Rose and Gun Episode 5 Recap
> Rose and Gun Recap
宗卿 and Lan Yangyang attempted to have a date, but it was interrupted by Wu Si and Tang Xin. Tang Xin discreetly sent a message to Lan Yangyang, bribing her with milk tea to help gather information about the rescue operation. Lan Yangyang readily agreed. Meanwhile, Wu Si, sensing Tang Xin's intentions, quickly messaged Zong Qing, ordering him not to reveal anything about the rescue.
Consequently, Lan Yangyang tried to press Zong Qing for details, but he remained tight-lipped, claiming he never liked asking or answering questions since he was a child and was simply following rules about not taking credit for good deeds. Tang Xin visited the military camp again for an interview. Wu Si arranged for Squad Leader Wang Chen and Political Instructor Jiang Yajie to speak with her.
Tang Xin immediately inquired about the Dayan Reef Rescue operation, but Wang Chen politely declined to discuss it, stating that the information was the same as what Wu Si and Cheng Yuan had already provided.
Tang Xin then shifted the focus to discussing female soldiers and the unique challenges they face in training and balancing military life with personal lives, particularly mentioning the difficulties of being a wife and daughter while serving on the front lines and the struggle to find balance. Wang Chen revealed she had been married for eleven years but lived separately from her husband and they had not had children yet, admitting she was currently stressed about family matters.
Jiang Yajie explained to Tang Xin that Wang Chen was not being uncooperative but was genuinely going through personal issues. The interview was interrupted when Wang Chen was called away. Outside the camp gate, a woman named Luo Tong was asking for Wang Chen. She identified herself as a colleague of Wang Chen's husband, Bai Zijian, and explained she knew Wang Chen's address because she had helped Bai Zijian previously.
Luo Tong suggested that if Wang Chen truly loved Bai Zijian, she shouldn't leave him living alone. Wang Chen confronted Luo Tong, stating that her marriage was a private matter and not Luo Tong's concern, and asked her to leave the premises. As Tang Xin was leaving, Luo Tong approached her, claiming to be Wang Chen's friend and offering to share information. Tang Xin agreed to speak with Luo Tong.
Luo Tong explained she had worked with Bai Zijian on an internship project and developed feelings for him, but he had made it clear he was married and only loved his wife. She recounted that Bai Zijian had avoided her after that.
Luo Tong questioned why Wang Chen had come all the way to the camp if she wasn't causing trouble and seemed fixated on the idea that Wang Chen and Bai Zijian's marriage must be unhappy because they don't live together. Luo Tong shared details about how Wang Chen and Bai Zijian met through diving and both chose careers related to the ocean.
She described the rigorous frogman selection process Wang Chen endured, where she was the only one to complete the challenge and swam for seven hours to safety. Tang Xin, hearing this, questioned Luo Tong's actions, pointing out the difficulty and dedication of Wang Chen as a soldier and stating that hurting her was wrong. Luo Tong insisted that Bai Zijian's life was also difficult and their marriage seemed like it was only held together by law.
Tang Xin became visibly upset, arguing that Wang Chen's military marriage is legally protected and accusing Luo Tong of hurting a soldier, a family, and a military marriage with her misplaced affections, which Tang Xin described as curiosity, possessiveness, and self-pity, not love. Luo Tong dismissed Tang Xin's words, questioning if she had ever been in love. Just then, Wu Si approached and introduced himself as Wang Chen's captain. Wu Si sat down with them.
Tang Xin initially tried to leave, but Wu Si suggested Luo Tong speak to him as Wang Chen's captain. Wu Si apologized for overhearing their conversation but explained he needed to understand as it concerned his teammate. Luo Tong admitted she had a crush on Bai Zijian. Wu Si and Tang Xin explained that while a crush is not illegal, pursuing a married military spouse is a serious matter with legal implications.
Luo Tong called Tang Xin an "old lady" and challenged her authority. Wu Si intervened, claiming Tang Xin was his family, which gave her the right to speak on behalf of his teammate. Tang Xin, confused, pointed out that Wu Si knew she had never been in love. Wu Si quickly improvised, claiming they had met through a matchmaker, had love at first sight, and gotten married immediately.
He then returned to the topic of Wang Chen and Bai Zijian, emphasizing that Bai Zijian was aware of Wang Chen's profession and the challenges they would face before getting married, but they chose to be together, and the military's role is to protect such brave couples. He advised Luo Tong that she is young and will find love someday, but Bai Zijian is not that person, urging her not to harm Wang Chen.
Zong Qing and Lan Yangyang continued their conversation. Lan Yangyang asked Zong Qing if he always knew what he wanted to do. Zong Qing admitted he didn't have everything planned initially. He enjoyed military-related things as a child, chose communications engineering in military school based on his interests, and felt lost during his junior year.
He decided to join the Marine Corps after a recruitment presentation gave him goosebumps and clarified his life goals, although he did hesitate for a night, partly due to his political commissar's encouragement. He also mentioned being a strong swimmer. Lan Yangyang confided that she feels uncertain about her future, as her father wants her to become a doctor, but she wants to pursue her own dreams.
Zong Qing suggested she follow her heart, acknowledging her youth and the time they have to make corrections, but jokingly added that if she became a doctor, he would feign illness just to stay at her place. Lan Yangyang playfully scolded him for saying something inauspicious. They ended their call as lights out was approaching. Wu Si walked Tang Xin back towards the base gate, arranging for her to get a taxi from inside for safety, as it was late.
They engaged in awkward small talk while waiting. Tang Xin asked Wu Si when he learned about Wang Chen's situation; he replied he overheard it during the interview and at the gate. Tang Xin asked what he would have done if Luo Tong had not listened. Wu Si jokingly said he would introduce her to Han Yuhang to "free" Bai Zijian, then clarified that Han Yuhang wasn't suitable for a young girl.
Tang Xin questioned why he helped Wang Chen since he didn't know her well. Wu Si reiterated his earlier joke about being a military spouse and that he felt it was his duty to support the military and its families, expressing admiration for Wang Chen as both a soldier and a woman. Tang Xin was touched by his words. He jokingly suggested a hug, but Tang Xin pointed out the sentries.
Tang Xin then gave Wu Si a voice recorder containing the conversation with Luo Tong, asking him to pass it to Wang Chen and expressing hope that Bai Zijian would not face misunderstanding due to Luo Tong's actions, as finding true love is rare. Tang Xin asked to meet again to learn more about him, and Wu Si agreed. Wang Chen spoke on the phone with her mother, who expressed concern that she hadn't been home for weekend dinners recently.
Wang Chen explained she was very busy with work and had an upcoming business trip but promised to visit after. Her mother worried about her being alone since her husband wasn't there, but Wang Chen assured her mother she could take care of herself and that her marriage was fine, urging her mother to also take care. Bai Zijian's brother, Yuhang, arrived at Bai Zijian's place with wine and found him reading documents about ancient shipwrecks.
Bai Zijian explained he was researching ancient Chinese shipwrecks, including information verified by national experts and details about illegal salvaging by "treasure hunters." Yuhang mentioned the reporter (Tang Xin) and the failed search for the shipwreck artifact, asking if she had given up. Bai Zijian evaded the question, claiming he was the one who guessed she might give up but wasn't sure, as he couldn't ask her directly.
Yuhang, suspecting Bai Zijian was hiding something, warned him not to get involved in any more trouble with the reporter or ask to borrow his boat again. Wang Chen discussed Bai Zijian's transfer to Wenzhou with someone. While finding his decision to move romantic, she questioned if it was the right one. She mentioned listening to the recording from Tang Xin and thanked her for it.
During obstacle training, Private First Class Yi Nanwang was observed by the brigadier and Wu Si. The brigadier asked Yi Nanwang what he would do if he failed the evaluation. Yi Nanwang declared he would continue training until he made it into Blue Blade, expressing strong determination. The brigadier announced Yi Nanwang's passing scores in combat skills, military tactics, special reconnaissance, and sniper specialization, explaining that the evaluation was cumulative, based on every training session.
Yi Nanwang was officially approved to join the Blue Blade Special Ops Team, becoming visibly emotional. Wu Si noted that it was also Yi Nanwang's birthday, the first day of his twenties. Wu Si declared a break and presented a large cake. Yi Nanwang explained that his name, given by his orphanage director, means "never forget the country's care," and now also means "never forget the bond with comrades."
He called the army his home and his team his family, thanking his squad leaders. Tang Xin contacted her source regarding the sunken artifacts. She shared that based on the provided hints, she suspected a connection to the Changzhou Group. She asked if the source had further evidence of illegal underwater looting, specifically mentioning the artifact fragments recovered from the seabed at Dayan Reef. She proposed they meet and asked the source to set the time and place.
