First Love Again Episode 19 Recap
> First Love Again Recap
Upon returning to her dorm in 2006, Xia Wenxi found a pile of snacks on her desk. She initially thought they were a peace offering from Ye Youning, but her roommate, Hu Ling, informed her they were from Yang Lechen’s boyfriend, who was in a long-distance relationship. Moments later, Hu Ling’s new boyfriend arrived with more treats.
Hu Ling then explained to Xia Wenxi that she had confessed to him, and her boyfriend believed in winning a person's heart through their stomach, a strategy he'd learned from a magazine. Xia Wenxi confided in Hu Ling, voicing concerns about whether a girl confessing her feelings first would make a boy less appreciative. Later, Xia Wenxi messaged her future self, asking if a girl initiating a confession would cause a boy to not cherish her.
Her future self, acting as "Boss," reassured her that Ye Youning would not treat her that way. " Boss" advised Xia Wenxi that if Ye Youning ever mistreated her or hurt her, she should immediately report him to Grandpa Zhou, hinting at severe consequences for Ye Youning. " Boss" also informed her that with his IELTS score of eight, Ye Youning was eligible for an exemption from his English class.
Xia Wenxi clarified that her real frustration wasn't about missing the meteor shower, but rather Ye Youning walking away during their argument. Still not understanding his error, Ye Youning believed Xia Wenxi was upset about missing the meteor shower. He sought advice from Yang Chuang, who inadvertently let slip that Ye Youning could be exempt from his English class. This prompted Ye Youning to suspect that Xia Wenxi had contacted Gao Xiaoai for information.
Determined to make amends, Ye Youning purchased camping supplies and went to find Xia Wenxi. He presented her with milk tea and asked what he had done wrong. His initial guesses, which included not accompanying her to the meteor shower and his English class exemption, were met with disappointment from Xia Wenxi, who felt he still didn’t understand. Ye Youning then consulted Yang Chuang again, who offered "four pieces of advice": "Your girlfriend is always right.
When she says it's fine, it's not fine. When she says she's not angry, she's angry. When she says you're right, you're wrong." Yang Chuang also reiterated the English class exemption, mentioning Gao Xiaoai had told him, confirming Ye Youning's suspicion that Xia Wenxi had learned about it through Gao Xiaoai. Gao Xiaoai later reprimanded Yang Chuang for giving away their "rehearsal," which made it seem like Xia Wenxi was begging Ye Youning.
After setting up a tent with the new camping gear, Ye Youning brought Xia Wenxi to see it. He continued his apologies, making more guesses about his mistake. Finally, he asked if she was angry because he had walked away during their fight when she told him to. Xia Wenxi, still annoyed, indicated he was on the right track but that only half her anger was gone, prompting him to kiss her again.
Ye Youning assured her the camping equipment wasn't expensive, proudly stating that as the top student, he had a scholarship and wasn't broke. Reconciled, they prepared for their trip. As they traveled by bus towards Da Zhu Mountain, their journey was unexpectedly halted by a landslide that blocked the road. Xia Wenxi immediately messaged her future self, who advised her to prioritize safety, return to school, and promised a better meteor shower viewing opportunity in the future.
Despite this, young Ye Youning, seeing Xia Wenxi’s profound disappointment, declared it an act of "going crazy for his girlfriend." He decided they should disembark and continue their journey on foot. After a long hike, they found a secluded spot away from the city lights. Ye Youning assured Xia Wenxi it would offer a similar viewing experience to the mountaintop, and a tired Xia Wenxi agreed. As they waited, Ye Youning used binoculars to point out constellations, identifying Draco.
Suddenly, Xia Wenxi spotted a shooting star and excitedly rushed forward, with Ye Youning quickly steadying her. As the meteor shower streamed across the sky, she made a wish: "One life, one love." They decided to wait until early morning for more meteors, passing the time in their tent. Xia Wenxi shared her childhood dream of living on the moon as Chang'e with a Jade Hare, to which Ye Youning playfully countered that she had him instead.
He then taught her that the phrase "the moon is beautiful" actually meant "I love you." Before falling asleep, with an alarm set for early morning, Ye Youning read from a book about a bug corroding a hand, proclaiming that the wilderness would one day be "his battlefield." Meanwhile, in 2019, Xia Wenxi awoke, disoriented, asking why the lights were off, unaware she had lost her eyesight. Ye Youning, deeply saddened, hid his tears.
He brought her home, reassuring her that her vision loss was temporary, and stayed by her side. To comfort her, he narrated a movie called "Exclusive Memory" as they lay in bed. Mid-film, his phone glitched, unexpectedly displaying a painting from the Little John's Cathedral in Venice. Xia Wenxi described the image: a priest and a young woman wearing strange masks on a bridge.
She then recounted the legend behind it: a priest, also an inventor, created a time machine and became consumed by time travel. He fell in love with a girl, but his frequent journeys began to subtly alter the future. When his actions were discovered, he faced punishment and the destruction of his time machine.
He made one final trip to the past, not to elope, but to desperately ensure the girl would not fall in love with him, thus sparing her from the repercussions of his temporal alterations. The story concluded with the priest walking towards his execution from the Bridge of Sighs, as the girl passed underneath on a rowboat with her new beloved. Ye Youning found the tale profoundly sad.
Xia Wenxi observed that unlike most people, Ye Youning didn't question why the priest hadn't used the time machine for personal gain. Ye Youning explained that the priest had initially tried to profit, but his actions always brought severe consequences to those around him and accelerated his own aging. This harsh lesson led him to build Little John's Cathedral and preserve the story in its gallery.
The parallels between the legend and his own time-traveling experiences left Ye Youning in deep contemplation. He asked Xia Wenxi if the future would still change if the priest had only observed the past without attempting to alter it. Xia Wenxi was uncertain, questioning if such non-interference was truly possible or if it would indeed prevent change. Following the successful meteor shower viewing in 2006, the future in 2019 had changed.
Ye Youning found himself in a new timeline where Xia Wenxi had not fallen off the cliff and was healthy and by his side. Overjoyed, he spontaneously arranged a candlelight dinner. Kneeling before her, he proposed marriage, expressing his deep love and thanking her for her kindness, trust, and bravery since they met. He vowed to be with her through all of life’s circumstances, asserting that not even death would separate them.
Though surprised, Xia Wenxi happily accepted his proposal, and he placed an improvised ring on her finger, promising a formal one later. As they embraced and shared a kiss, time shifted once more. Ye Youning abruptly found himself outside Xia Wenxi's house, seeing white chrysanthemums—a symbol of mourning—adorning the entrance. Realizing this meant a funeral, he rushed inside, only to be confronted with a memorial photo of Xia Wenxi.
Distraught and refusing to believe she was gone, he caused a scene at the funeral, desperately calling for Xia Wenxi and demanding to know where she was. Others present, including Yang Chuang, tried to calm him, saying Xia Wenxi had passed away and that he himself had "brought her back from Venice," a statement that only confused and enraged Ye Youning further. Overwhelmed by grief and confusion, he eventually collapsed, unconscious.
He later woke up in a hospital bed, with Yang Chuang by his side. Mumbling, he pondered why Xia Wenxi had died, wondering if it was because they hadn't seen the meteor shower in 2006, or if some other event had occurred after their viewing. Yang Chuang tried to console him, bringing him water and promising to fetch some food. Later, in 2006, on their way back from the wilderness, Xia Wenxi noticed Ye Youning sleeping.
She discreetly took out her old phone and sent a message to her future self. Young Ye Youning, however, woke up and saw her. Xia Wenxi quickly covered, claiming she only used the old phone for writing memos. Back at school, they encountered a poster for the Campus Singer Contest. Although Xia Wenxi was hesitant, fearing embarrassment from singing in front of a large audience, Ye Youning encouraged her, praising her singing voice.
With his support, she decided to sign up for the preliminary round. Later, while sharing a snack, Xia Wenxi playfully mused about the possibility of becoming famous after the contest. Ye Youning wished her good luck and reaffirmed his promise to attend her preliminary round. When she expressed anxieties about potential mishaps during her performance, such as falling, forgetting lyrics, or equipment failures, Ye Youning calmly advised her to relax and simply enjoy the competition.
