Episode Summary
After a huge fight with his father, Zhao Zuoyou runs away and is "rescued" by the manipulative Zhao Liao, who spoils him. Xun Weilai, seeing he's losing his friend's loyalty, forms an unexpected alliance with Zuoyou's regretful father to counter Zhao Liao's influence.
Spoiler Alert
A Messy Night
A Frame-Up and a Fight
This episode kicks off with a lot of drama. Xu Tutu waits all day for Zhao Zuoyou. When he finally shows up, she gives him tea and worries about the cut on his head.
Things are not going so well for Xun Weilai. He gets accused of scalping movie tickets. He tries to prove his innocence but finds his pockets stuffed with tickets. He knows immediately that Zhao Liao framed him. Just as he’s trying to explain himself to security, Zhao Zuoyou’s mom appears. She helps clear his name.
Later, Zhao Zuoyou gets home. His dad, Zhao Donglai, finds a magazine in his son's drawer. He is absolutely furious. He demands to know why Zuoyou is switching to a liberal arts major. He mocks Zuoyou's writing. Then, he rips the entire manuscript to shreds. This was months of work.
Zuoyou is heartbroken. He cries and runs out of the house. When his wife gets home, she sees the mess. She admits that she was the one who signed the school form. This only makes her husband angrier.
Zhao Liao Makes His Move
The "Rescue"
Zhao Zuoyou hides in a public phone booth. He tries to call Xun Weilai for help, but his phone dies. Xun Weilai can't get ahold of him. He remembers a time he ran away himself and rushes to a specific spicy hot pot restaurant.
Back at the restaurant, Zuoyou is dazed. He thinks he sees Xun Weilai coming to find him. But when he focuses, he realizes it's Zhao Liao. Zhao Liao even brought him his favorite food, tofu skin soup. This guy knows exactly what he's doing.
Xun Weilai finally arrives at the restaurant. The owner sees his angry face and assumes he's a parent. The owner insists Zuoyou and Xu Tutu are just friends. But Zhao Liao has already called Zuoyou's mom. He tells her he's taking Zuoyou on a little trip for a few days. He says it will help the teenager blow off some steam. Zuoyou's mom is thrilled and offers to pay him. Zhao Liao says no. He just wants to come over for her home-cooked meals in the future. She happily agrees.
The Battle for Zuoyou's Loyalty
A Taste of the Good Life
Zhao Liao takes Zuoyou to a five-star hotel. Zuoyou is blown away. He says that when he makes a lot of money, he wants his mom to stay in a place like this. Zhao Liao then tells him not to forget his father. We get a glimpse into Zhao Liao's mind. He's successful in his old age, but he has a lot of regrets about the past.
The next day, Zuoyou is completely won over. He brings his friends a bucket of chicken. He says he feels like he's finally found a place where he belongs. He also realizes he and Zhao Liao have a lot in common. Xun Weilai sees this and gets furious. He knows he's losing his friend to Zhao Liao's influence.
Xun Weilai's New Ally
That night, Xun Weilai plans to go to an amusement park. He wants to stop Zuoyou and Zhao Liao from spending more time together. On his way, he passes his house. He sees his dad, Zhao Donglai, drinking alone and looking miserable.
Xun Weilai has an idea. He realizes it's better to team up with the dad against Zhao Liao than to fight alone. He approaches his dad. He tells him he understands why he ripped up the magazine. He says the dad was just trying to do what was best for his son.
Zhao Donglai feels understood. He opens up to Xun Weilai. He admits he regrets what he did. He says he searched through dozens of trash cans trying to find the torn pieces of the manuscript, but he couldn't find a single scrap. This is a big moment. Xun Weilai finally understands that his father is capable of admitting when he's wrong.
An Uneasy Truce
Zuoyou's mom calls and tells him to come home early. Zhao Liao immediately suspects Xun Weilai talked to the dad. He knows a new game has begun.
The next day, Zuoyou goes home. He is not ready to forgive his father. He's still holding onto his anger. He ends up going to Xun Weilai's place to vent his frustration.
