My Dear GuardianĀ Episode 16 Recap
> My Dear GuardianĀ Recap
After Xia Chu departed, Zhuo Ran received a call from Tang Lin, who informed him that Xia Chu's mother had suddenly fainted during the day. Xia Guang Yuan was anxious to rush back to Dong'an, his hometown. Zhuo Ran quickly went to meet him, assuring Xia Guang Yuan not to worry, as he had a way to get him home more quickly and safely.
Zhuo Ran then arranged for Xia Guang Yuan to be flown back using his company's private jet. This gesture softened Xia Guang Yuan's attitude towards Zhuo Ran considerably, and he even asked Tang Lin to see Zhuo Ran off, which Zhuo Ran used as an opportunity to build a closer relationship with Tang Lin.
Xia Guang Yuan later discussed the incident with his wife, Zi Yu, mentioning how he worried about her and how grateful he was to Yue Hua, an old neighbor, for staying with Zi Yu until he returned. Upon Xia Chu's return home, Liang Shaoxue was once again behaving erratically, producing what she called her "latest original composition" to commemorate her missing pet, OK. Xia Chu found her behavior annoying and the music unbearable.
When Liang Shaoxue locked her room door, Xia Chu tried to call Liang Muze for help, but he was busy. As Xia Chu considered breaking down the door, Liang Muze called back. Due to Liang Shaoxue's loud music, Xia Chu went to the balcony to talk. There, she discovered a surprise Liang Muze had prepared: cherries hanging up, which he had done for "water controlling" after asking her about her favorite fruits. Although initially annoyed, Xia Chu's anger subsided.
Liang Muze, learning Xia Chu called about Liang Shaoxue's antics, promised to talk to his sister later. After hanging up, Xia Chu took down all the cherries and made a jar of cherry jam. Meanwhile, Tian Yong had contacted the Forestry Bureau regarding the parrot he found. The parrot, identified as a rare Blue-eyed Cockatoo (also known as Sulphur-crested Cockatoo or Australian White Chicken), proved to be uncooperative, despite having surprisingly good language skills, even speaking English.
The Forestry Bureau official, noting the parrot's fierce nature and lack of specific identification on its foot tag, asked Tian Yong to temporarily foster it for a few days until its original owner or institution could be located, to which Tian Yong agreed. Xia Chu then joined her hospital's medical team on a trip to the military unit to conduct medical check-ups for the soldiers. During Liang Muze's examination, his teammates watched their interaction with amusement.
After Liang Muze finished, his teammates playfully addressed Xia Chu as "sister-in-law" when it was their turn for examination. In other news, Long Yi informed Zhuo Ran that the police had discovered a set of clothes and shoes, matching those worn by "A-Gui" (Old Ghost) on the day of the forum, under a manhole cover on a coastal road.
Zhuo Ran instructed Long Yi to investigate nearby docks, suspecting that someone like A-Gui wouldn't use official channels to leave, especially given the bloodstains on the clothes suggested a serious injury. Mi Gu, who had previously produced a program on left-behind children, used the New Year's Day holiday to visit them, bringing gifts. She played hide-and-seek with the children. While searching for one child, Xiao Qiu, who had run into the woods, Mi Gu unexpectedly encountered Zhuo Ran.
Zhuo Ran claimed he was visiting an old friend. As they spoke, an enraged woman suddenly emerged, screaming at Zhuo Ran, calling him a "devil" and accusing him of ruining her entire village. Though the Village Chief later explained the woman was mentally unstable and lived alone near a mass grave, Mi Gu tried to comfort Zhuo Ran, urging him to disregard the "nonsense."
However, Zhuo Ran appeared deeply troubled by the encounter, questioning if he truly was an "evil demon" or a "sinner" who would "rot in hell," pondering the past of saints and the future of sinners. Later, the medical team remained at the unit to celebrate New Year's Day. Tian Yong had managed to teach the parrot to recite poetry, much to the amusement and amazement of everyone, including Xia Chu, who filmed it for her social media.
The festive atmosphere was abruptly cut short when Dong Zhigang announced an emergency mission: the New Year's party was canceled, and Team Thunder was to deploy to Island D to rescue trapped individuals. Military Doctor Wu was ill, so Zhang Yichi assigned Xia Chu to replace him, accompanying Liang Muze on the mission. Team Thunder, led by Liang Muze, departed for Island D. Upon arrival, they located a fisherman who had used a kindled fire to signal for help.
The fisherman revealed he had been kidnapped and brought to the island. As Xia Chu completed her initial examination, a severe rainstorm began. The team quickly moved the fisherman onto the zodiac boat. Despite the rudimentary conditions, Xia Chu performed a closed drainage procedure for the fisherman, whose blood oxygenation level was low due to hemothorax, stabilizing his condition. However, they were forced to wait for the rain to subside before they could return.
While guarding the fisherman, Xia Chu and Liang Muze spoke. Xia Chu also noticed bird nets, expressing disgust at how such tools led to the extinction of rare species due to "the lure of money." Liang Muze discussed the pervasive nature of "desire," comparing it to a disease, a "latent sin in humanity" that can only be controlled, not cured, acknowledging that this sometimes led to feelings of frustration and powerlessness.
Xia Chu then shared that her father had given her an additional name, "Wan Jiu," hoping she would achieve great things, like "a widely nurturing talent." She recounted her father's dedication to scientific research, his perseverance during difficult times when others resigned, and his firm commitment to his "bottom line and beliefs" as an intellectual.
Xia Chu expressed her admiration for her father, but also her sympathy for her mother, whom she felt "pitied" for having two "workaholics" in the family. Xia Chu emphasized her personal aspiration to first "become the best version of myself" and to be "Dr Xia who saves lives," beyond being merely a wife or mother. She then asked Liang Muze about his own aspirations.
Liang Muze asserted that he did not aim to be a "King of Soldiers" or a "superhero" from a movie. Instead, he simply wished to be a "purely professional soldier," fulfilling his duties of training, exercises, and real combat missions as a "professional aspiration" and a "professional conviction" inherent in his military uniform, rather than out of "personal heroism" or "empty slogans."
