The Sweetest Secret Episode 14 Recap
> The Sweetest Secret Recap
Lin Ran reflected on Tang Weiwei's words about his hidden passion for racing, acknowledging the dangers she highlighted, particularly that racing "can kill people." At the circuit, he informed his fellow racers that he would no longer be a regular presence if there were no pressing matters. When they questioned his departure, Lin Ran tossed them his gloves and declared that he was going to find his wife, leaving them stunned.
Tang Father, exhausted from watching Tang Weiwei, finally gave in to sleep after locking her door. Tang Weiwei then checked her phone to find a message from Lin Ran, who was waiting downstairs for a date. He playfully threatened to eat all the candy he had if she didn't come down. Tang Weiwei, unable to go through the front door, climbed out her window to meet him.
They went for dessert, where Tang Weiwei chided Lin Ran for ordering a sugary couple set, as it was full of sugar. Lin Ran joked that he needed to make up for all the sugar he hadn't consumed in twenty years. Tang Weiwei confided in Lin Ran about her dilemma regarding the dessert shop.
Her father hadn't mentioned it much since the fake pregnancy incident, and she felt guilty about potentially reigniting arguments so soon after their reconciliation over her postgraduate studies. Yet, she found it hard to abandon her dream. Lin Ran reassured her, encouraging her to pursue what she truly desired.
He promised his unwavering support, suggesting that if they made mistakes, they would simply start over, and if she and her father fell out, they would apologize to him once her success was undeniable. Bolstered by his words and a notification about the down payment contract for a shop, Tang Weiwei resolved to proceed with her dessert shop. Later, as Lin Ran walked Tang Weiwei home, he playfully tried to convince her to let him stay at her window.
Tang Weiwei refused, and as he left, her cousin, Xu Jian, unexpectedly appeared and reprimanded Lin Ran for being at Tang Weiwei's window late at night. Tang Weiwei quickly recognized Xu Jian and intervened, greeting him and helping with his luggage. The next day, Lin Ran confided in his friend Ji Han about his apprehension concerning officially meeting Tang Weiwei's family, wondering what qualities they sought in a son-in-law.
Later, at a family lunch including Xu Jian, Tang Father wanted to settle matters, but dismissed Xu Jian's suggestion to consult Tang Weiwei first. The conversation quickly turned into a critique of Lin Ran. Lin Ran was so focused on listening that he didn't even notice his tea overflowing, which led Tang Father to scold him again. Tang Father blamed Lin Ran for the fake pregnancy and for influencing Tang Weiwei to open a shop.
Xu Jian, seeing Lin Ran's clumsiness, also joined in, expressing disdain for Tang Weiwei's choice and questioning Lin Ran's responsibility. Lin Ran apologized to Tang Father, but Tang Weiwei, fed up with the negativity, firmly declared that her choices—both Lin Ran and the dessert shop—were non-negotiable. Overwhelmed by the palpable disapproval, she lost her appetite and excused herself to the washroom. After a routine company meeting, Li Xiang's boss asked her to stay behind, directly inquiring about her boyfriend.
Li Xiang nervously assumed he was upset about her previous conduct and quickly assured him of her commitment to her work. However, the boss's true intention was to secure financing from Jin Zichuan of Huanuo. Believing Li Xiang could be instrumental, he tasked her with this mission. Li Xiang admitted that her relationship with Jin Zichuan was merely an acquaintance.
To her astonishment, the boss produced chat logs with Jin Zichuan, where he had referred to Li Xiang as a friend, leaving her no choice but to accept. Li Xiang then texted Jin Zichuan, accusing him of spreading false rumors to her boss by saying they were friends. Jin Zichuan, finding her directness amusing, internally considered deducting five points from her but then decided to reluctantly add ten.
He replied with a witty message, suggesting that as friends, she wouldn't need to treat him to a meal for his help. Li Xiang was so taken aback by his response that she spilled her coffee, which a colleague pointed out. Determined to separate Tang Weiwei and Lin Ran, Tang Father tried to enlist Xu Jian's help. Xu Jian initially hesitated, worrying about his image if he resorted to "mean methods."
However, Tang Father dismissed his concerns, encouraging him to "think positive" and find a solution, promising his full support. Following his uncle's subtle prompt, Xu Jian attempted to set Tang Weiwei up with a young man.
Tang Weiwei, however, immediately rejected him, finding him too young (he was 21) and too tall (he was 186cm, she liked 184cm), explicitly stating she preferred someone with Lin Ran's "bad temper," even mentioning she liked the surname Lin, which the young man also had. Her firm declaration caused Xu Jian to realize his plan had failed.
Later, Tang Father discovered Xu Jian's clumsy matchmaking attempt and furiously scolded him for trying to break up Lin Ran and Tang Weiwei, accusing him of wanting his grandchild to be born without a father. He chased Xu Jian, hitting him for his perceived malicious interference. During a later discussion, Xu Jian expressed concern that Lin Ran was a bad influence and that Tang Weiwei would lose money on the shop.
Tang Father then subtly revealed his own intervention: he had secretly frozen Tang Weiwei's bank card to prevent her from making any payments for the shop. Xu Jian commended his uncle for his cleverness. Lin Ran, eager to deepen his connection with Tang Weiwei, consulted his friends and even his teacher about creative WeChat couple names and profile pictures, proudly displaying his chosen "89" and "10" theme, which signified "inseparable".
Separately, Lin Ran received a message from someone expressing frustration over his teacher's demands for an art exhibition and the abstract art. Lin Ran responded with a detailed plan, explaining how to effectively curate and market the exhibition by strategically placing different styles, such as Kandinsky and Malevich, with transitional pieces. Later, Li Xiang discussed with her colleague, Gu Zhen, how clever Lin Ran was, particularly in his understanding of marketing for art exhibitions.
Meanwhile, Tang Weiwei diligently searched for a suitable location for her dessert shop. She dismissed several options due to their small size or poor lighting, calculating that high electricity costs would negate any savings. Eventually, the agent offered her a highly desirable store that was already booked by another client, warning her it might involve complications and a higher price. Tang Weiwei, determined, assured the agent that money was not an issue if the location was perfect.
She enthusiastically agreed to take the shop, only to discover, to her dismay, that her bank card was repeatedly declined due to insufficient funds when she attempted to make the down payment. For several days, Jin Zichuan sent Li Xiang bouquets of lilies, a flower to which she is severely allergic. Unable to tolerate the constant exposure, Li Xiang finally called Jin Zichuan, accusing him of deliberately tormenting her.
Jin Zichuan nonchalantly told her to simply throw them away if she disliked them. Li Xiang fired back, explaining that her boss personally delivered the flowers each day, making it impossible for her to discard them. Jin Zichuan suggested she was merely "playing hard to get," which offended Li Xiang, leading to a heated argument over the phone where she sarcastically retorted with other idioms and called him a "psychopath."
Earlier, Tang Weiwei informed her father that she was leaving for an antenatal class, emphasizing that Lin Ran was waiting for her downstairs. Xu Jian, trying to be helpful, attempted to deliver Tang Weiwei's forgotten phone, but Lin Ran intervened via a phone call to Xu Jian, fabricating a story that Tang Weiwei suffered a cramp and they were at the hospital for a check-up, implicitly keeping Xu Jian away. Later, Lin Ran decided to come clean with Tang Father.
He directly confessed that the pregnancy was fake, but asserted his genuine and long-standing feelings for Tang Weiwei. He told Tang Father he wanted to be Tang Weiwei's boyfriend and be with her openly, citing a saying that if something can be faked for a lifetime, it might eventually become real.
