Return of the Queen Episode 1 Recap
> Return of the Queen Recap
Three years ago, Ye Haimeng, the only daughter of Cloud Sea International Hotel Group Chairman Ye Mingzhi, entered into a powerful business alliance through marriage with Lu Sinan, the eldest son of Changlu Group Chairman Lu Changdong. This union connected two prominent families. While on their honeymoon overseas, tragedy struck when a car accident claimed Lu Sinan's life. Ye Haimeng was severely injured and subsequently disappeared. The devastating news reached Ye Mingzhi, who suffered a fatal heart attack.
Ye Haimeng's mother, Luo Yanxin, collapsed from grief and was hospitalized, later transferred to an unnamed sanatorium, her whereabouts becoming unknown. Under the pretext of managing the couple's shared assets, the Lu family swiftly seized control of Cloud Sea International Hotel Group. Lu Siyue, Lu Sinan's younger sister, and her husband, Jiang Lin, were appointed as acting presidents. This "interim management" effectively made the Lu family the true power holders of Cloud Sea International.
It was also rumored that the Lu family had already begun contacting an overseas consortium, planning to change Cloud Sea International's ownership soon. After three years had passed, Lu Sinan and Ye Haimeng were legally declared missing, and their families held a public funeral to officially announce their deaths.
Reporters flocked to cover the event, speculating that the Ye and Lu families must have learned the precise whereabouts of the missing Ye Haimeng, though many believed she couldn't possibly return after so long. They also questioned if Cloud Sea International's shares would entirely fall to the Lu family, with some noting that the Lu family had already reached out to an overseas consortium, suggesting Cloud Sea International was about to change hands.
Lu Siyue, feigning sorrow, bid farewell to her brother and sister-in-law. However, the funeral took an unexpected turn when Ye Haimeng, clad in red, appeared alive and well, shattering the Lu family's ambitions to completely dominate Cloud Sea International. Her sudden return shocked the attendees, including her uncle Ye Yuezhi, and prompted an emotional outburst from Du Meiyun, Lu Siyue's mother, who ordered security to remove her, convinced she couldn't possibly be alive.
As reporters clamored, demanding to know her true identity, Ling Ke stepped forward, presenting Ye Haimeng's DNA test report, unequivocally confirming her identity. Standing before everyone, Ye Haimeng defiantly addressed her uncle and aunt, stating there was no need for their concern as she would not "die that easily," and declared her intention to speak publicly.
She asserted her former position as president of Cloud Sea International and demanded that Lu Siyue, the acting president, hand over all Cloud Sea International's shares and controlling rights. Lu Siyue refused, questioning Ye Haimeng's sudden return after three years of being reported dead, and arguing that even with identification documents, it wasn't enough to simply hand over the company's ownership.
Lu Siyue pointed out that since Ye Haimeng married her brother, half of Cloud Sea International was his, and they had already reached a sales agreement for his half with an overseas consortium, with the letter of intent already signed and soon to be effective.
In response, Ye Haimeng produced the letter of intent, exposing it as "illegal, privately arranged" and therefore "invalid" due to a lack of board approval, regulatory filing, and proper legal procedures for selling nearly 30% of Cloud Sea International's shares. She boldly declared that as Lu Sinan's wife and Cloud Sea International's president, as long as she was alive, no one could sell their jointly owned shares or divide and sell her company.
She vowed to reclaim every part of Cloud Sea International that had fallen into the Lu family's hands. A flashback revealed a conversation between Lu Siyu and Mo, who showed Lu Siyu a painting commissioned by his late brother, Lu Sinan, for Ye Haimeng before their wedding.
This painting depicted "Haimeng's tree," which Lu Sinan had lovingly described as a symbol of her growth and strength, always filled with hope and passion, eventually becoming a great tree to shelter the Ye family and Cloud Sea International. He had told her that he believed she would make him happy, assuring her she would definitely be happy.
One night, Ye Haimeng was pushed into the water and resurfaced to see Lu Sinan, who appeared to have just saved her, causing her to wonder if he was the one who pushed her. She then heard sounds of a struggle. Lu Sinan quickly subdued two masked assailants and rushed Ye Haimeng into a car, sternly warning her that if anything happened to them, she must not contact, ask for help from, or trust anyone.
Moments later, their speeding car was struck by a truck at an intersection, resulting in the tragic accident. Ye Haimeng awoke in a missionary hospital, where she met Ling Ke, the hospital's assigned interpreter. Ling Ke informed her of her severe injuries, including a spinal compression fracture and multiple hand fractures, necessitating immediate bone pin surgery to avoid lifelong paralysis. Ye Haimeng was initially reluctant to sign the consent form, asking about her family and husband.
Ling Ke then delivered the devastating news: Lu Sinan had died instantly in the crash, her father Ye Mingzhi had passed away from a heart attack, her mother Luo Yanxin was gravely ill and comatose in an unnamed sanatorium, and Cloud Sea International had been taken over by the Lu family. Ling Ke concluded by saying, "You have nothing left." Distraught and disbelieving, Ye Haimeng attempted to call her parents, but her calls went unanswered.
While watching a news report on TV that confirmed Ling Ke's account—detailing Lu Sinan's death, her father's passing, her mother's critical condition, and the Lu family's takeover citing a property custody agreement signed by her and Lu Sinan—she also tried contacting her uncle, Ye Yuezhi, who sounded distant and unhelpful, even asking if she knew another girl.
Realizing her uncle had sided with the Lu family, Ye Haimeng understood she had no one to trust, just as Lu Sinan had warned. Ling Ke reiterated that no one wanted her alive and that she had no other option but to trust her. Recalling both Lu Sinan's and Ling Ke's warnings not to contact anyone, ask for help, or trust anyone, Ye Haimeng found resolve.
Ling Ke urged her to survive, stating that only by living could she reclaim everything that belonged to her. Ye Haimeng, recalling her father's words about growing into a strong, independent tree, signed the surgery consent form. Back in the present, Lu Siyue, still shaken by Ye Haimeng's return and her interference with the overseas consortium agreement, expressed her worries to her mother, Du Meiyun, even fearing for their residence at Cloud Manor.
Du Meiyun dismissed her concerns about the manor, stating it was purchased by Lu Changdong for Lu Sinan, making it rightfully theirs now that Sinan was gone. She also asserted that half of Cloud Sea International was the Lu family's due to its status as marital property. Du Meiyun then revealed their "ace up their sleeve": the property custody agreement bearing both Lu Sinan's and Ye Haimeng's signatures.
Lu Siyue pondered how to acquire Luo Yanxin's shares, currently held in trust by Ye Yuezhi. Du Meiyun subtly implied that if something "unexpected" were to happen to Luo Yanxin during her recovery, it "wouldn't be unusual." She instructed Lu Siyue and Jiang Lin not to panic and to maintain their positions, assuring them that the family would find a way to keep all of Cloud Sea International.
Du Meiyun also stressed that their youngest son, Lu Siyu, should not be involved in these matters due to his youth and naive nature, to which Lu Siyue grudgingly agreed to be the "villain." Meanwhile, Mo praised Lu Siyu's progress during his years away, acknowledging Lu Sinan's efforts. Just then, Ye Haimeng returned to Cloud Manor, stating to Mo that it was her home, and encountered Lu Siyu, greeting him with a firm, "Long time no see, Lu Siyu."
