Remember My Boy Episode 4 Recap
> Remember My Boy Recap
In Autumn 2007, where a confrontation is brewing. Qin Zhen angrily asks how rumors could spread so wildly, while Shen Yinghui assures Zhou Jingmang not to worry, saying she is there for her. Two boys are heard gossiping about "the big hit," but Shen Yinghui urges Zhou Jingmang to ignore them. When one of the boys bumps into Zhou Jingmang, Zhuang Jie intervenes, accusing the boy, Teng Xiao, of intentionally hitting a girl. Teacher Shi then arrives on the scene.
The story flashes back to three days earlier, a Friday evening. Xiao Teacher Ma was helping Zhou Jingmang refine an article, praising her improved writing and offering to submit it to Mengya Magazine for publication. It was 7 PM, and a heavy rain was pouring outside. Noticing Zhou Jingmang had no umbrella, Xiao Teacher Ma offered his raincoat. Zhou Jingmang initially demurred, but he insisted, saying he had spares.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang arrived at the Language Teaching and Research Section but found it empty, as everyone had already left due to the late hour and rain. He walked home alone in the downpour. On his way, Yu Huitong and a friend saw him and offered an umbrella, but Zhang Yang politely declined. Yu Huitong and her friend then discussed Zhang Yang, with Yu Huitong recognizing him from middle school as the youngest member of the "Blue Eye" dance group.
They recalled Zhang Yang and Zhou Jingmang confronting "Director Zhou" during military training, criticizing Zhou Jingmang for clinging to Zhang Yang and seeking attention, calling her a show-off. Soon, the school was abuzz with gossip about Zhou Jingmang and Xiao Teacher Ma. Some students questioned if Zhou Jingmang cheated or if Xiao Teacher Ma showed her favoritism in their private writing sessions. Others, however, defended them, praising Xiao Teacher Ma as a responsible teacher.
Back in the present high school timeline, Qin Zhen and Shen Yinghui found Zhou Jingmang looking disheartened by the rumors. They tried to cheer her up, suggesting that people gossip about her because she is exceptional, and urged her not to take it to heart as they dragged her out of the classroom for fresh air. Outside, a group of boys continued to spread the detailed rumors from an online post.
At Zhang Yang's silent prompting, Zhuang Jie deliberately "accidentally" spilled soda on one of the gossiping boys, Teng Xiao, sarcastically remarking that he was too short to be seen. When Teng Xiao and his friend went to the toilet to clean up, Zhuang Jie and Zhang Yang swiftly locked them inside. Later, Shen Yinghui suggested getting something to eat, but Zhou Jingmang declined, preferring to stay and do her homework. Shen Yinghui understood, leaving her alone to cope.
Zhang Yang, meanwhile, called his basketball captain, feigning illness to excuse himself from practice. He then found Zhou Jingmang, who was silently weeping at her desk. Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhou Jingmang confessed that she longed to be invisible, distressed by the harsh words and lack of understanding from her peers. She felt her dream of becoming a writer was slipping away.
Zhang Yang tried to comfort her, suggesting that individuals with strong personalities are often perceived as outsiders and that she should learn to adapt. He offered her a tissue, teasing that she looked "ugly when she cries." He then playfully took her umbrella, pretending he needed it, and insisted she accompany him to the bus stop. There, to thank her for the "umbrella," he invited her to eat mixian.
As they were talking, a passing sprinkler truck splashed water on Zhou Jingmang. Zhang Yang seized the opportunity to tell her not to be upset by the gossip, comparing it to the indiscriminate splashing of water—meaningless and not worth her anger. Back in the dorm, Shen Yinghui and Qin Zhen offered Zhou Jingmang some magazines—a women's fashion magazine and a "Time Music" magazine with S. H. E character cards—to lift her spirits.
Zhou Jingmang felt better, resolving to believe in her own innocence. In the boys' dorm, Zhang Yang dictated Zhou Jingmang's novel from his phone, making Zhuang Jie hand-copy it. Zhuang Jie questioned the plan, worrying that if others disliked the novel, it could backfire. But Zhang Yang confidently asserted that even a single person's affirmation holds power, implying that he and Zhuang Jie were her unwavering supporters.
The next day, Qin Zhen excitedly asked to swap magazines with Zhou Jingmang, eager to read her copy of Mengya. However, they discovered Zhou Jingmang’s magazines had been maliciously torn to shreds. Qin Zhen was furious, but Zhou Jingmang remained outwardly calm. During self-study, Teacher Shi noticed Zhou Jingmang trying to piece together the torn magazine pages. She called Zhou Jingmang out of class and, understanding her distress, gently gave her a new S. H. E magazine.
Teacher Shi advised Zhou Jingmang to ignore the baseless rumors and focus on her studies, as doing well would be the best way to silence her detractors. Zhou Jingmang's hand-copied novel began circulating throughout the school. Even Yu Huitong's roommates were reading it and praising her writing, sparking a mixture of curiosity and resentment in Yu Huitong, who struggled to bring herself to read Zhou Jingmang's work.
During physical education class, Yu Huitong's friends openly ridiculed Zhou Jingmang, but Shen Yinghui bravely stepped in and shoved one of them aside. As a result of their disruptive behavior during PE, Qin Zhen and Zhou Jingmang were sent to the Teacher's Office and reprimanded by Director Zhou. Director Zhou criticized them for their lack of discipline and extended his disapproval to Teacher Shi, blaming her for the class's unruly conduct.
Teacher Shi repeatedly apologized, eventually convincing Director Zhou to release the girls. Afterwards, Teacher Shi offered to treat them to milk tea. Qin Zhen eagerly accepted, but Zhou Jingmang declined, citing unfinished homework, and discreetly wiped away tears as she turned to leave. Zhang Yang later confronted Yu Huitong, accusing her of initiating the rumors about Zhou Jingmang and Xiao Teacher Ma.
He revealed that he had traced the anonymous online post to the same IP address as her personal account, proving her involvement. Yu Huitong admitted to spreading the rumors, justifying her actions by claiming Zhou Jingmang's essays were not good enough for Xiao Teacher Ma's praise, suggesting favoritism. She then questioned Zhang Yang's sudden interest, reminding him of his independent nature in middle school. Zhang Yang insisted she apologize to Zhou Jingmang.
Yu Huitong agreed to do so "at a suitable time" but defiantly declared that she would only do what she wanted, regardless of social consequences, claiming that she and Zhang Yang were alike in their unconventionality. Zhou Jingmang was later found crying alone on the school roof. Zhang Yang joined her. She confided that while she had understood Zhang Yang's earlier analogy about the water, she was still deeply troubled because the issue itself remained unresolved.
Zhang Yang took her hand, promising to resolve the matter and leading her away. He reflected that meeting Zhou Jingmang had profoundly changed him, making him feel a sense of unease and deep care he had never experienced before, compelling him to protect her. Subsequently, the school issued a formal notice condemning Yu Huitong for spreading rumors and causing negative influence, officially ending the incident. The narrative then jumps forward to Autumn 2015.
Zhou Jingmang, now a dedicated "workaholic," was busy with overtime and missed a phone call from Shen Yinghui, who, along with Qin Zhen, wanted to revisit their old high school. Shen Yinghui and Qin Zhen visited Haicheng Secondary School, noting that the bulletin board, still adorned with excellent student work, hadn't changed. They reminisced about Zhou Jingmang's essays being posted there and her popular novel circulating through the school.
Shen Yinghui expressed a longing for the past, envying Zhou Jingmang whose dreams were always unconditionally supported. They hesitated to take photos, fearing Director Zhou, who they heard was still teaching there. Unexpectedly, they encountered Yu Huitong, who revealed she was now a Chinese literature teacher at Haicheng Secondary School.
In her office, Yu Huitong explained that she had returned to her alma mater because some things were simply too hard to let go of, a sentiment she believed her former classmates also shared. They briefly discussed Zhou Jingmang, who couldn't join them due to work commitments. As the evening self-study bell rang, a wave of nostalgic familiarity washed over them.
