What If Episode 6 Recap
> What If Recap
Xia Guo, living in a small city, lost her job when her branch merged with another. She spoke with a colleague, lamenting the unexpected turn their seemingly ordinary lives had taken, realizing that stability wasn't a guarantee. Feeling uncertain about the future, she returned home. Yu Jian surprised her there and proposed, telling her he didn't want to wait any longer and wanted to give her a stable home.
Xia Guo hesitated, mentioning his father's hospitalization and her lack of a job, but Yu Jian took her reaction as a yes. When Yu Jian told his mother about their plan to marry, she expressed concerns, particularly about their current situation with his father recovering from surgery. She worried that if Xia Guo moved in, people would assume she was there to care for the elderly. Yu Jian defended Xia Guo, saying she wasn't snobbish.
His mother suggested they should live in Xia Guo's mother's apartment. Xia Guo later discussed this privately with Yu Jian's mother, explaining that her mother's apartment was already rented out on a long-term lease and it wasn't her property to offer. She suggested they could rent a place themselves if needed, but Yu Jian's mother worried about the extra expense, saying they should save money for their future and children.
Yu Jian later told his mother not to interfere with Xia Guo's family's property. Despite Xia Guo's explanation, Yu Jian's mother, Zhang Xiaoqin, went to Wang Yan's apartment building and tried to convince the tenants to move out by claiming she was the landlord's in-law. The tenants, a pregnant woman and her partner who had a three-year lease, refused and asked to speak to Wang Yan directly.
Wang Yan was furious when she found out and called Xia Guo, scolding her for wanting to marry Yu Jian, given his family's situation and lack of a house. She was also upset that Yu Jian's family hadn't formally proposed or even had a meal with her. Yu Jian argued with his mother about interfering and pointed out Wang Yan's own strictness, including charging her daughter rent.
Xia Guo visited Yu Jian's family's home and spoke with his mother, expressing gratitude for her care but asking her not to meddle in her family's affairs. Zhang Xiaoqin admitted she was impulsive, saying she was angry because she believed Xia Guo's name wasn't on the apartment deed. Xia Guo revealed her father had put her name on the deed when he bought it.
Xia Guo assured Yu Jian's mother that they would rely on themselves after marriage and wouldn't ask for financial help. Later, Yu Jian called Xia Guo from the hospital where he was with his father, telling her not to worry about the housing issue and promising to find a solution. They reassured each other of their love.
Xia Guo reflected that life presents various difficulties, whether staying put or venturing out, but taking each step carefully allows one to find a way forward. She arrived at her company in Shanghai and was informed by Ms. Chen, the head of Marketing, that she was being seconded to work as Mr. Xue's assistant. Her work and performance would still be linked to the Marketing Department. Mr. Xue welcomed her and told her not to worry about the arrangement.
He instructed her to focus on setting up offline pop-up stores to ensure her quarterly performance. Mr. Xue then gave her information about a business school course on weekends and offered to cover the tuition, encouraging her to use it to network. Xia Guo transferred some of her savings to Yu Jian to help with family expenses, mentioning how busy she was with work, now preparing a product price list. She told him she was now Mr. Xue's assistant.
Yu Jian was surprised and questioned the reason for the transfer, expressing suspicion about Mr. Xue's intentions. Xia Guo dismissed his worries and urged him to focus on a project with his classmate Yiming. Yu Jian met Wen Ya, a junior sister, at Yiming's place. Yiming explained that Wen Ya wanted Yu Jian to design her flower shop. Yu Jian was initially hesitant, explaining his plan to move to Shanghai soon and the scale of the project might cause delays.
Yiming and Wen Ya encouraged him to consider it, with Yiming offering to oversee the project if Yu Jian left. Yu Jian agreed to review her plans. Yu Jian reviewed Wen Ya's initial drawing for the flower shop and told her her concept needed to be completely redone. He criticized her focus on aesthetics (wabi-sabi style) over practicality, pointing out the lack of natural light necessary for a flower shop and the illogical layout of different areas.
He also noted a structural issue with her plan to add a window in a load-bearing wall. Wen Ya argued for her vision, but Yu Jian maintained his professional opinion and suggested she find another designer if she didn't trust him. Wen Ya acknowledged his point and said she would consider other options, and the discussion ended tensely. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Mr. Xue noticed Xia Guo's frequent phone checking and advised her that her network wasn't rich enough.
He explained the business school wasn't just for academics but for building connections. He introduced her to Peter Huang, a contact whose father was a shareholder in a major department store, potentially relevant to the company's expansion plans. Mr. Xue highlighted the importance of keen observation and understanding people in social settings. At a subsequent gathering, Mr. Xue continued to guide Xia Guo on networking, emphasizing how to engage with people, find common ground, and subtly highlight one's own strengths.
Xia Guo interacted with others, complimenting, sharing, and listening to their conversations about business ideas, reflecting on the learning opportunities available in social situations. Back at the office, company executives discussed hiring influencer Xiao Jie as a brand ambassador. Ms. Chen was reluctant to negotiate directly with Xiao Jie due to their existing relationship and potential for rumors. Mr. Xue proposed Xia Guo take on the negotiation. Mr. Xue and Xia Guo discussed strategy, setting the budget at 1.
5 million and the initial offer at 800,000. Xia Guo expressed her concerns about her lack of experience and whether Xiao Jie might feel undervalued or demand too much. Mr. Xue addressed her worries and offered his support. They discussed the broader business context, including the balance needed between rapidly growing online sales and the impact on traditional offline stores. They decided to continue this strategic conversation elsewhere. Yu Jian visited his father at the rehabilitation hospital.
Wen Ya also arrived to visit his father and spoke with Yu Jian about his recovery. They decided to leave the hospital to talk about the flower shop project, going to a supermarket where Wen Ya found it relaxing. At the supermarket, Mr. Xue engaged Xia Guo in a discussion about observation and storytelling, using everyday items like candy and strawberries as examples.
He used the strawberry analogy to illustrate the need for balance in nature and business, linking it back to his concerns about the overgrowth of online sales potentially harming offline businesses. He also pointed out moments of human connection, like a mother and child or an elderly couple, suggesting these were important considerations not reflected in sales data.
Wen Ya apologized to Yu Jian for her earlier attitude during their design discussion, admitting he was right about prioritizing functionality and practicality. She re-invited him to design her flower shop, promising to fully respect his ideas. Yu Jian accepted. They began discussing the design again, sketching ideas on a wall. Yu Jian asked Xia Guo why she came to Shanghai alone; she explained Yu Jian was meant to join her, but couldn't due to family issues.
She spoke about the difficulty of maintaining a simple relationship while navigating a complex career. Later, as Yu Jian dropped Wen Ya off, she offered to treat him to dinner. Yu Jian declined, saying he needed to video call Xia Guo that night. Wen Ya commented on their long-distance relationship, expressing admiration and adding that if she were in Xia Guo's position, she wouldn't leave the person she loved, prioritizing being together.
Yu Jian defended the importance of giving the person you love the freedom to choose and stated his relationship with Xia Guo was strong enough to withstand distance. Yu Jian dropped her off near Yuyuan Road, briefly mentioning he had walked there alone recently.
