When We Were Young Episode 31 Recap
> When We Were Young Recap
Qing Teng Academy teachers expressed concern for Xia Er, who was falsely accused. Teacher Lu felt anxious about Xia Er's predicament, describing her as a former student whom she regarded like a younger sister, knowing Xia Er would never take part in a robbery. Teacher Lan encouraged her to relax, breathe deeply, and comfort Xia Er and Chu Yinyin, assuring her that the truth would eventually be revealed by the police.
During this exchange, Teacher Lan discreetly kissed Teacher Lu after she closed her eyes to breathe deeply. Following this, Teacher Lu met with Teacher Shi to apply for leave for Xia Er. Teacher Shi, having reflected on her past strictness after Li Nike's recent issues, approved the leave. She acknowledged that she had been too inflexible with students, focusing only on their actions rather than their psychological well-being.
She promised to approach teaching with more empathy, considering students' feelings and allowing them to grow, while still guiding them within school boundaries. Teacher Lu then apologized to Teacher Shi on behalf of Teacher Lan for a previous misunderstanding, though Teacher Shi found it curious that Teacher Lu was the one apologizing. Meanwhile, Xu Konglin asked Li Bai to check his old school account login records, suspecting someone had tampered with his research report.
Li Bai traced the IP address to the female dormitory and discovered the culprit was Li Nike. Xu Konglin confronted Li Nike about the "F" grade incident. Li Nike confessed, admitting she overheard Xu Konglin and Chu Yinyin planning to get an "F" on their report.
Driven by jealousy and her long-standing feelings for Xu Konglin, she had hacked his account and changed his grade to an "A" to prevent him from "giving up on himself" and ensure he could pursue his academic goals, hoping to eventually be in the same city as him.
She also admitted to later revealing the blood type discrepancy to Chu Yinyin while pretending to comfort her, and tampering with Chu Yinyin's Weibo to delete geographical coordinates and falsify content after Chu Yinyin went missing. Xu Konglin, realizing his neglect of her feelings, apologized for always perceiving her as strong. Li Nike expressed deep regret for her manipulative actions, acknowledging that her methods were wrong despite her intentions, and solemnly apologized to everyone for the harm she caused.
Following Li Nike's confession, Chu Yinyin met with Teacher Shi. Teacher Shi apologized for being too harsh and not considering Chu Yinyin's feelings, acknowledging that her strictness had contributed to past problems. Chu Yinyin accepted the apology, stating she had never blamed Teacher Shi and realized she was being stubborn, ultimately understanding that both Teacher Lu and Teacher Shi had considered her future well-being.
Later, Chen Jiaojiao, Xu Konglin, and Xu's parents discussed ways to help Chu Yinyin and Xia Er. Xu Konglin wished Chu Yinyin could recall more details. Chen Jiaojiao suggested taking Chu Yinyin to places they frequently visited, and Xu's parents proposed using "reenactment" to trigger her memories, particularly in emotionally charged locations. Inspired, Xu Konglin called Chu Yinyin and invited her to an undisclosed location the next day, challenging her with a playful "Dare to go?" to which she agreed.
The following day, Xu Konglin took Chu Yinyin to an amusement park. While resting near a roller coaster, he explained the truth about the "F" grade, assuring her he had never betrayed her. This explanation triggered Chu Yinyin's memories. She recalled receiving an anonymous text message claiming Xia Er at New Southern Vocational School was her biological sister, which prompted her to go there.
She also remembered that her lost phone was synced to an online photo album, and she had discovered a selfie of a stranger in it. She identified this person as Slippers' accomplice, the individual who stole her phone. Xu Konglin urged her to send the photo to Officer Chen immediately to help clear Xia Er's name.
They reminisced about their past bet on the roller coaster, and Chu Yinyin reflected on her original motive for seeking an "F" grade—to test her family's love beyond her academic achievements. Xu Konglin promised to support her in finding her biological parents if she wished, though Chu Yinyin expressed mixed feelings, valuing her current family with her mother and Xia Er.
Still searching for more clues, Xu Konglin later inquired about a basketball jersey Chu Yinyin had given him, believing it held a key to her memories. After much searching, Xu Konglin's father remembered that Xu's mother had repurposed the jersey as a cushion. Upon seeing the retrieved jersey, Chu Yinyin recalled something related to a book. Afterward, Chu Yinyin encountered Li Nike.
Li Nike apologized to Chu Yinyin for her past petty and manipulative actions, acknowledging that she had viewed Chu Yinyin as an opponent and had been too concerned with others' opinions. Chu Yinyin, in turn, apologized for her past "hateful" behavior and offered to be friends, which Li Nike happily accepted, remarking on Chu Yinyin's positive change.
Just then, Hao Tian approached Xu Konglin and Chu Yinyin, confessing that she was the one who sent the text message informing Chu Yinyin of Xia Er's location. She explained that she had overheard Li Nike telling Chu Yinyin about her mother's blood type not matching hers, which had caused Chu Yinyin to run off upset.
