The Sweetest Secret Episode 9 Recap
> The Sweetest Secret Recap
The evidence against Dong Zhe for orchestrating the cybertheft that compromised Tang Weiwei's doctoral application was deemed clear and sufficient. The school was expected to restore Tang Weiwei's application for the doctoral degree. Later, Tang Weiwei attended Lin Ran's basketball game to support him. His teammates cheered him on, and he played exceptionally well, scoring many points and leading his team to victory.
As usual, Ji Han approached Lin Ran with a bottle of water, but upon seeing Tang Weiwei, she hesitated and gave the water to someone else instead. Lin Ran asked Tang Weiwei for water, but she hadn't brought any. Playfully, Tang Weiwei took his hand and led him home. He boasted, "I bet you've never held a handsome man's hand before. By the way, was I cool?" Tang Weiwei responded, "A little bit."
Tang Weiwei began to waver about taking the doctoral degree, clearly bothered by Dong Zhe's earlier comments. Lin Ran tried to reassure her, saying, "You are always the best in my heart. I hope you can be yourself." However, Tang Weiwei felt that "Dong Zhe got a point." She then proposed that Lin Ran try desensitisation treatment again. When Lin Ran questioned it, she explained her deep disappointment: "When I was studying Psychology, I had a dream.
I thought after I mastered it, I could communicate with my father and cure your allergy to sweets. In the end, I still couldn't stop arguing with my father and you still don't know what a candy tastes like." She concluded, "Perhaps Dong Zhe is right. I can't do anything right, except studying. What else can I do after I graduate with the doctorate degree? I can't be a student forever."
Tang Father came up to the rooftop, worried they would catch a cold in the evening wind, and urged them to come down. Tang Weiwei wanted to discuss the doctoral degree with him, but he simply stated, "It's your business. Everything is up to you." Knowing Lin Ran had no classes the next day, Tang Father invited him to go shopping, and Lin Ran readily agreed.
Before they went inside, Lin Ran quietly told Tang Weiwei, "No matter what your choice is, I'll always be there for you." The next day, while shopping, Tang Father criticized Lin Ran's choice of a brightly colored garment, remarking on his "bad taste" for picking something "old-fashioned and ugly." Lin Ran quickly clarified, "This is for Wei Wei."
Tang Father's attitude immediately shifted, praising the choice as "perfect" for her and suitable for her wardrobe before rushing to pay, much to Lin Ran's amusement at his double standards. After much deliberation, Tang Weiwei returned home and informed her father that she no longer wished to pursue her doctoral degree. This declaration greatly surprised Tang Father, who had thought she was determined to enroll.
He had, in fact, come around to the idea, telling her how proud he was of her. Looking at her childhood photos, he reminisced about her growing up without her mother, expressing his sole desire for her happiness. " I'm happy as long as you are happy. Pursue the doctoral degree. I will root for you," he had said, now urging her to go for it.
Tang Weiwei began to confess the truth about her and Lin Ran's deception, but Lin Ran, who had just returned with rice noodle rolls, quickly interrupted her, suggesting they cook a proper meal to celebrate the happy day. While in the kitchen, Lin Ran kept an ear on their conversation. When Tang Weiwei attempted to confess again, Lin Ran made another loud noise, interrupting her once more.
Tang Father decided to go downstairs for some fresh air, leaving Tang Weiwei to ponder her life's direction, looking at her old trophies and wondering, "What is my goal?" Lin Ran's distracted cooking led to a small kitchen fire. Tang Weiwei instinctively rushed over, grabbing a fire extinguisher and putting it out. Seeing the extinguisher powder on her head, Lin Ran joked, "We grew old together." Tang Weiwei dismissed his teasing and decided they should eat out.
After dinner, as they walked past a fountain, Lin Ran accidentally knocked a coin from Tang Weiwei's hand into the water. When she asked him to retrieve it, he suggested they treat it as a wishing coin. Tang Weiwei asked about his wish, and Lin Ran, looking at her intently, declared, "my goal and my life will be filled with you," asking her to promise to grow old with him.
Just then, the fountain's water sprayed up, as if in agreement. Though Tang Weiwei didn't immediately accept, her playful response gave Lin Ran hope, and he happily chased after her. Later, Lin Ran confessed that he shouldn't have made the wish at the fountain, but directly to her. He then expressed his feelings, admitting, "To be honest, I enjoy our fake relationship. Tang Wei Wei. I made you blush and your heart race, didn't I? Still, we can't keep lying.
It's fake after all. So what if one of us is willing to lie forever? Whatever our future may be, I want to go through it with you. Tang Wei Wei. Ever since my first year of high school, I had the same wish for my birthday. I wished someday I could become the one who accompanies you through thick and thin and make you believe in love. Please accept me."
That night, Lin Ran returned to his empty home and regretted moving out of Tang Weiwei's place. In a mischievous fit of inspiration, he intentionally damaged his water pipes. He then appeared at Tang Weiwei's doorstep, soaking wet, claiming his pipes burst and his living room flooded, leaving him homeless. He sheepishly requested to stay there for a while, offering to sleep on the couch as a show of respect.
Tang Father saw right through Lin Ran's ploy, telling Tang Weiwei to go back to her room and then sarcastically asking Lin Ran, "Besides plumbing problem, is there anything else you need to fix in your house? I can fix them for you." Unfazed, Lin Ran shamelessly replied, "Uncle. Let's not mind about all that," eliciting a cold scoff from Tang Father.
Meanwhile, Li Xiang called Tang Weiwei, relieved to have escaped her work commitments and asking if Tang Weiwei and Lin Ran had sorted everything out. When Tang Weiwei confirmed things were resolved, Li Xiang playfully teased, "You sound cheerful. Don't tell me you pushed Lin Ran on the bed?" She further advised, "Remember, Lin Ran is a young man. You should control yourself," and joked about "royal dog food."
Li Xiang then went shopping alone for jewelry and unexpectedly encountered her ex-boyfriend, Zhou Qi, who was with another woman, picking out rings. Zhou Qi provocatively asked if she was alone. Annoyed, Li Xiang pretended not to remember him, declaring, "I would forget unimportant person in just an overnight."
To save face, she dramatically pulled Jin Zichuan into her act, claiming he was her rich and handsome boyfriend who insisted on buying her jewelry despite her "eight drawers of jewellery" at home. Zhou Qi then asked if she regretted leaving him and if she had "always been alone." Li Xiang replied, "Sort of." Later, Lin Ran was seen eating a candy, seemingly trying a desensitisation treatment, implying progress in overcoming his aversion to sweets.
