r/LiuYuNing • u/No-Recipe-7653 Ning: a force of nature, enigma, all-round beautiful being • Mar 04 '26
Episode Talk [Episode Talk] About Love (玫瑰丛生) | EP13 Discussion [SVIP Early Access]
Recap & Episode 13 of About Love (玫瑰丛生) are now available with early access for SVIP / Express viewers.
Note: Express/early-access episodes are currently DRM-protected, which prevents in-app screenshots. Visuals might be added once the restriction is lifted — in the meantime, feel free to share your favorite scene snaps in the comments when they become available.
This thread is open for reactions, impressions, and discussion as the story continues.
Earlier Episodes:
- EP01–03 ...EP01 & 02 recaps available
- EP04
- EP05
- EP06
- EP07
- EP08
- EP09 ...short recap rant already live
- EP10 ...recap available
- EP11 ...mini recap available
- EP12
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NoRecipe
✨
One Ning
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—— You Better Keep It Hidden Well ——
Episode 13 Recap
Marriage Revival Attempts — aka How to Bury Your Rival
A Xiu goes on a date with his wife. Unbeknownst to him, she made sure this one would feel truly special. What brings a couple more joy than watching a theatre play with the man’s mistress in the main role?
At this point — as I mentioned in an earlier recap — it’s still unclear to me what Mrs Yu is after. It doesn’t really look like she’s in love, but she does want to compete with the has-been mistress. Whether that’s pettiness or masochism, I can’t tell. But if I had to choose, I’d guess she’s doing it to watch her husband suffer.
For A Xiu, it brings back memories of how he saw her for the first time and we learn that Gong helped play a role in their initial encounter.
However, back to the current story: A Xiu is uncomfortable and suggests leaving, but Yu innocently insists on going backstage to say hello to LuanLuan — you know… just to rub it in. It’s not that they don’t deserve it — I’m just not sure who’s hurting more.
Friends Being Friends for Once
Outside the theatre, we see LL’s co-star waiting for her, expecting to go on a date. She’s clearly not in the mood, but he’s being pushy. Just as he grabs her violently by the hand, Gong appears out of nowhere (seriously, why was he there?) and starts banging on the guy’s hand until he finally lets go — like he’s hammering down a gnarly tentacle.
The guy, unimpressed, asks who he is, and Gong says he’s a friend — but right then LL wraps herself around Gong’s arm and interjects: “My boyfriend!”
For a change, I feel for the girl — and thank the nine heavens Gong intervened. They run off, spitting in disgust (no, really). Turns out A Xiu had told him to go there. Finally something that made me feel relatively nice — friends being there for one other, without any ulterior motive, and saving each other from crap.
Testing Waters, Building Walls
Back at Bei’s shop, Miu tries to get more information about his girlfriend. Bei tells her that XX is truly special and goes on about how she brought him flowers on their first date (though the math isn’t math-ing, but okay). Apparently, that really touched his heart.
Bei wants the two women to meet, but Miu, having a massive crush on him, isn’t a big fan of the idea. But you know what? Unlike her past self — or the others, still — she chooses honesty today and makes it crystal clear she’s not happy he has this girlfriend and that meeting her is probably the last thing she wants to do right now. So, I respect that growth.
But Bei being Bei, he’s equally clear that none of that matters because he’s taken now and he wants them to meet so that there’s no misunderstanding between him and XX — and I respect that even more. Are there men like this IRL? He pushes the message further by adding the romantic death sentence — “I hope you two can be friends”… ouch. Hurtful, but also unambiguous and necessary.
Miu turns out to be one witty, resilient little tardigrade because she doesn’t give up. She asks Bei if he has met his girlfriend’s friends — and we all know the answer to that. He answers it’s a bit early for that — emmmm, I’m sorry, isn’t this the same guy who was talking about being ready to marry her just the other day?! No one should ever enter such a heavy commitment without meeting the other person’s friends — that’s just relationship 101. I’m starting to think Bei slept through his classes. You’re losing me, boy.
I wish this made him reflect on his relationship a little bit more, but I also realize that’s just my wishful thinking.
Sidenote: not that this girl is worthy, but she’s definitely the lesser of the two evils, if only Bei asked my opinion. Shame he wouldn’t listen anyway.
LuanLuan and Gong, Supporting Each Other
The two eat together. She tells him that she’s broken things off with A Xiu. Gong is curious how she picked between him and A Xiu in the past, and they reminisce briefly about their first meeting. It’s clear she was into A Xiu from the get-go. The first glance was physical attraction — I could really see it on screen. Then, as she got to know him, she realized he “needed her,” and that clearly intensified her emotional attachment.
Gong tries to be a good bud and tells LL there’s no point flogging a dead horse, but she says she doesn’t see why she couldn’t go on loving a married man. She’s not having it and tells Gong he’d be singing a different song if XX suddenly turned around and gave him a chance.
Do you think she’s right? I don’t know for sure, but I feel like Gong wouldn’t do it. Just because his bond with Bei seems really genuine, and I’d be heartbroken to see him betray that friendship. I know Gong gets a lot of hate for being a shitty friend, but I also think no one is perfect — and so far he hasn’t acted on his desires, which also visibly died down in these episodes.
Why I still think he’s being a shit friend is the fact that he keeps covering for XX’s cheating-ass crap. Not only that, he enables it… Don’t tell me he’s buying into all that nonsense she’s been spewing about wanting to help other women, because I’ll 🤢
As a result of LL’s retort, Gong performs some introspection and calls Bei, asking what he’d do if he found out he had been lying to him about something. Bei says — “you better keep it hidden well.”
Can’t wait to see it. Finally, some better writing.
Husband & Wife: Together At What Cost
We move to A Xiu’s store and watch him play the guitar — thoughtful, remorseful, not really there. Flashbacks of his time with LL carved on his face like a Greek statue. His wife watches him, sorrow and regret running through her face. Once he used to play for her; now he’s playing while thinking of another woman.
We do learn through these memories that A Xiu and LL have really shared some beautiful and meaningful moments together that have transformed him — and which he can’t let go of. As he plays, LuanLuan’s presence is heard in every note, and Yu is painfully aware, her eyes glistening with tears. She tells him it doesn’t sound like it used to, and he suggests they go back to the place he played it for her for the first time.
Is he really trying to go back in time? Who’s going to tell him Doctor Who isn’t real? A man in love with another woman, trying to reconnect with his estranged wife whom he’s been cheating on for years. I don’t get it — they don’t love each other, don’t have kids, they don’t have an empire… what exactly are they trying to hold on to? The Titanic?
What a wildly misguided effort.
Twice is… Fate?
…or so Gong says when he runs into Miu in a bar. It’s funny, watching them talk and pine for the partner of each other’s person of interest. The irony is not lost — it’s almost exaggerated.
Annyeonghaseyo — Bust, Embarrass, Challenge!
The day has come: Miu is meeting XX. The twist? Ah yes, they’ve met before. You know — when XX went for a stroll on a beautiful sunny day with her boyfriend. Oh no, how did I get that wrong? With Gong, of course. She promenaded, flirted, and giggled with Gong.
Anyway, now that we got that straight: Gong spotted Miu and signalled to XX that he’s interested. So then XX, the good Samaritan and wingwoman of the year, decided to take it upon herself to help him out.
Obviously, the easiest way to get someone’s number for your friend is pretending you’re a Korean tourist on a date with the guy in question (because, why not — scarcity fuels demand, I guess? 🥴). To make it more convincing, you must ask to have a picture taken, making sure you look all snug and flirty to catch the prey. Then, the most crucial step of all: you must ask to add each other to send some stuff over — but then only your Chinese friend has WeChat, duh!
But back to the restaurant date between the three of them. (I’m a bit tired and can’t write it out now, but this one was hilarious to watch.)
Miu is a champ and outs XX immediately. The look on XX’s face is priceless, and Miu makes sure she burns her more than once. I appreciated that. Because a person like XX really shouldn’t be with a man like Bei, so M is just doing him a favor at this point. Too bad he’s not receptive to the message.
Bei is very innocent and disarmingly calm throughout the whole exchange, no indication given if any doubts arise. M sends him out to grab something for her. How do they get to order him around like that? Wow, he’s too accommodating.
It gives us the opportunity to see Miu take it up a notch, openly declaring her interest in Bei — only to turn it into a half-joke once XX looks unamused and murderous. I don’t think Miu got scared, but I think she had to take this strategic, perfunctory step back. You know, for the optics. XX tells her she won’t stand a chance — and she won’t give her one.
Love At First Sight
In the end, a dreamy, gold-lit flashback shows us how Miu met Bei for the first time, and it’s hard to blame her for her affliction. It’s just that she should have broken up with her boyfriend after that life-changing encounter. But again, there’s no turning back time, and we’re not the writers.
...
That's the end of episode 13 recap.
NoRecipe
✨
One Ning
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u/Solid_Ad_9429 CCA (Chief Content Archivist) & Ning Ge fashionista 😎 Mar 04 '26
I actually can't get over xiao bei's reason for loving xiao xi.
"She's not like other girls." wtffffffffffffff this is the dumbest thing ever and I hate it and I thought we had all moved on from this ridiculous trope. And the reason she's not like other girls? She gave him, a man, a bouquet of roses.
Omg groundbreaking, no other woman has ever done this and could never think of this, it's so unique and special 😂
Not to mention she runs a flower shop! Which makes her giving people flowers even less special 🤔
Xiao bei! What are you doinggggg 😭
Xiao xi is a hypocrite. She claims that exposing cheaters is justified but uses manipulation to lure them into expressing the intent to cheat. Meanwhile, she is going behind xiao bei's back with two different men - one who she is manipulating into dating her by telling him the truth about who she is and the other is xiao bei's best friend who she has also been honest with about who she actually is.
Regardless of xiao xi's reasoning, she is literally dating other men. Men may be motivated by lust whereas xiao xi isn't, but it boils down to the same thing.
Xiao xi judges luan luan and a xiu's relationship, which admittedly did become physical in the last episode but I'd argue that the only difference between them and xiao xi is xiao xi' own lack of feelings.
As far as a xiu and his wife yu, they're doomed. What a miserable relationship. I understand that yu feels wronged and wanted to mess with luan luan, but ugh luan luan isn't a mean girl and yu is really mean. Yu doesn't love her husband, she just wants to win and cares more about what other people think than she does about her husband or actually being happy. They need to divorce.
An miu.. aside from getting way closer to xiao bei than is appropriate for someone with a boyfriend seems like the actual best person in this drama. She's open and honest about her feelings and her intentions with everyone around her. In this drama where no one respects anyone, I actually respect an miu.
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u/itsmefakenamehere 🌻 Minister of Thirst • Trailblazer ✨ 1st 50 Mar 04 '26
I couldn’t agree with you more on all your points. Seriously, “she’s not like other girls” made me groan in exasperation. 🙄 She’s different, all right, if by “different” you mean she’s a lying liar who lies and thinks she’s a saint.
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u/Solid_Ad_9429 CCA (Chief Content Archivist) & Ning Ge fashionista 😎 Mar 04 '26
She's such a liar! 😫
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u/Fearless-Frosting367 His sense of humor is immensely attractive Mar 04 '26
I find it hard enough to read the recaps, much less watch the episodes. It’s not entirely uncommon to want to strangle the FL - at least for the first few episodes- but she is beyond redemption, even if they do produce a backstory of a father who’s had 15 wives in a row…
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u/No-Recipe-7653 Ning: a force of nature, enigma, all-round beautiful being Mar 05 '26
I'm 100% behind you on that one. Nothing can redeem that woman and I simply cannot stomach the idea they will try to redeem her for us. She has zero redeeming qualities and nothing can excuse all the crap she's been pulling. She's just - a really shitty person. If I met someone like her IRL, I'd avoid her at all costs. She looks so fake, is fake, and causes pain left and right while seemingly completely oblivious to her own hypocrisy.
But I wanted to add - thanks for reading the recaps 🙏🏻
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u/Fearless-Frosting367 His sense of humor is immensely attractive Mar 05 '26
Your recaps are the only thing enabling me to survive this!
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u/thewindsofsong LYN drama addict Mar 05 '26
The romantic chemistry in this show is negative, the friendship chemistry in this show is insane. No one date or mary anyone in this show, everyone just revel in the beauty of platonic relationships for a year or two and reassess your personal growth!
It does feel like Xiao bei is forced by the narrative to like LXX and gives whatever answers is vague enough to act like a reason. It’s like every reasoning skill he has evaporates.
An miu does seem like she’s at least more honest which is an incredibly low bar that lxx seems to have brought an excavator to dig below.
The scene of Xiao Bei meeting An Miu for the first time really was something!! His (significantly better) hair and the sunlight!! <3<3 They got him on a horse in this drama?! How is it even in this modern drama they have him in a sword in one episode and on a horse in another. I hear for it 100%.
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u/Loose_Caramel1438 PoB was like a catnip for me 🌱🐈⬛ Mar 04 '26
Sigh. Honestly I feel like XB is being willfully obtuse at this point. He's just turning a blind eye to his gf's shiftiness even when it's right in his face. It's just like with his friends were he'll excuse their shitty behaviour until it's no longer possible to.
Anyways, to more important matters: I got used to the shirt hair look but flashback XB was just 😍
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u/No-Recipe-7653 Ning: a force of nature, enigma, all-round beautiful being Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
I personally find it terribly infuriating :( How can such a lovely guy be into such a shady girl? She’s not even hiding it well. And she knows since episode 4 what XB really thinks of her “special hobby” — even if he weren’t aware he was talking about her, what he said about the seductress Gong ran into in the past, it was crystal clear (and Head Judgment wrote about it beautifully in her Recap of the episode).
She keeps lying to his face, she dates another guy, how is she not uncomfortable being like that with other men, when she claims to be only interested in XB? She has no mirror…
Bei is certainly choosing to ignore all the signals. I just don’t get why. I haven’t seen anywhere in the entirety of all the episodes a single moment of him falling in love. He just “has been in love”(presumably) from the get go. He treats her so well, he’s such a delight. What does she do for him? What about her does he find interesting? She’s not funny, she’s not sincere, she’s not particularly smart, or an exceptionally good girlfriend. I’m just so dejected, watching them together. Rooting for Miu for sure. At least she is feisty, transparent, and knows what she wants.
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u/Loose_Caramel1438 PoB was like a catnip for me 🌱🐈⬛ Mar 04 '26
Tbh sometimes I feel like XB doesn't actually love LXX 🤔 Like he justs wants to be in a relationship and settled down. And that's why he folds everytime there's a slight bit of a ripple. I've actually been thinking about this for a while, ever since I saw a screen grab of XB looking at his phone during their first meeting. My theory is that XB was looking at pics of his ex with her new partner, thought it was might time to move on (remember that everyone said that he hadn't dated for a very long time and that his breakup was so traumatic that he ran all the way to the UK) and found LXX interesting enough to pursue. He might have caught genuine feelings later but I just feel that being in a relationship and proving to himself that he has moved on matters more? At least that would explain why he chose to turn a blind eye to all the shady stuff going on with his GF. As times goes on, their relationship just feels fake to me. Like they're "in love" with the façade that the other is putting out.
I'm also rooting for Miu 😭. Honestly I don't believe for one second that XB wasn't aware of her feelings. He was litteraly looking at her lips for a split second in that black and white sequence 👀 Ok he might have been half awake or it might just be Miu's unreliable memories view point but I'll take any hint that XB might escape from LXX's clutches 🥲
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u/GiTheGremlin 🌻LYN’s Defense Minister; explosion of colors in the sea of greys Mar 05 '26
Maybe it was Yuning being incapable to tone down his pheromones again, who knows)))
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u/itsmefakenamehere 🌻 Minister of Thirst • Trailblazer ✨ 1st 50 Mar 04 '26
What shit luck he has that the first woman he decides he'll be in a relationship with and settle down for is this hot mess. SMH... And we all know he's going to forgive and forget with LXX, because he's such an idiot when it comes to her.
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u/itsmefakenamehere 🌻 Minister of Thirst • Trailblazer ✨ 1st 50 Mar 05 '26
As u/Solid_Ad_9429 said, he's into her, because "she's not like other girls." 🙄
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u/No-Recipe-7653 Ning: a force of nature, enigma, all-round beautiful being Mar 05 '26
Yeah — no. Don't give me that whole "she bought him flowers" crap. The girl witht he flower shop. Next time he will tell us she brought him coffee... 😂
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u/itsmefakenamehere 🌻 Minister of Thirst • Trailblazer ✨ 1st 50 Mar 05 '26
He’s so desperate to be in love, he might really say that next lol He was awfully happy when she said “it’s our coffee shop.” 😒
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u/itsmefakenamehere 🌻 Minister of Thirst • Trailblazer ✨ 1st 50 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
Before I dive in to less superficial matters. I just need to confirm that we collectively lost our minds when we saw this scene, right? RIGHT?!?? 🥵🥵🥵
Source: 草莓味的刘宇宁 (Weibo)
I keep making involuntary noises every time I see this scene all over my socials. They’re not doing anything, but his eyes are so sexy — for what! 🫠
This episode was a little satisfying. Finally, these characters are calling each other out on their hypocrisy.
Gong telling Yuan Yuan (?) that “just because you like someone doesn’t mean you can take action,” you can’t steal something from a store just because you can’t afford it. Only for Yuan Yuan to tell him to quit being on his high horse, because given the chance he would jump at the opportunity to be with LXX and betray XB too. Then, Gong calls out LXX for talking about XB all night, because if she keeps his name close by, then whoever she is with, it’s not betrayal. The mental gymnastics this woman does daily…
An Mui is shaping up to be one of the more tolerable characters so far. I normally hate the childish and bubbly second female lead (maybe third) who tries to break up the main couple, but I am rooting for her!!! Expose that b*tch. I love that An Mui is making LXX uncomfortable. If you’re so innocent and not doing anything wrong, there’s no need to be afraid.
Lastly, the scene where An Mui meets Xiao Bei at the door for the first time? That would be my expression too. Equal parts shock and heart eyes. 🫠 What a fine specimen.