Murphy’s Law of Love Episode 13

This episode was sooooo much better. I finally get to translate Guan Xiao Tong’s lines purely for her and not because I needed her lines to make sense of Ji Jia Wei’s. Usually it’s Jia Wei that gets the meatier dialogues but this episode belongs to Guan Xiao Tong and her unconditional love for him.

Guan Xiao Tong is thinking back to the monumental words Ji Jia Wei said to her back in Episode 6:

Ji Jia Wei: I know something must have happened to you. If you want to tell me then I’m willing to listen. If you don’t want to say it, that’s okay too. As long as you need me, I’ll be here. But before you make a decision, can I ask you a favour?

Please don’t disappear from me again.

Now she’s in the exact same predicament as he was: alone and worried. She keeps calling him and his buddies, desperate for any news of his whereabouts. 

But she’s not exactly alone. Her obedient dog, Zi Yan, finally express his anger towards Ji Jia Wei for ditching her. He insists on driving her home but she’s stubborn on walking because she knows if she walks along this road Ji Jia Wei might be able to find her. Knowing it’s hopeless to talk sense into the girl, he confiscates her cellphone and stops her time. What does that do? Well. He’s telling her to take her time to think about life; stop caring about others so much; if she’s sad she should just be sad.

Xiao Tong and Zi Yan bus home together. Zi Yan actually neglected a very important meeting just for her (he found out about her situation because he was tuning into her radio broadcast). What a nice contrast to Ji Jia Wei completely neglecting Xiao Tong. Anyways, Zi Yan doesn’t tell her the real reason as to why he’s here but instead claims he needed someone to daydream with. He takes this opportunity to analogize the bus route to her life: their bus route revolves around this bright landmark (Taipei 101 Tower = Ji Jia Wei) making it easy for passengers to neglect all the other small but beautiful surroundings the bus passes by. In other words, in life, do not miss out on the guys that tail you so obediently (i.e. Zi Yan). Well, there’s another important point in that analogy: Zi Yan wants her to appreciate herself more rather than revolve around others. He also tells her he likes the simple and happy Guan Xiao Tong.

When Zi Yan walks Xiao Tong home, he assures her those who care about her will find her. Zi Yan meant himself but the object of her orbit, Ji Jia Wei, happens to be right in front of her home waiting for return.

Jia Wei apologizes to her first but she doesn’t need any more words from him to see the pain in his eyes. Without a single bit of anger directed at him, she walks over and gives him a hug. It’s as if she’s returning the words he said to her back in Episode 6 as Xiao Tong tells him now: “I’ll be here.” I thought the hug was lovely but the trajectory of their signature hugs keep going downwards from her shoulders to her bosoms to…. Lol. Anyways, in her embrace, he’s finally able to shed the tears he held back as he reveals Zhi Yu’s condition to Xiao Tong. It’s my soft spot to have the guy reveal his weakness to his one and only girl.

To comfort him, Xiao Tong takes him out for a walk and we get another analogy likening walking home to living life.

Xiao Tong: It takes 238 steps to walk home from this route but on days I’m happy it’ll take 186 steps while on days I’m sad it’ll take 292 steps. No matter what your mood is though, you’ll always find home … I don’t know how many steps you will take but, believe me, there will be an end (to the pain). I may not be able to help with the problem at hand but no matter how many steps there will be we can walk together one step at a time.

And then Together They Walk. It was nice of the drama to make them count the steps together as they walk.  

The next day Zhi Yu comes visit Jia Wei’s law firm as per his request. Sadly for her, Polo doesn’t recognize her anymore. Anyways the point is, Jia Wei is confronting her for leaving him in the dark about her accident. He despises her for knowing his weakness (of someone leaving him without that proper farewell) yet choosing that exact same way to handle her accident. Her answer is the same as always: she’s lost every ounce of confidence but she always had that underlying belief he’d wait for her forever. Ironic much? According to her, one year of utter disappearance isn’t that long. He’s speechless at her lack of time management. He does tell her they’ve missed their timing though. He tries to encourages her to continue her therapy but she calls him out for wanting to shed his guilt by convincing her to get treatment. 

Xiao Tong is really showing her boundless love towards Jia Wei this episode. Knowing he’s working overtime, she brings the crew some coffee. Simon and them must always address her as "Future Mrs. Boss" because Xiao Tong (and Jia Wei) no longer have a reaction to it. While he’s working, she’s sitting there waiting for him. Jia Wei totally appreciates it. When his work is all done, he finds her fast asleep. He lovingly stares at her and loses track of time. When he snaps out of it he realizes he’s still got work to do. Without leaving her side, he works silently until he falls asleep too. Has this writer been reading mangas? I swear this scene was inspired by Ao Haru Ride.

When they wake up the next morning they stare at each other’s upside down eyes. He smiles warmly at her while she asks whether they can finally talk now. He combs her hair back and they stay silent. Holding her cheeks delicately, he moves in. KISS?! But why is this angle so off.

That’s because it’s an eyebrow kiss.

He tells her how beautiful it is to open his eyes in the morning to see her first.

After spending the night together (of doing barely anything), they have breakfast together. As she orders their meal, Jia Wei’s sitting at the table until some clumsy guy knocks over Xiao Tong’s bag revealing her books (with a ton of sticky notes) on Zhi Yu’s condition.

When she’s back Jia Wei teases her first: How come you can sleep anywhere? The first time was in my car, then during camp, now in my storage room. Is it because you sleep extra well next to me? You’re underestimating my presence, aren’t you?

The cute talk is over as he updates her on Zhi Yu. He tells her he doesn’t want Xiao Tong to share his responsibility because he doesn’t want her emotions to be affected at all. I don’t think Xiao Tong is particularly happy hearing that but she promises him to not get involved on one condition: his eyebrows have to unlock from each other first. He's melting.

So off Jia Wei goes to handle Zhi Yu’s case on his own. He finds out her doctor's name is Kai Wen and realizes he's Xiao Tong’s ex-boyfriend. Upon their meeting, without any hesitation, he confidently declares he’s Xiao Tong’s boyfriend with a don’t-mess-with-her look. He clarifies that him discovering Zhi Yu’s accident has nothing on his relationship with Xiao Tong; they are two unrelated things. Despite Kai Wen being relieved for Xiao Tong, he's also worried for Zhi Yu.

Meanwhile Xiao Tong is being scolded by her boss like always. However, boss has a hidden agenda. Boss, being Zi Yan’s mommy, is completely on board with playing cupid between her son and Xiao Tong. The previous night, Zi Yan had offered to be business partners with Mom as an apology on behalf of Xiao Tong and her blunder on the radio broadcast. Thus at work today, Boss tells Xiao Tong to directly hand a contract to Zi Yan with a bunch of rubbish talk on fishes and turbo engines. In simple words, her son has finally decided to chase the girl he wants.

Jia Wei learns from his buddies who learnt from Xiao Tong’s friends that she was yelled by the radio show host and Zi Yan came to save the day. Guilt is eating him up as he remembers how Xiao Tong had assured him that night everything was fine. Now he’s looking for Xiao Tong and uses a cake to bribe her two friends (who are still mad at him for ditching Xiao Tong). For the cake’s sake though, Ai Lun (Alan) reveals she’s with Zi Yan.

I loled at Zi Yan’s grand entrance. I knew Zi Yan was a well-known chef but I didn’t know it was at this level. Zi Yan organized this culinary event because he believes great food brings great bliss. One of the reporters ask why he’s revealing his identity now when he’s always remained mysterious. His answer is he’s given up on being anonymous, and like love, he’ll face it courageously. Love remains the topic of the next question as he’s asked by the annoying radio show host (who also happens to be a reporter) what his philosophy on love is. Is this still a cooking event? Zi Yan's long winded answer starts with telling the audience to look at the picture, which he names it “First,” on the pamphlet. That picture is simple, like a poached egg without any seasoning it can taste great. Zi Yan continues to express the similarities: the girl’s smile in the picture exudes the same feeling of simplicity and warmth, so his philosophy on love is the same with food; simplicity is best.

Xiao Tong’s listening in this whole time and her brain finally works as she realizes she’s his "First" love.

After the press conference, the radio show host bumps into Xiao Tong and continues to ridicule her title as Dr. Love who can’t even reach her own boyfriend. In the nick of time, Zi Yan once again sticks up for her. Since the host brought up the past again, Zi Yan tells him he feels obligated to do the same: he shall call up his lawyer and charge him for damaging his car. With that, Zi Yan drags Xiao Tong away.

Inside the restaurant now, Xiao Tong feels a little uncomfortable about his picture “First” but he assures her he never revealed the model’s identity to her because he doesn’t want to pay her modeling fees. I have yet to know for certain whether Xiao Tong believes that poor excuse but Zi Yan closes the distance between him and her for some reason.

However, before he gets any closer, Jia Wei bounces in, planting himself right between Zi Yan and Xiao Tong. The stare down between the men commence.

Preview: Zi Yan is declaring war!

♦ ♦ ♦ Comments ♦ ♦ ♦

Zi Yan, you’re out! I like him but the moment he decided to take the bus with her, he was a goner. Xiao Tong’s the “Walking” type which is also the drama’s major theme. Xiao Tong and Jia Wei’s first encounter (where they were both aware of each other’s existence) was when they were walking to work. Then when his interests piqued for her was when he followed her walking back home after the divorce party. A bit stalkerish but oh well. His first present for her was also a pair of "right" heels. Most importantly, their relationship started with her wearing his bracelet “Together We Walk.” After this episode, I appreciate the ending theme much more. No matter how many steps and detours they have to walk to reach their happy ending, they’ll reach there together. Despite the physical separation in that journey, their hearts haven’t left each other as they walked.

As for our other side character, I find it a little unfair Jia Wei is blaming Zhi Yu for not telling him. He’s got a trauma, sure, but she has one too. I think any normal person (forget being a woman) would feel insecure to have her face ruined and her body destroyed after an accident like that. On top of that, she’s a model; her career revolves around her looks. To the man she wants to see the best of her, she doesn’t want to appear like a monster. Totally understandable. The only thing I could blame her on is not trusting Jia Wei to continue loving her despite her hideous appearance.

One more tiny complaint of mine: Do we have to be that innovative about different kisses and hugs? Is there anywhere else dramaland hasn’t thought of? Kissing the nostrils, perhaps? I'm curious at how the drama will set up their first kiss. It better be grand with that much teasing going on.

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Links:

Murphy's Law of Love Episode 12