Lovely Us Episode 8 Recap
> Lovely Us Recap
Tan Song mistakenly believed that Chen Zui was in love with Huang Chengzi. He confronted Chen Zui about an incident they had in the woods on New Year's Day, where he saw them in an intimate position. Chen Zui clarified that he was merely helping Huang Chengzi remove her cosmetic contact lenses, which had gotten stuck on her eyelashes.
Observing Tan Song's intense interest in Chen Zui's feelings for Huang Chengzi, He Jinzhao suspected that Tan Song himself might be the one in love with Huang Chengzi. Tan Song vehemently denied this, stating that the probability was less than 0. 01. However, He Jinzhao mused that even a minuscule probability could come to pass. Later, Tan Song asked his deskmate, Wu Hao, for correction fluid.
Wu Hao, appearing melancholic, remarked that a leaf had fallen and must be very lonely. Tan Song shared this with his friends. He Jinzhao concluded that Wu Hao must be in love, as a man's emotions become easily influenced when he is smitten, and his affection is visible to anyone.
Huang Chengzi found this idea intriguing and began looking around for her secret admirer, causing Tan Song to quickly lower his head and tell her to stop, claiming no one was secretly in love with her. That night, Tan Song consulted an online test about signs of falling in love. The first sign suggested that the person would be one's ideal type.
Tan Song insisted his ideal type was Zhao Ling'er, Gianna Jun, or Hermione, not Huang Chengzi, yet he kept picturing Huang Chengzi in those roles. The second sign stated that one would find the person cute. Tan Song couldn't imagine Huang Chengzi being cute, but when he saw her with a cold, his heart unexpectedly fluttered. The third sign involved wanting to buy things for the person. In his dream, he was a lavish buyer for Huang Chengzi.
In reality, Huang Chengzi asked to borrow eighteen yuan for magazines, which he reluctantly lent her, making her write an IOU. The fourth sign was the desire for romantic time alone. He invited Huang Chengzi to watch a movie, hoping for a romantic moment, but it turned out to be a horror film that scared him. He then tried to change the topic to himself, only for Huang Chengzi to mention Liu Gaoxu.
Tan Song began to suspect he might indeed be in love with Huang Chengzi, while she remained completely unaware of his feelings. Meanwhile, Chen Zui’s mother learned that Zhu Jinxiao had achieved second place in the provincial Tsinghua-Peking University study camp. She playfully suggested that Chen Zui should try to marry Zhu Jinxiao. Chen Zui dismissed her mother's teasing but was later seen gazing at Zhu Jinxiao's picture, clearly smitten. The school announced a new study partner program.
Huang Chengzi, confident in her popularity, decided not to choose a partner, opting for a random assignment by Mr. Fang. Tan Song initially wrote Huang Chengzi's name on his submission slip but, out of loyalty to his deskmate, changed it to his deskmate's name. Ultimately, Huang Chengzi was paired with an outside-of-class partner, Liu Gaoxu, who was Mr. Fang's nephew and a top student from Class 9.
Huang Chengzi excitedly spoke about her new partner, and coincidentally, Liu Gaoxu appeared right then at a bookstore, further captivating Huang Chengzi and setting off alarm bells for Tan Song. Concerned about Huang Chengzi studying alone with Liu Gaoxu, Tan Song insisted on accompanying her to their study session. He highlighted potential safety risks, which Huang Chengzi’s mother surprisingly supported. The next day, Huang Chengzi and Liu Gaoxu coincidentally appeared in similar-colored outfits, further fueling Tan Song’s discomfort.
As they began their study session at a Thai restaurant, Huang Chengzi introduced Tan Song to Liu Gaoxu as her "best friend, childhood playmate," and the school basketball team's forward, but Tan Song assertively expanded on this. He attempted to impress them by speaking what he claimed was Thai and Russian, which only drew a dismissive reaction from Huang Chengzi.
Separately, Zhu Jinxiao and Chen Zui went to the city’s TV station for an interview on a learning program called "Close to Models." However, due to last-minute cancellations, they were recruited to fill in as a couple on an adjacent show called "Love You 100%." The program director asked them to quickly learn and memorize details about each other as if they were a real couple, including hobbies and birthdays.
Despite Huang Chengzi’s vocal admiration for Liu Gaoxu and her newfound academic efficiency after studying with him, she unconsciously relied more on Tan Song. On their way home by bus, Tan Song called Huang Chengzi a "pig" for falling asleep anywhere, but then gently used his hand to cushion her head when she dozed off against the window.
He also critiqued Liu Gaoxu for making her travel far and for the distracting environment of the coffee shop where they studied, noting how other girls constantly interrupted their session. Back at the TV station, Chen Zui and Zhu Jinxiao successfully answered all questions in the couple's game, both correctly naming Jay Chou as their favorite singer and providing his birthday. Encouraged by the host, Chen Zui took the opportunity to make a heartfelt confession to Zhu Jinxiao.
He spoke about how his life, once predictable and planned, had been transformed by her adventurous spirit and determination to explore the world. He declared that he wouldn't let her embark on this journey alone, then explicitly told her, "Zhu Jinxiao, I like you." Moved by his words and the audience's chants of "Hug her!" , Zhu Jinxiao embraced Chen Zui, playfully whispering in his ear, "You're too good at fabricating stories."
As a token of appreciation, the program director presented them with a pair of couple watches. The following day, Huang Chengzi left early for another tutoring session with Liu Gaoxu, who promised to teach her "math secrets." Tan Song, feigning an "upper body exercise" in slippers, watched her leave with clear unease. When night fell and Huang Chengzi still hadn't returned, Tan Song grew increasingly worried. He tried calling her, but her phone was unreachable.
He waited for her in the rain, holding two umbrellas, one for himself and one for her. When she finally arrived, he scolded her for being out so late, then, acting casually, claimed he was just "getting some fresh air" and "protecting his shoes" from the rain. He then offered her a cup of cold soy milk, telling her to heat it herself.
In a reflective moment, it was observed that 17-year-old boys often deceive themselves about their true feelings, rationalizing them away with low probabilities. They put on an act to shield their hearts, but true affections are not easily suppressed. In that rainy night, as Tan Song watched Huang Chengzi's retreating figure, his nascent love was unmistakably revealed, evident in the profound sense of peace in his heart and the unconscious smile in his eyes whenever he looked at her.
