Butterflied Lover Episode 20 Recap
> Butterflied Lover Recap
Tang Qianyue remained unconscious and weak after giving birth, prompting Ling Changfeng to call for Ms. Yuan. Ms. Yuan assured him that Tang Qianyue was merely exhausted and would be fine. Ms. Yuan then brought their newborn daughter, Sisi, to Ling Changfeng, urging him to hold her. Ling Changfeng lovingly acknowledged Sisi as his child. Ms. Yuan then asked if he was truly decided, cautioning him that this might be his last time holding Sisi.
Ling Changfeng placed Sisi next to her mother, leaning over Tang Qianyue. He spoke softly to his unconscious wife, reminding her that her greatest wish was to be an ordinary person, to walk hand-in-hand with their family, and for him to return home to her waiting lamp each night. He recalled her three years of effort to achieve this, and the despair she must have felt when it failed, conceding that it might have been her destiny.
With a resolute "Let's begin," Ling Changfeng prepared for his ultimate sacrifice. Meanwhile, a heavy snowfall enveloped the residence where Bao Zhu and Ling Changjin were. Ling Changjin suggested they go inside, but Bao Zhu, captivated by the beautiful snow, wished to stay out a little longer. Leaning against Ling Changjin, Bao Zhu recounted a letter from Changfeng, announcing the birth of his lovely daughter, Sisi. She expressed a desire to visit Tang Qianyue and Ling Changfeng if she recovered.
Ling Changjin agreed. Bao Zhu then reminisced about her days before marriage, frequently visiting Tang Qianyue, much to the annoyance of He Xi, her eunuch, who would constantly call her "Your Royal Highness." She observed that all good things eventually end and that people are destined to part. Her heartfelt wish was for the four of them—her, Ling Changjin, Tang Qianyue, and Ling Changfeng—to have a joyous Chinese New Year's Eve together. Ling Changjin promised they would.
As Bao Zhu reflected on her memories, Ling Changjin held her close, secretly shedding tears, aware that her health was unlikely to improve. After making his final goodbyes to Tang Qianyue and Sisi, Ling Changfeng instructed Ms. Yuan to perform the Scapegoat ritual. This complex process involved first drawing the gu from Tang Qianyue's body to Sisi, and then from Sisi to himself. Before the ritual, Ling Changfeng had a solemn conversation with Ms. Yuan.
He had told her that if he were to lose his mind like other Butterfly Slaves after the gu transfer, she should kill him on the spot and burn his body. He also expressed his concern for Tang Qianyue and Sisi, hoping they would be safe. He reminded Ms. Yuan that he, like Tang Qianyue, might retain his sanity and also mentioned the purple peonies soup.
He acknowledged Tang Qianyue's extraordinary survival of the painful purple peonies soup, emphasizing how much she had already suffered in her life. Ling Changfeng concluded that it was his turn to take on the burden. He whispered a final wish for Sisi, hoping she would live a safe life. With his decision firm, he gave Ms. Yuan the signal to begin. Tang Qianyue woke from a nightmare, calling out for Changfeng in a panic.
She realized neither her child nor Ling Changfeng was by her side. Ms. Yuan entered, carrying a healthy and sleeping Sisi, assuring Tang Qianyue that the baby was well. Tang Qianyue, however, frantically searched for Ling Changfeng. Ms. Yuan urged her to dress and take care of her own health, explaining that her actions were important so as not to waste Ling Changfeng's efforts.
When Tang Qianyue pressed further about Ling Changfeng's whereabouts, Ms. Yuan presented her with a purple peony, instructing her to touch herself. Tang Qianyue realized the gu was gone from her body. She then questioned how Sisi could be normal after the gu transfer, assuming Sisi was the final scapegoat.
Ms. Yuan clarified Ling Changfeng's meticulously planned sacrifice: he had decided, upon learning of Tang Qianyue's pregnancy, to first transfer the gu to Sisi to save Tang Qianyue, but then, as a blood relative himself, to transfer the gu from Sisi to himself, ensuring both mother and child would be healthy, ordinary people. It was a plan that Ms. Yuan herself had not initially anticipated. Finally, Ms. Yuan gave Tang Qianyue a letter from Ling Changfeng.
In his letter, Ling Changfeng apologized for his deception and for making such a significant decision without her knowledge. He reaffirmed that Sisi was healthy, fulfilling his promise. He admitted that while Tang Qianyue had wanted their child to stay by his side, he had wished for Sisi to be by her side, to grow up and live an ordinary life with her.
He declared that he would be absent for three years, but promised to return after that time to share the beauty of spring flowers, summer rain, autumn moon, and winter snow with them. Tang Qianyue, heartbroken, cried out his name. She later found the cave where Ling Changfeng would have taken the purple peonies soup to rid himself of the gu's influence.
The cave was empty, but seeing scattered chains on the ground, she recalled the agonizing pain she endured after drinking the purple peonies soup herself, and her eyes welled with tears. Ms. Yuan, witnessing Tang Qianyue’s profound grief, gently urged her to cry. But Tang Qianyue, remembering Ling Changfeng's instruction to eat well, bravely declared she wouldn't cry, fearing he would blame her upon his return. She then began to eat, even feeding Sisi.
Later, Bao Zhu, still unwell, refused to take her medicine despite He Xi's persistent urging. Ling Changjin dismissed He Xi, then coaxed Bao Zhu, promising to take her to see someone she deeply wished to meet if she finished her medicine. Intrigued, Bao Zhu drank the medicine, and Ling Changjin then revealed, "She's coming." Soon after, Tang Qianyue arrived with Sisi. Bao Zhu joyfully greeted them, admiring Sisi's eyes, which Tang Qianyue agreed resembled her own.
Bao Zhu mentioned wanting to offer the plum wine they had made together, but noted it wasn't yet time to open the jar. Instead, she offered her homemade red date tea. Her hands were too weak to lift the teapot, so Tang Qianyue gently helped her, praising Bao Zhu's tea and her growing capabilities, to which Bao Zhu humbly replied that Tang Qianyue had taught her. As they chatted, they noticed sky lanterns floating into the night sky.
Tang Qianyue affectionately commented on Bao Zhu's pale complexion and inquired about her health. Bao Zhu brushed it off as a lingering cold, made worse by her dislike of medicine. Bao Zhu remarked that the sky lanterns reminded her of the Chinese New Year's Eves they had celebrated in the past. Tang Qianyue recalled how Ling Changfeng would buy sky lanterns every year. They then made a shared promise: when Bao Zhu recovered and Ling Changfeng returned, they would all celebrate Chinese New Year's Eve together and light sky lanterns once more.
