Tomb of the Sea Episode 20 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Xie Yuchen purchased the theater, which he had learned was for sale during his last visit. As the theater prepared for its final performance, he thoroughly explored the premises. In a restricted area, he discovered a room with a secret mechanism in the wall. Upon pressing a brick, a hidden chamber opened, revealing a trove of documents. Xie Yuchen retrieved an English document from a shelf, reviewed its contents, and then burned it.
When Li Cu regained consciousness, he found himself in a hospital. He vaguely recalled being rushed there for emergency treatment. Liang Wan, relieved to see him awake and seemingly unharmed, expressed her frustration, scolding him for not notifying her that he was safe. She had been worried sick, unable to eat or sleep.
Li Cu apologized, but when Liang Wan pressed him for details about what "they" had done to him, specifically mentioning Wu Xie, Li Cu clutched his head in distress. He claimed to remember nothing, asking where he had been and what was wrong with him. Liang Wan retrieved his medical chart, which confirmed a diagnosis of retrograde amnesia.
Li Cu’s father arrived, reassuring Dr. Liang that the doctor said Li Cu was fine and could be discharged that day, as he was back from his business trip to care for his son. Before Li Cu’s father left him to rest, he sternly told his son to inform him immediately if he remembered anything. Liang Wan was deeply troubled by Li Cu's diagnosis. She had encountered retrograde amnesia before, years ago, in a patient named Zhang Qiling.
A vivid memory resurfaced of her telling two men to quiet down in Zhang Qiling’s room. One of the men, who introduced himself as Wu Xie, pulled her away. Driven by her unease, Liang Wan went to the archives to re-examine Zhang Qiling's case files. There, she confirmed his diagnosis. As she reflected, she realized that Wu Xie had been at Zhang Qiling's bedside.
Liang Wan grew increasingly suspicious of Wu Xie, finding it strange that he was connected to both Zhang Qiling and Li Cu, both of whom suffered from retrograde amnesia. She also recalled Zhang Qiling’s tattoo, which, like her own hidden tattoo, only appeared when heated. Pondering the connection, Liang Wan became overwhelmed. She desperately tried to distract herself, vowing to focus on work, life, and dating to lead a normal life.
She decided to go on a date with Zhang Rishan, and he promptly appeared to take her to dinner. Despite her efforts, Liang Wan began to hallucinate, seeing Wu Xie in ordinary people she encountered, a sign of her growing obsession and fear. Back at school, Li Cu, though still a poor student, was noticeably changed. As Master Black had warned him in GuTongJing, he could no longer live a normal life.
He demonstrated a newfound confidence, actively flirting with Zhang Weiwei, a girl he used to admire from afar. However, Zheng Yi, the leader of a small gang who also liked Zhang Weiwei, took offense. Their first confrontation ended with Li Cu being beaten. Later, Li Cu tried to use the phone Master Black had given him, calling the number.
However, the person on the other end curtly stated they already knew about Wu Xie’s situation and instructed Li Cu not to call again. Li Cu bitterly cursed Master Black and his associates, feeling that his life was no different, still attending classes and getting beaten, wishing he had truly lost his memory. Li Cu’s apparent amnesia was a ruse; he had deliberately withheld information from Liang Wan.
He revealed to Su Wan that he remembered everything, and he suspected that the person sending him the packages wanted him to return to GuTongJing. When Li Cu visited Su Wan’s house, he found it overflowing with packages addressed to him. Su Wan explained that Li Cu’s own house was buried under them, so he diverted the deliveries to his home, only to receive dozens more daily. As they opened the boxes, they found equipment for desert expeditions.
Amidst the white sand that spilled from the packages, Li Cu identified a crossbow, emphasizing its close-range lethality, comparable to a pistol. The two friends playfully tried on some of the gear, even wearing it to school the next day, which earned them a punishment of standing outside the classroom from the teacher. Li Cu, now equipped, confronted Zheng Yi’s gang. Using signal flares, Li Cu intimidated Zheng Yi, who quickly conceded defeat.
That evening, Li Cu returned home to his father, who, while drinking, questioned his whereabouts. Li Cu defiantly opened a beer for himself, sparking his father’s anger. But Li Cu was no longer afraid, telling his father he was not who he used to be and to stop hitting him. Seeking solitude, Li Cu went outside to drink, looking at Shen Qiong’s window. When the light suddenly came on, he rushed over, only to find her apartment empty.
Determined, Li Cu used a wire to pry open Shen Qiong's door. Inside, he noticed drag marks on the floor, leading to a wardrobe. Behind the wardrobe, he discovered a hidden compartment filled with women's underwear and a concealed passage to another room. In this secret room, he found an iron box and, conspicuously, the white sands of GuTongJing. He realized Shen Qiong must be connected to his experiences, especially since she had also returned from the desert.
As he left, he sensed someone fleeing. He gave chase but lost them. Unbeknownst to Li Cu, this individual was an operative sent by Zhang Rishan, tasked with ensuring Li Cu discovered Shen Qiong's disappearance. Li Cu immediately rushed to Su Wan's house to explain the mysterious findings at Shen Qiong’s place. However, Su Wan also had alarming news to share. Li Cu's experiences had profoundly altered him. He had developed a formidable aura, becoming more powerful and confident, yet also displaying a strange intensity in his gaze towards classmates and maintaining secrets from Liang Wan.
