The Eternal Love 2 Episode 11 Recap
> The Eternal Love 2 Recap
The Eighth Prince, Mo Liancheng, entered Liu Shang's bathing quarters, claiming he brought fine wine and was unaware Liu Shang was bathing. Liu Shang, dishevelled and seemingly caught off guard, had only just managed to don a human skin mask. He politely requested time to dress properly before they were to discuss matters in the study. Mo Liancheng agreed, but as Liu Shang turned away, he subtly sighed in relief.
Mo Liancheng, with keen hearing, immediately questioned the sigh and began to approach. At that moment, Qu Xiaotan, who was observing the scene with great amusement, meekly interjected, asking to be excused so as not to "bother" the two men "playing in the water." Mo Liancheng halted his investigation, stopped Qu Xiaotan, and instructed her to return with him, while also telling Liu Shang to take his time.
Unseen by Mo Liancheng, the moment he and Qu Xiaotan exited, Liu Shang's human skin mask slipped from his face and fell to the floor. Later, over a meal, Qu Xiaotan confided in Jingxin about her observations, jokingly speculating that even if Mo Liancheng wasn't gay, he surely had some "special interests." She then expressed her fervent desire to return to her own time with Mo Yihuai, even if he wished to remain in Dongyue.
Jingxin, however, questioned Qu Xiaotan's apparent nonchalance about her connection with Mo Yihuai. Jingxin then tearfully confessed her deep concern about Qu Xiaotan's drastically changed personality since her fall into the water, noting how she had become both happier and strangely unfamiliar. Unable to maintain her disguise, Qu Xiaotan admitted the truth: she was not Qu Taner and was not from this world.
Jingxin, who had already harbored suspicions due to Qu Xiaotan's inability to recall family heirlooms and Mo Yihuai's love token, was devastated. She pressed Qu Xiaotan about the real Qu Taner's whereabouts, heartbreakingly asking if her lady would ever return. Qu Xiaotan, a victim of the same strange phenomenon, tried to reassure Jingxin, promising to treat her as well as Qu Taner had. But Jingxin, grief-stricken, rejected the offer, stating she only wanted her real lady back.
Meanwhile, Mo Liancheng was dining with the Fourteenth Prince. The Fourteenth Prince playfully teased Mo Liancheng about peeking at Liu Shang bathing. He then inadvertently revealed that an imposter, adopting Liu Shang's elegant dressing style, had recently met with him while posing as Mo Liancheng. Alarmed, Mo Liancheng pressed for every detail of the encounter.
The Fourteenth Prince recounted how the impostor had acted unusually cautiously and seemed surprised when he mentioned Mo Liancheng's fondness for steamed dumplings, which was due to Qu Taner. The impostor had then hastily departed, cautioning the Fourteenth Prince not to speak of their meeting. Yu Hao added that Qu Taner herself, upon her initial arrival at the mansion, had attempted to flee while claiming she was acting on Mo Liancheng's orders, suggesting she too had encountered this mysterious impostor.
Concluding that a sophisticated imposter was indeed at work, Mo Liancheng pondered the motive and the identity of this person, especially given his apparent interest in Qu Taner. He resolved to use Qu Xiaotan as bait to expose him. Later, Qu Xiaotan was grumbling to herself about having to do chores, frustrated by Jingxin's continued anger. The Fourteenth Prince approached her, seemingly concerned about her workload, but quickly began to subtly probe about Jingxin's whereabouts and preferences.
Qu Xiaotan, seeing through his thinly veiled interest, playfully teased him about being too young for romance. The Fourteenth Prince, trying to sound mature, boasted about an "important job" he was about to do for Mo Liancheng that would astound everyone. Before he could reveal more, Mo Liancheng called him away. Shortly after, Qu Xiaotan encountered Mo Liancheng himself. Mo Liancheng attempted to engage her in conversation, questioning her previous remarks about his "mystifying" behavior.
Qu Xiaotan, still troubled by Jingxin's sadness and Mo Liancheng's usual eccentricities, was in no mood for games and curtly rebuffed him, citing discomfort. Suddenly, a contingent of soldiers burst into the mansion, announcing they were under Noble Consort DuGu's orders to apprehend Qu Taner. The butler's protests were ignored, and Qu Xiaotan was seized. As Qu Xiaotan screamed for help, a figure resembling Mo Liancheng appeared and ordered the soldiers to stop.
To Qu Xiaotan's astonishment, Yu Hao immediately attacked this figure. Just as Qu Xiaotan wondered if Yu Hao was rebelling, the figure, realizing it was a trap, skillfully fought off Yu Hao and leaped over a wall to escape. Moments later, the true Mo Liancheng, accompanied by the Fourteenth Prince, emerged from a different direction, dressed differently. Yu Hao reported to the real Mo Liancheng that the impostor had escaped but was still trapped within the sealed mansion walls.
After some questioning, Mo Liancheng learned that only Liu Shang had been seen attempting to enter his study. Highly suspicious, Mo Liancheng immediately ordered Yu Hao to surround Snow Courtyard, Liu Shang's residence. Yu Hao's search yielded no sign of Liu Shang, prompting Mo Liancheng to order a full lockdown of the entire mansion. Just as Mo Liancheng contemplated his next move, Liu Shang calmly appeared, carrying a painting.
Mo Liancheng sternly questioned how Liu Shang could be so oblivious to the major commotion. Liu Shang explained that he had been intensely focused on restoring Mo Liancheng's personal "dragon-cloud picture" at Butler Zhou's request, having accidentally stained it while drying it. Butler Zhou corroborated the story, adding that Liu Shang had been so engrossed in the painting's beauty that he had intended to keep it for closer study.
Though still harboring doubts, Mo Liancheng had no choice but to accept Liu Shang's alibi and withdraw his forces. Later, Mo Liancheng discussed the situation with the Fourteenth Prince and Yu Hao. The Fourteenth Prince reiterated that the impostor was likely within the mansion and unusually concerned for Qu Taner, making Liu Shang the prime suspect despite his alibi.
Yu Hao provided a crucial piece of evidence: the impostor's fighting style was uncannily similar to Mo Liancheng's, even mirroring specific flaws Yu Hao had observed during their childhood training. Mo Liancheng recalled Liu Shang's martial prowess during a past ambush, confirming the similarity and deepening his suspicion of Liu Shang. Back in their room, a shaken Qu Xiaotan and Jingxin reunited. Jingxin, deeply concerned, immediately checked Qu Xiaotan for injuries and expressed outrage at her being used as bait.
Qu Xiaotan, touched, confessed that Jingxin was more than just a friend; she had come to see her as family and pleaded with Jingxin to finally let go of her anger. Jingxin, tearfully, admitted that she too had come to regard Qu Xiaotan as a trusted friend, someone with whom she could "live and die."
She acknowledged that Qu Xiaotan was not to blame for Qu Taner's absence and solemnly vowed to continue protecting Qu Xiaotan as if she were her own lady. In the prison, Mo Yihuai visited Qu Pan'er. Her initial joy at seeing him quickly turned to despair as he coldly stated his visit was solely because she was Qu Taner's sister. He reaffirmed that Qu Taner was his only love and he had no desire to mislead Qu Pan'er further.
As he left, the heartbroken Qu Pan'er was approached by a mysterious cloaked man who handed her a letter. The letter, from her father Qu Jianglin, informed her that he had meticulously planned their family's restoration and assured her that her current predicament could be resolved if she followed his instructions. Empowered, Qu Pan'er then requested an audience with Noble Consort DuGu.
She astounded the Noble Consort by speaking the consort's native language and revealing her knowledge of the Noble Consort's ambition to restore the Dayu nation. Qu Pan'er offered the Soul-Suppressing Orb in exchange for her freedom, promising its aid in the Noble Consort's grand scheme. To further test Liu Shang, Mo Liancheng dispatched Butler Zhou to invite him on an outing to the countryside. Liu Shang initially demurred but quickly agreed when he learned Qu Xiaotan would also be attending.
Before the trip, Mo Liancheng instructed Yu Hao to select a location near water, hinting at a plan to expose the truth. On a clear, pleasant day, Qu Xiaotan joyfully explored while Mo Liancheng and Liu Shang followed, exchanging veiled barbs and subtle probes. During a moment of flower picking, Qu Xiaotan accidentally splashed mud on Liu Shang's hair. Mo Liancheng tried to seize the opportunity to test him, but Liu Shang skillfully avoided any revealing moves.
Mo Liancheng then "accidentally" dropped his imperial ring into the water, pressuring Liu Shang to retrieve it after Yu Hao feigned an inability to swim, and Mo Liancheng even pointed out Liu Shang's childhood spent by the river. Just as Liu Shang prepared to dive, a guard suddenly reported that the impostor had been sighted near the mansion. Mo Liancheng, feigning urgency, immediately departed with Yu Hao to pursue the impostor, leaving Qu Xiaotan and Liu Shang behind.
After Mo Liancheng and Yu Hao left, Qu Xiaotan considered retrieving the valuable ring herself. As she peered into the water, she became disoriented by her own reflection and began to fall in. Liu Shang instinctively reached out to steady her, but both tumbled into the water. As they emerged, sputtering, Qu Xiaotan watched in stunned disbelief as Liu Shang's features shimmered and changed, revealing Mo Liancheng's true face. A human skin mask floated idly on the water's surface, the final piece of the elaborate deception.
