Butterflied Lover Episode 1 Recap
> Butterflied Lover Recap
Tang Qianyue awoke to find Ling Changfeng already wiping his sword, which he then slid back into its sheath. She approached him barefoot, and Ling Changfeng, noticing this, gently chided her for forgetting her shoes again. He then took up a brush to draw her eyebrows, mentioning that he would head to the Ningcheng Department as soon as he finished, as it was New Year's Eve and the department would be particularly busy.
He also noted that it was their third New Year's Eve since they were married. Tang Qianyue suggested she close her shop, Fengyue Pavilion, early so they could go to the Lantern Fair together that night. Ling Changfeng agreed, reminding her to eat breakfast and dress warmly before he left. At the Ningcheng Department, Ling Changfeng instructed his subordinates to change into civilian clothes later in the evening, ensuring their weapons were concealed.
This thoughtful detail led one subordinate to comment on how considerate he was, a trait they attributed to his married status. Ling Changfeng then discovered a sword tassel with bells hanging from his sword, pondering when it had been attached. Later, Tang Qianyue stood waiting for Ling Changfeng, holding an umbrella but not dressed warmly enough for the impending snow. A subordinate tried to convince Ling Changfeng to leave work early, mentioning that his wife was waiting.
However, Ling Changfeng insisted on staying until the official closing time, stating he would not set an example of abandoning his duties. Once off duty, he found Tang Qianyue and draped a thick coat over her shoulders, noting that despite his earlier instructions, she was still lightly dressed. As they strolled through the bustling street, a vendor loudly advertised her lip rouge, claiming its "Sunset Rouge Red" was superior to Fengyue Pavilion's.
Tang Qianyue stopped to try it, but Ling Changfeng immediately declared it inferior to their own. They then moved on to a jewelry stall. Tang Qianyue's eyes fell upon a silver bell hairpin, which Ling Changfeng bought for her and gently placed in her hair. Suddenly, snow began to fall, accompanied by the faint sound of silver bells and a distinct smell of blood in the air.
Ling Changfeng immediately instructed Guard Lu to escort Tang Qianyue back to Fengyue Pavilion and ensure her safety, while he drew his sword to confront a group of soul-changed individuals. He quickly dispatched several of them, but the remaining attackers unexpectedly leaped away in unison. Ling Changfeng, sensing something was gravely wrong, rushed to find Tang Qianyue. He arrived to find her collapsed in a pool of blood.
He embraced her, consumed by grief, when her eyes suddenly opened, glowing with an ominous red light, and she bit down on his neck. Tang Qianyue jolted awake, terrified by the nightmare. She saw Ling Changfeng wiping his sword, just as in her dream, and anxiously asked if she had actually bitten him. Ling Changfeng reassured her it was merely a dream.
However, as he began to paint her eyebrows and repeated his earlier words about the busy New Year's Eve at the Ningcheng Department and his instructions to eat breakfast and dress warmly, Tang Qianyue grew increasingly uneasy. He even presented her with Mo Kui flowers, a detail from her dream, further unsettling her. She urged him to go to the department quickly, suggesting they go to the lantern festival after he finished work.
Throughout the day, Tang Qianyue was distracted, giving a customer incorrect change and paying Xiaodie, her assistant, her yearly salary early so she could go home. Ms. Yuan arrived as scheduled for Tang Qianyue's final acupuncture treatment, explaining that once the stick of incense completely burned, Tang Qianyue would become an ordinary person. Tang Qianyue was consumed by dread, realizing that every event was unfolding exactly as it had in her dream.
Later, as she and Ling Changfeng walked through the market, she consciously tried to alter the sequence of events, refusing to try the other vendor's "Sunset Rouge Red" lip rouge and expressing dislike for the silver bell hairpin, urging Ling Changfeng to take her home instead. Ling Changfeng noticed her distress, asking if something was wrong at the shop. Despite her efforts, snow began to fall, and Ling Changfeng once again detected the faint scent of blood.
Tang Qianyue, now convinced her dream was coming true, tried to explain that she had experienced all of this before, but Ling Changfeng quickly dismissed her, insisting it was not the time for such talk. He again ordered Guard Lu to protect her. Tang Qianyue entered Fengyue Pavilion, while Guard Lu stood guard outside. Peeking through a crack in the door, she saw Guard Lu fall in a pool of blood. As the last embers of the incense stick flickered, she muttered in despair, realizing she could not escape her fate.
