The Sweetest Secret Episode 8 Recap
> The Sweetest Secret Recap
After an emotional evening, Tang Weiwei and Lin Ran returned home and took showers. Concerned Tang Weiwei might catch a cold, Lin Ran thoughtfully prepared ginger tea for her and gently blew dry her hair, which significantly lifted her spirits and brought a warm feeling to her heart. Noticing her slight discomfort, Lin Ran reminded her that she had publicly declared him her boyfriend in front of Dong Zhe earlier that day.
He urged her to commit to the act fully, explaining that their charade could easily be exposed otherwise. Tang Weiwei complied, turning around for him to dry the other side of her hair. Once her hair was dry, Lin Ran confessed his wish for their relationship, even if initially fake, to last a lifetime, and cautiously asked if he could kiss her. Overwhelmed, Tang Weiwei immediately rose and retreated to her room.
Lin Ran, left sitting alone, felt a pang of disappointment, convinced that with her background in psychology, Tang Weiwei surely understood the depth of his feelings for her. Later that night, realizing Tang Weiwei’s father would be worried, Lin Ran called him. He fabricated a story, claiming Tang Weiwei was staying at Li Xiang's house for the night due to some issues with her postgraduate exam. Lin Ran also advised Tang Weiwei’s father to cease all contact with Dong Zhe.
Tang Weiwei's father found the explanation odd and suspected she might actually be at Lin Ran’s place. Lin Ran quickly diffused Tang Weiwei's father's suspicions by stating his house was too messy, having not been cleaned in a long time, and urged him not to misunderstand. The following morning, Lin Ran had to leave for school and entrusted Tang Weiwei's care to Li Xiang.
Li Xiang found Tang Weiwei engrossed in analyzing "Dong Zhe's lying," and gently encouraged her to stop, suggesting they go out to eat instead. Tang Weiwei, feeling utterly despondent, lamented that she was useless for anything else. She expressed her frustration and despair at having studied psychology for so long, yet being unable to use it to prove her innocence. Li Xiang quickly reassured her that there was always a way, promising to help her find solutions after they ate.
Meanwhile, Lin Ran took some of his paintings, which he believed were well-done, to his department director, hoping to submit them for a competition. As soon as the director began reviewing the artwork, Lin Ran immediately inquired about the status of Tang Weiwei’s case. The director, seeing through Lin Ran's obvious motive, told him he would assess the paintings' quality first.
He then informed Lin Ran that Tang Weiwei's supervisor still trusted her and they were keen to uncover the truth. He advised Lin Ran to control himself and avoid any physical confrontations with Dong Zhe for the next three days, as any further trouble would complicate matters. Lin Ran thanked the director and agreed to the terms. Later, Li Xiang accompanied Tang Weiwei to confront the female student who had accused Tang Weiwei of plagiarism.
The student's attitude was appalling, as she rudely called them "copycats" and "white lotuses" (a term for pretentious/hypocritical people). Li Xiang, undeterred, retorted by calling the student a "cultural desert" and declared that "she herself" was a "black lotus," implying she was tough and wouldn't be easily bullied. Tang Weiwei, distressed by the confrontation, urged Li Xiang to stop arguing.
Li Xiang, realizing the difficulty of the situation, decided to contact Jin Zichuan, as she had originally asked him to arrange for Tang Weiwei's supervisor, implying he might be able to help resolve the issue. Separately, Lin Ran enlisted Cola to discreetly track Dong Zhe. Learning from a friend that Gu Zhen was skilled in online investigations, Lin Ran sought him out for assistance.
Upon Lin Ran's arrival, Gu Zhen was visibly agitated, labeling Lin Ran a "jinx" and attempting to bar him from entering his home. Ignoring Gu Zhen's protests, Lin Ran boldly entered and explained his purpose, revealing he needed Gu Zhen's expertise as a hacker. Gu Zhen initially misunderstood, thinking Lin Ran wanted him to plagiarize a thesis. Lin Ran clarified, stating he needed Gu Zhen to help catch the culprit who had plagiarized a thesis.
Recognizing Lin Ran was seeking a favor, Gu Zhen stipulated that Lin Ran must choose a project for him from a list provided by his brother and agree to run errands for him in the future. Lin Ran, noticing an art exhibition project was to be held at their school, selected it for Gu Zhen. In accordance with their agreement, Gu Zhen began his investigation to identify the perpetrator behind the thesis plagiarism.
Gu Zhen's investigation successfully uncovered that Dong Zhe had indeed instructed someone to hack into Tang Weiwei's email. He presented his findings, stating that the email used to submit the plagiarism tip-off was Dong Zhe's, and he had traced the source of the hacked files, proving Dong Zhe's involvement in accessing Tang Weiwei's email. He concluded that the remaining task was now up to Lin Ran.
Lin Ran then recruited Da Fei to help him locate the "human CNKI," an individual renowned in assignment circles for rapid, high-quality plagiarism checking. Despite asking numerous classmates, they were unable to pinpoint the individual’s whereabouts. Lin Ran then decided on a "fishing" strategy, posting a lucrative offer on a freelance website, which successfully lured the individual into contact. Lin Ran then contacted Cola, telling him his surveillance was no longer needed.
As Tang Weiwei and Li Xiang were discussing how to prove her innocence, Lin Ran arrived with the good news: he had found the evidence. Elated, Tang Weiwei accompanied Lin Ran to the school. Presenting irrefutable evidence, including the original drafts with differing publication times and comprehensive proof of plagiarism, Lin Ran and Tang Weiwei demonstrated her innocence. The school officials, convinced, confirmed Tang Weiwei's academic integrity.
Her professor expressed strong support, affirming that his student would never plagiarize and pressed for the restoration of Tang Weiwei's doctoral candidacy. The female student, witnessing the collapse of their scheme, dramatically confessed to being manipulated by Dong Zhe and threatened to jump from a building. Dong Zhe, however, quickly counter-attacked, reporting Cola's unauthorized surveillance activities to the school authorities, demanding severe punishment and that Lin Ran’s parents be summoned.
The principal acknowledged Dong Zhe's complaint and stated that while they would contact Lin Ran’s parents, it was a separate matter from Tang Weiwei’s case. He confirmed Tang Weiwei's innocence based on the investigation and announced the school would reinstate her qualification for postgraduate examination and severely punish Dong Zhe's cousin. The principal instructed a teacher, Ms. Wang, to call Lin Ran's parents.
Due to Lin Ran's parents being research scientists and unavailable, the school directory listed Tang Weiwei's father, Mr. Tang Jianguo, as his emergency contact. Ms. Wang called Mr. Tang, asking him to come to the school that afternoon. Lin Ran, seeing his carefully kept secret about Tang Weiwei's father being his emergency contact exposed in such a chaotic way, felt a mix of exasperation and amusement.
When Tang Weiwei's father arrived, Lin Ran profusely apologized, claiming he never would have troubled him if Tang Weiwei hadn't been threatened, and emphasizing his good behavior at school. Tang Weiwei's father, while reprimanding Lin Ran for needing his parents summoned as a university student, ultimately acknowledged his crucial role in protecting Tang Weiwei, saying he "didn't dote on him for nothing."
Meanwhile, Tang Weiwei's professor reinstated her doctoral application, offering words of encouragement, suggesting that this setback might be a blessing in disguise, allowing her to pause and reflect, and that a clear goal would open limitless possibilities for her young life. Later, Li Xiang observed Tang Weiwei, who was happily noting down Lin Ran's qualities: "He may be childish. He acts like a child at times, but he's responsible and provides me with a sense of security." Li Xiang teased her, asking if she had finally "gotten" Lin Ran. Tang Weiwei blushingly denied it, beginning to explain their situation.
