Love is Sweet Episode 18 Recap
> Love is Sweet Recap
Su Chang's girlfriend, Xinxin, eager to learn more about Jiang Jun, arrived at Jiang Jun's apartment early one morning with gifts. To her surprise, she encountered Yuan Shuai emerging from Jiang Jun's bathroom. To keep Su Chang's earlier lie about his living situation from being exposed, Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai had no choice but to pretend to be a couple. Later, Xinxin recounted her morning's discovery to Su Chang at a convenience store.
Su Chang quickly concocted a new lie, claiming Jiang Jun was the daughter of their top boss who had been parachuted into her position, and that Yuan Shuai was merely Jiang Jun's "kept man." Although Xinxin remained skeptical, Su Chang repeatedly warned her to stay away from them. Meanwhile, Xu Li, passing by, overheard their conversation. She dismissed the notion that they were discussing Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai, reasoning that the mentioned job titles didn't match.
Soon after, Xu Li invited Jiang Jun to the official opening of the West World office that night. Separately, Du Lei, bored at home and constantly receiving calls from his sister Linda, initially ignored his phone. However, when Li Xiaochuan called to invite him to the West World opening, Du Lei, after some thought, accepted. Xu Li texted Jiang Jun, stating she was coming to her apartment.
Remembering Yuan Shuai was still there, Jiang Jun quickly called him, urging him to hide to avoid being discovered. Jiang Jun rushed home and tried to conceal any evidence of Yuan Shuai's presence, such as his slippers. She attempted to deflect Xu Li's questions by claiming the men's slippers were a deterrent for delivery personnel and a suit jacket was a new personal fashion choice.
However, Xu Li's keen eye found more clues, including a dog bowl and Yuan Shuai's underwear. Under persistent questioning, Jiang Jun was forced to reveal that Yuan Shuai was staying there to help a colleague cover up a lie to his girlfriend. Xu Li's "novel-like imagination" immediately jumped to more intimate scenarios, pressing Jiang Jun about whether "strange things" had occurred between them.
Jiang Jun vehemently denied it, using Li Xiaochuan as an excuse to redirect Xu Li's attention and narrowly escaping further interrogation. Despite the close call, Jiang Jun couldn't help but smile, recalling Yuan Shuai's whispered words to her the previous night. That evening, Du Lei arrived at the West World office where Xu Li blindfolded him as part of a surprise party to celebrate the office opening. Inside, everyone cheered for the new workspace.
Li Xiaochuan gave Du Lei a tour, showcasing the office areas and a cozy tea break spot, emphasizing that Du Lei, as an investor, was welcome anytime. They discussed plans for an upcoming offline dating event, with Xu Li advocating for a romantic setting, differing from Xiaochuan's preference for an outdoor adventure. Jiang Jun agreed with Xu Li's proposal. The group then raised a toast and took a commemorative photo.
Afterward, Xu Li and Li Xiaochuan left to buy more food, leaving Du Lei and Jiang Jun alone. Meanwhile, a frustrated Yuan Shuai, still at home, texted Jiang Jun, asking when she would return from her "inefficient overtime." Learning she was at the West World opening, he messaged Li Xiaochuan for the office address, but Xiaochuan refused to share it, leaving Yuan Shuai feeling "left out."
Back at the office, Du Lei received a phone call from a delivery service, informing him that his sister Linda had ordered a birthday cake and gifts for him, which couldn't be delivered as he wasn't home. Overhearing the call, Jiang Jun realized it was Du Lei's birthday. Inspired, she decided to use the West World celebration cake to celebrate his birthday instead.
Despite his initial low spirits and reluctance to publicize his birthday, mentioning Linda as his "nominal sister" from the Du family, Du Lei brightened under Jiang Jun's sincere wishes. As he began to confide something to her, Jiang Jun's phone continuously vibrated with messages from Yuan Shuai, who was feigning wound pain to rush her home. Apologizing, Jiang Jun quickly departed, leaving a disheartened Du Lei alone by the cake.
Concurrently, Linda lay on a therapist's couch, expressing her recent insomnia and the hurtful words Du Lei had directed at her. The therapist deduced that Linda's strong desire for control inadvertently influenced her actions towards Du Lei, making him feel as though she was no different from others who sought to manipulate his life. Linda pondered these insights. Jiang Jun hurried home to find Yuan Shuai playing games, seemingly fine despite his earlier texts.
When she tried to coax him, he went out onto the balcony for some fresh air, only to witness Su Chang and Xinxin in an affectionate embrace. Enraged, Yuan Shuai nearly exposed the truth, but Jiang Jun quickly intervened, pulling him inside and helping him maintain the charade, confirming to Xinxin that they enjoyed "bossy boss cosplay." Jiang Jun then went to retrieve Yuan Shuai's coat from the closet.
As she reached for it, Yuan Shuai rushed in, worried she might discover a secret hidden there. In his haste, he accidentally pulled Jiang Jun into his arms, their lips meeting in an unexpected kiss. The accidental kiss left Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai in an awkward silence during dinner. They avoided eye contact, yet couldn't help but glance at each other's lips. To hide their awkwardness, they ate in silence.
When Yuan Shuai finally brought up the incident, Jiang Jun became visibly nervous and quickly excused herself to her room. Yuan Shuai, however, seemed quite pleased by her reaction. The next day at the office, Yuan Shuai was reviewing new employees' reports. Jiang Jun, however, was lost in her own thoughts, replaying the kiss. She became fixated on people's lips, even attempting an "octopus mouth dance" as a distraction when Yuan Shuai caught her daydreaming.
She admitted to herself that she felt like she had "lip-phobia." Later, Li Xiaochuan presented an update on West World's beta test progress to Du Lei. To improve user experience, they planned an offline dating event, offering free accommodation. Xu Li excitedly proposed the venue be an aquarium, a magical spot for many romantic dramas.
She outlined plans to arrange matched couples at different locations based on their compatibility scores, keeping their identities anonymous, with a special focus on the single 100% matched pair. Xu Li then invited Du Lei and Jiang Jun to assist at the event. Du Lei, who had initially hesitated, immediately agreed upon hearing that Jiang Jun would also be attending.
Back home, Yuan Shuai presented Jiang Jun with toy lips, and they engaged in a lighthearted tongue twister game, playfully helping her overcome her "lip phobia." Their phones then chimed with notifications from West World about the upcoming offline dating event at the aquarium. Although Yuan Shuai initially dismissed the idea of attending, his mind quickly changed when he learned that Du Lei would also be there.
