Lost Track of Time Episode 4 Recap
> Lost Track of Time Recap
A sudden water mine explosion jolted Lu Anran awake, disoriented. Her servants, Shan Yue and Lingxi, fluttered around her, anxiously mentioning her hair-pinning ceremony was tomorrow. The realization struck Lu Anran with dawning horror: she had returned to the day before her ceremony. A servant reported river robbers attacking a ship ahead. Knowing it was Mu Ze's vessel, Lu Anran ordered a mine, declaring she had "somethings" to check, not a rescue in mind.
Consumed by hatred from her past life, she confronted Mu Ze, shouting, "I am going to kill you." Her desperate attempt to kill him confirmed it was no dream; she had indeed returned to the past. When Mu Ze questioned her hostile attack, Lu Anran coldly attributed it to poor visibility from the smoke, claiming she "got the wrong one." As she departed, Mu Ze and Mr. Cai observed her.
Mr. Cai recognized the Lu Family's double fish emblem on her ship and identified her as Lu Anran, Lu Qingzhou's daughter. He noted her extraordinary intelligence and arrogant demeanor, concluding she would likely lead the Lu family and would not be easily swayed. Mu Ze concurred, suggesting that if she were so easily won over, Prince Yi would not have faced repeated failures. Back at the Lu Mansion, Lu Anran's perspective had undergone a complete transformation.
Seeing her mother still alive, Lu Anran embraced her tightly, weeping, "Mom, I miss you." Her mother, surprised by the intensity of her daughter's emotion after only a few days apart, gently chided her. Later, seeing her brother Lu Yun return with bruises, Lu Anran knew he had been fighting at the martial arts club. This time, she strongly forbade him from continuing his training, instructing him to "Learn accounting from tomorrow.
Mull over how we bring the ships of the Lu Family to the world when you are free." When her mother and brother expressed surprise, reminding her of her previous encouragement for his martial arts, Lu Anran explained her new philosophy: "In this world, men can benefit civilians by not only safeguarding the country, but also carrying forward family business as businessmen who care about the world."
Concerned for her mother's prolonged illness, Lu Anran secretly instructed Lingxi to take the leftover herbal medicine dregs to an outside doctor for examination, emphasizing secrecy. She also ordered Lingxi to monitor all of her mother's food and ensure it passed a silver needle test, vowing to herself to protect her mother from harm this time. Soon after, Lu Anran met Liu Mingyu and her daughter, Lu Xinran.
Lu Anran subtly spoke of a dream where the Lu family faced annihilation, concluding that this time, reality "must be opposite." Internally, she vowed to protect her family and prevent them from being embroiled in royal conflicts. When Lingxi admired an exquisite suit Liu Mingyu had prepared for Lu Anran's upcoming ceremony, Lu Anran, recalling a past life where she developed a rash from such a dress, sarcastically mused about Liu Mingyu's "scrupulous" nature.
She then instructed Lingxi to give the beautiful suit to Lu Xinran. The next day, at her Coming-of-age Ceremony, Lu Anran saw Lu Ting expressing his disapproval of a woman heading the Lu family. Her father, Lu Qingzhou, publicly announced that he would pass the Twin Fish Token to Lu Anran, declaring her the master of the Lu family's thirty-six ports and its sole heir. Lu Anran, in turn, pledged, "Dad. I swear to protect the Lu Family."
When Lu Ting tried to object again, Lu Anran preemptively cut him off, exposing how two of his ships had wrecked last month due to gross overloading and the unauthorized transport of large amounts of goods. Shan Yue corroborated this, confirming Lu Ting's greed and violation of safety protocols were the true cause. Enraged by his brother's disregard for human life, Lu Qingzhou publicly disowned Lu Ting, severing all ties between him and the Lu family.
Guards then escorted Lu Ting away. That evening, Lu Anran observed Lu Xinran conspiring with Mr. Cai. Later, Mu Ze appeared, claiming to be there to celebrate her birthday. He presented her with a gift, the Great Han River Map, hinting at her ambition. However, Lu Anran firmly rejected it, stating that the waterways were built by her fleets, and what she earned through hard work was more valuable than anything given.
When Mu Ze questioned her hostility, Lu Anran directly addressed him as "Your Highness Prince Qing," accusing him of lacking sincerity in seeking an alliance by concealing his true identity. Mu Ze acknowledged her sharp observation, and Lu Anran dismissed him without ceremony. Concerned that Lu Ting would not accept his expulsion, Lu Anran instructed Shan Yue to secretly monitor her second uncle for any schemes.
Meanwhile, Liu Mingyu, frustrated that her poisoned suit plan had backfired onto Lu Xinran, urged her daughter to maintain frequent contact with Mr. Cai, highlighting his status as Prince Qing's most trusted follower. She believed that a marriage alliance with Mr. Cai would grant Lu Xinran immense prospects and diminish Lu Anran's standing.
Although Lingxi found no issues with her mother's medicine or food, Lu Anran remained convinced that Liu Mingyu would inevitably try to harm her mother through other means, stating, "There will always be flaws in clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation." Soon after, Shan Yue reported that Lu Ting had been secretly meeting with Prince Yi's men and had harbored a notorious robber at the wharf.
Lu Anran deduced that her second uncle intended to frame her father with the capital crime of harboring a criminal, allowing Prince Yi to profit from the Lu family's downfall. She dispatched Shan Yue to covertly investigate the wharf, while she went to the state government to report the crime. However, the officials, bribed by Prince Yi, refused to accept her case. Cornered, Lu Anran sought out Prince Qing, Mu Ze.
She promised that as long as she remained in the Lu family, they would never ally with Prince Yi, and would consider his future requests if they benefited the common people, in exchange for his immediate assistance. Mu Ze agreed. True to his word, Prince Qing arrived at the wharf with state officials, stating the Lu family had reported a robber's presence. They searched Lu Ting's ships and apprehended the criminal, allowing the Lu family to escape the crisis unscathed.
Later, distressed villagers approached Lu Anran, complaining about someone uprooting rice seedlings. At the fields, Lu Anran recognized the man as Mu Chuan. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw him alive. She asked if he remembered her, and Mu Chuan replied, "That night, you tormented me hard." Lu Anran, however, insisted this was their first meeting since her return.
Mu Chuan explained that the rice seedlings were diseased and showed the villagers the spider web-like growths, convincing them to follow his instructions. Over dinner, Mu Chuan asked if she was the same person who had, in a tavern, mistaken him for a "heartbreaker" and almost taken his life with her hairpin, recounting how she had drunkenly accused him of destroying her family.
Realizing the extent of her drunken actions, which occurred during a prior encounter she could not remember, Lu Anran apologized. She then openly acknowledged him as "Ninth Prince," explaining her deduction was based on his ability to command the magistrate's attendants and his unusual devotion to agriculture. They both shared stories of "weirdos"—a prince who toiled in the fields to prevent starvation and a merchant who prioritized water conservation at great personal cost, subtly describing each other's virtues. Finding mutual appreciation, they toasted to being "weirdos" and chatted like long-lost friends.
