The Hope Episode 25 Recap
> The Hope Recap
In 1999, Lei Ming arrived at Tsingpei University, a place where many of his classmates were champions from various cities, like the champion of science in Wenhu, the champion of Ningbo, and the champion of liberal arts in Yuan County. While his peers discussed prestigious opportunities such as exchange programs and scholarships, Lei Ming, despite being a champion from a smaller place, felt like a "hungry champion" struggling to afford food.
At the same time, Ye Chao thrived at a second-tier college in Beijing, confidently treating his friends to drinks and asserting that a foothold in Beijing promised a good future. By 2002, Lei Ming had secured a job at Zhixiang and rented a place in Haidian District, celebrating with his friends. Meanwhile, Ye Chao found his circle of friends shrinking as many left Beijing to return to their hometowns.
One friend, lamenting the departure of Guo, Du, and Yong, explicitly told Ye Chao that he had to "hang in there for them," as he was now the sole remaining one in Beijing from their group. Later, Ye Chao invited Lei Ming to his home, a cluttered space he apologized for. Ye Chao's wife, who was busy with their sleeping child, Bao, asked Ye Chao to fix the broken washing machine, barely acknowledging Lei Ming.
As they worked on the appliance, Ye Chao confided in Lei Ming about his unfulfilled life, expressing regret that Mr. Lei, who had once supported his college education, would be disappointed by his current state. Ye Chao felt that life had simply "pushed him along" since coming to Beijing. He still clung to the hope of a better future if he stayed, believing that returning to his hometown would invalidate his life's efforts and make him a "laughingstock."
Lei Ming then shared the somber news that Mr. Lei had passed away last year. He reassured Ye Chao that Mr. Lei had no regrets about him, and above all, cared for his well-being. Lei Ming urged Ye Chao to visit Mr. Lei's grave in Xingzhou when he could. After Lei Ming departed, a heartbroken Ye Chao broke down, apologizing to Mr. Lei.
Concurrently, Jiang Qinglang participated in a rap competition in Beijing, with Bian Xiaoxiao cheering him on from the audience. On stage, Jiang Qinglang rapped about his journey from a "test-taker" to finding his voice, thanking his "sincere friends" and specifically calling Bian Xiaoxiao his "choice dilemma terminator." He conveyed that rap was his "real voice," a space where he felt "free, pure, passionate, and full of strength."
Bian Xiaoxiao, later facing her own art audition, felt daunted by the numerous talented candidates like Qin Yufei and Li Zhuolun. Despite feeling ordinary on such a large stage, she drew courage from the idea that simply "daring to venture into it" was a cool thing in itself, then delivered a poetic performance. The Class 11 students, accompanied by Sang Xia, went to a renowned and hard-to-book restaurant in Beijing.
What began as a discreet dinner soon turned into a lively family affair, as Sang Xia's parents, the owners of the restaurant chain, orchestrated a grand welcome ceremony. This revealed Sang Xia's wealthy background, confirming the students' previous speculation that her family "had a fish pond." During the meal, Sang's father and Lei Ming drank heavily. Sang's father spoke of Sang Xia's refusal to stay in Beijing and her insistence on returning to Xingzhou.
He mentioned that his family was not materialistic and the bride price "doesn't matter," only requesting a kind man with a house, a car, and no debts. A very inebriated Lei Ming, after expressing gratitude to Sang Xia's family, declared that while he had nothing material, he had "five good students" and "Sang Xia," and would work hard for them.
The next day, on the plane back to Xingzhou, a still-nauseous Lei Ming pondered whether Tsingpei University was truly the "only answer" for his students. Upon returning to Xingzhou, Lei Ming and Sang Xia encountered a surprising sight: advertisements for Zhixiang Education featuring Mr. Bi and Ms. Xiao Zhou, two of their former teachers.
Mr. Bi explained that due to Lei Ming's past difficult relationship with Zhixiang's CEO, Wang Yunyang, he had been forced to seek new employment to support his team. Ms. Xiao Zhou, while denying any affiliation with Zhixiang, informed Lei Ming that she was leaving Xingzhou to move to Singapore with her new boyfriend, assuring him that her departure would not significantly impact Class 11. The team realized they now lacked a Chinese and a physics teacher.
Further compounding the crisis, Sang Xia reported that Mr. Hu, the math teacher, had suffered a heart attack and his daughter refused to let him teach remotely. Lei Ming, left with few options, devised a temporary, teacher-independent plan, a "third solution" that could sustain the students' studies for two weeks—enough time for a review cycle, during which he hoped to find new instructors.
For Chinese, students would intensely copy and dictate texts, while for science, they would engage in "paired combat," challenging each other with self-created problems. For other subjects, they would act as substitute teachers in other classes, focusing on areas they struggled with, to solidify their own understanding. Lei Ming emphasized that the last 100 days before the exam were about "peeling an onion," repeatedly understanding each concept from different angles until it became their own.
Meanwhile, Bian Xiaoxiao noticed Jiang Qinglang's unusual distraction. Over an outing to make cakes, she learned he had received an invitation to a three-month, closed rapper training camp, "Rapper's Guide to Singing and Composing." This opportunity, a prize from his second-place win at a Beijing competition, presented a painful dilemma: accepting it meant missing the college entrance exam.
Bian Xiaoxiao, ever the "choice dilemma terminator," encouraged him to pursue what he truly liked, contrasting the "healthy" and "essential" path of college with the "refreshing, exciting, and sugary" path of rap, which many parents deemed "unhealthy." Around the same time, Lei Ming was struggling to sell Mr. Lei's old house.
Despite it being in a school district, the Xingzhou second-hand market was bleak, and his non-negotiable condition that buyers could only move in after Li Ran's college entrance exam severely limited potential buyers. Li Ran's grandmother offered to move out sooner, but Lei Ming refused, insisting on protecting Li Ran's focus.
Jiang Qinglang confided in Bian Xiaoxiao, revealing that his parents had actually divorced over a year ago but had hidden the certificate from him to avoid upsetting him before the exam. He found it difficult to accept, especially seeing his father in a new relationship with Aunt Gu, and secretly hoped for his parents' reconciliation.
Bian Xiaoxiao suggested a plan: Jiang Qinglang should present the Finland trip tickets to his parents as an anniversary gift, claiming he bought them with his lucky money. While they were away, he could covertly register for the rapper training camp, with Bian Xiaoxiao covering for him with Lei Ming. Jiang Qinglang embraced this "last struggle," although he still harbored doubts about his parents actually going on the trip.
Following Bian Xiaoxiao's advice, Jiang Qinglang prepared a special dinner for his parents to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, feigning ignorance of their marital issues. He gave them the Finland trip tickets, explaining that the dates aligned with their annual leave. However, his mother reacted with anger, criticizing him for making arrangements without consultation and urging him to focus solely on the college entrance exam. Jiang Qinglang insisted that for his peace of mind, they must accept his gift.
Later, Jiang Qinglang told his parents he was leaving for a "closed training camp." His parents video-called him from the airport, claiming they were about to board their flight to Helsinki and reiterating their mutual non-disturbance pact for the duration of his "training." But when Jiang Qinglang returned home, he found his parents there, revealing their deception. Heartbroken, he broke the silence, confessing his own lie about the training camp and revealing that the Finland tickets were his competition prize.
He confronted them about their elaborate charade, then bluntly exposed his knowledge of their divorce, having discovered the certificate on his father's safe. He voiced his frustration, comparing his father's relationship with Aunt Gu to "cheating" and expressing how uncomfortable it made him. He also acknowledged his mother's likely exhaustion with the pretense.
Finally, Jiang Qinglang declared his true intentions: he did not want to take the college entrance exam; he wanted to become a rapper, vowing to accept the consequences of his choice alone. His parents, shocked, pleaded with him not to joke about such a serious matter.
