Mysterious Love Episode 1 Recap
> Mysterious Love Recap
Ruan Nianchu, a spirited stage actress, wept profusely during a play rehearsal at the Morninglight Troupe. Her male co-star, frustrated, couldn't understand her intense emotion, as the script clearly stated the male protagonist was only faking his death. He admonished her for not sticking to the script. Ruan Nianchu, wiping her tears, retorted that his acting wasn't convincing enough, which the actor took as an insult, further infuriating him.
Sensing the tension, Ruan Nianchu proposed ending the rehearsal, and the troupe head, Mr. Zhao, concurred, dismissing everyone. Ruan Nianchu's deep emotion stemmed from reliving a memory of her first love, a man named Lee, from when she was twenty. As everyone dispersed, she gazed out the window, reflecting that as an actress, she portrays others' joys and sorrows, and she firmly believes that if an ending isn't good, then it simply isn't the true ending yet.
Her contemplation was interrupted by Dai Jie, who arrived with a bouquet. They moved to a cafe, where Dai Jie, a finance professional, mentioned he saw her "single again" social media post and was clearly interested. However, Ruan Nianchu promptly recommended her best friend, Qiao Yufei, to him, even sending him Qiao Yufei's WeChat contact. Dai Jie was taken aback, confused as he believed he was on a blind date with Ruan Nianchu.
Before he could press further, Ruan Nianchu spotted a figure outside strikingly similar to Lee. Without a word of farewell, she rushed into the rain after him. The pursuit was futile; the man was not Lee. Yet, Ruan Nianchu remained steadfast in her conviction that Lee was still alive. Later, Qiao Yufei arrived at Ruan Nianchu's home, complaining that the constant stream of blind dates Ruan Nianchu arranged for her was overwhelming.
Qiao Yufei then announced her decision to become an online novelist, prioritizing her creative endeavors over inheriting her family's wealth. She handed Ruan Nianchu her manuscript for a novel titled "Ruan Nianjiu," which Ruan Nianchu was shocked to discover was a fictionalized account of her own life. The story detailed the protagonist's experience five years prior as a university senior in Tai City, where she was bullied by an actress named Li Hongyan.
One evening, the protagonist accidentally stumbled upon a gangster's transaction and was thrown into the ocean. Unable to swim, she was rescued by the heroic male lead, Lee. Qiao Yufei expressed envy for Ruan Nianchu's dramatic love story. Qiao Yufei's narrative evoked painful memories for Ruan Nianchu of that year, when Lee had saved her from a near-assault.
Qiao Yufei admitted she hadn't conceived an ending for her novel, recalling Ruan Nianchu had once said the hero sacrificed himself for the heroine. Ruan Nianchu sarcastically suggested the heroine would then lead a mundane nine-to-five life. Qiao Yufei, however, saw through her pretense, pointing out that if Ruan Nianchu truly believed that, she wouldn't so carefully tend to a pot of forget-me-nots, whose flower language is "please don't forget me."
Qiao Yufei then directly asked if Ruan Nianchu still missed Lee. Determined to save her wilting forget-me-not, Ruan Nianchu sought help from Mr. Zhao, who promised to revive it. He then informed her that their play, "Li Ke Chu Lian," would have to be postponed because the signed actress, Li Xiaoyan, was now too busy. Concerned about the troupe's reputation, Ruan Nianchu insisted on finding her.
Mr. Zhao, revealing he was the chairman of Li Xiaoyan's fan club, gave Ruan Nianchu her location. Ruan Nianchu arrived at a brand's celebration party where Li Xiaoyan was renewing a contract but was stopped for lacking an invitation. She called Qiao Yufei, revealing that Li Xiaoyan was the same Li Hongyan who had caused her to fall into the water five years ago.
Despite her personal dislike for Li Xiaoyan, Qiao Yufei agreed to help, separating personal feelings from professional duties. Once inside, Ruan Nianchu approached Li Xiaoyan, who feigned ignorance and instructed security to remove the "strange person." In a bold move, Ruan Nianchu seized a microphone and, with a camera on her, launched into effusive praise for Li Xiaoyan.
She then sensationally announced that Li Xiaoyan, to support the theater market, had agreed to a low-paying role in the play "Li Ke Chu Lian," publicly forcing her hand. Trapped, Li Xiaoyan forced a smile, took the microphone, and briefly played along. Afterwards, she coolly told Ruan Nianchu she'd never seen the contract and that her agent handled such matters, implying she had no intention of performing.
As Li Xiaoyan prepared to leave, she called for "Mr. Li" to take her home. Ruan Nianchu saw the man and cried out, "Lee! It's you!" Li Xiaoyan, surprised, asked the man, Li Teng, if they knew each other. Li Teng looked coldly at Ruan Nianchu and stated, "Miss, you have the wrong person." When she insisted, he advised her to drink less. Li Xiaoyan interjected that his name was Li Teng. Undeterred, Ruan Nianchu produced the contract.
In response, Li Xiaoyan nonchalantly tossed it into the swimming pool, taunting Ruan Nianchu about whether she had learned to swim. Driven by desperation, Ruan Nianchu declared she would retrieve the contract if it meant Li Xiaoyan would participate, a challenge Li Xiaoyan accepted. Ruan Nianchu then jumped into the pool and retrieved the soaked document. Li Xiaoyan, feigning surprise that she was only joking, then promised to honor her word.
Later, an excited Mr. Zhao called Ruan Nianchu, confirming that Li Xiaoyan had agreed to perform. He relayed Li Xiaoyan's bizarre lie that they had a "good chat" and "swam together happily," praising Ruan Nianchu's incredible skill. A vivid flashback reveals a memory from five years prior. To save Ruan Nianchu from his men, Lee pretended to assault her. Underneath a blanket, he was secretly doing push-ups while she feigned distress.
After his men, told not to touch "Lee's woman," left, Lee also departed. Back in the present, Ruan Nianchu was lost in thought when Li Teng's car pulled up. Her heart quickened with hope, but the sight of Li Xiaoyan in the back seat extinguished it.
Inside the car, Li Xiaoyan commented on Li Teng's sharp vision for recognizing Ruan Nianchu in the dark and hinted at her desire to sit in his front passenger seat, a known aversion of his. Li Teng curtly dismissed her, stating he didn't discuss personal matters during work. When she threatened to change security teams, he simply told her to do as she pleased. Meanwhile, Mr. Zhao, while repotting Ruan Nianchu's forget-me-not, discovered a small, coin-shaped USB drive.
Intrigued, he plugged it into his phone, but seeing no change, he assumed it was broken and tucked it into his wallet. Ruan Nianchu recounted her encounter with Li Teng to Qiao Yufei, who, applying online novel logic, theorized he must have been reborn, time-traveled, or have amnesia. Ruan Nianchu dismissed these fantasies, declaring her intent to start a new life. As they chatted, her mother sent a WeChat contact for another blind date.
The username, "0714," struck Ruan Nianchu with a sense of familiarity, reminding her of numbers she had seen on Lee's belongings five years ago. Donning a red dress, Ruan Nianchu arrived at the designated meeting place. Upon seeing the person waiting, she was stunned, for her blind date was none other than Li Teng.
