When We Were Young Episode 29 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Li Bai suggested a method to help Chu Yinyin regain her memory. He believed that since her memory loss was caused by an external shock, experiencing a similar shock might help her remember. Chu Yinyin was willing to try, but Xu Konglin strongly disagreed, deeming it too dangerous and preferring to wait for the police. Meanwhile, Xia Er explained her situation to Officer Chen.
She recounted how she was curious about someone who looked exactly like her and how, needing money at the time, she ended up taking Chu Yinyin's place. Once treated with maternal love by Chu Mingzhu, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She detailed her activities on the day of the incident, including working at an amusement park and being brought to her "sister's" house by Aunt Huang. Officer Chen acknowledged her statement but said the investigation would continue.
Later, Xu Konglin returned home and updated his parents on the situation. He explained that the police suspected Xia Er because her sudden appearance after Chu Yinyin's disappearance seemed too coincidental. While his mother was initially worried, she ultimately expressed faith in Xia Er, calling her a naive child, and urged Xu Konglin to look after both sisters. Officer Chen continued his investigation by visiting Aunt Huang, who had originally brought Xia Er to the Chu residence.
He showed Aunt Huang a picture of Xia Er and questioned her about the details of meeting her on the streets. Aunt Huang recalled finding Xia Er at a convenience store. Officer Chen then went to the Chu home to speak with Xiao Mei and Chu Mingzhu. He asked Xiao Mei if Xia Er had behaved strangely after coming home. Xiao Mei remembered Xia Er doing housework and even sleeping in the closet.
Chu Mingzhu, displeased with the police’s assumptions based on security footage, asserted her belief in Xia Er's innocence and urged Officer Chen to find the real perpetrator, not just speculate. She later instructed Xiao Mei to trust Xia Er and to only provide truly useful information to the police. Chu Mingzhu called Xia Er at school, expressing her concern about the police investigation.
Xia Er apologized for not informing her sooner, explaining that she wanted to handle things herself to avoid worrying her mother. She reassured her mother that she was innocent and the police were just doing their job, promising to cooperate with the investigation and not return home until the matter was resolved. Unbeknownst to Xia Er, Li Nike overheard this phone conversation in the dorm room, listening with an expression of growing concern.
Officer Chen arrived at the school to question Xia Er further. In a meeting room, he informed her that her part-time job at the amusement park had no official records, and the video footage was unclear due to her ghost makeup. He also revealed that her supervisor claimed she had assaulted a customer and fled. He pointed out the slight time discrepancy between Chu Yinyin's robbery and Xia Er's appearance at a convenience store.
Officer Chen explained that her claims of seeing the suspects, her possession of Chu Yinyin’s necklace, and her subsequent impersonation of Chu Yinyin made her a suspect, requiring more evidence to prove her non-involvement. Teacher Lu, Xia Er's homeroom teacher, was present and tried to interject. While this interrogation was happening, Nana eavesdropped from outside the meeting room and quickly spread the rumors throughout the school.
Students began gossiping, accusing Xia Er of harming her own sister out of jealousy and even stealing Xu Konglin. Li Bai found Xia Er distraught amidst the accusations and pulled her away. Xia Er declared that she was not afraid of the rumors, knowing the truth would prevail. Li Bai offered his support, even jokingly suggesting they transfer schools together, but Xia Er refused to run away, asserting her innocence.
Nana later approached Li Nike, excitedly sharing the rumors about Xia Er being questioned for impersonation and causing Chu Yinyin's memory loss. However, Li Nike uncharacteristically rebuked Nana, questioning her proof and calling it defamation that could "kill people." Chu Yinyin, still anxious to recover her memory, discussed her frustration with Xu Konglin. He suggested they ask Qi Xiao Er and Leng Shao at New Southern for help in finding clues near the school.
Chu Yinyin was hesitant to burden them, but Xu Konglin insisted they needed to catch the perpetrator. They decided to go to New Southern. Xu Konglin and Li Bai successfully applied for leave from Teacher Lu, who understood the importance of supporting a friend in trouble. Teacher Shi attempted to stop them from leaving, but Mr. Lan intervened by falsely telling Teacher Shi that Principal Zhang wanted to promote her teaching methods, effectively distracting her.
Upon arriving at New Southern, Xu Konglin and Li Bai met with Qi Xiao Er and Leng Shao. Qi Xiao Er explained their initial investigation had yielded no eyewitnesses or useful CCTV footage from the school entrance. Leng Shao confidently declared his belief in Xia Er's innocence. Qi Xiao Er proposed re-enacting the crime scene, a suggestion that quickly devolved into an argument over roles and unrealistic scenarios, ultimately proving fruitless.
While Xu Konglin and Qi Xiao Er were brainstorming, Li Bai went to the nursing home to visit Xia Jianguo, hoping to find clues. Xia Jianguo, suffering from memory loss, was disoriented and confused, believing Xia Er had found her older sister. The nurse explained his condition and confirmed Xia Er's filial devotion, but could offer no specific information about the incident or any previous clues from Xia Er, other than Xia Jianguo's vague mentions of a photo.
Li Bai left without any useful information. Meanwhile, back at New Southern, Leng Shao, reviewing the blurry CCTV footage of the robbery, suddenly recognized one of the perpetrators. He recalled the man, nicknamed "Slippers," had visited his salon for a haircut and paid via WeChat, never carrying cash.
He rushed back to his salon, retrieved the surveillance video from that day, along with the WeChat payment details, and sent them to Xu Konglin and Li Bai, hoping it would provide crucial evidence. Later, Yuan Ye approached Li Nike, expressing his unconditional belief in her regarding the accusations against Xia Er. He encouraged her to tell the police the truth if she knew anything, especially as a victim herself.
Li Nike, with a knowing smile, thanked him but explained that his "blind trust" was similar to her own past folly, which had prevented her from discerning right from wrong. She stated that his trust had ironically helped her realize the right path to take, indicating a profound personal change.
