Summit of Our Youth Episode 15 Recap
> Summit of Our Youth Recap
Gu Xuejiao, worried about Yi Tianyu, went looking for him and was told he was injured and hadn't participated in the game. She tried calling him repeatedly, but her calls went unanswered. Eventually, Yi Tianyu's father, Yi Dafa, called her back. Gu Xuejiao apologized, having mistaken him for Yi Tianyu, then expressed her concern about Yi Tianyu's injury, asking if it was serious.
Yi Dafa, downplaying the injury, stated it was "nothing" and casually revealed that Yi Tianyu had been selected by an overseas basketball league and had already gone abroad for training, having simply forgotten his phone. Gu Xuejiao expressed her pleasant surprise at the sudden news, noting that Yi Tianyu was usually bad at keeping secrets, which Yi Dafa confirmed by saying he had applied a while ago but hadn't had the chance to tell her.
Yi Dafa promised that Yi Tianyu would contact her once he was settled abroad. Gu Xuejiao smiled, feeling relieved. Even though she had no romantic feelings for Yi Tianyu in this life, seeing both of them moving towards a better future made everything worthwhile. Meanwhile, in the rehabilitation ward, Yi Tianyu lay distraught. His father chided him for getting out of bed, to which Yi Tianyu insisted he was fine.
Yi Dafa told him Gu Xuejiao was thrilled to hear about his overseas training, and admired him. Yi Tianyu saw through the facade. He thanked his father for lying to make him look good, though Yi Dafa insisted Yi Tianyu was his greatest pride. Yi Tianyu knew deep down that this injury meant he could never gallop on the basketball court again.
Yi Dafa then detailed the overseas rehabilitation facility he had arranged, encouraging his son to remain calm and focus on training his mind, even if he couldn't play basketball. Yi Tianyu promised to try, but after his father left for work, he angrily smashed a framed team photo, revealing his true despair. Gu Xuejiao felt a profound sense of introspection as she saw her friends embarking on new life stages. She questioned her own path.
Meanwhile, a topic selection meeting was taking place in the lab, unknown to her. Afterward, Lin Zhihua, confronting Lin Jiadong, demanded to know why Gu Xuejiao hadn't been informed. Lin Jiadong casually dismissed the query, stating that as a freshman, she didn't need to attend, implying she wasn't ready. Lin Zhihua, who had attended as a freshman himself, challenged this, but Lin Jiadong persisted, advising Gu Xuejiao to focus on basics and wait until her later years.
This dismissal ignited a fierce resolve in Gu Xuejiao; recalling her previous life where she was merely delivering lunchboxes during such meetings, she vowed not to wait and to actively change her destiny. Lin Zhiyue met Lin Zhihua for dinner and noticed his distraction. Lin Zhihua, still using the pretense of his "roommate," explained his predicament: the "roommate" and a girl were "kinda together," but the girl had become secretive.
Lin Zhiyue immediately deduced the problem was the lack of a formal confession, emphasizing that "no girl wants to be in a vague relationship. Even career women aren't exceptions." This realization spurred Lin Zhihua to abruptly leave, stating he needed to return to the lab. Upon arriving, he inquired about Gu Xuejiao, only for Lin Jiadong to inform him she had taken a day off and then disparage her, suggesting she lacked passion and was merely seeking credits.
Meanwhile, Gu Xuejiao was indeed at home, engrossed in finding a thesis topic. She struggled, feeling all topics were exhausted and wary of going to the lab for fear of further scolding from Lin Jiadong for "jumping the line" with her ambitious topic. Gu Mingze arrived, excitedly showing Gu Xuejiao a hair tie given by Zhou Shiyun, and declared that a "wise person" had taught him the importance of family over career.
Gu Xuejiao immediately guessed the "wise person" was Zhou Shiyun, and though Gu Mingze insisted Shiyun had "acquiesced" to him taking the hair tie, Gu Xuejiao sarcastically warned him against presumptuous behavior, even joking about him ending up on the crime news. Despite her lack of interest in his romantic musings and his continued talk about visiting her in "prison," Gu Mingze eventually left after she teased him about missing dinner.
Later that day, Lin Zhihua was in the lab to fix equipment. He noticed Gu Xuejiao cautiously sneaking in and quietly followed her. She was absorbed in reviewing past thesis topics, looking both focused and anxious. Lin Zhihua approached her, advising her not to push herself so hard as a freshman and that "there'll be plenty of chances later."
Gu Xuejiao disagreed, asserting that "chances don't come often," expressing her urgent desire as an "underdog" to succeed and avoid being suppressed by Lin Jiadong. Just then, Lin Jiadong arrived, bringing milk tea for Lin Zhihua, having heard from Gao Rui that he was there. Unable to find Lin Zhihua, he left. Concerned about being discovered by Lin Jiadong, Gu Xuejiao realized their clandestine meeting was a bigger secret than her research efforts.
Once Lin Jiadong was gone, Lin Zhihua jokingly asked for "hush money," then the two shared a tender embrace and kiss. Gu Xuejiao consulted Lin Zhihua about data models and algorithms. He provided guidance, offering to share developer sites and his own curated data models.
Gu Xuejiao, grateful, remarked that she wished there was an AI "just like you that could answer everything," which in turn sparked Lin Zhihua's realization that her idea was akin to "the language model in ten years." Despite her initial doubts about her ability as a "newbie," Lin Zhihua's subtle challenge about quitting only fueled her resolve. Meanwhile, Gu Mingze visited Zhou Shiyun at UFE, even joining her class.
When the professor called on them, Zhou Shiyun gave a correct answer. Gu Mingze, when prompted, cleverly likened himself to an "elastic body," amusing the professor with his vivid, if unconventional, example. After class, as they walked, several girls recognized Gu Mingze and approached him for photos, much to Zhou Shiyun's subtle irritation. She then retrieved her hair tie from him, reminding him how he had taken it during a previous visit when she had forgotten it.
During Professor Tan's topic selection meeting, he announced that, after reviewing all submissions, he would prioritize forward-looking ideas. He called out several names, and then discovered one outstanding submission that was missing a name. Gu Xuejiao stepped forward, confirming it was hers. Professor Tan lauded her for her "truly impressive" and "forward-looking topic" as a freshman, deciding to discuss her project first.
Lin Jiadong, whose own topic was dismissed as "old technology," was instructed to assist Gu Xuejiao and refine his own ideas. Gu Xuejiao then presented her "AI language processing program based on a neural network architecture" which could interact and communicate like a real human, and handle tasks like scriptwriting and coding. She proposed integrating her AI framework into the C1 in-car system.
Lin Zhihua, who had been discreetly listening from outside the meeting room, voiced his agreement, much to Professor Tan's amusement, who playfully teased him about eavesdropping and being one of the university's "hidden talents." Lin Zhihua expressed his pride in Gu Xuejiao. During testing, Gao Rui called Gu Xuejiao in a panic, informing her that the AI model had caused the car to veer off track, reporting a "300% positioning error."
Gu Xuejiao immediately rushed to the location, a beautiful field of flowers, wondering how the car ended up there. Upon arrival, she found Lin Zhihua waiting, the 'malfunction' revealed to be an elaborate setup for a formal proposal, though the car was indeed stuck. He presented her with flowers and formally asked, "Can you be my girlfriend?"
Gu Xuejiao, initially surprised that he was asking again, listened as Lin Zhihua confessed his rare uncertainty when it came to matters of the heart, admitting his fear that she might stop liking him or prefer someone else, even someone who played sports. Touched by his sincerity, she encouraged him to ask again, and when he did, she joyfully accepted. After they kissed, Gu Xuejiao playfully asked if this elaborate setup was merely to confirm their relationship.
Lin Zhihua then revealed a special gift: he had integrated her voice into the C1 system, ensuring that everyone using their cars would hear her voice. Gu Xuejiao was delighted with this unique present. She then teased him about his "probation period" as her boyfriend, to which he playfully insisted on a "lifetime contract," challenging her to see if he could make her happy. Two years passed. In 2018, Shu Lan, a mechanical engineering junior, joined the Autonomous Driving Lab.
Lin Zhihua announced the successful delivery of their second-generation autonomous driving model, celebrating its official launch into the market and the potential for financial freedom if performance targets were met. Later, Lin Zhihua and Gao Rui found themselves in a high-stakes meeting with B&C Motors, who were once again seeking a partnership. During the meeting, Zheng Qin insisted Lin Zhihua drink baijiu, despite his polite refusal, stating he didn't drink at work.
She pressed him, equating not drinking with a bad attitude and suggesting that bonding over drinks was essential to becoming "true family" at B&C Motors. Sensing trouble, Gao Rui covertly sent a text to Gu Xuejiao, alerting her that Lin Zhihua was "trapped in a den of cougars" (Spider Cave). Upon receiving the urgent message, Gu Xuejiao immediately declared her intention to intervene and rushed to the restaurant, ready to protect Lin Zhihua.
