Unrequited Love Episode 25 Recap
> Unrequited Love Recap
Luo Zhi was alone, she took out a treasured postcard. The postcard's message, which she had wanted to share with Sheng Huainan as the Zhenhua High School Student Ambassador Representative, expressed how beautiful the place was, her happiness to be there, and how much she missed him, even when far away, but that she couldn't say it. She recalled that Sheng Huainan had actually given up his selection for the ambassador role.
Looking at a message from Sheng Huainan on her phone, asking why she didn't attend the celebration and if she truly wouldn't contact him, Luo Zhi realized that her bitter feelings ultimately had to be borne alone. She didn't reply to his message. At the celebration banquet, students gossiped about Ge Bi's new girlfriend, Chen Mohan, describing her as a talented cellist who was haughty and only interacted with Ge Bi.
Ge Bi soon introduced Chen Mohan as his girlfriend, a famous cello artist. Their happiness was short-lived as Chen Yongle arrived, bringing Jiang Baili. Chen Yongle, after praising Jiang Baili for her help in recommending Luo Zhi for the successful international event, deliberately arranged for Jiang Baili to sit at the same table as Ge Bi and Chen Mohan. He then quickly left, claiming other engagements, clearly trying to create an awkward situation.
Ge Bi, visibly upset, immediately apologized profusely to Chen Mohan, promising Jiang Baili would not appear before her again. Sheng Huainan, saddened by Luo Zhi's absence, discreetly moved to sit next to Jiang Baili, asking about Luo Zhi's whereabouts and why she hadn't responded to his messages. Jiang Baili informed him that Luo Zhi had returned to Harbin. As she tried to leave, Sheng Huainan stopped her, pressing for more information about Luo Zhi's return.
Jiang Baili, expressing her long-standing dissatisfaction with Sheng Huainan's superficial concern, vented her frustration at him. She accused him of superficial concern for Luo Zhi, highlighting how Luo Zhi had selflessly cared for him when he was sick, even getting injured in the process. In stark contrast, Sheng Huainan had shown no genuine care for Luo Zhi when she was ill, unlike Zhang Mingrui, who had provided consistent support.
She pointed out that his past gestures, like buying drinks and supper, were tied to Luo Zhi helping him with his accounts. Jiang Baili revealed that Luo Zhi, despite all this, never blamed him and even took the fault upon herself. She concluded by questioning why he spoke so much about caring if he didn't truly mean it, then left the banquet. As Jiang Baili left the banquet, Chen Mohan followed and called out to her.
Chen Mohan directly warned Jiang Baili that Ge Bi would never return to her and that she should stop shamelessly pursuing him, threatening that she would not tolerate Jiang Baili coveting her possessions. Jiang Baili, taking a defiant stance, asserted that she acted only to avoid future regrets and advised Chen Mohan to keep Ge Bi on a tight leash, hinting that he might still return to her one day.
Chen Mohan responded with a mocking laugh, but Jiang Baili walked away without a backward glance. Reflecting on Jiang Baili's harsh words and recalling his Aunt Zhu Yan's description of Luo Zhi's deep and selfless love for him – how he was her beacon, how she pursued his silhouette hoping to become a better person worthy of him, and how she wished him well despite all the hurt – Sheng Huainan realized the immense difficulty in conveying one's true feelings.
He pondered how many apologies it would take to make Luo Zhi understand how much he truly cared. Sheng Huainan decided that some things couldn't be communicated through messages. He abruptly left the banquet, informing Zhang Mingrui, who had followed him, that he was heading to Harbin to ask Luo Zhi in person if there was still a possibility for them.
Zhang Mingrui, although supportive, questioned what he would do if Luo Zhi said no. Sheng Huainan replied he would think about it on the way, and Zhang Mingrui wished him a triumphant return. In snow-covered Harbin, Luo Zhi and her mother visited her father's resting place, where his ashes had been scattered beneath a beautiful tree due to their past financial difficulties. Luo Zhi, while greeting her father, tearfully questioned why he hadn't protected them when they were bullied.
Her mother gently comforted her, saying that despite the hardships, they had endured, and life had moved on. Later, her mother, observing Luo Zhi's pensive mood, asked if she had a boyfriend. Luo Zhi denied it. Her mother then spoke about the past, admitting her love for Luo Zhi's father and her sacrifices for him and their family, yet stating she held no resentment or guilt.
She confessed to often reflecting on their past struggles and the unresolved grievances that had once made her fear for Luo Zhi's future. Now, however, she urged Luo Zhi to pursue her own happiness bravely, even if the person she loved was a member of the Sheng family, reassuring her not to be burdened by their generation's grudges. Luo Zhi, deeply touched, realized her own tendency to overthink consequences had led to her pain.
In that moment, she yearned to openly admit that the person she loved was indeed a Sheng, wishing to cast aside the family feuds and her mother's expectations. Yet, she also acknowledged the stark reality: a relationship with Sheng Huainan would inevitably mean confronting the unresolved conflict between their families. Sheng Huainan managed to reach Luo Zhi on her phone, expressing his relief and concern that she hadn't attended the celebration.
He informed her about the drama involving Jiang Baili and Chen Mohan at the party, confirming that Jiang Baili was unharmed. Then, Sheng Huainan confessed, "I miss you." Luo Zhi, feigning a bad signal, claimed she didn't hear him and swiftly ended the call, only for her phone to inexplicably shut down moments later.
Sheng Huainan, unable to reconnect, left her a message, pleading for a reply or at least a text to confirm her safety if she didn't want to talk. Luo Zhi considered borrowing her mother's phone to call him back but ultimately decided against it, reasoning there was no urgency. She then told her mother she would take her broken phone for repair and visit Zhenhua High School.
Unable to reach Luo Zhi, Sheng Huainan traveled to Harbin and went to Zhenhua High School, hoping to find her there. Instead, he encountered Ye Zhanyan. She greeted him, feigning surprise and suggesting they spend Christmas together looking at ice sculptures, but Sheng Huainan quickly stated he was there to find Luo Zhi. Ye Zhanyan mentioned she had also been at the school looking for teachers and hadn't seen Luo Zhi.
She then tried to engage him, noting his avoidance since the forum, and informed him of her plans to study in London after the New Year, suggesting he might never know the real reason for their breakup if he didn't listen now. When Sheng Huainan tried to leave, uninterested in talking about their past, Ye Zhanyan dropped a bombshell: their breakup was related to his Aunt Zhu Yan.
This revelation finally piqued Sheng Huainan's interest, and he agreed to go to a cafe with her to hear more. In the cafe, Ye Zhanyan revealed a painful family secret: her father, despite being married, had exploited his aunt Zhu Yan's feelings for career advancement, leading to Zhu Yan being cast out by her family. Subsequently, Ye Zhanyan's mother suffered from depression and eventually took her own life.
Ye Zhanyan expressed her confusion to Sheng Huainan, questioning why he still cared so much for Luo Zhi, given the deep-seated grievances between their families and Luo Zhi's years of secret strategizing in her unrequited love. Sheng Huainan responded that he didn't want to know if Luo Zhi approached him out of hatred, as love was a private matter between two people.
He asserted that the only thing he was certain of was Luo Zhi being the only person to stay by his side without expecting anything in return, and he believed this demonstrated her genuine affection. Therefore, he would reciprocate with his own sincere feelings. After taking her phone for repair, Luo Zhi visited Zhenhua High School, reflecting on her many memories with Sheng Huainan in that place. Unbeknownst to her, Sheng Huainan had just left.
There, she unexpectedly met Ding Shuijing. Ding Shuijing expressed surprise, noting that no students usually came on a Sunday. She then invited Luo Zhi to her art studio, where they reminisced about high school. Ding Shuijing admitted she never understood why she didn't like Sheng Huainan until college, when she realized she was actually in love with Luo Yang. Luo Zhi mentioned Luo Yang's upcoming marriage, subtly suggesting Ding Shuijing's feelings were inappropriate.
Ding Shuijing countered, questioning if Luo Yang was truly happy with Chen Jing, believing her understanding of him was deeper. Luo Zhi firmly stated that no one could decide another's life and that she would respect Luo Yang's choices, emphasizing that true love isn't about control or forcing one's own idea of "good" onto someone, but rather about watching them pursue their chosen path and offering genuine blessings.
Ding Shuijing then challenged Luo Zhi, asking if she could truly let go and bless Sheng Huainan if he ultimately didn't choose her. While Luo Zhi was out, Sheng Huainan, undeterred by Ye Zhanyan's revelations and confident in Luo Zhi's sincerity, continued his search. In a lively square filled with freely floating balloons, they suddenly spotted each other.
Sheng Huainan rushed to Luo Zhi, asking why she hadn't contacted him, explaining he had been searching for her all day and was so worried he almost called the police. Luo Zhi explained her phone had broken and was at the repair shop. Realizing he had come all the way to Harbin specifically for her, she silently allowed him to accompany her to retrieve her phone. Sheng Huainan accompanied Luo Zhi to the phone repair shop.
Upon receiving her repaired phone, Luo Zhi saw numerous messages from Sheng Huainan, expressing his worry. Her heart softened at his evident concern and his special trip. Sheng Huainan, feigning hunger and sadness about his day-long search, entreated her to have dinner with him, even though she initially resisted, stating she should go home to her family. She eventually agreed.
As they ate, Sheng Huainan confessed his regret at not knowing her better in high school, including basic things like her home address or her friends' contact information, and vowed they would spend more time together to understand her. Luo Zhi, however, challenged his earlier claim of searching for her all day, revealing that he had been with Ye Zhanyan at a cafe, discussing their past.
She also pressed him on why he had only messaged Ge Bi about her absence from the celebration, not her directly. Before Sheng Huainan could fully respond, an incoming message from Ye Zhanyan popped up on his phone, asking if he had met Luo Zhi and what they were discussing at the cafe, once again disrupting their fragile moment.
