Her Fantastic Adventures Episode 4 Recap
> Her Fantastic Adventures Recap
At Qingfeng Restaurant, which is undergoing renovation for a food festival, Ruoyun, accompanied by her maid Yuanhua, expresses interest in securing a private room upstairs. Initially frustrated by the disruption, she is eventually admitted. Gu Qingqiao, who is overseeing the operation, explains that access to the upstairs private rooms requires a deposit to become a member. Ruoyun, mentioning her connection to "Chairman Duan Yu" of the Changqing Chamber of Commerce, requests a fair price.
Gu Qingqiao agrees to grant her "gold member" status for a deposit of three thousand taels for Chairman Duan's sake, noting that others must deposit at least five thousand. After paying, Ruoyun tells Yuanhua that she deliberately inflated the price for other female guests who mention Chairman Duan's name. She then expresses excitement about the membership, believing it ensures she will dine with "Brother Duan Yu" at the food festival, and decides they should go to the bookstore.
At the bookstore, Ruoyun is eager to find the latest book by her favorite author, Mr. Si, particularly the sequel to "The Young Master Loves Me." Xing Si arrives at the bookstore to deliver the new books. In a moment of carelessness, he knocks over a shelf, accidentally mixing his original manuscript into the pile. Ruoyun discovers his original manuscript, believing it to be the sequel, and is overjoyed, purchasing it for one tael.
Later, when the manager pays Xing Si, he reports losing his original manuscript. Surprised, the manager questions how this could happen, and Xing Si replies that he lost his heart, indicating his feelings for Ruoyun. Prior to the food festival, Xing Si discusses Gu Qingqiao with Duan Yu's assistant. He suggests that as part of the process for a potential marriage proposal, they should find an official matchmaker to obtain Gu Qingqiao's eight characters.
He believes this could be a way to indirectly investigate if she is the "Star of Rebellion." He also muses on whether Gu Qingqiao might already sense their suspicions about her identity and whether her organization of the food festival could be a calculated move to conceal who she is. He notes that Gu Qingqiao generally appears kind and speaks warmly whenever she encounters Duan Yu. Before the food festival, Gu Qingqiao speaks with Lu Zizheng, calling him by name.
She asks him if he understands the concept of a "sense of unreality" and describes what she calls "childhood friends"—people who grow up together, tease each other, but remain lifelong close companions. She reveals that she partially organized the large food festival for him, viewing him as a familiar face in a distant place and wanting to help him navigate danger. They banter, with him calling her overly emotional and she calling him arrogant and annoying.
Gu Qingqiao then reveals she knows his identity, telling him she knew he wasn't the person she initially mistook him for because that other person would have been too stingy to let her off the hook for money owed. They part ways, agreeing not to meet the next day, with Lu Zizheng promising good news. Gu Qingqiao is seen diligently embroidering a pouch, pricking her fingers as she works, mentioning it is her first time doing needlework.
She gives the finished pouch to Xing Si to deliver to Duan Yu, again referencing her inexperience. Xing Si delivers the pouch and tells Duan Yu's assistant that Gu Qingqiao seems like a good person, expressing his hope that she is not the Star of Rebellion. Regardless, Duan Yu instructs his Wuyi Guards to closely monitor Gu Qingqiao during the food festival and apprehend her immediately if she displays any suspicious actions.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingqiao's father, Gu Xingwu, expresses sadness that his daughter's eight characters ("庚帖") have been taken away, feeling as though something has been hollowed out. Gu Qingqiao comforts him, telling him not to be sad about the eight characters or worry about the food festival. She repeatedly calls him "Dad," which brings him great happiness. On the day of the food festival, Qingfeng Restaurant is filled with activity.
Magistrate Du arrives and is welcomed by Gu Qingqiao, the daughter of Gu Xingwu, who the magistrate praises for her resourcefulness. Upstairs, Magistrate Du and Duan Yu finalize plans to capture Mantra Sect members who have infiltrated the event. They have identified suspicious individuals at street entrances and positioned Wuyi Guards among the staff and guests. Ruoyun unexpectedly arrives with Shaoyi, causing concern for Duan Yu, who sees them as potentially jeopardizing the operation.
He orders Shaoyi to be tied up and sent back to Jizhou Academy and instructs Xing Si to ensure Ruoyun's safety. While trying to manage Ruoyun, who is determined to see Duan Yu, Xing Si is bitten by her. In the kitchen, Gu Qingqiao oversees the preparation of a special dish called "Sword Roast Whole Lamb," even borrowing a sword for the process.
Mantra Sect members are present, intending to capture the Right Guardian, who they believe is surrendering, and recover a sacred object. Duan Yu and Magistrate Du observe a man disguised as the Right Guardian, used as bait. The trap is sprung, and a chaotic fight breaks out as the cultists are identified. Most of the Mantra Sect members are captured, with some taking poison rather than being taken alive.
One cultist manages to escape into the kitchen, briefly clashing with a cook before using a powder to create a diversion and flee. This escaping cultist then encounters Ruoyun and takes her hostage, demanding safe passage. As he threatens Ruoyun, Gu Qingqiao, wielding a roasted lamb leg, strikes the cultist, providing Ruoyun an opportunity to escape. The cultist throws another cloud of powder and makes his final escape.
Xing Si reports to Duan Yu that all cultists have been apprehended except for the one who escaped. Following the incident, disgruntled customers complain about the chaos and demand compensation, questioning whether Gu Qingqiao had prior knowledge of the events. Duan Yu steps forward and publicly accepts responsibility for the disruption. Later, back at the mansion, Gu Qingqiao calls out for Lu Zizheng, reminding him that he promised to return her electronic watch if the Mantra Sect members were caught.
He appears and gives her the watch. He warns her that possessing it means her life will no longer be ordinary and that the world will be thrown into turmoil. He also tells her to protect herself and the watch, revealing it is the "Nine-turn melodious bell," a sacred object of the Mantra Sect, whose discovery by others, especially her future husband Duan Yu, could lead to danger. Gu Qingqiao insists that the item is now hers.
As he prepares to leave, she asks his real name. He replies that since the name "Lu Zizheng" is so important to her, he will call himself Lu Zizheng from now on. They exchange a high-five before he departs. However, Duan Yu had been tracking Lu Zizheng and had set an ambush near the mansion. Just as Lu Zizheng leaves, Gu Qingqiao is struck and injured by an arrow fired from Duan Yu's Qilin Bow. Lu Zizheng is also wounded.
Realizing Duan Yu likely followed her to find Lu Zizheng, Gu Qingqiao quickly instructs Lu Zizheng to pretend to kidnap her to create a distraction for his escape. To make the act convincing, Lu Zizheng deliberately cuts Gu Qingqiao with a dagger and holds it to her throat, threatening to kill her if Duan Yu does not order his men to retreat. Seeing Ruoyun in danger, Duan Yu orders his forces to withdraw.
Lu Zizheng assures Gu Qingqiao that her wound is not immediately life-threatening. Once Duan Yu's men have retreated, Lu Zizheng releases Gu Qingqiao and escapes. Gu Qingqiao then collapses and faints.
