Sword Rose Episode 24 Recap
> Sword Rose Recap
While driving her daughter Tang Zhikui to an early education center, Hu Xiaolu, accompanied by her best friend Fang Minmin, was involved in a minor car accident. Hu Xiaolu exited the car to assess the damage, and Fang Minmin, holding Tang Zhikui, also stepped out. Concerned about the busy street, Hu Xiaolu asked Fang Minmin to put her daughter back in the car. Suddenly, a blue van passed by, and someone from inside snatched Tang Zhikui.
Hu Xiaolu immediately called the Anti-abduction Office, and Ai Xin promptly arrived at the scene. Hu Xiaolu and her husband, Tang Dongquan, were separated, and she adamantly believed Tang Dongquan had taken their daughter. With Deng Yan suspended and Yin Jiansheng having died in the line of duty, the office was short-staffed.
A determined Chang Rui returned to work, assigning Yan Lei and Feng Junjie to locate Tang Dongquan, while Ai Xin and Yang Jiajia were to gather more details from Hu Xiaolu. Yang Jiajia discovered that the blue van vanished after passing through an area without surveillance, leading Chang Rui to personally check traffic police cameras. Meanwhile, Captain Han Liang’s team, investigating Deng Yan’s case, discovered the surveillance camera near her apartment had been deliberately damaged.
Fingerprints on the bag of bribe money were not Deng Yan's. Footage from a nearby supermarket revealed a suspicious man entering her building with the bag, but leaving empty-handed. Evidence of forced entry on Deng Yan's wardrobe further supported that she was framed. Captain Han assured Deng Yan of her innocence but explained that additional verification was needed before her suspension could be lifted.
Hu Xiaolu recounted that Tang Dongquan rarely came home, and she suspected him of having an affair, though she had no proof. Yan Lei and Feng Junjie learned from Fang Minmin that Tang Dongquan was overseeing a remote construction project in Qinghai. The investigation then uncovered that Fang Minmin harbored a long-standing crush on Tang Dongquan, leading to the suspicion that she might have arranged the abduction to ingratiate herself with him and disrupt his marriage.
Deng Yan's name was cleared, and she was reinstated. Observing her colleagues' low morale and Chang Rui's preoccupation with his grief, Deng Yan rallied them, reminding them of their duty. She felt a pang of sadness seeing Yin Jiansheng’s empty desk. Elsewhere, a man named Fu Haochen had taken Tang Zhikui into his home. His mentally unstable wife began treating the child as her own deceased daughter, Wenwen.
In a moment of triumph for the office, their persistent efforts paid off, and they located He Meilian's abducted son. He Meilian received a joyous call informing her of the news, and she, Madam Zhang, Liu Weiguo, and Xiaoxing celebrated the upcoming reunion. Consumed by worry, Hu Xiaolu couldn't eat or sleep. She expressed her fear that the kidnappers might feed Tang Zhikui eggs, to which she has a severe allergy.
Fang Minmin tried to reassure her, offering to take leave to help with the search. Despite Fang Minmin's comfort, Hu Xiaolu remained convinced Tang Dongquan was behind the abduction. Remembering that Tuanyuan Restaurant was a known gathering place for parents of abducted children, Fang Minmin suggested they go there for information. At the restaurant, Xiaoxing was saddened to see other families reuniting while her own brother remained missing after fifteen years.
Madam Zhang comforted her, reinforcing the hope that the restaurant represented. Meanwhile, unable to reach Tang Dongquan, Deng Yan dispatched Yan Lei and Yang Jiajia to his company, where they intercepted him and brought him in for questioning. Hu Xiaolu and Fang Minmin arrived at Tuanyuan Restaurant, where Hu Xiaolu learned of Xiaoxing's long search.
Still clinging to the belief that her daughter was not truly "lost" but taken by her husband, Hu Xiaolu frantically tried to call Tang Dongquan and left abruptly. During his questioning, Tang Dongquan denied abducting Tang Zhikui. Pressed by Chang Rui, he confessed that Fang Minmin had been trying to persuade him to divorce Hu Xiaolu and had offered to help him gain custody of their daughter. Ai Xin and Yan Lei subsequently questioned Fang Minmin.
She admitted her romantic involvement with Tang Dongquan but vehemently denied any part in the abduction, insisting she would never harm a child she cared for so deeply. She claimed her only goal was to convince Hu Xiaolu to leave a broken marriage. Fang Minmin then pleaded with the officers not to reveal the affair to Hu Xiaolu. When Tang Dongquan was released, Hu Xiaolu confronted him, demanding to know where their daughter was.
He repeatedly denied taking Tang Zhikui and urged her to join him in the search. Hu Xiaolu refused to believe him, accusing him and an "outside woman" of the crime. As he embraced her, a heartbroken Fang Minmin watched from a distance. At Fu Haochen's home, his wife's mental state improved as she cared for Tang Zhikui.
In disguise, a woman named Zhen Ni observed them before secretly reporting to her superior, Liu Gang, that the child was secure and an overseas labor contract had been signed, much to his satisfaction. Chang Rui, continuing his investigation into Yin Jiansheng's fatal car accident, discovered distinct tire marks in a nearby wooded area, suspecting the truck driver had used a getaway vehicle. He presented his findings to Captain Han and requested to pursue the lead.
Chang Rui soon located the vehicle; its owner recognized it as his own but confirmed the license plate was fake and that he had rented the car out two days prior.
