Hidden Love Episode 1 Recap
> Hidden Love Recap
Life contains several unforgettable moments—or more precisely, distinct, paused time nodes. This philosophical reflection sets the stage for Sang Zhi's story. Her narrative begins in middle school, specifically in Grade 8. During math class, while the teacher explains the Pythagorean theorem, Sang Zhi is completely distracted, captivated by a mother bird feeding its young outside the window. When called upon, she vividly recounts the birds' actions, much to her teacher's annoyance.
The teacher, whom her friends refer to as "Old Chen," chastises her for her lack of focus, declaring it an attitude problem and demanding her parents come to school the following day. After class, Sang Zhi's friends discuss the incident, with one apologizing for indirectly getting her caught and another noting that Sang Zhi's mother has already visited the school twice in the last half-month.
Sang Zhi complains that the teacher's voice is "hypnotic," making her want to sleep unless she finds something to do. When her friends suggest joining some boys, including Fu Zhengchu, at a bookstore to buy study materials, Sang Zhi declines, stating she's not in the mood because of the impending parent-teacher meeting.
She decides to ask her college-aged brother, Sang Yan, for help, texting him about how much she misses him and asking if he can return home the next day. Exasperated, Sang Zhi returns home, lamenting to a dog about Sang Yan's "heartless" abandonment. Her mother then surprises her with the news that Sang Yan is actually home and asks her to take some fruit upstairs for him.
Carrying a watermelon, Sang Zhi enters her brother's room and is stunned to see an incredibly handsome young man. Believing it to be her brother, she immediately asks if he got plastic surgery. Her actual brother, Sang Yan, then appears behind her, playfully mocking her for getting into trouble, as he knows she only "misses" him when she needs help. He introduces the handsome stranger as his roommate, Duan Jiaxu, who politely greets Sang Zhi.
A playful spat erupts between the siblings over her mistake. Duan Jiaxu intervenes, offering Sang Zhi fruit and telling her not to mind Sang Yan. He then states he needs to leave for his part-time job, declining Sang Yan's offer to shower first. Before he can go, Sang Zhi desperately tries to enlist Sang Yan's help for her meeting, but he refuses.
In a dramatic move, Sang Zhi feigns tears, running to her mother and, while hiding behind a bewildered Duan Jiaxu, tearfully accuses Sang Yan of hitting her. Her mother scolds Sang Yan and takes him away. As soon as they are gone, Sang Zhi's tears immediately cease, surprising Duan Jiaxu. She explains this is how they've always interacted.
When Duan Jiaxu offers to speak to Sang Yan on her behalf, Sang Zhi dismisses the idea, certain Sang Yan won't help her now. Sang Zhi then turns to Duan Jiaxu, boldly asking him to pretend to be her brother and meet her teacher. When pressed for details, she vaguely claims she was punished despite answering a question correctly, a story Duan Jiaxu clearly doesn't believe.
As Duan Jiaxu prepares to leave for his job, Sang Zhi begs him at the door to come to her school tomorrow. Amused, he asks for her grade level, and she proudly announces she's in Grade 8 and is fourteen years old. He teases her about her short stature, playfully remarking that at thirty, she'll still look eighteen. Sang Zhi retorts that his height might lead people to mistake him for her father.
Before leaving, Duan Jiaxu asks for her school and full name, confirming she attends Xuri Middle School, Grade 8, Class 1, and her name is Sang Zhi, with "Zhi" as in innocence. He then cryptically states, "So, Sang Zhi, you know when we'll meet next time, right?" leaving her confused and wondering if he meant he would come. Years later, Sang Zhi is a high school student in Grade 11.
Her brother, Sang Yan, returns home, requesting to borrow their father's car to move back to the main campus, which is conveniently located near Sang Zhi's school. He playfully dismisses the idea of picking her up, but when he asks to transport his roommate's luggage as well, Sang Zhi enthusiastically offers to help him move. Surprised by her eagerness, Sang Yan reluctantly concedes after their parents encourage her. That afternoon, Sang Zhi heads to his dorms after school.
She spots her father's car and then encounters Duan Jiaxu, who jokingly calls her a "thief." He recognizes her, surprised at how much she's grown. Noticing she's holding a fox doll from his luggage, he playfully accuses her of "stealing his things," then tells her she can keep it if she likes it. Sang Zhi, conscious of her age, initially states she no longer plays with dolls but quickly relents when Duan Jiaxu threatens to throw it away.
Inside the dorm, Sang Zhi finds Sang Yan resting and accuses him of lying about being busy. He introduces her to his roommate, Qian Fei, who immediately remarks on her cuteness. Duan Jiaxu invites Sang Zhi to sit beside him, and when he calls her "little sister," she protests, "I'm not little!" The roommates discuss dinner, but Duan Jiaxu has to leave for his part-time job. Before he goes, he again tells Sang Zhi she can keep the fox doll.
After he departs, Sang Zhi curiously asks Qian Fei if the doll was a gift from a girlfriend. Qian Fei explains that Duan Jiaxu is too busy to date and that the doll was a prize from an event. He also reveals that Duan Jiaxu and Sang Yan are known as the "Double Dogs of Nanwu," which surprises Sang Zhi, who had thought only her brother held that title. Declining dinner, Sang Zhi decides to head home alone.
Back home, Sang Zhi places the fox doll on her desk and examines a book, "The End of Eternity" by Asimov, which she took from Duan Jiaxu's room. She finds herself unable to comprehend its contents, a symbol of the "distance between us." Later, Sang Zhi devises a plan. She calls her brother's phone, claiming Duan Jiaxu left something at her place.
Duan Jiaxu takes the phone, and Sang Zhi "corrects" herself, stating that she left her essay notebook at his place. When Duan Jiaxu offers to have Sang Yan deliver it, Sang Zhi explains she hasn't started writing it. Understanding her unspoken plea for help, Duan Jiaxu gently advises her that she should be honest with her teacher rather than having someone else do her work.
However, he then offers to help, proposing they meet at the bus station at 6:40 AM the next day so he can "accompany her while she writes the essay." Excited, Sang Zhi sets an early alarm and falls asleep snuggling the fox doll. The next morning, she arrives at the bus station early, waiting nervously and wondering if he will actually show up. Her mind drifts to her middle school days, recalling her similar anxiety about the parent-teacher meeting. She vividly remembers Duan Jiaxu's enigmatic farewell, which had left her to wonder what he meant and whether he would actually show up the next day.
