Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard Episode 2 Recap
> Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard Recap
The episode opens with Xu Cheng Ran's ex-girlfriend refusing to let him go, unable to understand why her beauty couldn't keep him. She confessed she had gotten herself drunk, questioning if there was something wrong with her since he still hadn't touched her. Meanwhile, in a private room, Zhao Yan was negotiating a business deal with Mr. Ouyang.
However, he subtly pushed for inappropriate "repayment" beyond the order itself, even offering her a key card to his private room for easier access. Zhao Yan politely tried to return the card, suggesting she would communicate with his assistant to save his time, but Mr. Ouyang insisted on a more "intimate" working relationship.
As Zhao Yan tried to leave, he followed, claiming he could support her and that her boss, Mr. Wei, had informed him she was single and needed looking after. Zhao Yan firmly stated she only needed his support in her work, not her personal life. When Mr. Ouyang continued to press, saying she needed a man like him, Zhao Yan called him a "scumbag" and swiftly executed an over-the-shoulder throw.
Xu Cheng Ran, who had just exited his own private room, witnessed the scene and complimented her moves, jokingly asking if she had run into a scumbag. However, Zhao Yan then punched Xu Cheng Ran, leaving him holding his bleeding nose and wondering aloud why she had hit him. After Su Manlin's car was towed, Jiang Xiaoning ensured she got into a designated car.
Su Manlin, observing Jiang Xiaoning's resourcefulness and learning she was unemployed (having just lost her job at a bakery that went out of business), began to form an idea. Meanwhile, Gu Chuan lay in a charging capsule, contemplating his mechanical heart. He reflected on the car accident that had severely damaged his original heart, forcing him to rely on this artificial one.
What once sustained him for twenty hours now only lasted ten, and a new, alarming side effect had emerged: electric discharge. He vividly recalled the sensation, noting that at 100 beats per minute, a human could feel the discharge, at 110, it could light a bulb and cause pain, and beyond 180, it might be catastrophic.
He was perplexed by why Jiang Xiaoning had seemed unaffected when she was near him, as she was the only one who seemed to have perfectly avoided this side effect. He felt a deep pessimism, believing his end was near. He also reminisced about a young child who had once offered him a birthday cake, wishing him happiness.
The next morning, Su Manlin contacted Jiang Xiaoning, inviting her for an interview at Chuan Studios on the eighteenth floor of the Yun Yi building, hinting at a job opportunity. Gu Chuan, already at the studio, had accidentally hit something. Although he claimed his hand was fine, the building's management had been contacted due to their negligence in ensuring safety. During Jiang Xiaoning's interview, Su Manlin noted her driving skills and service industry experience.
However, Gu Chuan abruptly stated he didn't need an assistant, particularly not a non-architectural design assistant. Jiang Xiaoning passionately listed her strengths, including diligence, high pain tolerance, and her studies in architectural design, despite having dropped out. She explained her current goal was to earn enough money to return to university. Gu Chuan remained firm, advising her to complete her studies before seeking such a position. Disappointed, Jiang Xiaoning left and informed her good friend Zhao Yan about the rejection.
After the interview, Su Manlin recounted the events to Xu Cheng Ran, who happened to be nearby. Upon learning that Jiang Xiaoning was studying architecture, could drive, and was meticulous, Xu Cheng Ran immediately saw her potential as an ideal assistant. He resolved to personally convince Gu Chuan, despite Gu Chuan typically avoiding studio affairs.
Xu Cheng Ran tried to persuade Gu Chuan that he needed a personal assistant, particularly a female driver, and that Jiang Xiaoning, who had just lost her job, was a perfect fit. Gu Chuan stubbornly insisted he didn't need one, determined not to let others interfere in his life. Xu Cheng Ran accused him of being busy with girlfriends and leisure activities, leading Gu Chuan to express a morbid wish that he had died earlier.
Xu Cheng Ran, unfazed, tried to instill hope in Gu Chuan, reminding him of his studio, his parents, and his friends, including Xu Cheng Ran himself, humorously threatening to annoy him until he accepted. Later, Gu Chuan went to a bookstore to buy architecture-related books, where he unexpectedly encountered Jiang Xiaoning again. He picked up the last copy of "Introduction to Modern Spatial Architecture," only to find Jiang Xiaoning also interested in it.
He offered her the book, but she insisted on paying for it or at least copying it, suggesting they exchange WeChat details. Gu Chuan eventually gave her the book, declining payment. Still, Jiang Xiaoning followed him, pressing for the real reason behind his rejection.
She explained her need for the job to support her family and gain experience, stressing how precious this opportunity was for her dream of becoming a designer, even though she had drop out of school but was self-studying. Gu Chuan sternly told her that her dreams were irrelevant to him and that the only path to becoming a designer was through rigorous study, suggesting scholarships or loans if she faced financial hardship.
Jiang Xiaoning maintained that there was more than one path to success and she needed a "pioneer" like him to guide her, but Gu Chuan simply walked away, emphasizing that what she needed most was to complete her studies. That evening, Gu Chuan received a call from Doctor Peer, the doctor responsible for his heart's maintenance.
Doctor Peer noted Gu Chuan's extremely high heart rate and urged him to visit the lab for patch upgrades to reduce the mechanical heart's operating noise. Gu Chuan, however, seemed disillusioned, expressing that despite the upgrades, the limited time he had wouldn't be enough to achieve his dream of winning the Jin An Award, to which he was fully dedicated.
When Doctor Peer pressed him about the award versus his life, Gu Chuan revealed his profound pessimism, stating that for him, it was "better to be dead." After ending the call, Gu Chuan observed Jiang Xiaoning participating in a snack shop's blindfolded promotion, winning prizes with her efforts.
Walking alone later, he pondered his existence, wondering if he should simply stop and await death or make meaningful use of his remaining time, recalling Jiang Xiaoning's earlier words about taking a detour but not wasting time and needing a "pioneer." This reflection spurred him to call Wang Kai, the company manager, giving him instructions for the following day. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoning enlisted Zhao Yan's help to tell a white lie to her family.
Zhao Yan, acting convincingly, announced Xiaoning's new job as a receptionist at a prestigious architectural design company located in a Class A office building. Xiaoning's aunt and grandmother were overjoyed and immensely proud, falling into a state of happiness. Although her grandmother, suffering from memory lapses, momentarily mistook her "work uniform" for a school uniform and gave her sweets for her "classmates," the family was generally thrilled. Later, while Gu Chuan was working, his mother called.
She and his father planned to move back to China and live with him. Gu Chuan expressed his reluctance, explaining he was accustomed to living alone and feared he wouldn't adapt, particularly worried that they would discover his abnormalities and become anxious. His mother argued he needed care and that prolonged solitude could lead to psychological issues. Gu Chuan insisted he was fine and that he simply needed personal space, questioning why they were always pushing him away.
This led to a flashback to the hospital after his car accident. A doctor informed his parents that his heart was severely damaged and a transplant was no longer an option due to his critical condition. However, Dr. Peer had developed a mechanical heart, which was currently the only clinically proven artificial heart with a low rejection rate, though it came with side effects and high maintenance costs.
His parents, desperate to save him, immediately agreed to the mechanical heart implant, understanding it would give him a second chance at life but also bring inevitable suffering. The mechanical heart functioned through a built-in turbine that pumped blood to the aorta using an internal magnetic field, allowing it to operate without friction or wear, with a lifespan of at least ten years.
Back in the present, Gu Chuan thought to himself that maintaining distance was perhaps the only way to spare his parents intense heartbreak when he eventually passed, acknowledging he was ready to leave the world but not ready to say goodbye to them. He was tormented by pain, having had to abandon things he loved, and now kept only packets of pills in his drawer, feeling helpless and alone as he watched the neon lights outside his window.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaoning's aunt enthusiastically woke her up, presenting her with a new, somewhat oversized, outfit for her first day of work, claiming it was the latest trend. Her grandmother's memory lapses resurfaced, and she again believed Xiaoning was going to school, giving her more sweets for her "classmates." Stepping outside, Jiang Xiaoning found her friend Tang Xu waiting in a suit.
He playfully remarked on her "retro disco" outfit, which she explained her aunt had insisted she wear. Just then, she received a call confirming her new job as a "boss assistant" related to architectural design, which she eagerly accepted, seeing it as a new beacon of hope. As they rushed off, Jiang Xiaoning humorously requested to use the back seat of Tang Xu's car to adjust her clothes and presented him with some snacks from a store.
Tang Xu, acting as her "driver," wished her luck. After dropping her off at the company entrance, he stumbled directly into a cleaning lady's bucket of water, profusely apologizing, while Jiang Xiaoning mused about her "flowing jobs and fixed bad luck."
