Walk Into Your Memory Episode 22 Recap
> Walk Into Your Memory Recap
An Ning carefully placed Long Haoqian in her room. William offered to take over the care for the night, suggesting she rest in her own room as she had to work the next day. However, An Ning insisted on looking after him herself, stating that he was sick because of her. William, sensing her true desire to care for Long Haoqian despite her politeness, eventually agreed, advising her to take care and let him know if anything happened.
As Long Haoqian lay unconscious, he repeatedly murmured An Ning's name, pleading, "Don't go." An Ning, listening, felt a complex mix of emotions, reflecting on how her profound love for him had ultimately led her to a deep abyss from which there seemed no return. She wondered if it was all a dream, where she could love him and just stare at him without any other worries. An Ning then left, carrying her luggage without a word.
Passing a wishing tree, she retrieved a marriage blessing charm she had written with Long Haoqian. The original inscription read, "A match made in heaven, a perfect pair." Now, two additional lines were added on the back: "Even if we can't be together in this life, may we be in the next." She pondered the nature of destiny and whether not being together in this life meant a chance in the next.
When An Ning returned home, her mother, who had been missing her, was overjoyed, though she playfully scolded An Ning for not giving her advance notice. Both An Ning's mother and grandfather were still bewildered by An Ning and Long Haoqian's sudden breakup, questioning why such a good relationship ended. An Ning's mother shared her nuanced feelings about Long Haoqian's family, mentioning that while his father was understanding, she still disliked his mother's arrogance.
She emphasized the importance of equal status, not just economically, but spiritually. Her grandfather lamented that her "mother's" talent in qipao making, inherited from her ancestors, would be lost. An Ning's mother confessed that she had initially wanted to pass the skill to the quiet An Yi, but after An Yi's departure, she hadn't thought about it again.
Now, she realized she needed to restart her craft and teach an apprentice, hoping to give An Ning confidence in her relationships and provide her with a proud family background. An Ning's mother had also taken out all the family's qipaos to sun, and was determined to make a new wedding gown for An Ning.
Her mother revealed her deepest fear: that An Ning was being looked down upon because of their family status, as she couldn't fathom any other reason for the breakup. She felt frustrated that her daughter's desire to marry seemed so difficult. An Ning tried to reassure her mother that she didn't need to do this, but her mother, saddened, insisted on providing her daughter with a strong, proud family background.
Meanwhile, Meng Lu arrived home to find Gong Chen had prepared a romantic candlelight dinner. He cooked steak and poured red wine, gently reminding her to drink only a little due to her pregnancy. He presented her with a uniform, declaring that even at 100, he would only be the personal cook for one woman: her.
He poured out his heart, acknowledging her sacrifices for him, promising to spend the rest of his life with her, to treat her well, and to be responsible for her and their child. He then knelt and formally proposed to Ma Meng Lu, asking her to marry him, to let him care for, protect, and love her desperately. Overwhelmed by his sincerity, Meng Lu tearfully accepted.
She expressed gratitude to Gong Chen for helping her realize that true happiness wasn't found in high-class restaurants or expensive shoes, but in him. In another part of the city, Xia Tian and Yi Mingjun met with Yi Mingjun's father. Xia Tian greeted him respectfully and showed her knowledge of the Yi Group, also presenting him with a special Long Jing tea. Yi Mingjun's father inquired about her background and her late father.
He noted that Yi Mingjun had officially introduced her, and surprisingly, had chosen to stay and work for the family business rather than pursuing further studies in Canada, a decision he now understood was because of Xia Tian. Xia Tian acknowledged Yi Mingjun's sacrifice, knowing his true dream was to be a chef. Yi's father then revealed that he knew about Xia Tian's past struggles, including her financial difficulties and a past incident with a director.
While stating that her background wasn't ideal for a daughter-in-law of the Yi family, he admitted his son needed someone who would truly love and care for him, and he decided to entrust his "naughty and worrisome son" to her. However, he imposed a condition: Xia Tian must quit showbiz and could only work in the company if she wished.
Both Xia Tian and Yi Mingjun strongly objected, with Xia Tian emphasizing her passion for acting and the effort it took to get where she was. Yi Mingjun's father, seeing their resistance, challenged Yi Mingjun to prove his capability. He cited Long Haoqian's success in managing Long Teng Group and declared that unless Yi Mingjun could take responsibility for the entire group, he would have no say in the family.
Xia Tian boldly accepted the challenge on their behalf, agreeing that if Yi Mingjun met the requirement, his father must uphold his promise. Yi Mingjun’s father then tasked them with winning a company bidding project at the lowest price within one month. Yi Mingjun expressed apprehension about the tight deadline, but Xia Tian encouraged him, recognizing that this was his father's way of pushing him to take charge of the company for his own good.
Yi Mingjun, inspired by Xia Tian, declared his determination to succeed. Later, An Ning sought solace in alcohol at a roadside stall. The owner, noticing her heavy drinking, kindly advised her to stop, but An Ning insisted she had no other way to forget her sorrows. As she drank, she hallucinated her late father, confiding in him about her breakup, claiming she had "kicked him away" because of An Yi.
Her "father" reassured her that An Yi's fate was not her fault and that her encounter with Long Haoqian was also destiny. He urged her to embrace love and kindness rather than regret and self-blame, promising that she was never alone. An Ning, in her drunken state, wondered if her father thought she was useless for failing in love and marriage, and for being unable to cook "The Godsent Marriage" dish as he did.
Her "father" clarified that he made that dish for her mother, filled with his love, and encouraged An Ning to cook it "her way," implying she should express her own love through it. Unbeknownst to An Ning, Long Haoqian had been watching her silently from his car. When she passed out, he took her home. An Ning's mother, seeing Long Haoqian, asked if they had been drinking together and worried about An Ning.
Though Long Haoqian tried to leave quickly, An Ning's mother and grandfather insisted on giving him ginger tea for the road, expressing concern for his health. The next morning, An Ning woke up disoriented, asking her mother how she got home. Her mother revealed that Long Haoqian had brought her back, emphasizing that he still cared deeply for her, as evidenced by his concern.
An Ning questioned if her own father had ever made an unforgivable mistake, wondering if Long Haoqian's fidelity was the issue. Her mother clarified that Long Haoqian would never be disloyal, then listed three unforgivable mistakes for a man: unfilial behavior, abuse, and addiction to drugs or gambling. Affairs, she explained, were more nuanced.
She recounted a past incident where her own husband’s childhood friend had tried to get close to him, leading her to refuse to speak to her husband for half a year. She expressed deep regret for wasting that precious time, especially after his untimely death, wishing she had been more tolerant.
She advised An Ning to be discerning before marriage but tolerant afterward, lamenting An Ning's stubbornness in demanding absolute perfection in love, which she believed often led to couples splitting up. Later, An Ning, holding a ring, reflected on her mother’s words. She acknowledged that love could be bewildering, but felt she couldn't move forward without clarity. She resolved to face the truth of her relationship with Long Haoqian, even if it meant a painful end.
She needed to know what truly happened, stating that if the outcome was as dire as she suspected, she would discard the ring, but if a miracle occurred, he would place it on her finger again. She questioned if things could truly be worse than their current state of living in pain and illusion, reiterating her desperate need for Long Haoqian to tell her the truth.
