The Sweetest Secret Episode 17 Recap
> The Sweetest Secret Recap
Lin Ran bought a special outfit for Tang Weiwei to wear on her dessert shop's opening day. After thanking him, Tang Weiwei happily took the clothes home. On the day of the grand opening, many people flocked to see the new dessert shop. Dong Zhe was among the crowd and noticed Lin Ran injured his hand while setting off firecrackers.
As Tang Weiwei was taking Lin Ran to the hospital, Dong Zhe deliberately called in a complaint about their shop's safety. At the hospital, the doctor examined Lin Ran's hand and assured them it was not serious, requiring only a few days of bandaging. The doctor also advised "the family member" to be careful about not getting the wound wet. Tang Weiwei felt a pang of disappointment, realizing she appeared much older than Lin Ran, almost like his parent.
Lin Ran, however, was irritated by the doctor's assumption and quickly clarified that Tang Weiwei was his girlfriend before pulling her hand and leaving the hospital. Back at the dessert shop, despite the busy opening day, Tang Weiwei's cousin, Xu Jian, was engrossed in playing games instead of helping, much to Li Xiang's annoyance. She confronted him, telling him off for not assisting Tang Weiwei.
Observing Li Xiang, Jin Zichuan found her straightforward and capable, mentally adding fifty points to her score. Later, he pondered to Assistant Wang why he found Li Xiang so appealing, even though her "data" was clearly not as good as another candidate's for a relationship. Assistant Wang suggested perhaps he was "blinded by love" and agreed that Li Xiang's characteristics were not ideal for marriage. Due to the news of the firecracker accident spreading, Tang Weiwei's shop became deserted.
Even if a customer occasionally forgot, they would quickly be reminded about the incident. Despite the lack of business, Tang Weiwei stayed diligently at the shop. Lin Ran, recuperating at home with his injured hand, felt neglected. He visited the shop to seek a kiss from Tang Weiwei. Worried about being seen, Tang Weiwei refused but promised to close the shop early that evening to spend time with him.
Later, Lin Ran took Tang Weiwei out to cheer her up, suggesting that sharing her worries would halve her sorrow. Tang Weiwei, however, was not swayed by his "nonsense chicken soup." Lin Ran earnestly asked her to stop treating him like a younger brother and to embrace being his lover. Understanding his point, Tang Weiwei agreed to try harder and initiated a kiss. Lin Ran woke up happy after dreaming he was married to Tang Weiwei and they had children.
Just then, his roommate returned, looking upset. Lin Ran asked what was wrong and was told that Ji Han had received disciplinary action because of him and lost her exchange student qualification. Distraught, Lin Ran immediately went to the Director, offering to take responsibility. The Director, however, refused, stating that Lin Ran had a bright future and shouldn't be implicated.
The Director revealed that the fight at the art exhibition was a serious matter, witnessed by media, and European stakeholders demanded strict action, emphasizing that Lin Ran was only spared due to the Director's intervention. Despite Lin Ran's insistence on taking responsibility, the Director firmly stated that school rules were not to be trifled with and Ji Han's slot could not be recovered, as she was the one who initiated the fight.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Lin Ran went to an art exhibition to clear his head. Gu Zhen found him there and informed Lin Ran that his brother, Jin Zichuan, was a university shareholder and could help Ji Han regain her exchange student spot. Gu Zhen, who was deeply concerned about Ji Han, knew Lin Ran had a girlfriend and might not be suitable to console Ji Han, so he offered to visit her on Lin Ran's behalf.
Subsequently, the Director informed Ji Han that an additional spot had been created, allowing her to be reinstated, and urged her to thank Lin Ran for his efforts. Later, Lin Ran met Ji Han, who thanked him. Lin Ran brushed it off, reminding her they were "bros" and joking that she shouldn't embarrass him when she went overseas.
Determined not to owe any woman favors apart from Tang Weiwei, Lin Ran sought out Jin Zichuan, offering to buy an exchange student slot. Jin Zichuan initially declined, explaining that education was paramount and he wouldn't waste resources on an unqualified individual. However, when Lin Ran clarified that Ji Han was highly qualified and had only lost her spot due to taking the blame for a classmate, Jin Zichuan reconsidered.
He still refused to sell the spot but offered a trade: he would help Ji Han if Lin Ran gathered information on Li Xiang for him. Meanwhile, Tang Weiwei's dessert shop was struggling. Even with her developing new "healing desserts," Jin Zichuan, after reviewing market research conducted by Assistant Wang, advised her to sell the shop to cut her losses. Tang Weiwei, wanting to persevere, took Jin Zichuan to explore the local market, including the University Town and Food Street.
Lin Ran secretly followed them and grew jealous when an aunt complimented Tang Weiwei and Jin Zichuan, remarking on how "compatible" they looked and suggesting Jin Zichuan consider Tang Weiwei. Back in his dorm, Lin Ran asked his roommate, Da Fei, what "same type of people" meant.
After comparing himself and Tang Weiwei against the definition—differences in ideas, hobbies, and lifestyle habits (such as one being unable to eat sweets and the other unable to drink)—Lin Ran became concerned about their relationship. Wanting to nurture their bond, he called Tang Weiwei to watch a movie. Preoccupied with the shop's troubles, Tang Weiwei declined. To prove their common ground, Lin Ran bought sweets to eat at home, only to suffer another allergic reaction.
Tang Weiwei returned just in time to tend to him. Lin Ran then proposed moving back in with her, reasoning that he missed her care, especially since he was alone and unwell, without hot water or cooking skills. Tang Weiwei reminded him that he had insisted on moving out to avoid being seen as her "little brother." While Lin Ran acknowledged this, he insisted he wanted to be closer to her to prevent her from "cheating on him."
Tang Weiwei dismissed his antics, telling him to stop being childish and reminding him of the dangers of eating sugar for him. She also explained that her father was still upset about the new shop, and him moving back now would be "bad timing," especially with her cousin currently living at her house. Lin Ran, however, assured her he would handle any issues.
