Feud Episode 17 Recap
> Feud Recap
Bai Jiusi watched as Li Qingyue picked out all the food in her bowl. Seizing the moment when she wasn’t paying attention, he imitated Lin Fan and personally fed her a bite, but ended up nearly choking her. Once Li Qingyue recovered, she turned and walked away. Bai Jiusi went to find Lin Fan and told him about her reaction. Lin Fan thought Li Qingyue had walked away out of embarrassment.
Zhang Suan went to Qu Xingman to ask for the antidote. Qu Xingman blamed him for not showing up for so long, worrying that if anything happened to him, she would have no way to communicate with Meng Chu. Zhang Suan wanted to completely purge the poison from his body and told Qu Xingman that Meng Chu had already been released.
At first, Qu Xingman didn’t believe him, but when Zhang Suan threatened her by saying if anything happened to him, she should consider what Meng Chu would do to her, she had no choice but to believe him. Just as Zhang Suan was about to leave, Fan Ling Er suddenly appeared in front of him.
Touched by how much Zhang Suan had sacrificed for Li Qingyue, she said that since he was going to look for her to get rid of the poison completely, she would go with him. Qu Xingman packed her belongings, intending to find Meng Chu, but was stopped by her mother, Qu Ke, who insisted that Meng Chu should come find Qu Xingman instead. Meanwhile, Bai Jiusi wasn’t idle either.
He kept asking Lin Fan for advice on how to win Li Qingyue’s favor. But every time, Li Qingyue acted as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn’t noticed his efforts. Bai Jiusi didn’t get discouraged and kept trying new ways to please her every day. In the blink of an eye, two months passed.
Lin Fan noticed that the relationship between Bai Jiusi and Li Qingyue hadn’t improved at all and wondered what serious mistake Bai Jiusi must have made for Li Qingyue to remain so unchanged for two months. Lin Fan suggested that Bai Jiusi directly admit his mistakes to her. While Lin Fan and Bai Jiusi were discussing the matter, Scholar Kong brought over two bowls of plain noodles and invited them to eat with him, as it was his birthday.
Scholar Kong had exhausted his family’s wealth from repeatedly taking the imperial exam. Lin Fan, in Bai Jiusi’s name, helped sponsor him. To ease the tension between Bai Jiusi and Li Qingyue, Lin Fan invited both of them to visit his home and asked his wife to help counsel Li Qingyue. Bai Jiusi readily agreed. Lin Fan’s warmth took Bai Jiusi by surprise—many things left him unable to decline.
Li Qingyue sat in the courtyard drinking tea and reading a book. Bai Jiusi deliberately walked over and “accidentally” bumped the teacup, spilling tea onto her clothes. He quickly pulled out a change of clothes and, imitating the behavior of Lin Fan and his wife, bit off a loose thread from her shoulder. This flirtatious gesture made Li Qingyue slightly shy. The families of Bai Jiusi and Lin Fan thus formed a deep bond.
Lin Fan remained enthusiastic, often bringing pastries and snacks for Bai Jiusi and Li Qingyue, deliberately trying to set the two up. Scholar Kong later sent letters to both Bai Jiusi and Lin Fan. He had finally passed the imperial exam, but sadly died on the way to assume his post. Lin Fan felt a bit guilty, thinking that if he hadn’t sponsored Scholar Kong, he wouldn’t have worked himself to death.
Bai Jiusi was also heartbroken over Kong’s passing, though he pretended to be indifferent. Li Qingyue saw through him. Bai Jiusi had now truly tasted the pain of mortal farewells, and Li Qingyue specially brought wine to comfort him. As Lin Fan’s wife was about to give birth, he grew very anxious. It was his first time becoming a father, and he didn’t know how to be a good one, so he confided in Bai Jiusi.
Bai Jiusi, who had always maintained a calm and aloof demeanor, made Lin Fan think he was an entitled noble son unfamiliar with the hardships of life—bad-tempered and inflexible. Hearing Lin Fan’s assessment of him, Bai Jiusi felt helpless, but didn’t blame him. It also made him experience what it meant to have a friend to truly open one’s heart to.
