I almost didn’t know what to think about episode 7 of In A Good Way until the very end when I let out a huge sigh of relief. This episode was a roller coaster of emotions for me ranging from anticipation to shock to dismay to confusion and finally to a squeal of delight. Jia En grows up even more than just being more confident and independent, she actually learns to read a situation and arrive at the most mature and considerate conclusion all on her way. Brava! Almost every moment was lovely except for one huge shocker of a development that nearly tanked the episode for me early on but I had faith this drama wouldn’t get mired in lies begetting more misunderstandings. Perhaps he thought it wouldn’t cause any major damage but holy was I mad at Liu Chuan for the greater part of the entire episode. Oh dude, please take a page from the Ren Wei playbook. I continue to feel this niggling sensation that Ren Wei’s increasing awesomeness will continue as well as make me wish there is an alternate universe where he and Jia En are the OTP. At least the gang all had fun celebrating the New Year together and it lead to tons of little reveals left and right. Momo was back to grace our screens with his cute furriness and Liu Chuan pretty mom also popped up for a quick but important appearance.

My favorite development with the way 3631 was revealed and then resolved was the return to normalcy in the budding romance between Jia En and Liu Chuan, almost like dialing down the anticipation and slowing us all down along with it. The whole sky-3631 online chat plot line really sped things up even if its still early in the drama and Jia En is nowhere near ready to have a thing going with the most eligible bachelor on campus. Neither is Liu Chuan ready to be a normal college student and date a girl he likes, or more like he’s not even ready to admit he even likes said girl. Poor Ah Qing was dispensing sage advice that went nowhere and even worse off was poor Ri Qi stepping in to get Liu Chuan’s back without any questions asked. The friendship, whether of the male variety and definitely of the female type, are all so affectionately rendered that it’s a treat to watch alongside any romance plot lines. The last January broadcast will be preempted for Lunar New Year’s week so be prepared for a two week wait in the near future. The ending for this episode was one of the best moments of clarity and awareness between the OTP without any added angst or unnecessary questioning. Sometimes friendship really can be just the meeting of the minds and the heart can wait until one or both are ready.

Episode 7 recap:

Jia En stops Liu Chuan on campus and asks him to help her look for an online poster with the ID 3631. She went to read more of his previous postings and thinks he might have someone in the family who is a congressman. Liu Chuan declines because as the CDU BBS portal webmaster he needs to to protect the privacy of all the accounts and how would she feel if someone asked for her account and he gave it to that person. Jia En feels dejected but accepts his reason and leaves. Liu Chuan sits in front of the computer and stares at his old posts until Ah Qing comes and tells him to just delete it. Liu Chuan can’t since it would be too obvious and now its too late to come clean since he already declined to help her find 3631. Ah Qing points out that nothing is too hard for Liu Chuan to handle but this one is since sky is not just any person but is Jia En. Ah Qing thinks Liu Chuan should just keep quiet and soon Jia En will let it go. Liu Chuan doesn’t think she’ll forget that easily and he doesn’t want to keep lying to her. Ah Qing is the girl expert and suggests Liu Chuan just make 3631 vanish like guys disappear on a girl. Liu Chuan thinks that’s not right so Ah Qing leaves Liu Chuan to think over all the options but reminds him that the longer he lies to her the worse it will get.

Jia En has lunch with Tracy and Xiao Wei, with two of them noticing that Xiao Wei doesn’t eat too much. She claims that’s all she needs and brings her own food from off-campus. I think she’s frugal rather than having an eating disorder. Ri Qi and Liu Chuan walk over and Ri Qi sits down with Xiao Wei who offers him part of her lunch. Tracy invites Liu Chuan to sit down and then says Jia En is becoming prettier because she’s in love and all she can think about is 3631. She has to like him! Jia En thinks 3631 is just someone who encouraged her and she wants to thank him. Ri Qi thinks 3631 might like Jia En as well and it could be a meeting of the minds despite them not having met in person yet. Jia En keeps insisting that she is just friends with that poster and Tracy teases her for being so traditional. Liu Chuan stands there listening to all of this and tells everyone not to tease Jia En before leaving with Ri Qi.

Bai Xue is walking to the bookstore and Ren Wei rides by on his scooter and offers to take her since he’s also going. At the bookstore, Ren Wei follows Bai Xue as she browses the racks and he remembers Bai Xue looking very sad at the Christmas party when he finds a book on dancing. He tries to ask her about it and her face falls so he tries to change the subject. When Bai Xue tells him what book she is looking for, Ren Wei tries to impress her by claiming to be familiar with the book and goes to find it. Turns out its a German writer and the bookstore owner says the book isn’t available in Taiwan yet.

Liu Chuan is out jogging and gets a page and heads to a fancy cafe to meet his mommy. He chides her for drinking coffee and orders her a juice. Mom smiles that its been three years since she’s seen him and he’s grown up a lot. She asks if he has a girlfriend and Liu Chuan says no he’s just gotten good at taking care of himself. Mom reminds him that his freedom pact has only a year or so left and wants to know what he has planned afterwards. Liu Chuan has some thoughts and will tell her after he’s gotten it figured out. Mom tells him to live a life freely unlike her. He wonders why she’s back this time and turns out she’s back to film a political video for his dad’s efforts to help typhoon victims. He asks how long she’s staying and Mom says sadly that it depends on how long his dad wants her to act the part. Both of them sit there in silence.

Jia En runs into Mary and hears that she has a pen pal who wants to meet her and wrote in his last letter that he’ll wait until she shows up. Mary is uncertain of whether to go and Jia En tries to help. Ren Wei arrives and sits down to join in the discussion. Ren Wei doesn’t know that he needs to be so prepared when hanging out with a girl and one slip up causes a major embarrassment. Jia En offers to help him but Ren Wei just wants to know if Bai Xue has a guy she likes. Mary tells Ren Wei it doesn’t matter and he needs to just invite her out with the message “I’ll wait for you until you show up.” Later Jia En sits in front of the computer and writes a post to 3631 that she wants to thank him in person so on the afternoon of the 31st at 5 pm she’ll be waiting for him until he shows up. Liu Chuan and Momo read that post and he looks totally pained.

The Treasure Hunting club discuss what to do for New Year’s Eve and decide to eschew the public places since its so crowded and instead spend the night at the stadium. As Jia En is leaving, Ah Qing asks her to invite Tracy and Jia En wonders whether to just invite Tracy and not also invite Xiao Wei. Ah Qing wants Xiao Wei as well as he shoots Ri Qi a look. Jia En tells Ah Qing she’ll be there late that night since she has a meeting in the afternoon. Liu Chuan tries to encourage her to come on time since its a lot of fun but Jia En insists her meeting is very important and she can’t miss it. Jia En goes to wait for 3631 as the rest of the Treasure Hunting club starts to gather at the stadium and set up. Ri Qi is late since he’s buying food but no one knows where Jia En is. Liu Chuan runs off to call her and night falls while Jia En is still waiting there. She tells herself not to give up and hopes 3631 doesn’t make her wait until the New Year. Ri Qi rides up and says he’s 3631! WHAT?!? Oh Liu Chuan, you didn’t get your best friend to cover for you! Ri Qi asks why she cares so much about 3631 that she would wait all night to meet him. Jia En wants to thank him for making her more confident and teaching her ways to be happier and brings up a few of their old chats. Ri Qi tries to cover up as best he can but its clear he doesn’t know all the details of Liu Chuan and Jia En’s online conversations. As Ri Qi and Jia En walk to the stadium, Liu Chuan walks by and stares at them looking rather upset.

Flashback to Liu Chuan calling Ri Qi and asking him for the favor to go meet Jia En. Ri Qi asks the reason but Liu Chuan can’t tell him but they are such good friends Ri Qi trusts him and agrees to do it. At the stadium everyone is getting ready to eat and Ah Qing takes off his coat to offer Tracy which gets everyone hollering at his interested chivalry. When Jia En and Ri Qi arrive together and tell the crew that Ri Qi is 3631, Xiao Wei’s face falls but everyone is oblivious asking if he’s interested in Jia En. Liu Chuan arrives and exchanges a look with Ri Qi. After dinner comes the game of truth or dare. Ren Wei starts off by saying everyone wants to hear Jia En’s online pal 3631 Ri Qi’s confession. Ri Qi picks the question about his first kiss and he readily admits he didn’t have his first kiss yet. People don’t believe him so he picks the dare which requires him to pick up the girl sitting next to him on his back with their arms crooked. That happens to do Jia En and they do it while Xiao Wei and Liu Chuan both look pained. Ren Wei’s question is to reveal a secret about the person next to him. Ren Wei says he knows Bai Xue’s secret but he’s a Man of Steel so will never reveal it. He picks a dare that requires him to punk Mary and turns out she’s Tracy’s aunt.

It’s Jia En’s turn and she has to reveal her height, weight, and measurements. Jia En reveals height and weight but doesn’t know her measurements. Jia En picks a dare that requires her to moon walk for a minute. She is just terrible and Ren Wei goes up to show her but he’s equally as terrible. Ri Qi and Ah Qing school everyone on doing to do it properly and then everyone gets up to moon walk. Bai Xue’s turn requires her to admit whether the person she likes is present. Bai Xue admits it but when everyone wants to know who that guy is and Ren Wei sees that Bai Xue looks very uncomfortable he steps forward and jokes that Bai Xue likes him. That gets everyone to turn their attention to him and saves Bai Xue. Liu Chuan’s questions asks the last time he told a lie and he immediately picks the dare which requires him to have the tallest girl sit on his back while he does 100 push ups. Liu Chuan starts doing push ups while Jia En sits on his back as everyone counts and laughs.

The gang lights candles to make wishes for the new year along with their fairy wands and then the time comes for the countdown and 1996 ends while 1997 starts. Fireworks go off in the distance and everyone admires the view. Afterwards everyone retires to the tent to play card games and in the ensuing melee one of the tents falls over. The decision is made to sleep outdoors under the stars and everyone gets into row outside in their sleeping bags. Ri Qi brings out a heat bag and gives it to Xiao Wei. As everyone lays down to sleep, Ah Qing asks Jia En why she and Ren Wei wanted to come so far to Taipei? Ren Wei wants freedom but Jia En followed him initially but now she has her own Taipei dreams. Ah Qing reveals he grew up with Liu Chuan while Bai Xue has known him since high school. Ren Wei thinks Liu Chuan would know what type of guy Bai Xue likes but it doesn’t matter since going forward the guy she’ll like is…..and Jia En cuts him off telling him not to have crazy dreams.

Night falls and everyone goes to sleep except for Ren Wei and Bai Xue. He asks to speak with her and asks if he can know who the guy she likes is? He knows its not him so is it Ah Qing, Ri Qi, or Liu Chuan? Bai Xue doesn’t plan to tell anyone but Ren Wei asks if the guy likes her back? Bai Xue wants to change the subject so Ren Wei asks if he can continue to like her? Bai Xue asks if he isn’t tired of liking someone? Ren Wei agrees its hard especially if the other person doesn’t accept but its worth it to him and because he can’t control it. Bai Xue smiles and thanks him for liking her. She’s actually happy to have a friend like him but right now it’s just a friend and nothing more. If he’s willing to be her friend then she’ll be really happy. Ren Wei wants to because he wants to do things that makes her happy. He’s happy now that she sees him as a friend. He vows that one day when he becomes her boyfriend, he will make her very happy. Bai Xue thinks he still doesn’t understand her point and Ren Wei admits he doesn’t want to understand right now. They head back to get some sleep.

Jia En and Liu Chuan are sleeping next to each other and Jia En turns around while asleep and throws her arm over Liu Chuan which wakes him up. He puts her arm back and stares at her until he hears Bai Xue and Ren Wei walking back. Ren Wei goes to cover Jia En and zip her up so she doesn’t catch a cold before heading to his own sleeping back. It’s morning time and everyone heads back to the Treasure Hunting club. Jia En invites Ri Qi to his favorite breakfast place (the one Liu Chuan recommended) and extends the invitation to the others. Tracy declines to get some sleep and Xiao Wei also leaves claiming she has a report to write. Liu Chuan returns with the rest of the members just in time to see Ri Qi and Jia En leaving. He runs off and Ren Wei registers the way Bai Xue looks at Liu Chuan as he leaves without a backward glance. Liu Chuan follows behind Ri Qi and Jia En as they head to the breakfast place and Ri Qi naturally leads her to a different one than the one 3631 recommended. After they sit down Jia En brings up the other place and Ri Qi quickly covers up that he likes both. Jia En reveals last night was her first camping and spending New Year’s eve with friends. They sit there in silence and Jia En admits its awkward now that she knows he’s 3631. Ri Qi explains that anonymity helps people share so its natural. As they are eating Ri Qi admires her pretty earrings and asks where she bought it? D’oh.

Liu Chuan walks in and smooths it over by saying Ri Qi shouldn’t be complimenting his own present to Jia En by pretending he doesn’t know it. Jia En chides Liu Chuan for knowing 3631 is Ri Qi and not telling her. Jia En really was surprised that 3631 was someone she knows. A political commercial airs starring Liu Chuan’s mom and dad and Jia En reveals that her parents admire Congressman Liu who they think is very upstanding. Liu Chuan snarks that making an infomercial doesn’t make one an upstanding politician. Jia En is home wondering if she said something wrong to Liu Chuan this morning and wants to ask 3631 but can’t since they are roommates using the same computer terminal. Ren Wei arrives to borrow girl comics from Jia En claiming he needs a change of reading material. He reads a page and starts sighing loudly and reveals he knows who Bai Xue likes. Jia En asks who it is and Ren Wei isn’t sure but he saw Bai Xue staring at a guy even as he ran off. Ren Wei won’t tell Jia En who it is but keeps chanting that he will win her heart in the end and that is the most important. Back in the dorm room of lies, Liu Chuan shows all his chats with Jia En to Ri Qi.

Ri Qi asks Liu Chuan what 3631 means and he writes it down on a pad and shows him. Ri Qi laughs to see that this is the true nature of Liu Chuan and he promises to memorize all the chats. He asks Liu Chuan again if this is a good idea? Jia En knocks on their door looking for 3631 and Liu Chuan’s face freezes until Ri Qi pipes up. Jia En asks to speak with Ri Qi and Liu Chuan steps out only to come in claiming he has a report to write so could they speak outside. After they walk out he goes to sit with Momo and mope that of course this is not a good idea! Jia En asks Ri Qi if something is wrong with Liu Chuan recently and Ri Qi says not to worry since Liu Chuan is just flustered lately. Jia En wonders why since that is not his personality. Ri Qi can see Liu Chuan listening from the window and he suggests a walk with Jia En to keep talking. Liu Chuan goes back to his bed and turns on the tape player but he’s clearly still frustrated.

As Ri Qi is walking with Jia En, he asks what she thought of 3631 before she met him. Jia En thinks he’s smart and analytical, always saying something to help clear up her confusion. She hands him a present which is the OST for the movie Love Letter but he mistakes it for the Jacky Cheung song Love Letter. They walk and talk about music. Ri Qi returns to the room and finds Liu Chuan staring at him all sullen from the corner with Momo. Liu Chuan acts nonchalant and Ri Qi hands him the CD present and suggests he really consider getting that credit in love. Liu Chuan tells him to stop talking nonsense but Ri Qi says it won’t be nonsense when it happens. Bai Xue finds Jia En at the tea shop and hands her a lollipop called the All Pass Lollipop which is a tradition at CDU from the seniors to the younger students. She also has one for Xiao Wei and hears that she is studying alone but Jia En will give it to her. Talk turns to Ri Qi being Jia En’s online pal and Bai Xue reveals Ri Qi’s family own a pawn shop so he always has strange things to play with. Jia En asks if there is anyone in Ri Qi’s family who is in politics but Bai Xue says no.

Ri Qi finds Jia En the next morning and hands her a bunch of code books and asks her if she knows why 3631 uses that as his online avatar? Perhaps its not just some numbers. Ri Qi says he loves riding his bike exploring more than he likes riding the MRT. He takes off on his bike while Jia En reads the books and doesn’t notice that one of her earrings has fallen off. She sits in the Treasure Hunting club and pores over the code books wondering what 3631 means. Liu Chuan arrives and notices she’s reading code books. Jia En reveals her suspicion that Ri Qi might not be 3631. She has so much to say to 3631 but she doesn’t seem to have anything to say to Ri Qi. Plus Bai Xue told her that Ri Qi’s family owns a pawn shop. She wants to talk to him directly but Liu Chuan doesn’t know where he is right now. As Liu Chuan is flipping through the Treasure Hunting club autograph book, she orders him to stop on the page with his writing. She stares at it and looks like she is figuring something out when Liu Chuan notices one of her earrings is gone. He hears where Jia En went today and runs off to retrace her steps to look for it. Jia En realizes she mentioned the place where she was supposed to meet at the dance (with 3631) but didn’t tell Liu Chuan where it was but he ran off to that place.

Liu Chuan finds the earring and heads back to give it to Jia En who gives him an odd look. She’s clearly put all the pieces together and figured out Liu Chuan is the real 3631. She tentatively asks where he found it and Liu Chuan outs himself that it’s the place she was supposed to meet 3631. After he says it he immediately realizes his mistake and just awkwardly walks back to the other desk. Jia En takes the earrings and thanks him and says that she knows 3631 is not Ri Qi but she also doesn’t want to know who 3631 is anymore. She looks directly at Liu Chuan and says thank you again. Liu Chuan knows that Jia En knows but won’t be pressing him for any questions or be angry at his deception. Good lord girl you are growing up! I approve, you’ve learned to read the situation. Jia En goes home and writes a new post to 3631 asking to return to the way they talked before? She tried so hard to look for him but that ended up causing him to disappear. Jia En waits for 3631 to respond while Liu Chuan sits before his computer and reads the post.

Click here to watch In A Good Way.