When We Were Young Episode 18 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Following his mother's departure to Japan to remarry, Li Yu continues to isolate himself. One morning, he discovers a football on his bicycle and concludes it was placed there by Yang Xi as the answer to the final question from their anonymous chat. Later at school, Mr. Kong announces that Hua Biao has once again won first prize in the municipal physics competition and that the results for Huang Chengcheng’s application to the Hong Kong Ballet are available.
He then reveals that the first mock exam will be held in three days to assess the students' true abilities and provide a reliable reference for their university applications. Li Yu calls his mother to offer help with her wedding preparations. She advises him to focus on his studies for the upcoming mock exam, but he reveals he has already taken leave and will fly to Japan right after the test.
He asks if his mother's fiancé will mind his visit, and she assures him that as her son, his presence requires no special permission, wisely advising him that one must accept life's imperfections to value its good moments. That evening, the friends gather at Hua Biao’s house to study. Afterwards, as they sleep in the yard, Yang Xi asks Hua Biao if they can be happy forever, to which he firmly replies, "We must be."
Li Yu, feigning sleep, silently wishes for Yang Xi’s happiness above all else. The mock exam proves incredibly difficult for Yang Xi. Afterwards, her mother gives her warm milk and encouragement. As Li Yu prepares to leave for Japan, Yang Xi gives him a pencil box and draft paper from her mother for his trip, and he promises to take her to Japan with him next time.
Later, Mr. Kong informs the class that their mock exam scores were very low and that all parents, except for Hua Biao’s, must attend one-on-one consultations. Yang Xiaohemei's mother, furious over her daughter's poor grade, berates her and ignores her complaints of a stomachache. Similarly, Situ Ertiao is scolded by his father, who threatens to inform his mother about the bad results. Yang Xi’s father attends the consultation in place of her mother and also inquires about Li Yu.
Mr. Kong reports that Li Yu’s overall performance was good but his math was a weakness, making entry into Peking or Tsinghua University difficult. Regarding Yang Xi, Mr. Kong acknowledges her recent improvement but notes her analytical approach was flawed, resulting in a low grade. He suggests that vocational college might be a more realistic option, a comment that a heartbroken Yang Xi overhears.
Meanwhile, Hua Biao finds a stack of returned packages at home—New Year's desserts his grandmother sent to relatives who have either passed away or moved. When questioned, his grandmother seems confused, denies sending them, and repeatedly mentions someone named "Hui," deeply concerning Hua Biao. That night, Yang Xi argues with her mother, wanting to apply to an easier university, but her mother refuses to listen.
Feeling misunderstood, she runs out and meets a crying Yang Xiaohemei, who confesses she can no longer bear her mother’s suffocating control. At the same time, Hua Biao receives a devastating diagnosis for his grandmother at the hospital: mid-stage Alzheimer's disease. Upon returning from Japan, Li Yu gives Yang Xi a blue bow, explaining he couldn't find the hat with a bow she wanted.
He thanks her for correctly guessing his preference for football, a sport he has loved since childhood. To his surprise, Yang Xi reveals that she wasn't the one who sent the football. The mystery is solved when it's revealed that before her ballet audition, Huang Chengcheng had called Mr. Kong, who informed her that Li Yu’s mother was remarrying and he had been absent from school for a week.
Distraught, Huang Chengcheng performed her dance while recalling tender moments with Li Yu. After the audition, she sought out Yang Xi. She challenged Yang Xi, admitting that despite being better in many ways, Li Yu still didn't like her. Huang Chengcheng asserted that while Yang Xi knew Li Yu's habits from their shared childhood, she understood his true feelings. When pressed, Yang Xi admitted Li Yu was more than a childhood friend but could only call him a "relative."
Yang Xi then asks if Li Yu likes basketball, and Huang Chengcheng clarifies he has always loved football, implying she was the one who left the ball for him. Despite achieving an excellent result in her audition that grants her direct entry into the Hong Kong Ballet without taking the Gaokao, Huang Chengcheng insists on staying. She explains to her mother that Li Yu’s words in a past class had given her a new perspective on her dreams.
She wishes to finish her final year and take the Gaokao with her classmates, especially Li Yu, viewing it as a final shared experience. She reveals her true dream is to become a diplomat, with ballet as an advantage rather than her ultimate career. Her mother relents. Back home, reflecting on Huang Chengcheng's words, Yang Xi seems to finally understand the depth of Li Yu’s feelings for her. However, she puts away the blue bow from Li Yu and picks up a pink hair clip, a gift from Hua Biao.
