When We Were Young Episode 11 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Li Yu, recovering from a fever, is staying at Yang Xi’s house, but she is completely engrossed in watching "The Smiling Proud Wanderer". She avidly discusses the casting choices, finding the actress playing Ren Yingying underwhelming compared to her ideal Linghu Chong, portrayed by Lv Songxian. Li Yu, feeling neglected and unwell, points out he wasn't watching TV but reading "Fantasies Behind The Pearly Curtain".
Yang Xi receives a call from Huang Dengdeng, who, with her chickenpox confinement ending soon, reveals her parents are seeking private tutors through an unusual challenge involving a question from her father’s studio. Yang Xi’s mother reprimands her father, Yang Weiguo, for smoking indoors, just before Yang Chao arrives home, unexpectedly bringing Hua Biao with him. Hua Biao is welcomed by Yang Xi’s family for dinner after helping Yang Chao move some boxes.
Yang Xi’s mother praises Hua Biao’s helpfulness, prompting playful banter between him and Yang Xi. During dinner, Yang Chao attempts to show off an electronic cigarette he invented to his skeptical parents. Later, Hua Biao proposes an all-night outing to Little Panda, an arcade that has acquired new microcomputers, with Ertiao treating. To entice Yang Xi, he describes the online news, the "Legend of Sword and Fairy" game, and even the possibility of chatting with strangers.
Yang Xi, eager to go, agrees to Hua Biao’s challenge: she must correctly answer ten questions across various subjects. While studying history, Yang Xi demonstrates an astonishingly deep knowledge of events like the Shame of Jing Kang and Emperor Kangxi’s achievements, linking them to her extensive reading of Louis Cha’s wuxia novels, much to Hua Biao’s surprise. She even tests his knowledge of wuxia-related history. Impressed, Hua Biao asks to borrow her novels and confirms their late-night meeting.
At 12:30 AM, Yang Xi attempts to sneak out, but finds the door stuck. Simultaneously, Yang Chao is trying to sneak back in. Trapped on opposite sides of the same door, they argue before deciding to climb through the window, leading to a comical confrontation on the awning. Yang Chao playfully threatens to tell their mother Yang Xi is going on a date.
Yang Xi eventually meets Hua Biao and thoroughly enjoys her night at Little Panda, particularly the new chatroom features. The next morning, she excitedly recounts her adventures to Li Yu, boasting about her online popularity among Louis Cha fans, where she earned the nickname "Da Xia" (Great Hero), and tests his knowledge of internet slang.
Li Yu, however, scolds her for her frivolity, reminding her of upcoming tests and offering to help her study, though he teasingly withholds the meaning of one slang term. Later, Hua Biao catches numerous crabs and a goldfish, playfully interrupting a couple on a boat. Yang Xi arrives with food for him, and in an act of selflessness, he tries to give all the crabs to her family, claiming he's tired of them.
Seeing through his pretense, Yang Xi tricks him into a crab-eating competition. By feigning to be a fast eater, she gets him to consume most of the crabs himself, thus winning their bet for another trip to Little Panda. Meanwhile, Huang Dengdeng visits Li Yu, who is still recuperating. She correctly guesses he likes Yang Xi, and he admits it. Huang Dengdeng encourages him to be upfront, sharing how she came to admire his honesty during a Grade 9 test.
She then uses their shared secret to secure Li Yu's agreement to tutor her after her ballet classes. Elsewhere, Mr. Kong is grading papers on a bus when he meets Li Hongbai, an English teacher from Huiying High School, who gracefully helps him pick up some dropped papers. Yang Xi, Hua Biao, Li Yu, and Ertiao return to Little Panda for another all-night session. However, the school director, alerted by the owner, raids the arcade.
As everyone flees, Ertiao is tripped by a gas canister's pipe and caught by the Director, who drags him away. Shortly after they leave, an explosion occurs at Little Panda due to faulty wiring. The next day, Ertiao dramatically recounts how the director inadvertently saved his life. While cycling home after the escape, Yang Xi gets separated from Hua Biao and Li Yu. In a dark alley, a man approaches, offering to help with her broken bike.
However, he suddenly exposes himself, terrifying Yang Xi. She screams and frantically runs, crashing into Hua Biao, who has come searching for her. The pervert vanishes as Hua Biao comforts a shaken Yang Xi. Teachers from the key class challenge Hua Biao's selection for the city's televised knowledge contest, arguing he is weak in arts subjects. The Director, however, supports Hua Biao, noting the prize money would help his family since a past disciplinary action makes him ineligible for scholarships.
He instructs Mr. Kong to apply for a subsidy for Hua Biao. Back in class, Hua Biao consults Yang Xi on details from Louis Cha's novels, including the master of Cheng Yaojia from "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". Meanwhile, Huang Dengdeng confides in Yang Xi that she is meeting an online friend, revealing she lied about her age and attending Peking University to impress him.
Later, Huang Dengdeng discovers her online friend is Yang Chao; they are mutually surprised and agree to keep it a secret. Separately, Mr. Kong encounters Li Hongbai being harassed by thugs and bravely intervenes, taking a beating to defend her. At the knowledge contest, the final question is about the master of Cheng Yaojia. Drawing on his conversation with Yang Xi, Hua Biao correctly answers "Sun Bu'er," securing the championship. In his acceptance speech, he notably thanks "Big Jumpy Yang."
