Qing Luo Episode 11 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Nan Nan entered the room to confront Gu Yebai, but Gu Yebai, observing Nan Nan's stubbornness, chose to draw him a portrait as a mighty hero. This delighted Nan Nan, and Gu Yebai further endeared himself by presenting Nan Nan with beautiful new clothes. Nan Nan, proudly displaying his new "Mr. Qingnan" outfit, asked Yu Qingluo if "Uncle Bai" could stay longer. Ye Xiudu immediately declared the clothes "No," while Li Zifan opposed "Uncle Bai" staying longer.
Yu Qingluo, annoyed by their interference, led them away. Recognizing Gu Yebai's unusual charm after he so easily won over Nan Nan, Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan decided to feign hospitality while secretly investigating him, agreeing to "steady him first, and then try to investigate the thing secretly. We'll split up. We'll figure out his real aim."
Meanwhile, Ye Haoran continued his attempts to "save" Jin Liuli from her current life, but his efforts only earned him more beatings and scolding from her. Returning to the Prince Ye's Mansion, Ye Xiudu questioned Ye Haoran about the footprint on his back. Separately, Jin Liuli confided in Yu Qingluo, revealing her complicated history with Ye Haoran. More than six years prior, she had accepted a mission from the Xiuluo Sect to steal the Shennong Pharmacopoeia from the Ye family.
Her initial approach as a unique dancer in a brothel failed to sway Ye Haoran, who generously offered to redeem her freedom, stating he saw "the pureness in your eye" and didn't want her to suffer, while maintaining he couldn't marry until his ambition was achieved. Changing tactics, Jin Liuli disguised herself as a male scholar and "accidentally" encountered Ye Haoran at the academy.
Despite her initial illiteracy, Ye Haoran patiently tutored her, even punishing her for mistakes with a ruler, much to her secret frustration as a "top killer" being taught by a mere scholar. After two months, she became good friends with him, gaining free access to the Prince Ye's Mansion. Her attempt to steal the book, however, triggered a mechanism, and Ye Haoran appeared to save her.
He admitted he had known her true intentions all along but had come to genuinely regard her as a friend, hence he allowed her to leave without consequence. Ye Xiudu, hearing this, realized Jin Liuli was the assassin from six years ago, questioning why Ye Haoran now distrusted her despite letting her go then. Ye Haoran explained he still saw "pureness in her eye" but couldn't trust her words.
Though he denied having feelings for Jin Liuli, his reluctance to answer suggested otherwise. Simultaneously, Jin Liuli confessed her affection for Ye Haoran to Yu Qingluo, lamenting that he still saw her as "an evil person" and remarking on the stark difference between the Ye brothers.
Ye Xiudu advised Ye Haoran to persist in "influencing her" to win her trust, while Yu Qingluo suggested Jin Liuli "play it by ear" and take the initiative to make Ye Haoran fall for her as he continued to "influence" her. Ye Xiudu, still deeply suspicious of Gu Yebai's presence, worried that his identity might be forged and Yu Zuolin could be manipulating him due to Yu Qingluo's past memory loss.
He had already sent Mo Xian to investigate Gu Yebai, and Mo Xian reported that Gu Yebai was indeed a zither player with "clean" background, no martial arts skills, and no bad habits apart from an "addiction to alcohol." Ye Xiudu, however, insisted that "His identity and background can be forged," reiterating his belief that Gu Yebai was "not that simple." One night, Ye Xiudu observed Gu Yebai carrying a tray of mysterious items.
The next morning, Nan Nan, excited about "Uncle Bai," spoke incessantly about Gu Yebai's drawings. After Yu Qingluo finally got Nan Nan to sleep, Gu Yebai entered, offering homemade tonics for Nan Nan's upcoming exam. Seeing Nan Nan was asleep, Gu Yebai took Yu Qingluo to a high point in the mountains. There, Yu Qingluo recalled the day Ye Xiudu had confessed his love and given her a jade pendant, unconsciously smiling at the memory.
Both Ye Xiudu, who had been secretly following them, and Gu Yebai misinterpreted her smile as being for Gu Yebai. Gu Yebai then proposed a date at Qin Restaurant the following day. Later, Jin Liuli, observing Yu Qingluo's reluctance about the date, advised her, "You refused Ye Xiudu for the sake of Nan Nan. . . For the sake of Nan Nan, you can have another try, can't you?" Yu Qingluo, for Nan Nan's sake, agreed.
The next day, Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan, disguised, also went to Qin Restaurant. Gu Yebai played "the Song of Courtship" on a Raoliang Zheng for Yu Qingluo, stirring memories of Ye Xiudu playing the same tune for her. Unable to tolerate Gu Yebai's overt display of affection, Li Zifan and Ye Xiudu joined in on their own instruments, creating a discordant racket that caused Gu Yebai's zither string to snap. Infuriated guests then attacked Gu Yebai.
Yu Qingluo, anxious, urged Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan to intervene. Ye Xiudu eventually called Mo Xian, who arrived with officers. The attackers quickly confessed that Gu Yebai had hired them to "play the scene" and beat him up. Gu Yebai then admitted to Yu Qingluo that he had orchestrated the incident to "replay the scene of what happened to us that year" hoping it would stimulate her to recall her memories.
Angry at his bizarre "surprise," Yu Qingluo brought Gu Yebai back to Qingnang Pavilion to tend to his injuries. After applying medicine to Gu Yebai's wounds, Yu Qingluo emerged to find Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan still eavesdropping. She confirmed that Gu Yebai was not an associate of Yu Zuolin and had no interest in the Shennong Pharmacopoeia, asserting that she had already tested him on the matter.
Gu Yebai, when shown the legendary book, acknowledged its fame but dismissed the myth of "bringing the dead back to life" as mere fabrication. He saw the book as a source of good fortune, as it had led him to reunite with Yu Qingluo and Nan Nan, and he hoped it would bless them to "never be separated in the future."
She asked him where to store the book securely, and he deferred the decision to her, stating she was the one who could "make the best of the book and let it benefit all the people." Yu Qingluo informed Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan of her decision: in three days, on Nan Nan's birthday, she would arrange for Gu Yebai and Nan Nan to acknowledge their father-son relationship.
Despite Li Zifan's concern that she was "rushing into making this decision" and not considering her own happiness, Yu Qingluo remained firm, explaining she sought to give Nan Nan a complete family. Reluctantly, Ye Xiudu and Li Zifan agreed to attend.
Later, when a servant withheld preserved fruits from Nan Nan, saying Yu Qingluo worried he'd lose his teeth, Gu Yebai intervened, assuring Nan Nan that teeth loss was natural for his age, regardless of sweets, and offered him more preserved fruits. Hearing Yu Qingluo's decision, Ye Xiudu immediately retreated to his room and began intently writing.
Ye Haoran found him, revealing Ye Xiudu was crafting a replica of "the masterpiece which isn't handed down of the divine craftsman, Mr. Excellence, Meng Ban"—a skill he learned after saving Meng Ban's life—all as a special gift for Nan Nan's birthday. Later, Ye Haoran voiced concerns to Ye Xiudu about Yu Zuolin's unusual inactivity before the upcoming Four-Kingdom Contest. Ye Xiudu assured him that the Night Guard was closely monitoring Yu Zuolin and he would thwart any schemes.
