Dream Garden Episode 13 Recap
> Dream Garden Recap
Lin Shen’s mother suddenly experienced vomiting symptoms, and the doctor advised observing her for a period. Seeing his mother in such distress, Lin Shen felt terrible. After a moment of relief, he remembered that Xiao Xiao was still waiting for him outside the movie theater. He called her, but she had already turned off her phone in frustration, having torn up the movie tickets and was playing with a gashapon machine nearby.
It was then that Fan Qi appeared, offering to take her to a movie. Fan Qi asked what she was doing on a workday dressed up, and she explained she had been stood up. When he offered to watch a movie with her, she noted that all showings were sold out. Fan Qi confidently replied that he could find a way, taking her hand and leading her to the cinema.
At that moment, Lin Shen arrived and, pulling Xiao Xiao’s hand, reclaimed their date. Fan Qi, left behind, watched with cold eyes. The next morning, a gashapon machine appeared at the company, piquing everyone’s curiosity. Xiao Xiao noticed the familiar logo. Later, Sun Kele asked Xiao Xiao to help him choose a suit. He then nervously hid, eavesdropping on Zuo Yan’s blind date.
The date, Mr. Zhu, immediately began to scrutinize Zuo Yan’s age, expressing his desire for marriage and two children, specifically a boy because his mother liked boys. Zuo Yan struggled to maintain a smile as Sun Kele, positioning himself as her "back-up," verbally defended her from the critical Mr. Zhu. When Mr. Zhu became indignant, Zuo Yan took Sun Kele's hand, effectively promoting him to her official boyfriend.
Sun Kele was overjoyed, but Zuo Yan seemed to dismiss the gesture as a joke. As Sun Kele dejectedly got into his car, he realized he had left his jacket with Zuo Yan and quickly turned back. Unfortunately, he was too late; Zuo Yan had already discovered his small cheat sheet of "cheesy pickup lines." Sun Kele’s explanations were weak, so he decided to directly confess his feelings, acknowledging that his past self wouldn't have been good enough for her.
Zuo Yan, despite her dislike for "tricks," understood his sincerity. She chose to face her own feelings and accepted Sun Kele’s confession. The following morning, Xiao Xiao found Zuo Yan cheerfully making coffee, announcing her successful blind date from the previous night. Xiao Xiao, surprised, quickly called Sun Kele, who casually confirmed he was the one Zuo Yan had successfully dated.
Xiao Xiao felt an awkward mix of admiration and annoyance, wondering why there was such a gap between people, even Sun Kele could succeed in a confession. She then tried the gashapon machine, expecting a consolation prize, but instead received a slip of paper that read, "Be my girlfriend." Lin Shen appeared, playfully acting indifferent to Xiao Xiao's hopeful expression. When she feigned leaving, he pulled her into a hug.
Their passionate kiss in the tea room was calmly interrupted by Zuo Yan, who confirmed a consultation time with Sun Dong before serenely telling them to continue. With a blush, Xiao Xiao watched as Lin Shen removed her current ring and placed matching couple rings on both their fingers. Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao’s blossoming relationship was as bright and vibrant as a rainbow after rain. Lin Shen sent flowers to the front desk.
Xiao Xiao, expecting him to deliver them in person and eager not to wait until after work, brought coffee to his office during work hours. Lin Shen remained unresponsive to her subtle hints, which left Xiao Xiao pouting as she left. Finally, after work, Lin Shen took the bouquet to the nursing home. Xiao Xiao, curious, followed him and was, predictably, discovered.
Lin Shen wasn't angry; he took her hand and led her to his mother's bedside, introducing Xiao Xiao as his girlfriend. Xiao Xiao's eyes welled up as she clasped Lin Shen's hand, promising to visit his mother frequently in the future. Xiao Xiao preferred to keep their office romance discreet, believing public displays of affection often lead to bad outcomes. Lin Shen humored her, leaving a playful kiss as they parted ways. Of course, office romance also offered convenience.
Xiao Xiao would often visit Lin Shen’s office for a hug whenever she missed him. Unfortunately, this intimate moment was witnessed by Shao Ning, who was there to deliver Yan Luo's early comic.
The comic, an early work by Yan Luo that few had seen, was based on herself and contained three wishes: to eat a grand meal at the restaurant her parents only took her younger brother to, to restore the hand-painted porcelain plate her mother had broken, and to try every ride at an amusement park. Shao Ning determined that Yan Luo's condition was a complex trauma.
He planned to help her fulfill these three wishes before her birthday, hoping that creating beautiful new experiences could help neutralize the unhappiness in her past. During a pottery session, Yan Luo recounted how her mother had broken her hand-painted porcelain plate. She had been deeply saddened and, unable to part with the fragments, had kept them in a drawer, though they could never be reassembled into their original form.
Shao Ning gently reminded her that the pottery wheel was now in her hands, allowing her to sculpt anything she desired. He stressed that the old plate was beyond repair and that this was an opportunity for a fresh start. Beside them, Zuo Yan and Sun Kele, along with Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao, were also engaged in pottery, playfully teasing each other. Lin Shen took a cup Xiao Xiao had made.
Yan Luo light-heartedly warned Xiao Xiao that giving someone a "cup" (杯子, beizi) could symbolize "a lifetime" (一辈子, yibeizi) between lovers. Realizing Lin Shen’s true intention, Xiao Xiao playfully called him an "old fox." Next, Shao Ning took Yan Luo to an amusement park to fulfill her wishes. To give them some private time, Xiao Xiao and Lin Shen went to enjoy other rides. Yan Luo and Shao Ning rode the Ferris wheel to its highest point.
It was Yan Luo’s first time; when she was a child, her mother had deemed the ticket too expensive, only taking her younger brother up, leaving Yan Luo with just an ice cream. Now, Yan Luo and Shao Ning shared an ice cream as they chatted.
Shao Ning spoke thoughtfully, subtly guiding Yan Luo to move past her past and encouraging her to find the courage for new beginnings, emphasizing that the subjective perception of time can be altered by one’s state of mind and environment. As other couples loudly declared their love, Xiao Xiao pouted and told Lin Shen that she wanted him to do the same, as he had never formally said "I like you."
Lin Shen deliberately avoided her request, only to surprise her with a kiss on her lips when she least expected it. By the sea at sunset, Xiao Xiao rode on Lin Shen’s back, whispering cheesy pickup lines, making the seawater seem sweet. Xiao Xiao often visited Lin Shen’s mother. One day, a heavy rainstorm hit. Lin Shen, leaving the nursing home, rushed into a convenience store to buy an umbrella, only to find his phone missing.
Xiao Xiao, using cash to pay, borrowed the store’s phone to call her own, but to no avail. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure in black covertly entered the nursing home and cut the power. When the lights flickered back on, Lin Shen's mother was discovered foaming at the mouth by Xiao Xiao, who had returned to retrieve Lin Shen’s phone. Xiao Xiao quickly alerted the doctors for emergency resuscitation.
After a night of uncertainty, Lin Shen’s mother recovered, and Xiao Xiao, exhausted, dozed off on a sofa. A nurse praised Lin Shen for having such a good girlfriend who frequently visited his mother when he was busy. Lin Shen, touched and grateful, realized that if Xiao Xiao hadn’t returned in time, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
He learned that the monitoring device’s alarm had malfunctioned, a problem the nursing home claimed had never occurred before, especially with their Lejian products, which were not from the recalled batch. They vowed to investigate, replace all Lejian products, and hold the company accountable, acknowledging that this might put more pressure on Sun Dong. Lin Shen’s mother’s finger suddenly twitched. Xiao Xiao rushed out to call the doctor.
Lin Shen, disbelieving, sat by his mother’s bed, watching with tear-filled eyes as she slowly awoke. In the following days, Lin Shen’s mother began rehabilitation with the constant companionship of Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao. Due to her prolonged coma, speaking was still a struggle. One day, Xiao Xiao specifically bought savory pastries to visit Lin Shen's mother. Lin Shen’s mother, with difficulty, asked Xiao Xiao to take her somewhere. Upon seeing the car, she reacted with visible tension.
Xiao Xiao initially thought Lin Shen’s mother also feared cars, but his mother still got in. It was then that Xiao Xiao understood that Lin Shen also became nervous in cars, realizing that the car accident years ago had deeply traumatized both mother and son. Returning from a familiar market, Lin Shen’s mother held a Monkey King sugar figurine. She presented it to Lin Shen upon seeing him. Lin Shen was touched, recognizing it as a cherished childhood obsession.
Lin Shen’s mother recounted the details of the car accident to Xiao Xiao, finally revealing the source of Lin Shen’s car phobia. Given their special relationship, Xiao Xiao could only assist Lin Shen with self-hypnosis rather than provide professional counseling. During the hypnosis, Lin Shen envisioned his childhood home, warmly decorated with a photo of him and his mother on the table. Xiao Xiao guided him to open a door he couldn't open before.
Lin Shen experienced great distress, but, struggling, he bravely opened the door, only to find an endless series of identical doors behind it. Since Lin Shen himself had taught Xiao Xiao the hypnotic techniques, her words were not very effective, making it difficult for him to enter a deep hypnotic state. What lay beyond that door remained a mystery to Lin Shen. Sun Dong asked Lin Shen to prescribe some sedatives.
Lin Shen politely explained that his clinic was not a hospital and could not dispense medication, suggesting Sun Dong contact a psychiatrist at a partner hospital for drug therapy combined with psychological counseling. Later, Lin Shen became notably jealous when he saw Xiao Xiao discussing Yan Luo’s case with Shao Ning. The nursing home then called Xiao Xiao, reporting that Lin Shen’s mother was in trouble, as they couldn't reach Lin Shen's phone and urged them to go there immediately.
