Chapter 3
Episode 3 of Lost Romance lands us back in Xiao-En’s hospital room in the real world. Her doctors have no explanation for her condition or the bloody nose. In the novel world, Qingfeng asks Xiao’En about her dive in front of Chuchu but she makes up a story to misdirect him. Chuchu shows up to ask after her and Qingfeng is obviously smitten by Chuchu as well. Xiao’En notices and immediately tells him he hasn’t a chance. In the banquet room, the team continues preparations. Xiao’En is still blocking opportunities for Chuchu to injure herself and Aoran points out how weird she is. Qingfeng agrees she’s pretty strange and they continue to observe her none-to-sneakily slinking around the room. Aoran believes she’s up to something underhand, but Qingfeng defends her saying there must be a misunderstanding somewhere. She continues to chase Chuchu around the venue, ‘protecting’ her. Susan catches Xiao’En to make sure she isn’t neglecting her own tasks. Xiao’En spots a pending disaster and runs to protect Chuchu but actually makes it worse and Aoran jumps in to protect Chuchu from a falling ice sculpture. In the hospital we receive our awaited dessert of a topless Aoran being treated for injury. Aoran offers to drive Chuchu home afterward and Xiao’En says her house is in the same direction, jumping in on the ride. Qingfeng encourages it, to Aoran’s consternation. From the back seat of the sports car, Xiao’En continues to insert herself into the conversation. Aoran tries to drop her off first but she objects as Chuchu’s house is nearer. Afterwards, Xiao’En jumps into the front seat but Aoran deposits her at the nearest bus stop. Qingfeng pulls up to give her a lift. He takes her to a nice restaurant for dinner and she’s impressed with the quality of her dream. She lists some things she’d like to eat but Qingfeng hasn’t heard of any of them and neither has the waitress. She’s rambling about the menus available in romance novels and Qingfeng presumes she’s crazed with hunger. He asks her about liking Aoran and she checks in regarding his interest in Chuchu. Thinking of Tianxing, she claims looking at Aoran is her refuge. Xiao’En notes that she couldn’t do anything when he needed her but this confuses Qingfeng. She suggests he think of her as someone from outer space. She asks why he likes Chuchu and he has a ready list of admirable attributes. Xiao’En says the reasons don’t actually matter and that the author wants him to have a crush on her, therefore he does. Qingfeng is more perplexed than ever as Xiao’En wonders to herself if Tianxing is ok in the real world. In Chairman He Zhaonan’s hospital room, doctors have formed a top team to care for him. Whilst in a coma, his wife talks about how this is the nicest he’s been to her, as he normally fobs her off with a credit card when she wants to converse. Yet she claims not to be holding a grudge about the past (presumably referring to his affair with Tianxing’s mother.) Mingli enters, aggressive as ever, and angry having not found lawyer Wei who’d drafted the Chairman’s will. She claims he’s gone into hiding and tells her mother that she must keep her father alive until the will is found. At the Tianliang offices, Chuchu is encouraging staff members to leave messages of support for Tianxing on the reception wall, further annoying Mingli. She recalls Tianjian explaining that the employees love Tianxing because he’d worked his way up from the bottom, earning his leadership. In her office, Mingli tells Tianjian that there will be layoffs in a bid to increase profits. Tianjian, Chief HR Officer, is scolded for not understanding the situation. News of the layoffs spreads to Shanna who foresees an even bigger goal. She continues to wait for Mingli’s next move, taking out a document that looks to be the will that Tianxing was trying to hide. At Aoran’s investor banquet the team is back and dressed to the nines in shades of blush and bashful. Chuchu makes her entrance in a delicate princess-y dress, the envy of all the other girls. Xiao’En sees it coming – she’ll trip and fall into Aoran’s arms – but Qingfeng somehow catches her first. Aoran, however, regains his status and puts her shoe back on, Cinderella-like. In her head, Xiao’En gives disgusted commentary of the entire scene. With a full evening in front of them, Xiao’En reminds Chuchu not to touch any of the potentially dangerous items on site. ‘Be especially careful of anything square, sharp, cold or hot.’ That should cover it. Susan runs over with a caviar-flavoured emergency. The girls head out to wait for the refrigerator truck and unsurprisingly someone ends up trapped inside as it pulls away – but this time it’s Xiao’En. Aoran races after the truck, believing Chuchu inside, as per the script. Xiao’En waits for Aoran but suddenly realizes that as she’s not the female lead, he may not show. Chuchu brings the caviar in and everyone is wondering who’s in the truck. Of course, the truck’s brakes fail and Aoran must stop it. He jumps to the moving truck only to be disappointed that Xiao’En is inside. He helps her jump from the soon-to-crash vehicle. They drop and roll, landing safe and Xiao’En vents her fear on Aoran. He only asks about Chuchu then heads to the investor event. Qingfeng delays the start as guests begin to get antsy. Aoran arrives, changing his shirt on the way, entering just in time to give his presentation. Investors and Xiao’En are impressed but he only has eyes for Chuchu. Afterwards, Qingfeng questions Xiao’En about how she knew Chuchu would be in trouble. Aoran overhears the conversation and as she claims a sense of déjà vu, Aoran calls bullshit and accuses her of masterminding the incidents. Xiao’En denies it but Aoran points out evidence that she’d previously targeted Chuchu, saying he can’t trust her. He gives her a chance to earn confidence, moving her to his strategy department under Qingfeng. With Qingfeng managing her, she’ll no longer be able to play her tricks. The next day she packs her desk and says goodbye to her teammates, moving to her new department. Xiao’En suddenly realizes her great luck – she can watch Aoran at his desk all day long – without even needing a drone. On Mingli’s behalf, Qiaozhi and team film board members in compromising positions to blackmail them as needed. Director Xu barges into Mingli’s office to object and she threatens him. Qiaozhi reports that Tianxing’s personal effects were taken from the hospital by Shanna – potentially their father’s will among the documents. Susan and Quitian invite Chuchu to lunch but she declines, inadvertently insulting them. They talk about Xiao’En as if she’s died rather than moved offices. At her desk, Xiao’En voices-over Aoran’s narrative, describing his every move as an overbearing CEO. Qingfeng notices and tells her to wipe the drool and get back to work. Delivering a report, she notices Chuchu having a tiny homemade lunch on the stairway so she takes her out for a proper lunch instead. Chuchu prattles on about her inefficiencies and Xiao’En guesses her family background (from her knowledge of romance plots). And there we’re left until next time.
The Episode Review
Previews for the next chapter are looking good, including a shower scene, Xiao’En rolling around on a luxurious bed as well as getting fired by Aoran. Funny how protagonists get fired in English on Asian TV – ‘You’re fired!’ a la President Trump in The Apprentice or alternately Gordon Ramsay or Alan Sugar over in the UK’s reality scene. In any case, lots of action to come. In this chapter, Xiao’En further tests her theories about the male and female lead characters and works to limit their dramatic interaction. She succeeds only in putting herself in danger, but on the up side, gets to experience a rescue by Aoran. Unfortunately, with all her strange behaviour Aoran has decided that Xiao’En is actually plotting against his precious Chuchu and takes measures to keep a better eye on her. To her delight, Xiao’En gets Aoran-TV all day long, from her new position as Qingfeng’s assistant. There’s no way she’ll get any work done at all. Who can blame her? In her eyes, it’s not a real job anyway, but all part of her lovely overbearing CEO dream. Meanwhile, I completely get why the other women want to kill or at least maim our perfectly over-innocent friend Chuchu. You’ll be shocked (I’m sure) to hear that as an actress she goes by the name ‘Snowbaby.’ So, makes sense. You can find her in other 2020 dramas such as Fly the Jumper (Viki) and Detention (Netflix). From the moment they meet, Xiao’En talks to Qingfeng about the novel world – as an accomplice – different to her relationship with every other character. Like she can no longer hold it in and he just happens to consistently be there when she’s at the end of her rope. And he just shakes his head, letting her be odd. If it were me, I’d have jumped on that with a million questions. Or maybe I’d just think she’s a weirdo too. In any case, another snappy, sassy episode with Xiao’En mainly in the novel world. Can you blame her? That’s where you’ll find all the fun!
