Ping Pong Episode 16 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
Zhang Caiwei found herself deeply affected by what she believed was a "love letter" attached to the chocolate Yu Kenan had given her. Encouraged by her roommate, Xiao Jun, who was excitedly preparing for a date with her "badminton guy" and teasing Zhang Caiwei for her procrastination in love, Zhang Caiwei decided to confront Yu Kenan. She found him at the training center, accompanied by Xu Tan, who was also heading there.
Upon seeing her, Yu Kenan, preoccupied with his upcoming promotion and relegation match, was visibly annoyed and asked why she was looking for him, stating he needed to train. When Zhang Caiwei offered to share her experience from previous matches, Yu Kenan brushed her off, claiming the men's and women's teams were different and he didn't need her advice. Growing increasingly frustrated, Zhang Caiwei pressed him about the chocolate he sent and "the thing stuffed inside."
Yu Kenan innocently replied that the chocolate was for her to eat, and the other item was simply to make her feel more comfortable, with no hidden meaning. Infuriated, Zhang Caiwei accused him of toying with her and stormed off. Later, she confided in Xiao Jun, expressing her anger that Yu Kenan wouldn't admit to writing the "love letter" she was convinced he sent. Xiao Jun, however, still found it hard to believe Yu Kenan would act that way.
Lei Lei was facing academic challenges with her upcoming college entrance exam. Her mock exam results in science subjects were not ideal, leading her teachers to suggest she consider art exams as an alternative path. She wanted to consult her father, Lei Cheng, but he was in a meeting where the eight-man roster for the Second team's promotion and relegation competition was being announced. Yu Kenan placed first, and Xu Tan was seventh, showing significant improvement.
Unable to take Lei Lei's calls during the meeting, Lei Cheng later found her phone turned off, which worried him. He asked Xu Tan to go to his house to check on her. Xu Tan waited outside Lei Lei's home for a long time before she finally returned. Lei Lei explained that her teachers were pushing her towards art exam training, which she found tedious, and revealed her true desire to switch from science to liberal arts.
Xu Tan encouraged her to follow her heart, echoing her own advice to him, and told her to simply talk to her father directly about it. Lei Lei, in turn, motivated Xu Tan to strive for the First team, citing Lei Cheng's belief in his potential. As Xu Tan was leaving, he tried to subtly bring up the topic of the "chocolate" again, still hoping to clarify the misunderstanding.
However, Lei Lei again misinterpreted his question, assuming he was asking about the cold medicine he had previously given her, and replied that she hadn't needed it yet, leaving Xu Tan utterly confused. With her feelings released, Zhang Caiwei found it hard to simply retract them. Following Xiao Jun's mischievous suggestion, Zhang Caiwei borrowed Xiao Jun's boyfriend to stage a scene. They walked past Yu Kenan, acting intimately.
Yu Kenan was visibly shocked and returned to his dorm unsettled, sulking all night. The following morning during training, a restless Yu Kenan approached Xu Tan, pacing anxiously. He hypothetically asked Xu Tan if a girl would like him if he gave her a box of chocolate and she didn't respond.
Xu Tan, reflecting on his own lingering uncertainty about the chocolate-related misunderstanding with Lei Lei and her lack of explicit rejection, thoughtfully replied that she likely did, as she hadn't explicitly said no. Yu Kenan then wondered aloud if he should be more proactive. The next day, Yu Kenan, driven by his renewed determination, went directly to the women's dorm to find Zhang Caiwei.
Xiao Jun, ecstatic, rushed back to brief Zhang Caiwei, reiterating her advice to stay calm, maintain a high stance, and wait for Yu Kenan to confess first. Yu Kenan led Zhang Caiwei to a quieter spot and immediately confronted her about the boy from the previous night, displaying obvious jealousy. He expressed concern about violating team rules, asking why they were "flaunting so ostentatiously."
When Zhang Caiwei finally revealed that the boy was Xiao Jun's boyfriend, Yu Kenan was secretly relieved. He then directly asked Zhang Caiwei, "Do you like me?" Zhang Caiwei, still confused by the "love letter," retorted, accusing him of writing "that nonsense" and then asking if she liked him. Yu Kenan denied writing the letter, pointing out the "ugly" handwriting wasn't his and adding that he would never write a love letter to someone he truly liked.
Realizing the misunderstanding, Zhang Caiwei felt foolish and turned to leave, but Yu Kenan pursued her, embraced her from behind, and confessed his feelings. Fu Jingchun continued his intense training for the promotion and relegation match, pushing himself despite a significant leg injury, of which he was unaware of its true severity. Mr Zheng, who was secretly aware of Fu Jingchun's cartilage injury, maintained a strict demeanor but was deeply pained to see him train so hard.
He personally applied medicine to Fu Jingchun's ankle, asking him to endure the discomfort. Fu Jingchun, feeling uncertain about the upcoming match, suggested making up for missed training, believing it would boost his confidence. However, Mr Zheng advised him to prioritize rest and adjust his mindset, emphasizing that a few extra training sessions wouldn't change his performance. Fu Jingchun admitted his lack of confidence against the First team players, especially with his injury.
Mr Zheng, with a heavy heart, reassured Fu Jingchun, telling him that regardless of his injury or the outcome, he would always be "number one" to him. Discussions among the players about the upcoming promotion and relegation match were rife. While some considered Fu Jingchun and Yu Kenan the strongest contenders for the First team, others identified Xu Tan as a potential dark horse, acknowledging his rapid improvement.
There was a general consensus on the difficulty of getting into the First team, with a reminder that even the First team's lowest-ranked players were formidable, and historically, it was even common for none of the Second team players to advance. After his confession, Yu Kenan's mood was exceptionally good, and he and Zhang Caiwei officially started their relationship.
Earlier, Fu Jingchun and Yu Kenan had wished each other good luck, with Fu Jingchun joking about Yu Kenan's "daydreaming" of challenging Kang Ning for the top spot in the First team, while admitting his own ambition to do the same.
The night before the competition, Yu Kenan and Zhang Caiwei, fresh in their new love, exchanged text messages all night, which led to Yu Kenan arriving at the promotion and relegation match with a poor mental state and lack of concentration, a fact Teng Biao quickly noticed with concern. Meanwhile, Xiao Jun, who had been instrumental in bringing Yu Kenan and Zhang Caiwei together, found herself facing a difficult decision.
She confessed to Zhang Caiwei that she was returning to Team Zhejiang because she found the intensity and pressure of the national team's First team too overwhelming. Unlike Zhang Caiwei, who had a clear goal of winning championships, Xiao Jun felt she couldn't keep up with the demanding pace despite her best efforts. This decision meant she would be separated from her "badminton guy," her boyfriend. Zhang Caiwei listened sympathetically as Xiao Jun expressed her yearning to go home.
In other news, Xu Tan received a call from Lei Lei, who happily informed him that Lei Cheng had agreed to her transfer to liberal arts and thanked Xu Tan for his encouragement. Xu Tan felt a slight deflation, as the chocolate misunderstanding still lingered, but didn't press the issue. Lei Lei also wished Xu Tan luck for the promotion and relegation match, promising him a lamb spine hot pot if he made it into the First team.
On the day of the promotion and relegation competition, the rules were announced, with Teng Biao in charge of recording results and a strict warning against falsification. Despite the team's initial positive outlook with a 70% win rate in other matches, Yu Kenan's first match saw him unexpectedly lose two-nil to Zhai Jia Chen, an opponent he typically would not lose to, further alarming Teng Biao about his unusual performance.
