Mengfei Comes Across Episode 22 Recap
> Mengfei Comes Across Recap
Consort Qu, known as Wanwan, surprised Consort Yan by eating chicken legs in the afternoon after already having five bowls of rice at lunch. Wanwan explained that she felt hungry again shortly after eating and couldn't control her appetite. Consort Yan teased Wanwan about her weight gain, joking that she might not be in the top three for the Annual Best-Looking Group Awards.
Meng Fei reassured Wanwan, calling her "plump and cute," and emphasized that fullness was a sign of extravagance. Wanwan then shared her desire to share a pig's trotter with the Emperor. The next day, as the consorts were in the imperial garden, Su Ruan walked by, eliciting admiration. Meng Fei humorously commented on Su Ruan's thinness and pallor, while others mentioned the Empress Dowager's fondness for her.
Su Ruan sought an audience with the Emperor, who initially refused to see her. Undeterred, she insisted on waiting, even threatening to stand in the rain. The Emperor eventually met with Su Ruan and firmly stated he had no romantic feelings for her. He offered to arrange a marriage for her instead. Su Ruan refused to believe him, claiming the other consorts were just "shields."
The Emperor then pulled Meng Fei into his arms and kissed her, declaring his affection for Meng Fei's personality and appearance. He warned Su Ruan that if she continued to bother him, Meng Fei would be upset. Su Ruan stormed off, disheartened. Meng Fei, pleased but cautious, warned the Emperor about public displays of affection. Wanwan, having witnessed this, walked away looking upset.
The Emperor prevented Meng Fei from comforting Wanwan, stating she wasn't ready to know about their relationship yet. Feeling betrayed by the Emperor's affection for Meng Fei and her friends' perceived deception, Qu Xiao went to the imperial kitchen to eat away her sorrows. There, she encountered Su Ruan, who feigned empathy and blamed Meng Fei for Qu Xiao's unhappiness. Su Ruan then insulted Qu Xiao's weight, convincing her that Meng Fei and her friends were secretly mocking her.
Influenced by Su Ruan's words, Qu Xiao vowed to stop eating and threw away snacks offered to her by Cai Taixian. Back at Fanghua Palace, Qu Xiao began a strict diet. Her friends grew concerned about her extreme methods. One morning, a palace maid reported that Qu Xiao was on the roof, threatening suicide. The consorts and Liu Jinyan rushed to Fanghua Palace. From the rooftop, Qu Xiao accused her friends of forcing her to eat.
Liu Jinyan tried to talk her down, but Qu Xiao jumped, landing on him and injuring him. He diagnosed her with starvation and prescribed a liquid diet. Despite the incident, Qu Xiao remained determined to lose weight, influenced by Su Ruan. Meng Fei discovered Su Ruan's manipulation and confronted her, but Su Ruan feigned innocence. Qu Xiao, still trusting Su Ruan, refused to return to Fanghua Palace, hurting Meng Fei, who angrily declared their friendship "cracked."
Su Ruan then gave Qu Xiao "weight loss pills" which were actually potent laxatives containing crotons, rhubarb, and hemp seeds. Qu Xiao suffered severe diarrhea, leading to another visit to the Imperial Infirmary. Liu Jinyan revealed the pills' harmful ingredients and condemned Qu Xiao's blind trust in Su Ruan, pointing out that her true friends had been worried about her, while Su Ruan had never appeared. Finally, Qu Xiao realized Su Ruan's malicious intent.
She confronted Su Ruan and told her to leave her friends alone. Su Ruan retreated, defeated. With Qu Xiao's eyes open, Meng Fei and her friends helped her create a healthy weight loss plan. Qu Xiao followed a diet of boiled cabbage and exercised daily, cheered on by her friends. She successfully lost weight and wanted to show off her new figure to the Emperor.
In the garden, Meng Fei subtly tried to draw the Emperor's attention to Qu Xiao's transformation. However, the Emperor expressed concern over her skinniness and said he preferred her chubbier. The other consorts agreed that she looked unwell. Heartbroken, Qu Xiao took snacks and left the garden. Back in Fanghua Palace, Qu Xiao cried. Her friends comforted her, telling her to embrace herself and stop torturing herself. Qu Xiao agreed to "return to her old self" and requested food.
In the imperial garden, the Emperor teased Meng Fei for trying to get him to comment on Qu Xiao's appearance. He reaffirmed his preference for a chubbier figure and told Meng Fei, who he considered too thin, to eat more so she would be "nicer to hug." Meng Fei reminded him that he had once called her too heavy. The Emperor embraced her and promised to "fill her memory with more of my hugs."
