Gone with the Rain Episode 4 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
Mo Xi used her twisted ankle as an excuse to hold Wan Jiagui's hand on their way back to the mansion, suggesting they help each other since both were injured. Wan Jiagui, initially hesitant, began to appreciate Mo Xi's optimistic nature and didn't resist her touch. Back at the mansion, Mo Xi prepared a meal with lamb and steamed buns she bought.
Wan Jiagui, who hadn't had meat since fleeing the rebels, gratefully ate, impressing Mo Xi with his refined manners despite his hunger. She speculated he came from a prominent official family and asked about his purpose in Jingzhou, but he stated it's classified. Mo Xi revealed her concern that leaving Jingzhou City will be difficult. She explained that Wang'er, her usual contact for smuggling, was now demanding an exorbitant 50 taels, far more than his usual fee.
She suspected Wang'er was in league with the rebels and was exploiting those desperate to escape, especially since other local contacts she knew were also under rebel control. Wan Jiagui pointed out that Chen Wende's army had been in power for months, and many locals no longer viewed them as rebels but as the official soldiers governing Jingzhou City.
Meanwhile, Bai Pengkun complained to his mother, Bai Er Furen, about Mo Xi hiding a "thief" or "lover" in her room, displaying the injuries he sustained from Wan Jiagui. Bai Er Furen, however, was wary of intervening, reminding him of the supposed "ghost" that haunts Mo Xi's courtyard and mentioning that his grandfather's concubine died there, playing into Mo Xi's earlier ruse.
She dismissed Bai Pengkun's concerns, revealing that her husband, Bai Wentai, had already arranged for Mo Xi to become a concubine for Chen Wende, an arrangement she saw as a fortunate elevation of Mo Xi's status. Fengyao accidentally overheard this conversation while visiting her brother and immediately rushed to Mo Xi's courtyard to inform her. Wan Jiagui quickly hid as Fengyao entered, anxiously telling Mo Xi that their parents intended to send her to Chen Wende.
Fengyao took Mo Xi to a private room, urging her to take some packed belongings and flee. Mo Xi refused, explaining that with the city under rebel control and Chen Wende's fearsome reputation, escape was impossible, and no one would dare help her fake an illness. She defiantly stated that if Chen Wende insisted on taking her, she would make him "never forget it."
Mo Xi returned the items to Fengyao, advising her to be frugal with her remaining jewelry and promising to repay her kindness in the future, even jokingly suggesting she'd be Fengyao's elder sister in the next life. This emotional exchange left Fengyao in tears. Wan Jiagui, who had been hiding, emerged and told Mo Xi that Chen Wende was too powerful to be directly confronted.
He suggested Mo Xi leave with him, and he would scout the city gates for an escape route. Mo Xi, after some spirited banter, agreed to leave with him but insisted they must first figure out a viable escape plan. Before they departed, Mo Xi decided she would demand all that her Second Uncle's family owed her and use the opportunity to gather more information.
Mo Xi confronted Bai Wentai and Bai Er Furen, acknowledging that she knew their plan to send her to Chen Wende as a concubine. Bai Er Furen attempted to justify their actions by citing Mo Xi's mother's humble origins as a courtesan, born in a red-light district alley, which she claimed made it impossible to include Mo Xi in the Bai family registry.
She argued that providing for Mo Xi until now and arranging this marriage was a benevolent act, offering her a chance to marry a powerful figure like Chen Wende. Mo Xi vehemently rejected this, accusing them of "selling her off" and disrespecting her late father. She pointed out her illegitimate status and her mother's background, which Bai Er Furen used against her. Mo Xi sarcastically suggested they offer this "fortune" to Fengyao or other relatives if it's so desirable.
Growing frustrated, Bai Er Furen offered to formally record Mo Xi in the Bai family registry, acknowledging her as First Master Bai's illegitimate daughter. Mo Xi scoffed at this, comparing herself to a "pig dressed with flowers" for sale, implying she's not fooled. Finally, Bai Er Furen, exasperated, asked what it would take for Mo Xi to agree. Mo Xi, seizing the upper hand, calmly presented her "three conditions."
Bai Wentai complied with Mo Xi's demands, and servants delivered numerous chests filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and luxurious silk fabrics to Mo Xi's courtyard as her dowry. Fengyao arrived, heartbroken and distraught, believing Mo Xi was truly sacrificing herself. Mo Xi, however, reassured Fengyao that she was merely being cunning, securing her own interests and wealth before agreeing to anything.
She explained her three conditions were: her mother's memorial tablet to be placed in the Bai family ancestral hall, her name to be recorded in the family genealogy, and a substantial dowry. She explicitly stated that these actions were not out of genuine desire for status but to fulfill her late mother's wishes and to gain leverage.
Mo Xi revealed her real intention for seeking a meeting with Chen Wende: it was part of her escape plan, though Wan Jiagui immediately warned her that this was "too dangerous." Bai Wentai escorted Mo Xi to meet Chen Wende, warning her against provoking him. Upon arrival, Mo Xi deliberately prolonged the journey, engaging Chen Wende's aide, Wu, in conversation. Inside, Chen Wende admonished Mo Xi for her "unruly" behavior and lack of manners, even after their third encounter.
Mo Xi, unfazed, openly questioned why he would choose her as a concubine when there were many noble ladies available, and boldly suggested she'd only be interested if he were an emperor. Chen Wende, angered, asserted his loyalty and patriotism, claiming he was falsely accused as a rebel. Mo Xi, however, bluntly stated that he was a "traitor" who drove the emperor away, and marrying him would make her a "traitor's wife."
Chen Wende then clarified that he summoned her not to be a concubine, but to serve as a maid, finding the women in his mansion dull. Mo Xi, ever opportunistic, agreed to serve him, but presented a request: she wished to move her mother's grave to be buried alongside her father's. She shrewdly pointed out that both graves were outside the city, and asked for a permit to leave.
Despite Chen Wende's suspicion that she planned to escape, Mo Xi feigned filial piety, assuring him she wouldn't abandon her mother's grave. Impressed by her audacity, Chen Wende granted her the permit. In return, he took her to his interrogation chamber, revealing a bound prisoner—a former informant who betrayed him to Wu Lang. Chen Wende declared this was "the fate of those who betray me," intending to intimidate Mo Xi.
Though visibly affected, Mo Xi maintained her composure, stating she disliked his "cruel demeanor" rather than being scared. Chen Wende, acknowledging her as a "cunning little fox," warned her to remember the sight and avoid a similar end. After Mo Xi left, Chen Wende instructed Wu to assign maids to follow her and report any suspicious activity, eager to uncover her true intentions.
Later, Fengyao visited Mo Xi's courtyard and prayed to the Bodhisattva for Mo Xi's safety, hoping she would not marry Chen Wende. She also offered her personal Bai family jade plaque, a token since birth, to Mo Xi, hoping the Bai ancestors would bless her. Wan Jiagui, hidden nearby, overheard Fengyao's heartfelt prayer and offered his own silent plea for Mo Xi's escape.
Meanwhile, Bai Wentai and Bai Er Furen were furious upon learning that Chen Wende had ordered the combined burial of Mo Xi's mother, a former courtesan, with Mo Xi's father (Bai Wentai's elder brother). Bai Er Furen viewed it as an "inappropriate" and "disgraceful" humiliation for the Bai family, fearing public ridicule. Bai Wentai expressed surprise at Mo Xi's "wicked intentions," having initially believed she went to Chen Wende to gain his affection.
Mo Xi then directly confronted them, holding Chen Wende's order and demanding money and manpower for the burial arrangements. She warned that if she didn't comply with Chen Wende's will, their "entire family's lives will be in jeopardy," forcing their reluctant cooperation. Mo Xi avoided Fengyao, who came to her courtyard with chicken soup, because she felt "uneasy" and guilty for angering Fengyao's parents and causing such a stir in the mansion.
Wan Jiagui, still hidden, noted that Fengyao's genuine compassion was evident, as the jade plaque she gave Mo Xi earlier must have been her own, newly made ones couldn't have been completed so quickly. He asked Mo Xi if her actions regarding the burial were merely to "vent her anger." Mo Xi clarified that the exhumation "requires leaving the city," and her entire plan for safe escape "depends on this one attempt."
To prepare, she took Wan Jiagui to a clothing store, instructing the tailor to make a woman's dress for him, complete with two veiled hats. Wan Jiagui, though surprised, accepted her plan to disguise him as a woman to leave the city. After their preparations, Mo Xi took Wan Jiagui for a stroll through the bustling night market. Watching her joyful and uninhibited smile, Wan Jiagui found himself increasingly drawn to her.
