Love in Time Episode 8 Recap
> Love in Time Recap
Zhou Dajun secured a significant case and urged He Zhengyu to meet with a Mr. Wu. Although He Zhengyu wanted to focus on investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jirong, financial pressures compelled him to attend the meeting. Mr. Wu, who openly admitted to his philandering, sought to divorce his wife and leave her with nothing. He revealed that his girlfriend was three months pregnant and he no longer wanted custody of his two children.
A man of integrity, He Zhengyu immediately refused the case. He corrected Mr. Wu, stating that forcing a wife to leave with nothing is not legally valid and emphasized the social value of a woman's labor within the family. He Zhengyu pointed out that while Mr. Wu would retain his social status and resources post-divorce, his wife would face the immense challenge of re-entering society.
Calling Mr. Wu an "honest villain," he sarcastically praised him as a brilliant businessman who was "not a human." He concluded with a free suggestion: Mr. Wu should compensate his wife, pay child support, and use the saved legal fees to "get his brain checked." He Zhengyu later expressed his distaste for such clients and reflected that his interactions with Jialan were making him more humane.
He Zhengyu successfully located Chen Kexin's address, only to find his rival, Sun Defeng, already there. Sun Defeng claimed Chen Kexin was not present, leading He Zhengyu to deduce that she must be hiding a significant secret or was under duress, as Sun Defeng would not be searching for her otherwise. He resolved to find her before Sun Defeng could.
In a flashback to four months prior, Chen Kexin had proactively sought out He Zhengyu, reminding him they had met at Jiang Shenghao's wedding and asking him to send a lawyer's letter to someone who was harassing her. He Zhengyu coldly advised her to go to any law firm or simply call the police. Subsequently, Chen Kexin complained to Jialan for not giving her He Zhengyu's contact information and accused Jialan of liking He Zhengyu herself.
Declaring He Zhengyu a "rare quality resource," Chen Kexin expressed her determination. Jialan then proposed a deal: if Chen Kexin stopped pursuing Jiang Shenghao, Jialan would help her connect with He Zhengyu. Chen Kexin agreed, vowing she wouldn't care about "ten Jiang Shenghaos" if she succeeded with He Zhengyu, but would return to Jiang Shenghao if she failed. Later, Jialan found He Zhengyu searching for information on Chen Kexin, whose last social media update was two weeks prior.
Jialan playfully accused him of being distracted by a beauty. After he denied any interest, Jialan proposed a new plan to save Jirong: they should matchmake the 2021 He Zhengyu with Chen Kexin. Her logic was that if Chen Kexin had a new romantic target, she would stop bothering Jiang Shenghao, thereby saving his marriage to Jirong and, ultimately, Jirong's life. He Zhengyu initially scoffed at the idea, questioning Jialan's logic and feeling he was being sacrificed.
However, Jialan passionately argued they must try every method to save Jirong. He Zhengyu reluctantly agreed, though he doubted his younger self would be interested in Chen Kexin's type. To understand He Zhengyu's romantic preferences, Jialan conducted an informal "interview" during a time-space fusion. He revealed he had no favorite food, preferred the color blue, liked long-haired women around 1. 68m tall, and was drawn to independent personalities who could be a bit absent-minded but were serious about their work.
He also favored natural makeup. Jialan mentally noted the mismatch with Chen Kexin, appearing slightly relieved. In 2021, Chen Kexin's attempts to woo He Zhengyu were relentless. After a formal interview He Zhengyu gave regarding the Lanyou Technology case, Chen Kexin "coincidentally" appeared at a cafe he was at, ordering champagne and attempting to join him. He Zhengyu coldly rejected her, stating he had no feelings for her and demanding she not appear before him again.
Afterward, Chen Kexin complained to Jialan about his lack of romanticism, to which Jialan added that he was cold, sharp-tongued, and arrogant, before encouraging her not to give up, reminding her of their deal. Under Jialan's influence, Chen Kexin engineered numerous "accidental" encounters with the 2021 He Zhengyu. Her persistence escalated when she appeared at his law firm and loudly declared her feelings for him.
Furious, He Zhengyu confronted her, threatening to sue her for harassment and demanding to know who leaked his schedule. When Chen Kexin inadvertently implicated Jialan by defending her "good intentions," He Zhengyu's anger shifted. He later approached Jialan at the firm, but before he could confront her, Chen Kexin arrived and complained that Jialan still hadn't arranged the promised dinner with He Zhengyu. Caught, Jialan pledged to arrange it for the following night.
Meanwhile, the 2022 He Zhengyu had been investigating Chen Kexin's past, discovering social media posts of luxury items beyond her means and overlapping timelines in her past relationships, leading him to suspect her of relationship fraud. However, he lacked concrete evidence and a willing plaintiff. With no better immediate option, he agreed to Jialan's new plan: he, the 2022 He Zhengyu, would impersonate his 2021 self for a "date" with Chen Kexin at Jialan's home.
That evening, Chen Kexin arrived blindfolded at Jialan's apartment for the "surprise." He Zhengyu, having prepared a candlelight dinner, played the part of his past self, apologizing for his previous coldness and inviting her to "re-meet." He Zhengyu performed his role with surprising enthusiasm, causing Jialan to feel a pang of jealousy as she watched them. He even dismissed Jialan, telling her to leave them alone. Later, he informed Jialan that Chen Kexin had agreed to stop bothering Jiang Shenghao.
While relieved, Jialan was unsettled, wondering what "sacrifice" He Zhengyu had made. The next day, Chen Kexin visited Jialan at work with a gift, thanking her profusely for the introduction and affectionately referring to He Zhengyu by his first name. Troubled by this, Jialan began drinking heavily. During the time-space overlaps, she was plagued by visions of Chen Kexin and He Zhengyu flirting. As she drank herself into a stupor, the annoying 2021 version of He Zhengyu briefly appeared.
At 10:06 PM, the 2022 He Zhengyu found a drunken Jialan amidst a mess. When he scolded her, she belligerently complained that she didn't want to see him and Chen Kexin in a relationship during their fusions.
