Song of Youth Episode 20 Recap
> Song of Youth Recap
After being rejected by Tao Yao, Sun Shijie becomes withdrawn, isolating himself and neglecting his family, including his wife, Wu Yuehong. His family, particularly Shen Shi, mistakenly blames Wu Yuehong for their marital strife. Frustrated, Wu Yuehong lashes out at Sun Xun during a family meal, revealing that he had misrepresented the number of Japanese pirates to the Emperor and that their marriage was initially arranged because Sun Xun coveted her father's military power.
Enraged, Sun Xun reprimands Wu Yuehong and punishes her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall. Meanwhile, Tao Yao returns Sun Shijie's qin, deeply hurting him. Despite being injured from her punishment, Wu Yuehong attempts to learn the qin to please Sun Shijie, who claims he only likes musical women. However, she struggles and fails to master the instrument. Observing the affectionate relationship between Sun Yulou and Lin Shaochun, Wu Yuehong seeks their advice.
Lin Shaochun encourages Wu Yuehong to embrace her strengths rather than trying to imitate others. Remembering her talent for polo, Lin Shaochun suggests Wu Yuehong participate in an upcoming match. To ensure Sun Shijie watches, Sun Yulou resorts to knocking him unconscious and bringing him to the polo field. Sun Shijie is furious upon waking but is ultimately made to watch the game.
Wu Yuehong takes the field and demonstrates remarkable skill, scoring multiple goals and leading her team to victory. Sun Shijie, influenced by his friends, is captivated by Wu Yuehong's valiant performance and begins to see a new, admirable side to her. After the match, Wu Yuehong spots Sun Shijie and excitedly calls out to him. However, Sun Shijie, seeing Tao Yao leaving, immediately gives chase, expressing his deep longing for her.
A maid intervenes, revealing that Tao Yao also deeply misses Sun Shijie, which moves him to tears. He promises to visit Tao Yao soon. Returning home, Sun Shijie shows unexpected tenderness towards Wu Yuehong, praising her and apologizing for his past dismissiveness. He promises to treat her well.
He then moves to the study, claiming he wants to avoid disturbing her sleep, which Wu Yuehong misinterprets as a thoughtful gesture from her husband, making her very happy and grateful to Lin Shaochun. However, Sun Shijie secretly begins visiting Tao Yao. Although Sun Xun has ordered him to reflect at home, Sun Shijie regularly leaves early and returns late, claiming to meet friends. Lin Shaochun grows suspicious of his secretive behavior and suspects he has another woman.
She discusses her concerns with Sun Yulou. Sun Shijie, overcome by Tao Yao's allure, becomes intimate with her. Tao Yao, driven by ambition, aims to bear Sun Shijie a child, preferably a son, to secure her position and possibly supplant Wu Yuehong or at least achieve equal standing within the Sun household. Lin Shaochun learns of Sun Shijie's affair with Tao Yao and confronts Tao Yao, who remains unrepentant.
Tao Yao insists on her relationship with Sun Shijie, initially claiming she only wishes to be his mistress and not marry into the Sun family. Lin Shaochun, however, strongly opposes this and vows to investigate Tao Yao's background, promising to intervene if she discovers any manipulative intentions. Worried about the investigation, a maid prompts Tao Yao to act. Tao Yao deliberately cuts her wrist with a dagger.
When Sun Shijie arrives to visit her, she exposes her wound, eliciting his profound sympathy and concern. Sun Shijie is so smitten he even hides outside her house and follows her after she leaves.
