Episode Summary
In episode 3, Gu Xuejiao publicly declares her ambitious goal of getting into the prestigious Jingda University, much to the disbelief of her peers. To avoid a past family tragedy, she convinces Lin Zhihua to pose as her uncle at the parent-teacher conference, where he impresses with his views on ambition. Driven by memories of her parents' financial ruin, she delves into the stock market, using a tip from Lin Zhihua and funds from selling her brother's gaming assets to make a risky investment. Meanwhile, her school life becomes more complicated as she navigates the fallout from a viral video and escalating conflicts with classmates Lin Xiao and Zhou Shiyun.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Lin Zhiyue questioning the relationship between her brother, Lin Zhihua, and Gu Xuejiao.To avoid any misunderstanding, Lin Zhihua quickly clarifies that he is simply tutoring Gu Xuejiao.Hearing that he has agreed to be her tutor, Gu Xuejiao immediately presents him with health supplements she brought from home, leaving Lin Zhihua amused and slightly exasperated.Later, Lin Zhiyue informs her brother that their parents are returning from abroad next month and that he should plan to move back home from the school for a while.
At No. 7 High School, a graduation mobilization assembly is held. When it's Class 8's turn for a student representative to speak, their class president is suffering from a stomach ache. Gu Xuejiao, who happens to be running late, is mistaken for the representative by a teacher and ushered onto the stage. Recalling her past life where she was overlooked because of her background and faced constant career setbacks due to her academic qualifications, Gu Xuejiao makes a stunning declaration: "I want to get into Jingda University." The announcement is met with widespread laughter, as no one believes she has the ability to achieve such a goal.
The buzz from her bold statement continues back in the classroom. The class president finally returns and announces a parent-teacher conference for the following afternoon. Gu Xuejiao remembers that in her previous life, her father lost a significant amount of money in the stock market right around the time of this conference. Determined to prevent this tragedy, she finds Lin Zhihua at a coffee shop and asks him to attend the meeting for her, even gifting him a quirky-looking doll. On the day of the conference, Yi Tianyu's father, Yi Dafa, arrives early, enthusiastically handing out his business cards for his engineering company. Gu Xuejiao, who used to call him "Second Dad," holds back, as her relationship with Yi Tianyu isn't official in this timeline.
A few minutes later, Lin Zhihua makes a grand entrance, surprising Gu Xuejiao by introducing himself as her "younger uncle." This leaves Yi Tianyu puzzled, as he has never heard of Gu Xuejiao having such a handsome uncle. During the meeting, while students wait outside, the teacher discusses each student's university aspirations, advising parents to aim for realistic goals. However, Lin Zhihua counters this, arguing that one should set ambitious goals; otherwise, life becomes predictable and meaningless.Gu Xuejiao, listening from the window, silently cheers him on, while Yi Tianyu remains completely uninterested.
Meanwhile, after the parent-teacher conference for Class 1, Zhou Shiyun's mother basks in the admiration of other parents, falsely claiming her daughter's success is entirely due to self-study. Once they are alone, her demeanor shifts, and she criticizes Zhou Shiyun for not achieving even better results. Later, Zhou Shiyun bumps into Gu Mingze while fetching something from the car. He tries to strike up a conversation, but when she asks about his parent-teacher conference, he dodges the question, having been too afraid to invite his parents.
Pleased with how her own conference went, Gu Xuejiao returns home to find her parents engrossed in stock market research on a new computer. A sudden realization hits her: she had forgotten that this was the exact time her parents made the investment that led to their financial ruin ten years ago. She immediately begins trying to alter their fate. Her first step is to identify the high-performing stock they narrowly missed out on. Distracted by the stock market even during her tutoring session, she is seen by Lin Zhihua studying K-line charts (a type of financial chart).He recommends an adjacent stock, and although Gu Xuejiao is initially skeptical, she is once again impressed by his wide range of knowledge.
Later, Yi Dafa runs into Gu Xuejiao at a bookstore and asks for her help in selecting some review materials for his son. When he sees Lin Zhihua, he still addresses him as Gu Xuejiao's uncle. Outside, Yi Tianyu points out to Gu Xuejiao that her grades are only marginally better than his, with both of them ranking near the bottom of their class. That night, still agonizing over the stock choice, Gu Xuejiao devises a plan. Knowing her brother, Gu Mingze, has notoriously bad luck, she asks him to pick a stock, which she then eliminates. The remaining option is the one Lin Zhihua recommended. To secure the necessary funds, she takes matters into her own hands, selling Gu Mingze's gaming codes and equipment and adding her own pocket money to gather 11,000 to invest.
The next day, a video of Gu Xuejiao's earlier confrontation with a girl named Lin Xiao goes viral online. Her friend, Sun Tiantian, panics and urges her to apologize. Gu Xuejiao refuses, insisting she did nothing wrong. Their discussion is interrupted when the head teacher summons Gu Xuejiao to the dean's office. Lin Xiao's mother has come to the school, demanding an explanation for the video. Gu Xuejiao notices that Lin Xiao has faked an injury on her arm using contour powder and cheekily smudges it onto her own arm to expose the lie. As Lin Xiao continues to feign distress, Director Fu advises them not to exaggerate the situation, and Lin Xiao's mother, realizing she has no leverage, drops the issue.
The drama continues in gym class when Gu Xuejiao accidentally hits Zhou Shiyun with a ball. Lin Xiao seizes the opportunity to instigate a conflict, and a confrontation erupts between the two groups. Gu Xuejiao's attempts to mediate are ignored. Spotting Director Fu approaching, Zhou Shiyun cleverly rolls the ball towards him and then pretends to fall. When Director Fu asks who hit her, Zhou Shiyun quickly defends Gu Xuejiao, saying it was an accident. Nevertheless, Gu Xuejiao is called to the dean's office once again, this time accompanied by Yi Tianyu. When Yi Dafa arrives, he immediately starts handing out his business cards to the other parents, paying no mind to the students' dispute.
