It seems to be...
going well.
Sorry.
Thank you.
It's ridiculous. They're using English as the mission language this time.
Why don't they use Chinese?
There would not be a mission if not for us. Am I right?
You're not used to being bad at something.
Now that you have difficulty,
you can't accept it.
What should I do if I cannot learn this absurd language?
Someone will replace you.
When I came to the United States,
I struggled with English too.
You?
How is this even possible? You speak English fluently.
Thanks.
How did you learn?
I'll show you.
Dr. Wang Lu, good morning.
Hello.
Was there something you need?
I heard Chen Mei has been transferred.
That's right.
I wanted...
to thank her,
thank her for her excellent services to this mission.
That's very thoughtful of you.
I will make sure your message is passed along.
I was hoping to be able to...
talk to her directly.
Is that okay?
I found something in Chen Mei's desk.
A slip of paper. This is your handwriting, is it not?
What?
From the handwriting I can see...
this note was written by you, right?
Given this, I have determined
that all communication between you two should cease,
and Chen Mei should be reassigned.
Can you tell me where she has been transferred?
Dr. Wang Lu,
your mission is a three-year term.
Now, only three weeks have passed.
Focus on your work.
Make us all proud of you.
Lei Lei, have you been obeying your father?
Of course, Mama.
And your teachers?
Yes, Mama.
What happened with you?
Tell your mother what you got on your mathematics exam.
I scored 98.
Can we get a hundred next time?
Have you been drawing your comics?
No, Mama.
Why not?
You can do it.
I thought we agreed that with his exams coming up,
there isn't time for comic books.
Why not?
It makes him happy.
To come to a place like this, do we need to get an approval from CNSA?
Do you want to learn English or not?
Come with me.
To learn a new language,
you have to be fearless.
I am not afraid.
Vulnerable, then.
You have to let go,
and risk looking the fool.
Please come in.
Wow, your place is so neat.
Not at all.
Personally, I think you sing very well.
No, not at all.
It's really good. Great.
I don't understand. To my heart I'm singing?
No, not really.
-I can't believe it. -Please have a seat.
I didn't know young people still did brush stroke calligraphy.
If you're just going to mock me...
I'm not.
My grandmother used to write my name with a brush.
It's a nice memory.
Will you do it?
Yes. It's actually quite simple.
Mei, the plum flowers.
Eleven strokes.
Look...
Will you show me how?
I'm giving you lessons. It's only fair.
Oh, no.
Not like that. Relax your wrist. Don't grip it so tightly.
Like this, vertical.
Hold it like this.
Then your wrist needs to relax.
Relax.
Like this?
Keep the brush straight.
I am sorry.
I thought you wanted...
I do.
We will be careful. No one will know.
But I'll know.
I'll know.
My husband and I...
There is no...
love...
and passion, but...
there is respect.
I cannot...
dishonor him.
I cannot let my son down...
or my country.
We can have our lessons.
Nothing more.
Thanks.
Great! You're practically fluent.
My English has improved so quickly in the last two years,
and it's thanks to you.
Your calligraphy has become...
quite skilled.
Thanks to you.
Very good.
Women hold up
half the sky.
Lu Lu, you leave tomorrow.
Let me stay tonight.
I am not asking you to break your vows.
We don't have to do anything.
We won't even touch each other.
Just lie in bed.
Please.
Only one night. Let's have one night together.
Okay.
Hello.
It's me.
Lu.
No one's listening.
We can talk.
How are you? Huh?
I'm fine.
Did they do anything to you?
Do anything to me?
I don't know...
They...
gave me a desk job.
Lu Lu.
That's the way they handle things here. No one will speak of it.
This will get swept under the rug.
They...
They won't do anything to me.
If something happened to me, people would ask why.
This mission was taken from you
and they reassigned you somewhere else. Something definitely has happened.
It's my fault.
I'm so sorry.
It's because I love you...
that the mission was taken from me,
and I will never be sorry for that.
Don't cry.
I'm looking right at you.
But our...
our spacecraft is far too small to be seen by telescope,
even if the sky were clear,
and you had my coordinates.
Well, that's very literal of you.
But...
that I cannot see you doesn't change the simple fact
I'm looking right at you.
Why?
What are you doing?
Memorizing your voice.
Your voice.
Time to say goodbye.
Mei, listen.
Seven months from now,
we will touch down on Mars.
Two years later, we will come back to Earth.
And after the parades are over,
and after my son has grown up,
I will find you.
I LOVE YOU
And I'm just...
supposed to sit around and wait?
Yes.
Okay.
Well...
until then...
goodbye.
Until then...