Chinese Dramas, Drama Recaps

Recap: Love and Redemption (Ep. 20)

Si Feng and Xuan Ji help rescue Ling Long, but Min Yan gets poisoned in the process and Ling Long remains unconscious and unresponsive.


Recap

Si Feng, Xuan Ji, and Ruo Yu join Min Yan and Min Jue in fighting off the demons. Wu Tong reappears with several demons in tow who carry large horns. They blow on the horns, creating a massive soundwave that incapacitates the heroes. Wu Tong laughs. But then the horns are destroyed and the demons killed by a spinning sword. Hao Chen has shown up, and he easily pushes Wu Tong back.

One of Hao Chen’s attacks strikes Yu Er, who falls back, injured. He frowns to see her, a demon spirit. Yu Er runs off. Si Feng and Xuan Ji follow.

Min Yan finds Wu Tong maneuvering an unconscious Ling Long with magic. He attacks, but Wu Tong flings him around like a ragdoll. Si Feng and Xuan Ji quickly find them and check on Min Yan. Min Jue sneaks up on Wu Tong and manages to stab him once before also getting thrown back.

Si Feng attacks Wu Tong, surprising him enough to free Ling Long. Wu Tong grabs Min Jue as a hostage and teleports away. He starts sealing an opening in a rock wall and pulls Min Jue through as the rock wall closes behind them. Yu Er sees and manages to get through before the wall closes. By the time Xuan Ji and Si Feng catch up, the hole is closing too quickly. Xuan Ji tries to fly through, but Si Feng pulls her back before she can get trapped in the rock.

Si Feng gently lectures Xuan Ji for not thinking of her own safety before trying to fly through. A moment later and she would’ve been cut in half by the rocks. Xuan Ji nods, chastised. Hao Chen rushes up, worried about Xuan Ji and relieved she’s okay. He turns to Si Feng with a frown and some questions. How did Si Feng know about the cave before he did, why didn’t he report to the sect leaders before coming, and why did he try to save that demon spirit?

Si Feng has reasonable answers for everything and lies that he’s never seen Yu Er before, but Hao Chen can tell he’s hiding things. Hao Chen tells Xuan Ji that he doesn’t mind her being friends with good people like Min Yan, but she should keep her distance from two-faced hypocrites like Si Feng. Xuan Ji starts to protest, but then the cave starts collapsing around them and there’s no time to say anything more.

Wu Tong has some henchmen take Min Jue away. Yu Er follows him in and the other demons are immediately suspicious of her, but she claims she’s here as a refugee. Wu Tong has her locked up anyway.

Di Lang reports that they were unable to deliver the arm to the sect leaders before they were attacked. Wu Tong grabs him by the throat and makes him disappear — he still has other cards to play. He pulls out a bottle of shimmering essence, presumably Ling Long’s soul.

Ying Hong checks Ling Long back on Fuyu Island and reports that she isn’t poisoned and should be okay. Everyone is relieved, but Min Yan suddenly faints. He’s been poisoned and it’ll take some time to craft an antidote.

Later, Si Feng finds Xuan Ji dozing off while sitting up. She tilts over and he catches her head before she can fall. She smiles in her sleep and nestles her cheek into his palm, then gently starts stroking his hand.

She’s startled awake when they hear voices outside. Ying Hong tells Chu Lei that they were able to identify the five different poisons in Min Yan’s system, but there’s a problem. One of the plants used in the antidote, a Yin Yang grass, can sometimes be toxic. In its Yang form, it works as an antidote. In its Yin form, it will accelerate the poison in Min Yan’s body and mean certain death. The only way to tell which form the grass has taken is to test the antidote in its entirety, but the antidote is comprised of poisonous grasses, so whoever tests it will suffer, even moreso if the Yin Yang grass in its Yin form.

Xuan Ji comes outside and says that she’ll test the antidote for Min Yan. Chu Lei and Hao Chen both don’t want her to. She insists, but before she can do anything, Si Feng grabs the antidote from the tray and drinks it.

Si Feng turns pale and weakens. Ying Hong checks his energy and determines that the antidote is indeed in its Yang form and is viable for Min Yan. She gives Si Feng a pill to help him recover his energy. Xuan Ji insists on helping Si Feng back to his room to rest.

Si Feng doesn’t look good, but he insists that Xuan Ji should go back to check on Min Yan, claiming it’ll be difficult for him to rest with her here. She reluctantly leaves him. Once she’s gone, he lets himself groan, fists clenched and sweating profusely.

The news on the Min Yan front isn’t good. The poison in Min Yan’s body is too strong and they can’t expel it. Hao Chen suggests they ask to use Fuyu Island’s famous ice pond to try and force the poison out of Min Yan’s body.

The ice cavern with the ice pond is extremely cold. Min Yan must soak in the pool for several days and needs someone to watch over him. Xuan Ji volunteers, since she can’t feel the cold anyway.

Ruo Yu checks on Si Feng and tells him how he heard that Xuan Ji has insisted on watching over Min Yan at the ice pond and hasn’t eaten anything in a day. Si Feng decides to go check on her. Even if she can’t feel the cold, her body can still be affected.

Min Xing keeps Xuan Ji company and shivers despite having taken some breaks outside the cavern. He tries to convince her to take a break, but she tries to convince him instead. Hao Chen frowns and watches from around a corner as Si Feng approaches.

Min Yan sees all of his painful memories with Ling Long and clutches his head in pain. Chu Xing hurries to fetch Ying Hong. Hao Chen watches from around a corner and sends a spell toward Min Yan. Min Yan starts slipping into the water, so Xuan Ji splashes in to lift him up. He mistakes her for Ling Long and clings to her. Xuan Ji is surprised, but then pretends to be Ling Long, telling him to get better. Once he’s better, they can go to her father together and ask to get married. Si Feng walks up right at that last part and looks pained. The mark on his wrist glows. He leaves.

Hao Chen notes his reaction with some satisfaction, but also doesn’t look happy about it. He removes the spell on Min Yan, who relaxes and fades back into unconsciousness.

Si Feng returns to his room where he sheds tears over how Xuan Ji doesn’t love him but probably loves Min Yan. He clutches his chest in pain, spitting blood. This is the taste of heartbreak and the lovers’ curse taking effect.

Yan Ran reappears and tries to sit Si Feng upright. She checks his wrist — one of the feathers has disappeared and now burns on his chest as a red mark. His veins glow red. Yan Ran is also bleeding from the mouth as she frets over how to make Si Feng feel better. He starts steaming. She tries to convince him to go back to Lize Palace and beg the Palace leader for help. Si Feng is his more adored disciple — surely he’ll help. But Si Feng says that once the lovers’ curse has taken hold, there’s no cure.

Yan Ran shakes as she thinks about how Xuan Ji is to blame. “I’m going to kill her,” she mutters, and gets up.

Min Yan is brought back to his rooms. Ying Hong reassures Xuan Ji that he’s doing better and tells her to go to the kitchens for something to eat. Yan Ran follows Xuan Ji and raises her dagger to strike — and disappears as Si Feng takes away her human form. He groans from the effort, drawing Xuan Ji’s attention. She turns and sees him. He turns and quickly starts to walk away.

Xuan Ji is unable to catch Si Feng before he returns to his room. She knocks at the door, checking on him, but he claims he wants to rest. After she’s gone, Yan Ran reappears, wanting to know why Si Feng stopped her. As long as Xuan Ji exists, she can hurt Si Feng and will eventually cause his death. Si Feng tells her that he won’t be the kind of person who kills someone just because she won’t reciprocate his one-sided feelings. If Yan Ran insists on killing Xuan Ji, then she’s not suited to be his spirit beast anymore. He starts to sever the blood oath between them.

Yan Ran begs for Si Feng to stop. She doesn’t want to be separated from him. She’ll do anything; she’ll promise not to hurt Xuan Ji anymore as long as he promises not to hurt himself and as long as it means she can be with him for the rest of their lives. Si Feng tells her to remember the promise she made today, then asks her to let him be by himself. Si Feng spits out more blood and faints.

He wakes up in the same spot the next morning. Xuan Ji drops by, having brewed some medicinal tea for him. He tells her that he’s fine and doesn’t need the medicine, but Xuan Ji still doesn’t leave. She noticed that he’s been in a bad mood lately. What’s wrong? Si Feng points out that she can’t recognize emotion — how would she know? Xuan Ji responds that she might not be able to recognize other people’s emotions, but she knows Si Feng.

He finally goes over to open the door and repeats that he’s fine. He does have something he wants to tell her though: now that Min Yan and Ling Long will both be fine, he plans on returning to Lize Palace. Xuan Ji drops her bowl in shock. How can he go back? He’ll be punished if he goes back. And didn’t he say that they would be together forever? She throws her arms around Si Feng’s neck and hugs him, saying that she doesn’t want him to leave.

Si Feng pushes Xuan Ji away, saying that his mind is made up. There’s no reason for him to stay. Xuan Ji asks if he’s leaving because she keeps avoiding him. She says that she’s thought it through: she will do whatever he wants. She’ll give him the sincerity he wants.

“If you don’t believe me, then…” Xuan Ji grabs Si Feng’s face and kisses him on the mouth.

Si Feng quickly turns away, but Xuan Ji hops in front of him. She’ll do anything to make him happy. So can he not leave like this? She grabs his hand.

Si Feng stares deep into Xuan Ji’s eyes and asks if she’s really okay with anything. He lifts her up and carries her to his bed. Is she okay with this too? He closes his eyes and leans in. She touches a finger to his lips and asks if they’re supposed to kiss at a moment like this. Si Feng leaps back angrily, upset that her mind is elsewhere even at a time like this. Xuan Ji is confused, but they’re interrupted by Yu Ning, who has come in to replace the flowers in Si Feng’s room. All the female disciples at Fuyu are dying to be the ones to do this chore.

Si Feng tells Xuan Ji that it’s time for her to leave. She protests, but he doesn’t budge.

Xuan Ji pouts and goes straight to Ling Long’s room, where she rants about how Si Feng kicked her out while letting Yu Ning stay. She thinks she feels… angry, but she’s not sure why. She begs Ling Long to wake up and help her figure out how to make Si Feng stay.

Ling Long’s eyes suddenly snap open, but she’s still unresponsive. Xuan Ji goes to find Si Feng and tells him that something’s not right with Ling Long.

Hao Chen checks Ling Long and confirms that her soul is gone. If Ling Long’s soul and body are not reunited within three months, then she will likely die.

Xuan Ji turns to leave, determined to find Wu Tong and put an end to this. Her father forbids her from leaving. If she steps one foot off the island, he will disown her. Ying Hong notices that Ling Long’s fists are clenched and have been since she arrived. She opens a hand and a message shoots out: a spirit key for a soul. Chu Lei is furious that Wu Tong is exploiting his father-daughter relationship and has put him in an impossible situation.

Si Feng and Xuan Ji walk along the beach. He knows what she’s thinking, but tells her that this isn’t a problem she has to solve on her own. She has her father, the other Shaoyang disciples, and him, all willing and ready to help find a solution. Xuan Ji smiles: does that mean he’s not leaving? He responds that he can’t just leave while Ling Long is in trouble. Xuan Ji beams. She feels better knowing that he’s here.


Commentary

Okay I get that Si Feng feels wounded to hear what Xuan Ji said to Min Yan, but come on, is he really going to fall for the same misunderstanding twice? I thought we cleared everything up already with Min Yan, Xuan Ji, and Ling Long. I’m so disappointed. I don’t even blame Hao Chen for creating this misunderstanding that shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place!

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