Later, I Laughed Episode 4 Recap
> Later, I Laughed Recap
Studies show that people speak an average of 140 to 490 sentences a day, but most of those words carry meanings beyond their surface. For those who can’t pick up on the implied undertones, life might seem blissfully simple. Zheng Hao, without consulting Wu Xiuya, took it upon himself to invite Manager Hu and Manager Gao to dinner and apologized to them on her behalf. This smoothed things over, ensuring the matter would not be reported to the chairman.
When Wu Xiuya found out, she was furious, blaming Zheng Hao for acting without discussing it with her. What saddened her more was that, despite the major upheaval from the previous day, nothing changed because of Zheng Hao’s interference. She felt trapped in an invisible web and was hopelessly uncertain about how to prove her capabilities. It was then that she came across a company policy encouraging employees to seek growth opportunities at branch offices in other locations.
Inspired, she wrote a self-recommendation and applied for a transfer. When Manager Hu asked if she had discussed it with Zheng Hao, she firmly stated that she could make decisions about her own life. Manager Hu, seeing her determination, dropped the subject but secretly informed her close friend—Zheng Hao’s mother. Zheng Hao’s mother invited Wu Xiuya over for dinner, leaving Xiuya both nervous and uneasy, sensing an impending storm.
When Zheng Hao returned home from work and saw Wu Xiuya at his house, he was surprised but didn’t say much. During dinner, Zheng Hao noticed that Xiuya struggled with peeling crabs and offered to help. After being declined, he didn’t insist but made a comment that caught his mother’s attention. Soon after, his mother brought up Wu Xiuya’s application for a transfer.
Zheng Hao was shocked to learn that Xiuya had applied for a year-long assignment at an out-of-town branch without informing him. Frustrated, Xiuya explained her reasons for wanting the transfer. Zheng Hao’s mother initially praised Xiuya for her career aspirations but quickly advised her against making rash decisions. She subtly hinted at her concerns, saying that if Xiuya left for a year, who could guarantee that Zheng Hao wouldn’t end up with someone else?
Picking up on the undertone of her words, Xiuya became even more resolved to leave. After dinner, Zheng Hao drove Xiuya home, and they didn’t exchange a single word. A week of cold silence passed between them. Xiuya thought everything would become clear when the list of approved transfers was released the next day. Both Zheng Hao and his mother would finally see her intentions. However, she was entirely unprepared for what happened next.
When the transfer list was announced, Xiuya’s name was not on it. She confronted Manager Hu and discovered that Zheng Hao had once again made the decision for her without her consent. This led to an explosive argument between the two, which Zhang Yan happened to witness. Curious, Zhang Yan later asked Zheng Hao if he had been seeing someone else. Zheng Hao denied it and explained the truth.
Without regard for Xiuya’s feelings, Zheng Hao insisted she accompany him to Zhang Yan’s wedding. There, in front of the chairman, company colleagues, and many others, Zheng Hao surprised Xiuya by proposing to her. Xiuya was caught completely off guard. On one hand, she and Zheng Hao had never discussed marriage; on the other, she genuinely wasn’t ready to get married so soon. Yet Zheng Hao’s domineering behavior left her no room to consider her own feelings.
With a subtle undertone of pressure in his proposal, Xiuya felt utterly cornered. In life, expressions, gestures, and body language all convey unspoken meanings, and now, every move she made was magnified under the gaze of the crowd. Everyone was watching, waiting to see her decision. Among them were those who relished the prospect of seeing Zheng Hao rejected and humiliated, and others who sincerely wished her well. Faced with this public proposal, what choice would the kind-hearted Wu Xiuya make?
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