Summer Again Episode 19 Recap
> Summer Again Recap
Ni Xiaowan approached Tong Xi, claiming that Tong Xi harbored prejudices against her and lacked trust. Tong Xi denied any such prejudice, asserting that they simply didn't get along. Ni Xiaowan clarified her intention, explaining that Lin Nanyi was merely assisting her with a secret matter, affirming their close friendship, and hoping Tong Xi wouldn't misunderstand.
Tong Xi, however, asserted that Lin Nanyi was just one of her many friends and there was no need for them to report their interactions. Later, Lin Nanyi attempted to apologize to Tong Xi, but she ignored him. During their interaction, the necklace Lin Nanyi had given Tong Xi accidentally fell out and was picked up by Ni Xiaowan. Meanwhile, Ni Xiaowan's father prepared to draw up his fishing net by the sea.
He had initially planned to go despite a student event happening there, intending to "make his daughter look good," a decision his wife had questioned, as she had already submitted Ni Xiaowan's application form. Tong Xi offered to help him. During their conversation, Ni Xiaowan's father mistook Tong Xi for a needy student participating in clam digging for grant aid, praising the activity as a way to get tuition waivers.
Tong Xi gently corrected him, explaining it was a charity event open to all students. Overhearing this, Ni Xiaowan, who was nearby, quickly claimed to feel unwell and left the beach. Back at home, Tong Xi's father cooked a delicious seafood feast from the clams Tong Xi had gathered for Tong Xi and her mother. The family enjoyed the meal, and Tong Xi expressed her happiness, wishing they could eat together every day.
The next day, news spread rapidly in class that Ni Xiaowan had applied for grant aid for needy students, exposing her carefully crafted image as a wealthy "goddess." Her close friends felt betrayed and publicly humiliated, having previously promoted her false image. As Tao Zhu and Tong Xi discussed the matter, with Tong Xi expressing empathy for Ni Xiaowan, seeing parallels to her own past vanity, Ni Xiaowan overheard their conversation.
Enraged, she confronted Tong Xi, knocking a book from her hand and accusing her of leaking the information. Tong Xi calmly denied the accusation, stating she had no interest in gossiping about others' private matters. Driven by vanity, Ni Xiaowan then produced the necklace Lin Nanyi had given to Tong Xi, threatening to destroy it. Lin Nanyi quickly pursued Ni Xiaowan as she fled home.
There, he discovered Ni Xiaowan's mother repurposing a dancing dress into handicraft items, an observation that provided a new layer of understanding to Ni Xiaowan's struggles. Confronted by Lin Nanyi, Ni Xiaowan confessed to her malicious actions: stealing the dancing dress, anonymously posting Tong Xi's black cat butterfly love letter to Wei Ze online, and deliberately embarrassing Tong Xi during a public session by making her draw, even admitting to sabotaging Tong Xi's dance shoes before the Arts Festival.
She admitted her actions stemmed from deep-seated jealousy, explaining that ever since Tong Xi's return, all attention, especially Lin Nanyi's, had shifted to her. She felt that despite her own hard work, she was always overshadowed, unlike Tong Xi who seemed to possess "plot armour." Lin Nanyi then revealed that the secret about her grant aid application was inadvertently disclosed by her father while he was intoxicated. He then retrieved the necklace.
Following a heated argument with her father, Ni Xiaowan ran away from home. Her classmates, including Tao Zhu, immediately went out to search for her. Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi also joined the search at the beach. After some time, Tong Xi suggested Lin Nanyi call Ni Xiaowan from his phone, believing Ni Xiaowan was deliberately rejecting calls from her family. Ni Xiaowan answered.
Tong Xi then sent Lin Nanyi away to get drinks, allowing her to speak with Ni Xiaowan alone. Tong Xi acknowledged that she didn't particularly like Ni Xiaowan either, and proposed it was time to straighten things out. She confronted Ni Xiaowan about her past misdeeds, including the public session and the dancing shoes, stating she knew all along but chose not to engage.
Ni Xiaowan accused Tong Xi of acting like a saint and failing to understand her situation, feeling she had nothing but exams, unlike Tong Xi who had friends, family, and Lin Nanyi. The two girls had a brief physical altercation. Tong Xi shared her own experience of running away from home after a fight with her mother, reminding Ni Xiaowan that she too had faced struggles.
She also acknowledged Ni Xiaowan's diligence and excellence, assuring her that her circumstances didn't diminish her abilities. Tong Xi encouraged Ni Xiaowan, telling her she wasn't a supporting character but simply hadn't found her true stage, which might be "higher, further, and better." Moved by Tong Xi's words, Ni Xiaowan pondered if she could truly find her own stage. Tong Xi reassured her that she wasn't her opponent, nor did she wish to be.
However, Ni Xiaowan insisted they would inevitably become rivals because of Lin Nanyi, a sentiment Tong Xi acknowledged. Shortly after, Ni Xiaowan's mother arrived to pick her up. Ni Xiaowan thanked Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi before leaving with her mother.
