Sniper Butterfly Episode 7 Recap
> Sniper Butterfly Recap
After a period of emotional recovery, Cen Jin decided it was time to move forward. She visited Chun Chang, who was working at a KTV, and they discussed future plans. Cen Jin revealed that she had already been contacted by two headhunters, one of whom offered her a director position at a promising creative company. However, she wanted to take a few more days to relax before fully committing to job searching.
Chun Chang suggested they go to a concert, but Cen Jin preferred a quiet break. During their conversation, Cen Jin suddenly remembered that Li Wu's first monthly exam results should have been released. Concerned that he hadn't mentioned them, possibly due to poor performance, she discreetly texted his teacher, Mr. Qi, asking for his detailed scores so she could better understand his situation and help him if needed. Meanwhile, Li Wu had just returned to his dorm after class.
His three roommates were animatedly discussing girls, but Li Wu remained withdrawn. His mood shifted dramatically when he received a message from Cen Jin, inviting him to meet outside school. He eagerly rushed out to see her. When they met, Cen Jin's serious demeanor made Li Wu uneasy, as he worried she had found out about Wu Fu's earlier visit. Cen Jin then asked about his exam results.
Relieved, Li Wu pulled out his report card, which showed excellent grades in all subjects. Despite his impressive performance, Li Wu expressed disappointment at not placing in the top thirty. Cen Jin reassured him, advising him not to put too much pressure on himself so early in his academic journey. She asked to keep his report card to paste into her life journal as a record of his first successful exam, and Li Wu readily agreed.
Cen Jin then apologized for her recent emotional instability, expressing concern that it might have affected him. Li Wu brushed it off, telling her that he was an adult now and asked her not to treat him like a child anymore. Cen Jin accepted this. As she drove him back to school, she also gave him some lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk, a treat from her parents, and the new pair of shoes she had exchanged for him.
Li Wu was delighted, immediately trying them on in his dorm. Cen Jin, upon returning home, carefully pasted Li Wu's report card into her journal. After a bit more rest, Cen Jin began her job applications. Leveraging her significant influence in the industry, she easily passed an interview with AusStar, a company whose award-winning, creative, and compelling advertisements resonated with her. She appreciated their youthful concept and the extensive creative freedom given to employees.
They agreed she would start after the upcoming holiday. Exiting the company, Cen Jin excitedly shared the good news with her parents, Chun Chang, and Li Wu, all of whom were genuinely happy for her. As the school holiday approached, Li Wu received a call from his aunt. She had injured her back while farming, and with his uncle away for work, she needed help harvesting the tea leaves in Yunfeng Village.
Li Wu immediately messaged Cen Jin, informing her that he would be going back to his village to help his aunt for the holiday. The next morning, Li Wu was preparing to take a bus when Cen Jin, concerned for his well-being, offered to drive him. When they arrived in Yunfeng Village, they found his aunt already working in the tea fields. Li Wu immediately joined her, and Cen Jin followed.
Li Wu patiently demonstrated how to pick tea by gently removing the "core of the leaf" with his index finger and thumb, emphasizing not to use nails. Cen Jin soon realized the task was more difficult than it appeared. She took a moment to rest, snapping photos of Li Wu as he wiped sweat from his brow, capturing a beautiful scene of the handsome young man amidst the green terraced fields.
His aunt advised Cen Jin to rest on a nearby bench, explaining that tea picking was not an easy skill to learn, and offered her some washed pears. Years later, in 2024, Li Wu was in a restaurant discussing a business collaboration with Shen Yiyang. Their conversation was interrupted by Chun Chang, who was caught in a public dispute with two men accusing her of infidelity.
Chun Chang, appearing indifferent, offered a half-hearted apology, claiming she couldn't choose between them, and then, as the men left, insisted one of them pay the bill since she hadn't consumed anything. After the men departed, Li Wu greeted Chun Chang and introduced her to Shen Yiyang. As Chun Chang reached out to shake hands, she accidentally knocked over a wine glass, spilling red wine on Shen Yiyang. She profusely apologized and offered to pay for dry cleaning.
Shen Yiyang casually dismissed it, remarking that witnessing the "good show" balanced things out. Chun Chang, still wanting to connect, suggested they exchange WeChat IDs, mentioning her bar called Chang. However, Shen Yiyang offered her a QR payment code instead, stating he preferred not to add strangers on WeChat, and told her to decide the amount for the cleaning.
Meanwhile, Cen Jin drove to Li Wu's company to collect her ID card and asked Cheng Rui to help find Li Wu to return it. Cheng Rui immediately called Li Wu, but he didn't answer as he was out for a meeting with Cheng Rui's uncle. Cheng Rui invited Cen Jin upstairs to Li Wu's office to wait, suggesting they could catch up since they hadn't had a proper chat in a long time.
In Li Wu's office, Cen Jin noticed insomnia medication on his desk. Cheng Rui explained that Li Wu had developed insomnia and migraines since moving to the US for his studies. He recounted how Li Wu had struggled initially, becoming withdrawn and losing weight. Even after recovering, Li Wu had pushed himself relentlessly, studying and working like crazy, even through COVID, and publishing multiple articles in top journals in a short period.
He had also started interning and co-founding their company while still in college, often sleeping less than three hours a day. Cheng Rui expressed deep concern that Li Wu's stubborn refusal to rest and his reliance on level-2 painkillers could lead to a collapse, and he implored Cen Jin to speak with him, believing Li Wu would listen to her.
Alarmed by this information, Cen Jin immediately returned to her company, Shengcan, and consulted her boss, Ms. Jun, about methods for treating insomnia. Ms. Jun recommended Dr. Lu, a neurology expert. Cen Jin then met with Li Wu at a cafe, where he returned her ID card. When Cen Jin appeared hesitant, Li Wu preemptively dismissed her earlier apology regarding her emotional instability, telling her he didn't take her 'drunk words' seriously and she shouldn't dwell on them.
Cen Jin, however, then took the opportunity to formally apologize for how she had handled things years ago, acknowledging that while she didn't regret her decision as he had to leave, she might have chosen a better approach. Li Wu responded by asking what she had to apologize for since her decision was necessary.
Cen Jin reiterated that his chronic headaches and insomnia were serious and harmful, not minor issues, and offered to introduce him to the excellent neurologist she knew. Li Wu asked if she was genuinely concerned about him, and she confirmed it. He then pointed out that she had not contacted him once during the worst years of the pandemic in the US, only to express concern for his health now.
Cen Jin acknowledged his past suffering, reiterated that she wouldn't defend her past actions, but insisted she couldn't stand by now that she could help. She asked if they could reconcile, expressing her desire to move past the awkwardness. Li Wu replied that without even having each other on WeChat, they were strangers, making reconciliation a moot point. Cen Jin then offered to add him on WeChat.
Just then, Li Wu received a call from a colleague reminding him of a video conference starting in ten minutes. He quickly departed, telling Cen Jin he had work to do and to remember to accept his WeChat request.
