Recaps

Qin An showed off his skill at Contra and Super Mario, impressing Qin Xiaotian before walking hand in hand with An Shui. As they teased each other about being boyfriend and girlfriend, An Shui agreed to be both his big sister and his girlfriend.

• Qin An named several PC games and challenged Qin Xiaotian to let him play the Game Boy.
• Qin An cleared Contra with two lives and beat Super Mario with more than ten lives remaining, leaving Qin Xiaotian astonished.
• Qin An held An Shui’s hand and told her that her head-patting made him feel like her little brother.
• An Shui joked that Qin An could be her little boyfriend, and Qin An said he already liked someone else and might become her relative.
• An Shui agreed to be both Qin An’s girlfriend and his big sister, while Qin An promised to cherish her most in secret.

Qin An asked An Shui to help submit his English novella to a publisher, and she agreed to support him after being impressed by the story and moved by his trust. After An Shui went to read the manuscript, Qin An greeted his grandfather and cousin Qin Xiangshan, who gave him a red envelope.

• Qin An and An Shui talked about their first kiss, and An Shui joked about choosing a first-meeting gift for her new little brother.
• Qin An gave An Shui his English novella and asked her to help find a publisher, including Bloomsbury Publishing.
• An Shui praised the story and agreed to help with publication, telling Qin An she would even pay to publish it herself if no publisher accepted it.
• An Shui went to the rear courtyard to read the manuscript, while Qin An considered waiting until after publication to approach Joanne Kathleen Rowling.
• Qin An greeted Qin Jude and Qin Xiangshan, accepted a red-envelope gift from Qin Xiangshan, and explained that Qin Xiaotian was playing outside.

Qin Xiangshan tested Qin An’s English and offered him holiday work at his company, then discussed investing in a machinery factory in Qingshan Town with Secretary Tang and other local officials. Qin Xiangshan raised concerns about local thugs demanding protection money, and Qin An identified Zhu Hongzhi as the gang leader who had already tried to pressure him.

• Qin Xiangshan tested Qin An’s English, praised his fluency, and offered him part-time work at his company during college or the holidays.
• The village chief brought Secretary Tang, Wu Huade, Li Linjian, and other town officials to visit Qin Jude and Qin Xiangshan.
• Qin Xiangshan explained that he wanted to invest in a machinery factory in Qingshan Town but worried that local people might extort money from the business.
• Secretary Tang promised that the town government would protect the investors’ lawful interests.
• Qin An identified Zhu Hongzhi as Qingshan Town’s local thug boss, and Qin Xiangshan revealed that Zhu had already demanded to work with him on the investment.

Secretary Tang backed Qin Xiangshan’s investment plans and treated him to a meal at Sister-in-law Qi’s restaurant. Qin An caught Secretary Tang and Sister-in-law Qi sharing a private moment, then reassured them he would keep quiet, leaving Junzi to relax his guard around him.

• Wu Huade agreed to investigate Zhu Hongzhi and promised that local thugs who threatened investors would face legal punishment.
• Secretary Tang assured Qin Xiangshan that the local government would support his investment, and Qin Xiangshan discussed specific plans with him.
• Secretary Tang took Qin Xiangshan, Qin An, Qin Xiaotian, and the others to Sister-in-law Qi’s small restaurant for lunch.
• Qin An went to ask Sister-in-law Qi for a bottle of Jianlibao and saw her kiss Secretary Tang on the cheek.
• Qin An joked that he would not tell anyone about them, and Secretary Tang introduced him to the watchful Junzi.

Qin An spent time with his family and Sun Pao after the banquet, then offered Li Xinlan a ride to class to confront Tu Gang, who had been following her. The chapter ended with Tu Gang blocking Qin An and Li Xinlan on the way to school, as Qin An appeared ready to fight him.

• After the banquet, Qin Xiangshan visited Qin Huai with Qin An and Qin Xiaotian, and he and Qin Huai reminisced over an old photo album and discussed bringing their youngest uncle's ashes back to the ancestral graveyard.
• Qin An met Sun Pao outside and demonstrated his slingshot aim, then asked how Sun Pao was preparing for the school placement test.
• Qin An and Sun Pao saw Li Xinlan return from extra classes, and Sun Pao said Tu Gang had been following her and offering to escort her.
• On Monday morning, Qin An took Li Xinlan's bicycle and rode with her toward school.
• Tu Gang blocked Qin An's way, and Li Xinlan realized Qin An seemed ready to pick a fight with him.

Qin An confronted Tu Gang for harassing Li Xinlan, then rode her to County No. 2 Middle School, where their closeness left her flustered. He arrived just before an exam and found Ye Zhulan seated in front of him, while Zhao Weiguo watched their familiar intimacy with jealousy.

• Qin An mocked Tu Gang and punctured the tire of his mountain bike after Tu Gang admitted Li Xinlan had no younger brother.
• Qin An rode away with Li Xinlan on the rear rack, and she clung to his waist as they sped along before he gradually slowed down.
• At County No. 2 Middle School, Qin An returned Li Xinlan's bicycle and offered to take her home after school, but she hurried off without accepting.
• Qin An rushed to his exam seat and saw Li Hao smirk at his disheveled appearance before the results were announced.
• Qin An found Ye Zhulan sitting in front of him, and their close conversation made Zhao Weiguo jealous.

As the midterm examinations began, Qin An teased Ye Zhulan about his bet with Li Hao and the rumors it might cause with Sun Sun. Liao Yu watched Qin An closely during the Chinese exam, then discovered his composition was shockingly inappropriate.

• Zhao Weiguo pointed out Qin An and Ye Zhulan to Zhu Qinghe, who watched Qin An with a guarded expression.
• Ye Zhulan warned Qin An that Li Hao was making trouble over their bet, and Qin An teased her about what people might say of him and Sun Sun.
• Ye Zhulan lent Qin An a pen and offered to let him check her test paper, but Liao Yu's attention made that unlikely.
• Liao Yu began proctoring the Chinese examination, while Qin An chose to write his composition first.
• Liao Yu read a paragraph of Qin An's composition and was shocked by what he had written.

Qin An finished his placement exams early, then met Ye Zhulan outside school for lunch. After they shared food from one pair of chopsticks, Ye Zhulan realized their closeness felt like an indirect kiss, and Qin An offered her chocolate.

• Qin An asked Liao Yu to check his Chinese paper, and she told him his score would be in the forties because his essay received zero.
• Qin An finished the English exam in half an hour, so Huang Yaohua sent him outside after checking his paper.
• Qin An waited outside the teaching building until Ye Zhulan came down, then they ran to their secluded patch of grass.
• Ye Zhulan shared Alaskan red shrimp and rice with Qin An, who took shrimp from her chopsticks and teased her about the indirect kiss.
• Qin An took gold-wrapped chocolate from his schoolbag and offered it to Ye Zhulan.

Qin An gave Ye Zhulan a homemade lump of chocolate, and she shyly agreed to try it. During the afternoon nap, he watched over her and kept Zhao Weiguo from disturbing her before turning to the chemistry exam with memories of his reckless childhood experiments.

• Qin An offered Ye Zhulan his homemade chocolate and explained what it meant, but she hid the ugly lump and asked him to unwrap white chocolate instead.
• Qin An watched Ye Zhulan sleep during the afternoon nap while Zhao Weiguo grew jealous and angry at seeing them together.
• Qin An warned Zhao Weiguo not to wake Ye Zhulan by aiming his slingshot at him, and Zhao Weiguo swallowed his anger.
• As the chemistry exam began, Qin An recalled how he and Sun Pao had built an oversized chain gun that injured a dog and got them bitten.
• Qin An confidently wrote answers to the chemistry questions, which he had already reviewed.

After exams, Qin An discussed a flawed English question with Sun Sun and her classmates, then followed Sun Sun toward No. 2 Middle School and told her a story about a porcelain girl. Sun Sun suggested protecting the girl in a museum, and Qin An decided to act on her idea.

• Qin An told Sun Sun and the others that an English exam question had no correct answer, but they doubted him and argued about his disrespect toward teachers.
• Ye Xiaohua and Qian Linlin teased Sun Sun and Qin An before leaving them alone, and Qin An followed Sun Sun despite their different routes home.
• Qin An told Sun Sun about a beloved singer who was pressured by others and ultimately shattered, then asked how he could protect her.
• Sun Sun proposed building the porcelain girl a museum where people would guard her while she continued singing, and Qin An said the plan was settled.

Qin An went to No. 2 Middle School to meet Li Xinlan and antagonized Xie Xiongli, a teacher he remembered despising. He arranged to take Li Xinlan to and from school, then joined her for a meal with Secretary Tang and Qi Mei, where Junzi agreed to help with the hoodlum bothering her.

• Qin An waited outside No. 2 Middle School’s experimental-class building and insulted Xie Xiongli, remembering how the teacher had harmed students’ futures, including his own.
• Qin An met Li Xinlan after school, took hold of her bicycle, and announced that he would take her to school and pick her up each day.
• Secretary Tang waved Qin An over at the school gates and invited him and Li Xinlan to eat at Qi Mei’s restaurant.
• Qi Mei mistook Li Xinlan for one of Qin An’s girlfriends, while Qin An claimed he was protecting her from a hoodlum who used school trips to harass her.
• Secretary Tang suggested Junzi could help with the hoodlum, and Junzi nodded in agreement.

Qin An explained to Li Xinlan why he had pretended they were close, then returned home to find An Shui visiting his family. An Shui revealed that she had opened a bank account for Qin An’s novel earnings, leaving Qin Huai demanding to know what was going on.

• Qin An reassured Li Xinlan that he had acted as though they were close so Secretary Tang would help protect her from Tu Gang.
• Qin An returned home and found An Shui visiting Qin Huai and Li Qin.
• An Shui praised Qin An’s English and discussed her family’s investment in Qin Xiangshan’s Taiwan Company.
• Qin An took An Shui’s hand and tried to bring her into his room, but An Shui stayed to discuss something with Qin Huai.
• An Shui handed Qin Huai a bankbook she had opened for Qin An, and Qin An explained that it was for money he might earn from publishing his novel.

Qin An reflected on how his father treasured his achievements and told An Shui about the grandfathers he admired. He flirted with An Shui, who promised to kiss him once he grew up, before Li Qin interrupted them at dinner.

• Qin An recalled that his father had called his early writing his greatest achievement and source of lifelong pride.
• Qin An told An Shui that he admired his grandfathers, describing how his maternal grandfather educated all five of his children despite hardship.
• An Shui teased Qin An about his handsome, serious expression, and he tried to persuade her to kiss him.
• An Shui said she would kiss Qin An when he had grown up and was taller than her.
• Qin An hugged An Shui and kissed her cheek, but Li Qin walked in and pulled him away to eat.

During exam day, Qin An finished his tests early and discovered Tu Gang and several students waiting to ambush him outside school. He used the school telephone to summon Junzi, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Sun Sun asked Qin An why he had not spent time with Ye Zhulan, and he explained that Ye Zhulan's mother had picked her up.
• Qin An struggled with history and politics exams but finished the afternoon mathematics exam in thirty minutes.
• Qin An spotted Tu Gang and several students waiting near the school gate to follow and attack him.
• Qin An persuaded Principal Zhu Wenliang to unlock the school telephone by claiming he needed to call about Secretary Tang's plans.
• Qin An called Qi Mei Restaurant and asked Qi Mei to send Junzi to help him, and Qi Mei agreed.

Qin An confronted Tu Gang for harassing Li Xinlan and, with Junzi’s help, beat him badly. He then took Tu Gang away to settle the conflict so Tu Gang would not seek revenge later.

• Qin An waited near the school gate and approached Tu Gang and four high school students who were lying in ambush for him.
• Qin An offered the students a hundred yuan to leave, and Junzi’s arrival made them take the money and run.
• Qin An punched Tu Gang while he was distracted, and Junzi restrained him as Qin An beat him.
• Qin An explained that Tu Gang might harm Li Xinlan and decided they needed to settle the matter once and for all.
• Qin An and Junzi dragged the dazed Tu Gang away, and Qin An startled Zhao Weiguo, who had hidden nearby to watch.

Qin An and Junzi confronted Tu Ji after beating Tu Gang, and Qin An used his family’s influence and Tu Ji’s past ties to Zhu Hongzhi to keep the dispute from escalating. Tu Ji let them leave and warned Tu Gang to behave.

• Qin An and Junzi brought Tu Gang to Tu Ji’s repair shop, where Tu Ji demanded an explanation and threatened them.
• Qin An explained that Tu Gang had been harassing Li Xinlan and had attacked him outside the school gates.
• Tu Ji tried to slap Qin An, but Junzi stopped him and held him at knifepoint until Qin An asked him to let Tu Ji go.
• Qin An reminded Tu Ji that Zhu Hongzhi had been arrested after Qin An’s uncle spoke to Secretary Tang, and warned that officials could investigate Tu Ji’s past conduct.
• Qin An and Junzi left without being stopped, and Tu Ji scolded Tu Gang for risking his own arrest.

Qin An explained to Junzi why Tu Ji would hesitate to retaliate, then spent time with Junzi and returned to school. When Liu Changqing sent him to Liao Yu’s room with homework, Qin An walked in on her breastfeeding.

• Qin An argued that a crackdown could make Tu Ji wary of intervening, and Junzi acknowledged that Qin An understood how to leverage momentum.
• Qin An took Junzi to play pool, then spent some time at an arcade after Junzi left.
• Qin An found Sun Pao waiting outside Liu Changqing’s room and learned that Sun Pao had upset a classmate by asking whether girls grew body hair.
• Liu Changqing sent Qin An to deliver homework to Liao Yu, and Qin An entered her room without waiting for a response.
• Qin An found Liao Yu bare above the waist while she was breastfeeding and joked, “Taking them out to get some air?”

Qin An walked in on Liao Yu while she was dealing with painful breast engorgement, offered advice, then left to pick up Li Xinlan. The next morning, the exam results revealed his perfect scores in four subjects, and he called in his bet with Li Hao.

• Qin An found Liao Yu partially undressed and realized her breasts were engorged; after he stepped outside, he advised her to use hot water to ease the pain.
• Qin An rode his bicycle to pick up Li Xinlan and enjoyed their gentle closeness on the ride.
• The school posted the exam results, showing Qin An had scored 100 in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and English, while Sun Sun remained first overall.
• Qin An stopped Li Hao from avoiding their bet and told him to sing a line to Qin An whenever they met each day.
• Qin An sang, “Just like that, you conquered me,” to show Li Hao what his daily penalty would be.

Qin An teased Li Hao and flirted with Sun Sun before meeting Ye Zhulan, who celebrated his perfect exam scores and discovered the hidden declaration of love in his poem. The chapter left Qin An and Ye Zhulan sharing a joyful, intimate moment in the tea garden.

• Qin An returned to class after Li Hao refused to sing “Conquest,” then joked that he was a rooster defending Sun Sun from rivals.
• Sun Sun laughed at Qin An’s teasing, asked about the song, and agreed she would like to hear him sing “Conquest.”
• Ye Zhulan met Qin An in the tea garden and praised his exam results and the poem that had impressed Class 70’s Chinese teacher.
• Ye Zhulan realized Qin An had encoded “Ye Zhulan, I like you” in his poem, and Qin An loudly declared that he would love her all his life.
• Ye Zhulan covered Qin An’s mouth as the two shared a happy moment in the afternoon sunlight.

Liao Yu worried that Qin An’s improving grades would force her to ask Qin Huai to transfer him back to Class 68. At dinner with county Education Commission deputy director Mo Wendi, Qin An guessed that Qin Xiangshan was preparing to make a move involving County No. 2 Middle School.

• Liao Yu fretted over Qin An’s essay and feared he would enter the top ten, making her lose face and seek his return to Class 68.
• Qin Xiangshan hosted Mo Wendi, Huang Yaohua, Qin Huai, and Qin An at Qi Mei’s restaurant after donating teaching equipment to County No. 2 Middle School.
• Mo Wendi praised Qin An’s English and discussed Qin Huai’s teaching ability, while Qin Huai concealed his delight at Qin An’s results.
• Qin An followed Qin Xiangshan away from the table and asked whether he planned to make a move on County No. 2 Middle School.
• Qin Xiangshan questioned how Qin An had guessed his intentions, and Qin An replied that he thought his uncle was up to no good.

Qin An recognized that Qin Xiangshan was considering taking over County No. 2 Middle School and warned him about the financial and political obstacles. He proposed keeping teachers employed through the county Education Commission under a labor dispatch agreement, giving Qin Xiangshan a possible way forward.

• Qin An challenged Qin Xiangshan's motives for involving Mo Wendi and moving Qin An's father to County No. 2 Middle School.
• Qin Xiangshan explained that Secretary Tang had sounded him out about taking over the struggling school as a private-contract pilot.
• Qin An outlined the need for sufficient funding and a larger enrollment area to cover the school's salaries and operating costs.
• Qin An warned that teachers might resist becoming private employees, recalling that a strike had derailed the school's restructuring in his memories.
• Qin Xiangshan admitted the project was risky, and Qin An suggested a labor dispatch agreement that would keep teachers formally employed by the county Education Commission.

Qin An advised Qin Xiangshan on education reform, then faced the death of his older male cousin in a mine collapse. As An Shui comforted him, Qin An resolved to stop blaming himself for the past and focus on building a happy future with the people he loved.

• Qin An proposed a contract-based approach to education jobs, impressing Qin Xiangshan, who decided to send Qin Xiaotian back to study with him.
• Qin An joked with Qi Mei about Secretary Tang, and she teased him about a girl he had charmed with his words.
• A heavy autumn rain struck while Li Qin took Qin An home from painting class, and news arrived that his older male cousin and several miners had died in a mine collapse.
• Qin An's family held a seven-day funeral, while his grandfather Qin Jude fell ill and his cousin's wife and children grieved.
• Qin An visited An Shui as she packed to leave, and she comforted him when he blamed himself for failing to prevent his cousin's death.
• Qin An resolved to let go of the pain of his old memories and pursue a radiant future with Sun Sun, Ye Zhulan, and An Shui.

Qin An helped Qin Xiaotian entertain Qin Jude and ease his grief, then returned home to find his family had installed a telephone. The phone rang just after Li Qin gave Qin An a key, leaving the family wondering who was calling.

• Qin Xiaotian showed Qin An the hoop he had traded for three days of Game Boy use, and Qin An performed several tricks for him and Qin Jude.
• Qin An felt relieved when he saw Qin Jude smile as he watched Qin Xiaotian play.
• Li Qin had a telephone installed and locked it in an iron box, while Qin Huai gave Qin An the key after persuading her to let him use it.
• Qin An thought about calling Ye Zhulan and getting Sun Sun's number.
• The newly installed telephone rang, and Li Qin urged Qin Huai to answer it.

After Tang Qianxing called to invite Qin An to dinner, Qin An joined him and Qi Mei at her restaurant and learned Tang was transferring to the county Party committee. Seeing Qi Mei troubled by the prospect of separation, Qin An invented a romantic story about Starbucks that inspired her to imagine spending her life with Tang.

• Tang Qianxing called Qin Huai’s new landline and invited Qin An to dinner, while neighbor Liu Mingqing mocked the family and Qin An rebuffed him.
• At Qi Mei’s restaurant, Tang praised Qin An for proposing a dispatch contract with the County Education Commission, and Qin An joked to avoid explaining his insight.
• Qin An sensed Tang was leaving Qingshan Town, and Tang confirmed his transfer to the county Party committee.
• Qi Mei lamented that she could not transfer with Tang because she was not his wife.
• Qin An told Tang and Qi Mei a fabricated story about Frandi and Yulina’s coffee shops, leaving Qi Mei wishing she could share a lifetime with Tang.

Qin An reassured Qi Jun that Tang Qianxing would look after Qi Mei and help Qi Jun find a future as Tang prepared to move to the county. Back at school, Qin An noticed Sun Sun acting distant and teased her, prompting him to recall the secret she had once confided while drunk: touching her neck would mean they could no longer be friends.

• Qi Jun worried that Qi Mei would remain lonely, and Qin An told him she seemed happy with Tang Qianxing and that Tang would treat them well.
• Qi Jun said he might help Qi Mei run a shop rather than take an official driving job, and Qin An predicted Tang would arrange a good livelihood for him.
• Qin An returned to the junior high after a week away and found Qin Xiaotian seated beside his desk, while Sun Sun made room for him and urged him to focus on his studies.
• Qin An teased Sun Sun about acting like a stranger, and she blushed when he threatened to tickle her neck.
• Qin An remembered Sun Sun telling him after a concert that he must not touch her neck or they could no longer be friends, then crying because he had not touched it.