Episode Summary
Chang Wuji's memory is tested, while family tensions rise. Qian Kang struggles with family obligations, and a misunderstanding between Chen Xiu'e and her mother unearths years of resentment. Zhang Qiming seeks a divorce to pursue his new relationship.
Spoiler Alert
This episode centers around memories, family secrets, and long-simmering resentments.
The episode kicks off with the gang testing Chang Wuji's incredible memory. He amazes everyone by memorizing three phone numbers after just a ten-second glance. The friends then gather gifts for Xiao Han's upcoming birthday. Even though it's still a few days away, Qian Jiayue suggests getting a head start on the celebration, hinting at other good things on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiu'e gets a new outfit for an upcoming reunion with her girlfriends. Wanting to impress, she asks her mother if she can borrow her watch. Later, while Qian Kang (Chen Xiu'e's husband) is cleaning, he accidentally bumps Qian Jiayue's computer, revealing the hiding spot of her journals. Although Chen Xiu'e is tempted to peek, she resists the urge, and her mother puts the journals back.
Qian Jiayue, hoping to get published in the school magazine, interviews Chang Wuji again after their exams. Chang Wuji, famished after the test, suggests they talk over food. Qian Jiayue takes him to Ka Men's mother's wonton shop, where a crowd of excited mothers, fans of Chang Wuji after his "Super Brain" competition victory, swarms him. Qian Jiayue helps him escape the enthusiastic crowd, and they finally get a chance to chat about studies and life over a meal.
Zhang Qiming, having confessed his love for Guan Aiping and been accepted, is now focused on divorcing his ex-wife. His ex-wife had previously requested a divorce from Japan, but Zhang Qiming had been stalling. Now, eager to start his new relationship, he's stuck without the divorce papers. He searches his old house, specifically Mao Tou's room, but can't find his ex-wife's letter, which he needs to contact her.
Qian Jiayue's father, Zhang Qiming, is feeling down and runs into Qian Kang, who is also burdened with worries. With the New Year approaching, Qian Kang confesses his troubles. He hasn't been back to his hometown in five years, and his family, especially his father, is upset. His father even threatened to cut ties if he doesn't return.
Qian Kang knows his wife, Chen Xiu'e, doesn't want to go back because of the family's preference for sons over daughters. After Chen Xiu'e gave birth to Qian Jiayue, she faced a lot of mistreatment from his parents. Zhang Qiming asks Xiao Han's mother to talk to Chen Xiu'e, hoping she can understand Qian Kang's dilemma. However, even after Ka Men's mother and Xiao Han's mother try to persuade her, Chen Xiu'e remains unwilling to go with her husband to visit his parents.
The episode takes a dramatic turn when Chen Xiu'e returns home to be confronted by her daughter, who suspects her of reading her diary. Chen Xiu'e denies it, but the situation escalates when Chen Xiu'e's mother accuses her of stealing her watch. Chen Xiu'e is shocked, claiming the watch she's wearing was borrowed from a friend. Her mother, however, insists it's hers, even bringing up Chen Xiu'e's childhood habit of stealing and lying in front of Qian Jiayue.
This accusation triggers a deep-seated resentment in Chen Xiu'e. She breaks down, revealing her lifelong pain of feeling unfairly treated by her mother, who always favored her brother. She recounts how her mother denied her a job opportunity in Shanghai, giving it to her brother instead, who eventually went to America. Chen Xiu'e was left to endure fifteen years of hardship in the countryside. She runs out in tears. Later, Chen's mother finds her actual watch, realizing she was mistaken and deeply regretting her accusations.
Qian Kang returns home with roast duck, finds Chen Xiu'e missing, and goes out to find her. After some persuasion, he convinces her to come back. Qian Jiayue comforts her mother with a large bag of White Rabbit candies, promising her an endless supply. Chen's mother also makes an effort, helping to reheat the roast duck.
