Pretty Man Episode 3 Recap
> Pretty Man Recap
Caught holding hands in the classroom, Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian were taken to Director Sun's office. Director Sun immediately accused them of dating, scoffing at Qiao Anhao's defense that they were merely studying. " When dating students are caught, they all use studying as excuse," he retorted, demanding to know Lu Jinnian's name. Upon learning Lu Jinnian was a new transfer student, Director Sun dismissed Qiao Anhao, intending to interrogate Lu Jinnian alone.
He aggressively questioned Lu Jinnian’s background, asking how someone with his apparent lack of connections could enter such a prestigious school. Lu Jinnian calmly stated his transfer paperwork was processed according to regulations, inviting Director Sun to verify it. Director Sun then pulled up Lu Jinnian's student file, revealing his mother, Lu Shan, had died by suicide six years prior from an overdose of sleeping pills, and that Lu Jinnian carried his mother's surname.
Enraged, Lu Jinnian yelled at him to "Shut up!" Director Sun, undeterred, insulted Lu Jinnian's upbringing, provoking Lu Jinnian to storm out. Outside, Qiao Anhao asked what happened, but Lu Jinnian curtly dismissed her, saying, "None of your business." Soon after, Director Sun called Han Ruchu, Xu Jiamu’s mother, to discuss Lu Jinnian. Han Ruchu, worried about Lu Jinnian's growing closeness to Xu Jiamu, especially after learning Lu Jinnian was teaching Xu Jiamu how to swim, demanded his expulsion.
She warned Director Sun that if Lu Jinnian wasn't expelled before the next school board meeting, his suggestions would be in jeopardy. Han Ruchu harbored a deep-seated resentment stemming from over a decade ago when Lu Jinnian required a bone marrow transplant. In a flashback, Lu Shan was seen desperately pleading with Xu Nian De to save their son, as her blood type didn't match. Xu Nian De arranged for a then five-year-old Xu Jiamu to be the donor.
Han Ruchu, furious, confronted Xu Nian De and Lu Shan at the hospital, accusing Xu Nian De of using her son to save "her son," questioning his humanity, and even challenging Lu Jinnian's paternity. After the successful surgery, she forcefully took Xu Jiamu home, venomously ordering Lu Shan to "Get lost. As far as possible. Don't take one step near the Xu family. Scram!" This bitter memory fueled her ongoing desire to remove Lu Jinnian from their lives.
The following day, Qiao Anhao, riding her bicycle to school, encountered Lu Jinnian again but accidentally fell and injured her foot. Lu Jinnian immediately rushed her to the infirmary. As she winced in pain, she leaned into his arms for comfort. He gently massaged her ankle, telling her it was just a minor dislocation and would heal soon. He then offered her some traditional family medicine to spray on the injury.
During the application of the medicine, an accidental close contact occurred, causing both to blush. Lu Jinnian then nervously rose to leave, making Qiao Anhao chuckle at his shyness. When the nurse presented the bill, Lu Jinnian insisted on paying, leading the nurse to playfully remark, "Your boyfriend already paid." Qiao Anhao, slightly flustered, muttered "Boyfriend." Lu Jinnian then offered to take her home since she couldn't return to school.
Back at her house, he piggybacked her upstairs and got her water before preparing to leave. He then apologized to her for his cold demeanor the previous night. Director Sun, still determined to oust Lu Jinnian, confronted him again. He presented a long hair he'd found on Lu Jinnian's shoulder as "proof" of dating, declaring Lu Jinnian a "pile of rat dung" that would ruin the school's image.
He announced the school board had already decided to expel Lu Jinnian, but then presented an ultimatum: either Lu Jinnian would be expelled, or Qiao Anhao would face the consequences. To protect Qiao Anhao, Lu Jinnian agreed to leave Fan Di High School. Meanwhile, Qiao Anhao, recuperating at home, received a text from Zhao Meng informing her of Lu Jinnian’s expulsion.
Xu Jiamu also learned of the expulsion from a school notice and went to find Lu Jinnian, expressing his disbelief and asking if it was due to the "rumor with Qiao Qiao." Unable to reach Lu Jinnian on her own phone, Qiao Anhao borrowed Auntie Sun’s phone and called him. Lu Jinnian, who had already begun looking for a new school, remained calm.
Qiao Anhao, despite her injury, offered to speak to Director Sun to resolve the situation, but Lu Jinnian told her not to interfere, promising to handle it himself and reiterating that she should rest and apply her medicine. Shortly after, Director Sun received an unexpected call from the Principal. The Principal informed him that Lu Jinnian had won first place in the International Mathematical Olympiad, emphasizing that such a talent should not be expelled.
The Principal ordered Director Sun to cancel the expulsion and issue only a demerit. Director Sun, reluctantly, called Lu Jinnian to inform him he was no longer expelled and could return to Fan Di High School. Xu Jiamu cheered at the news. However, Han Ruchu, upon hearing of Lu Jinnian's reinstatement, was undeterred. She planned to expose his identity and background, ensuring that even if he stayed, his time at Fan Di High School would be far from easy.
At a school assembly, Director Sun lectured students against premature dating, then called Lu Jinnian to the stage for a public self-criticism. Lu Jinnian, speaking to the entire school, declared, "I, Lu Jin Nian, and Classmate Qiao An Hao are nothing but ordinary classmates." Qiao Anhao, watching from the audience, felt a pang of sadness, realizing he saw her only as an ordinary classmate.
Later, Lin Qianqian confronted Qiao Anhao, urging her to pursue Lu Jinnian and stay away from Xu Jiamu, whom Lin Qianqian claimed to love. Qiao Anhao responded indifferently, once again stating that she and Lu Jinnian were "only ordinary classmates." Lu Jinnian overheard this, misinterpreting her words and believing she genuinely harbored feelings for Xu Jiamu, which caused him significant emotional pain.
The school then announced its plans for a "Romeo and Juliet" play for the upcoming school celebration, requiring students with good English to participate. When a classmate suggested Lu Jinnian, who excelled in English, he expressed disinterest. Xu Jiamu, however, volunteered to play Romeo and asked Lu Jinnian to help him practice his lines, to which Lu Jinnian agreed. Qiao Anhao later volunteered to play Juliet.
During rehearsals, Lu Jinnian observed Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu, concluding that they were perfectly compatible, and decided he should quietly wish them happiness. Before the performance, Qiao Anhao tried on her Juliet costume, a beautiful, tailored dress that stunned both Xu Jiamu and Lu Jinnian. Xu Jiamu praised her beauty, while Zhao Meng declared she was "prettier than the Four Dan Actresses," predicting she would become a school celebrity.
However, Lin Qianqian, fueled by jealousy, sabotaged Qiao Anhao's costume in the makeup room, tearing it before the show. Zhao Meng immediately suspected Lin Qianqian, remembering she had been there earlier helping with makeup. Resourceful, Lu Jinnian quickly tore down a curtain to fashion a new, makeshift dress for Qiao Anhao.
Simultaneously, Lin Qianqian locked Xu Jiamu in the bathroom, declaring he would not be Qiao Anhao's lover, despite Xu Jiamu's frantic pleas to be let out so he wouldn't miss the performance.
