When We Were Young Episode 9 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Hua Biao, posing as a private tutor named Chen Ming, arrived at Yang Xiaohemei's house. Although he attempted to leave by claiming he had the wrong address, Hemei recognized him and begged him to stay. She explained that a regular tutor would report her poor academic performance, causing her strict parents to take away her entertainment. She pleaded for the clever Hua Biao to help deceive her mother, and he reluctantly agreed.
Hemei's mother, a formidable woman, tested Hua Biao with questions on complex physics and obscure European poetry. Hua Biao bluffed his way through, even inventing a poet named "Buffon" and a poem. He later confessed to an amused Hemei that Buffon was actually a famous Italian goalkeeper, and advised her to find another tutor, admitting her mother was scary. Meanwhile, Huang Chengcheng went to Li Yu's house for tutoring. As they left, they ran into Yang Xi.
Huang Chengcheng assumed the red bean soup Li Yu was carrying was for her, but he clarified it was for Yang Xi, remarking that she loved it and could finish two bowls. He then bluntly told Huang Chengcheng to stop coming for tutoring. Hurt, Huang Chengcheng confessed her feelings for him, but Li Yu stated he already liked someone else. Despite the rejection, she insisted she would continue to like him.
Later, Li Yu offered the soup to Yang Xi, but she refused it, gently reminding him not to spend money on her and returning a cassette tape he had given her, still unopened. Left alone, Li Yu felt a profound sense of loss, realizing his cautious attempts to protect their friendship were only pushing her further away.
During lunch, Mr. Kong announced that for the upcoming mid-term exams, Yu Cai Middle School and Hui Ying Middle School would exchange exam papers and testing locations to prevent cheating. Later, Hua Biao was cornered by the Director while discussing the tutoring situation with a friend, who admitted to posting tutoring flyers around the school. The friend then gave Hua Biao a stack of study materials from Hui Ying, containing all their focus points for the semester.
Hua Biao gathered his friends and proposed they copy the materials for all the class leaders, hoping to raise the entire school's scores and restore their pride against Hui Ying. Situ Ertiao, however, was more preoccupied with an upcoming Li Ming concert in Guangzhou. As the exam approached, Yang Xiaohemei grew increasingly stressed, haunted by her mother's harsh warnings about failure. On exam day, Situ Ertiao was absent. Hemei, seated with Yang Xi, Hua Biao, and Li Yu, panicked.
Her attempts to get help from Hua Biao and then Yang Xi earned two sharp warnings from the invigilator. In a final, desperate act, she snatched Li Yu's exam paper. Consequently, both she and Li Yu were disqualified. Overwhelmed with shame and anxiety, Hemei fainted at her desk. The Director accused the four of organized cheating, citing the invigilator's report.
He ordered the parents of Hua Biao, Yang Xi, and Li Yu to the school and declared that Hemei would be kept at home indefinitely. At Yang Xi's home, her mother and grandmother discussed the parent meeting. Yang Xi tearfully complained about constantly being paired with Li Yu, embarrassed that their classmates called them a "little couple." Li Yu, who had arrived at her door, overheard everything and left, visibly hurt.
The next day, Yang Xi defiantly told the Director she did not cheat. Meanwhile, Huang Chengcheng, with her mother's help, went to the school to defend Li Yu, explaining that his paper had been snatched. Later, Li Yu confronted Huang Chengcheng, telling her to stop making decisions on his behalf.
When she tearfully asked why he treated her so harshly compared to Yang Xi, he replied that she could never compare, because the time he and Yang Xi had spent growing up together was something no one could ever replace. Elsewhere, Situ Ertiao returned triumphantly from Guangzhou, having skipped the exam to attend the Li Ming concert and get autographs. At school, Hua Biao anxiously waited for his grandmother to arrive for the meeting with the teacher.
A worried Xiao Lan rushed over, explaining that Hua Biao's grandmother was supposed to go to a community meeting after her school appointment but had never shown up. Realizing his grandmother might be lost, Hua Biao frantically ran off to find her.
