A Girl Like Me Episode 27 Recap
> A Girl Like Me Recap
Rong Xia received a letter from the Crown Prince's messenger containing the official findings regarding the recent assassination attempt. His own informer corroborated that individuals from Prince Luo's Wude Palace were seen entering and exiting a specific courtyard, confirming Xie Chongjin's earlier intelligence. The Crown Prince's report attributed the attack to remnants of Prime Minister Yan's faction, a conclusion Rong Xia immediately recognized as merely assigning blame to convenient scapegoats.
He decided against informing the Crown Prince about Prince Luo concealing Shi Feixian, reasoning that the Crown Prince, being inherently good-natured and valuing brotherhood, would struggle to uncover the full truth involving his sibling. Instead, Rong Xia concluded that Commander Shi Jin was the optimal person to inform. He explained to his concerned aide that Shi Feixian was a crucial element in balancing the power struggle between Prince Luo and Xie Chongjin.
Her presence, he believed, would ensure Xie Chongjin remained cautious and prevent Prince Luo from fully trusting him, thus deterring Prince Luo from taking any extreme measures. Meanwhile, Shi Jin located Shi Feixian in the courtyard. He expressed his relief at finding her and offered to find her a safe place to live. However, Shi Feixian responded coldly, stating that his words of concern were "too late" given her banishment.
She declared her refusal to ever re-enter the Shi family, asserting that since her grandfather had chosen to abandon her, she too had the right to choose her path. Shi Jin questioned if she intended to depend on Jiang Luo, to which Shi Feixian pointed out the difficulty of surviving alone in the capital without such an alliance.
She then challenged Shi Jin, stating that Prince Luo, though "scheming and cruel," was no more likely to abandon her than the Shi family was. She criticized the Shi family's allegiance to the Crown Prince, calling him "timid" and questioning his ability to govern. Shi Feixian even offered to put in a good word for Shi Jin with Prince Luo to advance his career, but Shi Jin firmly stated his only concern was her safety.
Ultimately, Shi Feixian refused to leave with him, though she did request to see her sister, Suyue. News of Shi Jin's visit quickly reached Prince Luo, whose irritation intensified when Xie Wanyu appeared and calmly declared her intention to divorce him. Prince Luo reacted with fury, asserting that only he had the right to initiate a divorce.
When Xie Wanyu threatened to appeal to the Empress, he ordered his guards to confine her to her residence, chillingly informing her that she was "still useful" to him and he could not allow her to depart. Ban Hua remained unconscious despite her family's efforts. When Rong Xia arrived, he thanked them for their tireless care and assured them he would take over.
As he tenderly confessed his lifelong devotion to Ban Hua, vowing to remain by her side indefinitely, she stirred and playfully asked him to continue his "sweet words," admitting she had been awake for a while, savoring his rare display of affection. Overjoyed, Rong Xia promised to speak such words to her for a lifetime. With heartfelt sincerity, he pleaded with her to promise she would never leave him, and she readily pledged her lifelong commitment.
After Ban Hua's awakening, her family conveyed how much they had worried about her. Touched by their devotion, Ban Hua resolved to protect them and Rong Xia, suggesting they move outside the city to escape the dangers of court life. Rong Xia, however, explained that he needed to remain in the Palace, as abandoning their duties would allow Prince Luo to seize the throne, leading to suffering for the common people.
He promised Ban Hua he would ensure his own safety. Later, when Ban Hua asked for her finest embroidered clothes to go out, her parents grew flustered, hinting that the clothes had been "used." Ban Heng interjected, revealing that Xie Wanyu had borrowed the dress, which unsettled Ban Hua. Suyue visited Shi Feixian and found her transformed into a cold and calculating individual.
Shi Feixian chillingly implied her involvement in the assassination that injured Ban Hua, callously referring to it as a "gift" for Suyue, as it served to break Rong Xia's heart. A stunned Suyue exclaimed that Prince Luo was responsible, but Shi Feixian countered that as brothers, the princes should work together.
Despite his sister’s chilling demeanor, Shi Jin, upon hearing Suyue's account, chose to believe Shi Feixian was merely "angry" and "lost her way," urging Suyue to keep the matter secret. He vowed to help Shi Feixian see the truth and leave Prince Luo. Suyue appealed to the Crown Prince, informing him that Prince Luo had brought Shi Feixian back to the capital and urging him to intervene.
The Crown Prince, however, was reluctant to meddle and dismissed Suyue's concerns, suggesting that Prince Luo held "deep love" for Shi Feixian. He even proposed that Shi Feixian marry Prince Luo as a concubine to ensure her safety. Suyue vehemently objected, warning the Crown Prince that his support was dwindling and such a move could cause his remaining allies to defect. The Crown Prince, however, remained unconvinced that his brother was as sinister as Suyue claimed.
Meanwhile, Xie Chongjin approached Prince Luo, apologizing for Xie Wanyu's recent "nonsense" and seeking permission to visit his sister. Once with her, Xie Chongjin confronted Xie Wanyu about her determination to divorce Prince Luo, dismissing her concerns about Shi Feixian.
He insisted that divorce was out of the question, arguing that with two prime ministers fallen and the Crown Prince weakened, an alliance with Prince Luo was the Xie family's only viable path forward, a future he would not allow her "willfulness" to jeopardize. Xie Wanyu retorted that while he feared being controlled, she had always been controlled by him and their father, before dismissing him.
Ban Heng meticulously oversaw the secret preparation of a proposal setting in a courtyard, but Ban Hua unexpectedly stumbled upon it. She immediately noticed the elaborate wedding jewelry, and though Ban Heng tried to claim it was for himself, she quickly deduced that Rong Xia was behind the setup. Pleased, she then noticed that the wedding dress appeared to have been worn.
After finding a stray hair on the gown and threatening him with extra sword practice, Ban Hua pressured Ban Heng into confessing that Xie Wanyu had borrowed the dress. Rong Xia arrived and led Ban Hua to a cave, where he instructed her to keep her eyes closed.
Upon his command, she opened them to a breathtaking display: fireflies illuminated the cavern, forming shapes that depicted significant moments from their shared past—ice-skating, him playing the Qin, their first hunt, and their unexpected first kiss. Ban Hua, realizing the depth of his preparations, remarked that he had "planned it a long time ago," but Rong Xia gently corrected her, calling it "fate."
He told her that upon their return to the capital, he would seek the Emperor's permission for them to retire to the countryside, far from courtly life. He then knelt and proposed, asking, "Hua, will you marry me?" However, haunted by a vivid dream in which she was struck by an arrow and died, Ban Hua unexpectedly refused his proposal, leaving Rong Xia dejected. The waiting fireworks launched prematurely, confusing Ban Heng, who confronted Ban Hua.
He demanded to know why she had rejected Rong Xia after all his efforts, including preparing three wedding dresses and tirelessly catching glowworms. He pressed her, asking if it was due to her dream, but Ban Hua curtly told him it was "none of your business" and secluded herself. Later, Du Jiu arrived to deliver a letter from Rong Xia, explaining that his master felt he had been "too abrupt" and was now "ashamed" to face her.
Ban Hua's mother, sensing her daughter's turmoil, gently counseled her. She recalled how others had once predicted her own marriage would be unhappy but it had turned out joyful. She urged Ban Hua not to let a moment of timidity cause her to miss her "lifetime beloved one," stressing that a connection between soulmates is "the most precious of all" and that "life is what you make it to be, but not destined." Meanwhile, Rong Xia, overcome with self-doubt, decided to return home. But as he turned to leave, he and Du Jiu looked up to see fireworks illuminating the night sky.
