Because of Love Episode 3 Recap
> Because of Love Recap
Seven years ago, Tan Jing would rather have died than shamelessly beg for money as she does now. However, life's hardships have forced her to abandon her pride, willing to sell her past for 50,000 yuan. In his office on the thirtieth floor, Nie Yusheng angrily smashes his phone, but moments later, he carefully places the SIM card back into his cardholder. Nie Yusheng goes to the hospital and pays Tan Jing's outstanding hospital fees.
He tells her, "It's all paid for. Tell me. When? Where?" Tan Jing suggests, "Can we talk about this at 10 AM at the cafe across from the hospital?" Observing him, Tan Jing notes, "His face gave away nothing. If there used to be hate, not even a trace of that is left now." She realizes, "I know that everything between us is all over."
She recalls seeing a couple getting married and how she wished for that kind of love. Nie Yusheng had proposed to her, vowing to marry only her. He apologized for not being able to afford a beautiful wedding dress or a diamond ring then, but promised to get them for her in the future. Tan Jing had replied, "I don't need any of those. It's enough that I have you."
She recounts going to Belgium during her second year of university to find Nie Yusheng, where they got married without rings, flowers, or family blessings. Nie Yusheng had promised to buy her a real diamond ring one day. At that time, she believed that with him, she had the entire world. She reflects, "How naive I was." Shu Qin is cooking at Nie Yusheng's home when Nie Dongyuan, Nie Yusheng's father, unexpectedly arrives.
Shu Qin introduces herself as Nie Yusheng's university classmate and offers him the braised beef she's making, which Nie Dongyuan praises as his and Nie Yusheng's favorite. Shu Qin shares that she knows Nie Yusheng's preferences from their time in Belgium, where he would rush home for her braised beef even from the library. Nie Dongyuan approves, stating, "They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. You've found the way."
When Nie Yusheng returns, his father asks why he never visits. Shu Qin then asks Nie Yusheng to be her companion for their company's annual party. Nie Yusheng claims he's busy, but Nie Dongyuan encourages him to go, saying it's an honor to be invited and that if he were 30 years younger, he would accompany her himself. He advises Nie Yusheng not to act like a "lonely prince" and to be more social.
Shu Qin decides to leave, but Nie Dongyuan urges her to stay and eat. Back at her apartment, Tan Jing asks her neighbor, Zhang, to fix her broken phone. Zhang promises to check for motherboard damage and replace the screen if it's repairable. Tan Jing holds the few remaining items connecting her to Nie Yusheng, each one a cherished memory. Her son, Sun Ping, needs a ventilator every night.
Whenever Sun Ping calls for her, she drops everything to be by his side, comforting him, "I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of. Close your eyes." The next morning, Sun Ping gently blows on Tan Jing's finger after she burns it while peeling an egg. Sun Ping asks why they aren't having soymilk, and Tan Jing explains the machine is broken. Sun Ping then asks, "Mom, my quality isn't good either. Should I be replaced too?"
Tan Jing lovingly assures him, "Who told you that? You're the greatest gift the heavens gave me." At the café, Nie Yusheng presents 29,641 yuan to Tan Jing, stating that after deducting yesterday's medical expenses, he can only give her 30,000 yuan. Tan Jing hands him the box of their old mementos. Nie Yusheng notices the brooch is missing. Tan Jing explains, "I sold it. There were diamonds on it. They were worth some money. I've already spent that money."
Nie Yusheng asks if she will check the amount, reminding her that she had asked for 50,000 yuan yesterday. He then adds, "This money is too much to buy my future and too little to buy your pride." With a sweep of his hand, he scatters the money on the floor. Tan Jing flashes back to a time when she rejected an expensive pair of Bluetooth earphones Nie Yusheng bought her.
She had explained that her family wasn't well-off, and accepting such a gift felt like "a charity case," making their relationship unequal. " If I accept your money, we won't have an equal relationship. How could we be in love if our relationship is not equal?" Nie Yusheng had countered, suggesting her "sensitivity and pride" were "obsessional" and questioning if she truly loved him, believing that "when you love someone, you should give up your pride."
Back in the present, Tan Jing quietly bends down to pick up the scattered money. Nie Yusheng then leaves the cafe, tossing the metal box into a nearby trash can. Unknown to him, Tan Jing had not sold the brooch; she had secretly hidden it, her last personal keepsake from their shared past. Shu Qin interviews Zhu Zhaohui for a duty manager position.
She notes his vocational degree in chemical engineering, supplemented by part-time university study, but his major was not English. She points out his previous job at Xinglong Restaurant did not require English. Zhu Zhaohui assures her he will improve his English. As Shu Qin works, Sheng Fangting, the Deputy General Manager, walks in, engaged in a heated argument with another manager who feels his recent promotion is merely a way to reduce his authority.
Shu Qin later reports to Sheng Fangting that Zhu Zhaohui is not qualified for the duty manager role. Sheng Fangting, acknowledging his own "surrounded by enemies" situation and lack of trusted personnel, explains he prefers to train a new, loyal individual. He instructs Shu Qin, whose specialty is training newcomers, to proceed with Zhu Zhaohui’s onboarding. However, Shu Qin discretely tells her assistant, Vicky, to "Put it on hold first. Don't work on that yet."
Tan Jing visits Feng Hui in the hospital and informs him that she has paid all his hospital charges, showing him the receipt. She also gives him some money for supplements. Feng Hui admits he was only joking with Sun Zhijun and didn't expect him to react so angrily. Tan Jing then offers him her phone number, subtly conveying her hope that he won't sue Sun Zhijun.
However, Feng Hui's wife arrives, immediately berating her husband for being "weak-willed" and scolding Tan Jing. She demands an additional 30,000 yuan for emotional distress on top of the 50,000 yuan previously requested. Tan Jing counters that making fun of someone's privacy is also wrong and firmly warns them, "The premise of our communication is that everyone has to be reasonable. If you guys are going to continue this behavior, you won't get a single cent."
She gives them her phone number, telling them to call when they've "thought it through." At work, Manager Zhu Zhaohui scolds Tan Jing for being late. Citing three late arrivals this month and her absence yesterday, he deducts her entire monthly bonus and yesterday's salary, assigning her a continuous shift for tomorrow. When Wang Yuling attempts to speak up for Tan Jing, Zhu Zhaohui silences her. Tan Jing quickly apologizes and accepts the punishment.
Later, Zhu Zhaohui privately asks Tan Jing for the account and password to her email, specifically the one she used to send the report to headquarters, claiming he needs to "follow up in time." Tan Jing writes down the details. Zhu Zhaohui then advises her to remain "discreet" and not "bring unnecessary trouble to yourself." That evening, Nie Yusheng retrieves the metal box from the trash can.
Shu Qin calls Nie Yusheng again, playfully complaining about how difficult it is to reach him and insisting he must accompany her to her company's annual party, declaring, "There's no escape for you." Nie Yusheng agrees. At the party, Shu Qin introduces Nie Yusheng to Sheng Fangting. Sheng Fangting recognizes Nie Yusheng as the doctor who performed surgery on Deputy General Manager Wang and expresses his gratitude. On the drive home, Shu Qin senses Nie Yusheng's low mood.
She knows it's his birthday, but he hasn't celebrated it since his breakup with Tan Jing, as they share the same birthday. Shu Qin confides in Nie Yusheng, contemplating whether it's "worth it to spend all of one's passion for life on a single relationship." She reflects on how they both appear "normal" when busy with work, but "our hearts have long been empty. We're two 'heartless' persons. Aren't we?"
Meanwhile, Wang Yuling and Liang Yuanan surprise Tan Jing with a birthday celebration. Wang Yuling helps Tan Jing deposit the money she received earlier. Tan Jing initially thinks her friends are celebrating their engagement, but Wang Yuling corrects her, reminding her that it's Tan Jing's own birthday. They celebrate with a cake, and Wang Yuling and Liang Yuanan give Tan Jing a silver hairpin that she had long admired.
Sun Ping and Tan Jing make a wish together and blow out the candles. Tan Jing then recalls a past birthday when Nie Yusheng, having earned money from part-time jobs, gifted her a brooch. He told her then that he wanted "the closest thing to your heart to be something I gave you." Nie Yusheng returns home and opens the recovered metal box. Inside, he finds a well-preserved diary, which immediately captivates his attention.
The next morning, Tan Jing makes stir-fried soybean dregs for Sun Ping, telling him that his dad, Sun Zhijun, loves them. Sun Ping asks where his dad is. Tan Jing tells him his dad is "working overtime" and will come home to play after work. She then tells Sun Ping their usual rule: "Your dad will come back once these beans begin to sprout," and places some beans in water. At the same time, Nie Yusheng is shown watering a cup of beans, one of which has already sprouted.
