My Mr. Mermaid Episode 4 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Internship assessments began at the company. Despite Yun Duo submitting her interview video of the South Physical swimming team, Director Liu still offered many critiques, remarking that it seemed less like an interview and more like a variety show. However, he then shifted his tone, praising the unique approach and designating it as a highlight of the day's main columns. Yun Duo was overjoyed that her program was accepted.
Thanks to this exclusive interview, Director Liu moved her up from last place to fifth among the intern reporters. Teacher Sun encouraged Yun Duo to continue striving for success, especially during the upcoming Dream Cup series of interviews. As the Dream Cup point qualifiers approached, Tang Yibai listened to Xiang Yangyang explain the rules for the upcoming divisional elimination and point confrontation rounds. He expressed his eagerness to compete against North Physical.
Annually, before the Dream Cup commences, both North and South Physical Universities hold a joint training camp aimed at mutual improvement and healthy competition. Head Coach Yuan declared that the performance of the team members during this joint training, starting tomorrow, would determine the final roster for the Dream Cup. The joint training session between North and South Physical Universities was held at South Physical, with Ouyang Heng leading the North Physical men's team there.
Given the formidable strength of both institutions and their constant rivalry, it was inevitable that tensions would rise between the athletes. On their first day, the North Physical team immediately clashed with Qi Ruifeng and his teammates. The North Physical athletes provocatively mocked South Physical's capabilities, to which Qi Ruifeng retorted directly. At that moment, Ouyang Heng, the team captain for North Physical and also known as "Sovereign of the North," appeared.
Ouyang Heng, Tang Yibai, and Qi Ruifeng were old acquaintances, having trained and fought together as teammates in high school. However, their friendship had fractured due to past events, and now they faced each other as rivals. Ouyang Heng requested to speak with Tang Yibai, and they moved to the basketball court. Their conversation was sharp, filled with barbed comments. Immediately after, they started a basketball game.
During a scramble for the ball, Ouyang Heng roughly knocked Tang Yibai to the ground, fiercely telling him that he was no longer the same person and that Tang Yibai would never beat him again, neither on the court nor in the pool. Watching Ouyang Heng walk away, Tang Yibai felt a pang of loss. He suddenly called out to Ouyang, asking about "Little Dot" Lin Sang, a girl who once admired him.
However, Ouyang Heng refused to reveal any information about her. Back in his dorm, Tang Yibai looked at an old photo of himself with Qi Ruifeng and Ouyang Heng, recalling their past. They had once been close friends, promising to strive together. Qi Ruifeng was still carefree back then, and Ouyang Heng wasn't the cold, unapproachable person he was now. Tang Yibai lamented how much things had changed.
Meanwhile, Lin Zi slowly savored a glass of red wine, his gaze falling upon a photograph on his table—a picture of him and his sister, Lin Sang. A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes. He walked to the window, which offered a view of QKVideo's offices, where Yun Duo was diligently working. He quietly observed the earnest young woman who had once helped him.
Her simplicity made him want to protect her, and he silently vowed to get closer to Yun Duo. To celebrate the launch of Yun Duo's first exclusive interview program, Cheng Mei took Yun Duo to an upscale restaurant they rarely frequented. The two friends encouraged each other and talked about their future aspirations. Cheng Mei shared her desire to transition from the sports column to the finance column once she became an official reporter.
She even showed Yun Duo a picture of her idol, the legendary "Stocks-god" James Lin, a figure in finance often called the "Eastern Buffett." Yun Duo, understanding Cheng Mei's infatuation, expressed her support for her friend's decision. Lin Zi arrived at the same restaurant shortly after Yun Duo and Cheng Mei. Yun Duo was surprised to see him.
Remembering the previous incident with her wallet, she felt indebted to him and decided to use this opportunity to treat him to dinner as a thank you. Upon seeing Lin Zi, Cheng Mei immediately thought he resembled James Lin. After a long hesitation, she cautiously asked if he was indeed James Lin, which he denied. Lin Zi then expressed his interest in having Yun Duo help him secure an intern reporter position at her company, QKVideo.
Yun Duo, noticing his expensive attire, couldn't understand why he would want to join their seemingly "shabby" company and initially dismissed his request as a joke. News of the joint training session between North and South Physical Universities immediately drew a crowd of reporters to the South Physical swimming pool, all eager to interview Ouyang Heng, the "Sovereign of the North." Teacher Sun and Yun Duo were among them, but security guards blocked entry, prohibiting media access.
As Yun Duo worried, Qi Ruifeng arrived at the swimming pool. Learning of Yun Duo's purpose, Qi Ruifeng helped her get inside. At that moment, Ouyang Heng was training in the gym. He bumped into Lingye and, instead of apologizing, acted aggressively. Athletes from both South and North Physical gathered, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Qi Ruifeng, having brought Yun Duo to interview Ouyang Heng, then made some provocative remarks, further escalating the situation, pushing both sides to the brink of a fight. Thinking quickly, Yun Duo took out her camera and microphone, interviewing the enraged Ouyang Heng and asking him to explain what had just happened. Faced with the camera, Ouyang Heng finally softened his stance and apologized to Lingye. Tang Yibai thanked Yun Duo for diffusing the situation.
As they talked happily on the way out, Yun Duo promised not to report on the teams' conflict, emphasizing her professional integrity. Tang Yibai, observing Yun Duo's small stature but high sense of awareness, felt reassured that he had found a good friend. He playfully ruffled her hair, telling her that in his eyes, she would always be the "little one" who needed protection. The next day, Lin Zi indeed appeared at QKVideo.
Director Liu recognized him as the renowned James Lin and quickly ushered him into his office for a private conversation. Lin Zi requested that Director Liu keep his identity a secret and arrange for him to work as Yun Duo's assistant. Yun Duo was both surprised and puzzled by the company's decision to assign Lin Zi as her assistant. After looking at his resume, she became even more curious about how he had managed to get hired by Director Liu.
Lin Zi then fabricated a story, claiming he had come to QKVideo because of Qi Ruifeng. Yun Duo found him incredibly peculiar but, unable to change the company's arrangement, had no choice but to accept the situation. Qi Ruifeng secretly called Yun Duo, asking for the video she had taken earlier. After he hung up, he saw Xiang Yangyang behind him. Xiang Yangyang told Qi Ruifeng to stop bothering Yun Duo, leading to another playful argument between the two.
Qi Ruifeng mistakenly assumed that Xiang Yangyang had a crush on Tang Yibai. Xiang Yangyang clarified that she did not like Tang Yibai, which led the clueless Qi Ruifeng to then mistakenly believe she was a lesbian and liked Yun Duo, successfully exasperating Xiang Yangyang into leaving. After Ouyang Heng's arrival at South Physical, Tang Yibai's test scores steadily declined.
Coach Wu, aware of the animosity between Ouyang Heng and Tang Yibai, focused on encouraging Tang Yibai, seeking ways to mitigate Ouyang Heng's negative influence. Just then, Lin Zi also arrived at the swimming pool. Watching Tang Yibai dive into the water, he recalled his past life with his sister, Lin Sang, who had been fond of Tang Yibai. After his training, Tang Yibai noticed Lin Zi, another old acquaintance.
Lin Zi told him he had specifically come to greet him. Tang Yibai inquired about Lin Sang's current situation, and Lin Zi stated that she was doing well living abroad. Lin Zi also informed Tang Yibai about joining QKVideo, adding that he made this decision because of a "girl." Tang Yibai was surprised to hear this. That night, alone at home, Lin Zi watched a video of Tang Yibai receiving an award.
He bitterly questioned why Tang Yibai was given a second chance while Lin Sang had to silently endure suffering. He appeared burdened by painful memories, and his return seemed driven by an unexplained animosity toward Tang Yibai, all seemingly connected to Lin Sang. Head Coach Yuan organized a press conference for the joint training between South and North Physical Universities, which Teacher Sun and Yun Duo attended.
Tang Yibai spotted Yun Duo, a small figure in the crowd, and happily greeted her. Suddenly, Lin Zi pushed his way through the crowd and sat beside Yun Duo. Tang Yibai then understood Lin Zi's comment from the previous night about coming to QKVideo for "a girl"—it was clearly Yun Duo.
