Go Ahead Episode 22 Recap
> Go Ahead Recap
Zhuang Bei initiated a conversation with He Ziqiu about relationships, suggesting that He Ziqiu should pursue and marry Li Jianjian, believing he likes her and it would allow him to protect her forever and share a household registration. Although He Ziqiu initially expressed annoyance, he later found himself reflecting on Zhuang Bei's words and began to suspect he might indeed like Li Jianjian. Meanwhile, Li Jianjian was preoccupied with thoughts of Ling Xiao, who was in Singapore.
She felt distracted at work, hoping he would return soon, and was worried about being unable to contact him, noting that if he didn't call, he hadn't come back. In Singapore, Ling Xiao was eager to return home for work, but his mother, Chen Ting, had withheld his passport and other identification documents. Chen Ting, visibly upset and having refused to eat for a day in protest, questioned if Ling Xiao was abandoning her and Qin Meiyang.
Ling Xiao clarified that he merely wished to live and work back home and was not abandoning his mother and sister. Qin Meiyang remained indifferent to Chen Ting's anger. Li Jianjian returned home early, anticipating Ling Xiao's arrival, and Qi Mingyue had even prepared a celebratory meal. However, Ling Xiao’s phone was unreachable, and by nightfall, he still hadn't returned. Li Jianjian, heartbroken, silently retreated to her room.
He Ziqiu entered to console her, but Li Jianjian, unwilling to talk much, told him to sleep, reminding him they needed to offer incense to her mother at 8 AM the next morning. The next day, marking the death anniversary of Li Jianjian’s mother, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu returned to the Li family home. Li Jianjian led in offering incense to her mother, telling her that while she hadn’t yet become rich, she surely would in the future.
Li Haichao invited relatives and neighbors from their hometown to the noodle shop, causing Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu some annoyance as the relatives gossiped about their family’s affairs. He Ziqiu’s maternal grandmother tried to set him up with a girl named Jiao Jiao, but Li Jianjian helped him out by claiming Jiao Jiao already had a boyfriend, whom the grandmother deemed too poor.
Other relatives, including his "second aunt in my mother's family" and "second aunt," also consistently tried to arrange blind dates for He Ziqiu. Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu endured the idle chatter with forced smiles. After most relatives departed, two children remained, and Li Jianjian was tasked by her father to care for them.
He Ziqiu, annoyed by the noisy children, made an excuse about work and left Li Jianjian to manage the two children, who eagerly wanted to go to an amusement park. Feeling down, Li Jianjian later went to the rooftop, thinking of Ling Xiao as a plane flew overhead. He Ziqiu joined her there, correctly guessing her thoughts about Ling Xiao’s return.
That evening, Li Jianjian and He Ziqiu shared a late-night meal, burning paper money by the river/on the beach and drinking alcohol. Li Jianjian became heavily intoxicated and unable to walk, so He Ziqiu carried her home. On his back, she drunkenly asked him not to leave, and He Ziqiu promised he will never go, assuring her that if Ling Xiao doesn't return, he will always stay by her side.
Upon arriving home, Qi Mingyue helped put the "rotten drunk" Li Jianjian to bed, commenting that Li Jianjian would even eat rat poison when drunk. Qi Mingyue then asked He Ziqiu if Ling Xiao had returned. He Ziqiu responded negatively, reasoning that Ling Xiao would have called him if he had. Qi Mingyue scoffed, asserting that if Ling Xiao returned, he would first call her because she liked him.
He Ziqiu didn't understand her implication, and Qi Mingyue, regaining her composure, pushed him out of the room. Meanwhile, Ling Heping found Li Haichao drinking alone at home, so they shared a meal and drinks together. Li Haichao expressed his feelings about his wife’s passing 21 years ago, feeling lost and empty. Ling Heping brought up Ling Xiao, concerned that Chen Ting might prevent his return.
Ling Xiao had called Ling Heping that afternoon to say he missed his original flight and subsequent transfer, but asked Ling Heping to inform Li Jianjian he would return that very night. Ling Heping became angry when discussing Chen Ting. Just as Ling Heping was complaining about Chen Ting, Ling Xiao arrived. His first act upon entering was to offer incense to Li Jianjian’s mother.
Ling Heping then remembered he forgot to inform Li Jianjian about Ling Xiao’s return that night, causing Ling Xiao some concern. Ling Xiao then quickly left for Li Jianjian’s house. Ling Xiao went to Li Jianjian's house and entered her room, finding her asleep. He watched her, then, overwhelmed by his feelings, he leaned in and kissed her. This moment was witnessed by Qi Mingyue, who was outside the door and leaned against the wall, surprised and uneasy.
Li Jianjian awakened, seeing Ling Xiao before her and recalling the sensation of the kiss, she stared with wide eyes. Ling Xiao tried to speak to her, but Li Jianjian turned away to avoid him. Ling Xiao, seeing her reaction, then left the room. The next morning, Li Jianjian woke up, vaguely recalling the kiss from the night before, unsure if it was a dream.
