124. You Are The Apple Of My Eye

Title: 那些年，我們一起追的女孩 (那些年，我们一起追的女孩)/ Na Xie Nian, Wo Men Yi Qi Zhui De Nu Hai

English Title: You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Year: 2011

Summary: The story begins in 1994. An outstanding student, Shen Chia-yi is popular among her teachers and classmates. The mischievous Ko Ching-teng claims that he has no interest in her, despite being her classmate since junior high school. One day the teacher moves Ching-teng's seat, placing him in front of Chia-yi, because he was caught masturbating in the back row during class.

In English class, Chia-yi forgets to bring her textbook. Feeling sorry for her, Ching-teng slips her his book and tells their teacher he forgot his own textbook; he then endures a long lecture and is punished. Chia-yi, touched by Ching-teng's generosity, prepares a practice paper for him in return, to encourage him to work hard at his studies. She also convinces him to stay after school to study with her. From then on their relationship grows, and Ching-teng's grades gradually improve. However, they have not kissed or held hands.

On graduation, Ching-teng enrolls at the National Chiao Tung University. Chia-Yi does not do well on the examinations because she was ill on that day, and only managed to enter the National Taipei University of Education with her mediocre test results. Depressed, she is consoled by Ching-teng, who calls her long-distance almost every night from university. During the winter holiday season that year they go on their first, "unofficial" date, where Ching-teng asks Chia-yi if she loves him. However, fearing that she would say no, he refused to listen to her answer. Ching-teng later organizes a fight night and invites Chia-yi to watch, since he wanted to impress her with his "strength". Instead, Chia-yi thinks it is childish to for him risk injuring himself; this upsets him, sparking a quarrel and they eventually break up.

During the two years after their breakup, Ching-teng has no contact with Chia-yi. He qualifies for a graduate research course at Tunghai University, where he begins writing stories online. Ching-teng managed to regain contact with Chia-yi only after the 921 earthquake, when he calls to see if she is injured. During their long conversation with each other, they both lament the fact that they were not fated to become a couple.

Years later, in 2004, Chia-yi suddenly calls Ching-teng to tell him that she is getting married. All of her old friends gather at the wedding, making jokes and trying to embarrass her somewhat-older husband. They are surprised that their past emotions have transformed into deep friendship and serenity. Ching-teng begins to work on a web novel about his experiences with Chia-yi, which includes public-masturbation scenes, Japanese adult video jokes, and walking around his home nude in front of his mother.