Episode Summary
In this episode, Zhao Youzuo lives in a new timeline where he alone remembers his friends. His attempts to fix the past fail as the timeline corrects itself. He has a brief, heartbreaking reunion with Xun Weilai, who then erases himself from Zhao Youzuo's memory to restore order. This leaves a final mystery about whether Shu Tu truly escaped her fate.
Spoiler Alert
The New Normal
This episode kicks off with a hard reset. Zhao Youzuo is the only one who remembers anything. He wakes up to his mom worrying he'll be late for school. But he's already up. He's even studied some English words. He gets to school and sees Chen Ming. Chen Ming is back like nothing ever happened. Zhao Youzuo is thrilled. Everything seems normal for everyone else. But he still remembers Xun Weilai and Zhao Liao.
A Look Back at High School
We jump back to the fall of 2009. It’s school clean-up day. Luo Aiwen tells everyone he's supposed to go to Germany. His dad set it all up. But he doesn't want to go. He dreams of building new energy cars. Zhao Youzuo watches him. He thinks their futures will be fine if he just stays out of it.
Wang Yiman is also there. She's decided to give in to her parents' plans for her. Zhao Youzuo gives her a little nudge. He suggests that if she just acts out one time, her parents might change their minds. The idea sounds strangely familiar to her. She thinks it might actually work.
Small Moments and Big Failures
Later, Xu Tutu is on the school broadcast. She's reading a script and sounds super nervous. Zhao Youzuo shows up with her favorite spicy hot pot. The food instantly boosts her confidence. She ditches the script. She does the rest of the broadcast in her signature mukbang style.
Then we see Zhao Liao. He’s off to Beijing for his art school interview. Zhao Youzuo gives him some health supplements for the trip. At the interview, Zhao Liao shows the judges a video he made. It's of Xu Tutu doing her mukbang broadcast. He gets really passionate explaining his artistic vision. The problem is, he doesn't try to impress the judges. He just speaks his mind. He fails the interview.
The Timeline Fights Back
The college entrance exams are over. Zhao Youzuo, Wang Yiman, Xu Tutu, and Chen Ming all meet up at the hot pot spot to celebrate. The results come in. Zhao Youzuo’s scores are not what he hoped for. He is determined to fight the timeline's "correction." He applies for a communications major no matter what.
He meets up with Xu Tutu. Her scores weren't great either. They didn't get into the same university. He tells her it's okay. He promises they will see each other all the time.
College and a Crushing Reality
Zhao Youzuo gets his acceptance letter. He's going to a university in Beijing. But his major is computer science. That was Xun Weilai’s major. He realizes he can't change the path the timeline has set for him. It's a gut punch.
College life is a blur for him. The only bright spot is talking to Xu Tutu. He just goes to class and studies. All the joy is gone. Four years pass. One night, he gets drunk. He thinks about how he still couldn't save Shu Tu. He starts yelling at a snowman. He screams that he misses Xun Weilai and Zhao Liao.
A Cruel Reunion
Zhao Youzuo decides to go home. He visits his old high school. He walks to the spot where he first met Xun Weilai. And then, Xun Weilai is there. He says hello. Zhao Youzuo thinks he's hallucinating. He pinches himself hard. It's not a dream. He grabs Xun Weilai and hugs him tight.
He immediately asks about Zhao Liao. Xun Weilai tells him Zhao Liao is having tea with Shu Tu. Zhao Youzuo is ecstatic. He thinks he finally did it. He saved Shu Tu's life. He's so happy he doesn't notice the grim look on Xun Weilai's face.
They build a snowman together. The second Zhao Youzuo finishes it, something snaps. All his memories of Xun Weilai and Zhao Liao are gone. Wiped clean.
The Awful Truth
Here's what really happened. The timeline correction was never fooled. Shu Tu still died. Dr. Yu sent Xun Weilai back to check on Zhao Youzuo. That's when Xun Weilai found memories in Zhao Youzuo's head that shouldn't be there. He broke down crying. To get Zhao Youzuo back to his proper life, Xun Weilai agreed to a memory wipe. He let Dr. Yu erase himself and Zhao Liao from Zhao Youzuo's mind. It's brutal.
Life Goes On
Back in the main timeline, things get rough. Xu Tutu's father is arrested. A bystander starts filming it on their phone. Zhao Youzuo sees this. He gets into a fight with the person to make them delete the video. He gets a cut on his forehead for his trouble.
Xu Tutu is strong about it. She says the video is already out there, so who cares. She just wants to live her life. And she does. Time passes, and they get married. She gives him a hat as a gift. He gives her a piece of paper. It’s the ballot from their high school election. It says, "Zhao Youzuo casts one vote for Xu Tutu."
The 99% Problem
The episode ends back with Dr. Yu. She's staring at her monitors. The timeline correction is stuck. It's frozen at 99%. Her team runs a search. They can't find any record of a person named Shu Tu. Dr. Yu starts to wonder. Did Shu Tu somehow escape the correction?
