The Hope Episode 5 Recap
> The Hope Recap
A photo of a student in red underwear circulated widely on the confession wall, making Yu Yang an infamous figure at school. Shortly after, Yu Yang's mother, Auntie Feng, who worked in the school canteen, burst into Class 11 with a load of local produce. She introduced her son, Yu Yang, to Lei Ming and Sang Xia, emphasizing his sole dedication to studying. Yu Yang, however, appeared nervous, stuttered, and seemed afraid to meet people.
Auntie Feng explained that Yu Yang had poor health and had missed a lot of classes in his second year of high school, forcing him to repeat the year. She reiterated that all he did was study, aside from eating and sleeping. Throughout the introduction, Auntie Feng did most of the talking, pushing a stammering Yu Yang to introduce himself. Lei Ming flatly rejected Yu Yang, stating he did not meet the enrollment criteria.
He criticized Yu Yang’s efforts as mere "performance-based studying," claiming he had seen many such children who were the "hope of their village," outwardly filial but actually "mama's boys," and claimed to be balanced in all subjects but had no real passion or skill. Lei Ming pressed Yu Yang, asking why he studied, to which Yu Yang could only mumble that it was what his mother and teachers wanted.
As Lei Ming continued his aggressive questioning, Li Ran and Cheng Yushan stood up, defending Yu Yang. In this supportive atmosphere, Yu Yang finally found his voice, declaring he wanted to join Class 11 not for his mother or teachers, but because he no longer wanted to endure the ridicule in his old class. Lei Ming then offered Yu Yang the last spot in Class 11 if he could pass an impromptu assessment test that afternoon.
At lunchtime, Auntie Feng loudly called Yu Yang to the front of the cafeteria line, piling food onto his plate despite his obvious discomfort. Other students in line grumbled about the queue-jumping and mocked Yu Yang, calling him the "disgusting underpants senior." Some students even pulled down Yu Yang's pants, further humiliating him. Later, in a dormitory utility room and in front of other canteen ladies, Auntie Feng insisted on washing Yu Yang, telling him to remove his clothes.
She lectured him about his stutter, dismissing it as not a serious issue and lamenting that he never listened. Deeply humiliated by the public nature of his mother's care, Yu Yang, while reading "humiliation" and "humanity" from his English book, felt profound shame as his mother mused about how psychology was not a subject for university entrance exams. During the afternoon assessment, Lei Ming announced that Yu Yang needed to rank in the top three to secure his place.
Sang Xia noticed Yu Yang's anxiety and offered a word of encouragement. After the exam, Lei Ming promptly collected the papers. He initially presented a ranking based on "academic point," a complex formula he had devised to predict a student's potential for admission to top universities. According to this "academic point" ranking, Cheng Yushan was first, followed by Jiang Qinglang, Li Ran, Yu Yang, and Bian Xiaoxiao.
However, when he announced the actual exam scores, Yu Yang had scored the highest with 71 points, followed by Jiang Qinglang (62), Cheng Yushan (60), Bian Xiaoxiao (36), and Li Ran (33). Yu Yang successfully joined Class 11, and Lei Ming declared that from then on, the class would be ranked solely by "academic point" as the ultimate measure of their progress. Meanwhile, Bian Xiaoxiao was secretly live-streaming the entire announcement on her phone.
Lei Ming then informed them that a ten-day training camp, with full board and lodging at school, would begin the next day. After class, Sang Xia confronted Lei Ming, realizing his earlier harshness towards Yu Yang was a "provocation tactic" aimed at motivating him. Lei Ming explained that he couldn't force someone unwilling to help themselves, and since Yu Yang had never pursued his own desires, joining Class 11 could be his first independent step.
Sang Xia, however, worried that his approach might backfire. She used a metaphor of a snail, explaining that poking it only makes it retreat further, and that Yu Yang, with his "avoidance" defense mechanism, needed to feel safe and trusted. She warned Lei Ming that if he continued with such aggressive tactics, Yu Yang might genuinely flee, or she would "attack" him. Separately, Lei Ming met with his former boss at the gym, seeking investment for Class 11.
He reminded his former boss of a debt owed by his previous company, Zhixiang. Meanwhile, Bian Xiaoxiao joined a video chat with her friends in a group ironically named "The Worst of Us" to discuss the upcoming training camp and an idol's poster. She attempted to fit in, agreeing with their opinions, but struggled to genuinely connect with the group.
At Cheng Yushan's home, her step-father expressed his disapproval of her attending the training camp, arguing that her mother needed help with the family business. Cheng Yushan's mother also questioned why she had changed the lock on her bedroom door, which Cheng Yushan simply stated was due to a malfunction. To ensure Cheng Yushan could attend, Sang Xia called her and instructed her to turn on the speakerphone.
Sang Xia then fabricated a story about the school conducting home visits for students with "special family situations" due to a case of severe depression caused by parental gender bias, which had led to police involvement. This subtle threat prompted Cheng Yushan's parents to quickly agree to her participation in the training camp. Lei Ming wryly commented on Sang Xia's "palace fight" skills.
Later, while shopping for training supplies with Sang Xia, Lei Ming was more interested in sampling free food than purchasing items. Sang Xia teased him, asking if he was there to shop or just for free food and social media check-ins. Lei Ming revealed he was using his elementary school classmate's cousin, who worked in hotel supplies wholesale, to get a 50% discount on materials, highlighting his frugal nature.
Jiang Qinglang's father secretly supported his son's participation in the training camp, promising to cover for him with his mother, who was working overtime. Jiang Qinglang confided in his father, asking about his mother's past aversion to liberal arts and how they ended up together. His father revealed that his past romantic letters, though now considered outdated, had once impressed his mother. Jiang Qinglang mused on his mother's strict but ultimately caring nature, acknowledging her dedication to their family.
Li Ran confronted Shen Yao, who was eating a midnight snack with his grandmother, about the "red underwear" photos. Li Ran showed him screenshots of the IP address, threatening to expose Shen Yao's address on the confession wall. Shen Yao initially feigned ignorance but then subtly threatened Li Ran by mentioning his grandmother.
A flashback revealed the origin of Shen Yao's bullying: during a lecture, Yu Yang, suffering from an upset stomach, accidentally soiled Shen Yao's shoes, leading to Shen Yao being ridiculed and subsequently targeting Yu Yang.
