Qing Luo Episode 19 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Yu Qingluo prepared to depart, instructing Li Zifan to ensure the patient avoids cold food and takes medicine on time, and asking him to look after the individual in her absence. Li Zifan, in turn, cautioned Yu Qingluo to be careful on her journey, promising to come to her aid if she sent a message via pigeon.
Ye Xiudu suggested that Li Zifan should instead focus on investigating the true cause of the epidemic disease, but Li Zifan dismissed it as not his concern. As Yu Qingluo, Jin Liuli, and Ye Haoran waited, Jin Liuli wondered about the absence of Ye Xiudu and Qingning. Ye Xiudu soon arrived alone, explaining to Ye Haoran that Qingning was not joining them.
Jin Liuli, pleased by this, remarked to Yu Qingluo that her plan to win Ye Xiudu's heart was already halfway successful. As they set out, Shuang Ke reported to the Xiuluo Sect Chief that Ye Xiudu's group had departed for Jinglei Kingdom, predicting they would not return even without direct intervention. The Chief ordered constant updates on their whereabouts.
Upon reaching their destination, they learned from an announcement in Zuimeng City that due to a raging epidemic, no one infected or lacking Jinglei Kingdom identification was permitted entry. Ye Haoran worried about returning empty-handed, but Jin Liuli confidently declared that she could obtain passes for two couples from the black market under her esteemed "Moonlit Asura" name.
She returned with two sets of couple's documents, explaining that the black market was booming due to the epidemic, and these were the last available. The passes were designated for a married couple: "Sima Jinyu, Magistrate of Yuanshan Prefecture" and "Madam Sima, first wife of Sima Jinyu," who had been married for five years. Jin Liuli emphasized that they would also face interrogations to verify their identities, requiring thorough preparation.
Yu Qingluo, seeing no other option for the competition and the welfare of the people, reluctantly agreed to cooperate. Ye Haoran commented that Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu already seemed like a long-married couple, solidifying their pairing as the Sima couple. Ye Xiudu was assigned to partner with Yu Qingluo, and when Ye Haoran asked if he was afraid, Ye Xiudu asserted that he was open-hearted.
Jin Liuli teased Ye Xiudu, suggesting he was afraid of genuinely falling for Yu Qingluo, while Ye Haoran countered that Ye Xiudu was more likely afraid of Yu Qingluo falling for him. Ye Xiudu cut them off, stressing that their top priority was obtaining firethorns in Jinglei Kingdom. Later, Jin Liuli noticed Yu Qingluo's somber mood and advised her that Ye Xiudu was likely "playing hard-to-get." She urged Yu Qingluo to take the initiative in their romantic game.
Jin Liuli then convened a "training session" to prepare them, confidently stating she would impart her years of experience to ensure they passed. Ye Xiudu dismissed her methods as "low and dirty tricks." Jin Liuli ignored him, explaining the first rule: memorize their characters' birth dates, both their own and their partner's. The second rule was to recall "touching moments" like their first meeting, date, and holding hands, as these were sure to be asked.
She even produced a script, promising fluent answers if they practiced their "real first times." Ye Haoran, overconfident, insisted he and Ye Xiudu had exceptional memories and needed no practice. Jin Liuli scolded him, fearing an accident. She then privately informed Yu Qingluo that she had not only secured the passes but also bribed the examiners at the designated Fulong Inn, ensuring the Ye brothers would be at their mercy. The examination began.
When Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu, acting as the Gongsun couple, entered, the examiner stated he would bypass conventional questions due to numerous imposters. Instead, he demanded they reenact their confession, which he assumed to be highly romantic. Ye Xiudu hesitated, but Yu Qingluo quickly took charge, telling him to cooperate.
She recounted her "confession" to him on the Mid-Autumn Festival under a full moon on Liudan Mountain, where she had declared her unwavering love for him since their fateful meeting at the Star-gazing Tower, regardless of his memory. She described grabbing his hands, saying he had fallen for her and she would never let go, then asked if he would be with her. After a moment, Ye Xiudu reluctantly agreed.
The examiner praised them as a "storybook couple" but revealed that this was only the first question. Meanwhile, Jin Liuli and Ye Haoran faced their own test. As Madam Sima, Jin Liuli spoke of her husband's dedication as magistrate, which often left her alone, though she claimed no complaints as long as he returned home. The examiner then asked their purpose for passing.
When Ye Haoran, the "magistrate," struggled to write an answer, Jin Liuli angrily accused him of being useless and unworthy as a husband. In a fit of rage, she threw her book, accidentally knocking out the examiner. However, the examiner declared them a "perfect match" due to their constant bickering, stating that only real couples quarrel so readily, and advised them never to divorce.
For the second part of Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu's test, which Jin Liuli had prepared for, the examiner, knowing Madam Gongsun (Yu Qingluo's character) excelled at making desserts, presented three, one of which was supposedly made by her. Ye Xiudu was tasked with identifying it. After some deliberation, Ye Xiudu chose one. Upon tasting it, he described its smooth, soft, fine, thick, sweet, slightly bitter, and mellow flavors. He asked its name, and Yu Qingluo replied, "Heart-to-Heart."
Ye Xiudu, recognizing the taste and experiencing a rush of familiar memories, declared, "So this is the taste of love!" Seeing tears well up in Ye Xiudu's eyes, Yu Qingluo was also moved. The examiner then announced that Yu Qingluo and Ye Xiudu had successfully passed. After the examination, Jin Liuli, still fuming at Ye Haoran, told him their feud could not be resolved and that she found him an "eyesore," refusing to speak to him.
An official announced that the city gate was closed for the night, and all entrants could stay at the inn. Later that night, Ye Xiudu suddenly felt a rush of blood and his heart pound. He offered Yu Qingluo the bed, intending to sleep on the floor, but then decided to find another room.
As the examiner walked by, Jin Liuli, still angry, loudly declared her intent to divorce Ye Haoran the next day and refused to share a room with him. Thinking Ye Xiudu was merely putting on an act when she noticed someone outside the window, Yu Qingluo quickly embraced and kissed him, intending to make the false thing become true. Suddenly, Qingning and Li Zifan burst in, interrupting the kiss.
Qingning angrily demanded to know what they were doing, then accused Ye Xiudu of abandoning her and kissing Yu Qingluo. She also chided Li Zifan for traveling with "this little girl" (Yu Qingluo). Li Zifan explained that they had sought passes from Prince Shangguan upon hearing of the closed pass in Jinglei Kingdom, hoping to assist, but found that Ye Xiudu and Yu Qingluo had already found a way through.
Ye Xiudu calmly asserted that no mere pass could defeat them. Yu Qingluo suggested they all go together the next day to procure firethorns and return to Tianyu Kingdom. Li Zifan, however, revealed that all firethorns in Jinglei Kingdom had been bought, suspecting the Xiuluo Sect. He added that while "Heaven never seals off all the exits," mentioning Windbell Valley as the origin of firethorns, it was in fact "a dangerous place with no return."
The next morning, in Windbell Valley, Ye Haoran approached Jin Liuli, who was practicing martial arts. He apologized for his past judgments regarding her book theft, admitting he had been too harsh and an unqualified friend, vowing to be candid from that day forward. Jin Liuli, however, was enraged, realizing her prolonged hopes had been wasted on such a "dumb head," confessing she was "blind and stupid" to have liked him.
Soon after, Qingning appeared, continuing her contentious remarks towards Yu Qingluo, calling her a "nuisance" and claiming Ye Xiudu would be "cheated away by someone" if she hadn't intervened. Ye Xiudu intervened, halting their argument and announcing their arrival at Windbell Valley. The group noted the valley's pleasant warmth, ideal for firethorn growth.
As they prepared to enter, a hunter warned them against it, stating that no one who ventured inside ever returned, calling it "a very dangerous place with no return." Ye Xiudu, undeterred, declared, "There's no place I can't go to in the world." Yu Qingluo, despite the warnings, insisted they had to proceed. Inside, the valley was filled with the rhythmic and strange sounds of wind chimes, activated by someone secretly playing a flute.
Yu Qingluo found herself disoriented by the sound and experienced a vivid hallucination: she saw Ye Xiudu and herself dressed in red wedding attire, pierced by arrows. She stumbled back into his arms, waking from the trance as if from a nightmare, and clinging to him tightly. Unbeknownst to them, a subordinate reported to the Valley Chief that six individuals—three men and three women—had broken into the inner valley, noting their unusual ability to bypass the "windbell array."
The Chief ordered continued surveillance to ascertain their purpose. Away from the group, Jin Liuli rebuffed another of Ye Haoran's attempts to reconcile, stating their feud was beyond resolution. Later that night, Yu Qingluo asked where Ye Xiudu was and was informed he had gone to scout ahead with Li Zifan. Deep within the valley, Li Zifan confronted Ye Xiudu, reminding him that since he had "spent a night with another girl," he should "behave himself and leave Qingluo."
Ye Xiudu asked if Qingning had told him. Li Zifan asserted that Ye Xiudu had "lost the qualification to be with Qingluo" and threatened him if he continued to pursue Yu Qingluo. Ye Xiudu stated he would handle the matter himself, but Li Zifan demanded he resolve it before returning to Zuimeng City. As the campfire burned, Yu Qingluo approached Ye Xiudu. She lamented his memory loss, recalling a beautiful night they shared on Yaowang Island.
Knowing the dangers of Windbell Valley, she gave him a sachet containing calming herbs, explaining it would "help ease your hemophobia," ensuring he wouldn't faint at the sight of blood. Meanwhile, Jin Liuli and Ye Haoran, observing from a distance, spotted Ye Xiudu and Yu Qingluo. Jin Liuli decided they should merely "observe" and not disturb them, pushing Ye Haoran away when he tried to get closer.
Yu Qingluo then produced a marriage contract, which she revealed she had found in Ye Xiudu's room after they both fell off a cliff. She read the beautiful vows, which declared a fixed marriage, a day for family and prosperity, and a commitment to live together till old age, signed by "Bridegroom Ye Xiudu" and "Bride Yu Qingluo." She then asked Ye Xiudu if the contract was still valid for him.
Despite Jin Liuli's hopeful exclamations, Ye Xiudu apologized, stating that they "can't be together." Yu Qingluo, hurt, asked if he truly loved Qingning. He denied it, saying he only saw Qingning as a disciple. However, he confessed that he had promised Qingheng he would marry Qingning after they obtained the firethorns, because he had "spent a night with Qingning" after getting drunk in the wooden house, and "I have to be responsible for her." Yu Qingluo, heartbroken, replied, "Okay.
I'll let you go." With tears in her eyes, she dramatically tore the marriage contract into pieces, declaring to Ye Xiudu, "From now on, you and I will have nothing to do with each other." Ye Xiudu stood silently, clutching the sachet Yu Qingluo had given him. He then slowly picked up the torn fragments of the marriage contract.
Memories flooded his mind: their first meeting, his promise to always protect her and Nannan, the imperial decree announcing their marriage, and Yu Qingluo's words about having no regrets dying in his arms. He felt a profound and growing pain in his heart, silently shedding tears, remembering his solemn promise never to break his word.
