Episode Summary
Shen Zhuoran and Lian Yilian stir workplace envy with over-the-top PDA at a reunion, while moody teen Lian Jin rebuffs Zhuoran’s fatherly gestures. Liu Lina accidentally locks herself out mid-cooking chaos, triggering a disastrous chain of events involving pajama-clad office crashes, a typo-saved-by-doodles business meeting, and a $580 smart lock feud. Family tensions boil as generational miscommunications collide.
Spoiler Alert
"Love Again" Episode 8: Office Party Drama, Teenage Angst & Kitchen Fires
Let’s unpack this chaotic family sitcom hour filled with awkward PDA, passive-aggressive parenting, and a cursed pot of soup.
The Shen Zhuoran Show (Literally)
Our silver fox protagonist Shen Zhuoran takes girlfriend Lian Yilian to a colleague reunion, where their PDA reaches soap opera levels. When Yilian pricks her finger, Zhuoran immediately sucks the blood out like a rom-com vampire. Cue jealous sighs from his peers. Later, Zhuoran invites everyone to his upcoming 70th birthday bash. Tipsy colleague Gou Bingqiang eggs him on to propose, but Zhuoran chickens out—settling for packing osmanthus cake for Yilian’s son Lian Jin instead. Classic avoidance move.
Teenage Wasteland
Surprise: The moody teen Lian Jin isn’t buying Zhuoran’s “stepdad of the year” act. Despite Yilian’s pleas to give Zhuoran a chance, Jin stays glued to his angsty bubble, convinced the osmanthus cake is a bribe. Zhuoran doubles down, vowing to help “heal” Jin’s social anxiety (blamed on Yilian’s past workaholic parenting). But when Zhuoran finally brings up marriage, Yilian pumps the brakes—afraid Jin will spiral. Zhuoran: 0, Family Therapy: Still pending.
Liu Lina’s Social Media Disaster
Over in the younger generation, Liu Lina side-eyes Zhuoran’s party pics and roasts husband Shen Qing for being “unromantic.” Petty revenge? She hijacks his phone to flood his WeChat feed with her glam selfies. Next morning, a hungover Qing faces cringey comments at work… and that’s the least of his problems.
Contract Chaos & Kitchen Armageddon
Qing’s big client meeting goes full sitcom:
1️⃣ Partner no-shows.
2️⃣ Staff misspells client’s name on banners.
3️⃣ Qing “saves” the typo by doodling plum blossoms over it (). Miraculously, clients love his Bob Ross moment.
Meanwhile, Lina locks herself out mid-soup-cooking. Cue frantic bike rides to Qing’s office (in pajamas!), crashing the client cocktail hour, and fleeing in humiliation. She then races home—only to eat pavement. Final insult? Zhuoran/Yilian already broke into her smoke-filled apartment using their spare key.
Family Feud: Lock Edition
Post-fire fiasco, Zhuoran scolds Lina for not asking antisocial Jin for help (he ignored her door-pounding). At dinner, Jin eats alone while the adults bicker. Later, Qing installs a $580 smart lock to appease Lina… who rage-quits and gifts it to her parents. Cue Lina’s mom Sun Baoqin gleefully showing off her free upgrade.
Final Bites
- Yilian feels guilty about Jin’s role in the marital spat.
- Zhuoran invites Jin to his lecture (good luck with that).
- Qing eats solo takeout while Lina fumes—again.
Next Episode Teaser
Will Jin ever leave his room? Can Qing/Lina survive another miscommunication? And does anyone in this family own a fire extinguisher? Stay tuned!
Side Note: This episode’s MVP is clearly that indestructible pot of soup.
