My Dear Brothers Episode 25 Recap
> My Dear Brothers Recap
Yuan Zhao and the Yuhua Sect members returned to the sect, where Yuan Ye greeted them and congratulated Hou Chi on his election as the head of the Immortals Alliance. Yuan Zhao inquired about the ongoing search for Junior Yuan Gui, which had yielded no news, and ordered more people to be dispatched. He then made a public announcement, confirming that Shi Xia was not a Devil Sect spy, as the true culprit, Lin Kui, had been apprehended.
Acknowledging Shi Xia’s innocence and her significant assistance to Hou Chi during the Alliance Head selection, Yuan Zhao declared her reinstatement as a Yuhua Sect disciple. Furthermore, he lifted the long-standing ban on women throughout Yuhua Sect, granting Shi Xia the freedom to access any area. Finally, Yuan Zhao tasked Yuan Ye with meticulously preparing for the head of Immortals Alliance's inauguration, which was scheduled to take place in 15 days in ""Immortal-Devil Town"".
After the public ceremony, Shi Xia and Hou Chi went to their residence. Shi Xia expressed joy at seeing the Holy Tree revived and cherished the familiar surroundings, especially Hou Chi's presence. Hou Chi welcomed her home. Shi Xia then ate, still without her sense of taste, merely eating enough to feel full. Hou Chi noticed her sunken cheeks and lamented that she had lost her taste because of him.
Shi Xia tried to reassure him, jokingly saying it meant she no longer had to worry about dieting. Hou Chi, however, admitted he preferred her with chubby cheeks and pointed out her pale complexion. Shi Xia suggested using makeup to improve her appearance, but confessed she was unfamiliar with ancient cosmetics. Hou Chi confidently volunteered to apply her makeup. His attempt, however, resulted in such an exaggerated look that he quickly removed it with a spell.
Shi Xia, observing no change in her reflection, playfully accused him of doing nothing. Hou Chi then affectionately told her he found her most beautiful without any makeup, a "cheesy pick-up line" that Shi Xia playfully teased him about. Misinterpreting her reaction as dissatisfaction, Hou Chi kissed her cheek. As Shi Xia blushed, he cupped her face to cool her down. At that very moment, Yi Yaogua, Qing Feng, and Bi Hong arrived.
An embarrassed Shi Xia quickly tried to divert attention by asking Qing Feng for help with her rouge. Yi Yaogua, however, intervened, insisting that Qing Feng should maintain a respectful distance from Shi Xia, who was now Hou Chi's woman. He then directly asked Shi Xia about the rouge she used to achieve her improved complexion. In response, Hou Chi kissed Shi Xia’s cheek again, playfully stating, "This is the rouge she used."
Yi Yaogua promptly changed his tune, agreeing that excessive use of rouge could harm the skin and that a "natural" approach to makeup was indeed better. Bi Hong, after delivering a ""Heart-Nourishing Soup prescription"", quickly made an excuse about meeting friends for a drink and departed, followed by Yi Yaogua, who pulled a reluctant Qing Feng away. Feeling dejected about Hou Chi and Shi Xia's rapidly developing relationship, Bi Hong sought solace in drinking with friends.
He was unusually quiet, not praising their music as he typically would. He reflected aloud on how he once considered friendship the safest and most stable bond, but now found it to be the "most ridiculous relationship" in the world. Back in his courtyard, he deliberately poured liquor on his hydrangea flowers, causing them to wilt. He then called Shi Xia, who, for the first time since returning to Yuhua Sect, came to his courtyard.
Seeing the withered flowers, Shi Xia was saddened. Bi Hong feigned carelessness, claiming he had accidentally spilled liquor on them. Shi Xia immediately set to work, changing the soil to revive the plants. As she worked, Bi Hong probed, asking when she started liking Hou Chi. Shi Xia firmly declared her unwavering commitment to Hou Chi, jokingly accusing Bi Hong of being a "deep-sea octopus" who was prone to "cheating."
She explained that her feelings for Hou Chi developed gradually, starting from a period when he "always inexplicably showed up" in her life. Despite her efforts to avoid him, he persistently pursued her, even giving her gifts she initially disliked, until his image filled her mind and became impossible to shake. Listening to her, Bi Hong secretly lamented, wishing he had been braver earlier, believing he might have had a chance to be with her.
Hou Chi later confided in Bi Hong that his heart disease had worsened. Bi Hong explained that Hou Chi's emotional fluctuations triggered his Evil Aura, and his deepening affection for Shi Xia had transformed her into his "Love Calamity," causing him immense pain. Bi Hong asserted that this condition was incurable, with the only permanent solution being to sever all emotional ties. Hou Chi, however, firmly refused to abandon his love for Shi Xia.
Bi Hong suggested that while the ""Heart-Nourishing Soup"" combined with Hou Chi's own power might help control the Evil Aura, ultimately, his continuous immersion in love would lead to heart failure and death. Reminding Hou Chi of his duty as the future head of the Alliance, Bi Hong urged him to reconsider. Hou Chi, however, declared that anyone could be the head of the Alliance, but Shi Xia was his entire world.
He announced his intention to inform Lord Shen Guan of his decision to resign from the position, suggesting she choose another capable candidate. Bi Hong warned him that if he were to die, Shi Xia would ""also die of grief"". Yet, Hou Chi remained resolute, vowing to persevere until his last day, so he could send Shi Xia back to her home.
Troubled, Bi Hong secretly resolved that he could not allow Hou Chi to die, nor could he let Shi Xia endure such heartbreak, and decided to inform Yuan Zhao of the situation. Yuan Zhao soon confronted Hou Chi, sensing the Evil Aura within him, and knew it was Shi Xia's influence that had worsened his condition.
He told Hou Chi that Shi Xia was like a "sword hanging over his head" and declared his intention to expel her from Yuhua Sect. Hou Chi immediately knelt and pleaded with his Master, explaining that he had lived alone for two hundred years without knowing his parents or origins, finding nothing to cherish in the world except the Alliance Head position.
However, meeting Shi Xia had taught him the meaning of joys and sorrows, giving him a reason to live and a desire to protect her, to spend his life with her, not merely as siblings. He vowed never to let Shi Xia leave. Yuan Zhao reminded Hou Chi of his great responsibility as the future head of the Alliance and urged him not to betray the honor of the sect, or his own life, for a mere woman.
Hou Chi, however, defiantly stated that Shi Xia was more important than the sect's honor or anything else in the world, and offered to resign from the Alliance Head position, asking Lord Shen Guan to choose another capable candidate. Enraged by Hou Chi's unwavering stance, Yuan Zhao resorted to force, severely striking him, causing his ""blood to flow backward"" until he collapsed unconscious. Yuan Zhao then brought Hou Chi to Bi Hong for treatment.
Bi Hong quickly diagnosed that Hou Chi's heart was under attack by the Evil Aura, and his blood was flowing backward. He acknowledged that Yuan Zhao's timely intervention in sealing Hou Chi's acupoints had prevented him from dying of ruptured meridians. Still, Bi Hong cautioned that killing Shi Xia now would only worsen Hou Chi's already critical state, as his love for her was so profound that such news would be devastating.
He assured Yuan Zhao that he would find a way to save Hou Chi and urged Yuan Zhao to guard Hou Chi carefully, keeping Shi Xia, whom he called a "demon girl," away from him. As Bi Hong treated Hou Chi, he discovered a ""spiritual root mark"" on the back of Hou Chi's neck that was identical to his own.
Consulting ancient texts, Bi Hong learned that a ""grafted spiritual root"" would leave a scar matching that of the original owner. This revelation sparked a memory of a conversation he overheard in the Devil Sect, where Lord Shen Guan spoke to Yuan Zhao about the Devil Sect's bloodline, which she had awaited for a thousand years, surprisingly manifesting within Yuhua Sect. Prompted by this, Bi Hong examined himself and found the very same scar on his own body, realizing a profound connection.
