Moonshine and Valentine Episode 1 Recap
> Moonshine and Valentine Recap
Huiyan's parents anxiously discussed their young daughter's impending marriage. Her mother worried it was too soon, but her father focused on the substantial cash gift offered by the wealthy family, saying she would have to marry eventually. They found it strange that the family had only inquired about Huiyan's birthdate and time, even insisting on a midwife's verification, before proposing. Suddenly, a rainbow rain began, signaling a fox is getting married.
Huiyan, dressed in a red bridal gown, found herself inside a swaying palanquin, carried amidst celebratory drumming to meet a groom she had never seen. When she arrived, she found herself with a blind man. He apologized for her discomfort, admitting he felt the same. He explained that their fathers had decided they wouldn't marry immediately, and he personally didn't wish to marry someone he didn't know, but custom dictated they spend the night together.
He then asked her to eat something, but she refused, wanting to go home. He insisted he would wait all night until she ate. Huiyan, realizing he was truly blind, asked about his eyesight. He revealed his father told him his eyes would heal one day, allowing him to see in moonshine. He promised that once he could see, he would look for her to verify her beauty.
He added that because of her, he could now see the world at night and vowed to keep searching for her and stay by her side. Guan Pipi jolted awake at two in the morning, the recurring dream having tormented her for over sixteen hundred days. The familiar yet unknown figures left her questioning their identities and the dream's meaning, ultimately making her question who she truly was.
Long ago, a planet in distant outer space, nearly identical to Earth, housed an advanced alien civilization known as the Fox Clan. When their galaxy faced collapse, they embarked on spaceships, eventually migrating to various planets, with one group settling on Earth. To adapt, the Fox Clan evolved to appear human, gradually integrating into human society. However, interactions between humans and the Fox Clan were often fraught with misunderstanding.
In the Tang Dynasty, Dai Fu, a press corrector, was particularly fascinated by tales of human-fox romance, believing love transcended all boundaries. After his death, his son compiled his stories into a book called "Guang Yi Ji", which became widely popular. As these stories spread, embellished by storytellers, human curiosity about the Fox Clan slowly turned into fear. Recognizing the growing hostility, the Fox Clan learned to conceal their identities and blend seamlessly into the human world.
He Lanxi, also known as Jingting, was a fox over nine hundred years old, hailing from the distant Sky Fox Star. For centuries, he had served as the Right Priest of the Fox Clan, second only to their leader. Though Earth felt both familiar and strange, its bustling days and vibrant nights lacked the serene beauty of his homeland, where moonlight was like intoxicating wine and life flourished quietly.
He was haunted by a thousand-year-old curse and a heartbreaking past that had led him to break with his own family, enduring a bad name. Yet, he never regretted his choices, as everything he did was for a specific girl, for whom he would sacrifice anything, even his life, believing death might be his ultimate release.
Upon his return to Earth, his attendants, Xiu Xian and Kuanyong, had already prepared a new residence and a new identity for him – that of an antique collector. They also meticulously gathered all available information about Guan Pipi, the girl who was the reincarnation of Huiyan. They confirmed that the Pearl of Charm had been located in the possession of an antique collector and would be exhibited as a non-sale item at an upcoming auction.
Guan Pipi, the reborn Huiyan, had a simple, optimistic personality. She was an intern at a newspaper publishing company, performing basic tasks, a contrast to her past life. She had attended a private primary school before enrolling in a technical college. Her parents ran a small barbershop, providing a modest income. Pipi's closest friend since middle school was Tian Xin, a decisive person who significantly influenced Pipi's character.
She was also good friends with Xin Xiaoju, a classmate from technical college who worked at a cafe. Pipi's boyfriend and the person she most admired was Tao Jialin, a former classmate. Upon reviewing these details, He Lanxi declared that Tao Jialin would soon vanish from Pipi’s world. One afternoon, Pipi took a break to have lunch with Tao Jialin and Tian Xin. During their meal, Jialin expressed his frustration about needing a recommendation letter to pursue a Ph. D.
with Mathew Chess at Stanford. He hoped Professor Li from the 8th department, a former student of Mathew Chess, could provide one, but Professor Li had already written letters for two graduates and found issues with Jialin's thesis. Pipi tried to encourage him, even attempting to sew a large tear in his shirt with red thread, much to his amusement.
Pipi felt a growing distance between them; Jialin had always excelled, graduating from a top university and pursuing graduate studies, while she had struggled, attended a technical college, and was still an intern. Tian Xin suggested he approach Professor Liao from the National Academy of Sciences, a Stanford graduate whose word carried more weight. Feeling overwhelmed by the widening gap, Pipi made an excuse about work at the newspaper company and left the lunch early.
True to her word as a good friend, Tian Xin secretly approached Professor Liao on Tao Jialin's behalf. With impeccable poise and a sincere, almost pleading expression, she presented herself as a student deeply passionate about AI research, torn between pursuing further studies and entering the workforce, feeling it would be a pity to abandon her passion. Professor Liao, a Stanford alumnus himself, was impressed by her dedication and signed the recommendation letter for Tao Jialin.
Jialin was grateful but also worried. He wondered if this opportunity would further widen the geographical distance between him and Pipi. Tian Xin confessed she didn't even know what discrete mathematics was, revealing her performance was just good acting from her time in the music club, much to Jialin's surprise. Back at the newspaper office, Pipi faced coldness from her senior colleague, Wang Xuan, who dismissed her attempts to work and instead sent her to buy coffee for everyone.
Feeling despondent, Pipi confided in Xin Xiaoju at the cafe about her growing insecurity regarding Tao Jialin. She compared their academic and career trajectories: Jialin, always top of his class and now pursuing a Ph. D. at Stanford, versus her, struggling in high school, attending a technical college, and still an intern. Xin Xiaoju bluntly suggested she either break up with him or work harder to close the gap.
As Pipi left the cafe, she encountered He Lanxi, who she initially mistook for a beggar. He clarified the misunderstanding and politely asked her to guide his blind self to the subway station. As they walked, a thief suddenly snatched Pipi's purse. While Pipi froze for a moment, He Lanxi's attendants, Xiu Xian and Kuanyong, dramatically arrived in a luxurious car.
They swiftly pulled Pipi and He Lanxi into the vehicle and embarked on a high-speed chase through the streets, bickering comically the entire time. He Lanxi quietly ensured Pipi's safety amidst the chaos. After a thrilling pursuit, they cornered the thief, recovering Pipi's wallet and all its contents. Though her belongings were safe, Pipi was utterly terrified by the unexpected and dangerous experience. He Lanxi then gave Pipi his number, asking her to call if she ever needed anything.
With their mission accomplished and their car severely damaged, Xiu Xian and Kuanyong suggested a walk, much to He Lanxi's chagrin. Later, at home, Pipi's mother pressed her to discuss marriage with Tao Jialin before he left for abroad, ideally in front of his parents. Pipi resisted, believing Jialin should initiate such a serious conversation. Her mother then urged Pipi’s father to speak with Jialin's father, President Tao, who had been a former colleague.
However, Pipi's father hesitated, feeling the vast status difference now that Jialin's father was a "president" while he was just a former factory worker. When Pipi tried to borrow money from her mother for Jialin's birthday gift, her mother refused, suggesting homemade bean paste as a more heartfelt option and chiding Pipi for still asking for money despite having a job.
Pipi, undeterred, resolved to work harder and narrow the perceived gap between herself and Tao Jialin, believing she could change her own destiny. Meanwhile, He Lanxi reflected deeply on his own identity and past. He reiterated his nine-hundred-year-old existence as a fox from the Sky Fox Star and his role as the Right Priest. He recalled his multiple visits to Earth, noting its vibrant energy but lamenting its lack of tranquility compared to his homeland.
He spoke of the thousand-year curse and a profoundly painful past that had once led him to break with his family, accepting a bad reputation without regret. His every action was for "her," and he vowed to pay any price, even his own life, for her sake, considering death perhaps his ultimate liberation.
He mused that in every person's life, even an ordinary one, there is a special individual whose appearance immediately signals a profound change, for better or worse, altering the course of one's entire life. He silently yearned, "I miss you so much."
