ye to change seats, claiming that their current seating arrangement was affecting his studies. Shi Ye complied, but this made Wu Xiuya feel humiliated.

During the morning exercise, Wu Xiuya was forced to read her self-criticism over the school’s broadcast system. Seizing the moment when the teacher left the broadcast room, she locked the door and used the microphone to reveal the entire truth. While speaking out made her feel momentarily relieved, she didn’t anticipate that her honesty would indirectly cause harm to Shi Ye and her homeroom teacher, Ms. Mu.

At sixteen, Wu Xiuya decided to hide her true self to prevent anyone, including herself, from being hurt by her sincerity. She told herself to consider others’ feelings when she was angry. Over the years, she continued down this path of suppressing her emotions, losing her sense of self more and more, until she became the person she is today.

To complete the promotional plan, Wu Xiuya requested a market research budget of 50,000 yuan from Manager Zheng, but he only approved 3,000 yuan. Just printing the questionnaires cost her 2,000, leaving almost no funds to hire people to distribute them. She decided to use the remaining 1,000 yuan to purchase popular tea beverages from the market for research. However, at the supermarket, she was persuaded by a sales clerk to spend the money on 50 salted duck eggs instead.

While at the supermarket, she noticed they were hiring part-time beverage promoters. This gave her an idea—she applied for the position and was successfully hired. Using the convenience of her new role, Wu Xiuya and Pang Jing managed to distribute 400 questionnaires. Unfortunately, they were still short-staffed, and neither Xiao Zou nor Ma Chao was willing to help.

Meanwhile, Zheng Hao, who was leaving on a business trip the next day and couldn’t celebrate Wu Xiuya’s birthday, surprised her by throwing an early birthday celebration at the office. Although a birthday is meant to be a happy occasion, Wu Xiuya felt uncomfortable when Zheng Hao repeatedly referred to her as “his woman. ” She didn’t address it publicly but privately asked Zheng Hao to stop making such comments. Zheng Hao didn’t take her concerns seriously.

Using her period as an excuse, Wu Xiuya declined Zheng Hao’s suggestion to stay over that night. Later, during a video call with a close friend, she reflected on their relationship. Aside from Zheng Hao’s tendency to lecture her and make decisions on her behalf, he didn’t have many other flaws. Regarding the promotional plan, Wu Xiuya originally intended to handle it herself, but Zheng Hao insisted on helping her.

He introduced her to his friend Zhang Peng, a professional in planning promotional campaigns, and urged her to meet with him. Zhang Peng, in turn, outsourced the project to another party and arranged for Wu Xiuya to coordinate with them. Reluctantly, she agreed. It wasn’t until she met this new contact that Wu Xiuya realized it was Shi Ye. She didn’t recognize him at first, only remembering after he reminded her.

Before leaving, Shi Ye said he took this job specifically because he saw her name and was curious about what Wu Xiuya had become after ten years. However, he bluntly admitted that her changes had disappointed him. Despite this unexpected reunion, Wu Xiuya stayed focused on her work. She worked overtime on the plan, consulted frontline sales staff, and gathered their valuable feedback. Eventually, she completed the promotional campaign proposal.

When the chairman visited the company, he reviewed the promotional plans from the planning, advertising, and internal communications departments. He showed particular interest in the internal communications department’s proposal and asked to meet the department manager and the plan’s lead. However, Ma Chao overheard this first. Seizing the opportunity, he found an excuse to send Wu Xiuya away. Ma Chao followed Manager Hu to the chairman and claimed credit for the plan.

By the time Wu Xiuya received Manager Hu’s message and rushed to the scene, it was too late for her to say anything. She could only watch as Ma Chao exaggerated his contributions, claiming he had worked late nights on the plan. Furious afterward, Wu Xiuya publicly confronted Ma Chao about why he sent her away.

Known for being a shameless office opportunist, Ma Chao denied stealing credit and even brought up the claim that Wu Xiuya only succeeded because of her relationship with Zheng Hao. He Xiaoli advised Wu Xiuya that Ma Chao’s comments were intended to prevent her from reporting him to Zheng Hao. Motivated, Wu Xiuya decided to confront Zheng Hao. But as soon as she arrived at the marketing department, she overheard people gossiping.

They claimed she got her job through Zheng Hao’s connections and suggested the bidding proposal succeeded only because Zheng Hao asked Zhang Peng for help. Disheartened, Wu Xiuya suddenly didn’t feel like saying anything. On her way home, she happened to see Shi Ye. She followed him to a venue and discovered he was performing stand-up comedy. To her surprise, Shi Ye used her experiences as material for his performance.

Finally unable to hold back, Wu Xiuya stormed onto the stage, grabbed the microphone, and improvised her own stand-up set filled with humorous complaints and witty observations. At the age of twenty-six, Wu Xiuya delivered the first stand-up routine of her life amidst the audience’s cheers. Watching her, Shi Ye remarked that this was the real Wu Xiuya.

An impromptu stand-up performance filled with raw, unfiltered complaints had stirred up emotions buried deep in Wu Xiuya’s subconscious. That night, the emotional turmoil overwhelmed her mind, leaving her sleepless for hours. The lack of rest affected her performance the next day—her writing was riddled with typos. Fortunately, her colleague Pang Jing helped her correct the mistakes and expressed concern for her well-being.

After a busy day, Wu Xiuya went home, took a shower, and lay in bed, hoping for a good night's sleep. However, as soon as she closed her eyes, scenes from the stage and Ma Chao’s deceitful display in front of the chairman replayed vividly in her mind, keeping her wide awake. Even after a call with a friend, she couldn’t sleep. In desperation, she turned to advanced mathematics and yoga in the middle of the night.

On the second night of insomnia, her organs, deprived of proper rest, began to weaken, sending signals to her brain that the body was under stress. In response, her brain ordered an increased secretion of adrenaline, which quickened her breathing and blood oxygen levels, ironically making her appear more energetic. For the first time, Pang Jing witnessed Wu Xiuya being unusually talkative.

During a department meeting, when Manager Hu repeated the same old talking points, Wu Xiuya’s mouth reacted faster than her brain, and she blurted out a comment. The room fell silent. Realizing she had spoken out of turn, she quickly apologized and later repeatedly expressed regret in the office. Seeing her condition, Pang Jing offered to write the article on her behalf and urged Wu Xiuya to rest.

However, even on the third night, insomnia persisted, leaving Wu Xiuya so sensitive that even the faintest sounds kept her awake. The prolonged secretion of adrenaline overstimulated her nervous system, making Wu Xiuya hyper-aware of her surroundings. Meanwhile, Manager Gao had a discussion with Manager Hu and later summoned Ma Chao for a long conversation in his office. It was decided that Ma Chao would be promoted to team leader of the internal communications department.

As soon as Ma Chao returned to his desk, he received the official email from Human Resources. Gloating, he couldn’t wait to share the news and treated everyone to milk tea as a celebration. Wu Xiuya, already exhausted and annoyed, lost her patience and sharply told Ma Chao to leave her alone. Although the incident could have ended there, Ma Chao, not even officially in his new position, began throwing his weight around.

He started bossing around colleagues like Pang Jing, who used to be his equals. This was the last straw for Wu Xiuya, who finally snapped and had a heated argument with Ma Chao in the office. Manager Hu observed the altercation but chose not to intervene. Instead, he reported the matter to Zheng Hao. That evening, Zheng Hao invited Wu Xiuya to dinner to discuss the situation.

He suggested that, for the sake of maintaining harmony, Wu Xiuya should apologize to the entire department. This, he reasoned, would give Manager Hu and Manager Gao a way to de-escalate the situation, and they would owe her a favor in return. Zheng Hao also pointed out that her actions could negatively impact his position. Wu Xiuya gave no clear response. On her way home, she passed by a stand-up comedy club and decided to go in for a while.

When she received Zheng Hao’s self-righteous text with a formal apology script, she felt a wave of disgust. The next day, during the department meeting, everyone anticipated that Manager Hu would bring up the incident. Wu Xiuya was called upon to address the matter. Holding a prepared speech, she began to read mechanically. But soon, the bold, confident Wu Xiuya of the past—the one who once wore a striking red dress—resurfaced.

In the midst of her speech, she decided to follow her heart. She stated firmly that she would not apologize and that the person who should apologize was Ma Chao. This was, of course, not the outcome Manager Hu had expected. However, he couldn’t fault Wu Xiuya, as her reasoning was entirely justified. Freed from the burden of guilt and expectation, Wu Xiuya finally regained her ability to sleep peacefully.

Studies show that people speak an average of 140 to 490 sentences a day, but most of those words carry meanings beyond their surface. For those who can’t pick up on the implied undertones, life might seem blissfully simple. Zheng Hao, without consulting Wu Xiuya, took it upon himself to invite Manager Hu and Manager Gao to dinner and apologized to them on her behalf. This smoothed things over, ensuring the matter would not be reported to the chairman.

When Wu Xiuya found out, she was furious, blaming Zheng Hao for acting without discussing it with her. What saddened her more was that, despite the major upheaval from the previous day, nothing changed because of Zheng Hao’s interference. She felt trapped in an invisible web and was hopelessly uncertain about how to prove her capabilities. It was then that she came across a company policy encouraging employees to seek growth opportunities at branch offices in other locations.

Inspired, she wrote a self-recommendation and applied for a transfer. When Manager Hu asked if she had discussed it with Zheng Hao, she firmly stated that she could make decisions about her own life. Manager Hu, seeing her determination, dropped the subject but secretly informed her close friend—Zheng Hao’s mother. Zheng Hao’s mother invited Wu Xiuya over for dinner, leaving Xiuya both nervous and uneasy, sensing an impending storm.

When Zheng Hao returned home from work and saw Wu Xiuya at his house, he was surprised but didn’t say much. During dinner, Zheng Hao noticed that Xiuya struggled with peeling crabs and offered to help. After being declined, he didn’t insist but made a comment that caught his mother’s attention. Soon after, his mother brought up Wu Xiuya’s application for a transfer.

Zheng Hao was shocked to learn that Xiuya had applied for a year-long assignment at an out-of-town branch without informing him. Frustrated, Xiuya explained her reasons for wanting the transfer. Zheng Hao’s mother initially praised Xiuya for her career aspirations but quickly advised her against making rash decisions. She subtly hinted at her concerns, saying that if Xiuya left for a year, who could guarantee that Zheng Hao wouldn’t end up with someone else?

Picking up on the undertone of her words, Xiuya became even more resolved to leave. After dinner, Zheng Hao drove Xiuya home, and they didn’t exchange a single word. A week of cold silence passed between them. Xiuya thought everything would become clear when the list of approved transfers was released the next day. Both Zheng Hao and his mother would finally see her intentions. However, she was entirely unprepared for what happened next.

When the transfer list was announced, Xiuya’s name was not on it. She confronted Manager Hu and discovered that Zheng Hao had once again made the decision for her without her consent. This led to an explosive argument between the two, which Zhang Yan happened to witness. Curious, Zhang Yan later asked Zheng Hao if he had been seeing someone else. Zheng Hao denied it and explained the truth.

Without regard for Xiuya’s feelings, Zheng Hao insisted she accompany him to Zhang Yan’s wedding. There, in front of the chairman, company colleagues, and many others, Zheng Hao surprised Xiuya by proposing to her. Xiuya was caught completely off guard. On one hand, she and Zheng Hao had never discussed marriage; on the other, she genuinely wasn’t ready to get married so soon. Yet Zheng Hao’s domineering behavior left her no room to consider her own feelings.

With a subtle undertone of pressure in his proposal, Xiuya felt utterly cornered. In life, expressions, gestures, and body language all convey unspoken meanings, and now, every move she made was magnified under the gaze of the crowd. Everyone was watching, waiting to see her decision. Among them were those who relished the prospect of seeing Zheng Hao rejected and humiliated, and others who sincerely wished her well. Faced with this public proposal, what choice would the kind-hearted Wu Xiuya make?

In front of everyone, Wu Xiuya felt compelled to accept Zheng Hao's proposal. However, while the proposal appeared successful on the surface, it left scars in both their hearts. After the wedding ended, Xiuya refused to participate in the traditional post-wedding festivities and decided to return home alone. On her way, it began to rain, and she realized she had left her bag at the venue.

She returned to the hotel, grabbed her bag, and impulsively took a sip from a glass of red wine on the table. Her eyes fell on the bouquet on stage, and she walked up to it, talking to herself. She poured out all her frustrations and complaints, venting everything she had been holding in. This was the real Wu Xiuya—sharp, articulate, and brimming with the natural talent of a stand-up comedian.

Suddenly, as she spoke, it all became clear to her. She realized what she truly wanted. Just then, Xiao Lan arrived at the hotel, having rushed over to meet her. Xiuya took Xiao Lan with her to find Zheng Hao, who was in the middle of post-wedding celebrations. She handed the engagement ring back to him and broke up with him. Zheng Hao was completely bewildered. Just minutes ago, Xiuya had accepted his proposal, and now she was ending things.

The next day marked the start of Xiuya's new life. She spent the day shopping, eating, and enjoying herself with Xiao Lan. In the past, Zheng Hao had forbidden her from wearing shorts, saying they looked unprofessional. But now, she was determined to live authentically. She wore shorts and even joined Xiao Lan in a casual basketball game with a group of guys. Xiao Lan had secretly returned to China without telling her parents.

When her mother called, she had Xiuya cover for her. Xiao Lan admitted she wasn’t cut out for academics. Instead of wasting time abroad on a master’s degree, she decided it was better to return home, take it easy for a year, and eventually work with her father at the family factory. Xiuya took Xiao Lan to a stand-up comedy club called Bang He Bar.

There, Xiao Lan’s hair accidentally got caught on Liang Dong’s clothes, sparking his interest in her. However, Xiao Lan was more drawn to Shi Ye, a stand-up comedian performing on stage. Xiuya also took the stage and delivered a stand-up set, impressing the audience. Afterward, the club owner, Cao Zhiyong, introduced Xiao Lan to Liang Dong, Shi Ye, and others.

When she learned the bar was short on bartenders, Xiao Lan volunteered to work there, saying she didn’t even need a salary as long as meals were provided. As they left the bar, they noticed Shi Ye’s camper van outside. Xiao Lan immediately recognized it as a custom build, likely done by Shi Ye himself, which only deepened her fascination with him. Although it seemed like a carefree weekend, an invisible pressure loomed over Xiuya.

She hadn’t heard back from Zheng Hao, and she wondered why he didn’t seem affected by their breakup. One morning, as Xiuya was getting ready for work, she unexpectedly found the engagement ring in her bag. Shocked, she questioned Xiao Lan, who admitted she had gone to see Zheng Hao that night but was too drunk to explain herself and even threw up on him.

Embarrassed and frustrated, Xiuya spent the next few days trying to formally break up with Zheng Hao. However, Zheng Hao was so busy with work that she couldn’t get a chance to meet him. Meanwhile, Xiao Lan discovered that Shi Ye was camping in the park, so she dragged Xiuya along to meet him. When they arrived, they saw Shi Ye’s girlfriend. Xiao Lan, being straightforward, openly admitted her feelings for Shi Ye.

Surprisingly, she and Shi Ye’s girlfriend got along well, as their personalities were quite similar. Later, Xiuya waited in the parking lot to confront Zheng Hao and finally brought up their breakup. Although Zheng Hao agreed to the breakup, he said it couldn’t happen right now. He was in the middle of a crucial promotion process for a director position and didn’t want personal matters affecting his career.

Coincidentally, the chairman arrived at that moment, forcing Xiuya to play along with Zheng Hao and pretend everything was fine between them. Afterward, Xiao Lan speculated that Zheng Hao might be stalling in hopes that Xiuya would change her mind. Xiuya dismissed the idea, believing Zheng Hao wouldn’t resort to such childish tactics. In reality, Zheng Hao had heard every word when Xiuya first mentioned breaking up, but he pretended it never happened.

For the next two days, he found excuses to avoid seeing her. He thought Xiuya would be heartbroken and crying under her blanket after their breakup. Little did he know, she was at home watching stand-up comedy and laughing her heart out.

Wu Xiuya experienced her first cold reception on the stand-up stage. The shift from a hit to a flop didn’t take long, and it all began three days earlier. Three days ago, during lunch, Xiuya made an excuse and packed her food to eat in the office. Zheng Hao also left the table shortly afterward. Throughout the meal, the two didn’t exchange a single word. It was obvious to everyone that something was wrong between them.

He Xiaoli questioned Zhang Yan, and he accidentally spilled the beans. News of Zheng Hao and Xiuya’s breakup spread through the company at lightning speed. As one of the company’s most admired young talents, Zheng Hao’s personal life was always under scrutiny. Most of the staff, eager for drama, began spreading all kinds of rumors. The gossip escalated wildly—from claims that Zheng Hao had cheated to even alleging he had a three-year-old child outside the relationship. Xiuya was under immense pressure.

As one of the central figures in these rumors, she wanted to explain, but Zheng Hao stopped her from doing so. Bearing this stress and frustration, she went on stage to perform stand-up comedy. In the audience was Wang Jin, a fellow stand-up comedian with skills comparable to Shi Ye but better crowd reactions. However, both Liang Dong and Cao Zhiyong disliked Wang Jin, as his jokes relied heavily on crude humor to provoke laughs.

The moment Xiuya got on stage, she started to speak but suddenly realized she couldn’t joke about Zheng Hao in the tone of teasing a boyfriend—after all, she had already caused him harm. This thought stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t say a word. The performance fell flat. Wang Jin took the microphone and dismissed Xiuya from the stage.

Hurt and disheartened, Xiuya overheard Shi Ye and Cao Zhiyong betting on whether she would bomb her performance, which only made her feel worse. But she consoled herself, telling herself it was just a fluke. Unfortunately, every performance afterward also bombed. Initially confident in her abilities, even Cao Zhiyong and Liang Dong became disheartened, losing many bottles of wine to Shi Ye in their bets. Seeing how defeated Xiuya felt, Liang Dong shared his own experiences with failed performances.

Cao Zhiyong and Shi Ye also recounted their flops, explaining that the reasons for bombing varied. Cao Zhiyong analyzed Xiuya’s situation and suggested she jot down all her inspirations and jokes into a full script. Xiuya followed their advice, but it didn’t help—she continued to fail on stage. Desperate, Xiuya asked Shi Ye for advice. Shi Ye told her she needed to identify the real source of her troubles.

For Xiuya, there were two main issues: the unresolved breakup with Zheng Hao, which could only be finalized after his promotion to director, and her frustration over her carefully crafted project plan being mishandled by Ma Chao. Things escalated when Wang Tong, a member of Ma Chao’s team, finally quit, refusing to work under him any longer. With a lack of team members, Ma Chao asked Manager Hu for help. Xiuya volunteered to join Ma Chao’s team.

Although Ma Chao strongly opposed this at first, Manager Hu ultimately decided to assign Xiuya to the team, warning them both to resolve their conflicts or risk being fired together. Gradually, Xiuya’s stage performances improved slightly. However, Shi Ye bluntly pointed out that unless she made a firm decision to change, she wouldn’t truly move forward with her life. The company later went on a team-building retreat.

During an escape room game, Ma Chao screamed like crazy, while Zheng Hao and Xiuya, preoccupied with their thoughts, remained calm. Eventually, Xiuya pulled Zheng Hao aside for a serious talk, but the rest of the team eavesdropped from behind a curtain, hearing everything. The cheating rumors were cleared up, but some staff members began speculating that Zheng Hao might have performance issues, which they imagined was the reason Xiuya broke up with him.

After the retreat, Zheng Hao saw Xiuya riding on Shi Ye’s bicycle and watched her enter a bar. He followed Shi Ye and confronted him, leading to a street fight. Although Shi Ye didn’t know Zheng Hao personally, he could guess who he was. Shi Ye lied, saying that he and Xiuya got together only after she and Zheng Hao had already broken up.

Shi Ye appeared calm on the surface, and his inner composure was even more resolute. The brief scuffle with Zheng Hao had indeed quickened his pulse, but the moment he entered the Banghe bar, his heartbeat returned to its usual steady rhythm. Regarding the injuries on his face, he casually explained that he had fought with his ex-girlfriend’s former boyfriend. Wu Xiuya had no idea that the person Shi Ye fought with was Zheng Hao.

After the morning meeting in the internal communication department, Manager Hu announced that Xiuya had officially been transferred to Ma Chao’s team, reporting directly to him. He Xiaoli and Pang Jing both felt that Xiuya was willingly throwing herself into a pit of fire. But Xiuya’s goal was clear—Ma Chao’s team was likely to participate in the hands-on promotion of the new tea beverage, and she wasn’t about to let Ma Chao claim the victory for himself.

Even though Xiuya had already witnessed plenty of Ma Chao’s foolish antics, his behavior after becoming a leader surpassed her expectations. For example, he nitpicked Xiuya’s PowerPoint slides endlessly, forcing her to revise them more than 20 times, only to conclude that the first version was the best. Xiuya was left utterly speechless. Ma Chao was convinced that Xiuya had joined his team to seek revenge on him.

To prevent her from overshadowing him, Ma Chao devised a strategy: he would refuse to let her do what she excelled at. Ma Chao deliberately assigned tasks in ways that set everyone up for failure. He made Xiao Zou conduct interviews, knowing he was inexperienced, assigned Pang Jing—whose writing was weaker than Xiuya’s—to draft reports, and relegated Xiuya to proofreading and managing the social media backend. As a result, the team’s work was a chaotic mess.

Manager Hu instructed Ma Chao to take Xiuya along to liaise with the North and East China market representatives. However, Ma Chao ditched Xiuya, taking the representatives out for a meal while ordering her to deliver materials to their hotel and then return to the office to wait for him before she could leave. Xiuya was furious but restrained herself, knowing that if there was another incident, Manager Hu might really fire her.

Instead, she vented her frustrations through stand-up comedy, but her performances continued to bomb. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and ran outside Banghe, letting out a loud yell. Ironically, her shout caused a misunderstanding: Shi Ye, who happened to be nearby, was mistaken for a thug harassing Xiuya. Three hot-headed young men reported him to the police, and Shi Ye was taken to the station. Fortunately, the misunderstanding was resolved in the end.

Shi Ye found the incident amusing and thought it could be turned into a stand-up routine. Xiuya also liked the idea, and the two argued over who would get to use the joke. During breakfast, Shi Ye advised Xiuya that while joking about workplace issues was fine, going overboard made it less funny. Xiuya took his words to heart and began observing those around her, realizing that everyone carried a unique story.

With this mindset, Xiuya felt confident about completing the team’s report. Meanwhile, Pang Jing and Xiao Zou were despondent, worrying about the foolish comments Ma Chao might make during the alignment meeting. Xiuya suggested they find a way to keep Ma Chao from attending, and the three of them staged an act to distract him with other tasks. As expected, without their “sand-in-the-gears” leader, the alignment meeting went smoothly, and Xiuya’s capabilities were widely recognized.

However, Ma Chao created a major problem elsewhere—he had mixed up the interviewee entirely without realizing it. To salvage the situation, Xiuya quickly conducted a phone interview with the correct person, Zhao Ming, covering up Ma Chao’s mistake. She used the incident to make Ma Chao feel guilty and then objectively explained that the success or failure of one team member impacts the entire team. Ma Chao, deeply ashamed, was left speechless.

This experience gave Xiuya a new perspective on handling challenges. That night, she made a bet with Shi Ye that she wouldn’t bomb her performance. True to her word, Xiuya’s stand-up routine was flawless, and she shone brightly on stage. In that moment, Shi Ye’s heart raced wildly, and he realized he was falling for this dazzling version of Xiuya.

Wu Xiuya regained her confidence and performed exceptionally well on stage, earning waves of applause from the audience. Meanwhile, Xiao Lan crafted a new cocktail called Dream of a Lifetime and even printed words on the glass. Xiuya found the phrase quite meaningful, took a photo of the drink, and posted it on her social media. Zheng Hao, who hadn’t heard from Xiuya for a long time, saw her post and was tempted to check in on her.

However, he eventually deleted all the words he had typed in the chatbox. Usually sharp and decisive, Zheng Hao found himself at a loss when it came to Xiuya. At the Zhonghe Group, the chairman showed interest in the promotion of a small project. However, his true intent was to drive corporate departmental reform.

He proposed forming a joint task force, with the internal communications department as the lead and personnel from both the advertising and planning departments assisting in the project’s execution. Lao Gao told Hu Jianjun (Manager Hu) that the chairman was considering establishing a new independent brand promotion department that would report directly to him. If the project succeeded, Hu Jianjun would undoubtedly head this new department.

Hu Jianjun, who had risen through the ranks from a junior publicity officer to the manager of the brand promotion department, thought she had already hit the ceiling of her career. The prospect of further advancement stirred her excitement, even though she outwardly claimed indifference. Hu Jianjun knew well that the project’s success relied on Wu Xiuya, even though Ma Chao was the team leader on paper.

She devised a strategy to prevent Xiuya from outshining her in front of the chairman by assigning Xiuya to work behind the scenes on the proposal. Though disappointed, Xiuya was too busy with work to dwell on it. The long hours of overtime eventually led to illness, leaving her with a fever and cold. Despite this, she powered through to complete both the proposal and its presentation script, sending all the materials to Ma Chao.

During the joint meeting, Hu Jianjun came up with a plan to ensure that Ma Chao would only give a report without facing any discussion or questions. However, when the chairman unexpectedly arrived, Hu Jianjun’s attempt to flatter him backfired. Ma Chao failed to answer the chairman’s questions, revealing to everyone that he wasn’t the real mastermind behind the project. The chairman naturally deduced who was.

Furious, Hu Jianjun accused Xiuya of using her illness as an excuse and even implied it was part of a scheme. Lao Gao dismissed the idea, believing Xiuya wasn’t capable of such cunning. When Xiuya heard about what had transpired, she was stunned. She hadn’t expected the fairness she had long sought to come in such a manner. Later that day, Cao Zhiyong, Liang Dong, and Shi Ye came to visit her and care for her while she was ill.

After eating and drinking their fill, Xiuya fell asleep. Assuming that Shi Ye had already left, Cao Zhiyong and Liang Dong quietly departed as well. However, Shi Ye had been resting on a sofa behind the bookshelf. When he woke up and found that Xiuya’s condition had worsened, he immediately took her to the hospital for an IV drip. During their time alone, Shi Ye helped Xiuya address her doubts about bombing on stage versus killing it.

His words gave her a revelation: she needed to be her true self, even if that meant being disliked. She realized she had to muster the courage to stop trying to please everyone. After the IV treatment, Shi Ye brought Xiuya home, cooked something for her, and only then left. On Monday, when they returned to work, Manager Hu softened her attitude toward Xiuya. However, she refused to approve the new promotional plan Xiuya had come up with.

Left with no choice, Xiuya presented the original proposal to the chairman. When asked if she had confidence in it, Xiuya, remembering her resolution to be authentic, gave her honest opinion. To her surprise, the chairman highly praised her new plan, recognizing her capabilities. Zhang Yan shared the news of Xiuya being praised by the chairman with Zheng Hao and casually suggested that Xiuya might appreciate congratulations from him. Zheng Hao thought back to Xiuya’s social media post.

After work, he bought balloons and planned to confess his feelings and ask to get back together. However, as he arrived at Xiuya’s home and saw Shi Ye by her window, Zheng Hao silently released the balloons into the night sky and walked away.

Back in high school, Wu Xiuya's unrestrained rant in the broadcasting room awakened Shi Ye’s comedic talent for roasting others. This newfound ability even spilled over into his work life, where he occasionally couldn’t resist roasting eccentric clients to their faces. Later, when Shi Ye discovered stand-up comedy, he resolved to quit his job and fully commit to this craft. Not long ago, Shi Ye received a call from Zhang Peng, who happened to mention Wu Xiuya's name.

That prompted Shi Ye to take a particular gig, which led to their reunion. Watching Wu Xiuya rediscover herself and shine brightly on stage, Shi Ye decided to confess his feelings for her—feelings he had harbored since high school. However, just as he was about to confess, Cao Zhiyong interrupted with an announcement. Cao Zhiyong revealed that Xiuya had been invited to perform at Alpaca, an open mic hosted by Cheng Cheng.

Alpaca was a prestigious event in the stand-up community, held only about ten times a year. The audience consisted entirely of seasoned comedians, making it a stage that symbolized the highest level of stand-up comedy. Xiuya's invitation to Alpaca stirred discussions across various comedy clubs. Many doubted whether a young woman like her could handle stand-up comedy well. Feeling the pressure, Xiuya struggled to write material and felt dissatisfied with her drafts.

Xiao Lan comforted her in her own simple and slightly clumsy way, but it still helped Xiuya a little. Determined, Xiuya worked tirelessly on her material. Even while eating, she scribbled notes, catching the chairman’s attention. Impressed by her dedication, he instructed his subordinates to prioritize young talent in the newly established Brand Promotion Department. Meanwhile, Shi Ye, though he had been confessed to many times, had never confessed to anyone himself.

He wanted to confess to Xiuya but found himself unable to muster the words. Xiao Lan, having learned from Zhao Na that Shi Ye was currently single, decided to pursue him and asked Xiuya for advice. Xiuya suddenly realized what Shi Ye’s earlier hesitation might have meant. However, she couldn't reveal this to Xiao Lan, who was determined to chase after Shi Ye. That evening, Shanghai was hit by a torrential downpour.

Xiuya, unaware of messages in the group chat, braved the rain to reach Banghe, only to find it closed. Before leaving, Liang Dong noticed a man entering Banghe and remembered he had taken the shop’s only umbrella, leaving Xiuya without one. Concerned, he called her phone, but no one answered. He then called the shop, but there was no response. Xiao Lan mentioned in the group chat that Xiuya hadn’t returned home and couldn’t be reached, worrying everyone.

Seeing Liang Dong’s messages, Cao Zhiyong wanted to check on the bar but couldn’t leave because he was accompanying his wife. Shi Ye, upon seeing the messages, immediately set out despite his car breaking down on the way. Determined to ensure Xiuya’s safety, Shi Ye ran through the rain to Banghe. At Banghe, a guest had come specifically to hear stand-up comedy. Taking the opportunity, Xiuya decided to test her new material, performing exclusively for him.

When Shi Ye finally arrived, he saw Xiuya dazzling on stage, a scene that instantly made her the brightest figure in his eyes. After the guest left, taking Shi Ye’s raincoat with him, Shi Ye stayed behind to help Xiuya clean up. Suddenly, the power went out. Shi Ye took out a bottle of Cao Zhiyong’s treasured liquor, and they shared a drink.

As they worked, they discovered water had seeped into the shop and quickly used sandbags to block the door. Amidst the chaos, a fish slipped in with the water, startling both of them. They laughed at each other’s reactions, and in that moment of shared amusement, something unspoken and intimate grew between them. Just as their emotions seemed to draw them closer, the power came back on, interrupting a near-kiss.

However, the spark lingered in Xiuya’s heart, creating ripples of emotion. Shi Ye later escorted her home. Upon arriving, Xiuya saw Xiao Lan asleep on the couch and felt a small pang of guilt.

In evaluating the success of a shop, it’s not just about the number of customers, but rather the table turnover rate. The turnover rate refers to how frequently a table is reused. The higher the turnover rate, the better the business is doing. One day, Cao Zhiyong noticed that half of the customers in the shop were stand-up comedy fans, likely there for Wu Xiuya.

However, these people would order a bottle of wine and stay for the entire evening, which meant the shop’s turnover rate was low, and as a result, the shop's earnings for the day weren’t good. Cao Zhiyong was worried. On one hand, Xiuya was busy working overtime and didn’t have time to perform, and on the other hand, the business was suffering due to these people coming to watch stand-up.

He asked Xiao Lan to talk to Xiuya and convince her to come to Banghe and perform a set, even if it was just as a guest performer. Xiao Lan agreed to mention it to Xiuya. In fact, Xiuya wasn’t working overtime. The real reason she didn’t go to Banghe was that she probably didn’t want to run into Shi Ye, nor did she want to compete with her good friend Xiao Lan for a man.

She might have just gotten out of a relationship and wasn’t ready to dive into another one so soon. Xiao Lan thought Xiuya wasn’t going because she was afraid, but Xiuya didn’t explain herself. She ended up going to Banghe after work that evening. Cao Zhiyong was overjoyed to see her and Xiuya performed a set on stage. Afterward, she had a private conversation with Shi Ye.

They both agreed that the night in the rain was just an accident, and they shook hands, agreeing to remain good friends. Just then, they overheard someone talking about Xiuya allegedly copying her material. Upon investigating, they discovered that the joke had actually been performed by a comedian named Liu Qi at Crazy Growth Club, where both Xiuya and Shi Ye had heard it. So, Shi Ye and Xiuya went to Crazy Growth Club to watch Liu Qi perform.

The first joke he performed was the same classroom-style stand-up routine that Xiuya had come up with. Liu Qi was the same person who had listened to Xiuya perform her stand-up alone in the bar that night. Shi Ye and Xiuya confronted Liu Qi, hoping he would admit to copying Xiuya’s material. However, Liu Qi was slippery and denied copying the joke. Even though Shi Ye recorded the conversation on his phone, it didn’t capture anything useful.

The incident sparked a lot of discussion within the stand-up comedy community, and there were many who criticized Xiuya. As a result, her invitation to perform at Alpaca was revoked. Shi Ye couldn’t stand by and watch, so he personally confronted Liu Qi. This led everyone to believe that Liu Qi had been beaten by Shi Ye, and the three of them rushed to Banghe to demand an explanation. Shi Ye quickly admitted his mistake.

Not only did Shi Ye admit his mistake, but he also suggested inviting everyone to Binhai Park for a meal, where he would apologize to Liu Qi in person. The incident spread like wildfire in the stand-up community, and many comedians chose to skip Alpaca to attend the event at Binhai Park. Xiuya asked Shi Ye about what happened, and he explained that he hadn’t beaten Liu Qi.

Instead, he had written the word “Plagiarist” on Liu Qi’s forehead with an indelible marker. Liu Qi, feeling guilty, covered the word with a bandage and lied to his friends, claiming that Shi Ye had beaten him. Shi Ye had set up the entire thing, which led to the scene at Binhai Park. Shi Ye planned to have both Liu Qi and Xiuya perform the joke in front of their peers.

The others would be able to see for themselves who truly owned the joke. As long as Xiuya remembered that the joke was hers, that would be enough. Sure enough, Liu Qi, who only knew how to plagiarize, couldn’t grasp the joke’s essence and couldn’t deliver it well. In contrast, Xiuya’s natural delivery and eloquence captivated everyone in the audience.

At that moment, there was no need for further words; it was clear who the true creator was, and who had plagiarized. This established Xiuya’s standing in the stand-up comedy world. A billionaire, Xu Yunfeng, took notice of her and searched for her name online, discovering that she worked at Zhonghe Group.

After losing Wu Xiuya's love, Zheng Hao received a promotion in his career. He was appointed as the special assistant to the chairman and became the strategist advising the chairman. Zheng Hao's friends, including Zhang Yan, celebrated his promotion with drinks. Zheng Hao stepped out alone to get some air, and Zhang Yan casually asked if he still couldn’t forget Xiuya.

To his surprise, Zheng Hao became agitated and stubbornly insisted that he wasn’t the type of person who couldn’t let go. Zheng Hao said that he now only wanted to focus on his work and prepare for the financial summit on behalf of the chairman, and he was also hoping to meet Xu Yunfeng. Xu Yunfeng was the most successful venture capitalist in the market, and Zheng Hao claimed to be a fan of him.

Little did he know that after the performance at Binhai Park, Xu Yunfeng considered himself a fan of Wu Xiuya. After the performance, Xiuya and her friends celebrated at Banghe Bar. During a break to the restroom, Xiuya thanked Shi Ye for his idea. Shi Ye said that he had bet everything on Xiuya’s ability to rock the stage; if she failed to deliver, it would all be for nothing.

He knew her well; she always managed to summon great energy when insulted or ridiculed. Xiuya didn’t respond, silently giving him a box of band-aids she had bought some time ago. The stand-up comedy group was buzzing with discussions about Xiuya’s performance at Binhai Park, with many praises and words like “legendary” and “a rising star. ” On the subway, Xiuya checked her phone, and her smile was almost as hard to contain as an AK-47.

The chairman personally requested that Wu Xiuya replace Hu Jianjun at the financial summit. Hu Jianjun, who had originally been set on attending the summit, was stunned when he saw the list. Hu Jianjun even called Zheng Hao to inquire, and after learning that it was the chairman’s personal decision, he didn’t press the issue further. Hu Jianjun also tried to ask about the new marketing department, but Zheng Hao claimed he didn’t know the specific plans.

Zheng Hao kindly warned Xiuya that while it was the chairman’s direct request, she might have unintentionally upset Manager Hu. Xiuya understood this. Zheng Hao was thinking of trying to meet Xu Yunfeng through his assistant, but to his surprise, the assistant walked directly toward Xiuya and said that Xu Yunfeng wanted to invite her to the VIP lounge. Zheng Hao was left stunned—when had Xiuya met someone of Xu Yunfeng’s caliber?

Xiuya was invited in, feeling nervous as she had no idea why Xu Yunfeng would want to meet her. However, before they could talk much, a famous host named Li Shanshan barged in, angrily confronting Xu Yunfeng about why he had just broken up with her. Xiuya recognized her from gossip articles; Li Shanshan was rumored to be Xu Yunfeng’s girlfriend. Now, Xiuya found herself as an unsuspecting bystander in their drama.

Realizing there was someone else in the room, Li Shanshan immediately asked Xiuya to leave, but Xu Yunfeng insisted that Xiuya stay, saying she was someone he was currently pursuing. This was news to Xiuya, who quickly explained and even took a photo with Li Shanshan before leaving. Not long after, Xu Yunfeng came to Banghe and bluntly asked Xiuya to be his girlfriend. Shocked, Xiuya said she needed some time to think it over.

Xu Yunfeng handed her his business card and told her to take a day to decide. Out of personal jealousy, Manager Hu secretly arranged for He Xiaoli to edit a group photo from the financial summit, removing Xiuya from it. Later, Hu called Xiuya into his office and subtly warned her to avoid appearing at events with Zheng Hao in the future. Xiuya remained calm and composed, not believing she had done anything wrong.

This incident gave her inspiration for a stand-up routine, and when she performed it, the audience responded with enthusiastic applause. Through this performance, Xiuya made her stance clear. She went to meet Xu Yunfeng, clearly expressing her thoughts, and the two agreed to take things slow, like a trial relationship.

Wu Xiuya gained a lot of inspiration for her stand-up comedy from her date with Xu Yunfeng. However, it was Xu Yunfeng, a man of his stature, who took Xiuya to places she had never been before, and no, it wasn’t the men’s restroom, but a high-end business club.

On the day of their date, Xiuya wore a casual outfit that she thought was comfortable, but she didn’t expect Xu Yunfeng to take her to a high-end business event, where she felt that even the waitstaff were dressed more formally than she was. Xu Yunfeng openly introduced Xiuya as the woman he was pursuing. People inevitably asked about her job, and Xiuya honestly admitted that she worked at Zhonghe Group as an ordinary employee in the internal communications department.

Xu Yunfeng quickly added that Xiuya was a very talented stand-up comedian, expressing his strong approval of her. Xu Yunfeng seemingly accidentally got his clothes wet and went outside to change. Xiuya stayed behind, and overheard people discussing her taste in clothing, with quite a bit of criticism. When Xu Yunfeng returned, he was wearing a simple, casual outfit, just like hers. Xiuya suddenly felt that he was serious about her.

When the chairman saw a photo on the public account without Xiuya in it, he casually asked his assistant about it. The assistant explained that Hu Jianjun claimed it was Xiuya’s request to remove the photo, as she might have been avoiding awkwardness with Zheng Hao. The assistant also mentioned that Xiuya had said she would no longer participate in similar events in the future, which made the chairman feel somewhat disappointed in Xiuya.

Not only did Hu Jianjun stab Xiuya in the back, but he also publicly criticized her writing, ordering her to rewrite her article. After work, Xiuya planned to have dinner with Xu Yunfeng, but her favorite Chongqing hotpot restaurant was closed. To her surprise, Xu Yunfeng took her all the way to Chongqing to eat hotpot, so Xiuya called Xiao Lan to let her know she couldn’t make it to her stand-up performance that night.

Xiao Lan reached out to Shi Ye for help, and that’s how he found out that Xiuya had gone to Chongqing with Xu Yunfeng, which made him feel a pang of disappointment. Xu Yunfeng didn’t just go to Chongqing for the hotpot—he also wanted to acquire a factory there, so he had planned to take care of that business as well. When Xiuya heard this, her feelings of guilt diminished a little.

While Xu Yunfeng stepped out to negotiate with the factory manager, Xiuya took the opportunity to pay the bill and accidentally overheard the heated discussion between Xu Yunfeng and the factory manager. She stood there listening for a while, which made her feel confused. Xu Yunfeng gently explained the situation to Xiuya, and she felt his explanation made sense, nodding in agreement.

Xiuya returned late that night, and Xiao Lan, still awake, wanted to know if anything romantic had happened between Xiuya and Xu Yunfeng. Xiuya candidly told her that nothing had happened. She felt like she had just attended a business lecture, learning many workplace principles. Meanwhile, Xu Yunfeng had been listening attentively to Xiuya’s process of creating stand-up comedy. CEO Jia and Ma Tiantian came to Banghe Bar to watch Xiuya perform stand-up.

Xiao Lan, with her sharp ears, overheard Ma Tiantian mentioning that Xiuya could perform at even more prestigious venues, and she quickly approached to inquire. CEO Jia didn’t expect that something he said casually would be taken seriously by Xiao Lan, and as a man, he didn’t want to lose face by rejecting her. He reluctantly added Xiao Lan on WeChat. Later, Xiao Lan and Liang Dong went to Stann Pavilion to meet with CEO Jia and schedule a time.

CEO Jia tried to find an excuse to delay, but Xiao Lan pretended that Xiuya’s schedule was difficult to confirm. She joked that if Xu Yunfeng suddenly took her to the U. S. to get married, it would make it even harder to pin down a time. As soon as CEO Jia heard Xu Yunfeng’s name, his attitude changed completely. He agreed to let Xiuya and Shi Ye perform before the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s Four Seasons concert.

However, for reasons unknown, Shi Ye declined to perform, so Liang Dong ended up performing with Xiuya. Xiuya went on stage first. Although she only had ten minutes, she received a standing ovation. After the performance, Xiuya smiled as she stepped off the stage, only to be surprised to see the chairman of Zhonghe Group and her ex-boyfriend, Zheng Hao, sitting in the audience.

The day before the performance at Stann Pavilion, Zhang Yan accidentally saw a large poster outside the venue with Wu Xiuya and Liang Dong's names prominently displayed. Zhang Yan took a photo and excitedly sent it to Zheng Hao. At that moment, Zheng Hao was busy working on his computer, but when Zhang Yan’s message popped up, the chairman noticed it.

Curious about what stand-up comedy was, the chairman immediately instructed his assistant to get two tickets and asked Zheng Hao to accompany him. At the performance, Xiuya’s first half was quite funny, but when the chairman heard her compare a financial summit to a workplace frisbee—where everyone fights to grab it—his expression immediately turned serious, and he stopped laughing. Upon seeing the chairman and Zheng Hao, Xiuya’s smile froze on her face.

As the chairman and Zheng Hao got up to leave, Xiuya hurried after them, but the chairman had already gotten into the car, and Zheng Hao only turned back to glance at her. On the way back, the chairman was very silent, with a stern expression, looking no different from usual. Zheng Hao couldn’t bear the long silence and tried several times to break it but didn’t know how to start. Finally, the chairman spoke, but he didn’t mention Xiuya.

Instead, he went on to discuss work matters, leaving Zheng Hao unsure of what he was really thinking. Meanwhile, Xiuya just wanted to bury her head like an ostrich. The chairman’s early reaction made her think that he was definitely angry. She regretted it deeply, especially since she would have to attend a meeting the next day where the chairman would also be present. She worried for her job. Zheng Hao hesitated over whether to send Xiuya a message.

Xiuya noticed that the message box showed that he was typing, but she waited and waited, yet no message came. The next morning, Xiuya went to work with a heavy heart. As soon as she heard the chairman’s name, she instinctively jumped up. However, when she learned that the chairman had a last-minute engagement and wouldn’t be attending the meeting, her tense nerves finally relaxed. But she knew she couldn’t keep avoiding this situation.

Xiuya decided to call Zheng Hao, but when she did, Zheng Hao was busy. He promised to meet her later, and they agreed to meet at Banghe Bar. Meanwhile, Xiao Lan’s secret return to the country was discovered by her father, who demanded she buy a plane ticket back to the U. S. to study properly, or he would cancel her credit card. At Banghe Bar, Zheng Hao met Shi Ye for the second time.

He still misunderstood the relationship between Shi Ye and Xiuya, but Shi Ye, true to his nature, didn’t explain himself, and furthermore, he didn’t want to. When it came to the chairman’s matter, Shi Ye and Zheng Hao held opposing views. Zheng Hao believed Xiuya should apologize privately to the chairman, but Shi Ye felt that stand-up comedy was all about making jokes and that Xiuya hadn’t mocked anyone in a public company setting.

Moreover, it was the chairman who had shown up uninvited, so Xiuya shouldn’t be blamed. After a day of anxiety, Xiuya was unable to make a clear decision. She thought both Zheng Hao and Shi Ye had valid points, and she couldn’t choose between them. Meanwhile, Cao Zhiyong’s brother-in-law came to demand back the 250,000 he had invested in a bar, leaving Cao Zhiyong troubled. Xiao Lan and Xiuya also had their own worries.

Zheng Hao bravely brought up Xiuya’s desire to apologize to the chairman, and the chairman had his assistant arrange a time. Upon receiving the call, Xiuya quickly wrote a long list of self-reflection notes. However, when she saw the chairman, her mind went blank, and her planned apology turned into an explanation about the definition of stand-up comedy.

Surprisingly, the CEO, who had come to dine with the chairman, also took an interest in stand-up comedy and asked Xiuya to perform a short bit. He laughed so much that he couldn’t stop, praising Xiuya’s talent. Afterward, the chairman praised Xiuya’s abilities and said that after the executive meeting, an official appointment for her to take over the new product publicity department would be made.

However, he also mentioned that while she could use stand-up comedy to liven up private events, she could no longer perform stand-up at public company functions. This meant Xiuya had to choose between work and stand-up comedy. After much consideration, Xiuya decided to focus on her career. She wanted something tangible and certain for her future. Shi Ye felt regretful. He wanted to express his feelings to Xiuya but was interrupted by Cao Zhiyong, as Xu Yunfeng had arrived. Xu Yunfeng said that no matter whether Xiuya chose work or stand-up comedy, he would support her unconditionally.

In 2008, in Jianing City, Cao Zhiyong was working a stable but monotonous job with no prospects. He decided to quit and head to Shanghai to try his luck. Using his savings, he bought a truck and started a moving business. Over time, his business grew, and he established a moving company that quickly gained a solid reputation. He even brought his wife to live with him in Shanghai.

In 2011, Cao Zhiyong discovered stand-up comedy and became deeply fascinated by it. He invested a significant amount of money to buy a storefront and opened a bar where people could perform stand-up comedy. However, the bar’s business was bleak, and it had been losing money since its opening. To keep the bar afloat, Cao Zhiyong made the drastic decision to sell his moving company without consulting his wife, which infuriated her.

Later, he even considered selling his gold chain and watch, but the offers he received were too low. One day, Shi Ye was performing stand-up on stage when Wu Xiuya suddenly went up, grabbed the microphone, and delivered her own routine impromptu. Her natural talent for stand-up comedy wowed the audience, reigniting Cao Zhiyong’s hope. However, now that Xiuya had decided to quit stand-up, Cao Zhiyong was once again left directionless.

Desperate, he placed his hopes on Xu Yunfeng, hoping Xu would invest in the bar because of his fondness for stand-up. Xu Yunfeng didn’t beat around the bush and agreed to meet him on Wednesday night at 9:00 PM at Banghe Bar. Meanwhile, Xiuya and Xu Yunfeng were growing more comfortable and natural around each other, though Xiuya still couldn’t fully open up to him physically. Xiao Lan suggested that Xiuya take the initiative.

On the other hand, Cao Zhiyong withdrew all his savings and returned the 250,000 yuan in full to his wife’s unscrupulous brother. When Cao Zhiyong’s brother-in-law learned that he would be meeting Xu Yunfeng to discuss a collaboration, his interest was immediately piqued. He pushed the money back, hoping to secure a share in the bar. However, Cao Zhiyong, having seen through his true nature, refused without hesitation.

To prepare for the meeting, Cao Zhiyong had Xiao Lan launch a special promotional campaign, filling the bar with customers. However, Xu Yunfeng quickly saw through it, recognizing that the customers were drawn by the discounts rather than the stand-up performances themselves. From a professional investor's perspective, Xu Yunfeng didn’t see a bright future for stand-up comedy. His support for Xiuya was driven by his personal stance, not his belief in the industry.

Supporting Xiuya’s career in stand-up didn’t conflict with his skepticism about its future. Even if Xiuya wanted to pursue a career as a successful businesswoman, Xu Yunfeng promised to unconditionally support her, as he was serious about pursuing a future with her, including marriage. Shi Ye overheard Xu Yunfeng’s words and felt a pang of discomfort, realizing how serious Xu was about Xiuya. By the time Xiuya arrived at the bar, Xu Yunfeng had already left.

Xiao Lan then shared Cao Zhiyong’s struggles with everyone. Xiuya offered to use her savings to help, but Cao declined, knowing it was only a temporary fix. Shi Ye, summoning all his courage, urged Xiuya not to give up on stand-up comedy. After reflecting on it, Xiuya presented a challenge to Xu Yunfeng. She proposed renting a large theater with 500 seats and organizing a commercial stand-up comedy show.

If they could turn a profit, it would prove the viability of stand-up as a business. Although one profitable show wouldn’t necessarily be conclusive and might be considered a small sample, Xu Yunfeng accepted the challenge. Xiuya assigned tasks to everyone. She took responsibility for event planning and reaching out to a performance company. However, the performance company had never heard of stand-up comedy, making negotiations difficult. Meanwhile, Shi Ye and Xiao Lan also faced significant challenges with their tasks. As for Cao Zhiyong, he returned to his hometown, humbly approaching his wife’s brother once again to discuss reinvesting in the bar.

Back when Liang Dong and his roommates first came to Banghe Bar for a drink, Cao Zhiyong noticed his potential for stand-up comedy and encouraged him to learn from him. Initially, Liang Dong had two motivations: to complete his “mission” of winning over Jiang Keke and to earn money while working at the bar and learning stand-up comedy. He agreed to give it a try.

Meanwhile, because of Wu Xiuya, Zheng Hao also began exploring stand-up comedy, listening to routines on his headphones at work and laughing uncontrollably. Feng Ke mentioned that the chairman had been in a bad mood recently, rejecting every proposal and sending them back for revisions. Zheng Hao decided to hold off on submitting his proposal. From Feng Ke, he also learned that Wu Xiuya was about to be promoted to head of the product publicity department.

When Zheng Hao got home after work, Hu Jianjun was at his house. Since Zheng Hao’s mother and Hu Jianjun were close friends, she naturally sided with Hu Jianjun and criticized Xiuya for being ungrateful. Zheng Hao couldn’t stand his mother speaking that way about Xiuya and defended her, leaving the dinner table in awkward silence. To convince a qualified company to take on their show, Xiuya frequently visited Manager Liang.

Manager Liang often felt like someone was following him, but every time he turned around, no one was there. One day, he finally turned around to see Xiuya standing there with a wide smile, scaring him half to death. Xiuya invited him to watch a stand-up show at Banghe, offering free drinks. To make sure he wouldn’t back out, she insisted on adding him on WeChat, leaving Manager Liang no choice but to agree.

They set a date for him to watch the performance the next evening. At the same time, Shi Ye was busy recruiting stand-up comedians from other clubs to participate in the challenging commercial performance. Shi Ye, already well-respected in the stand-up community, managed to convince some clubs to let their performers join. However, they required Shi Ye to perform a few shows at their clubs in return.

Thus, Shi Ye found himself running back and forth between clubs, tirelessly performing stand-up. Meanwhile, Liang Dong and Xiao Lan, tasked with securing the venue, made no progress. Frustrated, Liang Dong resorted to grabbing the venue manager’s phone, while Xiao Lan coaxed the manager into coming to Banghe to watch one of Shi Ye’s shows. After watching the performance, both Manager Liang and the venue manager finally agreed to handle the performance arrangements and provide the venue.

Thanks to Xiuya’s persistent efforts, promotional activities were also well-executed, and Shi Ye’s RV was plastered with posters advertising the event. However, when calculating costs, they realized the expenses had far exceeded their initial budget. To break even, they would need to raise ticket prices to 98 yuan—and that was assuming a full house. With no other choice, they decided to refine their material to ensure the quality justified the higher ticket price.

Although Xiuya wasn’t performing, Shi Ye, seeing her adjusting the microphone on stage, felt that she truly belonged there. He believed the show wouldn’t feel complete without Xiuya performing. Zheng Hao, noticing Banghe’s promotional posters, came to the bar, said a few words to Xiuya, and left, but Xiuya didn’t take it to heart. On the day of the show, Xiuya unexpectedly received an assignment for an interview in a remote area, making it unlikely for her to attend.

Everyone felt it was a pity. Just before the performance, an accident occurred—a stand-up comedian broke his leg and couldn’t perform. With one performer short, everyone panicked. Xiao Lan called Xiuya, begging her to step in. Although Xiuya had planned to quit stand-up, she agreed to help in the emergency. Unfortunately, her car broke down, forcing her to borrow a horse from Xu Yunfeng’s ranch. She raced on horseback to the theater. Outside the theater, Zheng Hao hesitated.

He wanted to watch Xiuya’s formal performance but feared what he might see. Suddenly, Xiuya galloped past him on the horse, sparing only a brief glance before rushing inside. Without further thought, Zheng Hao bought a ticket and joined the audience. Wu Xiuya performed last, delivering a stand-up routine that had the audience roaring with laughter. She brought down the house.

However, when she told jokes about dating wealthy men, Zheng Hao couldn’t laugh, sensing that her story wasn’t about Shi Ye. After the show, Xu Yunfeng presented Xiuya with flowers to congratulate her on her successful performance. However, he still refused to invest in the bar since the event didn’t turn a profit.

Later at work, Xiuya proactively told the chairman that she was giving up her promotion opportunity for the head of the publicity department, admitting she couldn’t let go of stand-up. The chairman clarified that his intention was for her to choose between stand-up and her job at Zhonghe. After a brief moment of surprise, Xiuya fell silent. A few seconds later, she made her decision—she chose stand-up and decided to resign.

What’s the purpose of work? For most people, it’s a means to make a living. In terms of survival, work becomes a reflection of one’s identity—take Ma Chao, for example. For others, work is their life, as in the case of Xu Yunfeng. For the average worker, work takes up at least one-third of their lifetime. No matter how prestigious a job may seem, over time, it inevitably breeds monotony.

The fleeting moments of glory are rare, and the rest is a repetitive, seemingly meaningless cycle. The only way to combat this void is for each of us to find our own meaning in work. Between stand-up comedy and her job, Wu Xiuya chose stand-up comedy. Her sudden departure left many people confused and regretful. Making tough decisions is difficult, but finding peace of mind isn’t easy either. Xiuya chose to follow her heart.

Pang Jing, visibly reluctant to see her go, walked her downstairs. In truth, Pang Jing had always admired Xiuya’s carefree and bold nature. Xiuya, hands full with her belongings, would have hugged Pang Jing if her hands were free. Meanwhile, He Xiaoli, holding some data to confirm with Xiuya, unexpectedly saw her get into a luxury car. Being as curious as ever, He Xiaoli couldn’t let this opportunity pass. She immediately hailed a taxi and followed the car to investigate.

Xu Yunfeng had taken Xiuya out for dinner to celebrate her resignation, but before the meal, he brought her to a baby products store to observe the market. The store clerk mistook them for a married couple, making Xiuya feel uncomfortable. Secretly following them, He Xiaoli recorded the scene on her phone. Xu Yunfeng seemed genuinely excited about the earlier moment.

His implied message was clear—he wanted to marry Xiuya, have a child with her, and stroll through baby stores together. Xiuya pretended not to understand and deliberately changed the subject, leaving Xu Yunfeng both amused and helpless. When He Xiaoli returned to the office, she eagerly shared the gossip with her colleagues.

They quickly identified Xu Yunfeng as the man accompanying Xiuya at the baby store, and speculation began that Xiuya had quit her job because she was pregnant with Xu Yunfeng’s child. Back at home, Xiuya found herself financially strained after personally covering a 20,000 yuan expense for the theater performance and quitting her job. To make ends meet, she began sending out resumes in search of a new job.

However, her honesty during interviews backfired—when companies learned she performed stand-up comedy in her spare time, they doubted her ability to balance work and her passion, leading to repeated rejections. Xiao Lan and Liang Dong suggested that Xiuya avoid mentioning stand-up comedy during interviews. Following their advice, she finally landed a new job, but deep down, she felt uneasy about concealing part of her life.

Meanwhile, thanks to He Xiaoli’s loud gossip, nearly everyone at the company was convinced that Xiuya was involved with a financial tycoon and pregnant. Zheng Hao met his blind date, Wang Yao, who seemed like a perfect match for him, but Zheng Hao felt no spark with her. When Xiuya returned to Zhonghe to handle social security transfer paperwork, she noticed her former colleagues whispering about her. Pang Jing eventually revealed that they had misunderstood her relationship with Xu Yunfeng.

Frustrated, Xiuya went to the new company where she was about to start and asked if they would be open to her performing stand-up comedy in her free time. The answer was no, leaving her unemployed once again. To clear up the rumors, Xiuya asked Pang Jing to gather their former colleagues at Banghe. Using her witty and humorous stand-up routine, she explained the entire situation. For the first time, she earned Hu Jianjun’s friendly acknowledgment and approval.

Although Xu Yunfeng wanted to take his relationship with Xiuya to the next level, she still resisted physical intimacy with him. Thanks to Xiao Lan’s efforts, they secured a national tour for stand-up performances, and Xiuya decided to join the tour.

On the first day of the tour, Shi Ye was driving the RV, with Wu Xiuya in the passenger seat. In the back, Liang Dong and Xiao Lan were bickering as usual. The scenery along the way was beautiful, reminding Xiuya of the day she first arrived in Ningxi City. However, when they arrived at the venue, they discovered it wasn’t a formal performance at all—it was just a mop promotion event.

Xiao Lan was furious and argued with Team Leader Lü, but the contract had already been signed. Xiuya tried to calm her down, saying they should just perform as usual. Since it wasn’t a proper event, Xiuya struggled on stage, nearly shouting herself hoarse. Meanwhile, the elderly audience members were too busy fighting over discounted mops to pay her any attention. Afterward, Xiuya joked that it was the most humiliating performance of her stand-up career.

Xiao Lan teased her, saying it was still better than the time Liang Dong froze for a whole minute on stage. During the break, Team Leader Lü invited them to a banquet, saying it was hosted by President Shi. Thinking it would be free food, the group happily went along, only to realize they were expected to perform for the banquet. Worse, they were told their casual attire wasn’t acceptable.

Xiuya was forced to put on a glittery short dress and perform stand-up on stage. But the audience was busy eating and drinking, completely ignoring her performance. Children were running around and playing, making the scene feel more like a zoo. Some guests started heckling, asking Xiuya to either dance or sing. When she said she couldn’t do either, another guest suggested she drink instead. Frustrated, Xiuya stepped off the stage.

Shi Ye quickly took her place, grabbed a bottle of alcohol from a guest, and downed it in one go to keep the atmosphere from collapsing entirely. After the performance, Team Leader Lü scolded them and informed them that they would need to pay for both food and accommodation. To save money, Shi Ye and the group decided not to stay at Lü’s hotel. Instead, they drove the RV to find a spot to camp.

Xiao Lan and Xiuya slept inside the RV, while Liang Dong and Shi Ye set up a tent outside. While gathering firewood, Xiao Lan got so frightened by a rabbit that she screamed and jumped into Liang Dong’s arms. Realizing what she had done, they both awkwardly jumped apart like they had been electrocuted. Meanwhile, Shi Ye took Xiuya to the river to catch fish. As they worked together, the two unknowingly grew closer.

Xiuya, unable to dance, began gathering material for her stand-up routine by observing the people around her. She joked about a chubby singer, which angered the singer so much that her partner secretly sabotaged the RV’s tires. That night, the singer, Xiao Qiu, intentionally told Shi Ye her room number, hoping he would visit her. Xiuya overheard and kept an eye on him. She noticed that Shi Ye didn’t go to Xiao Qiu’s room.

Instead, she overheard him directly rejecting Xiao Qiu, saying he wasn’t interested in her. Later, Xiao Lan got hungry, and Liang Dong took her to a night market to eat. Unfortunately, they ate too much junk and ended up with severe food poisoning, needing IV drips at a clinic. To avoid delaying the tour, Shi Ye and Xiuya left first, planning to meet up with the others after they recovered. Midway through, their plans changed.

Team Leader Lü called Xiuya, telling them to skip Jinhua and head straight to Ningxi City instead. Ningxi City was where Xiuya had transferred schools with her mother after leaving Shenzhen. It was also the place where she first met Shi Ye. Hearing "Ningxi City" brought back memories of Shi Ye’s mother, who had been the director of discipline at Ningxi No. 7 High School. Back then, Shi Ye’s mother had looked down on Xiuya, treating her like a delinquent. So much time had passed—Xiuya wondered if Shi Ye’s mother still saw her the same way. And what would happen next?

Shi Ye knew the way to Ningxi City, so he deliberately avoided the highway. Midway, the singing girl Songhua called and suggested they check their car tires. She claimed that Yazi had noticed low tire pressure before they left. In truth, Yazi had secretly deflated Shi Ye's tires out of spite. Songhua, kind-hearted and worried about their safety, didn’t want to expose Yazi, so she made up the excuse instead.

Shi Ye and Wu Xiuya got out to check and found that the tires were indeed underinflated. Xiuya called for a tow truck, but the service estimated it could take anywhere from one to six hours. Before the call ended, her phone lost signal. As night fell, Shi Ye set up a grill and started roasting meat for Xiuya. Out of nowhere, he suggested they skip Ningxi City altogether and go camping at Yandang Mountain instead.

Though Shi Ye seemed serious, Xiuya thought he was joking. This year, Xiuya had quit her job and ended her relationship, but she hadn’t told her family yet. She figured these were matters best discussed face-to-face. She and Shi Ye chatted for a while longer before Xu Yunfeng sent her a WeChat message, prompting Shi Ye to excuse himself to change clothes. When the tow truck arrived, it hauled their RV to Ningxi City.

After fixing the car, they headed to the performance venue, only to be scolded by Team Leader Lü for arriving late. Lü also criticized Xiuya’s outfit for being too plain again. Before Xiuya could respond, Songhua brought her a dress, left it with her, and walked away without waiting for thanks. When Xiuya caught up to Songhua to ask about the price, she overheard Songhua talking with Yazi and realized that the tire issue was Yazi’s doing.

Songhua, who had been the subject of one of Xiuya’s comedic jabs, wasn’t angry at being used as stand-up material. Xiuya, however, felt deeply ashamed. Ningxi City was small, and Shi Ye ran into his old deskmate, Wang Zihao, who was getting married. He learned that his mother was also attending the wedding. Shi Ye planned to quietly give a red envelope as a gift, but his mother spotted him first.

She ordered him not to show up at the wedding, fearing it would embarrass her in front of her former students and colleagues. Meanwhile, Xiuya performed stand-up at the venue and took the opportunity to apologize to Songhua. Outside, Shi Ye argued with his mother. Xiuya happened to step off the RV and witnessed the scene.

Shi Ye’s mother blamed Xiuya for leading her son astray, claiming that, if not for her, Shi Ye would have taken the entrance exam and gone to Tsinghua or Peking University. Shi Ye, frustrated, explained that he had only wanted to save face for his mother, but since she insisted on lying to others that he was a high-level executive in Shanghai, he decided it was better to reveal the truth. Shi Ye brought Xiuya to the wedding.

His mother, seeing him there, was so furious she refused to speak to him. Wang Zihao warmly welcomed them and seated them at the table with other classmates. Their appearance together made everyone assume they were a couple. Xiuya clarified that they weren’t, but her classmates thought she was just being evasive. Everyone believed Shi Ye’s mother’s lies about him being a successful executive in Shanghai.

Shi Ye decided to come clean, admitting that he had quit his job and was now focused on stand-up comedy. Most of them didn’t even know what stand-up comedy was, so Shi Ye performed a routine on the spot. Xiuya joined him, turning the performance into a two-person act. While it was meant to be stand-up, it felt more like a comic skit. After their performance, the classmates pitied them, thinking they were struggling.

Even Wang Biao, a former troublemaker from middle school, came over to apologize for bullying them. Shi Ye and Xiuya were both amused and speechless. After their performance in Ningxi City, the group parted ways. Before leaving, Xiuya had a heartfelt conversation with Songhua and realized how kind-hearted she truly was. Back in Shanghai, Xu Yunfeng contacted Xiuya. Determined to break up with him, Xiuya asked to meet him.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yunfeng took the stage to perform stand-up himself, but his routine was so awkward that it made the entire audience cringe. Xiuya and Cao Zhiyong, watching from the audience, couldn’t help but feel secondhand embarrassment for him. After his failed performance, Xu Yunfeng left in a hurry without saying a word to Xiuya. When Xiuya tried to comfort him through a message, she discovered that he had already blocked her. The whole situation was absurd and left her baffled.

Being blocked by Xu Yunfeng was actually quite a relief for Xiuya. Xiao Lan, however, didn’t understand why and kept asking. Xiuya finally told her that it was because she liked Shi Ye. This news shocked Xiao Lan; she didn’t know whether to be angry or not, so she just put on her shoes and left. Xiuya received a call from Da Yong. He had wanted Xiao Lan to go buy groceries, but he couldn’t reach her.

Xiuya told him that Xiao Lan wasn’t around, but she could go instead. Xiao Lan, lost in thought, wandered out and went to Bang He. Soon after, Xiuya arrived with some vegetable leaves. Xiao Lan glanced at her but didn’t say anything and turned to walk toward the alley behind Bang He.

Liang Dong noticed the strange atmosphere between Xiao Lan and Xiuya, so he grabbed an ice pop from the freezer and went to the back alley to find Xiao Lan. Xiao Lan didn’t want to talk, so Liang Dong just sat with her. Eventually, Xiao Lan couldn’t keep it inside any longer and told him about Xiuya’s feelings for Shi Ye, something Xiuya had kept hidden from her for a long time.

She also mentioned how her parents wanted her to go back at this crucial moment. Liang Dong realized that Xiao Lan wasn’t actually that upset about Shi Ye; she was angry because Xiuya hadn’t been honest with her. He tried to explain why Xiuya had kept it a secret, but Xiao Lan didn’t understand. As he tried to console Xiao Lan, Liang Dong couldn’t help but feel like he was also talking to himself.

He knew that Xiao Lan liked Shi Ye, while he liked her but couldn’t say it, afraid that admitting it would ruin their friendship. Da Yong had invited the landlord out for a meal in hopes of asking for a few months' grace on his rent. However, when the landlord realized it was a trap, he left without even touching his drink.

The four of them were worried about how to approach stand-up comedy, and Xiuya suggested many ideas, but every one of them was shot down by Xiao Lan, who mixed in her personal emotions. Xiuya became angry, and the two of them turned their heads away from each other in frustration. Liang Dong tried to change the subject by suggesting they drink, and both Xiao Lan and Xiuya fought to get the last of the white wine.

Da Yong watched in pain, as that bottle of white wine had been his prized collection for a long time, and now it was being chugged by the two of them. They drank it as if it were water, and when the white wine was gone, they rushed to the bar for more. Liang Dong couldn’t stop them and had no choice but to call Shi Ye for help.

No matter how good their tolerance was, they couldn’t handle drinking like this, and soon both were drunk. The two of them went up on stage, crying and talking. Their close bond was stronger than anything, not even a man could shake it. After they hugged and cried, Liang Dong, still sober, was moved by the scene. He recorded it and sent it to Shi Ye.

When Shi Ye arrived, he mistakenly thought that Xiuya was upset because she had been blocked by Xu Yunfeng. Xiuya and Xiao Lan then ran to the bathroom to vomit. Xiao Lan, still drunk, encouraged Xiuya to go after that man. Xiuya, surprisingly, got up to do just that, but what Shi Ye didn’t expect was that the man Xiuya wanted to pursue was him. Xiuya declared two things, one of which was that she liked Shi Ye.

Without hesitation, she kissed him. Shi Ye told her to think carefully because he was against marriage. When Xiuya said that she didn’t care whether he wanted to marry or not, Shi Ye laughed, turning the situation around to his advantage. He didn’t even care that Xiuya hadn’t brushed her teeth after vomiting. Shi Ye drove Xiao Lan and Xiuya home. Xiuya held onto him and spent the night with him.

The next morning, Xiuya woke up to countless messages from her mother, who was on her way to Shanghai to stay for a few days. Shi Ye, not knowing what was happening, heard the doorbell and opened the door before Xiuya could stop him. Xiao Lan, quick on her feet, said that Shi Ye was her boyfriend and was taking her to the airport.

Xiuya planned to smooth things over with her mother before telling her about quitting her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. So, she and Shi Ye began their secret relationship. Xiuya noticed that the medicine her mother had brought seemed like substandard products, so she threw it out and replaced it with new imported health supplements. What Xiuya didn’t know was that her mother was actually ill and had come to Shanghai for medical treatment. She also hoped to delay surgery and settle Xiuya’s marriage first.

Four days ago, the endless arguments with her husband, despair over her mundane life, and the illness that only she knew about left Li Dongmei feeling suffocated. She decided to leave home on a whim. The next morning, when Xiuya’s father woke up, he found himself alone, with only a “bloodbath” caused by frozen pork ribs left behind. During this delicate time, Xiuya had changed Shi Ye’s contact name to “Advertising Department’s Xiao Shi.

” Although Shi Ye didn’t say anything, Xiuya could sense that he was a little upset. However, she was just waiting for the right moment to tell her mother everything. Liang Dong suggested that she first use a colleague as a decoy to test Li Dongmei’s reaction before revealing the truth. Da Yong, thinking from a parent’s perspective, believed Xiuya simply needed to correct her mother’s traditional mindset.

After leaving the hospital, Li Dongmei called Xiuya, saying she would come to her company to pick her up for dinner. Xiuya didn’t even have time to refuse before Li Dongmei hung up. To prevent her lies from being exposed, Xiuya rushed to the office, but the rush-hour traffic made her late. She quickly called Pang Jing to stall her mother for a while.

Xiuya then hurriedly arrived at her office, taking the stairs up and squeezing into the elevator to come back down, pretending to have just finished work. She immediately grabbed her mother and left. Unfortunately, they ran into He Xiaoli and Ma Chao. Xiuya tactfully stopped them from inadvertently mentioning her resignation to her mother. Li Dongmei saw a fancy restaurant and decided to take Xiuya there.

The dishes were outrageously expensive, but Xiuya couldn’t admit she had already quit her job, so she put on a brave face and used her credit card to pay. During dinner, Li Dongmei brought up Zheng Hao, subtly hinting at wanting to discuss his and Xiuya’s marriage. Xiuya brushed it off, saying she wasn’t in a hurry to get married. After the meal, Li Dongmei wanted to go shopping, and Xiuya had no choice but to accompany her.

They spent over 8,000 yuan on two outfits, and Xiuya finally understood the phrase “spending money like water. ”Later, Xiuya shared her frustrations with Shi Ye, who listened carefully and immediately took her to earn money through stand-up comedy. Keeping busy, Shi Ye said, would leave no time for overthinking or extra worries. Shi Ye’s idea of making money was performing stand-up at various venues, earning 100 yuan each. Together, they made 200 yuan a night.

The money came in bit by bit, but every time Xiuya spent a penny, her heart ached. That evening, Shi Ye bought a discounted loaf of bread for 5 yuan at the supermarket, and the two settled their dinner with it, saving another expense. Meanwhile, their landlady, Sister Chen, verbally agreed to give Xiuya a few extra days to pay rent but quickly came knocking again.

When Li Dongmei found out her daughter hadn’t paid the rent, she used her own cash to cover it for the month. While tidying Xiuya’s room, Li Dongmei came across her notebook filled with stand-up comedy sketches. That night, Shi Ye dropped Xiuya off at her place. Hearing her casually lie on the phone with her mother, he joked that her love life felt like an affair.

When Xiuya returned to her apartment, she found that her mother had already prepared dinner and told her the rent was paid. Li Dongmei mentioned the red notebook she had found, and Xiuya lied, saying it was just a hobby to jot down interesting ideas. While Xiuya was in the bathroom, Li Dongmei accidentally saw a message from “Advertising Department’s Xiao Shi,” which was filled with affectionate words. Her heart skipped a beat.

On the weekend, Xiuya had plans to go out, and Li Dongmei wanted to follow her, but Xiuya quickly found an excuse to refuse. This only made Li Dongmei more certain that her daughter was hiding something. She secretly followed Xiuya and saw her get onto the back seat of Shi Ye’s bike. The two looked very close. Li Dongmei contacted Zheng Hao, who didn’t mention that he and Xiuya had already broken up. That evening, when Xiuya returned home, she was startled to see her mother sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.

A day ago, everyone was preparing to promote and attract guests to Bang He. Xiao Lan, though distracted, was giving remote guidance via video and even called Zhao Na to help Wu Xiuya with her makeup. Xiuya planned to tell Zhao Na about her relationship with Shi Ye, but to her surprise, Zhao Na already knew through Xiao Lan.

Zhao Na admitted that when she was with Shi Ye, she didn’t initially care whether he wanted to get married or not. However, as time passed, she realized that being together long-term without a clear outcome wasn’t ideal, which is why she chose to break up with him. After finishing her makeup, Xiuya saw Zhao Na off. Outside, Da Yong was greeting guests, and Xiuya went over to help him.

Four shady-looking men approached, and Xiuya told them there was a free stand-up comedy show. The men asked if Xiuya would be performing. When she nodded, they laughed maliciously, but Xiuya didn’t think much of it and led them inside before continuing to recruit more guests. Unexpectedly, the men demanded that Xiuya perform a strip dance. When she firmly refused, one of them tried to grab her, but she broke free. Enraged, the man slapped her across the face.

Seeing this from the stage, Shi Ye rushed over and knocked the man to the ground. The thug’s friends joined in, and Liang Dong and Da Yong immediately stepped in to help. Chaos erupted in Bang He, turning it into a scene like a noisy marketplace. Both groups ended up being taken to the police station. The thugs tried to shift the blame, but fortunately, Liang Dong had surveillance footage as evidence.

Later, Shi Ye used a boiled egg to massage the swollen bump on Xiuya’s head. When he tried to eat the egg afterward, Xiuya snatched it away first. Da Yong’s wife came to the police station to bail him out. Once they got home, she gave him an ultimatum: either return to their hometown and settle down, or they’d separate if he insisted on staying in Shanghai to pursue stand-up comedy.

Shi Ye walked Xiuya home, only for her to find her mother, Li Dongmei, sitting awake on the sofa. Xiuya had a sinking feeling that her mother must have learned something. Sure enough, the next morning, Li Dongmei waited for Xiuya to come clean. When her mother mistakenly assumed she was having an affair, Xiuya quickly cleared up the misunderstanding. Li Dongmei then asked about Shi Ye’s job.

Upon hearing that he was a stand-up comedian without job security or social benefits, her mother was utterly distraught. Without Xiuya’s consent, Li Dongmei went to her former workplace to find Zheng Hao, attempting to patch things up between him and Xiuya. Zheng Hao, completely clueless about what was happening, used the excuse of a meeting to escape. Meanwhile, He Xiaoli approached Li Dongmei and struck up a conversation.

This was when Li Dongmei learned, to her surprise, that Xiuya had already resigned. She asked He Xiaoli to help her meet Xiuya’s former boss, Hu Jianjun. Li Dongmei pleaded with Hu Jianjun to give Xiuya another chance, leaving Hu completely bewildered. Xiuya received a message from Pang Jing and rushed to her old office, trying to drag her mother away. However, Li Dongmei refused to leave and ended up having a loud argument with Xiuya in the office.

The ridicule, gossip, and feigned sympathy of her former colleagues slowly chipped away at the last bit of dignity Xiuya had left. After making a scene, Li Dongmei broke down in tears. Once she finally calmed down, Xiuya took her outside the company building, but they ended up arguing again. Furious, Li Dongmei took a taxi back to Xiuya’s rented apartment and began packing her things to leave. When Xiuya arrived home, she quickly stopped her mother and left again.

Back at Bang He, the group felt hopeless, thinking their future was bleak and the bar might soon close. Just then, someone in their stand-up comedy group shared news about a nationwide comedy competition. Cheng Cheng mentioned it was organized by a well-known and experienced TV drama team and encouraged Shi Ye, Xiuya, and Liang Dong to register. When Xiuya returned home, she found her mother collapsed in the room and panickedly called for an ambulance.

Zheng Hao called Xiuya, intending to check on her. In her distress, Xiuya answered, mistaking him for her father, Wu Guodong. Without realizing it, she revealed that her mother had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.

In 1988, the 22-year-old Li Dongmei saw the world as a brand-new book waiting to be opened. She longed for an exciting and enriching life and believed that finding a partner should mean choosing someone who would explore the world with her, watching sunrises and sunsets, and experiencing life’s splendor together. Following this dream, Li Dongmei joined Wu Guodong on his travels, even moving homes while heavily pregnant.

At first, she enjoyed the adventure, but over time, she realized that life was full of unpredictable challenges. Especially after Wu Xiuya was born, constantly moving with her daughter and husband wore her down. Initially, Wu Guodong appreciated her sacrifices for the family, but eventually, his gratitude faded into indifference, dismissing her efforts with, "You insisted on coming along. "After being diagnosed with her illness, the doctor advised Li Dongmei to go to a major city hospital for a follow-up.

It was then that she truly understood the importance of choosing a dependable partner—someone who could face life’s difficulties with her. Zheng Hao, through a childhood friend, managed to connect with a renowned doctor, Director Wang. Director Wang asked Zheng Hao to first bring the patient in for a full set of tests, after which they could determine a suitable surgery date. Meanwhile, Shi Ye completed his application forms and contacted Xiuya, only to discover that her mother had been hospitalized.

Zheng Hao’s tireless efforts deeply moved Li Dongmei, though she regretted that nothing had come of his relationship with her daughter. Xiuya was also grateful for Zheng Hao’s help; without him, she wouldn’t have been able to secure a bed in a major Shanghai hospital. At the same time, she noticed that Zheng Hao seemed different from before. Shi Ye arrived at the hospital with some fruit, only to find that Li Dongmei had gone for her tests.

In the room were just Xiuya and Zheng Hao. Before they could exchange many words, Zheng Hao’s childhood friend arrived with Director Wang, and Shi Ye overheard them referring to Li Dongmei as Zheng Hao’s future mother-in-law. Once the room cleared, leaving only Xiuya and Shi Ye, Xiuya tried to explain the situation, but Shi Ye assured her he understood.

He said he didn’t mind and believed that Zheng Hao had only used those words to ensure the hospital staff would take good care of Li Dongmei. Despite his reassurances, Shi Ye insisted on personally purchasing everything Li Dongmei needed, refusing Zheng Hao’s help. Later, when both Shi Ye and Zheng Hao were present in the room, Li Dongmei’s attitude toward the two men was drastically different, treating them like night and day.

During Li Dongmei’s hospital stay, Xiuya stayed by her side as a caregiver, while Shi Ye and Zheng Hao spared no effort in assisting. However, Shi Ye couldn’t help but notice the advantages that Zheng Hao, a native Shanghainese, had over him. When Xiuya went to handle the transfer of her mother’s out-of-town medical insurance, Li Dongmei seized the chance to have a private conversation with Shi Ye.

Setting other matters aside, she expressed her concerns about the instability of Shi Ye’s lifestyle. She hoped he would consider Xiuya’s future and find a stable, reliable job. Shi Ye, however, didn’t agree. He believed that as a young man, he should enjoy the present instead of worrying about a future that had yet to come. While his reasoning was sound, Li Dongmei’s priority was her daughter’s well-being. Xiuya overheard their conversation while standing on the hospital rooftop.

Without interrupting, she quietly walked away, pretending she knew nothing about it. Meanwhile, Zheng Hao asked his mother to make chicken soup for Li Dongmei. Hu Jianjun, a close friend of Zheng Hao’s mother, volunteered to deliver it and even brought along several of Xiuya’s former colleagues to visit Li Dongmei. At that moment, Xiuya was showering in Shi Ye’s camper van, but the water ran out halfway through.

She stepped out and accidentally spotted Hu Jianjun and the group of visitors heading toward the hospital. Quickly, she followed them. Before leaving, Hu Jianjun left a red envelope in the room. Though Xiuya wanted to return it, the group had already taken the elevator and left. Back in the ward, mother and daughter had another emotional confrontation. Li Dongmei was worried that if anything happened to her, no one would be there to take care of Xiuya.

In response, Xiuya stubbornly declared that she would pursue her passions, earn a lot of money, and marry someone she loved to start a family. However, Li Dongmei retorted by asking whom she planned to marry, pointing out that Shi Ye was clearly opposed to marriage. Their entire conversation was overheard by Shi Ye, who was standing just outside the door.

Humans often say things they don’t truly mean. What they express and what they actually feel are often at odds. When Wu Guodong arrived at the cancer hospital, he intended to cheer up his wife, Li Dongmei. However, the words that came out were complaints about her smoking and grumbles instead of comfort. Li Dongmei turned her head away, refusing to listen to his nagging.

Meanwhile, Shi Ye, driving his camper van back to Banghe Bar, couldn’t stop replaying the conversation between Wu Xiuya and her mother in his mind. He was painfully aware that he might not be the best choice for Xiuya when it came to marriage. Yet, his deep love for her pulled him in the opposite direction, leaving him torn and spiraling into emotional turmoil. Xiuya called Xiao Lan, reflecting on her argument with her mother.

She realized that understanding herself was a much harder task than she had imagined. She still couldn’t figure out what kind of life she truly wanted. Da Yong announced that he planned to return to his hometown next week and would no longer be involved with Banghe Bar. He also asked Shi Ye to find another place to store the camper van. Shi Ye didn’t say much after hearing this news but suggested that their parting should be done properly.

He organized a farewell gathering for everyone. Xiao Lan was out of Shanghai and couldn’t join, but Xiuya came straight from the hospital to meet with Cao Zhiyong, Shi Ye, and Liang Dong. The four of them gathered, shared a drink, and as the alcohol took effect, the sadness in the room became palpable. Xiuya’s eyes reddened as the mood grew heavy.

Da Yong revealed that he wouldn’t be participating in the comedy competition, implying that he was giving up on stand-up comedy entirely. Liang Dong was both upset and angry. It was Da Yong who had convinced him to enter the world of stand-up, promising him that it had a bright future. Now that Da Yong was abandoning it, Liang Dong felt like the foundation of his passion was crumbling.

After his conversation with Li Dongmei, Shi Ye had a deeper understanding of life’s choices. He could sympathize with Da Yong’s decision—people shouldn’t let dreams control their lives. Maybe going back home would help Da Yong figure out what he truly wanted. The group’s poor internet connection earlier had cut off Xiao Lan’s call, but now she returned Liang Dong’s video call. When her face appeared on the screen, Liang Dong, who was drunk, burst into tears.

He asked Xiao Lan when she would return because he missed her deeply and admitted that he genuinely liked her. Xiao Lan was stunned for a moment by this sudden and unprompted confession. Later, after the gathering ended, Xiuya and Shi Ye helped the drunk Da Yong and Liang Dong into a taxi. Then, Shi Ye suddenly hugged Xiuya and whispered in her ear that he wanted to break up. For a moment, Xiuya thought she had misheard him.

She asked Shi Ye for the reason behind the breakup. Shi Ye explained that he didn’t want their relationship to be constrained by external pressures. Even though Xiuya was heartbroken, she had no choice but to accept his decision. Xiao Lan, meanwhile, packed her bags and returned to Shanghai, heading straight to the seaside to find Liang Dong. At first, Liang Dong was too timid to admit that he had confessed to her on the phone.

But when Xiao Lan turned to leave, he finally mustered the courage to speak his true feelings. Xiao Lan’s sorrow turned into joy, and the two officially became a couple. Thus, Shi Ye and Xiuya broke up, while Liang Dong and Xiao Lan started their relationship. At the hospital, Wu Guodong went to pay the medical fees and happened to overhear a conversation between Xiuya and Xiao Lan. Only then did he learn that his daughter enjoyed doing stand-up comedy.

He also realized that she was hesitating to participate in the competition because of Li Dongmei’s illness. Later, Wu Guodong encouraged Xiuya to go for it, expressing his wish for her to live a happy life. Wu Guodong assured Xiuya that he could take care of Li Dongmei, allowing her to focus on the competition without any worries. In the end, Xiuya decided to sign up.

Surprisingly, even Da Yong, who wanted to put an end to his stand-up career, registered for the competition. The competition had a total of 53 participants, including Shi Ye. The producer of the event, Tian Tian, had previously watched Xiuya perform at a theater. It was Xiuya’s performance that had inspired Tian Tian to create a stand-up comedy entertainment program. When it was Xiuya’s turn to take the stage, she looked out into the audience and saw her parents, Wu Guodong and Li Dongmei, sitting there.

Li Dongmei wanted to see her daughter on stage and understand the magic of stand-up comedy that made Wu Xiuya so passionate. Wu Guodong followed her wishes and took her to the audience section of the stand-up comedy competition. As soon as Xiuya took the stage, she saw her father and mother in the crowd. For a brief second, she froze, but she quickly regained her composure and continued her performance as usual.

However, Li Dongmei didn’t smile at all, while Wu Guodong was laughing heartily. After Xiuya finished her performance, Li Dongmei and Wu Guodong left the venue. Once they were outside, Li Dongmei couldn’t hold back her laughter, startling Wu Guodong, who thought she had gone mad. But it wasn’t that—Li Dongmei had just found Xiuya’s stand-up comedy so funny, and she had been holding back her laughter during the performance.

The competition ended, and both Xiuya and Shi Ye, the strong contenders, made it to the next round. Da Yong and Liang Dong were eliminated, but their positive attitude remained intact. Soon, Li Dongmei’s surgery was scheduled. Xiao Lan and Zheng Hao stayed with Xiuya and her parents outside the operating room, their hearts heavy with worry. Shi Ye, also concerned about the surgery, was outside the hospital.

When he received a message from Xiao Lan saying that the surgery was a success, his anxieties finally eased. Li Dongmei’s surgery was a success, and the doctors advised her to rest and recover. Good news kept coming in. Xiuya showed great talent in stand-up comedy and, together with Shi Ye, made it to the top four.

Xiao Lan’s father gave her a sum of money, and Xiuya asked Xiao Lan to lend her 400,000 yuan to take over the bar. Xiao Lan suddenly snapped out of her thoughts. She quickly agreed to lend Xiuya 200,000 yuan, while the remaining 200,000 yuan would be considered her investment. The two best friends decided to jointly take over Banghe Bar. Xiao Lan didn’t hesitate and immediately contacted the bar’s landlord, Mr. Hu.

However, she found out that someone was already negotiating with him about buying the bar. Unaware that it was Zheng Hao, Xiao Lan and Xiuya feared that Mr. Hu might have already agreed to the other party, so they quickly offered to raise the price. This back-and-forth negotiation drove the price higher, and the landlord couldn’t hide his joy. Realizing that they couldn’t finalize the deal over the phone, Xiao Lan and Zheng Hao both insisted on meeting Mr.

Hu in person. When they finally met, they realized that they knew each other, and Zheng Hao immediately agreed to invest together with Xiao Lan and Xiuya. Xiuya trusted Zheng Hao’s business acumen, and Zheng Hao believed in Xiuya and Xiao Lan’s work capabilities. The three of them successfully took over Banghe Bar and signed the contract with the landlord that same day.

As the stand-up competition reached its finale, the top four contestants were set to face off in pairs, and unfortunately, Xiuya was matched against Shi Ye. Shi Ye went first, and he made last-minute changes to his routine. What was originally a funny stand-up bit became more of a personal reflection on his inner thoughts. Naturally, it wasn’t as humorous as his usual comedic observations, but Xiuya in the audience understood the underlying message.

After all the contestants performed, the host announced the names of the finalists who would advance to the grand finale. Wu Xiuya and Pang Bo were among those selected, while Shi Ye did not make it. Xiuya knew that if Shi Ye had stuck to his original, funny material, he might have beaten her. Li Dongmei and Wu Guodong borrowed Shi Ye’s camper van for a trip around the country.

Shi Ye planned to clean the van before sending it to them. Zheng Hao joined him to clean the van and also aimed to sign Shi Ye as a regular stand-up performer for Banghe Bar, while also announcing that he intended to pursue Xiuya again. Shi Ye was also interested in this idea, and the two agreed to compete fairly for her.

Before the grand finale, Wang Jin, who had been eliminated in the top four, intentionally spread rumors online, claiming that Xiuya’s success was due to gender favoritism. Far from being upset, Xiuya wore a striking red jacket at the finale, showing her courage and defiance, and presenting herself as the confident and unstoppable Wu Xiuya.

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