In a Class of Her Own Episode 24 Recap
> In a Class of Her Own Recap
Wenxi, disguised as Wen Bin, was about to bathe in the woodshed, unknowingly where Lei Zexin was hiding. Lei Zexin wondered why Wen Bin was bathing there. Mr Ding then arrived, expressing shock and disapproval upon finding Wen Bin in the woodshed, which he knew was Lei Zexin's hiding place and not a proper bathing area. Wen Bin, feigning a fall on a slippery road, claimed he needed to clean up to avoid being teased.
Mr Ding sternly dismissed Wen Bin, giving him the key to Ming Lun Hall and instructing him to bathe there instead. After Wen Bin left, Mr Ding entered to check on Lei Zexin. Lei Zexin showed Mr Ding a mysterious note addressed to "Ke Shi Jun, Qin Bei Chuan," asking if Mr Ding had given it to him.
Mr Ding denied writing it, realizing with alarm that someone knew Lei Zexin's true identity, making it difficult to find "Ke Shi Jun." Lei Zexin recounted fighting the sender, who carried a teacher's tag and was highly skilled, leading him to suspect Mr Liu. Mr Ding dismissed the possibility of his master, Mr Liu, being the culprit. Mr Ding reassured Lei Zexin, promising to investigate the masked teacher himself and instructing Lei Zexin to stay out of it.
He also briefly conversed with Lei Zexin's senior, discussing Lei Zexin's recent improvement due to Feng Chengjun and Wenxi's influence, and asking the senior to continue watching over Lei Zexin. Wenxi, back in Room Two of Regular Dorm, observed Feng Chengjun returning from Yu Lexuan's party in high spirits. Wenxi initially teased Feng Chengjun, speculating if his joy stemmed from a romantic encounter or meeting Han Shumin, even sarcastically remarking on his "cloud-like" happiness.
Feng Chengjun, however, stated he would not pursue romantic relationships before becoming an official, prompting Wenxi to further playfully suggest he was merely laying the groundwork for a future relationship. When Feng Chengjun then asked for her advice should he find someone he liked, a jealous Wenxi accused him of being a womanizer, noting Han Shumin's deep affection for him while he seemingly entertained thoughts of others. Feng Chengjun directly questioned Wenxi if she truly believed he fancied Han Shumin.
Unable to answer, Wenxi feigned sleep. Feng Chengjun, still beaming, then revealed the true source of his happiness: he had performed a children's rhyme about the Laba Festival and New Year celebrations at the party, delighting everyone, and wanted to share that joy with Wenxi by singing it to her. Realizing Feng Chengjun's genuine desire to make her happy, Wenxi's heart warmed, deepening her affection for him.
Mr Ding summoned Wenxi, informing her of his decision that she must leave the academy. Wenxi questioned his change of heart, to which Mr Ding revealed that Master Wang was unusually interested in her background and wished to know more about her, making her situation precarious. To ensure her safety, Mr Ding advised Wenxi to take advantage of the upcoming family visit holidays and simply not return to the academy afterward, promising to manage the aftermath.
Wenxi reluctantly agreed, comforting herself with the thought that leaving the academy would allow her to finally resume her identity as a girl and openly pursue her feelings for Feng Chengjun. Around this time, Lin Bing Shen sought out Han Sheng Zhi to apologize again. Han Sheng Zhi, still smarting from their loss in the archery ceremony, told Lin Bing Shen that true repentance would involve finding a way to make Feng Chengjun and Wenxi genuinely respect him.
Yu Lexuan tried to get Feng Chengjun to write calligraphy for him, which Wenxi teased was for selling. Lei Zexin also returned to the academy, playfully challenging Wenxi, but Yu Lexuan deflected it to a drinking contest. Wenxi intervened, protecting Feng Chengjun's low alcohol tolerance, which led Lei Zexin to playfully accuse her of always siding with outsiders. All three then affirmed they were "buddies."
Later, they observed officials enforcing harsh debt collection, prompting Feng Chengjun and Wenxi to express a shared aspiration to become officials and change such injustices. Yu Lexuan also shared his recent business losses due to the widespread locust plague and its impact on the impoverished. As the academy's family visit holiday approached, students prepared to depart. Wenxi was moved when Feng Chengjun, Lei Zexin, Yu Lexuan, and other classmates brought her various gifts and, more significantly, precious medicinal herbs.
They explained that academy rules allowed them to collect these herbs for needy students and insisted she take them for her sick family, having registered them under her name. Principal Feng was greatly pleased by this display of student unity and generosity, considering it a positive sign that would delight Master Wang. In an unexpected turn, Han Sheng Zhi led his entire team, including Lin Bing Shen, to publicly apologize to Wenxi for the archery ceremony.
He also presented a large quantity of food, claiming it was surplus from the superior rooms that would otherwise be discarded, emphasizing that it was better used than wasted, recalling Wenxi's own past remarks about respecting people's hard work. Lei Zexin, perceiving this act as demeaning charity, angrily moved to confront Han Sheng Zhi, but Wenxi calmly accepted the provisions, understanding the underlying dynamics.
When Lei Zexin later questioned her dignity for accepting such "charity," Wenxi explained her pragmatic reasoning: the food would feed poor families for days, and the donated herbs would allow her to continue her medical studies and offer assistance to the sick and needy in the Western District. Impressed by her compassion and wisdom, Feng Chengjun and Lei Zexin both enthusiastically volunteered to help her in her humanitarian efforts, along with Yu Lexuan.
They then ventured out to the Western District, providing medicine and aid to the common folk, earning them the moniker "Yunshang Four Scholars" from the villagers. With the academy holidays officially underway, all scholars departed for their homes. Wenxi, laden with gifts and provisions, also returned to her family. Her mother, eagerly awaiting her, presented her with a beautiful new dress. Wenxi, delighted, changed into it, fully restoring her feminine appearance.
Her younger brother expressed his admiration for her friendships with Feng Chengjun, Lei Zexin, and Yu Lexuan, though he noted the hardship of maintaining her male disguise. Wenxi reassured him that she had become adept at it, and no one had suspected her true identity. She shared amusing anecdotes from the academy and spoke about her friends, including how Yu Lexuan's humor and business acumen initially made her fear being discovered, but she felt confident he hadn't.
She described Lei Zexin as protective and caring despite his outwardly willful nature, noting a hint of unspoken worries beneath his demeanor. When asked about Feng Chengjun, Wenxi became shy, prompting her brother to conclude that Feng Chengjun was clearly the closest to her. Each mention of Feng Chengjun's name filled Wenxi with immense happiness. Back at the academy, Principal Feng discovered the lingzhi powder, intended as tribute for the imperial court, had gone missing from its designated spot.
He was certain he had placed it there himself and was distraught by its disappearance. Mr Ding, upon learning this and realizing its gravity, immediately rushed to Wenxi's home. He urgently instructed her to change back into her male attire and accompany him back to the academy, explaining that Wenxi's student tag had been found at the scene of the theft.
Wenxi explained she had left her tag in a prominent place at the academy for retrieval after her planned departure, unaware of the theft. Mr Ding, while believing her, stressed the need to return immediately to avoid a more severe charge of deceit if her true identity were discovered during a home search. At the academy, Han Sheng Zhi presented Wenxi's student tag, found at the site of the missing lingzhi powder, accusing her of the theft.
Despite Wenxi's denials and pleas for justice, Han Sheng Zhi dismissed her explanations as unconvincing. Feng Chengjun quickly came to Wenxi's defense, asserting she had been framed and pointing out the lack of concrete evidence linking her to the crime. Han Sheng Zhi then presented an eyewitness account: a guard had seen Wenxi leaving Fu Ze Hall alone late on the night she went home.
Wenxi admitted to being there early to collect registered herbs, but Han Sheng Zhi dismissed her explanation, and Feng Chengjun's corroboration, as biased due to their close friendship. When asked where the herbs were, Wenxi stated she had taken them home. Principal Feng then proposed searching Wenxi's house to verify her story. Desperate to prevent a search that would expose her identity and distress her mother, Wenxi reluctantly and falsely confessed to having sold the lingzhi powder, accepting any punishment.
Feng Chengjun was visibly confused by her confession. Just then, Master Wang arrived, demanding to know how much Wenxi had received for the "stolen tribute." Wenxi confessed that she didn't even know what lingzhi powder looked like, reiterating that her confession was a desperate attempt to protect her mother from worry. Master Wang, acknowledging her filial piety, agreed with Feng Chengjun that despite the circumstantial evidence, the case had many questionable points.
He rejected Mr Liu's suggestion to involve the authorities, fearing it would bring shame to the academy. Instead, Master Wang instructed them to investigate the truth themselves. He appointed Han Sheng Zhi as a supervisor to find more direct evidence against Wenxi, while also giving Wenxi, Feng Chengjun, Yu Lexuan, and Lei Zexin two days to find clues to prove Wenxi's innocence. He warned that failure would result in Wenxi's expulsion and the others being punished for complicity, but promised severe punishment for the true culprit if identified.
