For all Drunken to Love You fans who patiently waited for this recap, I thank thee very much. This recap was late not because of the Lie to Me ending madness, but because I couldn’t find a torrent for two days. ‘Tis true! I think the Drama gods were trying to keep me sane, because if I found a torrent I would have posted a recap stuffed with gibberish because I was so mentally fried.

Luckily the extra few days gave me time to digest the episode, which was akin to an afternoon snack, something to tide us over until episode 12. While this did feel like a filler episode, I still enjoyed it. Samantha felt a little bit more like a human being, Avril continues to elicit my “it sucks to be you” sympathy, and Jie Xiu and Xiao Ru had one KICK ASS scene together that made my jaw drop. If I wasn’t already taken, I want a man just like Song Jie Xiu.

Cup 11 recap:

Jie Xiu backs Xiao Ru up against the wall (OMO) and tells her that while she can decide not to like him, she can’t force him to not like her. So he’s decided to fall in love with her, and make her fall in love with him. Xiao Ru swallows and tells him that he can do whatever he wants. She doesn’t care because he’s just wasting his time.

She tries to push him off her, and ends up ducking under his arm and running out of the room. Both of them stand with their backs against the door, thinking about what just happened. You silly girl, go back and jump his bones. NOW. Xiao Ru thinks to herself, thanking Jie Xiu for liking her, but right now she can’t make the decision.

The next morning Xiao Ru heads to work and finds Jie Xiu waiting for her outside. He tells her that a good husband taking his wife to work is the proper thing to do. Xiao Ru says a good husband respects his wife’s decision, so she wants to take the bus today. Jie Xiu thinks it’s odd for Xiao Ru to refuse since he’s helping her save time and money. Is she rejecting his offer because she’s afraid of falling in love with him? Xiao Ru laughs and calls him self-absorbed. Jie Xiu tells her to get in the car then.

During the ride to the hotel, Xiao Ru is bitter that he managed to lure her into the car. She vows to ignore him the rest of the day. Jie Xiu asks her if she’s working late today, does she want him to pick her up. She doesn’t answer, leading Jie Xiu to ask if she’s ignoring him on purpose. She claims that she doesn’t want to talk because she hasn’t had breakfast. Jie Xiu pulls over next to a convenience store and runs inside. Xiao Ru tells him to come back but he ignores her.

Xiao Ru goes into the car and hears on the radio program that a Mr. Song asked the radio to call his wife Lin Xiao Ru. The radio host asks her to look towards the 2 pm direction. He wants to know what kind of sandwich she wants. Xiao Ru tells the radio host she wants a ham sandwich.

The radio host tells Xiao Ru that her husband will be buying her coffee as well since he knows she’s been working late and is tired. Lastly, the radio host informs Xiao Ru that her husband has vowed to continue to take care of her, and that the line he drew between them will not matter. He will always be waiting for her. O.M.F.G. (yes, I’ve been using that phrase a lot with DTLY recaps, but nothing else quite captures the awesome that is Jie Xiu).

Xiao Ru hangs up the phone and Jie Xiu comes out with her breakfast. She asks why he went to all that trouble to call the radio show? He accuses her of being the one who started it by refusing to talk to him. Xiao Ru says that she was calling him when he ran into the store, so why didn’t he respond. He says that it was her punishment, to let her know how it feels to be ignored by someone. He hands Xiao Ru her breakfast and she smiles, thanking him. They get back in the car.

Daniel stands by a lake and flashes back to his childhood in the orphanage with Xiao Ru. Daniel wants to be selected together with Xiao Ru by new parents coming to the orphanage, because he never wants to be separated from her. They make a pinky swear, promising that they will always be together and one day come back to see the tree they are planting right now fully grown. Daniel in the present throws a rock across the pond, it jumps four times.

 

Suddenly he sees his childhood self, telling him that he can’t give up. If he can jump a rock five times then his wish will come true. Daniel walks back and jumps the rock again, making it bounce five times. He makes a wish, asking his parents how long he has to keep skipping stones until they come and find him. He really misses them.

Daniel heads back to the hotel, walking in just as Jie Xiu pulls up and drops Xiao Ru off. Jie Xiu beckons Xiao Ru to get closer, and he brushes a stray eyelash from her nose. He tells her that now she looks pretty. Daniel wonders who the guy is, and why he appears to be close to Lin Xiao Ru. Xiao Ru is zoning out at work, thinking back to Jie Xiu. Meng Jun wonders if Xiao Ru really got Stockholm Syndrome since she’s balking about going to the temple later to sever her relationship with Jie Xiu.

Fruit is being served and Xiao Ru stops Meng Jun from eating kiwi since its bad for unborn babies. She reminds Meng Jun that no matter how much she likes it, she has to endure. Meng Jun throws it back at Xiao Ru, no matter how much she likes (Jie Xiu), she has to endure. The workers gossip about their new manager Daniel who is rumored to be a taskworker. Daniel calls a fire drill that requires all workers to climb the stairs to the roof in ten minutes. Meng Jun and Kelly cheat and take the elevator. They decide to be cohorts together.

Xiao Ru ends up piggybacking an elderly colleague up the stairs, which makes her late to arrive. Kelly and Meng Jun are the first to arrive, and they mistake Daniel for a handyman since he’s dressed like one. Once Daniel’s identity is revealed, Meng Jun and Kelly start freaking out. Daniel asks if everyone is here, and is told Xiao Ru and another co-wotrker have not yet arrived. Xiao Ru arrives and Daniel asks why they are late. Xiao Ru takes responsibility by herself.

Daniel decides the punishment is to clean the bathroom. Xiao Ru starts to walk away to go clean the bathroom. Daniel tells her to stay put, saying the two people he is punishing is Kelly and Meng Jun, who took the elevator. He chides them for failing the fire drill with their selfishness. He wants workers who take cares of others, because in that case they have to help their hotel guests. Daniel asks Xiao Ru to meet him at his office, he has an additional reward for her. Meng Jun drags Kelly off to clean the bathroom.

Xiao Ru thinks Daniel is giving her a monetary bonus. Daniel wonders if she thinks all reward is monetary, asking if there is anything she thinks is of more value than money. Xiao Ru thinks and smiles, asking if he’s giving her extra vacation. Daniel asks why she piggybacked the elderly co-worker? Xiao Ru says she doesn’t know, she only knows that she can’t leave someone behind. Daniel asks if she’s never left anyone behind before?

Xiao Ru thinks hard and answers “no”. Oops, not the right answer, sweetie. Turns out that only Daniel was adopted by the couple and went to the US. Daniel asks why Xiao Ru didn’t go meet the parents. Young Xiao Ru says she doesn’t want to be adopted, and wants Daniel to get adopted and leave. She tells him that she doesn’t want to see him anymore. Back in the present, Daniel hands Xiao Ru a band aid, telling her that it’s her reward. He mentally wants Xiao Ru to remember that when he first arrived at the orphanage, Xiao Ru gave him a band aid to cover a hole in his socks and welcomed him.

Xiao Ru doesn’t remember and keeps asking if her reward is a band aid. Daniel puts a band aid on her rip and tells her that now people won’t know she has a rip. Xiao Ru thinks it looks hideous and takes it off. Daniel tries to keep her from taking it off. Xiao Ru accuses him of being a deviant who likes to accost employees using a reward as an excuse. She won’t fall for it. After she leaves, Daniel wonders why she just doesn’t remember.

Jie Xiu and Tony are outside their office and can’t get in because their boss locked the door. Jie Xiu says he’s busy this afternoon, he needs to go home. Jie Xiu tells Tony he looks tired and should go home. Boss comes out and tells everyone that after five years on a dating website, he finally got matched. He’s so excited but not prepared for it. Jie Xiu and Tony try to encourage him. Boss requests that Jie Xiu be his wingman on his date tonight. Jie Xiu tries to demur but Boss lays down the guilt trip that if this date fails he’ll be a bachelor until he dies. Jie Xiu, and Tony, agrees to accompany him.

Meng Jun and Xiao Ru head to Madame Booby’s Temple, with Xiao Ru explaining that their new manager tried to sexually harass her using the excuse that he was giving her a reward. The temple lady comes out and sees Xiao Ru, asking if she remembers her from the resort. Xiao Ru hands her a drop of Jie Xiu’s blood. Temple lady says that she wasn’t asking for blood, she wanted a pair of shoes (the Chinese pronounciation of blood and shoe is very similar, especially when mangled with a Taiwanese accent, heh). She suggests Xiao Ru order the Temple’s C Meal.

Turns out that the Temple lady has a VIP guest inside, none other than Avril and Samantha. She writes Avril and Jie Xiu’s name on a wooden placard. She hands Avril a wreath of flowers, telling Avril that the next part needs to be done by Avril to show the goddess her desire. Meng Jun tells Xiao Ru to quickly write their names down on a placard. Once the Temple lady chops it with her knife, Xiao Ru and Jie Xiu’s intertwined fates will be severed.

Xiao Ru pauses and thinks it over, asking if this will really work? Meng Jun asks why Xiao Ru is suddenly so wishy-washy. She wants Xiao Ru to wake up from a drunken dream now. Xiao Ru writes down their names, flashing back to all the wonderful memories she’s made with Jie Xiu. Xiao Ru hands the Temple lady her placard and she hands Xiao Ru a flower wreath as well. Suddenly the Temple lady tells both Avril and Xiao Ru that they have a few minutes to toss the wreath on the tree, and there is only one spot left.

Xiao Ru and Avril take turns throwing their flower wreathes, fighting for position under the tree. Suddenly Avril doubles over in pain, telling Xiao Ru that she will prove how much she loves Jie Xiu and she won’t lost to Xiao Ru. Xiao Ru helps Avril up and tells her to toss the wreath, Xiao Ru already promised Avril that she won’t fight her for Jie Xiu. Avril toss the wreath and it lands on the tree.

The Temple lady gets ready to perform her ritual over the two wooden placards. Suddenly she can’t remember who wanted to sever their relationship and who wanted to bring the lovers together. She also sees a gossip rag with Avril and Rickie’s picture on it. Since both placards have Jie Xiu’s name on it, the Temple lady decides and severs one of the placards (we don’t see which one). Suddenly a gust of wind blows Avril’s wreath off the tree.

Meng Jun wonders why Xiao Ru is smiling even though she didn’t get to toss her wreath on the tree. Xiao Ru is smiling because she was happy to see Avril get her wish. Suddenly Meng Jun realizes that Xiao Ru’s wedding ring is missing. Xiao Ru says the last time she saw the ring was at work. Meng Jung goes back to work to look for it, reminding Xiao Ru to maintain her distance from Jie Xiu from now on. Xiao Ru looks at her empty ring finger, sighing that even it is reminding her that her borrowed happiness is almost over.

Samantha and Avril run into Xiao Ru and Avril thanks her for helping her back there. Samantha wants to take Xiao Ru shopping to buy her a gift. Samantha and Avril both Agree to accompany Xiao Ru shopping today for groceries she needs for Yi Xian and Peggy’s wedding banquet. Avril can’t handle shopping at an outdoor market so takes off to wait for them elsewhere. Xiao Ru goes to write down an order and is reminded once again that her ring is missing.

Samantha asks Xiao Ru if she’s fretting over her wish not coming true. Samatha heard that Xiao Ru wanted to make a wish for Jie Xiu’s career. Xiao Ru says it’s for herself, Jie Xiu works so hard that it affects their relationship. Avril sneaks off to get a foot massage, where she is being tortured by her masseuse.

Xiao Ru runs into the construction foreman who is happy to see her. He mentions that she did a great job having Jie Xiu be a construction worker for a day. Samantha overhears this. The foreman confesses that he’s changed his mindset since that incident. Xiao Ru runs off and the foreman explains to Samantha that Xiao Ru saved Jie Xiu’s career since no construction crews would work with him back then. Samantha gives Xiao Ru a once over after she comes back.

Samantha asks Xiao Ru if she’s familiar with the people at the market. Xiao Ru confesses that she knows everyone at the market since she hung out there growing up. Samantha explains to Xiao Ru how she became a single mother for awhile to take care of Jie Xiu. But once she got accepted by another dance troupe, she worked hard to give Jie Xiu a a good life so she missed a lot of his childhood milestones.

But somewhere along the way, Jie Xiu stopped treated her like a mother. Samantha shares funny stores about Jie Xiu’s childhood with Xiao Ru, such as when Jie Xiu brought a drunkard home pretending to be his father. Avril walks up to find them laughing, wanting to hear funny stories about Jie Xiu as well. But she totally missed the moment.

Samantha gets a text that she got matched on a date. She asks Xiao Ru to accompany her, and Xiao Ru agrees to go. She can avoid going home and give Avril some alone time with Jie Xiu. Avril sees Xiao Ru getting close to Samantha and wants to tag along as well. The ladies head to a nighclub, where they don masks. Avril wonders if she’s recognizable, but Samantha tells her that all the ladies are here to dance or see a Chippendales show.

Xiao Ru walks out wearing a pink cleavage-bearing dress, which Avril chides as being propped up using a support bra. Samantha tells Xiao Ru to relax if it’s her first time here. Boss, Jie Xiu, and Tony walk in, also wearing masks. Boss has been dressed by Jie Xin all black with a leather jacket. Tony is excited to get himself a blind date.

Boss notices the three ladies wearing masks and think it’s their dates. Jie Xiu points to Samantha and calls her a cougar. He points to Xiao Ru and says that she’s totally stuffing her bra so she’s a liar. He points to Avril and says that she lurks around like a hundred year old vampire looking for a victim. Jie Xiu wants to leave but Boss insists on staying.

Boss heads over and introduces himself to Samantha, which is when Jie Xiu recognizes his mom. Samantha takes off Jie Xiu’s mask, suddenly everyone knows everyone else. Tony says that Xiao Ru looks very “booby” today (which also sounds like the word for fierce).

Jie Xiu drags Xiao Ru off but Avril can’t follow. Jie Xiu takes off his jacket and drapes it over her, covering her chest. He gets so nervous and says they need to go home. Jie Xiu explains to Xiao Ru that since he was a kid, he’s always had to clean up after Samantha’s mess, such as when she danced in the street and caused an accident.

Jie Xiu says that everytime she comes back to Taiwan, he thinks that the cops are her best friend because all his mom does is cause trouble for Jie Xiu to clean up. As for Xiao Ru, he tells her that she’s not allowed to go drinking. In fact, if she gets drunk, she’s only allowed to get married to him. She can’t marry any John, Dick, or Harry. That is only his right and privilege.

Thoughts of Mine:

I’ve discovered that, while every episode of DTLY is solid and moves the plot and relationships forward, even episodes tend to be better than odd ones. Not sure why, but I’ve been getting that feeling for awhile now. I know everyone and their mother is starting to get annoyed with Xiao Ru and her “I can’t like Jie Xiu because he doesn’t belong to me” act, yet somehow Rainie Yang makes her hesitancy and internal conflict so real and not whiny.

The ratings for DTLY, while still steller at over 4, nevertheless doesn’t appear to be able to break 5 again, much less 6, anytime soon. I think it makes sense, because DTLY currently lacks the angst that makes viewers clamor for more. External conflicts hit the OTP like Teflon (Avril who? Samantha what?), and Jie Xiu doesn’t appear to ever be willing to give up on Xiao Ru. That’s so fanfreaking awesome, but does cut down on the desire for me to gnaw my arm off because I worry about my OTP so.

Can I give a shout out to the single best scene in this episode – when Jie Xiu got Xiao Ru to get in his car to take her to work. The way he kept trying to engage her, and when it failed, the just brilliant, sweet, charming, and funny way he turned it all around on her. Running to get her breakfast because she used hunger as an excuse not to talk with him. Calling the radio station to have the DJ act as a go-between. The way he made her laugh just by being so darn amazing to her.

I think Xiao Ru is stuck in limbo, unable to act on her feelings for Jie Xiu because she hasn’t ever worked through all her long-standing issues with being an orphan as well as being adopted then rejected. I’m curious as to why young Xiao Ru ditched Daniel and missed the adoption meet and greet, and how their relationship will play out now that Daniel is back. I like having Jie Xiu fight someone else for Xiao Ru, because I think girlfriend needs more confirmation that Jie Xiu is always going to fight for her before she has the security and courage to fight for him.