Unique Lady Season 3 Episode 21 Recap
> Unique Lady Season 3 Recap
Zhong Wumei, concerned for Lin Luojing's safety, feigned disinterest in attending Liu Xiuwen's banquet at Qi Yu's Palace. He tried to suggest Zhang Ji visit Xi Que, implicitly hoping to go himself. However, Zhang Ji, content with letters and a mended purse from Xi Que, assured Zhong Wumei he was happy and had no need for leave, urging him to focus on state affairs.
Despite his outward composure, Zhong Wumei's anxiety was evident as he was seen reviewing memorials upside down. Meanwhile, at the banquet, Tang Meng pretended to be overly intoxicated and asked Lin Luojing to find her a quiet room to rest. After Lin Luojing stepped away to fetch a towel, Tang Meng secretly drugged Lin Luojing's water. Upon Lin Luojing's return, Tang Meng offered a toast, ensuring Lin Luojing drank the poisoned water before she herself left the room.
Encountering Xi Que, Tang Meng falsely claimed that Lin Luojing had already returned to her mansion, prompting Xi Que to leave. Tang Meng then arranged for Liu Xiuwen to be led to the same room, which she had filled with drugged incense, causing him to collapse by the bed shortly after entering.
Tang Meng then revealed her true intentions, gloating that not only would Jiang Xuanyu see Lin Luojing's "flirtatious" nature, but Zhong Wumei would also be forced to expel Lin Luojing from Sheng Jing for an alleged affair with Prince Qi Yu. Lin Luojing was soon discovered missing, prompting a frantic search. Xi Que, realizing Lin Luojing was gone, tried to report it at the palace but was turned away by guards.
She then went to Tang Meng, who feigned surprise, claiming she thought Lin Luojing had gone home. Together, they informed Zhong Wumei. Zhong Wumei immediately led a search party to Qi Yu's Palace. Despite initial resistance from Liu Xiuwen's guards, Zhong Wumei ordered a full search. Lin Luojing was found unconscious on a bed, with Jiang Xuanyu beside her. Unbeknownst to them, Yi Yi had seen Tang Meng drug both Lin Luojing and Liu Xiuwen.
To protect Liu Xiuwen, Yi Yi knocked out Jiang Xuanyu and placed him in the room with Lin Luojing, then moved Liu Xiuwen to his own chambers. Upon seeing Lin Luojing and Jiang Xuanyu, Zhong Wumei, feigning outrage, immediately decreed that Lin Luojing be expelled from Sheng Jing. In his own room, a disoriented Liu Xiuwen, still under the influence of the drug, mistook Yi Yi for Lin Luojing.
He poured out his heart, confessing his daily struggle to forget her and his inability to let her go, despite knowing her heart belonged to another. Yi Yi, heartbroken by his words but devoted, offered to be her substitute forever if he needed. Separately, Jin Chen pressed Liu Xiuwen for progress on activating the crystal bead, worried that any further delay would reveal their deception to Princess Chang Yuan An.
Jin Chen then presented an ancestral secret book containing the method to activate the bead and suggested he take the bead to activate it himself, as Qi Yu's Palace was not secure from Zhong Wumei's spies. Liu Xiuwen initially hesitated, fearing Jin Chen would not return the bead. Jin Chen, however, reminded Liu Xiuwen of their long-standing alliance and shared risks, emphasizing Liu Xiuwen's current esteemed position and Jin Chen's reliance on him.
Convinced, Liu Xiuwen agreed to let Jin Chen take the bead. Following the public scandal, Zhong Wumei visibly displayed his supposed anger by appearing to drink heavily and allowing numerous palace maids to be brought in, declaring he had no need to screen them since he had expelled his consort. This public display fueled widespread rumors about Lin Luojing's infidelity and Zhong Wumei's subsequent actions.
Meanwhile, Lin Luojing and Jiang Xuanyu were genuinely exiled to a remote, unfrequented location outside Sheng Jing. They faced hardship, struggling to find food, with Lin Luojing lamenting their dire situation. Despite this, they managed to make a charcoal-grilled chicken, which Jiang Xuanyu humorously noted was "evenly black," with Lin Luojing retorting that charcoal-grilled chicken is naturally black, highlighting their rough but resilient living.
Later, in a private conversation, Zhong Wumei revealed to Lin Luojing that his public rage and her expulsion were an elaborate act. He confirmed his unwavering trust in both her and Jiang Xuanyu, stating he knew the incident was a deliberate frame-up.
Zhong Wumei then disclosed a crucial piece of information he had learned from Elder Hua: Lin Luojing carried a Yin crystal bead within her, which, combined with the Zhong family's Yang crystal bead, protected the mountains and forests of Sheng Jing and could grant wishes when united. He explained that Sheng Jing River's recent dry-up was likely due to the bead losing its guardian, and urged Lin Luojing to find a way to "summon" her bead to locate the other.
Recognizing the increasing dangers in Sheng Jing, Zhong Wumei explained that the "acting as they wish" plan was a necessary ruse to send Lin Luojing and Jiang Xuanyu to a safer place, protected by two elite guards, to begin their search for the other crystal bead. Meanwhile, Jiang Xuanyu reflected on the incident, his suspicions growing about Tang Meng.
He recalled seeing her veiled in Liu Xiuwen's mansion and her panicked expression at the scene, contrasting it with her lack of blame toward him afterward. He pondered whether she was truly behind the elaborate frame-up. Back in Sheng Jing, Tang Meng overheard servants gossiping about her and Jiang Xuanyu's "loveless marriage" and his forced union, stating they were "a couple without love, treating each other like ice."
Though her servant offered to punish the gossips, Tang Meng stopped her, fearing it would betray her own guilt. Alone, Tang Meng lamented Jiang Xuanyu's silent departure, leaving only a letter and a message of well-being, feeling she was worthless to him and fearing he might have discovered her scheme. In his hidden lair, Jin Chen continued his desperate search for a method to activate the crystal bead.
While examining an ancient book, he noticed a page solely dedicated to a totem. Upon touching it, a hidden entrance materialized. He ventured in to find a young woman, Hua Yingyun, leisurely playing a zither, whom he promptly captured with a net. Away from Sheng Jing, Lin Luojing and Xi Que were by a lake, attempting to catch fish.
Lin Luojing pondered the "water" hint regarding her crystal bead, considering if natural water or even human body water might be the key to activating it, especially on a full moon night when emotions and energy are believed to be at their peak. With a skillfully crafted wooden fork, Lin Luojing easily speared a large fish, while Xi Que, unaccustomed to such tasks, struggled to catch anything. Realizing Xi Que's culinary talents, Lin Luojing proposed they have a "wild BBQ," grilling all edible items they could find, and then spotted a nearby patch of farmland.
