Episode Summary
In "Abyss Dweller" Episode 16, Liang Shuo's public confession of love for Xie Nianci puts her under the suspicion of Director Cui and Hirata Kiko. A botched search of her apartment is followed by her capture when a comrade inadvertently reveals her safe house's location. Hirata tortures Xie Nianci for information, but Liang Shuo intervenes violently. During a tense roadside stop in a storm, Hirata discovers Liang Shuo speaks Japanese and orders his death. However, Lu Xijian, whose loyalty was in question, saves Liang Shuo, and they team up to kill Hirata. It's revealed Lu Xijian had left a warning note, confirming he is a deep-cover ally. Liang Shuo arranges for Xie Nianci to hide while he returns to No. 76 to handle the aftermath.
Spoiler Alert
"Abyss Dweller" Episode 16 Recap & Spoilers: A Web of Suspicion and a Desperate Counterattack
This recap contains detailed spoilers for Episode 16 of "Abyss Dweller."
Episode Highlights
- A Dangerous Confession: Liang Shuo's public declaration of love for Xie Nianci in the hospital puts her directly in the crosshairs of Japanese intelligence.
- A Flawless Deception, A Fatal Mistake: While an official search of Xie Nianci's apartment turns up nothing, a comrade's blunder leads agents right to her safe house.
- Trial by Torture: Captured and facing brutal interrogation, Xie Nianci refuses to break, forcing a furious Liang Shuo to intervene.
- Showdown in the Rain: Hirata Kiko finally uncovers Liang Shuo's secret, leading to a violent confrontation where allegiances are tested and truths are revealed in a hail of bullets.
- An Unlikely Ally: A cryptic note from Lu Xijian suggests he may be a deep-cover operative, leaving his true motives as the central mystery.
Full Recap
The episode kicks off with a moment of vulnerability that proves incredibly costly. While recovering from serious injuries in the hospital, Liang Shuo makes a grand, public confession of his feelings for Xie Nianci. The romantic gesture immediately backfires, ringing alarm bells for the vigilant Director Cui and the cunning Japanese agent, Hirata Kiko. While they trust Liang Shuo's loyalty, Xie Nianci becomes their prime suspect.
The situation escalates when Lu Xijian arrives, ostensibly to visit the wounded Liang Shuo. Hirata wastes no time, voicing her suspicion that Xie Nianci’s appearance is far too convenient. She confronts Xie Nianci, demanding her address and dispatching Lu Xijian to lead a search party. Meanwhile, Liang Shuo, sensing danger, quietly warns Xie Nianci to be wary of her attending physician, Dr. Xu Wen.
Lu Xijian's search of Xie Nianci's official residence comes up empty. Having trained with both Liang Shuo and Xie Nianci at the Military-Statistics Bureau, he maintains a thin veil of camaraderie, referring to her as his "junior sister." Hirata is unsatisfied, remarking that Xie Nianci's record is "too clean." Her instincts prove tragically correct. In a separate location, one of Xie Jun'an's men, worried for Xie Nianci's safety, makes a foolish move. He takes a token to her safe house, walking directly into a trap set by enemy agents. Under duress, he reveals that a female operative is nearby, giving Hirata all she needs. She immediately sets up an ambush at Xie Nianci's residence and captures her.
Now a prisoner, Xie Nianci is subjected to brutal torture by Hirata, who is determined to make her confess to being a Military-Statistics Bureau spy. Xie Nianci endures the torment without breaking. Lu Xijian arrives and plays a double game, seemingly trying to de-escalate by warning Hirata of the severe consequences of harming Liang Shuo's love interest, all while subtly maneuvering behind the scenes.
When word reaches Liang Shuo, he storms into the interrogation room in a rage. He incapacitates Hirata’s guards and forcibly removes the injured Xie Nianci, intending to get her medical attention. Hirata and her men follow in close pursuit. As a sudden downpour begins, Liang Shuo pulls his car over, using the storm as cover to feign engine trouble.
This is where the trap is sprung. While ordering her men to contact her superior, Mizuho Genxin, Hirata overhears Liang Shuo speaking fluent Japanese—a skill he had carefully concealed. His cover blown, Hirata instantly orders her men to execute him. But in the critical moment, Lu Xijian turns his gun on the agents, saving Liang Shuo. Together, Liang Shuo and Lu Xijian fight back, ultimately killing Hirata Kiko in the chaotic, rain-lashed showdown.
With the immediate threat eliminated, Liang Shuo reveals how he knew to act: he had found a cryptic warning note left by Lu Xijian in his office. The act confirms Xie Nianci's suspicion that Lu Xijian never truly defected and is still a loyal operative. Trusting his own instincts, Liang Shuo agrees.
In the aftermath, the death of Hirata Kiko sends shockwaves through the intelligence headquarters at No. 76. Liang Shuo arranges for Xie Nianci to go into hiding with an ally, Jiang Feiman, before returning to No. 76 to manage the fallout. The episode ends with the lingering, crucial question of Lu Xijian's true allegiance hanging over them all.
