The future continues to look bright for our main couple. Nothing life throws at them can get them down as long as they have each other, and they continue to bask in their new-found happiness. Meanwhile, Zi Jian discovers more of the truth behind his sister’s scheming.
Recap
You Yan hugs her gigantic stuffed bear and squirms in her room as she thinks about her and Ye Bai’s kiss from last night. Xiao Cong is worried that she’s sick, but Shan Shan knows better and teases that You Yan is lovesick!
The art department professors meet to discuss Ye Bai’s situation. One of the professors says that knowing about Ye Bai’s color-blindness actually makes his work more impressive, and some of the others nod along. Professor Lin is clearly unhappy about this, and tries to convince the others that they have to be rational. The department clearly doesn’t accept color-blind students. Perhaps they shouldn’t even be talking about Ye Bai’s painting–perhaps they should be talking about whether Ye Bai should be allowed to stay in the department. How would it look to parents to have a color-blind art student wasting the department’s resources? He’s already starting to hear from other students’ parents.
Professor Xia is quick to argue against Lin using his own logic. The school is a place of rationality, but it’s also a place that educates students in doing what’s right. How would it look if the school abandoned a student in his time of need? Do they want to introduce to society a generation of young people who think that it’s okay to just give up on someone who needs help instead of helping them?
Huai An calls Professor Xia in the middle of his meeting, asking if there are any updates on the department’s verdict on Ye Bai. She says that she has an idea that will help clear Ye Bai’s name, and they arrange to meet in person.
Ye Bai and You Yan have scheduled a cooking date, and Ye Bai has prepped the ingredients for her. He sends her a picture of the produce and then a straight-faced selfie (LOL), telling her that he’s ready and waiting.
But just as You Yan is about to meet up with him, he gets a call from Professor Xia asking to meet him on campus immediately, so he has to cancel on You Yan.
Huai An tells Professor Xia and Ye Bai about her plan to have Ye Bai do a live painting show and solo exhibition. Ye Bai is quick to refuse, saying that to do so would ruin the sanctity of art: art isn’t some variety game show. Professor Xia says that it looks like he cares a lot about the dignity of art, but what about his own dignity? He and Huai An continue to try to convince Ye Bai to agree to their idea, and he finally agrees.
You Yan and Shan Shan try to attend a practice interview event, but literally run into Zi Yan and aren’t able to get in. They walk aimlessly around campus, with Shan Shan blaming Zi Yan for making her miss the chance to get a spot at the practice interview. They spot Ye Bai walking and talking with Huai An, and Shan Shan and Zi Yan immediately assume the worst. But You Yan says that she trusts Ye Bai, and is sure that he didn’t ditch her just to secretly meet up with Huai An. There must be a reason they met up.
Ye Bai tells Huai An that he doesn’t want any of the proceeds from the auction of his artwork. But, he would like to have Chi Zheng’s last painting. He spots You Yan and co from a distance and says goodbye to Huai An, then sneaks up behind You Yan, warning Zi Yan not to say anything. Ye Bai pulls You Yan to his side and they act excessively cute toward each other.
Shan Shan and Zi Yan watch as they leave. They lament that they’ve lost their best friends, but find comfort in each other.
Ye Bai and You Yan walk along the street and he tells her about Huai An’s plans to help him clear his name. They’re both worried about his color vision and You Yan says she wishes she could give her eyes to him. He then asks her if she was jealous earlier when she saw him walking with Huai An, and she says no, but he doesn’t believe her.
They continue to act cute all the way back to Ye Bai’s apartment. They’re about to go upstairs when Ye Bai’s father shows up, immediately making him drop his smile. He asks to talk. Ye Bai tells You Yan to go upstairs first, then faces his father, his demeanor icy.
His father has heard about Ye Bai’s troubles with the International Young Artists award, and offers to help. He has connections in France who can make all his problems go away. Ye Bai doesn’t want his help, which makes him upset. As a father, is he not allowed to help his son? Ye Bai doesn’t see him as a father and doesn’t want his good intentions and calls him “Mr. Gu” before walking away.
Ye Bai is still in a bad mood when he gets back up to the apartment, but the sight of You Yan cooking makes him smile softly. He hugs her from behind and asks if he can just stay there for a little bit as he silently cries. You Yan tears up in empathy.
You Yan has made Ye Bai his favorite noodle dish, exactly the way his mom used to make it. She smiles as she watches him eat. He asks her why she isn’t asking him any questions about his father, whom he had once told her was “gone,” but she replies that she knows he’ll tell her when he’s ready.
Ye Bai explains a bit of his history with his father: up until Ye Bai was five, his father was the best father in the world. But one day his company tanked. His business partner, a Japanese woman, offered to help him save the company, but on the condition that he marry her. Ye Bai’s father chose his company over his family and left Ye Bai, his brother, and his mother. The woman has since passed away, but didn’t have any children with his father, so now his father has come looking for him.
You Yan says that sometimes people don’t realize what they’ve missed until it’s gone. She takes his hands and asks if they can make a promise to each other. Can they promise to be each other’s eyes and consciences, and to remind each other to not miss out on life’s small happinesses? He promises.
Zi Jian paints at home and his sister knocks at the doorway of the studio, bringing fruit for him to eat. She asks him how his painting is going and if he needs any help: if he wants, she can bring in some experts she knows. She reminds him that this is his first exhibition, so he should remember to take it seriously, then feeds him some fruit before leaving. The reminder makes him sigh once she leaves.
Wei Jia makes a call to Huai An’s uncle, demanding to know why there hasn’t been a lot of publicity about Zi Jian’s upcoming exhibition. Did she not pay him enough money? She asks him how much more money he needs in order to guarantee that Zi Jian’s exhibition will be the most important event of the year for the gallery.
Zi Jian walks by and overhears this, then confronts his sister. He thought that she had won over Huai An’s uncle with one of his paintings, but now he knows that she had used an even baser method: bribery. She calls him naive and tells him that he should stick to art. He asks her if she thinks he can still paint now that he knows all this. Is she trying to help him or hurt him?
Chi Pu finds You Yan at the library, busy studying psychology textbooks. Chi Pu asks him if she’s started dating Ye Bai. Her father called her after their argument the other day and asked him all about who Ye Bai was. You Yan’s worried that she made things difficult for him, but he says that he’s fine. What he doesn’t want is for her relationship with Ye Bai to ruin her relationship with her father.
Zi Jian tries to paint outside, but he keeps on thinking of his sister’s words and is unable to concentrate. He gets a voice message from Xiao Cong saying that she’s done with his translations, and seeking a distraction, he goes to pick it up at the cafe she works at. You Yan also happens to be at the cafe, doing some work.
Xiao Cong gives Zi Jian the finished translations, and also shyly gives him a bracelet she made, claiming that it’s a token of her gratitude. She gets called back in to work, and Zi Jian goes to chat with You Yan. He asks her about the rest of his translations, but she doesn’t want to talk about it in such close proximity to Xiao Cong, so they leave. Zi Jian accidentally leaves Xiao Cong’s gift behind.
Xiao Cong cleans up after You Yan’s table and notices Zi Jian’s forgotten bracelet with a hurt look on her face. She picks it up and tries to catch up with Zi Jian, and sees him walking with You Yan.
Zi Jian tells You Yan about how he always feels better whenever he sees her, no matter how bad of a mood he was in before. He admits that his mood hasn’t been great today, but then switches the topic back to Xiao Cong and the translations, saying that he gave her all of the money. He mentions that she also gave him a gift, and starts looking for it before realizing that he forgot it. He turns around and sees Xiao Cong, who has overheard everything.
“I know you were trying to help me. Thank you… but you’ve really hurt me,” she says before running away.
Zi Jian tells You Yan that he’ll explain everything to Xiao Cong, but she says that there’s no need. She’ll explain everything to Xiao Cong when she gets back from work later that night.
But that night, Xiao Cong doesn’t return back to their room. Everyone searches frantically for her, and they split up across campus.
You Yan and Zi Jian run into each other in one of the study lounges, still unsuccessful in their search for Xiao Cong. Zi Jian apologizes for causing the misunderstanding, but You Yan says it was also her fault. She tries calling Xiao Cong again, and while she waits for the call to go through, Zi Jian reaches for her. He almost touches her when Ye Bai appears and says You Yan’s name, surprising them both.
You Yan runs to Ye Bai’s side and asks what he’s doing here. He says that he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone, but glances behind her at Zi Jian as he says this. He hasn’t found Xiao Cong either.
Xiao Cong finally shows up back in their dorm room, where Shan Shan is waiting. Shan Shan immediately envelops her in a hug, then calls You Yan. You Yan receives the call and says she’ll head back to their room immediately. Both Ye Bai and Zi Jian offer to walk her back at the exact same time.
You Yan looks at them both, then says that she’ll just walk back by herself. After she leaves, Ye Bai turns to stare down Zi Jian. “What were you just trying to do?” he asks.
Thoughts
I’m dying. I find the cliché, dramatic moments of this show hilarious in a way that probably isn’t intended by the creators, but I’ve seen too many dramas to not find it funny. This whole scene at the end with Zi Jian reaching out for You Yan, Ye Bai seeing him and asserting his dominance, and then confronting him at the end? Too funny. Maybe if the acting was less stiff I would find it less funny. Maybe.
I think it’s just a good sign that I’m entertained by this show, even if it’s not in the intended way, because otherwise I would be bored out of my mind. The friendships and romance have their cute moments, but for the most part are boring. The relationships and conflicts that have the biggest draw for me are the familial relationships: Zi Jian’s conflict with his sister, and You Yan’s conflict with her father.
But I have to applaud the writing so far for serving us some fun, easily-resolved cliché misunderstandings without angst and convolutedness, otherwise I’d be gone in a heartbeat.
The Drama Llama 