Be Yourself Episode 15 Recap
> Be Yourself Recap
As New Year's Eve approached, Yang Jiaqian, known as "Big sister" by her roommates and "Justfan Yang" within her fan community, was deeply involved in voting for her idol, Justin, for his upcoming New Year's Eve performance. She noted how Justin's new song, "A Canoe," even resonated with Fan Qingzhou's name. Fan Qingzhou’s application, which had recently transitioned from "Try-it" to "Little Table," received Jiaqian's enthusiastic support.
She proposed integrating "fandom culture" into "Little Table" to create a dedicated communication platform for fans, believing it would attract a large user base. Fan Qingzhou, however, was hesitant, and his friend Dongqiang openly expressed skepticism, implying that fans were not "smart people." Jiaqian defended the intelligence of fandom members, while Fan Qingzhou pondered her suggestion.
Despite his indecision, Jiaqian took it upon herself to distribute his flyers, and even their teacher, Mai Meng, offered to help, impressed by her dedication. Meanwhile, back in their dorm, Xia Langlang and Huangfu Shumin discussed the recent news that Justin was dating the actress who played Liu Piaopiao. They commiserated over Yang Jiaqian’s unrequited love for Fan Qingzhou, noting that Qingzhou seemed to only have eyes for Fan Xiaoyu.
They wished Xiaoyu didn't like Qingzhou, hoping it would give Jiaqian a chance. To their surprise, Fan Xiaoyu emerged from the restroom, revealing she had overheard their entire conversation. When directly asked if she liked Fan Qingzhou, Xiaoyu emphatically denied it, much to her friends' delight. They then concocted a plan: during the upcoming "Little Table" Christmas party at Zhou Yu’s café, Xiaoyu would personally inform Fan Qingzhou of Yang Jiaqian's feelings.
This dual strategy aimed to both help Jiaqian confess and explicitly signal Xiaoyu's own lack of romantic interest. Listening to their fervent discussion, Xiaoyu felt a growing sense of hesitation and unease. On Christmas night, the "Little Table" party commenced at Zhou Yu’s café. Fan Qingzhou delivered a speech, emphasizing the app's goal of building genuine connections and announcing a New Year's discount. Inside, Yang Jiaqian, seated nervously opposite Fan Qingzhou, was messaging her fan group about Justin.
As Fan Xiaoyu approached, she caught sight of Qingzhou and Jiaqian by the window. A wave of melancholy washed over her, and she decided not to enter. She texted her friends a false excuse about dancing with other friends. Alone on the street, Xiaoyu felt a profound sense of loneliness as she walked to a familiar street food stall. Unexpectedly, Fan Qingzhou appeared and joined her. Despite the festive atmosphere, an awkward silence settled between them.
Both lost in their thoughts, they drank until Xiaoyu, fueled by alcohol, remembered her roommates' words about Jiaqian's happiness. Taking a deep breath, a drunken Xiaoyu delivered what she believed was Jiaqian's confession, telling Qingzhou, "Big sister. . . likes you." Qingzhou was startled, having only clearly heard "likes you." He tried to get her to repeat herself, but Xiaoyu, overwhelmed by the alcohol, collapsed. Later, Xia Langlang and Huangfu Shumin retrieved an intoxicated Xiaoyu from a taxi.
Xiaoyu, with a triumphant grin, declared she had completed her mission. Meanwhile, Fan Qingzhou was left in a state of profound confusion, haunted by the question of whether Xiaoyu had just confessed her own feelings to him. The next morning, Yang Jiaqian woke up in a panic. She realized that while voting for Justin, she had accidentally used the university's Youth League Committee's official Weibo account.
Following a friend's advice, she quickly posted several more messages to make it appear as though the account had been hacked. Due to Jiaqian’s usually impeccable record, Mai Meng, who investigated the incident, was convinced it was indeed a hacking. As New Year's Eve approached, Fan Qingzhou called Fan Xiaoyu, inviting her to celebrate. Committed to her promise to Yang Jiaqian, Xiaoyu reluctantly declined, choosing to spend the evening in the dorm with Xia Langlang.
Qingzhou subsequently joined Dongqiang for a buffet dinner. Concurrently, Xia Langlang visited Mai Meng to borrow a book. Observing Langlang's quiet nature, Mai Meng encouraged her to be more social and offered her two deluxe buffet coupons. This led to Xia Langlang and Fan Xiaoyu unexpectedly encountering Fan Qingzhou and Dongqiang at the Dayou Restaurant. At the restaurant, Fan Qingzhou, still confused by Xiaoyu's drunken words, pulled her aside, determined to get a clear answer.
He asked if she remembered what she had said that night. Xiaoyu affirmed she did but tried to swiftly change the subject. Qingzhou pressed on, explicitly asking if she had been referring to "Big sister" when she spoke of liking someone. Xiaoyu finally confirmed that her words were indeed about Yang Jiaqian. A mix of amusement and disappointment crossed Qingzhou's face as the truth dawned on him.
As the New Year’s fireworks illuminated the sky with vibrant colors, Qingzhou turned to Xiaoyu and openly confessed his feelings for her. He saw past her carefully composed and restrained expression, understanding her true emotions. In a rare display of initiative, the usually cautious Qingzhou cupped Xiaoyu's face in his hands and kissed her deeply. For a moment, her long-suppressed feelings overwhelmed her, and she could not push him away.
However, immediately after the kiss, a wave of guilt washed over her, and Xiaoyu abruptly fled from his side. Unbeknownst to her roommates and the university, Yang Jiaqian had falsely claimed she would be with her mother for New Year's Eve. In reality, as the fervent head of Justin’s fan club, she attended his concert. Photos of her at the event soon surfaced on Weibo, causing a scandal within the university community.
A top student and student union leader was exposed as a "fangirl," becoming a public example of misguided behavior. Her lies led to the revocation of her postgraduate recommendation and scholarship. She faced harsh criticism from her teachers, including Mai Meng, and an uncompromising phone call from her mother, who, deeply disappointed, demanded she abandon her fangirling and earn her postgraduate degree through her own efforts. Heartbroken, Yang Jiaqian returned to her dorm, where her roommates tried to console her.
She broke down, tearfully confessing she was a "naive, starstruck, hypocritical fangirl." She passionately explained that during her challenging high school years, when everyone focused solely on her academic performance, only caring about her grades and demanding she be a role model, Justin’s music was her sole source of strength.
She felt that when she was tired and close to breaking, only listening to Justin’s songs gave her the power to continue, and that no one else cared about her true feelings or burdens. She stressed that only she understood how important he was to her. Her friends listened empathetically, offering comfort. Later, they bought a life-sized Justin body pillow and placed it on her bed as a gesture of support.
The next morning, waking beside the pillow, Jiaqian felt a renewed sense of empowerment from her idol. She looked at her sleeping friends, a grateful smile spreading across her face. Later, via phone call, she informed her fan friend, Justfan Hu, that she planned to have Justin’s fan club issue a statement declaring her an "undercover troll" to protect Justin from further negative publicity. Despite her mother's stern ultimatum, Jiaqian vowed to continue her unwavering support for Justin.
