It’s so easy to step into a drama and tell the character how they ought to behave. Those who have been cheated on ought to stomp on the cheater when he returns and then turn around with a flip of the hair. Those in love with one person but committed to another should just end things and move on to the right person. When watching Miss Rose, sprinkled throughout all the cute moments and the fun times are actually quite a lot of sticky situations that the drama doesn’t elect to address in ways that might be considered “right”, but somehow comes across as “realistic”. I completely understand Si Yi’s heart being affected by Yi Chun’s return, the man vaporizing from her life in ways that has never made sense to her, so how could she move on fully. I feel for Cheng Kuan’s quiet strength in letting his heart open up to Si Yi but not rushing out to end things with Vivian despite how much he loathes her.

In episode 10, even Xiao Ke is confronted with her own conundrum and she reacts in such a raw and open way that I just wanted to give her a hug. I don’t think keeping Ah Zhe’s cheating ways from her was necessarily the right or wrong thing to do, because people have different opinions on that, but I’m glad that Xiao Ke saw that it was done to protect her and she’ll always have a friend like Si Yi looking out for her best interest. The most satisfying moments in this episode were when Daddy Luo chewed out Yi Chun so thoroughly and unflinchingly, and when Xiao Ke pointedly put Yi Chun in his place vis-a-vis Cheng Kuan when it comes to Si Yi’s heart. I’m not clamoring for making out between the OTP preceding by heated confessions of their feelings for each other (though that would be nice), because what Cheng Kuan and Si Yi have developed is a true and deep appreciation for each other. It’s not one based on heated glances and stolen touches, but one that grew from caring actions that speak louder than words.

Episode 10 recap:

Yi Chun arrives at Si Yi’s house and her protective daddy marches downstairs to confront the bastard who broke his daughter’s heart. Yi Chun greets Dad warmly while Dad mentions seeing him on TV recently and knowing he’s succeeded. Dad may just be a dry cleaner but there is one thing he does well, and that is love his daughter. Dad is firm and direct with Yi Chun, asking him to stay away from Si Yi and reminding him of how well Yi Chun was treated by the family when he was dating Si Yi. Yi Chun accepts the anger directed at him but asks for another chance with Si Yi because he regrets what he did. Dad tells Yi Chun to be a man and take responsibility for what he did. Dad reminds Yi Chun that he trusted him and treated him his own son, but what did he turn around and do to Si Yi?

Dad tells Yi Chun that had he treated Si Yi well, Dad would have respected and cherished Yi Chun as a son-in-law for the rest of his life. Yi Chun chokes back tears but doesn’t say anything. Dad is in no mood to give him another chance, not after he saw rain-soaked Si Yi run home that day and subsequently walk around all broken hearted for so long. Daddy yells at Yi Chun, telling him that when the day comes and he has a daughter, then he will understand how Dad feels watching Si Yi in so much pain and not being to stop her from hurting. You tell him, Dad! Dad tells Yi Chun to stay away from Si Yi and their family, he’s much too “good” for them.

Si Yi comes downstairs and leaves for work with Yi Chun. Dad tells Si Yi to be careful because there are bad people out there, while giving Yi Chun a look. As they walk out, Si Yi draws the line with Yi Chun, explaining that they are merely work colleagues and learning the truth about his betrayal doesn’t change anything. Yi Chun accepts her decision but asks for her to help him integrate faster at work. Si Yi reluctantly agrees. Yi Chun asks Si Yi to stop by somewhere on the way the work, and turns out its the breakfast joint they used to frequent when they were dating. Yi Chun confesses to missing their delicious green onion pancakes when he was in the US. Yi Chun darts out to buy some for their co-workers as a way to break the ice.

Sheng Jun and Cheng Kuan drive to work together and Sheng Jun notices how tired Cheng Kuan looks. He asks if Cheng Kuan plans to pick Vivian up at the airport when she gets back the next day? Sheng Jun points out that Cheng Kuan has a rumor as a corporate bully, yet look at him all lovelorn right now. Cheng Kuan looks in the mirror and asks if its that obvious. Sheng Jun tells Cheng Kuan to get back to his rightful place, now that Si Yi and Yi Chun might start over again and Vivian is coming back. Cheng Kuan sighs that he can handle billion dollar deals but he can’t deal with his own emotional situation. Sheng Jun wisely points out that matters of the heart is out of a person’s control.

Si Yi shares the breakfast with the secretaries in the office and everyone proclaims it delicious and Yi Chun a great colleague. Sheng Jun and Cheng Kuan walk past the secretaries and Miao Jin offers them pancakes as well. Sheng Jun happily accepts but Cheng Kuang looks at Si Yi first before learning the food was purchased by Yi Chun so he declines by complaining about eating oily foods so early in the morning will cause indigestion.

Cheng Kuan and Sheng Jun enter his office, with Sheng Jun happily munching on his pancake and rather giddy at seeing Cheng Kuan in such a bad mood. Sheng Jun jokes that Cheng Kuan is in such a bad mood people might think he got dumped. LOL. Cheng Kuan and Sheng Jun realize that the procurement contracts with Chairman Wang are fishy since the price quoted appears much too high, the product mix seems odd, and the descriptions aren’t specific enough. Sheng Jun brings up the suspicious golf bag again. Cheng Kuan says he’s taking all the contracts out and going through them with a fine tooth comb. Sheng Jun is pleased to see work-focused Cheng Kuan emerge, reminding him that this is what he set out to do here and gain the appreciation of President Jiang.

Cheng Kuan heads to the management meeting where Yi Chun is introduced to the General Manager and Manager Kang as the LED development specialist hired to help save Guang Qiang by introducting new products into the company pipeline. Yi Chun stands up and delivers a rousing speech (in English!) about the future of LED products and his thoughts on creating innovative and efficient lights that will be industry leaders. He wants to increase the company’s market share by making products that are unique and distinguishable from other brands.

Miao Jin whispers to Si Yi that Yi Chun is soooo handsome and smart. Sheng Jun leans over and whispers to Cheng Kuan that he’s got real serious competition since Mr. LED genius appears to possess assassin level ability to slay a woman’s heart. The GM orders Si Yi to take Yi Chun out to buy a company car for his use.

Xiao Ke stops by a eggy cake stand to buy some for her friends. She spots Si Yi and Yi Chun walking into a dealership and she asks Ah Zhe to wait for her outside while she goes to say hi. After Xiao Ke leaves, stalkery Ting Ai opens the passenger door and gets into Ah Zhe’s car uninvited. Ah Zhe tries to get rid of Ting Ai, who pouts that he’s not answering her calls and asks if he wants to break up with her? Ah Zhe just sweats about getting caught by Xiao Ke.

Xiao Ke walks into the car dealership and joins Si Yi and Yi Chun. Yi Chun asks for Si Yi’s opinion on which car to pick. Xiao Ke greets Si Yi and the three of then get inside a car to check it out. Xiao Ke pointedly makes the remark that this car is perfect for Si Yi to use when she goes on dates with her Deputy General Manager. Score one for Xiao Ke! Yi Chun’s face freezes and Si Yi doesn’t say respond to Xiao Ke.

As the purchase is being finalized. Si Yi ducks into the restroom and Yi Chun uses this alone time to talk with Xiao Ke. He understands why Xiao Ke is so antagonistic towards him but repeats his assertion that he wants another chance with Si Yi. He asks her to trust him and give him another chance with Si Yi. Xiao Ke reminds him that he hasn’t done anything that deserves trust. Yi Chun mentions that he gave up a great career in the US to come back and make it up to SI Yi. Xiao Ke doesn’t care, telling him that his return is just another hurtful moment in Si Yi’s life. Xiao Ke tells him to give up and not hope for anything with Si Yi again. She warns him that if he hurts Si Yi again, she will kill him.

Ting Ai refuses to get out of the car and is just waiting for Ah Zhe to be caught. After Xiao Ke gets back to Ah Zhe’s car, she sees Ting Ai sitting in the front seat. Ah Zhe lies that he ran into Ting Ai before from delivering beverages to Guang Qiang and she’s just a friend. After Ting Ai leaves and Xiao Ke gets back into the car, she points out that Ah Zhe has been acting odd lately and shifty. She asks if he’s keeping something from her? Ah Zhe insists nothing is wrong and Xiao Ke is just overly sensitive.

When Si Yi runs into Ting Ai in the break room, she confronts Ting Ai about why she tried to destroy Xiao Ke’s engagement party. Ting Ai acts like she was just making the experience more memorable. Si Yi tells Ting Ai not keep bothering Ah Zhe anymore. Ting Ai reminds Si Yi that she is a manager at the company and doesn’t need to report her personal life to a mere secretary. Ting Ai likes Ah Zhe so there isn’t anything Si Yi can do it. Si Yi vows to protect Xiao Ke, to which Ting Ai replies that its pathetic Si Yi needs to protect Xiao Ke’s happiness. Ting Ai points out that Si Yi’s precarious odd relationship with Cheng Kuan is about to explode soon, so why is she here lecturing Ting Ai? Good question.

Ting Ai astutely drags up how Ah Zhe didn’t want to get engaged and it was Xiao Ke who pressured him. Ting Ai bets that if she calls Ah Zhe he’ll come running immediately. Ting Ai calls Ah Zhe and puts him on speaker, using a cutesy voice asking him to come spend the night with her. Ah Zhe says he can but he needs to find an excuse to get rid of Xiao Ke for the night. Si Yi stares in anger hearing Ah Zhe doing whatever Ting Ai wants. Xiao Ke just so happens to walk in delivering beverages and overhears the conversation. Ting Ai ends the conversation and says Ah Zhe loves her and not Xiao Ke. Xiao Ke reveals herself and asks Ting Ai how long its been going on? Xiao Ke asks why she did this, doesn’t she know how long she has been with him? Ting Ai says the only reason is that she likes him, too. Ting Ai wants Xiao Ke to give up and just keep a happy memory of her engagement. Xiao Ke agrees, declaring that she’ll give up Ah Zhe because she doesn’t want a man like that. Xiao Ke rushes outside in tears while Si Yi chews out Ting Ai.

Si Yi chases after Xiao Ke and runs into Cheng Kuan and Sheng Jun outside the building and reveals that Xiao Ke found out everything. Si Yi, Cheng Kuan, and Sheng Jun run after her. Cheng Kuan pulls Si Yi back and indicates for Sheng Jun to go up and do the comforting.

Sheng Jun has no clue what to do other than offer her a handkerchief and asks if she’s alright. Xiao Ke cries and asks why it hurts so much. Sheng Jun looks flummoxed and Cheng Kuan, himself no romantic genius, gestures for Sheng Jun to hug Xiao Ke. He adorably demonstrates by wrapping his arms around Si Yi but stops himself before hugging her.

Sheng Jun still looks like a deer in headlights so Cheng Kuan types something in his cell phone and shows it to Sheng Jun, who repeats the words “its not worth crying over a guy like that.”

Cheng Kuan then draws a figure on the pavement and names it Ah Zhe. He’s such a giant dork and HOMG I adore him. He tells Xiao Ke to imagine that the figure is Ah Zhe and stomp all over it. I need to try that at home. Xiao Ke starts stomping and crying and pretty soon all four of them get into the action with great relish.

After all the stomping and venting, Xiao Ke tells thanks them for trying to console her. She asks when they all knew about Ah Zhe and Ting Ai? Cheng Kuan and Si Yi clearly knew earlier, but Sheng Jun reveals he just found out at the engagement party. Xiao Ke knows they kept it from her to protect her, but it still feels crappy being the last person to find out. Xiao Ke hugs Si Yi and asks if she can spend the night at her place?

Xiao Ke is surrounding by Si Yi, Si Qi, and Mama Luo, all of whom are being the bestest girlfriends ever and consoling her. Mom and Si Qi encourage Xiao Ke to eat more and she agrees since she needs energy to confront Ah Zhe. Mom is happy this happened so Xiao Ke can see Ah Zhe’s true self before the wedding. Si Qi reveals that her guy friends were asking about Xiao Ke and now that she’s single, they can go out on dates together. Si Yi asks her Mom and sister to stop talking about Ah Zhe but Mom insists that its like getting a shot and the hurt is better endured fast and quick now rather than dragged on.

Cheng Kuan and Sheng Jun are going through the suspicious procurement contracts at his place over a bottle of red wine. Sheng Jun changes the topic and walks really close to Cheng Kuan and checks him out which makes Cheng Kuan wary. Sheng Jun reminds Cheng Kuan that they have been buddies for years now so Cheng Kuan needs to be upfront and reveal the temperature in his heart. Cheng Kuan pushes Sheng Jun’s hands away from his chest and dryly tells Sheng Jun that even if he doesn’t like Vivian, that doesn’t mean Sheng Jun has a chance with him.

Sheng Jun says that Cheng Kuan doesn’t like Vivian but he loves Si Yi, right? Cheng Kuan gets up and walks away so Sheng Jun follows and points out that Cheng Kuan sucks at expressing his feelings. But its clear lately that Cheng Kuan has changed and he’s started to exhibit a man’s concern for womanly feelings. Such as when Xiao Ke was hurt, Cheng Kuan dropped everything to chase after her.

Sheng Jun points out that Cheng Kuan went along with President Jiang’s plans and his mother’s wishes because he didn’t care about love and feelings before. But after meeting Si Yi, Cheng Kuan has changed. Sheng Jun encourages Cheng Kuan to be honest to his heart because hard to meet someone fated so if Cheng Kuan misses this opportunity, who knows when the next time will come. Sheng Jun offers up his unconditional support for Cheng Kuan’s love life decisions.

When Sheng Jun moves to leave, Cheng Kuan turns the tables and tells Sheng Jun to find some free time to console Xiao Ke. Sheng Jun acts all clueless so Cheng Kuan throws Sheng Jun’s words right back at him. Sheng Jun murmurs that he thought he was doing a great job of concealing (his feelings for Xiao Ke), to which Cheng Kuan similarly says he thought he was doing a decent job of concealing (his feelings for Si Yi).

Later that night, Xiao Ke and Si Yi lay in bed and chat about their sorry male situation. Si Yi apologizes for keeping the truth from Xiao Ke, she really just wanted to protect her from heartbreak. Xiao Ke understands and isn’t upset, telling Si Yi that its all in the past now. They look forward to what’s to come. Xiao Ke asks how Si Yi is holding up now that Yi Chun works with her, reminding Si Yi not to take give him another change. What Yi Chun did to her is just like what Ah Zhe did to Xiao Ke. They vow now to let these men hurt them again. When Si Yi mentions how supportive Cheng Kuan has been recently, Xiao Ke points out that Cheng Kuan never asks Si Yi to schedule dates with Vivian and Xiao Ke can sense that Cheng Kuan is sincere towards Si Yi. Si Yi insists not to discuss her right now, the important person is Xiao Ke. This leads Xiao Ke to hope that the fates will put the man she is supposed to be with before her and she’s know at such time.

At work the next day, the team gathers around the table waiting for the announcement of the bid results for the government project. Guang Qiang wins the bid and everyone yelps in happiness.

Si Yi runs around and pulls Cheng Kuan in for a hug. Manager Kang sees the celebration and awkwardly tries to join in, which ends it right there. The GM arrives and snarks that winning a government bid is no cause for such celebration.

At the emergency management meeting called by Cheng Kuan, he gets up and reveals that the company is losing money by buying raw materials from Chairman Wang. Cheng Kuan passes out the procurement pricing and everyone concurs that the numbers are oddly high. Cheng Kuan reveals his intention to cancel the contracts with Chairman Wang and renegotiate them. Ting Ai, Manager Kang, and Si Yi all looked shocked but the GM rolls with it and says its good to get better pricing and asks to handle this matter personally from now on. He then hands it off to Manager Kang.

After the meeting, the GM goes to his office to seethe to Manager Kang about that upstart Gao Cheng Kuan trying to end his easy money ways. Manager Kang is freaked out since they already took the golf bags worth of bribes. The GM is unfazed and vows to find Cheng Kuan’s weakness. He says Cheng Kuan is just a kid compared to his seasoned ways.

Cheng Kuan sits in his office when Si Yi enters. She’s worried about what Cheng Kuan is planning to do and how that might get him in trouble. She worries that the GM will target Cheng Kuan. Si Yi tentatively says that Cheng Kuan is not just her boss, he’s also a dear friend to her. Cheng Kuan stares at Si Yi and says likewise.

Cheng Kuan is laying in bed at home and picks up his phone to call Vivian but she does not answer.

Thoughts of Mine:

This episode was such a low key but emotionally satisfying one as it nudged the situation forward for all the current and potential couplings on the show. It was short of wham-bam action sequences, but the humor and warmth of this show remained sprinkled throughout in lovely ways. We got Daddy Luo’s heartbreaking confrontation with Yi Chun, where it was painful to watch him light into the man who hurt his daughter because of how much it still hurt him when thinking about how Si Yi was mistreated by Yi Chun. Forget the second male lead trope, and whether Yi Chun is serious and genuine about wanting to be with Si Yi forever, it’s never going to happen between them because what he did is just wrong and inexcusable. Si Yi might forgive him if she was still madly in love with him, but she’s not. And even if she takes him back, her friends and family will no longer treat him the way they used to, and that will always mar the relationship going forward. Yi Chun really lost his chance with Si Yi, let it slip right out of his fingers and he simply needs to make it up to her but not expect another chance. That is the only productive and positive course of action for him. It’s a shame because they were such a happy compatible couple, but that’s in the past now.

I loved watching Si Yi, Cheng Kuan, and Sheng Jun console Xiao Ke, and appreciated how the drama is writing Xiao Ke as such a strong and decisive woman. I’m hoping they will let her grieve a bit more for the loss of a dream because its a tad fast for me to believe realistically that she can accept the shocking revelation that Ah Zhe is a cheating cheater who cheats. But I love her inner strength and can’t wait to watch Sheng Jun step forward and show Xiao Ke that he’s a way WAY better guy for her. This episode was really Sheng Jun’s to shine and boy did he. The way he pushed and prodded Cheng Kuan from beginning to end to confront his feelings for Si Yi was exactly what we’ve all been wanting to do, so he was a stand in for the audience to get Cheng Kuan to stop stewing in his inner confusion and make some decisions. I’m thrilled that he’s about to do just that, but I worry that a few episodes without witch princess Vivian has made us and Cheng Kuan forget how terrible she can be. His breaking up with her isn’t going to be easy, and I just hope he and Si Yi get out of it unscathed.