Meteor Garden 2018 Episode 21 Recap
> Meteor Garden 2018 Recap
Shancai felt distracted at work in the milk tea shop, her heart aching as she tried to convince herself that Xiaozizi and Daoming Si were a more suitable match, believing it would be a good outcome for everyone. Soon after, Xiaozizi arrived at the shop with an exhausted Ximen and Meizuo, laden with shopping bags. Shancai was surprised to see them, but Xiaozizi merely smiled, revealing she knew Ximen and Meizuo’s true intention: to prevent her from seeing Daoming Si.
She then left them, drained and frustrated, with Shancai. After Xiaozizi departed, Ximen and Meizuo complained that Xiaozizi had treated them like monkeys. They questioned why Shancai was so disheartened when they were trying so hard to help her. Shancai finally confided in them, explaining that Daoming Feng had humiliated and threatened her at home with a five-million-dollar check, demanding she break up with Daoming Si. She felt helpless because Daoming Feng was his mother.
Ximen and Meizuo were surprised and angered by this revelation. They urged Shancai to tell Daoming Si, but she insisted there was nothing she could do. Understanding her predicament, they acknowledged her pain and raised a toast to her resilience. Meanwhile, Daoming Feng summoned Huaze Lei for a private conversation. She expressed knowledge of Shancai’s past feelings for him and the news that Tengtang Jing had no plans to return.
Daoming Feng then tried to assert that Shancai only turned to Daoming Si because her feelings for Huaze Lei were unrequited. Huaze Lei corrected her, stating that Shancai genuinely loved Daoming Si. He then expressed concern that Daoming Si might treat Shancai like a childhood toy he would quickly discard, causing Shancai pain.
Daoming Feng dismissed his concern but then attempted to manipulate Huaze Lei by citing that his family's business was facing financial difficulties and offering assistance if he and Shancai "started over." Huaze Lei remained unmoved. He criticized Daoming Feng's "improper" methods and declared that he would always protect Shancai as a friend, ensuring she would never be harmed.
He also advised Daoming Feng that her attempts to separate Daoming Si and Shancai would only strengthen their bond and could damage her relationship with her son. Later that night, as Shancai returned home, she found Xiaozizi waiting for her, tearfully embracing her. Shancai initially thought Daoming Si had hurt her, but Xiaozizi excitedly announced that Daoming Si had asked her to be his girlfriend and she had accepted.
She explained that Daoming Si had suddenly approached her that afternoon, proposing they be together, and the overwhelming happiness had brought her to tears. Xiaozizi, still emotional, asked Shancai if she was happy for her and if she would be angry, to which Shancai feigned a happy agreement, despite feeling a deep pain in her heart. The news of Daoming Si and Xiaozizi's relationship quickly spread among their friends, surprising everyone.
Meizuo mentioned Daoming Si had actively initiated the relationship, while Shancai continued to put on a brave face. Qinghe, noticing Shancai's somber mood, brought her a banana rice ball made by his grandma, but Daoming Si, still distant, rudely rebuffed Qinghe. Daoming Si's first date with Xiaozizi was awkward and unpleasant for him. Xiaozizi complained about Daoming Si’s hurried pace, his lack of attention, and his silence, which made her feel their outing was hardly a date.
She tried to make him participate by requesting him to match her pace, smile, and talk to her, which Daoming Si found irritating. Despite his reluctance, Xiaozizi persisted, happily recalling his promise to "try to like her" and wondering how long that "trying" period would last. Meanwhile, Daoming Feng's assistant reported on the couple's frequent meetings and Xiaozizi's habit of sharing details with Shancai, prompting Daoming Feng to suspect Shancai was still manipulating Daoming Si through Xiaozizi.
That evening, Xiaozizi unexpectedly visited Shancai's home during dinner. Shancai’s parents warmly welcomed her, offering her food. Xiaozizi, seemingly oblivious to Shancai's feelings, recounted her date with Daoming Si. She described her efforts to impress him, from her outfit to her new lip color, only for him to not notice. She lamented that he hadn't even kissed her during a romantic park stroll, leaving her confused about his feelings. Shancai listened, feeling burdened by Xiaozizi’s endless complaints.
Xiaozizi then directly asked Shancai if she and Daoming Si had ever kissed, and if Daoming Si still liked her, quickly dismissing Shancai's hesitant denials. She confessed her inexperience with relationships and her profound confusion about Daoming Si’s true feelings. The next day, Shancai sought out Huaze Lei, pleading with him to talk to Daoming Si and urge him to treat Xiaozizi better, as she was tired of listening to Xiaozizi's daily complaints. Huaze Lei, however, refused to intervene.
He advised Shancai to maintain her distance, emphasizing that it was Daoming Si’s personal matter and that outsiders interfering would only complicate things further and invite suspicion about their own motives. As Shancai and Huaze Lei prepared to leave, they encountered Daoming Si and Xiaozizi. Xiaozizi confronted Daoming Si, expressing her frustration with his emotional distance and lack of engagement.
She accused him of still harboring feelings for Shancai and demanded he prove his indifference by kissing her then and there. Daoming Si, after a moment of hesitation, told her to close her eyes and then kissed her deeply. Shancai, witnessing this, struggled to maintain a façade of indifference, forcing a smile through her tears. Huaze Lei observed her obvious distress, noting how she rambled about exaggerated happiness to conceal her pain. Later, Qinghe found Shancai looking dejected and upset.
Shancai expressed regret for being naive and easily deceived. Qinghe comforted her, reminding her of her kind nature and how she had forgiven others in the past. Feeling a flicker of hope, Shancai resolved to move on and return to her former life, letting go of all the worries. Qinghe assured her she wasn't alone and would always be there for her, though he was disappointed when Shancai affectionately called him her "best brother."
Shancai’s mother later inquired about her relationship with Daoming Si, and Shancai reluctantly told her about Xiaozizi. Her mother initially dismissed Xiaozizi as having an "unknown background," but Shancai corrected her, stating Xiaozizi was from a noble family, and ironically, it was she herself who was considered to have an "unknown background." Shancai later met Huaze Lei at a coffee shop. While they were chatting, Xiaozizi and Daoming Si coincidentally arrived.
Xiaozizi insisted they join Shancai and Huaze Lei, even though Daoming Si was visibly annoyed and jealous. Xiaozizi cheerfully introduced herself to Huaze Lei as Daoming Si's fiancée, then expressed her delight at the four of them "dating like two couples." Daoming Si remained sullen, but Xiaozizi, still oblivious, invited them to her family’s hot spring resort hotel. Shancai tried to decline, but Huaze Lei unexpectedly accepted the invitation.
Daoming Feng, upon hearing that Huaze Lei and Shancai were also going to the hot springs with Daoming Si and Xiaozizi, believed Shancai was now trying to "cling" to Huaze Lei, having given up on Daoming Si. She hoped that seeing Daoming Si and Xiaozizi together would finally make Shancai give up entirely. At the hotpot dinner, Xiaozizi again tried to matchmake Shancai and Huaze Lei, oblivious to the underlying tension. Daoming Si drank heavily in silence.
Huaze Lei eventually excused himself to the hot springs. Xiaozizi, after subtly probing Shancai about Huaze Lei, decided to join Shancai for a session in the sauna. Inside the humid room, Xiaozizi happily envisioned her "dream life" with Shancai, casually insisting that Shancai be her bridesmaid when she married Daoming Si. As Xiaozizi shared anecdotes about her relationship with Daoming Si, Shancai found herself suffocating, her past memories with Daoming Si resurfacing.
She felt trapped, realizing that instead of escaping, she was being drawn deeper into a painful situation. Overwhelmed, Shancai fainted. Xiaozizi, startled, rushed out to find Daoming Si. Daoming Si immediately ran towards the sauna but stopped abruptly at the entrance, seeing Huaze Lei carrying an unconscious Shancai out of the room. Later, Shancai woke up in her hotel room, feeling disoriented. Huaze Lei explained she had fainted from staying too long in the sauna and reassured her.
Shancai was mortified to learn that Huaze Lei had carried her out and even helped her dress, feeling exposed and embarrassed. Huaze Lei calmly explained he had no other option but to help her. Shancai, still upset, asked why he didn't call Xiaozizi for help. Huaze Lei suggested it was best not to interfere with Daoming Si and Xiaozizi's "good times" and even offered to help Shancai "stop them" if she wished, acknowledging her hidden sadness.
Huaze Lei was pleased to see a faint smile on Shancai's face, a rare sight since she had been gloomy for days, indicating she was starting to regain her old self. Shancai, reflecting on their predicament, wondered why they had even come to the resort, feeling that confronting the situation face-to-face only made things more complicated. Meanwhile, in their own room, Xiaozizi continued to happily talk about their future, discussing plans to move in together and marry after graduate school.
Daoming Si, however, remained distant and cold. Xiaozizi questioned his unwavering obedience to his parents and if he found such a life boring. She reminded him of his promise to "try to like" her, growing frustrated by his lack of emotional response. She then attempted to get intimate with him. Daoming Si firmly rejected her advances, reiterating that he was truly sorry but couldn't be with her because his mind was completely preoccupied with Shancai.
A commotion from their room caused Shancai to worry, and she rushed over, only to inadvertently witness Xiaozizi's aggressive attempts to force intimacy on a resistant Daoming Si. Feeling deeply awkward and upset, Shancai quickly retreated, having seen something she wished she hadn't.
