It’s all part of growing up.

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Previously on Back in Time/Cong Cong Na Nian… ep 14 recap

Anna’s Recap

Last episode showed us that it’s the end of an era, but this episode pretty much confirmed it. Chen Xun and Fang Hui are no more, and the Fab Five will follow in those footsteps. Remember when Jia Mo asked Chen Xun if he was willing to give up his group of friends for Shen Xiao Tang? Well, he has made his decision loud and clear for all of us to hear. With just one more episode left to go in this drama, how much more change will await these friends?

Now that Qiao Ran is finally back, is all going to be right in the world again? Probably not, but everything just feels so much more wonderful when he’s around! He tries to temporarily cheer up Fang Hui by whistling the same tune that he used to whistle on their walks home together. He also gives her the gift that he brought back from London: a little rose in a glass sphere (a reference to their fave book, The Little Prince). See! Everything becomes so much more lovely with Qiao Ran here.

As Fang Hui and Qiao Ran are walking around campus, making small talk about his life in London, they pause to look at the sunset. But before they can really enjoy the sunset, Fang Hui spots Chen Xun and Xiao Tang laughing and being obnoxious, of course. She quickly turns away, and Qiao Ran can see that she’s extremely upset about this. He tells her that he wants to bring her to a special place.

Qiao Ran brings Fang Hui to an overarching tree in a park, and says that this is the “Sorrow-Forgetting Tree.” If you hug the tree, you’ll be able to forget all your sorrows. He tells her that he became depressed after his father passed away, so his mom took him to this tree. Fang Hui asks if he remembers what sadness felt like, and he replies yes.

Qiao Ran tells her that over time, they’ll realize that the sadness in their hearts is only a fog. Once the fog is lifted, they’ll realize how wonderful it was to have at least once had the thing they lost. Fang Hui follows up by saying that when that happens, the happy memories will replace the sadness. Qiao Ran tells her that might not be possible, but he believes that everything will eventually turn good again with enough time. Fang Hui walks around the tree, and hugs one of its large branches.

When Qiao Ran meets up with Chen Xun the next day, Chen Xun’s excited to see him, but Qiao Ran’s got a murderous look in his eyes. He doesn’t say word to Chen Xun, and goes straight to punching him. Go Qiao Ran! Chen Xun knows that he deserved it because he’s wronged Fang Hui. Before Qiao Ran can get in another swing at him, Jia Mo runs over to break up the fight. She tells them that she’s found Zhao Ye, but he refuses to associate with them anymore. She asks them to stop fighting for now, and to go talk some sense into Zhao Ye. Qiao Ran reassures her that he’ll go see him. Jia Mo warns Chen Xun to not tell Zhao Ye about what happened between him and Fang Hui.

Qiao Ran and Chen Xun find Zhao Ye at the nightclub he’s working at, but he refuses to acknowledge them as his friends. He even tells them that there was no point in telling them that he was out of prison because they are people from different worlds now. Zhao Ye starts to walk away from them, and Qiao Ran yells after him. It’s only when Qiao Ran reminds him of how Chen Xun begged on his knees for him does Zhao Ye stop. The three bros make up, and they promise Zhao Ye that they can all have a reunion soon.

Qiao Ran tells Fang Hui the next day that Chen Xun wants to have a reunion dinner with the group, and she immediately asks if it has to be all five of them. He asks her if she’ll be okay with that, and she reassures him that she’s fine. While they’re eating lunch in the dining hall, some guy comes up to them and introduces himself as the director of the school’s drama club. He wants Fang Hui to be the leading actress in his production of Anna Karenina. Fang Hui hesitates in accepting the role, but Qiao Ran tells her to give it a try.

The director guy shows Fang Hui and Qiao Ran around the stage, and introduces her to the rest of the cast. Suddenly, we hear the voice of a homewrecker…three guesses who it is. Xiao Tang comes strolling onstage, and director guy introduces her as the second female lead. HA! Always second. When Fang Hui sees her, she immediately freezes up. But since Xiao Tang is a shameless homewrecker, she pretends to not know her and holds out her hand. That bitch. Qiao Ran sees how uncomfortable Fang Hui is, so he quickly tells the director that they have somewhere else to be. Once outside, Qiao Ran asks Fang Hui to not act in the play. But she tells him that she’s fine, and she has no reason to not be in the play. Damn right. If anyone should be hiding, it’s that homewreckin’ Shen Xiao Tang.

During the rehearsal, Fang Hui and the homewrecker are onstage exchanging lines about love, when Chen Xun walks in. Fang Hui gets nervous and messes up her lines, so the director suggests that Fang Hui can ad lib the lines. When she starts her lines again, it’s pretty obvious that she’s talking about her past relationship with Chen Xun. The homewrecker interrupts the scene to tell the director that she thinks the ad libbing is affecting the quality of the story. That bitch. The director gives Fang Hui more suggestions and starts to get a little handsy in his demonstrations. Both Chen Xun and Qiao Ran jump out of their seats to tell him to watch himself. Xiao Tang immediately tells Chen Xun to mind his own business. Ugh.

Fang Hui, Qiao Ran, Jia Mo, and Chen Xun meet up together to go to the reunion dinner for Zhao Ye. Before they leave, Qiao Ran tells them that they can’t say anything unhappy in front of Zhao Ye today. Too bad that everyone’s looking straight-up miserable. When Zhao Ye arrives at the cafe, he shows them the cast they had all signed when he broke his arm during the basketball competition. After Zhao Ye’s done welcoming Qiao Ran back and apologizing to Jia Mo for his poor attitude before, Fang Hui takes over the toasting duties.

Fang Hui is throwing back the drinks like it’s nothing. She toasts each person individually, saving Chen Xun for last. She wishes that he and Shen Xiao Tang will be happy, and Chen Xun quickly mutters that now isn’t the time to mention that. She asks him why she can’t mention it. She then plainly tells Zhao Ye that Chen Xun is now with someone else. Before she can drink her glass of beer, Chen Xun knocks it out of her hand and pushes her aside. WTF, Chen Xun!

Qiao Ran immediately leaps out of his seat to stand between Fang Hui and Chen Xun. He asks Chen Xun what the hell he thinks he’s doing and tells him that he has no right in pushing Fang Hui. Chen Xun replies that it’s none of his business, and that he can push whomever he likes. And of course a fight breaks out! Someone please punch Chen Xun a couple of times. Zhao Ye gets in between the two of them to get them to stop. But then, Qiao Ran goes OFF on Chen Xun. He yells at him for going against his promise that he will take care good care of Fang Hui.

Zhao Ye asks Chen Xun how he can treat Fang Hui and Qiao Ran like that when they are two of the most important people in his life. He tells him that he’s changed. But being the arrogant douche that he is, Chen Xun flips the conversation around and asks Zhao Ye if he has also forgotten that they are his brothers. He goes on by saying that if he considered them as his bros, he wouldn’t have purposely hid from them after he got out of his prison. Chen Xun tells them that of course they’re all right, and that he’s the only one in the wrong here.

Zhao Ye asks if the reason they got together today was to lecture him. He tells them to go ahead and fight then. He picks up the cast and throws it onto the ground, breaking it. Jia Mo tearfully tells them to all wake the hell up, and asks if they’ve completely forgotten the promises they made to one another. Fang Hui breaks down in tears and runs out of the cafe, with Chen Xun chasing after her.

When he catches up with her, he puts his jacket around her. NO, go away! Fang Hui tells him to stop and reminds him that they’ve already broken up. He tells her that she can hate him, but he doesn’t want her to make herself suffer. Then he utters Fang Hui’s most hated word: sorry. She asks if he remembers that he promised that he would never say that word to her. And if he remembers them drawing the class board together and going home together. And if he remembers giving her the soda tab ring. And if he remembers saying that they will get married, have kids, and be together forever. Chen Xun cries and tells her that he remembers all of it.

Fang Hui wipes away Chen Xun’s tears and asks if they can get back together. Noooo, she’s not thinking straight! He tells her not to do this. She asks him to tell her what she needs to do so that they can be together again. When he refuses, she asks him why he doesn’t want her anymore. He hugs her, and she starts kissing him while saying that she still loves him. He pulls away from her, and she asks him if he’s already kissed Xiao Tang and if he doesn’t like her anymore.

Chen Xun apologizes again and tells her that they can’t go back. Fang Hui finally comes to her senses and tells him to never text or look for her ever again. She also tells him that if he and Shen Xiao Tang ever get married, do not tell her. She walks away from him while Chen Xun is left standing there having to think about their time together.

Qiao Ran walks Fang Hui back to her dorm. Before she leaves, he tells her that he’s going back to England tomorrow morning. With a blank face, she wishes him safe travels and asks him to let her know when he lands. He tells her that if she needs him, he will stay. Heart melting. He says that he knows that now is not an appropriate time for this, but he wants to let her know that he likes her and that he has always liked her. The tears are starting! Grab some tissues!

Qiao Ran tells her that there is still one more part to his essay (“One Lilac Flower” – his veiled love confession to Fang Hui) that he purposely didn’t read aloud in class:

When I picked the five-petaled lilac for her, she also gave me one. If the flower actually does bring happiness, I wish that I can give her my share of happiness too. She asked me once who was someone that I couldn’t forget, and I really wanted to tell her that it’s her. The person I like right now is also her. It doesn’t matter if it’s the past, present, or future, the person that I don’t ever want to forget is her.

Oh my god, that might possibly be one of the sweetest and most romantic things I’ve ever heard.

Qiao Rang asks Fang Hui if she will let him take care of her. She looks at him with tears rolling down her cheeks. She slowly walks towards him and puts her arms around him. With tears in his eyes, he too puts his arms around her. Qiao Ran and Fang Hui together! *tears of joy*

Are you crying too? Because I’m legitimately weeping over how beautiful that scene was. That essay and Fang Hui’s response; it’s just all too beautiful!

Team Qiao Ran. ❤

Extra Credit:

Before the Fab Five reunion, Jia Mo went to visit Zhao Ye again at the nightclub. He tells her to stop coming to find him because they can no longer be in the same circle of people. Hearing this, Jia Mo takes out the two ceramic figurines he painted for her, and smashes them on the ground.

Song Ling tells Chen Xun that he needs to completely let go of Fang Hui because she can’t move on with her life if he’s still showing that he cares for her.

Chen Xun is going around introducing Xiao Tang as his girlfriend. Ugh. He tells her that he’s ready to marry her, and is just waiting for her to say yes. VOMIT. They go to a shady motel and sleep together. Surprised they even waited this long since they were both so desperate.