My Mr. Mermaid Episode 12 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Tang Yibai arrived at the restaurant with Qi Ruifeng, where his mother promptly appeared, overjoyed to see him, having successfully tricked him into coming. Earlier, Tang Yibai had tried to evade his mother's persistent attempts to set him up, even getting Coach Wu involved to back up his claim of important training. His mother, however, was resolute, demanding he return home for dinner to meet the girl and threatening Coach Wu if she missed out on a good daughter-in-law.
Coach Wu eventually relented, promising to send Tang Yibai home after training, but Tang Yibai remained determined not to go. Simultaneously, Yun Duo’s landlady, Aunt Lu Chen, was also trying to set Yun Duo up with her son for dinner that same evening. Despite Yun Duo’s attempts to politely decline, Aunt Lu Chen insisted, even rescheduling the dinner time to accommodate Yun Duo’s late work hours, leaving Yun Duo feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to handle the situation.
Qi Ruifeng, aware of both arranged dates, urged Tang Yibai to go to the restaurant with him, instigating him to declare Yun Duo was his, as no one else should approach her. Meanwhile, Yun Duo and Xiang Yangyang were shopping. Yun Duo tried to get an annoying autograph of Qi Ruifeng removed from a pair of swimming goggles Tang Yibai had given her.
The shop assistant informed her that the permanent marker could not be erased, but offered to replace the lens and engrave new characters. Yun Duo decided to go with the engraving, keeping the chosen characters a secret. As they continued to shop, Yangyang pointed out Yun Duo’s noticeable smile whenever Tang Yibai was mentioned.
Yun Duo denied it and retorted that Yangyang herself acted differently when Qi Ruifeng was brought up, teasing her about being so nice to someone with his personality. Yangyang defended Qi Ruifeng, recalling how he had helped her with her luggage when she first moved into the dorms during freshman year, and how he had quickly pulled her out of the way when a pot of water almost fell on her.
She admitted these moments made her remember him, though she also complained that he later used these instances to treat her like a "slave." While at the mall, Xiang Yangyang's eyes fell upon a pink dress in a store window. Encouraged by Yun Duo, she tried it on, despite her initial hesitation about it not suiting her broad shoulders. Yun Duo reassured her, telling her how good she looked in the dress, particularly how it flattered her legs.
Convinced, Yangyang bought the dress and asked Yun Duo to take a picture of her in it, as she had never worn a dress before. Coincidentally, Tang Yibai, still trying to avoid his mother’s arranged blind date, also ended up at the mall. He ran into Yun Duo and Yangyang. Upon seeing Yangyang in the dress, Qi Ruifeng reacted with exaggerated surprise.
Though he secretly thought she looked beautiful, he couldn't resist making a snide remark, criticizing her for her "thick legs" and suggesting she looked better in sportswear. His words deeply wounded Yangyang's pride, especially given a history of his past comments calling her a "tomboy" or "maniac." Upset, she immediately turned and walked away. Qi Ruifeng, oblivious, wondered why she was angry, claiming he was just joking.
Tang Yibai and Yun Duo urged him to go after her and apologize, highlighting how hurtful his words were to a girl's self-esteem. Qi Ruifeng rushed after Yangyang, eventually finding her sitting by the roadside. He tried to apologize and take her hand, but she firmly pulled away and walked off, leaving Qi Ruifeng in a state of panic, finally realizing the gravity of his actions.
After Tang Yibai's mother sent Yun Duo a text confirming the cancellation of the blind date, Tang Yibai felt immense relief. Yun Duo congratulated him on qualifying for the 100-meter freestyle in the Dream Cup, but he seemed downcast. He confided in her that he used to be indifferent to those he defeated, but seeing Chen Ziqiang’s expression after losing to him made him feel a heavy burden.
He recalled their shared late-night training and Chen Ziqiang's earnest determination, and how Chen Ziqiang had bravely told him, "Compete fair and square. Whoever wins gets the spot. I won't complain. Win the Dream Cup for me." Tang Yibai felt speechless as he watched Chen Ziqiang walk away. Yun Duo listened patiently, then advised him to stop focusing on beating others in future competitions and instead concentrate on not losing to himself.
Tang Yibai was instantly enlightened, his eyes lighting up as he praised Yun Duo, saying she was far smarter than he imagined and always managed to resolve his dilemmas with just a few simple words. Yun Duo, in turn, was delighted to have helped him. Back in the dorm, Qi Ruifeng stood by the window for two hours, lost in thought. Images of Yangyang crying replayed in his mind, causing him intense discomfort.
He recalled a movie line about a man’s heart aching when his loved one cries, and surprisingly, he found himself relating to it, despite claiming he didn't care for Yangyang. His roommates observed his unusual behavior, joking that he was acting like a "sick maniac." Unable to bear the stifling atmosphere, he stepped out into the pouring rain, muttering to himself, "I am sick."
The next morning, he was still visibly dazed by the pool, and Yangyang walked past him without a glance. During the team assembly, Qi Ruifeng noticed Chen Ziqiang’s absence. Before he could go look for him, the coaches announced that Chen Ziqiang had withdrawn from the swim team. Head Coach Yuan was visibly heartbroken by the departure of a student she had invested so much in, and the news left the rest of the team in stunned silence.
Outraged, Qi Ruifeng confronted Chen Ziqiang, demanding to know why he was giving up despite still being able to swim. Qi Ruifeng insisted they were a team and could overcome challenges together. However, Chen Ziqiang revealed that he had long contemplated quitting and his recent loss to Tang Yibai solidified his decision.
He expressed his inability to cope with the reality that, despite his best efforts, he could never possess the natural talent of Tang Yibai or Qi Ruifeng, and he was tired of constantly seeing others swim ahead of him. He stated that swimming was an individual sport where only winners could remain. Head Coach Yuan then arrived and disclosed the devastating truth: Chen Ziqiang's father had died in a car accident three months prior, a profound blow to him.
She reiterated Chen Ziqiang’s point, emphasizing that competitive swimming was indeed brutal and only those who won had the right to stay. Coach Wu voiced concerns that such words might put undue pressure on Tang Yibai, but Head Coach Yuan countered that Tang Yibai was different; his strength lay in transforming pressure into motivation for advancement, and she was confident he would not be defeated by it.
At the company, Cheng Mei unintentionally overheard a conversation between Director Liu and Lin Zi that involved discussions about "the board of directors" and "proposals," topics far beyond the scope of a mere assistant. This immediately raised her suspicions. She discreetly reached out to a friend in HR to investigate Lin Zi, only to learn that his personnel files were encrypted, a level of security typically reserved for senior management.
This discovery further fueled her suspicions about his true identity and role within the company. The following day, Qi Ruifeng was jogging when he spotted Xiang Yangyang sitting alone by a lake. He caught up to her, feigning a casual encounter. Yangyang was still upset, revealing that she had returned the pink dress because Qi Ruifeng's words about her appearance had genuinely hurt her.
Qi Ruifeng was filled with deep remorse, wishing he could take back every word he had uttered. Later, a frantic Teacher Sun summoned Yun Duo and Lin Zi, urging them to prepare for an interview with the renowned swimming champion, Sun Yang, stressing the importance of the task. Lin Zi then drove Yun Duo to meet Sun Yang, but their car unexpectedly broke down. Yun Duo panicked, but Lin Zi calmly called for rescue assistance.
