Fall in Love Episode 14 Recap
> Fall in Love Recap
Gu Yueshuang received an unexpected phone call, claiming to be from Tan Xuanlin, but the caller immediately hung up. It was actually Tan Sangyu, who had called to ascertain if her brother, Tan Xuanlin, was present; hearing Gu Yueshuang's voice, she concluded he was not. Back in Xu Guangyao's hospital room, Gu Yueshuang encountered Su Hongchen and Pei Shaojun. Su Hongchen, like a tomcat, relentlessly pursued Gu Yueshuang, flirting and disparaging Tan Xuanlin as unreliable.
He claimed a back injury prevented him from sitting, a claim Xu Guangyao corroborated, though Pei Shaojun playfully noted it was merely a scratch. Pei Shaojun then teased Su Hongchen about his numerous "peach blossom debts," just as Tan Sangyu arrived with a bouquet of flowers, leading Pei Shaojun to make a playful remark about the timely arrival. Meanwhile, Tan Xuanlin confronted Min Dacheng, accusing him of murdering Cui Jie in front of him.
Min Dacheng remained defiant, challenging Tan Xuanlin to kill him. Tan Xuanlin revealed that Cui Jie, upon his arrest, confessed Min Dacheng intended to use him as a scapegoat for the prior assault on Miss Mu. Tan Xuanlin asserted that Min's scheme was aimed at appeasing his hidden "boss," not Tan Xuanlin himself. He disclosed that while Min's boss had ordered the kidnapping to frame Tan, Min Dacheng had, on his own, planned to kill Miss Mu.
Tan Xuanlin then offered a deal: he possessed leverage against Min's boss but would not publicize it if Min Dacheng took sole responsibility for the kidnapping, thus clearing the militia group's name. The cost, however, would be Min Dacheng's life. Min Dacheng angrily called Tan Xuanlin despicable, but Tan retorted that they were equally ruthless.
Tan Xuanlin concluded by stating that Min's refusal to cooperate and his murder of the witness, Cui Jie, suggested he was protecting someone beyond his boss. He promised to expose all those who wished Min dead. Back at the hospital, chaos erupted in Xu Guangyao's room as Pei Shaojun, Su Hongchen, and Tan Sangyu bickered loudly over an infusion list. A nurse intervened, scolding them for disturbing the patient and enforcing a two-person limit.
Finally, Tan Xuanlin arrived and sternly ordered the disruptive crowd out. As Gu Yueshuang stormed out, Su Hongchen followed, still trying to charm her. When she attempted to hail a rickshaw, a car suddenly veered towards them. Su Hongchen swiftly embraced Gu Yueshuang, knocking them both to the ground. Gu Yueshuang briefly recalled a similar protective act by Su Hongchen at a past banquet. Su Hongchen, ever flirtatious, made light of her rapid heartbeat.
Gu Yueshuang, flustered, rebuked him and quickly departed in a rickshaw, leaving Su Hongchen to optimistically interpret her reaction. Afterward, Wanqing attempted to retrieve an infusion list to hasten Xu Guangyao's recovery. Tan Xuanlin swiftly took the list, insisting she let him handle such matters and instead go to the Bureau of Public Works to retrieve a file for Xu Guangyao, then return home.
Despite her insistence on staying to care for Xu Guangyao, he too advised her to go home. Later, Tan Xuanlin approached Wanqing, expressing annoyance at her persistence in staying, provocatively asking if she intended to spend the night. Wanqing, feeling wronged, retorted sarcastically that he, too, frequently sought out Gu Yueshuang. Tan Xuanlin, realizing she was jealous, felt secretly pleased.
That evening, the hospital room became lively as Tan Xuanlin and his subordinates started a boisterous card game, disturbing Xu Guangyao's rest. Only when a nurse intervened to remind them about patient quiet did they reluctantly disperse, bringing some quiet to the ward. The next morning, Xu Guangyao woke up thirsty. He tried to rouse the sleeping Tan Xuanlin in vain and struggled to reach his water. Just then, Wanqing arrived with water and breakfast.
She chastised Xu Guangyao for getting out of bed so soon after surgery and expressed regret for leaving him. Tan Xuanlin, now awake, initially complained about the noise but quickly sat upright upon seeing Wanqing. Wanqing immediately turned on him, criticizing his lack of care for Xu Guangyao. Tan Xuanlin, feigning innocence, blamed Xu Guangyao for not asking for help and teased Wanqing about their supposed "close rapport," citing how he found her at the wharf.
Wanqing, embarrassed, revealed that Xu Cheng, Guangyao's adjutant, had "tattled" on Tan Xuanlin's card game. Tan Xuanlin playfully scolded Xu Guangyao for Xu Cheng's "childish" behavior. Wanqing then reminded him of his promise to Military Governor Xu Bojun and the dwindling time he had to investigate the case.
When Tan Xuanlin teased her about fearing his potential punishment, Wanqing retorted that the consequences could be worse, reiterating that she could not leave him alone, and noting that she was not like Gu Yueshuang, implying he didn't need to worry about her as excessively. Tan Xuanlin, recalling Wanqing's earlier accusation, realized that his sister Tan Sangyu had used his name to call Gu Yueshuang as a ruse to gather information or see Pei Shaojun.
Tan Xuanlin then shared his investigation findings with Wanqing. He revealed that Min Dacheng, the pawnshop owner, was behind her kidnapping and drugging, and had also murdered Cui Jie while in custody to silence him. Wanqing, recalling a prior incident where Baoli Pawnshop mistakenly delivered her jewelry bill to Cui Lianfeng, immediately realized the full extent of the conspiracy.
She remembered how Cui Lianfeng had then feigned concern for her daughter Wan Ting's sudden stomachache, urging Wanqing to leave in a car that subsequently crashed. Wanqing now firmly believed Cui Lianfeng orchestrated these events. Tan Xuanlin confirmed her suspicions, adding that Min Dacheng was a former adjutant to Military Governor Luo and was present at the wharf when Wanqing's brother died. This revelation deeply affected Wanqing, who had only suspected Cui Lianfeng of forcing her mother away.
The thought of living under the same roof as her brother's killer, who had repeatedly tried to harm her and stripped her of everything important, fueled her resolve. She vowed to make Cui Lianfeng pay for her family's loss and her brother's life, with Tan Xuanlin assuring her that all culprits would face justice. Later, Xu Guangyao called Wanqing over and expressed his deep gratitude for her care.
He confessed the intense fear he experienced when her car sank, stating he was scared not as a brother fearing for a sister, but as if losing "the other half of his life." He then declared his desire to protect her forever. Wanqing, grateful for his kindness, gently declined his proposal, saying that "a lifetime is too long" for her to consider at that moment.
When Xu Guangyao pressed her, asking if she "couldn't" or "didn't want to" think about it, she apologized and asked him to forget his words. After Tan Xuanlin submitted the case file to Xu Bojun, stating the kidnapping case could be closed, Xu Bojun grew furious. He was alarmed that Tan Xuanlin's documentation implicated him through Min Dacheng's men's confession. Worried that Min Dacheng, if alive, would remain a threat, Xu Bojun considered having him eliminated.
Soon after, it was discovered that Min Dacheng's specially ordered takeout food was poisoned. Tan Xuanlin, having noticed an unfamiliar delivery person, had the food tested, confirming the poison. Although the perpetrator escaped, Tan Xuanlin recognized this as a deliberate attempt to silence Min Dacheng, confirming someone's determination to see him dead.
He instructed his aide to heighten security around Min Dacheng, noting that the original restaurant delivery person had been incapacitated on his way to the hospital, further solidifying suspicions of a targeted assassination plot.
