Let's Meet Now Episode 5 Recap
> Let's Meet Now Recap
The company's new project, a variety show tentatively titled "Let's Meet Now," was presented by Ji Qiu. She described it as a blend of a reality show and a documentary, designed to uncover the unique charm of guests by combining their individual personalities. The goal was to open up the market for slow-paced variety shows in China.
The proposed guest types included a sporty individual, a wise figure, a warm and popular female celebrity, a growth-oriented novice with limited life experience, and an artist with a significant personality contrast between their public and private personas. Cai Zong suggested inviting the swimmer Liang Chuan as the sporty guest, but Ji Qiu immediately dismissed the idea, citing recent online rumors about his controversial private life.
She then proposed inviting the shooting athlete Zhou Ziqian, mentioning his popularity and how he resembles a trendy drama lead. Cai Zong approved of Zhou Ziqian. Cai Zong then strongly recommended adding popular celebrity Ye Qiao to the lineup. Ji Qiu expressed hesitation, explaining that Ye Qiao wasn't among their initial target types, and adding another guest would complicate matters.
However, Cai Zong insisted, arguing that while Ye Qiao's reputation might be mixed, she guarantees "topics and exposure," making the show potentially popular even "before it broadcasts." He reminded Ji Qiu of her own philosophy about seeing both "side A and B" of artists, challenging her to find Ye Qiao's hidden depths. Ji Qiu acknowledged her limited perspective and agreed to reconsider.
Back with her team, Ji Qiu listed potential guests, including a singer, a boy group member, a PhD in Economics, Zhou Ziqian, and Ye Qiao. She assigned them to invite one guest each within a week, emphasizing that failure to secure guests meant losing their jobs. Her team members, eager to avoid the notoriously difficult Ye Qiao, quickly claimed the other easier-to-approach celebrities, leaving Ye Qiao for Ji Qiu. Ji Qiu reluctantly accepted the challenge.
She initially brainstormed an outdoor journey concept for Ye Qiao, suggesting beautiful locations like Shangri-La and the Qingdao coast. However, her team pointed out Ye Qiao's dislike of bugs, her preference for dresses, and her sensitivity about age, making the outdoor theme unsuitable. Ji Qiu considered pitching the idea of showing Ye Qiao's "true nature" to win public favor, but then worried it might backfire. Frustrated, she decided to prepare multiple plans and try them one by one.
Ji Qiu contacted Ye Qiao's assistant, Xiao Yang, multiple times, but Ye Qiao consistently avoided meeting her. Xiao Yang eventually explained that Miss Ye had "changed her schedule at the last minute" and was generally "not likely to participate in a reality show." Despite Ji Qiu's attempts to reschedule, Xiao Yang abruptly ended the call, leaving Ji Qiu disheartened that all her prepared plans were useless without a meeting.
Later, at home, a frustrated Ji Qiu received a phone call from Zhou Ziqian, who was calling to retrieve the wrister he had left at her apartment. Ji Qiu seized the opportunity, asking him to bring snacks and then venting her frustrations about Ye Qiao. She complained that Ye Qiao had agreed to a meeting but then unexpectedly canceled, describing such behavior as "complicated" (like a "woman's heart, a needle in the ocean").
Zhou Ziqian playfully countered that she also seemed "complicated." He advised her to focus on inviting other guests first, suggesting that if other guests were confirmed, Ye Qiao might be more inclined to join. This sparked an idea in Ji Qiu, and as she excitedly went to get drinks for them, she accidentally spilled cola all over Zhou Ziqian's shirt.
He headed to the bathroom to clean up, and Ji Qiu, remembering she still had his shirt from a previous occasion, went to retrieve it. However, the bathroom door's lock cylinder jammed, trapping Zhou Ziqian inside. Ji Qiu panicked and rushed out to find a locksmith in her community. While on her way, she received a call from Song Rongrong, to whom she again complained about Ye Qiao avoiding her.
Song Rongrong, however, had an update: Ye Qiao was actually busy shooting a magazine cover at their company and was expected to be there for about three hours. Excited by this news, Ji Qiu completely forgot about Zhou Ziqian trapped in her bathroom and immediately rushed to Song Rongrong's office building. Meanwhile, at the magazine shoot, Ye Qiao was working alongside Xia Yao, a junior celebrity who had debuted only a year ago.
Xia Yao, feigning innocence, suggested Ye Qiao's makeup artist touch up her makeup, claiming she had "saw the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes." Ji Qiu had managed to intercept Ye Qiao after the photoshoot, quickly pitching her reality show concept. She acknowledged Ye Qiao's past negative experiences with reality shows but promised their show would be different, focusing on a "slow variety" format of simple dining and chatting, and guaranteeing to protect her reputation.
However, Ye Qiao was unconvinced, questioning how a new show could guarantee ratings and word-of-mouth. She pointed out that accepting the show would mean turning down an IP drama and three brand endorsements, which would result in "a great loss" as she had already lowered her fees for a previous collaboration. Just as Ye Qiao was about to leave, seemingly rejecting the offer, she crossed paths with Xia Yao and her assistant.
Xia Yao's assistant provocatively mentioned Xia Yao's successful debut film, which received a high rating of 8 points, implicitly comparing it to Ye Qiao's highest score of 6. 5. The assistant then proudly announced Xia Yao's participation in an upcoming reality show, pointedly remarking that "no reality show crew would dare to invite someone with such a bad temper" as Ye Qiao, and offered to ask if they needed more people. This blatant taunt ignited a spark in Ye Qiao.
She immediately turned back to Ji Qiu, dismissing the budget concerns with a rhetorical, "Do I look like someone who is short of money?" , and instructed Ji Qiu to "send the plan and contract to my agent later." Overjoyed by this unexpected success, Ji Qiu made plans to celebrate with Song Rongrong over dinner. However, Song Rongrong's comment about Ji Qiu's poor memory triggered a sudden realization: she had left Zhou Ziqian locked in her bathroom!
Ji Qiu rushed back home and quickly called the locksmith. Upon being freed, Zhou Ziqian, still inside the bathroom, pretended to be disoriented and confused, asking if Ji Qiu had forgotten him and accusing her of taking an unusually long time to find a locksmith, even comparing the bath items in the bathroom to his friends to show his loneliness. Ji Qiu, feeling extremely guilty, profusely apologized and, when Zhou Ziqian exaggerated a shoulder pain, offered him a massage.
He continued to feign injury, but Ji Qiu eventually realized he was pretending. Just then, Zhou Ziqian received a phone call from his coach, Mr. Zhang, scolding him for missing practice. Zhou Ziqian apologized, attributing his absence to a "temporary accident" and promising to "make up training time" that evening. Feeling even more responsible, Ji Qiu insisted on driving him to his evening training.
It was Ji Qiu's first time at a shooting range, and Zhou Ziqian's first time training at night. While Zhou Ziqian practiced, he couldn't help but glance at Ji Qiu. She, in turn, worked on her computer, subtly taking photos of him for show material. When Ji Qiu dozed off, Zhou Ziqian secretly took pictures of her.
On their way back, Zhou Ziqian learned that, thanks to Ye Qiao's agreement, all the other invited guests had also confirmed their participation in the show. He was now the last one. Despite having previously agreed, he decided to playfully feign reconsideration, stating that he needed to "think about it" for a few days due to the "psychological damage" from being locked in the bathroom.
He hinted that his decision would depend on Ji Qiu's "sincerity," prompting her to earnestly flatter him, assuring him of her affection and asking if he could bear to see her disappointed.
