Deep Affection Eyes Episode 21 Recap
> Deep Affection Eyes Recap
Ye Meng remained by Ms. Jiu Hua's side in the hospital room. Despite having briefly fainted due to high blood pressure, Ms. Jiu Hua tried to dismiss her condition, downplaying the worries of Ye Meng and Li Jinyu. She expressed her eagerness to be discharged, tired of being confined to bed for two months with a broken leg. When Li Jinyu arrived, Ms. Jiu Hua directly asked if the doctor had indicated her life was nearing its end.
Li Jinyu tried to deny it, but Ms. Jiu Hua insisted she knew her own body and had only wanted to keep her illness a secret for a little longer. Li Jinyu was visibly upset, questioning why she hadn't confided in them sooner, but Ms. Jiu Hua simply told them to leave so she could sleep, adding that their sad faces wouldn't matter once she was gone.
Later that night, Ye Meng found Li Jinyu sitting alone on the cold rooftop. She offered to stay, assuring him he didn't need to be strong and could share anything with her. Li Jinyu confessed his confusion and began to recount his past. He admitted that as a child, he barely knew his grandmother, only perceiving her as a hot-tempered old woman.
However, after his father’s tragic death in a car accident—an event Li Jinyu still blamed himself for—Ms. Jiu Hua arrived. She traveled over ten hours by train from Ningsui to Jiangbei, appearing like a superhero to rescue him from his mother, Li Lingbai. He was certain he would have died in Jiangbei without her intervention. Li Jinyu continued, explaining his initial mistrust of everyone.
His interactions with Ms. Jiu Hua were silent on his part, while she, like a "firecracker," constantly pushed him. Ye Meng interjected playfully, suggesting Ms. Jiu Hua thought she had brought home a firecracker, only to find a dud. Li Jinyu confessed his dislike for the new environment, finding the neighbors overly enthusiastic and Ms. Jiu Hua's temper unbearable. He feared being abandoned again and, upon seeing her pack his belongings, he ran away.
However, Ms. Jiu Hua chased after him, physically bringing him back home, and even adopting a stray dog for him, which she named Ping'an, hoping he would live a safe life. He later discovered she wasn't sending him away but had arranged to build a separate room for him in the yard, ensuring he'd always have a home.
Li Jinyu described Ms. Jiu Hua as a formidable woman who once chased him with a feather duster, now confined to a hospital bed. He broke down, confessing he couldn't accept her death, as she was his last remaining family. Ye Meng tearfully embraced him, promising to stay by his side forever. Li Lingbai then arrived to visit Ms. Jiu Hua, claiming concern for her health and offering to move her to Jiangbei's best medical team.
Ms. Jiu Hua sharply rejected her, accusing her of merely checking if she was dead and asserting that she had her own medical insurance, as did her grandson, Li Jinyu. She declared Li Jinyu her dearest grandson, calling Li Lingbai a stranger.
Li Lingbai retorted that her son, Li Zhuofeng, was Ms. Jiu Hua's rightful grandson and questioned Ms. Jiu Hua's lack of care for the long-ill Li Zhuofeng, even bringing up the death of Ms. Jiu Hua's son, Li Lingbai's husband. Ms. Jiu Hua furiously denied any connection between Li Jinyu and her son's death, warning Li Lingbai not to harm Li Jinyu, or she would never forgive her, even in death.
As Li Lingbai left, she told her assistant that despite the conflict, Ms. Jiu Hua was still her mother-in-law and Li Zhuofeng's grandmother, instructing the assistant to focus on preparations for the Blue Sea Port restaurant opening instead of family squabbles. Despite her illness, Ms. Jiu Hua bravely decided to proceed with surgery, stating she would rather take a chance than passively await death. Relatives visited, attempting to dissuade her due to her age and the risks involved.
Ms. Jiu Hua insisted that Li Jinyu understood her best and would support her. Though the relatives urged Li Jinyu to intervene, he ultimately conceded to his grandmother's wishes. Once they were alone, Ms. Jiu Hua revealed her plan: before the operation, she wanted Li Jinyu and Ye Meng to accompany her to her old mountain home, ensuring she would have no regrets even if she didn't survive. Upon arriving, Ms. Jiu Hua joyfully declared her return.
The trio then went to pick tea in the garden, where Ms. Jiu Hua, full of energy, playfully teased Li Jinyu and Ye Meng about their stamina, urging them to pick more tea leaves. Later, Ms. Jiu Hua prepared dishes from her childhood. Ye Meng enthusiastically praised the meal, forming a playful alliance with Ms. Jiu Hua against Li Jinyu, who found the food mediocre, leading to lighthearted banter.
That night, Ye Meng complained of hunger, and Ms. Jiu Hua, feigning a late-night stroll, was caught trying to order takeout, only to find no phone signal. Li Jinyu discovered their predicament and offered to cook for them instead. While getting things for the meal, he accidentally stumbled upon Ms. Jiu Hua's diary. Li Jinyu began to read it.
Ms. Jiu Hua wrote about her distress upon finding Li Jinyu in Jiangbei, seeing him as a "tortured" and "miserable" child, and her relief at arriving in time to save him. She recounted his attempt to run away, thinking she didn't want him, and her decision to build him a home and name his adopted dog Ping'an for a safe life.
Ms. Jiu Hua revealed that she too was raised by her grandmother, living off the tea mountain, a life that abruptly ended with her grandmother's passing when she was just ten. Reflecting on her own fears and hidden tears at night, she admitted to acting tough for Li Jinyu's sake, hoping to live long enough to see him marry Ye Meng. She also recounted a dream of their wedding, affirming her happiness as long as Li Jinyu was happy.
Later, Ye Meng joined Ms. Jiu Hua, asking to sleep with her. Ye Meng expressed her deep admiration for Ms. Jiu Hua's past actions and her current courage. Ms. Jiu Hua mused that living often required more courage than dying and admitted that Li Jinyu was her only remaining worry.
The next morning, while helping Ms. Jiu Hua take photos with flowers, Li Jinyu discreetly revealed his plan to organize a surprise wedding for Ye Meng, which he knew was Ms. Jiu Hua's greatest wish. Although Ms. Jiu Hua playfully accused him of reading her diary, she quickly agreed to help. Li Jinyu then returned to Ningsui, feigning urgent company matters, while Ye Meng remained with Ms. Jiu Hua.
In Ningsui, family and friends were already busy setting up the wedding. A relative involved in construction even offered his workers to help. Cheng Kairan confirmed the arrangements to Li Jinyu: Fang Yanen was designated as the bridesmaid, a boy named Jiayu would be the flower boy, and Cheng Kairan himself would take charge of emcee duties. Back at the mountain house, Ye Meng grew impatient with Ms. Jiu Hua's insistence on picking more tea.
Ms. Jiu Hua distracted her with childhood stories but eventually, feigning a sprained back, agreed to leave. Upon receiving a signal from Li Jinyu that everything was ready, Ms. Jiu Hua swiftly brought Ye Meng back to Ningsui. As Ye Meng opened the door, she was met with a courtyard transformed into a floral paradise, filled with family and friends. Li Jinyu greeted her, expressing his desire to take this final step in their journey together.
Ye Meng's grandmother then led Ms. Jiu Hua away to get ready for the celebration. As she applied Ms. Jiu Hua's makeup, Ms. Jiu Hua was stunned by her reflection, exclaiming how beautiful she looked. Ye Meng's grandmother complimented her, calling her the most spirited old lady she had ever seen and a true beauty.
Ms. Jiu Hua was delighted by the rare praise, and the two grandmothers finally buried the hatchet over past tensions, including a dispute over some land. Ye Meng's grandmother suggested they knock down the wall between their homes for easier visits, to which Ms. Jiu Hua enthusiastically agreed. Ye Meng's grandmother then shared some of Ye Meng's childhood photos.
While lamenting that Li Jinyu, unlike Ye Meng, rarely took photos, Ms. Jiu Hua reassured her, promising to take many pictures of the couple in the future. She also pointed out a beret in one of Ye Meng's childhood photos, noting its resemblance to one of her own, symbolizing their shared connection.
