Psych-Hunter Episode 10 Recap
> Psych-Hunter Recap
Jiang Shuo quickly climbed ashore and pursued Yuan Muqing, who was walking ahead in a daze. She seemed to see her brother, Yuan Yi, standing under the lights, calling her name, but he vanished in an instant. From then on, she kept murmuring “Three quarter past noon.” Jiang Shuo eventually caught up to her and carried her to a quiet place.
Seeing her distressed and unresponsive, still repeating “Three quarter past noon,” Jiang Shuo decided to hypnotize her, promising to keep her company in her world. Inside Yuan Muqing’s mind palace, Jiang Shuo found only a tilting boulder in a dark, enclosed space with no visible doors. He realized her psychological defense mechanisms were too strong for him to penetrate alone and had to withdraw. He then brought Yuan Muqing to Qin Yiheng’s clinic, asking his friend to examine her.
Jiang Shuo explained that Yuan Muqing had kicked him into the water after they passed a ritual site and had been incessantly muttering “Three quarter past noon” ever since. Qin Yiheng noted her irregular pulse. Yuan Muqing briefly awoke, disoriented and agitated, warning them not to touch her. Recognizing the severity of her condition, Qin Yiheng agreed to join Jiang Shuo in re-entering her mind palace.
Once inside, Jiang Shuo told Qin Yiheng he had exhausted all methods to find an entrance. Qin Yiheng, observing the faint light, used Jiang Shuo’s mirror to refract it, revealing a hopscotch pattern on the ground. Jiang Shuo stepped on the number "10" and Qin Yiheng on "1," causing a door to open. They realized the numbers corresponded to “October 1st,” which was today’s date. They entered the newly opened door. They found themselves in a photo studio.
Jiang Shuo playfully remarked on Yuan Muqing's unusual preference for dressing up, given her typical police uniform, and pondered why her mind palace manifested as a photo studio. He took a photo of Qin Yiheng, but surprisingly, the developed picture showed Jiang Shuo himself. Moving to another room, they discovered numerous photographs of Jiang Shuo and Yuan Muqing, including one depicting Jiang Shuo rescuing her from a water tank during an emergency.
Qin Yiheng commented that Jiang Shuo appeared to be very important to Yuan Muqing in her mind. They also noticed one particular photo that portrayed an event that had not yet occurred in reality, which Jiang Shuo dismissed as her illusions. As they ventured deeper, the rooms, all adorned with photos of them, formed a maze, and the light grew dimmer, suggesting they were approaching the darkest and deepest parts of Yuan Muqing's subconscious.
Qin Yiheng suggested they search the photos for clues. Jiang Shuo found several pictures of a young Yuan Muqing with a boy, who Qin Yiheng identified as Yuan Yi, Yuan Muqing’s brother, a person neither of them had ever met in reality. When Jiang Shuo attempted to remove a photo frame, it triggered Yuan Muqing’s psychological defense mechanism, locking all the doors. Realizing that conventional methods wouldn't work, they searched for another exit.
They discovered a door with a sundial lock. Qin Yiheng explained that sundials were ancient time-measuring devices, indicating the lock was time-sensitive. Jiang Shuo recalled Yuan Muqing’s repeated utterance of “Three quarter past noon” and tried that specific time, which successfully opened the door. From the room beyond, they heard Yuan Muqing’s voice. As they prepared to investigate, Yuan Muqing and Yuan Yi suddenly appeared before them.
Yuan Yi urgently requested Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng to take Yuan Muqing to safety, while he remained to fend off Master Hong’s approaching men. He promised to meet them at Meng Xiong Bridge at “Three quarter past noon.” Yuan Muqing resisted, wanting to stay with her brother, but Jiang Shuo convinced her that her safety was paramount and that he would return to check on Yuan Yi after taking her to safety.
As Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng escorted Yuan Muqing, they encountered Chief Gao, a subordinate of Yuan Muqing's father, who offered a safe passage. Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng decided to follow Yuan Muqing, hoping to uncover the root cause of her disorder. Chief Gao vanished along the way. They arrived at Meng Xiong Bridge at the appointed time, but Yuan Yi did not appear.
A gunshot echoed, prompting Jiang Shuo to return to the studio where he found Yuan Yi dead. However, when he returned to Yuan Muqing, she still believed her brother was alive. They realized that Yuan Muqing had never accepted Yuan Yi’s death, clinging to the delusion that he was still alive. Qin Yiheng diagnosed it as a delusional disorder, potentially triggered by external stimuli and characterized by violent tendencies.
To find a cure, he resolved to visit the Yuan Mansion the next morning to gather information about the abduction. He also provided some calming medication to Lady Shi San, in case Yuan Muqing’s condition worsened. The following morning, Qin Yiheng went to the Yuan Mansion to inquire about Yuan Yi, but the butler claimed Yuan Yi was absent. Fortunately, Madam Wan, Yuan Muqing’s aunt, recognized Qin Yiheng and invited him in.
Qin Yiheng directly asked if Yuan Yi had died in the abduction five years prior. Madam Wan confirmed, tearfully explaining that Yuan Yi had been shot in an alley. She revealed that the entire Yuan household was aware of his death but had kept it a secret from Yuan Muqing, who blamed herself and fantasized about his continued existence.
Qin Yiheng, while learning the truth, fabricated a story to reassure Madam Wan, telling her that Yuan Muqing was fine and would return home in two days after a brief trip, adding that Yuan Muqing missed her dearly. Upon returning to Jiang Shuo, Qin Yiheng discussed how, though Yuan Yi’s death was unchangeable, they could help Yuan Muqing accept this reality. They decided to re-enter her mind palace.
In this second attempt within her psych, Jiang Shuo bravely volunteered to delay Master Hong, while Qin Yiheng went to seek help from Yuan Muqing’s father, Yuan Zhen, hoping to trigger Yuan Muqing’s memory of the actual events. Despite their efforts, Yuan Yi tragically died in this simulated scenario once more. They realized their attempt to alter her delusion had failed. After this experience in her mind palace, Yuan Muqing woke up, her demeanor distinctly altered.
She immediately attacked Jiang Shuo, shouting, "Master Hong, I'm going to kill you!" Jiang Shuo and Qin Yiheng managed to calm her down, assuring her they were there to help, whether with physical or mental discomfort. Yuan Muqing claimed to be fine, but confided that she had a secret to share with only one person, choosing Jiang Shuo. Qin Yiheng respectfully excused himself. Believing Yuan Muqing was about to confess her feelings, Jiang Shuo turned to fetch her some water.
In that moment, Yuan Muqing struck him, knocking him unconscious. Shortly after, Qin Yiheng returned to find Jiang Shuo collapsed on the floor and Yuan Muqing gone. Meanwhile, on the road, Yuan Muqing encountered Qin Yiheng’s secretary, Lady Shi San, who inquired about her well-being. Yuan Muqing, appearing composed, asserted she was fine and surprisingly offered to lead Lady Shi San to Master Hong, claiming she knew his whereabouts.
Master Hong, upon seeing Yuan Muqing, greeted her with a chilling welcome. He handed her a letter, telling her that reading it would reveal "what a blood feud is and how it feels like to have a foe for a father." Back at the clinic, Qin Yiheng and a now conscious Jiang Shuo discussed Yuan Muqing’s alarming state, noting her worsening anxiety, irritability, and violent tendencies. Recognizing the urgency, they decided to split up and search for her immediately, fearing that any delay could lead to her harming herself or others.
