My Mr. Mermaid Episode 25 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
The Dream Cup began simultaneously in three locations. Yun Duo initially intended to attend the competition but was then urgently assigned to interview the premiere of the film "Beijing, Beijing." Faced with the choice, Yun Duo prioritized her work. During the Dream Cup point qualifiers, South Physical's first event was the 100-meter freestyle, Tang Yibai’s specialty, which he was expected to win easily.
With a troubled mind, Tang Yibai looked up at the reporters' section, but Yun Duo was nowhere to be seen. A tide of uncontrollable longing swept over him, his mind filled with images of her. Distracted, he committed a false start. His teammates at South Physical were stunned, as such a basic error was unfathomable for Tang Yibai. Due to this mistake, Tang Yibai was disqualified from the event. As he left the arena, his guilt and self-reproach were palpable.
Even his rival, Ouyang Heng, found it unbelievable. Ouyang Heng approached Tang Yibai, declaring his challenge and urging him to recover for the next race, warning that otherwise, he wouldn't even be worthy of being his opponent. At the company, everyone was discussing Tang Yibai’s severe error. Yun Duo saw the news and felt uneasy, clutching her phone, contemplating calling him. In the video, Tang Yibai's answers to reporters remained impeccably perfect.
He stated that he would no longer allow anyone or anything to affect him. Yun Duo suddenly felt disheartened and silently put her phone away, deciding not to bother him for the time being. She channeled all her energy into her work, transforming from the once-confused intern reporter to a completely different person. Following his competition blunder, Tang Yibai reflected deeply and began training frantically, pushing himself repeatedly without regard for his body.
Qi Ruifeng and Xiang Yangyang could only watch, worried for him. An impulsive Qi Ruifeng tried to provoke Tang Yibai, hoping to snap him out of it, but it was futile. Instead, Qi Ruifeng was scolded by Xiang Yangyang, who herself was very concerned about both Tang Yibai and Yun Duo. To help them reconcile, she and Qi Ruifeng devised a plan.
Qi Ruifeng lamented that Tang Yibai had changed completely since losing the competition, interacting with no one and constantly training. He felt Tang Yibai now had an aggressive aura, resembling Ouyang Heng. Xiang Yangyang intervened when Qi Ruifeng tried to force a conversation, explaining that Tang Yibai didn’t want to talk to him because the person he truly wanted to speak with wasn’t Qi Ruifeng.
She confirmed she’d asked Yun Duo, who also refused to speak, likely because the person she wanted to talk to wasn't Xiang Yangyang either. Xiang Yangyang concluded that Tang Yibai and Yun Duo had unspoken issues and they needed to find a way to help them resolve it themselves. Cheng Mei, who was infatuated with Lin Zi, watched with growing jealousy as Lin Zi openly favored Yun Duo.
At lunch, while Yun Duo went to get a drink, Cheng Mei directly asked Lin Zi if he was intentionally keeping his distance from her since he left her alone at the restaurant last time. She warned him that if they weren't on good terms, she couldn't help him pursue Yun Duo, implying she understood his feelings for Yun Duo. Lin Zi was confused by her words but decided not to confront her, given her friendship with Yun Duo.
When Yun Duo returned, Cheng Mei quickly changed the subject, claiming they were discussing Lin Zi’s type of girl, which she said was more like Yun Duo. Back at the dorm, Tang Yibai found his door lock changed. A note from Qi Ruifeng instructed him to go to CAGIC COFFEE to get the key.
Meanwhile, Yun Duo was working late when she received a distressed call from Xiang Yangyang, who was crying uncontrollably and asked Yun Duo to come be with her. Without hesitation, Yun Duo rushed to meet her, with Lin Zi following behind. This left Cheng Mei alone in the office. Compelled by a strange urge, she approached Yun Duo's computer, intending to delete her carefully collected research database.
She wrestled with her conscience, torn between her desire to harm Yun Duo and her lingering hesitation. However, upon seeing Yun Duo's name at the top of the intern reporter rankings, her jealousy solidified her resolve, and she deleted all of Yun Duo’s data. Tang Yibai arrived at the coffee shop Qi Ruifeng designated but didn't find him. As he was about to leave, Yun Duo rushed in, accidentally colliding with him. Both were startled by the sudden encounter.
After a moment, Tang Yibai asked why she was there. Yun Duo explained she was looking for Xiang Yangyang, thinking she might have come to the wrong place, and turned to leave. Tang Yibai quickly caught up to her. After many days apart, there was a shared shyness between them. Yun Duo apologetically told him she couldn’t attend his last competition due to work.
Tang Yibai smiled and said it was "good" she didn't come, which confused Yun Duo, making her think he didn't want her there. He clarified that he swam so poorly that he was glad she wasn't there to see it, his pride as an athlete gone. He just didn't want to disappoint her. Yun Duo promised to cheer for him at his next competition, but Tang Yibai immediately refused, fearing it would interfere with her work.
Yun Duo felt heartbroken, remembering her promise to attend all his matches, now rejected by him. Her eyes welled up, and she said, slightly miffed, that if he refused, why should she bother. Tang Yibai then sincerely thanked her for being there to encourage and support him during his most difficult time. Yun Duo forced a smile and said, "We're friends, right?" summarizing their connection of the past few days. As it was getting late, Tang Yibai prepared to leave.
Yun Duo suddenly called out to him. Despite her tearful eyes, her smile remained as bright as ever. She urged him to "do well in the next competition!" Tang Yibai smiled and agreed. They then walked away in opposite directions. Walking home alone, Yun Duo felt an emptiness, as if she had lost something. She suddenly received a call and rushed back to the company. All her saved data had been deleted from the hard drive.
This database contained programs scheduled to go online the very next day, and without it, they couldn't be recovered quickly. Director Liu was furious, scolding Yun Duo for the serious error. Just as everyone was at a loss, Cheng Mei arrived with a USB drive, stating she had backed up all the data, meaning everything could be salvaged. Director Liu sternly warned Yun Duo that disciplinary action was inevitable and she should prepare herself.
Yun Duo was in a state of panic. Cheng Mei then approached Yun Duo, apologizing and explaining that when she made her backup, Yun Duo's files were still uploading, so they weren't included. This meant Yun Duo's work from the past few days was lost. Distraught, Yun Duo left the company. Cheng Mei stopped Lin Zi, insisting she would accompany Yun Duo herself.
During their meal, Cheng Mei informed Yun Duo that Director Liu planned to give her a major demerit, which would not only prevent her from becoming a full-time employee but also impact her future job prospects at other companies. Yun Duo fell silent, unsure what to do. Cheng Mei then offered a solution: she advised Yun Duo to resign before the disciplinary action was finalized, so it wouldn't appear on her record, allowing her to pursue a reporting career elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Tang Yibai reached out to Coach Wu, asking to chat. Tang Yibai admitted his past arrogance in thinking he could manage his emotions and relationships without affecting his performance, only to realize his mistake. Coach Wu told him that realizing this made losing the competition worthwhile.
He confessed that he had peeked at Tang Yibai's phone previously and initially thought Yun Duo would hinder him, but now understood that Yun Duo had positively influenced Tang Yibai's progress and supported him during his low points. Coach Wu urged Tang Yibai to not blame Yun Duo for the false start, but rather to blame himself for not handling his emotions. Tang Yibai confessed that while he didn't blame Yun Duo, he still felt hurt.
Coach Wu advised him to follow his heart in matters of love, sharing his own experience of never regretting his feelings for Head Coach Yuan despite its impact on his career. Tang Yibai thanked Coach Wu, feeling much better after their talk. Later, as Yun Duo was leaving after having had several drinks with Cheng Mei, Lin Zi offered Yun Duo a ride. Yun Duo seemed disoriented.
She refused his offer, saying she wanted to be alone to think about her future path. Lin Zi, worried, insisted on taking her home, but she was too drunk to give him her correct address. Tang Yibai, having arrived at Yun Duo's building, found Yun Duo struggling to open what she thought was her door.
He tried to explain it wasn't her apartment and that her key was broken, but she was too intoxicated to understand, insisting her dog was waiting. Lin Zi arrived and immediately took over, telling Tang Yibai to leave. Lin Zi accused Tang Yibai of avoiding Yun Duo since his competition loss, despite previously vowing never to leave her. Tang Yibai asserted it was a matter between him and Yun Duo, not for outsiders.
Lin Zi questioned Tang Yibai's selfishness for coming and going as he pleased without considering Yun Duo's feelings, adding that though he might not be "good enough," he was still Yun Duo's friend. Tang Yibai then retorted, questioning Lin Zi's right to interfere. Lin Zi then stated that his relationship with Yun Duo was "closer than Tang Yibai imagined."
Lin Zi then tried to rouse the very drunk Yun Duo, who was still confused about where she was, insisting she needed to go home. Unable to get into her apartment and with her key broken, Lin Zi decided to take her to his place. The next morning, Tang Yibai’s teammates observed his unusual quietness. Qi Ruifeng asked Lingye if Tang Yibai had shown any signs of unhappiness or spoken about Yun Duo when he returned to the dorm. Lingye denied it, stating Tang Yibai hadn't said anything unusual. Qi Ruifeng, noticing Lingye's evasiveness, suspected he was hiding something.
