My Huckleberry Friends Episode 13 Recap
> My Huckleberry Friends Recap
As final exams approached, a wave of despair swept through the students. After school, Yu Zhouzhou quickly packed her belongings, ready to leave. Mi Qiao, noticing Yu Zhouzhou's recent habit of disappearing right after class, questioned her whereabouts. To deflect, Yu Zhouzhou brought up Mi Qiao's recent visit to the hospital, mentioning Benben said she had a toothache.
Mi Qiao, caught off guard, admitted to a molar ache and quickly allowed Yu Zhouzhou to leave, assuring her that she would handle the Anime Club. Lin Yang, having been busy all day, sought out Yu Zhouzhou after school to apologize for not meeting her. However, Yu Zhouzhou, unfazed, told him not to worry about her and to focus on his physics competition. Upon seeing Chen An across the street, she excitedly ran towards him, leaving Lin Yang behind.
Yu Zhouzhou and Chen An went to the Children's Palace, where they had both taken cello lessons from Mr. Gu years ago. Mr. Gu was delighted to see his former excellent students. After catching up, he expressed his age was catching up to him and hoped Chen An and Yu Zhouzhou could help him teach the younger students. While Chen An effortlessly guided the children, Yu Zhouzhou and Chen An discussed why they hadn't pursued music academies.
Yu Zhouzhou explained that while she didn't dislike the cello, she didn't feel a deep passion for it, and viewed a musical academy as "looking straight to the bottom" of her future, a predictable life she disliked. Chen An smiled as he listened to her speak. Later, Chen An walked Yu Zhouzhou home, agreeing to meet at the Children's Palace the next day.
Yu Zhouzhou suggested picking him up, but he told her his father was on a business trip and it was inconvenient, so they should meet directly there. After Yu Zhouzhou went upstairs, Chen An received a text message from his father, Chen Guofu, instructing him to go to the company for work the next day. A frown creased Chen An's brow, clearly showing his displeasure at being told what to do.
Feeling restless about Yu Zhouzhou's increasing closeness to Chen An, Lin Yang confronted Benben. He reminded Benben of their old agreement: Lin Yang would protect Yu Zhouzhou at school, and Benben outside. Lin Yang was particularly vexed that Chen An, whom Yu Zhouzhou had known since childhood and who had recently re-entered her life, was now monopolizing her time.
He recounted how Chen An's return from Peking University for a lecture had coincided with Yu Zhouzhou changing her major to humanities, and how Chen An had even spent Christmas Eve with her. Benben, however, was more interested in antagonizing Lin Yang, implying Chen An couldn't be more inexplicable than Lin Yang. Angered, Lin Yang declared that if Benben couldn't manage the situation, he would take over protecting Yu Zhouzhou both inside and outside school.
Challenged, Benben reluctantly agreed to investigate Chen An. Not content to rely solely on Benben, Lin Yang sought his own information. He had Jiang Chuan obtain Chen An's phone number from Director Pan, under the pretense of seeking academic advice from the esteemed Zhen Hua High School alumnus. With the number, Lin Yang called Chen An, impersonating a China Post delivery person.
He successfully tricked Chen An into revealing his current company address, specifying that his previous address was Jiuxian Apartment, Room 1624, and the parcel was from Beijing. Determined to uncover Chen An's true nature, Lin Yang donned a suit and attempted to infiltrate Chen An's workplace.
However, his disguise was unconvincing, resembling a salesman, and his fabricated story about Chen An being his polio-stricken brother who needed his medicine was quickly seen through by the observant security guard, who had been an officer for decades. Foiled, Lin Yang retreated, needing a new plan. Just then, Benben spotted Chen An on the street outside the company, distributing flyers for "Majestic Park Real Estate" as a sales manager.
Lin Yang, who was also present, quickly pulled Benben away, deciding they needed to rethink their strategy. Yu Zhouzhou's dedication to tutoring the cello class meant she had to miss Anime Club activities. Mi Qiao, finding Yu Zhouzhou's recent behavior unusual, sought out Lin Yang and Benben to understand the situation. She learned about Chen An and expressed concern for Lin Yang and Benben's competitive position, noting that even together, they were "no match for the guy of Peking University."
Benben, however, clarified his intentions were purely protective, not romantic, emphasizing his priority was Yu Zhouzhou's well-being. Upon hearing about Chen An distributing flyers, Mi Qiao dismissed him, saying he was just a "normal person" and not the "male god" they perceived, implying this revelation wasn't the "dirt" they might be hoping for. Meanwhile, Ling Xiangqian remained upset with Chu Tiankuo for standing her up on Christmas.
Chu Tiankuo retrieved the crystal apple gift she had thrown into the trash, went to her house, and re-presented it to her. He explained that he had never given a girl a gift before and had bought it specifically for her, the girl he liked. Hearing his sincere explanation, Ling Xiangqian finally softened, smiled, and accepted the gift, playfully calling him a "dumb-ass." Jiang Chuan, still heartbroken, confided in Lin Yang.
Lin Yang advised him to focus on the "main contradiction," which in Jiang Chuan's case was Ling Xiangqian's feelings, not Chu Tiankuo. Using his own situation with Yu Zhouzhou as an example, Lin Yang asserted that as long as Yu Zhouzhou liked him, "three thousand rivals" wouldn't matter. As Yu Zhouzhou was unavailable for the Anime Club's upcoming performance, she recommended Xin Rui for the lead heroine role in their "Slam Dunk" cosplay.
Xin Rui, who had recently become more outgoing, happily agreed. With a shortage of female members, Mi Qiao persuaded a reluctant Lin Yang to cross-dress as Haruko. During the performance, as he and Xin Rui walked down the steps, Xin Rui stumbled, and Lin Yang instinctively reached out to steady her. After the event, Lin Yang found Mi Qiao and, on his way out, passed Xin Rui, casually pointing out a mistake in her homework.
After he left, Xin Rui discreetly took out a photo of Lin Yang steadying her during the performance, her face flushing with a silent blush. Lin Yang, in his relentless pursuit of Chen An's secrets, managed to sneak into his company. There, he inadvertently witnessed a heated argument between Chen An and his father, Chen Guofu.
Chen An openly expressed his dislike for his real estate job, which his father had arranged for him, telling him he didn't need his father's arrangements. Chen Guofu, angered by his son's defiance, slapped him across the face. Chen An retorted, accusing his father of starting an affair with Ms. Tang while his mother was still gravely ill, stating, "You two had already hooked up when Mom was sick."
Lin Yang, having uncovered this deeply personal secret, debated with Benben whether to tell Yu Zhouzhou, worried it was too private. Benben, convinced that Yu Zhouzhou had "more than simple feelings" for Chen An, insisted Lin Yang should tell her, suggesting he frame it as a chance encounter, a "fate." Later at the Children's Palace, Yu Zhouzhou noticed Chen An seemed preoccupied and distracted, forgetting to help her tune her cello and buy her a tuner.
When she gently asked if something was on his mind, he confessed that his father hadn't actually been on a business trip, admitting he had lied because of his strained family relationship and didn't want her to know. Yu Zhouzhou smiled reassuringly, telling him it was okay and that she could help him too. As they played the piano and cello together, the sunlight streamed through the window, creating a beautiful scene.
Unbeknownst to them, Lin Yang, who had followed Chen An, watched them from outside. A deep bitterness settled in his heart as his gaze fell upon an old photograph on the wall: a young Yu Zhouzhou proudly holding a special award from a provincial storytelling competition. Below it, the caption read: "Photographer: Chen An." He remembered taking photos of her at that very event, but now he understood that her gaze, even then, was always fixed on Chen An.
