Download The Early Spring Episode 8

The Early Spring Episode 8 begins with Luan Nian still emotionally affected by seeing Shang Zhitao leave with Sun Yuanzhu. Tan Mian notices immediately that his normally controlled friend has become unusually agitated. Luan Nian refuses to admit that jealousy is affecting him and insists that if Shang Zhitao can maintain a professional distance, he can do the same. Tan Mian is unconvinced and teases him about losing control over his emotions. At home, Sun Yu asks Shang Zhitao whether Luan Nian was the person who drove her home the previous night. Sun Yuanzhu quickly tries to explain that it is perfectly normal for a senior executive to help an employee with transportation. Shang Zhitao attempts to keep the situation casual, comparing herself to a beginner trying to survive against a fully powered professional. Her roommates, however, can clearly see that her relationship with Luan Nian is becoming more complicated. At Lingmei, Liang Xin tells Luan Nian that Mr. Lin has been transferred to the company's United States headquarters. Luan Nian had already anticipated the move and understands that Mr. Lin had been particularly eager to recover the Yueteng account before leaving because it would strengthen his report to headquarters. Liang Xin also informs him that his appointment as interim general manager is likely to become official soon. Luan Nian remains calm and refuses to celebrate until he receives an official announcement. Liang Xin also warns Luan Nian that his supplier-evaluation system is beginning to affect established interests within the company. His efforts to introduce stricter supplier grading and reduce unnecessary costs have already generated complaints from people whose profits depend on the existing system. Luan Nian understands exactly what is happening but refuses to back down. He argues that if people are complaining about the reforms, it is proof that the reforms are actually reducing waste and protecting the company from unnecessary expenses. At that moment, Shang Zhitao sends Luan Nian the completed supplier database. He opens the file and is immediately impressed by the quality of her work. Instead of criticizing her, he smiles and praises Liang Xin for hiring an employee who can turn something that seemed impossible into reality. The supplier database becomes one of the strongest elements of the Yueteng Auto proposal. During the Yueteng presentation, the client representatives carefully examine the proposal. Wan Jun, representing Yueteng, praises the concise structure, innovative ideas and comprehensive supplier database. He is particularly impressed that Lingmei managed to build such a detailed database in such a short period. He also praises Luan Nian's reputation for efficiency and his ability to turn complicated problems into practical solutions. Rather than accepting all the credit himself, Luan Nian publicly acknowledges Shang Zhitao's contribution. He explains that she was responsible for building and organizing the supplier database and that the project's success would not have been possible without her work. Yueteng is impressed by her analytical ability and decides to move forward with preparations for the annual framework contract. After the successful presentation, Liang Xin praises Shang Zhitao for her analytical skills and ability to handle difficult research. Luan Nian jokes that employees who produce such valuable work should receive something more tangible than simple praise. Lumi immediately takes the opportunity to recommend Shang Zhitao for promotion to Senior Account Executive. Liang Xin asks Shang Zhitao whether she wants Luan Nian or Alex to serve as her official recommender, but she politely leaves the decision to the senior managers. The celebration is suddenly interrupted when Liang Xin receives an urgent email. A defamatory message about Luan Nian's private life has been circulated throughout the company. The anonymous email accuses him of abusing and mistreating his former girlfriend Zhang Xin and includes photographs supposedly showing evidence of the relationship. The message has already reached more than thirty percent of the company, including senior executives. Luan Nian remains surprisingly calm when he sees the accusations. He immediately recognizes that the photographs have been manipulated and refuses to become emotionally defensive. Instead, he tells Liang Xin to involve internal audit, the legal department and headquarters' investigation team. He wants the sender identified through a formal investigation and intends to protect his reputation through legitimate legal channels rather than responding emotionally. Elsewhere, Alex confronts Du Anni about the scandal. He suspects that she may have played a role in distributing the anonymous email. He warns her that if headquarters investigates the matter, the trail could eventually lead back to him and seriously damage his chances of succeeding Mr. Lin. Du Anni promises that if the situation becomes dangerous, she will make sure Alex is protected from the fallout. Shang Zhitao learns about the scandal when Li Tianran shows her the defamatory email. She immediately goes to Lumi for advice. Lumi explains that Zhang Xin had previously harassed her and other female employees with calls from overseas numbers, so the allegations are particularly disturbing. Shang Zhitao knows that the accusations cannot be true because she was with Luan Nian on the night the photographs supposedly prove he was involved with Zhang Xin. Shang Zhitao and Lumi decide that they should testify on Luan Nian's behalf. However, Liang Xin stops them before they can become directly involved. She explains that Luan Nian specifically instructed the company not to drag other employees into his personal dispute. He wants the investigation to focus on evidence rather than forcing colleagues to defend him publicly. Headquarters begins interviewing employees about Luan Nian's character and conduct. Although many employees describe him as cold, demanding and intimidating, they consistently acknowledge that he is extremely capable, fair and professional. Several employees even joke that his biggest problem is not mistreating women but being too attractive and popular with them. During his own interview, Luan Nian presents evidence that immediately begins undermining the accusation against him. He explains that the anonymous email used manually entered BCC addresses rather than a simple mass distribution. This means the sender deliberately selected specific employees and possessed detailed knowledge of Lingmei's internal organizational structure. Luan Nian then examines the recipient list more closely. Eleven of the employees who received the email had joined the company within the previous year. Because Luan Nian and Zhang Xin had already ended their relationship long before those employees joined Lingmei, Zhang Xin could not realistically have known all of their identities and internal contact information. The evidence strongly suggests that someone inside the company created and distributed the email. While the investigation continues, Luan Nian spends the evening drinking with Tan Mian and Song Qiuhan. Song Qiuhan complains that his father has stopped him from opening his newly renovated bar. Rather than simply listening to the complaint, Luan Nian offers to pay for the equipment and renovation costs if Song Qiuhan finds another location. Song Qiuhan is delighted and jokingly calls Luan Nian his father for agreeing to finance the new bar. The conversation eventually returns to the scandal. Luan Nian asks Tan Mian to revisit the restaurant where his confrontation with Zhang Xin occurred. Tan Mian explains that the power outage that night was suspicious because the electrical lines appear to have been deliberately cut. Since the restaurant's security cameras stopped working at exactly the relevant time, someone may have planned the incident in advance. Luan Nian studies the photographs used in the defamatory email and compares their angle with the layout of the restaurant. He realizes that the person who took the photographs must have been positioned near a specific area outside the restaurant. Although the security cameras were disabled, a delivery truck happened to be parked nearby that night. Its dashcam had continued recording throughout the incident. The dashcam footage captures the crucial events and provides evidence that can prove the photographs were deliberately manipulated to create a false impression. Luan Nian finally has the evidence necessary to clear his name, but before the investigation is completed, headquarters officially suspends him from all duties. Zhang Ling is temporarily appointed to take over his responsibilities. Shang Zhitao is deeply worried when she hears that Luan Nian has been suspended. During her own interview with the investigators, she refuses to repeat the negative descriptions of him that many employees use casually. Instead, she explains that although Luan Nian can appear cold and difficult, he has repeatedly protected his colleagues, treated women professionally and helped employees when they were in difficult situations. Unable to remain worried from a distance, Shang Zhitao rushes to Luan Nian's home. She repeatedly rings the doorbell until he finally opens the door. Luan Nian had been shaving when he heard the noise and accidentally cuts his chin while rushing to answer. Shang Zhitao immediately notices the injury and tries to put a bandage on it. Her hands are trembling so badly that she struggles to place the bandage properly. Luan Nian gently takes her hand and steadies it, telling her to calm down. The moment becomes unexpectedly intimate, and Shang Zhitao's concern for him becomes impossible to hide. Shang Zhitao offers to testify for him again and tells him that she knows he did not do what the email claims. Luan Nian reassures her that the truth will eventually come out and that people who genuinely know him can tell that the photographs are fake. He does not want her reputation or career to be damaged because of his private problems. Instead of remaining inside, Luan Nian takes Shang Zhitao to a scenic hill overlooking the city. The quiet location gives them a chance to escape the pressure surrounding the scandal. Luan Nian reveals that he has always dreamed of opening a private hilltop bar where people could sit under the stars and escape from the noise of the city. Shang Zhitao looks around and agrees that the location is perfect. She immediately begins imagining how the place could be renovated and transformed into a beautiful private bar. Her enthusiasm makes Luan Nian smile, and for a moment the scandal and workplace politics disappear. Shang Zhitao then encourages Luan Nian not to give up on Lingmei. She tells him that although his teaching style is extremely harsh, she has learned something valuable from almost everything he has told her. She says that his criticism has helped her become more capable and confident. Her words reassure Luan Nian that his efforts to guide her have not been wasted. The temperature drops as the evening becomes colder. Shang Zhitao begins shivering, and Luan Nian pulls her close inside his coat to keep her warm. The emotional tension between them finally becomes impossible to ignore. Luan Nian kisses her. Shang Zhitao is initially moved by the kiss but then pulls away. She worries that the moment may simply be the result of temporary emotions created by the scandal and the quiet atmosphere. She does not want either of them to make a decision based on fear, loneliness or pressure. She asks Luan Nian to take her home because she still has work to do the next day. Meanwhile, Luan Nian meets Mr. Lin and presents the dashcam footage and image-verification evidence proving that the scandal was deliberately fabricated. Mr. Lin asks whether the evidence should be handed directly to headquarters' investigation team. Luan Nian explains that doing so could expose the internal sabotage behind the scandal and make the entire company look as though it is fighting among itself. If headquarters discovers that the scandal was created through internal conflict, Lime could face penalties, industry ridicule and the loss of major clients. Luan Nian therefore chooses a more careful strategy. He wants the company to clear his name without publicly exposing the internal power struggle that produced the attack. Mr. Lin understands his reasoning and agrees to support him. He promises that once the crisis is resolved, the interim general manager position will belong to Luan Nian. Soon afterward, Lime issues an official announcement declaring that the allegations about Luan Nian's private life are completely false. The company announces legal action against Zhang Xin and formally clears Luan Nian of the accusations. He returns to work and is officially appointed Interim General Manager. Upon his return, Luan Nian immediately approves Shang Zhitao's promotion to Senior Account Executive. Liang Xin also reminds him that Mr. Lin's former office is now available. Luan Nian chooses not to move into it, preferring to remain on his existing floor where he can continue attending meetings and working with his team more conveniently. During a budget meeting, Zhang Ling and Du Anni present a proposal for a large annual industry-seminar budget. Luan Nian rejects the proposal as wasteful. He argues that spending millions simply to maintain client relationships is not justified without measurable business results. He orders them to restructure the proposal around clear metrics and reduce unnecessary spending. The decision leaves Du Anni frustrated, but Zhang Ling warns her to maintain a professional attitude. Afterward, Alex announces a friendly basketball game with the Yueteng team. Shang Zhitao volunteers to organize and manage the event because she sees it as another opportunity to gain experience handling clients and project operations. Lumi later celebrates Luan Nian's return with Shang Zhitao. Shang Zhitao explains that she wants to participate more actively in project evaluations because she hopes to eventually become an independent project manager. Lumi laughs at her relentless ambition and admits that she personally prefers having Luan Nian handle the difficult work. She then warns Shang Zhitao not to fall in love with a man as intense and temperamental as Luan Nian. Episode 8 becomes a major turning point for both characters. Shang Zhitao's professional abilities are finally recognized when her supplier database helps secure the Yueteng contract and earns her a promotion. At the same time, Luan Nian's private life becomes the target of a carefully planned internal attack, forcing him to defend himself while protecting the company's reputation. His eventual exoneration and promotion strengthen his position at Lime, but his emotional encounter with Shang Zhitao on the hill reveals that their relationship is becoming much deeper than either of them is willing to admit.