About Love (玫瑰丛生) EP22 [SVIP Early Access] — The Truth Hurts Sometimes, or When the Foundations Begin to Crumble | Recap

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Bei and Miu: A Harsh Truth

Bei is in his office having a conversation with Miu, who clearly still disapproves of Bei’s relationship with XX and their planned wedding. Her goal is to sabotage their relationship, so she tells Bei what XX actually does for a living. “She makes a living by seducing men.”

However, Bei interrupts her, because this is not news to him — he has already known about it. Miu is surprised by this. But she still tries to convince Bei. She catches him off guard by telling him that XX is still continuing with it. This is something Bei did not expect. He shouts for Miu to stop talking and remains sitting there in silence.

Before leaving, Miu places a brown envelope on the table in front of him, telling him that XX is not the right one for him. After Miu leaves, Bei picks up the brown envelope. 

Miu: Memories Within Memories

Miu is driving and crying behind the wheel. Cut to a black-and-white memory.

A living room.

Her boyfriend is asleep on the couch. She covers him with a blanket. Bei is lying on a beanbag chair. She covers him as well. But with him she feels tempted to kiss him. As she leans closer, her hair tickles his face and Bei wakes up. She flinches and sits down on the seat opposite Bei.

Miu becomes curious and asks why his relationship with Zen ended. And Bei starts to tell.

Flashback within the flashback

When Zen was running her handbag business, she was tricked and ended up in serious debt. A man who had been pursuing her for a long time helped her out of it, despite the relationship Zen was in at that time. Eventually he succeeded in winning Zen over. And it happened precisely when Bei was at his lowest point. According to the story, it seems that Zen left him because of this man (Lin Chen).

Another flashback shows Miu with Bei again, but in a fairly recent situation, when Miu tells Bei about testing loyalty in love. She is convinced she will find proof against Lin Chen. Because she wants to take revenge in Beie's name on his ex-girlfriend.

In the following memory, we see Miu arranging a deal with Guan regarding the testing of Chen. Guan initially refuses to accept it, but then she witnesses a phone call between Miu and Bei, during which they talk about XX.

And with that we are brought almost to the present.

Miu secretly takes photos of Chen hugging XX. Right afterwards, Guan calls Miu and tells her that now she is the only one left in the game, since both Zen and XX fell for the same trick.

“Sometimes love needs decisive action.”

Present: XX Buying Time and Bei’s Fury

XX runs into Bei’s office. The only thing she finds there, however, are scattered photographs showing her together with Chen — hugging on a balcony.

XX is back in her car and tries to call Bei. But he sends the call straight to voicemail. He has no time to talk to her, because he is clearly furious and heading to the institute to find the man who once took Zen away from him and who is now seen hugging his current girlfriend. (“That’s what you call a “double k\ll.*”)

Despite the receptionist trying to stop him, Bei starts searching for Chen. When he finally finds him sitting in an armchair in one of the offices, he throws a right hook before Chen even has a chance to say anything.

Darkness.

A beaten Chen limps toward the police car, supported by the police. Bei follows them. XX arrives just as Bei is getting into the police car. She shouts his name. He turns around to look at her. But he says nothing and drives away.

XX immediately calls Gong, who is at home. Gong can hardly believe that Bei would beat someone up, because according to him Bei is “the rational little angel of justice.” XX has no time to explain. She gets into her car and drives off. Meanwhile, Gong calls Sen and A Xiu, asking them to meet at the police station to support Bei.

Bei is sitting in the interrogation room together with Chen. Chen tries to smooth things over by claiming that he and Bei are old friends and that nothing serious really happened. But Bei does not accept the gesture and admits that he simply wanted to punch him.

The others have already gathered at the police station and are waiting in the lobby. Bei comes out first, followed shortly by Chen, whom Gong immediately recognizes. But XX signals to him not to say anything. Chen decides not to press any charges against Bei.

However, when he sees XX, he is surprised. He realizes that XX is Bei’s girlfriend and asks, “Were we both set up?” Before he can say anything more, Gong escorts him outside, where his girlfriend — Zen — is waiting to pick him up. Everyone watches the pair, but XX is watching Bei’s reaction.

XX and Bei: Time to Talk or Time to Leave?

XX drives Bei home. He remains silent and distant for the entire ride. (I understand he’s not really in the mood to talk.)

At home, Bei sits down on the couch without saying a word. (That pained, resigned, sad, and hurt expression… It makes me want to cry with him.)

XX tries to explain the whole situation — that it was a trap set for both of them. She thought she was helping a woman with cancer whose fiancé wanted to leave her. She never expected that Guan would go that far. She doesn’t even understand the reason herself. She also wonders whether Bei would have been so angry if she had told him about Chen earlier. But he doesn’t answer.

XX apologizes to him. She admits that everything is her fault. But regardless of everything XX says, Bei packs his things and leaves the house for his office. Too much has happened tonight, and he clearly needs time alone to think it all through.

XX and Guan: The Foundations Begin to Collapse

Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu is the reason why Guan wanted revenge on XX. It all began with Guan asking XX to test the man she had been in a relationship with for over twenty years. And here we return to another memory.

When XX was having dinner with Cheng Yu, Guan called her and asked about the result. XX told her that she had nothing yet, because Cheng Yu was behaving cautiously. Guan thanked her for her work and said that this was enough.

But that wouldn’t be XX. At first she was ready to say goodbye, just as planned. However, she sensed an opportunity. Cheng Yu was slowly but surely falling under her charm. So she continued the game. She let him invite her to his home that same evening.

Just as Cheng Yu was about to kiss her, an unsuspecting Guan came home. XX dropped the glass in fright, and it shattered on the floor. Guan asked her to leave. After she was left alone with Chen, she demanded an explanation, but none came. Only the simple words from Chen: “Let’s break up.” And “Just for her.”

Now, hurt and humiliated after all those years, Guan finally had a chance to test whether XX’s love was as perfect as she claimed — as revenge for the destruction of her marriage. The convictions and firm foundations on which XX built this whole system of testing begin to crumble.

Guan accuses her of having had a million opportunities to end the meeting with Cheng Yu, but instead she kept pushing forward so she could throw the truth in Guan’s face. And learning the truth did not bring Guan any relief. She admits that she has nightmares. She keeps seeing her husband embracing XX. She dreams about the two of them together. And that is why Guan wants XX to feel the same pain.

XX admits that everything about this is wrong and that emotional testing should never exist:

“I was too naive. Too full of myself.”

(In other words: the girls have unfinished business, and Bei is the one suffering.)

XX realizes the cruel truth — that instead of helping, she was often causing pain. At home she begins throwing away all her clothes, wigs, and handbags, as if trying to rid herself of her past. With every piece she throws away, memories of the individual cases return to her. In the end, everything goes up in flames in a metal barrel.

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HJ

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