Episode Summary
Li Hanyi leaves after seeing her parents reunite. Mu Yumo and Tang Lianyue acknowledge their feelings, but she sends him to help the Prince of Langya. Furious at the lack of justice, Su Changhe and a newly awakened Su Muyu assassinate the Grand Prince. We learn that Bai Hehuai is secretly still alive, a fact hidden from Su Muyu. The episode ends with Su Muyu and Su Changhe on the run, contemplating their dark path forward.
Spoiler Alert
A Family Reunion and a Quiet Exit
The episode kicks off with Li Hanyi in a huge fight. She’s taking on three elders and absolutely wiping the floor with them. But someone uses the chaos to launch a sneak attack.
Just then, the Prince of Langya feels his wife's presence. He uses the last of his strength to blast her attackers. This gives her an opening. Li Hanyi sees her parents are together again. She decides this is their moment, not hers. So she just slips away without a word.
Love, Duty, and a Carved Rabbit
We check in on Mu Yumo. She’s awake but she’s not talking. Tang Lianyue bursts in, clearly worried sick about her.
This is the moment it all clicks for Mu Yumo. She finally gets it. Tang Lianyue has never been big on words. He never made a big move or said anything romantic. But his actions have always shown how much he cares. She realizes he does love her.
She also knows him well. He will put the Prince of Langya's problems before their relationship. So she does something pretty selfless. She tells him to go help the Prince. Before he leaves, he gives her a small wooden rabbit he carved himself. A quiet little gesture that says everything.
The Grand Prince Gets What's Coming
Su Changhe is furious. He just learned that Dian Ye took the blame for everything the Grand Prince did. The Emperor let his son off the hook. This just proves how corrupt the royal family is. Su Changhe thinks the Prince of Langya is a joke if he can’t even get justice for something this big.
Elsewhere, Mu Yumo tells Su Changhe that she is now the head of the Mu family. She’s putting her personal feelings aside. She has a duty to fulfill.
A Brother's Burden
Su Muyu is finally awake. Su Changhe has to tell him what happened. He clearly doesn't want to break his brother's heart. But Su Muyu looks at him, waiting for the truth.
So Su Changhe tells him. Bai Hehuai is dead. He explains that her father, Su Zhe, is a decisive man. He couldn't stand to see his daughter suffer anymore. So he ended her life himself. It was a mercy kill.
One Swift Strike
The Prince of Langya is not doing well. His cold poison is acting up badly, and he’s even coughing up blood. Tang Lianyue shows up to warn him. He tells the Prince that Su Muyu is coming to kill him. The Prince just shrugs it off. He says he’s dying anyway, so he doesn't need their help.
Su Changhe and Su Muyu head straight for the Grand Prince, Xiao Yong. They announce their intention to kill him. Su Changhe handles the guards outside the Prince's sedan chair. This creates a perfect distraction.
Su Muyu slips inside the chair. He slits the Grand Prince's throat in one clean motion. Xiao Yong dies in shock. He can't believe a couple of assassins just ended a royal prince.
Secrets and Sacrifices
After the job is done, the two brothers leave the scene. They walk right past another sedan chair without a second thought. They have no idea who is inside.
We learn Bai Hehuai is in that chair. She’s alive. Su Muyu's master saved her.
Her father, Su Zhe, is sticking to their plan. He publicly tells everyone his daughter is dead. This is the only way to protect her and let her live. Su Muyu’s master feels a deep sense of tragedy. His student was so close to finding a life in the light. Now he's walking toward a future that's still shrouded in darkness, and he doesn't even know it.
The Long Road into Darkness
Su Muyu and Su Changhe go to see the Prince of Langya one last time to say goodbye. Word of what Su Muyu did reaches the State Preceptor. The Preceptor realizes he misjudged the new Su family head. He decides he needs to meet him.
As they travel, Su Changhe asks his brother a heavy question. Does he regret what he did? Su Muyu says there’s no turning back. The only way is forward, toward the light at the end.
Su Changhe pushes back. He says Su Muyu worked so hard to escape the darkness. But with one kill, he’s right back in it. Su Muyu doesn't really explain himself. He just says the Prince of Langya is gone. The Prince wanted to build a safe future for his family. But the path he and his brother walk is completely different. The real chaos in Tianqi City is just getting started. Still, Su Muyu holds onto his belief that they will break through the fog and see the sun again.
The two brothers just keep moving forward. They have no destination and no clear goal. The show tells us it will be another eight years before the Dark River organization returns. And it will be twelve years before Su Muyu and Bai Hehuai see each other again.
