In Love With Your Dimples Episode 1 Recap
> In Love With Your Dimples Recap
Hush Company software engineer Tang Shuangli returned to China after a series of personal setbacks in the US. During her journey, she encountered Lu Zhiyi, an entrepreneur who also used extreme sports to release pressure. The two immediately clashed, leading to a series of comical confrontations. Lu Zhiyi, who had become addicted to extreme sports six years prior after an attempt, found the thrill of high-altitude jumps exhilarating. He was admired by others for his daring feats.
Tang Shuangli, seeing him, decided to try bungee jumping herself. However, at the edge, she hesitated, paralyzed by fear. A bystander, Zhao Da, urged her to make up her mind or step aside. Tang Shuangli, trying to psych herself up, repeatedly said, "I can do it! I want to jump!" and asked for more time. Seeing her struggle, Lu Zhiyi stepped forward. He calmly told her to relax and follow his lead, then, despite her cries of "No! Help!"
, he gently pushed her off the platform. Tang Shuangli screamed, convinced she was being murdered, but soon found herself soaring. Later, back on solid ground, she remarked, "The feeling of the breeze on my face is so good!" That night, while Lu Zhiyi was stargazing, he spotted Tang Shuangli singing, unaware of a snake approaching her. He urgently warned her, "Don't move!"
Tang Shuangli, startled and unable to see him clearly, panicked and thought he was trying to rob her, exclaiming, "I don't have any money." Lu Zhiyi swiftly killed the snake. He then shined his flashlight on her face, and seeing the dead snake, Tang Shuangli was terrified. As they walked away, Tang Shuangli, still shaken and not paying attention, stumbled. When Lu Zhiyi helped her up, she discovered a leech on her chest and screamed, asking, "What is that?"
Seeing the blood, she asked whose it was, and Lu Zhiyi confirmed it was hers. He insisted they return to treat the wound, eventually carrying her back to his camp. Zhao Da, Lu Zhiyi's friend, brought the first aid kit. Lu Zhiyi explained to Zhao Da that the leech was poisonous and the blood needed to be sucked out.
Upon seeing Lu Zhiyi sucking the blood from Tang Shuangli's chest, Zhao Da comically misunderstood the situation, thinking their relationship was progressing rapidly. Lu Zhiyi then helped Tang Shuangli clean and bandage her wound. As he did so, he noticed the name "Tang Shuangli" on her ID tag. This instantly brought back a memory from middle school: the midterm math exam results showing "Tang Shuangli" as number one and "Lu Xiaoyi" (his childhood name) as number two.
He wondered if this was the same Tang Shuangli. Tang Shuangli, still shaken from the ordeal, reflected on a sign warning about "ticks, venomous snakes, and other wild animals in the mountains", feeling lucky to have survived. She checked her phone and realized it was late, quickly arranging a ride to leave the campsite. Meanwhile, He Qiaosheng and his younger brother He Qizhan were at a shooting range. Ye Lin, their colleague, commented that the two brothers were evenly matched.
He Qiaosheng then subtly corrected her, asserting his seniority. He Qizhan was annoyed that his brother had scored one point higher, despite He Qiaosheng's teasing remark about winning. Ye Lin also joked with He Qizhan about his recent move, asking where he moved, to which He Qizhan replied cryptically, implying he didn't want his brother to know his address.
Later, Tang Shuangli arrived at what she thought was her home, but instead of her grandmother, she found He Qizhan, wearing a bathrobe. He Qizhan, surprised, questioned her presence. Tang Shuangli explained that her grandmother, Li Huiyun, had sent her the keys from the US. He Qizhan then presented a tenancy agreement, stating he had legally rented the apartment and paid a full year's rent, insisting it was his home now.
Tang Shuangli argued that it was her childhood home, filled with memories, and he had no right to kick her out. Their argument escalated, with Tang Shuangli accusing him of having a "black heart" and He Qizhan accusing her of lacking dignity for staying in a strange man's house at night. Tang Shuangli, emotionally distraught, revealed she had just returned from abroad, had no relatives nearby, and nowhere to go, as her grandmother was now in a nursing home.
She offered to compensate him to leave, but he refused, highlighting his long-term rental and renovations. Eventually, she locked herself in her childhood bedroom. After securing her room, Tang Shuangli read the contract and learned He Qizhan's name. She realized the compensation for breaching the contract was double the rent, an amount she couldn't afford. She decided she couldn't leave and needed a plan to stay.
Unbeknownst to her, He Qizhan, despite their argument, later left a blanket outside her door, revealing a hidden softer side. The next morning, He Qizhan was frustrated to see signs of Tang Shuangli settling in throughout the house. He confronted her, demanding she leave, but Tang Shuangli was resolute, asserting her right to stay in her childhood room. She called her grandmother, Li Huiyun, complaining about the house being rented out and her homelessness.
Li Huiyun explained that Tang Shuangli's mother had supported the decision to rent the house for "old-age care" and hadn't mentioned Tang Shuangli's return. Tang Shuangli felt her mother was trying to cut off her options, forcing her back to the US, but she was determined not to give up. Seeing Tang Shuangli's distress, Li Huiyun offered her money, which Tang Shuangli refused, insisting she would earn her own living.
Li Huiyun then spoke to He Qizhan on the phone, convincing him to allow Tang Shuangli to stay, but He Qizhan set a condition: Tang Shuangli would pay the utility bills. Tang Shuangli readily agreed. Later, Tang Shuangli visited a nougat shop, delighted that it was still open after so many years and that the nougat tasted just as good as her childhood memories. The shop owner confirmed it was still their family's business.
Lu Zhiyi, walking his dog by the river, saw her leaving the shop. He then bought a nougat for himself, eating it as he reminisced about a childhood memory of sharing nougat with a young girl. At the Hash Group, Ye Lin informed He Qiaosheng that Albert, the Asian regional representative, had arrived and was in charge of the company's tender offer in China.
He Qiaosheng noted that Albert was his junior from the University of Georgia, which he believed would make the public relations easier. That evening, Albert video-called his girlfriend, who expressed how much she missed him and their baby, urging him to return soon. Albert promised to fly back as soon as he finished with the tenderers. Outside, Tang Shuangli stood under the night sky, loudly proclaiming, "I am back!"
Back at home, He Qizhan was furious when he found the shower water was cold. He accused Tang Shuangli of tampering with the electricity, but she pointed to a "water and electricity saving schedule" she had posted on the cabinet, insisting she was just being economical. Moments later, the power went out, ruining He Qizhan's all-night coding work. He exploded, demanding Tang Shuangli pack her things and disappear.
Tang Shuangli argued that since she was paying for utilities, they were effectively co-tenants, and he had no right to kick her out after promising her grandmother. The next day, Tang Shuangli dressed up meticulously, prompting He Qizhan to notice her unusual appearance with curiosity. At the Wanli Hotel, Tang Shuangli accidentally bumped into He Qiaosheng, who recognized her from their time at the University of Georgia, where she studied computer science and he studied finance.
He Qiaosheng, accompanied by Ye Lin, then went to meet Albert for a discussion about the Hash Group's bid. Watching Albert talk, Tang Shuangli remembered her college days when Albert was her boyfriend, before he married someone else without telling her. Albert briefly noticed Tang Shuangli but chose to continue his business discussion. As Tang Shuangli walked away, she then collided with Lu Zhiyi, but she didn't recognize him, though he clearly recognized her.
Later, Tang Shuangli and He Qizhan were at a seafood market. He Qizhan bought her a small turtle, pointing out its "double eyelids" and "small dimples when it smiles," jokingly saying it resembled her. Tang Shuangli, delighted, decided to name it "Dimples." After their shopping, Tang Shuangli invited He Qizhan to dinner.
She wanted to go to "The Shed," describing it as a place for beer, skewers, and seafood, but He Qizhan corrected her, saying it was called a "Dai pai dong." They ended up eating there, making a toast: "Let's cherish all the encounters and respect every loss." He Qizhan noted her philosophical words, suggesting she had a story to tell. He then took a phone call from his brother.
As Lu Zhiyi drove past the Dai pai dong, he saw Tang Shuangli sitting alone, drinking. A flashback showed Tang Shuangli having a phone conversation with someone, likely her mother, in the US. She expressed her desire to return to China, to her homeland and hometown, asking, "I want to go back to China, okay?"
The person on the other end questioned her decision, highlighting her lack of friends, career, or love life there, and reminding her of the comfortable "middle-class annual income" she had achieved. Tang Shuangli responded that she no longer wanted those things. She explained that her best friend had died, her trusted mentor was gone, and her boyfriend had married someone else without a word.
She longed to live an ordinary life, with friends and a loving boyfriend, instead of a life where she "didn't know who to call when I pick up my phone." Despite the resistance, Tang Shuangli was resolute in her decision to return to China, wanting to experience life on her own terms, "whether it's right or wrong." The person on the phone, seemingly resigned, told her to go back, but added, "You're not getting a penny from me."
