The Bond Episode 5 Recap
> The Bond Recap
At breakfast, Qiao Sanli noticed a persistent boy trying to place fruit on her bicycle. She sternly refused his advances and, dragging Qiao Simei, left without eating, much to Simei's dismay. Simei found his gestures romantic, describing him as dedicated and capable of writing touching love poems. However, Qiao Sanli, recalling painful childhood memories, vehemently rejected his overtures, warning Simei that such actions were not dedication but manipulative and perverse.
She insisted that such people "are worse than anyone," implying they have ulterior motives. Simei teased Sanli for being cold and stricter than Qiao Yicheng, also mentioning that Sanli had threatened the boy with Qiao Yicheng earlier. Qiao Yicheng returned home after several weeks. Qiao Erqiang proudly presented the meal he had cooked, which Qiao Yicheng noted tasted much like their mother's but with an indescribable difference.
Qiao Zuwang, feeling triumphant, announced he had secured a lathe operator job for Qiao Erqiang, bragging about his "connections" as he did so. Qiao Yicheng, largely ignoring his father's self-praise, encouraged Qiao Erqiang to work hard, persevere through difficulties, and learn well from his master. After Qiao Zuwang quickly finished half his meal and left to gamble, Qiao Yicheng turned his attention to his younger siblings. He learned that Qiao Erqiang diligently cooked late every night after work.
Qiao Simei, growing more fashion-conscious, now wore her hair down and experimented with her clothes, which Qiao Yicheng found messy and mismatched. In return, she pointed out how much cleaner and better dressed Qiao Erqiang had become since starting work, causing him to blush when she playfully asked about his love life. Qiao Sanli, on the other hand, was always neat and tidy, giving Qiao Yicheng less to worry about.
Qiao Yicheng was summoned by Qiao Simei's homeroom teacher, who reported her close relationship with an older boy, notorious for being held back twice, and her reading of romance novels. Back home, Qiao Yicheng discovered a "love poem" in Qiao Simei's bag, which turned out to be a jumbled description of a male character from a classic novel, Wu Song.
He sternly lectured her for pursuing such things while neglecting her studies and ordered her to sever ties with the boy. To prevent further early romance, Qiao Yicheng declared he would apply to be a day student and personally escort her to and from school, monitoring her 24/7, regardless of the distance between their schools. True to his word, he pulled her away from the boy who was waiting to give her flowers.
Later, Qi Weimin found a despondent Qiao Simei burying reeds. She wondered if love was as fragile and fleeting as the reeds, echoing Qi Weimin's own sentiment about his withered and dried-up love. To cheer her up, Qi Weimin offered her the latest "Yesterday's Glitter" postcards. Qiao Simei brightened, wishing Qiao Yicheng were as understanding as Qi Weimin, lamenting that her older brother treated her like a prisoner.
Qiao Yicheng's constant sighing over Qiao Simei's romantic entanglement caught Wen Ju'an's attention, making her suspect he was either in love or heartbroken. Qiao Yicheng clarified that his concerns were for his youngest sister, Qiao Simei, who showed "early love tendencies." He worried about the negative impression she might leave on her teachers and classmates, and feared she would suffer significant emotional setbacks in the future.
Wen Ju'an, however, challenged his perspective, arguing that love should not be categorized as "early" or "late." She asserted that "love is love," and the timing of liking someone is irrelevant; sometimes it's the wrong person, and sometimes the timing is simply off. She expressed a longing for meeting the "right person at the right time" and directly asked Qiao Yicheng if he had ever experienced such a love, to which he replied negatively.
Subsequently, she invited him to celebrate her birthday with dinner at her house the following day. Ignoring the curious stares of her classmates, Qiao Simei boldly called Cheng Wei out of class. Cheng Wei, however, revealed that his mother had forbidden their relationship and threatened to transfer him if they continued, a prospect he wanted to avoid before graduation. He asked if they could still be friends, to which Simei reluctantly agreed.
Later, Qiao Yicheng was furious to learn that Qiao Simei had approached Cheng Wei again. Qiao Zuwang and Qiao Sanli worried about the inevitable gossip. Defiantly, Qiao Simei declared she was no longer interested in Cheng Wei, dismissing him as unmanly and "a kindergarten baby." She asserted that her affections were her own business and proclaimed her future preference for a partner who was both "manly and strong," and, crucially, "better looking than Cheng Wei."
Qiao Yicheng argued that good looks were impractical, but Simei countered that they brought her joy. When Qiao Yicheng chided her for openly discussing "like" and "love," she retorted that these were not insults. In contrast to Qiao Simei's forwardness, Qiao Sanli expressed strong disinterest in relationships, declaring she would remain single. When asked about his own romantic prospects, Qiao Erqiang blushed and admitted he didn't know.
On Wen Ju'an's birthday, Qiao Yicheng joined Wen Mama and her uncle to celebrate. Wen Ju'an, however, was in tears, upset because she hadn't achieved her expected score in one subject. Qiao Yicheng presented her with a new set of "excellent essay selections" as a thoughtful gift. Wen Mama, on the other hand, offered a rare Italian chocolate she had specially sourced from Hong Kong, but Wen Ju'an was hesitant to accept it.
When Wen Mama suggested blowing out the candles, claiming everyone was present, Wen Ju'an stubbornly refused, insisting that "we're missing someone" and she intended to invite them. This sparked a heated argument, with Wen Ju'an openly rebelling against her mother's pervasive control. She accused Wen Mama of constantly making decisions for her, from her clothes and hairstyle to her academic performance and even her personal preferences. " I'm a human being. I have thoughts. I'm not your doll!"
Wen Ju'an declared, lamenting that despite all the excellent living conditions and gifts, her mother had "never given me what I want the most." After his shift, Qiao Erqiang, intrigued by some colleagues' secretive behavior, followed them to the bathhouse. There, he found them setting up a ladder to peer through a hole, excited about seeing something they hadn't seen before. However, Qiao Erqiang inadvertently made a noise, startling his colleagues and causing them to flee the scene.
Wen Ju'an sought out Qiao Yicheng at the school's newsstand where he worked part-time. Despite Qiao Yicheng's focus on his job, Wen Ju'an decided to wait for him outside, stating she wanted him to accompany her somewhere after his shift. Her striking beauty quickly attracted the attention of male students, one of whom flirted with her, offering to show her around and inviting her to a dance. Wen Ju'an politely declined, explaining she already had plans.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yicheng, clearly distracted by the ongoing interaction outside, mistakenly handed a customer the wrong newspaper. Once Qiao Yicheng finished his work, Wen Ju'an gave him her bag to carry. Separately, at the factory, Qiao Erqiang found himself drawn to Ma Suqin as she styled her damp hair, and she taught him the Manchu word "Maling" for a hair ornament.
Qiao Yicheng agreed to accompany Wen Ju'an, gently reminding her along the way that even in college, her primary focus should remain on academics, and to avoid distractions from social activities or relationships. They arrived at a secluded alley, where Wen Ju'an, carrying several bags, requested that Qiao Yicheng wait outside, assuring him she would be quick. Trusting her, he waited. Moments later, hearing her scream from inside, Qiao Yicheng rushed in.
Upon seeing a man embracing Wen Ju'an, he instinctively attacked him. In a distressed reaction, Wen Ju'an slapped Qiao Yicheng, revealing that the man was her biological father and pleading with Qiao Yicheng to stop hitting him. Qiao Yicheng, apologetic, expressed his regret, stating he hadn't known. As they walked away, Wen Ju'an explained that her parents were divorcing, and her mother forbade her from seeing her father.
Despite this, she did not want her father to leave, firmly believing that "We're a family. We should be together." She thanked Qiao Yicheng for his company that day. Qiao Yicheng returned home feeling distraught. Qiao Erqiang immediately offered to cook him some freshly wrapped wontons, and Qiao Zuwang, joining them, also requested a bowl. Qiao Simei, ever fixated on appearances, lamented that her brothers were not as handsome as the movie star Chow Yun-Fat.
Qiao Sanli, however, defended Qiao Yicheng's looks, noting his good features but admitting he often looked stern and might benefit from a mustache. Qiao Simei then secretly confided that Qiao Qiqi was, in fact, the "most handsome" male in their family. Meanwhile, Qiao Qiqi, now in elementary school, was struggling with his studies and receiving private tutoring from Teacher Chang. Qi Weimin arrived to visit Qiao Qiqi, bringing fruit.
He was greeted by Teacher Chang's sister, Chang Xinyu, who playfully mistook him for Qiao Qiqi's father. Qi Weimin, clarifying he was Qiao Qiqi's "older cousin," was told that Teacher Chang did not accept gifts from parents and to take the fruit back when he left. Inside, Teacher Chang praised Qiao Qiqi's attentiveness but noted his shyness.
Chang Xinyu later showed Qi Weimin a drawing Qiao Qiqi had made of him, and as Qi Weimin left, Chang Xinyu, after correcting him on her name, took one of the fruits he had brought, smiling brightly. Later that day, Wen Ju'an unexpectedly appeared in Qiao Yicheng's class, interrupting his lecture on "Onegin" and Tatyana. After Qiao Yicheng apologized for earlier bringing up her father, she asked him to spend the afternoon with her, to which he agreed.
