Love Through a Millennium Episode 19 Recap
> Love Through a Millennium Recap
The morning after their reconciliation, Gong Ming and Lin Xiangxiang woke up to a new beginning. Lin Xiangxiang was overjoyed, embracing him from behind and declaring their new residence as their home. Gong Ming found the place a bit spacious for one, but Lin Xiangxiang promised to visit often, treating it as her own home and appreciating its proximity to her own residence. Gong Ming also carefully put away his jade pendant.
Eager to adapt to modern life, Gong Ming had acquired many books, committing himself to learning simplified Chinese and other languages, expressing his joy in learning but also his desire not to constantly trouble Lin Xiangxiang. She playfully insisted she wished he would, teasing him about being responsible for bringing her into his modern world. Later, Lin Xiangxiang showed Gong Ming how to navigate modern life, including a playful water fight during their morning routine.
As Lin Xiangxiang left for filming, Gong Ming promised to wait for her, and they agreed to a proper date with dinner and a movie once their schedules allowed. Gong Ming revealed he had been researching modern dating trends in magazines. He also purchased a modern watch, a gift Lin Xiangxiang noted was quite expensive.
He calmly explained that selling his family heirlooms would provide them with a worry-free life for a century, prompting Lin Xiangxiang to jokingly call him a "nouveau riche showing off wealth." Gong Ming also emphasized his unwavering commitment to her by refusing to remove the red thread she had given him, as it carried her heart. They then embarked on a sweet date, enjoying the market and each other’s company.
Lin Xiangxiang happily declared they were like a family, with Gong Ming as her brother and she as his sister. Later, after they parted for the night, Lin Xiangxiang sent him a text message, confessing she missed him already. He called her back, reassuring her of his mutual feelings.
When she pressed him on his return, he explained that, in his era, it was improper for unmarried couples to spend the night together, causing her to tease him for becoming boring. She then gave him a "Xiangxiang-style spa" using a "water baby" product. Meanwhile, Gong Ming’s mentor visited Wang Mang, instructing Ying Yue not to reveal his presence, as he believed Wang Mang still resented him for causing a rift with the Wang family.
Ying Yue explained she remained by Wang Mang's side out of respect for his late mother. The mentor encouraged her to let go of any lingering resentment, reminding her of their past friendship. He expressed concern for Wang Mang, who was abandoned by his family and grieving his mother's death, and urged Ying Yue to continue caring for him. Ying Yue found Wang Mang in despair, refusing to eat.
She tried to persuade him to nourish himself and allow his mother to pass peacefully, but he was inconsolable. Wang Mang lamented that his mother had spoken similar words to him when his father died. He blamed himself for his mother's demise, believing he only brought harm to those who loved him, even Gong Ming had drawn a sword against him. Seeing Wang Mang in pain, Ying Yue softened and embraced him. Ying Yue helped arrange the funeral.
Later, as Ying Yue and Wang Mang walked by a bridge, he recalled a traumatic childhood memory of seeing a young servant whipped to death for no reason other than his master's ill mood, and a slave woman crying over the boy’s body, presumably his mother. He still wished to reorganize the Han Dynasty to elevate the status of servants, questioning his own guilt despite the suffering his ambition brought.
Wang Mang suddenly suffered a headache, and Ying Yue looked at him worriedly. He then remembered another childhood incident at that very bridge, when he and Gong Ming playfully pushed Ying Yue into the water, and she, in turn, pushed them in. He confessed he couldn't swim at the time and truly thought he would die. Wang Mang noted how much they had changed, yet he still couldn’t swim.
He cherished seeing her smile like that beside him again, a smile he hadn't seen in a long time, and confessed to not having slept well the previous night. Back in the modern world, Lin Xiangxiang talked with Gong Ming about his previous attempt to seek revenge after her injury. He confirmed he was angry and intended to confront Wang Mang for hurting her but couldn’t bring himself to do it due to their deep brotherhood.
He now realized it was all a misunderstanding but regretted their last memory was him drawing a sword against Wang Mang. Lin Xiangxiang invited Gong Ming to visit her film set, promising he'd be impressed with her portrayal of Empress Xu. Gong Ming, however, worried it might remind him of the real Empress Xu, prompting Lin Xiangxiang to playfully accuse him of being the one obsessed with saving her.
At the set, Lin Xiangxiang’s manager, Jin Jing, and Xiaonan complained good-naturedly about Gong Ming’s public declaration of love during a commercial shoot, causing a "crisis" with the boss. Gong Ming apologized, admitting his lack of understanding of modern customs, and invited them to dinner, expressing his desire to befriend them as they were important to Lin Xiangxiang and, by extension, to him. Xiaonan initially refused, but Jin Jing quickly accepted on their behalf.
Lin Xiangxiang then performed a scene with Zhao Nana, where their characters, a concubine and an empress, lament how palace life prevented them from being friends. Zhao Nana praised Lin Xiangxiang, acknowledging her progress as an actress. Gong Ming also complimented Lin Xiangxiang, saying she was like the real Empress Xu, which she teased him for. Xiaonan and Jin Jing later feigned sadness over a heartbroken actor's breakup, secretly delighted.
Inspired by an elderly couple he saw, Gong Ming decided to propose to Lin Xiangxiang, wanting to spend decades with her as husband and wife. He bought a diamond ring and, finding her asleep, gently placed it on her finger. When she woke, he asked her to marry him, explaining his heartfelt desire to never lose her after their extraordinary reunion across two millennia. Lin Xiangxiang, deeply touched, accepted his proposal.
She asked how he knew to use a diamond ring, and he credited Xiaonan. Xiaonan, upon hearing the news, pretended to be heartbroken about Lin Xiangxiang getting married but ultimately wished them happiness. Lin Xiangxiang assured Gong Ming she preferred a simple proposal. Later, Xiaonan arrived with flowers, having planned an elaborate proposal scene for Gong Ming, only to discover he had already popped the question, much to his comical dismay.
Gong Ming then informed Lin Xiangxiang of his intention to formally ask her father for her hand in marriage. As she pondered what to wear, she playfully taught him how to tie a modern tie, explaining its resemblance to ancient official attire and how wives used to tie them for their husbands. He was fascinated and asked her to tie it for him again.
Meanwhile, Wang Mang reconciled with his mentor, stating he no longer harbored resentment, recognizing that their conflict stemmed from differing ideals. The mentor confirmed Gong Ming had left permanently, regretting their resentful parting and emphasizing Gong Ming’s deep regard for Wang Mang as a true confidant. Wang Mang declared his intention to abandon all court and palace affairs, forget the past, and live by his heart, prioritizing "one person" above all else. The mentor inferred this person was Ying Yue.
Wang Mang confirmed his wish to elope with Ying Yue, if she would have him, to escape worldly troubles. The mentor urged him to act quickly. Wang Mang then approached Ying Yue, who was preparing to leave. He confessed his long-held love for her, a desire he had suppressed knowing her heart belonged to another, and pleaded with her to join him in a life far from the capital. However, Ying Yue regretfully refused him.
Unknown to them, Zi Xiu was secretly observing their interaction. The Wang family elders, with Zi Xiu reporting on Wang Mang and Ying Yue's proximity but Gong Ming's continued absence, decided to capture Ying Yue to extract Gong Ming’s whereabouts. Zi Xiu expressed concern about Wang Mang interfering, especially since Ying Yue had handled his mother's funeral.
The elders callously declared that if Wang Mang dared to interfere, he should be killed to prevent him from retaliating against the Wang family in the future. In the modern world, Gong Ming overheard an actor, who identified himself as playing Wang Mang, say it was his last day of filming because his character died, assassinated by the Wang family as per the script.
This chilling revelation shocked Gong Ming, who realized that his actions had altered history, leading to Wang Mang's death. Unable to accept this fate for his former friend, Gong Ming made the difficult decision to return to Western Han. He sent Lin Xiangxiang a text message, apologizing for an emergency and informing her he would be two hours late for their meeting at the train station, leaving her anxiously waiting and unable to reach him by phone. Gong Ming reappeared at the bridge in Western Han, surprising Wang Mang.
