Cute Programmer Episode 11 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
Da Huang, unable to contain his curiosity, discreetly approached Lu Li to inquire about Gu Xiaoqi and successfully obtained her WeChat contact. As their colleagues playfully teased Da Huang, the representative from EG Gaming was announced to arrive. Prepared for the meeting, Jiang Yicheng's confidence faltered when the elevator doors opened to reveal Li Man, a former acquaintance. Without allowing her to speak, Jiang Yicheng abruptly rejected the collaboration. Li Man, however, was unfazed.
Believing his refusal stemmed from an inability to view her purely as a business partner, she confidently suggested he still had feelings for her and admitted she had returned with the intention of rekindling their old flame. Jiang Yicheng dismissed her claims, stating he simply refused to work with a "dishonest person." To prove his point, he pulled Lu Li into a passionate kiss in front of the entire office.
The public display confirmed their relationship, and a photo of the kiss quickly began circulating among the employees. The programming team surrounded Lu Li, eager for details. Lu Li explained that their parents had arranged their match, leading the team to affectionately call her the "future boss's wife." Their curiosity then turned to Li Man.
They discovered she was a senior manager at EG Gaming and, like Jiang Yicheng and Chen Yiming, a graduate of the University of Xinhai, fueling their suspicion that she was Jiang Yicheng's ex-girlfriend from college. Meanwhile, Jiang Zitong saw the photo and was stunned to see Li Man. She immediately confronted Li Man, warning her to stay away from her brother.
When Li Man tried to appeal to their past friendship, Zitong reminded her of the betrayal and sudden disappearance that had ended it. In her anger, Zitong accidentally revealed that Jiang Yicheng and Lu Li had only been together for a few weeks. Seizing on this information, Li Man's determination was renewed. Soon after, Li Man called Jiang Yicheng to invite him, Lu Li, and Chen Yiming to dinner.
Jiang Yicheng, realizing her true intention was to test the legitimacy of his relationship with Lu Li, accepted the invitation. From that moment, Lu Li's status within the company shifted. Despite her requests to keep things professional, colleagues began giving her special treatment, and while she was uncomfortable, she couldn't suppress a small flicker of joy.
At the restaurant, Li Man was overtly attentive to Jiang Yicheng, ordering a specific soup for him and offering to apply a patch for his old neck pain, but he subtly rebuffed her advances, stating Lu Li could massage him instead. When Li Man offered Jiang Yicheng fresh shrimp, Chen Yiming, surprised, asked Lu Li about her seafood allergy. To support Jiang Yicheng, Lu Li feigned that her allergy was a thing of the past and ate the shrimp.
Later, Li Man excused herself, and Jiang Yicheng, sensing she wanted to talk, followed. Away from the table, Li Man directly challenged him, pointing to his ignorance of Lu Li's allergy as proof that he didn't truly care for her. She belittled Lu Li as "just a girl" who couldn't support his career and insisted she was not the right person for him.
Jiang Yicheng retorted sharply, questioning if she—who had "betrayed our company, her boyfriend, and ran away with the funds"—was a better fit. He firmly declared their past was over. Despite his clear rejection, Li Man insisted he still had feelings for her and attempted to embrace him. Jiang Yicheng pushed her away, telling her to "behave." At that moment, Lu Li, feeling unwell from the shrimp, approached the restroom and witnessed what appeared to be an intimate embrace between them.
Distraught, Lu Li stepped outside for air, where Chen Yiming found her. Heartbroken, Lu Li confessed her fear that Jiang Yicheng and Li Man would reconcile. She then revealed the truth to Chen Yiming: her marriage was a one-year contract and she had been in love with Jiang Yicheng for five years, ever since playing his game, "Dream Maker." Chen Yiming, finally understanding her motivations, comforted her and urged her to trust Jiang Yicheng.
Just then, Jiang Yicheng walked out and saw Chen Yiming with his arm around a crying Lu Li. Seeing the situation, Chen Yiming spoke up for her, pointedly telling Jiang Yicheng that any woman would be upset after being "brought by her husband to meet his ex-girlfriend." Stunned, Li Man stared as Jiang Yicheng looked directly at her and confirmed, "She is my newlywed wife."
Hearing the title "Mrs. Jiang," which had once brought her joy, Lu Li now felt only a deep sense of disappointment. Back home, Lu Li confronted Jiang Yicheng about Li Man. He became defensive, deflecting by questioning her closeness with Chen Yiming. The argument escalated until he noticed red rashes on Lu Li's neck, finally realizing she had knowingly endured an allergic reaction for his sake.
Overcome with guilt, Jiang Yicheng later slipped out to a pharmacy to buy ointment for his "wife." He returned to find her asleep and carefully applied the medication to her neck. The next morning, Jiang Yicheng woke early to prepare a light breakfast for Lu Li, but she remained cold and distant, leaving for work without him. Her silent treatment left Jiang Yicheng conflicted; his pride kept him from apologizing. Musing to himself why "Koala Lu" was so angry, he decided he had to resolve the stalemate and called her to his office.
