Encounter with You Episode 24 Recap
> Encounter with You Recap
Following struggles to find work and suspecting foul play by Liu Wei, Wan Xinxin received a suggestion from Hua Ming to open her own art gallery, given her past talent for painting. Lacking funds, Hua Ming promised to handle the arrangements. The next day, he secured a renovated warehouse studio, encouraging Wan Xinxin to find inspiration there. Unsure of her artistic appeal after a long hiatus, Wan Xinxin set up a street stall to gauge public reaction.
There, her earlier works drew attention, but an attempt to paint a new piece for a young woman was met with scorn. The woman, Jiang Xiaoyu, a renowned art critic and Ph. D. with a large online following, tore up Wan Xinxin's painting, accusing her of fraud, claiming the older works couldn't be hers. Undeterred, Wan Xinxin repeatedly attempted to prove herself by submitting new paintings, which Jiang Xiaoyu consistently rejected.
This sparked Wan Xinxin's determination, leading her to publicly challenge Jiang Xiaoyu on Weibo, only to face widespread criticism and further damage her reputation, causing her to lose confidence in the gallery before it even opened. With Hua Ming's continuous encouragement and help, Wan Xinxin's gallery eventually opened. On opening day, Qin Gang arrived and mockingly offered a small amount of change to buy a painting.
Hua Ming responded by drawing a pig's head and handing it to Qin Gang, who left in a rage. When the first court trial for child custody finally arrived, Wan Xinxin, accompanied by Hua Ming, faced Qin Gang and his formidable legal team.
During the trial, Qin Gang's lawyer argued that Wan Xinxin lacked the financial means to raise a child, citing her frequent job losses, prolonged unemployment over several months, and reliance on friends and family for basic living expenses. Wan Xinxin's lawyer countered that her client had just opened an art gallery and already secured orders, projecting a stable income within the art industry.
Qin Gang immediately dismissed this, stating that he had never known Wan Xinxin could paint since they married, and she had only opened the gallery after receiving his legal notice, clearly as a tactic for the lawsuit. He also questioned the potential value of her paintings and expressed concern about their child's upbringing and nutrition.
Wan Xinxin interjected, denying his claims and vowing that she would never let her son starve, emphasizing that their child, Wan Xiaobao, was healthy and happy. Qin Gang then challenged her, asking why she had stayed at his house, to which Wan Xinxin accused him of tricking her. After a brief halt to restore order, the court found no further evidence to consider.
The court then announced its first-instance judgment, awarding custody of Wan Xiaobao to Qin Gang and instructing Wan Xinxin to bear the 100 yuan filing fee. She was informed of her right to appeal within fifteen days. Devastated by the verdict, Wan Xinxin felt weak and watched her baby all night, tormented by the thought of losing him.
Hua Ming, heartbroken by her suffering, tried to comfort her, assuring her that this was only the first trial and not the final outcome. He promised to stand by her throughout any continued legal fight. He acknowledged that she must feel she had let her son down, but reassured her that she had made immense efforts and was a good mother, a transformation he had witnessed since their first meeting.
He promised that he, her sister, and Xu Ke would all support her. Wan Xinxin cried, vowing to her son that she would never let anyone take him away. Meanwhile, Qin Gang, celebrating his "complete victory" over the phone, scoffed at the idea of Wan Xinxin's comeback, boasting of his previous sabotages and dismissing Hua Ming's involvement. His co-conspirator reminded him of their marriage plans, which Qin Gang confirmed he hadn't forgotten.
Later, Hua Ming sought out Jiang Xiaoyu, introducing himself as a friend of Wan Xinxin. Jiang Xiaoyu, initially sympathetic after hearing about Wan Xinxin's plight, refused to go against her artistic integrity as a critic by providing false positive reviews for Wan Xinxin's work.
She maintained that she would not call "bad good," and could only promise not to denigrate Wan Xinxin in the future, though she admitted seeing potential in Wan Xinxin's earlier paintings, finding her current works to be mediocre. Jiang Xiaoyu declined to act as an art teacher to help Wan Xinxin regain her original artistic state. As Hua Ming left Jiang Xiaoyu's studio, he coincidentally saw Chen Weimin walk in, and Jiang Xiaoyu greeted Chen Weimin as "Brother."
Hua Ming later found Chen Weimin at a hospital. It was revealed that Jiang Xiaoyu was Chen Weimin's cousin, and Chen Weimin himself was a former intern of Hua Ming's. Chen Weimin expressed surprise that Hua Ming, once the hospital's "top neurosurgeon" and a specialist, was no longer practicing medicine. Chen Weimin clarified that Jiang Xiaoyu was his cousin (not his girlfriend), and he regularly checked on her for her parents.
When Hua Ming explained his visit was about Jiang Xiaoyu, Chen Weimin offered to try and persuade her. However, he made a counter-proposal: in exchange for his help, Hua Ming must agree to lead the neurosurgery department at Chen Weimin's hospital, an area the hospital lacked expertise in. Hua Ming hesitated, revealing he had been away from medicine for years and found it difficult to return.
Chen Weimin pressed him, calling his absence a "waste of talent" and hinting that Jiang Xiaoyu's cooperation was contingent on Hua Ming's acceptance. Hua Ming was deeply conflicted. He was haunted by memories of a past surgery where the patient's family had accused him of being a "murderer," their faces and voices dogging him like nightmares. Despite this, for Wan Xinxin's sake, he eventually agreed to Chen Weimin's terms. Chen Weimin was overjoyed.
However, when Hua Ming picked up the scalpel again, attempting even a minor surgery, he still couldn't overcome his psychological barrier; his hands shook, and he asked Chen Weimin to take over. Hua Ming later confessed to Chen Weimin about his shaking hands whenever he picked up a scalpel, a psychological barrier he couldn't overcome.
He asked for time to adjust, requesting to initially focus on developing treatment plans and providing guidance rather than performing lead surgery, which Chen Weimin accepted. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoyu paid a surprise visit to Wan Xinxin's gallery. She complimented Wan Xinxin's courage but reiterated that her current paintings were still "mediocre" and she couldn't offer much help. During their conversation, Wan Xinxin realized the "exchange" Jiang Xiaoyu mentioned referred to Hua Ming's deal with Chen Weimin.
Moved but also anxious, Wan Xinxin found her inspiration still elusive. Her mood worsened when she received an official notice for the appeal hearing. Returning home, Wan Xinxin found Hua Ming despondent over his inability to perform surgery. Overwhelmed by her own distress and anxiety, she lashed out at Hua Ming, accusing him of orchestrating her life and questioning his timing in offering help only when she was facing legal defeat.
She confronted him about the "coincidences," from his connection to Jiang Xiaoyu's brother to his opening the gallery for her. Hua Ming, while enduring her accusations, eventually expressed his own pain, explaining his shaking hands and the agony of not seeing his daughter, Ruirui, who had been abroad for three years. He revealed he had allowed Wan Xinxin to stay with him because he pitied her struggles as a single mother, an assertion Wan Xinxin rejected as she stormed out.
Wan Xinxin went to the seaside to confide in her deceased father, lamenting her difficult situation and wishing he were there to comfort her. She acknowledged Hua Ming's struggles but emphasized that her baby was her entire world and she would never let him be taken away. She poured out her feelings of despair, questioning why fate had dealt her so much misfortune.
Reflecting on her carefree childhood and the joy she found in drawing with her father, she lamented her current inability to find inspiration, feeling that everything she drew was wrong. This emotional release at the seaside proved to be a breakthrough. Wan Xinxin rushed back home and worked through the night on a new painting.
The next day, Hua Ming, though exhausted from his own struggles, tried to accompany her to show the painting to Jiang Xiaoyu, but Wan Xinxin insisted he rest and look after their son. When Jiang Xiaoyu saw Wan Xinxin's new work at the gallery, she was astonished, praising it as "amazing" and expressing that it showed the true talent she had recognized before. She told Wan Xinxin, "You should thank that older guy."
Realizing Wan Xinxin's urgent need for income, Jiang Xiaoyu immediately called a collector friend, enthusiastically arranging for the painting to be acquired by a French auction house the following week with a starting bid of $20,000, promising that the new artist would soon be famous. Wan Xinxin was stunned by the speed and scale of this development, initially feeling unaccustomed to the "role change" of gaining fame and fortune through her art.
Jiang Xiaoyu dismissed her concerns, calling it a noble pursuit, and Wan Xinxin quickly provided her bank details. Celebrating her newfound financial success, Wan Xinxin happily offered to treat Hua Ming to dinner. On the day of the second trial, Wan Xinxin's lawyer presented the new evidence: her artwork was acquired by a French contemporary art auction house with a starting price of $20,000, and expressed interest from bidders for other commissions.
Based on these projections, the lawyer argued that the total value of paintings in Wan Xinxin's gallery exceeded 1 million yuan, unequivocally demonstrating her financial capability to raise her child. Qin Gang vehemently rejected this, calling it "Nonsense!" and "fabricated evidence." He argued that Wan Xinxin was merely an ordinary office worker and could not possibly possess such artistic talent or generate such income. Wan Xinxin retorted, demanding that Qin Gang provide proof of his accusations of fabrication.
After order was restored, the court delivered its final judgment: the previous first-instance decision was revoked, Qin Gang's appeal for custody modification was rejected, he was ordered to pay the court fees for both trials, and the full custody of Wan Xiaobao was awarded to Wan Xinxin. With the final judgment in her favor, Wan Xinxin celebrated her hard-won victory.
