The First Frost Episode 5 Recap
> The First Frost Recap
During the winter break of their second year of high school, a teacher urged students to focus on their studies. After class, Wen Yifan playfully admired a music box she received from Sang Yan. As she spun around, she noticed Sang Yan quietly following her. When confronted, Sang Yan offered to walk her home, claiming it was on his way as he planned to take the bus in the same direction.
He playfully suggested she look for him on the bus next time so she wouldn't miss the chance to go to school with him. In another high school memory, Sang Yan consistently woke up early to catch the same bus as Wen Yifan, even reserving a seat for her. When she chose to stand, citing leg cramps from sitting too long, he would stand beside her.
In the present, at a gathering at Overtime, Xiang Lang thoughtfully prepared a dipping sauce for Wen Yifan, remembering her dislike for cilantro and garlic. Zhong Siqiao, Xiang Lang, and Wen Yifan, who they affectionately called "Dian," reminisced about their kindergarten days. Zhong Siqiao explained the nickname originated because Wen Yifan used to write the character "Yi" in her name as four dots.
Their friends then joked that her full name effectively became "Wen Dian Dian Dian Dian Fan," or even "Wen Dian Dian Dian Dian Dian," since the character "Fan" also contained a dot. Sang Yan remained visibly displeased throughout the meal. Later, as they settled into a private room at Overtime, Zhong Siqiao expressed concern about Wen Yifan's living situation with Sang Yan, noting his sullen demeanor during dinner.
She suggested Wen Yifan swap places with Xiang Lang so he could live with Sang Yan, but Wen Yifan dismissed the idea as too much trouble. Su Hao'an then introduced the bar's new, comically named drinks, such as "Allergic to Work" and "Reject False Promises," attributing the clever titles to himself. The group decided to play Truth or Dare. Su Hao'an lost the first round and chose dare, which required him to kiss someone present.
Despite Sang Yan's strong resistance, Su Hao'an quickly kissed him, then boasted about his bravery, mentioning that Sang Yan had even kissed Duan Jiaxu during college games. Su Hao'an confirmed that he, Sang Yan, and Duan Jiaxu were all from Nanwu University's Computer Science department, sharing the same major, class, and dorm. Next, Wen Yifan lost and chose truth, which asked her to state one positive trait for each man present.
She described Su Hao'an as "rich" and praised Xiang Lang for being "smart, handsome, and considerate." When it came to Sang Yan, she hesitated before settling on "calm, quiet, confident. . . too confident," which visibly annoyed him. Xiang Lang subsequently lost and chose truth, revealing his biggest regret: not attending Yihe University with Wen Yifan as they had planned, instead opting to study abroad.
This revelation deeply affected Sang Yan, who recalled Wen Yifan telling him years ago that she was going to Yihe because she had "made plans with someone else." This triggered a painful memory for Sang Yan of the rainy night they broke up. He had excitedly told Wen Yifan he was accepted into Nanwu University for Computer Science, assuming she would join him given her superior grades. To his shock, Wen Yifan revealed she had applied to Yihe University instead.
She explained that she had "made plans with someone else" and further confessed her intense dislike for him always coming to find her in Beiyu, expressing frustration at having to meet him every time. She explicitly stated that Nanwu was too close to Beiyu, so she chose a more distant university like Yihe to get away from him, hoping he would no longer seek her out.
Back in the present, after the gathering, Xiang Lang and Zhong Siqiao learned that Sang Yan had paid the entire bill. Zhong Siqiao joked about him being stingy for only getting a 1% discount. Wen Yifan received an urgent call from her boss, Ms. Qian, requiring her to return home to finish an article. Xiang Lang offered her a ride.
During the drive, Xiang Lang urged Wen Yifan not to bottle up her feelings and to share any difficulties with him immediately. Wen Yifan agreed. Left alone, Su Hao'an questioned Zhong Siqiao about why Wen Yifan had not attended Nanwu University despite her excellent academic record. Zhong Siqiao admitted she didn't know the full reason, speculating that Wen Yifan might have wanted distance from everyone. Su Hao'an expressed his dislike for change in relationships and his desire for everlasting love.
Later, Su Hao'an confronted Sang Yan, accusing him of still having feelings for Wen Yifan and orchestrating the co-living arrangement. Sang Yan adamantly denied it, tossing ice at him and maintaining they were "just roommates." Su Hao'an pressed on, highlighting Sang Yan's evident jealousy towards Xiang Lang and recalling a similar "awful state" Sang Yan was in on the day of their college entrance exam results.
In the car, Xiang Lang observed Wen Yifan's detached demeanor, noting her vague responses about her life in Nanwu, often just saying "pretty good" or "boring." He remarked that she never truly shared her personal experiences in their group chat and avoided discussing her decision to switch to Yihe University, asking if she didn't feel any regret.
Sang Yan continued his pattern of not returning home for several nights, sending Wen Yifan a message each night to inform her and remind her to lock the door. Wen Yifan consistently replied "Okay." She felt a growing concern but didn't know how to approach him. Wen Yifan's mother visited her at work, trying to persuade her to celebrate New Year's Eve at home, mentioning that Zheng Kejia, Wen Yifan's half-sister, also wanted her there. Wen Yifan remained noncommittal.
Her mother apologized for past shortcomings, but Wen Yifan, seemingly unfazed, said she no longer blamed her. She gently urged her mother to go home because of the cold, leaving the invitation unanswered. Zhong Siqiao called Wen Yifan, asking if she and Sang Yan had argued since he was staying at Overtime. Wen Yifan denied any conflict, describing their cohabitation as living "like two strangers under one roof" with very little communication.
Unbeknownst to Wen Yifan, Sang Yan overheard this phone conversation from another room at Overtime. Later, Su Hao'an walked Zhong Siqiao home, where they were unexpectedly spotted by Zhong Siqiao's family, leading to an awkward encounter and questions about Su Hao'an being her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Wen Yifan's colleague showed her a viral video of Sang Yan, created from a news interview. The video, which humorously depicted him, had made him a trending topic online, affectionately nicknamed "Handsome and Miserable."
Wen Yifan was startled when Sang Yan unexpectedly appeared at their shared apartment while she was watching the video. Sang Yan had returned and stocked the refrigerator. He pretended to be indifferent, asking Wen Yifan to help clear out the expiring food because he disliked waste. Feeling guilty, Wen Yifan offered to pay for a coffee of his she had consumed. Sang Yan dismissed it, claiming it was expired, and didn't respond to her offer directly.
Later, after she messaged him again, he replied with "20" and "You owe me." This interaction, combined with his recent absence, underscored his distress at overhearing Wen Yifan's comment about them being "strangers under one roof" with minimal communication.
