Episode Summary
Qian Jiayue expresses her secret feelings for Xiao Han by encoding song lyrics into lucky stars, but a series of misunderstandings leads to her confronting her mother and misinterpreting Xiao Han's advice about focusing on her studies.
Spoiler Alert
Qian Jiayue, fresh off getting into a top high school, receives a fancy pen from her neighbor and crush, Xiao Han. He gave her the pen as a prize that he won from a speech competition. Even though Xiao Han's own pen is always leaking ink, he wanted to give his friend a proper gift to celebrate her achievement. However, it's her mom Chen Xiu'e's present that really sends Jiayue over the moon. That night, fueled by excitement and the sounds of Jeff Chang's "Love is Like a Tide," she pulls an all-nighter, writing out the song lyrics and folding them into hundreds of tiny lucky stars. Each star has a number corresponding to a lyric, creating a secret coded message.
The next morning, Jiayue shows off her jar of stars to her best friend, who's totally impressed by the romantic gesture. But when Mao Tou (Jiayue's "sworn brother") and Xiao Han show up, Jiayue scrambles to hide her creation, accidentally stashing it in the wrong drawer. Mao Tou, being the clueless kid he is, discovers the stars and promptly dumps them out, using the fancy jar to house his prized cricket, "General."
Meanwhile, Chen Xiu'e throws a celebratory dinner for Jiayue, inviting the whole neighborhood, including Mao Tou's notoriously stingy father. Jiayue's mom, never one to hold back, proudly praises her daughter and even reads aloud a poem Jiayue wrote. The other parents listen intently, recognizing the familiar-sounding verses. Someone mentions a song, and Jiayue, who is outside with her friend Ka Men, questioning where all the stars are, suddenly realizes her mom is reciting the lyrics she'd written down – the very lyrics she'd later crumpled up and tossed in the trash! To make matters worse, these weren't just any lyrics; they were part of her secret, coded message. Mortified, she realizes her mom must have dug them out of the garbage.
Jiayue bursts into the party, confronting her mom for disrespecting her privacy and embarrassing her in front of everyone. She accuses her mom of being cheap and storms out. Chen Xiu'e is distraught and chases after her, but Jiayue is too fast. Xiao Han, knowing Jiayue's favorite spots, finds her and tries to smooth things over. He points out that while Chen Xiu'e might seem frugal, she's incredibly kind. He reveals that she buys him new sneakers every year, pretending they're unwanted clearance items just so he won't feel embarrassed. Jiayue is stunned, realizing she's misjudged her mother's actions.
Later, Mao Tou mentions the lyric sheet to Xiao Han. Xiao Han, noticing a pile of discarded lucky stars in the trash and remembering Jiayue's flustered reaction at the dinner, unfolds one. He sees the writing and numbers, finally understanding Jiayue's secret crush.
The next day, Jiayue's mom finally buys her a computer, and Mao Tou helps set it up. Xiao Han pulls Jiayue aside and encourages her to focus on her studies, reminding her that three years will fly by. He's essentially telling her to put any romantic notions on hold and prioritize her education. However, Jiayue misinterprets his words, believing he's reciprocating her feelings and promising to consider a relationship after they graduate.
