I don’t think any drama is perfect, and it needn’t be, as long as it delivers exactly what a viewer wants from it. Sunny Happiness has plenty of faults, even if my constant squealing over it makes it seem like its some perfect drama. But when you watch SH, what you take away from each episode is never the little things that didn’t work quite right, but always it was the perfect scenes that were magical.

Episodes 9-10 were simply delightful episodes, filled with so much burgeoning OTP-goodness you’ll need a spatula to scrape you off the floor of love. Yun Jie and Yong Yong take their relationship to the next step, literally and figuratively. I love how the plot contrivances may have brought them there, but their emotional and frank conversations elevate their relationship from fiction into believable reality.

Episode 9-10 Recap:

Second sister is understandably upset to find the signed divorced papers on the bed. Yong Yong tries to explain that it’s all part of the deal, but second sister continues to up her level of awesome by telling Yong Yong that she ran all the way to the lawyer’s office today to make sure her sister got married properly. She asks Yong Yong to think back to what they discussed before leaving on this trip.

It turns out that the conversation between Yong Yong and second sister in the garden that day continued after the scene ended in episode 7, and we see the conversation now. Yong Yong tells second sister that in her dream wedding, she wears a dress that she likes (it doesn’t have to be white), wear comfy shoes that her beloved puts on her feet, she eats delicious food with her beloved, and then they have a honeymoon.

Second sister tells Yong Yong that she won’t let her get married all alone and then spend her wedding night in a hotel room by herself. Second sister asks for Yun Jie’s room number and says that she has something to say to him.

Back in Taiwan, Yun Chao is working on selecting designers and boutiques for the upcoming shopping center. He finds out that Xin Jie is a famous designer and he goes to see her to convince her to open a shop in the shopping center. Xin Jie is busy at work, but she also purposely makes Yun Chao wait to talk with her. She brushes him off, and he gives her some hard-to-acquire chocolates as a gift.

She ends up taking him to a girl gathering of her friends, to celebrate another friend’s impending wedding. Xin Jie re-gifts the chocolates, and Yun Chao steps up and introduces himself as her boyfriend. He saves her from appearing at the party without a date, and he tells her that he was happy to help, and that he expects nothing back from her.

Yun Chao leaves the gathering and heads to the press conference to announce the shopping center. At the press conference, he gets a call from Yun Jie, and he excitedly tells his brother about the big announcement. Too bad Yun Jie is calling to tell him to call off the press conference because the orphanage cannot be touched, hence the shopping mall project is to be terminated.

Yun Chao is livid, especially since Yun Jie refuses to give him an explanation and just hangs up the phone on him. Yun Chao has to announce to a roomful of reporters that the project will not be happening. Xin Jie watches this happen, and looks perturbed. Yun Chao grits his teeth and takes the fall for the company.

Yun Jie is told by his lawyer that they need to have more proof of the marriage other than just a marriage certificate. Just then, second sister barges in to demand that Yun Jie have a wedding banquet for her sister. Both Yun Jie and Yong Yong are not keen on the idea, but the lawyer seconds the suggestion, since it gives more support and credence to this contract marriage.

Yun Jie books an entire banquet hall for the wedding, and Yong Yong isn’t comfortable that the four of them will dine in such a sprawling place. He tells her that the place is booked already, and she might as well enjoy it. Yun Jie looks at her, and tells her that he wanted her to at least enjoy herself a bit before going back to Taiwan.

Yong Yong looks at the banquet hall, and says that she had hoped her family and friends would be sitting at various tables, to celebrate with her. Yun Jie can tell that she’s sad that her marriage is a sham, and that they are having a wedding banquet to commemorate a sham. He grabs her hand and drags her to a clothing boutique. He tells her that she needs to pick a dress for her wedding banquet.

Yong Yong selects a short strapless white dress, and Yun Jie looks a little taken aback at his beautiful new wife. He takes her to pick out high heels, and he takes off her shoes and puts it on for her. Oh lord, stop making me swoon for him! That night, they are having a wedding banquet (which is freaking ridiculous since it’s a giant banquet ball and just the four of them dining).

Everyone is just silently drinking or eating. Second sister hilariously makes them toast each other, and requires that they intertwine their arms to drink (and she makes the lawyer chant for them to do so as well, heh). Yong Yong decides she might as well enjoy herself, and downs the wine. The married couple toast each other marital felicitations.

After the banquet, Yong Yong and Yun Jie are sitting at the beach drinking some more (while second sister nods off in the car). What follows is some sublime conversation and moments that define how lovely SH is as a drama. Yong Yong says there are so many stars out tonight, and Yun Jie replies that it’s not stars, but city lights. Yong Yong asks him not to douse her fantasy and she can think whatever she wants, so then he adorably says “wow, there are so many moons out tonight.”

He tells her that she can go back if she wants, and she declines, since she’s getting married for the first time. She realizes that it’s his second time, and apologizes. She takes off her shoes and throws them into the sand, followed by her walking onto the beach. She asks why he looks surprised, perhaps a rich guy like him isn’t used to communing with nature.

He tells her that he wasn’t always the President of the Tian Yu Group, there are actually parts of him that she has never seen. She tells him that she doesn’t want to know all of him – since she met him, only terribly things have happened.

He congratulates her, starting tomorrow, her life will be good again. She wistfully notes that these past few days have been just like a dream. It’s over in a blink of an eye. Her stepmom had gone to the temple to get her a charm, and was told that something totally unexpected was going to happen to Yong Yong. She then gestures for Yun Jie to join her on the beach, and he reluctantly agrees, taking off his shoes.

Back in Taipei, Yun Chao sits alone in the empty press conference lobby, and his subordinate comes to incite him some more by bad mouthing Yun Jie. Yun Chao tears up all the press conference banners in frustration. I totally empathesize with Yun Chao here, Yun Jie totally screwed his brother over, regardless of whether his reason was correct.

Yun Chao goes home, and dad continues to side with Yun Jie, saying that he must have a good reason. Yun Chao continues to chafe at how his father treats the two of them so differently. His mom tries to calm him down, and Yun Chao says that all his life, his father validates Yun Jie but belittles him. Mom asks Yun Chao to stop over-thinking everything.

Yun Chao calls Yun Jie, and second sister picks up the phone. She looks outside and see Yun Jie and Yong Yong sitting on the beach, and she adorably tells Yun Chao that Yun Jie is busy right now and to call again tomorrow. She hangs up, and tells herself that clearly a relationship can be nurtured, as she looks at the newly weds.

Yong Yong looks at her watch and realizes that its broken again. Yun Jie takes off his watch and gives it to her, telling her it’s a present. She derides it as being a guy’s watch, but then Yun Jie realizes that his token of affection with his first wife was a watch as well. What are the odds he’s giving the same type of present to his second wife.

They both lay down on the beach, and Yong Yong says that she believes that fate ties people together with a red string. Marriage or divorce, it happens for a reason. She wants him to hurry up and get married for the third time, so that they can end their sham marriage early and she can find her real destiny.

He looks at her and asks to see the charm her stepmom got for her from the temple. He takes it and removes the red string, tying it around her wrist. He tells her that he wants her to get a head start on finding her destiny. If she meets someone before the year is up, he’s willing to end the marriage early and let her go. Yong Yong tells him likewise, and both realize that they have finally reached a comfortable understanding with each other.

They agree to be good friends going forward. They get up to play a drinking game called Seawood (totally the cutest game ever!), and the loser who makes the same gesture as the person calling it has to drink. They proceed to get wasted. They stagger back to the hotel room, with second sister trying to take care of them. Yun Jie ends up inside Yong Yong’s room, and second sister decides to continue her matchmaker role and leaves the newlyweds alone.

Yong Yong ends up in bed first, and then Yun Jie crawls in after her. They face each other, and she asks why he’s in her dreams. She pokes him and tells him to get out of her dreams so that she can get some sleep. He tells her to stop poking him. Heh. They look at each other, and Yun Jie leans in to kiss her. They break apart, and then Yong Yong leans in to kiss him. Finally he kisses her again, and the scene fades to next morning.

Both wake up naked and in each other’s arms, which leads to a round of screaming and accusations for why and how they ended up in this situation. Yong Yong runs into the bathroom and Yun Jie gets dressed. They agree to forget that last night ever happened. Second sister comes back, and Yong Yong lies to her that Yun Jie slept on the sofa all night and that nothing happened.

They check out and head back to Taipei, but not before Yong Yong and Yun Jie awkwardly run into each other in the lobby. Wan Lan meets with the lawyer, who brings out the big guns, saying that Yun Jie will reveal that she is Xiao Nian’s mother to the world through the custody battle. He suggest that she reconsider, and drops the bombshell that Yun Jie is married and can now provide a complete family environment to Xiao Nian.

Yong Yong and second sister are back at home, and second sister adorably looks at her and asks if her “prince”, who is now her husband, has called her. Yong Yong shuts her up with a steamed bun, and first sister and their mom comes out to join them for breakfast. Yong Yong reminds second sister not talk about what happened in China. Yong Yong tells her stepmom that she’s planning to head back to the hotel to work.

Back at the hotel, Yong Yong peeks into Yun Jie’s office, and only comes inside to clean when the coast is clear. She talks to herself, trying to exorcise all the remnants of Yun Jie from her mind, but it’s hard when clearly he’s all over her mind. She hears a noise and runs outside to hide. Yun Chao comes into the office and sits in Yun Jie’s chair. Yun Chao wants an office at the hotel, to be close to Yun Jie and more involved with hotel matters.

Yun Chao heads back to his new office in the hotel, and the subordinate once again tries to make it seem like Yun Jie’s decisions are going to reflect badly only on Yun Chao, who is taking the blame from an outside perspective. His words are clearly getting under Yun Chao’s skin. Wan Lan and Yun Jie meet, and she agrees to share custody with him. That night, they head to Wan Lan’s place, and Yun Jie surprises Xiao Nian with a cake.

Wan Lan walks Yun Jie out, and they have a cordial and adult conversation, whereby she thanks him for coming today, and he thanks her for giving birth to Xiao Nian and raising him for the last eight years. She says that today made her realize how much Xiao Nian needs a father. She tells him that she will relinquish custody to Yun Jie. She asks if she can meet Yun Jie’s wife, to confirm whether she’ll like Xiao Nian.

Yun Jie tells Wan Lan that he will take good care of Xiao Nian, and she says that she will make up her mind after seeing more of their interactions. Wan Lan, Xiao Nian, and Yun Jie fly back to Taipei together. Back at the Xian house, dad asks Yun Jie why he stopped the shopping mall project. Yun Jie confesses that he doesn’t have any good insider information.

Dad asks why Yun Jie suddenly went to China, and Yun Jie finally drops the bombshell on his parents that he has a son. He tells him that he went to China to bring Xiao Nian back. He tells his parents that Wan Lan doesn’t want anything from the family, and the parents are just happy to have a grandson fall from the sky. Mom wants Xiao Nian brought home as soon as possible.

Later that night, Yun Chao goes to speak with Yun Jie, who is playing the piano. Yun Jie apologizes for creating problems for Yun Chao. But Yun Chao doesn’t mind the problems, he just want an answer for why. Yun Jie says that he has his own reasons, and he continuously refuses to answer Yun Chao’s pointed questions. Yun Chao notes that when his internet company failed, their dad gave him so much grief. Yet now when Yun Jie causes the company to lose money on the shopping mall project, he gets a pass from their dad.

Thoughts of Mine:

Okay, let’s get this out of the way – was that a hot steamy wedding night or what? And I’m glad to report that you didn’t need to sit through annoying filler to get to the good stuff. In fact, my favorite scene in this episode wasn’t the wedding night scene, it was the beach scene. I can dissect every perfect line of dialogue in that long scene, but trust me when I say it was pitch-perfect.

Can I also give another shout out to second sister, who makes me warm inside for how wonderful she is in looking out for Yong Yong’s best interests and future? She is a gem, and truly deserves her own happiness. I love how she told the newlyweds to drink their wine, and also when she hung up on Yun Chao. Heh. She and first sister can star in their own sitcom and I’d watch that!

Speaking of Yun Chao, y’all know I’m crazy about him, but he’s kind of going through a phase right now in these two episodes. He was flying high with successfully managing the shopping mall project only for big bro to swoop down at the last moment and pull the rug out from under him. I understand and relate to how angry and frustrated he feels. Especially since Yun Jie doesn’t (and can’t) give him a reasonable explanation for why.

I like Yun Chao and Xin Jie’s interesting interactions – flirting but not really, bickering but not really, curious about each other but tempering it with some subtle walls. Xin Jie is way more interesting as a second female lead than Wan Lan, to say the least. But nothing at this point compares to the growing awesome that is Yong Yong and Yun Jie. They are so sweet, tender, and funny together.

I love the fact that they have never been antagonistic for the sake of creating the I-hate-your-guts set up that so many drama couples encounter to start off their relationship. It makes for their discomfort transitioning to grudging friendship so mellow, and their constant back and forth verbal jousts both endearing and meaningful.