Introduction
After Cheng Cheng’s first human transformation we found out in Filter: Drama Info and Recap Episodes 1 to 8, there will be more transformation covered in this second part. I feel every human character she turns into, there are great supporting actor and actresses playing behind them, each has his or her unique character, yet, still resembles Cheng Cheng’s character. Therefore, I chose the feature image with the protagonists and the three supporting characters Cheng Cheng turns into: Su Miao, Fang Jin, and Quan Sheng Tang, as a tribute to them. Actress Luo Qiu Yun plays the gorgeous and confident woman with the hilarious and clumsy Cheng Cheng’s character. Actress Pu Tao even has to play a dual role as the real Dr Fang Jin, serious, timid, and brilliant, and the more animated and strong of Cheng Cheng’s character. Actor Wang Hong Yi played the manhua character comes to life: handsome, stylish, and attentive, but awkward and cautious in front of Tang Qi. All characters bring the main couple together but also hinder the main couple from seeing through their other real selves. That being said, here are the recaps from Episodes 9 to 16 of Filter ( 滤镜 ).
Drama Recaps Episodes 9 to 16
Episode 9
Awww, I love the sismance between Cheng Cheng and Lin Yuan! Cheng Cheng’s parents are so loving, her mom massages Lin Yuan’s swollen leg and her dad makes a medicinal soup for her. She stays overnight at Cheng Cheng’s place. Cheng Cheng is reading the book that Tang Qi left on the bench last time when Cheng Cheng was disappointed with the failed job interview. It’s Akira Kurosawa’s autobiography titled “Something Like an Autobiography”. Suddenly a phone rings and they’re shocked when it’s Su Miao’s burner phone. Tang Qi leaves a goodbye message: “Hello. I’m glad to meet you and like you. I will lock all my memories of you deep in my heart and continue my life’s journey. Goodbye.”
Tang Qi comes back to work, still mourning for Su Miao with her hair tie around his wrist. Zhou Jin Li orders everyone to remove all things related to Su Miao so Tang Qi won’t see them. Although off work, Tang Qi still finishes his job for the new product samples to be launched.
Lin Yuan is sketching by the lake when a fish flies over. She meets Gu Yu again with his prospective client. After the fish, a goose scares the client and Lin Yuan but Gu Yu, who volunteers for the Animal Protection Association, smoothly drives the angry goose away. The client is so impressed with Gu Yu that he’s ready to work together with him. Gu Yu thinks Lin Yuan is angry because her art supplies are damaged. It seems every time they meet he gets lucky and she’s unlucky. But from the incident, Lin Yuan gets an inspiration for her new manhua.
Cheng Cheng gets off work late, she helps a coworker who has to get off early because of her sick child. She meets Tang Qi in the elevator. Tang Qi, who can’t drive by the doctor, calls for a designated driver. Cheng Cheng offers to be one since before she got a job at Qian Dou Ji, she worked as a designated driver. It’s just to make extra money now. Tang Qi agrees, and he says she extracted money from students in high school, but in fact she arranged for the students to show off her righteousness by giving them lectures. It was all a misunderstanding. She’s surprised that Tang Qi, as a top student, noticed students like her before. Cheng Cheng’s sister calls and she asks him to get the phone out of her purse. Tang Qi saw the ornaments hanging on her purse that were the same as Su Miao’s. When he was drunk and Cheng Cheng carried him back, he saw the ornaments and thought Su Miao had taken him home. Cheng Cheng reasons the ornaments are common in Taobao and girls share stuff. Tang Qi still can get over with Su Miao!
Qing Li calls Cheng Cheng for help with her friend and client Fang Jin who is in a coma. Before, Fang Jin was in a divorce process with her husband Guan Sheng Yu, who wanted to sell a copyright of their invention and transfer property to his. Qing Li wants Cheng Cheng to be Fang Jin and prevents the husband from selling the copyright before Fang Jin wakes up. Cheng Cheng goes to Xinnan Tech, Sheng Yu’s company, and can’t hold herself to beat up her husband. Tang Qi is crouching under the table after picking up a pen. He comes to discuss the cooperation of Qian Dou Ji with Sheng Yu’s company. Tang Qi saw Fang Jin earlier wiping off Su Miao’s posters that were covered with leaves. Cheng Cheng is shocked to see Tang Qi. She rushes out, but not before advising Tang Qi to cancel the contract.
Episode 10
Tang Qi is the sole witness of the domestic violence, so Qing Li asks Cheng Cheng to keep an eye on him, not to report Fang Jin abusing her husband and not to buy the copyright.
Lin Yuan and Gu Yu’s relationship seems moving on from acquaintances to friends. She invites him to celebrate the acceptance of her manhua by the editor. Since she wants to make a manhua series based on wild animals’ behavior, Lin Yuan asks Gu Yu to take her to the animal sanctuaries. Yay!
Tang Qi comes back and tells Gu Yu and Zhou Jin Li about what he saw at Xinnan Tech. They think the incident is just an internal family issue between husband and wife. Besides, Fang Jin only does research and development, business affairs are handled by her husband. If Qian Dou Ji doesn’t buy it, their competitors will.
Cheng Cheng sees Tang Qi meet Sheng Yu, so she wants to meet him as Fang Jin. While waiting for him in a cafe, she accidentally pulls out the thread of her cheap sweater. Tang Qi arrives and they shake hands. Her sweater thread tangles up with his coat’s button and Tang Qi is entangled in her sweater thread, lol! When Fang Jin is helping him with the thread, he feels his heart beating hard. Still though, as a researcher, he has to remain objective when she asks his favor with her beating Guan Sheng Yu. Tang Qi is indeed objective. When he and Sheng Yu go to the police to report Fang Jin abusing Sheng Yu, he also reports all the bad things Sheng Yu said before Fang Jin beat him up. The police don’t arrest Fang Jin and Sheng Yu wants to sell the copyright to another company.
Tang Qi calls Fang Jin to meet at the lab, so Qing Li asks her sister to pretend to be Fang Jin again. Tang Qi doesn’t feel comfortable meeting Fang Jin by himself, so he asks Cheng Cheng who is studying hard about the material to come with him. Cheng Cheng can’t be in the same place as Fang Jin, so Qing Li and Lin Yuan will help her. Lin Yuan becomes the other person’s shadow and Qing Li accompanies Fang Jin, just in case Cheng Cheng messes up. Fang Jin, Cheng Cheng, and Qing Li pretend to have diarrhea eating the same take out, so Cheng Cheng can transform back and forth.
Episode 11
Poor Tang Qi is torn between his love for the belated Su Miao and his budding feelings for Fang Jin. He gets drunk and texts his confession to Su Miao. Tang Qi feels like a jerk.
The next day, there’s news that Sheng Yu will sell the copyright to Vandai, a competitor company. Cheng Cheng transforms into Fang Jin and goes to Vandai with Qing Li. They ask Tang Qi to trick Sheng Yu pretending to meet the rep from Vandai at the cafe, while Fang Jin and Qing Li meet the Vandai rep. Sheng Yu is late with his appointment and gets mad at Fang Jin. Fang Jin pretends her husband abuses her and the Vandai rep coldly says his wife only told them that her product is not ready. When Shen Yu wants to hit his wife by the elevator, Tang Qi shows up and hits Shen Yu. Qing Li runs to get a security guard. Unfortunately, Tang Qi sucks in fighting. Fang Jin can’t beat up Shen Yu since there is a surveillance camera. Luckily, Qing Li shows up with security guards.
Another business victory with Mr. Zhang, the businessman who Gu Yu courted last time (and met Lin Yuan). He readily works together with Qian Dou Ji, since his daughter Fan Fan is Lin Yuan’s biggest fan. Mr. Zhang asks Gu Yu’s favor for Fan Fan’s entire collection of Lin Yuan’s manhua creations to be signed. Lin Yuan doesn’t mind, since she knows the bond between father and daughter is precious. She addresses Fan Fan’s name, signs each manhua, and even draws a cartoon on each. We get to know Lin Yuan’s background when her mother and father divorced and left her in the care of other relatives. They later remarried, had their own families, and moved abroad.
Tang Qi decides to meet Fang Jin to clarify his feelings. He even brings takeout food. While they’re eating, suddenly the power is out. It’s Sheng Yu’s doing. He’s suspicious that his wife and Tang Qi are having an affair so he wants to catch them red-handed!
Episode 12
Sheng Yu and a staff burst in to catch the affair but only see Tang Qi. Where is Fang Jin? Cheng Cheng shows up, stating that she and Tang Qi are dating, and cosplay as researchers. Tang Qi plays along. After Sheng Yu and his staff are gone, Cheng Cheng says that Fang Jin asked her to save the day and left the lab secretly. The video recording is spread out the next day at Qian Dou Ji. Tang Qi and Cheng Cheng just have to go along pretending that they’re dating. Tang Qi buys her expensive flowers and asks her to reimburse the expense, hahaha!
Qing Li asks Lin Yuan for help to find evidence of Sheng Yu’s affair with a subordinate and Gu Yu ends up helping her. Sheng Yu is ahead one step though. The real Fang Jing wakes up and the hospital calls her husband. He discharges her from the hospital, thinking she’s pretending. Qing Li, Cheng Cheng, and Lin Yuan rush over. Tang Qi incidentally sees Sheng Yu and Fang Jin and follows them. However, he’s no match for the strong guys, so he’s captured and tied down by Sheng Yu’s security guards. He tries to fight them with the broom, though! Cheng Cheng transforms into Fang Jin and rescues Tang Qi, even beating up the security guards. Meanwhile, Sheng Yu forces his wife to get the materials he wants. Cheng Cheng has to rescue Fang Jin too, so she leaves Tang Qi and transforms into herself. Unfortunately, when she picks up Tang Qi, the real Fang Jin is caught by her husband again after Cheng Cheng rescued her, and the program is updating, so Cheng Cheng is stuck as Fang Jin. Luckily the police come with Qing Li and Lin Yuan and arrest Sheng Yu and his guards.
Episode 13
Poor Tang Qi, another self-infliction time! He wastes himself again in alcohol with Gu Yu. He doesn’t understand his own feelings. Sometimes he loves Fang Jin (Cheng Cheng), sometimes he doesn’t, like she’s a stranger (when he met the real Fang Jin last night).
The real Fang Jin meets the fake Fang Jin. Since the bracelet system is updating, Cheng Cheng can’t change back soon. Fang Jin, maybe because she’s a true scientist, is not shocked seeing her doppelgänger. She finally divorced her scumbag husband and gets the company, shared properties, and emotional damage compensation. While the girls are preparing the victory party, Gu Yu shows up asking Fang Jin to come to the company for a business talk. The next day, Fang Jin comes with Qing Li to sign the contract with Qiandouji, because she sees the company staff being serious and responsible. No, the staff is not Tang Qi, but Cheng Cheng! (remember the real Fang Jin never interacts with Tang Qi). Cheng Cheng even points out an issue in Fang Jin’s design, so Fang Jin is really grateful to Cheng Cheng.
With his complicated feelings, poor Tang Qi meets Fang Jin again to discuss the problem with the material. Fang Jin says the issue is resolved since Cheng Cheng takes care of everything. Tang Qi is disappointed. When he wants to leave suddenly there is a noise and a cabinet door opens. He goes to look, worrying Sheng Yu’s spy is hiding in it. There is another Fang Jin inside! Cheng Cheng poses like a statue. Fang Jin quickly tells Tang Qi an artist friend made a wax figure of her because she’s lonely after her divorce. Tang Qi then leaves but sees the lamp, he made for Fang Jin during the power outage, in the trash can. He asks Fang Jin if she would like to try beef tendon at a restaurant. It’s Cheng Cheng’s fave dish so Fang Jin encourages Cheng Cheng to go on her behalf. Tang Qi almost gets a heart attack during the swift transformation between Fang Jin and her ‘wax figure’. Cheng Cheng goes with Tang Qi wearing Fang Jin’s glasses that make her dizzy. Also with the intimate way he looks at her, Cheng Cheng quickly rejects his invitation to the restaurant.
Qing Li dresses up Fang Jin with a classy black dress and contact lenses. She will be interviewed tomorrow for the new product lunch at Qian Dou Ji. She looks beautiful indeed!
Episode 14
An incident happens. Fang Jin loses her contacts and becomes nervous. She refuses to attend the new product press conference. Qing Li asks Cheng Cheng to go on Fang Jin’s behalf, but Cheng Cheng refuses. She states that this is Fang Jin’s life, she has to go herself. Cheng Cheng talks with Fang Jin. Fang Jin admits she looks pretty after the makeover, but she doesn’t feel like herself. Cheng Cheng tells Fang Jin that she has worked for so many years to succeed, she has the right to be her real self. Fang Jin chooses to don her lab coat and wears glasses for the interview. At first, she was nervous, but after introducing the product she designed, she became confident.
Tang Qi walks out and sees Cheng Cheng, as Fang Jin, sitting alone watching the rainbow. He confesses to her. Cheng Cheng is shocked. She doesn’t know what to say, so she runs away. In a minute, Fang Jin walks out with Qing Li. Tang Qi demands her answer, but Fang Jin has no clue. Tang Qi is suspicious and asks: “You’re not her. Who are you?” Fang Jin is scared and leaves quickly with Qing Li.
Confused Fang Jin is filled in by Cheng Cheng later. Cheng Cheng thinks Fang Jin and Tang Qi are a good match. They’re both top university grads, successful in their fields, wealthy and have common topics to talk about. Fang Jin says sadly that was what people thought of her and Sheng Yu in the past, too. She even thought she was not happy because she was unattractive or had a bad personality. Finally she realized she has to love and respect herself first. Fang Jin’s advice:
“No matter what she looks like, what work she’s doing, and what relationship she’s in, she must be strong inside. That’s independence. The happiness you earn by yourself is the most reliable.”
Fang Jin thinks Tang Qi fell in love with Cheng Cheng. Cheng Cheng feels it’s not possible, he admires Fang Jin’s success and work. Qing Li concluded the most important thing is that Tang Qi is suspicious. He is, he thinks there are two Fang Jins. Gu Yu guesses maybe Fang Jin pretends to have amnesia to avoid Tang Qi.
The next day, the bracelet system is fully updated. At first, Cheng Cheng becomes Lin Yuan’s manhua idol Quan Sheng Tang (yay, a new character!), later she’s back to normal, much to Lin Yuan’s disappointment who thinks her idol character comes to the real world! The upgrade is from 2D to 3D!
Episode 15
Cheng Cheng feels that Tang Qi will keep chasing Fang Jin, so she comes up with an idea that needs Fang Jin’s cooperation. Fang Jin invites Tang Qi to play tennis with friends. Tang Qi brings Gu Yu, and Fang Jin brings Cheng Cheng transformed into Quan Sheng Tang. They want to discourage Tang Qi. Fang Jin introduces Sheng Tang as her junior and her new bf. Sheng Tang then beats Tang Qi in tennis easily. In front of everyone, Fang Jin says that she doesn’t like Tang Qi. Tang Qi calmly says he doesn’t like her and wants to talk to Fang Jin alone! Poor Cheng Cheng feels so embarrassed being in the men’s room as Sheng Tang!
Cheng Cheng has to transform herself into Fang Jin to talk to Tang Qi. Sure enough, he knows right away that Fang Jin in front of him is the one he loves! He says Fang Jin has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) because of the abuse she suffered, but he will face it with her… omg! He’s so (unnecessarily) sweet! The girls discuss what to do. Lin Yuan says she watched a show before called Kill Me Heal Me ( 킬미힐미 ), where the ML has seven personalities. In the end, one by one disappears and the original personality remains and lives happily with FL. Hahaha, the power of Kdrama!
Cheng Cheng thinks that a great idea, so the next day she takes Tang Qi for a walk as Fang Jin. She says that since Fang Jin is undergoing psychological treatment, her other personality has to disappear for Fang Jin to heal. Fang Jin creates her to protect her. Now that Fang Jin is divorced and her ex is in jail, she’s happy and does not need her second personality anymore. Cheng Cheng says goodbye to Tang Qi. He wants to see the rainbow with her again and creates imaginary rainbow stairs. He hugs her tightly and both cry. Omg, I cried too, it’s too sad Tang Qi lost his beloved again. Cheng Cheng then leaves step by step with Tang Qi watching her.
Episode 16
Tang Qi goes to the clinic that treats Fang Jin. It’s a made-up private clinic, and Qing Li and Lin Yuan accompany Fang Jin. Of course, Cheng Cheng transformed into a doctor. Fang Jin says she’s cured now and leaves with the other girls. Tang Qi knows she’s not the Fang Jin he loves and leaves with disappointment under Cheng Cheng’s watchful eyes. He walks alone in the crowd feeling lost and goes to places he used to go with Fang Jin. He even thinks of seeing his Fang Jin so he chases her. However, suddenly his world turns black and white. No color at all.
Tang Qi tries to cross an intersection, but because he can’t see the traffic light colors, he almost gets hit by a car. Cheng Cheng pulls him away. She thinks he wants to kill himself after being dumped by Fang Jin. Cheng Cheng is the only one who is in color! Tang Qi rubs his eyes to see clearly but she thinks he cries heartbroken. He lets her leave. Suddenly it rains and again Tang Qi almost gets hit when he tries to cross another intersection. Cheng Cheng pulls him again. Even her umbrella is colored! Cheng Cheng sends Tang Qi home. Tang Qi almost falls into an uncovered manhole because he doesn’t see it. She gives the umbrella to Tang Qi to hold while she covers the manhole and washes her hands. The umbrella is uncolored in Tang Qi’s hands.
Tang Qi arrives home and invites Cheng Cheng to come in to dry her hair and clothes. She’s surprised since he didn’t let her in before. He even cooks for them. Seeing only the food she’s eating is colored he imitates her eating. Cheng Cheng is suspicious he has an eye problem since he couldn’t see the girl wearing a bright red jacket passing by earlier and paint stains on the jacket he lent to her. When her clothes are dry, Cheng Cheng finds out she has started her period and stains Tang Qi’s clothes. She calls Lin Yuan to pick her up. Lin Yuan is with Gu Yu discussing fish. Her car runs out of gas, so Gu Yu takes her to Tang Qi’s home.
Tang Qi goes to see his ophthalmologist, who says he doesn’t have any problem with his eyes. The doctor thinks it’s subconscious, and suggests he see a psychiatrist and get close to Cheng Cheng since she’s the key to his problem. Tang Qi tries his parents, Gu Yu, and Zhou Jin Li. They’re all colorless. He admits to Gu Yu he has a prejudice to Cheng Cheng in the past. On the way back from the doctor, Tang Qi suddenly sees a young man walking down the street with a bouquet in his hands, and he’s in color!
Conclusion
Tang Qi has experienced two times heartbreak in dramatic ways, one woman dies struck by lightning, and the other is only a multi-personality and now she ‘ascends’ to the rainbow stairs and disappears. How will Cheng Cheng’s third transformation Quan Shen Tang shake Tang Qi’s life further? Let’s read the third recap article: Filter: Drama Recap Episodes 17 to 24!
