Decreed by Fate Episode 5 Recap
> Decreed by Fate Recap
Hong Zhong aggressively forced his way into Yinshu Pavilion and, despite Liu Zhan's annoyance, demanded that Liu Zhan act as his matchmaker. Hong Zhong stated that if Liu Zhan successfully arranged his marriage to Qu Liuyun, the daughter of the Qu family living three miles south of the city, their previous grievances would be forgotten. He threatened to take over Yinshu Pavilion if Liu Zhan failed.
Meanwhile, Bai Jia, having been kicked out of a casino after losing all his money, spotted Yu Wanyi being taken away, bound and covered. He discreetly followed her captors, overhearing them mention that she was being taken to Chonglou, and that she would not be seeing her father again. Yu Wanyi's cries for help were quickly silenced.
Later, at the welcome banquet for the new chairman of the Pingyang Matchmaker Society, Liu Zhan was seen discussing serious matters and subtly criticizing Boqing Hall for their absence. Wenren Jing and Lu Tingxiao arrived just in time, with Wenren Jing chiding Liu Zhan for speaking ill of others.
An officer present spoke about the upcoming annual matchmaker party and the strict rules of the Matchmaker Society, noting that matchmakers with bad morals who conceal information for success would be disqualified. Suddenly, Fang Xianxun arrived, apologizing for his tardiness, and was then introduced as the new chairman of the Pingyang Matchmaker Society.
To everyone's surprise, Fang Xianxun and Lu Tingxiao, a top-class matchmaker from the capital, appeared to be old acquaintances, though Lu Tingxiao remained uncharacteristically silent, seemingly due to a "cold." Fang Xianxun explained that he and Lu Tingxiao were old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. After the banquet, Liu Zhan approached Fang Xianxun to offer him a matchmaking case as a gift, revealing it to be Hong Zhong's request.
Liu Zhan's subordinate privately worried about handing off such a difficult client, but Liu Zhan reasoned that he couldn't handle it himself and no one else would be fooled; only the new, unsuspecting chairman would take on the problematic task, and if he failed, it wouldn't reflect poorly on Liu Zhan. Fang Xianxun, however, immediately passed the case to Wenren Jing. Wenren Jing, eager to gain more cases to become a top-class matchmaker, readily accepted.
Wenren Jing and Fang Xianxun went to Baihua Brothel, a place where Liu Zhan claimed Hong Zhong frequented. Fang Xianxun was captivated by the courtesan of the West Kingdom, Qin Yiyi, but Wenren Jing remained focused on their mission. Soon, they witnessed Hong Zhong, the son of a prominent philanthropist, harassing Qin Yiyi, who was being pressured to perform a striptease despite her protests. The brothel staff refused to intervene due to Hong Zhong's father's influence.
Outraged by Hong Zhong's boorish behavior, Wenren Jing and Fang Xianxun intervened, easily fending off Hong Zhong's men. Afterward, Wenren Jing introduced herself to Qin Yiyi as a matchmaker who helps facilitate both marriages and divorces, particularly advocating for women's freedom and autonomy. Disgusted by Hong Zhong's character, Wenren Jing declared her intention to prevent the marriage, believing it to be a grave mistake.
She found it suspicious that a profligate like Hong Zhong would seek to marry a poor girl, so she and Fang Xianxun visited him. Hong Zhong, still groggy from the previous night, confirmed he needed to marry Qu Liuyun quickly to inherit his father's estate. Upon arriving at the Qu residence, they met a woman claiming to be Qu Liuyun.
She readily agreed to the marriage, explaining that her mother's illness had depleted their savings, and marrying into the wealthy Hong family was her only hope for her mother's treatment and a better life. However, Wenren Jing quickly noticed inconsistencies: the woman had calluses on her hands, typical of someone who practices swordsmanship, and she showed no emotional concern when her mother coughed. Furthermore, the dog leash at the house had been deliberately cut, suggesting no dog lived there.
Realizing the woman was an imposter, Wenren Jing and Fang Xianxun returned to the Qu residence, where they found a group of men in black holding the imposter captive, now revealed to be Lan Que. The men were threatening her, demanding she comply with the plan to marry Hong Zhong. They also had the real Qu Liuyun and her mother captive nearby, using them to coerce Lan Que.
Lan Que tried to negotiate for the captives' safety, only to be taunted about her past and her own mother selling her into Chonglou. Fang Xianxun created a diversion, allowing Wenren Jing to rescue the real Qu Liuyun, assuring her she was there to save her.
