City of Streamer Episode 5 Recap
> City of Streamer Recap
Feng Shizhen carefully looked after Rong Jiashang as he recovered from his sickness. He had been vomiting, and she asked if he had taken his cold medicine on an empty stomach. Rong Jiashang told her to stop nagging and that he was fine, urging her to leave. As she prepared to go, he suddenly grabbed her hand tightly, and she remained by his side, telling him to get some rest.
The next morning, Rong Jiashang woke, his mind filled with the events of the previous night. A maid apologized for disturbing him while he was ill, but he dismissed her. Alone with his dog, Moon Cake, he remarked that only the dog was with him, and even that wouldn't be for much longer. Feng Shizhen went home early. Back home, she found her father in pain and smoking opium, as the prescribed painkillers were not working.
Her mother explained that his memory was somewhat confused. Feng Shizhen then asked about the widow, Zhang. Her mother reported that Zhang had been much more subdued since a man named Wen moved into their rented property, though she still enjoyed eavesdropping and spreading gossip about their family. Feng Shizhen reassured her mother that they would be able to move out soon.
It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Rong Dingkun had taken the rest of the family to their hometown, leaving only Rong Jiashang at home with the dog, Moon Cake. This made Rong Jiashang feel particularly reflective. Feng Shizhen went to the rooftop to observe the full moon. Wen joined her, asking why she wasn't celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival at home. She explained that her foster mother lived in the distant south.
Wen then casually inquired about her family's background, noting that they didn't seem to be from humble origins. Feng Shizhen revealed that her father used to own a pharmacy in Wenchunli, but their home and business were destroyed in a fire, leaving them with nothing. Wen began to mention "you and Seventh Master," which triggered Feng Shizhen's thoughts, shifting to her past cooperation with Meng Xu'an. Feng Shizhen then remembered how Meng Xu'an had revealed himself to her.
He had taken her to a secluded location, stating his knowledge of her investigation into Rong Dingkun. When she questioned his motives, he offered to help, confirming her suspicion that Rong Dingkun was responsible for the Wenchunli fire that destroyed her family's pharmacy. He provided details, explaining that Dasheng, the company that bought the Wenchunli land, was a shell company, and their Assistant Manager Wang was Rong Dingkun's agent.
This information came from Meng Xu'an's intercepted phone calls and telegrams from Rong Dingkun. Meng Xu'an then proposed a partnership, explaining that his previous operative in the Rong household had been discovered, and he needed new "eyes and ears." He leveraged her family's financial distress and her father's opium addiction, offering to clear her debts and protect her family in exchange for her working for him inside the Rong mansion. Feng Shizhen, seeing no other option, agreed.
Her training with Meng Xu'an had included shooting and self-defense. He taught her to aim but emphasized the difficulty of pulling the trigger for someone who hadn't killed, warning that hesitation could be fatal. He acknowledged her soft-hearted nature but affirmed that his training was for her self-protection, not for killing, and promised that he would not "dirty her hands." Rong Dingkun harbored suspicions about Feng Shizhen's presence in his household.
He had Yang Xiucheng investigate her, who confirmed that her family's property, including their shop, warehouse, and residence on Wenchunli East Street, had been destroyed by fire. Yang also noted that Feng Shizhen had never tried to hide this fact. Rong Dingkun pondered if her appearance was a mere coincidence or if she harbored ulterior motives, observing that she was well-liked by all the servants and even commanded Rong Jiashang's attention. Yang Xiucheng admitted he couldn't yet form a conclusion.
Despite Yang's suggestion to dismiss her if he was uneasy, Rong Dingkun decided against it, believing that if she had a hidden agenda, she must be a "pawn" sent by someone else. He resolved to keep her around to uncover her true handler. Meng Xu'an later met with Feng Shizhen, extending Mid-Autumn Festival greetings and inquiring about her progress at the Rong household. She confirmed that everything was going well, attributing it to his "trick" which had proven effective.
She described Rong Jiashang as outwardly unruly but not inherently bad, merely a vulnerable young man who lacked affection, making him manageable once his underlying emotions were understood. She added that his apparent underachievement was a facade, concealing a sharp and intelligent mind.
Meng Xu'an was impressed by her insights and urged her to cultivate Rong Jiashang's complete trust by showing him care, especially since Rong Dingkun, with Jiashang being his only living son, likely intended to entrust him with control of the Rong Commerce Firm. Feng Shizhen then asked Meng Xu'an for advice on how to present herself to Rong Dingkun: a "humble, well-bred young lady in distress."
She shared her observation that Rong Dingkun had reacted unusually to her, almost as if he feared her, particularly when he heard her surname, Feng. She noted that his reaction was far more intense than their initial predictions of mere dislike or rejection upon discovering her background. Yet, despite this strong reaction, he showed no intention of dismissing her, leaving Feng Shizhen perplexed by his true intentions.
Meng Xu'an promised to investigate the cause of Rong Dingkun's behavior and assured her he would extract her if the situation became too dangerous. However, Feng Shizhen felt the situation wasn't necessarily unfavorable and stressed the importance of continuing to reassure Rong Jiashang. Meng Xu'an sternly reminded her not to "lose sight of the big picture," reiterating that her ultimate goal was to overthrow Rong Dingkun.
He warned her firmly not to develop any genuine feelings for Rong Jiashang, emphasizing that he was merely a "pawn" in their scheme. He used an analogy, "You're the fisherman, not the fish. Don't let the fish pull you into the water," which Feng Shizhen acknowledged. Meng Xu'an then shared new intelligence, revealing that based on Feng Shizhen's previous reports, Commander Cao had recently looted a Ming dynasty consort's tomb, acquiring numerous antiques and rare treasures.
This aligned with Feng Shizhen's earlier eavesdropping on Rong Dingkun and Yang Xiucheng, who were discussing a shipment from Peking. Meng Xu'an explained that Commander Cao intended to use Rong Dingkun's maritime routes to smuggle these national treasures abroad by October 18th. However, his agents had inadvertently alerted Rong Dingkun, causing the goods to be hidden somewhere within Shanghai. Meng Xu'an assigned Feng Shizhen the task of discovering the precise hiding location and the exact shipping date.
He instructed her to conceal the gathered information in a hollow of a locust tree next to the octagonal pavilion in the Rong family's garden, where his contacts would collect it. Shortly after their meeting, Wen caught Zhang eavesdropping outside a door, but Zhang pleaded innocence, insisting she hadn't heard anything.
Feng Shizhen returned to the Rong mansion earlier than expected from her holiday, explaining to a surprised maid that her family was fine and she needed to prepare test papers. She learned that Rong Dingkun and the rest of the family had not yet returned, and Rong Jiashang had driven out early that morning. Seizing the opportunity, Feng Shizhen secretly went to search Sun Shaoqing's room.
Yang Xiucheng suddenly rushed back to the house, forcing Feng Shizhen to quickly hide outside. After seeing Yang Xiucheng leave again, she covertly entered his room. She found the telegraph machine still warm, indicating recent use, and discovered ashes of burned paper in the trash bin. She then carefully took a sheet of paper from the notepad on his desk.
Later, Yang Xiucheng encountered Du Lanxin, who invited him to drink, but he politely declined, stating he had work to do. Feng Shizhen then quietly made her way to the study. To her surprise, Sun Shaoqing was already there, engrossed in a book by Shakespeare. Feng Shizhen apologized for her surprise, explaining she rarely saw her in the study.
They struck up a conversation about English poetry, with Sun Shaoqing expressing disdain for those who merely feigned interest for social attention. Feng Shizhen echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that true appreciation for poetry comes from silent, solitary immersion. Sun Shaoqing confided her loneliness in the household, and Feng Shizhen recommended the 17th-century English metaphysical poet John Donne, confident Sun Shaoqing would enjoy his passionate works. Sun Shaoqing gratefully accepted the recommendation.
After returning to her room, Feng Shizhen meticulously deciphered the coded message by shading over the indentations on the paper she had taken from Yang Xiucheng's desk. It revealed "Hengsha Town" as a location, which she realized meant the goods were hidden on an island. Du Lanxin sought out Rong Jiashang for a drink. She questioned why he, who typically ignored her, was now engaging with her.
He pressed her, asking if she liked him and if she found their arranged marriage meaningful. Du Lanxin scoffed at ideals like freedom and true love, calling them teenage fantasies. Her "true love," she declared, was a life of luxury. She then brought up his past, mentioning his former girlfriend in Chongqing, whom his father had disapproved of due to her humble background. She then proposed a "deal."
If they were to marry, she would bear him a son, and if she couldn't, she would arrange for him to have two beautiful concubines. She promised not to be a jealous wife and would not interfere if he wished to reunite with his Chongqing girlfriend. In return, she expected the same freedom, though she pledged to maintain discretion to uphold their family's public image.
Under the influence of alcohol, Du Lanxin attempted to physically provoke him, suggesting they "try" to find out if he was useless. Disgusted, Rong Jiashang pushed her away, asking if she truly believed he desired her, and Du Lanxin stormed off in a huff.
