The Romance of Tiger and Rose Episode 8 Recap
> The Romance of Tiger and Rose Recap
Huayuan City buzzed with tales of Chen Qianqian's heroism in saving the miners, her popularity growing with each retelling. Her relationship with Han Shuo also deepened, becoming noticeably more intimate. Meanwhile, Lin Qi's fortunes continued to dwindle. With the Music and Dance Academy closed and the mine destroyed, her family was left with only a struggling restaurant.
Her steward even reduced her rations, much to Lin Qi's fury and resentment, as she complained about their sudden poverty after just a mine explosion. Pei Heng received an unprecedented appointment as Minister of Education in the Clan School, a position never before held by a man in Huayuan City. Chen Qianqian encouraged him, expressing her conviction that he could one day become a renowned leader of the City Guards, just like his mother, the late Minister of Defense Pei.
Pei Heng, however, felt a deep-seated inferiority due to his male identity in a matriarchal society, struggling to envision such a future for himself. He confessed his envy for the men of Xuanhu City, who could study, practice Kung Fu, lead armies, and protect their women in times of crisis. Chen Qianqian reassured him that Kung Fu wasn't everything and that his academic prowess, coupled with his compassion in saving the miners regardless of gender, proved his worth.
Despite her recent acclaim, Chen Qianqian found herself unable to escape the Crown Princess Election, a prospect the City Owner held high hopes for. Pei Heng, impressed by her growing public support, vowed to help her secure the top spot, believing she would be a benevolent ruler capable of shouldering the people's burdens. However, Chen Qianqian was deeply distressed by the idea, comparing the public's current demand for her to compete with their previous calls for her sacrifice.
Han Shuo, seeing Pei Heng's involvement, became possessive and decided to tutor Chen Qianqian himself, leading to a comical rivalry between the two men. Pei Heng presented her with a thick volume of past exam questions and notes, urging her to study diligently. Han Shuo, observing Qianqian's disinterest, countered with a slim book of "carefully chosen" questions, hinting mischievously that they might be illegally obtained.
The two bickered over who knew Qianqian better and how to best prepare her, with Han Shuo reminding Pei Heng of the limited time. At one point, Han Shuo used his finger to write a character for "you" on Qianqian's back, intentionally adding a stroke to make it mean "you are in my heart," much to her embarrassment. At the tea house, people placed bets on the Crown Princess Election.
Despite Chen Qianqian's recent heroic act, the public overwhelmingly favored Chen Chuchu, dismissing Chen Qianqian as an "ignorant naughty girl" compared to Chen Chuchu's proven skills in literature, martial arts, riding, and archery. Even Chen Qianqian herself, disguised and accompanied by Zi Rui, wagered all her assets on Chen Chuchu, determined to avoid becoming the Crown Princess. Han Shuo, also in disguise, discovered her scheme.
When exposed, Chen Qianqian scrambled to explain she was buying melon seeds for him, but her excuse was unconvincing. She then quickly pledged to study hard, primarily for Han Shuo's sake. Chen Qianqian visited Chen Chuchu, giving her famous tutors' predicted test questions and asking for Chuchu's completed practice books to present to Han Shuo and Pei Heng as her own. She openly admitted she was the same old troublesome Chen Qianqian, unsuitable for the role of City Owner.
She told Chen Chuchu that their mother's strictness with Chen Chuchu was a sign of high expectations, while her own mischievousness was tolerated because no one expected anything from her. She also rationalized Chen Chuchu's earlier decision to prioritize duty over saving the miners, suggesting that given another chance, Chen Chuchu would still choose to save people.
Chen Chuchu was touched, realizing her previous suspicion of Chen Qianqian was due to her own narrow-mindedness and believing Qianqian genuinely cared for her. She dismissed her subordinate Zi Zhu's warnings about Chen Qianqian's past "thefts," including Han Shuo. Back at her mansion, Han Shuo intensified Chen Qianqian's studies, ordering everyone in the household to quiz her, even at meal times.
Overwhelmed and frustrated, Chen Qianqian threw her food, declaring her refusal to compete for the Crown Princess title and lamenting that she was "a worthless person, a fat worthless person who is ridiculed by the whole world." Her elder sister, Chen Yuanyuan, overheard these disheartened words. Feeling a profound empathy, having experienced similar sentiments of uselessness due to her own physical disability, Chen Yuanyuan decided to withdraw from the election.
Su Mu, who now worked at the Clan School and cherished Chen Yuanyuan's acceptance of him despite his past as a musician in the Music and Dance Academy, sought Chen Qianqian's help to persuade Chen Yuanyuan not to give up. Chen Qianqian, regretting the impact of her words, rushed to Chen Yuanyuan's mansion. She found Chen Yuanyuan preparing to submit a petition to withdraw. Chen Yuanyuan confronted her, echoing Qianqian's self-deprecating remarks.
Chen Qianqian clarified that her words were only about herself and presented Chen Yuanyuan with a compilation of rehabilitation methods for her leg injury, urging her to try. Chen Yuanyuan, however, took this as an insult to her own medical expertise, accusing Chen Qianqian of thinking her skills were superior. She revealed her fear of trying and failing to heal herself, comparing Qianqian's chances of winning the martial arts test without Kung Fu to her own chances of walking again.
She then ordered Chen Qianqian to leave. Later, Han Shuo found Chen Qianqian trying to drink away her sorrows with fruit juice, which she mistook for wine. He gently took it from her, explaining he had replaced all the alcohol in the mansion for her health. To cheer her up, he presented her with two handmade puppets, one resembling her and the other him.
When one of the puppets broke its leg, Han Shuo used the moment to share his own past. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with a fatal heart disease and was told he wouldn't live past twenty, leading him to a period of self-pity. However, Chen Qianqian's unexpected arrival and her efforts to procure the Dragon Bone had cured his condition, changing his perspective.
He realized then that "no one's fate is predestined" and that "everything can be changed," just as his fate had been. He hinted that if she could win the martial arts test despite her lack of Kung Fu, then Chen Yuanyuan could also overcome her disability. Unbeknownst to Chen Qianqian, Lin Qi had bribed a Kung Fu test officer to ensure she would face Chen Qianqian in the martial arts portion of the Crown Princess Election.
Lin Qi intended to personally defeat and publicly humiliate her rival. Han Shuo, learning of this plot, informed Chen Qianqian, offering the "bad news" first but quickly following with the "good news" that he had a plan to ensure her victory. Armed with this new information and renewed determination, Chen Qianqian returned to Chen Yuanyuan's mansion. Despite the guards attempting to turn her away, she pressed forward, calling out to her sister.
She boldly declared that she would win the martial arts test of the Crown Princess Election and demanded Chen Yuanyuan's promise to undergo rehabilitation and try to stand again if she succeeded. Though Chen Yuanyuan remained silent, Chen Qianqian took it as a tacit agreement and vowed to achieve her goal, no matter the difficulty.
