Different Princess Episode 7 Recap
> Different Princess Recap
Hua Qingge expressed her gratitude to Ji Wan'er for taking her out of her room, but Ji Wan'er voiced her suspicion, asking, "who are you?" and questioning how Hua Qingge could have good relationships with both her eldest and third brothers. Hua Qingge responded by claiming she was just an "ordinary" person named Qing, asserting she was good friends with Ji Yun, but had "not at all related" to Ji Chu.
Ji Wan'er did not believe her, but accepted Hua Qingge's reluctance to explain, reminding her that she had promised Ji Yun to visit Hua Qingge often. Ji Wan'er then asked Hua Qingge to do her a favor: to tell Ji Chu to stop "eavesdropping on others." In return, Hua Qingge asked Ji Wan'er to look out for "a young man holding a fish" and ask for his name.
Hua Qingge noted internally that this marked the beginning of Gong Yeqi and Ji Wan'er's "tragic" love story, making her wonder if she should support or try to stop it. Later, Hua Qingge was scattering glutinous rice in her room to "ward off evil spirits and bad luck" when Ji Chu unexpectedly appeared and questioned her actions. Hua Qingge explained what she was doing, then accidentally sprinkled some rice on him.
She quickly tried to clarify that she didn't mean to imply he was "exuding evilness." Ji Chu, acknowledging Ji Wan'er's plea, informed Hua Qingge that she no longer had to eavesdrop but would instead accompany him to the East Office starting tomorrow. Hua Qingge inwardly grumbled that Ji Chu was intent on keeping her close to torment her.
The next morning at the East Office, Secretary Du Hui reported to Ji Chu that he had gathered all the case files from the past fifteen years concerning Shengjing City, placing them in the file room. Ji Chu then ordered Du Hui to bring all of them to him. Du Hui, however, claimed the files were too numerous for him to move alone, prompting Ji Chu to assign Hua Qingge to the task.
Hua Qingge was dismayed, realizing that if a man like Du Hui couldn't move them, she certainly couldn't. Ji Chu gave her a deadline of 5:00 PM and threatened that if she failed, Ji Yun's position as Crown Prince would be "at stake." Hua Qingge, aware that the plot was veering off script, reluctantly agreed. Du Hui privately questioned Ji Chu about bringing Hua Qingge to the East Office.
Ji Chu explained that he wanted her to realize her situation and "reveal her true identity," adding that he would first investigate his mother's fifteen-year-old case before deciding on any action against Ji Yun. Hua Qingge, facing a mountain of files, focused on finding "key information" rather than moving everything. Lin Xiyao arrived, having heard about Hua Qingge's predicament and offering to help.
Hua Qingge lamented that Ji Chu was deliberately trying to "bully" her, knowing it was "impossible to move all of them." After a diligent search, Hua Qingge discovered a crucial drawing. She quickly handed it to Du Hui, instructing him to deliver it to Ji Chu.
Lin Xiyao, noting Du Hui's slow pace, offered to deliver it herself, but Hua Qingge stopped her, reasoning that in her novel, Lin Xiyao had a romantic plotline with Ji Chu, and she wanted to prevent her from interacting with the "devil" and suffering. She then lied, saying Lin Xiyao often got lost. Just as the deadline approached, Ji Chu appeared. Hua Qingge confidently stated that she had ensured he saw "all of the case files" before 5:00 PM.
Ji Chu then revealed his trick, stating she hadn't seen all files as he had already moved one specific file to Jinglv Hall. Hua Qingge immediately realized he had set her up "on purpose." Lin Xiyao, misunderstanding the situation, criticized Hua Qingge for being "lazy" and jeopardizing the Crown Prince.
Thinking quickly, Hua Qingge asked Du Hui to bring her the file she had him retrieve earlier, then claimed her actions were "reasonable" as she merely wanted Ji Chu to see all the files. Ji Chu then pressed her, asking how she knew what was on the drawing and why she understood him so well. Hua Qingge proposed they discuss a "deal" back at his residence.
At Ji Chu's residence, Hua Qingge prepared some appetizers and wine, attempting to intoxicate Ji Chu with a convertible jug. She intended to drink plain water herself while offering Ji Chu the wine. However, Ji Chu's subordinate had switched her water with wine. After just one cup, Hua Qingge collapsed, drunk. The subordinate explained her trick to Ji Chu. Ji Chu pondered why she hadn't poisoned him, speculating she might have foreseen that such a plan would fail.
The next morning, Hua Qingge awoke to find Ji Chu in her room. She chided him for "intruding on a girl's room" without knocking. Ji Chu insisted on continuing their discussion, again asking how she knew about the drawing and why she understood him so well. Hua Qingge, claiming to know many of his "little secrets," offered to share them within a month. Her condition was that for one month, "regardless of what happens, you can't kill me.
Else, you will never know." To her surprise, Ji Chu readily agreed. Hua Qingge, however, remained wary, wondering if he had "found another way to torture me." Later, Hua Qingge encountered a fortune teller in the street. The fortune teller warned her of impending "fatal misfortune." Hua Qingge sought advice on how to save herself while potentially harming others, lamenting her desire to return to her "original world" by "changing the current outcome," or "going against what fate has decided."
The fortune teller, misinterpreting her words, proclaimed her a "chosen one." Hua Qingge corrected him, admitting she was responsible for her own predicament and was "off to awaken one's humanity" in a "stubborn" person. She questioned how to make a "devil into an angel," concluding that it was better to start by making him "learn to be human."
She ended the conversation by stating, "every cause has its consequence and I am the consequence of your deeds," believing she had found clarity. Returning to the East Office, Hua Qingge, with ink smudged on her face from copying, prepared "All-Encompassing Great Tonic Porridge" for Ji Chu. She explained she made it because he works tirelessly and needs to supplement his health, hoping he would feel human warmth. Ji Chu, however, remained impassive, asking what else she wanted.
Undeterred, Hua Qingge later approached Ji Chu and offered him a "bedtime storytelling service." Ji Chu flatly refused. Hua Qingge persisted, explaining that storytelling was a way of "gaining knowledge" and offering to tell a story about "the compassion of Buddha." Ji Chu declared he did not believe in Buddhism. Hua Qingge continued, emphasizing the importance of seeing "hope" and having a "soft, kind heart."
After her persistent attempts, Ji Chu, annoyed that only "seven days" had passed since their agreement, ordered her to leave. Undeterred, Hua Qingge later presented him with "Taoist scriptures" she had copied, claiming they could "purify and cleanse hatred," and that her "soul has been refined" by copying them. Ji Chu, clearly irritated, told her she was the one who needed cleansing and warned her not to "test my patience." Hua Qingge, still covered in ink, lamented internally, "I am trying so hard, yet Ji Chu has shown no signs of turning good."
