I Will Never Let You Go Episode 37 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Chen Yu and Dongfang Shi set up a trap in the desert to capture a bandit scout, forcing him to lead them to the bandit base. Dongfang Shi expressed frustration that the bandits took two days to make their move. Chen Yu questioned the scout about a girl who had recently entered their base. The scout claimed he was only responsible for desert surveillance and knew nothing about the camp itself.
When Chen Yu threatened to kill him, the scout relented and agreed to guide them, warning that their base had thousands of people who could easily overwhelm them. Chen Yu dismissed his warning. Meanwhile, inside the bandit cave, Hua Buqi, who had introduced herself as Miss Sima from the Sima family specializing in gambling, presented Big Beard Ma with a diagram of a "Wheel of Fortune."
She explained that her family had spent over a decade developing such equipment, guaranteeing a 90% win rate, which would ensure all his subordinates' money would flow into his pockets. Big Beard Ma initially suspected she was offering it as collateral because she couldn't afford her one million taels bail. Hua Buqi clarified that she indeed possessed the money, but she desired permission to walk freely around the camp, tired of being confined.
She even suggested that Sha Shu could accompany her as a guard. She then taught Big Beard Ma an even simpler gambling game, involving picking 7 numbers out of 20, promising a thousandfold payout if three numbers matched the winning combination. The bandits were captivated by the prospect of such high winnings. After implementing Hua Buqi's new gambling method, Big Beard Ma indeed won a substantial amount of money.
As promised, he instructed Sha Shu to allow Hua Buqi to explore the camp, with Sha Shu accompanying her. Hua Buqi, initially advising a bandit against excessive gambling, soon joined in herself, even winning ten taels from Sha Shu. During their walk, Hua Buqi skillfully questioned Sha Shu about the bandit operations. He explained that their men worked in shifts, with many training deeper inside the camp and others guarding the vast desert.
He also revealed that each desert scout only knew their own assigned location, and only their leader knew the overall deployment, a measure to prevent betrayal if anyone was captured. Realizing this implied a map must exist, Hua Buqi resolved to find it and use it to escape. Elsewhere, Liu Mingyue was treating Liu Qingyan, expressing confusion as Liu Qingyan's poison, which had shown signs of weakening the previous day, had inexplicably worsened.
Liu Qingyan apologized, blaming the Mo Manor for her condition. Liu Mingyue confirmed the poison was indeed complex and difficult to treat, but she offered a new medicine to cleanse it. Liu Qingyan then asked about a golden needle that seemed to have reached her chest. Liu Mingyue reassured her that the needle was intended to clear her veins, would not cause harm, and would eventually disappear on its own.
After Liu Mingyue departed, Liu Qingyan secretly revealed that she was poisoning herself, vowing to continue doing so daily until the golden needle embedded within her was finally removed. While discussing guard arrangements with a bandit, Liu Mingyue revealed her concern about Liu Qingyan's complex poison, which she couldn't fully eradicate. She rejected the idea of consulting other doctors, trusting her own expertise. She then spotted Hua Buqi gambling with the bandits.
Big Beard Ma explained that Hua Buqi had repeatedly attempted to harm herself due to boredom, prompting him to allow Sha Shu to escort her around daily, though he hadn't anticipated her engaging in gambling. Liu Mingyue, however, was intrigued. She dismissed Big Beard Ma's apology, ordered him to focus on guard duties, and instructed Sha Shu to bring Hua Buqi to her, recognizing the girl's youth, bravery, and apparent wealth as potential assets for her Lord.
Meanwhile, Chen Yu and Dongfang Shi had successfully infiltrated the bandit cave. Chen Yu proposed they split up to search for Hua Buqi. Dongfang Shi readily agreed, remarking that he had wanted to separate from Chen Yu for a while and vowing to find Hua Buqi first. Sha Shu informed Hua Buqi that the Villa Master wished to see her, clarifying that this Master was Big Beard Ma's formidable superior, a woman more feared than Big Beard Ma himself.
As Sha Shu led Hua Buqi towards the Master's location, Hua Buqi caught sight of the Master—Liu Mingyue. Recognizing her, Hua Buqi quickly pulled Sha Shu back and deliberately smeared dirt across her face. When Sha Shu questioned her actions, Hua Buqi explained that she feared Liu Mingyue, as a middle-aged woman, might become jealous of her youth and beauty and attempt to kill her, claiming this was her only defense.
Despite Sha Shu's assurances that Liu Mingyue was not so petty, Hua Buqi insisted that women's hearts were inscrutable and her disguise was necessary. Confronting Liu Mingyue, Hua Buqi, with her dirty face, fabricated a story about tripping while rushing to meet her. Liu Mingyue questioned her about the Sima family's gambling expertise.
Hua Buqi confirmed that the "seven out of twenty" game was their latest invention and mentioned providing Big Beard Ma with a draft of the "Wheel of Fortune." Liu Mingyue then proposed a partnership, offering to connect the Sima family with gambling houses in Xichu. Hua Buqi politely declined, stating she lacked the authority to make such decisions and that negotiations should occur when her family sent a representative.
As Hua Buqi turned to leave, Liu Mingyue called her back, remarking on her familiar appearance. Hua Buqi, in turn, recognized Liu Mingyue as the Master of Mingyue Villa from a past government bidding in the capital. Liu Mingyue denied it, but Hua Buqi smartly pointed out that Liu Mingyue wouldn't want her secret identity as a bandit leader to be exposed.
Liu Mingyue then ordered Sha Shu to escort Hua Buqi back and keep a close watch until the Sima family representatives arrived. As she was led away, Hua Buqi mentally commended her own quick thinking but reaffirmed her resolve to escape the increasingly dangerous camp. While being escorted back by Sha Shu, Hua Buqi feigned a stomach ache, prompting Sha Shu to return her to her quarters.
On the way, a lotus symbol, distinctive to Chen Yu's alter ego, fell from above. Hua Buqi immediately knew Chen Yu had arrived. When Chen Yu found her, he expressed profound relief that she was safe, admitting his deep regret for his past carelessness and stating he wouldn't know how to live if anything had happened to her. Hua Buqi, still playfully feigning jealousy over Liu Qingwu, asked if he didn't still have her.
Chen Yu quickly explained that it was a deceptive plot orchestrated by Dongfang Shi and Liu Qingwu, swearing he had severed all ties with Liu Qingwu and had never been unfaithful. Hua Buqi, having already reflected on the suspicious coincidences, acknowledged his explanation, implicitly believing him. Chen Yu then urged her that they needed to leave quickly, though Hua Buqi worried about his injured condition.
As Chen Yu and Hua Buqi attempted their escape, they were quickly discovered by the bandits. A bandit recognized Chen Yu as the Commandery Prince of Dongping, and Liu Mingyue, who was present, immediately ordered his death. Chen Yu hastily fled with Hua Buqi. Dongfang Shi, observing from a hidden vantage point, saw Liu Mingyue. After the initial chaos, Dongfang Shi called Liu Mingyue to his side.
Liu Mingyue, addressing him as "Young Master," confirmed that the bandits were indeed Xiao Jiufeng's men, explaining that this was a secret training camp in Xichu, disguised as a bandit stronghold to hone their combat skills. Dongfang Shi immediately commanded her to order the bandits to kill only Chen Yu, strictly forbidding harm to Hua Buqi, under threat of death to both the perpetrator and Liu Mingyue herself.
He also stressed the importance of keeping his association with the bandits secret from Hua Buqi. Liu Mingyue confirmed she had relayed the order and assured him that Hua Buqi remained unharmed, explaining that the girl had claimed to be the Lady of the Sima House, offering a large sum for bail. She also mentioned Hua Buqi had cleverly dirtied her face, preventing Liu Mingyue from recognizing her earlier.
Relieved, Dongfang Shi then expressed his suspicion about the seemingly intimate relationship between Chen Yu and Hua Buqi, given that Chen Yu was rumored to be Hua Buqi's half-brother through the Seventh Prince. Liu Mingyue clarified that after the incident at Gui Valley, Xiao Jiufeng suspected that someone who had escaped Biluotian was hiding in the Seventh Prince's manor.
Investigations had since revealed that the Seventh Prince was not in the capital during Xue Fei’s pregnancy, conclusively proving Hua Buqi was not his daughter. Dongfang Shi, now certain that Chen Yu was the Lotus Robe Knight, surmised that Hua Buqi’s presence in Xichu was not merely for financial gain, but rather to enlist Chen Yu’s help in investigating his badge, signaling their shared interest in Biluotian.
Dongfang Shi then demanded Liu Mingyue arrange his visit to Mingyue Villa, stating he would not allow such "stupidity" as Hua Buqi being nearly captured by his own men to happen again. Liu Mingyue hesitantly confessed that her daughter, Liu Qingwu, had betrayed her and seized control of Mingyue Villa. Dongfang Shi was shocked by this unexpected turn.
He declared Liu Qingwu's betrayal a death wish, vowing to kill her himself to reclaim and reorganize Mingyue Villa, asserting that it would never fall into the hands of a traitor. He then ordered Liu Mingyue, who was implicitly seeking refuge within the bandit camp, to immediately report to Xiao Jiufeng to receive her punishment. Hidden in a crevice within the cave, Hua Buqi asked Chen Yu how they would escape.
Chen Yu explained that with so many bandits who knew the terrain, they had to wait until nightfall. He added that before they could leave, he needed to ascertain the exact location of the bandit scouts so that General Guan could wipe them out and resolve the major threat to Xichu. Hua Buqi confidently declared that she knew where the scout lived.
Chen Yu praised her for her composure in the bandit camp and her ability to gather such vital information, calling her his amazing wife and promising her half the merit for the successful extermination. Hua Buqi, however, jested that she preferred a monetary reward over merit. Chen Yu playfully called her greedy, assuring her that everything in the Prince's Manor, including himself, belonged to her, a "deal" she readily accepted.
As night fell, Big Beard Ma ordered all exits guarded to prevent escape. Unbeknownst to him, Chen Yu and Hua Buqi located his room. Despite Chen Yu’s initial insistence on finding the map alone, Hua Buqi convinced him to let her accompany him, citing her familiarity with the camp and her desire not to be separated from him again. They killed Big Beard Ma and, with Hua Buqi’s skill at lock-picking, successfully retrieved the deployment map.
Moments later, Liu Mingyue arrived at Big Beard Ma’s room. Seeing the blood, she realized Chen Yu was inside and immediately ordered her men to kill the Commandery Prince of Dongping. Chen Yu quickly gave Hua Buqi a knife for protection, instructing her to hide, as he moved to lure the bandits away. While Chen Yu led the bandits away, a fire suddenly erupted in the camp, drawing the attention of many of the bandits to extinguish it.
Dongfang Shi, who had been anxiously observing, disguised himself in bandit clothing. He found Hua Buqi, who was still hidden and worried for Chen Yu’s safety. Dongfang Shi revealed himself, telling her he was there to rescue her and instructed her to put on bandit clothes and dirty her face so they could escape in the ensuing chaos.
When Hua Buqi expressed hesitation, wanting to wait for Chen Yu, Dongfang Shi lied, claiming that Chen Yu himself had started the fire and had sent him to lead her to safety, urging her to hurry before the fire was contained.
