Episode 14 recap: A Big Trouble on the Show
In Episode 14, He Siyue and Qin Qin are taking promotional photos together, both feeling quite shy. The initial photos don’t turn out well, so the director waits for a moment when they’re more relaxed to capture some candid shots. Sure enough, when they’re off-camera, they seem more natural and have grown closer during their time together. However, they share a common struggle: a bit of social anxiety when interacting with others.
Lawyer Zhai is very considerate and, recognizing the hard work of the staff, buys a lot of drinks to distribute. Through her conversation with Jiao Jiao, she learns that Jiao Jiao and Shen Xingru aren't getting along. To ease the situation, Zhai expresses her admiration for Jiao Jiao and offers to take her out for a meal later. Evan, overhearing this, finds it a bit odd and grows curious about Zhai's motivations for participating in the show.
Lu Xingyan looks at the photographs from the shoot and smiles contentedly, as if he’s rediscovered a piece of his childhood. Meanwhile, crew member Huang Bing collapses from exhaustion-induced myocarditis and ends up in the hospital. Zhang Xu and Shen Xingru are puzzled, as the work hours hadn’t exceeded the limits. Shen Xingru communicates with Huang Bing’s family and prepares to follow the contract's terms for compensation. She decides to investigate Huang Bing’s financial situation, discovering it’s not very stable. Therefore, besides the contractual compensation, she considers offering an additional sum from the production team.
Zhang Xu doesn’t want Shen Xingru to bear the responsibility alone and suggests that the production team should cover the costs, as they have unforeseen expenses in their budget. However, the situation escalates when Huang Bing's side refuses the production's compensation and threatens to sue, demanding at least a year of rest and a year’s salary in damages.
Shen Xingru isn’t worried about the money; her concern is that if the show gets involved in a lawsuit, regardless of the outcome, they will have already lost. The future of the show becoming available is uncertain. Additionally, staff members who were close to Huang Bing have gone on strike, feeling exploited by the production team.
Shen Xingru decides to settle the matter privately and seeks a lawyer, only to discover that Qin Qin is representing Huang Bing. Shen Xingru’s lawyer is Zhai, and the situation is becoming more complicated. The main focus of their negotiations is on the compensation for Huang Bing. The production team proposes the contractual compensation plus an additional 20,000 yuan for recovery, while Huang Bing’s side demands humanitarian compensation, which lacks a fixed amount and should be determined based on the severity of the situation.
Given Huang Bing’s circumstances, they request 120,000 yuan as compensation. However, humanitarian compensation is not legally binding. Later that evening, Chen Zhu invites Shen Xingru and Qin Qin out for drinks, hoping to prevent any conflict between them. But Chen Zhu is overthinking; there’s no animosity between Qin Qin and Shen Xingru. The earlier tension was simply Qin Qin reflecting on the situation, feeling perplexed since her involvement in the case was assigned by her superiors, who indicated that it was at the client's request.
Despite this, Qin Qin asserts that Shen Xingru is her friend and feels she should recuse herself from the case. After some persuasion from her superiors, she reluctantly agrees. Later, Qin Qin analyzes the situation, realizing that the opposing side hopes to create discord between her and Shen Xingru. They resolve to not let that happen, as Shen Xingru emphasizes that they are merely viewing the same issue from different perspectives and should focus on doing their jobs well.
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