A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College Episode 14 Recap
> A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College Recap
Late at night, Zhuo Wenyuan brought some food to Sang Qi's room. Suddenly, an urgent knocking startled them. Sang Qi, fearing it was Yan Yunzhi on inspection, urged Zhuo Wenyuan to hide. To her surprise, it was Yan Yan at the door, who burst in, frantically claiming that Song Luo Tian was plotting against him with a grand scheme to trap him, and that assassins might be outside. Before Sang Qi could react, another knock sounded.
Panicked, Yan Yan dove under the bed, only to discover Zhuo Wenyuan already there. Sang Qi opened the door to find Yan Yunzhi, feeling flustered. Just as they sat down, Lan arrived. Concerned about potential misunderstandings in the middle of the night, Sang Qi insisted Yan Yunzhi also hide under the bed, despite his initial reluctance. Lan spoke candidly, expressing her doubts about Sang Qi's true feelings for Yan Yunzhi.
She believed Sang Qi might merely be projecting her longing and trust for her deceased brother, Sang Yu, onto Yan Yunzhi, seeing it as mere transference. Lan explained that Yan Yunzhi was a man of great loyalty, and his kindness towards Sang Qi was likely to fulfill a promise to his old friend, Sang Yu, suggesting he might only see her as a younger sister.
Lan warned that a reckless confession could lead to an awkward situation, similar to Song Jia Yin’s case, and would only bring unhappiness given Sang Qi’s continued studies at the Imperial College. She advised Sang Qi, being young, not to waste her time on a relationship that would not end well. Overhearing this from under the bed, Yan Yunzhi was displeased but found it inconvenient to emerge. He subtly pushed Yan Yan out to break the tense atmosphere.
Upon Yan Yan's abrupt appearance, the atmosphere became extremely awkward. Seeing this, Sang Qi prompted Zhuo Wenyuan to emerge as well. Lan was visibly shocked, leading Sang Qi to quickly concoct a story that the three of them had been secretly drinking to avoid detection. After Lan departed, Yan Yunzhi sternly admonished Yan Yan and Zhuo Wenyuan for their misbehavior, then requested Sang Qi to meet him after they left the mountain.
Sang Qi, still pondering Lan's words, quietly dismissed her concerns about being in love with the Deputy Chief as "nonsense." After several days of investigation, Bai Shi reported to Yan Yunzhi that he had discovered a highly suspicious and heavily guarded planting area within the Song family tea plantation. Recognizing it was time to act, Yan Yunzhi instructed Yan San Lang to gather his men.
That night, Yan Yunzhi meticulously drew a detailed map of the Song Tea Plantation, marking several suspicious locations based on his own observations from the hill and Bai Shi's intelligence. He then delivered the map to Yan San Lang, who assured him that the tea plantation would be completely surrounded by morning, allowing no one to escape. Unbeknownst to Yan Yunzhi, Zhuo Wenyuan, feigning sleep, was aware of Yan Yunzhi's actions.
Upon returning to his room, Yan Yunzhi grew suspicious when he noticed fresh mud on Zhuo Wenyuan's shoes and found his blanket unusually warm. He gently tucked him in, while Zhuo Wenyuan maintained his pretense of sleep, showing no signs of being disturbed. The following morning, Yan San Lang led his forces to raid the Song Tea Plantation under the pretext of arresting a fugitive.
They swiftly moved to confiscate the illegal plants, accusing the Song family of conspiring with Xizhao and planting prohibited species. However, a man claiming to be Official Wei intervened, presenting a land deed and ledger that proved the cultivated land belonged to Official Wei, not Grand Tutor Song.
Faced with this unexpected development and the presented evidence, Yan San Lang, though momentarily stunned, decided to halt the raid, stating he would investigate the matter further in the capital and ordered the evidence sent to the Prefecture Court.
Following this incident, the Imperial College's farming experience was abruptly concluded, leaving students to speculate that it might have been a cover for an investigation and that Grand Tutor Song had likely used Official Wei as a scapegoat, though the case was quickly closed by the authorities. Yan Yunzhi met Sang Qi by the lake.
He asked if she thought he had called her all this way just to discuss the tea plantation case, implying there was something more personal to address. When Sang Qi mentioned various topics like her studies, her brother, or even their master, Yan Yunzhi gently pressed, asking if they couldn't discuss anything else. As they admired the beautiful weather and scenery, Yan Yunzhi commented on enjoying the company of a "beautiful lady."
Sang Qi, still influenced by Lan's words, mistakenly interpreted his sentiment, asking if he saw her as "family" or just a "little sister," reinforcing her fear that Lan's assessment was correct. Yan Yunzhi, having heard enough, clearly stated that he believed she had understood his feelings all along. He expressed his weariness of guessing and his desire for a clear, explicit answer from her. He then plainly confessed, declaring his love for her. He then leaned in to kiss her.
Sang Qi, initially surprised, admitted the moment felt "a little abrupt" and she "didn't feel much of it," playfully proposing they "try again." She then initiated a second, more passionate kiss. The two shared a sweet moment, embracing by the water. Sang Qi asked if he had planned to confess after the investigation, to which he playfully avoided the question, urging her to watch her step, while she insisted on watching only him.
She pressed him about when he fell for her, but he feigned forgetfulness, prompting her to claim she remembered exactly when she fell for him, though she refused to tell him. Yan Yunzhi then suggested she call him "Yun Zhi" when they were alone, but Sang Qi felt it was too awkward, preferring to stick with "Deputy Chief." He accepted, telling her she could call him whatever she wished.
When asked about his future plans, Yan Yunzhi revealed his intention to propose to her and marry her after she graduated from Imperial College. Sang Qi, however, asked him to keep their relationship a secret until after her graduation, wanting to finish her studies at the Imperial College on her own merits. Yan Yunzhi agreed, promising to do whatever she asked from then on. After their confession, a palpable sweetness enveloped Sang Qi and Yan Yunzhi.
However, they were still in a teacher-student relationship, making overt displays of affection at the Imperial College impossible. They resorted to discreetly finding opportunities to talk, but these attempts were frequently interrupted. They decided a midnight rendezvous was their best option. Yan Yunzhi suggested they use a cat's meow as a signal for Sang Qi to climb over the wall, an idea she found exciting but also a bit inappropriate. During the day, their public interactions were strained.
Yan Yunzhi would openly criticize Sang Qi's "awful handwriting" or "bad posture," even playfully hitting her head, all to create a false impression of discord and avoid suspicion. Sang Qi privately confronted him, pointing out his obvious tactics and her embarrassment, to which Yan Yunzhi explained it was the only way they could find moments to converse. He apologized for his overbearing behavior and promised to be more considerate.
That night, as Sang Qi's maid, Lian Pian, made cat meows to signal Yan Yunzhi, Sang Qi's father suddenly appeared, woken by the noise. Sang Qi quickly fabricated a story about chasing a wild cat that was disturbing her father's sleep and training plans for the next day. Her father, initially determined to confront the cat with a large blade, was convinced by Sang Qi to let her handle it with a smaller blade.
This provided a brief window for Sang Qi to meet Yan Yunzhi outside the wall. While her father continued his attempts to scare off the "cat," Sang Qi briefly joined Yan Yunzhi, who also made cat-like sounds to keep up the charade, before she retreated back inside, ensuring her father would believe the nuisance was gone.
Yan Yunzhi later visited Official Wei in prison, who, despite facing a death sentence for conspiring with Xizhao, remained stoic and refused to divulge any information, simply stating he deserved his fate. Yan Yunzhi observed Official Wei gently pick up a spider that had landed on him and place it safely on the ground, a small act that made Yan Yunzhi doubt such a kind-hearted man could be truly guilty of such a severe crime.
Soon after, the case was concluded with Official Wei convicted as the main culprit, though his life was spared and his family exiled, while Grand Tutor Song only received a pay cut for negligence. Sang Qi, deeply skeptical of the verdict and concerned for the displaced tea farmers, sought out Yan Yunzhi, publicly challenging him on why he hadn't helped the Prefecture Court uncover the truth and clear the farmers' names.
Yan Yunzhi, in turn, feigned a public argument with her, telling her to pretend to quarrel with him, to create a diversion. Once they were alone in the garden, Yan Yunzhi explained his reasoning: Official Wei's unusual calmness and refusal to defend himself suggested he had made a deal with the true mastermind to escape execution in exchange for his silence.
Yan Yunzhi surmised that Official Wei's life would still be in danger during his exile and planned to secretly follow him to uncover the real culprit. However, his position at the Imperial College made a sudden departure suspicious, so he needed Sang Qi to help him "act a play" to provide a valid reason for his absence.
Before embarking on this mission, Yan Yunzhi stood before Sang Yu's cenotaph, solemnly vowing never to betray Sang Qi and to protect her as long as he lived. Later, the couple enjoyed a meal at a noodle stall, with Sang Qi checking with Lian Pian beforehand to ensure they wouldn't be recognized. Yan Yunzhi, typically accustomed to not carrying money, found himself in a humorous predicament when he realized he couldn't pay for their meal.
Sang Qi, also without money, found the situation amusing. Yan Yunzhi, drawing from a friend's past experience, decided their best course of action was to simply walk out without paying. As they fled from the pursuing vendor, Sang Qi teased Yan Yunzhi, asking if it was appropriate for the Deputy Chief to run off without paying.
Yan Yunzhi promised to settle the bill the next day, but mused that since they were now acting as a "bandit couple," they should truly embrace the role and do something they normally wouldn't dare.
