A Love So Romantic Episode 20 Recap
> A Love So Romantic Recap
After seeing off the merchants, two women who came in to buy lucky bags discuss the Commandery Prince's personal life. One woman shares that her husband has been at the Commandery Prince Mansion for three days, tasked with solving a burr puzzle. She explains that the Commandery Prince once had a rival who was his equal in status and appearance and shared the same unusual interests as the Commandery Princess consort.
Years later, this rival returned and presented the Princess consort with a burr puzzle. The Princess consort became consumed with solving it, spending her days troubled. To demonstrate his own compatibility and superiority over his rival, the Commandery Prince confiscated the puzzle, falsely claiming he could solve it. Unable to solve it himself, he has been secretly hiring carpenters from the city to figure it out, but the complex puzzle has defied all attempts. Su Xiaowan overhears this entire conversation.
As Su Xiaowan and Xin Ziqian head home, Su Xiaowan mentions her quick thinking in devising the "Lunar Festival" story to calm the merchants, noting that merchant relationships are often fragile and profit-driven. Xin Ziqian agrees with this assessment. Su Xiaowan then asks Xin Ziqian about rumors of him leaving, expressing her fondness for him as "maternal family" and her hope that he'd be present at her wedding. He promises to inform her if he decides to depart.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ya, who had intended to visit Xin Ziqian, watches them from a distance. She feels self-conscious about her presence and continues to observe the pair, feeling sad. Upon their return, Gu Yanxi thanks Xin Ziqian for his efforts and greets Su Xiaowan, who reports that the merchants are appeased and have granted an an extension.
Gu Yanxi thanks Su Xiaowan for her clever idea, then dismisses Xin Ziqian, telling him to rest and stating he has matters to discuss privately with Su Xiaowan. Xin Ziqian, with a hint of sadness, watches them walk away. Su Xiaowan shares the story of the burr puzzle with Gu Yanxi, explaining its origins from Lu Ban and its complexity. She proposes that solving it could earn them an extension on the tiara deadline.
Gu Yanxi acknowledges the puzzle's difficulty and the Prince's desire for discretion, fearing a direct approach might backfire. However, Su Xiaowan confidently asserts that his intelligence will overcome the challenge, declaring him the man she loves and a future helpful wife. She then playfully demands a "physical reward" for the valuable information. Gu Yanxi, feigning coyness, offers himself for her to do as she wishes, which prompts Su Xiaowan to close her eyes expectantly.
He then simply kisses her cheek and tells her to go to sleep, leaving her slightly disappointed. Mammy Liu, convinced that Su Xiaowan and Gu Yanxi are incompatible due to their social standing, encourages Cheng Qianyu to win Gu Yanxi's heart. She advises Cheng Qianyu to bring snacks to Gu Yanxi, who has been tirelessly working on the tiara.
Cheng Qianyu, initially hesitant and fearing humiliation, is persuaded by Mammy Liu, who disparages Su Xiaowan as an "uncultured girl" and insists that Cheng Qianyu and Gu Yanxi are the same type of people. Cheng Qianyu delivers the snacks, but Gu Yanxi politely declines them, stating that his attendant, Yuan He, handles such tasks and that she shouldn't trouble herself further. Cheng Qianyu then notices a delicately crafted hairpin adorned with adzuki beans that Gu Yanxi is working on.
She expresses admiration and asks for it, but Gu Yanxi quickly retrieves it. He offers to send Yuan He to take her to Yunxin Hall to buy more expensive jewelry better suited for her. Cheng Qianyu, referencing the poet Wang Wei's symbol of love, inquires if the hairpin is for his beloved and who might be the object of his affection. Gu Yanxi dismisses it as a private matter and urges her to return home.
Heartbroken, Cheng Qianyu confronts him, questioning if he truly understands her feelings and lamenting her unreciprocated efforts. Gu Yanxi reiterates that she is a good girl deserving of true love, but that he is not the man for her, advising her to stop pursuing him. Disappointed and tearful, Cheng Qianyu returns to her quarters. Ru Ying, exhausted from seeing patients, checks on Cheng Qianyu, boasting about his charm.
Later, he is startled awake and discovers Cheng Qianyu sleepwalking towards the river, seemingly attempting to jump. He intervenes, pulling her back and urging her not to commit suicide, reminding her that he is there for her even if Gu Yanxi is not. Realizing she is sleepwalking, he tries to soothe her by giving her a rabbit doll, telling her to confide her unhappiness to it.
Cheng Qianyu, in her trance, expresses her fear and dislike for the people in the mansion, calling them liars, but admits she cannot leave because the person she loves is there. Ru Ying, playfully asking if she means him, listens as she laments Gu Yanxi's lack of love and her inability to stop loving him despite wanting to move on. She then begins to cry, missing her mother who used to sing to her when she was scared.
Ru Ying comforts her by singing "Little Bunny, Be Good," which she praises before falling asleep on his shoulder. Ru Ying then gently calls her "Silly Qianyu" and carries her back to her quarters. The next morning, Cheng Qianyu wakes up, confused whether her experience was a dream until she sees the rabbit doll.
When she confronts Ru Ying about his continued presence, he cleverly claims he was simply too exhausted from work the previous day to leave, having rested in a guest room, and was waiting to see her that morning, thus concealing her sleepwalking. Cheng Qianyu, acknowledging his "sweet talk," expresses her anger and embarrassment at being kept in the dark about Gu Yanxi and Su Xiaowan's relationship, feeling like a fool.
Ru Ying apologizes, explaining he withheld the information to spare her pain, knowing her feelings for Gu Yanxi. He adds that if she ever moves on from Gu Yanxi, he will be there for her. Cheng Qianyu, deciding that being angry with Gu Yanxi is futile, asks Ru Ying not to reveal to Gu Yanxi or Su Xiaowan that she knows about their relationship, as it would cause her immense shame.
Ru Ying promises discretion and gives her a sachet of mint and jasmine he prepared, claiming it will help her sleep peacefully. Cheng Qianyu thanks him, but when Ru Ying asks if she would consider him, she confesses that some people are not easily forgotten, and she wants to "try again" with Gu Yanxi. Ru Ying, though disappointed, responds, "I understand. I'll wait for you."
Knowing the Commandery Prince wants to keep the burr puzzle secret, Gu Yanxi and Su Xiaowan head to Commandery Prince Mansion. At the entrance, the housekeeper tells Gu Yanxi the Prince is unavailable, but Su Xiaowan realizes the Prince is simply refusing visitors. Gu Yanxi suggests Su Xiaowan use her resourcefulness to get inside, teasing her about her "strength" in finding solutions.
Su Xiaowan approaches two maids, spinning a tale that she is from Baihua Tower, Yangzhou, and wishes to see her biological father, the Commandery Prince, to bring peace to her deceased mother. Although one maid initially doubts her, another confirms the Prince's past visit to Yangzhou. Su Xiaowan's emotional plea to simply glimpse her father, and to ask if he remembers her unfortunate mother from the Yangzhou pleasure boat, wins the maids over.
They give her directions, cautioning her not to reveal their involvement, and Su Xiaowan promises to never implicate them. Inside, they find the Commandery Prince in a fit of rage, scolding his failed carpenters. He expresses despair over his inability to solve the puzzle before his wife's inspection. Gu Yanxi appears and offers to solve the puzzle, claiming a fifty percent chance of success.
The Commandery Prince, recalling Gu Yanxi's similar "fifty percent chance" promise that led to the delayed tiara, is skeptical. Gu Yanxi humbly requests a second chance to rectify their mistake. Su Xiaowan interjects, reframing their request as "mutual assistance," and persuades the Prince, assuring him of Gu Yanxi's exceptional skills. The Prince reluctantly grants Gu Yanxi "30 minutes" to attempt the puzzle. Su Xiaowan tries to negotiate for an hour, but the Prince sternly orders the challenge to begin and for them to be seen out afterward.
