Episode Summary
The team goes undercover as kitchen staff at a poetry competition hosted by a poetry-obsessed restaurateur. Lu Lingfeng uses his wits to get a seat at the main table with his old friend, the poet Leng Ji. During the competition, a drunk poet laments Leng Ji's past failures. The episode ends as a mysterious veiled singer, Nujiao, takes the stage, and Leng Ji recognizes her with a look of pure shock.
Spoiler Alert
The Poetry Party Begins
A Strict Host and a Side Entrance
The episode kicks off with Su Wuming and his crew heading to Ruan's Restaurant. They're pushing a cart with their ingredients. Chu Yingtao is getting antsy about the time. Su Wuming, however, doesn't look worried at all. He says they're waiting for someone. Right on cue, Lu Lingfeng shows up and takes over cart duty. Master Fei looks suspicious. He thinks Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng planned this. Su Wuming just plays it cool. He claims he's a fan of the poets Gao Da and Wang Youbo and wants to see them.
When they get to the restaurant, the owner is laying down the law. His name is Ruan Daxiong. He declares that only invited poets can use the front door. Everyone else has to use the side entrance. That includes him. He even turns away two rich merchants who just want a drink. Manager Hou explains the situation. The owner is obsessed with poetry. He tries to write it himself but he's terrible. So he just runs the family restaurant and worships famous poets.
Our guys get stopped at the front door. The waiter, A Lang, is just following orders. Master Fei doesn't want to use the side door. But the pay is good, and everyone else convinces him. So they all shuffle in through the side like the hired help they're pretending to be.
A Leopard and a Bribe
The Xuanhuo performance troupe arrives late. With them is a veiled woman named Nujiao. The troupe's vice-leader, Lang Yehu, tells everyone she's a former top courtesan. They head to the backyard to get settled. And what do they find? A leopard in a cage. Ruan Daxiong rushes over to explain. He promises the animal is always locked up and perfectly safe. Nothing to see here.
Then, Ruan Daxiong pulls the troupe leader, Sai, aside. He offers him a gold ingot. He wants Sai to have someone sing his own poems during the competition. Sai sees the gold and agrees immediately. Of course he does.
Lu Lingfeng's Cover is Almost Blown
An Old Friend Appears
Inside, everyone is busy making the sushandessert. Well, everyone except Lu Lingfeng. He has nothing to do, so he goes snooping in the backyard. He sees the leopard again. He also runs into an old friend, a famous poet named Leng Ji. Leng Ji is a good friend of Gao Da and Wang Youbo. But he's dressed in rags, so Manager Hou almost mistakes him for a beggar.
Leng Ji is surprised to see Lu Lingfeng at the restaurant. Lu Lingfeng asks him to keep his real identity a secret. He doesn't want anyone to know who he is.
Talking His Way to a Seat
Leng Ji introduces Lu Lingfeng to the other poets. Ruan Daxiong isn't happy about it. He doesn't want Lu Lingfeng at the party. He says Lu isn't a known poet. He can only stay if he proves he knows anything about poetry.
Lu Lingfeng handles it perfectly. He starts listing off the names of several famous poets. Then he throws out two completely made-up names. At first, no one gets it. But with a little help, Leng Ji figures out the trick. Lu Lingfeng was making a clever reference to ancient texts. Leng Ji is so impressed that he personally invites Lu Lingfeng to join them at the table.
The Competition and a Ghost from the Past
Patriots and Backstage Drama
Everyone sits down. Leng Ji mentions that after this gathering, he plans to travel to the Western Regions. Gao Da and Wang Youbo immediately say they want to go with him. Gao Da says it's not just about writing famous poems. He wants to join the army and defend the border. Lu Lingfeng hears this and has a lot of respect for the guy.
In another room, the singing girls are getting ready. Sang'er is helping Nujiao. She assumes Nujiao must have been a top courtesan because of her beauty. Nujiao just says the past is the past. Another girl, A'Bi, pries a bit. She asks if Nujiao met a lot of famous scholars and officials. Meanwhile, Baobao and Xiaopa start bickering. Then a guard named Qilang corners Baobao. He threatens her and says she has to be with him tonight. She's scared and doesn't know what to do.
A Song for Everyone but One
Su Wuming, Pei Xijun, and Chu Yingtao finally enter the main hall. They present their cherry sushan. Leng Ji sees them and seems to recognize them, but he doesn't say a word. He keeps their cover.
Ruan Daxiong announces the rules for the competition. The singing girls will perform poems written by the guests. The poet whose work gets sung the most wins. The competition starts. We hear songs based on poems by Wang Youbo and Gao Da. They even sing one of Ruan Daxiong's amateur poems. But no one sings anything by Leng Ji.
The Veiled Singer
Wang Youbo gets drunk and starts complaining. He's upset about a choice Leng Ji made years ago. He says his friend gave up a brilliant career and a chance at fame.
Then, the veiled woman, Nujiao, walks onto the stage. Even with the veil covering her face, Leng Ji recognizes her instantly. He is completely shaken.
