Crazy Rich Asians

The banquet takes place on Palau Samsara, which Daisy Foo asserts is an island haunted by the ghosts of Chinese men killed by Japanese soldiers. The guests eat a molecular fusion cuisine, which most of the distinguished guests find strange.

Eleanor notices that Rachel is wearing one of Su Yi’s necklaces and is furious. She goes to Victoria and compliments the necklace that she is wearing; Victoria tells Eleanor that Su Yi was in a giving mood and gifting people her jewelry. Eleanor mentions the sapphire necklace that Rachel is wearing, and Victoria hints that Su Yi thought it looked lovely on Rachel, hoping to annoy Eleanor. She tells Eleanor that nobody is worried about Rachel’s background except for her, mentioning that Rachel is well-mannered, well-educated, and speaks perfect Mandarin: all traits that Eleanor doesn’t have. She implies that Rachel is a better choice than Araminta, who she calls a spendthrift because of the expensive wedding events. Eleanor excuses herself and pulls Francesca aside. She tells Francesca that the entire family seems to have fallen in love with Rachel, and Francesca reassures her that she will make sure that Rachel wishes she never came to Singapore.

During the last course, music icon Tracy Kuan comes out to perform. Alistair and Kitty take to the dancefloor, dirty dancing with each other. Oliver enlists Cecilia, Alistair’s cousin, to help separate them. Oliver steals Kitty away, complimenting her dance moves, to which she replies that she used to be a backup dancer for Aaron Kwok. Oliver mentions her work in a different video, implying she did pornographic work in the past, and she insists that it wasn’t her. She says that she is in love with Alistair. Oliver dances her towards Bernard Tai, who is dancing with another woman. Oliver hints to Kitty that Bernard is much richer than Alistair, and he leaves her with Bernard.

Astrid learns that Charlie is separated from his wife, and she tells him that her husband has a mistress in Hong Kong. She says that she thinks Michael has a child with his mistress, and Charlie offers to take her to Hong Kong to find out. Nick tells Colin that he is ready to marry Rachel. Meanwhile, Francesca and Mandy try to make Rachel jealous by revealing that they once had a threesome with Nick, just as he comes to find Rachel to watch the fireworks.

Astrid and Charlie arrive at his place in Hong Kong. He tells his housekeepers to keep it secret that Astrid is there. They talk about their shared love of art and how they made themselves smaller to accommodate their spouses. Charlie puts Astrid in his bedroom, taking his daughter’s room for himself.

The plot flashes back to 1995. Teen Astrid and Charlie go shopping in Paris and when he takes her to a couture shop, the workers ignore her and imply that she cannot afford anything in the shop. Charlie demands that they allow him to buy his girlfriend a whole new wardrobe, but they imply that he is not in the position to buy couture. Charlie makes a call to his banker and explains the situation. Minutes later, the designer calls and scolds the boutique workers, making them show the teens anything they want to see. Their attitudes change and they offer cappuccinos and champagne. Charlie tells Astrid to pick ten things out, then raises it to 20, saying that his father told him that “the only way to get these ang mor gau sai to respect you is to smack them in the face with your dual an chiao money until they get on their knees” (451). They spend the next week on a major shopping spree, and Astrid discovers her taste for couture and spending money.

Back at Tyersall Park, Rachel packs her bags to leave. Nick is blindsided when Rachel reveals what Francesca and Mandy told her at the banquet. He explains that he and Francesca had a brief summer fling when they were teenagers and that Rachel is the center of his life. She breaks down and tells him about all the bullying she has endured from Mandy and Francesca. Nick apologizes and offers to make it up to her, but Rachel is still angry because he didn’t prepare her for whatsoever about his family’s wealth and lifestyle. Nick suggests that they go away together instead of Rachel leaving, just to give her some peace, and she agrees.

News arrives that Francesca’s grandfather has awakened from his coma. Nick arrives at his parents’ house, and Eleanor expects news that he and Rachel are through. Instead, he tells her that he intends to propose. Eleanor rejects the idea and asserts that Rachel isn’t good enough for him, but Nick calls her out for her prejudice against mainland Chinese people. Desperate to stop him, she implies that marrying Rachel will ruin all their lives and that he will lose his inheritance. Nick is unmoved and leaves anyway. Eleanor gears up to go to Tyersall Park and tell Su Yi what Nick is planning to do.

Charlie has a huge breakfast prepared for Astrid, unsure of what she likes, and asks that she come to see him at work after she finishes. She only eats a little bit for breakfast and then decides to walk to the building Charlie works in, Wuthering Heights (pronounced Wu-thering, like his surname). She is escorted up to his office, where she meets Charlie and a man named Mr. Lui, who has already gathered information on her husband. He tells Astrid that Michael has been in an apartment in Mong Kok all night and shows her photos of Michael and a woman whom she recalls being at her wedding. She is then told that the child that lives with the woman is four years old. Astrid wants to go confront Michael since they know where he is. They drive to the flat, and Astrid wonders why Michael married her if he was having an affair the whole time. When they arrive at the flat, Michael answers the door and immediately assumes that Astrid had her father track him down.