Love in Time Episode 20 Recap
> Love in Time Recap
Jiang Shaokai confessed to Luo Xiaoxi that he had forgotten to buy her a couple ring, despite their long time together. Luo Xiaoxi playfully acknowledged his conscience, then insisted on a big ring. As they picked one, Luo Xiaoxi’s former fiancé, Qin Wei, suddenly appeared with his people, along with Luo Xiaoxi's father, who appeared bruised and annoyed, blaming himself for failing to persuade them to break off the engagement and having seemingly been severely beaten.
Qin Wei confronted Luo Xiaoxi, accusing her of insulting his family by attempting to break off their engagement. He gave Jiang Shaokai a stark choice: be with Luo Xiaoxi or offend the Qin family. Jiang Shaokai, with tears in his eyes, firmly declared his sincere love for Luo Xiaoxi and his refusal to give her up, no matter the consequences.
He felt a sudden pain in his stomach, anticipating the worst, and began to make a final confession to Luo Xiaoxi as he stumbled, only to realize he was completely unharmed. Luo Xiaoxi then revealed that it was all a test orchestrated by her father, and the menacing individuals were merely her father’s employees. Jiang Shaokai was surprised to learn that Luo Xiaoxi’s family was in the "serious jewelry business."
Following the success of Su Jianan’s novel, which had over a million pre-orders, a celebration was held. During the event, Lu Boyan thanked Luo Xiaoxi and Jiang Shaokai for taking care of Su Jianan when she was on a film crew. Jiang Shaokai dismissed his thanks, stating their shared hardships were far greater than Lu Boyan knew, and Luo Xiaoxi agreed.
Lu Boyan then extended a sincere invitation to Luo Xiaoxi to join Lu’s Media, explaining that Han Ruoxi had left the company and they needed a new benchmark. Luo Xiaoxi initially hesitated, worried people would accuse her of relying on Su Jianan’s connection, but Lu Boyan assured her he only invests in promising talent and believed she would become a great actress.
Convinced, Luo Xiaoxi accepted the offer and was introduced to Jiao Jie, her new manager, who promised Luo Xiaoxi’s "good days" were beginning. Luo Xiaoxi’s training began with Teacher Zhang, who noted her good foundation and set her positioning as a "vigorous girl." However, Luo Xiaoxi struggled with the precise eight-tooth smile, finding it unnatural and describing her face as feeling "practiced."
Jiao Jie instructed her to master everything from smiling to standing, sitting, and walking, promising daily checks on her progress, to which Luo Xiaoxi responded with a positive attitude. Du President approached Su Jianan, appearing uncharacteristically hesitant, and asked her to intercede with Lu Boyan on behalf of Chen Xuanxuan, requesting that she be given one last chance to return to the Taoran Literature Society.
Su Jianan found his request suspicious and subtly questioned if his feelings for Chen Xuanxuan were "unusual," which Du President quickly denied. When Chen Xuanxuan later returned, Du President, in a complete shift from his earlier demeanor, sternly rebuked her. He accused her of self-destruction by slandering Su Jianan and abandoning her work, saying her present apologies were "too late."
Tearfully, Chen Xuanxuan admitted her jealousy had made her betray her professional ethics as an author and that she felt unworthy of working for the Literature Network. She apologized to Su Jianan and expressed willingness to accept punishment. Su Jianan intervened, stopping Chen Xuanxuan from leaving and asserting that while mistakes happen, correcting them is good. She reminded Du President of Chen Xuanxuan’s past contributions to the Literature Network and urged him to be magnanimous and forgive her.
Influenced by Su Jianan’s compassionate plea, Du President agreed to give Chen Xuanxuan another chance, warning her to work diligently and avoid further trouble. Chen Xuanxuan, relieved and grateful, profusely thanked both Su Jianan and Du President, promising to work hard. Lu Boyan, contemplating their relationship, considered planning another grand wedding for himself and Su Jianan.
However, his thoughts were interrupted when Su Jianan received a call informing her that a film and television company owner wanted to discuss adapting her novel. Su Jianan excitedly shared the news with Lu Boyan, unaware of his earlier thoughts about the wedding. She soon began a series of meetings with various companies interested in her popular novel.
While Du President eagerly encouraged her to embrace the opportunities, Su Jianan found that many prospective partners seemed more interested in her popularity or the novel’s fan base than in the intrinsic value of her work. She politely declined their offers, explaining that adapting a novel into a film required extensive re-creation and a suitable production team to truly honor the original and respect her readers. She stressed the need for a rigorous approach.
Meanwhile, Lu Boyan observed Su Jianan’s growing exhaustion from these meetings. He initially considered asking Du President to reduce her workload to make time for their wedding plans, but seeing her fatigue, he decided to postpone the wedding indefinitely. When Su Jianan returned home, she confessed her worries to Lu Boyan: while she desired to see her novel on the big screen, she feared unreliable companies would either shelve it or adapt it poorly, disappointing her readers.
Lu Boyan offered to handle everything for her, but Su Jianan insisted on resolving the issue herself, wanting to prove her own capabilities rather than relying solely on his influence. Lu Boyan, though concerned for her, ultimately respected her decision. The premiere of the movie "When Time Is Stagnant" arrived.
Kang Ruicheng, having ensured post-production and release dates were set, personally invited Lu Boyan and Su Jianan to the event, expressing a desire for Su Jianan to see her work on screen. Su Jianan, excited for her first film as a screenwriter, convinced Lu Boyan to attend, who agreed, prioritizing her happiness. At the premiere, lead actress Han Ruoxi publicly praised Su Jianan’s talent, crediting her for enriching the character through significant adjustments.
Kang Ruicheng echoed the sentiment, calling Su Jianan the project’s "luck." When reporters inquired about future collaborations, given the film’s success and Su Jianan’s popular new novel, Kang Ruicheng stated it would be his honor to adapt her work. When the same question was directed at Lu Boyan, he kissed Su Jianan, affirming his full support and encouragement for his wife’s career, stating that her happiness was paramount.
News reports highlighted Lu Boyan’s public display of affection and the immense interest from various investment and production companies in Su Jianan’s new work, buoyed by the endorsement of Lu Boyan and Lu Group. Following the success of "When Time Is Stagnant," Luo Xiaoxi also experienced a surge in her online popularity, though Jiao Jie quickly reminded her to stay focused on training and not compare herself to Han Ruoxi’s greater fame.
Meanwhile, Su Jianan continued to meet with prospective partners for her novel’s adaptation. Many approached her primarily because she was Lu Boyan’s wife, offering uninspired ideas, such as changing characters to fit generic archetypes, or stating that her connection to Lu Boyan would guarantee success. She politely but firmly rejected these offers, concerned about the integrity of her work. Lu Boyan’s assistant also confirmed that all companies initially interested were unreliable.
Lu Boyan then reiterated his offer to invest and build a team for her, ensuring she had full control. However, Su Jianan, touched but resolute, insisted on achieving this milestone through her own efforts, not through his influence, stressing the importance of his respect for her autonomy. One day, Kang Ruicheng’s company proactively presented a proposal. Su Jianan was surprised, but Kang Ruicheng explained they waited to approach her officially to avoid causing any unnecessary complications with Lu Boyan.
Kang Ruicheng’s proposal was thorough and deeply respected the original novel, suggesting Su Jianan herself serve as creative producer and chief screenwriter, while his company handled production and investment. Su Jianan was immensely impressed and readily agreed to the collaboration, finding Kang Ruicheng’s plan exceeded her expectations. Later, as Lu Boyan waited for Su Jianan outside the Taoran Literature Society, she excitedly shared the good news.
However, upon hearing that her new partner was Kang Ruicheng’s company, Lu Boyan’s expression darkened. He questioned why she hadn’t discussed it with him, reminding her of their past conflicts related to Kang Ruicheng. Lu Boyan argued that such a collaboration would inevitably lead to them spending a lot of time together, implying ulterior motives from Kang Ruicheng and declaring he could not be "magnanimous" about it.
Su Jianan retorted that their relationship was strictly professional, based on shared artistic views, not a complicated personal affair, and accused him of being "stingy" and distrustful. The argument escalated, with Lu Boyan accusing Kang Ruicheng of having "ulterior motives" and demanding Su Jianan stay home, which she defiantly refused, insisting she had work to do. The tension between them escalated, pushing their relationship towards another cold war.
