I’m so glad I decided to take a leap of faith and start recapping King Flower. If I didn’t do that, episode 16 would have arrived and I wouldn’t have a regular platform to fully do this episode justice. I screencapped the hell out of this episode and couldn’t decide on which perfect one to use to top the post. This really was the week for perfect rainy kisses that likely won’t be topped for a long time to come. In KF, the kiss was such a brave one, Terry letting go of his guilt over falling for Da Hua, his pain over losing Liang Yen, and his understanding that Da Hua doesn’t belong to him so all he can do is tell her that he loves her. Tell her without any expectation of her, and then thank her with all his heart for everything she has done for him. Put aside the substitute princess farce, that was NEVER Terry’s need. He doesn’t care about losing Sheng Da, he just cared about Liang Yen. When she died he would have collapsed with her but for Da Hua.

I love Terry so much the thought that he might tumble down an emotional abyss if Da Hua wasn’t around gives me the shakes it’s so distressing to contemplate. Terry knows that, he is thanking Da Hua for being his emotional support for so long, even if he knows that his love for her isn’t something that can be acted upon. Even if Da Hua discovers that also loves him back, imagine the public outrage that Terry is with a girl who looks just like his dead fiancée. There are layers and layers for why they can’t be together, but my heart knows only what my heart knows. And my heart knows these two have fallen for each other and are just meant to be together after the extravagant adventure they have taken together. On a side note, Guan Jun didn’t piss me off in this episode and was actually quite considerate around Da Hua, which is a bonus for not ruining the mood of this lovely episode,

Stage 16 recap:

Terry comes clean to President Du about Liang Yen’s death and how he found a girl to be her substitute. President Du cries over the death of his Liang Yen, and even worse he never even got to see her before she died. He demands to know why she couldn’t be saved.

Terry and Qin Mo stand before President Du and his personal physician. The doctor reads Liang Yen’s medical charts and confirms that there was nothing medically possible to save her. Even if he was there, he couldn’t have saved her, and its clear Qin Mo did the best he could. He asks President Du to take care of his own health now and leaves.

President Du accepts Liang Yen’s death was an accident but demands to know why Terry found a substitute? Was it because he coveted President Du’s shares in Sheng Da? Qin Mo speaks up and takes all the responsibility. He lied to Terry that Liang Yen needed a year to recover and urged him to find a substitute so as to not alarm President Du. Qin Mo believed that he could save Liang Yen despite the odds being so long. Terry only knew Liang Yen was dying when Qin Mo called him to go say his goodbyes.

President Du asks why not come clean after Liang Yen died? Terry doesn’t answer and Qin Mo also takes the responsibility for that. He was the one who asked the girl to keep pretending and not to come clean. President Du asks to see Liang Yen’s grave and Terry finally speaks and says he will take him right now.

Da Hua is happily cooking at home for Terry, getting super excited over how tasty her food is and how much Terry will like it. She even made his secret favorite food the hot dogs cut into squid shapes.

She hears the door open and calls out if Terry is home. He walks into the dining room and she comes out to welcome him. He notices she’s cooked for him and she happily explains that he works so hard and doesn’t eat right so she wanted him to have a nice meal tonight.

She makes him sit down and take a bite, showing him the little hot dogs. He softly murmurs “You remembered” with a rueful smile. Da Hua nods happily. Terry takes a bite and Da Hua anxiously asks if its good? He pretends to look stern and then smiles and says it’s very good. I love how comfortable their interactions are. And Da Hua is totally such a wifey to Terry, how could she not see that her feelings for him are more than platonic?

Da Hua can tell Terry is off and asks where he went today. He doesn’t answer and she doesn’t press him. She wonders why he looks so wan, asking if he’s thinking about Liang Yen. Terry controls his emotions and says nothing. Da Hua suddenly remembers and tells Terry that she ran into President Du today when she was with Guan Jun. But she was quick on her feet so smoothed it over. But she’s worried about him finding out.

Terry turns and tells Da Hua not to worry about being found out anymore. He told President Du the truth today, about Liang Yen’s death and the substitute princess he found. Da Hua is so worried about President Du and she wants to go see him right away. Terry grabs her arm and reminds her that President Du will not want to see her face right now because she looks like Liang Yen. She asks what will happen and he says he’s ready to give up the Managing Director position when he decided to come clean.

Terry tells her with a smile that it’s all over and she can really go home this time. Da Hua looks crestfallen and asks if they will really be parted? Terry says yes. From now on, she can return to her real life – eat what she wants to do, do what she wants to do, no need to live in fear of being discovered. There is no need for them to act anymore, and perhaps from now on they can meet each other as their real selves.

Terry smiles and tells her to go pack after dinner, he’ll drive her home. Da Hua does not look eager to go home in the slightest.

Da Hua packs and puts her Grey Bear on the side table. When she puts Liang Yen’s clothes away, she accidentally knocks Grey Bear under a chair but she doesn’t notice. She finishes packing and says goodbye to Liang Yen’s photo, sorry that she can’t take care of President Du for Liang Yen any longer. She leaves with her Terry-caught goldfish but totally forgetting Grey Bear.

On the car drive home, Da Hua clutches the tank of goldfish like its a bar of gold. Terry looks over and asks if she’s taking the fish home? Da Hua says Terry got her the fish so she wants to take it home and take good care of it.

Da Hua asks about what will happen and Terry smiles and says he’ll probably lose everything. But he expected that when he came clean to President Du so she needn’t worry. He was the one who lied and its natural he gets punished for it.

Da Hua is worried about him losing everything if President Du won’t forgive him. Terry says Da Hua is such a kind girl, she ought to hate him for changing her appearance and her life. Yet she is always looking out for him. Da Hua says its the opposite, he helped her family when they were in need, how could she hate him.

Terry thanks her for being by his side during this time, supporting him and encouraging him. She is considerate and thoughtful, and Lin Guan Jun is really very lucky to have a girl like her liking him. Da Hua musters up an awkward half-smile to hear that. It starts the rain and Terry pulls up outside the store.

Da Hua turns and calls him name, as if to say something. But Terry keeps things moving along by telling her to stay in the car as he gets her luggage since its raining so hard. I get the sense he knows she’s reluctant to go but he can’t allow her to stay. For both their sakes and in this current situation. They have to go back to the start if they even have a chance of going forward.

Terry gets out and Da Hua sits in the car looking very reluctant to leave.

Terry grabs her suitcase and opens her car door. Da Hua gets out and Terry holds the umbrella over her. She wants him to not get wet but he says he’ll be in the car shortly.

He urges her to take the umbrella but she stubbornly looks down and makes no move to take it. Terry smiles and takes her hand and puts it on the umbrella. He then pulls her hood over her head and tells her not to get wet and catch a cold.

If she catches a cold, he won’t be around this time to make ginger tea for her. Da Hua stares at him and asks him to take care of himself. Terry says he will and then urges her to hurry home. He pulls the luggage handle for her and makes her start walking.

Da Hua walks past a smiling Terry, and after she turns around is when his smile disappears completely.

He stares at her and she turns around and looks back at him before continuing to walk home.

Terry is getting soaked in the rain but makes no move to get into the car. He flashes back to all her time together, and how kind and supportive she was towards him. Which also serves as a reminder of how touchy-feely she has always been with him.

Terry calls out “Jin Da Hua!” Da Hua turns around and sees Terry soaking wet and worriedly calls out for him to get into the car!

Terry strides forward and swoops Da Hua in for a kiss that catches her completely off-guard.

Da Hua stares in shock as Terry kisses her, her one hand tightly gripping the goldfish tank while the umbrella falls out of her other hand.

After some time, Terry ends the kiss and pulls away.

He and Da Hua stare at each other, and he breaks the silence by saying “Da Hua, I love you.”

She stares some more at him and he smiles, gently stroking her face before saying “Thank you.”

He takes a few steps back while still staring at her, before decisively turning around and walking back to the car.

Terry gets into the car and looks absolutely exhausted. He doesn’t look at Da Hua, who stands in the rain staring at him. Terry drives off leaving Da Hua still standing there like a statue.

Jin Mom and Guan Jun are closing up the store when a dazed and confused (and wet) Da Hua walks up. Mom rushes over to dry her when Da Hua hugs her mom and burst into tears.

Mom and Guan Jun are shocked and confused, with Mom asking if anything happened? Did Ouyang Tai do something bad to Da Hua? She shakes her head and says with a forced smile through her tears that its all over now. She doesn’t need to go back to Terry’s because he came clean with President Du.

Guan Jun says it’s about time, and is for the best. Mom agrees, this leads her to think Ouyang Tai is a good person who does the right thing. Plus this lets them stop getting all entangled with his business the earlier the better. They lead Da Hua inside to change into dry clothes.

Later that night, Da Hua sits in the front of the store staring at her goldfish and brooding. Guan Jun walks out and sweetly asks her to stop being so mopey. This is good that the truth came out since it was bound to come out. And this shows that Ouyang Tai has a conscience. Da Hua says Terry is a good person and she is worried about the consequences Terry has to face and wants to help him. She doesn’t want to see him lose everything.

Guan Jun says Terry must have readied himself to accept the consequences of coming clean. Guan Jun says he would help if he could, but they can’t help him win Sheng Da or get President Du’s forgiveness. Guan Jun is happy that everyone can go back to their original lives. Da Hua says softly that she can go back to her life – eat what she loves, go to the places that she loves, be the Jin Da Hua everyone is familiar with. She doesn’t not look excited about this prospect.

Guan Jun can tell though he sweetly pinches her cheek and says this is why he likes her. Da Hua’s totally glum expression when he says that cracks me up. Though I do feel bad for Guan Jun at this moment, because he’s totally getting whiplash from Da Hua’s complete disengagement that she is back with him and is instead all worried over Terry. He urges her to get some rest but she asks for some more alone time right now.

Guan Jun gives her space and goes inside, but turns around and looks with dismay at how morose Da Hua is.

Da Hua sits there and flashes back to Terry’s rain kiss and his love confession. She cannot believe that he has fallen for her. She tells herself not to think about it. Suddenly she realizes that her Grey Bear is missing! She realizes she probably left it at Terry’s.

Terry goes home and walks into Liang Yen and Da Hua’s empty room. He sits down on the bed and remembers putting a drunk Da Hua to bed that one time.

He then looks at his wedding ring and takes it off, putting it in front of the picture of him and Liang Yen. He is finally saying goodbye to her and letting her go.

Terry spots something under the chair and walks over to pull out Grey Bear.

Da Li is now running the delivery company on his own and is out trying to get clients. He runs into the busty secretary at Sheng Da and she flirts with him and offers to help his fledging company.

Da Hua cooks porridge at home and her mom thinks its for her only to be told that she’s making it for sick President Du. Mom asks if Da Hua is hoping President Du will forgive her? Da Hua doesn’t expect forgiveness, she just wants a chance to explain because she respects him so much.

Mom wishes she just sold the store to pay off the debt back then rather than let Da Hua suffer like this. Da Hua says this is not suffering since good things did come out of what happened. A customer comes in and notices Da Hua and her mom talking inside. Da Hua says they have been through so much before, she’ll be fine this time as well. Da Hua calls Cheng Hong and gets the address of President Du.

Da Hua goes to see President Du and apologizes. President Du knows that Liang Yen’s death is not their fault, but she lied with Terry and caused him not to see Liang Yen before she died. That is something they can never make up to him. President Du says he may understand what Terry did, but that does not mean he will forgive.

Da Hua says that Terry was under a lot of pressure this whole time. He lost Liang Yen and had to deal with the loss, but also act like he was fine at work to deal with the machinations of his cousin. Terry is also in a lot of pain. Da Hua is not asking for his forgiveness but wants to explain that Terry wanted to come clean after Liang Yen died but she asked him not to. She felt a kinship with Liang Yen and wanted to take care of President Du for her. She asks him to blame her and not Terry.

President Du asks why she agreed to the masquerade and Da Hua explains her dad putting the family in debt so she was paying off her father’s debt. She was so envious of the warm father-daughter relationship President Du and Liang Yen had since she doesn’t have that with her dad.

Da Hua offers President Du the porridge she made and urges him to take good care of his health. She leaves and President Du actually eats the porridge and thinks about how Da Hua was always caring towards him in a genuine way.

Da Li gets a huge client thanks to that busty secretary, who wants him to go out on a date with her but he hems and haws. Ah Xi happens to see them talking and huffs off angrily.

Da Li chases after her and explains he got a big case through her and can’t let it slip away when the business is just starting. He pulls Ah Xi in for a kiss as a vow that he’s marked her and he belongs to her. Ah Xi acts angry but is secretly happy.

President Du goes to see Da Hua at the store and she’s stunned to see him there.