Believe in Love Episode 20 Recap
> Believe in Love Recap
Hua Yinan carefully placed Tang Yingying in his room, telling her to rest while he went to find a family doctor. Once alone, Tang Yingying found the room strangely familiar but could not recall past events. Her gaze then fell upon an array of women's clothes, rouge, and jewelry, making her question Hua Yinan's sincerity in claiming to miss Lu Yue'er, concluding that his room must have hosted many women, implying he was unfaithful.
Meanwhile, Hua Yuman met with Song Yan to clarify her intentions regarding Tang Yingying. She explained that she had no desire to cause trouble but was struck by Tang Yingying’s uncanny resemblance to her late sister-in-law, Lu Yue'er. Song Yan revealed his intention to marry Tang Yingying after the Emperor’s birthday banquet and assured Hua Yuman that Hua Yinan would not create any misunderstanding, which pleased her.
When Song Yan offered a cup of sheep-milk tea, Nanny Jiang, Hua Yuman's elderly attendant, intervened, warning Hua Yuman not to drink it due to her recent poor sleep, which annoyed Song Yan. Hua Yuman explained that Nanny Jiang was her mother Princess Jia Ning's personal maid and was simply overly caring. Song Yan, recognizing Nanny Jiang's palace background, then mentioned that his own mother, Concubine Ning, and Princess Jia Ning were bosom friends.
This revelation made Nanny Jiang visibly nervous and she became flustered when Hua Yuman pressed her for details, claiming old age had made her forget. Noticing Nanny Jiang's profuse sweating and discomfort, Song Yan dismissed her and sent Nanzhe to escort her back to rest. He and Hua Yuman then shared a toast with the sheep-milk tea.
Shortly after, Hua Yinan returned with a doctor for Tang Yingying, but she insisted she was fine and dismissed the physician, much to Hua Yinan’s dismay. Not long after Tang Yingying left, Hua Yuman arrived to confront her brother. She admonished Hua Yinan for neglecting his sister and for his fixation on Tang Yingying, especially after learning that Song Yan intended to marry her.
Hua Yuman warned him not to compete with the Sixth Prince for a woman, but Hua Yinan was steadfast in his belief that Tang Yingying was Lu Yue'er and that he was Lu Yue'er's husband, vowing not to let Song Yan's plan succeed. Later, Nanzhe questioned Song Yan about his decision to openly declare his intent to marry Tang Yingying to Hua Yuman. He worried this might cause Hua Yinan to retreat, thus complicating their plans.
Song Yan, however, remained unconcerned, stating that if Hua Yinan was such a coward, he would not be a worthy opponent. The following day, both Hua Yinan and Song Yan arrived to escort Tang Yingying to Floral House for a dish tasting for the Emperor’s birthday banquet. Despite Hua Yinan’s presence, Tang Yingying chose to ride in Song Yan's carriage without hesitation, leaving Hua Yinan frustrated and determined to win her back someday.
During their carriage ride, Tang Yingying confirmed to Song Yan that Hua Yinan was now convinced she was Lu Yue'er. Song Yan instructed her to use this to her advantage and persuade Hua Yinan to let her cook for the banquet. He also gave her another mission: to find and steal a "Golden Phoenix bag" from a hidden niche in the library's inner garden, cautioning her not to ask about its contents.
At the tasting, Song Yan presented the dishes but pointed out the challenge of pleasing the diverse palates of the Emperor, Empress, and officials. When Hua Yinan and the head chef admitted it was impossible to satisfy everyone with a single dish, Tang Yingying stepped forward with an ingenious solution. She suggested preparing a variety of dipping sauces, allowing diners to customize the flavor of each dish to their preference.
Her idea was met with widespread praise for her culinary talent. Song Yan subtly guided Tang Yingying to express her desire to join the banquet team. Hua Yinan, eager to secure her, offered her an exceptional position as a special chef in Floral House, allowing her to cook for the birthday banquet without the usual assessment. However, he imposed a condition: she must commit to working at Floral House for two years after the banquet.
Despite Song Yan's implied disapproval, Tang Yingying readily agreed, secretly plotting that her promise would become irrelevant once Floral House and Hua Yinan were no longer in power after the banquet. After the tasting concluded, Song Yan and Hua Yinan exchanged veiled barbs, comparing Tang Yingying to a phoenix choosing her perch, their words reflecting their ongoing rivalry.
Later, Du Ruo confronted Hua Yinan, questioning his conviction that Tang Yingying was Lu Yue'er and whether he was simply transferring his affections. Hua Yinan adamantly declared that Tang Yingying was indeed Lu Yue'er.
He explained that he had confirmed her story: she had fallen into the sea two years prior, was rescued by merchant ship sailors, lost her memories, became Cook Jin’s apprentice, was named Tang Yingying, and eventually became the capital's top chef before being introduced to Song Yan.
Du Ruo was relieved that Lu Yue'er was alive, but still wary, pointing out that Tang Yingying, despite knowing the truth, chose to maintain her current identity, suggesting she did not wish to return to being Lu Yue'er. Hua Yinan, however, maintained that his love for her was unconditional. Hua Yinan then instructed Du Ruo to take Tang Yingying to the warehouse to select kitchenware.
In the warehouse, Tang Yingying instinctively chose a knife that had previously belonged to Lu Yue'er, feeling a strange familiarity with it. Du Ruo, aware of her amnesia and newfound identity, subtly told her he knew who she truly was. Tang Yingying, feigning ignorance, requested Du Ruo to show her around Floral House, claiming she couldn't remember the way.
Du Ruo provided her with a map, and Tang Yingying immediately noticed the library marked on it, specifically the "forbidden" inner garden. She learned from Du Ruo that the inner garden, once guarded by Elder Yan who passed away six months prior, now had its key held by Hua Yinan. Her mind immediately turned to Song Yan's mission to retrieve the Golden Phoenix bag from that very library. While Tang Yingying was later observed cooking, her mysterious illness suddenly recurred.
Hua Yinan rushed to her side, calling her "Yue'er," as Du Ruo pointed out strange shadows resembling withered tree branches appearing on her body. Hua Yinan was shocked by this distinct and alarming manifestation, as he had not clearly witnessed such specific symptoms before. Tang Yingying quickly took a pill and left, claiming it was merely an old stomachache. Puzzled by the new symptom, Hua Yinan picked up a pill she had dropped, intending to investigate its nature.
