Meteor Garden 2018 Episode 23 Recap
> Meteor Garden 2018 Recap
Late at night, Shancai packed her bags and moved out of her rented apartment. Her landlord, Uncle Wang, had to sell the house urgently because his daughter's mother-in-law needed money for surgery. He apologized profusely and offered to refund her rent plus 500 yuan in compensation. Although Shancai initially hesitated, she understood his plight and accepted. She considered telling her parents, who were in a fishing village, but decided against it, not wanting to worry them.
Her mother had recently sent a voice message, mentioning her father's severe seasickness and their financial struggles, urging Shancai to be strong and take care of herself. Shancai, now homeless, found herself on the street with nowhere to go. Meanwhile, Daoming Si's friends told him that Shancai had bravely confronted his mother, Daoming Feng, for him.
Overjoyed, Daoming Si immediately rushed to find Shancai, despite Huaze Lei and the others urging him to come up with a plan to deal with his mother first. Daoming Si insisted he had to go to her, especially since Shancai would never reveal her own grievances. He found Shancai sitting on the curb with her luggage and, mistaking her situation for an attempt to flee from him, pulled her into a tight embrace.
He expressed his happiness that she saw his mother as no obstacle and vowed to protect her, never letting her go. Shancai then clarified that she wasn't running away; her landlord had kicked her out. Learning of her predicament, Daoming Si insisted Shancai move into his mansion. Shancai was reluctant, feeling it would undermine her stance against Daoming Feng and make her appear dependent. Daoming Si, however, saw it as an opportunity to challenge his mother.
As they argued, an elderly woman with a powerful aura, Ms. Yu, emerged. She introduced herself as Daoming Feng's trusted housekeeper, left in charge to "rectify the family" while Daoming Feng was in London. Despite Daoming Si's objections, Ms. Yu declared that Shancai could stay, but only if she worked as a maid to earn her keep. Shancai, eager to maintain her dignity and not be seen as someone who "lived for free," agreed, much to Daoming Si's fury.
He stormed off, frustrated that Shancai would rather clean his house than accept his help. Ms. Yu, however, was pleased and warned Shancai to be prepared for her strictness. The next morning, Ms. Yu woke Shancai at seven and began her rigorous inspections. Despite Shancai's efforts, Ms. Yu found fault in everything, from uneven curtain pleats to visible trash bags, dismissing Shancai's complaints about making the house "lifeless." She then ordered Shancai to wake Daoming Si.
Entering his room, Shancai found him seemingly fast asleep, bare-chested. As she observed him, he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed, revealing he had been pretending to sleep. They talked briefly about Daoming Feng and Xiaozizi, with Daoming Si expressing regret for hurting Xiaozizi but admitting he couldn't control his feelings for Shancai.
He then pressed Shancai about her previous vow to fight his mother "for us," hinting that he might not have dated Xiaozizi if he had known her true feelings. Before Shancai could fully explain, Ms. Yu entered without knocking, scolding them for their intimacy. Daoming Si tried to retort, but Ms. Yu silenced him by bringing up embarrassing childhood memories of him wetting the bed, leaving him utterly mortified. Ms. Yu then sent Shancai off to continue her duties.
Later, while eating, Daoming Si ordered Shancai to eat with him, overriding her protests about Ms. Yu's rules. He then told her to meet him on the rooftop at midnight. Shancai grew anxious, fearing what he might have planned. She considered pretending to be asleep or escaping to Xiaoyou's house for the night, but decided against it, knowing Daoming Si would likely cause a scene. Ultimately, she chose to face him.
At midnight, Daoming Si caught Shancai just as she was trying to leave her room. He took her to the rooftop, where he had an astronomical telescope set up. After some fumbling and Shancai's impatient comments, he finally found the meteors. Shancai was captivated, exclaiming how beautiful they were, like "tens of thousands of diamonds falling from the sky," and wished she could see such a sight every day.
Daoming Si then told her to close her eyes and make a wish. As she did, he slipped a sparkling necklace around her neck. Shancai protested, saying it was too precious, but Daoming Si insisted she accept it. He explained its special meaning, saying, "Because you are the person I'm willing to exchange all the meteors in the sky for." He then asked her to officially be his girlfriend.
Shancai was deeply moved by his declaration but confessed her fear that her feelings for him were only "one-tenth" of his, and she worried about not being able to love him back as deeply. Daoming Si dismissed her concerns, confidently stating he would "make up the other nine-tenths." He proposed a one-month trial period, promising to stop bothering her if she still didn't have feelings for him by then, and asked for her answer by seven the next morning.
The following morning, Shancai went to Daoming Si's room. After some hesitation, she told him she would accept the one-month trial, not as a trial for him, but for herself. She wanted to seriously pursue a relationship with him, adding that if she couldn't love him wholeheartedly, she would be the one to leave. Daoming Si was ecstatic, jumping around with joy. The new couple went to school together, much to the delight of their friends.
While chatting with Ximen and Meizuo, Daoming Si revealed he planned to stay for graduate studies to wait for Shancai so they could graduate together. Later, at the school cafeteria, Daoming Si openly displayed his affection for Shancai, making her the center of attention and leaving her feeling uncomfortable, like a "freak in a medical lab."
She confessed her discomfort to Xiaoyou, explaining that her ideal relationship involved simple activities like studying in the library, strolling, watching movies, and eating at popular restaurants—things she didn't think Daoming Si would enjoy. Xiaoyou encouraged Shancai to propose these activities to him, suggesting it would be a good test of his sincerity during their one-month trial. Xiaoyou also revealed she had a new boyfriend and proposed they all go on a double date that weekend.
That evening, Shancai found Daoming Si studying with Ximen and Meizuo and asked him to join the double date. At the restaurant, however, the date quickly soured. Xiaoyou's boyfriend immediately began to mock Daoming Si, commenting on his stiff handshake and his choice of a children's meal. Daoming Si, annoyed, quietly questioned Shancai why her friend was dating "such a weirdo."
The situation escalated when Xiaoyou's boyfriend boasted about getting two women's numbers and making plans to meet them at a bar that night, brazenly inviting Daoming Si to join. Enraged, Daoming Si punched him. The date ended in disaster, with a furious Xiaoyou declaring she would never go on a date like this again. Shancai, equally angry, called Daoming Si a "bastard" and vowed to stop talking to him. Observing the fallout, Ximen and Meizuo lamented how quickly things had turned, remarking that the couple's blissful period had lasted a mere four days.
