Episode Summary
This episode follows Zhao Youzuo as he is accused of cheating on an exam. After a public shaming, his friend Chen Ming confesses to being in the office that night, which clears Youzuo's name but gets Chen Ming in serious trouble. In the present, Xun Weilai realizes she hasn't fixed the past and discovers she has aged dramatically.
Spoiler Alert
The Cheating Scandal
Hacking for the Truth
Xun Weilai is losing her mind over Zhao Youzuo. She rushes over to Zhao Liao’s house to vent. She can't believe how his younger self is acting. Zhao Liao, however, is completely calm about it. He says it's normal for kids to be a little rebellious. He also points out that Youzuo is suddenly trying to study. That has to be a good thing.
While Zhao Liao works on some programming stuff, Xun Weilai gets an idea. She writes a bit of code. She uses it to hack into Zhao Youzuo's phone. It works. She listens in on a call between him and Chen Ming. They’re talking in low voices. They agree to keep a secret safe.
A Cheater's Redemption Arc?
The Exam Results
Chen Ming heads back to his dorm. His roommate immediately starts picking a fight. He challenges Chen Ming to a game of CS. The roommate remembers how bad Chen Ming was last time. He thinks this will be an easy win. He is very wrong. Chen Ming has been practicing every night. His skills have improved a lot. The match starts. Chen Ming completely destroys him.
The next day, the exam scores are posted. Zhao Youzuo didn't crack the top five. But his score shows the most improvement in the entire class. The teacher is impressed with his recent effort. His social studies score was also in the top three. So, the teacher announces that Zhao Youzuo is the new class monitor.
Wang Yiman, on the other hand, did not do well. Her teacher tries to tell her it’s just one test. But she puts a lot of pressure on herself. She’s clearly upset. Xu Tutu wants to go comfort her. Before she can, another girl runs up to Wang Yiman. She says she saw Zhao Youzuo go into the office the night of the exam. Xu Tutu hears this and panics. She worries this will get Youzuo in trouble. She secretly deletes an online post accusing him to keep things from getting worse.
The Rumor Mill Starts
Things do get worse. In class, the teacher asks Zhao Youzuo to explain his thought process for a difficult problem on the test. He can't. He looks uncomfortable and admits he just guessed the answer. This looks really bad.
The head teacher checks the security cameras. The footage confirms Zhao Youzuo did enter the office that night. The whole school is already gossiping about it. Now, with him admitting he guessed, everyone assumes he cheated. Even the head teacher starts to doubt his integrity.
Confessions and Consequences
A Brother's Trust
That night, Zhao Liao finds his younger self sitting outside. Zhao Youzuo looks completely defeated. He opens up to Zhao Liao. He confesses that he did see the exam paper in the office. But he says he only looked at the very first question. He felt guilty and put it right back. He tells Zhao Liao he’s learned his lesson. He doesn't want anything he hasn't earned himself. He's also terrified about the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow.
When his father, Zhao Donglai, hears what happened, he yells at Youzuo. He tells him to go think about what he did.
Facing the Music
The next day, Zhao Donglai goes with his son to the school office. They apologize to Director Dai. Then Zhao Donglai does something unexpected. He defends his son. He says looking at the test was wrong. But he believes Youzuo only saw the first question. He insists the rest of the score was from his own hard work.
Director Dai does not believe them. He thinks it's just an excuse to avoid punishment. He gives Zhao Youzuo an official demerit on his record. Chen Ming is standing nearby. He wants to tell the director the truth. He knows Youzuo is innocent. But he hesitates, and the moment passes.
The Truth Comes Out Over the Loudspeaker
The school is buzzing with gossip about Zhao Youzuo. Xu Tutu sees him eating by himself in the cafeteria. She feels sorry for him. She deliberately goes and sits at his table to keep him company.
Then, Director Dai’s voice comes over the school's PA system. He starts publicly criticizing Zhao Youzuo for cheating. Xu Tutu tries to talk loudly. She hopes to distract Youzuo so he doesn't have to hear it.
Suddenly, the broadcast changes. A new voice comes on. It's Chen Ming. He confesses that he was the one in the office that night. He was secretly playing computer games. He tells everyone that Zhao Youzuo is telling the truth. He only saw the first question. To prove it, Chen Ming points to the modification time on the computer's game folder. It confirms he was there.
A New Timeline, A New Problem
Director Dai gives Zhao Youzuo a second chance. He has to take a new version of the test to prove himself. He sits for the exam. He scores well. His name is finally cleared.
But Chen Ming faces serious consequences. The school disciplines him severely. His father comes to the school. He slaps Chen Ming across the face in public. It's a total humiliation. Zhao Youzuo remembers seeing Chen Ming that night. He recalls Chen Ming saying that effort always works, whether you have talent or not. The words hit him differently now.
Back in the present day, Xun Weilai finally understands. She remembers how Chen Ming's grades suddenly dropped in high school. She remembers him always falling asleep in class. It was because he was sneaking into the office to play games all night. She starts to wonder if his death was caused by exhaustion. Or maybe it was depression.
She realizes the key event in Zhao Youzuo’s past hasn't actually changed. All her meddling has fixed nothing. She wakes up from a nap. She looks in the mirror and sees her own face. It looks old. She has aged years in just a few moments.
