What If Episode 2 Recap
> What If Recap
Yu Jian's family faced a sudden crisis when his father suffered a severe fall. With his father unable to move and requiring constant care, Yu Jian realized he wouldn't be able to leave Leshan to join Xia Guo in Shanghai as planned. This situation forced Xia Guo to confront a difficult decision: whether to proceed with her move to Shanghai alone, which would mean a long-distance relationship, or to stay in Leshan.
Xia Guo visited Yu Jian's father in the hospital. He was awake and expressed his happiness at seeing her, mentioning he heard she was going to Shanghai and might not see her for a while. He spoke about feeling dependent on Yu Jian now that he was ill and unable to move freely, implying he couldn't bear for his son to leave. Xia Guo tried to reassure him, promising to visit often once he recovered.
Later, Xia Guo and Yu Jian discussed their future. Yu Jian apologized, saying he couldn't keep his promise to go to Shanghai with her. Xia Guo understood, telling him his parents needed him more than she did and assuring him she would be fine. They spoke tenderly about missing each other and taking care of themselves while separated. As Xia Guo traveled, holding a necklace and picture Yu Jian had given her, she reflected on their past.
A flashback showed a younger Yu Jian comforting her during her parents' divorce, cancelling a planned trip to Shanghai to stay with her. Crying on the journey, Xia Guo considered getting off and staying in Leshan. A voiceover mused about whether living a simple, stable life with Yu Jian in Leshan would be a "perfect and happy" life.
A subsequent scene depicted this hypothetical future four years later: Xia Guo was caring for their son, Chen, but Yu Jian was often absent, returning home late, and was shown receiving a message from someone named Wen Ya before entering a hotel. The voiceover questioned if she should have chosen the Shanghai path instead, given how the life in Leshan had turned out. The narrative returned to the actual timeline.
Xia Guo arrived in Shanghai, receiving a package sent by Yu Jian. Unfamiliar with the large office building, she struggled to figure out the elevator system. Ms. Nan, her manager, found her and helped her get a temporary access QR code, explaining she'd need an employee card later.
Ms. Nan emphasized that Shanghai was vastly different from Leshan and Xia Guo had a lot to learn, expecting her to live up to the high expectations placed on her since Ms. Nan had personally recruited her. On her first day in the Marketing Department, Xia Guo met colleagues like Lucy and Larry. She quickly learned she was the only one wearing a company uniform, which was only for factory workers, unlike headquarters staff.
They hurried to the morning meeting where Mr. Xue reviewed the disappointing sales figures, expressing frustration and warning that bonuses were at risk if performance didn't improve. He questioned Ms. Chen's focus on live-stream e-commerce, but Ms. Chen defended it as a necessary trend and a way to counter competitors like Shike Corporation. Mr. Xue stressed adherence to company procedures while also pushing for aggressive strategies.
Ms. Chen introduced Xia Guo, highlighting her familiarity with the southwest region and logistics as valuable assets for their online sales push. After the meeting, Ms. Nan assigned Xia Guo tasks, including researching e-commerce influencers, attending a luncheon with the live streamer Xiao Jie, and getting familiar with the warehouse operations. Later, Xia Guo sprained her ankle while working in heels. Seeking relief, she visited a massage shop offering a free trial.
However, she was persuaded to buy a membership card for 80 sessions costing 4800 yuan. Feeling cheated, she video called Yu Jian to complain about the experience. Yu Jian listened patiently and cheered her up by ordering her favorite food, arranging for a runner to deliver it despite the difficulty in ordering from that particular restaurant.
Meanwhile, Yu Jian's mother expressed disapproval of his continued communication with Xia Guo, feeling that Xia Guo had abandoned him when his father was ill, despite their kindness to her. She urged Yu Jian to consider meeting a nurse she knew who was single. In the office, Xia Guo shared her homemade chili sauce with Lucy and Larry, who enjoyed it.
Lucy teased her about her relatively conservative clothing compared to other female colleagues, suggesting she was missing social opportunities, though acknowledging her good figure. Xia Guo, Lucy, and Larry discussed the company culture. Xia Guo initially found everyone enthusiastic and the atmosphere harmonious, but Lucy revealed the company's strict "last-place elimination" system and Mr. Xue's demanding nature, which led to underperforming employees being pressured to resign.
She warned that even newcomers were not exempt and that being brought in by Ms. Chen might create higher expectations. She also mentioned colleagues like Angela and Orlando from Sales who were let go despite the company investing in their training. Xia Guo had a brief and somewhat awkward encounter with Mr. Xue when she delivered documents for his signature.
She attempted to discuss the content, comparing it to previous data, but Mr. Xue was dismissive, telling her he would review it in his own time and forward it to Ms. Chen directly. During a live streaming session featuring the Haowei cake product, it sold out instantly. The live streamer, Xiao Jie, asked to add more stock.
While Xia Guo tried to contact Ms. Chen, a colleague from the Sales Department, focused solely on boosting sales figures, unilaterally used Xia Guo's computer to add another 8000 cakes to the order without proper authorization or confirming warehouse stock. Xia Guo objected, citing the potential issue with inventory during the peak season, but the colleague insisted they needed to be flexible and prioritize sales.
Following the incident, Mr. Xue was furious about the unauthorized order quantity increase and the resulting logistical problems, which also impacted offline sales. He confronted Ms. Chen about the lack of a contingency plan. Ms. Chen defended the live streaming strategy, arguing it was generating revenue and that group policy didn't set limits on sales channels, suggesting Mr. Xue should support the initiative. Mr. Xue firmly stated that company procedures must be followed and he would not tolerate rule-breaking.
He announced that after discussing the matter with Ms. Chen, the disciplinary action for the live stream incident would be taken against Xia Guo alone, resulting in a deduction of 3000 yuan from her salary.
