My Dear Brothers Episode 24 Recap
> My Dear Brothers Recap
Shi Xia woke up and frantically searched for Shi Dong, finding him lying pale and motionless on the bed. Fearing he, like their parents, was about to leave her, she initially accused him of faking it, reminding him of his past tricks and declaring she wouldn't fall for it this time. She pointed out that the spiritual power needle from yesterday hadn't hit a vital spot, so he couldn't be hurt.
When he didn't respond, she threatened to cut off their sibling relationship. Her initial anger then turned to despair as she tearfully confessed her regret for arguing with him. Shi Xia cried that their parents were already gone, and he had abandoned her once before, begging him not to do it again. Shi Dong stirred and coughed, denying he had ever abandoned her, calling her words nonsense. Relieved, Shi Xia recounted an incident from when she was seven.
They had saved money by collecting plastic bottles to go to a fairground, but during a Ferris wheel ride, Shi Dong suddenly disappeared, leaving her heartbroken for the entire night. She recalled her aunt and uncle later suggesting he might have run away because she was a burden, and how he had returned appearing unfazed, as if nothing had happened.
Shi Dong then explained that he had indeed saved money for the Ferris wheel because he knew how much she loved it. Just as he put her on, he spotted some school bullies who often troubled him heading their way. Fearing she would be endangered, he deliberately drew them away from her. He ended up trapped and locked in a public restroom at the fairground all night, shouting for help.
Shi Xia realized it had all been a terrible misunderstanding that had bothered her for years and called herself foolish. Meanwhile, Qiu Li remained confined, her two personalities locked in a struggle. The aggressive "black" persona declared her intent to kill Shi Xia for taking Shi Dong, while the gentle "white" persona (Baili) pleaded against harming her.
Shi Dong explained to Shi Xia that Qiu Li suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder, stemming from childhood abuse by Qiu Ping, which caused her personalities to split as a defense mechanism. The "black" persona demanded to be released, while the "white" persona desperately warned Shi Dong not to, fearing she would hurt him. True to the warning, the "black" persona lunged at Shi Xia.
Shi Dong confessed his reluctance to keep Qiu Li imprisoned but admitted that in her current state, releasing her would lead to further harm. Shi Xia felt that keeping Qiu Li locked up wasn't a permanent solution and proposed that if Shi Dong and Qiu Li were together, Qiu Li might recover faster. Thus, she suggested a solution: she would return to the Yuhua Sect with Hou Chi, allowing Shi Dong to stay and be with Qiu Li.
This way, Shi Dong wouldn't have to leave the Demonic Sect, and she could return to the Yuhua Sect, achieving a win-win for everyone. Shi Dong seemed hesitant, stating he would consider their "performance" before making a decision. Shi Xia immediately began to flatter him. Yuan Zhao went to Qiu Li, intending to open her ward and take her back to the Yuhua Sect for treatment.
However, the "black" persona vehemently refused, threatening to expose the scandals of Yuan Zhao and Bi Hong to the world if he breached the ward, stating she would kill them. Bi Hong, concerned about his secret of killing Elder Yuan Kui being revealed, advised his father, Yuan Zhao, against forcibly removing Qiu Li.
He suggested that her emotions were unstable, and forcing her to leave would only provoke her further and cause more trouble, thinking it better to let her stay there for now and reconsider later. Yuan Zhao reluctantly agreed, and they departed. Yuan Zhao later announced their impending return to the Yuhua Sect. Hou Chi seized the opportunity to request permission to bring Shi Xia with them, expressing his desire to be with her forever.
Yuan Zhao readily agreed, acknowledging Shi Xia as both his (Yuan Zhao's) sister and a Yuhua Sect disciple who rightfully belonged with them. Bi Hong reminded Hou Chi that Shi Xia was also Shi Dong's sister and suggested he seek Shi Dong's approval. Hou Chi agreed and went to find Shi Dong. Shi Xia had been actively trying to win Shi Dong over, fanning him and offering him "Demon Fluttering Milk Tea."
Hou Chi arrived, informing Shi Xia that Yuan Zhao had approved their return to Yuhua Sect, much to her delight. As they prepared to leave, Shi Dong blocked their path, asserting that as her brother, he had not given his consent. Hou Chi argued that sisters are destined to marry, and a brother's duty is to hand them over to their husband. Shi Xia agreed, citing it as "natural law."
Shi Dong dismissed their arguments as "nonsense" and declared that such rules didn't apply in his family. He then led them to their parents' memorial tablets. Before the tablets, Shi Dong dramatically confessed his failure to supervise Shi Xia, who was now dating a "200-year-old man." Hou Chi quickly interjected, explaining that 200 years was a normal age for a cultivator and that he actually looked younger than Shi Dong.
Shi Dong warned Hou Chi that his parents were far stricter than him and had very strict requirements for his sister, never allowing Shi Xia to date when they were alive. Shi Xia pointed out she was only seven when their parents were alive.
Shi Dong maintained that his parents loved Shi Xia dearly and had extremely high standards for a prospective son-in-law, framing the visit as an "interview," as it was customary for a daughter to introduce her boyfriend to her parents immediately. Hou Chi lit incense at the memorial tablets. Suddenly, the door to the memorial tablet closed, a trick orchestrated by Shi Dong.
He triumphantly declared that this proved their parents disapproved of Hou Chi and were unwilling to let him be with Shi Xia. Shi Xia tried to reassure Hou Chi, saying their parents were kind and would surely have liked him, and warned Shi Dong to stop. Shi Dong, however, insisted that unless Hou Chi satisfied their parents, Shi Xia would not leave with him.
He demanded Hou Chi swear an oath that if he ever treated Shi Xia poorly or caused her any grievance, he would lose his "most important thing." Hou Chi, in earnest, swore to devote himself to Shi Xia and never let her down. He declared that if he broke his oath, he would "never eat cotton candy again."
Shi Dong and Shi Xia were utterly perplexed by this, and Shi Dong grew furious, demanding to know how "cotton candy" could compare to his sister, assuming Hou Chi was mocking him. Hou Chi insisted that "cotton candy" was, apart from Shi Xia, the most precious thing to him. Shi Dong tried to persuade Shi Xia not to choose such an insincere man, but she reaffirmed her desire to be with Hou Chi.
Shi Dong then forced Hou Chi to swear again, this time promising that if he broke the oath, he would lose his position as Alliance Leader. Hou Chi complied, and Shi Dong seemed somewhat satisfied, though he still grumbled under his breath about cotton candy being more important. Shi Dong then declared that while his parents might be satisfied, he, her "Big Brother," was not.
He proclaimed himself the head of the family and demanded that Hou Chi, as his future son-in-law, perform a tea ceremony and address him as "Big Brother." Hou Chi respectfully served tea, but Shi Dong deliberately found fault, claiming it was too hot. Shi Xia explained they were merely joking and that Hou Chi had prepared teas of various temperatures. Hou Chi proceeded to serve Shi Dong several teas at different temperatures, then formally addressed him as "Big Brother."
Shi Dong accepted and settled down, ready to lay down the law. He presented a list of rules for Shi Xia: first, she must be impartial and never forget her brother because of her boyfriend, urging her to "come home often." Second, if Shi Dong and Hou Chi ever disagreed, she must firmly side with Shi Dong (and Shi Dong humorously insisted his fault was "non-existent").
Third, if Hou Chi ever bullied her, she should beat him; if she couldn't, Shi Dong would intervene. For Hou Chi, Shi Dong unfurled an impossibly long scroll filled with "Rules for a Loving Husband," telling him to read it later as it was "too long to read one by one."
Later, Shi Dong prepared a hotpot, eating enthusiastically in front of Shi Xia, who sadly watched, unable to taste anything due to her loss of taste, lamenting that she would no longer be able to savor such delicious food. Hou Chi became annoyed, accusing Shi Dong of deliberately provoking Shi Xia. Shi Dong explained that in modern times, watching others enjoy food, known as "mukbang," was a form of pleasure, like eating it oneself.
Hou Chi joined in, only to find the food too spicy. Shi Xia thoughtfully poured him water, which made Shi Dong visibly jealous, leading him to warn Hou Chi not to "show off" if he couldn't handle spicy food and remind them of the rules, emphasizing impartiality. He lectured them on the "limited" boundaries of first love, reiterating principles like "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil," implying even holding hands was a big deal.
Hou Chi assured him of his respectful conduct towards Shi Xia, stating that the most intimate thing they had done was "eating cotton candy several times." Shi Dong, still puzzled by the "cotton candy" reference from the oath, and frustrated by its implied non-literal meaning, pressed Hou Chi for clarification. Hou Chi leaned in and kissed Shi Xia, revealing the true meaning of "cotton candy." Shi Dong, overwhelmed with shock, promptly collapsed to the ground.
