Sweet Combat Episode 4 Recap
> Sweet Combat Recap
Ming Tian stared at the league match announcement board, bewildered. Cheng Yanan approached him, explaining that Fang Yu's intention was to push him and help him grow, comparing the competition to battling a video game monster.
She even joked about getting him a ski-mask to hide his face if he was defeated, but then reassured him that Fang Yu saw potential in him and encouraged him to try, reminding him that the outcome in the boxing ring is never certain until the end. Ming Tian, however, refused her help, determined to confront Fang Yu himself.
At Cheng Ying Boxing Club, the president Luo Guanyan exuded an intimidating aura as he easily defeated two students requesting to withdraw. He Xiaofeng then arrived, expressing her displeasure that Fang Yu had chosen Ming Tian as her opponent. Luo Guanyan advised He Xiaofeng to challenge Fang Yu at Zhengze Academy instead. Fang Yu, who had been observing other female students, was soon approached by Ming Tian.
He demanded to know why she had designated him as her opponent for the league match. Fang Yu haughtily replied that it was an honor every Zhengze student should aspire to. Incensed by her condescending attitude, Ming Tian declared he would apply to withdraw from school. Cheng Yanan was surprised by his drastic reaction. In an attempt to mediate, she and Fang Yu went to Ming Tian's part-time workplace, only to discover he had already quit.
Meanwhile, Sun Hao was enjoying the attention of female students on the Zhengze campus when Luo Guanyan unexpectedly overshadowed him, drawing all the girls' admiration. Luo Guanyan, accompanied by He Xiaofeng, arrived at the Zhengze League Match arena to challenge Fang Yu, but was informed she wasn't present. He Xiaofeng then sought to challenge Ming Tian, but Song Xiaomi and Cheng Yanan intervened, rejecting her. Luo Guanyan observed Cheng Yanan, a slight smile on his face.
As Cheng Yanan was about to dismiss everyone, Luo Guanyan suddenly challenged her. Cheng Yanan accepted with a traditional hand gesture, and a combat supervisor promptly appeared. Sun Hao, fascinated, asked Song Xiaomi about the meaning of the hand signal and the rules of mixed martial arts in the red circle, learning that there were no limits on qualifications, gender, or skill level inside the ring. He was also curious about different types of gloves.
The match ended with Cheng Yanan pinned to the ground by Luo Guanyan. Luo Guanyan told Cheng Yanan he'd see her at the Zhengze League Match, finding the school interesting. Fang Yu felt somewhat responsible for Ming Tian's predicament, so she bought a bicycle, thinking it would be a suitable replacement for his broken one. As she rode it, she initially felt happy, imagining he would like it, but then caught herself, wondering why she would care about his preference.
Elsewhere, Ming Tian had indeed gone to the director's office to apply for withdrawal, reiterating his disinterest in participating in the Zhengze League Match. The director, seeing Ming Tian's firm resolve, asked him to reconsider for his sake, lamenting the difficulties of teaching.
Sun Hao also visited the director, praising the senior students' challenge and expressing his excitement for the Zhengze League Match, which he learned was a highly anticipated annual event broadcast nationally and internationally, where successful combatants gained celebrity-like fan bases. The director tried to warn him about the high number of injuries, but Sun Hao was too enthusiastic about registering, convinced he had found his life goal.
Ming Tian, dressed in a rabbit mascot costume, was distributing flyers on the street when a child pulled him around, making him dizzy and fall. Fang Yu happened to pass by and helped him up, playfully tugging on his rabbit head, calling him cute. Inside the costume, Ming Tian was momentarily stunned by her bright smile. Fang Yu then went into a dessert shop for a strawberry ice cream.
From outside, Ming Tian watched her, marveling at this "girly" side of the usually distant "queen." Still upset about her loss, Cheng Yanan muttered to herself as she returned to her family's martial arts gym. Her father was surprised to hear she had fought a male opponent, recalling his vow to marry her off to anyone who could defeat her. Luo Guanyan then walked in to buy supplies.
Realizing he was Cheng Yanan's opponent, her father excitedly invited him for dinner and even probed about his relationship status. Cheng Yanan was mortified and quickly fled after receiving a text from Fang Yu. Fang Yu had texted Cheng Yanan to deliver the bicycle to Ming Tian, as she didn't want to go herself. Cheng Yanan suggested Fang Yu should explain her intentions to Ming Tian directly, so he wouldn't misunderstand her actions.
Song Xiaomi, meanwhile, saw a "hiring" sign at a car wash and called Ming Tian, only for him to emerge from the car wash right after. Ming Tian had been looking for part-time jobs since deciding to withdraw from school. Song Xiaomi insisted on helping him wash a car but accidentally sprayed a customer. She managed to appease the customer with a cute apology, much to Ming Tian's embarrassment.
Song Xiaomi then shamelessly followed Ming Tian home, where they found Fang Yu and Cheng Yanan already waiting at the door. Inside Ming Tian's old house, Fang Yu felt uncomfortable sitting among the worn furnishings. Ming Zhu and Ming Lang, Ming Tian's younger siblings, dutifully served fruits and water. Ming Lang openly expressed his admiration for Fang Yu, calling her "Sister Queen."
Fang Yu found her teacup chipped and hesitated to drink, which Ming Tian misinterpreted as her disdaining the tea. To ease the awkwardness, Cheng Yanan suggested playing a game. Fang Yu proved to be terrible, losing repeatedly to the children. Watching the five of them enthusiastically play, Ming Tian subtly smiled. Ming Lang again praised Fang Yu.
Cheng Yanan proudly declared that all Zhengze students were "female warriors," but no sooner had she said this than a cockroach sent Fang Yu, Cheng Yanan, and Song Xiaomi screaming and scrambling in panic. Ming Tian chased the cockroach with a broom, and Ming Lang eventually captured it under a cup. As Cheng Yanan and Song Xiaomi finally calmed down, they turned to see Ming Tian holding Fang Yu in a "princess carry."
Ming Tian, realizing his actions, quickly dropped her, but Fang Yu, with strong wrists, landed on her feet, creating an awkward silence. Ming Lang, mischievously, then kicked the cup, releasing the cockroach, causing the girls to scream and scatter once more. While Song Xiaomi and Cheng Yanan played with the children, Fang Yu gave the bicycle to Ming Tian. Ming Tian, unwilling to accept what he perceived as charity, tried to return it.
Fang Yu insisted, and they engaged in a physical struggle over the bike. Fang Yu explained that she knew he was angry about being chosen as her opponent for the finals, but if he could last even one minute against her in the ring, it would be a point of pride, ensuring no one would look down on him again. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't try and why he wanted to give up.
Ming Tian retorted that he didn't care about others' perceptions; his focus was on reality, not the ring. He pressed her about why she wouldn't give up on him. Fang Yu expressed her inability to tolerate that he came to Zhengze only for the scholarship, asserting that she had seen his fighting potential in his past actions. She questioned why he was hiding his abilities and refusing to fight.
Ming Tian stated that not all problems had solutions, not everyone had to answer to her, and despite her status as "Queen" in the arena, it didn't mean everyone outside it had to obey her. He simply wanted her to "let it go." Ming Tian reflected on his mother's abandonment and his refusal to let his younger siblings, Ming Zhu and Ming Lang, get involved in anything that could ruin their family, like fighting.
He forbade Ming Lang from joining the taekwondo club, believing violence only ruined everything. Meanwhile, Fang Yu was also reflecting, struggling to understand why Ming Tian would rather withdraw from school than fight. She recalled Cheng Yanan's earlier words about her misunderstanding Ming Tian, wondering if her own lack of "girly" interests made her a "monster." She realized she needed to investigate the deeper reasons behind Ming Tian's reluctance, recalling the surprising combat move he had shown previously. She felt that perhaps, like freshly ground coffee beans, Ming Tian needed to be in a high-pressure environment to truly reveal his surprising potential.
