Episode Summary
Jian Mingshu learns she and Lu Chang aren't biological siblings and that he once kissed her while she was unconscious. Su Tangli then reveals Jian Mingshu's true identity as the last surviving member of the massacred Jian family, claiming Lu Chang only kept her close for his own agenda. Su Tangli takes a confused Jian Mingshu to her ancestral home in Jianglin to recover her memories. An attempt at hypnosis by Hu Yi is violently interrupted by assassins, with Lu Chang arriving to protect them but furious at Su Tangli for endangering Jian Mingshu. Jian Mingshu awakens with no memory of the hypnosis but is now aware of her tragic past and shows resentment towards Lu Chang. Despite this, Lu Chang vows to help her find justice, while Song Qingzhao also arrives in Jianglin, concerned for Jian Mingshu. The episode ends with Jian Mingshu mourning at her family's graves, distressed by her inability to remember them.
Spoiler Alert
So, we kick off with Su Tangli still laser-focused on her mission: find her father's real killer. She's adamant that until justice is served, she's sticking to her Su Tangli identity, no matter what. Prince Yu is right there, bless his heart, practically begging her to let him handle the revenge quest while she just, you know, chills and looks pretty by his side. He even says he can make sure she lives well as Su Tangli. For a hot second, it looks like she might lean into his offer, but nope, she pulls her hand away and distances herself. Girl's got a one-track mind!
Meanwhile, the truth bombs just keep dropping for Jian Mingshu. She finds out from Yin Shujun and Wen'an Xian Zhu that she and Lu Chang aren't actually biological siblings. As if that wasn't enough, they spill the tea about how Lu Chang, in a desperate frenzy, got himself seriously injured just to see her when he was locked up. Apparently, he was going nuts to get to her, and whatever he said when he finally reached her, it was right before she woke up. This sparks a major "aha!" moment for Jian Mingshu: could Lu Chang have been the one who kissed her then?
To get to the bottom of this, Jian Mingshu heads straight to Song Qingzhao, who confirms it: yup, it was Lu Chang who laid that smooch on her. Talk about a revelation! Song Qingzhao even mentions his mom is ready to play matchmaker and propose a marriage between them, which sends Jian Mingshu into a total tailspin of confusion. She's been crushing on Lu Chang for ages, but what does he feel, and what even is their relationship now?
But wait, there's more! Su Tangli, ever the pot-stirrer, gets Qi to fetch Hu Yi (a doctor) and sends a handkerchief to Jian Mingshu, knowing it'll lure her in. And it works! When they meet, Su Tangli drops the biggest bombshell yet: she tells Jian Mingshu her real family name and her tragic backstory – she’s the sole survivor of the once-great Jian family. Su Tangli then twists the knife, claiming Lu Chang only kept Jian Mingshu around because she holds vital evidence related to Mr. Su's case, basically saying he saved her for his own selfish reasons. Jian Mingshu doesn't want to believe it, but the need to uncover her past is too strong, so she leaves with Su Tangli.
Naturally, Jian Mingshu's sudden departure causes chaos. Wen'an Xian Zhu hands a "dear John" (or "dear Song Qingzhao"?) letter from Jian Mingshu to a heartbroken Song Qingzhao, who’s not ready to accept it and vows to find her. Lu Chang, meanwhile, swings by Hualang Ge looking for Jian Mingshu, only for Yin Shujun and Wen'an Xian Zhu to tell him she’s skipped town for a few days. He finds her "gone for a few days" letter, and then another from Su Tangli coolly stating she's taken Jian Mingshu to Jianglin. Lu Chang, understandably, freaks out.
Su Tangli takes Jian Mingshu to the old, abandoned Jian family estate in Jianglin. She tries to jog Jian Mingshu's memory, but it only gives the poor girl a massive headache. Hu Yi steps in, warning Su Tangli to stop pushing, and attempts to recover Jian Mingshu's memories through hypnosis. Under hypnosis, Jian Mingshu relives painful moments: Lu Chang coldly rejecting her, his decisiveness on the night of the "groom-catching" incident – it all brings her to tears.
Just when things couldn't get more dramatic, a gang of assassins crashes the party! Su Tangli orders Qi to fend them off, desperate not to interrupt the hypnosis. Qi is outnumbered, Su Tangli gets wounded, and then Lu Chang bursts in like the hero he (sometimes) is. Su Tangli, even while injured, tells him to save Hu Yi because the hypnotic drumbeat cannot stop. But it's too late – Hu Yi gets hurt, and Jian Mingshu snaps out of the hypnosis, only to faint from the pain and shock.
After the dust settles, Jian Mingshu is physically okay but needs serious rest. Lu Chang is absolutely livid with Su Tangli for dragging Jian Mingshu to Jianglin and trying to force her memories back, especially since, hello, there are people in Jianglin who literally want her dead! Su Tangli, playing the victim, whines that she just wanted the truth, and besides, Jian Mingshu already knows she and Lu Chang aren't siblings.
When Jian Mingshu wakes up, she doesn't remember anything from the hypnosis session. She overhears Lu Chang and Su Tangli arguing and, clearly fed up, tells them both to get lost, showing some serious resentment towards Lu Chang. All she knows now is that she's a Jian, the last of a prestigious family that was brutally wiped out.
Lu Chang, however, isn't going anywhere. He suspects the Jian family massacre was a nasty case of corrupt officials colluding with bandits, and he’s determined to bring a certain Gao Shicai to justice. Jian Mingshu, still reeling, asks Lu Chang for one more favor: to help her pay respects to her long-lost family.
Adding to the emotional stew, Song Qingzhao arrives in Jianglin, immediately assuming Lu Chang spilled the beans about Jian Mingshu's identity, leading to a heated argument between the two guys. Lu Chang and Jian Mingshu try to get some food into her, but she has zero appetite, only managing to nibble on some pastries Song Qingzhao brought. Ying Xun sees Song Qingzhao doting on Jian Mingshu and worries for Lu Chang, but Lu Chang insists that Jian Mingshu's recovery is the top priority right now.
They visit the graves of the Jian family, buried there by Ying Xun's father after the massacre. Jian Mingshu is heartbroken that she can't remember their faces or voices. Lu Chang tries to comfort her, saying her family would want her to live a full and happy life, not blame herself for forgetting.
