Resumo do episódio 40 de Fate Chooses You (final)
> Resumos de Fate Chooses You
Yuan Zhong of the Youhu Clan encountered Xin Mei as she continued her desperate search for Lu Qianqiao. Mocking the "needle in a haystack" nature of her task, he revealed that he knew where the man could be found. Xin Mei, willing to do anything for a lead, helped Yuan Zhong with his fish basket and water after he claimed his catch was worth seven hundred taels.
During their conversation, Yuan Zhong inquired about a beautiful goddess in the divine realm, but Xin Mei could only recall a brief meeting with a young gatekeeper deity. Before parting, Yuan Zhong told her of a gluttonous diner at the Zuixian Restaurant in the capital who had been obsessively eating sweets for half a month. Now that the War Demon curse was broken, Lu Qianqiao had regained his sense of taste, and this was the lead Xin Mei needed.
As Xin Mei departed, Yuan Zhong’s true nature and failed ambitions were revealed. He was the one who had provided the sacred seed of the Jianmu Tree to Li Mofu in a failed attempt to rebuild the heavenly ladder. Despite the wasted seed, Yuan Zhong found it fascinating that Lu Qianqiao, now a "Perfect War Demon," was so thoroughly tethered to a woman from an immortal sect.
He mused that even a powerful being could meet his match in the form of a simple mortal woman, noting that Xin Mei seemed to be Lu Qianqiao's weakness. Xin Mei arrived at the Zuixian Restaurant in the capital but was met with disappointment. The waiter recalled a handsome, cold-mannered guest who booked the entire place every evening but noted that the man had not returned for three days.
Dejected, Xin Mei wandered the streets until she noticed a painter named Gongzi Qi sketching her likeness. When she confronted him for drawing her without permission, he playfully added a tear mole to the portrait—a feature she did not have—claiming the painting was of someone else entirely. Realizing his talent, Xin Mei asked him to paint a portrait of Lu Qianqiao to help her search.
At first, Xin Mei described Lu Qianqiao through poetic impressions, likening him to a frozen pond that turns into a gentle stream when warmed, or a hero whose presence brought peace even if the mountains collapsed. Gongzi Qi found these abstract descriptions impossible to paint and insisted on concrete details. Xin Mei then described his sharp brow bones, thick lips, and eyes that shifted from soft to piercing.
Gongzi Qi realized he had seen this man at the restaurant across the street and suggested Xin Mei stay for the lantern festival that evening, as the traveler would likely join the festivities. During the festival, the street was filled with people wearing War Demon masks. Xin Mei learned from a street vendor that a traveler had recently bought out his entire stock of sweet cakes, further confirming Lu Qianqiao's presence.
Spotting a familiar figure in a mask, Xin Mei chased him down, only to find it was Gongzi Qi again. Recognizing their shared sorrow in searching for lost loved ones, Gongzi Qi invited her to Zuixian Restaurant to drink "Never Returning Home," a potent local wine. Under the influence of the wine, Xin Mei’s reserve vanished. She spoke of Lu Qianqiao’s skill as a doctor and painter, claiming his talents far surpassed those of Gongzi Qi.
She reminisced about their life as outlaws, their travels from the Central Plains to North Xiang, and Lu Qianqiao's past struggle as a remnant of the War Demons who sacrificed his own cultivation just to feel the pain and colors of being human. She wept as she recalled the moment he lost his memory and left her behind, yet she remained steadfast in her promise to find him again. The next morning, Xin Mei woke alone in the restaurant.
Gongzi Qi had already paid the bill and left a fresh portrait of Lu Qianqiao for her, as the previous one had been ruined by spilled wine. Following a lead toward the pier, she encountered her old acquaintance Chu Ying, who was now working as a boatman. Chu Ying was preparing to set sail for Yanzhou, a place famous for its scenery at Lake Boyang and its local rice noodles.
When Xin Mei arrived at the pier looking for a boat, Chu Ying recognized her and, with the quiet permission of his lone passenger, invited her aboard. Stepping onto the boat, Xin Mei froze as she saw Lu Qianqiao sitting there, drinking wine. Though he remained cold and silent, he was finally within her reach. Fate had brought them together at the water's edge just as the boat began its journey toward Yanzhou.
Nearby, a crazy Taoist watched the world go by, lecturing a young boy about the nature of destiny. He explained that a savior of the world wasn't determined by a specific birth date or prophecy. Instead, he claimed that anyone who chose justice, shouldered responsibility, and stayed true to themselves could be a savior. As the boat pulled away, the long search for a lost heart finally found a moment of quiet resolution on the shifting waters.
