Catch Up My Prince Episode 14 Recap
> Catch Up My Prince Recap
Li Lingwei confronted Zhao Chenyi, remarking on his leisurely life as she saw him playing with Lu Ranran. Zhao Chenyi introduced Lu Ranran by her alias, "Lu Ren Jia," a physician appointed by his royal father, emphasizing that she was the most important person to him.
Li Lingwei, the Second Young Miss from General Li's Manor, scoffed at the "vulgar" name and, noting Lu Ranran's exceptional medical skills, declared her intention to ask Her Majesty to reward this palace servant to her. Zhao Chenyi immediately refused, but when Li Lingwei insisted, he only told her there was no way. When Li Lingwei demanded he "beg" her, he refused.
Lu Ranran was annoyed by Zhao Chenyi's compliance, to which he vaguely replied that he had reasons he couldn't explain. Lu Ranran decided not to press the issue for the moment. Later, Li Lingwei, still wondering about Lu Ranran's background, entered Lu Ranran's room with her maid. She observed that the room was quite nice, confirming her suspicion that Zhao Chenyi cared deeply for Lu Ranran.
Her maid explained that Lu Ranran had cured the Crown Prince and helped the Crown Princess conceive, earning her special rewards from the Empress Dowager. Inside the room, Li Lingwei spotted a gold hairpin that looked familiar. She recognized it as the one Zhao Chenyao had shown her, and remembered him explicitly stating he wasn't giving it to her.
Realizing the hairpin was meant for Lu Ranran, Li Lingwei concluded that Zhao Chenyao liked Lu Ranran, which left her feeling uneasy. As Li Lingwei was about to leave, she encountered Lu Ranran. Lu Ranran noticed that one of Li Lingwei's earrings was missing and kindly retrieved it for her. Li Lingwei revealed that the earrings were a precious gift from her elder sister for her fifteenth birthday.
Seeing Li Lingwei's distress and hunger, Lu Ranran offered to cook for her. Li Lingwei was surprised but found the "sandwich" Lu Ranran prepared very delicious and easy to make, noting its practicality for soldiers on a march, much like her general father. During their meal, Li Lingwei returned the hairpin to Lu Ranran, confessing she had taken it from the room earlier.
Lu Ranran clarified that Zhao Chenyao had left it in her room and asked Li Lingwei to return it to him. Observing Li Lingwei's reaction, Lu Ranran correctly deduced that Li Lingwei had feelings for Zhao Chenyao. Li Lingwei admitted her long-standing affection for Zhao Chenyao.
In return, Lu Ranran, stating that she herself liked Zhao Chenyi and thus they weren't rivals, offered to teach Li Lingwei how to make Malatang, Zhao Chenyao's favorite dish, detailing all the ingredients and preparation steps. However, Li Lingwei then warned Lu Ranran that Zhao Chenyi was not a good person.
She recounted a tragic story from five years ago: Zhao Chenyi had incited her older sister, Li Caiwei, who was infatuated with him, to steal their father's military marching map. This act was meant to facilitate the assassination of Military Governor Xu You Zheng, whom Zhao Chenyi disliked. When their father discovered the betrayal, he severely punished Li Caiwei, who, consumed by guilt and shame, committed suicide.
Li Lingwei further asserted that on the day of her sister's death, Zhao Chenyi was drinking in a restaurant, seemingly unconcerned. Lu Ranran was deeply disturbed by this account but found it difficult to fully believe that Zhao Chenyi could be so cold and heartless. The next day, Lu Ranran approached Zhao Chenyi, who was drawing, and asked him if he would ever lie to her. Zhao Chenyi earnestly promised that he would never lie.
Despite his assurance, Lu Ranran remained conflicted internally, admitting to herself that she had truly fallen for him but still grappling with the accusations against him. Later, in the Medicine Department, Lu Ranran mused about the conflicting stories and Zhao Chenyi's unchanging zero favorability score in her system. She wondered if the game had a bug or if Zhao Chenyi truly felt nothing for her.
She prepared nourishing congee for the Crown Princess, who expressed her joy and anticipation for a healthy baby. The Crown Prince also shared his hopes and dreams for his future child, regardless of gender, and asked Lu Ranran not to speak of grim future prospects. Meanwhile, Xu Lang visited Yun Zhu in the Cold Palace, finding her secretly doing needlework by candlelight, despite her deteriorating eyesight. He was upset, fearing for her health.
Yun Zhu explained she needed an activity to alleviate her boredom. When Lu Ranran arrived, she asked Xu Lang about Li Caiwei. Xu Lang corroborated Li Lingwei's story, confirming that Li Caiwei had stolen a marching map for Zhao Chenyi, leading to Xu Lang losing a finger and nearly his life.
He also stated that Li Caiwei's suicide was to avoid punishment and protect her family, and that Zhao Chenyi showed no remorse, continuing to indulge in pleasures after her death. Yun Zhu, however, used Xu Lang as an example, stating that many people spoke negatively of him, but she didn't believe them. She advised Lu Ranran to seek a direct explanation from Zhao Chenyi, urging her to trust her own judgment.
Taking Yun Zhu's advice, Lu Ranran went to Zhao Chenyi. He was initially engrossed in painting but eventually turned to her. She directly asked him about his past with Li Caiwei. Zhao Chenyi expressed profound guilt and remorse for Li Caiwei, explaining that he couldn't reveal all the details but admitted he had underestimated his importance in her heart.
He also explained that his tolerance of Li Lingwei was an attempt to atone for the pain caused to her and her sister. He pleaded with Lu Ranran to trust him. After Lu Ranran left, Yun Zhu shared with Xu Lang her longing for her home in Wuling, a place of beautiful mountains and water, and Xu Lang promised to visit it someday. Despite Zhao Chenyi's heartfelt explanation, his favorability score remained at zero.
Frustrated, Lu Ranran consulted Qin Shou, asking if the system had a bug. Qin Shou confirmed there was no bug and reiterated his recommendation for her to change her target, reminding her that her ultimate goal was to go home. However, he offered a cryptic hint: "blow out the candles." Lu Ranran deduced this referred to a birthday celebration.
Determined to make a final effort, Lu Ranran prepared a special omurice dish called "Dispel the Clouds to See the Sun" for Zhao Chenyi's birthday. She resolved that if his favorability score remained zero after this, she would give up on him completely and return home. Zhao Chenyi loved the dish and thanked her for remembering his birthday, for her unwavering trust when he was framed, and for saving him from poisoning.
He expressed his wish to spend all future birthdays watching the stars with her. Later, he surprised her with Kongming lanterns, which she adored. As dawn approached, Zhao Chenyi formally proposed marriage, kneeling and promising to spend the rest of his life with her, to go wherever she went, and to accompany her in everything she wished to do. Lu Ranran, deeply moved, accepted his proposal. Yet, the persistent zero favorability score continued to puzzle and worry her.
She confided in Qin Shou once more, expressing her confusion that despite a proposal, the score remained unchanged. Qin Shou again suggested she choose a different route to achieve her goal of returning home. Lu Ranran confessed that she had unintentionally fallen for Zhao Chenyi and had poured her heart into pursuing him, vowing not to regret her decisions. She decided to wait until dawn; if the score was still zero, she would go home.
Meanwhile, Xu Lang discovered Yun Zhu was still diligently embroidering, endangering her vision. Yun Zhu revealed that she was making a coat as a birthday gift for him, having just found out it was his special day. Xu Lang was deeply touched, assuring her that her thoughtfulness was the most valuable gift. He wished for her health and happiness. The next morning, Lu Ranran saw her system's favorability score remained at zero.
She told Qin Shou that although she had grown to genuinely like Zhao Chenyi and put all her effort into their relationship, she had to leave. Zhao Chenyi then found her, excitedly telling her he would ask his royal father to approve their marriage after he finished his current tasks. He spoke of their future together in his Calm Refreshing Manor and showed her a list of wedding preparations from the Ministry of Rites.
However, seeing the unchanging zero on her system, Lu Ranran abruptly excused herself, claiming she had to deliver medicine to the Crown Prince. Zhao Chenyi was left bewildered by her sudden coolness, misinterpreting it as shyness. Lu Ranran, however, was in despair, questioning the game's difficulty and Zhao Chenyi's seemingly deep affection contradicted by the zero score. She decided it was time to put an end to her pursuit.
