My Dear GuardianĀ Episode 18 Recap
> My Dear GuardianĀ Recap
Liang Muze carefully dressed a minor scrape on Xia Chu's arm, expressing concern. Xia Chu, still shaken and upset over her patient's recent death, admitted she saw nothing of the car or driver that pursued her, stating the darkness and bright lights made it impossible to identify anything. She wasn't even sure if the car had been coming for her.
Liang Muze noted Xia Chuās hesitation when he brought up Zhuo Ran, probing if she would still trust him should the gun found on the boat prove to be his. He drew a parallel to a nurse he knew from his military school days who believed reading poetry to wounds could accelerate healing, suggesting that everyone holds a belief that might seem irrational to others, just as Xia Chu held onto her trust in Zhuo Ran.
Liang Muze then reported the situation to Dong Zhigang, who, concerned for Xia Chu's safety as she was alone, urged Liang Muze to take his annual leave and stay with her. Liang Muze gratefully accepted. He later attempted to bake a durian cake for Xia Chu, following online instructions but initially failing due to an incorrect oven setting. Despite the initial failure, Xia Chu found his presence comforting amidst everything.
Later, Liang Muze received a call from Rao Feng, who asked him to pick up Xiao Xue from the police station, and Xia Chu decided to accompany him, as she also needed to speak with Rao Feng. On their way back from the shipyard, Long Yi confronted Zhuo Ran, accusing him of deliberately letting Xia Chu go and questioning his hesitation when pointing the gun at Gui on the boat.
Long Yi believed Zhuo Ran wanted to first ascertain if the police had interrogated Gui, intending to use him to leverage against the Old Master. Long Yi vehemently warned Zhuo Ran not to challenge the Old Master's authority or involve him, threatening that Xia Chu would suffer the same fate as Gui. Angered, Zhuo Ran corrected Long Yi, sternly stating that Xia Chu's life or death was his decision alone, then ordered Long Yi to dispose of the car.
Meanwhile, Mi Gu returned home, tried to reach Zhuo Ran, and after hearing glass break inside, instructed someone to force the door open, discovering Zhuo Ran collapsed and in severe pain. Mi Gu immediately called for emergency medical assistance. At the police station, the forensics team reported that the deceased, confirmed to be Gui, Sang Kunās younger brother, had wounds indicating hospital treatment and no signs of struggle, initially suggesting suicide.
However, further investigation revealed the gun and ammunition used were created with 3D printing technology, with only Gui's fingerprints on them. They learned that 3D printed guns, less powerful but easily fabricated and able to bypass security scans, could be made using a program downloaded from "City of Desires" via an account named "Scary Pirate," whose true identity remained unknown.
Given that Zhuo Ran owned a 3D printing company, the team considered it suspicious, with some suggesting it might be an audacious provocation or a calculated move to mislead investigators by feigning obviousness. They recognized the perpetrator likely possessed advanced anti-reconnaissance skills. Shortly after, Xia Chu informed Rao Feng that Gui's death was not a suicide.
Drawing from her extensive reading of detective novels and Zhuo Ran's influence, she explained that a thumb-pulled trigger typically results in a neck wound, whereas an index-finger-pulled trigger pierces the posterior skull. Since Gui's posterior skull was pierced, she concluded it was murder staged to look like suicide. Xia Chu asserted that this detail invalidated Liang Muze's suspicion of Zhuo Ran, as he would not have overlooked such a critical flaw in fabricating a scene.
Liang Muze responded that his concern was for her well-being, not about winning an argument, hoping that her past would not cause her further pain. Due to her unauthorized absence and the subsequent death of a patient who was taken from the hospital during her shift, Xia Chu was disciplined and transferred to the emergency department. Zhang Yichi visited her, providing comfort and assuring her that she possessed the potential to be a good doctor, regardless of her placement.
He also promised to try and facilitate her return to her previous department. Xiao Xiao later approached Xia Chu, admitting she remained silent during the disciplinary meeting purely for self-preservation, and Xia Chu, while acknowledging Xiao Xiaoās selfish and irresponsible nature, agreed she wasnāt malicious. Shortly after arriving at the emergency department, Xia Chu saw Mi Gu and Zhuo Ran leaving the facility. Immediately, a patient suffering from paraquat intoxication was admitted, presenting a critical challenge.
Liang Muze, having finally perfected his durian cake, arrived at the hospital seeking Xia Chu and found her in the emergency department, where he observed her patiently but firmly explaining the severe dangers of paraquat poisoning to an aggressive family member who insisted their child, now awake, should be discharged. Xia Chu emphasized that even ten milliliters of the herbicide could be fatal and that the child was in a very precarious condition, requiring extensive and difficult treatment.
Later, Liang Muze found Xia Chu in her office, presenting the successful cake without any mention of the challenging encounter he had witnessed. Back at their company, Zhuo Ran and Mi Gu were met by police investigating the homicide at the Xiang Sheng Shipyard, particularly interested in Zhuo Ranās 3D printing company due to the weapon used.
Mi Gu quickly intervened, providing Zhuo Ran with an alibi by claiming he had suffered an episode of stress cardiomyopathy and had been recuperating at her home for two days, only just returning from the hospital. With Mi Gu's testimony, the police had to temporarily halt their active investigation of Zhuo Ran.
After the police left, Zhuo Ran acknowledged to Mi Gu that the authorities were already suspicious and had likely seen through the staged suicide, reiterating that Xia Guang Yuan remained their ultimate target. Separately, Xia Guang Yuan furiously chastised Tang Lin for a critical data leak, emphasizing the paramount importance of information security. A despondent Tang Lin was then approached by Zhuo Ran, who invited him to dinner. Later, Tang Lin called Zhuo Ran from a police station, distressed.
He recounted waking up in a hotel next to a woman after drinking heavily the previous night and being subsequently accused of prostitution by the police, claiming he had no memory of how he got there or checked in.
Zhuo Ran came to his aid, then subtly began to manipulate Tang Lin, suggesting that with his qualifications, he could achieve far greater financial and research freedom outside his current institute, even hinting at a life of private jets and global travel, if he were willing to make a bolder choice. Liang Muze later brought a slice of the perfected durian cake to Xia Chu in her new office at the emergency department, asking her to taste it.
Xia Chu complimented the cake's flavor and fragrance. Liang Muze then asked if she was free that weekend, suggesting they could finally go book shopping, but Xia Chu revealed she had promised Xiao Jun she would go kite flying. Liang Muze promptly offered to join them, and Xia Chu agreed to the plan for the weekend. Before leaving, he also presented her with a handmade soap, explaining he made it for her knowing doctors appreciate cleanliness. Xia Chu expressed her fondness for the soap, having just used it and appreciated its gentle fragrance.
