Episode Summary
Xiao Mucheng is angered by Yi Ran's mistake, leading to more training for her. A rivalry emerges between Xiao Mucheng and Lin Youjia over Yi Ran, culminating in a tense dinner and a shared bus ride where Xiao Mucheng and Yi Ran fall asleep. Yi Ran and Xiao Mucheng attend an event, where a competition creates a rift between the two men. Ling Yishu moves up an event to avoid competition, and later wakes up tied up after a night of drinking. A spooky rumor circulates in the hotel, exciting Yi Ran.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Xiao Mucheng, the hotel director, fuming over Yi Ran's misunderstanding of "room service." He orders Xiaolu to give Yi Ran a proper lesson, emphasizing that he'll be back tomorrow to check on her progress. Yi Ran is also tasked with memorizing all the vehicles in the hotel's vicinity. Meanwhile, Ling Yishu learns that Quanhai is hosting a thank-you banquet in three days, coinciding with their own event. Worried about being upstaged, Ling Yishu decides to move their event a day earlier, swiftly delegating tasks to her team.
Xiao Mucheng receives an invitation from a rival, but he remains unfazed. Yi Ran has successfully memorized everything Xiao Mucheng asked of her, even earning Sister Man's approval. However, Xiao Mucheng still blocks her full-time employment, infuriating Yi Ran. She lashes out, accusing him of being tyrannical and acting like he owns the hotel. It's then that everyone reveals the "open secret": Xiao Mucheng's family does own the hotel.
Later, Xiao Mucheng summons Yi Ran and instructs her to attend Bocan's event that afternoon. He explains that she's the most suitable person to go since everyone else will be strangers. He even provides her with a formal gown. Yi Ran, uncomfortable in high heels and the fancy dress, arrives at the event and meticulously reports every detail to Xiao Mucheng, who is quickly overwhelmed by her constant updates.
At the event, Yi Ran tries to take advantage of freebies and encounters Lin Youjia, who's also attending. Lin Youjia has to briefly attend to Ling Yishu, and when he turns back, Yi Ran is gone. Xiao Mucheng receives a call from Yi Ran, hears a scream, and rushes to the scene, fearing the worst. He finds her crouched in a corner, rubbing her sore feet from the high heels. He tries to take her away, but not before pointedly telling Ling Yishu that he hadn't authorized Yi Ran's attendance. Yi Ran, thinking Xiao Mucheng is deliberately trying to make her life difficult, refuses to leave.
The event features a grand prize competition. Yi Ran pulls Lin Youjia onto the stage to participate, and Xiao Mucheng, unwilling to be left out, joins them, threatening Yi Ran not to abandon her boss. Ling Yishu, seeing both Lin Youjia and Xiao Mucheng's interest, also joins in. The two groups—Xiao Mucheng and Yi Ran, and Lin Youjia and Ling Yishu—have a blast on stage. However, a rivalry sparks between Xiao Mucheng and Lin Youjia during the games. Yi Ran tries to ease the tension but fails. During dinner, Lin Youjia and Xiao Mucheng compete to serve Yi Ran food, leaving Ling Yishu unimpressed. The spicy food makes Xiao Mucheng sweat, revealing his dark circles, which Yi Ran promptly reminds him of. They make an excuse to leave. In the car, Yi Ran carefully helps Xiao Mucheng touch up his makeup, creating a moment of increasing intimacy.
Ling Yishu wonders what makes Yi Ran so special, attracting the attention of both Xiao Mucheng and Lin Youjia. In Lin Youjia's eyes, Yi Ran is unique. Yi Ran refuses to ride back with Xiao Mucheng, dragging him onto a public bus instead. Xiao Mucheng is visibly disgusted by the environment, but Yi Ran shares her headphones with him. They both fall asleep, ending up at the last stop. Off the bus, Yi Ran complains that her feet hurt too much to walk. Xiao Mucheng hails a tricycle driven by an elderly man, placing Yi Ran on it and pushing her along himself.
Ling Yishu and Lin Youjia spend the night at a KTV. The next morning, Ling Yishu finds her hand tied up. Lin Youjia explains that he had to restrain her because she became violent when drunk. Meanwhile, a terrifying rumor spreads through the hotel about a supernatural event, which, unlike everyone else, excites Yi Ran.
