Episode Summary
Zhao Zuoyou is trapped in a recurring nightmare about his friends' futures, while in the present, Xun Weilai grows suspicious of his older self, Zhao Liao. An unexpected friendship forms between Xu Tutu and Wang Yiman over shared vulnerabilities. Xun Weilai's attempt to help Zhao Zuoyou with a forged letter backfires spectacularly when Zhao Zuoyou's father gets involved. The conflict leads to a devastating revelation that sends a heartbroken Zhao Zuoyou to a cracking frozen lake.
Spoiler Alert
A Nightmare on Repeat
The episode kicks off with a seriously unsettling nightmare. Zhao Zuoyou wakes up on the side of the road. He’s completely lost. He looks up and sees Xun Weilai on a roof, drinking by himself. This future Xun Weilai doesn't seem to know him. He just keeps muttering that he never should have met Xu Tutu.
Then it gets much worse. Zhao Liao, the old man version of Xun Weilai, shows up holding a knife. His eyes are totally empty. He walks right past Zhao Zuoyou as if he's invisible. Right at that moment, an alarm clock goes off. Zhao Zuoyou wakes up, but he immediately falls back into the exact same nightmare. It's a terrifying loop.
The Comic Shop Drama
The next day, things are just as strange. A real estate agent comes to Xun Weilai’s comic shop. He says an old man wants to buy the place. Xun Weilai quickly learns the old man is Zhao Liao. He gets furious. He thinks his future self is trying to pull the rug out from under him. He tells the agent to get lost.
Later, Zhao Zuoyou tells Xun Weilai about a different dream he had. He dreamt about his own future. He was middle-aged, divorced, and completely buried in mortgage debt. The pressure was immense. Xun Weilai just pats him on the shoulder. He tells him to focus on his life now and stop worrying so much. That night, Xun Weilai starts secretly following Zhao Liao. He can't understand how his future self has so much money. He's convinced Zhao Liao must be doing something illegal.
An Unlikely Alliance
Xu Tutu is starting to panic. She hasn't been able to reach Zhao Zuoyou for days. She goes to a public phone booth to try calling him, but she still can't get through. While she's there, Wang Yiman approaches. Xu Tutu mistakes her for a threat and actually attacks her.
After they clear up that huge misunderstanding, they sit down and talk. Xu Tutu feels awful and apologizes. She also confesses that she saw some of Wang Yiman's private messages. She was using a computer after her and noticed she hadn't logged out.
But Wang Yiman isn't upset. She says she left the account logged in on purpose. The messages were all hate mail, and she's learned to ignore them. She says that the more people like her, the more people also hate her. She talks about her mom forcing her to wear clothes she doesn't like. She loves animals and spicy food, but her mom forbids them. Xu Tutu is shocked. She's seeing a whole different side to the seemingly perfect Wang Yiman. To help her new friend, Xu Tutu decides to take the fall. She says she was the anonymous person on an online forum who was harassing Wang Yiman. She plans to pin the post and even report it to the police to protect Wang Yiman.
A Series of Bad Decisions
Xun Weilai is still tailing Zhao Liao. He sees the old man using a payphone even though he has a cell phone. This confirms all of Xun Weilai's suspicions. He is sure Zhao Liao is in the middle of an illegal deal.
He grabs a phone to call the police. Before he can dial, the cops are standing right behind him. So Xun Weilai just loudly declares that the man in the phone booth is very suspicious. Zhao Liao calmly explains himself. He tells the police he's a childless old man who forgot his keys. He was just calling a locksmith. The police believe him and give him a ride home. As Zhao Liao leaves, he gives Xun Weilai a long, meaningful look. It's obvious he's hiding something big.
The Lie Unravels
Zhao Liao is definitely playing games. He goes to Zhao Donglai, who is Zhao Zuoyou’s father. He complains that he tried to buy a shop from Xun Weilai’s relative but was turned down. Zhao Donglai immediately offers to go talk to Xun Weilai. His real reason is just to get an excuse to see his son.
Meanwhile, Xun Weilai does something he thinks is kind. He gives Zhao Zuoyou a letter and pretends it's from his idol. Zhao Zuoyou is beyond happy. He feels a new wave of inspiration and wants to start a new project.
His dad, Zhao Donglai, shows up at the comic shop. He wants to take Zhao Zuoyou home. Zhao Zuoyou completely ignores him. He acts like his dad isn't even there. Xun Weilai tries to mediate. He offers to look after Zhao Zuoyou himself. This just makes Zhao Donglai angry. He says he doesn't want his son being looked after by the guy who came in last in his class. Xun Weilai loses it. He screams that he only turned out this way because of Zhao Donglai. Zhao Donglai is completely baffled by this and gets kicked out of the shop.
After the fight, Xun Weilai and Zhao Donglai end up drinking together. They start talking. In the worst possible timing, Zhao Zuoyou overhears their whole conversation. He learns the truth. The letter from his idol was a fake. Xun Weilai was just faking the emotional support.
Zhao Zuoyou is absolutely devastated. He runs out to a frozen lake, holding the forged letter. He just stands there, completely broken. He doesn't notice the ice under his feet is starting to crack.
