The First Frost Episode 21 Recap
> The First Frost Recap
Nearing graduation, Wen Yifan helped a classmate move a large amount of postgraduate exam materials to the gates of Yihe University. Her classmate mentioned plans to return home for graduate school, where her boyfriend was waiting, and then asked Wen Yifan if someone was waiting for her too. Wen Yifan deflected, stating she intended to work after graduation and simply wanted to go home and be spoiled by her parents.
When they arrived at a taxi, the classmate asked the driver to open the trunk. As Wen Yifan approached to call the driver, she caught a glimpse of the driver's side profile through the car window. Startled, she immediately turned and rushed back into the school, leaving her classmate to handle the luggage. Despite living together, Wen Yifan and Sang Yan rarely saw each other due to Sang Yan’s frequent overtime and Wen Yifan’s impromptu business trips.
Wen Yifan often left him food and notes, and he would text her about his late returns. One night, just as Sang Yan returned home exhausted, Wen Yifan received an urgent call from her colleague, Qian Wenhua, about a car accident: a taxi had crashed directly into a noodle shop near Wen Yifan’s home, injuring both the driver and the passenger. Despite Sang Yan offering to drive her, Wen Yifan rushed out to meet Qian Wenhua, who was already downstairs.
At the scene, a colleague shared that the driver, seemingly intoxicated, had driven an old second-hand car straight into the Dragon King Noodle Shop while attempting a maneuver, causing significant damage. As firefighters pulled the injured driver from the wreckage, Wen Yifan recognized his face, which made her breath quicken. She quickly ducked behind a pillar to avoid being seen. From the stretcher, the driver, in turn, seemed to spot Wen Yifan and stared intently at her.
Later, while preparing the news report, Wen Yifan, still shaken, removed her name from the broadcast, opting for a general “Nanwu TV” attribution to avoid recognition. Early Saturday morning, Sang Yan found Wen Yifan still awake in the kitchen. Noticing her distress, he asked if something bad had happened. She confessed to feeling tired and not wanting to move. Sang Yan gently embraced her, offering comfort and porridge.
Wen Yifan held him tightly, expressing deep regret for her past behavior, promising to treat him well, and vowing never to hurt him again. She declared her desire to be with him every day, to avoid all the people from her past, and asked him to stay by her side forever. After a brief kiss, she tried to leave, but Sang Yan stopped her, playfully chastising her for the "flirt and run" kiss and asking her to be more serious.
He then pulled her closer for a more passionate kiss. When she became shy, Sang Yan gave her a choice: porridge or another kiss. Wen Yifan chose the porridge. As they ate, he teased her about her terrible kissing skills, complaining that his lips hurt, to which she retorted that she just needed more practice. Zhong Siqiao confronted Su Hao'an, urging him to talk to his grandmother about his grandfather's illness.
She explained that his grandfather had bought their old house back and filled it with vintage furniture and pottery to recreate memories from his younger days with his grandmother, fearing he might forget their past due to his deteriorating health. Su Hao'an initially dismissed this as odd behavior, revealing his pain over a past car accident that had left their family with a permanent, unspoken wound.
Zhong Siqiao pressed him, arguing that his grandfather likely pushed his grandmother to travel so she could fulfill her dreams before his health worsened, and that the family needed to address their past trauma. She recounted how both grandparents were still deeply attached to each other, despite their separation. Su Hao'an, touched by her understanding, realized Zhong Siqiao constantly helped others while concealing her own struggles. He asked how he could help her.
Zhong Siqiao, while acknowledging his affection, worried his feelings were merely a rebound from his recent heartbreak. She admitted to missing him but was frustrated by his recent silence and didn't want him to know her true feelings. Su Hao'an then kissed her passionately. After a playful exchange, Su Hao'an declared he would officially pursue her for a shared future.
Zhong Siqiao, calming him down, asked him to take his time, slowly discover her other good sides, and gradually fall for her. Su Hao'an agreed. Later, Grandpa welcomed Su Hao'an and Zhong Siqiao to his old house, explaining how he lovingly restored it to recreate memories for his grandmother. Just then, Grandma, alerted by Zhong Siqiao and Su Hao'an, arrived. She confronted Grandpa about concealing his illness, revealing her sadness over his deliberate arguments that pushed her away.
Grandpa admitted his fear of forgetting her. Grandma reassured him, stating that they were lifelong partners. She confessed that her solo travels were not happy because she constantly worried about him and their family, realizing that being with them was her greatest happiness. Grandma, seeing the meticulously recreated home, realized how deeply Grandpa remembered their past. They reconciled, and the grandparents danced together, just as they used to.
After Sang Yan teased her about her kissing, Wen Yifan secretly practiced in front of her mirror, only to quickly become embarrassed. Later, Sang Yan entered her room, holding his college graduation album. He invited her to look through it, showing her pictures of himself, Su Hao'an (who had yellow hair in college), and Qian Fei.
When Wen Yifan saw a photo of Duan Jiaxu, she remarked that he was quite handsome, a "campus heartthrob" type who looked sunny and youthful, and that she'd heard he and Sang Yan were known as the "Nanwu double heartthrobs." Sang Yan, clearly annoyed, immediately downplayed Duan Jiaxu’s appeal, claiming he was older, from the "previous generation," and looked "silly." Noticing many photos of Duan Jiaxu, a jealous Sang Yan quickly feigned tiredness and took the album away.
Later, Wen Yifan entered Sang Yan’s room to give him an early Valentine's Day gift. She presented him with two matching bracelets: one with a delicate snowflake, representing "Frost's Descent" (Shuangjiang, her nickname), which she put on his wrist. He then helped her put on the other bracelet, adorned with a small mulberry leaf, signifying his name, Sang Yan. Sang Yan then directed her to a drawer where she found his gift: a voice recorder.
Alone in her room, Wen Yifan played the recording, which contained heartfelt messages from Sang Yan, telling her to prioritize her safety at work, reminding her that he was waiting for her safe return, assuring her she deserved the best, and promising to always be by her side. Wen Yifan reflected on Sang Yan’s college years, a period she never witnessed, expressing deep regret for missing that time in his life.
She yearned to be present for every moment, sharing his joys and sorrows, and being by his side during every difficult time. She vowed to be his "power bank," providing him with boundless energy every day in the future.
