Episode 34 recap: Cheng Yao and Qian Heng are having a cold war.
Qian Heng, knowing that Cheng Yao was upset about what happened last night, took the initiative to apologize by sending a message to Cheng Yao. Cheng Yao, on the other hand, realized that everything Qian Heng had done was for their own good, and perhaps they were being too sensitive. Qian Heng knew that Cheng Yao really wanted to attend the alumni gathering at the Law School, so they decided to go together. Cheng Yao and Qian Heng arrived together, and when people from other law firms saw Cheng Yao, Qian Heng introduced Cheng Yao to them. When everyone started asking about their marriage plans, Qian Heng directly stated that neither of them had any intention of getting married.
Cheng Yao's face turned somewhat awkward, unsure of what to say. When Cheng Yao saw a waiter bringing a glass of wine, they drank it directly. Qian Heng also noticed Cheng Yao's unhappiness and at the entrance, noticed that Cheng Yao seemed off today, so they took the initiative to ask.
Cheng Yao mentioned that they currently had differences between them. Qian Heng had always been the one guiding their so-called career planning, and now even their relationship seemed to be controlled by Qian Heng without ever asking for Cheng Yao's opinion. Qian Heng quickly held Cheng Yao's hand and explained that they only wanted to care for Cheng Yao, but Cheng Yao wanted the kind of care that would provide enough respect.
Cheng Yao didn't take Qian Heng's car back home but went home by themselves. When Qian Heng returned and wanted to knock on Cheng Yao's door, they hesitated for a long time and decided not to knock. During this time, both Qian Heng and Cheng Yao were in a bad mood. They didn't know how to continue their relationship, so Cheng Yao sought out Cheng Xi.
Wu Jun noticed that Qian Heng was in a bad mood and went over to ask. Cheng Yao also felt that it might be their own state of mind that was the problem. Qian Heng's so-called care didn't feel like respecting Cheng Yao's opinions at all. Cheng Xi comforted her sister, and when Qian Heng wanted to immediately find Cheng Yao, they were stopped by Wu Jun. They should give each other more time, maybe that way they would understand what they truly wanted.
During this time, Qian Heng's emotions were affected by the relationship issues, and they took it out on Bao Rui. Bao Rui also had their own frustrations. Now, the entire legal community knew about Qian Heng and Cheng Yao's breakup, and some even wanted to introduce potential partners to Qian Heng, but they declined and stated that they had a girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Cheng Yao threw themselves into work, but unexpectedly, the case assigned by their superiors turned out to have Qian Heng as the opposing lawyer. Ms. Chen met with Cheng Yao, and because Cheng Yao had done their homework, they knew what Ms. Chen wanted and where the key points of justice were.
Ms. Chen said she only wanted to keep the company Kerry and didn't care about anything else. In fact, Ms. Chen had chosen Qian Heng as her daughter-in-law because he rarely lost a lawsuit. So she had no choice but to seek Cheng Yao's help. Cheng Yao, from a professional perspective, explained the pros and cons of the situation to Ms. Chen. Initially, Ms. Chen chose Cheng Yao because she was Qian Heng's girlfriend, but after their conversation, Ms. Chen decided to trust Cheng Yao as her legal representative.
Qian Heng and Cheng Yao came out of the record store, one after the other. Qian Heng was feeling very disappointed upon learning about it. Qian Heng found out that Cheng Yao was going to be on the opposing side, so they didn't want Cheng Yao to take this case. However, Cheng Yao provided their own explanation.
Qian Heng didn't want to worsen their relationship, but Cheng Yao was angry, feeling that Qian Heng never saw them as an independent lawyer. This difference of opinion led to a rift between them. Qian Heng had initially bought flowers and gifts to apologize to Cheng Yao, but they received a call from Bao Rui. In the end, Qian Heng decided to take on the case.
Cheng Yao sought out Meng Ting, still lacking confidence in their relationship. They were always afraid of falling behind Qian Heng and felt that Qian Heng's seriousness might not be worth their efforts.
However, while Cheng Yao was still conflicted, they received a call informing them that Chen Linli had attempted suicide. Cheng Yao hurried to the hospital, relieved to find out that Chen Linli was not seriously harmed. She was upset because she was reminded of her husband. Cheng Yao also learned the reason why she wanted to obtain ownership of the company and promised to help her fight for it.
Cheng Yao began investigating and trying to find out the entire sequence of events at the scene of the incident. Cheng Xi finally started working at Wu Jun's company, and during this time, Qian Heng was distant and cold. Cheng Xi discovered that Qian Heng had become this way because of Cheng Yao.
Cheng Xi brought a puppy to Qian Heng's house, asking him to take care of it. Qian Heng still wanted to win back Cheng Yao, but Cheng Xi believed that there were some things he should say to Cheng Yao on his own initiative. Cheng Yao called Qian Heng and hoped that the two parties could meet and reach an agreement to avoid a courtroom battle.
However, Qian Heng advised Cheng Yao not to trust the other party's words anymore. Cheng Yao assured Qian Heng that they wouldn't make the same mistake again. Cheng Yao told Qian Heng about the scene captured by a passerby on the day of the accident, hoping that Qian Heng would consider the matter in a different way.
When Cheng Yao truly desired marriage, they believed that it not only protected assets but also protected love.
Indeed, the female lead's character is conflicted. She wants to care, but it feels like a restraint, and she wants to be distant and cold. It's quite contradictory. Let's call it Keely. Is it necessary to create conflicts between the female lead and the male lead just to highlight the female lead's individual abilities?
A strong character should come from within, not this kind of sudden enlightenment or self-admiration type of strength. Also, is the communication between the male and female leads efficient as lovers? There's no need for unnecessary conflicts just for the sake of conflicts.
Lastly, the female lead's soft and tender expressions, eye rolls, and acting skills can only be described as cute. It doesn't portray the inner strength of a powerful woman. The male lead's character development is better, although in the later stages, they also tried to strengthen the female lead's character and downplay the male lead's professional abilities.