Fang Chao felt Nie Chi was being too cowardly, asking why overtaking someone on the field made him so emotional. He mocked Nie Chi for being overly dramatic. This angered Nie Chi, leading to a heated argument where Nie Chi lashed out at Fang Chao with harsh words. However, Fang Chao wasn’t upset; instead, he laughed, feeling happy that Nie Chi trusted him enough to vent his frustrations, showing they had a close bond.
Coach Li Haifeng announced that Lin Ge and Fang Chao had passed this round of the competition. However, Nie Chi’s psychological struggles could only be resolved by himself, as no one else could intervene. The coach acknowledged Nie Chi’s intelligence but noted that being too smart sometimes wasn’t beneficial.
Lin Ge overheard a senior saying she might have feelings for Nie Chi, but Lin Ge denied it, stating they were like childhood siblings, and her closeness with Fang Chao was the same. She even teasingly asked if the senior liked their senior male teammate, to which the senior replied that her feelings were purely camaraderie.
Lin Ge advised Nie Chi that if he struggled to overtake others during races, he should focus on balancing his speed throughout. Later, Lin Ge learned that another senior was leaving the team. Feeling reluctant to say goodbye, she was moved by the senior’s reasoning that leaving would allow others with greater need to access resources. Lin Ge admired the senior’s selflessness, realizing she hadn’t fully understood her character before.
Lin Ge accompanied the senior to her departing vehicle, feeling a deep sense of loss. Watching teammates leave one by one in such a competitive environment left Lin Ge reflective. She realized life here was a harsh daily grind, where only the capable could stay.
Coach Han was delighted to see Lin Ge return and playfully teased her about gaining weight. Seeing all her students back together brought him joy. Outside Lin Ge’s dorm, Nie Chi waited for her. When Lin Ge noticed he wasn’t preparing for the next competition, she scolded him for wasting time. Nie Chi explained that his psychological barriers couldn’t be solved in a day, so the timing didn’t matter.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhu decided to leave, which saddened everyone. Lin Ge remembered how passionately their senior had pursued Zhu Zhu, but now, with her gone, he seemed equally dejected. Not everyone could win championships, but Zhu Zhu’s overly competitive nature left her feeling defeated and ultimately led to her departure.
Nie Chi was surprised to learn their senior had left. When he asked Lin Ge what the senior had said before departing, Lin Ge revealed they had only talked about dreams and aspirations.
As Lin Ge and Nie Chi talked, they didn’t realize Fang Chao was watching from outside, holding two candied hawthorns and looking dejected. Fang Chao sent Nie Chi away and invited Lin Ge to hang out with him, asking her to support him in a personal matter. Lin Ge agreed. Back in the dorm, Fang Chao tried on different outfits before heading out in a stylish one. Nie Chi thought something was off about Fang Chao, and just as he was about to leave with Lin Ge, he saw her leaving with Fang Chao instead, leaving Nie Chi behind.
Fang Chao took Lin Ge shopping, using the excuse of buying his mother a dress to get Lin Ge to come along. However, he noticed Lin Ge wasn’t speaking much during their outing and felt something was amiss. Lin Ge confided that in the past, all she thought about was making money, but now she had so many people she considered family, despite not being related by blood. She expressed her happiness at their closeness.
Lin Ge touched Fang Chao’s head and assured him that as long as she had food to eat, she wouldn’t let him go hungry, which made Fang Chao very happy.
