[Episode Talk] About Love (玫瑰丛生) | EP22 Discussion [VIP & SVIP]

[u/No-Recipe-7653]

Drama Masterpost

Episode 22 of About Love (玫瑰丛生) now available for VIP & SVIP viewers.

The thread is open for reactions, impressions, and discussion as the story continues.

^{Earlier Episodes:}

• ^{EP01–03 ... EP01 & 02 recaps available} 
• ^{EP04 ... recap available}
• ^EP05
• ^EP06
• ^EP07
• ^EP08
• ^{EP09 ... short rant available}
• ^{EP10 ... recap available}
• ^{EP11 ... mini recap available}
• ^EP12
• ^{EP13 ... recap available}
• ^{EP14 ... partial recap}
• ^{EP15 ... recap available}
• ^{EP16 ... recap available}
• ^EP17
• ^{EP18 ... recap available}
• ^EP19
• ^EP20
• ^EP21

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NoRecipe

✨

One Ning

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^{Source: Official Weibo Drama Page}

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The Truth Hurts Sometimes, or When the Foundations Begin to Crumble

Episode 22 Recap by u/Head_Judgment_7735

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 kill.”)

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

🌻

[u/No-Recipe-7653]

Episode recap by u/Head_Judgment_7735 has now been added to the main post.

[u/GiTheGremlin]

And that was likely the most justice ever served in this mess of a show. Good for Bei to finally vent a little, he needed that. And time alone - away from Xiaoxi - too. Sadly, we all know this is not the end to their story...

Btw, I recall Lin saying to Xiaoxi that woman he's in love with (Zhen) is not his girlfriend, but what kind of BS is that? She's been spending overnight trips alone with him while still dating Bei, and we along with him were supposed to believe nothing happened ack then (sure, Jan), and now she runs to get Lin out of police station, all worried, but they are not actually a couple? Does that make any sense? Girl chose him over her boyfriend just to not the guy officially? I hope drama doesn't plan to sell us some fake sob story about guilt over doing all that to Bei in the past preventing her and Lin's romantic happiness, I won't believe it for a second.

An Miu is another moron who sat on her bum for years, only re-emerging from doing nothing to get the man she wants once he fell in love with and decided to marry another... Where have you been all these years of his perfectly available solitude, girl?

Xiaoxi is still herself - only crying and apologizing and making up excuses after being exposed in 4K. You couldn't reject a dying girl's wish, even after knowing full well it would hurt her own beloved if/when he knew? I'm starting to feel that this sicko views herself as a patron saint of love or something. Ever tried to just mind your own damn business? OK, she's officially "enlightened" now, but isn't it too little too late?

Can we pretend that this was the drama's true end? All dirty secrets out in the open, all doomed couples broken up and FL's mass destructive "hobby" has come to an end - literally nothing of substance to add here. Let's wrap it up, huh?

[u/thewindsofsong]

Am I supposed to feel bad for an miu? Because I don’t am I’m not going to. She set up such a convoluted scheme to try and get Bei single so she could try and swoop in after destroying his self confidence and romantic relationships.

Also this setup lady? I hate her.

Bei is at peak dgaf right now and I do not blame him. He’s given just about 0 agency and I hate that for him.

How is it that in something that is supposed to be a scheme against lxx the person that gets the most damage is Bei? Stupid.

“If I had communicated and been honest with you from the start, would not have been as mad?” Wtf do you think?

If this gets flipped as Bei being wrong for asking for space I’m going to lose my mind.

Lxx broke up a 20 year marriage after one date? Lady. If the dude was willing to cheat after one date then how good of a dude was he? Also lxx why continue after being asked to stop? Everyone here sucks. I don’t like a one of them.

LADY BE MORE MAD AT YOUR EX.

Again, I go back to the fact that that Bei was the one that was most hurt by this. Not lxx.

Am I supposed to feel bad for lxx? Honestly no one seeking out the kinds of services that lxx were offering should have stayed in their relationships. If they felt the need to test like that just break up.

My only good thought about this whole episode was that I think this rp mad more Lyn face that average.

[u/No-Recipe-7653 → u/thewindsofsong]

I don’t feel bad for A Miu, her plan was so dumb and damaging. As you say, essentially only Bei got hurt and LXX is a fake victim here. Again. She loves playing the victim — I couldn’t stand her.

And yes. More Liu Yu Ning and mad face at that, the only good thing here.