Because of Love Episode 1 Recap
> Because of Love Recap
The autumn day unfolded like any other, green trees swaying outside a sweet shop, sunlight streaming in, and birdsong filling the air. Inside, Nie Yusheng, a man carrying an umbrella, ordered a cake and personally wrote a card. This seemingly ordinary act was deeply intertwined with Tan Jing, the woman working at the cash register. As evening fell, the weather, typical for typhoon season in early September, turned unpredictable with a sudden drop in temperature.
Tan Jing rushed out of the sweet shop, merging with the flow of people heading home. She boarded a bus, finding a small, private space where she could finally exhale, her tense body relaxing after a long day. Ten minutes after getting off the bus, she walked past clusters of old residential buildings, their dim lights reflecting on the street.
Every time peaches were on sale, she would unhesitatingly buy two catties; though her life was financially constrained, she had grown numb to its struggles. Just then, Tan Jing saw Nie Yusheng. His name was etched into her memory as her first love, once the brightest sun of her youth. However, after nearly seven years apart, that sunshine had faded, becoming a mix of surprise, a faint smile, and a brief greeting.
Out of politeness, Tan Jing invited Nie Yusheng upstairs. He glanced at the dilapidated building, his tone calm, yet his words carried a cold, cutting edge. He expressed slight surprise only when she mentioned her husband was home. She offered him the peaches she had just bought, but he declined the invitation, saying he had to leave. After Nie Yusheng departed, Tan Jing, though pretending to be composed, felt a ripple of emotions and cold sweat on her back.
She stood frozen for a long time before finally knocking on her neighbor Ms. Wang’s door to pick up her son, Sun Ping, after thanking Ms. Wang. That night, rain poured, mirroring Nie Yusheng's restless heart. After so many years, he thought his memories of Tan Jing would have faded. But upon recognizing her familiar figure earlier that day, he couldn't help but follow her, even buying a cake and deliberately writing a card.
Yet, he felt no sweetness and assumed Tan Jing felt the same. He had initially gone to pick up a cake, not expecting to see her, but found himself waiting for her to finish work. Indeed, Tan Jing’s life was not easy. The countless lights illuminating other homes offered no comfort; only a cold, dark living room and a mess awaited her. Her husband, Sun Zhijun, was passed out drunk, reeking of alcohol.
Tan Jing, despite her exhaustion, habitually cleaned up the mess and hung laundry. By the time she finished all the arduous household chores, it was well past midnight. Meanwhile, Mr. Quan accompanied Nie Dongyuan to a business dinner, discussing Dongyuan Group's expansion into the medical field through an acquisition. Mr. Quan called Nie Yusheng, hoping to get his professional opinion as a cardiac surgeon. Nie Yusheng expressed no interest, stating he wouldn't get involved in Dongyuan's affairs.
He was only going to the dinner to accompany his father, though he seemed distracted. The next morning, Tan Jing rode the bus to work as usual. After paying her son's medical fees, she noticed her bank account balance diminishing, causing her anxiety. At the cardiac surgery department, Mr. Fang and Nie Yusheng had a disagreement. Mr. Fang advocated for administering diuretics to a patient without fully considering her specific condition.
Nie Yusheng's judgment, however, was soon proven correct when the patient’s condition worsened dramatically after following Mr. Fang's advice. The patient’s heart rate increased further, and her blood pressure continued to drop, with tests revealing a severe lung infection. Nie Yusheng stepped in to manage the critical situation. Thanks to Nie Yusheng’s timely and appropriate intervention, the patient passed the danger period, and her parents were deeply grateful, calling him their daughter's savior.
They decided to take their daughter home after her condition stabilized, as the medical expenses were too high. Later, when Tan Jing returned home, she found Sun Zhijun unusually sober, which filled her with a sense of dread. Sun Zhijun quickly revealed he was short on money for a promising business venture. He wanted to use Sun Ping's surgery funds, but Tan Jing firmly refused.
He then suggested she borrow money from Nie Yusheng, or he would go to Nie Dongyuan, claiming the Nie family owed them money anyway. Later, Pingping woke up and came out, so Sun Zhijun made an excuse about overtime and left hastily, telling Tan Jing to reconsider his suggestion. After Sun Ping finally fell asleep, Tan Jing had some time to herself.
She took out a long-forgotten iron box, filled with mementos that transported her back to high school seven years ago. Her first encounter with Nie Yusheng was when she witnessed a schoolyard brawl. Nie Yusheng, then a rebellious youth, had confronted her, asking if she would tell the teachers about the fight. Despite his rough demeanor, she said nothing. Nie Yusheng also attended the same school. Their unusual connection transformed from initial dislike to a shared understanding.
Tan Jing excelled academically, particularly in English, and her recitations often captured Nie Yusheng’s attention. Tragically, Tan Jing’s father later suffered a heart attack. Their humble yet warm family was shattered. She knew Nie Yusheng had paid a 5,000 yuan deposit for her father's hospital care, but she stubbornly returned the money to him, calling it "hush money" and arguing that it bought too much favor but too little dignity.
Nie Yusheng was playing billiards when she angrily threw the money at him, telling him to learn to be a good person and not solve problems with money. The next morning, the cardiac surgery department lobby was bustling. Nie Yusheng rarely held regular clinics but occasionally spent a few days helping colleagues review medical images. Coincidentally, on this particular day, Tan Jing brought her son to see a doctor.
Dr. Li complained to Nie Yusheng about the child's parents being uncooperative, apparently finding the hospital's angiography too expensive compared to their previous hospital. Nie Yusheng was taken aback to realize that the "difficult parent" Dr. Li mentioned was Tan Jing. Both were momentarily stunned, but Nie Yusheng quickly composed himself, calmly stating that an angiography was necessary before scheduling surgery. Tan Jing, looking flustered, quickly thanked him and left.
Nie Yusheng picked up the diagnostic records and films, hurried after her, and explained that Sun Ping had a congenital heart defect (ventricular septal defect with aortic regurgitation), which could have been diagnosed at birth due to purple lips. He warned her that without timely treatment to repair the valve defect, Pingping would suffer from endless colds, fevers, and pneumonia, facing grave dangers at critical developmental stages.
His explanation was delivered with a cold indifference, and Tan Jing could only watch him walk away, tears welling in her eyes. His last bit of sympathy was gone. That evening, Nie Yusheng received a phone call from Shu Qin, who needed him to pretend to be her boyfriend to get out of a blind date. He arrived and successfully disrupted the awkward gathering. Shu Qin introduced him as her boyfriend, Nie Yusheng, a cardiac surgeon.
She explained to the relatives present that she and Nie Yusheng had a recent fight and almost broke up, which led her aunt to set up the blind date. Now that they had reconciled, she apologized for the misunderstanding, blaming herself, and drank a toast to apologize. As they left, Shu Qin sighed in relief. Nie Yusheng, however, was tired of constantly playing roles to help her.
Shu Qin then playfully suggested that since they were both single, they should consider getting married, but Nie Yusheng scoffed at the idea, stating he would marry a suitable lady, which was clearly not her.
