Original subtitles

(In Between)

(Episode 2)

(He Zhi Nan, get up.)

(He Zhi Nan.)

(Your salary is going to be deducted completely!)

(He Zhi Nan!)

(He Zhi Nan!)

(He Zhi Nan!)

-Morning, Han Han. -Morning.

-Morning. -Morning.

Morning.

Morning.

Han Su, I have something to tell you.

I heard that the Hong Kong branch is requesting staff from us.

Is that so?

After the meeting, Mr. Wu of the regional division

asked Ms. Xu if she had any suitable candidates.

What did Ms. Xu say?

She told him not to worry.

Seems like she already has a candidate in mind.

You're pretty resourceful, aren't you?

I wrote this when the HR Department told everyone

to fill up the intention survey.

An opportunity to work in Hong Kong

is lucrative indeed.

But I need to remind you of something. You just became a junior lawyer.

The work atmosphere in Hong Kong is very stressful

for junior lawyers.

Why don't you hone your skills in a familiar environment

for a few more years first?

After that, you can head there.

Of course,

the wages in Hong Kong are much higher.

But the expenses will be higher as well.

Ms. Xu, thank you for being considerate.

But I still wish to fight for a chance

to work in Hong Kong.

Do you have a personal reason for doing so?

To be honest,

the company already selected a candidate.

After all, you have a language barrier to overcome.

The language isn't a problem.

I've learned Cantonese for a year now.

I just hope that the company can give me a fair chance.

You came prepared, huh?

Fine, then.

Since you insist on doing so,

you can prepare the necessary materials for the application.

But you need to know that our partners in Hong Kong

have the final call here.

Thank you, Ms. Xu.

Han Su.

I'm just curious about something.

If you'll be heading to Hong Kong for three years,

what will you do about your boyfriend, Yi Peng?

Can you bear to part with him?

He'll definitely support me.

Good.

Let me find it for you.

Peng!

Did you read the article I sent you yesterday?

I did.

We still have time before the meeting. Why don't you chill in my office?

I wish to hear your opinion. Let's go.

Okay.

Miss! Our client hasn't checked his attendance yet.

Mr. Qu is my friend. He's from Yinzhongda's asset management team.

Just tick his attendance for him.

Don't you guys think

that Ms. J is like the elder female lead in a drama

who wants to cling to a tech guy due to her lowly background?

Don't tell me you fell for that hunk?

I do love watching dramas, but I'm not dumb, you know?

Many of these elite students come from small cities.

They wish to establish a foothold in major cities.

You see, Ms. J is wealthy and resourceful.

She has the advantage compared to young and beautiful girls.

And, Ms. J doesn't force anyone to marry her.

He can have a romantic relationship with an independent woman.

And, he doesn't need to take responsibility.

Why shouldn't he do so?

-Hello. -Hello.

May I know your name?

Hello.

May I know your name?

Let me check. Sorry about this.

(I was too busy to say hi. Are you free tonight?)

(Thanks for reserving a slot for me. I have to thank you for this!)

(It's nothing much. Don't mention it.)

(Many of our female colleagues)

(have a crush on that guy from the food stall.)

(They're even sharing his pictures in the group chat.)

(They say he resembles Xin Yun Lai.)

(How are they the same?)

(I think their beauty standards have dropped.)

He does look quite handsome.

And, he joined the finance industry after graduating from a top college.

He's considered the cream of the crop.

(Creativity means competitiveness.)

(That also means you have to face the unknown.)

(Compared to moving forward fearlessly,)

(I enjoy the fear and doubts I have when facing the unknown.)

You're only having lunch now?

I just finished wrapping up Sunflower Seed King's project.

I'll be content for the rest of my life

if I can win the prestigious Golden Harvest Awards once.

Ms. Zeng already won it thrice. She's used to winning.

She's amazing.

Whenever I'm out of ideas, I would listen to her talks.

I would always gain a lot from them.

If so, I should invite her here to give you guys a seminar next time.

Ms. Xin,

are you close to Ms. Zeng?

She can be considered the mentor who brought me into this industry.

I understand now.

A renowned teacher does produce outstanding students indeed.

Since when did you learn how to butter people up?

But to be honest, Ms. Zeng is amazing.

No matter how difficult or boring a project is,

she always brings a fresh perspective to them.

Her ways of thinking and execution

are different from ordinary people.

Hi, my babies! I'm back.

-Monica. -Monica.

You're finally back.

Long time no see.

Come.

I came back to distribute my wedding candy.

I guess this can be considered a visit back home.

Congratulations.

She only did a project with you.

And now, your client is her husband.

I'll head outside first.

I brought enough for everyone. Distribute it to them.

Monica, long time no see.

Ms. Xin.

I didn't expect you to achieve this milestone this early in life.

-Congratulations. -Thank you, Ms. Xin.

-Here, this is for you. -Thank you.

Come. Over here.

-How are you? -I'm doing great.

It's my bad. I loved Norse mythology since young.

To fulfill my dream,

my husband held our wedding in an ancient castle in Northern Europe.

And, our schedule was tight. It was exhausting.

-Your husband is so nice to you. -I guess he's pretty nice.

I just came back last week. I'm still having some jet lag.

But I feel like visiting you guys.

-It must've been tough. -Monica!

Congratulations on your wedding.

Han Han, this is for you.

Thank you.

I haven't gotten to thank you yet.

Why are you thanking me?

To me, you're my matchmaker.

I would have no chance to meet my husband had I not worked under you.

Mrs. Sun, congratulations.

Mr. Li, you mustn't call me that.

-You should call me Monica. -Don't say that.

-May you have children soon. -Thank you, Mr. Li.

During China's economic transformation period,

the macroeconomy has overall maintained rapid growth.

Plenty of outstanding entrepreneurs were born.

Countless small businesses have grown into large enterprises.

However, many businesses,

during their growth process,

are affected by fluctuations

in the economic cycle at the macro level,

or, at the micro level,

struggle to adapt to the demands

of economic development for industrial structure upgrades.

Or they may face financial crises due to violations in business practices,

among other reasons.

Under the conditions of a market economy,

the competitiveness leads to some businesses

playing out comedies

while others are experiencing tragedies within the overall economic system.

Some are even a combination of the two.

There's no doubt that Delongxi is a typical example of that group.

The predecessor of Delongxi,

in 1986,

was just a small photo enlargement shop with 400 employees

that was registered in Ürümqi.

After a brief development period of 18 years,

until 2004,

the company became

a giant enterprise that operates across industries, regions, and countries.

Sorry.

I was still late even though I rushed here.

Sorry about this.

It's fine.

Thank you.

Ms. J didn't believe that I had an appointment.

I already sent her the location of this restaurant.

Even so, she didn't believe me.

She only gave up when she sent me here personally.

Ms. J do like clean-cut, handsome guys from prestigious colleges.

Clean-cut?

You think so too?

He's so good at flirting.

Actually, it's not just about appearance.

She cares about qualifications too.

It has to be a prestigious local college.

If so, why doesn't she consider those who studied in the Ivy League?

Those who study there

are already wealthy enough.

They don't care about her wealth.

Is that so?

Take a look at the menu.

I don't know about your preference. That's why I booked a Western restaurant.

By the way, where are you from?

I'm a local. I'm fine with any food.

A local, huh? You're lucky.

You see,

you'll face much less pressure when it comes to rent.

Do you live with your parents?

I live by myself.

My parents bought me a house long ago.

That's great.

You guys are nothing like us, who came from other states to work here.

I've been working for a few years now,

yet there's no sign that I can buy a house yet.

Would you two like to make an order?

One perilla pasta.

One Caesar salad.

One fresh watermelon juice.

And one tiramisu.

Thank you.

I want a grilled chicken breast salad.

And, give me this red wine.

-Okay. -Thank you.

Is he on a diet?

Or is he trying to humiliate you here?

Please don't misunderstand me.

I'm trying to complement your order here.

You're still slim even though you eat quite a lot.

I'm sure other girls are envious of you.

It's great to be young indeed.

I need to control my calorie intake now that I'm getting older.

And, I need to go to the gym from time to time.

How are your fitness results coming along?

I'll show it to you when I have the chance.

Isn't that too direct?

He Zhi Nan, you must be wary.

It was a joke.

I was just joking.

I rarely have time to exercise after I started working.

But I was in the bodybuilding club when I was in college.

Our college holds a bodybuilding contest every year.

Even now, I'm still one of the judges.

Next time, I'll take you to my college

and introduce all those young and muscular hunks to you.

Sure.

I love making new friends with hunks.

By the way, I had a deep impression of you when I first saw you.

But why?

It's rare to see a young girl

humming a tune

in a relaxing manner

while working in an office.

I'm bad at singing.

But that tune of yours was kind of addictive.

I would hum it unknowingly at home after listening to your tune.

The tune,

it resembled...

It's as sweet as fruit candies.

Miss, excuse me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Here.

Eat up.

Our cab is almost here.

Let me send you back first.

This is the one. Let's get in.

I'm home.

-Let me send you back. -No need for that.

If so, you have to hire another cab later.

All right. Text me when you're home, then.

See you.

Qu Yi Peng!

What's the matter?

You can have these.

You can have the blueberry candy.

See you.

Goodbye.

Mister, let's go.

Mister, can you please take me around the neighborhood

and return to that place just now?

-All right. -Thank you.

His hometown is in Liuzhou.

He has a father and two younger sisters at home.

Right now, his biggest wish

is to build a new house for his father

and open a bubble tea shop for his youngest sister.

(It's obvious that he wishes to make it big from a humble background.)

What do you mean by that?

You love to judge people, don't you?

He's not someone like that.

But...

But he had a rough time in school.

When he was in middle school,

he was already attending the county boarding school.

On the day of the opening ceremony,

his father only reached his school

after three hours of driving.

He carried a large woven bag.

It contained cotton blankets

that his sisters made for him

and fruits that were freshly harvested.

His father

was sweating profusely.

Back then, my father

arrived at the school in an exhausted manner.

He got off the car with sweat all over his body.

He walked toward me.

Back then, there was a girl.

She was my deskmate.

She's also the daughter of a county official.

She detested his smell.

She covered her nose.

She detested my father's sweaty

and earthly odor.

Actually, I'm quite uninteresting.

I'm boring too.

I don't have any hobbies.

Just like the crop in the fields,

I have my roots underground.

I grow tall

without any distractions.

I only have one goal.

That is to move upward.

To move upward,

leave the mountains,

and lead a comfortable life.

Usually,

men love to brag about their accomplishments.

Although he's outstanding,

he chose to show me his most vulnerable side.

After that conversation,

I feel like he's pure

and sincere.

It's like he's an old friend of mine.

(We regret to inform you)

(that Flight G1012)

(has been delayed due to weather conditions)

(and we apologize for the inconvenience this may cause to your travel.)

Oh no. My flight has been delayed.

What should you do, then?

What else can I do?

I can only wait for their update.

It includes 45 brokerage firms,

28 accounting firms,

and 49 law firms.

(You guys know that we face strict competition, right?)

Yes.

(Tell us about your strengths.)

(All right. Let me introduce ourselves.)

(We're a leading team in the field of corporate financing.)

(We've assisted)

(over 20 companies to be listed on the Hong Kong market)

(in the past three years.)

(All of our team members are experts in public listings.)

(They're all experienced in the field of public listing.)

(And, they have a deep understanding of the field.)

(In addition,)

(we have branches in the mainland)

(and Hong Kong.)

(Our biggest strength)

(is that we can provide your company with one-stop legal solutions)

(through internal collaboration)

(of Chinese lawyers and Hong Kong lawyers.)

(At the same time, you don't need to deal with two teams)

(when the cases involve the mainland and Hong Kong.)

(We can resolve that issue for you through internal collaboration.)

(Our team will provide you with legal services 24/7)

(to ensure that you receive timely assistance whenever you need it.)

(He Zhi Nan)

(There's a nice tiramisu shop in the southern part of the city.)

(Why don't we visit it someday?)

Your body temperature is rising.

Your heart is beating rapidly too.

He's just inviting you to a tiramisu shop.

Are you that excited?

No.

So, you can forgive Gao Peng

by watching a movie and reminiscing about the past

whenever you argue with him.

Why are you trying to rely on that guy this time?

You're not willing to mend your relationship.

Now, you feel like trying a new one.

Why would we seek out new relationships

if our feelings never waned?

When will your parents be back?

My parents?

They're playing Mahjong at my second aunt's house.

They won't return that early.

When will they...

If only I could reverse time!

If only I could

return to the days when we first got together!

You don't feel like having tiramisu now, right?

It doesn't matter if I go there or not

as long as I still have Gao Peng in my heart.

-I'll go, then. -Don't go, then.

(Han Han, check your email.)

(Mr. Li said the client had commented on my proposal.)

(It's best if you can finish it overnight.)

(Sorry for the trouble.)

-(Hand it to me as soon as possible.) -Okay.

Is anyone even trying to resolve this issue?

Precisely.

-We've been waiting for so long. -We're waiting for their updates too.

Bring your manager here.

Bring your manager here.

-All of you are useless. -Bring your manager here.

-Give us an account. -Who's your manager?

Sorry about that.

Ms. Sun.

Are you okay?

Are you unwell?

Don't sit here. Come with me.

Here.

-Thank you. -Don't mention it.

Dear guests, these are your snacks and drinks.

-Thank you. -Don't mention it.

You might have to wait some time before your flight.

-Thank you. -Don't mention it.

Mister,

you may take a look at the menu first

if you require supper.

Okay.

-Thank you. -Don't mention it.

You may take a look first.

Please upgrade her seat for her.

Thank you.

All right, mister.

It's fine. You don't need to do this.

I'm just redeeming my mileage.

It's free.

Thank you.

It's nothing. Don't mention it.

This is unexpected.

You're a workaholic

even though you're this young.

We're the same.

The first-class seats are different indeed.

He upgraded your seat

so that he could sit beside you officially.

(You two will sit side by side for three hours.)

(It's obvious that he has an ulterior motive.)

Is that so?

But I didn't wash my hair today.

And, I just grabbed a random coat.

And, I have a stomachache too.

I'm in a terrible state.

Mr. Zhou, welcome to your flight.

Your seat is over there.

He's here. I'll hang up now. Goodbye.

Su?

There's a new Japanese cuisine shop downstairs.

Why don't we head there for lunch?

Ms. Shan, thank you for the aroma diffuser.

No problem. Lunch is on me.

Ms. Shan,

you should get straight to the point.

Come.

Come, have a seat.

Su,

I heard that you've handed in your transfer application to Hong Kong.

That's right.

You know this too.

My parents are living in Shenzhen.

I've been trying to get myself transferred to Hong Kong.

This is a rare opportunity for me.

You still have the opportunity to do so.

Han Su, you see,

you're still young.

You were my mentee for a few days when you first joined us.

I hope that you can rescind your application.

According to my knowledge, I'm not the only one with the request.

But no matter how many people are vying for it,

you'll get the opportunity

if you're capable enough.

Ms. Shan,

I'm grateful to you for taking care of me when I was new.

But that alone

isn't enough for me to give up on my goals.

And, the Hong Kong branch makes the final call.

This is a fair competition.

The season has changed. My nose is quite sensitive.

I won't be able to use this. Thank you anyway.

Han Su.

Give it to Yi Peng.

Didn't he say anything about your transfer request?

That's my personal affair.

What kind of person are you?

I've seen people who lack EQ,

but I've never seen anyone with an EQ as low as yours!

You're taking my kindness for granted!

Our law firm has plenty of lawyers with a sharp tongue.

But a mentee talking back to her mentor in public?

That's quite a rare sight.

Zhao Shan only led me to my desk on my first day of work.

That's all.

She never

taught me anything valuable.

Therefore, I don't think she's my mentor.

There are some things you should keep to yourself.

Why did you say it in public?

It's because that's more efficient.

I don't need to waste my time beating around the bush with her.

I need to spend at least half an hour on that.

I don't have the time,

the energy, and the capability

to learn how to communicate emphatically in the office.

It's not that you don't have the energy

or the capability to do so.

You just don't care.

Ms. Xu,

I know you're giving me these reminders for my own good.

Thank you.

But you don't plan on changing, do you?

That's right.

You're a frank person indeed.

You don't need to change, then.

I don't feel like being a mediator either.

From a boss's perspective,

I don't mind your behavior.

As for the rest, it's fine as long as you don't mind it.

Thank you, Ms. Xu.

Those who dare to stand their ground

will erect iron pillars and walls to support themselves unknowingly.

As a veteran,

I wish to remind you

that these iron pillars and walls you erected

will trap you instead sometimes.

Loneliness is a terrible feeling.

You're back.

Have you eaten?

I have.

I introduced you to my senior in Huineng Group last week, right?

How did the conversation go?

That project

is still in its early stages.

I assume we won't get the deal.

Their company has the most advanced lithium battery technology.

The new energy industry is the hottest industry as well.

You can't just

focus on the surface.

You need to do your homework.

You need to do your studies and research.

I need to do my studies and research, huh?

Why do you sound just like my boss?

He only sleeps five hours per day.

He looks down on people who sleep eight hours a day.

He thinks that we slack off in the company every day.

You sound just like

those old farts

in my company.

They don't fulfill their duties.

They only stay in their comfort zone.

And, they mock hard-working people for working too hard.

What do you mean by that?

It's literally what I said.

You kept complaining

about your boss in the past two years.

However, don't you think you need to reflect upon your actions sometimes?

Judging from what you said,

you think I'm progressing too slowly in getting a promotion and pay raise, huh?

That's not what I meant.

Forget it. Let's drop the topic.

You didn't close the lid of the jar properly again.

The smell lingers in the house for a long time, you know?

Do you detest that smell?

I just don't like it when it lingers in the house.

This is the smell I've known since I was little.

My sister made this herself.

I brought it back with me after a ten-hour train ride.

I'm a country bumpkin who got to where I am by doing revisions.

I feel restless if I spend three days without eating this.

You can tell me if you detest it.

Let's take the matter on its merit.

Disliking and disdain are two different concepts.

You're overreacting.

I'm overreacting?

You said this was delicious

when I made these noodles for you for the first time.

The taste of the noodles didn't change.

Could it be that you're the one who has changed?

I loved them in the past. And, I love them now.

It's just that I don't like the smell of the pickled bamboo shoots.

The ventilation here is terrible.

The smell doesn't fade easily. That's a fact. And that's all.

The pickled bamboo shoot isn't the issue here. You're the issue.

So, you're finally getting to the point after beating around the bush, huh?

That's right. I'm the issue here.

I came from a poor background.

After that, I'm lazy.

I can still sleep even though I didn't finish my articles.

That's why I'm not making any progress.

That's why I've sinned.

I stayed up all night to finish your work.

-Even so, I didn't complain about it. -Thank you, Han Su.

You don't need to complain.

You were only stating facts.

I'm not as strong or as hardworking as you, Superwoman Han.

That's why I should be despised.

And, you have to hide your disdain carefully

while pretending to care for my dignity.

Listen up.

-That's more damaging than despising me. -Qu Yi Peng, be fair.

I just can't stand it when you can sleep in peace

with your work unfinished.

I cannot say it, yet I can't keep it to myself.

What should I do, then?

-What have I done wrong? -You didn't do anything wrong.

I'm the one at fault here.

My existence itself is a mistake.

I think you're trying to say

that my existence is a mistake.

Wait. What do you mean by that?

(Fourth Anniversary)

(Tiramisu Date)