The Love Lasts Two Minds Episode 16 Recap
> The Love Lasts Two Minds Recap
Yuan explained to Jing Ci that she saw Zuo Yanxi with a veiled woman at an eatery and that she pursued the woman to Shuxin Clinic, where the woman disappeared. She also noted that Ms. Jiang, who was implicated in the Xiaoyu and Fu Manqing cases, had also vanished. Yuan further recounted that the person who attacked her at Hanqiu Slope was also a woman, leading her to suspect that these two women might be the same individual.
Yuan questioned if Jing Ci thought this woman murdered Lord He, and Yuan affirmed her suspicion, reasoning that if the woman knew Zuo Yanxi, she could easily enter Shuxin Clinic to steal poisonous "Sheng Hun" grass. Zuo Yanxi might then cover for her to protect her, making the woman a primary suspect in Yuan’s eyes.
However, Jing Ci dismissed her theory, stating unequivocally that the veiled woman was not the killer and not the same person who attacked Yuan at Hanqiu Slope. When Yuan asked for his certainty, he reminded her that the "Mo" knife used to kill Lord He was heavy. He argued that if a woman were the true culprit, lacking the necessary wrist strength, she would not choose such a cumbersome weapon when a more convenient one would serve her purpose better.
Yuan found his reasoning logical but still harbored suspicions about the veiled woman, pondering the matter deeply. Jing Ci, finding her contemplative expression endearing, gently touched her head, prompting a sweet smile from Yuan. Suddenly, Yuan remembered the medicinal decoction for Mr. Li on a nearby table. She hastily reached for the pot, accidentally scalding her hand. Jing Ci quickly rushed to her side, examining her injured hand while remarking, "When will you ever be more careful?"
He then led her back to the room to apply medicine. Yuan found his words eerily familiar, as if she had heard them from him before, and the act of him tending to her wounds also stirred a sense of déjà vu, causing a headache. As she pressed her hand to her head, Jing Ci, concerned, asked why her head hurt when only her hand was scalded, suggesting it might be fatigue from the Lord He case.
Jing Ci offered to bring Zuo Yanxi from the cell, but Yuan declined, worrying that bringing a suspect for personal reasons would invite unwanted rumors and affect Jing Ci’s reputation. When asked if her health or rumors were more important, Yuan insisted Jing Ci’s reputation was paramount. Instead, she asked him to massage her temples. Jing Ci gently obliged, and Yuan sighed contentedly, saying, "It’s comfortable. So comfortable." She then recalled Mr. Li’s medicine.
Jing Ci dismissed it, remarking that Mr. Li would remain anxious until the case was solved, rendering any medicine useless. Yuan playfully called him "sharp-tongued" but admitted she liked that quality, after which Jing Ci advised her to rest, as the imperial envoy would arrive the next day. Meanwhile, Princess Changle and Zhao Yan were en route to Qinhe. Princess Changle instructed her maid, Yun Duo, to tell Zhao Yan she wished to rest.
Zhao Yan introduced Yuan as Constable Yuan of Qinhe County. Princess Changle, clearly annoyed, connected Yuan’s presence to Yuan Qingli and implied Zhao Yan’s eagerness to come to Qinhe was for her. Zhao Yan reiterated he was on imperial orders and excused himself to investigate case files, urging the princess to rest. Princess Changle then confronted Yuan directly, calling her Yuan Qingli and saying, "You’re really something. Then let’s have some fun here." Yuan was bewildered by the princess’s animosity.
Mr. Li approached Yuan, expressing concern over Princess Changle’s displeasure and advising her to apologize if she had offended her. Yuan insisted she had never met the princess and thus couldn't have offended her. Xiao Lu pulled Yuan aside, explaining that Princess Changle was jealous, suspecting Zhao Yan was in Qinhe to meet Yuan.
She recounted how Zhao Yan once feigned illness to escape Princess Changle and meet Yuan Qingli, leading to Princess Changle being turned away from Yuan Qingli’s former residence by her mother. Yuan realized Princess Changle’s visit was indeed hostile. Yun Duo then inquired about the princess’s accommodations. Mr. Li expressed reservations about the county office’s shabby guest rooms, particularly for a princess.
Yun Duo then stated Princess Changle wished to stay in Constable Yuan’s room, to which Mr. Li readily agreed, promising immediate arrangements. Xiao Lu worried that the princess now knew Yuan’s true identity and would not relent, but Yuan calmly asserted they would face whatever came. Princess Changle summoned Yuan to her assigned room. Yuan formally greeted her, but Princess Changle immediately dropped the pretense, calling her Yuan Qingli and accusing her of feigning her constable identity.
She cynically suggested Yuan was in Qinhe for a "special man," remarking on Yuan Qingli’s increasingly "unique taste" in men after having seen the local men. Yuan reiterated her amnesia due to a bandit attack months prior, stating she remembered nothing of her past, and thus, her preferences might indeed have changed as the princess suggested. Princess Changle feigned belief but mocked Yuan Qingli’s past choice of residence, then complained of feeling itchy.
Yuan observed that she felt comfortable, emphasizing her transformation from the former Yuan Qingli, and asked the princess not to hold past grievances against her. Princess Changle retorted that she knew whether Yuan was truly amnesiac and warned her not to be fooled. She declared Yuan’s room was hers and ordered Yuan to move elsewhere. Yun Duo then unceremoniously dumped Yuan’s bedding on the floor. Yuan complied, taking her bedding.
Princess Changle then ordered Yuan, as a "small constable," to prepare her bathwater. Yuan, carrying her bedding, encountered Xiao Lu, who was concerned for her. Yuan simply said the princess had only asked her to boil water, dismissing it. Xiao Lu indignantly offered to boil the water herself, but Yuan subtly signaled to her, indicating Yun Duo was watching. Yuan then proceeded to the kitchen.
Unable to find an empty guest room, Xiao Lu brought Yuan's bedding to Jing Ci's room. Jing Ci questioned her actions, and Xiao Lu explained that Princess Changle had claimed Yuan's room and was making her work, so Yuan hoped to stay there temporarily. Jing Ci looked concerned upon hearing Yuan was being made to work. Later, Princess Changle announced she was hungry and would bathe later.
Yuan offered to cook but humbly warned that her culinary skills were only appreciated by her pet eagle, "Baddy." Princess Changle took offense at being compared to an "animal." She instructed Yun Duo to bring her dinner and told Yuan to wash her hands and face. After the meal, Princess Changle decided it was time for her bath and asked Yuan to test the water. Yuan noted the water would have cooled and offered to prepare fresh hot water.
In the kitchen, Yuan found Jing Ci tending to the fire. She questioned his presence in the dirty kitchen, to which he replied he was simply warming himself. He asked if Princess Changle was troubling her. Yuan denied it, expressing pity for the princess's strict diet and her inability to win her beloved’s heart, contrasting it with her own joyful life filled with rich foods and chicken soup.
She declared that Princess Changle's attempts to make her unhappy would only make her more determined to be cheerful. Jing Ci remarked on her positive outlook. Yuan then brought up their earlier conversation about marriage, suggesting they exchange betrothal letters. Jing Ci feigned ignorance and quickly departed, much to Yuan’s amusement, who smiled and called him shy.
That night, Yuan was ready to sleep, but Xiao Lu informed her that all guest rooms were full, and she had moved Yuan’s bedding to Jing Ci’s room. Yuan expressed feigned reluctance but was inwardly pleased. Just then, Aunt Zhixia, passing by, overheard Xiao Lu’s comment about Yuan and Jing Ci having "spent a night together" (implying intimacy) and became furious, accusing Xiao Lu of spreading rumors that would ruin Jing Ci’s reputation.
Xiao Lu retorted that Yuan had been drugged, and Jing Ci had taken advantage of her, arguing that it was Jing Ci who was in the wrong. She defiantly declared they would stay in Jing Ci’s room to see if he dared to refuse. They all proceeded to Jing Ci’s room. Jing Ci, calm amidst the commotion, told Aunt Zhixia to let them stay for a few nights, asserting it was harmless, which delighted Yuan.
Aunt Zhixia reluctantly agreed but erected a screen in the room and slept outside it to ensure Jing Ci’s propriety. Later that night, Jing Ci watched Yuan’s peaceful sleeping face. The next morning, Yuan awoke and, seeing Jing Ci still asleep, crept to the other side of the screen to gaze at his tranquil face. Jing Ci, already awake, opened his eyes and asked, "Have you looked enough?" This exchange further infuriated Aunt Zhixia.
Soon after, Yun Duo arrived, claiming the county office water caused Princess Changle’s skin rash and demanded Yuan fetch clear spring water from the back mountain for the princess’s face wash. Yuan readily agreed. Unbeknownst to Yuan, Aunt Zhixia secretly followed her, scattering slippery substances on the steep mountain path Yuan was to take. As Yuan made her way down the treacherous mountain path with a bucket of water, her foot slipped, sending her tumbling down the cliff.
Jing Ci, who happened to be nearby, swiftly flew to her rescue, catching her in mid-air. He helped her sit down, noticing her sprained ankle, and gently inquired where it hurt. Yuan, clutching her chest, said, "Here." She explained that while her sprained foot was painful, imagining the agony he must have endured when his hamstring was broken caused her immense heartache. She pressed him about the identity and whereabouts of the person who injured him, vowing to avenge him.
Jing Ci dismissively replied that it was due to his "poor judgment in choosing friends." Yuan vehemently denied this, asserting, "Hurting you is hurting me. A debt to you is a debt to me." She pledged to never let such a thing happen again and expressed her desire to stay with him "for this lifetime," protecting each other. Jing Ci, looking deeply into her eyes, confessed he also wished to protect someone "for this lifetime." Overwhelmed with emotion, Yuan leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Jing Ci then embraced her, deepening the kiss.
