Timeless Love Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> Timeless Love Recap
Jiang Dian pursued Cheng Feng to the lakeside, where Cheng Feng initiated a temporary separation. Though heartbroken, Jiang Dian reluctantly agreed. He then returned to the book cafe for a poignant farewell, reminiscing about their tender moments. He recalled a time when he promised, "I’ll treat you well in the future," to which Cheng Feng replied, "OK." Now, Cheng Feng reflected that their relationship was like a broken string, beyond repair.
Jiang Dian, in deep pain, confessed that the thought of parting broke his heart. He offered to change, to be less childish and clingy, and begged for more time, questioning who he would confide in if they separated. Cheng Feng reminded him of their agreement to part gracefully, asserting there was no other choice. Before leaving, Jiang Dian urged her to take care of herself, not to drink on an empty stomach, stay up late, or get sick.
Cheng Feng told him he should go, and Jiang Dian promised to return. Later, in voiceovers, Jiang Dian mused that he had met Cheng Feng at a young age, fell in love unprepared, and though he had raced against time, he still couldn't hold onto her. He asked her to call his name if he ever wandered too far, fearing he might lose his way home.
Cheng Feng, in turn, acknowledged that life was a journey without a destination, but she cherished the scenery they shared. She bid him goodbye. Three years later, Jiang Dian followed Chen Huiyun abroad. Both achieved great success in their respective fields. At the book cafe, a new male employee, who had dyed his hair like his idol Ruoshen, playfully teased the other staff while praising Cheng Feng for her beauty and her recent international award in dance.
Cheng Feng was on her way to teach a dance class at Linxi University when she unexpectedly sprained her ankle. It was then that Jiang Dian, now a renowned physicist, appeared and swept her into his arms. However, he was quickly called away for a lecture, leaving Cheng Feng fuming in the dance studio. She confronted him about breaking their appointment two days prior.
Jiang Dian explained that an emergency at his research lab coincided with his phone running out of battery, preventing him from replying. Cheng Feng, still annoyed, accused him of flirting with other women. Jiang Dian playfully asked if she was jealous, and she admitted it was obvious. Just as they were about to kiss, a school staff member interrupted, reminding Jiang Dian that his second lecture was about to begin. He promised to make it up to her later.
Cheng Feng accompanied Pei Xiaoyun to pick out wedding rings. She mused on how three years had truly changed Jiang Dian, making him "not cute anymore." Pei Xiaoyun reassured her that as long as his love remained, it was fine, and teased Cheng Feng for becoming more jealous and less like her former cool and aloof self.
That evening, Jiang Dian sought out Cheng Feng at the book cafe, where she, hoping to make him jealous, agreed to a date with the male employee. Jiang Dian, recognizing the employee's haircut as his idol Ruoshen's style, cleverly leveraged this, offering to arrange a meeting with the idol. Faced with a choice between a date with Cheng Feng and meeting his idol, the employee decisively chose the latter, leaving Cheng Feng alone with Jiang Dian.
The next day, Cheng Feng was designated as Pei Xiaoyun's bridesmaid. She received a call from Pei Xiaoyun, asking her to pick up the groom Liu Shang's best man. To Cheng Feng's dismay, Jiang Dian was the best man. She reluctantly allowed him into her car. Jiang Dian, deliberately unbuckled, provoked Cheng Feng to fasten his seatbelt for him. As she leaned in, he pulled her into a kiss, aiming to placate her.
Later, feigning that he had forgotten the groom's ring, Jiang Dian took Cheng Feng to a jewelry store. Inside "I Do," a salesperson mistook them for a couple and praised Jiang Dian's choice of ring. Cheng Feng quickly clarified the ring was for her best friend. When the salesperson suggested Cheng Feng try on new engagement rings, Cheng Feng retorted that Jiang Dian hadn't even proposed.
Jiang Dian teasingly asked if she was waiting for him to propose, then stepped aside to collect a pre-ordered engagement ring. Upon their arrival at the venue, their friend Baoling led Cheng Feng and Jiang Dian, blindfolded, into what Cheng Feng believed was Pei Xiaoyun's wedding.
Cheng Feng was surprised to see Pei Xiaoyun not in a wedding gown, and Pei Xiaoyun then revealed the elaborate trick: her wedding was actually scheduled for the next day, and this was all a grand proposal ceremony orchestrated by Jiang Dian, with the help of all their friends. Jiang Dian emerged from a cascade of balloons, holding a bouquet of flowers. He began his heartfelt proposal, stating that it had been 1,642 days since they first got together.
He explained that for the past three years, he had been secretly protecting her from afar, only appearing now that he had become a better version of himself. He confessed to returning every New Year's Eve just to catch a glimpse of her. Jiang Dian also revealed his awareness that Cheng Feng had visited him when he suffered from anorexia and was in a coma, thanking her for not giving up on him or herself.
Chen Huiyun, Jiang Dian's mother, also made an appearance. A flashback showed her apologizing to a gravely ill Jiang Dian, pleading with him to eat and expressing her regret for pushing him. She admitted she didn't want him to suffer the same heartbreak she did in her youth. Their relationship had healed, with them promising to talk things through instead of arguing.
At the proposal, Chen Huiyun sincerely apologized to Cheng Feng for her past stubbornness and the hurt she caused, wishing them happiness. Cheng Feng graciously accepted her apology, recognizing their past differences as merely different standpoints. Jiang Dian knelt, professing his good fortune in meeting Cheng Feng, in being loved by her, and growing together. He asked if she would spend the rest of her life with him.
Cheng Feng, tearfully expressing her profound gratitude for meeting him, for his love that showed her purity beyond betrayal, and for becoming a better man for her, accepted his proposal. She declared her love for him, and they shared a passionate kiss amidst the cheers of their friends. Ruoshen and another friend playfully bickered about their single status, while Baoling expressed her joy that, despite the passage of time, their bond remained unchanged.
The narrator concluded that while one might once think meeting someone is the most beautiful thing in life, later they realize that reunion is the most precious. May time be gentle, old friends remain, and may they find each other well when they meet again.
