Lost Track of Time Episode 21 Recap

> Lost Track of Time
> Lost Track of Time Recap

Lu Anran visited Mu Chuan, but her eyes avoided his. She explained her presence was a favor to Leader Shen and stated plainly that she considered him only a close friend. She clarified that her true love was his second brother, Mu Ze, and that she was marrying Prince Qing. Mu Chuan, in disbelief, reminded her of their shared moments and promises, asking if someone was forcing her.

Lu Anran insisted no one was, and that she had simply "figured it out herself," dismissing their past as mere friendly gestures. She apologized if she had ever given him the wrong impression and explained that she realized her true feelings for Mu Ze only when she was buried alive by Lu Xinran, seeing his face in her despair, and that these feelings had long been hidden by their prior agreement.

Devastated, Mu Chuan demanded to know what he meant to her, but Lu Anran, having delivered her painful truth, simply advised him to compose himself. As Lu Anran's carriage departed, Mu Chuan, despite his illness, desperately rode his horse to catch up. He questioned why she still wore the bracelet he had given her if she had no feelings for him. Lu Anran asserted she wore it only for its exquisite design and accused him of overthinking its meaning.

To make him completely give up hope, she removed the bracelet and tossed it aside, declaring that their relationship, like the discarded jewelry, was now broken. Back at the mansion, Lingxi was visibly disheartened. Dong Qing comforted her, explaining Lu Anran's heavy burdens, noting that with her father in Su City and her brother in the military, she and Lingxi were Lu Anran's only close companions in Hanjing.

Lingxi, tearfully, stated she was not angry with Lu Anran, but deeply heartbroken for her. She began preparing red bean soup, a dish that always seemed to lift Lu Anran's spirits. Dong Qing explained that Lu Anran had chosen Prince Qing because she had "more important things to do" than stay with Prince Qi. Lingxi, understanding the gravity of the situation, resolved to become smarter and more reliable to better support Lu Anran.

Meanwhile, Mu Ze found Mu Chuan drinking heavily, suffering from a high fever. He urged his brother not to harm his own health. Mu Chuan, consumed by pain, confessed that he had sworn he would never give up on Lu Anran, no matter whom she married, as long as her bridal sedan had not yet entered the gates. He expressed his profound disbelief and agony that she was marrying Mu Ze, his own brother, a fate he never anticipated.

He reflected that he thought providence was granting him a second chance after missing her in Su City, but ultimately, what was destined to be missed would be missed. Later, Lu Anran discovered that the grapevine Mu Chuan had personally planted in her courtyard had withered, accidentally killed by paint waste.

This reminded her of Mu Chuan's deep care, his efforts to grow her favorite Su City grapes despite the challenge in the North, and his past vows of unwavering support. Overwhelmed with regret, she realized she could not bear to lose the bracelet after seemingly having lost him and their future together. Despite the darkening night, she set out to retrieve it, telling Dong Qing she "has no tomorrow" and could not lose this last tangible connection.

At the same time, Xiao Jingque, enraged by Prince Qing's evident favor for Lu Anran and the physical connection between their properties, arrived at the Lu Mansion. She accused Lu Anran of being a "coquette" deliberately seeking to ensnare the Prince and vowed to assert her own status. She confronted Lingxi, demanding to know Lu Anran's whereabouts. Lingxi bravely refused, reminding Xiao Jingque that she was not yet the princess.

Incensed, Xiao Jingque ordered her maids to destroy the wedding decorations, including beloved rabbit lanterns. When Lingxi tried to protect the grapevine, Xiao Jingque pushed her, causing Lingxi to fall and strike her head on a stone, killing her. Fearing she had caused serious harm, Xiao Jingque and her entourage quickly fled. Lu Anran, having found the bracelet, returned to her mansion to find it in disarray and Lingxi lying dead in a pool of blood.

Cradling her beloved maid, Lu Anran was consumed by sorrow and expressed a newfound hatred for the color red, which now symbolized blood and tragedy. She began tearing down all the red wedding silks, lamenting that she could not properly mourn Lingxi because she herself was compelled to don a red gown and marry into Prince Qing's Mansion, with no possibility of turning back. The next morning, after Lingxi was buried, Dong Qing brought a disheveled Lu Anran back inside.

Lu Anran tried to eat the now-spoiled red bean soup Lingxi had prepared for her. Mu Ze arrived, angrily knocking the bowl away, accusing her of using Lingxi's death to scheme against him, just as she had faked poisoning before her first wedding. Lu Anran fiercely denied plotting, asserting her genuine grief for Lingxi, who had grown up with her, and called Mu Ze callous for only seeing "dirty means."

Mu Ze coldly warned her to control her emotions and reiterated that she "must" marry him tomorrow. Mu Chuan's attendant later informed him of Lingxi's death. He came to the courtyard, where he overheard Lu Anran's anguished confessions as she burned offerings for Lingxi. She blamed herself, admitting, "I plotted Lu Xinran's substitute marriage, I considered everyone, but I didn't consider Lingxi."

She expressed deep regret that their last conversation was an argument and that she had kept her plans from Lingxi out of fear for her impulsive nature. Mu Chuan, hearing only these partial admissions, completely misunderstood her true motives, believing her to be heartless and manipulative. He recalled past moments, questioning which version of Lu Anran was real, feeling he never truly knew her.

Unaware he was listening at first, Lu Anran saw him and rationalized that this painful revelation would help him break away from her completely, believing it was for the best for them both. A profound voiceover reflected on life, likening it to a river that always finds its way, never stopping, even if its path is obstructed. This poignant metaphor contrasted with Lu Anran's helplessness in altering the tragic fates of those around her.

In her deepest despair, Lu Anran reached her hand into the burning paper offerings for Lingxi, asking if the physical pain might awaken her from her nightmare. Dong Qing quickly pulled her back, terrified. Seeking a final, definitive closure, Mu Chuan requested Mu Ze's permission to personally escort Lu Anran to the Prince Qing Mansion for the wedding. Mu Ze, after a moment of hesitation, agreed.

On the day of the wedding, a veiled Lu Anran, adorned in scarlet, was informed by Dong Qing that it was Mu Chuan who had come to welcome her. Mu Chuan, acting on Prince Qing's orders, formally greeted her as the bride, and Lu Anran acknowledged him with a solemn "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Qi."

As Lu Anran and Mu Chuan proceeded, townspeople openly gossiped, speculating that she was marrying Prince Qing to save her family after her sister's disgrace, and accusing her of being a "coquette" who had long secretly harbored feelings for Mu Ze. Mu Chuan, hearing their harsh words, reflected that he never truly understood her resilience or the depth of her supposed hidden affection for his brother.

To bring a definitive end to his own hopes, Mu Chuan asked Lu Anran three direct questions. He asked if her entire plan, from Su City to Hanjing, including fabricating her sister's affair, was solely to protect the Lu family. She confirmed it. He then asked if he himself was part of her calculations, to which she again affirmed.

Finally, he asked if the Snow Cicada and Gelsmium elegans he had provided were for her to poison herself as part of the substitute marriage plan. Lu Anran once more confirmed. Devastated, Mu Chuan confronted her, accusing her of being ruthless enough to sacrifice her life, ignore friends, harm family, and exploit his genuine affection to achieve her goals.

Lu Anran, maintaining her hardened demeanor, replied that he had been mistaken about her, and now that she had been honest, he could finally give up. Before she crossed the threshold, Mu Chuan asked if she truly had no regrets. Lu Anran firmly stated, "No regrets." The solemn moment marked a cruel twist of fate, as the high walls of Prince Qing's Mansion now separated their worlds. Mu Chuan was left behind, unable to enter the world she now inhabited. For Lu Anran, as she trapped herself within this opulent cage, the vast world outside seemed to instantly lose all meaning.

You May Also LikeRelated Posts
Show More