A Robot in the Orange Orchard Episode 14 Recap
> A Robot in the Orange Orchard Recap
Kang Li'er’s mother called Lu Sen, requesting that he take Kang Li'er out the following day, as she had been abroad for an extended period and was not familiar with the local environment. Lu Sen, initially unsure of a suitable place, recalled Yang Shanshan's past desire to visit the amusement park upon her recovery, prompting him to choose that location. Meanwhile, Kang Li'er's mother pressured her to foster a relationship with Lu Sen, hoping they would become a couple.
Feeling her personal life was being orchestrated, Kang Li'er expressed frustration to her mother but decided she needed to swiftly address the situation. To alleviate her mother's concerns, Kang Li'er invited Fu Yang to join their outing to the amusement park. The next day, as Fu Yang and Yang Shanshan (posing as Friday) waited for Lu Sen, both reached for the front passenger door.
Lu Sen instructed Fu Yang to sit in the back, explaining that he needed Friday to navigate. Yang Shanshan (as Friday) accompanied them for a crucial testing phase. Concurrently, Richard and Pai Song visited Tang Yajing at her café, seeking advice on relationship matters. They mentioned that their boss, Lu Sen, and Yang Shanshan were out, as were Miss Kang and Lu Sen, creating what Tang Yajing found to be a "strange group" on a double date.
Richard later called Fu Yang, advising him to stay close to Miss Kang because she knew "all their secrets." Unbeknownst to the group, Li Jingcheng's operatives were already tracking them, aiming to determine if Friday was truly a robot. One of the trackers informed his accomplice that Lu Sen had brought "that girl" to the amusement park, and he planned to discreetly observe their interactions.
While Lu Sen and Kang Li'er walked and conversed through the park, Kang Li'er articulated that she regarded Lu Sen as her closest friend and an essential family member, a sentiment he echoed. She concluded that, due to this profound bond, a romantic relationship between them was improbable. Kang Li'er perceptively noticed Lu Sen’s evident affection for Friday, observing that he carried an umbrella invented by Yang Shanshan.
She candidly asked him if he would fall in love with Miss Xing if she were human, pointing out that one's affection for someone is impossible to hide. Kang Li'er also mentioned that she had joined Lu Sen's company and believed IMU was facing a developmental bottleneck. Lu Sen concurred, noting that increasingly complex technology necessitated a return to warmth and natural principles.
He announced the re-launch of the Youth Creativity Competition and assigned Kang Li'er to lead the project, viewing it as a significant restructuring for the company, an offer Kang Li'er enthusiastically accepted. Elsewhere, Fu Yang and Yang Shanshan watched Lu Sen and Kang Li'er, wondering about their conversation.
A hint of jealousy prompted Fu Yang to loudly declare he had discovered something fun, drawing Lu Sen and Kang Li'er to a ride that Lu Sen deemed "too easy," though Kang Li'er found it delightful. Afterward, Yang Shanshan suggested they play the claw machine to win a doll for Kang Li'er. Lu Sen struggled to win, nearly depleting his tokens.
Fu Yang then explained that most claw machines utilize a "comparator circuit" and could be controlled via the wireless network. While Yang Shanshan questioned if hacking it would be considered cheating, Fu Yang confidently demonstrated his ability to win dolls through conventional means. Taking inspiration from Fu Yang’s insights, Lu Sen used his final token to successfully retrieve a doll, which he presented to Yang Shanshan, much to her delight.
Later that evening, as the four continued to enjoy their time, Yang Shanshan momentarily separated from the others. One of Li Jingcheng's trackers seized the opportunity to covertly test "Miss Xing" by poking her with a bamboo stick. The stick immediately snapped upon impact, and Miss Xing exhibited no reaction, confirming to the tracker that she was indeed a robot with an incredibly hard body.
Astonished, he quickly relayed this information to his accomplice, reminding him that they had heard about her robotic nature before but were now certain. They resolved to promptly inform Li Zhan and collect photographic evidence. As rain began to fall, Yang Shanshan produced her unique umbrella. She demonstrated its special feature: pressing a button transformed the interior into a transparent dome, while the exterior retained its rainbow colors, effectively shielding the user from outside view.
Lu Sen was profoundly impressed, hailing the inventor as a "genius." Overjoyed, Yang Shanshan told him he was the first person to truly appreciate her invention. In that moment of elation, she impulsively leaned in and kissed Lu Sen. Lu Sen was taken by surprise and immediately regretted not having initiated the kiss himself. Upon returning home, Lu Sen was utterly perplexed by the kiss, finding it incredible that his "first kiss" could have been with a "programmed robot."
Driven by a need for clarity, he went to the laboratory, hoping to understand Friday's actions. There, he discovered the actual Friday quietly charging. He noted that she appeared far removed from the robot who had passionately kissed him. Pai Song quickly intercepted him, reminding him that the charging station was hazardous and off-limits to unauthorized individuals, thereby inadvertently preventing Yang Shanshan’s true identity from being exposed.
Lu Sen then questioned Pai Song about whether robots could develop human emotions through deep learning and engage in intimate acts such as kissing. Pai Song clarified that while Friday was designed to offer comfort through hugs based on intelligent interpretations of human emotions, such as liking or disliking, kissing was not an explicitly programmed behavior. This left Lu Sen to wonder if he had somehow inadvertently programmed such behavior himself.
Meanwhile, Yang Shanshan, reflecting on her impulsive kiss, jokingly blamed Lu Sen for being "so handsome under the fireworks" and the beautiful weather. She confessed the incident to her best friend, Tang Yajing, who was unsurprised. Tang Yajing, after hearing the details, was keen for Yang Shanshan to be truthful with Lu Sen about her real identity before expressing her romantic feelings.
She warned Yang Shanshan that her emotions were increasingly transparent, risking exposure as a human girl yearning for love. Later, Lu Sen called Dr. Ou, informing him that he had confirmed with Team Alpha that robots could, through deep learning, acquire human emotions, suggesting Friday might genuinely have feelings for him. Dr. Ou, with playful skepticism, questioned whether Lu Sen was seeking help or merely bragging about having a robot who liked him.
He admitted to having no expertise in "robot psychology." When Lu Sen rephrased his question, asking how he should respond to a "normal human girl" who liked him, Dr. Ou simply advised him to maintain his current empathetic state and to go to bed, leaving Lu Sen feeling irked by the complexities of being liked. The next day, Kang Li'er met with Li Zhan at the office and cheerfully recounted her weekend outing with Lu Sen.
Li Zhan was visibly annoyed, questioning why Lu Sen, who had historically shunned social outings, was now so eagerly inviting her out. Kang Li'er dismissed his concerns, telling him he was overthinking. Li Zhan also expressed confusion and anger that Lu Sen had previously rejected the Youth Creativity Competition project but had now assigned it to Kang Li'er, suspecting ulterior motives.
Later, Li Zhan received a report from his subordinates, confirming that "Miss Xing" was indeed a robot with an incredibly hard body, a fact they had personally tested and heard from Lu Sen. However, Li Zhan vehemently rejected their findings, recalling his previous encounter with "Miss Xing" and asserting that she was undeniably human.
Furious, he ordered them to gather more conclusive evidence regarding her relationship with Lu Sen, threatening to withhold payment if they continued to provide such unreliable information. The following day, Lu Sen confronted Friday. He apologized, acknowledging that errors in his input might have caused her current state. He firmly stated that she could be his best friend but not fall in love with him, and that the kiss should never be repeated.
Friday, however, feigned ignorance, claiming no memory of the previous night and stating that "no corresponding image was found." When Lu Sen pressed her further, she switched to "operating mode," citing "recent failures" and refusing to return to "friend mode." Lu Sen then presented her with the rainbow-colored umbrella, hoping it would trigger her memory of the kiss. Friday again insisted she remembered nothing and did not comprehend his questions.
Frustrated and angry, Lu Sen declared that some memories, unlike a robot’s data, could not simply be deleted or forgotten by humans. He accused her of blaming him and sternly warned her never to recall the kiss, threatening to "tear her down" if she did. In a fit of rage, he smashed the rainbow umbrella on the ground and stormed off, leaving Yang Shanshan, in her Friday persona, feeling deeply hurt and wronged.
