Cute Programmer Episode 10 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
After working all night to fix the demo, Da Huang received a call from his girlfriend Xuanxuan, who needed help in a live-streamed game after another woman publicly challenged her. Though exhausted, Da Huang caved to her pleas and agreed to go, asking Lu Li to notify him if their boss, Jiang Yicheng, arrived. While with Xuanxuan, Da Huang received a summons from Jiang Yicheng. Fearing he would be fired, Xuanxuan suggested she accompany him to help plead his case.
At the meeting, Da Huang admitted he was wrong to let his personal life interfere with work and that his overconfidence led to a basic error. Jiang Yicheng scoffed at Da Huang's attempt to use Xuanxuan as a "lobbyist" and at his claim that Jiang Yicheng had a "special relationship" with Lu Li. He reprimanded Da Huang for misusing his shrewdness, emphasizing that in game development, one person's avoidable mistake leads to the entire team's failure.
Jiang Yicheng then revealed he was only being harsh to ensure Da Huang learned his lesson, admitting he was worried Da Huang would "lose my face" if he left to work elsewhere. Relieved to keep his job, Da Huang promised to be punctual, while a captivated Xuanxuan snuck glances at Jiang Yicheng as they departed. Meanwhile, Lu Li presented Jiang Yicheng with the revised game demo she had worked on all night.
He dismissed her efforts as a superficial fix that didn't solve the core problem. To demonstrate his point, he took her to a hotel, instructing her to wait outside the lobby and improvise. He then summoned Da Huang, telling him to sit quietly next to Lu Li. Shortly after, Xuanxuan arrived for a meeting with Jiang Yicheng inside the lobby.
To expose her, Jiang Yicheng called Lu Li's phone, allowing the nearby Da Huang to overhear Xuanxuan dismiss him as a mere "gaming partner" she no longer needed now that she had Jiang Yicheng. Enraged, Da Huang stormed in to confront them. Realizing she'd been set up, Xuanxuan agreed to the breakup, accused Da Huang of scheming against her, and left in a huff.
Da Huang apologized to Jiang Yicheng, who advised him to be more careful in choosing a girlfriend. Afterward, Jiang Yicheng simply told Lu Li to go pay the bill. Lu Li now understood Jiang Yicheng’s strategic mind, realizing he was far from the unfeeling person she had perceived. Her respect for him deepened, and to apologize for her earlier misunderstanding, she offered to treat him to dinner. He feigned disinterest but ultimately agreed.
At dinner, Lu Li showered him with compliments, calling him the most perfect and talented person she knew. When she expressed a desire for iced milk tea, which the restaurant didn't serve, Jiang Yicheng excused himself and returned with a selection of milk teas from every nearby shop. Though touched, Lu Li was surprised to find he had also paid the bill, despite her insistence on treating him.
Later at the office, as he hired a quiet young woman named Li Man—his former college junior—for an assistant position, his thoughts seemed to drift elsewhere. Heartbroken, Da Huang began following Lu Li around at work, seeking consolation. Lu Li's best friend, Gu Xiaoqi, arrived and managed to cheer him up before sending him on his way so she and Lu Li could talk. Lu Li confided in Xiaoqi about Jiang Yicheng's recent, inexplicable anger.
Recalling how Jiang Yicheng had previously asked, "If you like him so much, why marry me?" , Xiaoqi concluded he was jealous. She advised Lu Li to be proactive, invite him to another dinner, and confess her feelings. Taking the advice, Lu Li sent Jiang Yicheng a dinner invitation. However, as Jiang Yicheng was leaving his apartment building that evening, he was confronted by Li Man.
Revealed to be his first love who had betrayed him, she claimed she had returned because she missed him and their memories. Jiang Yicheng reacted with cold cynicism, questioning if she had spent all the money she took and accusing her of planning a new scheme. He harshly dismissed her claims of remorse, stating he was not a god who could grant her forgiveness, and walked away. Visibly shaken, he called his friend Chen Yiming to vent.
When Chen Yiming asked if Li Man knew he was married, Jiang Yicheng abruptly remembered his dinner plans and realized he had left Lu Li waiting. Jiang Yicheng rushed to the restaurant, but it was already closed. A server confirmed that a Miss Lu had waited until closing time before leaving. He frantically called her, only to find her waiting on the curb outside, having packed up all the food she had pre-ordered.
She explained that since he never said he wasn't coming, she believed he would show up and didn't want him to make a wasted trip. Moved, they sat on the grass and ate the gourmet meal. Lu Li had intended to confess but lost her nerve. Instead, she brought up her parents' concern over their lack of a wedding and asked for a ring to ease their suspicions.
Unwilling to use a meaningful item like a ring as a prop, Jiang Yicheng playfully fashioned one for her from a soda can pull-tab. Understanding his implicit message, Lu Li chuckled at his "childish" gesture. In response, Jiang Yicheng suggested an even more "childish" adventure and took her to a deserted playground he jokingly claimed to have "chartered" for them.
On the swings, they made a bet: if she could touch him within three swings, he would grant her a wish. On her final attempt, Lu Li leaped from the swing and into his arms, winning the bet. Her wish was simple: for him to have dinner with her parents. Surprisingly tender, Jiang Yicheng agreed.
Lu Li noted how his demeanor had softened, but when she asked why he was late, he evaded the question, attributing his gentle mood to "making up for being late." As they headed home, his mind drifted to an abstract programming problem, pondering whether to terminate a process upon encountering an anomaly or attempt to restore it—a clear reflection of the complex choices he was facing in his own life.
