Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[You are My Fateful Love] [EP24]

It's me.

Sorry... Xu Huaisong.

Let's get to know each other again.

This time,

with our truest,

most honest selves.

Hi.

I'm Ruan Yu,

from Su City No.1 High School,

Class 9, Senior Year.

I used to really like you.

And now... Wait.

That line...

should be mine first.

Hi.

I'm Xu Huaisong from Su City No.1 High School,

Class 10, Senior Year.

I liked you very much back then.

And now,

I like you even more.

So...

a handshaking or not?

If not, then...

hug me instead.

[Sorry about that.]

[I was on patrol here, ]

[then saw you two doing this...]

[It felt like a movie scene.]

[I got sucked right in.]

Sorry to interrupt, sorry.

Um, I'm leaving now.

I'm leaving now.

We were just rehearsing a movie script.

We just finished one scene.

We're going inside now

to work out the details.

What details are you working out?

There is

one detail I can't figure out.

I'm really curious.

Before it saw daylight again,

how did it survive

all these years intact?

When I left back then,

I took the battery out,

and sealed the phone and battery

inside an airtight box.

Of course,

you could also ask

the phone manufacturer

how they managed to create

this miracle.

Then you...

stood there so long.

Aren't you hungry?

I ate on the plane.

Ate on the plane?

What a pity, then.

The midnight snack I prepared...

you're not having it?

Make it. I'm suddenly hungry again.

Cheers. Cheers.

Have some Coke.

It really tastes great.

All that fried chicken you ate as a kid

paid off.

One last question.

At the very start,

how did you notice me?

Boss,

has Issue Three of Galactic Empire arrived yet?

Miss, you're late.

There was only one. It was just borrowed.

The handsome guy in there took it.

Judging by his uniform,

he seems to be from your school too.

Maybe

you can ask him about it.

Though he looks like he's asleep.

Forget it.

I'll wait till he's done

reading it.

That works too.

On such a beautiful weekend afternoon,

getting to nap

with your favorite comic beside,

that's pure bliss.

Life, you know,

should be lived again and again

in wonderful moments like this.

You're our head teacher's daughter.

Everyone in our class

knew who you were.

That's all?

No...

No romantic

meet-cute

like in love stories?

So if there wasn't one,

I can't be your male lead?

You can, you can.

I'll let you be it all you want.

I've already been the male lead for many chapters.

Maybe stop now.

What do you mean?

So can we

officially upgrade my status now?

Pipi,

why are you so naughty?

Don't you know your sister is talking

about something important?

Come on, listen together.

Together.

What's wrong? What are you sniffing?

Sniffing what?

The cooking smell on us, of course.

I've got

cooking smell on me too.

I picked it up from your place.

Is it your responsibility?

How... How to take?

Let me take a shower.

[A shower?]

[We were just upgrading status.]

[So fast?]

You...

you didn't even bring

a change of clothes.

After your shower,

what are you gonna wear?

I brought some.

In the car downstairs..

So tonight...

are you staying over?

What are you thinking?

I mean,

if you're staying,

I'll get the guest room ready for you.

No need.

I'll stay, but not sleep over.

I'm still jet-lagged.

I'll work in the living room later

and stay with you.

Then you probably won't have nightmares.

I'll get my things later.

You get ready first.

Go to bed early.

Go on.

Good night.

Good night.

Boyfriend.

Boyfriend?

Boyfriend!

[Did I say]

["good night" too early?]

[Before bed, ]

[aren't we really]

[doing anything else?]

Xu Huaisong is at my place tonight.

So you two finally dropped the act

and are getting honest now?

I'm lying

on my bed right now.

Secretly thrilled?

Tossing and turning.

Nervous?

He's in the living room now.

Getting ready?

No, he's busy working.

You both like each other,

a man and a woman,

alone in one room,

and he's still working?

Don't tell me he...

What?

He can't?

[Why did you suddenly come back?]

[Was it urgent?]

Coming back to be a boyfriend,

is it urgent?

[The official kind?]

What else?

[No probation period?]

It's not a job interview.

Why is there a probation period?

[Alright.] [So...]

[So you are now...]

Working at her home.

[You, as a boyfriend, ]

[isn't just official.]

[You're upright to a scary degree.]

Too... upright?

Too upright.

Seriously too upright.

Upright to a scary degree.

Give him an award.

If he's that proper,

I have to be a little improper.

Ruan Yu?

What is it?

It's so late.

Why are you still scrolling videos?

I can't really sleep.

I'm kinda bored.

Then I'm coming in.

I thought

you should get to sleep early.

I was bored in the living room alone.

Why are you bored too?

So you're bored, huh?

Then how about

I chat a little with you?

I said I'd chat with you.

Why are you laughing?

Am I? Was I laughing?

You were.

What are you laughing at?

I'm laughing

at how my girlfriend

tricked me into her room.

Didn't you ask?

I don't want to ask now.

So annoying.

Get out.

Are you angry?

I'm not angry.

Alright, alright.

I myself wanted to come in.

Come out first. Don't hide in there.

You won't sleep well.

What are you doing?

All those 300 texts of mine,

all those little tricks,

you saw all of them.

I didn't say anything, right?

That was payback.

That's on you.

You were way too smug reading my novel.

You even made me read it.

What did I make you read?

Nothing. I'm gonna sleep.

Explain before sleep.

Fine.

Let me state this very seriously.

Everything

in Chapter 23 of my novel

was purely made up

for dramatic effect.

I...

I personally never,

absolutely never did any of

those things.

Still,

it was well written.

Really?

Never been in love once,

yet you wrote

the kissing scene pretty realistically.

Of course.

I may not know it firsthand, but I get the idea.

What are you doing?

Then let me show you.

[How is he so calm?]

You can't tell

from my face.

You have to listen.

It's even louder

than fireworks.

Coming!

Wrong place?

What are you saying?

Isn't Xu here?

We're not at the wrong place.

Mr. Ruan, Ms. Qu, please come in.

Come in.

I'll get the slippers.

The pink pair is mine.

Okay, okay.

Okay, thanks.

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Here.

I made steamed buns.

I cooked some porridge.

Sit and change shoes.

What?

You'd rather think it's the wrong door

than believe your daughter is really dating?

It's not that.

No dating till now,

and now this fast?

Don't jump to conclusions so quickly.

Let's see what's going on first.

Shoes, shoes, shoes.

Xu.

Where is Yu?

She's still asleep.

Still asleep?

She's usually not one to sleep in.

Why isn't she up yet?

Maybe

you should go wake her. Okay.

It's not really convenient.

Maybe Ms. Qu,

you should go instead.

Right, right, right. I'll wake her.

She's my daughter after all.

Here, hold this.

You go ahead.

Sleeping that soundly.

Yu.

Xu Huaisong.

What time is it?

I'm your mother.

Mom.

Mom?

Mom!

Why... Why are you here, Mom?

What?

Am I here at a bad time?

No. No, no.

Hurry up. Get up and wash up.

Come and have breakfast. Your dad's here too.

Hurry.

Hurry up.

My dad?

Xu,

you just

got back from overseas?

Yes. I got back last night.

I'm still jet-lagged,

so I worked all night.

It's good for the young to stay busy.

Right, right, right.

So this time back,

are you all done with things over there?

Not yet.

A few cases still need wrapping up.

I'll have to go back again later.

But...

I've already stopped taking on new cases.

Xu,

so your plan is?

I'll come back and build career here.

Good, good.

Where's Yu? Still not done yet?

Yu!

Why are you dawdling?

Come out and have breakfast.

Coming, Mom!

Come eat breakfast.

Come!

Look.

Your dad made these buns for you.

He's been busy all morning.

There are veggie buns and meat buns too.

Right?

All my favorites. Thanks, Dad.

And Xu

made porridge for you.

Mom, Dad,

why did you two come so early today?

We were worried you weren't sleeping well.

Last time at home, the huge dark circles

under your eyes

nearly look like a panda.

Right?

Well, now,

we don't have to worry so much.

Thanks.

Xu,

do you know what's going on

with Zhou Jun now?

The police have currently taken

coercive measures.

As for the details,

I won't know

until after the meeting.

I was thinking of going to the firm later

to learn more about it.

Okay.

After breakfast, I'll go with you.

Have one of Dad's buns.

Eat, eat, eat.

Get in.

Xu,

so your plan is?

I'll come back and build career here.

Wait.

What's wrong?

When I was brushing my teeth,

I heard what you told my parents.

Actually,

I planned to

tell you in a few days.

But your parents

seemed a little uneasy,

so I made

my position clear early.

This is such a big deal. How could you just

decide like that?

The career you built over there

all these years,

and the network and resources you've built...

None of them matters more than you.

But I still hope we solve this

together.

Actually, these days,

I've been thinking about this too.

I meant to tell you in person.

Look,

the nature of my work

isn't very tied to one location.

I don't need

to stay in China

all 365 days a year.

Maybe in the future,

I can spend part of my time

living abroad for a while.

You wouldn't have to completely give up

your career there.

You could develop

both domestic and overseas business.

That way, every year

you'd also have some time to stay here in China.

Don't you think

that would be a more balanced solution?

You're right.

But do you want

to hear mine?

Do you know why

I never changed my nationality?

Why?

Because to me,

that place

was never truly home.

My roots are in China.

My family is in China.

And now you.

You're waiting for me too.

So I have to come back.

What about Uncle, then?

What about him being overseas

alone?

Actually, before Dad got sick,

he never once brought up

changing nationality.

I used to think

maybe he had other plans.

But after he got sick,

I sorted through his work materials.

I found out he had always

been investing in China.

Before he went into the ER this time,

he was still clutching our family photo.

I think maybe Dad regretted it.

But right now,

his still needs time to recover.

Bringing him back to China

will have to wait.

Actually, I'm really happy

you're willing to

think about this for me.

But the most important thing

I've built up over these years

isn't contacts or resources that become useless

in another place.

It's ability.

If I have the ability

to be a good lawyer abroad,

then I can do it here in China too.

The past ten years may feel long,

but compared with

the decades ahead,

aren't they hardly worth mentioning?

Seat belt on. Let's go.

This time, she really found

a lawyer boyfriend.

You can relax now, right?

In her line of work,

it looks pretty simple, socially.

Fewer people to deal with, hardly goes out.

But you know

how awful all that online talk

can be.

We literature people

feel things deeply.

Some words

really get under your skin.

So I thought, find her a lawyer,

someone who can help anytime.

That's why

I introduced her to so many lawyers.

I mean, while we're still alive,

if something happens to her,

we can be there for her.

But if someday we're gone,

and she's all alone,

how could I not worry?

Seeing Xu here today, right,

and hearing he plans to come back to work,

I feel much more at ease.

Don't say things like that.

Look at you now.

Three meals a day,

two big bowls each meal,

eating well, sleeping well.

Don't think about things like that.

Oh, come on.

I really can't talk to you

science guys.

This means I'm healthy, right?

I'm just planning ahead.

Or maybe worrying too much.

Nice idiom,

wrong time to use it.

Right now, you'd better heat up this bun

for me.

I was too busy watching them just now,

I didn't even eat properly.

I'm still hungry.

I'll make you fresh ones.

Fresh ones?

Does your daughter even have flour here?

Fresh ones.

Am I seeing things wrong?

Do I need to get my eyes

checked?

No, no, no.

If you're going to hospital,

I'd recommend neurology more.

See if they can

prescribe something for slow reaction time.

What do you mean?

I'm not the last person

in the company

to know this, am I?

You can ask the cleaning lady.

If she still doesn't know,

then you're second to last.

You're here early.

[Full-time staff really are different.]

[So open about it after being official.]

[Unlike me, a temp worker.]

[Stuck in a secret relationship.]

What are you looking at?

Your happiness

is blinding me.

By the way,

how's Zhou Jun's case going?

It's proceeding normally.

Zhou Jun's parents have already been to the law firm.

Originally, they wanted to hire you

to take the case.

But I explained

your situation to them,

and then they agreed

to let Ms. Zhang take it.

Where is Ms. Zhang?

Where is Xu Huaisong?

Why didn't he come?

I'm Lawyer Zhang Ling from Zhikun Law Firm.

Your family has entrusted me

to act as your defense counsel in your case

involving suspected intentional homicide and kidnapping.

Do you have any objection?

I do.

I only want Xu Huaisong.

I said I only want Xu Huaisong.

Only he can save me.

I told you that before this!

Xu Huaisong!

Mr. Xu does not have

a domestic law license.

He can neither defend you

nor appear in court for you.

Whether you reject me or not, you have no choice

but to trust me.

Fine.

About this case.

Tell me exactly

how you stated the facts

to the police.

Is it kind of inappropriate

for me to be here?

Could there be privacy concerns?

You know both the victim

and the suspect.

Maybe you can provide us

with some useful information.

Just sit in and listen.

Okay.

This is the material I organized

after speaking with Zhou Jun. Take a look.

According to Zhou Jun,

when the victim was killed,

he himself was not at the scene.

On the day of the incident,

the victim was driving.

About forty minutes before the crime,

Zhou Jun was in the passenger seat

and had a conflict with the victim.

What caused it?

Zhou Jun said after the victim

started working at Huan Vision,

She was always working late and socializing.

They had less and less time together.

And when she was with him,

she was often distracted.

So for a while, he suspected

she was cheating on him.

They argued more than once over this.

Have you ever seen them quarrel?

Yes.

I remember last month,

the day Huaisong flew to America.

Stay safe. We're heading off first.

Bye.

Bye.

Why are you still mad at me?

Other than that time, were there more?

A few more times.

All downstairs at Huan Vision.

And...

Yao Xin's attitude toward Zhou Jun

really had been pretty cold all along.

I'll check the ride-hailing records

on my phone for exact dates

and send you screenshots later.

Okay.

About his suspicion that the victim was cheating,

did Zhou Jun have any solid evidence?

No.

Zhou Jun said on the day of the crime,

he wanted to check her phone

to confirm whether she was cheating,

but she stopped him.

They argued,

then got physical.

The victim scratched Zhou Jun's arm.

One key piece of evidence the police have

against Zhou Jun is that

tissue found

under the victim's nails

matches Zhou Jun's DNA.

But Zhou Jun says

after the physical fight, he got out of the car.

The victim drove away alone.

He wandered by himself on the mountain road

for a while.

There was nowhere nearby,

and his phone had died,

so he walked to the teacher's house.

After that, he had dinner

with the teacher, and then received

the news that the victim had been killed.

So at present, has there been

no second suspect in this case?

Not for now.

There's no surveillance on that mountain road,

and there was no dashcam

in the victim's car either.

No biological traces other than Zhou Jun's

and the victim's were found in the car,

including on the murder weapon,

the claw hammer.

As for the crime scene,

because it happened

to pour that day,

many traces were destroyed.

Collecting evidence has been difficult.

The police are still investigating further.

Say what you want to say.

Mr. Xu.

Judging from things so far,

this case doesn't look very promising.

I know you don't have

a domestic law license,

but for some difficult cases

at Zhikun Law Firm,

you sometimes do get involved.

For Zhou Jun's case,

do you want to join us?

Ms. Zhang,

Mr. Xu isn't that familiar

with criminal cases either.

I think we should leave him out this time.

The questions Mr. Xu just asked

were all right on point.

He sounded very professional.

Not like someone unfamiliar with it.

Listen.

You keep handling Zhou Jun's case as usual.

As for whether I get involved,

we'll discuss it later.

I thought you'd try to persuade me,

or at least ask

why I don't take criminal cases.

Everyone has secrets in their heart.

If you don't want to take criminal cases,

then you must have your reasons.

And if there's a reason you don't want to say,

then you must have

your reason for that too.

But if you want to talk,

I'll always be here.

I was upstairs in a meeting just now.

You waited long, didn't you?

I just got here.

I specially packed some good food for you.

Mingying?

You're that sweet?

Hug me.

What's wrong?

Xu Huaisong and Ruan Yu are right behind us.

Don't turn around.

Liu Mao?

What do we do?

Maybe we should t-tell the truth?

Shut up. They're coming over.

Mingying.

What a coincidence.

I was just calling you.

Why are you here?

I brought you food.

It's all your favorites.

That was originally mine!

You're the best.

This one was originally mine too!

You said you were going downstairs to eat.

You said you were going downstairs for food.

Why are you here?

Food?

Yeah.

I- I-I... I just came downstairs to eat,

and then I ran into Ming...

ran into Miss Shen.

Since we happened to run into each other,

why don't we eat together?

No, no, no. You two eat.

It doesn't matter.

All four of us know each other anyway.

Let's eat together.

Together.

Let's go.

Think of it as extra food for me.

Eat more. Let me see

what yummy food you brought me.

- I ordered that. - Please. Longjing shrimp.

What a coincidence.

This is Longjing shrimp too.

The extra food is too.

Such a coincidence.

Sure is.

That's what happens when you're blessed.

Good food just keeps coming

when you want.

Right?

Hello, spicy diced chicken.

Enjoy. Thank you.

See?

This one I don't like.

I don't eat spicy food.

Among spicy dishes,

there's only one I like.

Know what it is? Mapo tofu?

It is mapo tofu.

Mapo tofu.

You forgot? I like that too.

I'd prepared a meal for two today.

I wanted us to eat it together.

I remember back in college,

mapo tofu was your favorite.

Right, from that place outside school.

Yeah, that one. You still remember?

[Talk less!]

Your phone rang.

I'll reply to a message.

Go ahead.

Mr. Liu.

You usually don't keep

your phone on silent?

Normally, I'm afraid

of missing

important case updates.

I'm used to it.

So I habitually

keep the volume high.

Then look at it.

I am looking.

Take it out.

Of course I'll look.

Hello, sweet- and-sour ribs. Enjoy.

It's a news push.

This is my favorite dish.

Did you prepare it for me?

Look.

Shen Mingying.

No way. Look at this.

What did I say?

Your favorite has to be included.

Come on, eat.

That's more like it.

Seriously,

you people in relationships,

can't you spare a thought

for us

single folks?

Right?

You're overflowing with love,

and we...

we...

we'll just huddle together for warmth.

Right. Then serve me some,

and I'll serve you some too.

Sure, sure, okay.

- Come on, come on. - Thanks, thanks. Eat more.

One bite each. Eat more. Okay, thanks.

What else do you want?

You two are doing pretty well with your little huddle.

Have you eaten together before?

- Yes. - No.

Before, Mr. Liu helped me handle

that breakup dispute.

So to thank him,

I treated him to one meal.

Just that once.

I forgot about it.

Yeah, just once.

Just once.

Just once.

Have some shrimp. Shrimp is good.

Your cooking has improved lately.

Yeah.

It made me think again

of my father's case back then.

That's it for now.

Y- You two go ahead.

I- I-I'll keep warming myself up.

Warm myself to the end.

I- I'll drive you home.

No need. I'll just get a cab.

Come on, see it through to the end.

Right? Right.

Okay then, thanks, Mr. Liu.

Don't mention it. Let's go.

We're heading off then.

Go on. Bye-bye.

Go on now.

Mr. Xu probably isn't coming.

Let's start discussing.

Okay, let's begin.

Actually, back then,

I didn't really understand my dad.

The suspect

had already been arrested.

The charge was filed too.

By defending him,

you were exploiting a loophole in the law!

That's not a loophole in the law!

That's a legal principle.

You're not a criminal defense lawyer.

You don't understand the meaning of criminal defense at all.

So,

you chose to become a criminal defense lawyer

to find the meaning

Uncle talked about?

To be exact,

it was to prove

that the "meaning" he talked about

didn't exist at all.

But in the end,

I found it.

Then later,

why not taking criminal cases?

Back then, I worked with my father

on a criminal case.

It was also a murder case.

In that case,

all I was doing was trying my utmost

to protect my client's lawful rights.

Search your heart.

Were you really never shaken even a little?

Since you were shaken,

then you're not qualified

to stand in court for your client.

You are not fit

to be a criminal defense lawyer.

I admit it.

I was shaken.

So I withdrew from that case.

Later on,

after I'd built up

a lot of experience,

when I wanted to try again and become

a qualified criminal lawyer,

my father suddenly had a stroke.

And when he woke up,

he remembered nothing.

So the conclusion he left behind

while he was still lucid

somehow became the one judgment

I had no choice but to believe.

Maybe...

maybe I really am not fit to be

a criminal defense lawyer.

That's not true.

I don't believe

every criminal lawyer

goes from start to finish

without ever wavering once.

Some people

give up midway.

Some people hold on.

How could Uncle be so sure

that you wouldn't be one

who holds on to the end?

Whether I am or not,

I'll never get the chance

to prove it to him again.

Then prove it to yourself.

Prove it to your mother.

I once saw

a line online:

"Unfinished lessons

will keep reappearing in your life

until you give a new response."

While studying law,

you came to understand Uncle's defense back then.

But Auntie isn't a lawyer.

She's still trapped in what happened then.

She can't move on.

Uncle no longer has the chance

to speak to her again.

In this family,

the only person to give that response

and help her let go

is you.