Love Formula Episode 1 Recap
> Love Formula Recap
It was the start of a new school year, and Jian Dan, a student from Shenmu Village with distinct curly hair, arrived at the university brimming with excitement, pulling her suitcase behind her. Meanwhile, campus heartthrob Han Yansheng glided effortlessly through the campus on a unicycle. A girl called out to him, offering a custom-made cake she had painstakingly prepared. Han Yansheng, eager to avoid her, accidentally bumped into Jian Dan, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Annoyed, he assumed Jian Dan was with the other girl, sternly lecturing them that he disliked sweets and found such overt attempts to get close to him old-fashioned, believing he owed them no apology. Jian Dan, indignant, demanded an apology for being knocked down. The cake-bearing girl, later identified as Yue Tangtang, tried to impress Han Yansheng by citing his published math paper on the Poincaré Conjecture. He challenged her understanding, which she struggled to articulate.
Jian Dan, however, stepped in and fluently explained the conjecture, defining its significance in topology. Before Han Yansheng could react, he received a call and had to leave. During the commotion, the cake accidentally splattered onto his shoulder. Visibly angered, Han Yansheng walked away, leaving the two girls and attracting curious glances. Upon reaching her dorm, Jian Dan began to unpack.
Her roommate, Mi Fen, a girl with a penchant for fortune-telling, enthusiastically greeted her and offered a reading using her homemade "luck deck." The card advised Jian Dan to "stay away from water." Jian Dan was astonished, recalling how Han Yansheng had just bumped her into a puddle, leaving her bag still wet. They quickly became friends, and Jian Dan shared local snacks her grandmother had prepared, delighting Mi Fen, who called her a "treasure girl."
Soon after, Yue Tangtang entered the dorm. Mi Fen identified her as their other roommate who had left early that morning with a cake. Yue Tangtang glared at Jian Dan, clearly displeased by their earlier encounter. Just then, Jian Dan received a message from an online contact, asking her to pick up a math textbook at the swimming pool. Meanwhile, Han Yansheng, having changed his cake-stained clothes, arrived at the swimming pool.
A year prior, a traumatic incident had left him with aquaphobia, making him unable to enter the water. His friends, Monkey and Yuan Sen, were there. Monkey, aware of Han Yansheng's fear, secretly hoped a little push might help him overcome it. Jian Dan then bounced into the pool area, spotted her textbook, and excitedly picked it up. Han Yansheng, still frustrated and mistaking her for another admirer trying a new tactic, immediately snatched the book back.
As they struggled over the book, Jian Dan accidentally pushed Han Yansheng into the pool. Seeing him thrashing, and noticing his swimsuit, she initially thought he was faking, unaware of his phobia. Monkey and Yuan Sen quickly realized the gravity of the situation and rushed to his aid. Jian Dan, seeing Han Yansheng in genuine distress, dived in to help. With their combined efforts, they pulled him out. Finding him unresponsive, a panicked Jian Dan immediately began CPR.
Just as she was about to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Han Yansheng regained consciousness. Han Yansheng was promptly taken to the infirmary by Monkey and Yuan Sen. The doctor confirmed he had only swallowed some water and that his heart rate and other vitals were normal. However, the doctor remarked that this wasn't his first drowning incident, referencing a past event, which Monkey and Yuan Sen quickly tried to deflect to protect Han Yansheng.
Jian Dan, feeling guilty, wanted to apologize in person, but Han Yansheng refused to see her. She then asked Monkey to deliver an apology letter. Unbeknownst to Jian Dan, Yue Tangtang, harboring a grudge, intercepted the letter and replaced its contents with a mocking one. When Han Yansheng read the altered letter, he was furious and vowed revenge on Jian Dan.
Days later, during Swimming Club recruitment, Jian Dan expressed her desire to join to Mi Fen, hoping to earn credits. Mi Fen warned her about the club's strict criteria and her recent conflict with Han Yansheng. Jian Dan, however, was optimistic, believing the misunderstanding with Han Yansheng had been resolved and that he wouldn't hold a grudge. At the recruitment event, Yue Tangtang proudly presented her long list of swimming achievements.
When it was Jian Dan's turn, she could only list her victories in local competitions from Shenmu Village, which the senior interviewing them dismissed as insignificant, asserting the club only accepted elites. Jian Dan countered, arguing that the club's mission was to promote swimming for everyone, not just those with awards. Suddenly, Han Yansheng, the club president, appeared and unexpectedly announced that Jian Dan was accepted.
Monkey, surprised by his friend's decision, realized Han Yansheng’s true intention was to carry out his revenge. At the Swimming Club's first meeting for new members, Vice President Xiahou Ling announced a new training system: senior members would pair with new recruits for one-on-one specialized coaching. He then revealed that President Han Yansheng would personally select one new member for his exclusive guidance.
Han Yansheng chose Jian Dan, declaring that he would be even tougher on her than on anyone else. Yue Tangtang, seething with jealousy, publicly challenged Jian Dan to a race. She proposed that if Jian Dan lost, she would relinquish her one-on-one training spot with the president to a more capable swimmer. In turn, Jian Dan stipulated that Yue Tangtang must also face a consequence if she lost.
Yue Tangtang, certain of her victory, then declared she would withdraw from the Swimming Club entirely. Despite Jian Dan's unconventional swimming technique, she won the race. Yue Tangtang begrudgingly accepted defeat, though she promised to beat Jian Dan next time. Later, Monkey questioned Han Yansheng about his unusual choice of Jian Dan, given his apparent dislike for her.
Han Yansheng revealed his true, vengeful motive: he intended to "straighten out that curly hair of hers," implying his determination to discipline her. After dismissing the rest of the new recruits, Han Yansheng told Jian Dan to stay behind.
