Meteor Garden 2018 Episode 7 Recap
> Meteor Garden 2018 Recap
Meizuo and Ximen were sitting by the river, irritated by mosquitoes, as Daoming Si sat nearby, absorbed in his thoughts and anger over the rumors surrounding Shancai. They pondered whether to get him drunk or knock him out to take him home, but he disappeared before they could act. Li Zhen discovered a distraught Daoming Si sitting alone in the heavy rain.
In his intoxicated state, Daoming Si mistook her for Shancai, accusing her of lying and deceiving him before kissing her. The next morning, Daoming Si woke up in Li Zhen's home, disoriented. Li Zhen explained he was drunk and she brought him there. He immediately tried to leave, declining her offer of breakfast. Hurt and frustrated, Li Zhen confronted him, demanding to know why he detested her and what made Shancai so special compared to their similar backgrounds.
Daoming Si curtly replied he didn't hate her because he simply didn't care. Enraged, Li Zhen accused Shancai of feigning innocence while secretly being promiscuous and then tried to embrace Daoming Si. He forcefully pushed her away, asserting that she was unworthy of comparison to Shancai, who would never act against her true feelings. As he stormed out, Daoming Si regretted his earlier distrust of Shancai and decided he needed to find her to make amends.
As Shancai walked home from her part-time job, she was ambushed by the two thugs who had previously harassed her. They dragged her into a dark alley, intending to assault her. Daoming Si, searching for Shancai, heard her cries and intervened, fighting off the thugs. He apologized for his delay and asked if she would now believe him. He then carried the injured Shancai to his home.
While gently applying medicine to her wounds, Shancai playfully scolded him for visiting her family and telling her mother she would spend the night. Daoming Si retorted that she should be grateful he saved her. He then pressed her about Thomas, and after Shancai, calling him an "idiot," vehemently denied anything happened and asserted she would never casually be intimate with a stranger, Daoming Si's trust in her was restored.
He confessed his intense jealousy, admitting he was so furious he wanted to kill Thomas. Overcome with his emotions, he leaned in and kissed Shancai, explicitly telling her, "Because I like you." Shancai was stunned by the kiss and confession, realizing she hadn't resisted and wondering about her own feelings. Daoming Si then directed her to a guest room, asking her to seriously consider his heartfelt confession.
Having uncovered the truth, Daoming Si brought Shancai and his friends to Li Zhen's home for a confrontation. Li Zhen initially feigned innocence and welcomed them, but Ximen immediately confronted her, hinting that she was hiding something. Shancai, still in disbelief that her friend could betray her, questioned if there was a misunderstanding. Ximen then revealed their investigation confirmed that Li Zhen's Weibo account was responsible for spreading the damaging photos.
Faced with the threat of legal action, Li Zhen confessed. She admitted that on the night Shancai got drunk, she deliberately left Shancai with Thomas, instructing him to send a photo for "safety," which became the scandalous image. The next morning, seeing Shancai and Daoming Si in a seemingly intimate moment at school, her long-simmering anger and jealousy exploded, leading her to post the photos. Shancai was heartbroken, unable to comprehend her friend's actions.
Li Zhen then articulated the depth of her envy, recounting how Shancai's effortless integration into F4's world—like the unplanned trip to Sanya with Qinghe and F4—and her own humiliation at Jing's birthday party, where she was stuck outside despite a costly dress while Shancai was inside, had profoundly wounded her pride and fueled her resentment. Daoming Si interjected, reminding Li Zhen that she was not worthy of comparison to Shancai.
Shancai, though deeply hurt and angry, expressed profound disappointment, telling Li Zhen she didn't deserve to be her friend. Li Zhen, in turn, declared she didn't need Shancai's friendship. The news of Li Zhen's actions spread rapidly through the school, leading to her severe isolation and verbal abuse from fellow students.
During a class discussion about a group research report, a student named Xinhui voiced the collective sentiment, openly refusing to work with Li Zhen and demanding a re-grouping due to the scandal. When the professor asked Shancai to explain the situation, Shancai, despite her profound hurt, chose to protect Li Zhen.
She publicly fabricated a story, claiming Li Zhen had accidentally posted the photo online, and that her previous silence was due to being upset with Shancai for neglecting her at Jing's birthday party. Shancai then sincerely apologized to Li Zhen for her own carelessness that night, admitting she should have been more attentive to Li Zhen's feelings.
Moved by Shancai's unexpected act of kindness and understanding, Li Zhen finally let go of her resentment and reconciled with Shancai, realizing the profound difference in their characters. Moments later, Daoming Si arrived, presenting Shancai with a new phone to replace her damaged one. Shancai initially resisted, but Daoming Si insisted, threatening to smash her current phone (which she had borrowed from her mother) if she didn't accept it.
He explained he needed her to be reachable at all times, having even exchanged contact information with her mother. As they playfully bickered, Ximen and Meizuo appeared, introducing Huaze Lei, who had just returned from Paris. Daoming Si, noticing Shancai's admiring gaze toward Huaze Lei, promptly declared Shancai as his girlfriend, which Shancai quickly denied. Shancai returned home to find her house overflowing with brand-new appliances, all gifts from Daoming Si.
When she called him to complain about the unsolicited items making her home unlivable, he dismissively suggested she sleep on them and then unilaterally declared he was sending a driver to pick her up for a gathering, asserting that if they couldn't talk over the phone, they should meet in person. At the restaurant, Daoming Si, Meizuo, and Ximen discussed Huaze Lei, noting his significant change since returning from Paris, wondering if it was related to Jing.
Huaze Lei then arrived with a heavily made-up woman named Qiqi, whose overly familiar and affectionate behavior, including open displays of affection, surprised everyone, especially Shancai. Shancai felt a sense of melancholy, observing Huaze Lei's transformation and pondering the undisclosed events between him and Jing. Later, Shancai found Huaze Lei alone on the rooftop, seemingly as melancholic as ever. He abruptly asked if she was dating Daoming Si.
When Shancai denied it, explaining she hadn't agreed to anything, Huaze Lei's demeanor shifted. He enthusiastically proposed, "Then be my girlfriend!" Shancai was stunned, finding his forwardness completely uncharacteristic. Huaze Lei quickly dismissed it as a joke, stating he would never compete with Daoming Si, his brother. Yet, he then provocatively suggested, "Are you disappointed? How about we date secretly? Wouldn't that be exciting?" Shancai was taken aback by his unsettling remarks, which he again brushed off as a joke.
Disregarding Shancai's protests about work and lack of preparation, Daoming Si forcefully took her to the airport for a vacation, having meticulously arranged everything from her parents' consent to leave from her part-time job. To Shancai's surprise, the rest of F4, including Huaze Lei and Qiqi, were also joining them. On the plane, Daoming Si playfully warned Shancai not to run around on the island by herself, calling her a "bomb" that might inadvertently cause trouble.
At the luxurious hotel, Daoming Si proudly showed Shancai their spacious sea-view suite, which they would be sharing. Shancai was initially apprehensive about being alone with him, but Daoming Si, reading her discomfort, reassured her that despite his feelings, he would not make any advances until she reciprocated and agreed to be his girlfriend, as he desired genuine affection, not a forced one. Later that night, unable to sleep, Shancai went to the beach.
There, she found a melancholic Huaze Lei sitting alone. She approached him, observing his continued changed demeanor and asking what was bothering him, suspecting it involved Jing. Huaze Lei, without a word, leaned his head on her shoulder, asking her to hold him tightly. He confessed that while he managed during the day, the nights overwhelmed him with loneliness, and he craved warmth.
He rejected Shancai's suggestion to seek comfort from Qiqi, stating he didn't want a stranger to hold him. Witnessing Huaze Lei's profound vulnerability for the first time, Shancai realized she had never truly let go of her feelings for him. Huaze Lei then murmured that Jing no longer needed him and that he was still navigating the complexities of love, stumbling through his own journey.
