Discovery of Romance Episode 4 Recap
> Discovery of Romance Recap
Xia Tian deliberately lost the final point in a game of ping pong to Xu Zehao, signaling her agreement to their collaboration. She immediately asked for the deposit upon signing the contract, due to her studio's financial struggles. Xu Zehao, however, admitted his own ulterior motive for the collaboration was Xia Tian herself. When Xia Tian sarcastically dismissed his declaration, he quickly reasserted professional boundaries, clarifying that "business is business" and personal feelings would not interfere.
After Xu Zehao left, Donghao questioned Xia Tian about how she would explain the collaboration with her ex-boyfriend to Guan Xin. Xia Tian initially joked about telling him the whole truth but then stated she would only mention the project. She believed that honesty was crucial between partners and had nothing to hide, but needed to find the right time and a way to avoid hurting anyone.
Later that night, Guan Xin, troubled by a recurring nightmare about a mistake he made in childhood, called Xia Tian. Earlier, a scar he saw had triggered his memory of an incident at the orphanage when he was six, and this memory seemed connected to his persistent nightmares. Waking from the nightmare, he found himself unable to sleep, even after using aromatherapy scent.
Xia Tian offered to meet him, and they ended up at a football field, kicking a ball around until they were exhausted. Guan Xin confessed that the dream, which occurred every few days, stemmed from a childhood mistake he was ashamed of. Xia Tian reassured him, sharing her own mischievous childhood acts like stealing pocket money, to comfort him and explain that people who have nightmares are often kind and concerned about others.
She then revealed she had taken on a significant guesthouse renovation project, which meant she would have less time for him. Guan Xin, understanding her passion, encouraged her to pursue what she loved, assuring her he didn't mind. Their conversation ended with an exchange of "I love you"s. The next day, Xu Zehao's "unique" collaboration method was revealed: he and his assistant, Yu Hui, moved into Xia Tian's studio.
Xia Tian found it frustrating, noting she had never seen a client work from the contractor's office before. Xiao Song, however, explained it was Xu Zehao's usual practice. Donghao questioned Xia Tian about her late return the previous night, suspecting she was with Guan Xin, and playfully warned her against showing off her relationship. Xu Zehao quickly set a tight deadline, compressing a two-week design draft into six days, requiring everyone to work late.
Despite his demanding demeanor, he softened when he learned Xia Tian was hungry, immediately ordering food, including extra chicken soup for her. When Xia Tian developed a slight cold, Xu Zehao offered her his jacket, but she declined, emphasizing the inappropriate nature of their relationship given their current working dynamic and mentioning she couldn't have chicken soup due to her cold. Guan Xin called, expressing concern about her cold and offering to visit her or bring her home-cooked food.
Xia Tian, however, gently turned him down, claiming the client was providing all meals and she was too busy. Meanwhile, Xiao Song discussed Xu Zehao with Yu Hui, who revealed Xu Zehao hadn't dated anyone in five years since his breakup with Xia Tian. Xiao Song was thrilled to discover Yu Hui had been single for thirty years, finding a "kindred spirit" in their shared "single" status.
Xia Tian's subsequent design proposals were met with harsh criticism from Xu Zehao, who dismissed most of her work except for the first sentence. When Xia Tian, exhausted, asked for help or a break, Xu Zehao pressed her to remember her earlier promise to meet all client demands, reasonable or not, forcing her to grudgingly address him as "Client Daddy." Guan Xin, still worried about Xia Tian's cold, wanted to visit her.
Donghao frantically tried to deter him, first suggesting "distance makes the heart grow fonder," then telling him to call Xia Tian, who was asleep and didn't answer. Donghao then spun a fantastical tale about Xia Tian craving 400g female crabs from Yangcheng Lake to send Guan Xin on a long trip to Weishan Lake. Guan Xin almost fell for it until he remembered Xia Tian's cold, realizing she couldn't eat crabs.
He decided to get her seafood congee instead, but then grew suspicious, confronting Donghao about what he was hiding. The next morning, Xu Zehao woke everyone up with a blaring loudspeaker, loudly proclaiming "Xia Tian, wake up! Xia Tian, go to work!" Xia Tian emerged from her room in her homewear, to Xu Zehao's amusement and teasing about her appearance.
He then refused Xiao Song's request for a half-day off for "personal affairs," insisting that during the tight schedule, any personal matter affecting work was his concern unless the design concept was finalized that day. When Xu Zehao criticized the studio's living room as messy and lacking design, suggesting it reflected Xia Tian's poor taste in men, Xia Tian retorted that the living room was reserved for loved ones, implying Xu Zehao was not one of them.
This comment sparked an idea in Xu Zehao. The trio began to passionately discuss the concept of the guesthouse. They realized their previous focus on practicality overlooked the emotional aspect. Xia Tian eloquently articulated that a guesthouse should feel like a home, filled with warmth and emotional connection, especially for young people living alone who lack social interaction.
They decided to incorporate "tolerance and healing" into the design, creating a space where people could naturally find communication and love, aiming to build a truly unique guesthouse. Just as they found their new direction, Xiao Song discovered that Donghao had failed to prevent Guan Xin from coming. Panicked, Xia Tian instructed Xiao Song to make Xu Zehao "disappear immediately" while she quickly went to get ready.
Xiao Song attempted to get Xu Zehao to leave by faking menstrual cramps and claiming Xia Tian was also experiencing them. Xia Tian, however, accidentally revealed that her period had ended yesterday. Xia Tian then tried another tactic, claiming her mother was arriving, but Xu Zehao wanted to greet her. Desperate, Xia Tian put on a mask and insisted she had a severe cold, offering masks to everyone.
Finally, Xia Tian firmly told Xu Zehao that their work was done for the moment and he had no right to supervise her private life 24/7. Xu Zehao, seemingly understanding, left with Yu Hui. As he drove away, Xu Zehao mused to Yu Hui that Xia Tian was not tired, but rather "afraid of the chemistry between us." Moments after Xu Zehao left, Guan Xin arrived with seafood congee.
Xia Tian feigned surprise and gratitude, briefly describing her "picky, bad-tempered client with a long face." Guan Xin then noticed a notebook left behind, which contained a drawing of Xia Tian. He innocently asked Xia Tian about the client's personality, further piquing his suspicions. Xu Zehao, having remembered he left his important notebook, quickly returned to the studio.
He saw Xia Tian with Guan Xin, prompting a flash of memory where he had once made her a terrible bowl of congee, which she had still appreciated. Xia Tian immediately enveloped Guan Xin in a tight hug, positioning him with his back to Xu Zehao, hoping he wouldn't see her ex. But Xu Zehao, wanting his notebook, stepped forward, accidentally bumping the door. Guan Xin turned around, finally seeing Xu Zehao.
Xia Tian awkwardly introduced them, quickly explaining that Xu Zehao was her client and that they were collaborating because he had "forgiven" her for a past incident. Xu Zehao reiterated he was there for his notebook, which Guan Xin, holding the one with Xia Tian's drawing, presented to him.
