Asian Addicts Anonymous

Ok, I felt better after taking some cold medicine. Not well enough to go through the hassle of putting up screencaps, but well enough to write up a barebones recap. So, after much delay, here’s Spring Love episode 8.

Of course, we must have an episode of our heroine being a complete idiot (yet again) and the very typical mis-overheard conversation. If a person would only listen to the entire conversation, misunderstandings would not arise, alas, that is never the case.

We open with Ren Mei waking up and vaguely recalling the kiss. Since she doesn’t believe Tai likes her, she thinks it must all be a dream. Enter Wenzi who has brought roasted tangerine to help the sick Ren Mei. This makes Ren Mei very nostalgic as her grandmother always used to make them for her brother whenever Ren Hu was sick. This made Ren Mei intentionally get sick one time which earned her a harsh scolding from her grandmother for not taking care of herself. Ren Mei only did it because she wanted her grandmother to fawn over her like she did Ren Hu.

Ren Mei does ask about Wenzi and Tai. Are they dating? This thrills Wenzi as she thinks it means Tai told Ren Mei that they were going out. Ren Mei asks if Tai is just a substitute for her friend, but Wenzi assures Ren Mei that her friend is one of a kind meaning she isn’t using Tai as a substitute (for himself :P).

Ren Mei then runs into the worried Tai who is trying to figure out how to explain his impulsive kiss the other day. Just admit you like her and get it over with. Ren Mei has no clue what he is talking about. She tells him she was dizzy and feverish and had many strange dreams. This upsets him that she can’t recall the kiss. Again. Just tell her you love her already. Shakes head.

Xiao Xiang visits the Long hot springs as she has no place to stay until she settles the shop matter with her cousin. Lao Tu immediately takes a dislike to her. She is very bold and very honest. She admits to being a bar hostess and Lao Tu says that she is not allowed to “service” (aka prostitute herself) their customers. The two start bickering and Lao Tu gets a bloody nose when she puffs out her ample chest. Tai finally arrives on the scene to put an end to matters and thus the Long household gains one more member. This makes Ren Mei very happy.

Ren Mei sets up Xiao Xiang’s room and is horrified to learn that Tai was hurt while helping Xiao Xiang. The young girl immediately rushes over to his room where Wenzi is taking care of the cut on his hand from the knife. Wenzi asks about his feelings towards Ren Mei. Tai admits that she is a very pitiable person, but he refuses to sympathize with her. Of course, Ren Mei only stays long enough to overhear that she is someone to be pitied and leaves before Tai says he doesn’t pity her and that she needs love more than anything else. This depresses the young girl so much. Ah Pan and Lao Tu try to cheer her up, but to no avail. It takes Xiao Xiang complaining about her defeatist attitude to get Ren Mei to perk up and try to snap out of her funk.

The two girls meet with Xiao Xiang’s cousin who wishes for an extra million in order for Xiao Xiang to take back the shop. Ren Mei finagles for more time and gets it, but how will they come up with the money? Ren Mei worries over this as she takes down the laundry. Enter Tai. He asks how things went with the cousin and Ren Mei tells him to just seek out Xiao Xiang. This upsets Tai and he tries to ask her what is wrong and Ren Mei does something very cruel. She says that they should be invisible towards one another from now on since he hates her and she hates him right back. This hurts Tai and he angrily agrees to this and walks off, which gives us a montage of these two constantly meeting and Tai huffily ignoring her.

Meanwhile the village head says that an anonymous benefactor is willing to loan the needed sum to Xiao Xiang as long as she can find a guarantor. Long agrees to back her. Ah Pan and Lao Tu caution him as he is using the hot spring as collateral, but he goes ahead with Tai’s blessing since sometimes you just need to gamble and take a risk. Of course, this is all Ren Hu’s doing. You know he’ll use the promissory note to try to destroy the Longs.

The hot spring’s promotional plan worked and guests start flooding in. Ren Hu overhears this and is most unhappy when he learns that Wenzi left his hot springs for the Long’s. Thus he goes over to the Long’s house and starts stalking the girl. He runs into Ah Lun and Ah Xiang who are being the idiot baddies they are. They threaten to key his car unless he pays. Ren Hu takes out a wad of cash and promises to hire them for some easy money. So what has our dastardly evil brother have planned?

Ah Xiang peeps on the girls in the female bath while Ah Lun sneaks into Wenzi’s room and steals her purse and passport. The two manage to avoid being caught and the Longs’ guest all scram. They ponder why anyone would attack their business since its no secret they aren’t doing well. Tai says it is an obvious set up. Someone is trying to harm them. Thus they decide to set a trap for the next night.

The next day Ren Hu goes to the police station to see Wenzi who reported her passport and purse being taken (Ren Hu now has both in his possession). She is not happy to see him at all. She has developed quite the loathing for him (and his grandmother) thanks to their interactions and what she has learned about Ren Mei’s life. Ren Hu invites her to his booked solid spa, but Wenzi refuses as since his business is booming, he should let others who need it have it. Burn.

That night the trap is set for the baddies and lo and behold the peeper and thief return and are caught this time. Ah Pan is horrified that her son would dare to steal from her boss. She cries and apologizes, but Ah Lun is not moved. It’s all because his mom works there that they are poor and have no money. He then reveals it was Ren Hu who planned everything. Ren Mei is horrified and rushes to her room followed by Ah Pan who assures Ren Mei that no one blames her for Ren Hu’s evilness.

Tai takes Ah Lun and Ah Xiang to see Ren Hu who denies everything. Tai tries to prove it by using Ah Xiang’s phone to call Ren Hu, but Ren Hu switched his phone so that the one he had one him didn’t ring, but the one in his office did. Tai knows that Ren Hu outsmarted him this time and goes to leave, but Ren Hu demands Tai kneel and apologize for slandering him like Tai demanded Ren Hu do at the dragon ceremony for insulting Tai’s mother. Ah Lun and Ah Xiang tell him not to see Ren Hu never kept his word. When Ren Hu insults Tai’s mother yet again, Tai steps in close and clenches his fist, backed up by the trouble brothers, but then he recalls his mother’s words before she died about him fighting and her giving up on him and Tai actually takes to his knee and apologizes.

He leaves and Ah Lun and Ah Xiang thank him for degrading himself for them. Tai tells them to prove they are worth it by becoming good people since they can’t beat him in a fight nor outsmart the fox Ren Hu. Tai then invites them to live at the Long house until they can find a job and support themselves. Ah Pan and Lao Tu are against this, but Long and Tai insist the more the merrier. You can really see the stark contrast between the Zhaos and Longs as at the Longs you become family and the Zhao’s place is cold and impersonal.

The worried Tai then goes to check on the Ren Mei who has locked herself in her room. He threatens to go in if she doesn’t answer and the door swings open and the room is empty! Ren Mei has packed and left as she feels really guilty for them treating her so nicely even after her brother did such horrible things. Needless to say this worries our hero since his lady love has run off with nowhere left to go.

And I can’t wait to finally watch episode 9 has Tai finally confesses his feelings and Zhao actually scolds Ren Hu for hurting his sister when he should be loving her. Finally.