Somewhere Only We Know Episode 18 Recap
> Somewhere Only We Know Recap
Xue Tong and Mu Chenghe had a heated argument, causing Xue Tong to leave Mu Chenghe's house in anger. Mu Chenghe retreated to his lab, where he was left alone, idly turning a maze model, feeling a sense of desolation. Meanwhile, Xue Tong poured her heart out to Mu Hai and Zhao Xiaotang.
Mu Hai explained that Mu Chenghe is simply a man who becomes oblivious to everything else when engrossed in a task, recalling a childhood incident where Mu Chenghe physically retaliated when disturbed from his reading. He concluded that everyone has a point they really care about. Elsewhere, Mu Chenghe confided in Chen Ting, who pointed out that it was Mu Chenghe's fault, as Xue Tong's intentions were good.
Chen Ting advised him that “there are no grudges between husband and wife,” and if an argument lingers for three to five days, the conflict would only escalate. Hearing this, Mu Chenghe grew anxious and rushed to find Xue Tong. Mu Chenghe called Mu Hai to confirm Xue Tong's location before waiting for her downstairs at the girls' dorm.
When she finally appeared, after initially not answering her phone while drying her hair, Mu Chenghe offered a heartfelt apology, admitting his wrongdoing. Xue Tong's eyes welled with tears as she confessed her own fault for disturbing him at a crucial moment. She then asked him to keep his phone with him at all times, explaining that it was “scary” when she couldn’t reach him. They both promised to never quarrel again, vowing it would be “the last time.”
Xue Tong expressed gratitude for the maze gift, realizing it mirrored her, and Mu Chenghe shared that he cherished the maze because, much like her, he couldn't quite figure out its “little thoughts.” Thanks to Zhao Xiaotang's assistance, Mu Hai's business negotiations progressed smoothly. He began socializing with other female clients, including Hu Yan Xue, a project director from the development department, and they planned to "have a meal together" for further discussions.
Later, Zhao Xiaotang discovered a social media post from Mu Hai, revealing he was still out entertaining Xiao Xue, which made her feel unhappy and a little jealous. At Bai Lin and Zhong Qiang's new apartment, Bai Lin felt a sense of melancholy over Song Qi Qi's absence. Xue Tong proposed participating in the Students' Union's dorm cultural week competition. They decided that if they won the "Best Dorm" trophy, they would send it to Song Qi Qi.
They planned to enter with a baking project, building on Xue Tong's recent attempts. Zhong Qiang suggested a clever strategy to win votes by generously distributing their baked goods to fellow students. However, Tao Tao, the new Students' Union President, created obstacles for unit 323's participation, citing limited space and hygiene concerns for their baking entry.
Bai Lin, incensed, confronted him, accusing him of 'flaunting his authority' and reminding him that if she had run for president, he wouldn't be in his position. Xue Tong stepped in to smooth things over, assuring Tao Tao of their commitment to hygiene, to which Tao Tao reluctantly agreed to consider their application after an internal discussion. Meanwhile, Mu Chenghe's experiment hit a formidable bottleneck, casting a dark cloud over his mood at home.
Despite not fully grasping the complexities of his work, Xue Tong made an effort to cheer him up, showing him a custom mug printing service and preparing a “vitality breakfast” for him. She reiterated that while she couldn't aid his scientific endeavors, she hoped he could find relaxation and peace at home. The project's stagnation deeply affected Mu Chenghe, leading to irritation and dismissiveness towards his colleague who suggested returning to Donghu University's lab.
Professor Han informed Mu Chenghe that the lab would be reclaimed by the end of the month, but Mu Chenghe was angered by this indirect communication, as he heard it from a colleague rather than directly from Professor Han. Li Jiahang, learning of Bai Lin's struggles with the cultural week application, intervened on her behalf. He successfully persuaded Tao Tao, whose lingering respect for Li Jiahang's former position was evident, to approve 323's entry.
Bai Lin was overjoyed and invited Li Jiahang to their booth. Xue Tong and her friends threw themselves into baking, experimenting with various cake flavors, some incorporating unconventional ingredients like candied dates, lean meat, and spicy gluten. Unfortunately, Xue Tong fell ill after sampling some of their experimental creations. Bai Lin promptly took Xue Tong to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with food poisoning.
Knowing Mu Chenghe was already under immense stress from his research, Xue Tong chose not to inform him about her illness. In a significant development, Professor Wu, who had previously been strict with Mu Chenghe, revealed that Professor Waltz from a German laboratory was impressed by his project's progress and extended an invitation for him to continue his research there. This presented a major career opportunity, but Mu Chenghe found himself torn.
He confided in Chen Ting that his hesitation stemmed partly from his reluctance to leave Xue Tong and partly from painful memories of his father, whose deep immersion in research contributed to a relapse that ultimately led to his death. He also admitted to drinking again due to the mounting pressure. During her recovery, Xue Tong stayed at Bai Lin's house. Bai Lin expressed surprise that Xue Tong wasn't “acting whiny” or complaining to Mu Chenghe.
Xue Tong explained that she understood his stress and didn’t want to burden him further, often observing him working late into the night. Chen Ting discreetly warned Xue Tong about Mu Chenghe’s history of heavy drinking during his time in Russia, urging her to keep a close eye on him, though Xue Tong reassured him that Mu Chenghe was doing better and she was actively trying to curb his excessive drinking.
Mu Hai invited Zhao Xiaotang for spicy skewers and attempted to reconcile, playfully teasing her about being jealous of Xiao Xue. Zhao Xiaotang, however, remained firm in her decision to pursue her studies abroad, asserting that she wouldn't abandon her dreams for him, just as he wouldn't for her. They raised their glasses, toasting to each other's success. The dorm cultural week commenced, but an unexpected rain forced the event indoors, limiting space.
As a result, unit 323's booth was canceled, much to the fury of Bai Lin and her friends, who confronted Tao Tao and Li Jiahang. Bai Lin called Tao Tao a "despicable person," but they could not get their booth restored. Upon returning home, Xue Tong discovered numerous empty liquor bottles and documents pertaining to Mu Chenghe's plans to study abroad. She confronted him, questioning him about secretly drinking and his intentions to leave the country.
Mu Chenghe confirmed the possibility of going abroad but steadfastly denied drinking heavily. Frustrated by his deception, especially after Chen Ting’s warning, Xue Tong’s anger flared. She accused him of treating her like an “underage girl” who merely makes breakfast and smiles. She insisted he should confide in her about everything, especially when facing pressure. In a moment of intense emotion, Mu Chenghe impulsively pulled Xue Tong to the lab.
There, he passionately explained the overwhelming technical hurdles of his experiment, detailing how the turbulence and variables now exceeded their previous data sum by "400 million times." He then delved into his lonely childhood, marked by skipping grades and a lack of companionship, finding solace only in physics. He spoke of his relentless pursuit of intelligence to please his father, who later divorced his mother. He described his formulas as "beautiful" and felt that a solution was "waiting for me."
Overwhelmed by this "unreasonable" and "unfamiliar" side of him, Xue Tong felt utterly unable to understand or connect with his world. In her distress, Xue Tong, unable to cope, proposed they “break up” and “go our separate ways.” She then ran out into the rain, crying as she returned to her dorm. Mu Chenghe, equally distraught, went home and continued to drink excessively to drown his sorrows.
