Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Episode 4 Recap
> Novoland: The Castle in the Sky 2 Recap
After Feng Ruche was injured because of him, Xue Jingkong remained by her side, keeping watch through the night. He noticed her habit of kicking off her blankets, so he tied them down to prevent her from doing so again. The next morning, Feng Ruche awoke, smiling at the sight of Xue Jingkong beside her. She quietly instructed her maid not to disturb him. She then inquired about her clothes and the whereabouts of her bag of holding.
Her maid reluctantly explained that Madam Xuan Ji had taken her clothes for washing and intended to discard her bag of hidden weapons, believing it was inappropriate for an Empress to carry such items. The maid had been instructed to tell Feng Ruche that the bag was lost during the laundry. Unwilling to part with her possessions, Feng Ruche decided to disguise herself as a palace maid and sneak into the laundry area to retrieve her bag.
On her way, Feng Ruche inadvertently overheard a conversation between Rain Guocong and one of his subordinates. Rain Guocong revealed his sinister plan to add a special substance to Feng Ruche's daily lip pot. He assured his subordinate that it wouldn't kill her but would transform her into his obedient puppet, ensuring she would follow his every command and no longer issue orders independently. Shocked by his malicious intent, Feng Ruche accidentally made a noise, drawing Rain Guocong's attention.
Fearing discovery, she quickly fled. During her escape, Feng Ruche collided with Bai Dangdang, who watched her hurried retreat with confusion. He then noticed an earring she had dropped and quickly picked it up, hiding it on his person. Rain Guocong arrived shortly after, asking Bai Dangdang if he had seen anyone. Bai Dangdang denied it, attempting to cover for Feng Ruche.
However, Rain Guocong, knowing they were near Feng Ruche's Qiyang Hall, remained suspicious and led his men directly to her palace, disregarding Bai Dangdang's subtle warnings. Meanwhile, after separating from Yun Muyang earlier, Du Xianyin had set a fire to create a diversion, hoping to draw the guards away from the city and help Yun Muyang, who was being hunted. When the fire began attracting attention, Yun Muyang refused to let Du Xianyin face the danger alone.
He rushed back, pulled her away from the approaching guards, and they fled together. After their perilous escape, Du Xianyin thanked him for saving her once more, questioning why he would help her when she felt so useless. Yun Muyang returned the question, asking why she had saved him. She then asked for his name, and he revealed it was Yun Muyang. Du Xianyin smiled, stating his name was lovely, adding, "Meeting you is like basking in warm sun."
Back in the palace, Feng Ruche hastily changed back into her Empress attire and pleaded with Xue Jingkong for help. Thinking quickly, Xue Jingkong grabbed a book titled "The Art of Romance" and pretended to be intimately engaged with Feng Ruche, using the book to shield their faces in a mock kiss. As Rain Guocong entered, he found Feng Ruche and Xue Jingkong in a seemingly private moment.
Feng Ruche, playing along, greeted Rain Guocong as "Uncle Yu" and explained she was chasing an assassin and feared he might enter Qiyang Hall and harm her. She feigned casualness, asking if there were any others in the room, implying only she and Xue Jingkong. Xue Jingkong, embodying his role as her teacher, boldly stated that he always spoke the truth and wondered if Rain Guocong couldn't see they were enjoying each other's company.
Feng Ruche then elaborated on her "studies," mentioning the "taxing" nature of being Empress and her need to learn various things, including the "Art of Romance," and how her daily training left her body sore. Rain Guocong, seemingly mollified by her seemingly frivolous behavior and the "handsome" teacher, concluded that she was merely indulging in romantic pursuits. He dismissed his men and left, stating he wouldn't disturb her further.
After Rain Guocong departed, Feng Ruche confronted Xue Jingkong about his "molestation" and "lying" about their "enjoyment." Xue Jingkong defended himself, reminding her he had just saved her. He insisted that as a teacher, he never lied, and only learned about "romance" after seeing the book. They playfully wrestled over it as she questioned if it was a martial arts manual, which he denied. Despite his outward composure, Rain Guocong remained wary.
He ordered guards to surround Qiyang Hall under the guise of protecting the Empress from the supposed assassin, effectively placing Feng Ruche under surveillance. Fearing for her safety and unwilling to be entangled in palace politics, Feng Ruche decided to flee. She tried to convince Xue Jingkong to fight off the guards while she packed her bags, asking if he could defeat them all. Xue Jingkong, in turn, asked her about an earring he had found.
Feng Ruche offered to reveal its origin if he agreed to fight for her. She then declared him to be the assassin and attempted to escape, leaving him to deal with the guards. However, as Feng Ruche tried to leave Qiyang Hall, Bai Dangdang intercepted her. He returned her earring and explained the gravity of the situation: Rain Guocong had surrounded the hall to gauge her reaction, and her departure would confirm his suspicions, putting her life in grave danger.
Bai Dangdang emphasized her role as the "legitimate empress born with golden wings" and implored her to stay for the sake of the people of Nanyu City, and even for his own sake, as her leaving would only worsen his circumstances. Persuaded by his reasoning and the realization that escape was impossible, Feng Ruche agreed to remain. Seeing no further unusual behavior from Feng Ruche, Rain Guocong finally dismissed his guards from Qiyang Hall, concluding his suspicions were unfounded.
He also instructed his men to search the laundry room and dispose of all of Feng Ruche's belongings. Once the guards were gone, Xue Jingkong asked Feng Ruche about the jade pendant. Feng Ruche, misinterpreting his persistence, believed the jade pendant belonged to a former lover of his, and a hint of jealousy surfaced. She inquired about his name, which he told her was Xue Jingkong.
She felt a vague familiarity with the name, though he claimed to have erased her memories. She continued to tease him, suggesting the jade pendant belonged to a lover who had either abandoned him or been abandoned. Finally, she offered to reveal the jade pendant's origin if he agreed to stay by her side for three months as her protector. To ensure he wouldn't leave, she locked the doors and windows, instructing her maid Xiao Zhi to prevent his escape.
Meanwhile, Yun Muyang carefully bandaged Du Xianyin's minor wounds. He then prepared to leave, assuring her that the place was safe for her recuperation. Du Xianyin knew he hadn't entered the Wuji Arena just to save her; he had an important mission to retrieve a key from Wei Zhao to free his foster sister from Sky Prison.
She offered to help, suggesting that since Wei Zhao was known for his lewdness and tendency to pick beautiful women to serve him, she could infiltrate his household and steal the key for him. Yun Muyang firmly refused, unwilling to put her back in harm's way after she had just escaped danger. He insisted that he had saved many people before and did not require repayment.
Later, as Xue Jingkong was practicing his magic in Qiyang Hall, Feng Ruche inadvertently drew too close and was pulled into his illusion, which he referred to as "her dream." Within this ethereal space, Feng Ruche marveled at the unreality of it, noting how petals didn't fall to the ground. Xue Jingkong, observing her, experienced fragments of what he believed were his own lost memories, making him question if these were real events from the past.
He also noted how unusually quickly he was recovering from a previous magical backlash. Feng Ruche, still within the illusion, felt pain and realized it wasn't a mere dream, as she retained all her senses. She wondered when she would awaken. When they both emerged from the illusion, Feng Ruche noticed similar wounds on Xue Jingkong to those she had seen in her "dream."
She then recalled being saved by him once before, concluding that the "dream" was actually a forgotten memory. She pressed him, asking if he was a "magician." Xue Jingkong attempted to erase her memories once more but suffered a severe magical repercussion and collapsed unconscious before her. Elsewhere, Wei Zhao returned home to find Du Xianyin waiting. She immediately drew a sword, her intention clear: to kill him.
