The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Episode 22 Recap
> The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Recap
Upset by Wu Julan's past actions, Shen Luo feigned exhaustion, determined to make him do chores as a silent punishment for what she considered a betrayal. Later, Jiang Yisheng took Shen Luo on a series of unreliable blind dates. To further provoke Wu Julan, Shen Luo purposefully went on a date with one man. However, the man soon became aggressive, attempting to force her into a private room.
Shen Luo cried out for Wu Julan, who promptly arrived, chased the man away, and took her with him. After this incident, Wu Julan confessed to Shen Luo that he could never forget her. Despite only having a month left, he wanted to spend that time truly with her. Overcome with emotion, Shen Luo embraced Wu Julan, declaring she never wanted to be apart from him again. They resolved to cherish their remaining month together, living each day joyfully.
Shen Luo meticulously planned their days, while Wu Julan delighted her with his cooking. She remained constantly by his side, and in a tender moment, Wu Julan kissed her through a blanket, making Shen Luo feel as though she was living a dream. During this period, Wu Julan's health visibly deteriorated.
He shared with Shen Luo that he would soon have to return to the deep sea, and this time, he would not come back, a revelation that deeply distressed her. Shen Luo expressed her wish to go to the sea to see him. During this period, Jiang Yisheng's old habits resurfaced as he accepted chocolates from an admiring girl.
Wu Jingjing, however, was quick to punish him by making him "kneel on the remote control" and warned him about Wu Julan's potential wrath if he discovered Jiang Yisheng's role in setting up Shen Luo's blind dates. Ironically, this series of events inadvertently led to Shen Luo and Wu Julan's heartfelt reconciliation. As a reward, Wu Jingjing kissed Jiang Yisheng, sending him into a state of pure exhilaration.
He lavished Wu Jingjing with compliments, saying she was so pretty he would never tire of her. Jiang Yisheng then spoke of Shen Luo and Wu Julan, expressing his desire for their own relationship to progress quickly. Shen Luo, eager for their relationship to deepen, secretly sought advice from Jiang Yisheng on how to encourage Wu Julan to kiss her.
She attempted various playful tactics, such as purposefully getting food on her lips and gazing at him flirtatiously, or doing sit-ups to bring her lips tantalizingly close. However, Wu Julan remained unaffected. Jiang Yisheng, speaking to Shen Luo over the phone, suggested that Wu Julan might have a "problem" that required "medicine." Later, Shen Luo concocted a cocktail she named "Passionate Desire" for Wu Julan, but he remained immune to its effects, explaining that human-made concoctions were useless on him.
Meanwhile, Wu Jingjing encountered an old college friend named Lily, who questioned her choice of boyfriend, Jiang Yisheng. Later, Wu Jingjing received an urgent, mysterious phone call, informing her, "I have a very important matter to tell you. I must see you. I'll wait for you at the old place." This compelled her to leave abruptly.
To Shen Luo's astonishment, at a grand banquet, Violet, the elegant host, introduced her boss, "Regulus," as a key partner in expanding their business in Asia. Jiang Yisheng and Wu Jingjing were also present, along with a man named "Da Tou," who introduced himself as a newly promoted vice president. To everyone's surprise, "Regulus" was revealed to be Wu Julan.
He then proudly introduced Shen Luo as his girlfriend to all his guests, declaring, "Shen Luo is the love of my life. I will share my whole life with her, including the happiness and hardship that life presents." As a belated birthday gift, Wu Julan presented Shen Luo with a house. Shen Luo felt overwhelmed by his wealth and hidden identity, confessing her unease to Wu Julan. He reassured her, "You're not one out of a thousand. You're my everything.
I must hide my identity in front of others. I'm changing, but in my heart, you'll never change." He promised that everything she saw was real, not a mere fairy tale. At the same banquet, Zhou Buwen experienced profound humiliation at Wu Julan's public display of power. Feeling like a "joke" and unable to compare to Wu Julan, he swore he would never forget the shame he endured.
An Zuo, a cunning manipulator, later leveraged Zhou Buwen's deep-seated hatred and envy, telling him they were his greatest weapons. An Zuo outlined his plan to exploit Wu Julan's weakness, Shen Luo, to acquire the Spirit Pearl. He promised to make Wu Julan disappear forever from Shen Luo's life if Zhou Buwen cooperated. An Zuo specifically noted that Wu Julan would be particularly weak on the fifteenth of the month, only two days away, and his death would come then.
Separately, Zhou Buyan, aware of Zhou Buwen's love for islands, bought him a beautiful villa, touching his heart with her sincerity. To further educate Shen Luo about his world, Wu Julan took her to a public library. There, through old photographs, he revealed his friendships with historical figures like Lincoln, Emerson, and Morse. Shen Luo also saw a photo of a woman named Bai Yihan.
She then met Violet, who revealed her family were Nuwu, generations of protectors and researchers of merpeople, and that she was Wu Jingjing's grandmother. Violet explained that merpeople are viviparous, not fish, and share a common ancestry with humans, having simply adapted to the ocean. She confirmed that on the fifteenth of every month, Wu Julan must return to the sea, his true home, or face death.
She informed Shen Luo that the next day was the fifteenth, and that she would pick Shen Luo up from the villa at 3 PM to take her to the ocean. Zhou Buwen, determined not to forget his humiliation, continued to work with An Zuo. However, he still tried to protect Shen Luo, not wanting the woman he loved to be harmed by An Zuo.
He attempted to secretly send Nurse Zhang away to protect Shen Luo from An Zuo's schemes, but An Zuo, who had been hiding, intercepted Nurse Zhang and learned that the Spirit Pearl was indeed within Shen Luo. Shen Luo, eager to spend time with Wu Julan, tried various things. When she fell from the stairs pretending to faint, Wu Julan caught her, but then expressed concern that his powers were diminishing and he might not be able to protect her.
Later, to cherish every moment, Shen Luo took Wu Julan to a night market, where she bought him very spicy grilled squid. Jiang Yisheng and Wu Jingjing were also at the night market and encountered Zhou Buwen and Zhou Buyan. Jiang Yisheng tried to confront Zhou Buwen but was threatened, and Wu Jingjing intervened, allowing Zhou Buyan to lead Zhou Buwen away.
During a riddle game, Wu Julan suddenly became unwell while retrieving a lantern they had won, causing him to drop it. Wu Jingjing arrived just in time to take him away. Searching for Wu Julan, Shen Luo sensed she was being followed and bumped into Zhou Buwen, allowing An Zuo to slip away unnoticed. Zhou Buwen, once again, urged Shen Luo to leave Wu Julan for her own safety, but she steadfastly refused.
That night, Shen Luo, clutching her blanket, quietly entered Wu Julan's room, expecting him to be asleep. To her surprise, he was awake. She playfully swore she had no ulterior motives, only for a clap of thunder to rumble, exposing her playful lie. Wu Julan, however, didn't object, pulling her into an embrace, and they sweetly fell asleep together. Zhou Buyan, growing increasingly suspicious of her brother's secretive behavior, followed him.
When confronted, Zhou Buwen confessed that he could not forget the humiliation he had endured in America and vowed that Wu Julan must die. Separately, Zhou Buwen had earlier helped An Zuo bring his father's body back to the island. Later, Zhou Buwen witnessed An Zuo injecting himself with a special medicine, which An Zuo claimed was necessary to contend with the merman Wu Julan.
An Zuo then urged Zhou Buwen to act immediately, aiming to acquire the Spirit Pearl soon, which would also enable Zhou Buwen to obtain Shen Luo. The island's annual festival commenced, with Wu Julan and Shen Luo joining the festivities, wearing masks. During a lively folk performance, An Zuo launched his attack on Shen Luo. Wu Julan and Wu Jingjing immediately pursued An Zuo, but it was a calculated diversion.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Buwen, disguised as Wu Julan, led Shen Luo away from the crowd. An Zuo then drugged and abducted Shen Luo. Upon returning to the performance area, Wu Julan and Wu Jingjing realized they had fallen for An Zuo's trap, discovering Shen Luo was gone.
