Second Chance Romance Episode 20 Recap
> Second Chance Romance Recap
Le was enjoying dinner at a restaurant with his Grandma, Gao Hui, but commented that the food wasn't as delicious as what Ms. Wen used to cook. Gao Hui seized the opportunity to ask Le if he particularly missed Ms. Wen. Le, with surprising maturity, explained that his father’s feelings came first, then his own, and he was generally easygoing about such matters. Soon after, a package arrived for Le, containing a street dance figure.
Le quickly realized it was from Ms. Tan and was overjoyed. Gao Hui, still attempting to influence him, later tried to limit his gaming and expressed concern about his studies, contrasting his performance with his father's. Feng Rui intervened, offering to help Le with his homework himself. After Feng Rui and Wen Peiyan broke up, Wen Peiyan's colleagues at her workplace whispered about the canceled wedding.
Wen Peiyan then announced she wouldn't marry and sought out Tan Siting to understand the complexities of the past. After Tan Siting revealed the truth of what had happened, Wen Peiyan felt relieved, realizing her situation and that there was absolutely no possibility of being with Feng Rui. She then returned the heirloom necklace Gao Hui had given her.
Meanwhile, Shu Han was celebrating securing eighty million yuan in the first round of funding for their sports park project, much to Feng Rui's astonishment. Feng Rui advised caution against using personal funds, emphasizing the importance of maintaining cash flow for the company's stability.
Later, at a celebratory dinner with Tan Siting and Xiao Yuan, Shu Han, alongside her boyfriend Wu Zuhao, the President of Shengnuo Real Estate, proudly announced her new role as Project Manager for their East District Sports Industry Park project. Xiao Yuan, however, was skeptical, questioning Shu Han’s lack of real estate development experience for such a significant role.
Wu Zuhao clarified that Shu Han had provided invaluable advice and that his friend's company had handled all the complex approvals for the old district's redevelopment, allowing Shu Han to manage the project directly. Shu Han, embracing her new role, confidently asserted her past reputation as a "big shot" and dismissed Xiao Yuan's concerns. Tan Siting, wishing her bestie well, reminded Wu Zuhao not to mistreat Shu Han.
Later, while Tan Siting was on a phone call discussing business, Feng Rui called to ask about lunch. Tan Siting mentioned she was meeting Le for pizza. Feng Rui, feigning jealousy, joked that Le's status was now higher than his. However, upon returning home, Feng Rui found Le playing games and learned that Le had no plans to meet Tan Siting for lunch.
Realizing his mother, Gao Hui, had orchestrated a meeting under false pretenses, Feng Rui rushed to confront her. He found Gao Hui and Tan Siting engaged in a tense conversation. Gao Hui sarcastically congratulated Tan Siting on winning Feng Rui back, but Tan Siting retorted that Feng Rui had always been by her side. Gao Hui then demanded that Tan Siting stay away from Le.
Tan Siting fiercely responded that as Le's mother, no one had the right to separate her from her child, especially not Gao Hui, who was the cause of their twelve-year separation. Gao Hui accused Tan Siting of abandoning Le for her career in Paris, to which Tan Siting asserted her right as a mother to decide when to tell Le the truth.
She threatened to reveal to Le that his beloved grandmother had kept them apart for twelve years if Gao Hui persisted, but Gao Hui callously said she didn't care about Le's potential suffering. The argument escalated as Gao Hui declared the Gao family would never accept Tan Siting marrying Feng Rui.
Tan Siting, in turn, lashed out, questioning if Gao Hui thought she wanted to marry into a rapist's family, prompting Gao Hui to retort that they didn't want Feng Rui to marry a murderer's daughter. Feng Rui arrived amidst the heated exchange, admonishing his mother to either accept Tan Siting or distance herself from him and Tan Siting, accusing her of manipulating them behind his back. Later, Gao Hui visited Feng Rui's company.
Finding him absent, she learned from a colleague that Feng Rui was planning to expand his wine business abroad. This news further fueled Gao Hui's resentment, as she already harbored anger over Tan Siting's family and now believed Tan Siting was trying to take her beloved grandson, Le, away.
Soon after, Feng Rui and Tan Siting went to pick up Le from school, only to learn from Ms. Hu that Le's grandma had already picked him up without informing Feng Rui. Feng Rui called his father, who confirmed Le and Gao Hui were at his great-grandpa’s house. Feng Rui and Tan Siting realized Gao Hui's actions were intensifying, and Tan Siting suggested it was time to tell Le the truth.
Feng Rui agreed, vowing to handle the conversation with Le. In a flashback to a hospital setting, Feng Rui's father had visited Tan Siting. He introduced himself as Feng Rui's father, calling her Ting. Tan Siting correctly inferred he wanted her to break up with Feng Rui and declared there was nothing more to discuss. He inquired about her plans if she insisted on being with Feng Rui, given his mother and grandfather's disapproval.
Tan Siting revealed her intention to move to France with Feng Rui once he returned. Feng Rui's father shared his own life story, recalling a similar dilemma in his youth: choosing between marrying his girlfriend and living a life of poverty, or marrying into the wealthy Gao family. He spoke of his humble beginnings and how his girlfriend’s love was his only comfort during difficult times.
He initially declined Gao Hui’s grandfather’s offer, but after a minor promotion, he remained a struggling employee. Eventually, his girlfriend broke up with him, unwilling to be the reason he sacrificed a life-changing opportunity and later regretted it. He concluded his story by telling Tan Siting that love could not withstand external pressures, and for their future, someone had to let go first, hoping it would be her.
Back in the present, Tan Siting was at the studio for an interview on "City of Dance." After a staff member, Zhai, welcomed her, Feng Rui called to check on her. Tan Siting assured him everything was going smoothly and that Le was fine, expecting to finish in a few hours. The host, Yu, introduced Tan Siting as a renowned ballerina.
Tan Siting candidly shared her philosophy on passion and career, emphasizing that success was hard and failure common, advocating for the ability to relax, let go, and restart when facing difficulties. She then explained her retirement from performing was driven by a desire to return home, to see her old teachers, and revisit the place where she grew up and trained.
She confirmed her new role as a guest instructor at a dance school founded by Ms. Zhuang, her first ballet teacher. Meanwhile, Gao Hui was distraught, refusing to eat. Feng Rui and Ms. Yang tried to persuade her to take care of herself. Gao Hui was still deeply troubled by memories of Haotian, believing he hadn't left and couldn't have committed the crime.
Feng Rui gently reminded her of the police's conclusion, suggesting Haotian might have been drunk at the time. Gao Hui’s father urged her to send Le back home in a few days. He apologized to Feng Rui, revealing the full extent of the family's past struggles. He explained that Haotian's incident brought immense turmoil to the Gao family, forcing Gao Hui to tirelessly protect their legacy, despite her personal anguish over her brother's actions.
He also clarified that Tan Siting's fragile mental state after childbirth, coupled with the challenges of raising a premature baby, led Gao Hui to believe that separating Tan Siting and Feng Rui was the best choice given their youth and the difficult path ahead. He admitted he thought Tan Siting had told Feng Rui the whole story.
Acknowledging Feng Rui's years of suffering and his own remorse, Feng Rui's father declared his full support for Feng Rui and Tan Siting, including their desire to marry and move to France. He wished them happiness, viewing his support as an atonement for his mistake twelve years prior. As the day ended, Gao Hui’s father advised her to rest, firmly telling her to stop interfering in Feng Rui and Tan Siting's relationship.
He warned her against causing Feng Rui further anguish or keeping Le from his mother. In a separate conversation, Gao Hui's father asked another man if he knew a woman named Tan and a girl she was often seen with. The man confirmed he knew Ms. Tan as Shi Wei's master, having met her a few times, and found her to be quite humble.
