Beautiful Time With You Episode 23 Recap
> Beautiful Time With You Recap
The summer holiday had begun, and Lin Xingchen, having gained some renown in her neighborhood for being accepted into Yiling High School, found herself frequently tutoring younger children brought by her neighbors. After a week cooped up at home, her Grandma noticed Lin Xingchen was getting restless.
Overhearing Zhang Haotian calling Lin Xingchen to invite her out (initially suggesting she help him with homework), her Grandma encouraged her to go out with friends and gave her some money that Lin Xingchen's father had sent, urging her to spend it. Lin Xingchen agreed to go out but only took 100 yuan, entrusting the rest to her Grandma for living expenses and asking her to buy herself some good food. Zhang Haotian took Lin Xingchen shopping at a mall.
As they passed a toy store, Lin Xingchen suddenly spotted her mother inside, accompanied by a man and a young boy, who appeared to be her new husband and son. Startled, Lin Xingchen quickly pulled Zhang Haotian aside to hide, waiting until her mother and family had left before she dared to emerge. She confided in Zhang Haotian that she hadn't seen her mother in almost three years, ever since her mother had her younger brother.
She speculated that her mother might have been on a business trip and might not have wanted to see her, so she decided not to disturb her. However, Zhang Haotian encouraged her to be brave and find her if she truly wanted to know how she was doing. Since Lin Xingchen didn't know her mother's address, Zhang Haotian seized an opportunity when a delivery person left the toy store with a package.
He quickly noted the address written on the box and relayed it to Lin Xingchen, who carefully wrote it down: Huguang Garden, Building 3, Room 2019, in Yicheng City. Meanwhile, in the UK, Lu Yibai was battling a week-long cold with a persistent cough. Yang Ruoying visited him, bringing anti-inflammatory medicine, along with porridge and pancakes she specifically purchased from a Chinese restaurant. Lu Yibai expressed his gratitude for her thoughtfulness, and she assured him it was "on the way."
After Yang Ruoying left, Lu Yibai received a text message from Lin Xingchen. In her text, accompanied by a selfie, Lin Xingchen wrote that she hadn't wanted to disturb him due to the significant time difference, asking if he had taken his exams, was eating well, and sleeping comfortably, and wished him luck. Lu Yibai smiled at her cheerful message, telling her about the 7-hour time difference and his upcoming joint exams, advising her to rest early.
Lin Xingchen responded with well wishes, but inwardly, she briefly entertained a selfish thought of him not passing the exams, quickly admonishing herself for it. Determined to help Lin Xingchen find her mother, Zhang Haotian borrowed a flashy SUV from his cousin. With Lin Xingchen as his passenger, he set off for the address he had memorized in Yicheng City, using GPS to navigate once they entered the city.
Upon arriving at Huguang Garden, Building 3, they realized they had misread the apartment number, as Lin Xingchen admitted that "2019" could have been "2901." When they knocked on the door, an elderly woman answered, mistaking them for children who had come to the wrong house and turning them away. As they were leaving the building, Lin Xingchen’s eyes caught sight of her mother walking by with her new husband and young son, all holding hands and looking joyful.
The little boy was excitedly showing off a new toy his "Dad" had bought. The sight of her mother’s happy family, without her, brought tears to Lin Xingchen’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself, telling Zhang Haotian that she was relieved to see her mother doing well and decided not to intrude. With a heavy heart, she pulled Zhang Haotian away.
Later, Lu Yibai, noticing updates on Lin Xingchen’s QQ space but no reply to his messages, grew slightly frustrated, wondering if she was asleep or out having fun. As Lin Xingchen and Zhang Haotian drove back, Zhang Haotian tried to lift her spirits. He announced that since he had, in a way, met her parents, it was only fair that she meet his. He then drove her to a detention center, where they visited his father.
Zhang Haotian’s father asked if his mother had taken him to Shanghai for school, to which Zhang Haotian responded that he wouldn’t live with her. His father expressed regret, blaming himself for his situation, and called himself "useless." Zhang Haotian reassured his father to take care of himself and not worry about money, promising they would find a solution together once he was released and urging him to focus on studying.
Later, Zhang Haotian explained to Lin Xingchen that his father, an honest man who ran a car repair shop, was pressured by his mother to earn more money when the industry declined, leading him to make an irreparable mistake. He added that his mother had filed for divorce during his father's trial and immediately remarried another man in Shanghai. Lin Xingchen shared that her own parents' divorce wasn't about money but a "falling out in the relationship."
Zhang Haotian remarked that they were "a bit alike," sharing a similar fate. He then advised her to be "smarter" and not dwell on people who didn't love her, asserting that "in life, things rarely go as planned." Lin Xingchen, however, declared that if giving up on someone you love because they no longer love you was considered "smart," she would "rather be a fool for life."
As Zhang Haotian walked Lin Xingchen home, he directly asked her if she had a crush on someone. Lin Xingchen honestly confessed that she did, though she initially hesitated to name the person. When Zhang Haotian pressed, asking if it was Lu Yibai, she tacitly admitted he was correct. When he further inquired what she liked about Lu Yibai, Lin Xingchen explained that while one could list a hundred reasons to dislike someone, liking someone didn't need a reason.
She then playfully listed a few things like his height, intelligence, good looks, and nice smile, begging Zhang Haotian to keep it an "ultimate secret," revealing that only Qinggege knew about it. When she asked him if he had someone he liked, he replied that he "used to, but not anymore," implying that "her taste was terrible." Zhang Haotian then encouraged Lin Xingchen to pursue what she loved, promising to "catch her" if she ever stumbled.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Lu Yibai was taking his biomedicine entrance exam. His mind drifted back to Lin Xingchen, recalling her words and looking at the sticker she had given him. He remembered her earnest declaration to stay in the science stream and aim for the top ten in their class, as well as her cheerful encouragement for his exam. After a moment of profound reflection, Lu Yibai made a bold decision and erased the answers he had already written on his exam paper.
