The Wolf Princess Episode 5 Recap
> The Wolf Princess Recap
Yan Jue arrived at Ling Long's residence, intending to apologize for his previous harsh treatment at the Su Mansion. To his surprise, Ling Long claimed to have no recollection of any unpleasantness between them, feigning ignorance to further their secret plan. Seizing this unexpected advantage, Yan Jue shifted his purpose, disparaging Yan Qing for allegedly stealing his case and wrongly imprisoning Ling Long.
He proposed a scheme: Ling Long should get Yan Qing drunk, and Yan Jue would handle the rest. After a show of reluctance, citing her desire for a peaceful life, Ling Long agreed when Yan Jue offered her a hundred taels of silver notes, though she initially pretended to refuse the payment. Meanwhile, Yan Qing was discussing the ongoing case and Wolf Family secrets with his wolf guards.
They expressed confusion over the black-clad assailants who, despite lacking the Wolf Family birthmark, seemed intimately familiar with their traditions. Yan Qing, who grew up estranged from the Wolf Family, pondered the mystery of an ancient jade pendant that no longer glowed, and wondered about events from 18 years prior. Ling Long then made an unannounced appearance. After Yan Qing's guards respectfully withdrew, Ling Long proposed a new business arrangement.
She offered to help lure out the true culprit, but only on her terms, dismissing her current advisory role as a mere pretext Yan Qing had used to capture her. Her conditions were that Yan Qing must safeguard the secret of Langyin and pay her a hundred taels of gold. Though Yan Qing initially resisted the sum, he conceded after Ling Long outlined her daring plan. As they discussed the intricate details, they continued to drink, eventually becoming completely intoxicated.
The following morning, Yan Qing awoke in his bed to the shocking sight of Miss Su and Lu Hangshou lying beside him, both in a state of disarray. Horrified, he quickly got out of bed and tried to tidy the room. Just then, Yan Jue arrived with his father, who, prompted by Yan Jue's feigned concern, ordered the door to be opened.
The elder Yan was enraged by the scandalous scene, castigating Yan Qing for his dissolute behavior and for allegedly disgracing an official’s family member. Yan Jue quickly intervened, assuring his father that the women were unconscious and unharmed, and that he had already secured the mansion and suppressed any rumors. Impressed by Yan Jue’s swift action, his father ordered a quick resolution to the case, demanding that the captured suspect be executed to appease public sentiment.
He also forbade any further discussion of the incident, especially from Yan Qing, whose protests about the true mastermind still being at large were abruptly silenced, implying the scandal forced a hasty closure. Later, Ling Long accompanied Yan Jue to his family’s mansion to officially report on the case. There, she witnessed Yan Qing being severely whipped, his bare back raw with wounds.
Seizing the opportunity for a playful "revenge," Ling Long approached him, feigning sympathy for his punishment while subtly reminding him of her reluctant involvement in Yan Jue's scheme. She offered to treat his injuries but instead applied a highly irritating drug, followed by strong alcohol, which caused Yan Qing considerable pain.
Afterward, she explained to her attendant that while she usually advocated for maintaining a low profile to earn money, one must occasionally assert themselves to prevent others from exploiting their perceived weakness. Shortly after Ling Long returned home, Miss Su’s housekeeper arrived, claiming Miss Su was ill and requesting Ling Long's medical assistance, explaining that Miss Su's long-suppressed stress had finally taken its toll.
Ling Long, suspecting a trap due to her earlier, deliberate mention of her whereabouts to Miss Su, nevertheless went, taking her medical kit. Upon entering Miss Su's residence, she was immediately surrounded by men in black, revealing Miss Su’s true colors. Miss Su gloated, acknowledging Ling Long's role in Yan Qing's predicament and recounting how Ling Long had unknowingly aided her in the past by providing an alibi. She then demanded the Wolf King Energy, promising Ling Long safety.
Ling Long condemned Miss Su for her involvement in two deaths and refused her offer. As Miss Su ordered her capture, Yan Qing dramatically appeared, effortlessly subduing the assailants and confirming that the entire encounter was a pre-arranged plan between him and Ling Long. During the chaos, Miss Su's housekeeper managed to escape, while the other men in black committed suicide.
Interrogating Miss Su, Yan Qing questioned her desire for the Wolf King Energy and her involvement, especially since her hired men fought like members of the Wolf Family but lacked the mark. Miss Su claimed she sought the energy for eternal youth and denied any deeper connection to the Wolf Family, asserting her housekeeper had likely taken the iron box containing the energy.
Ling Long then pressed Miss Su, pointing out the contradiction between her past act of conscience in saving Lu Hangshou and her current villainous role. She revealed that Yan Qing had overheard arguments between Miss Su and her housekeeper, suggesting Miss Su had confronted him about the murders of Lady Huang and Lady Zhao, implying that Miya was the true callous mastermind, and Miss Su, despite her initial involvement, still harbored a conscience.
Ling Long passionately urged Miss Su to break free from Miya's control, empathizing with her plight. Moved by Ling Long’s words, Miss Su began to confess Miya's name, but before she could finish, she was abruptly controlled by a dark mystic art, forcing her to stab herself to death. Following these events, Yan Jue reported to his father that Miss Su had committed suicide and her housekeeper had escaped.
His father, satisfied with the case's public closure, offered rewards and dismissed Yan Qing's attempts to clear his name regarding the scandalous incident, stating his reputation was beyond further damage. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Yan Jue and his father, Yan Qing and Ling Long had faked Miss Su's death. In a secluded forest, they bid farewell to a newly disguised Miss Su. They had saved her because of her lingering conscience, evidenced by her warning that saved Lu Hangshou.
Miss Su expressed deep remorse for having been temporarily controlled by Miya, who had deceived her about the Wolf King Energy. Yan Qing confirmed that Miya did not have the distinctive red wolf-shaped birthmark. They provided Miss Su with a new identity and medicine, urging her to embrace a new life. Yan Qing light-heartedly dismissed the risk of releasing a criminal, joking that his already notorious reputation could easily absorb another scandal.
Ling Long, playing along, claimed she was merely acting under Yan Qing's coercion. Yan Qing then attempted to share more about the Wolf Family and Langyin, but Ling Long quickly dismissed Langyin as a dangerous "disease" she merely wished to cure. She then demanded her promised payment. Yan Qing, accusing her of double-dealing, pointed out she accepted Yan Jue’s payment to frame him and now sought his gold.
Ling Long calmly clarified that Yan Jue’s payment was for a separate agreement, while Yan Qing's payment was for the successful capture of the criminal mastermind. Conceding her logical argument, Yan Qing agreed to meet her the next afternoon at the Southern Chu Temple to settle the debt. As they left, they were accosted by a madam from a pleasure house, further highlighting Yan Qing’s notorious reputation, which Ling Long playfully teased him about.
Unseen by them, a mysterious man wearing a bamboo hat observed them from a nearby tea stall. The following day, Yan Qing meticulously prepared for his meeting with Ling Long, changing outfits repeatedly in front of a mirror to ensure he looked his best.
However, his excitement quickly turned to jealousy when he arrived at the Southern Chu Temple to find Ling Long already engaged in a comfortable conversation with Yan Yu, a childhood acquaintance with whom she shared a deep bond. Yan Qing, feeling annoyed, abruptly feigned disinterest in tea and then claimed he had forgotten his money, using an invented prior appointment with Lu Hangshou as an excuse to leave.
As Yan Qing stormed off, Ling Long called him back, requesting that he deliver cosmetics to Lu Hangshou, as he was supposedly heading to the musical workshop anyway. To maintain his facade and avoid Ling Long’s attendant, Xiaojin, realizing his lie, Yan Qing reluctantly agreed, secretly dispatching his own attendant, Xuanyu, ahead to arrange for Lu Hangshou to play along.
At the musical workshop, Lu Hangshou greeted Yan Qing, feigning a slight annoyance at his tardiness, and complimented his handsome attire. Xiaojin then arrived with the cosmetics. Later, Yan Qing’s attendant presented him with a detailed bill for the elaborate charade, which included Lu Hangshou’s cancellation fees and an "errand-running fee" for himself, much to Yan Qing’s irritation.
The attendant then subtly suggested that Yan Qing's efforts betrayed a deep affection for Ling Long, a notion Yan Qing quickly dismissed as purely "business." That evening, Ling Long went to meet Yan Qing for her payment. She was surprised to find the streets illuminated by countless lanterns, with everyone carrying one, as a child approached her, wishing her a "Happy Lantern Festival."
Puzzled by the festive atmosphere on what she knew was the first day of September, not a festival, Ling Long sensed that something unusual was afoot and proceeded with caution alongside her attendant.