First Love Episode 9 Recap
> First Love Recap
In the lab, Ren Chu demonstrated an upgraded function of his robot, Qiji, which could now intelligently analyze fuzzy instructions to deduce and purchase items based on his preferences, such as a specific low-alcohol rum. While his seniors were amazed by Qiji's new capabilities, they noticed Ren Chu seemed unhappy and privately worried he was dissatisfied with their lab's environment. Meanwhile, Wang Xinyu skipped a class to surprise Meng Xibai at his lab.
Her plan to show off a new French shirt was ruined when a button popped off, and she had to hide with Meng Xibai's help to avoid being caught by a passing faculty member. Shortly after, Ren Chu arrived seeking Meng Xibai's advice about Lu Wanwan's declaration that she had no plans to date in college.
Meng Xibai, admitting he only understood Wang Xinyu, was baffled by Ren Chu's sudden interest and initially suggested Lu Wanwan's view aligned with his own old belief that romance hinders studying. Their discussion was interrupted by Gu Qiao, who teased them for complaining about their girlfriends. Taking charge, Wang Xinyu advised her cousin, Meng Xibai, that proactive confession is key to a sweet romance.
Meng Xibai relayed this advice to Ren Chu, concluding that a direct confession was necessary since Lu Wanwan was likely oblivious to his feelings. After the holiday, Lu Wanwan was ecstatic about scoring 69% on an orthopedics quiz, a massive improvement she credited to Ren Chu tutoring her for seven consecutive days. Gu Qiao, hearing about his dedication, suspected he had developed feelings for Lu Wanwan, a theory Lu Wanwan dismissed, insisting that academics were his only passion.
Following Meng Xibai's advice, Ren Chu went to the Baking Club to confess. He found Lu Wanwan and Gu Qiao practicing caesarean section sutures on an onion, a method Lu Wanwan used to overcome her anxiety about performing in front of others. Armed with examples of famous figures' confessions, Ren Chu began by asking Lu Wanwan if she had a "healthy heart," referencing a line used by Pavlov.
However, his words were lost as Lu Wanwan, overwhelmed by onion fumes, misunderstood his question as a health inquiry and rushed off to wash her face, leaving his confession incomplete. Lu Wanwan's academic anxiety intensified after hearing a classmate was transferring out of the clinical department following a failed practical test. This pressure caused her to freeze during her own in-class suture assessment, her hands trembling so much that she had to give up.
Shortly after this failure, Ren Chu attempted to confess again, showing her a heart-shaped graph created by Descartes. Still despondent, Lu Wanwan dismissed it as a crude drawing and expressed no interest in his story. As Meng Xibai planned a "customized" confession for Wang Xinyu, he advised Ren Chu that such gestures must be tailored to the person, like prescribing the "right medicine for the illness." Later, in the library, Ren Chu saw a transfer application in Lu Wanwan's book.
When he asked why she would give up after working so hard, she explained that top students like him couldn't understand her struggles, insisting that she hadn't given up on clinical medicine but that it had given up on her. In an attempt to connect, Ren Chu admitted his own weakness: being unable to make desserts. Inspired, he began experimenting with molecular gastronomy, eventually creating a rum chocolate ice cream cake.
He brought it to Lu Wanwan, but found she was at the school infirmary. A student, Fan Yi, had injured his leg, and while Lu Wanwan hesitated, unable to apply her knowledge under pressure, Gu Qiao confidently diagnosed a fracture and skillfully stabilized the limb. The incident left Lu Wanwan feeling even more inadequate. As she sampled Ren Chu's dessert, a senior from the lab revealed that the "rum" used was actually a 56% sorghum spirit.
The potent alcohol quickly took effect, and a tipsy Lu Wanwan tearfully confessed her deep-seated academic fears and the pressure she felt. She passionately vowed never to transfer out of weakness, declaring that if she ever left, it would be with excellent grades to prove it was her choice. Seeing her vulnerability, Ren Chu sincerely expressed his admiration for her unique qualities and confessed his desire to be her boyfriend.
However, he immediately retracted the offer, instead proposing to become her "private tutor" to help her achieve her goals. Later, Ren Chu explained his decision to Meng Xibai using an analogy: just as only Descartes's princess could understand his heart-shaped formula, he would wait to confess properly until Lu Wanwan was a "princess" free from academic anxiety. He believed that by tutoring her, that day would come soon. Finding the plan overly complicated and slow, Meng Xibai challenged him to a bet on who could get a girlfriend first.
