Summer Again Episode 13 Recap
> Summer Again Recap
Tong Xi was deeply hurt, believing Lin Nanyi had deliberately deceived her. Overwhelmed with anger, she threw away his comics, vowing never to see him again and muttering to herself, "out of sight, out of mind." She also muttered how foolish she had been, failing to notice the numerous blatant hints that had been right in front of her.
She thought about a scene from the comic "Mint" where the female lead was drawn to look exactly like her, and recalled Lin Nanyi once pointing out the resemblance. The memory of him offering a band-aid when her elbow was hurt, and his own bloody hand, which he dismissed as an accident from buying goods, now clicked into place, revealing his identity.
Confronting him, Tong Xi accused Lin Nanyi of elaborate deception, demanding how he could claim it wasn't on purpose after hiding such a big secret. Lin Nanyi, for his part, expressed confusion about her reasoning, questioning why she felt the need to pretend, claiming her childhood self was adorable and her true self was inherently likable. When Tong Xi finally pieced it together and asked, "You're Qing He?" he confirmed, "Yes. I'm Qing He."
This admission only fueled her anger, as she pointed out his hypocrisy, telling her to be her true self while he himself was deceitful. After this revelation, Tong Xi began avoiding Lin Nanyi at every turn, finding various excuses to refuse conversation. In class, while the teacher discussed upcoming final exams and subject stream choices, Tong Xi remained distracted.
Her friend, Tao Zi, noticed her unusual behavior, mentioning that Tong Xi hadn't checked the latest "Mint" update and was unresponsive when discussing Guru Qing He. Tong Xi firmly told her not to mention Qing He or comics to her anymore. Later, at the Blue Elephant cafe, Tao Zi called Tong Xi, who claimed to be unwell and heading home, leaving Tao Zi and Wang Yiming perplexed.
Tao Zi suspected Lin Nanyi had angered Tong Xi, while Wang Yiming dramatically speculated that Lin Nanyi might have fallen for someone else. Meanwhile, Ni Xiaowan, who was also at the Blue Elephant, approached Lin Nanyi, requesting a mint lemonade. He politely refused, explaining they were out of fresh mint leaves, and offered her milk tea instead. During their conversation, Ni Xiaowan probed Lin Nanyi about his close relationship with Tong Xi.
He described Tong Xi as kind and friendly, someone he felt comfortable with. This led Ni Xiaowan to a realization: he admired friendly girls. Determined to win his favor, she resolved to be less aggressive and more positive. True to her word, she meticulously prepared detailed notes from previous monthly exams and distributed them to her classmates, including Tong Xi and Tao Zi, much to their astonishment.
She enthusiastically declared her intention to help all classmates with kindness and passion, aiming to raise the class’s average score. She even gave a copy to Lin Nanyi, asking him to give Wang Yiming his. Tong Xi and Tao Zi exchanged wary glances, admitting Ni Xiaowan’s kindness was a bit unsettling. At home, Tong Xi’s thoughts were still consumed by Qing He and her academic future, even contemplating whether to study physics or geography after her math paper.
Her mother arrived home early and informed Tong Xi about her extensive special ballet training planned for the entire summer. Starting after her exams, she would have two ballet classes daily, practice at home morning and night, and continue with Mr. Xu’s lessons even after school reopened, all until she successfully enrolled in a dance academy. Tong Xi, disheartened, lamented that her beautiful summer was over before it even began.
Despite Tong Xi's clear avoidance, Lin Nanyi tried to bridge the gap. He sent her a lengthy message explaining his actions. He admitted to being happy when he first realized she was reading his comics and was his online fan, and that he enjoyed their online conversations, but he became afraid to reveal his true identity. He confessed his error in keeping it a secret and sought a chance to apologize, emphasizing her importance as a friend.
Tong Xi's response was swift and absolute: she blocked him, declaring she didn't need his explanations and intended to focus on her future. Undeterred, Lin Nanyi sent a follow-up message, as Qing He, asking if her past offer to provide life experiences for his "Mint" comic still stood. In class, Lin Nanyi attempted to pass her notes, but Tong Xi wrote back, threatening to report him to the teacher if he continued.
Sensing the lingering tension, Wang Yiming and Tao Zi decided to take matters into their own hands. Tao Zi feigned a severe stomachache, dramatically claiming an endocrine dyscrasia had caused her period to come twice in a month. She asked Tong Xi to cover her cleanup duty, which Tong Xi agreed to do after taking Tao Zi home. Right after, Wang Yiming, citing an important basketball match, insisted Lin Nanyi take his duty without objection.
Once both Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi were assigned to cleanup, Wang Yiming locked the classroom door from the outside, proclaiming their brilliant plan had created a perfect "private world" for the pair to reconcile. However, in their celebratory excitement, Wang Yiming accidentally threw the key away. After a brief argument, they realized the only spare key was at a classmate named Sun Jieling’s house, so they set off to retrieve it.
Trapped inside, Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi were forced to talk. Lin Nanyi again offered to answer all her questions. She asked when he started drawing comics and how he became Qing He. He explained that he initially drew four-panel comics to pass the time when living alone, posting them on Tieba, and they gained unexpected popularity, evolving into a serialized comic called "Early Summer."
He then clarified that the female lead of his current comic, "Mint," was based on Tong Xi, explaining that he added other characters like Qiu Ke to disguise her identity, but promised she'd see familiar faces later in the story. Tong Xi jokingly demanded portrait rights fees, to which he playfully responded she couldn't afford his "expensive face." After some lighthearted banter about his wealth, Lin Nanyi asked if she was still angry.
Tong Xi admitted that while she knew anger was self-punishment, she felt "confused" and "ashamed" recalling her past fan-girl messages and enthusiastic embrace at the signing event. Lin Nanyi, however, gently reassured her, saying he didn't find it shameful, but rather, "cute." He clarified that his enjoyment of their online conversations stemmed from a desire to understand her thoughts and troubles, just like when they were children.
Tong Xi then pointed out that while she, as the "White Swan" in Xi Hai, hadn’t hidden anything from him, he had kept such a significant secret from her. She also confirmed that no one else, not even Wang Yiming or Tao Zi, knew he was Qing He, and questioned his relationship with Ni Xiaowan. Lin Nanyi firmly stated that he and Ni Xiaowan were merely junior high classmates, nothing more.
Tong Xi then pressed him further, reminding him of their shared past as primary school friends and childhood sweethearts, even recalling how she once said she would marry him, causing her to blush. After realizing they could simply exit through the window, Tong Xi told Lin Nanyi that she would adjust her mindset and try to get along with him again, asking him to forget her embarrassing fan messages.
He agreed, and she playfully chased him for not revealing he knew Wang Yiming and Tao Zi had locked them in. Around the same time, Tao Zi encountered former members of her drama club who tried to persuade her to rejoin. She politely declined, stating that her life was currently fulfilling and she had no plans to return.
Later, Tong Xi saw another message from Guru Qing He online, reinforcing the idea that a boy wouldn’t be so attentive to a girl he only considered a friend, subtly suggesting deeper feelings. Tong Xi's heart fluttered, realizing these were the words that had made her feel sweet. Qing He then messaged her directly, noting her new online ID and reminding her of her promise to share her life for his comic.
Though she initially claimed to have nothing to share, Qing He suggested he could draw the story of the amber mint necklace and their childhood history. Tong Xi jokingly demanded copyright fees, which he agreed to discount if she was satisfied with the draft. Tong Xi, delighted, told him she would eagerly await his work and was already looking forward to it.
From that day forward, Lin Nanyi's bicycle could be seen at Tong Xi's house early each morning, taking her to school. After classes, they spent their afternoons at the Blue Elephant cafe and evenings discussing comics. Each day was filled with newfound camaraderie and shared joy. One morning, on the bike, Lin Nanyi asked how she truly felt now that she knew he was Qing He.
Tong Xi playfully responded that since he hadn't told her earlier, he had to treat her to breakfast. He bought her a drink, and though she initially said it was "not bad," she quickly conceded, "It's delicious."
