Sparrow 麻雀 Episodes 61-62 Recap

Bian Tou BTS ahhhhhhhhhhhh my heart

Sparrow Episodes 61-62 Recap

Boss Li and Zhongliang decide to test Chen Shen and San Sheng in order to determine who is truly Sparrow. They have each suspect go and talk to Xiaonan one-on-one, and then secretly listen in to the conversations. (Is this a theme now?) But of course, Zhongliang doesn’t tell Chen Shen it’s a test. The excuse is that they ought to go talk to Xiaonan and find out more details about who might be her partner, and the one-on-one allows them space to do so.

Even until now Chen Shen finds it hard to believe that Xiaonan is his superior. The narrator says that even though Chen Shen has never fallen in love with her, he finally realized now that he had always thought of Xiaonan as the person he could trust most, and the person closest to him.

Chen Shen meets with Xiaonan in the cell and says “Such beautiful hands should be wearing accessories, not handcuffs.” He then uses morse code, tapping on her hand with his fingers, to tell her that there are listening devices implanted in the room. “Actually, I didn’t think it would be you to handcuff me,” Xiaonan says. Using morse code, Chen Shen continues that he’s hidden a bank key and book in San Sheng’s home. “The magazine contains some secrets of the organization. Find a way to have San Sheng go to the bank box. Make sure the Japanese think San Sheng is Sparrow.” Then out loud:

“Have you ever loved me?”

“On the day that you leave here, we will get married. I promise, if we lose even a minute before doing so, then my name is not Chen Shen.”

“Thank you. I love you, but I love my beliefs even more.”

Zhongliang and Boss Li decide that there’s nothing fishy with what Chen Shen said during the one-on-one, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be anything fishy in the future. Next they have San Sheng go talk to Xiaonan. But before then San Sheng alleges that Chen Shen is Sparrow, that since Xiaonan is convicted they must not believe any of her earlier testimonies (ie during the necklace incident).

“Even now I can’t believe you’re Doctor,” he whispers. Xiaonan then says something so, so sad: “Although I don’t consider you to be a good person, you are the only person who has been good to me.” Damn. San Sheng still harbors some feelings for Xiaonan and tells her that as long as she confesses that Chen Shen is Sparrow, then she can be free, and then can marry San Sheng. Xiaonan asks him if he would be able to give up glory and fame, and he says yes, as long as she says Sparrow is Chen Shen.

Xiaonan’s reply: “Tomorrow I’ll go tell Ying Zuo that you aren’t some communist, let alone Sparrow.”

^^ This is very tricky of Xiaonan, as evidenced by the background music, which suddenly became intense when she said that. It’s because her statement sort of insinuates that San Sheng is Sparrow, but that she is simply covering for him out of love.

Xiaonan has San Sheng lean in to listen to her whisper: “There’s some things I want to give to you that I’ve put in your house. The key to the bank box has been put in your house already. During my time in Shanghai, you and your sister have been the two people most good to me. Whether I live or die, have my present be a remembrance of me.” San Sheng fights back tears.

Boss Li actually had to leave the office early (reasons remain unknown) so he didn’t get to hear San Sheng’s one-on-one with Xiaonan. Zhongliang tells Er Bao to reconfigure the tape in a way that portrays San Sheng as Sparrow. Hm, is he trying to save Chen Shen by transferring all the blame onto San Sheng?

Chen Shen eats dinner at Zhongliang’s place (he realizes he shouldn’t go see Bicheng at this time because Zhongliang will be watching his every move) and when naive Bi Tai Tai mentions Xiaonan and how the two need to get married soon, Chen Shen chokes on a fish bone. Except it’s unclear whether or not his reaction is staged. Zhongliang comments that Chen Shen really does seem to love Xiaonan.

^^ What is Chen Shen planning? To use love as an excuse to save Xiaonan?

San Sheng goes home to find that his sister is missing, and wonders if it’s because he was held at the bureau for interrogation. He ends up going to the bank to open the box that Xiaonan told him to, because he’s curious and is willing to think that for once Xiaonan reciprocated his feelings.

Except joke’s on him and Zhongliang has been watching him all this time, so Er Bao arrests him and brings him back to the bureau as soon as he takes the “present” from the box. Which, by the way, is three gold bars. Ha.

Zhongliang begins interrogation and mentions that the three gold bars are probably for San Sheng to escape far away with. (Following the hypothesis that he is Sparrow.) San Sheng laughs incredulously – “Why would I run away when I’m doing just fine?” Zhongliang then lists how his sister had sold all her accessories on the black market the other day, how she went to find Xiaonan at the movie agency, how she ran away as soon as hearing the news about Xiaonan.

San Sheng says that this is very obviously a trap set up by Xiaonan in order to protect Chen Shen. He is ignored. Because thinking from Zhongliang’s / Boss Li’s perspective, they almost don’t care whether or not he’s Sparrow. Because if he is convicted, this can only be their victory and increase their stability in position at the bureau.

But here arises another problem. Xiaonan is going to face much torture before she finally confesses that San Sheng is Sparrow, because if she simply says it fast, then no one will believe her — it will seem like she set up this whole plot to hide Chen Shen’s identity in the first place. Xiaonan ends up facing really gruesome torture.

Chen Shen makes a phone call to presumably a member of the communist party and says “I’m Doctor Li’s assistant. Doctor wants me to ask you how you are doing currently. If possible she would like to see you sometime.”

Zhongliang and Boss Li bring the supposed evidence in front of San Sheng (the ball of yarn, the magazine that reveals hidden words by bringing it close to the light of fire). San Sheng says this is all a trap. Zhongliang plays the tape of his one-on-one with Xiaonan, which has been edited by Er Bao to make it quite incriminating.