Cute Programmer Episode 12 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
After their public kiss, the programming team swarms Lu Li, who is still reeling from her confrontation with Li Man. They bring snacks into the office, and while enjoying biscuits Lu Li made, the team, who jokingly calls their department a "monastery," warns her to keep a close eye on Jiang Yicheng. Meanwhile, Jiang Yicheng, who had messaged Lu Li to come to his office, grows frustrated by her lack of response.
He storms out and finds her chatting with her team, reprimanding them for eating in the office. After he leaves, Lu Li tells her colleagues that her relationship with Jiang Yicheng has developed a "bug." Lu Li remains insecure about the beautiful and accomplished Li Man. Noticing her distress, Gu Mo advises her to confront her rival directly, find their weaknesses, and eliminate them from the competition.
He states with conviction that he would never be in such a situation, as he is certain he is the best match for the person he loves, inspiring Lu Li with his confidence. In a business meeting, Mr. Liu, now representing Li Man’s company, informs Jiang Yicheng that his current games are too derivative and will not secure their investment. Instead, he challenges Jiang Yicheng to develop an entirely new game. Jiang Yicheng accepts immediately.
In a later call, Mr. Liu reports to Li Man that everything went according to her plan, which was designed to push Jiang Yicheng to realize his full potential. Afterwards, Li Man’s father visits her, but she dismisses him, prompting him to bring up an unresolved conflict from three years prior.
Later, Li Man tells her assistant, Amy, to book her a flight back, but Amy raises suspicions about Jiang Yicheng's sudden marriage, noting that the couple seems to be hiding their relationship. Intrigued, Li Man cancels her travel plans and decides to investigate. Elsewhere, Da Huang tries to ask Gu Xiaoqi out by approaching her supposed brother, Gu Mo, who is the head of the Arts Department.
Realizing Da Huang's intentions, Gu Mo turns hostile, belittling Da Huang's financial status and bringing up a past work incident. Gu Mo bluntly rejects Da Huang's pursuit, stating he is unsuitable for Xiaoqi and revealing they are not blood relatives, implying he is also a rival for her affection. A disheartened Da Huang then rejects a text from Xiaoqi agreeing to a movie date. The programmers become frustrated as their project is stalled by the Arts Department.
Da Huang remains silent, understanding the delay is personal. After a tense exchange where Brother Lei criticizes his work ethic, Gu Mo finally sends the completed files, but pointedly sends them to Lu Li instead of Da Huang, confirming Da Huang's suspicions. With his movie date canceled, Da Huang gives his two tickets to Lu Li and Brother Lei. During the movie, Brother Lei suffers severe palpitations and difficulty breathing.
Lu Li rushes him to the hospital, where tests reveal no physical ailments. Grateful, Brother Lei offers to drive her home. Meanwhile, Jiang Yicheng, angry that Lu Li has ignored him, blocks her on WeChat. His sister, Jiang Zitong, visits and warns him that his ambiguity with Li Man could push Lu Li to retaliate. As night falls, Jiang Yicheng's anger turns to worry. He unblocks Lu Li, but she doesn't contact him.
About to go look for her, he sees her getting out of Brother Lei's car. Overcome with jealousy, he rushes inside, pretends to watch TV, and then lashes out at a bewildered Lu Li when she finally arrives home. The next morning, Lu Li brings Jiang Yicheng a glass of milk to apologize. He berates her for constantly making mistakes, causing her to defiantly drink the milk herself, leaving an endearing milk mustache that instantly dispels his anger.
Just then, his mother, Cheng Yueru, calls to invite Lu Li to a gathering with her friends. Jiang Yicheng encourages her to go and promises to pick her up. At the gathering, Cheng Yueru proudly introduces Lu Li as her daughter-in-law. However, one of Jiang Yicheng's former blind dates mocks Lu Li's profession and plain appearance. Before Lu Li can respond, Jiang Yicheng arrives and defends her, stating that choosing Lu Li proves his aesthetic is excellent.
He takes her hand, declaring that only he is allowed to bully "his woman," a sentiment Lu Li playfully accepts, impressing the other guests with their affectionate bond. At work, Brother Lei experiences another panic attack. He confides in Lu Li that ever since the incident where Jiang Yicheng nearly fired Da Huang, he has been overwhelmed by anxiety and the fear of making mistakes, feeling like his "system is about to collapse."
Lu Li takes him back to the hospital, where a doctor suggests his problem is psychological ("software") rather than physical ("hardware"). Brother Lei's description of his isolated life as an "empty-nest youth" sparks an idea for Lu Li. In a presentation, Lu Li pitches a new game concept targeting the loneliness of "empty-nest youths" in China. She proposes a game that helps players form real-world connections, bridging the gap between online and offline social circles.
Impressed, Jiang Yicheng challenges her to develop a full proposal. Lu Li agrees, on the condition that if the project is approved, she will be the lead programmer. Though surprised by her ambition, Jiang Yicheng agrees to "wait and see." Later, Jiang Yicheng sees Brother Lei's car outside the office. Hiding, he watches as Brother Lei invites Lu Li to dinner to thank her for her help. Jiang Yicheng intervenes, causing a nervous Brother Lei to retreat.
When he confronts Lu Li, she explains that she only went to the movies with Brother Lei because Da Huang gave them the tickets, and she later took him to the hospital when he fell ill. Embarrassed by his baseless jealousy, Jiang Yicheng gruffly tells her to get in the car, and Lu Li hides a smile at his flustered demeanor.
