Thousand Years For You Episode 2 Recap
> Thousand Years For You Recap
The Qingquan Stronghold delegation arrived at Xin's Sedan Chair Company, intending to seek compensation for their previous losses. Yu Dengdeng, the Chief of Qingquan Stronghold, however, immediately took a liking to Lu Yan, the actual shopkeeper of the company. She boldly declared her intention for him to replace the previously lost young master and marry into Qingquan Stronghold.
Flirtatiously, she reached out to caress his face, but Lu Yan's stern gaze instantly repelled her, sending her stumbling out into the courtyard, spitting a trickle of blood. Yu Dengdeng, undeterred and claiming it was merely an inner fever, found Lu Yan's formidable presence intriguing and solidified her resolve to take him as her husband.
Her followers grumbled about the loss of valuable antiques from the company, noting that the wealth within was worth more than several Lu families combined, but Yu Dengdeng insisted that Lu Yan, himself, was what she wanted. Meanwhile, Lu Yan's servant noted Yu Dengdeng's resemblance to their former master, Yun Xi, but Lu Yan, having tested her with Yun Xi's hairpin, confirmed she was not. He refocused on his true mission: finding a specific emblem.
Later, as Lu Yan was in his room experiencing a familiar pain in his chest, Yu Dengdeng and her cohorts stealthily scaled the roof of Xin's Sedan Chair Company. While there, a mysterious black fog flew towards Yu Dengdeng, but it was unexpectedly repelled when she happened to spit out more blood. Proceeding with their plan, they snuck into Lu Yan's room.
Using a sleeping drug, Yu Dengdeng incapacitated Lu Yan, proclaiming, "No matter how good his cultivation is, he can be knocked down by sleeping smoke." Admiring his handsome face, she fantasized about him bearing her many children before instructing her men to carry him away. Lu Yan's servant returned to find him missing. When Lu Yan finally awoke, he found himself tied up in Yu Dengdeng's room at Qingquan Stronghold.
Despite being bound, he easily broke free, throwing Dahai, one of Yu Dengdeng's men, out of the room. Yu Dengdeng, initially furious at Dahai, immediately softened upon seeing Lu Yan. Her second-in-command, Lv Er, attempted to placate Lu Yan, calling him lucky to be marrying into their stronghold. Yu Dengdeng informed Lu Yan that he would now be known as Yu Lu, her "second husband," and warned him to behave.
She then produced a marriage paper, complete with his forged handprint and signature, threatening him with a broken leg if he refused to comply. When Lu Yan tried to leave, Yu Dengdeng drew a dagger, inadvertently cutting his hand after he was momentarily distracted by an emblem on it. She scolded him for resisting and pointed out that he was now bleeding.
Lu Yan, however, then agreed to stay, on the condition that he be allowed to move freely within the stronghold and not be touched. Yu Dengdeng agreed, dismissing her followers' concerns about his escape, confident in the stronghold's defenses. News of Yu Dengdeng's impending marriage reached Gu Beixi, the Chief of Nanfeng Stronghold. He was visibly agitated, despite his subordinate's attempts to downplay the situation.
Gu Beixi recounted how Yu Dengdeng had taken the sedan chair company's owner after the previous groom turned into a paper figure, and openly criticized her for her brazenness. He ordered his men to sabotage the wedding, indignant that he, the chief of Nanfeng Stronghold, had no wife, while Yu Dengdeng was about to take her second husband.
His subordinate, aware of Gu Beixi's unrequited feelings for Yu Dengdeng, gently reminded him that he had rejected many marriage proposals in the past, preferring women who were "careless, loose, and rough," a description that subtly fit Yu Dengdeng. Gu Beixi, frustrated by Yu Dengdeng's obliviousness to his affections, decided against direct intervention, fearing her anger if he ruined her wedding. His subordinate then offered an alternative plan.
Meanwhile, back at Qingquan Stronghold, Lv Er tried to persuade Yu Dengdeng to abandon her pursuit of Lu Yan, calling him "dangerous," but she adamantly insisted on him. She declared that all the items Lu Yan had broken would be double-counted into his dowry. She quickly set the wedding date for three days later, planning to invite all the chiefs from the eighteen surrounding strongholds to collect wedding gifts.
Her ultimate goal was to acquire Xin's Sedan Chair Company, as its wealth was worth more than several Lu families combined. Despite her confidence, she instructed Lv Er to keep a close watch on Lu Yan, sensing his quick agreement might hide an ulterior motive. She vowed to tame his "stubborn" spirit.
Daqian, another of Yu Dengdeng's men, gave Lu Yan a tour of Qingquan Stronghold, pointing out various areas like Gongbao Garden (Lu Yan's new residence), Yuxiang Garden (Yu Dengdeng's residence), and Delicious Hall (the meeting hall). He specifically warned Lu Yan to avoid the Hotpot Garden. Lu Yan, however, observed the intricate layout of the stronghold, noting its seemingly chaotic but cleverly designed structure, concluding that its planner was a master.
Daqian, misunderstanding Lu Yan's intentions, tried to incite him against Yu Dengdeng, offering his help to take control of the stronghold, as he believed a woman shouldn't hold such power. Suddenly, A Xin, the sedan chair company's young manager, arrived with their men, demanding Lu Yan's release and accusing Yu Dengdeng's people of kidnapping him. Yu Dengdeng, realizing Xin was there to pay the ransom she had demanded, defused the situation and invited them all to dinner.
At the meal, A Xin wondered why they weren't fighting their way out, but Lu Yan advised quiet observation, convinced the stronghold was the main culprit in the disappearance of his master, Yun Xi. Yu Dengdeng, with her rough charm, performed a quirky ritual dance called "Rooster and Dog Rise to Heaven," a tradition passed down from their "Senior Master."
During dinner, Yu Dengdeng piled meat onto Dahai's plate but herself happily ate glutinous rice cakes, explaining it was a local snack. This brought back a memory for Lu Yan of Yun Xi eating glutinous rice cakes for the first time. When Lu Yan reached for food, Dahai abruptly served him a bowl of plain porridge and salted vegetables.
Yu Dengdeng explained that due to his earlier destruction of property and injury to her apprentice, his monthly food budget was depleted, and any better food would require additional payment. She even offered him a menu of prices for different dishes and continued to playfully touch him, which infuriated Lu Yan. He responded by splitting the dinner table in half.
Lu Yan accused her of only being interested in his company's wealth, but Yu Dengdeng countered that she was interested in him, promising him a good life if he submitted. She then commanded him to smile and dance. As Lu Yan and A Xin attempted to leave, Yu Dengdeng reiterated her control, revealing she knew his true reason for staying: the emblem on her dagger.
She explained that she had noticed his momentary distraction when he saw it, realizing he had been "gathering information" about it. After Dahai read a long list of stronghold rules emphasizing obedience to the Chief, and villagers brought in their first harvest for the new couple, Yu Dengdeng's demands escalated. She introduced "Big Red," a rooster, as his "main husband," instructing Lu Yan to groom, feed, and clean its coop, though he could pay someone to do it.
Lu Yan, losing patience, threatened to roast the rooster, but Yu Dengdeng diffused the tension and invited him to her room to discuss the emblem. In her room, Yu Dengdeng showed Lu Yan the dagger, explaining the "Yu" emblem was her family's ancestral crest, hand-made by their forefathers. Lu Yan inquired about her life twenty years prior, asking if she had always lived in Qingquan Stronghold.
She replied that she remembered traveling with her father until he built the stronghold, after which they settled there, confirming her father was its founder. Lu Yan then asked about the "spirit clan." Yu Dengdeng recounted a "legend" of the spirit clan descending from the heavens to fight humanity, leading to the rise of "spirit-hunters" who defeated them, forcing them into hiding in the mountains.
However, she quickly dismissed the entire story, laughing and declaring it was all her father's made-up tales to "scam people," insisting that neither spirit clans nor spirit-hunters existed. Despite her dismissiveness, Lu Yan became suspicious of her father, Yu Tanzi, and remained convinced of the stronghold's secrets. Later that night, Lu Yan ventured to the forbidden Hotpot Garden. Lv Er discovered him there but, instead of stopping him, invited him inside, claiming they were family.
In a secret chamber, Lv Er revealed a collection of ancient beast remains, including a phoenix feather, a Chongming bird's eyeball, and a hook snake's tail sting, referring to them as "ancient spirit clan remains." He off-handedly called them "junk" but mentioned the "Ying Dragon bone" as the most valuable item, offering it to Lu Yan. Lu Yan, however, sensed no trace of Yun Xi's elemental energy within the chamber and declined the offer. Lv Er then directly asked Lu Yan to reveal his true identity.
