I've Fallen For You Episode 22 Recap
> I've Fallen For You Recap
In the Lord's mansion where the Lord's wife, distraught, recognizes that her true son is alive, possibly after an earlier revelation from Sanqi about a jade pendant. As she attempts to meet the Lord, she is prevented by servants, while others, possibly Sanqi and her allies, urgently stress the need to inform the Lord of the danger, and a distressed plea to "save Zhen" is heard.
Meanwhile, in a valley, Zhao Cuo is cornered by a group of men in black. He is saved just in time by the arrival of He Ruoyao, Bai Yifei, and Commander Zhang. During the intense confrontation, Zhao Cuo experiences flashes of memory, leading him to address Commander Zhang as his Master, which bewilders He Ruoyao.
Commander Zhang clarifies that he has been living in seclusion nearby and secretly training Zhao Cuo in martial arts since Zhao Cuo was twelve years old, with strict instructions for him not to reveal his skills. He Ruoyao and Bai Yifei explain that Sanqi had entrusted them to secretly protect Zhao Cuo from these very men in black, noting Sanqi’s mysterious demeanor and her insistence that they not inform He Ruoyao’s brother, He Zhen.
Zhao Cuo questions Bai Yifei about a grimace totem, which Bai Yifei recounts Zhao Cuo taught him as a child, along with a strange ballad, yet Zhao Cuo himself has no recollection. Commander Zhang, emphasizing the gravity of the situation, warns Bai Yifei and He Ruoyao to protect Zhao Cuo and keep all these matters confidential, especially from He Ruoyao’s brother.
Zhao Quandui then decides it's time to reveal the full truth to He Ruoyao, urging her to prepare herself for what she is about to hear. He discloses that Zhao Cuo is, in fact, the real Young Lord of Taoyuan City and He Ruoyao’s biological elder brother. He Ruoyao, shocked, struggles to believe it, asserting that He Zhen is her brother.
Commander Zhang corroborates Zhao Quandui’s words, identifying himself as a commander under the Taoyuan General and one of the guards who escorted the Young Lord out of the city many years ago, confirming Zhao Cuo’s true identity. When He Ruoyao questions He Zhen’s identity, Commander Zhang states He Zhen is undoubtedly an imposter.
Commander Zhang then recounts the full story: eighteen years prior, during a war with a neighboring city, the Lord ordered the Taoyuan General to escort the infant Young Lord (Zhao Cuo) out of the city for safety, to live in hiding. Eight years ago, with the war concluded, the General received a decree to return to the capital. However, on their journey back, they were ambushed by the men in black.
Recognizing the attackers as internal threats from the capital rather than external enemies, the General swiftly devised a plan. He ordered Commander Zhang to switch the Young Lord’s clothes with another child to create a decoy, while he himself would draw the attackers away. The General then instructed Commander Zhang to take the real Young Lord to Zhao Quandui, commanding him to protect the child and ensure he lived under a hidden identity, never returning to the capital.
Commander Zhang reached Zhao Quandui, who vowed to protect the Young Lord even at the cost of his own life. Zhao Quandui then instructed the young Zhao Cuo to assume the name "Zhao Cuo," born into the Zhao family, and forget his past. When the boy pleaded to return to his friend (Sanqi), Zhao Quandui cruelly told him that his friend and her family had perished in a fire, effectively binding him to the Zhao household.
Commander Zhang then left to assist the General, never to return. Zhao Quandui further reveals that he indeed concealed Zhao Cuo in his home, dismissed his former staff, and presented Zhao Cuo as his biological son to new servants. Zhao Cuo recalls that the day after arriving at Zhao Quandui’s residence, he secretly went to Shifang Village to find Sanqi and tell her he was alive, but she was not at their agreed meeting spot, the large locust tree.
Zhao Quandui adds that Zhao Cuo's memory loss of events prior to age ten was due to a witch doctor, Duan Xuewei’s mother, who had hypnotized him, ensuring he only remembered his life as Zhao Quandui's son. He Ruoyao finally comprehends that Sanqi's long-sought "immortal brother" is Zhao Cuo, and that He Zhen, the brother she grew up with, is an imposter.
Zhao Quandui confirms this, stating that the jade pendant Zhao Cuo carried, which matched the Lord's, was definitive proof. He reveals that He Zhen was unaware of this pendant, which Zhao Cuo had given to Sanqi before she left for the capital. Commander Zhang expresses deep concern for Sanqi, realizing her growing suspicions about He Zhen put her in grave danger. Zhao Cuo, enraged, declares he will go to save her.
Zhao Quandui, however, cautions against a reckless assault on the Lord's mansion, citing He Zhen's strengthened military presence for the approaching wedding and their own limited numbers. He suggests they report the truth to the Lord instead. He Ruoyao confirms that her father, the Lord, is severely ill and has already transferred military authority to He Zhen, making it difficult to appeal to him directly. She warns Zhao Cuo that any impetuous action could jeopardize Sanqi and her father.
Zhao Cuo, determined, asks He Ruoyao for her assistance. Concurrently, within the Lord's mansion, Sanqi finds herself under strict confinement. Wet Nurse Lan, under He Zhen’s explicit orders, prevents Sanqi from leaving her chambers, even to see He Ruoyao. Sanqi realizes her isolation, making it impossible to convey her suspicions to the Lord alone. He Ruoyao returns to the Lord, bringing Bai Yifei with her and introducing him.
The Lord, pleased by their return, suggests He Ruoyao consider marrying alongside He Zhen. The Lord then suffers a bloody cough, revealing his deteriorating health. He Zhen, observing the medicine being served, shows a feigned concern by instructing a servant to cool it. Sanqi, still confined, again tries to convince Wet Nurse Lan to let her see He Ruoyao, but Lan remains unyielding, reiterating He Zhen’s strict orders.
He Zhen later visits the ailing Lord, who expresses his earnest desire for the wedding to proceed swiftly so he can peacefully pass on the city's leadership. He wants a grand and joyful ceremony. He Ruoyao (Lady Jinyan) steps in, offering to manage the wedding’s entertainment by inviting renowned opera troupes from the capital, a suggestion the Lord approves, thereby relieving He Zhen of the task.
The Lord then issues a decree, granting amnesty to most prisoners and reducing taxes for three months across Taoyuan City, proclaiming the Young Lord’s wedding as a celebration for all. He Zhen, in a private moment with Sanqi, expresses his long-awaited joy, promising to make her the happiest woman in the world. Sanqi, her mind clouded by doubts but outwardly compliant, responds that she believes him and wishes to be with her "immortal brother" forever.
During the subsequent opera performance, featuring the familiar "An old man with two ears" ballad, Sanqi experiences powerful flashbacks. She vividly remembers Zhao Cuo teaching her the grimace totem, giving her a bamboo "name ring" as a symbol of their bond, and their childhood vows to always be together. She recalls her younger self fiercely protecting him. These memories coalesce, confirming beyond doubt that Zhao Cuo is indeed her long-lost "immortal brother."
The wedding ceremony for He Zhen and Sanqi then formally begins, with the couple performing the traditional bows to heaven and earth, to their parents, and to each other, before proceeding to the wedding room.
