The Heart of Genius Episode 2 Recap
> The Heart of Genius Recap
Ji Jiang, who was known as Dang Aimin in his childhood, woke Lin Zhaoxi up for school. Lin Zhaoxi vehemently resisted, declaring that as a 23-year-old adult, she shouldn't have to attend primary school. Ji Jiang warned her that such behavior would lead to her being labeled as mentally unstable or punished for truancy. Lin Zhaoxi refused to carry her "ugly" schoolbag, decorated with "Gunara, the God of Darkness" and "Balala the Fairies" characters, stating she'd rather be institutionalized.
She then confided in Ji Jiang, outlining her plan to return to their original time. They would first go to her house's front door, as that was where their time travel began, and search for the mathematical formula on the wall. If found, erasing it might send them back. If not, she intended to tear up the photo they possessed.
Should both attempts fail, she would seek out Lin Zhaosheng, her father, to understand why she had become an orphan in this new timeline. Ji Jiang found her reasoning "super sensible." Their conversation was cut short when Mrs. Li, a caregiver from the welfare home, called the children to gather for school.
As Mrs. Li escorted the children to school, Lin Zhaoxi seized an opportunity at the school gate to pull Ji Jiang onto a bus heading back to her old home. Meanwhile, at school, the teacher discovered their absence and contacted Mrs. Li, who became distraught. The director, Dang Aiping, tried to calm her as Mrs. Li searched the dorms and contacted hospitals and traffic police, relieved that no accidents involving children were reported.
Lin Zhaoxi and Ji Jiang arrived at her former residence, only to find the wall where the formula should have been was bare. Ji Jiang tore up the photograph, but nothing happened. With no other options, a desperate Lin Zhaoxi resolved to find Lin Zhaosheng. Soon after, Lin Zhaosheng arrived home on his motorcycle with his girlfriend, Qian. Lin Zhaoxi confronted him, addressing him as "Dad," but he did not recognize her.
She rattled off precise details about his life, including his birth year (1973), birth hospital (Second People's Hospital), his grandparents' names (Lin Shixiang and Song Chunhua), and his elementary and middle schools (Changgeng and No. 3 Middle School). Hearing that Lin Zhaosheng supposedly had a daughter, Qian grew angry, calling him a "liar" and "trash" before riding off, ignoring his pleas.
Lin Zhaoxi persisted, explaining that she was his 23-year-old daughter from 2018, who had mysteriously traveled back in time after he fell into a coma. Lin Zhaosheng, convinced she was delusional, abruptly left. Ji Jiang tried to rationalize the situation with Lin Zhaoxi, pointing out that her father now believed she was mentally unwell and would not listen. He suggested they return to the welfare home and devise a better plan.
Lin Zhaoxi, however, expressed her frustration, reminded him that her real father was still in a coma in 2018, and criticized Ji Jiang's lack of concrete ideas, scoffing at his repeated suggestions of "time travel." Ji Jiang defended himself, saying he was an actor, not a physicist, and that their collective attempts, like erasing formulas or ripping photos, were equally unscientific. Later, Mrs. Li found them at a local eatery, where she treated them to their favorite dishes.
She conveyed her deep concern, mentioning that five teachers and she had searched extensively for them. She gently reminded them that they were generally well-behaved, especially Lin Zhaoxi, who was usually more independent. Mrs. Li’s compassionate demeanor caused Lin Zhaoxi to feel genuine remorse, leading her to apologize for skipping class and causing worry, and for not valuing her learning opportunities. Mrs. Li then urged them to return to school after lunch.
Ji Jiang, observing the interaction, remarked that it was Mrs. Li’s "psychology battle" tactic, akin to a girlfriend subtly making her boyfriend feel guilty without direct confrontation. He conceded that they had no choice but to go back to school, lamenting their fate of having to repeat primary school after 16 years of education. Back in class, Lin Zhaoxi was unable to focus.
She failed to recite a passage from her Chinese textbook and was made to stand at the back of the classroom. During a break, she complained to Ji Jiang that she would go mad if she stayed in primary school. Their classmate, Lu Zhihao, overheard them discussing "eloping" (a misunderstanding on his part) and threatened to tell his mother, who was their class teacher. Recognizing Lu Zhihao as his future agent, Ji Jiang quickly tried to appease him.
Lu Zhihao demanded Fang Wensan's new CD in exchange for his silence. At a music store, Lin Zhaoxi was surprised by the availability of Fang Wensan’s new CD in 2006. This prompted her to drag Ji Jiang to an internet cafe, where they discovered several discrepancies in this timeline. Celebrities had different names (e. g. , Ge You was "Ge You," Yu Qian was "Yu Xiaoqian"), and other significant events were altered.
Lin Zhaoxi realized they hadn't merely traveled to the past but had entered a "parallel world," which she dubbed the "Cheese World," as opposed to their "Strawberry World" origin. She explained that even minor changes could lead to entirely different life trajectories. She pointed out that Lin Zhaosheng, her father in the "Strawberry World," never had long hair, but in this "Cheese World," he did, as evidenced by the photo they carried.
Lin Zhaoxi hypothesized that the photo represented a future possibility within this "Cheese World." She proposed that by consciously fulfilling the conditions depicted in the photo—specifically, both of them qualifying for Zhang Shuping's Olympiad math training camp—they might trigger a return to their "Strawberry World." Ji Jiang agreed to this ambitious plan.
During a volunteer event at the welfare home, Lin Zhaoxi, adorned with a hairpin and skirt chosen by the director, Dang Aiping, managed to slip away with Ji Jiang. They visited Lin Zhaosheng’s house, where Lin Zhaoxi retrieved a spare key from the mailbox and let them in. She inquired about Lin Zhaosheng’s whereabouts from a neighbor, Auntie Song, pretending to be his niece.
Auntie Song informed her that Lin Zhaosheng worked at the Youth Palace, although he frequently changed jobs. Inside his house, they found a profusion of math books and materials, confirming his enduring passion for mathematics, despite being an accountant in her original world. Ji Jiang remarked on the room's chaotic state, calling it more typical of a single man in his thirties than the "respectable academician" persona he initially projected.
Their search for Lin Zhaosheng at the Youth Palace proved fruitless, as no one named Lin Zhaosheng worked there. As they left, they stumbled upon a street vendor peddling a "calculation book" for 100 yuan. Lin Zhaoxi quickly identified it as a pirated copy of a book by Arthur Benjamin and Michael Shermer, which retailed for only 17. 5 yuan. The vendor, feeling exposed, challenged her to a mental math duel. A passerby offered a complex division problem.
While Lin Zhaoxi struggled, a young boy named Pei Zhi quickly and accurately provided the precise answer. Pei Zhi then accused the vendor of using a plant in the crowd to pose the question. The angry vendor chased the three children, but Lin Zhaosheng intervened, tripping the vendor and driving him away for selling pirated goods. Lin Zhaoxi once again tried to convince Lin Zhaosheng that she was his daughter.
He remained skeptical and tested her knowledge of his preferences, asking about his favorite food and hobbies. Lin Zhaoxi's answers, based on her memories of her "Strawberry World" father, were incorrect. For instance, he preferred chicken wing "middles" instead of "tips", and his hobbies here included motorcycling, billiards, clubbing, and hiking, not math or chess. He even spoke a few sentences in the Shanghai dialect to prove his life experiences were different. Lin Zhaosheng firmly rejected her claims.
Pei Zhi and Ji Jiang, now acquainted, exchanged names. Ji Jiang, momentarily forgetting himself, introduced himself as "Ji" before correcting to "Dang Aimin," adding that his nickname was Hua Juan and they were from the Hongxing Welfare Home. Pei Zhi introduced himself in return.
