Notable Actors/Actresses
Li Ting Ting: Fang Xue
Yao Chi: Wei Lai
Director:
Scriptwriter:
Producer:
放學別走
Network: Youku
Recap Grade: A
First Impression: 3.5/5
First Impression: 3.5/5
Mini Recaps
Fang Xue accidentally bombs the men’s washroom. Disgruntled, Director Lei will disband the class and their last chance is to score a certain class average. Fang Xue begs Wei Lai to transfer to their class to increase their average. Wei Lai pities her but declines her. Why risk his own future for her? But then he realizes he’s partly responsible for the explosion and that she also helped him out on another occasion. He transfers but he’s one person and there’s only so much he can do for the average. The class is dissolved. All the fourth years, including Wei Lai, are to leave. He doesn't blame Fang Xue. It was his own decision.
Yin Hao, a teacher, advocates for the students. Yes, some of them are troublemakers but is the school free of its responsibilities? Did the academy even give this class their uniforms when all the other kids have theirs? It is their responsibility as teachers to guide them. Yin Hao convinces Director Lei. The kids can stay and Yin Hao will be their homeroom teacher. I am loving teacher already.
Short intro to the other students:
Gu Shang: he's only here to get a high school diplomaChu Yan Fen (Fiona): a student who's passion is art and apparently that is weirdLi Er Bao: he's a fifth-year, later on in the drama he wants Fiona to call him Baby because that's what "Bao" means xD.Tang Tian Tian: she doesn't study well but does everything else well (eating, drinking, playing, etc).
[Ep2] Both Wei Lai and Fang Xue jump the fence to skip class. They're penalized but because Wei Lai is smart (i.e. good student) and Fang Xue is a bad student, their punishments are drastically different. Ah, okay so this drama’s goal is to raise my blood pressure. Drama, you did it. The stigma against “poor students” drive me up a wall D: Both good and bad students commit the same mistake and yet only the bad students are ever punished. The discrimination is so blatant! D: Fang Xue complains about the unfairness to Wei Lai.
Wei Lai: Unfairness is normal but that doesn't mean it's right. There are things you have to fight for yourself.
Those words resonate. In Fang Xue's public apology for climbing the fence and skipping class, she duly apologizes but she also criticizes the blatant discrimination between the “good” vs. the “bad” students. The students enthusiastically applaud for her. She still gets a punishment for this but it’s a lenient one. The school recognizes her cry for equality.
Fang Xue passes by the security office and catches the guards laughing at the video of her stuck on the fence. From the video, she learns Wei Lai hadn't actually ditched. He came back with a ladder but she had already gone. Aw. I like this detail.
Intro: I know I'm doing this backward, but I think these make better ending commentary for each episode. Just a heads up: some of these “Intros" will have a bit of my interpretation that's not explicit from the drama. The episode begins with a biology class on the topic of preys and predators with predators topping the food chain. Among the predators, there are distinctions and ranks. The strongest predators who are equipped with the highest knowledge and skill will hunt down their prey once they set their targets. The weaker predators can only feast on the leftovers. Occupying the lowest rank in the food chain are the preys. No matter how careful they are, they're always at risk of being hunted. Fang Xue shows us that no matter how weak or how low of a rank she is, she can still fight back. "Unfairness is normal but it doesn't mean it's right."
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| Lol @ their expressions when they're asked if they're dating |
[Ep3] Gu Shang and Fang Xue accidentally come across the exam questions before the exam. He steals it. She tries to stop him. Of course, they’re caught. I like the scene where once Fang Xue realizes the exam papers are the same as the stolen one, she asks for a different version along with Wei Lai. Now they have to retake the exam and get a certain mark otherwise they’re expelled. During the retake, other students (more like annoying Li Da Lai) accuse Gu Shang of cheating. Pissed off, Gu Shang takes Fang Xue out to the field to write their exam under the burning sun. Seeing the tenacity of the students, the Principal clears their pending expulsion. Fang Xue had fainted from heat stroke. Wei Lai was watching over her in the infirmary and tell her the happy news. He gives her drinks that I assume are good for heat strokes. He drinks it too which makes Fang Xue curious: why is he taking it? ‘Cause he’s feeling the heat in his heart (;
Intro: Students are so desperate to pass the exams, they rely on buying or stealing exam questions or even relying on godly trees to tell them their fate. The only (and unfortunate) way to excel in academics is to study – unless you are a genius.
[Ep4] Yin Hao is looking for a class president. Everyone thinks it's a hassle because as fourth years, their one goal is to study and get into university. Seeing the lukewarm responses, Fang Xue volunteers. "Teacher, I think you're righteous, so I'll support you." Aw. She has never been a class president but Yin Has has faith in her.
Fang Xue is quite serious about being the class president. She's also very thoughtful. She notices Cheng Jing's sleeves are dirty from pencil markings so Feng Xue asks her family if they can whip her some sleeve gloves for the class. Yin Hao was right to choose her! And what a nice family. Her mom sewed all of those gloves for her class. On a rainy day, Grandpa is here to give the gloves to Fang Xue. When she hands out the gloves to the class, though, everyone boos at the tackiness. Omg, Fang Xue's hair is still wet after receiving it from Grandpa! Imagine Grandpa coming all the way to school for this! D: Only her friends take them. She passes Wei Lai, assuming he wouldn't want one, but he does. He even immediately wears it. Aw! Such a small subtle romantic moment.
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| Li Da Lai; sometimes I call him The Trash |
The students are food poisoned and somehow it's Fang Xue's fault because she's fine. Li Da Lai leads the accusation against her. Someone needs to chuck this guy in the garbage. Idiots are always the loudest. Fang Xue bought the drinks with her own money for the class to cool down from the heat. She didn’t even get one for herself because there wasn’t enough! Li Dai Lai forces her to drink the smoothie to prove she's innocent. Wei Lai, who just woke up after he collapsed from food poisoning, defends her. If she wanted to poison them, then anyone who had the drinks would be sick but other classes are fine.
Yin Hao lectures Li Da Lai (and the class). Yin Hao had stood up for them but wonders if it was worth it when they treat their own classmates with such little respect. The Trash argues that all this is because Fang Xue is an incapable class president. Dude, when Yin Hao asked each and every one of them who wanted to be class president, they all refused, only Fang Xue volunteered. If they continue to be selfish then no matter what prestigious university they get into, they'll never earn anyone's respect. Li Da Lai shuts up.
Intro: Fang Xue dreams she's on a date with Wei Lai. She asks "What am I to you?" His answer is that he's her bubble tea, "that way I can hold you in the heart of my palms." They almost kiss. Methinks this is a foretelling dream that she will fall in love with him. The catalyst is the drink.
[Ep5] Yin Hao pairs up the bad students with the good students. As a result, Wei Lai and Fang Xue are desk-mates. Most of the good students (obviously including The Trash) are complaining. Yin Hao promises a prize for the pair who reach a cumulative score of 1100. Wei Lai wants a prize so he will help Fang Xue study. They meet up at a library. She’s late and fumbles forever. Wei Lai is slightly unnerved. When they take the bus to leave, he suddenly grabs her shoulder as if he’s hugging her. Actually, he’s hiding the school logo on his clothes from his parents who were driving by. His parents don't know he's retaking third year. Fang Xue takes the cue and pretends to be his fake girlfriend. Wei Lai thanks Fang Xue for helping and this is heard by Auntie (Wei Lai’s step mom). She will keep his secret too. It’s nice to see a nice stepmom-stepson relationship in dramas once in a while.
Then there are rumours in school that Fang Xue is Wei Lai’s girlfriend. Wei Lai’s lunatic fangirl bullies Fang Xue and dumps water over her in the washroom. The fangirl also insults her family for being in the funeral business. Fang Xue no longer wants to have any contact with Wei Lai and leaves a gap between their desks. Wei Lai is upset over another issue. Although he wants to win the prize, it annoys him how she always has an excuse to avoid studying. Fang Xue, who is already boiling inside and barely dry outside, makes a bet with him that she can raise her grades by 50 points without his help. If she doesn’t, she’ll wash everyone's clothes. The class makes their wagers. Wei Lai is the overwhelming favourite.
Wei Lai thinks Fang Xue likes him! How, you may ask. Three things led him to the conclusion: 1) she's arguing with him to get his attention (sometimes true for girls, lol. I concur); 2) she does her hair with a random clip to look prettier and 3) she's putting a distance between them to make him want her more (the push and pull technique). Fang Xue checks all of that and Wei Lai is a tad flustered. But! He actually rejects her because he’s focused on his academics. Haha. By the way, he never said he didn't like her. Fang Xue is left dazed wondering Did I confess?
The test is nearing and Fang Xue is freaking out. She even paid for a hocus-pocus therapy to get her marks up. It's obviously a scam. Cheng Jing tells her “If you want to prove you’re not dumb you can only prove it by succeeding.” And thus, Fang Xue properly studies.
In the next few days, Fang Xue finds notes in her pencil case, in her books, explaining key exam problems. She thanks Cheng Jing but it isn't from her. Fang Xue matches the handwriting to Wei Lai's. He helped her because he had regretted making the bet with her (technically she made the bet out of anger). She wins the bet! I love how he's just a plain nice guy. I don't think he likes her at the moment or realizes he likes her. He's just helping out a fellow student he respects.
[Ep6] Wei Lai is the laughing stock of the entire school because there was a broadcast of him making a thank you speech for an imaginary award that he was daydreaming about. Fang Xue apologizes to him because she’s the one who accidentally played it for the whole school to see and now everyone knows his dream is to become a paleontologist (Google says it is someone who studies ancient life with fossil evidence). For some reason that's a reason to make fun of him.
Later on he’s interviewed by some dimwit on why he chose such a dead career over finance. Wei Lai is obviously breaking down from this public humiliation where no one understands why he chose paleontology. Fang Xue, sitting in the audience, raises her hand to ask a question. “Ah, I forgot.” She "dumbly” admits. The tense atmosphere loosens, laughter reverberates in the auditorium. She saved Wei Lai from suffocating. I am in love with how subtle and emotionally loaded this scene is. Wei Lai needed that. His eyes are still fixated on her after she sits down. The way his shoulders move tells me he just remembered to breathe.
Wei Lai, Cheng Qing, Li Da Lai are among the top 5 in their class who can take the special tutorial class. However, in that class, there are kids who are more annoying than Li Da Lai!!! It’s now the third years who are insulting the fourth-years. Li Da Lai stands up for Wei Lai because they’re a team in this new group of carnivores. I appreciate Li Da Lai for doing this, but I still cannot respect this guy. There’s a PK between Wei Lai and Annoying Guy (3rd year) on who can solve a question faster. Wei Lai looks like he’s about to lose but thankfully, the electricity is out. The outage isn't an accident. Gu Shang turned it off. He was in a class too, monitored by this disgustingly condescending teacher who's just ridiculing them and not teaching them.
Wei Lai is rather troubled over his marks. Yin Hao knows there's more to his stress. He tells Wei Lai to watch him as he approaches random students to ask them the same question: Do you have a dream? There's not a student who answers it sincerely. Wei Lai smiles and understands. Yin Hao is telling him that he’s the spectacular one to have a dream at such a young age. Aw, teacher! Where were you in my life! Yin Hao encourages Wei Lai to accept the school's interview and explain his passion for paleontology.
Fang Xue watches Wei Lai's interview on the school broadcast. Wei Lai's inspiration for his dream comes from his late mother who is a paleontologist. To him, paleontology means forever. Every life that existed on earth has its value. Paleontology allows him to explore that. Tang Tian Tian watches with Fang Xue and catches the overflowing love Fang Xue has for Wei Lai.
Intro: I like how the episode started with Wei Lai resisting interviews to embracing them with the help of Yin Hao and also Fang Xue.
[Ep7] Just want to take a moment to appreciate the transition between the end of Ep6 to the beginning of Ep7.
The entire school is under surveillance, supposedly for their safety, but it's to the point where Tang Tian Tian's love letter can be clearly read by the security guard who's monitoring them. Now that's an invasion of privacy. Fang Xue begins a petition – only five or so people sign it. It's a failure.
Fang Xue makes a second attempt. She proposes to the class they can protest indirectly by refusing to wear their uniforms. Wei Lai shows his support and unzips his. The class follows suit. Everyone is hyped up except Tang Tian Tian. She's embarrassed. The more noise Fang Xue is making, the longer people will remember her embarrassing love letter. Still, for tomorrow, she walks in with the rest of the class in day clothes to show their stance against the cameras. Just when Director Lei punishes them, half the class ditch. The first to chicken out. by the way. was Li Da Lai. 🙄. The courageous ones who stayed are to run 20 laps. The entire school watches them and this actually motivates other classes to support Fang Xue. Fang Xue is elated but then Tang Tian Tian explodes. She hollers at Fang Xue if she had ever considered her feelings. The class who's supporting her is Wang Zi Qi's.
Fang Xue cancels the protest. She sits out in the rain all alone. Wei Lai gives her a shirt because it's chilly. She thanks him. He thinks it's for the shirt. She clarifies it's for his support. I like how easy it is for these two to say their sorrys and thank-yous.
Yin Hao is back! He's like Leave stuff like this to me, guys! He stands on the chair to uninstall the camera but when Teacher Lei barges in, he wobbles and falls. Yin Hao is to apologize to the entire school for damaging school equipment. Fortunately, the Principal recognizes the infringement of privacy and will limit camera usage for safety measures only. When Yin Hao is back in class, the students give him a standing ovation!
Yin Hao is also the sweetie to refuse Tang Tian Tian when she asked him to help her apologize to Fang Xue. He encourages her to apologize directly. The girls make up!
There is this other ongoing story that involves Qiao Mai. Back in Ep3, she had bought exam questions from a teacher (?). This was recorded by another male student who has been harassing ever since.
[Ep8] There's a parent-teacher interview. Wei Lai's stepmom attends the interview. She meets Fang Xue's dad who brought salted fish. The guard won't let him in because of the strong stench. Stepmom is gracious enough to let Dad put the fish in her car until the meeting is over. A nice stepmom! During the meeting, Yin Hao suggests the good students help the bad students. The parents of the bad students have a lot of complaints. I'm assuming the loudest parent is Li Da Lai's.
Li Da Lai is quite entertaining when he's not infuriating. He's in charge of informing the parents of their child's seat. For each parent he's got a different attitude and it's all based on the grades of his peers. For Gu Shang's mom, he's like you can sit wherever you want. For Cheng Jing's mom, he tells her exactly where her seat is, smiling and bowing and everything. For Li Er Bao's brother, his attitude changes appropriately once he knows which university the brother goes to.
Fang Xue is embarrassed by her dad during the interview. Wei Lai envies she has a father who's so caring
Wei Lai: I think uncle is a great person otherwise you wouldn't be so – Wei Lai can't finish his line! xD
Fang Xue laughs and finishes the sentence for him. She's like If you wanted to compliment me, you should have told me sooner. Later, Fang Xue returns to her dorm and notices her dad dropped by because her desk is tidied. There's not a speck of dust. Aw.
Gu Shang and Cheng Jing. Cheng Jing transferred (or quit?) because she was bullied at her previous school. There were rumours regarding her mother and her scar. Gu Shang was expelled from the same school because he punched the guy who continued to make fun of Cheng Jing. Cheng Jing never knew of it until now. She cries to him. Why didn't he tell her sooner? He thought bringing it up would only hurt her. Plus, he thought his actions were enough. Cheng Jing opens up to him. She tells him of her scar. It's a large burn mark (molten skin) on her arm. It's a scar to remind her that her father died because of saving her from the fire. D: Cheng Jing! It's a scar to tell you your father loves you and you should cherish your life!
Unrelated: Gu Shang says this line. "One or two words cannot explain it." It is impossible for me to not think of The Imperial Coroner when I hear this line. It doesn't help that there's also a "Wang Zi Qi" in this drama.
Opening segment: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" was creepy in the beginning. Toys were combusting. I wonder if it's to represent Cheng Jing's inner heart and how she opened up about her childhood...
[Ep9] Fang Xue helps Mei Mei realize his passion. He wants to dance for the school's talent show. Fang Xue recruits team members in Gu Shang and Li Er Bao. They are to dance a jazz routine. Pft. I’m not laughing at Mei Mei, it's just having Gu Shang and Li Er Bao as teammates... lol.
There's a problem: Hao Ren is no 好人 (hao-ren; good person), He bullies Mei Mei for being girly and he threatens Mei Mei with the contents of his diary which is related to Gu Shang. We’re led to believe Mei Mei likes Gu Shang but I’m thinking maybe he just admires him? Fang Xue asks Yin Hao if she can change seats with Hao Ren so that he can stop bullying Mei Mei. Yin Hao needs a reason but Fang Xue promised Mei Mei to keep it a secret. Feeling desperate, Fang Xue makes a confession during class that she can’t sit with Wei Lai anymore. He’s disrupting her studies. Yin Hao is intrigued how the smartest guy in class can impact her studies. Fang Xue gulps down her pride and admits she likes Wei Lai. Ha. How can a girl withstand the charms of this perfect guy? Pft.
Wei Lai drags Fang Xue to the lockers. He wants an explanation from her but then he rambles on that liking him is a normal thing. Lol. He promises her that if someone bullies her for liking him, he will protect her but what matters now is their studies. Oh, so he likes her "too". Got it!
Wei Lai's delusions are soon over. Mei Mei musters the courage to tell everyone that Fang Xue was only protecting him from Hao Ren. She doesn't like Wei Lai. Is Wei Lai looking a little disappointed? Also, Hao Ren is no longer in school. He's expelled for stealing money – Wei Lai was a victim.
Mei Mei and Co. audition for the talent show and, hey, they’re pretty good.
The next problem: Mom is here. She slaps Mei Mei.
[Ep10] Mom is against Mei Mei but that doesn’t stop him. Fang Xue motivates him too.
The next, next problem: Gu Shang twists his leg. It’s cute how Cheng Jing is anxious about him. Gu Shang notices that too.
Now who will fill in for Gu Shang? Fang Xue! But she’s stiffer than Li Er Bao. She asks all the other students if they're interested to substitute except Wei Lai. He’s disappointed, ha. The next morning, Mei Mei and Li Er Bao catch Wei Lai dreaming out loud and calling Fang Xue’s name. Li Er Bao gives Fang Xue insider information that if she asks Wei Lai, he will definitely say yes. Dubiously, she tries and as expected she’s rejected.
Cheng Jing quickly finishes lunch so that she can bring food to Gu Shang. He comments how the food is still warm. She must have ran here. Cheng Jing doesn’t deny it. They also talk about boxing and how if his leg wasn’t hurt, he would buy this month’s edition of the boxing magazine. At night, Cheng Jing sneaks out of school to buy it for him. Aw! She has a mandate for him: he can’t dance. She’s worried about his leg. But Gu Shang can’t just ditch his boys. Thus, the next day, Cheng Jing asks Wei Lai, “Don’t you care about Gu Shang at all?” Wei Lai is like Why do you care about Gu Shang? Well, anyway, Cheng Jing just gave Wei Lai the perfect excuse to substitute for Gu Shang without looking like he's doing it for Fang Xue.
But Houston, we still have a problem! Mom calls the school to forbid Wu Da Meng from participating in the talent show. Wu Da Meng is Mei Mei’s real name. 大猛 dameng means big and fierce which is the complete opposite of 妹妹 meimei which means little sister. Director Lei refuses to give them a spot for the talent show. Fang Xue is distressed. Wei Lai seeks her out and tells her he resonates with Mei Mei. They’re both passionate for something others don’t understand. Wei Lai also informs Fang Xue that there’s this team who may be willing to give up their slot. Fang Xue beams. They have a chance to perform!
It's finally the talent show and the boys dance. Mom is in the audience, clapping for Mei Mei. It was Fang Xue who invited Mom. The latter thanks the former for the chance to see her son shine on stage. Then during an interview, Mei Mei thanks his mother too. He knows she was protecting him. Now that he’s grown up, he will protect her.
Director Lei still penalizes the boys for performing without permission. They are to clean the auditorium. Only Fang Xue and Wei Lai stay behind. Technically only Wei Lai is cleaning. Fang Xue is distracted and reads off a banner: "Xiang Jiang High School is grateful to have you." Not knowing she's reading a banner, he thinks she's talking to him and he replies: "If not for you..."
Fang Xue: Hm?Wei Lai: If not for you I wouldn’t have danced (my entire life).
Our Wei Lai is a bit shy after saying that and ditches her when he's not done cleaning.
[Ep11] Fang Xue's dad gives her the wrong package. He was supposed to give her salted fish but left her "paper cars" instead. Li Da Lai goes and peeks at her stuff without her permission. What the heck??? Drama better make him stay for a fifth year. He scatters it on the floor for the rest of the students to ridicule her.
"Paper cars" are part of Chinese funeral rites. When a loved one passes away, family and friends will burn items to be used in the underworld. For example there will be paper cars, preferably Audi, Porsche, etc. No offence to Honda or Toyota, but people would want to give luxurious cars. There will also be paper houses, paper money of all sorts of currency (e.g. currency from the country where the loved one died, American bills because that's universal, and Chinese bills so they can buy stuff in China), paper cellphones, paper mahjong, anything. The goal is to let the loved one have a good life in the underworld that is a parallel world to the living world.
Now where was I? Yes so, Fang Xue is very embarrassed. Dad doesn't get it. It's a job he's proud of and he supported his family by doing this. Even Wei Lai laughed at her but that's because she called herself a pig in the middle of yelling at Li Da Lai. Wei Lai is very apologetic.
Later on, Fang Xue accompanies Dad to work where he's organizing a funeral for his client. Being on site, she realizes how valuable Dad's job is. Each culture will have their own rites and I have all the respect for those who do it for my culture. It's people like Fang Xue's dad who perform all these rites that I don't even know whether it may be effective in the underworld, but it gives immense comfort for the living that they've done the most they can for their loved ones.
At school there's an interview for Fang Xue and Wei Lai. It's broadcast on the PA system. She's asked about her miraculous academic improvement. She's just about to speak but the interviewer cuts her off and is like Oh it must all be Wei Lai's credit, right? Fang Xue gulps, smiles, and agrees. Honestly, the interviewer shoulda just asked for a solo with Wei Lai if she was going to ignore Fang Xue. Fang Xue takes off mid-interview. Wei Lai continues the interview on his own and recounts how his father used to support the family by doing housekeeping. Students would bully him for it. This is a message for Fang Xue to never change herself. He experienced the harassment too and look at where he is now. Fang Xue thanks Wei Lai with a Yakult drink.
Tang Tian Tian: She cries because she's once again the laughing stock for liking Wang Zi Qi. Oh, but he comforts her and thanks her for liking him. He's a good kid.
[Ep12] Fang Xue casually invites Wei Lai over for dinner at her place because her family wanted to thank him for her academic improvements. She was expecting him to decline but he's like Okay! Fang Xue regrets it almost immediately. Then we get Wei Lai's perspective and it has me grinning from ear to ear! He was in heaven the moment Fang Xue invited him but he kept his cool. Or so he thought. His chirpy "Okay!" was a dead giveaway. Days before the actual dinner, he was already planning on his outfit. He was a tad disheartened to know Cheng Jing and Gu Shang were invited and then elated again that they couldn't go. Then he kept drinking warm water to cure his cold before dinner. LOL. He couldn't even sleep properly! Then Fang Xue drops him from heaven. She lies that her sister has chickenpox. Dinner is cancelled. Hold up! Wei Lai latches on. When Fang Xue’s dad is here to visit, he casually tells dad about Fang Xue’s sister. Dad is like What sister? What chicken pox? Dinner is a go! Wei Lai smirks to himself (a delightfully evil smirk), "Your home. I am going for sure." After all, he is the one who raised her grades by over a hundred marks. Ha.
The bus battery dies (I think that's what it is) and all the passengers get off to push the bus. Then they all have to run to get on the bus. I'm in cultural shock, lol. Fang Xue trips. Wei Lai laughs. He finds her extra cute today even if she's dirty after falling on the ground.
It's not that Fang Xue doesn't like Wei Lai coming over. She had a feeling her parents (or her dad) would embarrass her. She's right but what she doesn't know is that Wei Lai appreciates all that her parents have done for him.
But then dinner gets really awkward and the crabs have gone bad and now mom is really crabby. And when you thought it couldn't get worse it gets worse. The parents fight right in front of Wei Lai and no one finishes dinner. While Wei Lai accompanies Dad, Fang Xue is with Mom. Although her parents argued, their love for each other is apparent. Wei Lai and Fang Xue can feel it.
They're finally going home! Fang Xue looks for her recorder but she forgot it was confiscated. She wants to record the sound of the ocean and wind to remember tonight. Wei Lai thanks her for this happy memory. He understands why Fang Xue is Fang Xue.
The next day, Fang Xue can't look Wei Lai straight in the eye. From Wei Lai's perspective, he thinks Fang Xue is upset because of her recorder. She's in love with you! And then his friend runs into the classroom in a frenzy. Wei Lai’s Dad has been contacting him ever since his phone was confiscated. Wei Lai dashes out to call his dad. This gives Fang Xue an idea. She asks Yin Hao for her prize (the one Yin Hao had promised the class if any pair scores a cumulative 1100 points).
In the next scene, Wei Lai who also asks for his prize. Guess what they asked for! Fang Xue has his phone and Wei Lai has her recorder. Aw! They used their prize on each other. Fang Xue asks him to meet at the back of the school. She’s got something for him and so does he.
Fang Xue in her thoughts: This is definitely one of the most important moments of my lifeWei Lai in his thoughts: I think this is also one of the most important moments of my life.
[Ep13] Fang Xue has a cold which is fine but it's 2009 and there's an H1N1 pandemic. Ahhh.....pandemics. Wei Lai gets his friend to buy all sorts of medication for colds but when he gives it to her, Fang Xue has another request for him. She wants him to sing. Wei Lai, our logical one, doesn't see any use in singing. They argue over this. She shuts the window on him, refusing to talk to him. The next day Wei Lai asks the broadcast team to play a song for Fang Xue. It's a love song! It's Kenji Wu's Poems For You (YouTube video; music starts at 1:40) released in 2008. The Chinese title 為你寫詩 translates to Writing a Poem For You.
At school, Wei Lai listens to Fang Xue's recorder. Fang Xue likes recording sounds because when she was younger, she had temporarily lost her hearing. From then on, if she hears anything she likes, she'll record it to cherish it. Hm, is that why she really wanted Wei Lai to sing for her? So she could cherish his voice. Wei Lai is going through the recordings and comes across his voice. He stops the tape player and rewinds to listen again. There's a smile on his face!
Fang Xue, who's at the hospital, is all better. She receives the homework Wei Lai dropped off when she was quarantined (it was the only way the school will permit him to visit her). Her parents tell Fang Xue that they haven't seen any student as worried as him. Fang Xue flips through the notebooks which are filled with his neat writing, and in between the pages, a note falls out. It's an apology letter for not singing when she asked. He had played it for her via the school's PA system but it was too late. He also thanks her for teaching him the warmth of friendship. There's more to the letter:
"From now on, I'll be with you, writing poems for you (song title), being still for you, doing the impossible for you (song lyrics). From your desk-mate, Wei Lai."
When Fang Xue returns to school, the PA system is playing the instrumental of Poems For You. Wei Lai had practically threatened Director Lei to change the music. He didn't know when Fang Xue was coming back. He just wanted to do everything he could. Fang Xue is in tears just listening to the instrumental. Her friends surround her outside the door. Then her eyes meet Wei Lai's. He's sitting at his seat. He pulls out her chair to welcome her back. I like how Fang Xue never cried until this moment.
Intro: The normal walk Fang Xue makes to school is something she'll never take for granted anymore.
[Ep14] Er Bao's brother died. Li Da Lai is being The Trash again, having no decency for a grieving student. Yin Hao shuts him up with this: If one doesn't have the basic comradeship then that person's entire life has no meaning. Yin Hao asks the class that once Er Bao returns, to treat him like normal. Fang Xue does just that. She calls out to him that he's late. Er Bao smiles.
Er Bao opens up to Fang Xue and Wei Lai. He always thought growing up was something far away. His voice cracks at the mention of his brother who was always ahead of him and now he's gone without saying goodbye. A month ago, he had even promised his brother he'd definitely make it to a university (it's his fifth year). Er Bao vows that no matter what mark he gets this year, he's not repeating again. Everyone already thinks he's a failure.
This episode also focuses on Fiona. I wasn't paying attention ^^". Oops. She's emailing "Kelly" and I don't really know what's happening.
[Ep15] Fang Xue wakes up from another romantic dream with Wei Lai. It's an ominous one because he chooses another girl. Guess what, a girl appears! She's Yan Zi Ning and she likes Wei Lai. She's here on a break from her university abroad. Wei Lai spells it out as clear as day to Fang Xue he doesn't care about Yan Zi Ning, but her beautiful presence still bothers Fang Xue.
Yan Zi Ning's good girl image is a farce. She's jealous of Fang Xue because of Wei Lai. She sabotages Fang Xue's application to a university. It's a second rate university majoring in Minor Languages (um, foreign languages?) – an opportunity Yin Hao had found for her since her grades probably wouldn't cut it for the better universities.
Fang Xue loses her chance to go to Beijing to apply for the university. However, Yan Zi Ning isn't much better. All her promotions for the school are taken down when Director Lei discovers she's working as a "sexy model" on a porn site (?). I wonder what happened to her. She was at the top of the grade in high school along with Wei Lai.
It's nice to see that Director Lei cares about Fang Xue and asks if Fang Xue failed the interview because of Yan Zi Ning. Fang Xue says it was her fault for her lack of preparation.
Wei Lai takes Fang Xue to the roof to cheer her up. She's got quite a few things bothering her: 1) she doesn't actually know if she wants to apply for Minor Languages, 2) she is (or was) jealous of Yan Zi Ning, and 3) she lost the chance which sucks after she prepared so much. He covers her eyes and when she opens them, she sees an ad "Being Myself, I Can." Fang Xue finally smiles. She needed that.
Intro: I think they're reenacting Romance in the Rain (2001). It's a classic.
[Ep16] Fang Xue gets a chance to go to Beijing! She didn't make the cut for the top three but someone in front of her dropped out. Wei Lai is headed to Beijing too. He is to write an exam for bonus points when he applies to Beijing University. He tells her he'll be travelling alone to Beijing – winkwink. Fang Xue doesn't get the hint that he wants to go with her. She'll be going with her parents. But Mom gets it! Once she hears Wei Lai is going alone, she makes Fang Xue go with him. And we get a cute train ride moment even when they're not sitting together half the time.
After they're done with their exams, they shop around. She buys a pair of necklaces and gives one to Wei Lai. Inside the necklace, she wrote him a note that he has yet to know. Then they meet a very happy gay couple who takes them around the city. It's not as romantic or as fun as they thought their trip to Beijing would be but it's certainly a memorable one. Wei Lai is happy doing anything with Fang Xue.
Fang Xue passes the test. She gets an early acceptance. She no longer needs to stay in school to take the final exams. There's a teary farewell between the girls. Fang Xue should be happy. But she can't even muster a smile.
Fang Xue is at home and receives a call from Wei Lai asking her if he needs to keep notes for her. He knows she doesn't like Minor Languages. That phone call gives Fang Xue the support she needs to confess to her parents that she wants to go back to school. She knows she's risking it but Minor Languages really isn't for her. Her parents are against it but Grandpa is all for it! I love the zoom out where Grandma comes into the picture. She was mentioned earlier but we never got to see her (not that I recall). She's just there, idle. It's not that special of a scene; it's just the subtlety that catches my eye.
Fang Xue returns to school. Wei Lai has all her notes prepared. She jokes that she's starting to regret. He smiles. It's too late. "You're going to have to stick to me for the next two months." To study. Of course.
Intro: They're singing the Beijing song with classically dubbed voices plus karaoke screen lyrics. I love how oddly fitting Gu Shang's voice was xD. Yin Hao's hair was hilarious too.
[Ep17] There's two birthday's coming up: Fang Xue (December 21) and Cheng Jing's (December 23). Cheng Jing's mom forgets her birthday. This isn't it. Her neighbours are calling her mother a slut. Cheng Jing confirms it as she follows her mother into a dance club.
Wei Lai prepares fireworks for Fang Xue's birthday. All he tells her is to look out the window at 12AM. to look out the window at 12am. Unfortunately, the fireworks are fake and don't actually work. Annoyed, he throws it to the ground.
The same night, Gu Shang has an early birthday event for Cheng Jing too. They're secretly in class watching a boxing match on TV. He leaves to fetch food but when he's back, there's a fire in the hallway. The classroom doors are locked and Cheng Jing is stuck inside. She's reminded of her father and tells Gu Shang to run away. However, Gu Shang won't leave without her. To comfort her, he takes out the string in his pants so that she can grab onto it. Fortunately, the ambulance arrives in time. They're both okay. They do need to be hospitalized with Gu Shang being a bit more severe.
Cheng Jing's mom is worried but she remains calm in front of her daughter. She compliments Cheng Jing for being strong. She knows she can trust her daughter which is why she worries less for Cheng Jing. However, when Mom leaves the room, she cries alone in the corridor. Aw... D: Later on Cheng Jing finally learns her mother is actually working as a janitor in the dance club. She was laid off from her previous job. Cheng Jing is in tears. She hugs her mother to ask her to come back home. The music in the background is a classic oldie "The Moon Represents My Heart". It's perfect for this scene.
Lastly in this episode: Wei Lai thinks he's the arsonist.
[Ep18] Mei Mei worriedly asks Cheng Jing about Gu Shang's injury. Hm. Okay. Mei Mei might actually like Gu Shang. I am pleasantly surprised to see a gay character in a modern Cdrama. This isn't even used as a BL to attract audiences. Cool! Wei Lai overhears Gu Shang's condition and feels an immense guilt. He confesses to Director Lei that he set the fire! The situation escalates. Not only is Wei Lai scorned in school, Director Lei calls his parents and now Dad knows. What's even more unfortunate is this: the fire had nothing to do with Wei Lai.
Wei Lai wants to run away before Dad is here. Fang Xue cries and asks him to stay. She thinks that once he leaves, she might never see him again. Plus, will running away really solve his problems? He'll still have to face his dad. Wei Lai softens up. He caresses her hair. He will stay.
Inserts Beethoven's Symphony No.5. Dad appears and bellows at Wei Lai in front of all the students. He wants an explanation. Wei Lai explains but before Wei Lai can say much, Dad has already punched him and dragged him out the door. Wei Lai is grounded. Dad is so furious, he somehow locks stepmom in the room too. Stepmom is bored and plays with the necklace on the table and notices there's a note in it. Wei Lai grabs the note and reads it in the washroom. It's from Fang Xue.
"In this long, long road, I believe we're friends. If there are expectations, I think it's better to not say it." I don't actually get this.
While Wei Lai is thinking of her, Fang Xue is crying and thinking of him too. The next morning, Wei Lai tries to escape from his house. He falls and breaks his leg. He can't move!
[Ep19] Teacher Scum (the annoying teacher) lectures the class for their lack of motivation. Li Da Lai rolls his eyes and complains their class has been through a lot. Teacher Scum calls on #39 to answer a question. Li Da Lai groans that it's Wei Lai, who's obviously the source of the class's misery. Wei Lai had fractured his leg. He'll be fine but he'll need rest and he's still grounded.
In contrast, our favourite teacher, Yin Hao organizes a class event to cheer them up: it's a rooftop trip where they scream anything at the top of their lungs to take all the stress off their chest.
Yin Hao: His girlfriend left him for a director (Huang) because he chose to be a teacher. He'll show them all and be Xiangjiang High School's best teacher, the best, best teacher. By the way, the director of this drama is Huang Yuan Da xD.Li Er Bao: He will and must get into university this yearTang Tian Tian: She wants to be a teacher just like Yin Hao and for Wang Zi Qi to wait for her.Mei Mei: "I want to be myself! I want this world to be a little different because of me." Aw!Qiao Mai: "My grades are fake" Woah. "I cheated. I bought the questions to get my grade! I hate studying, I hate exams." The pervert who's been harassing has pushed her to this breaking point. The class cheers her on for her courageous confession.Gu Shang: He sings a love song to, you guessed it, Cheng Jing His voice screeches but the class loves it and so does Cheng Jing. Look at Mei Mei's expression! He can't smile, aw.
Gu Shang is so loud, Director Lei comes running in like a chicken pecking around. The students scatter. Lol, Director Lei is funny too. But it's not so funny when Gu Shang is penalized. To keep Cheng Jing penalty-free, he tells Director Lei it's a one-sided love.
Teacher Scum calls on Qiao Mai to answer a question on the black board but it's just to ridicule her for cheating. That's it. That was her limit. She goes berserk and knocks down everything in the middle of class. Fang Xue chases after her but the scene outside shocks her. Qiao Mai punched into the glass window. Her hand is dripping from blood. Qiao Mai faints.
Our main couple isn't looking so good either. Wei Lai is going abroad. Fang Xue is at his house to drop off homework. She shouts to his window: "In my heart you are someone amazing. No matter if you're abroad or in Beijing, studying paleontology or finance you will still have a bright future (weilai). I'm leaving now. I'll miss you" I like how Drama saved Fang Xue's "rooftop" confession until this moment for Wei Lai. Wei Lai is on his balcony but his ears are plugged! What is he listening to? He's staring at the note Fang Xue wrote for him.
Intro: Qiao Mai's interview tells us she does get into university in her fifth year (: that's comforting to know – not that she got into university, but that she looks comfortable where she's at and university is no longer the end all be all.
[Ep20] Wei Lai insists on staying in the country. Dad is in such a rage, he faints. Then Stepmom tells him how his father had tried to commit suicide when they were in debt years ago. Wei Lai never knew. This is the catalyst. He decides to go abroad. He has one request, though, to return to school for his last few days. Fang Xue, who has yet to know, is emotional as Wei Lai walks in the door. He pats her head, assuring her he's staying. Ah, this is bittersweet.
Only Li Da Lai knows Wei Lai is leaving. While they're lining up for food, Li Da Lai asks the canteen lady to give Wei Lai more of his favourite meat. Aw, Li Da Lai is incredibly sweet here. Canteen Lady thinks he's a child protesting and ignores his cries. Li Da Lai shoves all his meat to Wei Lai who's at a loss for words. Then during class, Li Da Lai defends Wei Lai against Teacher Scum which is surprising because Li Dai Lai is usually a suckup.
Wei Lai asks Fang Xue to stay after class – it'll only take her 30 minutes. Fang Xue is busy, though.
Li Da Lai shouts: You will regret it!! Hahaha, but aw.
Although Wei Lai never treated Li Da Lai like a friend, Li Da Lai truly admires him. He's on the brink of tears (at least I think so) when he gives Wei Lai a heartfelt goodbye message. This "bromance" is unexpectedly good.
The third years are leaving too for their exams in Beijing. Wang Zi Qi is one of them. Tang Tian Tian wants to give him a farewell and that is why Fang Xue is busy. She's helping Tang Tian Tian fold stars and in each of them is a message. Wang Zi Qi is already on the bus. He reaches his hand out to receive the jar of stars from Tang Tian Tian. But it drops. It's over. Nope. There's Fang Xue. She picks up a star and runs after the bus. She pants as she yells out one of the hundreds of messages Tang Tian Tian wrote for him. Cheng Jing follows with another message. Then Li Er Bao. Then Wei Lai. Then Mei Mei. Then Gu Shang. Lastly, Tang Tian Tian waves goodbye, "Let's meet again." Wang Zi Qi is in tears and agrees to meet in Beijing.
Wei Lai and Fang Xue have cleaning duties. There's a chance for him to say goodbye, but he doesn't! They're done and she's about to leave. He only tells her he wants to stay in class a bit longer. He tells her "Goodbye". There's a few ways to say goodbye in Chinese. One of the ways has an added meaning of "Let's meet again" which is the Goodbye that Wei Lai uses. Fang Xue leaves but the more she thinks about it, the weirder his attitude was. She runs back to check on him, but he's already gone. The next morning, she finds a letter on his desk. Feeling ominous, she slips it in her desk. Li Da Lai walks in grumpy and annoyed at everything and anything.
Fang Xue finds time alone to read the letter. This is how she learns Wei Lai is gone.
Cheng Jing phones Wei Lai. She calls him a jerk. If he was going to leave, why leave in such a way? Why leave and make Fang Xue remember him? "Do you men think it's romantic? You men don't know anything" Ah, this is why she's mad at Gu Shang, heh, and she's taking it out on Wei Lai for doing the same thing.
Wei Lai is leaving abroad soon. Tonight is Stepmom's birthday. Their family never celebrates and especially not with a cake. Oh, Dad is softening up. He ordered cake! Being hospitalized made him realize what's important, eh. Stepmom is in tears. She nods at Wei Lai that this is his chance to ask his dad to listen.
Wei Lai is back! For good! Yes? I love my romance but I think it was Li Da Lai's expression that gave me the biggest grin.
Intro: Wei Lai's Dad tried to commit suicide with a birthday cake.
[Ep21] Gu Shang snoozes in class. He has a pilot dream – as in he dreamed he was a pilot and his dream is to be a pilot. Cheng Jing still isn't talking to him. Fang Xue becomes their messenger and continuously updates Cheng Jing on Gu Shang's application to the pilot academy. However, Gu Shang thinks he failed because of an obvious scar on his arm. Surgical scars make sense, but even really old ones that's from a fall or something?
Fang Xue discovers it’s Xue Hui who has been bullying Qiao Mai. Gu Shang takes matters into his own hands. He beats him up and publicly humiliates him, forcing him to admit all his sins on the roof for all the students to laugh at. After that, Yin Hao lectures Gu Shang that he should have waited for him. What would he do if this affected his pilot application? Gu Shang droops at that. He knows he has no hope. Yin Hao slams the acceptance envelope on the table. Gu Shang's speech on his passion for flying had moved the physician. While Yin Hao is still reprimanding him, Gu Shang bearhugs Yin Hao.
Fang Xue organizes an event to cheer up Qiao Mai. They release a bunch of balloons to the sky so that Qiao Mai can see it from her hospital room.
Unfortunately, Xue Hui is not just a creep but a psycho. He dug up rumours about Cheng Jing and her mother and posted it on the school bulletin board all to threaten Gu Shang. Xue Hui won’t stop there. He has pornographic pictures of Cheng Jing (which are photoshopped; Gu Shang can tell from one glance). Xue Hui baits Gu Shang to punch him because he’s one penalty from being expelled. What a cancer. The psychotic Xue Hui succeeds. Gu Shang is expelled. He can’t be a pilot anymore. His father kicks him so hard, Gu Shang’s knees buckle.
Cheng Jing is sad and so is Mei Mei. Mei Mei is even about to confess (!) but instead he thanks Gu Shang for carrying his luggage for him on the first day of school. Although trivial, it was important to Mei Mei. Because Gu Shang didn’t have preconceptions of Mei Mei? And also, this is Gu Shang’s second expulsion for the same reason: Cheng Jing.
As farewell for Gu Shang, the entire class flies paper airplanes for him. Everyone is there, except Cheng Jing. She’s crying alone in the dorm, forcing herself to study.
Guys, I can’t help it but comment on the excellent parallels this drama is drawing. Qiao Mei gets uplifting balloons for motivation and Gu Shang gets airplanes landing for his farewell. After an airplane lands, it will take off again. (: Gu Shang will take off.
The last chunk of written message: Xue Hui is expelled for his harassment of other students causing indelible trauma to the students' body and mind. He will also be legally charged for his crimes.
[Ep22] With the final exams less than a month away, Fang Xue doesn't have a major she wants to apply to. Wei Lai researches with her and finds one that's suitable: Sound/Audio Engineering. Her marks are good enough to apply. The obstacles are the music exams that she only has one month to prepare for. Fang Xue can't sing but she can play suona, a Chinese shawm. On the day of her exam, Wei Lai calls her to cheer her up. He tells her an embarrassing story of how he had to do a girly dance as a kid. Fang Xue laughs; she's less nervous. However, she's failing her exams. Other students are also laughing at her tacky suona. They even snatch it from her and accidentally drop it on the floor! SO RUDE. Wei Lai, who probably heard the sorrow in Fang Xue's voice, travels all the way to the city she's at to comfort her. It's a continuation from the phone call. He dances! And sings! Fang Xue isn't laughing at him. She's crying. She knows he's doing this for her. I really like how this is a contrast from the episode where Fang Xue asked him to sing when she had H1N1 but he refused because singing was useless to her health. This time he's not letting himself regret anything.
Fang Xue's exams continue the next day. Her suona skills are on exhibition, and guys, it was epic. Watch it! Timestamp: 31:00 min. She immerses herself in her own music that her surroundings even change to mountains and oceans. How grand her music is, is how much pent up stress she has had until this point. Everyone listening gives her a standing ovation. 👏👏👏
Also, Fang Xue's grandpa had a surgery but Fang Xue wasn't allowed to know because Chinese gaokao is that important. Everyone wants her to focus on her studies.
Gu Shang is drunk at a pub. Cheng Jing barges and yells at him. He wants her to mind her own business. Cheng Jing slaps him. This will be the last time she'll care about him.
Ending Credit: Some time in the future, both Gu Shang and Cheng Jing are interviewed. Gu Shang is asked if he regrets his fourth year. He doesn't. He also trained in the military for five years. It taught him perseverance. Cheng Jing is asked what her biggest reward in fourth year was. It's her friends and being able to meet someone who understands her. She wishes to go forward with this person.
[Ep23] The teachers have a meeting. Gaokao is in mere days. Director Lei cheers on Yin Hao to hang on and be strong. This is not the time for him to be emotional. He's missing his class already. Unfortunately, he missed the graduation picture (!!) because he went to buy exam material for the class. He hides his sadness but Fang Xue and Wei Lai can tell.
There's a small scene where Fang Xue asks the class for help with carrying the coke. Li Da Lai got up but he wasn't fast enough nor assertive enough and I found that so cute.
Gu Shang apologizes to Cheng Jing. He knows why she's angry. When confronted by Director Lei, she never admitted she was in the wrong but he did. He belittled her. He also tells her he doesn't regret fighting for her the first time or the second time. Lastly, he wishes her luck on the gaokao. Cheng Jing is smiling again
For the gaokao, students are dispersed to different schools to write the exam. Fang Xue examines the room for any wobbly tables, dysfunctional lights, etc. Fang Xue's sensitive ears pick up on the buzzing sound in the light. Yin Hao asks the supervisor if he can change the lighting. The dude is like Are you serious? Yes. Yin Hao is serious. Since the supervisor isn't cooperating, Yin Hao buys the fluorescent tube, bypasses the security guard like he's a robber just to change the light by himself. In the process, he falls and fractures his arm. Aw! Fang Xue belatedly learns this.
Gaokao is over. Fang Xu checks her marks with her family. I love how everyone is in red, the lucky colour. xD Oh, and Grandpa is okay! Fang Xue is accepted into media major, Wei Lai is in paleontology. Cheng Jing will specialize in automation. Mei Mei will be in Beijing too. Also, his mother approves of his dancing passion. Where is Li Er Bao? Our quartet gives Yin Hao a short farewell. Yin Hao can't help but be depressed. But our lovely students had a surprise for him. They recorded a CD. There's a message from Li Er Bao, Tang Tian Tian (who will be a teacher like him), Mei Mei, Cheng Jing, Li Da Lai, Wei La, and Fang Xue. To Fang Xue, Yin Hao is the first teacher who was ever so supportive of her. I love how Li Da Lai is trying to fit in from the back. Yin Hao is in tears. Best teacher ever!
Some romance. Wei Lai tells Fang Xue she'll have a lot of friends in university. She smiles and tells him she won't forget him. Plus they're nearby. He clarifies what he was trying to say: "After you go to university, you can't like someone else." Fang Xue smiles.
Some recognition for Director Lei: she may not be the nicest or the fairest but she will play the bad role to force her students to improve. She said this one line: "Teachers will always be standing in place while waves of students pass by." Oh, and the time until gaokao that appears after every episode has restarted to 365 days. Our fourth year class has graduated.
Intro: I LOVE how the intro graduation picture has EVERYONE. There's Yin Hao, Gu Shuang, and Qiao Mai. Look at Gu Shang and Mei Mei's position! It's like they're a couple!
Ending Interview: Fang Xue and Wei Lai are in the future and recalling their high school days.
- Fang Xue's. The realization that Wei Lai liked her came slowly. She knew he always helped her. When the entire class is yelling at her, he would defend her. Perhaps the time she thought he he liked her was when he asked her if she liked him, haha, I agree.
- Wei Lai's. Fang Xue is right! Wei Lai is asked if he could remember when he started liking Fang Xue. It might have been when he overheard Li Er Bao telling the other guys that Fang Xue likes him. At that time, he may have known he had feelings but he didn't want to confirm it.
[Ep24] Ten years later, it's 2020. Fang Xue wakes up from a nightmare (she's taking the gaokao again). The students – no longer students – have a high school gathering. Yin Hao was supposed to host the event but he's absent because he just had a surgery. Cheng Jing and Wei Lai are absent too because they're busy or abroad. I like how Gu Shang is massaging Li Da Lai's shoulders.
- Gu Shuang is an owner of a bar franchise. He's the richest of them all.
- Tang Tian Tian is a teacher working in the same school they all graduated from.
- Li Da Lai is in formal clothes but I don't what he's working as
- Fiona is involved in film
- Where is Li Er Bao!
The gathering is over.
Fiona shops around at a wedding boutique. She browses through the white dresses, but it's the suit that catches her attention. She reaches out to touch it and the salesperson is confused. Fiona steps back and leaves the store.
Mei Mei is a dance teacher. He's helping Fiona with her film project. When he sees her, he notices something is wrong. Fiona just tells him that she's tired. Mei Mei crouches down with her, meeting her at her level. I'm thinking Mei Mei and Fiona have a connection because they're both LGBTQ+. There were hints about Fiona from the messages she sent to Kelly and when Li Er Bao asked her who came up with her name and she said it was her friend, a female friend.
Cheng Jing and Gu Shang are married. They're so busy with work, they barely have time to see each other. Cheng Jing is rather competitive and desires to achieve more at work. She even considers secretly aborting their child for her career! Gu Shang (who doesn't know she's pregnant) questions why she needs to force herself to work like so. Is it because he's making more than her when she's the university graduate? What is Cheng Jing trying to prove?
Cheng Jing waits for her appointment. She's getting an abortion. Fang Xue quickly calls Gu Shang. He runs to the hospital but Cheng Jing is already heading out. Is it too late? She smiles and tells him she quit work. She admits she was working too hard. She needs some rest. She wants to go on a vacation with him. He hugs her. Phew.
Tang Tian Tian is awarded the best teacher of the school. However, she's deeply disturbed by how her school is treating the academically poor students. After a conversation with Yin Hao (who's recovering from surgery), she's motivated. During her acceptance award, she lectures the school for their discrimination. All the students cheer for her. So is she with Wang Zi Qi or not?
Last but not least, our engaged main couple: Fang Xue and Wei Lai. Fang Xue is sexually harassed at work. She calls Wei Lai but she doesn't want to disturb him when he's busy abroad. Hearing the desperation in her voice, he returns home early. He even refused to participate in his dream project. If he accepts it, he will have to leave for three whole years. Fang Xue is mad. She doesn't want to bear the responsibility of him giving up his dream for her. Wei Lai mirrors her emotions. She's giving him pressure too; he can tell she's upset with work; she's lost her passion and her thrive; he also knows he's neglecting her. With teary eyes, Fang Xue asks him if his solution is to sacrifice himself. Wei Lei turns silent.
Fang Xue is at school for a reunion with Yin Hao and the other students. They all take a picture together. She passes by a pair of students. The girl cries because she messed up on her exam. The guy promises that he'll visit her every week. Fang Xue has a small smile. Then she invites Wei Lai to the harbour, near her family's home. Fang Xue will go to Malawi for three years.
Fang Xue: Let's go our separate ways.Wei Lai: No matter where, towards you, I feel the same. Three years sounds pretty long.Fang Xue: The Earth is round. Even if we're taking our separate paths, we'll meet again. Fang Xue made this decision after seeing the two students parting ways. Did they give her up that separating is another beginning?
Wei Lai gives her a tight hug. He hopes that when they meet again, she will be the Fang Xue he knows.
The last chunk of text (roughly): "It is later that I know .... the top student won't always be first place. Gaokao is the starting point, the final point is decided by myself. The future is an open question. There is no right answer. Let us all walk our own path without stopping"
Introduction text: "Separation isn't the beginning of isolation. It has its continuation and it's beginning."
Ending credit: It's Fang Xue and Wei Lai's interview. Do we have hope??
Wei Lai is asked to choose between his career and Fang Xue. He hesitates. He thinks Fang Xue would never ask him such a hard question. She'd choose to support him and be with him. I'm thinking this interview is before the timeline of Ep24 and so his description of Fang Xue is spot on. The interviewer asks how he willbalance work and life with Fang Xue when he's always away. His answer is that he'll respect Fang Xue because he believes her decision will be the best for both of them. What if Fang Xue wants him to quit work? He will and then find another way to do what he loves. The interviewer calls him out for being greedy. He chuckles. When he was younger, he wasn't this greedy about friendship, and family. He just had one dream but it all changed when he met Fang Xue... voice fades away..... Is it telling us Wei Lai will be greedy and he'll achieve both? Yes? :D
The end!
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] The more I watch this, the more I like it. The muted tone of this high school drama adds to the nostalgic vibe. It has a unique focus: fourth years. Chinese high schools only have three years so anyone in the fourth year is repeating the year. Although there’s two main leads, each student in this cast has a pivotal story, making this very much an ensemble drama. I love how everyone's story is neatly braided in, intertwining with the rest of the story. Romance is subtle, it’s happening, it’s there; it’s just not poised as a problem. I especially love how the ML is genuinely a nice guy, not cocky, not broody, just very human and very considerate. Our FL might not be the smartest of the bunch but she’s righteous and rather selfless. She’s just plagued with a bad case of misfortune. I love how their misunderstandings are followed by quick apologies. They’re regular kids whose emotions make sense.
P.S. The students stand while having lunch... It's so that they finish lunch faster to study sooner. Crazy x_x
[Names & Title] Wei Lai (卫来) sounds like "Future" (未來) using the same 來 lai. It would be awkward to call him Lai without his surname because alone it means “Come”. He's Wei Come xD
Fang Xue 方学 sounds like After School using the exact same 学 xue which is also in the title of the drama: 放学別走. The Chinese and Engish titles have the same meaning (!): "Don’t Leave After School". Phonetically (in Chinese), it also sounds like "Fang Xue, Don’t Leave”.
[Actors/Actresses] I loved Li Ting Ting in Somewhere Only We Know. The romances in that drama had to go through much more obstacles than a standard fluffy romcom and I don’t think a lot of people liked it. I did. I went through all the highs and lows and the extra episodes. You may also recognize Zhang Zhang (actress for Tang Tian Tian) from the same drama.
[News] Yao Chi (actor for just graduated from university in Geosciences! I find that cute with how his character (Wei Lai) is studying to get into Paleontology.
[News] Yao Chi (actor for just graduated from university in Geosciences! I find that cute with how his character (Wei Lai) is studying to get into Paleontology.
[OSTs]
李婷婷(Lǐ Tíng Tíng) – 那时年少，我喜欢你 (When I Was Young, I Like You)
劉心 (Liu Xin) – 和你一起的七月 (July With You)
Sis – 有风吹过真好 (It's Nice That the Wind Blows)姚弛 (Yao Chi) – 夏日奇蹟 (Summer Miracle)
[Ending] I let this drama play until the very last second, hoping for something and the ending is still the same. Aargh. The happy news: Cheng Jing and Gu Shuang are together. Everything else is a little complicated – not that complicated isn't good.
Mei Mei and Fiona. I love how the Show portrayed them. They are LGBTQ+ characters in a high school drama that doesn't market itself as BL or SL (?) in a Chinese drama. Initially, I denied that Mei Mei could be gay 'cause, honestly, it's a Chinese drama and they're going to mask it has friendship anyway. And then the Show confirms it! The hints are overt. My favourite line from Mei Mei is this: "I wish the world will be a little different because of me." As for Fiona, from my interpretation, is LGBTQ+ as well. Unlike Mei Mei, who has embraced his sexuality by the end of the drama, Fiona is just coming to terms with it and she's struggling. The last scene of them together (Mei Mei crouching down with her) is Mei Mei empathizing with her.
Li Er Bao. There is no update on him. Did he get into university? If not, I still want to know!
Fang Xue and Wei Lai. They're bittersweet. Fang Xue and Wei Lai separate not because they don't love each other. It's because they love themselves and they love each other that they broke up. Finding themselves and their career are equally important to their love for each other. If they give up their career for each other, it'd be denying their values. During the ending credit, Wei Lai continuously asserts that he loves Fang Xue no matter where and no matter when. Although Fang Xue and Wei Lai decide to split, the ending messages of the drama are "A separation is another beginning." and "Your ending point can only be decided by you."
And so is this a bittersweet ending or a beginning with many more possibilities? The ending is decided by you.
[Review & Rating]
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