Episode Summary
Jian Mingshu is devastated by Lu Chang's rejection and investigates Zhou Yiniang, uncovering a plot against her family. The Jian family is massacred, and Jian Mingshu loses her memory after falling off a cliff. Lu Chang rescues her and pretends to be her brother to protect her from the assassins who are still after her. They flee to the capital, but danger lurks as they are recognized.
Spoiler Alert
"Serendipity" Episode 2 Recap & Spoilers
Episode 2 kicks off with some serious fallout from Jian Jinhai's shady move of drugging Lu Chang. Jian Mingshu is furious, and Jian Jinhai himself is pretty upset about the whole thing. Zeng Yi, bless her heart, knows Jian Mingshu is head-over-heels for Lu Chang, but Lu Chang's rejection was ice-cold. Zeng Yi laments the missed opportunity. Jian Jinhai, feeling for his daughter, gifts Jian Mingshu a new piece of jewelry made with her latest crafting technique. Meanwhile, Zhou Yiniang is secretly bummed about the failed marriage. Just as she's about to toss out the wedding dress, she gets a lead on Zhou Yiniang's suspicious activities and orders a discreet investigation before Jian Jinhai finds out.
Lu Chang and Zeng Yi hightail it out of Jianglin for his new post in the capital. Jian Mingshu, who's been investigating Zhou Yiniang, has a brief, bittersweet encounter with Lu Chang on his journey. Despite trying to move on, seeing him leave still stings. Jian Mingshu uncovers Zhou Yiniang in a compromising situation with a man at the Xinghua Courtyard. When she overhears the man plotting to wipe out the entire Jian family, Jian Mingshu is shocked and accidentally reveals herself, leading to a chase. Back at the Jian residence, a group of assassins storms the place, leaving no one alive. A loyal servant sacrifices himself to buy Jian Jinhai time to escape, while Jian Mingshu only survives thanks to her maid's sacrifice.
Cornered and desperate, Jian Jinhai and Jian Mingshu are forced to flee. Jian Mingshu falls off a cliff, and Jian Jinhai is killed on the spot. Lu Chang, resting near the cliff, hears a scream and discovers an injured and unconscious Jian Mingshu. Realizing the danger, he quickly puts out his torch and gets her into his carriage. Jian Mingshu is now the sole survivor of her family, making her a prime target for the assassins.
Lu Chang suspects something fishy is going on and decides to return to inform Jian Jinhai about Jian Mingshu's condition. Instead, he finds the horrifying scene of the Jian family massacre. The authorities quickly close the case, labeling the Jian family as traitors. However, Lu Chang's friend learns from the dying Jian family butler that the assassins were after the whereabouts of "Su-xiansheng." Lu Chang realizes this is the same thing Jian Jinhai mentioned before. Jian Mingshu wakes up, but she's lost her memory and doesn't recognize Lu Chang or Zeng Yi. The doctor says it's due to the trauma, and Lu Chang instructs Zeng Yi to keep the truth about her family from her until she recovers. They decide to take her to the capital, pretending she's his sister, Lu Mingshu, to protect her. As Lu Chang is about to take off her bracelet, Jian Mingshu wakes up. She remembers nothing and doesn't fully trust Lu Chang, despite feeling a connection to him.
Lu Chang is overly caring and doesn't want Jian Mingshu to leave his sight. Meanwhile, posters with Jian Mingshu's image are plastered all over town, claiming she's a missing person. Lu Chang forbids her from going out and plans a secret escape route. Jian Mingshu sees the posters and, after dismissing Zeng Yi, goes to the Jian family's jewelry shop. The assassins are lying in wait, and Lu Chang saves her once again. Back at their lodging, Lu Chang urges Jian Mingshu and Zeng Yi to pack up and leave immediately. The innkeeper notices them, so Lu Chang and Jian Mingshu intentionally mislead him by saying they're taking a waterway south, but instead, they travel by land. In the carriage, Jian Mingshu examines her gold bracelet, questioning if it's really hers. Lu Chang claims their mother always favored her. He notices she's developed a rash, likely from the rough fabric of Zeng Yi's clothes, as she's used to finer things. At an inn, Zeng Yi prepares a medicinal bath for Jian Mingshu and applies ointment. The next day, Lu Chang takes Jian Mingshu to pick out new undergarments. Lu Chang is about to pay, but Jian Mingshu realizes the material is overpriced and haggles the price down. They need to save money for their journey to the capital, so she's being frugal.
During a night on the road, Zeng Yi catches a cold and coughs, and Jian Mingshu drapes her coat over her. The axle of their cart breaks, and a storm is brewing, forcing them to seek shelter in a nearby house. They find many broken cart axles nearby. Lu Chang and Jian Mingshu cautiously enter the house, only to discover it's filled with corpses.
