Where the Mask Ends episode 16 recap: Poisoned wine and the real mastermind

In short

Jun Dai tries to poison A Chou and dies herself. Lu Zhuo brings a bandit witness, Wei Heng'e confesses to the swap, and Guo Yufeng is exposed as the one behind it all.

What happens in episode 16

Lady Shou'an stops the execution and keeps everyone at the villa until the murders of the nanny and guard are explained. She tells Consort Li that Jun Dai is nothing like her parents, while A Chou is clever and kind like her late father, Wei Jin. Consort Li can't bring herself to meet A Chou alone. Lu Zhuo hears A Chou is trapped and rides back with a captured bandit.

Encouraged by Guo Yufeng, Jun Dai brings Bi Tao and wine to A Chou, offering to save her if she leaves the capital forever. Bi Tao pours from a two-chambered pot, one side poisoned, with shaking hands. A Chou takes her hand, tells her she was never the one deciding anyone's fate, and they drink. Jun Dai laughs that A Chou has drunk the poison. She is wrong: Bi Tao gave the poison to Jun Dai.

Wei Heng'e finds her daughter dead and grabs a sword to kill A Chou. Lu Zhuo stops her and throws down the bandit chief's head. The surviving bandit says Lü Lun paid in gold for the nanny and guard to be killed, and Lü Lun names Wei Heng'e.

Wei Heng'e admits it all: out of jealousy, she had the baby abandoned and raised her own illegitimate daughter as Wei Rao. She denies ordering the locket swap, and A Chou realizes who did: Guo Yufeng, who knew Bi Tao would never poison A Chou, wanted Jun Dai dead and Consort Li to kill her own daughter. It was revenge on Zhou Fu, because Wei Jin broke off his engagement to Guo Yufeng to marry her.

Zhou Fu finally turns to her real daughter, but A Chou is done with the mother who didn't know her and threatened her family. She runs into the rain. Lu Zhuo goes after her and, despite her cruel words, brings her back.

Why it matters

The swap is solved halfway through the series, and Jun Dai's fate is the one her character profile hinted at.

Based on the episode synopsis, summarized in our own words: TVmao (电视猫) episode synopses, cited by Baidu Baike Baidu Baike: official synopsis, episode synopses, cast and 追剧日历