Cry Me A River of Stars Episode 7 Recap
> Cry Me A River of Stars Recap
The Azurelander child, whom Li Yu had rescued, secretly departed, leaving A Fan feeling disheartened. Tao Junran came to comfort her, recounting his own experience of being saved by an Azurelander when he was a child. Hearing his story, A Fan advised Tao Junran to treat Azurelanders with kindness in the future, suggesting that his savior might be among them. Meanwhile, Xinguan, skilled in hypnosis, escaped from her prison.
She infiltrated the Tao Mansion kitchen and administered a hallucinogenic poison called "Nanke Yimeng" to A Fan. Under its influence, A Fan became disoriented and tried to self-strangle. Fortunately, Tao Junran arrived in time to intervene and prevent her. He promptly summoned Master Jingqing from the Tongyin Sect, who used acupuncture to extract the poisonous blood from A Fan. Furious that A Fan had survived the poisoning, Yun He'an smashed a cup in anger.
She later confronted Tao Junran, feigning ignorance about Xinguan's escape and A Fan's poisoning. However, Tao Junran saw through her charade. He directly accused her of being involved and criticized her for becoming a malicious woman who viewed human life as expendable, a stark contrast to her kind-hearted youth. He sternly warned her that if he had sufficient evidence, she would be imprisoned. Despite A Fan's blindness, Tao Junran took her to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
He led her by the hand to a secluded riverbank, vividly describing the beautiful night. He painted a picture of a stone bridge adorned with lanterns, with two paper dragons wrapped around its body, their colored glaze eyes shining under the sky lanterns.
He told her about the river, filled not with lotus lanterns as usual, but with cute duck-shaped ones, and described a "cloud of blue" made of countless fireflies, both flying in the air and resting on the water. In this serene setting, he gently kissed her. Soon after, Lian Qi incapacitated Yun He'an's guards and approached her.
He proposed a deal: if Yun He'an would hand over A Fan to him, he would give her brother what he desired and reveal the secret of the shipwreck in "Devil May Cry." Yun He'an agreed to deliver A Fan in three days. A maid informed A Fan about a wandering doctor from Cangli known for his acupuncture skills in treating eye diseases.
Despite Tao Junran's warning that it was not safe for her to leave, A Fan, hopeful for a cure, decided to secretly leave the Tao Mansion to seek the doctor's help. She found a small opening, like a "dog's hole," to slip out. However, just outside the mansion, she was captured by Yun He'an's people and handed over to Lian Qi, who then took her to Banzang Villa.
Upon realizing A Fan was missing, Cherry immediately set out to find her. Instead, she discovered an injured Xinguan and brought her away. Tao Junran, upon learning of A Fan's disappearance, confronted Yun He'an. He used the wounded Xinguan as leverage to pressure Yun He'an into revealing A Fan's location. Desperate to protect the secret, Xinguan took her own life.
Tao Junran then employed a form of hypnosis, possibly enhanced by the hallucinogenic poison "Nanke Yimeng" (which he later returned to Yun He'an), to extract the information. Distraught and under this influence, Yun He'an revealed that A Fan was being held at Banzang Villa. At Banzang Villa, Lian Qi revealed himself to A Fan, explaining that he had faked his death due to an emergency.
He professed his deep affection for her, promising to be her eyes and care for her for the rest of her life, even if she never regained her sight. A Fan, however, rejected his advances. Lian Qi then attempted to sow discord between A Fan and Tao Junran, suggesting that Tao Junran was merely using her as bait to lure him out. A Fan dismissed his accusations as baseless attempts to create conflict.
Lian Qi also spoke of secrets and a shipwreck, but A Fan was too distressed to fully comprehend, expressing her confusion and desire to return to her home in Biyun County. Having successfully extracted A Fan's location, Tao Junran immediately set off for Banzang Villa to rescue her.
