All language subtitles for The.Rational.Life.S01E17.Episode.17.WEBRip.Netflix.en

-Ms. Zhou, I'll get going now.
-Qi Xiao!

I'm really sorry.

I wasn't able to help you today.

You cooked all this food.

And now look.

You're even taking out the trash.

Don't mention it.

Mr. Xu needs a car.

I need to go anyway.

Call me if you need anything.

-Bye.
-Bye, Ms. Zhou.

Qi Xiao is a good kid.

Mom, don't try to match him up again.

Given Xiao'ai's personality,
she'll send him running in two days.

I'm glad they are not dating.

If they did and broke up,

how would you face Mrs. Wang?

Don't worry. Even if it kills me,

I won't introduce
another boyfriend to Xiao'ai.

I'm sorry

for contacting you last minute.

I'm sorry to make you work this late.

Did you eat?

It's okay, Mr. Xu.
I already ate at Ruoxin's place.

Okay.

Ruoxin's place?

Ruoxin's mom invited me
to her house for dinner.

She cooked so much food.

Is her hand all right now?

She has taken off the bandages
and she's better.

But I did most of the cooking.

I've been so busy lately.

I haven't even visited her.

All right, Qi Xiao.

I have cordyceps
given by a friend in the trunk.

Help me bring them to her.

What?

Aren't you and Ruoxin neighbors?

Yes.

Ruoxin told me before.

You live close by.

It's quite serendipitous.

You're her assistant.

And you live close to her.

You're able to take care of her for me.

It's a relief.

-Mr. Xu.
-Yes?

It's my choice to take care of her.

Even without your orders,

I would do it anyway.

Qi Xiao.

You're still young.

You probably don't know

what a woman truly wants.

Mr. Xu.

What do you mean?

It depends on the woman.

Ruoxin is special.

Yes, that's right.

Women are different on the outside.

But in reality, they're all the same.

They all want a sense of security.

So as a man,

you had better ask yourself first.

Who are you?

What do you have?

What can you do?

What kind of security can you give her?

Do you understand?

Why are you following me?

Do I have a magnet on me?

Wait.

You were upstairs past 10 p.m.

Why would you be unhappy?

What? Aren't you satisfied?

It was okay.

Look at you grinning from ear to ear.

What about you?

How did it go with You Sijia?

What do you mean?

Don't play dumb.

She's making it so obvious.

Are you going to answer her or not?

Be straightforward, won't you?

Are you really a man?

That's a sore spot.

You overthink and plan too far ahead.

I bet you'll be alone all your life.

When you're rich and have a career,

those who loved you will be long gone.

That's true.

But who can handle the harsh reality?

Qi Xiao, I'm not like you.

-You are--
-A local.

You're always bringing that up.
You're so annoying.

I know I'm annoying.

But this is the reality.

Ruoxin's mom told me this today.

So I'm going to say it to you too.

"Don't belittle the young for being poor."

You don't even believe in yourself.

Of course you'll fail.

I have a message for you too.

This isn't like the old days.

Have you heard of the "Gen Z effect"?

I'm just a small fry.

Who am I to pursue happiness?

Why can't you be happy?
Do ordinary people not have that right?

Are small fries not allowed to be happy?

Yes, there are many people
like Xu Minjie in this society

who drive luxury cars,
drink champagne, and live in mansions.

But there are many
like you, me, and You Sijia.

Why should we look down on ourselves?

Why should we hand over
our right to define happiness?

Take me for an example.

My mom told me this when I was a kid.

Although we're poor

and I don't have a dad,

as long as I love her and she loves me,

we can be happy too.

I can't win with you.

Ruoxin.

Try my sweet and sour pork ribs.

Dad,

Mom doesn't let me eat
greasy food at night.

Your mom is grading homework.

She won't notice.

Eat up before it gets cold. Here.

It's so good!

Mr. Xu, we contacted
this car critic very early on.

He eagerly accepted
our invitation at that time.

But he flaunted his popularity
and kept stalling on signing.

I thought he just wanted to negotiate.

But he suddenly stood us up.

I really didn't expect it.

What do you mean?

Ms. Wu,

this isn't your first time working
with a big-time KOL.

You should know that they delay signing
so they can compare prices.

They're just using us as a backup.

The event is in three days.

You know how hard it is
to find someone on short notice.

I'm sorry.

I already asked someone to reach out
to other KOLs.

We're trying to make up for this mishap.

This kind of apology is meaningless.

This isn't the time to apologize.

Our common goal
is to make the event a success.

Let's put our heads together

to find a solution.

Does anyone know somebody?

Anyone?

Ruoxin, why did you stop me?

I saw what you were doing.

Do you think I would let you
get me into trouble?

You're paying so much attention to me.

I do know somebody.
I'm just not sure if it's the right fit.

I was just about to ask.

It's the Branding Department's problem.

If it works out,

we don't have to take any credit.

But if it fails,

you'll be the first to be blamed.

Can a newbie like you afford the blame?

Didn't you hear Mr. Xu?

We work as a team.

My source is reliable.
We can give it a try.

I know you care about me.

Don't worry.

You're learning to sweet talk now.

Why is the coffee so sweet today?

This time,

how long will the silent treatment last?

There's no silent treatment.

You're the one who won't talk to me.

I know.

You're still mad at me about having a kid.

We can still discuss this issue.

You shouldn't shut me up
by being a server.

You're the one who thought
I stayed at home doing nothing.

Now that I have a job,
you're ashamed of it.

Yes.

At first,

I only got a job to prove myself.

But I'm having fun at work now.

I think it's nice.

Okay.

I apologize.

I shouldn't have said
you couldn't find a job.

I shouldn't have said
I'm the breadwinner either.

A family consists of different roles.

I'm filling a role
that I think I ought to fill.

So will you stop being a server
just to spite me?

Aren't you trying
to embarrass me on purpose?

How many times have I told you?

Why don't you ever listen?

I'm not working at the bar
to piss you off.

I really like it there!

I'll get the door.

-Mother! Father!
-Xiaozou.

Mom. Dad. What are you doing here?

I missed you guys.

-Come, Father.
-We were in the area.

So we dropped by.

Mother. Father. Please sit down.

-Okay.
-Okay.

-Father, have a seat.
-Okay.

Mother and Father are here.

Will you stay home?

Mother. Father. Have a seat first.

I'll bring you some fruit.

Ever since we moved to Fengxian,

your mom doesn't like coming downtown.

She just looks after the plants at home.

I said we haven't seen
our daughter and son-in-law in a while.

We should visit them.

-Right?
-Yes.

Look.

Crab with rice cake.

Your mom made it. It's your favorite.

-It's still hot. Eat up.
-Zou Cheng, come.

-Eat up.
-Dad.

The reason you come here…

Both of you and I already know.

Your mom

doesn't just grow plants and flowers now,

but vegetables too!

Look at that.

One vine, five melons.

-I brought you the two best ones.
-Right.

There are also
your favorite chili peppers.

Your dad scattered some seeds

and they grew out so well!

Did Zou Cheng get you
to come here to persuade me

not to work

and have kids?

Look at you.

Xiaozou cares about you.

Having you out at night is worrisome.

To be honest,
I'm really worried about you.

You're a woman working at a bar
and with a night shift at that.

Those places aren't safe.

What if you encounter bad people, Ziyan?

Whether you have children or not

is for you two to work out.

When you said you wanted to be DINK,

we didn't object, did we?

Now that you want to work,

we're fine with it too.

But you can work during the day instead.

Yes, it's nice to have a normal job.

A bank job

-is a reliable nine-to-five job.
-That's right.

Even if you can't work at a bank,

you can get an office job.

What did you say you're doing?

A server at a bar?

People would laugh if I told them.

-Mom--
-Yes, Ziyan.

Mother and Father are right.

Stop throwing tantrums.

Why don't we eat at home today?

Don't go out.

Why not?

Why is everything my fault?

And Mom,

I'm not a server.

I'm a kitchen assistant.

Why don't you two ask

why I got a job?

Yes.

Father. Mother.

I'm also responsible for this.

I didn't ask her how she felt

and rushed to get her pregnant.

I've been too busy with work
and inattentive to her.

Ziyan, with Mother and Father here,

I promise you.

I'll communicate with you more.

Let's talk it out, okay?

Xiaozou loves you so much.

We can see that.

Don't let the sun go down on your anger.

Are you still a child?

Do you need to be coaxed?

If Xiaozou didn't treat you well,
would we take his side?

That's how married couples are.

There will be conflicts.

I'm not telling you to just bear with it.

If Zou Cheng is wrong,

you have to say so right away.

You can't be willful.

Face the problem.

No silent treatment.

I chose to work at the bar.

No one forced me.

And Mom, I'm having a great time.

Look.

Zou Cheng works every day.

He's busy too.

He has frequent business trips
and works overtime.

If you go out to work at night,

when will you two see each other?

It will affect your relationship with him.

Then it'll be because
he's too busy with work.

Why should I give up my job?

Mom.

Are women not allowed to live
for themselves after having kids?

You're a small family.

You must weigh the pros and cons.

From the view of household income,

Zou Cheng's job supports the family.

It's something that your job
at the bar cannot replace.

From your personal point of interest,

I'm certainly pleased that you're happy.

But working at a bar
isn't the only way to make that happen.

Now let's take a step back.

Back when you quit your job
to travel the world,

I didn't approve, did I?

But you said

you can handle the consequences.

Then what about now?

Have you really faced the consequences?

Ziyan?

Ziyan!

What is it this time?

I asked for sugar. You gave me salt.

-Here.
-Okay.

So that's what's going on.

I think my mom has a point.

Why am I acting like a wayward child?

I don't know what to do now.

Look.

THIS PLACE'S NEW ALMOND TOFU DESSERT
IS ON POINT!

So?

You might get into a lot of trouble,

but many people envy you.

But whether it's trouble or envy,

it's someone else's voice.

You have to ask yourself
what your heart says.

Did you get this job out of spite?

Or did you want to find a job you love?

I also don't know what I was thinking.

Then flip the coin.

Let fate decide.

Hello, Ruoxin?

I'm almost done here.

Are you sure you don't need me?

No, I got it.

If you insist on coming,

you can wait
until I've finalized all the terms

for you to sign.

Okay, I'll throw a celebration for you.

Okay.

So? Is he here?

Yes.

I had to promise him a free outfit.

He sounds difficult.

Try talking to him.

Come on.

Sir.

This is Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao, this is Mr. Wind Rush,
a celebrity in the car industry.

Have a seat.

Hello, I've heard a lot about you.

I'm from Zenpro Automotive.

Call me Qi Xiao.

This is my business card.

Zhu Lin?

Do you manage this store by yourself?

You could say that this is a niche brand.

The sales and scope are limited.
I'm on my own for the time being.

-Qi…
-Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao.

From my understanding,

Zenpro is a pretty big corporation.

Yes.

Our company is considered
a rising star in the industry.

We've distinguished ourselves

and things are going well for now.

In particular, our new energy car.

Take a look.

It's a huge corporation.

Did they send you alone
to discuss business with me?

Why did I come here alone?

Because I'm the boss.

The people below me

go out in teams
to discuss business with clients.

Why are you alone?

An assistant?

If we discuss a collaboration,

can you call the shots?

Sir, you must be thirsty.

Have some tea.

That's hot.

That burnt my tongue.

My poor tongue is burnt.

The designs in your shop are very nice.

Qi Xiao designed these.

You can have it if you want.

Your designs are nice.

Why be an assistant?

She's pretty.

Is this your wife?

No, she's a previous client.

A client?

Zhu Lin.

Where is Qi Xiao?

How did it go with Mr. Wind Rush?

Qi Xiao is…

Ruoxin.

Mr. Wind Rush won't talk to me.

He said to have Mr. Xu go
to his office tomorrow.

This is his business card.

Have Mr. Xu talk to him?

He has quite a high opinion of himself.

I'll meet him tomorrow.

WIND RUSH AGENCY

Mr. Wind Rush,

I've reviewed your quote.

Let's not beat around the bush.

Can we negotiate on the price?

Ms. Shen, to be honest,

our top promotional stories

are booked for three whole three months.

Since Zhu Lin referred you,

I'm fitting you in.

Your event is so last minute.
It's in less than two days.

All my employees
will have to work overtime,

sacrifice eating,
sleeping, drinking, or dating

to do this for you.

That's why the price is very reasonable.

I know your team is outstanding.

We also know that
your team previously focused

on campaigns for conventional vehicles.

You've probably never dabbled

with our new energy car.

So from our perspective,

the value is in the experience.

Yes, we have a tight timeframe,

but rather than blindly choosing someone,

we care more that the content

doesn't lead consumers astray.

Look.

I'll give you an example.

Take Zhu Lin as an example.

He's a good designer, right?

His brand, clothes,

as well as materials,

are on par with the big brands in malls.

But why doesn't it sell well?

Because his brand has no influence.

He's not a brand.

But our KOLs?

Our KOLs are the brand.

I'm sure you know.

Our brand is very influential
in the industry.

So trust me.

For us,

new energy vehicles only change
a tiny bit of our content.

We'll be fine.

Sir,

if we work together this time,

it'll be our first collaboration.

I believe that

familiarity and rapport
are built up little by little.

So why don't we both

show a bit more sincerity?

I've looked into the quotations
your team has issued before.

The quotations you gave us

are indeed

a lot higher.

How about this?

If you give us an offer

that is on par
with the market price or a little higher,

we'll take it and move forward

with contract negotiations.

What do you think?

We're giving you the usual price.

The price points you gathered

are the offers we give
to longtime clients.

You're a new client. You just got here.

If you get the same offer,
what will I tell my clients?

Sir,

new friends can become old friends too.

Short-term collaboration
can also become long-term.

It's true that new energy vehicles
are a rising industry,

so if big shots like you

give us a helping hand,
we won't forget it.

After this collaboration,

I'm sure we can develop
a close-knit relationship.

So--

I heard you've already put out ads
for your test-drive event.

So far,

you still haven't found the right KOL yet.

Taking on your project at this price,

we are already doing you a huge favor.

That's hot.

Xiaozhang!

Give me something cooler!

Is that enough to bring you down?

I just feel that I've wasted your time.

We didn't get a deal.

We didn't know Mr. Wind Rush before,

but after this encounter,

I think he's too difficult to work with.

If we do work with him in the future,

he'll take advantage
of our time constraints

to make one ridiculous request
after another.

When the time comes,

we'll have to keep compromising.

That's why I think a failed deal

is actually a good thing.

The Branding Department
doesn't have a deal either.

Can we make it in time?

I think our visit today wasn't in vain.

After talking to him,

it has broadened my horizons.

For our conventional vehicles,
we mostly reached out

to automotive technology critics
and KOLs on the driving experience.

But this time,
we're making a new energy vehicle.

Its main feature is clean energy.

So I'm thinking that

maybe we can invite

technology, lifestyle,

and sustainability KOLs

to help us promote
our stargazing-in-the-city event.

You can't beat wisdom in old age.

Who are you calling old?

Me.

Do you feel better?

Was I too naive?

I met him once
at a gathering with Zhu Lin.

I thought we could strike an easy deal.

Some friends do help,

but others will take advantage of you.

Don't assume that

friends you met while drinking
can be a resource.

You lose if you think like that.

Live and learn.

What's wrong, Ziyan?

Where?

Are you hungry?

I'll see you at our usual place.

Okay. See you later.

Let's go. I'll treat you to a feast.

So this is a feast?

Young man,

you'll be ashamed of
your youth and ignorance soon.

I already did, a little while ago.

This place was our favorite
when we were in college.

And after all these years,
the taste is still the same.

If it's not good, I'll be your assistant.

It's not good.

I'll eat it.

I'll just eat it.

It's delicious.

Has he never eaten before?

He's still growing up.

Is it good?

It's okay.

I'll be right back.

It's nice to be young.

They can do anything they want

without worry.

Look at how sad you are.

You look like an old lady.

Look at you. You haven't changed.

I thought you might regret
breaking up with Cui Lixin.

But look at you now.

You're wiser than I am.

Shen Ruoxin,

are you really going to remain celibate?

What does that mean?

I always hear my seniors say,

"You should act your age."

I think it's more like,

"Be wise for your age."

At our age, we should understand

that not everyone can see
the view at the top.

What if we're the ship that ran aground?

Then we just rest
until the next wave comes.

I knew it.

A broken heart makes a poet.

I'm that stranded ship.

I've forgotten how I used to look like.

There you go again.

Let me show you.

You can experience it once again.

I can't believe you have
that ugly photo of me!

It's not ugly. You look cool.

When I saw you play the drums,
I went home and dug up my old desktop.

I saved all the pictures.

-Look at this one.
-Shen Ruoxin.

-This one's better.
-Digging up photos? Look here.

-Song Ziyan!
-What?

That's ugly. Delete it!

-It's so ugly!
-No way.

-Delete it!
-No way!

Don't!

Ruoxin, is this you?

-No!
-You used to be fat!

-Give it!
-Were you a sumo wrestler?

I'll beat you up.

Did you get liposuction in Korea?

-A sumo wrestler.
-Give it!

Ziyan, save me!

-Ziyan!
-I'll kick you!

I'll die!

-Ziyan, have you caught this big dino?
-The big dino?

-Is it that easy?
-Of course.

One more time.

Come on, you try.

Hurry, keep going.

-You can keep playing.
-Hold this.

Ruoxin,

in the normal course of events,

after eating, drinking,

and reminiscing about youthful times,

shouldn't we go home and sleep?

Dear, here's a reminder.

The price of indulgence for grown-ups
is working overtime.

Dear,

I'll tell you a secret too.

When we were eating noodles earlier,

I chatted with college students
about motorcycles.

One of them asked for your number.

Did you give it to him?

Of course not!

I told him that you're already taken.

If he wants a chance,
it'll cost 1,000 yuan up-front.

It's like those popular milk teas online.

He'll be notified when it's his turn.

How could you?

Is he good-looking?

Quite handsome.

But compared to me,

he falls short just a little bit.

Stop bragging.
You called me a sumo wrestler.

I'll squash you with one foot.

I think it'll take two feet.

One foot won't kill me.

Get back to work.

The automotive KOL, Car Name Please,

stood us up.

What do we do now?

The test-drive event is tomorrow.

Don't get me started.
I called a few today.

They're automotive KOLs with influence.

Nobody is free tomorrow.

If no KOLs attend the test-drive event,

we'll be missing
an important piece of publicity.

Why don't we postpone the test-drive event

until we find a KOL?

Do you think this is a joke?

It can't be rescheduled.

We've sent out invitations
to dozens of families.

The media is coming.

The venue has been booked.

If we change the date now,
our reputation will be ruined.

Think of another solution.

I don't think it's necessary
to have an automotive KOL

at our test-drive event.

Ms. Shen, did I hear you right?

Who would we invite
if not an automotive KOL?

An expert on agricultural products?

Let Ms. Shen finish.

Ms. Shen, tell us

your reason and idea.

Yes, Mr. Xu.

This test-drive event is a promotion

for a new energy car,

not internal combustion engine vehicles

selling performance,
speed, and driving experience.

That's why I believe we can invite

KOLs on ecotechnology and healthy living

to our test-drive event.

Ms. Shen, I think
you're right to an extent,

but inviting KOLs who aren't
car enthusiasts to a test-drive

is unprecedented.

Besides, we don't have
the data analysis to support this.

I'm worried that
it might affect our campaign.

The theme of this test-drive event

is stargazing in the city.

We're promoting a new energy car
that reduces exhaust emissions

and protects our environment.

So I think

ecotechnology and healthy lifestyle KOLs

are a better fit

with the main selling point
of our new energy car.

It might be more effective.

But we've never invited
non-automotive KOLs.

Which KOLs might be suitable
for this type of event?

Don't worry about that.

We've done our homework.

Please look at the screen.

First, we sorted through

the categories of sustainability,
technology, and healthy living

for the most influential KOLs.

Then we focused on finding
those who have a connection to cars.

Even so,

we only have one day left.

Besides, tomorrow's test-drive event
runs on a tight schedule.

We don't even know
if they're available yet.

That's the third condition
we took into account.

We narrowed down our options

and we have two people

with influence,

a connection to cars,

and are available tomorrow.

One is Green Frog,
a KOL on eco-friendly lifestyle.

And the other is Professor Teng,
a KOL on ecotechnology.

We've already reached out to them

and they've expressed their interest.

I believe we can ask Green Frog

to be our chief health officer

and Professor Teng
to be our chief sustainability officer.

They can help steer our project.

We can publish this

in tomorrow's press release.

Are you sure these two are available?

It has been confirmed, Mr. Xu.

Then it's decided.

Ms. Shen will be in charge of

tomorrow's test-drive event.

From now on, all of you

will follow her arrangements.

Time is of the essence.

Go and get ready.

Meeting adjourned.

Get ready.

Mr. Xu, if there's nothing else,
I'll get back to work.

Hold on.

You were very confident in your solution.

I can see that

you did a lot of research
in your own time.

I put more effort
into things I'm interested in.

I like to challenge my career goals.

It's all up to you tomorrow.

Do it right.

Yes, Mr. Xu.

I'll do my best.

Hurry, we have to finish setting up
before the event in the afternoon.

-Okay.
-Thank you.

Be careful.

Bring everything inside.

Ruoxin.

Why are there so many boxes?

We have a parent-and-child theme.

Families will be attending
with their children.

We need to provide booster car seats

or they won't be able to drive.

Driving without one
would be a traffic violation.

Professional.

Here, bring it over here.

FAMILY 5, RED TANG EV,
QUANTITY 1/ NAVY BLUE

Ruoxin, you're so meticulous.

This customer experience
is practically out of this world.

Stop sucking up and get to work.

Watch and learn.

-Go.
-Okay.

Load them in.

Be careful.

Does a test-drive event
require so many toys?

This is like a toddler's playdate!

-Here.
-You don't understand.

Ruoxin said

the kids might throw tantrums at the event

and distract the adults

from the test-drive.

That directly affects sales.

By having toys ready,
the kids will be kept calm.

Hey, You Sijia.

Why are you here instead of in the office?

Ruoxin.

We clearly don't have enough staff.

We have a lot of gear. It's messy.

Sijia volunteered to help us.

The office is no fun.

I can work with Ruoxin.

It's a chance to pick up some skills.

It's almost time. I'm going to go first.

I'll leave this to you.

Qi Xiao, aren't you taking
the bus with us?

You don't understand.

This motorcycle is convenient.

It's called experience.

Don't be late.

Okay.

-I'll take this inside.
-Okay.

Hold on.

Here.

Buckle it tight.

All right.

Drive carefully.

-Okay.
-Go on.

Bye.

Come on, let's head out.

Stop posing.

Hey, you.

How's the setup going?

Our three new energy test-drive cars
are in place.

That's enough to allow several guests
a test-drive at the same time.

The stage is set.

The lights, stereo, and all equipment
have been checked

and are ready for use.

On-site security has been notified
to be at the venue by 4 p.m.

The documents and releases

for reporters and KOLs
have also been arranged.

Not bad.

You're making progress.

Of course.

I earned my reputation.

Have you watched too many
Hong Kong martial arts films?

Hong Kong martial arts films?

I'm saying everything is ready.

Did you contact the farm and plantation?

Of course.
I called to remind them yesterday.

Just a call?

-That's right.
-Farms are privately-owned.

They're not used
to providing professional service.

You have to be there in person

to make sure the process is clear.

Our clients will be here soon.

What will you do if something happens?

Okay, I understand. I'll go now.

Wait, I'll go with you

and check for myself.

Ruoxin, leave the unloading to me.

I'm counting on you, Sijia.
Make sure you keep an eye on it.

-Don't worry. I'll do a good job.
-Okay, go.

I got it.

It's okay.

Come on.

Subtitle translation by: Renee Luk