Shadow Love Episode 15 Recap
> Shadow Love Recap
As the Lantern Festival approached, Li Shuang, determined to ensure the citizens could celebrate in peace after a period of conflict, significantly enhanced Lucheng’s defenses. On one occasion, a man attempting to enter the city without proper identification caused a disturbance. Li Shuang ordered her guards to search his belongings, noticing the calluses on his hands that suggested years of riding and archery, rather than the life of a small merchant from the city outskirts he claimed.
She ordered him sent to the government office for interrogation, where she intended to question him personally. Soon after, Mo Yin appeared, openly admitting he also lacked identification but had not been questioned by the guards. When asked, a guard suggested Mo Yin’s fine attire had led them to believe he didn’t require inspection. Mo Yin found this amusing, expressing a desire to experience prison. Li Shuang, intrigued, questioned his identity and purpose in Lucheng.
Mo Yin, however, offered only vague replies, hinting she wouldn’t understand. Li Shuang then informed him that prison meals were not free. Mo Yin, claiming his money pouch was missing, offered a valuable hairpin, which Li Shuang accepted. She warned him that prison might entail physical suffering and, regardless of his noble background, she would not release him on a whim.
She then instructed the warden to keep a close watch on him, suspecting he might be a powerful figure seeking amusement. Li Shuang then addressed her soldiers, warning them of severe penalties for any future lapses in duty. Meanwhile, Lu Xin had closed her pharmacy early for the festival, feeling a pang of loneliness.
Li Shuang, on her patrol, explained to Lu Xin that she was trying to escape Jin'an's persistent efforts to make her "enjoy life" through playing musical instruments and painting, which she found tedious. Lu Xin teased her about having "sweet feelings," but Li Shuang dismissed it as her friend reading too many romance novels.
Lu Xin then expressed a sentiment that Jin'an shared: Li Shuang, while exemplary in her roles as the General of Taijin, the Li family's daughter, and the Beautiful Lord of Hell, had forgotten her own identity as an ordinary woman. Lu Xin stressed the importance of having choices in life beyond the battlefield and urged Li Shuang to live happily for herself, even if just for a day.
She presented Li Shuang with a unique silk dress she had specially commissioned. Moved by Lu Xin’s thoughtful gesture, Li Shuang promised to return the favor with a magnificent gift. Later, as the sun began to set, Jin'an arrived at the General's Residence to escort Li Shuang. Li Shuang suggested they explore the Lantern Festival together, a spectacle she believed Jin'an had never witnessed.
Jin'an playfully asked if she was asking him out, which Li Shuang denied, insisting she merely didn't want him to be bored. Jin'an, delighted, agreed not to spoil her "first time asking him out." Within the prison walls, Mo Yin observed the lively festival outside with excitement. He then provoked the other prisoner, revealing that he knew the man was a pawn, deliberately exposed at the city gate to create a diversion for his accomplices to enter the city.
The incensed prisoner attacked Mo Yin, but Mo Yin quickly subdued him with a "Forget-Me-Not Pill," ensuring the man would forget their encounter upon waking. Mo Yin expressed frustration at losing track of other targets but resolved to join the festivities outside to continue his search. Out on the bustling streets, Lu Xin and Jin'an waited for Li Shuang. As a dragon parade passed by, a young woman dropped her lantern.
Jin'an, picking it up, realized the beautiful lady in the silk dress Lu Xin had given her was Li Shuang. Lu Xin proudly admired her friend's transformation. Li Shuang, however, complained about the layers of the dress, finding it restrictive compared to her usual armor. To Lu Xin’s surprise, Li Shuang had brought Ji Ran along, playfully presenting him as her "grand gift" for Lu Xin, suggesting they were a suitable match.
Li Shuang then whisked Jin'an away to a "fireworks show," deliberately leaving Lu Xin and Ji Ran alone to "create opportunities." Lu Xin noted the awkwardness between them, but Li Shuang dismissed it as shyness. A child approached Jin'an, asking him to buy Li Shuang a flower. Jin'an, checking his empty pockets, revealed that all his money was held by Li Shuang. Li Shuang quickly provided the child with money.
Jin'an good-naturedly complained about being perceived as a "kept man," to which Li Shuang jokingly handed him all her remaining money and the lantern, telling him not to ask her for money again, a gesture that only deepened Jin'an’s public "plight." Elsewhere, Ouyang Jun sought out Qiao, who was on duty at the General’s Residence. He had brought her a special gift.
Passing a vendor selling "man in black" masks, he overheard the vendor proclaiming them the "fourth treasure of Lucheng." The vendor enthusiastically recounted the heroic deeds of the "man in black," who supposedly used "magical tactics" like "scattering beans to form soldiers" and "shrinking land into inches" to drive back 50,000 Yao soldiers and, with General Li, defeated a "scheming counsellor."
Li Shuang, hearing the exaggerated tale and Jin'an's near-revelation, quickly steered Jin'an away from the crowd to prevent him from revealing his identity. Ouyang Jun explained to Qiao that he hadn't used his authority to acquire her favorite date cakes from Old Chen; instead, he had spent the afternoon helping Old Chen hang festival lanterns in his yard. Qiao, initially suspecting coercion, was pleased by his sincerity.
Ouyang Jun then boldly declared his affection for Qiao, suggesting they get to know each other better. Qiao, impressed by his character and martial skills (knowing he was accepted by the General), readily agreed. She enthusiastically envisioned them raising a dozen or so strong children to form a formidable team to protect Li Shuang. Ouyang Jun, taken aback by the ambitious number of children, nevertheless accepted her agreement with joy.
Lu Xin, having encouraged Ji Ran to express his feelings to Li Shuang and assuring him she would no longer pursue him, later found herself by the river. Mo Yin, who had overheard her earlier, sensed her underlying sadness despite her outwardly brave facade. Mistaking her for contemplating suicide, he quickly intervened and pulled her away from the water's edge. Lu Xin, startled, clarified that she was merely admiring the shimmering river.
Mo Yin found her behavior peculiar, noting her earlier cheerful demeanor despite her sadness and her current amusement at his mistake. Lu Xin, calling him an eavesdropper, admitted to employing a "psychological strategy" to make Ji Ran feel guilty. Mo Yin, impressed by her cunning, pointed out that she was still bottling up her own regrets.
Lu Xin countered that everyone wore masks to some extent and that sometimes, even if one wished to speak, there might be no one willing to listen. Mo Yin shared his own philosophy, stating that people from his homeland spoke freely and lived "free and unrestrained," which Lu Xin found "thoughtless."
As the sky exploded with fireworks, Mo Yin, detecting the scent of sulfur and saltpeter, instinctively pulled Lu Xin away, thinking they were in danger, only to realize it was merely the spectacle of the fireworks. Li Shuang, watching the display with Jin'an, thanked him for a truly special evening. As she closed her eyes, Jin'an, remembering the vendor's story and thinking she admired the "man in black," suddenly donned one of the masks he had secretly purchased.
Li Shuang, without a word, removed the mask and kissed him. Mo Yin, having never witnessed fireworks before, was invited by Lu Xin to share a meal. He declined, explaining there was no opportunity that night. He expressed that in this "cold-hearted" city, Lu Xin was the first person he had conversed with pleasantly, and he would remember her. As he departed, Lu Xin wondered if he had simply vanished, questioning the existence of a "Mr. Bat."
