Dream Garden Episode 1 Recap
> Dream Garden Recap
Lin Shen, a partner and professional psychologist at Shaolin's Psychological Counseling Center, was summoned by the police regarding the disappearance of his former patient, Sun Dong. Sun Dong had vanished after leaving a diary and driving off in a car with the tail number "8503." The police revealed that Sun Dong's diary depicted a profound emotional breakdown, which notably occurred after his sessions at Lin Shen's center.
Investigations uncovered that Lin Shen’s mother had experienced an incident at a sanatorium, where a Lejian ECG monitor, distributed by Sun Dong, malfunctioned and failed to issue an alarm. Sun Dong’s diary meticulously documented his intense guilt and self-blame upon learning his product nearly harmed Lin Shen’s mother, stating he had committed an unforgivable mistake and felt unworthy of forgiveness.
The police noted that while Lin Shen usually recorded his counseling sessions, he ceased recording Sun Dong’s after the Lejian incident, particularly during hypnosis. This raised suspicions that Lin Shen might have deliberately induced Sun Dong's psychological collapse. As another counselor, Xiao Xiao, had also provided sessions to Sun Dong, both she and Lin Shen were prohibited from leaving Lvteng City until Sun Dong was found.
Meanwhile, an undisclosed individual received confirmation of Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao’s locations and instructed to proceed with a pre-planned operation. Lin Shen recounted a story to someone, asking if they wished to hear it. He spoke of a man who lost the most vital person in his life, then sought vengeance on the perpetrator. The man vowed to make the culprit experience the same profound loss and utter ruin, yet even this, he declared, would be far from enough.
This narrative led into a flashback, setting the scene a year and a half earlier. A year and a half prior, the romance reality show "Heartbeat of Love" featured Xiao Xiao, known as Xiao Beibei, an emotional blogger. She presented her theory that individuals are more likely to choose someone who openly admires them, attributing this to a "love compensation effect." Concurrently, Lin Shen was lecturing on hypnosis at a university.
Noticing students distracted by Xiao Xiao’s program, he decided to use her case as a live example, challenging her psychological interpretations. Shao Ning, a partner at Lin Shen's center, arranged for Lin Shen to call into the show. Lin Shen immediately contradicted Xiao Xiao's on-air analysis of a couple, asserting they had already broken up. Xiao Xiao was visibly annoyed, suspecting he was there to disrupt the show.
Lin Shen elaborated that the couple's seemingly synchronized actions were merely ingrained habits from a long relationship, devoid of true emotional significance. He criticized her use of micro-expressions, explaining their diagnostic value is only present under genuine "stress" from unexpected stimuli, not when under the scrutiny of multiple cameras. He warned her about potentially misleading psychology students with inaccurate information.
Xiao Xiao then offered a feigned apology on air, expressing admiration for Lin Shen and playfully inquiring about joining his classes, regardless of the cost. Lin Shen concluded by stating that the couple's fundamental incompatibility meant any continued relationship would be an unconscious self-hypnosis detrimental to their mental health. Following the show, Xiao Xiao became a trending topic due to her public embarrassment.
Her social media manager, Sun Kele, was gossiping about the incident when Xiao Xiao redirected him to chase down their illustrator, Yan Luo, for overdue work, as a new article was pending. Despite her public persona as a love expert, Xiao Xiao herself had never been in a relationship, a fact that often left her feeling insecure. After five days with no updates or contact from Yan Luo concerning her manga, Xiao Xiao visited her home.
Finding the door ajar and the house in disarray, she grew increasingly worried as there was no sign of Yan Luo. Yan Luo’s parents, focused entirely on their valuables like bank passbooks, initially dismissed her absence as a mere robbery. However, Xiao Xiao discovered an electricity bill dated four days prior, concluding that Yan Luo had been missing for at least that long, and urged the parents to report it.
At the police station, Yan Luo's mother received a phone call from an editor about the overdue manga. She falsely claimed Yan Luo's phone was being repaired, promised a swift update, and inquired about Yan Luo’s full attendance bonus and payment. Afterward, she abruptly retracted the police report, insisting Yan Luo was merely on a "draw from nature" trip.
Both Xiao Xiao and the police had to sternly explain that Yan Luo would not typically cease updating her popular manga if she were just traveling, and stressed the severe repercussions of delaying a missing person report. The parents reluctantly agreed to file the report. Determined to find answers, Xiao Xiao resolved to revisit Yan Luo’s home for more clues. To further her investigation, Xiao Xiao returned to Yan Luo's home.
On Yan Luo’s computer, she discovered an email from Shaolin's Psychological Counseling Center, with an appointment date that precisely matched the electricity bill's due date. Another email, sent "to" Lin Shen "from" Yan Luo, intensified Xiao Xiao's suspicion of a romantic involvement between Lin Shen and her missing friend. Deciding to confront him, Xiao Xiao visited the center.
Without an appointment, she was initially denied entry but was then mistaken for Wang Amy, a candidate for Lin Shen’s assistant position, which granted her access. The interview was conducted by Shao Ning, not Lin Shen. Despite her lack of a psychology background, Xiao Xiao skillfully highlighted her experience as an emotional blogger and her keen understanding of young women, expressing a strong desire to learn professional psychology at Shaolin.
She eagerly offered to undertake any basic tasks, specifically asking if she would be collecting "Yan Luo's data." Shao Ning, impressed by her initiative and preparedness, agreed to hire her. As Xiao Xiao left, she saw police officers departing after questioning Lin Shen, which solidified her belief in his connection to Yan Luo's disappearance.
She seized the moment to approach Lin Shen, shaking his hand and effusively praising him, claiming his critique on the show had utterly convinced her and made him her "enlightenment teacher." Although Shao Ning was amused and formally welcomed her to the team, citing her potential for business growth and public relations, Lin Shen remained clearly displeased, viewing her as an "unorthodox" outsider. Xiao Xiao, meanwhile, secretly resolved to obtain Yan Luo's visitor records as quickly as possible.
Xiao Xiao’s primary goal was to obtain Yan Luo's patient files. She subtly extracted information from Zuo Yan, learning that Lin Shen preferred public transport, had few hobbies beyond running, a distinct preference for grapefruit iced drip coffee with maple syrup, and was a Scorpio, born on November 1st, 1991, which Xiao Xiao interpreted as a "dark" personality trait. While delivering documents, Xiao Xiao spotted a file labeled "Yan Luo" on Lin Shen's desk.
In an attempt to access it, she "accidentally" spilled coffee. However, Lin Shen swiftly intervened, saving the documents, and, irritated by her perceived clumsiness, sent her to the front desk to handle clients. There, she discreetly inquired about Yan Luo with Jia, feigning concern based on Lin Shen's supposed "vexation."
Jia informed her about the center’s stringent confidentiality protocols and revealed that Lin Shen had personally secured Yan Luo’s file in a password-protected cabinet because Yan Luo was missing and under police investigation. Later, Xiao Xiao fabricated an excuse about checking windows before an impending storm to remain after hours. She then sneaked into Lin Shen's office and attempted to open the cabinet using his birthdate (19911101) as the password. Multiple failed attempts triggered an alarm.
Just as it ceased, Lin Shen unexpectedly returned, having forgotten an item. Cornered, Xiao Xiao maintained her pretense of checking the windows, but Lin Shen's suspicion was evident as he confronted her about her presence and true motives. Under pressure, she impulsively confessed her "admiration" for him, claiming she saw his photo earlier and wanted to take a picture, before boldly declaring her love for him, stating her sole reason for joining Shaolin was "him", leaving Lin Shen speechless.
Xiao Xiao accompanied Lin Shen to his lecture. On a crowded subway, she grew frantic upon seeing a news report about a nameless female corpse found by the sea. She rushed to the scene, pushing through police, and was immensely relieved to confirm it was not Yan Luo. A flashback revealed that Xiao Xiao met Yan Luo during a difficult period in Yan Luo’s life.
Xiao Xiao, who had recently launched her own emotional public account, encouraged Yan Luo’s artistic talent and invited her to create illustrations for her platform, leading to a close friendship. In her haste, Xiao Xiao had inadvertently kept Lin Shen's USB drive containing his presentation. By the time she arrived at the university, Lin Shen had impressively delivered his entire speech from memory, leveraging his extensive knowledge of hypnosis. At the post-lecture celebration, Shao Ning praised Lin Shen’s performance.
However, Lin Shen, still exasperated by Xiao Xiao’s earlier behavior, abruptly announced her dismissal. Xiao Xiao refused to accept, earnestly apologizing and pleading for forgiveness, reiterating her dedication to becoming his disciple and a qualified psychologist. Shao Ning attempted to intercede, but Xiao Xiao resorted to feigning heavy intoxication. Unable to get her home address, Lin Shen reluctantly took Xiao Xiao back to his apartment. There, he discovered several items related to Yan Luo.
He clarified that Yan Luo had indeed scheduled a counseling session before her disappearance but never appeared, and he was actively cooperating with the police. The items, he explained, were not gifts for him but were intended for someone named "W," likely a boy who had pursued Yan Luo, with one item mistakenly mixed in with his own birthday gifts after being left in the office.
Xiao Xiao had no recollection of anyone named "W" and desperately asked Lin Shen to use hypnosis to help her remember. Given that Yan Luo had previously confided in him about Xiao Xiao being her best friend, Lin Shen agreed. During the hypnosis, Xiao Xiao vividly recalled her last meeting with Yan Luo about half a month prior, specifically remembering a dark blue baseball cap worn by a shadowy figure behind glass.
She wondered if this mysterious person was Yan Luo's "W." While Yan Luo's parents continued to discuss the manga contract and finding a "substitute" writer, her brother, Xiao Feng, burst in, urgently asking about his sister. His parents, still prioritizing their financial concerns, tried to dismiss him, falsely claiming they had reported her disappearance and that she was likely just staying with friends. Xiao Feng, however, angrily accused them of caring only for Yan Luo's money, not her well-being.
His mother defensively claimed their actions were "all for him" and the family's good. Disheartened, Xiao Feng left, seeking help elsewhere. Xiao Xiao later revisited Lin Shen, bringing him his preferred maple-syrup-laden coffee, and pressed him for further assistance in finding "W." Lin Shen declined, pointing out that if Yan Luo and "W" were truly close, it was odd she hadn't told Xiao Xiao.
He speculated that Yan Luo might have been hesitant about the relationship, or that "W" could be unreliable or dangerous. He advised Xiao Xiao to search for clues among Yan Luo's acquaintances rather than relying on him. Accepting this, Xiao Xiao resolved to return to Yan Luo's home to search for more leads, unaware that a mysterious figure was following her.
