Cute Bodyguard Episode 5 Recap
> Cute Bodyguard Recap
Following up on their earlier encounter, Jingjing was surprised to learn that Gu Rong, whom she assumed was a seasoned romantic, had never been in a relationship. She teased him about his lack of experience, likening his tendency to give advice to the "fridge theory"—knowing about something without ever having experienced it. She then resumed setting up her romantic scene for Han Ran, dismissing an online post about seeing an aurora at the lake as fake.
Meanwhile, Han Ran, responding to Jingjing's message about his interview, saw the same aurora post and mused that the process of waiting for the aurora is more beautiful than seeing it, a sentiment Jingjing found romantic. After finishing her setup, Jingjing's legs went numb from crouching, and she asked Gu Rong for help. As he pulled her up, she stumbled into his arms, leading to a brief, awkward moment. She then noticed some of her heart-shaped candles had toppled over.
Gu Rong criticized her setup as unromantic, deeply offending Jingjing. She passionately defended her efforts, explaining that the 99 candles represented her heartfelt wishes and genuine feelings. Realizing he had misspoken, Gu Rong tried to backtrack, but Jingjing, frustrated by his constant interference, demanded to know what he would gain if her confession to Han Ran failed.
Gu Rong admitted that her failure would benefit him, as it would ensure she could focus on her job as his bodyguard without distractions. Annoyed, Jingjing drew a circle on the ground and ordered him to stay inside it for his own safety. However, she soon struggled to assemble a tent by herself and feigned helplessness, hoping a "kind person" would help.
Although Gu Rong initially cited her instruction not to leave the circle, he eventually relented and assisted her, reminding her that she also ignored his request for her to move out of his house.
When Jingjing expressed surprise that a "young master" knew how to pitch a tent, he described a romantic vision of himself and Han Ran sitting inside, enjoying the view like a scene from a TV show, prompting Jingjing to tell him to build "their" romantic tent himself. At five o'clock, with no word from Han Ran, Jingjing discovered her phone was dead and her power bank was missing.
As she borrowed Gu Rong's phone, a swarm of wasps emerged from a nearby tree. While fleeing, Jingjing slipped, and though Gu Rong caught her, his phone fell into the water. They scrambled into the tent for safety, accidentally sharing a kiss in the chaos. Flushed with embarrassment, Jingjing pushed him away and then noticed his foot was severely swollen; he had twisted his ankle while pulling her into the tent.
Jingjing blamed herself, but Gu Rong insisted he couldn't let her get stung. He then revealed that the last boat departed at 6 PM (18:00), not 8 PM as she had mistakenly believed, meaning they were stranded overnight. Meanwhile, Han Ran, finished with his event, grew worried when he couldn't reach Jingjing. As night fell, Gu Rong lit the heart-shaped candles Jingjing had arranged.
She brought him ice for his ankle, and he offered a genuine "thank you," a first for him. They shared what little food they had and played with sparklers. Gu Rong confessed he'd never played with fireworks because his strict grandfather considered their fleeting beauty frivolous compared to lasting achievements. This revelation gave Jingjing a new perspective on Gu Rong, realizing that wealth didn't equate to freedom.
Back at the hotel, a frantic Han Ran learned Gu Rong was also missing and asked local friends to help search. In the tent, Gu Rong replayed the accidental kiss in his mind, beginning to wonder if he was developing feelings for Jingjing. The next morning, an awkwardness hung between them. They woke up late, realizing it was eleven o'clock and Jingjing had missed Han Ran's book signing.
Han Ran, who had ended the event early out of concern, met them as they arrived. Jingjing took full responsibility, explaining how she misread the boat schedule, provoked the wasps, and lost Gu Rong's phone, emphasizing that Gu Rong had protected her and gotten injured in the process. Relieved but concerned, Han Ran gently chided her for her carelessness and questioned her large suitcase, which she explained was for a planned picnic with him.
Upon returning home, Jingjing’s father gave Gu Rong a bottle of his family's secret liniment for the sprain. Her mother, noticing Jingjing’s sullen mood and refusal to eat, tried to ask Gu Rong what had happened, but he was evasive. Worried, she lamented the challenges of parenting. Later, Gu Rong had Xie Te buy sculpting clay.
Puzzled by the activity, Xie Te watched as Gu Rong explained that clay molding is an ancient art form tied to humanity's primal self-perception and hopes for love, referencing the phrase "you in me, and me in you" to describe its symbolism. After Xie Te left, Gu Rong playfully named his assistant’s crude sculpture "Ugly Xie Te."
Inspired, Xie Te later visited Ai Mi's toy shop and suggested she add a clay-molding activity for couples, echoing Gu Rong's explanation, an idea Ai Mi found innovative. That night, both Jingjing and Gu Rong were restless. Jingjing questioned her feelings for Han Ran, wondering if she sought a partner or just a protector. Gu Rong, unable to stop thinking about the kiss, grappled with the realization he might be falling for her.
Acting on this impulse, he sculpted a delicate clay figure of himself and quietly left it outside her door with a note that read, "A compensation for you. No need to thank me." Jingjing found the exquisite figure and was delighted. Recalling the "you in me, and me in you" concept, she wondered if this personal, handmade gift was Gu Rong's unexpected and sudden confession of his feelings.
