Against The Current Episode 7 Recap
**SPOILER ALERT**
Table of Contents
TL;DR (Quick Overview)
Lanxiang narrowly averts disaster when Lin Jinqi’s surveillance nearly catches Zhao Xingtang’s affair red-handed, only to find herself blackmailed into becoming his informant. Meanwhile, a grandfather quietly realizes this marriage of political convenience is already beyond saving.
A Dangerous Visit
Young Madam Zhao asks for Young Lady Qian to bring the account books over for review, arriving with Su plum blossom pastries she’d been eating during the earlier opera performance. As she climbs the stairs, Lanxiang catches sight of a pair of unusually large feet ahead and panics, immediately recognizing they belong to a man rather than a servant.
Thinking fast, she feigns discomfort from her monthly period, and Madam Feng hands her coins to buy fermented rice with brown sugar and egg to settle her stomach, a convenient excuse to leave the scene entirely.
A Near Discovery
At almost the exact same moment, Young Master Lin arrives, his attendants having been quietly staking out Jinqiu House. Lanxiang spots him immediately and understands the stakes instantly, if he discovers what’s happening upstairs, she dies for knowing it, and if Xingtang’s caught in the act, she dies too.
Thinking on her feet, Lanxiang stages an accidental collision with a customer leaving Jinqiu House, deliberately spilling food across her own new fabric. The resulting commotion gives her a convincing alibi, proof she was never anywhere near Young Madam Zhao during the visit.
A Lover Scared Off
The chaos rattles Xingtang’s lover enough that he flees the scene entirely, and Jinqi watches him go.
A Wedding Night, Remembered
Realizing his wife has taken a lover, Jinqi is saddened, and his mind drifts back to their wedding night, when she’d rejected him outright, claiming irregular periods that would leave her unclean for several nights. He’d slept in the side room that night, the very first sign of the marriage’s failure.
A Grandfather’s Realization
Jinqi picks a few plum blossoms and visits his grandfather, Lin Zhaoxiang, in his study, raising a matter of court politics, the Emperor wishes to commission a new literary compendium, and the position of chief compiler is still undecided, likely coming down to either Old Master Zhao or Grand Secretary Xie.
His own father hopes to rally Jinling’s scholars behind Old Master Zhao’s bid, though he lacks the standing to pull it off alone. His grandfather asks plainly whether the Lin family should lend its support. Jinqi answers instantly, yes.
In that moment, Grandfather Lin understands the full truth, his grandson’s marriage is beyond saving. Since Old Master Zhao remains close to the Emperor, the family has no real choice but to support him regardless, if only to eventually dissolve the marriage without provoking the Zhao family’s wrath in the process.
A Punishment, and a Quiet Forgiveness
Back at the household, Lanxiang is punished by being made to kneel in the snow. Xiaolian begs for mercy on her behalf, and Madam Feng reasons with Xingtang on the matter. Asked what she actually did wrong, Lanxiang admits plainly, she left without proper permission from Madam Feng or Zijin, and ruined a customer’s fabric in the process. Feeling “magnanimous”, Xingtang lets her off, on the condition she repay the customer for the damage.
A Lesson Learned
Xiaolian and Gantang look after her afterward, and Lanxiang reflects that she finally understands what her mother always used to say, a close neighbour is worth more than a distant relative.
A Painful Visit Home
Given a day off, Lanxiang visits her mother and lies about how well she’s actually being treated since her promotion, admitting only that she needs money to repay the customer. Seeing her mother’s worn, work-roughened hands breaks her heart quietly. As she prepares to leave, she finds Jiugao waiting for her.
A Forced Arrangement
Jiugao brings Lanxing to see Young Master Lin, who’s admiring a Li Yingqiu cold mountain painting, explaining his grandfather’s long obsession with the original and his own repeated attempts to recreate it, this version being his best effort yet. Lanxiang admits she’d believed it was the real thing.
Jinqi reveals he knows something else too, that she’s the one who secretly taught Shopkeeper Xu to read, and asks plainly if she understands the consequences should Zhao Xingtang ever learn of it. To keep that secret buried, and to protect her family, she has no real choice but to agree to become his informant.
Walking back outside afterward, Lanxiang notices two branches snapped off the plum blossom tree nearby as she has a quiet moment admiring the tree.
A Trap Set
Ahead of Zhao Xingtang’s mother’s birthday banquet, Jinqi deliberately declines to attend, claiming he’s too busy. It’s a calculated move, since her absence at the event means she’ll need to bring both Xiaolian and Lanxiang along in her place, exactly the arrangement he wants.
When Nanke delivers the news, Xingtang hurls a cup of hot tea directly in his face. Undeterred, he delivers the message anyway before leaving. Left alone, she erupts into a full tantrum, throwing and breaking everything in reach, dismissing everyone from the room.
Against the Current Episode 7 Recap: My Thoughts
This episode introduces a few big discoveries. Young Master Lin and Lanxiang both now know Zhao Xingtang’s taken a lover, a revelation that spells serious trouble for absolutely everyone involved. We’re also introduced to a second political thread, the appointment of a chief compiler, and watching Old Master Lin quietly realize this marriage alliance is already a lost cause was such a sharp, understated moment.
Other threads worth flagging, Madam Feng now knows Lanxiang covered for her, Xiaolian knows she was shielded from potential punishment too, and these three girls are clearly growing close, looking out for each other like real family. And most importantly, our two leads finally meet face to face! Unfortunately, there wasn’t a spark to be found, purely transactional, business dressed up as a conversation.
This episode also leaned harder on the OST than most others so far, loud, defining, beautiful cues woven throughout.
Tan Songyun continues to divide the fandom, and plenty of people find it hard to connect with her as a leading actress. For me, she isn’t classically beautiful in the way we’d typically define a modern leading lady, even given her modelling background, but should that really be the deciding factor for who carries a drama? She’s a wonderful actress regardless, and so far, I think she’s doing a stellar job.
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear your thoughts about Against the Current recap and review. Let’s chat below!
Against The Current: All Episode Recaps and Full Reviews
Where To Watch: WeTV