Episode Summary
Xiguang finalizes the garden project and receives a letter from Yusen detailing the moment he fell in love with her during a past family conflict. Overcome with guilt about his accident, she surprises him at the train station. After a botched attempt to find a famous park, they stop at some roadside trees where they resolve their past misunderstandings. Xiguang officially accepts Yusen as her boyfriend.
Spoiler Alert
The Garden Project and a Blast from the Past
Things are finally moving at Shuangyuan Company. The photovoltaic garden proposal is a go. Nie Xiguang spearheaded the whole thing. Even Mr. Hua is impressed by her technical knowledge. He actually respects her now. He even asks her to cover for him at an upcoming expert lecture.
Xiguang leaves the meeting feeling good. Someone asks about the garden's name. She remembers asking Lin Yusen for advice ages ago. She decides on "Liuguang Garden."
Then, the mail arrives. It’s a postcard and a letter from Yusen. He sent it from Dunhuang. Reading it takes us back to their very first encounter.
That Fateful Banquet
The letter triggers a flashback. Jiang Yun was invited to a fancy party. Her ex-husband, Nie Chengyuan, was also on the guest list. Jiang Yun didn't want the drama. She sent Xiguang in her place.
Xiguang did her duty and offered polite blessings. She tried to hide in a corner. But then her dad showed up with Ma Nianyuan to make a toast. The mood shifted. A group of men started gossiping nearby. They trashed Jiang Yun. They said she was great at business but terrible at keeping a man.
Xiguang lost her temper. One of the gossipers tried to hand her dad a business card. She snatched it. She tore it to shreds right in front of everyone. She called him out on his ugly behavior. It caused a huge scene. Lin Yusen was watching from a distance. He didn't see a crazy woman. He saw a dazzling star. He couldn't get her out of his head.
Guilt on the Highway
Back in the present, Xiguang drives the same highway where Yusen had his accident. They drove past it together just days ago. She tries to imagine his pain back then. She feels like the villain in his story. The guilt eats at her. She didn't know she was the reason he was there.
She calls him immediately. He is in Beijing. He plans to return to Suzhou the next day. Xiguang changes the plan. She tells him to get off at Wuxi instead. She wants to pick him up personally.
The Station Surprise
Xiguang rushes out the next morning. She doesn't even tell her mom where she is going. She buys a platform ticket to surprise him right at the train door. She tries to play it cool and follows him out. He senses her presence. He turns around.
They have a moment. But there is a catch. Yusen said he would arrive at nine. Xiguang checked the schedule. There was no nine o'clock train. He lied about the time so she wouldn't have to wake up early.
She brought him xiaolongbao for breakfast. But it’s freezing out. The buns are stone cold. They take the food into a western restaurant to heat it up. It feels like they are crashing the place. It’s awkward but funny.
A Date with Destiny (and Trees)
After eating, Xiguang wants to play tour guide. Yusen suggests looking at plum blossoms. Xiguang drives. She gets lost. They never find the Plum Garden. They just find some random plum trees on the side of the road.
They get out to look. For Yusen, this is a date three years in the making. Xiguang isn't in a romantic mood yet. She scolds him. He should have asked her for the truth years ago. If her dad hadn't spilled the beans, she would still think she was just a substitute for someone else.
Yusen explains himself. He was going to ask Shao Jiaqi for the truth back then. But he got scared. He couldn't face reality. He thought losing his career as a surgeon was the price he had to pay for this relationship. It felt like fate. But finding out it was caused by a total stranger made it harder to swallow.
He realizes the irony. He actually met Ma Nianyuan before he met Xiguang. If he hadn't misunderstood the situation, they could have been together years ago.
Xiguang hears enough. She drops her hesitation. She accepts him. She agrees to be his girlfriend. It isn't because she feels guilty. She just loves him.
Yusen drives them home. Xiguang asks if they should try to find the real Plum Garden. He looks at her. He says the roadside trees they just saw are the best garden he could ask for.
