Meeting You Episode 5 Recap
> Meeting You Recap
On the school basketball court, a basketball struck Zhao Yishu on the head. The culprit, Li Da, not only failed to apologize but arrogantly blamed Zhao Yishu for not paying attention, which infuriated Cheng Erluo. Under the coach's intervention, Li Da reluctantly offered an apology. He then provoked Cheng Erluo, proposing a basketball match between his Class 15 and Cheng Erluo's Class 9, which Cheng Erluo accepted. Leading up to the match, Class 9 rallied to support Cheng Erluo.
Xia Rui reassured Nan Xi not to take Cheng Erluo’s pointed comments about unsupportive students personally, attributing it to his childish anger. Cheng Erluo later approached Nan Xi, clarifying that he wasn't upset with him. During the first half of the match, Cheng Erluo struggled to close the score gap against Li Da and consistently missed his free throws. By halftime, Class 9 was trailing by nine points, leaving Cheng Erluo disheartened.
Zhao Yishu reminded him of his childhood as "Chubby Cheng"—a plump boy who, despite being bullied, never gave up on his love for basketball. She admired his perseverance and hated to see him admit defeat. Nan Xi, who rarely joined class activities, quietly arrived at the basketball court, motivated by his desire for Xia Rui to see her friend win. Overcoming his usual aversion to crowds, Nan Xi devised a strategy.
He passed a note to Xia Rui, who relayed it to Cheng Erluo, detailing how to correct his inaccurate free throws by leaning two degrees to the right to counteract his habitual left lean. He also pointed out that Li Da's shooting was weak from the zero-to-thirty-degree angle. Equipped with Nan Xi’s precise guidance, Cheng Erluo clinched the victory in the final moments of the game.
Amidst the cheers of Class 9, Cheng Erluo confronted Li Da, demanding a proper apology to Zhao Yishu, which Li Da grudgingly gave. After the game, Cheng Erluo expressed immense gratitude and admiration for Nan Xi, declaring them "brothers." However, when Cheng Erluo moved closer, Nan Xi recoiled due to his discomfort with physical proximity, prompting Cheng Erluo to quickly back away and promise to respect his space.
Xia Rui commended Nan Xi for bravely taking a first step by helping. When Cheng Erluo offered a reward, Nan Xi declined, instead asking Xia Rui to come to his house after school. Later, while Xia Rui went to Nan Xi's home for tutoring, Zhao Yishu accompanied Cheng Erluo.
Still impressed by Nan Xi’s abilities, Cheng Erluo mused about Nan Xi's "special ability" to make Xia Rui fall asleep on his shoulder and naively asked Zhao Yishu if she felt sleepy around him. The question caused Zhao Yishu to blush, but Cheng Erluo remained oblivious to her growing feelings. He continued to admire Nan Xi, describing him as "silent, but loud," like a lead from an idol drama. Meanwhile, Nan Xi tutored Xia Rui.
Even though she only solved one problem correctly, he had a reward for her. He led her to his room and revealed a box filled with birthday gifts he had prepared for her over the years, each labeled with the date "December 31st." Overwhelmed and feeling guilty for not having anything for him, Xia Rui earnestly promised to grant him one wish, sealing it with a pinky promise.
In this moment with her, Nan Xi smiled, feeling a rare sense of relaxation. When the new exam results were posted, Nan Xi’s ranking as first in the entire school brought immense pride to Class 9. However, Yufei from Class 1 was confident that Nan Xi would be transferred to her elite class. Nan Xi expressed his desire to stay in Class 9 to his teacher, Mr. Hu, explaining he was happy and had friends there.
Mr. Hu clarified that as an arts and sports-focused class, Class 9's curriculum, especially in Grade 3, would become self-study based and detrimental to Nan Xi’s academic path for the standard college entrance exams. Despite secretly hoping Nan Xi would stay, Xia Rui feigned indifference, acting as if his departure was a given and casually enjoying snacks given to Nan Xi by his admirers. Her behavior deeply distressed and angered Nan Xi.
Later, Mr. Hu gave Nan Xi two application forms: one for a class transfer and one for the art exam, both requiring a parental signature. His parents' approval was the greatest obstacle to his wish to remain. He confided in Cheng Erluo about the art exam application, asking him not to tell Xia Rui.
