As Peony runs downhill, calling for help, a caravan happens to be passing by. The assassin hotly pursues, slashing at Peony with a blade. She narrowly dodges the first strike, but the second blow comes swiftly. This time, Peony stops the sword barehanded, causing her palms to bleed profusely. At the brink of death, an arrow strikes the assassin. Taking advantage of the distraction, Peony twists around, grabs the sword, and slices the assassin’s arm. Confronted by the sheer number of people in the caravan, the assassin hastily flees.
A finely dressed woman, claiming to have just arrived in Chang’an, is the one who saved Peony. Once night falls, Peony sneaks back into the courtyard. Worried that Zhu Fu and Shengyi will see her bloodstained clothes and wounded hands, she tries to slip in quietly, only for Jiang Changyang to catch her by surprise. It turns out Jiang Changyang wants to roast some fish he brought in a fish creel and has come to ask Peony’s help. Instead, he finds her skulking around suspiciously.
Peony lies that her hands were cut by grass. Jiang Changyang, however, can tell the difference between a grass cut and a knife wound, so Peony is forced to come clean. Initially, she suspects the rival flower guild in Chang’an is her only enemy. But Jiang Changyang points out that in a bustling commercial center like Chang’an, feuds are common; however, it is unlikely that the flower guild would hire an assassin over such business disputes. Regardless of who orchestrated it, Jiang Changyang promises to have Chuan Yu investigate.
He mentions a cat that has roamed his estate for nearly a year; although he feeds it, the cat refuses to stay, disappearing for days at a time. Still, its presence keeps the manor free of rodents. Jiang Changyang likens Peony to that cat—always longing for freedom. He then has someone check the registry of those who entered and exited Chang’an on the day Peony was attacked and shows her sketches of the most suspicious individuals.
Peony recognizes one of them as a member of the Liu family. Likely, once the Lius discovered she was still alive, they feared she might ruin Liu Chang’s engagement to the county lord, so they sent someone to eliminate her. Wishing to settle their differences peacefully, Peony declines Jiang Changyang’s offer of help and decides to see Liu Chang herself, hoping he can give up on her entirely and devote himself to the county lord.
Delighted that Peony has come to see him, Liu Chang’s excitement quickly fades when she announces that she was nearly killed by assassins sent by the Liu family. She asks him to pass on a message to Liu Shen and his wife: she has no intention of sabotaging the wedding and that He Weifang is dead. Returning home, Liu Chang pleads with his parents to stop hunting He Weifang. Liu Shen insists it was Liu Chang himself who wanted her eliminated. After hearing his father’s explanation, Liu Chang steels himself and promises never again to see He Weifang.
Meanwhile, Lü Gengchun—disguised as a man—practices medicine but charges such low fees that it undercuts other physicians’ business, prompting them to chase her down. Peony and Zhu Fu come upon this scene and intervene, thus learning why she was being pursued. Lü Gengchun examines Peony’s injured hands, discovering the wounds extend into her tendons. She says they must be cut open and set properly or else Peony may lose the use of her hands. Shengyi, however, mistrusts Lü Gengchun, suspecting she might be trying to harm Peony since she is the daughter of Lü Wanrong. Peony chooses to believe her own judgment and entrusts Lü Gengchun with her treatment.
Despite her injured hands, Peony still prepares roasted meat for Jiang Changyang. Moved by her kindness, he returns that night cradling the precious Qiongtai Yulu plant and brings along a special salve for tendon injuries. He personally applies the ointment to Peony’s wounds, prompting Peony to see him in a new light.
Over at the Jiang residence, a concubine of Jiang Yuantang has given birth to a child, who unfortunately falls gravely ill. The woman arrives at Jiang Changyang’s door, kneeling and pleading for him to save his own younger brother. However, the gates remain shut. Concerned, Peony gathers her courage to seek Jiang Changyang’s help, only to find him cold and unyielding once again. Unwilling to stand by, she brings the mother and child to the rear courtyard. After Lü Gengchun’s examination, she suspects the baby suffers from a condition called “demonic-bone illness.” With her current medical skills, she can only relieve the symptoms. For a complete cure, they need the famed Imperial Doctor Fu. In the end, everything seems to circle back to Jiang Changyang, but for several days in a row, Peony is unable to see him at all.
