My Bargain Queen Episode 2 Recap
> My Bargain Queen Recap
Xia Qian found herself in an unexpected and painful reunion when she encountered Ning Meng and He Zhijun. Ning Meng, oblivious to their shared past, enthusiastically introduced He Zhijun as her fiancé. The sight of her former beloved, now engaged to another, deeply affected Xia Qian, stirring memories of their broken engagement two years prior. At their own engagement, Xia Qian had desperately warned He Zhijun that she wouldn't take him back if he left. Yet, he still abandoned her.
Now, seeing his flustered reaction, Xia Qian quickly feigned an eye allergy and excused herself from the awkward encounter. Her best friend, Fu Shuangshuang, rushed to comfort a distraught Xia Qian, who was still trying to rationalize He Zhijun's actions, even fantasizing about a terminal illness or an unspoken difficulty as the reason for his departure. Xia Qian regretted not giving him time to explain two years ago and still believed he might return.
Fu Shuangshuang, however, firmly dismissed these notions, calling He Zhijun unworthy and urging Xia Qian to forget him. She even offered to pool her money with Xia Qian's to refund Ning Meng and cancel the wedding project. Xia Qian refused, explaining that He Zhijun's betrayal had fueled her determination to build her bargaining company, which was now a cherished dream for her and her team.
She insisted that completing the project was crucial to prove she had truly moved past him, as withdrawing would only signify lingering feelings. Meanwhile, Qin Hebo celebrated his promotion to Vice General Manager, a testament to his successful acquisition of three percent of Evergreen Hotel's shares for Lihe Capital, part of a larger strategy to take over Evergreen. Later, Ning Meng, without her brother Sheng Zhening's knowledge, visited Qin Hebo to enlist his help.
She revealed her secret wedding plans with He Zhijun at Evergreen, admitting Sheng Zhening disapproved but she had already hired a bargainer to secure the date. She asked Qin Hebo to intercede with her brother, presenting him with a handmade gift to celebrate his promotion before leaving to meet He Zhijun. Xia Qian returned to Evergreen Hotel, only to be confronted by He Zhijun.
He urged her to terminate the wedding project with Ning Meng, stating that Ning Meng was unaware of their history, a secret he wished to maintain. Xia Qian challenged him, asking if Ning Meng was the reason he abandoned their engagement. He Zhijun falsely claimed he simply fell out of love and couldn't force himself to stay.
He then offered her a bank card containing 100,000 yuan as "hush money" and "compensation" for past emotional damage, asking her to abandon her current work. Xia Qian vehemently rejected his offer and money, expressing her desire to erase any connection she ever had with him. As He Zhijun left, Xia Qian broke down in tears, unknowingly observed by Sheng Zhening, who was disguised as a gardener. Sheng Zhening, still in his gardener attire, offered Xia Qian a handkerchief.
Unaware of his true identity, Xia Qian tearfully confided in him, explaining her sorrow was not due to residual love but from finally understanding He Zhijun's true reason for leaving: he simply "didn't like me anymore." She expressed her past fantasies of a nobler reason, like a terminal illness, and insisted she was now over it. Before rushing off to a meeting, she promised to return the handkerchief after washing it.
That evening, Sheng Zhening hosted dinner, during which Ning Meng introduced He Zhijun. Sheng Zhening remained distant and cold, leading to an awkward atmosphere. After He Zhijun's departure, Sheng Zhening confronted Ning Meng, revealing his knowledge of her clandestine wedding plans and her hiring Xia Qian. He chastised her for being "carried away by love" and reiterated his strong disapproval of her hasty marriage, fearing He Zhijun, having abandoned a fiancée for love before, would do the same to her.
Assistant An suggested Sheng Zhening might be overreacting, but Sheng Zhening stood firm on his concerns about He Zhijun's lack of responsibility. Despite Assistant An reminding him of Xia Qian's successful work on the wedding project and the impending contract, Sheng Zhening decided to revoke the Hall 8 wedding slot, offering only monetary compensation. Xia Qian confronted him, refusing the money and demanding the promised wedding slot, accusing him of breaking his word. Sheng Zhening dismissed her.
Later, worried Xia Qian might suffer from heatstroke while waiting in the garden, Sheng Zhening quickly put on his gardener disguise, only to find she had already left, leaving the mended handkerchief and a note in a flowerpot. In the note, Xia Qian explained she had mended a small tear by embroidering a blue daze flower. After contemplating the handkerchief, Sheng Zhening instructed Assistant An to contact Xia Qian.
He offered her a large project involving the group buying of cars for Evergreen, conditional on her forfeiting the wedding slot. Initially, Xia Qian angrily rejected the "handout," insisting she would secure the wedding schedule herself as Sheng Zhening had promised it to her. She then developed a new plan: to obtain Evergreen's complete list of May wedding bookings and find clients willing to change their dates.
To execute this, Mu Xiaoyan and Fu Shuangshuang took on roles as service staff at Evergreen Hotel. Unexpectedly, Xia Qian herself signed the car group buying contract with Sheng Zhening, explaining to her team that it was a strategic move for profit and an opportunity to access information.
While Mu Xiaoyan found his undercover work in the kitchen grueling and fruitless, Fu Shuangshuang overheard from banquet hall colleagues that Sheng Zhening and Vice General Manager Qin Hebo were the key individuals overseeing the May wedding schedule. Xia Qian assigned herself to monitor Sheng Zhening and tasked Mu Xiaoyan and Fu Shuangshuang with gathering information on Qin Hebo.
Late that night, Sheng Zhening called Xia Qian for an urgent business trip to Evergreen's new business hotel for its trial operation and to finalize the car group buying deal. Sheng Zhening drove, leaving Assistant An to handle other matters. Xia Qian, exhausted, fell asleep in the passenger seat. Upon their arrival, Sheng Zhening instructed Assistant An to escort Xia Qian to her room. Before settling in, Xia Qian discretely inquired about Sheng Zhening's room number.
