Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard Episode 4 Recap
> Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard Recap
Tang Xu waited for Jiang Xiaoning outside the hospital room. He expressed his sadness that she hadn't accepted his help earlier, to which Jiang Xiaoning explained she simply wanted to keep her job and did not wish to rely on anyone, finding it beneficial to borrow money from the company to secure her position. Tang Xu noted that she hadn't changed at all since childhood. They returned home to find the kitchen filled with black smoke and completely ruined.
Grandma was unharmed but seemed shaken. Zhao Yan, who had been sleeping due to working overtime, blamed herself for the incident. The landlord was furious and demanded thirty thousand yuan for damages, insisting they move out immediately. Jiang Xiaoning firmly refused to leave, reminding the landlord of their three-year contract and promising to restore the kitchen to its original state, suggesting they call the police if an agreement couldn't be reached.
Witnessing the escalating tension, Tang Xu stepped in and offered to find them a temporary place to stay. Meanwhile, Xu Cheng Ran's phone alerted him to an abnormal heart rate from Gu Chuan. He immediately called Gu Chuan, who calmly explained that he had simply tried some exercise. Xu Cheng Ran, deeply worried, scolded him, reminding him of his fragile heart condition and the doctor's warnings, and expressing concern for the company and himself should anything happen.
Gu Chuan, to Xu Cheng Ran's disbelief, responded with an uncharacteristic calm and politeness, a demeanor so altered that Xu Cheng Ran remarked, "This is not the Gu Chuan I know." Gu Chuan's newfound willingness to try new things stemmed from remembering Jiang Xiaoning's encouraging words, which had reignited a sense of hope within him. Tang Xu brought Jiang Xiaoning, her grandma, and Zhao Yan to his old, spacious, and clean house. Jiang Xiaoning felt immense gratitude.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaoning was already at the hospital, having arranged for neighbors to look after her grandma. She had also ensured her aunt's medical expenses were covered by the company, promising to repay the loan gradually. Her aunt, intrigued by Jiang Xiaoning's kind boss, inquired about Gu Chuan's age and relationship status, even offering to set him up with someone from their community. Jiang Xiaoning dismissed the idea, asserting that Gu Chuan was too high-status for her.
After settling her aunt, Jiang Xiaoning left to pick up Gu Chuan, bringing him some fruit as a token of thanks. She encouraged him to smile more often, finding his usual straight face too rigid. Simultaneously, Xu Cheng Ran received a call from Assistant Liu, informing him that his father, Director Xu, had been hospitalized. Xu Cheng Ran visited his father in an expensive private hospital.
Director Xu, frail in bed, urged his son to return and manage the family business. However, Xu Cheng Ran expressed his reluctance, disgusted by his father's close bond with his stepbrother, Tang Xu, and his flirtatious behavior with other women, preferring the freedom of running his studio with Gu Chuan. Just then, Tang Xu entered, respectfully updating Director Xu on his condition.
A flashback revealed that Tang Xu had joined their family when Xu Cheng Ran was nineteen, and they had since been considered brothers. Director Xu appeared to favor Tang Xu, who had achieved success at a young age, much to Xu Cheng Ran's resentment. Gu Chuan was surprised that Jiang Xiaoning still came to work. She explained that she had to quit university due to her grandmother's Alzheimer's and her aunt's poor health, but expressed optimism that things were improving.
Her cheerful spirit seemed to infect Gu Chuan, whose lips subtly curved into a smile throughout the morning. At the office, Jiang Xiaoning quickly adapted, becoming popular among colleagues for her meticulousness and wit. She seized every learning opportunity, even borrowing design drafts and offering assistance to other designers. When she apologized to Gu Chuan about the resort project, fearing her ideas might have caused its failure, he encouraged her to share her thoughts.
She proposed incorporating different colored containers adorned with large floral paintings to better appeal to Chinese aesthetics, an idea that remarkably aligned with Gu Chuan's own vision. As evening fell, Gu Chuan found Jiang Xiaoning asleep at her desk, design drafts displayed on her screen. A thought struck him, and he spontaneously invited her to go fishing. By the tranquil lake, Gu Chuan listened to Jiang Xiaoning's ceaseless chatter, feigning annoyance but listening intently.
She recounted a childhood fishing trip with her father, finding it boring, and humorously suggested that Jiang Zi Ya's ancient fishing method would be considered performance art and a publicity stunt in modern times. Suddenly, their fishing rod twitched, indicating a catch. As they both reached for the rod, their hands brushed, sending a jolt through Gu Chuan. His heart rate unexpectedly accelerated, and a strange emotion stirred within him.
He quickly released her hand, composing himself, and sat back down, leaving Jiang Xiaoning standing in confusion. Gu Chuan then offered her the fish he caught, suggesting she make soup for her aunt as overtime pay. Jiang Xiaoning, however, politely declined, preferring monetary compensation and humorously stating her family didn't eat fish. She also told him not to pick her up for work the next day.
Back home, Jiang Xiaoning shared a self-heating hot pot dinner with Zhao Yan, recounting her fishing trip with Gu Chuan, describing him as "a bit weird." Zhao Yan, observing Jiang Xiaoning's "heart eyes" when talking about her boss, began concocting a plan to "take him down." Jiang Xiaoning initially misunderstood this as a romantic pursuit, which she quickly rejected. Zhao Yan clarified that "taking him down" simply meant preventing him from causing her trouble at work.
Zhao Yan then praised Jiang Xiaoning's sincerity and her "spirit of AQ," an optimistic outlook despite misfortunes. Jiang Xiaoning credited her positive mindset to the abundant love she received from her parents, grandma, and aunt. Zhao Yan, however, warned her that some people might exploit her kindness.
Simultaneously, Xu Cheng Ran called Gu Chuan, urging him not to go to the office the next day due to a thunderstorm forecast, as the increased electrical currents in the air would worsen his condition. Director Xu and his wife had also expressed similar concerns. Gu Chuan, however, insisted on going due to urgent studio work.
Exasperated, Xu Cheng Ran threatened to deduct Gu Chuan's entire month's salary through Qi Hong if he didn't comply, then demanded that Gu Chuan pick him up the next morning. Gu Chuan, annoyed, questioned the point of being a boss if his salary could be threatened and complained about his lack of love and happiness. The next morning, Xu Cheng Ran arrived to pick up Gu Chuan, only to find Tang Xu dropping off Jiang Xiaoning.
Xu Cheng Ran sarcastically referred to Tang Xu as his father's "godson" and questioned his presence at "their" company, accusing him of sending a "spy." Tang Xu maintained he was merely giving Jiang Xiaoning a ride, but Xu Cheng Ran retorted that Tang Xu's presence was a distraction to their employee's work and banned him from future drop-offs. Instantly, both Xu Cheng Ran and Gu Chuan, seemingly united in their annoyance, declared a new company rule: "No dating during probation."
To make it unequivocally clear, Xu Cheng Ran elaborately defined "irrelevant personnel" as any male, single, of similar age, tall, with styled hair, wearing a trench coat, and whose surname was Tang. Tang Xu, using the familiar "brother" address, implored Xu Cheng Ran to let Jiang Xiaoning leave the company, stating he didn't want her to suffer daily and wished to offer her a better future. He emphasized this was his first request in ten years.
Gu Chuan then turned to Jiang Xiaoning, asking if she truly wanted to leave. Jiang Xiaoning firmly stated her refusal, expressing her deep affection for her current boss and company, and her commitment to working hard. Xu Cheng Ran, appreciating Jiang Xiaoning's loyalty, praised her for paving the way for Gu Chuan's progress and promised her a raise. Jiang Xiaoning, after thanking him, urged Tang Xu to leave immediately to avoid further awkwardness.
Later, Gu Chuan drove Jiang Xiaoning to Mr. Qin's company. Gu Chuan presented the improved proposal for the resort project, giving significant credit to Jiang Xiaoning's innovative idea of incorporating colorful containers adorned with large floral paintings, which he explained would address Mr. Qin's earlier concerns about aesthetics. Mr. Qin accepted the new proposal, revealing that the original rejection was due to a third party inflating the price. He confirmed that the responsible person had been dealt with, and expressed his sincerity for continued cooperation with Gu Chuan's studio.
