Episode 12 recap: Xie Shi's Secret Crush Revealed
In episode 12, Song Nian Nian and Shen Yi finally worked up the courage to announce to Xie Shi and Xu Mu that they were getting married. The two were blushing like ripe apples, and Song Nian Nian couldn't stop gushing about how Shen Yi would have been her biggest regret if she had missed out on him. Shen Yi was deeply moved by her words.
The group partied late into the night, and the tipsy Shen Yi caught Xie Shi's attention. Xie Shi took off his jacket and draped it over Shen Yi, a genuinely heartwarming gesture.
As the night wore on, Xie Shi and Xu Mu were tasked with escorting the two drunken lovebirds home. To their surprise, this ended up with Xie Shi and Xu Mu "forced" to share a bed. Xu Mu naturally gravitated closer to Xie Shi, and Xie Shi carefully covered Xu Mu with the blanket.
The next morning, Xu Mu woke up to find himself cuddling Xie Shi, feeling incredibly awkward and pretending to still be asleep. When Xie Shi eventually woke up, Xu Mu slowly got up and tentatively asked how Xie Shi slept, to which Xie Shi replied with a smile that it was quite good.
That day, Xie Shi's phone kept ringing with calls from an unknown number. He kept rejecting them, but the caller persisted. Xie Shi finally sent them a message telling them to stop the harassment.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu worked late and made sure to text Xie Shi that he'd be home later, but Xie Shi didn't respond. When Xu Mu got home, Xie Shi wasn't there, and his phone was left behind. Xu Mu felt Xie Shi's forehead and was alarmed by the fever. He quickly set to work, wiping Xie Shi's forehead and taking his temperature, only settling down once the fever had broken.
The next morning, Xie Shi was woken by the aroma of the porridge Xu Mu had prepared, feeling a warmth in his heart. Xu Mu felt guilty for not realizing Xie Shi was sick sooner and promised to always communicate if anything was wrong.
Just then, Xie Shi's father showed up, once again demanding money. Xie Shi refused, but his father resorted to emotional blackmail, invoking Xie Shi's deceased mother. Xie Shi relented and gave him the money, only to watch his father carelessly toss his mother's old bracelet to the ground. Xu Mu witnessed the entire heartbreaking scene.
Afterward, Xu Mu learned from Xie Shi's aunt about his family's situation - a gambling-addicted, abusive father, and how Xie Shi had often been beaten trying to protect his mother, even breaking bones. Xie Shi's mother had ultimately passed away.
Returning home, Xu Mu tightly embraced Xie Shi, saying he wanted to become a proper family member. Xie Shi hugged him back, feeling relieved that Xu Mu knew his story. Xie Shi felt this was heaven-sent, teaching him strength and independence. Even when exhausted, Xu Mu insisted on staying by Xie Shi's side at work.
Inadvertently, Xu Mu discovered that Xie Shi had kept his high school yearbook, especially the articles Xu Mu had contributed. Xie Shi reminisced about their first meeting, when Xu Mu had bumped into him while carrying an injured kitten. The chance encounters had gradually endeared Xu Mu to Xie Shi, who had secretly helped Xu Mu, despite his aloof exterior.
Xie Shi admitted it was difficult for him to express his feelings for Xu Mu, but he had been overjoyed to see Xu Mu's articles published in the yearbook, which he had kept as a memento. He had also been curious about how he appeared in Xu Mu's eyes, though his own note had gone unnoticed. Their paths had regrettably diverged when Xie Shi studied abroad.
Now, the two had finally found their way back to each other, and all the little moments between them had become cherished reasons to hold each other even more dearly.
Comments(Episode 12)