Fall in Love with a Fox Episode 22 Recap
> Fall in Love with a Fox Recap
Qu Zheng instructed Baiwan on martial arts, teaching her a third move to defeat enemies which required complete trust. Baiwan affirmed her trust in him, calling him Zheng, and they prepared to practice further. Elsewhere, a commotion erupted as two individuals attacked Song Jianshan, who was disguised as a doctor from the Battle. They claimed he was an unskilled doctor and beat him before guards arrived. Song Jianshan fled, with the guards in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Jin Muqiu visited Yu Linfeng, bringing medicine for him. She confessed her mistake in making the Martial Arts Bet out of anger because he prevented her from pursuing her dreams for their families' sake. She clarified she didn't truly want to leave him and suggested they find a way to resolve the bet together if he felt the same. To her shock, Yu Linfeng's parents were also present.
Mrs. Yu immediately berated Jin Muqiu, accusing her of being shameless for breaking her promise of never meeting Yu Linfeng again after the bet was made. She blamed Jin Muqiu for causing the Yu family to be mocked. Jin Muqiu insisted she only wanted to see Yu Linfeng, but Mrs. Yu warned that her actions could harm him and threatened to sever ties with Jin's Escort Agency if she dared to approach Yu Linfeng again.
Shamefaced, Jin Muqiu apologized and left. Yu Linfeng tried to follow her but was stopped by his mother, who called Jin Muqiu a source of trouble and expressed regret over their marriage. Yu Linfeng defended Jin Muqiu, highlighting her cautious and meticulous nature and how much she had endured since marrying into their family. His father was also present as he spoke up, which his mother saw as defiance. Yu Linfeng accepted responsibility, acknowledging he hadn't considered her feelings.
His mother reminded him the bet made them strangers forever and that his actions risked not only the entire martial world but also Jin's Escort Agency. Understanding the gravity, Yu Linfeng stated he would handle the bet he made himself. Outside, Jin Muqiu tearfully wondered if she and Yu Linfeng would never be able to see each other again.
While Jin Muqiu was still distraught, a book merchant arrived, seeking to capitalize on her recent fame from defeating Yu Linfeng in the Battle. He proposed organizing a fan gathering to publicize her pen name, Qiu Qiuer, promising great profit. Jin Muqiu refused, unwilling to reveal her identity or cause further harm to the Taoyuan Valley.
The merchant, however, threatened to break their contract and continue writing her popular "Barefaced Yu Lingfeng" series under the Qiu Qiuer name himself, fabricating any story he pleased, if she didn't comply or produce a new manuscript. Left with no choice, Jin Muqiu reluctantly agreed to the fan gathering. The fan gathering for Qiu Qiuer was announced, drawing a crowd eager to meet the popular writer whose identity had always been a mystery.
Many speculated if the scandalous details in her novel, "Barefaced Yu Lingfeng," were based on her real-life experience with Yu Linfeng. When Jin Muqiu took the stage, she publicly clarified that the character Yu Lingfeng in her novel was entirely fictional and different from the real Mr Yu from Taoyuan Valley, stating the novel was made up solely to draw attention. She described the true Mr Yu as a righteous, aboveboard, decent, and mannered real gentleman.
When asked why she divorced such a good man, she stated she only ever loved the man who made her a kite, hinting at Yu Linfeng, a detail found in her novel. She spoke about valuing freedom above all else, even over being with the person she loved. Yu Linfeng watched from the audience. During the signing session, Yu Linfeng gave a young girl his copy of the novel and asked her to get Jin Muqiu's signature for him.
Upon receiving the book, Jin Muqiu recognized Yu Linfeng's handwriting inside. She asked the girl who gave it to her, and the girl pointed towards Yu Linfeng. Jin Muqiu called out "Brother Shu" but he had already left, vowing to find a way for them to be together again by resolving the Martial Arts Bet. Elsewhere, Qingyun confronted Baiwan, questioning if Qu Zheng's teachings could truly help her defeat Feilian in the Battle.
He insisted that he, as her former love, should be the one to help her obtain the Lingyao Herb and that Qu Zheng was deceiving her. Baiwan maintained her trust in Qu Zheng, not Qingyun. As Qingyun grabbed her arm, Qu Zheng arrived and asserted Baiwan was his wife, demanding Qingyun release her. Qingyun disputed this, believing she was Chu, his palace's eldest disciple, and that she would remember her true identity upon regaining her memory.
Qu Zheng dismissed this, stating she didn't need Qingyun's reminders. When Qu Zheng attempted to leave with Baiwan, Qingyun stopped them. Qu Zheng warned Qingyun about the Battle's rule against private fighting but stated he was willing to fight if Qingyun insisted. Baiwan urged Qu Zheng to leave. Later, Qingyun directly confronted Qu Zheng, asking when he would stop deceiving Chu. Qu Zheng again referred to her as his wife, Baiwan.
Qingyun predicted that once she regained her memory, she would hate Qu Zheng, realizing that Qingyun was the one who truly wanted to kill him. Qingyun admitted his desire to kill Qu Zheng, but only in the arena during their planned match, a challenge Qu Zheng accepted, agreeing only one of them would survive. In the arena, the 54th round of the Battle was announced: Feilian of Nonuple Palace versus Jin Baiwan from Jin's Escort Agency.
Just as the match was to begin, Feilian requested its termination, refusing to fight Baiwan, whom she called a shameless person. Feilian accused Baiwan of having ambushed and injured her the previous night to gain an advantage. Baiwan vehemently denied the accusation as slander. When questioned by the judge if they had engaged in private fighting before the match, Feilian's side confirmed and presented a witness.
Citing the Battle's strict prohibition of private fights, the judge announced the disqualification of both Jin Baiwan and Feilian from the competition. Baiwan reacted with confusion and disbelief. Baiwan questioned Qu Zheng about the disqualification, accusing him of letting her fight Feilian and potentially getting her killed. Qu Zheng responded by questioning Qingyun's past actions, asking why he betrayed his master to help Baiwan pass an earlier round. Qingyun claimed he had his own ways to protect her.
Qu Zheng countered that even if she had defeated Feilian, more dangerous opponents awaited, which Qingyun couldn't guarantee protection against. Qingyun conceded that the current situation was partly their doing but suggested it could still be salvaged. Qu Zheng revealed he had planned to find Qingyun anyway to ensure Baiwan's safety, even if it meant breaking rules, but felt Qingyun was better suited to carry out his plan. Qingyun questioned his motives.
Baiwan then confronted Qu Zheng, asking if he had known about the disqualification plan beforehand. Qu Zheng confirmed he knew, stating he believed it was for her own good as the competition was too dangerous. He admitted the few moves he taught her wouldn't be enough to sustain her through the later rounds but couldn't watch her enter such peril. He promised to obtain the Lingyao Herb for her himself.
When Baiwan expressed doubt about his reliability, he reminded her of his status as the previous Battle champion and asked why she didn't trust her husband. He assured her they would return safely to their home. Separately, Song Jianshan was seen loudly hawking "Unique Strength Pills," claiming one could provide ten years of power. When someone took a pill and seemed to collapse, accusations of selling deadly pills arose.
Su Zhuozhuo appeared, revealing Song Jianshan was merely faking it to disrupt her business. Song Jianshan admitted it was a joke and he was trying to warn her against earning "dirty money," especially when Jin Muqiu was sad. He claimed he needed money to buy sweet desserts to cheer her up. Su Zhuozhuo then demanded he buy her sweet desserts as well, leading to a public, playful spat where they exchanged jabs and chased each other.
The final match of the Battle was announced for the next day at noon, between Qu Zheng, Lord of Tingqin Garden, and Qingyun, Young Host of Nonuple Palace. A maid informed Jin Muqiu that Zheng had reached the final, commenting on how interesting the match between the two would be. Jin Muqiu denied thinking about Yu Linfeng, saying she was happy for Qu Zheng because he was powerful.
Meanwhile, a figure of authority, Your Majesty, received new Vitality Pills from Doctor Demon. He noted the doctor's skill but expressed concern that relying solely on him wasn't a long-term solution, stating that only finding the remaining pages of the Puyuan Canon could prevent him from being possessed by the Devil. He suspected Qu Zheng might possess the missing pages and hoped the final match would reveal the truth.
He believed the Lingyao Herb offer was a ploy with a hidden motive, unsure if the target was himself or Baiwan. Separately, Qingyun discussed the situation with Zi Jing, wondering why Qu Zheng, who seemed to want Baiwan to stay away, allowed them to reach the final so easily. He suspected Qu Zheng had a plan and requested Zi Jing's assistance for the following day, hinting that he might have figured out Qu Zheng's intentions.
Baiwan spoke to Qingyun and Zi Jing, expressing her wish that Qingyun and Qu Zheng did not have to face each other in the final. Qingyun stated only he could win to get her the Lingyao Herb. Baiwan tried to persuade him that he misunderstood Qu Zheng, who came to the Battle specifically to help her get the herb and regain her memory, stating she trusted him.
Qingyun questioned her trust given Qu Zheng's past actions, but Baiwan insisted she understood them and would trust him even if she regained her memory. Qingyun darkly warned that only one of them would survive the final match and it would not be Qu Zheng. Baiwan reiterated she only wanted Qu Zheng to obtain the herb.
Later, worried after hearing Qingyun's threat, Baiwan pleaded with Qu Zheng to leave the Battle immediately, abandoning the Lingyao Herb and her memory recovery to ensure his safety. Qu Zheng questioned her lack of confidence in him. Baiwan insisted she couldn't let him be in danger, especially since Qingyun seemed determined to be merciless. Qu Zheng acknowledged that escaping was possible but warned that giving up the Lingyao Herb would be a lifelong regret for her.
Baiwan stated his safety was more important. Touched, Qu Zheng vowed he would not let her have that regret, especially having come so far. He urged her to trust him, assuring her he would safely obtain the Lingyao Herb for her. Qingyun practiced a powerful martial art, and Zi Jing advised him to use it sparingly unless necessary due to its intensity. Qingyun recognized it as the Puyuan Canon, confirming his suspicion.
He asked if it was related to Qu Zheng, which Zi Jing initially denied but then suggested it was better Qingyun knew less about. Realizing the immense power of even the three moves his father taught him from the Canon, Qingyun mused that with the full text, Qu Zheng would be no match for him.
At the start of the final match between Qingyun, Young Host of Nonuple Palace, and Qu Zheng, Lord of Tingqin Garden, they were asked to state their Martial Arts Bets. Qingyun declared that if he won, Qu Zheng must immediately release his palace's eldest disciple, Chu, and cease bothering her. Qu Zheng reiterated that his wife, Jin Baiwan, was not a Nonuple Palace disciple.
Since Qingyun insisted on pursuing the matter, Qu Zheng countered with his bet: if he won, Qingyun and the entire Nonuple Palace must never approach or harm Jin Baiwan again, for any reason.
