Remember My Boy Episode 3 Recap
> Remember My Boy Recap
Zhou Jingmang reflected on Xiao Teacher Ma's words that writing is a form of self-communication, bringing her pure joy. She felt grateful to Zhang Yang, who had shown her that she didn't need to admire others; she could be her own radiant self. As the National Day holiday approached in 2007, Teacher Shi reminded students to stay safe and study for a quiz after the break, but also to balance work and rest.
Qin Zhen excitedly suggested a movie outing with Shen Yinghui. Zhou Jingmang hesitated, explaining her parents, both teachers, would likely give her homework even on a holiday. Qin Zhen scoffed at Zhou Jingmang's "goody-two-shoes" attitude and advised her to use indirect tactics, recalling how Zhou Jingmang had "clutched Zhang Yang's leg" to defy their strict Teacher Zhou previously. Meanwhile, the basketball coach handed Zhang Yang his team uniform, urging him to perform well in upcoming games.
Later, a classmate reminded Zhang Yang to fill in his contact details for the class address book. Zhang Yang pretended to look for Zhuang Jie's phone number but covertly copied Zhou Jingmang's home landline number instead. Zhou Jingmang, Qin Zhen, and Shen Yinghui enjoyed their movie and then went shopping. Shen Yinghui gave them each a color-changing lip gloss, declaring it their "dorm room color" for future library visits.
Zhou Jingmang, fearing her strict mother's disapproval, decided to carry the lip gloss with her. The next morning, her mother woke her up with a lecture on hard work, comparing her to younger students who woke early to study. Her mother emphasized the low university admission rate in their city, demanding Zhou Jingmang maintain a top 30 rank to get into a good university. She even threatened to make Zhou Jingmang move back home for stricter supervision.
Just then, the phone rang. It was Zhang Yang, calling to invite her to his basketball game that afternoon. Panicked by her mother's presence, Zhou Jingmang quickly hung up, pretending it was the class monitor calling about a group activity. Her mother, believing it was a class event, allowed her to go but warned her to return immediately after the game. Zhou Jingmang eagerly left but soon realized she hadn't asked Zhang Yang for the game's location.
She cycled to school, hoping to find him, but the court was empty. Zhang Yang, having finished his game, returned to school to retrieve some items and found Zhou Jingmang on the basketball court. He confessed he had already played. Zhou Jingmang explained her hasty departure from the phone call and her decision to come to school to "try her luck."
When Zhou Jingmang couldn't find her unlocked bicycle, Zhang Yang offered to give her a ride home, hinting that she wouldn't have found it anyway because he had hidden it as a prank. On the way home, Zhang Yang jokingly complained about her weight. He also asked if she had written any more of her novel, to which she replied her mother's constant supervision left her no time. He reminded her to let him check it regularly.
That evening, during dinner, Zhou Jingmang's parents reiterated their expectations. When Zhou Jingmang optimistically mentioned her dream of becoming a writer and that their family might have an "eminent writer" someday, her mother quickly dismissed it, stressing that her only task was to study hard for a good university and a stable job. She sternly warned Zhou Jingmang against pursuing "unrealistic" endeavors that had nothing to do with her exams, threatening consequences if her grades were poor.
Discouraged, Zhou Jingmang contemplated giving up her novel, even tearing up her manuscript, but a faint memory of Xiao Teacher Ma's encouragement stopped her from discarding it completely. The next day, Zhang Yang continued his prank by placing Zhou Jingmang's bike directly in her path to the cafeteria. Zhou Jingmang, distracted by memorizing vocabulary to earn a new bike from her parents, initially ignored what looked like her old bicycle.
Zhang Yang, observing her from afar, wondered if her eyesight was poor. Later, as she left the cafeteria, the bike was there again. This time, she asked Qin Zhen and Shen Yinghui to confirm it was hers. Both agreed it was, marveling at its reappearance after being lost for so long. During a mock exam review, Zhou Jingmang was responsible for distributing test papers. She deliberately raised her voice when calling out names, waking a sleeping Zhang Yang.
He took his paper, glanced at her, and immediately went back to sleep. Zhou Jingmang couldn't shake the memory of Zhang Yang calling her "heavy" and wondered if he had been annoyed. To test this, she asked Qin Zhen and Shen Yinghui to give her a ride on their bicycles. Both struggled, confirming her suspicion.
When asked if she felt "ordinary," Qin Zhen quickly reassured her, listing all the "extraordinary" things Zhou Jingmang had done in just two months, like confronting the strict Teacher Zhou and receiving praise from Xiao Teacher Ma. Later, while they were talking, Zhuang Jie accidentally hit Qin Zhen with a basketball, causing her water bottle to spill all over Zhou Jingmang.
Seeing her soaked, Zhang Yang immediately offered his training uniform for her to change into, asking her to wash it before returning it. Zhou Jingmang later pondered Zhang Yang's complex nature in her dormitory; he sometimes teased and bullied her, yet at other times, he displayed unexpected warmth. She confided in Shen Yinghui that she was writing a novel about their high school life but found it challenging to describe Zhang Yang, who seemed to have many facets.
Shen Yinghui, however, found him to be a distinctly cold and independent person. The next morning, Zhang Yang approached Zhou Jingmang, asking for his uniform back, but she apologized, saying she hadn't brought it. Soon after, Xiao Teacher Ma asked Zhang Yang to fetch Zhou Jingmang to her office. Zhou Jingmang, lost in a daydream about publishing her novel and Zhang Yang's admiration, was startled by his appearance. Zhang Yang, noticing her notebook, tried to snatch it.
He pressed her about why Xiao Teacher Ma kept calling her, and Zhou Jingmang, in frustration, finally admitted that Xiao Teacher Ma was guiding her with her writing and even helping her submit entries to Mengya Magazine. On Friday evening, Xiao Teacher Ma, after reviewing Zhou Jingmang's essay, decided to submit it to Mengya Magazine the following week, advising her to refine it further and go home early.
The following Monday, Qin Zhen urgently pulled Zhou Jingmang aside in the bathroom. She revealed that rumors were spreading about Zhou Jingmang and Xiao Teacher Ma, stemming from their late-evening meeting on Friday when it was raining, and Xiao Teacher Ma had lent her a raincoat. Zhou Jingmang was furious, insisting they were only editing her essay. As they returned to the classroom, a group of male students, led by Teng Xiao, taunted Zhou Jingmang.
Zhuang Jie intervened, urging them to stop, but Teng Xiao shoved Zhou Jingmang. Zhuang Jie tried to defend her, leading to a scuffle that was quickly broken up by Teacher Shi. Observing the scene from the classroom door, Zhang Yang felt a pang of regret.
He wished he could fast forward time to a day when he had the ability to protect those he cared about, reflecting on a past moment when Zhou Jingmang had held onto his shirt on his bicycle, making the winding road feel sweet. Returning to 2015, Zhou Jingmang, late for a meeting after a night of drinking, scanned the participant list and was surprised to see Zhang Yang's name. However, the seat where he should have been was empty.
