Chapter Seven Episode 7 of The Devil Punisher begins with En-Hsi catching Professor Lu at school and questioning him again about his affection for Hsin-Yu. She tells him Hsin-Yu is a mother and widow but Professor Lu isn’t deterred – he says he likes her heart and he’ll look after both Hsin-Yu and her child. Chung makes bread and watches his phone. Mrs Wu notices and teases him about Hsin-Yu. At the café, En-Hsi admits to Ouyang Kai that she made up the story about Hsin-Yu. She says she’s trying to help Professor Lu in his pursuit and Ouyang Kai must help as well. He’s torn over Chung, but can’t explain what’s great about him without revealing things he ought not, so smartly keeps schtum. Mrs Wu plays match-maker and texts Hsin-Yu, suggesting she visit after work. When she’s ready to leave, Professor Lu insists on giving her a ride. They visit the bakery together and Professor Lu buys bread for all the customers in the store. Chung freezes the room and attempts to draw on Professor Lu’s face with a marker. Cheng Huang arrives just in time. He offers a comparison of the two suiters and Exorcism Lord isn’t winning the pro list. Chung insists Cheng Huang prove his friendship. They got me on this one. Cheng Huang shows support by farting behind Professor Lu. Chung repositions Hsin-Yu behind the bread counter next to him. And they unfreeze the whole room. Ha! Hsin-Yu knows something has changed but she smiles as Chung innocently presents her with bread. Professor Lu and Chung have a stare-down. That evening, Hsin-Yu encounters some arguing ghosts and offers to mediate. Chung, hiding nearby, flashes back to Lady Meng counselling her colleagues in the Underworld. He smiles to himself as Hsin-Yu catches him. She knew he was in the vicinity as the ghosts suddenly ran away. Hsin-Yu notes she can feel when he’s nearby and is at peace. Chung takes her hand and walks her home. Having coffee at Hsin-Yu’s house, she says that En-Hsi is visiting her mother for the evening. Hsin-Yu trips with the coffee cup and Chung zaps into place to catch her. He decides it’s too dangerous to leave her alone. Several cups of coffee and seven bowls of soup later, he can’t leave because he’s too sleepy and its raining. He tucks in on her sofa while she sits nearby researching on her computer. She thinks of all the special moments they’ve had together and he wakes to kiss her. But the phone chimes, interrupting them – Professor Lu invites her out the following day. As Chung puts on his coat to leave, she asks to meet him after work. Mrs Wu is troubled by a letter. Chung visualizes the content listing nursing home fees. At school, En-Hsi is bullied by classmates annoyed by her relationship with Professor Lu. When discovered, they instead accuse En-Hsi of bullying them but Professor Lu doesn’t believe it. He tells En-Hsi that he’ll help her. She thanks him and asks he keep it a secret from Hsin-Yu. She also admits she lied about Hsin-Yu’s background. He gets that it was a test to protect her friend. She recognizes that her heart feels odd in hearing how much he likes Hsin-Yu. Ready for her date with Chung, Hsin-Yu still has two hours to kill. She receives a text from En-Hsi asking to meet so sets out for the café first. Inside, Professor Lu lights a candle and invites her to dine. He has her favourite dish prepared but she suggests he just say what he wants to say. Professor Lu asks her to date but she admits she likes someone else. He’s not surprised and realizes it’s Chung but thought he might have had a chance. They agree to remain friends and to continue working together. As she exits, Chung is waiting outside so Professor Lu ducks away. Chung asks her to promise to let him know if she has any troubles. At school, Professor Lu is asked to check on piano genius, Chen Che-Hsuan, who’s been practicing non-stop for three days. En-Hsi apologizes to Hsin-Yu about tricking her into meeting Professor Lu. They spot him following Che-Hsuan and perceiving that something is odd, Hsin-Yu offers to help. Che-Hsuan passes out and they take him home. Professor Lu puts bowls of black vinegar around Che-Hsuan’s house to block evil energy. When he wakes, Che-Hsuan doesn’t remember the frenetic playing. Hsin-Yu and Professor Lu work together and observing, En-Hsi notices a sensation in her heart. Hsin-Yu starts a text to Chung about Che-Hsuan but deletes it. At the bakery, Chung is watching his phone as he works. En-Hsi and Hsin-Yu wait for Professor Lu to put Che-Hsuan to bed. His ghostly mother shows up at the piano, angry at the interference. She attacks Hsin-Yu who calls for Chung and he immediately appears to protect her. Chung flashes to Mrs Chen’s heart attack which should have been a death without resentment. While they’re distracted, Mrs Chen aims for Chung but hits Hsin-Yu, knocking her out. Chung puts the humans to sleep but Professor Lu dodges. Then Chung turns to blast an attacking Mrs Chen and calls Hsiao-Chi to take her away. He takes Hsin-Yu home, asking Professor Lu to take care of the rest. Professor Lu takes En-Hsi home and she asks whether he’s sad seeing them together. He says he’s happy as long as Hsin-Yu is happy and that it’s not their fate. At Chung’s house, Hsin-Yu is suffering. Chung is about to infuse Hsin-Yu’s heavenly aura into her but Cheng Huang stops him as it will ruin their efforts to defeat Wu Ching-Yuan. But Chung can’t bear to see her pain and does it anyway. She faints and dreams of their time in the Underworld when she loved him unrequitedly. When she wakes, she remembers being Lady Meng and dragged from the Underworld but not everything. He tells her Wu Ching-Yuan is Mrs Wu’s son and that he may appear at the bakery. She asks why he didn’t explain her identity sooner and he says she wouldn’t have believed. He reveals he wanted her to enjoy her life on Earth while she had the chance. Furthermore, he did notice her in the Underworld – and admits he’d always liked her. Hsin-Yu thinks she should report to the Underworld, but Chung comes up with reasons for her to stay. He says Old Chin, the Underworld Queen, won’t mess with his official business. Hsin-Yu questions their relationship, recalling when she’d visited the café. In front of Hsin-Yu’s house, Professor Lu waits to check on her. Chung says he’ll be angry if she lets go of his hand. He again questions Professor Lu’s knowledge who explains that he’s been studying ghosts since childhood. Chung doesn’t seem to buy it completely but Hsin-Yu steps in. She also tells Professor Lu that Chung will protect her from now on. At home, Professor Lu finds Chung who removes his memory of having witnessed the Exorcism Lord. At the bakery, Mrs Wu is gazing at a photo. She tells Chung it’s her son and granddaughter. She makes excuses as to why her granddaughter isn’t around. Ouyang Kai shows up but the day’s work is already done. Chung sends him to his other friends and he pictures En-Hsi. From the café doorway, Chung admires Hsin-Yu pouring coffee. Chung Kuei’s proverb: Behind the disregard for personal safety is the fear of loss. The Episode Review For those of you who have determinedly stuck with this drama, congratulations – it is finally paying off. Episode 7 picks up the momentum and lots of little revelations are dropped in. Where shall we begin? Heavens, that fart scene should not have been funny. But they took me totally by surprise. You laughed too, didn’t you? Naughty gods. Cheng Huang remains top on my list of entertaining bits in The Devil Punisher. There’s definitive confirmation that Mrs Wu is Wu Ching-Yuan’s mother hence the bakery is Chung’s base. There’s also a new ghost in town, the piano genius’ mother, but Chung sends her packing. But not before she knocks out Hsin-Yu, forcing Chung to return Lady Meng’s heavenly aura to save her – and along with it at least some of her memory of the Underworld. By the way, Mrs Chen doesn’t exactly fit my theory of last episode about ghosts on the fringes of Hsin-Yu. Maybe vaguely, as her son is a student at En-Hsi’s school, but it feels like a stretch. So maybe scratch that idea. Anyway, En-Hsi is starting to recognize her crush on Professor Lu – or at least she’s nearly there. Sorry, Ouyang Kai. And Professor Lu, I take back everything. You are a much nicer guy than I had credited you – and En-Hsi has confirmed it by creating an elaborate fake story to try to scare you off. But that didn’t work and you got your heart broken instead. After Hsin-Yu turns Professor Lu down, she and Chung finally make their feelings clear to each other. Cheng Huang has been anticipating this almost as much as we have. But now that she knows who she is, how will that affect her safety on Earth? Well, she knows who to call. And he’ll zip to her faster than a Ghostbuster. Chung also admits he was smitten with Lady Meng in the Underworld. Think there’s something to why he didn’t resolve it long ago? Old Chin indicated that there’s a history there. And Chung seems happy enough that Lady Meng remembers him but not too much of the past. Sounds like there’s more to come.
