Love The Way You Are Episode 9 Recap
> Love The Way You Are Recap
The delicious scent of breakfast roused Eva, who, full of anticipation, discovered that all the dishes were bitter. Pouting, Eva complained, but then noticed Ruan Dongsheng seemed particularly sensitive to the bitter taste. He admitted that he had partially recovered his sense of taste, specifically for bitter flavors. Ruan Dongsheng recounted his doctor's explanation that his taste loss was due to an emotional mental disorder, suggesting that a recent emotional stimulus had triggered this recovery.
Eva eagerly asked what that stimulus was. Ruan Dongsheng leaned in, attempting to kiss her, only to be abruptly interrupted by Xiao Nan. Announcing that a cuisine magazine wanted to feature Eva for their Qi Xi Festival special issue, Xiao Nan promptly took her away. To Eva's surprise, upon arriving at the photoshoot, the male model for the Qi Xi special was Ruan Dongsheng.
During the shoot, Ruan Dongsheng repeatedly tried to act intimately with Eva, but Xiao Nan constantly intervened, breaking their close poses and attempted kisses. At one point, Ruan Dongsheng offered to make a kissing pose "real." Later, Ruan Dongsheng entered Eva's dressing room, claiming the makeup artist was busy and he wanted to dry her hair. Eva questioned his intentions, but Ruan Dongsheng explained he was following Manager Luo's advice to "provoke her heart" by being kind.
He reiterated that Eva was his "medicine," and her previous kiss was likely the cause of his taste recovery. As he once again tried to kiss her, Xiao Nan burst in, pulled Eva from the room, and then confronted Ruan Dongsheng privately, leaving Eva locked outside. Xiao Nan confronted Ruan Dongsheng about his inappropriate behavior. Ruan Dongsheng, however, threatened to cancel Yiren's upcoming meeting, implying he had arranged it for Xiao Nan.
Faced with this leverage, Xiao Nan immediately changed his demeanor, agreeing to give Ruan Dongsheng space with Eva but warning him to control his actions. Back in her room, Eva was preoccupied by Ruan Dongsheng's persistent attempts to kiss her. Ruan Dongsheng then knocked on her door, claiming his shower was broken and he needed to use her bathroom to prepare for a crucial meeting with a mysophobic client the next day. Eva reluctantly gave him half an hour.
He then made repeated demands, first for a towel, then for his bathrobe, which Eva begrudgingly supplied by throwing them into the bathroom. Ruan Dongsheng emerged from the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, making Eva uncomfortable. He stopped her from leaving, insisting she participate in another "kiss experiment" to see if it would restore his other tastes. Eva, realizing his deception, tried to refuse, citing the impropriety of a man and woman being alone late at night.
Ruan Dongsheng challenged her, suggesting her reluctance stemmed from her own improper thoughts. Frustrated, Eva gave him a quick, hesitant kiss, stating it was her "contribution to the experiment." Ruan Dongsheng then tasted some seasonings, confirming his taste had not fully returned, much to Eva's annoyance, as she realized she had been tricked. She threatened to call the police for harassment, but Ruan Dongsheng retorted that she had initiated the kiss, and he was the one who should report her.
He then tried to kiss her again, saying he would "take the lead this time," prompting Eva to call him crazy and flee. Eva secretly slipped out of the house and called Xiao Nan, expressing her distress over Ruan Dongsheng's "seductive" behavior and her desire to move out. Xiao Nan, however, surprisingly advised her to act like an adult and face challenges, even praising Ruan Dongsheng. Eva realized Ruan Dongsheng must have something on Xiao Nan.
Xiao Nan abruptly ended the call, revealing he had a date. It turned out Ruan Dongsheng had set up a "client meeting" for Xiao Nan, which was actually a date with Yiren. Xiao Nan attempted a romantic date on a merry-go-round, but Yiren insisted on the rollercoaster, leaving Xiao Nan nauseated and dizzy. Yiren even playfully threatened to call an ambulance for him. After Yiren departed, Xiao Nan decided to implement a "hero saves the beauty" plan.
He staged a fake mugging, but Yiren quickly removed her high heels and effortlessly subdued the "thief," who then desperately pleaded with Xiao Nan for help. Yiren immediately saw through the charade and was annoyed. Later, Xiao Nan accompanied Yiren home and offered to treat her foot, which she dismissed as fine. When a cat meowed, Yiren picked it up, expressing her lifelong desire to have a cat, which her parents had forbidden due to her studies.
She mused that she couldn't live as freely as Xiao Nan. Recognizing the cat as Xiao Nan's purebred ragdoll, she returned it to him, implying he was manipulating her. Xiao Nan then asked to add her on WeChat. Yiren remained silent, but later, in his car, Xiao Nan was thrilled to see she had accepted his request. Meanwhile, Ni Hao reported company revenue to Ruan Dongsheng, who was distracted by Eva's unresponsiveness and considered hiring silent bodyguards to protect her.
Just then, Eva arrived, holding a "Safe Distance Agreement." She outlined three strict rules: no entering her room after 8 PM, limited exposed skin in common areas, and no skinship or kissing outside of emergencies. Violation meant the offending party would move out. Eva insisted he sign or she would move out immediately. Ruan Dongsheng signed the duplicate copies and even gave a thumbprint as requested, much to Eva's embarrassment, as Ni Hao observed from the doorway.
Ni Hao assured Ruan Dongsheng he would keep the details secret, fearing the loss of his 50% pay raise. Later, Rebecca approached Eva, initially hostile but then offering a sincere apology, admitting that jealousy had made her behave badly and expressing admiration for Eva's potential. She hoped they could avoid being enemies. Eva then spoke with Xiao Nan, advising him not to trust Rebecca, as Rebecca was beginning to suspect her.
Xiao Nan revealed that the person who had broken into Eva's house was likely hired by Rebecca. Eva decided to turn the tables. During a modeling practice, Eva feigned illness and rushed off, with Rebecca following. Eva led Rebecca to a coffee shop where Xiao Nan and a "fat girl" were waiting.
Xiao Nan pretended to notice Rebecca and invited her to join them, introducing the "fat girl" as Eva's twin sister who lived abroad and was visiting to pick up her belongings. The "sister" then claimed that Ruan Dongsheng had had a crush on her since high school and considered her his fiancée. Eva then interjected, clarifying that Ruan Dongsheng was her "future brother-in-law" and they had been keeping it a secret.
When Rebecca voiced her suspicion about Ruan Dongsheng and Eva living together, Ruan Dongsheng arrived and clarified that they were merely roommates, not living as a couple. Ruan Dongsheng played along with the charade. Eva then seized the opportunity to inquire if Rebecca knew anything about her house being broken into and being attacked, implying Rebecca's involvement.
Rebecca, startled, denied knowledge and quickly left, but she later instructed her assistant, Secretary Yang, to investigate the "fat girl's" shoe size, which seemed inconsistent. After Rebecca left, Ruan Dongsheng told Eva to drop the act. He then lightheartedly asked to "borrow" Eva's "sister," his "fiancée Yuanyuan," for a date. The "sister" enthusiastically agreed, almost giving away the charade, prompting Xiao Nan to whisk her away.
Ruan Dongsheng then urged Eva to confront her past, but Eva insisted her past was too painful and meant to be forgotten, not faced. She firmly stated that she only trusted herself. As the episode concluded, Eva reflected on whether her behavior that morning had been too unreasonable, and Ruan Dongsheng knocked on her door.
