A Love So Beautiful Episode 4 Recap
> A Love So Beautiful Recap
Jiang Chen's birthday was fast approaching, and Chen Xiaoxi found herself in a joyous yet troubled state, unsure of what gift to get him. Her close friend, Lin Jingxiao, accompanied her to the mall, but their budget of 128. 3 yuan proved insufficient for the expensive watches, belts, or wallets they saw, leading Lin Jingxiao to jokingly suggest they settle for a Practice After Class workbook instead. The school announced its upcoming Sports Meeting.
Initially, students were unenthusiastic about signing up for events. The PE teacher expressed his disappointment, reminding them of historical national weaknesses and the importance of physical education. He then introduced a tempting incentive: a pair of limited edition Adidas sneakers worth 3000 yuan for the 3000-meter race, and a watch for the hurdles competition. Hearing about the watch immediately sparked Chen Xiaoxi's interest.
She quickly calculated that if she won, she could present the watch to Jiang Chen as his birthday gift. Jiang Chen was assigned to the men's 3000m race by Ms. Liu, which Chen Xiaoxi felt was an abuse of power. Chen Xiaoxi and Lin Jingxiao both signed up for the women's hurdles. Lin Jingxiao's motivation for joining was also tied to a gift.
She had recently received a letter from her father, who was returning to China to guide tourists and planned to meet her at Xingguang at 5 p. m. on the 11th. He had tucked some cash into the letter, cautioning her not to tell her mother and urging her to buy nourishing food and study hard. Lin Jingxiao hoped to win the watch as a gift for her long-absent father, a secret she kept to herself.
When Chen Xiaoxi pressed her about her reason for participating, Lin Jingxiao simply declared it was "for Liu Xiang." Later, in a bookstore, Chen Xiaoxi was engrossed in a comic book, a happy smile on her face. Jiang Chen entered, and his gaze lingered on her, seemingly captivated by her carefree expression. Chen Xiaoxi looked up, offering him a sweet smile. Jiang Chen, visibly awkward, averted his eyes and casually picked up a book from a nearby shelf.
As Chen Xiaoxi continued to laugh at her comic, a subtle smile played on Jiang Chen's lips. Lin Jingxiao approached Chen Xiaoxi, handing her a book on hurdling. As Jiang Chen left the bookstore, Chen Xiaoxi, ever drawn to him, followed and asked about the book he was holding. With a straight face, Jiang Chen replied, "A book about you." Chen Xiaoxi's heart fluttered with bashful delight, but her joy was short-lived as she saw the title: "Abnormal Psychology".
Driven by her goal, Chen Xiaoxi threw herself into hurdles practice, though her attempts often looked more like "pushing" the barriers over than gracefully clearing them. Wu Bosong, observing her struggles, offered to coach her. Despite being a swimming ace with no knowledge of hurdles, he insisted they start with theoretical knowledge, secretly writing notes on his arm. He even chanted supportive, albeit nonsensical, slogans for Lin Jingxiao, declaring her "the best."
Wu Bosong dedicated his time to helping Chen Xiaoxi, often neglecting his own swimming training, which earned him a stern reprimand from his coach. During one practice session, Lin Jingxiao was challenged to a race by Wang Dazhuang. In an unfortunate mishap, Wang Dazhuang accidentally tripped her, causing her to fall and severely injure her ankle.
Dr. Li, the school doctor, examined her and declared that her injury was too serious for her to participate in the Sports Meeting, instructing her to rest and take prescribed medicine. That evening, Chen Xiaoxi called Jiang Chen to relay all the day's events. She chatted incessantly about Lin Jingxiao's injury, noting Dr. Li's sternness and recounting how Lu Yang's attempt to carry Lin Jingxiao had comically failed, prompting laughter from everyone.
Jiang Chen listened quietly on the other end of the line, offering only occasional "mm-hmm"s, a testament to their long-standing and comfortable familiarity. Chen Xiaoxi also mentioned how upset Lin Jingxiao was by Dr. Li's decision. Later, Lu Yang revealed Lin Jingxiao's true reason for participating: to win a watch for her returning father, in an attempt to convince Chen Xiaoxi to substitute for her. Chen Xiaoxi, recalling Lu Yang's past unreliable behavior, dismissed his words as a "family card."
Desperate to help Lin Jingxiao, Lu Yang attempted to recruit other female students like Yao Manxiao, Song Taotao, and Zhong Xiao to take Lin Jingxiao's place in the hurdles, but they all declined. His last hope was Jiang Chen. Lu Yang sought out Jiang Chen, earnestly pleading with him to convince Chen Xiaoxi to compete on Lin Jingxiao's behalf, emphasizing Lin Jingxiao's filial piety and Chen Xiaoxi's admiration for Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen, however, refused, stating that Chen Xiaoxi had her own valid reasons for participating. Chen Xiaoxi, who happened to overhear their conversation, was now torn, debating whether to help her friend. That evening, Lin Jingxiao intercepted Jiang Chen as he was leaving, telling him that Chen Xiaoxi was attempting to win the watch as a birthday gift for him. The next day, Jiang Chen appeared at Chen Xiaoxi's training.
He took charge, coaching her on proper breathing, leg movements, and balance. After some time, despite her considerable progress, Chen Xiaoxi still struggled with crossing the hurdles cleanly. Jiang Chen, recognizing the situation, devised a new strategy: given that most girls in the school found hurdling difficult, Chen Xiaoxi should focus solely on speed and simply crash through the hurdles, prioritizing momentum over technique. Chen Xiaoxi agreed to this approach. The Sports Meeting finally began with much fanfare.
Class 8's cheerleaders energetically chanted their support. Lin Jingxiao and Lu Yang, incensed that their elaborate cheer messages for Chen Xiaoxi hadn't been read over the loudspeaker, dramatically commandeered the broadcast microphone. They then loudly proclaimed their own creative, if somewhat exaggerated, cheers, comparing Chen Xiaoxi to Liu Xiang. Before the race, Jiang Chen quietly encouraged Chen Xiaoxi to relax and not be nervous.
As the race started, Wu Bosong, wearing a cartoon mask, suddenly appeared on the track, running alongside Chen Xiaoxi, his presence a clear sign of his unwavering support. Buoyed by the cheers of her friends and Jiang Chen's encouragement, Chen Xiaoxi ran with determination, successfully winning the hurdles championship and claiming the coveted watch. Wu Bosong, who had briefly been in the restroom during the race, quickly returned to congratulate her.
Chen Xiaoxi, clutching her prize, immediately presented the watch to Lin Jingxiao. As Lin Jingxiao opened the box, both girls looked at each other in surprise. Inside was a pink, diamond-encrusted ladies' watch. Their plans to gift it to their respective fathers were clearly thwarted, yet they shared a knowing smile, acknowledging that the experience itself was unforgettable. Suddenly, Lin Jingxiao realized it was 4:30 p. m. , just half an hour before her scheduled meeting with her father.
Complicating matters, the principal had announced a class meeting immediately after the Sports Meeting, meaning the school gates would be closed. Jiang Chen quickly suggested an alternative: scaling the south wall. With her friends creating a diversion to distract Ms. Liu, Lin Jingxiao made a dash for the wall. Lu Yang accompanied her to the base, and as Lin Jingxiao clambered over, her pants unfortunately tore.
Just then, Dr. Li happened to pass by and, without a word, handed her his newly purchased shirt to tie around her waist, covering the rip. Later, as the five friends walked home, Lin Jingxiao shared that her meeting with her father was brief, as he was busy, but he had praised her academic progress and promised to treat them to a meal later.
As they continued their journey, Lu Yang secretly sent Lin Jingxiao a text message, vowing to save up enough money to buy her father a proper watch himself. This gesture affirmed for Lin Jingxiao that despite his timid and small stature, Lu Yang held genuine affection for her. On the bus ride home, Chen Xiaoxi noticed Jiang Chen wasn't on his bike and asked why. He replied that his shoulder was sore.
Her immediate reaction was to lean in closely, her face near his, to inspect his shoulder. Jiang Chen's face flushed imperceptibly at her sudden proximity, and he awkwardly turned his head, gently pushing her head back with his hand. Looking down, he noticed a strand of her hair on his shirt. A small, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. As time passed, subtle yet significant changes were quietly unfolding between Jiang Chen and Chen Xiaoxi.
