My Bargain Queen Episode 12 Recap
> My Bargain Queen Recap
Mu Xiaoyan arrived at Xia Qian's apartment to deliver the monthly financial statement. Xia Qian, however, kept the door closed, claiming she was changing clothes, to prevent Mu Xiaoyan from seeing Sheng Zhening. As Mu Xiaoyan prepared to leave, Xia Qian's mother, Liping, unexpectedly appeared with homemade chicken soup. She was surprised to find Sheng Zhening living there and introduced him to Mu Xiaoyan as Xia Qian's boyfriend and the General Manager of Evergreen Hotel.
Mu Xiaoyan later confronted Xia Qian, questioning the living arrangement. Xia Qian confessed that she and Sheng Zhening were merely pretending to be a couple and urged him to keep their secret, clarifying they were only housemates, not cohabiting. Mu Xiaoyan expressed disbelief, but Xia Qian insisted on his silence, especially in front of her mother. Sheng Zhening, meanwhile, enjoyed the chicken soup, praising its sweetness and flavor to Xia Qian's mother, who then probed about their plans for children.
Earlier, Xia Qian had playfully praised Sheng Zhening, noting that he had changed her perception of presidents from being idle figures in novels to relatable individuals with worries, making him seem very "folksy." Sheng Zhening apologized for bursting her bubble. Meanwhile, a significant problem arose for Evergreen Hotel.
Sheng Zhening received an urgent call from An An, who reported that customs had discovered harmful organisms, including termites, buprestid beetles, and invasive plant seeds, in a recent batch of imported African logs. This problematic batch was purchased because Qin Hebo had revised Fu Shuangshuang's comparative budget. The customs authorities had decided to quarantine the wood, with problematic materials to be destroyed, which would cause substantial losses for Evergreen.
Sheng Zhening realized this would disrupt the construction schedule and that his existing funds were insufficient to purchase new wood, thus halting the renovation of Building No. 2. Fu Shuangshuang, who had prepared the comparison budget for the wood, expressed regret for not foreseeing the termite risk, although the batch was initially the most cost-effective option.
Despite this setback, Sheng Zhening later reassured Xia Qian that the renovation issue for Building No. 2 would be resolved, considering it a minor challenge he could overcome. To secure the future of Building No. 2, Sheng Zhening met with Qin Hebo, acknowledging Qin Hebo's ambition to become Evergreen's General Manager.
Sheng Zhening offered him the position, citing Qin Hebo's past heroic act of saving Ning Meng during a car accident (when Sheng's father was also involved) and his consistent support in Sheng Zhening's development as a hotel manager. Sheng Zhening emphasized that their personal relationship was more important than the title. He stated his decision was well-considered and that Qin Hebo was fully capable of the role.
Sheng Zhening then revealed the termite problem affecting the renovation wood for Building No. 2 and his own funding shortage. He requested that if Qin Hebo accepted the General Manager position, he must convince all shareholders to re-fund and proceed with the renovation of Building No. 2, highlighting its crucial importance. Qin Hebo agreed to this request, promising to do his best.
Following this agreement, Sheng Zhening publicly announced his resignation as Evergreen's General Manager at a shareholder meeting, naming Qin Hebo as his successor. Qin Hebo, in turn, pledged his full commitment to Evergreen and sought the shareholders' support, immediately launching discussions on the renovation plan for Building No. 2. Privately, Qin Hebo confessed that the General Manager position was far more exhausting than he had imagined, making him realize Sheng Zhening was much smarter than he had initially perceived.
Despite his assistant's questioning, Qin Hebo reaffirmed his promise to Sheng Zhening to ensure the smooth renovation of Building No. 2, while maintaining that the plan to lobby other shareholders to sell Evergreen shares was a separate, ongoing objective. Back at Xia Qian's apartment, Sheng Zhening had changed the curtains because Xia Qian had complained about poor light blocking.
He joked about potentially staying longer, predicting he would be invited back to Evergreen in three months, which Xia Qian found amusing. However, their domestic tranquility was shattered when Xia Qian's mother, Liping, arrived, having learned from Mu Xiaoyan that their relationship was fake. Enraged by the deception and Xia Qian's cohabitation with Sheng Zhening, she confronted her daughter.
In a moment of impulsiveness, Xia Qian kissed Sheng Zhening, tearfully admitting to her mother that she had initially lied but had since fallen in love with him, declaring him her boyfriend. Sheng Zhening was momentarily stunned into silence by the sudden confession and kiss. The next morning, Xia Qian regretted her rash actions, feeling awkward about facing Sheng Zhening. He, however, confronted her playfully about the kiss, demanding an explanation.
Xia Qian feigned being forced by her mother and jokingly asked what "compensation" he desired for her "frivolous and rude" behavior. He leaned in, making her nervous, but only picked a small piece of debris from her hair, then declared he wanted a good meal as compensation that night. Now unemployed from Evergreen Hotel, Sheng Zhening, unwilling to live with Xia Qian for free, offered to become her assistant, with his salary covering the rent.
Xia Qian was skeptical, believing a former General Manager might not adapt to assistant duties, seeing it as a vast difference in profession. She assigned him entry-level tasks: reviewing Huixin Technology's terms, familiarizing himself with Fu Shuangshuang's budget, and researching cost-effective office furniture to compile a detailed comparison report. She also stressed that reviewing the main proposal was her responsibility. The office was quiet, as other staff were working remotely after an all-night session.
Sheng Zhening quickly completed his tasks, even pointing out a potential issue with formaldehyde levels in a chosen carpet supplier, citing a recent lawsuit against them, and recommending its exclusion from the comparison report. He then proceeded to meticulously clean the office, including wiping glass, vacuuming carpets, watering plants, and tidying bookshelves, leaving Xia Qian amazed by his efficiency and diligence.
Sheng Zhening, worried that his exceptional performance as an assistant would make Xia Qian wary, discreetly sought advice from An An over the phone. An An, from his own experience, explained that a good subordinate needs to know how to "play dumb" to avoid threatening the boss's authority and to provide them with a sense of security and accomplishment. An An even admitted to employing this strategy with Sheng Zhening in the past.
Adopting this advice, Sheng Zhening intentionally submitted a report full of errors the next day. Xia Qian was initially furious and puzzled by his sudden decline in performance, but he claimed it was his first time making such a report and he was "rusty" and "in a hurry." Xia Qian then patiently sat him down and taught him how to prepare the report correctly, emphasizing quality over speed.
Observing this, Mu Xiaoyan suspected Sheng Zhening of having "ulterior motives," but Fu Shuangshuang defended him, saying Xia Qian was helping him in his time of need. Later, Sheng Zhening challenged Mu Xiaoyan to an arm-wrestling match, winning and ordering him to change the water cooler. During a snack break, Sheng Zhening initially declined a roasted sweet potato, citing it as "street food," but later changed his mind, only to have Mu Xiaoyan quickly snatch and eat the last piece.
Separately, Xia Qian's classmate, Xu Lu, introduced her to a potential client, Mr. Wang from Huixin Technology, a company needing new office supplies for their relocation. Xia Qian eagerly took on the project. However, Mr. Wang proved to be a difficult client, rejecting their quotation template and demanding more "tech-savvy" office supplies. Xia Qian explained that the "entry lux" items he preferred exceeded their budget, and she refused to use knockoffs due to quality and safety concerns.
Dissatisfied, Mr. Wang abruptly ended the meeting, demanding a revised comparison budget by the next day. Despite Sheng Zhening suggesting they drop the problematic client, Xia Qian insisted on continuing, explaining that such challenges were common in their business. Noticing Xia Qian's distress, Sheng Zhening secretly called An An, asking him to investigate Huixin Technology and any potential connections with Evergreen Hotel.
An An quickly reported back that while there was no direct business cooperation, Huixin Technology's boss, Chen Zixuan, was a college classmate of Sheng Zhening from Stanford Business School, indicating a personal acquaintance. That same night, Xia Qian was tirelessly revising the proposal when she experienced a bout of hypoglycemia. She decided to rest for half an hour and asked Sheng Zhening to wake her if she didn't rouse herself. Sheng Zhening gently covered her with a blanket and watched her sleep. After a moment of contemplation, he then left the office to seek out Chen Zixuan.
