Cute Programmer Episode 19 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
To convince his father to delay the game submission deadline, Jiang Yicheng reluctantly served as his father's caddy. During their time together, Jiang Yicheng's father recounted his own "medals of love"—past injuries, like tendinitis from obsessively playing piano to win his wife's heart, and a fractured leg from climbing a tree to retrieve a shuttlecock for her.
Jiang Yicheng agreed that his father's efforts were "worth it," especially as his father emphasized that Jiang Yicheng's current actions were for his own wife. Upon returning to the company, a weary Jiang Yicheng informed Lu Li that the game submission deadline had been extended to 8 AM the following day. Seeing her relief brought him some comfort. He called her "Lu Koala" and urged her not to disappoint him.
The entire Programming Department rallied behind Lu Li, who pledged to rewrite all the code from memory. Li Man approached Jiang Yicheng, suggesting a "dinner meeting" to discuss the "Xuan Zhong Ji" project. Lu Li saw them walking downstairs together and paused, momentarily stunned, before refocusing on her work. However, Jiang Yicheng quickly concluded his discussion with Li Man, asserting that he would not compromise game quality for commercial profit.
He declined her dinner invitation, saying he needed to return to the office to supervise Lu Li and prevent further trouble. When Li Man pressed him to compare her abilities with Lu Li's, Jiang Yicheng stated that while Li Man excelled in management and Lu Li in technical skills, Lu Li surpassed her in dialectical thinking and problem-solving. That night, everyone in the Programming Department worked tirelessly.
Jiang Yicheng brought food for the team, prompting a colleague to joke that the boss was taking special care of his "lady boss." Later, Jiang Yicheng found Lu Li and her colleagues asleep at their desks. Unwilling to wake her, he quietly took over her keyboard, meticulously typing lines of code. Old Ape, passing by, noticed this and silently returned to his own seat. The team woke up the next morning to find the task progress significantly advanced.
Puzzled but grateful, Lu Li managed to complete the game and submit the file just before the 8 AM deadline. Jiang Yicheng then arrived and granted everyone a day off to rest. The team suggested Lu Li treat them to a celebratory meal. Old Ape, however, declined after receiving a troubling message. They decided to have hotpot at Lu Li’s home instead.
As they arrived, Da Huang commented on the spaciousness of her home, to which Lu Li clarified she was only borrowing it. Before they could start eating, Jiang Yicheng emerged from a room in his pajamas. Startled, Da Huang and Brother Lei quickly fled, ruining the party. Jiang Yicheng, who had worked until 4 AM helping her, sat down to eat, but Lu Li, still resentful about seeing him with Li Man, started an argument.
Frustrated by her seemingly inexplicable anger, Jiang Yicheng watched as she stormed off to her room. Lu Li then called her friend Gu Xiaoqi, venting her frustrations and vowing to find the person who deleted the demo to clear her name before leaving the company. Meanwhile, Gu Xiaoqi brought home a male cat named Tian Qi to be a companion for her cat, Momo.
Tian Qi’s owner was on an extended business trip, and Gu Xiaoqi had arranged to care for him. Determined to find evidence, Lu Li went to the monitoring room, using her status as "Mr. Jiang's girlfriend" to gain access. She learned the footage from the day of the incident was corrupted. She then questioned a cleaning lady, who recalled an unfamiliar but "pretty young lady" entering the programming office.
When Lu Li showed her a photo of Li Man, the cleaner confirmed it was her. Lu Li stormed into Jiang Yicheng's office and accused Li Man of deleting the demo. Li Man calmly explained she had only entered to turn off a light, pointed out the suspicious timing of the broken camera, and accused Lu Li of fabricating a story to cover her own mistake. Jiang Yicheng, finding Lu Li’s accusation baseless without proof, demanded she apologize.
Feeling betrayed, Lu Li grew even more upset. Li Man then told Jiang Yicheng that Lu Li was unfit for her role, but he defended Lu Li as "his person" whom he always protects, and apologized to Li Man on her behalf before chasing after the enraged Lu Li. Frustrated, Li Man threw a contract to the floor. Lu Li ignored Jiang Yicheng's attempts to reconcile.
Their stalemate was interrupted by news about Old Ape, who was fired for secretly selling in-game items to players for cash. He had been driven to it by loan sharks after taking on debt for his wife's medical bills, an offense that would get him blacklisted in the industry. The team pleaded with Lu Li to intercede on his behalf. Lu Li approached Jiang Yicheng, but Li Man burst in, demanding Old Ape be reported to the police.
Lu Li argued that as an investor, Li Man had no right to interfere in internal matters. Jiang Yicheng silenced them both, sternly telling Li Man the decision was his to make. The team decided to pool money for Old Ape's wife's medical bills. Short on cash, Lu Li borrowed 5,000 yuan from Jiang Zitong, bribing her with the news that Chen Yiming would return for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Jiang Zitong informed Jiang Yicheng, who then secretly gave Zitong another 10,000 yuan to pass on to Lu Li. The team tearfully saw Old Ape off, giving him the crowdfunded money. Seeing Lu Li was still giving him the cold shoulder, Jiang Yicheng faked cutting his hand. Lu Li rushed to his room in a panic to find gauze, only to look up and see his triumphant smirk, realizing she had been tricked.
