In which our hero is less than heroic & the couple seperates
1.Unsurprisingly, our heroine is distraught upon hearing the threatening words from Madame Jin 'I have your mother in my hands'
2.Her confidence in hero's ability to hear any words that may challenge his mother, and undoubtedly filled with anxiety that she may unwittingly cause harm to her mother by approaching her husband, she approaches the only person she feels she can confide in : Housekeeper
3.In tears, Qi Ling recounts what happened and Housekeeper is supportive, shares his doubts regarding the Madame's statements, and makes it clear that no matter what he will trust her. He also learns that she went to him instead of hero because hero is on Madame's side in everything
4.Hero spies Housekeeper with his arm around a sobbing Qi Ling...and sees red. He roughly separates them, fights Housekeeper while his wife begs them to stop fighting. An angry Housekeeper admonishes the hero to treat his wife well before storming off. Then our hero, popped collar up, mouth bruised, turns to his wife and begins to unleash his jealousy on her
5.When hero hears that she went to Housekeeper because he believes her/supports her and he (hero) does not he temporarily loses his mind, or rather, all reason and thought is drowned out by rage and the need to both punish and establish ownership of his wife: he literally says 'This is how you like it' a few times while forcing himself on her
6.She screams, slaps him (it was done in slow motion, 3x, I think to emphasize the seriousness of his actions--she could have punched him but her reflex was to slap him, something that I think is even harsher maybe because it is such a reflexive response/used when someone has made a big mistake)
7.she runs off...hero just kind of stands there I imagine he is surprised at himself...great scene showing the dangers a person can face when love becomes obsessive (which i think there romance certainly is)
.....or not
8.Hero...goes to his mom to apologize for his wife again...and what does he say? That QI LING is not herself...where is the guilt? More like he needs to take a step back and re assess what it means to love someone...and allow himself to be more vulnerable
9.Madame Jin is so wicked I love it--she uses Qi Ling's personality to her advantage and stirs up her emotions when Qi Ling confronts her...Qi Ling picks up a knife and when hero appears mom grabs the knife and sets up Qi Ling so well: she screams at Qi ling to calm down/Dr Love's mom screams at her to not kill the Madame//the hero now has even more evidence that suggests Qi Ling is losing it
10.Qi Ling screams at hero that his mother is manipulating him (essentially) and is unapologetic and threatens to kill the Madame (not seriously, more like she is saying it spitefully because hero and everyone thinks she will) and the hero orders her out of the Jin Manor...Qi Ling tells him to be happy with his mom (good for her!) before storming off
11.Hero decides to get wasted while a concerned Quian Quian (I've really warmed up to her she is all on her own now, since her brother became obsessed with revenge) tries to figure out why he is drinking shot after shot of whatever alcohol he would be drinking--she pleads for him to pardon her brother if he wrongs him (eluding to his plotting) but hero is firm that he won't
-----Madame reveals to Qi Ling she doesn't have her mom, that this is all to protect her son, but Qi Ling does not believe her----
12.Quian Quian sobs in his arms about how lonely she is and that no one not even her brother asks about her--and hero comforts her while Qi Ling (who has just packed to leave) watches in the background
13.Qi Ling passes hero on bridge--they both pause and she waits, probably hoping he will apologize or say something, and he seems like he will touch her...but then drop his hand and she leaves.....
14.QI Ling begins looking for a house in the city and hero visits Dr Love who calls him out for being cruel to Qi Ling//he defends his actions (stubborn to a fault) and maintains that he has a servant watching her and that he will bring her back once this cools down (also he makes it clear this is all her fault)
15.Shots of Qi Ling and hero, apart and unable to sleep
16.Housekeeper meets with 2nd prince and reveals his next plot: he will smuggle weapons out of the bureau of weapons secretly (in preparation of 2nd prince revolting)
17.Evidence is leaked about a mysterious house being rented that no one can go near....
Rate: 8.0 i was VERY engaged, if for the simple fact that i did not expect the hero to ever treat our leading lady in such a way. New low for him. I do feel bad for Quian Quian who is suffering all alone. i cannot say i am surprised by hero's less than heroic actions given his intense love/obsession for Qi Ling but am surprised he sunk so low....i mean that type of behavior usually comes before a non-consensual sexual encounter so he really, really was inappropriate
what lessons will be learned aside from the constant messages of don't lie, trust, and communicate?
Also,hero is making housekeeper's work easy--if he keeps this up he will drive her off//i think hero relies too much on leading lady's forgiving nature/not holding a grudge because she constantly forgives him i hope she holds him accountable for his actions (although i have little faith in this happening based on how her character has been written)
