Summer Again Episode 3 Recap
> Summer Again Recap
Tao Zhu was overjoyed when Xu Ao, who loves grilled squid, invited her to his birthday party on Thursday. She asked Wang Yiming what kind of gifts guys like, but he misunderstood and thought she was asking for him. Realizing she had to figure it out herself, Tao Zhu decided to learn how to grill squid to make a special gift for Xu Ao.
While practicing at a food stall, Wang Yiming, who had just finished a basketball game, spotted her, making the situation awkward. When Tao Zhu brought her homemade grilled squid to Xu Ao's party at Blue Elephant, he was unexpectedly cold and dismissive, which deeply upset her. Wang Yiming, who had followed Tao Zhu to the restaurant, saw her distress and, feeling for her, took the grilled squid from her and started eating it himself.
He criticized Xu Ao for his indifference, remarking that it's the thought that counts, and told Tao Zhu that her cooking skills were good. He noticed she had burned her hand while grilling. Earlier, Tong Xi, determined to make an impressive board poster, asked her friends in the Da Cheng Sisters Group to send her photos of their school's board poster. She planned to use chalkboard paint instead of traditional chalk, a "cool" and innovative approach.
Lin Nanyi offered to help, but Tong Xi staunchly refused, declaring she would rather struggle than accept his assistance, even though she admitted drawing was harder than she expected and that only "Guru Qing He" could draw people perfectly. She also mentioned her admiration for Qing He, describing him as her "prince charming." Lin Nanyi then scoffed at Qing He's comics, calling them simple stories about mischievous boys.
Tong Xi passionately defended Qing He's work, praising its emotional depth and warmth, and shared that she sends him messages daily, considering it a form of "chatting" even without replies. The night before the board poster competition, Tong Xi was troubled by a nightmare where an alternate version of herself and her teachers and classmates ridiculed her board poster, calling it "garbage" and mocking her for her stubborn pride.
Waking up in a panic, she found herself alone in the classroom, overwhelmed with worry. Suddenly, Lin Nanyi appeared with snacks and offered his help again. This time, Tong Xi, at her wit's end, conceded and accepted his help. He began to draw, and Tong Xi was impressed by his skill, commenting that his contouring was much better than hers.
On the day of the board poster competition, Tong Xi presented a beautiful board poster, largely thanks to Lin Nanyi's artistic talent. She explained the concept of nature and environmental protection, highlighting the use of chalkboard paint for a cleaner, more vibrant effect. The class achieved first place, and Tong Xi was lauded as the class's "contributing star." Lin Nanyi, observing from a distance, subtly pointed out that the "drifting leaves" Tong Xi mentioned were actually mint leaves.
To express her gratitude, Tong Xi reluctantly agreed to be Lin Nanyi's "underling" for a week, fulfilling his reasonable requests. Later, at a celebration at Blue Elephant, Wang Yiming blurted out the story of Tao Zhu's rejected gift and her burned hand to Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi. His blunt words made Tao Zhu cry, leading Tong Xi and Lin Nanyi to intervene.
Tao Zhu, feeling foolish, lamented her perceived flaws and wished she could be "as perfect as Tong Xi" so Xu Ao would notice her. Wang Yiming later attempted to apologize, explaining his direct nature, but Tao Zhu angrily called him a "big mouth" and a "worthless oaf" before telling him to get lost. The next day, Wang Yiming brought Tao Zhu a refreshing, nice-smelling burn ointment, which she silently accepted, a gesture that touched her.
During physical education class, Lin Nanyi, pretending to be exhausted, demanded an iced Coke. Tong Xi, now his "underling," went downstairs to buy it. Back in class, Lin Nanyi feigned weakness, claiming he couldn't open the bottle, which Tong Xi opened for him. He then intentionally spilled the Coke on his uniform, tasking Tong Xi with washing it.
That evening, Tong Xi secretly took Lin Nanyi's uniform home, washed it away from her mother's watchful eye, and hung it to dry in her room. Lin Nanyi received a phone call from his editor, Sister Jia Jia, urging him for updates on his new comic. Afterward, recalling Tong Xi's claim of sending daily messages to "Guru Qing He," he checked his own private messages.
To his astonishment, he found a series of daily, ambiguously romantic messages from a persistent fan, including one that read: "You have stolen my heart." He found it difficult to believe these messages could be from Tong Xi.
