What If Episode 10 Recap
> What If Recap
Yu Jian's family faced a crisis when his mother was scammed in an investment, leaving them with significant debt, including money borrowed from friends. Yu Jian's father expressed his frustration and worry about repaying the others. When his mother's friends, Madam Xu and Madam Li, came to their home demanding their money back aggressively, Xia Guo stepped in. The confrontation became heated, resulting in Xia Guo being pushed.
She tried reasoning with the women, explaining that the investment had risks and that Yu Jian's mother was also a victim. She reminded them of their long-standing friendship and warned them of involving the police. Xia Guo then pulled Madam Li aside and spoke to her privately. After their whispered conversation, the friends agreed to leave, urging them to gather the money quickly.
To help alleviate the financial pressure, Yu Jian decided to take on additional design projects from his friend and colleague, Tang Yiming, agreeing to work for project fees while maintaining his current job. Yu Jian's first project through Tang Yiming was designing a unique flower and cultural gift store for Wen Ya, a former fellow apprentice of Tang Yiming's. Wen Ya arrived with blueprints, eager for Yu Jian to design the space, trusting his aesthetic sense.
Tang Yiming playfully warned Wen Ya about Yu Jian having very specific ideas that were hard to change. Wen Ya invited Yu Jian to have dinner to discuss her ideas further, but Yu Jian had plans to have dinner with his parents that night. Meanwhile, Xia Guo received unexpected news during her pre-employment medical checkup: she was pregnant. Xia Guo shared the pregnancy news with Yu Jian, who was initially ecstatic about becoming a father.
However, Xia Guo was deeply concerned. She explained that having a child now would complicate her new job opportunity and worried about their precarious financial situation, especially with the recent debt. She voiced her fear of being trapped by domestic responsibilities, losing her personal goals, and living a life constrained by finances. Yu Jian insisted he could support them, even suggesting they give up their apartment lease to save money.
Xia Guo countered that his income wasn't enough for a family and expressed her frustration over the continuous "accidents" they had faced. She revealed that she had already sacrificed a chance to go to Shanghai for him and felt she couldn't bear to lose another opportunity. Distressed by the conflict, Yu Jian confided in Tang Yiming and Wen Ya while they were together. He admitted that Xia Guo didn't want the child because she prioritized her career.
Tang Yiming suggested the core issue was money, advising Yu Jian to focus on earning from Wen Ya's project. Wen Ya expressed admiration for Yu Jian's sense of responsibility in facing these challenges. Later, at his parents' house, Yu Jian's mother, Aunt Qin, discovered Xia Guo's intention to have an abortion by looking at Yu Jian's phone. Aunt Qin became furious, scolding Yu Jian for his foolishness and for not discussing such a crucial matter with her.
She argued that Xia Guo must have had some hope if she talked to him about it. Aunt Qin insisted the child was a gift of "fate" and their "family's legacy." She sternly ordered Yu Jian to immediately go to the hospital, stop Xia Guo, and bring her and the child back, threatening to consider him no longer her son if he failed. Yu Jian urgently traveled to the Leshan Maternity and Infant Hospital.
He found Xia Guo in the hallway. Fearing the worst, he apologized for being late, promising her a proper wedding and dowry, and assuring her they could have children later, vowing to protect her from any more suffering. Xia Guo stopped him, revealing that she had not gone through with the procedure; she couldn't bear to abort the child and had decided to keep it. Overjoyed and relieved, Yu Jian was ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a father.
Xia Guo asked him to agree to terminate their apartment lease to save money for the baby, and he promised to agree to whatever she decided from that moment on. She reflected that the life inside her had become both her vulnerability and her strength, reinforcing her decision to stay and work towards a shared future with him. Following this pivotal decision, they proceeded to terminate their apartment lease.
While signing the papers, Yu Jian expressed sadness about them having to leave, wishing he could have shown her the beautiful sunsets from their apartment. Xia Guo reassured him, saying that his effort to make her happy was what truly mattered and that her previous decisions were her own choice, not something he needed to repay.
She shared how terrified she had felt at the hospital until she saw him, which brought her a sense of security and the belief that together they could overcome any difficulty. Yu Jian, holding their newly obtained marriage certificate, made a solemn promise to build her a bigger and better home and give her a grand wedding in the future.
Their friends and colleagues offered their support; Tang Yiming and other alumni collected money for the baby, which Yu Jian initially hesitated to accept but eventually did. Wen Ya also transferred the advance payment for her project. Further good news arrived when Xia Guo received a call from Ms. Liu at Shuangli Trading. Despite her pregnancy, the company had decided to proceed with hiring her as planned, impressed by her abilities.
Xia Guo was thrilled to tell Yu Jian she got the job. They embraced, filled with hope. Yu Jian then suggested they read their marriage vows from the certificate, affirming their commitment to be lifelong partners through all of life's challenges. In a separate sequence of events, possibly a different timeline, Xia Guo was in Shanghai. Her rented apartment experienced severe flooding during a heavy rainstorm when a window blew open.
Her landlord, Mr. Wang, contacted her and helped with the initial damage. However, seeing the extent of the leak, Mr. Wang decided he no longer wanted to rent the apartment and asked Xia Guo to move out soon. He offered to charge only three months' rent for the five months she had lived there, although she had paid for six. Xia Guo was left stranded late at night with her luggage, unable to find a taxi.
She went to the Crossroad bar for shelter, where she was welcomed by Ai, the bartender she had previously befriended. After hearing about her flooded apartment, Ai offered to help her find a new place through his real estate agent contacts. Ai made her a drink he called "Fruit of Midsummer," or "Xia Guo," and discussed the idea of forcing oneself to mature quickly versus staying true to oneself.
While at the bar, Mr. Xue called her and came to pick her up. He took her back to his apartment, offering her food and drinks. He showed her a scented candle he had purchased, mentioning it was similar to one she owned, and offered to exchange it if she preferred a different scent. He provided her with the new access code for his apartment lock and asked her to remember it. As he was about to start some work, she asked him to stay with her for a bit longer, to which he responded that she had initiated their connection.
