When We Were Young Episode 24 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
After much thought, Xia Er made her way to Chu Yinyin's room to apologize. Chu Yinyin, though listening behind the closed door, did not open it. After Xia Er left, Chu Yinyin watched her sister's retreating figure with tears in her eyes. Reflecting on her time in New Southern since her memory loss, Chu Yinyin realized she felt happier there.
She found herself questioning what was real and what was false, even contemplating letting Xia Er keep her identity, thinking it might not be a bad thing. Missing her friends from New Southern Vocational School, Chu Yinyin initiated a video call with Qi Xiao Er. Qi Xiao Er was delighted and gathered with Leng Shao and other friends to chat. During the call, Leng Shao received a video call from Xia Er.
Upon learning that Chu Yinyin was already talking to their friends, Xia Er felt that her friends were being "stolen" from her. Chu Yinyin confronted Xia Er, asking if she was accusing her of deliberately taking her friends. A heated argument ensued, with Xia Er stating she had already apologized and felt ignored, while Chu Yinyin accused Xia Er of seeking attention and tormenting others.
Their New Southern friends intervened, reminding them that they were all good friends, part of the "Super Beauty" group, and had missed them dearly. They urged the sisters to value their newfound bond after years of separation. Both sisters, touched by their friends' words, apologized to each other. Chu Yinyin acknowledged her fault in being hurtful, and Xia Er admitted her own mistakes, promising to maintain peace.
The friends emphasized that the coincidental meeting should make them stronger, and if they truly loved each other, they should let each other "fly." During the conversation, Qi Xiao Er revealed that Li Nike had recently visited New Southern and had been shown their old dormitory. Realizing this was how their identities were exposed, Xia Er immediately concluded that Li Nike was behind the scheme. Chu Yinyin agreed that Li Nike was being overly malicious.
Xia Er then addressed Chu Yinyin as "Sister," expressing her belief that as biological sisters, they should be on the same side. Chu Yinyin accepted, proposing they embrace their true identities from that day forward and stop fighting, regardless of past misunderstandings or coincidences. Despite her amnesia, Chu Yinyin agreed with Qi Xiao Er's sentiment that there was no right or wrong in their situation and that they should be grateful for their unexpected reunion.
The sisters then united, resolving to confront Li Nike together. Chu Mingzhu met with Principal Zhang, presenting a doctor's diagnosis confirming her daughters, Chu Yinyin and Xia Er, suffered from memory loss due to various disturbances. She explained that their decision not to publicize this was partly for the school's reputation and partly out of a mother's natural selfishness, hoping the principal would understand. Chu Mingzhu also criticized the school for suspending her daughters without consent, calling it subjective.
Principal Zhang acknowledged her feelings but insisted the identity switch was a serious deception that caused an uproar and required an explanation. Chu Mingzhu, while taking responsibility for the chaos, cleverly shifted some blame to the school, pointing out that if they had helped Xia Er regain her memory while she was impersonating Chu Yinyin, the situation could have been avoided. She argued that the school hadn't fully cared for its students, especially when some classmates showed more support.
She then requested the school revoke their suspension, arguing that her daughters' futures shouldn't be sacrificed by such a punishment. As a solution, she presented a confirmation letter for Chu Yinyin's interview for direct admission to Ivy League schools, emphasizing her daughter's consistent excellence and the importance of this opportunity. Principal Zhang, persuaded by her arguments, agreed to reinstate the sisters. Li Bai's mother, Chen Jiaojiao, found him at Xu Konglin's house after days of searching and unanswered calls.
She tearfully confronted him, expressing her worry and asking why he had not returned home. Li Bai, trying to soothe her, claimed he was simply tired of living in the school dormitory and desired a change of environment, rather than admitting any unhappiness due to her. Chen Jiaojiao, feeling guilty for not providing him with a stable home, offered to take him anywhere he wished, even abroad.
However, Li Bai insisted he wanted to stay where he was, suggesting she move out if she was unhappy, as he could take care of them both. To cheer her up, Li Bai playfully mentioned that Xu Konglin admired her beauty, further adding that Xu Konglin had supposedly "pestered" him to stay at his house just to see her. Reassured, Chen Jiaojiao accepted Xu Konglin's parents' invitation to dine with them at their home to express gratitude for their hospitality.
The next day, Li Bai informed Xu Konglin that he was returning to school. Xu Konglin advised him to spend more time with his mother, prompting Li Bai to sadly remark that their current residence was not truly his home, as they lived under someone else's roof. Teacher Shi informed Teacher Lu that Principal Zhang had approved Chu Yinyin and Xia Er's return to classes, citing Qing Teng's open-minded and responsible approach to its students.
However, Teacher Shi, acting as a counselor, sternly advised Teacher Lu to manage her students more effectively, holding her accountable for the recent disruptions that had tarnished the school's reputation. Teacher Lu defended her philosophy, believing that students learn from mistakes and that teachers should foster growth and even friendship.
Teacher Shi dismissed this, emphasizing the clear boundaries between teachers and students and asserting that Teacher Lu, in her second year as homeroom teacher, was not yet qualified to discuss teaching philosophies. She warned Teacher Lu to be strict and that any further incidents would be met with severe consequences. Later, feeling stressed and frustrated, Teacher Lu discovered her computer had been unplugged, causing her to lose an unsaved file.
Teacher Lan appeared, admitting he had unplugged it intentionally to give her an outlet to vent. He then took her out for a meal, where they encountered Li Bai. Li Bai handed Teacher Lu an apology letter from Xia Er, who expressed regret for having lied. Teacher Lu accepted it, stating she was not angry and simply wished for the sisters to do their best now that they were back.
The next day, Teacher Lu officially welcomed Chu Yinyin back to the experimental class. Most students were happy about her return, but Li Nike remained hostile, publicly accusing the sisters of deception regarding their memory loss and demanding they leave Qing Teng. However, her actions were seen as excessive by other students like Nana, who began to distance themselves from her.
Chu Yinyin apologized to Xu Konglin for her past willfulness, and he reassured her, promising to help her regain her memories. During their conversation, Chu Yinyin revealed that Li Nike had used hacker software to breach her Weibo account, linking this to her memory loss.
Xu Konglin then began his efforts to help Chu Yinyin regain her memories by taking her out for a meal, recalling her specific food preferences: her dislike for animal innards, spicy food, and cilantro, but her love for celery, honey peaches, and hatred of durians. Chu Yinyin, still suspicious, questioned his true intentions, to which he replied he was simply trying to atone for his past impulsiveness, specifically mentioning when he almost kissed her.
Xia Er then arrived and insisted on joining their memory recovery mission, despite Li Bai's attempts to dissuade her by pointing out her lack of knowledge about Chu Yinyin's past. However, Chu Yinyin agreed, seeing it as an opportunity for the sisters to learn about each other's histories. Meanwhile, back at New Southern, Leng Shao and his friends were deeply concerned about Xia Er.
Leng Shao, in a dramatic display of sadness, had fallen into water after fainting from hunger, having starved for a day to protest Xia Er's absence. He lamented the loss of their "proud and royal princess" and declared he had no appetite. His friends, however, chastised him for creating a fuss with a hunger strike when Xia Er already faced so many problems.
Qi Xiao Er questioned his understanding of Xia Er, reminding him of his declaration of her as his princess. Another friend interjected, suggesting that everyone felt like not eating without Xia Er around. Eventually, they collectively resolved that Xia Er had moved past her difficulties and would have a better life, urging each other not to worry about her anymore.
Leng Shao agreed, promising to reflect, eat well, study hard, and continue to "love Xia Er well," ensuring he lived well so she wouldn't worry. Xu Konglin then announced their next activity: attending a concert, a pastime Chu Yinyin once loved.
At the concert, Xu Konglin reminded her of the first time they attended one together, recalling how they met at a record store where she was holding a Chopin disc, and how he later bought them tickets with his tutoring money. Though Chu Yinyin only vaguely remembered her fondness for Chopin, the experience triggered a vivid recollection of a past conversation.
In this memory, Xu Konglin had invited her to a Chopin recital, and she had expressed a wish to one day play the piano on stage, with him as her sole audience. After the concert concluded, Chu Yinyin borrowed the venue's piano and played a Chopin piece for Xu Konglin.
