My Huckleberry Friends Episode 29 Recap
> My Huckleberry Friends Recap
In 2017, Ling Xiangqian was rushing to work while Jiang Chuan, her boyfriend, apologized for not making her lunch that morning, explaining he had played games late into the night. He asked her to come home early that evening, mentioning he had "business" to discuss. Ling Xiangqian told her colleague that Jiang Chuan was still full of energy after playing games all night, but when it came to making her breakfast, he fell asleep instead.
Her colleague commented that she should be satisfied to have a boyfriend who cooks for her every day, then wondered if Ling Xiangqian knew any other men like Jiang Chuan, for herself. At lunch, Ling Xiangqian and her colleague were at a convenience store when the colleague pointed out the "most handsome and stylish boy" in their office park, who was buying lunch. It turned out to be Chu Tiankuo.
Ling Xiangqian and Chu Tiankuo greeted each other, noting that neither had changed much. Chu Tiankuo mentioned he worked in the building opposite hers and often bought food there after work, surprised he hadn't seen her before. Ling Xiangqian explained that Jiang Chuan usually cooked for her, avoiding fast food for health reasons. When Chu Tiankuo asked if she and Jiang Chuan were still together, she confirmed they were and added that they were "about to get married."
Chu Tiankuo noted he hadn't seen her since graduation, as she never attended Zhenhua gatherings, and when she did once, she was reportedly traveling abroad with Jiang Chuan. Before they parted ways, Chu Tiankuo handed Ling Xiangqian his business card, offering help if she ever needed it. Back at the office, Ling Xiangqian's colleague noticed her staring at Chu Tiankuo's business card, which identified him as a Program Manager at Tiansheng Investment.
Pressing for details, the colleague asked if Chu Tiankuo was an ex-boyfriend or first love, which Ling Xiangqian reluctantly confirmed was "sort of" true. She recounted an incident from high school where Chu Tiankuo helped her with sand in her eye, but when their director discovered them, Chu Tiankuo claimed she was chasing him, almost causing her to run away from home. Her colleague found the story of her "first love" to be quite bitter.
Later, Manager Li invited Ling Xiangqian to a Japanese restaurant for lunch to discuss department plans, but she politely declined, saying she had already eaten. Manager Li, seeing Chu Tiankuo's business card, warned her about "con men" and subtly belittled Chu Tiankuo's title as "Program Manager" compared to his own "Division Manager" role, suggesting someone "around her" would be more reliable. Ling Xiangqian clarified that Chu Tiankuo was a high school classmate before Manager Li left.
That evening, Jiang Chuan told Ling Xiangqian he had been unemployed for three months, but she hadn't complained. He was on the phone with Lin Yang, having just learned that Yu Zhouzhou was back in the country. Jiang Chuan advised Lin Yang to be more assertive with Yu Zhouzhou, telling him not to be a "dog" and asserting that Yu Zhouzhou had just left as she pleased and now returned as she pleased.
After the call, Jiang Chuan tried to cheer Ling Xiangqian up by suggesting a movie night, but she was unusually quiet. He revealed he had skipped a job interview to "defend the tower" in a game, a confession that would normally upset her, but her continued silence worried him. Ling Xiangqian eventually snapped, telling him to stop bothering her. She felt "oppressed" and "couldn't breathe" due to his constant worry every time she was quiet or lost in thought.
The next day, Ling Xiangqian returned to the convenience store for lunch and again encountered Chu Tiankuo. He noticed her looking tired and offered her a warm drink, which he held to her dark circles, a gesture that reminded her of a similar moment in high school. Chu Tiankuo confessed that he had lost a project he had prepared for two months, with another colleague taking it by securing a larger company.
He expressed a longing for high school, remembering it as a time of greater happiness, where effort directly yielded results. He felt that despite their once-promising futures, they were now just "ordinary people." Ling Xiangqian countered that being an ordinary person also required significant effort, citing the challenges of pursuing an ordinary university, job, and family. Chu Tiankuo concluded that "choice" was "a thousand times more important than effort."
Their conversation was interrupted by his boss's daughter, who arrived to pick him up. Chu Tiankuo clarified she was his "boss's daughter" and "sort of" his girlfriend. Returning home later, Ling Xiangqian found Jiang Chuan gone and his phone off. She called Lin Yang's number, but Yu Zhouzhou answered, confirming they hadn't seen Jiang Chuan either. After hanging up, Ling Xiangqian drafted a WeChat message to Jiang Chuan, stating, "Jiang Chuan, it's time for us to say goodbye."
Just then, Jiang Chuan returned, explaining his phone had died after he received an internal test number for a game during a job interview. He joyfully announced that the interview went well, and he was offered a Program Manager position starting the next day. To celebrate, he bought Ling Xiangqian's favorite Japanese food. He then tried to use her phone to text Lin Yang, only to see her unsent breakup message.
At the dinner table, both Ling Xiangqian and Jiang Chuan wanted to speak, but she insisted he read her message first. Jiang Chuan tried to distract her with the sushi, but Ling Xiangqian, tearfully, expressed her growing lack of confidence in their relationship. She recalled how he consistently dodged her attempts to discuss marriage. She then declared that if he agreed to break up, she would accept it.
Jiang Chuan, his voice breaking, agreed, stating that today would be her "last day as my girlfriend," and after she finished the sushi, their relationship would "end." Ling Xiangqian, upset, took a bite of sushi and crunched down on something hard: a ring. Jiang Chuan laughed, explaining he put it in the sushi because it was her favorite. He then formally proposed to her.
He revealed he had seen her message and knew it had a comma at the end, followed by the rest of her sentence: "Jiang Chuan, it's time for us to say goodbye, "if you don't propose to me tonight"." Ling Xiangqian, her tears now turning to joyful laughter, accepted the proposal, playfully complaining about the mustard on the ring as he put it on her finger.
Simultaneously, at a Japanese restaurant, Chu Tiankuo was dining with his boss's daughter, who inquired about the woman she had seen him with. He admitted she was a high school classmate but denied any romantic involvement, though she remained suspicious. Pressed to recount their past, Chu Tiankuo cleverly reframed a disciplinary incident from high school, portraying Ling Xiangqian as the one who "didn't admit" their relationship, making himself appear to be the unfairly punished party.
His boss's daughter, seemingly satisfied and distracted by new menu items, dropped the subject. Chu Tiankuo also subtly mentioned that the project he had recently lost was no longer his responsibility, implying her father's intervention to protect him. In another private room at the same restaurant, Xin Rui was drinking heavily with clients, trying to secure the lowest price for blockboards for her small decoration company.
Afterward, she scrolled through her WeChat Moments and saw Jiang Chuan and Ling Xiangqian's wedding invitation. Upon returning home, Xin Rui found her electricity had been cut off due to six months of unpaid property fees. She went to a nearby cyber cafe to work, where she unexpectedly ran into Xu Zhiqiang. He recognized her instantly. Xu Zhiqiang, now a successful owner of the cyber cafe and manager of an e-sports team after leaving the army, explained his journey.
Xin Rui tried to keep their interaction brief, but Xu Zhiqiang gave her his contact information, telling her he had been trying to find her for years since she changed her number in college and had even written her letters that went unanswered. Later, at home, Xin Rui reread a stack of old letters from Xu Zhiqiang, one of which contained his heartfelt congratulations on her supposed marriage. She realized her mother had lied to him.
The next morning, Xin Rui returned to the cyber cafe and watched Xu Zhiqiang, now a serious and focused coach, addressing his e-sports team. She then approached him and vividly recounted how he used to bully her in high school: throwing paper balls, drawing her as a pig, and forcing her to bring him cigarettes and snacks. She demanded he "compensate" her now.
A stunned Xu Zhiqiang explained that he hadn't known how to interact with a girl he liked back then and, recalling a past incident where he almost blinded her, declared he would have taken care of her for life. Xin Rui then revealed the difficulties of her current life: she was neither married nor had a boyfriend, her small decoration company was struggling during the off-season, and she worried about starving.
Xu Zhiqiang offered his full support, even jokingly suggesting he'd set up a pancake stand in his cyber cafe to "redeem" her from her family, but corrected himself, saying he wanted to "save" her from her old life. He affirmed that the Xin Rui he valued was always in his heart, despite her struggles and past transformations. Meanwhile, Benben also returned to the city and received a call from Yu Zhouzhou, confirming their plan to meet up the next day.
