The Big Boss Episode 3 Recap
> The Big Boss Recap
During class, while most students, including their monitor Ye Muqi, were lost in their own worlds or waiting for dismissal, the scheduled end-of-class bell failed to ring. Ye Muqi found herself mentally imagining a war scene, with some classmates claiming to hear the bell while others, like her, heard nothing. The English teacher, engrossed in her lecture, only realized she had overrun the class by nearly seven minutes.
Just as the students hoped for a break, their homeroom teacher immediately entered, announcing that the next class would start three minutes earlier than scheduled, much to everyone's dismay. Outside the school, Xue Xiaodong's private information had been leaked, leading a massive crowd of fangirls to block the entrance. Guan Xinyi, the newly inaugurated Student Union president, noted that Xue Xiaodong's appearance on a reality show had caused the widespread news.
Despite dispatching student union officers, she admitted that the limited school security could not forcibly disperse the overwhelming number of fans, but she vowed to handle the situation to ensure students could enter. Back in the classroom, Ye Muqi and Zhu Shanqi were idly chatting when Xue Xiaodong, having somehow navigated the crowd, entered and took his seat. Zhu Shanqi, thrilled by his presence, immediately became animated.
She urged Ye Muqi to pretend she had just told a funny joke to catch Xue Xiaodong's attention. After he smiled, Zhu Shanqi gushed about his good looks and expressed her desire for a photo and to follow him on social media, explaining that today was his first day in school after being delayed by a concert. She then excitedly told Ye Muqi that Class 10 was fortunate to have two "dream guys": Xue Xiaodong and Liao Danyi.
Upon hearing Liao Danyi's name, Ye Muqi visibly recoiled, questioning Zhu Shanqi's judgment, asking if she or the world was blind to consider Liao Danyi a dream guy, despite his good looks, academic prowess, and intellectual aura. Xue Xiaodong then politely shook hands with them. Ye Muqi, however, felt a strange familiarity about him. She pressed him, asking if he had ever appeared on TV in the past, specifically mentioning an amusement park, a hula hoop, and a child.
Xue Xiaodong reacted sharply, slamming his hand on the desk. He vehemently denied ever being on TV as a child, dismissing her memory and asserting that he had no such past. He then abruptly left the classroom, leaving Ye Muqi and Zhu Shanqi utterly bewildered. From a distance, Xue Xiaodong's manager, Annie, observed the interaction and, hearing his agitated denial, immediately instructed her team to prepare for actions, issuing a level-1 red alert.
Meanwhile, Guan Xinyi, walking past other classrooms that were empty during the break, was surprised to find Liao Danyi still in Class 10, completely absorbed in his studies. Intrigued, she reviewed his middle school mock test transcripts and discovered that he consistently outscored her but had missed one test in the high school entrance exam, which led to his placement in Class 10.
Believing that "only when all outstanding students are gathered, can there be motivation for progress together," she approached Liao Danyi directly and asked if he would like to join Class 1, though he offered no response. During their Chinese class, the homeroom teacher's lecture was repeatedly interrupted by fans chanting Xue Xiaodong's name outside. Frustrated, the teacher assigned Ye Muqi the responsibility of handling the disruptive fans.
As Ye Muqi walked back to the classroom contemplating how to resolve the issue, Xue Xiaodong suddenly appeared with a group of classmates dancing. He performed what he claimed was the title track of his new album, declaring that he wanted Ye Muqi to remember him as the idol he was now, not his past self. Ye Muqi remained unconvinced, however, insisting that she had seen him before in connection with a hula hoop.
This further angered Xue Xiaodong, who abruptly ended the performance and stormed off. Annie, still monitoring the situation, confirmed that "Plan A" had indeed failed and reiterated the need to execute "Plan B." The next day, Xue Xiaodong arrived in class in a noticeably cheerful mood. He distributed homemade desserts to everyone and presented two tickets to his live concert. He then specifically invited Ye Muqi to have afternoon tea with him, which she accepted.
Zhu Shanqi, excited by the invitation, accompanied Ye Muqi to the designated playground. Xue Xiaodong appeared with a guitar and began to serenade them. While Zhu Shanqi was captivated, Ye Muqi's focus remained on his past, expressing that she was "deeply impressed" by him from "before this" and was on the verge of recalling the "hula hoop" connection.
This persistent questioning agitated Xue Xiaodong once more, and he angrily asked if she could simply remember him as he was now before storming off again. Later, as Ye Muqi walked alone, Xue Xiaodong reappeared and led her to the school auditorium, promising to finally reveal where they had met. On the dimly lit stage, he picked up a hula hoop and, with a lack of idol-like grace, began to spin it while singing a "healthy song."
This spectacle instantly triggered Ye Muqi's memory; she recognized him as the "fat hula hoop boy" from her childhood. Xue Xiaodong confirmed it, sarcastically suggesting she go tell everyone about his "embarrassing past." He then passionately explained the immense "suffering" he endured to lose weight, including a strict diet with little meat and daily physical training.
He confided that his "appearance is everything" as an idol, and his initial motivation to pursue this career was simply to avoid being laughed at by others. Annie, reflecting on Xue Xiaodong's past, recalled how the advertisement had deeply hurt him as a child and how his contract required all traces of it to be erased. She mused on the irony of Ye Muqi, in such a vast world, remembering this hidden part of his history.
Ye Muqi, empathizing with his struggles yet maintaining her optimistic outlook, told Xue Xiaodong that he couldn't please everyone and should live for himself, not for others. She then shared her own "secret": she had been a childhood fan of his hula hoop advertisement, finding it "very much" endearing and even practicing martial arts movements while listening to the song. Despite her heartfelt confession, Xue Xiaodong remained despondent.
Ye Muqi then had a brilliant idea and sat at a piano, playing a tune. Xue Xiaodong, a lover of music, was drawn to the instrument and joined her, singing along. As their duet concluded, Annie burst into the auditorium, ready to reprimand Ye Muqi. However, Xue Xiaodong intervened, telling Annie to let Ye Muqi go. He then declared that he had realized he genuinely enjoyed being an idol, his internal conflict finally resolved.
