May 9, 2015

Murphy’s Law of Love Episode 8


We are served hamburger today. Let’s not imagine hamburger these days but back when we’re children and how much we (imagined we) loved them.


Top part of the hamburger is the plain bread: the opening scene with Zi Yan. However, the top part of the hamburger is at least better than the bread at the bottom because at least it’s sprinkled with sesame seeds. Despite Ji Jia Wei’s absence, he’s the focus in this scene. Even frozen meat can remind Guan Xiao Tong of Ji Jia Wei. Zi Yan picks up immediately who Guan Xiao Tong misses and points out the feelings she’s ignoring: she was nervous about Ji Jia Wei’s impression because she elaborated on needless details about a simple grocery trip and she already harbours feelings for him if she sincerely contemplates whether Ji Jia Wei is the right guy. And then this poor guy, Zi Yan, can only silently cry to his mom.

Now onto the meat covered with sauce: Guan Xiao Tong’s acceptance of Ji Jia Wei.


After being called over to his place for yet another one of Ji Jia Wei’s petty reasons, Guan Xiao Tong soon mulls over his (unexpected) wealth.

Ji Jia Wei asks in a serious tone: What do you want to say?

Guan Xiao Tong: Your real intention was never to review the contract but to know my answer, right? When I was bussing to your place, I was thinking of how I should reply you. This is my first time at your home. Seeing you live alone in such a large house, I realized the distance between you and me is much greater than I thought. Remember about my Break-up Anniversary I told you about last time? My biggest accomplishment I got from that was to learn what type of man doesn’t suit me.

Ji Jia Wei is disappointed in her: What are you trying to tell me?

Guan Xiao Tong: I’m worried that I don’t understand you enough and you haven’t thought about it clearly yourself. We only go to the same place to work, that’s all. We never had any other interaction. Also, we don’t have any other characteristics that make us compatible (class wise).

Ji Jia Wei gets up and faces her: You tell others to courageously love but when it comes to yourself, why are you such a wimp? I love you because you are you. I can care less about your suitability and conditions. Let me tell you why your last relationship ended; he simply didn’t love you enough. It had nothing to do with your suitability. When you truly love someone, does that person’s qualification matter? – He holds her gaze until she averts her eyes – Until you straighten your thoughts, I won’t force you to answer me, but I will always be here waiting for you to understand me. – Staaaaare

As the atmosphere tenses, he walks up to her.


But they’re interrupted by Polo who returns Guan Xiao Tong’s destroyed heel.
Guan Xiao Tong: Isn’t this my shoe?
Ji Jia Wei: This is your shoe. I don’t know! Why don’t you ask him (Polo)?
Guan Xiao Tong: Ask him? Don’t kid me. Last time you said Linda gifted me those shoes, but they were actually from you, weren’t they?

Caught red-handedly, Ji Jia Wei can only stay silent and stare at her with his most innocent expression. When she’s about to prod more, Ji Jia Wei turns away swiftly and returns to his nest, the couch, and says: Think whatever you want.

Guan Xiao Tong gives up questioning him and decides to praise Polo instead: Polo, you’re amazing. Thank you for telling me his secret. It seems that I understand him a little bit more now. He obviously wanted to be nice but he just had to pretend to be cool.

And now they both exchange smiles.  


Back at home now, Guan Xiao Tong stares at the bracelet Ji Jia Wei gifted her and when she realized the meaning of the charms, I gasped with her, lol. Sorry, I was a bit slow on the uptake.  The coin is a one dollar coin while and the shoe meant “to walk from here on” (the latter was explained by Ji Jia Wei). In English, the two charms hold no meaning. However in Chinese, “one dollar” sounds like “together” in English. Additively, the charms is Ji Jia Wei’s promise to Guan Xiao Tong to walk together from henceforth. 

With a little push from Zi Yan, a confrontation from Jia Wei, and a delightful surprise from the gift, Guan Xiao Tong is well on her way to couple-hood as she smiles when he texts her that he’ll pick her up to the wedding.


She digs up another present he gave her: the heels. In addition to the heels, he also gave her the card saying “I do.” I squealed when she wrote: “I do too.”  How fitting is it that the next scene is a wedding.

Before this scene, Ji Jia Wei’s best buddies were taking a stroll together on a beautiful night, for whatever rightful reason there is, talking about another buddy’s love life. Totally normal guys. They were on the topic of how Guan Xiao Tong’s personality perfectly complements Ji Jia Wei’s, always making him smile unlike a certain ex. In response, Simon made a ridiculous comment: “Because their height has such a difference, obviously their personality will reflect that.” I mention this now because Guan Xiao Tong and Ji Jia Wei’s difference is quite well captured again in their writing: his huge “I do” to her ants crawling on the page.


The wedding is where they officially start dating. Initially, Ji Jia Wei is his usual selfish self: he pulls her in for a picture, he despises it when his buddy steps in between him and Guan Xiao Tong, he grabs her hand but lectures her for not grabbing it earlier herself (Ji Jia Wei: When there’s a hand there for you, why don’t you grab it?), and he proudly switches her wine for orange juice. During the bride’s wedding vow, Ji Jia Wei grabs her hand in his (when the Bride says: At first, I thought you weren’t the right person but I realized I’ll never find someone better than you). While everyone’s clapping, Guan Xiao Tong does the unexpected; instead of retreating her hand to clap with the others, she grabs his hand back. It’s mutual now!


And because we hit a peak, the drama needs to follow its universal trajectory to pull us back down: Ji Jia Wei meets Zhi Yu again. It’s odd that she remembers Ji Jia Wei but never initiated to find him before. Ji Jia Wei is flustered at their meeting and leaves immediately without uttering a word to her. Although it remains a question what his stance is towards her (but it’s obvious he’s flustered in front of her), she certainly still cares for him as she tells him to call her back.

Think of that scene as the pickles in the meat because I know we all hated that in our burgers. Now back to the meaty substance: Guan Xiao Tong and Ji Jia Wei’s officially a couple.


In the car, although he’s still flustered from seeing Zhi Yu, he doesn’t refuse Guan Xiao Tong’s request to go somewhere because he promised her that besides the time for work, the rest is given to her. She directs him to the temple to wish thenew couple (including themselves?) luck. She also takes this opportunity to thank him for bring her out of her lowest moments and making her feel loved.

When she grabs a packet of red string, Ji Jia Wei gets annoyed that she wants to find another partner (with the red string) but she replies that it’s for her sister and as for her own red string, she was carrying hers all along.


Shocked.


However, now he can only stare at her with eyes full of love.
Guan Xiao Tong: Are you going to help me wear it...?


Guan Xiao Tong: Okay la! How many times do you need to see it (the bracelet)?
Ji Jia Wei: I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m being cheated of something.
Guan Xiao Tong: What do you mean?
Ji Jia Wei: You specialize in these couple events, right? Normally, isn’t there’s a special action couples do at the end to indicate their success (at finding the right partner)?
Guan Xiao Tong: What action…
Hugs.
Ji Jia Wei: This action. To prove that we found the right partner


She looks up at him now and gives him a present. They’re totally teasing us by their almost kisses.
She runs away after, leaving Ji Jia Wei to open the present on his own.  


Ji Jia Wei snickers: What on earth are you agreeing (“I do”-ing) to? Tell me clearly.

That night, our new couple texts each other about nothing. I really don’t want to translate these because they’re really nothing. But it’s cute that way. It goes from “What are you doing?” to “What are you eating” to “I’m sleeping.” Both of them are giddy the entire time exchanging these meaninglessful texts. Ji Jia Wei adds an extra comment when he tells her he’s sleeping: “Other than sleeping, what are you doing?” Guan Xiao Tong realizes he’s leading her to say ‘I miss you’ but she opts out of that and instead texts back: “I’m also ……………. Daydreaming.” Utterly disappointed is our Ji Jia Wei who now doubts her Dr. Love status. As soon as that happens, everything gets patched up immediately with an emoticon covered with hearts.
Ji Jia Wei wants to ask her out for breakfast tomorrow but gives us a few versions. I proceed to explain the differences in each version:
  1. “Hey, tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up and we’ll have breakfast together. Okay? Goodnight. – The cool and calm on. 
  2. “Hey, tomorrow morning, let’s have breakfast together, okay? Hurry up and sleep now. Goodnight.  – The carefree one.
  3. “For tomorrow morning, let’s have breakfast together, okay? Hurry up and sleep now. Goodnight (read with high pitch here) – The faster and more carefree version of the carefree version.
  4. “Hey, tomorrow we’re going for breakfast. That’s it. Good night.” – The bad boy one.

He opts for the fourth one. All that practice of being nice and sweet for the first three versions went to complete waste. LOL. Luckily, Guan Xiao Tong loves it enough to continuously repeat it.

Finally, we’re at the last part of our hamburger, the plain bread with no sesame seeds (I really should quit with my analogy): Zhi Yu’s on the lookout for Ji Jia Wei.


She goes to the meet up place for the Cycle Polo Club to reminisce her moments with Ji Jia Wei. Lucky for her, she does get to meet Ji Jia Wei.  When she gets to speak to him privately, she first brings him the breakfast they always ordered in the past. She tells him she saw him at the wedding but missed the chance to talk to him because there was someone beside him. Continuing her monologue, she asks him if he remembers the breakfast they always ordered and comments how certain beautiful things don’t change.

Ji Jia Wei: What exactly do you want to tell me?
Zhi Yu: How were you this past year?
Ji Jia Wei cuts her off: What do you want me to say? Good or not good? Are you treating it like nothing happened? I don’t have anything to say to you.

Guan Xiao Tong’s running late for breakfast which is a good thing because she just misses Zhi Yu. Or will she?

As for translating the Episode 9’s preview, I’m not too excited by this one because everything revolves around Zhi Yu’s presence and omnipresence. Just know that May 15th is a special date for Ji Jia Wei and only Zhi Yu knows the reason, leaving out our poor Guan Xiao Tong. 

Also, just a little heads up on future recaps, I may or may not do them. I’ve got this disease where I drop dramas after the couple gets together. I’ve got a fear for angst, you see.

P.S. Thank you for bearing with my analogy. I thought it was pretty cool but reading it again it's so corny. Oh well.


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