Lovely Us Episode 3 Recap
> Lovely Us Recap
Huang Chengzi excitedly showed Zhu Jinxiao her recent "heart-fluttering" moment, convinced that the handsome boy she had seen was her new crush and that if he had looked at her longer, he might have fallen for her. Zhu Jinxiao, however, questioned how many crushes Huang Chengzi had had and pointed out that after sixteen years, she had never felt that way about Tan Song. Huang Chengzi simply dismissed Tan Song as "unworthy."
Unbeknownst to them, three boys, including He Jinzhao and Chen Zui, were listening, suspecting the girls were keeping secrets. He Jinzhao confronted them, causing Huang Chengzi and Zhu Jinxiao to run off, confirming the boys' suspicions that "something was up." That evening, as Huang Chengzi was washing her hair, the water suddenly stopped. Her mother explained that living on a higher floor meant the water pressure dropped at 8 PM.
With Chen Zui and Zhu Jinxiao's families out, her mother suggested she go to Tan Song's house. Huang Chengzi reluctantly went, still in her casual clothes with wet hair, telling herself there was no need to dress up to meet him. Tan Song greeted her, mocking her messy hair and asking if she was "ready to pick wastes." She explained the water outage.
After checking that his grandparents were out, Tan Song abruptly announced he had to leave for a moment. Alone, Huang Chengzi freely blew her hair dry and sang loudly, transforming Tan Song's living room into her personal "High Song" live show. Her impromptu concert was cut short when Tan Song returned with a guest: his older brother, Tan Ouyang, the very boy from the convenience store, Huang Chengzi's "god."
Huang Chengzi was mortified when Ouyang politely introduced himself and then asked if they had met before, which she nervously denied. Tan Song, noticing her embarrassment, asked why she hadn't told him his brother was coming. He then explained that Ouyang’s parents were in Guangzhou for business, and since Ouyang's college was only half a street away and their grandpa missed him, he had moved in to save on accommodation fees.
Tan Song playfully ruffled Huang Chengzi's hair, telling her she was lucky to have both him and his brother to protect her. Huang Chengzi, however, felt only immense humiliation. Despite her embarrassment, Huang Chengzi was determined. Zhu Jinxiao tried to comfort her by saying that losing money was better than getting disgraced, but Huang Chengzi declared that "grief is not about how you are going to forget it, but whether you have the courage to start over."
She vowed to rehabilitate her image in Ouyang's mind, believing that with "great ambition and willpower," she would "fly to the bright future where Ouyang will fall in love with me." To achieve this, Huang Chengzi began finding various excuses to seek out Tan Song, hoping to increase her presence in front of Ouyang. She started walking to school with Tan Song at 6:30 AM, prompting him to ask if she had "hyperthyroidism."
She borrowed his math workbook, even though Zhu Jinxiao had one, openly telling Tan Song she missed him. Tan Song, in turn, told her to "take it and get out of here immediately." She even asked Tan Song for help with a math problem, only to suggest asking Ouyang when Tan Song claimed he couldn't solve it. These actions led to misunderstandings.
Tan Song, discussing Huang Chengzi with his friends, was convinced she had fallen for him during their "puppy love" experience, claiming she was "so clingy" and always at his door, calling him "my dear, honey." He believed she visited just to get more glimpses of him. Meanwhile, Huang Chengzi was equally convinced Ouyang liked her, noting his "twinkling eyes" that felt "like a beam of light in the darkness that lights me up," concluding it was "affection."
She saw Ouyang as her "Jiang Zhishu" when he patiently explained math problems to her. Huang Chengzi decided she would confess her feelings to Ouyang. On the other side, Tan Song, still under the misconception, declared he would "reject Huang Chengzi and make her give me up." He Jinzhao, misinterpreting a conversation between Huang Chengzi and Zhu Jinxiao, excitedly informed Tan Song that "Chengzi is going to express her love to Tan Song."
Tan Song panicked, feeling it wasn't the right time since he hadn't figured out how to reject her. Huang Chengzi, with Zhu Jinxiao, meticulously rehearsed her confession to Ouyang, practicing various tones from dramatic to "cool" to "feminine," aiming for genuine sincerity. Huang Chengzi then planned a barbeque at Jinlixuan Restaurant, inviting all her friends and specifically asking Tan Song to bring Ouyang, believing a larger group would make the occasion more "solemn" for her confession.
While practicing his rejection speech with Chen Zui and He Jinzhao, Tan Song initially suggested a blunt refusal, comparing Huang Chengzi unfavorably to Liu Yifei, which earned him a rebuke for being "ruthless." They eventually settled on a more "considerate" approach. At the barbeque, Huang Chengzi was disheartened when Ouyang didn't show up.
Tan Song, still believing the confession was for him, tried to preemptively reject her by saying that "the expression of your feelings is the most important" rather than "ceremonial atmosphere." Huang Chengzi excused herself, feeling miserable. Outside, she overheard Tan Song excitedly telling his friends that Ouyang and his girlfriend, Xiangtong, were nearby celebrating a friend's birthday. Tan Song gushed about Xiangtong, calling her a "goddess," beautiful, intelligent, and "particularly tender."
He then contrasted her with Huang Chengzi, mockingly asking if Huang Chengzi even knew how to spell "tender," implying she didn't "behave like a real girl." This infuriated Huang Chengzi, who slammed down three bottles of mineral water to calm her anger, though He Jinzhao wondered if Tan Song had just broken her heart. The insult about her lack of tenderness temporarily overshadowed her heartbreak over Ouyang.
Huang Chengzi declared the idea of her not being feminine "a great joke" and vowed, "gentlewoman is my label, and I'm synonymous with tenderness," despite Zhu Jinxiao's skepticism. The next morning, Huang Chengzi began her transformation. She bought breakfast for her friends, distributing it with exaggerated politeness and using diminutive words. Her friends found her new demeanor "terrifying."
When a classmate asked her to open a drink, she easily twisted the cap off but then, remembering her new persona, screwed it back on and insisted, "I always fail to remove the caps of this kind of bottles." Tan Song and his friends observed her affected movements and speech. He Jinzhao and Chen Zui, believing Tan Song had caused this change, urged him to "compensate her."
They suggested he take her to an amusement park, reminding him of their shared childhood memories. Tan Song balked at the expense, refusing to use his debate prize money for sneakers or ask his grandparents for money. True to his word, Huang Chengzi dressed in a "tender and stunning suit" for her amusement park visit, confident it would impress Tan Song.
However, she was surprised to find that Tan Song had also invited Ouyang and Xiangtong, realizing this was Tan Song's way of getting into the park for free. Tan Song teased her about wanting to date him alone, but Ouyang intervened, telling Tan Song not to bully Huang Chengzi. Huang Chengzi joyfully ran off to explore. At a souvenir stand, she watched Ouyang and Xiangtong sweetly pick out matching hairbands and take photos.
When she tried to get a hairband for herself, the vendor explained it was a "couple photo" promotion. Determined, Huang Chengzi pulled Tan Song into a photo, declaring him her "handsome boyfriend," much to his indignant protest about his "reputation and image." Chen Zui, observing, remarked that they looked "like a perfect match" despite their constant bickering. Huang Chengzi then wanted to ride the merry-go-round, but Tan Song scoffed at her childishness.
Seeing her disappointment, Xiangtong graciously offered to ride with Huang Chengzi. Tan Song, not wanting to appear to be "ostracizing" them, reluctantly joined them. On the merry-go-round, Huang Chengzi watched Ouyang and Xiangtong together, realizing their genuine affection. She felt a sense of peace, genuinely wishing them well, and began playfully bickering with Tan Song by her side. Throughout the day, their playful teasing continued as they enjoyed various rides, creating a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
Later that evening, as they walked home, Tan Song asked Huang Chengzi when she had started liking him. Huang Chengzi launched into a detailed description of the boy she admired: "handsome, strong and tall," with "eyes. . . filled with stars," and a "steady and attractive" voice. Tan Song, still believing she was talking about him, told her not to be "blatantly" and asked why she had kept her feelings a secret.
Huang Chengzi explained she had been "afraid of being rejected" because "he's quite excellent. He left me so far behind." She then revealed the crucial detail: "he already has someone he likes." Tan Song, still confused, asked if she meant Liu Yifei, his celebrity crush. Huang Chengzi clarified, "I mean Xiangtong. . . She's beautiful, tender, gracious and considerate."
Comparing herself, she lamented that she wasn't as beautiful, but "silly and naïve," and would only rate "less than 30 points" compared to Xiangtong's 100. It was then that Tan Song finally understood: "So you like my brother?" Huang Chengzi, however, said she was "no longer sad already" after seeing how nice Xiangtong was. Later, Huang Chengzi spotted 20 yuan on the roadside and dashed to pick it up, narrowly avoiding being hit by a passing car.
Tan Song pulled her back, misunderstanding her intent and thinking she was trying to harm herself, telling her, "Don't be foolish. Do you have to go to such extremes?" Huang Chengzi, explaining she was just trying to retrieve her "62. 8 yuan" (or "82. 8 yuan" had he not stopped her), took out her small savings. She decided to buy Ouyang and Xiangtong a thank-you gift for the amusement park, and also to commemorate her "unrequited love."
Zhu Jinxiao commented on Huang Chengzi's big heart and playfully suggested she ask Tan Song for money, since he had won prize money at a debate contest and even claimed Huang Chengzi's "bad puppy love" experience had helped him win. Huang Chengzi then tried to knit scarves for the couple. When Tan Song found her with yarn tangled around her neck, he again mistakenly thought she was trying to hurt herself, asking, "How come you still haven't gotten over it?"
She clarified it was an accident. Later, he saw her with an injured finger from knitting, which once more led him to worry and overthink. Tan Song took Huang Chengzi aside, applied medicine to her finger, and had a heart-to-heart talk. He spoke about the beauty of the night sky, explaining that while the brightest star (Venus) is often the focus, the other stars that "keep shining. . . might be more beautiful than the brightest one."
He then gently refuted her self-assessment, telling her, "You don't look beautiful, but you are lovely. . . always bring happiness. . . kind and straightforward. . . talented in literature." He revised her score from 30 to "92 points. . . No, 96 points." Huang Chengzi secretly smiled at his unexpected praise. Finally, Tan Song showed her a new bicycle.
He explained he had bought it for her with his debate prize money, saying, "you also contributed to my victory." Huang Chengzi thanked him, and he simply replied, "You are welcome. Just stay alive."
