Checkmate Episode 18 Recap
> Checkmate Recap
Xi Wanzhi clarified that An Qiuzi, who grew up without a mother and lacked discipline, often played pranks on Zhou Ze and only recognized Fang Huaijin as her sister. Zhou Ze would often threaten to send An Qiuzi away when he was in a bad mood, a threat he repeated every other day, but no one took it seriously. However, An Qiuzi frequently found ways to make Zhou Ze suffer for these words.
Xi Wanzhi recounted that on the day of the incident, An Qiuzi was rummaging through the liquor cabinet for wine. When Fang Huaijin entered to get some wine, she took the bottle An Qiuzi was holding. Fang Huaijin told An Qiuzi to return to her room before her brother-in-law saw her and got angry. This led Situ Yan to deduce that the fingerprints Fang Huaijin had wiped off the bottle were An Qiuzi’s, not her own.
Xi Wanzhi remembered that after the incident, Fang Huaijin instructed her to sell all her valuable jewelry and send both Zhou Mowan and An Qiuzi away overnight. Xi Wanzhi and Li Yuanpu had arranged for a countryman to take them to her hometown in the country, but tragically, Zhou Mowan was lost during the journey. Xi Wanzhi expressed deep remorse, but Zhou Mowan reassured her that it was in the past.
Situ Yan also pointed out that An Qiuzi was not present when Li Yuanshun explained morphine the day before, suggesting she might not have had access to it, and her involvement could be a misunderstanding. On their way back, Zhou Mowan and Situ Yan encountered Li Yuanshun. He immediately recognized Zhou Mowan, noting her strong resemblance to her mother.
Li Yuanshun, who still lived next door to the Zhou family residence, expressed his relief that they were investigating Fang Huaijin's case, as he firmly believed she was incapable of murder. He invited them to his home, mentioning he had lived there all these years, hoping for their return.
Zhou Mowan, upon hearing that An Qiuzi was doing very well in Shanghai, had attended a popular girls' school and college, married into a good family, and was planning to move to France, felt a pang of resentment, wondering how An Qiuzi could live so carefree. Inside Li Yuanshun's room, which served as a laboratory, numerous delicate bottles and cans were meticulously arranged.
He cautioned them against touching anything, explaining that even a very small part of the motion could affect the overall situation. Li Yuanshun recalled showing his lab to guests the day before the murder, but An Qiuzi and Zhou Mowan were absent. When Situ Yan attempted to open a window, Li Yuanshun quickly stopped him, explaining that the chemicals were sensitive and could cause an explosion if disturbed.
He remembered finding that same window open the day after the murder, with powder spilled, a thought that still terrified him. Situ Yan asked if someone could have climbed through the window. Li Yuanshun confirmed that while adults couldn't fit, a small child could. Zhou Mowan, convinced that An Qiuzi was the culprit, argued that she had stolen the morphine from Li Yuanshun and poisoned Zhou Ze, leading to Fang Huaijin's unjust death.
She believed An Qiuzi harbored a deep hatred for their family because Fang Huaijin had injured her eye. Li Yuanshun revealed that Fang Huaijin had, in fact, injured An Qiuzi's eye when they were children. Fang Huaijin, fearing her mother would no longer love her after An Qiuzi's birth, had lashed out. She lived with profound regret afterward, and An Qiuzi served as "a sword of Damocles" over her head, constantly reminding her to be cautious.
An Qiuzi herself clarified that her pranks on Zhou Ze were never out of hate but rather playful mischief. An Qiuzi recounted the evening before the murder: she instigated Zhou Mowan to prank Ge Ai and then added a copious amount of salt to Zhou Ze’s meal. This led to a heated argument, with Zhou Ze threatening to send her back to the countryside. An Qiuzi was locked in her room, plotting a "nasty move" for the next day.
On the morning of the murder, she went to Li Yuanshun's house to return a book, but he wasn't there. She then climbed back over the backyard wall and was caught by Xi Wanzhi. Her sister subsequently locked her in her room until lunchtime. An Qiuzi couldn't recall if she took anything from the laboratory. She remembered that Zhou Ze did not come for lunch that day.
Later, Fang Huaijin and Xi Wanzhi went to take food to Zhou Ze and discovered his deceased body. Following this, Li Yuanpu managed all affairs, including the plan with Xi Wanzhi to send her and Zhou Mowan to the countryside for safety, which ultimately led to Zhou Mowan's disappearance. An Qiuzi noted that both Li Yuanshun and Li Yuanpu had been searching for Zhou Mowan for years.
An Qiuzi explained that while Li Yuanshun was like an old urchin whom she and Zhou Mowan joked with informally, Li Yuanpu's care for them was largely because he loved her sister. She then revealed that the night before the murder, she witnessed Li Yuanpu confessing his feelings to Fang Huaijin, urging her to leave Zhou Ze and offering his unwavering support.
Fang Huaijin reacted with anger, calling him unbelievable, and reminded him of his friendship with Zhou Ze, slamming the door. Luo Shaochuan brought An Qiuzi to meet them. An Qiuzi was overwhelmed with joy upon seeing Zhou Mowan, embracing her and remarking on her striking resemblance to Fang Huaijin. She expressed immense relief that Zhou Mowan was alive and apologized for her past suffering. However, Zhou Mowan remained distant, stating she no longer needed care.
An Qiuzi explained that she had planned to go to France but returned immediately after hearing Zhou Mowan was back. An Qiuzi presented a letter from Fang Huaijin that read, "Whoever owes a debt shall pay it. Zhou Ze is my love, and I will follow him," which An Qiuzi interpreted as Fang Huaijin admitting guilt for Zhou Ze's death out of a possessive love. Zhou Mowan, in turn, showed An Qiuzi Fang Huaijin's letter proclaiming her innocence.
An Qiuzi was stunned by the conflicting messages, but ultimately declared that if her sister said she didn't kill anyone, then she didn't. She also revealed her injured eye, explaining how her sister's childhood fear of being replaced caused it, and how Fang Huaijin regretted it every day since. Situ Yan tried to mediate, arguing that An Qiuzi's affection for Fang Huaijin and Zhou Mowan seemed genuine, and accusing her without concrete evidence could irrevocably damage their relationship.
Zhou Mowan, who had spent years as an orphan, fiercely rejected the idea of needing family, feeling superfluous. Yet, Situ Yan gently persisted, convincing her that An Qiuzi's love was real. Zhou Mowan, while agreeing to trust him, warned that she hoped it wouldn't be the last time. The next morning, Situ Yan and Zhou Mowan confronted Li Yuanpu. He confessed that both he and Li Yuanshun had loved Fang Huaijin, but she ultimately chose Zhou Ze.
He described her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, especially when she drank tea in the sun, which he considered a beautiful oil painting. He admitted that his declaration of love the night before the murder was an impulsive act, driven by a desire to rescue her from the miserable marriage. He also remembered seeing a "death wish" in Fang Huaijin’s eyes when she asked about morphine in the lab.
He had tried to speak to Zhou Ze about it, but Zhou Ze dismissed his concerns, calling women annoying for not knowing "when to stop." Zhou Ze also stated that lies are what women want most, explaining that he just lied to women. Luo Shaochuan also brought Ge Ai. Ge Ai expressed that her heart had died with Zhou Ze, whom she truly loved.
She recalled Zhou Ze painting her in the backyard, describing it as a beautiful experience where the sunlight poured down on her, making her feel welcomed. It was a time just for the two of them. Situ Yan, continuing his investigation, expressed a desire to examine An Qiuzi's room next.
