What If Episode 7 Recap
> What If Recap
Xia Guo was embarrassed after mistakenly assuming that Emma was Mr. Xue's girlfriend. She had seen Emma downstairs looking for him urgently and mentioned it to Mr. Xue. He was surprised and asked who had told her he had a girlfriend, causing her awkwardness. Later, Xia Guo inadvertently discovered her colleague Lucy was in a secret "underground relationship" with Tim.
Xia Guo was skeptical of relationships driven by money, but Lucy defended her choice, arguing that relationships without financial stability might not last either. Lucy listed her requirements for a partner, including owning a house in the Inner Circle and funding overseas trips and a romantic wedding. Xia Guo called her perspective pessimistic, but Lucy maintained that being realistic was necessary to avoid constant arguments over trivial matters later in life.
Lucy asked Xia Guo to keep the relationship a secret. Xia Guo voiced concerns about Tim's lack of responsibility and deemed him unreliable, believing his request for secrecy was only to protect himself. Lucy, however, asserted her confidence, claiming she was the one who held power in her relationships and told Xia Guo to just prepare a red packet for the wedding.
Xia Guo, busy with her business academy courses, wanted to reduce the frequency of video calls with Yu Jian. He reacted negatively to this suggestion. During their call, Xia Guo was distracted, focusing on exam questions, which further displeased Yu Jian. Seeing his low spirits, she quickly retracted her suggestion. She also mentioned seeing Emma with Mr. Xue in Shanghai again, believing they were a couple, and advised Yu Jian that she should keep her distance from Mr. Xue.
Yu Jian expressed concern for her safety and suggested she request a position transfer. Xia Guo defended Mr. Xue, crediting him with significant help, including sponsoring her business school tuition through the company. She argued that attending the academy was beneficial for her growth and that he should be happy for her. Yu Jian remained worried and quickly ended the call.
In Xia Guo's hometown, preparations were underway for Yu Jian's father's discharge from the hospital, a joyous occasion for the family. However, this raised the immediate issue of where Xia Guo and Yu Jian would live, as they needed to find a rental property. Yu Jian's mother, wanting to save money, sought out Wang Yan, Xia Guo's mother, at a Mahjong game. She hoped Wang Yan would agree to let the couple use her house as their marital home.
Wang Yan flatly refused, stating she would not give Xia Guo any money and advised her to reconsider marrying Yu Jian. She abruptly left the Mahjong game for a beauty appointment, declaring the game boring. Later, other players at the Mahjong parlor suggested to Yu Jian's mother that Xia Guo could potentially remove Wang Yan's name from the property deed.
Upon hearing this, Yu Jian was dismayed, unable to comprehend how his mother could suggest such a thing to Xia Guo. He informed his mother that he and Xia Guo had already found a rental place and he would not bring up the idea of changing the deed with Xia Guo, saying he couldn't bring himself to do it and wouldn't go back on his word.
Desperate, Yu Jian's mother resorted to emotional blackmail, feigning dizziness and claiming high blood pressure but refusing to take her medicine, framing it as a "heart problem" caused by the house situation. She insisted her health would improve if Yu Jian could get the property deed changed. Reluctant but pressured by his mother's apparent distress and refusal to take medication, the filial Yu Jian reluctantly agreed to consider her request.
Unable to bring himself to discuss the property deed issue with Xia Guo, Yu Jian called her, but struggled to find the words, instead asking if she could help pick up his father after a follow-up checkup in two days. Xia Guo, busy with an upcoming interview, dismissed the call as trivial and said they could talk later. Shortly after, Yu Jian overheard colleagues discussing a news story about someone who forged property deeds using online templates.
This gave him an idea. Yu Jian then created a fake image of the property deed, showing only Xia Guo's name listed, and presented it to his mother. She was delighted, praising Xia Guo's sensibility and expressing surprise that Wang Yan had seemingly agreed to the change.
Yu Jian's mother initially found the image unconvincing and wanted to see the physical deed, but Yu Jian provided excuses, saying photos weren't the same as the real thing and arguing that they shouldn't keep the deed from Guo, suggesting it might look like they were after her property. Satisfied, his mother was pleased with his success and promised to cook a celebratory meal.
Yu Jian cautioned his mother against mentioning the matter to Xia Guo, emphasizing the existing tension with Wang Yan and the sensitivity of the situation, urging her to be low-key. Despite Yu Jian's warning, his mother secretly arranged to meet Wang Yan for lunch at the Hilton the next day, intending to discuss the children's marriage. Unbeknownst to his mother, Yu Jian had also separately invited Wang Yan to the same restaurant for the same reason.
Both mother and son were surprised to find the other there. Yu Jian attempted to smoothly announce his and Xia Guo's plan to marry and sought Wang Yan's blessing. However, Wang Yan quickly shifted to practical matters, inquiring about the wedding arrangements, dowry, ring, and house. Yu Jian tried to deflect, but his mother interrupted, becoming defensive and arguing that they had treated Guo like a daughter, unlike Wang Yan who was setting conditions.
The argument escalated, with Wang Yan questioning why only Guo visited her father in the hospital. Yu Jian's mother accused Wang Yan of being fixated on money and property, while Wang Yan retorted that Guo was sensible, unlike her mother. As the argument intensified, Wang Yan stated that she held Guo's hukou and needed to approve the marriage. Yu Jian's mother scoffed, accusing Wang Yan of regretting the property deed change and pretending otherwise.
Yu Jian tried to intervene and take his mother home. Yu Jian's mother continued, asserting that the deed showing only Guo's name was proof, and Wang Yan's regret was too late. Confused, Wang Yan asked what property deed they were talking about. Yu Jian was then forced to confess that the photo he showed his mother was fake, downloaded and edited from the internet, and the real deed still had both names on it.
Wang Yan, furious, pointed to Yu Jian and his mother and asked Xia Guo if this was the family she wanted to marry into. Xia Guo, angered by the deception, walked out, telling Yu Jian not to touch her and that he had let his mother down, not her.
Yu Jian chased after her, trying to explain that he had lied to his mother because she wanted Xia Guo to remove Wang Yan's name so they could live in the house, and he wanted to prevent his mother from troubling her. Xia Guo accused him of agreeing to all his mother's unreasonable demands. Yu Jian denied agreeing and claimed he was trying to find a solution while managing his mother's health issues.
Xia Guo called his actions compromising, not problem-solving. She questioned why he lied instead of refusing directly and how she could trust him, especially since he brought her to this situation under false pretenses. Yu Jian argued that he only lied to his mother and that families sometimes need to compromise. Xia Guo highlighted his lack of principles and responsibility in dealing with his mother's demands regarding Shanghai, living arrangements, and the house.
Yu Jian acknowledged his mother's occasional wrongdoings but insisted her intentions were good and questioned Xia Guo's apparent dislike for her. Xia Guo clarified she was criticizing "his" behavior and reiterated her desire for a responsible partner, not a "mommy's boy." Yu Jian, feeling misunderstood, accused her of looking down on him and his family, just like her mother. Xia Guo, hurt and frustrated, told him not to marry her.
That evening, Xia Guo confided in her friend Ms. Ping about the events. Ms. Ping initially seemed critical of Yu Jian's deception, calling it a character issue. However, she later softened her stance, suggesting that such "white lies" were common in life and served as lubricant, arguing that Yu Jian's actions stemmed from love and an attempt to resolve the situation without distressing Xia Guo.
Xia Guo, however, strongly disagreed, stating she preferred honesty and feared that lying would become a habit. Ms. Ping suggested Yu Jian was likely trying to please both sides and called it a sign of high emotional intelligence, a point Xia Guo disputed, seeing it as a lack of stance. Xia Guo also reflected on her decision to stay in her hometown instead of moving to Shanghai, implying regret and self-blame.
Ms. Ping urged her not to talk out of anger, pointing out that Yu Jian must love her deeply to tolerate being criticized so harshly. Xia Guo remained firm, stating the matter concerned her future and she wouldn't be soft-hearted. Ms. Ping questioned if Xia Guo was considering not marrying him at all, asking how she would handle the inevitable trivialities of marriage, which she argued would be the same regardless of who she married.
She advised Xia Guo, as childhood friends who had come so far, to give Yu Jian a chance, acknowledging his meekness but highlighting his good nature. Xia Guo understood the logic but struggled with her feelings, recognizing the distance between them and her struggle to process the negative emotions. Later that night, wrestling with her decision, she typed "Let's break up" in a message to Yu Jian but hesitated before sending it.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Xia Guo was actively pursuing her professional growth. She was tasked with securing an endorsement deal with a prominent streamer named Xiao Jie. Her initial meeting proved difficult, with Xiao Jie directly inquiring about the terms and fees and rejecting the initial offer of 800,000 yuan for the first year, finding the concept of "sincerity" insufficient and questioning the benefit to the streamer. After the unsuccessful meeting, Mr. Xue asked Xia Guo for her next steps.
He advised against simply raising the price, which could lead to a protracted negotiation and waste valuable time. Instead, he suggested finding a different angle, focusing on the streamer's habits, hobbies, or social circle to find a weakness or preference that could be leveraged. Understanding his advice, Xia Guo shifted her approach, aiming to build rapport and appeal to Xiao Jie's preferences.
She succeeded in getting closer to the streamer, even obtaining a rare signed Michael Jordan jersey for her, which greatly pleased Xiao Jie and opened up possibilities for further discussion after her live stream. However, despite Xia Guo's efforts in building a relationship and showing thoughtfulness, Xiao Jie later informed her that Ms. Chen from Haowei had already visited her studio that morning and signed a contract.
