Siege in Fog Episode 15 Recap
> Siege in Fog Recap
Qin Sang wept as she gazed at her mother's photograph, reflecting on her promise to marry Yi Liankai. She admitted that at the time, she felt numb to both happiness and sadness, thinking she was already "dead." She never anticipated Yi Liankai would be the man he turned out to be, nor did she expect Li Wangping's return. Now, having drawn both men into peril, she found herself in an impossible situation.
She questioned if her mother would blame her should she choose to give up. Later, Yi Lianshen visited Pan Jianchi and, after exchanging pleasantries, remarked on Pan Jianchi's academic excellence and his distinctive pen. Pan Jianchi humbly deflected the compliments before explaining that the pen was a special award from his East Asian military academy, given to top students, and held immense sentimental value, which is why he always carried it.
He offered to have a friend procure a few more for Yi Lianshen if he liked it, but Yi Lianshen politely declined, stating he was merely curious. Fan Yanyun sought out Miss Deng to inquire about studying abroad. Miss Deng, a modern woman with Western education, shared insights into the current global situation, contrasting war-torn Europe with the vibrant progress in America. She then asked if Fan Yanyun intended to settle or merely travel.
Fan Yanyun confessed she was simply "uncomfortable at home" and yearned to escape. Miss Deng empathized, likening a beautiful home to a cage that stifles women, especially those who have tasted freedom, and offered her assistance. Upon returning to the Yi residence, Fan Yanyun approached Yi Jipei with her desire to study abroad or resume teaching at a university. Yi Jipei, who had watched her grow up and considered her his daughter, expressed his understanding.
He spoke of Mr. Fan's life as a grand "chess match" that, despite its apparent success, demanded sacrifices. Yi Jipei believed the Yi family's fragile peace was maintained by Fan Yanyun's sacrifice, and her departure would cause the family to "fall apart." He acknowledged her dislike for Yi Lianshen and Yi Liankai's mistreatment of her love.
Yet, given their current circumstances, he pleaded with her to stay for one more year, urging her to carefully observe if Yi Lianshen could be a trustworthy husband. He promised that if she still wished to leave after that year, he would personally arrange her relocation to France to start anew. Tearfully, Fan Yanyun agreed. Yi Jipei later confided in Yi Lianyi that while he had many women in his life, he understood their minds.
He compared love to winemaking, emphasizing the need for patience and how outside influences could sour it. He noted that Yi Liankai's previous absence had allowed certain emotions to settle, but now that he was back, those feelings were resurfacing. Deciding Yi Liankai needed to be away for a while, Yi Jipei then summoned his three sons. He informed them that despite Mr. Fan's funeral being over, the issues it exposed remained unresolved.
While many saw the Yi family as honorable in their grief, others perceived them as weakened. He pointed out that Old Champ Cheng, a powerful leader in the financial and business world, had failed to attend the funeral, even though Fan Yanyun had suggested him to hold the funerary tablet. This absence signaled a potential rift, threatening the Yi family's crucial financial backing.
Yi Lianshen volunteered to visit Old Champ Cheng in Yongnan, but Yi Jipei redirected him to spend more time with Fan Yanyun, stating they hadn't been together much in recent years. Instead, he assigned Yi Liankai to the task, recognizing his connections in the business world. Before Yi Liankai's departure, he washed his father's feet.
Yi Jipei reminisced about Yi Liankai's childhood naughtiness, recalling how he would disappear to catch and roast fish by the river, a memory Yi Jipei cherished. He shared his concern that although the world viewed the Yi family as impenetrable, internal "cracks" existed that could eventually lead to disaster.
He stressed the importance of Old Champ Cheng's upcoming birthday celebration in Yongnan, asserting that only the old man's intentions mattered, and Yi Liankai "knew what to do" if he harbored any "other ideas." Qin Sang later spoke with Yi Liankai, mentioning Fan Yanyun's desire to go abroad. Feeling responsible for involving him in their complicated lives, she offered to step aside if he still harbored feelings for Fan Yanyun, promising him her blessing.
Yi Liankai, visibly hurt and exasperated, questioned Qin Sang's true feelings, remarking, "Qin Sang, oh Qin Sang. I really want to know what your heart is made of." Meanwhile, Yi Lianshen, while packing, expressed his newfound desire to spend time with Fan Yanyun, explaining that his years in the army prevented him from accompanying her, and his current suspension provided a much-needed opportunity.
Fan Yanyun, surprised by his change of heart from his usual pursuit of military power, listened as he passionately declared his lifelong desire to be with her. He recalled guarding her as a child, letting her cause trouble knowing he would always protect her, and now yearned for a simple life where they could explore the world, settle where she found happiness, and raise children "as mischievous and cute as you were when you were little."
Deeply moved by his words, Fan Yanyun assured him that she would not leave. Min Hongyu, learning of Yi Liankai's trip to Yongnan, implored him to take her along. She worried that her humble background would lead to her being scorned by her hometownspeople if she returned alone, but traveling with the Third Young Master of the Yi family would grant her respect. Yi Liankai playfully asked if she had any "unfinished love story" in her hometown.
Min Hongyu responded with a wistful smile, "Is there anything in the world that's completely separate from the word 'love'?" Returning to his room, Yi Liankai found Qin Sang asleep with a book. He gently tried to retrieve it, waking her. He teasingly asked if the "dull" man in her life was reading love stories. He then took her hand and lay beside her, asking her to accompany him to Yongnan.
He spoke of a beautiful flower field he visited there with his mother as a child, where a renowned artist from the Cheng family had woven a tapestry for his mother while she sat amidst the blossoms. He wondered if that flower field still existed. Qin Sang listened, her expression pensive. Qin Sang later sought out Pan Jianchi and directly asked him if he would still be willing to wait for her if their childhood flower field in Yongnan remained.
He unequivocally affirmed that he would wait "until you come." Qin Sang then presented him with an immediate opportunity, asking if he dared to go with her. Pan Jianchi hesitated, acknowledging Yi Liankai's shrewdness and stressing the need for careful planning. Qin Sang instructed him that if he was truly brave, he should go to Yongnan and fly a kite in the flower field in front of Old Champ Cheng's house; if she saw the kite, she would find him.
Yi Liankai recommended Pan Jianchi to Yi Jipei, praising his bravery, his top academic achievements from a Japanese military academy, and his skills in strategy and gunnery, noting Pan Jianchi had saved him from kidnappers. Yi Jipei, confirming Pan Jianchi was the Tian Meng Association member Yi Liankai had asked Gao Peide to rescue, agreed he needed capable people but wished to assess Pan Jianchi himself.
When asked how to resolve Li Chongnian's encirclement of Changye, Pan Jianchi coolly replied there was no need, as the map used was five years old and the threat no longer existed. Impressed, Yi Jipei pressed him further, asking how to eliminate Li Chongnian. Pan Jianchi boldly asserted that Yi Jipei could easily eliminate Li Chongnian at any time but deliberately kept him alive as an "excuse" to appear preoccupied with Jiangzuo, thereby remaining detached from larger national affairs.
Yi Jipei, recognizing Pan Jianchi's intelligence and daring, seemed thoroughly pleased with his answers. As Yi Liankai and Pan Jianchi exited Yi Jipei's study, they encountered Qin Sang. Yi Liankai excitedly informed Qin Sang that his father would soon favor Pan Jianchi greatly. Qin Sang offered congratulations, but her words carried a double meaning, subtly reminding Pan Jianchi of their secret agreement.
After Qin Sang and Yi Liankai left, Pan Jianchi was left in a state of deep reflection, caught between two difficult choices. Yi Liankai escorted Qin Sang back to her room, where she complained of a headache and wished to rest. He left, but then swiftly returned, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her forehead, asking if that would make her headache disappear.
Qin Sang dismissed his romantic gestures, telling him to offer such words to someone who wanted to hear them. He insisted they were meant only for her, adding, "If I kiss your eyes, will you stop crying?" He then advised her to get to bed early, as they would depart for Yongnan in a few days.
Later, Zhu Ma plucked a white hair from Qin Sang's head and urged her to consider having a child, believing it would help stabilize Yi Liankai. She suggested Qin Sang be "kinder to herself" to improve her relationship with Yi Liankai. Zhu Ma viewed the trip to Yongnan as a prime opportunity for the couple to rekindle their romance and have a baby.
She even invoked Qin Sang's deceased mother, saying she had promised to care for Qin Sang and that people would talk if she didn't conceive soon. Zhu Ma earnestly pleaded with Qin Sang, "as if I am speaking for your dead mother," to have a child, believing it would compel Yi Liankai to "spend more time at home." Qin Sang, however, remained distracted and unresponsive.
