Shining For One Thing Episode 20 Recap
> Shining For One Thing Recap
With tears in her eyes, Lin Beixing tearfully declared her deep affection for Zhang Wansen, repeatedly shouting "I like you!" and asking if he could hear her. This was the smile she wanted him to see, even as she pondered if this was truly her last chance to save him. At the Nanchuan Zoo ticket booth, Lin Beixing scrolled through her phone, grappling with the weight of her decision.
Suddenly, Yang Chaoyang appeared, his usual cheerful demeanor giving way to a confession of emptiness after his performances, despite his success. Lin Beixing admitted her own heartache, unsure if she could save the person she desired to. She expressed her reluctance to live a life where she couldn't even voice her feelings.
Yang Chaoyang challenged her, asking if her love was more important than his life, suggesting that the "game rules" might have changed and encouraged her to take a chance. He also advised her to tell her best friend in senior year to stop being impulsive and learn to enjoy life instead of trying to become a crosstalk master at once.
With newfound determination, Lin Beixing deleted a message, resolving to save Zhang Wansen, believing they would soon find answers to what tomorrow and the future held. Returning to her first year of high school, Lin Beixing found herself in the rain, rushing to the art festival's harmonica performance rehearsal. Meanwhile, Zhang Wansen was typing a message that simply read "I like you." He hastily deleted it when he saw Lin Beixing enter the classroom.
Inside, Yang Chaoyang expressed his disinterest in the harmonica performance, preferring to perform crosstalk alone. His classmates accused him of being selfish and caring only about his own dreams, ignoring the collective effort. Feeling unjustly criticized, Yang Chaoyang stormed out. Lin Beixing followed him to his "secret hideout" in the bike shed. She acknowledged his discomfort, but also shared her own regrets about being distant in the past.
Lin Beixing explained that she used to be so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she couldn't see her friends, her future, or the people who cared for her. Now, with a second chance, she urged Yang Chaoyang to mature, advising him to enjoy his high school life rather than constantly striving for instant fame as a crosstalk master. She told him she believed in his success, asserting that no one knew his future better than she did.
After their conversation, Lin Beixing and Yang Chaoyang returned to the classroom, apologizing to their classmates and Mr. Zhang for the disruption. Lin Beixing affirmed her commitment to the rehearsal, and Yang Chaoyang declared his loyalty to Class 8. As Mr. Zhang distributed the music scores, Lin Beixing asked Zhang Wansen to teach her.
She felt a profound sense of relief seeing him again, resolving to accompany him through the college entrance examination and help him overcome any future regrets, even if she couldn't say "I like you." Later, on her way home, Lin Beixing saw her older brother, Lin Dahai, embroiled in an argument with furious customers who accused him of selling fake goat's milk powder that had worsened their health.
Lin Dahai desperately tried to placate them, claiming the product needed time to work and promising refunds and free home repairs. Lin Beixing stepped forward, apologizing to the elderly customers and revealing that Lin Dahai was her brother and had lied to them, confirming the goat's milk was fake. She advised them to consult doctors for their illnesses and discuss such purchases with their children.
Though the customers expressed worry about their money, Lin Beixing assured them she would ensure they received full refunds. When Lin Dahai's parents arrived, they harshly reprimanded him, demanding he stay home and reflect on his actions, questioning if he intended to cause them further distress. Lin Beixing firmly declared she would not allow such things to happen again. She later called the Nanchuan Bureau of Industry and Commerce to report his fraudulent activities.
Facing Lin Dahai, she expressed her sadness, telling him that despite their arguments, she, like their parents, acted for his own good. She questioned why he couldn't find a stable job after graduating and highlighted the potential harm his actions could inflict on their family and innocent people. Lin Beixing steadfastly told him that as long as she was around, she wouldn't permit him to harm anyone.
Later, Lin Beixing formally reintroduced herself to Zhang Wansen, stating her name, zodiac sign (Sagittarius), and personality. Zhang Wansen, in turn, identified himself as a student from Class 8, Grade 1, and surprisingly revealed he already knew her as a Cancer, a "little genius," and consistently the top student in their grade. He complimented her smile and expressed his pleasure in meeting her.
Lin Beixing then invited him to call on her if he needed help or encountered trouble, promising to assist him. She suggested they walk home together after school since their routes were similar. On the bus ride, she offered him her music player to listen to a new song she had downloaded.
Then, she spontaneously offered to teach him how to ride a bicycle, an activity she noted would improve his lung capacity for playing the harmonica, crucial for their performance. Zhang Wansen admitted he couldn't ride, and they agreed to meet the next day. The following morning, as Lin Beixing walked with her bicycle towards Zhang Wansen's house, she encountered Gao Ge arguing with Gao Guangming, the dean.
Gao Ge was trying to sneak out with her phone, which Gao Guangming confiscated, demanding she return home to study. Gao Ge defiantly declared she would do anything but homework. Lin Beixing intercepted Gao Ge, remarking on Gao Guangming, often called "Bright Summit" by students. She described his short temper and tendency to ambush students, but acknowledged that he was under stress managing mischievous students, which explained his disposition.
Observing a "National Youth Painting Competition" form in Gao Ge's hand, Lin Beixing advised her to improve communication with her father by starting with sharing her dreams. Later, Lin Beixing began teaching Zhang Wansen to ride his bike. She held the back of his bicycle, encouraging him to pedal confidently, promising to protect him. Zhang Wansen admitted he was nervous under her gaze, but Lin Beixing reassured him, telling him to relax and focus on balance.
She then let go and rode ahead herself. When she deliberately fell, Zhang Wansen instinctively rushed to help her, and to his surprise, found that he could now ride the bicycle on his own. Lin Beixing then led Zhang Wansen to a familiar lighthouse. Zhang Wansen remarked it was his first time seeing it and found it beautiful, but Lin Beixing playfully corrected him, hinting that he had been there before in her memory.
She explained that she came there often, and her feelings varied with each visit – sometimes sad, sometimes scared, sometimes simply drawn there without reason. She then declared that now, she felt no fear, but instead possessed the confidence and courage to face all troubles and prevent any unhappy or dangerous events from occurring.
She jokingly defined "dangerous things" as being scolded by teachers for not answering questions, punished by "Bright Summit" (Gao Guangming) for tardiness, or having parents called due to laziness. She invited Zhang Wansen to close his eyes and feel the wind. Lin Beixing then revealed that the lighthouse would be torn down in two years, urging him to cherish the present moment. Zhang Wansen, intrigued, asked how she knew, and she simply replied that she guessed.
Shyly, Zhang Wansen suggested they ride their bikes to school together the next day, and Lin Beixing happily agreed. The following morning, heavy rain poured down unexpectedly, forcing them to take the bus instead of cycling. They arrived at the school entrance, both realizing they had forgotten their raincoats in the study room, which was now locked.
As the rain showed no signs of stopping, Zhang Wansen told Lin Beixing to wait and suddenly ran towards the school store to retrieve an umbrella. Lin Beixing followed him, bumping into a girl holding a campus art festival flyer. In that instant, Lin Beixing recognized the scene from her previous memory of the hospital, realizing that Zhang Wansen had already typed the message "I like you" during their first year of high school.
A profound realization washed over her: every step she took towards him was giving him hope and the opportunity to say those words prematurely. She understood that the more she tried to prevent his disappointment, the less likely their ultimate outcome would change. Distraught, she wondered if her only recourse was to distance herself from him, further and further away.
