Episode Summary
In Episode 16, Chen Luzhou actively tries to win back Xu Zhi, explaining his sudden appearance at their university due to a family scare and a supplementary enrollment. His pursuit is complicated by Jiang Yu, who also likes Xu Zhi and warns Chen Luzhou not to hurt her. Xu Zhi's roommates learn Chen Luzhou is her ex-boyfriend. Amidst these developments, including Chen Luzhou clarifying his financial independence from his mother and lending his drone for a classmate's project, the episode ends with Chen Luzhou kissing Xu Zhi in the rain after she denies missing him.
Spoiler Alert
"Be Passionately in Love" Episode 16 Recap & Spoilers
Episode 16 of "Be Passionately in Love" picks up with Xu Zhi making a quick exit, leaving Li Ke to question Chen Luzhou about the situation. Chen Luzhou, clearly concerned, asks Li Ke if Xu Zhi has a lot of admirers. Li Ke confirms she does, and notably, Jiang Yu from Xu Zhi's own department is one of them. He further reveals that Xu Zhi's roommate, a classmate of Jiang Yu, played matchmaker by helping Xu Zhi get into the publicity department, essentially giving Jiang Yu a prime opportunity to win her over due to their proximity. Li Ke urges Chen Luzhou to make his move quickly if he's serious about pursuing Xu Zhi again.
Meanwhile, Xu Zhi's best friend, Cai Yingying, lets it slip that she saw Chen Luzhou at Zhu Yangqi's place. Cornered, Cai Yingying apologizes profusely, promising it's the absolute last time and vowing to always put their friendship first. Xu Zhi, however, declares a temporary "24-hour friendship breakup" and retreats to her dorm to focus on homework and cool off. Later, in the dorm, a senior student sings Jiang Yu's praises to Xu Zhi, asking for her opinion of him. Xu Zhi is clear: she's not romantically interested in Jiang Yu, and the senior student drops the subject.
In another corner of their university lives, Liu Yisi expresses frustration with her boyfriend, feeling he's overly controlling by always arranging things for her, a dynamic she dislikes. Xu Zhi advises her to communicate her feelings openly with him.
Chen Luzhou, determined, gets the architecture department's class schedule from his roommate. He later finds Xu Zhi in the cafeteria and finally explains his unexpected presence at their university. He recounts a frightening explosion that occurred in his hometown of Ruicheng, which scared his mother into allowing him to stay in the area. His original plan was to retake the college entrance exam (fudu), but he stumbled upon a supplementary enrollment program for their current university and decided to give it a shot. Xu Zhi questions why he kept this from her. Chen Luzhou admits he wasn't sure if his plan would succeed, so he didn't dare tell her at the time. Their interaction continues as Xu Zhi heads to class, with Chen Luzhou thoughtfully saving her a seat. This doesn't go unnoticed by Xu Zhi's roommates, who are surprised to see them appearing quite friendly. Back in the dorm, the roommates press Xu Zhi for details, finally learning that Chen Luzhou is, in fact, her ex-boyfriend. Their impression of him seems to be quite positive.
The pursuit continues as Chen Luzhou and Li Ke visit the library. A female student approaches Chen Luzhou, boldly asking if he has a girlfriend. Preferring privacy, Chen Luzhou suggests they talk outside. As fate would have it, just as they step out, Xu Zhi arrives at the library with her roommates. Chen Luzhou tells the inquiring student that he is currently trying to win back his ex-girlfriend. When he returns, Li Ke asks if he ran into Xu Zhi, and Chen Luzhou confirms they crossed paths downstairs. He confidently assumes Xu Zhi must be jealous, but Li Ke, observing Xu Zhi's composed demeanor, suggests that she might have actually moved on.
On the financial front, Chen Luzhou's mother calls, informing him that he forgot to take his bank card and that she has transferred living expenses to his WeChat account. Chen Luzhou insists he doesn't need it, planning to aim for a scholarship. His mother points out that the scholarship amount (15,000 yuan) would barely cover tuition, and she'll send him money regardless, leaving it up to him to use it or not. She then transfers 10,000 yuan to him. His roommate, Zhao Tianqi, overhears part of this and suggests some part-time jobs available at the school. Chen Luzhou clarifies that it's not about a lack of funds; he simply prefers not to rely on his family's money. Zhao Tianqi remarks that Chen Luzhou's drone hobby doesn't exactly paint a picture of someone struggling financially.
This mention of the drone becomes relevant when Liu Yisi struggles with her architectural design assignment. Her professor mentioned that using a drone to observe building exteriors could be beneficial for the course. Knowing Chen Luzhou owns a drone, Liu Yisi asks Xu Zhi if she could possibly borrow it from him. Xu Zhi agrees to ask.
Xu Zhi approaches Chen Luzhou, who readily agrees to lend the drone, just asking them to let him know when they need it. Later, for Liu Yisi's birthday, she plans to invite both Zhao Tianqi and Chen Luzhou. Xu Zhi voices no objection to this.
A flashback reveals a conversation from two days prior: Chen Luzhou and Jiang Yu were playing basketball. Jiang Yu confronts Chen Luzhou, revealing he knows Chen Luzhou is Xu Zhi's ex. Jiang Yu explains that Xu Zhi initially added him as a friend because his profile picture was identical to Chen Luzhou's, making her wonder if it was Chen Luzhou's alternate account. He also mentions an earring, presumably a gift from Chen Luzhou, that Xu Zhi lost at a gala event and searched for extensively. Jiang Yu then issues a warning to Chen Luzhou: if he genuinely wants to win Xu Zhi back, he must not hurt her again, or else he (Jiang Yu) will take his chance.
The episode culminates after Liu Yisi's birthday dinner. As Xu Zhi and the group head back, it begins to rain. Chen Luzhou seizes the moment, pulling Xu Zhi aside to take shelter. He asks her directly, "Did you miss me?" Xu Zhi denies it. In response, Chen Luzhou leans in and kisses her.
