Overlord Episode 12 Recap
> Overlord Recap
Yan Bin urged Long Aoyi to share her design methods. Long Aoyi, still feigning injury, claimed she couldn't work. Yan Bin reassured her, explaining that Li Qingliu had given orders for all designers in the estate to be at her command. Long Aoyi outwardly accepted with reluctance, but inwardly, she was quite pleased. Indulging in good food and leisure, she began instructing the designers to create undergarments based on her vision.
However, the designers struggled to grasp her concepts, prompting Li Qingliu to personally step in and draw the designs. Long Aoyi adopted a demanding demeanor, enjoying a massage from Xiaoqin while relentlessly criticizing Li Qingliu. That evening, Li Qingliu discussed fatigue points with Long Aoyi. Long Aoyi expressed a craving for hot sweet soup, but it was too late to find any. She declared that without it, she would rather sleep than assist Li Qingliu with new ideas.
Left with no alternative, Li Qingliu personally prepared the sweet soup for her. When Li Qingliu presented the sweet soup, Long Aoyi, citing her injured hand, asked him to feed her. Yan Bin, waking to see Li Qingliu feeding her, pretended to remain asleep. Xiaoqin, witnessing the scene, deliberately startled Yan Bin. His sudden movement almost caused Long Aoyi and Li Qingliu to share a kiss.
Long Aoyi quickly recovered, scooped a spoonful of soup herself, and feigned sleep once more. Li Qingliu, however, called her bluff, revealing that he had added invigorating wolfberries to the pear soup, making it impossible for her to still be sleepy. Long Aoyi still complained that the soup was not filling and then made a small additional request. The next day, Long Aoyi led Li Qingliu to a roadside restaurant for pig trotters.
Li Qingliu initially found the dish unappetizing by appearance but was surprised by its good taste, asking the owner for two more portions after finishing. Long Aoyi reflected on her past, sharing how she used to scavenge bones for food at that very restaurant as a hungry child. She then realized she had forgotten her money, and Li Qingliu also discovered he was empty-handed. Li Qingliu attempted to pay on credit, and the owner, recognizing Long Aoyi, agreed.
At Du’s Mansion, Xiao Yue reported to Du Xiaoxian that Li Qingliu was assisting Long Aoyi with new designs, spending day and night together in the design room. She further inflamed Du Xiaoxian by mentioning Li Qingliu had taken Long Aoyi to a dirty roadside restaurant to humor her, suggesting he might fall ill. Enraged, Du Xiaoxian instructed Xiao Yue to thoroughly investigate Longzhu Gang, looking for any weakness.
Long Aoyi later took Li Qingliu to a silkworm farming workshop in the lower-class district. Seeing the silkworm farmers' poor living conditions, Li Qingliu understood that Long Aoyi’s initiative to contract the silkworm egg trade was aimed at ensuring they earned more, bypassing dishonest middlemen. Long Aoyi highlighted this difference between her and "dishonest businessmen." Du Xiaoxian brought in Fatty and Skinny, pressing them for details about Long Aoyi's background.
They described her as having "manly" behaviors, enjoying gambling, cock-fighting, dog-fighting, cricket games, and Shuanglu, boasting that few in Silver City could outdrink her. They also mentioned her prodigious appetite for ten pork elbows in one sitting without gaining weight, and that the Longzhu Gang often struggled financially. Back at the Silk Store, Long Aoyi questioned a worker about product design and manufacturing secrets, diligently recording the information.
Yan Bin noticed Li Qingliu suffering from an upset stomach, having made several trips to the latrine, and offered to call a doctor, but Li Qingliu refused. The roadside restaurant owner then appeared at the Silk Store, loudly demanding payment from Li Qingliu and accusing him of not settling his debt. Furious, Li Qingliu ordered Yan Bin to pay the owner ten times the original amount to silence him.
Long Aoyi sought Li Qingliu’s feedback on her new pillow design, specifically one made with goatskin and cattail wool. She claimed her "Floating Pillow" could make people feel like they were genuinely floating. Li Qingliu acknowledged goatskin's excellent breathability and warmth, making it an ideal pillow material. However, Long Aoyi pointed out that such an expensive material would be impractical for damp and dirty environments, like the roadside restaurant, as it would be difficult to clean if soiled.
Li Qingliu dismissed her concern, asserting that Silk Store clientele would never visit such places. Long Aoyi persisted, suggesting linen, or preferably Hu Linen, as a suitable alternative due to its breathability and damp-proof qualities, despite its less refined texture and patterns. Li Qingliu firmly stated that Xinsilu would never use such "inferior materials." Long Aoyi then showed the design drawing to Xiaoqin, outlining her plan to create an affordable version of the Floating Pillow.
She reasoned that Xinsilu’s luxurious version would be unaffordable for common people, so a cheaper alternative would not only benefit the lower class in Silver City but also create more work for her "brothers." She admitted to borrowing Xinsilu's design and improving it by filling it with dried chrysanthemums for calming properties and kudzu roots to prevent diarrhea. Feeling the need to inform Li Qingliu about using Xinsilu's design, Long Aoyi went to find him but he was absent.
At that moment, Du Xiaoxian approached. Long Aoyi seized the opportunity to inquire about Xinsilu's approach to counterfeit products. Du Xiaoxian, feigning indifference, stated that for a leading enterprise like Xinsilu, such minor imitations were commonplace and merely served to highlight their superior quality, so they did not bother with them. Long Aoyi praised Du Xiaoxian's generous attitude.
Afterward, Li Qingliu instructed Second Master Lyu to take the design drawings to Liu’s Cloth Store in Southern City and produce five samples using Hu Linen, with the cost charged to Li Qingliu. That night, Long Aoyi and Xiaoqin found themselves unable to leave the Silk Store due to a newly enforced curfew after 5 PM.
Frustrated by this restriction, especially with her pillow prototypes ready, Long Aoyi sent a carrier pigeon to Li Zhao, instructing him to dig a doghole. Long Aoyi then observed one guard heading to the latrine. She cleverly distracted the other guard by mimicking Li Qingliu’s authoritative voice and stance, ordering him to stand as punishment. With the path cleared, she and Xiaoqin successfully exited the Silk Store.
Upon meeting Li Zhao, who had indeed been digging a doghole, he realized he had been digging in the front yard instead of the agreed-upon backyard. Long Aoyi promised to teach him her "Dragon-style digging" technique next time. Du Xiaoxian later discovered the doghole and was surprised that the dignified Prince Zhao would resort to such a "low-class" method to help a "lower-class hooligan" like Long Aoyi escape.
Xiao Yue then reported that Longzhu Gang was secretly imitating the Floating Pillow designs. Du Xiaoxian decided to let them continue, believing it was part of her strategy, requiring patience to achieve her goal. Long Aoyi tested the Hu Linen pillows, noting that while they weren't as smooth or full as the goatskin version, they were comfortable and lighter. She was thrilled at the success of their affordable alternative.
To celebrate, Long Aoyi offered Li Zhao a bowl of "Brotherhood Liquor," traditionally shared only with the closest comrades in the Longzhu Gang, thus welcoming him as a sworn brother. Li Zhao accepted and drank it. The next day, Long Aoyi rented the Wuyun Pavilion for a free open day, hoping to promote her pillows with a performance called "The Beauty's Dream."
However, when she announced she was selling her pillows, made of linen and cattail wool, for a thousand copper coins, customers found the price too high compared to basic necessities and began to leave. Long Aoyi tried to highlight her pillow's cloud-like comfort, portability, and significantly lower price compared to Xinsilu's upcoming, much more expensive version. Despite her efforts, the crowd remained unconvinced and continued to disperse.
Meanwhile, Du Xiaoxian cunningly led Li Qingliu to the street under the guise of buying Hequ horses. There, Li Qingliu witnessed Long Aoyi's failed attempt to sell her pillows. Li Zhao, joining Long Aoyi, used his persuasive charm to draw customers, illustrating how even Elbow Zhang, who had suffered from insomnia for years, could finally find restful sleep thanks to Long Aoyi's pillow. He offered a three-day trial with a full refund if dissatisfied.
Customers, intrigued, then demanded that Li Zhao and Long Aoyi demonstrate if two people could comfortably share a single pillow. As they prepared to do so, Li Qingliu, observing from a distance, became visibly enraged.
