Episode Summary
Tensions rise as college entrance exams loom. Jing Qichi faces a potential career-ending injury during a soccer match, jeopardizing his dreams. Chen Huan'er decides to pursue pharmacology, while Li Tian excels in an English competition, despite his father's disapproval. Friendships are tested, and futures hang in the balance.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 9 of "Always Home" dives deeper into the seemingly calm but secretly turbulent lives of high school sophomores. Chen Huan'er and Qi Qi's friendship remains strained, with unspoken feelings lingering between them. Meanwhile, Jing Qichi uses Chen Huan'er's computer to research admission scores for sports universities. While Chen Huan'er and Song Cong are confident about their academic futures, Jing Qichi worries about his chances of getting into college. Chen Huan'er, however, admires Jing Qichi's clear passion, while she feels uncertain about her own path. Jing Qichi jokes that she could study pharmacology, but Qian Lina points out that it's just as demanding as medicine, suggesting a girl might prefer an easier major.
Feeling down, Chen Huan'er takes a walk and finds Li Tian, who's also feeling low, sitting outside his building. Despite placing third in a recent exam, he can still hear his father, Dean Li, expressing his dissatisfaction from upstairs. Chen Huan'er shares some snacks with him, and Li Tian, trying to save face, asks her not to spread it around. Jing Qichi is amazed that Li Tian got the highest score on the essay section of the exam, while she only managed a 29.
Song Cong's mother, Hao Mei, brings him college entrance exam materials, but he's set on studying medicine and sneaks away. Jing Qichi is busy training for an upcoming competition that could bring him closer to his dream, believing that achieving your goals is all about determination. Chen Huan'er's chemistry teacher encourages her to enter a competition, suggesting she treat it as a learning experience. Jing Qichi, known for goofing off in chemistry class, gets a bit of a teasing.
Li Tian, despite his love for English, initially avoids the English speech competition because his parents don't see it as beneficial for his college application. Chen Huan'er believes they should help him, and Jing Qichi and Song Cong join Li Tian in the competition to provide cover for him. Simultaneously, Chen Huan'er prepares for the chemistry competition, where a fellow competitor, Du Man, seems to be experiencing stomach discomfort.
Even though Li Tian was a last-minute addition to the competition, he delivers a confident and impressive performance. Chen Huan'er assists Du Man, who later gives her a bunch of snacks from her family's shop. Chen Huan'er visits Jing Qichi's house and finds him, Song Cong, and Li Tian watching cartoons. Li Tian wins first place in the English competition, but his father remains unimpressed.
Chen Huan'er has now decided to pursue pharmacology, a decision Qian Lina doesn't fully support, handing her a copy of the "Compendium of Materia Medica" to study. Chen Huan'er isn't sure if her dream measures up to others', but it fills her with a unique sense of satisfaction.
The episode takes a dramatic turn when Jing Qichi, whose training team coach is present at his competition, gets injured. Song Cong and Chen Huan'er rush him to the hospital, where they learn he'll need several months to recover. Jing Qichi's parents, Lin Yifan and Jing Liqiang, tell them to go home, but a heated argument erupts between the parents after the kids leave. Qian Lina reveals that while Jing Qichi's injury is treatable, it's prone to recurrence, leaving his full recovery uncertain. This deeply worries Chen Huan'er, as she knows that for someone as passionate about soccer as Jing Qichi, this injury could mean the end of his dream.
