Hot Shot: shot 4

Shot 4

20 seconds left, 62:59, Pi Li needs a push. W calls for a break. A change of strategy. Whoever gets the ball, pass it to Yuan DaYing. The news doesn’t register at first, but when DaYing finally realizes he gets to show off these past days’ training, this exhilarated fool runs around with his arms spread wide across, cheering and laughing, “I get to touch the ball! I get to touch the ball!” So bold was his action that he even went and hugged the coach from the opponent team. lol.

As if coming back to life again, DaYing regains his boundless energy and is worried about not having a place to use up that energy. He circles around DongFang Xiang, who is resting on the bench, and boasts about his new responsibility to score points for the team. Xiang smiles at DaYing’s infantile behavior and says quietly, “Wanna know a secret?” “What is it?” DaYing leans in to listen. “Do you know who’s the first person I see when I wake up every morning?” “Who?” “JieEr.” Xiang has done it, enraging DaYing, under W’s order.

DaYing gets the ball as W wanted. In a moment’s rage, he spots Xiang and throws the basketball towards Xiang with all the force of hatred and jealousy he could muster from one of the side lines. Xiang jumps up, reaches for the flying fire ball, and puts the it into the basket. Score.

In the after match celebration, almost everyone is immersed in the happiness of their first victory, except for DaYing, who is singing a sad love song in the corner all by himself. W watches with apprehension, and Xiang, with a tint of amusement. After all, what he said is the truth.

DaYing’s listlessness is contagious. Somehow Xiang feels responsible and stays up all night thinking. Finally, he sends DaYing a text message, explaining that because he heired JieEr and one of her jobs is to wake him up in the morning, of course the first person he sees in the morning is her. DaYing recovers on the spot. The fact that he runs into a glass door proves his sanity. Xiang, on the other hand, is left tired and weary from a long night of enduring guilt. It’s good to be simple-minded.

A happy DaYing asks Du Fei for a favor. As long as Du Fei stops JieEr and gives him the opportunity to take JieEr home on his bike, then Du Fei has done the favor for him. Unfortunately, when Du Fei spots JieEr, Xiang is also with her and has already said to take her home. JieEr stops to talk to DaYing, an impatient Xiang drags her away. DaYing intervenes, results in a shove and push resembles a fight. Xiang pushes DaYing away, DaYing attacks back right when JieEr steps between the two to prevent violence from erupting. DaYing’s flying fist hits JieEr’s face (as usual), knocks her against the side of a car, and renders her unconscious. Xiang gives DaYing a dirty look, “Are you mad?” and picks up JieEr, seats her in the car, and speeds to the hospital. DaYing chases after the car.

JieEr is fine. She just needs a hot towel for her, by now, bloated face. But Xiang is overprotective of the woman he has feelings for. He insists that she stays in the hospital for a day or two for further observation. Just in case. The two bicker over Xiang’s over reaction, JieEr admits that she’s been hit by DaYing and it probably hurts, but DaYing didn’t do it on purpose. It’s Xiang, who’s demonstrating an overabundant amount of concern. Xiang becomes frustrated that all this time, care, and money he’s put forth for JieEr is regarded as excess. While DaYing, who’s the cause of all the fuss is understood as being simply clumsy? Xiang storms out of the room.

DaYing enters after Xiang’s tantrum. He apologizes to JieEr who didn’t intend to blame him in the first place. All’s happy, except for Xiang.

When JieEr returns home, Xiang has already packed, ready to leave. He doesn’t want to stay in Pi Li college anymore. (so cute when he’s throwing a fit.)

I know why you are leaving.

Why?

I don’t want to say it.

Say it.

Why should I say it? Just because you ordered me to?

Then get out of my way.

Because you are afraid that you can’t beat Yuan DaYing in basketball. Because, for the first time on court, someone out-shined you. Someone makes you feel threatened.
Or.. maybe, a particular someone may think it’s because you don’t like how Yuan DaYing has a crush on me… That’s why you are leaving. (AHH! Jack Pot Jack Pot!!)

Is that what you think?

…Wh-what? (JieEr looks away)

Yuan DaYing having a crush on you, that’s why I’m leaving. (It so is.)

I’m just saying… Don’t…

Then ANSWER ME!

Even if DaYing likes me, what’s wrong with that? I’m not your somebody. Why are you yelling?

(Xiang turns to leave.)

DongFang Xiang, are you so irresponsible? Pi Li has just won its first competition. Are you just going to leave?

They have Yuan DaYing don’t they?

You know Yuan DaYing needs your help! ….

Yuan DaYing, Yuan DaYing, Yuan DaYing! All you’ve been talking about since this morning is him! What about ME? (Ah, just say it already!!) I’ve been there for you, always. But you keep antagonizing me. Ugh.

Xiang grabs the bag and leaves for some fresh air. JieEr stands in the empty room, on the brim of tears.

The next few minutes of the drama sends my BS detector beeping wildly in very direction, going completely haywire.

*takes a deep breath* Alright, so Xiang speeds to get the fight out of his mind, DaYing spots him and paddles after. Xiang drives into a tunnel. Once he’s inside, a few men dressed as construction workers hurry to block the entrance. I smell fish. Half way inside the tunnel, there is a bus, parking sideways, filling up the entire diameter of the tunnel. A little ahead of it, a woman lying on the ground, appearing to be hit by the bus. Xiang gets off the car to help. The woman attacks Xiang as he bends over her. In front of Xiang, the back of the bus opens, men dressed in black clothes and white masks start to dismount from the bus in rows. Behind him, another truck pulls over, more men are coming from the vehicle. (Wh-what?!)

While Xiang is fighting one to a hundred, DaYing comes to the rescue. Eh, a little late. DongFang Xiang has already taken care of all of them. But he could still use some help.

They take care of the remaining men and run for their lives.

They are surrounded, once again, by masked men, in all directions. And this time, the mastermind shows himself. (Tell me this is just a lame dream.)

More fighting. More not so awesome, awesomeness and more not so audacious, audaciousness. And… the mastermind busts out a gun and points it at Yuan DaYing. (Who wrote the script?!)

Then *zoom* two black figures drop from the sky and knocks the gun out of the mastermind’s hands. Yup, the WuJi stalkers save the day, again.

DaYing takes Xiang to the hospital and faints on the hospital floor. (Did the script writer rack his/her brain to come up with this male bonding method?)

Two hospital “scares” in one episode, this time, Xiang turns out to be fine, but DaYing’s condition isn’t as promising. Xiang promises himself that if DaYing wakes up, he will teach DaYing basketball personally. While DaYing is unconscious, he pays a visit to Gu Gu Chicken in wonderland. Gu Gu Chicken urges DaYing to go back and treat himself well. DaYing wakes up. (wow, what a moment. it almost beats Meredith Gray‘s talk with her deceased mother on the hospital bed.)

And he recovers fast. While DaYing is hedonistically indulging in delicious food, Xiang is making preparations to teach DaYing basketball. Just as he promised. Xiang’s father visits Xiang and reveals the astonishing truth: the group of gang that cornered Xiang the night before have been trying to kidnap him since his birth. They continue to do so every few years. The recent attempt is one of the many. Shockingly absurd, wouldn’t you agree?

On a less ridiculous note, Pi Li basketball team can officially compete in basketball games starting in October. With the announcement of Pi Li’s next competition, everything turns to normal again. I mean, as normal as Yuan DaYing gets.

DaYing learns the essential skills for basketball with incredible speed, and Xiang cooks dinner for JieEr’s birthday for the first time. But JieEr calls DaYing to eat dinner instead.

"lonely, I am so lonely"

DaYing happily cycles to meet JieEr for the date dinner, Xiang contemplating ways to ask JieEr to come over. DaYing eats stinky toufu with JieEr, W sulks on the sofa.

After dinner, JieEr and DaYing stroll on the streets where JieEr tells DaYing it’s her birthday. DaYing looks around for a present and gets an idea. He tells JieEr to close her eyes for 10 seconds and he runs off to pluck 19 flowers. When she reopens her eyes, DaYing hands her a bouquet of wild, but pretty flowers and tells her, “Happy 19th birthday.”

—

The kidnap scene just knockes my glasses off. It’s not poorly executed, it’s just out of place. Guess we have to deal with more of that in the next episode as well.

I’ve read a lot of speculations about Yuan DaYing pairing with JieEr. Personally, I think JieEr is more compatible with DongFang Xiang. Like I said many times before, Hot Shot resemble Slam Dunk so much that if it doesn’t depart from Slam Dunk’s basic romantic pattern, DaYing would not end up with JieEr. DaYing is no boyfriend material for JieEr. W, on the contrary are showing signs of interest in DaYing. It’d be a weird pair nonetheless, but they can’t leave Jerry Yan girlfriend-less!