Cute Programmer Episode 20 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
Lu Li, frustrated by Jiang Yicheng's past actions, was surprised when he announced that the company had decided to reconcile with Old Ape, dropping the criminal charges. Her expression softened, and she genuinely thanked him, though she still expressed concern about Old Ape losing his job. Jiang Yicheng dismissed her worries, reminding her that Old Ape was a grown man and that it was Mid-Autumn Festival. He then insisted they go out to shop for clothes.
At the store, Jiang Yicheng encouraged Lu Li to pick out several outfits. A salesperson showcased an exclusive couple T-shirt, explaining that a heart pattern on the chest would turn red when the temperature reached 35 degrees Celsius. Lu Li was curious, and Jiang Yicheng, noting his own shirt had already turned red while hers remained black, playfully demonstrated how physical closeness would raise her body temperature.
As he embraced her tightly, the heart on Lu Li’s shirt indeed turned red, as did her face. Just then, Jiang Yicheng received a phone call and told Lu Li to go pay for the items. The call was from Li Man, who said a foreign investor, Andrew, was staying nearby and she wanted to introduce them. Jiang Yicheng suggested bringing Lu Li along, but Li Man emphasized Andrew's need for privacy for the business meeting.
Persuaded by the argument that Andrew's presence would prevent it from being a private meeting between him and Li Man, Jiang Yicheng agreed to meet her alone. He told Lu Li to go home to accompany his parents for Mid-Autumn Festival, promising to return before dinner. However, Lu Li noticed Jiang Yicheng had left his new clothes with her and instructed her taxi driver to follow his.
The car led her to a hotel, where she saw Li Man waiting for Jiang Yicheng. She tried to get Jiang Yicheng's room number from the front desk but was refused. When she asked for Li Man’s name, the hotel confirmed Li Man had a room there, and the small flicker of warmth Lu Li had felt for Jiang Yicheng vanished. Meanwhile, Jiang Zitong arrived at Chen Yiming’s home, surprising him with mooncakes she claimed to have baked herself.
Chen Yiming, noticing the brand's logo on the box, playfully teased her. Jiang Zitong, however, insisted her sincerity was what mattered and showed him a scalded hand, claiming she injured it while baking. Concerned, Chen Yiming brought a medical kit and carefully applied medicine to her hand, causing Jiang Zitong's affection for him to deepen. Later, as Li Man and Jiang Yicheng shared an elevator, Li Man noticed his couple T-shirt with the red heart.
Feeling a pang of jealousy, she discreetly put lipstick on her finger and smeared it on the back of Jiang Yicheng’s collar. After their meeting, Li Man suggested they have dinner, but Jiang Yicheng declined, explaining he needed to spend Mid-Autumn Festival with his family. Li Man wistfully remarked that she didn't have such a family, prompting Jiang Yicheng to offer that he and Lu Li would treat her to a meal another time.
Li Man seized on this, making him promise that he "owed" her a meal. That evening, Gu Mo and Gu Xiaoqi were celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with their family. Gu Xiaoqi was still upset with Gu Mo, who admitted he didn't know how to console her. Prodded by his mother, Gu Mo revealed he had someone he liked, describing her as innocent, beautiful, from a good family, and a graduate of an elite school, as Gu Xiaoqi listened intently.
Later, while out to buy mooncakes, Gu Xiaoqi admired a costly trinket in a shop. Gu Mo, seeing her hesitation, bought it without a word, but then clarified it was for his girlfriend. This immediately angered Gu Xiaoqi, who stormed off. When Jiang Yicheng returned home, Lu Li was not there and wasn't answering her phone. He found her standing expressionless at the door, ignoring him. At dinner, Lu Li caught a glimpse of the lipstick on Jiang Yicheng’s collar.
His mother, Cheng Yueru, noted their couple T-shirts, and Jiang Yicheng explained the color-changing technology. Cheng Yueru then hinted at her desire for grandchildren, making Lu Li visibly uncomfortable. Despite Lu Li's attempts to deflect, Jiang Yicheng readily agreed to Cheng Yueru's suggestion that they stay the night. The unspoken tension between them grew, and Lu Li chose to sleep in the closet. Noticing her distress, Jiang Yicheng pressed her to reveal what was bothering her.
Lu Li finally asked if he had been with Li Man that afternoon. When Jiang Yicheng confirmed it, Lu Li, frustrated, cut him off, stating she didn’t want to hear any explanations and referencing their agreement not to interfere in each other's private lives. Annoyed by her refusal to listen, Jiang Yicheng fell silent, allowing the rift between them to widen. The next morning, Lu Li felt nauseous and worried that Cheng Yueru's joke about grandchildren might be coming true.
At the hospital, a doctor confirmed her fear: she was six weeks pregnant. Uncertain how Jiang Yicheng would react, Lu Li felt anxious and asked the doctor to keep her pregnancy a secret. Coincidentally, Li Man’s father, Li Houcai, was at the hospital and spotted Lu Li. After she left, he approached the doctor, pretending to be her father, and learned about her pregnancy.
Li Houcai immediately called Li Man, urging her to seize this opportunity to win Jiang Yicheng back and promising to handle any obstacles himself. Fueled by her father's words, Li Man called Jiang Yicheng, fabricating a story about a severe burn injury and desperately asking for his help. Out of concern, Jiang Yicheng rushed to her aid. Meanwhile, Li Houcai began tailing Lu Li. Fortunately, Lu Li encountered Old Ape, causing Li Houcai to hide.
Old Ape asked Lu Li to return crowdfunded money to their colleagues, revealing that Jiang Yicheng had already lent him a substantial amount for his wife's surgery. He also disclosed that Jiang Yicheng had secretly written code for Lu Li's presentation while she was asleep, praising his hidden acts of kindness and sincere care for her. These revelations made Lu Li begin to doubt her harsh judgment of Jiang Yicheng.
As Lu Li walked on, she realized she had missed several calls from Jiang Yicheng but couldn't reach him when she called back. Growing uneasy, she noticed a black-clad figure following her. After confirming she was being tailed, she urgently called Jiang Yicheng for help. At that moment, Jiang Yicheng was at the hospital with Li Man and had left his phone with her while he went to get medicine. Li Man answered Lu Li’s call.
Hearing her rival's voice, Lu Li lost her focus on the street and fell hard as a car swerved to avoid hitting her. Waves of abdominal pain and heartache surged through her. As Lu Li was wheeled through the hospital, she caught sight of Jiang Yicheng in the corridor, looking deeply concerned for Li Man's scalded arm. This sight crushed the last vestiges of hope Lu Li had for their relationship.
When a doctor approached, Lu Li simply asked for her pregnancy to remain a secret. Chen Yiming, who had called Lu Li around the time of the accident, was notified by the hospital and rushed to her side. When he asked what happened, Lu Li vaguely replied that she had encountered a thug.
With Jiang Yicheng nowhere to be seen, an agitated Chen Yiming offered to call him, but Lu Li stopped him, suggesting they go to the police station to make a report instead. Out of a sense of friendship, Jiang Yicheng took Li Man home. She warmly invited him to stay for dinner, but he politely declined. Desperate, Li Man grasped his hand, tearfully recalling their past and expressing her desire to reconcile.
Jiang Yicheng, however, coldly refused, telling her she was stuck in the past and that if she continued to dwell there, they couldn't even remain friends. In the parking lot, Jiang Yicheng finally saw a call from Lu Li's phone. He answered with some impatience, only to hear Chen Yiming’s voice on the other end, informing him that Lu Li had been in an accident.
