My Bargain Queen Episode 24 Recap
> My Bargain Queen Recap
Ning Meng was carefully preparing dinner for Sheng Zhening and Xia Qian, trying to maintain a normal demeanor. She asked her husband, He Zhijuan, if he remembered Xia Qian’s favorite dishes, but he admitted he couldn’t recall. Deciding to just prepare more dishes, Ning Meng continued searching for her cookbook. As she looked through the books, she stumbled upon a collection of old, sweet photos of He Zhijuan and Xia Qian.
Enraged, she initially stormed off to confront him, but upon seeing him taking medication, she managed to suppress her anger. During dinner, Ning Meng's jealousy surfaced as she persistently questioned Xia Qian about He Zhijuan's high school days, asking if many girls liked him, which Xia Qian found hard to remember or didn't wish to comment on. He Zhijuan tried to ease the tension by going to the kitchen for juice.
However, when Ning Meng noticed he specifically prepared grape juice for Xia Qian, her suspicions were further aroused. On their way home, Xia Qian confided in Sheng Zhening, expressing a sense of unease. Her intuition proved correct as Ning Meng confronted He Zhijuan later that night. Brandishing the old photos, Ning Meng accused him of still being in love with Xia Qian and demanded to know why he married her if he couldn't forget his ex.
He Zhijuan, having reached his breaking point, reminded her of the true reason for their marriage: he had left Xia Qian at their engagement ceremony because Ning Meng threatened to take her own life. He Zhijuan also expressed his frustration, saying he was trying to be a good husband but wasn't a "loving machine" constantly revolving around her. He questioned who truly couldn't forget Xia Qian between them.
After this heated exchange, He Zhijuan informed Ning Meng that he had matters at the hospital and was leaving. Meanwhile, Chen Manhui met with Ning Meng, who was still fixated on Xia Qian being a "time bomb" for her brother, Sheng Zhening. Chen Manhui proposed a scheme: hire Song Yu, an expert in manipulating relationships, to approach Xia Qian and make her leave Sheng Zhening willingly.
Song Yu, posing as the general manager of Miaoyu Culture Technology, visited Worth Or Not to discuss a collaboration promoting his "high-tech children's toys." Ai was immediately smitten by Song Yu, impressed by his handsome looks, apparent wealth, and his claim of developing products for the love of children, particularly after mentioning his divorce and child. However, Xia Qian remained unconvinced, viewing him as just another client. The team decided to test his products before committing.
Song Yu left confident that he had made a lasting impression on Xia Qian. During a work break, Qin Hebo was observed watching Fu Shuangshuang’s live stream, pleased to see her overcome her camera shyness and confidently host on her own. He then called Fu Shuangshuang, feigning a busy schedule and asking her to bring two of his usual suits to the office. Fu Shuangshuang reluctantly agreed. Upon her arrival, she noticed a table laden with sweets and fruit drinks.
Qin Hebo invited her to stay and enjoy them, explaining his assistant had prepared them so she could relax from her recent hard work. Fu Shuangshuang mentioned that she had canceled her live stream to bring him the clothes. Later, Qin Hebo arrived home with groceries, stating that he would be responsible for cooking every night from now on.
Confused, Fu Shuangshuang re-read their labor contract, only to discover clauses that mandated her to unconditionally provide catering services when required and to eat with him if he requested it. Feeling completely outmaneuvered, she frantically searched for other potential hidden clauses, but Qin Hebo assured her those were the only special terms. Xia Qian tried to arrange dinner with Sheng Zhening, but he was preoccupied with a company crisis involving the loss of several VIP clients.
He instructed his team to investigate the reasons for the customer defection and compile a list of potential VIP clients for him to personally contact. Seizing the opportunity, Song Yu called Xia Qian, inviting her to discuss Evergreen membership, having already prepared a drugged fruit juice for her. Xia Qian accepted and arrived at the meeting.
After taking a sip of the drink, she received a call from Ai, who revealed that Song Yu was a notorious con artist; his toy company was a mere shell, and he had a history of seducing and deceiving numerous women. Ai advised Xia Qian to stall Song Yu at the hotel.
At the same time, Chen Manhui urged Ning Meng to be decisive if she wanted Xia Qian out of Sheng Zhening’s life, reassuring her that Song Yu was adept at handling such situations. Song Yu attempted to charm Xia Qian, hinting at the failure of his previous marriage due to "separated because we had little time together" and offering to discuss her emotional problems.
Xia Qian, however, firmly stated that her relationship with Sheng Zhening was strong and there was nothing to discuss. Suddenly, a group of women, rallied by Ai, appeared and confronted Song Yu, beating him up for his deceptive ways. Under duress, Song Yu confessed that Ning Meng was the instigator. Xia Qian later confronted Ning Meng, expressing her anger at such a despicable act.
Ning Meng, however, claimed she was only testing Xia Qian’s feelings for Sheng Zhening and insinuated Xia Qian was after their family's money. Xia Qian retorted that her relationship with Sheng Zhening didn't need such a "despicable means" of testing and, while she tolerated Ning Meng because of Sheng Zhening's love for his sister, she warned Ning Meng to stop her schemes. Sheng Zhening called Xia Qian, concerned about the incident at the restaurant.
Xia Qian, after a moment of hesitation, decided not to reveal Ning Meng’s involvement, not wanting to put Sheng Zhening in a difficult position. She simply assured him that the culprit had been caught and sent to the police station. Ai later questioned Xia Qian's decision not to tell Sheng Zhening the truth, but Xia Qian reiterated her desire to avoid making things difficult for him, given Ning Meng was his sister, and decided to let the matter drop.
On what was supposed to be his and Ning Meng's anniversary of their acquaintance, He Zhijuan returned home with a cake, only to overhear Ning Meng discussing with Chen Manhui her plan to find another person to approach Xia Qian and drive her away. Enraged and disappointed by Ning Meng’s escalating paranoia, He Zhijuan proposed a divorce.
He told her that their marriage might have been a mistake from the beginning and that he would stay at the hospital for a few days, giving her time to think. He then moved out of their home. Xia Qian discussed with her team how to enhance their live streaming efforts, scrutinizing coupon design and the quality of promotional gifts.
She emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity, even if it meant personally purchasing and sending promised gifts to fans, believing it was crucial for playing a long game. Later, Sheng Zhening informed Xia Qian that he was no longer swamped with the VIP customer issue and asked her where she would like to travel. Xia Qian suggested a business trip to Shaxi for a public welfare program to help local farmers, and Sheng Zhening readily agreed to accompany her.
The couple excitedly anticipated their trip. Ai, hearing about their plans, playfully suggested Xia Qian buy them matching pajamas. As Sheng Zhening and Xia Qian discussed hotel options, Sheng Zhening found the Shaxi Boutique Hotel to be below the standards of his own Evergreen Hotel. His assistant reminded him that it was the best available in Shaxi.
The assistant then recommended booking a standard room instead of a double room, considering their current relationship status, advising a "It works in both ways" approach. Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a phone call from Ning Meng, who claimed that due to the peak tourist season, only a double room was available at the Shaxi Boutique Hotel, which she had already booked for them. Ning Meng then mentioned she had bought couple pajamas before asking Sheng Zhening to come over.
