My Bargain Queen Episode 27 Recap
> My Bargain Queen Recap
Upon reporting for duty at Chang Sheng, Xia Qian was spotted by Ning Meng, who, due to the board of directors' decision, could not intervene. Meanwhile, Chen Manhui joined Chang Sheng, leveraging her family connections. Colleagues gossiped about Chen Manhui, revealing that her father was the vice general manager of Mingcheng Group, and she was also Sheng Zhening's sister's best friend.
To assert her dominance over Xia Qian, Chen Manhui deliberately courted other employees and spread the false news that Sheng Zhening and Xia Qian had broken up. Consequently, employees who had previously flattered Xia Qian out of deference to Sheng Zhening began to subtly undermine her, while showering favor on Chen Manhui. Xia Qian observed this with a sense of helplessness. When An An noticed Chen Manhui’s targeted actions against Xia Qian, he informed Sheng Zhening.
Shortly thereafter, Sheng Zhening summoned Xia Qian to his office under the pretense of criticizing her project proposal, accusing her of severe errors in her hotel app plan and threatening to dismiss her if it happened again. In reality, Sheng Zhening wanted her to eat properly and bought her a nutritious lunch. He told her, "I bought you something to eat. They're in the fridge in the break room. You go get them. I marked them.
You can find them right away." Xia Qian later called him, commenting on the quantity, "They are too many. Now the fridge is full." Sheng Zhening simply replied, "Then you can eat more. It doesn't matter if you can't finish them. Share with other colleagues." This elaborate charade led other employees to believe Sheng Zhening was retaliating against Xia Qian after their breakup.
Later, Sheng Zhening had a new double-door refrigerator installed in the business department, a request that had previously been denied multiple times. This further fueled office gossip about Chen Manhui and Sheng Zhening dating, with colleagues citing her frequent invitations to Sheng Zhening’s family gatherings and a recent piano recital they attended together. Chen Manhui, noticing these speculations and growing suspicious of Sheng Zhening and Xia Qian, met with Ning Meng.
Ning Meng encouraged Chen Manhui to be more proactive in pursuing Sheng Zhening and decided to create "coincidental" opportunities for them. Meanwhile, Qin Hebo attempted to cook for Fu Shuangshuang, but his lack of culinary skill resulted in a burnt meal and a smoky kitchen. Fu Shuangshuang, exasperated, declared that he was forbidden from cooking whenever she wasn't home. They ended up ordering takeout.
Later, Fu Shuangshuang became heavily intoxicated and, mistaking reality for a dream, tried to forcefully kiss Qin Hebo, leading to numerous embarrassing moments. The next morning, Qin Hebo offered her honey water, reminding her of her drunken antics, which she initially struggled to recall. When she realized it wasn't a dream and asked who changed her clothes, he mischievously implied he did, but later admitted a colleague, Jiayu, helped her.
He then revealed that he lied because he wanted to hear her admit her feelings for him. Although she confessed to liking him, she expressed a desire for those feelings to fade due to a lack of security. Qin Hebo, however, was determined not to let that happen. The board of directors decided to develop an e-commerce application, intending to compete with Chang Sheng.
Qin Hebo, while acknowledging Chang Sheng's inherent advantages with its own hotels, pastures, and factories, argued that their own product range was limited but suggested cooperating with other manufacturers. Given the board's firm decision to secure a presence in e-commerce, Qin Hebo quickly sought a designer. He then asked Fu Shuangshuang to pose as his girlfriend for an upcoming dinner meeting with a designer couple.
Fu Shuangshuang initially refused, stating it was outside her job scope and not in her contract. Qin Hebo explained the urgency, as the designer was working on another company's project, and he wanted them to prioritize the Langyue App project. He pleaded with her as a friend, even offering to waive a portion of her debt. Still, Fu Shuangshuang declined the "deal."
Qin Hebo then cunningly pretended to have a phone call, expressing his predicament about lacking a female companion and dramatically threatening to resign as general manager if he failed to secure the designer. Overhearing this, Fu Shuangshuang softened, agreed to help, and they sealed the deal with a high-five, with him agreeing to clear her entire 50,000 debt. He was secretly pleased his ploy had worked.
At dinner, Fu Shuangshuang established a good rapport with the designer's wife, discovering they shared the same university and major, and reminiscing about a strict professor and a popular duck leg rice from their college days.
When asked how they met, Qin Hebo said it was "on the roof," calling it romantic, and then admitted falling in love with Fu Shuangshuang before he even realized it, to which she playfully remarked she was "later to realize" and had forgotten the exact time. Mr. Wang, feigning illness at Ning Meng's behest, arranged for Chen Manhui to accompany Sheng Zhening on a business trip to the South Lake Scenic Area.
Chen Manhui eagerly accepted, seeing it as an opportunity to seduce Sheng Zhening. Upon arrival, she tried to get close to him, stating it was her first business trip with him and she wanted to learn. Sheng Zhening, however, maintained a strict professional boundary, insisting they address each other by their titles.
Colleagues back at the office speculated that Mr. Wang's illness was a pretense and that Sheng Zhening had deliberately chosen Chen Manhui for the trip, concluding that their relationship would become official upon their return, with Chen Manhui becoming "Mrs. Sheng." An An informed Chen Manhui of a meeting in Sheng Zhening's room an hour later, leading her to believe it would be a private encounter.
She called Ning Meng for advice on what to wear, hoping to appear attractive to Sheng Zhening. However, when she arrived dressed provocatively, she found other leaders present, making her attire highly inappropriate and causing her considerable embarrassment. She was also ill-prepared for the meeting, offering generic strategies for e-commerce in scenic hotel areas and admitting she hadn't thought of any specific innovations. During the unproductive meeting, Sheng Zhening video-called Xia Qian, sharing the situation.
Xia Qian immediately pointed out that strategies for resort areas and headquarters are entirely different due to varying positioning and target demographics. Sheng Zhening expressed regret that he hadn't brought her along, acknowledging how much more efficient the meeting would have been with her. He then asked Xia Qian if she minded him traveling with Chen Manhui. Xia Qian admitted, "It's impossible if I say no. But I believe you."
Sheng Zhening, revealing his possessive nature, noted that her admission confirmed her feelings for him, especially since he had been the one initiating contact and she had been distant, but today she initiated contact and spoke more openly. As a form of "compensation," he promised to buy her delicious local grapes, as recommended by An An.
The next morning, Chen Manhui discovered Sheng Zhening had already returned to headquarters at 7 AM, leaving An An to drive her back, and realized the grapes he bought were not for her. Following the trip, Chen Manhui's animosity towards Xia Qian intensified. She falsely informed Xia Qian that the interactive interface plan was due tomorrow, forcing Xia Qian to work overtime.
While Xia Qian was working late, Sheng Zhening arrived with a midnight snack and stayed to keep her company. Xia Qian suggested they change their phone contact names, as a call from him earlier that day had nearly exposed their secret. They jokingly considered "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" before settling on the numbers "89" and "10," symbolizing "inseparable," with Xia Qian taking "89" and Sheng Zhening "10." Just then, a colleague returned to retrieve forgotten keys, almost catching Sheng Zhening.
Xia Qian quickly covered for him, claiming he was a colleague from the Marketing Department discussing a project plan. The colleague left, unaware. The next morning, the Marketing Department buzzed with gossip about Xia Qian having a new boyfriend who stayed with her until midnight and brought her supper. Chen Manhui, overhearing this, began to devise new plans.
