The Sweetest Secret Episode 5 Recap
> The Sweetest Secret Recap
Lin Ran intentionally walked past Tang Weiwei, holding Ji Han's hand, hoping to make her jealous. Ji Han reminded him that Tang Weiwei had already left. Lin Ran, who considered Ji Han merely a good friend and was oblivious to her feelings for her, quickly dashed off to chase Tang Weiwei, leaving Ji Han to swallow the words she almost spoke and watch him run away with a look of disappointment.
Upon arriving at Li Xiang’s apartment, Tang Weiwei confronted her, demanding to know why she had reneged on their agreement to invite Jin Zichuan to dinner together. Li Xiang clarified that she only wanted to create an opportunity for Tang Weiwei, adding that even though Tang Weiwei might be "bound" to Lin Ran, it shouldn't prevent her from getting to know other men. The mention of Lin Ran irritated Tang Weiwei, who then declared she wanted to drink.
Knowing Tang Weiwei's poor drinking habits and fearing she might act wildly when drunk, Li Xiang quickly intervened to stop her. Meanwhile, at home, Jin Zichuan was disciplining Gu Zhen, warning him that his current score was already over negative one hundred points. Gu Zhen casually dismissed the warning, mentioning he had previously scored over negative two hundred points, which earned him a look of disdain from Jin Zichuan for his lack of ambition.
Jin Zichuan had a whiteboard in his house where he tracked scores for various people. Lin Ran was directly excluded from consideration. Jin Zichuan had a very good impression of Tang Weiwei. She was the only girl who had reached eighty points in his evaluation, leading him to decide that Tang Weiwei should be listed as a potential love interest.
After listening to Tang Weiwei's account of the restaurant incident, Li Xiang suggested that Lin Ran's actions were likely an attempt to make Tang Weiwei jealous. Tang Weiwei nearly blurted out a confession, which made her realize she had indeed been jealous.
Li Xiang acknowledged that Tang Weiwei and Lin Ran were childhood friends, but argued that it didn't preclude Tang Weiwei and Jin Zichuan from getting to know each other, citing many instances where a "destined partner" has prevailed over a "childhood friend." Unwilling to hear more, Tang Weiwei quickly stood up and fled. Lin Ran arrived downstairs at Li Xiang's house and hesitated for a long time. Eventually, he convinced himself to forgive Tang Weiwei and called Li Xiang.
Li Xiang allowed Lin Ran inside but sternly warned him that Tang Weiwei was highly sought after, and if he dared to upset her again, he would lose his "backup" status. Lin Ran entered Tang Weiwei's room and found her sound asleep. His anxious heart immediately settled, and he couldn't resist taking a picture of her sleeping face with his phone.
Even in her dream, Tang Weiwei mumbled, "I don't like Lin Ran," but Lin Ran brushed it off, content that he was at least present in her dreams. Lin Ran had already sent the photo of her sleeping to Tang Weiwei’s father. The next morning, Tang Weiwei woke up to find Lin Ran in the room and asked why he was there.
Tang Weiwei’s father, while verbally disapproving of Lin Ran being there, didn’t forget to urge them to go for a gynecologist appointment on Tuesday, even suggesting Lin Ran take leave to accompany her. When Lin Ran pressed Tang Weiwei, asking "Why don't you like me?" , she repeatedly evaded the question, choosing to state evasively that she disliked him because he was too noisy.
Lin Ran then asked if she would like him if he were quieter, but Tang Weiwei offered no response and simply locked him out of her room. Lin Ran continued to call out to her through the door, asking why she didn't like him. Li Xiang started her day in high spirits at work, expecting a promotion. To her dismay, her boss had appointed a new chief editor, Ms. Yang, who was an external hire.
Ms. Yang's curt attitude immediately dampened Li Xiang's mood. Upon her arrival, Ms. Yang wasted no time in singling out Li Xiang, demanding she redo the afternoon's shooting list. Li Xiang, to Ms. Yang's surprise, agreed to complete it within two hours, leaving Ms. Yang curious to see how she would manage. Jin Zichuan learned that Tang Weiwei was recently troubled by her inability to register for a doctoral program.
He specifically asked Professor Lu for assistance, which deeply moved Tang Weiwei. Jin Zichuan arranged for Tang Weiwei to meet Professor Lu, an expert in psychology who had recently returned from overseas and joined Union University. Jin Zichuan informed Tang Weiwei that Professor Lu still had some doctoral student slots available, and with her professional capabilities, passing his exam shouldn't be an issue, promising a bright future.
Tang Weiwei thanked him profusely, though she felt somewhat inhibited, as if she were an "investment project" constantly being evaluated by him. During the meeting, Professor Lu expressed his admiration for Tang Weiwei's academic record, stating it would be a waste for her not to pursue further studies. Tang Weiwei explained she had missed the registration deadline due to unforeseen circumstances and all slots were taken when she tried to apply later.
Professor Lu assured her that securing a spot was a minor matter since he had just returned and had no list of recommended students. He encouraged her to apply boldly, and the specifics of whether she would pursue Applied Psychology with him or continue with her former lecturer could be discussed after she passed the exam. Tang Weiwei was overjoyed just to be given the opportunity.
Later that day at the office, one of Li Xiang's admirers sent afternoon tea for everyone, which infuriated Ms. Yang. Ms. Yang publicly chastised Li Xiang, questioning her professionalism and reminding the employees that work hours were for working, not for socializing and eating. Under Ms. Yang's intimidating presence, the employees quickly dispersed, leaving Li Xiang fuming. In a fit of anger, Li Xiang immediately threw all the afternoon tea items into the trash.
Feeling frustrated and unfairly targeted by Ms. Yang at work, Li Xiang called Tang Weiwei and invited her to a bar after finishing work. While there, Tang Weiwei was approached by a man who persistently tried to engage her. Li Xiang, witnessing the man forcibly grab Tang Weiwei's arm, snapped. She confronted the man, offering him money for his soiled shirt, but he demanded they stay and drink until he was satisfied. Li Xiang, her temper flared, promptly challenged him to a drinking contest.
