Sniper Butterfly Episode 25 Recap
> Sniper Butterfly Recap
The AI environmental summit attracted numerous influential figures from the industry, and Tongchen Technology felt deeply honored to participate. Its CTO, Li Wu, delivered a compelling speech, welcoming top experts, entrepreneurs, and scholars to the AI-themed conference. He shared insights on technological innovation, research, and market applications in artificial intelligence, expressing how much he had personally gained from the discussions.
His colleagues, Cheng Rui and Yi, were impressed that Tongchen was present at such a prestigious event, noting the many distinguished individuals they usually only encountered in academic journals. Yi even mentioned that Li Wu’s former Penn supervisor was there, hoping for an introduction that might lead to future collaborations. After his presentation, Li Wu approached his former supervisor, Professor Liu, and attempted to invite him to dinner. However, Professor Liu was busy with a meeting.
Instead, he inquired about a technical issue they had previously discussed, which Li Wu confirmed was resolved, with their new system successfully completing initial testing and now undergoing environmental simulations. Li Wu also mentioned they were close to securing their Series B funding. Professor Liu cautioned Li Wu against being too eager for quick success in running a company, advising him to be patient and humble.
Li Wu expressed concern about fierce competition, naming companies like Kejun and Leiyin, fearing they would be eliminated if they didn’t accelerate their pace. Professor Liu, however, asserted that sometimes "slow is fast" and reiterated the importance of humility. He then invited Li Wu to a roundtable forum he would be moderating the day after tomorrow, suggesting it as a learning opportunity. Accepting the invitation meant delaying his return home.
As Li Wu messaged Cen Jin to inform her of the change in plans, she suddenly appeared behind him, having secretly attended his speech, which she found quite handsome. During the post-conference networking, Cheng Rui was delighted to spot Tao Wanwen. He eagerly asked when she had returned, to which she replied that she arrived that morning.
She explained that her company had assigned her to lead a new journal project in Yi City, and she had deliberately kept it a secret to surprise him, despite his playful reminder that he was her "lawful husband." Cheng Rui was overjoyed, realizing their long-distance relationship could finally end, though Tao Wanwen reminded him to keep the news quiet until she received official confirmation. That evening, Cen Jin and Li Wu strolled through the city.
Cen Jin asked about the inspiration behind his "CloudMap" system. Li Wu explained that its name reflected his desire to bring the clean, beautiful environment of Yunfeng Village, where he grew up, to more people. Despite a tough childhood there, he cherished many beautiful memories of the village’s natural beauty, including the sounds of insects, tree shadows, sunsets, and even meeting Cen Jin. These memories had sustained him through difficult times.
Cen Jin acknowledged his aspirations, noting that he was already achieving some of his goals. She also inquired about a mysterious app he had installed on her phone. Li Wu revealed he had custom-built it to send her prompts based on her needs, with his own app receiving corresponding notifications, essentially turning surprises into subtle "little helps" throughout her life.
He even programmed it to run for a hundred years, assuring her it was exclusively for her, to which she affectionately responded that she felt the same way about him. Discussing his future, Li Wu shared his ambition to achieve career stability by thirty so he could "deserve to be with her." Cen Jin playfully likened his grand plans to an investor pitch, advising him not to put undue pressure on himself as life is unpredictable.
Li Wu, however, insisted on his firm goals, then steered the conversation back to their present, suggesting they enjoy their shopping and date. Later, Cen Jin received a wedding invitation from a former client. She initially planned to just send a gift, anticipating the presence of her ex-husband, Wu Fu, and his current wife. Li Wu playfully offered to accompany her.
However, the client called, vehemently insisting Cen Jin attend, attributing her own career advancements to Cen Jin's past help and even calling her a "lucky star." She promised to arrange a "networking table" with valuable resources, ultimately guilt-tripping Cen Jin into reluctantly agreeing, with a condition that no special arrangements be made. Meanwhile, as Chun Chang’s father’s death anniversary approached, her mother, who had been staying with her in Yi City, abruptly announced she was leaving the next morning.
Yuan, Mr. Zhang’s son, had gotten into a school fight, and her mother felt compelled to handle it discreetly as Mr. Zhang was away on a business trip. Chun Chang was furious, accusing her mother of consistently prioritizing her step-brother and Mr. Zhang, and questioning why her father’s death anniversary always coincided with an emergency.
She confronted her mother about her perceived neglect and emotional distance since her father's passing, particularly at dinner when her mother served lotus root pork soup—a dish Chun Chang despised, yet her mother routinely prepared it for Yuan. Overwhelmed with anger, Chun Chang stormed out. Seeking solace, Chun Chang went to her favorite restaurant and ordered an excessive amount of food, consuming it rapidly to numb her pain. Shen Yiyang happened to be at the same restaurant and observed her.
He tried to get her to slow down and drink some water, but Chun Chang continued eating until she collapsed from severe stomach cramps. Shen Yiyang rushed her to the hospital. Upon waking, Chun Chang explained her history of overeating, stemming from her mother's past neglect of her preferences.
She tearfully recounted her mother's hasty departure to deal with Yuan's school fight, abandoning her father's upcoming death anniversary, and her resentment at how easily her mother seemed to have moved on. Shen Yiyang gently offered comfort, suggesting that her mother might not have forgotten, but rather was "afraid to face" the painful reality of her father's passing, a process he acknowledged would be incredibly difficult for anyone.
He concluded that if her mother truly didn't care, she wouldn't have made the effort to visit Yi City at all. Exhausted, Chun Chang simply stated she wanted to sleep, and Shen Yiyang let her rest. After Chun Chang was discharged from the hospital, she saw her mother off at the train station. Her mother worried about her daughter's health, urging her to eat well and avoid late nights.
Once her mother departed, Chun Chang called Shen Yiyang and asked him to accompany her somewhere. Together, they visited her father's grave, where they found fresh flowers and incense. Chun Chang realized that her mother had indeed come to pay her respects alone before leaving, which brought a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. She leaned her head on Shen Yiyang's shoulder, seeking comfort.
Concurrently, Li Wu worked tirelessly on technical preparations for a crucial inspection that would determine their Series B investment. Cheng Rui emphasized the need for a flawless demonstration. Yi, however, expressed a surprisingly calm demeanor, offering Li Wu his "confidence" and leaving him to handle the final preparations alone. The inspection proceeded smoothly, and Mr. Guo expressed satisfaction, eagerly anticipating a successful collaboration. After the investors left, Cheng Rui sighed with relief, feeling a great weight lifted.
Li Wu confirmed their success, announcing that they had secured the Series B investment. To celebrate, he declared that everyone would receive bonuses and enjoy a celebratory dinner, a pronouncement met with enthusiastic cheers from the excited employees. On the day of the wedding, Cen Jin arrived at the venue alone. Soon after, Wu Fu appeared with his new wife, Bian Xinran, both dressed to impress.
Wu Fu approached Cen Jin, ostensibly to greet her, but subtly flaunted his newfound happiness and even offered to introduce her to a potential boyfriend, which Cen Jin politely dismissed. Suddenly, Bian Xinran, claiming to have tripped in her heels, deliberately splashed red wine in Cen Jin's direction.
Just as the wine was about to hit, Li Wu, who had arrived early after completing his work, swiftly appeared and pulled Cen Jin to his side, causing the wine to spill harmlessly on the floor. With Bian Xinran embarrassed and Wu Fu looking displeased, Li Wu formally introduced himself as Cen Jin’s boyfriend. Their former colleagues, witnessing the scene, were impressed and cast envious glances at Cen Jin and her handsome young boyfriend.
The bride, Feng Jiao, then approached, apologizing for the incident but expressing delight that Cen Jin had brought her partner, which Li Wu reciprocated with warm congratulations to the newlyweds. Li Wu later revealed he had asked Chun Chang for Cen Jin's location. Meanwhile, back at Chang's bar, a camping group gathered. A friend observed Chun Chang’s gloomy mood and hinted that Shen Yiyang was returning to Yi City that afternoon.
Chun Chang’s business partner, curious about Shen Yiyang’s absence, questioned Chun Chang about the situation. Chun Chang expressed her frustration with Shen Yiyang's "hot and cold" behavior, alternating between care and disappearance, leaving her in the dark about his schedule. Her partner suggested Chun Chang must have upset him, prompting Chun Chang to recall her earlier "ambiguity theory" about relationships—that the "push-and-pull stage" is the most interesting, and a relationship becomes less exciting once it's "serious."
To her horror, her partner then pointed out that Shen Yiyang had been standing behind them the whole time, overhearing their entire conversation. Shen Yiyang then left the bar with a colleague. Later, Chun Chang went to the train station to pick up Shen Yiyang. Inside the car, she handed him a bag of first-aid items and mosquito repellent, explaining her worry over his frequent, accident-prone mountain sampling trips, a detail she learned from Xiao Jun.
Shen Yiyang, noticing her concern and the scratches on his arm, initially downplayed the need for the items but accepted them. Chun Chang then nervously tried to apologize and clarify her "ambiguity theory" comments from the bar, fearing a misunderstanding. Shen Yiyang, however, interrupted her mid-sentence. Looking at her intently, he proposed, "Let's have a serious relationship." Elsewhere, Cen Jin’s mother was practicing square dancing with her friends.
When a friend asked if Cen Jin had a boyfriend, her mother replied that Cen Jin was "getting to know a guy," a polite and refined neurologist from the Central Hospital. She stressed that she wouldn't interfere with her daughter's dating life. The friend, impressed by the match, mentioned she had a lawyer nephew returning from overseas whom she had hoped to introduce to Cen Jin, concluding it was simply "bad timing."
Shortly after, as the dancing resumed, Cen Jin’s mother scrolled through her phone and saw a photo on her Moments feed of Cen Jin holding hands with Li Wu at the wedding. This revelation contradicted what she had just told her friends.
