Dream Garden Episode 3 Recap
> Dream Garden Recap
Six months ago, Dianfan Group CFO Zhou Rui underwent hypnosis with Lin Shen. He recounted how he felt someone was following him and how in hypnosis, he saw himself as both the perpetrator and the victim of an accident, even clearly remembering a license plate. Lin Shen explained that hypnosis amplifies the subconscious, projecting real-life fragments. He reminded Zhou Rui of a previous altercation with a truck driver, suggesting it influenced his hypnotic vision.
Lin Shen reassured him that this realization was a sign of progress, indicating an awareness of the distinction between the subconscious and reality, and noting that everyone experiences stress in a big city. As it was late and raining, Lin Shen left to catch the subway, while Zhou Rui, feeling exhausted, walked home, living nearby. Unexpectedly, Zhou Rui was involved in a car accident shortly after.
Later, during a hypnosis session with Lin Shen, Shanshan was guided back to a pivotal day where Jerry, an idol, took her hand on stage. However, Shanshan vehemently denied this, claiming it was all a fantasy. Separately, Jerry told Xiao Xiao that his kindness to Shanshan was merely because she was an early and supportive fan, and there were no romantic intentions. He hoped to clarify things with her once public opinion subsided, urging her to stop her strange fantasies.
Despite Shanshan's strong denials, Lin Shen persisted, explaining that her subconscious revealed a shared life with Jerry, including a dog named Sansanyao and painting "Sansanyao's Home" on a rooftop. During this, Xiao Xiao received a video from Fang Lin, Jerry's agent, purporting to show Shanshan attempting to illegally enter Jerry’s old residence. Jerry, present during the video’s viewing, appeared uneasy.
In her hypnotic state, Shanshan visited the rooftop from her memory but found nothing, realizing her vivid fantasies were not real, especially after discovering that a key she believed was theirs did not open the door. Awakening from hypnosis, Shanshan was convinced she was ill, believing she had "killed herself" in her fantasies.
Lin Shen, however, explained that it wasn't about killing herself but rather the pressure of reality making her unable to believe in her feelings for Jerry, and this was simply her current processing of the situation. Overwhelmed, Shanshan quickly left the psychological counseling center. Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao published an article on her official account about stalker fans. However, Jerry's uncomfortable demeanor during their interview made Xiao Xiao suspect there was more to the story than his words alone.
She called Shao Ning for advice, and Lin Shen, who was with Shao Ning, took the call. Xiao Xiao, unaware Lin Shen was there, complained that he had deleted her contacts. Lin Shen, flustered, hung up, earning teasing from Shao Ning, who suggested Lin Shen speak with Xiao Xiao about Shanshan. Lin Shen attempted to call Xiao Xiao multiple times but kept hanging up before connecting, eventually getting a busy signal.
Xiao Xiao was on the phone with Fang Lin, who refused her request to interview Shanshan, citing Shanshan's removal from the fan club and her unreliable psychological state. Determined to get more information, Xiao Xiao orchestrated a "coincidental" meeting with Lin Shen. She brought Yan Luo to look at an apartment in Lin Shen's building, where Yan Luo, impressed by the apartment and its direct rental from the owner, signed a lease.
Xiao Xiao and Lin Shen then met for dinner, where Lin Shen recognized it as a setup. Xiao Xiao presented video evidence from Jerry's team, portraying Shanshan as a stalker fan who squatted outside his old house and made harassing phone calls. Lin Shen, however, questioned the evidence, pointing out that if Shanshan were a stalker, she'd target Jerry's new home, not his old one.
He suggested that if Jerry and Shanshan had truly been in a relationship, her actions could be seen as reasonable, emphasizing the need to view situations from "both sides of the coin" to understand them fully. During their intense discussion, Yan Luo, already quite intoxicated, passed out after Xiao Xiao and Lin Shen brought her home. In a drunken state, remembering a past trauma with Wang Su, Yan Luo locked them out on the balcony.
With Xiao Xiao’s phone dead and Lin Shen without his, they were stranded. Xiao Xiao decided against publishing her article, hoping Sun Kele would manage the impatient advertisers. As the night progressed, Xiao Xiao fell asleep, leaning her head on Lin Shen, and their connection deepened. Unbeknownst to Xiao Xiao, Sun Kele, unable to reach her, published her draft article. It went viral overnight, with fans widely condemning Shanshan as a stalker.
The next morning, Yan Luo, sobered up, remembered Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao on the balcony. Lin Shen had acted chivalrously, giving Xiao Xiao his coat as a blanket and not letting Yan Luo wake her. Lin Shen had already left by then. The article's publication was irreversible, despite Xiao Xiao immediately asking Sun Kele to delete it. Shanshan's home was besieged by fans.
In an attempt to tell them she wasn't sick, she resisted her parents and accidentally fell down the stairs, sustaining injuries. With Shanshan's personal information, including her home address and even her visits to the Shao Lin counseling center, exposed online, Shao Ning advised Lin Shen to stay away from the center for a few days. However, when Shao Ning saw Xiao Xiao among the crowd, Lin Shen rushed to take her away.
At a coffee shop, Lin Shen used the opportunity to re-add Xiao Xiao on WeChat. Upon hearing that Shanshan was hospitalized, Lin Shen decided to visit her but advised Xiao Xiao against it, given she was the one who posted the condemning article. Conveniently, Xiao Xiao received a call from Fang Lin and arranged to meet. At the hospital, Shanshan’s parents, wanting to protect her, refused all visitors.
Lin Shen expressed his desire to talk to Shanshan once she woke up, and her father, despite her mother’s reservations about further counseling, put his trust in Lin Shen. Meanwhile, Jerry was troubled by the public's backlash against Shanshan, but Fang Lin seemed indifferent to Shanshan's plight. Fang Lin revealed that Jerry indeed had a stray dog, currently under her care, which she found unsuitable for Jerry's current status and planned to replace it with a "noble breed."
Xiao Xiao confronted Fang Lin, accusing her of hiring internet trolls to manipulate public opinion and of instigating the doxxing of Shanshan. Fang Lin admitted to hiring publicists to defend Jerry, but avoided directly answering the accusations regarding Shanshan's doxxing. Shanshan subsequently went missing. Both Lin Shen and Xiao Xiao independently thought she might return to Jerry's old house. On their way, Shanshan's father called to say she had been found, having merely gotten lost.
They then encountered the stray dog, Sansanyao. To Lin Shen's dismay, Shanshan had no recollection of the dog. Lin Shen deduced that Shanshan and Jerry had indeed been in a relationship, and her selective amnesia was a psychological defense mechanism triggered by severe mental trauma, causing her to forget everything about him. He warned that this selective amnesia could pose future risks as a "trigger" might resurface her traumatic memories.
However, Shanshan’s parents simply desired a peaceful life for their daughter and preferred she not remember Jerry, even asking if they could keep Sansanyao. Feeling unable to intervene further due to family wishes and professional boundaries, Lin Shen withdrew, leaving Xiao Xiao feeling deeply frustrated. Sometime earlier, Xiao Xiao had dismissed a call from Dianfan Group. Days later, Fan Qi, from Dianfan Group, approached her in person, stating they had met at Jerry's company.
He expressed awareness of her deleted article, noting Jerry’s company's displeasure. Fan Qi offered his assistance, citing his company’s collaborations with Jerry’s. When questioned about his motives, Fan Qi, whose demeanor was somewhat unnatural, replied that he admired Xiao Xiao's perspective, writing, and integrity, especially after seeing her delete an article that hurt someone. He also recognized the value of her official account, proposing to exclusively manage its business operations while assuring her creative freedom.
Xiao Xiao, still primarily focused on meeting Jerry, postponed any discussions about collaboration. Shanshan, her memories of Jerry selectively erased by her trauma, temporarily resumed a normal life, working at a music store. However, seeing a poster of Jerry triggered her memories, and images of their past fantasies resurfaced. True to his word, Fan Qi provided Xiao Xiao with two VIP tickets to Jerry's fan meeting. Shanshan also attended, watching Jerry shine on stage among thousands of fans.
During the fan interaction segment, Shanshan was unexpectedly chosen. As she stepped onto the stage, visibly disoriented, she was immediately swarmed by entertainment reporters aggressively questioning her relationship with Jerry. Overwhelmed by fear, Shanshan fell off the stage. Xiao Xiao, attempting to save her, also fell and was rendered unconscious. Witnessing this chaos, Jerry, without hesitation, leaped off the stage to intervene.
