Ten Years Late Episode 13 Recap
> Ten Years Late Recap
Zhao Chengzhi and Shen Shuangshuang drove to Zhejiang, embarking on a quest to find Bai Zan. Along the way, Shen Shuangshuang tried to tie a red string on Zhao Chengzhi's wrist for good luck. She explained that she had consulted Tarot cards the night before, and the reading, featuring three reversed cards, indicated potential troubles for their trip, calling it an "adverse card reading."
To counteract this, she acquired two red bracelets from Jing'an Temple, believing they would ward off bad luck. Zhao Chengzhi, however, found her blend of Eastern and Western superstitions illogical and dismissed it. Shen Shuangshuang also expressed excitement for what she called their "first trip" together, but Zhao Chengzhi corrected her, emphasizing that their mission was to help Gu Yang's wishes come true. Their journey was soon halted when a landslide blocked the road, forcing them to continue on foot.
As they navigated a difficult, narrow path, Shen Shuangshuang complained about the rough terrain and insisted on holding Zhao Chengzhi's arm. Their phone's GPS also failed, and Zhao Chengzhi informed Jin Ran of their predicament. Resourcefully, Shen Shuangshuang revealed she had brought several of Gu Yang's old letters, which contained intermittent descriptions of the local landscape, providing valuable clues for their search. Meanwhile, Yuan Lai, Jin Ran, Ji Aoting, and Lucas from Senlv were playing golf.
Yuan Lai's shot was poor, which Lucas found disappointing, stating her play was "boring." Yuan Lai apologized for her lack of skill, acknowledging she needed more practice. She used this moment to express her desire to rekindle their partnership. She proposed a challenge: if she could beat Lucas in a golf game in one week, he should give their company another opportunity. Lucas agreed, also showing appreciation for her spirit.
Yuan Lai then suggested a compensation plan involving e-commerce coupons for their travel packages, which Lucas found to be a "targeted approach" and agreed to consider. Zhao Chengzhi and Shen Shuangshuang continued towards a tea garden, guided by the letters. Shen Shuangshuang boasted about her high intelligence and beauty, attributing her cleverness to being Zhao Chengzhi's apprentice, though he dismissed it as "petty tricks." In her enthusiasm, she slipped down a small incline. Zhao Chengzhi instinctively grabbed her hand.
Believing she was in grave danger, Shen Shuangshuang tearfully urged him to live a happy life and find a loving partner, professing her own deep affection for him. Zhao Chengzhi, realizing the slope was tiny and harmless, released her hand and walked on, leaving her to sheepishly follow. Upon reaching the tea garden, they asked the owner about Bai Zan, who confirmed she was a local elementary school teacher.
As they continued, Zhao Chengzhi found a spot with a phone signal and called Ding Ang to update him on Bai Zan's location. During the call, a poisonous spider fell and bit Zhao Chengzhi's hand, causing him to lose consciousness. The phone signal then cut out. A frantic Shen Shuangshuang was in despair. Ding Ang called back, and Shen Shuangshuang, crying, informed him of the spider bite.
Ding Ang calmly instructed her to untie her shoelace and bind it tightly around the distal end of the wound—the side away from the heart—to slow the spread of the venom. He also told her to carry Zhao Chengzhi out of the mountain towards a highway, where he had already dispatched an ambulance. Despite being lost and struggling to use her phone's compass for direction, Shen Shuangshuang resolutely carried Zhao Chengzhi.
She stumbled and fell, feeling exhausted and desperate, but recalling their past interactions, she found renewed strength to push on. Finally, she managed to get Zhao Chengzhi to the roadside, where the ambulance was waiting. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, Shen Shuangshuang anxiously watched over Zhao Chengzhi in the emergency room. The doctor emerged to inform her that the hospital had run out of the necessary anti-venom serum.
They had requested it from the city hospital, but the transport time was uncertain, and she should be prepared for the worst. Ding Ang and Xinyi soon arrived. Xinyi quickly thought of Yuan Lai, whose parents were doctors and might be able to help. Yuan Lai was contacted and, with Jin Ran's help, swiftly arranged for the serum to be transported to the hospital. It arrived just in time, saving Zhao Chengzhi's life.
After regaining consciousness, Zhao Chengzhi confirmed that Bai Zan was at the mountain school. Shen Shuangshuang stayed to care for him, while Jin Ran, Yuan Lai, Ding Ang, and Xinyi set out to find her. They soon got lost in the forest. A young boy appeared and offered to guide them. He led them to his home, where his older sister greeted them.
Jin Ran explained they were looking for Bai Zan, a volunteer teacher from Shanghai who had taught in the area for about five years. The sister then led them to a large tree adorned with many paper cranes. She sadly revealed that Miss Bai had died three years prior in a mudslide while heroically saving her students.
She had repeatedly rushed into the collapsing school building to rescue children, but during her last attempt to save a child named Doudou, she herself was engulfed by the mudslide. Inspired by Miss Bai's selfless spirit, the sister returned to teach at the same school.
She then presented Jin Ran with an unsent letter from Bai Zan addressed to Gu Yang, emphasizing its importance and asking them to deliver it if they knew him, as only truly significant connections were maintained through letters in their time. The four friends drove back to Shanghai in silence, the car pelted by heavy rain, a somber reflection of the tragic news. Ding Ang subtly reached out and held Xinyi's hand.
Back in Zhao Chengzhi's hospital room, Shen Shuangshuang, upon hearing about Bai Zan, wept into Zhao Chengzhi's chest, questioning why lovers like Gu Yang and Bai Zan couldn't ultimately be together. Just then, Yuan Lai's mother visited Zhao Chengzhi and saw Shen Shuangshuang embracing him. She quickly called Yuan Lai, advising her to "hold onto this good boy, Chengzhi." Jin Ran and Yuan Lai delivered Bai Zan's letter to Gu Yang at his coffee shop.
Gu Yang opened and read it, his eyes filling with tears. In the letter, Bai Zan wrote of her recent well-being, still dedicated to the children. She revealed she had visited his coffee shop some time ago, sitting by the window all day, hoping to see him, but he never appeared. She noted how the café's decor—the curtains, tablecloths, and a potted daisy—matched the dream home she had once described to him.
She felt a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity, imagining herself in the little home they never built. She mused on their "thin fate"—falling in love when too young to cherish it, separating when lost, and missing each other when bound by life's circumstances. She marked their ten-year anniversary and recalled their agreement to meet again in ten years if fate allowed, asking him to smile if she cried upon their reunion, just as he did when they first met.
Gu Yang was left weeping alone at his table, contemplating their bittersweet connection. Afterward, Jin Ran drove Yuan Lai home. At her doorstep, Yuan Lai embraced Jin Ran, reflecting on Gu Yang and Bai Zan's profound regret. She vowed to hold onto Jin Ran tightly, promising not to let any regrets linger between them, signifying their reconciliation. Similarly, Ding Ang dropped Xinyi off at her place, and she held onto him tightly at the door for a long moment.
The next morning, Ding Ang woke to find a note from Xinyi. In it, she agreed to officially be his girlfriend but laid out four strict rules for him to follow during their relationship: no video games after 1 AM, no referring to her as his "fiancée" in front of his parents, no hosting Zhao Chengzhi at her apartment for any reason, and no consuming "junk drinks" other than natural mineral water. Overjoyed, Ding Ang found Xinyi, scooped her up, and spun her around in a celebratory embrace.
