Please Classmate Episode 20 Recap
> Please Classmate Recap
Li He asked Ning Zeyu what was troubling Yuan Caixi today. Ning Zeyu explained that it was Yuan Caixi's father's birthday. Her parents had shared a deep bond, and to spare her mother sadness, they only celebrated his birthday, not his death anniversary. Every year on this day, both Yuan Caixi and Yuan Haoxi made sure to come home so their mother wouldn't feel lonely. Ning Zeyu assured Li He that Yuan Caixi’s mood wasn't due to him.
Yuan Haoxi, who was only four when his father passed away, admitted he remembered nothing about him. He asked Yuan Caixi to tell him more. Yuan Caixi led him to an old storage area and retrieved a box. The password to a locked compartment was their parents’ wedding anniversary. They looked through old photographs, with Yuan Haoxi seeing himself as a baby.
Yuan Haoxi then wanted to read his father’s diary, but Yuan Caixi initially hesitated, fearing it would only cause more sadness and wasn't useful now. Yuan Haoxi insisted, wanting to understand what his father had experienced. He read a diary entry from March 1, 2008, where his father recounted a doctor’s suspicion of leukemia and his own symptoms: poor appetite, dizziness, fatigue, and persistent bruises.
His father noted that his wife, Yanan, tried to comfort him by saying they would overcome it, but he felt she was mainly comforting herself. Soon after, Yuan Caixi’s mother entered, understanding Yuan Haoxi’s need to connect with his father. She assured him that his father was the kindest, most responsible, and best dad, and the most handsome man in her heart, before opening an old computer.
Upon returning home, Li He hugged his father, who was cooking, expressing how wonderful it was to have his parents around. His father playfully pushed him away. Li He then sat with his mother and asked how his father had comforted her when her grandfather died. He explained that a good friend's father had passed away, and he was unsure how to offer comfort.
His mother told him that the loss of a loved one brings immense sorrow, and often, words of comfort are insufficient. She advised him to simply be present, avoid prying questions, try to distract her, or cook her favorite foods. Li He's mother then correctly guessed he was referring to Yuan Caixi, asking what "Monitor" liked to eat. Li He listed chicken wings, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and cabbage, marveling at his mother's insight.
Later, Yuan Haoxi noticed bruises on Yuan Caixi's arm. Recalling the symptoms from their father's diary, he worried she might have leukemia. Yuan Caixi playfully dismissed his fears, asserting she would live longer than him. However, her own symptoms deeply concerned her. She secretly went to the infirmary and described her poor appetite, dizziness, frequent falls, and persistent bruises to the teacher, pretending it was for a friend.
When she mentioned the "friend's" father died of leukemia, the teacher explained that while leukemia isn't hereditary, a family history puts one at high risk. The teacher strongly recommended a check-up at a major hospital if the symptoms persisted. Back in the classroom, Han Yayi asked to borrow Yuan Caixi’s math paper. Already in a foul mood, Yuan Caixi refused, telling her to do her own work.
Han Yayi, used to borrowing it, ignored her and reached for the paper, causing Yuan Caixi to snap in anger. Yuan Caixi stormed out, and Li He followed her, asking what was wrong. She vaguely said "nothing" and mentioned his upcoming competition. Li He insisted on knowing what was troubling her, and she admitted her mind felt chaotic. After a brief conversation, she returned to the classroom. She apologized to Han Yayi for her outburst, attributing it to stress.
Han Yayi, in return, offered her a strawberry milk and promised to bring a whole box from home, noting that sweet food can alleviate stress. Yuan Caixi expressed gratitude for her friends. At the library, Yuan Caixi struggled to reach a book on a high shelf. Ning Zeyu, seeing her, helped her retrieve it. He noticed the book's title, "Secrets of Blood." Yuan Caixi, realizing he saw the title, said she wouldn't borrow it and turned to leave.
Ning Zeyu, looking at her back, then directly confronted her, asking if her father had died of leukemia. He revealed that Han Yayi had told him about Yuan Caixi's recent poor appetite and multiple fainting spells. Yuan Caixi denied it, insisting she had been talking about a friend earlier and telling him not to make wild guesses. Ning Zeyu gently took her hand, pointing out bruises on her arm and asking if she had them elsewhere.
Yuan Caixi called his name loudly, upset. Ning Zeyu then pulled her away. As they walked, she pleaded with him not to tell Li He, emphasizing Li He’s upcoming competition and stating that her own condition was not important. Ning Zeyu agreed to keep her secret, but only until the end of the month, warning that if she didn't go to the hospital by then, he would inform those who needed to know.
After this conversation, Ning Zeyu and Yuan Caixi met Li He, who then escorted Yuan Caixi home and told her he would pick her up and drop her off for school from that day forward. Lin Chuan happened to pass by and witnessed Ning Zeyu and Yuan Caixi's close conversation. Later, he called Li He, unsure whether to reveal what he saw. Li He missed the initial call but called back.
Lin Chuan, unable to hold it in, told Li He about seeing Yuan Caixi and Ning Zeyu speaking intimately near the library. Li He dismissed his concerns, explaining that Yuan Caixi had already told him she went to ask Ning Zeyu about a math problem concerning piecewise functions. He firmly believed Yuan Caixi would not lie to him. Lin Chuan sighed, mentally calling Li He naive.
The next morning, Yuan Caixi left home half an hour earlier than usual, hoping to avoid Li He. However, Ning Zeyu, anticipating her attempt to evade Li He, was already waiting near her house. He commented on her early departure, noting that she had clearly intended to avoid Li He. He then offered to carry her bag, which she declined.
