When We Were Young Episode 14 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Xu Konglin continued tutoring Xia Er. After two hours, Xia Er had only completed ten math problems, all of which were incorrect. Seeing her lack of progress, Xu Konglin decided to implement a punishment system, stating that Xia Er would not be allowed to speak until she answered a question correctly, a rule that took effect immediately.
Li Bai, who was also present, tried to distract Xia Er, making playful remarks about her being a cursed princess who needed a prince's kiss to speak. Despite his attempts, Xia Er remained silent, only revealing her motivation by writing it down: if she answered ten questions correctly, Xu Konglin would take her to the movies. Li Bai expressed his dismay at her seriousness, lamenting that she wasn't the carefree Chu Yinyin he once knew.
Xia Er, however, affirmed her happiness by writing it down. Meanwhile, other students gossiped about Xu Konglin and Chu Yinyin going on a date, questioning if Chu Yinyin's amnesia was a pretense to gain advantages. Ni Ke, angered by Xu Konglin's willingness to tutor Xia Er, confronted him. She reminded him of how Chu Yinyin had previously treated him and the malicious posts she had made, asking why he would agree to help her.
Xu Konglin told Ni Ke to stop, acknowledging her concerns but explaining that he felt responsible if Chu Yinyin's past struggles were due to him. Since she seemed to have moved on, he felt he had nothing more to say. He understood Ni Ke's reluctance to help but stated that having made a promise, he would not give up easily and told her not to worry. Later, Xu Konglin took Xia Er to the cinema as a reward.
Xia Er was displeased that their seats weren't together, with an empty seat in between. Xu Konglin explained that these were the only seats available and reminded her the movie was an extra reward. To their surprise, Li Bai arrived with popcorn and sat in the empty seat between them, claiming he was just there to watch the movie. Annoyed, Xia Er cleverly switched seats with another moviegoer, successfully sitting next to Xu Konglin and leaving Li Bai frustrated.
During the screening of "Roman Holiday", Xia Er found herself uninterested and fell asleep, resting her head on Xu Konglin's shoulder with her arms around his neck, much to Li Bai's astonishment. After the movie, Xu Konglin woke her up. Xia Er, still full of energy, pulled him towards a nearby arcade. Xu Konglin expressed his surprise, noting that the "old Chu Yinyin" would not have enjoyed such activities.
Xia Er countered, explaining that since her memory loss, she felt life should have new meaning, seeking "excitement, energy, youth," and a "fabulous life" that she felt was missing before. She then challenged Xu Konglin to a game, proposing that if she won, he would have to cook her a meal at his home. Xu Konglin agreed, but with the condition that she first correctly answer twenty more questions.
Li Bai also joined their arcade games, but Xia Er ultimately won against Xu Konglin. Back in her dorm, Xia Er dedicated herself to studying, reciting phrases about the importance of academics. When her friend suggested she was doing it for Xu Konglin, Xia Er confirmed that she was determined to answer all twenty questions correctly so she could go to Xu Konglin's house and taste his cooking.
Other students were surprised, discussing if Chu Yinyin's answers were genuinely correct or if Xu Konglin simply said they were. One student urged Li Bai to intervene, likening him to a "third party for five hundred years" who should act like "Spiderman." Li Bai, realizing he had no plans for the weekend, decided to visit Xu Konglin's house himself. The next day, Xia Er proudly presented Xu Konglin with the twenty completed questions, all answered correctly.
True to his word, Xu Konglin invited her to his home for a meal that weekend, also giving her a notebook with answers, jokingly claiming it was for her to monitor his cooking. On the weekend, Xia Er arrived at Xu Konglin's house with a basket of imported fruits as a thank-you gift. She offered to help in the kitchen, mentioning her previous studies in culinary arts. Li Bai, having arrived uninvited earlier, was in the living room.
Xu Konglin's mother praised Xu Konglin for his diligence in cooking. In the kitchen, Xia Er observed Xu Konglin's cutting technique and offered to teach him proper knife work, boasting about her expertise from New Southern Vocational School. Li Bai then burst into the kitchen, criticized their cooking, and tried to take over.
Xu Konglin's father, seeing the potential for chaos, intervened, politely urging Li Bai to leave the kitchen as it was too crowded and instead inviting him to play video games with him and Xu Konglin's mother in the living room, knowing Xu Konglin wasn't interested in games. At the dinner table, Xu Konglin's parents praised the delicious meal, assuming Xia Er had cooked it.
Xia Er clarified that she had only cut the vegetables, but Xu Konglin's father insisted that her excellent cutting skills were the reason for the dishes' taste. Li Bai, however, tried to undermine her contribution, claiming the food was ordinary. He even tried to snatch food from Xu Konglin's plate, provoking a witty retort from Xu Konglin. Xu Konglin then subtly hinted that he and Xia Er needed to study, implying Li Bai should leave.
Xu Konglin's parents, eager to give their son and Xia Er some alone time, then insisted that Li Bai join them for more games, before politely sending him home, promising he could visit again when Chu Yinyin wasn't there. Later that evening, Xu Konglin tutored Xia Er in his room. While wiping spilled water from the table, Xia Er accidentally bumped into Xu Konglin, causing him to lose his balance.
In his attempt to steady himself, he inadvertently grabbed her bra strap, creating an intensely awkward moment for both of them. After the tutoring session, Xia Er prepared to leave, but Xu Konglin discovered the door lock was broken. His parents were out for the night and unreachable by phone. With no other option, Xu Konglin had to ask Xia Er to stay overnight.
Xia Er received a message from Xiao Mei, asking when she would be home, mentioning "the President is asking," to which Xia Er replied that she might be home late and her mother should go to sleep. Xu Konglin offered Xia Er his room and planned to sleep on the sofa. Before she went to bed, Xu Konglin tried to help Xia Er recover her memories by asking about her old hobbies like playing claw machines or watching specific movies.
Xia Er, however, spoke of her new interests in gaming and pop concerts, admitting she couldn't remember her past preferences. He played a melody, hoping to jog her memory, and Xia Er wondered if he was helping her search for forgotten experiences. She acknowledged that some memories might be painful but expressed a determination to uncover the truth. Xu Konglin questioned if she would forgive him if the "truth is because of me."
Xia Er, however, stated that she was content with her current life, surrounded by caring people and a loving mother. The next morning, Xia Er returned home and was severely reprimanded by her mother, Chu Mingzhu (Vice President Zhu), for staying overnight at a male classmate's house, especially one who was her rival. Chu Mingzhu also instructed Xiao Mei to write a self-reflection report for covering for Xia Er.
While acknowledging Xia Er's recent academic improvement, Chu Mingzhu emphasized the importance of proper conduct and warned her against such behavior in the future. At school, Miss Lu praised Chu Yinyin's improved grades. She then announced the upcoming annual school uniform competition, involving fifty schools, with the winner to be featured on the cover of "Youth Style" magazine. Miss Lu encouraged all students, particularly those in the experimental class, to participate, highlighting the importance of practical knowledge in foreign institutions.
Xia Er, feeling invigorated, expressed her keen interest in joining the competition. Meanwhile, Ni Ke, confident in her abilities, expressed her need for a strong partner and sincerely invited Chu Yinyin to team up with her. Ni Ke conveyed her remorse for past actions, suggesting that winning the competition could help "pave the way for you to study overseas" and clear her "debt." Xia Er considered this an opportunity to contribute to Chu Yinyin's future.
Separately, at New Southern Vocational School, Xiao Er, believing the current Chu Yinyin to be Xia Er (who was very skilled in design), unilaterally registered Chu Yinyin for the competition. Xia Er then approached Xu Konglin, asking him to participate in the competition with her. However, Xu Konglin informed her that she was "too late," as he had already promised to register with Ni Ke. He then asked Xia Er if she had any contacts in the fashion design industry, and surprisingly stated that he was "withdrawing from the competition."
