Go Ahead Episode 1 Recap
> Go Ahead Recap
In the summer of 1999, young Li Jianjian was drawing downstairs outside Li Haichao's noodle shop. A moving truck carrying the Ling family passed, and a chair fell off, landing a few meters from Li Jianjian. Li Haichao, who ran the noodle shop, rushed out to check on his daughter. The new neighbor, police officer Ling Heping, exited the truck and apologized to Li Haichao. Li Haichao, having learned about Ling Heping from Mrs. Fang, introduced himself.
Ling Heping then introduced his wife Chen Ting and son Ling Xiao. While Li Jianjian offered a friendly smile to Ling Xiao, he remained expressionless. Chen Ting, the new neighbor upstairs, urged Ling Heping to return home. Li Haichao, being warm-hearted, offered to help them move later. Inside their new home, Ling Heping and Chen Ting began unpacking. Chen Ting remarked on Li Haichao's wife having passed away a year prior due to childbirth, to which Ling Heping expressed sympathy.
However, Chen Ting retorted that her own family was not doing any better, indicating her own grief. Perceiving her distress, Ling Heping tried to change the subject, mentioning he needed to report to the police station. Later, Chen Ting discovered a photo of their family of four hidden under Ling Xiao's bed. This photo revealed they had an older daughter who had died young.
Overcome with pain, Chen Ting angrily tore the photo and threw it into the trash bin downstairs. Meanwhile, Li Jianjian, bringing ice cream for Ling Xiao, encountered Chen Ting near the trash. Chen Ting coldly rejected the ice cream, stating Ling Xiao did not eat it, and left. Curious, Li Jianjian searched the trash bin and found the torn family photo along with a box of toys.
She secretly picked up the photo and took it home, gluing it back together. When Li Haichao saw the mended photo, he realized the Ling family had a deceased daughter and speculated that her death was the reason for Chen Ting tearing the picture. Li Haichao warned Li Jianjian not to mention the matter to the Lings. Although he initially wanted to discard the photo, Li Jianjian’s pleas convinced him to let her keep it.
Li Jianjian also, out of curiosity, asked about her own mother, who had died a year ago; Li Haichao lied, telling her that her mother had gone to Fairy Mountain and would not return. The next morning, Li Haichao, a widower for just over a year since his wife's death in childbirth, met He Mei, his blind date arranged by Mrs. Qian. Li Haichao brought his daughter, Li Jianjian, and He Mei brought her son, He Ziqiu.
Li Jianjian, realizing her father was seeking a new mother, became angry, hit Li Haichao, and ran off. Mrs. Qian stayed with Li Jianjian, while He Mei allowed He Ziqiu to go play. Li Haichao and He Mei conversed, with He Mei already aware of Li Haichao’s family situation through the matchmaker. He Mei shared that she worked ten hours daily at a mall counter and struggled to cook for He Ziqiu.
Li Haichao, expressing his fondness for children, suggested He Ziqiu could eat at his noodle shop. In the park, Li Jianjian displayed strong hostility towards He Ziqiu, chasing him with a water gun. Later, as Li Haichao and Li Jianjian returned home, they encountered Chen Ting and Ling Xiao. Li Jianjian, still upset, remarked that her father was dating a "fairy."
Upon learning of Li Haichao's blind date, Chen Ting criticized him to Ling Heping, feeling he was unfeeling to seek a new partner so soon after his wife's death. She empathized with Li Haichao's deceased wife, drawing parallels to her own lingering grief over her daughter's death, which often led to arguments with Ling Heping, whom she accused of only caring about work and not the family. Ling Heping, however, considered Li Haichao a good person.
While Li Jianjian disliked He Ziqiu, she held an affection for Ling Xiao. Li Haichao gave Li Jianjian a basket of walnuts to deliver to the Ling family. When Ling Xiao opened the door, the sight of the walnuts seemingly triggered an unknown pain within him, causing him to emotionally push Li Jianjian and close the door. Li Haichao, hearing the commotion, was upset that Li Jianjian had been pushed.
However, Li Jianjian remained unbothered, believing Ling Xiao simply disliked walnuts and vowing to bring him candy next time. Ling Heping intended to bring Ling Xiao to apologize to the Li family, but Chen Ting refused, sparking another argument between them. He Mei brought He Ziqiu to Li Haichao's noodle shop. Li Jianjian, seeing He Ziqiu playing with her toys, was rude to him, but Li Haichao showed great patience.
Observing Li Haichao's gentle nature with children, He Mei's perception of him improved. She later visited Li Haichao's home, where they chatted. He Mei expressed admiration for how well Li Haichao managed life as a single father. Li Haichao was modest. He Mei confided that she had discovered her pregnancy after divorcing her ex-husband and, despite the difficulties, insisted on raising the child.
Li Haichao, joking, offered to raise He Ziqiu himself if she ever regretted it, as he genuinely liked children. Ling Heping and Chen Ting were constantly arguing, a fact well-known among their neighbors. Mrs. Qian received complaints about the frequent disputes in their home. Ling Heping, seeking to avoid further conflict, often ate at Li Haichao's noodle shop for lunch.
Neighbors, including Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Fang, advised Ling Heping to communicate more with Chen Ting and avoid prolonged cold wars, which were detrimental to their relationship. That evening, Li Haichao again heard the Lings arguing and saw Ling Xiao sitting alone in the hallway reading. Feeling sympathetic, Li Haichao invited Ling Xiao to his home, but Ling Xiao initially refused. Later, Mrs. Qian visited Chen Ting.
When Ling Heping returned, he denied having revealed their family situation to Mrs. Qian, but Chen Ting disbelieved him. Drunk, she tearfully demanded Ling Heping stay home instead of covering a colleague's shift, whose daughter was sick. Chen Ting became distraught, blaming Ling Heping for not taking better care of their own deceased daughter when she was ill. Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Qian also visited the Ling family, witnessing Ling Xiao eating instant noodles.
Ling Xiao then brewed tea for them before excusing himself to sit in the hallway and read. The women tried to encourage Chen Ting to socialize more with the neighbors instead of staying home all day, but Chen Ting listened distractedly. One day, while Ling Xiao was reading alone in the park, Zhu Peng, a second-grader from the neighborhood, and other children bullied him, calling him mute.
Li Jianjian, witnessing the injustice, immediately intervened to help Ling Xiao, fighting Zhu Peng. He Ziqiu also joined in. All three children sustained minor injuries. Zhu Peng's mother later came to Li Haichao's home to demand justice. Li Haichao skillfully defused the conflict with a few words. After Zhu Peng and his mother left, He Mei, who was visiting Li Haichao's home, told Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu to wash up for dinner, though Li Jianjian remained sulky.
Suddenly, Ling Xiao knocked on the door, bringing Povidone-iodine for Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu. Ling Xiao's initial silence, a result of his parents' frequent arguments, had begun to dissipate after Li Jianjian defended him. He Ziqiu returned home to an empty house and ate instant noodles alone. Chen Ting, seeing him eat instant noodles, felt a pang of guilt, though Ling Xiao simply said he liked instant noodles.
Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Qian, visiting the Ling family, also saw Ling Xiao eating instant noodles. After Ling Xiao made them tea, he claimed he was going out to play, but in reality, he just sat in the hallway reading. That evening, Chen Ting resumed her argument with Ling Heping, convinced he had called Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Fang to intervene. Ling Heping, worn out by Chen Ting's emotional state, found himself in another exhausting confrontation.
Ling Xiao, sitting alone in the hallway as he often did, was once again invited by Li Haichao and Li Jianjian to eat dinner at their home. This time, he accepted, shedding his initial hostility towards Li Jianjian after she had defended him earlier. After dinner, Li Jianjian returned the mended family photo to Ling Xiao, comforting him by saying his sister had gone to the sea to become a fairy.
Ling Xiao, however, more mature than Li Jianjian, refuted this, stating that Li Haichao was lying. He asserted that his sister and Li Jianjian's mother were both dead, and that "dead" meant "never again." He suggested that they should throw away things belonging to the deceased and forget them. Seeing Ling Xiao's disbelief, Li Jianjian then secretly led him to Li Haichao's room, promising to show him Li Haichao's secret.
