Don't Leave After School Episode 18 Recap
> Don't Leave After School Recap
Fang Xue approached Wei Lai, asking about the night of the fire and if he had noticed anything unusual. Wei Lai, feeling guilty and imagining the bleak consequences if caught, feigned ignorance, claiming he had simply wanted her to see shooting stars for her birthday and advised her to go rest. Cheng Jing was discharged from the hospital and returned to class. Classmates welcomed her and eagerly asked about Gu Shang's condition.
Cheng Jing explained that Gu Shang was more severely injured and would return in a few days, but assured everyone he would be fine. During lunch, the conversation turned to the fire, with students mentioning that Gu Shang was now a suspect. Cheng Jing clarified that she had been locked in the multimedia classroom by the gatekeeper when the fire started, and Gu Shang had been out buying food, so it couldn't have been him.
She expressed sadness that Gu Shang would face an investigation upon his return. Hearing this, Wei Lai felt a pang of conscience and abruptly left the cafeteria to seek out books on fire and explosion technology in the library. Back in his dormitory, Wei Lai made a phone call to Gu Shang, inquiring about his recovery. He then confessed that the fire might be related to him because he was setting off fireworks downstairs that night.
Gu Shang, initially joking about Wei Lai causing his troubles, quickly offered to take the blame to protect Wei Lai's secret about re-enrolling in high school. Wei Lai, however, declined the generous offer, resolute in his decision to take responsibility for his own actions. The next day, Wei Lai went to Ms Lei's office and admitted he was the one who started the fire. He explained that he had set off fireworks, and sparks might have inadvertently caused the blaze.
When asked why, he claimed to be bored with dormitory life and simply looking for some fun, having bought fireworks to play with in his dorm. Ms Lei was visibly shocked and reprimanded him for such a serious and irresponsible act. Unbeknownst to them, Li Dalai was standing just outside the door, overhearing their entire conversation. As Wei Lai exited the office, Fang Xue stopped him, expressing concern about his recent strange behavior.
Before he could respond, a furious Li Dalai rushed out, loudly accusing Wei Lai of being the arsonist and announcing that he would face punishment. Fang Xue immediately understood the reason for Wei Lai's odd conduct. After Li Dalai left, Fang Xue directly confronted Wei Lai, asking if he had set off the fireworks because he wanted her to see them that night.
Wei Lai quickly denied it, telling her not to flatter herself and insisting he did it for his own amusement. At lunchtime, Wei Lai found himself ostracized and ridiculed by his classmates, who called him a "fire-setter" and compared him to the historical figure who lit warning beacons for amusement. Even the cafeteria staff gave him disapproving looks. Unwilling to offer any explanations, Wei Lai quietly left the cafeteria.
In the school office, the principal, Ms Lei, and Mr. Ying discussed the fire. Mr. Ying suggested handling the matter internally, citing Wei Lai's adulthood and the unclear circumstances. However, Ms Lei argued that Wei Lai had already confessed, and the school had suffered significant damage, including blackened walls, burned furniture, and expensive computers, totaling tens of thousands of yuan in losses. The principal decided they would contact Wei Lai's parents to assess the damages and arrange for compensation.
Ms Lei then called Wei Lai's parents, and during the conversation, she made a startling discovery: all of Wei Lai's enrollment documents were fake, including his father's signature. Enraged, Ms Lei summoned Wei Lai and severely criticized him for deceiving the school about his true identity and how he paid his tuition using his savings and living expenses. She also questioned if Mr. Ying had been complicit in the cover-up, but Wei Lai quickly defended his teacher, taking full responsibility.
Ms Lei informed him that his father, currently on a business trip, would visit the school next week, and Wei Lai would have to explain everything himself. Later, Wei Lai called Gu Shang, confirming that his father was now aware of his re-enrollment through Ms Lei's call, though his father hadn't directly contacted him yet. Gu Shang offered his home as a hiding place, but Wei Lai felt it was pointless, as his father knew everything.
Meanwhile, in class, students continued to gossip about Wei Lai's situation. Suddenly, Li Dalai burst into the classroom, excitedly announcing that the fire investigation concluded the blaze was caused by aging classroom equipment, not by arson. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief for Wei Lai, but Wei Lai, instead of joining the celebration, rushed out to find Mr. Ying.
Wei Lai explained to Mr. Ying that his father knew about his re-enrollment and would be coming to the school after his business trip. He requested a leave of absence to avoid the inevitable confrontation. Mr. Ying, though handing him the leave form, cautioned Wei Lai, reminding him that as a 20-year-old, he should face his problems head-on rather than run from them, especially since he hadn't properly communicated with his family about his decision to re-enroll.
Wei Lai, now holding the leave form, found Fang Xue and informed her of his plan to leave for a few days to hide at a friend's house before his father arrived. Fang Xue became distraught, pleading with him not to go. She worried he might drop out and they would never see each other again, suggesting they could find a solution together.
Witnessing her distress and tears, Wei Lai was deeply moved and firmly promised her that he would not leave. Fang Xue then smiled through her tears. The next day, Wei Lai, still anxious, tried to calm himself by listening to music, encouraged by Fang Xue. Suddenly, his father stormed into the school, demanding to know which class Wei Lai was in. He burst into the classroom, angrily confronting Wei Lai about dropping out of college without his permission.
Fang Xue attempted to intervene, but Wei Lai's father brusquely dismissed her, calling her a disrespectful and uncultivated girl, and accusing her of influencing Wei Lai's decision to re-enroll. Despite Fang Xue's desperate look for him to speak, Wei Lai remained silent, head bowed. His father then forcefully dragged him out of the classroom and took him home, where he locked Wei Lai in his room.
He instructed Wei Lai's stepmother, who was also locked in the room, not to let Wei Lai out, even telling her to starve him. At school, some of Wei Lai's admirers blamed Fang Xue for his abrupt departure, calling her a troublemaker and a jinx. In her dormitory, Fang Xue's roommates tried to comfort her, but she remained despondent, lying silently on her bed.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Gu Shang gave Cheng Jing some traditional Chinese medicine for her throat, sent by his mother. Cheng Jing confided that Fang Xue was deeply upset after Wei Lai's father's harsh words. They both mused on the recent string of difficult events, expressing a hope that things would improve as they had "hit rock bottom." At home, Wei Lai engaged in a heated argument with his father about his career path.
His father vehemently criticized Wei Lai's chosen major, paleontology, deeming it inferior to finance, and demanded Wei Lai return home and study abroad, but Wei Lai refused. He continued to insult Fang Xue, calling her a "country girl" and accusing Wei Lai of learning bad things from her, asserting his authority as the head of the family. When Wei Lai attempted to leave the house, his father again locked him in his room.
Wei Lai's stepmother, also locked in the room, found a small note hidden inside Wei Lai's phone charm while fiddling with it out of boredom. Wei Lai, surprised, took the note to the bathroom. Reading its contents, which stated, "On this long road, I think we are friends. If there are expectations, I think it's best not to speak them," a wave of warmth washed over him.
He smiled, before his eyes welled up with tears as he reminisced about his moments with Fang Xue. At the same time, Fang Xue wept in her dormitory, missing Wei Lai. The following day, Wei Lai desperately tried to escape his room by tearing his bedsheets into strips and tying them together to climb from the balcony.
However, the makeshift rope failed to support his weight and broke, causing him to fall to the ground, leaving him injured and unable to move his legs. Wei Lai's stepmother, hearing the commotion, panicked and frantically called for help, shouting that Wei Lai had jumped.
