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EP 10
This episode opens with Hai Jie going to find his old
teacher, who gave him his violin. Hai Jie finds out that his teacher has gone
blind, but this doesn’t hinder the man, who accurately guesses that the purpose
of Hai Jie’s visit is because of problems his student has in Taipei. Hai Jie
tries to return the violin to Teacher, but Teacher refuses it and has a long
talk with Hai Jie about the recent goings on. Hai Jie confesses he’s hung up on
a girl and she’s the reason he’s giving up the violin. They have a nice talk
and Teacher encourages Hai Jie.
Meanwhile, Die Fei has left a note for Ting Yu, saying she
knows he doesn’t want to see her, so she leaves his house and goes to find Hai
Jie. She finds him at his parents’ house and he’s surprised to see her. She
sees that he’s upset and tries to comfort him. She also mentions that there
will be a contest for Ting Yu’s play and she’ll be competing, so Hai Jie should
come back to watch her. He disappoints her by telling her he’s not going back.
She gets frustrated with him and tells him Ting Yu wants to know what music
means to Hai Jie; what does the violin mean to him? She leaves him to his
thoughts and goes to the train station to go home. Hai Jie later chases her
down at the train station and decides to return with her.
Ting Yu eventually goes to Lisa because he’s a little
worried about Alice. Lisa is surprised they broke up, but doesn’t want to interfere.
At this point Ting Yu questions Lisa if there’s a possibility that Alice isn’t
actually her daughter and is an imposter. Lisa says there’s never been a moment
she’s doubted Alice.
In Japan, Alice’s grandmother has collapsed and is in the
hospital. SJ shows up, but Alice kicks him out. He says he’ll take care of all
the costs if anything happens to the grandmother (definite foreshadowing) and,
once again, uses their impending marriage as leverage to remind her of her
mission.
Die Fei goes back to Ting Yu’s to find him holed up in his
house. She attempts to coax him out of his funk, but he petulantly refuses to
acquiesce, even after her best attempts at annoying him. She then tells him
she’ll participate in the competition. He tells her she first needs to find her
courage. She scolds him for acting like a child and stomps off mumbling to
herself that her efforts to care for him were wasted. He hears her and jerks
up, surprised at her comments.
Alice’s grandmother has passed away; Alice and SJ act as
primary mourners at the memorial, and Alice is reserved, not shedding one tear.
However, she later goes to be by herself and screams and cries. She goes back
to her grandparents’ house and finds an envelope of pictures of her father. She
remembers when her grandfather had tried to burn all the pictures of Lisa and
Alice’s father, but her grandmother salvaged a few of them from the fire. She
also remembers her grandmother’s last words: to find her mother; her
grandparents took her away from her mother when she was a child.
Ting Yu is over at Lisa’s, still wondering why Alice would
suddenly leave. He also asks Lisa why she abandoned Alice all those years ago.
She says Alice was taken from her and she never thought she’d see Alice again.
She tells him to be grateful for every person he encounters and to believe that
Alice is a good person. Lisa comforts him and treats him like a son. He then
realizes that Lisa has referred to Seiko(Alice) as Alice and wants to know if
it’s possible Alice is the same Alice Hai Jie has been looking for. He later
makes a call to a friend to investigate Alice.
Alice confronts SJ with a picture of her parents and tells
him she knows he lied to her about her mother. He basically tells her it
doesn’t matter now; if she can’t finish her job, he’ll find her mother and tell
her Alice hates her for being abandoned as a child. Alice can’t predict how
Lisa will react, so she begs for a month’s time to find the X-seed. He
eventually relents and Alice tells Lisa she’s returning to Taiwan.
At the orchestra hall, there’s a press conference being held
for the singing competition. The director announces the competition’s purpose
is to find the lead for their new musical “The Garden of Dreams/Dream Garden”
(not sure which is more correct), and the winner will also receive a
NT$1,000,000 contract (I’m not sure what the conversion is in American
dollars). The reporters question Ting Yu as to why he has suddenly written a
musical, especially since he’s never done so before. He responds that it is
just another aspect of music and the director emphasizes that Ting Yu has put
forth a lot of effort composing this musical. The director is also asked about
the rumors surrounding his recent affair and if the musical is a way for him to
shift the media’s focus away from his scandals.
Die Fei tries to make ramen for Ting Yu and herself, but is
so distracted she messes it up. She then complains to Ting Yu about how nervous
she is about the competition. He gets a text from Ash in the midst of their
conversation and rushes off to pick up a USB that contains information about
Alice. The USB states that Alice’s real name is Fei Niao Wen and there’s a
possibility she’s the fiancée of Sasaki Junior, the successor to a large
biotech company. Before he can look in depth at the information, Die Fei comes
home and goes to take a bath. Ting Yu (being the typical brat he is) bursts in
the bathroom and reprimands her for not practicing. He tells her the lead he
has in mind should be able to sing as if she can bring a dead flower back to
life.
The next day, the competition takes place and Ting Yu is one
of the judges. Die Fei performs, singing to Hai Jie the entire song. Ting Yu
does not go easy on her, but says she did well overall. The other two judges
have differing opinions. One says she sings well, but doesn’t express the
emotions well. He does admit she has potential, though. The other judge is much
harsher and compares her singing to a pirated CD and doesn’t think she’s cut
out for the competition.
The director has Ting Yu and Hai Jie come to his office to
discuss the orchestra’s upcoming annual album. Hai Jie takes the opportunity to
confront Ting Yu about being harsh on Die Fei during the competition. Ting Yu,
obviously jealous, tells Hai Jie to stop defending Die Fei; if she has a
problem she can tell Ting Yu herself. She doesn’t need misplaced chivalry and she’s
a very strong person. She won’t lose the competition and she doesn’t need to be
babied. Hai Jie realizes that Ting Yu is being hard on her because he truly
believes in her ability and is purposely pushing her to be her best.
Sometime later, at Ting Yu’s house, Die Fei asks Ting Yu
what dreaming is like and what it means to him. She confesses that she’s never
dreamed before. He tells her that it’s scary because it feels like he’s trapped
in someone else’s body; he can’t control his dreams. He tells her she should go
back home to try to find her own inspiration and to try to dream. She agrees
and is going to renew her efforts in the competition.
Since the first round of competition, Die Fei has become a
topic of debate in the media. People generally like her but want to hear
different types of songs (specifically not English songs). She leaves Ting Yu’s
house encouraged. At the next phase of the competition, she overhears other
contestants gossiping that one of the competitors has connections to the
orchestra and is the whole reason for the competition.
EP 11
The episode picks up with Die Fei hearing the gossip
backstage and getting nervous. She performs much better this round, but gets so
emotional that she forgets her lyrics and messes up. Ting Yu gets jealous
seeing Hai Jie watching Die Fei so intently and Die Fei getting so emotional
over Hai Jie. He asks her if she wants to sing or if she’s ready to go home.
She hesitates but says she wants to stay. He responds that she is honest and he
was able to hear her heart’s words, so he gives her a 9. The other two judges
come down on her for her mistakes; one gives her a 6, but the other gives her a
9 saying her emotions touched him.
Backstage, Ting Yu is pissed at Die Fei. He tells her that
if she’s only going to sing for one person, then why should any effort be
wasted on her to perform? He tells her she has to prove to him that she
actually wants to perform or there might be a chance that someone wins and is
chosen for the play.
The director talks to someone (presumably a reporter) on the
phone about how dramatic it was when Die Fei forgot her lyrics. He agrees to an
exclusive and will send pictures of Die Fei to them at a later time.
Yu Shu are hanging out at their friends shop discussing Die
Fei’s media attention. They both comment on how accurate one report is about
Die Fei’s life, to the point where Die Fei jokingly wonders if someone from the
orchestra was interviewed. Yu Shu brushes off her suspicions, but it’s obvious
she has her own suspicions about where the information came from.
Later, Die Fei and Hai Jie are hanging out at his house
looking at her online poll results and comments from netizens. They meet up
with Yu Shu at a local bar, where live music is being played. It turns out it’s
the two girls Hai Jie took to the orchestra to get a record deal. He talks to
them after the show, thinking they had been on tour in mainland China. They
nervously avoid his questions but admit they didn’t go on tour and have decided
to go back to street performing. Understandably, he’s a little suspicious, but
he gets a call from Ting Yu to meet up at a kendo dojo.
Ting Yu has also called Alice to meet, intending to confront
her about her true identity to reveal the truth to Hai Jie. She arrives first,
wanting to know why he called her. He directly asks if she’s Alice or Seiko and
tells her he knows she’s really Fei Niao Wen. She quickly realizes he’s not
playing around anymore and gets serious. She tells him she broke up with him
because she didn’t want him to know too much. He calls BS, right as Hai Jie
shows up. Alice still pretends to not know Hai Jie. Ting Yu gets so fed up that
he starts attacking Hai Jie, finally forcing Alice to confess she’s the same Alice
that Hai Jie has been looking for.
Hai Jie is elated, but no one else is. Alice tells Hai Jie
that he meant nothing to her. He refuses to believe her but she still tries to
perpetuate lies. He tells her that he will never forget the times he spent with
her and he believes the Alice he loves will return. He walks out, dejectedly.
Ting Yu hen steps in and demands to know what her true purpose is. He says if
she won’t tell him, he’ll take her straight to Lisa; he won’t tolerate Lisa
being hurt, for any reason.
Back at the competition, the five remaining competitors are
given their next challenge: to perform a piece they think will best interpret
the theme, “I Have a Dream”. They will be paired with professional vocal
coaches for mentoring purposes, but are generally left to their own devices
before the last round.
Ting Yu meets with Lisa to show her that he’s had Alice
investigated. According to what he’s found, all evidence points to Alice being
an imposter. He also reveals Alice is the same Alice Hai Jie was looking for.
Lisa, upset, thanks Ting Yu, but defends Alice, saying she probably has a
reason for lying to them.
After a grueling day of practice, Die Fei decides to have a
night out with her fellow competitors and calls Yu Shu, but Yu Shu discourages
her from making friends; she’s there to compete, not to make friends. At home
with the director, Yu Shu begs him not to reveal that the competition is fixed.
The director tells her that when Die Fei is famous, she’ll thank Yu Shu for her
current efforts and forgive her for this small deception.
Hai Jie is so upset about Alice that he can’t adequately
perform his solo for the album recording. Die Fei is also upset because she’s
having a hard time picking a song for the competition. They console each other
by going to an amusement park, and fun ensues.
Die Fei and her father seem to be getting along much better.
He gives her one of her mother’s old dresses (a flamenco dress) and tells her
all about how her mother danced flamenco.
Lisa goes to Alice’s hotel, intending to find out Alice’s motives
for herself. She first asks what happened between Alice and Ting Yu. Alice uses
an excuse as to why she thinks she and Ting Yu aren’t suited for each other.
Lisa tells her that Ting Yu really likes Alice, but doesn’t know how to express
himself well. Lisa invites Alice to come back with her and Alice agrees and they
leave. Alice gives Lisa an old photo of Lisa, her husband and baby Alice. Lisa asks
if there are pictures of Alice’s grandparents, to which Alice says she didn’t
bring any. Lisa can’t shake her suspicions and retreats to her room under the
guise of a headache. Later, Alice makes her the same soup Alice’s grandmother
made when she was sick. She tells Lisa that she is happy they’re together.
Ting Yu goes to the recording studio and has trouble, like
Hai Jie. He recalls memories of his mother and the warnings of Siren’s previous
owner. That night, he calls Die Fei. She correctly guesses that he’s
experiencing insomnia offers to sing for him. Surprisingly (or not), it puts
him to sleep.
The director has a suspicious conversation with one of the
judges. The director tells the judge that his usefulness will depend on his
performance during the final round of the competition
Hai Jie, still depressed, drinks with the two girls in the
band. They rant about the director and he again asks what happened with their
record deal. They finally admit that they ended up performing at a lot of PR
events and doing things they didn’t want to under the director.
They snuck out
of China and came back to Taiwan secretly because the company confiscated their
passports. The girls warn him about getting close to Die Fei now that she’s on
her way to being famous; she has connections that could ruin him if he isn’t
careful. He later drunk dials Die Fei and warns her to be careful. He also says
he’s found a way to forget about Alice, but ends up crying and their call ends.
The last scene is of Die Fei’s dad making signs and
gaterhing people to support her at the competition.
EP 12
This episode is where things start finally picking up.
The final round of the competiton takes place and Die Fei
gives it her all. She wears her mother’s flamenco skirt and adds a Spanish
flare to her song. The judges eat it up and praise her a lot. Of course, Die
Fei is the winner, still in the dark about the competition being fixed. At the
after party, Die Fei is hiding and Hai Jie is chosen to coax her out. He acts
as a shoulder to lean on and she says there’s something she wants to tell him
when the party is over.
She makes a speech and thanks the person who has turned her
ordinary life into an extraordinary one (she looks to Ting Yu as she says this).
She also thanks the other contestants for being able to go on this journey with
them. She runs into one of the judges in a back room, who drunkenly tells her
the competition was fixed and she was always going to be the winner. Die Fei
immediately confronts her sister about it. Yu Shu doesn’t directly admit it,
but Die Fei can read between the lines and then goes to find Ting Yu for the
same reason.
She finds Ting Yu at home, writing music and using her
picture as inspiration. Ting Yu says he had no idea the competition was rigged,
but it really doesn’t matter to him because he was always set on Die Fei
playing the lead. She’s extremely embarrassed and wants to know how she’s
supposed to face the other competitors now that she’s a fake. He stresses that
her ability won her the competition, not someone fixing the results. She says
she won’t sign the contract or sing anymore. He tells her if she won’t sing his
music, then he’ll cancel the whole play because she is the only one he created
the play for. Die Fei says even still, she won’t lie to anyone and refuses to
deceive people. Ting Yu replies that he’s never lied and he won’t lie to
himself: he loves her. He forcefully kiss her and Die Fei slaps him. They stare
at each other, out of breath, but jump back into each other’s arms and make out
heavily as the scene cuts.
Hai Jie waits for Die Fei to find him after the party, like
she said earlier, but can’t get ahold of her. The scene cuts again, to Die Fei
earing Ting Yu’s shirt and going back to bed. They have a cute scene where Ting
Yu pulls her back to bed and tells her she looks sexy in his clothes. He tells
her he hasn’t slept so well in a very long time and loves on her a little (There's no actual bed scene between the two). The
next morning, Die Fei sneaks out, but unknowingly has her picture taken by a paparazzo.
As Yu Shu leaves for work, her father asks about Die Fei and
Yu Shu makes up an excuse for her sister. He believes it but tells her to
remind Die Fei not to fall in love with the wrong guy now that she has media
attention. No one can find Die Fei, but she texts Yu Shu saying she won’t sign
the contract or participate in the play.
The director goes to Ting Yu to try to persuade him into
accepting the runner up as the lead for the play. The fight and Ting Yu refuses
to replace Die Fei, blaming the director for the whole competition fiasco in the
first place. The director eventually gives in, under the condition that the
annual album is released earlier than planned in attempt to divert the media
from focusing on Die Fei and the play. Meanwhile, Die Fei’s friend, the shop
owner, pretends not to know where Die Fei is but is hiding her at the shop.
The director goes to the studio to listen to Hai Jie’s and
Ting Yu’s recordings. He’s disappointed in Ting Yu’s recordings. He goes home
to Yu Shu and tells her about his troubles. He says Ting Yu’s recordings are
empty, there are no feelings behind them, but Hai Jie’s are very good. He also
tells Yu Shu to get Die Fei to agree to the contract. If she doesn’t sign, the
orchestra will have to pay hefty compensation fees, money they don’t have.
Hai Jie repeatedly calls Die Fei. She finally answers and
bursts into tears, saying she doesn’t want to sign the contract and doesn’t know
what to do. He goes to the book shop to find her. She tells him the competition
was rigged, but he still believes in her abilities. He asks if she went to Ting
Yu about it, but she indirectly confesses to sleeping with Ting Yu. Needless to
say, Hai Jie is shocked but thinks it’s kind of funny and teases her a little.
She admits that she’s in love with Ting Yu and has like him for a very long time,
but was ignorant to her own feelings. Hai Jie asks if Ting Yu loves her too.
She confirms Ting Yu’s feelings and reveals that the play was written specifically
for her.
Elsewhere, Lisa goes to visit Ting Yu and he divulges the
full story of the play and that a girl who sings very well was his inspiration.
Die Fei tells Hai Jie that she now understands his feelings
for Alice. He tells her that even if Alice doesn’t come back to him, it was
enough that they once loved each other.
The next day, Yu Shu goes to find Die Fei and apologizes for
deceiving her. She tells Die Fei it was a selfish way to prepare her for her
debut. Now days, it’s very difficult for people to break out in the music
industry without some kind of help and/or PR. She also tells Die Fei the other
contestants knew the competition was rigged and were scouted specifically for
the competition. She also tells Die Fei that the orchestra will be hit with
heavy fines if she doesn’t sign and Ting Yu won’t accept a replacement for the
play. Essentially, Die Fei will make or break everything.
Just after Die Fei makes up her mind to face Ting Yu again,
the news of her spending the night at Ting Yu’s house after the competition is
released, along with the fact that Ting Yu was previously seen with another
girl (Alice). She is now the hot topic of media debate and gossip magazines.
Hai Jie rushes to show Die Fei the magazine. She’s obviously upset, but Hai Jie
tries to comfort her by saying no one who actually knows her will believe the
rumors.
The director confronts Ting Yu, wanting to know who the
other girl (Alice) is, but of course, Ting Yu won’t tell him. He reprimands
Ting Yu for causing so much trouble in the media, but Ting Yu brings up that
the director was recently also the concern of rumors and gossip magazines.
Hai Jie tells Die Fei the other girl on the magazine cover
is his Alice, but she was just playing with him. She frantically asks if Ting
Yu and Alice were really an item, and Hai Jie said they probably were because
they both seem very compatible. Hai Jie suggests he and Die Fei leave the orchestra
together, but Die Fei says she finally understands her true feelings and wants
to face Ting Yu without being afraid. She says she’s going to Ting Yu for answers;
she won’t just accept what the media says as truth. Die Fei goes home and is
about to apologize to her father, but he already knows everything and is still
so proud of her.
The next day, Die Fei and Hai Jie meet Yu Shu and the
director, where Die Fei says she won’t sign the contract and is leaving the orchestra.
Yu Shu, under the opposite impression, is upset with and shocked at Die Fei’s
decision. The director tries to guilt trip Die Fei into signing, but Hai Jie
and she defend her decision. She apologizes and runs out.
Alice and Lisa go out together for some old fashioned
mother-daughter bonding time. While walking around, they see some shady guys
following them and make a run for it. Lisa tries to call for help, however they’re
cornered and forced to fight. Lisa breaks a bottle over one guy’s head, but he
pulls a short sword on her (I guess because they’re Japanese (and it’s a drama),
stereotyping is acceptable?). Just as he goes to stab her, Alice jumps in the
way and is impaled, instead.
Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it! Let us know what you thought about it in the comments below!
Thank you!
K
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