Love a Lifetime Episode 20 Recap
> Love a Lifetime Recap
The Chihua Pill, Dragon Howl City's most precious treasure, lies in the forbidden Flower Sea. Bai Weizhi chided the assembled faction masters for believing baseless rumors, warning that their mistrust was playing into an enemy's trap and could jeopardize their lives if the city lord withheld medicine.
Just as the masters deliberated, Rong Su arrived, swiftly defusing the tension by offering a compromise: once the Chihua Pill blossoms, her Hall of Emptiness would personally lead them into the Flower Sea to witness it. Rong Jingfeng agreed to her proposal, instructing her to make thorough preparations. Rong Su suggested that since few in Jianghu had ever seen a true Chihua Pill flower, they could subtly alter the Flower Sea before the masters' visit to stall for time.
She acknowledged that while this was a temporary fix, the antidote's true formula remained elusive. When asked about her investigation into Lingxu Pavilion, Rong Su admitted she hadn't discovered how its master avoided the Chihua Pill's backfire. However, recalling a cherished portrait Mo Huan kept, she asked Rong Jingfeng about the woman depicted.
Rong Jingfeng revealed it was Lin Ruohan, Mo Huan's most gifted disciple and his own junior fellow disciple, who years ago had eloped with the Nalan family master, thus betraying the Ling Sect and becoming a source of lasting pain for Mo Huan. He also confessed that Lin Ruohan had aided Mo Huan in destroying the original Flower Sea.
This led Rong Su to conclude that Lingxu Pavilion was the true power base of the Nalan family, and they were deliberately targeting Dragon Howl City, making future challenges difficult to predict. Meanwhile, Lingxu Pavilion began wedding preparations for Na Lanyue and Rong Hua. Mei Xueman, despite her lingering feelings for Na Lanyue, cheerfully agreed to Lin Ruohan's invitation to help.
Her brother, Mei Ying, however, was irritated, feeling that Lin Ruohan was inconsiderate of Mei Xueman's feelings after the broken engagement. Cang Qi interceded, explaining that Lin Ruohan had adopted Mei Xueman as her goddaughter, making her family, and valued Mei Xueman's talent. Mei Ying accepted the explanation but requested a personal meeting with Na Lanyue and Rong Hua to offer a substantial gift during their wedding, signaling the Mei family and Lingxu Pavilion were now united.
Mei Ying secretly speculated that Na Lanyue and Rong Hua might not be at Lingxu Pavilion if Lin Ruohan was comfortable with Mei Xueman helping. In the Nalan Cave, Jingyuan discussed the ice crystal he procured from the Northern Wastelands to accelerate the Chihua Pill's growth, hoping it would help Lin Ruohan with the backfire.
Lu Yizhou, sensing Jingyuan's underlying concern for Lin Ruohan, urged him to set aside his stubbornness and try to understand Lin Ruohan's perspective, and to accept Rong Hua. He reminded Jingyuan that while Lin Ruohan harbored deep hatred for Rong Jingfeng, her ultimate wish was for her family's safety.
He pointed out Rong Hua's selfless acts, including stealing the antidote and the Chihua Pill seed from Dragon Howl City to help Lin Ruohan, emphasizing that persistent hatred would blind one to others' kindness. Jingyuan, while agreeing not to harm Rong Hua for Lin Ruohan's sake, firmly stated his long-standing hatred would not easily dissipate. Lu Yizhou encouraged him to observe and learn while in Lingxu Pavilion.
At the Snow Union, Jinque confronted Guan Buzhuo for agreeing to Lin Ruohan's request to secretly protect Na Lanyue, accusing him of meddling. Guan Buzhuo argued it was his duty to assist an elder. Jinque, already overwhelmed with Snow Union's own issues, questioned Lin Ruohan's concerns, believing Mo Huan's primary target was Rong Jingfeng, not Na Lanyue.
Guan Buzhuo then suggested using Liuli to detain Xuan Ye, who had been waiting outside the Snow Union for days, to weaken Dragon Howl City. Liuli, acting on this suggestion, approached Xuan Ye. She explained that while Snow Union rules could not be easily altered, an alliance with Dragon Howl City could change things. She proposed using a "new truth to cover the old one," since rumors of the Flower Sea's destruction were already widespread.
Despite Xuan Ye's concerns about the time it would take, Liuli insisted on his help, directing him to gather information about the rumor-spreading factions to the south. Upon arriving in Dragon Howl City, Rong Hua cautioned Na Lanyue to be careful and to deny any knowledge if her father discovered their true intentions. Na Lanyue reassured her, promising to protect them both and to consult her before any action.
Bai Weizhi greeted them warmly, expressing his delight at their return and mentioning Mei Ying's unexpected presence in the city, which surprised Na Lanyue and Rong Hua. Rong Jingfeng welcomed them, expressing gratitude for their timely assistance during the city's crisis. He announced a change in plans: Na Lanyue, under his alias Lin Jing, would lead the faction masters into the Flower Sea, while Rong Su would guard the city gates.
Rong Su questioned the sudden alteration, but Rong Jingfeng remained resolute, insisting on his trust in Na Lanyue's capability. Zi Yan then distributed antidotes, instructing everyone to take them before entering the Flower Sea to prevent hallucinations. Bai Weizhi later brought soup to Na Lanyue, noting his room remained untouched, always ready for him and Rong Hua. He mentioned Rong Jingfeng had also enjoyed a bowl of his soup earlier, before leaving to join Rong Su on guard.
Na Lanyue led the blindfolded masters into the Flower Sea. Despite noticing a plum blossom scent, they were instructed to remove their blindfolds, revealing what appeared to be an intact Chihua Pill flower field. This convinced the masters the rumors were false. Suddenly, Na Lanyue felt disoriented and weak. Rong Jingfeng appeared, igniting the Flower Sea, trapping the masters in a circle of fire and mercilessly slaughtering them. A hallucination of Na Lanyue was seen as the perpetrator.
A bewildered Na Lanyue confronted Rong Jingfeng, who revealed that the soup Bai Weizhi had given him was drugged, explaining Na Lanyue's persistent disorientation. Na Lanyue realized Rong Jingfeng's earlier tension was part of this sinister scheme. A flashback revealed Mei Ying, seeking to secure his family's safety, had informed Rong Jingfeng of all Lingxu Pavilion's secrets, including Lin Jing's true identity as Na Lanyue, son of Nalan Xi.
Armed with this knowledge, Rong Jingfeng orchestrated the current trap: drugging Na Lanyue's soup and framing Lingxu Pavilion for the massacre to preserve Dragon Howl City's reputation. The sole surviving master from the Flower Sea escaped, accusing Na Lanyue of the slaughter. Rong Jingfeng feigned outrage, publicly condemning Na Lanyue (referring to him by his true name) for infiltrating Dragon Howl City to destroy the Flower Sea and steal the Chihua Pill, using the dead masters as irrefutable evidence.
Rong Hua, distraught and convinced of Na Lanyue's innocence, stepped in front of him to protect him. Rong Su, however, chastised her sister, reminding Rong Hua of her identity as Dragon Howl City's second miss and urging her to see Na Lanyue as a Nalan descendant and the murderer of the faction masters. Zi Yan and Bai Weizhi discreetly intervened, attempting to disarm Na Lanyue, providing a momentary reprieve. Rong Jingfeng, seeing his daughter's desperate pleas, feigned compassion.
He declared that while Dragon Howl City would not tolerate a criminal who destroyed their treasure, killing Na Lanyue immediately would be too lenient. He ordered Na Lanyue to be imprisoned, publicly promising to investigate and, in due course, lead an expedition against Lingxu Pavilion to avenge the slain masters.
Rong Su then told Rong Hua that Na Lanyue's life was safe and the truth would be investigated, attributing her sister's emotional outburst to being spoiled by their father and Zi Yan.
