Hidden Love Episode 7 Recap
> Hidden Love Recap
Sang Zhi offered Duan Jiaxu some hangover soup, but he declined, stating he doesn't drink alcohol and she shouldn't trouble herself. Later that night, Sang Zhi found Duan Jiaxu still awake. When she asked why he wasn't sleeping, he admitted he wasn't used to the bed. Sang Zhi noticed he seemed upset and encouraged him to talk, promising not to tell anyone, not even her brother. Duan Jiaxu then confided a secret, telling her he had "plenty of debtors."
Sang Zhi immediately worried he was in huge financial trouble and earnestly offered to help him repay it once she grew up and started earning money. Duan Jiaxu gently corrected her, explaining that these weren't his debts to begin with, and instead advised her to use her future earnings to buy beautiful dresses for herself. Still, Sang Zhi secretly resolved to earn a lot of money to help him.
Before dawn, Duan Jiaxu quietly left, but Sang Zhi spotted him from the balcony. He waved goodbye, and she waved back, watching him go. Duan Jiaxu later texted her, informing her he had caught an early morning flight back to Yihe. He reminded her to notify her parents and to study hard, ensuring she sent him updates on her grades. He also asked her not to forget the promise they had made.
As Sang Zhi entered her final year of high school, her new dream became getting into Yihe University. Each time she made academic progress, Duan Jiaxu sent her gifts, motivating her to work even harder to achieve her goal. One day, Sang Zhi overheard her brother, Sang Yan, on the phone, discussing a rumor that Duan Jiaxu had a girlfriend.
Sang Zhi was heartbroken, recalling Duan Jiaxu's promise that he would show her his girlfriend first if he ever got one. Deeply unsettled, she felt a strong urge to ask him about it directly. Unable to shake her unease, Sang Zhi decided to go to Yihe herself. Sang Yan was furious when he found out, immediately calling Duan Jiaxu to pick her up. Sang Zhi concocted a story, claiming she was there to meet an "online dating partner."
Her parents, worried and angry, urged her to stay in a safe area at the airport, unaware of her true intentions. When Duan Jiaxu arrived, accompanied by a woman, Sang Zhi's heart sank. Duan Jiaxu immediately admonished her for traveling so far alone and for the "online dating" pretense, reminding her of his previous warnings and her promise to study hard.
Sang Zhi, fixated on the woman beside him, internally questioned if she was his girlfriend and why he hadn't kept his promise to tell her first. The woman kindly intervened, telling Duan Jiaxu not to be so harsh. Sang Zhi, still playing along with her cover story, tearfully told them her "online dating partner" didn't like her because she was too young. Duan Jiaxu tried to comfort her, assuring her that she would meet someone better when she grew up.
However, Sang Zhi felt even more dejected, believing that the woman beside him was Duan Jiaxu's "someone better." She apologized for the trouble, but Duan Jiaxu reassured her that they were only worried about her safety. He led her to wash her face, offering to take her for a meal while he sorted out her flight ticket home. As Sang Zhi went to the restroom, the woman remarked to Duan Jiaxu that this is how little girls grow up.
Upon returning, Sang Zhi saw the woman had left and asked where she went. Duan Jiaxu told her she had other commitments, then playfully chided Sang Zhi for treating him like a stranger after only a few months apart, making him "heartbroken." Duan Jiaxu bought her a ticket for a 1:10 PM flight. Although there was still time, Sang Zhi had no appetite when he took her to eat.
She pulled out a gift for him, which he happily accepted and unwrapped. While Duan Jiaxu was on a call, Sang Zhi discreetly slipped some money into his wallet for the flight ticket. As he walked her to the gate, Sang Zhi suddenly told him he no longer needed to inform her if he started dating. She then returned a bear plush toy he had won for her long ago, wishing him daily happiness.
Duan Jiaxu smiled, holding the bear, and Sang Zhi, for the first time in a while, smiled back before heading to her flight. Upon her return, Sang Yan picked her up at the airport and, despite his earlier anger, tried to console her. He offered to buy her favorite taro-and-duck dish or comics, or even find someone to confront the "online dating partner," but Sang Zhi cried hysterically, leaving him helpless.
At home, her mother welcomed her and told her to get ready for dinner. Her father, however, sternly reprimanded her, emphasizing the severity of her actions and how worried her parents had been. He warned her against puppy love and chastised her for secretly taking her ID to buy a plane ticket, highlighting the dangers she could have faced. Sang Zhi, in her mind, reflected that there was no "online dating partner"; she had only wanted to ask Duan Jiaxu if he still remembered their promise.
