The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Episode 20 Recap
> The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Recap
Wu Jingjing informed her grandmother, Olivet, that An Zuo had decided to abandon his pursuit of the Spiritual Pearl and would be burying his father the following day. She asked Olivet to attend the funeral, reaffirming her love for An Zuo. Although Olivet remained suspicious, Wu Jingjing knelt and tearfully pleaded for her grandmother to give An Zuo another chance. Olivet eventually conceded to her granddaughter's request, unaware that this was all part of An Zuo's sinister new scheme.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yisheng, feeling utterly lost, sought Wu Julan's advice on how to win over a woman, specifically perplexed by Wu Jingjing's continued rejection of him. Wu Jingjing and Olivet arrived at the church, where An Zuo's father lay peacefully in his coffin. Olivet expressed her confusion, wondering why An Zuo, who had spent years relentlessly trying to obtain the Spiritual Pearl to revive his father, would suddenly give up.
An Zuo calmly explained that everyone must face the realities of life, aging, sickness, and death, and that it was better to cherish the people around him than to cling to the past. Olivet wished to pay her final respects to An Zuo's father. However, as she opened the coffin, a thick cloud of toxic gas billowed out, causing her to collapse onto the floor.
Wu Jingjing cried out and cradled her grandmother, while An Zuo coldly stated that although he loved Wu Jingjing, he loved his father more. This elaborate ruse was An Zuo's sinister plan to incapacitate them both, leaving him free to kill Wu Julan that very night. When Wu Jingjing and Olivet later regained consciousness, they discovered they had been bound by Zhou Buwen, realizing he was An Zuo's accomplice.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Wu Jingjing blamed herself for Wu Julan's perilous situation. Wu Julan’s body was critically weak. He had been waiting for Olivet to take him back to the sea, but the agreed-upon time had passed without her arrival. He felt an ominous premonition. Shen Luo urged him not to dwell on it, but seeing Wu Julan’s worsening condition, she decided to take him to the sea with Jiang Yisheng’s help.
As they reached the parking lot, they were ambushed by several men in black. Despite Wu Julan's desperate struggle, he was struck unconscious and abducted. Jiang Yisheng and Shen Luo immediately pursued them. Shen Luo, using Wu Julan's phone for GPS tracking, eventually located him in a warehouse. Shen Luo was shocked to see Zhou Buwen, realizing he was the mastermind. At this point, Wu Julan began to transform into his Merman form, causing Jiang Yisheng to faint from fright.
Shen Luo desperately pleaded with Zhou Buwen to release Wu Julan. However, the deranged Zhou Buwen was solely focused on eliminating his rival and claiming Shen Luo for himself. Just then, An Zuo appeared, holding the Black Devil Knife, and stabbed Wu Julan's arm, preparing to extract the Spiritual Pearl. At this critical moment, Wu Jingjing arrived. It was later revealed that Olivet had never fully trusted An Zuo and had made preparations.
Earlier, Zhou Buyan had discovered Zhou Buwen preparing to ambush someone, dismissing her concerns, but she secretly followed him and witnessed a struggle involving Wu Julan, calling out his name in distress. Wu Jingjing engaged An Zuo in combat and managed to knock him unconscious. Jiang Yisheng, having recovered from his shock, grabbed a wine bottle and struck Zhou Buwen on the head, vehemently scolding him.
Olivet also arrived and instructed Shen Luo and Jiang Yisheng to immediately transport Wu Julan back to the sea. However, on their way, the car unexpectedly ran out of fuel. With midnight fast approaching and Wu Julan facing a life-threatening situation if he didn't reach the ocean, Shen Luo suddenly spotted a nearby aquarium. She quickly brought the barely conscious Wu Julan there. Wu Julan, too weak to move, collapsed.
Shen Luo gently helped him to the side of a large pool and carefully placed him back into the seawater. Once submerged, Wu Julan once again transformed into his magnificent Merman form. Shen Luo was overjoyed to see him revived. Through the glass, Wu Julan and Shen Luo shared their first kiss, and Shen Luo experienced a profound sense of happiness. An Zuo, frustrated by the failure of his plan, vowed that he would, one day, resurrect his father.
Later, Shen Luo wondered why Wu Julan's recovery had been so much slower and more severe this time, compared to previous instances when he quickly regained his strength. Olivet explained to Shen Luo that Wu Julan's increasing weakness was due to the loss of his most vital Spiritual Pearl.
As Olivet was about to disclose the pearl's whereabouts, Wu Julan quickly interrupted her, telling Shen Luo that he only had about a month left to live and that he absolutely had to return to the sea. Shen Luo finally understood why Wu Julan had repeatedly pushed her away; he had known about his limited time and did not want his departure to cause her further pain. Tearfully, Shen Luo reproached Wu Julan.
Jiang Yisheng confronted Zhou Buwen, lambasting him for his despicable actions and declaring their friendship over. However, Zhou Buwen adamantly defended his choices, asserting that he loved Shen Luo and could not tolerate her being with Wu Julan. A fight erupted between them until Zhou Buyan arrived just in time to separate them. Zhou Buyan then confronted Zhou Buwen about shooting Wu Julan.
Zhou Buwen admitted that An Zuo had coerced him, as he owed An Zuo a massive debt due to manipulation during a business venture and was too proud to ask his father for help. He explained that he did it for their future, as An Zuo had promised to wipe away his debt if he complied. Olivet prepared to severely punish Wu Jingjing. Jiang Yisheng rushed over, insisting that Olivet punish him as well.
As a consequence, Olivet tied both of them to a secluded island for two days and two nights. Wu Jingjing chastised Jiang Yisheng for his foolishness, but he, seeing it as a romantic outing, simply wanted to remain by her side. Hungry and thirsty, Jiang Yisheng tried to distract Wu Jingjing by vividly describing sour oranges, hoping it would make her forget her thirst.
