Summit of Our Youth Episode 23 (Ending) Recap
> Summit of Our Youth Recap
Outside a hospital room, Lin Zhihua asked Siqi why she hadn't informed Gu Xuejiao and him about her mother's illness, assuring her they would have helped. Siqi, lowering her head, explained that her mother's medical expenses were a bottomless pit, and while they could help once or twice, they couldn't help for a lifetime. She added that she had been a burden to her mother for years and didn't want to become a burden to them as well.
Lin Zhihua surmised that the cost was the main issue. His expression then turned serious as he questioned her about the tampered data. He reminded her that even if data traces were cleaned thoroughly, they would eventually be discovered, making it only a matter of time. He urged her to reveal the truth about Yi Tianyu's accident. Siqi, however, responded that the accident briefing was scheduled for ten o'clock, and it was almost time, so everything was already decided.
Suddenly, a painful groan came from the room. Inside, Siqi's mother's face contorted in pain, her hands gripping the bedsheet as her body shook. Lin Zhihua quickly rushed to her side, his eyes filled with anxiety, and immediately recognized the severity of the situation. He gestured urgently to Siqi to call a doctor. Siqi's mother was rushed into surgery. While Lin Zhihua busily handled the various procedures, Siqi's eyes reddened.
Seeing Lin Zhihua's enthusiastic help, her guilt and gratitude overwhelmed her. Trembling slightly, she confessed to Lin Zhihua that she had helped Yi Tianyu tamper with the data. Lin Zhihua stopped his actions, looked at her gently, and patted her shoulder, assuring her that it was not too late. Hope rekindled in Siqi's eyes as she told Lin Zhihua that she had kept data residue.
Due to her good attitude in confessing, the company did not pursue criminal charges against Siqi. Meanwhile, with only ten minutes left until the press conference, Yi Tianyu paced anxiously backstage. He stopped and sharply questioned Lin Jiadong about Lin Zhihua's actions. Lin Jiadong helplessly shook his head, admitting Lin Zhihua had not yet appeared and suggesting he might be too embarrassed to face Yi Tianyu.
Yi Tianyu scoffed, remarking that he had overestimated Lin Zhihua and that students from Capital University were overpraised, with one getting cold feet and another being ungrateful. Noticing the numerous media present, Lin Jiadong tentatively proposed extending the Q&A session by twenty minutes, but Yi Tianyu, frowning, decisively shortened it to ten minutes. The atmosphere at the press conference was tense. Yi Tianyu stood on stage, displaying a triumphant and arrogant demeanor, announcing Lin Zhihua's expulsion.
Just as the final Q&A session began, Gu Xuejiao calmly and firmly walked onto the stage, followed shortly by Lin Zhihua. Yi Tianyu's expression changed, a flicker of panic in his eyes, as he reminded Gu Xuejiao that he possessed the USB drive. Gu Xuejiao confidently raised her chin, pulling out a device from her bag. She revealed that she had already cracked the cloud control lock, disabling Yi Tianyu's control over the vehicles.
Lin Jiadong, observing from the side, subtly nodded with a hint of relief. Yi Tianyu, desperate, claimed Gu Xuejiao had no access, but Lin Zhihua then asserted that he did, and urged someone to act swiftly to the server room. Witnessing Yi Tianyu's downfall, Qi Lei, who believed Yi Tianyu was on a path to self-destruction, felt a sense of regret but ultimately turned and walked away, allowing Gu Xuejiao to proceed.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiadong, perhaps speaking to himself, expressed his frustration with Yi Tianyu, accusing him of forgetting his roots and becoming an ungrateful capitalist. Shortly after, the police arrived and apprehended Yi Tianyu for deliberately causing a traffic accident and fabricating evidence. Lin Zhihua then took over the briefing, clarifying to the public that the C2 car accident was not due to technical reasons but was, in fact, a deliberate setup.
Returning home, Lin Zhihua and Gu Xuejiao embraced, shedding the heavy burdens they had carried. They shared a passionate kiss and made a pact to never discuss work at home again, generously taking all their annual leave. Gu Xuejiao playfully asked Lin Zhihua why he was so certain she wouldn't change or cherish him more, to which he responded that she was one of a kind. This decision, however, caused distress for the company's remaining leaders.
Lin Zhiyue, shaking her head at the stacks of documents, called Gao Rui to invite him to dinner, but he replied that he was swamped with work. Gu Mingze enthusiastically called Zhou Shiyun, offering movie tickets for a date, but she was preoccupied with a multitude of tasks on her computer, making her too busy for such an outing.
Lin Zhihua and Gu Xuejiao even established a rule: whoever checked work first would be at the other's disposal, a rule Gu Xuejiao later used when she caught Lin Zhihua sending a work-related message, to which he playfully pleaded for just "one more look" at his work. Lin Zhihua and Gu Xuejiao later revisited Capital University. Under the bright sun, two male students playfully rolled a basketball towards Gu Xuejiao and then approached to chat.
Lin Zhihua quickly stepped in front of her, a vigilant look in his eyes. Gu Xuejiao chuckled, tugging at his sleeve, and reminded him that she was a senior, not a junior as the students mistook her for. Lin Zhihua then joked that she hated basketball players and that it was too dangerous with "so many young guys" around, steering her away. They then walked to the flower field where they had first confessed their feelings.
As a gentle breeze rustled the petals, Gu Xuejiao, with a mischievous glint in her eye, tugged at Lin Zhihua's sleeve, teasing him about a secret he'd supposedly revealed when she was drunk. After some playful dodging, Lin Zhihua confessed that he had told her he had "been into her for ten years."
Gu Xuejiao feigned disbelief at his "bad math," pointing out they hadn't known each other that long, to which he responded by showing her old photos, to "walk her through it." Gu Xuejiao then "caught" Lin Zhihua discreetly checking his phone for a work message and invoked their established rule, declaring that he had lost. Lin Zhihua, accepting his fate, produced a ring box and asked her to marry him.
Playfully, Gu Xuejiao responded that since she was at his disposal, she would "reluctantly" say yes, but she still questioned if he would have proposed if he hadn't "lost." Lin Zhihua assured her he would wait "for as long as it takes." With a joyful nod, she accepted, and he placed the ring on her finger. They embraced happily.
Some time later, Gu Xuejiao slowly opened her eyes from a hospital bed, repeatedly calling out Lin Zhihua's name, only to find Gu Mingze by her side. Startled and disoriented, she frantically asked Gu Mingze about his startup plans. Gu Mingze, looking bewildered, scratched his head and told her that he worked as an internet cafe administrator. Feeling a profound sense of unreality, Gu Xuejiao quickly discharged herself and rushed to the group's corporate building.
The building still bore the name of "Xintu Company" from her previous life. As Lin Zhihua walked past her, he merely glanced at her like a stranger and continued on his way. Nearby, Lin Jiadong unintentionally mentioned that Lin Zhihua was resigning, citing injuries from an elevator fall as the reason. Gu Xuejiao's heart seized. She quickly followed Lin Zhihua into the elevator. Despite his cold, unfamiliar gaze, she rushed inside and stood pressed against him.
The elevator suddenly lurched and swayed, threatening to fall. Gu Xuejiao's body froze in fear. However, Lin Zhihua swiftly reached out and firmly grasped her hand. In that instant, Gu Xuejiao remembered his past words: when she once asked how long she would have to wait, perhaps "another ten years," he had replied, "for as long as it takes." She now believed that the Lin Zhihua before her was indeed the one she had been searching for.
Meanwhile, after finishing his shift as an internet cafe administrator, Gu Mingze realized he hadn't even had a meal. He casually sat on the hood of a car, preparing to eat his bread, when he realized it belonged to Zhou Shiyun. Upon seeing her, Gu Mingze instinctively tried to flee, but Zhou Shiyun called out to him. They stood staring at each other, stunned.
