Love in Time Episode 17 Recap
> Love in Time Recap
In 2022, amidst a severe storm, He Zhengyu arrived at a hospital, but Jialan was nowhere to be seen. A nurse approached him, handing over a blank sheet of paper and explaining that a lady had asked her to deliver it. He Zhengyu, puzzled, asked if the woman left a message, but the nurse confirmed there was none.
Back in 2021, Jiang Shenghao was about to leave his home to bring clothes to his wife, Jirong, who had just undergone surgery for acute appendicitis. He paused when he found Jialan looking distressed. Staying behind, he correctly speculated her sadness was about He Zhengyu. Jialan, initially denying it, eventually broke down, admitting her heartbreak. She confessed that despite not wanting He Zhengyu to leave, she felt compelled to push him away.
Jiang Shenghao, whom Jialan affectionately calls "Haozi" (Rat), comforted her, emphasizing that relationships are a matter of willingness, not obligation. He then reminded her that he had arranged for breakfast to be prepared for her before he left to see Jirong. The next morning, Jialan felt unwell, suffering from a fever after crying all night and getting caught in the rain.
A housemaid reminded her to eat the breakfast Jiang Shenghao had arranged, but Jialan was too sick and drifted back to sleep. At work, Mu Shiming grew concerned by Jialan's unusual absence and, unable to reach her, called He Zhengyu to ask about her. That evening, He Zhengyu arrived at Jialan's home, calling out to her. He let himself in, bringing medicine and porridge, and noted how haggard she looked.
He explained that he knew she was sick because Mu Shiming had called him from four months in the future, informing him of her absence. He then presented her with the blank paper she had left for him, reinterpreting it not as a sign of "no future," but as representing "infinite possibilities" for them. He playfully insisted she owed him countless hand-holds, hugs, and kisses.
Their intimate moment was interrupted by the arrival of a drunk Jiang Shenghao, escorted home by his brother-in-law, Wu Anwen. After Wu Anwen left, Jialan was disappointed to find He Zhengyu had vanished, only for him to reappear moments later. This He Zhengyu, the version from 2022, declared that they were inseparable and that he would visit her in 2021 every day, even if she didn't seek him out in 2022.
They shared a tender kiss, and he warned that if he stayed too long, he would be forcibly "bounced back" to his room in 2022. Meanwhile, Wu Anwen had seen the silhouette of a couple kissing on the curtain and, assuming it was Jiang Shenghao with another woman, went upstairs to investigate. He mistakenly entered Jialan's room and found her alone before checking on Jiang Shenghao, who was passed out in his own room.
Suspicious, Wu Anwen later met with a lawyer, Sun Defeng, proposing they "join hands against He Zhengyu." He accused He Zhengyu of conspiring with Jiang Shenghao to undermine Jirong and seize control of their law firm, describing him as greedy and manipulative. Sun Defeng, however, stated that He Zhengyu had a clean record and he had no leverage against him. Later, Jialan moved to a new house with Jiang Shenghao's help.
She gave him a polite, friendly hug to thank him, which was secretly photographed by paparazzi. The photographers planned to frame the picture as a scandalous affair. Afterward, He Zhengyu and Jialan spent a joyful evening together, playing a "synchronicity test" game to prove their bond, correctly guessing each other's admirable qualities like "smart" and "brave." The next day, Jialan bought flowers to visit Jirong in the hospital.
The paparazzi followed her, misinterpreting her stated purpose of visiting a "female friend" as "the mistress goes to see the wife." At the hospital, after Jirong expressed her happiness that Jialan and He Zhengyu had reconciled, Jialan was horrified to see a news headline on a phone: "A-lister's husband passionately kisses mistress while she is sick." Jialan quickly explained to Jirong that the man in the photo was He Zhengyu, not Jiang Shenghao, and that the story was fabricated.
Just then, Wu Anwen entered and furiously accused Jialan of setting Jiang Shenghao up and leaking the story. Jirong, trying to mediate, called He Zhengyu, who denied having been with Jialan the previous night. Believing He Zhengyu, Wu Anwen proposed they check the residential CCTV footage to prove He Zhengyu was never there. After the call, 2022 He Zhengyu realized the gravity of the situation upon seeing the news.
Concurrently, 2021 Jialan found 2021 He Zhengyu, desperately asking him to help clear Jiang Shenghao's name by admitting he was the man in the photo. He Zhengyu initially refused, arguing that public opinion would just see it as the wealthy Jiang family using him as a scapegoat. Jialan pleaded, explaining that she and his future self had already tried to alter fate—they prevented Jiang Shenghao's original affair, only for the scandal to shift onto her.
She warned that if they failed, Jirong would still divorce Jiang Shenghao and his future self would remain in a coma. Though He Zhengyu initially stated their relationship wasn't strong enough for such a burden, Jialan's desperate plea and the realization that Jirong's life was at stake moved him. After she left, he considered her words and decided to help, motivated by his desire to prevent Jirong's death.
Meanwhile, Jialan's editor, Ms. Wen, called to warn her away from the office, which was swarmed by media and Jirong's fans, vowing to sue the rumor-mongers. In the hospital room, Jiang Shenghao vehemently denied the affair, insisting the man in the photo was He Zhengyu. Wu Anwen countered, stating that He Zhengyu had already denied being there and falsely claimed that Jialan herself had confessed.
