Cute Programmer Episode 21 Recap
> Cute Programmer Recap
When Jiang Yicheng returned home, he found a furious Chen Yiming waiting for him. Chen Yiming confronted him for neglecting Lu Li, who had been in a car accident, while he was preoccupied with Li Man. Jiang Yicheng was stunned to learn that Lu Li had confided in Chen Yiming about the accident but not him. Chen Yiming then dropped a bombshell, revealing he was aware of their contract marriage.
He warned Jiang Yicheng to define his stance, as his entanglement with Li Man was putting Lu Li in a difficult position. Jiang Yicheng defensively explained he only took Li Man to the hospital out of compassion because she was burned, but Chen Yiming retorted that the reason didn't matter; Lu Li should not be a sacrifice in their complicated relationship. Stressing that he was also Lu Li's friend, he urged Jiang Yicheng to check on her.
Guilt-ridden, Jiang Yicheng quietly went to Lu Li's room and found her asleep. The next morning, Jiang Yicheng's attempt to reconcile by offering Lu Li nutritional supplements was met with polite refusal. She reminded him of their agreement not to interfere in each other's private lives and left, declining his offer of a ride. Lu Li went to Gu Xiaoqi's apartment, where they held a mock wedding for Gu Xiaoqi's cats.
Afterward, Lu Li dropped a shocking revelation: she was pregnant. She explained it happened on a night Jiang Yicheng was drunk, had no memory of it, and had mistaken her for Li Man. Outraged, Gu Xiaoqi called him a "scumbag," but Lu Li admitted it was consensual. Lu Li confessed her past foolishness, realizing she would always forgive Jiang Yicheng for the smallest kindness, believing he cared. But seeing him with Li Man at the hospital shattered her delusion.
Gu Xiaoqi comforted her, saying she didn't lose a bet but "bet on the wrong person." Lu Li resolved that giving up now was the best way to cut her losses, and Gu Xiaoqi pledged her full support, even offering to help raise the child. Later, when Jiang Yicheng called, Gu Xiaoqi intercepted the phone, telling him to leave them alone and stop harassing them.
Back at the office, Lu Li distributed thoughtful gifts like stress-relief toys to the programming team, who affectionately called her "lady boss." They playfully flaunted their gifts in front of Jiang Yicheng, who had received none. As he turned and saw another gift box in Lu Li's hands, he instinctively reached for it, but she pulled her hand away. She then formally requested a leave of absence for personal reasons, which he approved.
Shortly after, Chen Yiming returned with the news that their game, "A Hundred Ways to Kill A Boss," had won first prize. Jiang Yicheng instructed him to keep it a secret, wanting to tell Lu Li himself to cheer her up, dismissing Chen Yiming’s concerns about her strange behavior. Upon returning home, Jiang Yicheng found the gift box from earlier and a special dinner.
Lu Li had prepared his favorite sauteed prawns, a dish she had learned when they first married to please him, despite her severe seafood allergy. She now saw this as foolishness, reflecting that their fundamental incompatibility—his love for seafood and her allergy—could never be changed by her efforts alone. Oblivious to her meaning, Jiang Yicheng excitedly announced that their game had won and she was reinstated as Lead Programmer.
Lu Li remained unnervingly calm, merely glad the team's efforts paid off. When he questioned her lack of excitement, she stated that her old self would have been happy, but now it didn't matter. She was resigning. Stunned, Jiang Yicheng reminded her she married him to keep her job, but Lu Li calmly replied, "Let's get a divorce." As Jiang Yicheng stood frozen, she picked up the gift box and walked out.
He snapped out of it and chased her downstairs, only to see her get into a black car and drive away. Lu Li met with Chen Yiming, giving him the gift to thank him for his support since she joined the company. Chen Yiming confessed his initial care was vanity—an idol looking after a fan—but he grew to admire her intelligence, passion, and especially her persistence.
However, he noted that in love, "a one-sided commitment is just a recipe for disaster." Lu Li agreed it was a hard-learned lesson. When he offered to help mediate her issues with Jiang Yicheng, she deflected, saying Jiang Yicheng was simply "immature" in matters of love. When Lu Li returned home, Jiang Yicheng, having seen the gift was gone, furiously accused her of divorcing him for Chen Yiming.
He questioned her sincerity, bringing up how she had once used a compatibility chart to justify marrying him. To protect Chen Yiming from getting involved, Lu Li denied it was about him and insisted the divorce was for her own reasons. Jiang Yicheng refused to divorce, citing their one-year contract, but Lu Li was resolute, setting a time to meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau the next day and telling him not to waste her time.
Jiang Yicheng initially dismissed her words as an empty threat, but he was jolted into reality when the administration department called to confirm Lu Li had completed her resignation procedures. He rushed to the Civil Affairs Bureau, but tragically, they missed each other. Meanwhile, news of the divorce and resignation spread through the company, with the programmers speculating that Li Man, the "bug" Lu Li had warned about, had finally caused a "system crash."
Unable to reach Lu Li, Jiang Yicheng returned to his office to find the divorce agreement and resignation letter on his desk. A call to Lu Li's mother confirmed she was unaware of the situation. He then messaged Gu Xiaoqi, who read the message, cursed him, and ignored it. Gu Xiaoqi was with a nauseous Lu Li, who calmly stated she wouldn't tell Jiang Yicheng about the pregnancy.
She knew his sense of responsibility would trap him in a loveless marriage, and she didn't want that. Affirming her decision to keep the baby, she revealed she had already applied for jobs in Chongqing and booked a flight for two days later. Alone in his office, a memory of driving Lu Li to Gu Xiaoqi's place made Jiang Yicheng realize where she might be.
As he raced out, his sister Jiang Zitong arrived, saw the divorce papers on his desk, and panicked. She found Chen Yiming and frantically told him the news, speculating Jiang Yicheng had cheated. The gossip spread through the company, delighting Li Man, who believed everything was finally returning to its "proper place." Jiang Yicheng arrived at Gu Xiaoqi's apartment moments after Lu Li had left.
Gu Xiaoqi furiously called him a "scumbag," regretting she ever believed Lu Li's praise of him. She threatened to post an exposé video online if he didn't leave. Jiang Yicheng demanded to know where Lu Li was, declaring, "She is my person, so her business is my business," but Gu Xiaoqi physically pushed him out, threatening him with a "live chicken" if he returned. Sitting in his desolate home, Jiang Yicheng was haunted by memories of Lu Li.
Simultaneously, Lu Li sat in a taxi, reflecting that love requires two people to be in sync. Still holding on to a lingering attachment, she asked the driver to take her to Jiang Yicheng's home, intending to take one last photo. As she stood outside, she recalled making him their first meal as a married couple. Raising her phone to capture the memory, her view was suddenly blocked by Li Man's unexpected appearance at the doorway.
