My Mr. Mermaid Episode 8 Recap
> My Mr. Mermaid Recap
Tang Yibai watched Yun Duo walk away with Coach Wu, bewildered by her apparent disregard for him. Lin Zi approached, revealing that Yun Duo had been severely reprimanded by Coach Wu for trying to congratulate Tang Yibai, with Coach Wu insisting their friendship was unsuitable.
Lin Zi further elaborated that Tang Yibai’s athlete status would eventually harm Yun Duo, as she, an intern reporter, had repeatedly clashed with her superiors and refused to publish any negative news about him, risking her job to protect his reputation. This revelation deeply troubled Tang Yibai, filling him with guilt. At her company, Yun Duo frantically searched for rental information, having recently been forced out of her previous accommodation. Lin Zi attempted to offer assistance, but she angrily refused.
Her colleague, Teacher Sun, found her still at the office late at night, asking if she planned to sleep there. Yun Duo confirmed, but Teacher Sun urged her to leave, explaining that the company had hired a pest control service and the chemical fumes would be harmful. Forced out once more, Yun Duo found herself wandering the streets, feeling completely adrift.
In her despair, she yearned to hear Tang Yibai's voice, wishing she could confide in him about her recent misfortunes and clarify the misunderstanding surrounding the news report. Memories of their interactions flooded her mind, and she desperately wished to see him. After Yun Duo rejected his direct help, Lin Zi arranged to meet Cheng Mei, seeking her assistance in providing Yun Duo with a new place to stay.
He presented Cheng Mei with keys and an address, asking her to tell Yun Duo that she found the apartment and that the rent was already taken care of, with the excuse that the landlord was wealthy and didn't need the money. Lin Zi explained that Yun Duo was upset with him because of Tang Yibai's situation and wouldn't accept help from him directly, but she would from Cheng Mei.
When Cheng Mei probed, Lin Zi confessed his true motivation for working at QKVideo: it was to repay Yun Duo. He recounted how, during the lowest point of his life after a major personal setback, Yun Duo had found him unconscious, brought him to the hospital, and selflessly cared for him, bringing him out of his despair. Despite her not recognizing him when they met again later, he had devoted himself to secretly protecting her.
Touched by his sincerity, Cheng Mei agreed to help, but insisted on inspecting the apartment first to ensure it was suitable. Lin Zi then led her to the meticulously decorated, charming apartment he had prepared for Yun Duo. Seeing the thoughtful touches, Cheng Mei couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at Lin Zi's deep affection for Yun Duo.
Tang Yibai's mind was plagued by the recent words of Coach Wu and Lin Zi, as well as the constant pressure from rivals like Ouyang Heng. His recent performance dips made him question if his friendship with Yun Duo was indeed hindering both their professional paths. Recalling Coach Wu's stern warning about relationships impacting an athlete's focus and career, and Lin Zi's assertion that his status would hurt Yun Duo, Tang Yibai grew increasingly anxious.
He tried to borrow Qi Ruifeng's phone to text Yun Duo, but Qi Ruifeng was engrossed in a game. He then tried Ming Tian, who was on a long call with Tang Yibai's mother. Both Ming Tian and Qi Ruifeng teased him about Yun Duo, prompting Tang Yibai to hastily warn them against telling his mother about Yun Duo.
Unable to reach Yun Duo by phone, Tang Yibai impulsively decided to visit her old rental place, only to find she had already moved out. Disappointed and alone, he walked through the bustling streets, consumed by worry. He feared Yun Duo had taken Coach Wu's words to heart and would no longer consider him a friend. Just like Yun Duo, he suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to see her.
In a twist of fate, as both longed for the other, Tang Yibai and Yun Duo spotted each other across a busy street. Tang Yibai quickly explained that his phone had been confiscated, assuring her that his lack of response was not due to anger over the QKVideo report. Relieved, Yun Duo confessed her fear that he was upset and had been avoiding her calls.
Seeking a solution for her housing dilemma, Tang Yibai had a sudden idea and led her to the male dormitory. Yun Duo hesitated, unsure how a girl could stay in a male dorm. Tang Yibai playfully dismissed her concerns, joking that their swim team treated everyone equally. His lightheartedness brought a smile to her face. Just as they entered, Coach Wu unexpectedly exited the building after his dorm rounds.
Panicked, Tang Yibai instinctively pulled Yun Duo into a dark corner to hide, but in his haste, he pulled her too forcefully, causing her to tumble into his embrace. Yun Duo immediately pulled away, but then found herself gazing up at him, her large eyes filled with a tender, unspoken emotion. A moment of quiet intimacy passed between them before Tang Yibai, breaking the silence, swiftly ushered her into the dorm room.
Inside the dorm, a half-dressed Qi Ruifeng emerged from the bathroom, stopping short at the sight of Yun Duo. Both screamed in surprise, their loud shouts drawing Coach Wu's attention. Yun Duo scrambled to hide as Tang Yibai, Qi Ruifeng, and Ming Tian frantically tried to distract the coach and send him away.
After successfully averting a crisis, Tang Yibai offered his dorm room to Yun Duo for the night, while he and Qi Ruifeng moved to Ming Tian and Lingye's room. However, Tang Yibai found sleep impossible due to Qi Ruifeng's restless sleeping habits. Noticing the light still on in his own room, he quietly knocked and entered to check on Yun Duo. Seeing she was also awake, he proposed they go somewhere he frequented to clear their minds.
He led her to his favorite track field, where they lay gazing at the vast starry sky, finding solace in its beauty. Tang Yibai reiterated his concern that Coach Wu's words might still be weighing on her. He suggested that from now on, whenever they were together, they would shed their professional identities—he wouldn't be an athlete, and she wouldn't be a reporter—and simply exist as pure friends. Yun Duo readily agreed, accepting his comforting proposal.
Later that night, Yun Duo drifted into a dream. In it, she asked Tang Yibai why he gave her his goggles when they first met and why he was so willing to befriend her. Instead of answering, Tang Yibai gazed at her with deep affection, slowly leaning in until his lips kissed her on the cheek.
She then heard him say that she was his first interviewer in years, and that a person's eyes could never lie, regardless of what they were thinking. Upon waking, Yun Duo quietly slipped out of the room to find Tang Yibai. She crept into the adjacent dorm where he and Qi Ruifeng were sleeping and playfully took a photo of them together. Just as she did, Tang Yibai woke up. A playful struggle ensued over the phone, and in the midst of it, Yun Duo accidentally lost her balance and tumbled into his arms.
