Believe in Love Episode 1 Recap
> Believe in Love Recap
A thousand years ago, on Flower Island where humans and spirits coexisted, Lord Xuan, a dragon who had cultivated for a thousand years, battled with the mortal General Mu Yuan over the tree spirit Xiao Man. Mu Yuan was gravely wounded by Lord Xuan's sword, and Xiao Man, fearing his soul would perish, tearfully begged him to stop fighting.
Lord Xuan, furious, accused Mu Yuan of interfering with his destined union with Xiao Man, claiming they were meant to become immortals together. He vowed to extinguish Mu Yuan's soul, leaving him no chance to reincarnate. Mu Yuan defiantly refused to let Xiao Man fall into Lord Xuan's hands and lunged, pulling Lord Xuan with him off a cliff. Xiao Man, exerting all her strength, rescued Mu Yuan.
As Mu Yuan lay dying, he confessed his love, stating that meeting her was his greatest joy, and he had no regrets, even if his soul perished. Unwilling to see him vanish, Xiao Man made a solemn vow, sacrificing her immortal cultivation and transferring her Seven-leaf Peepul tree spirit to Mu Yuan to save his soul and grant him reincarnation.
As a result, she herself fell into the six paths of reincarnation, bringing their love in that lifetime to an end. A thousand years later, Flower Island flourished, renowned for its cuisine and attracting master chefs and visitors from all over. Xiao Man was reincarnated as Lu Yue'er, a small chef on the island. Born with a fragile heart, Lu Yue'er was emotionally insensitive and often regarded as a "heartless monster" by the islanders.
She remained unfazed, dedicating herself to warming people's hearts through her delicious food. Recently, however, she faced a persistent annoyance: the young island master, Hua Yinan, was relentlessly pursuing her. Du Ruo, Lu Yue'er's cousin, suspected Hua Yinan's intentions were not pure. He confronted Hua Yinan at Floral House, where he sarcastically noted Hua Yinan's enjoyment of spicy food, despite the old adage that liars lose their tongues in hell.
Du Ruo directly questioned Hua Yinan’s motives, reminding him that Lu Yue'er was dying and warning him to leave her alone. Hua Yinan, however, insisted he liked her and suggested that his pursuit might even bring her happiness and extend her life by a few days. During their argument, Lu Yue'er's friend, Xiao Yi, rushed in to inform Lu Yue'er about the confrontation.
Lu Yue'er, still with duck feathers on her face from her cooking, hurried to Floral House, arriving just as Hua Yinan confessed his feelings. She presented Hua Yinan with a duck as an apology for Du Ruo's behavior, then firmly grabbed Du Ruo by the ear to pull him away.
Before leaving, she unequivocally told Hua Yinan that she did not love him, stating she only liked Du Ruo, her father, and Xiao Yi, and advised him to abandon his affections for her. Hua Yinan's attendant later remarked that Lu Yue'er had rejected him 36 times in two months, yet Hua Yinan remained resolute, vowing to marry her.
Later, at the bustling Cloudy Moon Noodle Restaurant, Du Ruo asked Lu Yue'er to clarify the nature of her "liking" for him, wondering if it was different from her liking for Xiao Yi. Lu Yue'er lightheartedly admitted she liked Xiao Yi more because Xiao Yi never disturbed her while she cooked. She then expressed her bewilderment at Hua Yinan's pursuit, given her worsening heart condition and the islanders' perception of her as a dying monster.
Du Ruo quickly silenced her negative talk, sharing hopeful news that his father had heard of a shaman named Nan Ze, who could perform face and heart transplants, and they were actively seeking him. Lu Yue'er was elated, imagining a future where she could care for her father without his constant worry. Du Ruo, meanwhile, confessed his lack of enthusiasm for the upcoming Master Chef Competition, wishing only to remain by Lu Yue'er's side.
When Lu Yue'er returned home, she discovered her stepmother, Madam Gui Yun, attempting to marry her off to an elderly Tailor Chang, who was even older than her father. Lu Yue'er vehemently refused, mentioning her impending death and the burden it would place on him. Tailor Chang, upon learning of her condition and the family's lack of agreement, also backed out.
Madam Gui Yun then tried to haggle the "selling" price down to fifteen gold coins, but Lu Yue'er's father intervened, stating it was Lu Yue'er's decision. As Madam Gui Yun pressed Lu Yue'er, citing their need for money for her father's medicine, Hua Yinan dramatically arrived with a grand procession of betrothal gifts, proclaiming his intention to marry Lu Yue'er. Despite Madam Gui Yun's excitement, Lu Yue'er and her father again rejected Hua Yinan's proposal, frustrating him immensely.
Hua Yinan's insistence on marrying Lu Yue'er stemmed from his late father's will, which mandated that he must marry Lu Yue'er to rightfully inherit the title of Island Lord. Without this title, he could not deploy troops to defend the island from pirate attacks. Despite his initial reluctance to marry a "dying girl," Hua Yinan decided to comply with the will, resolving to marry Lu Yue'er and then prepare for her burial.
To force her hand, Hua Yinan instructed his men to pressure Madam Gui Yun, who had incurred significant gambling debts, and seize the Cloudy Moon Noodle Restaurant and the Lu family's property deeds as collateral. Now homeless, Lu Yue'er and her father moved in with Xiao Yi. Lu Yue'er stubbornly refused to seek Hua Yinan's help, instead setting up a food stall to earn money. Hua Yinan, observing her resolve, decided to watch how long she could endure.
That night, as Lu Yue'er and Xiao Yi were closing their stall, they were accosted by a group of pirates, who initially demanded money but then decided to kidnap the two "pretty girls." Lu Yue'er bravely threatened to die with them if they came closer, but just as the situation escalated, Hua Yinan appeared and swiftly apprehended the pirates. He then carried a weak-kneed Lu Yue'er away, silently acknowledging that the pirates' timely appearance had benefited his plan.
Lu Yue'er angrily accused him of spreading marriage rumors, but he dismissed her protests, telling her not to act tough and suggesting that "clingy girls are much cuter." He carried her to a safe place, finding her adorable when she was quiet. The next morning, Lu Yue'er awoke, unsure if being carried by Hua Yinan was a dream, which Xiao Yi confirmed as real. Xiao Yi then gave her a letter from Du Ruo.
In the letter, Du Ruo, now grounded by his father, informed Lu Yue'er that a man named Luo Zhen had witnessed a certain Gu Xin Zhu handing two title deeds to Hua Yinan, leading Du Ruo to suspect that Madam Gui Yun had been set up and that Hua Yinan was involved. He cautioned Lu Yue'er to be wary of him.
Realizing that Hua Yinan must have orchestrated the gambling debt and the pirate attack, Lu Yue'er decided to find the title deeds in Hua Mansion to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Hua Yinan's sister, Hua Yuman, encouraged Su Tang to spend more time with Hua Yinan to win his affection. Su Tang felt disheartened, believing Hua Yinan always ignored her.
Hua Yuman tried to reassure her, explaining that Hua Yinan ignored all women and was simply insensitive, but she believed he treated Su Tang better than others. She also mentioned the widespread rumor about Hua Yinan marrying Lu Yue'er. Later, Lu Yue'er, disguised as a servant, infiltrated Hua Mansion and entered Hua Yinan's study to search for the deeds. Hua Yinan discovered her there, causing her to jump in fright.
She quickly concocted a story, claiming she had come to thank him for saving her from the pirates the previous night, and promised to repay his kindness before attempting to leave. Hua Yinan, however, blocked her path, pinning her against the wall.
