The Heart of Genius Episode 19 Recap
> The Heart of Genius Recap
Pei Zhi earnestly urged Lin Zhaoxi to remain in Cheese World, arguing they could make this world better. He cited the example of Yu Minghai's father, who had died of late-stage liver cancer in Strawberry World in 2014, but was diagnosed with an early-stage tumor in Cheese World and underwent successful surgery thanks to Pei Zhi's prompt. Lin Zhaoxi conceded that they could indeed change things in this world but firmly stated her intention to return to Strawberry World.
She explained that while Lin Zhaosheng in Cheese World had Lin Zhaoxi (from this world) to accompany him, the Lin Zhaosheng in Strawberry World only had her. Seeing his efforts to convince her were futile, Pei Zhi expressed his disappointment, saying he thought she might change her mind, but now he realized he was too naive. Later that evening, Ji Jiang was still downcast after being eliminated from the competition.
Lin Zhaosheng tried to cheer him and Lin Zhaoxi up with jokes about famous authors like Jin Yong and J. K. Rowling, but neither of them was in the mood to laugh. Lin Zhaosheng noted Ji Jiang's inability to handle setbacks. The next morning at school, Lin Zhaoxi asked Jie Ran for leave, falsely claiming she had menstrual cramps and a stomachache. Jie Ran, seeing her energetic demeanor, dismissed her excuse and told her to return to class.
However, Lin Zhaoxi ignored him, packed her things, and left the classroom. Not long after, Jie Ran informed Lin Zhaosheng that Lin Zhaoxi had skipped class to find Pei Zhi. Lin Zhaosheng, however, seemed unconcerned, stating that the children were almost ready for college and knew what they were doing, leaving Jie Ran exasperated.
Lin Zhaoxi arrived at Pei Zhi's company, where she found Pei Donglai, who was supposed to be managing the business, enthusiastically watching a motivational seminar on how to be a confident boss. She asked him about his feelings regarding his resignation. Pei Donglai expressed some regret about leaving his job serving the people but explained that he needed to care for his family's business as Pei Zhi's mother, Luo Jing, was not in good health.
He intended to return to his old job after Pei Zhi finished college and could manage the company himself. Lin Zhaoxi muttered that it would be "too late." Just then, Pei Zhi returned and immediately called Lin Zhaoxi outside. He reiterated his desire to stay in Cheese World with his parents and live a happy life, while she wanted to return to Strawberry World to care for her ailing father.
Recognizing their incompatible demands, he urged her to give up, but Lin Zhaoxi insisted she couldn't. With neither willing to concede, they agreed to rely on their own methods to achieve their goals. Lin Zhaoxi returned home disheartened. Lin Zhaosheng was waiting for her, trying to lift her spirits with a joke before presenting her with a calculus book.
He shared his profound reason for loving mathematics: it offers a vast world to explore, making most human misfortunes seem insignificant in comparison. Although Lin Zhaoxi found his words a bit cheesy, she appreciated the gesture. Soon after, Ji Jiang arrived home. Lin Zhaosheng also had a gift for him – a book titled "General Knowledge of Art."
Ji Jiang, having reflected on his recent elimination, told Lin Zhaosheng that he had come to terms with it, realizing that becoming famous wasn't everything and he just wanted to enjoy the process and be an artist. Lin Zhaosheng, however, insisted Ji Jiang would be a huge star across Asia. The family then enjoyed a cheerful hotpot dinner together.
That night, Lin Zhaoxi confided in Ji Jiang, asking him to arrange for Pei Zhi to be out of his house for the weekend. She instructed him to take Pei Zhi to an Internet cafe or a movie and to keep him away until she sent a specific signal, indicating her task was complete or if problems arose. Ji Jiang, though curious about her intentions, agreed to help.
The next day, Luo Jing, complaining to Pei Zhi about his father's new work schedule, encouraged Pei Zhi to accept Ji Jiang's invitation to play games when Ji Jiang called. Pei Zhi, who initially wanted to stay home with his mother, agreed and promised to be home before dinner. After Pei Zhi left, Lin Zhaoxi arrived at his house, telling Luo Jing that Pei Zhi had asked her to wait in his room to discuss some math problems.
Luo Jing, busy in the kitchen, allowed Lin Zhaoxi into Pei Zhi's room. Ji Jiang attempted to take Pei Zhi to several Internet cafes, but they were either denied entry for being underage or found the establishments closed for renovations. Pei Zhi, who hadn't been keen on going out in the first place, expressed his desire to return home.
Desperate to keep Pei Zhi occupied as per Lin Zhaoxi's instructions, Ji Jiang fabricated a story about having a major fight with Lin Zhaoxi and feeling too upset to go home. He then convinced Pei Zhi to go to the cinema instead. Meanwhile, back at Pei Zhi's house, Luo Jing offered Lin Zhaoxi some tangerines. Lin Zhaoxi then requested to use the internet, and Luo Jing directed her to Pei Zhi's computer in his room.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Zhaoxi swiftly copied the source code for Pei Zhi's game onto her USB drive. When Luo Jing entered the room, Lin Zhaoxi, flustered, accidentally spilled some tangerine juice on the keyboard, but Luo Jing didn't seem to notice. After successfully obtaining the code, Lin Zhaoxi quickly messaged Ji Jiang and then departed, telling Luo Jing that her father urgently needed her at home.
Upon receiving Lin Zhaoxi's signal, Ji Jiang abruptly announced to Pei Zhi that he needed to go home to cook dinner, dragging him out of the cinema. When Pei Zhi returned home, he was surprised to hear from Luo Jing that Lin Zhaoxi had visited, claiming to need help with math problems and waited in his room.
He then noticed tangerine juice on his keyboard, which made him thoughtful, although Luo Jing didn't suspect anything as she was eating tangerines nearby. Later, Ji Jiang excitedly confronted Lin Zhaoxi, eager to know what she had done. Lin Zhaoxi confessed her intention to make Pei Zhi's company go bankrupt. Ji Jiang was appalled, questioning why she would do such a thing to their childhood friend.
Lin Zhaoxi replied that the reasons were between her and Pei Zhi alone and couldn't be shared with a third party. Ji Jiang expressed his concern about her recent transformation, longing for the old Lin Zhaoxi who struggled in school with him. Meanwhile, Pei Donglai was immersed in paperwork for recruitment. Luo Jing, however, was worried about Pei Zhi's recent mood swings and mentioned Lin Zhaoxi's visit, wondering if the two had fought, but Pei Donglai was dismissive.
The next morning, Charlie, the operations director from Stick Games, arrived at the company, having discovered that Pei Zhi's game source code had been leaked online. He confronted Pei Donglai, who promptly called Pei Zhi. Pei Zhi, taking leave from school, rushed to the company. Charlie explained the severe repercussions: the leak allowed larger companies to clone their innovative auto-chess game, diminishing their competitive edge and raising concerns about their management.
He offered to buy out the game's copyright for eight million yuan, threatening to terminate their partnership otherwise. Pei Zhi, left with no alternative, decided to close the company. Luo Jing arrived, distraught, and learned about the stolen source code. She then recalled Lin Zhaoxi using Pei Zhi's computer the day before and suspected her of stealing the code, but Pei Donglai still thought it was impossible, attributing the leak to hackers instead.
Realizing Lin Zhaoxi was behind the leak, Pei Zhi confronted her, asking if she had orchestrated Ji Jiang's actions and published the source code online. She admitted to everything. Pei Zhi argued that her act of destruction would not change his resolve to rebuild, as destroying was easier than creating. Lin Zhaoxi countered that her goal was to show him not to waste time on meaningless pursuits, and that with every effort, her chances of winning would increase.
Pei Zhi then made a heartfelt offer: if she agreed to stay with him in Cheese World until next February, he would give her everything he possessed as compensation. Lin Zhaoxi, however, presented her own vision: they would return to Strawberry World, build a family, and she would dedicate herself to caring for his mother and Lin Zhaosheng, supporting Pei Zhi in whatever path he chose, be it boxing or mathematics.
With their differing visions unresolved, they agreed to meet again next February to determine their fate. Later, Pei Donglai and Luo Jing, worried about Pei Zhi, picked him up from school to take him out for dinner to lift his spirits. They were relieved to see him in high spirits and confident about future opportunities.
