Shining For One Thing Episode 23 Recap
> Shining For One Thing Recap
Lin Beixing reflected that the whole ordeal was finally over. Back at school, she seemed preoccupied, though she denied it when a classmate inquired. She then heard Zhang Wansen confirm his plans to go abroad soon, having already submitted his application. When she asked him about his decision, Zhang Wansen coldly stated that his travel plans were none of her business, echoing her past words.
Alone, Lin Beixing bitterly thought that Zhang Wansen must truly hate her now, and she should be satisfied. Lin Beixing visited Yang Chaoyang at their secret hideout, confessing she simply wanted his company. Yang Chaoyang, however, immediately suspected it was about Zhang Wansen's imminent departure, urging her to seize the chance before their relationship ended.
Lin Beixing then posed a curious question to him: if she were to become someone entirely different one day, would he still be willing to be her friend? Yang Chaoyang expressed confusion, noting she already seemed like a different person. Meanwhile, Lin Beixing was grappling with her own complex situation; she had inexplicably returned to her freshman year of high school, years before tragic events, hoping to right Zhang Wansen's past regrets.
Yet, she discovered a painful paradox: every effort to protect him and prevent him from saying "I like you" prematurely only seemed to solidify their destined ending. She realized her best course of action was to keep her distance, even if it meant pushing him away with harsh words, hoping he would hate her, believing danger would befall him otherwise. It became clear that Zhang Wansen was already aware of Lin Beixing's secret.
Days earlier, he had discovered her dropped diary. Through its pages, he learned of her incredible journey back to high school and understood the true intention behind her every act of distancing and every harsh word.
Her journal revealed her belief that every step she took toward him could prematurely lead him to say "I like you," and that her attempts to avert a tragic outcome required her to push him away, hoping he would come to despise her for his own safety. Reading these profound revelations, Zhang Wansen was overwhelmed with emotion, weeping uncontrollably in an empty classroom. Zhan Yu, learning of Zhang Wansen's impending departure, offered to host a farewell party.
Zhang Wansen casually dismissed Lin Beixing as merely a classmate when Zhan Yu inquired if he had "given up" on her. Spotting Gao Ge and Yang Chaoyang together, Zhan Yu extended the invitation to them as well. Zhang Wansen appeared awkward, trying to leave and asserting that he and Gao Ge were "just friends." Zhan Yu insisted on the party. Zhan Yu then asked if Lin Beixing should be invited, to which Zhang Wansen emphatically replied, "No need.
It's better not to invite her. I simply dislike her." That night, Lin Beixing called Yang Chaoyang, asking him to deliver a cake she had bought for Zhang Wansen's farewell party. Yang Chaoyang insisted she deliver it herself, believing it would be more impactful coming from her personally, despite Zhang Wansen not having invited her. Lin Beixing, though reluctant, agreed. The next day, at the party, Lin Beixing, disguised in a mascot costume, presented the cake.
Zhang Wansen remarked on its ugliness and inquired if she had written on it. Just then, Lin Beixing tripped, sending the cake crashing onto Zhang Wansen's clothes. Removing her mascot head, she immediately apologized for the accident. Zhang Wansen, however, was not appeased.
He bitterly asked Lin Beixing if she enjoyed toying with him, recalling her past words that his efforts were in vain, and now she treated him as if he were a mere clown, summoned and dismissed at her whim. Despite friends trying to mediate, he remained angry. Lin Beixing attempted to make amends by suggesting they all celebrate Christmas together. But Zhang Wansen rejected the offer, stating he wasn't interested and was leaving.
Lin Beixing desperately tried to remind him of his past wish to see the first snow with her, asking, "Won't we see the first snow together?" but Zhang Wansen walked away, leaving her heartbroken. News reports circulated about Nanchuan police cracking down on criminal gangs, with one individual, Mr. Lei, having died in a fire. Lin Dahai, seemingly relieved, cheerfully told Lin Beixing about Mr. Lei's death, expressing his belief that they no longer needed to involve the police.
Lin Beixing remained silent, her mind elsewhere, as she left for school. Unbeknownst to her, Zhang Wansen was already aware of the situation. Further news confirmed Mr. Lei's death in a factory fire, noting the discovery of a pink rabbit hair tie at the scene, suspected to be the culprit's evidence. Zhang Wansen, holding an identical hair tie, was deep in thought.
After receiving a call from his mother, who eagerly inquired about his arrival and expressed how much she and his father missed him, Zhang Wansen made a crucial decision: he informed his mother he would no longer be going abroad. After his decision not to go abroad, Zhang Wansen learned from a doctor that his mother's tumor had metastasized, a characteristic of malignant tumors, though recovery was possible with chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, at her own home, Lin Beixing's parents tried to reassure her, urging her to go back to school and insisting her mother was fine. Lin Beixing, however, was consumed by guilt. She believed her actions had disrupted everything and that the only way to restore order was for her to disappear from the world. She resigned herself to the idea that the long-awaited first snow, which she might never see, would forever remain a profound regret.
Despite forecasts of a rare warm winter, news reported a significant temperature drop and the likelihood of the season's first snowfall starting the following night. The next day, Zhang Wansen, seeing his ID and the pink hair tie, and hearing a news report predicting the season's first snowfall would arrive starting that night, decided to join the gathering at the beach.
Lin Beixing, Gao Ge, and Yang Chaoyang were already there, waiting for the elusive "Milky Way-like glowing beach" and the first snow, which Lin Beixing had promised them. Zhang Wansen arrived, feigning to deliver Gao Ge's forgotten drawing board. After some conversation about the absence of both the glowing beach and the snow, Zhang Wansen suggested they collect shells, a seemingly childish idea that he surprisingly agreed to when teased.
As the night progressed, Zhang Wansen told Lin Beixing he felt different, perhaps because he was leaving tomorrow, putting him in an especially good mood. When she asked if he was truly leaving the next day, he expressed his regret that he wouldn't be able to wait for the snow with her. He urged her to focus on her own life and to go do her own thing, which she promised to do obediently.
The following morning, Lin Dahai informed Lin Beixing that the police had called, requesting her presence at the station. He revealed that a boy, carrying a pink rabbit hair tie, had turned himself in. Lin Dahai further disclosed that the incriminating evidence against Mr. Lei hadn't come from Dashunzi, but from this same boy, who had specifically asked him not to tell Lin Beixing.
Lin Beixing rushed to the police station, but was told the case was closed, the true culprit identified, and the boy who self-confessed was not the murderer and had already left. Frantically, Lin Beixing tried to reach Zhang Wansen by phone. It was revealed that Mr. Lei's death was the result of retaliation, as he had attempted to frame Mr. Fei for his own criminal activities.
Zhang Wansen, unaware of the full context, had mistakenly interpreted the dropped pink rabbit hair tie as evidence linking Lin Beixing to the crime, prompting his self-confession to protect her. A flashback also revealed Zhang Wansen himself had previously provided the police with evidence against Mr. Lei, insisting that Lin Beixing not be informed of his actions. Lin Beixing rushed to the school, finding a bookmark from her diary tucked into Zhang Wansen's desk.
It was then she fully understood: he had known her secret plan all along. Overwhelmed, she realized the depth of his selflessness, questioning why he always went to such lengths to save her, making her feel like a fool. She felt perpetually a step behind him, her own efforts paling in comparison to his constant protection. Urged by Gao Ge, she raced to the airport, where she spotted Zhang Wansen on the verge of boarding. Tears streaming down her face, Lin Beixing choked out "Sorry." Zhang Wansen looked back at her, and with sincere resolve, finally uttered the words, "I like you."
