Episode Summary
Guan Xu's attempt to learn cycling leads to an awkward encounter with Yu Shi, and his crush on her is noticed by Zhang Jun. He grapples with the decision to see his departing adoptive father, Guan Shan, ultimately missing him but taking a step towards reconciliation with Zhao Dongcheng after a misunderstanding about money. Zhao Dongcheng cleverly diffuses a tense family situation for Teacher Shi by tricking greedy relatives and later shares personal insights with Xiao Xia. A new romantic rival for Yu Shi's affections, Xiao Han, emerges during a badminton game, much to Guan Xu's chagrin. Guan Xu's efforts to get closer to Yu Shi by studying together hilariously backfire as he mostly distracts her.
Spoiler Alert
So, Guan Xu is on a mission to learn how to ride a bike, with Zhao Dongcheng as his (somewhat) patient instructor. And in classic rom-com fashion, who does he nearly mow down? None other than Yu Shi! To make things even more hilariously awkward, Zhang Jun is also there, effortlessly teaching little Yi Yi, who’s already a cycling pro compared to Guan Xu. Zhang Jun, being the observant friend he is, totally catches Guan Xu’s lovesick gaze following Yu Shi. Busted! Guan Xu can't really deny it and practically begs Zhang Jun to keep his crush a secret. Zhang Jun’s response? He’ll try, but hey, he might just "accidentally" spill the beans. You know how it is.
On a more serious note, Guan Xu's adoptive dad, Guan Shan, is about to skip town and really wants to see him before he goes. Guan Xu, however, is totally ghosting his messages, clearly wrestling with some complicated feelings. He flashes back to his childhood, remembering that Guan Shan was actually pretty decent to him, treating him like his own flesh and blood. Inspired by a trick Zhao Dongcheng taught him, Guan Xu flips a coin. Apparently, Zhao Dongcheng always gets tails (which is the opposite of what he thinks he wants), but he always ends up following his heart anyway. Guan Xu gets tails too, and in a moment of clarity, decides to do the same and makes a mad dash for the train station.
He doesn't quite make it in time to see Guan Shan, but a later text message from his dad leaves him super puzzled. Guan Shan thanks Zhao Dongcheng for something, and Guan Xu immediately jumps to the conclusion that Zhao Dongcheng must have given Guan Shan money. He’s baffled and thinks it was totally unnecessary. But then, in a surprisingly vulnerable moment, Guan Xu actually calls Zhao Dongcheng "Ge" (older brother)! It’s a small word, but a huge step for these two. Their icy relationship is finally starting to thaw, and you can bet Zhao Dongcheng was secretly beaming about being called "brother."
Zhao Dongcheng: Community Hero (and Con Artist?)
Meanwhile, Zhao Dongcheng gets summoned over to Teacher Shi's place, only to walk into a scene of utter chaos. Teacher Shi’s son, daughter-in-law, and brother are practically ransacking the apartment, desperately searching for property deeds and bank passbooks. Xiao Xia, Teacher Shi's niece (presumably), returns from an errand to find her relatives causing a ruckus and immediately gets into a shouting match with them. Teacher Shi, clearly at his wit's end, just tells Zhao Dongcheng to blast the radio.
Zhao Dongcheng, ever the quick thinker, sizes up the greedy relatives for the leeches they are. He whips out a prescription pad and scribbles down a list of ridiculously expensive imported medications, telling them they'll need to fork over tens of thousands of yuan. As expected, the relatives turn pale and make a hasty retreat. Just as Xiao Xia reaches for the apparently pricey prescription, Zhao Dongcheng coolly admits it’s a fake – just a clever ploy to scare them off. Smooth, Dongcheng, very smooth.
A Little Wisdom and a Glimpse into the Past
Later, Zhao Dongcheng shares some heartfelt advice with a still-shaken Xiao Xia, telling her that the world itself won't change, so what needs to shift is her perspective on it. He even opens up a bit about his own past, revealing the real reason he chose to work at the community hospital. It wasn't because of some rumored medical malpractice incident, as some gossips suggested. The truth was much simpler and more touching: he wanted to be close by to care for his ailing father.
Badminton, Bromance, and a Budding Rivalry
Come the weekend, Zhao Dongcheng, Guan Xu, and their pals decide to hit the badminton court. Lo and behold, they run into Xiao Han, a chief physician from the prestigious First Hospital who also does regular consultations at their community clinic. It doesn't take long for Guan Xu to notice that Xiao Han seems to have a soft spot for Yu Shi. Alarm bells immediately go off in Guan Xu's head, and he mentally flags Xiao Han as "the competition," watching his every move.
During a friendly match between Xiao Han and Zhao Dongcheng, let's just say Zhao Dongcheng gets thoroughly trounced. He’s definitely one of those guys who’s all passion and no skill on the court, bless his heart.
Guan Xu's Clumsy Attempts at Wooing
Still determined to get closer to Yu Shi, Guan Xu finagles his way into a "study session" at her place. But instead of actually, you know, studying, he spends the whole time peppering her with completely unrelated questions. Yu Shi is visibly trying to keep her cool, but you can tell she’s just moments away from throttling him. Oh, Guan Xu, you've got a lot to learn, buddy!
