My Mr. Mermaid Episode 5 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
The press conference for the combined training session began. Teacher Sun instructed Yun Duo to focus solely on recording his questions, warning her not to ask any herself to avoid embarrassment from her colleagues. A reporter asked if a competition would be organized between the two teams before the Dream Cup. Coach Lei clarified that the joint training's purpose was to exchange training experiences and enhance competitiveness, not to compete.
He emphasized that private matches were strictly prohibited, and any team member caught doing so would face severe punishment, potentially even disqualification or suspension from the competition. Despite this, another reporter expressed the public's desire to see a match between Qi Ruifeng and Ouyang Heng. Qi Ruifeng, with an air of confidence, declared that he had no other opponents in his eyes; his only true rival was his teammate, Tang Yibai.
Following Qi Ruifeng's declaration, Coach Lei was asked for his opinion. Lin Zi then interjected, posing a pointed question to Qi Ruifeng: if he believed Tang Yibai was definitively stronger than Ouyang Heng. Qi Ruifeng responded by stating that Tang Yibai would not fear Ouyang Heng. Lin Zi, seemingly pleased with this answer, then directed the question to Tang Yibai, ignoring Yun Duo's objection.
After a brief pause, Tang Yibai adopted his usual confident demeanor and asserted that as an athlete, he feared no challenges. Lin Zi, however, deliberately twisted Tang Yibai's words, interpreting his response as a direct challenge to Ouyang Heng. Tang Yibai clarified, stating that the stronger his opponent, the faster he would swim, earning applause for his composed and respectful answer.
The coach reiterated that the focus of the training was practice, not competition, and urged the media to cease questions regarding any potential contests. After the conference, media outlets immediately sensationalized Tang Yibai's words. While one reporter commented on the unexpected news, another claimed Tang Yibai, a "nobody," was trying to gain popularity by challenging Ouyang Heng. Lin Zi, arguing with Yun Duo, suggested a headline portraying Tang Yibai as a reckless nobody challenging Ouyang Heng.
Yun Duo, however, insisted that Tang Yibai had merely stated he did not fear challenges, not that he was provoking Ouyang Heng. She pleaded with Teacher Sun to allow her to write the report, promising objective coverage and emphasizing Qingkong. com's need for unbiased reporting despite the pressure for explosive news. Despite Yun Duo's efforts, most other media twisted Tang Yibai's statements, creating eye-catching headlines that painted him as arrogant and foolish.
Online, Tang Yibai faced a barrage of insults and mockery, with netizens deriding him as an unknown attempting to leverage Ouyang Heng's fame. Yun Duo was heartbroken to see the hurtful comments, as Tang Yibai was abruptly thrust into the center of public scrutiny. Meanwhile, Qi Ruifeng felt angry and guilty after seeing the nasty comments about Tang Yibai.
He blamed himself for deliberately mentioning Tang Yibai during the press conference, which unexpectedly pushed him into the spotlight of public opinion. He repeatedly apologized to Tang Yibai, but Tang Yibai remained optimistic, stating that the upcoming Dream Cup was paramount and he had no time to waste being angry. Tang Yibai also light-heartedly chided Ming Tian for exaggerating the impact of the online comments.
Yun Duo then called Qi Ruifeng, hoping he could prevent Tang Yibai from seeing the online comments, only to learn that Tang Yibai had already seen them. As Yun Duo expressed her deep remorse, Tang Yibai took the phone. He told Yun Duo he was in a slightly bad mood and wished for some encouragement, then asked her to sing a song.
Yun Duo sang "Fly Higher," and Tang Yibai playfully suggested she sing "Swim Faster" instead, as he was a swimmer. He then invited Yun Duo to watch all his upcoming competitions, urging her not to miss a single one, so she could witness firsthand his journey to becoming the fastest swimmer in the world and write his story as they had promised.
Ouyang Heng, having overheard this, sarcastically taunted Tang Yibai for flirting with a girl when he couldn't even manage his training. Tang Yibai fiercely retorted, asserting that he would undoubtedly defeat Ouyang Heng, just as he had four years ago, and would again today. Due to Lin Zi's manipulative behavior during the press conference, Yun Duo was reluctant to engage with him. Lin Zi, in turn, diligently tried to appease her.
Cheng Mei, observing Lin Zi, noted his understated demeanor but expensive attire, recognizing that he was constantly trying to curry favor with Yun Duo. She suspected Lin Zi had ulterior motives for approaching Yun Duo. Cheng Mei directly confronted Lin Zi with her suspicions and warned him against doing anything that could harm Yun Duo. Qi Ruifeng happened to see Tang Yibai's recent training records and noticed a significant decline in his performance.
He knew Tang Yibai always gave his all, so he suspected his knee injury might have relapsed. Qi Ruifeng approached Tang Yibai to inquire about his recent struggles. Tang Yibai admitted he was in a training slump, assuring Qi Ruifeng that he would overcome this challenge and regain his optimal form before the Dream Cup began. Following the press conference about the combined training, most media outlets heavily focused their reports on Tang Yibai's perceived challenge to Ouyang Heng.
In contrast, Qingkong. com's less sensationalized reporting led to a significant drop in its online readership. Director Liu called a meeting with the sports column reporters to discuss their next steps. During the meeting, Yun Duo tried to persuade Director Liu to adhere to their initial stance of objective reporting and not simply follow the trend of other media. To Yun Duo's surprise, Lin Zi agreed with her perspective.
However, what she didn't foresee was Lin Zi bringing up the fact that four years prior, Ouyang Heng had lost to Tang Yibai in a selection match for the Asia Elite Training Team, and that Tang Yibai was subsequently suspended for unknown reasons. Director Liu found this suggestion highly newsworthy and instructed the sports column to initiate coverage. Soon after, Qingkong.
com released the video of Tang Yibai and Ouyang Heng's match from four years ago, causing all other news media to shift their focus to Tang Yibai's past suspension. Yun Duo recognized Lin Zi's true intentions: by bringing up the little-known past competition, he aimed to prompt further investigation into Tang Yibai's suspension. Infuriated, she confronted Lin Zi, who nonchalantly attempted to change the subject. Their conversation escalated into a heated argument.
Lin Zi, having already noticed Yun Duo's strong protective instincts towards Tang Yibai, directly asked if Tang Yibai was truly that important to her. Taken aback, Yun Duo struggled for a response, eventually stating that Tang Yibai was her friend, and therefore, of course, important. On her way home from work, Yun Duo found herself rewatching Tang Yibai's interview and reading the malicious online comments. Feeling distraught, she eventually sent Tang Yibai a WeChat message, apologizing for the situation.
At the same time, while eating in the cafeteria, Tang Yibai, Qi Ruifeng, and others also saw the news reports. Tang Yibai felt a pang of sadness seeing the overwhelming online criticism and malicious speculation. When members of the North Physical team arrived in the cafeteria and used the reports to further slander and mock him, Tang Yibai, to avoid further conflict, left first. Upon returning to his dorm, he received Yun Duo's message and felt a surge of warmth.
Just as he was about to reply, Ming Tian rushed in frantically, telling him that Qi Ruifeng and Ouyang Heng were having a private showdown in the pool. Tang Yibai immediately dropped his phone and hurried to the sports complex. To everyone's shock, Qi Ruifeng lost to Ouyang Heng. In the empty swimming pool, a dejected Qi Ruifeng sat alone by the poolside. Tang Yibai, Xiang Yangyang, and the other team members arrived, searching for him. Upon seeing them, Qi Ruifeng silently walked away, heading to the bathroom where he let cold water pour over himself and pounded the wall in frustration.
