No Boundary Season 1 Episode 9 Recap
> No Boundary Season 1 Recap
As Duanmu Cui and Zhan Yan walked through the bustling streets, a crowd of women suddenly swarmed around Zhan Yan, showering him with attention and pushing Duanmu Cui aside. To escape, Zhan Yan feigned a fear of bugs, leading Duanmu Cui away from the throng. Duanmu Cui then spotted Tian, recognizing the clothes he wore as ones Mrs Li at the east had put out to dry.
Feigning seriousness, she threatened to send him to jail for theft, which sent Tian fleeing in a panic. Incensed by Zhan Yan's earlier attempt to have him jailed, Tian decided to play a trick. He used the God of Matchmaking's red threads of fate to entangle Zhan Yan, Zhang Long, and Zhao Wu. The prank went awry, leading to Zhang Long and Zhao Wu accidentally kissing each other.
Duanmu Cui quickly discovered Tian's mischief, confiscated the red threads, and sent him back to Penglai, sternly warning him not to meddle with Zhan Yan’s fate again. Tian, a Penglai Qilin, vaguely mentioned he was defying orders, to which Duanmu Cui, while asserting that immortals should not abuse their power, specifically instructed him not to inform Yang Jian about Zhan Yan.
Unbeknownst to Duanmu Cui, Yang Jian, concerned his sister was "falling in love again," had threatened the God of Matchmaking to arrange a marriage for Zhan Yan to keep him away from Duanmu Cui. Yang Jian blackmailed the God of Matchmaking, threatening to expose his past misdeeds to the Holy Mother, specifically mentioning his theft of the Queen Mother's immortal wine, if he failed to comply.
Pressured, the God of Matchmaking, upon seeing mortal woman Li Qiongxiang praying for marriage at his temple, reluctantly wrote Zhan Yan and Li Qiongxiang's names in the Book of Marriage. Around this time, Li Qiongxiang, known as "Qifeng's Number One Beauty," encountered danger and was rescued by Zhan Yan. During the confrontation, Zhan Yan's Ju Que sword tassel accidentally fell and was found by Li Qiongxiang, who then learned his name and developed a strong affection for him.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wu and Zhang Long were bickering over their accidental kiss, with Zhao Wu insisting they were now fated to be married since his mother said a kiss means marriage, while Zhang Long declared that only the God of Matchmaking could decide such things. Later, Zhang Long and Zhao Wu visited the God of Matchmaking Temple, where they both inexplicably drew "match made in heaven" fortune sticks and continued their bickering.
Later, Zhan Yan inquired if marriage threads truly existed in the mortal world. Duanmu Cui, playful, hugged him from behind and drew a visible red thread from his back. She noted he was lucky it wasn't tied by the God of Matchmaking, as she could easily untie this one. She then dismissed the God of Matchmaking as an incompetent, drunken old man who merely enacted the fates written in his book.
When Zhan Yan asked about his ideal woman, he slowly described characteristics that Duanmu Cui realized perfectly matched herself: "smiling eyes, valiant and gallant, righteous, hard on the outside but soft on the inside, and not afraid to love or to hate." Shortly after, Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui arrived at the Qifeng Prefecture via earth tunneling, much to Shangguan Ce’s chagrin, who complained about having to fill the holes they left.
Shangguan Ce showed them a collection of marriage proposals and portraits of unmarried women in Qifeng City, all seeking to marry Zhan Yan. Duanmu Cui, surprised, questioned how this could happen after she had personally untied his red thread. Madam Jiang was determined to find a suitable bride for Zhan Yan and sought Duanmu Cui’s opinion on the portraits. However, a jealous Duanmu Cui found fault with every candidate, deeming them ill-tempered, bad luck, or unsuitable for childbearing.
Madam Jiang then noticed Zhan Yan’s missing sword tassel, which she had made for him, and assumed he had given it to a woman he loved. Duanmu Cui pinched Zhan Yan, accusing him of misleading her about his lack of interest in romance. Zhan Yan attempted to explain it was all a misunderstanding, insisting he had no feelings for these women. Duanmu Cui retorted that he should go pursue the "beautiful Li girl."
Zhan Yan clarified that merely finding someone pretty didn't mean he wanted to marry them and promised to speak with his godmother. Duanmu Cui, seemingly appeased, agreed that marriage shouldn't be rushed based on superficial criteria and vowed to personally oversee his fate, ensuring the God of Matchmaking didn't tie any random threads. They then went to eat tofu sticks together. Later, Duanmu Cui discussed Zhan Yan's prospective marriage with Hong Luan and Wengu.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, she wondered if a person without romantic feelings could truly avoid marriage, or if mortals were simply bound by fate. Hong Luan explained that mortal marriages were determined by the God of Matchmaking and parental consent, leaving little room for personal choice. Duanmu Cui worried the God of Matchmaking might tie Zhan Yan to the wrong person if he got drunk again.
Despite Wengu offering to accompany her, Duanmu Cui decided to visit the God of Matchmaking Temple alone. Meanwhile, the God of Matchmaking, disguised as a fortune teller, approached Zhan Yan and predicted he would soon meet his fated partner, hinting at a "special girl" already by his side. Without Zhan Yan's knowledge, he discreetly attached Li Qiong Xiang’s butterfly tassel to Zhan Yan's waist.
When Duanmu Cui arrived at the temple, she found it empty and, frustrated, threatened to smash the idol. The God of Matchmaking quickly appeared to stop her. Duanmu Cui demanded to see the Book of Marriage and, upon reviewing it, discovered Zhan Yan’s name linked to "Li Qiong Xiang." Before she could demand an explanation, the God of Matchmaking snatched the book and fled.
Back at the prefecture, Shangguan Ce excitedly informed Zhan Yan that Madam Jiang had successfully arranged his marriage to Li Qiong Xiang, even remarking that he had initially thought Zhan Yan liked Duanmu Cui. Zhan Yan vehemently denied any prior acquaintance with Li Qiong Xiang or desire for marriage. Madam Jiang insisted he had expressed approval of Li Qiong Xiang's portrait, which prompted her to arrange the match.
She further revealed that Li Qiong Xiang possessed Zhan Yan's missing sword tassel, and pointed to the butterfly tassel now mysteriously hanging from Zhan Yan’s waist as undeniable proof of their mutual affection. Despite Madam Jiang's announcement that the exchange of marriage proposals was imminent, Zhan Yan, reiterating his wish to marry only for love, refused the match and left, leaving his godmother to ponder if he truly had another love interest.
Driven by jealousy, Duanmu Cui went to Qifeng Prefecture's records room to investigate Li Qiong Xiang. She reviewed the records, learning about Li Qiong Xiang’s wealthy background, education under a renowned Jiangnan scholar, and mastery of arts. Duanmu Cui scoffed at the match, deeming their upbringings too different. While there, she spotted a red thread on Zhan Yan's arm. When Zhan Yan entered the records room, Duanmu Cui quickly made herself invisible.
In a sudden turn, they accidentally kissed as Zhan Yan moved. During their accidental contact, a silver piece from Duanmu Cui’s Qiankun bag fell and was picked up by Zhan Yan. Later, Zhan Yan used the Lacquer Garden Butterfly to contact Duanmu Cui. Still simmering with jealousy, Duanmu Cui's responses were terse and cold. She sarcastically suggested he was too busy with his "Xiang Xiang" (referring to Li Qiong Xiang).
Zhan Yan, sensing her jealousy, playfully suggested they go to a new sweet tea shop on Zhuque Street. Duanmu Cui was internally conflicted but maintained her aloof demeanor. Zhan Yan, aware of her true feelings, intentionally cut off the connection. Immediately after, Duanmu Cui's attitude shifted, and she declared she wanted to go for a walk, despite having earlier claimed the weather was bad. Unbeknownst to them, Shangguan Ce had overheard Zhan Yan’s conversation through the Lacquer Garden Butterfly.
He confronted Zhan Yan, advising him to be responsible and warning him against two-timing Duanmu Cui and Li Qiong Xiang, dramatically predicting that Duanmu Cui might "destroy Qifeng Prefecture" if angered. Zhan Yan, exasperated, told Shangguan Ce to read more case files instead of "silly novellas." Shangguan Ce, undeterred, insisted his intentions were good, asserting that one day Zhan Yan would realize he was the one who cared about him the most.
