Gone with the Rain Episode 18 Recap
> Gone with the Rain Recap
Wu Yin prepared to return to Jingzhou and came to bid farewell to Mo Xi. Mo Xi thanked Wu Yin for not revealing her acquaintance with Chen Wende to Marquis Mingde, and was relieved to learn that the body displayed on the city wall was not Sun Xiangnan. Mo Xi remarked on how different Wu Yin was from Wu Lang, prompting Wu Yin to reveal that he was Wu Lang's illegitimate child.
He then advised Mo Xi to stay away from Chen Wende, describing him as a murderous demon. Wu Yin also informed Mo Xi that Bai Pengkun had starved to death in Xiuzhou after leaving Jingzhou. Despite her past resentment towards him, Fengyao was deeply saddened by the news of her brother’s death and asked for some time alone to grieve.
Later, while out for a stroll, Mo Xi was startled to see Wan Jiagui alive at the entrance of the Qingzhou School for Women. Overwhelmed with joy, she tearfully confirmed his presence, expressing how devastated she had been believing he was dead. Wan Jiagui, however, had urgent military matters to attend to and promised to meet her again the following day before departing. Fengyao noticed Mo Xi's sprained ankle and gently tended to it.
Mo Xi secretly decided not to reveal Wan Jiagui's return to Fengyao just yet. Fengyao lamented the extensive damage to the academy, which had been ransacked by assassins and left dormitories burned. She explained that with the iron ore map gone, Marquis Mingde was unlikely to offer further assistance, and Feng Yan’s scandal had severely tarnished the school’s reputation, making repairs and fundraising incredibly difficult for Shen Shumo and herself.
While she had initially considered leaving Qingzhou as Mo Xi suggested, Fengyao felt she couldn't abandon Shen Shumo during such trying times. Despite the meager pay, she saw her teaching position as a proper job and resolved to stay, assuring Mo Xi that the academy, though impoverished, was no longer chaotic. The next day, a carriage arrived to take Mo Xi to meet Wan Jiagui.
Eager to look her best, Mo Xi chose a beautiful dress that Fengyao had secretly made for her as a birthday surprise. Fengyao playfully encouraged Mo Xi to meet her "acquaintance," hinting at a romantic interest, which Mo Xi dismissed before leaving. Upon arriving at Wan Jiagui’s residence, he immediately noticed her swollen ankle. Carrying her inside, he personally treated her sprain, explaining that he had learned the technique from a wandering physician during his recovery.
Mo Xi felt much better after the treatment. Meanwhile, at the Qingzhou School for Women, Shen Shumo and Fengyao discussed the academy's future. They were grateful for a donation from the Zhao family for repairs, acknowledging it would help them through the current hardship. However, Fengyao expressed concern that Qingzhou would become a battleground, as the iron ore map’s disappearance had made the city a target for various covetous factions.
Shen Shumo reassured her, revealing that the imperial court had sent a highly capable and valiant new garrison general to Qingzhou, who was none other than Wan Jiagui. Over a meal, Mo Xi pressed Wan Jiagui to explain his miraculous survival. He recounted leading troops to Yizhou of Mobei when they were ambushed by bandits in Guanzhongzhou. The Dragon Xiang Army suffered heavy casualties, and sensing imminent defeat, he deliberately lured the enemies away alone.
Severely injured, he fell off a cliff and was found by an eccentric wandering physician who healed him and traveled with him for six months until his full recovery. He believed the ambush was orchestrated but could not investigate who was behind it. Wan Jiagui explained that although his military rank had been reinstated, he was assigned to Qingzhou as garrison general to atone for the loss of his army.
He revealed that several governors of Jing State, including Xiao Buyu, Hu Jian of Xiuzhou, and Chen Wende, were colluding and coveted Qingzhou's iron ore, making conflict inevitable. Mo Xi worried for his safety, but he insisted it was his duty.
He then brought up what he had heard about Mo Xi and Fengyao's presence in Qingzhou, prompting Mo Xi to share their story of losing everything and fleeing Jingzhou after Wu Lang forced Fengyao to marry his mentally challenged son. Wan Jiagui then informed Mo Xi that he would be stationed in Qingzhou for one to two years and that his parents had already secured a residence for him.
He invited her to dine with him regularly, to which Mo Xi expressed concern about potential gossip. Reminding her of their past promise, he candidly shared that surviving the war had made him appreciate the fragility of life and strengthened his desire to cherish those he cared for, asking if their promise for a future together still stood. Mo Xi, in turn, revealed that a marriage arrangement had been made after his presumed death.
Shocked, Wan Jiagui found the idea ridiculous, stating he couldn't have written a last letter during the ambush, let alone designated Bai Fengyao as his widow. Mo Xi confessed that she had forged his "last letter" and used Fengyao's jade pendant as a token of engagement. She explained that she orchestrated everything to save Fengyao from being forced to marry Wu Lang's son.
Believing Wan Jiagui was dead at the time, she made Fengyao his "widow" to protect her from Wu Lang's coercion. She emphatically stated that she had never intended to give him to Fengyao and would certainly not do so now that he was alive. Wan Jiagui, realizing the marriage was a complete misunderstanding, urged Mo Xi to clarify the situation with Fengyao, but Mo Xi was at a loss for how to explain such a convoluted deception to her friend.
