E1
An archaeological discovery is made—a love poem. When An’an notices a ring illustration on the poem, she realizes it’s familiar. Rushing home, she finds the very same ring in her closet and decides to recite the poem aloud. Suddenly, she’s transported through time, arriving in the midst of a battle where Duke Chu is fighting off assassins. As she processes that the fight is real, she faints and wakes up imprisoned in Duke Chu’s dungeon.
Starving, An’an is led by Duke Chu’s right-hand man to another cell. The aroma of hot pot fills the air, and she sees Duke Chu at a table, inviting her to join. As An’an prepares her dipping sauce, she notices Chu repeating phrases she often says. Confused, she asks how he knows so much about her, only for Chu to reply with a knowing look, “You still pretend like you don’t know me.”
E2
Since An’an doesn’t remember Chu, he becomes furious, informing her that her food was poisoned and that she must now serve as a maid in his mansion. Assigned to sweeping floors, An’an is puzzled by her sudden time travel and concludes that the ring is the key—she needs to find it. Meanwhile, Chu is seen toying with the ring, determined not to let her go, no matter how clueless she seems.
Later that night, An’an sneaks into Chu’s room to search for the ring. She finds him asleep, the ring on his finger. As she reaches for it, he suddenly awakens, pressing a blade to her neck. But in his groggy state, Chu believes he’s still dreaming, imagining An’an by his side. He pulls her close, kissing her and whispering, “Don’t leave me again.”
The next morning, Chu wakes up in a dreamy mood but quickly kicks her out of bed once he realizes it’s not just a dream. An’an, pretending to help him dress, subtly tries to frisk him for the ring, leading to a cute exchange. She muses aloud about the ring, and Chu finally shows it to her. An’an declares she’s from another era, explaining that if she could just get the ring, she could prove it.
E3
Chu has An’an thrown in jail for sneaking into his room. Later, Chu hosts a barbecue in the prison, and An’an, unable to bear her hunger, joins in. After getting her fill (still sneaking food from the table whenever she can), she heads back to her cell but deliberately missteps. Chu rushes forward instantly to catch her.
In the garden, His Majesty—a young child—meets An’an and finds her highly entertaining. Meanwhile, Chu is teaching the young emperor, and the Empress Dowager arrives for a visit. It’s clear she’s interested in Chu. When she notices An’an, the Empress Dowager calls her “sister.”
E4
Chu and An’an are riding in a carriage together. She asks if she resembles the Empress Dowager’s sister, and Chu snaps back in anger, saying she keeps appearing and disappearing, all while pretending to know nothing. An’an is taken aback by his words. Chu leaves her at the market.
While wandering the market, An’an sees a man harassing a woman and decides to intervene, leading to a fight. Suddenly, a man dressed in white—unlike Chu, who always wears black—steps in to save her. Shortly after, Chu arrives, joining the fight. For the first time, An’an looks at Chu with starry eyes. The man in white turns out to be Prince Ning, and Chu is visibly jealous. Ning then invites An’an to a poetry competition.
An’an participates in the poetry battle, reciting a poem that, unbeknownst to her, was written by Chu years ago. Upon realizing this, she runs off, leaving Chu deep in thought.
E5
The Empress Dowager finds An’an and tells her that she looks exactly like her long-lost sister. She goes on to reveal that Chu and her sister were deeply in love, but seven years ago, her sister vanished without a trace. Later, someone pushes An’an from a balcony, but Chu catches her just in time.
Chu and An’an get into a heated argument, and when An’an remarks that if she were the Dowager’s sister, she too would have left someone as heartless as Chu, he loses control and tries to throttle her.
Prince Ning visits the Empress Dowager and subtly tries to turn her against An’an, aware of her lingering feelings for Chu.
E6
An’an moves stealthily through the mansion, seemingly trying to find escape routes, but ends up witnessing the murder of several guards. The assassins notice her, and she becomes their target. In a panic, she rushes into a room where Chu is just stepping out of a bath, a towel loosely wrapped around him. An’an quickly hushes him as the sound of approaching assassins fills the air. In the chaos, the towel slips—oops. Chu, unfazed, deals with the assassins who enter his room, finding a mysterious token on one of their bodies.
The next day, Chu is with the Empress Dowager and the young emperor when another group of assassins attacks. Chu is injured in the skirmish. (It appears that Prince Ning is orchestrating these attempts to strip Chu of his military power.) Before leaving, Chu places the token on the table, and a heated argument breaks out between Ning and the Empress Dowager.
E7
The table is set, and meals are served by a different maid. Meanwhile, An’an is in the kitchen, apparently preparing food. Chu looks pleased, expecting that she might be cooking for him. However, An’an is actually cooking for herself. Chu arrives and takes her plate.
Chu’s parents died when he was young. Now, the emperor is increasingly relying on Chu, which displeases both Ning and the Empress Dowager.
Later, An’an falls from a tree while trying to retrieve the young emperor’s kite, and Ning catches her. When An’an later shares her belief that women can achieve anything, the Empress Dowager drops her teacup and abruptly leaves, claiming she needs to rest.
E8
The Empress Dowager meets Chu and asks if he intends to continue his relationship with her sister now that she has seemingly returned. Chu replies that An’an has been pretending, claiming to remember nothing of their past. He also mentions that the token found on the assassins after An’an belonged to the Empress Dowager. Unbeknownst to them, An’an overhears their conversation.
Later, they’re having a barbecue in the garden. Ning takes a seat next to An’an, leading to a tense, icy exchange between Ning and Chu.
The next morning, Chu catches An’an trying to leave the mansion. She tries again, but when she opens the gate, she finds candied hawthorn vendors waiting. It turns out that Chu bought all the candies for her, knowing how much she loves them.
E9
Chu and An’an have a heated discussion, during which it’s revealed that he never poisoned her. An’an, upset, accuses Chu of using her as a mere substitute. He insists that it was always her—that there was no substitute. She remains skeptical. To convince her, he takes her to the kitchen, telling her that she had once made a birthday cake for him seven years ago. Then, he leads her to the garden, explaining that she had taught him how to make hotpot and dipping sauce there. He points out another spot in the garden, claiming it was where she had kissed him while drunk. An’an is baffled and asks, “How many years ago did you just say? Seven? I was just eighteen then. I hadn’t even been in a relationship yet.”
Chu is stunned by her response, but comments that she hasn’t changed a bit. An’an accuses him of making up stories, which deeply upsets Chu. He takes her to her room, and she continues to express her frustration. In response, he brings her a painting, asking if she can still claim he is lying. He then kisses her, but she bites his lip and runs away.
Later, An’an takes the young emperor for a walk in the market. Noticing they are being followed, she hides the emperor but gets captured herself. It turns out that Ning is the one who captured her, and he is seeking the Tiger Tally.
E10
Chu gives the Tiger Tally to the young emperor, advising him not to hand it over to anyone. The Empress Dowager tries to stop Chu from leaving, but he declares that An’an is his life.
Chu manages to save An’an but is struck by an arrow. The Empress Dowager has a breakdown, while Ning declares that he only wants what is rightfully his.
Chu attempts to give An’an the ring, asking her to leave. When Chu collapses, An’an finally confesses her feelings. The next scene shows Chu’s funeral. Ning, the Empress Dowager, and the young emperor pay their respects. Ning, suspicious, puts his finger under Chu’s nose (in the classic drama trope to test if he’s breathing), and then smiles.
Ning asks An’an to marry him, but she rejects him. He retorts that he will take everything that belonged to Chu. When he threatens the young emperor, An’an reluctantly agrees to marry him.
E11
Ning and An’an are in the middle of their wedding ceremony when An’an declares that Ning is attempting to usurp the throne. Chaos ensues, and Chu arrives, seemingly back from the dead, saving the day.
Chu insists that An’an remove her wedding dress, calling it an eyesore. He declares that she can only wear a wedding dress for him and takes her to the memorial tablets, where he gives her the ring. She accepts it as her wedding ring, and they marry then and there.
The next day, they visit the young emperor. He announces that he will abdicate after he eradicates Ning’s forces.
