Unrequited Love Episode 18 Recap
> Unrequited Love Recap
After Luo Zhi's previous attempt to deliver porridge to Sheng Huainan resulted in her falling and spilling it, she bought an identical bowl and had her roommate deliver it. Unbeknownst to her, Sheng Huainan witnessed her accident and subsequent efforts. Luo Zhi was being comforted by Jiang Baili, who was tending to her injured leg.
Luo Zhi confessed that she used to think Jiang Baili’s constant errands for Ge Bi were simple, even mocking her, but now realized she wasn't even qualified to do the same for Sheng Huainan. Jiang Baili reassured her, saying they were both "fools" in love and shouldn't blame themselves, then helped her back to their dorm. While walking, Jiang Baili sang a song, and back in the room, she applied a special plaster that quickly eased Luo Zhi's pain.
As Jiang Baili prepared instant noodles for them, Luo Zhi recalled a strange habit of her middle school deskmate and admitted that her current predicament felt like karma for a lie she once told about drinking a concoction of seasoning packets. Jiang Baili asked if Luo Zhi would still pursue Sheng Huainan in the same way if given another chance. Luo Zhi nodded, explaining that her relentless pursuit was her only "weapon," and secret love had become a habit.
Jiang Baili affirmed her, declaring she too would do anything for the person in her heart. Meanwhile, in his own dorm, Sheng Huainan stared silently at a bowl of porridge Luo Zhi had sent him. His friends, Lei Tian and Xu Zhian, urged him to eat, revealing that Luo Zhi had specifically asked them to keep her involvement a secret.
Lei Tian described how Luo Zhi had fallen badly while delivering the porridge, limping and covered in it, looking truly pitiful. He concluded that, from an outsider's perspective, Luo Zhi cared deeply for him. After his friends left, Sheng Huainan carefully took a bite. As tears welled up, dripping into the porridge and making it taste bitter, he recalled Luo Zhi’s fall.
He then received a text, implicitly from Luo Zhi or her roommate, confirming he had received the porridge and advising him to drink it hot for his cold. Sheng Huainan pondered why Luo Zhi would do so much for him. Later, during a law class, Sheng Huainan deliberately chose a seat at the front, away from Luo Zhi, inadvertently sitting next to Zheng Wenrui. Zheng Wenrui, visibly flustered, dropped her pen.
Sheng Huainan picked it up, and in her excitement, Zheng Wenrui grabbed his hand, scratching him. Luo Zhi, observing from afar, quickly wrote a note, wrapped a band-aid in paper, and had Zhang Mingrui pass it to Sheng Huainan. Sheng Huainan glanced at Zhang Mingrui, who subtly pointed towards Luo Zhi, then pocketed the note. Professor Wen Yuan, lecturing on forms of crime, noticed Zheng Wenrui's distraction and called on her to answer a question.
Zheng Wenrui, still giddy, blurted out that Sheng Huainan had picked up her pen, causing the class to erupt in laughter. Annoyed, Professor Wen Yuan reminded the class of his strict rules regarding attentiveness, then dismissed Zheng Wenrui from the course. After class, Zhang Mingrui tried to console Luo Zhi, suggesting Sheng Huainan’s distance was due to his illness and fear of infection. Luo Zhi claimed not to mind, but her heart was heavy with unspoken concern.
As soon as class ended, Sheng Huainan quickly packed his bag to leave. Luo Zhi gathered her books, intending to follow him, but Ye Zhanyan intercepted Sheng Huainan, reminding him of their shared role as hosts for Mo Dan's seminar. She had just received the plan and interview script and asked him to review them with her. Sheng Huainan, seeing Luo Zhi nearby, agreed and left with Ye Zhanyan.
Luo Zhi, choosing not to pursue them, walked to a secret balcony she often shared with Sheng Huainan. From there, she sent him three consecutive messages asking about his health, why he was ignoring her, and if there was a misunderstanding. She cried, hoping her barrage of texts would prevent him from pretending he hadn't seen them. She reflected on her refusal to give up, even if her "understanding" with him was a lie she created.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a phone call, not from Sheng Huainan, but from Ge Bi. Ge Bi, acknowledging her as a devoted fan and expert in Mo Dan's work, invited her to the student union to offer professional advice for the upcoming new book seminar, highlighting Ye Zhanyan’s lack of specialized knowledge. Luo Zhi, despite her initial reluctance to speak with Ge Bi, accepted the invitation.
At the student union, Luo Zhi found Sheng Huainan and Ye Zhanyan already immersed in discussion. Ye Zhanyan suggested including a question about Mo Dan's hobbies, which Sheng Huainan agreed would interest the audience. When Ge Bi welcomed Luo Zhi and explained her role in providing interview script feedback, Ye Zhanyan expressed her irritation at Luo Zhi's involvement, arguing there was no need for an additional person during the preparation phase.
Luo Zhi calmly assured her she was merely there to review the manuscript and wouldn't steal her spotlight. Luo Zhi then demonstrated her extensive knowledge of Mo Dan’s background, including his past interests in art, music, and mechanics, and suggested incorporating his artistic journey into the interview. Sheng Huainan, in turn, proposed focusing on well-known quotes from Mo Dan’s works to help new readers, and then transitioning to the new book’s themes, suggesting a more approachable angle.
Ye Zhanyan wholeheartedly agreed with Sheng Huainan, emphasizing that the event should be engaging for all students, not an academic paper filled with obscure terms. Sheng Huainan, asked for his opinion as host, reiterated the need for thorough preparation but stressed that an interesting and accessible theme was crucial for a new book launch. Ge Bi concurred, emphasizing audience participation. Sheng Huainan then abruptly ended the meeting, advising everyone to prepare separately and use WeChat for communication.
Ge Bi urged Luo Zhi to take the interview draft home and provide professional input, stressing the importance of the event. Luo Zhi took the draft, while Ye Zhanyan, seemingly satisfied, left the student union, followed by Sheng Huainan and Luo Zhi. Later that day, a heavy rain began. As Jiang Baili and Luo Zhi's homework flew away in the wind, Luo Zhi saw a message from Sheng Huainan asking if he should pick her up.
Luo Zhi initially thought it was a mistake. Jiang Baili, however, received a message from Ge Bi, inviting her to pick up invitations at the student union, which filled her with a brief moment of hope that he remembered his promise. Jiang Baili encouraged Luo Zhi to seize the opportunity with Sheng Huainan before hurrying off to the student union.
Luo Zhi received another message from Zhang Mingrui, offering to bring her an umbrella as he was already taking one to Xu Riqing. Luo Zhi quickly ran back to her dorm, put on rain boots, packed her white shoes, and messaged Zhang Mingrui, falsely stating she was in her dorm and didn’t need an umbrella. She then messaged Sheng Huainan, falsely claiming to be stranded at a coffee shop due to the rain and asking him to pick her up.
Sheng Huainan immediately replied, promising to be there. Luo Zhi, upon reaching the coffee shop, quickly changed into her white shoes and waited outside. Meanwhile, Jiang Baili arrived at the student union, where Chen Mohan was captivating everyone with a piano performance. Ge Bi proposed a charity fundraiser during the alumni sharing session, with Chen Mohan performing. Jiang Baili was shocked to see Chen Mohan.
Ge Bi questioned who had invited Jiang Baili, and Chen Mohan admitted she had, then instructed Ge Bi to quickly give Jiang Baili the two invitations to get it over with. Jiang Baili took the invitations, thanked Ge Bi, and left quickly, her last hope shattered. Back at the coffee shop, Sheng Huainan arrived with only one umbrella, and Luo Zhi thought he would share it with her. Instead, he handed her a yellow female raincoat.
Luo Zhi immediately recognized it as the same raincoat Ye Zhanyan had worn. In a prior conversation, Ye Zhanyan had given Sheng Huainan the "couple's raincoat" they had once worn, suggesting he use it to test Luo Zhi. Ye Zhanyan had argued that Luo Zhi's repeated presence around Sheng Huainan seemed like deliberately arranged encounters.
The crucial detail was revealed: after Sheng Huainan received Luo Zhi's message about being stranded, he also recalled Zhang Mingrui mentioning that Luo Zhi was in her dorm and didn’t need an umbrella. This blatant contradiction exposed Luo Zhi's lie and solidified Sheng Huainan's resolve to test her. Luo Zhi accepted the raincoat, her heart aching, but she feigned composure and thanked Sheng Huainan, promising to return it.
