Somewhere Only We Know Episode 2 Recap
> Somewhere Only We Know Recap
University life was as hectic as ever, with professors often extending class time. Xue Tong and Song Qi Qi, their stomachs rumbling, hurried to the cafeteria for lunch. Meanwhile, a spare bed in Song Qi Qi and Bai Lin's dorm provided an opportunity, and they convinced Xue Tong to move in, hoping to avoid their annoying roommate, Wu Man Xiao. Bai Lin, whose academic performance was generally poor, was overjoyed when she learned she would still be able to graduate.
Earlier, Bai Lin had been worried she wouldn't graduate due to her poor academic performance and the cancelled exam grades from cheating. However, a senior student, Li Shixiong, explained a university rule: failing the same subject multiple times only counted as one failure for graduation credit calculation, and since she had only failed Philosophy twice, her credits would just meet the graduation requirement, provided she didn't fail any more courses.
To celebrate this modest achievement, she eagerly gathered her two best friends. Song Qi Qi, however, had little time for leisurely afternoon activities. Hailing from an ordinary background but possessing strong academic abilities and a determined spirit, she dedicated her afternoons to tutoring to earn her living expenses.
Bai Lin felt a sense of guilt towards Song Qi Qi, as Song Qi Qi's scholarship was canceled because she helped Bai Lin cheat in an exam – a significant financial blow for Song Qi Qi, whose main source of income came from tutoring. One day, an embarrassing situation arose when Xue Tong lost her slippers outside the school bathhouse.
Fortunately, Liu Qi, a student from Donghu University's Civil Engineering department, happened to pass by and lent her his own slippers, resolving her predicament. Their paths crossed again when Xue Tong, passing the sports field, saw Liu Qi playing basketball. His bright and handsome presence made her heart flutter. She rushed back to her dorm, took out slippers, tried them on in front of the mirror, before returning to the court.
Liu Qi was pleasantly surprised to see her, and they ended up sharing lunch at the cafeteria, a meal that left Xue Tong blushing. During this meal, Liu Qi sought Xue Tong's help with an English architectural paper, asking her to translate it. From then on, a connection formed between Xue Tong and Liu Qi.
They attended "Introduction to Architectural History" class together, with Xue Tong often finding herself captivated by his handsome profile as he intently listened to the lecture. After class, Liu Qi led Xue Tong to the rooftop, the highest point on campus, from where they could overlook the entire university. He enthusiastically explained various architectural structures, including different types of bridges and structural designs, as Xue Tong listened with wide-eyed curiosity.
He even shared a "secret" safety tip: in case of an earthquake, one should run to the low-lying, wide-spaced bathhouse, whose shear wall-frame structure offered superior seismic resistance. He also recommended specific architectural books like "Illustrated Dictionary of Ancient Chinese Architecture" and "Yuan Ye." Later, Xue Tong went to the library to study, but it was packed. Spotting a seat with only a bag on it, she moved the bag and settled in.
To her surprise, the seat belonged to Mu Chenghe, who returned shortly after. He questioned her presence, noting it was his spot. Xue Tong, at first defensive, then apologized, claiming she hadn't seen anyone. Mu Chenghe, shaking his head, reluctantly left, inadvertently leaving his campus card on the table, which Xue Tong promptly picked up. Xue Tong, feeling triumphant, used Mu Chenghe's campus card to buy a large haul of snacks from the supermarket.
She gleefully shared them with Bai Lin and Song Qi Qi. As they snacked, Song Qi Qi expressed concern about using Mu Chenghe's card, but Xue Tong and Bai Lin shrugged it off, claiming he "owed" them for past troubles. Meanwhile, Song Qi Qi, who was struggling to find an additional part-time job, ended up doing Bai Lin's overdue group homework, as Bai Lin was too preoccupied with her idol.
Song Qi Qi pleaded with a supermarket manager, emphasizing her urgent need for work despite her elective course schedule clashing with the shifts. Although initially rejected, her persistence and quick learning during a trial shift impressed the manager, who offered her the job. This meant Song Qi Qi would have to miss her Friday Russian class, so she asked Xue Tong to cover for her attendance.
One evening, while using the Wi-Fi at the teachers' office, Xue Tong unexpectedly ran into Mu Chenghe. She proudly informed him that she had chosen Russian as her elective course, even showing off a few Russian phrases she knew. Mu Chenghe listened with a knowing smile. He then mentioned losing his campus card recently and finding that someone had used it to buy three boxes of the very drink Xue Tong was holding, making Xue Tong visibly flinch.
Before leaving, he asked for his campus card back, which Xue Tong sheepishly returned. The following day, to Xue Tong's utter dismay, she discovered that the Russian teacher was none other than Mu Chenghe. Professor Chen Ting had indeed gone abroad for further studies, and Mu Chenghe was substitute teaching. When Mu Chenghe called Song Qi Qi's name during attendance, Xue Tong, attempting to cover for her absent friend, responded "Here."
Mu Chenghe, having recognized Xue Tong from their previous encounters, saw through her pretense. He then subtly "appointed" Xue Tong as the class representative, instructing her to complete the roll call. As Xue Tong read out the names, she deliberately skipped her own name. Mu Chenghe, however, noticed this, and instructed her to mark Xue Tong as absent. Later, at the supermarket, Xue Tong recounted the incident to Song Qi Qi, expressing her frustration and desire to drop the class.
Song Qi Qi agreed to drop it with her. They went to Mu Chenghe's office to submit their course withdrawal forms. Mu Chenghe surprisingly approved Song Qi Qi's request (referring to the actual Song Qi Qi's desire to drop for work), but refused Xue Tong's, stating, "You're the class representative, you can't drop." This left Xue Tong both confused and exasperated.
Leaving the office, Song Qi Qi apologized for putting Xue Tong in such a difficult position, but Xue Tong was convinced Mu Chenghe was intentionally making things harder for her. To cheer Xue Tong up, Song Qi Qi suggested they go buy sneakers for her younger brother and then enjoy a big meal. Xue Tong decided to ask Liu Qi for his advice on basketball shoes.
At the shoe store, Song Qi Qi selected an expensive pair for her brother, priced at over a thousand yuan, insisting she would buy it as she had just received her salary. Liu Qi, taking advantage of a promotion, bought a pair of flip-flops and subtly gifted them to Xue Tong. Meanwhile, Bai Lin, swept up in her idol obsession, excitedly told Xue Tong and Song Qi Qi about meeting the star Zheng Han Chang at the airport.
In her excitement, she had handed her phone directly to him, hoping for a personal connection. Earlier that evening, while Xue Tong and Song Qi Qi were out, they received a strange phone call from Bai Lin's number. A foreign voice on the other end, speaking on behalf of "Mr. Han Chang," stated that Han Chang wanted to return the phone in person, causing Xue Tong and Song Qi Qi to worry it might have been stolen.
That night, back in the dorm, Bai Lin, wanting to confirm her idol’s phone number, borrowed Xue Tong’s phone to call her own. To her disappointment, her phone was switched off. Xue Tong tried to communicate with the foreign caller in English, accusing him of theft, but the call was disconnected. Bai Lin was disheartened, feeling her efforts were in vain. Just then, the last and previously unseen roommate of unit 323 returned to the dorm. She was the renowned campus beauty, Zhao Xiaotang.
