Her Fantastic Adventures Episode 36 (Ending) Recap
> Her Fantastic Adventures Recap
Inside the cave, Gu Qingqiao and Duan Yu found themselves in the Human Poison Pit, a place where only one person could ever emerge, regardless of how many entered. The air was thick with humidity, making the torch Gu Qingqiao tried to light useless, leaving them in darkness. Gu Qingqiao was already weak, her eyes sensitive to light.
Duan Yu, however, could navigate the darkness by sound, a skill he possessed as a superb marksman, just as he had in the past. He held Gu Qingqiao's hand and guided her, recalling how skilled she was at finding paths even when she couldn't see. They stumbled upon a warning carved into the wall: "A beauty with withered bones. A desolate and abandoned pavilion. Of those who enter the Human Poison Pit, only one person can leave."
Gu Qingqiao was frightened, but Duan Yu urged her not to believe it, insisting it was a lie. Outside the pit, Lu Zizheng was informed that Duan Shaoyi was dead and that Gu Qingqiao and Duan Yu had entered the Human Poison Pit. Knowing it was a trial area where only one could survive, he ordered his men to guard the exit and kill Duan Yu on sight if he came out.
When asked what would happen if Gu Qingqiao emerged, Lu Zizheng dismissed the possibility, certain that Duan Yu, driven by his blood feud, wouldn't die willingly and wouldn't make a sacrifice for Gu Qingqiao, who he believed was already dying. Inside, Gu Qingqiao grew weaker. They considered trying to go back the way they came but realized they were trapped in a maze, having circled back despite leaving markers.
Gu Qingqiao suggested Duan Yu leave her and go on, leaving her a trail to follow. But Duan Yu refused, reminding her of their engagement and vowing never to leave her. Gu Qingqiao became dizzy, and Duan Yu offered to carry her, teasing her about a past time he couldn't. As they pressed on, perhaps nearing the exit, they talked about their past lives, remembering their first meeting in her kitchen over braised pork.
Gu Qingqiao, feeling her strength failing, asked Duan Yu to call her name, "Qiao," repeatedly, finding comfort in his voice. She urged him to live on for her. She seemed to be slipping away, prompting Duan Yu to desperately tell her not to sleep, reminding her of the many things she still needed to tell him and the long life they were meant to share. Days passed outside.
Lu Zizheng was impatient, believing no one could resist the temptation to survive alone in the pit. But after three days, unexpectedly, Gu Qingqiao and Duan Yu emerged together, supporting each other. Lu Zizheng was astonished they were both alive. Duan Yu told him that the path is never just one, and sometimes, when cornered, turning back offers a chance of survival. Gu Qingqiao, regaining her strength, demanded the Nine-turn Melodious Bell back from Lu Zizheng.
Frustrated, Lu Zizheng questioned why she always chose Duan Yu over him across lifetimes. He demanded she hand over the Four Treasures, claiming she had no choice. As his men prepared to attack, Gu Qingqiao deliberately cut her finger and feigned throwing the Black Wood Human-shaped Sword at Lu Zizheng. In reality, the Four Treasures returned to their rightful places, opening a gate of time and space. Lu Zizheng was wounded trying to stop her.
He prevented his subordinate from interfering further. Duan Yu urged Gu Qingqiao to go home quickly. She left her ring with him and stepped through the shimmering gate. Qi Chunjiao woke up in a hospital bed, disoriented. Her mother was there, along with Duan Yu, Ruan Shiqiong, and Lu Zizheng, celebrating her winning a gold medal. Confused, she wondered if her experiences in the divine palace and the Human Poison Pit were just a dream.
Her mother dismissed her questions about the divine palace, focusing on the celebration. While still in the hospital, Qi Chunjiao experienced a vivid illusion. Lu Zizheng appeared, claiming to be the Leader of the Sacred Blood Sect and that she was his destined bride across multiple lives, which was why she possessed the "power" to return to the past. He asserted this fate was sealed since their first encounter at Shangqing Temple.
Duan Yu then appeared in the illusion, telling her not to be deceived, that it was all a trick. Duan Yu and Lu Zizheng began to fight, seemingly falling off a cliff. Qi Chunjiao cried out and, just as she felt herself falling, she fully awoke. Her mother was by her side, comforting her and explaining she was having nightmares due to her recovery from being hit and falling into a coma.
The doctor had said the nightmares would decrease as she got better. Five years later, Qi Chunjiao, Duan Yu, Ruan Shiqiong, and Lu Zizheng were gathered at a restaurant called "The Glory of Meat," which was owned by Qi Chunjiao's mother. Qi Chunjiao admitted to telling them about her dramatic dream journey to Changqing, which had prompted them to become shareholders in her mother's successful business. They teased her about tricking them into investing.
Shaoyi, also present, distributed wedding invitations, announcing his upcoming marriage. This news brought a moment of reflection for everyone. Qi Chunjiao's mother, seeing her daughter with Duan Yu and Lu Zizheng, openly expressed her desire for her daughter to marry one of them, admiring both. Qi Chunjiao tried to get her to stop. Later, Lu Zizheng sought out Qi Chunjiao, expressing his frustration that after growing up together, she didn't see him as a potential partner.
Qi Chunjiao clarified that she saw him like a brother, someone she could be completely herself around, but it wasn't love. Lu Zizheng reminded her of how Duan Yu had rejected her years ago to study abroad and warned that he could abandon her again for his career, as he was currently working in China as an expatriate and would likely return abroad. He urged her to think clearly about her relationship with Duan Yu.
Qi Chunjiao's mother asked about her feelings, especially regarding Lu Zizheng, who had always treated her like a sister. Qi Chunjiao admitted she had always liked Duan Yu, even in her dream and still did. However, she recalled his past words that he wouldn't change his path for anyone and stated she didn't want him to change his original intentions for her now. She suggested she might choose not to marry either of them, much to her mother's dismay.
She explained she cherished her family after her father's passing and her coma experience, and didn't want anyone to leave her, hinting at her reluctance to marry and potentially lose her current closeness with her mother. Meanwhile, Lu Zizheng confronted Duan Yu, criticizing him for hurting Qi Chunjiao when he left for studies abroad and vowing to prevent him from doing so again for his career.
He highlighted his own constant presence in Qi Chunjiao's life since childhood, even revealing that her contact for him on her phone was "The Creditor," a nickname reflecting their deep shared history. Duan Yu acknowledged his family ties abroad had necessitated his departure but confessed he had always liked Qi Chunjiao, even arranging their supposed chance encounters years ago. Lu Zizheng called his reasons cowardly excuses, saying he didn't even know what he wanted, unlike Shaoyi, who was getting married.
Despite her earlier hesitation, Qi Chunjiao met Duan Yu at the old train station where they used to have their arranged "chance encounters." Duan Yu admitted he had waited there for her, not just hoped to run into her. He confessed his long-standing feelings for her and announced his decision to stay in China. Qi Chunjiao initially felt some things, once missed, were best left unsaid.
But Duan Yu countered, saying there was still time to speak of missed things. " As time goes by," he told her, "we will never part." At Shaoyi's wedding, Qi Chunjiao's mother, seeing both Duan Yu and Lu Zizheng looking handsome, remarked that she'd be happy with either as a son-in-law, causing Qi Chunjiao to object. They all joined the newlyweds and other guests for celebratory photos, moving forward together in their lives.
