Black & White Forest Episode 25 Recap
> Black & White Forest Recap
Five years ago, Tu Manjiang brought Na Fan to a cemetery to pay respects. He told her the people buried there were his family, and like her father, they had been killed by others. Na Fan asked why he hadn't told her sooner. Tu Manjiang said he was afraid it would bring her pain, but Na Fan clarified it wasn't sadness but an inability to face it.
She acknowledged his willingness to avenge her but felt powerless to help him or even know who to seek revenge against. Tu Manjiang then suggested there was an opportunity now. In the present day, Luo Tianyi followed a person on a motorcycle and discovered it was Na Fan. He started recording her on his phone, but she spotted him and demanded his phone. Luo Tianyi questioned her motives and refused to hand it over.
During their struggle, Tu Manjiang emerged and fatally stabbed Luo Tianyi from behind. Seeing Luo Tianyi dead, Na Fan was furious. She held a knife to Tu Manjiang's throat, demanding to know why he killed Luo Tianyi, stating he shouldn't have died. Tu Manjiang dismissed the idea of "should or shouldn't," arguing that if Luo Tianyi hadn't died, Na Fan herself would have.
He expressed regret for previously agreeing not to harm Wen Binbin based on her wishes, as her focus had shifted entirely to Wen Binbin. Tu Manjiang claimed their plan couldn't be completed with Luo Tianyi alive, but Na Fan retorted that she didn't care about the plan anymore. Tu Manjiang insisted that if she didn't continue, someone else would, and that Wen Binbin's life depended on her continued involvement; if she stopped, Wen Binbin would die.
He even suggested that killing him and turning herself in would still keep Wen Binbin safe. He reminded her that neither of them had the right to die before their revenge was complete. He promised to bring her father's killer before her to fulfill her final wish before she could kill him. Separately, someone (later identified as being involved with Xing Liang's investigation) was looking into Tu Manjiang's past in South Korea.
They found he had taken a long leave from university due to a car accident and recovery. A caregiver, Ms. Jin, who looked after him for months, confirmed his recovery but found him boring, mostly reading. She recalled no visitors during his recovery. The investigator speculated the accident might have changed Tu Manjiang's personality and asked for help in finding any close friends from his school days. Ms. Jin's account suggested he had no close friends at that time.
Tu Manjiang called Qi Hanchen, who reminded him their relationship was strictly business, not friendship. Qi Hanchen expressed frustration that Tu Manjiang causing a death in the backyard of the Guanhai Tea House made things difficult for them and that cleaning up wasn't part of their agreement. Tu Manjiang explained it was sudden but he had handled the cleanup to prevent police from directly involving Qi Hanchen.
Tu Manjiang admitted the situation would lead to Xing Liang and Bao Chenyan eventually investigating him, but he planned to use it to divert their attention and accelerate his plans, asking for Qi Hanchen's cooperation. Qi Hanchen reiterated his priority was ensuring his company's interests were protected in the upcoming plan and instructed Tu Manjiang to coordinate specific details with An Zhihui.
Qi Hanchen then told An Zhihui to go to Binjiang immediately to audit contracts and payments related to a certain party, clearing up any issues, and to quickly separate their financial company, keeping only the part involving the Tuan Island merchants' share pledges. Regarding the crime scene, Qi Hanchen ordered it secured for an hour before police were called, strictly forbidding their own people from entering. Wen Binbin received a phone call from Na Fan.
Simultaneously, Bao Chenyan, who was in a meeting (with Wen Binbin and Tu Manjiang present, as he dismissed everyone but Tu Manjiang), also received a call. Bao Chenyan then questioned Tu Manjiang about his relationship with Na Fan, demanding the truth. Tu Manjiang claimed she was an orphaned child he had sponsored anonymously since she was twelve. He explained she had later found him herself by gathering clues from the orphanage.
(A flashback showed Na Fan finding Tu Manjiang, thanking him for his anonymous kindness that gave her hope, while Tu Manjiang explained he sponsored her after hearing about her plight, hoping to offer warmth, and used anonymity to avoid influencing her. He told her to focus on her studies and opportunities to help would come later. ) Tu Manjiang told Bao Chenyan Na Fan had always wanted to repay him and they had been in contact since.
Bao Chenyan then asked if Tu Manjiang arranged for Na Fan to work at Wen Zixuan's company. Tu Manjiang admitted suggesting it but maintained Na Fan got the job on her own merit and that he wasn't close to Wen Zixuan before the Tuan Island project. Bao Chenyan revealed Na Fan had kidnapped Tao and claimed it was because of Tu Manjiang. Tu Manjiang denied it, insisting Na Fan wouldn't do such a thing.
Wen Binbin took the phone and spoke to Na Fan, urging her not to act impulsively. Na Fan demanded one million cash for Tao's safe return, stating she only wanted money. She implied her actions were related to Tu Manjiang and that Luo Tianyi's death was also connected to him. Bao Chenyan and Wen Binbin were shocked by the news of Luo Tianyi's death and pressed Na Fan for his location.
Na Fan promised to reveal where to find him after she received the money. Tu Manjiang vehemently denied any connection to the kidnapping or Luo Tianyi's death, but Na Fan accused him of being a bad person, telling Wen Binbin and Bao Chenyan they could believe her or not. Na Fan set the meeting point at the unfinished building at Xingyu Pier in two hours, demanding one million cash and that Tu Manjiang come alone.
Wen Binbin updated Xing Liang on the situation. Tu Manjiang prepared the money, stating it was his life savings, and headed to the pier. Wen Binbin and Bao Chenyan also went, coordinating with the police. Xing Liang also departed for the location. At the pier, police surrounded the area. Na Fan instructed Bao Chenyan and Wen Binbin to stay outside and only let Tu Manjiang enter alone. Tu Manjiang entered the building.
Inside, Tao was found unconscious with a device on her. Police were warned the device was a bomb and to await a bomb disposal expert. Tu Manjiang delivered the money to Na Fan. He asked about Tao, and Na Fan said she was just unconscious. Na Fan explained she refused police monitoring equipment to talk freely, calling Tu Manjiang's behavior "disgusting" but acknowledging it ensured her safety and his freedom. She expressed regret about not seeing him again.
Tu Manjiang urged her to take the money and leave to live her own life. Na Fan refused, stating she would stay and watch him until he fulfilled all his promises. She demanded the remote control for the device after getting the money, assuring him it wouldn't detonate if she was safe. Tu Manjiang then reminded her of August 26th, twelve years ago, a rainy night.
(A flashback showed Na Fan's father making dinner, answering a knock, and being attacked as Na Fan's mother looked on, her father urging Na Fan to run. ) Tu Manjiang told Na Fan he had promised to bring her father's killer before her and had done so, revealing he was the one who killed her father.
He explained he did it because her father was a "traitor" who betrayed his nephew, Wild Jiang, leading to the destruction of Wild Jiang's family, including Tu Manjiang's sister and brother-in-law. He declared her father deserved death and added he killed him with the very knife her father had given her. Emotionally overwhelmed, Na Fan stabbed Tu Manjiang with the knife. A sniper, fearing her actions, shot and killed Na Fan.
The bomb device was later found to be fake, and Tao, the hostage, was sent to the hospital in stable condition. Xing Liang questioned the injured Tu Manjiang about what he said to provoke Na Fan. Tu Manjiang claimed he asked her why she framed him and suggested it was because he discovered her secret relationship with Qi Hanchen.
He alleged he saw her at Guanhai Tea House with An Zhihui's younger brother, a confidant of Qi Hanchen, and overheard them discussing Ms. Wen's involvement in the Tuan Island project, which he considered a dangerous sign. He claimed he warned Na Fan not to betray Ms. Wen, leading to her sudden attack. Discussing the case, Xing Liang mentioned the caregiver's account of Tu Manjiang's past car accident and a severe mango allergy.
Wen Binbin noted he had seen Tu Manjiang consume mango juice without issue, raising suspicions about his identity. They decided to continue investigating Tu Manjiang, expanding the scope, though Xing Liang emphasized the need for evidence over speculation. Wen Binbin mourned the deaths of Luo Tianyi and Na Fan, finding it difficult to believe Na Fan killed Luo Tianyi. He felt the events were too coordinated and suspected someone else was behind it, likely connected to Tu Manjiang.
He highlighted the need to understand Na Fan's true relationship with them. Xing Liang mentioned the forensic report from Luo Tianyi's death scene showed only signs of a struggle between him and Na Fan, no third party evidence, but indications the scene had been cleaned. Luo Tianyi's phone contained a photo identifying Na Fan as the motorcyclist who shot Dian Lao'er, adding to their questions about her actions and motivations.
They found it suspicious that Na Fan would kill Luo Tianyi after being discovered, especially by stabbing him from behind, and questioned her choice of location if she was truly involved with Qi Hanchen, given the difficulty of cleaning up Guanhai Tea House. They were increasingly suspicious of Tu Manjiang. Xing Liang and Wen Binbin reflected on the loss of their friends. Xing Liang stated the only way to honor them was to find the truth.
While the scene investigation didn't find direct third-party evidence, the signs of cleaning provided a direction. Wen Binbin reiterated his suspicion of Tu Manjiang but was troubled by the uncertainty surrounding his identity, making it hard to grasp the underlying connections. Xing Liang confirmed Tu Manjiang's identity was being thoroughly investigated. He noted Bao Chenyan was enraged by Tao's kidnapping and wouldn't let the matter rest.
Xing Liang observed that surface clues pointed towards Qi Hanchen but proposed a strategy: Xing Liang's team would focus on investigating Tu Manjiang, while he and Bao Chenyan would confront Qi Hanchen, hoping to pressure him into revealing any involvement with Luo Tianyi or Na Fan's deaths. He cautioned maintaining careful control during this confrontation.
