Remembrance of Things Past Episode 3 Recap
> Remembrance of Things Past Recap
An elderly woman faced a troubling situation at the supermarket when a cashier demanded mobile payment for her 15. 80 yuan purchase, stating she had no change. The elderly woman, unfamiliar with such technology, confessed she didn't know how to use mobile payment. A woman in line quickly intervened, reminding the cashier that refusing cash was illegal and chastising her for putting an elderly person in such a predicament.
The cashier tried to suggest the old lady buy more items to reach 60 yuan for a full change, but the old lady insisted she only wanted two cartons of milk. Seeing the argument, Hu Jingjing offered to pay for the elderly woman, scanning her own mobile payment. Grateful, the old lady insisted on repaying Hu Jingjing and rushed home to retrieve the money, asking Hu Jingjing to wait for her.
Hu Jingjing reluctantly agreed, waiting patiently on the steps outside. As evening fell and the supermarket closed, Hu Jingjing remained. She called a friend, expressing her bewilderment, wondering why the old lady would lie to her after she had offered to waive the debt. Her friend urged her to go home, convinced the old lady wouldn't return, but Hu Jingjing decided to wait ten more minutes.
Her trust was rewarded when the old lady finally appeared, profusely thanking Hu Jingjing for waiting. The old lady explained that she had forgotten to turn off her tap at home, causing the delay, and handed Hu Jingjing the money along with a homemade mung bean cake. Hu Jingjing was touched by the gesture, praising the cake's aroma and urging the old lady to be careful on her way.
Meanwhile, Ji Nanjia, Qiao Xichen, and Xu Yan continued their investigation into Hu Jingjing's death. Ji Nanjia found a photo belonging to Hu Jingjing's ex-boyfriend, Gao Yang, in her apartment. They confronted him, asking about their relationship and if he had physically harmed her. Gao Yang denied ever hitting women, especially Hu Jingjing, and identified himself as her ex-boyfriend. He described their three-month relationship, from April to late July, as a bizarre experience.
He and Hu Jingjing met through private messages on a website, and she was the one who initiated their relationship. However, Hu Jingjing became increasingly distant during their time together, often distracted on dates and secretly taking mysterious phone calls, sometimes returning in tears, claiming she was fine. Gao Yang tried to offer support, but she always refused to open up.
The day before her death, she suddenly proposed to break up, leading to an argument during which Gao Yang admitted to breaking a coffee mug but insisted he never laid a hand on her or said anything cruel. He found it implausible that a three-month relationship could lead to suicide. After Gao Yang left, Xu Yan confessed she hadn't known about Hu Jingjing's boyfriend but understood why she kept it private, noting Hu Jingjing's tendency to hide her personal matters.
Ji Nanjia questioned if they truly knew Hu Jingjing, feeling that the person Gao Yang described was different from the lively friend they knew. Qiao Xichen suggested Hu Jingjing's suicide might have been triggered by the breakup compounded with losing her job. She had taken Hu Jingjing's phone for repair, hoping to find more clues once it was fixed. In a different development, Xu Yan's boyfriend, Shen Zichang, attempted to reconcile with her after a disagreement.
He bought her a designer bag, assuring her it was authentic, unlike a previous fake. Their colleagues, however, mistook the new bag for another replica, leading Xu Yan to confront Shen Zichang. She recounted how he had chosen a 288 yuan imitation over a 688 yuan one for their third anniversary, making her feel undervalued. Qiao Xichen defended Xu Yan, but also pointed out Shen Zichang's limited income.
Xu Yan clarified that as a Beijing local living at home, Shen Zichang's salary was essentially disposable, suggesting he simply didn't care enough. After Shen Zichang made a public spectacle, dressing in a mascot costume and pleading for forgiveness, presenting the purportedly authentic bag, Xu Yan's perspective shifted.
She realized that even if Ji Nanjia carried a replica, people would assume it was real due to her status, whereas an authentic bag on her, an ordinary office worker, would be seen as fake. This made her understand that some things are not worth chasing for vanity. She hugged Shen Zichang, telling him she liked him more than handbags.
Qiao Xichen, still anxious about her job after the Su Qing incident, tried to obtain surveillance footage to clear her name, but the security guard only mocked her with a brief glimpse of a blank screen. She learned that Jian Yifan had already retrieved the relevant footage. Jian Yifan confronted Su Qing, who tearfully apologized, admitting she lost her quotation list and blamed Qiao Xichen out of fear.
Jian Yifan, however, deemed her actions "cruel and vile," emphasizing that her dismissal was due to her malicious behavior, not simply being on a layoff list. Qiao Xichen, despite being the victim, felt a twinge of pity for Su Qing, lamenting the harsh reality for "outlanders" striving for a career in Beijing. She hoped no one else would suffer a similar fate to Hu Jingjing.
Later, Su Qing approached Qiao Xichen, sarcastically declaring her "grievances redressed" now that she was fired. Qiao Xichen corrected her, calling it "God's justice," and chastised Su Qing for her betrayal after she had offered help. Su Qing, defensive, claimed she acted out of desperation at the age of 30, afraid of losing her job. Qiao Xichen countered that an easy life comes with a price, urging Su Qing to face the consequences of her choices.
Following this, Qiao Xichen approached Jian Yifan on the rooftop, thanking him for vindicating her and apologizing for misjudging his intentions. She admitted her initial belief that he wanted to fire her. Jian Yifan affirmed his commitment to evaluating performance over layoff lists, asking if she still felt incompetent. Qiao Xichen admitted to her cynical view of workplace dynamics, where leaders often speak ambiguously, but acknowledged Jian Yifan as a man of his word.
She explained that her previous outburst was due to immense emotional pressure, feeling she needed to vent to anyone or anything. Jian Yifan, observing her, expressed that he would intervene if he saw her in such distress on the street, believing everyone needs an outlet for their emotions. He even offered her a few days off, which Qiao Xichen misinterpreted as a subtle hint of dismissal.
Jian Yifan clarified his genuine concern for her well-being, worried she was exhausted and stressed. Despite his reassurances, Qiao Xichen privately worried about her job security and discretely started sending out resumes to other companies. During an interview at Damei, she unexpectedly encountered Jian Yifan, who fortunately did not seem to pursue the matter. Ji Nanjia, despite her recent recovery from cervical cancer, threw herself back into work, leading to a relapse of her old illness.
Her doctor reprimanded her for overworking. On the eve of Chinese Valentine's Day, as her employees left for dates, Ji Nanjia reminisced about a promise she made with Hu Jingjing: to find a passionate love once she was cured. That evening, elegantly dressed, she visited a bar, but felt out of place. To mask her discomfort, she impulsively took a drink and chugged it, only to realize she had taken someone else's.
She quickly apologized and offered to pay, then hastily departed. Ou Yang, witnessing her hurried exit, found it amusing, but his focus remained on his new role as the marketing director's assistant at Yann Coffee, where he had earlier mistakenly addressed Jian Yifan as a junior employee before realizing his true position. Later, Ji Nanjia opted for a more traditional approach to dating, signing up with a matchmaking agency for a substantial fee.
Her consultant, Xiao Tang, presented her with various bachelors, but Ji Nanjia found them to be odd characters: an ostentatious nouveau riche, an overconfident driver, and a cosmetic surgeon who used the date to push his services. After several unsuccessful dates, Ji Nanjia's standards plummeted. Finally, she met someone who seemed interested in marriage, but he exhibited severe male chauvinism, demanding his wife embody traditional virtues and focus on home and family.
Exasperated, Ji Nanjia, drawing on her five years of Muay Thai training and straightforward Northeastern personality, confronted him with a detailed list of minor injuries that wouldn't incur criminal charges, effectively scaring him away. Xiao Tang later admitted that Ji Nanjia's excellent qualities—age, high income, and single status—made her the hardest female client to match, as most men preferred women under 30 and found it embarrassing if a woman earned more.
She even stated that divorced women over 30 were more appealing, as their past marriages offered a "validation." Reflecting on Qiao Xichen's words that she was the least likely of their friends to "yield to life," Ji Nanjia decided to terminate her contract with Xiao Tang. Meanwhile, Yann Coffee faced a crisis when a delivery truck carrying their new osmanthus series products for an upcoming event crashed on the highway, destroying all the goods.
With no time for factory replenishment, Jian Yifan decided to use existing store inventory of classic lattes and cold brews as substitutes, removing all new product branding from the event. Qiao Xichen, unable to hail a taxi to transport the goods to the warehouse, called Ji Nanjia for help, accidentally discovering her friend was on a blind date. At the warehouse, Qiao Xichen worked tirelessly into the night.
Her mother called, expressing concern about the cold weather and urging her to go home safely. Qiao Xichen assured her she was fine, though her voice hinted at exhaustion. Eventually, Jian Yifan and other colleagues arrived to help, staying until dawn to finish the work. The next morning, Qiao Xichen retrieved Hu Jingjing's repaired phone from the shop. Upon switching it on, she was drawn to Hu Jingjing's contact list, which contained numerous debt collection messages.
