Episode Summary
Chu Yi worries that the new baby will mean less love for her, but her mother reassures her. Liu Guoning gets sick after protecting his sister from the rain, which leads to a sweet moment between the siblings. Yang Mingbiao's decision to spy on his son Shiwu's phone causes a major fight, but they later reconcile after a drunken night out. A controversial gate separating two parts of the neighborhood causes a public dispute, forcing Liu Xiangshang and Yang Mingbiao to act as mediators.
Spoiler Alert
Growing Together: Episode 9 Recap
This episode was all about family drama. We saw kids worrying about their place in the family and parents making some seriously questionable choices.
Sibling Anxiety and a Selfless Act
Chu Yi's Big Question
Chu Yi finally works up the nerve to ask her mom, Tingting, a tough question. She's worried about the new baby on the way. She wants to know if she will still be loved just as much. Her anxiety comes from watching the Liu family. She sees how Liu Guoning often gets blamed for things because of his younger brother, Liu Guobao.
Tingting handles it well. She calmly explains to Chu Yi that a new baby won't change their love for her. She points out that while Guoning might get in trouble, he is also the first one to protect his siblings if anyone bothers them. This seems to put Chu Yi at ease. She realizes she was overthinking it.
A Brother's Big Sacrifice
The kids are getting ready for the school's sports day. Liu Guoning is practicing jump rope with his sister Liu Guobao and Chu Yi in their neighborhood. It suddenly starts to rain. Guoning, without a second thought, takes off his own shirt to cover the girls. He runs home shirtless to grab an umbrella.
The result is predictable. He gets a high fever. His parents, Liu Xiangshang and Dai Jing, have to call the school to let them know he'll be out for a couple of days. Liu Guobao feels terrible about her brother getting sick. She uses her own pocket money to buy him a can of yellow peaches and even feeds him. Their parents are just relieved and happy to see the siblings taking care of each other.
A Father-Son Meltdown and a Drunken Reconciliation
A Total Invasion of Privacy
Yang Mingbiao is convinced his son, Shiwu, is in some kind of puppy-love romance. Instead of talking to him, he decides to snoop. He secretly checks Shiwu's cloud drive. When Tingting finds out, she is furious. She can't believe he would invade their son's privacy like that and warns him to stop.
Of course, Shiwu discovers that his dad looked through his files. He confronts his father, but Yang Mingbiao just stays silent. This makes Shiwu even angrier, and he leaves the house.
Making Amends
A classmate of Shiwu's finds out it's another student's, Mary's, birthday while helping a teacher with school records. He suggests that Shiwu should celebrate it with her to smooth over their previous misunderstandings. Shiwu and the classmate gather some snacks and find Mary in the piano room after her practice. The three of them eat cake and snacks together, and the tension between Shiwu and Mary finally dissolves.
Later, Yang Mingbiao is out for a business dinner and drinks way too much. He calls Tingting late at night to pick him up. She's annoyed but also worried, so she calls Shiwu. Shiwu decides to go get his father so his mom won't have to. When he arrives, he sees his dad looking worn out from trying to secure business, and it makes him emotional. Yang Mingbiao sees his son and immediately apologizes. Shiwu, seeing his father in this state, lets go of his anger and helps him home. The two have finally made up.
The Great Neighborhood Divide
A new conflict is brewing in the community over an iron gate. The residents of the wealthier west district villas paid for it themselves to separate their area. They put it up after notifying property management but without waiting for an official reply. The situation boils over when a child gets hurt after climbing the gate, leading to a heated argument between residents from both sides.
Liu Xiangshang and Yang Mingbiao see videos of the fight in their group chat. Both are called to the scene. Yang Mingbiao is in a tricky position because he lives in the villa area and even contributed money for the gate, though he doesn't fully support it. They both arrive but decide to wait for the right moment to step in. Liu Xiangshang eventually coordinates with property management. He proposes a formal hearing with community leaders to discuss the issue properly. This calms everyone down, and the crowd disperses for now.
