I Will Never Let You Go Episode 33 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Hua Buqi and Zhu Shou, operating under the alias "Sima," successfully sold a newly designed gambling device known as the "Great Wheel of Fortune" to Manager Qi of Yiliang Gambling House, securing a payment of 500,000 taels. Manager Qi, initially hesitant about the price, was convinced by Hua Buqi's explanation of the game's profit potential and its exclusivity to his establishment. Delighted with their earnings, Hua Buqi encouraged Zhu Shou to invent more such devices.
Zhu Shou, however, explained the rarity of creating truly popular new gambling methods, noting that his "Great Wheel of Fortune" took him a decade to perfect, though he praised Hua Buqi's own inventive potential. Shortly after their departure, a servant of Dongfang Shi arrived at the gambling house with portraits of Hua Buqi and Zhu Shou, instructing Manager Qi to locate them.
Manager Qi recognized the pair as "Sima Shou and his sidekick" and immediately dispatched men to pursue them, but Hua Buqi and Zhu Shou had already vanished. Yun Lang escorted Lin Dansha back to Mo Manor. He initially intended to proceed to Suzhou to confront Dongfang Shi, but Lin Dansha persuaded him to visit the Mo Manor first, as he also had matters to discuss with Mo Ruofei.
Mo Ruofei greeted Yun Lang warmly, expressing his relief and concern over Yun Lang's six-month disappearance, which had caused much worry for him and his uncle. Yun Lang offered a vague explanation, stating he had merely been "wandering around in the south." Madam Mo then raised the issue of Yun Lang and Lin Dansha's private engagement, disapproving of such arrangements without parental consent.
As Madam Mo spoke, Yun Lang was visibly disturbed, recalling Hua Buqi's past accusation that Madam Mo had poisoned her out of hatred, stemming from the Old Master Mo's affection for Hua Buqi's mother and the subsequent massacre of the Xue family. Yun Lang confirmed he would marry Lin Dansha despite Madam Mo's objections. Mo Ruofei then led Yun Lang to his room. There, Yun Lang confronted Mo Ruofei directly, questioning him about Hua Buqi's poisoning.
He revealed his knowledge that the Lotus Robe Knight was not the culprit and accused Mo Ruofei of being aware that Madam Mo was the true poisoner, condemning his ruthlessness. Shocked, Mo Ruofei asked how Yun Lang had discovered this and, more urgently, if Hua Buqi was still alive. Yun Lang, determined to keep Hua Buqi's survival a secret from him, vehemently insisted that she was dead, holding Mo Ruofei and his mother responsible for her demise.
He sternly warned that if they were not family, he would report them to the authorities. Mo Ruofei, filled with guilt over his negligence, pleaded for Hua Buqi's whereabouts, swearing he would protect her if she were truly alive. Yun Lang, however, refused to relent, advising Mo Ruofei and Madam Mo to read sutras and pray for Hua Buqi if they felt any shame.
After Yun Lang left, Mo Ruofei, deeply unsettled by the possibility of Hua Buqi's survival, secretly instructed Jiansheng to covertly investigate Hua Buqi's whereabouts in the Jiangnan region, emphasizing that his mother must remain unaware of this search. Later, Lin Yuquan gave Lin Dansha a poison-delaying medicine, remarking on the unusual nature of their poisoner's methods.
They discussed how Xiao Jiufeng had previously ordered them to remain at Mo Manor to monitor its activities, promising an antidote once he gained control. Lin Yuquan found it odd that Xiao Jiufeng had not given them any new missions since Hua Buqi's supposed death. Lin Dansha, however, was resolute, declaring her intention to kill Xiao Jiufeng and avenge their father, Lin Mantang, when the day of their cure arrived.
When Lin Yuquan inquired about her relationship with Yun Lang, she sadly confessed that she had given up on him. Just then, Yun Lang arrived at their door and, in Lin Yuquan's presence, announced his intention to marry Lin Dansha after the new year, promising to send betrothal gifts and treat her well. Lin Yuquan readily agreed to the union.
Overjoyed, Lin Dansha asked Yun Lang if he was marrying her purely out of a sense of responsibility, given an implied intimacy between them. Yun Lang affirmed his commitment to responsibility and good treatment. Lin Dansha then confessed that she knew his heart still harbored thoughts of Hua Buqi, but she only needed one chance to be by his side.
She then presented Yun Lang with her personal safety amulet from Yaoling Manor, wishing him perpetual safety and freedom from worry. Yun Lang accepted the amulet, expressing his gratitude. He then told Lin Dansha he would return to Feiyun to inform his father, advising her to rest at Mo Manor. He also mentioned that he would no longer pursue Dongfang Shi without evidence, as he had other pressing matters.
At Mingyue Villa, Liu Qingwu orchestrated an elaborate charade with her servant Ping'er, feigning intense suffering from a golden needle relapse. This performance was specifically for Manager Qing, who was spying. Manager Qing, convinced by her agony, expressed concern and suggested he report her condition to Liu Mingyue, implying a potential cure. Liu Qingwu allowed him to leave, satisfied that her "performance" was convincing.
Manager Qing reported Liu Qingwu's severe pain to Liu Mingyue, also mentioning that other subordinates were maintaining a neutral stance between the two. Liu Mingyue, filled with murderous intent towards Liu Qingwu, then instructed Manager Qing to offer Liu Qingwu a cure but stipulate a solitary meeting at a location of Liu Mingyue's choosing, specifically a cave, where she planned to have her killed.
Afterward, Liu Mingyue visited Liu Qingyan, who was recovering from her injuries, and began treating her with golden needles, explaining it would accelerate her healing and prevent further harm. Liu Qingyan, feigning gratitude for the treatment, subtly probed Liu Mingyue about her past, recalling details Mo Ruofei had shared about the Xue Manor. Liu Mingyue recounted meeting Xiao Jiufeng as a teenager, learning martial arts at a Buddhist nunnery, and how his guidance accelerated her progress.
Liu Qingyan then asked if Liu Mingyue had avenged the humiliation she suffered at the hands of the Xue family. Liu Mingyue fiercely declared her resolve to make those who wronged her pay a hundredfold, graphically detailing how she had killed the Xue family's son to make the elder Xue experience the agony of watching his child die.
Liu Qingyan, connecting this to Mo Ruofei's account of the Xue family massacre and the abduction of twin sisters with distinct green birthmarks, grimly realized the truth about her own parentage. To avoid suspicion, Liu Qingyan feigned intense agreement with Liu Mingyue's actions, even encouraging more ruthlessness.
Unaware of Liu Qingyan's true feelings, Liu Mingyue revealed Liu Qingwu's betrayal and her plan to eliminate her, then ordered Liu Qingyan to impersonate Liu Qingwu to get close to Chen Yu after the assassination. Liu Qingyan feigned agreement, but inwardly, her lingering gratitude towards Liu Mingyue, which had prompted her feigned injury to return, completely dissipated, replaced by resentment.
When Liu Qingwu arrived at the designated cave, she was met not by Liu Mingyue, but by guards who delayed her, stating they needed to observe her first. Realizing Liu Mingyue's complete distrust, she immediately fired a signal flare. Chen Yu and his men, who had been following her, promptly arrived as Manager Qing and Liu Mingyue's forces attacked Liu Qingwu, explicitly confirming Liu Mingyue's order to kill her for her perceived betrayal.
Chen Yu bravely fought off the attackers and rescued Liu Qingwu, who, wounded, claimed the weapons were poisoned and that she was dying. She then boldly asked Chen Yu if he had ever harbored feelings for anyone other than Hua Buqi, to which he firmly replied, "None." She pressed him further, asking if he still considered her a "ruthless and sinister person blinded by greed" after she had seemingly betrayed Liu Mingyue for his sake.
Chen Yu admitted that he initially harbored such thoughts but, having come to know her, now saw her as "just a pitiful person," much like Hua Buqi, regretting that she had not grown up in a normal family. It was then that Chen Yu also admitted to Liu Qingwu that he was the Lotus Robe Knight, a fact she had long suspected.
Liu Qingwu, expressing her desire to remain by his side, lamented her alleged impending death and the missed opportunity for him to love her. When Chen Yu moved to find Medical Sage Yi, Liu Qingwu tried to stop him, confessing that he couldn't "see me just as a friend forever." Chen Yu urged her to maintain her dignity and to not act "like this in the future."
Medical Sage Yi, upon examining Liu Qingwu, found no signs of poisoning, only general weakness and a loss of blood and qi. Liu Qingwu feigned surprise, claiming she had felt needle-like pains in her chest. Chen Yu did not expose her deception. Liu Qingwu then speculated that Liu Mingyue was likely hiding with the elusive sand bandits, whose constantly moving camps and widespread network of spies made them incredibly difficult to locate.
Determined to find their stronghold, Chen Yu decided to venture alone into the desert, reasoning that even in such a desolate environment, traces of human activity would be left. He refused Liu Qingwu's offer to accompany him, citing the increased risk of exposure, and urged her to focus on her recovery. Liu Qingwu confessed her lifelong loneliness and appreciation for his current care, but Chen Yu gently reiterated his stance, stating he only saw her as a friend.
Undeterred, Liu Qingwu declared her conviction that he would eventually fall in love with her. Chen Yu then instructed his subordinates to prepare for his solo journey into the desert and to rendezvous with him later in Shicheng, explaining his plan to uncover the bandits' defenses for General Guan to then eliminate them, thus resolving a long-standing problem for Xizhou.
Dongfang Shi, informed by Manager Qi about Hua Buqi's ingenuity, was surprised to learn she had sold a new gambling device for 500,000 taels at his Yiliang Gambling House. Manager Qi further reported that Hua Buqi and Zhu Shou had traveled north across the river towards Dengzhou, and that his contacts there had been alerted.
Impressed by Hua Buqi's skill in turning his family's businesses into a means for her own profit, Dongfang Shi decided to travel to Dengzhou to find "that Zhu brat." Meanwhile, Hua Buqi shared a new gambling idea with Zhu Shou, a variation of "Drawing Lots to Shoot Fortune" that involved participants choosing seven numbers from a set, with prizes for matching six or seven.
She envisioned it as a widespread, affordable lottery that could appeal to everyone from commoners to wealthy merchants, potentially expanding nationwide and generating immense profits. Zhu Shou, however, pointed out a critical flaw: unlike the "Great Wheel of Fortune," her method lacked any proprietary secret. He cautioned that if government entities, such as the Prince of Jing or even the Emperor, adopted the idea, the House of Zhu, as mere businessmen, would be unable to compete.
He concluded that her brilliant idea would likely only be viable for about a month before being taken over by the authorities, stating that "since time immemorial, the people should never fight against the government." Hua Buqi, disheartened, dismissed her idea as a "waste of time," but Zhu Shou quickly encouraged her, praising her talent as a businesswoman and urging her to continue developing new concepts. Though still reluctant, Hua Buqi agreed, and they decided to continue their journey, heading towards the Longhu Hotel.
