The Eternal Love 3 Episode 1 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
Dressed in elaborate wedding attire and visibly inebriated, Qu Xiaotan returned to her room. She had anticipated meeting the two beautiful individuals she was to marry, but instead, she discovered them in an intimate embrace. Her curiosity piqued, she wondered how such a situation came to be, prompting a flashback to one month prior. At that time, Dongyue was still the familiar Dongyue, ruled by Emperor Mo Lian Cheng and his Empress, Qu Xiaotan.
Qu Xiaotan was often frustrated by her son, Yu Er, who scattered his homework everywhere. She lamented Mo Lian Cheng's easy life as an emperor, complaining that women were burdened with childcare and homework while men enjoyed power and wealth. She even expressed regret for having a child with him, asserting her own ambition in real estate. Separately, Mo Lian Cheng was ambushed by assassins. He skillfully fended them off, neutralizing them before rescue officials could arrive.
Upon returning home, Mo Lian Cheng found Qu Xiaotan distraught over Yu Er's reluctance to study. He attempted to comfort her, but his suggestion that Yu Er might be better off as a girl, so he wouldn't have so many responsibilities, angered Qu Xiaotan, who accused him of sexism. Their bickering escalated, with Qu Xiaotan complaining about her duties at home and Mo Lian Cheng countering that servants handled most tasks.
As they argued, Yu Er became fixated on the Soul-guarding Pearl. Mo Lian Cheng quickly rushed to protect Yu Er, with Qu Xiaotan following close behind, just as the pearl exploded, rendering them unconscious. Qu Xiaotan awakened to find Qu Jiang Lin, a man she knew to be long dead, standing before her. She was terrified, believing she was seeing a ghost, but then her maid, Jing Xin, rushed in, calling her "Your Highness" and reassuring her.
Disoriented, Qu Xiaotan frantically searched for Mo Lian Cheng and Yu Er. She realized that the Soul-guarding Pearl's instability might have caused a temporal shift, but she was puzzled, as she had not been a princess even before Qu Jiang Lin's death in her original timeline. Qu Jiang Lin, however, informed her that she was Qu Tan Er, the Second Princess of Dongyue, destined to inherit the throne.
He explained that after her fall into the water, if her mental state was impaired, the succession would pass to her elder sister, Qu Mei Er. Qu Xiaotan, suspicious of Qu Jiang Lin's protectiveness, suspected Qu Mei Er was involved in her "accident." Realizing she had once again transmigrated, this time into a world with reversed gender roles, she decided to feign confusion to gather more information.
She learned that in this Dongyue, women held power, striving to govern the country, while men were subordinate, adhering to a code of virtue and three obediences and four virtues. The current Empress, who was Qu Tan Er's aunt and Qu Jiang Lin's cousin, was childless and intended to select either Qu Tan Er or Qu Mei Er as her heir. After dismissing Qu Jiang Lin, Qu Xiaotan pressed Jing Xin for information about Mo Lian Cheng.
Jing Xin revealed that Mo Lian Cheng, the eighth young master of the Mo family, was currently in the palace, participating in the harem selection to become part of the Empress's consort. Enraged, Qu Xiaotan immediately set off to "snatch her groom." In the palace, Mo Lian Cheng's elder brother encouraged him, hinting at Mo Lian Cheng's prior connection to the Empress. However, Mo Lian Cheng remained quiet and sullen, seemingly due to his amnesia.
Su Jing Yuan, a fellow candidate, mocked Mo Lian Cheng, suggesting he was only there due to favoritism from his elder sister, Official Su, who was a supervising officer. Mo Lian Cheng retorted sharply, implying Su Jing Yuan’s own sister had not arranged for his selection, causing Su Jing Yuan to leave in a huff. Meanwhile, Qu Xiaotan relished the deference shown to her as a princess, finding it "awesome."
Jing Xin attached a perfume sachet, a gift from the Empress, to her, noting its precious fragrance that attracted butterflies. Upon seeing Mo Lian Cheng among the male candidates, Qu Xiaotan excitedly called out "Cheng Cheng," but Jing Xin quickly silenced her, reminding her that all candidates were considered the Empress's men until selected. Realizing the need for discretion, Qu Xiaotan decided to infiltrate the selection process to understand the situation better.
Her attempt to sneak in was interrupted by Su Yue La, who informed her that the Empress had appointed both of them to co-host the harem selection. Mo Lian Cheng, battling amnesia, reflected on the difficulty of adapting to this new world's stringent rules where men were subservient. Qu Xiaotan approached him, attempting to tell him he didn't need to join the harem and that she would help him get eliminated.
Mo Lian Cheng, not recognizing her, addressed her formally as "Your Highness" and dismissed her words as heresy. Qu Xiaotan, attributing his aloofness to the public setting, encouraged him and the other candidates before he walked away, leaving her determined to find a way to eliminate him and then reconnect. During the tea ceremony portion of the selection, Qu Xiaotan ruthlessly eliminated candidates for minor faults, but Mo Lian Cheng performed flawlessly.
To her surprise, Su Jing Yuan also wanted Mo Lian Cheng eliminated. Su Jing Yuan deliberately bumped into Mo Lian Cheng, spilling tea onto Qu Xiaotan. Seizing the opportunity, Qu Xiaotan declared Mo Lian Cheng eliminated for lacking manners and insulting her. Su Yue La, however, intervened, explaining that Mo Lian Cheng was favored by the Empress and would be selected regardless. Accepting this, Qu Xiaotan demanded Mo Lian Cheng assist her in changing.
Alone with him, she realized he still didn't recognize her, prompting her to consider he might be this world's version of Mo Lian Cheng, not her husband. She remembered her Mo Lian Cheng had a sword wound on his chest from an assassination attempt. To confirm his identity, she pulled open his robe. Finding no scar, Qu Xiaotan was crestfallen.
She quickly bid him well, wishing him to "become the Emperor Consort soon," and left, leaving a bewildered Mo Lian Cheng behind. Later, Su Yue La mentioned that all candidates underwent a full body inspection before the final selection. The term "body inspection" immediately caught Qu Xiaotan's attention. She went to secretly observe the male candidates changing and being examined. Mo Lian Cheng discovered her peeking and confronted her.
As he spoke, his memories were suddenly triggered by her familiar complaints. He recognized her, calling out "Tan Er," and a rush of emotion overwhelmed Qu Xiaotan, leading her to kiss him. However, during their kiss, Mo Lian Cheng suddenly pushed her away, his recognition fading once more. Determined not to let him join the harem, Qu Xiaotan decided to ally with Su Jing Yuan. Soon after, the Empress arrived, and Qu Xiaotan was stunned to see that the Empress bore an exact resemblance to herself.
