Catch Up My Prince Episode 1 Recap
> Catch Up My Prince Recap
New player Lu Ranran, a clinical intern and game enthusiast, dons her VR glasses and officially enters the immersive game world, finding it incredibly realistic. Upon her arrival, she witnesses two masked men engaged in a fierce duel on a rooftop. Before she can fully react, a white-clad man pushes her out of harm's way, sustaining serious injuries himself. Moments later, Lu Ranran stumbles into a room, knocking over another man who was secretly examining an account book.
The white-clad man then falls unconscious. The game's connection seems to be broken, and the black-clad man, identified as Xu Lang, the Grand Secretary of Xin Ming, states contemptuously that Lu Ranran cannot stop him. Lu Ranran wakes up in an unfamiliar place with a painful burn on her hand, wondering why she feels pain despite being in a game.
Qin Shou, the game assistant, appears and explains that the game's brain-linking system accurately transmits all five senses, including pain, to ensure a realistic experience. Lu Ranran demands to know why Qin Shou didn't help her when she was almost killed and burned last night. Qin Shou apologizes, informing her that a system bug prevents her from exiting the game for now.
She is frustrated, pointing out that an entire game night only amounts to a minute or two in the real world, and she wants to return to work. Qin Shou insists she cannot exit and, as compensation for her poor experience, offers a new player bonus, including medicine, coins, new clothes, two save opportunities, and a free renaming card.
When Lu Ranran jokingly suggests the name "Passerby A," the system immediately registers it, much to her dismay, as the renaming card is a one-time use item. Qin Shou then reveals her first mission: to find a suitable romantic interest and achieve a romantic ending to exit the game. Soon after, Lu Ranran encounters a palace maid named Yun Zhu, who strikingly resembles her real-life friend, Xiao Yun.
She tries to communicate with Yun Zhu as if she were her friend, but Yun Zhu doesn't recognize her, prompting Lu Ranran to call out Qin Shou. Qin Shou clarifies that Lu Ranran is the only online player, and Yun Zhu is merely an NPC. Meanwhile, Fourth Prince Zhao Chen Yi awakens to find himself surrounded by women, whom he promptly dismisses. His attendant, Xiao Bao, finds his behavior odd, as Zhao Chen Yi previously enjoyed female company.
Zhao Chen Yi glances at books containing women's portraits, now finding them distasteful. Lu Ranran and Yun Zhu begin their daily laundry duties at the Clothing Department. They are already late, and other palace maids gossip about Fourth Prince's reputation as a capricious womanizer. Realizing the arduous nature of her maid tasks, Lu Ranran decides to prioritize her main mission. She leaves Yun Zhu to handle the remaining laundry, intent on finding her "peach blossom."
She soon spots Zhao Chen Yi at the Lake Heart Pavilion, where court musicians are performing. When he dismisses the music, Lu Ranran seizes the opportunity. She deliberately bumps into him. Zhao Chen Yi recognizes her as the girl from the Profound Literature Pavilion fire. Lu Ranran apologizes, claiming her humble upbringing, and offers to tell him a story as thanks for saving her. Zhao Chen Yi agrees, warning her of a twenty-smack punishment if the story is bad.
Qin Shou presents her with bizarre story options, including "Snow White," "Calabash Brothers," and "Inception." Lu Ranran chooses "Inception," weaving a tale about a Western practitioner and a secret book named "Inception," concluding with a spinning top that never stops, signifying a dream from which the practitioner may never awaken. Zhao Chen Yi finds the story captivating and accepts her "repayment." Later, Lu Ranran complains to Qin Shou about the game's absurd story options and the unresolved system bug.
Qin Shou reiterates that the bug's unknown nature prevents an accurate repair time and advises her to complete the game missions to exit. He warns that if her save chances run out, any in-game death will cause irreversible damage to her real-life body, potentially leading to a vegetative state or permanent death. Before she can respond, she is suddenly knocked out and abducted by Xu Lang's subordinates. She is accused of setting the fire at Profound Literature Pavilion.
When she denies it, a subordinate fatally stabs her. Qin Shou grants her one last revival chance. Seizing it, Lu Ranran claims responsibility for the fire, and then, remembering her earlier encounter with the Green Lotus secret guard, blurts out "Green Lotus reappears!" Xu Lang's subordinate responds with "Almighty power," confirming her affiliation.
Recognizing her as a skilled Green Lotus Sect elite who successfully approached the Fourth Prince, Xu Lang proposes she go undercover for him, which Lu Ranran reluctantly accepts to survive. The next day, Mother Su, her supervisor, berates Lu Ranran for missing work the previous night. As punishment, she orders Lu Ranran to run laps throughout the entire Imperial City. Exhausted, Lu Ranran collapses. Crown Prince Zhao Chenxing notices her.
Upon learning about her punishment and how she has been running since morning without rest, he instructs his attendant to bring her pastries and tea and tell her to stop running. Meanwhile, Zhao Chen Yi, still pondering Lu Ranran's story about "Inception," realizes that she was punished because she was with him. Feeling a sense of responsibility, he sends pastries to her via Xiao Bao, stating it's a reward for her storytelling.
Later, Lu Ranran sits dejectedly by the Lake Heart Pavilion, lamenting her predicament and wishing she could go home. She spots Zhao Chen Yi approaching and attempts to stage a "hero saving the beauty" moment by pretending to drown. Zhao Chen Yi, however, calmly informs her that the lake is only a foot deep. Lu Ranran, frustrated, cries about being trapped.
Zhao Chen Yi questions her frequent appearances during significant events, such as the fire at Profound Literature Pavilion, his performance at the Lake Heart Pavilion, and now waiting for him. Lu Ranran, after a moment, confesses her true motive: she wants him to like her. Zhao Chen Yi is momentarily taken aback by her boldness but then suggests that her talent is wasted in laundry and he will consider how to compensate her for her punishment.
Back in her living quarters, Lu Ranran shares the pastries from Zhao Chen Yi with Yun Zhu, appreciating his gesture but still frustrated by her arduous tasks and the unfair game settings. Qin Shou then sends her a notification, requiring age confirmation before revealing a new main quest and daily livestream benefits.
