Unchained Love Episode 10 Recap
> Unchained Love Recap
Bu Yinlou found herself living a life of extreme luxury in Xiao Duo’s residence, so much so that she was carried in a sedan even for short distances. While in the courtyard, she noticed a familiar pear tree. Xiao Duo explained that he had it transplanted from the palace to keep her company.
Touched, Bu Yinlou examined the new buds, predicting it would soon bear fruit, and as she admired it, Xiao Duo gently removed a fallen blossom from her hair. Later, Bu Yinlou remarked to her maid, Tongyun, that despite Xiao Duo's flaws, his wealth was a significant advantage. When her maid teased that she was blinded by material possessions, Bu Yinlou insisted that such things no longer impressed her.
Meanwhile, Xiao Duo instructed a subordinate to invite Princess Hede to his residence. Unbeknownst to them, Prince Yuwen Liangxu had snuck into the princess’s entourage disguised as a maid. Informed of this, Xiao Duo ordered his subordinate Qilang not to intervene but to monitor the prince, curious about his true intentions. Princess Hede arrived and expressed her concern over her brother, Murong Gaogong, wanting to marry Bu Yinlou, who was the late Emperor’s concubine.
She promised Xiao Duo she would try to dissuade him. As the group settled in, Yuwen Liangxu, suffering a stomachache, urgently sought a toilet. He was mistaken for a thief by the head steward and, fleeing in panic, ran into Bu Yinlou's room, where she promptly knocked him unconscious with a cane. Afterward, Bu Yinlou expressed regret, stating she wouldn't have struck him had she known his identity.
After regaining consciousness, Yuwen Liangxu insisted to Xiao Duo that he wasn't there to assassinate anyone, claiming he simply got lost. Xiao Duo accused him of having ulterior motives tied to the Prince of Nanyuan. Pressed further, Yuwen Liangxu confessed he was there out of admiration for Princess Hede. Outraged, the princess burst in, declaring she barely knew him. Unfazed, Yuwen Liangxu praised her strength, comparing her vigor in playing football to his own mother's might.
He then brazenly warned Princess Hede that Xiao Duo, being a eunuch, was cunning and untrustworthy. Bu Yinlou instinctively defended Xiao Duo, attempting to smooth over the prince's insulting remarks. Following the heated exchange, Qilang escorted the prince away. Alone with Bu Yinlou, Xiao Duo asked why she had defended him. She impulsively blurted out that she liked him the most and would stand up to anyone who bullied him.
She then awkwardly changed the subject, remarking that with his appearance and bearing, he would be a perfect match for the princess if he were an ordinary man, but his status as a eunuch had changed his fate. She quickly added that he was still the best in his profession. Visibly angered by the mention of his status, Xiao Duo fell silent, and Bu Yinlou, sensing his fury, hastily excused herself.
Later, Cao Chunang explained to her that Yuwen Liangxu is the brother of the Prince of Nanyuan, Xiao Duo's sworn rival. He revealed that Xiao Duo had been on the verge of capturing the prince but had to abandon the mission to rescue Bu Yinlou from the Empress. Bu Yinlou then realized she had inadvertently thwarted Xiao Duo's plans. At the palace, Princess Hede subtly advised Murong Gaogong against marrying Bu Yinlou, using a flower analogy.
She explained that the palace environment, like carefully cultivated soil, was only suitable for noble flowers like peonies, not for wild cotton roses like Bu Yinlou, who needed freedom to thrive. Murong Gaogong understood but refused to yield, confessing that he had only risen from an insignificant prince to the throne for Bu Yinlou's sake.
He described the imperial city as a dark place where she was his only light, and all he wanted was for her to light a lamp for him each night. Seeing his deep emotional distress, Princess Hede relented and promised to help bring Bu Yinlou to the palace. Unbeknownst to the Emperor, Eunuch Sun took it upon himself to send Madam Chen, a strict senior maid, to Xiao Duo's residence to train Bu Yinlou in palace etiquette.
At the same time, Xiao Duo was personally leading an operation to capture secret agents from Western Shu. Meanwhile, Bu Yinlou was dreaming of a carefree future with Xiao Duo when her fantasy was shattered by the arrival of Madam Chen. Frightened by the imposing maids, Bu Yinlou asked for Xiao Duo, but before Cao Chunang could reply, Madam Chen struck her with a cane for her impertinence. Bu Yinlou was subjected to rigorous training.
In an act of defiance, she deliberately ignored the intricate dining rules, eating the food meant for display and mixing up the dish placements. When confronted, she cheekily offered Madam Chen a bite, earning the insult "rotten wood that can't be carved." She was then chased and disciplined. Just as the maids cornered her, Xiao Duo returned. Bu Yinlou ran toward him but tripped and fell hard.
Furious, Xiao Duo rebuked Madam Chen, who, feeling indignant, announced she would return to the palace and report her failure to the Emperor. Xiao Duo offered Bu Yinlou ointment for her injuries, but she, still annoyed, told him to leave. Soon after, the Emperor, Murong Gaogong, arrived, looking displeased. Fearing Madam Chen had complained, Xiao Duo went to greet him, humbly taking the blame for the incident.
However, the Emperor clarified that Eunuch Sun had acted without his knowledge and expressed his concern for Bu Yinlou. She then appeared, having adopted a perfectly refined and demure demeanor. When the Emperor invited her to dine with him, she politely declined, citing various points of etiquette that forbade her from eating at the same table as the monarch. Her strict adherence to every rule created an insurmountable distance between them, and a frustrated Murong Gaogong eventually left.
Afterward, Eunuch Sun praised Xiao Duo for Bu Yinlou's new, proper behavior but slyly suggested that relations between men and women shouldn't be too rigid, recommending a visit to the Dream House, the capital's most famous brothel.
