The Heart of Genius Episode 9 Recap
> The Heart of Genius Recap
To gain an advantage over Zhang Liang's team in the upcoming exam, Lin Zhaoxi asked Lin Zhaosheng to tutor her and her teammates in math. Lin Zhaosheng enthusiastically announced that they could now attend classes openly, no longer needing to hide. Zhang Shuping, impressed by Lin Zhaosheng's capabilities, informed them that he had arranged for Lin Zhaosheng to be their tutor, canceling the previous tutors, and secured Room 501 for their lessons.
He advised them against cramming in dim light to protect their eyesight. Zhang Shuping then challenged Lin Zhaosheng to prove his teaching methods were superior, to which Lin Zhaosheng repeatedly declared his seriousness. With Lin Zhaosheng's guidance, the students, feeling energized, studied diligently day and night. Their hard work paid off. Lin Zhaoxi and Pei Zhi's combined team achieved an average score of 85. 2, surpassing Zhang Liang's team by 0. 4 points and securing first place.
Zhang Shuping announced the five students selected to represent their city in the Jin's Cup Olympic Mathematics Competition: Pei Zhi, Lin Zhaoxi, Zhang Liang, Liu Xu, and Lu Zhihao. The students cheered, especially congratulating Lu Zhihao for his outstanding performance. Lin Zhaosheng then proudly showed Lin Zhaoxi the paternity test results, confirming a 99. 9999% paternal probability.
Lin Zhaoxi, having previously concocted a story about erasing a math formula and becoming an orphan, pressed Lin Zhaosheng for the real story of how she became an orphan. After some playful banter where Lin Zhaosheng called her "my little Alice" for her elaborate dream story involving a "Red Queen," Lin Zhaoxi asked who he had called after leaving the identification center.
Lin Zhaosheng then humorously "confessed" that he was an undercover graduate student from Yongchuan University's mathematics department, sent to Sanwei University. He recounted his teacher's fatalistic prediction of "one general's success costs ten thousand bones" but asserted his belief in self-determination. As the Jin's Cup Olympic Mathematics Competition approached, students enthusiastically cheered for Lin Zhaoxi and Pei Zhi. Lin Zhaosheng and Zhang Shuping led the team to the competition.
En route, Lin Zhaosheng reminisced about his own past victories, claiming he once led a gold-medal-winning team. Zhang Shuping, however, disputed this, arguing that he was always the leader and was chosen for being more "mature and steady." Lin Zhaosheng retorted that he had merely "given him the chance" by intentionally making a mistake. At the competition venue, other coaches remarked on Lin Zhaosheng's unconventional appearance, noting that he looked more like a musician than a math teacher.
When asked about Lin Zhaosheng, Zhang Shuping jokingly introduced him as the "security officer." Lin Zhaosheng, offended, insisted he was an instructor and had personally taught three of the five competing students, sparking another round of good-natured argument between the two. Lin Zhaoxi, Pei Zhi, and Zhang Liang finished their exams forty minutes early and emerged from the examination hall. Lin Zhaosheng expressed confidence in their "normal performance." Zhang Shuping offered to treat them to ice cream.
Zhang Liang initially declined, then agreed for Pei Zhi's sake, but reiterated that Lin Zhaoxi still needed more time to earn his approval. Later, the Anping City team was announced as the Jin's Cup elementary school group champions. Lin Zhaosheng cheered wildly until Zhang Shuping intervened to quiet him. Professor Zeng Qingran, from Sanwei University, presented the awards. He congratulated Lin Zhaoxi and extended an invitation to Pei Zhi to become his doctoral student when he grew up.
After the ceremony, Zhang Shuping declared the training camp officially over, encouraging the students to continue pursuing their interests and reminding them that "struggle is always a part of life." He announced a graduation photo and a celebration, telling them to change into their own clothes. As the time for their return to Strawberry World drew near, Lin Zhaoxi and Ji Jiang discussed the approaching "moment of destiny."
Ji Jiang, ever the optimist, revealed he had left "inheritance" in Cheese World—predictions for lottery numbers—just in case, and resigned himself to fate. Lin Zhaoxi thanked him for his unwavering optimism, acknowledging the immense pressure he had carried. Before the photo, Lin Zhaoxi went to speak with Lin Zhaosheng. She reminded him he owed her a photo, convincing him to come looking "handsome" in his leather jacket.
She then asked him a series of questions: if she had math talent (he said "of course, you're my daughter"), if he would force her to study math if she didn't want to (he said "of course, you're my daughter"), and if he would love her forever even if she wasn't as smart as Pei Zhi (he again said "of course, you're my daughter").
Finally, Lin Zhaoxi revealed she was from another world, which Lin Zhaosheng calmly accepted, referring to her dream-story alter ego as "my little Alice." Pei Zhi then arrived to say his goodbyes to Lin Zhaoxi, asking if he would ever see her again. Lin Zhaoxi confirmed she was leaving and requested that he take care of the "real" Lin Zhaoxi of this world, whom she described as gentle, sensitive, and fragile. Pei Zhi promised he would.
They held hands one last time before joining the other students for the graduation photo, with Lin Zhaosheng playfully warning Pei Zhi to keep his hands off his daughter. During the photo session, Lin Zhaoxi and Ji Jiang secretly held hands, hoping the act would transport them back to Strawberry World. The photographer instructed everyone to smile and not blink, taking several shots.
Ji Jiang and Lin Zhaoxi repeatedly made excuses about blinking to request more photos, but their efforts were in vain. They were frustrated, realizing their plan had failed. Ji Jiang despondently decided to return to the welfare home, hoping to be adopted again before he was too old, and then try to re-enter the entertainment industry.
Lin Zhaoxi tried to convince him to reconnect with his biological family, but Ji Jiang worried they wouldn't believe his story and would think him a liar or a lunatic. Lin Zhaoxi then suggested Lin Zhaosheng adopt Ji Jiang, an idea Ji Jiang enthusiastically embraced, envisioning a future where they, as siblings, would use their knowledge of unreleased movies and songs to become superstars, much like a character from a movie.
They playfully argued about who would be the older sibling, with Ji Jiang claiming he might be older because he didn't know his birthday. Lin Zhaosheng, begrudgingly, agreed to adopt Ji Jiang, jokingly calling it "buy one get one free" and lamenting being "indebted" to Lin Zhaoxi. He promised to raise them well and ensure Ji Jiang grew tall, while Ji Jiang, listing his many names, expressed content that even if he wasn't the smartest, he had the most names.
Suddenly, as Lin Zhaoxi picked up a torn group photo, a sense of dizziness washed over her. She and Ji Jiang successfully traversed back to 2018. Lin Zhaoxi checked her phone, finding the time was precisely when they had initially traveled to Cheese World, but she remained unsure. After checking her computer, she confirmed they were indeed back in Strawberry World, and they both rejoiced excitedly.
Just as they were celebrating, Lin Zhaoxi received a phone call from Bao Xiaomeng, who tearfully informed her that Lin Zhaosheng had finally woken up. Ji Jiang accompanied a worried Lin Zhaoxi to the hospital. There, they found Lin Zhaosheng in a dazed state. Bao Xiaomeng, recognizing Ji Jiang, became flustered with excitement. Concerned by her father's condition, Lin Zhaoxi pressed Bao Xiaomeng for details.
Bao Xiaomeng explained that Lin Zhaosheng had woken up a few days prior, insisting it was 1993 and he was in his twenties. However, when he saw his forty-year-old face in the mirror, he was so terrified he fainted. Ji Jiang wondered if Lin Zhaosheng had also time-traveled, but in the opposite direction. When Lin Zhaosheng woke up again, he did not recognize Lin Zhaoxi as his daughter and questioned who she was, though he found her cute.
He couldn't recall how he ended up in the hospital. Lin Zhaoxi tried to explain, telling him he was her father, it was 2018, and he was an accountant who had been attacked in the finance office. Lin Zhaosheng dismissed her story as a prank, proudly declaring himself a math genius who would never be an accountant. He even asked if Zhang Shuping or Qiu Yue were behind the trick.
Unable to reason with him, Lin Zhaoxi sought out Director Ma. Director Ma conducted a series of tests on Lin Zhaosheng. She revealed that a car accident several years ago had caused him to develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease. His condition had worsened over the past six months, and the recent head trauma had caused further brain damage and internal bleeding.
Director Ma confirmed that Lin Zhaosheng now suffered from cognitive impairment, causing him to believe he was twenty years old and that it was 1993. When Lin Zhaosheng saw his reflection and struggled to reconcile his perceived age with his appearance, his brain activated a self-protective mechanism, causing him to shut down. Director Ma offered little hope for a full recovery, stating that while he might improve somewhat after rest, the cognitive impairment would likely persist.
As Lin Zhaosheng looked at a computer, a device unfamiliar to him, he gradually realized it couldn't be fake. Tearfully, he acknowledged that Lin Zhaoxi was indeed his daughter, that he was old, and that it was no longer 1993. Lin Zhaoxi comforted him, saying he was "just sick." Zhang Shuping tried to calm him, suggesting his condition might be temporary. Lin Zhaosheng then remembered Lin Zhaoxi's name and, with a fragile hope, asked if she was truly his daughter.
He then asked about her mother and whether he had a happy marriage. Lin Zhaoxi sadly informed him that he had never married, and her mother, Qiu Yue, had died during childbirth. Lin Zhaosheng was left in stunned silence, a broken man who couldn't utter another word.
