Parallel Love Episode 5 Recap
> Parallel Love Recap
Chairman Jiao expressed surprise at Jiao Yang's prompt arrival, remarking that it was the first time his son had come to him to discuss work. Zhao Yan then presented her company development proposal, which Chairman Jiao found to be excellent.
He presented two calligraphy scrolls: one with the character "è¿œ" (far), symbolizing "Still waters run deep" and wishing her a long and successful path; the other, an "æ— " (empty) character for Jiao Yang, causing Jiao Yang to roll his eyes, already having "a bad feeling" about it. Back in the office, Jiao Yang saw Lin Miao discussing details of a rooftop wedding with a colleague who was asking on Manager Wu's behalf.
Jiao Yang accused Lin Miao of "loafing around," then asserted that from now on, whether for major or minor issues, she must report everything to him and was not allowed to make decisions alone. Shortly after, Zhao Yan gathered everyone for an important discussion. Jiao Yang pointedly excluded Lin Miao, telling her to stay behind for "self-reflection."
As the team began to work, Jiao Yang muttered to himself, accusing Lin Miao of being "silly and incapable" and having "no achievement," vowing to teach her a lesson. He soon noticed Lin Miao was gone. Lin Miao rushed to the welfare center, intending to pretend to be Lin Weijun and ensure her grandmother got a check-up, believing she still had five hours until the incident.
However, upon arrival, she found Lin Weijun already distraught and crying by her grandmother’s bedside. Lin Miao was devastated, realizing the tragedy had occurred prematurely. On a phone call, Lin Weijun was fired, explaining through tears that her grandmother was in a vegetative state and her boyfriend had been in a car accident the previous day. Lin Miao was heartbroken, questioning why all her careful preparations failed to change anything.
She then donned a mascot costume and approached a despairing Lin Weijun, who shared her past "life principle" of never crying, believing no one would be strong for her. Lin Weijun reflected on how she thought she had become strong enough to move on, but seeing Grandma Chen on her sickbed made her realize her own foolishness.
Lin Miao, as the mascot, silently conveyed that while she couldn't directly help Lin Weijun, she could at least "make the nightmare from ten years ago a little bit warmer." Lin Weijun thanked the unknown "dearest stranger" for the comfort. Jiao Yang and Zhao Yan worked overnight to finalize the company development proposal. In a subsequent meeting with Chairman Jiao, he commended the proposal, particularly the plan to assign 24-hour personal butlers to the visiting customer experience officers.
However, he immediately noticed that Assistant Lin had no tasks assigned. Jiao Yang stated that Lin Miao was "not involved in this project," but Chairman Jiao firmly insisted that she "must oversee this project" entirely, or the plan was unacceptable. Jiao Yang started to protest, but Zhao Yan swiftly intervened, agreeing on his behalf and promising to find a suitable role for Lin Miao to ensure her full participation.
Later, Zhao Yan announced that Lin Miao would serve as a personal butler for one of the customer experience officers, explaining that this role would allow her full involvement and was akin to an assistant's duties, making it manageable for her as a newcomer. Colleagues whispered, interpreting the role as a "24-hour babysitter" and believing it was Jiao Yang's doing, given his long-standing dissatisfaction with Lin Miao. Despite her hesitation, Lin Miao accepted the position.
Jiao Yang tried to sneak into his home but was startled by Lin Miao, who appeared unexpectedly. She immediately confronted him, demanding to know his assessment of her work ability and character, questioning why he treated her so poorly, and why she was assigned to a role she was completely unfamiliar with. Jiao Yang, feeling aggrieved, claimed the order wasn't his, subtly hinting at his father's involvement without explicitly stating it.
Lin Miao, however, dismissed his excuses, accusing him of trying to blame Director Zhao and suggesting that his "mischief" could jeopardize the entire project. Jiao Yang retorted that a subordinate shouldn't question a boss's decisions, told her to reflect on her own mistakes, and reminded her she could "resign at any time." Provoked, Lin Miao revealed that her only reason for staying was to help him become president so she could return to 2020, criticizing his dismissive attitude towards work.
The argument intensified, and Lin Miao declared that she would move out immediately after the event, promising never to bother him again. Lin Miao officially became a personal butler for a customer experience officer. Jiao Yang later approached Zhao Yan, suggesting that Lin Miao should not continue as a personal butler due to her lack of professional training, fearing she might "make things worse," and proposed she return to being his assistant. However, Lin Miao, standing firm, rejected the offer.
She confidently stated that although she lacked formal training, Director Zhao had provided her with detailed client information, and her experience as a senior assistant, coupled with Jiao Yang's "lenient with himself, strict with others" leadership, would allow her to excel in the role.
Meanwhile, outside the hotel, Zhao Yan discovered a stray cat, which she brought inside, naming it "Lucky" and intending to keep it in a storeroom until the event concluded, when she would take it home, despite Jiao Yang's concerns about hotel policy and potential guest reactions. Later, Chairman Zhao expressed his apprehension to Chairman Jiao about Zhao Yan undertaking such a significant project immediately after returning to the country, worrying she might "get into trouble."
Chairman Jiao, however, was fully confident, remarking that "the future belongs to the youngsters" and that giving them opportunities could lead to "unexpected surprises." Lin Miao meticulously cleaned and prepared Mr. Sui's hotel room after reviewing his extensive client profile, which detailed his numerous specific demands: a dust-free environment due to allergies, only regular-shaped food because of severe OCD, absolute quietness (noise above 45 decibels prevented sleep due to neurasthenia), no nuts or lactose, and a tendency for indecisiveness.
Concerned that Lin Miao might not handle Mr. Sui well, Jiao Yang secretly ordered Secretary Yan to follow Lin Miao and report her every action, but explicitly warned him not to reveal Jiao Yang's involvement. Secretary Yan attempted to "coincidentally" offer help, but Lin Miao, having already thoroughly cleaned and inspected the room, politely declined his assistance. Realizing Jiao Yang was behind Secretary Yan's presence, Lin Miao directly asked why Jiao Yang was upset with her.
Secretary Yan, trying to protect Jiao Yang's image, claimed he was there to "oversee your job so that you don't bring shame to President Jiao." When Lin Miao pressed for more clues, Secretary Yan cryptically hinted, "It's something related to 'cÃ' (resignation)." Lin Miao initially misinterpreted the hint, thinking of "porcelain." Jiao Yang announced a Sanya vacation for everyone after the event. He then received a text message from Secretary Yan reporting that Lin Miao was at the swimming pool.
Jiao Yang, using the excuse of checking the pool's water quality, hurried there, with Zhao Yan and others following suit. At the pool, Lin Miao was meticulously verifying the water temperature, ensuring it met Mr. Sui's precise requirement of 26. 5 to 27. 3 degrees Celsius, and muttering her desire to finish and leave the hotel. Jiao Yang watched her, feeling uneasy. As Lin Miao was about to leave, Secretary Yan startled her.
Jiao Yang quickly reached out to pull her back, but in her panicked reaction, Lin Miao accidentally pushed him into the pool. Zhao Yan gasped in surprise. To cover for Lin Miao, Jiao Yang quickly asserted that he had "personally dived into the water to check" the temperature because he was concerned about Lin Miao's inexperience. Secretary Yan promptly handed him a room card for room "5016" and urged him to go shower.
Jiao Yang later joked with Secretary Yan, telling him not to help Lin Miao again, and boasted about his "excellent posture with a perfect splash" when he fell. Jiao Yang, mistakenly using his room card, entered room "5013," which was assigned to Mr. Sui. Moments later, Lin Miao entered the same suite to conduct her checks and was startled to find Jiao Yang showering in the bathroom.
Jiao Yang immediately accused Lin Miao of intentionally pushing him into the pool, then deliberately leading him to the wrong room to "peep" at him. He demanded to know what she had seen. Lin Miao, rolling her eyes, dismissed his accusations as absurd, stating that it wasn't important what she saw and that she had "no necessity" to peep at him.
She urged him to clean the water on the floor and promptly return to his actual room so she could clean Mr. Sui's suite. As they bickered, the power suddenly went out. Lin Miao, explaining that Leisure's administrative floor had an emergency power system, assured him that power would be restored within five minutes. In the darkness, Lin Miao accidentally pulled off Jiao Yang's bathrobe, immediately covering her eyes.
Jiao Yang then demanded that she either apologize or help him put the robe back on. When she refused to apologize, he insisted she help him don the bathrobe and tie the belt, threatening to remain partially dressed when the lights returned. Exasperated, Lin Miao reluctantly complied. After the power was restored, Lin Miao's stomach grumbled.
Jiao Yang offered her an apple, but Lin Miao quickly stopped him, explaining that Mr. Sui's severe OCD meant he could only accept an odd number of fruits in his fruit plate. Jiao Yang, unfazed, took a bite out of an apple from the plate and then offered another one to Lin Miao, jokingly remarking that to maintain an odd number, "you have to eat another one."
He then instructed Lin Miao to go to his room to fetch his clothes. Taking his room card, Lin Miao went to his room and, while looking for his clothes, discovered her resignation letter tucked inside his jacket. She immediately recalled Secretary Yan's earlier cryptic hint about "something related to 'cÃ' (resignation)" and finally understood the source of Jiao Yang's recent displeasure with her.
She confronted him about "secretly checking personal things," to which he retorted it was an "inspection" for "weapons" since a "stranger came to my house." Lin Miao then clarified that she had never intended to submit the resignation letter and complimented him on the "really great" customer experience event he had organized. Jiao Yang, with a slightly haughty "Wordy" and "Of course" response, then departed.
