Truth or Dare Episode 2 Recap
> Truth or Dare Recap
Chi Feng threatened He Yizhi, telling him that his daughter, Xiao Wanzi, was lucky to marry Master Bao. He Yizhi tried to defend her, but Xiao Wanzi stopped the fighting, crying, "Don't beat my dad! Stop! Please! I'll marry him! I will." She then asked Chi Feng, "I'll marry him, you can let go of my father now?" Chi Feng assured her he would keep his word: "Once you marry Master Bao, I'll let go of your father."
He Yizhi begged Xiao Wanzi not to marry, but she turned to him and pleaded, "Promise me, don't gamble anymore. Or I would worry about you. Take care of yourself." With a heavy heart, she was then taken away by Chi Feng. To ensure a good start to the marriage, Chi Feng brought Xiao Wanzi to Felicity Tavern, the biggest inn in Qing, for her final preparations before the wedding.
Meanwhile, Lady Yingyao's carriage was approaching Qing, but no one from the Mei family came to receive them. Her maid, Qiaoyun, noted their arrival and the lack of a welcoming party. Lady Yingyao, as the emperor's niece, felt disrespected and decided not to go to the Mei mansion directly, choosing to stay at Felicity Tavern instead.
At the Mei mansion, a servant tried to rush Mei Shiqing, informing him that Lady Yingyao had arrived in Qing and his father, Mei Changyun, threatened punishment if he didn't go to escort her. Mei Shiqing remained indifferent, calmly sipping his tea. Mei Changyun was then informed by his butler, Tao Juzheng, that Lady Yingyao had opted to stay at Felicity Tavern.
Despite his initial anger at Mei Shiqing's refusal to greet her, Mei Changyun acknowledged Mei Shiqing's current "condition" and ordered Tao Juzheng to go fetch Lady Yingyao. Inside Felicity Tavern, Qiaoyun told Lady Yingyao that she had overheard rumors that Mei Shiqing suffered an eye injury while suppressing bandits, and "he might. . . be blind."
Horrified at the prospect of marrying a blind man, Lady Yingyao wanted to pack and return home, but Qiaoyun reminded her that it was a royal marriage, and defying it would be a capital offense for everyone. Unbeknownst to them, Master Bao also arrived at Felicity Tavern, eager to see his wife-to-be, whom he initially believed was a "shrew who is good at rock-breaking on chest."
Chi Feng, trying to keep him away from the officers guarding Lady Yingyao, informed Master Bao that Xiao Wanzi was bathing in the room labeled "Marine Woods." Coincidentally, as Xiao Wanzi was dressed and veiled in her room, Qiaoyun entered, mistaking Xiao Wanzi for Lady Yingyao. Believing Lady Yingyao had changed her mind, Qiaoyun joyfully led the veiled Xiao Wanzi to the Mei family's carriage, whisking her away to Mei's Palace.
Upon arriving at the Mei's Palace, Xiao Wanzi heard Mei Changyun's voice during the ceremony, realizing the grave mistake. She remembered an earlier encounter in Felicity Tavern where she had accidentally bumped into Lu Yingyao after her bath, and they had apparently entered the wrong rooms. Fearing she would be beheaded if her true identity as not being the princess was revealed, Xiao Wanzi was terrified, especially when the ceremony concluded.
She tried to escape during the ceremony, but Mei Shiqing held her firmly, making it impossible. She resigned herself to the situation. Meanwhile, Lu Yingyao woke up in the Dragon Stockade next to Master Bao, who excitedly introduced himself as Nan Batian's foster son, the third Master, and her future husband. She quickly realized she had also gone to the wrong place, taking Xiao Wanzi's place.
Fearing for her life if she revealed her true identity as the emperor's niece to the bandits, Lu Yingyao decided to play along as Xiao Wanzi for the time being. Master Bao, who had initially expected a "shrew who is good at rock-breaking on chest", was instantly smitten by Lu Yingyao's beauty, still unaware of the identity swap. He brought a feast of whole ducks and pigs, his favorite foods, for her, promising to make her chubby.
Lu Yingyao, seeing the excessive meal, broke down crying, stating her desire to go home and see her father. Master Bao promised her anything but that, and then insisted on sleeping with her to "give him babies" as instructed by his foster father. Back at the Mei's Palace, Xiao Wanzi was in the bridal chamber with Mei Shiqing. She was relieved when she realized Mei Shiqing was genuinely blind.
Mei Shiqing, maintaining his facade, told her, "Since you don't want to marry, and I don't want to marry, then we just mind our own business and not interfere with each other's. Though we are now married, we will never do what husband and wife do." Xiao Wanzi readily agreed, especially when he confirmed he wouldn't touch her. She tried to escape later, but Mei Shiqing, despite his "blindness", detected her movements, remarking, "You ate too much.
I can hear your footsteps, even if you walk quietly." He warned her that the Mei's Palace was "heavily guarded," making escape impossible. When Xiao Wanzi tried to claim the bed, Mei Shiqing pointed her to a separate quilt on the floor, asserting it was his bed. She grumbled about his selfishness but decided to tolerate it, thinking, "I don't argue with you since you are blind. I'm such a generous person. I can fall asleep anywhere."
Master Bao then took Lu Yingyao to meet Nan Batian. Nan Batian, who had expected an entertainer to make Master Bao submissive but was then stunned by Lu Yingyao's beauty. Just as he was expressing his admiration, Nan Xiang, Nan Batian's daughter, burst in, furious about the marriage. Master Bao quickly shielded Lu Yingyao and led her away, while Nan Xiang argued with her father, demanding he prevent the marriage.
Nan Batian promised Nan Xiang a "satisfactory response" before admonishing his subordinate for not finding him such a beautiful wife. Back in their room, Master Bao, feeling sleepy, tried to sleep with Lu Yingyao. She vehemently refused, threatening to kill herself if he didn't leave. Seeing her distress, Master Bao reluctantly agreed to sleep elsewhere. After he left, Lu Yingyao, now alone, decided, "I have to escape from here as soon as possible.
It seems that Master Bao does like me. Probably I can use him to escape." Master Bao, outside the room, instructed his men to "grab something for women tomorrow. Such as something like make-up" for Lu Yingyao. Later that night, Mei Shiqing, haunted by nightmares of his mother's suffering, secretly activated a hidden mechanism under his bed. He transformed into Lord Nocturnal-elf and went to Felicity Tavern to meet Rou for an intelligence update.
Rou reported finding a Crazy Chen on the street who, in his "crazy words, he mentioned 'kill Lady Mei'". Rou also mentioned that Crazy Chen was a notorious and erratic individual who disappeared ten years ago and recently returned to Qing, now living by begging. Furthermore, Crazy Chen had mentioned Lai Ba from the Beggars' Sect, who was known for connecting assassins.
Rou had investigated and found that Lai Ba was indeed sourcing killers in the year Mei Shiqing's mother was killed. Mei Shiqing ordered Rou to "bring him to see me. I want the alive one." As Lord Nocturnal-elf prepared to return via the secret passage, he discovered that Xiao Wanzi, sleeping on his bed, had inadvertently blocked the mechanism.
Forced to use the main door, he was about to carry Xiao Wanzi back to her sleeping place when she, half-asleep, mumbled "Lord Nocturnal-elf" and pulled him into an accidental kiss.
