Blossom in Heart Episode 12 Recap
> Blossom in Heart Recap
After drinking with Lang Yuexuan, a visibly intoxicated Shi Diwen revealed to Shi Jizhou the secret of Lang Yueming and Gu Haitang's marriage, a revelation that surprised Shi Jizhou and secretly pleased him. Lang Yuexuan, still troubled by inner turmoil and avoiding Long Mohua's chatter, had earlier visited Lang Yueming in the West Pavilion to wish him a happy birthday and present him with a set of pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Lang Yuexuan confessed his enduring guilt over Lang Yueming's past burns, feeling responsible for his brother's injury since childhood, despite their lack of blood relation. Lang Yueming tried to reassure him not to dwell on it but expressed a wistful desire for Gu Haitang to show him such affection. Feeling awkward, Lang Yuexuan quickly found an excuse to leave, consciously avoiding Gu Haitang downstairs.
In their new room, Lang Yueming thoughtfully set up a separate bed, concerned that his mother, Feng Chunyan, knowing he slept downstairs, might harbor resentment towards Gu Haitang. Gu Haitang was touched by his consideration. Later that night, unable to sleep, Gu Haitang inquired about the cause of Lang Yueming's facial burns. Lang Yueming recounted the tragic story: after Lang Yueyuan's passing, Feng Chunyan adopted Lang Yuexuan. The two brothers grew up close.
Young Lang Yuexuan developed a keen interest in cosmetics, so Lang Yueming took him to their father's workshop. While experimenting with liquids and an alcohol lamp to concoct floral dew, Lang Yuexuan accidentally added the wrong reagent, triggering an explosion. Lang Yueming bravely shielded Lang Yuexuan, taking the full impact of the blast, which burned his face severely while Lang Yuexuan remained unharmed.
To protect Lang Sinian's business reputation, Lang Sinian publicly announced that Lang Yueming was ill, leading Lang Yueming to withdraw from public life, wear a mask, and live in seclusion, gradually fading from public memory. Lang Yuexuan, consumed by remorse, coped by intentionally engaging in frivolous, idle behavior. Gu Haitang, upon hearing the full account, finally understood Lang Yuexuan's seemingly "absurd" actions but lamented that she had become an unwilling sacrifice in this complex situation.
Meanwhile, Long Deshui, the commander, returned from a successful bandit suppression operation, having seized a large cache of military supplies. With Kunyang experiencing a period of peace, he decided to sell the surplus arms to pay his soldiers. He tasked Hu Fuguang with contacting Hua Jili, who readily agreed to handle the sale and transport the arms out of the port, promising significant profits. Long Deshui, finding Lang Sinian difficult to control, decided to partner with Shi Jizhou.
He brought forth Yuan Fang, a female assassin previously apprehended at a coming-of-age ceremony, who had confessed that Shi Jizhou was the mastermind behind an assassination attempt on Lang Sinian. Confronting Shi Jizhou with Yuan Fang, Long Deshui leveraged this information to force Shi Jizhou into cooperation. Observing Lang Yueming's gradual recovery, Gu Haitang drafted a letter of divorce and presented it to Feng Chunyan.
Feng Chunyan reacted with explosive fury, severely chastising Gu Haitang and forbidding her from ever mentioning the matter again. Dejected, Gu Haitang sat alone in the attic. Later, Lang Yueming enthusiastically brought her Haitang cakes, which he had asked Quan Shu to buy, mistakenly believing she would like them and earnestly stating he liked everything about her. However, Gu Haitang, still simmering with anger, vented her frustration on him, leaving Lang Yueming to repeatedly apologize in confusion.
Lang Yuexuan later approached Gu Haitang in the Haitang garden to apologize and offered to do anything for her. Gu Haitang, still resentful, challenged him with three seemingly impossible tasks: to bring her the scent of night-blooming jasmine at midnight, fresh spring water from the Kunyang mountain stream at Yinshi (3-5 AM), and seven-section lotus roots from the deep mud of Guxin Island.
With Lang Yueming's birthday nearing, Feng Chunyan instructed Miao Lan to persuade Gu Haitang to organize a celebration. Miao Lan, though hesitant, eventually convinced Gu Haitang, who, remembering her own childhood birthdays, agreed to help celebrate. Gu Haitang returned to her home to learn how to bake a Western-style cake from her brother, Gu Xiahe, bringing gifts for her mother and brother, then returned to Lang Manor to bake the cake herself.
Before she could finish, Lang Qingqing burst in, angrily accusing Gu Haitang of intentionally setting impossible tasks for Lang Yuexuan, who had run for dozens of miles, developed blisters, and was even bitten by a dog in his efforts. Gu Haitang attempted to explain that she never expected him to actually attempt the tasks, but Lang Qingqing, enraged, pushed her onto a sofa and ruined the freshly baked cake.
Exhausted, Lang Yuexuan finally returned, having successfully completed two of the three tasks, only lacking the lotus roots from Guxin Island. He proudly presented the items to Gu Haitang, who remained unimpressed. He then reminded her that Lang Yueming disliked elaborate celebrations and hoped she would not make his birthday too grand. As the annual Flower God Festival in Kunyang approached, local merchants convened to discuss its arrangements.
Shi Jizhou volunteered to fully sponsor and host the event, a role traditionally held by Lang Sinian. While Lang Sinian publicly supported Shi Jizhou, he voiced concerns about potential dissent from other merchants. Shi Jizhou boastfully offered 10,000 silver dollars for the event, an act of ostentation that Lang Sinian found unbearable, leading to a heated argument and a sharp increase in tension between the two men.
