Episode Summary
Jin Chao breaks up with Jiang Mu and cuts off all contact to build a career. Three years later, Jiang Mu struggles to move on while discovering that expensive gifts Jin Chao gave her were symbols of deep love. She returns to China for work and finds out from a friend that Jin Chao has been back to visit, despite her father's lies.
Spoiler Alert
Speed and Love Episode 21 Recap
The Hardest Goodbye
This episode starts with a punch to the gut. Jin Chao thanks Jiang Mu for saving his life. But then he pushes her away. He tells her she needs to go back to Canada. Jiang Mu is a mess. She asks him point-blank if they are breaking up. He doesn't say a word. He just wipes a tear from her face and pulls his hand back like he touched fire. He tells her to go find someone better than him. It is brutal to watch.
Jin Chao is serious about disappearing. He tells San Lai to cancel his phone number. He plans to leave Man City entirely. Before he goes dark, he sends Jiang Mu one last text. He says he is going far away to make something of himself. He promises to contact her once he settles down. Six months pass. Jin Chao visits his car shop one last time. He stands there and remembers her laugh. Then he shuts it down and heads back to China.
Secrets and Lies
Jiang Mu goes back to China too. Her parents, Jin Qiang and Zhao Meijuan, know exactly what is going on. But they decide to keep their mouths shut. They think it is better for the kids if they stay apart. Jiang Mu asks about him. Her mom plays the "we can't control him" card. She says Jin Chao isn't their biological son and has lived on his own for years.
Jiang Mu tries to find him anyway. She visits the car shop. It is empty. The pet shop next door is closed too. She calls San Lai. He is useless. He says he hasn't heard from Jin Chao in ages. He tells her to move on and date other guys. Jiang Mu touches the lock on the shop door. She has no choice but to walk away.
Three Years Later
We get a three-year time jump. It is Christmas at Chris's house. The good news is that Jiang Yinhan is fully recovered. The family is happy. Jiang Mu cooks a huge feast. She never cooked a single dish back in Man City. She has changed. Chris's son, Nick, tries to make a move on her. Jiang Mu shuts him down immediately.
She tries the dating scene. It is painful. She goes on blind dates and sits there in silence. The guys just talk about themselves. She drinks her coffee and hallucinates. She sees Jin Chao sitting across from her. He asks if the coffee is better than his. It isn't. She remembers how sweet his coffee was. She tears up and walks out of the date. She is twenty-six now. She has met plenty of people. But she still can't get him out of her head.
Hidden Treasures
Jiang Mu meets a guy named Gu Zhijie at the library. He is a grad student from Nanjing. He notices her fountain pen. He knows his luxury goods. He tells her the pen has an 18k gold nib and a pure silver body. Jiang Mu is stunned. She realizes Jin Chao gave her this pen back when he had no money. He gave her the best thing he could afford.
Gu Zhijie graduates and gets a job at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He visits Canada later and offers Jiang Mu a job as a research assistant back in China. At a party, a professor spots Jiang Mu's necklace. It is a die with a red bean inside. The professor explains the meaning. It is an old symbol for deep, bone-deep longing. It is a serious love token.
The Trail Pick Up
Jiang Mu takes the job and moves back. She visits her dad, Jin Qiang. He still claims he has no news about Jin Chao. But then she talks to Pan Kai. Pan Kai spills everything. He says Jin Chao was back in town early last year. He helped save Pan's dad's factory from a crisis to repay an old favor.
Pan Kai gives her Jin Chao's contact info. Jiang Mu realizes her dad lied to her face. Jin Chao definitely came back to visit. She heads to their childhood home. The place has changed completely.
