Speed and Love Episode 12 Recap
> Speed and Love Recap
Pan Kai informed Jiang Mu about the person she had asked about, known as Touqi or "Death." He explained that Touqi was a senior student from previous graduating classes who had formed a racing team and often participated in illegal street races. His nickname came from his incredible speed; those who raced him were said to be "doomed," losing so swiftly they couldn't even "pass the first seven days."
Tragically, his car was eventually confiscated, and Touqi himself disappeared a month or two before the college entrance exam, never returning to school, despite having excellent grades. Later, Jiang Mu messaged Jin Chao, claiming she had forgotten her way home and jokingly asking him to pick her up. Jin Chao, engaged in work, initially declined, but Jiang Mu sent him a photo of her water bottle with a crying emoji.
Jin Chao quickly zoomed in, noticing the reflection of a male classmate in the bottle cap. He promptly arrived at the school. There, another student had tried to walk her home, grabbing her hand. When Jin Chao asked who the student was, Jiang Mu identified him as Touqi. Jin Chao, clearly displeased, took Jiang Mu away, asking "Let's go home." Wan Qing approached Jiang Mu and took her to a seaside restaurant where they shared drinks.
Wan Qing revealed her long-standing feelings for Jin Chao. She recalled meeting him at Wan's Auto Shop when he was an apprentice. She was struck by his intense focus on his work, his attractive physique, and his handsome looks, falling for him at first sight. Unlike other mechanics who were always transient, Jin Chao was unique; he constantly read books and filled large notebooks with beautiful handwriting.
Wan Qing often visited the garage, offering coffee and trying to engage with him, even asking him to teach her calligraphy, but Jin Chao always kept his distance, stating he had "no time." Wan Qing further recounted Jin Chao's past struggles. She learned from Jin Fengzi that Jin Chao's younger sister, Jin Xin, had congenital heart disease and urgently needed expensive surgery that their family couldn't afford.
Jin Chao found a way to earn money by buying a cheap used car and modifying it. A buyer promised a higher price if he could significantly improve the car's 0-100 km/h acceleration and other performance metrics. Jin Chao poured himself into researching, designing, and upgrading the car's transmission and powertrain, working through several sleepless nights. The satisfied buyer paid him a large sum, which Jin Chao used to cover Jin Xin's surgery costs.
Jiang Mu, listening intently, added that Jin Chao had always been her role model, capable of complex engineering even as a teenager, and she had seen his excellence in countless ways. She remembered crying when he left, thinking she would never see him again. Wan Qing continued, explaining that Jin Chao told Jin Fengzi he was quitting before the college entrance exam, leading her to believe he was focusing on his studies. However, he never took the exam.
Jiang Mu asked if something had happened. Wan Qing confirmed that the modified car had been in an accident. The driver survived but lost a leg. The investigation concluded that illegal modifications caused the car to lose control, and the victim's family decided to sue Jin Chao for negligent crime, fearing a criminal record would ruin his future. Jin Fengzi desperately tried to raise money for compensation.
Wan Qing sold her newly bought sports car to contribute, but Jin Chao firmly refused her money. Eventually, it was Jin Chao's friend, San Lai, who sold his own fast-food restaurant to gather the necessary funds, allowing the victim's family to settle out of court.
After this ordeal, Jin Chao did not return to school but went back to Wan's Auto Shop as an apprentice, working tirelessly and taking on the most strenuous tasks, as if punishing himself for his perceived mistake. As Jin Chao gained more experience, Wan Shengbang entrusted him with managing the garage.
It was then that Jin Chao uncovered corrupt practices among the senior mechanics who would swap new parts for old ones from customers' cars, selling the new parts for quick cash to buy alcohol. Wan Qing then revealed to Jiang Mu the shocking truth: Jin Chao had been framed. Wan Dayong had tampered with the sensors and actuator components of the car Jin Chao modified.
Wan Shengbang had then privately instructed everyone involved to keep silent to protect Wan's Auto Shop's business, making Jin Chao take the blame. Jin Chao, believing it was his own fault, endured the injustice alone. Wan Qing expressed her regret and sorrow, acknowledging that Wan's Auto Shop had deeply wronged him, and Jiang Mu, deeply saddened, blamed herself for not being there for Jin Chao.
As Jin Chao arrived at the restaurant, Jiang Mu tearfully embraced him, declaring that she was back and would never leave him again, asking to "never be apart again." Wan Qing, also emotional and intoxicated, tried to apologize to Jin Chao for the wrongs committed against him by her father and the garage, offering for him to scold her instead. Seeing that Wan Qing was too drunk to walk, Jin Chao gently carried Jiang Mu away.
Shortly after they left, He Zhang arrived and found Wan Qing. Despite his attempts to stop her from drinking more, she insisted he join her. Later, back at home, Jin Chao noticed bruises on Jiang Mu's leg and immediately suspected Wan Qing. Jiang Mu quickly reassured him it was an accident, saying she had "accidentally bumped into something myself." She then probed him, asking if he liked Wan Qing.
Without waiting for an answer, she firmly stated that no matter how kind Wan Qing was to him, he "can't like her." She then declared, "I'm all grown up now," which visibly flustered Jin Chao. San Lai later informed Jin Chao that Wan Qing had come to his place with He Zhang, intoxicated and trying to break into Jin Chao's garage.
San Lai had stopped her, and she had tearfully recounted her entire history of "secret crush, obvious affection, and her unrequited love" for Jin Chao. He also mentioned that Wan Qing had disclosed Jin Chao's past with Wan's Auto Shop to Jiang Mu, to which Jin Chao replied that Jiang Mu wasn't upset. San Lai then began praising Jiang Mu to Jin Chao, describing her as tall, fair-skinned, with long black hair, a good personality, smart, and a quick learner.
Her only flaw, he noted, was being a picky eater, which he then jokingly spun into a positive, saying she wouldn't gain weight and would look adorable even if she got "plump and fair, with two ponytails." Jin Chao agreed with the descriptions. San Lai then directly asked Jin Chao what he thought of Jiang Mu as a girlfriend. Jin Chao stated he hadn't thought about it, but San Lai urged him to.
Jin Chao, however, insisted he "really shouldn't think about it." San Lai then declared that if any girl could truly enter Jin Chao's heart, it could only be Jiang Mu. Jin Chao just smiled to himself, knowing that Jiang Mu didn't need to enter his heart; she had always been there.
Meanwhile, a frustrated He Zhang, who had long harbored feelings for Wan Qing, was left to punch a sandbag, having just heard Wan Qing drunkenly confess her deep love for Jin Chao. As the New Year approached, Zhao Meijuan decided to return home for the holidays and wanted to take Jiang Mu with her. Jin Qiang, however, confidently stated that Jiang Mu wouldn't go.
Zhao Meijuan, wanting to ensure Jiang Mu had resources while staying, prepared a generous red envelope for her. She told Jiang Mu to use the money to buy whatever she wanted to eat or drink during the New Year. Jiang Mu affirmed that she was indeed staying to spend the New Year with Jin Chao, expressing her strong affection for him. She also gave a red envelope to Jin Xin before Zhao Meijuan and Jin Qiang departed.
Jiang Mu then went to San Lai's where Jin Chao and the garage workers were having a New Year's dinner. She arrived in the rain without an umbrella, making her hands cold. San Lai fussed over her, ensuring she got food, and then Jin Chao pulled her hands into his pocket to warm them.
Jiang Mu explained that Zhao Meijuan and Jin Xin had gone back home, and Jin Qiang drove them, but she chose to stay behind to spend the New Year with him. As her hands warmed in his pocket, she noticed a pendant that Jin Chao wore, which was inscribed with the words "Yearning day and night."
