Ni Chang Episode 13 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
Xie Xiaoni, known as Ni Chang, agreed to Ye Rong's plea for help. Her aunt vehemently opposed it, fearing it would tarnish their shop's reputation. Ni Chang passionately argued that as a business, they should welcome all customers, whether noble, common, or even a courtesan. She highlighted that Ye Rong was the only customer who came without a pre-designed pattern, offering them a unique opportunity to create original designs rather than merely imitating others.
Yuan Xiang and Chengtian supported Ni Chang, and eventually, her aunt reluctantly conceded. Ni Chang ventured alone into the mountains to gather vibrant flowers for dyes. She stumbled and almost fell, but Su Wenyu appeared just in time to catch her. He chastised her for her recklessness and revealed he had been following her for days, determined to settle their "old scores." Ni Chang, maintaining her cover, insisted he had mistaken her identity and that her name was Ni Chang.
Su Wenyu, however, persisted, addressing her as "Ni'er" and telling her to call him Wenyu. When Ni Chang spotted a rare Feiyan Flower in a precarious spot, Su Wenyu climbed to pick it for her, deeming it too dangerous for her. He then pointed out that such rough work was beneath him, given his upbringing, but Ni Chang countered that as a craftsman, she must do everything herself. While descending, Su Wenyu slipped and twisted his ankle.
Ni Chang immediately took out her handkerchief to bandage his injury. Recognizing the handkerchief, Su Wenyu confirmed her true identity. He pledged to keep her secret, promising to address her as Ni Chang in public but as Ni'er when they were alone. Ni Chang thanked him, acknowledging that he was injured while helping her. Ni Chang helped Su Wenyu back to his family's shop. There, they encountered Yan Wenxiu, who greeted Su Wenyu before turning hostile towards Ni Chang.
Yan Wenxiu declared she would never associate with the person responsible for her master’s death, a sentiment Ni Chang immediately echoed, implying Yan Wenxiu was equally culpable. Yan Wenxiu then demanded to know Ni Chang's whereabouts on the day of the Yunjin fire and warned Su Wenyu not to be deceived by Ni Chang’s appearance, suggesting she was a manipulative opportunist who even "bothered" a lord. Su Wenyu, angered by Yan Wenxiu's undignified outburst in public, reprimanded her.
Seizing the chance to further annoy Yan Wenxiu, Ni Chang then asked Su Wenyu to treat her to a meal. He readily agreed, and the two walked off, leaving a furious Yan Wenxiu behind. A servant, Xiao Lu, observed this interaction from a distance. Meanwhile, Ouyang Ziyu was busy sketching a portrait of Ni Chang when Xiao Lu rushed back to the palace.
Xiao Lu breathlessly reported that he had seen Ni Chang leave with a handsome, though "not good" in Xiao Lu’s judgment, young man, and that she had even "insisted" on him treating her to dinner. Ouyang Ziyu reacted with disbelief. Later, Su Wenyu confronted Yan Wenxiu about her bitter quarrel with Ni Chang.
Yan Wenxiu painted Ni Chang as a cunning girl who appeared two years ago and swiftly ingratiated herself with their master and fellow students, despite initially being clumsy with embroidery. This detail resonated with Su Wenyu, who mentally connected it to the timing of the Xie family’s exile, confirming Ni Chang's identity as Ni'er. He worried about the fate of the rest of the Xie family.
Yan Wenxiu again cautioned him to stay away from Ni Chang, claiming she was dangerous. Ni Chang brought home the leftover food from her dinner with Su Wenyu. Her aunt initially refused to eat anything from "that bastard," but Ni Chang explained she brought it home to discourage Su Wenyu from bothering her further.
As the family began to eat, a delivery man arrived with two large baskets of food, stating an unidentified bodyguard had paid for them and instructed him to tell Ni Chang to "eat more and take good care of herself." The family, recognizing the food as delicacies from the Zuixian Restaurant, suspected Su Wenyu again, but Ni Chang denied it. Everyone then eagerly devoured the unexpected feast.
Just as the family finished eating, Ouyang Ziyu himself appeared, confirming he was the one who sent the food. He questioned Ni Chang about her dinner with Su Wenyu, feigning surprise at her expanding circle of friends in the capital. Ni Chang, with a hint of cheekiness, asked if he was "questioning" her.
She explained that Su Wenyu was the eldest son of the Su family, whom she met because she had imitated his family's clothes, calling their acquaintance a "coincidence." Ouyang Ziyu, taking on a serious tone, advised her to be cautious when making friends, especially as a new arrival with little support in the capital. He stressed that she should focus on her future, emphasizing that the food was meant as a reminder of this.
Ni Chang, however, found his lecturing manner reminiscent of her father, a comparison Ouyang Ziyu swiftly and angrily rejected, stating he was not much older than her. Unperturbed, Ni Chang retorted that he shouldn’t act like an old teacher and, as he left, told him to remember to close the door. Ouyang Ziyu, visibly irritated, slammed the door shut behind him. Meanwhile, at the Municipal Bureau, Yuan Daocheng severely punished a tea merchant.
The merchant had confessed to substituting new imperial tribute tea with old stock due to southern floods and had subtly implied that Yuan Daocheng himself had taken a significant portion of the illicit profits. Enraged by the insinuation, Yuan Daocheng's subordinate ordered the merchant to be beaten to death. Yuan Daocheng intervened, proclaiming his appreciation for honesty.
As a twisted act of mercy, he ordered the merchant to eat an entire bag of the old tea, claiming it would "digest the oil from his stomach" and spare his life. His men then forced the tea down the merchant’s throat. Back at Fang’s clothing shop, Ni Chang unveiled Ye Rong’s finished dance costume. Ye Rong was captivated by its beauty and expressed deep gratitude.
Ni Chang asked Ye Rong to remove her heavy stage makeup before trying on the dress. Ye Rong complied, and after seeing herself in the stunning costume with a more natural look, she was overcome with emotion. Following Ye Rong's triumphant performance at the Dancing Competition, Fang's clothing shop saw a flood of new orders, with many customers specifically requesting Ni Chang’s designs. Yuan Xiang noted how busy Ni Chang had become, while Chengtian lamented missing the grand competition.
Su Wenyu returned to the shop, bringing candy, hairpins, and perfume for Ni Chang. She declined the gifts, but Chengtian and Yuan Xiang quickly accepted them, then summarily dismissed Su Wenyu, telling him that Ni Chang was too busy to be disturbed. Su Wenyu reluctantly left, promising to return with food. Immediately after he departed, Yan Wenxiu, who had been secretly following him, entered the shop. She rekindled the argument about Yun Niang's death.
Reminded that her own whereabouts on the day of the fire were unknown, Yan Wenxiu sarcastically claimed she had been in the garden "admiring flowers and the moon." When Yuan Xiang demanded proof, Yan Wenxiu evaded, then launched into questions about Ni Chang's relationship with Su Wenyu. Ni Chang, annoyed, deliberately praised Su Wenyu as a gentle and polite gentleman, emphasizing her intention to foster their relationship.
This infuriated Yan Wenxiu, who warned Ni Chang to stay away from her cousin and threatened to report Fang’s shop for their past imitation designs. After Yan Wenxiu stormed out, Ni Chang once again blamed herself for Yun Niang's death. Chengtian, frustrated, insisted it wasn’t her fault. Yuan Xiang then comforted a disheartened Chengtian, who felt useless after his mother's death.
She reminded him that everyone grows up and encouraged him to aspire to become the best shopkeeper in the capital, which uplifted his spirits. Ouyang Ziyu, after dismissing Xiao Lu, visited Fang’s clothing shop with the fine silk fabric from Huai Zhou he had just bought. He found Chengtian and Yuan Xiang playfully bickering. Ni Chang’s aunt and uncle were impressed by Ouyang Ziyu’s striking looks, with the uncle making a jealous comment.
Yuan Xiang subtly directed Chengtian to handle the accounts, allowing Ouyang Ziyu a private moment with Ni Chang. Ouyang Ziyu inquired about his winter coat order, which Ni Chang admitted she hadn't started. She explained she wanted to create something truly unique for him and had been struggling for inspiration, confessing she didn't want to disappoint him as he was her first client after becoming a craftsman, and she cherished his past guidance at Yunjin.
He then offered the new fabric, which Ni Chang confirmed was perfect for a winter coat. As he prepared to leave, Yuan Xiang urged Ni Chang to see him off. Ouyang Ziyu assured Ni Chang he wasn’t angry and looked forward to the special winter coat. As Ni Chang accompanied Ouyang Ziyu, Su Wenyu appeared, attempting to claim a pre-arranged camellia viewing with Ni Chang, which she denied.
Ouyang Ziyu quickly stepped in, inviting Ni Chang to admire the many camellias in his own courtyard. A silent battle for Ni Chang's attention ensued. Ouyang Ziyu reminded Ni Chang that she was supposed to see him off and then suggested they continue to the market to pick more fabrics together. Ni Chang agreed to go with Ouyang Ziyu, leaving Su Wenyu behind. Ni Chang thanked Ouyang Ziyu for helping her navigate Su Wenyu's persistent advances.
He playfully teased her about rumors of her having an "affair" with Su Wenyu, but she dismissed it, stating she didn't care about the opinions of strangers. While at a market stall, Ni Chang admired a beautiful camellia hairpin. Ouyang Ziyu promptly bought it for her, insisting she accept it as he was happy to use his money to please her.
Ni Chang, though grateful, asked him not to give her gifts in the future, as she had nothing to offer in return. Ouyang Ziyu playfully countered that her "repayment" would be a beautifully crafted winter coat. Later, Su Wenyu was shocked to learn from his steward that "Ouyang Gongzi" was actually Ouyang Ziyu, Lord Luo, the powerful supervisor of the Municipal Bureau. He was bewildered as to why a prince of such high standing would frequent a small clothing shop like Fang's.
