In Love With Your Dimples Episode 12 Recap
> In Love With Your Dimples Recap
Lu Zhiyi firmly rejected Gu Ling’s attempt to reconcile, telling her it was impossible and questioning if she thought he was like People’s Square, where she could come and go as she pleased. Gu Ling admitted she had wronged him in the past and didn't expect immediate forgiveness, but she announced her return, stating, "I, Gu Ling, am back. I will start pursuing you again."
She declared her intention to make him fall in love with her again and warned him he couldn't escape her. When Lu Zhiyi told her to leave, Gu Ling hinted that if he didn't see her out, she might encounter Tang Shuangli. Later, Gu Ling confronted Tang Shuangli at the front desk, introducing herself as Lu Zhiyi's girlfriend who had just returned from abroad.
She declared that despite their two-year separation, she believed Lu Zhiyi still loved her, just as she loved him. She advised Tang Shuangli to leave Tianzhuo gracefully to avoid humiliation, warning that her own unpredictable temper might lead to unforeseen consequences. Tang Shuangli defiantly stated that her choices were her own and none of Gu Ling's business, then subtly insulted Gu Ling's shoes, remarking that their thick heels made her calves look like corn cobs.
Enraged, Gu Ling smashed Tang Shuangli's cactus on the floor. Lu Zhiyi arrived and quickly pulled Gu Ling away, while Zhao Mengdi was instructed to call the janitor. Outside the office, Lu Zhiyi urged Gu Ling not to be so aggressive. Gu Ling questioned if he was upset for Tang Shuangli and if he thought she would resort to violence. She offered to be compliant and understanding if he would just reconcile, but Lu Zhiyi dismissed the idea.
Gu Ling then asserted her intention to frequently visit him and even return to work at Tianzhuo, reminding him she held company shares and he couldn't stop her. Before leaving, Gu Ling kissed Lu Zhiyi's cheek. As Lu Zhiyi returned to the office, he was unaware of the lipstick mark on his face. Colleagues noticed it but dared not inform him. He called Tang Shuangli to his office to apologize for the incident with Gu Ling.
Tang Shuangli, however, seeing the lipstick mark, told him he had nothing to apologize for, as he hadn't defended her. She sarcastically noted that he, like others, simply didn't step forward for her, emphasizing that their relationship was merely a typical boss-employee dynamic. Lu Zhiyi tried to claim they were friends, but Tang Shuangli accused him of being indecisive, prone to blame her without knowing the full truth, and giving her the cold shoulder.
She declared that the front desk was a more suitable place for her and, before leaving, advised him, as the boss, to have some self-respect and remove the lipstick mark from his face. Zhao Mengdi later discussed Gu Ling with He Qizhan, who described Gu Ling as a former "sore point" for Lu Zhiyi, and a rich second-generation heir.
He recalled how they were deeply in love, but the reasons for their breakup and Gu Ling's subsequent move to America remained unclear. He Qizhan expressed his strong dislike for Gu Ling, believing her departure had deeply hurt Lu Zhiyi and was the reason he hadn't had any other female friends for two years. Zhao Mengdi worried about Tang Shuangli's situation.
Lu Zhiyi, after wiping off the lipstick, decided to distribute nougat to the employees through Zhao Da, hoping to alleviate his own sorrow and perhaps calm Tang Shuangli's anger without appearing vulnerable. However, Tang Shuangli refused the nougat, leading Lu Zhiyi to tell Zhao Da to eat the extra pieces himself. Tang Shuangli retreated to the treehouse, reflecting on past interactions with Lu Zhiyi. She recalled Gu Ling's earlier warnings.
She also remembered a conversation where she asked Lu Zhiyi to promise not to use his programming skills to help Zhaoyue, Tianzhuo’s competitor. Lu Zhiyi questioned her authority, stating he could do what he wanted in his free time. Tang Shuangli insisted, citing his role as her boss and the competitive relationship between Tianzhuo and Zhaoyue, then told him "just don't." He then offered her nougat.
She vividly recalled a time when he was upset about a burned photo of his late grandfather, his closest relative, and how she had offered to repair it for him, reassuring him. She successfully restored the photo and returned it to him, asking him to keep it safe. Later, Tang Shuangli went to Lu Zhiyi's apartment. As Lu Zhiyi opened the door, she witnessed Gu Ling embracing him, making a show of affection.
Gu Ling had entered Lu Zhiyi’s home by using a code related to "Meatball's birthday," claiming she missed his cooking and had brought ingredients for tea-infused popcorn chicken and shrimp curry, along with wine. Before Tang Shuangli arrived, Lu Zhiyi had repeatedly tried to get Gu Ling to leave, insisting there was no chance of reconciliation and calling her impossible.
Gu Ling had insisted they should try, arguing that love involves two people, and he couldn't move on until she let go. Lu Zhiyi countered by asking if she had asked him when she started a new life two years prior. When he tried to leave, Gu Ling threatened to stay at his place. Distraught by the sight, Tang Shuangli angrily turned and left without saying a word.
Lu Zhiyi immediately pushed Gu Ling away and ran after Tang Shuangli, calling her name and trying to explain that it wasn't what she thought. Tang Shuangli got into a taxi, and despite Lu Zhiyi driving after her and calling her repeatedly, she didn't answer. He Qiaosheng also tried to call her after finding an item she left in his car, leading Tang Shuangli to angrily switch off her phone.
Tang Shuangli returned home, ignoring He Qizhan and locking herself in her bedroom. He Qizhan let Lu Zhiyi into the house. Lu Zhiyi went to her bedroom door, pleading to talk, asserting it wasn't what she thought. Tang Shuangli responded that she felt "disgusted" and "nauseous," refusing to talk, and accused him of forcing her. He Qizhan, seeing her distress, told Lu Zhiyi to leave, promising to handle the situation.
As Lu Zhiyi was leaving the residential area, he encountered He Qiaosheng, who had come to return an item Tang Shuangli had left in his car, since her phone was off. Lu Zhiyi was surprised to learn from He Qiaosheng that "Ella" was Tang Shuangli's English name. He Qizhan then arrived, questioning Lu Zhiyi's presence and also trying to deter He Qiaosheng from entering or calling Tang Shuangli, clearly unaware that "Ella" was Tang Shuangli.
Despite this, He Qiaosheng called Tang Shuangli out to return her item. Tang Shuangli appeared upset and declined He Qiaosheng’s offer to have dinner. He Qiaosheng left and found Lu Zhiyi still waiting outside. He invited Lu Zhiyi to his home for a drink, which Lu Zhiyi accepted. At He Qiaosheng’s apartment, Lu Zhiyi ignored a call from Gu Ling. He Qiaosheng poured drinks, and Lu Zhiyi noticed a photo album on the table filled with pictures of Tang Shuangli.
He Qiaosheng spoke about business being a battlefield where some play fair and others do things under the table, and he plays to win. Noticing Lu Zhiyi's pensive mood, He Qiaosheng correctly guessed it was about Tang Shuangli. Lu Zhiyi asked about their relationship.
He Qiaosheng described it as a senior-junior alum relationship, but a "special" one for Tang Shuangli, claiming she had been paying attention to him since college, saving him seats in the library, cheering him at basketball games, and even writing him a letter expressing her admiration. When Lu Zhiyi asked about their contact since her return, He Qiaosheng mentioned going for walks on the beach and seeing a Mermaid Show at the aquarium.
He then provocatively implied Tang Shuangli had helped him when he was drunk and offered to take him home, refusing to give details about whether she stayed at his place, stating that some things are more fun left unsaid. Lu Zhiyi felt a pang of jealousy, realizing Tang Shuangli had shared such intimate moments with He Qiaosheng, feeling he had lost his unique connection with her.
Meanwhile, Gu Ling was also drinking alone, sadly recalling her passionate past with Lu Zhiyi. While Lu Zhiyi was drinking with He Qiaosheng, Gu Ling called him, but He Qiaosheng answered. Gu Ling asked why they were together and told He Qiaosheng to wake Lu Zhiyi up and tell him to come home, assuring them she had left. Lu Zhiyi, now drunk, fell asleep on He Qiaosheng’s sofa.
He Qiaosheng woke him, urging him to go home, but Lu Zhiyi didn't want to face Gu Ling. He Qiaosheng reassured him that Gu Ling had already gone. Meanwhile, Tang Shuangli admonished herself to abandon all "hopeless emotions and expectations." Seeing a music box, she recalled Lu Zhiyi, and an earlier intimate moment with him where she played piano and sang, contemplating if her feelings for him—a mix of impulse, curiosity, and good feelings—amounted to love.
He Qizhan observed her unhappiness, concluding that Lu Zhiyi had upset her. He Qiaosheng later met with Gu Ling and informed her that Lu Zhiyi had gotten drunk and stayed out all night just to avoid her. Gu Ling was annoyed by Lu Zhiyi's persistence in avoiding her, feeling that he was "full of Tang Shuangli" and couldn't see her.
He Qiaosheng advised her not to give up, using the proverb that "it's a mountain away to pursue a woman, while only thin silk in between the other way around," suggesting she should "tear the silk into pieces and burn it," or "poke through the silk." He also acknowledged that her earlier actions had at least sown a seed of doubt between Lu Zhiyi and Tang Shuangli.
Tang Shuangli then submitted her resignation to Lu Zhiyi, telling him that while she believed his explanations, they no longer mattered. She preferred the certainty of loneliness over his inconsistent behavior. She noted that her notebook, which had been a link between them, was now returned to her, leaving no further reason for them to meet, and wished him well. Lu Zhiyi could not persuade her to stay.
Tang Shuangli informed Zhao Mengdi and He Qizhan at the front desk of her resignation. He Qizhan was surprised and rushed to Lu Zhiyi to understand what had transpired. He Qizhan vehemently told Lu Zhiyi that Tang Shuangli clearly didn't want to leave because she liked him, accusing Lu Zhiyi of being blind to her feelings. He urged Lu Zhiyi to stop hiding his emotions, warning that he would lose his last chance with her. Feeling distraught, Tang Shuangli went out and ordered four different kinds of rice wine.
