The Silence of the Monster Episode 11 Recap
> The Silence of the Monster Recap
Sui Yi and Luo Bin found the young girl who stole He Chufeng's magpie lock while taking out the trash and brought her to the police station, realizing they had left He Chufeng at home. The girl, Liu Xingyu, remained remarkably calm, asking why He Chufeng still hadn't appeared. When He Chufeng arrived, Luo Bin and Sui Yi immediately suspected Liu Xingyu might be He Chufeng's illegitimate child, given their similar appearance and her insistence on seeing him.
Luo Bin joked, "Is he your illegitimate son? An illegitimate son? He looks like 12 years old. Did you have a love trauma before meeting me?" He Chufeng quickly dismissed these remarks as nonsense. Liu Xingyu questioned why it took him so long to see her. Soon after, Liu Xingyu's uncle arrived, immediately attempting to physically chastise her. He also pulled off her baseball cap, revealing that Liu Xingyu was a girl who had been dressing like a boy.
He Chufeng intervened, blocking the uncle and reminding everyone they were in a police station. The uncle angrily called Liu Xingyu a "money loser" like her mother, to which Liu Xingyu retorted that he had no right to mention her mother. The uncle revealed that Liu Xingyu's mother suffered from cerebral thrombosis two years prior, resulting in hemiplegia, and could no longer work. He and his wife were now her guardians.
A police officer suggested that since both parties were present, they should negotiate compensation for the stolen lock. Liu Xingyu, however, claimed the lock wasn't expensive and that she only "took" it to get He Chufeng's attention because he had been ignoring her. He Chufeng then picked up her hat and told her that if she wanted to learn locksmithing, she had already made a fundamental mistake. When Liu Xingyu asked why, He Chufeng simply turned to leave.
She persisted, asking if he wouldn't teach her because she was a girl. He Chufeng then gave her three questions to ponder: "First, you need to think carefully why you want to learn how to pick locks. Second, you still don't know what you did wrong. Lastly, whether I accept you or not has nothing to do with your gender." He advised her to go home and think about these.
In response, Liu Xingyu defiantly cursed him, wishing he would have no customers for three months. Luo Bin noted Liu Xingyu's "tough" personality. Back home, Luo Bin was still curious about the girl's relationship with He Chufeng, to which Sui Yi mentioned He Chufeng doesn't share everything with him despite being best friends. The next morning, Liu Xingyu was already at the antique shop door, calling out for He Chufeng.
Luo Bin intercepted her, telling Sui Yi to go to work while he handled it. Sui Yi later discussed the situation with Chen Xiaoyuan, learning that the girl's name was indeed Liu Xingyu. Chen Xiaoyuan explained that Liu Xingyu's parents were divorced, and she lived with her mother, uncle, and aunt. Her mother's partial paralysis prevented her from working, leaving them to rely on basic living allowances.
Liu Xingyu had stopped going to school after middle school and was looking for work in the community despite being a minor. Liu Xingyu insisted on learning locksmithing from He Chufeng, refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing regarding the stolen lock. He Chufeng reiterated his disappointment and sent her back to contemplate the three questions he had posed earlier. This interaction reminded He Chufeng of a moment in 2011 when he first began learning locksmithing from his master.
His master had asked him why he wanted to open locks. He remembered his master's reply: "Because the moment I pick it, it feels good." His master then invited him to try, and it took He Chufeng twenty minutes to open his first lock, an experience that ignited his passion for the craft.
Meanwhile, Mr. Su, a lawyer, presented Sui Yi with a gift from Mr. Jin, a client who wished to thank her for her hard work on a case. Sui Yi was initially unconcerned, believing it was not valuable after taking a photo and showing it to Luo Bin. However, Luo Bin later identified the fan pendant as valuable agarwood, specifically top-tier Qi'nan agarwood from Nha Trang, Vietnam, known for its deep aroma, smooth texture, and rarity.
Including the accompanying top-quality shredded fan bag, he estimated its value to be at least 160,000 yuan. Shocked by its cost, Sui Yi worried it was inappropriate to accept such an expensive gift, wondering if the gifts for her and her boss had been swapped. He Chufeng, who had been observing them discussing the gift with a hint of jealousy, tried to get their attention, but they were too engrossed.
Sui Yi was also avoiding He Chufeng, making him wonder why. As Sui Yi struggled with how to address the situation with Mr. Su, He Chufeng, noticing her distress, advised her to return the gift and express her genuine feelings. When Sui Yi got up abruptly, they had a close physical contact. Luo Bin, seeing their flushed faces, remarked on the unusual heat. Back in his room, He Chufeng shyly smiled, having forgotten his box downstairs.
Luo Bin brought the box up to him, along with a letter. This reminded He Chufeng of his master, who had found a disused ship with a locked box, but whose hands now trembled too much to pick locks as he once did. Later, Sui Yi gathered her courage and returned the gift to Mr. Su, who, to her relief, was not offended and even asked her to return his gift to Mr. Jin as well.
Sui Yi gratefully thanked He Chufeng for his advice, acknowledging that her previous overthinking had led to misunderstandings and that honest communication was better. She also thanked him for coincidentally curing her hiccups earlier. On their way home, Sui Yi offered to buy He Chufeng bread, reminding him that she still owed him money, but He Chufeng insisted she only buy for him, not Luo Bin.
He Chufeng shared that he had visited his old neighborhood in Zhaobei that day, where he had lived for several years before moving to the antique shop more than a year ago. Back at the shop, Luo Bin was enthusiastically decorating a new Christmas tree. Sui Yi was curious about how He Chufeng and Luo Bin, who were only high school classmates and not close, had reconnected.
Luo Bin explained that He Chufeng had found Bean Bun, the cat, and then Luo Bin found He Chufeng. He Chufeng, who was then alone and seeking a place to live, was brought by Luo Bin to Granny Mi's antique shop, where he was welcomed and found a home. He Chufeng jokingly complained about Luo Bin's talkativeness, wishing his friend could be silenced.
As Luo Bin stepped aside to answer a phone call from his mother, Sui Yi wondered about his seemingly close relationship with his family, especially given that his mother arranged his blind dates. Later, Liu Xingyu was talking to a police officer, who explained that she became a police officer because she loved it.
She recounted an incident where she chased and caught a thief who was stealing a wallet, missing a track and field competition but feeling a deep sense of purpose when the victim thanked her. Inspired by this, she decided to serve the people. Liu Xingyu then revealed her own deep motivation for wanting to learn locksmithing: to protect her mother.
She vividly recalled a distressing day when she had forgotten her keys, leaving her sick, bedridden mother unable to eat because Liu Xingyu couldn't get into their house. The memory of her mother's helplessness deeply saddened her, fueling her desire to prevent such situations in the future.
