Episode Summary
Xu Zhi, a bright student, navigates complex relationships and academic pressures. She encounters the aloof Chen Luzhou after overhearing a family argument at his house. While dealing with her own family's expectations for her university choices, she also tries to support her friend Tan Xu, who is despondent after failing his exams. A lost necklace leads to an unexpected interaction with Chen Luzhou, who helps retrieve it. Xu Zhi, intrigued and with a hidden agenda to meet his mother, attempts to get closer to Chen Luzhou, leading to a series of awkward and revealing encounters that hint at his troubled family background and her own resourcefulness. The episode ends with a humorous failed attempt by Xu Zhi to get Chen Luzhou's WeChat contact.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 1 Recap: First Encounters and Hidden Truths
Our story kicks off with Xu Zhi’s teacher suggesting that attending Qing Da University with her excellent grades would almost be selling herself short. The teacher also mentions Tan Xu, who bombed his exams, and nudges Xu Zhi to have a word with him. Xu Zhi heads over to Tan Xu's place, but he’s not around. She drops him a message, hoping they can clear the air tomorrow. Later, as Xu Zhi walks by a house, she overhears a woman inside yelling. The voice is eerily like her mother's, and curiosity gets the better of her – she leans in for a closer listen.
From a window, Chen Luzhou spots Xu Zhi eavesdropping. With a smirk, he offers her a "prime spot" to listen if she adds him on WeChat. Xu Zhi clocks his uniform and realizes he’s also from Yi Zhong High School. Meanwhile, Chen Luzhou's mother is lecturing him about early romances, insisting that any girlfriend he gets must be formally introduced. She then urges him to change his clothes; a Professor Jiang has penned a recommendation letter for him, and a thank-you visit is in order.
Chen Luzhou brushes it off, mentioning he pulled an all-nighter gaming with Chen Xingqi. When his mom suggests he move back home, Chen Luzhou retorts, "Aren't I supposed to be going abroad? What's the point?" Back at Xu Zhi's home, her father inquires about her exam results. She assures him they're good and declares her intention to go to Qing Da. This surprises her dad, who reminds her of their previous plans for Beijing, but Xu Zhi stands her ground, saying Qing Da is a fine choice.
Elsewhere, Chen Luzhou confronts his friend Zhu Yangqi about some drama. Zhu Yangqi spills that a girl named Gu Yan cooked up a story about dating Chen Luzhou online. When the internet detectives called her bluff, Gu Yan pestered Zhu Yangqi for Chen Luzhou’s address, apparently hoping to turn her fiction into reality. Zhu Yangqi swears it won't happen again.
Xu Zhi, meanwhile, needs to get her four-leaf clover necklace back from Tan Xu. She and her friend Cai Yingying find him, but Tan Xu is in no mood for pleasantries, accusing Xu Zhi of coming to mock his failure. Xu Zhi tries to be gentle, remarking that the exam was tough and many students struggled, even mentioning a rumor that the expected top scorer missed an entire section.
Zhu Yangqi and his crew overhear this. He scoffs, noting that Xu Zhi is clueless that Chen Luzhou is the "top scorer" in question, and the "missed section" was just an elective – and here she is, using it to console her supposed boyfriend. Tan Xu lashes out at Xu Zhi, saying she’s off to a top university while he’s stuck repeating the year, making him feel useless to her. When Xu Zhi asks for her necklace, he cruelly snatches it off and flings it from the building.
A frantic search ensues downstairs, but the necklace is nowhere to be found. Cai Yingying wonders if it’s caught in a tree. Desperate, Xu Zhi knocks on Chen Luzhou's door. He and Zhu Yangqi actually manage to spot it and retrieve it from a branch. Xu Zhi offers to treat them to a meal as thanks, but Cai Yingying quickly jumps in, claiming they (Xu Zhi and herself) already have boyfriends. Later, as Xu Zhi and Cai Yingying head off to eat, Xu Zhi secretly resolves to get closer to Chen Luzhou, with the ulterior motive of meeting his mother.
In another scene, Chen Luzhou is trying to save a seat when a little boy challenges him to rock-paper-scissors, losing every round. When the boy's father appears, the kid fibs that Chen Luzhou kicked him. Xu Zhi steps in, coolly observing that Chen Luzhou’s shoes are spotless, with no scuff marks to suggest any kicking, leaving the boy red-faced. It turns out Chen Luzhou was holding the seat for an elderly person. The father, mortified by his son's lie, apologizes profusely. Xu Zhi later sends Chen Luzhou an audio recording of the confrontation, explaining that her father’s hospital job has taught her the importance of gathering evidence.
Chen Luzhou gets a call from his mother, reminding him about the meeting with Professor Jiang. Chen Luzhou, however, seems apathetic about his academic future. He once overheard his grandmother telling his father that he’s always been a bit too shrewd and should be sent away. His father had agreed, arrangements were apparently in progress, and he'd remarked how different a biological child is from one who isn't – adding that Chen Luzhou joined their family at six, and even a pet would show more gratitude. This memory reinforces Chen Luzhou's feeling of being utterly alone, no matter where he goes.
Later, Xu Zhi can't find any roasted sweet potatoes, a treat her grandmother expects. Chen Luzhou happens to have a bag of sweet potatoes someone gifted him and offers them to her. He casually asks if she wants to roast them at his place. Xu Zhi, perhaps seeing an opportunity, asks if it’s alright, claiming her family doesn't own a microwave. Chen Luzhou playfully accuses her of spinning tales, but Xu Zhi insists it’s true – her grandmother is convinced microwaves are radioactive and won’t have one in the house.
Xu Zhi then asks Chen Luzhou if he cooks. "Instant noodles, sometimes," is his reply. When she pries about whether his mother cooks for him, Chen Luzhou fires back, "Are you angling for a free meal?" Xu Zhi then tries to add him on WeChat, but he claims his phone’s dead – only for it to ring loudly the very next second. Awkward.
