Episode 31 recap: Shen Yu Rong and Xue Fang Fei have co-starred on stage together.
In pursuit of the truth, Xue Fang Fei gets involved personally. Hong Xiao Di knows that Xiao Heng is fond of Xue Fang Fei, so he deliberately arranges for her to be married to Shen Yu Rong. Xue Fang Fei tells Xiao Heng about this, and Xiao Heng doesn't want her to take the risk, so he confronts Hong Xiao Di, and the two have a disagreement.
Xue Fang Fei wants to clear her name, so she deliberately contacts Shen Yu Rong, but Wan Ning wants to kill Xue Fang Fei. When the two meet, Wan Ning sends an assassin to ambush them, but Shen Yu Rong chooses to make amends and shields Xue Fang Fei from the attack.
Ye Shi Jie stumbles to a medicine shop and informs Xiao Heng about the attack on Si Tu Jiu Yue. Xiao Heng asks Lu Ji to notify the secret guards to capture the culprit. When Chu Lan regains consciousness, she tries to kill Si Tu Jiu Yue, but is stopped by a fan thrown by Xiao Heng. Chu Lan then escapes under the cover of smoke.
Xue Fang Fei learns of the incident from Ye Shi Jie and rushes to the Duke's residence, noticing Xiao Heng's anxious expression. Xiao Heng explains Si Tu Jiu Yue's identity, and Xue Fang Fei says she will visit her every day, making Xiao Heng secretly pleased.
Xiao Heng sends people to conduct a thorough search, suspecting that Chu Lan is hiding at the Li family's place, planning to take decisive action. The rehearsal time arrives, but Du Gongzi is absent again. He asks someone to tell Shen Yu Rong that his mother has passed away, so he had to leave. Shen Yu Rong has no choice but to ask who is willing to perform with Xue Fang Fei, and everyone remains silent, so he says he will choose based on academic rankings.
The others secretly look at Zhao Qi, believing he is the only one with the necessary academic skills. Zhao Qi deliberately suggests Shen Yu Rong as the suitable choice, and the others start gossiping, believing Shen Yu Rong has fallen for Xue Fang Fei. Shen Ru Yun suddenly appears, and the gossip stops.
Xue Fang Fei treats Jiang Jing Rui to delicious food, hoping to ask him to help perform for Shen Yu Rong. She decides to resign from the league performance, wanting Shen Yu Rong to come to her residence to invite her. To Xue Fang Fei's surprise, Shen Yu Rong does come to the Hanlin Academy, but finds that Xue Fang Fei is not there. Jiang Jing Rui deliberately spreads rumors about Shen Yu Rong and Xue Fang Fei's relationship, claiming that Xue Fang Fei is sick because of it, and Liu Xu joins in the gossip.
Shen Yu Rong hopes he won't be affected by the rumors and should focus on the bigger picture. Xue Fang Fei mentions her appearance and proposes to perform with Shen Yu Rong to prove their simple relationship. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Yu Rong angrily slams the table, saying he loves his deceased wife, and agrees to perform with Xue Fang Fei.
Li Zhongnan has hidden Chu Lan in the Imperial City Guard, reminding Li Jin not to make any mistakes, as he has with difficulty persuaded Yuan Jiang. Xue Fang Fei visits Si Tu Jiu Yue at the Duke's residence, but sees her and Xiao Heng being intimate, which upsets her.
Shen Yu Rong's mother learned that he would be co-starring with Xue Fang Fei, and chastised him for it, worrying that Wan Ning would blame him. Wan Ning found out they were often rehearsing at the Hanlin Academy, and though she pretended to be indifferent, she had plans of her own. Ye Shi Jie believed the rumors and could only watch Xue Fang Fei from afar.
After Xue Fang Fei's rehearsal ended, she was attacked by a masked assailant. Shen Yu Rong shielded her with his sword, recognizing the assailant as one of Wan Ning's people. With a glance, he signaled the assailant to leave, and Zhao Ke arrived just in time, causing the masked person to flee. Xue Fang Fei guessed the masked person was Wan Ning's, regretting that the witness had escaped.
When Xiao Heng learned of this, he criticized Xue Fang Fei for getting involved, and she promised it would only happen once, hoping Xiao Heng would believe her. Wan Ning saw Shen Yu Rong's sword wound and felt he shouldn't have angered her. Shen Yu Rong stated that co-starring was a political matter, and he had no regrets as long as he did not avoid it.
The next day, the Great Zhou envoy arrived in the capital. Shen Yu Rong reminded the Hanlin Academy students to be prepared. He went to report to the Emperor, just as Xiao Heng appeared, and the two exchanged a tense gaze, with Xiao Heng barely acknowledging Shen Yu Rong. Chu Lan was still missing, and Xiao Heng suggested to Hong Xiao Di that he wanted the Dragon Warrior Army, believing Chu Lan was hiding in the Imperial City.
While Li Zhongnan was discussing matters with Yuan Jiang, Xiao Heng's men searched the area, only to be blocked by Yuan Jiang, who drew his sword. The Dragon Warrior Army arrived and, disregarding Yuan Jiang's protests, insisted on searching, with Xiao Heng ordering them to show no mercy. Yuan Jiang knew the Dragon Warrior Army could act first and justify later, and they did not dare to make a move.
The Dragon Warrior Army surrounded the Imperial City Bureau, but despite finding Chu Lan, he managed to escape. Li Zhongnan criticized Li Jin for his incompetence and slapped him harshly. Li Jin had actually intended to assassinate Xiao Heng, disrupting Li Zhongnan's plans.
The Great Zhou Prince arrived and finally met Si Tu Jiu Yue, hoping Xiao Heng would quickly find the assassin. At the banquet, the Great Zhou Prince thanked Hong Xiao Di for reuniting the long-lost Si Tu Jiu Yue.
During Xue Fang Fei and Shen Yu Rong's performance, Shen Yu Rong was reminded of their past. Xiao Heng watched with a grave expression, and the Great Zhou Prince noticed Si Tu Jiu Yue's thoughts. Before leaving, Xiao Heng reminded Xue Fang Fei not to compromise herself for others. Their conversation was overheard by Si Tu Jiu Yue.
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