[RECAP/ EN] 稍息立正我愛你 (Attention, Love!) Ep. 9

Shao Xi was snooping around the room next door and wished she was staying there instead. As she walked out, she saw Li Zheng walking in with a box in hand. Shao Xi asked what he was doing here and Li Zheng nonchalantly replied that he lived there. He then asked her if she lived there too. Right!? It is impossible that he does not know she is living there when he pays the rent. I find it too hard to believe. Shao Xi incredulously yelled that she lived there and now seemed as if she was there just to follow him. She stressed that this was purely a coincidence and she would move immediately if she did not already sign the contract. She returned to her room and only to find out that she had locked herself out of her room. Lol. Not a great exit.

Shao Xi borrowed Li Zheng’s phone to contact the landlord. Shao Xi said she would wait in his room until the landlord arrived and would stop bothering him after that. Li Zheng remarked that she seemed unusual today because it appeared as if she was unhappy that he too, was living there. Shao Xi dismissed his concern by saying that it was probably because she was tired from the move. Shao Xi wanted to wait outside for Ru Ping and the landlord. As she opened her door, she saw Xiao Yu outside of Li Zheng’s door. He saw both Li Zheng and Shao Xi inside and mistakenly thought that they were cohabitating. He handed them gifts and wished them a harmonious union forever. Lol.

Shao Xi caught him in the corridor and asked the gifts meant. Xiao Yu instead, promised that he did not see anything and was merely giving some neighborly gifts since he just moved in. He promised that he would never tell anyone that they were living together. Shao Xi clarified that although they lived in the same building, they were not living in the same room. Ru Ping walked in, while complaining about the slow service of the nearby food vendor, and was surprised to see both Li Zheng and Xiao Yu living there too.

Now settled in Shao Xi’s room, Xiao Yu asked why was Ru Ping not accepted to Lunghwa instead and Shao Xi to Taichung. Lol. Xiao Yu really does have the biggest crush on Ru Ping. Ru Ping commented that Shao Xi’s house was like a class reunion everyday with her neighbors being from the same high school. Ru Ping reasoned that with this, it would be easier for her to acclimate to university life. Shao Xi then yelled at Ru Ping’s forgetfulness. Shao Xi said that the reason she moved out was so that there was a distance between her and Li Zheng. But now since he too, moved out and was just next door, she seemed to have wasted her time and effort. Xiao Yu said then the solution was clear: just move out. Shao Xi said that was impossible because then, it would be obvious that she was avoiding Li Zheng.

Li Zheng was putting up a picture of his graduation day on his desk. The picture showed him looking at Shao Xi instead of at the camera. Sigh… Why so melancholic dude? He flashbacked to a few days ago when he hesitantly approached Papa Zhong after he overheard that Shao Xi was moving out. Papa Zhong guessed his reason for coming to him and immediately gave Shao Xi’s new address to him. Papa Zhong said that he had told the landlord to save another room if Shao Xi signed the contract. The rest, was up to Li Zheng. Papa Zhong really is the coolest father-in-law ever. Now, if only Li Zheng moves just a tad faster…

It was late and Shao Xi was having trouble sleeping on her new bed. She walked out onto the patio and met Li Zheng who too, was out. Li Zheng asked why she was not sleeping. She admitted that she was homesick and was having trouble settling down. Shao Xi asked if he had problem settling when he first moved into their house. He admitted that at first, he could not sleep well but he listened to music and it helped him. Li Zheng let her listen to his music and it was Karen’s Close To You. Shao Xi noted that this was the same song that he played in his childhood home so he must have really liked it. Li Zheng admitted that he was not sure if he liked this song but this song was very important to him. I really wonder what is on his mind. For someone so smart, how can he not realize if he likes a song or not?! Is it really so hard to deduce?

Li Zheng admitted that while growing up, his uncle often told stories of his parents but he did not feel that these stories were familiar. Until his uncle introduced this song to him. This was the song his father used to propose to his mom. He had never heard of it beforehand but unknowingly, the tune and the words struck a chord as if he had heard of it many times somewhere before. Shao Xi noted that since that conversation, they forgot about the graduation day kiss and was alright again. Shao Xi wanted to also tell him that since their first meeting in her living room, she too became drawn to this song. But she decided to just enjoy the silence and each other’s company while listening to the song. She finally retired to her room and slept while listening to the song. In a monolog, Shao Xi remarked that every time she felt uneasy, just being next to Li Zheng calmed her. It is rather obvious that something about this song binds them since childhood. And maybe, it even starts from their embryo days.

It was first day of college. Shao Xi walked in excitedly. She was determined to let go of her image as Zhong Ke and live a quiet college student life. But then she met the Jin Pai girls and started worrying that they would spread news of her past reputation. The Jin Pai girls too, were worried that she would blurt news of their hooligan ways back in high school. A funny plastic surgery remark was made here when one of the Jin Pai girls claimed that even her mother did not recognize her when she returned from Korea. True enough, they all were in the same class. Xiao Yu was outside of the class, saw all four girls inside and wondered if it was too late to sign up for lessons to retake the exam. Lol.

Li Zheng was walking into school when he saw Jin Li coming in on his motorcycle. He overheard him say to Ah Ke and Xiao Jian that he was determined to be Shao Xi’s senior. Li Zheng looked on worriedly. Ah Ke and Xiao Jian advised Jin Li to properly park his motorcycle but he claimed, he had parked there for a year and never been towed. Lol. Li Zheng is so totally going to get that bike towed! In sophomore’s class, the males were fighting to draw lots. Jin Li lectured them for their childish antics and ended up being the first to draw a stick. Lol.

Jin Li complained that he got Xiao Ciao. Ah Ke and Xiao Jian were amazed of his good fortunes as Xiao Ciao was reputed to be the prettiest of all freshmen girls. Another two sophomores walked down the stairs and Jin Li overheard that Shao Xi’s name mentioned. He grabbed onto him and was determined to switch his assigned junior. This whole freshman sophomore assignment thing feels like female objectification. As a girl myself, am I supposed to feel flattered over it? Hmmm…

Xiao Ciao walked in to Shao Xi’s class and asked Shao Xi if she enrolled to Lunghwa because Jin Li was also studying there. This was obviously news to Shao Xi and she started to wonder what was happening since everyone she knew seemed to be going to the same university. Jin Li walked into their class to advice all of them that there was a sophomore buddy system within their department and should wait for their sophomores to pick them up, for a gathering, prior to leaving today. Jin Li then proceeded to approach Shao Xi and told her that he was her assigned sophomore. He said it as if she should be praising the Heavens for her good fortunes. Lol.

In Li Zheng’s class, a pretty student named Bai Ruo Lin (Dewi Chien) also known as Bai Bai approached him and asked him to join their study group. He indifferently agreed and left rather abruptly. Bai Bai smiled sweetly when he was out of sight. Hmmm… Another masochistic character?! How can she smile after being treated so rudely? A little sight note: Dewi Chien also played the role of Sahoko Oizumi, who was Naoki’s fiance’s near the end of the series, in Taiwan’s latest Itakiss adaptation “Miss In Kiss”.

Shao Xi was walking home and Jin Li stopped her to go to the gathering. Jin Li took her to his parked motorcycle only to be surprised that it was towed. Again another cruel dealing by Fate! He had parked there illegally for a whole year and was never towed. Now that he was with Shao Xi, this happened. Hmmm… it is really too unfair for Dimples. He is just not given a chance. I wonder though if Li Zheng did something mischievous… Anyway, they took a taxi instead.

At the restaurant, Jin Li was serving Shao Xi drinks and meat and made everyone else cheered on them excitedly. Xiao Ciao looked on in jealous anger. Ah Ke and Xiao Jian followed him to the toilet and asked why he was only concentrating on one girl. Jin Li clarified that there was nothing amiss and he just wanted to solely pursue Shao Xi. His two friends looked on confused. Xiao Ciao overheard this and was upset.

After he finished settling for the bill, Jin Li ran to catch up to Shao Xi who were already walking home. He asked if she would consider dating him. Shao Xi wondered how he could ask this so casually. But Jin Li asked her to really reconsider if he really was just casually asking?! He had declared his feelings many times and they both knew his intentions. Shao Xi understood but still rejected him anyway. She said if she met her crush, her heart would be filled with a song. Obviously referring to Li Zheng and the song, Close To You. Jin Li inquired if any song filled her heart every time she saw him. Shao Xi obviously claimed that seeing him did not stir anything. But then, Jin Li got an idea.

On her front door, Jin Li trapped Shao Xi. He leaned in and with his hand hidden holding his phone, turned on a romantic song. Lol. Jin Li does not give up easily! But of course, as usual, Fate intervened and Shao Xi found out. She was mad because it seemed that he was making fun of her. She told him to turn the song off. They were fighting to grab the phone when Li Zheng walked in on them. Shao Xi urged him not to misunderstand but he cut them off and asked her to move away from the door. Jealous? Jin Li was stunned to see Li Zheng also living there. He told her to be ready at 7 since he was taking her out to breakfast the next morning.

Jin Li started to think of ways to break Li Zheng and Shao Xi’s connection. He went back to Shao Xi’s house and just as he was going to knock, he met Xiao Yu who was just coming home. Jin Li discovered that Xiao Yu also lived there and asked to see his room. He then proceeded to convince Xiao Yu to switch rooms with him. At first, Xiao Yu declined because it seemed as if he was being disloyal to Shao Xi. But when Jin Li showed pictures of his bigger room filled with newer and cooler furnitures, he gave in.

Shao Xi went downstairs to get some water from the kitchen. She wondered if she should clarify things with Li Zheng because she did not want him to misunderstand. NO! Don’t do that! Let him misunderstand. Serves him right! But of course, Shao Xi was too naïve to play the push and pull game and started clarifying things when she met Li Zheng also downstairs to get water. Aish… But one good thing actually came out of it: Li Zheng actually seemed relieved over her explanation and was friendly again.

The next morning, loud noises from Xiao Yu’s room woke Shao Xi up. She went out to confront him only to discover Jin Li had taken over Xiao Yu’s room and was now living there too. Li Zheng also was bothered over the noises and went out to look. Jin Li apologized since he was still arranging the furniture in his room.  Jin Li claimed that Xiao Yu called him last night because he was not used to his room and wanted to switch. He just obliged because he was a good senior. Lol. Li Zheng looked on confused and Shao Xi merely shrugged.

At a nearby café, Jin Li gave some information on her professors and her neighborhood to make things easier. Jin Li saw Shao Xi’s quiet response and asked if his care and attention was giving her pressure. He told her to relax since it was normal for a senior to take care of a junior. Li Zheng walked in and mentioned casually that the Heavens would condemn a senior who pursued a junior. Lol. Jin Li asked why he intruded and wondered if he was aware that by sticking around Shao Xi, he was selfishly trapping her emotionally. This is very true. Jin Li continued and ask if Li Zheng liked Shao Xi. Jin Li noted that Li Zheng had done many things to ensure that Shao Xi’s life revolved around him. But he used the label of friend to always keep her at a slight distance. Li Zheng again was quiet but Shao Xi was angry and pushed him off his chair for his remarks. She left the café in anger. Li Zheng wanted to follow her but Jin Li stopped him because he was the one who made the mistake so should be the one who apologized. Jin Li caught up with Shao Xi and apologized. Shao Xi grabbed his collar and almost hit him but she left him alone. Everything Jin Li says here is true and valid but, it is not his place to comment. It would probably be better, if he says it to Li Zheng alone.

Li Zheng asked why he said those things if he clearly knew that they would aggravate her. Jin Li said that he would rather have Shao Xi mad at him and Li Zheng admit his feelings out loud because of his remarks. This is all because he did not want Shao Xi tied down for no good reason. Li Zheng refuted him and finally Jin Li asked if he intentionally not say anything because he was afraid that if they date and break up, Shao Xi would disappear from his side. Li Zheng did not disprove him this time and Jin Li pushed his belief once more: if he did not clarify his feelings, he was hogging Shao Xi. Li Zheng punched him. Jin Li noted two things: one, that Li Zheng was capable of anger and two, his observation, thus far, was spot on.

  

Both Li Zheng and Shao Xi quietly pondered Jin Li’s accurate observation. Jin Li knocked on Shao Xi’s door and apologized again. Shao Xi dismissed him and told him to move aside as she was late for class. Jin Li invited her to punch him so she felt better. Shao Xi clarified that she was angry not at him but at herself. His remarks at the café hit too close to home. The one who was holding onto him was not Li Zheng but it was her. She clearly still liked him but kept telling herself that they were just friends. She told herself to keep her distance but whenever he was near, she felt joy. She convinced herself that as long as they remain friends, no one would notice her feelings and therefore, Li Zheng had no reason to chase her away from his side. Jin Li asked why she was so afraid of confessing her feelings. Shao Xi clarified that it was not due to fear, it was because she did not want to have a life without him. Basically, Shao Xi would rather stay by his side and hide her feelings than say something and risk losing him. Both Li Zheng and Shao Xi felt the same way. This is frustrating and obviously disappointing. But as annoying as this is, I do admit that they both have valid concerns. Especially considering their young age as a new incoming freshmen. It is too early to think about love everlasting and harmonious union.

Shao Xi sat down to have lunch in the cafeteria. Li Zheng sat across from her and asked why she was eating alone. Shao Xi reasoned that she too was a new student and did not have friends to lunch with just yet. Shao Xi urged him not to misunderstand Jin Li’s words because she did not like him anymore. Li Zheng countered that Jin Li was right on one thing. He could not keep her by his side by always saying that they were friends, like their high school days. She did not have to care for him, a new transfer student, like before because now, she too was a new student and needed to find new friends. Shao Xi asked for further clarification but before he could explain, two of her classmates, Xiao Ha and Heng Heng, came to sit at their table. Li Zheng excused himself and threw his uneaten lunch down the trash. Don’t waste perfectly good food! So not right.

Bai Bai noticed Li Zheng and asked him to join her and two other friends for a karaoke session. Li Zheng looked back at Shao Xi and agreed to go with them. Sigh… Where are you Fate? Just like how you block Jin Li’s advances, it is now time for you to block Bai Bai’s.

Shao Xi’s two new friends asked what she thought were the differences between high school and college. Shao Xi noted that there were so many differences because university was bigger, had looser timetable, classes could be skipped easily, and hard to find where one belonged. More importantly, Shao Xi was sad that her best friend at high school, Li Zheng, in university now only viewed her as a friend from high school. Sigh… It is important, and healthy in fact, for someone in a relationship to still have personal life outside of his or her partner. But that does not mean that you ignore your partner whenever you were around your friends. That type of treatment is considered alienation and will driving them further away from each other.

At karaoke, Bai Bai chose a song and proclaimed that she was singing to someone in the room. Of course, everyone there knew that she meant Li Zheng. She started singing Li Zheng and Shao Xi’s relationship anthem: Close To You. Li Zheng started imagining Shao Xi singing it for him. He was stunned for a while and started to remember the many, many memories he shared with Shao Xi. Li Zheng finally snapped out of imagination and switched off the song. Someone asked who did it and Li Zheng admitted that it was he and left the room. Li Zheng walked home and admitted to himself that he was pretending to be happy and to have fun with friends because he wanted to prove that he did not need to have Shao Xi by his side. But he was slowly realizing that the whole time, he was still thinking of her.

Bai Bai noticed Li Zheng reading alone on a bench and approached him. She asked for a little of his time as she wanted his opinion. She claimed that she thought she liked a boy but was not sure if how certain was her feelings. She asked how could she find out for sure? Li Zheng advised her to keep her distance from her crush. And later, once she confessed and could not be friends anymore but still felt the same, then it was love. Hmmm… This is a type of thinking that makes me say, “But… But…” He further stressed that if she were not ready to lose him as a friend, she should not confess. Li Zheng’s view obviously echoed Shao Xi’s view when Jin Li confessed to her in the lane behind the school. Bai Bai was surprised of Li Zheng’s view on love and excused herself for class. But this basically was a rejection so at least, he was not leading her on.

It was raining and Shao Xi rushed upstairs to get her laundry. She saw Li Zheng’s shirt and wanted to take it down as well. But both Li Zheng and Shao Xi grabbed it at the same time. A brief uncomfortable silence ensued but then, Shao Xi broke it and told him to take in his shirt himself. Shao Xi was on the way down but she turned and said that lately, she had not seen him around as much. She wondered if he was ignoring her.

Comments

Aarghhhh…. Why?! This was another good episode and thankfully not as angsty as I predicted. I really should be happy because Li Zheng ignoring Shao Xi is a telltale sign that he loves her and he knows it. This is very calmly explained throughout the episode and gives an in-depth understanding of how Li Zheng and Shao XI’s minds work. But obviously, I am far from satisfied. The whole thing about hiding feelings, keeping a distance, and confess way way later in the future, what exactly is it supposed to accomplish? Years of masochistic, miserable, and self-induced pain? That just does not sound fun, does it? Won’t it be better if they both come clean, enter into a relationship, and take things slow to get to know each other better. You know like, most people.

I also am happy that both Li Zheng and Shao Xi seem have life outside the own little world. Because for a relationship to work, both parties need to still maintain a healthy personal life apart from each other. The writer understands this and wants us, the viewers, to be on the same page. Li Zheng and Shao Xi are meant for each other. At least, it is very obvious up until this point. But they do need to appreciate each other for who and what they are. This appreciation will come naturally as they mature themselves as individuals. Having close personal friends outside your partner is definitely a way about it.

Fate is not as hard on Bai Bai as it is on Jin Li. She is still given the chance to be in the same study group as him and can even ask him out for a group karaoke session. She is also given the opportunity to confess, albeit indirectly, while he was reading alone on the bench. Good thing though Li Zheng somewhat rejected her. I however wonder how far Li Zheng will take on his convoluted view on love and relationship: how far is the distance he is imposing onto Shao Xi and himself and how long is he ignoring her? More importantly, how far is he going to make use of Bai Bai? I have an ugly suspicion that Bai Bai may well be Li Zheng’s first girlfriend in college. The story after all, follows a lot of the same trajectory of Itazura Na Kiss where the lead, Naoki, even was engaged near the end of the series to a prettier and smarter girl before surrendering to his real feelings.

What do you all think? I am very interested to know how everyone think of Bai Bai. And how does everyone view Fate? Is it only me that think Fate is just way too cruel to Jin Li? Comment below.