Prodigy Healer Episode 23 Recap
> Prodigy Healer Recap
Mu Xingchen returned to the Shenmu tribe, finding Yue Ying and Shi Hu holding hands. He informed them of his intention to steal a holy fruit to save someone. Initially, Yue Ying hesitated, reminding him that stealing the sacred fruit was a serious crime and questioning why he would involve them for an outsider.
Mu Xingchen declared that he must obtain the holy fruit no matter what and promised Yue Ying that he would return to marry her once he succeeded. Yue Ying expressed that she had waited a long time to hear that but lamented that he only said it now. She reflected on their childhood together, feeling that he had always been distant, and revealed that it was Shi Hu who had truly been there for her.
Mu Xingchen apologized for his past shortcomings and offered to help them be together if she truly loved Shi Hu. Reassured by his words, Yue Ying agreed to help him. Shi Hu, leveraging his position as head of security, helped devise a plan. Mu Xingchen distracted the guards while Yue Ying and Shi Hu replaced the real holy fruit with a fake one crafted using an illusory stone. The fake fruit was successfully swapped.
However, after Mu Xingchen departed with the real holy fruit, the ruse was soon discovered. As the head of security, Shi Hu was immediately questioned by the Chief regarding the theft. Shi Hu took full responsibility, admitting his negligence and requesting punishment. When another individual accused him of complicity, noting Mu Xingchen's illusory stone was with him, Yue Ying stepped forward to claim responsibility for the theft.
Shi Hu, however, quickly reaffirmed that he alone was to blame, stating he had abandoned his post and committed the theft, thus deserving double punishment and emphasizing Yue Ying's innocence. Despite another guard suggesting they wait for the "young master" who had been seen near the sacred tree before making a judgment, the Chief, angered by Shi Hu's attempt to be a hero, sentenced him to kneel in the Drunken Flower Forest for three hours daily.
Later, Yue Ying joined Shi Hu, kneeling beside him. Shi Hu urged her to leave, fearing her implication, but Yue Ying insisted on sharing his punishment. Shi Hu apologized for making her suffer, to which she replied she was happy to do so. Mu Xingchen, with the holy fruit, prepared to treat Chu Tianyao. Suddenly, Mu Nan Yue appeared, revealing that Chu Tianyao was afflicted by Fueling Grass, which the holy fruit could not cure.
He offered to use all his power to expel the poison, despite the risk to his own life, but only if Mu Xingchen gave him the holy fruit. When Mu Xingchen inquired whom he was risking his life for, Mu Nan Yue dismissed the question, emphasizing that even if Chu Tianyao were saved, she might be left permanently disabled, requiring lifelong care.
He suggested that if Mu Xingchen could not commit to this, it might be kinder to let her pass away peacefully. Mu Xingchen, feeling immense guilt since Chu Tianyao's condition was due to saving him, insisted on her rescue and handed over the holy fruit. Mu Nan Yue acknowledged his integrity and departed to make preparations.
Mu Xingchen speculated that Mu Nan Yue desired the holy fruit not for himself, but to save Zeng Shuya, as Xiaodie's remains were no longer a factor. Ye Yunshang shared his curiosity. They retrieved Zeng Shuya's diary and discovered that several seemingly blank pages at the end revealed hidden writing when exposed to sunlight. Zeng Shuya's final entries detailed her suspicion of "Shangguan Qing's" true identity. Armed with a pistol, she confronted him.
Mu Nan Yue, who had been impersonating Shangguan Qing, confessed everything. He explained that he had witnessed the real Shangguan Qing murder a prostitute, which prompted him to assume his identity. He also recounted Xiaodie's tragic story. Zeng Shuya, touched by his genuine compassion and the care he had shown her, realized that his true identity was less important than his love. She put down the gun, accepting him as the loving man she needed.
Mu Xingchen theorized that the final, barely legible words in the diary, "He is back," referred to the return of the "real" Shangguan Qing. According to his analysis, the real Shangguan Qing survived and, out of a bitter love-turned-hatred, attacked and killed Zeng Shuya. This faceless man, believing Mu Nan Yue had stolen his life and wife, then attempted to kill Mu Nan Yue but was ultimately killed by him instead.
Mu Xingchen concluded that this was the profound secret Mu Nan Yue had harbored for years. Ye Yunshang understood that this complex history was why Mu Nan Yue was so desperate to acquire another holy fruit. Mu Xingchen further explained that Mu Nan Yue had previously failed to revive Xiaodie, and now sought the opportunity to revive Zeng Shuya instead. The choice between reviving his "good wife" and his "beloved" was a matter of deep sentiment and loyalty.
Back at the Ye Clinic, Mu Nan Yue began treating Chu Tianyao. He noted that the Fueling Grass poison had intensified significantly after three transfers, warning that any misstep could prove fatal for both of them. He asked Chu Tianyao if enduring such torment for a man who did not love her was truly worth it. In a flashback, Chu Tianyao confessed her deep affection for Mu Xingchen and her despair at being unable to compete with Ye Yunshang.
She had pleaded with Mu Nan Yue for his help, promising him a holy fruit in return. Back in the present, Mu Nan Yue told her that Mu Xingchen now owed her his life and her objective had been achieved. Meanwhile, Ye Yunshang conducted an autopsy on Song Ziqing. She determined that Song Ziqing had died from poisoning, but critically, the fatal dose was administered "after" her arrest.
She pondered how Song Ziqing could have obtained poison while in police custody. The possibility of Chu Tianyao's involvement was raised, but Ye Yunshang did not confirm or deny, instead questioning the murderer's motive. Qiao Zhen Tian suggested the body held no further value, but Ye Yunshang felt the case was more intricate than it appeared and continued to wonder why Song Ziqing was killed. She declined Qiao Zhen Tian's invitation for a meal, stating she needed to attend to Chu Tianyao.
