Hello, the Sharpshooter Episode 19 Recap
> Hello, the Sharpshooter Recap
After working late, Tang Xin called Mr. Liu, the cameraman, to arrange an outdoor photo shoot for her MCN department. At home, a restless Shen Qingyuan repeatedly checked his phone, seeing no messages from Tang Xin or in his group chat. When she finally returned, she tried to slip into her room, but he intercepted her, reminding her that their time together before he left was short. Tang Xin, avoiding his eyes, retreated to the bathroom.
Speaking to her through the closed door, Shen Qingyuan listened as she confessed she was trying to get used to his absence in advance. He then stunned her by offering to give up his spot on the national team if she didn't want him to go. An emotional Tang Xin rushed out, insisting that he must pursue his dream and not let her be an obstacle.
She told him he not only had to go but also had to defeat every opponent to secure his place. Changing the subject, Shen Qingyuan asked if he had earned his seventh "tick"—a reward system where he gets a mark for pleasing her, with seven earning him a kiss. Having just reached the seventh, he leaned in, but she reflexively pulled away. Unfazed, he calmly stated he would collect his kiss the next day.
Tang Xin presented her plan to her superior, Zhou Zuguang, proposing to create more promotional material by having Shen Qingyuan and Du Lingfeng do a photo shoot together. At the shoot, Du Lingfeng arrived in a luxury car and a sharp suit, showing off for Shi Xiaoci, who teased that he looked more like a groomsman than a model.
He boasted that he could be a "thousand-faced gentleman" and pull off any look, even a dress, before playfully asking why he never saw her in one. Tang Xin informed him his suit was unsuitable for the theme, but he revealed he had brought over a dozen other outfits. He then tried to show off his physique to Tang Xin, who told him to get serious.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingyuan sat sulking, visibly jealous that Du Lingfeng had been briefed on the shoot's details while he had not. Tang Xin found him and playfully diagnosed his mood, joking that when he gets this hungry, all he can do is "draw a vinegar jar" to appease his appetite. She apologized for the last-minute arrangements and, after placating him by calling him a "mature athlete" who should tolerate Du Lingfeng’s theatrics, she promised him a special reward at home.
This successfully convinced him to cooperate. Because Shen Qingyuan’s sulking had cost them time, the cameraman, Mr. Liu, suggested they split up to be more efficient. Tang Xin was assigned to assist Shen Qingyuan. As she applied his makeup, she teased him about taking a photo for a "boyfriend sticker" or giving him a "clown" look. For a moment, she was captivated by his charm but quickly composed herself.
During the outdoor portion, Shen Qingyuan lay on the ground and prompted Tang Xin to lean in closer for a shot, then suddenly pulled her into his arms. Nearby, the cameraman working with Du Lingfeng remarked on their palpable chemistry, noting that genuine feelings create the highest form of art. Tang Xin then realized they were at the exact spot where she had first approached Shen Qingyuan, only to be coldly rejected.
She playfully demanded he make it up to her. As compensation, he led her to his team’s changing room for a few extra photos. Inside, memories flooded back of a time he had brought a rain-soaked Tang Xin there, where she had tearfully left a towel on the sofa. As Tang Xin wiped sweat from his brow during the shoot, he gently reminded her not to leave her towel on the sofa again.
She confessed that she was a very nostalgic person, vowing that as long as he never left her, she would never leave him. Later, at a shooting range, Du Lingfeng comically stood on his toes to appear taller than Shen Qingyuan. During a pose where they stood back-to-back, he again tried to sneakily raise himself up. The photographer, Mr. Gao, noted that Shen Qingyuan’s eyes were always either on his target or on Tang Xin.
As they posed, Shen Qingyuan reflected internally that a "bullet" had finally pierced his chest, intertwining with his pulse, and he wondered if it would "bear sweet fruit." After the shoot, Shen Qingyuan was on his phone in a group chat named "Captain Shen's Exclusive Wingman Group," where his teammates were helping him analyze Tang Xin's social media posts.
They used a statistical function to track her "mood frequency," noting she recently posted happily about rain, though she used to dislike it. Suddenly, all her posts vanished. His teammates realized she had discovered their surveillance and hidden her feed from them. Shen Qingyuan’s frantic attempts to message her were intercepted by his teammates, who recalled his overly formal, then overly humble, then overly cheesy texts, schooling him on proper etiquette.
They advised him to use their data analysis to find a way to make her happy, hoping she would then unblock them. Meanwhile, Du Lingfeng took Shi Xiaoci to a high-end private restaurant he claimed never accepted new customers.
Before the date, one of Shen Qingyuan's teammates had warned Shi Xiaoci not to take Du Lingfeng seriously, citing his history of fleeting interests and relationships, and predicting his interest in her wouldn't last three months; Shi Xiaoci retorted that her interest in him might not last that long either. Their dinner was interrupted by two different women who greeted Du Lingfeng familiarly.
Annoyed, Shi Xiaoci sarcastically commented that his life was more entertaining than the food and that for a "private" restaurant, it was certainly full of his "friends." When he asked what kind of woman she thought he liked, he tried to flatter her, claiming to prefer a "natural" and "elegant" girl like her over those with "strong purposes."
He praised her unique style in pants, calling it "perfectly cool and sexy," but then disastrously ruined it by adding, "Besides, you're too fat to wear a dress anyway. Fatty Shi, the more you eat, the fatter you get. Meat bun." Deeply hurt by the revival of the childhood taunt that "Fatty Shi" shouldn't wear dresses, she accused him of believing women only pursue perfection to please men.
He fumbled, trying to clarify he just disliked girls with ulterior motives, but the damage was done. Telling him she had "overestimated" him, Shi Xiaoci stormed out, leaving a stunned Du Lingfeng alone. Carrying a cake, Tang Xin walked home, reflecting on her desire for a fresh start. Suddenly, she sensed a man following her. Terrified, she ducked into a hiding spot and immediately called Shen Qingyuan, who, worried about her being out so late, was already on his way to meet her.
