Dr. Cutie Episode 23 Recap
> Dr. Cutie Recap
Madame Ji remained deeply upset, and Chen Wuyong subtly probed her, confirming that she was still unaware of Tian Qi's true identity as Shen Zhao'er. This revelation emboldened Chen Wuyong to further sow discord, securing Madame Ji's permission to handle the matter herself. When confronted by Madame Ji, both Ji Heng and Ji Zheng fiercely defended Tian Qi.
Madame Ji, furious that a registered doctor from the General Medical Academy had lied to the emperor and entered their mansion with "evil intention," chastised her sons. She questioned how General J and Marquis Marvel could protect such a deceiver. Ji Heng declared that he would take full responsibility for Tian Qi, stating that if the Emperor wished to punish her, he should punish him first.
Ji Zheng echoed this sentiment, revealing he knew Tian Qi was a woman even earlier than his brother and would ask the Emperor to punish them both together. Madame Ji, exasperated, offered them two choices: either report Tian Qi to the Emperor or force her to leave Mansion Ji immediately. Ji Heng refused, asserting he would not send her away or hand her over to the Emperor without preparation.
Madame Ji, in turn, vowed to deal with Tian Qi herself, warning Ji Heng to "stay with her forever" if he wanted to protect her. Chen Wuyong, while feigning concern, reinforced Madame Ji's suspicions, labeling Tian Qi as manipulative and suggesting she was merely using the Ji family's power for her own ends. He subtly reminded Madame Ji of past misfortunes that nearly ruined their family due to similar situations.
Madame Ji, still unaware of Tian Qi's true identity, agreed to let Chen Wuyong take care of it, wanting nothing to do with any future questions from her sons. Ji Heng, concerned for Tian Qi's safety, instructed Sheng Anhuai to station guards outside her room. He also attempted to mend relations with his mother, but she refused to see him. Ji Zheng reassured Tian Qi that their mother loved Ji Heng and wouldn't be too hard on him.
He then directly asked Tian Qi if she and Ji Heng had confessed their love, to which she admitted they had. Ji Zheng offered his sincere blessings, acknowledging Ji Heng as the only man he couldn't compete with. He told Tian Qi to keep the jade pendant he had given her, saying it now symbolized his "best wishes and consent" and a promise that she could always seek his help with it if she ever faced trouble.
Later, Ji Zheng joined Ji Heng in front of their mother's room, reiterating his support and willingness to seek forgiveness together, just as they did when they were children. Ji Heng then asked if Ji Zheng's feelings for Tian Qi ran deeper than friendship, which Ji Zheng confirmed, admitting his profound affection. He gracefully conceded to Ji Heng, stating that only a man like his brother was worthy of her.
However, he made Ji Heng promise to cherish Tian Qi forever and stand by her, warning that if she were ever unhappy, he would "take her away" from Ji Heng, even if it meant becoming enemies. Ji Heng promised that day would never come. Ji Zheng also informed Ji Heng that Dong Zichun, the young master of Dong Mountain Village, might be nearby.
Meanwhile, Sheng Anhuai instructed the guards to protect Tian Qi, emphasizing that their orders came directly from General J, not Madame Ji. The guards, still processing the shock of Tian Qi being a woman, comically discussed how they had unknowingly seen "him" in various states of undress or tried to remove "his" pants to apply medicine, fearing General J's wrath. Tian Qi, worried that her exposed identity might jeopardize her revenge plans, confessed her fears to Ji Heng.
He reassured her, telling her to stay in her room and allow him to handle everything. He suggested a plan to fake Tian Qi's death as a physician, allowing her to re-emerge as a woman and marry him, believing the Emperor would then be lenient due to his contributions to the country. Tian Qi agreed, but insisted that finding Chen Wuyong and avenging her parents was her immediate priority. Ji Heng promised his full support.
Suddenly, Chen Wuyong, a skilled martial artist, easily overpowered the guards protecting Tian Qi's room and entered. Unarmed and helpless, Tian Qi was choked by him, but in that moment, she vividly recalled a childhood memory of her parents urging her to "Live on," and noticed a distinctive bite mark on her attacker's wrist. Remembering her past encounter with Chen Wuyong, Tian Qi quickly threw poisonous powder on his face, creating a burning sensation that momentarily disoriented him.
As he recovered and lunged at her with a dagger, Ji Zheng arrived just in time, engaging Chen Wuyong in a fierce fight. Ji Zheng was quickly outmatched, but the commotion drew Ji Heng to the scene. After a brief skirmish with both brothers, Chen Wuyong used his exceptional light-footed martial arts to escape.
Although Ji Heng and Ji Zheng couldn't identify the masked assailant, Tian Qi was certain it was Chen Wuyong because of the bite mark on his wrist, which she herself had inflicted when she was young. She then confessed to them that Chen Wuyong was responsible for her parents' murder and that she had joined the Ji mansion to uncover the truth. She believed he was now trying to silence her because he had discovered her identity.
She also informed them about the potent poisonous powder she used on his face, which would cause severe burning pain, leading him to seek an antidote. Ji Heng immediately dispatched Sheng Anhuai to covertly monitor pharmacies for anyone with facial burns, instructing his men to follow discreetly and report back.
Tian Qi requested to personally interrogate Chen Wuyong once he was captured, a request Ji Heng agreed to, in line with his earlier promise, while urging her to rest and stating he would handle the matter. Ji Heng then shared his concern with Ji Zheng that Chen Wuyong's attack might have been ordered by their mother. Nursing his burned face, Chen Wuyong reported to Dong Zichun.
He admitted his failure to kill Tian Qi and that his attempt had only alerted the Ji brothers. Despite being Dong Zichun's nominal master, Chen Wuyong knelt, expecting punishment. However, Dong Zichun considered the failed assassination a fortunate turn of events, a "good thing" that would help "burn down the whole Ji family," as Tian Qi had already caused chaos within it. He proposed a new scheme, asking if Chen Wuyong was "willing to sacrifice yourself to ignite the fuel."
A few days later, Ji Zheng, still distraught over Tian Qi and Ji Heng's relationship, drowned his sorrows with Zheng Shaofeng at a tavern. He confided in Zheng Shaofeng about his long-standing love for Tian Qi and his heartbreak over her affection for his brother. Zheng Shaofeng, pretending to be sympathetic, insinuated that Tian Qi was merely after Ji Heng's power, suggesting the outcome would be different if their positions were reversed.
Ji Zheng vehemently defended Tian Qi, rejecting the idea that she was materialistic, and grew irritated at Zheng Shaofeng's disrespectful remarks about Ji Heng. Seeing Ji Zheng's unwavering loyalty, Zheng Shaofeng dropped the topic. Soon after, a child delivered a mysterious letter to Ji Zheng, prompting Zheng Shaofeng to quickly excuse himself. Reading the letter, Ji Zheng's face contorted from shock to rigid horror, letting the paper slip from his grasp.
Overwhelmed by the letter's contents, Ji Zheng confronted Madame Ji in the Buddhist hall, demanding to know if she had ordered his birth mother to commit suicide years ago. Madame Ji, filled with guilt, evaded a direct answer, claiming that "not all things are as simple as black and white" and that any explanation would not satisfy or convince him.
Ji Zheng, enraged, accused her of being "so cruel" for making his birth mother die to protect him, and expressed his disgust at having "called a bad woman mother" for so many years, calling himself "foolish" and "ridiculous." Madame Ji, accepting his anger, offered her life in atonement, but pleaded with him not to harm Ji Heng, who was innocent and had always treated Ji Zheng like a true brother.
Ji Zheng, still seething, brandished a dagger, challenging her to accept a life for a life. As he stood with the dagger pointed at her, memories of Madame Ji's loving care, like the cape she had painstakingly sewn for him, flooded his mind. He dropped the dagger, unable to strike.
Madame Ji, who had raised him as her own son, watched him walk away, his words echoing that she no longer needed to be "so hypocritical" now that he knew the truth. Heartbroken, she tried to convince him that for her, he was always "a son of mine. You are no different from Heng." Not long after, Ji Heng's agents located Chen Wuyong's hiding place at a downtown pharmacy.
Ji Heng personally went to apprehend him, intending to hand him over to Shen Zhao'er for questioning. However, during their confrontation, Chen Wuyong delivered a shocking revelation: Tian Qi, the woman Ji Heng loved, was in fact Shen Zhao'er. He further confessed that he had killed Shen Qingyun's entire family, including Shen Zhao'er's parents, under the direct orders of Madame Ji, and his recent attempts on Shen Zhao'er's life were merely acts to protect his mistress. Ji Heng was left stunned by this profound betrayal.
