The Lion's Secret Episode 5 Recap
> The Lion's Secret Recap
Liu Qing awoke from a nightmare, disoriented and recalling fragmented images of a recent struggle. He noticed his wounds were already bandaged, leaving him to wonder who had saved him. Across town, Mu Wanqing, still troubled by the previous night's events, called in the company's security team. She learned that the main power for the surveillance system had been intentionally shut down since seven o'clock.
The security staff, eager to deflect blame, accused Liu Qing, the newly appointed Assistant Director, of being an inside thief, citing his disappearance and the fact that he had "volunteered" for night duty. They even urged Mu Wanqing to call the police to apprehend him. Li Na, Mu Wanqing's assistant, further reported that all traces of a fight at the scene had been meticulously cleaned up, and their own cleaning department denied any involvement.
Enraged by the team's excuses and perceived incompetence, Mu Wanqing threatened to fire the entire security department. Just then, Liu Qing, feigning drunkenness, stumbled into the office. He lied, claiming he had simply gone out for dinner, gotten drunk at a nearby bar, and lost track of time until morning. Mu Wanqing, who had found his phone the previous night, saw through his lies. She angrily dismissed him from Maoyuan, telling him not to treat everyone like a fool.
As she returned his phone, her hand accidentally pressed against his bandaged shoulder. Liu Qing, determined to conceal his injuries, gritted his teeth and remained silent. Liu Qing's dismissal quickly became company news. However, he remained unfazed, even catching Sun Yu, one of Lei Shuo's subordinates, following him. Liu Qing confronted her, asking her to take him to Lei Shuo, warning that he would otherwise storm Lei Shuo's cellar himself. Sun Yu, knowing her boss's temperament, reluctantly agreed.
Upon meeting, Lei Shuo, without a word, challenged Liu Qing to a fight. During their intense sparring, Lei Shuo initially found himself at a disadvantage, but upon noticing Liu Qing's slightly diminished reflexes and strength, he targeted Liu Qing's healing shoulder wound, eventually gaining the upper hand.
After the fight, Liu Qing thanked Lei Shuo for saving him the previous night and demanded his security uniform back, explaining that it was necessary for him to re-enter Maoyuan and that he had no intention of leaving the company. Lei Shuo, amused, teased Liu Qing about his predicament, then offered him a specialized capsule to counter his traumatic stress, explaining it could alleviate symptoms triggered by low temperatures during emergencies.
Liu Qing expressed skepticism about the "elixir of life," but Lei Shuo reaffirmed his commitment to protect him. Liu Qing then aired his grievances, complaining about being taken away from his night shift, which led to his current dismissal, and about Lei Shuo's earlier attempts to test him with a poorly executed fake resume and operatives clumsily trailing him. Lei Shuo admitted he orchestrated these events to assess Liu Qing's crisis management abilities.
Meanwhile, Lei Shuo also visited Fu Jundie's martial arts club. Dressed in a suit, he endured her playful jabs about his attire before reiterating his desire to train under her. Despite her initial skepticism, they engaged in a sparring match. Spectators were impressed by Lei Shuo's agility, noting Fu Jundie's difficulty in landing a hit. Lei Shuo eventually feigned exhaustion and requested a break.
Fu Jundie complimented his potential, to which Lei Shuo jokingly agreed, and he persistently pressed her to accept him as a student. Although she initially stated she had pushed him hard to make him give up, she eventually relented, telling him to return "at the same time next week." As she turned away, Lei Shuo quickly took her phone, found it unlocked, and added her WeChat contact, much to her exasperation.
He jokingly reminded her to be responsible for her new student, to which she expressed regret for accepting him. Lei Shuo later questioned Liu Qing about his secretive nature and his refusal to be honest with Mu Wanqing, even suggesting he could have fabricated a heroic story to gain her sympathy. Liu Qing insisted such a theatrical display was "not his style." Lei Shuo countered that "playing the pig to eat the tiger" was Liu Qing's specialty.
Liu Qing complained about Mu Wanqing's transformed personality, her quick temper, and how she held grudges. He even mentioned her jealousy over his grandmother's affection for him. When Lei Shuo suggested divorce if he was so unhappy, Liu Qing firmly rejected the idea, revealing that while their shared childhood experiences were a factor, Mu Wanqing ultimately made him "feel good to be alive." Lei Shuo advised Liu Qing to return to Mu Wanqing, rest, and "confess his past."
However, Liu Qing felt Lei Shuo "overestimated his importance to her." Concurrently, Mu Wanqing confided in Fu Jundie about her growing suspicion of Liu Qing. She felt strange occurrences at the company and Liu Qing's unbothered return after his disappearance were linked. She believed he was hiding many secrets and intended to "force him to speak the truth," feeling he treated everyone else like fools. Fu Jundie, however, doubted Liu Qing would readily comply.
Suddenly, Liu Qing received alarming photos showing Wu Feifei, Lei Shuo's younger sister, kidnapped and appearing drugged. Lei Shuo quickly identified the location from the kidnappers' message, recognizing it as a trap due to the fake tenant information. Despite Liu Qing's concern, Lei Shuo urged him to call the police, and they proceeded to the location. They successfully rescued Wu Feifei, who was indeed sedated. Lei Shuo instructed Liu Qing to take her directly to the hospital.
Immediately after, Liu Qing received more disturbing photos: Mu Wanqing had also been kidnapped. Unbeknownst to them, Wu Feifei's two brothers, including Wu Fengyu, also received her kidnapping location from the same orchestrator. Believing Feifei was still captive, Wu Fengyu tracked the signal and intercepted Liu Qing and Lei Shuo in a tunnel under construction. Wu Fengyu mistakenly thought Liu Qing and Lei Shuo were the kidnappers and tried to block them.
Lei Shuo quickly intervened, blocking Wu Fengyu's car and instructing Liu Qing to leave with Feifei to save Mu Wanqing. Lei Shuo then stepped out to confront Wu Fengyu, a former comrade. Wu Fengyu, still harboring resentment over the death of their comrade, Fox, during a past mission in Bazhen, spoke harshly to Lei Shuo, accusing him of abandoning their brothers.
Lei Shuo tried to assure him that Feifei was safe in Liu Qing's car and on her way to a doctor, but Wu Fengyu was unconvinced, telling both Lei Shuo and Liu Qing to stay away from him. Lei Shuo, however, warned Wu Fengyu that the kidnappers were sophisticated, knew their past intimately, and had motives far more complex than simple abduction.
Liu Qing arrived at Mu Wanqing's location and was immediately attacked by the same mercenary he had fought the previous night. After a struggle, Liu Qing managed to subdue the mercenary. He found Mu Wanqing inside, unconscious and with a head injury, having been injected with a powerful tranquilizer. Overwhelmed with guilt for not protecting her, Liu Qing gently embraced Mu Wanqing, whispering reassurance as he remembered saving her from drowning as a child.
As he tried to untie her, cold air suddenly blasted from the ceiling pipes, triggering his traumatic stress and paralyzing him. Sister Mumu appeared, confronting Liu Qing and chastising him for falling into her trap. The mercenary offered to finish Liu Qing, but Sister Mumu insisted it was her task. However, Liu Qing, fueled by his unwavering resolve not to abandon Mu Wanqing, mustered a surge of strength, blocking Sister Mumu's knife.
The sounds of approaching police sirens signaled their impending arrival. The mercenary swiftly pulled Sister Mumu away, and they made their escape. Medics arrived and took Mu Wanqing to the hospital. Liu Qing, wounded, quietly slipped away to maintain his cover. Unbeknownst to him, his keys, bearing distinctive identification marks for Maoyuan's security and garage departments, had fallen during the struggle and were found by a medical staff member, who later handed them to Mu Wanqing.
Liu Qing soon arrived at the hospital, pretending to have just heard the news and claiming he was "playing games in an internet bar." Mu Wanqing, however, confronted him with the keys, her eyes filled with suspicion. She accused him of being involved in her kidnapping and demanded a "reasonable explanation" within a week, threatening to turn the keys over to the police if he failed. Liu Qing was devastated by her accusation.
Meanwhile, Mu Wanqing's father learned from doctors about the powerful tranquilizer "Ver" used on his daughter, confirming it would cause immediate sedation and likely memory loss. He also informed Mu Wanqing that the police had launched an investigation. Mu Wanqing then questioned her father, suggesting that the online rumors about Maoyuan's financial difficulties and the kidnapping being a fabricated event might have been "secretly manipulated," possibly linking Liu Qing to the scheme.
Lei Shuo, also at the hospital, promised to check on Mu Wanqing, subtly deflecting Mu Wanqing's father's inquiries about how Liu Qing had learned of the incident and arrived so quickly.
