Dr. Cutie Episode 9 Recap
> Dr. Cutie Recap
Following the death of Madame Shu, the mystery surrounding "Cunduan (Deadly Cure)" persisted, with no clear indication of its origin or its connection to the murder of Dr. Shen. General Ji Heng and his brother, Marquis Marvel Ji Zheng, suspected there was a mole within the Ji household, given Madame Shu rarely ventured outside. Ji Heng had already begun the process of verifying the identities of all servants to root out any spies.
When he casually inquired about Tian Qi's background, Ji Zheng revealed that Tian Qi had indeed passed the imperial medical academy entrance exam but had inexplicably turned down the prestigious position of an imperial doctor just to enter the Ji mansion. Ji Zheng, however, conspicuously avoided mentioning that Tian Qi was a woman. Ji Heng, a keen observer, noticed Ji Zheng's evasive gaze and realized his brother was concealing something.
This sparked Ji Heng's resolve to personally investigate and test Tian Qi. At the same time, Tian Qi had been dwelling on Sun Congrui and his machinations. She concluded that to effectively counter Sun Congrui, she first needed to earn General Ji Heng's complete trust and become his confidant. The next day, Ji Heng announced his departure for military training in the suburbs and decided to take Tian Qi with him.
Ji Zheng, worried for Tian Qi, feared that if Ji Heng discovered her true gender, he might eliminate her as a precaution, regardless of her intentions. During the journey, Tian Qi resumed her usual exaggerated flattery towards Ji Heng, which he, as usual, found irritating. She even tried to offer him some dried plums, which she claimed were good for nausea, but the bumpy ride caused Ji Heng to nearly choke on one.
Later, during a lunch break, a frustrated Tian Qi lamented her inability to impress Ji Heng. She wandered off into a garden filled with gardenias, a scene that vividly reminded her of her childhood. She recalled her father playing the xiao, her mother singing, and herself dancing with a flower branch, hearing her mother call her "adorable." The joyful laughter of a child echoed in her memory, only to vanish, leaving her alone.
Picking a flower branch, just as she used to, Tian Qi found herself humming her mother's song, tears streaming down her face, wishing her parents were still there. From a distance, Ji Heng observed Tian Qi, a gentle smile gracing his lips, stirred by an unknown memory. However, as he drew closer and recognized Tian Qi, his expression immediately hardened.
Seeing the flower crown she had fashioned, he decided to tease her, warning her that for every flower lost, she would receive ten strikes of the rod. This playful torment, though annoying for Tian Qi, often brought a rare smile to Ji Heng's face. That night, Ji Heng called for Tian Qi to help him bathe.
Tian Qi, mortified, tried to find an excuse to leave, but Ji Heng sternly warned her that if she left, she would not be permitted to return to the Ji mansion after the military review. Reluctantly, Tian Qi began to undress Ji Heng. Her embarrassed and awkward movements, however, made Ji Heng pause. He found her behavior surprisingly "girlish" and abruptly dismissed her before she could proceed further.
Alone, Ji Heng mused over Tian Qi's peculiar demeanor, noting how much she resembled a girl, yet he dismissed the thought as merely a strange habit, quickly brushing away the spots Tian Qi had touched. The following day, as the troops continued their journey, Tian Qi, walking beside the carriage, jokingly remarked to Sheng Anhuai about how beautiful forests often harbored either monsters or assassins.
No sooner had she spoken than a volley of arrows rained down, striking several unsuspecting soldiers in the front ranks. Ji Heng, leaping from his carriage, fought valiantly, outnumbered. Just as the fight intensified, Ji Zheng arrived with reinforcements. It was then revealed that the supposed military training was merely a trap set by Ji Heng to lure out surviving remnants of the Dong faction, hoping to capture them alive and uncover the mastermind behind them.
Meanwhile, Tian Qi found herself pursued by an assassin. Frightened, she ran towards Ji Heng but stumbled over a fallen body, inadvertently shielding Ji Heng from a critical arrow. With Tian Qi gravely wounded, Ji Heng was forced to allow the remaining assassins to escape to tend to her, an unprecedented decision that showed he valued Tian Qi's life over his carefully laid plan.
Back at their temporary camp, with the doctor yet to arrive, Ji Heng prepared to treat Tian Qi himself. As he reached for the scissors to cut her clothes, a panicked Tian Qi pleaded with him, asking for his promise not to execute her if she survived. Ji Heng, confused by her strange request, assured her he was trying to save her, not punish her.
At that crucial moment, Ji Zheng returned with Dr. Ye Qianzi, a local female physician renowned for her skills, who was Wan Hong in disguise. Dr. Ye immediately asserted that Tian Qi had less than an hour to live without treatment. Ji Heng, with an intense look, ordered her to save Tian Qi, threatening her life if she failed.
Dr. Ye asked for privacy to treat her patient, and after some time, she emerged, announcing that the arrow had been removed and her family's special medicine applied. She reassured them that if Tian Qi's fever did not rise that night, her wound would heal. Ji Heng then personally looked after Tian Qi late into the night, fanning her and wiping her sweat.
When Sheng Anhuai came to check on him, Ji Heng, momentarily flustered, pretended to fan himself, holding the fan upside down. This tender and somewhat clumsy display revealed a side of the cold "Battle Rakshasa" rarely seen. When Tian Qi eventually regained consciousness, she saw Auntie Hong (Dr. Ye) tending to her. Her first anxious question was whether Ji Heng had discovered her secret. Auntie Hong calmly reassured her, saying, "Rest assured, I'm the one who pulled out your arrow."
Tian Qi, hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief, knowing her secret was safe for now. Ji Heng remained by Tian Qi's side. Later, he overheard her feverish whispers of "Dad, Mom, don't leave," to which he softly replied, "Okay, I won't leave. I'm here with you." While she was unconscious, he had already mused that her silence was something he wasn't used to, expressing his hope for her quick recovery.
