Dream Garden Episode 12 Recap
> Dream Garden Recap
Sun Dong was pitching his medical equipment project to various companies, but kept encountering rejections. During a meeting, he received a phone call from Zuo Yan, who asked if he was satisfied with Xiao Xiao's counseling and offered to transfer him to Lin Shen. Sun Dong, however, expressed great satisfaction with Xiao Xiao and insisted on continuing his sessions with her, stating he felt much better after a few consultations. Overhearing this, Fan Qi then intercepted Sun Dong.
Sun Dong, changing his mind, then asked Fan Qi to transfer his counseling to Lin Shen, citing the complexity of his case. Meanwhile, Lin Shen was conducting a hypnosis session with Li Yixin. Under hypnosis, Li Yixin found herself alone in her dorm room, hearing the incessant dripping of a faucet. She then witnessed herself entering the room and sprinkling peach crumbs on Xiaoxue’s bed. The scene shifted, and she saw herself replacing Xiaoxue as Lin Shen’s teaching assistant.
Still under hypnosis, when confronted and accused of being a homewrecker, she saw herself feigning weakness in front of Lin Shen. Startled, Li Yixin suddenly woke up from the hypnosis. Lin Shen deduced that she must have seen or heard something significant during the session, which was the true cause of her insomnia. He advised her to seek a psychologist with whom she had a purely professional relationship. Li Yixin hurriedly left.
Outside, Xiao Xiao was waiting, armed with a video from a neighbor’s surveillance camera, showing Li Yixin, expertly disguised, placing threatening items outside her door. Xiao Xiao also revealed that Li Yixin had planted a blade on Sun Rui's desk, which led to Sun Rui's suspension. When confronted by Xiao Xiao with evidence of her actions, Li Yixin tearfully admitted her wrongdoing and apologized.
Xiao Xiao urged Li Yixin to confess at school, emphasizing that everyone must take responsibility for their actions. She suggested that Li Yixin's behavior might stem from a lack of attention or love, but warned that such manipulative tactics would only lead to a loss of trust and prevent her from achieving genuine friendship and love. Xiao Xiao explained that Li Yixin’s “chameleon-like” behavior ultimately brought harm to herself and others, concluding that only sincerity could foster true connections.
After the Li Yixin incident concluded, colleagues planned a hot pot dinner at Boss Shao’s place. However, both Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao declined, stating they had other engagements that evening. Xiao Xiao even fabricated a story about needing to care for a new puppy. Later, at the supermarket, Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao were separated. Resourceful, Xiao Xiao used the public address system to locate Lin Shen by announcing that his "great aunt" was looking for him.
Unexpectedly, Shao Ning and Zuo Yan were also present. Lin Shen quickly pulled Xiao Xiao aside to hide. Shao Ning, however, seemed to have sensed something after hearing the broadcast about Lin Shen's great aunt and casually walked away with Zuo Yan. Worried about explaining their situation, Lin Shen urged Xiao Xiao to stay hidden while he dealt with Shao Ning.
Shao Ning immediately insisted that Lin Shen join them for hot pot, even sending a teasing phone message to "great aunt" (meant for Xiao Xiao). At Shao Ning’s home, Lin Shen was visibly distracted and in a sour mood throughout the dinner, while Xiao Xiao was at home enjoying her own hot pot, carefree and happy. When Lin Shen tried to leave, Shao Ning blocked his path and directly confronted him about their "office romance."
Lin Shen denied it was as Shao Ning thought, but then reluctantly admitted they were cohabiting. Shao Ning, feigning generosity, allowed him to leave, telling Zuo Yan and others that Lin Shen had to go home to care for his great aunt. Li Yixin received academic probation, facing the deserved consequences for her actions.
Xiao Xiao started packing her belongings to move back to her own place, deliberately lingering in front of Lin Shen, who eventually asked her to stay another night, citing a rainy forecast. Meanwhile, Sun Kele sent Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao a lengthy confession draft for Zuo Yan, asking for their advice. The two "never had a date" psychology experts gave him earnest advice on love psychology.
Lin Shen enthusiastically explained the neurological basis of love, describing how the brain produces chemicals that create an "illusion of love," and how techniques like the "Mere Exposure effect" and "Primacy effect" could stimulate attraction. Xiao Xiao added that the "Veblen effect" could make someone more desirable. Lin Shen then demonstrated a technique involving prolonged eye contact, suggesting that extending a gaze by two seconds in an intimate setting, like while waiting for coffee, could lead to a deeper connection.
As he demonstrated this with Xiao Xiao, the prolonged eye contact naturally culminated in a kiss. The next day, Yan Luo, having heard about Xiao Xiao’s recent living situation, gossiped about her and Lin Shen’s relationship, surprised that Xiao Xiao was now moving out. Annoyed, Xiao Xiao refuted Yan Luo’s notion that Lin Shen was not “good with words,” recounting how abruptly their kiss ended when Lin Shen, immediately afterwards, asked Sun Kele where their conversation had left off.
Xiao Xiao fumed, determined not to be the first to confess in this "love tug-of-war." Returning home, Lin Shen found the house quiet and empty without Xiao Xiao, feeling a sense of emptiness. At Yan Luo's book signing for "Dream Garden," an overly enthusiastic male fan made her uncomfortable. Shao Ning arrived just in time to intervene, dispersing the fan and then asking Yan Luo for a signed copy, mentioning he was a "civilized fan."
Separately, Xiao Xiao was conducting a hypnosis session with Sun Dong. Due to immense pressure from his failing online medical equipment project—Lejian, his former company, had faced a product recall, making investors wary of his new venture—the hypnosis was not going well. Sun Dong again expressed a desire to transfer his consultation to Lin Shen, to which Xiao Xiao agreed to discuss with Lin Shen before making a decision.
Later, Shao Ning confessed to Lin Shen that he had witnessed their kiss in the tearoom a few days prior, teasing Lin Shen about their "office romance" ending quickly. Lin Shen, looking dejected, explained that he wasn't being irresponsible, but rather unsure how to execute a "ritualistic confession," which Xiao Xiao's public account emphasized as crucial for a woman.
Shao Ning offered to create an opportunity for them, suggesting a dinner for the four of them—Lin Shen, Xiao Xiao, Yan Luo, and himself—under the guise of celebrating Yan Luo’s successful book sales. Lin Shen saw Xiao Xiao taking stomach medicine in the break room. Without a word, he took her cup and filled it with hot water, then brought her lunch to her office.
Xiao Xiao admitted that she had been pulling all-nighters for Sun Dong's case, which caused her stomachache. She explained that Sun Dong's online medical device project was in trouble. While his condition had improved with her counseling, it recently worsened, leading to self-harm. Xiao Xiao, despite being an intern counselor, genuinely wanted to help but felt at a loss. Lin Shen affirmed her competence, suggesting that Sun Dong might have encountered a sudden crisis.
Lin Shen mentioned Shao Ning’s dinner invitation for the weekend. Xiao Xiao agreed enthusiastically, wanting to sample Shao Ning's wine, but Lin Shen immediately reminded her of a past incident where she got drunk and was brought home by Fan Qi, advising against such a "dangerous idea." At Shao Ning's house for the dinner, Lin Shen kept a close eye on Xiao Xiao, preventing her from drinking too much.
Yan Luo, to her surprise, realized that Shao Ning was the one who had helped her buy a lamp at the supermarket previously. After dinner, Shao Ning subtly urged Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao to leave early, attempting to create a private moment for them. Yan Luo, helping Shao Ning clean the dishes, slowly realized his intentions. The small kitchen became charged with a subtle, awkward tension.
Feeling flustered, Yan Luo accidentally dropped and broke a plate, then quickly excused herself and left before Shao Ning could stop her. As Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao walked home, they encountered an old woman selling flowers. When the woman offered flowers for his "pretty girlfriend," Xiao Xiao quickly clarified that she was not his girlfriend.
Lin Shen, momentarily echoing her words, then quickly bought all the old woman's flowers, stating that while she wasn't his girlfriend now, it didn't mean she wouldn't be in the future. In the following days, a palpable tension lingered between Xiao Xiao and Lin Shen. Xiao Xiao even started wearing a ring on her index finger, clearly signaling her single status.
Shao Ning, however, was preoccupied with Yan Luo's behavior, suspecting she suffered from attachment injury due to her avoidance of his overt affections, and asked Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao for their help. Xiao Xiao discovered that Yan Luo was still taking sleeping pills, showing that the emotional damage from Wang Su persisted. Yan Luo finally confided in Xiao Xiao, admitting her exhaustion.
She revealed that every time she considered a new relationship or a fresh start, Wang Su would appear in her dreams, haunting her and preventing her from moving on, leaving her in a state of self-doubt. Concerned, Xiao Xiao went to Shao Ning to inquire about attachment injury cases, only then realizing the depth of his feelings for Yan Luo, as he explained that a counselor could not have an emotional connection with a patient.
Shao Ning gave Xiao Xiao two movie tickets to "Hunter of Hearts," a film he believed would offer insights into Yan Luo's situation, suggesting she and Lin Shen go together. However, upon arriving at the cinema, Lin Shen received an urgent phone call from his mother’s nursing home, forcing him to stand up Xiao Xiao. This entire situation was orchestrated by Fan Qi, who considered Xiao Xiao a crucial element in his larger scheme.
As Xiao Xiao waited alone and frustrated at the cinema, unable to reach Lin Shen, Fan Qi appeared as planned, approaching her with a seemingly innocent offer to grant her wishes.
