Hello, the Sharpshooter Episode 24 Recap
> Hello, the Sharpshooter Recap
Tang Xin repeatedly declines calls from Xu Dian, exhibiting palpable fear at the sight of his name. Unfazed by her unresponsiveness, Xu Dian sends a threatening message, reminding her they will be working together all winter. This intensifies Tang Xin's anxiety, prompting her to call her manager, Zhou Zuguang, to request withdrawal from the winter training livestream.
Zhou Zuguang rejects her request, dismissing her excuse of not being used to dorm life, especially since the shooting team arranged a single room for her. He insists she improve her communication with Xu Dian, emphasizing their cooperation is crucial for a comeback, and asks if she bonded with him at a recent dinner. Tang Xin flatly states her dislike for such events. Overwhelmed, Tang Xin confides in her sister, Tang Liqi, via message, expressing her desire to leave.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingyuan is puzzled by Tang Xin's emotional distress and her refusal to expose Xu Dian. Unsure how to proceed, he seeks advice from Dr. Ding Fang, vaguely explaining he and Tang Xin have differing opinions on handling "a case." Dr. Ding notes that everyone has secrets and that forcing a confession can be detrimental.
Pointing out Shen Qingyuan's own evasiveness, she advises him to consider if he truly understands Tang Xin, suggesting there are aspects of her he has yet to grasp. Taking this to heart, Shen Qingyuan messages Tang Liqi, hoping to gain more insight. Before Tang Liqi can respond, he and Shen Qingyuan are interrupted by Du Lingfeng and Shi Xiaoci's argument. Du Lingfeng, frustrated by Shi Xiaoci's cold shoulder, asks them to arbitrate.
He recounts how, before winter training, Shi Xiaoci kindly helped a drunk man who then tried to assault her. Du Lingfeng intervened but then chided Shi Xiaoci for her carelessness, suggesting she should have avoided the man. This infuriated Shi Xiaoci, who feels they are incompatible. She accuses him of failing to comprehend the female experience of sexual harassment and the prevalence of victim-blaming. Though Du Lingfeng apologizes, admitting he was just worried for her safety, the damage is done.
The argument makes Shen Qingyuan reflect, realizing he might also be failing to understand Tang Xin's perspective. Concurrently, Zhou Yue intentionally provokes Chen Hai and the Haiya Shooting Team, claiming that only Shen Qingyuan is skilled while the others are incompetent. As tensions escalate, Tang Liqi sends an urgent message to Shen Qingyuan, informing him that Tang Xin is packing to leave.
Shen Qingyuan rushes to find Tang Xin and persuades her to stay by promising not to proactively confront Xu Dian again. Trusting him, Tang Xin reveals her deeply buried secret: she was kidnapped years ago. Although the police rescued her quickly and she was physically unharmed, the incident left her with profound psychological trauma.
She explains her involuntary fear and resistance to close physical contact with men and her terror of public scrutiny and malicious gossip if her past became known. Acknowledging this is unfair to Shen Qingyuan, she expresses her desire to overcome it for his sake and asks for his help. Heartbroken, Shen Qingyuan promises to support her and keep her safe.
As a first step, Tang Xin initiates physical contact by resting her head on Shen Qingyuan's lap to test her limits. She explains her discomfort is purely psychological. She reveals that since the kidnapping, she has developed what Dr. Ding diagnosed as an "acquired people-pleaser personality." This manifests in her constantly carrying small gifts and necessities to offer others, driven by a subconscious fear of being criticized or making mistakes that could lead to gossip.
Shen Qingyuan consults Dr. Ding, who suggests animal companion therapy to soothe Tang Xin's emotions and using frequent praise to build her self-confidence. While Dr. Ding also mentions exposure therapy—recreating the traumatic scene—Shen Qingyuan immediately rejects it, certain Tang Xin is not ready for such an intense method. Meanwhile, Tang Xin confides in Shi Xiaoci, worried that Shen Qingyuan is still secretly gathering evidence against Xu Dian.
She fears that if provoked, Xu Dian might retaliate by revealing Shen Qingyuan's past unauthorized entry into the training base, jeopardizing his career. Tang Xin shows Shi Xiaoci the harassing messages from Xu Dian, which are untraceable as they were sent from a virtual number. Recognizing Xu Dian as a serial harasser, Shi Xiaoci suggests the best strategy is to find other victims and report him together. Tang Xin feels this is too difficult, admitting that if she can't even stand up to him herself, it's unlikely others would dare to come forward.
