When We Were Young Episode 5 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Feeling guilty over the pressure cooker explosion she caused, Yang Xi secretly takes a bed-curtain fabric from her mother's wardrobe. Accompanied by Hemei, she goes to Hua Biao's house to help. They find Hua Biao asleep in a chair, exhausted from his masonry work. The two girls quietly make new curtains for him, and Yang Xi gently wipes the mud from his face.
When Hua Biao wakes up, he is touched by the gesture and, despite calling the curtains "girlish," expresses his sincere gratitude. At school, Li Yu notices the dried mud on Hua Biao's uniform. Yang Xi discovers that Class 1 is also performing a magic show, a direct clash with her own class's plan.
She confronts Class 1's leader, only to learn that Huang Chengcheng had asked them to switch their act from dance to magic, claiming Yang Xi was no longer the class leader and didn't need to be consulted. Enraged, Yang Xi finds Huang Chengcheng and they get into a physical fight in the hallway.
Afterward, Yang Xi tearfully complains to Li Yu, accusing him of being cold-blooded and blaming him for Huang Chengcheng's hostility, which she believes is an attempt to keep them apart. When Li Yu notices mud on Yang Xi's uniform, he questions where she has been, leading to another argument, and they part on bad terms.
Li Yu is approached by one of Hua Biao's former classmates from Hui Ying High School, who reveals that Hua Biao didn't go to Hong Kong and has been borrowing money, sparking concern. After school, Li Yu follows Hua Biao and finds him doing grueling manual labor moving tiles. Li Yu steps in to help, and they work on the roof of Hua Biao's house together.
He urges Hua Biao to accept his friends' help, but Hua Biao insists on handling it himself, driven by pride and a desire not to bother his new friends. He explains his goal is to fix the house and buy his grandmother a hearing aid. That night, Li Yu calls his father and asks for help sourcing some tiles for Hua Biao.
The next morning, Yang Xi deliberately avoids Li Yu by taking the bus, but he ends up on the same one. She ignores him until a man harasses her, prompting Li Yu to immediately step in and protect her, leading to a silent reconciliation. At school, Hua Biao, as the new class leader, announces they will perform both the ballet and the magic show.
He plans to use his knowledge of physics to design a unique and impressive magic act, ensuring everyone in the class can participate as they are the final performance of the night. To ensure her class can perform, Yang Xi must pass her physics exam. She goes to Hua Biao's house for tutoring, accidentally walking in on him showering. The study session is filled with playful bickering as Hua Biao grows frustrated with how difficult she is to teach.
To escape, Yang Xi suggests they go buy a hearing aid for his grandmother. At the store, Hua Biao is stunned by the high price of even the cheapest model. Sensing his embarrassment, Yang Xi quickly invents an excuse about wanting cotton candy to pull him out of the store. As they walk home, they find Li Yu waiting.
He discreetly sends Yang Xi away before giving Hua Biao a load of surplus tiles and an envelope of money, assuring him it's from his father's connections and can be used to repay his old friends. Li Yu then walks Yang Xi home. After Class 3 passes the physics exam, they are cleared to perform at the Mid-Autumn party. Backstage, while fixing his bike, Li Yu borrows a screw from a nearby chair.
Subsequently, Huang Chengcheng steps on the weakened chair and falls, injuring herself. As he was scheduled to perform the magic act with Yang Xi, Li Yu has to rush Huang Chengcheng to the hospital. Hua Biao steps in to take his place, riding the same, now-unrepaired bicycle for the finale of their act, "Dawn Blossoms And Dusk Moonlit."
The performance is a success until the loose screw causes the bike to fail, and they tumble to the ground, landing in a nearly-kissing position. They lock eyes, and the moment sparks new feelings between them. That night, both are restless, replaying the fall in their minds. They finally call each other but only manage awkward small talk, unable to voice their true feelings before hanging up with their hearts still pounding.
