She and Her Girls ep 18 recap/spoilers

Episode 18 recap: High School Girls Face the Gaokao Challenge

In Episode 18, as the Gaokao approaches, Director Zhou Shanqun calls the three high school principals in the county to his office to discuss their plans and goals. Principal Huang expresses his aim to achieve a one-third pass rate, while also striving for a certain percentage of students to qualify for the 985 and 211 universities. Principal Jiang also mentions his intention to improve upon last year's results. When it’s Zhang Guimei’s turn to speak, she confidently declares that she doesn’t care about pass rates; her goal is for all the female students to pass, regardless of whether they qualify for first-tier, second-tier, third-tier universities, or vocational colleges.

Her statement leaves everyone stunned. As they leave Zhou’s office, Principal Huang takes the opportunity to scold Zhang, saying she’s being unrealistic. He believes only a small fraction of the students are capable of passing, while most are merely there to support the few top performers. Zhang, however, firmly responds that she doesn’t care about those statistics; her mission in founding the school was to ensure that no student is left behind, not just to focus on the high achievers. Back at school, Zhang takes her megaphone and shares Huang’s statistics with the students, loudly questioning who wants to be the "denominator" that gets left behind. The students passionately respond that they do not want to be the denominator; they only want to be the numerator.

As the exam date draws closer, Zhang begins to push everyone to study day and night. The pressure affects not only the students but also the teachers, who enter a state of intense preparation. Classrooms and study rooms remain open 24 hours, with teachers taking turns to be available to answer questions. The female students are fully committed, ready to face this crucial test in their lives.

However, the relentless pressure leads to some students breaking down. This emotional strain quickly spreads among the others, and soon many are crying at their desks, expressing their desire to quit and go back to farming instead. Upon hearing this, the teachers plead with Zhang to give the students a break. In response, Zhang remains silent as she enters the classroom and writes “Stress Relief Meeting” on the board, encouraging everyone to express their feelings, whether through tears or venting frustrations, but reminding them they only have ten minutes to do so.

Noticing the silence in the room, Zhang decides to lead by example. She humorously criticizes herself for being overly demanding, likening herself to a tyrant in the eyes of others. Her self-deprecating comments make the students laugh, lightening the mood. One by one, the students begin to share their own experiences. Gu Yu speaks candidly about her feelings after skipping school, encouraging everyone to overcome their difficulties and not leave regrets in their lives. She passionately leads the group in chanting, “Female High School Spirit! Female High School Soul!” Her words bring tears to everyone’s eyes, including Zhang, who is deeply moved by the sincerity of her students.

Ultimately, the students are reinvigorated and return to their studies with renewed determination. On the eve of the Gaokao, Zhang conducts a final motivational meeting. After a rousing rendition of the national anthem, everyone recites the solemn pledge of the female high school students together. Zhang, brimming with confidence, tells them that the day they’ve been waiting for has finally arrived, and she is ready to send them into battle. She reassures them that she is not nervous because she has witnessed their hard work firsthand. The students from the first and second years even fold paper airplanes to wish their seniors good luck.

On the night before the exam, Zhang personally sharpens pencils for her students while the teachers distribute exam supplies. Dressed in their red school uniforms, the female students march with determination toward the exam center. As they prepare to enter, Zhang takes a moment to look at her students, controlling her emotions, and calls out gently yet firmly, “Let’s go in!” Inside the exam hall, the students methodically begin answering their papers, while Zhang and the teachers anxiously wait outside.