Episode Summary
Zhao Youzuo's obsession with studying pushes his friends away. Xun Weilai's attempts to "fix" him backfire, leading to a physical fight and a forced apology. Feeling betrayed and told he isn't smart enough, Zhao Youzuo finds the exam papers in the office and decides to cheat.
Spoiler Alert
The Study Bug Bites Hard
So, Zhao Youzuo has done a complete 180. He’s suddenly a super-serious student. He spends all his time with his head buried in a book. This is a big problem for Xun Weilai. He needs to keep the timeline from changing.
Xun Weilai tries a simple approach first. He asks Zhao Youzuo to get breakfast. Zhao Youzuo completely blows him off. He says that as class president, he has to set a good example. He just keeps studying. Xun Weilai ends up getting takeout by himself. While he's there, the older Zhao Liao shows up to mock him. He tells Xun Weilai his methods are weak and to watch a real pro at work.
The Backfiring Snitch
Later, during gym class, Xun Weilai finds Zhao Youzuo skipping. He's hiding on a staircase, studying. Xun Weilai calls him out for being a bad class president. Then he goes and snitches to the teacher.
This plan backfires completely. The teacher hates it when students sell out their friends. He punishes Zhao Youzuo with push-ups. But he punishes Xun Weilai even more by making him run laps. While doing push-ups, Zhao Youzuo keeps reciting history facts. He pushes himself so hard he faints from low blood sugar. Even as he's passing out, he's still mumbling lines from his textbook.
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Xun Weilai is running out of options. He decides to team up with Luo Aiwen. Their new plan is a little more direct. They follow Zhao Youzuo to the bathroom. The lights flicker for a second. In that moment, Luo Aiwen snatches Chen Ming's study notebook right out of Zhao Youzuo's hands.
Zhao Youzuo is crushed. He begs Chen Ming to write him another copy. Chen Ming refuses. He says he doesn't want to waste any more time on him. Cold.
After school, Zhao Liao puts his own plan into motion. He pretends to bump into Zhao Youzuo and offers him a ride home. During the drive, he fakes a medical issue. He asks Zhao Youzuo to grab his medicine for him. Then he tells a long story about his wife and a tragic car accident. Zhao Youzuo is worried about his books but listens anyway. Through their conversation, Zhao Liao figures out that Shu Tu was the one who changed Zhao Youzuo. He immediately goes to find Xun Weilai so they can come up with a new strategy.
A Friendship Falls Apart
Things really start to unravel in the classroom. Zhao Youzuo answers a lot of questions correctly. But there are a few he can't get. Wang Yiman answers them easily. This hits Zhao Youzuo hard. He can't believe all his hard work still isn't enough to catch up to her. He asks Chen Ming if he just doesn't have the talent for it.
Luo Aiwen tries to pull him out to have some fun. But Zhao Youzuo recognizes him. He realizes Luo Aiwen was the one who stole his notebook that night. They get into a huge argument. Xun Weilai steps in and admits he told Luo Aiwen to do it. He tries to physically shake some sense into Zhao Youzuo. Wang Yiman intervenes to stop the fight. Zhao Youzuo completely misunderstands. He thinks she is protecting Xun Weilai. Feeling betrayed by everyone, he reports them to the teacher.
This leads to a horrible scene in the office. Xun Weilai and Luo Aiwen are forced to apologize to Zhao Youzuo in front of the teacher. Zhao Youzuo says he forgives them. But you can see in his eyes that he doesn't mean it. He's just more determined than ever to prove them all wrong.
The Point of No Return
That night, Zhao Youzuo gets stuck on a big math problem. He goes to Chen Ming for help. Chen Ming's advice is brutal. He tells him to just focus on the easier questions to get his points. He says the harder problems are too complex for him and a waste of his time.
We also learn Chen Ming's secret. He's been sneaking into the office at night. He practices the computer game CS so he can win a competition. He finally wins a match. Just then, Zhao Youzuo walks into the office to drop off homework. Chen Ming panics and hides under the desk.
Zhao Youzuo is now alone in the office. He casually opens a file cabinet. Inside, he finds the official exam papers. A dark thought crosses his mind. He's going to cheat.
