Please Classmate Episode 18 Recap
> Please Classmate Recap
Ms. Hua arrived with a stack of fan letters for Ye Jingxi, asking if he was prepared for the upcoming school semester, to which he replied he was almost ready. Ye Jingxi picked up a fan letter from his desk and read it aloud, amused by a fan who had invented various watermelon dishes like Watermelon sashimi, Watermelon broth, and Watermelon mixed with watermelon, because they felt guilty eating watermelon as a "watermelon" (fan).
He insisted on replying to each letter personally as they represented his fans' heartfelt support. Ms. Hua suggested a fan appreciation event, explaining that after recent events, it was crucial for him to show his fans he cared. Ye Jingxi, however, declined, feeling he was unworthy of their affection.
He declared his intention to diligently prepare for the Gaokao and the music major's professional exam to gain admission to Haixing Conservatory of Music, aspiring to become a professional musician to reciprocate his fans' love. Ms. Hua then proposed he consider Austria Lakeside Music School instead, as she believed its focus on classical theory at Haixing Conservatory of Music was not suitable for him, and the Austrian school better fit his profile.
She urged him to think carefully to avoid regrets, reminding him that true friendships withstand time and distance and that his friends' pursuit of their dreams should inspire him. On the first day of the new semester, Miss Luo informed the class that Pan Hao had transferred during the winter break. She reminded the students that the Gaokao was less than six months away, emphasizing the critical importance of these few months for their future.
She advised them to set aside anything unrelated to the exam. After class, Ye Jingxi approached Yuan Caixi, asking if she would go abroad if given the chance and to consider her answer carefully. Yuan Caixi admitted she hadn't thought about it and explained that her family's financial situation wouldn't permit studying abroad, nor could she leave her mother and younger brother. Ye Jingxi pressed her to consider it purely from her own perspective, without external factors.
He suggested she research European finance colleges. Yuan Caixi left, pondering the idea of "Europe." Meanwhile, Mr. Bai discussed the upcoming fifteenth Haiwen Junior Championships with Li He, highlighting its importance. Excelling in the preliminaries and finishing in the top three of the finals would qualify one for a national second level athlete certificate, which is essential for applying as a high-level athlete.
When asked if he was confident, Li He declared himself the city-level long-distance running champion, certain he would succeed and promising to work hard. Later, Li He visited Yuan Caixi, bringing her sticky rice balls his father had made, which he thought she would like. He also sought her out just to see her again. Yuan Caixi then asked him where he would go if he had a chance to go abroad.
Li He initially mentioned Jinling, the hometown of Olympic long-distance running champion Wan Yunxia. He then added Ethiopia, naming Kenenisa Bekele as an African long-distance running champion. He expressed that running made him feel free and he wanted to push the limits of his own speed and distance. He asked Yuan Caixi if she would run with him.
When she replied she wasn't a fast runner, he offered to carry her on his back, promising he would never leave her behind as long as he could still run. After a brief interaction with her family where Yuan Caixi's mother shared a story about her honeymoon in Thailand, implying the company was more important than the destination, Yuan Caixi reflected on this sentiment.
Ye Jingxi visited Bawan, who was working late, to announce his decision to hold a fan appreciation event. He confided in Bawan that Ms. Hua had secured him a spot in a European school and he would soon be studying abroad. Before leaving, he wanted one last chance to fight for himself and use the event to confess his true feelings to Yuan Caixi. Bawan warned him that success was highly unlikely, estimating a 99% chance of failure.
Ye Jingxi responded that perhaps he just needed a definitive outcome to finally give up. Ning Zeyu's mother prevented him from attending Ye Jingxi's fan appreciation event, reminding him of the impending Gaokao, so he sent a message to his classmates expressing his regrets. The "Ye Jingxi 2020 concert" was a lively affair, with enthusiastic fans taking photos with a cardboard cutout of Ye Jingxi. Li He, engrossed in his training, also missed the event.
Before beginning his performance, Ye Jingxi thanked his classmates from Sen Yong High, Class 2 Grade 3, for making his final year of high school and his nineteenth year joyful. He then addressed a "particular person" (Yuan Caixi), recalling their childhood.
He acknowledged that while she might have thought he was protecting her, she was the only one who supported and encouraged him when everyone else saw him as fat and silly, helping him overcome his insecurities and bravely pursue his dreams. He asked for one last "whim" to fight for himself. As Ye Jingxi sang, Yuan Caixi seemed lost in childhood memories. Midway through the performance, she quietly left the venue.
After finishing his training, Li He received an urgent message from Lin Chuan about Ye Jingxi's dramatic confession at the fan appreciation event, prompting him to rush to the venue. Meanwhile, after the event concluded, Ye Jingxi remained on stage, hoping for Yuan Caixi's return. Yuan Caixi did return, telling Ye Jingxi that his song was beautiful. Ye Jingxi revealed that Ms. Hua had found him the best music school abroad and that he was leaving soon.
He then asked Yuan Caixi to study abroad with him, offering to cover her tuition costs. Yuan Caixi politely declined, explaining that despite her desire for a good university and a lucrative career, she could not leave her family. She reiterated her mother's sentiment from their earlier conversation: the destination is not as important as "who you're with." Yuan Caixi then returned a necklace to Ye Jingxi.
Distraught, Ye Jingxi threw the necklace away, declaring that if she didn't want it, he wouldn't give it to anyone else, so it was better discarded. He then bid her farewell. Li He arrived at the venue to find Han Yayi, Lin Chuan, Jiang Yuan, and Yun Xiang waiting. They told him about Ye Jingxi's romantic gesture, playing a song specially written for Yuan Caixi in front of everyone. Just then, Yuan Caixi emerged.
She clarified to Li He and their friends that she and Ye Jingxi had only been discussing his plans to study music in Austria. Han Yayi was shocked to hear about Ye Jingxi's imminent departure. Li He visibly relaxed, much to Lin Chuan’s amusement, who teased him for his obvious anxiety. As Li He walked Yuan Caixi home, he made her promise never to leave without telling him and always to seek his approval if she planned to go anywhere.
Yuan Caixi, affectionately calling him "World Champion," playfully assured him she wasn't going anywhere and simply wanted to go home and sleep. Li He then urged her to trust him completely.
