Episode 1 recap: Su Man's Apology.
Everyone's marriage has secrets, and Su Man's secret is that she has experienced betrayal from the person she loves, betrayal from her best friend, suspicion from her mother-in-law, and accusations from the person she has always liked. Now she is prepared to repay all those who have hurt her double-fold. It turns out that a month ago, Su Man was entertaining people at her home, providing them with good food and drinks. Unexpectedly, people were talking behind her back, spreading rumors that Su Man and another unfamiliar man were having an affair in the house. After a while, there was suddenly a commotion in the room, and several people hurriedly went to check the situation.
When they saw Su Man and that handsome young man together, Mrs. Zhu immediately started spreading rumors and exaggerating the relationship between the two. When the other party tried to explain, she was so angry that she was ready to step in and educate them instead of Deng Wenliang. After Su Man's husband came back, unexpectedly he started blaming his wife for what she had done and took the other person to apologize to Mrs. Zhu. Although Su Man saw that the other person had ill intentions, she had no choice but to continue doing as instructed. Fortunately, when she was about to be harmed, Ye Xing appeared and rescued her.
The next morning, when Su Man woke up, Ye Xing deliberately came to her with sobering soup. Su Man suddenly remembered the drinking incident and went to question her husband.
Isn't the male lead too narrow-minded? Once he sleeps with a woman, she becomes off-limits? Other men are not allowed to touch her? This is the toxic influence of Cheng-Zhu Confucianism: Men can take concubines, but women must remain faithful to one man throughout their lives.
However, the transformation in the female lead's mindset is truly remarkable. She daringly cohabits secretly with a man who is over a decade younger than her. Isn't she worried that her daughter will discover their secret and be negatively affected by it?
The female lead and the male lead are really not suitable for each other. After experiencing betrayal from her family, the female lead should have only wanted to focus on living her own life and raising her child, losing her desire for love.
However, the male lead is in his youth, full of passion, and filled with the unknown beauty of love. The two of them being together won't last long.
Every monologue by the female lead in the series is truly awe-inspiring. It's hard to describe whether it's a sense of empathy as fellow women or a reflection of the various shackles that women face in modern society. Although the ending feels somewhat rushed, when you revisit each twist and inner struggle, it's inevitable to be moved to tears uncontrollably while watching.
In real life, many women may have a deep-seated fear of love and a fear of loss due to their upbringing in dysfunctional families. This psychological issue carries into their later lives. In order to conceal that fear and preserve the family unit, they often choose to sacrifice themselves.