Love a Lifetime Episode 18 Recap
> Love a Lifetime Recap
Despite a recent quarrel, Lin Jing's deep affection for Lu Yizhou remained. As Lu Yizhou prepared to leave Lingxu Pavilion, he entrusted its care to Lin Jing, asking him to guard it until his return and emphasizing that Lingxu Pavilion would always be his home. An emotional Lin Jing offered a warm embrace, promising to welcome Lu Yizhou back should Rong Su's fiery temper become too much. Lu Yizhou, however, playfully dodged the hug, maintaining a lighthearted demeanor.
Lu Yizhou then escorted Rong Su to meet Lin Ruohan, assuring her that the Lingxu Pavilion head, despite her reputation, was warm and understanding, and would receive Rong Su as a family member rather than a political guest. Lin Ruohan presented Rong Su with a set of exquisite jade chess pieces, explaining they symbolized the balance and mutual understanding needed in a relationship.
Lu Yizhou reaffirmed his commitment to Rong Su, stating he would readily make concessions for her happiness, a sentiment Rong Su appreciated as she accepted the gift. Intending to speak with Rong Su privately, Lin Ruohan then dispatched Lu Yizhou to find Rong Hua, who was in the back mountain collecting spring bamboo shoots to prepare a meal for Rong Su. Meanwhile, while foraging for bamboo shoots, Rong Hua was intercepted by Jingyuan.
He mistook her for her sister, referring to Rong Hua's weak martial arts, prompting Rong Hua to try impersonating Rong Su by claiming she was the head of the Hall of Emptiness. However, Jingyuan quickly saw through her ruse, identifying her as Rong Hua. As a Nalan clansman, he expressed his deep-seated hatred for Dragon Howl City and Rong Jingfeng's daughter, vowing to kill her in revenge and disregarding Rong Hua's warnings about being on Lingxu Pavilion's territory.
As Jingyuan's attacks intensified, Rong Hua, recalling Lin Jing's martial arts instructions, managed to defend herself for a few moments before being swiftly overwhelmed. Just then, Lin Jing arrived, catching Rong Hua mid-air, but they both plummeted down a cliff. Waking up in a dark, cold cave, Lin Jing inquired how long he had been unconscious, to which Rong Hua replied it had been about two hours.
He noted the cave's hidden nature, realizing it was a secret location he had never known about despite living in Lingxu Pavilion for years. Inside the cave, they discovered ancient internal cultivation methods carved on the walls, describing stages like "Lian jing hua qi," "lian qi hua shen," "lian shen huan xu," and "lian xu he dao," which Lin Jing believed could help cure his mother's and Rong Hua's cold disease.
Rong Hua suggested the cave's frigid environment might also be ideal for growing Chihua Pills and questioned why Jingyuan, clearly an outsider, was in Lingxu Pavilion. As they explored, they stumbled upon an icy chamber containing a frigid skeleton. Rong Hua theorized the deceased was born with a cold constitution and that the carvings were related to his unique practice. Lin Jing vowed to investigate and properly bury the remains.
Back at Lingxu Pavilion, Lin Ruohan suffered a sudden relapse of her cold disease, and Rong Su promptly used her primordial energy to stabilize her. While doing so, Rong Su observed that Lin Ruohan's internal force resonated with that of the Ling Sect, sparking her suspicion about Lin Ruohan's connection to Mo Huan. Lu Yizhou then arrived as a disciple reported the disappearance of Lin Jing and Rong Hua.
Lin Ruohan dispatched Lu Yizhou to search for the missing pair, while Rong Su volunteered to guard her until his return, setting a deadline before nightfall. Lin Jing and Rong Hua soon found their way out of the cave by following the sound of the search party's calls, reuniting with Lu Yizhou and other Lingxu Pavilion disciples.
Lin Jing immediately declared his intent to find and expose their attacker, prompting Rong Hua to reveal it was Jingyuan, a man brought by Lin Ruohan. Meanwhile, Cang Qi was attempting to escort a defiant Jingyuan out of Lingxu Pavilion. Jingyuan vehemently refused to apologize for his actions and disavowed Lin Jing's leadership. Suddenly, Lin Jing, filled with a murderous aura, charged at Jingyuan with his sword.
Witnessing the escalating conflict, Rong Hua urgently appealed to Lin Ruohan to save Jingyuan. Lin Ruohan swiftly intervened, reprimanding both men for fighting amongst themselves instead of focusing on their true enemies, the Ling Sect and Mo Huan.
She firmly stated that Rong Hua had no part in the Nalan family's past grievances and, as Lin Jing's future wife and a member of Lingxu Pavilion, she was now under their protection, free from any ties to Dragon Howl City or Rong Jingfeng. Jingyuan, however, remained unyielding, refusing to accept Lin Jing as their leader. Lin Jing asserted his self-sufficiency, stating he knew his own path without needing anyone's approval.
Lin Ruohan then chastised Jingyuan for his insolence and instructed Cang Qi to promptly take him away. After the confrontation, Lin Jing brought Lin Ruohan to the secret cave, assuring her he only intended to teach Jingyuan a lesson, not kill him. Once inside, Lin Ruohan recognized the cave as the legendary site where a Nalan ancestor had cultivated.
She revealed that his father had spoken of this hidden cave, and she had been searching for it for years, a key reason she settled the Nalan descendants in Lingxu Pavilion. Lin Jing then realized the coldness of the skeleton was a result of the ancestor's cultivation using the cave's extreme cold to open his meridians.
Recognizing the cave's significance as Lingxu Pavilion's most guarded secret, Lin Jing decided to keep its existence confidential and promised to properly bury their ancestor's remains. During their private conversation, Lin Ruohan probed Rong Su about her loyalties, questioning whether Dragon Howl City or her relationship with Lu Yizhou was more important. She advised Rong Su that true freedom came from letting go of the past, emphasizing that power and position were irrelevant compared to love and acceptance.
Lin Ruohan also pointed out the deep similarities between Rong Su and Lu Yizhou, asserting that only Lu Yizhou could truly embrace Rong Su's fiercely competitive nature. Rong Su, in turn, inquired about Lin Ruohan's method for resolving the Chihua Pill's backfire, to which Lin Ruohan ambiguously replied that she had her own way and was not intimidated by Dragon Howl City's threats.
Later, Lu Yizhou took Rong Su to his childhood secret spot, a place known only to him and Lin Jing, where he renewed his offer for them to leave the martial world together. They agreed to meet by the river at dusk. Before her decision, Rong Su visited Rong Hua, gently applying medicine to her sister's wound.
Rong Hua tried to persuade Rong Su to embrace her love for Lu Yizhou, assuring her that their father would want her to find happiness. However, a messenger, Xuan Ye, arrived with urgent news: a rumor had spread that Dragon Howl City had been attacked and all the Chihua Pills destroyed. Alarmed, Rong Su immediately dispatched Xuan Ye to the Snow Union for assistance and to contain the news.
As dusk fell, Lu Yizhou waited by the river, but Rong Su did not appear. He understood she was burdened by her duties and reaffirmed his commitment, vowing to return to that spot every year until she finally joined him. Rong Su, watching from afar, clutched a jade chess piece and acknowledged her broken promise, hoping their paths would eventually intertwine away from the world's troubles.
