Somewhere Only We Know Episode 1 Recap
> Somewhere Only We Know Recap
During a Marxism exam at Donghu University, a paper was thrown towards Xue Tong. The invigilator, Mu Chenghe, who had been observing her, accused her of cheating. He presented an invigilation results certificate and instructed her to sign it. Xue Tong vehemently denied the accusation, stating she did not know where the paper came from, but Mu Chenghe insisted he had witnessed it.
Other teachers intervened, expressing that Xue Tong did not seem like someone who would cheat, and offered to investigate, leading to Xue Tong being spared immediate disciplinary action. Infuriated, Xue Tong declared she would remember Mu Chenghe's name. As the new semester began, Xue Tong moved to the new campus and met her new roommates. Later, one of her new roommates, Wu Man Xiao, arrived.
After inadvertently breaking Xue Tong's watermelon, Wu Man Xiao openly questioned how Xue Tong avoided punishment for her alleged cheating in the Marxism exam. Wu Man Xiao hinted that a "disgusting deal must have been made" for Xue Tong to escape repercussions, before introducing herself and learning Xue Tong was her new roommate. Xue Tong, still reeling from the accusation, insisted she was innocent. Prof. Chen Ting called Xue Tong via phone to the square for a speech rehearsal.
Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi, who she encountered on the way, joined her. During the rehearsal, Prof. Chen Ting noticed Xue Tong's draft was almost identical to her freshman year speech. He acknowledged her reluctance to give the speech but reminded her of her special status as a "role model" student, having received 20 extra points on her college entrance exam, and thus her obligation to set a positive example.
Xue Tong argued she could have entered the university without the added points but ultimately agreed to rewrite the speech herself. Still determined to clear her name, Xue Tong confronted Mu Chenghe in the physics laboratory, asking him to publicly declare her innocence. Mu Chenghe dismissed her request as unreasonable, maintaining his stance that he only believes what he sees and would not make a public announcement.
He was upset when Xue Tong used one of his experiment models to illustrate her point that visual perception could be misleading, and left, stating he had a meeting. Following this, Xue Tong asked Prof. Chen Ting where she could find Mu Chenghe. Back in her dorm, Wu Man Xiao continued to press Xue Tong about the cheating incident, hinting that it was "because of her dad." Just then, the dorm Madam arrived to check for banned electrical appliances.
To protect Wu Man Xiao, who was about to be caught, Xue Tong voluntarily surrendered her electric pot. Afterwards, Xue Tong explained to Wu Man Xiao that due to her father's legacy, she could not afford to be caught doing anything wrong, including using banned appliances or cheating. Xue Tong, determined to find the real culprit, planned to secretly access the comprehensive building's CCTV footage from the day of the exam.
She asked Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi to act as lookouts, not knowing they were the ones who had passed the note. While Xue Tong was inside, Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi panicked, contemplating telling her the truth. However, they were interrupted by security guards who caught Xue Tong trying to access the surveillance room, leading to a building-wide alarm.
Xue Tong was taken to Prof. Chen Ting, who, frustrated by her actions, canceled her speech, stating she did not want to give it anyway. Xue Tong argued she would not accept being barred from speaking due to a false accusation. The alarm also interrupted Mu Chenghe’s experiment, who questioned the lack of comprehensive surveillance in a building containing valuable research.
Upon returning to her dorm, Xue Tong found her flowerpot shattered and her speech draft, which detailed her hero father's story, read by Wu Man Xiao. Wu Man Xiao openly mocked Xue Tong, asking if she "really thinks she's a hero's daughter." Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi rushed in to defend Xue Tong, asserting their friendship and threatening Wu Man Xiao. Wu Man Xiao dismissed them as "meddlesome" and told them to leave.
Xue Tong stood by her friends, asserting they were welcome in her room. Afterwards, Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi discussed their plan to compensate for their actions by being good to Xue Tong, even offering her a new mattress for her bed, seeing it as a form of "atonement" or "gratitude."
Later, Prof. Chen Ting discussed the cheating incident with Mu Chenghe, informing him of Xue Tong's background: her father, a taxi driver, died a hero after being stabbed five times while apprehending robbers, making Xue Tong a "hero's daughter" and a university-promoted role model. Prof. Chen Ting expressed his disbelief that she would cheat and concern for the university's reputation and Xue Tong's well-being if she were wrongly accused. This revelation prompted Mu Chenghe to re-examine the case.
He rigorously investigated, comparing handwriting, analyzing seating arrangements, and even considering the fan's airflow. His meticulous investigation revealed that Song Qi Qi had written the note to Bai Lin. Mu Chenghe then presented his findings to Prof. Chen Ting and Xue Tong. Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi, also present, confessed to Prof. Chen Ting and asked to be punished, confirming Xue Tong's innocence. Mu Chenghe sincerely apologized to Xue Tong for his misunderstanding.
However, a deeply hurt Xue Tong silently walked away, ignoring Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi's tearful pleas. Song Qi Qi expressed her confusion as to why Xue Tong insisted on knowing the truth when she had not faced any disciplinary action. Xue Tong returned home, where her mother noticed her distress. Xue Tong confided that she was exhausted, constantly feeling watched, and wondered if her life would be different if her father were still alive.
Her mother comforted her, assuring her that her father would never want her to be unhappy because of him. Back at school for the opening ceremony, despite her speech being canceled, Xue Tong approached Bai Lin, who was hosting, and asked her to announce her name. Bai Lin agreed, and Xue Tong took the stage. She delivered an impromptu speech about her father, a heroic taxi driver who sacrificed his life apprehending robbers.
She spoke candidly about the "burden" of being a "hero's daughter," feeling compelled to be excellent, considerate, and flawless so as not to "blacken her father's name." Admitting that recent events had made her realize this burden had made her timid, she announced her desire to shed it and become a brave, normal person, allowing her father's courage to truly illuminate her life. As her speech concluded, heavy rain began to fall. Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi rushed to her side with an umbrella, and the three friends finally reconciled, their past grievances put aside.
