My Girlfriend Episode 3 Recap
> My Girlfriend Recap
Chi Xin confronted Ding Xiaorou in the hallway of their apartment building, urging her to pay back the money she owed him. He remarked on the coincidence of them being neighbors, with him on the fourth floor. Ding Xiaorou, attempting to evade him, denied living there, but Chi Xin didn't believe her, stating that since they were neighbors, collecting the debt would be easier. From his apartment, he later loudly reminded her to pay him back.
Ding Xiaorou insisted she wasn't trying to cheat, but genuinely had no money, and reiterated that she wasn't a "road killer" but suffered from Sudden Sleep, which had caused the accident. Later, Ding Xiaorou sought advice from Nan Sasa (SA Yi) and He Mingzhu about her predicament. He Mingzhu pointed out that Ding Xiaorou's situation, with a handsome creditor, chance encounters, living in the same building, and misunderstandings, had all the makings of an idol drama.
However, Ding Xiaorou was focused on the urgent matter of the debt, as Chi Xin had given her only a week to pay for the luxury car she crashed. He Mingzhu suggested a method, outlining a plan for Ding Xiaorou to "sell miserably" to Chi Xin. She advised Ding Xiaorou to admit her mistakes, praise him, and avoid looking at her notes. She assured Ding Xiaorou that the angrier Chi Xin got, the more pitiable Ding Xiaorou would appear.
Following He Mingzhu's advice, Ding Xiaorou sent a message to Chi Xin, politely requesting a meeting to discuss the payment, to which Chi Xin promptly replied. At Chi Xin's company reception room, Ding Xiaorou, with deliberately disheveled hair and dark circles under her eyes (courtesy of He Mingzhu), tearfully confessed her mistakes and recounted a fabricated sad story, initially mentioning a lost puppy before correcting herself to a cat.
She praised Chi Xin for not involving the police and still giving her time. She promised to pay him back even if she had to live in a basement. Chi Xin saw through her act, caught her glancing at her notes, and told her to memorize her lines better next time. Zhen Zheng, Chi Xin's assistant, later confirmed to Chi Xin that Ding Xiaorou was like a "school student caught cheating."
Meanwhile, Zheng Ze arrived at Taigu Company to start his new job in the Design Department. He specifically inquired about Ding Xiaorou, only to be informed by other employees that she had likely been fired. Around the same time, their supervisor Lucy was receiving praise for a window design. Undeterred by the failure of the "pity play," Ding Xiaorou resolved to follow He Mingzhu's second suggestion: the "beauty trap."
He Mingzhu explained that to get more time, Ding Xiaorou needed to change Chi Xin's impression of her. She believed that no man could resist a woman pursuing him if the methods were clever enough. On the day of the formal recording for Chi Xin's show "Love Sandstorm," the scheduled host unexpectedly dropped out due to a conflict with another program produced by Tong Liang.
Unfazed, Chi Xin, who had majored in broadcasting and hosting in college, stepped in as the host. The first segment featured a couple, Xiaowen and Xie Yang. Xiaowen wanted to break up with Xie Yang after five years, feeling they had grown apart and lacked common ground. Xie Yang, in contrast, offered to give up his overseas studies if she would stay.
Reflecting on his own past relationship with Jiang Yuan, Chi Xin abruptly advised Xiaowen to break up with Xie Yang, asserting that Xie Yang's actions were merely for his own self-gratification. Zhen Zheng tried to intervene, but Chi Xin cut the segment short, promising to explain his actions to the team later. Ding Xiaorou, having dressed up in a sexy dress for her "beauty trap," arrived at Chi Xin's company.
Chi Xin, distraught from the show, went directly to his office, leaving Ding Xiaorou waiting patiently outside. As the evening progressed, a thunderstorm broke out. Chi Xin finally emerged, and Ding Xiaorou followed. Outside, Chi Xin spotted Tong Liang picking up Jiang Yuan. He handed his umbrella to Ding Xiaorou and ran off into the rain. Upon returning home, Ding Xiaorou realized she had left her diary in Chi Xin's office.
She called He Mingzhu, expressing her distress about the failed "beauty trap" and her mounting debt. During the call, Nan Sasa (SA Yi), who was with He Mingzhu, was surprised Ding Xiaorou still kept a diary and advised her to retrieve the outstanding payment from Lucy. Back at his office, Chi Xin found Ding Xiaorou's retro diary. Unable to resist his curiosity, he opened it. He was astonished to read about Ding Xiaorou's numerous failed confessions, tallying over thirty heartbreaks.
Realizing this was a compelling story, he immediately called Zhen Zheng, instructing him to contact Ding Xiaorou's former love interests. The next morning, Ding Xiaorou went to Lucy to demand her outstanding payment. Lucy, still angry about a previous incident where Ding Xiaorou's actions led to her getting scolded by their boss, accused Ding Xiaorou of causing damage to the company's reputation.
Lucy declared that the outstanding payment would be withheld as compensation for the "damages" and a "fine," stating that any future collaboration would depend on Ding Xiaorou's improved performance. Zheng Ze observed the entire exchange. As a dejected Ding Xiaorou left, the heel of her shoe broke on the stairs. Zheng Ze, who had followed her, offered her a comforting cake and praised her talent.
He also revealed his own condition, Sudden Sleep, which causes him to fall asleep if his heart rate exceeds 190, showing her a heart rate alarm he wore. To make her feel better about her broken shoe, he deliberately broke the heel of her other shoe so they would match. Meanwhile, Zhen Zheng and his team visited Ding Xiaorou's previous "confession targets," but found that most had no recollection of her.
One man only vaguely remembered her for her fried eggs, and mentioned meeting someone else because of her. Zhen Zheng reported the dismal findings to Chi Xin, who, inspired by Ding Xiaorou's diary, confidently declared that he had an idea that would guarantee an "Audience Rating 2. 0" for the next episode. Later, Chi Xin was disturbed by noise from the apartment upstairs, which turned out to be Ding Xiaorou.
Annoyed, he considered buying a "Floor shaking device," a "noise-based noise" gadget designed to combat noisy neighbors. Ding Xiaorou came to his door to apologize, explaining she only had time for housework at night. Chi Xin told her to be mindful of the time, implying she lacked public morality. Ding Xiaorou defended herself, stating she lived just above him and had no intention of defaulting on her debt, and was working hard to earn money. She apologized for the noise but asked him not to accuse her of lacking public morality.
