Li Hui Zhen had said she would not go back to Immortal despite Bai Hao Yu’s apology and praise. But she soon regrets her words. Reading her name on the magazine again, visiting her parents and hearing how proud they are sees her wanting to go back. The only problem that stops her is her pride. How can she go back on the words she said to Bai Hao Yu and return?
But another round of persuasion from Bai Hao Yu and a lecture from her little sister convinces he to suck up that pride, and she returns as a new and improved Li Hui Zhen. Gone is the frizzy hair, freckles and baggy clothes. It’s sleek hair, perfect complexion, and stylish top and pencil skirt. In Vivian’s words (also known as the Editor in Chief), she’s become “very Immortal-style”.
Pretty Li Hui Zhen Episode 24 Recap
It’s the next day and there are still no signs of Li Hui Zhen making a return. Team Leader Zhu Ying and Bai Hao Yu are forced to make preparations for the possibility of Li Hui Zhen never returning by beginning their interviews to replace Li Hui Zhen.
Not one candidate came through as being normal let alone suitable. They all wanted to enter the magazine because it could help them fulfill their own dreams or desires in some way. One candidate wanted to use the magazine to promote their own designs whilst another liked the idea of being surrounded by jewellery and clothes they could try on. Another was bold enough to bring up no weekend work as weekends are for her dates with her boyfriend.
For Li Hui Zhen, Lin Yi Mu’s returned, though. His return is met with a boisterous welcome then a bit of teasing. Lin Yi Mu’s admission that he had spent his first day of his annual leave seeing Li Hui Zhen, having some fun, eating and having a few drinks gets everyone suspecting something was going on between him and Li Hui Zhen. Lin Yi Mu plays dumb, pretending to no know what dating is before he explains it as simply two people who gets along well.
Between Lin Yi Mu and Bai Hao Yu, the reception is cold—not even acknowledged in fact. The gathering Lin Yi Mu garners has Bai Hao Yu walk by to break it up with scolding to get back to work. Whilst alone in the office, with just the two there, glares are exchanged and held across the office. (The glares feels like they might not simply be because of their dislike for each other, but a challenge from Lin Yi Mu to Bai Hao Yu to make a move with regards to Li Hui Zhen not returning.)
Another round occurs during an Immortal meeting. This one was interrupted by Zhu Ying as she moves to see if they could start the meeting. The delay in its start suggest that maybe Bai Hao Yu was waiting till the last moment (or maybe prolonging the moment) before announcing the team needs to come up with a new idea.
The request has the team all confused and wanting to know why he was rejecting the great idea. When told it’s Li Hui Zhen’s and they can’t use it, the team suggests contacting her for permission and crediting her. This has Bai Hao Yu angrily ask whether suggesting such a thing means the team can’t think of a better idea.
Bai Hao Yu’s words sets Lin Yi Mu off. It has Lin Yi Mu criticise Bai Hao Yu’s lack of input into the creative process, asking what better ideas Bai Hao Yu had and what he’d contributed to help the magazine. Contacting a very important client this one time was the only time Lin Yi Mu could remember.
Lin Yi Mu look to continue his attack, but then he remembers Li Hui Zhen’s request. Prompted by Bai Hao Yu’s question about whether Lin Yi Mu was doubting his abilities as Deputy Editor in Chief, Lin Yi Mu settles down and turns his attack into advice. He tells Bai Hao Yu not to add further pressure to what is already a highly pressured situation. (At least that’s what we think he’s saying when he talks about an air conditioner blowing cold air where it’s already very cold. We’re not sure if he’s referring to the pressure on the team from Bai Hao Yu or pressure on Bai Hao Yu from Headquarters, though.) He tells Bai Hao Yu they need to work together and not separately like how they have been.
The tension between them is dissipated as following the meeting Bai Hao Yu acknowledges his advice and gives Lin Yi Mu a proper welcome, verbally welcoming him.
Over at Li Hui Zhen’s, she’s starting to feel regret over her decision to turn down Bai Hao Yu’s earnest request for her to return. As she lay on her sofa reading her name as well as her colleagues’ names, she realises working at the bakery isn’t the place she wants to be, and makes the decision to resign.
Manager Zhao
“Old Li, for the sake of our friendship in the past I gave you some work.”
“Just spare me. Go mooch off your daughter. I’m going to find someone else to print them.”
Li Hui Zhen makes another decision following her resignation: to tell her parents that she’s left Immortal. It doesn’t go to plan at all, though, as a visit to her dad’s printing shop has her come across a financial stress. Her dad’s client/friend is threatening to take their business elsewhere because of the delays caused by equipment malfunction.
The financial stress doesn’t appear to be what really made things hard for her to speak of her departure. It was how proud her dad was of her when he thought she had managed to bring him a client as large as Immortal to him. To save her dad from losing business, she told a lie about Immortal wanting him to print extra issues for them because of how good quality his work was, which had him voice how seriously proud he was of her.
Li Hui Zhen’s mum:
“Do you know how happy your father was? He called every relative and even bought 20-odd issues to give to relatives, friends and important customers.”
Going into the house, she is met with the sight of her mother nursing a sore back. (So, more financial stresses.) She then hears more about how her father was so proud when he saw her name being published, he went and bought 20 or so copies of the magazine to hand out to family, friends and customers. He even went and got her little sister, Hui Lin, to teach him how to use social media and messaging apps so he could help promote the magazine.
Her father had once worried about her working in the editorial department. He also had heard about how the competitive the environment was. He worried she was being bullied and she was just enduring it all. This has Li Hui Zhen assure her mum it wasn’t like that at all. She tells her all her colleagues treat her wonderfully. (All but Bai Hao Yu it seems: she doesn’t mention him at all, not even by title.)
As she thinks about all her colleagues, she realises just how much she missed them and it brings on more regret for not accepting Bai Hao Yu’s request to go back to Immortal:
Li Hui Zhen:
“I clearly came here to prepare them for the news, but instead they brought up things that made me regret it more and more.”
Li Hui Zhen:
“Why did I have to say it like that back then?”
“What’s wrong with me? Why did I have to make it so definite? How do I lower this face of mine and tell him I want to return?”
Back at home, Li Hui Zhen is now sure wants to return to Immortal it seems, but her pride is stopping her from making that call to say she wants to go back.
Bai Hao Yu:
“Are you really leaving like this? You don’t want him anymore?”
“I want to recover a good employee. Is this reason good enough?”
Bai Hao Yu’s messages come through shortly after. As she sits on the sofa with Xia Qiao hanging around beside her (not really serving a purpose till later), Li Hui Zhen receives a photo of the purple onion she returned to him before leaving. It’s weeping. He sends another message. This time it’s a photo of the note she left him for returning her notebook that time she lost her notebook at the library. He then gives her another reason for wanting her back: to recover a good employee.
Bai Hao Yu’s really giving his all. It’s the perfect opportunity to accept. However, Li Hui Zhen still seems unable to take that step and accept. But then, her little sister’s messages. Li Hui Lin’s messages show Li Hui Zhen that she, too, is quite proud of her. At the same time, it reminds Li Hui Zhen again what she is giving up, all because she was afraid to go back on her words:
Li Hui Lin:
“Let me tell you. I’m promoting Immorting not you. You better not become too proud. I’m just worried that you’ll get driven out of such an outstanding magazine for not doing your job well and cause me embarrassment.”
Without really knowing Li Hui Zhen had already left and why she was forced to leave, Li Hui Lin still manages to say something useful:
Li Hui Lin:
“Why do you keep minding what others think?”
“The important thing is what you think at the end of the day? Even if people point the finger of blame, as long as you feel you didn’t do anything wrong, then stand tall and tell them, ‘It’s none of your business!’”
Li Hui Lin had said it in response to Li Hui Zhen’s message about not understanding the high expectations the people at the magazine had. But Li Hui Lin’s response still rings true for her fear of losing some face.
With that, Li Hui Zhen makes the decision. She’s going to return and she will return as a whole different Li Hui Zhen, too:
Li Hui Zhen:
“Qiao’er, can you do me a favour?”
“Teach me how to do make up.”
“I want to become pretty.”
Xia Qiao gets right to showing her the way to do make up before she takes her to the salon to get her hair straightened and styled. She’s happy to see her friend finally going the right direction, but she knows what this decision also means: it’s the end for her and Bai Hao Yu.
At the end of the night, Xia Qiao meet up with Lin Yi Mu. In light of news that Li Hui Zhen is to return to Immortal the next day (and therefore to Bai Hao Yu), Lin Yi Mu makes his ‘I’m happy as long as the he like is happy’ speech as reason for not feeling sad or having the opportunity to pursue Li Hui Zhen. Whether he’s happy or not isn’t what’s important. He will continue to like her the way he has been whether it bit he ends up with her.
Xia Qiao:
“This bracelet was a gift given by Bai Hao Yu to Li Hui Zhen. I want to ask you to help me take it off.”
Xia Qiao’s finally where Lin Yi Mu is and have thought things through, too. The bracelet which was never meant for her finally comes off with help from Lin Yi Mu.
Episode 24 ends with Li Hui Zhen returning as the new and improved Li Hui Zhen. Just like the Korean original, everyone is busy with their tasks. So busy, they can’t pick up the phone which starts ringing on Li Hui Zhen’s or notice that Li Hui Zhen’s come into the office. It’s only when the phone stops ringing and they hear her answer it they realise her presence.
Everyone turns and stares at her, clearly surprised by this person who sounds like Li Hui Zhen, but looks completely different to the last time they saw her. As she finishes taking the call, they continue to stand staring at her, not making a move. It’s almost as if they were still processing whether this person before them was her.
Team Leader Zhu Ying greets Li Hui Zhen first, which has everyone seem to launch into recognition. Li Hui Zhen apologises for making everyone worry before Lin Hu Sheng physically launches himself at her with a hug, telling her that he missed her so much. Clearly, he’s affected by her beauty.
Lin Yi Mu is right there to make sure Lin Hu Sheng controls himself. He pulls him off of her.
The welcomes and words of having missed her continue. Meili goes to say her welcomes then Han Xue. This all happens as Bai Hao Yu watches on, his gaze focused on Li Hui Zhen the whole time.
A final welcome come from Zhu Ying before she lets Li Hui Zhen know that they’re currently fighting a battle and asks whether she’s ready to join them and fight it together.
Li Hui Zhen:
“Of course! Let’s do our best, everyone!”
Comments
Finally, everything is how it should be. That chair that’s been empty has gotten its owner back and Li Hui Zhen is back, and she’s back with not only her hardworking self, but looking so pretty, too. The Editor in Chief won’t be pulling her in for her frizzy hair, odd shoes and just simply not looking very Immortal-style.
We really like this makeover. Pretty Li Hui Zhen gave Li Hui Zhen a really nice makeover. Dilraba Dilmurat is pretty so there was no doubt Li Hui Zhen’s makeover can look really pretty. But sometimes in dramas, they don’t always make the character transform as prettily as we know the actress can pull off.
An example we remember the most is the one given to Geum Jan Di in Korean drama Boys Over Flower. The dress, the hair, the fur, every character was wowed by the combination (and seemingly the show thought this represented class, prestige and beauty for the drama), but we it fell flat for us.
So, it’s really nice to see Pretty Li Hui Zhen get it right.
With Li Hui Zhen looking the way she does now, we would love to know what Bai Hao Yu think of her now. With sleek straight hair, clear complexion as well as how her own childhood is so similar to the one he shared with his childhood Li Hui Zhen, is she coming off as even more like his Li Hui Zhen?
This episode was a slowish one as there really wasn’t too many new developments for the first two-thirds, but still a very awesome one because of how it ends off with the makeover.
From here, Bai Hao Yu and Li Hui Zhen is really going to be on the up. Lin Yi Mu and Li Hui Zhen, memory has it, there are still a couple of awesome scenes for Lin Yi Mu still to come, but they probably come off as consolation scenes than anything. Having said that, it may be on the down for the first-lead-second-lead pairing, but there’s still the “who’s the heir?” and “who’s Diviner?” part of the story to come. So, the light hasn’t faded for Lin Yi Mu, yet, which we’re super happy about and looking forward to.
Bai Hao Yu admitting his feelings for Li Hui Zhen and when he finally reunites with the real Li Hui Zhen we also can’t wait to see.
What we’re not looking forward to is what will happen with Xia Qiao. She came off as a two-faced best friend this whole time, but she does deserve pity. She finally finds someone she really likes after believing for so long that love doesn’t exist and it’s someone she can’t be with.
Lin Yi Mu seems like a possible match for her, but if the Korean original is anything to go by, no such pairing will be developed. Maybe Pretty Li Hui Zhen could hint it in its version.
ADVERTISEMENT
