Episode Summary
Zuo Qian Dai continues to assist Ye Qi with his manga, though she finds his initial story ideas cliché. They end up in the same elective class, where Ye Qi explains he started drawing shojo manga after a shonen comic he made was only picked up by a girls' magazine. Qian Dai misunderstands when she learns Ye Qi's character "A Mei" is based on a real friend who stayed over, thinking it's a girlfriend. She later discovers "A Mei" is actually Ye Qi's handsome friend, Chai Zi Yu, much to her relief. As Ye Qi faces a creative slump with his declining manga rankings, Qian Dai suggests adding a new character. Chai Zi Yu introduces them to the captivating Lu Dao from the drama club, sparking Qian Dai's suspicion about another potential connection with Ye Qi.
Spoiler Alert
So, we pick up with Zuo Qian Dai diligently working as Ye Qi's assistant, filling in the blacks on his comic panels. Ye Qi, inspired by their bike ride earlier, has translated that experience into his art. But when Qian Dai takes a look, she’s not exactly blown away. "Kinda cliché, don't you think?" is basically her vibe. Ye Qi, ever prepared, whips out a plan B, but alas, that one’s also a bit too on-the-nose and melodramatic for Qian Dai’s taste.
The next day, things get a little more intertwined as Qian Dai walks into her elective class only to find Ye Qi signed up for the exact same one. Awkward! Ye Qi initially assumes Qian Dai is some kind of expert in the subject and even pokes fun at her for asking questions, but it turns out she's just as clueless as anyone.
During a class break, Qian Dai finally asks Ye Qi the million-dollar question: why shojo manga? Ye Qi takes a trip down memory lane, explaining how he started out drawing hot-blooded shonen (action/adventure) comics back in high school. He shopped his work around to numerous publishers, but only one, a shojo monthly called "Girls' Monthly," showed any interest. To get his foot in the door, Ye Qi adapted his style, and well, he's been drawing shojo ever since.
But then, a juicy tidbit drops: Qian Dai learns that Ye Qi's manga has a real-life inspiration. Naturally, she's super curious about who the character "A Mei" is based on. When Ye Qi casually mentions that A Mei is a good friend who even stayed over at his place last Saturday, Qian Dai’s mind immediately jumps to one conclusion: girlfriend! You could practically see the gears turning and the misunderstanding brewing.
Not one to let things lie, Qian Dai becomes determined to meet this real-life A Mei. Lo and behold, during lunch in the cafeteria, she spots someone she thinks is A Mei. She eagerly tries to get a good look at her face, but when she finally does, she's a bit puzzled. This A Mei doesn't quite match the cute and charming girl depicted in Ye Qi's comic. Plus, there are even guys actively trying to woo this A Mei.
Still on her quest, Qian Dai can't find Ye Qi, but she does run into his good friend, Chai Zi Yu. And let me tell you, Chai Zi Yu’s good looks immediately catch Qian Dai’s eye. It’s not just her, either; a crowd of girls downstairs are practically screaming his name – turns out Chai Zi Yu is quite the campus heartthrob, known for his talent. As Qian Dai observes Chai Zi Yu, she notices that many of his mannerisms are strikingly similar to how Ye Qi draws the male character, also named A Mei, in his manga. Ye Qi, seeing her confusion, quietly lets her in on the secret: Chai Zi Yu is the inspiration for A Mei! He makes her promise to keep it under wraps. Relief washes over Qian Dai – A Mei is a guy! Not a romantic rival after all. Phew!
With that misunderstanding cleared up (mostly), Ye Qi and Qian Dai get back to their creative grind. Chai Zi Yu is nearby, acting a bit strangely, and Ye Qi, ever the perceptive one, figures out that Chai Zi Yu is hoping Qian Dai will ask him for advice. Wanting to help his buddy out, Ye Qi nudges Qian Dai to do just that, and she obliges. Later, looking for a bit of fun, Qian Dai suggests they all have a competition drawing buildings. The result? Turns out, none of the three are particularly skilled at architectural drawing. Go figure!
Just as they’re getting into the groove, Ye Qi gets some bad news via text: his latest manuscript has been rejected. It’s revealed that Ye Qi’s comic used to consistently top the charts, but it suddenly dropped to second place and hasn't managed to climb back to number one since. This signals that Ye Qi might be hitting a creative wall. He's been drawing the same comic for so long that he's struggling to come up with fresh ideas to keep readers hooked. Qian Dai suggests a classic solution: introduce a new character to spice things up and re-engage the fanbase.
Following this idea, Chai Zi Yu leads Ye Qi and Qian Dai to meet his good friend from the drama club, Lu Dao. The moment they meet Lu Dao, both Ye Qi and Qian Dai are captivated. Although Lu Dao is a girl, her androgynous style and cool demeanor have other girls swooning. Just as Lu Dao is striking a pose, the drama club president, Gu Zheng Xing, storms in, annoyed that Lu Dao is late for rehearsal again. While chatting with Chai Zi Yu, Qian Dai gets another inkling that there might be something more to Ye Qi and Lu Dao's relationship than meets the eye. Never one to ignore her intuition, she immediately rushes off to find Lu Dao and get some answers.
Looks like the potential for more romantic entanglements and creative breakthroughs (or breakdowns!) is definitely on the horizon. What will Qian Dai discover about Ye Qi and Lu Dao? And will a new character really save Ye Qi's manga?
