Episode Summary
Chen Huan'er's parents have a major fight, causing her to seek refuge at Jing Qichi's house. Qichi, along with Song Cong, tries to cheer her up. A birthday surprise for Qian Lina ultimately brings the family back together. Qichi buys Huan'er a special cake, sharing it with friends. The episode ends with a glimpse into the parents' enduring love, Jing Liqiang's transfer, and the start of Huan'er and Qichi's senior year of high school, with a focus on their futures.
Spoiler Alert
This episode kicks off with Chen Huan'er prepping a birthday surprise for Qian Lina. Her dad, Chen Lei, unexpectedly shows up, claiming he took time off work specifically to surprise Qian Lina. Huan'er is thrilled, but it's clear things are tense – Qian Lina has packed away all of Chen Lei's toiletries. The next day, Chen Lei finds expired milk and starts complaining about Qian Lina, who walks in right after her night shift. They get into a huge fight, leaving Huan'er so upset she ends up sitting outside on the steps.
Jing Qichi, up early to take out the trash, finds Huan'er looking distraught with messy hair. She admits her parents are fighting and asks if she can hide out at his place. Qichi messages Song Cong to hurry over, saying Huan'er needs him. Song Cong rushes over, still half-asleep. Qichi can't help but find the similar disheveled looks of Huan'er and Song Cong amusing. Huan'er is baffled by her parents' sudden blowup. While they've argued before, it's never been this bad. Song Cong mentions that his parents never fight; it's always his dad, Song Hang, getting yelled at.
Qichi shows Huan'er and Song Cong something he discovered the previous night, proving that Song Hang and Qian Lina are actually okay. However, he then notices something seems off between Song Hang and Lin Yifan, and he immediately, but discreetly, questions Yifan about it. Later, Song Cong bumps into Li Tian, who says he's thought about their previous conversation. Li Tian suggests that Song Cong doesn't need a definitive answer, especially if it's not what he wants to hear.
Meanwhile, Chen Lei leaves a note saying he's taking Huan'er out to plan a surprise for Qian Lina. But when Qian Lina sees the note, she panics and runs outside. Chen Lei and Huan'er, realizing their plan backfired, chase after her. Qian Lina is a mix of tears and laughter as she sees the decorations they've set up. The birthday cake is the one Chen Lei originally chose, which Qian Lina clearly prefers. Huan'er gives her mom a gift, and the family enjoys a happy moment, seemingly resolving the fight.
Later that night, Qichi takes Huan'er to their "Secret Base," acting all mysterious and telling her to close her eyes. When she opens them, she's holding a small cake – the kind she'd been eyeing earlier but couldn't buy because it wasn't sold in slices. Qichi couldn't afford the whole cake, so he got Song Cong and Li Tian to split the cost with him. Huan'er is moved to tears, and Qichi sweetly wipes them away. They all happily share the cake. Li Tian and Song Cong take their portions home to their parents, and we get a glimpse into the parents' generation and their enduring love for each other, proving Qichi's earlier suspicions wrong.
On the way home, it starts pouring rain. Qichi uses his jacket to shield Huan'er from the downpour. Chen Lei sees them together and gets worried, questioning Huan'er about what she was doing with Qichi so late. Back at his place, Qichi finds Lin Yifan helping Jing Liqiang pack. Liqiang is being transferred, and before leaving, he reminds Qichi to keep playing soccer and to look after Yifan, acknowledging that his son has grown up. Huan'er also sees her dad's packed suitcase, feeling a bit sad. She asks to take a photo with him.
School starts again, and Huan'er and Qichi are now in their senior year. The classroom is silent as everyone focuses on their studies and future. Qichi, finding the sports field empty, goes there alone, feeling down. Lin Yifan is worried about Qichi's college prospects and wonders if he should get him a tutor.
