Dao Kiaw Duen Episode 2

How does one go about this sperm acquisition business, mission ‘find baby daddy’ with a straight face? But that’s what makes this show so funny, Prakai Dao is intent on pursuing her dreams to the extent of hilarity. But reaching her goals, as she is starting to discover, is no walk in the park, especially when you have pesky ex-boyfriend, shameless love interest and hussies standing in your way. Let the catfights (fun) begin.

EPISODE 2 RECAP

At the mall’s 30^th year anniversary press release, Khun Chai Jan’s police friend (we have not been formally introduced so we’ll refer to him as police friend) is attending this affair. Chai Jan teases his buddy that if he’s having trouble finding a woman due to his police schedule and status, he is welcome to select one of the many women that Chai Jan’s “Mom Mae” has arranged for him to meet (Mom is her title, Mae means mom so we’ll call her Mom for simplicity purposes.)

Two seconds later, Nanteenee- Mom’s first choice for Chai Jan- barges in with a bouquet of flowers to congratulate Chai Jan, but police friend jumps in to steer her away. He’s quite handy to have around.

Khun Chai opens the event by speaking towards his charity functions, which scored him another point in Dao’s book due to his contributions to society. But when she spots him ushering an elder woman to her seat, showing that he cares about the young and the old, this pretty much convinces her who her baby daddy is going to be.

Her friend Lin pesters her to make her move, ‘what are you waiting for?’ and pushes her towards Khun Chai. Only Nan materializes again, apparently escaping the police friend, leaving Dao and Lin to wonder who this woman is. Never mind though, because Chai Jan is smart enough to steer her towards his police friend again, leaving himself available to be stalked by Dao.

He spots her first though, peering at him from the escalator.

“Why are you following me?” he questions.

She has to quickly come up with an excuse and reasons that she wants to be on good terms with him, start over, yunno, forget about their bad blood. Besides, they are Thai, and Thai people should work together. Ha.

He’s not convinced and asked her what she wants from him.

Is there a proper way to say ‘Your sperm, sir. I want your sperm?’ Dao certainly thinks it but doesn’t dare say it out loud. As she denies that she needs anything from him, Chai Jan has to leave and tells her not to follow him. Hee.

As if luck is ever on her side, matters got worse for her. She not only meets the playboy Pongjan, but Siwa’s wife, Arn, who is ready to make a scene. People congregate around them and soon, even our Khun Chai is peering at them from the corner.

Dao can fight her own battles though, and tells Arn to stop making her look bad in front of everyone- stop perpetuating the misunderstandings. Arn’s bestie warns the crowd not to bring their hubbies around Dao, because she just might snag them away. Like the home wrecker she is. It doesn’t help matters when Siwa defends Dao, making Arn even more jealous.

Pongjan takes her shoulders and decides to step in: he tells everyone that Dao is his girlfriend, so she couldn’t possibly steal a husband when she’s with him all the time.

Dao is pissed because now there are additional misunderstandings for her future baby daddy. She’s peeved at her image quickly being soiled by stupid, other people. She doesn’t thank Pongjan because for one, she didn’t ask for his help, and secondly, he didn’t really help matters. Her sassiness only convinces Pongjan that he likes her even more.

Bestie Jin tells her to forget about Khun Chai and go for Khun Pong instead, he seems to be into her, thus making this an easy task, but Dao surmises that Pongjan would only want more from her. Smart girl.

The next scene is a good indication.

Dao frequents a nightclub to get her mind off things when she sees the notorious playboy there. He offers to buy her a drink, but when she refuses, he jumps to the conclusion that she MUST be afraid of him. Because if she’s not afraid of anyone, much less him, than she ought to give him her number. Dao questions his logic as much. She decides to play his little game.

Dao orders a few bottles of alcohol and concocts her own drink. She hands it to him and tells him to drink up and he can have anything he wants. Pongjan smiles cunningly and downs the drink. Only there’s more he needed to do in order to prove himself. Dao makes him spin around 20 times and run up and down the stairs 10 times. And in a lakorn, one becomes instantaneously drunk after a drink and thereby blacks out after accomplishing the task of stripping and running up and down the stairs. This playboy isn’t as tough as he thinks he is, but he does get her number as he passes out from the drunken and dizzying stupor.

That same night in the palace, Chai Jan goes out to the garden for fresh air. Mom spots her son looking lonely and alone and she couldn’t help herself from asking the same, old question, “Son, how old are you?” It’s a rhetorical question, because she segues into complaining about the fact that he’s not getting any younger, and that everyone else (other mothers) she knows, already have their grandkids to cuddle. Furthermore, she tells him to stop thinking about the past. If he doesn’t dwell in the past, he may notice a bunch of open doors that are waiting for him. Ah, such a cute analogy.

But Chai Jan replies that falling in love may not take very long, but committing to that person takes a whole life. He’s truly not ready. He doesn’t want to be hurt again. Aw. Mom doesn’t know how to respond to that and lets it drop, for now.

Dao storms into her brother’s office the following morning announcing that she has indeed found the sperm. Ha. Din glares at her with a warning because his partner is also there, and once the man leaves, Din reminds her not to use that word in his house. Yet he proceeds to ask who it is.

“M.R. Jantarapanu.”

“That’s a strange first name, M.R…”

“It’s Mom Ratchawong Jantarapanu, silly.”

“Reaching high, aren’t we?” Heh. “Whatcha gonna do, go up to him and ask for his sperm?” Oh Din, how I find you funny. He doesn’t think a man of Mom Ratchawong’s caliber would pay her any mind.

“Don’t you worry about that,” Dao replies, she has plan B in case things don’t work out with Khun Chai Jan.

Bro just shakes his head and complains that she makes it sound like medication shopping.

Khun Chai Jan finds himself at a tarot card reading house. Khun Ying Nim tells him that she wants the psychic to read his astrology. Loyal brother just goes with it, imagining that the psychic would tell him that he would die. Lol. But much to his surprise, the psychic appears, not looking like a psychic at all. The remaining card indicates a soul mate card. This shocks both Ying Nim and Chai Jan, especially when the psychic notes that Chai Jan has already met his soul mate, in fact, the woman is right under his nose. He simply has overlooked her and if he wants to know who she is, he would need to pay closer attention to the women around him.

This seems to foreshadow Ying Nim’s behavior, keeping her eyes out for her brother’s potential soul mate. Chai Jan just shakes his head with mirth, not believing it one bit.

Meanwhile Dao tells her friends that she would have to evaluate Chai Jan’s behavior first, to ensure that he doesn’t have any irreparable personality challenges. Most people finds this out by, yunno, dating. So she goes to her IVF doctor who misunderstands that Jin is her gay lover and plan on raising the baby together. But once he learns that they are merely friends, and that Dao is going to be a single mom, he advises her to consult a psychiatrist to prepare her mentally as well.

She goes to see Lin’s husband (her other BF) who is a psychiatrist. He surveys her medical history and agrees that she is healthy. He warns her that she must be ready because she can successfully bear a child after one trial. Seeing that she’s adamant and confident, he prescribes some prenatal vitamins.

The medical aspect of her motherhood preparation squared away, Dao must face matters about her image, now that her news with Pongjan is spreading. The man has the gall to call her and offer her to get out of dodge by spending some time with him (and he threw in his mom’s name last minute) in Hong Kong. He’s willing to pay for everything. Dao shakes her head and tells him she’ll take care of matters on her own. He vows to stay in touch by calling her everyday, to which, Dao and friends roll their eyes.

Oh I just love how this show puts no importance on men. Ha. They are just a means to an end..

Dao asks Lin for a favor to publish a piece of interview/biography about her on the papers tomorrow. She’s going to make Khun Chai read it if it kills her. And looks like things are sort of going her way when the photographer scheduled to do a family photo shoot for the palace got in an accident, prompting her replacement.

At the monstrous palace, Dao tells her subordinates to set up while she goes in search for a restroom, but what horrible luck, because Siwa, of all places and time, makes a beeline for her. She tells him she doesn’t want to talk to him, she’d rather pee. Hee. But he’s still there, waiting for her like a sick puppy, and pleads that he still loves her and is glad Pongjan is not her boyfriend. He promises to take care of her if she reconsiders and becomes his mistress.

Khun Chai of course happens by and confronts the two. Siwa explains that he’s only here to drop off Mom’s diamond jewelry set, and takes off for Mom’s living quarters. Dao tries to explain but Khun Chai doesn’t care to listen, he chastises her to refrain from indecent behavior at a respectful place. Ah, what to say to that? Dao just stares a gawk as he does one of those, scold and leave.

Dao’s convinced that she’s doomed. She spots Ying Nim and remembers her friends suggesting that the best way to learn about Chai Jan’s history is to ask his sister. Ying Nim brings up the article she read this morning of Dao’s interview, and confesses that she doesn’t believe the news about her and Siwa. This gives Dao immeasurable happiness that someone believes in her.

Later Ying Nim tries to put in a good word for Dao to Chai Jan but to no avail, because at the start of the photo shoot, he notices that Dao had walked to the corner to talk to Siwa. What he doesn’t hear though, is that Dao threatens to call Siwa’s wife if he doesn’t leave the palace. Ha. What a shameless man. Heck, he’s not even a man.

And I love how during the photo shoot, Khun Chai keeps growling into the camera, specifically at her. But Dao puts him on the spot that he ought to smile, otherwise he’s showing that he doesn’t like to take pictures with his family. Then when he does force a smile, she warns him that if he smiles like that, he shouldn’t smile at all. Lol.

But chaos erupt as her subordinate causes a lamp to shatter, and the dog, Indy, dashes out of sight, causing the crowd to go in search of her.

Khun Chai finds Indy by the pool, hiding in a bush. As he lures the dog out, Dao appears as well and warns him to watch his step. Unfortunately, Chai Jan teeters at the brink of the pool and falls in. He’s flailing at the shallow water, imagining the moment when he was a child, when he almost drowned. Mentally, the shallow pool is like a bottomless pit. Dao calls for him, concerned, and when Mom asks her to help him because he can’t swim, Dao jumps in. It’s challenging to get a person back to consciousness, back to the fact that he can actually stand in the pool. But Chai Jan finally comes back to reality as he stares into her face, sputtering water.

“Can you see, Khun Chai? The water is not deep. You can stand here.”

Sometime later, Dao finds out from Ying Nim that Chai Jan had a close call from his childhood and can’t seem to get past the trauma. Chai Jan is convinced that Dao only brings him bad luck, every time he’s around her, he’s screwed, thus it’s best to steer clear of her.

Ah, but an old proverb says that the more you hate someone, the more you will see that person.

Dao decides the best way to continue working on Khun Chai is through Ying Nim. She frequents Ying Nim’s shop at the mall and feigns ignorance that she didn’t know Ying Nim owned the shop. The younger woman offers her any purses or products for free because Dao had saved her brother’s life. Dao declines because Ying Nim is in the business to make money, which allows her to segue into the question of why Ying Nim doesn’t offer products for kids. She figures that her business would thrive if she adds a child’s line. This gives Ying Nim pause as she contemplates than admits that she doesn’t know how to go about promoting for such things. Dao advises her to hire a photographer and some model kids, and then feature them in magazines that are catered towards mothers and children. She even offers her own services for free should Ying Nim become interested.

This idea implants itself in Ying Nim’s mind and she asks Khun Chai for his two cents. Chai Jan adamantly says no, that he doesn’t trust Dao. Ying Nim decides to hand him her iPad, where Dao’s interview indicates what kind of a person she is. Unconvinced, he tells her that anyone can lie about their background, so he will investigate Dao, and find out her true colors. Their difference in status causes him wariness, because Dao could only want the connection and benefits of befriending a noble person. Dude, not everyone is out to get you.

Ah, but he has such bad timing, because Siwa pays a visit to Dao’s condo, trying to bribe her with his diamond necklace. Dao scoffs and says that a tiny peace of diamond like that she could easily afford. She shoos him away, but not before Arn’s BF videotapes his departure. She confronts him at their trysting spot and he lies through his teeth that he only loves her, and he took the jewelry for her, not for Dao. This shuts her up, for now.

Dao receives another visitor, and much to her surprise, it’s Khun Chai Jan! She peers through her peephole and gasps.

“I’m not dreaming right?!” she exclaims, quietly. She tells herself to calm down, slaps her face a few times to ensure she’s indeed awake.

“Hello sir, how do you know I live here?”

He gives her a smile, “May I come in?”

She makes way for him and smiles, recalling Jin’s reminder that in order to make a man fall in love with you, you must take a page out of a lakorn book: pretend to fall and he will come catch you. Besides, anything that works in a lakorn, will work in real life. Lol.

Dao applies it but only falls on her ass. Chai Jan merely looks over his shoulders and wonders why she slipped. Ha.

He peers around her large condo, her assets. He takes out his iphone when she asks him why he came to see her. He plays her a video of Siwa walking to his car in her condo’s garage.

Dao tells him that he doesn’t need to be jealous, she and Siwa aren’t seeing each other.

Chai Jan practically grinds his teeth, “I’m not jealous. And I don’t care whether you are or you aren’t seeing this man.”

“So you’re not interested in me?” she asks.

“I don’t trust you actually,” he replies. He reasons that she’s chumming up with Ying Nim, she must have a motive.

Dao doesn’t take that word kindly, which indicates that she has bad intentions with Ying Nim by offering her photography services for free.

Chai Jan proceeds to put his foot in his mouth, he scorns that he knows people like her, people who freeload off rich people.

Dao says he’s misunderstanding her, but he doesn’t think a descendant of Chinese merchants could amount to this much. Affronted, Dao warns him that he’s crossing the line. Her parents has been in the business for fifty years before they passed away, and left her with a huge inheritance. She’s considered rich.

He continues insulting her that if she decides to open a franchise close to his home, she should call him. What an ass. Dao tells him to get out if he doesn’t believe her.

She reports her latest debacle with her best friends, who tell her to end this wishful dream of hers. Khun Chai is not a gentleman. But before she could respond to that, she receives a phone call from Ying Nim that she’s interested in pursuing Dao’s idea. Hm. As the call ended, Ying Nim glances at Chai Jan, who looks somewhat remorse. She tells him that he owes Dao an apology and a gratitude for saving his life. If he doesn’t do it, she would consider him ungentlemanly.

So our Khun Chai Snob does have a conscience.

Dao looks perplexedly at her phone- her friends all wonder that perhaps Khun Chai feels guilty that’s why she’s allowed to photograph there- which gives Dao an idea on how to proceed with this mission baby daddy: she will play hard to get. Khun Chai is too used to getting things his way, having girls throwing themselves at him. What if she ignored him? Perhaps that will make him fester.

So during the photo shoot for Jin’s three girls (who are adorable) Dao pays Khun Chai no mind. Every time he tries to utter a word, Dao pretends she has other things to do, a phone call to make. Until he follows her outside (Ying Nim had invited the whole gang for lunch as a way to repay Dao for her services) and Dao pretends to be talking on the phone- ‘no need to apologize, I can’t make it, not that I’m busy, but I don’t want to work with a stuck up model. He looks alright, but he thinks because he’s rich he’s all that.’ Khun Chai is overhearing all of this and rolls his eyes when she says she wants to knee that model, he’s sure she’s talking about him. As Dao continues on her charade, Khun Chai figures he’s had it, ‘it sounds like they hung up. I don’t hear anything.’ Ha. She pretends to say goodbye to the person on the other end of the line.

Khun Chai musters up his annoyance to apologize to her, but she doesn’t believe he’s genuine. As they bicker, Nanteenee appears and accuses Khun Chai for ignoring her phone calls because of ‘this woman.’ (Dao.)

Khun Chai thinks quickly on his feet. He grabs Dao’s shoulders, ‘Yes (I didn’t take your calls) because I feared Khun Dao would misunderstand. We love each other very much,’ he confesses into Dao’s eyes, who is more frantic at what could happen from this.

Dao tells Nan not to scream or slap her, because Nan is not a villain from a lakorn so she shouldn’t act like one. Dao notices Nan’s hand is outstretched, prepared for the slap lol. Dao immediately gives her permission to slap her boyfriend instead, because he’s always prepared to take the abuse in her stead. Ha. Nan couldn’t help herself and slapped Khun Chai deliciously across the face, to her horror.

Dao high tails out of there and forewarns Ying Nim to see to Khun Chai. Shaking her head, Ying Nim thinks this serves him well and he ought to prepare himself for an explanation to Mom, because surely Nan would tattle on him. Not only that, he has added another enemy to Dao’s roster.

They have another showdown with Nan at the dance club. Nan slaps her first, catching her off guard, but Dao retaliates with a punch to Nan’s face. Luckily the police friend materializes and ends the catfight, warning Nan to put her “weapon” (high heel) down because she’s in the wrong. Before walking away, Dao asks Nan whether she would let out a scream, the ones that villains always unleash after a catfight that didn’t go their way. Oh show, don’t you love to reference lakorn tendencies, always making fun of yourself.

As the group walks away, they could hear Nan’s screams from the rest room. The girl’s so easy to provoke. Ha.

Police friend reports this latest finding to Khun Chai, who couldn’t help but laugh. He learns that Dao could hold her own and most importantly, fend off Nan. This gives him an idea.

The following day Khun Chai Jan appears at Dao’s doorstep bearing flowers. He gives her a pretty smile, ‘I heard from a friend that Khun Nan hurt you, so I wanted to pay you a visit and apologize to you.’

She tells him she’s alright, it was nothing.

An awkward moment passes and he steps closer and calmly asks, ‘will you be my girlfriend, Khun Dao?’

Her eyes grew as big as saucers. She makes a beeline for her living room, shocked, convinced she’s dreaming. But after banging her head against the stairway, it hurt too much to be a dream.

She returns to the doorway and to double check it isn’t a dream, she feels his face and his shoulders. Heeh. He smiles at her, one of those hidden, adorable smiles.

“He feels real. I’m not dreaming. Can you say it again?” she asks.

“Be my girlfriend, Khun Dao.” Omg.

Once inside, ‘you want to hire me to be your girlfriend?’ she questions.

Things are starting to go her way.

Khun Chai explains that that is the only way to get his mother off his back, and he’s sure it’ll work. Furthermore, Khun Chai is convinced that this is a big benefit to Dao too, because it’ll eliminate the mistress issue with Siwa. It’s a win win, plain and simple.

Dao asks for a moment to think, and that usually means she needs to call her besties, who tells her what the heck is she waiting for?

She comes back after a beat, “Deal.”

“How much?”

“I don’t need the money, I’m already rich,” she says. “I’ll finish the work and I’ll tell you.” Hehehe.

“As long as it’s not the star or the moon, I can find it for you.” Oh you have no idea what she has in mind, Chai Jan.

“So we’re on the same team now.” They shake on it.

He smiles, thinking he’s cunning. She smiles because she’s much more cunning.

Later Chai Jan tells Ying Nim of his plans. She’s practically cheering at the thought, exclaiming that Dao is his soul mate. But he repeats, they are pretending. Got it?

The first reveal to the public!

Chai Jan sends a dress to Dao, claiming that there’s no way she would refuse him. But she could certainly stall. She makes him wait until after her work is done, then she dons the blush pink dress with a deep neckline. Chai Jan is momentarily mesmerized at the sight of her once he picks her up.

In the van, she takes off her shoes, stating that she’s no good with heels. Chai Jan merely tells her not to embarrass him at the event. Before we end the episode, he asks her to turn her back to him as he pulls out a beautiful, sparkling diamond necklace from its case. Prepare to be adorn, Dao.

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COMMENTS

Ah first public appearance as a couple! Who’s dying to see that?

It’s only a matter of time that Chai Jan will do something about his mother’s meddling, match making ways, I’m just glad he went to Dao, and quickly at that. I love how the two, once compelled with an idea, would immediately act on it. Makes it entertaining and less draggy. Both of them have ulterior motives and will get more than what they bargained for.

The plot is set, the tables have turned, I’m excited to see how they will convince everyone that they are in love. More importantly, I just can’t wait to see Chai Jan’s reaction once he discovers that what she wants is far more precious than the star and the moon- she wants a part of him, his seed, and perhaps forcing him to open door that he’s so afraid to confront and consider.