Dream Garden Episode 10 Recap
> Dream Garden Recap
Lin Shen drove Xiao Xiao home, meticulously reminding her to secure all doors and windows, suggesting she install a family alarm, and instructing her to contact him immediately if she noticed anything suspicious. As they arrived, they encountered Zuo Yan, who seemed distressed. Zuo Yan explained her phone was dead and asked if she could stay at Xiao Xiao's place for a few days, to which Xiao Xiao readily agreed.
Later that night, Zuo Yan confided in Xiao Xiao, expressing her desire to rediscover herself. She admitted that despite being a psychology major, she found it impossible to "cure herself" when it came to her relationship with her mother. Zuo Yan revealed that before coming to Xiao Xiao, she had a heated argument with her mother, who was relentlessly pressuring her to go on a blind date.
Zuo Yan had erupted, questioning why her mother insisted on imposing her ideas, asserting that her current life was not what she wanted, and ultimately accepted her mother's harsh accusation of being "heartless" and "ungrateful." Zuo Yan explained that both the argument and her sudden departure were intentional, knowing her mother would eventually seek her out at Shaolin.
She hoped that Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao could help both her and her mother move past their difficulties, entrusting Xiao Xiao with a diary to give to her mother. Soon after, Zuo Yan's mother arrived, believing her daughter's sudden change in personality was due to some recent trauma. Lin Shen intervened, asking the mother if she truly understood Zuo Yan.
The mother confidently asserted she knew her daughter, even producing a diary she believed contained all of Zuo Yan's secrets. However, Lin Shen then presented a different diary. He explained that just as she was unaware of this second diary, she was also unaware of another side to Zuo Yan.
The diary contained heartbreaking entries detailing Zuo Yan's childhood, including her mother's insistence on activities like tennis despite Zuo Yan's dislike, and a painful memory of her mother telling her to "go to live with your dad" after an argument. Zuo Yan's entries questioned if love was still right if it brought sadness and pain.
Lin Shen gently told the mother that "the verbal violence of those closest to us is more subtle and more hurtful," and that her unintentionally spoken words had become a "thorn" in Zuo Yan's heart. Overwhelmed by the revelations, the mother broke down in tears. Xiao Xiao further elaborated, emphasizing that maternal love, while selfless, could also be selfish.
She told Zuo Yan's mother that a child is an independent individual, and it was unfair to expect Zuo Yan to fulfill her mother's unachieved dreams. Xiao Xiao urged the mother to live her own life. This case provided Xiao Xiao with a profound realization: "for your own good" love, when forced, becomes suffocating.
She concluded that whether as parents or children, everyone is experiencing life for the first time, needing to learn and grow, and that true family love is about allowing each other the freedom to choose their own paths. Xiao Xiao's reflections deepened after receiving her graduate school acceptance letter.
She enthusiastically planned a celebratory dinner, initially hoping for a private one with Lin Shen, but her excitement quickly deflated when she discovered he had invited everyone, including Sun Kele, as a "surprise." Although the gesture was meant to be kind, Xiao Xiao's face fell. After the meal, Lin Shen subtly arranged for Sun Kele to take Zuo Yan home, implicitly taking on the responsibility of escorting Xiao Xiao.
However, Xiao Xiao, still feeling a bit put out, insisted on walking home to "aid digestion." Lin Shen agreed, leaving Xiao Xiao feeling even more vexed, wondering why he hadn't pressed to walk her home. As they walked and were near the elevator, Lin Shen suddenly pulled Xiao Xiao to hide. The person following them was identified as Li Yixin, Lin Shen's student, who, upon being caught, awkwardly made excuses and left.
Lin Shen, visibly concerned for Xiao Xiao's safety, explained his overreaction was due to recent news reports of women being followed and an earlier incident in Xiao Xiao's neighborhood, making him wary of anyone following them. Xiao Xiao teasingly asked if he was complimenting her beauty. Xiao Xiao soon began auditing Lin Shen's psychology class at Shenjiang University.
During one class, Lin Shen, ever the teasing mentor, sent her a text message complaining that her bun hairstyle was "too childish" for her. After class, they witnessed a heated argument between Li Yixin and another female student. The student accused Li Yixin of seducing her boyfriend, and during the altercation, Xiao Xiao was accidentally scratched on her forehead.
After reviewing the chat history on Li Yixin's phone, Xiao Xiao sided with Li Yixin, sternly telling the other student to control her boyfriend instead of blaming Li Yixin. The incident led to Xiao Xiao and Li Yixin becoming friends. Lin Shen later returned with a band-aid and meticulously dressed Xiao Xiao's wound, while also admonishing her.
He stressed that while it was right to help, her aggressive words only escalated conflict, and as a budding psychotherapist, she needed to better manage her emotions as "language is a powerful tool." Despite Lin Shen's caring actions, Xiao Xiao felt uncertain about his true feelings. She used a relationship test app, which concluded he saw her as "nothing more than a friend," leaving her feeling dejected. Later, Fan Qi invited Xiao Xiao to dinner.
Xiao Xiao complained about strangers adding her on WeChat and subtly probed Fan Qi for insights into Lin Shen's perplexing behavior, describing how this "friend's" crush would express concern but then include many others on dates. Fan Qi, amused by her indirect questioning, acknowledged her expertise as an emotional blogger. He then shared his own "experience," confessing he had developed feelings for a girl but was unsure how to proceed, indirectly asking for Xiao Xiao's advice.
Unaware that he was speaking about her, Xiao Xiao enthusiastically gave him a "mini-lesson" on courtship strategies like "playing hard-to-get" and "intermittent reinforcement," even referencing psychological concepts like the Zeigarnik effect and Skinner's pigeon experiment. She mused to herself if Lin Shen was using these very tactics on her. After dinner, as Fan Qi dropped her off, he subtly, and without her noticing, removed one of her earrings, his eyes holding an ambiguous glint.
Xiao Xiao, influenced by Lin Shen's earlier comment about her hairstyle, experimented with a more "mature and sexy" style, much to Yan Luo's disapproval. While shopping, they ran into Li Yixin, who politely declined Xiao Xiao’s invitation to dinner, citing other plans. In Lin Shen’s next class, his striking good looks continued to attract attention. When a female student boldly asked if he had a girlfriend, Lin Shen skillfully redirected her to focus on class-related questions.
Simultaneously, Xiao Xiao subtly projected a message onto the large screen: "This person is taken, no tilling allowed," a clear declaration against any further romantic advances towards Lin Shen. Adding to the series of coincidences, Li Yixin entered the classroom late, wearing an outfit identical to Xiao Xiao’s, playfully asking if Xiao Xiao minded the "matching outfit." Lin Shen, observing not just their identical clothes but also their similar hairstyles, began to suspect a deeper pattern.
Indeed, the imitations grew increasingly concerning. Yan Luo noticed Li Yixin had posted about her comic on her social media, claiming Xiao Xiao had shared Yan Luo’s pen name. Xiao Xiao denied ever doing so, realizing Li Yixin possessed information she shouldn't have known, and the repeated coincidences were unsettling. Lin Shen also noted these striking similarities, extending even to identical water cups.
In class, he specifically taught about the "chameleon effect," a psychological phenomenon where individuals mimic others to gain social acceptance, but subtly warned, with a pointed glance at Li Yixin, that "excessive imitation can become a pathological behavior." After class, Li Yixin immediately approached Xiao Xiao, tearfully claiming Lin Shen's lecture was a message Xiao Xiao had asked him to deliver to her.
She insisted she had "no ill intentions," explaining that she struggled to fit in and desperately wanted to emulate Xiao Xiao’s "confidence and charisma" because she felt "not cute enough." Xiao Xiao, empathizing, comforted her and assured her she held no resentment. At that very moment, Sun Kele sent Xiao Xiao a link. It was a video of Xiao Xiao confronting Li Yixin’s classmate, now uploaded online and sparking a massive wave of criticism against Xiao Xiao.
Soon after, a gift box arrived containing a photo of Xiao Xiao, marred with what appeared to be bloodstains. A frantic knocking at her door revealed Lin Shen, who had seen the online backlash. Worried for her safety, he decided to stay the night. Unable to sleep, Xiao Xiao crept to the sofa where he was feigning sleep, playfully remarking that his concern had brought him all the way to her home, surely indicating "designs" on her.
Lin Shen, still pretending to sleep, softly returned her "Goodnight." The next morning, Lin Shen urged Xiao Xiao to move into a hotel for her safety, a suggestion she initially dismissed, believing locking her doors would suffice. Zuo Yan and others expressed deep concern after Sun Kele revealed the threatening package. Shao Ning even offered to cover hotel costs, but Lin Shen curtly told him, "No need to worry about it."
Undeterred by the online abuse, Xiao Xiao still planned to work late and attend class the next day. However, a sudden power outage at the office prompted Lin Shen to insist on taking her home. On the subway, as Xiao Xiao prepared to exit at her stop, Lin Shen firmly grabbed her wrist, telling her to continue to the next stop and stay at his place.
He explained that as her boss, he had an obligation to protect her until the person who sent the threatening package was caught. He also cautioned her that the culprit might be someone she knew, rather than just a random "black fan." Upon arriving at Lin Shen's meticulously ordered apartment, Xiao Xiao was surprised to find a full set of new toiletries, all in her favorite colors, wondering how he knew her preferences.
Meanwhile, Li Yixin’s imitation of Xiao Xiao had escalated to an alarming degree. At a plastic surgery clinic, despite having recently undergone surgery, Li Yixin presented a photo of Xiao Xiao, demanding to have "a chin like hers."
