Episode Summary
Reporter Zhang Zhiqiu's search for his missing sister, Zhang Yunli, is systematically thwarted by corrupt police officers. After escaping captivity, Zhang Yunli is deliberately run down by Gao Fei. She is then assassinated in her hospital bed by killers from the Green Bamboo Gang. A distraught Xia Mo performs an autopsy, uncovering evidence of prior torture and a mysterious wound. The discoveries lead him to confront a silent Gao Ying about the dark secrets of the Rosefinch Hall.
Spoiler Alert
"Rosefinch" Episode 12: A Web of Lies and a Tragic End
The episode opens with a frantic race against time as reporter Zhang Zhiqiu rushes into the police station. He reports that his sister, Zhang Yunli, has vanished following a beauty pageant. He clutches a missing person notice, begging officer Tang Zhenyun for help. The photo jogs Tang's memory; he recalls the same young woman previously reporting a stalker and notes she was also a flower presenter at the event. Just then, Shen Lian passes by and, after a quick call to his superior Gao Susheng, moves to obstruct the investigation.
Meanwhile, a battered Zhang Yunli awakens inside a wooden crate, finding herself in a strange room filled with deity statues. Back at the station, just as Tang Zhenyun is about to take on the case, Shen Lian abruptly transfers it to another officer who promptly falsifies the report, claiming Zhang Yunli is a fugitive who fled after committing theft. Warned by Shen Lian, a cornered Tang Zhenyun is forced to deny that Zhang Yunli ever filed a report, leaving her brother utterly devastated.
Racked with guilt, Tang Zhenyun is comforted by Xia Mo, who urges him to remain calm. Xia Mo speculates that her mysterious disappearance is an extension of the Zheng Zukang murder case. As Zhang Zhiqiu exits the police station in despair, he spots his sister staggering across the street. Before she can utter a word, he watches in horror as she is struck by a car driven by Gao Fei. When Shen Lian and his men arrive, Gao Fei, who clearly intended to silence her, brazenly claims she was attempting suicide.
At the hospital, Gao Ying uncomfortably defends her family's actions to Zhang Zhiqiu. Later, she tries to console Gao Yue by reminiscing about their childhood. The situation takes a dark turn when two assassins infiltrate Zhang Yunli's hospital room, murder her, and escape through a window. Tang Zhenyun gives chase and confronts one of the killers in their getaway car. During the struggle, he recognizes a Green Bamboo Gang (Qingzhubang) tattoo. He narrowly escapes being shot by leaping from the moving vehicle as the assassins speed away.
The sight of Zhang Yunli, dead from a stab wound to her left chest, triggers a traumatic memory for Xia Mo, reminding him of his late wife, Fu Ying. Overcome with emotion, he threatens the medical staff with a knife, demanding to perform the autopsy alone. Gao Ying clears the room and assists him by taking notes. The autopsy reveals that Zhang Yunli was abused before her death; a diamond-shaped wound on her left arm is surrounded by five-clawed blood marks. In addition to the injuries from the car crash, there are other signs of brutalization, though no evidence of sexual assault. Filled with grief and rage, Xia Mo confronts Gao Ying, demanding to know the secrets of the Rosefinch Hall (Zhuque Hall). She remains silent, unable to answer.
