Dr. Cutie Episode 25 Recap
> Dr. Cutie Recap
Shen Zhao'er had been searching for Ji Heng, and upon hearing from Sheng Anhuai that Ji Heng had gone after Chen Wuyong on her behalf, she worried deeply about his safety. However, when she finally found him in the mansion, he had been deliberately avoiding her. The realization that her concern was wasted on someone who was hiding from her made her feel foolish and betrayed.
She confronted Ji Heng, demanding to know why he had captured Chen Wuyong, kept it from her, and then poisoned him. She pressed him, asking if he was the one who ordered Chen Wuyong to kill her parents. Ji Heng, wanting to protect his mother, chose to take the responsibility upon himself. In Shen Zhao'er's eyes, this was a direct admission. He admitted, "About the death of your parents, I do have a responsibility," and promised to make amends.
Shen Zhao'er, however, declared him a killer and vowed to seek revenge. As she advanced on him with a dagger, then retreated, struggling with her resolve, Ji Heng, desperate not to lose her again, told her he would not let her leave his side. Shen Zhao'er cried out her hatred for him, then stabbed him in the abdomen. As she fled, she was torn, hating Ji Heng but hating herself even more for having fallen in love with him.
Chaos erupted in the mansion as servants discovered Ji Heng, severely wounded and bleeding profusely. Shen Zhao'er was imprisoned. Ding Zhi, the imperial physician, was unable to stop the bleeding or safely remove the deep-seated blade. Madame Ji, alerted to the assassination, rushed to her son's side, heartbroken to see him in a coma, his delirious pleas for "Zhao'er" echoing through the room.
When she learned that Shen Zhao'er was responsible for the attack, her grief turned to fury, and she vowed severe retribution for anyone who threatened her son's life. Later, Madame Ji visited Shen Zhao'er in the prison.
She chastised Shen Zhao'er, revealing how much Ji Heng had done for her: seeking a high-ranking minister to adopt Shen Zhao'er as an honorary daughter, and even asking the Emperor to send him to pacify a rebellion to atone for Shen Zhao'er's crime of impersonating a male imperial physician. All these efforts were to clear a path for them to marry. Madame Ji questioned Shen Zhao'er's coldness and ability to inflict such a wound.
Shen Zhao'er simply responded, "I hate him." With that, Madame Ji declared her intention to report Shen Zhao'er to the imperial court, threatening to "send her on her way." Inside, Shen Zhao'er struggled, wishing she could hate Ji Heng, but finding herself unable to. Ji Zheng then arrived at the prison where Shen Zhao'er was being held, interrupting Madame Ji's confrontation. He demanded to know about Shen Zhao'er's safety, seemingly disregarding his brother's critical condition.
Ji Zheng revealed to Madame Ji that Shen Zhao'er had hurt Ji Heng because Ji Heng was responsible for her parents' death, a confession he attributed to Chen Wuyong. Madame Ji dismissed this as nonsense and reiterated her refusal to let Shen Zhao'er leave, threatening to eliminate the "troublemaker" herself. However, Ji Zheng warned Madame Ji that he would "fight to the bitter end" if she harmed Shen Zhao'er, explicitly threatening to escalate the conflict between the brothers.
It was during this confrontation that Madame Ji learned the extent of Ji Heng's sacrifices for her and realized that she was losing Ji Zheng, prompting her to eventually compromise to avoid the brothers killing each other. Back at Ji Heng's bedside, Ding Zhi assured Madame Ji that Ji Heng had passed the most dangerous phase and would soon awaken. Madame Ji, after instructing Sheng Anhuai to keep Ji Heng confined to his room, left.
Madame Ji had always believed her actions were to protect her son, but now, seeing the brothers turn against each other and Ji Heng in danger, losing his beloved, she could no longer bear to thwart his wishes. When Ji Heng later awoke to find his mother there, he despairingly told her that Shen Zhao'er was his life and that without her, he was a mere shell. He accused his mother of being cruel.
Madame Ji, overwhelmed with guilt, admitted that Shen Zhao'er's blade should have been for her, and Ji Heng had taken the blame to protect his "bad mother." She expressed regret for her past actions, which had caused him to lose his beloved. With a newfound understanding, she promised that if Ji Heng and Shen Zhao'er had another chance, she would no longer stand in their way. Ji Heng, grateful, thanked his mother.
Meanwhile, in a moving carriage, Ji Zheng offered Shen Zhao'er refuge at his mansion, believing that after her painful separation from Ji Heng, she might accept him. He emphasized their shared experiences of loss and betrayal, positioning himself as the one who understood her best. However, Ji Zheng had underestimated Shen Zhao'er's love for Ji Heng; even though she now believed Ji Heng was her parents' murderer, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
Shen Zhao'er politely declined, stating that she had important people waiting at Wanhong Club and needed to return there, her heart in turmoil. Ji Zheng, after making her promise to contact him in any future danger, agreed to escort her. At Wanhong Club, Ji Zheng paid his respects to Auntie Wan Hong, Shen Zhao'er's guardian, acknowledging her as a benefactor for raising such an innocent girl.
He openly sought Auntie Wan Hong's blessing for his pursuit of Shen Zhao'er, which she granted, seeing it as a good outcome since Shen Zhao'er and Ji Heng's path together was no longer possible. Auntie Wan Hong also offered Shen Zhao'er a unique form of comfort, telling her to cry, eat, and then get busy.
She wisely advised that time was the ultimate cure for all heartaches, suggesting that with enough time and work, Shen Zhao'er would eventually forget Ji Heng. Elsewhere, Sheng Anhuai, following Ji Heng's orders, instructed his men to secretly protect Shen Zhao'er at Wanhong Club, and to monitor her movements, even suggesting sealing the establishment if necessary. Unaware of Ji Heng's protective intent, Ding Zhi arrived at the supposedly busy Wanhong Club, finding it deserted due to Sheng Anhuai's blockade.
Ding Zhi, known for his admiration of beautiful women, was completely fixated on Auntie Wan Hong. Mistaking Sheng Anhuai's actions as a punitive measure against Shen Zhao'er for injuring Ji Heng, Ding Zhi rushed to warn her, though he was largely distracted by his desire to be alone with Auntie Wan Hong. Zheng Shaofeng, also known as Dong Zichun, was informed that Shen Zhao'er had stabbed Ji Heng but failed to kill him.
He cynically noted Shen Zhao'er's "softheartedness" as a woman and resolved to further ignite the conflict between the Ji brothers. He sought out Ji Zheng and, exploiting Ji Zheng's knowledge of Shen Zhao'er's female identity and her vulnerable presence at Wanhong Club, subtly goaded him. Zheng Shaofeng suggested Ji Zheng take Shen Zhao'er by force, claiming that "women all love bad men." Ji Zheng vehemently rejected this, insisting he desired genuine affection.
Zheng Shaofeng then ominously warned Ji Zheng to beware of "others getting you first," hinting that Ji Heng might use unscrupulous methods while Ji Zheng adhered to his gentlemanly principles. Later, Shen Zhao'er, having been indirectly warned by Ding Zhi about Sheng Anhuai's presence, slipped out of Wanhong Club's back door to confront Sheng Anhuai. She questioned if he was "supervising" her.
Sheng Anhuai, loyal to Ji Heng and unaware of the full extent of their personal conflict, tried to persuade Shen Zhao'er to return to Ji Heng, emphasizing Ji Heng's deep love and his constant cries for her name while unconscious. When Shen Zhao'er refused to comply and threatened to call for help, Sheng Anhuai, asserting the authority of the Ji Mansion, attempted to forcibly bring her back.
At that moment, Ji Zheng, provoked by Zheng Shaofeng's earlier suggestions, dramatically intervened, ordering Sheng Anhuai to release Shen Zhao'er. Sheng Anhuai accused Ji Zheng of trying to steal Shen Zhao'er from General Ji Heng. Ji Zheng defiantly declared that Ji Heng had been taking what rightfully belonged to him, but this time, he would not yield. Using one woman to make the Ji brothers fight and kill each other, it seemed Zheng Shaofeng's goal would soon be realized.
