Yan Zhi finds Li Jing hanging out in his giant hot tub with some of his concubines. He knows that she’s gone looking for their eldest brother again, though she lies and says that she’s had no luck this time, either. Li Jing thinks it’s time for her to give up on her search. Yan Zhi brings up their younger days when the three siblings all got along. She thinks that it would still be like those old times if not for the war with the Celestial Clan, but Li Jing knows otherwise. He tells her that she is his only sister, but he never wants to hear her mention Li Yuan again.
Yan Zhi changes the subject, showing Li Jing the Yuqing Fan. He immediately recognizes it as Si Yin’s weapon and asks her where she found it. When she mentions that a mortal woman from near Mount Junji gave it to her, he recalls Si Yin mentioning the place a long time ago.
Li Jing rushes off to look for Si Yin and runs into Xuan Nu bullying some of the concubines again. He treats her coldly as usual. Xuan Nu is still hung up on Si Yin as well: it’s been 70,000 years – what does Si Yin have that she doesn’t? Li Jing leaves. Yan Zhi comforts Xuan Nu.
Li Jing searches for Si Yin in the mortal realm and eventually ends up in the bamboo forests of Mount Junji. Ye Hua hides Su Su’s bamboo house from Li Jing, then approaches him later in the forest. Li Jing at first mistakes him for Mo Yuan.
Ye Hua informs Li Jing that this place is a restricted area. He guesses that Li Jing is looking for Si Yin and tells him that no one lives on this mountain – there’s no need for him to search here anymore. He asks for Li Jing to return the Yuqing Fan. Li Jing does so reluctantly.
Su Su continues to struggle to cook rice. Ye Hua continues to carry her to bed every night after she falls asleep at the kitchen table.
One night, Su Su wakes up in bed and finds herself hugging Ye Hua. He claims that she climbed into bed of her own accord. She tries to pull away, but Ye Hua tells her to not move and pretends to fall asleep.
Si Ming finds Feng Jiu clipping peach blossoms for flower arrangements. She laments that she has yet to see a glimpse of Dong Hua since arriving at his palace. She thinks that Dong Hua is too busy, but Si Ming reveals that Dong Hua has actually been in the palace the entire time. He has a reputation for staying out of everyday matters and distancing himself from the mortal realm. Unless it pertains to maintaining world peace, he doesn’t care.
Si Ming means for this to discourage Feng Jiu from her pursuit of repaying her debt to Dong Hua – he probably doesn’t care – but Feng Jiu can’t be dissuaded. Si Ming offers to help out, saying he could take some of these peach blossoms to Dong Hua and compliment her in front of him, setting up an opportunity for an audience with him. Feng Jiu is afraid that Dong Hua will punish her for appearing in his palace, but Si Ming reassures her that he won’t.
Later, Lian Song compliments the peach blossoms in Dong Hua’s chambers, though Dong Hua himself doesn’t seem to care. Lian Song perks up when Si Ming mentions that the flowers were arranged by one of Dong Hua’s new maids. Si Ming uses that as an opportunity to invite Feng Jiu in.
Dong Hua doesn’t acknowledge Feng Jiu, while Lian Song asks her to stand up so he can take a look. Feng Jiu asks what he wants to look at. Cheng Yu strides in, wearing women’s clothing this time, and says that as the palace’s resident playboy, he obviously wants to take a look at her face.
Lian Song responds that he wants to see if she really is as plain as Si Ming said, and if that’s why he’s infatuated with her. Si Ming tries to deny it, but ultimately has to go along with whatever the Third Prince says.
Dong Hua asks if they’re here to put on a performance for him, but Cheng Yu and Si Ming feign ignorance and Lian Song actually has no clue. Dong Hua stands up and walks away without a word.
Cheng Yu chides Feng Jiu for continuing to act like a servant instead of like the Qingqiu princess she is. Si Ming is also disappointed that Feng Jiu didn’t take advantage of the situation. Lian Song continues to be confused, but once Feng Jiu identifies herself, he guesses that she’s here to “repay a life debt” to Dong Hua as an excuse to get close to him, like thousands of women before her.
Feng Jiu insists that Dong Hua actually saved her life, but given his reputation for not caring about trivial matters, Lian Song finds it unlikely. He has one question for her: is she interested in Dong Hua?
Su Su gives Ye Hua the last of her rice and sits down to have a serious talk with him: she can’t afford to feed him. Maybe it’s time for him to leave? She doesn’t mean to send him away, but she also can’t afford to have him stay. Ye Hua responds that he should stay and protect her to repay the debt he owes her for saving his life. She doesn’t want or need him to do that, but he insists.
Su Su suggests that he could stay here and be with her, if he really wants to repay the favor. She doesn’t have want for anything other than companionship. She’s lonely here. She knows it’s a lot to ask and is surprised when he agrees to marry her.
Su Su is surprised he said yes so quickly – she thought he would think about it for at least a few months. She hasn’t made any preparations for a marriage ceremony. Ye Hua responds that they don’t need to go through all the formalities. The first thing they should do is go buy some things; other than her red wedding quilt, there’s nothing in this house. She insists it’s not a wedding quilt.
Su Jin prepares for her wedding to the Celestial Monarch. Her servant asks again if she’s certain she wants to do this even though Ye Hua is the one she loves. She reminds Su Jin that as the youngest concubine, she’ll have the least amount of power.
Ye Hua and Su Su stroll through the market holding hands. The Daoist street hawker brushes by them, not recognizing Su Su, looking disheveled and yelling wildly. The townspeople gossip about how he’s gone crazy.
Su Su asks Ye Hua how he’ll tell his family about their rather quick marriage. Ye Hua says that they can talk about future matters at a future time.
Li Jing catches a glimpse of Su Su in the market and thinks that he’s found Si Yin.
Su Su and Ye Hua get decked out in their wedding reds. Su Su puts her veil over her head and voices all her doubts: what if they realize later that they’re incompatible? What if his parents don’t like her? Is he already engaged to someone else?
Ye Hua tells her that his family matters are complicated and a tale for another day, but all she has to know is that he wants to marry her and once he marries her, he won’t let her down.
Su Su doesn’t know what to say for her wedding vows. Ye Hua tells her that she can just follow what he says, and they swear to be together for life.
At night, Su Su reminds Ye Hua of his vow to her. If he goes back on his word, she’ll abandon him and never see him again. He jokes that she would actually be fulfilling his wish. Then he tells her to close her eyes and kisses her.
Commentary
Cute! Ye Hua and Su Su are cute. As with any drama there are a few moments where I’m like, “Is this gaslighting or is this romantic?” But there are also other moments where I can feel the chemistry and romantic tension between them and that’s what I’m watching for.
But what I live for the most is love triangle drama! I see Ye Hua out there telling that little white lie to protect Su Su from Li Jing, even though he doesn’t know their history. (Does he suspect?) And we need more of that! Li Jing seems hot on Si Yin/Bai Qian/Su Su’s trail though. Will he be the first person to discover the truth? And how will he react when he does?
The Drama Llama 