Discovery of Romance Episode 24 Recap
> Discovery of Romance Recap
Lu Xi was seen pulling a suitcase, intending to leave the city. Guan Xin's mother found him asleep on the sofa, having taken sleeping pills. She expressed concern for his well-being, urging him to stop the medication and suggesting they go out to buy furniture for his new house. At a mattress store, while shopping for a space resin ball mattress, Guan Xin was distracted, constantly wondering about Xia Tian and if she was with Xu Zehao.
A salesperson asked if he had previously bought a mattress from them, which Guan Xin quickly denied, saying they must have mistaken him for someone else. He then tried to call Lu Xi, but her phone number was no longer in service. He then had a fleeting image of Lu Xi walking towards him, but his landlord soon informed him that Lu Xi had moved out, leaving no forwarding address.
Guan Xin was filled with regret, realizing he had lost the opportunity to make amends with her and had once again lost her. Meanwhile, Xia Tian and Xiao Song were in urgent need of photos for their guesthouse project. Mr. Yu informed Xia Tian that the pictures were on a camera in the company office. Though Mr. Yu expressed concerns about Xia Tian going so late, she insisted, as Xiao Song was busy.
Xia Tian took a taxi to Xu Zehao's company to retrieve them. Guan Xin, who spotted Xia Tian getting into the taxi, secretly followed her. At the office, Xia Tian found Xu Zehao working late, eating instant noodles, and realized he was busy with projects related to her. She felt a pang of sadness. She asked him why he was helping her.
Xu Zehao initially explained that he had met Alex, an artist Xia Tian admired, and saw an opportunity for her to pursue her dreams, which had been deferred due to her uncle's issues. When Xia Tian pressed further, asking why he was so good to her, Xu Zehao confessed that he wanted to atone for not treating her well, understanding her, or loving her enough during their past relationship.
While transferring the photos, he came across several pictures of himself that Xia Tian had taken at the guesthouse. Later, Xia Tian surprised Xu Zehao with a simple handmade birthday cake, telling him she could at least do this for him, reminiscing about a past birthday when she had given him "coupons" for various affections and a blank one, on which he wrote "I love you."
In the present, when asked for his wish, Xu Zehao confessed that he wished to become Xia Tian, to understand her feelings, particularly why she cried when they left the noodle shop, why she took his pictures at the guesthouse, and why she waited for him every night. He declared that if her feelings were what he hoped they were, he would abandon everything to be with her immediately, admitting he still loved her and longed to reconcile.
He pleaded with her to take just one small step, promising to shoulder all her worries. However, Xia Tian tearfully refused, stating she had only come for the photos and to wish him happy birthday, asking him not to sway her. She then ran out of the office crying, where Guan Xin, who had been waiting outside, saw her tears and angrily confronted her, demanding to know why she was in tears.
Xu Zehao followed Xia Tian downstairs, leading to a heated argument with Guan Xin. Guan Xin declared that he didn't want Xu Zehao involved in their lives and would prevent Xia Tian from working with him. Xu Zehao retorted that Guan Xin knew nothing about Xia Tian's true desires, her dreams, or what she sacrificed, unlike himself.
Enraged, Guan Xin threatened Xu Zehao, but Xu Zehao calmly asserted that Xia Tian was a self-reliant individual who didn't need anyone to dictate her happiness or give her "self-righteous happiness," adding that Guan Xin and Xia Tian's relationship would not last. Their verbal confrontation escalated into a physical fight. The bar proprietress intervened, scolding both a "boss" and a "doctor" for fighting over a woman and demanding double compensation for the damages.
Mr. Yu arrived and offered to pay, but the proprietress insisted that both men split the cost. Xia Tian, witnessing the chaos and seeing them both bruised, was at a loss but ultimately chose to leave with Guan Xin. Left alone, Xu Zehao drank his sorrows away.
The proprietress then advised him that if he had truly given his all in the relationship, he would have no regrets, and urged him to pursue Xia Tian with the confidence he once had. Back at home, Guan Xin pressed Xia Tian to explain why she had been crying and why she went to Xu Zehao's company so late.
Taking off her engagement ring, Xia Tian told him they should break up, explaining that their relationship had reached its end and continuing would only lead to more pain. Guan Xin, unwilling to accept, admitted to having said hurtful things but insisted he could accept her explanation. Xia Tian, however, firmly stated that there was no point in forcing themselves to continue, predicting their relationship would eventually turn into disgust and hatred.
When Guan Xin asked who taught her such a perspective on love, Xia Tian starkly replied, "Xu Zehao. Is that the answer you want?" She then declared that it was truly over between them. Later, Guan Xin confided in Donghao, expressing his pain and his realization that Xia Tian couldn't tell him the truth because he wouldn't be able to accept it. Donghao, for his part, initially lashed out at Xia Tian for causing the fight, which Xia Tian dismissed.
Meanwhile, Xia Tian silently acknowledged that telling Guan Xin she had fallen for Xu Zehao again would be too cruel. She asked Donghao to dispose of a wooden box. Donghao, still seemingly hoping for her and Guan Xin, stated that if she hadn't thought it through, he would consider her and Guan Xin merely having had a fight.
Xiao Song, concerned, offered to stay with Xia Tian, and believing Xia Tian had chosen Xu Zehao, encouraged her to wholeheartedly pursue him and promised to stand by her, even if it meant facing criticism. Xia Tian, however, also mused that choosing Guan Xin would have been a good option too.
She sighed, reflecting that the answer had long been clear since witnessing the fight at the bar, and acknowledged she was not a good person to either Guan Xin or Xu Zehao. She pondered if Guan Xin was truly ready for the breakup, and if she herself was, concluding that the complexities of love could only be truly understood by those experiencing it firsthand.
