Return of the Queen Episode 21 Recap
> Return of the Queen Recap
Ye Haimeng presented her conditions for restarting cooperation between Mare Nubium and Changlu Group, leveraging her recent purchase of a specific overseas land. She requested that the Lu family publicly declare Lu Sinan's notarized will invalid, withdraw themselves and any moles from Mare Nubium's board, cease all interference in Mare Nubium's business and political affairs, and, most importantly, allow her to take Lu Siyu. Lu Changdong, however, bluntly rejected her terms.
Lu Changdong expressed surprise that Ye Haimeng’s request was for his son, Lu Siyu. He deemed Mare Nubium a more valuable asset than the overseas land Ye Haimeng had acquired, especially with Lu Siyu now positioned as the largest controlling shareholder of Mare Nubium through Lu Sinan's will. He dismissed her negotiation attempts, questioning her ability to manage Mare Nubium's vast enterprise, maneuver capital, expand networks, or control the veteran shareholders.
He declared that Changlu Group did not need the land and instead wanted her Mare Nubium. He revealed that Lu Sinan's marriage to Ye Haimeng had been part of the Lu family's plan, admitting he had personally chosen her as the "best candidate" for Lu Sinan and that Lu Sinan's attempt on her life was on his orders.
Ye Haimeng accused him of talking about murder and seizing wealth as simply as "eating and drinking," questioning his right to decide her family's fate. Lu Changdong, undeterred, stated that in the world of capital, "the strong prey on the weak; that's the natural order," and that because she was weak, she "must die." He insisted she hand over Mare Nubium to the Lu family for her own safety.
Meanwhile, Lu Siyu, who was confined, received a note informing him of Ye Haimeng's arrival. He frantically banged on the door, drawing the attention of Jiang Lin. Concerned for Lu Siyu's safety, Jiang Lin opened the door. Lu Siyu pushed past him and escaped, running towards Ye Haimeng.
He vehemently declared to Lu Changdong that he would not be manipulated, nor would he seize Mare Nubium from Ye Haimeng, swearing he would never become a tool to harm her unless he died. Ye Haimeng and Lu Siyu then fled together, evading their pursuers. As they rested, she noticed marks on him from an earlier confrontation with his father, and they reaffirmed their absolute trust in each other and vowed never to be separated.
Their brief freedom was cut short when Chen Mo's men found them, and Lu Siyu was once again taken and confined to the basement, though he insisted they not touch Ye Haimeng. Ye Haimeng received a call from Tan Xin, who informed her that Mare Nubium’s main entrance was surrounded by media due to leaked news from the Lu family and Changlu Group about major equity changes, negatively impacting the company.
Tan Xin added that twenty-seven branch companies had temporarily detached from the headquarters as a faction within the board, close to the Lu family, had suspended operations until the president and major shareholders were confirmed. The most crucial news was that Mare Nubium's board had confirmed a public hearing to formally determine who—Ye Haimeng or Lu Siyu—held more Mare Nubium shares and was the largest controlling shareholder. Tan Xin stressed the extreme importance of her attendance.
Concurrently, Ms. Chang, Ye Haimeng's lawyer, sent an email explaining that the Lu family had officially submitted Lu Sinan's notarized will, resulting in the court suspending their ongoing inheritance partition process. The court now required a reassessment of all previously favorable outcomes for Ye Haimeng. Ms. Chang warned that the Lu family was clearly determined to seize a part of Mare Nubium.
Among the documents the Lu family submitted to the court, Ye Haimeng noticed a share resale consent form bearing her mother, Luo Yanxin's, fingerprint and signature. This discovery, combined with memories of events before her mother's death, led Ye Haimeng to believe Lu Changdong was responsible for her mother's demise. At the same time, Ye Haimeng's friend reported the findings from their investigation into the overseas land.
The buyer, West Asia Brightness, lacked strong financial capacity and had made payments in four-year installments with unclear fund flow. A private account belonging to Xiao Ting, Ye Haimeng's aunt, was found in the outflow list. Furthermore, Changlu Capital had secretly gone bankrupt five years prior, plagued by an industrial crisis. Their overseas developments had been abandoned, and their domestic business was a "false prosperity" supported by inter-company borrowing.
Changlu's internal assets were severely depleted, with tens of billions in overdue receivables. It became clear that Changlu was only staying afloat by sacrificing other groups, confirming Lu Changdong's long-standing plot to target Mare Nubium and having used Lu Sinan to lure Ye Haimeng into a fraudulent marriage. Ye Haimeng then requested her friend's help to re-investigate her honeymoon hotel with Lu Sinan and obtain video records, suspecting an even larger scheme behind their marriage.
Before the public hearing, Lu Siyu reiterated his refusal to help Lu Changdong. Despite his protests, he was forcibly taken by car. En route, Lu Siyu began acting erratically, mimicking an anxiety attack. Jiang Lin, witnessing this, convinced Lu Changdong to stop the car and allow Lu Siyu to get some fresh air, citing his "anxiety syndrome" from past competitions and his forgotten medication. Lu Siyu seized the opportunity, ran out of the car, and climbed onto a bridge.
He defiantly declared he would not go to Mare Nubium, would not be an heir, would not steal property, and would not be Lu Changdong's pawn or harm Ye Haimeng. He stated that if bearing the Lu surname was his sin, he would "repay everything" his father had given him. With these words, Lu Siyu jumped from the bridge into the river below. Ye Haimeng arrived just in time to witness him falling.
