Recaps

Cheng Che helped prepare lunch at the Mushroom House, impressed the others with his cooking skills and tennis talent, and joined the evening livestream. His appearance and brief greeting sent the audience into a frenzy, leaving him an instant hit with viewers.

• Yan Ruanning and Cheng Che returned to the Mushroom House with groceries, and Cheng Che helped Teacher Huang prepare lunch.
• At lunch, Cheng Che told Teacher He and the others that he had reached the main draw of the Hang City qualifiers for the National Youth Games after only a few months of tennis practice.
• Cheng Che chopped wood and did other farm work before sitting beneath a locust tree, where Su Jianqiu reassured him about the livestream.
• Cheng Che decided he might sing during the livestream and let Yan Ruanning straighten his clothes before filming began.
• When Teacher He introduced Cheng Che on the livestream, viewers flooded the comments with praise for his looks, and his greeting sent the audience into another frenzy.

Cheng Che appeared on the “Life Slowed Down” livestream, drawing a huge audience and helping the hosts promote the show. He then sang “The Wind Rises,” stunning everyone in the courtyard and leaving the livestream viewers demanding more.

• Cheng Che’s fan group rushed to watch the livestream, and his appearance sent the viewer count and Weibo topics soaring.
• At the director’s request, Cheng Che invited viewers to ask about the show, and Teacher He explained why Cheng Che was visiting Yan Ruanning at the Mushroom House.
• Yan Ruanning sang, Su Jianqiu performed a folk dance, and Teacher Huang and Teacher He delivered a comedy bit.
• When viewers asked Cheng Che to perform, he agreed to sing “The Wind Rises” despite Teacher He’s concern.
• Cheng Che’s captivating voice silenced the courtyard and overwhelmed the livestream comments with praise.

After Cheng Che’s moving performance ended the livestream, he and Yan Ruanning went for a walk and began a dance lesson beneath a locust tree. Cheng Che quickly learned the steps and invited Yan Ruanning to dance with him, leaving them turning together in the moonlight.

• Cheng Che finished singing, earning enthusiastic applause from the guests, crew, and livestream viewers.
• After the livestream ended, Yan Ruanning invited Cheng Che to walk with her, and they went to the village square beneath a locust tree.
• Yan Ruanning challenged Cheng Che to dance and offered to teach him a partner dance.
• Cheng Che quickly learned the steps and led Yan Ruanning through the rest of the song without stepping on her feet.
• Cheng Che invited Yan Ruanning to dance again, and she accepted as they turned beneath the tree in the moonlight.

Cheng Che left the Mushroom House and spent four days training with Qin Lie before the main draw began. He entered the tournament determined to win the championship, while his first opponent, Zhu Junchi, planned to end the match quickly.

• Yan Ruanning saw Cheng Che off from the village, and Su Jianqiu teased her for watching him leave.
• Qin Lie discovered Cheng Che had appeared on “Life Slowed Down” and told him his guest appearance had attracted heavy online attention.
• Cheng Che and Qin Lie trained at the Hang City Sports Center for four days, with Cheng Che recovering unusually quickly between sessions.
• At the main draw briefing, Qin Lie explained the tournament format and identified Zhu Junchi as Cheng Che’s first opponent.
• Before their match on outer court two, Zhu Junchi told his coach Cheng Che was difficult to outlast and said he would finish him in one blow.

Cheng Che faced professional player Zhu Junchi in the National Youth Games group stage and activated [Total Concentration] as he prepared to play. He returned Zhu Junchi’s powerful opening serve with an astonishing one-handed backhand, leaving Zhu shaken and forced to rethink his strategy.

• Lin Ming attended Cheng Che’s match with his girlfriend and was stunned by Cheng Che’s looks in person.
• Cheng Che activated [Star of the Court] and [Total Concentration] before the match, sharpening his senses and reading Zhu Junchi’s stance.
• Zhu Junchi opened with a fast, wide serve, but Cheng Che returned it down the line for the first point.
• The commentators and spectators were astonished by Cheng Che’s precision, while Zhu Junchi fell during his failed attempt to reach the return.
• Zhu Junchi picked himself up, recognized Cheng Che’s exceptional coordination, and abandoned his original plan to wear him down.

Cheng Che lost the first set to Zhu Junchi while studying his opponent’s varied shots, then changed pace and dominated the remaining sets to win the match. Afterward, he looked toward the tournament’s center court, leaving his next step ahead.

• Zhu Junchi used deep, wide shots and changing spins to disrupt Cheng Che’s rhythm, winning the first set six-four.
• After telling Qin Lie he had seen enough, Cheng Che raised his pace and won the second set six-three despite briefly getting broken.
• Cheng Che won the deciding set six-one, overpowering an exhausted Zhu Junchi and taking the match by a score of six-four, four-six, six-one.
• Cheng Che praised Zhu Junchi’s strength after they shook hands, then watched the center court before leaving.

Cheng Che defeated Zhu Junchi after losing the first set, while Yan Ruanning and others watched the match. Afterward, Cheng Che turned down racket endorsements for now and prepared to face a defensive opponent in the next round.

• Yan Ruanning watched Cheng Che lose the first set, but Su Jianqiu reassured her that he had been observing his opponent.
• Cheng Che raised his pace in the second set and won the match against Zhu Junchi, six-four, four-six, six-one.
• Su Qingyue celebrated Cheng Che's victory on the beach, and her mother teased her about shouting his name in her sleep.
• Cheng Che told Jiang Xue he wanted his parents to rest from running their breakfast shop, and Jiang Xue and Cheng Jianguo decided to travel to Hang City to watch him play.
• Guo Xin congratulated Cheng Che and said he had bought a ticket to Hang City for the next week.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that two companies had offered him racket endorsements, but Cheng Che postponed considering them until after the tournament and learned his next opponent specialized in defense.

After Cheng Che won all three group matches and advanced to the knockout stage, his parents and Guo Xin joined him for a celebratory meal. Federer announced he would watch if Cheng Che reached the final, leaving Cheng Che eager to show him his game.

• Cheng Che defeated Chen Bai with varied placement and finished the group stage undefeated, advancing to the knockout rounds.
• Cheng Che signed autographs for fans outside the sports center, then spotted Guo Xin and his parents waiting for him.
• Cheng Che, his parents, Guo Xin, and Qin Lie celebrated over hot pot while Guo Xin teased Cheng Che with an embarrassing story.
• Qin Lie showed the group a video from Federer's official account in which Federer praised Cheng Che and said he would watch the final in person.
• Cheng Che realized Federer might see him play and welcomed the chance.

After two days sightseeing with his family and Guo Xin, Cheng Che entered the knockout stage and faced leading young player Lu Yunxiao on Court One. As the crowd gathered and Cheng Che felt his form rising, the match was about to begin.

• Cheng Che spent two days touring Hang City with his parents, Guo Xin, and Qin Lie, while Guo Xin posted photos of him online.
• Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue encouraged Cheng Che before the knockout stage, and he promised to bring them good news.
• Cheng Che met Lu Yunxiao before their match, and Lu Yunxiao praised his talent but warned that he relied on it too much.
• The commentators introduced Cheng Che and Lu Yunxiao as the tournament’s most anticipated matchup, and the crowd erupted when Cheng Che entered Court One.
• Yan Ruanning and Su Jianqiu watched from the stands, while Su Qingyue saw Cheng Che play in person for the first time.
• Cheng Che felt his palm grow hot and sensed that he was in excellent form as the match was about to begin.

Cheng Che struggled against Lu Yunxiao’s precise, grinding play and lost the first two sets despite adapting his tactics. As Cheng Che sensed a weakness he could not identify, Flash of Inspiration triggered.

• Lu Yunxiao wore Cheng Che down with deep, carefully placed returns and won the first-set tiebreak 7–4.
• Cheng Che used drop shots and net approaches to take a 3–0 lead in the second set, but Lu Yunxiao adjusted and recovered to win it 6–4.
• Qin Lie, Yan Ruanning, and the Su family discussed Cheng Che’s predicament as commentators and viewers criticized his performance.
• During the break, Cheng Che focused on the subtle flaw he sensed in Lu Yunxiao’s shot patterns.
• Flash of Inspiration triggered in Cheng Che’s head.

Cheng Che figured out Lu Yunxiao’s predictable returns and turned the match around by anticipating his shots. After winning the third set six to four, Cheng Che prepared to face Lu Yunxiao in the fourth set.

• Cheng Che’s [Flash of Inspiration] activated, and he realized Lu Yunxiao relied on deep shots down the middle to force opponents into mistakes.
• Cheng Che deliberately dropped the first two games of the third set while testing his read of Lu Yunxiao’s patterns, then broke serve with a series of early anticipations.
• Lu Yunxiao tried changing direction, but Cheng Che exploited his weak angles and held serve to even the set at two all.
• Cheng Che and Lu Yunxiao traded holds until Cheng Che broke again and served out the third set six to four.
• Qin Lie asked whether Cheng Che had staged his early losses, while Lu Yunxiao recognized that Cheng Che had seen through him as the fourth set began.

Cheng Che defeated Lu Yunxiao in five sets, establishing himself as the tournament favorite and moving closer to the championship. After the match, Lu Yunxiao acknowledged Cheng Che’s talent, while Cheng Che focused on completing his Stamina Trial task.

• Cheng Che adapted to Lu Yunxiao’s patterns and dominated the fourth set, winning it six-two.
• Cheng Che overwhelmed Lu Yunxiao in the fifth set, breaking his serve repeatedly and winning the match seven-six, four-six, six-four, six-two, six-one.
• Lin Yan and Zhou Zhou praised Cheng Che’s undefeated run and discussed whether a new tennis king was rising.
• Yan Ruanning, Su Jianqiu, Su Qingyue, and Father Su watched Cheng Che’s victory and applauded him.
• Lu Yunxiao shook hands with Cheng Che, admitted he had been wrong about Cheng Che’s talent, and accepted his loss.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that the championship was within reach, while Cheng Che thought about completing his Stamina Trial task.

Cheng Che advanced to the National Youth Games final after defeating Zhou Huan and Wei Ran, while his rise drew national attention and Federer arrived to watch. The chapter ended as Cheng Che and Jiang Shuo prepared to enter the court for the final.

• Cheng Che ignored the online attention as Qin Lie reviewed his upcoming opponents with him.
• Cheng Che defeated Zhou Huan 6–3, 6–2 in the quarterfinals.
• Cheng Che defeated Wei Ran 6–2, 6–4 in the semifinals and advanced to the final against Jiang Shuo.
• Federer arrived with his wife and daughters and took his seat in the VIP section to watch the final.
• Cheng Che and Jiang Shuo prepared to enter the court as Federer waited for Cheng Che to appear.

Cheng Che defeated Jiang Shuo to win the National Youth Games men's singles championship, completing his final stamina trial as Federer presented him with the trophy. After the ceremony, Cheng Che met Yan Ruanning, and they finally went to share the meal they had long planned.

• Cheng Che beat Jiang Shuo in four sets, winning the championship after nine straight victories.
• Federer surprised the crowd by presenting Cheng Che with the trophy and telling him he hoped to see him on the international stage.
• Cheng Che received the notification that he had completed all three trials.
• Cheng Che accepted Yan Ruanning's invitation to eat, left Qin Lie's car, and met her at the stadium's east gate.
• Yan Ruanning drove Cheng Che to a Chinese restaurant as they finally prepared to share their long-awaited meal.

After winning the championship, Cheng Che received a talent that healed his injuries and a title that pressured opponents and favored him in competition. Yan Ruanning gave him matching tennis shoes, and Cheng Che realized they were a couple’s pair as he saw the love in her eyes.

• Cheng Che checked the system and received Self-Healing Instinct, which quickly repaired his lingering injuries.
• Cheng Che received and equipped the Champion title, whose aura made opponents doubt themselves and tilted third-party judgments in his favor.
• Yan Ruanning told Cheng Che that her father wanted him to film a promotional video for No. 13 Middle School when he returned to Spring City, and Cheng Che agreed to visit him.
• Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning ate together, sharing small, familiar gestures that showed their relationship had grown closer.
• Yan Ruanning gave Cheng Che black tennis shoes, and he discovered she had bought herself a matching, smaller pair.

Cheng Che’s family celebrated his tennis victory, then learned that online rumors linked him romantically to singer Yan Ruanning, who was revealed to be Xu Ruanning, Old Xu’s daughter. As the speculation spread, Yan Ping recognized that her daughter liked Cheng Che, while Guo Xin defended their rumored relationship in the class group chat.

• Cheng Jianguo’s family watched Cheng Che win the tennis final and celebrated over lunch.
• Xu Qian showed the family an online video claiming Yan Ruanning had attended several of Cheng Che’s matches, and Jiang Xue explained that Yan Ruanning was Xu Ruanning, Teacher Xu’s daughter.
• Yan Ping saw the dating rumors and a livestream clip, then told Old Xu that Ningning liked Cheng Che.
• Guo Xin shared his belief that Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning were involved in the class group chat, then messaged Cheng Che for confirmation.

Yan Ruanning and Cheng Che responded to rumors sparked by her attending all of his matches, then parted on warm terms. Back at Qin Lie’s home, Cheng Che committed to continuing tennis and accepted the first stages of three demanding advancement trials.

• Xiao Zhou told Yan Ruanning that blurry photos of her attending Cheng Che’s matches had made their supposed relationship a trending topic, and Cheng Che realized she had watched every match.
• Yan Ruanning decided the photos did not prove anything, while Cheng Che encouraged her to handle work and said they could keep in touch and meet in Spring City.
• Yan Ruanning left with Xiao Zhou, and Cheng Che returned to Qin Lie’s home after finishing their meal.
• Qin Lie asked whether Yan Ruanning was Cheng Che’s girlfriend and worried that Cheng Che might leave tennis for university, but Cheng Che said he would keep training and asked Qin Lie to coach him later.
• Cheng Che checked the system’s high-rank trials, which required worldwide popularity, a national academic award, and a Grand Slam victory, then accepted the first-stage tasks for all three.

Cheng Che accepted three trials, opened his tennis training pack, and returned to Spring City to visit his family. His teacher asked him to come to school to film a promotional video, leaving Cheng Che feeling awkward as he thought of Yan Ruanning.

• Cheng Che accepted the Charisma, Intelligence, and Stamina trials and planned to use his family's business for the commercial venture objective.
• Cheng Che opened the Advanced Tennis Training Pack, received a racket and four training packs, and considered running as his second sport.
• Cheng Che noticed a video of Su Qingyue watching his final and wondered whether she had a crush on him.
• Cheng Che flew back to Spring City and reunited with Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue, who worried that he had lost weight.
• Cheng Jianguo told Cheng Che that Old Xu wanted him to visit school to film a promotional video, and Cheng Che thought of Yan Ruanning and their matching shoes.

Cheng Che returned to his tennis routine in Spring City and reunited with Guo Xin, who was trying to lose weight by swimming. After Guo Xin showed him a provincial cultural tourism video contest, Cheng Che agreed to make a video with him and planned to film at the school first.

• Cheng Che practiced tennis with his new racket at People's Park, then ran five kilometers and arranged to discuss a school promotional video with Old Xu.
• Cheng Che visited Guo Xin and found him swimming at the municipal pool in an effort to lose weight.
• Guo Xin showed Cheng Che the Caiyun Province Cultural Tourism Promotional Video Competition, whose first-place prize was 500,000 yuan.
• Cheng Che connected the contest video to his Charisma Trial mission and agreed to enter with Guo Xin.
• Cheng Che told Guo Xin he would film a school promotional video the next day and start their project in earnest the day after.

After returning to Spring City, Cheng Che visited the tennis center and reunited with Old Chen before joining classmates to film a promotional video for No. 13 Middle School. The chapter ended with Old Xu hinting that Cheng Che might give him a grandchild, leaving Cheng Che bewildered about whom he meant.

• Cheng Che visited the tennis center, where Old Chen welcomed him and the young players asked him for autographs and photos.
• Cheng Che returned to No. 13 Middle School and reunited with Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, and Zhou Mingxuan before joining the promotional video shoot.
• Cheng Che joked about the students treating him like an exhibit, easing the awkward atmosphere in the principal's office.
• Cheng Che and Su Qingyue filmed a classroom study scene together, and Su Qingyue told him they should keep in touch while studying in Capital City.
• Old Xu told Cheng Che that he did not want to hold a grandchild so soon, leaving Cheng Che confused about whom he meant.

Cheng Che considered the system’s three trials and found an idea for his charisma challenge: film a day exploring Spring City. He and Guo Xin began planning the video, intending to start filming the next day.

• Cheng Che reviewed the stamina, intelligence, and charisma trials, weighing sports for the first and waiting for his parents’ breakfast-shop plans before tackling the second.
• Wang Xiumei greeted Cheng Che warmly, praised his success, and helped him add Zhou Hao on WeChat.
• Cheng Che decided to make a video about a day in Spring City and post it as an entry in the cultural and tourism competition.
• Cheng Che told Guo Xin his idea, and Guo Xin agreed to list the city’s appealing places and food while Cheng Che worked out how to film them.

Cheng Che’s parents chose a cultural and creative shop for their new business, and his friends planned a culture and tourism promotional video centered on his daily life and Caiyun Province’s sights. The group agreed to meet before dawn to film Cheng Che practicing.

• Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue showed Cheng Che the storefront they had chosen for a cultural and creative shop, and Cheng Che encouraged them to keep reasonable hours.
• Guo Xin invited Cheng Che, Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, and Zhou Mingxuan to a video call to discuss a culture and tourism promotional video.
• Guo Xin proposed filming Cheng Che’s daily routine, but Zhou Mingxuan suggested adding quick cuts of distinctive sights in Caiyun Province and ending with Cheng Che welcoming viewers to the capital of Caiyun.
• Cheng Che approved Zhou Mingxuan’s plan, and the group agreed to begin filming his morning practice the next day.
• Cheng Che told everyone to meet at the entrance to Clearwater Bay Residential Complex before five, and Guo Xin agreed to have his mother wake him.

Cheng Che met his friends before dawn to film himself practicing tennis at People's Park, then treated them to breakfast. The group learned that the episode of Life Slowed Down featuring Cheng Che would air the next day.

• Guo Xin, Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, and Zhou Mingxuan met Cheng Che at the entrance to Clearwater Bay Residential Complex before dawn.
• Cheng Che and his friends walked to People's Park, where they discussed their university plans; Su Qingyue, Lin Xiao, and Guo Xin chose Capital City, while Zhou Mingxuan was going to Magic City.
• Cheng Che activated a Training Recovery Card and practiced tennis while Guo Xin, Zhou Mingxuan, Su Qingyue, and Lin Xiao filmed him.
• Cheng Che treated his friends to breakfast after Guo Xin complained that filming with a phone had tired his arms.
• Guo Xin discovered that the episode of Life Slowed Down featuring Cheng Che would air the next day.

Cheng Che and Guo Xin filmed more footage around Spring City while viewers gathered to watch Cheng Che’s episode of Life Slowed Down. His striking entrance captivated Yan Ruanning’s fans, including two roommates, leaving them eager to see more of him.

• Cheng Che and Guo Xin discussed the episode preview, and Cheng Che encouraged Guo Xin to praise him in the bullet comments.
• Cheng Che exchanged playful WeChat messages with Yan Ruanning about her handling of the lawyer’s letter and their undefined relationship.
• Cheng Che, Guo Xin, Zhou Mingxuan, Su Qingyue, and Lin Xiao filmed Cheng Che visiting Spring City landmarks until evening.
• Cheng Che watched the Life Slowed Down livestream as viewers filled the bullet comments with speculation about him and Yan Ruanning.
• Huang Chengcheng and Hu Manni watched Cheng Che arrive at the Mushroom House, and both admitted they had fallen for him.

Cheng Che’s appearance on Life Slowed Down went viral, winning over viewers and softening Yan Ruanning’s fans toward their rumored relationship. As Yan Ruanning wondered what Cheng Che meant to her, Su Qingyue resolved to take better pictures of him than the show’s photographer.

• The episode’s footage of Cheng Che spread across Weibo and Douyin, and the show’s director celebrated the success of his expanded edit.
• Yan Ruanning’s fans began accepting the possibility that she and Cheng Che were together, while Zhihu users debated whether they should oppose the match.
• Yan Ruanning asked Xiao Zhou what Cheng Che was to her and admitted that neither of them had confessed their feelings.
• Su Qingyue repeatedly watched Cheng Che’s entrance, tried to recreate the shot, and wrote that she would take better pictures than the photographer.