Love in Time Episode 16 Recap
> Love in Time Recap
In 2021, Jialan prepares to leave Jirong’s home, expressing gratitude for her stay. When Jirong questions her about He Zhengyu, Jialan insists they had a peaceful breakup and will not reconcile. Meanwhile, He Zhengyu and his colleague discuss their rival, Sun Defeng, who tried to frame him. He Zhengyu remains calm, stating that since they know Sun Defeng’s tactics, they should adopt a wait-and-see approach to avoid unintended consequences.
Later, Wu Anwen invites He Zhengyu to lunch, where he brings up the marriage agreement He Zhengyu drafted for Jiang Shenghao. Wu Anwen probes for details about the infidelity clause, which stipulates that a cheating spouse must leave with nothing. He Zhengyu confirms the clause applies to both parties and that evidence can be legally obtained, but advises Wu Anwen to offer blessings to the newlyweds. Wu Anwen’s pointed questions make He Zhengyu suspicious, and he decides to follow him.
At her workplace, Jialan is praised by her superior, Liu. Afterward, she spots Chen Kexin and, suspecting she is still colluding with Wu Anwen, decides to follow her. Her suspicions are confirmed when Wu Anwen and Chen Kexin meet. He Zhengyu, who was also tailing Wu Anwen, has his cover blown and confronts the pair. Chen Kexin quickly claims she and Wu Anwen are in a relationship, putting He Zhengyu on the defensive.
Just as Wu Anwen questions He Zhengyu for following him, Jialan appears, improvising that He Zhengyu was waiting for her on a date. To make their act more convincing, Jialan suggests to Wu Anwen and Chen Kexin that the four of them should go to the hot springs together sometime. After Wu Anwen and Chen Kexin depart, Jialan explains she followed Chen Kexin because she anticipated Wu Anwen would scheme against Jiang Shenghao.
She reveals she took a photo of the pair together to send to Jirong, thereby neutralizing any future accusations from Wu Anwen. The conversation then turns to her breakup with the 2022 He Zhengyu. She tells the 2021 He Zhengyu that she ended things because she learned of her grim fate and felt she had no future to offer. He argues that people in love should face adversity together.
When Jialan asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend to keep up appearances for their friends, he refuses, telling her to ask his 2022 counterpart to play the part. Following a time-fusion event, the 2022 He Zhengyu's memory updates. He messages his 2021 self to locate Jialan. The 2021 He Zhengyu then deliberately stalls Jialan, allowing his future self to intercept her. The 2022 He Zhengyu pleads for another chance to change their fate, and a hesitant Jialan agrees.
He takes her to the hospital where her 2022 self is in a coma, explaining that her physical proximity causes fluctuations on the ECG monitor. They test this theory: as Jialan approaches the bed, the monitor spikes, but she retreats in fear of causing a time-space collapse, and the readings normalize. Though the attempt fails, He Zhengyu vows not to give up.
Later, a worried Jialan travels to 2022 to check on the hospitalized version of herself, finding He Zhengyu absent and his phone off. She calls Jirong for his address. Back in 2021, Jialan goes to He Zhengyu's apartment to ask about his future self's whereabouts, but the 2021 He Zhengyu is dismissive. In another 2021 scene, Wu Anwen and Chen Kexin have dinner with Jirong and Jiang Shenghao, who sincerely offer their blessings, solidifying the fake relationship.
Afterward, Chen Kexin demands payment from Wu Anwen, who claims he is broke. In 2022, He Zhengyu finally appears, surprising Jialan. He explains he was on a business trip, taking extra cases to pay for her medical expenses, believing it is his responsibility, not Mu Shiming's. Jialan chastises him for acting unilaterally. He Zhengyu retorts that since she unilaterally ended their relationship, he can unilaterally decide to pay her bills.
He then leads her into a new home he has prepared as a surprise. It is filled with paintings he created, depicting their shared future: her recovery, their dates, a wedding in Santorini, the birth of their child, and growing old together. Deeply moved, Jialan calls it a fairy tale. He Zhengyu challenges her to paint her own version of the future if she doesn't believe in his, leaving her to ponder if a future together is truly possible.
