Episode Summary
In this episode, the tragic story of the ghost poet Yun Yi and the deceitful scholar Xie Loubai is revealed and resolved, leading to his public disgrace and her spirit finding peace. This event causes Empress Wu to approve of Mei Zhuyu, while Wu Zhen is pressured by the Demon Market elders to find the missing Boneless Bone. While investigating Mei Zhuyu as the prime suspect, Wu Zhen accidentally confesses her growing feelings for him, which he overhears. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as she attempts to sneak in and retrieve the bone from him while he's bathing.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 4 of Moonlit Reunion begins with a false alarm. The servants at the Liu Mansion are screaming about a ghost, which draws Lord Liu and his guests to a side hall. But instead of a spirit, they find Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu alone together. The ghost is forgotten as everyone starts whispering that the two are having a secret affair.
Meanwhile, Liu Taizhen lights a beautiful glass lantern and has her maids bring the scholar Xie Loubai to a pavilion. He's thrilled, thinking he's been invited for a romantic rendezvous. But as the lantern's light flickers, the form of Yun Yi, a shadow demon, emerges.
Here's the tragic backstory: Yun Yi was a gentle demon born from a lantern's shadow. She loved human culture and, under her human name, became a celebrated poet. She fell deeply in love with Xie Loubai, trusting him with her heart, her savings, and all of her poetry, hoping he would get it published. Instead, he stole her work, published it under his own name to gain fame, and when she confronted him, he cruelly shamed her. In her despair, her spirit became bound to the lantern.
Now, with the lantern lit again, Yun Yi has returned to expose Xie Loubai's plagiarism and cruelty. He's terrified and flees, screaming that he'll never copy anyone's work again. Wu Zhen and Liu Taizhen stop Yun Yi from killing him, arguing that true revenge is ruining his reputation. As storytellers spread the truth all over the city of Chang'an, the public turns on Xie Loubai, who eventually goes mad from the shame. Having found justice, Yun Yi's spirit, which was clinging to a fragment of the Boneless Bone, finally fades away into a wisp of smoke.
The incident has some major ripple effects. Empress Wu, who is Wu Zhen's sister, is impressed by Mei Zhuyu's honorable conduct and suggests Wu Zhen should get to know him better. The Emperor, however, privately warns Wu Zhen to be careful with matters of the heart. Wu Zhen's main concern is the still-missing Boneless Bone. Her failure to secure it brings the elders of the Demon Market, led by the stern Elder Hui, to confront her. She's given a five-day deadline to find it.
Suspecting Mei Zhuyu has the bone, Wu Zhen starts visiting him constantly under the guise of friendship. During a chat with Mei Zhuyu's gossipy brother, Mei Si, Wu Zhen confesses that she genuinely admires Mei Zhuyu. She respects that he isn't a suck-up and is a genuinely good person who sticks to his morals. She finds his integrity incredibly attractive—and, of course, Mei Zhuyu is standing just outside the door and hears every single word.
After confirming the Boneless Bone is hidden on Mei Zhuyu's person, Wu Zhen hatches a plan with her assistants, Wordless Book and Huju. She decides the best time to retrieve it is when he's bathing. She sneaks into his residence, but her plan immediately hits a snag when she makes a noise and he realizes someone is there.
