Catch Up My Prince Episode 19 Recap
> Catch Up My Prince Recap
Lu Ranran visited the late Crown Prince Zhao Chen Yu’s tablet, shedding tears as she remembered his kindness and lamented his untimely death. Later, while playing shuttlecock with the late Crown Prince Zhao Chen Yu's child, Zhao Chen Yi, disguised as Ji Huan, observed her, recalling a lively girl from his own fragmented memories. Passersby commented on Princess Jia Ren’s (Lu Ranran’s current identity) kindness and perceived closeness to the deceased Crown Prince.
Lu Ranran encountered Zhao Chenxuan, who had undergone a startling change in demeanor, becoming harsh and accusatory. He questioned her presence at the Always Inviting Palace, the late Crown Prince's residence, and warned her to mind her words and behavior as she would soon be his consort, suggesting she might be a spy. Lu Ranran was taken aback by his uncharacteristic aggression, noting how amicable he used to be.
Zhao Chenxuan further implied she was too well-informed about the princes and possibly had spies. Later, Lu Ranran intended to meet Xu Lang at the Cherished Orders Palace, but found it sealed. Ji Huan explained it was sealed three years prior after the Fourth Prince, Zhao Chen Yi, disappeared, making the Emperor furious.
Lu Ranran pretended disinterest, claiming there was nothing to see in the palace of a prince accused of colluding with enemies, but then quickly asserted that Zhao Chen Yi was framed. Ji Huan, growing suspicious, noted to himself that she seemed to know a lot. Lu Ranran then observed Zhao Chenyao and Li Lingwei enjoying malatang, a dish she knew well.
Li Lingwei mentioned they learned to make it from a "young lady cook" but couldn't recall her name, while Lu Ranran claimed it was a delicacy introduced to Wazi. Zhao Chenyao arrived, demonstrating concern for Li Lingwei. He protected her from accidentally burning herself with the hot malatang, impressing Lu Ranran, who reflected that without her, everyone seemed to continue on their predefined paths.
She lamented not being able to watch Zhao Chen Yi's livestream, as Qin Shou informed her that the Fourth Prince was considered missing in the game’s current plot. Needing to meet Xu Lang, Lu Ranran learned from Qin Shou that a secret underground path to Cherished Orders Palace could be found in the woodshed of the Huitong Posthouse. Upon discovering the tunnel entrance, she was surprised by Ji Huan.
She quickly concocted an excuse about looking for a lost ring and being curious about the woodshed, as there were no such structures in Wazi. Ji Huan questioned her story but let it go. Meanwhile, Zhao Chen Yi, in his true identity, was investigating. His guard informed him that the King of Wazi had given Princess Jia Ren a mysterious pouch before her departure.
Zhao Chen Yi recognized the pouch and speculated it might contain a list of those colluding with Wazi, which could prove his innocence. He also inquired about a Wazi medical book he’d asked his guard to check, "Nectar Summary," noting its significance and questioning why it was given to a New Ming Imperial Physician, reinforcing his suspicion of Princess Jia Ren. He ordered his men to search the station and all those from Wazi for the pouch.
Back at the posthouse, a matron arrived to take Lu Ranran’s measurements for her wedding clothes and announced that she would undergo five hours of princess consort etiquette training daily until the wedding, a request from Zhao Chenxuan himself, which Lu Ranran inwardly interpreted as an attempt to confine her.
When the matron tried to dismiss Ji Huan, Lu Ranran defended him, declaring that as a Wazi princess not yet married into New Ming, she would not be subjected to such restrictions. She then strategically sent Ji Huan to fetch a sour cake from Gentle Peach Pavilion, a specific shop with known long queues, to buy herself time. Using the secret passage, Lu Ranran entered Cherished Orders Palace, where she met Xu Lang.
She observed a wilted gardenia, recalling it as a birthday gift given to Zhao Chen Yi. Xu Lang, now disguised as a commoner to better approach Yun Zhu, explained that the "golden key" was not a physical item but three key terms: Hope, Sacrifice, and True Love.
These terms would light up as they progressed through related storylines, and once all three were activated, they could retrieve the golden key and bring Wang Chen Yi and Xiao Yun (Yun Zhu) out of the game. Xu Lang admitted he wasn't clear about the subsequent storylines, explaining that Wang Chen Yi created the game, and the plot had become somewhat random.
He confirmed Zhao Chen Yi was not following the game's original storyline, which he believed might indicate Wang Chen Yi's consciousness was awakening. With their mission clarified, Xu Lang left to find Yun Zhu, entrusting Lu Ranran with Wang Chen Yi's fate. As Xu Lang departed, Ji Huan, who had noticed Lu Ranran enter the sealed palace, returned and confronted her.
He had wondered to himself about the human sounds he heard inside the long-sealed Cherished Orders Palace, and then asked her why she was there. Lu Ranran again used the excuse of her lost ring, claiming it led her through a secret passage. Ji Huan revealed the place was Fourth Prince Zhao Chen Yi’s forbidden sleeping chamber, sealed by the Emperor for three years, and urged her not to touch anything, as he sensed bad omens.
Realizing Ji Huan hadn't gotten the sour cake, they left together to buy it. In the city, they found Gentle Peach Pavilion sealed, as it had been marked as a place of treason after Zhao Chen Yi’s conviction, leading to a fire and seizure. They then participated in a lantern riddle game.
Ji Huan successfully solved one riddle about the character "Zhuang," but was surprised when Lu Ranran easily solved another about a mirror, stating she read it in "The Stone Chronicles." Ji Huan was struck by a memory of a lady talking about the same book, intensifying his suspicion that she might be the girl from his past. He couldn't solve the third riddle, and they moved on to release sky lanterns.
Lu Ranran secretly wished to find Zhao Chen Yi and awaken his memories. Ji Huan, recalling his own proposal to "Xiao Jia" at this very spot, wished "Xiao Jia" was by his side, unaware that Lu Ranran was indeed "Xiao Jia." Later, Zhao Chen Yi's investigation revealed a map of the palace and travel routes between Wazi and New Ming in Princess Jia Ren's makeup case.
He suspected impure motives behind the peace mission, especially on the eve of the wedding. Though he doubted the Emperor would believe his findings without stronger proof, he ordered his guard to watch for changes and, crucially, to protect Princess Jia Ren if she was in danger. Lu Ranran received news that Zhao Chenxuan was ordered to leave the capital for Wuling. She immediately recognized Wuling as the place where Zhao Chen Yi went missing.
Zhao Chenxuan confirmed his departure, sternly instructing her to focus on needlework and etiquette in his absence and not to embarrass him. He accused her of going out the previous night with her guard. When she defended Ji Huan, Zhao Chenxuan, in a fit of possessive anger, confined the entire Huitong Posthouse until his return, declaring that no one would lead his future consort astray. Lu Ranran expressed her dismay at his drastic change.
Meanwhile, Xu Lang continued his mission in Wuling, caring for a blind Yun Zhu. He deliberately created opportunities to meet her, pretending to be a wounded traveler she had saved. He noticed many villagers, including a shop owner and her employees, suffering from coughs and fevers, leading him to suspect a wider illness. Xu Lang tried to buy Yun Zhu a ring, but realized he had given all his game perks (money) to Lu Ranran and couldn't afford it.
He worried about the developing illness in Wuling and hoped Lu Ranran would join him. Back at the posthouse, Zhao Chenxuan injured Lu Ranran. Ji Huan later expressed guilt for not protecting her and vowed to stay by her side. When the Imperial Physician prescribed medicine to prevent spasms from the rust on her hands, Lu Ranran recognized it as a guard against tetanus.
She was surprised that Ji Huan also knew about her preference for dried plums with medicine, making her wonder how he knew such personal details. Still perplexed by Zhao Chenxuan's changed personality, Lu Ranran asked Qin Shou about his biography. Qin Shou revealed that Zhao Chenxuan himself had started a fire at Clean and Pure Palace the evening Lu Ranran left three years prior.
Lu Ranran, still unable to locate Zhao Chen Yi, received a package from Xu Lang, informing her that he had found Yun Zhu in Wuling and urged her to come promptly. Lu Ranran, still hoping to soften Zhao Chenxuan, sent him a mechanical bird as a gift. However, her guards reported that Zhao Chenxuan had found their gesture "overly kind," suggesting they were hiding something, and angrily broke the bird's leg. Enraged by his cruel rejection of her thoughtful gift, Lu Ranran resolved to confront Zhao Chenxuan directly.
