Flourish In Time Episode 23 Recap
> Flourish In Time Recap
With only 100 days left until the Gaokao, the pressure was mounting. Lu Miao, Shi Che, and Chen Guoguo sought Xie Ziye's help for math tutoring. During one session, while Xie Ziye explained geometry, Shi Che was completely distracted by her. He recalled a past conversation where she claimed that when two people make eye contact, the one who looks away first is the one who has feelings.
When their eyes met again, Xie Ziye pointed out that he was the one to look away first, leaving him to ponder the implication. Lu Miao, ever observant, sensed a strange atmosphere developing between them. Shi Che also expressed his envy for Xie Ziye's ability to memorize history, a subject he found boring compared to comics.
During another study session, Shi Che deliberately sat next to Xie Ziye, who internally noted his actions aligned with the "seating rule" from her "Rules of Love." When he then drank from her beverage, she recalled the "drink rule," a sign that a boy might like a girl. Flustered and wondering if Shi Che truly had feelings for her, Xie Ziye declared she had to leave for her cram class. As she hastily departed, she stumbled.
Shi Che, puzzled by her sudden rush, commented on her hurried exit, while his friend quipped that Shi Che's luck was turning and he should buy a lottery ticket. Meanwhile, Lu Miao's parents debated how to support her. Her father proposed a trip to Beijing to visit Jiang Haoyue for motivation, but her mother was hesitant about Lu Miao's reliance on him. Her father retorted that Lu Miao might rely on him for life.
When asked, Lu Miao firmly rejected the idea, stating that traveling would disrupt her studies and she didn't want to see anyone, including Jiang Haoyue. Her father, surprisingly, expressed pride in her determination. Shortly after, a package arrived from Jiang Haoyue, which her mother correctly guessed contained learning materials. Later, while playing basketball, Chen Guoguo asked Shi Che if he liked Xie Ziye.
Shi Che admitted his confusion, a stark contrast to his straightforward pursuit of Lu Miao in the past. He mused that love was more complex than just enjoying someone's company, and given Xie Ziye's strong personality, he simply hoped not to be disliked. Concurrently, Jiang Haoyue was anxiously checking his phone, as Lu Miao hadn't messaged him in a week. His friend, Qu Wei, tried to reassure him, but Jiang Haoyue worried that Lu Miao no longer needed him.
When Lu Miao finally called, she expressed immense gratitude for the history comics he had sent. Jiang Haoyue then presented her with a complex math problem. When she struggled to follow his rapid dictation and asked him to repeat it, he playfully refused, citing the "no repeats" rule of listening exams. After the call, his friend Qu Wei calculated the answer to be 521.
1314, immediately recognizing the hidden romantic message ("I love you, forever"), a nuance completely lost on Lu Miao. One night, after a nightmare about the exam, a sleepless Lu Miao went to the rooftop to study and encountered a visibly inebriated Jiang Yi, Jiang Haoyue's father. Jiang Yi, missing his son, tried to use Lu Miao's phone to call him, but Lu Miao, sensing his true motive was his own loneliness, dissuaded him.
She confessed her own anxieties about the Gaokao and her fear of not being good enough to attend the same university as Jiang Haoyue. The next day, Jiang Yi called his son, fabricating a story about Lu Miao's severe stress and weight loss to lure Jiang Haoyue home, when his real intention was simply to see his son. Two days later, Jiang Haoyue returned for a week.
Upon seeing Lu Miao eating heartily, he was perplexed, as her appetite contradicted his father's claims. While preparing, Lu Miao asked Xie Ziye if she liked Shi Che. Xie Ziye initially denied it but later admitted her uncertainty, preferring to defer the decision until after the Gaokao. Jiang Haoyue, having arrived at Lu Miao's house, explained he came because she hadn't visited him.
Lu Miao shared her anxieties about moving to a new city, and Jiang Haoyue confessed how much he missed her when he first felt lost in Beijing. To support her, he gave her the stationery set he had used for his own Gaokao, calling it "blessed by the top scorer." He advised her to avoid anxiety, laziness, and over-reliance on him. Lu Miao revealed her deepest fear: not being good enough for his university.
Jiang Haoyue reassured her that no matter the outcome—even if she chose another school or had to retake the exam—he would always be by her side, affirming she would always be "the best" in his heart. Reinvigorated, Lu Miao vowed to succeed. The night before the Gaokao, Lu Miao's parents were a bundle of nerves, with her father preparing a "Gaokao dedicated vehicle" and a symbolic breakfast signifying a perfect score, while her mother fretted over a pre-exam checklist.
On Gaokao morning, a crisis struck when Lu Miao's father got a sudden stomachache. At the same time, Jiang Haoyue discovered he had left the gas stove on at his house. At the exam venue, Lu Miao realized to her horror that she had mistakenly taken Jiang Haoyue's admission card instead of her own.
Panicked, she called Jiang Haoyue, telling him her card was on her desk and her mother was on her way back for it, but might not make it in time. Hearing her distress, Jiang Haoyue promised to deliver it. He got out of his car, which was stuck in traffic, borrowed a bicycle, and raced through the streets. He found a despairing Lu Miao outside the gates and handed her the correct card. Overcome with relief, she embraced him tightly. After gently asking how long she planned to hug him, he urged her into the exam hall, helping her with the stuck gate when she struggled.
