Meeting You Episode 1 Recap
> Meeting You Recap
Nan Xi, a solitary boy in a white shirt and baseball cap, prepares for his first day back at school. His mother, speaking on the phone, mentions that a doctor confirmed his mental and emotional health is recovering well, and Nan Xi himself is happy to return to school despite the suddenness of the decision. She also speaks to Nan Xi's father, who is currently working on a European project. In contrast to Nan Xi, Xia Rui's morning is bustling.
She rushes through breakfast, playfully bickering with her grandparents, who lovingly send her off to school. At the school gate, with help from Lin Xiaoxiao and Cheng Erluo, Xia Rui attempts to avoid the strict Mr. Hu. However, while evading the director, she bumps directly into Nan Xi. Xia Rui apologizes and expresses concern, but Nan Xi's detached demeanor leaves a strange and curious first impression on her.
Before hurrying off, Xia Rui leaves her schoolbag with Mr. Yi, the owner of a nearby coffee shop. Mr. Hu, having just been promoted to director, immediately displays his strictness. He intercepts Nan Xi at the gate, ordering him to remove his hat, but lets him go after confirming his name. Moments later, he confronts Xia Rui for being late.
She claims she had a stomachache and was looking for the restroom, using the fact she didn't have her schoolbag to imply she was already at school. However, Mr. Hu sees through her lie, telling her to retrieve her bag and prepare an 800-word apology letter to be read during the flag-raising ceremony. Xia Rui expresses frustration that Nan Xi, who was also late, was not punished like her.
Coincidentally, Nan Xi is transferred into her class, and his impressive family background—his father a famous architect and his mother a bank vice president—quickly becomes the top gossip among students. Mr. Hu formally introduces Nan Xi, who remains silent when asked to introduce himself and quietly takes his seat. Mr. Hu then reminds Xia Rui to finish her apology letter. Determined to achieve "equality," Xia Rui uses her public apology to expose Nan Xi.
She brazenly states that Nan Xi was also late, calling for collective supervision of both their reflections. Her speech leaves the other students stunned by her boldness. Later, Cheng Erluo approaches Nan Xi, introducing himself as a basketball team guard and inviting him to play, but Nan Xi simply replies, "Sorry," and walks away.
Xia Rui then attempts to apologize to Nan Xi for embarrassing him, but his silent refusal infuriates her, leading her to accuse him of looking down on her because of his privileged background. In class, a teacher presents a difficult problem. Hoping to see him embarrassed, Xia Rui suggests Nan Xi attempt it. The teacher invites Nan Xi to the board, and he easily solves the complex question, leaving Xia Rui stunned as her classmates applaud.
After class, Xia Rui rushes to Mr. Yi's coffee shop. With her exceptionally sensitive palate, she immediately identifies notes of wine and plums in a new coffee, correctly tracing the flavor to sun-dried beans from Santa Clara, Panama. Impressed, Mr. Yi offers free drinks to Xia Rui, Cheng Erluo, and Zhao Yishu, upholding their long-standing deal. He praises her unique talent and offers to teach her coffee-making.
Meanwhile, other students gossip about Nan Xi's alleged IQ of over 140 and Mensa membership, remarking on his reclusive nature. Nan Xi returns to an empty home. His mother greets him briefly before informing him that she is departing for an international conference and will be gone for several days, having arranged for a housekeeper, Sis Liu, to look after him. Nan Xi observes her departure on a surveillance camera, his indifferent expression revealing he is accustomed to such solitude.
On the second day of school, during an English quiz, Nan Xi finishes effortlessly. To avoid being late, Xia Rui had skipped breakfast and now fakes a stomachache to get permission to leave the exam. She climbs over the school wall to eat a takeaway meal and, while climbing back, loses her footing and falls directly onto Nan Xi, who was sitting beneath a camphor tree.
The close contact allows Nan Xi to notice a whale-themed wooden carving around her neck, an object that seems deeply important to him. He startles her by grabbing her arm to get a closer look. Annoyed, Xia Rui tries to pull away and accidentally swings her arm back, punching the approaching Mr. Hu in the face. As punishment, Mr. Hu assigns Xia Rui to clean the school swimming pool for two weeks.
She is further annoyed to overhear Mr. Hu appointing Nan Xi as the English subject representative. Later, while begrudgingly cleaning the dark, empty pool area, Xia Rui is startled by a noise. To her surprise, Nan Xi appears and offers to help. Initiating a conversation for the first time, he asks about the whale pendant. As he reaches to examine it, they both lose their balance and fall into the pool.
Underwater, Nan Xi experiences a vivid flashback to his childhood, recalling the sound of a "baby whale singing" and the memory of giving the same pendant to a little girl. Xia Rui, seeing Nan Xi unconscious, prepares to administer artificial respiration. However, just as her lips are about to touch his, Nan Xi awakens, and their eyes meet. Startled and embarrassed, Xia Rui flees. Nan Xi follows her to the classroom and silently hands her a set of dry clothes from his bag, a gesture that reveals her unique significance to him.
