Choice Husband Episode 24 Recap
> Choice Husband Recap
Shen Miao had fully regained her memory but kept it hidden from Pei Yanzhen. Being blind and unsuspecting, Pei Yanzhen seemed unaware of her deception and expressed a desire for Shen Miao to stay longer in Weiyang. His guard, Zhan Yue, reminded him of pressing matters in the capital and his delayed eye treatment, questioning if he truly intended to keep Shen Miao in Weiyang or take her back.
Pei Yanzhen admitted he had lost hope for his vision and simply wished for a few more days with Shen Miao. Soon after, Shen Miao disappeared without a trace. Steward Tie, who had been instructed by Song Xiyuan to report any unusual occurrences, searched all of Shen Miao’s favorite restaurants and theaters overnight but found no sign of her.
He ordered Zhao to take some men to the capital to inform Song Xiyuan and also instructed others to thoroughly search the vicinity of Pei's Residence. Shen Miao devised a plan. She sent Lvying to covertly enter Third Master Song’s room in the Escort Agency and retrieve letters bearing the Shen family crest. Lvying was discovered by Steward Tie, who found her acting suspiciously in the room.
However, following Shen Miao’s instructions, Lvying feigned dizziness and claimed to have seen a mouse, successfully deceiving Steward Tie, who then escorted her to the yard. Upon receiving the letters, Shen Miao learned that her father, little aunt, and Shen Zai were all well and thriving with their business at the border. The letter from her father also mentioned that he had given Song Xiyuan a large sum of money to help her escape.
This news brought tears to Shen Miao's eyes, reaffirming her determination to rescue Xiao and reunite with her family. To communicate with the clever Xiao without arousing suspicion, Shen Miao prepared pastries and hid notes inside them, knowing Xiao’s fondness for sweets and his ability to recognize her handwriting. Unbeknownst to Shen Miao, Song Xiyuan had already set his own plans in motion. He arranged for assassins to infiltrate Pei's Residence, with the primary objective of eliminating Pei Yanzhen.
If the assassination failed, they were instructed to safely bring Prince Xiao back. Later, a fire dramatically broke out in Xiao’s room, a deliberate act orchestrated by Shen Miao to create chaos for their escape. As the flames spread, assassins sent by Song Xiyuan attacked Pei Yanzhen. Zhan Yue was immediately preoccupied with fending off the attackers. Despite his blindness, Pei Yanzhen sensed Shen Miao attempting to leave with Xiao.
When the number of assassins surged, Pei Yanzhen, prioritizing Shen Miao’s safety, shielded her, urging her to escape with Xiao. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Miao, Xiao, and Lvying made their way out of the burning residence, where Song Xiyuan and his men arrived and took them away. Upon discovering their disappearance, Pei Yanzhen, injured from the fight, ordered all city gates in Weiyang to be sealed and a thorough search for Shen Miao and her son.
Inside Song Xiyuan’s safe house, Shen Miao changed her clothes. She soon reunited with Xiao, embracing him tearfully and promising they would never be separated again. Xiao, seeing his mother cry, bravely pledged to protect her, affirming his love for both his mother and "Third Master Song" (Song Xiyuan), whom he saw as his father, while expressing fear of his "Maternal Uncle" (Pei Yanzhen). That night, Song Xiyuan drank alone, lamenting his unrequited love for Shen Miao.
Huashan, who was deeply devoted to Song Xiyuan, offered him comfort, observing that he seemed "debauched" yet was truly "sincere." Song Xiyuan confessed to Huashan that he had hoped Shen Miao, after losing her memory of Pei Yanzhen, might finally see his affection. He later approached Shen Miao, explaining that despite their marriage, he had always honored their agreement and never touched her.
He admitted he knew all along that Xiao was the child of Shen Miao and Pei Yanzhen, but he concealed it, fearing that if she knew, he would lose even the slight connection they shared. Shen Miao reflected on her past with Pei Yanzhen, realizing her own previous blindness to the truth. She confronted Song Xiyuan, asking if giving her the parrot years ago, which later revealed Pei Yanzhen's deception, was truly an unintentional act.
She then pleaded with him to let her and Xiao leave Weiyang. Song Xiyuan refused, asserting that Weiyang City would soon be turned upside down by Pei Yanzhen’s search, making any escape impossible. He suggested Baima Temple, an active yet secure place within the city, as a temporary sanctuary for Shen Miao and Xiao, insisting they were his family and would remain so.
The next day, Pei Yanzhen, still searching for Shen Miao, arrived at Guchun Restaurant and surrounded the ground floor, demanding Song Xiyuan hand over Shen Miao. Song Xiyuan, well-prepared, confronted Pei Yanzhen, reminding him of how Shen Miao "died" because of him in the capital two years prior and questioning his audacity to demand her back. He warned Pei Yanzhen against making trouble in Weiyang.
Though Pei Yanzhen was temporarily deterred by Song Xiyuan’s readiness, he vowed to retrieve Shen Miao and Xiao. Meanwhile, Shen Miao, determined to go north to find her father, not to Baima Temple as Song Xiyuan suggested, instructed Lvying to procure warm clothes for their journey. Huashan entered, warning Shen Miao that the Regent had surrounded the restaurant and advised her not to move.
Shen Miao, aiming to sow discord, subtly suggested that Song Xiyuan could only let go of his obsession with her and see Huashan if she were to leave. Pei Yanzhen, realizing that Song Xiyuan would likely attempt to sneak Shen Miao and Xiao out of Weiyang, shifted his focus from Guchun Restaurant to guarding the city’s exits. Shen Miao, however, had underestimated Huashan’s loyalty to Song Xiyuan; Huashan promptly reported Shen Miao’s intention to leave to Song Xiyuan. Although Shen Miao initially lacked an escape plan, observing Huashan and Third Master Song sharing an oil-paper umbrella suddenly sparked a new idea in her mind.
