Always Home – Zhai Xiaowen, Zhou Keyu, Yang Xizi, He Qiu

In the summer of 2007, due to her parents' job transfer, 17-year-old Chen Huan'er moved from her hometown, a small town called Sishui, to the big city of Tianhe. In the hospital family compound, Chen Huan'er curiously wandered around this unfamiliar environment. Suddenly, a bird was startled and flew overhead, leaving a lump of bird droppings on her hair.

Jing Qichi, who happened to be wearing a sports jersey, saw her frozen in place and couldn't help but look her over with curiosity. He took out a tissue and kindly said that they would be neighbors from now on. Just as Chen Huan'er was about to introduce herself, Jing Qichi, as if hearing something, ran off. Chen Huan'er transferred to Tianhe First High School, filled with anticipation for her new campus life.

However, before she could speak a single word of her prepared speech, the teacher interrupted her hurriedly. Since everyone had a tight study schedule, there was no time for her self-introduction. The class monitor asked where she had transferred from. When they heard the name "Sishui," no one had heard of it. Jing Qichi, who was sitting diagonally in front of her, suddenly spoke up: "It's the county on the far west side.

" Chen Huan'er couldn't help but look at him. As the class started, he stuffed headphones in his ears and lay down on the desk to make up missed work. During lunch break, Chen Huan'er was puzzled when she saw everyone take out their lunchboxes and start eating. She asked her desk mate, Qi Qi, and learned that the school didn’t have a cafeteria.

Qi Qi kindly took her out to buy lunch, and as they passed by, Jing Qichi, holding a basketball, asked Qi Qi to buy him a roujiamo (a type of sandwich). When Chen Huan'er found out that Jing Qichi was the sports committee member, she couldn't help but sarcastically comment on his "muscle-bound" physique.

Qi Qi, thinking Chen Huan'er was a top student and already expecting good results for the upcoming exam, was surprised to find out that both of them were at the bottom of the class—one was last, and the other was second to last. Jing Qichi, holding his test paper, bragged as he walked past them. The next moment, all three were called to the office.

However, the difference was that Jing Qichi was praised, while Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi were both scolded. After receiving her failing test paper, Chen Huan'er anxiously paced downstairs, finally deciding to pull out her trump card. After practicing a crying scene downstairs, she gathered the courage to enter the house, not noticing Jing Qichi and Song Cong’s surprised gazes from upstairs.

Chen Huan'er couldn't cry on cue, and her mother, Qian Lina, instantly saw through her poor acting and encouraged her. After dinner, Qian Lina took Chen Huan'er to visit her senior, Lin Yifan. There, Chen Huan'er met Jing Qichi again because he was Lin Yifan’s son. When Jing Liqiang, Lin Yifan's husband, came home and saw Chen Huan'er, he was surprised, saying they had known each other a long time ago, and now the kids were meeting again.

Qian Lina’s real purpose was to have Chen Huan'er learn from Jing Qichi, so she sent them to the kitchen to wash fruit. As they worked, Chen Huan'er cut the fruit while Jing Qichi ate piece after piece. Jing Qichi then told Chen Huan'er that starting tomorrow, she could walk with him and Song Cong, to which Qian Lina was naturally overjoyed.

The next morning, Chen Huan'er bounced out of bed and rushed downstairs, skipping over to Song Cong, where she received a stunned look from him. Chen Huan'er froze for a moment, then hurriedly greeted him in a quiet manner. Jing Qichi introduced them to each other and asked Song Cong to help tutor Chen Huan'er, saying she needed help getting out of last place.

The two of them ran ahead, playing around, while Song Cong ate the rice dumplings Chen Huan'er had brought. At the school gate, they ran into Qi Qi, who had attended the same middle school as Song Cong but wasn't very familiar with him. Qi Qi handed out some cookies her father had sent from abroad, and then Song Cong walked toward another building, heading to the international class.

During a public class, Chen Huan'er was called on to answer a question but caused an uproar with her pronunciation, making the entire class laugh. After school, Jing Qichi went to an internet café to play games and completely forgot about tutoring, leaving it to Song Cong. He even emphasized that Chen Huan'er wasn't good at studying. That day, Song Cong heard from others in the class about her pronunciation and that they were calling her a "country bumpkin.

" Despite this, Song Cong patiently helped her and encouraged her. The next day, Chen Huan'er accidentally took Song Cong’s notebook and rushed to the international department to find him. While there, she noticed how strange and distant the students in the international department were, and Song Cong seemed quite restrained as well. In the restroom, Chen Huan'er overheard two girls from Class 6 gossiping about her.

They not only mocked her with nicknames but also accused her of trying to get close to Jing Qichi and Song Cong. Chen Huan'er wiped her tears, and Jing Qichi suddenly appeared and chased the girls away. Acting tough, Chen Huan'er walked out but took their words to heart, distancing herself from Song Cong. Later, Qian Lina left a note saying she would be working late and asked Chen Huan'er to go to Song Cong's house for dinner.

However, Chen Huan'er lied and said she had already eaten. She then ran a few laps on the playground, and Jing Qichi, having finished his training, noticed her and immediately realized she was affected by the words of those girls.

Jing Qichi knew that Chen Huan'er hadn't had dinner, so he took her to a place. When Song Cong had dinner that evening, he was absent-minded and barely ate anything. Jing Qichi brought Chen Huan'er to their secret base, which had also become a place for her from that day onward. Song Cong packed some food for Chen Huan'er, and Jing Qichi, seeing she might feel awkward, gave her an easy way out.

Song Cong also brought a few more dishes and told her that if she ever found out that Qian Lina had to work late, she could come to their house for dinner. Everyone in the family compound knew each other, and it was completely normal to eat together. Life in the family compound was great. For instance, no matter what, she was never hungry.

When Qian Lina was in a hurry to go to work and hadn’t prepared breakfast, Song Cong would bring out the breakfast his mother made for her. Sometimes, it was food brought by Jing Qichi from Lin Yifan, but clearly, Lin Yifan’s cooking skills weren’t the best. As for the rice dumplings from Chen Huan'er’s family, they still hadn’t gained the approval of the residents.

Rumors about Chen Huan'er and Song Cong spread like wildfire, and even Qi Qi couldn’t help but ask about them. Chen Huan'er had made significant progress in this exam, and Qi Qi wanted to hear more about it. Chen Huan'er agreed eagerly. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi went to Song Cong’s house to have dinner today, and Hao Mei’s cooking was as popular as ever. Jing Qichi was always teasing Chen Huan'er, and before long, they were bickering playfully.

Their noisy exchange made everything lively, and during these moments, Song Cong would quietly watch them and smile. It wasn’t until Chen Huan'er went downstairs to pick up Qi Qi for tutoring that Jing Qichi finally calmed down, sitting obediently to the side, though he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from curving up. Hao Mei cut some oranges for them and then hurried out to play mahjong.

Coincidentally, Hao Mei, Qian Lina, Lin Yifan, and Li Tian’s mother gathered at the same table. Qi Qi was surprised, not knowing that their parents all knew each other. Jing Qichi, as if it were the most obvious thing, said, “Who in this compound doesn’t know each other?

”Qi Qi asked why they didn’t go to school with Li Tian, and Jing Qichi explained that Li Tian’s father was the head of the compound, so his mother always pushed him to be the best. Once the joke was over, Song Cong began the tutoring session, and Jing Qichi took the chance to lean in toward Qi Qi. After tutoring ended, Chen Huan'er walked Qi Qi downstairs but accidentally saw her get into her family's car.

Chen Huan'er knew that Qi Qi never walked to school; she just didn’t want to draw attention. Qi Qi, in fact, wanted to blend in more than anyone. She loved the atmosphere of the family compound. Growing up, she had always transferred schools with her parents and often spent time alone. At that moment, the two girls who longed to be loved became good friends.

Last time, Chen Huan'er had commented that Qi Qi's shampoo smelled nice, so Qi Qi had specially given her a bottle. Chen Huan'er was overjoyed. Li Tian scored first in the exam, and his mother decided to host a grand feast. Qian Lina invited Chen Huan'er to go with her the next day. Li Tian’s mother exuded an air of superiority, and Qian Lina urged Chen Huan'er to discuss study tips with Li Tian.

However, Li Tian had grown up in such an environment and was filled with hostility toward Chen Huan'er. Luckily, Song Cong arrived just in time and suggested that Chen Huan'er join him for more tutoring. Qi Qi’s mother found out she hadn’t gone to piano lessons and was very angry, planning to arrange for a tutor. Qi Qi hesitantly told everyone that she might not be able to come anymore.

Song Cong and Li Tian were both planning to study abroad, and Qi Qi had her future all figured out. Chen Huan'er felt envious; everyone else knew what they were doing after graduation, but she had no idea. Jing Qichi, using the excuse of taking Qi Qi to piano lessons, left behind a busy Chen Huan'er, who was tying her shoes. She tried to hide her disappointment, forcing a smile.

Song Cong was deeply affected by what Chen Huan'er had said that day. Was a life planned out like that really going to make her happy? Chen Huan'er returned home and found her father had come back. Qian Lina had made a large meal, and the three of them were happily eating together. During their walk, Chen Huan'er curiously asked her parents what their plans for her future were, but they didn’t have any particular plans.

They followed the philosophy of "health first, happiness first. " Meanwhile, Song Cong was on the court with Jing Qichi, watching him do what he loved, and silently made up his mind to ask the head teacher if he could switch classes.

Song Cong felt that Chen Huan'er was right. He wasn’t happy in the international class, but Jing Qichi noticed that Song Cong was particularly sensitive to Chen Huan’er’s words. Jing Liqiang found out that Jing Qichi had secretly gone out to play soccer at night, but didn’t oppose it. He thought soccer was just a hobby of his, but Jing Qichi was upset.

After all, they had put a lot of effort into finding him a coach, and now they were calling it a hobby. Song Cong’s homeroom teacher didn’t understand why he wanted to transfer to a regular class. After all, spots in the international class were hard to get, and many people fought for them, but it was unheard of for someone to want to leave. Song Cong won first place in a competition, and Qi Qi envied him.

In fact, Song Cong, the genius, was also a shining light for Qi Qi. She believed that one day, she would get a response too. When Song Cong returned home after class, his parents called him to sit down for a serious talk. Hao Mei had received a call from the homeroom teacher, saying that Song Cong wanted to transfer classes. Hao Mei was furious. Going to the international class and studying abroad was something they had planned long ago.

Now, out of the blue, Song Cong wanted to change classes, and Hao Mei couldn’t understand it. Song Hang carefully tried to speak up for Song Cong, but Hao Mei’s temper flared up instantly. Song Cong explained that their family wasn’t wealthy, and it wasn’t necessary to make things so hard just for him to go abroad. Besides, the domestic education system wasn’t bad.

If he stayed and studied here, he could still get into the best university and wouldn’t embarrass Hao Mei. Hao Mei, hearing this, was deeply disappointed. It wasn’t about saving face for her; it was because she had struggled so much in life and wanted Song Cong’s path to be smooth. Song Cong said that he didn’t like eating walnuts, and he just wanted to be like an ordinary person. In fact, he envied Jing Qichi.

He envied how Jing Qichi could joke with his classmates, go home on time after school, and participate in extracurricular activities. It wasn’t just a spur of the moment decision. Hao Mei cried sadly, believing that everything she did was for her son. Song Cong didn’t want to see his mother like this. Was she really any different from Li Tian’s mother?

Song Cong told Jing Qichi and Chen Huan’er that he wanted to transfer to a regular class and study medicine, although he hadn’t told his parents about wanting to study medicine yet. Jing Qichi was stunned. Hao Mei and Song Hang had never wanted Song Cong to study medicine. They didn’t want him to go through the hardships they had. However, Jing Qichi quickly accepted Song Cong’s idea, realizing that life is his own to live.

The more Song Cong argued with his parents, the harder it became to transfer classes. Jing Qichi arranged for Chen Huan’er to talk to Song Cong, while he himself went to chat with Song Hang. Jing Qichi thought he could persuade Song Hang, but instead, he was sent to shoot a video. Chen Huan’er went to Song Cong’s house to find him, and Song Cong helped her peel a crab, just like Hao Mei used to do for him.

Chen Huan’er expressed her support for Song Cong’s transfer, but gently advised him not to make things too difficult with his parents. During their conversation, Song Cong received a call from Lin Yifan and was very skilled at lying on Jing Qichi’s behalf. Lin Yifan strongly opposed Jing Qichi pursuing a professional career in sports, since becoming a professional athlete was tough, especially after he had been seriously injured before.

But Jing Qichi was determined to follow his dream, and Song Cong understood—he was the most clear-headed person in all of this. Chen Huan’er felt even more envious. They had cultivated their hobbies since childhood. Song Cong suggested that Chen Huan’er join an interest class, and in his heart, he also envied Chen Huan’er.

Hao Mei complained to Lin Yifan and Qian Lina in the hospital cafeteria, saying that Song Hang was always weak in his actions, while she had worked so hard raising Song Cong. Li Tian’s mother came in and mocked her, and Hao Mei immediately stated that she fully respected every child’s opinion. With Li Tian’s mother’s help, Hao Mei tacitly agreed to let Song Hang call the homeroom teacher and allowed Song Cong to transfer to a regular class.

Chen Huan’er went to the sports field to find Jing Qichi, and when she heard that Song Cong’s transfer had been successful, she was extremely happy. She also started to pay more attention to her own hobbies. Unknowingly, Chen Huan’er’s impression of Jing Qichi improved a lot. He wasn’t as carefree as he appeared.

Everyone has their firsts—the first time they decide to make a change, the first time they experience a crush, the first time they rebel against their parents, and the first time they understand their child. Parents know they cannot stop their children from taking the first steps toward their own lives, because their children are beginning to live their own lives. Song Cong officially transferred to Class 5 and became Jing Qichi’s deskmate.

The two of them sat behind Chen Huan’er and Qi Qi. The sports meet was coming soon, and Jing Qichi, as the sports committee member, went around begging everyone to sign up for events. He even clashed with the sports committee member from Class 6. To get Chen Huan’er to sign up for the 1500m run, Jing Qichi harassed her like a ghost.

Song Hang brought Jing Qichi’s report home, and Lin Yifan, upon seeing it, made up his mind to stop Jing Qichi from playing soccer. Chen Huan’er overheard Lin Yifan and the mothers talking about this, and she began to worry about him.

Jing Qichi really loved playing soccer, but if it weren’t for his father, he would’ve stopped playing after the injury during the selection. It was he who reignited his fighting spirit and convinced Lin Yifan to let him continue playing, with the condition that he couldn’t get injured again. So, Jing Qichi was always afraid of exposing his old injury.

Today, Jing Qichi and Jing Liqiang went out to play soccer for the whole day, and when they returned home in the evening, he feared that Lin Yifan would see through his disguise. However, he almost got caught when Lin Yifan noticed him spraying Yunnan Baiyao on his injury. Lin Yifan ordered that Jing Qichi couldn’t participate in any events in the upcoming sports meet. Jing Qichi immediately got anxious, begging Lin Yifan for a long time.

After all, there were no athletes in their class, and if he didn’t participate, wouldn’t that make things worse? Chen Huan'er happened to be standing by the window and saw this scene. Feeling soft-hearted, she told Jing Qichi that she would participate in the sports meet. Jing Qichi was so moved that the next day, he brought Chen Huan’er some handmade rice dumplings and then started giving her intensive training.

Qi Qi also signed up for the 800 meters this time. She originally wanted Song Cong to train with her, but he refused, saying he wasn’t participating in any events and would be reading a speech from the podium instead. Chen Huan'er ran for a long time with Jing Qichi and Song Cong, but her body wasn’t in the best shape, so she kept it a secret from Qian Lina.

During the sports meet, Jing Qichi secretly signed up for an event, and from the stands, Chen Huan'er felt nervous when she saw it. The next event was the women’s 1500 meters, and Song Cong cheered for her from the podium. Hearing the support from her class, Chen Huan'er felt less nervous. She pushed herself to the limit, wanting to challenge herself, and succeeded in finishing the race.

But after crossing the finish line, Chen Huan'er suddenly collapsed beside the track. Song Cong, who was closest to her, immediately ran to carry her to the infirmary. The doctor said it was just low blood sugar, but her body was indeed weak. Song Cong went to buy food for Chen Huan'er. When Qi Qi heard that her period had started, she hurried to the small shop to buy sanitary pads for her.

Song Cong, seeing that Qi Qi was also buying something, enthusiastically offered to help her pay, but Qi Qi repeatedly declined and could only pull the pads out from behind her. Song Cong’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. Jing Qichi also came to the infirmary to check on Chen Huan'er, bringing her the third-place medal she had earned, which meant their class had come in first! Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er were so excited they danced around.

Chen Huan'er wanted to go up to accept the award, so Jing Qichi pulled out her needle and the group ran toward the field together. A class from the neighboring school provoked them, and the usually aloof Qi Qi stood up to confront them. Even the classmates who had once mocked Chen Huan’er’s accent were now standing with her. After the competition, Chen Huan'er went with Song Cong and Jing Qichi to the hospital to meet their mothers in the cafeteria.

When Qian Lina saw the needle marks on Chen Huan’er’s arm, she immediately became anxious and asked if she had participated in the event. Both Song Cong and Jing Qichi noticed that Qian Lina was being overly worried about this. When Song Cong got home, he asked Hao Mei if Chen Huan'er had been sick before. Hao Mei didn’t want him to ask about it and repeatedly warned him not to bring it up in front of Qian Lina.

Song Cong, looking better after transferring to the new class, didn’t say much. However, her bottom line was still that he couldn’t study medicine. Chen Huan'er carefully examined the stitches on her head. She opened her computer and saw warm messages from everyone. Jing Qichi had also asked his parents about Chen Huan'er. Jing Liqiang said she had been sick before and advised him to take care of her more.

The next day, Song Cong prepared breakfast and sweets for Chen Huan’er, and Jing Qichi lightened the mood by joking with her. He knew that Chen Huan'er just wanted to live like an ordinary person. There was a class activity, so Qi Qi planned to invite a few people for milk tea after class and also discuss which books to choose.

Jing Qichi, wanting to get closer to Qi Qi, said he liked reading, but Song Cong bluntly called him out on it. Qi Qi invited Chen Huan’er to her house to choose books. Qi Qi lived in a luxurious apartment, had a piano, and a nanny who brought fruit. However, Qi Qi didn’t like playing the piano; she preferred the ukulele and dreamed of traveling with it.

In the end, Chen Huan’er decided to choose a book from her own collection, as it would represent herself. But her books were too ordinary, so she ended up taking a book called "Neuropsychology" from Qian Lina’s pile of medical books.

After staying up all night reading, Chen Huan'er was late coming downstairs the next day. She was holding her copy of "Neuropsychology" and decided to show Jing Qichi an example of what the "anchoring effect" looked like. The book drifting event also brought hope to the girls who had their own thoughts and feelings. They all hoped that the person they liked would pick their book, and Qi Qi felt the same way.

However, Jing Qichi was also quite eager to get the book Qi Qi had, so he secretly followed her as she picked her books, only to unexpectedly find that the class monitor, who had a crush on him, was following too. By mistake, the class monitor ended up with Song Cong's book, "The Catcher in the Rye", leaving Qi Qi very disappointed.

She spent the whole class observing the class monitor’s gaze towards the back row, which she mistakenly thought was directed at her. Jing Qichi, noticing Qi Qi constantly turning around, was extremely pleased. Song Cong didn’t even choose a book for the book drifting event because there was nothing he really wanted to read.

As the event was about to end, Jing Qichi ended up with Qi Qi’s book, so he specifically asked Song Cong to write a message in the front of it. While Qi Qi was helping Chen Huan’er pick out a book, she accidentally saw a note written by the class monitor in Song Cong's "The Catcher in the Rye", and she felt a pang of jealousy.

However, Chen Huan'er immediately recognized that the handwriting on Qi Qi’s book was Song Cong’s. Qi Qi smiled brightly when she heard this, and Jing Qichi, who had been watching from a distance, thought her smile was annoyingly smug. Only Chen Huan'er was completely confused by the situation. That day, Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi had to go meet Song Cong for extra lessons, and Qi Qi suggested joining them.

Jing Qichi bought chicken wings for Qi Qi, but since she had made great progress, she didn’t need them and shoved them into Chen Huan’er’s mouth instead. Jing Qichi’s exam scores were still at the bottom, but this time, there would be a parent-teacher meeting. During the meeting, the class teacher praised Song Cong for his consistent performance and Chen Huan’er for her rapid progress, which made Lin Yifan’s face very uncomfortable.

The teacher then called on Lin Yifan to say a few words, and Li Tian's mother immediately stood up to defend her. Before going home, Jing Qichi begged Chen Huan’er for help, saying that if she would just go to his house with him, his fate would be in her hands. Lin Yifan had already prepared to explode in anger, but Jing Qichi used Chen Huan’er as a shield, and Lin Yifan couldn’t do anything about it.

Chen Huan’er noticed that Jing Qichi had a good grasp of the material, but he left many questions unanswered. Jing Qichi, afraid she would report him, confessed that he didn’t want to perform better than Qi Qi in the exams and warned her not to tell anyone. Chen Huan’er nodded, but it felt like their relationships had suddenly become more complicated, and her heart felt heavier. Soon, it was time to choose tracks for their studies.

When they received the course selection form, Qi Qi planned to choose science and was about to ask Chen Huan’er to join her, but she found out that her mother had already signed her up for liberal arts with the class teacher, even threatening to send her abroad to study. Qi Qi was left with no choice but to accept it.

She later invited everyone to her house for a birthday celebration, but her mother insisted she change the day because she had extra lessons. Feeling down, Qi Qi messaged Chen Huan’er, saying her mother had forced her to choose liberal arts. The next day, Qi Qi saw Chen Huan’er laughing and talking with the class monitor, and she felt a pang of jealousy. When she asked about the birthday celebration, Qi Qi stubbornly said she wasn’t celebrating anymore.

However, after class, the monitor played a video with birthday wishes for Qi Qi from everyone, including Chen Huan’er, Song Cong, and Jing Qichi, along with classmates who usually didn’t talk to her much. Everyone was celebrating her birthday, and Qi Qi couldn’t help but shed tears. This was the most meaningful birthday she had ever had.

After school, Chen Huan’er, Song Cong, and Jing Qichi gave Qi Qi a gift: a ukulele. They hoped that Qi Qi would be able to do what she loved in the future. Qi Qi, holding the gift and cake, was deeply moved and choked up a little. As the class split was approaching, Qi Qi and Chen Huan’er hugged each other unwillingly. Qi Qi mustered the courage to hug Song Cong and say goodbye.

The video of the moment was edited by Jing Qichi, and only Chen Huan’er knew that Jing Qichi didn’t want Qi Qi to change classes. He even tried to convince her not to pretend that she hadn’t done well in exams after the class split.

Chen Huan’er sent Qi Qi some study abroad materials, but Qi Qi couldn’t go due to her mother’s arrangements, so she declined, although she felt a little jealous when she heard that Liao Xinyan was also going. In the end, Qi Qi did sign up. On the day of the study abroad trip, she got on the bus, but Chen Huan’er had already sat with Liao Xinyan, which made Qi Qi feel a little uncomfortable.

She ended up sitting in the back alone. When Liao Xinyan asked to borrow some floral water, Qi Qi awkwardly took it out and handed it over. When they were assigned rooms, Chen Huan’er and Liao Xinyan were assigned to the same room, while Qi Qi was assigned to a room by herself. Chen Huan’er was worried that Qi Qi would feel uncomfortable, so she insisted that Qi Qi stay with them, but Qi Qi reluctantly agreed.

Still, she felt uneasy. The three of them walked to their room, with Qi Qi and Liao Xinyan each pulling Chen Huan’er along in the middle. Seeing this, Song Cong immediately noticed something was off, realizing that the three of them seemed to have some small misunderstandings. During a rowing activity, both Qi Qi and Liao Xinyan wanted to team up with Chen Huan’er.

Chen Huan’er had to arrange it so that Qi Qi teamed up with Song Cong, Liao Xinyan with Jing Qichi, and she rowed alone. During the rowing, Chen Huan’er accidentally fell into the water. Everyone was extremely worried. When Qi Qi went to buy medicine for her, she refused to let Jing Qichi come along and scolded him for taking things too far.

When Qi Qi saw that Song Cong was going with her to buy the medicine, she keenly felt the shift in her feelings for him, which left her feeling uneasy. Chen Huan’er and Jing Qichi met on a bench in the park. Jing Qichi bought some oranges to apologize to Chen Huan’er, admitting that he had been too rash during the rowing, but Chen Huan’er didn’t take it to heart, and soon the two of them were happy again.

However, Song Cong, passing by with ginger tea, saw them laughing and playing around, and his heart broke for a moment. During that study abroad trip, almost everyone had something on their minds, but Chen Huan’er didn’t notice and was unaware of the changes in their relationships. When they returned home after the study abroad trip, Qi Qi was in a bad mood, and Jing Qichi was no longer happy. Song Cong remained as melancholic as always.

Unspoken crushes spread like sour green plums in everyone’s hearts. After the holiday, Jing Qichi became much colder towards Qi Qi. Chen Huan’er met with Qi Qi again, and although Qi Qi had moved to another building, their relationship remained as good as ever. In order to catch a few words with Qi Qi during break time, Chen Huan’er immediately rushed outside after class. The two of them only spoke briefly before reluctantly parting.

Though many things were more important than a brief meeting, Chen Huan’er wanted to prove that they hadn’t grown apart. This semester, there was an arts performance, and Liao Xinyan asked Jing Qichi to perform a trick with a soccer ball. Someone else volunteered to do a step aerobics routine. Under Jing Qichi’s encouragement, Song Cong and Chen Huan’er had no choice but to join in.

After some practice, they realized they had no talent for being soccer cheerleaders, so they stepped down and Chen Huan’er volunteered to help with the odd jobs. Qi Qi overheard Liao Xinyan telling Chen Huan’er to help her deliver some papers, and immediately got upset, feeling that Liao Xinyan was using Chen Huan’er for her own purposes.

She insisted that Chen Huan’er come with her to eat taro cakes, but Chen Huan’er chose to help Liao Xinyan, and Qi Qi stormed off angrily. Chen Huan’er’s desk partner moved to the liberal arts class, and she got a new desk partner, a short-haired girl wearing glasses. Chen Huan’er’s mind was filled with thoughts of her upcoming taro cake date with Qi Qi.

Qi Qi had told her she would be late after class, but Chen Huan’er, still full of excitement, said she would wait for her, unaware that the words were misleading. Chen Huan’er waited at the school gate for a long time but didn’t see Qi Qi. When Song Cong and Jing Qichi noticed she hadn’t returned, they immediately went out to look for her. When they found her looking lost, they finally relaxed.

But just as they turned around, the three of them ran into some local delinquents who asked for money. Chen Huan’er kicked one of them and quickly pulled the other two to run. After losing them, Song Cong went to buy medicine for Chen Huan’er, and Jing Qichi continued to play around with her, just as he always did. At that moment, Chen Huan’er tightly held onto Jing Qichi, though she wasn’t sure why. Once her phone was charged, she received a message from Qi Qi saying she wouldn’t be coming and had to rehearse with her classmates.

Qi Qi heard in class that Chen Huan'er, Jing Qichi, and Song Cong were robbed the night before, and immediately rushed to find them. At that moment, the three of them had just been scolded by Teacher Xu. After leaving the office, they were playfully returning to class, and Qi Qi happened to witness this scene. Her worry quickly turned into sadness and jealousy.

Chen Huan’er was upset by Qi Qi’s distancing and couldn’t help but ask her desk partner, Du Man, about it. However, Du Man’s response was cold; she was here to study for the entrance exams for Beijing University, not to make friends. Liao Xinyan came to ask Du Man for help with a step aerobics routine, but Du Man flatly refused, saying she hated performing in front of others.

Liao Xinyan almost lost her temper, and seeing this, Chen Huan’er encouraged Liao Xinyan to do it herself, successfully helping to diffuse the tension. Du Man then added that true friends wouldn’t distance themselves just because of class separation; there must be some other reason. The class came in second place, and Liao Xinyan treated everyone to milk tea at school.

Qi Qi saw the four of them happily walking toward the back door, which made her feel even more upset. Chen Huan'er texted Qi Qi, asking if she wanted to join them for milk tea, but Qi Qi still ignored her. When Qi Qi got home, she saw the fruits from the housekeeper and suddenly realized something.

She quickly grabbed her phone and called Chen Huan'er, but on the other end, Chen Huan'er was happily playing with Jing Qichi, with Liao Xinyan's voice in the background. Angered, Qi Qi became cold again. Chen Huan’er was determined to find out the reason for Qi Qi’s distancing, so during lunch, she took the initiative to talk to Qi Qi, asking if something had happened. However, Qi Qi drew a clear line, saying that they weren’t from the same world.

Chen Huan’er had many friends, but she would only have one true friend. Qi Qi felt possessive of their friendship and believed that she and Chen Huan'er could only be unique to each other. Qi Qi told Chen Huan'er not to look for her after class anymore, and if she couldn’t be her only friend, she would rather just remain desk mates.

Chen Huan’er ran back to class crying, holding back her sobs, and Du Man silently handed her a tissue. Chen Huan’er was in a bad mood, but Song Cong seemed to have accepted things more easily. He believed they would eventually leave Tianhe, and friends would always be temporary. Jing Qichi firmly believed that friends were for life.

Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi went to Song Cong’s house for tutoring, but they didn’t expect that Hao Mei was working overtime, so they ended up going to Jing Qichi’s house for dinner. There, they witnessed Li Tian being chased by his father for failing his exam. The group quickly stepped in to help Li Tian. Li Tian was called to Jing Qichi’s house for dinner, but he felt that they were mocking him for the situation.

While eating, Li Tian and Jing Qichi argued, eventually leaving angrily. Song Cong was used to it, knowing their relationship wasn’t bad, especially since they had grown up together. However, after Li Tian’s father became the dean, he had distanced himself due to various tutoring sessions. The class participated in a new activity: a field trip to learn farming. Everyone was excited as they set off, but it turned out they were just harvesting wild vegetables for geography class.

Chen Huan’er was very familiar with farming, as she often helped with farm work when she was younger. Song Cong quietly laughed beside her, and this scene was captured by Jing Qichi with his camera. Only he noticed something strange about Song Cong’s behavior. Du Man didn’t join the farming activity and instead spent her time memorizing vocabulary words. Song Cong dissected a chicken, and Chen Huan’er couldn’t resist showing everyone how to cook.

Their actions intrigued Jing Qichi and Liao Xinyan, who began gossiping. After lunch, Liao Xinyan organized a game of truth or dare. Song Cong kept running to the bathroom, and eventually, due to a stomachache, he went back to the dorm to rest. Chen Huan'er quickly went to the field to look for sweet potato roots, which could relieve stomach pain when soaked in water. Jing Qichi was determined to help, but Liao Xinyan was gossiping about their compatibility.

Jing Qichi went to Liao Xinyan’s dorm to get a hot water bottle for Song Cong, but Song Cong didn’t want Chen Huan’er to know about his stomachache and refused to let them come.

Chen Huan'er had been worried about Song Cong, and after learning that he was okay, she sighed in relief. Liao Xinyan, with her usual mysterious demeanor, did a tarot card reading for her, saying that she and Song Cong were destined to be a perfect match. She also unintentionally found out that the book wasn’t Jing Qichi's, but Song Cong’s.

Du Man was still sitting on the bed reading a book, and when Liao Xinyan and Chen Huan'er pulled her into their game, they had to quickly hide under the blanket when a teacher came in to check on them. Jing Qichi noticed that Song Cong had been acting strangely lately, especially today, when he seemed to be avoiding Chen Huan'er. Song Cong didn't speak, but he scolded Jing Qichi for always sharing everything with others.

Song Cong was talking with the teacher in the office, and Qi Qi, seeing this, ran out to ask about his health. It was raining heavily outside, and Qi Qi grabbed an umbrella, offering to walk him partway. The two walked side by side through the rain, a very picturesque scene. Qi Qi mentioned that their class would be holding a bonfire party, and she would be performing. She invited Song Cong to attend.

Jing Qichi happened to see them walking together and mistakenly thought that Song Cong was deliberately distancing himself from Chen Huan'er because he liked Qi Qi. At the bonfire party, Chen Huan'er, Jing Qichi, and Song Cong all attended. Qi Qi played a song on the ukulele that was a birthday song she had heard, explaining that it was a song her very important friend liked.

At first, Chen Huan'er had hoped that the song was for her, but to her surprise, Qi Qi began to sing the song that Song Cong listened to every day. In that moment, Chen Huan'er seemed to understand the awkward moments from before, as well as the reason behind Qi Qi's distance. After the performance, Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er quickly ran off, leaving Song Cong and Qi Qi alone. Qi Qi looked at Song Cong with shining eyes.

The song she had sung was his favorite, but Song Cong still kept his distance from her. Chen Huan'er sat alone on the bench, feeling lonely, and Jing Qichi came over with some snacks to comfort her, thinking she was upset because of Song Cong. Chen Huan'er quickly clarified that she and Song Cong were just good friends! Soon, the two of them were laughing and joking again.

Song Cong saw this and wanted to approach, but he was dragged back to the dorm by someone who was oblivious. The farming activity soon ended, and Jing Qichi took photos of everyone, capturing the emotions of the moment—a moment everyone wanted to preserve. After returning home, Song Cong messaged Chen Huan'er to ask if she wanted to have extra lessons.

To spare Qi Qi’s feelings, Chen Huan'er decided not to attend the tutoring for the time being, and Song Cong, as always, didn’t say much. After school that day, Jing Qichi was going to training and asked Chen Huan'er and Song Cong to walk together. Though walking home together after school was nothing special, it felt a little awkward when it was just the two of them.

So, Chen Huan'er took the initiative to avoid the awkwardness and went alone to eat taro cakes. The first Chinese New Year spent in Tianhe arrived as expected, but for Chen Huan'er, it was a bit bleak. Qian Lina had to work the next day, so she couldn’t take Chen Huan'er back to Sishui. The two of them just had a simple New Year's Eve dinner. Qian Lina’s back appeared downcast, and Chen Huan'er didn’t know how to comfort her.

When Hao Mei arrived, Qian Lina’s face brightened with a smile. Song Cong’s father had been in surgery all day and hadn’t returned, so Hao Mei invited Qian Lina to play mahjong at Lin Yifan's house. The adults began playing mahjong noisily, and Chen Huan'er felt awkward facing Song Cong since she had just rejected his invitation to hang out.

Jing Qichi, sensing the tension, suggested they all go out and said he wanted to show Chen Huan'er the traditional activities they did every year. However, Chen Huan'er’s distance from Song Cong made both of them uncomfortable. Jing Qichi busied himself by sitting between them and playing games while Song Cong messaged Chen Huan'er, asking if she was avoiding him. He didn’t understand what had happened.

Chen Huan'er didn’t know how to play games, so they changed the activity to setting off fireworks. Jing Qichi messaged Li Tian, who then stole a box of fireworks from his father's trunk and gave it to them, saying it was to repay a favor. Jing Qichi wanted to invite Li Tian to join them, but Li Tian declined and turned back toward home.

Today, Song Cong was especially excited, and Jing Qichi immediately noticed something was off, though Song Cong pretended to act nonchalant. Jing Qichi didn’t want Chen Huan'er and Song Cong to be at odds, though he didn’t understand girl issues. He believed that Chen Huan'er hadn’t done anything wrong, and she didn’t need to act a certain way just because she feared others’ opinions.

At the moment the fireworks exploded, Song Cong stood beside Chen Huan'er and shouted loudly, “We all have pure revolutionary friendship, and Chen Huan'er, don’t mess it up! ” Jing Qichi also joined in, and it was in that instant that Chen Huan'er had an epiphany.

Life in the second year of high school seemed calm on the surface, but beneath it, there were hidden struggles. The relationship between Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi still hadn’t reconciled, and those emotions that were hard to put into words were gradually buried by time. Jing Qichi borrowed Chen Huan'er's computer to check the admission scores for the sports university.

Both Song Cong and Chen Huan'er didn’t worry about getting into a good school, but Jing Qichi was truly concerned about not being able to pass the university entrance exam. Chen Huan'er envied Jing Qichi for knowing exactly what he wanted to do with his life, while she still felt uncertain. Jing Qichi jokingly suggested that Chen Huan'er could study pharmacy, but Qian Lina quickly chimed in, saying that medicine was tiring, and pharmacy wasn’t any different.

She advised that girls should choose an easier major. Feeling a bit down, Chen Huan'er went downstairs to walk around but saw Li Tian sitting unhappily at the bottom of the building. He had scored third in the recent exam, yet she could still hear the dissatisfaction in the voice of Dean Li from upstairs. Chen Huan'er bought some snacks and shared them with Li Tian. Li Tian, concerned about his pride, asked her not to talk about it.

Jing Qichi was curious about how Li Tian had scored the highest in the essay, while Chen Huan'er had only scored 29 points. Hao Mei brought Song Cong the college entrance exam materials, but Song Cong, who was determined to study medicine, found an excuse to slip away. Jing Qichi was in training as he was about to represent the school in a competition, getting closer to his dream.

To him, ideals were never out of reach—it was all about doing what you wanted to do. Chen Huan'er had always done well in chemistry, so Mr. Chen suggested she participate in a competition. He told her not to worry about having to win, just to go and enjoy the experience. Meanwhile, in chemistry class, Jing Qichi, who was being mischievous, was met with cold sarcasm from the teacher.

Li Tian participated in an English speech competition, something he’d always loved, but because it wouldn’t help with his college entrance exam, his parents had initially disapproved. Chen Huan'er felt they should help Li Tian. Jing Qichi and Song Cong went to find Li Tian and encouraged him to take part in the speech competition as a way to cover for him. At the same time, Chen Huan'er was preparing for the chemistry competition.

Du Man, who was also participating in the competition, seemed to be feeling unwell. Although Li Tian had been brought in last minute for the competition, he didn’t need to prepare and took the stage with great energy. Chen Huan'er helped Du Man, who gave her a bunch of snacks from the small shop at home. Later, Chen Huan'er went to Jing Qichi’s house and saw him, Song Cong, and Li Tian watching cartoons together.

Li Tian won first place in the English competition, but Dean Li still wasn’t satisfied. Chen Huan'er had already made up her mind that she would study pharmacy. Qian Lina didn’t agree and handed her a copy of "Compendium of Materia Medica" to read first. Chen Huan'er wasn’t sure if her dream was as ideal as others’ dreams, but it gave her an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.

That day, the coach of the youth training team for Jing Qichi’s competition came to watch, and before leaving, he gave Jing Qichi the competition tickets, hoping to persuade Lin Yifan. However, things didn’t go as planned—Jing Qichi got injured during the competition. Song Cong and Chen Huan'er rushed him to the hospital and learned that his recovery would take at least a few months.

Lin Yifan and Jing Liqiang told them to go home and rest, but after they left, a heated argument broke out between them due to Jing Qichi’s injury. Qian Lina said that although Jing Qichi’s injury was easy to recover from, it was also easy to get re-injured, and it was uncertain if he would ever fully recover. Chen Huan'er was deeply worried about Jing Qichi. For someone who loved football so passionately, an injury like this meant that his dream could shatter into pieces.

The coach told Lin Yifan that the reason Jing Qichi got injured was because he wanted so badly to stand out in this competition. The school team didn’t have a professional training system, so he had to train on his own, which led to constant injuries. The coach hoped that Lin Yifan would reconsider letting Jing Qichi pursue a career in football, as several teams had already shown interest in developing him.

Chen Huan'er brought some bone soup to the hospital to visit Jing Qichi. The once energetic Jing Qichi now looked somewhat dull. Qian Lina took Chen Huan'er to visit Lin Yifan, and Hao Mei came along as well. Lin Yifan wanted to give Jing Qichi a year off from school to allow him some time to recover. Chen Huan'er quickly spoke up, saying that she and Song Cong could tutor him after school.

After class, Chen Huan'er and Song Cong rushed to Jing Qichi’s hospital room, bringing books to help him catch up on his studies. Jing Qichi was disheartened, feeling like life had lost its meaning. After some time, it was finally the day for Jing Qichi to be discharged from the hospital. Chen Huan'er and Song Cong came to pick him up together. Chen Huan'er gave him a gift—tickets for the football league finals, which she had managed to get.

Jing Qichi had hoped that Lin Yifan would accompany him to the match, but Lin Yifan still didn’t support him. Jing Qichi began daily rehabilitation. When Chen Huan'er visited him, she saw the pain on his face and became worried. Jing Qichi realized that this situation wasn’t as simple as he had imagined. His body seemed to be out of his control. He started wondering if he should give up.

His parents had their own careers, and he didn’t want them to worry about him all the time. Jing Qichi, feeling helpless, asked Chen Huan'er and Song Cong not to visit anymore. He was focused solely on rehabilitation and didn’t want to distract them from their studies.

Chen Huan'er understood that Jing Qichi didn’t want them to see him in a vulnerable state because the pain from the rehabilitation and the words from the doctor kept reminding him of the harsh reality he had to face. To encourage him, Chen Huan'er researched every day, wanting to show Jing Qichi that it wasn’t too late to start over. Jing Qichi returned to school, still using crutches and walking with some difficulty.

Chen Huan'er specifically went to the school gate to pick him up. She shared with him evidence of football stars who had recovered from injuries, telling him that he could start fresh. Jing Qichi called out her name, and no matter how much time had passed, he would always remember that morning. Jing Qichi didn’t even know when he had fallen in love with football; it seemed that ever since he had memories, he had always loved playing.

After watching a football match with Jing Liqiang, Lin Yifan came to pick him up. Lin Yifan chose to support Jing Qichi’s dream, telling him that from now on, he could make his own decisions. Once Jing Qichi recovered, she would take him to visit the coach’s house. When Jing Liqiang was on a business trip, Jing Qichi found the match ticket that had fallen from Lin Yifan.

It turned out that Chen Huan'er had also given the ticket to Lin Yifan, but she had to attend a meeting that day, so she could only go after the meeting. Jing Qichi asked Chen Huan'er where she had gotten the ticket, and she truthfully answered that she had gotten it from the coach. Song Cong was called to a competition, so Chen Huan'er volunteered to ride her bike and take Jing Qichi to school.

After many days of rehabilitation, Jing Qichi’s injury finally healed. He would be able to attend the special training selection the next day and could once again race and joke around with Chen Huan'er. Seeing this, Song Cong couldn’t help but feel a little heartache. Song Cong went to a bookstore to buy some books, and as he was paying, Qi Qi helped him cover the cost.

Speaking of the past, Qi Qi admitted that she had been too stubborn, and Song Cong was the same. Qi Qi’s writing was good because she could express emotions that she couldn’t otherwise put into words. Qi Qi finally said, “I like you,” but her voice was drowned out by the noise around them, and Song Cong didn’t hear it. Qi Qi felt at peace with herself after that.

Chen Huan'er accompanied Jing Qichi to the special training selection and gave him the red string she had worn since childhood, wishing for his safety and success.