Unchained Love Episode 16 Recap
> Unchained Love Recap
After some time together, Wanwan sets aside her prejudice against Yuwen Liangxu, now genuinely seeing him as a friend and realizing he is not a spy for the Prince of Nanyuan. However, Murong Gaogong remains unconvinced and refuses to release him. Left with no other choice, Wanwan climbs a wall to deliver food to Yuwen Liangxu, only to find him on the wall as well, attempting to sneak out.
He complains about being treated like a prisoner, fed only vegetarian meals until he felt he was becoming a monk. Wanwan apologizes for the poor treatment. Yuwen Liangxu points out that her willingness to visit him in such a manner proves she cares for him. In a direct confession, Wanwan admits that she likes him.
Overjoyed, Yuwen Liangxu takes her to his room and presents her with his family's heirloom jade—the very one she had won from him before—as a token of their affection. He then invites her to return with him to West Shu and explore the vibrant Jinguan City. While the Prince of Nanyuan’s men search for them along the river, Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou have already secretly entered Jinguan City.
Xiao Duo confronts the Prince, thanking him for the search efforts in a thinly veiled acknowledgment of his own successful "golden cicada" escape plan. He implies he will be staying in West Shu for a while. The Prince offers him a private residence, but Xiao Duo declines, citing a recent bandit attack as a reason to maintain a low profile and subtly threatening to request imperial troops if such "disturbances" continue.
Recognizing Xiao Duo as a major future threat, the Prince instructs his men to act cautiously. Learning that Empress Rong'an has returned to the palace, he immediately sends her a letter, seeking to learn Xiao Duo’s greatest weakness. Jinguan City is Bu Yinlou’s childhood home, where her cousin, Lian Cheng, now works for the Prince of Nanyuan. Bu Yinlou visits him, worried that her investigation into the Prince might endanger him.
Lian Cheng, more concerned about the hardships she endured with her family, warns her that Xiao Duo is not a good person and is merely using her. Bu Yinlou corrects him, explaining that she came to West Shu willingly because she has feelings for Xiao Duo. Lian Cheng is shocked that she loves a eunuch, calling their relationship impossible.
When Xiao Duo arrives, Bu Yinlou asks for his help in getting her cousin away from his dangerous position at Mingding Tower. Lian Cheng proudly refuses Xiao Duo's aid, stating his indenture is to the Prince. When summoned to play the zither for the Prince, Lian Cheng angrily refuses to go. Xiao Duo stops Bu Yinlou from intervening, explaining that a rash departure would arouse suspicion, and promises to secure Lian Cheng's freedom after they have dealt with the Prince.
Xiao Duo arranges for them to live in Mengyun Pavilion, a riverside courtyard he purchased and renovated after noticing Bu Yinlou’s fondness for it during a previous visit. He even had a geomancer confirm its auspicious feng shui for wealth and card-playing, much to her amusement. That evening, Bu Yinlou craves a late-night snack, but the food his Zhaoding Guards bring back from the city lacks the authentic "heart and soul" of West Shu cuisine.
They decide to go to a street stall themselves, where they enjoy a lively meal and adopt a stray dog, which Bu Yinlou cheekily names "Eunuch Ba." Seeing their growing intimacy, Tongyun confronts Bu Yinlou, warning her that if the Emperor discovered their relationship, she would be executed. Unfazed, Bu Yinlou says she will deal with problems as they arise.
Tongyun reminds her that Xiao Duo is a eunuch and that she should find an "intact" man, but Bu Yinlou firmly declares she would love Xiao Duo even if he were a cripple. Annoyed by Tongyun's constant nagging, Bu Yinlou leaves to sleep in another room. She goes to Xiao Duo's room, where he is burning incense to ward off mosquitoes. Feeling safe in his presence, she lies down on his bed, asking to talk.
She wonders aloud about the life he might have had and the kind of woman he would have loved if he hadn't entered the palace. When he feigns sleep, she grows quiet. Overcome with affection, she leans in and kisses him. Xiao Duo, who was awake the whole time, turns and gently caresses her hair. Realizing he is not asleep, Bu Yinlou happily turns and embraces him.
The next morning, Tongyun and Cao Chun'ang are stunned when Bu Yinlou emerges from Xiao Duo's room. Tongyun begins to panic, envisioning a future where Bu Yinlou returns to the capital pregnant and is executed. Xiao Duo quickly silences her, reminding her that Bu Yinlou is still unaware that he is not actually a eunuch. Amused, Cao Chun'ang remarks that Xiao Duo’s restraint makes him "more of a eunuch than a eunuch."
Before being sent to watch the Prince's residence, Cao Chun'ang reminds Xiao Duo it is time for his medicine, but Xiao Duo decides to skip it. Later, a woman named Qiu Yuebai arrives, claiming to be Xiao Duo’s former "dui shi" (an informal eunuch marriage) from his early days in the palace. The guards deny her claim and turn her away, but she is then intercepted and taken in by Empress Rong'an.
