Episode 10 Recap
Bai Shu Lei is genuinely curious what Ai Li Si thinks of He Hao Yi. When Ai Li Si shows no separation between the friendship with him and the friendship she has with He Hao Yi, Bai Shu Lei drops Ai Li Si a big enough a clue—”I’d forgotten you’re a 17-year-old girl who hasn’t dated”—to let her know the issue that’s been between her and He Hao Yi. But it’s not picked up. Bai Shu Lei goes on to mention about how Ai Li Si shouldn’t casually take hold of a man’s hand. Ai Li Si notes this and wonders why both she and He Hao Yi are saying the same things to her.
Bai Shu Lei doesn’t spit it out for her. She only warns her about her actions and to think carefully about them before doing them. She tells her that she may think like a 17 year old, but she is 30. Not thinking about her actions carefully will cause her to hurt someone.
On her way home, standing at the intersection, Ai Li Si sees an image of a smiling He Hao Yi before her on the other side of the road. It has her smile. But then he disappears. Over in He Hao Yi’s car, he too sees an image of Ai Li Si, smiling at him as she holds up her phone to show him. Both appear to be on crossroads, unsure what it is they need to do or should do. Ai Li Si wants He Hao Yi to look and smile at her again, but she has no idea what she’s done wrong. In the car, He Hao Yi also sees an image of Ai Li Si in the passenger seat, smiling and showing him something on his phone. He seems to have made the decision to distance himself from her after leaving her at the company.
The next morning when Ai Li Si knocks at his door to invite him to the event he offered his advice on, he rejects the invitation. He makes the excuse of having made plans to play basketball and can’t go. Ai Li Si suggests coming after his meeting with his friend. Again, he lies about needing to head out soon, which doesn’t quite make sense to why he can’t make it to an event that is in the afternoon and takes only one hour of his time. His excuse has him hit his head and Ai Li Si wanting to come in to check on him. She reaches for his door, ready yo slide it open, but she’s met with resistance as He Hao Yi moves to grab hold of the door on his side and stop her from entering.
He doesn’t want her in there near him. (It looks maybe he’s afraid if he allows her, it might weaken his resolve to keep his distance and not become angry or frustrated by the current situation.) Though that may be, he isn’t able to leave Ai Li Si feeling sad. When he sees her leave for the event after he suggests her to do so, he quickly grabs a toy rhino and has it call out for her. Through the toy, he passes on some words of encouragement. He tells her that although he can’t go to the event, he will cheer her on and that she will definitely succeed in the task. “Ai Li Si, you are amazing! Ai Li Si, you are incredible!”
Ai Li Si brightens. She lets him know that upstairs there is breakfast she made for him. She tells him he must finish it since he didn’t eat it before. He Hao Yi promises that not only will he finish it, but he’ll do a grand-slam home run. Ai Li Si then leaves He Hao Yi, wishing that after he finishes breakfast, he won’t push her away.
After Ai Li Si leaves, He Hao Yi calls his assistant to be on the watch of anyone who approaches Ai Li Si. He then heads out to the balcony after noticing Ai Li Si’s note suggesting he eat breakfast there. Waiting for him is a plate of western-style breakfast and milk. Right next to his cutlery sits a voice recorder. Not having been able to speak to him, Ai Li Si’s made a recording on it.
As the recording is played, the scene plays out like Ai Li Si is sitting right across from him and they are having a conversation together. The recording has her assume a misunderstanding is the root of the issue that exist between them right now. She notes that misunderstandings seem to occur between them quite a lot. There was already one the first time they met. He had chased her to their high school and called her a girl who wore white underwear. She tells him that had he not explained that he was after her because he wanted to return the wallet she dropped, she would have mistaken him for a pervert. Now, there seems to be yet another misunderstanding between them.
He Hao Yi can’t think of what that misunderstanding could be and asks Ai Li Si what she could be referring to.
Ai Li Si refers to the misunderstanding in which she thought they were good friends. This has He Hao Yi insert that it’s not that he doesn’t want to be her good friend. As He Hao Yi’s responses are to Ai Li Si’s recording and not to Ai Li Si herself, Ai Li Si continues. She doesn’t doubt that he treats her as one of his friends, but she realises that she was the one who went and treated him like her greatest, most important friends, just like how she does with her girl friends, Bai Shu Lei and Liu Xiao Fen. But this is wrong, she expresses, because He Hao Yi is a guy.
By that, she doesn’t mean in the sense that guys and girls can’t be just friends. She means that friendship between guys and friendship between girls and the way they make friends just aren’t the same. All the actions that are seen as normal between close girl friends—casually sharing food with each other, sticking onto each other and taking hold of each other’s hands—aren’t seen as normal actions between guy friends.
Thinking that her actions must have made him uncomfortable, she tells him that she won’t hang into him anymore. She won’t make him go to work and end work together or do all the things she has considered normal of close girl friends. She will leave if that’s what he wants. She will value him as a very special friend and not bring him trouble. In return, she asks if he could promise her that he will stop ignoring her.
Hearing Ai Li Si’s own misunderstanding of their situation has Hao Yi see that the path he thought is the only path he can take is just his excuse and fear in taking the other path. Just like back in the past when he turned up late, fearing of finding out that maybe Ai Li Si truly didn’t like him, he was about to do the same by letting Ai Li Si make the decision (by that we’re thinking he’s saying to let her come to him and show her feelings for him). But, he can’t let that happen again and miss his opportunity with her. He gets up from his seat and rushes to the event.
Standing on the stage, outdoors, Ai Li Si begins the event to the ‘buy one facial mask pack get one free for your best friend’ promotion. To take advantage of this promotion, all one has to do is show proof of such friendship between them and their best friend. As an example, Ai Li Si pulls out the handkerchief which inspired the event and tells the story of how it represents the first moment she became friends with Bai Shu Lei and Liu Xiao Fen.
It was the year they just entered Chong Ying High School. On a bike ride—Liu Xiao Fen riding the bike and Bai Shu Lei on the back acting as weight—a pervert passed by them and touched Liu Xiao Fen’s chest briefly before continuing off in his way. Ai Li Si, who was on her skateboard nearby, heard Liu Xiao Fen’s cries about the pervert’s act. After going to check on Bai Shu Lei and Liu Xiao Fen (both of whom had come crashing down off the bike), Ai Li Si takes off after the pervert. She manages to catch up to the pervert and hand him over to the police. Bai Shu Lei later declare Ai Li Si their friend with the handkerchief representing the item Ai Li Si used to wrap Bai Shu Lei’s scraped knee.
Bai Shu Lei isn’t all too happy about Ai Li Si recounting the moment. She turns away, not wanting to acknowledge that past. Ai Li Si continues, looking at Bai Shu Lei and Liu Xiao Fen in turn. She tells them that although they had separated once before, it doesn’t matter how much time has passed or how far they’ve separated, as long as the origin of the friendship is still there, they can always start over. Ai Li Si’s words has Bai Shu Lei and Liu Xiao Fen contemplative. Bai Shu Lei lets a small smirk escape her, commenting about Ai Li Si’s amnesia being the reason she remembers the past so well.
Standing by Bai Shu Lei, Song Han Ming hints at the past suffering Ai Li Si went through. He expresses that were it the 30-year-old Ai Li Si, she wouldn’t say such things.
Liu Xiao Fen moves to cheer Ai Li Si on for saying it so well. The crowd follows and applauds.
He Hao Yi turns up amongst the crowd at this point. Ai Li Si sees him and moves to introduce him as the special best friend who helped her with the event. She tells the crowd that without him, this event would not have come about. This introduction has He Hao Yi dramatically say in front of everyone that he isn’t her best friend.
It shocks Ai Li Si. As he walks up there and repeats his words about not being her best friend, Ai Li Si is ready to turn around and walk off stage, but is surprised to hear his reason for saying that is because he doesn’t want to let go of her hand because he want them to date.
Ai Li Si is taken outside by He Hao Yi. There, he finally tells her that he likes her. He’s liked her since thirteen years ago, just that back then she didn’t have the courage to tell her. Even now, up until this point, he avoided confessing to her because he felt it unfair to confess when she lost her memory. But, he can’t make the same mistake twice. He cups her face in his palms, looks directly at Ai Li Si. He tells her it’s a confession he’s owed her for 13 years, and that there is no other interpretation so don’t misunderstand anymore. He Hao Yi then leans his forehead to hers upon feeling the heat from Ai Li Si’s to quite warm. The action has Ai Li Si make the excuse of needing to buy drinks for everyone before running off.
He Hao Yi looks disappointed, but he quickly expresses a smile. It must be quite shocking for a 17-year-old girl he reasons. Take it slowly, he tells himself.
Walking along the footpath, Song Han Ming is contemplative after witnessing the developments between Ai Li Si and He Hao Yi. He had promised Ai Li Si not to mention the past, but now, he’s thinking, should he continue to keep her secret as she wants? Bai Shu Lei interrupts his thoughts and he is forced to follow her to the swimming pool to swim with her. He’s not interested though, as at the swimming pool, only she has changed into her swimming gear. She tells him that swimming allows her to clear her mind as when she swims, she only hears the water and her heartbeat, and the finish line is all she sees. Just before she dives into the water, she makes a guess about there being a problem between him and Ai Li Si. The fact that he’s yet to confess to Ai Li Si he likes her suggests He Hao Yi isn’t the issue. She finishes off with with telling him that she’ll find the sight of his mind being in such disarray bothersome. (Sounds like she’s worried about Song Han Ming. It might be a subtle way of telling him she likes him too!)
Song Han Ming’s mood seems to clear up at the celebrations He Hao Yi organised for Ai Li Si and their colleagues. He stands at the doorway and looks on at He Hao Yi tending to a hungry Ai Li Si. With Bai Shu Lei joining him by the doorway, Song Han Ming makes a comment about they all spent their youth like fools. Never leaving his focus on Ai Li Si and He Hao Yi, he expresses that back then, they were all attracted to beautiful appearances—the more beautiful, the more attracted they were—without ever thinking what lies behind it: does a wound lie behind it or a shadow. Bai Shu Lei thinks it’s a criticism on her having only beauty and no good points. Song Han Ming doesn’t confirm or deny, but he does tell her that she was a beautiful high school memory. (These words from Song Han Ming’s was sort of confusing to us. It’s hard to tell if it is what Bai Shu Lei thinks or there’s something more to his words than what it seems.)
Song Han Ming then goes on to confidently assure Bai Shu Lei that were Ai Li Si to regain her memories, Ai Li Si would not be with He Hao Yi. This has Bai Shu Lei offer her opinion on his chances of being together with Ai Li Si—those chances being zero. Her comment doesn’t seem to affect Song Han Ming as it’s brushed off with a gaze towards her and a “what can I do?”
Head over to the celebrations, He Hao Yi’s assistant, Lin Jun Xiong, is encouraging his boss to have a dance with Ai Li Si to celebrate their new relationship. It takes a couple of moments, but both He Hao Yi and Ai Li Si eventually succumb to the pressures of everyone encouraging them to stand up and dance. Almost like back on the night of the camp, the two surrounded by onlookers, He Hao Yi waits for Ai Li Si to take his hand. Ai Li Si extends to take his hand, but then fragments of that night at camp flashes before her. She pulls her hand back and runs off.
He Hao Yi chases her up the stairs and out onto the balcony. There, Ai Li Si tells him that she’s not able to be together with him. She tells him it’s not because she doesn’t like him, she has fears and isn’t confident in making that decision to be with him. She knows the kind of feelings she has for him is special, but she doesn’t know what these feelings are. She wants to get close to him, but she doubts him sometimes: she worries he’ll suddenly ignore her (sounds like the subconscious feelings of the 30-year-old Ai Li Si). She also worries there might a significant other out there who she’s forgotten.
Seemingly at the end of the road with what else he can do, He Hao Yi asks her if this was her definite answer. Ai Li Si remains silent, head down and not meeting his gaze. Seeing this is the case, He Hao Yi makes the decision to stop chasing after her. He tells her that ever since he met her, he’s been chasing after her, never given a chance to catch up. One hesitation, she disappears; miss a beat, she forgets him. He finishes off by assuring her that she will no longer need to run because he won’t chase after her anymore. He’s tired of chasing. But until they find out who the traitor is, he requests she let him continue to protect her.
The relationship between He Hao Yi and Ai Li Si is once again back to the way it started at the beginning of the episode with He Hao Yi and Ai Li Si not going to work together or come home together. As he had said he would like to do, he has Lin Jun Xiong watch over her and take her home after work the next day.
Ai Li Si doesn’t let Lin Jun Xiong carry out the task, though, and insists she walk home from work herself. As he walks at a distance behind her, Ai Li Si debates with herself over her own feelings and whether to just go ahead and accept He Hao Yi’s feelings, because there’s no use in being so confused and sad over it. The rain then comes pouring down and she is forced to run and take off.
This whole time, after He Hao Yi received a call from his assistant that he couldn’t managed to carry out his task of taking Ai Li Si home, he took it upon himself to trail her yet again to watch over her. He doesn’t make himself known to her, not even when the rain comes pouring down. It appears he doesn’t offer (or didn’t manage to catch up to offer) her a ride home either as they both come home separately with He Hao Yi arriving seconds after she does.
Ai Li Si sits herself down against a wall partition when she arrives home, appearing tired. He Hao Yi intended to sneak past her after having second thoughts about checking up on her. But then he hears a thump behind him. Ai Li Si’s collapsed to the ground. She’s caught a fever from the rain.
Immediately, he goes to her. He sets her down on her bed and dries her off and cool her down with a damp towel. He Hao Yi goes off to change himself before returning to care for her again later I the evening. His return has her mumble about wanting to read manga. The uttering has He Hao Yi smirk at her and move to poke at her forehead, but he stops himself and gets up to leave.
Ai Li Si grabs hold of his wrist and begs Xiao Fen, Lei Lei and him—Ah Di—not to leave. Hearing the desperate tone of her plea, he wraps both hands around the hand she used to grab his. As he sits back down, Ai Li Si’s eyes open slightly. Through her half-lidded eyes, she sees He Hao Yi tell her he won’t leave and that he will stay to accompany her.
The next morning, Ai Li Si, all well again, is out walking and talking to herself, seemingly scolding herself for needing him (we’re assuming He Hao Yi) to praise her. As she walks, she is caught by a bunch of colourful balloons being let go into the air. After watching them fly off into the atmosphere, she spots He Hao Yi, who only a moment ago was also watching the balloons fly off. She calls for him, but he doesn’t hear. Ai Li Si is forced to chase after him as he suddenly takes off after looking at the time. She manages to stop him a short distance after crossing the road, at which point she shouts to him that she finally remembers the person she liked when she was 17.
Thoughts
It’s He Hao Yi, right? The person Ai Li Si liked when she was 17. If it isn’t, chasing after him and then shouting across to him so happily would be like a stab in the heart for He Hao Yi.
This episode was another really nice one. Even though there was a lot of back and forth with He Hao Yi and Ai Li Si—the way the episode started off with He Hao Yi distancing himself, then moving closer then distancing himself again—it all lent a hand to natural development and progression.
We love how Ai Li Si recorded her view on the situation for He Hao Yi to allow him to see where the misunderstanding lies between them. Ai Li Si genuinely saw him as one of her best friends. She had no idea the actions she used amongst her best friends that are girls had a different meaning when used amongst best friends that are guys. But, it does make us think maybe she’s a little selective in what she picks up and doesn’t. It was Bai Shu Lei who got Ai Li Si to see that her actions were received differently by guys and girls. Bai Shu Lei also mentioned that her actions that are considered natural at 17 aren’t at 30 as well as bringing up the fact she never dated before. Clearly she dismissed these two comments, but, isn’t it natural to wonder why such topics would come up in the conversation? Maybe she ignored that comment because it just never crossed her mind that He Hao Yi would have those kinds of feelings towards her.
There’s still very little allowing us to predict what might have happened in the past. Song Han Ming seems to be very sure Ai Li Si won’t choose to be together with He Hao Yi. Nothing new. Bai Shu Lei’s comment about there being a barrier between Song Han Ming and Ai Li Si, and that flashback of Ai Li Si saving Song Han Ming from Chen Qi Tai and his gang, might be linked. Wonder what it is. We’re hoping for a strong story behind all the mystery surrounding Ai Li Si’s past.
It shouldn’t be any other way. So far we like the writing. It’s not the kind of drama that has us on the edge of our seats, but we love watching the characters and their reactions. They’re quite rational, calm. There’s no sulky, dramatic characters who are either this or that. He Hao Yi for example, he gets rejected, he’s sick and tired of the chasing, but he doesn’t disappear and give up on Ai Li Si. He still watches over her. Although that may be, he’s not perfect guy who pushes aside the hurt and picks her up from the rain.
Bai Shu Lei’s quite different from other characters, too. She feels betrayed, gets angry, but she can separate personal matters from work. She has the ability to not be blinded by her problems with her. That scene at the start of the episode, she was able to give credit where it’s due for Ai Li Si’s proposal. Bai Shu Lei pulling her aside, we like to think she was being helpful without coming off as being helpful.
Song Han Ming, he is being used very well as second lead. We can’t tell if he’s going to be much of a love rival for He Hao Yi, but we like how he’s being chased after by Bai Shu Lei. We really hope there will be some brief mention of Song Han Ming and Bai Shu Lei. We know it’s not about them, but still we hope to see at least one scene of what happened in the past between them. They seem to be getting closer. The fact that Song Han Ming doesn’t seem to bothered by Bai Shu Lei’s comments about how he couldn’t never be together with Ai Li Si suggest that there probably isn’t going to be much competition for He Hao Yi. Not that we mind. Song Han Ming has developed so well, he can stand on his own without needing to play that role to be interesting!
Another cool episode this week. We love every scene, but probably our favourite would be the one where He Hao Yi is sitting across the imaginary Ai Li Si as he listens to her recording. It was kind of sad hearing Ai Li Si think she was a bother to He Hao Yi when in fact is quite the opposite. We really like watching Nikki Hsieh perform this scene. Lego Li’s expressions were great, too. Can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s gotta be the calm before the storm, right? Or maybe there will be no storm and it’s redemption for He Hao Yi when he catches the traitor(s) and they reveal themselves. In this episode, He Hao Yi proved that the CEO’s assistant, Jimmy, was the one who attacked Ai Li Si.
All He Hao Yi’s efforts surely will earn him a place back in Ai Li Si’s heart, right? If there’s any doubt in the 30-year-old Ai Li Si, there’s still the recording the 17-year-old made. Were she to listen to it, she definitely will catch on to He Hao Yi’s feelings which he’s had for her since high school. There’s also her memories with him which he gained during this time, too. Should be a great watch no matter what happens we think.
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