Road to Success Episode 20 Recap
> Road to Success Recaps
After meeting with Jason's mother, Wang Fa returned home. Her parting words lingered in his mind, urging him to protect his current students and prevent another tragedy. Spurred by this, he immediately called a late-night meeting on the school field. When the boys gathered, confused but playful, Wang Fa sat them down and reintroduced himself.
He bared his soul, admitting he felt like a massive failure because a highly talented sixteen-year-old player he once coached had ended his life right before his eyes. He confessed that he used to prioritize victories over his players' emotional well-being, failing to stand by the boy when he was falsely accused of doping. Looking at his team, who were just a year older than Jason was, Wang Fa urged them never to give up on themselves.
While winning on the pitch was important, he reminded them that life outside of football held far greater value. He pledged to carry their burdens and promised never to abandon them, unless they grew so strong that they no longer needed his guidance. Touched by his vulnerability, the boys comforted him, shouting that he still had them before heading back to sleep.
Alone on the field, Wang Fa looked up, silently reflecting on the heavy struggles Jason must have faced before his final moments. Meanwhile, Ju Li grew deeply concerned when Lin Wanxing stopped answering her calls and messages. She ran into Wang Fa, who had just returned home, and together they entered Lin Wanxing's apartment, only to discover a chilling note hinting at ending her life at a high point to feel like she was flying.
Panicking, Ju Li and Wang Fa split up to search the rooftops of nearby high-rise buildings. On a breezy rooftop, Lin Wanxing was flipping a coin to decide her path, reflecting on a past moment when she had backed out of a dark choice. Suddenly, Wang Fa burst onto the roof and pulled her into a tight, desperate embrace. He begged her to stay strong and not do anything foolish.
Surprised, Lin Wanxing quickly reassured him that the note was actually a postcard she had written a year ago. She explained she had only come up to clear her head, enjoy the breeze, and reflect on her past. She emphasized that she valued her life too much to throw it away. Deeply relieved, Wang Fa thanked her for her resilience. As the gentle night wind blew, Lin Wanxing decided to let go of her past burdens.
Watching from the stairwell, Ju Li smiled warmly, comforted by the sight of Wang Fa shielding her best friend. On their walk back, they encountered a dirty stray dog with an injured leg. Deciding to rescue it, Wang Fa hailed a cab so they could take it to a vet before bringing it home. Standing outside Lin Wanxing's apartment door, Wang Fa hesitated to leave.
He asked if her wishing him good night meant she had forgiven him for his initial lies, admitting his guilt over approaching and investigating her with hidden motives. Lin Wanxing admitted she had previously wanted to cut ties, but after much thought, she realized she would have done the same in his position. Wang Fa apologized for not telling her the truth sooner, explaining that he had been terrified of being pushed away and hated by her.
He promised to be completely transparent moving forward. Lin Wanxing quietly replied that while he was offering complete honesty, she still had secrets she preferred to keep. Wang Fa did not mind at all, assuring her that she had every right to her privacy, even when she jokingly accused herself of having double standards. When Lin Wanxing prepared to wash the dog, Wang Fa pointed out that she could not handle it alone and offered his own bathtub.
Together, they bathed the shivering pup, and Lin Wanxing tenderly bandaged both the dog's injured paw and Wang Fa's hurt hand. As they dried the pup off, revealing his clean white fur, Wang Fa spontaneously named him Ivory and suggested adopting him. Despite Lin Wanxing's doubts about his pet-owning skills, Wang Fa convinced her by noting that his spacious, uncluttered apartment was perfect for a dog, though he admitted he would need her frequent help.
The following morning, Lin Wanxing knocked on Wang Fa's door, carrying a massive spread of breakfast alongside supplies for Ivory. As they laid out a feast of bacon, flatbread, fried dough sticks, shumai, pork rib porridge, and soy milk, Wang Fa smiled, teasingly remarking that having an injured hand was actually quite nice since it meant enjoying her dedicated care.
Lin Wanxing playfully shot back that she would be adding a service fee to his rent before heading off to work. During the team's next training session, Ju Li stopped by to drop off some yogurt for the players. While the boys took a break, she pulled Wang Fa aside to thank him for finding Lin Wanxing the previous night.
She opened up about their childhood, admitting she had initially disliked Lin Wanxing out of envy for her popularity, good looks, and stellar reputation. Ju Li recalled how, as an awkward girl with thick glasses and short hair, she had once gotten into a fierce fight with a bully and was punished to stand in the hallway.
To her surprise, Lin Wanxing had voluntarily joined her in the hallway, praised her coolness, and gently patched up her bleeding wound with a bandage. Ju Li emphasized how deeply Lin Wanxing mattered to her, prompting Wang Fa to earnestly reply that she was just as vital to him. Shortly after, the latest tournament updates arrived, revealing that Chuncheng Xinpeng had drawn with Yuzhou Yinxiang.
Since Hongjing High had previously defeated Yinxiang, the players boastfully predicted an easy victory over Xinpeng. Although Wang Fa cautioned them by pointing out other fierce scores, like Yongchuan Hengjiu's crushing nine-to-zero win, he reviewed their latest fitness metrics. Seeing that their high-intensity sprints and overall stamina had significantly improved, he agreed that their current abilities finally matched their grand ambitions to fight for the top spot.
Later, as they walked home after work, Wang Fa coaxed Lin Wanxing into coming upstairs to help him change Ivory's dressing, claiming he couldn't do it alone. After a playful moment where Wang Fa accidentally blew on her hair instead of the dog's wound, they discussed how Ivory's past abandonment had left him traumatized.
Wang Fa quickly claimed that he would need her help again for Ivory's veterinary checkup over the weekend, leading Lin Wanxing to laughingly accuse him of finding excuses to hang out. Shifting to team strategy, Wang Fa showed her the footage of their match against Yuzhou Yinxiang. He highlighted how Wen Chengye, despite looking indifferent, possessed brilliant tactical awareness. Instead of chasing a lost ball, Wen Chengye had smartly dropped back to block a pass to the opponent's defensive midfielder.
However, because of his detached nature, he only played according to his own judgment, ignoring his teammates' signals. Lin Wanxing agreed that building chemistry with Wen Chengye could transform the entire team and resolved to find a solution. During the next practice, Lin Wanxing pulled Fu Xinshu aside to ask for his thoughts on Wen Chengye. When Fu Xinshu confirmed that the boy loved football despite his prickly exterior, Lin Wanxing recruited him for her new plan.
That evening, she gathered the entire team and proposed a strict ban on instant noodles, arguing they lacked the necessary nutrition for high-level athletes. Despite the players' loud protests about late-night hunger after practice, Fu Xinshu supported the motion, admitting that even eating multiple packs of noodles failed to keep him full. To provide a cheap, organic, and muscle-building alternative, Lin Wanxing pointed to the empty courtyard space and suggested they grow their own vegetables.
When they decided to appoint a manager for the vegetable plot, Lin Wanxing nominated Wen Chengye. She playfully offered him a choice: either manage the plot or join Ju Li's rigorous physics class. With no real alternative, Wen Chengye reluctantly accepted. The team eagerly went to work, purchasing seeds for Chinese eggplants, scallions, Facing Heaven hot peppers, and bell peppers. Under Wen Chengye's practical guidance, the boys mixed soil, measured fertilizer, and watered the newly planted balcony pots.
When the players playfully called out Lin Wanxing for standing idle, she jokingly declared herself the sole investor of their green enterprise. With Lin Wanxing distributing sweet and sour yogurt to everyone, the boys successfully completed their planting. To seal their newfound unity, they dragged a hesitant Wen Chengye into the center of a joyful team photograph.
