Encounter with You Episode 21 Recap
> Encounter with You Recap
Hua Ming frantically searched for Wan Xinxin, eventually making his way to the Wishing Tree where they had last camped together. He spoke aloud, filled with regret, wishing he could turn back time and no longer avoid her. Unbeknownst to him, Wan Xinxin was hiding nearby and overheard his heartfelt words, feeling a bittersweet pang and wondering why he hadn't expressed this sooner. Later, Wan Xinxin went to the seashore to confide in her deceased father.
She tearfully expressed her feelings of betrayal, mentioning how her father, Qin Gang, and even Hua Ming had seemingly lied to her. She felt homeless and unwanted, wishing her father had taken her with him.
Hua Ming found her there and, after some playful banter about the ocean and his poetic observations (like calling the sea "spinach soup"), he urged her to return home with him, clarifying that his place was her home and admitting he was now begging her to come back. Accompanied by Hua Ming, Wan Xinxin returned to the Qin family home to retrieve her son. Qin Gang's mother expressed her concern, but Wan Xinxin was resolute.
Qin Gang attempted to intervene, but Hua Ming stood by Wan Xinxin's side. Wan Xinxin firmly told Qin Gang that she did not want her son to grow up to be a liar. Despite Qin Gang's mother pleading to keep her grandson, Wan Xinxin apologized, acknowledging the kindness shown to her, but insisted on taking her child, assuring them they could visit anytime. With her son, Wan Xinxin returned to Hua Ming's home, finding a sense of peace.
That evening, Wan Xinxin and Hua Ming shared their feelings. Wan Xinxin admitted she had always felt she and Qin Gang would never reconcile, and initially, she had pursued Qin Gang out of spite for Hua Ming. However, as Hua Ming continued to distance himself and her son grew to resemble Qin Gang, she considered sacrificing her own happiness for her son's sake, viewing marriage as a mere formality.
Hua Ming expressed his relief that she hadn't remarried, as discovering the truth later would have caused her further heartbreak. Wan Xinxin confessed she was not sad but relieved, feeling that fate had orchestrated these hardships so they could learn to cherish each other. She was delighted to live with him again.
Still, she wondered about Qin Gang's true motives for wanting to remarry her, speculating it was to secure custody of their son, the heir to the wealthy Qin family. Hua Ming, now vibrant and happy, joked with her while making breakfast, describing himself as a "pressure cooker" before she and her son entered his life. Wan Xinxin teasingly called him "an incredibly reserved man with a hidden wild side."
Xu Chunli visited Wan Xinxin and learned about Qin Gang's latest deception. Although she considered Qin Gang a "jerk" and "garbage," she immediately worried about her husband, Jiang Kaiyang, who worked for Qin Gang. Her concerns were valid; Qin Gang, still reeling from Wan Xinxin's departure, ordered Jiang Kaiyang to persuade Wan Xinxin to return immediately, threatening him with indefinite leave if he failed. Jiang Kaiyang returned home enraged, blaming Wan Xinxin for jeopardizing his career.
Xu Chunli refused to push her sister back into a "fire pit," to which Jiang Kaiyang retorted it was a "fire pit that burns with money" and threatened to divorce her if she didn't comply. Later, Wan Xinxin and Hua Ming enjoyed a day at the beach. Hua Ming mentioned needing to find a job after being idle for months, which prompted Wan Xinxin to ask why he no longer wanted to be a doctor.
He appeared reluctant to discuss it, attempting to change the subject. Wan Xinxin pressed him for an answer, sensing a deeper reason behind his avoidance, but he remained unwilling to explain. Their conversation was interrupted by an urgent phone call from Xu Ke. Believing something serious had happened, Wan Xinxin rushed to meet Xu Ke.
He dramatically declared he was suffering from "lovesickness, terminal stage," explaining that his relationship with Shi Lu was stalled, "like a cold train stopped on the tracks, missing a driver." He recounted how Shi Lu treated him professionally at work but would accept his invitations for dinner and shopping after hours. Despite the emotional "whoosh" he felt in her presence, he couldn't break through her "firewall" and feared pushing too hard.
Wan Xinxin suggested testing Shi Lu's feelings by seeing if she would react with jealousy. Xu Ke then asked Wan Xinxin to help him with this plan. After playfully negotiating a month's worth of breakfast as payment (specifically, Jianbing with three eggs), Wan Xinxin agreed. The following day, after Xu Ke's meeting at Shi Lu's company, Wan Xinxin arrived, dressed in a striking manner.
She immediately greeted Xu Ke with affectionate terms ("Honey," "Darling") and reminded him of their fabricated lunch plans. In front of Shi Lu, Wan Xinxin explicitly announced that she and Xu Ke were now a couple, feigning a deep relationship. However, Shi Lu remained completely unfazed, simply offering them her congratulations.
