When We Were Young Episode 3 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
A new exchange student named Li Bai joins Xu Konglin's class. Unfamiliar with the school's dynamics, he becomes curious about the students' discussions regarding Chu Yinyin. Playfully, Li Bai takes Xu Konglin's towel and folds it into a "roasted chicken" on his desk, eliciting laughter from the class. When Xu Konglin returns, he is speechless at the sight. Li Bai, realizing he's been caught, flees with Xu Konglin in pursuit through the campus.
Meanwhile, Xia Er, who has just arrived at school with Chu Mingzhu, is accidentally bumped by the fleeing Li Bai. Li Bai quickly steadies her by the waist, making Xia Er appreciate his good looks. Her gaze then drifts to Xu Konglin in the distance, and she is equally struck by his handsomeness. As she walks towards him, she accidentally sprains her ankle. Xu Konglin, clearly concerned, rushes to her side and carries her to the infirmary.
In the infirmary, Xia Er, realizing the handsome man is Xu Konglin, hands him a jersey that the real Chu Yinyin had asked her housemaid, Xiao Mei, to send him earlier. Xia Er claims amnesia and says she doesn't know why she wanted to send it. Xu Konglin confronts "Yinyin," asking if her amnesia is a game or a joke related to some past issue.
He presses her to reveal what truly happened, where she has been, and if her injury was an accident. Xia Er, feigning ignorance, insists she has amnesia and asks about the "S. O. S." he mentioned. Xu Konglin reminds her that she wrote "Strawberry on sushi" on the delivery sheet for an empty box she sent him, explaining that the first letters spell S. O. S.
He recounts calling the police when he received the package, only for her to reappear soon after, asking if she is playing games with him. Xia Er's internal thoughts reveal her panic as she worries about the real Chu Yinyin's safety and whether her own identity has been exposed. She desperately tries to deflect Xu Konglin's questions, asking if she looks different from the past. Overwhelmed by fear for Chu Yinyin, Xia Er flees the infirmary.
Back in the classroom, Xia Er notices many students staring at her. Li Nike, Chu Yinyin's rival, approaches and questions her changed demeanor, noting Chu Yinyin never smiled at her before. Xia Er, fearing exposure, internally decides to embrace her new identity and dramatically announces to the class that she has amnesia. Her classmates are shocked, and Li Nike, skeptical, questions her authenticity, even mentioning "post-traumatic stress disorder." Xia Er plays along, agreeing with the suggestion.
As Teacher Lu, the homeroom teacher, prepares for the monthly English test, she shares a meaningful glance with Mr. Lan in the hallway. Xia Er, unable to understand the test questions, covertly uses her phone under the desk to search for news of missing female students online. Both Li Bai and Xu Konglin notice her surreptitious behavior, with Xu Konglin suspecting her amnesia is a deliberate act of revenge.
As Teacher Lu approaches, Li Bai raises his hand with a question, distracting her and allowing Xia Er to hide her phone. Realizing that finding clues about Chu Yinyin's disappearance is more critical, Xia Er hastily fills in some answers, submits her paper early, and rushes out of the classroom. Unbeknownst to her, Chu Mingzhu is observing her from outside. Li Bai, curious, also submits his test and follows her.
Xia Er's attempt to leave the school is thwarted by Teacher Shi, the disciplinarian. After a comical exchange with Li Bai, Teacher Shi sternly questions Xia Er about leaving during a test. In her office, Teacher Shi expresses concern over Xia Er's amnesia, but then, identifying herself as a psychologist, she "diagnoses" Xia Er with psychological issues, attributing her amnesia to conceit, a lack of resilience, and even suggesting suicidal tendencies stemming from family conflict.
Xia Er is left bewildered and frightened by Teacher Shi's dramatic interpretations. Xia Er, still perturbed by her encounter with Teacher Shi, returns to school. Li Bai discovers a jersey in Xu Konglin's desk. Learning it was from Chu Yinyin, Li Bai asks Xia Er if he can wear it. Xia Er, exasperated, tells him she doesn't care. Li Bai immediately puts on the Golden State Warriors jersey and heads to the basketball court.
Xu Konglin, playing basketball, is furious to see Li Bai wearing the jersey. He demands Li Bai take it off. When Xu Konglin notices markings on the jersey, he mistakenly believes Li Bai defaced it and angrily attacks him. Li Bai, confused by the sudden aggression, takes off the jersey and throws it back at Xu Konglin. After the confrontation, Xia Er approaches Li Nike, hoping to gather information about Xu Konglin.
Li Nike, claiming to be a childhood friend, shares that Xu Konglin likes girls with wavy hair and suggests she try a "Beethoven" style. Li Nike also advises Xia Er to discuss the Houston Rockets, claiming it's Xu Konglin's favorite team, even translating the name when Xia Er claims to have forgotten English due to amnesia. Later, Xia Er tries this tactic with Xu Konglin, passionately praising the Houston Rockets and its famous players.
However, Xu Konglin corrects her, stating his true favorite team is the Golden State Warriors, leaving Xia Er flustered and exposed. Xu Konglin then hands her the jersey, telling her to keep it since he believes it has been carelessly drawn on, leaving Xia Er annoyed. That evening, Xia Er returns home. Xiao Mei, picking her up, describes the real Chu Yinyin as demanding and critical in the past, a stark contrast to Xia Er's current demeanor.
Xiao Mei metaphorically compares the old Chu Yinyin to a "high and lofty lotus flower" and the new one to a "morning glory." When Chu Mingzhu visits with milk, she strongly emphasizes the importance of Xia Er's academic performance, expecting an "A" on the test. Observing Chu Mingzhu's intense focus on grades, Xia Er begins to suspect that Chu Yinyin's disappearance might be linked to this immense academic pressure.
Later that night, Xia Er watches a video posted by Xiao Er on Weibo. In the video, Xiao Er describes their financial difficulties and appeals for help for her friend, "Xia Er," who "got hit by a stick and lost her memory." The video shows clips of this "Xia Er" struggling with street vending, running from creditors, and even fainting.
Watching this, Xia Er realizes the girl in the video, who looks exactly like her and has amnesia, is the real Chu Yinyin, now living the life of "Xia Er." She begins to wonder if Chu Yinyin was deliberately placed in that situation as part of a larger conspiracy. Meanwhile, Chu Mingzhu, increasingly suspicious of "Chu Yinyin's" changed personality, subtly collects hair samples from Xia Er and Chu Yinyin's old comb, preparing to send them for DNA comparison.
The monthly test results are posted. Li Bai achieves a high score, but Xia Er (as Chu Yinyin) receives an "F," placing her last in the experimental class and risking transfer to a regular class. Xia Er internally panics, fearing her cover will be blown and she will lose Chu Mingzhu's promised reward. Xu Konglin, visibly more concerned than Xia Er, confronts her.
He accuses her of intentionally failing to "get back at him," recalling a past agreement between him and Chu Yinyin to both get an "F" which he failed to uphold, making Chu Yinyin angry. Xia Er, genuinely confused by his accusations, denies any such game or intent to fail. She then brings up the basketball jersey, which Xu Konglin had given her earlier, suggesting it might contain clues related to the "S. O. S." message.
Xu Konglin examines the Golden State Warriors jersey, noting erased wire cables on the Golden Gate Bridge logo and the letters "X, Y," which he believes could be a person's name, indicating a potential clue. He suggests they investigate further, but when Li Nike approaches, he discourages her involvement.
