I'm a Pet At Dali Temple Episode 1 Recap
> I'm a Pet At Dali Temple Recap
Ru Xiaolan, a self-proclaimed last Yin-Yang master of the 21st century, struggled to make ends meet despite her unusual abilities. After school, she sold protective charms to her classmates, promising good fortune or predicting misfortunes like impending breakups. When challenged to demonstrate her powers, she chanted, "Spiritual spirits, come and show yourself," but nothing visibly happened, leading her classmates to dismiss her as a fraud.
Later, while feeding stray cats, a peculiar new feline seemed to guide her to a dilapidated temple. Inside, she found an ancient cauldron adorned with many charms. Reading the inscription, "In the four seas, Heaven and Earth swapped places. Reincarnation lives and dies, only the soul of the cat can solve it," the sky suddenly changed, and a bright light enveloped her.
She found herself inexplicably transported to an ancient era and transformed into the very cat she had been following, tumbling into a courtyard. Confused and disoriented, Ru Xiaolan wondered if she had stumbled onto a historical drama set. She saw a man, Qing Moyan, collapsed in pain. His guard, Xuan Yu, rushed to his side, concerned about a relapse of toxins in his body, and hurried off to find Chang Hen, a medical officer.
Acting on a humane impulse, Ru Xiaolan tried to help the man, only to discover with horror that her hands were now small cat paws, and she had a fluffy tail. As she instinctively neared Qing Moyan, his condition began to improve. Chang Hen soon arrived and identified Ru Xiaolan as a rare perfumed cat from the Western Region, noting its unique scent could counteract Qing Moyan's poison.
He proposed extracting the cat's scent glands to make a perfume bag for Qing Moyan to carry. Ru Xiaolan inwardly protested the idea, but to her relief, Chang Hen discovered that as an immature kitten, her scent glands were not yet developed enough. He advised Qing Moyan to keep the cat close until it matured, as its continuous presence would help suppress the toxins. Qing Moyan, though usually disliking animals, agreed.
Ru Xiaolan, while relieved to escape the immediate danger, was still terrified of being left with this "scary person" and longed to return to her grandfather. To further alleviate his condition, Qing Moyan took the cat with him to soak in a medicinal bath. Ru Xiaolan was initially shocked by his disrobing but couldn't help but admire his handsome appearance and perfect physique.
The following day, a body was found in a well within the East Palace, and Qing Moyan was tasked with the investigation. He instructed Xuan Yu to take the cat back to Dali Temple while he reported to the Emperor. Crown Prince Yu Daocheng requested to assist in the investigation, which the Emperor approved, appointing him as supervisor alongside Qing Moyan, with a ten-day deadline.
Qing Moyan continued to bring Ru Xiaolan with him, even during the investigation, to help manage his poison. During the autopsy, it was determined the victim was pushed into the well while alive, evidenced by foam in his nose and sandstone traces on his teeth. However, the absence of struggle marks and clean fingertips suggested he was unconscious beforehand.
Xuan Yu relayed rumors from palace staff about a female ghost being responsible, recounting a eunuch's story of seeing a woman in red by the well during a storm, lamenting her fate. Qing Moyan dismissed this as improbable, citing the well's remote location and the noise of the storm, which would have made hearing a voice impossible. He also noted that guards avoided the back garden to protect exotic plants.
Xuan Yu brought Ru Xiaolan a large mouse for dinner, but she was repulsed. Her subsequent vomiting was explained by Chang Hen as a common issue cats have with hairballs. Later, Ru Xiaolan managed to escape her cage. She found Qing Moyan in distress, his breathing shallow. In an attempt to save him, she performed CPR. As she did so, she inadvertently touched a necklace around his neck, and in a flash, she transformed back into her human form.
Seizing the opportunity, Ru Xiaolan quickly knocked Qing Moyan unconscious, stole his official clothes, and fled. She rushed to the dilapidated temple, believing it to be her gateway back to the modern world. She tried chanting another incantation, "Heaven and Earth, listen to me. Water, soil, fire, and wood. . . bring up the sword," but nothing happened. Disappointed and hungry, she wandered into town.
Wearing Qing Moyan's robes, Ru Xiaolan used his status to her advantage, ordering grilled fish at a restaurant and claiming he was her "best friend" who would settle the bill. After her meal, she pondered her transformation back to a human, speculating it might have been "because of that kiss," like a "frog prince" fairy tale.
She considered returning to Qing Moyan to test her theory but quickly dismissed the idea, fearing she might revert to a cat and be made into a perfume bag. She resolved to find another solution. Meanwhile, the restaurant owner, alerted Qing Moyan and Xuan Yu about Ru Xiaolan, mentioning she wore Qing Moyan's belt. Another vendor corroborated her story. Realizing she was the thief who had stolen his clothes and his cat, Qing Moyan and Xuan Yu swiftly tracked down and apprehended Ru Xiaolan.
