Maiden Holmes Episode 12 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
Pei Yan Zhi, with his eyes covered for a medical treatment that risked blindness if interrupted, heard that Su Ci had looked for him. He insisted on going to her room despite the potential harm to his sight. Inside, Fei Yuan noted that the door and windows were open and case files were scattered on the floor. Realizing this was uncharacteristic of Su Ci, Pei Yan Zhi disregarded Fei Yuan's warnings and removed his eye coverings.
He quickly examined the files and found notes listing body parts like "hair," "lips," and "hands," linked to the death methods of several women: Ms. An, who swallowed gold; Ms. Lin, who drowned herself; and Ms. Du, who jumped from a rampart. Pei Yan Zhi connected these details to the painter, Mr. Qu, and his quest to find perfect features for his "masterpiece."
Realizing Mr. Qu had finally found the perfect eyes in Su Ci, and that her life was in danger, Pei Yan Zhi rushed out into the rain to find her. Mr. Qu, having completed his portrait, confronted a bound Su Ci. He demanded she acknowledge his "great work," but then declared her unworthy of viewing it and handed her a dagger to end her own life.
Under a hypnotic trance, Su Ci struggled internally, recalling her mother's plea to live on. As she hesitated, Mr. Qu intensified his hypnotic gaze, commanding her to obey. At that critical moment, Pei Yan Zhi burst in, saving Su Ci. Enraged that his work was disturbed, Mr. Qu attacked but was subdued. Distraught, Pei Yan Zhi apologized to Su Ci for his delay and gave her an antidote.
He summoned Dong Rushuang, who confirmed that despite the antidote, Su Ci's vital signs were unstable due to prolonged exposure to the drug and hypnosis. Blaming himself, Pei Yan Zhi feared Su Ci might still commit suicide days later, like the other victims, but Dong Rushuang needed to run more checks and asked him to leave. As Su Ci lay unconscious, having nightmares and calling out for her mother, Dong Rushuang administered calming pills.
In the process, she discovered Su Ci's true female identity but resolved to wait for Su Ci to explain herself. Pei Yan Zhi, whose eyesight was now fluctuating between clear and blurry from the interrupted treatment, stayed by Su Ci's side all night. In the morning, despite his impaired vision, he instructed Fei Yuan to take his badge to the Mingjing Office, report Qu Linjiang as the serial killer, and order a city-wide manhunt, while also notifying Jiang Xiwen.
Later, Fei Yuan gravely approached Pei Yan Zhi, intending to "remonstrate." He declared his staunch opposition to what he believed was a forbidden relationship between Pei Yan Zhi and a man, Detective Su. To prove his sincerity, Fei Yuan theatrically threatened to harm himself, forcing Pei Yan Zhi to cut his own hand to shock him out of it. Still not understanding, Fei Yuan pressed on, questioning why Pei Yan Zhi would so recklessly risk his eyesight for Su Ci.
Unable to convince him with words, Pei Yan Zhi led him to see a portrait he had painted. Fei Yuan was shocked to see it was of Su Ci in a woman's wedding dress, finally understanding she was a woman. Pei Yan Zhi confirmed the truth, admitting his love for her and swearing Fei Yuan to secrecy.
To protect Su Ci, Pei Yan Zhi had already sent men to Qu Linjiang's residence to find and burn the page in his sketchbook that documented Su Ci's eyes and noted she was a detective with no family. Meanwhile, Su Ci awoke to a cold reception from Dong Rushuang, who was upset about being deceived. Despite her frustration, the secretly compassionate Dong Rushuang took Su Ci's wedding dress to dispose of it, safeguarding her secret.
With Qu Linjiang apprehended, Su Ci learned that both Fei Yuan and Dong Rushuang knew her identity. She despaired, revealing how carefully she had lived, feeling as if she were walking on thin ice, only to have her secret so easily discovered. Pained by her distress, Pei Yan Zhi blamed himself for not arriving sooner. He took her hand and gently wiped away her tears. Su Ci noticed his injured hand and expressed concern, feeling she could never repay him.
Pei Yan Zhi told her that all he wanted was for her to stay by his side. He then kissed her, and Su Ci, overwhelmed, broke down and embraced him tightly. Soon after, Pei Yan Zhi's vision blurred again. He gently placed Su Ci back on the bed, reminding her not to walk barefoot, before claiming he had to leave on official business. As he departed, his world went completely dark.
Though Su Ci longed for him to stay, she felt her complicated past would only be a burden to him. Outside, Imperial Physician Zhang informed a distraught Fei Yuan that the interrupted treatment meant the toxins were not fully removed, putting Pei Yan Zhi at high risk of permanent blindness. He could only prescribe a new remedy, but warned that a crucial ingredient was exceedingly rare, and even if found, there was no guarantee of a full recovery.
The Lead Officer visited Qu Linjiang in prison, finding him in a deranged state, obsessively muttering about his "masterpiece." A subordinate presented a booklet found at Qu's home, detailing his victims over the past four years, all matching the known cases. The Lead Officer noted that the final page of the booklet was missing, with the last recorded victim being Ms. Lin. With this, the case was officially closed, and Su Ci's identity remained safely off the record.
