The Romance of Tiger and Rose Episode 18 Recap
> The Romance of Tiger and Rose Recap
Gossip spread widely regarding Su Mu's disappearance. Given that only Han Shuo's footprints were found at the scene and other musicians' testimonies placed him as the last person to see Su Mu, he became the primary suspect. During the inquiry, musicians recalled Han Shuo and Su Mu quarreling at a teahouse, connecting it to Chen Qianqian and Pei Heng, and suspecting Su Mu's disappearance was linked to their animosity towards Han Shuo.
Han Shuo acknowledged he had gone to meet Su Mu in Chen Qianqian's stead. The Criminal Minister presented a piece of Su Mu's belt found in an alley near the Music and Dance Academy, along with footprints identified as belonging to Han Shuo’s unique waterproof, non-slip shoes, which Chen Qianqian had made for him. Han Shuo denied having a quarrel.
Chen Qianqian, receiving praise for upholding the law, encouraged Han Shuo to cooperate with the investigation, promising to secure his release once the truth was clear. Han Shuo, for her sake, agreed to be taken to the prison. Once incarcerated, Han Shuo was offered tea by the Criminal Minister, stating it was from Chen Qianqian.
The tea was secretly drugged, and after drinking it, Han Shuo was presented with new "evidence" – the shadow guard token he had entrusted to Chen Qianqian. It was then that he realized Chen Qianqian had orchestrated the entire plot against him, causing him to collapse. Han Shuo awoke to Pei Heng proclaiming his banishment to the southern frontier, where he would be heavily guarded and forbidden from ever returning to Huayuan City or Xuanhu City.
Pei Heng also handed him a divorce letter personally written by Chen Qianqian. Han Shuo, distraught and refusing to believe Chen Qianqian could be so ruthless, was convinced she was hiding something or that Pei Heng was manipulating the situation, and demanded to see her. To shatter Han Shuo's remaining hope, Pei Heng led him to Yueli Mansion to meet Chen Qianqian. Chen Qianqian, fully aware of the original storyline where Han Shuo would die, confronted him.
She falsely claimed she had never truly loved him, asserting that all her actions were a calculated scheme to use him as a bargaining chip against Xuanhu City. She recounted how their "love at first sight" was a lie, how she had "stolen" him, and how her theft of the Dragon Bone was merely a move to earn his trust, as he was nothing more than a "living amulet" to her.
She even revealed that the "Soul Missing Powder" he believed he ingested was just syrup, designed to make him feel guilty and compliant, turning him from a "tiger" into an "obedient little cat," leading him to wear her bracelet, exchange explosives for fireworks, and give her his token. She coldly explained that she wouldn't banish him to the southern frontier to be rescued by Xuanhu spies but would imprison him in a secret location, heavily guarded.
If Xuanhu City ever threatened Huayuan, she would order his execution, as he was the Xuanhu City Owner's only son. When Han Shuo desperately asked if she had ever felt genuine affection for him, even for a moment, she flatly replied, "No." Han Shuo noticed the stamp he had carved for her on a nearby table, a symbol of their bond, clinging to a sliver of hope that she was merely putting on an act.
To thoroughly sever his illusions, Chen Qianqian picked up the stamp and deliberately smashed it on the ground, its fragments mirroring his shattered heart and memories. Heartbroken, Han Shuo, despite the agonizing pain, forcefully broke and discarded the bracelet Chen Qianqian had given him, declaring their relationship "through" from that moment on.
Watching his desolate figure walk away, Zi Rui expressed his pity for Han Shuo and questioned Chen Qianqian, wondering why she had conspired with Pei Heng and Su Mu to frame and divorce him, and why she had instructed him to embed a white jade bottle in the wall. Chen Qianqian remained silent. Later, she was seen crying profusely under a tree in the rain, with Pei Heng silently standing beside her, holding an umbrella.
In the days that followed, Chen Qianqian plunged into a drunken stupor, constantly demanding entertainment from musicians, who eventually pleaded for mercy from exhaustion and were promptly dismissed. Pei Heng, understanding Chen Qianqian's lingering affection for Han Shuo, carefully collected and reassembled the broken stamp. He told her she didn't need to hide her true feelings from him and offered to be her comfort, but she gently declined. Meanwhile, Su Mu sought out Chen Yuanyuan to bid her farewell.
He offered her earnest advice on caring for herself, including eating on time, avoiding cold tea, and not sitting in drafts, even suggesting she read comic books like Chen Qianqian instead of just medical texts. Chen Yuanyuan, confused by his words, questioned whether he truly cared for her.
Su Mu, however, denied having any feelings for her, claiming that as a "dissipated musician" and a "plaything," a relationship with her would only make them "a constant topic of conversation," repaying her kindness with malice. He asked if she had ever considered his feelings. He wished her well and hoped she would "find a good match."
As Su Mu turned to leave, Chen Yuanyuan instinctively reached out to stop him and, in an astonishing moment, stood up and took a step. But Su Mu did not look back. Chen Qianqian, sitting by her mother's bedside, confessed all the recent events, particularly her decision to send Han Shuo away, explaining that it was for his own good to save him from his scripted tragic end.
As she poured out her heart, the City Owner slowly regained consciousness and was even able to sit up and eat. The City Owner was displeased to hear about Han Shuo's departure but acknowledged Chen Qianqian's filial piety had moved the heavens. Chen Qianqian then informed her mother about Lu Peng's murder and Chen Yuanyuan's subsequent illness, requesting that any talk of Chen Yuanyuan's engagement be postponed.
The City Owner revealed that Lu Peng had been present during her argument with Chen Chuchu, leading Chen Qianqian to suspect Chen Chuchu's involvement in Lu Peng's death. She also became suspicious of Chen Chuchu's continuous "copying of the Classic of Filial Piety" while supposedly confined in her mansion. Chen Qianqian instructed her attendant to deliver the "copied" texts to the City Owner's mansion, cautioning them to ensure no one realized Chen Chuchu was actually absent from the city.
Chen Qianqian pondered whether Chen Chuchu had a greater motive than Lin Qi to kill Lu Peng, and if uncovering the truth could still alter Han Shuo's predetermined fate now that her mother was awake. Meanwhile, Su Ziying, utilizing his tracking skills honed in the military, helped Chen Chuchu find Han Shuo's actual location after intercepting an empty prison cart, which they realized was a diversion set up by Chen Qianqian.
Su Ziying had deduced Han Shuo's true hiding place by analyzing the signs of wear on a few maps in Chen Qianqian's study. Observing Han Shuo’s distress and refusal to eat, Chen Chuchu urged him to do so. She offered him an alliance, stating that she would not sit by while he was in trouble and criticized Chen Qianqian's faithless nature, hoping to leverage Han Shuo's unforgiving and vengeful character.
Chen Chuchu admitted she needed Han Shuo's help to reclaim the City Guards, revealing she possessed the token to deploy them and defense maps that could change the situation in Huayuan City. Han Shuo, blinded by hatred, agreed to cooperate. He initially stated he only wanted the newly discovered black water mine as his price.
However, after agreeing to the deal, Han Shuo confessed to Bai Ji that he would not return to Xuanhu City, as he no longer trusted any woman from Huayuan. He declared that the black water mine was insufficient compensation for Chen Qianqian's betrayal; what he truly desired was "the whole Huayuan City." He then instructed Bai Ji to send a letter back to Xuanhu City.
Chen Qianqian received a confusing letter from Meng Guo, whom she had sent to follow Han Shuo. Meng Guo described a suspicious caravan and mentioned seeing a small, thin, and agile person who reminded him of Su Ziying. Chen Qianqian was frustrated, realizing Meng Guo had failed to provide any useful information about Han Shuo's whereabouts. That night, Huayuan City was sealed off.
Chen Chuchu and Han Shuo, having assassinated the city gate guards and changed into their uniforms, successfully entered the city. The remaining guards were startled to see Chen Chuchu, who was supposed to be confined.
