Episode Summary
Episode 11 sees rumors about Gu Yan and Chen Luzhou addressed, leading to a bonding moment between Gu Yan and Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi invites Chen Luzhou to her birthday, but he has a conflicting family celebration for his university acceptance. Tensions rise at Chen Luzhou's family dinner when he tries to leave early. He eventually finds Xu Zhi, surprises her with a cake, and they share a kiss before she's picked up by her father. Xu Zhi gets into university but reveals she'll be busy with a new tutoring job, limiting her time with Chen Luzhou. The episode ends with Chen Xingqi knowing Xu Zhi's new student.
Spoiler Alert
"Be Passionately in Love" Episode 11 Recap & Spoilers
Episode 11 of "Be Passionately in Love" brings a mix of comedic misunderstandings, heartfelt confessions, and simmering family tensions as relationships evolve and characters face new crossroads.
The episode kicks off with Zhu Yangqi sending a somewhat alarming message to Chen Luzhou, urging him to "worry about himself first" because his own "backyard is on fire," a colloquial way of saying he’s got his own problems to deal with. The nature of this fire becomes clearer when Zhu Yangqi is out eating with friends, and Gu Yan happens to arrive at the same restaurant. The group, aware of Gu Yan, immediately starts teasing Zhu Yangqi about his apparent closeness to her and brings up the ongoing rumors about a past connection between Gu Yan and Chen Luzhou. Zhu Yangqi quickly dismisses these as baseless rumors, telling his friends not to believe them.
However, some of the guys in the group remain skeptical. They suggest that if the rumors are indeed false, it would imply that Gu Yan, a renowned beauty, is "throwing herself" at Chen Luzhou, and they question her motives. Their conversation then devolves into some generally disparaging remarks about women. This prompts Xu Zhi to interject with a sarcastic question to her friend Cai Yingying about how to choose a man, joking that one should look for someone with a "perky butt" who can "run fast," so he’ll be able to "grab discounted eggs at the supermarket when they're old." Gu Yan, overhearing, joins in on the sarcastic defense, adding that one should look for a man with a "big chest, because they’re more comfortable to hug."
The pointed humor hits its mark, and the guys realize their earlier comments were offensive. They begin to apologize to Xu Zhi, but she redirects them, stating they should be apologizing to Gu Yan. The boys then offer their apologies to Gu Yan.
Later, Gu Yan and Xu Zhi step away for a private conversation. Gu Yan takes the opportunity to clarify her history with Chen Luzhou. She explains they knew each other from an extracurricular group in high school. At the time, Gu Yan was heavily involved in acting and didn't have time to contribute to the group project. Other students were wary of being partnered with her, fearing she would drag down their grades. Chen Luzhou was the only one willing to be in her group. Gu Yan confesses that she initially thought Chen Luzhou might have been interested in her. However, she soon realized his true motivation: Chen Luzhou preferred to work alone, and being grouped with her still allowed him to do all the work by himself, which suited him perfectly. Xu Zhi remarks that this independent, almost solitary approach sounds exactly like something Chen Luzhou would do. Gu Yan then expresses her surprise that someone as reserved and seemingly aloof as Chen Luzhou would quietly harbor feelings for Xu Zhi, especially without even knowing if Xu Zhi felt the same way. This revelation, or perhaps Gu Yan's observation, seems to strike a chord with Xu Zhi. Soon after, Xu Zhi calls Chen Luzhou, asking what he's doing and inviting him out for a late-night snack.
Chen Luzhou meets up with Xu Zhi, who takes him to eat shengjian (delicious pan-fried pork buns). During their meal, Xu Zhi extends an invitation to her upcoming birthday party on the 8th. Chen Luzhou, however, has to decline. He assures her he has a genuine prior commitment and isn't intentionally trying to skip her celebration. He explains that his mother recently informed him that his university acceptance notice had arrived, and his grandmother had decided the entire family would celebrate this milestone on the 8th. Chen Luzhou had tried asking his mother if the family gathering could be rescheduled, but she dismissed the idea, questioning what could possibly be more important to him that would necessitate the elders changing their plans. This exchange clearly left Chen Luzhou feeling frustrated, as he lamented that his family should just inform him of decisions in the future, rather than calling him back and pretending his input was valued.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhi and her friends, including Cai Yingying and Zhu Yangqi, go out for karaoke. Their fun is briefly interrupted when a young man from an adjacent private room comes in. He explains that he lost a dare and, as a forfeit, must find a girl to sing a duet with. In a hilarious moment, Zhu Yangqi steps up, puts on a high-pitched voice to sing with the bewildered stranger, and even attempts to make a heart shape with his hands. The guy, thoroughly embarrassed and perhaps a little scared, makes a hasty retreat.
Concurrently, Chen Luzhou attends his obligatory family celebration. His grandmother kindly offers him some peanuts. Chen Xingqi, also present, quickly interjects, reminding everyone that Chen Luzhou is allergic to peanuts. The grandmother, however, seems to dismiss this, directly asking Chen Luzhou if he won't eat them. Chen Luzhou politely sidesteps the issue, saying he'll just have some chicken instead.
As the night wears on, Xu Zhi's group leaves the karaoke bar, with Cai Yingying noticeably drunk. Zhu Yangqi calls for a taxi. Xu Zhi tells her friends to go on ahead, saying her father will come to pick her up.
Back at the Chen family dinner, the atmosphere grows tense when Chen Luzhou announces he needs to leave early. His father reacts with anger, questioning what could be so important that he feels the need to "spoil everyone's mood." In a rather defiant move, Chen Luzhou downs a large glass of baijiu (a strong Chinese liquor) and firmly states that he is leaving.
Around the same time, Xu Zhi’s father calls her, asking if she needs him to pick her up. Xu Zhi, perhaps anticipating Chen Luzhou or simply wanting more time, tells her father that she and her friends are going for another late-night snack. She adds that her phone battery is dying and she'll talk to him later, effectively delaying her pickup.
Chen Luzhou tries calling Xu Zhi, but his calls go unanswered. Undeterred, he begins to search for her and eventually finds her. He has a surprise for her: a birthday cake. As they are walking back towards Xu Zhi’s home, she spots her father waiting at her doorstep. Thinking fast, Xu Zhi quickly pulls Chen Luzhou into a nearby hiding spot. In a sweet and spontaneous moment, Xu Zhi leans in and kisses Chen Luzhou. She then steps out to meet her father, leaving with him while Chen Luzhou remains hidden, visibly overjoyed by the unexpected kiss.
Later, Xu Zhi visits Chen Luzhou’s place. She tells him she wants to use his computer to check her university admission results, explaining that she feels his computer is a lucky charm for her. Chen Luzhou helps her with the search, and soon he has good news: he tells her she can "start preparing to buy her ticket," confirming her acceptance into university.
Despite the joyous news of her university acceptance, there's a bittersweet note. Xu Zhi reveals that she is about to start a new commitment as a tutor. This means, she explains, that they will have significantly less time to see each other in the future.
The episode concludes with Chen Luzhou and Chen Xingqi at what appears to be a bookstore or library. It's revealed that Chen Xingqi knows Xixi, the student whom Xu Zhi is slated to tutor, potentially setting up new interactions or complications in future episodes.
