Never Gone Episode 23 Recap
> Never Gone Recap
Su Yunjin and Cheng Zheng were sharing a playful moment when they accidentally bumped into a man carrying coffee, spilling it all over his clothes. Feeling apologetic, Su Yunjin wrote down her company's address, MD Network, on a slip of paper, offering to wash his clothes if he mailed them to her. The man examined the address with a knowing smile before leaving, unaware to Su Yunjin that he was Xu Zhiheng, the newly appointed head of MD Network.
Cheng Zheng, with a pout, chided Su Yunjin for giving their address to a "middle-aged man." On their way back, Cheng Zheng enthusiastically planned their first week of dates, including a special celebration for their first day together the following evening. Su Yunjin, however, mentioned she had a company event tomorrow and would be picked up by Brother Li. Cheng Zheng insisted on picking her up after her work.
Later, Cheng Zheng received an invitation from a company located right next to MD Network. He realized this would allow him to be closer to Su Yunjin. Upon arriving at the company, he was surprised to find that the boss also shared his surname, Cheng. Cheng Zheng cautiously inquired if the boss was a distant relative of his parents, and after receiving a negative answer, he gladly accepted the position.
He requested the boss's office and desk by the window, explaining he'd find more inspiration looking outside, a request the boss happily granted. Meanwhile, Su Yunjin and her colleagues were busy decorating for MD Network's annual reception, preparing to welcome the new boss. Another colleague enthusiastically spoke about the new boss being a young and promising individual from headquarters. Su Yunjin soon received a text from Cheng Zheng about their date.
She replied, informing him of the reception and promising to contact him afterward. Cheng Zheng, however, called her, expressing his frustration about the mandatory event and suggesting she "slip away" or "take a day off," offering to drink with her instead. Su Yunjin insisted she couldn't leave and that everyone had to attend.
Brother Li, her team lead, reinforced the importance of the reception, explaining it was a chance to make a good impression, especially for their hard-won Paipai Project, and that Su Yunjin, having played a crucial role, needed to "perform well" for the team. Separately, Jin Zi and Zhou Ziyi were playing soccer.
Jin Zi, wanting to appeal to Mo Yuhua, who he knew liked Zhou Ziyi, comically tried to imitate Zhou Ziyi’s posture, asking if his moves resembled "Aerobics for the elderly." Zhou Ziyi found Jin Zi's efforts amusing but also noted that Mo Yuhua had her reasons for liking him, implying that Jin Zi was fine as he was. As evening approached, the reception began.
Su Yunjin was stunned to realize that the new leader was none other than Xu Zhiheng, the man from the coffee incident. Xu Zhiheng immediately silenced the music and launched into a "harsh" address, stating he disliked such events and found them meaningless. He announced the cancellation of all "meaningless events," the reduction of funding for "low return projects," and a complete restructuring of the company's "overly complex" personnel.
Employees were given one month to prove their worth, with the option to leave immediately if they wished. Simultaneously, Cheng Zheng, waiting impatiently downstairs, received a call from Zhou Ziyi, who, amidst noisy surroundings, declared he was going to find "her" because "there won't be any more chances once the feeling is gone." Cheng Zheng, preoccupied, angrily hung up. Miss Guo immediately confronted Xu Zhiheng, reminding him he was taking over an existing company, not starting a new one.
She criticized his decision to cut funding without project assessment or consulting project leaders, questioning his sense of responsibility. Xu Zhiheng dismissed her, stating he didn't need to explain and only cared about avoiding "limited funding being wasted and excessive manpower dragging the company down." Su Yunjin tried to interject, but Miss Guo declared her refusal to accept his arrangement and walked away.
Su Yunjin then stepped forward, trying to explain that their budget was already streamlined and asked Xu Zhiheng to reconsider. She also defended Miss Guo, suggesting that if there were useless people in the company, it was the management, not dedicated employees like Miss Guo. He reiterated that cutting funds was "a must" and that he expected employees to "find ways to solve problems instead of questioning my decision."
Just then, Meng Xue, introduced by Xu Zhiheng as Cindy, a representative from an American company collaborating on a new project and present for an inspection, appeared. She expressed surprise at seeing Su Yunjin, her high school classmate, at MD Network, and then questioned Xu Zhiheng's approach, wondering how they could cooperate if he was dismissing employees on the first day.
Meng Xue then asked Su Yunjin about Cheng Zheng, prompting Su Yunjin to give an evasive answer, not revealing their new relationship, before quickly leaving the reception with Miss Guo. Cheng Zheng, still waiting below, decided to go upstairs to find Su Yunjin and instead encountered Meng Xue. Meng Xue teasingly asked why he was there, mentioning Su Yunjin had left and implying she wouldn't have time for him.
Just then, Cheng Zheng received a call from Su Yunjin, who apologized and informed him their date was canceled due to urgent company matters, suggesting they reschedule for tomorrow. Meng Xue, observing Cheng Zheng's disappointment, playfully suggested they go for a drink elsewhere, hinting at their "destiny" to meet. Cheng Zheng, reluctantly, offered to drive her to her hotel.
As they drove off, Meng Xue confided in Cheng Zheng about her lonely time studying abroad and asked why he never replied to her emails. Cheng Zheng replied he hadn't checked his email in a long time. She then again questioned his continued pursuit of Su Yunjin, suggesting they were "different worlds." Cheng Zheng then revealed to her that he and Su Yunjin were officially a couple, stating, "there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."
Meng Xue was surprised and visibly unhappy, but Cheng Zheng insisted he saw a big change in Su Yunjin, especially her impressive stand against the new CEO. Meng Xue then cryptically alluded to Su Yunjin's earlier acquaintance with Xu Zhiheng and expressed her own shock at meeting Su Yunjin again under such circumstances, further implying Su Yunjin had "strength." As Cheng Zheng dropped Meng Xue off at her hotel, Su Yunjin, in Miss Guo's car, happened to witness them together.
After Meng Xue left, Xu Zhiheng's secretary, Elsa, later conveyed Xu Zhiheng’s message to Miss Guo and her team: proving worth required "strength," not just public displays, and only their project team was invited to report to him the next morning, implying he found their team "human touch." Subsequently, Xu Zhiheng and Elsa discussed the night's events. Elsa questioned if Su Yunjin's team would truly report to him after his harsh treatment.
Xu Zhiheng confidently stated that Miss Guo and her team valued the project too much to abandon it due to budget cuts. He also acknowledged Su Yunjin's unexpected assertiveness, remarking that her actions "forced Cindy to show herself," indicating a deeper issue between Su Yunjin and Meng Xue (Cindy). Elsa noted Meng Xue’s impatience, suggesting her rapid rise to her position, not her experience, contributed to it. Elsa then mentioned that "things" Xu Zhiheng had sent were returned, and "Sister Hu Yue" had called, asking him to stop visiting her home, which he dismissively called "stubborn."
