Discovery of Romance Episode 21 Recap
> Discovery of Romance Recap
Guan Xin confessed to Lu Xi that he couldn't face the condemnation of his conscience because he had left her behind. Lu Xi understood that he was unwilling to acknowledge her, and she asked him to perform surgery to remove the scar on her hand, as her initial hope of her brother helping her was now slim. Guan Xin agreed to schedule the surgery for the next day.
Lu Xi then added that if accepting his help would make him feel better, she would accept it completely. Donghao, meanwhile, was busy preparing a confession for Xiao Song. He practiced reading a cheesy love letter aloud, critiquing it for being too cliché and not suiting him. When Xiao Song arrived, he quickly hid the letter and presented her with a fascial gun, explaining it was a new gift to ease her back pain from working with wood.
Xiao Song found the hidden love letter and teased him about having a crush on someone weird, citing his bad taste in women and the outdated nature of his confession. Unbeknownst to her, Donghao was in love with her. Embarrassed, Donghao grabbed the fascial gun and ran off. Xia Tian returned home feeling upset after meeting Guan Xin’s mother, who had given her a premarital agreement, property certificate, and demanded a premarital medical examination.
She expressed to Xiao Song that she felt a little strange about it all. Xiao Song advised her not to overthink it, reminding her that she still had time to adapt before the wedding, and excitedly mentioned that their guesthouse project was complete and they could go for the acceptance inspection the next day. The following day, Guan Xin performed the scar removal surgery for Lu Xi.
The surgery was simple and successful, and the scar on her hand disappeared easily. However, Lu Xi felt a sense of emptiness and loss, having stubbornly kept the scar for so many years. Later that day, Xia Tian and Xiao Song visited the newly completed guesthouse. They felt a deep sense of accomplishment for their first big project. Mr. Yu took Xiao Song to the restroom, and soon after, Xu Zehao arrived.
He congratulated Xia Tian on finally having her own work. As Xia Tian walked through the guesthouse, she noticed many small, thoughtful design elements that reminded her of her relationship with Xu Zehao five years ago. She recalled how everything had happened so naturally back then, and she had never doubted they would marry, even without a formal proposal or a ring.
She remembered their dreams of a huge house by the sea with a long hallway for her woodwork, French windows, a glider, a view balcony, and a large table where they could draw together while their children played. They had even decided on having a boy and a girl, with the children inheriting her skin and his height. They had envisioned getting a dog and naming it Summer. Xia Tian took photos, wishing time would stand still.
She then noticed a dog, the one she had found earlier, now cared for by Xu Zehao at the guesthouse. As she petted the dog, Xu Zehao saw the engagement ring on her finger. The moment was heavy with unspoken words, and he simply offered a strained "Congratulations" for the completed project.
Xia Tian, with tears welling in her eyes, forced a "It was nice working with you" and quickly walked away, leaving Xu Zehao to process the painful realization that their relationship was truly over. He then named the dog Summer. One week later, Guan Xin surprised Xia Tian by taking her to their new wedding house. Xia Tian was surprised by its size.
Guan Xin excitedly imagined their future together, including a baby room for their future daughter, whom he hoped would be as smart as Xia Tian. He suggested they hold the wedding after the house was decorated. Xia Tian, still lost in memories of Xu Zehao and feeling unprepared, hesitated but ultimately agreed, feeling she had no reason to refuse him. Guan Xin then gave her full creative freedom to design their home, reminding her not to overwork herself.
Despite Guan Xin’s unwavering devotion, images of Xu Zehao continued to flash through Xia Tian's mind, and she questioned if she truly wanted to get married and decorate this house, feeling an unidentifiable sense of unease. Meanwhile, Xu Zehao had spent six days isolating himself at home, unable to erase the memory of Xia Tian. Mr. Yu visited, finding Xu Zehao's apartment in disarray, and urging him to select photos from the guesthouse for the company’s website.
Xu Zehao initially refused, lamenting that even after days, he couldn't forget. However, his mood brightened significantly when Mr. Yu announced that Alex, a renowned cultural director for the Old Block Creative Market project, had returned to China. Knowing Alex's projects often qualified for the ADA competition, Xu Zehao immediately asked for Alex’s schedule and project details, hoping to recommend Xia Tian’s work.
He tried to contact Alex via email and WeChat, then personally went to an art museum where Alex was giving a lecture. During his speech, Alex discussed design as an emotional connection, not just theory, and emphasized creating unique surprises, a philosophy that deeply resonated with Xu Zehao. After the lecture, Xu Zehao attempted to introduce himself, mentioning their previous brief meeting and the bamboo folding chair design he had sent.
However, Alex's assistant quickly ushered him away, citing a tight schedule and another lecture at the architecture school. Xu Zehao, undeterred, offered to drive Alex, but was politely declined. He then tried to invite Alex to dinner, but Alex vaguely stated his schedule was unpredictable and suggested another time. Xu Zehao immediately called Mr. Yu to find out the exact location of Alex's next lecture. Back at her studio, Xia Tian was struggling to design the wedding house.
She found herself looking at an old drawing Xu Zehao had made of "their future home," a drawing they had playfully discussed years ago. As she fell asleep at her desk, Guan Xin arrived with dinner. He smiled, pleased to see her working on designs he believed were for their new home, but his expression abruptly changed when he noticed the signature "Xu&Summer" on the drawing.
