My Girlfriend Episode 24 Recap
> My Girlfriend Recap
Ding Xiaorou was about to eat instant noodles when Zheng Ze called, asking her to meet. She arrived at the agreed location, a display window she had designed. Following Zheng Ze's instructions, she entered and found a letter and twenty-five gift boxes. Zheng Ze explained that the "Gift" themed display represented the twenty-five years of her life he had missed and expressed his desire to spend every moment of her remaining life with her.
He asked her to meet him at the Old Place at ten o'clock. Ding Xiaorou opened each box, loving every gift. Later, she met Zheng Ze by the river, where he confessed his feelings for her. Ding Xiaorou kindly refused, explaining that the person you love is like the "soup base" of spicy hotpot; with them, everything becomes vibrant and interesting, and Zheng Ze was not that person for her.
She then informed him of her intention to terminate their confidentiality agreement. Zheng Ze accepted her decision gracefully, tearing up his copy of the agreement, stating it was no longer important, and they could remain good friends. He did, however, comment that taking back the twenty-five gifts would be a "headache." Ding Xiaorou immediately called SA Yi to tell her the news.
SA Yi was furious, scolding Ding Xiaorou for rejecting such a handsome, rich, and considerate man like Zheng Ze, calling her "cursed" and accusing her of being like "Yegong Haolong"—someone who desires love but recoils when it truly appears. SA Yi wondered if Ding Xiaorou's self-inferiority was to blame.
Ding Xiaorou questioned her own decision, but SA Yi eventually softened, agreeing that it was better to be decisive in matters of the heart and reiterating her support for Ding Xiaorou's choices. That night, Zheng Ze reflected on his entire relationship with Ding Xiaorou, from their first encounter to her refusal. Meanwhile, SA Yi took out the relationship test that Ding Xiaorou had received from the divination master and completed it herself.
The next morning, while eating breakfast, Ding Xiaorou found herself thinking of Chi Xin. She absentmindedly pulled the "destined one" test questions from the trash, but a gust of wind blew the paper onto Chi Xin's window ledge. Ding Xiaorou hurried to knock on his door. She entered his apartment, stood on tiptoes to retrieve the paper, and nearly fell but was swiftly caught by Chi Xin. After quickly grabbing the test, she made her exit.
Chi Xin noticed the layout of his home, which a friend had arranged for good Feng Shui, and Ding Xiaorou commented that it was quite good. He then asked her if anything special or strange had happened to her recently, hinting at Zheng Ze's proposal, but she brushed it off. General Manager Mao met Chi Xin at the gym, offering to invest in his new venture.
Chi Xin politely declined, explaining his desire for "freedom" in his pursuit and his disinterest in external investment. Just then, Zheng Ze arrived. He informed General Manager Mao that he had confessed to Ding Xiaorou the previous day. Zheng Ze then challenged Chi Xin to a 10,000-meter race on the treadmill, with the winner earning the right to ask a question, which Chi Xin found childish. He Mingzhu took Zhen Zheng to select wedding rings.
Zhen Zheng, having invested all his savings in Chi Xin's startup, was inwardly distressed. He Mingzhu tried on several expensive rings, including a new 18K diamond female ring and a "heart-to-heart series" ring. Zhen Zheng found various excuses for each, claiming they were too common or that the diamond's color didn't suit her long fingers. When He Mingzhu pressed him for the real reason, he feigned forgetting his bank card.
He Mingzhu, jokingly referring to herself as a "wife of shop-owner," bought her preferred ring (the third one she tried) herself, telling him to pay her back for the rest of his life. Later, SA Yi, distracted and preoccupied with thoughts of Zheng Ze, made a minor error during surgery. Her Director, noting her previous perfect record of 799 surgeries, suspended her for half a month and ordered her to write an 800-word self-criticism.
Meanwhile, Zhen Zheng, who was with He Mingzhu shopping for lingerie, received a call from Chi Xin and abruptly left, claiming he had work matters to attend to. Feeling something was amiss, He Mingzhu went to his company and discovered he had resigned two days prior to start a business with Chi Xin. Heartbroken, she called Ding Xiaorou and SA Yi, crying that Zhen Zheng didn't care for her and had used their wedding money for the startup.
She dramatically suggested he might be in love with Chi Xin. Ding Xiaorou and SA Yi tried to console her, explaining that Zhen Zheng likely wanted to provide her with a better life and that they could still organize a wedding with their help. Despite their reassurances, He Mingzhu remained inconsolable and insisted on confronting Zhen Zheng. Ding Xiaorou and SA Yi frantically held her back, fearing a heated argument.
He Mingzhu eventually decided to return to her coffee shop, declaring she needed to earn money to support herself. Chi Xin and Zhen Zheng were diligently preparing their new company, but they faced a dilemma: they needed more staff but lacked the funds to hire full-time professionals. Zhen Zheng offered to take on multiple roles. Unexpectedly, their former team members from their previous company showed up, having all resigned.
They expressed their disdain for their former boss, Tong Liang, whom they considered arrogant and unethical, and declared their loyalty to Chi Xin. They told Chi Xin that they enjoyed their work and wanted to join him to create something meaningful. Chi Xin agreed to take them on, but warned them that the salaries would be significantly lower, only about half of what they previously earned.
The team, however, was unfazed, stating they were "working overtime ghosts" who didn't spend much money anyway and could live off their savings until the company became profitable. Zhen Zheng added to the sentiment, emphasizing that a man's path to success should not be hindered by anything, not even a wife.
At this moment, He Mingzhu, who had followed Zhen Zheng after seeing him carrying large boxes into the elevator, arrived and overheard his declaration about a man's path to success not being hindered by a wife, further fueling her suspicions.
