My Mr. Mermaid Episode 30 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Qi Ruifeng, recalling Xiang Yangyang's offer to help him pursue Fang Jie'er, impulsively brought Yangyang along to buy a gift for Fang Jie'er. While shopping, he deliberately dismissed every item Yangyang chose. However, when Yangyang pointed out a pair of earrings, Qi Ruifeng took them and held them against her ear. In that moment, he lost his usual childish demeanor, his gaze filled with focus. He ultimately purchased those earrings.
After his exams concluded, Tang Yibai immediately returned home to Yun Duo, who was delighted by his presence. He invited her to a movie, and Yun Duo happily agreed, rushing to get ready for what she considered their first date as a couple. Just as they were about to leave, the doorbell rang. Upon opening the door, they found Qi Ruifeng, Xiang Yangyang, Ming Tian, and Ling Ye, all excitedly gathered to crash their plans.
Though reluctant, Tang Yibai opened the door, and Qi Ruifeng immediately invited everyone to Fang Jie'er's family resort. Tang Yibai, attempting to escape with Yun Duo, was quickly intercepted and held back by his friends. Fang Jie'er's family resort was as magnificent as a palace. She joyfully welcomed them, immediately taking Qi Ruifeng on a tour. Later, as they enjoyed a barbecue outdoors, Fang Jie'er attentively offered skewers to Qi Ruifeng, appearing very much like his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Tang Yibai and Yun Duo, the actual couple, shared tender moments, feeding each other and enjoying themselves. That evening, while blow-drying her hair, Yangyang found herself replaying various moments with Qi Ruifeng in her mind. Fang Jie'er then arrived with a dessert and inquired about Qi Ruifeng. Fearing that her true feelings for him would be discovered, Yangyang impulsively began listing Qi Ruifeng's flaws, declaring that he was absolutely not her type and that she could never like him.
Unbeknownst to her, Qi Ruifeng had just arrived with a gift for her and overheard every word, especially the statement about never being able to like him. His excited expression instantly dimmed. Yangyang, perhaps realizing she had gone too far, then began to praise his good qualities, but unfortunately, Qi Ruifeng had already walked away and did not hear her change of heart. Qi Ruifeng quietly returned to his room.
He opened the gift box, revealing the very earrings Yangyang had admired. It became clear he had bought them for Yangyang, not Fang Jie'er; he had even thoughtfully asked the shop assistant to write "Happy Birthday Yangyang" on the card. He absently repeated Yangyang's hurtful words before crumpling the card in his hand. Upon returning to work after her vacation, Yun Duo brought a gift for Teacher Sun, who was very pleased.
Teacher Sun then happily informed her that Director Liu had, after much persuasion, reassigned Yun Duo back to the sports section. Yun Duo was overjoyed to hear the news. Director Liu further announced that the company, Qing Kong Video, was partnering with Jiedong, a renowned domestic investment fund, and would establish an independent branch called QK Sports. This new branch's first major project would be the Dream Cup, overseen by Mr. Sun Bufan.
Yun Duo was chosen as the first intern reporter to take on such a significant responsibility, a task for which she would fully cooperate with Teacher Sun. Despite her excitement for the upcoming Dream Cup coverage and the promising initial performance of Qi Ruifeng, Yun Duo noted Tang Yibai's disappointing current standing with only two points, meaning he would miss the finals if he didn't secure first place in the third race. Still, Yun Duo remained confident in Tang Yibai.
Meanwhile, Coach Wu analyzed their upcoming opponents for the Dream Cup. Their primary rival, "Hottie of the West" Lin Haoyang, though defeated by Qi Ruifeng last year, had significantly improved after a year of training in Australia. Additionally, a new athlete named Zhang Yang had emerged as a dark horse in this year's Dream Cup. During a training session, a coach commended Tang Yibai's recent improvements, prompting Qi Ruifeng to jokingly attribute it to love.
Tang Yibai playfully pushed him into the water. When Coach Yuan arrived and criticized Qi Ruifeng for slacking, ordering him to swim, Qi Ruifeng, usually eager for the water, made excuses and quickly retreated to the bathroom. In the shower, he seemed like a different person, clutching his left arm as he tried to encourage himself not to give up, clearly hiding an injury from everyone. Qi Ruifeng was later called to the office, where both coaches confronted him.
After a long stare-down, Qi Ruifeng finally caved and confessed to his misdeeds, admitting he had secretly driven Coach Yuan's new car, though he insisted a cafeteria worker was responsible for the damage. He also confessed to sprinkling chili powder in Coach Wu’s swim trunks, claiming it was for "brotherly bonding."
Though the coaches were incensed, they had a more serious matter to address: the cleaning staff had found painkillers in Qi Ruifeng's locker, leading them to suspect he was hiding an injury. Qi Ruifeng quickly concocted an excuse about a severe toothache that prevented him from seeing a dentist, thus requiring painkillers, before hastily exiting the office. Outside, he encountered Yangyang, who, thinking he was caught for the car incident, tried to take responsibility for him.
Unexpectedly, Qi Ruifeng became angry and accused her of being annoying, telling her to stop caring about him, having been avoiding her since their trip to the resort. Yangyang, confused and hurt by his unexplained coldness, walked away, declaring she would no longer waste a minute on him. Feeling disheartened, Yangyang soon encountered a foreigner named Orson who appeared lost.
She offered to help him find his destination, and during their brief interaction, he openly complimented her and asked if she had a boyfriend. Surprised and a little flustered by his directness, Yangyang politely declined his company once they reached his hotel and departed. Later, Cheng Mei unexpectedly met with Yun Duo at a restaurant. Despite some initial awkwardness, Yun Duo was glad to see her.
They agreed not to dwell on the past, as Cheng Mei had a crucial warning for Yun Duo: to be cautious of Lin Zi. Cheng Mei confirmed that Lin Zi was indeed James Lin, having personally witnessed him use that identity to broker a partnership between Qing Kong Video and Jiedong. Cheng Mei also revealed the identity of "Little One" as Lin Zi's sister, Lin Sang.
Lin Sang was a high school classmate of Tang Yibai, Ouyang Heng, and Qi Ruifeng, and she had served as their swimming team's logistics support. Cheng Mei pointed out that Lin Sang mysteriously vanished four years ago, at the same time Tang Yibai was disqualified from swimming due to a doping incident. These suspicious circumstances led Cheng Mei to believe that Lin Zi's proximity to Yun Duo was far more complex than a simple act of gratitude.
Yun Duo was initially skeptical of Cheng Mei's claims, but her doubts quickly vanished when the news of Qing Kong Video's partnership with Jiedong was officially announced at her company, just as Cheng Mei had predicted. That evening, back home, Yun Duo searched for Lin Sang's Weibo account and found photos of her with Tang Yibai and their friends from high school.
Remembering the camcorder Tang Yibai had given her, which documented his high school life, Yun Duo found a video of Lin Sang. In the video, the petite, pretty girl shyly confessed her feelings to Tang Yibai, clearly indicating a deep connection between her and the swimming team group. Just then, Tang Yibai called, playfully asking if Yun Duo was free the next evening. Amused, Yun Duo agreed to spend her night with him.
Yun Duo later confronted Lin Zi, questioning his past deceptions and his true motives for becoming her assistant. She directly asked if he intended to use her to get to Tang Yibai. Lin Zi admitted his initial approach had a purpose, but denied it was directly related to Tang Yibai. Yun Duo pressed him, revealing her knowledge of his true identity as James Lin and Lin Sang's mysterious disappearance.
Faced with her evidence, Lin Zi finally revealed the painful truth: his sister, Lin Sang, had not disappeared but had been in a coma for the past four years following a car accident, with only a 0. 01% chance of recovery. He explained that he had retired from the finance market and gambled all his assets to fund her treatment, but she remained unresponsive.
Lin Zi tearfully recounted how Lin Sang had adored Tang Yibai, even calling him "the sky" and hoping he'd become the fastest swimmer in the world. He then angrily blamed Tang Yibai for Lin Sang's condition, asserting that four years ago, after Tang Yibai failed a drug test following his high school graduation and trials, Lin Sang, who was in charge of his diet, was made a scapegoat to protect Tang Yibai's career.
He claimed Tang Yibai never believed Lin Sang's innocence and refused to give her a chance to explain, leading to her distress and the subsequent car accident. Yun Duo argued that Tang Yibai was not that kind of person, but Lin Zi challenged her understanding of him, pointing out how Tang Yibai had ultimately hurt Lin Sang despite their close friendship.
Lin Zi then confessed that he had initially approached Yun Duo because he had been the "homeless guy" she helped six months prior, and she had reminded him of Lin Sang. He wanted to help Yun Duo achieve her dreams, just as he had failed to protect his sister. However, in the process, he had fallen deeply and unconditionally in love with her. He lamented the irony that Yun Duo, like Lin Sang, was also drawn to Tang Yibai.
He concluded by asking Yun Duo to keep Lin Sang's current condition a secret from Tang Yibai, believing his sister would not want him to see her in such a state. Later that evening, Tang Yibai noticed Yun Duo’s subdued mood. To cheer her up and celebrate their one-month anniversary, he took her to a special, private space he had decorated and named "One White Cloud Restaurant."
He expressed regret for not being able to take her on proper dates due to their secret relationship. He then presented her with a beautiful watch, explaining it was a "protection amulet" and a symbol of their enduring connection. He told her that even when they were apart, the watch would remind her that no matter the physical distance, they would always be together in a "four-dimensional space," their hearts beating in sync.
Touched by his thoughtfulness, Yun Duo confessed her fears that he might be this kind and devoted to other girls as well, but Tang Yibai quickly reassured her that she was the only one.
