Episode Summary
Lin Yingtao's academic struggles lead to a misunderstanding with her friend Qin Yeyun, sparked by a compatibility test found on Yu Qiao's phone. In an attempt to mend their friendship, Yingtao joins the cheerleading squad with Yeyun. They are ostracized by a rival clique led by Cen Xiaoman but bond as they practice together. After Yeyun defends her against bullying, Yingtao feels their friendship is restored, but a new crisis arises when she is left stranded after trying to exchange a faulty costume, ending the episode with her lost by the sea.
Spoiler Alert
"Our Generation" Episode 8: A Rift Between Friends
The episode opens with Lin Yingtao facing the disappointment of poor exam results. Her parents, however, are nothing but supportive, with her mother, Sheng Juan, even preparing pig brain soup to help her study. Yingtao joins a study session with Yu Qiao and Cai Fangyuan, but her weakness in physics becomes painfully clear. Even with the teacher's one-on-one help, she's the last to finish and still can't solve the problems.
Back home, while Yingtao is determinedly wrestling with her physics homework, Yu Qiao shows up with a proposition. He promises to teach her his method for learning physics if she agrees to cheer for him at his upcoming basketball game. Yingtao accepts, and his unconventional tutoring session begins at the basketball court, where they practice by tossing balloons.
Their lesson is abruptly interrupted by an angry Qin Yeyun. She confronts Yu Qiao about three new ringtones he supposedly set on her phone. Yu Qiao, clueless, guesses his younger brother, Yu Jin, is the prankster. Trying to de-escalate the situation, Yingtao hands Yu Qiao's phone to Yeyun so she can cancel the ringtones herself. Unfortunately, Yeyun discovers a text message with the results of a compatibility test between Yu Qiao and Yingtao. Furious, she throws the phone at Yingtao and storms off.
Yingtao chases after Yeyun, insisting it's all a misunderstanding and that they should focus on their studies. But when Yeyun brings up Jiang Qiaoxi, Yingtao is left speechless. Meanwhile, Yu Qiao, unaware that he's the source of Yeyun's anger, has signed Yingtao up for the cheerleading squad. He knew Yeyun had also joined and hoped it would be a chance for the two girls to reconcile, as he noticed Yingtao had been giving their group the cold shoulder and assumed she and Yeyun were fighting.
Initially, Yingtao plans to withdraw from the cheerleading squad to focus on studying, fearing that another bad performance on the monthly exam could get her kicked out of the coveted Class 18. However, upon seeing Yeyun at the first practice, she changes her mind and decides to stay. The two find themselves isolated, as the other girls, all part of Cen Xiaoman's clique, refuse to partner with them. The teacher has to force two other students to form a group with them. Their team lacks chemistry, and they struggle with a lift maneuver, partly due to Yingtao's inexperience. Seizing the moment, Yingtao declares to the teacher that Yeyun will coach her, leaving Yeyun with no choice but to agree.
Over the next few days, Yeyun diligently helps Yingtao with the choreography in their spare time. Their coordination improves dramatically, earning them praise from the teacher during a group rehearsal. This progress doesn't sit well with Cen Xiaoman, who then deliberately trips over Yingtao's foot but fakes a fall, graciously telling everyone not to blame Yingtao, leaving her utterly baffled.
Later, Yeyun overhears Cen Xiaoman's group badmouthing Yingtao in the locker room. She steps in and defends Yingtao, telling Cen Xiaoman that if she doesn't want to be on the team, she should just quit, and that she is confident she could lead the team and train new members just as she trained Yingtao. Yingtao overhears this and is touched by Yeyun's loyalty.
The drama culminates during costume selection. Yeyun is absent, and the rest of the team chooses a style that flatters Cen Xiaoman, leaving Yingtao with no say. When Yingtao inspects her costume, she finds it's defective. She rushes back to the shop to exchange it, but the bus leaves without her. Upset and unsure who to call, she decides to walk back, but takes a wrong turn and finds herself lost and alone by the seaside.
