Episode Summary
Jian Mingshu is upset with Lu Chang for keeping secrets, while Song Qingzhao attempts to mediate. Su Tangli urges Xie Xu to break off his engagement, but he stalls, secretly plotting to kill her; Su Tangli survives the attempt and confronts him, leading to a fight with Lu Wencai. Yin Shujun impresses Prince Rui with her capability. During a visit by Prince Rui and Prince Yu to the Academy, Lu Chang's essay causes strange reactions, and a birthmark reveals a potential connection to Lu Shangshu. The episode culminates with Jian Mingshu discovering Lu Wencai murdered in the Huantaoguan Hall, prompting an official investigation by the princes.
Spoiler Alert
Serendipity Episode 15 Recap & Spoilers: Sibling Spats, Shady Plots, and a Shocking Discovery
Kicking things off, Jian Mingshu is seriously bummed out. Her own brother, Lu Chang, has been keeping secrets, apparently helping someone else hide things from her. Ouch. Song Qingzhao, ever the gentleman, shows up with comfort food. As Jian Mingshu vents about feeling betrayed (I mean, she is Lu Chang's actual sister!), Song Qingzhao tries to smooth things over, suggesting Lu Chang probably had his reasons and was likely trying to protect her by keeping quiet.
Lu Chang overhears this from outside and seems relieved Song Qingzhao is defending him... until he sees Song Qingzhao gently wiping a food crumb from Jian Mingshu's face. Yeah, that protective brother (or maybe more than brother?) instinct kicks in, and he can't help but interrupt the cozy moment. Song Qingzhao, picking up on Lu Chang's obvious vibes about him getting close to Mingshu, decides it's time to leave.
Later, Lu Chang tries to apologize to Jian Mingshu, but she's not having it. She basically slams the door in his face (metaphorically, maybe literally). He even resorts to sliding apologetic notes under her door, but nope, she's still mad. You go, Mingshu, stand your ground!
Meanwhile, in the land of messy relationships, Su Tangli is trying to convince Xie Xu to call off his engagement to Wen'an Xian zhu (the Princess of Wen'an). But Xie Xu is playing the long game. He hasn't secured the coveted title of Shizi (Heir Apparent) yet and tells Su Tangli they need to be patient for "their future." Su Tangli drops it for now, but let's be real, these two are clearly hiding their own agendas. Xie Xu definitely isn't ditching his fiancée anytime soon, especially since he needs her connections for that title.
Things get awkward when Yin Shujun and Wen'an Xian zhu herself show up at the Academy. Jian Mingshu knows something is up (presumably related to Xie Xu and Su Tangli), but she keeps quiet, likely to protect Su Tangli. Su Tangli, however, freaks out seeing her rival. Xie Xu brushes her off, saying he's busy and basically telling her to leave. Feeling dismissed and probably super jealous, Su Tangli storms off. On her way out, she sees Xie Xu thoughtfully putting a cloak around Wen'an Xian zhu's shoulders. Oof. In a fit of pique, Su Tangli deliberately bumps hard into Wen'an Xian zhu as she passes. Drama!
Later, Jian Mingshu finds Lu Chang and tells him about the Wen'an Xian zhu situation. She explains she didn't spill the beans because she trusts Lu Chang has a good reason for protecting Su Tangli. Jian Mingshu believes Wen'an Xian zhu just wants the truth, so they should be able to find a way to expose Xie Xu's true colors without throwing Su Tangli under the bus. Smart thinking!
Xie Xu manages to sweet-talk Su Tangli again, calming her down and promising they'll leave Jingcheng (the capital) first thing in the morning. But that night, Su Tangli has a terrifying nightmare, seemingly about her past trauma of being exploited by powerful people – a hell she refuses to return to.
And guess what? Xie Xu is even shadier than we thought. He arranges for Su Tangli to leave the city as promised, but he also arranges for assassins to attack her on the road! Luckily, Su Tangli manages to escape with her life. When she makes it back and learns the truth (presumably about Xie Xu's plan), she spots Lu Wencai nearby. Lu Wencai has always had creepy eyes for Su Tangli, and seeing him, she yells something and runs into a room. He follows, and they get into a physical fight. The Academy head (Shanzhang) is furious and orders them both confined to their rooms for three days – meaning they'll miss the upcoming important visit from Prince Rui and Prince Yu (another Prince). Jian Mingshu hears about this and suspects Lu Wencai might have figured out Su Tangli's true identity or past.
On a slightly different note, Yin Shujun and Prince Rui put on a show of being a happy couple for his mother during a palace visit. Prince Rui is low-key impressed by how composed and capable Yin Shujun is, even in the palace. Afterwards, Yin Shujun heads to Hualang Ge (Hualang Pavilion), which is apparently a cool organization dedicated to helping women. A woman previously helped by Hualang Ge gives Yin Shujun some flower seeds as thanks. Later, Prince Rui sees Yin Shujun busy planting flowers but is surprised to find she's also incredibly competent at managing the Prince's household affairs. Looks like he might be underestimating her!
The next day, Prince Rui and Prince Yu arrive at the Academy as planned. Ten student essays are selected for review. Everyone's praising Song Qingzhao's essay, but when they read Lu Chang's, the mood gets... weird. Everyone looks strangely at it. Prince Yu, knowing Song Qingzhao is allied with Prince Rui, tries to undermine him and even throws some shade at Lu Chang's humble background. Things get a bit tense between the princes, and Lu Shangshu (Minister Lu, possibly Lu Chang's relative?) steps in to smooth things over, asking Lu Chang to come forward. As Lu Chang approaches, Lu Shangshu spots a distinctive birthmark on his wrist and looks shocked, suddenly very interested in Lu Chang's family history. Hmm, interesting!
While this is happening, Prince Yu accidentally gets his clothes dirty and ducks out to change. During this brief absence, he apparently runs into someone unexpected from his past. Double hmm!
Finally, the princes and officials move to the Huantaoguan (Huantaoguan Hall). The doors and windows are shut tight. The headmaster's wife asks Jian Mingshu to open them up. Jian Mingshu opens the main doors and is met with a horrifying sight: Lu Wencai's dead body lying in the middle of the hall!
A murder at the Academy! Prince Rui and Prince Yu immediately order a thorough investigation.
