My Mr. Mermaid Episode 26 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Yun Duo remained indecisive about whether to resign from her job, choosing instead to drown her sorrows in alcohol. Meanwhile, Coach Wu found Tang Yibai and shared drinks with him by the roadside. Coach Wu confessed that he initially disapproved of Tang Yibai and Yun Duo's relationship but later changed his mind.
He revealed he had looked at Tang Yibai’s phone and noticed that Yun Duo was connected to every step of Tang Yibai’s progress, acknowledging how much she had helped him. Tang Yibai smiled proudly at the praise for Yun Duo, admitting she helped him greatly but also caused him to be distracted. He then stated that if he likes a girl who does not like him back, he should turn away and leave her in peace.
Just then, Yun Duo, heavily intoxicated, stumbled out of the hotel. Seeing her, Tang Yibai quickly left Coach Wu and followed. Under the city lights, Tang Yibai quietly trailed Yun Duo, not daring to disturb her, merely watching and protecting her from a distance. When Yun Duo eventually collapsed onto a bench, Tang Yibai gently carried her on his back, walking slowly towards home. As Yun Duo slept soundly on him, Tang Yibai finally allowed himself to be vulnerable.
He confessed to the unconscious Yun Duo that he deeply regretted her absence from his recent competition, especially after her previous promises. He admitted how much he had missed her in the past days. Suddenly, Lin Zi drove up, witnessing Tang Yibai carrying Yun Duo, and became enraged. He accused Tang Yibai of pushing Yun Duo away, criticizing his inconsistent behavior.
Lin Zi firmly told Tang Yibai that his relationship with Yun Duo was much closer than Tang Yibai imagined, before successfully taking Yun Duo from him. Lin Zi took Yun Duo to Tang Yibai’s residence, but she was too drunk to recognize the door, even breaking the key. With no other option, Lin Zi brought her back to his own place. The inebriated Yun Duo quickly fell asleep.
As Lin Zi carefully approached to wipe her face with a towel, he noticed tear stains on her pillow, and she was crying in her sleep, murmuring Tang Yibai’s name. Lin Zi froze, realizing Tang Yibai was still the one in her heart. His phone then rang; it was an urgent call about his sister, Lin Sang, being in an accident.
He immediately left Yun Duo and rushed to the hospital, where the doctor informed him that Lin Sang's condition was not optimistic. Lin Zi, heartbroken, pleaded with his unconscious sister not to abandon him, emphasizing she was his only family. The next morning, Tang Yibai resumed his training, his mind now fixed on Ouyang Heng’s provocations and warnings.
After a swim, he approached Qi Ruifeng, proposing to switch positions for the Dream Cup team medley relay to directly challenge Ouyang Heng. Qi Ruifeng immediately refused, expressing his concern about Tang Yibai’s recent changes, fearing he was becoming like Ouyang Heng, willing to abandon everything to win. After a heated argument, Tang Yibai walked away alone. Yun Duo awoke in an unfamiliar room, barely remembering the previous night.
She had a vague recollection of seeing Tang Yibai and being carried by him, leading her to believe he had taken her home. Just as she felt a flicker of secret delight, she discovered a note from Lin Zi, realizing she was at his house and he had brought her there. The thought of Tang Yibai taking her home was merely a dream, leaving her feeling a little disappointed.
She called Lin Zi, but he spoke in a rush and quickly hung up. At that moment, Lin Zi was beside a comatose Lin Sang, too distraught to talk, as her condition was precarious. Upon arriving at work, Yun Duo was immediately pulled aside by Cheng Mei, who questioned why she hadn’t answered her calls. Yun Duo apologized, explaining she had been too drunk.
Cheng Mei then subtly pressured Yun Duo to submit her resignation before any official disciplinary action, emphasizing that a negative record would impact her future career. Yun Duo, feeling daunted, began drafting her resignation letter. Just then, Qi Ruifeng arrived and, upon learning of Yun Duo’s intent to resign, demanded to know her reasons. During their discussion, Qi Ruifeng told her that Tang Yibai had become a completely different person because of her.
Yun Duo did not understand, but Qi Ruifeng, without further explanation, bluntly stated that Tang Yibai liked her. He then pulled her, insisting they go to Tang Yibai to clarify everything. Outside the swimming stadium, Qi Ruifeng told Yun Duo to hide while he spoke with Tang Yibai. He agreed to switch positions for the relay race, but only on the condition that Tang Yibai explain himself clearly to Yun Duo.
Under Qi Ruifeng’s relentless questioning, Tang Yibai finally poured out his feelings. He confessed that he had distanced himself from Yun Duo because she was the only one in the world who could distract him. He admitted to liking her, but that very affection affected his focus, and he detested that about himself. Hiding nearby, Yun Duo felt a mix of happiness and sadness: happy that Tang Yibai liked her, yet sad that she had caused him so much trouble.
Composing herself, she stepped out and told Tang Yibai, with a smile, that she admired his unwavering pursuit of dreams, not a Tang Yibai distracted by a girl. She asserted that if her presence affected him, she would leave without hesitation. Her smile faltered as tears welled up. She then told Tang Yibai she would continue to cheer for him no matter what, and turned to leave.
Her departure was resolute, but her heart ached, and tears streamed down her face. Tang Yibai, realizing she had overheard his raw confession, knew his words had deeply hurt her and was filled with regret. Qi Ruifeng chased after Yun Duo, attempting to defend Tang Yibai, but Yun Duo was too heartbroken to listen.
She forced herself to accept the perceived reality, suggesting that Tang Yibai, with his boundless potential, needed someone who could motivate him and stand as an equal, not someone facing unemployment like herself. Qi Ruifeng chastised her for giving up before even starting, reminding her of her usual persistence. Yun Duo thanked Qi Ruifeng, calling him a good friend, and promised not to give up easily.
She then requested that he not inform Tang Yibai of her resignation, fearing it would distract him. A colleague informed Yun Duo that she was no longer on the sports beat, having been moved to entertainment news. Yun Duo acknowledged this, adding that today might be her last day at the company.
She then received a call from Xu Haoze, who informed her that he had finally found the digital version of the photo she was looking for regarding the drowning incident and had printed it for her, offering to send it if she was in a hurry. The Dream Cup second round point qualifiers officially commenced with the men’s 4x100m medley relay. In the first leg, Zhang Tianshuo of Beijiang Sports University took the lead.
Li Lan of Sanyou University maintained second place, while Zheng Lingye of Nanyang Sports University fell to third. In the second leg, Ming Tian of Nanyang Sports University, despite his youth, demonstrated strong performance, catching up to second place and providing a good opportunity for the subsequent swimmers. For the third leg, Qi Ruifeng of Nanyang Sports University entered the water, astonishing everyone with his powerful butterfly stroke, a style rarely seen from him in major competitions.
He swiftly closed the gap, seizing the lead. Finally, Tang Yibai took over for the fourth leg. The race intensified as Ouyang Heng of Beijiang Sports University entered, initially pulling ahead after a turn, creating a half-body length gap. However, spurred on by his teammates and unspoken resolve, Tang Yibai rallied, demonstrating incredible stamina to match Ouyang Heng’s renowned sprint.
In a breathtaking finish, Tang Yibai of Nanyang Sports University touched the wall almost simultaneously with Ouyang Heng, ultimately winning the relay race by an extremely narrow margin. Immediately after the victory, Tang Yibai left the scene quickly and called Yun Duo, telling her he needed to see her right away.
