Catch Up My Prince Episode 18 Recap
> Catch Up My Prince Recap
In a bittersweet moment, Li Lingwei discovered Zhao Chenyao in Lu Ranran's room. Though Li Lingwei felt a pang of jealousy, Zhao Chenyao, consumed by his unrequited love for Lu Ranran, confessed that he knew she did not reciprocate his feelings but still wished to cling to the illusion that she could be his. He later vehemently declared his possessiveness to Zhao Chen Yi, saying, "I know she doesn't love me! But she can only be mine!"
Soon after, he left, anticipating Lu Ranran would seek out Zhao Chen Yi. Lu Ranran and Zhao Chen Yi found solace in each other's embrace. With the game's exit portal opening, Lu Ranran knew her time to return home was imminent. She confessed her deep love for Zhao Chen Yi, promising to cherish the memory of their time together and asking him to remember a girl named Lu Ren Jia who loved him immensely.
Their tender farewell was abruptly interrupted when Zhao Chenyao appeared, witnessing their embrace. Enraged, he confronted Zhao Chen Yi, claiming Lu Ranran as his own and ordering an attack. In a desperate act of protection, Lu Ranran shielded Zhao Chen Yi and was tragically stabbed in the chest. Lu Ranran felt herself plummeting into a deep abyss. Zhao Chen Yi pursued her, but just before losing consciousness, Lu Ranran chose to return home.
She awoke in the modern world, realizing only three days had passed in real time. Back in the ancient world, everyone, except for Zhao Chen Yi, had lost all memory of Lu Ranran. Zhao Chen Yi was distraught, relentlessly searching for "Xiao Jia" and questioning everyone, but his pleas were met with blank stares and confusion, including from Zhao Chenyao, who denied knowing any "Xiao Jia."
Overwhelmed by grief and the unsettling lack of memory from others, Zhao Chen Yi desperately clung to a faint hope, vowing to find her wherever she might be. He discovered a letter from Lu Ranran addressed to Yun Zhu, expressing regret for her sudden departure. In the modern world, Lu Ranran went to the hospital to visit her friend Xiao Yun, only to learn from a doctor that Xiao Yun had been taken by her brother for treatment abroad.
Outside the hospital, Lu Ranran encountered Xu You Zheng, a man who strikingly resembled the game's NPC, Xu Lang. Xu You Zheng explained that he was Xiao Yun's doctor and her "Brother Xu," and that the game had been designed by Xiao Yun's real-life brother (Wang Chen Yi, who is Zhao Chen Yi in the game) and himself.
He revealed his intention to keep Xiao Yun in the game world, where she could see and be happy, as her real-life condition was incurable and painful. However, Wang Chen Yi vehemently opposed this, accusing Xu You Zheng of trapping them in the game and forcing Xiao Yun to give up on real-life treatment. Xu You Zheng admitted his actions were misguided, acknowledging that he had not respected Xiao Yun's choices.
He further clarified that Zhao Chen Yi in the game was actually Wang Chen Yi, a real person, not an NPC, and therefore could not generate a "favorable impression score." A virus had compromised the game, and he could no longer extract Xiao Yun and Wang Chen Yi, who risked losing consciousness if they remained in the game indefinitely. To wake them, they needed to find three "gold keys" hidden by Wang Chen Yi within the game.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Lu Ranran agreed to re-enter the game, with Xu You Zheng guiding her remotely, despite the risk of getting trapped. Their mission was to find Wang Chen Yi and the gold keys within a strict twelve-hour real-world time limit, equivalent to half a year in the game.
Three years later in the game world, Lu Ranran found herself in a new identity: Princess Luo Jia Ren of Wazi, entering New Ming as part of a marriage alliance. The Emperor of New Ming, after witnessing her beauty, decreed that Princess Jia Ren would marry the Eleventh Prince, Zhao Chenxuan, in three months. Unbeknownst to Lu Ranran, her bodyguard, Ji Huan, was a disguised Zhao Chen Yi, who felt an inexplicable familiarity with her.
The game system informed Lu Ranran that her previous character data had been deleted, so NPCs would no longer recognize her. This new identity, as a high-ranking princess, allowed her greater freedom to navigate the palace. Seeking information about Zhao Chen Yi, Lu Ranran tasked Ji Huan with finding the Fourth Prince.
Ji Huan, while surprised by her request, explained that the Fourth Prince had been exiled three years prior due to accusations of colluding with Wazi and had gone missing during his journey. He detailed the political landscape, including the Empress's deposition and the Second Prince's reduced influence, and revealed that the Crown Prince had passed away three years ago.
This news deeply saddened Lu Ranran, as it confirmed that despite her previous efforts to change the outcome, the Crown Prince's fate remained unaltered. Ji Huan, observing Lu Ranran's reactions and her striking resemblance to "Xiao Jia," decided to remain by her side, trusting his intuition that she held the key to his own predicament.
Driven by her previous life's memories and her new mission, Lu Ranran visited Imperial Physician Sun, her former master, presenting him with a rare medical book, "Nectar Summary," which she knew he deeply desired. Later, while sitting in a courtyard, Lu Ranran encountered the Crown Princess's young son. She kindly returned him to the Always Inviting Palace, where she met the Crown Princess.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Ranran respectfully requested to pay her respects at the late Crown Prince's grave, acknowledging his past kindness to her. The Crown Princess granted her wish, and Lu Ranran solemnly visited the tablet of Zhao Chen Yu, the late Crown Prince.
