The Eternal Love 3 Episode 7 Recap
> The Eternal Love 3 Recap
Mo Lian Cheng confronted Qu Tan about the imperial token, to which she coolly replied that she had pawned it. He questioned how she could dispose of such a powerful item that could command armies, and why she resorted to such an act when he could have simply asked for it. Qu Tan retorted that he wouldn't have received it if he had asked directly, and admitted that pawning it as if she knew nothing was the best choice.
She explained that someone else had once tested her with the imperial token—a person who was always before her eyes yet whom she could never truly meet. She lamented that she and this person had been entangled across several parallel universes since the Xuanling Continent, experiencing love and pain repeatedly. Mo Lian Cheng dismissed her words as lies, but Qu Tan insisted she was not the princess or Qu Tan Er, and hadn't been since the harem selection.
She revealed that she was Qu Tan, from another Dongyue, and the person she loved, with his exact appearance and name, resided within Mo Lian Cheng. Her insistence on marrying him was not for Mo Lian Cheng himself, but to stay by her beloved's side.
Observing her, Mo Lian Cheng conceded that her drastic change in temperament suggested she was indeed a different person, prompting him to wonder if another version of himself truly existed within his body, the one Qu Tan genuinely loved. Meanwhile, a report reached the Empress that the Second Princess had actually pawned the imperial token.
The Empress was surprised by Qu Tan's unpredictable actions, realizing this proved Qu Tan’s disinterest in the token and simultaneously blocked Mo Lian Cheng’s ambitions to acquire it. She pondered why Qu Tan would give up such power. An attendant suggested Qu Tan didn't trust Mo Lian Cheng and feared the Mo family's manipulation, choosing to relinquish the token rather than be controlled.
The Empress mused whether the couple's relationship was merely a pretense, and if so, why Qu Tan had insisted on marrying Mo Lian Cheng. She was informed that the critical time for "Tianji" was still three months away. To be safe, the Empress decided to discreetly arrange for Qu Tan to prepare for a grand ceremony.
Mo Lian Cheng acknowledged to Qu Tan that his previous intimate actions with her must have been the other self within him, and all her efforts were for that person. Qu Tan expressed her sadness that Mo Lian Cheng seemed indifferent, contrasting it with how the other self always made her feel like the most important person in his heart. Mo Lian Cheng claimed not to care.
Qu Tan countered that while she didn't care about him, she cared deeply for the other Mo Lian Cheng. She stated her indifference to his schemes, whether it was stealing the imperial token or the Mo family's rebellion, and could have even happily seen him marry into the harem. However, because the other self was still present, she occasionally confused the present Mo Lian Cheng with her beloved.
Qu Tan vowed to always remember that the current Mo Lian Cheng was not her beloved. She declared that once they were separated, his actions would be of no concern to her, but for now, she would not tolerate any actions that would endanger the other Mo Lian Cheng. Mo Lian Cheng then questioned why, if her words were true, she would give him leverage, fearing he might expose her.
Qu Tan clarified that, from his perspective, their relationship was one of mutual exploitation, and having leverage over each other was beneficial. Later, as Qu Tan, feeling overwhelmed, wished for everything to be a dream, Mo Yanchen approached her with a wine jug. Realizing their predicaments were similar and that they had never truly conversed, Qu Tan proposed a picnic.
Qu Tan confided in him, asking what one should do if the person they loved changed into someone who looked the same but was not truly them. Mo Yanchen, embracing her, said he would instinctively love her regardless of any change, recalling how everyone thought she had gone mad after falling into the water, yet he never forgot their bond.
As this happened, Mo Lian Cheng's personality switched to his other self, "Cheng Cheng," who saw the embrace and became intensely jealous. He charged towards them, causing Mo Yanchen to stumble and fall, which resulted in Mo Lian Cheng and Qu Tan accidentally kissing. Immediately after, the personality switched back to the amnesiac Mo Lian Cheng, who, upon regaining his composure, pushed Qu Tan away in disgust.
As an angry Mo Yanchen called out to his Eighth Brother, Qu Tan quickly intervened, claiming it was simply a warm display of family solidarity. Qu Tan discussed Mo Lian Cheng's alternating memories with Jing Xin, noting that whenever "Cheng Cheng" appeared, his memory was continuous, unlike her own and Qu Tan Er's past switches. Jing Xin suggested Mo Lian Cheng might have amnesia.
Qu Tan suddenly realized that there might not be two souls, but rather Mo Lian Cheng had simply developed intermittent amnesia after coming to this world with her. Since there were no psychologists or neurologists available, Qu Tan decided to take matters into her own hands. Transformed from a realtor into an artist for his sake, she began a challenging artistic endeavor.
She wrote a detailed story of her and Mo Lian Cheng's love, featuring their most significant moments, hoping to trigger his memories. After completing her work, she read the emotional story to Jing Xin, Yu Hao, and Mo Jingxuan, moving all three to tears. She then cast Jing Xin as Romeo and Mo Jingxuan as Juliet for a live performance, with Yu Hao playing the head assassin.
Qu Tan introduced her "avant-garde play," titled "Love Under the Sakura Tree," to the entire residence, explaining it as a tale of profound romance. During the performance, as Jing Xin and Mo Jingxuan acted out their first meeting and subsequent rescue, Mo Lian Cheng watched with intense focus, at one point internally imagining Qu Tan in the role of Juliet. However, he simply muttered "vulgar" and "disgusting" in response to the romantic portrayals.
Mo Yanchen also found himself uncomfortable with the male character's consistent role as the protector, asking Qu Tan if she would save him in a similar dangerous situation, to which Qu Tan vaguely responded about the residence's strict security. Qu Tan, undeterred, pressed Mo Lian Cheng if he felt any familiarity with the story, but he curtly responded with "disgusting" before walking away.
Mo Yanchen tried to comfort a disappointed Qu Tan, suggesting the play might be "a little hard to understand" and offering ideas for more scholarly scenes instead of kissing scenes, but Qu Tan dismissed his suggestions. Meanwhile, Qu Mei Er received a report from Mixue about the Second Princess's drastic change in personality since her "drowning incident."
She was no longer indecisive, put on plays with no regard for status, depicted a strong man and an idle woman in her stories, claimed they were based on her personal experience, and was now indifferent to Mo Yanchen, despite their past closeness. Suspecting a fraud, as Qu Tan Er's body had never been found, Qu Mei Er decided to confront Qu Tan the next day.
Qu Tan continued her relentless pursuit of Mo Lian Cheng, even waiting outside his door for days. Jing Xin advised her to be more reserved, befitting her status as a princess, but Qu Tan argued that she had to be proactive given Mo Lian Cheng's dullness. Inside his room, Mo Lian Cheng read Qu Tan's notebook, finding it childish but amusing. Eventually, Qu Tan hatched a new plan.
She instructed Jing Xin to tell Yu Hao that she was staying in Mo Yanchen's chambers every night, living licentiously and neglecting her official duties, and that Jing Xin was seeking Yu Hao's help out of desperation. Qu Tan positioned herself to "lie in wait," believing this would surely provoke Mo Lian Cheng. When Yu Hao emerged, Jing Xin conveyed the exaggerated message, adding that she couldn't even rest because of the princess's behavior.
To Qu Tan's surprise, Mo Lian Cheng did not appear. Instead, Yu Hao returned with Mo Lian Cheng’s actual message, which he completely misinterpreted and distorted: that while Qu Tan was childish, her actions were indecent, and she was free to do as she pleased with whomever she pleased. Furthermore, Yu Hao incorrectly conveyed that Mo Lian Cheng would no longer assist her with government affairs and awkwardly wished Qu Tan and Mo Yanchen well, hoping for tiny feet soon. Enraged by this misunderstanding and Mo Lian Cheng's apparent indifference, Qu Tan ordered Jing Xin to break down his door.
