Episode Summary
Episode 8 sees Qiu Lisu's attempt to claim Xue Xiaozhou as her son backfire, angering Hu Manli. Sun Jie discovers her mother is dating a younger man and fears he's after her money. Hu Manli tries to help Sun Jie while also dealing with her own family issues with Ding Zhiyuan and their son. She ends up following Sun Jie's mother's boyfriend, A Dong, and uncovers his secret. To get Ding Zhiyuan to go camping with their son, Hu Manli even resorts to forging a medical document.
Spoiler Alert
"A Better Life" Episode 8: Drama, Deception, and a Whole Lotta Following
The episode kicks off with a classic misunderstanding. Qiu Lisuspots Xue Xiaozhouat a book club meeting and, naturally, assumes he's there for her. She rushes over, all smiles, but Wei Yuanxiangis immediately curious about their connection. Qiu Lisu, in a move that can only be described as bold, claims Xue Xiaozhou is her son! Xue Xiaozhou, who clearly despises Qiu Lisu, publicly denies their relationship and storms off. Cue Wang Xueimmediately calling Hu Manliwith the gossip.
Speaking of Hu Manli, she is not happy. She's been cultivating Wei Yuanxiang as a client for five years, and Xue Xiaozhou's little outburst threatens to ruin everything. She tears into Xue Xiaozhou, who insists he doesn't want to rely on Qiu Lisu's connections. Hu Manli, who previously thought Xue Xiaozhou was Qiu Lisu's boy-toy, is shocked to learn that Qiu Lisu actually stole his father. She urges Xue Xiaozhou to think about the bigger picture, but the damage might already be done.
Meanwhile, Sun Jielearns from a neighbor that her mother is dating A Dong , a man twenty years her junior and a former neighbor. Sun Jie confronts her mother, who admits the relationship and announces plans for a European vacation with A Dong. Sun Jie is understandably worried about her mother being scammed, especially so soon after her father's death, but her mother is set on this plan.
Unable to reason with her mother, Sun Jie turns to Hu Manli for help. Hu Manli, while picking up Ding Da'erfrom school, gets bombarded by other parents who are fans of her estranged husband, Ding Zhiyuan . To avoid awkward questions, Hu Manli lies and says Ding Zhiyuan is on a creative retreat. She tries to suggest a camping trip with just her and Ding Da'er, but he refuses to go without his father.
Desperate, Hu Manli messages Ding Zhiyuan, but Qiu Lisu has already poisoned the well, badmouthing Hu Manli and convincing Ding Zhiyuan to stay away. He makes up an excuse about a meeting and ignores Hu Manli's calls.
Hu Manli meets with Sun Jie, bringing Xue Xiaozhou along. Sun Jie vents her frustrations, and Hu Manli realizes Sun Jie is worried about A Dong taking her mother's life savings . Xue Xiaozhou, impatient, nearly blows the whole thing by rushing Sun Jie. Hu Manli smooths things over and realizes Sun Jie wants her to convince her mother to use the money to buy insurance for her daughter, Nan Nan .
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou visit Sun Jie's mother, but she's evasive and tries to get rid of them. Xue Xiaozhou bluntly states their purpose: Sun Jie wants to buy a 1 million education annuity for Nan Nan, but doesn't have the funds. Sun Jie's mother refuses to help and leaves them hanging.
Hu Manli is stunned by the change in Sun Jie's mother, impressed by A Dong's influence. A Dong arrives with flowers, and the two leave together, all smiles. Xue Xiaozhou is bored and pressures Hu Manli to find new clients. Hu Manli learns that Xue Xiaozhou's girlfriend, Wu Ya , works at a hospital and asks him to get a fake depression diagnosis for Ding Da'er. Xue Xiaozhou refuses, drawing the line at fraud.
Later, Sun Jie takes her mother to the hospital for a check-up and discovers she has early-stage Alzheimer's. Sun Jie calls Hu Manli for help, who learns that A Dong might be seeing other women. She decides to follow A Dong to gather evidence.
Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou stake out A Dong's house. Xue Xiaozhou is reluctant, but Hu Manli claims she once landed an 8 million deal by catching a client's spouse cheating. They follow A Dong on bikes, exhausting themselves. A Dong meets Sun Jie's mother, and they go on a date. Hu Manli and Xue Xiaozhou tail them, even joining them for a movie.
For the next week, Hu Manli drags Xue Xiaozhou along to follow A Dong. Xue Xiaozhou is bored and wants to quit, but then they see a woman kissing A Dong goodbye.
Hu Manli pretends to be a community worker to get into A Dong's house and confirms the woman is his wife. Finally, Hu Manli forges a depression diagnosis for Ding Da'er, revealing that her actions are motivated by her love for her son. Xue Xiaozhou is impressed by her dedication.
