Episode Summary
The team investigates a cursed painting that causes collectors to go mad. They discover the paper is soaked in a hallucinogen activated by heat. While tracking down the artist, Li Ye, they learn he poisoned the art for revenge. The investigation shifts as they realize they missed a key suspect in the broader mystery.
Spoiler Alert
The Cursed Monkey
Feng Qianli is a man on a mission. He spots a red string on an umbrella at the drop point, which means the situation is urgent. He opens the umbrella and finds a scroll inside. It’s not exactly a masterpiece. It’s a drawing of a hideous monkey.
Feng meets up with Fusheng at their secret spot. He explains the deal with this "Golden Monkey Birthday Greeting." It has a nasty history. Everyone who collects it dies. Master Lin didn't believe the hype. He kept the painting, went insane, killed his entire family, and then burned to death. Wen Yu wants to know why the police files are empty on this. Feng points her toward the City Lord's Manor. The answers are locked up in there.
Dust and Romance
The team breaks into the Manor's archive. It’s a mess. Dust covers everything. Yingying hands Gu Tian a clean handkerchief. He pockets it immediately. It’s a small moment, but he clearly treasures it.
Wen Jiu crashes the party. He is not happy. He wants to know why they are playing detective instead of curing the City Lord. Wen Yu ignores the noise and keeps digging. She finds a crucial detail. The Lin family massacre happened in winter. The group heads to the Lin residence to investigate the scene. Fusheng grabs the painting and notices an old incense burner sitting right underneath it.
A Bad Trip
Back at home, Fusheng sets up an experiment. He places the incense burner under the painting. He hands out antidote pills to the crew just in case. They stare at the image.
It doesn't take long. The hallucinations hit hard. Fusheng has a strong will and snaps out of it first. He wakes up Wen Yu and Gu Tian. Yingying is in deep trouble, though. She is reliving the slaughter of her family. In her nightmare, she mistakes Gu Tian for one of the bandits. She stabs him. Gu Tian has no choice. He knocks her unconscious to stop her from hurting anyone else.
The Poison Paper
Yingying wakes up in tears. She tells Gu Tian about her family's murder. Gu Tian tries to bond with her. He lies and says he has a similar tragic past. Yingying isn't stupid. She sees right through the lie and kicks him out.
Meanwhile, the investigation pays off. Wen Yu and Fusheng analyze the painting. The paper has two layers. It was soaked in a hallucinogenic drug. The heat from the incense burner activates the poison. Fusheng realizes this same principle might actually save the City Lord. He gets excited and hugs Wen Yu. She turns bright red.
The Drunken Artist
Wen Yu organizes a contest to find the artist. She wants to know who can copy the monkey style perfectly. The trail leads to Chunyun Pavilion. They learn about Li Ye. He painted for Master Lin once, but other artists mocked him. He quit painting and turned to alcohol.
Fusheng and Gu Tian track Li Ye down on the street. He is drunk and painting a dancer. The crowd loves it. Li Ye hates himself, though. He destroys the painting in a rage. Fusheng steps in and calms him down. Li Ye finally talks. He admits he told the Lin family the original monkey painting was a fake. They beat him up for it. He poisoned the painting as revenge. He claims their own fear killed them.
Fusheng isn't fully satisfied. He doesn't buy that Song Jingye committed suicide. Gu Tian realizes they missed a suspect. They need to look at Qin Shi.
