City of Streamer Episode 24 Recap
> City of Streamer Recap
Yang Xiucheng frequently met with Du Lanxin, who pressed him for updates on his investigation into who leaked the truth about Rong Dingkun to the press. Yang Xiucheng reported that Rong Jiashang had appeased the residents of Wenchunli with money, temporarily settling the issue. However, he admitted he couldn't find any clues about the leaker, noting that Rong Dingkun, being shrewd and suspicious, would surely know Yang Xiucheng wouldn't foolishly act against him.
Du Lanxin then shared that her aunt was urging her to plan her wedding with Rong Jiashang soon, confirming that Rong Dingkun and her father had recently grown closer. When Yang Xiucheng asked about Rong Jiashang's reaction, Du Lanxin replied that Rong Jiashang’s own relationship was a mess and he had no time to care about her. Visibly frustrated, Yang Xiucheng asked if she still intended to marry him.
Du Lanxin explained it was a long-standing agreement she couldn’t easily break. The thought of her marrying Rong Jiashang and having children with him deeply upset Yang Xiucheng, but Du Lanxin tried to comfort him. Mrs. Feng expressed concern to Feng Shizhen, noting Feng Shixun's recent quietness and absence from home, fearing he was upset with them. Feng Shizhen reassured her that Shixun was likely just busy.
However, Mrs. Feng worried that Shixun, a man of principle, was hurt that Feng Shizhen had signed a settlement with the Rong family and accepted gold bars instead of pursuing an apology. Feng Shizhen explained that Shixun had still bought tickets to accompany her to Bailiu Town for their birth mother's death anniversary, proving he cared, and she intended to explain things to him there.
It was the 20th anniversary of her birth mother's passing, and Feng Shizhen planned a ritual, lamenting that she couldn't even recall her mother's face. She also shared vague, recurring dream fragments of her little brother crying and her mother urging her to run, wondering if her brother, lost over two decades ago, was still alive. Mrs. Feng hoped he had been taken in by a kind family.
Meanwhile, Rong Jiashang received a report that Mrs. Feng had converted the gold bars into cash and deposited them, suggesting the siblings wouldn't cause further trouble. He also learned that Feng Shizhen had not left the house since her return, with Mrs. Feng handling all errands.
Rong Jiashang then contacted Nurse Wang Chunhua from Red House Hospital, who informed him that Feng Shixun had purchased two train tickets for three days later to accompany his sister to Bailiu Town for a grave visit. Following this, Rong Jiashang called Director Joseph at Red House Hospital. Subsequently, as Feng Shixun prepared to head directly to the train station after his night shift, a nurse informed him of an urgent major surgery.
Despite his request to have another doctor assist, the nurse insisted it was a direct order from Director Joseph, specifically designating Feng Shixun to assist Dr. Liu Yingchun, emphasizing it was an invaluable opportunity. Feng Shixun then gave Nurse Wang a letter, asking her to deliver it to his sister at the train station. Rong Jiashang’s subordinate commented that he went to great lengths for Feng Shizhen, who had been reclusive since the incident at Wenchunli.
Rong Jiashang admitted he had to approach her through her brother, unsure if she still blamed him. At the train station, a ticket inspector confirmed Feng Shizhen's destination was Bailiu Town, where she would commemorate her birth mother. Inside the compartment, a middle-aged woman commented on Feng Shizhen traveling alone and predicted her brother wouldn't show up.
Just then, Rong Jiashang arrived, explaining he was late and handing Feng Shizhen a letter from Feng Shixun, stating that something had come up at the hospital and he couldn't go with her. The talkative woman admired Rong Jiashang's appearance. Rong Jiashang discreetly booked the adjacent compartment and moved the couple there, politely suggesting they have quiet time. He then turned to Feng Shizhen, noting her weight loss and lack of rest, and apologized for his actions.
He expressed his desire to spend more time with her, pleading with her to see him as a friend, promising to gradually reduce his affection and not bother her later. He asked her to be patient with him, vowing to abide by etiquette and avoid anything she disliked. He offered her newly imported Brazilian coffee and French pastries, hoping to create positive memories so that she wouldn't remember him with only hatred. Feng Shizhen denied hating him.
Rong Jiashang confessed it was all his fault, proposing they put the past aside for a few days. He asked her to treat him as a student, a friend, or even an errand boy, promising to be obedient if she allowed him to stay by her side. When Feng Shizhen remained silent, he took her quietness as agreement.
After arriving in Bailiu Town in heavy rain, Rong Jiashang offered Feng Shizhen a ride in his car, but she politely declined, opting for a rickshaw. He followed her lead, taking a rickshaw to Dongfenglai Inn as well. Upon arrival, he offered to carry her luggage. Later, Rong Jiashang asked if she was hungry and offered to treat her to a meal.
At a local restaurant, he ordered two bowls of beef noodles, one large and one small, specifying extra chilies for his own. Feng Shizhen asked if he frequented the town. He replied that he only visited once a year for her mother's death anniversary. She then remarked that he, a young master, might find Bailiu Town too small and unaccustomed.
Rong Jiashang dismissed her concern, sharing lively anecdotes from his military school days, including field survival training and roasting wild rabbits. He even promised to take her duck hunting at the Cao River in spring, if they were to meet again. Feng Shizhen then fondly recalled the delicious noodles he had once made for her, remarking that she had never tasted better since.
Rong Jiashang expressed happiness that she remembered his preference, and Feng Shizhen thanked him, finding the feeling of their interaction "nice." He urged her to eat. During the car ride to the Lanruo Monastery, the bumpy roads caused Feng Shizhen to repeatedly lean into Rong Jiashang. Feng Shizhen, annoyed, sarcastically asked if he didn't know that if he wanted stability, he should just get out and walk, then told him to let go of her hand.
Rong Jiashang retorted that it wasn't him who was holding on. At the monastery, Feng Shizhen paid her respects at her birth mother's spirit tablet. Afterwards, she suggested they take a walk while waiting for dinner. Rong Jiashang asked about "Bai," and Feng Shizhen revealed Bai was her birth mother. He was surprised, having believed her to be a natural-born child of the Feng family, and learned she was an orphan adopted by them.
She recounted that at around two or three years old, she, her mother, and infant brother were attacked by bandits while traveling to visit relatives. Her mother, Bai, was killed protecting her, and her brother was lost. She credited the Feng family with saving and raising her as their own, considering them her true parents and Feng Shixun her real brother. She admitted she didn't remember her original surname, only her given name, Zhenzhen, and her mother’s surname, Bai.
The Feng family’s deceased daughter also happened to be named Zhenzhen. Feng Shizhen shared that despite being saved, she still had vague, recurring dreams of the tragic event, her mother's brutal death while shielding her. She expressed gratitude for the Feng family's kindness, which allowed her to attend college, but lamented the unknown fate of her infant brother. Rong Jiashang reassured her that her brother was likely alive, safe, and would one day seek her out.
He then embraced her, saying he just wanted to hold her. Feng Shizhen gently suggested they return as dinner was almost ready. Shortly after, she slipped and twisted her ankle. Rong Jiashang offered to carry her, instructing her to hold on tight. With Feng Shizhen's train set to depart at 2:30 PM, she went upstairs to pack, leaving Rong Jiashang in the lobby.
He seized the opportunity to inquire with the innkeeper about the past robbery involving a mother and two children. The innkeeper recalled the shocking event, emphasizing that Bailiu Town was typically peaceful and the crime scene was less than a mile away. He mentioned that no one saw the bandits, who killed all the victims instantly with neck slashes, leaving no survivors.
He directed Rong Jiashang to a tea house by the South Bridge, where passersby often rested, suggesting they might have seen the family who came from the south and were headed northeast. Feng Shizhen, overhearing the conversation as she came downstairs, confronted Rong Jiashang, asking why he was investigating. She expressed cynicism about finding her birth father, arguing that twenty years was long enough for him to have sought her out if he cared.
Rong Jiashang insisted on going to the South Bridge, stressing it was not yet 2 PM and the town was small. Feng Shizhen questioned his strong interest, suggesting he join the police if he liked solving crimes. He clarified he only wanted to help her find her family and her brother, and locate the killer, not pry into her privacy.
She pushed back, asserting the Fengs were her true family and sarcastically asked if he thought she was only seeking a wealthy birth father now that the Feng family was in decline. Rong Jiashang dismissed this, acknowledging her strong bond with the Fengs, and urged her to pursue finding her brother and the murderer. She finally agreed to go.
As they walked, Feng Shizhen shared more about her fragmented childhood memories: her mother, brother, and a flatbed cart, and her mother urging her to run when bandits attacked, only seeing shadows that sometimes appeared as a black dog or a falling rock in her dreams. Rong Jiashang then recounted his own early memories, including being stung by a bee at three and being pushed by Mrs. Rong when he accidentally made her new babies cry.
He acknowledged their shared experience as "motherless children" and his father's distant nature, saying they were "in the same boat," though Feng Shizhen quickly corrected him, highlighting her good relationship with her adoptive parents. He admitted he envied her in that regard. At the tea house by the South Bridge, the owner recognized Feng Shizhen as the little girl who had passed by with her mother and baby brother in a donkey cart, coming from the southwest.
He recalled the baby's diaper being changed on his table. Feng Shizhen confirmed she was that child, and the owner expressed surprise she was alive, calling her blessed. He remembered her mother's accent sounded like someone from Guojia Town, though he clarified that accents from Guojia, Futian, and Wanjin villages were similar.
He described the incident as fate, as her mother had insisted on continuing her journey at dusk to meet someone, despite his wife's advice to stay at the inn, which led to the tragedy. The owner also remembered the tall, young cart driver, who had a northern accent and called Feng Shizhen's mother "sister-in-law," suggesting he was her husband's younger brother. Notably, only Feng Shizhen's mother's body was found at the scene, leading the locals to find it very strange.
On the train back to Shanghai, Rong Jiashang asserted that the cart driver was the primary suspect and could provide crucial clues about Feng Shizhen's mother's identity, even if he wasn't the killer. Feng Shizhen noted Rong Jiashang's brief hesitation when the tea house owner mentioned Guojia Town, to which Rong Jiashang admitted that his own family also originated from there.
Feng Shizhen found this coincidental, musing that if her mother was also from Guojia Town, they might even be relatives, perhaps she was his cousin. Rong Jiashang then revealed that his family's relatives in Guojia Town had all perished during a plague, which his father survived only because he was away working.
He offered to stop investigating if Feng Shizhen wished, but if she wanted to find the murderer and her brother, he would help her uncover the truth, asking her to "use" him as he could accomplish things she couldn't. Feng Shizhen responded, "I knew. I knew it long ago." Upon their arrival back in Shanghai, Feng Shixun met Feng Shizhen at the station, expressing regret for his absence and offering to carry her suitcase.
Feng Shizhen accepted his apology and jokingly asked him to treat her to a meal at the expensive Wangfu Restaurant, to which he readily agreed, adding that "Big brother treats little sister, what's expensive or not expensive?" Meanwhile, Rong Jiashang returned to the Rong mansion. A servant informed him that Du Lanxin was playing Mahjong with Rong Dingkun and Mrs. Rong in the chess room.
Rong Dingkun greeted him, mentioning that Du Lanxin had brought two cases of fine wine from her father, and urged Rong Jiashang to spend time with his fiancée despite his busy work schedule. Du Lanxin then told Aunt Wang to take her place, complaining to Rong Jiashang as they walked away that her waist was aching from playing Mahjong all afternoon.
She asked why Yang Xiucheng was there, clarifying he came with Rong Dingkun and had nothing to do with her. She then provocatively asked if Rong Jiashang, the Young Master Rong, couldn't tolerate Yang Xiucheng's presence, adding that the Rong family had wronged Yang Xiucheng first. Rong Jiashang stated he had no problem with Yang Xiucheng.
