The Sleepless Princess Episode 4 Recap
> The Sleepless Princess Recap
Relieved to be away from the Xue mansion, Chu Yue confided in her brother, Xu Xingchen, that she had felt "half dead" in recent days. She speculated that Xue Yao had not seen her transform into her nocturnal form, and complained of his unpredictable nature; one moment he would ignore her, and the next he would threaten to consummate their marriage. She denied any intimacy had occurred and declared her intention to run away.
Xu Xingchen urged her to stay, promising to handle Xue Yao and revealing he had long been making preparations to help her leave the palace for good. Xu Xingchen then showed Chu Yue the Wangyue Court, a lavish residence he had secretly prepared for her. He explained he had earned the money through business ventures, hoping to provide for her so she would never again suffer the poverty and bullying they had endured in the palace.
Chu Yue worried their father, the Emperor, would disapprove, but Xu Xingchen stated that their father only cared for Consort Su and Prince Ning, and that he and Chu Yue only had each other. When Xu Xingchen noticed a new copper bell on Chu Yue's ankle, he deemed it beneath her status and offered to have a gold one made, which she declined. Their reunion was cut short by the arrival of Xue Yao.
Realizing she would never be free as long as she was considered his wife, Chu Yue resolved that she had to appeal directly to her father. Xue Yao forced his way into the residence, confronting Xu Xingchen for taking Chu Yue without informing him. Xu Xingchen and Chu Yue feigned that she was ill, citing unhealed wounds from the assassin's attack and a cold.
Xue Yao dismissed their excuses, threatening to petition the Emperor to send imperial physicians if she did not return with him. Relenting, Chu Yue outwardly agreed to go back but secretly signaled Xu Xingchen to meet her after sunset. During the carriage ride back, Chu Yue complained about the hard cushions, prompting Xue Yao to remark that her illness must not be severe.
He then misinterpreted her earlier signal as a sign of affection and offered his lap for her to sit on. She awkwardly declined and, to placate him, insincerely praised her seat and agreed that Prince Shun's luxurious tastes were wasteful. Meanwhile, Lord Su learned from his spies that Princess Chu Yue was awake—a fact Xue Yao had concealed from the court.
Since Chu Yue was the only witness to the assassination attempt the Emperor had tasked him with investigating, Lord Su suspected foul play. He decided to use Xue Yao's deception as an opportunity to undermine his rival and went to the Xue mansion. Back at the mansion, Chu Yue drafted a letter to her father, filling it with wild, fabricated accusations against Xue Yao.
She explained to her maid, Tao Yao, that the goal was to scare her father into launching an investigation, which would create enough chaos for them to escape. As Tao Yao prepared to deliver the letter to Xu Xingchen, a guard grew suspicious. To create a diversion and give Tao Yao time to slip away, Chu Yue boldly headed towards the courtyard where Xue Yao was bathing.
Meanwhile, Tao Yao successfully reached Xu Xingchen, who promised to deliver the letter to the Emperor and gave her signal fireworks for Chu Yue to use in case of an emergency. Bai Liqi had prepared a medicated bath for Xue Yao to help heal a secret sword wound. Both knew that news of Chu Yue's awakening would soon bring official inquiries.
As they discussed their suspicions about Chu Yue's motives, she burst into the bathing area, brushing past the guards by asserting her authority as the lady of the house. She offered to scrub Xue Yao's back, but he saw through her ruse, correctly guessing she wanted to inspect his wounds. He pulled her into the tub with him, taunting her.
Her excuse that an unmarried girl would go blind from such a sight was countered by his reminder that she was, in fact, married. Their tense standoff was interrupted by a servant announcing the arrival of Lord Su and his daughter, Nannan. In a formal receiving room, Chu Yue saw Lord Su as a potential ally—the "enemy of my enemy"—and readily repeated the accusations from her letter.
When Lord Su asked if Xue Yao was connected to the assassins, she claimed he was, explaining that Xue Yao hid her recovery because he wanted to find the culprits first and claim all the credit, a revelation that left Lord Su visibly unsatisfied. During the meeting, Nannan, who had followed her father inside, tried to get Xue Yao's attention but was ignored.
She then recognized Chu Yue as the "maid" she had previously helped, and her shock quickly turned to fury as she confronted the princess. After Lord Su escorted his fuming daughter away, Xue Yao warned Chu Yue to abandon her schemes, reminding her that his mansion was full of his eyes and ears and that she could easily end up as a "wronged soul under the flowers."
