Episode Summary
Su Tangli manipulates Prince Yu by pretending to be his mother, a risky plan suggested by Qi. Meanwhile, Jian Mingshu investigates strange hauntings at the Wei residence, believing it's connected to a gold bracelet identical to her own and potentially her past. She goes undercover as a "fairy" to get close to Wei Furen, who also owns such a bracelet. Lu Chang worries about Jian Mingshu's dangerous methods as she delves deeper. Song Mu, staying with Wei Furen, encounters a "ghost" and confides in Jian Mingshu, unknowingly complaining about her son's affection for Jian Mingshu herself. When Lu Chang confronts Wei Dushi about his involvement in Mr. Su's case, Wei Dushi, feeling exposed, suspects Jian Mingshu is a spy and orders her to be killed.
Spoiler Alert
First off, remember Su Tangli? Well, she’s playing a very dangerous game with Prince Yu. To get him completely under her thumb, she’s taken to acting like his mother. Yeah, you heard that right. It’s a bold, kinda creepy strategy, and guess who cooked it up? Qi, Prince Yu's own attendant! Turns out, after witnessing Su Tangli's incredible escape from a sticky situation previously, Qi had a bit of an awakening. He realized he's not just some "thing" but a person, and helping Su Tangli was his way of making a human choice. Interesting turn for him, right?
Meanwhile, the mystery of the gold bracelet is heating up! Wei Erniangzi popped into Hualang Ge, where Wen'an Xianzhu and Yin Shujun spotted her. She was looking to get a duplicate made of her sister-in-law’s gold bracelet. As she was leaving, they couldn't help but notice she was decked out in a ton of wooden charms. Her explanation? The family home is apparently haunted, and these are for warding off evil spirits. Spooky!
After Wei Erniangzi scurried off, Wen'an Xianzhu and Yin Shujun showed the bracelet (or at least its design) to Jian Mingshu. And here's the kicker: it's an exact match to the one Jian Mingshu wears, right down to the super intricate craftsmanship. Jian Mingshu is thinking what we're all thinking – figuring out where that bracelet came from could be the key to unlocking her own identity! Adding another layer to this, Wen'an Xianzhu mentioned that her own mother, Song Qingzhao's mom (Song Mu), and Wei Dushi's wife (Wei Furen) were basically BFFs back in the day – "handkerchief sisters," as they say. Small world, huh?
Speaking of Wei Furen, she’s supposedly bedridden because of this whole "haunting" business. Song Mu even paid her a visit, shocked at how ill she seemed. The word is that Wei Dushi and Wei Furen are deeply in love; even though her family's status took a nosedive after their marriage, he’s supposedly never loved her any less. Jian Mingshu, bless her determined heart, is desperate to see Wei Furen. So, she gets Wen'an Xianzhu to recommend her to Wei Erniangzi as a bona fide ghostbuster, or rather, an "immortal fairy" who can deal with troublesome spirits.
Jian Mingshu, in her celestial disguise, manages to get into the Wei residence with Wei Erniangzi, but not before a thorough pat-down. Strict! Wei Erniangzi spills some details about the haunting: it started with Wei Furen having nightmares and sleepwalking, then she started muttering about seeing ghosts and took to her bed. Wei Dushi tried to keep it all hush-hush, but then a maid apparently saw some terrifying words manifest, and the cat was out of the bag.
Our guy Lu Chang, ever the sweetheart, tried to bring Jian Mingshu some snacks, only for Yin Shujun to tell him she’d already flown off to the Wei place and wouldn't be back anytime soon. Concerned, Lu Chang and Ying Xun even tried to pay Wei Dushi an official visit, but no dice. Later, Lu Chang sneaks into the Wei residence himself and spots Jian Mingshu in her "fairy" getup. He’s understandably worried, questioning why she’s there and if she ever considers how her impulsive decisions make him feel! He reminds her that Wei Dushi is tangled up in Mr. Su's case, making her little investigation incredibly risky. But Jian Mingshu? She’s dug her heels in and is determined to see it through. You gotta admire her grit, even if it gives us secondhand anxiety!
Now, let’s talk about Song Mu. After running away from home, she’s shacked up at the Wei residence. She was thrilled when her son, Song Qingzhao, showed up, probably expecting a big apology and a ride home. Instead, Song Qingzhao just asked if she was doing okay and then bounced, leaving Song Mu fuming all over again. Classic. Song Qingzhao also took a moment to check in on Jian Mingshu, hoping she wouldn’t get in too deep. But, as we know, Jian Mingshu isn't one to back down once she's made up her mind.
Later that night, Song Mu couldn't sleep and called for her maid to get some calming tea, but the maid was MIA. Lantern in hand, Song Mu wandered into the courtyard looking for her, only to get the fright of her life from a "female ghost in white"! Jian Mingshu, who was snooping around for clues, heard Song Mu’s screams. She found Song Mu hiding and absolutely terrified. When servants rushed over, Jian Mingshu thoughtfully draped her own cloak over Song Mu so no one would see her in such a state. Nice touch, Mingshu!
A grateful Song Mu then begged Jian Mingshu to stay with her a bit longer. Jian Mingshu agreed, and Song Mu started reminiscing about Wei Furen and Wen'an Xianzhu's mother. Apparently, Wei Furen used to be a really lively and cheerful person, but after marrying Wei Dushi, she became increasingly gloomy. Song Mu and Wen'an's mother even confronted Wei Dushi about it, but Wei Furen actually defended him and told them off! This caused a rift, and they hadn't been close for years. Still, that old bond of sisterhood is hard to shake, and Song Mu couldn't just ignore Wei Furen's plight. Seizing the opportunity, Jian Mingshu asked Song Mu to introduce her to Wei Furen, and Song Mu readily agreed. Then, in a moment of delicious irony, Song Mu started complaining to Jian Mingshu (the "fairy") about her son, Song Qingzhao, falling for some "common girl from the market" – completely oblivious that she was talking to the very same girl! Oh, the drama!
The next day, Song Mu made good on her promise and took Jian Mingshu to see Wei Furen. Jian Mingshu wasted no time asking about the bracelet, and Wei Furen claimed Wei Dushi had given it to her. But she was being cagey. Jian Mingshu then tried a new tactic, suggesting Wei Furen should leave the supposedly haunted residence to "recover." Song Mu was all for it and ready to escort them out, but a stern-looking matron stopped them, invoking Wei Dushi's name. Then, Wei Dushi himself showed up. Wei Furen suddenly didn't want to leave, and Wei Dushi was about to send Song Mu packing.
Just then, Song Qingzhao arrived on the scene. He stated it was his father's wish (and his own) that Song Mu stay and keep Wei Furen company. Before leaving Jian Mingshu, Song Qingzhao once again urged her to be careful.
Meanwhile, Lu Chang wasn't sitting idle. He confronted Wei Dushi directly, demanding his cooperation with an ongoing investigation. Wei Dushi played dumb, denying everything. But Lu Chang wasn't having it. He coolly pointed out that Wei Dushi and two others were the suspected masterminds and that they already had a heap of evidence. This clearly rattled Wei Dushi. He flew into a rage, suddenly convinced that Jian Mingshu must be Lu Chang's spy planted in his house. His next order? Have her eliminated.
