Oh….This drama is hitting all my right buttons. It’s shaping out to be a heart-tugging drama. The characters are likable with palpable chemistry. Our mother hen makes a big, twisted decision this episode, and it’s 50 shades of grey. Can you forgive her? You guys need to watch this drama and spazz with me. Ignore the krappy recap because my heart is about to burst with joy. KEKE!!

Episode 3:

Our lovely ladies are at the hospital having their blood drawn and who shall be there to personally examine the procedure but Chairlady Bai. Ping An flinches because of the needle and she smiles. Gotta say, this is probably the first time she finds Ping An anything close to cute. I was under the impression she likes Xi Yue more.

After the girls exit down the hall, Chairlady receives a phone call from her former driver, Lao Liu, the man who unmistakably conspired with the enemy to plan her abduction in episode one. His intention is to milk more money from her, promising to reveal one name behind the group after her head for 10 million bucks. She stands on the rooftop, seriously considering the offer.

Ye Chen joins her moments later, here for his reward. She’ll have the money sent to his account today but she has another mission to entrust him with: Be her bodyguard. She’s afraid Lao Liu might set up a trap for her so she needs someone who’s always cautious and trustworthy.

In yet another one of her daydreams, Ping An becomes the manager of the food court and has the power to order around her annoying previous manager. Now that she sees the benefits of being Chairlady’s daughter, she figures it isn’t so bad. ha. This girl is so practical, I love her!

Zi Wen comes down just in time to see their quarrel and he watches as Ping An trash-talks the manager behind her back. Before he comes over, his fan girls swamp up around him, piling their gifts on his arm. This reminds Ping An that today his Assistant Li’s birthday and she’s frozen in place, nervous. He glances in her direction and winks handsomely at her. EEEE! That was cute.

She retrieves her expensive tie pin and happily skips to the packing department to have it wrapped, but the queue is already long. Disappointed in her shabby-looking gift, she puts on her thinking cap in the ladies’ room. heh. Looking around the place, she notices a roll of almost-gone toilet paper. Being resourceful and creative, she uses the brown part to wrap the gift, completing the neat look with a bow. It’s adorable!

Excited about the gift, Ping An thinks today’s the perfect day for a confession. Even if she gets rejected, she can save her pride by saying it’s a present for his birthday. She enters the lounge and overhears Zi Wen’s elated tone, thanking another person for their gift, “This is the most sincere gift I have received all day.” She fumes about the addition of another rival (like it makes a difference in the line?) until the giver’s sweet voice reaches her ears. She recognizes it as Xi Yue and stands there, speechless.

When Xi Yue takes her leave, she’s startled to find Ping An standing in the hallway. Dumbfounded, Ping An takes a few steps back, bumping into the arriving Ye Chen, and dropping her beautifully wrapped present onto the floor. No one sees it but Ye Chen, and he scans her distressed expression with concern. Since everyone is here, Zi Wen invites all three to have dinner with him.

On the way to the restaurant, the group strolls under the darkened sky, the boys sauntering a few steps ahead. Xi Yue breathes out a sigh of relief and apologizes to Ping An for giving the gift to Zi Wen before telling her. She just wants to make sure the scarf is accepted. And here I’m thinking why are they making a big deal out of gift-giving? It’s not a game of dating the gift-giver.

Ping An downplays her hurt, noting that she wouldn’t be this surprised if she had known before hand of Xi Yue’s crush on Assistant Li. Unsure of Zi Wen’s feeling, Xi Yue confesses that she’s sometimes jealous of his overprotective nature of Ping An.

Hoping to erase that thought from Xi Yue, Ping An explains it’s because she often causes trouble so a nice person like Assistant Li natural lends a hand. But Xi Yue does not need an explanation from Ping An, she’s simply content to watch him from afar.

Once they’re in front of the place, Ping An suddenly raises an idea – since it’s a birthday celebration, a cake can’t be missing. Zi Wen figures he doesn’t need one but she insists on blowing the candles and he pinches her nose like a child. Ye Chen volunteers to go with her.

Inside the restaurant, it’s a wee bit awkward as Zi Wen keeps checking his watch. They have been gone for a while, he moves to phone them but Xi Yue tells him not to worry, Ping An won’t miss a feast like today. He chuckles and she questions, “Assistant Li seems especially nice to Ping An. You seem different when you talk to her.” He reveals that she feels like someone he knew, a woman he loved deeply. His honest answer catches her off guard and Xi Yue looks dejected.

Trudging in small, heavy steps is Ping An, with Ye Chen pacing right behind her. She shouts, “Big Pervert! Why are you following me?” He returns the tie pin she dropped. Her face saddens, “I thought I lost it.” He shakes his head, “What you lost is your mind. You’ve been panicking the whole night.”

Ping An: “I haven’t!”
Ye Chen: “Still stubborn huh? Just for one moment, why can’t you admit your feelings? Will it kill you?”
Ping An: “It won’t kill me! But I’m dying of hunger.”
Me: 😀

Back at the fancy restaurant, Xi Yue wonders who’s the woman Zi Wen loved so much, “Is she your girlfriend?” He laughs, “If I had one, I wouldn’t be celebrating with you all here. Ping An reminds me of my sister. The feeling is similar.” Now this reply relieves Xi Yue’s knot.

Ye Chen decides it’s time to stop sulking and start partying! He brings her to dine at a local vendor (how fitting are the setting with the couples?) Ordering a lot of food and drinks, Ping An worries, “I didn’t bring any money. You said you’ll treat…” He gives her a nod and a knowing smile. I kinda die… =D

They send a text to Xi Yue, informing her to start eating and don’t wait for them. They do and Zi Wen wonders why Chairlady allows Ping An back to work so easily. She runs by her iron fist. Deep in thought, Xi Yue contemplates whether or not she can tell Zi Wen the truth, reasoning that he’s good friend with Ye Chen, so maybe the latter has told him about it. We don’t get to hear the rest of the conversation.

Because….

Someone is drunk! Heehee! The classic piggyback ride scene. In her drunken state, Ping An raises her voice, “You were right. All guys would pick Xi Yue! Only a blind dog would pick me!” Ye Chen’s like, “When did I ever say that?” But you can’t reason with a drunk person and Ye Chen figures that part out quickly, letting Ping An smack his face while she belittles her charms in men eyes. I love his cheeky smile! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SO CUTE!

The funniest part is this: She hops off his back and runs to the robotic policeman, reporting that Ye Chen is drunk-driving. He’s rendered speechless and stands there chuckling at her having a conversation with a robot about him. A few minutes pass by and he rushes her along, she says bye-bye and walks straight into his ♥ heart ♥. Literally and figuratively. EEEEEEEEE!!

So to finish what he began, Ye Chen piggybacked her all the way home. A thought strikes him suddenly, if she speaks nonsense, Xi Yue might hear her one-sided love for Zi Wen. Thinking it through, Ye Chen shuts off his phone and takes the intoxicated girl back to his apartment. Aw. He not only cares about her but her friend too. This guy’s a keeper!

Food is eaten, dinner is over. Zi Wen walks Xi Yue home. She’s worried about Ping An but Zi Wen assures her that despite Ye Chen’s messy appearance, he’s an upright gentleman. Shaking her head, Xi Yue reveals to Zi Wen that between her and Ping An, one is the chairlady’s daughter. *drumrolls*

Ye Chen places Ping An on the sofa, and she continues to downgrade everything about her looks, charms, and intelligence in comparison to Xi Yue. Okay. Let’s not wallow in self-pity for prolonged period! He offers her water, she pushes it away and starts unbuttoning her shirt. Now wearing just a blank tank top, she approaches his treadmill to…pee. Quickly, he urges her into the bathroom.

And here I’m like, why are the walls in this bathroom made of glass?

Ye Chen pauses for a moment before his eyes go wide and he turns around, unaware that he’s being inappropriate! hahaha! With his back to her, he asks, “Hey, let me warn you, don’t sleep in there!” She’s not answering so he swivels around, confronting her in her cartoon underpants. Ping An lazes up to him, throws her pants over his shoulder, and walks into the living where she falls asleep after watering his plant.

Don’t know how many times already but he lays her into his bed and offers her a glass of milk, in which he calls it whiskey to trick her into drinking it. In her daze, she talks about not wanting Chairlady to be her mother and missing her dad. Attaching the tie pin to her top, Ye Chen grins, before he catches sight of her bow-shaped pin and jerks back reflexively. Ha! I thought you guys forgot about his fear of bows.

Next morning, the sun shines through the window and Ping An slowly sits up from the bed. Gradually, she takes in the setting and realizes it’s not her home. She screams, demanding to know Ye Chen’s motives, and he replies, “Your body is unappealing, your mouth is big, you speak non-stop, you’re a tomboy. I’m the one who’s got more to lose!” Exasperated with his nonchalant attitude, she spanks him with a pillow, prompting him to pull her down, “If you keep fussing like this, everyone in the building might think we did…something.” He arches his brows impishly.

She pushes against his chest and gets up.

Ping An: “If I was drunk, you should’ve called Xi Yue!”
Ye Chen: “Then Xi Yue would’ve learned this…I like Assistant Li!” *starts shaking his shoulders like a girl*
Ping An: “Ah! WAH! I didn’t!!”

WAHAHHAHA!

Can they just be housemate…like forever?

Seeing his logic, she sits down beside him. And he teases her, “You said a lot. When I see Assistant Li, I’ll remember all of T.H.E.M.” Scrunching her face in anger, she calls him hateful and jokingly threatens to kill him. The conversation then boils down to her bow and she jerks against him, causing them to fall back. She yells, “Where’s my bow! Give it back!” And he’s enjoying (she sooo smiles!) the body contact, his hand caressing her bare shoulder, beaming, he replies, “You’re so impatient. It’s so early in the morning and you’re all OVER me.” 😛

Ping An sits up and nicely begs him to keep the details of last night’s confession private. Abruptly, Xi Yue knocks on the door and Ping An runs around the apartment, looking for a place to hide. She can’t be seen like this in Ye Chen’s place. Finally, she decides that the bathroom, adjacent to the door, is the safest haven. Did she NOT see it’s glass?

Unfortunately, the moment Xi Yue steps into the house, Ping An’s busted. She fumbles for an explanation and Ye Chen pulls her closer to him, announcing that they’re together, “Baby, weren’t you worried that Xi Yue would misunderstand you and Zi Wen. The best solution is to tell them the truth. Right?” In her head, Ping An agrees.

Relief lights up Xi Yue’s face and she congratulates the two. Ye Chen answers Chairlady’s phone call, and immediately drives her with the suitcase of money to the designated location, picked by Lao Liu. He has his doubts about Lao Liu’s honesty but she figures it’s worth the risks if she can pinpoint the mastermind. Before this, she didn’t care how many enemies she has, but now she wants to secure her daughter’s safety the most. Ye Chen speaks up about the irony, since the first danger her daughter encountered was sent by her. Chairlady confides that being a weak woman in the business world has taught her many painful lessons.

On the road, they encounter several vehicles being towed to the side and Chairlady recognizes Lao Liu’s car. She phones him. No answer. Feeling apprehensive about the situation, she tells Ye Chen to turn back to the clinic. She wants to obtain the DNA results this instance.

At the food court, Ping An finally settles down with Ye Chen’s plan. When she sees Zi Wen in a distance, she dashes away. He gives chase and stumbles into Director Li having a suspicious conversation on the phone with Chairman He regarding Lao Liu. He ends the call verifying that Lao Liu is just another unfortunate soul.

Chairlady reads through the DNA result and she smiles. It has been her guess as well. A phone call confirms that Lao Liu committed suicide. Ye Chen can’t reason why he would do that so Chairlady hopes that he’ll continue to protect her…and her daughter.

OMGOSH. A thought just crossed my mind regarding the other angle to the title, Borrow Your Love. Knowing Chairlady Bai’s personality, she’s capable of lying about her daughter, as a mean to protect the real one. DUN! DUN! DUN!

Determined to talk to Ping An, Zi Wen bumps into her and questions the whereabouts of his cake. She ends up drawing one for him on a notepad. He asks her to sign it to make it official. Then, he wonders why she stood him up last night. Ping An searches the ground for an excuse, “Ah! It’s because Western food requires knife-and-fork etiquette, which I don’t know.” He states that she shares the same fear as Ye Chen.

So he takes her into the lounge where a set of western dishes is served. He’s adamant about teaching her the proper way to dine. He scoots closer and closer and Ping An’s head is about to explode. Luckily, Ye Chen’s voice intervenes. He’s here to take her to Chairlady Bai.

Outside, Ping An picks a fight with him, “Why did you tell Xi Yue we’re dating?” Girl, I thought we were done with this. You agreed. Fed up with her attitude, he pins her against the wall, “I’m giving you a chance to go and confess to Zi Wen. If not, I’m going to kiss you.” He moves in and she puckers her lips reluctantly. He stops. “You allow me to kiss you rather than go confess? Then you don’t like Zi Wen as much as I thought.” She stomps on his foot. This is not about Zi Wen. It’s about the bond she shares with Xi Yue. She would never do anything to hurt her. He wouldn’t understand, she barks. Uh. I think he does.

In Chairlady’s office, we witness the high and mighty Bai Ming Li trembles, struggling to open her medications. Gah. She’s sick. I’m not surprised since she emphasizes, “Time is precious,” before.

The moment of truth is here. Chairlady drags out her line, “My daughter…she is…Xi Yue.” She’s totally lying! Now, have the director been more prudent about the opening video, I’d have my doubts. Not anymore.

Astounded, Xi Yue’s eyes flicker nervously while the despondence on Ping An’s face registers as clear as a glass of water. She catches herself being moody and gathers all the cheeriness her body could muster to congratulate Xi Yue. I guess innately, we all want a mother, however many times we reject the idea. Tears escape Xi Yue’s eye and she asks again and again whether this is a dream, “Could this be a possibility?”

Lordy. This is so heart-breaking to watch. I didn’t know when my eyes become misty. At Xi Yue’s temporary happiness or Ping An’s shattered hope? Or both. Or maybe when Xi Yue suggests that Ping An stays in the mansion with them? Of course, Ping An rejects the idea vehemently, trying to get out of the warmth, which is not hers, as quickly as possible.

On the car ride home, she sniffs back tears, realizing for the first time that she failed in her pretense. She wanted a mother all these years. Not knowing that Ye Chen’s intention is to lighten the mood, Ping An snaps at him for being sadistic, enjoying her suffering. Oh Honey, he’s trying to help you express your jumbled thoughts. And she does. Deep down she’s afraid of having no one to rely on, now that Xi Yue has a mother to depend on.

Ping An breaks down, “Is it wrong to be fearful of loneliness?” She turns away from him, facing the window. Ye Chen raises his hand to wipe her tears, “Cry all you want,” he continues, “You’re not alone.”

For a moment, she looks deep into his eyes, searching for any hint of sarcasm and discovering only a heart of sincerity. A small smile emerges on her face.

Back at the big house, Xi Yue marvels at the decoration in her room, still not believing the fortune she has before her eyes. Chairlady soothes her uneasiness and leaves the room. Xi Yue mindlessly begins singing the song she used to sing with Ping An and this tune grips Chairlady Bai. By herself, Xi Yue feels disappointed that her mother didn’t stay to chat with her. Surely, Chairlady can explain what happened back then?

Self-pitying time is over because Ping An has bigger concerns in her life. Her stomach’s growling and Ye Chen taunts her with his bowl of braised pork on rice. She shouts, “Do you..have enough rice? I have rice over here.” She slumps on the ledge when he doesn’t respond. Seconds later, he returns with a bowl for her.

She bites hungrily with each scoop and he watches her, satisfied. “Having me as a boyfriend ain’t that bad right? At least you have braised pork on rice every night. How about we turn this act real?” She pauses and glares at him, declaring that she does not need a boyfriend for such matters. She does wonder how he learned to cook and we hear Ye Chen’s story: He grew up with his grandma and caught on a few things. She then casually mentions his fear for bows in which he explains that his grandmother got one specifically made for him during primary school. However, he wasn’t used to it and fainted on the spot.

Ping An laughs and requests for a second serving. While he’s away, she’s in awe of the size of the moon and wonders how a braised egg would taste if it were just as big. Ye Chen timely pokes his head out, “A poached egg is more fitting for you!” She bolts to his house and their story begins here.

These two are KILLING ME!! SO MUCH CUTENESS!

Kappy: So the verdict is in. Chairlady Bai lied about the DNA result. Her eyes betrayed her the second they flicked to Ping An and showed regret. You know, I know what she did is wrong and terrible but I can’t bring myself to hate her. It’s because she loses either way. When this fact is revealed down the road, Ping An will hate for using her friend and Xi Yue will feel unwanted and used. And Chairlady? She might not have the time to rekindle their relationship if her health takes a drastic turn.

Amanda Zhu is doing wonders as Ping An. Her feelings, her joy are strikingly palpable and one can’t really loathe her, very much like Zi Wen’s disclosure. She plays it with so much heart, bringing Ping An’s vulnerabilities to the surface effortlessly. I have my eyes on her future projects for sure!

I have to give credits to the writers for wittily naming the title. I like that it doesn’t refer to romance alone, but ultimately describes how selfish a mother’s love can be for her child. They could’ve opted for a typical storyline – sweet girl turns bad, results being switched, one-dimensional second lead, etc, but they chose to give Bai Ming Li the power to decide the trajectory of her story. This makes for a compelling story because the natural conflicts that arrive are both heart-wrenching and understandable.