Rattan Episode 26 Recap
> Rattan Recap
Wang Qiankun, his legs weak, leaned on Yan Furui for support as Cang Hong, who was actually Bai Ying in disguise, turned to face them. Yan Furui, concerned for Qin Fang's severe injuries and Si Teng's weakened state from healing him, mentioned the stuffy room. The disguised Bai Ying, as Cang Hong, requested to speak with Si Teng alone.
Yan Furui, aware of the deception, suggested they talk in the back garden, believing it would suit Si Teng, while Wang Qiankun secretly hoped Si Teng would seize the opportunity to attack Bai Ying. Once outside, the figure, still in Cang Hong's form, mockingly remarked on the difficulty of healing a dying man, claiming it would only prolong his suffering for a few days.
Then, her voice shifted back to a female tone, and she scoffed at Wang Qiankun's disguise, revealing she was never fooled by his appearance. Terrified, Wang Qiankun and Yan Furui scrambled back into the room, struggling to barricade the door. After Bai Ying burst in, she demanded to know Si Teng's whereabouts and how much of her vital energy remained.
She then approached the figure lying on the bed, whom they believed to be Qin Fang, and threatened him, attempting to force Si Teng to reveal herself. Desperate, Yan Furui cried out for Si Teng. In a shocking turn, the "Qin Fang" on the bed suddenly sprang to life, ensnaring Bai Ying with vines. Si Teng's voice then echoed, revealing that she had used an illusion to appear as Qin Fang, while the real Qin Fang had been hidden away.
She further explained that Bai Ying had also used illusion to infiltrate, both of them employing similar deceptive tactics. Yan Furui and Wang Qiankun quickly carried the real Qin Fang, who had been concealed in the bathroom, out into the room. Si Teng immediately began transferring Bai Ying's power to him. As Qin Fang's body grew hot from the immense power transfer, Yan Furui was instructed to fetch cold water to help cool him down.
Meanwhile, Wang Qiankun, distraught, demanded to know the fate of his master, Cang Hong. Bai Ying calmly admitted to having recognized and used Cang Hong since he was a boy, stating that she saw an opportunity to exploit him for her entry. Enraged, Wang Qiankun lunged at Bai Ying, attempting to choke her, believing Cang Hong had been cruelly harmed.
Bai Ying, however, looked to Si Teng, reminding her that even after killing her, she had ensured Si Teng's body was treated with dignity and buried respectfully. Si Teng intervened, stopping Wang Qiankun, and only then did Bai Ying reveal that Cang Hong was still alive in the garden. As Si Teng continued the power transfer, Bai Ying incessantly cursed, questioning Si Teng's devotion to Qin Fang and her reasons for saving him.
Si Teng responded that there was no clear right or wrong between them in their past, only calculations, but that Bai Ying should not have harmed Qin Fang. Si Teng only paused when Qin Fang’s face regained a healthy color. Yan Furui, witnessing Bai Ying's callousness, reproached her for her heartlessness, especially towards her own descendants, given her relation to Qin Fang.
Bai Ying coldly dismissed Qin Fang, declaring that her own child had been killed by Qiu Shan long ago. Si Teng, astonished by Bai Ying's profound coldness, observed how drastically she had changed from the Bai Ying who had once loved Shao Yankuan so deeply that she was willing to become human for him.
Si Teng then gently touched Bai Ying's forehead, entering her memories to understand what had transpired between 1939 and 1946 that had so thoroughly hardened her heart. She witnessed Bai Ying's wedding to Shao Yankuan, where Bai Ying, full of hope, eagerly changed her name to 'Bai Ying' and dedicated her life to him, asking for his eternal love.
Shao Yankuan's indifferent response, however, subtly hinted at his superficiality, and Si Teng observed the growing chasm of doubt and suspicion between them, making a true connection impossible. Bai Ying's desperate attempts to change her appearance and preferences to please him further highlighted the superficiality of their bond. Si Teng's vision continued, showing Shao Yankuan quickly taking a new concubine, abandoning Bai Ying to a lonely existence.
Driven by despair and rage, Bai Ying confronted Shao Yankuan during the new concubine's arrival. She declared it was time for a "show" for the new couple, then brutally murdered the concubine right in front of Shao Yankuan. Following this, she grotesquely altered her own face, horrifying Shao Yankuan, who recoiled and branded her a monster. He then confined her, forbidding her to ever appear before him again, rationalizing that it was to prevent public scandal.
Alone in her imprisonment, Bai Ying desperately tried to convince herself that Shao Yankuan would return and that his love would prevail. Si Teng realized Bai Ying believed that by changing her face, she could sever all ties with her past identity as Si Teng and escape the pain of her misplaced affections, but in reality, she only sank deeper into delusion and madness. Bai Ying remained a prisoner, still yearning for Shao Yankuan's affection.
She then overheard a heated argument where Shao Yankuan confronted his first wife about her pregnancy, which was by another man. Seizing an opportunity, Bai Ying confronted the wife, asserting her intention to have a child herself to secure her position in the family and not be trampled by Shao Yankuan's other women. She then humbly begged Shao Yankuan for forgiveness, promising to be a devoted wife, and explicitly expressed her desire to conceive his child.
Despite his continued coldness, they had an intimate encounter, and she became pregnant. Si Teng's vision then revealed Shao Yankuan secretly meeting with Qiu Shan. Shao Yankuan confessed his textile mill was failing and sought Qiu Shan's financial assistance.
Qiu Shan agreed to revitalize the struggling Huamei Textile Factory, but only on the condition that Shao Yankuan assist him in eliminating Si Teng – meaning Bai Ying – specifically after she gave birth, when she would be at her most vulnerable. Though Shao Yankuan had longed for a male heir, he ultimately compromised, agreeing to the treacherous plan due to Bai Ying's "Yao" clan identity.
As Si Teng witnessed these painful memories, she realized that Bai Ying, despite knowing the immense toll childbirth would take on her, still risked her life for Shao Yankuan, only for him to betray her by conspiring with Qiu Shan. The vision then shifted to Bai Ying, heartbroken and drenched in rain at the Huamei Textile Factory, where she had brutally killed Si Teng moments before.
Afterwards, consumed by profound regret, Bai Ying remorsefully admitted her mistake and carefully preserved Si Teng's body. Realizing her tragic error, Bai Ying meticulously devised a plan for Si Teng's eventual resurrection, spanning decades into the future. She discovered that the blood of the Qingtian Tree's descendants held the key to reviving Si Teng.
Bai Ying then killed the Qingtian Tree and acquired one of its descendants—a child—to serve as a vital blood source, arranging for him to be raised by Qin Laifu, unaware of his true purpose. She planned for 70 to 80 years to pass, believing Qiu Shan and the Xuan Gate members would be long gone by then, allowing her to escape her fated demise and secure a new future for herself.
Bai Ying then internally addressed Si Teng, lamenting her own age and inability to fight Qiu Shan, but expressed hope that Si Teng, upon revival, would settle the score, perhaps even dancing on Qiu Shan's grave. As foreseen, Qiu Shan appeared shortly after Bai Ying gave birth and killed her. With her dying breath, Bai Ying defiantly declared that she would indeed return.
