The Secret of Love Episode 21 Recap
> The Secret of Love Recap
Reporters swarmed the Lee Group entrance, demanding an explanation regarding the alleged excessive use of preservatives in their products. Li Jiashang calmly told them that the company had not received any official notification and advised them to mind their words. He then called Xia Xiyang, instructing her to tell Su Yi not to come to the office that day. His assistant reported that Chairman Li Yaohui demanded accountability from management.
Li Jiashang agreed to interrogate the personnel responsible for the formula. They confirmed that security monitors showed no abnormalities in their areas and suggested that the leak might have originated from a former researcher. With negative reviews rapidly increasing and mainstream media reporting on the crisis, Li Jiashang instructed his assistant to report to Chairman Li Yaohui that they needed to focus on finding the internal spy within the company.
During a meeting, Romanie addressed the staff, stating that the incident was likely a plot to discredit the Lee Group. She explained that scientific clarification alone wouldn't be enough; the only solution was to expose the internal spy, which would position Lee Group as a victim and garner public sympathy. She even suggested that if things became dire, the person in charge might have to take the fall. Li Jiashang responded by saying they should follow regular procedures first.
Meanwhile, Xia Xiyang conveyed Li Jiashang's message to Su Yi to stay home. Seeing the negative news about Lee Group online, Su Yi became anxious and insisted on going to the office to support Li Jiashang, despite Xia Xiyang's attempts to stop her. As Gao Mu was about to give a press interview, Su Yi called him, angrily questioning why he was using the preservative issue to attack Li Jiashang, contradicting their earlier agreement to only copy the formula.
Gao Mu coolly replied that his actions were purely for business benefit and challenged her to provide evidence, accusing her of "the thief trying to catch the thief." Soon after, Gao Mu appeared on TV, publicly assuring everyone that his company, Lin Zi, would never use toxic preservatives. Zheng He visited Li Yaohui at the hospital in Li Jiashang's stead. Li Yaohui asked if the formula leaker had been found.
Zheng He then presented a video showing Su Yi retrieving the formula from the database. Excited, Li Yaohui declared that making the video public would greatly help the company. However, Zheng He firmly stated that the video absolutely could not be released. He revealed that Su Yi’s actions were carried out with Li Jiashang's full permission and assistance, and that Li Jiashang had even asked him to destroy the video.
Zheng He added that he had already handled the relevant personnel involved, but he couldn't guarantee others would keep quiet. He argued that if Su Yi were exposed, Li Jiashang would also be implicated, potentially ruining Lee Group. He urged Li Yaohui to stop looking for an internal spy. Li Yaohui, still suspicious, suggested that he could investigate Su Yi's motives if Zheng He would leave him the video, but Zheng He refused, stating he would find out himself.
Outside the hospital, Zheng He encountered Xia Xiyang, who tried to persuade him to return with her. Zheng He preferred to be alone. Xia Xiyang sensed his distress was linked to the formula scandal and, when pressed, admitted she knew who leaked it, adding that Su Yi had her reasons. Zheng He grew frustrated, exclaiming that not only his best friend, Li Jiashang, was protecting Su Yi, but now his fiancée, Xia Xiyang, was doing the same.
Xia Xiyang defended Su Yi, claiming she was the real victim and that her father, Mu Feng, had been falsely accused of corruption by Lee Group. Zheng He angrily refuted this, revealing that he had meticulously checked Mu Feng's accounts himself and confirmed the embezzlement. He then confessed that Li Jiashang had asked him to create a falsified report to comfort Su Yi. Unknown to them, Su Yi overheard their entire conversation, her heart shattering.
Seeing Su Yi's distress, Xia Xiyang warned Zheng He that his words had crossed a line and that the matter of Mu Feng's accounts should be resolved between Li Jiashang and Su Yi without further interference. Instead of going to the office, Su Yi went directly to Li Jiashang, demanding to see Lee Group's original internal investigation results regarding her father's accounts, insisting she wanted the "real report."
Li Jiashang tried to appease her, acknowledging he had presented her with a comforting version before, but Su Yi was adamant about uncovering the truth. Li Jiashang eventually relented and had the files brought to her. An assistant explained how Mu Feng had allegedly misappropriated funds after materials needing low-temperature storage were deemed unusable, only repurchasing a fraction of the expensive replacements. The files showed Mu Feng's signatures on all the relevant application forms.
After reviewing the documents, Su Yi left in despair. Li Jiashang later examined the files again, a look of concern on his face as he realized they might have been tampered with. Su Yi later met with Ding Hang, carrying a file on a DNA autopsy report. She confessed that she no longer wished to continue their investigation, feeling that if her father was indeed corrupt, their efforts were pointless.
Ding Hang, however, urged her not to give up, reminding her that even if Mu Feng's corruption was true, the mysterious corpse found in the car accident still raised many questions and required her continued pursuit of the truth. Su Yi asked for time to reconsider, and Ding Hang left, promising good news soon as he had found the policeman who investigated the car accident. Meanwhile, Li Jiashang launched his own investigation into Mu Feng's embezzlement case.
He learned about the raw materials Mu Feng handled, some cheap ones requiring low-temperature storage and a more expensive caviar essence that did not. He questioned an employee about the case, but detailed files were no longer available. Li Jiashang then confronted Li Yaohui at the hospital, expressing his suspicion that something was amiss with Mu Feng's case.
He pointed out the inconsistency of Mu Feng, a senior researcher, making an elementary mistake regarding storage conditions, only to reapply for costly materials that didn't require such conditions. Li Jiashang questioned how such an application could have been approved. Li Yaohui responded dismissively, asking if Li Jiashang truly believed his limited knowledge represented the whole truth.
Li Jiashang later confided in Zheng He, revealing his discovery that a page had been added and re-stapled to the caviar essence account, implying Mu Feng's signature was fraudulently included. Zheng He was shocked, concluding that Lee Group had indeed framed Mu Feng. Driven by guilt towards Su Yi, Li Jiashang declared to Zheng He that he would take responsibility for the formula leak, suggesting that if someone needed to be pushed out during this crisis, it should be him.
Zheng He warned him that this would cause Lee Group's stock to plummet. Li Jiashang, undeterred, announced his intention to hold a press conference and resign as CEO. Zheng He was furious, arguing that a new CEO would erode market confidence and that Li Yaohui would never agree. He then revealed that Li Yaohui already knew Su Yi leaked the formula but had kept silent to protect Li Jiashang and the company.
He warned that if Li Jiashang resigned, Li Yaohui would not spare Su Yi. Realizing that Zheng He must have told his grandfather about his role in helping Su Yi, Li Jiashang angrily struck him. Zheng He retaliated, stating that he had joined Lee Group to help Li Jiashang, and if Li Jiashang resigned, he would quit too. After Zheng He left, Su Yi called Li Jiashang, expressing her guilt and worry about having hidden the truth from Zheng He.
Li Jiashang reassured her, promising to handle everything. Later, Su Yi tenderly applied medicine to Li Jiashang's face, bruised from the confrontation. Li Jiashang tried to comfort her about her father's accounts, but Su Yi interrupted him, saying she understood. Li Jiashang then revealed the truth: Mu Feng was not corrupt, and Lee Group had wronged him, and her.
Separately, Zheng He urged Su Yi to persuade Li Jiashang not to resign, explaining that Li Jiashang was doing it to protect her. Su Yi confidently assured Zheng He that she would not let Li Jiashang resign. That evening, as they shared a meal, Li Jiashang tried to reassure Su Yi, acknowledging that while his grandfather was the biggest suspect in her father's framing, he would stand by her and work to uncover the truth. Su Yi, however, interrupted him with a devastating announcement: "Let's break up." Li Jiashang was stunned speechless as Su Yi stood up and walked away, leaving him heartbroken.
