My Mr. Mermaid Episode 33 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Tang Yibai secured a victory, successfully advancing to the quarterfinals. His triumph was celebrated by many, including his former friend and current rival, Ouyang Heng. Following the match, Yun Duo approached Lin Zi to inquire if he had reconsidered allowing Tang Yibai to visit Lin Sang. Lin Zi immediately refused, expressing that despite recording every one of Tang Yibai's matches for Lin Sang, he did so while suppressing deep resentment.
He even stated that if Lin Sang were to pass away, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't do something harmful to Tang Yibai, advising Yun Duo to tell Tang Yibai to keep his distance. In the training hall, Lin Haoyang and his teammates were training while playfully mocking Xiang Yangyang, commenting on Lin Haoyang's deteriorating taste in women, which deeply offended Yangyang. Qi Ruifeng, overhearing their remarks, was enraged. He would not tolerate anyone making fun of Yangyang.
He pulled Lin Haoyang aside, warning him to stay away from Yangyang. Lin Haoyang remained indifferent. Impulsively, Qi Ruifeng made a bet with him: if Qi Ruifeng won the next race, Lin Haoyang would disappear from Yangyang's life. If Qi Ruifeng lost, he would announce his inferiority and retire from competitive swimming. Qi Ruifeng accepted the terms without hesitation. Yangyang witnessed the entire exchange and reprimanded Qi Ruifeng for his recklessness.
Overcome by jealousy, Qi Ruifeng unleashed harsh words, questioning Yangyang's character and suggesting she took others' interest in her too seriously. Hearing this, Yangyang slapped him across the face. The slap brought Qi Ruifeng back to his senses, and he immediately apologized to Yangyang. However, Yangyang ignored him and left the training hall, utterly disappointed. The men's 1500-meter freestyle race began, the very competition that would decide Qi Ruifeng and Lin Haoyang's bet.
Unlike his usual arrogant and overly confident self, Qi Ruifeng seemed to carry a cold determination. He started perfectly, pulling ahead of his opponents early on, striving to maintain the lead. Lin Haoyang, a formidable competitor himself, quickly caught up, narrowing the gap to just a body length. As the race progressed, it became evident that Qi Ruifeng's form was off; his body was leaning to one side, a critical error in swimming.
Lin Haoyang gradually overtook him, and spectators noticed Qi Ruifeng's speed was significantly slower than usual. His shoulder injury, a severe joint capsule laceration, flared up painfully in the pool. He instinctively clutched his shoulder, his body severely tilting, causing him to fall considerably behind. Despite the setback, he refused to give up, pushing himself to chase after Lin Haoyang. The situation worsened as other competitors in adjacent lanes began to catch up.
Unknown to the onlookers, Qi Ruifeng's injury was so severe that continuing his career would require immediate cessation of all training and competitions, with a recovery period of nine months if treatment went well. This lengthy layoff would effectively mean missing the entire season, which Qi Ruifeng could not accept.
He had promised Tang Yibai they would win the Dream Cup together, and after Tang Yibai's difficult comeback, Qi Ruifeng was determined to fulfill that promise, ensuring his presence at this year's Dream Cup. He also thought of Yangyang and wanting to eat her cooking, not wanting her to worry. He endured the agonizing shoulder pain. The thought of Yangyang and Tang Yibai spurred him on, and he began to accelerate, quickly regaining his normal form.
One by one, he overtook his competitors, demonstrating that "Madman of the South" Qi Ruifeng was back. Finally, he touched the wall first, securing a miraculous victory. Coach Yuan was nearly brought to tears, and the entire crowd cheered for the remarkable young swimmer. After the race, Yangyang followed Qi Ruifeng, who, despite his victory, stubbornly resisted her concern. Lin Haoyang then appeared, and Qi Ruifeng reminded him of their bet.
Lin Haoyang calmly smiled, stating he had come to bid farewell to Xiang Yangyang. Qi Ruifeng told him, "Don't make her cry for you, or I won't let you off," before turning to leave, allowing Lin Haoyang to say goodbye to Yangyang. Basking in the glow of his victory, Qi Ruifeng disregarded Tang Yibai and others' concerns about his shoulder, insisting he was fine. To prove it, he challenged Tang Yibai to an arm wrestle.
Tang Yibai readily accepted, stating that if he won, Qi Ruifeng would have to see a doctor. As their contest intensified, Yangyang arrived, screaming in alarm. Seizing the moment, Qi Ruifeng slammed Tang Yibai's wrist down, cheekily winning the match. Despite this, Yangyang's primary concern remained Qi Ruifeng's hand. She found his painkillers and threatened to show them to Coach Yuan. Unable to conceal it any longer, Qi Ruifeng admitted his injury had lingered for some time.
He explained to Yangyang that the doctor diagnosed it as a joint capsule laceration, a severe injury that had ended many swimmers' and baseball players' careers. He confessed he had hurt it during training long ago, had not paid much attention, and had hidden it, leading to its worsening. When Yangyang pressed him about treatment, he mentioned surgery and rehabilitation but stubbornly refused, saying he couldn't undergo it now.
He cited his promise with Tang Yibai and their teammates to stand on the Dream Cup podium together, emphasizing that this was their last chance to compete as a team before they graduated. He vowed to fulfill his commitment to South Physical University, his teammates, and Coach Yuan, declaring that neither Yangyang nor his injury could stop him. Yangyang retorted that if he didn't care for his own body, she couldn't either.
Qi Ruifeng then pleaded with her not to tell Tang Yibai, explaining Tang Yibai's difficult journey and his desire not to affect him. Yangyang promised to keep his secret. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Lin Sang's fingers twitched, and she finally woke up. Ouyang Heng, upon hearing the news, was the first to rush to her side. However, Lin Sang looked at him blankly, asking, "Who are you? Do I know you?"
Lin Zi took Ouyang Heng aside, explaining Lin Sang's condition: she suffered from memory loss, specifically forgetting almost everything after the age of sixteen. He suggested it might be psychological, as she subconsciously didn't want to remember those memories. Lin Zi cautioned that Lin Sang's brain clot had not completely dissipated, making her condition still critical. He advised keeping her calm and avoiding any triggers. Ouyang Heng was devastated, realizing she had forgotten all their high school memories.
Lin Zi tried to comfort him, urging him not to force her to remember painful pasts for her own good. Ouyang Heng, despite his pain, agreed that her awakening was paramount. Lin Zi then expressed his belief that Lin Sang's memory loss was likely due to an unwillingness to remember "a certain someone," concluding that keeping Tang Yibai away from Lin Sang was the right decision.
He instructed Ouyang Heng never to mention anything about Tang Yibai in front of Lin Sang. Ouyang Heng solemnly promised. Later, Yun Duo arrived at Lin Sang's hospital room. Lin Sang, who was awake, affectionately called her "Yun Duo sister," and then, assuming Yun Duo was her brother's girlfriend, eagerly asked about Lin Zi and Yun Duo's relationship, suggesting Yun Duo be her "Sister-in-law."
Much to Yun Duo's surprise, Lin Sang explained that she remembered Yun Duo's name because Lin Zi often talked about their work while Lin Sang was unconscious. As Yun Duo was about to ask if Lin Sang remembered Tang Yibai, Lin Zi quickly pulled her outside. He explained to Yun Duo that Lin Sang did not remember anything after age sixteen, meaning she had forgotten Tang Yibai.
He believed Tang Yibai was someone she wished not to remember due to painful memories. Lin Zi pleaded with Yun Duo to never mention Tang Yibai's name in front of Lin Sang, and furthermore, to play along with Lin Sang's misconception that Lin Zi liked Yun Duo. He reasoned that this distraction would prevent Lin Sang from forcing herself to recall lost memories, which doctors warned could be detrimental to her fragile state. Yun Duo reluctantly agreed to his request.
Meanwhile, Coach Yuan gathered the team, asking for Qi Ruifeng, who was absent. Zheng Lingye reported that Qi Ruifeng claimed to have a stomach ache. Coach Yuan expressed frustration over Qi Ruifeng's repeated absences and unstable performance, vowing to punish him. She then delivered a powerful motivational speech to the team, emphasizing that the upcoming Dream Cup finals would feature elite opponents.
She urged them to believe in themselves, in their hard work, and to persist until the very end, for it is not the strongest who wins, but the one who endures until the last moment. Back at the hospital, Ouyang Heng continued to visit Lin Sang, encouraging her recovery. Lin Sang apologized for forgetting him and asked him to recount their past, feeling as though a significant memory was missing.
Ouyang Heng recalled a summer day when he taught her how to ride a bicycle. In the flashback, Lin Sang insisted on learning despite repeated falls, expressing her desire to make her friends proud and not be a burden. Ouyang Heng gently carried her on his bike when she couldn't manage. Lin Sang later apologized for making him sad by forgetting their shared past.
Ouyang Heng reassured her, stating he wasn't lonely and preferred she be free from the past, finding solace in her being awake. He then asked if her words were faintly stirring memories within her, before quickly telling her not to strain herself. Later, while Yun Duo was still at the hospital, Lin Sang began drawing, explaining to Yun Duo that a blurry image of a swimming pool kept appearing in her mind, though she couldn't place it.
As she continued drawing, she suddenly fainted. Lin Zi, distressed, explained to Yun Duo that the person Lin Sang always drew was Tang Yibai, which was why it was crucial to keep his name from her. Later that night, Tang Yibai called Yun Duo to say he would wait for her outside her workplace to pick her up.
After she finished work, he picked her up, concerned for her safety as she worked late, and offered to cook her a late-night snack at his place. Yun Duo affectionately commented, "Your hand, I'll take care of it." Tang Yibai responded, "Our Yun Duo also learns how to act cute now?"
He then revealed that while watching an old recording Yun Duo had given him, he discovered an unseen video segment of Lin Sang, whom he identified as the "Little One." He recognized her as a cute high school classmate and a friend from the swim team, shared with Qi Ruifeng and Ouyang Heng, who had always supported him.
He acknowledged that Lin Sang seemed to have liked him, but he had told her he only saw her as a younger sister. He asked Yun Duo if she was jealous, then promptly dismissed the topic.
