Don't Leave After School Episode 8 Recap
> Don't Leave After School Recap
One evening in the dorm, Tang Tiantian woke Cheng Jing from a nightmare. Fang Xue then entered with the physical examination sheets, reminding everyone to attach their photos as the medical exam was scheduled for the next day. The girls joked about the upcoming exam, with Tang Tiantian wondering if wearing less would make her lighter and another suggesting bra pads for her "flat chest." The next day, students lined up for the medical exam.
Cheng Jing was adamant about using a specific arm for the blood draw, causing a standoff with the nurse who couldn't find a vein and had already tried multiple times. Students in line began to grumble about the delay. Seeing the tension, Fang Xue stepped in, fabricating a story that Ms. Lei needed to see Cheng Jing, helping her escape the situation.
Afterward, Gu Shang approached Cheng Jing, offering to take her to the Municipal Hospital where his cousin worked if she didn't want to be examined there. Cheng Jing, however, curtly rejected his offer, making Gu Shang feel that she was being "hard to get along with." Fang Xue's roommates later discussed Cheng Jing's behavior, noting she always wore long sleeves in the dorm, hinting at a hidden reason for her reluctance.
Fang Xue then found a dejected Gu Shang on the balcony, who admitted his distress was related to Cheng Jing. Fang Xue advised him to be direct and "man up" to resolve their complicated issues. Later, while Gu Shang and Cheng Jing were on duty, Gu Shang tried to make small talk, complaining about the heat and the school making students sweep when there were cleaners. Cheng Jing remained unresponsive. Suddenly, a glass panel fell from an upper floor.
Gu Shang instinctively pulled Cheng Jing to safety, taking the impact himself. He was rushed to the infirmary with a cut on his arm. While the doctor cleaned his deep wound, Cheng Jing, still shaken, made an insensitive remark about him being a "coward," prompting the doctor to scold her for being "mean." The doctor advised Gu Shang to return daily for dressing changes.
Back in the classroom, a quiet Cheng Jing pulled her desk, which had been separated from Gu Shang's, back to its original position beside his, though Gu Shang, asleep, was unaware. After class, Fang Xue called her father, first probing to see who would attend the upcoming parents' meeting and then emphatically warning him not to bring any strange items.
Her father, however, mentioned he knew what to do and wanted to thank her deskmate, adding that her mother had just made some salted fish. Fang Xue quickly cut him off. Meanwhile, Wei Lai called Aunt Zhao, hoping she would make an excuse to Mr. Yin for him and his father not to attend the meeting. But Aunt Zhao insisted on coming, assuring him she wouldn't tell his father anything. Wei Lai reluctantly agreed and thanked her.
On the day of the parents' meeting, parents began to arrive. Fang Xue's father, despite her warnings, brought a bag of homemade salted fish. He was stopped at the school gate by a security guard who deemed it improper to bring food into the teaching building. Conveniently, Wei Lai's mother, who was also arriving, offered to store the salted fish in her car. As they walked towards the classroom together, they awkwardly encountered Fang Xue in the corridor.
Wei Lai's mother quickly made an excuse and departed. Fang Xue's father, dressed formally for the occasion, explained that he took his "appearance" seriously for his first parents' meeting. Inside the classroom, Mr. Yin began his speech, addressing student conditions, coursework, and mock exam results. During the speech, Gu Shang's mother noticed that Cheng Jing's mother was using a notebook from No.1 High School, the same school her son had previously attended.
Mr. Yin presented his teaching method, emphasizing individual interaction and positive outcomes, but some parents worried it would "drag good students down" or was "experimenting" with their children. Fang Xue's father passionately defended Mr. Yin, praising him as a Normal University graduate whose plan was "right" and "student-oriented." Another parent retorted, implying that Fang Xue's father supported it because his child was a "poor student."
The discussion grew heated until Mr. Yin intervened, delivering a heartfelt speech about how scores weren't the only important things in life, but also kinship, friendship, love, and transient youth, urging parents not to pressure their children. His words resonated, earning him applause. Outside the window, Fang Xue watched the scene unfold with embarrassment and frustration, then returned to her dorm feeling disheartened.
Her roommates, trying to lift her spirits, urged her to join them for a discount sale at the supermarket. Fang Xue agreed to go to the supermarket. While Fang Xue was engrossed in picking out sanitary pads for Tang Tiantian, she had an awkward encounter with Wei Lai, who was focused on selecting underwear. They exchanged a brief, uncomfortable conversation before Fang Xue hurried away.
At the pharmacy, Cheng Jing, buying mupirocin ointment for Gu Shang's wound, ran into her old classmate, Zhang Ning. They exchanged a brief greeting. On the way back, Wei Lai and Fang Xue took the same bus and started talking about their fathers. Later, Zhang Ning invited Cheng Jing for milk tea, where they reminisced. Zhang Ning then apologized for not intervening when Cheng Jing was bullied at No.1 High School, where she was called "Scarchick."
She went on to reveal that Gu Shang had been expelled from school for fighting Li Xu and his gang, who had continued to mock Cheng Jing and even wrote a novel based on her after her transfer. Meanwhile, after the parents' meeting concluded, Gu Shang's mother confronted Cheng Jing's mother, blaming her daughter for Gu Shang's expulsion.
She accused Cheng Jing of causing trouble and called her mother a "coquettish woman," predicting Cheng Jing would end up "degraded" like her. The argument escalated into a physical fight. Later that evening, Cheng Jing returned to the dorm to find her mother waiting for her outside. Her mother claimed she had "fallen down" while trying to find the rear gate to visit her, explaining the injuries on her body.
She then handed Cheng Jing some beef pies, her favorite, and urged her to study hard and not end up like her. Cheng Jing, however, was distant, took the food, and left. As she walked down the dorm corridor, she overheard Li Dalai gossiping about the fight between the mothers, confirming that her mother had been "scratched." Gu Shang appeared, cutting off the gossip, and seeing Cheng Jing's upset expression, quickly followed her.
Cheng Jing confronted Gu Shang about hiding the truth of his expulsion. He explained he didn't want to upset her by bringing up the past, hoping she would eventually understand him. Overwhelmed, Cheng Jing revealed the true origin of her scar: a house fire when she was 13, in which her father died saving her. She felt constantly reminded that her father's death was her fault.
Gu Shang, fumbling for words, reassured her that it wasn't her fault, and that her father wouldn't want her to blame herself. He offered his shoulder for her to cry on, comforting her deeply. After night self-study, Fang Xue and her roommates returned to a sparkling clean dorm room. Fang Xue recalled her father meticulously tidying her space, and upon finding a thoughtful note from him on her desk, she was moved.
Her roommates, seeing the late hour, wondered aloud why Gu Shang and Cheng Jing still hadn't returned, then teased Fang Xue about her "coincidental" meeting with Wei Lai at the supermarket, speculating about a special connection between them.
