First Love Episode 11 Recap
> First Love Recap
Fan Yi, bored due to a leg injury, was helping the Student Union with a lucky draw event. Lu Wanwan and Gu Qiao passed by on their way to register for the clinical department's professional competition, an event Lu Wanwan was entering for the first time. Fan Yi had them draw slips. Gu Qiao drew "Master Slacker," which suggested she could get good results without trying, a notion she immediately denied.
Lu Wanwan drew "MVP of a Crush," causing her to scoff at the idea after her five-year unrequited love for academic prodigies like An Jiaxian and Wang Yuyang ended in failure. Just then, Ren Chu arrived to give Fan Yi his dorm key, and Fan Yi had him draw a slip too. When Ren Chu tried to ask what Lu Wanwan drew, she grew flustered and quickly dragged Gu Qiao away, claiming they would be late.
Later, Ren Chu rushed to an auditorium to meet his anxious cousin, Wang Xinyu. She explained that their venue was under renovation, so they had borrowed his department's hall for a short performance assignment. Having neglected her practice to date Meng Xibai, she was replaced as the lead dancer and desperately pleaded with Ren Chu to stop Meng Xibai from seeing the show to avoid embarrassment. Ren Chu agreed to help.
When Meng Xibai arrived with flowers, Ren Chu intercepted him, engaging him in a long, complex discussion about neuroscience until the performance was over. Afterwards, Meng Xibai went backstage, where Wang Xinyu pretended she had performed. The couple's public display of affection annoyed her classmates, who muttered that she was only ever motivated when it came to romance. Lu Wanwan and Gu Qiao began preparing for their competition, which offered bonus points for a frame-by-frame animation.
Lu Wanwan didn't know how to make one and was reluctant to ask Ren Chu for help. However, Gu Qiao secretly messaged him, claiming Lu Wanwan needed his assistance. Ren Chu came to the library and, after learning a simple program wouldn't suffice, agreed to help them create the animation after looking at a tutorial. Gu Qiao promptly left them alone.
As Ren Chu patiently taught her, Lu Wanwan internally battled with herself, determined not to fall for another guy who helped her with her studies. While trying to focus on her grades, she felt her heart race as he leaned closer, wondering if she was experiencing sinus tachycardia. She tried to cover her discomfort by claiming to be hungry. Ren Chu finished the animation quickly, impressing them both.
To thank him, Gu Qiao invited Ren Chu to the canteen for lunch. During the meal, she probed Ren Chu's opinion of Lu Wanwan. When Ren Chu took out his lucky slip, Gu Qiao excitedly declared he was destined for romance and hinted that the "MVP of a Crush" was at their table. A nervous Lu Wanwan quickly pulled Gu Qiao away.
Later, Lu Wanwan confronted Gu Qiao for her meddling, but Gu Qiao challenged her, asking if her heart truly didn't beat faster around Ren Chu. To test this, Lu Wanwan approached Ren Chu and asked him to hold her hand for a "medical checkup," reasoning that while her brain could lie, a stethoscope couldn't. However, she aborted the plan at the last second, deciding she couldn't bear the pain of another unrequited crush.
Shortly after, Guan Ai approached Lu Wanwan, asking what she was doing with Ren Chu. Lu Wanwan vaguely replied that they were "adjusting equipment." Guan Ai then expressed a desire to join the Baking Club, of which Lu Wanwan was the sole member, and confided that she had a secret crush on Ren Chu. She mentioned how touched she was that he, a campus celebrity, had attended her debate competition.
Later, Guan Ai boasted to a friend that she had successfully "handled" Lu Wanwan by asserting her claim, believing the inexperienced Lu Wanwan would be easily intimidated. Having acquired his contact information, she called Ren Chu and falsely claimed Lu Wanwan had given her his number. On the day of the presentation, Gu Qiao got an upset stomach from expired juice, forcing a nervous Lu Wanwan to present alone.
Just as her stage fright was taking over, she received an encouraging text from Ren Chu. The message helped her regain her composure and deliver a smooth, confident presentation. Afterwards, she thanked Ren Chu, but he angrily confronted her for giving his number to Guan Ai without permission. Hurt and defensive, Lu Wanwan retorted that he should just admit he likes Guan Ai, who she described as beautiful and good-tempered.
A frustrated Ren Chu asked if she wanted him to like Guan Ai and declared his preferences were his own business before storming off. Alone, Ren Chu became confused by Lu Wanwan's mixed signals—first showing interest, then pushing him away—and decided he needed to talk to her to clear things up. Meanwhile, Guan Ai found Lu Wanwan and asked directly if she also liked Ren Chu.
She claimed that if Lu Wanwan admitted her feelings, she would back down as they were friends. Unwilling to enter another painful romantic entanglement, Lu Wanwan firmly denied it, stating she would never compete with a friend or pursue a crush that would only make her miserable again. Ren Chu, who had returned to seek clarification, overheard her denial and left, once again disappointed.
