Wenderella's Diary Episode 1 Recap
> Wenderella's Diary Recap
The Xunmi app is a well-known dating platform designed to help single individuals find their ideal partners efficiently by integrating user information and improving matching success rates. Shan Liang, a young man, has recently taken over the company from his father. High-heeled shoe designer Wen Rou sought to collaborate with Xunmi. She impressed the staff with her designs, particularly a "Crystal Shoes" inspired wedding shoe, which Shan Liang found artistic.
However, Xunmi's manager, Zou Jing, mistakenly identified her as Wen Xin from Wanli Group, a major domestic brand. Wen Rou clarified that she is Wen Rou, the founder and designer of Polimoda, a new, handmade designer brand she started with her partner, Han Qing. Upon realizing her mistake, Zou Jing's attitude shifted, and she informed Wen Rou that Xunmi had decided to continue its partnership with Wanli.
Wen Rou tried to argue for Polimoda's quality and value over brand recognition, but Zou Jing dismissed her, stating that a brand's prestige is what makes it valuable. As Wen Rou angrily left, she entered an elevator where a delivery man was carrying snail rice noodles. Another woman, dressed in pink, rudely demanded the delivery man leave due to the smell.
Wen Rou, displeased by the woman's behavior, stood up for the delivery man, asserting that the elevator was for everyone. This quickly escalated into a physical altercation between Wen Rou and the woman in pink, with Wen Rou's partner, Han Qing, joining in. Shan Liang, who was also in the elevator, witnessed the entire scene. All parties were taken to the security office, where Shan Liang corroborated Wen Rou's account, confirming that the woman in pink initiated the fight.
He then instructed his staff to process a refund for the aggressive customer, stating that Xunmi would not conduct business with such individuals. After being cleared, Wen Rou thanked Shan Liang and invited him for coffee, but he politely declined, stating his help was simply an act of kindness. While Shan Liang spoke with his staff, who addressed him as "Young Mr. Shan," Wen Rou quickly looked him up online and discovered he was Xunmi's CEO.
Seizing the opportunity, as Shan Liang was about to leave, Wen Rou staged an elaborate fall. Shan Liang rushed to assist her, and she used the chance to properly introduce herself as Wen Rou, the founder and designer of Polimoda, a fashion brand she started in Italy with her partner, Han Qing, emphasizing its unique artistic and modern designs, popular abroad, and specialized custom services.
She made it clear that her purpose in being there was to discuss a partnership with Xunmi. During the meeting, Wen Rou's presentation of Polimoda was met with skepticism from some of Shan Liang's staff, who deemed it too niche and unknown compared to established brands like Wanli, fearing that gifting Polimoda shoes to important clients might be seen as disrespectful. However, Shan Liang was deeply impressed by Wen Rou's design philosophy.
He pointed out a crucial detail: while both Polimoda and Wanli used lambskin, Wanli put it on the shoe's exterior sole, whereas Polimoda used it for the inner foot-pad. Shan Liang interpreted this as Polimoda prioritizing the wearer's comfort and experience, a metaphor he extended to the Xunmi app's mission, likening marriage to shoes where "only the feet know whether they are comfortable or not."
Recognizing Wen Rou's sincere and thoughtful design, Shan Liang enthusiastically approved the collaboration, congratulating her on the partnership. The successful collaboration sparked an immediate romantic interest in Wen Rou, who then invited Shan Liang to dinner. Shan Liang accepted, and after their meal, he offered to drive her home. However, Wen Rou playfully declined, teasing him about "absence makes the heart grow fonder" before reassuring him of her safety.
Their initial attraction quickly blossomed into love, and they began a sweet and romantic relationship. Shan Liang proposed, and they soon had a flash marriage. After their marriage, during a celebratory dinner, Wen Rou offered to pay the bill to avoid always letting Shan Liang treat her. However, she was taken aback by the expensive total and impulsively offered to promote the restaurant on her Weibo account, leveraging her large following in exchange for a discount.
Shan Liang, desiring a grand wedding despite their quick nuptials, promised to fulfill all her wishes, including a long, flowing wedding dress, a pumpkin carriage, and a large green lawn. He then suggested holding the wedding at her family's manor, referencing photos she had shown him. Wen Rou's smile momentarily faltered, but she quickly agreed to the idea. To maintain her fabricated socialite image, she decided to rent a luxurious estate for the wedding.
Her partner, Han Qing, expressed concern about their financial strain, reminding Wen Rou that they were "almost broke girls" despite the Xunmi order and urging her to confess the truth to Shan Liang, believing he valued her genuine self rather than her supposed wealth. Wen Rou, however, insisted she would reveal the truth later, prioritizing the establishment of their Polimoda brand first.
The next day, Wen Rou prioritized a factory visit with Han Qing to oversee Polimoda's first batch of shoes, even though it meant delaying her wedding dress fitting with Shan Liang. At the factory, they learned that their order for sought-after crystal materials was prioritized over a canceled order from Wanli, a fact that both validated Polimoda and highlighted the competitive landscape.
Han Qing jokingly remarked that for "Cinderella," selling shoes seemed more important than getting married, to which Wen Rou affirmed her passion for her brand. When Wen Rou finally arrived at the bridal shop, it was already closed, but Shan Liang was patiently waiting for her, having even bought her takeout. As she tried on her dream wedding dress, Shan Liang was captivated and vowed to make her the happiest woman in the world.
Later, while changing, Wen Rou overheard Shan Liang discussing a Xunmi client, Ms. Yuan, who was being overlooked due to her profile, despite her kind nature and volunteer work. Shan Liang passionately argued for Ms. Yuan's inclusion in a blind date event, emphasizing that "everyone is equal in love" and that clients should "see the essence through the outside," not just superficial details. This conversation made Wen Rou realize she had misjudged him; he truly valued inner qualities.
Convinced he would still love and accept her, Wen Rou decided that night to confess her true situation to Shan Liang. That evening, as Wen Rou prepared to confess, she found Shan Liang reading aloud from W. Somerset Maugham's "The Painted Veil." The passage he read described a profound love for someone despite knowing their shallow, self-serving, and "second-rate" nature, and the act of hiding one's true self to conform to a partner's expectations.
Wen Rou was terrified, believing Shan Liang had discovered her deception. Though he was merely reading, praising the book for its accurate portrayal of complex emotions, her fear was palpable. After a nervous shower, Wen Rou cautiously probed Shan Liang, asking if he would blame someone for hiding something. Shan Liang then revealed he had fired the account manager who initially mistook Wen Rou for Wen Xin, because the manager accused Wen Rou of deliberately misleading her.
Shan Liang vehemently declared that "no matter how serious a lie is, it is a matter of quality," and that neither he nor Xunmi could tolerate someone "full of lies," reaffirming his trust in Wen Rou. This conversation shattered Wen Rou's courage to confess. Shan Liang then brought up meeting her parents, who she claimed lived abroad, before their wedding. Panicked, Wen Rou quickly diverted the conversation.
The more loving and trusting Shan Liang was, the more terrified Wen Rou became of revealing the truth. Ultimately, she decided to proceed with the marriage first, hoping he would not care about her real family background after they were wed. At Xunmi, Shan Liang was reviewing a critical feedback report from a non-member, Mr. Su, who lambasted the company's outdated business model and corporate culture.
Soon after, Shan Liang met with this Mr. Su, identified as Su Ziguang, the General Manager of Huixin Investment, who was actually interested in investing in Xunmi. Su Ziguang, while praising Xunmi's "matching social status" philosophy, expressed skepticism about a female member's optimized profile. He then recounted a past incident where he was "scammed the same way by a girl" who misrepresented her humble dwelling in a city village as a stacked villa.
He directly challenged Shan Liang, asking if he could tolerate such deception from his own partner. Unaware of Wen Rou's secrets, Shan Liang confidently declared himself "very lucky," stating that his wife had never lied to him and was "perfect." At that precise moment, Wen Rou entered the office, and upon seeing Su Ziguang, who greeted her warmly, she froze in stunned silence.
