The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Episode 14 Recap
> The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Recap
Jiang Yisheng was engrossed in photos of Wu Jingjing on his phone, looking distraught. His colleagues offered comfort, and Wu Jingjing, observing his sadness, felt a pang of regret. Later, Jiang Yisheng found Wu Jingjing and presented her with Cantonese dim sum, which she preferred to eat outside for a "cozy and romantic" setting. He confessed that before meeting her, his pursuits were merely games, but she was different.
He explained that she saw beyond his looks, caring about his heart, and even helped him with a "mental illness" he had for years, clearing up the problem with just a few words. Jiang Yisheng declared his desire to personally give her happiness. He then asked Wu Jingjing to be his girlfriend. Moved by his sincerity, Wu Jingjing agreed to be his girlfriend.
Despite his surprise, she initiated a kiss, which he jokingly questioned about their pace from holding hands to kissing. Ever since Wu Julan fell ill, Shen Luo took complete charge of all household chores, insisting he rest and do nothing. After persistent efforts from Zhu Yiyang, Zhou Buyan finally agreed to visit the old city wall. Her decision was partly influenced by Zhou Buwen having canceled on her, but she still wanted to go.
Zhu Yiyang waited for a long time, only for Zhou Buyan to arrive and immediately criticize his idleness. Finding him uninteresting, she quickly departed. Wu Jingjing had anticipated that Shen Luo would be frightened away by Wu Julan's merman identity, but to her surprise, Shen Luo's affection for him only intensified.
Wu Julan then brought up the stark reality of their differing lifespans—his extended vitality compared to her inevitable aging—and to prepare her for the emotional burden of their inevitable separation caused by her aging and death while he remained unchanged. Later, Shen Luo, upon learning Wu Julan was over a thousand years old, teasingly remarked about his age. Shen Luo spent days pondering how to confess her feelings to Wu Julan.
One day, she took him to the market where they enjoyed grilled skewers. Wu Julan presented her with a rose, and she bought two masks. Filled with joy, they walked to the seaside pier. There, Shen Luo poured out her heart to Wu Julan, confessing her profound love for him, and then kissed him through their masks, explaining that he had restored her faith in love. Wu Julan's only reply was a quiet, "I know."
He then unveiled three paintings: the first depicted them as they were now, young and vibrant; the second showed them a decade later, with him still youthful but Shen Luo visibly aged; and the third, decades into the future, portrayed him unchanged while Shen Luo was an elderly woman. Wu Julan's intention was for Shen Luo to grasp the vast difference in their lifespans and to prepare her for the emotional burden of her own aging.
However, Shen Luo tragically misinterpreted his message, believing he was implying that he would find her undesirable once she grew old. Distraught by the prospect of aging, Shen Luo began meticulously examining herself in the mirror every day. She even dragged Jiang Yisheng out for early morning runs, earnestly proclaiming her new goal to defy aging and preserve her youth. An Zuo connected with Zhou Buwen via phone.
An Zuo thanked Zhou Buwen for distracting Wu Julan at the factory, which had saved his life during their confrontation. He recognized Zhou Buwen's strategic move to simultaneously help him and create an adversary for Wu Julan. An Zuo then proposed a partnership, stating his objective was to obtain the merpeople's spiritual pearl, while Zhou Buwen's was Shen Luo.
He also asked Zhou Buwen to locate Dr. Zhang Aiguo, the physician who had treated Shen Luo after her drowning incident, hoping to gather information about her and the spiritual pearl. Zhou Buwen eagerly agreed to the alliance, though An Zuo cautioned him against conceit. Wu Julan, concerned about An Zuo, discussed him with Wu Jingjing. She reported that An Zuo had escaped the witch family's tracking.
Wu Julan expressed his frustration that An Zuo was still at large and pressed Wu Jingjing to locate him swiftly. He remained convinced that An Zuo still harbored a strong obsession with the spiritual pearl. He stressed the critical importance of keeping Shen Luo's past drowning incident a secret from An Zuo, given An Zuo's meticulous nature.
Meanwhile, Wu Jingjing was also reminded by her elder that Wu Julan had given up on both the spiritual pearl and Shen Luo, fearing his love would endanger her. She was instructed to ensure Shen Luo continued to pursue Wu Julan, as true love's kiss was necessary for Wu Julan to live on, regardless of the cost. Shen Luo continued to use face masks daily, still consumed by fears of aging.
She sought out Jiang Yisheng, initially noticing his bruised face, which she playfully attributed to a "love quarrel" with Wu Jingjing, suggesting he might have taken advantage of her. Jiang Yisheng adamantly denied this, affirming his genuine love for Wu Jingjing. Shen Luo then recounted how she had witnessed Wu Julan fighting a mysterious black-clothed figure for her, but Wu Julan insisted it was merely a dream. Jiang Yisheng, acting as a "famous psychologist," dismissed her account as hallucinations.
Jiang Yisheng comforted her, saying that as long as two people love each other, nothing can stop them. Later, Shen Luo returned, admitting she felt "sick" because she was constantly imagining romantic scenarios with Wu Julan. Jiang Yisheng, however, joyfully declared that she wasn't sick at all; she was simply in love, offering his congratulations. Now officially a couple, Jiang Yisheng made it a routine to pick up and drop off Wu Jingjing from work.
One day, Wu Jingjing insisted on riding the bicycle herself while Jiang Yisheng sat on the back. She then proceeded to speed through the streets recklessly, causing Jiang Yisheng to cling to her tightly and scream in terror. By the time they arrived at the hospital, he was so dizzy he became sick. Zhu Yiyang, attempting to impress Zhou Buyan, presented her with homemade macarons.
However, she once again rebuffed him with mockery and firmly stated she had no romantic interest in him. Observing a dejected Zhu Yiyang, Zhou Buwen offered counsel, suggesting that he should prioritize building a successful career before seeking love. He then offered Zhu Yiyang an opportunity to work for him, with his first task being to investigate the whereabouts of Dr. Zhang Aiguo. Zhu Yiyang went to the hospital, pretending to be Dr. Zhang Aiguo's nephew, hoping to find him.
He was informed that Dr. Zhang had retired long ago and his current location was unknown. Shortly after Zhu Yiyang departed, Wu Jingjing arrived at the same hospital, also seeking Dr. Zhang Aiguo's contact details. The staff mentioned that his "nephew" had just been there with the same inquiry. Sensing a peculiarity, Wu Jingjing immediately pursued the "nephew." At that moment, Jiang Yisheng unexpectedly ran out, and Wu Jingjing, mistaking him for a villain, swiftly apprehended and knocked him down. Meanwhile, Zhou Buwen quickly pulled Zhu Yiyang to safety, helping him evade Wu Jingjing's pursuit.
