Better Halves Episode 13 Recap
> Better Halves Recap
As the Flower Assembly was engulfed in flames, Shi Fa'ke was distraught over not saving Ms. Deng. Lu Chi comforted her, urging her not to blame herself. Shi Fa'ke then grew worried for Zhu Yanyan and Lu Zhuxi. Though her leg was injured and she was unable to walk, she insisted on finding them, prompting Lu Chi to carry her.
As they navigated the chaos, Lu Chi reassured Shi Fa'ke, promising to always protect her and wishing her a life of peace and happiness—sentiments he admitted he had always wanted to share. They soon found Zhu Yanyan and Lu Zhuxi, who were safe. Lu Zhuxi, though injured, confirmed he was fine, while Zhu Yanyan expressed her relief at seeing them.
The next morning, as Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi emerged from the charred remains of the Flower Assembly, a headcount confirmed that, tragically, only Ms. Deng had perished in the fire. Shi Fa'ke explained they had attempted a rescue, but a collapsing beam had made it impossible. The survivors expressed their profound gratitude to Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi for saving them. However, their relief was short-lived when General Li arrived with soldiers to arrest Shi Fa'ke.
He accused her of orchestrating the disaster and, as the event's organizer, disregarding human lives. Asserting her innocence, Shi Fa'ke declared her willingness to undergo investigation but warned him not to harm anyone else. Lu Chi intervened, challenging General Li's authority by reminding him that such cases belonged to the magistrate's office, not the military. When General Li retorted that Lu Chi's Xibao Pavilion, which funded the event, also shared responsibility, Zhu Yanyan stepped forward.
Identifying herself as the Prime Minister's granddaughter, she testified that she had personally witnessed Ms. Deng starting the fire and presented Ms. Deng's waist token as proof. General Li dismissed her testimony, accusing them of framing a dead person. Just as he ordered their arrest, Prime Minister Zhu arrived. He calmly questioned General Li's legal basis for the arrest, reiterating that the magistrate's office should handle the case.
Faced with the Prime Minister's authority, General Li relented and withdrew his troops. As everyone dispersed, Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi walked together. Despite the recent ordeal, Shi Fa'ke vowed to host an even grander Flower Assembly next year. Lu Chi walked slowly beside her, relishing their time, and his earlier words of protection had deepened her feelings. She noticed his injury and asked if it hurt, to which he replied it was "worth it for her."
As they reached her home, Lu Chi reiterated his wish to stay by her side and protect her. However, Shi Fa'ke's older brother, Shi Xianxian, coolly thanked Lu Chi before quickly ushering his sister inside, clearly wary of him. Meanwhile, Lu Zhuxi, concerned for Zhu Yanyan, appeared on her roof after secretly following her home. Relieved to see him, Zhu Yanyan tended to his burn and gave him a special family medicine.
Later, Shi Fa'ke confided in her mother, Chief Matchmaker Tao, that she now understood the "No. 1 Matchmaker" title was not just an honor, but a profound responsibility. Her mother, proud of her daughter's maturity, asked if she was willing to continue on this dangerous path. Shi Fa'ke bravely declared she would forge her own way with her family's support, subtly adding that Lu Chi would also be there to protect her.
Elsewhere, Lu Chi discussed the fire with Lu Zhuxi, concluding that Marquis Wu'an was behind it. Concerned that the Marquis, having failed with Ms. Deng, would find new ways to harm Shi Fa'ke, Lu Chi instructed his deputy, Lu Yi, to ensure her safety. That night, Shi Fa'ke, missing Lu Chi, heard a sound and opened her window to find him there. He presented her with medicines for smoke inhalation and calming her nerves.
As he began to confess his feelings, Shi Fa'ke interrupted, asking about the fire. Lu Chi revealed he had seen a black-clothed man at the scene, likely sent by the mastermind, Marquis Wu'an, to silence Ms. Deng. He explained that the Marquis sought to control the Official Matchmaking Agency to expand his influence through arranged marriages.
After failing to sway Chief Matchmaker Tao, he supported Ms. Deng, and when Shi Fa'ke thwarted his plans, he tried to have her killed or ruin her reputation. Shi Fa'ke defiantly declared she would never let the agency become a pawn, impressing Lu Chi. Their conversation was cut short by her cousin, Qin'er, bringing soup, forcing Lu Chi to hide before slipping away. In the following days, Shi Fa'ke's reputation soared, and she was inundated with matchmaking requests.
She proposed a new system at the agency: all matchmakers would share the cases and the fees, a policy met with enthusiasm. She told Lu Chi that her true happiness came not from chasing the Chief Matchmaker title, but from seeing the agency loved and relied upon by the people. Her resolve was tested when Zhu Yizhi asked her to officiate his wedding to He Ketian.
Shi Fa'ke saw through his facade, knowing he was only marrying to avoid mandatory labor service. She refused and presented him with a pre-prepared annulment. When he angrily tried to assault her, Lu Chi appeared and subdued him. Under threat, Zhu Yizhi signed the annulment with his own blood.
Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi then took the document to He Ketian, who, reflecting on how Zhu Yizhi abandoned her in the fire, gratefully signed it, freeing herself to find true happiness. Inspired by He Ketian's liberation, Shi Fa'ke realized she too had been "trapped by an empty promise." She led Lu Chi to a famous marriage tree and took out a stone carved with her name and "Little Boy"—a token from a childhood promise.
Declaring that marriage requires mutual love, not just a promise, she symbolically returned her bond with the boy to heaven, choosing to cherish the person truly present in her life. Witnessing Lu Chi's overwhelming joy, Lu Zhuxi advised him that such a moment required a grand gesture. Inspired, Lu Chi ordered a custom jade waist token be made for Shi Fa'ke, granting her unlimited access to all of his businesses, free of charge.
Lu Zhuxi jokingly dubbed him a "wife-doting maniac," a title Lu Chi happily accepted. Later, by a lake, Lu Chi was complaining about Lu Zhuxi's poor romantic advice for a picnic date when Shi Fa'ke arrived and playfully splashed him with water.
