To start over again needs even more courage.

Previously on Mr. Right Wanted… ep 2 recap

Estelle’s Recap

Hai Ning starts the episode off by lamenting on how the day is marked by waiting. Waking up, waiting for the first cup of coffee, getting through work, waiting for the time to get off, waiting to get home and finally waiting for the day to be over. But this day is not just any day, as we soon find out. Cheng Hao is already at her house cooking up a storm for their anniversary dinner together. So much for returning all the spare keys to Hai Ning’s apartment, because apparently there are such things as ‘anniversary keys’ to be used only on anniversaries.

The relationship is definitely back on, because even the couple fish is back at her house. Cheng Hao proposes -not marriage – a new book idea. Oh my goodness, did he just come up with an idea all by himself???

Anyway, it is a book about first loves. He plays a sappy love song on his cellphone and tells her, “from now on, I will not propose anymore. I want our everyday to be the first day of a relationship. This way marriage will not be the end but the beginning of our love.” And Hai Ning totally eats it up. That was easy button, anyone?

Hai Ning: I wait for us to finish dinner, wait for him to finish washing dishes. Nine years… it’s a long time, but this moment felt even longer. Maybe those who want to get married just wants this moment to extend and then extend some more.

Well, not everyone agrees with Hai Ning’s “deep philosophy” about marriage, or erm… shall we say about anything? Enter candidate #19, Mr. Alex Chao, well known interior designer, divorced and obsessed with Bach. From arguing about how marriage is supposed to be perfect versus being realistic, to how creativity is best expressed through serious dedication versus spontaneity, Mr. Chao and Hai Ning just do not see eye to eye. This doesn’t stop Hai Ning from bring him home though. But hey, get your mind out of the gutter! She wants him to redesign her apartment.

Hai Ning pops the question and asks Cheng Hao to move in after the redesign, and the two go shopping for furniture. Hai Ning spots a lamp that she really likes, but it is really expensive. Being the “good” boyfriend that he is Cheng Hao buys it for her. Something smells really fishy though, because he stumbles to tell Hai Ning about the phone call he just received from a fan, asking him for help. He says the fan is pregnant but her husband wants her to get an abortion so she is now contemplating a divorce. Hai Ning seems to buy it and so they move on.

While packing, Cheng Hao discovers a box of candles that Hai Ning has been keeping from him. He asks her why she’s hiding them, and she shrugs. Then they kiss. Uh, I guess its a good box???

Hai Ning is feeling guilty that Alex is so into designing the apartment for two, but she knows he will not be the one moving in. Alex may be hurt by this, but his assistant, Xiao Qiu might be even more disappointed. Despite being secretly in love with Alex since their college years and witnessing (literally) his three divorces since, Xiao Qiu deems herself too unworthy of Alex, so instead she wants to help Hai Ning marry Alex. Of course, Hai Ning is uninterested and encourages Xiao Qiu to think more positively about herself. Yes, nothing is more attractive than confidence!

Maybe Hai Ning spoke too soon. The mysterious silent caller who has been phoning Hai Ning these past couple of days finally reveals herself to be Pei Pei, who has been living at Cheng Hao’s place since her divorce (that was FAST!). She is also the one Cheng Hao was on the phone with at the furniture store. Pei Pei says Cheng Hao has been looking for Hai Ning all day to discuss the termination of his contract with the publishing company. She claims that he does not want to hurt the reputation of the company or Hai Ning when word gets out about the affair and their unborn baby.

Now that the relationship with Cheng Hao is beyond repair and finally over, Hai Ning completely changes her look. Everyone at the office takes this as a good sign that things are going well with Alex, but they don’t know even half of it. Per the request of Xiao Qiu, Hai Ning rushes home to find Alex angry over a ten inch shortage in wall space. They argue over his plans to knock down the wall to start over and they both concede that they are not a good fit for each other.

Hai Ning laments now that her apartment is a mess, everything is too late, quite like her life situation right now.

A despondent Hai Ning unpacks the box of candles she saved and light them up. The candles are birthday candles from over the years and she imagines Cheng Hao there with her. She whispers that she was hiding the candles because she was afraid the memories would be burdensome. He replies that they at one point would tell each other everything.

Hai Ning: Cheng Hao, thank you for all the years of companionship. Now, goodbye. 

Hai Ning: Number 19 candidate, Alex Chao, says, restarting needs even more courage.

Save Room of Dessert:

• Universe Mao is not gone and neither is his opinions about marriage and love. He shows up at Tian Xin’s store (how did they even get acquainted?) and starts voicing his objections to Tian Xin’s idea of (still) looking for a long term meal ticket.
• When Alex and co were at Hai Ning’s apartment planning the design, they were acting like they were an investigation team, taking pictures in the dark with a spotlight and all. Here’s a picture for proof.
  

  alex chao, “magician of light”