Truth or Dare Episode 5 Recap
> Truth or Dare Recap
Xiao Wanzi quickly snatched the tonic from Mei Shiqing, who then offhandedly suggested it might be poisoned. To prove her innocence, Xiao Wanzi promptly drank the soup herself, immediately regretting it as she became visibly distressed and started vomiting uncontrollably. Mei Shiqing offered to find a doctor, but Xiao Wanzi, fearing exposure, insisted she was fine, claiming she had simply eaten too much in the previous days and needed to clear her stomach.
Observing her reaction, Mei Shiqing thought to himself that this "princess" was indeed suspicious. After Mei Shiqing and Siheng left, Qiaoyun revealed that Second Madam’s medicinal ingredients were old and past their expiration, rendering them unfit for consumption. Furious, Xiao Wanzi confronted Second Madam, who cunningly deflected by feigning ignorance and blaming her servant for mixing up the tonics with items to be discarded.
Xiao Wanzi, undeterred, accused Second Madam of trying to poison Mei Shiqing, pointing out that everyone in the manor knew of their animosity. Second Madam, however, twisted the situation, threatening that if the truth came out, Xiao Wanzi would be implicated in conspiring to murder her husband, implying that her acceptance of Second Madam's gifts made her complicit. Mei Shiqing, who had been listening to their exchange nearby, sighed subtly.
Despite her reluctance, Xiao Wanzi instructed Qiaoyun to return the golden hairpin, a gift from Second Madam, as Mei Shiqing had previously warned her not to accept anything from Second Madam. Mei Shiqing then confronted Xiao Wanzi, reiterating his warning to stay away from Second Madam. Xiao Wanzi, still seething at his perceived ingratitude, inadvertently revealed she had drunk the soup to protect him during their argument.
Mei Shiqing pressed her on why she drank it if she knew it was problematic, to which she defiantly stated that saving him was the only thing that mattered. Later, Xiao Wanzi vented her frustrations to Qiaoyun, calling Mei Shiqing a "blind idiot" who was undeserving of a wife. Qiaoyun gently reminded her that she had committed to maintaining the "princess'" marriage, especially with the promise of a monthly salary.
Motivated by the money, Xiao Wanzi vowed to earn Mei Shiqing's trust. Meanwhile, Mei Shiqing, in a conversation with Siheng, expressed his growing suspicion about Xiao Wanzi's true identity, noting the real princess's renowned scholarship contrasted sharply with Xiao Wanzi's apparent illiteracy. Xiao Wanzi prepared a bowl of soup for Mei Shiqing, hoping to win him over. Mei Shiqing, however, saw it as an opportunity to test her.
He asked her to revise a letter she supposedly wrote to his mentor. Knowing she couldn't write, Qiaoyun quickly signaled Xiao Wanzi to feign dizziness, allowing her to escape the trap. Mei Shiqing, still unconvinced, instructed Qiaoyun to take Xiao Wanzi to rest, then privately reaffirmed his doubts to Siheng. Convinced that Mei Shiqing was onto her, Xiao Wanzi decided her best course of action was to flee the Mei Mansion.
She mentally apologized to Qiaoyun and Qiuhua, promising to return for them once she found her father. She deftly navigated the patrol routes of the guards and managed to open a small exit. However, Qiaoyun was waiting there, having anticipated Xiao Wanzi's escape attempt and guarding the door every night. Xiao Wanzi quickly improvised, claiming she was merely hungry and wanted Qiaoyun to make her some noodles.
Frustrated by her failed escape, Xiao Wanzi returned to her room and angrily hit the bed, accidentally triggering a secret mechanism that revealed a hidden passage. Curiosity piqued, she ventured into the tunnel, speculating that Mei Shiqing used it for secret rendezvous with a lover. Following the passage, she eventually found herself outside the Mei Mansion, finally free. Elsewhere, Rou and Siheng interrogated Lai Ba, a local informant, about the assassins involved in a past incident.
From behind a screen, Mei Shiqing offered Lai Ba money. Under the lure of silver, Lai Ba disclosed that ten years prior, he was hired by an unknown person to find two assassins: Crazy Chen and another individual who had since abandoned his criminal past and now ran a pawnshop in Bluestone Lane in the city's west. Later, Mei Shiqing, disguised as Lord Nocturnal-elf, confronted Yan, the pawnshop owner, at his shop.
Yan immediately drew his sword, recognizing Mei Shiqing's hostile intent. Passing by, Xiao Wanzi recognized her idol, Lord Nocturnal-elf, and, without thinking, grabbed a wooden stick to aid him, only to be promptly kicked away by Yan. Lord Nocturnal-elf leaped to catch her, inadvertently allowing Yan to escape. Feigning injury, Xiao Wanzi convinced Lord Nocturnal-elf to escort her home, providing him an opportunity to further investigate her identity.
Meanwhile, Lu Yingyao seized an opportunity to escape her confinement while the guards were sleeping. Xiaobao discovered her absence and frantically pursued her. He eventually caught up to her in the woods, pleading with her to return. Lu Yingyao refused, backing away from him, and accidentally stumbled down a cliff. Xiaobao desperately tried to save her, but they both lost their footing and tumbled down the slope together. Lord Nocturnal-elf brought Xiao Wanzi to a secluded spot.
After she mentioned having no home, he invited her to share some wine and sweet and sour ribs. Under the influence of alcohol, Xiao Wanzi grew bolder and expressed her deep admiration for Lord Nocturnal-elf, whom she had idolized since childhood. She boasted about her "rock-breaking on chest" skill, explaining how her father, unable to support her prodigious appetite, taught her street performing to earn her keep.
She then candidly recounted her recent ordeal: how her gambling father sold her to a bandit leader, leading to her accidental swap with the real princess, and her subsequent forced marriage into the Mei Mansion. She admitted that she stayed there because the maids and guards begged her, fearing execution if the real princess went missing, and she couldn't bear to see others in distress. Lord Nocturnal-elf then subtly asked for her impression of "Mei Shiqing."
Xiao Wanzi, unreservedly, called him a heartless, tasteless, irrational "jerk," though she reluctantly admitted he occasionally showed her "a tiny bit" of care. Overcome with sadness, she started crying, lamenting her missing father, He Yizhi. Moved by her tears, Mei Shiqing promised to help her find him. He took her flying through the night sky, and Xiao Wanzi, watching his profile, felt her heart flutter with affection for her idol. As dawn approached, a joyful Xiao Wanzi prepared to return to the Mei Mansion, bidding farewell to Lord Nocturnal-elf, but he stopped her before she could leave.
