Lovely Us Episode 14 Recap
> Lovely Us Recap
As Huang Chengzi accompanied Zhu Jinxiao to a bookstore, she found her thoughts drifting to Tan Song every time she saw a romance novel. Nearby, she overheard other girls discussing how liking someone makes you think about them constantly, and feeling uncomfortable when they get close to other girls is called a "sense of crisis." On her way home, Huang Chengzi encountered Chen Zui and He Jinzhao but noticed Tan Song was absent.
They informed her that Tan Song had walked Tang Wenqi, the school's cheerleading captain from Class 7, home after accidentally hitting her with a basketball. Huang Chengzi's mood immediately soured upon hearing this. During a class break, Huang Chengzi found herself paying more attention to Tan Song. Unexpectedly, Tang Wenqi approached Tan Song with snacks she had bought, as a thank you for walking her home.
Huang Chengzi watched Tan Song go out to meet Tang Wenqi, growing so angry that her voice resonated several times louder during her class reading. Later, at lunch, Tan Song shared the snacks Tang Wenqi had given him, which completely spoiled Huang Chengzi's appetite. During physical education class, a large crowd of girls cheered Tan Song on as he played basketball, making Huang Chengzi realize his immense popularity.
To her further dismay, after the game, Tang Wenqi brought Tan Song water, and the two chatted casually, prompting a frustrated Huang Chengzi to leave abruptly. Tang Wenqi had attempted to invite Tan Song to watch a movie that weekend, but he awkwardly declined, stating he already had plans. On her walk home, Huang Chengzi found herself talking to a dog, asking it if it knew Tan Song.
Tan Song, who had appeared behind her, mistakenly thought she was calling him. Huang Chengzi quickly clarified that she was speaking to the dog, not him. Tan Song retorted, "You are a dog!" She then playfully told him to "save that hand of yours to hold someone else" instead. A short while later, Mrs. Cheng, Huang Chengzi's mother, appeared, visibly upset after a parent-teacher meeting, and angrily called Huang Chengzi home.
Mrs. Cheng was furious about Huang Chengzi's drop in math scores from 86 to 72, pointing out her many unanswered questions and accusing her of having a weak foundation compared to Tan Song, Jinxiao, and Chen Zui. Huang Chengzi defensively compared her scores to He Jinzhao's, but Mrs. Cheng insisted she aim higher.
Determined to improve her daughter's grades, Mrs. Cheng, after consulting Mr. Fang, decided to enroll Huang Chengzi in Jinxiao's expensive cram school, even buying her a pair of Adidas shoes to help her "fit in." When Mrs. Cheng met with the cram school teacher, she tried to haggle for a discount, pleading that 1,100 yuan a month was too expensive.
Despite the teacher's boasts about Tsinghua and Peking University instructors and strict admissions, Mrs. Cheng firmly put down 800 yuan and promised the rest later, just to secure Huang Chengzi's spot. She later called Mr. Huang to update him on the payment. Huang Chengzi complained to Jinxiao about the cram school being a "den of monsters" and the exercises making her "almost bald," finding little comfort even with her new Adidas shoes.
At school, Huang Chengzi started avoiding Tan Song, leading He Jinzhao to comically assume she had a crush on himself. One day, Mrs. Cheng asked Huang Chengzi to buy a bucket of peanut oil and other daily necessities. As Huang Chengzi walked home, worried about dirtying her new Adidas shoes, Tan Song appeared and offered to carry the oil for her.
Huang Chengzi sarcastically told him to go walk Tang Wenqi home instead, highlighting that Tang Wenqi gave him water and snacks and he even walked her home, implying they were closer than their long-standing group. Tan Song, sensing her jealousy, explained he had already rejected Tang Wenqi, assuring Huang Chengzi that their group's friendship was irreplaceable. Relieved, Huang Chengzi then readily accepted his offer for chocolates, and they reverted to their familiar, easygoing dynamic.
During a power outage at cram school, a wealthy classmate offered to treat Huang Chengzi and others to drinks. The classmate then persuaded Huang Chengzi to get her hair permed at a nearby salon, offering to pay. While Huang Chengzi was at the salon, Mrs. Cheng happened to pass by and was furious to see her daughter there. Despite Huang Chengzi's repeated apologies, Mrs. Cheng remained unyielding.
She lectured Huang Chengzi about being realistic, arguing that only a few people like Han Han or Bill Gates achieve success without a formal education. She emphasized that most people achieve a good life through hard work, a good university, and a stable job. Mrs. Cheng chastised Huang Chengzi for daring to perm her hair on the first day of cram school, especially with her parents' hard-earned money, while her father worked tirelessly as a bus driver.
Huang Chengzi tried to explain that the power outage had meant a break from class, not truancy, but Mrs. Cheng cut her off, stating she didn't want to hear explanations and hoped Huang Chengzi wouldn't regret her choices in ten years. Feeling misunderstood and sad, Huang Chengzi called Tan Song late that night, expressing how difficult it was to be wrongly judged.
Tan Song, suspecting her mother was the cause, tried to comfort her by suggesting her mother's anger might be due to work stress. At Huang Chengzi's request, he told her a silly joke about a giraffe and a "Milu" (elk/lost), which put her to sleep before he could tell another. The next morning, the cold war between Huang Chengzi and Mrs. Cheng began in earnest, with Huang Chengzi defiantly refusing breakfast at home.
At school, she ate heartily for lunch, unaware that her mother had left a bowl of porridge for her in the fridge. Three days later, Mr. Huang, returning from his night shift, found Huang Chengzi sitting alone on the steps, refusing to go inside. He took her out for noodles, discovering she hadn't eaten dinner since the start of her cold war with Mrs. Cheng.
Huang Chengzi declared she wouldn't speak first, aiming to make her mother acknowledge her mistakes, and shed "vain and conservative ideas." Mr. Huang disagreed, asserting Huang Chengzi had misjudged Mrs. Cheng.
He detailed Mrs. Cheng's sacrifices: paying for the expensive cram school with half a month's living expenses, haggling over small change at the market, buying Huang Chengzi expensive Adidas shoes while repairing her own old ones for three yuan, and getting her the latest electronic dictionary despite using an old, frequently-broken phone herself.
He explained that Mrs. Cheng's only desire was for Huang Chengzi to have a better life, with more choices and the confidence to face the world without feeling inferior. Hearing her father's words, Huang Chengzi began to reflect.
On their way back, they saw Mrs. Cheng proudly boasting about Huang Chengzi to Aunt Zhao, highlighting her daughter's excellent Chinese and English scores, her talent for writing (even being praised by the dean for a speech under the national flag), and her positive, "little sun" personality, while downplaying her math score. Witnessing this, mother and daughter exchanged a silent, knowing look, and their relationship mended without needing words.
At lunch the next day, Huang Chengzi proudly boasted to her friends about her reconciliation with her mother, proclaiming Mrs. Cheng as "the woman I love the most in this world," much to Tan Song's surprise. Soon after, Huang Chengzi's parents left her alone to attend Qingmai's wedding in Chiang Mai, promising her a trip after her college entrance exam. On her first day alone, Huang Chengzi gleefully celebrated her newfound freedom by dancing around in her mother's high heels.
Concerned for her well-being, Tan Song's Grandma insisted Tan Song go check on Huang Chengzi and even stay overnight to "watch the door." Though Tan Song feigned annoyance, complaining about the hassle of bringing a pillow and the cold weather, he was secretly pleased. When Huang Chengzi let him in, his playful comment about "sleeping together" caused her to trip in her high heels and fall on top of him, creating an unexpectedly ambiguous moment.
Just then, Jinxiao, Chen Zui, and He Jinzhao arrived with snacks, applauding at the sight. The five friends then engaged in a "Trying Not to Laugh Competition" in the living room, with rules against making sounds other than onomatopoeia and instant elimination for smiling. Tan Song was eliminated for being disgusted by He Jinzhao, and He Jinzhao for Jinxiao making physical contact. Jinxiao ultimately won after Huang Chengzi laughed at Chen Zui's act.
Afterwards, the three boys simply slept on the living room floor. In the middle of the night, Tan Song discovered Huang Chengzi had collapsed with a high fever. At the hospital, a disoriented Huang Chengzi woke up, looking for her parents. He Jinzhao explained they were in Chiang Mai and that Tan Song had rushed her to the hospital after she fainted while trying to vomit.
Tan Song, arriving at the doorway, pretended to be sarcastic, asking if she still wanted cola or ice cream, and remarking that her 40-degree fever made her "totally unbelievable!" Yet, his words were laced with deep concern. He Jinzhao further revealed that Tan Song had carried her three kilometers to the hospital in the cold, wearing only a T-shirt and slippers.
She reflected that these "days like today," where he held her hand, held her in his arms, and ran with her on his back in the early morning, would become unforgettable memories.
