Where the Lost Ones Go Episode 17 Recap
> Where the Lost Ones Go Recap
Ye Zi and Xiang Zeyi visited a school art exhibition, both noting the improving skill and personal styles of the students. Ye Zi observed that Xiang Zeyi spoke as if he frequented the place, to which he replied he came more often than she thought. She wondered why she had never seen him there. Later, Xiang Zeyi suggested they take a walk around campus. Their stroll led them to the spot where they had once set off fireworks.
Ye Zi recalled how a security guard had chased them that night and questioned why he had only pursued them. Xiang Zeyi speculated that Zhang Daniao might have betrayed them, leading the guard to their location. Ye Zi, however, thought it was because Xiang Zeyi was "shining everywhere" at the time. Xiang Zeyi mentioned drawings related to Ye Zi, implying she knew the significance.
He reminisced about the good old days when they could talk and do as they pleased, regretting that they had both become "cowards" now. He felt that the current students might envy their past freedom, thinking that leaving campus felt like escaping a besieged city. Ye Zi then declared, "In or out of the wall, I’ll be wherever the one I care is." Lin Sen, visibly distracted and upset, was drinking at a bar, accompanied by Yuan Lang.
Yuan Lang surmised that Lin Sen's distress was again about Ye Zi. Lin Sen asked Yuan Lang if he had ever lied to Zhu Xuan. Yuan Lang affirmed he had not. Lin Sen confessed that he thought lying would be easy, but it made him feel incredibly guilty when it came to Ye Zi. Yuan Lang questioned why he would lie if he liked her.
Lin Sen reflected on their youth when Ye Zi would follow him, calling him "Lin Sen Gege" and confiding everything. Now, she simply called him "Lin Sen," and he felt a "paper" barrier between them, unable to see or truly know her anymore. Yuan Lang reassured him that he had "done good enough." Lin Sen expressed envy for Yuan Lang and Zhu Xuan, who, despite coming from different worlds, grew closer.
He lamented that he and Ye Zi were drifting further apart. Yuan Lang acknowledged his own luck in having his first love reciprocated. Lin Sen agreed that not everyone gets that, often only experiencing bittersweet first loves, and suggested his own 15-year-long, one-sided first love might finally be ending. He urged Yuan Lang to cherish Zhu Xuan. Ye Zi returned home, only to hear her parents in the kitchen discussing Lin Sen's impending arrival for dinner.
To avoid an awkward encounter, she quickly grabbed her bag to slip away, but upon opening the door, she bumped directly into Lin Sen. Ye Zi's mother had tried to arrange for the two to spend time together, but they sat in silence, making the situation uncomfortable. Lin Sen suggested they talk, and they went downstairs to sit on a bench.
Lin Sen recalled a children's park that used to be near their homes, where they often played after dinner, noting it was torn down two years prior, though he still sometimes visited it alone. Ye Zi explained that as a child, she initially disliked calling him "Lin Sen Gege" because they were nearly the same height and she didn't feel younger than him, but her father made her.
She then said that from the day she started calling him that, she had decided he was "Lin Sen Gege," and that would never change. Lin Sen expressed sadness, feeling that the childhood name had destined him to lose. Ye Zi acknowledged his unwavering presence and efforts over the years, apologizing for not being clear and allowing things to become awkward by remaining silent.
Lin Sen, however, told her not to blame herself, admitting he, too, had kept silent in hopes of having a chance. He realized he didn't speak up because he didn't want to lose her. Ye Zi wished they could return to how they were as children. Lin Sen confessed that liking her had become a habit that he needed to break, even if it took him a long time.
He concluded that he would rather cut off his romantic feelings than endure the awkwardness between them. He reaffirmed that he wished to remain her "Lin Sen Gege" forever, wanting only for her to lead a happy life. Ye Zi was touched and found it difficult to let go of the past, wondering why it couldn't have been them. Lin Sen responded that life is about the future, not the past.
He then suggested they return for dinner before Ye Zi's mother blamed him, asking her to keep their conversation a secret. Cheng Xi, a newly published author, was giving an interview at a cafe. She explained that while she majored in art in college, she found herself more drawn to reading, which led her to writing. Her inspirations primarily came from life and the stories of her friends.
When asked if the main character of her book was based on herself, she clarified that it was based on many people. After the interview, Wu Kai, who had been watching her from a distance, approached and offered to take her to dinner, mentioning that Ye Zi had told him Cheng Xi liked spicy food. Cheng Xi declined, stating she wasn't hungry and that she preferred to take a taxi rather than ride his motorcycle.
Wu Kai then suggested they take a taxi together, but she declined this, reiterating that they weren't suitable for each other, but Wu Kai persisted, asking for a chance to try. After a moment of thought, Cheng Xi accepted the helmet he offered and got on his motorcycle. Zhu Xuan met with Mr. Shao at his company to discuss a project. Mr. Shao praised her studio's complete proposal. Xiang Zeyi then arrived at the office for Mr. Shao's signature.
Mr. Shao, recognizing that Zhu Xuan and Xiang Zeyi were former college acquaintances, suggested they discuss the program over lunch while he attended a meeting. At the restaurant, Zhu Xuan directly asked Xiang Zeyi if he had returned solely for business or if he harbored other intentions, specifically asking if he wished to reconcile with Ye Zi. Xiang Zeyi began to speak but then hesitated, struggling for a clear answer.
Zhu Xuan interpreted his silence as a negative, but he quickly denied that was his meaning. She pressed him, accusing him of wanting to get back with Ye Zi. Xiang Zeyi remained silent. Zhu Xuan sternly told him that she didn't know or care about the details of his past disappearance or why he had suddenly vanished.
She warned him that if he intended to reunite with Ye Zi, he must first understand what Ye Zi truly needed and to treat her well, begging him not to hurt her again as he had done in the past. Xiang Zeyi acknowledged her words, and Zhu Xuan, having addressed both business and personal matters, left, instructing Xiang Zeyi to settle the bill. Zhang Daniao and Liu Xinran were at an internet cafe.
Liu Xinran noticed Zhang Daniao staring at her and asked what he was looking at, but he just smiled and deflected. As they were about to leave, Zhang Daniao stood in the center of the internet cafe and, pulling out a handwritten paper, began to publicly declare his love to Liu Xinran. He spoke passionately, comparing himself to a fairy priest and her to a shining star over Darnassus, guiding him home.
He promised to dedicate his life to her, making every "I" into "we," and being her "holy light for life." He then asked, "Liu Xinran, will you marry me? Say yes." Liu Xinran, deeply moved, playfully chided him for proposing with just a piece of paper. Zhang Daniao then produced a ring, admitting he made it himself and that it was ugly, but hoped she would like it.
He repeated his proposal, and Liu Xinran, with a happy "Say yes," instructed him to put the ring on her finger. Back home, Zhu Xuan watched Yuan Lang chop vegetables in the kitchen, remarking how handsome he looked while cooking. Yuan Lang jokingly replied that he looked handsome whenever he picked up a knife. Zhu Xuan suggested they make up for his last birthday, which they had missed. Yuan Lang declined, instead promising her a "huge gift."
Zhu Xuan, intrigued, tried to get him to reveal the surprise, but he insisted it was a "top secret" to maintain the romance, no matter how much she cajoled him. Ye Zi went to Xiang Zeyi's house for a discussion, but he wasn't there. After calling him, she located a spare key hidden under the carpet and let herself in. While inside, she discovered a box filled with comics that Xiang Zeyi had drawn for her.
These detailed their memories together and even included drawings that read, "I’ll draw one for you every day if you like it. Then I’d have a full box of them when I graduate. That box would be my proposal gift to you," and another depicting a mermaid with the text, "You like mermaid. Let’s name our kid Humaid." The discovery of these deeply personal and meaningful drawings stirred up her buried emotions. Just then, Xiang Zeyi returned.
Ye Zi, overwhelmed, tearfully demanded to know why he had left without a word, why he changed his name, and why he had reappeared in her life without considering her feelings. Before she could finish, Xiang Zeyi, seeing her distress, pulled her into a tight embrace.
