Bloody Romance Episode 26 Recap
> Bloody Romance Recap
The Prince brutally whipped Xing Feng, declaring that Xing Feng had disrespected his master and defied the law, leaving no room for mercy. Distraught, Cha Luo knelt before the Prince, pleading for Xing Feng’s forgiveness and a second chance. After the Prince ceased his beating, Cha Luo tearfully watched the severely injured Xing Feng, remembering their past. She recalled a time when she aspired to be a kind woman, but fate seemingly prevented it.
She lamented that she was forced to become a villain, vowing to be the most wicked kind and asking if Xing Feng would stay by her side without regret, to which he affirmed he would always be her shadow, living to protect her. Seeing Xing Feng's pain, Cha Luo swore she would make the Prince and others pay dearly. Meanwhile, Chang An struggled to recall his memories from the illusion, suspecting the Prince had taken the wordless decree.
Yue Ying, conversing with the Prince, mentioned that Cha Luo was severely weakened from the recent bug bites and Xing Feng's injury. She noted it was a golden opportunity to press their advantage against Yue Qingya. Yue Ying then inquired about Chang An, acknowledging his role in saving the Prince. The Prince conceded Chang An had saved him, but deemed Wan Mei's act of saving Gui Hua City far more significant.
He expressed his desire to elevate Wan Mei to City Lord, replacing Cha Luo, but also decided that Chang An must eventually die, though not immediately, to prevent him from becoming an obstacle between himself and Wan Mei. Chang An soon arrived at Ting Zhu House to play chess with the Prince.
Their game was a thinly veiled battle of wits, with Chang An challenging the Prince's presumed blindness and insight, asserting that he sought to be a player, not a mere chess piece. The Prince, in turn, acknowledged Chang An's acumen, admitting he might have underestimated him. After Chang An departed, Yue Ying presented the Prince with a letter from Fang Ge, reminding him of their month-old agreement to hand over Han Xiu's killer or risk Gui Hua City's destruction.
Recognizing the city’s vulnerable state after recent events, the Prince realized he had no choice but to honor the promise. He instructed Yue Ying to burn the letter and summoned Wan Mei to Ting Zhu House the next day. At Ting Zhu House, Wan Mei arrived to find the Prince seemingly suffering from sunstroke and asked her to help him cool down.
The Prince grew intimate, reminiscing about how Wan Mei was the first person he saw after regaining his sight, kneeling in the rain, soaked and pale. He confessed his strong feelings for her, insisting he was serious and not treating her as a mere tool, but wanted to spend his life with her. Wan Mei, however, politely dismissed his confession, attributing it to his ailment.
The Prince reiterated his sincerity, hinting that she still harbored feelings for Chang An, whom he declared unsuitable for her. He spoke of his own past resistance to love and his new understanding, stating that with time and more experience, Wan Mei would realize who was truly right for her. Wan Mei then shifted the conversation to her next mission, and the Prince instructed her to prepare for a journey.
The Prince later confided in Yue Ying that he no longer wished to extract the Nine Lives from Wan Mei for his own cure because he had truly fallen for her, a feeling he once thought ridiculous. He recounted a childhood memory of being forced to destroy a cherished bow, vowing never to repeat the mistake of losing something precious to him.
However, he then declared that despite his feelings, his "great cause" took precedence, unlike Chang An, he would not sacrifice everything for her. He announced his intention to deliver Wan Mei to Fang Ge as per their agreement. At Fang Ge's residence, he was seen having a meal with his wife and younger sister, Fang Yingying. Fang Ge showed great affection for Yingying, personally peeling shrimp for her, much to his wife's obvious displeasure.
Yingying expressed her disdain for her sister-in-law, complaining that the servants only obeyed her brother. Fang Ge swiftly ordered new, high-quality shoes for Yingying, emphasizing her happiness. That evening, the Prince brought Wan Mei, bound by a rope, to Fang Ge's estate. He explained that the rope was designed to tighten with struggle, making escape impossible, and that deceit would not work on Fang Ge.
Wan Mei expressed her disappointment, recalling the Prince's earlier declaration of love and sarcastically questioning if he would escort her in as a show of sincerity or let her enter alone. The Prince, citing an impending visitor, left her bound outside. He himself remained at Fang's residence, and when he later approached Wan Mei, he attempted to embrace her, but her fierce struggle left him frustrated and helpless. Later, Yingying discovered Wan Mei feeding rats in the dark.
Wan Mei calmly explained her lack of fear of rats or darkness, stating she only feared starvation, death, and loneliness in the past, but now feared nothing. Yingying revealed she was Fang Ge's eleven-year-old sister and confessed she found Wan Mei unique as Wan Mei was the only one besides her brother who would talk to her. Yingying then secretly unlocked Wan Mei’s door, proposing they go out for fresh air and suggesting they find her father together.
The Prince, realizing Wan Mei was attempting to leave, ordered her back inside. He cautioned her against escape, stating that Fang Ge had not been fooled and her departure would give him reason to attack Gui Hua City. Wan Mei questioned his sudden concern, but the Prince simply stated he didn't want her to die yet, revealing he had ordered Chang An to keep Han Yue occupied to delay her sentencing.
Wan Mei, however, accused the Prince of being too focused on power to understand genuine affection, contrasting his perspective with Chang An's selflessness. She implored him to treat her as a living person, not just a tool, for her remaining days. The Prince simply hoped she wouldn't waste his efforts. The next morning, news arrived that Han Yue was unexpectedly away on a long business trip, as Chang An had arranged.
This meant Wan Mei would have to remain at Fang Ge's residence until Han Yue's return. Shortly after, a servant reported that Fang Yingying was missing. Fang Ge frantically searched, but Wan Mei recalled Yingying speaking of going to see her father, who had been dead for seven years. Wan Mei noticed dust on Yingying's bed, suggesting she hadn't slept there recently. She then inquired about new lanterns in the room.
The nanny revealed that Fang Ge's wife had replaced the old lanterns, and Yingying had repeatedly smashed the new ones in anger without explanation. Connecting these details, Wan Mei deduced that the lanterns were significant and asked if Yingying had ever mentioned wanting to find her father.
Nurse Tian then confessed the truth: Fang Ge's ailing father, fearing for Yingying's future, had ordered her to sell Yingying at a ferry crossing, where she was told to wait for her father to return with an abacus. Upon hearing this, Fang Ge immediately ordered a widespread search for his sister along the river.
