The Eternal Love 3 Episode 3 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
Eldest Princess Qu Meier reveled in the city-wide imitation of her style, though she declared only one man in the world could truly capture her attention. Upon hearing that even noble gentlemen were waiting along her route to the Imperial Palace to catch a glimpse of her, she ordered them to leave, emphasizing that even to see her, men must uphold their moral codes.
Later, when a servant, under duress, admitted to hearing two women gossip about her "round face" instead of "rosy," Qu Meier, enraged by the perceived slight to her beauty, ordered the servant to be dragged away for punishment, demonstrating her fierce intolerance for any perceived criticism. Meanwhile, Qu Xiaotan was deeply troubled by Mo Lian Cheng’s unpredictable personality switches. She theorized that, like herself in the past, he might switch personalities when he lied.
Determined to test this, she ordered Jing Xin to prepare a carriage for a trip to the Mo Residence, despite Jing Xin's apprehension about her focus on Mo Lian Cheng instead of Mo Yanchen. Qu Xiaotan secretly hoped that "Cheng Cheng," her true love, would emerge to meet her. At the Mo Residence, Qu Xiaotan found Mo Lian Cheng in his room and declared her visit was for him.
She offered to forgive his actions from the previous day, but when she asked him to tell a small lie to test her theory, he refused, claiming he didn't know how. Qu Xiaotan reminded him of his past deceptions, such as the divorce paper, but Mo Lian Cheng instead demanded an explanation for what he called her "harassment" of him yesterday. Mo Yanchen then entered, having overheard their conversation.
Misunderstanding the situation, he assumed Qu Xiaotan was belittling Mo Lian Cheng over the recent Harem Selection. Mo Lian Cheng quickly explained he was merely afraid of being belittled. Mo Yanchen, urging his brother to cope, offered to persuade him further and then left. Disappointed that Mo Lian Cheng hadn't switched personalities, Qu Xiaotan concluded that lying didn't trigger his transformation. She then considered that previous switches had occurred after head injuries, not sleep.
Deciding to try anything, she instructed Jing Xin to arrange an outing for Mo Lian Cheng the following day, under the guise of praying for Dongyue's prosperity. Jing Xin confirmed that she meant the Eighth Young Master, not the Eldest, and worried that things were about to go awry.
The next day, Mo Lian Cheng arrived for the outing accompanied by Mo Yanchen and Mo Jingxuan, much to Qu Xiaotan's irritation, as she saw them as "love rivals" hindering her plans. She decided to proceed, leading them to an abandoned inn for a "secret room escape" game, which she described as a quest to find clues and escape flesh-eating ghosts. During the game, Qu Xiaotan pretended she couldn't reach a clue and asked Mo Lian Cheng for help.
He reluctantly complied, only to accidentally trigger a trap that caused a wooden barrel to hit Qu Xiaotan squarely on the head. Mo Lian Cheng coldly remarked that she deserved it, while Mo Yanchen, disturbed by the incident, declared the place inauspicious and insisted they leave immediately.
As Mo Yanchen, Mo Jingxuan, and Jing Xin left the room to search for another exit, Qu Xiaotan accidentally triggered a mechanism and fell into a dark compartment, dragging Mo Lian Cheng down with her. In the enclosed space, Mo Lian Cheng accused Qu Xiaotan of setting up traps and harassing him. She denied any knowledge of the trap, claiming it was part of the escape room game.
Frustrated, Qu Xiaotan hit him on the head, furiously calling him a "jerk" and a "heartless man" and demanding he remember her. Mo Lian Cheng, seemingly shaken, pondered if her words related to his memory loss and admitted that he had indeed forgotten some things about their past. Qu Xiaotan, relieved, then reminded him that he was once the Eighth Prince of Dongyue, who later became the Emperor, and that they even had a son.
Mo Lian Cheng, alarmed, cut her off, stating he dared not listen to any more of her "interesting story." Qu Xiaotan swore her words were true. Following a beam of light, they found an exit, but were immediately ambushed by assassins. Qu Xiaotan, severely injured while protecting Mo Lian Cheng, collapsed. At that moment, Mo Lian Cheng underwent a personality switch.
The "Cheng Cheng" persona emerged, declaring his unwavering protection for "Tan Er" and vowing revenge on those who harmed her. He swiftly defeated the assassins. Qu Xiaotan, overjoyed to see her beloved "Cheng Cheng" back, joyfully called out to him. They kissed, but then, Mo Lian Cheng switched back to his original personality, confused about what had just transpired. Mo Yanchen, Mo Jingxuan, and Jing Xin arrived, finding Qu Xiaotan unconscious.
Mo Yanchen, deeply concerned, decided they would make no decisions until Qu Xiaotan awoke. Mo Lian Cheng, seeing the dead assassins, wondered if Qu Xiaotan had protected him. Mo Yanchen speculated that someone had meticulously planned the trap and assassination, leading them to the ambush point. They then transported Qu Xiaotan back to the Mo Residence. At the Mo Residence, Mo Yuan Long confronted Mo Lian Cheng, expressing his anger over Qu Xiaotan's assassination attempt.
He urged Mo Lian Cheng to quickly seek the Empress's favor as a shortcut to their goals. Mo Lian Cheng countered that relying on the Empress was not the best strategy, as she was "hard to control," while Qu Xiaotan presented a different opportunity.
When Mo Yuan Long reminded him of Mo Yanchen's long-standing affection for Qu Xiaotan, Mo Lian Cheng questioned if his father could truly be certain that Mo Yanchen would choose the Mo family's interests over Qu Xiaotan. This implied Mo Lian Cheng's own ambition to win Qu Xiaotan's favor. Mo Yuan Long cautioned him to be careful and avoid a plan that might backfire.
Qu Xiaotan eventually woke up in the Mo Residence, still puzzled by Mo Lian Cheng's sudden personality switch and return. She suspected Qu Meier was behind the assassination but lacked concrete evidence. Deciding to use her "injuries" as an excuse, she chose to recuperate at the Mo Residence, hoping to get closer to Mo Lian Cheng. Jing Xin informed her that General Mo Feng Yang would be returning that day.
Qu Xiaotan, realizing Mo Feng Yang was Mo Jingxuan's older sister, dismissed her as a distraction, reaffirming her determination to pursue Mo Lian Cheng. She then summoned Mo Lian Cheng and feigned extreme weakness, asking him to feed her medicine. He reluctantly fed her a couple of spoonfuls before Mo Yanchen arrived, took the bowl, and took over, offering to fetch an imperial physician from the palace.
Qu Xiaotan quickly sent him and Jing Xin away, effectively isolating Mo Lian Cheng. Shortly after, Mo Feng Yang, celebrated as a hero for conquering Fort Gu Feng, returned to the Mo Residence. Her father informed her that Mo Lian Cheng was caring for the injured Qu Xiaotan. Mo Feng Yang went to the guest room where Qu Xiaotan, still feigning weakness, asked Mo Lian Cheng to carry her for a walk.
Just as he was about to, Mo Feng Yang entered. Mo Lian Cheng quickly put Qu Xiaotan down. After a brief greeting to Qu Xiaotan, Mo Feng Yang sharply pulled Mo Lian Cheng away. She berated him, accusing him of ruining the Mo family's hard-earned honor with his "indecent" and intimate behavior with Qu Xiaotan, turning him into the household's "laughing stock."
Mo Lian Cheng defended himself, claiming his actions were not intentional, but Mo Feng Yang accused him of seducing Qu Xiaotan. Qu Xiaotan intervened, openly criticizing Mo Feng Yang for her "matriarchal mindset," calling her "conservative, narrow-minded, gullible, and arrogant," and dismissing her "rules and precepts" as mere "prejudices." Mo Lian Cheng was struck by Qu Xiaotan's bold defense and noted how her thoughts aligned perfectly with his own.
Reflecting on her earlier claims about his past as an emperor and their son, he wondered if there was truth to her words and if he truly had a history with her. He concluded that collaborating with Qu Xiaotan, given her apparent affection for him, would be a "win-win" and far more effective for his grand schemes than simply trying to gain the Empress's favor.
Meanwhile, an envoy delivered a warning from the Empress to Qu Meier, urging her to "manage her subordinates well" and threatening severe consequences for any future incidents, implicitly confirming Qu Meier's role in the assassination attempt. Later, the Empress discussed Qu Xiaotan with her attendant, noting that Qu Xiaotan had become "more bold than before" since her immersion in the water.
The attendant confirmed that Qu Xiaotan's temperament had become "more lively," and she had even dared to speak of "men and women being equal" and criticized matriarchy. Inquiring about the Mo Residence, the Empress was informed that Mo Yuan Long remained reclusive, showing no signs of treason, while Mo Lian Cheng was frequently punished and appeared despondent.
The Empress then mused that "the young master of the Mo family is not him," hinting at her suspicion regarding Mo Lian Cheng's true identity or intentions, and concluded that if there were any signs of disloyalty, there would be "no need to keep him."
