Always Home Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Always Home Synopsis

In the summer of 2007, sixteen-year-old Chen Huan'er moves from her small hometown, Sishui, to the big city of Tianhe due to her mother's job transfer. There, she meets the football-loving boy Jing Qichi and the "top student" Song Cong. With her optimistic and cheerful attitude, Chen Huan'er adapts to her new environment, while facing various challenges such as Song Cong transferring schools due to his mother's paralysis and Jing Qichi giving up his football dream because of an injury.

As they enter their senior year of high school, Jing Qichi falls into despair after his father dies in the line of duty, but Chen Huan'er encourages him with her own experience of overcoming illness. They are accepted into the same university, but a series of misunderstandings keeps them apart. After graduation, Chen Huan'er chooses to pursue a master's degree while Jing Qichi goes to work in Beijing. The two eventually transition from being friends to long-distance lovers. Later, Chen Huan'er returns to school to continue her research, and Jing Qichi moves back to the city where she lives. Finally, on the day of Chen Huan'er's PhD graduation, Jing Qichi successfully proposes.

Always Home Recap

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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.

Jing Qichi participated in the special training selection, and Chen Huan'er, Lin Yifan, and Jing Liqiang all came to cheer him on. Jing Qichi performed quite well and had planned to return the red string to Chen Huan'er, but she told him he could wait until he passed the preliminary selection before returning it. Although he made it through the preliminary selection, Jing Qichi’s mood wasn’t very good.

He felt that he had pushed himself to the limit today, but compared to the athletes from the sports school, he still wasn’t enough. The gap would only grow wider. Song Cong tried to console him, and Jing Qichi asked him not to tell Chen Huan'er because he didn’t want her to worry. By accident, Song Cong saw the red string from Chen Huan'er on Jing Qichi’s wrist and felt a little hurt.

At home, Song Cong asked Song Hang if there were any more advanced surgical methods that could help Jing Qichi recover to his previous condition, but the answer was clear—conservative treatment was the best option for Jing Qichi. The selection results were released, and Jing Qichi did not pass the initial selection. He returned the red string to Chen Huan'er, but the pain in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Qi Qi didn’t make it in the competition either, and her mother gave her a harsh lesson, just like she always did. During class, Song Cong was suddenly taken away. When he arrived at the hospital, he learned that Hao Mei had been involved in an altercation with a patient's family member during her shift. The family member had shoved Hao Mei, and she had hit her head on the hospital bed, causing her to fall into a coma.

Qian Lina took Chen Huan'er to the hospital to check on the situation. Song Cong and Song Hang were both feeling low, standing outside the operating room, waiting. Song Hang and Qian Lina went out to buy some food, while Song Cong silently shed tears. Having grown up in this environment, seeing others come and go, he now felt their sadness in a way he never had before.

Chen Huan'er comforted Song Cong, drawing from her own experience of being ill as a child. Perhaps in his eyes, all words seemed meaningless, and only time could heal the wounds. The next day, Chen Huan'er told Jing Qichi about the situation. She thought Song Cong wouldn’t come to school, but he still showed up.

Some people in class started talking about it, and Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi were worried that Song Cong would feel upset, so they suggested he go to the restroom. Qi Qi also came over to comfort him, offering to help him with the legal matters, but Song Cong refused. Hao Mei woke up from the intensive care unit, but she had damaged her nervous system, and it was uncertain when she would be able to stand again.

Song Hang planned to transfer Hao Mei to the city hospital, where the conditions would be better. Song Cong secretly went downstairs and saw Song Hang hiding to wipe away his tears, and he instinctively hid as well. Song Cong could understand that they wanted to play the role of good parents, but he also wanted to help lighten their load.

Song Cong told Song Hang that he wanted to transfer to the Experimental High School to take care of Hao Mei, as it didn’t matter to him where he went to school. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi were concerned when they heard about this, worrying that if Hao Mei found out that he transferred schools for her, she would be very upset.

However, Song Cong had already made up his mind, and it was not easy for Song Hang to run between two hospitals. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi naturally supported him. The next day, Song Cong completed his transfer procedures. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi wanted to send him off at the school gate, but he refused.

Li Tian specially brought his notes from the past few days, telling Song Cong that he had to aim for first place even at the new school. Qi Qi hurried over and silently watched Song Cong’s retreating figure, keeping it in her heart. Hao Mei’s condition slowly improved, and both Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi felt happy. However, on their way to school every day, it was just the two of them now—no longer the lively atmosphere they once had.

After some time, Hao Mei was finally discharged from the hospital. Qian Lina and Lin Yifan came to help her pack, and Li Tian’s mother also offered to help with anything. When they got home, Song Cong accidentally let it slip that he had transferred schools, and Hao Mei immediately became agitated, asking them to leave.

Chen Huan'er prepared a flower pot and took Jing Qichi with her to deliver it, but as they reached the first floor, they smelled something burning. Song Cong and Song Hang rushed inside to check the situation. Hao Mei, sitting in a wheelchair, stubbornly tried to cook but ended up burning the food. In the chaos that followed, due to her emotional distress, she lost control of her bladder, and her sense of pride was deeply hurt. Song Cong froze in shock, sitting helplessly on the floor.

Jing Qichi went to Chen Huan'er's house for a meal. He really understood Hao Mei’s feelings. She just needed time to accept things. Hao Mei had always been a strong person, managing everything at home. Song Cong had set up a table and bought an induction stove, but Qian Lina knew that this would only remind Hao Mei of her limitations. Sure enough, Song Cong’s actions didn’t make Hao Mei happy, but instead touched a painful spot.

Qian Lina quickly brought over some ingredients she had bought and asked Hao Mei for advice on making braised pork. After sending Song Cong away, Hao Mei broke down in tears, and Qian Lina used her own way to comfort her. Hao Mei asked Song Cong to buy a bouquet of flowers for Chen Huan'er as a thank-you.

Song Cong specifically bought Chen Huan'er’s favorite chamomile flowers, but when he returned, he saw Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi playfully teasing each other. Without thinking, he hid the flowers behind his back. Song Cong then went home to care for Hao Mei, while Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi continued to chat and play outside.

Jing Qichi had never been to Sishui, and the only reason he knew about it was because Chen Huan'er had mentioned it, telling him that her junior from school was from there. Hao Mei had always wanted to go to Sishui but never had the time. When Chen Huan'er heard this, she suggested they go together during the summer break to help Hao Mei relax.

Jing Qichi agreed and immediately started to stop them, but he asked for a small favor from Chen Huan'er in return. Jing Qichi asked Chen Huan'er to help him find some old photos of her parents, but Chen Huan'er's parents had always liked taking photos of her, and she had never taken any of them. After Hao Mei's incident, she was assigned to work in the logistics department.

Song Cong had written some notes to help her familiarize herself with the computer operations for the role. When Song Cong went to deliver the photo album to Jing Qichi, he ran into Li Tian, who was seeking advice. Song Cong, in turn, asked Li Tian a question about relationships: A likes B, B says C is just a good friend, but A finds evidence that B actually likes C. Jing Qichi, seeing them chatting, felt confused.

Li Tian immediately ran off, but not before revealing that they were A and C. Song Cong suddenly felt guilty. Jing Qichi’s plan came together, and the next day, everyone set off for Sishui. Qian Lina and Lin Yifan stayed with Hao Mei, and the three of them wore matching scarves as sisters. Chen Huan'er, Jing Qichi, Song Cong, and the others continued to joke around, and it felt like everything was heading in a good direction.

In the evening, Jing Qichi and Jing Liqiang prepared a birthday cake for Lin Yifan and celebrated with her. They also brought old photos of their parents. Qian Lina’s birthday was close to Lin Yifan’s, but she said she never celebrated her birthday, and her smile seemed a little forced. The next morning, Chen Huan'er woke up to find Jing Qichi sitting on the roof, looking at the scenery.

He told her he had been helping clean up broken tiles at her house and had accidentally found a wish she had written on one of them when she was younger. On Lin Yifan’s birthday, Jing Qichi always prepared such a ritual and gift. Last year, he even hung a banner at the hospital. Song Cong took Hao Mei to the beach to relax, and he became the son Hao Mei could rely on.

Chen Huan'er remembered what Jing Qichi had said and understood. Sometimes, the things mothers say aren’t necessarily true. She called her father to ask when he would be coming back for a visit, planning to give Qian Lina a birthday surprise, but since he had training for a competition, he might not be able to return. Chen Huan'er had no choice but to ask Jing Qichi for help.

Jing Qichi, however, was holding the photo album and said that there were many photos of Qian Lina and Song Hang together. He seemed to have discovered something significant. Song Cong overheard this and began observing Song Hang more closely during dinner, but the more he listened, the more something seemed off. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi went to pick up the cake, which her father had ordered.

Chen Huan'er didn’t like the design of the cake, so she switched it for a different style. When Jing Qichi noticed how much Chen Huan'er liked the cake displayed in the window, he couldn’t help but feel reluctant to leave.

Chen Huan'er was preparing a surprise for Qian Lina’s birthday when her father, Chen Lei, suddenly came home. He had taken time off from work to surprise Qian Lina. Chen Huan'er was happy, but she noticed that her father’s toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel had all been put away by Qian Lina. The next day, Chen Lei found expired milk in the kitchen and complained that Qian Lina had been mistreating him at home.

Just then, Qian Lina, who had just returned from the night shift, bumped into him, and they had a huge argument. Hearing the commotion, Chen Huan'er could only sit downstairs quietly. Jing Qichi woke up early and went downstairs to throw out the garbage. He saw Chen Huan'er sitting in a daze, her hair a mess.

Chen Huan'er confessed that her parents were arguing and that she wanted to come over to Jing Qichi’s place to get away from it all. Jing Qichi sent a message to Song Cong, asking him to come quickly because Chen Huan'er needed him. Song Cong sleepily got out of bed and rushed to Jing Qichi's house. Jing Qichi couldn’t help but find it amusing how both of them looked so similar in the morning.

Chen Huan'er was struggling to understand why her parents had suddenly started fighting. They had argued before, but never to this extent. Song Cong mentioned that his parents never fought, and every day it was just Song Hang being scolded by them. Jing Qichi showed Chen Huan'er and Song Cong something he had discovered the previous night, which proved that Song Hang and Qian Lina were actually fine.

However, he noticed that something seemed off between Song Hang and Lin Yifan, so he quietly asked Lin Yifan about it. Song Cong left Jing Qichi's house with his hair in a messy bun and bumped into Li Tian. Li Tian mentioned that he had figured things out regarding their previous conversation and that Song Cong didn’t need a definitive answer. What if that answer wasn’t what he wanted?

Chen Lei left a note on the door saying that he had taken Chen Huan'er out to surprise Qian Lina. Qian Lina saw the note and, frightened, immediately ran outside to chase after them. Chen Lei and Chen Huan'er, realizing their surprise plan had failed, hurriedly ran after her. While crying, Qian Lina looked at the scene they had prepared and smiled.

The birthday cake was still the one Chen Lei had chosen, even though Chen Huan'er had initially switched it. It was clear that Qian Lina preferred this one. Chen Huan'er had prepared a birthday gift for Qian Lina, and the three of them shared a warm and happy moment. The conflict between Qian Lina and Chen Lei passed quietly. In the evening, Jing Qichi took Chen Huan'er to a secret place and mysteriously asked her to close her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, she found a small cake in her hands—the one she had liked before but couldn’t buy because it wasn’t sold in slices. Jing Qichi couldn’t afford a whole one, so he had convinced Song Cong and Li Tian to pitch in and buy it together, splitting it into three pieces. Chen Huan'er was moved to tears, and Jing Qichi gently wiped her tears away. They happily ate the cake together.

Li Tian and Song Cong each took their small cakes home to share with their parents, and the memories of love between the older generation were fixed in time. In truth, Jing Qichi’s guess had been wrong—their partners had always been each other from the start. On the way back, it started to rain heavily. Jing Qichi held up his jacket to shield Chen Huan'er as he escorted her home.

When Chen Lei saw them coming back together, he looked worried and asked Chen Huan'er what she had been doing so late with Jing Qichi. When Jing Qichi returned home, he found Lin Yifan helping Jing Liqiang pack his things. Jing Liqiang was being transferred, and before he left, he reminded Jing Qichi to keep playing football and take care of Lin Yifan. Unknowingly, his son had grown up.

When Chen Huan'er got home, she saw that her father had packed his suitcase. She felt a little bittersweet and suggested that they take a photo together to remember the moment. The new school year began, and Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi entered their final year of high school. The classroom was quiet as everyone focused on their futures.

Jing Qichi noticed that no one was in the gym for physical education class, so he went by himself to the field. Lin Yifan, worried about Jing Qichi’s college entrance exams, wondered if she should find him a tutoring center.

The pressure of the final year of high school was intense. Du Man went to sit in the front row, and Jing Qichi sat next to Chen Huan'er, saying he was afraid she would be lonely studying by herself. Liao Xinyan asked Chen Huan'er if she wanted to attend a tutoring class that was really accurate with exam predictions. Chen Huan'er was interested but decided against it after hearing the cost of 200 yuan per class.

After class, Jing Qichi gave Chen Huan'er 200 yuan to attend the class first, saying he would find a way to handle things later. At least one of them needed to be successful, so they could make their families proud. Chen Huan'er thought about it and decided to use 100 yuan as her tuition fee. That way, she would go to class and tell Jing Qichi about it when she got back.

Chen Huan'er was very eager to help Jing Qichi with his studies, but he was often uninterested. She carefully placed the 100 yuan he gave her in a drawer without touching it. Everyone was working hard for the college entrance exams, and Chen Huan'er kept urging Jing Qichi to study. Their playful times together felt like youth itself. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi made a pact: for every point she improved, she would buy him a cup of milk tea.

As Chen Huan'er drank more milk tea, Jing Qichi's scores gradually improved too. During evening study sessions, Chen Huan'er was a bit troubled, so Jing Qichi told her to take a nap. She must be tired and not able to concentrate. Chen Huan'er lay her head down on the desk but couldn't sleep. Jing Qichi did the same and shoved his headphones into her ears.

The next day, Chen Huan'er waited for Jing Qichi downstairs to go to school, but he was nowhere to be found. His family wasn't home either, and he wasn’t answering his phone. Chen Huan'er anxiously asked Qian Lina what was going on, but Qian Lina told her to focus on her exam first. At this moment, Jing Qichi and Lin Yifan were at Jing Liqiang’s fire station because a sudden wildfire had broken out.

Jing Liqiang went missing while rescuing people. When Lin Yifan learned that Jing Liqiang had passed away, she collapsed to the ground in shock, unable to accept it. In that moment, Jing Qichi grew up. Under the rain, Chen Huan'er saw the calmness in Jing Qichi's eyes and was filled with worry. Many days passed, and Jing Qichi didn't come to school. Chen Huan'er texted him asking how he was.

She told him that if he needed someone to be with him, she would be at the secret base. Jing Qichi replied that he was coming. When he showed up, Chen Huan'er gave him sweet milk tea. Jing Qichi’s eyes were red, and in a hoarse voice, he told her that he was fine and would return to school the next day. Lin Yifan arranged for Jing Qichi to undergo special training at the Tonglin Sports School.

Jing Qichi knew this was something Jing Liqiang had set up for him. However, Jing Qichi failed the physical exam despite trying his best, and his legs were still not in the best condition. Song Cong went to keep him company. Jing Qichi, with red eyes, asked him why, despite working so hard, he still didn't succeed.

He recalled that Jing Liqiang shouldn’t have been on duty that day, but he swapped shifts to arrange for a coach from the sports school to help Jing Qichi. Jing Qichi thought, if he had realized this sooner, would Jing Liqiang still be alive? After Jing Liqiang passed away, Lin Yifan aged considerably. Both she and Jing Qichi found it hard to face each other.

But she told him that he would always be her pride, and so would Jing Liqiang. Today was Jing Liqiang’s birthday, and everything Jing Qichi cherished was taken away. Chen Huan'er looked at the closed windows, filled with worry for him. Jing Qichi returned to school. He gave Chen Huan'er his MP3 player, telling her that when she felt stressed, she could listen to it. He was now focused on his studies. Jing Qichi’s progress was noticeable.

He went through three phases: the first phase was becoming a study machine, the second phase was when he seemed a bit crazy, solely focused on doing exercises during class. In the third phase, the "study god" emerged, and Jing Qichi’s ranking rose significantly. He was now only five places behind Chen Huan'er. On New Year's Eve, Qian Lina and Lin Yifan both had to work.

After having dumplings with Qian Lina at the hospital, Chen Huan'er went home and tried to find Jing Qichi to hang out, but he was still studying. Chen Huan'er then called Song Cong to join her in buying six bottles of beer at Du Man's convenience store.

Chen Huan'er and Song Cong brought beer to Jing Qichi’s house. Song Cong drank half a bottle before passing out, which Jing Qichi was used to. Back when they graduated from middle school, Hao Mei insisted on sending Song Cong to an international school. At that time, they felt like the sky was falling and wanted to drink a bit to say goodbye. But Song Cong took a sip and then slept the whole day.

Since then, they never drank again. Song Cong and Jing Qichi had been in the same class from kindergarten through middle school. Teachers always said they looked like twins, just like Jing Qichi never thought about being separated from his parents. Seeing Jing Qichi's loneliness, Chen Huan'er began to worry again. They both struggled to carry Song Cong into the bedroom. Chen Huan'er, dizzy, laid down beside his bed and fell asleep. When she woke up, Jing Qichi was gone.

His phone was left in the notebook, and the notebook was filled with Jing Qichi’s negative thoughts. Chen Huan'er was shocked when she saw this. Panicking, she ran out looking for Jing Qichi. After a long search, he finally appeared, holding fireworks he had just bought. He knew Chen Huan'er wanted to light fireworks, so he had gone out to buy them. Chen Huan'er's anxiety melted, and she scolded him to take his phone next time.

She had been searching for him for so long! Chen Huan'er’s voice trembled with tears as she cried. Jing Qichi quickly apologized and took her hand, leading her to light the fireworks together. Holding the fireworks, Jing Qichi wished her a happy New Year. At that moment, Chen Huan'er didn’t fully understand why she was crying. The emotions were complicated and unclear to her at that time, but she knew that Jing Qichi was someone very important to her.

As the final year of high school progressed, Jing Qichi’s condition improved. Although he surpassed Chen Huan'er in grades, she felt a little uncomfortable, but comforted herself by thinking that his short hair made it easier to wash, so he had more time to study. That day, they were supposed to go to an English tutoring class together, but Jing Qichi dragged her to the cinema to watch an English movie to learn English instead.

Seeing Chen Huan'er laughing joyfully, Jing Qichi couldn’t help but be a bit stunned. They coincidentally found that Li Tian was sitting in front of them. The feeling of skipping class wasn’t so bad after all. Winter finally passed, and the trees quickly turned green. The shadow of Jing Liqiang’s death lifted, and everyone’s life returned to normal. Time was filled with study, and soon, the college entrance exam day arrived.

Chen Huan'er would always remember that night when the power went out during self-study. Teacher Xu asked everyone to stop for a moment to speak. He didn’t talk about the exam, but instead told everyone that life doesn’t have a standard answer. No matter what the final outcome is, they should do what they want without regrets. When the bell rang, the college entrance exam finally ended. Chen Huan'er, Jing Qichi, and Song Cong planned to sell their old textbooks.

Jing Qichi casually found a childhood photo of Chen Huan'er and teased her, joking about how no one besides him and Song Cong sat next to her in the family compound. Chen Huan'er immediately pointed to another little boy in the photo, saying he was her childhood friend from Sishui, and that he would come visit today.

Jing Qichi thought she was just trying to scare him, but the next second, Qian Lina said Xiao Yu had arrived and asked Chen Huan'er to go downstairs to meet him. Jing Qichi rushed downstairs, saying he wanted to meet this Xiao Yu. He intentionally told Xiao Yu that he was Chen Huan'er’s best friend, and the two shook hands, each trying to squeeze harder.

In front of Jing Qichi, Chen Huan'er pretended to be very close to Xiao Yu, and when Jing Qichi saw this, his teeth nearly ground to dust. During dinner, Jing Qichi was still jealous. It wasn’t until Xiao Yu called Qian Lina "Aunt" and Chen Huan'er "Cousin" that Jing Qichi realized his mistake. He immediately stood up and ran off. Qian Lina said that Song Cong’s notes were priceless and should be sold on a website.

Jing Qichi decided to create a secondhand book trading website called “Yang Wu. ” When Chen Huan'er and Song Cong left Jing Qichi’s house, Song Cong called her name, wanting to say something but couldn’t bring himself to. They all planned to hang out together. After the exam, Li Tian was excited because his mom wouldn’t care about him anymore.

Chen Huan'er and Liao Xinyan went to take sticker photos, and later, Chen Huan'er dragged Song Cong and Jing Qichi to join. Jing Qichi arrived late, and the picture frame was set to a heart shape, making the three of them stand together awkwardly. Actually, Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi had visited this place in their first year of high school.

Qi Qi accidentally saw a photo they took together and went to the school gate to buy a taro cake. As she ate, she couldn’t help but cry. At that moment, Chen Huan'er and the others happened to walk by, and she called out Qi Qi’s name.

On the day the college entrance exam results were released, Chen Huan'er, Chen Lei, and Qian Lina sat in front of the computer. When they saw the score of 602, everyone sighed in relief. Chen Lei and Qian Lina immediately grabbed the college application handbook to discuss which school to apply to.

Qian Lina and Chen Lei clearly hoped that Chen Huan'er would apply to a university within the province, but Chen Huan'er wanted to apply to a school outside the province. Qian Lina then began to cry, saying she was afraid that Chen Huan'er would get into trouble living alone outside. Chen Huan'er was startled and could only promise to apply to An Da University. Jing Qichi hadn’t decided where to apply yet.

Song Cong, who could have applied to Beijing University, started to wonder if he should apply to An Da, as that would allow him to take care of his mother. Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er both felt that Song Cong shouldn’t compromise like that; he had always been someone with his own ideas. They both advised him to think carefully. Song Cong went home to discuss it with Hao Mei.

Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi planned to go on a trip during the summer. In fact, Jing Qichi’s score was much higher than hers. When Song Cong got home, he hesitated to talk about studying medicine, but Hao Mei had already made up her mind and wanted him to apply to Beijing University’s Medical School.

Hao Mei knew Song Cong wanted to study medicine and understood why he wanted to stay in Tianhe, but she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Lin Yifan took a hands-off approach to Jing Qichi’s college applications, trusting him. Li Tian really wanted to study English, but his father insisted he study a medical-related field to at least help pave his way. Chen Huan'er ultimately chose An Da University.

After much consideration, she realized it was the best fit. At that moment, everyone listened to their inner voice. Jing Qichi’s first choice was Beijing University, and his second choice was An Da University because Chen Huan'er had applied there. They all planned to hang out, but to their surprise, Jing Qichi had chosen a mountain hike as their outing. Chen Huan'er, Qi Qi, and Liao Xinyan walked up the mountain, panting and exhausted after a long while.

They had no strength left and could only call Jing Qichi to pick them up. Jing Qichi, Li Tian, and Song Cong were at a villa in the mountains, blowing up balloons, and none of them answered the phone. When they heard the sound of Chen Huan'er and the others opening the door, they quickly hid to surprise them. However, after hiking all day, the three girls were too tired and looked awful.

Liao Xinyan applied to Su Bei Medical University, Li Tian applied to Hu Da Medical University, Song Cong applied to Beijing University’s Medical School, Chen Huan'er applied to An Da’s Pharmacy program, and Jing Qichi applied to Beijing University’s Computer Science department. Chen Huan'er suddenly felt a little lost, as everyone was going so far away. Qi Qi brought a lot of DVDs for everyone to choose from.

Chen Huan'er volunteered to cook for everyone, though she felt a bit down inside. They decided to watch a horror movie, and Liao Xinyan kept leaning toward Jing Qichi, while Qi Qi kept her eyes on Song Cong. Jing Qichi went to the kitchen to check on Chen Huan'er, and then Liao Xinyan, Song Cong, and Qi Qi went to the kitchen one by one.

Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi continued their usual playful banter, but this time, when they got close, their hearts raced and it was hard to ignore the feeling. Chen Huan'er prepared animal-shaped cookies to give to everyone. She was actually envious of how far away everyone would be going for university, but no matter how far, she hoped they would always be friends.

After having a bit to drink, Li Tian became uncontrollable and quickly figured out who liked whom among the group. Jing Qichi, however, was clueless and didn’t understand what he was talking about. Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi went outside to get some fresh air, and Song Cong dragged Jing Qichi along to join them. Song Cong asked Jing Qichi if he liked Chen Huan'er, which immediately sobered Jing Qichi up.

Qi Qi told Chen Huan'er that she liked Song Cong, which Chen Huan'er had already known, as her feelings were so obvious. Qi Qi wanted to know if Chen Huan'er’s feelings for Jing Qichi and Song Cong were the same. Chen Huan'er hesitated for a moment, then stubbornly said that her relationship with Song Cong was just like that of siblings. Meanwhile, Jing Qichi firmly denied liking Chen Huan'er, insisting they were just like brothers and sisters.

Without saying much, Song Cong went to find Chen Huan'er, and at that moment, Liao Xinyan went to find Jing Qichi. Song Cong wanted to talk to Chen Huan'er about something, so Qi Qi had to step aside. Song Cong confessed his feelings to Chen Huan'er, and Liao Xinyan also confessed her feelings to Jing Qichi. Now that the college entrance exam was over, Liao Xinyan asked Jing Qichi if he would be with her.

Chen Huan'er, caught off guard by Song Cong’s confession, didn’t know how to respond. She had always thought they were just friends, and she rejected him. Qi Qi’s heart was shattered. Jing Qichi didn’t respond to Liao Xinyan’s confession, and she ran out crying. Qi Qi asked Song Cong, if he liked Chen Huan'er, why did he write such a sentence in his book? Song Cong, heartbroken, said that it was something he wrote for a friend. That night was sleepless for everyone, except for Li Tian, who enjoyed a lively conversation with Shakespeare.

When Chen Huan'er returned home, her parents were already helping her pack. The admission notice had arrived, and she was supposed to report to school on the 28th. Chen Huan'er thought about the colleges everyone had applied to and recalled what Jing Qichi had said about not applying to a second-choice school. Her mood inexplicably soured.

Chen Lei mentioned that he saw the delivery person a few days ago delivering the admission letters to Jing Qichi’s family, but Jing Qichi didn’t seem to be in a good mood. After that night, Chen Huan'er hesitated even when sending a simple congratulatory message. She decided to go find Du Man to talk. Du Man could tell that their graduation trip wouldn’t be anything special. It was a good thing she didn’t go—they were all too complicated.

Song Cong arrived at their secret base and found Chen Huan'er there. The tension between them was palpable, and it was awkward. Song Cong decided to have an honest conversation with Chen Huan'er. He didn’t want her to avoid him and wanted to pretend he had never said those things, hoping they could still be friends. Chen Huan'er replied truthfully, saying it was difficult right now, and she needed some time to sort things out.

Jing Qichi happened to pass by and witnessed Song Cong and Chen Huan’er’s conversation. When he got home, he saw Chen Huan’er’s message asking if he wanted to come to the secret base. Chen Huan'er went out to hang out with Liao Xinyan, only to find that Liao Xinyan already had a boyfriend. Chen Huan'er was bombarded with dog food. Qi Qi arrived soon after, and she and Chen Huan'er gossiping about Liao Xinyan’s relationship.

To their surprise, Liao Xinyan had only known her boyfriend for a day, and she felt like she just liked sporty types. Chen Huan'er hurried to explain to Qi Qi about Song Cong. She had already cleared things up with him, but Qi Qi had made up her mind—Chen Huan'er would always be her best friend. Liao Xinyan believed that Qi Qi and Song Cong, both attending Beijing University, would eventually develop some feelings for each other.

When Chen Huan'er got home, Chen Lei warned her not to date anyone, but Qian Lina opposed this and supported Chen Huan'er dating in college. Chen Huan'er stayed silent, only lowering her head to eat noodles. Qian Lina started gossiping, asking if anyone liked Chen Huan'er. Chen Lei wanted to accompany Chen Huan'er to university, but Qian Lina hoped she would become independent.

Chen Huan'er pushed them out of the room, then texted Jing Qichi to ask when he would leave. Jing Qichi replied that he hadn’t decided yet and then asked Chen Huan'er to meet him at the secret base. Chen Huan'er was a little proud. Over the past few days, she had sent Jing Qichi messages, but he hadn’t responded—now he finally remembered her. But Jing Qichi only gave her the money for selling books.

Before they parted, Chen Huan'er took the initiative to hug Jing Qichi, and only after she left did Jing Qichi show his true feelings. Chen Huan'er set off for university registration and arrived at An Da University in Wu’an City. She remembered to text Jing Qichi, asking if he had gone to register. The next moment, Jing Qichi appeared beside her, helping her carry her luggage—he had applied to his second-choice school. Chen Huan'er’s eyes instantly reddened.

She pulled her luggage forward alone, and Tian Chi, a senior from the pharmacy department, came to help with the orientation. He led her to the dormitory. Tian Chi was also from Tianhe No. 1 High School, and he remembered seeing Chen Huan'er in the library. They chatted happily, and the book Chen Huan'er had been looking for at that time was the one Tian Chi had taken. Jing Qichi texted Qian Lina, telling her that Chen Huan'er had arrived safely.

He had already informed Qian Lina and promised to look after Chen Huan'er. Chen Huan'er arrived at the dormitory with Tian Chi, greeted her roommates, and found that Jing Qichi had met a very enthusiastic roommate. Song Cong asked Jing Qichi when he would report to school, only to learn that he had gone to An Da University. He had kept it a secret to surprise Chen Huan'er, but it seemed that the surprise was more of a shock.

Jing Qichi texted Chen Huan'er, asking if she wanted to have dinner together. Chen Huan'er scoffed and opened the medicine her mother had prepared for her, only to find a note inside, saying one package was for her and one for Jing Qichi. Chen Huan'er became even angrier.

Jing Qichi was dragged by his roommate to play soccer. Chen Huan'er and her roommates happened to pass by the soccer field just as Jing Qichi took a bold shot. When he saw Chen Huan'er, he ran over to her, but she just tossed the medicine Qian Lina had given her to him and left. Her roommates, however, were very curious.

Later that evening, one of her roommates showed Chen Huan'er a forum website, where a picture of Jing Qichi playing soccer had been posted. Many fangirls were asking for his contact information. Everyone gossiped, wondering if Chen Huan'er, who had been classmates with Jing Qichi for three years in high school, didn’t have any feelings for him. Chen Huan'er was stubborn and quickly changed the topic.

Jing Qichi sent a message asking if Chen Huan'er was still angry, but she didn’t reply. She tossed and turned for a long time, feeling uneasy. Another roommate, who had been at the library studying all day, returned, and Chen Huan'er greeted her. When asked if she was hot, Chen Huan'er replied "Not really. " The next second, the roommate turned off the air conditioner, leaving Chen Huan'er too hot to sleep the entire night.

The next day, there was a social event between the departments. Her roommate wanted to bring Jing Qichi along, but he stubbornly refused. Chen Huan'er was brought there by her roommate, and the roommates even put lipstick on her. At the student union event, Chen Huan'er ran into Tian Chi. Jing Qichi’s roommate was also there, and the senior sister hoped Jing Qichi could join them.

The roommate secretly took a picture of Chen Huan'er drinking and sent it to Jing Qichi. Qian Lina, unable to reach Chen Huan'er by phone, became anxious and decided to call Jing Qichi to inquire about her. Jing Qichi then saw the photo his roommate had sent, where Chen Huan'er was drinking. In a flash, he rushed over to the event. By the time he arrived, Chen Huan'er was already drunk, lying on the table with her senses muddled.

Jing Qichi immediately took her away. Her roommates, seeing this, went back to the dorm early. Seeing Chen Huan'er in such a state, Jing Qichi’s mood soured, and he clenched his fists. Jing Qichi carried Chen Huan'er on his back, but she punched him in the back of the head. Drunk, Chen Huan'er accused him of deceiving her, and they argued. In the end, Jing Qichi had no choice but to carry her back to the dorm.

The next morning, Chen Huan'er woke up to find Huang Lu and Qiu Li sitting with their arms crossed, holding honey water. It turned out that last night, Chen Huan'er had gone upstairs alone and then refused to get out of Qiu Li’s bed. They told her that Tian Chi had called Chen Huan'er last night. She picked up her phone and replied to his message, only to see that Qian Lina had called her numerous times.

After a wild and ridiculous drunk night, Chen Huan'er’s college life officially began. Chen Huan'er responded to the messages for Huang Lu and Qiu Li, saying they had been caught, and Jing Qichi texted her to tease her about it. After class, Chen Huan'er asked Jing Qichi how she had made it back to the dorm last night and if she had done anything she shouldn’t have. Jing Qichi teased her on purpose.

Zhou Ye then approached Chen Huan'er to ask for her contact information, but Jing Qichi stepped in and stopped him. The three of them went to check out the club recruitment fair. Du Wei, a senior in her third year, came to invite Jing Qichi and Zhou Ye to join the computer science club and suggested they come to listen.

Chen Huan'er, being perceptive, said she could go to the recruitment fair alone, but unexpectedly, halfway there, Tian Chi showed up and accompanied her. After the event, Jing Qichi immediately texted Chen Huan'er, and Du Wei proactively gave Jing Qichi her contact information. When Jing Qichi and Zhou Ye arrived at the recruitment booth, they saw that Chen Huan'er and Tian Chi were sitting together.

She was planning to join the sports department because Tian Chi said it was relatively easy. After hearing about this, Qiu Li and Huang Lu thought that Tian Chi had an interest in her. Qiu Li and Dong Huixin got into an argument over the air conditioning, and shortly after, Chen Huan'er received a call from Qi Qi. They didn’t talk for long before Qi Qi rushed off the phone, saying that Song Cong had just finished class.

Qi Qi waited by the road where Song Cong’s class ended, hoping to get him to go with her for a walk around the school. Du Wei kept messaging Jing Qichi, asking if he wanted to join, and Zhou Ye could tell that Du Wei was interested in him.

Song Cong brought Qi Qi to the school’s screening room. After starting university life, Song Cong dived into his studies, spending all his time reading books—so much so that he felt there was never enough time. Qi Qi brought up the time when she wasn’t good at writing essays. Back then, in the office, Song Cong was the first person to affirm her essay. While it might have seemed insignificant to him, the encouragement was really important to Qi Qi.

However, now, Qi Qi had given up on using fancy rhetoric and preferred straightforward writing, just like when she liked someone—she’d take direct action. Song Cong promised Qi Qi that if similar events came up in the future, she could always find him. The top student in their grade, Lin Jingyi, hadn’t yet arrived at school. Song Cong felt strangely unsettled.

Qi Qi noticed that he wasn’t the same as in high school, but only Song Cong himself knew the pressure he felt inside. Jing Qichi and Zhou Ye joined the sports department along with Chen Huan'er. During the meeting, the two of them whispered to each other. The student union was planning a welcome party, and the sports department was expected to perform. When the news broke, some people ran off while others lowered their heads.

In the end, the responsibility fell on Chen Huan’er because the registration form mentioned that she knew martial arts. Downstairs, Chen Huan’er ran into Qiu Li, who said she wouldn’t be staying in the dorm that night. She couldn’t stand the heat and couldn’t sleep without air conditioning, so she planned to stay in a hotel. When Chen Huan'er returned to the dorm, Dong Huixin had, as usual, turned off the air conditioning, creating an awkward atmosphere.

An aunt came to check the dorm rooms, and Chen Huan’er and Huang Lu helped Qiu Li cover for her, but unexpectedly, the aunt recognized them and gave them a demerit. The next day, Qiu Li said she wouldn’t be returning in the morning since she didn’t have classes in the afternoon. However, she coincidentally ran into a roll call.

When Chen Huan'er and Huang Lu were at a loss, Dong Huixin answered for them, but she got marked for skipping class. Dong Huixin explained that because Qiu Li had received a demerit for her last night, she didn’t want to owe her. As for the air conditioning issue, she had already spoken with the counselor to change dorms.

During a meal, Chen Huan'er and Huang Lu told Dong Huixin about this, hoping to ease the tension between her and Qiu Li. Actually, Qiu Li wasn’t unreasonable—if Dong Huixin had just said something instead of turning on the air conditioning without warning, things wouldn’t have turned out this way. Just then, they realized that Dong Huixin worked part-time as a waitress at the restaurant. The situation became a bit awkward.

When a difficult customer gave Dong Huixin a hard time, Qiu Li couldn’t stand it and stepped in to help. Everyone could tell that Dong Huixin was struggling, so they suggested she help them save seats. This way, the air conditioning fee and the seat reservation fee could cancel each other out, and Dong Huixin wouldn’t have to change dorms. The atmosphere in the 401 dorm began to improve. The next morning, the four of them unexpectedly all brought breakfast.

Chen Huan'er took a lot of food to give to Jing Qichi, saying it was for the big dog downstairs. Jing Qichi ate it with great enthusiasm, and Chen Huan’er took a photo of him, amused by her own sense of humor. Du Wei, abusing her power, interfered with the sports department’s performance and wanted Jing Qichi to be the labor force. Jing Qichi didn’t want to, but only got up when Chen Huan'er spoke.

Da Lin Ge, upset about this, asked Chen Huan'er to do a martial arts performance at the party, telling her not to mention it to the rest of the sports department. Du Wei again used her position to take Jing Qichi’s measurements. Jing Qichi felt that Du Wei’s dismissal of Chen Huan’er’s efforts was wrong and had been standing up for her all along.

Chen Huan'er wasn’t in a good mood, and Qiu Li found out that the performance had been canceled due to personal grievances between Da Lin Ge and Du Wei. Chen Huan’er didn’t know what kind of performance to do, but Dong Huixin’s words gave her inspiration. She decided to do a women’s self-defense theme.

When Da Lin Ge heard about the plan, he immediately agreed, though without the president’s support, Da Lin Ge only helped Chen Huan’er find a secluded venue, leaving everything else unsupported. Chen Huan'er and Huang Lu handed out flyers everywhere, and Tian Chi volunteered to help by making posters for them. Jing Qichi was practicing for the host role when he saw Chen Huan’er and Tian Chi joking around next door, which made him feel somewhat bitter.

Tian Chi helped Chen Huan’er and Huang Lu tidy up the activity room, and Jing Qichi came to visit them with dinner, not forgetting to ask about Tian Chi. After thinking for a moment, Jing Qichi said that on the day of the performance, he would come to help Chen Huan’er as a human punching bag. Tian Chi returned with things he had bought for Chen Huan'er, and Jing Qichi, without hesitation, took them from him and set them aside.

Before the party started, Du Wei thoughtfully buttoned up Jing Qichi’s shirt and even linked her arm with his when they were taking the group photo. In the next second, Jing Qichi quickly pulled away. Huang Lu saw the group photo on the forum, and Chen Huan’er visibly looked disappointed. Before the event began, only two people had arrived. Thankfully, Tian Chi and Jing Qichi's roommates showed up, which helped avoid an awkward situation.

The women’s self-defense activity started, and Chen Huan’er’s original intention was to encourage the girls to act boldly when in danger. Zhou Ye volunteered to demonstrate, but when Chen Huan’er performed a shoulder throw, it scared off two people. It turned out that Zhou Ye was just acting, and it was all arranged by Huang Lu and Dong Huixin. Chen Huan’er felt extremely disappointed. Thankfully, more people began to arrive and joined the activity.

When Chen Huan’er was practicing the moves again, Tian Chi came up to help. Chen Huan’er asked him to hug her from behind. This awkward moment was just in time for Jing Qichi, who had rushed over, to see. Jing Qichi, looking worn out, immediately said the move was too dangerous and that it was better for him to do it. After all, they had agreed that he would act as her human punching bag.

Chen Huan’er had no choice but to ask Tian Chi to step down and let Jing Qichi hold her from behind. Jing Qichi ended up being thrown to the ground in the process. After the event, Zhou Ye suggested they go out to eat to celebrate, but Jing Qichi received a call from Du Wei and left, saying he couldn’t join them for dinner. After what happened that day, Chen Huan’er felt like Jing Qichi had become a little distant.

Huang Lu patiently tried to comfort her, even gossiping about Chen Huan’er’s relationship with Tian Chi, but Chen Huan’er didn’t have any romantic interest in him. Although he was a nice guy, Huang Lu nagged her like a mother, encouraging her to date and go out more, making Chen Huan’er feel like she was being lectured by Liao Xinyan. Jing Qichi arrived at the place Du Wei had asked him to meet.

In fact, just a minute after the party had started, Jing Qichi had already promoted Chen Huan’er’s event, but he was quickly dragged away. He knew he hadn’t done the right thing, so he came to meet Du Wei as promised. Du Wei had already taken care of things from today, but the reason she invited Jing Qichi was for a different purpose. Jing Qichi owed her a favor, and it would need to be repaid.

Jing Qichi knew her intentions and told her he would find time to treat her to a meal before leaving. The next day, when Jing Qichi came to his duty shift, he found that Chen Huan’er had put on makeup because she was going to have dinner with Tian Chi. Jing Qichi immediately perked up and offered to go with her, but Chen Huan’er turned him down.

Du Wei then invited Jing Qichi to join her and others to watch a movie organized by the literary arts club. Because he had just been rejected by Chen Huan’er, he accepted her invitation, his words laced with a hint of jealousy. After dinner, Chen Huan’er and Tian Chi went to the cinema, and Tian Chi suggested watching a movie. The student union had provided the tickets.

Chen Huan’er hesitated at first, but when she thought about how Jing Qichi had accepted Du Wei’s invitation, she agreed. When they arrived at the cinema, Jing Qichi couldn’t find any other students from the student union, and something didn’t feel right. Just as he was about to leave, Chen Huan’er and Tian Chi walked in and took seats in the same row as him.

Although Jing Qichi felt uncomfortable, he stayed, his gaze filled with jealousy as he looked at them. Chen Huan’er felt the same, watching the two sit together, sulking as she shoved popcorn into her mouth. Tian Chi was startled by her reaction. Back at the dorm, Chen Huan’er was downcast, and Zhou Ye handed Jing Qichi the medicine Chen Huan’er had given him after the dinner party, along with a small note. Jing Qichi immediately brightened up.

Huang Lu thought Du Wei and Jing Qichi were really involved, but Qiu Li sent them a video of Jing Qichi promoting the sports department’s event to prove that there was nothing going on between them. Chen Huan’er’s gloom was lifted, and just then, Jing Qichi called to say he wanted to take her to a nice place.

He had previously promised to accompany Chen Huan’er to see the sea at Sishui, but he hadn’t been able to fulfill it, so he took her to the swimming pool to make up for it. Chen Huan’er and Jing Qichi were both jealous but too proud to admit it, two stubborn people awkwardly avoiding the truth. Chen Huan’er apologized for causing a scene at the party for Jing Qichi, but he still hadn’t gotten rid of Du Wei’s entanglement.

That day, Du Wei asked Jing Qichi to come downstairs, saying she wanted to speak with him. When he went down, he found a circle of people gathered around. Du Wei was holding a pink rose and waiting for him. Jing Qichi wasn’t pleased but didn’t directly refuse her. Instead, he pulled her aside to speak to her, and Chen Huan’er, who happened to be passing by, misunderstood the situation.

Jing Qichi rejected Du Wei, and although she wasn’t angry, she could tell that he liked Chen Huan’er. However, Jing Qichi refused to admit it. The two of them had grown too close, which made it difficult to see their true feelings for one another. After class, Tian Chi said he wanted to go to the library with Chen Huan’er, but Jing Qichi unexpectedly didn’t follow them. Instead, he ignored the two of them.

Chen Huan'er was looking for books in the library when Tian Chi suddenly leaned in to help her reach a book, which made Chen Huan'er instinctively pull away. The exam results came out, and Song Cong was unhappy when he saw his score. Du Man, however, said that Jing University was the top university in the country, and if he could casually get first place, what would make it different from Tian He?

Despite her words, Song Cong still looked troubled, especially when he returned to the dorm and saw that the so-called "first place" roommate, Lin Jingyi, was only a 15-year-old boy. Lin Jingyi even noticed a mistake in Song Cong’s notebook at first glance, which left Song Cong completely stunned. However, Lin Jingyi had a good personality and even gave his notes to Song Cong. After the lights were turned off, it was time for the girls in the dorm to chat.

Chen Huan'er had been looking upset lately, and Huang Lu asked if it was because of that childhood friend. Chen Huan'er didn’t know what it meant to like someone and felt that asking would be pointless. She could only hold her doll in frustration. Zhou Ye said that he saw Chen Huan'er and Tian Chi in the library yesterday, and it seemed like they were on a date. It looked like they were already together.

Jing Qichi immediately opened his eyes wide. After waking up, Chen Huan'er sent a message to Jing Qichi, asking if he wanted to have dinner together. He replied that he had a school football match and declined. Instead, Tian Chi invited Chen Huan'er to dinner. Jing Qichi, feeling a bit down, called Song Cong. Today was Jing Liqiang’s birthday, and Song Cong had remembered.

He didn’t want Jing Qichi to bear everything alone, and Jing Qichi noticed some changes in Song Cong. Qi Qi messaged Song Cong, inviting him to the photography exhibition. Without hesitation, Song Cong agreed. Tian Chi and Chen Huan'er went for Western food together. Chen Huan'er kept thinking about Jing Qichi. He had a football match and didn’t even invite her to watch. She wondered if he was lying to her. Qi Qi took Song Cong to the photography exhibition.

It was organized by her friend, and her own works were displayed. Song Cong was surprised, especially when he saw Qi Qi laughing and chatting with her friends, and he suddenly felt something different in his heart. Qi Qi could actually feel that Song Cong was different now. Song Cong was still adjusting to the new environment, not because he felt inferior, but because he felt he could do better. Qi Qi said, "This world isn’t perfect.

As humans, we all have flaws. " Qi Qi had decided to switch to the literature department. Though uncertain about the future, she firmly walked the path she wanted, which surprised Song Cong. During dinner, Chen Huan'er kept texting Jing Qichi, but he didn’t reply. Zhou Ye said there was no school match that day. Song Cong sent a message saying that today was Jing Liqiang’s birthday, and Jing Qichi seemed to be in a bad mood.

Chen Huan'er then turned down Tian Chi’s invitation to go to the tavern and returned to the school to find Jing Qichi. Jing Qichi was sitting on the football field, lost in thought. Chen Huan'er brought a lot of snacks for them to share. Jing Qichi still bickered with her, but his mood seemed off. Before returning to the dorm, Chen Huan'er gave Jing Qichi a big hug, only to find out that Tian Chi was waiting for her downstairs.

Tian Chi said he wanted to talk to her about something, fearing that if he didn’t say it now, he might never have the chance again. He confessed his feelings to her, but it was unfortunate that the person in her heart wasn’t him. He returned the book to Chen Huan'er and wished her to find her own happiness.

Everyone was surprised when they heard that Chen Huan'er had rejected Tian Chi’s confession, but as Jing Qichi said, many things and people can’t be replaced. When Jing Qichi heard that Chen Huan'er had turned down Tian Chi, he excitedly bought several small cakes in her favorite flavors. He also tried to indirectly ask her what kind of qualities she looked for in her ideal man, but Chen Huan'er said she didn’t have an ideal type.

Qi Qi said that during the break, she and Song Cong would come to play with them, and Chen Huan'er was excited, thinking this meant that things between them were progressing. Song Cong rented a vacation house in the mountains, and Chen Huan'er warned Jing Qichi not to mention anything about grades. Song Cong and Jing Qichi, two handsome guys walking together, attracted a lot of attention from the girls.

Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi exchanged questions about their relationships, while Jing Qichi and Song Cong did the same. Song Cong had already noticed that Jing Qichi liked Chen Huan'er, but he was afraid that if he failed, he might not even be able to stay friends with him. Chen Huan'er wanted to matchmake Song Cong and Qi Qi, so she deliberately wet her clothes and told them to go off and play first.

After that, Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi lay on the same bed, trying to figure out how to lock them in a room together and let love bloom, but they didn’t realize that their own situation was just as complicated. The ambiguous atmosphere made their faces flush. Jing Qichi changed the topic, suggesting they should also go out for a walk.

Song Cong was enthusiastically taking pictures of passersby. The subject in Qi Qi's photos was indeed him—he had stepped into her frame and became part of her scenery. As they walked, they found themselves in a forest. Tomorrow was Song Cong's birthday, and Qi Qi had prepared a gift for him, hoping to give it to him in person. On the other hand, the atmosphere between Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi was a bit awkward.

There wasn't much to do in the ancient town, so they just sat by the roadside chatting. In the evening, Qi Qi mentioned Jing Qichi, and Chen Huan'er's attitude seemed a little strange. Jing Qichi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Song Cong quietly complained, but when he remembered that Qi Qi wanted to give him his gift in person, he became a little excited. Jing Qichi perked up immediately upon hearing this.

The next day, Jing Qichi had caught a cold from the cool wind the day before. It was Song Cong's birthday, but Jing Qichi couldn’t join them for their outing. Jing Qichi gave Chen Huan'er a look, urging her to send Song Cong and Qi Qi out to have fun. Chen Huan'er dutifully took on the responsibility of taking care of Jing Qichi and pushed them out to have fun.

However, she didn't expect that Jing Qichi wasn’t faking being sick—he truly had a fever. Chen Huan'er quickly went to the kitchen and made a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee. By the time it was ready, Jing Qichi had already fallen asleep, but fortunately, his fever had subsided. Chen Huan'er recalled what Huang Lu had said and couldn’t help but gently hold his hand.

She thought back to the many intimate moments they’d shared, and her heart fluttered. When Jing Qichi opened his eyes and saw Chen Huan'er sitting beside him, she quickly withdrew her hand and awkwardly accused him of grabbing her hand. Jing Qichi said his hand had no strength and insisted that Chen Huan'er feed him the congee. Blushing, Chen Huan'er quickly handed him the bowl and rushed out of the room.

Qi Qi gave Song Cong the carefully prepared gift— a stethoscope. She hoped that Song Cong could become a great doctor. Qi Qi placed the stethoscope on her chest and smiled, asking if Song Cong could hear clearly. Song Cong was stunned for a long time before he placed the stethoscope on his own chest and began explaining the different areas of the heart. Qi Qi wasn’t really listening, suddenly kissing him on the lips.

As she heard his heartbeat quicken, she asked, "Is your heart racing because you like me? "In the evening, Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er gave Song Cong the gifts they had prepared. They also couldn’t resist asking where Song Cong and Qi Qi had gone to play that day, but both of them were evasive.

The new semester began, and the tug-of-war between Qi Qi and Song Cong continued, but Chen Huan'er had a feeling that it would soon come to an end. However, things between her and Jing Qichi remained calm and uneventful. Finals week arrived, and everyone in the dorm was feeling stressed. Chen Huan'er, though, pushed through the stress and kept studying. At the library, Chen Huan'er saw senior Fu Ying approach Jing Qichi to talk.

Fu Ying explained that she was currently interning at a tech website and wanted to introduce the website to her company because it was founded by Jing Qichi. Huang Lu returned to the dorm and immediately gossiped about how Jing Qichi seemed to have a lot of senior girls interested in him, making Chen Huan'er feel sad once again.

Zhou Ye got his hands on the real exam papers and shared them with everyone, but they didn’t have the answers, so they turned to Jing Qichi for help. Dong Huixin pulled out the real exam papers given by a friend, and Chen Huan'er instantly recognized that the handwriting was Jing Qichi's. Huang Lu thought that Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi were together, but Dong Huixin hurriedly explained that it wasn’t Jing Qichi’s, but Zhou Ye’s handwriting.

The two dorms watched Dong Huixin and Zhou Ye closely, and both of them became a little shy. Song Cong couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss and Qi Qi’s question, so he asked her to meet. Song Cong had to admit that the feeling he had was real, and Qi Qi’s pursuit had finally come to a beautiful result. Qi Qi immediately shared the news with Chen Huan'er, adding that Liao Xinyan’s dating tips had been very useful.

Chen Huan'er called Jing Qichi to tell him the news, saying that Song Cong and Qi Qi had already become a couple during their trip to the mountains. Jing Qichi clearly misunderstood Chen Huan'er’s words and immediately called Song Cong, venting about him. On the day of the exam, the exam papers Zhou Ye had given weren’t useful at all, and they had no connection to the test content.

The exam papers were something Zhou Ye had bought from someone for five hundred yuan. Now that he realized the papers were wrong, he went to confront the person. However, the other party was incredibly arrogant, and if it weren’t for Jing Qichi stepping in to stop him, Zhou Ye might have gotten physical. Back in the dorm, Zhou Ye still couldn’t swallow his anger.

Everyone tried to calm him down, but it wasn’t until three people restrained him that he finally calmed down. The first semester of freshman year ended like this. Dong Huixin scored full marks, Huang Lu and Qiu Li both failed, and Chen Huan'er got a passable 76, leaving plenty of room for improvement. Jing Qichi, who had once been at the bottom of his class in high school, scored full marks in advanced mathematics.

Chen Lei looked at Qian Lina's check-up report in a daze. Qian Lina reassured him, saying that once the biopsy was done, they would know whether it was benign or malignant. Chen Huan'er happily returned home with her luggage and took out the gifts she had prepared for everyone. But when she opened them, she realized that her hand-knitted scarf had been stained by skincare products. Despite that, both Qian Lina and Chen Lei were still happy.

Qian Lina bought insurance for Chen Huan'er, as she couldn’t help but worry about her daughter. She knew she couldn’t be with her daughter all the time. Soon, the Jing family and Song family were both coming over for dinner. When Qi Qi returned home, she was met with her mother's questioning because Qi Qi had changed her major without consulting her. This led to another argument between mother and daughter. The three families gathered for a pre-New Year’s dinner.

Qi Qi, having fought with her mother, ran away from home and had to ask Chen Huan'er if she could stay at her place, also hoping to join them for dinner. When they saw Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi jokingly competing over their heights, Lin Yifan couldn’t help but comment that the two of them seemed perfect together. Hao Mei quickly interrupted, saying that Chen Huan'er was the daughter-in-law she had picked out for her son.

This sparked a battle between the two mothers over their future daughter-in-law, leaving Song Cong at a loss. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi just looked down in silence. Hao Mei let Chen Huan'er decide whether she wanted to choose Jing Qichi or Song Cong, and Qi Qi couldn’t help but stand up to announce that she and Song Cong were dating. Qian Lina quickly arranged for Qi Qi to sit between Hao Mei and Song Cong.

Qi Qi mentioned that she needed to buy toiletries, but Song Cong said he had to stay behind to help clean up and couldn’t accompany her. After dinner, Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi went with Qi Qi to buy things. In truth, Qi Qi regretted what she had just said and worried that Song Cong might be upset. Jing Qichi later found Song Cong alone.

Song Cong felt that talking about it in front of their parents was too awkward, but Jing Qichi reminded him that Qi Qi had been very upset. When Song Hang heard that Song Cong was in a relationship, he came to chat with him. Surprisingly, Song Cong didn’t really listen, but Jing Qichi took it all in. Song Cong sent Qi Qi a message, inviting her to go see a movie the next day.

When Jing Qichi returned home, he saw his father's memorial portrait and felt deeply saddened. Qi Qi fell asleep early, and Chen Huan'er, curious, asked Qian Lina whether one should take the initiative if they like someone. Qian Lina said, “Of course! ” Then, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, she shared a lot of thoughts, though there were still many things she wanted to say.

The next day, Song Cong and Qi Qi went together to watch a movie, and Song Cong said that their parents were fully supportive of their relationship. Qi Qi was overjoyed. On New Year's Eve, Chen Huan'er’s grandmother came over to celebrate the New Year with them. Song Cong's family had a warm atmosphere as well. Jing Qichi and his mother exchanged New Year greetings, but the atmosphere between Qi Qi and her mother remained tense.

Chen Huan'er accidentally saw a message on Qian Lina's phone and discovered that she had cancer. The next day, Chen Huan'er’s grandmother gave red envelopes to both Qian Lina and Chen Huan'er. Chen Huan'er told Qian Lina that she had seen her phone, but Qian Lina quickly urged her to stay happy and not to let her grandmother know. Feeling heavy-hearted, Chen Huan'er went to her secret hideout and confided her worries to Jing Qichi.

She kept reassuring herself that it must be benign. When she returned home, she put on a smile to face her grandmother. However, her grandmother was still awake, looking at photos on Qian Lina's phone. In fact, she had already known, and they were both keeping the same secret. Her grandmother hugged Chen Huan'er and said that her granddaughter had grown up, and everything would be fine.

After her grandmother left, Qian Lina prepared lots of food and medicine for her. Once her grandmother was gone, she ran to the bathroom and cried. After the New Year, Qian Lina had a biopsy done at the hospital. Chen Huan'er sat absentmindedly in the hallway, and Jing Qichi brought her food. In such a situation, no comforting words felt powerful enough, and Chen Huan'er cried silently in his arms.

Fortunately, the results came back benign, and when Qian Lina was discharged from the hospital, Jing Qichi came to help. Qian Lina jokingly teased him, saying he was acting like a son-in-law.

Chen Lei told Chen Huan'er that he had decided to step back from his busy work life and would stay with them, focusing on being by her and Qian Lina’s side. The happiest thing in life was realizing that the worst had been avoided. He had been out making money all this time, and it was Qian Lina who had been handling everything at home. Looking back, Chen Lei felt guilty about it.

When they got married, there was no proposal or ceremony. They got married in a daze and had children just as casually. At the time, they always thought there would be more time ahead, but before they knew it, most of their lives had already passed. After hearing this, Chen Huan'er was deep in thought. The next day, she dragged Jing Qichi and Song Cong to a mall to look at diamond rings, hoping to buy one for her parents.

But when they saw the price of over ten thousand yuan, all three were stunned. The power of the adult world seemed to have nothing to do with good grades. Today was Valentine’s Day, and Song Cong was leaving to have dinner with Qi Qi. Before he left, he wished both Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er a happy Valentine’s Day. Song Cong made Qi Qi a pair of earrings as a Valentine’s Day gift.

Qi Qi had invited her friends to dinner today, introducing Song Cong to them. These friends had just returned from abroad and were all dressed in the kind of luxury that money could buy. Song Cong felt out of place, especially since one of Qi Qi’s friends had given her a pair of very sparkling earrings. Qi Qi's friend asked Song Cong to pay the bill.

He didn’t mind at first, but when he saw the shocking amount, he was taken aback. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi returned to the cake shop where they had first visited. The owner remembered them, and now, the cakes were sold by the slice. They bought two cups of hot chocolate and planned to have ice cream afterward. Hao Mei went to the hospital to process her early retirement paperwork, needing many signatures.

But as usual, it was a lot of passing the buck. Hao Mei had difficulty moving, and even when she asked colleagues for help, it led nowhere. Luckily, Li Tian’s mother spoke on her behalf, and she finally managed to complete her early retirement. Hao Mei wasn’t in a good mood. When Song Cong came home with Qi Qi’s gift, Hao Mei saw the price tag and told him to return it and get a less expensive one.

Song Cong also noticed Hao Mei’s retirement certificate and was a bit concerned about her situation. Hao Mei, hearing about Qi Qi’s family situation, worried that she might drag Song Cong down, causing Qi Qi’s family to look down on them. The shirt Qi Qi gave Song Cong turned out to cost eight thousand yuan after he looked it up online. While helping Chen Huan'er with the laundry, Chen Lei accidentally saw an advertisement for diamond rings.

He immediately ran to ask Chen Huan'er if she had a boyfriend. Chen Huan'er was left speechless; she just wanted to buy a diamond ring for Qian Lina on behalf of her father. Song Cong returned the shirt to Qi Qi, saying it was too expensive for him to accept. Qi Qi thought he was overreacting and got upset, even threatening to throw the shirt away.

In the end, Song Cong kept it, but he understood what Hao Mei had meant by "matching social backgrounds. "The day before returning to school, Jing Qichi received an invitation from Manager Jiang and went to meet him at the company.

Manager Jiang believed that his second-hand book trading website had a lot of potential, so he gave him two options: one was for their company to replicate the website exactly, or the second option was for the company to provide technical support while Jing Qichi continued to operate the website and later earn a share of the profits. Jing Qichi said he would consider it. The semester flew by quickly, and it was already time for final exams.

Qian Lina had fully recovered, and the surprises that Chen Lei and Chen Huan'er had prepared for her were now underway. They took Qian Lina to take wedding photos, and although she pretended to dislike it, she still chose a dress she liked. Chen Huan'er invited the families of both Jing Qichi and Song Cong to witness the moment, and with everyone watching, Chen Lei and Qian Lina took their belated wedding photos.

Chen Lei had bought a diamond ring to make up for the lack of a proposal back then. Everyone cried as they witnessed the happiness. Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er exchanged glances, as if time had stopped. Lin Yifan was at home, looking through pictures of Jing Liqiang. Jing Qichi gave her a purple rose, and its meaning was "eternal love.

" Song Cong said that Hao Mei had given him the best, and she didn’t need to feel inferior to others. To him, Hao Mei had always been the best mother in the world. Chen Huan'er was all smiles on the way. Jing Qichi jokingly asked if she was wearing perfume. Chen Huan'er denied it but instinctively leaned in to smell him to see if it was his scent. She quickly backed away, feeling a little embarrassed by the atmosphere.

Jing Qichi then pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. Chen Huan'er didn’t resist; the scent she had smelled earlier might have been pheromones. The two of them held hands and walked downstairs to their building, awkwardly trying to make small talk. Jing Qichi asked her if they were now officially a couple. Chen Huan'er didn’t answer, saying that he had never properly confessed to her.

Jing Qichi immediately became serious, but before he could say more, Chen Lei interrupted them. Jing Qichi hesitated for a while before calling Chen Huan'er. Lin Yifan suddenly barged in to ask about their phone plan, and Jing Qichi, startled, hung up. Later, Jing Qichi sent Chen Huan'er a message, saying that he had been serious just now. He asked her if she would be his girlfriend. Chen Huan'er laughed and called him silly, but happily agreed. Jing Qichi laughed quietly to himself under the covers, and in his excitement, he accidentally made the bed collapse.

Jing Qichi arrived at Chen Huan'er's house early in the morning. When he entered her room, the two of them suddenly felt a little awkward being alone together. Jing Qichi asked Chen Huan'er when they should tell the adults about their relationship, but before she could answer, Chen Lei came in. He specifically reminded Jing Qichi to take good care of Chen Huan'er and emphasized that he must not let some random guy take her away.

Jing Qichi humbly agreed, feeling like a big bad wolf guarding the sheep. Chen Huan'er thought it would be best not to tell the adults for now, as Chen Lei might not be ready to accept the fact that she was dating. As for Song Cong and Qi Qi, Jing Qichi had already informed them about their relationship the night before. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi met up with Song Cong and Qi Qi.

The two of them reacted calmly to their relationship news—after all, the whole world already knew they liked each other. Song Cong even teased that Jing Qichi had liked Chen Huan'er for a long time but never dared to confess because he was afraid of being rejected. As they discussed their return tickets, it turned out that Qi Qi had booked a business-class seat while Song Cong had chosen second class.

Qi Qi wanted to exchange her business-class ticket for a second-class one so she could sit next to Song Cong, which made him uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Qi Qi’s mother had frozen her bank card due to her decision to switch majors, but Qi Qi managed to make some money by selling her old clothes and bags. After reading Qi Qi’s online novel, her mother acknowledged her talent and suggested that she study literature abroad.

She believed writing novels on the internet would only diminish her passion for literature. Back at school, Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er planned to find the right moment to tell their roommates about their relationship. That evening, Zhou Ye invited the girls from Chen Huan'er's dorm to have hot pot in the boys' dorm. Jing Qichi treated the situation as a major event, tidying up his dorm as if preparing for battle.

At night, Chen Huan'er and her friends sneaked into the dorm, heavily wrapped up to avoid being noticed. She and Jing Qichi planned to announce their relationship during the gathering. However, Zhou Ye was busy feeding Dong Huixin food in an overly affectionate manner, so Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er tried to do the same to subtly hint at their relationship. Yet, no one paid attention to them.

Even when their matching profile pictures were noticed, their friends didn’t suspect anything, assuming that if they were ever going to be together, it would have happened long ago. Some even joked that Jing Qichi liked older, dominant women and that Chen Huan'er preferred strong, assertive men, which annoyed both of them. Just as they were about to make their announcement, the power suddenly went out because of the high-wattage appliance they were using.

In a panic, they quickly hid the hot pot, and the girls dove under the blankets to avoid being caught by the dorm supervisor. After the eventful night, Jing Qichi and Chen Huan'er were eager to tell everyone about their relationship, but every time they tried, their roommates lost interest the moment they heard it was about them. Frustrated and helpless, the two of them decided to change their duty shifts to Wednesday afternoons.

Before heading out, they both carefully dressed up, with Jing Qichi even preparing roses, determined to create the perfect moment for their first real kiss. However, when they finally stood face-to-face, gazing at each other, they couldn't help but laugh. Just as the atmosphere was about to reach the right moment, Zhou Ye suddenly barged in, not only ruining the mood but also accidentally destroying the "LOVE"-shaped nuts that Jing Qichi had carefully arranged.

Even though their date was ruined, Chen Huan'er wasn’t upset. She curiously asked Jing Qichi when he first started liking her, but he couldn't pinpoint an exact moment. Chen Huan'er had a little secret—her first time holding hands with Jing Qichi wasn't actually on the day of her father’s proposal, but on the day they went on vacation when Jing Qichi was sick.

Jing Qichi suddenly realized that back then, Chen Huan'er had accused him of wrongdoing first to cover up her own feelings. If only he had woken up a little earlier, they might have gotten together much sooner. At that moment, the lights in the gym dimmed at just the right time. Jing Qichi finally had the chance to kiss Chen Huan'er. Zhou Ye and the others watched from the sidelines, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

It turned out they had already figured out the two were dating and had just been teasing them the whole time. Meanwhile, Qi Qi went drinking with her friends, but whenever the conversation turned to Song Cong, her mood worsened. She drank too much, and Song Cong was called to pick her up. However, Qi Qi, now drunk, insisted that he drink with her. With no other option, he reluctantly took a sip, but she still refused to leave.

Only after drinking to her heart’s content did Song Cong finally take her to a hotel. Song Cong had an exam early the next morning, but Qi Qi stubbornly wouldn’t let him go. She told him that the way he loved someone wasn’t right—she had seen how he looked when he liked Chen Huan'er. Song Cong was confused. He had lost himself over Chen Huan'er before, and now he was making a real effort to treat Qi Qi well.

Their argument escalated, and Song Cong left in disappointment. He finally understood that they had never been on equal footing. He had always believed that as long as two people genuinely cared for each other, it would be enough, but with differences in family background and social standing, effort alone could never bridge the gap.

Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi were reluctant to part as they hugged downstairs before going home. Neither wanted to let go. But when Chen Huan'er saw Lin Yifan approaching, she quickly pulled away from Jing Qichi’s embrace, awkwardly said goodbye, and hurried upstairs. Unexpectedly, Lin Yifan had already seen them hugging. In fact, she had long noticed—back in high school, Jing Qichi was always revolving around Chen Huan'er.

She told Jing Qichi that now that they were together, he needed to take responsibility like a real man. Qi Qi woke up in the hotel, recalling what Song Cong had told her. She immediately called her mother to say she had decided to study abroad. Then, she sent a message to Song Cong, asking to talk after his exams were over. Meanwhile, Chen Huan'er went to Jing Qichi’s house to find him.

Although they had both returned home for the holidays to see their parents, Lin Yifan was out, and Chen Lei and Qian Lina had also gone out, leaving the two of them free to go on a date. Chen Huan'er sat on Jing Qichi’s lap, enjoying the intimate atmosphere. Just as they were about to kiss, Chen Lei suddenly returned to close the windows—only to witness the scene with his own eyes.

His loud shout startled them so much that they nearly jumped out of their skins. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi were subjected to an interrogation by Chen Lei and Qian Lina. Chen Lei was particularly emotional, angry that Jing Qichi hadn't told him in person before. Chen Huan'er quickly pushed him to go home, while Qian Lina also felt that Chen Lei was overreacting—after all, Jing Qichi was a good kid.

Chen Huan'er was upset by Chen Lei’s attitude and stormed off to her room in frustration. Qian Lina, feeling sorry for Chen Huan'er, also retreated to her room. Left alone, Chen Lei sat on the sofa all night. The next morning, when Chen Huan'er woke up and didn’t see him, she was startled. As expected, Chen Lei had gone to Jing Qichi’s house, saying he needed to talk to him.

Chen Lei apologized to Jing Qichi for his reaction the previous night. To him, Chen Huan'er and Qian Lina were the two most important people in his life, and now Jing Qichi was "taking" one away—his difficulty in accepting it was understandable. Today, Chen Lei had come to make a few things clear: First, Jing Qichi must treat Chen Huan'er well.

Second, even if they were to break up one day, they should do so amicably—after all, they had been friends for so many years. Standing outside the door, Chen Huan'er overheard the conversation. Tears streamed down her face. Qi Qi asked Song Cong if he would support her if she went abroad and whether he would consider studying abroad himself in the future. But Song Cong had eight years of study ahead of him and had never considered this possibility.

He supported Qi Qi’s decision to go abroad and wouldn't try to stop her. Qi Qi, however, was disappointed. Deep down, she had hoped that Song Cong would try to persuade her to stay—it would have shown that he wanted to be part of her life. She decided to break up with him. In truth, she had always known they came from different worlds.

To be together, they had both changed a lot, but in their hearts, they were both people who valued freedom. In the end, Qi Qi hugged Song Cong the way she used to and bid farewell to the long-held feelings she had for him. In the blink of an eye, they were already in their third year of university. Chen Huan'er decided to pursue a master's degree, while Jing Qichi was negotiating a collaboration with a tech company.

But right now, it was just him and Zhou Ye working on the project, and he worried that he wouldn’t have enough time to be with Chen Huan'er. When Chen Huan'er got her period, Jing Qichi made sure Zhou Ye bought her some brown sugar ginger tea—after all, Qian Lina had repeatedly reminded him that she must not drink anything cold during this time.

Meanwhile, this month, Hao Mei transferred extra living expenses to Song Cong, telling him to take Qi Qi out more often. But Song Cong declined—he and Qi Qi had already broken up for some time. Jing Qichi and Zhou Ye went to the tech company to meet with General Manager Jiang. There, they ran into Fu Ying, who worked at the company.

To thank her for the introduction, Jing Qichi invited her to dinner that evening and also called Chen Huan'er along. Zhou Ye scolded him for being thoughtless—how could he bring both his rumored girlfriend and his actual girlfriend to the same dinner? That night, Chen Huan'er and Fu Ying added each other on WeChat and ended up chatting happily. Jing Qichi was puzzled—this wasn't how Zhou Ye had described it at all!

In reality, Chen Huan'er didn't mind Jing Qichi working with Fu Ying, but that didn’t mean she had to sit through dinner with a sour expression the whole time. Meanwhile, Song Cong asked his roommate for the contact of the admin of a part-time job group. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Du Man. After being scammed in a part-time job before, Du Man had created the group out of frustration.

This time, she was able to help Song Cong a lot. Chen Huan'er went to deliver some documents to her professor and unexpectedly ran into Tian Chi. He had just been accepted into Professor Qiu’s graduate program. The two exchanged an awkward greeting. Jing Qichi rented an apartment outside, and Chen Huan'er came over to help him clean up. Before they knew it, it was already 11 p. m. Jing Qichi hesitated before awkwardly suggesting that she sleep in the bed while he stayed up late coding.

Jing Qichi prepared toiletries for Chen Huan'er before carefully stepping out to let her take a shower. Lying on Jing Qichi’s bed, Chen Huan'er found it hard to fall asleep. Jing Qichi told her that if she couldn’t sleep, she could think about their future—like imagining what their home would be like. Chen Huan'er immediately started fantasizing. She wanted their home to be like a residential courtyard, just like it is now, with a garden and a kitchen.

Gradually, Chen Huan'er drifted into sleep. Jing Qichi tucked her in and quietly placed a kiss on her face. For the future, he only wanted to have her by his side. Through Du Man’s introduction, Song Cong started tutoring a high school student. However, the student requested to study advanced mathematics. The reason? He couldn't accept anyone being better than him. This mindset reminded Song Cong of his own high school days.

Since childhood, he had always been seen as a "study god" in others' eyes—always the top student. But after getting into university, he realized there were people better than him. He was no longer number one. It was from that moment on that Song Cong started feeling that studying was painful. Later, he pushed himself to study day and night, and finally, in one exam, he placed second.

But instead of fighting to take first place again, he let go of that obsession. The student who ranked first was someone who barely attended class but had an innate talent. After giving up the fixation on being first, Song Cong felt much lighter. After the tutoring session ended, Du Man handed Song Cong the tutoring fee. The student had requested a different tutor. Song Cong accepted it calmly. He simply couldn't meet the student’s expectations.

After all, who can stay at the top forever? Song Cong offered to treat Du Man to a meal, but Du Man chose to eat at the school cafeteria instead. She had always been a top student too, but she had known from a young age that just because you want something doesn't mean you can always get it. Jing Qichi, Chen Huan'er, Song Cong, Du Man, Liao Xinyan, and Li Tian gathered for a meal.

They all decided to stay in Wu'an. Du Man and Song Cong were on an eight-year combined bachelor's, master's, and PhD program. Li Tian planned to return to the hospital for his internship. Meanwhile, Liao Xinyan was in the middle of a passionate romance and had decided to take the civil service exam. Chen Huan'er hadn’t expected Liao Xinyan to go for the civil service. Maybe she was the only one among them who truly knew what she wanted.

Youth was passing by in a hurry, but life always had unexpected surprises. In the second semester of their third year, Chen Huan'er decided to pursue graduate school. Qiu Li’s family arranged for him to intern at a research company, while Huang Lu was ready to focus on her relationship. They all stayed up late drinking and chatting. When Dong Huixin finally returned after a long phone call, she announced that she had decided not to go to graduate school.

She would return home after graduation and find a job. Her younger brother was about to enter his final year of high school, and as his older sister, she had to contribute. The reason she changed her mind was because of that phone call with her parents. Hearing this, Chen Huan'er felt upset for her and deeply sorry.

But Dong Huixin was still thinking about Chen Huan'er's chance at securing a graduate research spot—if she withdrew, Chen Huan'er's chances would be higher. Truthfully, Dong Huixin had always known how much everyone cared for her. Huang Lu, Qiu Li, and Chen Huan'er all urged Dong Huixin to reconsider. The group of friends hugged each other tightly, crying their hearts out.

President Jiang assigned two new team members to Jing Qichi, but they clearly looked down on him because of his age. Fu Ying informed Jing Qichi that the project launch date had been moved up—by two weeks. Jing Qichi and Zhou Ye were exhausted. Engineer Cai was supposedly sent to help, but in reality, he only made things worse. He even treated them like errand boys.

Chen Huan'er secretly visited Jing Qichi at work for lunch and reminded Zhou Ye to check on Dong Huixin, as she wasn’t in a good mood. During the meal, Jing Qichi received a call from President Jiang, questioning why he had removed Engineer Cai from the project team. He was then given a strict order to complete the project within the newly assigned deadline. After hearing Chen Huan'er's words, Jing Qichi suddenly regained confidence.

Jing Qichi asked Fu Ying to investigate Engineer Cai’s preferences and past project history. Afterward, he and Zhou Ye bought roast duck—Engineer Cai’s favorite dish. Jing Qichi then spoke directly to Engineer Cai, pointing out that his past projects had all failed in recent years. Engineer Cai needed a successful, fast-launching project, and Jing Qichi needed his help. They could support each other. During their hospital internship, Song Cong and Du Man rented apartments near the hospital—and ended up as neighbors.

Chen Huan'er successfully secured a graduate research spot. However, Dong Huixin ultimately didn’t continue her studies. In the field of pharmaceutical science, without further education, there weren’t many career opportunities. In the end, she returned to her hometown and took a regular job to support her brother through college. Life was simply unfair. One day at the hospital, Du Man and Song Cong experienced the death of a patient for the first time. Both of them were deeply affected.

Back home, Song Cong grabbed a beer from the fridge, trying to relieve his stress. Meanwhile, Du Man’s takeout order was mistakenly delivered to Song Cong’s place. Since he hadn’t eaten yet, Du Man ended up cooking instant noodles, and they ate together. Du Man had imagined countless times what it would be like to witness a patient’s death. But when the moment actually came, she found it impossible to accept.

Song Cong said, "Maybe one day, we’ll get used to it. "Both of them had been drinking. Suddenly, Du Man leaned in and kissed Song Cong. Then, she abruptly pulled away.

When Du Man was walking Song Cong home, she saw her mother standing outside the door. Her expression immediately became serious. Sensing that something was wrong, Song Cong quickly returned to his own room. Du Man’s mother had brought her some fruit, but their conversation was distant and awkward. Her mother had left when she was very young, and this time, she had only come back to ask for money.

Du Man was heartbroken—she had thought her mother came to see her out of concern! She cried out in agony, her voice hoarse. Next door, Song Cong heard the commotion and grew worried. He only opened his door after hearing Du Man’s mother leave. He found Du Man standing alone in the hallway, trying to catch her breath, her face full of sorrow. They went for a walk in the park.

Du Man told him that this was the first time she had seen her mother in over ten years. Her family had been poor when she was a child. Every time she passed a claw machine, she wanted to play, but her mother always told her they were scams. One time, she cried so hard that her mother finally promised to take her to play on her birthday. But before her birthday arrived, her mother was already gone.

Du Man cried every day, wanting to go find her mother. Her father took her to a claw machine and told her, "If you can catch a toy, I'll take you to find your mom. "Song Cong took out two coins, offering to let her try again. But instead of playing, Du Man walked over to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of cola. Things that are out of reach no longer matter—it's better to get something useful instead.

Four years of university were about to come to an end, and soon it was time for their graduation photos. Jing Qichi had been busy with his project launch, so Chen Huan'er didn’t expect him to show up. Still, she felt a little sad on the day of the photo shoot. Just as the camera shutter clicked, Jing Qichi suddenly rushed into the frame and lifted Chen Huan'er into the air.

It turned out that the project had taken a turn for the better—thanks to Engineer Cai’s help, it had successfully launched. Chen Huan'er was accepted as a graduate student under her ideal advisor, and Jing Qichi’s project was successfully launched. But during their meal, Jing Qichi seemed preoccupied. The headquarters wanted him to transfer with his project and officially join the company. The problem was—the headquarters was in Beijing.

If he really went, it wouldn’t just be three months of long distance. It would be three years. Jing Qichi hesitated. Chen Huan'er decided to go with him to Beijing to see what it was like. At the company, Jing Qichi had a one-on-one meeting with Gong Bo in the conference room, while Chen Huan'er waited downstairs for a long time. Jing Qichi realized that the headquarters’ planning and development were indeed far more advanced.

If he worked at the headquarters, Yangwu would also have a better future. After the meeting, they arranged to have hotpot with Du Man and Song Cong. During the meal, Du Man suddenly asked, "So, when are you two getting married? "Caught off guard, Chen Huan'er blushed. That night, Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi stayed at Du Man and Song Cong’s place. In separate rooms, they both ended up gossiping about each other's relationships.

Talking about whether Jing Qichi should move to Beijing, he still felt conflicted. He was worried that Chen Huan'er would be sad. Chen Huan'er, on the other hand, was worried because they had never been apart for such a long distance before. That night, Du Man received an apology message from her mother. Despite everything, her soft heart gave in, and she still sent her some money.

After thinking about it for a long time, Chen Huan'er decided that she wanted Jing Qichi to go. If he stayed in Wu’an, he would definitely have regrets. And she didn’t want those regrets to be because of her. When they returned to Wu’an, Chen Huan'er helped Jing Qichi pack his luggage. Watching her, Jing Qichi was suddenly reminded of how Lin Yifan used to help Jing Liqiang pack before his missions.

Jing Qichi moved to Beijing and temporarily stayed at Song Cong’s place. Zhou Ye and Fu Ying also came to Beijing with him. However, during the company meeting, Gong Bo’s proposal was completely different from what Jing Qichi had originally planned. Jing Qichi didn’t want to go against the original vision of Yangwu. Gong Bo gave him two weeks to convince the decision-making team—otherwise, he would have to leave. Chen Huan'er officially became Professor Qiu’s graduate student.

After her first visit to the lab, she ran into Tian Chi. They were in the same research group. Tian Chi told her that he hoped she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable around him because of the past.

Jing Qichi took some time to call Chen Huan'er and tell her about what was happening at the company. Chen Huan'er supported him in everything he did. She mentioned that she had just run into Tian Chi and that they might be working together on experiments in the future. Worried that Jing Qichi would mind, she hesitated before bringing it up.

Jing Qichi acted tough and said that as long as it was good for her studies, he had no problem with it. At the lab, Chen Huan'er was constantly ordered around by her senior, who even made her write his research report. She felt that this went beyond her responsibilities. If discovered, it could be a serious issue. Chen Huan'er refused, and Tian Chi stepped in to support her. However, this only angered the senior even more.

Everyone was stumbling through the inevitable journey of growth. Jing Qichi sent Chen Huan'er a bunch of items with his photo printed on them—to keep her company in his absence. Long-distance relationships were already difficult. Jing Qichi was getting busier and busier, and it was becoming harder for Chen Huan'er to reach him. Many times, she could only catch glimpses of him through Fu Ying’s social media posts.

Meanwhile, Du Man received a call from the police station and found out that her mother was a scammer. Not only had she believed her mother, but she had also given her all her savings. Song Cong once again took out a coin and asked her if she wanted to try again. They played the claw machine several times and finally caught a plush toy. That moment of joy was real.

One day, Chen Huan'er had a stomachache and messaged Jing Qichi, but he was still caught up with work. The next day, Jing Qichi called to comfort her, but before they could talk for long, he was suddenly called into a meeting. Chen Huan'er's stomach pain worsened. While doing an experiment, she could no longer hold on and fainted in front of Tian Chi. When Jing Qichi finally had time to call her back, he couldn’t reach her at all.

He tried video calling her and was shocked to see that she was in the hospital. She had a severe case of gastroenteritis and was on an IV drip. Jing Qichi was frustrated with himself. Just then, Tian Chi arrived with some porridge for Chen Huan'er. Chen Huan'er quickly lowered her phone to hide the screen. Jing Qichi was in a terrible mood. Unable to rest easy, he grabbed his driver's license, rented a car, and drove straight back to Wu'an.

After finishing her IV drip, Chen Huan'er realized that Tian Chi had been waiting for her the whole time. Worried about her being alone, he insisted on walking her back to the dorm. Just as they arrived, Jing Qichi returned—only to witness this scene. Jealousy hit him hard. But before he could say anything, Tian Chi criticized him first. "How could you not even know she was sick?

"Back in her dorm, Chen Huan'er had just sat down when she got a call from her senior, telling her to pack up and leave for a research trip the next day. She wanted to delay it for a couple of days because of her health, but in order to secure her name on the project, she agreed to go. Jing Qichi texted her, saying he was downstairs. Excited, Chen Huan'er rushed down to meet him.

But Jing Qichi, still upset about Tian Chi walking her back, lost his temper. All the frustrations of long-distance poured out in that moment. Chen Huan'er didn’t want to argue. She told Jing Qichi to go back so he wouldn’t delay his work, and she needed to pack for the trip anyway. Jing Qichi visited a loyal Yangwu user, hoping to get some suggestions.

The user had actually been hoping to meet him, too—because of Yangwu, he had made friends and met like-minded people. Jing Qichi called Chen Huan'er several times, but she still wasn’t picking up. When he called Tian Chi, he finally found out that she had gone to Tonglin Village for research. There, her senior had left her alone in the mountains to monitor data. Jing Qichi immediately got in his car and rushed over—there was a heavy rainstorm forecasted.

Realizing he couldn’t make it back to Beijing in time, he handed over the project plan to Fu Ying and asked her to present it on his behalf. Jing Qichi anxiously drove to Tonglin Village. This was also the place where Jing Liqiang had his accident years ago. Braving the storm, Jing Qichi ran into the mountains, calling out Chen Huan'er's name. In his daze, he seemed to see Jing Liqiang waving at him through the firelight.

Just then, Chen Huan'er appeared and grabbed his arm. After the rain stopped, they went to the supply station for sample collection. Chen Huan'er gave Jing Qichi a sample of soil from the fire site—she understood what was on his mind. It had been a long time since they had sat together like this. Jing Qichi started questioning whether going to Beijing had been the right choice. Yes, he had been busy. But inside, he felt empty.

Chen Huan'er felt the same way. She told Jing Qichi the story behind her name. To her, Jing Qichi was someone special. He never dismissed her thoughts. Chen Huan'er had always been grateful to have met Jing Qichi, and she never regretted being with him.

Chen Huan'er walked with Jing Qichi through the forest for a long time. Jing Qichi had dreamed of this forest before. Again and again, he asked if they had ever seen Jing Liqiang, but no one answered him. Fortunately, the wind carried the answer. Fu Ying attended the meeting in Jing Qichi’s place, but their proposal was not approved. Jing Qichi was deeply disappointed.

Fu Ying had actually wanted to tell them earlier—the company was already well-established, and every project that was accepted was closely tied to future development. There was no way they would change course just for newcomers like them. At the very least, the company had given them a 1% chance. It was just that, as ordinary people, they didn’t have the ability to seize it.

The reason Fu Ying was able to stay and even get promoted was because she had already received an offer from the headquarters before joining. The reason she chose to spend this month fighting alongside them was simply so she could stand by her friends one last time. Jing Qichi was disheartened and hoped Zhou Ye could try to fight for another chance. But Zhou Ye really couldn’t stay any longer.

During the meeting, he lost his temper and lashed out at Gong Bo. Jing Qichi also decided to pack his things and leave with him. Perhaps he just wasn’t suited for the company. At the research presentation, Senior Gao'ang was exposed—Dr. Qiu discovered that he had barely participated in the experiment. Chen Huan'er and Tian Chi were able to reclaim their rightful data.

Chen Huan'er was on the phone with Jing Qichi when she suddenly turned her head and saw him standing there. She was overjoyed to learn that he had quit the company and moved back into his old rental apartment. Without hesitation, she packed her things and moved in with him. That night, while she was showering, the power suddenly went out. Jing Qichi entered the bathroom holding a candle, worried she might be scared, and waited there with her.

After drying her hair, Chen Huan'er lay on Jing Qichi’s lap, softly calling his name. After being apart for so long, the lovers melted into each other’s embrace. Chen Huan'er and Jing Qichi arranged a gathering with Du Man, Song Cong, and Liao Xinyan. Liao Xinyan had passed the civil service exam and dressed like a strong, career-driven woman. Li Tian unexpectedly showed up with his fiancée. Qi Qi was there too—she already had a boyfriend. Song Cong sincerely congratulated her.

They took out a book from their old high school book-sharing project and reminisced about their high school days. There was no pain in their memories, only happiness. Was this the life they had wanted? Chen Huan'er, Jing Qichi, and Li Tian all answered with a firm "yes. "Du Man, Song Cong, and Liao Xinyan hesitated, but perhaps the present moment was always the best. Jing Qichi invited everyone over to his home in a few days.

To their surprise, he used a projector to display their old messages from years ago. When they were kids, Li Tian had dreamed of going to Cambridge. Though he never made it there, he had still fallen in love with the life he lived. Back then, Qi Qi wanted to make her mother proud. Now, she realized that wasn’t as important anymore—her life was her own to control, and she was happy with it.

Du Man was no longer lonely—she had found new friends among her old classmates. Liao Xinyan used to want to date and collect experiences with all twelve zodiac signs. Now, she had tried what she wanted to try and was ready to focus on her career. Song Cong had grown by learning to accept his own ordinariness. Chen Huan'er used to worry about not having a goal. But life had no standard answers.

At least, at this moment, she was truly happy. Perhaps some friends could only walk with us for a short while, but even that brief journey made our lives complete. Chen Huan'er fell into a deep sleep on Jing Qichi’s bed. Their mothers called them out to make dumplings. A video of Jing Qichi played on the computer.

In the video, he said, "Even if, many years from now, we’ve long forgotten this afternoon, some things will change, but some things will never change."

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