The Hope Episode 21 Recap
> The Hope Recap
Li Ran's grandmother, Granny Ge, invited Lei Ming and Sang Xia to dinner. Lei Ming arrived with a large potted plant, and when Sang Xia playfully questioned why he was there, he reminded her that she had extended the invitation. Granny Ge had prepared a warm meal of hometown dishes, even setting out couple slippers and placing matching bear decorations on the table. She expressed gratitude to both Lei Ming and Sang Xia, calling them "two esteemed teachers."
During the meal, Sang Xia reminisced about her tutoring days at that very table, recalling how considerate Lei Ming was, even providing thick seat cushions. Lei Ming then pointed out that Sang Xia was sitting in what used to be his exclusive seat. He remembered carving the character for "endure" on the table and noted that he hadn't finished carving the heart next to it before he left for Beijing.
Sang Xia revealed that she was the one who had completed the carving for him. Granny Ge, busy in the kitchen, brought out a pot of pig trotter soup, urging them to eat without waiting for her, and Sang Xia offered to serve Lei Ming some soup. The next morning, a banner appeared on the Administrative Building that read, "Ms. SX, I want to date you."
School staff quickly worked to remove it, concerned about the impact it would have if it had been displayed in the Academic Building. News of the banner and a related post on the school's confession wall quickly spread among students. Many speculated that "SX" referred to Sang Xia, commenting on her attractive looks and wealth.
Students, including Jiang Qinglang, Bian Xiaoxiao, and Li Ran, discussed the romantic gesture, with some dreaming of experiencing adult romance, recalling how their head teacher, Mr. Zhao, and Ms. Shi from the Youth League Committee had gotten together after a year of Mr. Zhao sending Ms. Shi shredded potatoes. Sang Xia, however, was greatly troubled by the incident.
She discussed it with her colleagues, questioning why "SX" was assumed to be a female teacher, or if it could be a confession from a female to a male, or even male to male. She noted there were numerous teachers with the initials "SX," including Ms. Shen Xiao. Her colleagues playfully teased her, suggesting she was envious and that it was undoubtedly her.
They collectively characterized the anonymous confessor as "confident yet ordinary," "self-righteous," "romantic and sentimental," and a "typical middle-aged straight man," making him "easily traceable." Zhou, a teacher, agreed it was urgent to uncover the person responsible. Sang Xia was determined to find the culprit and demanded to see the surveillance footage. Rong, the director of the Moral Education Department, initially tried to deter her, claiming there was "nothing to see" and that the footage had already been checked.
However, Sang Xia insisted on reviewing the surveillance from the previous night, suspecting the banner was hung then. Rong, realizing he couldn't stop her, reluctantly allowed it. Reviewing the footage, Sang Xia spotted Lei Ming. She zoomed in on his image, took a picture with her phone, and left with a knowing smile.
She then confronted Lei Ming, who seemed surprisingly unfazed and more concerned about the immense compensation money he owed, worried about being put on a credit blacklist and losing his job. That evening, Sang Xia rode on Lei Ming's motorcycle to a quiet bar to talk. She bluntly told him that she disliked his "confession approach," deeming it an act of "emotional kidnapping" and "social death" for her.
She had initially thought it wasn't his style but then considered it plausible given his "narcissistic and confident" nature. Lei Ming, however, was preoccupied with his financial woes, revealing that his application for a compensation postponement had been rejected and he had only managed to raise 70,000 yuan from all his contacts, including former investors, colleagues, ex-girlfriends, and even his ex-landlord.
He even considered selling his father's house but couldn't, as Li Ran and his grandmother were living there until the college entrance exams, and he didn't want to uproot them. When Sang Xia pressed him, showing him the picture from the surveillance, Lei Ming still refused to admit to hanging the banner.
He evaded the question by asking what she wanted him to say and suggested that if he were to confess, he would do so simply, like inviting her for a drink on a special day. Later that night, as Lei Ming and Sang Xia were leaving the bar, Zhou, who happened to be there, offered them a ride since Lei Ming had been drinking. On the way, Zhou playfully asked if they were dating.
Sang Xia quickly denied it, remarking that her "mating standards are not that low," which seemed to relieve Zhou. Trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, Zhou put on some music by "Artificial Milky Way," a band Sang Xia liked, though Lei Ming expressed his dislike for it. Back at school, students were abuzz with excitement about the upcoming New Year's Party.
Lei Ming, addressing their distraction, announced that Cheng Yushan had won first prize in the math competition, securing an interview for the "Wings Program." While congratulating her, he warned the students not to be complacent, reminding them that increasing scores from 500 to 680 was "super hard mode," and urged them not to waste precious time on party preparations, as they would have "plenty of time for such things later."
That night, Jiang Qinglang took Bian Xiaoxiao shopping to buy a gift for Cheng Yushan, promising to cover all expenses. Bian Xiaoxiao, discreetly harboring feelings for Jiang Qinglang, helped him choose a new pair of headphones for Cheng Yushan, noting that Cheng Yushan's old ones were worn out and she loved music, despite the chosen brand being a bit expensive.
To her surprise and delight, Jiang Qinglang then presented her with a new pair of pink headphones, thanking her for accompanying him. Bian Xiaoxiao, touched, enthusiastically declared her fondness for pink. At the New Year's Party, after a performance of Kuaiban by Zeng Wenhao from Class 4, Director Rong unexpectedly took the stage. He apologized for interrupting but confessed that he was the one who had hung the banner on the Administrative Building.
He reflected on his role as the director of the Moral Education Department, acknowledging that he had "separated numerous couples" over his twelve years of work. A flashback revealed Lei Ming had helped him hang the banner in a "monitoring blind spot" and, misunderstanding Rong's intentions, believed it was a confession to Sang Xia. Returning to the present, Rong declared he had gathered the courage to confess his sincere feelings to the person he liked.
Students immediately began to speculate it was Sang Xia. To everyone's surprise, Rong then revealed the object of his affection was Ms. Shen Xiao from Pine Cypress Class 5. He expressed his desire to "date her," and Ms. Shen Xiao, after some encouragement from students, accepted his confession. Emboldened, Rong then proposed marriage.
Ms. Shen Xiao, however, politely declined the marriage proposal, stating that "dating is okay, living together is indeed a bit too early," and she wished to finish teaching her current Year 12 class before becoming "someone's wife"—clarifying that she meant "his." The atmosphere then shifted as the host announced Class 11's program. The students of Class 11 were bewildered, having prepared no performance. To Sang Xia's delight, "Artificial Milky Way," her favorite band, began to play.
The lead singer, Dong, introduced himself as one of Lei Ming's very first students from his New Concept English training class. He dedicated a song to "a teacher who likes this song very much" and "to this enchanting night." Lei Ming tried to explain to Sang Xia how he knew about her favorite band, but she was too ecstatic to listen. After the New Year's Party, Li Ran watched, dejected, as Jiang Qinglang picked up Cheng Yushan on his motorcycle.
Seeing Li Ran's mood, Bian Xiaoxiao gently pulled him away to get some noodles. While eating, Bian Xiaoxiao observed that love could sometimes be a form of posturing, insincerity, or obsession. She implied that Li Ran, in his efforts to present his "best self," inadvertently concealed his vulnerabilities.
She revealed to him that Cheng Yushan's reluctance to walk home with him after school stemmed from deeper issues: her "polaroids, chess room, and her stepfather" were all "scars" she didn't want him to see. Meanwhile, on New Year's Eve, Jiang Qinglang confessed his feelings to Cheng Yushan, under the mistaken belief that she was the "X" who had posted a confession to "J" (Jiang) on the school's confession wall. Cheng Yushan, however, clarified that "X might be someone else."
Separately, Lei Ming met with Zhou at a quiet bar. He admitted that despite contacting everyone in his phone book—former investors, colleagues, ex-girlfriends, and even his ex-landlord—he had only managed to borrow 70,000 yuan towards his substantial compensation debt. He also mentioned that he couldn't sell his father's house because Li Ran and his grandmother were living there until the college entrance exams.
Zhou then offered to lend him the full 1 million yuan he needed, but stated that while she "wouldn't be so noble" if it were for an "ex-teacher," she would have "no problem at all" if it were for her "current boyfriend." She directly asked him if he would "like to date her." Lei Ming, deflecting the direct proposal, jokingly remarked on his continued popularity and asked if a "date" could "discount 500,000 yuan" from his debt.
Zhou then brought up an old classroom discussion, revealing that over 70% of the girls in class once believed he "didn't like girls." Lei Ming clarified that he "doesn't like students." Later, Sang Xia, still excited from the band performance, received a specially signed autograph from Dong of Artificial Milky Way, noting Lei Ming had insisted on the personalized message for her.
Zhou and Lei Ming continued drinking, and after her direct yet unreciprocated confession, Zhou finally said "Goodbye" to Lei Ming. She later recorded a tearful voice message, lamenting that she had "said goodbye today" to "a man I've liked for ten years." As the New Year's bell chimed, Sang Xia texted Lei Ming, inviting him out for fried chicken and beer. She eagerly rushed to the location he sent her. However, before she could arrive, Lei Ming received some bad news on his phone.
