Love, Now: Episode 8 - 9

Ahh, when will we get to this stage. Can't we skip this shiz and just spend the hour watching them play with puppies?

No? Sob. Show is so cruel. 


EPISODE 8 - 9 RECAP

As confessions go, I'm so proud of our Yi Ru. Ongoing lawsuit be damned, she tells the truth and hands him the contract. There! It's out in the open now. Are you angry?  

Angry? Nah. On the contrary, it's great you don't really have liver cancer. But "business is business," he says. I can take the ring back, but keep the contract. Shi De insists on it, because her proposal won, fair and square. 

Eh, that's all? No... drama? Yi Ru is surprised, having braved herself for a tsunami but found herself facing a puny wave. He then excuses himself to leave, but when alone, he opens up the box and glares at her ring. Oh, there's the tsunami right there... yikes. What is he up to?

Back at the office, Aunt is surprised that he wants to personally supervise the project Feng Hua is undertaking. Him, the GM of the company, taking on such a small case? Business is business, my foot. But Aunt mistakenly thinks Shi De is merely looking out for Yi Ru (which might have been true, if Shi De had not found out the truth). Man glares at the ring, again.

Shi De: "Yang Yi Ru, lying comes with a price."

At a price of 10 million TWD (approx. 345 000 USD), to be exact. It's the price Feng Hua has to pay if they fail to complete this project on time. For once, Qi Ming actually says something sensible, he tells Yi Ru to decline this case, for the consequences are dire. But, what are dramas for if not to defy rational thinking, eh? Yi Ru pays no heed at the clause, since they're the ones who should be grateful the lawsuit will be dropped, not only that, they even get to keep the project too. 

At their next meeting, Shi De hands Yi Ru a set of very, very old (and therefore obsolete) data telling her that it's very important and he's only trusting it to her. Will she sort it out for him, since she's reading the material anyways?

Oh, what wouldn't I give to whack his head upside down. Granted, I did not dare to hope that they'll talk it out like adults, this being a lengthy drama and all... but THIS? His plan is to work her to death? 

Mind. cannot. compute. 

But wait! That's just the beginning of Shi De's evil plan. He tells his assistant to alert the staff; they are not to work overtime today (whut, you mean they do that everyday?) His assistant, Angus, is like, ehh?! Are you sure about this - you do realize that implies them leaving on time, right? Had he unwittingly added the words "not to"?

Shi De rolled his eyes. Obviously humor is not appreciated in this part of town - hullo, diabolical mastermind at work here. ANGUS! I'm not sure it's the name or what, but I died laughing when Shi De said it.

ANGUS! 

Yup, still funny after rewind.

Where was I? Oh right, Shi De's evil plan. Turns out his plan is to shut the power supply after working hours, just like what Qi Ming did to her in the pilot episode, but for a different reason altogether. I fully expected Yi Ru to take the files home with her. But we'll never know what she would've done, because Shi De puts the power back on moments later. Buh, this is so silly.

Yi Ru, our innocent girl who suspects nary a thing, takes the task head on and starts from scratch (apparently no autosave function - must be WordPad). Fighting! Her workaholic instincts take over.

Seeing Yi Ru suffer at the hands of such a petty man, do you know what keeps me sane? I think of this:

Yes, abandon your wok and keep looking at her. Eat, sleep, dream of her, ya petty bastard.

And when all fails, THIS:

Watching Shi De's dad massaging a chicken, it's love at first sight for Aunt. 

Those strong hands.

It's so creepy, it's funny.

How did she end up in such a situation? You see, the three of them (Aunt, grandma and mom) went to visit Dad, to "propose marriage" (Chinese custom; in modern terms it's basically a formal meeting between the groom's family and the bride's family). They arrive at his home with a boatload of gifts, but he mistakes them as his cooking class students. Thinking it awkward to discuss such a thing with so many people around, they don the apron and play along. 

After the class the ladies tells him the truth of their visit. Grandma is relentless in promoting Shi De, not only is he a great person, he looks great too! She presents him photos of Shi De. I took a look - turns out it's his childhood photos, lmao! Why childhood? Is it because the adult Shi De doesn't smile to the cameras, ever?

Back at home, Shi De finds out about their meeting, and he apologizes for lying to them - his marriage in Boracay was fake - he merely did it because he thought Yi Ru had liver cancer, and it turns out that she lied. So it was all a bunch of lies. Grandma is devastated, not even appeased when Shi De promises to attend the blind dates she sets up for him. Grandma throws a tantrum, she won't go to the hospital check-up tomorrow, hmph.

But the anger was short-lived, all forgotten when she sees him with the doctor's top student:

Oh, so Yi Ru's dead to you now, is that it?  

Fine, laugh at the lovely doctor's cold jokes. LOOK AT ALL THE FUCKS I GIVE. 

Meanwhile, the latest development in CreepyVille:

Actually, things are less creepy as Stalker Boy is humanized - the true motive of his criminal acts is revealed when he received a wedding invitation (sorry to spoil you guys so early on btw). It's an invitation to his ex-girlfriend's wedding.

The distraught Stalker Boy cycles all the way to his ex's place. How could she... their break-up was only 6 months ago! Ex-gf tells him that she loves that man.

Stalker Boy: "Are you saying we didn't love each other? We were about to be married!"

Ex-gf: "I ran away from the wedding, because I realized I didn't love you enough. Lan Shi Yun said that true love will not cause doubts."

Man goes ballistic at that name. That woman! She doesn't know what's true love! But she trusts her. "So you're willing to trust a complete stranger, but not our love?"

It all comes down to one thing - herself. She has tried to make herself busy, thinking the doubts will go away. Until she wrote that letter to Lan Shi Yun. "She thought me not to mistake love for pity." Her parting words? 

Don't bother me anymore.

Oof. But woman, when you have a clingy ex-boyfriend, word of advice: Don't send him your wedding invitation. 

She walks away, and Stalker Boy crumples the invitation in anger. He makes a vow to himself.

Lan Shi Yun, I'll have you taste despair. 

What's with guys in this show and their misguided sense of revenge? What Love, Now? I feel so cheated. Love After 70-ish Episodes, stay tuned.