Love in Time Episode 23 Recap
> Love in Time Recap
Su Jianan finished writing her script but felt no joy, finding the world gloomy without Lu Boyan by her side. She remembered his past declarations of love, such as taking her to his alma mater to confess his feelings, playfully keeping her from leaving on their wedding day, and staying by her side all night when she had a stomachache. These memories made her realize she had lost him by clinging to seemingly important things.
She resolved to win him back. Hesitantly, she considered calling Lu Boyan. At that moment, a news report on a nearby TV announced that Lu Boyan and Su Jianan were facing a marriage crisis. It showed Han Ruoxi, who had recently returned to Lu's Media, attending a diamond ring endorsement event with Lu Boyan. The media dubbed them a "Golden Couple," and on screen, Lu Boyan placed a ring on Han Ruoxi's finger, which was followed by her kissing him.
As the crowd cheered, Su Jianan's hand, poised to dial, froze. Su Jianan noticed that "OTE star" had been absent from her "Monster Alliance" fan group chat recently. She checked his profile and saw he had never missed a daily check-in. This sparked a memory: in school, when a magazine published her work, Lu Boyan had found it and mocked her pen name, "Little Monster," jokingly adding that if she was a "Monster," he must be "Altman."
Now, the name "OTE star" seemed to align with reality. She recalled how he had strongly opposed changing her book's title in their chat, and his cartoon "Altman" avatar matched a design Lu Boyan once wore. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down her face as she realized "OTE star" had been Lu Boyan all along, always by her side. Meanwhile, members of the film crew began to leave, and even Director Guo decided to depart.
Luo Xiaoxi heard rumors from staff that Lu Boyan had threatened to blacklist anyone who worked on the production. Su Jianan refused to believe Lu Boyan would do such a despicable thing, feeling he wouldn't stoop so low without a deep-seated hatred. Suspecting foul play, Su Jianan asked Luo Xiaoxi for help, theorizing that someone was deliberately smearing Lu Boyan.
As Director Guo was about to leave his hotel, he was intercepted by a minivan, blindfolded, and taken to Luo Xiaoxi's father. Under duress, Director Guo revealed the truth: Kang Ruicheng had orchestrated the rumors about Lu Boyan blacklisting the crew. Kang's plan was to approach Su Jianan in her most vulnerable state and offer to solve her crisis, hoping to earn her gratitude and eventually win her affection.
When Su Jianan learned of Kang Ruicheng's manipulation, she realized he had intentionally approached her, posing as a gentleman while plotting to break her and Lu Boyan apart. Ashamed that she had fallen for his scheme, her immediate priority became winning Lu Boyan back. She went to Lu Boyan's company but was denied entry by security, who explained that Lu Boyan had no available appointments for the coming week and would not see her.
While she struggled to find a way to meet him, Kang Ruicheng approached her, beaming, with good news: he had persuaded the main crew members to return, ensuring the film could start as planned. He expected her joy and gratitude, but Su Jianan only offered a brief thank you, her mind preoccupied with how to see Lu Boyan. That evening, in the "Monster Alliance" group, "OTE star" was removed as administrator and replaced by a new one, "Little Dragon God."
The new administrator announced that the film adaptation had been renamed "Fall in Love with You During the Contract Period" and would begin filming the next day. A fan trip to the set was planned to support "Little Monster." Immediately after, "OTE star" was removed from the group chat. At the movie's launch ceremony, Su Jianan was surrounded by media and fans. After the official Q&A, she publicly called out "OTE star," knowing he was in the crowd.
She then dialed Lu Boyan's number, and the ringing phone drew everyone's attention to him. Su Jianan walked towards him, confessing her deep love and admitting how much she needed him. She suggested they end their childish dispute and reconcile. Amidst the crowd's cheers, Su Jianan kissed Lu Boyan. Behind the stage, a defeated Han Ruoxi and Kang Ruicheng, holding flowers, left the event. Kang Ruicheng departed Taoran City, carrying his regrets and unrequited love for Su Jianan.
Han Ruoxi was heartbroken, realizing her efforts had only pushed Lu Boyan further away. Seeing her despair, Shen Yuechuan confronted her, pointing out that her obsession with Lu Boyan had blinded her to his own constant support. He reminded her that he had always been there, helping her from her days as a bullied extra to becoming a lead actress.
He urged her to release her obsession, promising to wait for the kind and optimistic Han Ruoxi to return and assuring her that she was not alone, as he would always be by her side.
