My Girlfriend Episode 26 Recap
> My Girlfriend Recap
Chi Xin, Zheng Ze, and SA Yi anxiously searched for Ding Xiaorou, but she was nowhere to be found. Chi Xin separately asked people if they had seen her, but received no leads. SA Yi and Zheng Ze later went to A Hua's house, where SA Yi recognized the ginkgo tree mural designed by Ding Xiaorou and thoughtfully wrote her blessings on a ginkgo leaf. Meanwhile, Ding Xiaorou had returned to her hometown.
Her mother, overjoyed by her sudden return, prepared her favorite noodles, telling her to eat them while they were hot and advising her on mixing the ingredients. Ding Xiaorou explained that she simply wanted to surprise her mother. Her mother lovingly wiped Ding Xiaorou's mouth and was delighted when Ding Xiaorou declared her mother's noodles were the best. Ding Xiaorou’s mother even secretly took a photo of her eating to post on social media.
SA Yi soon saw Ding Xiaorou's mother's social media post and realized Ding Xiaorou had gone back home. She suggested to Zheng Ze that they go pick her up, noting that the distance wasn't too far. However, Zheng Ze believed that at this moment, the person Ding Xiaorou most wanted to see was not them. Ding Xiaorou spent time helping her mother with chores, like spreading out pickled radishes to dry.
Their interactions were filled with affectionate banter, with Ding Xiaorou teasing her mother about her stylish square dance outfits, which her mother proudly defended. Ding Xiaorou also brought a broken red umbrella, hoping to find someone to fix it. She explained to her mother that it was a significant "love token" belonging to Chi Xin and He Mingzhu, and despite its difficulty to repair, she felt compelled to try.
She later took the umbrella to a local repair shop, where the master initially suggested buying a new one, but Ding Xiaorou emphasized its immense personal significance, convincing him to take a look. Back in the city, Zhen Zheng was in a panic over the wedding preparations for He Mingzhu. He had arranged a short trip for He Mingzhu as a surprise and closed the cafe to allow Ding Xiaorou to decorate the venue.
With Ding Xiaorou now gone, he felt helpless. When he learned Ding Xiaorou was found in her hometown, his relief was short-lived as the main designer was still unavailable. Suggestions to call the police, use social media to find her, or even consult a master were debated. Zhen Zheng, frustrated, concluded that he needed a "Plan B" to change the venue, even if it meant last-minute bookings.
He was also concerned about retrieving an important item—the umbrella—which was still with Ding Xiaorou. Zheng Ze and SA Yi confronted Chi Xin, urging him to bring Ding Xiaorou back. Chi Xin was still angry, insisting that Ding Xiaorou was in the wrong for acting impulsively despite her narcolepsy, which could lead to trouble. Zheng Ze countered that love wasn't about right or wrong.
Challenging Chi Xin to a dangerous game, Zheng Ze drove his car directly at Chi Xin, stopping just in time. He then vividly reminded Chi Xin of the time they were lost in the mountains, when Chi Xin had a high fever. Ding Xiaorou ran over ten miles through the mountain roads to reach the main road, bravely stepping into the path of an oncoming car to stop it and save him, completely disregarding her own safety.
Zheng Ze passionately argued that Ding Xiaorou's selflessness showed deep feelings for Chi Xin, and Chi Xin had let her down. He asserted that Chi Xin was responsible for Ding Xiaorou leaving and must go bring her back. Chi Xin, deeply affected by Zheng Ze’s words, immediately drove off. SA Yi praised Zheng Ze’s compelling "performance." Ding Xiaorou and her mother went to buy groceries and encountered Aunt Zhang, the leader of the local square dance group.
Aunt Zhang, observing Ding Xiaorou, enthusiastically suggested setting her up with the District Director's son, highlighting his good family and two city apartments. Ding Xiaorou's mother politely declined, stating she never interferes with her daughter's romantic choices. However, Aunt Zhang persisted, mentioning a beautiful jade bracelet Ding Xiaorou's mother intended for her daughter's wedding.
Aunt Zhang then criticized Ding Xiaorou for "drifting outside" without significant achievements, suggesting she should return home to marry and have children for a stable life, like another woman's daughter who found a husband from the tax bureau. Infuriated by the disparaging remarks about her daughter, Ding Xiaorou's mother became angry from embarrassment. She passionately defended Ding Xiaorou, pulling out photos of Ding Xiaorou’s award-winning cabinet designs to show Aunt Zhang.
Ding Xiaorou quickly intervened, pulling her mother away and back home. Later that evening, Ding Xiaorou, still troubled by Aunt Zhang's remarks, asked her mother to see the jade bracelet. Gazing at its beauty, she worried about her mother’s potential disappointment if she never had a wedding to wear it. At dinner, Ding Xiaorou pondered aloud to her mother about the possibility of never finding love. Her mother tenderly reassured her, saying she would always love her.
Just then, Chi Xin arrived, having driven a long way. Ding Xiaorou, hearing his voice, quickly retreated to her room. Chi Xin explained to Ding Xiaorou's mother that he had come to apologize to Ding Xiaorou for hurtful words exchanged during a recent disagreement. Ding Xiaorou's mother spoke candidly with Chi Xin, acknowledging Ding Xiaorou's deep affection for him and praising him as a good young man.
She shared her daughter's dream of being a "dreamer" but confessed her fear that Ding Xiaorou might have dreams without a home. She envisioned a small home for Ding Xiaorou, not necessarily grand, but filled with love from someone who cherished her deeply. She spoke of raising Ding Xiaorou alone after her father's early death, and her constant worry due to Ding Xiaorou’s narcolepsy, which limited many activities.
Her ultimate hope was to hand her daughter’s hand to someone who loved her more than she did, otherwise, she would rather hold it herself. Chi Xin listened intently, understanding her concerns. As Chi Xin prepared to leave, Ding Xiaorou’s mother asked him to promise to look after Ding Xiaorou, especially with her passion for window design, and to always encourage her not to give up on her dreams, a promise Chi Xin readily made.
After Chi Xin departed, Ding Xiaorou emerged and tearfully embraced her mother. Her mother, seeing the still-broken umbrella, encouraged Ding Xiaorou to fix it herself. She advised her to examine the umbrella's structure and its specific fault, urging her to find solutions or substitutes for broken parts, expressing confidence in her daughter’s intelligence. A flashback then revealed the true origin of the red umbrella. As children, Chi Xin and He Mingzhu were neighbors who often played together.
Chi Xin, playfully, always had He Mingzhu pinch his nose, claiming it wasn't pointy enough. On her birthday, as they shared cake, Chi Xin promised to marry her when they grew up, and she said she would wait. Before He Mingzhu moved away, she gave the umbrella to Chi Xin, telling him to return it when he came to marry her.
Chi Xin recalled how he never caught up with her car that day, realizing then that she was the one he would wait for his entire life. This memory highlights the profound sentimental value of the umbrella, particularly for Chi Xin and He Mingzhu.
