For agdr03 and whomever is watching this fun show.

I like this episode because of the different ways that Ji Heng resolves Tian Qi’s problems. He can be fierce, circumspect, sneaky, conniving, and playful. I think this is the episode where his heroic deed crystallizes for the first time.

First, there’s the rumor about Tian Qi and Zheng.

After spending a sleepless night, Ji Heng gets dressed before Mr. Sheng arrives. To me, he looks determined to go straight to TQ’s place and asks her what the deal is with her chickenpox.

But he ends up asking Mr. Sheng about Tian Qi. Mr. Sheng answers, “She’s feeling better now but…”

Ji Heng turns around to glare at Mr. Sheng.

lol. I understand Ji Heng. I hate it too when people dither like this. Just spit it out, and let me deal with it. But I’m sure that Ji Heng’s worried that Tian Qi had caused more problems overnight.

JH: But what?
Asst: Errrr…
JH. Just say it.
Asst: Yes, but it’s said that last night, Marquis Marvel took care of Dr. Tian in his room the whole night.
JH: Zheng?!
Asst: Yes.
JH: Why did he get so close to Tian Qi?

His question is tricky. Normally, he would be asking “WHEN did he become close to Tian Qi?” or “HOW did he become close to Tian Qi?” But because he asks, “WHY did he get close to Tian Qi?” I’m sensing that he suspects Zheng of having an ulterior motive for befriending Tian Qi. Since he’s unaware that Zheng knows Tian Qi’s female, he can’t understand why Zheng would be interested in Tian Qi.

Anyway, Mr. Sheng answers that he has no clue why Ji Zheng stayed overnight at Tian Qi’s place.

It’s very unfortunate that, later that day, he also receives a visit from Sun Congrui. Sun Congrui’s son is the one who gambled and lost to Tian Qui, and, as consequence, was publicly shamed to streak naked.

Sun Congrui has come to report to Ji Heng that his brother, the Marquis Marvel (lol, I like that name. Reminds me of Captain Marvel), was sighted in a restaurant acting very friendly with a decidedly effeminate guy.

Immediately, Ji Heng accuses Sun Congrui of slandering his brother. But Sun Congrui insists that Marquis Marvel be disciplined for his actions. Ji Heng then says he’ll look into matter, but he wants the rumor stopped.

lol. His fierce look is sooo extra I feel like I’ve to give it a standing ovation. /sarc

Although he squashes the rumor to protect his brother, his mother’s spy reports back to his mother that he was actually protecting Tian Qi’s reputation, not Ji Zheng. It has spread inside the manor that Tian Qi was looked after Ji Zheng the whole night. Ji Heng was suspected of doing damage control for Tian Qi because Tian Qi was his “favorite” servant. ‘

To me, this whole incident revealed that, while it was very thoughtful of Ji Zheng to take care of TQ’s fake chicken pox, he failed to be as discreet as his brother. He didn’t think of the repercussion of his display of unnecessary “devotion” on his and Tian Qi’s respectability. He didn’t hold back or restrained himself as Ji Heng did.

But now it falls upon Ji Heng to remedy the situation.

Second, the natal chart.

Tian Qi logically figured out that Madame Ji would attempt to take her from Ji Heng’s household on the pretext that she needed a good doctor to take care of her health. Similarly, Ji Heng figured out that his mother wouldn’t stop requesting for Tian Qi’s transfer to her mansion, unless Tian Qi’s removal could be proven to have a deleterious effect on HIM.

Now, although I don’t believe Madame Ji is evil, I do think she’s very protective of her son and, like any doting mother, she’ll go to great lengths to defend him.

Aside from her son, her other weaknesses are a) she’s easily manipulated by her aide, and b) she believes in superstitions, horoscopes, feng shui, and fortune-tellers.

Ji Heng uses his mother’s love as well as her belief in the occult to stop her from harming Tian Qi. He displayed the same cleverness as Tian Qi to outwit his mother.

Mr. Sheng recounts Ji Heng’s brilliant plan to stage an intervention with the fortune-teller for his mother.

Asst: My lord, just as you predicted, Madame Ji really restrained herself. My lord, you really planned every step well. You knew that Madame Ji would kill Dr. Tian for his natal chart. But you used the same natal chart to save Dr. Tian. No wonder Madame Ji trusts Hermit Yuyang (the fortune-teller) so much! She wouldn’t have known that you already anticipated that she’d kill Dr. Tian. You invited Hermit Yuyang to our mansion and instructed him on what to say.

JH: This is confidential. Send that fraud out of the mansion. Warn him that if he ever commits fraud with such fate skills (that is, fortune-telling), I’ll teach him a lesson.

Ji Heng instructed the fraudster/fortune-teller to tell his mom that Dr. Tian did indeed have a bad fate, and the fraudster complied. Viewers can easily tell that Ji Heng staged this because he would signal his approval or disapproval to the fraudster.

Look. I’m going to post the screenshots when he’s smirking as the Fraudster told his fortune reading. To me, those are the lines he fed to the Fraudster to tell his mother.

Fraudster: For common people, Tian Qi’s a jinx. But his fate is gold.

Gold will benefit water. If he can find an individual with a water fate, he will turn disadvantage to advantage. If I remember correctly, General Ji has a water fate.

Mother: (excitedly) That’s true! He is.
Fraudster: Great, Madame Ji! After all these years, I haven’t seen any other two people with fates matching so perfectly.

Mother: What do you mean?
Fraudster: Even though General Ji’s fate is nearly perfect, there are some drawbacks and deficiency. Although Tian Qi’s fate is almost completely bad,

Tian Qi can compensate some of General Ji’s deficiency in a perfect way. If he stays alongside General Ji! Not only will he bring General Ji good fortune, he can also prevent bad luck, avoiding nearly all disasters.

haha x 10. It’s possible that Tian Qi really has a “gold” fate and Ji Heng really has a “water” fate. However, I’m sure the fortune-teller made up (and was COACHED by Ji Heng himself) to lie about gold and water being good for each other, and that water needing gold to be perfected. I love how devious Ji Heng can be just to save Tian Qi.

Mother: So you’re saying that, for the sake of General Ji, not only can I NOT kill Tian Qi, but I also have to protect Tian Qi well?

hahaha x 20. His mom’s reaction here is truly comical. This is what I call her “conversion” moment…when everything she thought was true is suddenly upended.

Then General Ji speaks up. I love how he sounds like a considerate son when he’s actually turning the screw to make his mother panic.

JH: Mother, it seems too late now.
Mother: How come?
JH: I don’t want you worried so I sent Sheng Anhui to execute him.

Pwahahaha! Ji Heng is such an evil son.

Fraudster: Oh dear! That’s too bad! If he dies this time, then no one can protect General Ji from disasters.

Mother: (panicking) Chen Woyoung, go and stop Sheng Anhui! Just tell him that no matter what Tian Qi has done, no one can kill him! The General and I will discuss this further and deal with him.

He looks at the Fraudster because he knows his plan worked.

I don’t read Chinese, but I’m assuming that these are both Ji Heng’s and Tian Qi’s natal charts.

He burns the papers and tosses them out the window. I thought this gesture was cute because it symbolizes that their fates are forever entwined now.

Furthermore, this scene with the fortune-teller makes me realize that Ji Heng and Tian Qi are a match because they both don’t believe in these ridiculous superstitions, feng shui, natal charts, jinxes and bad luck.

Remember? In Episode 1, Ji Heng said that he, too, had been subjected to superstitions. He told Mr. Sheng, “I remember when father was alive, there was also someone who told my father that my life is doomed to be lonely, unlucky, and that I’m a curse to my family. They spoke so seriously that in the future I would kill my father to steal his power. Rumors are just that. From now on, these baseless rumors, don’t let me hear of them again.” Here again, he shows that he truly doesn’t believe in them.

As for Tian Qi, as a doctor, she doesn’t believe in these jinxes, too. That’s why she was unafraid to make up that rumor about her curse on her patients. She wasn’t scared to start the rumor, and to use the rumor to her advantage (like Ji Heng just did with the fortune-teller) because she didn’t believe in it. She didn’t think the rumor would cast a shadow on her job.

Honestly, I doubt Ji Hen would have liked her if she didn’t have a scientific mind and if she had believed in these unscientific things.

Last but not least, her restlessness — Ji Heng fixed that for her, too.

She can’t return to work yet so she’s doing busywork to pass the time. She whines by herself.

TQ: So stressful. Stressful. I don’t even know when can I go back to serve General Ji. My god! Please let me go back to General Ji as soon as possible! Ughhh.

He can hear her loud and clear because he’s coming up behind her.

JH: You almost got beheaded by my orders. Why do you still want to return?

This! I like his style of teasing her. He stuns her.

Also, he just fixed her problem with his mother but he didn’t come looking for accolades from her. Like, he was being chill about the whole thing. Like, it was no problem for him. Like, he was just doing his job.

TQ: My lord!

I love her smile here, too.  She looks incandescent. Her fangirling is real.

TQ: My lord, it’s you. Is this real? My dream comes true! I’m super happy.

I like how he and Mr. Sheng exchange looks. It’s Mr Sheng’s signal to leave the couple alone.

Meanwhile, he’s griping, “That’s brilliant. His flattering skill is really improving. And it’s right on point and even makes General Ji laugh.” He’s beginning to realize that General Ji is much more light-hearted whenever Tian Qi is around. I think any girl would like to hear this kind of compliment, even though it was grudgingly given.

JH: Did you really have chickenpox?
TQ: Huh? (looking guilty)
JH: Have you taken medicine? It’s a pity for such a beautiful face.

I’m not sure if he’s implying that it was unfortunate that she had to take medicine/potion to get that “fake” chickenpox OR he’s asking her if she’s already taken medicine to fix the blemishes on her face.

TQ: Instead of not having medicine, I’m afraid of taking medicine. (whispering) Someone wants to murder me.
JH: Who dares to do that?

TQ: I don’t know either. But I guess he must be trusted by Madame Ji. Otherwise, how come Madame Ji believe him for all the bad news about me?
JH: I’ve told you that your life belongs to me. Nobody can kill you without my permission.

Okay, I’m beginning to see the advantage of this…sort of. He’s going to block everybody else trying to kill her because the privilege of killing her is his. Should she feel happy about this?

TQ: Yes, my lord. I’m not afraid of death. But I’m afraid if I die, I can’t stay and serve by your side.

Yeahhhhh, right. I like that he’s no longer telling her to quit being obsequious. He just lets her brown-nosing slide now.

JH: (smirking) I think you are getting better and better. See how talkative you are!

TQ: (swearing) I promise that all I just said is true! I really hate leaving you. I want to serve you forever!
JH: (smirking) If your face remains like this, don’t come to serve me anymore.

lol. Her face does look atrocious. But we know that he doesn’t really mean this. He’s been staring at her face all this time. If he’d been revolted by the scars on her face, he would have kept his eyes averted or cut their conversation short. lol.

TQ: My lord, do you mean to say that if my face is fully recovered, I can go back to serve you?
JH: I remember you like to make some facial cream? And you said it’s traditional? Now, I want to see if it’s really effective.
TQ: Please be assured, my lord. The elderly in my family, my grandpa’s grandpa, studied traditional recipes, experimented thousands of time sto make this Yunifang Red Box. It’s very good for skincare. I’ll keep using it.

I think he misses her nonstop chattering, and she, in turn, is humoring him by nonstop chattering.

That’s why I don’t mind writing down their long dialogue. When you watch this whole scene, it seems like they’re talking about everything and nothing. But when you read the dialogue, you realize that the words are only the outward manifestation of the JOY they’re feeling at seeing each other again.

They’re giddy with excitement. He’s teasing her and she’s beaming at him.

JH: Keep using it. Or else, your disobeying my order. Understood?
TQ: Very well.
JH: (turning to leave then stopping) As far as I know, when you were ill, Zheng came to take care of you. And when you were in danger, you asked help from Zheng. Why don’t you come to me?

This is a serious question, though. It bothers him that she doesn’t go running to him, but to his brother, in time of her need. Of course, he wasn’t to know that on both those occasions he mentioned, she didn’t ask for Zheng’s help; Zheng just happened to show up because he heard that she was in trouble.

TQ: I forgot. And I’ve a little wish that you don’t really mean to kill me. Right?
JH: (smiling for a nano-second, because she is cute) You really think so?
TQ: Mmm.

As soon as he and his assistant leave, Tian Qi mutters, “Didn’t you order to have me killed? Why are you asking me to go to you for help? General Ji’s so strange.”

So there, you go, my highlights for Episode 14. I didn’t mention anymore Zheng’s rescue and his awkward confession because I feel sorry for him. 🙂