Episode 9 recap: A Comedy.

Long Ao Tian and his group are preparing to perform a stage play at a nursing home. Meanwhile, the troupe leader is on the phone, asking if their company still needs a theater group. It turns out they have an opportunity to perform the play here. Long Ao Tian has already put on his costume, believing that wearing the attire makes it easier for him to get into character and become a part of the role.

Long Ao Tian thinks that the prince might not actually want to become the emperor. However, the troupe leader feels that there's no need to analyze the characters so much because the elderly residents won't understand it anyway. It's enough for them to just memorize the lines. Liu Bo arrives, and the people there mistakenly think he's delivering takeout, but he's actually there for an acting audition.

The troupe leader asks Liu Bo to play a eunuch, and Liu Bo joins Long Ao Tian and the others in the performance. They are acting out a play about time-traveling to the Tang Dynasty, with Liu Bo playing the time-traveling prince. He wonders if he has really traveled through time, and someone nearby responds, saying that the prince is right. Liu Bo doesn't think it's true and decides to test it himself by asking the eunuch what year it is. Liu Bo answers, "It's the 12th year of Tianbao."

The troupe leader is very dissatisfied because they failed to make the audience laugh. They went to watch the performance and were all disappointed. Long Ao Tian believes that actors shouldn't break character and cause laughter; it's disrespectful to the performance. The troupe leader thinks they shouldn't worry about such things and just let Liu Bo perform as he is. Liu Bo tells the other delivery people that he recently acted in a play, playing a eunuch. The others mock Liu Bo for it.

The troupe leader believes that Long Ao Tian didn't break character because Liu Bo didn't ignite Long Ao Tian's desire for acting. He tells Liu Bo to be more exaggerated and make sure to make Long Ao Tian laugh. After Long Ao Tian breaks character and laughs, he feels very frustrated, questioning how he, as an actor, could lose control and break character so easily.

Long Ao Tian goes back home but can't sleep. He keeps thinking about the incident and becomes increasingly upset. Meanwhile, Liu Bo is delivering takeout and happens to run into Long Ao Tian. Long Ao Tian doesn't have a pleasant expression towards Liu Bo, feeling that Liu Bo doesn't respect the art of performance.

Long Ao Tian asks Liu Bo what he thinks, and Liu Bo expresses that he greatly respects performance. He says that as an actor playing a eunuch, he can't be overly exaggerated on stage. He believes he's more than just a supporting actor and should have his own ideas. Long Ao Tian is surprised by Liu Bo's perspective. He realizes that the troupe leader doesn't take their opinions seriously and thinks they can just perform casually.

Long Ao Tian and Liu Bo start discussing passionately. Both of them are very happy, and they start performing right there, feeling that the play is happening in that moment and the stage is right there.