A Robot in the Orange Orchard Episode 23 Recap
> A Robot in the Orange Orchard Recap
Lu Sen spotted Fu Yang and his team packing their belongings into a car and immediately called them, accusing them of preparing to leave without notice and treating his home like a hotel. Fu Yang's team expressed excitement that Lu Sen was finally speaking to them after the apology video they sent. Kang Li'er clarified that they were merely helping Mr. Xie load some discarded items into the car.
Mr. Xie confirmed this, stating they were organizing the storehouse and disposing of trash. Kang Li'er assured Lu Sen that they would not leave without his permission. Despite feeling both relief and embarrassment, Lu Sen feigned indifference, claiming he only tolerated them because he hadn't found a replacement team yet. Observing his reaction, Kang Li'er suggested sending Friday over for recalibration, sensing Lu Sen's underlying desire to see her.
Inspired by Lu Sen’s engagement, the team enthusiastically volunteered for more tasks from Mr. Xie. Still preoccupied with his feelings for Friday, Lu Sen later went to the charging room to speak with her. He asked Friday if she knew Yang Shanshan, to which Friday responded affirmatively. Lu Sen then asked what Friday was doing when he was with Yang Shanshan, and Friday replied that she was awaiting his instructions.
Lu Sen pondered why Friday was so obedient, unlike Yang Shanshan. Noticing Lu Sen's rare smile when discussing Yang Shanshan, Friday observed that he seemed happier when she didn't blindly follow orders. Lu Sen told Friday that sometimes she didn't need to obey all his commands and then powered her off, instructing her to rest for a couple of days. Meanwhile, Li Zhan's subordinate successfully decoded the files stolen from the Alpha Laboratory.
Reviewing the documents, Li Zhan was surprised to discover that Lu Sen suffered from haphephobia, a severe allergy to human touch. He immediately ordered his subordinate to investigate the condition further and understand its underlying causes. Unbeknownst to Li Zhan, Li Jingcheng was discreetly listening in on this phone conversation. The next morning, the Alpha team was alarmed when Lu Sen's monitoring data vanished and Friday was found powered off. They initially feared something had happened to Lu Sen.
However, after reviewing surveillance footage, they were relieved to see he was fine at home. Professor Liu noted that Lu Sen's health data had shown significant improvements during times he was with Yang Shanshan, suggesting a connection. Concerned for Lu Sen, Yang Shanshan decided to disguise herself as Friday and visit him. Alone at home, Lu Sen was torn between hoping Yang Shanshan would return and fearing another deception. When the doorbell rang, he rushed to open it.
Yang Shanshan, dressed as Friday, arrived and addressed Lu Sen as "Master." Lu Sen immediately challenged her pretense, asking why she was late. He recounted how Friday had helped Yang Shanshan deceive him, and in response, he revoked her "Cutie" status, demoting her to her original rank and canceling all associated perks. He then began assigning her mundane tasks, such as chopping onions, which brought tears to Yang Shanshan's eyes.
Lu Sen mockingly complained about her poor chopping skills affecting his appetite, then retrieved an orange steamed egg, which Yang Shanshan had previously made for him, from the fridge, lamenting he had to eat unhealthy food because of her. She realized he hadn't thrown away her food. Lu Sen continued to give her more intellectually demanding tasks, like reorganizing books according to a complex library classification system, insisting she needed to match him on a mental level beyond simple housework.
He then challenged her to a fencing match, a test of her "coordination." Yang Shanshan, visibly scared, quickly lost. After the match, Lu Sen, with open arms, subtly suggested a desire to "start again," expressing readiness for a new beginning. As evening approached, Yang Shanshan, still impersonating Friday, tried to leave, citing a need to recharge. Lu Sen, however, pulled her back, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto him.
As she attempted to get up, he pressed a button on her back, pretending to "shut her down." Yang Shanshan then feigned deactivation, collapsing motionless on top of him. Li Zhan's investigation confirmed that Lu Sen indeed suffered from haphephobia, which explained his constant wearing of gloves and avoidance of crowds. Recognizing the sensitive nature of this information and its implications for IMU, he ordered all team members to destroy any backup copies and maintain absolute secrecy.
Unbeknownst to Li Zhan, his father, Li Jingcheng, met with two men who admitted to secretly monitoring Lu Sen for Li Zhan. Li Jingcheng then instructed them to cooperate with him instead and to act against Lu Sen, emphasizing that Li Zhan must not know of their new alliance, as the time was ripe for his own plans. Earlier, at the Alpha Laboratory, Fu Yang had developed a custom software program to simplify Kang Li'er's data input.
As they were discussing the program, Kang Li'er's father, Mr. Kang, unexpectedly arrived and publicly disparaged Fu Yang, calling him a "scammer" who had been discredited in the U. S. Angered by her father's disrespect, Kang Li'er impulsively decided to spend the night away from home and, grabbing her luggage, insisted that Fu Yang accompany her to a hotel.
Despite Fu Yang's attempts to book a separate room for safety, the hotel was fully booked, leaving them to share the last available room. In their room, Fu Yang respectfully took the bed closer to the door, claiming it was for Kang Li'er's safety. The next morning, Kang Li'er woke to find Fu Yang asleep on the bed, still fully clothed. She was touched by his honorable behavior in her presence and felt her trust in him was well-placed.
Back at the Alpha Laboratory, Tang Yajing arrived looking for Yang Shanshan. The team realized Yang Shanshan hadn't returned home the previous night and worried that her impersonation might have been exposed to Lu Sen. However, Tang Yajing viewed this development positively, hoping it would bring Lu Sen and Yang Shanshan closer. Professor Liu lightheartedly suggested renaming the Alpha Laboratory the "Land of Love," given the recent romantic entanglements.
After Lu Sen turned Yang Shanshan "on" that morning, he still didn't allow her to leave, stating that he needed her to stay with him. Yang Shanshan reluctantly agreed. Lu Sen also asked her to dispose of an extra breakfast he "accidentally" made, implying it was for her. Later, Kang Li'er left a voicemail for Lu Sen, informing him about Li Jingcheng's recent movements and asking him to call her back.
She also delivered a package containing a fencing mask that Lu Sen had ordered previously. As Kang Li'er departed, Lu Sen looked at Yang Shanshan with a knowing smile, finally acknowledging to himself that he had been aware of her pretense all along.
