When We Were Young Episode 12 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Li Yu and Yang Xi called Li Yu's mother, who was on a business trip in Hong Kong. Yang Xi joyfully shared that she had improved her test ranking by two spots, mentioning that Li Yu had practiced the phrase to connect with the PolyGram extension so often that their whole class had learned it. After Yang Xi left for school cleaning, Li Yu continued to talk with his mother, who confirmed she would be home that night.
Shortly after their call, Li Yu found his father, who had been in contact with Aunty Huang. His father relayed that Aunty Huang had arranged a training opportunity for him and had bought a pair of leather shoes for Li Yu. Li Yu, however, firmly refused the gift, stating he didn't wear leather shoes and his shoe size was 43, not 42.
Back at school, the teacher announced that Huang Chengcheng was absent due to chickenpox, having fallen ill after she falsely told Li Yu she had already had it. Hearing this, Li Yu felt a pang of guilt. Hua Biao was also absent, as it was the anniversary of his parents' death, and he was at home with his granny preparing tributes. His granny insisted he kneel and kowtow to his parents, which Hua Biao found old-fashioned but ultimately complied with.
He also expressed his determination to defeat the rival Hui Ying High School in the upcoming roller skating competition, fueled by their arrogant claims. That evening, Hemei and Yang Xi rode their bikes to Hua Biao's house to pay respects to his parents. On their way, they heard a whistle playing the tune of "There is a Cloud Made of Rain in the Wind." Hemei recalled that a wanted criminal was known for whistling.
Just as they grew frightened, Li Yu and Situ Ertiao appeared, much to their relief. However, when asked about the whistle, both Li Yu and Ertiao denied knowing how to do it. After paying their respects, the friends gathered on the rooftop where Hua Biao shared the tribute fruits, dismissing old superstitions as wasteful.
As they ate watermelon, Li Yu was annoyed that Yang Xi wouldn't spit out the seeds, but Hua Biao playfully taught her how to spit them at targets, a new skill she quickly enjoyed. The next day, the "Flying-Car Gang of Five"—Hua Biao, Yang Xi, Li Yu, Situ Ertiao, and Hemei—teamed up for a roller skating competition against Hui Ying High School and emerged victorious.
Later that night, Yang Xi returned home to find her parents had posted a wanted poster on her door, warning her about a pervert. After frightening her with exaggerated tales of the criminal's danger, her parents locked her in the apartment and left to visit a sick relative. At the same time, Li Yu saw a news report about a massive fire at the Jiali Commerce Building in Hong Kong, where his mother was working.
He tried to call her, but the line was busy, and then the power went out. He rushed downstairs, ran into Huang Chengcheng, and they went out together to find a place with a working TV and phone. Meanwhile, Yang Xi, alone in the dark, realized the man on the wanted poster was the same flasher she had encountered. Terrified by the power outage and being locked in, she tried and failed to reach her brother and Li Yu.
In desperation, she called Hua Biao. Unable to get in through the locked door, Hua Biao sat outside her apartment all night, telling her jokes to ease her fear. The following morning, Yang Xi saw the news of the fire and rushed to Li Yu's apartment. To everyone's relief, his mother was safe; she had been urgently called back to Japan the day before the fire and had called Li Yu as soon as she heard the news.
Later, Yang Xi and her family attended a great-aunt's funeral in the suburbs. Anxious about a test the next day, she decided to take the last bus home alone. On the bus, she panicked when she saw a man who closely resembled the criminal on the wanted poster. Just then, Hua Biao appeared, cycling alongside the bus and singing "There is a Cloud Made of Rain in the Wind" to comfort her.
When Yang Xi got off, Li Yu was waiting to meet her. Seeing she was safe, Hua Biao quietly rode away. Li Yu walked Yang Xi to her building, telling her to go up while he went to buy supper. Inside her apartment, Yang Xi realized she had forgotten to lock the door and then heard the chilling whistle. Peeking out, she saw the wanted criminal entering her home.
Meanwhile, Hua Biao, troubled by the memory of the man on the bus, had decided to turn back. He arrived to see Yang Xi trying to escape through a window and immediately rushed upstairs to confront the intruder. Li Yu, returning with food, joined the fight. Together with a patrolling police officer who arrived at the scene, they subdued and apprehended the criminal.
Li Yu and Hua Biao's heroism was celebrated in the newspaper and they received official commendations, making their teacher, Mr. Kong, immensely proud. Later, Li Yu overheard his father on the phone, ending his relationship with Aunty Huang for Li Yu's sake. The realization left Li Yu feeling deeply guilty for inadvertently causing pain to his father and someone who cared for him.
