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(Smile Code)

(Episode 11)

Stay still this time.

No way.

(Did you bring me home last night? I didn't do anything weird, did I?)

(No, you didn't.)

It's too over the top.

Shouldn't love be about being an equal match?

Compatibility in star signs, blood types, personality,

all of that is what makes relationships last.

Compatibility? Are we looking for organ transplant donors here?

Sure, young people should pursue equality,

but love isn't something calculated with precision.

And feelings aren't a statistics exercise.

Politically correct answer.

But do you really think anyone wants to read

your glossy, hollow romance advice?

I understand we want to push mainstream views

that prompt people to share our posts.

Women should be more independent

and make careful choices in partners

That's totally valid.

But if our magazine just pushes one rigid view,

a lot of young people might write off love at the first sign

that it's not an "equal match."

Take Titanic, for example.

If Rose had told Jack when she met him,

"You're too poor, definitely not a match for me,

your clothes don't even have labels,"

that movie would've ended in ten minutes.

All right.

Both of you got a good point, but your views still don't stand out.

This "aging millennial, thirty and sidelined by society, craving love"

topic is outdated.

If we're going to be bland, we may as well skip it.

Gu Yi, have you ever thought about what you'll be like at thirty?

What do you expect our readers to get from our article when you haven't

even imagined yourself at thirty?

An essay prompt?

Thirty might mean low income

and a body that's starting to show wear.

You still have plenty of dreams,

but none of them involve love

because day-to-day life is exhausted by work.

Even dating feels like fast food, quick and disposable.

You're caught in between, neither good nor bad.

It's not that young people get sidelined at a certain age.

It's that at some point, life moves into stagnation.

Plenty of people die at forty from a bullet shot into them

when they were twenty,

but not everyone has to give up at thirty.

That's what Gu Yi's thinking, isn't it?

It sounds a little harsh, even cynical.

If we publish it,

the comments section might blow up with reader backlash.

But it'll also spark curiosity

and get people clicking.

That's an effective hook.

Let's draft the article from Xu Guan Rui's perspective.

Meeting adjourned.

Gu Yi, please stay.

Since you joined Nextmonday, you've been focused on content,

Haven't you learned how to frame a topic yet?

In today's world, how is love supposed to be a headline-grabber?

Ms. Zhang, I don't get it, celebrity gossip is a hit,

celebrities shipping is a hit,

so why can't love be a hit?

Do you even understand love?

And don't tell me this is about your pay cut.

Was Xu Guan Rui defending you just now to challenge Penny or me?

He didn't mean anything like that.

Got it, I'll go back and revise.

Love is complicated.

It's not something you can explain with a few clever lines.

Xu Guan Rui's deconstruction of the theme

was actually a strong viewpoint.

He's sharper than you.

If you don't ground yourself, how do you expect readers to engage with it?

Understood. I'll make it grounded.

All right, don't bother revising.

We're not pitching this topic for the next issue.

Focus on refining the sub-magazine plan.

You can go.

What's up?

Did you clash with Jacqueline?

Or is it still about the poster authorization issue from last time?

No.

Besides, the poster thing was settled long ago.

Not necessarily.

Jacqueline might just be letting it slide for now.

What do you mean?

Let me tell you something.

When Jacqueline took over Nextmonday,

print media's influence was already in decline.

She took bold steps, tying sales to top-tier artists

and building credibility through strong content,

while shifting all time-sensitive ads to new media.

She got to where she is

purely through her own abilities.

Do you think she doesn't know about the tricks some people play under her?

About the deputy director position,

you'd better prepare yourself.

Jacqueline values you, that's true.

She's responsible for the content, after all.

But content is there to build the brand.

Only with strong content

will business keep coming in.

Now you're in charge of content,

but who's handling business?

Penny.

That's all I'll say.

The choice of deputy director involves a lot of factors.

Honestly,

we're not at an advantage.

No way.

Jacqueline is someone who fights tooth and nail in her work.

Earning respect from a leader like her

is more rewarding than beating ten Pennys.

I believe she can see my value.

Comrade, I honestly hope it works out for you.

I know.

Enough about this.

I have a show tonight. Want to come?

It's my comeback show.

Sure.

Let's fuel up and get back to work.

Hey everyone, I'm Gu Yi.

Hi!

Long time no see!

It's been a while since I've done stand-up here at Ounce.

Mostly because...

Well, I've been in love recently.

What's with the excitement?

Are you all married already?

No!

But here's the thing,

I'm in unrequited love.

Mutual feelings are overrated.

I'm into the thrill of one-sided love.

If I could actually win someone over in two weeks,

I'd probably dump him right away,

because I'm not into guys who are that easy.

Actually, my whole approach to love is heavily influenced

by my mom.

My mom?

She's a die-hard romantic from the northeast, a total love rebel.

She started her 'romance adventures' young, even eloping

just to keep up with the trends.

She cut ties with the family,

except financially, of course.

I think she knew from a young age

that love without financial support is just a house built on sand.

Back in the day,

my dad won her over with one simple dish, stir-fried eggs with chives.

Next thing you know, they had me,

then got divorced.

So you could say my dad basically harvested his crop and moved on.

And now,

she's in love with square dancing.

Every day, she's out at the square, dancing with a crowd of old men.

She can pick whoever she wants, it's like a buffet line of old men.

If she's not satisfied, she just switches them out.

She's been at it for years

and sent off a few rounds of old guys by now.

One thing I really admire about my mom is,

she loves and hates with everything she's got.

Ever since I can remember,

we didn't have a thing to our names,

because my dad blew all the money.

He even took the pocket change I hid under my bed

and gambled it away.

One day, my mom had enough.

She dragged him out of the house and divorced him.

Afterwards,

she used her entire savings

to buy the TV she had had her eye on for ages.

She said to me,

"Sweetie,

I sold your dad and bought us a TV.

Do you like it?

Isn't it way better than a man?"

I was just a kid back then, and I didn't really get it.

I said,

"Mom, can you sell yourself too?

I really want a computer."

Good one! Good one!

So, when my one-sided crush wasn't going well,

I went to my mom for advice.

I asked her,

"Will I be as charming as you when I'm fifty?"

She hit me with something really deep.

She said,

"When one door closes,

a window will always open."

In that moment, I had a revelation.

And now I'm starting to wonder,

after all these years,

could that "window" she was talking about be a single window?

I mean, how else do you explain my ten-year streak of being totally single?

And now, I'm starting to wonder

if that unopened door is

the door to celibacy.

Am I headed straight for the monastery?

Good one!

Encore!

No, no, that's it for me tonight. I'll leave it to the next performer.

hank you, everyone, I'm Gu Yi.

Have a wonderful night here at Ounce!

Well done!

Calling me?

No, I'm trying to call my mom.

After the show, she disappeared,

- and now she's not picking up her phone. - Your mom's here?

I saw Liang Dai Wen leaving with an older lady.

Not sure if it was her, though.

Gu Yi, why are you fussing so much?

I told you, I just came to check in on you.

I'm a grown woman. I don't need you to see me off.

All right, I'm almost there.

Bye.

I knew you're not a cleaner.

So, come clean now.

I'm Gu Yi's friend.

I just didn't want you to misunderstand.

The meds on the bedside table are organized more neatly than a pharmacy.

That's not Gu Yi's style at all.

That place is yours, isn't it?

Why are you taking so much medicine at such young age?

Do you have health problems?

No.

Then you must've had a hard life.

Either way, taking too many painkillers isn't good for you.

Really, I'm saying this as a mother would.

If these meds were Gu Yi's, I'd be seriously worried.

I've been having stomach pains lately myself,

but I try to avoid medication.

They say food is the best medicine, you know?

That's why I brought so many ingredients.

You two just eat well, and share the food.

When you're out, call me, and I'll send more.

Okay?

That joke Gu Yi told, she was talking about you, wasn't she?

Her one-sided crush.

Even if you won't admit it, I know it's you.

Gu Yi might not excel in everything, but she's got a good taste for guys.

The first time she got in trouble with me as a teenager,

it was because she passed a note to the school heartthrob.

Do you like Gu Yi?

You don't?

I

don't know.

That's okay.

Take your time.

There's an advantage to going slow.

But once you're sure,

don't back out.

You're back.

Your mom has boarded the plane.

She was in a hurry, so she didn't get a chance to say goodbye.

Thanks for looking after her.

Sit down.

These are dishes my mom made.

You probably haven't tried them before.

Is this

considered "food therapy"?

Speaking of which,

where's my little chalkboard?

I put it away.

Your mom said your drawings looked like scribbles and erased everything.

Okay.

Let's eat.

Your mom is

pretty adorable.

Do you know

why my mom suddenly showed up in Donghai?

My parents

saw a video online of me telling jokes about my roommates.

Some people in the comments were spreading rumors that I'm being kept.

My dad saw it and called my mom,

demanding to know why she hadn't raised me properly.

My dad thinks

a girl should stay close to her family,

take a stable, easy job, and marry a decent guy.

But my mom has always felt that,

whether it's a boy or a girl,

they should go out and see the world.

They're a classic case of clashing perspectives.

If I had known my mom would leave so soon,

I would've spent more time with her.

I don't know why,

but while I can be vulnerable with anyone else,

I always feel the need to act tough

around her.

She has always told me

to be self-respecting,

self-reliant,

and never place my hopes on others.

Yesterday,

I rewatched the video of my show in Ounce.

I saw my mom in the comments,

responding to those spreading rumors,

saying, "Do you really know what kind of person Gu Yi is?

Do you even know her?"

Seeing that,

it made me feel a little sad.

Are you full?

Come with me to the bedroom.

That doesn't seem appropriate.

I'm feeling down right now,

and my moral defenses are especially low.

If you insist,

I might just go along with it.

Who told you to get on the bed?

Get under it.

Just crawl in. It's clean.

Lie on your back.

The stars I owed you.

Did you do this

just to cheer me up?

Are you feeling better then?

How did you even think to do this?

When I was little, I had a dream.

I dreamt there were lots of kids

in glowing white dresses on the moon.

They were sweeping back and forth with brooms.

And that's how

the moon would change its phases.

The kids kept sweeping.

The older kids would leave,

and new ones would show up

with their brooms to keep sweeping.

They were the stars, each one shining.

So, the reason

we can see stars

isn't because they shine on their own,

but because there will always be children who know how to dream.

How old were you then?

Ten.

After that,

I never had another dream with stars.

You were a very romantic kid

when you could dream.

Let's get out of here. The floor is cold.

Stay a little longer with me.

Remember, you can't say no to what I ask.

Stay still this time.

Slow down.

(Daily Progress Report:)

(After so long,)

(I've started dreaming of stars again.)

Young lady, you came here for a blind date by yourself?

You're quite pretty.

Do you have local residency status?

You're about the right age for my son,

but your income seems a little low.

That's right. With your salary,

supporting yourself here is tough enough.

And if you had a child,

the husband would have to cover everything.

Oh, Madams,

let's hold off on discussing child-rearing just yet.

How about we start with a group chat with some of your sons and nephews,

so I can get to know them?

Oh, young lady,

with your situation, you won't make it into our group.

Here, let me show you our group members.

So my qualifications are only good enough for single dads?

I don't even have any parenting experience.

Don't be so picky, young lady.

Single dads are often the most caring.

Exactly!

Young women these days don't even

have a clear picture of their situation

but are still so picky.

What's this world coming to?

Oh, this is perfect then!

Madam, I actually can't conceive due to my health problem.

This way, I'll have a husband and a kid all in one package.

Let's add each other on WeChat.

You're not in good health, young lady?

You'd better work on that.

Don't waste our time.

- Hello. - (Gu Yi, are you at work?)

Just slacking off at a blind date.

A blind date?

Then I definitely need you to come with me.

Let's go see Xu Guan Rui together.

Don't worry, it's about work.

We're way too similar, and flirtatious.

We can't be left alone together.

Okay.

Where would you like to start today?

Anywhere is fine.

Then let's start by talking about

that unlicensed doctor at your place.

How's her emotional infiltration therapy

working out for you?

Pretty well.

Did you forget what you wrote in your emotional report?

Severe hand pain,

worse insomnia,

your place nearly flooded,

and that's "pretty well"?

Liang Dai Wen,

don't you realize

that even though Gu Yi's treatment methods are completely amateurish,

she's all over the place, and everything she does is half-baked,,

you're still willing to go along with it?

If it were anyone else,

you'd have kicked them out long ago.

I don't see it that way.

It's just every day I see her running around excitedly,

getting into all kinds of random things,

it's kind of interesting.

She's...

Kind of cute too.

Do you know what I'm about to say?

That I shouldn't have brought her home in the first place.

On the contrary.

I think

letting her stay

was actually a good thing.

After all these years,

finally, someone has come along to stir things up for you.

But stop letting her treat you, okay?

Or my professional reputation is going to go down the drain.

I have a friend who does voice acting

and sometimes works as a virtual streamer.

Virtual streaming is still a fairly new industry here.

You are very pretty,

so signing with a company shouldn't be hard for you.

I recently interviewed with a few companies

that specialize in virtual influencers.

Just by listening to them,

you can tell the contracts are full of loopholes.

I'm really cautious about signing anything.

I get it.

If you're worried about contracts,

I can reach out to some friends and ask around for you.

With your potential, you'd gain followers quickly if you stay on trend.

But once the traffic comes in, there will be scrutiny.

It's something you need to think through.

I know.

I can't avoid the whole Laila incident, but I have a clear conscience.

I'm not afraid of them digging up my past.

Okay.

Send me this resume.

My friend's virtual group is hosting

a holographic concert in China soon.

If I get an exclusive interview, I'll try to get you in.

A virtual group?

A girl band?

I'm terrible at singing and dancing.

What would I even do there?

Girl groups are the trend right now.

The virtual industry is getting more sophisticated.

Just go with the flow and see where it leads.

- Is it reliable? - Yes. Now, go pay the bill.

Okay.

What are you looking at?

I'm filling out a dating profile.

Your fieldwork has been all about going to blind dates this whole week.

Is Jacqueline nurturing your talent or just making things hard for you?

Whatever the boss wants written, I write.

That's a typist's work ethic.

I'm your boss too, you know.

And you're slacking off without even hiding it from me.

I'm just here keeping her company.

By the way,

- you and her... - We didn't even add each other on WeChat

until the day she left the job.

She said she needed my advice about something.

Besides, she's your friend.

Helping her out is like helping you out.

Are you this nice to everyone?

No.

You are special to me.

How am I special?

Comparing him to normal humans just doesn't work.

(There's a murder mystery game this afternoon. Mr. Lu's new script.)

(I've invited Guan Xing Xin too.)

My performance targets are maxed out right now.

You guys go ahead.

(It's a romance-themed one.)

(And Liang Dai Wen will be there.)

(So, think again.)

You win.

Sure, I'll be there. See you tonight.

I'm going to play a murder mystery game with some friends tonight.

- Would you like to... - I'm in.

Okay.

I think we could add some more Macallan.

Sure, let's add ten more bottles.

No problem.

This bottle here seems pretty good too.

This.

Gu Yi,

have you noticed?

Mr. Lu might say he's working to pay off debts,

but he's really just doing stuff he enjoys.

He rented Fuzzy and Ounce together.

Normally, it's a bar,

but during downtime,

it hosts script readings for theater enthusiasts.

It's a small circle,

and they only perform plays written by Mr. Lu.

Today's show was probably put together just for you.

I'm ready to end my life,

just to keep a miracle from happening.

I'm willing to work day and night for you,

even willing

to sacrifice my honor.

But as a man,

he can't sacrifice his honor.

Yet countless women have sacrificed their honor for men.

What you're thinking doesn't match the words coming out of your mouth.

Gu Yi.

Just like a silly kid...

What kind of person is Yu Du Le?

He...

He loves to joke around,

and his thinking is pretty unconventional,

but he's really talented.

We met at the TV station.

He's kind of like a mentor to me.

He taught me everything I know about editing.

But his family was really fixated on him getting a stable job.

He stuck it out for years on a salary of five or six thousand yuan,

even though it didn't really lead anywhere in the end.

Since he was working in a government role,

he didn't have much interest in entertainment production,

so he's been helping Mr. Lu run this bar ever since.

He's actually pretty popular with the ladies.

They even gave him a nickname,

"Sexy Du."

Yes, he's pretty sexy.

But to me,

he's just a pure-hearted big guy.

What about Mr. Lu?

Mr. Lu?

Mr. Lu...

He's the artsy, charming guy

who you feel you can always rely on.

But once a man has kids,

goes through a divorce, and doesn't get custody,

that creates a deep attachment.

He's not the type you should get too close to.

I get the feeling they both really like you.

Do they?

As long as they don't say anything...

Really?

How much is this?

I don't know anything.

Looks like you've moved on from what happened before.

Laila and Nora might be willing

to waste time on love,

but I'm not,

even if I'd like to.

And with so many intriguing people around,

who has time for heartbreak, right?

You guys are here.

I thought you weren't interested in murder mystery games.

I thought it was an open mic with you performing.

We'll be reading a script called The Smile Seeker.

I wrote it myself.

It's about two young women who received corneal transplants

and were raised with a lot of care.

But over time, they grew tired of life, lost their smiles,

and wanted to disappear from the society.

Before we start, could someone introduce this handsome guy here?

I'm Xu Guan Rui, Gu Yi's colleague.

I'm a columnist at Nextmonday.

- So, Xu Guan Rui? - Yes.

How old are you? Are you single? What's your relationship with Ms. Gu?

Mr. Du, please have some decorum.

- He's technically my boss. - I'm your boss too.

- You are just... - I'm single.

Gu Yi and I are comrades.

We have a revolutionary friendship.

I can vouch for that.

Xu Guan Rui's here to help me out.

And I dragged Gu Yi here from the blind dating market.

Why are you going on blind dates?

Jacqueline is forcing me.

She wants my articles on love to be grounded in real experience,

so she scheduled me for seven research outings, all blind dates.

When I was in the market today,

a crowd of elderly folks surrounded me.

I didn't know what to do.

One of them even asked about my monthly salary.

I said, "50,000."

An old man next to me just stared and asked,

"50,000? How do you make that much?"

I told him, "I lay in the middle of the road and let cars run over me.

I got a ton in compensation."

You should write that one down for later.

Gu Yi,

the guy you're secretly crushing on is jealous,

and here you are cracking jokes in front of him!

A punchline.

All right now. Let's get started.

- Mr. Lu, assign the roles. - Okay.

Gu, you play one of the girls.

You'll be her online boyfriend

who dumps her as soon as he sees her face.

And you, another girl.

Yu, you're playing her unreliable bar boyfriend.

You both have a lot of lines.

We'll be the last pair,

her final partner, okay?

No way.

Isn't that bad luck?

Why do I have to play the unreliable one?

I'm not doing it. I want to swap roles.

I'm not swapping.

I'll swap with you.

I haven't read it anyway.

Thanks, Mr. Xu.

Ms. Gu,

want to consider switching scripts?

If our separation is inevitable,

this can be my desensitization practice.

Shall we get started?

Let's go.

- Are you there? - Yes.

I've been waiting for you. Why didn't you come?

Something came up.

I don't believe that.

Did I do something wrong?

Ever since I sent you my photo,

you've been distant.

I came all the way out to see you,

but you never showed up.

I don't think we're right for each other.

Let's not contact each other anymore.

Why?

Because you're too ordinary.

I don't feel anything for you.

Stop, stop.

A girl who's been using online dating

to cope with loneliness

gets dumped just because of her looks?

Lu, this is way too lowbrow and vulgar.

Just listen to them read on,

there's a twist later.

Twist my foot! Why did you write such a horrible script?

- Horrible? - Even if Gu Yi is a little stupid,

you shouldn't make her read this!

That's right.

With Liang acting it out, it's way too fitting.

It makes him look even worse.

We need to switch people.

Liang Dai Wen,

if one day

you recover your full awareness and feelings,

and you see the ordinary me,

would you

reject me so directly like this?

- I love you. - Stop, stop.

Um...

That line's a little too much, isn't it?

Why do you keep interrupting?

What's wrong with "I love you"?

I mean...

How about this, Guan Xing Xin,

you and Gu Yi switch scripts.

Change up your mood. Read with me.

I'm fine with it.

What about you, Liang?

I love you.

Can you think of something more serious for once?

I can't.

All I think about is loving you,

missing you.

I'm afraid of losing you

You're being dramatic.

I'm just a random woman who happened to walk into the bar.

We've just met.

But the first time I saw you,

I felt something strange,

like I wanted to drink strong liquor for you.

- What are you doing? - You think you were picking up a cat?

Are you okay?

Yes.

That's some serious grip you've got there.

Liang, you're supposed to play the heartless online boyfriend.

Now that Gu Yi is playing a new role,

why did you step in to protect her?

That's right.

Xu Guan Rui was playing his role pretty well.

And you yanked Gu Yi around like she was a clay figure.

Don't hiss me.

All right. You guys have read enough.

If we don't take this seriously,

Mr Lu is going to regret asking us to read the script.

Lu,

let's be honest, this millennial love story isn't really your thing.

Come on, come back to writing sketches, okay?

Writing scripts is my profession, okay?

I met my ex-wife in a playwriting class.

If I hadn't gotten divorced, I'd still be writing.

I've always wanted to write a script about young people.

After hearing Guan Xing Xin's story, I took some inspiration from it

and mixed it with my own ideas, blending reality and fiction.

Honestly, after I finished writing it,

I felt kind of embarrassed.

But after watching Xu Guan Rui's performance,

I thought it turned out pretty well.

No, actually, it was just right.

Love, after all, should be

reckless and inexplicable, right?

The only thing holding me back is my current reality.

But my script can still be naive.

Actually,

I was thinking of closing the theater before.

Because the rent every year

is extravagant for someone like me

who's in debt.

But just now, I figured it out,

money,

well, it can always be earned again.

As long as you guys would still come here,

I think it's all worth it.

People often tell me

that things start to go downhill when you reach middle age.

I didn't get it, and I didn't want to.

But now I'm starting to get it.

The so-called downhill

is when the energy in your body is slowly drained,

and that drive is taken away.

Everything you have

starts to fade away.

Take me for example.

I have no money,

I'm in debt,

I got no home,

and I'm always being looked down upon,

spending my days running this theater and dealing with young people.

But I think it's fine.

As long as I can hang out with you guys, my wild friends,

I'm content.

Lu,

listen,

Gu Yi and I

will make a vow right here.

From now on, we'll tell jokes till we're dead,

we'll do our best to stop Ounce from losing money, okay?

That's your vow, not mine, don't drag me into it.

You're running away now?

All right.

Let's call it a day.

I can tell no one can focus anymore.

Dismissed.

- Hand me back the scripts. - The script is actually pretty decent.

Told you.

Xu Guan Rui, I'd like to talk to you.

Yu Du Le.

Will you give me a ride home?

Sure.

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