Episode Summary
Jia Xiaoduo helps a drunk Xu Tian at the police station. Later, as Xu Tian tries to get close, Jia Xiaoduo insists their reality is a game and she's a player, leading to Xu Tian's in-game suicide. Subsequently, Xu Tian wakes up horrified to find he has physically transformed into Jia Xiaoduo. Struggling with this new reality, he (as Jia Xiaoduo) tries to maintain his identity as Xu Tian, even as he's confronted by Shi Yiben, a doctor, who explains that Xu Tian is dead in the virtual world and that "Jia Xiaoduo" originally had multiple personalities, with only Tie Lin's remaining. Jia Xiaoduo, still believing she is Xu Tian trapped in a game, rejects this explanation.
Spoiler Alert
"What a Wonderful World" Episode 5 Recap & Spoilers: Identity Crisis and Virtual Realities
The fifth episode of "What a Wonderful World" throws its characters, and the audience, deeper into a disorienting spiral of shifting identities and blurring lines between reality and the virtual world.
We begin with a disheveled Xu Tian being brought to the police station, clearly intoxicated. When the police sternly ask who was driving, Jia Xiaoduo quickly steps in, claiming she brought Xu Tian on her electric scooter. Things take a strange turn during the signing process. Jia Xiaoduo, seemingly by a slip of the hand, signs Xu Tian's name. Realizing her mistake, she becomes visibly shocked and hurriedly explains she thought she was supposed to sign Xu Tian's name, then corrects it to her own. When questioned about their relationship, Jia Xiaoduo states they are friends.
As Jia Xiaoduo and Xu Tian leave the station, they are unaware that Tie Lin is lying in wait. Jia Xiaoduo, with a keen sense of danger, suddenly hesitates. At this moment, Xu Tian leans in to kiss her. However, Jia Xiaoduo is internally conflicted, feeling as if she is Xu Tian, making the idea of kissing herself absurd and unacceptable. She bluntly tells him that they are in a virtual space, that she is a player, and he is just an NPC (Non-Player Character). She insists that once the game ends, the "Jia Xiaoduo" persona will disappear. Xu Tian, however, expresses a deep desire to possess her, willing to stay online for her indefinitely. As dawn approaches, Jia Xiaoduo decides to log off. Xu Tian declares he's willing to live in her dreams, but she is determined to find her true self. In a shocking turn, Xu Tian then commits suicide within the game, bringing the game world to an abrupt end.
The narrative then shifts. Xu Tian steps into an elevator and casually glances at the mirror, only to be horrified to see Jia Xiaoduo's reflection staring back at him. His scalp tingles, and his legs feel weak. He cautiously approaches the mirror, initially thinking it's a hallucination. Upon confirming the transformation, he panics and rushes out of the elevator seeking help. Reaching the 11th floor, he questions Shi Yiben, who confirms that he has indeed become the female Jia Xiaoduo. Overcome with rage and despair, Xu Tian starts smashing things, his frenzied behavior eerily reminiscent of Tie Lin. Later, he is taken to the police station. Just like Xu Tian had done previously, he (now as Jia Xiaoduo) walks out of the station with an umbrella, recalling the previous night's events with Xu Tian, now finding himself utterly alone.
Now physically Jia Xiaoduo, she returns to room 1101 alone, each step hesitant and filled with apprehension, delaying the moment she has to open the door. Mustering her courage, she turns on the light, and the room's furnishings feel strangely unfamiliar.
She discovers the walls covered in sticky notes. While she's puzzled, the hospital calls, reminding her of a previously scheduled outpatient appointment she has no memory of. Just then, a note suddenly falls, as if a mysterious force is trying to "communicate" with her. Familiar music begins to play – Xu Tian's favorite tune. The hot water in the bathroom also turns on automatically. Everything seems pre-arranged to maintain her previous daily routine. To stay lucid, she records a voice memo every night, reminding herself: "I am Xu Tian, not Jia Xiaoduo."
Filled with anxiety, Jia Xiaoduo (still mentally Xu Tian) heads to the hospital. Throughout the journey, she continuously plays her recording, the voice acting as an anchor, a constant reminder not to lose her perceived "self."
Upon entering the consultation room, her heart pounds, and her palms sweat with nervousness. When the doctor enters, she is stunned to see it's Shi Yiben. Shi Yiben has heard the looped recording on her phone and knows she insists she is Xu Tian. However, Shi Yiben points out that Xu Tian is already dead in the virtual world. Jia Xiaoduo's phone contains Xu Tian's ride-hailing contact; she considers calling for a ride but is terrified that Xu Tian might truly be gone, vanished forever.
At this point, Jia Xiaoduo becomes highly agitated, adamant that she is Xu Tian. She confronts Shi Yiben, demanding to know why Xu Tian's death in the game resulted in her becoming Jia Xiaoduo. Shi Yiben patiently explains that her body originally housed four personalities: Liu Tiao'er, Tie Lin, Wang Yangming, and Yu Dan, and now only the Tie Lin personality remains. Jia Xiaoduo refuses to listen, convinced she is still in a virtual space. Angrily, she turns and storms out of the consultation room.
