Episode 20 recap: Jiang Xiao Yuan is searching for traces of the past.
Tomorrow, Jiang Xiao Yuan will be taking the college entrance examination. Today, she specifically washed and blow-dried Qi Lian's hair. She knew Qi Lian wanted to confirm their relationship, so they agreed to meet again after the exam, and she would give him an answer then. While Jiang Xiao Yuan was studying at home, many people came to their house demanding debts. Jiang Xiao Yuan's grandmother gave her all the money they had and told her to find an opportunity to escape. Jiang Xiao Yuan stumbled along the path, and Qi Lian came to pick her up intentionally. Since both of them had nowhere to go, Qi Lian took Jiang Xiao Yuan to his secret base, which was a long-closed hair salon covered in dust. They quickly tidied up and settled down.
Jiang Xiao Yuan wrapped herself in the only blanket they had. Seeing that Qi Lian had nothing to cover himself with, she let him share the blanket with her. They spent the night cuddling each other, and the next day, sunlight shone through the window onto both of them. Jiang Xiao Yuan had been gone for a long time, and her grandmother grew worried. She quickly contacted the village leader and learned that Jiang Xiao Yuan hadn't been to see him. They immediately started searching for her but couldn't find her. They hurriedly called Qi Lian.
Qi Lian walked on the railroad tracks, watching the train approaching from behind. The bright light hit his face, reminding him of his secret base with Jiang Xiao Yuan. He quickly rushed there and indeed found that the lock on the room had been opened. He discovered Jiang Xiao Yuan hiding in a corner, trembling uncontrollably, unable to accept that she was the Jiang Xiao Yuan of this world. Jiang Xiao Yuan felt a sense of warmth when Qi Lian appeared, but it also made her even more unable to accept that she was the Jiang Xiao Yuan of this world. She begged Qi Lian not to call her in that tone.
Qi Lian hugged Jiang Xiao Yuan tightly and assured her that he would always support and accompany her. Gradually, Jiang Xiao Yuan calmed down and found the box they had hidden there before. Inside, they found a contract. Qi Lian keenly noticed that the contract was signed by the Bright Labs, suspecting that Huo Bai Yu and Xu Jing Yang might also have become subjects of this laboratory, which led them to believe they were in a virtual world. Someone had been giving Huo Bai Yu tasks to make him believe he was in a virtual world.
After listening to Qi Lian's analysis and looking at the signature on the contract, Jiang Xiao Yuan became even more certain that she was the Jiang Xiao Yuan of this world. However, she still held onto a glimmer of hope and was unwilling to admit it. She always felt like the Jiang Xiao Yuan with short hair was constantly in her sights, making her feel particularly insecure.
Qi Lian took Jiang Xiao Yuan back home, and her grandmother had gone crazy with worry. When she saw Jiang Xiao Yuan, she couldn't help but blame her for leaving without saying a word, causing her and Uncle Qi to search all night. Jiang Xiao Yuan felt a twinge of guilt in her heart. After staying at home for a while and finding no other clues, she learned that Qi Lian had gone out today. She decided to go to the school alone, hoping to find something useful.
Qi Lian's mother was buried in Baiyang County. Today, his father unexpectedly called him. Qi Lian realized that it had been a long time since he last visited his mother's grave, so he went there. His father realized that abandoning his wife and child was a mistake and hoped to repair his relationship with Qi Lian. However, the independent Qi Lian no longer needed his concern and resolutely left.
When Qi Lian found Jiang Xiao Yuan, she was standing in the alley behind the school, watching the past Jiang Xiao Yuan and Qi Lian climb over the wall to avoid being late. Jiang Xiao Yuan couldn't climb up, but Qi Lian helped her up. When she turned her head, she saw the Qi Lian from their school days standing behind her, now grown up and wearing glasses. It took her a moment to recognize the grown-up Qi Lian.
Jiang Xiao Yuan asked Qi Lian not to look at her with the same gaze he used to look at the past Jiang Xiao Yuan, but in reality, she had also noticed the presence of the spirit. Jiang Xiao Yuan attempted to climb the wall first, but just like when she was a teenager, she couldn't do it. Qi Lian quickly gave her a boost and climbed over first, extending his hand to Jiang Xiao Yuan. Jiang Xiao Yuan, wanting to differentiate herself from the past Jiang Xiao Yuan, stubbornly insisted on climbing down by herself. However, she ended up accidentally pushing Qi Lian down instead. She quickly got up and helped Qi Lian brush off the fallen leaves from his body.
Jiang Xiao Yuan used to be the top student in her grade, and she believed that there should be traces of her presence in the school. She carefully examined the bulletin boards and classrooms but found nothing. At that moment, Qi Lian remembered that they had all written messages and sealed them in a time capsule, planning to open it together in ten years. He remembered burying the bottle under a big tree, so he and Jiang Xiao Yuan dug it up. Jiang Xiao Yuan found the scroll she had written, and as she opened it, she first saw her aspirations for life after the college entrance examination, hoping to earn a lot of money to provide a good life for her grandmother. Then she saw the day before signing the contract, hoping that the life she yearned for at the age of eight would become a reality. However, the reality was that her grandmother fell seriously ill and needed medical treatment, so she signed that paper contract.
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