SHIT GETS REAL

I have to recap this NOW and recap 23 – 26 right afterwards because things get so real. I’ve been late behind my recaps (so many to watch!) because I’ve been so busy with life and actual work. I finally caught up and things get really serious around episode 26 where Zheng Shuang is back in the drama again and seriously I am dreading it in so many ways.

First of all, her appearance in the drama means that the real Xiao Han will be back *__* I love Bao Bao so much and I love her relationship with the other cadets, but this means that everything will quickly come to an end. I watched the trailers for this drama to be able see more of what happens and spoiler (highlight): the real Xiao Han comes back with a vengeance and goes full villain after our dear Xiang Hao leaves her at the alter all alone. 

Secondly, I didn’t remember how bad Zheng Shuang’s acting was since it’s been a month since the The Cage of Love. She is extremely pretty but I think all the botox she’s been injecting really has made her face very rigid and stiff, and she doesn’t have a lot of expressions. She pretty much acts with her eyes, like widening them when she’s surprised, narrowing them and when she’s thinking or annoyed etc.. Even though I don’t like her in dramas, I actually really respect her for being so honest about her surgeries especially with all the stigma in the industry.

After confronting Xiao Qi about poisoning Xiang Hao and Shen Wen Tao, Bao Bao noticed Xiao Qi mentioned how she doesn’t know what type of life that she’s living all these years after her brother’s death.

Bao Bao decides to go visit Xiao Qi’s family one day, just to investigate, and at the same time bumps into Shen Wen Tao, and they decide to go together. They find out that Xiao Qi’s mom is nearly fully blind and was running a fruit store like that the whole time. A thief stole all her money in front of Bao Bao and Shen Wen Tao and she didn’t even know.

Xiao Qi’s mom heartbreakingly mistakes Shen Wen Tao for Xiao Hua at first – they’ve been living under a lot of hardship after Xiao Hua’s death, and Xiao Qi took the bulk of the burden of the family. Now, I’ve felt very bad for Xiao Qi all along, up until Episode 26, which now I think she went overboard, and my pity for her hardship doesn’t extend that far.

Xiang Hao cutely pouts and waits for Bao Bao to come back.

When she does, she comes back with Shen Wen Tao. Xiang Hao starts acting immature and annoying again, and so Bao Bao escapes at the first given opportunity. After she was gone, Shen Wen Tao declares to Xiang Hao that he will fight for Bao Bao as well.

The exams/tests to get into Ji Yin Cadets begin – this is part of the Long Chen Academy but the Ji Yin cadets is the cream-of-the-crop elite group of the Long Chen Academy.

Xiang Hao is not the academic type to say the least, and the first test of entering the Ji Yin cadets is to write a written exam on military strategy.

During his quiz on military strategy Xiang Hao attempts to cheat with Xiao Bai (in the most obvious but cutest way ever).

Him and his crew get caught by Bao Bao for cheating and she punishes them by having them hold up flower pots in a squat. Bao Bao hurts Xiang Hao’s feeling when she compares him to Shen Wen Tao.

Xiang Hao fails his quiz miserably so Bao Bao tries to figure out a way to get him to pass so he can get into the Ji Yin cadets. She asks Shen Wen Tao to act with her to treat Xiang Hao badly, to motivate him to study and try harder.

When that still doesn’t work, Xiao Bai and Du Feng beg Bao Bao to be Xiang Hao’s personal tutor, because he can’t even peek at a book without falling asleep.

Bao Bao very cutely teaches Xiang Hao military strategies (she had to study about it beforehand) and he enjoys every moment of this obviously because of his crush on her, and loves all her attention on him. She teaches how to convert the knowledge that he already has onto paper, gets him to recite technical knowledge while he exercises.

Sidenote: the regular appearance of this puppy wins the world. Carry on.

We continue with the side story of Xie Tian Jiao and Dr. Su: Xie Tian Jiao asks Bao Bao for advice on boys again, and Bao Bao advises her to be more gentle and more feminine. 

LOOOL Xie Tian Jiao undergoes a ‘feminine’ make-over where she wears a little bit of make-up and has pretty hair. I wish that they gave her a little more make-up though, because I always thought she was very washed out (but thought it was part of her manliness) and she would look so nice with some pinker lip gloss or heavier blush.

Not knowing how to court a boy, she goes to see Dr. Su everyday with the excuse of being sick when she’s perfectly healthy.

The cadets take the entrance written exam on military strategies to get into Ji Yin, and Xiang Hao does well and passes.

Xie Tian Jiao brings her new make-over to school, and she starts wearing the same purple outfit as Bao Bao instead of the blue one that she usually does (that’s made for men). Xie Tian Jiao interacts with the cadets with a new higher and ditzy voice and everyone is left in shock while she struts away sassily.

Xiang Hao takes another opportunity to confess his love to Bao Bao. He takes her out to the garden, and sets off fireworks (this was a very pretty scene). He tells her that the moment that he had met her on the train, she’s changed his life, but also he’d like to reintroduce himself to her.

Bao Bao is understandably melting at this romantic gesture, and she almost accepts Xiang Hao’s kiss until… 

Shen Wen Tao shows up. He found out about this whole ‘confession of love’ thing from the other cadets, and not only does he ruin the moment before they kiss, he looks at Bao Bao and reminds her of her circumstances through coded language.

He says something along the lines of, “Fireworks and this romance is just an illusion, after this, you’ll have to return back to reality and face what’s true,” which reminds Bao Bao that she’s just using a fake identity, and that she can’t actually have this.

Shen Wen Tao and Bao Bao head back, leaving Xiang Hao behind. Bao Bao hints to Shen Wen Tao that she has circumstances and limitations so she would not say yes to anyone, not knowing that Shen Wen Tao understands what’s going on with her completely.

Meanwhile human piece of filth 死變態 Li Tian Han convinces the very dumb and easily swayed Xiao Qi to try to kill Xiang Hao and Shen Wen Tao again. Do you notice how he convinces you to only kill those two, but not Xiao Bai?! Gosh you are so easily manipulated!

Li Tian Han takes Xiao Qi to the man that raped her, and gives her a knife to stab him to death which is so 變態crazy on so many levels. HE was the one that arranged the rape, and he’s convincing her to kill that guy he hired?? Holy crap.

The second test was a physical military examination. So we get literally 10 minutes of some ‘hard-core’ music (aka Chinese rap with some inspirational lyrics) with these cadets rolling in mud and dodging bullets. I get very bored during these scenes and there’s no real dialogue so I tend to skip them.

Xiao Qi tends to the cadets’ wounds after the exam, and instead of disinfecting Xiang Hao’s wounds, she uses this ointment that attracts snakes.

Xiang Hao tries to get Bao Bao’s attention by playing with her earring again, not knowing that it’s from her deceased father. Bao Bao tries to get it back – to which Xiang Hao tells her that he will only give it back if she meets him by the cliff tonight (you see where this is going? It’s like they’re asking for trouble).

Poor Shen Wen Tao tells Bao Bao that he’s very envious of Xiang Hao because he’s always able to get her attention. Sigh don’t worry Shen Wen Tao, you win all of our hearts instead.

Overhearing Xiang Hao’s plan to meet Xiao Han by the cliff, Li Tian Han goes to release a snake nearby Xiang Hao.

Bao Bao blocks Xiang Hao from being bitten, and when she moves him out of danger, she slips down the cliff.

They both fall over the cliff.

Ok they fall for a good 15 seconds in the drama, making it look like they fell from 10 stories high, to which I’m like OK, there’s no way you’d be able to survive that. I mean, CGI is fun and all, but must you make it so unrealistic?!

Bao Bao and Xiang Hao fall down the cliff together and Xiang Hao realizes Bao Bao’s been bitten. He very caringly sucks the poison out of her wound, which makes me wonder – I see this a lot in dramas… I wonder if sucking poison out of a bite actually works, especially when it’s so unhygienic.

Bao Bao and Xiang Hao falls asleep together in the meadow that night, waiting until daytime to get back.

Even though I had the second male lead syndrome, Xiang Hao is slowly growing on me. He’s undoubtedly handsome, and all these scenes with Bao Bao are just too cute to deny.

The disgusting piece of filth and the dumb girl hug each other in delight thinking that they killed off Xiang Hao and Xiao Han. How could someone’s heart and mind be so ugly that they would rejoice in someone else’s death?!

The cadets realized Xiang Hao and Bao Bao were missing and set off to look for them. Bao Bao and Xiang Hao started heading back to camp as well, except that Xiang Hao had ingested some of the poison he was sucking out (I know, that’s so gross) and started to feel woozy and sick.

Our strong female lead took him onto her back while she tried to find the other cadets, and Xiang Hao confessed his love again for her – telling her that he was only annoying to her and bugging her all the time because that was the only way to get her attention. They are finally discovered by Shen Wen Tao and the other cadets and Shen Wen Tao carries Xiang Hao to the hospital.

LOL in this cute scene Xiang Hao touches Shen Wen Tao’s hair and cuddles his arm and says a bunch of perverted loving things to Shen Wen Tao, thinking that he was Bao Bao.

…To which he immediately regrets after finding out the truth. LOL. This was such a cute and funny scene that makes me love these characters so much.

(Screencaps so you can just see the cute puppy)

Shen Wen Tao asks Bao Bao to see a movie to spend some time with her, to which Xiang Hao sees…

The next day, Xiang Hao, Xiao Bai, and Du Feng all miss class.

The little brats make it seem like that Xiang Hao had somehow died from the snake bite, and Bao Bao starts crying and mourning over him, until Xiang Hao pops up from the dead. Xiang Hao tries to kiss her again and Shen Wen Tao manages to show up on time again (I know, this guy’s got impeccable timing) and disrupts them.

The purpose of Shen Wen Tao’s disruption was to tell Bao Bao that equipment for Mama Chien’s operation has arrived!

Shen Wen Tao tries so hard (look at the guys behind him cheering him on) to confess and ask Bao Bao out, when before he does, the other cadets swoop in and take Bao Bao away (Xiao Bai and Du Feng are the perfect wingmen).

Du Feng and Xiao Bai took Bao Bao  to our dear sick Xiang Hao to give him some extra tutoring lessons because he couldn’t attend class, and Xiang Hao looked at her lovingly the whole time with every word she said.

Update: Real Xiao Han still in coma at this point.

(Screencap of cute puppy just for you)

Finally in Episode 21-ish Bao Bao and Xiang Hao officially get together :’) It’s the cutest scene ever. He gifts her a pair of earrings, says a bunch of romantic stuff, and they kiss. I really have no words to describe it because honestly, how can I convey such a romantic scene in words?! If you haven’t watched this yet, you need to watch it because it will melt your heart <3.

Shen Wen Tao was literally only an hour late to confess his love. He was waiting outside of Bao Bao’s dorm the entire time, only to see her come back with Xiang Hao wearing these new earrings. Understanding immediately what must have happened, he immediately hides his gift behind him and you can totally hear his heart breaking in half when he comes to this realization. Don’t worry Wen Tao, we all love you regardless.

We have an excruciatingly long military practice scene that has a lot of action and bullets but not much dialogue. I get really bored with these scenes, so I skipped through this one.

The last exam was especially arranged by Li Ji Zhou to kill Shen Wen Tao and Xiang Hao by arranging for the cadets to help General Xiang and General Shen on the front line. He meant for them to be collateral damage (along with Bao Bao being sent as the instructor overlooking them).

Knowing that Bao Bao would join them on this dangerous mission, our dear thoughtful Shen Wen Tao gifts Bao Bao a gun, while our jealous Xiang Hao gifts her his personal necklace, as a good luck charm.

On the frontline, Shen Wen Tao suggests that the cadets should hide at the nook of a trail as it is on higher ground and it’s easier to be concealed there, as part of a military strategy. General Xiang and General Shen agree, and they send Xiang Hao (Bao Bao follows) to that general area to double check whether it’s a good area to ambush.

On their way there, Bao Bao and Xiang Hao meet a little kid that Bao Bao had met on the train on the way to Long Chen.

Turns out there was a small village near that nook – villagers had recently moved there to avoid the war and their lives have been unimaginably hard since the war had started and have been treated like subhumans ever since.

Xiang Hao suggested that they should come up with a new plan that weaves around the village. Even though the villagers are likely to become collateral damage, General Shen refused to change the original plan, and even punished Xiang Hao for suggesting to go against military orders. General Shen had already had his men surrounding these rebels, and there were no way that the rebels would get out alive so he refused to change the original plan to put his men through jeopardy just for villagers.

Bao Bao helps Xiang Hao escape from imprisonment (his punishment for going against military orders) to go help her relocate the villagers. Li Tian Han (another guy with impeccable timing apparently) sees this, and takes it an another opportunity to put them both in danger.

He sends a secret message to the rebels to let them know that Xiang Hao was acting alone to save villagers. The rebels sought to capture Xiang Hao, because they would have a lot more leverage and a higher chance of surviving if they captured General Xiang’s son.

Xiang Hao manages to relocate the women and children of the villagers to the nearby temple on the mountain and fought to slow down the rebels with the male villagers. After killing many of the rebels, Xiang Hao and the male villagers retreated back to the temple as well. 

Luckily, while the angry bloodthirsty rebels were trying to knock down the temple door to get to the villagers and Xiang Hao, reinforcements from Shen Wen Tao were just arriving to take down the rebels.

BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS for this post, even though a lot had happened but I’m trying desperately to catch up after so many days of not being able to update. Throughout these episodes it’s pretty much solidifying Xiang Hao’s love for Bao Bao and having her love for him develop. I know I know, my recaps/highlights don’t do this drama justice because it’s really good. It hasn’t ended yet and I already know I’ll re-watch it.