Moonshine and Valentine Episode 25 (Ending) Recap
> Moonshine and Valentine Recap
A flashback revealed Huiyan's deep love for Helan, also known as Xi. Speaking with a mysterious figure she addressed as "my lord," Huiyan expressed her willingness to make a sacrifice, but only if it meant Helan would not be sad and would never try to find her. The "lord" assured her they understood.
In a tender moment, Huiyan reminisced about Helan's past words that staring at the moon long enough would reveal one's inner self, confirming she had indeed seen hers. She then recounted their impending marriage, a union her father had scheduled for that very month. Despite Helan's previous aversion to weddings and his humorous claim of being "extremely ugly," Huiyan eagerly anticipated their special day.
She described their people's tradition of marrying on a sunny rain day, hoping for a rainbow, and her wish to finally see his appearance. Huiyan imagined their wedding with vibrant colorful boats and all their loved ones blessing them. She believed that to Helan, she would be the most beautiful girl in the world, wearing a colorful wedding dress he promised would be more radiant than any rainbow.
They promised each other to journey through the world and spend their lives together, never parting. In the present, Helan was in grave danger, prompting a discussion among his loyal companions about his fate and the location of a crucial key. Zhao Song's ambition to become the next Chief Priest of the Fox Clan hinged on obtaining this key, which would seal Helan's conviction for patricide.
The group realized that finding the key and securing it was a high-stakes gamble against Zhao Song. Amidst their concern, Xiu Xian proposed a daring plan: he and Kuanyong would transfer all their power to Helan. They knew this act would restore Helan's life, though he would lose all his memories and powers, becoming a mortal. They, in turn, would revert to their fox forms for potentially centuries. Guan Pipi overheard their conversation and was deeply moved.
As Helan had lost his powers, the mystical Flower of the Fox on Pipi's body faded, signifying that the energy originally belonging to her had been returned. She finally had the chance for a complete human life, but it meant potentially losing Helan. Pipi thought of Helan in his adorable fox form, longing to hold him. She resolved to act, announcing that she had a plan.
Her immediate concern was for Helan, who had been turned into a fox by Zhao Song. She pressed Xiu Xian and Kuanyong for details about his condition and their plan to save him, offering her help. When they suggested she stay out of it for her safety, Pipi firmly stated that as Helan's wife, it was her business. Zhao Song and Bozhong, meanwhile, were obsessed with finding the key.
Zhao Song expressed frustration that Helan had refused to accept the key for centuries, only to become the heir at this critical moment. Bozhong explained that while many elders might support Zhao Song's claim, the key was essential to command full respect and prevent potential impeachment. Based on his analysis, Bozhong believed the key was still hidden within Helan's home, as it wasn't found when Helan was previously detained.
Pipi then directly contacted Zhao Song by phone, introducing herself as Helan's wife. Zhao Song, having heard of her, used Helan's dire state to his advantage, informing Pipi that Helan had indeed turned into a fox and had little time left. Pipi, pretending to cooperate, offered to give him the key on two conditions: the safety of her family and friends, and that the Fox Clan would never disturb her again.
Zhao Song found this a simple transaction and readily agreed, even promising to grant her an additional request: a memento left by Helan's mother. They arranged to meet at No. 56, Xianting Street, that night. Zhao Song, confident, told Bozhong it was convenient to have Pipi as a "guide." Meanwhile, Xiu Xian, Kuanyong, and Xiaoju were on their way to help Helan.
Xiaoju asked if saving Helan would cost them their lives, and Xiu Xian and Kuanyong reaffirmed their unwavering oath to Helan, stating that they owed him their lives. They explained that using their combined power to heal Helan would exhaust their own, turning them back into foxes for possibly hundreds of years before they could regain human form.
As they journeyed to a river to perform the ritual, Xiu Xian affectionately spoke to the fox-transformed Helan, promising he would soon be human again, while lamenting that he and Kuanyong would not be able to accompany him during their long transformation. They playfully wondered if Helan would recognize them in his new human life and if his eyesight would be restored, expressing their relief at his potential for a normal life.
They teased each other and Helan as they shared food, reflecting on how Helan had saved their lives. Xiaoju, clearly saddened, was comforted by Xiu Xian, who playfully explained that foxes don't die but merely revert to their original form, reassuring her they would return for her, though it might take 800 or 900 years. As a heartfelt goodbye, Xiaoju gave them small stones she had collected, considering them a blessing.
They expressed their gratitude, telling her that meeting her had been the luckiest and happiest event of their past few hundred years. That night, Pipi arrived at Helan's house, where Zhao Song and Bozhong were waiting. Zhao Song immediately snatched Pipi's bag, revealing he knew she carried the Sacred Wood. He chided her for complicating their "deal" but reiterated his promise to uphold his end of the bargain by offering her the Gold Flower Mirror if she provided the key.
Pipi, however, admitted she didn't know the key's location and wouldn't give it to him even if she did, asserting it belonged to Helan. Zhao Song, unfazed, declared the key was in the house and demanded she find it. He physically forced her, threatening her family's safety if she didn't cooperate. When Pipi frantically searched and found nothing, Zhao Song mocked her for her gullibility. Just then, Qianhua appeared, confronting Zhao Song.
Zhao Song angrily told her to step aside, reminding her that Pipi was Helan's true love, not her. He warned Qianhua that it wasn't too late to stop. Qianhua, however, fiercely countered, reminding him of her threat to ruin Helan if he left her, and accused him of pushing her too far. Zhao Song, misunderstanding her motives, questioned if she was doing this for Helan.
Qianhua, with tears in her eyes, finally confessed that her actions were not for Helan but for Zhao Song himself, because she had fallen in love with him and did not want to love a "jerk." Zhao Song struggled to believe her, but Qianhua affirmed that everything she had done was for him. Acknowledging her past mistakes, she chose to end everything.
She then raised the Gold Flower Mirror, igniting the Sacred Wood, and in a flash, she, Zhao Song, and Bozhong were incinerated, their souls and bodies turning to ash. Six months later, Tao Jialin was discharged from the hospital, intending to move to America. Only Tian Xin was there to see him off, as he had not informed his parents.
Jialin expressed his newfound desire for independence, wanting to learn to care for himself after years of relying on his parents, Pipi, and Tian Xin. He inquired about Tian Xin's stable job, and she gave him homemade bean paste. The future of their relationship remained open, dependent on Jialin's choices and efforts. Xiaoju continued her life and work, now accompanied by two adorable foxes named Xiuxiu and Kuankuan, embodying the transformed Xiu Xian and Kuanyong.
Xiaoju lovingly cared for them, content in their presence. Guan Pipi successfully enrolled as a graduate student in journalism at Jialin and Tian Xin's alma mater, pursuing her dream of becoming an exceptional journalist. In an interview, she used an analogy of a disliked apple, which she was forced to eat by a "man" (Helan), who told her it would cure her illness.
She realized this apple, and the man, opened her eyes to an "unknown world" where she saw herself differently. Pipi declared that news was like that apple, and journalists were those who fed it to people, needing to be brave enough to accept the unfamiliar and confront the unknown to guide readers to new understandings. Despite these new beginnings, Helan remained missing.
After six months, a lawyer named Chen attempted to have Pipi sign an inheritance agreement for Helan, stating that by contract, after six months of absence, Helan would be considered deceased. Pipi vehemently refused, insisting that Helan was merely missing and would return. She firmly told the lawyer that the decision to sign was hers, and she would not do so.
Later, Pipi spoke with Su Mei on the phone, who confirmed there was no news of Helan but reassured Pipi that Helan had been cleared of all charges, thanks to Pipi having protected the key, and remained the rightful heir of the Fox Clan. Su Mei encouraged Pipi to stay strong, as they all awaited Helan's return. Pipi later embarked on a train journey northward to participate in a fox release event.
On the train, at Shuhai Station, Pipi encountered a man who strikingly resembled Helan. After a brief interaction, they introduced themselves. She was Guan Pipi, and he was Helan Xi. Pipi, taken by his name, shared a detail a friend once told her: that "Xi" was an ancient tool for untying ropes, a fact she would never forget. She confessed that this friend, who meant a great deal to her, had since left. When Helan Xi asked if he would return, Pipi replied, "He will. I'll wait for him to come back." Helan Xi responded, "Then I'll wait with you."
