Fall in Love Episode 18 Recap
> Fall in Love Recap
Tan Xuanlin arrived at the wharfs, where he found a soaking wet Mu Wanting. He explained that he had anticipated someone would try to assassinate her, which was why he had sent people to watch her, saving her from drowning. He urged her to come with him to meet someone. Tan Xuanlin then drove Mu Wanting to see Min Dacheng.
He deliberately revealed to Min Dacheng that Mu Wanting had been pushed into the sea while boarding a ship to Hong Kong. Min Dacheng, alarmed, asked about Mu Wanting's condition. Tan Xuanlin assured him she was lucky and had been rescued by militia soldiers.
He pressed Min Dacheng to consider who would target a "misfortunate girl," knowing that only he and Xu Bojun were aware of Mu Wanting's true identity, which the Mu family had kept secret after announcing Cui Lianfeng's sudden death and never mentioning Mu Wanting's background. Min Dacheng asserted that Xu Bojun had promised to let his son marry Wanting and personally oversee the marriage.
Tan Xuanlin dismissed this as a delusion, explaining that back then, Mu Wanting's identity was a secret, and Xu Bojun, needing the Mu family's support against the Revolutionary Army, would have proposed marriage regardless of Min Dacheng's involvement. Now, with Mu Wanting's identity exposed, she had become a dangerous hidden threat to Xu Bojun; if someone with ulterior motives uncovered the truth, it would be a major risk for him, hence his desire to eliminate her.
Min Dacheng felt utterly betrayed, and Tan Xuanlin pointed out that he should have realized Xu Bojun's deceptive nature years ago, as he had fooled both Mu Zhiyuan and Governor Luo. Tan Xuanlin then offered to send Mu Wanting safely to Hong Kong if Min Dacheng would reveal the truth about Mu Yuanhang's death. Min Dacheng agreed to cooperate but requested to see Mu Wanting first. Tan Xuanlin granted his wish.
Upon seeing Min Dacheng, Mu Wanting was overcome with mixed emotions. Min Dacheng gently advised her to be careful in Hong Kong, a place she had never been, and offered a letter to friends there who would look after her. Mu Wanting angrily refused his help, declaring that she didn't care for his friends. She vehemently expressed her hatred for him, accusing him of suddenly appearing, causing her mother's death, and taking everything from her, wishing she had drowned.
Min Dacheng, in turn, slapped her, explaining that the slap was on behalf of her mother, who had sacrificed her life to give Mu Wanting a chance to live. He urged her to live on. Mu Wanting questioned what she could do, having lost everything because of him.
Min Dacheng admitted he had not been a good father but insisted that everything he had done, including doing bad deeds for Military Governor Xu, was for her sake, hoping she would marry into the governor's mansion and secure a good future. He acknowledged that all his efforts had been in vain. Min Dacheng pleaded with her to live well for her mother and for him.
Mu Wanting, hardened by her resolve, promised she would live well, asserting that only by living could she reclaim everything that was rightfully hers. Before she left, Min Dacheng tearfully asked her to call him "Dad," but she firmly refused, stating he had no right to be her father.
Reflecting on his life choices, Min Dacheng told Tan Xuanlin he was ready to testify and revealed that the evidence they sought was in Safe No. 57 of the United Overseas Bank. Later that night, Wanqing, worried, waited for Tan Xuanlin. She found him at the door, questioning why he was with Mu Wanting, linking it to his previous excuse for postponing their engagement. She jokingly accused him of trying to "hide a mistress."
Tan Xuanlin laughed, denying it and stating that since he had her, he wouldn't be interested in other women. Wanqing confessed her jealousy and pressed him to tell her if he was hiding something. Seeing her concern, Tan Xuanlin decided to reveal the truth, explaining that the true murderer of her brother, Mu Yuanhang, was someone else. Tan Xuanlin recounted the events of ten years prior: Xu Bojun and Governor Luo were fighting for control over Shanghai.
Governor Luo, after his supplies were robbed, sought to use the Mu family's wharf to transport ammunition. However, the Mu family, being on good terms with Xu Bojun, refused. In response, Governor Luo had Mu Yuanhang kidnapped and imprisoned in a wharf warehouse. He then sent troops to occupy the wharf under the pretext of rescuing "Mu Young Master."
At the time, Mu Zhiyuan was away on business, and Madam Xiao, desperate to save her son, agreed to let Governor Luo use the wharf. During this period, Cui Lianfeng approached Min Dacheng, revealing she was pregnant with his child. She urged him to kill Mu Yuanhang, promising that if he did, Mu Wanting could return to the Mu family, and if Cui Lianfeng gave birth to a son, he would be the sole heir to the Mu family's fortune.
Although Min Dacheng initially agreed, he hesitated. Before he could act, Xu Bojun launched a devastating artillery attack, bombing the wharf where Mu Yuanhang was held, killing him instantly. Afterward, Xu Bojun's adjutant approached Min Dacheng. He explained that Governor Luo had lost his power after the battle and offered Min Dacheng wealth and status if he would falsely accuse Governor Luo of Mu Yuanhang's death. Disoriented and seeing no other choice, Min Dacheng agreed.
Under Xu Bojun's instructions, Min Dacheng entered the devastated warehouse, found Mu Yuanhang's body, fired two more shots into his chest, and set his watch back by two hours. Following Governor Luo's defeat and retreat, Xu Bojun finally seized control of Shanghai. The two factions became embroiled in a legal battle over Mu Yuanhang's death. The initial investigation stalled due to Mu Yuanhang's unrecognizable body and the lack of witnesses.
However, the Police Department later found two bullet holes in Mu Yuanhang's body, and forensic experts determined the time of death to be 1:00 PM. Yet, Mu Yuanhang's watch had stopped at 3:00 PM due to the bombing. Based on this discrepancy, the police concluded that the bombing occurred two hours after Mu Yuanhang's death. The court ultimately ruled that Governor Luo had killed Mu Yuanhang first, and Xu Bojun had bombed the wharf afterward.
Governor Luo was convicted of kidnapping and murder, losing all his government titles, which were then taken over by Xu Bojun. Tan Xuanlin explained that Xu Bojun understood that if Wanqing's mother had helped Governor Luo with ammunition, the battle's outcome would have been uncertain. Therefore, when Governor Luo ran out of supplies, Xu Bojun chose to sacrifice Wanqing's brother.
Tan Xuanlin then showed Wanqing a crucial piece of evidence: footage from a foreign reporter who had been filming the Huangpu River opposite the warehouse, accidentally capturing Xu Bojun bombing the facility. Tan Xuanlin had paid to acquire this film. He explained that the footage clearly showed the bombing occurring when the Japanese tourist ship Santon Maru, which consistently arrived in Shanghai around 1:00 PM, was entering the port.
This confirmed Mu Yuanhang's death occurred during the bombing, directly contradicting the court's earlier ruling that the bombing happened two hours "after" his death, a conclusion based on the watch Min Dacheng had manipulated. Min Dacheng questioned why Tan Xuanlin hadn't used this powerful evidence to save his own life earlier. Tan Xuanlin warned him that even with this film, he could not single-handedly overthrow Xu Bojun.
However, he then challenged Min Dacheng, asking if he dared to testify against Xu Bojun if Tan Xuanlin claimed he could succeed. Min Dacheng, having nothing left to lose, agreed to testify in court. Wanqing, grateful for the truth, worried about facing the formidable Xu Bojun. She wondered how Xu Bojun could have befriended her father for so long, knowing he was responsible for her brother's death.
Tan Xuanlin explained that in Xu Bojun's eyes, everyone was a pawn to be exploited; his friendship with her father was purely for the Mu family's financial resources, calling Xu Bojun a "scumbag." Wanqing remarked that challenging Xu Bojun was like throwing an egg at a rock. Tan Xuanlin, however, remained confident, asserting that he always found victory in perilous situations, and the outcome of this struggle was far from certain.
Wanqing then asked why, if he was so confident, he hadn't revealed their relationship to Xu Bojun. He admitted he feared Xu Bojun's suspicion and the possibility of involving her and the Mu family if he were to lose. Wanqing proposed a condition: if he won, he would formally propose marriage to her family; if he lost, he would bear the consequences alone and ensure her safety.
Tan Xuanlin clarified that a confrontation with Xu Bojun was inevitable, regardless of her brother's case. Wanqing expressed that she would rather lose than have him risk his life. Tan Xuanlin reassured her, promising that he would indeed bring down Xu Bojun and propose to her family, fulfilling his lifelong commitment. They then shared a toast. Separately, Tan Xuanlin met with Hongchen and Shaojun. Tan Xuanlin expressed surprise that Shaojun, who typically disliked social gatherings, had joined them.
Shaojun explained that while Tan Xuanlin was hospitalized, Beijing was in turmoil. Their respective fathers had agreed to establish a five-province coalition force, but Xu Bojun was withholding the military pay provided by the Mu family. This had created a situation where the coalition force appeared united but was, in fact, deeply divided. With the Revolutionary Army poised to cross the Yangtze River, they remained disorganized. Tan Xuanlin asked if Shaojun wanted him to intercede with his own father.
Shaojun countered by asking if Tan Xuanlin's own father would listen to him. Tan Xuanlin dismissed discussing state affairs for the moment, stating he had invited them to celebrate his discharge and that the "old men" could worry about military pay. Meanwhile, at the Mu family residence, Mu Zhiyuan's servant reported that the ship from Fusheng had canceled its berth because another party was offering supplies at 70% of the Mu family's price.
Furthermore, two of their cotton mills were informed that cotton had been bought at a price 30% higher than theirs, leading suppliers to prefer paying breach fees rather than supplying the Mu family. Mu Zhiyuan, troubled by this "buying high and selling low" strategy, wondered who would engage in such a loss-making business. The servant mentioned the Japanese Chamber of Commerce.
Mu Zhiyuan was surprised, noting that Japanese businesses typically operated in Qingdao and that their current actions in Shanghai were clearly rule-breaking and an attempt to monopolize the market. Wanqing, having overheard, suggested they abandon the cotton trade and allow the Japanese to take all the business. Mu Zhiyuan grasped her "retreat to advance" strategy.
Wanqing elaborated that if the Mu family withdrew, their customers would naturally turn to the Japanese for the lowest-priced cotton, which would quickly exhaust the Japanese's funds from their high-buy, low-sell tactic. Mu Zhiyuan expressed concern about the significant losses from factory shutdowns. Wanqing clarified they wouldn't shut down; they would simply stockpile their produced cotton yarn. Once the Japanese ran out of money and supply, the Mu family could immediately reclaim the market and turn the tide.
While acknowledging it was a good plan, Mu Zhiyuan worried about how long the Japanese could sustain their strategy. Wanqing predicted they wouldn't last long, as their aggressive market grab would necessitate cutting internal expenses, inevitably leading to wage deductions for workers. She cited a similar strike in Tianjin, which was quelled by the Japanese army due to the city being a Japanese concession, but noted that such suppression would be impossible in Shanghai.
Mu Zhiyuan praised Wanqing's keen business sense. Shortly after, workers at the Japanese factories protested when they received only 20 dollars of their promised 30-dollar pay. A foreman dismissively told them to take what they were given, leading to further arguments and a physical altercation when the foreman struck a worker. The workers demanded an apology and compensation.
Inside the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, President Junichi Yamashita and his secretary Hasegawa discussed the three-day strike and the workers having locked the warehouses, halting cotton trade. They acknowledged they had taken on many orders when the Mu family's mill halted production, but now they couldn't deliver, leading to buyers demanding compensation. Hasegawa believed the Mu family was indeed executing a "retreat to advance" strategy. Yamashita, conceding, decided to meet with Mu Zhiyuan to understand his terms.
Mu Zhiyuan summoned Wanqing, praising her for accurately predicting the Japanese collapse, which occurred faster than he anticipated, reflecting the extent of their worker exploitation. Wanqing explained that she had studied economics in Japan and interned at a Tokyo futures exchange, making her familiar with such short-sighted tactics. She emphasized that any business that loses sight of the fundamental goal of making a profit and fails to operate steadily will inevitably fail.
Mu Zhiyuan expressed surprise that she had completed her university courses at the age of 20, to which she corrected him, stating she was admitted at 16. Wanqing explained that she had previously felt like she was living under someone else's roof and was hesitant to speak about her achievements. Mu Zhiyuan affectionately reassured her that as his daughter, she was always at home, lamenting his past shortcomings toward her and her mother.
He expressed that his health was declining and, as she was his only remaining family, he hoped she would help manage the Mu family business, entrusting its future to her. Wanqing, accepting the responsibility, agreed it was time for her to share his burden. She then suggested resigning from her position as Guangyao's personal secretary if she took over the Mu family business.
She explained that with Commander Tan overseeing Shanghai, and Military Governor Xu using Guangyao as a supervisor to watch him, her frequent interactions with Tan Xuanlin as the head of the Mu family business might arouse suspicion from the Military Governor's residence, placing her in a difficult position. By resigning, she could remain neutral in their conflicts, a necessary stance for a businesswoman. Mu Zhiyuan praised her foresight, admitting he hadn't considered that aspect.
Wanqing attributed her insight to having her father's blood. Mu Zhiyuan then revealed he was currently avoiding President Yamashita's calls to his Municipal Council office, indicating he had already formed a plan. He then asked Wanqing for her own decision on how to proceed.
