Her Fantastic Adventures Episode 2 Recap
> Her Fantastic Adventures Recap
In modern times, Qi Chunjiao was with her childhood friend, Lu Zizheng, who commented on her lipstick and told her to be normal and wipe it off, saying it didn't suit her. Lu Zizheng told her they could be friends for a long time because she was nothing like a girl, and he advised her not to try to change for him, look at him in a certain way, or fall for him, because he would not change his mind.
Qi Chunjiao then revealed that she did like someone, but it was not him. He asked if her team knew, and she said it was currently just a crush. He suggested she could retire if they found out. As he left, he told her to let him know if her crush succeeded and he would buy her skewers and beer, and she reminded him to transfer money to her.
Later, arriving in Changqing, Gu Qingqiao saw a fugitive being pursued by soldiers and, mistaking him for the Lu Zizheng from her own time, told him to stay hidden in her carriage. Stepping out, she confronted the soldiers who insisted on inspection, arguing against their notion that merchants were at the bottom of society.
She passionately declared that everyone was equal before the law, pointing out the essential role of merchants in providing weapons, food, and clothing, and supporting the city's population. She highlighted the hardships merchants faced, like working until 3 AM and suffering physical ailments, questioning how the soldier could look down on them while wearing clothes and armor made by merchants. Her speech garnered praise from bystanders.
Observing the scene, Duan Yu inquired about her identity and was told she was Miss Gu, the daughter of the owner of Qingfeng Restaurant, and had also been the one to get the first incense at Shangqing Temple, accompanied by strange phenomena in the sky. He ordered the soldiers to let her pass but instructed them to keep an eye on her. Gu Qingqiao secretly brought the fugitive into the wine cellar of her residence.
Seeing he was wounded by an arrow and bleeding heavily, she became worried, fearing he might die soon after arriving. He remarked on being carried by a woman. She wanted to call a doctor, but he stopped her, explaining that bringing a doctor would expose him and negate her effort to save him. Realizing this, she used wine from the cellar to disinfect his wound.
He noted her genuine concern, and she replied that anyone would be anxious seeing someone bleed so much. She asked if it hurt, and he said no, but she sensed he was pretending. He asked her to help remove the arrow. Seeing his back covered in scars, she asked where they came from, saying she had never seen them before. He responded by asking if she had known him before.
As they argued over who was confused, he urged her to quickly pull out the arrow, explaining that the Qilin Bow's arrow carried the Duan family's power and would injure his meridians if not removed, causing him to die faster. He told her his life was in her hands. Fearing he would die, she poured herself some wine, drank it, and pulled the arrow. Afterward, she told him he needed to recover and asked what he wanted to eat.
He requested beef noodles without scallions, and she agreed to make them. Gu Qingqiao proceeded to the kitchen to make the noodles, surprising her maid, Dongxi, with her cooking ability. She also asked Dongxi to get some blood for a 'bloody tofu' recipe, which Dongxi found disgusting but complied, getting help from the chef. Back in the cellar, Gu Qingqiao told the fugitive to eat and stay put.
She briefly intercepted the butler, who was holding a peach wood sword and amulets and planning to find a Taoist priest because she had come back to life. She jokingly threatened to eat him if she were a monster and got him to give her the cellar key temporarily, also asking him to deliver a bowl of noodles she had made for her father, Gu Xingwu.
The fugitive finished the noodles and praised them as the most delicious he had ever eaten, saying "a bowl of these noodles is all I need in life." Gu Qingqiao called him crazy, saying he had eaten them before. She asked him how he had "crossed over," a term he didn't understand. When she asked about his scars again, specifically mentioning she hadn't seen them when they used to "swim," he asked what "swim" was.
He kept referring to her as Miss Gu. When she pressed him, he swore he was not Lu Zizheng, not from another place, and didn't know what "pretending" was. He then spoke of a "Star of Rebellion" that could connect worlds and bring people from elsewhere, mentioning that the scattered Four Treasures would be found through detachment from love and hate.
He stressed the need to keep the Star of Rebellion's identity secret to avoid death and being trapped in another space. Gu Qingqiao later brought him clothes and haemostatic medicine, but he revealed his large shoulder wound had already healed. He attributed his calm demeanor to learning it from her yesterday and said he would try to talk like her so she could see him as the real Lu Zizheng.
Remarking that anything seemed possible in this world, she asked why he was being pursued by the government. He confessed he had stolen a treasure from the Mantra Sect and advised her not to get too involved in martial arts world matters. She asked when he planned to leave Changqing, suggesting it was too dangerous, and he said he would wait for things to cool down.
Knowing he was a martial artist, she asked if he knew about the Four Treasures. He asked why she was asking, and she replied he was the only friend she had to ask. He agreed to inquire for her. At the Changqing Chamber of Commerce, Duan Yu gathered the merchants and conveyed the magistrate's request for their assistance in capturing Mantra cultists.
One merchant, Manager Yang from Chunfeng Restaurant, protested that this was the government's responsibility and outside the Chamber's purview. Duan Yu then had account books presented, revealing that Chunfeng Restaurant had reported low taxes despite high revenue, implying significant tax evasion. Confronted with the evidence, Manager Yang quickly changed his stance and enthusiastically supported assisting the government. Duan Yu agreed and said they would discuss the account matters later. Back at home, Gu Xingwu was troubled.
Gu Qingqiao asked him what was wrong. He explained the added burden of cooperating with the government to catch cultists, on top of competing with Chunfeng Restaurant, which had shifted to vegetarian cuisine to rival their meat dishes. Gu Qingqiao found it strange that a vegetarian restaurant could pose such a challenge to a meat one and decided to visit Chunfeng Restaurant herself. Gu Qingqiao and Dongxi visited Chunfeng Restaurant.
Commenting on the atmosphere, Gu Qingqiao opted to sit in the lobby and asked for the menu, finding it hung too far away. She joked about needing a telescope before asking for their specialties. After trying the food, she found the elbow not tender, the duck fishy, and the braised pork greasy. She concluded that this explained why they were losing to the vegetarian restaurant. As they left, she told Dongxi to get the food packed up to avoid waste.
Back in the wine cellar, the fugitive, whom Gu Qingqiao now referred to as Lu Zizheng, was present, his injuries fully healed. He explained he just wanted to see what she was doing since Dongxi was out. Gu Qingqiao clarified that Dongxi was outside guarding. He questioned her trust in Dongxi. Gu Qingqiao stated that in her home, only Dongxi and her father were not afraid of her returning from the grave, and she didn't want them implicated.
She added that he was the only person she knew here and she didn't want him caught either, but his presence made him like a "bomb," something that could explode. Later, Gu Qingqiao proposed an idea to Gu Xingwu to revitalize Qingfeng Restaurant's business: a food festival showcasing local delicacies with Qingfeng Restaurant as the main venue. Gu Xingwu liked the idea as a way to boost business.
He presented the idea to Duan Yu, framing it as a way to increase the Chamber's visibility and promote merchant businesses. Duan Yu thought it was a good initiative. Gu Xingwu mentioned it was his daughter's idea and praised her cooking, then invited Duan Yu for a family meal. Duan Yu accepted. Duan Yu's attendant, Xing Si, expressed concern that the food festival might distract from the urgent task of capturing the Mantra cultists and potentially displease Magistrate Du.
Duan Yu mused that Miss Gu was no ordinary woman, citing the strange events at Shangqing Temple and her actions at the city gate, and ordered Xing Si to investigate her discreetly.
Back home, Gu Xingwu instructed the butler to take the cultist situation seriously but also to ensure that any maid considered even slightly attractive was kept away from Duan Yu during his visit, explaining that he wanted to create an opportunity for Duan Yu to notice Gu Qingqiao, hoping to match them because Duan Yu was a good match and Gu Qingqiao deserved happiness after her return from death.
Gu Qingqiao taught the cook how to make her signature braised pork, emphasizing the importance of caramelizing the sugar and calling it her family's secret recipe. She declared that if Chunfeng Restaurant focused on vegetarian dishes, Qingfeng Restaurant would focus on meat to defeat them. Duan Yu arrived for the dinner. Gu Xingwu welcomed him warmly, offering a lavish spread featuring the braised pork, which Gu Qingqiao had named "So Delicious It Makes You Cry Braised Pork."
Duan Yu found the dish unique and delicious. They discussed the food festival proposal again. Duan Yu then requested to visit the kitchen to see how the braised pork was made, claiming it was for the sake of promoting the food festival. Gu Xingwu happily agreed and led him there.
In the kitchen, upon seeing Duan Yu, Gu Qingqiao was reminded of a moment in modern times when she was at a train station and he told her he was going abroad for graduate studies and likely wouldn't return, stating his decisions wouldn't change for anyone. Disturbed, Gu Qingqiao told him not to come closer, saying she looked terrible and hadn't washed her hair.
She asked why he was here instead of studying abroad, recalling his words about not easily giving up his plans or changing for anyone. Duan Yu seemed confused and asked if she had mistaken him for someone else, stating they had never met. She insisted she could recognize him even if he turned to ash. As she turned away from him, she accidentally knocked the pot of braised pork off the counter and onto her leg.
Duan Yu quickly caught her and placed her foot in a bucket of water. At that moment, Gu Xingwu entered the kitchen and saw them, expressing surprise and concern about their closeness when he had explicitly wanted Duan Yu to view the kitchen without interruption. He declared it inappropriate and claimed they had had "skin contact."
Gu Qingqiao tried to check her foot, but Dongxi, who had also arrived, stopped her, explaining that a woman's feet could only be seen by her husband, a custom Gu Qingqiao found baffling. Gu Xingwu, seeing an opportunity, told Duan Yu that since he had seen and held his daughter's foot, they had had skin contact, implying she could no longer marry anyone else and effectively pushing for a marriage proposal.
Xing Si quickly interjected, stating his master had neither seen nor touched her, denying any skin contact. He added that many men wanted to marry the talented and beautiful Miss Gu. Gu Xingwu insisted Duan Yu had seen her foot and held her, asking if he was forcing them to propose. Duan Yu stopped Xing Si from speaking further and hastily took his leave, bidding farewell.
That night, Gu Qingqiao was lost in thought, reciting ancient texts and pondering the strange turn of events – being rejected by Duan Yu in modern times and seemingly reunited with him in this world. She wondered if this was her moment of destiny. Lu Zizheng called out to her from the cellar entrance, interrupting her thoughts and asking what she was thinking about.
She tried to send him away, but he requested a hot bath, complaining that the damp cellar was giving him rashes. Sighing, she agreed, wondering what debt she owed him. She asked when he planned to leave. He asked about Dongxi, and she said Dongxi was on guard duty. He asked about her trust in Dongxi.
Gu Qingqiao explained that in her home, only Dongxi and her father were not scared that she had come back from the coffin, and she didn't want them to get into trouble. She added that he was the only person she knew in this world, and she didn't want him to be caught, but his presence made him a "bomb," something that could explode. She left him to soak in the bath and went outside for air.
Dongxi found her talking to the moon and noticed she was crying. Gu Qingqiao tearfully asked why Dongxi wasn't afraid of her like everyone else. Dongxi comforted her, saying that coming back to life was a good thing and that the monks at Shangqing Temple said only good people could return to life. Gu Qingqiao called Dongxi sweet and noted that she always told different lies. Dongxi promised to take good care of her, protect her, and stay with her for a long time. Gu Qingqiao thanked her.
