Episode Summary
The fake engagement between "Joseph" and Xian Biyun becomes public, raising suspicions from Liang Jingyuan, who knows Biyun from the past. Liang sets a trap by demanding the experts crack a burnt codebook in seven days, specifically targeting Joseph. The team's attempts to make outside contact or escape fail, and a new threat emerges when an acquaintance recognizes the impostors. As a last resort, Ding Yi has Joseph fake a severe medical crisis, forcing Liang Jingyuan to call in an outside doctor.
Spoiler Alert
The Guardians: Episode 16 Recap
The Engagement is Official (Sort Of)
Joseph Needham is holding a crying Xian Biyun. He feels terrible. He promised to protect her when he proposed, but now she's wrapped up in all this danger. He's beating himself up about it.
Of course, Ye Yin can't just let a moment be a moment. She butts in and asks Biyun if she actually accepted the proposal. Biyun gives a shy little nod. That’s all it takes for the room to erupt in cheers. Everyone insists she stay for the party. So, the fake engagement is now very publicly on.
Gu Yangshan is furious about the whole thing. He pulls Ding Yi aside later. He can't believe Ding Yi would use a marriage proposal to drag Biyun into this mess. But the damage is done. Gu Yangshan accepts it, but he lays down some serious ground rules for Biyun to make sure the plan doesn't fall apart.
A New Face and an Old Acquaintance
That night, Xian Biyun arrives at the research institute. She's playing the part of Joseph Needham's loving fiancée. Liang Jingyuan puts on a big smile and welcomes her. You can tell he doesn't buy it for a second. It turns out he and Biyun know each other. They worked together back in Shanghai. This just got a lot more complicated.
Joseph comes out to greet her. He "accidentally" stumbles and falls right into Liang Jingyuan. It was a planned move, but Gu Yangshan is not happy about it. He tells Joseph off later. A blind man wandering around alone to find his fiancée looks suspicious. Gu says from now on, he has to be the one to escort Joseph everywhere. No more improvising.
The awkwardness continues. Ding Yi realizes he's supposed to be sharing a room with his new "fiancée." Since that's not happening, he ends up bunking with Joseph. Liang Jingyuan can't shake the feeling that something is off. He thinks the marriage is a total sham. His wife, Ye Yin, disagrees. She thinks it's real. After all, Joseph is rich, and that's a pretty good reason for any woman to say yes.
The First Test is a Trap
The next day, Liang Jingyuan gets down to business. He brings out a codebook. It's half-burnt. He tells the experts they have seven days to crack it. This isn't just a test, though. It's an elimination round. Anyone who fails is out of the institute for good.
Xian Biyun sees right through it. This isn't a test for everyone. She knows Liang Jingyuan designed this entire challenge as a trap. He's aiming it directly at "Joseph" to find a reason to get rid of him.
No Way Out
The team is completely cut off. Gu Yangshan tries to leave, using Joseph's sudden "headache" as an excuse to buy medicine. He gets stopped at the gate. He has to write down the name of the medicine and let Captain A'mu's men get it for him.
Their contact on the outside, Luo Han, also hits a wall. He pretends to be a newspaper boy to get into the Sanyangli area. Captain A'mu sends him packing immediately. Things get even worse. Luo Han's brother-in-law shows up. He saw the two impostors in Sanyangli. He plans on telling Liang Jingyuan everything in exchange for a promotion. This is bad.
That night, Gu Yangshan tries to escape over the roof. He makes a noise and almost gets caught. A stray cat gets the blame, which saves him, but he loses his chance to get out.
So, Ding Yi comes up with a new idea. They make Joseph's headache look really, really bad. Liang Jingyuan rushes over and finds Joseph screaming in pain. Seeing how worried Xian Biyun is, and with Ye Yin begging him to do something, Liang Jingyuan finally gives in. He agrees to call an outside doctor, Dr. Mengjie, to come take a look.
