Memory of Encaustic Tile Episode 28 Recap
> Memory of Encaustic Tile Recap
Zheng Sunian returned and repainted a picture, which he brought to Luo Huaijin for his critique. Luo Huaijin noticed Shao Xue in the painting and immediately understood that Zheng Sunian and Shao Xue were now a couple. Luo Huaijin playfully teased them about young people's need for secrecy in their relationships but promised to keep their secret. He then asked Zheng Sunian if he truly intended to remain in the Wenxiu Yuan for the rest of his life.
Zheng Sunian replied that while his body might stay within that small square, his heart traveled far beyond its boundaries. Later, Shao Xue tried to tell her father about her relationship, but her mother, Yu Dongge, arrived home just as she was about to speak. Yu Dongge had been mediating a dispute at the Lin family, where Lin Shiyin’s parents were upset about her relationship with Wu Huan due to his family’s financial situation.
Yu Dongge and Shao Hua discussed how such relationships could complicate close family friendships if they didn't work out, citing examples of colleagues whose children broke up, leading to awkward interactions. Hearing this, Shao Xue decided it was best to keep her relationship with Zheng Sunian a secret from their parents for the time being. While Lin Shiyin was with Shao Xue, complaining about her parents' disapproval of Wu Huan, Zheng Sunian appeared.
Shao Xue immediately ran to embrace him, revealing their romantic relationship to Lin Shiyin. Lin Shiyin playfully expressed her shock and teased them about starting a relationship when they were so exhausted during the Guangxi trip and even sharing a room. Shao Xue admitted she initiated their first kiss. Lin Shiyin then decided to call Zhang Qi to share the news.
Zhang Qi, despite his hidden feelings for Shao Xue, congratulated them, jokingly saying he didn't call to avoid disturbing their "romantic time" and that he had plenty of admirers himself. Afterwards, Shao Xue asked Zheng Sunian to keep their relationship a secret from their parents for now, citing Lin Shiyin’s troubles as a reason and wanting to avoid making her university life difficult. Zheng Sunian agreed, promising to make it public when he was ready to marry her.
Zheng Sunian and Shao Xue embarked on a sweet, albeit secret, romance. They would sneak in moments together, even during classes, with Zheng Sunian playfully supervising Shao Xue’s studies. Their families, unaware of their secret, continued to interact normally. Yu Dongge noted how lucky Shao Xue and Zheng Sunian were to live so close, able to see each other daily. Soon, Zheng Sunian graduated, and his internship ended, marking his official start at the restoration institute.
The couple sweetly posed for his graduation photos, with Shao Xue looking forward to her own next chapter and job search. Mo Hai brought exciting news to Shao Xue: their past volunteer teaching experience had led to an unexpected opportunity for her. She had been invited for a second interview at the overseas headquarters of Huanyu Investment Corporation, a huge company she had initially only aimed to join at its domestic branch.
Mo Hai encouraged her, reminding her of her dream to explore the world. Shao Xue was conflicted, as this meant potentially working abroad permanently. She discussed it with her parents, with her mother worrying about her going overseas and her father being more supportive of the work experience. Just then, Wu Huan also arrived, and Yu Dongge invited him to stay for dinner. Shao Xue then cautiously informed Zheng Sunian about the two-week overseas interview.
Zheng Sunian was visibly upset, feeling it was too sudden and wondering why she hadn't told him earlier. Seeing his sadness, Shao Xue offered to give up the opportunity, but Zheng Sunian insisted she pursue her dreams, though he admitted he couldn't help but wish she would stay by his side. Shao Xue playfully chided him for being overly dramatic, then kissed him to cheer him up.
Zheng Sunian gave her a conch shell, telling her to blow on it whenever she missed him, and he would magically appear. Wu Huan informed Lin Shiyin that he might be going away for a six-month training program. Lin Shiyin was dismissive, questioning the need for a courier to attend such a long training and expressing that she would miss him.
Wu Huan, however, confronted her about the unequal dynamic in their relationship, pointing out that they rarely saw each other when she was busy enjoying university life, but he was expected to drop everything for her. He expressed his exhaustion from constantly tiptoeing around her. Lin Shiyin retorted that he used to treat her better and was no longer as accommodating.
Still angry, she gave him a gift card for his mother and warned him not to see her again until she was ready. One evening, as Zheng Sunian and Shao Xue were having a romantic moment in her room, they heard her father, Shao Hua, and Zheng Jin arrive home. They quickly hid and turned off the lights to avoid being discovered. While waiting for them to leave, they overheard Shao Hua and Zheng Jin discussing their children’s romantic lives.
Zheng Jin suggested it was time for Zheng Sunian to find a girlfriend, to which Shao Hua agreed but admitted Zheng Sunian was opinionated. Zheng Jin then asked about Shao Xue's romantic interests, mentioning her frequent references to a "senior" and speculating that he might be a good travel companion for her overseas, unaware he was talking about Mo Hai. After the adults left, Zheng Sunian questioned why they still had to hide their relationship after two years.
Shao Xue, still hesitant to reveal the truth about her job interview, claimed she feared her father might develop a "hostile" attitude towards his future son-in-law and suggested they wait until she returned from her trip abroad. Lin Shiyin visited Shao Xue at her university. Shao Xue, feeling broke after buying a plane ticket, confided that she was going for an interview with Huanyu Investment Corporation's overseas headquarters, not their Beijing branch.
Lin Shiyin was thrilled, urging her not to let this chance slip away and to prioritize her dreams over a man, drawing a parallel to her frustrations with Wu Huan, who had become less attentive. Meanwhile, Zheng Sunian, with Bai Yunsheng's help, looked at a new apartment, intending it to be their marital home.
Bai Yunsheng expressed envy that Zheng Sunian was marrying his first love but cautioned him to propose quickly, as women's priorities can shift significantly after graduation and entering the workforce. Bai Yunsheng also revealed that his girlfriend, Yunjin, decided not to move in with him. That evening, Shao Hua invited Zheng Sunian for dinner, informing him that Shao Xue wouldn't be joining them.
She had been called for an urgent, last-minute translation task for the Chinese Olympic Committee and had left a shirt for him in her room. Later, Zheng Sunian called Shao Xue, who explained she didn't know when she would finish work. He expressed his desire to see her, noting she would be gone for two weeks. Shao Xue promised to meet him once she was done, no matter how late.
Unable to wait, Lin Shiyin visited Wu Huan at his logistics company. She directly asked him to watch a movie after he finished work, but he reiterated his busy schedule. Wu Huan emphasized that his work was not merely a job but his career, a statement Lin Shiyin openly scoffed at, suggesting she could find him a "better" one next time. Feeling disrespected and ignored, Lin Shiyin, deeply frustrated, turned and left.
Later, Zheng Sunian waited for Shao Xue outside her home, playfully calling her "Red Riding Hood" and himself the "Big Bad Wolf." Shao Xue quickly got ready and joined him. She held up an old drawing from her childhood that Zheng Sunian had made for her, depicting various places he promised to take her.
She asked him which place he wanted to visit most, then reminisced about her past dream of studying abroad for the "Two Plus One program," which she hadn't passed. She tentatively asked if he would have supported her going abroad if she had passed it back then. Zheng Sunian replied that he would have supported it then, but now, he would not.
Shao Xue casually brushed off her question as mere curiosity, noting how late it was and that she still needed to pack for her upcoming trip. They then decided to head home.
