Recaps

Zhang Zhaomu visited Duan Chan'er to check on the rescued puppies, and she asked to adopt them. He agreed to help care for them, and they named the puppies Barbecue and September before planning a vet visit.

• Duan Chan'er told Zhang Zhaomu that both puppies were doing well after she fed them through the night.
• Duan Chan'er asked Zhang Zhaomu to name the puppies and revealed that she wanted to adopt them.
• Zhang Zhaomu warned Duan Chan'er that raising dogs required long-term responsibility and would be difficult during school, then agreed to help her.
• Duan Chan'er named the white-furred puppy Barbecue, and Zhang Zhaomu named the black-furred puppy September.
• Duan Chan'er and Zhang Zhaomu agreed to take the puppies to a pet shop for a checkup at noon.

Zhang Zhaomu tried to make amends with Chen Zhenzhen but found her already at school and unable to approach her before class. He teased Xiang Qing about speaking to boys, then offered to help her practice.

• Duan Chan'er invited Zhang Zhaomu to eat breakfast, and he declined by claiming he had plans with Chen Zhenzhen.
• Zhang Zhaomu accidentally told Duan Chan'er he could be her dad too, then left her home in embarrassment.
• Zhang Zhaomu waited for Chen Zhenzhen at Liu's Noodle Shop, but she did not show up; at school, she ignored his greeting while Wang Qianzi teased her.
• The Class One homeroom teacher ordered Zhang Zhaomu away from the classroom doorway, and Chen Zhenzhen smiled at his misfortune.
• Zhang Zhaomu teased Xiang Qing for speaking little, and she wrote that she felt strange talking to boys and warned him not to call her Little Mute.
• Zhang Zhaomu stopped teasing Xiang Qing and offered to practice talking with her.

Zhang Zhaomu offered to feed Duan Chan'er’s pets during school breaks, and she agreed while warning him not to enter her bedroom. Later, he played with Xiang Qing’s hair and claimed he was giving her desensitization training before offering to style it to suit her school uniform.

• Zhang Zhaomu and Duan Chan'er agreed that he would feed Barbecue and September during breaks so she would not have to run home from school.
• Duan Chan'er offered Zhang Zhaomu a spare key but warned him not to enter her bedroom, and he suggested keeping the pets at his home instead.
• Zhang Zhaomu woke from another nap and began playing with Xiang Qing’s hair while she studied.
• Zhang Zhaomu told Xiang Qing he was helping her get used to being around boys, and she accepted his explanation.
• Zhang Zhaomu offered to braid Xiang Qing’s hair for free and asked what clothes she had besides her school uniform.

Zhang Zhaomu styled Xiang Qing’s hair, and their conversation helped her speak more comfortably. At lunch, he left with Duan Chan'er, prompting Xue Jingshu to suspect the two had a special relationship.

• Zhang Zhaomu gave Xiang Qing a classical hairstyle and showed her a photo of it.
• Xiang Qing laughed with Zhang Zhaomu over his joke usernames and realized she had spoken a long sentence without feeling anxious.
• Zhang Zhaomu told Xiang Qing that talking with him was helping her, then left when the lunch bell rang.
• Zhang Zhaomu told Xue Jingshu that her makeover would come later, while Duan Chan'er woke up and remembered their noon plans.
• Duan Chan'er left with Zhang Zhaomu to go home, and Xue Jingshu wondered whether something was going on between them.

Zhang Zhaomu and Duan Chan'er took Barbecue and September to a pet store, where Duan Chan'er prepared to raise them and stocked up on supplies. Chen Zhenzhen grew jealous after seeing them together, but Zhang Zhaomu failed to understand why she was upset.

• Zhang Zhaomu and Duan Chan'er discussed travel and food as they headed to a nearby pet store.
• Chen Zhenzhen saw Zhang Zhaomu walking with Duan Chan'er, felt jealous, and ignored his attempts to talk to her.
• Duan Chan'er suggested Zhang Zhaomu explain to Chen Zhenzhen that they were only friends, but he insisted he knew why Chen Zhenzhen was angry.
• Zhang Zhaomu and Duan Chan'er brought Barbecue and September to the pet store, where the manager arranged for a veterinarian to examine them.
• Duan Chan'er started buying supplies for the puppies and asked Zhang Zhaomu to help choose cute clothes, leaving him overwhelmed.

At lunch, Chen Zhenzhen raged over Zhang Zhaomu eating with Duan Chan'er but insisted she was only upset about their friendship. After Wang Qianzi urged her to take the initiative, Chen Zhenzhen decided to talk things out with Zhang Zhaomu, though she planned to resume ignoring him later.

• Wang Qianzi tried to cheer Chen Zhenzhen up by feeding her lunch, while Chen Zhenzhen complained that Zhang Zhaomu had eaten with Duan Chan'er and left her at school.
• Chen Zhenzhen defended Zhang Zhaomu's character and insisted her anger came from their friendship as buddies, not jealousy or romantic feelings.
• Wang Qianzi suggested ways Chen Zhenzhen could respond, including making a new friend or confronting Duan Chan'er, but Chen Zhenzhen rejected them.
• Chen Zhenzhen decided to go speak with Zhang Zhaomu and clear up their conflict, postponing the rest of her planned silent treatment.

Duan Chan'er brought Barbecue and September home after learning they were healthy border collie and Chinese rural dog mixes, and Zhang Zhaomu stayed for lunch. While he dozed on her sofa, he dreamed he was a cat in a happy family, then sprang into the ceiling and barely concealed what happened from Duan Chan'er.

• The pet shop manager told Duan Chan'er that Barbecue and September were healthy mixed-breed puppies, and she bought them supplies despite their uncertain breed status.
• Duan Chan'er invited Zhang Zhaomu to lunch and asked him to put away the puppies' supplies while she cooked.
• Watching Duan Chan'er in the kitchen, Zhang Zhaomu imagined a domestic future with her, then dismissed the fantasy and fell asleep on the sofa.
• Zhang Zhaomu dreamed he was a cat in a peaceful family and woke after leaping from the sofa into the ceiling.
• Zhang Zhaomu landed back on the sofa before Duan Chan'er saw him and blamed the noise on bumping himself because her cooking smelled so good.

Zhang Zhaomu shared lunch with Duan Chan'er, and they agreed she would cook for him while he helped care for her puppies. After they walked to school together, Chen Zhenzhen pulled him aside and demanded to know what was going on between him and Duan Chan'er.

• Zhang Zhaomu worried that keeping the [Cat] persona equipped might affect his sense of self, then joined Duan Chan'er for lunch.
• Zhang Zhaomu praised Duan Chan'er's cooking and washed the dishes after they ate.
• Duan Chan'er offered to cook Zhang Zhaomu lunch for the week in return for his help feeding Barbecue and September, and he eagerly accepted her offer of braised pork trotter.
• Zhang Zhaomu and Duan Chan'er walked to school together, where Chen Zhenzhen was waiting for him.
• Chen Zhenzhen led Zhang Zhaomu to the stairwell and asked what was going on between him and Duan Chan'er.

Chen Zhenzhen questioned Zhang Zhaomu about his growing closeness with Duan Chan'er and asked whether he liked her. Zhang Zhaomu clarified that he only liked Duan Chan'er’s looks, and Chen Zhenzhen ended the conversation by inviting him to stay up gaming with her.

• Chen Zhaomu explained that he had gone for barbecue with Duan Chan'er after Chen Zhenzhen left, then helped her take two abandoned puppies to a pet store.
• Chen Zhenzhen hid her frustration about Zhang Zhaomu spending time with Duan Chan'er and pretended she was still angry about his remarks the previous night.
• Zhang Zhaomu apologized and said Chen Zhenzhen was his only best friend, prompting her to bring up Duan Chan'er again.
• Chen Zhenzhen asked Zhang Zhaomu whether he liked Duan Chan'er, and he said he liked her looks but did not want to date her.
• Chen Zhenzhen smiled through her tears, brushed off Zhang Zhaomu’s concern, and suggested they stay up all night gaming as usual.

Zhang Zhaomu shared lunch with Xiang Qing, accepted her WeChat request, and secretly visited Duan Chan'er’s home to feed her pets. His classroom nap ended when Chen Yongchao woke him and assigned him to organize the class meeting for Teachers’ Day.

• Zhang Zhaomu returned to find Xiang Qing’s beer-braised duck and learned she had packed it to repay him for doing her hair; they ate together, and she confirmed she had accepted his WeChat request.
• Zhang Zhaomu added Xiang Qing as “Little Mute” on WeChat.
• Zhang Zhaomu used his secret route to reach Duan Chan’er’s home, fed Barbecue and September, and resisted the urge to enter her bedroom.
• Duan Chan’er messaged Zhang Zhaomu about how quickly he had returned and warned that she had placed a strand of hair on her bedroom door handle to detect anyone entering.
• Chen Yongchao woke Zhang Zhaomu in Chinese class and told him to organize the class meeting for Teachers’ Day, asking him to come to the office after class to discuss the schedule.

Zhang Zhaomu organized Class Nine’s Teachers’ Day meeting after Chen Yongchao put him in charge and warned him to stop sleeping through lessons. After arranging performances and a homemade card, Zhang Zhaomu met Chen Zhenzhen, and they discussed what to tell her mother about staying over.

• Chen Yongchao assigned Zhang Zhaomu full responsibility for planning the Teachers’ Day meeting and warned him about sleeping in class and neglecting his studies.
• Zhang Zhaomu searched for meeting ideas, assigned classmates to arrange performances, hosting, a blackboard display, and invitations, and chose a homemade card for Chen Yongchao.
• Class Nine students volunteered a poetry recital and two gratitude songs, and Zhang Zhaomu completed the meeting plan during evening study.
• Zhang Zhaomu met Chen Zhenzhen after evening study, and she said her class had failed to cooperate with its monitor’s request for performances.
• Chen Zhenzhen reminded Zhang Zhaomu that he had told her mother his birthday was March seventh, not December, when they discussed an excuse for her to stay over.

Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu tried to explain why he was staying over by pretending he had menstrual cramps, but Auntie Wang invited Zhang Zaowan to dinner and began to suspect something was wrong. They searched for someone who could impersonate Zhang Zaowan at the meal, but had not found a solution by the chapter's end.

• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu decided to tell Auntie Wang that Zhang Zaowan had menstrual cramps and needed company.
• Zhang Zhaomu used a voice-changing app during Chen Zhenzhen's call with Auntie Wang, who invited Zhang Zaowan to dinner on Saturday.
• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu worried that Auntie Wang suspected the truth after she asked to see a photo of Zhang Zaowan and insisted on meeting her.
• Chen Zhenzhen suggested dressing Zhang Zhaomu as a woman, but he rejected the plan and proposed sending another girl in his place.
• Chen Zhenzhen ruled out Qianqian and their classmates because her mother might recognize them, and she looked for someone her mother rarely encountered.

Zhang Zhaomu and Chen Zhenzhen planned how to keep her mother from discovering that Zhang Zaowan was fictional, and decided Xiang Qing might convincingly play the part. After Chen Zhenzhen changed into Zhang Zhaomu’s T-shirt, their playful tussle ended with her crashing into his chest and leaving him stunned.

• Zhang Zhaomu told Chen Zhenzhen to eventually make her mother believe she and her supposed best friend had fallen out.
• Chen Zhenzhen explained that she had described Zhang Zaowan as a high-achieving, quiet girl who was much taller than her.
• Zhang Zhaomu suggested asking his deskmate Xiang Qing to impersonate Zhang Zaowan, and Chen Zhenzhen agreed that she fit the description.
• Zhang Zhaomu said he would ask Xiang Qing the next day, then he and Chen Zhenzhen prepared to go to the internet cafe.
• Chen Zhenzhen changed into Zhang Zhaomu’s T-shirt, and their playful tussle ended when she charged into his chest.

After an awkward accidental touch, Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu insisted they were just bros and spent the night gaming before heading back to school exhausted. Zhang Zhaomu organized a successful Teachers' Day class meeting, then tried to stay awake in class with painfully spicy konjac, which Xiang Qing asked to taste.

• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu played off their accidental contact by insisting they were bros, and Zhang Zhaomu promised to treat her to instant noodles.
• After gaming all night, Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu left the internet café exhausted, and Zhang Zhaomu bought spicy konjac to help them stay awake.
• Chen Zhenzhen asked Zhang Zhaomu to bring some konjac for Qianqian, while he decided not to bring any for Duan Chan'er.
• Zhang Zhaomu helped organize Class Nine's Teachers' Day meeting, whose performances and handmade cards impressed Chen Yongchao.
• After feeding Barbecue and September, Zhang Zhaomu returned to class and ate spicy konjac to stay awake; Xiang Qing offered him water and asked to try it.

Zhang Zhaomu asked Xiang Qing to pose as him at a dinner with Chen Zhenzhen’s family, and Xiang Qing agreed after proposing a way to get permission to stay away from home for the weekend. They planned to meet Chen Zhenzhen during evening break to coordinate their stories.

• Xiang Qing ate a piece of Zhang Zhaomu’s intensely spicy konjac, drank from his cup, and asked for more before he warned her not to overdo it.
• Zhang Zhaomu offered to bring Xiang Qing spicy duck necks another time, then asked whether she was free that weekend.
• Zhang Zhaomu explained that Chen Zhenzhen’s parent had mistaken him for a girl and asked Xiang Qing to take his place at dinner as Zhang Zaowan.
• Xiang Qing said she had to go home, but proposed having Chen Zhenzhen persuade her mother to let her stay out for the weekend.
• Xiang Qing asked to meet Chen Zhenzhen and prepare their stories, so Zhang Zhaomu suggested the evening break and reassured her about meeting Chen Zhenzhen.

Zhang Zhaomu went to Duan Chan'er’s home for lunch and slept on her sofa while she cooked. Their classmates speculated about their relationship, while Duan Chan'er reflected on Zhang Zhaomu’s appearance and innocence before the two returned to school.

• Duan Chan'er brought an exhausted Zhang Zhaomu home, prompting classmates to speculate that they were living together and dating.
• Xu Xiujie denied that Duan Chan'er liked Zhang Zhaomu, while Kang Hao pointed out Zhang Zhaomu’s closeness with Xiang Qing.
• Zhang Zhaomu fell asleep on Duan Chan'er’s sofa as she fed Barbecue and September and admired his looks and relaxed manner.
• Duan Chan'er woke Zhang Zhaomu for lunch, and he startled her by springing upright from the sofa.
• Zhang Zhaomu praised Duan Chan'er’s cooking but said he would eat more cafeteria food to keep from getting used to it, leaving her amused by his innocence.

Zhang Zhaomu encouraged Xiang Qing to be less isolated, then introduced her to Chen Zhenzhen, who discussed how Xiang Qing could meet Chen Zhenzhen’s mother. The conversation ended when Xiang Qing showed she had noticed Zhang Zhaomu and Chen Zhenzhen silently reacting to her notebook.

• Xiang Qing asked Zhang Zhaomu whether she looked okay, and he reassured her before explaining that people’s dislike of her was not caused by her height.
• Zhang Zhaomu encouraged Xiang Qing to make room for friendships instead of focusing only on her studies.
• Wang Qianzi mistook Xiang Qing for a love rival, but Chen Zhenzhen clarified that she had asked Zhang Zhaomu to introduce them so she could ask Xiang Qing for a favor.
• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu accompanied Xiang Qing to the cafeteria, where Chen Zhenzhen explained how to meet her mother and offered to help with Xiang Qing’s family.
• Xiang Qing wrote that her mother would verify any excuse about staying at school, then revealed she had noticed Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu silently discussing her.

Zhang Zhaomu and Chen Zhenzhen helped Xiang Qing find a way to stay out later by claiming she needed tutoring, and Xiang Qing began to feel at ease with her new friends. As evening self-study approached, Zhang Zhaomu joked that Chen Zhenzhen should call him Dad, leaving Xiang Qing wondering if she had to call him that too.

• Xiang Qing explained that Zhang Zhaomu had warned her Chen Zhenzhen might complain about her communicating by writing.
• Zhang Zhaomu suggested Xiang Qing tell her mother that Chen Zhenzhen was tutoring her, and Xiang Qing thought her mother might accept the excuse.
• Chen Zhenzhen offered to help Xiang Qing study, and Xiang Qing was delighted when Chen Zhenzhen called them friends.
• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu bickered while Xiang Qing watched, gradually feeling comfortable around them.
• As Zhang Zhaomu walked Xiang Qing back before evening self-study, he told her to stop thanking him and joked that Chen Zhenzhen called him Dad.
• Xiang Qing asked Zhang Zhaomu if she had to call him Dad too.

Zhang Zhaomu, Chen Zhenzhen, and Xiang Qing spent Saturday afternoon studying at Zhang Zhaomu’s apartment after their plans to visit an internet café fell through. Xiang Qing saw how naturally Zhang Zhaomu and Chen Zhenzhen expected to stay close after high school, and wondered if that was what true friends were like.

• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu took Xiang Qing to Zhang Zhaomu’s apartment to study because the other locations were unsuitable.
• Xiang Qing looked around Zhang Zhaomu’s tidy apartment while Chen Zhenzhen settled in and asked for a drink.
• Chen Zhenzhen asked Zhang Zhaomu about his homework and explained that he had once studied hard enough to get into No. 1 High School.
• Xiang Qing offered to let Zhang Zhaomu copy her homework, while Chen Zhenzhen criticized him for giving up on school.
• Zhang Zhaomu and Chen Zhenzhen joked about staying near each other after graduation, and Xiang Qing wondered if their closeness was true friendship.

Zhang Zhaomu reflected on his friends’ views of studying and spent the weekend gaming with Chen Zhenzhen, who successfully used Xiang Qing to fool her mother. On Monday, Zhang Zhaomu unexpectedly developed an [Academic Ace] persona that teamed up with his [Refined] persona instead of being suppressed.

• Xiang Qing asked Zhang Zhaomu whether he worried about his future if he did not study, and he described life as an open wilderness with many possible paths.
• Chen Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhaomu invited Xiang Qing to play games, while Xiang Qing wondered whether Zhang Zhaomu’s outlook on life was right.
• After Chen Zhenzhen and Xiang Qing left, Zhang Zhaomu thought about his distant relationship with his family and his upcoming visit to his father’s place.
• Chen Zhenzhen told Zhang Zhaomu that she had successfully passed her mother’s questioning by presenting Xiang Qing as Zhang Zaowan, then headed to New Era to game with him.
• On Monday morning, Zhang Zhaomu’s [Academic Ace] persona made him reconsider his attitude toward studying, but his [Refined] persona joined forces with it instead of suppressing it.

Zhang Zhaomu equipped the [Academic Ace] persona and resolved to surpass Chen Zhenzhen in grades, but he still could not understand a math problem. He began his attempt to study after the flag-raising ceremony, only to discover that his new persona had not made the subject any easier.

• Zhang Zhaomu tried to equip the [Cat] persona, then removed it because it made him too sleepy and re-equipped the [Refined] persona.
• Zhang Zhaomu met Chen Zhenzhen at Liu's Noodle Shop and declared that he would surpass her grades.
• Zhang Zhaomu listened to Gong Xueqian give a speech at the flag-raising ceremony and decided he could become a student representative too.
• Zhang Zhaomu rushed back to class, activated the [Academic Ace] perspective, and failed to understand the math problem in his textbook.

Zhang Zhaomu discovered that he could memorize Chinese texts with ease and began studying in earnest, making his classmates wonder what had changed. Xiang Qing watched him study, wanting to talk but afraid to interrupt him.

• Zhang Zhaomu realized the [Academic Ace] persona could not teach him material he had never understood, so he set math aside and opened his Chinese textbook.
• Zhang Zhaomu memorized a passage from the textbook quickly and felt motivated to improve his grades through steady study.
• Zhang Zhaomu made a study plan that included reviewing older textbooks and asking Chen Zhen for tutoring if necessary.
• His classmates speculated about why he had started studying, while Kang Hao, Xu Xiujie, and other sports students bet on how long he would keep it up.
• Morning self-study ended while Zhang Zhaomu remained absorbed in his books, and Xiang Qing held back from speaking to him because she did not want to interrupt.

Zhang Zhaomu tried to explain studying through game rankings while Xiang Qing struggled to hold in her need to use the bathroom. After Zhang alerted their teacher, Xiang Qing headed into the girls' bathroom, leaving him outside.

• Zhang Zhaomu told Xiang Qing he had started studying because he found it interesting, comparing schoolwork to gaining experience and climbing ranks in a game.
• Xiang Qing hid her urgent need to use the bathroom while Zhang Zhaomu noticed she seemed unwell.
• Zhang Zhaomu alerted the English teacher, who asked him to take Xiang Qing to the school infirmary.
• Xiang Qing left the classroom and went into the nearby girls' bathroom, then worried that Zhang Zhaomu might think her rude.

After Xiang Qing recovered from her urgent need to use the restroom, she and Zhang Zhaomu wandered the school to hide their absence from class. Zhang Zhaomu suggested they call Chen Zhenzhen out of class, and he left Xiang Qing to knock on the classroom door.

• Xiang Qing came out of the restroom, and Zhang Zhaomu agreed to wander with her until enough time had passed to return to class.
• Xiang Qing enjoyed her first experience of skipping class and asked Zhang Zhaomu what he usually did when he skipped.
• Zhang Zhaomu suggested they visit Chen Zhenzhen, and they watched her attending a math lesson in Science Class One.
• Zhang Zhaomu proposed calling Chen Zhenzhen out of class and persuaded Xiang Qing to knock on the classroom door.

Xiang Qing nervously followed Zhang Zhaomu’s encouragement to interrupt Class 1 and call Chen Zhenzhen out. After the prank left Chen Zhenzhen angry, Xiang Qing admitted she had enjoyed it and hinted she might join Zhang Zhaomu in future mischief.

• Zhang Zhaomu urged Xiang Qing to knock on Class 1’s door while he waited near the stairwell.
• Xiang Qing struggled to speak to Teacher Luo until Chen Zhenzhen volunteered to come outside.
• Zhang Zhaomu startled Chen Zhenzhen on the stairs and admitted he had encouraged Xiang Qing to interrupt class.
• Chen Zhenzhen warned Xiang Qing that Zhang Zhaomu was full of bad ideas, but Xiang Qing said the prank had been exciting.
• Zhang Zhaomu claimed he had only reminded Chen Zhenzhen to pay attention in class, making her leave angrily.
• Xiang Qing considered apologizing, then hinted she might join Zhang Zhaomu in another prank before he teased her about dropping her persona.