Love's Ambition Episode 27 Recap
> Love's Ambition Recap
Shen Haoming appeared visibly shaken after Xu Yan's recent questioning. When his assistant, Chen Lin, complimented him, calling him kind, wise, open-minded, visionary, magnanimous, and calm in crisis, Shen Haoming felt a surge of pleasure. Chen Lin then suggested a trip to Gubei Town to relax with Shen Haochen, highlighting the town's beautiful scenery and its connection to Jinda Group's cultural tourism projects.
Upon hearing about the local folk festival, complete with a food street, handicrafts, and botanical dyeing workshops, Shen Haoming immediately decided to put aside his work and head to Gubei Town, instructing Chen Lin to handle company affairs. Meanwhile, Xu Yan’s assistant presented a paid promotion plan, which Xu Yan approved. Shortly after, Qiao Lin reminded Xu Yan about her upcoming visit to Gubei Town, which Xu Yan had forgotten due to her demanding schedule.
Qiao Lin urged her to take a break, emphasizing that the field trip was also an opportunity for a vacation. Xu Yan agreed to go once a new episode of content was successfully launched, leaving company matters in Qiao Lin’s capable hands. Upon her arrival in Gubei Town, Xu Yan was warmly greeted by Mr. Zhang, who had been eagerly awaiting her.
He spoke of the town's beauty, noting its unique blend of northern architectural styles and the delicate elegance of Jiangnan water towns. He also showcased the town's recent developments, including a new canteen, tourist center, organic vegetable farms, and dyeing workshops, all of which had enhanced the local quality of life. During her tour, Xu Yan met the friendly owner of the Sky Lounge, who offered her a discount.
She then spotted Shen Haoming chatting with an old man named Wu, who ran a kite shop. Haoming told Wu he was going to learn botanical dyeing, prompting Wu to praise Haoming's previous kite-making skills. Later, Hua, the guesthouse manager, provided Xu Yan with an electric scooter to explore the town, noticing Xu Yan's momentary surprise when she saw Haoming nearby.
In the botanical dyeing class, the teacher explained the history of the craft, detailing how ancestors extracted colors from nature, as recorded in "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature." Shen Haoming arrived late but impressed the teacher with his knowledge, having already attended a few days of classes. When asked to pair up, Shen Haoming promptly invited Xu Yan to be his partner.
He also demonstrated his profound interest in ancient texts by referencing "Record of Heretofore Lost Works" to request dyeing a piece "crimson-purple." As they worked together, Shen Haoming gently assisted Xu Yan, and the teacher explained how sappanwood, a red dye, could be transformed into a unique crimson-purple with the addition of alkaline. Their collaborative effort earned praise for their beautiful purple dye. That evening, Xu Yan confronted Shen Haoming, accusing him of following her to Gubei Town.
Shen Haoming insisted it was a coincidence, stating he had been there for days without knowing she would arrive. Unconvinced, Xu Yan called Qiao Lin, venting her frustration. Qiao Lin, however, suggested that Shen Haoming’s persistence was admirable if one liked him, but if one found him annoying, it could be seen as "clingy and shameless."
Xu Yan felt the description was too harsh, expressing her confusion over Shen Haoming's intentions, especially since "every time something happens between us, there's a conflict of interest." Qiao Lin, however, believed Xu Yan was simply refusing to acknowledge her true feelings. The next day, Xu Yan was distracted in class, struggling to answer questions about Chinese Indigo.
Later, while inquiring at the kite shop about an agave-shaped kite, she learned it was custom-made by "Xiao Shen," Mr. Shen Haoming of Jinda Group. The shop owner revealed that Jinda Group had funded many of Gubei Town's developments. He recounted how Haoming, initially thought to be a tourist, was actually "acting," quickly mastering kite-making before moving on to the botanical dyeing workshops. Xu Yan bought an agave kite and ordered another custom one.
Meanwhile, Chen Lin asked Shen Haoming if his purpose in Gubei Town was Xu Yan or botanical dyeing. Haoming admitted he was studying the craft because Xu Yan had expressed interest in a botanical dyeing series, hoping to find common ground with her and uncover answers to questions she had posed. He also confessed that he had moved out of the guesthouse to avoid upsetting her, as she had asked him to stay out of her sight.
Chen Lin praised his dedication, but Haoming was reminded of a play rehearsal he had with Mr. Zhang. At the town square, Xu Yan watched Shen Haoming perform as Chen Shimei. On stage, Shen Haoming cleverly suggested a modern adaptation where Chen Shimei would pursue his wife, Qin Xianglian, a proposal enthusiastically endorsed by Mr. Zhang and the others. Xu Yan privately commented that he "really loves acting."
Spotting Xu Yan in the audience, Shen Haoming abruptly left the stage, claiming he had an urgent matter and didn't want to be in her presence. Xu Yan followed him on her electric scooter, demanding to know why he was avoiding her. He reiterated that he was trying not to upset her.
When she challenged him to leave Gubei Town entirely, he explained he was there to learn botanical dyeing, hoping it would lead to shared interests and answers to their unresolved issues. Xu Yan, though still guarded, told him to "stop shunning me" and allowed him to remain her "classmate," with the only condition being "just don't be late."
During their continued dyeing classes, Xu Yan and Shen Haoming learned about Zhaxie and Jiaxie at an exhibition, with Xu Yan finding botanical dyeing "calming and soothing." They then saw a photograph of an exquisite batik piece, which Xu Yan admired greatly. The teacher explained it was the work of a local master craftsman, Master Chu, who had brought techniques from Miao villages.
However, Master Chu had stopped making batik three years prior, becoming reclusive and even asking for his works to be taken down. Shen Haoming, who knew Master Chu from Jinda Group's previous welfare initiatives in the town, offered to accompany Xu Yan to visit him. At Master Chu's home, Xu Yan, after introductions, directly requested authorization to use his batik patterns for Yan Studio's new collection.
Master Chu vehemently refused, asserting he had quit and would rather let his works "rot at home." After their polite departure, Xu Yan felt she had been too abrupt, but Shen Haoming pointed out that Master Chu still kept indigo plants in his backyard, indicating his continued connection to the craft. They then consulted a local acquaintance, who revealed that Master Chu had divorced his wife three years ago.
The acquaintance explained that while Master Chu was skilled in drawing, his wife, a Miao woman from Guizhou, was exceptional at indigo dyeing. Their marriage, initially romantic, dissolved due to differing views on progress and ambition. Xu Yan vehemently disagreed with the "creative block" excuse, arguing that the true tragedy wasn't the lost craft, but their relationship itself. She believed Master Chu's refusal to engage in batik was a way of holding onto his resentment against his ex-wife.
Back in Jingzhou, Qiao Lin fell ill with a high fever. Lin Tao rushed her to the hospital, and finding her phone left at the office, he went to retrieve it. He answered a call from Yu Yiming, explaining Qiao Lin's condition and reassuring him that his presence was purely as a "fellow townsfolk and coworker," dispelling any potential misunderstanding. Yu Yiming thanked Lin Tao and urged him to take care of Qiao Lin.
Back in Gubei Town, Shen Haoming and Xu Yan returned to Master Chu's house, attempting to convince him to resume his craft. Shen Haoming argued that art should be shared and that new technologies could aid, not replace, human creativity. Master Chu, however, remained steadfast in his refusal to change, dismissing modern methods as "nonsense" and reiterating his lack of inspiration.
Xu Yan confronted him, suggesting he wasn't resisting batik but "avoiding his true self," and that without his wife's unique color-mixing skills, he would never find "that perfect shade of blue" again. Master Chu, once again angered, insisted he had lost inspiration and demanded they leave. Outside, Xu Yan mused that Master Chu knew the blue hue "was" his wife but refused to admit it.
She concluded that his struggles with dyeing and inspiration were mere symptoms; "deep down, he hasn't let go of her." Shen Haoming agreed, reflecting that "you can't wake someone pretending to sleep," and admitted he now understood Master Chu better, seeing similarities to his own past "extremely self-centered and controlling" self. He likened it to cultivating agave, where one must constantly intervene rather than let it grow naturally.
He speculated that Master Chu's divorce stemmed from his fear of change and his desire to control those around him, rather than his wife’s perceived disdain for his lack of ambition. When Xu Yan asked if he had "cured his need for control," Shen Haoming replied, "Still working on it."
As they walked by a bridge, Shen Haoming remarked on how often they had crossed it without appreciating its beauty from afar, musing that rushing through life often means missing the scenery. He then shared a poignant memory of his first visit to Gubei Town when Haochen was four, revealing he had brought Haochen there to escape kindergarten, making it Haochen’s "personal paradise" where he could be a normal, mischievous child.
Xu Yan playfully remarked that Haochen's mischief was "half your fault," but then reassured him that he had been a good brother, and Haochen clearly adored and relied on him. Shen Haoming shared a tender memory of Haochen's first hug and kiss after eating two scoops of ice cream and asking him to keep it a secret. He explained that Gubei Town was also his "personal paradise," a place of simplicity and peace that calms him during difficult times.
He confessed that his continued support for the town, including renovating facilities under Jinda's name, was not for profit but out of a genuine desire for the place to thrive. Their conversation ended with Shen Haoming teaching Xu Yan how to skip stones across the water, noting her "natural talent," as their relationship subtly grew closer.
