The Romance of Tiger and Rose Episode 18 Recap
> The Romance of Tiger and Rose Recap
Su Mu’s disappearance sparks widespread speculation. Only Han Shuo’s footprints are found at the scene, and with other performers’ testimonies, he, as the last to see Su Mu, becomes the prime suspect. Chen Qianqian signals the judicial officer to detain Han Shuo temporarily. At the scene, she finds a Shadow Guard token, and Han Shuo realizes Chen Qianqian orchestrated everything. Drugged tea, prepared by the judicial officer, causes Han Shuo to collapse.
Upon waking, Pei Heng delivers a decree banishing him to the southern frontier under heavy guard, never to return to Huayuan City or Xuanhu City, along with Chen Qianqian’s handwritten divorce letter. Refusing to believe her cruelty, Han Shuo begs to see her. To crush his hopes, Pei Heng takes him to Yueli Mansion. Chen Qianqian is Huayuan City’s third princess, but Chen Xiaoqian, inhabiting her, knows her purpose and Han Shuo’s scripted fate.
To save him from the story’s main arc, she claims she never loved him, calling their past a ruse to use him as leverage against Xuanhu City’s Owner. Han Shuo spots the seal on her desk—a keepsake he gave her—clinging to hope that she’s hiding her true feelings. To sever their bond, Chen Qianqian smashes the seal, its fragments mirroring Han Shuo’s shattered heart and memories.
Devastated, Han Shuo, ignoring the pain, rips off his copper ring, declaring their ties severed. As his forlorn figure recedes, Zi Rui, pitying him, questions why Chen Qianqian and Pei Heng framed Han Shuo, but she remains silent. That day, as Han Shuo leaves Huayuan City, Chen Qianqian sits alone under a tree, sobbing in the rain, with Pei Heng quietly holding an umbrella beside her.
Meanwhile, Lin Qi, though shot, survives thanks to the gold token Chen Qianqian gave her. After Han Shuo’s departure, Chen Qianqian drowns in debauchery, drinking and carousing with performers, exhausting them until they beg for mercy, only to be promptly expelled by her. Pei Heng, aware of her lingering attachment, meticulously reassembles the broken seal. Su Mu bids farewell to Chen Yuanyuan, falsely claiming he doesn’t love her and wishing her a good match.
As he turns to leave, Chen Yuanyuan reaches for him and miraculously stands, but he doesn’t look back. At the bedside, Chen Qianqian recounts recent events to the city owner, who unexpectedly awakens and can eat. The city-owner, upset that Chen Qianqian drove Han Shuo away, reveals Lu Peng was present during her argument with Chen Chuchu, leading Chen Qianqian to suspect Chen Chuchu’s role in Lu Peng’s suspicious death.
Skilled in tracking, Su Ziying helps Chen Chuchu intercept Han Shuo’s prison caravan and recruit him. Blinded by vengeance, Han Shuo agrees, ostensibly for black water ore, but truly to seize Huayuan City to spite Chen Qianqian. That night, Han Shuo and Chen Chuchu lead a team to assassinate the guards and infiltrate the city.
