Shining For One Thing Episode 17 Recap
> Shining For One Thing Recap
Lin Beixing sat at breakfast, lost in thought. Her mother chided her for being in a daze, warning her to take care of herself, as her mother couldn't accompany her forever. Lin Beixing inquired about her mother's medical examination report, but her mother assured her she was fine, urging Lin Beixing to find a job or travel once her mood improved. Lin Beixing, however, stated her intention to meet the Curator and ask to be reinstated at the zoo.
At the zoo, Lin Beixing humbly admitted her past naivety and requested another chance, promising to work diligently. The Curator acknowledged that emotional setbacks weren't inherently bad but emphasized they were no excuse to shirk responsibility. She agreed to let Lin Beixing return, starting as a ticket seller with a halved salary this month and unpaid overtime for two days, and required her to check the zoo after closing.
Lin Beixing accepted, explaining to a colleague that she had suddenly realized the inherent meaning in every job. A new zookeeper, Chen Yichen, approached the ticket office with a cockatiel that repeatedly chirped "I like you." He introduced himself to Lin Beixing, who was working at the ticket office. Chen Yichen, new to the job after Lin Beixing's recent return due to family matters, admitted his lack of familiarity with zookeeping and sought her guidance.
He expressed his boredom with the job, which mainly involved routine feeding, wishing for more interaction with animals, noting only the cockatiel offered any interest with its limited phrase. Later, Chen Yichen mistakenly tried to buy tickets from Lin Beixing. He then gave her a ticket, inviting her to accompany him through the zoo after closing, suggesting it would help him learn the routes while she conducted her checks. Lin Beixing agreed.
As Lin Beixing accompanied Chen Yichen through the zoo, he remarked on the zoo's animals, pointing out how the seemingly cute tigers became aggressive during feeding times. Looking at the tigers, Lin Beixing recalled the time Zhang Wansen had embraced and protected her. Chen Yichen shared his ambition to use the zoo job as a stepping stone to become a qualified veterinarian.
He then told Lin Beixing that he found her "quite charming" and "liked her," suggesting their encounter might be fate, much like the parrot saying "I like you." Lin Beixing gravely responded that "love shouldn't be said easily," and mused on the theory of relativity, noting that from the same spot, they could both look up and see the same moon. Upon returning home, Lin Beixing discovered her parents discussing her mother's medical results.
Although her parents tried to hide the severity of the diagnosis and downplayed it as a minor swelling, Lin Beixing saw the medical record indicating "bone tumor." Her parents quickly reassured her it was a small, routine surgery with no danger, which her father would accompany her to. Lin Beixing, however, insisted on accompanying her mother herself.
Back in her room, Lin Beixing recalled Zhang Wansen's words encouraging her to be strong, and she smiled, cheering herself up, believing tomorrow would be a new day. Later, Lin Beixing's mother spoke to her, reflecting on how she always believed Lin Beixing was fearless but had now seen her vulnerability and timidity. She gently encouraged Lin Beixing not to be nervous, reassuring her that "Tomorrow is approaching. Yes. Tomorrow is approaching. Tomorrow will be a new day."
At the late-night repair shop, Maizi took over from the owner, Wang, who was struggling with a screw. Wang, visibly older, expressed his fatigue and admitted he would have closed the shop long ago if not for Maizi's presence. He praised Maizi as a rare, diligent, and hardworking young man. Maizi replied that he felt obligated to work, given that Wang allowed him to live there. As Wang left, he advised Maizi not to read too late.
Soon after, Zhan Yu arrived in his car, asking if it could be maintained. Maizi agreed, noticing Zhan Yu had been drinking. Zhan Yu emphasized that the car was for his upcoming wedding and warned Maizi not to damage it. Maizi assured him the car would be fine and wished him a happy wedding. The zoo's prized talking cockatiel, its "treasure," mysteriously went missing.
The Curator, furious, confronted Lin Beixing, holding her responsible as the last person to check the premises. Lin Beixing protested her innocence, but the Curator blamed her for mismanagement. Chen Yichen stepped forward, accepting shared responsibility as he had checked with Lin Beixing. The Curator then ordered them to find or buy an identical talking parrot. Lin Beixing, declining Chen Yichen's offer to help, stated she would search for one alone.
Lin Beixing went to a market, visiting a bird shop in search of a talking parrot. The seller showed her two cockatiels for fifteen yuan each, explaining that teaching them to speak, even simple phrases like "hello," required months of patient, continuous effort, and a phrase like "I like you" would take over a year. At that moment, the distinctive phrase "I like you" was heard. Maizi walked past Lin Beixing, carrying the very same cockatiel.
It was revealed that Zhang Wansen had carefully taught this parrot to say "I like you" specifically to confess his feelings to Lin Beixing. An acquaintance accompanying Maizi taunted him, suggesting he should say "I like you" to Lin Beixing directly rather than teaching a parrot. Maizi, taking the parrot, remarked that he would take it home, acknowledging the great effort someone had put into teaching it.
Lin Beixing, unable to find a parrot that could speak immediately, declined the seller's offer. Lin Beixing reported to the Curator that she couldn't find a talking parrot. The Curator then showed her blurry CCTV footage that nonetheless revealed the parrot thief: Maizi from Wang's Repair Shop. The Curator wanted to call the police, but Lin Beixing asserted she could find him herself. She went to Wang's Repair Shop and found Maizi being brutally beaten by several men.
They mocked his current studious demeanor, challenging him to fight back, and threatened to return daily until he retaliated. Lin Beixing rushed to Maizi's side and called for an ambulance, identifying herself as his family member to the paramedics. As she tended to him, the parrot, still repeating "I like you," was nearby. Amidst the chaos, Lin Beixing noticed a photograph of Maizi and Zhang Wansen, with "2020" inscribed on the back.
Later, Lin Beixing brought the photo to the repair shop owner, asking if he could authenticate its age. He found it difficult without Maizi's input, but after Lin Beixing explained Maizi was unconscious in the hospital, he re-examined it. He confirmed the "2020" inscription but noted it appeared to be scribbled randomly. Based on the wear and tear of the photo paper, he concluded it was at least a decade old.
Slightly disappointed, Lin Beixing thanked him and then asked if he could repair her old, broken mobile phone. Later, at her mother's hospital bedside, Lin Beixing looked at her old phone, where a message from Zhang Wansen displayed: "I am Zhang Wansen. Do you remember me?" Lin Beixing's mother spoke to her, tearfully confessing her own fear about the upcoming surgery, despite having bravely gone through childbirth.
She spoke of the inevitability of parents growing old and eventually leaving their children, expressing her desire for Lin Beixing to live a happy, fulfilling life without regret, and to be brave in pursuing love. Holding her mother's hand, Lin Beixing cried. The family then accompanied her mother to the operating room. Inside, Lin Beixing observed Maizi, still in a coma, which deepened her sorrow. A doctor later reported that Maizi remained unconscious but his vital signs were stable.
Fortunately, Lin Beixing's mother's surgery was a success. Her father diligently cared for her mother, feeding her and bantering about her recovery, which brought a faint smile to Lin Beixing's face. Sitting in the hospital corridor, Lin Beixing gazed at Zhang Wansen's message on her phone. The moment her finger pressed the delete button, she was abruptly transported back to the day after the college entrance examination, amidst a heavy rain. She saw Zhang Wansen standing behind her.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a run, embracing him tightly in the downpour. " Zhang Wansen," she confessed, "I like you. I like you very much." Yet, the bewildering question echoed in her mind, "Zhang Wansen, why? Why did I come back after I saved him?" After this brief, intense encounter, Lin Beixing found herself back in the hospital, mechanically uttering Zhang Wansen's name, the loop of her journey seemingly unfinished.
