Let's Meet Now Episode 14 Recap
> Let's Meet Now Recap
Ji Qiu found herself unexpectedly pulled to an amusement park by Zhou Ziqian on her way to buy ice cream. Feeling casually dressed, she initially expressed that others weren't "just pulled in," but decided to enjoy herself since they were there, hoping to "make up for the regrets of the last time." Their first stop was bumper cars.
They gleefully crashed into other vehicles, and when a particularly hard bump almost led to another close encounter between them, Ji Qiu pointed out the culprit, the "red one," and commanded Zhou Ziqian to ram them back. Amidst the excitement, Zhou Ziqian asked why she was so happy, to which Ji Qiu responded that this time was different due to "Time, place, and the people I hang out with." After the bumper cars, they enjoyed other rides, including a carousel.
While Ji Qiu was buying keychains, the salesperson mistakenly thought Zhou Ziqian was her boyfriend and suggested she pick out a matching initial for him. Ji Qiu quickly clarified, "He is my brother," then bought a keychain with a 'Q' on it for him. After she left, Zhou Ziqian secretly bought another one with a 'J' on it, exactly like the one Ji Qiu bought.
Later, he asked Ji Qiu if she had ever given someone a keychain with their initials, hinting at the gift, but she just said she gave it to him because his old key chain was ugly. Back at work, Ji Qiu's colleagues were despondent over the low ratings of their variety show, "Let's Meet Now," and worried about being scolded.
Ji Qiu tried to reassure them, explaining that "it's normal for a new show to fail in the ratings on its first day" and that positive comments from viewers and the popularity of stars like Fu Qile and Zhou Ziqian gave them a "pretty good chance to make a comeback the next day." Despite her outward calm, Ji Qiu secretly felt the pressure. The next day, ratings remained low, increasing everyone's anxiety.
Zhou Ziqian messaged Ji Qiu, but she was too preoccupied with the show's ratings to respond. Meanwhile, Gao Yuan, still under the impression that Zhou Ziqian liked Cheng Jia, discovered a keychain with the letters "JQ" on Zhou Ziqian's backpack. He immediately misinterpreted it as "Jia Qian," a combination of Cheng Jia and Zhou Ziqian's names, solidifying his belief that Zhou Ziqian was secretly in love with Cheng Jia.
Earlier, when Gao Yuan had tried to get Zhou Ziqian to admit his affections for Cheng Jia by guessing other female friends, including Song Rongrong and "Mei," the canteen lady's niece, Zhou Ziqian had emphatically stated, "I really don't like Cheng Jia," and dismissed the other suggestions. Noticing Ji Qiu's post on her moments about craving osmanthus cakes from her high school days, Fu Qile immediately went to buy them.
He waited for Ji Qiu to return home, pretending he was "in the area for an event" and just "bought some" by chance, which Ji Qiu believed. He comforted her about the show's disappointing ratings, and when Ji Qiu asked whether the process or the result was more important, he shared that while he used to value results, he now believes "the process was more important" because results are unpredictable.
Ji Qiu downplayed her sadness, claiming she was "just a little disappointed," but in reality, she spent a sleepless night, questioning what the right path was. Over the next few days, the show's ratings continued to drop. Ji Qiu felt uneasy seeing their team leader, Jiang, being reprimanded by Director Wang. Jiang, however, calmly brushed it off as "a piece of cake." Ji Qiu stayed late to work on a second-round plan.
She overheard colleagues discussing how Jiang had been "scolded by Director Wang" over the show's ratings, with some even saying the "first version was better." They also mentioned that their team almost got into a fight with an interview team because one of their guests had been poached. They concluded that while Ji Qiu appeared fine, she was just "holding on." Disheartened, Ji Qiu left the office, only to find Zhou Ziqian waiting for her.
Seeing him, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. He rushed to her side, thinking someone had bullied her, offering to "get even with him." Ji Qiu cried even harder, explaining that she hadn't wanted to cry but couldn't help it once she saw him. Zhou Ziqian then produced a tiger puppet and used it to distract and cheer her up, eventually bringing a smile to her face.
Ji Qiu warned him not to mention "tonight's incident" to anyone, adding that she usually "hardly ever cries." Zhou Ziqian, through the puppet, reassured her that it was "normal to cry" when sad, angry, or stressed, and promised to keep her secret, noting that she still looked beautiful even when crying as her "nose didn't even run." He gave her his tiger puppet, saying it would accompany her, and promised, "I will accompany you to grow up."
Ji Qiu reflected that "there's nothing wrong with crying once in a while." The next morning, Ji Qiu received a message from Ye Qiao about the show. Contrary to Ji Qiu's expectations of a scolding, Ye Qiao wrote, "Not bad. It wasn't what I expected, but at least we had fun. . . . I'll give you a passing grade. I look forward to the next episode," and humorously asked who stole her prop.
Upon arriving at the office, Ji Qiu was greeted with exciting news: a vlogger with millions of followers had shared their show, generating over 100,000 likes overnight and thousands of positive new comments. Colleagues excitedly read out comments praising the show for being "completely unscripted" and calling it "like a normal friend traveling variety show," particularly highlighting Ye Qiao's cuteness and applauding the lack of "malicious editing."
They also mentioned a formal introduction of "my new idol, my dream, Fu Qile" and a cheeky comment for Zhou Ziqian. Ji Qiu's team felt invigorated, echoing Zhou Ziqian's earlier sentiment that "it's not over until the last second." They also announced that Ye Qiao and other guests had posted promotional tweets. Meanwhile, in a psychology interview for a mental health show, Fu Qile specially requested that the host ask him about his experience on "Let's Meet Now."
He praised the show for being "a very different variety show" that thrives on its unscripted nature, which allows for freedom and creates "the most comfortable state" for participants, fostering respect, understanding, and tolerance. He stated that he believes "everyone who participates in it will enjoy it." When asked about his reason for joining, he credited Ji Qiu, the show's director, describing her as "serious and responsible" and "a person who does not give up easily."
He recalled how she "turned a one percent chance into a ninety-nine percent chance" and persisted in inviting him even after "I turned her down so many times." He expressed gratitude for her persistence in getting him to join "such a good show." Watching this interview from the office, Ji Qiu smiled.
