Ep. 3: Li Mo and Xiao Yu's romance unfolds through cassette tapes in Shanghai from 1999 onward.

3

Set in a Shanghai shikumen starting in 1999, Li Mo helps injured Xiao Yu by recording lessons on cassette tapes, sparking a romantic relationship. When Xiao Yu’s family forces her to apply to a distant elite university, Li Mo studies hard to join her, only to find her hospitalized after her father beat her for failing the entrance exam. His family moves near the university, preventing him from seeing her. Now an architect, Li Mo discovers a tape revealing Xiao Yu intentionally failed to stay with him, causing him deep regret. Years later, while managing a motel in a renovated shikumen, he sees Xiao Yu at the door and smiles. A post-credits scene shows prominent characters meeting at an airport, content with life’s simple joys and future prospects.