Love Formula Episode 17 Recap
> Love Formula Recap
Han Yansheng was lost in thought, holding the silver necklace he had yet to give to Jian Dan. Monkey burst in, reminding him it was Jiang Zhishan's birthday and they needed to go. In his haste to leave, Han Yansheng accidentally dropped the necklace box onto a pile of other birthday gifts. Later, at a popular restaurant Monkey had booked for Jiang Zhishan's birthday, both Han Yansheng and Jiang Zhishan drank too much.
When Han Yansheng stumbled out of the restaurant, Jian Dan quickly told Monkey to look after Jiang Zhishan and ran after him. Completely intoxicated, Han Yansheng began directing traffic in the middle of the road. Jian Dan struggled to pull him to safety. Spotting a stray cat, Han Yansheng embraced it, then grabbed Jian Dan's hand to mimic petting a cat, but instead used her hand to stroke his own head.
Inside a taxi, Jian Dan found the sleeping Han Yansheng rather endearing and dared to pinch his cheek. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, gazed intently at her, and slowly leaned in. Just as he was about to kiss her, the driver slammed on the brakes, sending them both jarringly onto the seat. Meanwhile, Monkey faced his own challenge with Jiang Zhishan, who insisted she wasn't drunk and demanded more alcohol, despite Monkey's protests that the restaurant was closed.
Jiang Zhishan, who had previously compiled embarrassing photos of Monkey dressed in women's clothing into a deck of poker cards to blackmail him, continued to toy with him. Monkey, trying to find and destroy the photos, cunningly pretended to search for them, prompting a drunken Jiang Zhishan to blurt out that she had hidden them in the Rock Climbing Club's locker. Elated, Monkey knew exactly where to go.
The next day, Han Yansheng woke up well past noon with a pounding headache. Monkey informed him that Jian Dan had brought him back to the dorm. Han Yansheng tried to recall the previous night's events, remembering up to the taxi incident but then blacking out. Across campus, Jiang Zhishan also woke up late. Jian Dan, ever thoughtful, prepared honey water to help her sober up.
Jiang Zhishan noticed a small box among her gifts but couldn't recognize the inscribed Greek letters. Jian Dan identified it as "Hypatia," the name of a Greek female mathematician. Uninterested, Jiang Zhishan decided to give the necklace to Jian Dan. When Han Yansheng later saw Jian Dan wearing the necklace, he mistakenly believed it was the one he had intended to give her. Recalling an ambiguous interaction from the night before, he assumed his drunken confession had been successful.
Secretly pleased, he invited Jian Dan to lunch. As they waited in the cafeteria line, he slyly reached for what he thought was Jian Dan's hand but grabbed a large man's hand instead, causing him public embarrassment and making him lose his appetite.
Later, Han Yansheng received a phone call from Jiang Zhishan, who, while thanking him for a different gift, mentioned she had given away the necklace he supposedly sent to her, clarifying that it was now with Jian Dan. This only deepened Han Yansheng's confusion, as he didn't remember sending any necklace to Jiang Zhishan. Taking advantage of the empty Rock Climbing Club, Monkey sneaked into Jiang Zhishan's locker and triumphantly shredded all the "unpresentable" photos.
However, Jiang Zhishan walked in and angrily confronted him for being in her locker. Just then, Huo Zuyang, always on the lookout for juicy gossip, arrived. To avoid exposing the photo incident (and the underwear Monkey accidentally had in his hands), Monkey desperately pleaded with Jiang Zhishan to pretend to be his girlfriend, hastily claiming the underwear was a birthday gift for her.
Playing along, Jiang Zhishan dramatically thanked Monkey for the gift, specifically mentioning that it was "her size," and the two displayed an exaggerated affection. This seemed to convince Huo Zuyang that they were a normal couple, and he left without a story. After Huo Zuyang departed, Jiang Zhishan confronted Monkey about how he knew where the poker cards were.
Monkey admitted she had told him while drunk but feigned ignorance about anything else he might have done to her while she was intoxicated, frustrating Jiang Zhishan. Observing Han Yansheng and Jian Dan's mutual affection but their hesitation to confess, Jiang Zhishan, known for her straightforward nature, decided to play matchmaker. She shared her plan with Monkey, who enthusiastically agreed to help.
Earlier, Han Yansheng had finally confirmed with Monkey that the necklace was indeed intended for Jian Dan and that she was his long-lost pen pal, leading him to plan to confess when the time was right. Jiang Zhishan then asked Jian Dan to accompany her to a mixer, claiming she wanted to find a boyfriend.
Monkey, eager to set the plan in motion, then informed Han Yansheng that Jian Dan was going to the mixer to look for a boyfriend and that she had even made a pair of ceramic couple mugs for someone she liked. Hearing this, Han Yansheng immediately panicked, fearing Jian Dan would find another boyfriend and misunderstand his intentions with the necklace. He rushed to the mixer, pulling Jian Dan aside.
Jian Dan, who had actually made a ceramic cup for Han Yansheng (though it broke and was being repaired by Monkey for her), was upset by his sudden interference. She angrily questioned his right to control her actions, asking, "Who even are you to me?" Han Yansheng, looking directly at her, boldly declared, "You're my girlfriend. It is my business."
