It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Usually.

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Previously on Boss & Me/Shan Shan Lai Le… ep 17 recap

Anna’s Recap

Is it Opposite Day in Shan Shan’s world/Shanghai? Why are Li Shu (and Zhou Xiao Wei, for that matter) being so nice to Shan Shan? Makes absolutely no sense. My drama spidey senses tell me that that Li Shu is up to no good. Too bad Shan Shan has been fooled by all her fake smiles and terrible fashion advice.

During their daily dinner together, Shan Shan tells Feng Teng that he doesn’t need to hire a chef anymore. Instead, she will cook for him! Feng Teng asks the same thing that all of us probably wondered: can Shan Shan cook? We’ve only seen her eat, but not cook. She admits that her cooking skills probably aren’t up to par with his fancy chef’s. He laughs and tells her to not worry about it. He just wants her to stay by his side and relax, just like how everything is now. Ideal boyfriend, amirite?

Even though Feng Teng had told her to not worry about cooking or doing anything out of the ordinary for him, Shan Shan still feels bad that they don’t really share any hobbies besides eating and chatting. So, she goes to Feng Yue to ask what Feng Teng normally likes to do. She thinks for awhile, but can’t come up with anything that Feng Teng particularly likes to do. The only thing that Feng Yue can think of is that Feng Teng likes to poke fun of people. Shan Shan thinks to herself if being his girlfriend means that she has to willingly allow Feng Teng to poke fun of her.

Li Shu shows up at the bookstore while Feng Yue and Shan Shan are discussing Feng Teng, and immediately barges in on the convo…of course. She and Feng Yue start talking about going shopping, and she reluctantly invites Shan Shan to go with them. Never one to give up an opportunity to hate on Shan Shan, Li Shu makes fun of Shan Shan and tells her that it’s so boring to see her wear the same clothes over and over again. Then, she and Feng Yue both team up to throw mad shade at Shan Shan, and says that she needs to dress herself up to make Feng Teng proud to have her as his girlfriend. Shan Shan takes their advice to heart, and decides that she needs to give herself a makeover. No girl, you’re perfect the way you are!

Shan Shan goes shopping with Li Shu and Feng Yue, and those two are pretty much buying up the entire store. Why is Shan Shan carrying their bags for them?! They throw tons of stuff at Shan Shan to try on, but when she sees the outrageous prices, she can’t give them back to the sales assistant fast enough.

Over the next few days, Shan Shan gets more and more down on herself for not being on the same level as the Fengs and Li Shu. At an art gallery, Li Shu and Feng Teng are rambling on about the painting in their fancy lingo, while Shan Shan’s eyes are glazing over from boredom. Can you blame her? When they’re playing basketball, Shan Shan is the only one that sucks at it. Feng Teng is also able to discuss business deals in English with ease, while Shan Shan is listening on the side with no idea what’s happening. But when Feng Teng smiles at her while she’s picking out foods from his lunch, she immediately feels better because she knows that no one can do this better than her. Truth.

Feng Teng gives Shan Shan a credit card to use when she goes out with Li Shu and Feng Yue. Shan Shan, of course, refuses to take it and says that doesn’t want to use his money. Feng Teng reasons with her that he knows how much his sister and Li Shu spend when they go shopping, and he doesn’t want her to have to use her money to try and keep up with them. When Shan Shan is still hesitant to take the card, he tells her to use it to treat them to food and to consider their meals on him.

Shan Shan wonders to herself later if Feng Teng is trying to “buy her off” with the credit card because he’s going to be busy, and won’t be able to spend as much time with her. Or if he thinks that she’s a golddigger who’s only after his money. Finally, she figures that he just doesn’t want her to be embarrassed when hanging out with Li Shu and Feng Yue, and wants to help her maintain some dignity.

So much for that dignity though because the next time she’s out with Feng Yue and Li Shu, Feng Yue asks her she didn’t use the card that Feng Teng gave her to go shopping. Hearing this, Li Shu immediately looks surprised, angry, and jealous at the same time. She has such a bad poker face. She puts on her typical fake smile, and a little excitedly suggests that Shan Shan use the card to go on a shopping spree. She doesn’t stop encouraging her to use it even though Shan Shan very clearly tells them that she doesn’t want to use his money, and that she will only use it to treat them to food.

When Li Shu drops Shan Shan off at her house, she pulls a 180 and apologizes to her for encouraging her to use Feng Teng’s credit card. What the what? She tells Shan Shan that she’s actually really proud of her for having such strong principles about it, and that she likes that she is maintaining her independence from Feng Teng. Then, she tells her to keep working hard at her relationship with Feng Teng and at work. And if Shan Shan ever needs help with anything, she can always come to her. What…the…hell.

Shan Shan tells Liu Liu and Shuang Yi about what Li Shu said to her earlier, and both of them immediately conclude that she has ulterior motives for being so nice to her. YES. Of course she does!

At work, all the coworkers are stressing out about an upcoming shareholder’s meeting and dinner party that they have to go to. Shan Shan asks Feng Teng that night what the dinner party is going to be like. She wants to be prepared if one of the shareholders asks her work-related questions. Feng Teng tells her that she probably won’t be grilled on work stuff, but everyone there will probably be more curious about her being his girlfriend.

During lunch, Shan Shan’s coworkers are talking about all the stuff that they’re buying/going to buy. Shan Shan asks them how it is that they’re spending mad money on unnecessary things. Her coworker retorts that they don’t have a limitless(?) credit card like her. Shan Shan can’t believe that people at work know about that, and figures that it must be Zhou Xiao Wei that heard from Feng Teng’s secretary and told everyone. Zhou Xiao Wei again?! Seriously, what is her deal?

Shan Shan goes to Liu Liu and Shuang Yi for advice on what to do with all this renewed gossip about her at work. She doesn’t know what she should do about this credit card. Liu Liu tells her to just give it back to Feng Teng if it’s giving her so much problems. Shuang Yi disagrees and says that the credit card represents Feng Teng’s status, and that it’d be insulting if she gave it back to him. But Shuang Yi says that if Shan Shan really can’t handle all the gossip at work, then she should just quit her job.

Apparently Shan Shan really believed Li Shu when she gave her that fake as hell apology the other day, and actually goes to her to get her opinion on whether or not she should quit her job at Windgroup. Li Shu surprisingly tells her to stay put. But then she not-so-casually mentions how she’s noticed that Shan Shan and Feng Teng haven’t been talking as much lately, and that the card might be his way of appeasing her. She advises Shan Shan to put in an extra effort for the shareholders’ meeting, and that she needs to perform well.

Shan Shan, trusting Li Shu’s advice, cakes her face with makeup for the shareholders’ meeting, and ends up wearing clubbing clothes for it. When all the employees are lined up to greet Feng Teng and the shareholders, Shan Shan sticks out like a sore thumb with her inappropriate clothing and obnoxious makeup. As Feng Teng and the shareholders walk by, all of them are shocked to see Shan Shan looking like that. Feng Teng can’t help but stifle a chuckle though when he sees her. Zhou Xiao Wei is annoyed that Shan Shan showed up at work like that, and embarrassed the entire department. She orders her to go home to take off her makeup and to change into some normal clothes. Zhou Xiao Wei is nice to Shan Shan…what is going on?!

At the dinner party, Shan Shan arrives to find herself now severely underdressed. While everyone is in black tie attire, she’s wearing her usual plain clothes. Li Shu pulls her to the side to ask why she’s not wearing any makeup or the outfit that she had picked out for her? Shan Shan tells her that she’s more comfortable just being herself, and that it’s no use to try to fix her up for these events. She’s more interested in the food and drinks at the party. Li Shu then lectures Shan Shan to mind her drinking and eating habits in public. Psh, whatever.

Next to them, Shan Shan’s coworker friend is defending Shan Shan against some rude gossipers that are making fun of Shan Shan’s outfit and saying that she’s not worthy to date Feng Teng. The coworker tells them that Feng Teng likes Shan Shan for that exact reason…because she’s so ordinary. Jeez, thanks. The gossiping losers mention that Li Shu, Feng Teng’s supposed “secret lover,” is such a better match for Feng Teng than Shan Shan. Hearing this, Li Shu drags Shan Shan away to the other side of the room.

Li Shu tells Shan Shan to never mind those nobodies over there, and reassures her that Feng Teng must like her because he sees something special in her that other girls don’t have. When Shan Shan asks her what it could be, Li Shu is left grasping for straws and without a real answer. Feng Teng swoops in to take Shan Shan away with him to introduce her to some people. For some reason, Li Shu follows them. She’s like a fly that you can’t swat away.

Feng Teng introduces Shan Shan as his “friend” to a bunch of the shareholders. Because Li Shu is also standing there with them, the shareholders ask Feng Teng about the gossip they’ve been reading in the news that he’s dating Li Shu. So, they wanna know who exactly is his girlfriend. Shan Shan or Li Shu? Before Shan Shan or Feng Teng can respond, Li Shu jumps in and says that Shan Shan is his girlfriend because she’s dating…Zheng Qi. She walks over to him and holds his arm, and Zheng Qi is like, “oh yeah, she’s totally my girlfriend.”

After the party, Zheng Qi asks Li Shu what the hell was that all about. She tells him that she doesn’t think that Shan Shan and Feng Teng will last longer than three months, so she’s just waiting for their relationship to fizzle out. SO EVIL. Didn’t Feng Teng straight-up reject her on Valentine’s Day already?! She wanted to see what Feng Teng’s reaction would be when hearing that she has a boyfriend. He’s probably relieved that he doesn’t have to deal with you anymore! Li Shu halfheartedly apologizes to Zheng Qi, who she’s clearly using to her advantage, and says that she wants to keep up the act around Feng Teng.

Shan Shan wakes up at Feng Teng’s house the next day because she got too drunk from the party. Nothing else happened though, people! Feng Teng tells her that if she didn’t know what to wear for the dinner party, she should have come to him. And when someone asks if she is his girlfriend, she needs to loudly say yes.

Shan Shan. You need to go scream, “YES.” in Li Shu’s face…right now.

What Else is for Lunch:

Liu Liu and her boyfriend are back together. Okay, next.

Shan Shan invites Liu Liu, Shuang Yi, and their boyfriends over to her place to have dinner with her and Feng Teng soon. This is going to be one awkward dinner; I just know it.