Qing Luo Episode 3 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Nan Nan, embracing Yu Qingluo, called her "Mom!" This unexpected address stunned everyone present. Moments later, Li Zifan arrived, praising Nan Nan for his quick thinking in reporting the situation, and affectionately patted his head. Nan Nan immediately expressed his dislike for being touched on the head, prompting Li Zifan to awkwardly withdraw his hand. After Yu Qingluo and Nan Nan had left, Ye Xiudu questioned Nan Nan about his lie.
Nan Nan explained that he had argued with his mother and couldn't enter the Medical Competition alone. He then instructed Ye Xiudu to address Yu Qingluo as "Mistress", asserting that since she had bravely jumped off a cliff to save Ye Xiudu, he owed her this respect. Ye Xiudu playfully asked if that meant he had an unknown "husband". Nan Nan revealed that Yu Qingluo had suffered from Soul-lost disease after his birth and no longer remembered her husband.
Nan Nan probed further, wondering why Ye Xiudu was so concerned, hinting at Ye Xiudu's potential feelings for Yu Qingluo. Ye Xiudu quickly denied this, but Nan Nan, still wary, warned Ye Xiudu to abandon any romantic notions as men who fall for his mother never come to a good end.
Yu Qingluo, observing how easily Ye Xiudu managed Nan Nan, was pleasantly surprised to see her son so compliant, and she began to form a favorable impression of Ye Xiudu. She later asked Nan Nan about his conversation with Ye Xiudu. Nan Nan proudly stated he had warned Ye Xiudu not to "flirt" with his mother. Yu Qingluo chastised him for misusing the term.
Realizing the increasing dangers around them, Yu Qingluo decided it was time to put an end to her involvement. She presented Ye Xiudu with a wound-healing ointment and announced her intention to quit the competition, prioritizing Nan Nan's safety over the prize money or the Shennong Pharmacopoeia, which she didn't care for. Ye Xiudu reminded her of their initial agreement, but Yu Qingluo insisted she was informing him, not seeking his permission.
Ye Xiudu then confessed that the men in black were after him, and that it was crucial for Yu Qingluo, as a doctor, to cure Xiangling. He then hinted that since his injuries were a result of protecting her and Nan Nan, she should repay the favor. Yu Qingluo, despite her apprehension, agreed to treat his wound.
She deliberately omitted anesthesia and added disfiguring powder to his medicine, a small act of revenge for his overbearing behavior and his past of "harassing girls." She warned him that if he didn't promise to reform, his face would swell up like a pig's head. Ye Xiudu retorted that he would only "harass" her, infuriating Yu Qingluo, who stormed off. He tried to stop her by threatening to harm himself with a needle, to which Yu Qingluo called him despicable.
After treating him, Yu Qingluo instructed Mo Xian not to disturb the resting Ye Xiudu. Meanwhile, Mo Xian couldn't help but chuckle upon finding "Affectionate Childe" scrawled on Ye Xiudu's back. Ye Xiudu, catching a glimpse of the words in a mirror, was livid. Yu Qingluo later coaxed Nan Nan away by claiming they needed to find one last ingredient for Xiangling's medicine.
While Yu Qingluo and Nan Nan traveled in their carriage to gather herbs, an imperial censor, Li Zifan, received news that other contestants were being attacked by unknown forces, causing him to worry about Yu Qingluo's whereabouts. Separately, Ye Xiudu also learned of the widespread deaths among contestants and Yu Qingluo's disappearance, showing a troubled expression. Their carriage was indeed ambushed, but Li Zifan arrived just in time to rescue them.
Yu Qingluo again stated her wish to withdraw from the competition. Li Zifan, however, revealed that Yaowang Island was now a trap; all boats were destroyed, and no one could leave due to the ongoing murders of contestants. He assured her that he had sent word for official reinforcements and would protect them until their arrival. Li Zifan, observing Yu Qingluo, remarked on her striking resemblance to an old friend and subtly inquired about her ancestral home.
Sensing a connection to her past, Yu Qingluo asked to speak with him privately, much to Ye Xiudu's visible annoyance. Li Zifan disclosed that his old friend was named Han Jiangxue, from Sangyuan, a renowned medical family whose father, Han Xiao, had become the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau eight years prior. Yu Qingluo then revealed that she had suffered an accident six years ago at the Chaobai River, leading to memory loss and uncertainty about her own identity.
Li Zifan, hearing this, excitedly confirmed that she was indeed Han Jiangxue, expressing his joy at finding her. He began to address her intimately, but Yu Qingluo gently corrected him, asking him to call her Qingluo for the time being. Misunderstanding their conversation, Nan Nan, fearing Li Zifan would become his new stepfather, urged Ye Xiudu (whom he knew as Ye Pianzhou) to drive away "Tuoba Bloodhand Li Zifan," mistakenly identifying Li Zifan as the villain Lord Yuyang had defeated.
Ye Xiudu had to clarify that Li Zifan was not the infamous Tuoba Bloodhand and that the latter had long been vanquished by Lord Yuyang. Recognizing each other's true identities, Lord Yuyang (Ye Xiudu in disguise) and Li Zifan discussed the Shennong Pharmacopoeia and the Ye family's reason for offering such a prestigious prize. Li Zifan subtly questioned Ye Xiudu's disguise and closeness to Yu Qingluo, while Ye Xiudu countered with his own veiled inquiries about Li Zifan's timely arrival.
Their conversation quickly escalated into a wager: whoever could apprehend the true culprit first, the other would have to keep their distance from Yu Qingluo. They sealed the agreement. Yu Qingluo, unaware of their bet, pondered her rediscovered past with Li Zifan and the whereabouts of her father.
Elsewhere, a frustrated Vice Sect Leader, realizing Yu Qingluo was still alive, resolved to use "dirty tricks" to eliminate both Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu, preventing them from interfering with the "Shura Sect's grand plan." The remaining contestants were summoned, and Li Zifan announced he had identified the killer among them. He presented items belonging to deceased contestants found in the fake mysterious doctor's room. Nan Nan attempted to expose the falsehood, but the fake doctor lashed out.
Mo Xian intervened, unmasking her as Ji Sanniang, a storyteller from a local tavern. Ji Sanniang frantically begged for mercy, admitting she only impersonated the mysterious doctor for money and had no intention of killing anyone. Li Zifan, unconvinced, ordered her to the dungeon for intense interrogation. He then approached Ye Xiudu, confidently asserting he had caught the killer and implying Ye Xiudu should uphold his end of the wager.
Ye Xiudu scoffed, dismissing Ji Sanniang as a mere opportunist and doubting she was the real murderer. Later, an official reported to Li Zifan that Ji Sanniang continued to deny any murders under torture, only admitting to fraud. Nan Nan, still determined to thwart any perceived romantic interest in his mother, brought food to Li Zifan, claiming Yu Qingluo had prepared it for him.
Yu Qingluo, entering just in time, stopped Li Zifan from eating, revealing Nan Nan had laced the meal with laxatives. Despite Li Zifan's attempts to excuse Nan Nan's mischief, Yu Qingluo disciplined her son by making him copy ancient poems. Learning that Yu Qingluo was alone in Li Zifan's room after sending Nan Nan away, Ye Xiudu's jealousy flared. He burst in, ostensibly concerned about Yu Qingluo's progress on Xiangling's medicine, and forcibly carried her out.
Yu Qingluo resisted, chiding him and praising Li Zifan as a true gentleman, contrasting him with Ye Xiudu's "lecherous" behavior. Ye Xiudu, however, sternly warned her to stay away from the cunning Li Zifan. He placed the necessary medicine box in her room, informing her that he would guard the door while Mo Xian protected Nan Nan, allowing Yu Qingluo to focus on her task. Yu Qingluo found his "protection" irritatingly condescending.
Outside, Ye Xiudu spoke with Nan Nan, emphasizing Yu Qingluo's deep love and her desire for him to have a complete family. This conversation inadvertently prompted Nan Nan to express a mischievous desire to poison his absent father with his unique concoctions. Ye Xiudu, playing along, advised him to develop an antidote first. After working through the night, Yu Qingluo successfully completed the snow lotus pill.
As she opened her door, she saw Nan Nan peacefully asleep in Ye Xiudu's arms. Ye Xiudu, feigning sleep, opened his eyes and smirked at her, causing Yu Qingluo to blush and quickly retreat. Later, as they sat down for breakfast, Mo Xian rushed in with alarming news: Nan Nan was missing.
