Looks like we’re going to be on Adam’s side for the whole ride, unless he wants to join the competition too. Hey, I don’t mind. – Kap

I don’t mind either. 😀 – XY

I invited XY to recap this for you guys. Give her love and support. 😀

Episode 1:

The drama starts (typically) with Lin Xiao Jie (Chen Qiao En) dressed in a gown carried by 6 European hunks… who then became 6 old men with perverted looks on their faces. She falls and wakes up on the floor, and her alarm rings a minute later, but she falls back sleep on her bed. A tour around her house shows makeup supplies, fashion magazines, cutouts and posters and a Europe study tour planner. Her flatmate and colleague – Li Jia Yi (??) – then screams for her to wake up, but she refuses, so Jia Yi goes on about how she’ll have no money for her study tour if she’s late for work, and ta-dah! She sits up on her bed.

She goes about her morning business while introducing herself – a typical office worker who has 3 ‘don’t want’s; don’t wanna wake up, don’t wanna go to work, blue Mondays. It’s a play on the words because ‘don’t want’ is ‘bu yao’ in Chinese, and they figured that ‘blue’ sounds the same.

While on a business call on the bus, she explains 3 ‘needs’ of an OL (office lady) – need to figure out the boss’s moods, need to learn how to slide (I think it’s a slang term used but I’m not sure what it means exactly. ‘Slide’ is the translation of the term used, according to the dictionary. In this context, it’s to punch cards at work punctually, so maybe something like sliding around to make it?), need to make use of time wisely. At this stage, she’s already reached the office and has just started work.

She volunteers to go for an all expenses-paid business trip to Europe while everyone else takes a step back, because she’s always wanted to go there to study, and thus is taking this chance to journey around. It is seen as a slave job, but she thinks it’s better to be a slave in London than in the office.

After the job’s done in London, the model – Bai Ji Qing (Jiang Yi) – goes out on a date with Gao Zi Qi (Godfrey Gao) who picks her up in a sports car, while Xiao Jie is asked to get coffee for everyone. At the same café, Tang Jun (Zhang Han) is (smooth) talking a prospective employer/e. When Xiao Jie walks out with her coffee, her bag gets stolen by a motorist. Shouting for help in Mandarin catches Tang Jun’s attention, and he immediately goes to her. Borrowing another guy’s bike, he gives chase while Xiao Jie takes a cab. Not fantastic, but nice biking action here. 😀 He manages to get her bag back, but some important documents in her bag land in the river, so he steps in to retrieve them back. Sorry to disappoint Zhang Han fans, but there aren’t any stripping scenes other than a jacket. 😛 Afterwards, she buys him a set of clothes as a way to thank him and insists on doing more, but he laughs it off.

Meanwhile, the couple on their date is on cloud nine because they can do what they like without worrying about the paparazzi. While having fast food, Ji Qing complains about the calories and Zi Qi agrees to eat half of her share. She notices a lotion jar in a plastic bag next to him; he then takes it out and starts rubbing it onto her feet. Hella sweet, I say! Not everyone can do that! He’s a rich kid at that! But they’re at a cafe, feet business should be done somewhere private! I’m eating here! 😛 – Kap

Back to Tang Jun and Xiao Jie; they’re in a shop, talking about Peter Rabbit because everyone says that Xiao Jie looks like one, and Tang Jun hugs it to sleep at night when he doesn’t have a girlfriend. But the price prevents her from getting it for him, so she asks him to choose something else he wants. He picks a key chain, muttering that he’s easily satisfied.

Ji Qing and Zi Qi are now by the fountain, still enjoying their time together. Ji Qing wishes that they could be like that everyday, and Zi Qi replies that one will get sick of steak if it’s eaten every day, and then brings her to a famous ice-cream shop in London.

Guess what. Tang Jun takes Xiao Jie to the same famous ice-cream shop.

They come out of the shop and walk ahead while the other couple enters the shop behind them. (I love the top/jacket she’s wearing!) They walk to a nearby lake, and Tang Jun offers to take her around. They chat briefly, and she asks why he’s in London, and he says that he’s in charge of the security in London. All I notice while he’s talking is the ice-cream melting and dripping while he waves it around as he speaks…

She gets a call and rushes back to work. As she walks away, I see a couple of Asian girls in the background looking excited… Fans maybe?

Back in Taiwan, a disgruntled Xiao Jie is seen pushing a trolley full of luggage, while Ji Qing is walking empty-handed with fans holding posters behind her, taking photos with fans and giving autographs. Actually, just one photo and one autograph. 😛

Zi Qi bumps into Xiao Jie’s trolley, and all her luggage falls off. (They must have been pretty light.) He strodes away and she calls after him. When he turns, she’s obviously smitten and keeps staring, until he asks her what’s up. Flustered but not distracted, she complains about the fallen luggage, but he ignores her and continues walking.

Back in the office, the boss asks Xiao Jie to make him a cup of instant noodles, while complaining about how no one knows how to write a good proposal for an upcoming beer carnival. When she brings him his food and hands him a file with a proposal she did, he mistakes it as something she gave him to help hold the cover of his cup down. Someone else comes along to say that they don’t have enough manpower, and she is told to go and help out in the shop. Before she leaves, she sees the boss throwing her proposal into the bin without giving it a second look.

An old man enters the shop and Xiao Jie assists him, giving him a few suits to try. While he’s in the changing room, her colleague reckons he won’t be buying anything, judging by what he wears. Xiao Jie waves her off, saying that it’s okay, and he comes out, saying that he likes what he is wearing. She helps him with ties and bows, and he makes his purchase. As he walks out, she is asked to go and help out in the supermarket.

Back to Tang Jun in England, someone buys him a drink at a café, with a note, ‘Surprise! Long time no see.’ Adam Bell (Ming Dao) appears! 😀 They laugh and catch up like old friends. Here we learn that Tang Jun needs to go to France for business and since this trip’s going to take a while, he posts an online advertisement to rent out his place. OMMIII, Ming Dao’s manly voice and Zhang Han’s boyish squeak is such a huge contrast, it’s adorable. – Kap

In Taiwan, it is the night before Chinese(?) New Year. Xiao Jie and Jia Yi are left in the supermarket to do closing. Jia Yi’s boyfriend gives her a call, and Xiao Jie chases Jia Yi away to spend time with her boyfriend, while she willingly does everything herself.

The old man who bought the suit earlier holds a party at night, and is actually looking for Xiao Jie! In actuality, he’s the CEO. He asks his son, Zi Hao (GINO), where Zi Qi is, and is told that he’s not around. Zi Hao then complains that Zi Qi is only a supermarket consultant, and that business trips to Japan and London are just excuses to go overseas to play.

Zi Qi then enters the party dashingly on a motor, which is a prize of a lucky draw. Girls at the side start exclaiming how handsome he is. He greets his father, and starts arguing with Zi Hao. Their father complains about how they’re not able to stop arguing for even a few minutes and walks away.

Scenes of the party and Xiao Jie spending the time alone in the supermarket as midnight arrives and passes interchange. She makes a resolution of leaving her department and going to London to study. Using her phone to browse the net, she comes across pictures of a house in London. Whaddya know. It’s the advertisement Tang Jun had put up. ‘The world is so small. We meet again,’ says Tang Jun upon seeing the profile of his potential tenant.

Drunk, Zi Qi walks to the supermarket and hears Xiao Jie’s singing out loud to herself while stacking beer cans. She suddenly sees him behind and gets a shock and falls backwards, pulling Zi Qi with her.

Xiao Jie complains that her arm is getting squashed by Zi Qi. A closer look and she recognizes him, but he walks away yet again! She calls out, and he peers at her closely, a sense of familiarity sweeps across his face. She pulls him by the shirt this time and demands his help to stack up the beer cans. He doesn’t know how, so she teaches him. She rambles on about how she stacks beer cans all the time, and animations of her doing that fill the screen. She then rants how the company lacks creativity, only stacking beer cans all the time for beer carnivals, without knowing that he is one of the managers/consultant of the supermarket.

He asks her for ideas, and she describes what she thought of. He listens with a thoughtful expression. When she’s finished, she goes back to ordering him around stacking beer cans again….

We then see her wake up in a trolley the next morning.

When she’s home, her housemate, Jia Yi, apologises for leaving her all the work, and dreaming on her own. Apparently, she calls Jia Yi in the middle of the night to tell her that she was stacking beer cans with a handsome dude.

The scene changes to Zi Qi being asked by his assistant what hard labor he was doing last night.

Back to Xiao Jie, she also told Jia Yi over the phone that she found a house in England, but she doesn’t remember anything at all! After brushing past the topic of last night’s venture, Xiao Jie heads back in her room, and she receives a message from Tang Jun asking if she really wants to rent his place. She has no idea that it is Tang Jun she is talking to, and that the house is his, knowing him as Tom.

An online interview takes place, with little smileys beside the questions on the screen.

Purple = Xiao Jie, Blue = Tang Jun.

Why do I need an interview for renting a place?

(At this point, they’re talking to each other. I mean, computer screens.)

Does a landlord not have the right to choose a tenant? Listen up.
First question: What kind of a person do you think I am?
You have so many Peter Rabbits at home, I think you’re a sissy.

Before she sends that out, she cancels it and instead types:

I think you are someone with power. (And she sniggers to herself.)
So according to you, I’m very wild?
No, no! She says this in a very cutely condescending tone. xD
I mean that you must be very gentle and graceful, like Peter rabbit, full of warmth and cuteness. She giggles very cutely.
Why does it feel like you’re scolding me instead?
Okay, next question. Why do you want to come to London?
I want to fulfill my dream of studying in England.

They’re back to talking to each other, with their heads turned, as if the other party is behind them. On the screen anyway.

Liar. I bet you were abandoned.
No!
I mean by work. Running about like an errand girl now is not the life you want to lead. For someone who is 29, you’re not happy with your job and life now, so you want to give up everything and study overseas. Don’t you think that’s more dangerous?
Is it not worth it to work hard for a future I want? It’s obvious that a fellow like you don’t what what are dreams.

Turns back to the laptop.

Xiao Jie thinks, “Surely he’s not angry?”

Back to talking to each other.

Okay, you’ve passed the test. When are you moving in?
What? Just like that? I dont know either.
Yep. Also, where do you plan to study? Do you need recommendations?
This is kinda on the spur of the moment, I’m not sure.
Any other requests other than the rent?
(Talks to herself.) Yes of course. Turns back to laptop.
If there is a beige curtain with fresh flowers on the window’s ledge, it’d make my day when I wake up every morning.

And they continue chatting.

Zi Qi postpones a meeting for lunch with his father, who requests for him back to work on the department stores, which are originally under his brother’s charge.

In the mean time, Adam notices that Tang Jun is buying flowers and looking for a school for the soon-to-be tenant. He teases Tang Jun while the latter looks down with a bashful smile.

Xiao Jie’s on break at work when she’s asked to meet the CEO, and she finds out that it is the old man she served the other day. She tells him that she’s going to resign and go to London to study before coming back to the company to work. He then offers her a position at the marketing department.

She mulls over the offer again while packing, and considers not going to London anymore, just as a message from Tang Jun arrives. She still doesn’t know that it is Tom.

I’ve found a few schools for you. I’m sure you’ll be touched to tears.
I’m sorry, Mr Tom. I can’t go to London anymore.
*sad face* For gaining recognition, I’m very happy for you. Whether you stay in Taipei or come to London, I’ll still support you. *more sad face*

She wonders why he is so nice to her.

First day at the new department, she is greeted by a mad rush, and everyone ignores her. One hastily points her to her seat. When the manager arrives, everyone lines up to show him their work, but they’re rejected and given 15 minutes to edit before the meeting commences. Xiao Jie is still being ignored. At the end of the meeting, she asks what she can do, and is tasked the job of decorating the windows for Valentine’s day.

Zi Hao comes to his brother’s place and tells Zi Qi that he will regret coming back to the department store.

Pondering what to do about her project, a message from Tang Jun pops up from the screen. At the same time, he conveniently rolls over in a chair, asking her what she’s staring at.

I don’t know how to start on my project.
Have you ever wondered how Valentine’s came about? Why are gifts sent, and special dinners had?
Because all the florists, shopping centers and restaurants all have special promotions during Valentine’s.
That’s right. So the question now is how we are going sell it. Let buyers think that they’re buying love, and the cash rolls in. Also, the window of every departmental store is their face. It’s very important. Think about how to make it different from the rest to attract customers.

She proceeds to plug in her earphones, hums to herself, and scribbles on a drawing block in the stairwell. As Zi Qi ascends down the steps, he calls her the supermarket tower beer lady, and she counters back with a nick of the rude beer tower sir. He sees what she’s been doing, and says that they’re all useless. Discouraged by his answer, she replies honestly that she can’t help it. Instead of pouring more cold water, he sits down next to her, and encourages her to think outside the box.

At home, she receives the limited edition Peter Rabbit soft toy she saw in the shop in London from Tang Jun. His card says that since she can’t go to London, he sent the Peter Rabbit, and some London local ‘snacks’ to let her experience London. (He spelt ‘rabbit’ as ‘rebbit on his card… And how in the world did he get her address anyway?! *facepalm* I’m not sending my address to someone I know for such a short time!) The said ‘snacks’ is a stack of Polaroids of local landmarks with Peter Rabbit in them! He sure can bear to spend!

XY: Hey ya! XY here! Haven’t been the most active member around. >< This is my first time doing a recap at the request of Kaptain, so I decided to give it a go. (: It’s also a collaboration with her, because I cant download dramas now, so she will be the one posting the pictures. I hope my recap’s alright! I started watching it without know anything at all! I really like the way the online conversations are presented here, and how the scenes cut into each other. Do let me know if it’s too long-winded or if I insert too many random/redundant comments. ^^;; You’ll be seeing me for another 29 times at least! xD Yoroshiku!

Kap: Light and fluffy, like how an idol drama should be. Is it weird that I’m anticipating the angst? Joe’s hitting the chemistry button with both leads and I’m surprised to say Godfrey might just have the upper hand in terms of THE smoldering gaze. He looks much better in motion, and it doesn’t help Zhang Han in any case that he’s like a little boy. That voice. That face.