Our Dazzling Days Episode 11 Recap
> Our Dazzling Days Recaps
Yan Wenyuan finally gives in to his daughter’s persistence and drives Xiaodan and Xia Lei to the Tiecheng Juvenile Correctional Facility. Their hearts are full of hope, but they are met with a cold rejection at the gate. A correctional officer informs them that according to regulations, only immediate family members and legal guardians are permitted to visit. They aren't even allowed to leave behind the snacks and the small snowman they brought for Zhang Xiaoman.
Wenyuan admits that he had already looked into the rules and knew they wouldn't be allowed in, which only fuels Xiaodan's anger. She realizes her father had known this all along and had only promised the trip to keep her focused until the college entrance exam was over. Back at home, Xiaodan retreats to her room and slams the door in a fit of resentment.
Outside, her parents try to explain that their secrecy was meant to protect her future, but Xiaodan is no longer willing to listen. She pours out her grievances, explaining how she has always been a mere follower in the family’s major decisions, from the move to Shanghai to the handling of Zhang Xiaoman’s situation.
She tells them that while she didn't regret her failure in the hosting competition because she had given it her all, she would deeply regret letting others dictate her life and force her to abandon the people she cares about. As the day for exam results arrives, Xia Lei receives his admission letter from Shanghai Huigong University, but the wait for Xiaodan’s results is agonizing.
Her mother is a nervous wreck, and Wenyuan is just about to call the admissions office at Tongzhou University when Xiaodan finally reveals her admission letter. The entire family is overjoyed to learn she has been accepted into the Architectural Design program. Before leaving for university, Xiaodan and Xia Lei make one last trip to the correctional facility. They place a tape recorder against the iron gate and blast the song "Really Love You" at full volume.
When a guard comes out to drive them away, lecturing them about the strict rules of the controlled zone, they pretend to leave but sneak to the back of the facility to play the song again. They want Xiaoman to know he hasn't been forgotten. Inside the walls, Xiaoman listens to the familiar melody, and his mind fills with memories of his friends. As summer ends, the Yan family prepares to depart for Shanghai.
Since Xia Lei is also heading to a university in the same city, his parents, Xia Limin and his wife, host a farewell dinner. Wenyuan reassures them that he will look after the boy, which puts the couple at ease. Shortly after, Xiaoman receives a farewell letter from Xiaodan, confirming that the music he heard was indeed a message from her. On the train to Shanghai, Xiaodan and Xia Lei watch the East Chemical Plant fade into the distance.
Xia Limin accompanies his son to the university to help him settle in. On the journey, Xia Lei meets a fellow student nicknamed Lao Ba, who earned the name by being able to eat eight taels of rice per meal. Seeing his father’s hardworking silhouette as they say goodbye, Xia Lei feels a wave of emotion. Once the Yans are settled in Shanghai, Chen Guoqing comes to visit.
Xiaodan’s mother is incredibly welcoming, clearly hoping to pair the two of them together. At the university, Xiaodan runs into her old classmate Meng Ge and learns she is studying finance at Huadong University of Finance and Economics. While Meng Ge immediately notices Guoqing’s interest in Xiaodan, Xiaodan remains oblivious, simply happy to have achieved her goal of making it to Shanghai. One month later, Zhang Xiaoman is finally released.
Xiaodan had wanted to return to Liaoning to meet him, but her parents managed to stop her. As Ding Guoqiang prepares a celebratory meal for Xiaoman, he receives a call from Yan Wenyuan. Wenyuan speaks with veiled meaning, eventually making it clear that Xiaodan will not be returning to the Northeast and suggesting that the two youngsters are no longer a match. Infuriated by the suggestion that Xiaoman is beneath them, Ding scolds Wenyuan and slams the phone down.
After picking Xiaoman up, Ding takes him to a bathhouse to wash away the past and gives him a new set of clothes to signify a fresh start. They visit Xiaoman’s grandmother’s old home before heading back to the Ding residence. To prevent Xiaoman from being hurt by the Yans' rejection, Ding quietly unplugs the phone line and tells Xiaoman that there is a time difference between Shanghai and the Northeast.
Xiaoman eventually discovers the disconnected line and asks for the truth. Ding admits to his argument with Wenyuan but reaffirms Xiaoman’s worth, telling the boy that in his eyes, he is the best there is. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Xiaodan and Xia Lei are left worried and confused when their calls to the Ding household repeatedly fail to go through.
