The Wonderful World Episode 3 Recap
> The Wonderful World Recap
Xu Tian met Shi Diandian in a park near her workplace to apologize for leaving abruptly during their previous encounter. Shi Diandian accepted his apology without dwelling on it, noting the location was convenient for her shift. She directly asked him who he was looking for and how, explaining that accessing public information required legitimate reasons and wouldn't compromise public safety, similar to police procedures.
She asked if he had brought his ID, and he said no. She advised him to bring his ID or a photocopy next time for the paperwork. Xu Tian explained the situation: on the afternoon of the 6th, around 1 or 2 o'clock, during a strange weather event with strong wind, hail, and then sun, he felt confused.
He had been carrying a large bag but couldn't remember where he went or how he got back, worrying he might have done something bad. Shi Diandian commented that forgotten things are usually bad. She mentioned his grandfather told her he has lived alone since the year Leifeng Tower was rebuilt, suggesting he should live a more lively life and that loved ones might exist in another dimension (adding she was just kidding).
Xu Tian apologized again for running off without paying at the teahouse. Shi Diandian playfully asked what he was afraid of, and he admitted his mind went blank. She confirmed it wouldn't happen again and stated it was fine if he didn't like her, as they could still be friends, and more friends meant more opportunities.
After leaving the park and having a phone conversation where he mentioned Uncle Shi and seeing Leifeng Tower, Xu Tian and Shi Diandian added each other on WeChat. Later, perhaps triggered by seeing the tower, Xu Tian reflected on his mother, who passed away the year the tower was rebuilt (2002), recalling her words about walking his own journey alone and not thinking about her. Later, Shi Diandian initiated another meeting, calling out to Xu Tian.
He arrived at her workplace, and she told him not to be nervous. She mentioned her red eyes were from her night shift and explained she had been checking surveillance footage from over a hundred cameras around the tailor shop in Hai'er Lane since noon. Xu Tian apologized for causing so much trouble. Shi Diandian reassured him it was fine as she had the next day off and promised to handle it, saying they didn't need to rush.
She had him fill out application forms, noticing he was left-handed. When he reached the section for family members, he asked if he could leave it blank, explaining that they were all gone. A colleague, Ms. Jiang, and their manager then spoke with Shi Diandian. The manager urged Shi Diandian to be nicer to Ms. Jiang, commenting on the difficulties of life and marriage.
The manager then spoke about her "own" plans to marry at the end of the year and take maternity leave. The manager asked Shi Diandian if she would quit her job after finding a partner, which Shi Diandian denied.
Colleagues speculated if Xu Tian was her boyfriend, commenting on his appearance, how she found him through "fate," noting she had never brought a man to the workplace before, and wondering if she would get into a relationship and potentially move away. Shi Diandian simply stated, "Whatever he says." Meanwhile, under Song Guanwang's watch, Zhou Tong contacted Wen Xiaoyao. He introduced himself and mentioned he got her number from his mother and Uncle Qiao.
He told her he was not going to Malaysia for now. Wen Xiaoyao was rehearsing but later mentioned she was eating the delicious crab he sent, which his mother cooked. Discussing food, Wen Xiaoyao said she liked hot pot, and Zhou Tong offered to treat her that night. She agreed and asked him to add her on WeChat for the address. Wen Xiaoyao then directly asked if he was treating dating as a life experience.
He confirmed, adding that his next step was to "dance as White Snake," explaining he wanted to know what love felt like. They acknowledged they both had ulterior motives. He mentioned his mother was threatening to disown him, and he felt showing some filial piety was necessary. They agreed it was a perfect arrangement where they could both get what they wanted. Separately, Jiaomi spoke with Qiao Guanghui, asking about Wen Xiaoyao's date.
Qiao Guanghui offered to buy Jiaomi a car, finding it inconvenient for them to travel by subway. Jiaomi countered by asking who he truly had in his heart, to which he replied, "Only you." She then pressed him to transfer the apartment they lived in to her name. When he asked why, she pointed out he couldn't bear to part with it. He claimed it would be hers eventually and asked why the rush.
Jiaomi wanted it sooner, remarking its value was only that of "two or three diamond rings," saying she wanted some freedom. He agreed to get the household register and go to the property bureau with her the day after tomorrow, as he was off. Later, Shi Diandian took Xu Tian to review the surveillance footage.
Shi Diandian narrated his movements: leaving Children's Lane after 12 o'clock, being on a bus on Fengqi Road at 12:20 PM, caught vaguely on a camera at a traffic light at Longxiang Bridge, getting off at the Provincial TCM Hospital, walking through Orioles Singing in the Willows Park (near Scholar Park) and the Leifeng Pagoda scenic area, spending over an hour there, and leaving at 2:17 PM via the entrance camera.
She surmised he took a bus back but wasn't captured again by the Longxiang Bridge cameras. As the wind picked up and it got very dark, the camera at Fenglin Community intersection at Grandpa's convenience store recorded him walking north into the vicinity at 2:41 PM. At 3:51 PM, after the rain stopped, he emerged from Hai'er Alley. She pointed out that at the intersection, with his raincoat hood, he wouldn't have been recognizable if he hadn't looked up.
Xu Tian remembered leaving Mr. Stone's shop and arriving at that spot at 3:51. He asked if anything was recorded in between, but Shi Diandian said the darkness prevented capture before the streetlights came on. Xu Tian mentioned the streetlight at his doorway was on, but Shi Diandian stated that specific camera broke during the wind on the 6th and hadn't been fixed. He looked at the footage again, asking if he had been at "that" intersection before.
Shi Diandian confirmed it was him in the footage. Xu Tian then mentioned he had been carrying a large backpack, but Shi Diandian insisted the footage showed him wearing only a raincoat and no backpack. Shi Diandian, exhausted from reviewing footage for over six hours since getting off her morning shift, suggested Xu Tian buy her a meal as thanks, leading them to dinner. At the same time, Zhou Tong and Wen Xiaoyao were having their hot pot date.
It was crowded, and Wen Xiaoyao asked if he came often. Zhou Tong said he didn't dare eat there too often, usually going once a month with Jiaomi, who was his best friend and danced the Xiaoqing role in his dance company. They discussed different types of hot pot, with Zhou Tong displaying surprising knowledge despite rarely eating it, noting he also knew planes could fly without piloting one.
Finding the place too crowded, Zhou Tong suggested they go somewhere else, perhaps street food, which he ate when traveling for work. At a street food stall, Wen Xiaoyao began drinking heavily. Zhou Tong commented on her constant drinking. She explained she didn't know what else to talk about, but staying longer made her mother happy. He asked if she was an alcoholic; she denied it, saying she didn't drink when traveling and usually didn't drink much.
Zhou Tong suggested taking a photo for his mom (Joey), using his phone and demonstrating how to use the timer and angle effectively, considering himself a "professional." He took photos of them together. Zhou Tong asked Wen Xiaoyao about her father, whom she hadn't seen since she was little. He then asked about her mother.
Wen Xiaoyao said she didn't remember her mother's appearance well, but there were only two photos she found online, which were production stills of her mother playing Lady White Snake. She wished she could dance the White Snake role to be like her mother. Zhou Tong asked why she needed to fall in love first. Wen Xiaoyao then asked Zhou Tong if he had been in love.
He admitted he had, just once, but she broke up with him, finding him weird. Wen Xiaoyao proposed they "play along" and pretend to date, producing online dating dialogues she had prepared. Zhou Tong agreed on one condition: since she was a ballet dancer and he'd never seen real ballet, she had to show him a "super difficult" ballet move.
Despite commenting that her training at her place wasn't "legit" (referring to training kids), Wen Xiaoyao agreed to demonstrate, standing on one leg on a stool while pouring drinks and asking if it was a "high difficulty" move, impressing Zhou Tong. Men at a nearby table noticed and made appreciative comments, calling her cool. They began the scripted dialogue. Zhou Tong asked for a moment first.
He then said, to be honest, he had genuinely liked her from the first time he saw her, calling it "love at first sight," a feeling that resurfaced after seeing her again yesterday at Guangming Pavilion. He felt each day was an eternity. Wen Xiaoyao seemed flustered, noting his red face (he claimed hers was redder and he'd been drinking).
They continued the script: she asked if they would always be together; he replied, "If you don't fall for someone else." She said she wouldn't, and he responded, "But I'm not entirely sure, life is unpredictable." Wen Xiaoyao interpreted his response as not liking her that much, but he insisted he truly liked her "right now."
The script continued with her asking hypothetically if he would look for her if she disappeared (to which he asked where she was going and why he would look). When it was her turn to ask if he loved her and would keep looking, he sensed she was taking it seriously. She denied it, finding the dialogue way too "mushy" and saying they couldn't continue with this.
The men from the nearby table approached, asking what game they were playing and wanting to join, making comments about Wen Xiaoyao. Zhou Tong became angry and physically confronted them, leading to a fight. Wen Xiaoyao quickly called the police. Later, back outside the hotel after dinner, Shi Diandian was waiting for a designated driver, still drinking. Xu Tian brought up wanting her help checking surveillance again.
Shi Diandian, affected by the alcohol, emotionally stated she "did" remember what happened on the 6th – she saw someone who looked "exactly like her" enter her shop. She wanted to find where "that person" came from, where they were going, and where they lived, which was why she needed the surveillance checked. She mentioned the discrepancy about the large backpack Xu Tian insisted he carried.
She said she would definitely find him a "time tunnel," claiming this is what "science girls" do, although "Lao Shi" always said she had "delusions." Reverting to her earlier topic, she declared she didn't have to get married this year and could wait, giving him more time. She affirmed she was "certain" she liked him and would pursue him, assuring him he didn't need to feel pressured and could run away anytime, just like he did at the teahouse.
Following the fight, Zhou Tong accompanied Wen Xiaoyao back outside her building/home. He commented that her place didn't look like a typical woman's home and suggested adding flowers would make it better or more like a home. He noticed a photo and asked if she had seen it. She confirmed, explaining it was a group photo taken every New Year, with her mother changing the frame for her each time. Zhou Tong told her she lived more authentically than he did. He thanked her for her help and prepared to leave.
