First Love Episode 7 Recap
> First Love Recap
Ren Chu visited his university's computer laboratory to consider his postgraduate options. There, he impressed Ji Qi, a senior student, by quickly diagnosing and fixing a problem with Ji Qi's robot, Qiji. Ji Qi then showed Ren Chu around, explaining that while Qingyao's computer science department might not match Pingzhou University's theoretical research, it excels in practical application and technical innovation.
Meanwhile, Lu Wanwan was fretting over the high cost of an 800-yuan medical anatomy model she needed for her studies. Just then, Fan Yi arrived at the Baking Club with an order from the Swimming Club. However, her excitement was short-lived when Fan Yi revealed the requirements: sugar-free, low-fat, caffeine-free desserts on a meager 300-yuan budget. Lu Wanwan wondered why Ren Chu, who knew the team best, hadn't come himself.
Fan Yi explained Ren Chu was busy, then subtly asked if Lu Wanwan would ever confess her feelings to a boy like Ren Chu. She laughed off the idea. Fan Yi later relayed this to Ren Chu, who confessed it was his plan to "advance by retreating" and get Lu Wanwan to confess.
Fan Yi dubbed the strategy "tactics plus sincerity," and they made a bet on the outcome, with the loser having to fetch hot water for the other for a semester. On a date, Wang Xinyu suggested thrilling activities like a roller coaster and a large pendulum ride at an amusement park, followed by hotpot. However, Meng Xibai, a medical student, rejected each idea, citing health concerns like oxygen deprivation and potential gastritis.
Instead, he presented her with a detailed "Dating Schedule" he had created based on their academic commitments. Though finding it cumbersome, Wang Xinyu accepted, requesting a romantic candlelight dinner and a preferred gift for their next meeting. At the swimming pool, Ren Chu's teammates noticed his swollen, possibly pricked, left hand and that he had been training in long-sleeved swimsuits, raising concerns about his performance in the upcoming competition.
Ren Chu had planned to impress Lu Wanwan with his freestyle swimming, but when she arrived, he grew jealous as she studied the other swimmers' physiques, which she claimed was for scientific research on human muscles. He quickly pulled her away and offered his own "more standard" abdominal muscles for her study, even inviting her to touch them, making her blush. She then handed him the sugar-free biscuits she had prepared.
Ren Chu invited her to watch his competition on Friday, an invitation she initially declined. After receiving the 300-yuan payment, Lu Wanwan lamented that it wasn't enough for the anatomy model. Guan Ai then visited the Baking Club, admiring Lu Wanwan's creations and inviting her shopping and to dinner the following Friday as a thank you for past help. As Guan Ai was leaving, she insisted on taking a skull-shaped cake that Lu Wanwan had packed for a friend.
Lu Wanwan later messaged Guan Ai, warning her about the cake's unique appearance. Unbeknownst to Lu Wanwan, Guan Ai's true intention was to pursue Ren Chu and she saw Lu Wanwan as a rival. Meanwhile, Meng Xibai was determined to win a doll from a claw machine for Wang Xinyu, feeling it was more heartfelt than simply buying one. Ren Chu accompanied him, but after failing repeatedly, Meng Xibai resorted to buying a plush rabbit instead.
He then asked Ren Chu about his postgraduate recommendation, advising him to trust his own judgment regarding the prestigious Professor Zou at Pingzhou University and to follow his heart, as Qingyao and Pingzhou were not vastly different. Ren Chu admitted that buying gifts for a girlfriend was difficult and revealed that Lu Wanwan had turned down his invitation. Ren Chu later met with Professor Zou at Pingzhou University.
Shortly after, he unexpectedly encountered Lu Wanwan, who was there to buy a discounted anatomy model from a senior student. Noticing the long distance between their universities, Ren Chu offered her a ride back. During the drive, Lu Wanwan assumed Ren Chu was heading to Pingzhou for his postgraduate studies, praising the renowned professor there and asserting that "the best students deserve the best teachers."
Upon returning to Qingyao, she ran into Meng Xibai, who revealed the truth: Ren Chu had chosen to stay at Qingyao and had likely been at Pingzhou to professionally decline the offer. Shocked and remorseful for her judgmental remarks, Lu Wanwan recalled Ren Chu's past kindness, such as patiently letting her practice venipuncture on his hand. Meng Xibai suggested she make amends by cheering for him at his swimming competition. Subsequently, Lu Wanwan canceled her Friday plans with Guan Ai.
On Friday, Lu Wanwan arrived at the swimming venue and saw Guan Ai was also there. During Ren Chu's race, Lu Wanwan was distracted by her phone and missed his victory. Afterward, she congratulated him, but he was visibly disappointed she hadn't been watching. Guan Ai approached, feigning concern over Ren Chu's injured arm and implying Lu Wanwan was responsible.
Ren Chu curtly dismissed Guan Ai, stating the matter was between them and clarifying that he and Lu Wanwan were "friends." In return for the biscuits she brought, Ren Chu gave her a plush rabbit. Though he claimed to have simply bought it, he had actually spent a great deal of time and money painstakingly winning it for her from a claw machine.
Lu Wanwan was initially horrified, mistaking it for a real rabbit used in experiments, but was delighted upon realizing it was a toy. Witnessing their exchange, a neglected Guan Ai glanced at the skull-shaped cake in her bag, which startled her and intensified her resentment.
The plush rabbit came with a thoughtful meaning: since real rabbits couldn't be kept in dorms, he hoped the toy would remind her of real ones, of venipuncture practice, and motivate her to become an excellent doctor—a gesture Lu Wanwan found endearing, if "childish." As the National Day holiday approached, students were informed of a quiz scheduled for after the break. At the lab, Ren Chu used the robot Qiji to conduct a survey with Lu Wanwan, learning she planned to stay home and study, much to his satisfaction.
