Sparrow 麻雀 Episodes 46-47 Recap

Is it just me, or have the number of flashbacks been increasing in these latest episodes? Episode 47 is relatively slow, with Chen Shen struggling to figure out whether or not to marry Xiaonan.

The interrogation of Secretary Qian continues, and Chen Shen is brought in since Qian says Chen Shen was there to meet Dachun. Chen Shen then brings up a few seemingly logical points, like “Just because you saw me there doesn’t mean I was meeting him – you could say that for any person who was at the square at that time.” He continues that even if he was meeting Dachun, then why would he spare Qian’s life? Wouldn’t he kill him so that Qian wouldn’t be able to tell this story to Zhongliang? Zhongliang pauses the interrogation session there and says it will continue tomorrow, with San Sheng in charge of the questions.

Zhongliang talks to Chen Shen, mentioning how he was given a one day deadline by Ying Zuo to figure out who stole the Guilin plan. Meanwhile, Bicheng and Shanhai arrive safely to their home after their interrogation, and Shanhai tells Bicheng one of the core themes of this drama, “如果为了一个人连命都不要我们还有什么承受不了的”. (If for a person we can forsake our own life, then what else is there that we cannot withstand?) It is this same selfless attitude we have seen essentially all the main protagonists have. Bicheng begins to cry, and says that she owes Shanhai too much.

Xiaonan jokingly (except not really jokingly) tells Chen Shen he ought to train her how to be a spy. In her innocent demeanor, she asks him if he’s a communist or nationalist. Of course he responds by saying that the less she knows, the better. And as he ponders it a bit more, he tells Xiaonan she should leave him, and that in the future she won’t have as much luck as they did today – she will be in real danger. She disregards this statement, and asks “Does this mean you care for me on the same level of Bicheng?” Chen Shen gets frustrated since that’s not the point of his advice, and so he says “I’m saying you’re impeding my work!” And then he leaves Xiaonan sitting there in her room. I love the instrumental OST that plays in the background while Chen Shen talks to Xiaonan (hope it’s released one day!).

Secretary Qian is ultimately taken away to Mei Ji Guan. On the surface, it appears like case is closed. But on the interior, San Sheng and Zeng still suspect that something is off. Zeng investigated the hotel in more detail (where supposedly the meeting between Shu Di Huang and another nationalist was held) but the “owner” and his family have fled. Not to mention, the hotel has closed down. San Sheng tells Zeng to find the owner.

Shanhai admits to Chen Shen that sometimes he hates how every time he is in a crunch, Chen Shen always helps him. But he also says that the other day, when he placed Bicheng and Chen Shen’s hands together to run away, it was a difficult decision for him. It was symbolic for him giving Chen Shen an opportunity to love Bicheng – not to harm her by marrying Xiaonan instead.

San Sheng’s sister tells him to go visit Xiaonan and give her a jade bracelet, and he does so begrudgingly. Xiaonan doesn’t want to accept it but he practically forces it into her hands. When she declines a dinner invitation citing “Chen Shen will not be happy,” this seems to trigger a nerve in him and he tells her that for every day that she isn’t married to Chen Shen, he’ll keep trying to pursue her. Meanwhile, Chen Shen pulls Bicheng into his office and suddenly kisses her. A camera cut later they’re sitting on his bed – whoa, what happened in between? Bicheng tells him to marry Xiaonan since they owe her so much.

Chen Shen informs Bicheng and Shanhai that he’s detected San Sheng / Zeng investigating Tao Dachun lately. Dachun’s plans are to leave Shanghai soon because he has a new mission to kill some Japanese army leader. Bicheng suggests that tomorrow at the train station (where Dachun plans to leave from) they tell Dachun about him being followed. But Shanhai cannot go, since it’s his turn to be on duty at the bureau on Sunday. If he leaves, there will be great suspicion.

 

Xiaonan hides her face with a scarf and goes to find Dachun. Upon seeing him arrive at the station, she pretends to be tripped by him, spilling her basket of yarn. While she and Dachun lean down to pick up the yarn balls, she tells him in a low voice “I don’t know who you are, but I was told to tell you that you are being watched.” Dachun then sees Er Bao and a few other men indeed watching him. Both he and Xiaonan run away. Xiaonan is pursued by one of Zhongliang’s men in an alley, and though she manages to exercise some pretty neat fighting moves, she is also stabbed in the chest. Also, one of the dropped yarn balls is taken back to San Sheng at the bureau as evidence. San Sheng asks if the woman was Bicheng, but his inferiors say that the height and looks didn’t match. San Sheng is stumped.

Chen Shen takes Xiaonan back home, where Bicheng treats her wounds. Xiaonan tells Bicheng that as long as Chen Shen is safe, she’s willing to do anything.

Once they’re alone, Bicheng tells Chen Shen that he needs to marry Xiaonan, it’s her last request to him. She backhugs him. (Interestingly, usually male protagonists initiate the backhugs in dramas.) But after debating between marrying or not marrying Xiaonan, he ultimately decides he cannot. At the orphanage, he tells Bicheng that in this life he has only loved one woman – her.