First Love Episode 4 Recap
> First Love Recap
Ren Chu, in a fit of pique after Lu Wanwan’s choice, initially storms off. However, bound by the terms of their Rumor Elimination Plan, he is obligated to help her pursue Wang Yuyang. To fulfill this, he delves into numerous romance novels. His friend, Fan Yi, observes this and suggests Ren Chu is actually in love with Lu Wanwan. Ren Chu dismisses this, explaining that love involves the secretion of Phenylethylamine, which he claims he doesn't experience.
Fan Yi, a self-proclaimed pragmatist, insists that constantly thinking about someone is the true sign of affection. Later, while guiding Lu Wanwan, Ren Chu self-assesses and finds no Phenylethylamine secretion, reaffirming his belief that he doesn't like her. Lu Wanwan then attempts to create an "accidental" encounter with Wang Yuyang at the English corner at 6 AM, a plan Ren Chu calculated as having an 80% success rate.
Despite following Ren Chu’s instructions to take the lead and make eye contact, her intense and sudden presence frightens Wang Yuyang away, leaving her devastated. Facing this setback, Ren Chu invites Meng Xibai, a friend from his small social circle, to share his "love at first sight" experience. Meng Xibai clarifies that he was the one who initially pursued Wang Xinyu. He recounts seeing her dancing diligently and mistaking her for a quiet and elegant “goddess.”
He approached her, only for Wang Xinyu to reveal her talkative and overly confident personality, immediately sharing her zodiac sign, height, weight, and dance history. Meng Xibai quickly realized she was not his type and concluded that "love at first sight" is a false premise. Despite his efforts to distance himself, Wang Xinyu persistently pursues him, even climbing over a school wall to visit and misinterpreting his lab coat as a charming white outfit.
Lu Wanwan encourages Meng Xibai not to limit himself and to give Wang Xinyu a chance, but he remains firm. Ren Chu, however, still believes "love at first sight" is possible and decides the next encounter should be at the Baking Club, where Lu Wanwan is most confident. As she practices newly learned flirting techniques on Ren Chu—asking him to wipe her face and offering him a drink she has sipped for an "indirect kiss"—he becomes visibly flustered.
Despite his internal reaction, he declares her methods "awful" and claims Wang Yuyang would be more likely to "kill her" than fall for her. Though he denies his feelings, Ren Chu secretly plans to sabotage Lu Wanwan's pursuit. He instructs her to dress eccentrically for an encounter at an internet cafe, claiming it's a style gamers prefer, and insists she follow his plan as he has an important interview at Ping University.
Initially, Wang Yuyang is put off by her attire. However, when Lu Wanwan abandons the act and impresses him with her genuine gaming skill, he smiles and proactively adds her on WeChat. They exchange names, and he suggests the nicknames "Bro Wan" and "Sis Yang." Lu Wanwan excitedly informs Ren Chu about her progress, much to his disappointment.
When she plans to deliver desserts to Wang Yuyang daily, Ren Chu objects, citing the "play hard to get" theory and using Wang Xinyu's failed pursuit of Meng Xibai as an example. He then offers to deliver the desserts himself to aid their "strategy." While studying in the library, Lu Wanwan experiences a sudden stomachache.
Ren Chu notices her discomfort, offers to take her back to her dorm, and learns she has shallow gastritis and needs nourishing food like soy milk. Later, her roommate confirms Ren Chu had the RA deliver Lu Wanwan's bag. In an accident, Lu Wanwan spills milk tea on her copy of the Rumor Elimination Plan, ruining it. When she asks to see his, he claims his own copy fell into the swimming pool, rendering the agreement void.
Determined to help, Ren Chu then samples various soy milks for her, but she finds them all unpalatable. Ren Chu confesses to Fan Yi that he ate the mango cake Lu Wanwan had made for Wang Yuyang, rationalizing it as "energy conservation" that he would offset by finding her the perfect soy milk. Meanwhile, Lu Wanwan learns from Wang Yuyang during a gaming session that he is allergic to mangoes.
Furious, she confronts Ren Chu, accusing him of lying, academic fraud, and sabotaging her with ridiculous advice. She demands he leave for his postgraduate studies so she can be free of the rumors. When she threatens to find a security video of him vomiting in the lounge, Ren Chu confidently states the contract is void and reveals there are no cameras there.
After the confrontation, Ren Chu reflects on Fan Yi’s words and a romance novel he read, which described a male lead falling in love first and becoming emotionally unstable. He finally admits to himself that Fan Yi was right all along: he has genuinely fallen for Lu Wanwan.
