Episode Summary
Wu Zhen defends Mei Zhuyu's honor at a high-profile banquet where a cursed lantern, gifted by Xie Loubai, unleashes a Shadow Demon. Working together, Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu devise a plan to extinguish the lights, forcing the demon out. Liu Taizhen reveals her true form to save Mei Si from the demon, while Mei Zhuyu successfully captures it and secretly takes the cursed gem, "Boneless Bone," from the lantern.
Spoiler Alert
A Demon in the Lantern Light
Episode 3 of Moonlit Reunion begins with Wu Zhen putting the so-called "talented scholar" Xie Loubai in his place. In front of everyone, she calls him out for being a fraud who is famous only because of his family's status. She says he has no real virtue or desire to help people, and just spends his days gossiping. Humiliated, Xie Loubai has no choice but to leave in a huff.
Later, Mei Si tells Mei Zhuyu a story from eighteen years ago. After a great fire in the city, Wu Zhen was seriously injured and fell into a coma for three months. Everyone thought she wouldn't make it. But then, she suddenly woke up one morning with a completely different personality, becoming wild and assertive. Mei Zhuyu seems to be thinking hard about this as he leaves to investigate a case for a shopkeeper.
That night, Mei Zhuyu goes to a jewelry workshop to look into some strange "floating jewelry." He doesn't know that Wu Zhen is already inside. She manages to hide from him just in time. As Mei Zhuyu gets closer, the shopkeeper suddenly yells. It turns out a tabby cat just jumped out of the door and ran off into the night.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhen is annoyed that she couldn't figure out the mystery of the "Boneless Bone" (a special gem). The "Wordless Book" (The Wordless Book) presents her with a newly developed pill, claiming it can help her fully transform from her demon state. After she takes it, a pair of cat ears pop out on her head! Luckily, they disappear as the medicine wears off. When she gets home, she finds her father, Wu Chundao, dressed up as a Taoist master. He's a self-proclaimed disciple of the long-declined Changxi Palace. He tells Wu Zhen that since he no longer holds an official position, she must attend a banquet at the Liu family's residence on his behalf to celebrate Liu Gongshen's promotion.
The next morning, Xie Loubai goes to the jewelry workshop to pick up a special glass lantern he had made for the Liu family's banquet. Noticing a missing gemstone, he orders the craftsman to set the "Boneless Bone" onto it. When the lantern is lit, the shadow of a beautiful woman appears on the wall, looking incredibly real. One craftsman swears he saw the shadow turn its head, but his friend just laughs at him, unaware of the trouble that's about to start.
On the day of the banquet, Mei Zhuyu and Mei Si head to the Liu residence. On the way, Mei Si is downcast, talking about how Liu Taizhen gently rejected his marriage proposal. When they arrive, some wealthy guests make fun of Mei Zhuyu's humble donkey cart and gossip about the rumors of him being "favored" by Wu Zhen.
Just as they're all laughing, Wu Zhen's magnificent carriage arrives, scattering the crowd. She steps out, gives Mei Zhuyu a quick glance, and then proceeds to put the mockers in their place with some fake apologies, shutting them up completely.
During the feast, a servant from the Wu family presents a gift, but when a scroll is unrolled, it's a portrait of Liu Taizhen. Wu Zhen recognizes it as Mei Si's work but can't say anything. Liu Taizhen, however, calmly accepts it. Later, Mei Zhuyu presents a simple inkstone as his gift. Xie Loubai scoffs at it and then has his grand glass lantern brought out. In the flickering candlelight, the "Boneless Bone" gem gives off a strange, eerie glow that Wu Zhen, Liu Taizhen, and Mei Zhuyu all notice.
Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu slip away from the banquet. They both know the other can see supernatural things. They realize a "Shadow Demon" is hiding among the countless candle shadows, making it impossible to find. Mei Zhuyu suggests putting out all the lights to force it to reveal itself. They split up and start extinguishing the candles. As the main hall darkens, a shadow darts out from the lantern and heads for a side room filled with gifts.
At that moment, Mei Si is in that room, drawing Liu Taizhen's portrait again, when the shadow wraps around his neck. Just in time, Liu Taizhen appears in her true form, surrounded by a white glow, and drives the demon away. As he faints, Mei Si gets a glimpse of her looking like a celestial being or a demon. After Liu Taizhen hands Mei Si over to Wu Zhen, Mei Zhuyu goes into the room alone and traps the Shadow Demon back inside the glass lantern. He notices the "Boneless Bone" gem on the lantern and secretly pockets it.
When Wu Zhen finds him, he acts as if nothing happened, simply handing her the now-normal lantern. Wu Zhen takes it and notices the poem carved on its side is very different from Xie Loubai's usual style, making her suspect he wasn't the one who wrote it.
